Robust and strong in sound and more often used as a surname, Warne has a variety of meanings depending on what root you follow.

Up-and-coming surname name that may evoke thoughts of ballet dancer Misty Copeland or one of the many towns called Copeland.

This habitational surname works as a modern way to honor a Carrie, Carolyn, or Caroline.

The name Rivers combines two major trends: nature names like the popular River itself, and S-ending surname-names such as Brooks, Rhodes, and yes, Rivers.

Effortlessly cool and preppy, but with a touch of outdoorsy ruggedness, McCall is a yet to be discovered last name choice. Unexpected, but enough like McKenzie, Mckinley, Nicole, and Callie that it doesn't sound outlandish, it is currently a gender-neutral choice in the US, given to 15 girls and 13 boys in a recent year.

Messer has trendy surname style, but a "messy" first syllable and sharp imagery may give some prospective parents pause. Reality star Stassi Schroeder named her son Messer Rhys in 2023, brother to Hartford Charlie Rose.

Ivey can be considered an alternate spelling of the botanical name Ivy, but it also has separate origins as a surname. For the Anglo-Saxon Ivey line, Ivey means "son of Ive," while for the English-Norman Iveys, it means "person from Ivoy," a commune in the Cher department of France.

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. With the surnames-as-first-names trend, however, and the popularity of the Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical Hamilton, which features the Schuyler sisters, perhaps Schuyler might receive some more interest in the coming years.

This artistic surname name derives from a diminutive of Laurence/Lawrence, and was famously borne by the English painter LS Lowry.

A simple, self-possessed, somewhat serious surname, which might work better as a middle.

Jagger, made famous as the surname of Rolling Stone Mick, gets an entry in the girls' column thanks to Ashlee Simpson and Evan Ross, who chose it for their daughter. For either gender, this name rocks...but a bit jaggedly. Currently, there are nearly 20 times as many baby boys than girls are given the name Jagger. That balance may shift, making Jagger a more truly gender neutral name.

Bulky surname honoring Grandpa Henry or Saul Bellow's Rain King.

Abbott is a neglected masculine surname with religious overtones, used to describe the head of a monastery or a prominent church figure, such as a priest. Though the feminine nickname Abby could be seen as a slight drawback, that's hardly stopped Abner or Abraham rising up the charts, and besides, there's nothing wrong with a gentler boy name.

As a first name, Valent is most often seen as a variant of Valentine used in Croatia. But individuals with Valent as a surname can be found all over the world, making this name an intriguing blend of "offbeat European" and "on-trend surname". Either way you look at it, its chic romantic sound makes Valent a handsome possibility.

Moody would work great as the name of Snow White's lost eighth dwarf friend, but we can't recommend it as a first name IRL. It was the last name of Harry Potter character Mad-Eye Moody, played by Brenden Gleason in the movies; his given name was Alastor. The bond credit rating company Moody's is likewise named for the surname of its founder, John Moody.

A surname very rarely heard as a first, associated with Hall of Fame basketball star Patrick Ewing and, in the 1980s, the oil-rich Ewing family on the nighttime soap, "Dallas"

One "bald" name we can get behind, thanks to pioneering African-American author James Baldwin – though the name is now also associated with the Baldwin brothers, particularly Alec.

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.

Kenyon is a very engaging British surname name, the middle y giving it a kind of southwestern canyonesque undertone.

Carlisle may be a male name in Twilight (he's vampire hero Edward's adoptive father), but in the real baby naming world, it's used about a quarter of the time for girls. Unusual now, we think Carlisle (or Carlyle) has the potential to be the next Carter.