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Surname Names

Fox
By Fox
Updated Mon May 22 2023
A list of names derived from surnames, or commonly seen as surnames - therefore mostly androgynous and generally modern/educated-sounding. Actually composed for a video game with a large cast, where the setting called for most characters to be named after their profession, but good for pleasant-sounding unisex names in general. I'll be subverting the "traditional" gender for most of these, though really most of them shouldn't have one anyway, since surnames are neither male nor female.
  1. Riley

    • Origin:

      English, Irish

    • Meaning:

      "rye clearing; courageous"

    • Description:

      Riley—an upbeat, friendly surname name—is red hot for girls and still going strong for boys. If you haven't been spending much time around babies recently, you may be surprised to learn that Riley is the most popular girls' name starting with R and also the Number 1 Irish name for girls in the US.
  2. Everett

    • Origin:

      English variation of the German Eberhard

    • Meaning:

      "brave as a wild boar"

    • Description:

      Everett is a preppy but outdoorsy name, with wintery New England vibes. In the last decade, it’s had a leap in popularity, perhaps because of its similarity to trendy girls’ names like Ava and Scarlett, or perhaps because it offers a fresh alternative to 90’s style Evan and Brett.
  3. Nolan

    • Origin:

      Irish

    • Meaning:

      "champion"

    • Description:

      The friendly and sporty feeling Nolan blends some of the best qualities of other popular boy names. With the gentle but energetic sounds of Noah, a hint of the classic Nicholas, and the cool, surname-style vibe of Greyson or Colton, it makes for a familiar and grounded choice.
  4. Logan

    • Origin:

      Scottish

    • Meaning:

      "small hollow"

    • Description:

      According to exclusive Nameberry data, Logan is officially the Number 1 gender-neutral name in the US, but that statistic is somewhat misleading given that nearly 90 percent of the baby Logans born in 2024 were boys.
  5. Ellis

    • Origin:

      English surname derived from Elijah or Elias or Welsh

    • Meaning:

      "my God is Yahweh; benevolent"

    • Description:

      Ellis is a former Old Man Name turned gender-neutral choice for the 21st century. It's one of the less used names in the currently popular El-family, unless you're in the UK, where it's a Top 100 choice.
  6. 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.
  7. Reid

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "red-haired"

    • Description:

      The Reid spelling is the most popular by half, probably because it feels more like a name than Reed, which looks more like a word. It's used occasionally for girls but this name is firmly in the boys' camp.
  8. Sawyer

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "woodcutter"

    • Description:

      Sawyer is a surname with a more relaxed and friendly feel than many others, and is one of the hottest occupational names right now, with the Nameberry seal of approval. Sawyer is becoming one of the top unisex names. Both Sara Gilbert and Diane Farr used Sawyer for their daughters, while it was given a boost as a boys' name by the character Sawyer on Lost, an alias for the character really named James Ford.
  9. Harper

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "harp player"

    • Description:

      You might think of Harper as the hottest name of the last decade, jumping from obscurity to the Top 10, where it remained until last year.
  10. Sullivan

    • Origin:

      Irish surname

    • Meaning:

      "black-eyed one"

    • Description:

      Sullivan is a jaunty Celtic three-syllable name, with a real twinkle in its eye. It was immortalized in the 1930s classic film Sullivan's Travels and was chosen for one of Patrick Dempsey's twin boys. Nickname Sully is equally jaunty.
  11. Parker

    • Origin:

      English occupational name

    • Meaning:

      "park-keeper"

    • Description:

      One of the first generation of surname names, along with Porter and Morgan, Parker's still one of the most appealing and remains firmly in the Top 100 for boys. About three times as many boys as girls get this occupational name. The association with Charlie Parker gives Parker itself a jazzy edge, and it also has a nature-related meaning. Rosie O'Donnell has a son named Parker.
  12. Mason

    • Origin:

      English occupational name

    • Meaning:

      "worker in stone"

    • Description:

      Mason is an occupational surname that ranked among the Top 10 name for boys throughout the 2010s, after its choice as one of the first Kardashian baby names. It remained a Top 10 choice in the US until 2020 when it began trending downwards and a recent year saw it rank at #42, the lowest it's placed since 2005.
  13. 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.
  14. Shepherd

    • Origin:

      Occupational name

    • Meaning:

      "sheep hearder"

    • Description:

      Shepherd is an occupational surname with a pleasant pastoral feel. It was chosen for their son by the Jerry Seinfelds, which might inspire others to follow their lead.
  15. Tate

    • Origin:

      English from Norse

    • Meaning:

      "cheerful"

    • Description:

      A strong single-syllable surname with a joyful meaning, Tate is finding a place on more and more birth certificates.
  16. Reed

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "red-haired"

    • Description:

      A slim, elegant, silvery surname, Reed could be a banker or a sculptor, and therein lies the appeal of this simple yet distinctive name. The versatile Reed can be seen as a grass-like nature name and a musical name.
  17. 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.
  18. Walker

    • Origin:

      English occupational name

    • Meaning:

      "cloth-walker"

    • Description:

      Walker is both a Waspy surname name—as in the W in George W. Bush—but it also has a gentle ambling quality and a creative connection to such greats as writer Walker Percy and photographer Walker Evans, whose father was also named Walker.
  19. Bellamy

    • Origin:

      English and Irish from French

    • Meaning:

      "fine friend"

    • Description:

      Bellamy is a surname name with an admirable meaning and upbeat rhythm, similar to jovial choices like Rafferty, Barnaby and Willoughby.
  20. Hadley

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "heather field"

    • Description:

      Hadley, most famous as the name of Ernest Hemingway's first wife, is more sophisticated, professional, and modern than cousins Harley, Haley, or Hayden. The hit book The Paris Wife, a novel by Paula McLain told from the point of view of Hadley Hemingway (born Elizabeth Hadley Richardson), has helped popularize the name, which also appears on the vampire show True Blood. Hadley could become this generation's Hailey. Adley, a mashup of Hadley and Addie, has also appeared on the scene.