User-created list
By vintageluvs · Updated May 2023
Across 12 pages
of 12
Williams is a patronymic surname that has evolved into use as a given name. Derived from the Germanic name Wilhelm (composed of elements meaning 'will, desire' and 'helmet, protection'), it literally…
English occupational name
"baker"
An x makes any name cooler, so that Baxter has a bit more pizzazz than the original Baker. Baxter had some currency as a first name a century ago--it was on the popularity lists sporadically from…
Scottish
"son of Dick"
A relatively common surname, Dixon would be an inventive way to honor an ancestral Richard or Dick, the X form a lot livelier than the Dickson spelling, just as Dix is a more modern short form than…
Variation of Clark
"scribe, clerk"
While Clark ranks in the Top 500 for boys, the Clarke spelling leans towards the girls' side. Regardless, the name works well for either sex.
English
"son of John"
No competition for Jackson.
Hebrew
"sun"
This name, once considered overly powerful due to the superhuman strength of the biblical figure, is now an option for parents in search of an unusual route to Sam. But you really don't need that p:…
English, Hebrew, Aramaic
"priest; father"
Abbott is a neglected masculine surname with religious overtones, used to describe the head of a monastery or a prominent church figure, such as a priest. Though the feminine nickname Abby could be…
Word name or surname name, English
"free man"
Another meaningful word name that actually dates back to pre-Emancipation days.
"dairy farm"
Chadwick Boseman, the late charismatic star of Marvel's blockbuster Black Panther , brought this name to the spotlight for the first time. Though we long considered it an overwrought way to get to…
"lives where hawthorn hedges grow"
The great American novelist sets this above many other surnames (and nature names , for that matter), but it's still an imposing and adventurous choice. Do nicknames Hawk or Thorne make it more…
Wright is a masculine name that originated as an English occupational surname referring to a craftsman or builder—specifically a woodworker or carpenter (from the Old English "wyrhta," meaning…
English word name
"bright"
Rare word name that works for either gender.
British surname
Easy (Ezekiel) Rawlins is the hard-boiled detective created by Walter Mosley.
English from German
"powerful counsel"
The surname Reynolds derived from the given name Reynold, which was common during the Middle Ages. Reynolds Woodcock was the name of the designer character played by Daniel Day Lewis in Phantom…
Hutchinson is primarily known as a surname derived from the medieval given name Hugh, with the suffix "-kin" (diminutive) and "-son," meaning "son of little Hugh." As a first name, it represents the…
"summoner"
Billionaire Sumner Redstone, the nonagenarian owner of CBS and Viacom, practically has a monopoly on his first name — for now. But Hunter, Asher, and Ryder have ushered in a major vogue "-er" names,…
"weaver"
This pleasant single-syllable surname might be especially appealing to someone involved with the internet (and who isn't?)--even if some others might see it as a drawback. Webb is one of those names…
English word and nature name
"to swindle"
It feels like Finch should be a modern bird name that's as popular as Wren or Lark, but that's not the case - so it's one to consider if you're looking for a nature name that's familiar but rare.…
Welsh
"lake"
Traditionally used for boys before the 20th-century, Lynn was solidly used as a masculine name in the US, right up until the 70s when it fell out of favor. Prior to that, however, it had already…
"place by a stream"
As passé as Hilton and Milton.
