English Last Names

Yardley, a surname redolent of British soaps and perfume, was used for her daughter by Megyn Kelly.

Drover, an ancient occupational surname, is right in step with today's styles and would make a distinctive choice. Drover and brothers are fresh updates of such now-widely-used names as Carter and Cooper.

Dropping the H off hot surnames gets you a whole new name. The trend is multiplying: Hadley becomes Adley, Harley become Arley, Harlow becomes Arlowe, and now Halston becomes Alston.

This would make an interesting name for a boy, if it weren't for the fact that the two most well known Fergies are female.

Two-syllable place-names are stylish, and this one is attached to a British city noted for its white chalk cliffs, but there are a couple of minuses: associated with the fish, Dover sole, and also rhymes with the doggy Rover.

Unique name for the son of a woodworker.

Common as a surname, not advisable for a first.

In British slang, a "prat" is an idiot -- enough said.

A self-explanatory occupational name. With Baker hotter than ever, Cook could be a distinct possibility. A famous bearer is gallerist Cooke Maroney, husband of Jennifer Lawrence.

Moody would work great as the name of Snow White's lost eighth dwarf friend, but we can't recommend it as a first name IRL. It was the last name of Harry Potter character Mad-Eye Moody, played by Brenden Gleason in the movies; his given name was Alastor. The bond credit rating company Moody's is likewise named for the surname of its founder, John Moody.

Cooper would be a more engaging C-starting occupational choice.

A dapper English surname derived from the Old English personal name Hunwine "bear friend", which comes with winning nickname Win.

An occupational surname that hasn't made the limelight like Carter, Baker, etc., but is equally stylish.

The surname of humorist Ring is a new entry in the trendy occupational class -- but watch the lard.

Sparks was originally used as a nickname in Medieval England, typically as a pet name for a lively person (or in an ironic sense, for one who was not). It was also likely used as a nickname for blacksmiths and other professionals whose work created literal fiery sparks.

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.

A well-to-do London neighborhood, English surname, and potential route to the nickname May. Mayfair has everything going for it, and yet it couldn't be rarer.