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English Surnames

Surnames off the beaten path, so to speak, for those seeking names with historical or personal meaning, or those looking for a peppy and unique surname-turned-first name. Surnames can make excellent given names for both boys and girls.
  1. Hudson
    • Origin:

      English place-name and surname
    • Meaning:

      "Hugh's son"
    • Description:

      Hudson has risen quickly up the charts over the past 30 years, getting a lot of its style value from New York's Hudson River. That makes it a nature name and a place name that's also got the fashion gloss of New York City.
  2. Bennett
    • Origin:

      English medieval form of Benedict, Latin
    • Meaning:

      "blessed"
    • Description:

      Bennett is Ben with a bow tie, kind of a cross between Benjamin and Beckett. It's been trending up on the popularity charts in recent years, and its choice by The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt's Jane Krakowski could shoot it even higher.
  3. Easton
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "eastern town"
    • Description:

      Easton is a stylish Ivy League-ish place and surname name, more modern than Weston, on its way up for both sexes as part of the new direction baby names are taking, as in North and West. Easton was used for her son by Jenna Elfman--and by Elizabeth Rohm for her daughter.
  4. Dawson
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "son of David"
    • Description:

      Dawson was scarcely heard as a first name before the debut of Dawson's Creek in 1998, at which point it leaped up more than 550 places in one year. The character Dawson Leery, played by James Van Der Beek, was a teen favorite until the show's demise in 2003.
  5. Griffin
    • Origin:

      Welsh, variation of Griffith
    • Meaning:

      "strong lord"
    • Description:

      Griffin is one of the newer and most appealing of the two-syllable Celtic surnames. In English, griffin is the name of a mythological creature, half eagle, half lion. It re-entered the list in 1983 after an absence of 75+ years.
  6. Delaney
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "dark challenger; dark river"
    • Description:

      Delaney has been a popular surname-style choice since 90s, when it joined other Irish surnames such as Cassidy, Kennedy, and Mallory on the US Charts. Buoyant, bright, and cheerful, it ranks in the US Top 250 and is given to nearly 1300 babies every year.
  7. Benson
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "son of Ben"
    • Description:

      Benson has outgrown its long association with a wisecracking TV butler with a fresh new association: singer songwriter Benson Boone. Parents may see it as an alternate route to nickname Ben, very different in image than the biblical Benjamin or the Latin Benedict, and more in tune perhaps with stylish with Bennett.
  8. Spencer
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "house steward, dispenser of provisions"
    • Description:

      Spencer is a name that has everything: it's both distinguished sounding and accessible, dignified but Spencer Tracy-like friendly. Picked by several celebrities (a couple of times even for a girl), adding up to an enthusiastically recommended choice.
  9. Oakley
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "oak wood or clearing"
    • Description:

      As sturdy as Oak, but with stronger roots as a first name, Oakley ticks lots of boxes for modern trends. With its unisex vibe, its nature-based meaning, its surname-y feel, and its popular -lee ending, it's not wonder Oakley is on the rise.
  10. Fletcher
    • Origin:

      English occupational name
    • Meaning:

      "arrow-maker"
    • Description:

      Fletcher is a common surname with a touch of quirkiness; it definitely fits into the So Far Out It's In category--and moving further in all the time along with other occupational names from Parker to Forester.
  11. Layton
    • Origin:

      Old English
    • Meaning:

      "settlement with a leek garden"
    • Description:

      This first name was once a surname derived from Old English. Used quietly a century ago, the current fashion for two-syllable boy names ending in n makes this one a new hit.
  12. Huxley
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "inhospitable place"
    • Description:

      Huxley is definitely rising as a surname name, with its X that makes almost any name cooler. It debuted in the US Top 1000 in 2015. The modern nicknames Hux and Huck certainly don't hurt.
  13. Corey
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "from the hollow"
    • Description:

      Former teen idol name, now middle-aged. This name has been on a steady decline since the early-1990s.
  14. Sumner
    • Origin:

      English occupational name
    • Meaning:

      "summoner"
    • Description:

      Billionaire Sumner Redstone, the nonagenarian owner of CBS and Viacom, practically has a monopoly on his first name — for now. But Hunter, Asher, and Ryder have ushered in a major vogue "-er" names, so it may only be a matter of time before parents discover this one.
  15. Tobin
    • Origin:

      English surname derived from Tobias
    • Meaning:

      "God is good"
    • Description:

      Tobias-related name that makes an attractive and modern-sounding form of the biblical original. It was recently chosen by Karolina Kurkova for her son.
  16. Foster
    • Origin:

      English occupational name
    • Meaning:

      "forester"
    • Description:

      Foster is one commonly heard last name that makes a fine first. The word foster means "to nourish" — as in "fostering hope", or "fostering a relationship". The only problem with Foster might be its association with "foster child."
  17. Jarvis
    • Origin:

      English variation of Gervase, meaning unknown
    • Description:

      Jarvis, one of the original two-syllable nouveau boys' choices, is a saint's name with a certain retro charm and a nice quirky feel. Though Jarvis peaked in the late 1880s, he is beginning to sound fresh again.
  18. Bryant
    • Origin:

      Variation of Brian, Irish
    • Meaning:

      "strong, virtuous, and honorable"
    • Description:

      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.
  19. Sampson
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "sun"
    • Description:

      This name, once considered overly powerful due to the superhuman strength of the biblical figure, is now an option for parents in search of an unusual route to Sam. But you really don't need that p: Samson will do.
  20. Perry
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "dweller near a pear tree"
    • Description:

      It's a long time now since this casual but suave name was linked to velvet-throated, cardigan-sweatered singer Perry (born Pierino, son of Pietro) Como's day... and this could be the moment for a reassessment. Other Perry associations are designer Ellis and the fictional Perry Mason and Perry White. There is also the option of taking the long way round to Perry via the more substantial Peregrine or Percival.

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