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Bramwell
English
"well where the gorse grows; bramble well"
An unexpected route to nicknames Bram or Wells, this English surname derives from a historical hamlet in England, whose exact location has been lost to time. It comes from the Old English word for…
Brandt
German
"dweller on burnt land"
Less commercial-sounding than Brand.
Calhoun
Irish
"from the narrow forest"
A beaming, friendly Irish last-name-first-name waiting to be discovered, though anyone into American history might associate it with John C. Calhoun, a 19th century statesman who defended slavery.…
Canyon
Spanish word name
Canyon is a unique baby name evocative of natural splendor and the old Steve Canyon comic-strip heroism, making it an intriguing new word-name possibility. Similar but less word-like: Kenyon.
Cullen
Irish
"holly tree"
Cullen is an appealing Irish surname name that upped its cool factor considerably when it became the Twilight family name of Edward et al. It's considerably less popular than it was at its peak in…
Decker
German occupational name
"roofer"
Brawny name chosen for his son by rocker Nikki Sixx of Motley Crue.
Eamon
Irish variation of Edmund
"wealthy protector"
Eamon is one of the traditional Irish names that has not yet emigrated to the US. This Irish name pronounced ay-mon was popularized by early president of the independent republic Eamon de Valera…
Edric
English
"wealthy ruler"
Formerly in style limbo, Edric has recently started to see more use by parents. It could be because it sounds medieval yet accessible - which George R. R. Martin took advantage of for several…
Elmo
Italian from German
"protector"
Elmo, like fellow Sesame Street characters Kermit and Grover, has a hard time being taken seriously. (It isn't easy being red either.) But Elmo also calls to mind the image of St. Elmo's fire--the…
Elwood
English
"elder tree forest"
The "el-" sound is red-hot these days, and a myriad of place names and surnames give this name a wealth of possible namesakes. The main drawback is its kinship to the name of the hero of the Legally…
Fallon
Irish
"leader"
Fallon was one of the first of the unisex surname names, but thanks to "Dynasty" in the 1980s it now has a feminine image. For a boy, try Phelan instead.
Fane
English
"happy, joyous"
Fane, used as a nickname in the Middle Ages for someone with a cheerful disposition, is one of the more offbeat members of the Zane-Kane family.
Fielder
English
"dweller in open country"
An uncommon surname name with that energetic -er ending. Might appeal especially to baseball fans.
Finch
English word and nature name
"to swindle"
It feels like Finch should be a modern bird name that's as popular as Wren or Lark, but that's not the case - so it's one to consider if you're looking for a nature name that's familiar but rare.…
Fitzwilliam
English
"son of William"
The Christian name of the dashing Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice — it was his mother's maiden name— is just one of several Fitz names, including Fitzroy, Fitzgerald, Fitzpatrick, that…
Gentry
English
"aristocracy"
A distinctive surname that, despite its meaning, has a cowboy swagger, a la Autry.
Halloran
Gaelic
"male descendant of a pirate or stranger from overseas"
Halloran could be your solution if you love the nickname Hal, but not Harold or Henry.
Halston
English
"hallowed stone"
This choice feels more familiar than other hall-related English surnames, thanks to designer Halston, the single-named disco-era society playmate of Liza and Elton.
Hawthorne
English
"lives where hawthorn hedges grow"
The great American novelist sets this above many other surnames (and nature names , for that matter), but it's still an imposing and adventurous choice. Do nicknames Hawk or Thorne make it more…
Heron
Nature name or Greek
"hero"
Heron may feel like a very usable nature name -- the heron is a long-legged wading bird -- but it was also the name of a 1st century Greek inventor and of an Egyptian saint. Highly unusual yet easy…