Last Names That Are Adorable First Names

Another meaningful word name that actually dates back to pre-Emancipation days.

Kensington is a place name with a number of referents; there are cities by the name in Australia, Canada, South Africa, the UK, and the US. As a girls' name, it entered the US Top 1000 in 2015, likely as a fresher way to get to nickname Kensie/Kenzie than Mackenzie, Mckenzie, or Makenzie.

Popularized for girls after Kirsten Dunst portrayed high school cheerleading captain Torrance Shipman in the 2000 movie Bring it On. Tori is an easy nickname.

Berkeley, with an extra E, is the more familiar variation of this name, associated with the California school. But it's the streamlined Berkley that has proven itself to be more popular as a baby name, at least in the US.

Most closely associated with famed English novelist George Orwell (whose real name was Eric Arthur Blair), this English surname is now occasionally sported as a literary first name. Given its meaning, Orwell could also be used by those looking for a more subtle alternative to River.

Yet another creative character name from Toni Morrison, Denver was a daughter of Sethe's in the novel Beloved. Today Denver is most familiar as the name of the largest city in Colorado, used almost equally for girls and boys.

Swayze is an Anglicization of the German surname Schweiz or Schweizer, referring to a Swiss person. It's most commonly associated with late actor Patrick Swayze, of Dirty Dancing fame. Interestingly, it's overwhelmingly feminine, with over 83% of babies born with the name girls.

Cute and eminently wearable surname name for girls.

Darling has history as an English surname, but it would most likely be read as a quirky and loving word name, a la Sweetheart or Honey.

Evans is an historic Welsh patronymic surname, derived from Evan, which is a form of John. With Evan's popularity in the U.S. and the U.K. -- it's a Top 50 names -- the stylish s-ending version may also be on the rise.

Trilby was used first for a character by French novelist Charles Nodier (1822) and made more famous by writer George du Maurier in an 1894 work. A Trilby hat, which Du Maurier's character wore, is a short-brimmed fedora of the kind recently revived by hipsters. Du Maurier's character Trilby fell under the hypnotic power of Svengali: not the best choice for an independent and self-determining daughter. Still, if you want a unisex name that moves far beyond the usual Taylor and Morgan and has energy and feminine verve, Trilby might well be your girl.

Eisele was originally a nickname for the Old German given name Isenhart, which derived from Isenlin — a nickname for a blacksmith.

This regal Spanish surname combines several of today's top trends — names that end in S, last names as first names — in a single, stylish form.

This attractive Scottish surname-name is found in Larry McMurtry's Lonesome Dove, as the surname of hero Augustus/Gus McCrae. Also spelled MacCrae or McRay among other variations, the meaning is variously given as son of grace or luck.

Long-used surname name that's up for promotion to greater popularity.

Naples-born Enrico Caruso was one of the greatest opera singers of all time. Recordings of his powerful singing voice are still in circulation today, nearly 100 years after his death.

A WASPy surname that fits in with names like Clayton, Layton, and Payton. Drayton peaked in 2012, when it was given to 78 baby boys in the US.

Forbes is a business magazine in the U.S., long led by Malcolm Forbes, with a buttoned-down Brooks Brothers image. If you name your son Forbes, you're definitely implying a connection to the prominent and wealthy family -- which may be exactly what you're intending. But if you have a more down-to-earth image in mind, try Field.

Luxury baby name associated with Jacques Cartier's eponymous jewelry company.

This worthy name, imported by the early Dutch colonists, has been all but overpowered by the phonetic spellings -- Skyler for boys and Skylar for girls.