Names that end in y

A less political spelling of the English surname Atlee or Attlee, borne by midcentury British prime minister Clement Attlee.

She'd better be. Merry is one of the classic names for Christmas babies.

Can't help thinking of a donkey.

Donnelly is among the more appealing Irish surname names, less well used than Donovan. Related options include the place name Donegal and the mythological god name Donegan.

Ivey can be considered an alternate spelling of the botanical name Ivy, but it also has separate origins as a surname. For the Anglo-Saxon Ivey line, Ivey means "son of Ive," while for the English-Norman Iveys, it means "person from Ivoy," a commune in the Cher department of France.

Signy — also spelled Signe — would make another distinctively offbeat alternative to Sydney. Signy appears in Norse mythology as the twin sister of Sigmund.

Even if you'd like your daughter to attend the venerable women's college, don't saddle her with this pretentious British surname.

Once a staple of the 1920s, like Leroy and Elwood, Elroy is languishing in style limbo now. One feature that might make it worth a second glance is its royal meaning, for those looking for a vintage twist on names like Royal and Reign. If you're in search of unique vintage baby names, this may be one for your list.

Similar to Brielle and Riley, this name lags quite far behind these more common variations. It peaked at Number 622 in 2009 in the US, but it is now descending the ranks.

Tolly is an antique short form that is not only jolly but makes Bartholomew usable in the modern world, when Bart is too Simpsonesque. For the adventurous nicknamer, Tolly might even be a novel short form of Oliver.

All baby names can be made more "creative" by putting a Z at the beginning instead of what's conventionally there: B or C or H, for instance. Zaley is an adorable entry in this group, also spelled Zailey or Zayley or Zalee. The Zaley spelling attains a measure of authenticity when seen as a feminine form of Zale, a Greek name with an ocean-related meaning.

Hurley is a possibility as a unisex surname-name ending with the "lee" sound. It is perhaps most associated with British actress Elizabeth Hurley, and is much rarer than Harley, because the "ur" sound is currently out of fashion (and the word "hurl" may put some off).

Both Kody and Cody — shining stars of the 90s — are in decline, although more people are choosing Cody than Kody.

Kayce — pronounced like Casey — is one of the hottest boy names of 2022 thanks to the show Yellowstone. This spelling was given to exactly 202 boys and 202 girls in 2022, making it one of the most truly unisex names.

If January, April and August are useable and fashionable, why not February? February as a word derives from the Latin februa, which was the name of a purification feast coming at the end of winter, to prepare for the coming spring.

Just one more name to fall victim to the K trend. This version of the name has appeared in the US Top 1000 since the mid-1980s, having peaked at Number 359 in 2001. It is now steadily declining year after year.

The spoiled only son of the richest family in town in a fifties movie.

Before there was esteemed actress Anne Hathaway, there was Anne Hathaway, wife of Shakespeare — the former being named after the latter.

Seeley is a Medieval surname with a happy, fortunate meaning.