Middle Names, Surnames, and Nicknames · Unisex Baby Names
Last Names That Are Adorable First Names
Across 29 pages
of 29
The names
Joplin
English surname
"son of Job"
Used as a first name for a handful of girls every year, Joplin could be seen as a distant cousin of other -lin names, like Caitlin, Brooklyn and Braelynn. We think it works even better as a musical…
Sutter
English surname and occupational name
"shoemaker"
Sutter is a new entry to the fashionable class of occupational surnames, brought to the fore by the hero of the 2013 indie film The Spectacular Now. More masculine than Sutton and more distinctive…
Brinsley
English
"from Brinsley"
The 'ley' ending makes this British surname name ripe for consideration as a feminine girls' name. Brinsley joins such sisters as Kinsley and Tinsley.
Swayze
English from German
"Swiss"
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,…
Pfeiffer
German occupational name
"pipe player"
Potential alternative to Piper. Streamlined Fifer would probably be the preferred spelling if it wasn't for high-profile actress Michelle Pfeiffer.
Talcott
English
"cottage near the lake"
Similar in style or sound to Prescott, Maverick and Beckett, this far rarer name feels formal and strong. Notably borne by socialist Talcott Parsons, nicknames Tal or Otto might soften it a little.…
Keaton
English place and surname
"place of hawks; river town; Káti's town"
A cool, engaging surname, Keaton might feel like a fresh spin on Katelyn, Keeley or Katherine. While it is used ten times more often for boys, 27 girls were still given the name in a recent year.…
Keller
German occupational name
"cellar master"
Keller is a German surname that originated as an occupational name for a cellar or store master, which seems to be the background of several of the most stylish new German names for boys . One of the…
Brady
Irish
"one with broad eyes"
Has the energetic-Irish-slightly-boyish image that many modern parents love.
Bowie
Scottish
"blond"
Music legend David Bowie lends his adopted surname considerable charisma to this stylish Scottish name for girls and boys. Born David Robert Jones, he changed his name to avoid confusion with The…
Perrin
Variation of Perry or Peter, English or Greek
"dweller near the pear tree or rock, stone"
Perrin has been in long use as a surname, derived from Peter, and is now used quietly as a first name. It may rise higher now that it's a character name in the popular TV adaptation of Robert…
Thayer
French variation of Taylor
"tailor"
Thayer is an affable, less-common alternative to Taylor, with a much more indirect connection to its occupational source. Actor Thayer David (born David Thayer: Thayer was his father's first name)…
Thorell
Surname name
This Swedish surname is a a great name for those looking for a quiet nod to arachnids. Tamerlan Thorell was a notable arachnologist who described over 1,000 species of spiders and gave his name to…
Kessler
German surname
"coppersmith"
An interesting new surname option, derived from the German word for "kettle". Kes would make for a cool short form.
Kiernan
Irish
"little dark one"
Although this surname name is closely related to the more common Irish name Kieran, Kiernan is also a well used family name, tied to thirty-three ancient chieftains. It has on a few occasions been…
Pennington
English surname
"penny town"
An unconventional route to the nickname Penny. Pennington debuted on the charts for girls in 2015. Pennington is more familiar as a surname. It is habitational, denoting ancestors from English towns…
Kingsley
English surname
"king's meadow"
Regal Kingsley seems like an all-boy name, but a growing number of parents have bestowed this name on a girl. Credit the ever-trendier -ley suffix. Kingsley Wilson is a MAGA influencer and a…
Austen
Literary surname and shortened form of Augustine, Latin
"great, magnificent"
While Austin is a popular boys' name, this spelling, honoring novelist Jane, nudges the name toward gender-neutral, chosen last year for 67 baby boys and 57 girls.
Pendleton
English
"overhanging settlement"
Pembroke's brother.
Peabody
English
"having the body of a gnat"
Peabody is a quintessentially Waspy surname that your child won't thank you for -- either the pea part or the body part, or the meaning part.
