Preppy Names

A smosh of surnames-first names and conservative classics is the preppy style.
  1. Acton
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "village with oak trees"
    • Description:

      This name's buttoned-up British vibe is what makes it cool - that, and the fact that it was chosen by Anne Bronte as her pseudonym - Acton Bell. That's quite the literary - and may we add feminist - credential for a name. For those with an adventurous edge, Acton is one of the highest peaks in Antarctica.
  2. Addison
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "son of Adam"
    • Description:

      Despite its origin as a patronymic meaning "son of Adam", Addison really caught on for baby girls in the US around the turn of the millennium, following in Madison's footsteps to peak at #11 in 2007 and again in 2010.
  3. Alan
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "handsome, cheerful"
    • Description:

      In its three most popular spellings -- Alan along with Allen and Allan -- this midcentury favorite has tended to skew older. It was a Top 100 name from 1938 to 1971, peaking at Number 40 in 1951. Alan has had leading roles on recent TV, in shows like Two and a Half Men, 24 and Boston Legal.
  4. Alden
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "old, wise friend"
    • Description:

      Hot young actor Alden Ehrenreich, the new Han Solo, gives this formerly-stodgy surname name an attractive new image, making it a fresh successor to Aiden or Holden. Before it got this fresh shine, Alden was among the classic Thanksgiving baby names.
  5. Amory
    • Origin:

      German
    • Meaning:

      "industrious"
    • Description:

      Amory is the kind of executive-sounding surname name that became popular in the 1990s. Amory Blaine is the protagonist of the F. Scott Fitzgerald novel, This Side of Paradise.
  6. Andrew
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "strong and manly"
    • Description:

      During its Top 10 heyday in the late 90s and early oughts, Andrew was one of the "cooler" classic boy names, an update on the old guard Roberts and Richards.
  7. Archer
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "bowman"
    • Description:

      Archer is an Anglo-Saxon surname that feels more modern than most because of its on-target occupational and Hunger Games associations. And it's a nice way to bypass the clunky Archibald to get to the cool nickname Archie.
  8. Archibald
    • Origin:

      Scottish from German
    • Meaning:

      "truly brave"
    • Description:

      The short form Archie is so open and friendly --and very trendy in the British Isles--that some parents are now beginning to consider the formerly fusty Archibald as well. SNL comedians Amy Poehler and Will Arnett are one couple who made this breakthrough choice.
  9. Armistead
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "hermit's place"
    • Description:

      This dignified Old English surname was brought into the modern consciousness by author Armistead Maupin, who wrote the San Francisco stories Tales of the City. There was also a Civil War general named Lewis Armistead.
  10. Armstrong
    • Origin:

      English and Scottish surname
    • Meaning:

      "strong arms"
    • Description:

      Last name occasionally used as a first, can be seen as a Lance Armstrong athlete-hero name.
  11. Arthur
    • Origin:

      Celtic
    • Meaning:

      " bear"
    • Description:

      Arthur, once the shining head of the Knights of the Round Table, is, after decades of neglect, now being polished up and restored by stylish parents, inspired perhaps by the new generation of royals. Arthur has led the list of possible names for the young British princes, chosen as a middle name for Prince Louis, son of William and Catherine, Prince and Princess of Wales.
  12. Ashby
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "ash tree farm"
    • Description:

      This Ashley-like surname name actually made the US Top 1000 around the turn of the 20th century. Used very quietly today in equal numbers -- about a dozen each -- for boys and girls. Ashby is a major thoroughfare in Berkeley, California.
  13. Ashley
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "dweller near the ash tree meadow"
    • Description:

      It may have peaked at #1 for girls in 1991 and 1992 in the US, but Ashley actually has a long history as a male given name, as evidenced by the sensitive Ashley Wilkes in Gone With the Wind. It's always been more popular for boys in England and Wales, where it currently ranks at #414.
  14. Audley
    • August
      • Origin:

        German form of Latin Augustus
      • Meaning:

        "great, magnificent"
      • Description:

        The name August is at its highest point since the 1890s, when it ranked among the Top 100 boy names in the US. And deservedly so, given its great meaning, historic roots, and cool nicknames.
    • Averell
      • Abercrombie
        • Abigail
          • Adelson
            • Akeley