Last Names That Are Adorable First Names

Although it's more commonly seen as a surname, Haviland is occasionally used as a first name, particularly for girls.

Selby, a rarely heard British surname, feels sleeker and more distinctive than Shelby. Todd Selby, known primarily by his last name, is a hip photographer of interiors.

Drover, an ancient occupational surname, is right in step with today's styles and would make a distinctive choice. Drover and brothers are fresh updates of such now-widely-used names as Carter and Cooper.

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.

Belden is a little-used surname-name that might work in this age of Belles.

Surname-sounding unisex cousin of Peyton is gaining in popularity, especially for girls.

Stokes is ultimately an English surname, although it's been used in Ireland and Scotland for generations as well. It's a variation of Stoke, a habitational surname, as there were many towns named Stoke in England. The origin of the word stoke, however, is contested. Some say it simply means "place," while others contest it designated a small hamlet. There's also evidence that connects it to the Old English word stocc, meaning "tree trunk."

Fenmore Baldwin is a character on The Young and the Restless, his first name being his mother's maiden name. In the real world, it was given to virtually no babies last year.

Familiar English surname now associated with the Abercrombie & Fitch offshoot.

This highly recognizable surname means "son of Artan," an Irish derivative of the name Art. It's most closely tied to Beatle Paul McCartney — we'd be willing to bet that some of the parents who give this name to their children each year are fans.

Makes Donna into a cool twenty-first-century unisex Irish surname.

The use of O-prefixes could create the next wave of Irish-inflected names, offering an innovative way of honoring a relative with the old-fashioned moniker Brian. On Downton Abbey, the surname O'Brien was heard so often, it began to seem like a first.

Common Asian surname also works as a first, as with the singer Chan Marshall, also known as Cat Power (and born Charlyn).

Sex doesn't belong in a baby name.

Yancy has two separate American origins — first as the Native American term for "Yankee," and second as the Americanized variation of the common Dutch surname Jansen. Jan being the Dutch form of John, Yancy could work to honor anyone in your life with a John-related name.

Palin has suddenly become a hot new surname-name given usually to girls. The inspiration can only be former Alaska governor Sarah, though the name Palin is her husband's -- her original surname is Heath. Palin herself is no stranger to the adventurous baby name, as the mother of daughters Bristol, Piper, and Willow, and sons Track and Trig. If you're a Sarah Palin fan and don't mind shouting it from the rooftops with a name your child will carry forever, then by all means choose Palin, which has a pretty sound. We are not, but then again we wouldn't name our child Obama, Reagan, or Kennedy either, as the association feels too weighty. If you like the sound of Palin but not the association, why not consider the ancient, attractive, and underused Pallas?

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

The 'ley' ending makes this British surname name ripe for consideration as a feminine girls' name. Brinsley joins such sisters as Kinsley and Tinsley.

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 the genus of Orb-weaver spiders.