Last Names That Are Adorable First Names

A well-to-do English surname with a comedic undertone, thanks to the Griswold family of National Lampoon's Vacation.

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

A fresh take on Jessica, Jessel is currently borne in the public eye by Jessel Taank, a Real Housewife of New York City.

An attractive North Carolina unisex place name, Raleigh's soft sound is particularly appropriate for a girl.

Modern way to honor an ancestral Hugh.

When British rocker Steven Patrick Morrissey decided to use his last name alone, it became a viable option for baby namers, a lot cooler than Morris or Maurice, with the nice three-syllable lilt of of such other Irish surnames as Finnegan and Flanagan. It can also be spelled Morrisey.

Wylie is one Celtic surname with as much appeal for girls as for boys. Wylie is ripe for spelling variations: Wiley is as appropriate as Wylie but when you spell it Wylei, as Corey Parker did for his son, you're getting into yooneek naming territory.

Curran is a common surname in Ireland, but unusual even there as a first. With its savory feel, calling to mind curry and currants, Curran can make for an attractive update on Colin or Connor.

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.

Has the energetic-Irish-slightly-boyish image that many modern parents love.

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.

Legitimizes the newly coined Denim, as does the Scottish place-name Denholm (both pronounced DEN-um).

This evocative Spanish surname would make an unusual but lively choice for a girl.

Huntley was best known as Brinkley's news partner several decades ago. With the new genre of girls' names that are unusual surnames ending with the lee sound -- think Mosley, Yardley -- Huntley or Huntlea or Huntleigh might rise for girls.

English surname used as one of the middles for Boris Becker's son Amadeus.

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.

One of the designer baby names -- Chanel and Gucci are others -- that have appeared in this era of branding everything from your purse to your offspring. It helps that the name is similar to more established choices, such as Amani, Marnie, Amy, and Aria.

Lexington is rising as a place name used just about evenly for the genders. For Americans, it's got a patriotic ring, given the importance of Lexington, Massachusetts in the Revolutionary War. Lexington, Kentucky, in horse country, is another famous place with the name.

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.

Ashley substitute with a slightly more unisex feel; it was picked for her daughter by TV host Nancy O'Dell.