Scottish Last Names

A surname associated these days with Breaking Bad actor Bryan Cranston.

Kerr, a simple, unusual unisex middle-name choice, can be pronounced either car or kehr.

This name's all-male occupational roots help it break the Barbara bonds, but still not the most inspiring surname choice.

Preppier and less politically-charged than its source name, Sanders

Clear and strong, if a little heavy.

Romary is most commonly seen as a surname, although it would make a charming first name for a boy or girl. It has French and Scottish origins — the French form is a variation of the given name Romaric and has also been adopted as a surname. The meaning of the Scottish surname is unknown.

A new crop of gender-neutral English place names have suddenly become trendy — those ending in -ton. Multi-syllabic but not dramatic, these names are rising quickly for girls and boys. Think Charleston, Lexington, and Kensington. Livingston isn't as hot as some of the others, but its time will soon come. For a girl, Livingston boasts the nickname Liv.

Distinguished actor Hume Cronyn (who shared his father's name) put this unusual choice in the lexicon.

Somewhat gruff name that might be better feminized as Duffy.

This highly recognizable surname means "son of Artan," an Irish derivative of the name Art. It's most closely tied to Beatle Paul McCartney — we'd be willing to bet that some of the parents who give this name to their children each year are fans.