Names That Mean Son

A case in which the son is now more attractive than the father. There have been Colonial settlers surnamed Dennison on this side of the Atlantic since 1623.

McCarthy is one of a wave of new Irish surname-names, one of the most popular last names of Irish origin now translated to a first name. Mac is an attractive nickname.

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

Traditional Japanese name for the fifth-born son makes for a unique baby name in the West.

An invented name that has its roots in DeAndre or D'Andre, which springs from "the son of Andrew." Feels like half Don or Dion, half Andre or Andrew, but not enough of something unto itself.

The feminine form of Jernej, the Slovene variation of Bartholomew.

While Carson and its spelling variations lean masculine, many parents still see the appeal of this surname name for girls each year.

Paterson is a surname-name to continue a line of Peters and also the name of a city in New Jersey, hometown of poets William Carlos Williams and Allen Ginsberg.

Possible middle name to honor an ancestral Philip.

A respelling of Bowen that gives the option of cozy nickname Wyn/Wynnie as well as Bo.

Eldarion is the son of Aragorn and Arwen in Tolkien's legendarium, who goes on to become a High King himself.

Common Japanese name for second sons. Kenjiro Shirabu is a character in the anime series Haikyu!!, and Kenjiro Tsuda is a well-known voice actor who has lent his talents to numerous anime series.

Dickinson is a possibility for Richard's boy, though that Dick nickname is problematic no matter how you get to it.

Upper crust pet form still used in some old money families.

Fallon has gone feminine, but this puts it back in the boys' camp.

Sullivan has made itself into a first name and O'Sullivan may well follow suit.

Ximen is not, as many think, the Spanish variation of Simon. It is derived from the medieval Basque name Semen (emphasis on the second syllable, but still completely unusable in the English-speaking world). It eventually gave way to many familiar Spanish names of today, including Jimeno and Ximena.

Can be used as a middle name to honor Dad or Grandpa David.

A rare Mc surname used for both girls and boys in the US. It ultimately derives from Laurentius, as does Lawrence.

Typically spelled Hachirō, with a macron over the O. It was historically given to the eighth son in a family, although these days eight sons is a rare occurrence.