Last Names That Are Adorable First Names

Writer James Baldwin could make this an inspirational choice for a child of either sex.

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.

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.

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

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.

A merry surname cousin of Kerrigan, could make a lively choice for a happy little girl.

Parrish is unrelated — but often said to be related — to the English word "parish". Instead, the surname arose as a designator for one who lived in Paris.

Rarely heard surname name that lacks the lightness of other o-ending names.

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"

This lively, springy, rarely used surname name has an interesting history. For the English, German, Dutch and Ashkenazic Jews it was a nickname for a lively person or traveling entertainer, deriving from the words springen/springhen/shpringen, and in English it's also a topographical name for someone living near the source of a stream. An unusual option if you're seeking an out-of-the-ordinary 'er'-ending name. Though for some it might bring to mind Jerry Springer, or a Spaniel.

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

More obscure Irish surname-name, also spelled Molloy, that's prime for use.

Related to other stylish choices from Roman to Romy to Romeo, Rohmer is a German surname that relates to both Roman pilgrims and the root word for fame. Jennifer Jason Leigh and Noah Baumbach chose this version for their son. The couple's film Margot at the Wedding was an homage to French New Wave director Eric Rohmer, who died a few month's before Rohmer Baumbach's birth. Like many other fashionable new German names for boys, Rohmer has two syllables and ends in -er.

Before there was esteemed actress Anne Hathaway, there was Anne Hathaway, wife of Shakespeare — the former being named after the latter.

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

Reality TV star Raven Gates gave her on-trend s-ending surname to her son, named Gates Zev. Gates joins an impressive lineup of celebrity babies with similar names, including Hillary Duff's Banks and Emma Roberts' Rhodes. Gates is also famously the surname of Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft.

Currently more popular among baby girls than boys — perhaps due to the association with Irish folksong "Molly Malone."

A surname name, most popularly associated with actor Heston, has a blue-blooded ring to it. Charlton is also a more unusual pathway to evergreen nickname Charlie.