English Last Names

This pleasant single-syllable surname might be especially appealing to someone involved with the internet (and who isn't?)--even if some others might see it as a drawback.

A cool surname name made famous by One Direction band member Harry Styles.

Lincoln, Tyler, Taylor, Jackson, Jefferson, Harrison, McKinley, Grant, Kennedy, Carter -- yes. Washington -- probably not.

Stark is an ancient surname derived from the Old English word stearc, meaning firm and unyielding. In modern parlance, stark means severe or plain. But Stark's use as a first name -- 15 boys were named Stark in the US in 2017 -- stems from its prominence in Game of Thrones, which has inspired so many new baby names. House Stark is a ruling family on GoT; its motto is fittingly "Winter is coming," so Stark and other names from the show might make creative names for winter babies.

You occasionally see the German and Danish word for "summer" pop up as a first name -- 16 girls were given it in 2016 -- and that trend may continue, now that the original has risen to Number 202 on the American popularity list.

Ashley substitute with a slightly more unisex feel; it was picked for her daughter by TV host Nancy O'Dell.

All names ending in ville are in nowheresville.

Last name occasionally used as a first, can be seen as a Lance Armstrong athlete-hero name.

An old-fashioned term for a coal miner, or nowadays, a sister to Harper and Piper.

Upstanding New England patrician name.

Swayze is an Anglicization of the German surname Schweiz or Schweizer, referring to a Swiss person. It's most commonly associated with late actor Patrick Swayze, of Dirty Dancing fame. Interestingly, it's overwhelmingly feminine, with over 83% of babies born with the name girls.

Bates is a fresh version of Bartholomew, and feels more wearable than Bart. Bates could be considered a patriotic choice for American parents - Katharine Lee Bates was an author and professor best known for penning the words to "America the Beautiful".

Surname with strong ties to singer Taylor Swift and writer Jonathan Swift. It could make a fun and quirky middle name.

Up-and-coming surname name that may evoke thoughts of ballet dancer Misty Copeland or one of the many towns called Copeland.

Rider is a rock-and-roll baby name, in every sense of the term, though usually spelled Ryder, as in the sons of Kate Hudson and John Leguizamo.

A surname that originated as a diminutive of Hawk.

Chaplin carries two very distinctive images: the beloved Little Tramp and a minister, often to the military. It was the baby-name choice of Ever Carridine in 2010.

A simple, self-possessed, somewhat serious surname, which might work better as a middle.

Rawlings was a surname brought to England with the Norman invasion and has ties to the name Raul, which means "wolf counsel."

One of the rare English surname names originally derived from a female given name: Eoforhild (Everild), meaning "boar battle". Also spelled Averill, it's an extremely rare choice today, but shares sounds with fashionable Ava and Avery.