English Last Names
- Darling
Origin:
English surname, English word nameMeaning:
"dear"Description:
Darling has history as an English surname, but it would most likely be read as a quirky and loving word name, a la Sweetheart or Honey.
- Knight
Origin:
English word nameMeaning:
" a mounted man-at-arms serving a feudal superior"Description:
Knight (as opposed to Night) is a name clad in shiny armor. This high-ranking word name was introduced by singers Kelis and Nas. Knight might join brothers King, Royal, and Noble in a new definition of royal baby names.
- Embry
Origin:
English surnameMeaning:
"flat-topped hill"Description:
Though Embry became famous as the name of a boy werewolf in Twilight, we think its Em- beginning and -y ending make it perfectly appropriate for a girl. You might consider it as an alternative to Emma, Emily, or Aubrey. Embry or Embury is an established English surname.
- Barlow
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"bare hillside"Description:
A friendly sounding surname name reminiscent of the increasingly popular Marlow and Harlow. British musician Gary Barlow is a notable namesake.
- Day
Origin:
Word nameDescription:
A bright and optimistic middle name choice.
- Stanton
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"stony town"Description:
Seems to stand at attention and salute.
- Shaw
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"dweller by the wood"Description:
With the current taste for last names first, this sounds a lot cooler than Shawn; it also has creative connections to the great Irish playwright, George Bernard Shaw, novelist Irwin Shaw, and Big Band Era clarinetist/bandleader and one-time Ava Gardner husband Artie Shaw.
- Talbot
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"command of the valley"Description:
Upscale and upstanding.
- Weaver
Origin:
Occupational nameDescription:
Weaver, which made an appearance as a first name on the U.S. Top 1000 in the late 19th century and then vanished, may rise again along with its occupational brethren, from already-popular choices such as Cooper and Parker to au courant ones like Archer to occupational hotties of the future, including Booker and Sayer.
- Orwell
Origin:
English surnameMeaning:
"the branch of the river"Description:
Most closely associated with famed English novelist George Orwell (whose real name was Eric Arthur Blair), this English surname is now occasionally sported as a literary first name. Given its meaning, Orwell could also be used by those looking for a more subtle alternative to River.
- Burton
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"fortified enclosure"Description:
Prissy, no matter how you spell it.
- Bell
Origin:
English and Scottish occupational nameMeaning:
"ringer of the bell"Description:
These days, it's more likely you'd call your daughter the popular Belle or Bella.
- Fielding
Origin:
English topographical surnameDescription:
Fielding isn't an occupational name, exactly, though it does relate to someone who works in or lives in a Field. Although there have been a handful of people, real and fictional, with the first name Fielding, the most famous Fielding is eighteenth century writer Henry Fielding, author of Tom Jones.
- Lovejoy
Origin:
English surnameMeaning:
"love joy"Description:
Lovejoy's use as a surname follows that as a nickname. In Medieval times, when many people shared names, nicknames were relied upon to distinguish individuals. Many of these nicknames later became surnames. Lovejoy, from the Middle English love(n) and joie, referred to someone who was affectionate and joyful — although the Oxford Dictionary of American Family Names notes that Lovejoy may have been bestowed ironically, at times.
- Long
Origin:
Chinese and VietnameseMeaning:
"dragon"Description:
An Asian name that may be thought of as an English word name, for better or worse.
- Wainwright
Origin:
English occupational nameMeaning:
"wagon maker"Description:
Some surnames should stay surnames.
- Roe
Origin:
English, Scottish, Irish, Norwegian, or Korean surnameMeaning:
"roe [deer]; wise protector; son of Ruadh; red; clearing; ability"Description:
In the US, the multicultural surname Roe is primarily associated with the landmark Supreme Court case Roe vs. Wade, which granted the federal right to abortion. It's never been popular as a given name for either sex but is seen as a nickname for names such as Monroe and Rowan.
- Black
Origin:
Color nameDescription:
Unlike Rose and Blue, this color name is Not Ready for Prime Time.
- Hopper
Origin:
English or DutchMeaning:
"leaper, dancer; hop grower"Description:
Sean and Robin Wright Penn chose this name for their son to honor their friend Dennis Hopper; others might associate it with the painter Edward. Couldn't be more spirited.
- Emmons
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"son of Emonie"Description:
A matronymic surname derived from Emonie and Emeny, which are of uncertain origins.