Puritan Surnames

James

English variation of Jacob, Hebrew

"supplanter"

James is one of the classic Anglo-Saxon names, a stalwart through the ages that is more popular—and yes, stylish—than ever today. It recently came out Number 1 in a poll of America's favorite boys'…

Hudson

English place-name and surname

"Hugh's son"

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…

Weston

English

"western town"

Weston has gone from being a Jane Austenish British surname to a first name with a relaxed American western cowboy feel. Along with other trendy 'n'-ending boys’ names , Weston is rising in…

Andrew

Greek

"strong and manly"

During its Top 10 heyday in the late 90s and early oughts, Andrew was one of the "cooler" classic boy names, an update on the old guard Roberts and Richards. While there are still plenty of babies…

Walker

English occupational name

"cloth-walker"

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…

Archer

English

"bowman"

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…

Parker

English occupational name

"park-keeper"

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…

Cole

English

"swarthy, coal black"

Cole -- a short name that embodies a lot of richness and depth -- has long been associated with the great songwriter Cole Porter. It's quite popular in Scotland. Old King Cole -- which refers to a…

Chase

French

"to hunt"

Chase, with its sleek and ultraprosperous aura, is redolent of the worlds of high finance and international banking. Chase has been well used during the last few decades, seen as a character on 24…

Baker

English occupational surname

One of the most appealing of the newly hip occupational names, evoking sweet smells emanating from the oven. Much fresher sounding than than others that have been around for a while, like Cooper, and…

Warren

English from French

"park-keeper"

Long lingering in limbo, Warren suddenly seems to be on the cusp of revival. One of the oldest recorded English surnames, Warren's popularity in the U.S. dates back to the nineteenth century, and by…

Ellis

English surname derived from Elijah or Elias or Welsh

"my God is Yahweh; benevolent"

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…

Nash

English

"by the ash tree"

Nash is an English surname whose sound puts it right in step with currently trendy names like Cash, Dash and Ash. It first came to prominence via TV character Nash Bridges, portrayed by Don Johnson…

Wade

English

"at the river crossing"

Wade has never been outside the US Top 1000 for boys - there's a reason for that. It has a clean spelling, fresh sound and is neither too trendy (unlike Kade or Cade) or too old-school (like Richard…

Lawson

English

"son of Lawrence"

Appealing way, à la Dawson, to honor an ancestral Lawrence. Lawson is also an English pop rock band. Lawson has history or use that dates far back, but it fell off of the charts in 1950. The name…

Pierce

English

"son of Piers"

Actor Pierce Brosnan brings a strong helping of charm to this name. Pierce was actually a popular name long before Mr. Brosnan came along, from 1880 to the end of the 1930s. Pierce Brosnan inspired…

Scott

English

"from Scotland"

A cool, windswept, surfer babe-magnet in 1965, a nice dad -- or even granddad -- today.

Porter

English from French occupational name

"doorkeeper or carrier"

It may surprise you to know that surname name Porter was fairly popular in the US in the 19th and early 20th centuries, then went underground for 40 years only to reemerge at the turn of this century…

Garrett

Irish variation of Gerard

"spear strength"

Garrett, also spelled with one 't', is an Irish-inflected name that was in the Top 100 in the nineties, but has now slipped in popularity. Perhaps best known now as a Twilight name--Garrett was a…

Colby

English

"coal town"

Combining the sounds of Colton and Toby, Colby has been in the US Top 1000 since the 70s. It peaked in 2021, entering the Top 100 thanks to Colby Davidson's appearance on reality TV show, Survivor…