User-created list
Family Names
Across 8 pages
of 8
Dwight
German and Dutch
"white or blond"
This presidential name is in style limbo today - or, some might say, in the the sweet spot of familiar but little-used.
Saria
Sherrie
Variation of Sherry, French
"beloved"
Sherrie is a feminine name that is a spelling variation of the once-popular Sherry, a phonetic form of the French Cheri meaning dear or beloved. Sherry ranked in the US Top 100 from the late 1940s…
Lindsay
English surname
"marshlands of Lincolnshire"
In the early eighties, Lindsay, in tandem with Courtney, approached the Top 10. Lindsey is one of the few truly unisex names (rather than being a name that has changed genders). Over time the ey…
Brett
Celtic
"from Brittany"
Football great Brett Favre single-handedly kept this name in the limelight, though it continues to sink in popularity. Brett originated in the Middle Ages as an ethnic name for one of the Bretons who…
Caterina
Italian variation of Katherine
If your ancestry is Italian, you may want to consider this elegant twist on a classic.
Mel
English, diminutive of Melvin
"council protector"
Though most Mels are playing pinochle with Murray and Morris, there was a notable Saint Mel. He is one of the earliest Irish saints, a nephew of St. Patrick. He became a priest, then built a great…
Darren
Irish
"little great one"
Darren and wife Sharon shop for fifties memorabilia on eBay. The Connecticut place-name Darien might offer an update.
Katya
Russian, diminutive of Ekatarina, Russian variation of Katherine
"pure"
One of the warm and earthy Russian nickname names now coming into style. Denzel Washington gave his daughter the Katia spelling.
Yvonne
French
"yew wood"
Peaking in the 1950s, Yvonne has now dropped out of the Top 1000 in 2003 and doesn't look set to return soon, although its rare Y initial might endear it to some. Yvaine, from Neil Gaiman's Stardust…