Middle Names, Surnames, and Nicknames
American Last Names as First Names
Across 10 pages
of 10
Bryant
Variation of Brian, Irish
"strong, virtuous, and honorable"
Bryant has a longer history as a first name in the US than its father name Brian, ranking among the Top 1000 since the list began in 1880 while Brian only jumped on in 1925. That may be because the…
Washington
English
"home of the Wassa people"
Lincoln, Tyler, Taylor, Jackson, Jefferson, Harrison, McKinley, Grant, Kennedy, Carter -- yes. Washington -- probably not.
Patterson
English
"son of Peter"
Patterson is an upscale name worth considering if you're looking to continue a line of Peters, but soundalike Paterson is a downscale city in New Jersey.
Powell
English, Welsh "alert; son of Howell"
"alert; son of Howell"
Powerful surname choice with many distinguished bearers, fresher sounding than Parker.
Diaz
Spanish from Latin
"days"
Perfect example of a surname that would work well as a first.
Perry
English
"pear tree"
Perry fits right in with rising boyish nicknames for girls and cool picks like Frankie and Scottie. This relaxed name sounds novel compared to such former favorites as Kerry and Sherry. Perry is the…
Jenkins
Jenkins began as an English and Welsh surname derived from the personal name Jenkin, a medieval diminutive of John meaning 'God is gracious.' As a first name, Jenkins represents the trend of…
Hamilton
English and Scottish
"treeless hill"
Unless it runs in your family, or Alexander Hamilton is your particular hero, you might consider something less imposing -- and without the teasable nickname Ham. Scottish curler Hamilton McMillan Jr…
Coleman
English and Irish
"little dove"
The name of three hundred saints, a mustard, and your own baby boy. Coleman was off the US Top 1000 list for much of the 1960s and 1970s, but it was a mainstay before and has been for most years…
Sullivan
Irish
"dark eyes"
Stylish and boyish but could work for a girl -- especially one with brown eyes -- and Sully is a quirky and jaunty nickname.
Wallace
Scottish
"foreigner, stranger"
More famously spelled Wallis as a feminine name: the woman for whom the King of England abdicated the throne.
Henderson
English
"son of Henry"
Bulky surname honoring Grandpa Henry or Saul Bellow's Rain King.
West
Word name
West is the most fashionable of what you might call the direction names, with North and East (or Easton and Easter) coming up behind, and South not yet on the map. Country singer Randy Houser named…