Last Names That Are Adorable First Names

While this may sound like an alternative spelling of the unisex Sawyer, it is in fact a multicultural choice of French and Turkish origin, more familiar as a last name than a given name.

A rustic yet aristocratic boy name, derived from an English surname and place name. It derives from the Old English name Hræfn and the element wic to create the cool meaning "raven's settlement".

Rawlings was a surname brought to England with the Norman invasion and has ties to the name Raul, which means "wolf counsel."

Cute and eminently wearable surname name for girls.

Gardener is surely one of the most pleasant and evocative of the occupational options, calling up images of green grass and budding blooms. The name can also be spelled without the first 'e', as in Gardner (born George Cadogan Gardner) McCay, a hunky TV heartthrob of the 1950s and 60s. Gardner is a much more common surname spelling, associated with screen legend Ava, mystery writer Erle Stanley and art collector and patron Isabella Stewart, founder of Boston's Gardner Museum.

Mc- names beyond McKenzie are catching on, with Mccoy entering the US Top 1000 for the first time in 2023. Rugged but cool McRae might be another possibility.

In German, the word eisen means "iron." It was adapted as a surname for Ashkenazi Jews — many of which were ornamental and had no ties to one's family history. Metals such as gold (Gold), silver (Zilver or Silver), copper (Kupfer or Copper), and iron (Eisen) were common elements in ornamental surnames. Eisen was also seen as a habitational surname for someone from Eisenstadt, Austria.

Like Silver, Golden is a shimmering metallic color name, almost too dazzling perhaps. Nevertheless, Golden could be an unexpected route to the vintage nickname Goldie or a less floral alternative to Marigold. Former soccer player and team owner, Brittany Mahomes, chose the name Golden (middle name Raye) for her second daughter in 2025, sister to Sterling Skye and Patrick "Bronze" Lavon.

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.

A last name as a first name that also has the feel of nicknames like Sully and Cole, Cully could derive from an anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Colla. Meaning "descendent of Colla", Colla being a form of Connla, meaning "wolf or hound warrior", Cully's meaning may well appeal to those who want a softer sounding name but with a strong meaning.

The discoverer of this lovely bright blue gemstone named it after his daughter Larissa and the sea (mar), hence Larimar. A lovely name which could be a great alternative to Larissa, Lara and other more commonly used Lar- names.

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

A clunky-cool name with a "grandpa" quality to it, that equally fits into the trend of last names as first names. Wendall, along with its alternative forms, Wendell and Wendel, peaked in the US during the 1940s possibly after the Republican presidential candidate, Wendall Willkie.

At one time associated with the fictional detective Bulldog Drummond, this formal surname name does boast the cute nickname Drum.

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

Pembroke's brother.

Howlan is an uncommon surname-turned-first credited with a range of derivations and meanings. Its most likely roots are in Old English or Irish. It may be derived from the surname Howland, which originated from Old Norse elements meaning "hill land" or as a variant of Hywel, a Welsh name meaning "eminent" or "prominent." Alternatively, it could be connected to the English word "howl," evoking imagery of wolves or wind.

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

While Corrigan is a widely-used Irish surname, a Corrigan or Korrigan is a fairy or sprite-like creature in Breton folklore. The Cornish word korrik means gnome. These creatures can be good or evil, male or female, but the important thing in Nameberry terms is that we love their name!

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.