English Last Names

Eighties spin on megapopular Whitney that currently ranks higher than the original. Whitley fell out of the Top 1000 for several decades but resurfaced in 2018.

A bit formal for our time, Alcott would be a bit less forbidding.

Though long associated with the iconic male fashion designer -- who went by his middle name alone -- rising young actress Halston Sage has made Halston feel plausible as a girls' name too.

For some, a name that will evoke the beauty of the national park in the Colorado Rockies.

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, so it may only be a matter of time before parents discover this one.

Simple, usable surname choice.

Sutter is a new entry to the fashionable class of occupational surnames, brought to the fore by the hero of the 2013 indie film The Spectacular Now. More masculine than Sutton and more distinctive than Sawyer, Sutter might be a good choice for the child of a shoe designer or shoe lover.

Updates Ellis -- but also has a lot of feminine potential thanks to Allison/Ellie similarity.

Modern way to honor an ancestral Hugh.

As Harrison is to Harry, Garrison is to Gary: both of the longer versions sound more modern and appealing. NPR's Prairie Home Companion's Garrison Keillor was born Gary.

Judson remained in the US Top 1000 every year until it dropped off in 1987. In 2014, the named rejoined the list. With Hudson gaining in popularity, Judson—a possible alternative to Justin—could follow its path.

Bryant has a longer history as a first name in the US than its father name Brian, ranking among the Top 1000 since the list began in 1880 while Brian only jumped on in 1925.

Sometimes pronounced MAY-nerd, which is death to a name. However, the name Maynard was given to 25 boys in 2022.

Long-time connection to the movie biz doesn't lend it any pizzazz.

In the US, well over 200 girls were named Chandler in 2016, its first year on the girls' list since 2002. To us it is still inextricably tied to the Friends character, making it more masculine than it otherwise might be. But it's one of the trendy boy names for girls that's climbing the ladder.

Has that blunt masculine feel -- à la Cole and Kyle -- that many modern parents are drawn to.

One of the trendiest of the new two-syllable boys’ names that have swept the country in the past few years, including the rhyming Aidan, Caden, Kaden, and Jaden. It's been falling on the US Top 1000 lately but it is still among the most popular contemporary English names for boys..

A rising choice for girls that fits in with tailored surnames such as Sloane, Greer, and Blair.

Meaning bard, this is an original choice with poetic and melodic undertones. Bard itself has also come into consideration, both names bringing to mind Shakespeare and other literary lights.

The Scottish surname Baird's most notable bearer was John Logie Baird, the Scottish engineer and inventor of the televisor, the world's first practical television system in 1926, and also the world's first fully electronic color TV tube two years later. Some might also remember puppeteers Bil and Cora Baird.

Yet another creative character name from Toni Morrison, Denver was a daughter of Sethe's in the novel Beloved. Today Denver is most familiar as the name of the largest city in Colorado, used almost equally for girls and boys.