User-created list
Potential Character Surnames
Across 34 pages
of 34
Arwen
Literature, Sindarin, Welsh
"noble maiden; fair, blessed"
Best known as the princess of the Elves in Tolkien's Lord of the Rings , Arwen is a fantasy-inspired choice that feels perfectly down to earth. In 2022, it entered the UK Top 400, making it one of…
Asenath
Egyptian
"devoted to the goddess Neith"
In the Old Testament, Asenath was the wife of Joseph and mother of Manesseh and Ephraim.
Ash
Diminutive of Ashley, English
"ash tree"
Ash is a gender-neutral choice that calls to mind the '80s favorite: Ashley. But view it as a nature name -- as in the tree, not the charred bit of soot in the fireplace -- and it makes a cool choice…
Aster
English; Amharic
"star"
This is a fresh new addition to the botanical list; comedian Gilbert Gottfried made it a real bouquet when he named his daughter Lily Aster. And the name of the little girl on television's Dexter…
Atlas
Greek
"bearer of the heavens"
While Atlas is a decidedly male god and this name is in the US Top 300 for boys, it is used for an increasingly significant number of baby girls in the US. And undeniably, it's a name that imparts…
Avalon
Celtic
"island of apples"
Avalon, an island paradise of Celtic myth and Arthurian legend--it was where King Arthur was taken to recover from his wounds-- and also the colorful capital of the California island of Catalina--…
Amarillys
Anandi
Aubren
Bayleigh
Spelling variation of Bailey
Needlessly confusing; stick with Bailey.
Bell
English and Scottish occupational name
"ringer of the bell"
These days, it's more likely you'd call your daughter the popular Belle or Bella.
Betsan
Welsh pet form of Elizabeth
Betsan is little-known outside of the U.K. but it could provide an intriguing alternative to Liz, Beth, Betsy, Betty, and Libby.
Beverly
English
"dweller near the beaver stream"
The remarkable success of the girls' name Everly makes a revival of the name Beverly seem possible. More commonly a masculine name in the 19th century, it began to be used for girls in the early…
Brayleigh
Brayleigh is a modern feminine name that embodies contemporary naming trends combining popular sounds and elements. Created as a variation blending the popular prefix 'Bray-' (as in Brayden) with the…
Briet
Icelandic variation of Brit, English
"from Britain"
Bríet, the Icelandic form of Brit, feels fresher and more exciting than the original.
Bryleigh
Modern invented name
"thorny woodland clearing"
Blending the sounds of Bryce, Brian, Riley and Kylie, Bryleigh is a modern invention that ranked in the US Top 1000 from 2010 to 2017, alongside its more popular counterpart, Brylee. Peaking in 2015…
Brynnlee
Brynnlee is a feminine name representing the modern trend of combination names, blending elements of Brynn (which has Welsh origins meaning 'hill' or 'mound') with the popular suffix '-lee' (meaning…
Bryony
Greek
"to sprout, to swell"
Bryony is an unusually strong plant name --the bryony is a wild climbing vine with green flowers --that caught on in the U.K. before sprouting here. The name of the young character in the Ian McEwan…
Calypso
Greek
"she who hides"
Melodic, rhythmic, and poetic in sound, Calypso is a name with connections to music, mythology, space, and pop culture. A distinctive was to nickname Callie or even Pip, it has that charming -o…
Carina
Italian
"dear little one"
Carina is a pretty delicately feminine name whose fall from popularity is not helped by its similarity to hurricane name Katrina or slang victim Karen.