User-created list
By KBiz · Updated May 2023
Across 8 pages
of 8
Scottish
"black water"
Douglas, and more particularly its nickname, Doug, had a real romantic swagger in the 1950s and 1960s dating back to swashbuckling Douglas Fairbanks, but today is more likely to conjure up your mom's…
Irish
"lover"
A growing number of high-profile (and other) parents are choosing to honor their musical idols, such as Hendrix, Presley, Jagger, and now Lennon. Lennon first came to notice when Liam Gallagher and…
German
"eagle"
Adler is a German-Jewish surname that is beginning to be used occasionally as a first and is among the stylish new German names for boys . Among the distinguished bearers of Adler as a last name are…
English
"son of brown-haired one"
This surname has a modern yet old New England feel, perhaps because of the association with the transcendental teacher and reformer Bronson (born Amos Bronson) Alcott, father of Louisa May. (One-time…
"king's meadow"
Kingsley is a sophisticated Harry Potter name that entered the US Top 1000 in 2013. Writer Kingsley Amis is its most famous bearer. Cousin Kingston is also rising in popularity, thanks to Gwen…
Variation of Breccan; Irish
"freckled, speckled"
Brecken is a fresh, distinctively Irish alternative to similar-sounding (and much more popular) Beckett or Beckham. While Brecken is a spelling variation of the original Breccan, it's the most…
Word name
West is the most fashionable of what you might call the direction names, with North and East (or Easton and Easter) coming up behind, and South not yet on the map. Country singer Randy Houser named…
"strip of clearing in the woods"
The "Believe It or Not" jokes will get old fast, but this surname feels fun and on-trend for both girls and boys, reminiscent of Riley, Tripp, Bridger, and Oakley. Deriving from the Old English…
Animal name
Fox is one animal name backed by a longish tradition, and then popularized via the lead character Fox Mulder on X Files . Fox is simple, sleek, and a little bit wild, and could make an interesting…
Latin and English
"bear cub"
In the past, Orson has felt like a one-person moniker, tied to film director Orson Welles, who dropped his given name of George in favor of his more distinctive middle. While the Citizen Kane creator…
Greek
"dominant woman"
In the New Testament, Damaris was an Athenian woman converted to Christianity by St. Paul. Known for her charitable work, her name was a favorite among the Puritans. Having slid off the bottom of the…
English from Latin
"pebbly place"
Calloway is one of those irresistibly jaunty, animated three-syllable surnames, like Sullivan, Rafferty and Finnegan — but this one has the added attraction of jazzy ties to the immortal "Dean of…
"fox"
A 1970s beach boy surfing buddy of Scott, Brad, and Chad, Todd is given to relatively few babies these days.
"son of Ellis"
Updates Ellis -- but also has a lot of feminine potential thanks to Allison/Ellie similarity.
Greek from Latin
"dragon"
For as long as we all shall live, Harry Potter's sneering nemesis.
English or Irish
"people of Cana or wolf cub"
Channing is a sophisticated surname name whose use is probably linked to actor Channing Tatum and Channing Crowder, former linebacker for the Miami Dolphins.
"green river, sea friend"
It might be surprising to know that this name originated as a Scottish place and surname name, as in Washington Irving. It became a popular choice for first-generation Jewish-American boys, such as…
"priest's meadow"
More universal than Elvis...and more conventionally attractive, too. Cindy Crawford used it for her son, though it's on the rise mainly for girls. The last time Presley ranked in the Top 1000 for…
English surname
"son of John"
Jennings is a common English surname that originated as a patronymic for the child of someone named Jen, a short form of John. With the craze for s-ending surname names, this one is growing in…
"misshapen head"
This attractive surname name still projects that Kennedy family charisma. While it didn't come into widespread use until long after the deaths of martyred heroes President John F. or Senator Robert…
