Names That Mean Son

Magee has a broad and bouncy appeal for the sons of anyone from Adam to Zachary.

All the Fitz names are hard to carry, but this one has a wonderful meaning and might be a good middle name choice to honor a brilliant lineage.

A variant of Jameson or Jamison, borne by the first Black woman in space, former NASA astronaut Mae Jemison.

Try Simon. Or Homer.

This one may well be an undiscovered choice for many parents - it has a fabulous meaning, a sturdy surname-name appeal that is very on trend right now and several great namesakes including the Bartlett pear and the tome of quotations. Despite that third T, it could also be a favorite of The West Wing fans wanting to evoke fictional president Jed Bartlet.

A better modern solution than Robert Jr. ; known to fiction readers via Canadian novelist Robertson Davies.

Names ending in son are by definition male, but that hasn't stopped Madison and Allison from being widely used for girls. Greyson is one of the latest choices to join the migration across gender lines.

This variation of Biblical Benjamin is used in Ethiopia. The name is also spelled Benyam or Binyam.

This surname is on trend with its S ending, and could honor people such as athlete Jesse Owens. But it has strong potential for confusion with Owen singular.

Thompson is not as popular as Jackson or Harrison, but a novel way to circumvent Junior for the son of a Thomas.

Atkin is a short form of Adam that originated in Medieval England. It's now obsolete, but traces remain in surnames such as Atkins and Atkinson.

Tolkien was first used as a baby name in 2017, and charted again in 2020, undoubtedly in honor of J.R.R. Tolkien, author of The Lord of the Rings series. It means "son of Tolk," Tolk being both a word and a nickname for an interpreter.

A common surname in Ireland, often use as an anglicization of Mac Giolla Phádraig. This name could honor a Patrick. It's also a way to get to Fitz as a nickname.

If you're looking for an Irish last name that moves beyond Casey and Cassidy, this one is pleasant sounding and worth considering. Kavanaugh, which can also be spelled Cavanagh, Cavenagh, Kavanagh, and Cavanaugh, is one of the few traditional Irish surnames not to start with Mc or O'. Kavanagh relates to the name first Kevin or Caomhan. Early kings of Leinster bore the name Kavanaugh.

This attractive Scottish surname-name is found in Larry McMurtry's Lonesome Dove, as the surname of hero Augustus/Gus McCrae. Also spelled MacCrae or McRay among other variations, the meaning is variously given as son of grace or luck.

Stronger and fresher than the original, though it may provoke the question, "Got a light?"

An interesting international possibility for a third son.

Kavanagh, which can also be spelled Cavanagh, Cavenagh, Kavanaugh, and Cavanaugh, is one of the few traditional Irish surnames not to start with Mc or O'. Kavanagh relates to the name first Kevin or Caomhan. Early kings of Leinster bore the name Kavanagh.

Zeldin originated as a surname, designating the son of a Zelde, and feels like a fresh Jewish baby name for the 21st century.