Last Names That Are Adorable First Names

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.

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

The discoverer of this lovely bright blue gemstone named it after his daughter Larissa and the sea (mar), hence Larimar. Despite the feminine origins, the harder -mar ending makes this work for boys too, similar to Delmar and Elmer.

Moody would work great as the name of Snow White's lost eighth dwarf friend, but we can't recommend it as a first name IRL. It was the last name of Harry Potter character Mad-Eye Moody, played by Brenden Gleason in the movies; his given name was Alastor. The bond credit rating company Moody's is likewise named for the surname of its founder, John Moody.

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.

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

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

An old-fashioned term for a coal miner, or nowadays, a sister to Harper and Piper.

Ames is that jewel of a name that's simple and familiar while at the same time being unusual and rare. With gender neutral surname names ending in S trending today -- think Brooks, Wells, Oakes -- Ames can make a perfect update on Amy or Amanda.

Long-used surname name that's up for promotion to greater popularity.

Sander is a more conventional form of Zander or Xander, heard frequently on its own in Europe. It is now a Top 20 name in Norway, and is also popular in Denmark, Belgium and the Netherlands. 

Effortlessly cool and sporty, but with a touch of ruggedness, McCall is a yet to be discovered last name choice. Unexpected, but enough like McKenzie, Callan, Callum, Mack, and Malcolm that it doesn't sound outlandish, it is currently a gender-neutral choice in the US, given to 15 girls and 13 boys in a recent year.

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

The hazel tree meaning is on-trend, but it also sounds a lot like "hassle".

Modern way to honor an ancestral Hugh.

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.

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.

A possibility for fans of the mystery writer, but most parents would prefer Dashiell.

Like 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.

Upper-crusty surname name.