User-created list
Surname Names
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Falkner
Occupational name
"falcon trainer"
Member of a newly chic name genre. Bonus: its relationship to author William Faulkner.
Hayward
English occupational name
"guardian of the hedged enclosure"
Possible Hayden alternative.
Naylor
English occupational name, carpenter or "nailer"
"nailer"
Unique name for the son of a woodworker.
Pell
English occupational name
"dealer in furs"
Pell makes an unusual middle name choice. And if grandpa Seymour was a fur trader, you might do better to honor him by naming the baby Pell.
Slater
English occupational name
"maker of slates"
Slater has a more genial, friendly feel than most trade names. Angela Bassett and Courtney B. Vance used it for one of their twins. On the nineties TV show Saved by the Bell , the character A.C.…
Sherman
English occupational name
"shearer of woolen cloth"
Not quite as over-the-hill as Herman, but not far behind either.
Turner
English
"works with a lathe"
Turner is a name that's both preppy and painterly, recalling the exquisite watercolor seascapes of British painter J.M.W. Turner. An occupational name in the Taylor-Carter mold, Turner is a more…
Faulkner
English
"falconer"
Faulkner is an old occupational surname that was used for someone who kept and trained falcons when falconry was a popular sport in medieval Europe. Anyone using it in contemporary America would…
Hyde
Medieval measure of land, or English surname
"hide"
Hyde, of course, is most familiar as a surname -- as in Mr. Hyde, evil alter ego of Dr. Jeckyll. Unless Hyde is a family name or you have some other excellent reason for using it, we think you could…
Marlowe
Variation of Marlow, English
"driftwood"
While Marlowe (and Marlow and Marlo) are surname names that are not intrinsically or traditionally gendered and so in theory work equally well for boys and girls. About 10 percent of the babies named…
Mosley
English place name and surname
"peat bog, mouse clearing"
Mosley, former best known as the surname of author Walter, has been put in play as a first name for girls by football great Peyton Manning, who used the name for his twin daughter, sister of…
Hadleigh
Spelling variation of Hadley, English
"heathery field"
Hadley, an old surname-name best known as the name of author Ernest Hemingway's "Paris Wife," only recently broke onto the scene in a big way. While Hadley has considerable appeal, spelling…
Keller
German occupational name
"cellar master"
Keller is a German surname that originated as an occupational name for a cellar or store master, which seems to be the background of several of the most stylish new German names for boys . One of the…
Crane
English surname
"crane"
This elegant surname has great potential to turn into an unusual first name, especially with its literary associations to both Stephen and Hart Crane. Crane is a surname that originated for a tall…
Faron
English
"handsome servant"
Faron, a soft and gentle name, has a diverse group of references. There was the medieval Saint Faron, Bishop of Meaux (who has given his name to a cheese); Faron Young, a colorful midcentury country…
Garner
English surname
"granary"
Garner is an unncommon word and surname with some prospect of garnering popularity, especially now that Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck have given it to son Samuel as his middle name, and Jessica…
Granger
English and French surname
"worker of the granary; farmer"
If you're seeking a solid but underused occupational name with a warm, friendly sound, and an earthy feel, Granger is one to consider. Associated with faming, grain, and the outdoors, it fits in with…
Penrose
Cornish and Welsh place name and surname
"top of the heath"
Penrose – an ancient locational surname derived from several villages in Cornwall, Wales, and the Welsh border country of England – might work as a first name, although the "Rose" syllable might lead…
Stowe
Place-name or surname
"meeting place"
Stowe, the name of a beautiful mountain town in Vermont as well as the surname of the great author Harriet Beecher, is one of the oldest last names on record. The meeting place the name Stowe refers…
Ridley
English
"cleared wood; reed clearing; channel clearing"
Director Ridley Scott and actress Daisy Ridley made this surname-style name familiar, and with its outdoorsy meaning and rugged yet preppy sound, it could blend in with Oakley, Reid, Riley, and…