Surname Names for Baby Girls

This would make an interesting South American heritage choice. One famous bearer was Quispe Sisa, an Inca princess in the 16th century. It is also a surname.

Magee became one of the first gender-bending Irish surname names so popular today thanks to New York television newswoman Magee Hickey. In case you don't know, the g is hard, as in Maggie, but with the opposite emphasis.

Paul Cézanne was a French post-Impressionist painter whose intriguing surname is of uncertain origin, although it may be related to Suzanne (from the Hebrew Shoshana, "lily"). It has been used as a girls' name in South Africa, due to its familiar -anne ending.

Prideaux is a Cornish place name and surname that is occasionally attested as a girls' first name. It likely stems from the French phrase "pré de eaux", meaning meadow of waters. For fans of Margaux, Prideaux might be a less-common and very pretty alternative.

An Irish classic for boys that has a streamlined, surnamey, unisex appeal in this spelling.

The K-spelling of Carter has been in the boys' Top 1000 since 2005. In 2014, Karter cracked the girls' Top 1000, too. Karter joins the plethora of surnames turned boys' names that are now entering the world of girls' names as well. This particular one also has the trendy Kardashian-Esque "K" beginning. The Carter spelling entered the Top 1000 for girls around the same time but currently sits higher up in the charts, hovering just around the Top 500.

This English surname turned girls' first name owes its rise to supermodel Christie Brinkley, who first rose to fame in the late 70s and early 80s. Brinkley appeared on the charts for the first time in 1985, peaking at 90 births in 2012 and 2013. It probably derives from the Old English masculine name Brynca + "ley" (woodland clearing).

A subtle literary surname choice: Estlin is the second "E" in E.E. Cummings (the first being Edward). Works equally well on both men and women.

Blakeley is one of the many -ley ending surnames that is being adopted as a first name, updating the 80s darlings Blake and Ashley.

A French surname with a witchy vibe — Marie Laveau was a dedicated practitioner of Voodoo, healer, midwife, and herbalist in the 1800s.

Selby, a rarely heard British surname, feels sleeker and more distinctive than Shelby. Todd Selby, known primarily by his last name, is a hip photographer of interiors.

Rigby is a rather stiff British surname, which might call to mind the Beatles "Eleanor Rigby" or, from the recent past, Cathy Rigby, the first American woman to win a medal in World Gymnastics competition. The problem with Rigby may be its similarity to the word "rigid."

Actor couple Chyler Leigh and Nathan West added this one to the lexicon when they adapted the surname of actress Jennifer Aniston as their daughter's first name, Anniston. Aniston, which theoretically might mean "Agnes town," was actually Anglicized from the Greek Anastasopoulos. With its similarity to both Addison and Anna and its relationship to the attractive star, Anniston is taking off a la Jolie.

Ro- names are on the rise — think Roman, Rory, and Rowan — but straightforward and streamlined Row (and Rowe, Roe, and Ro) takes this trend to the next level. The pared-down single syllable gives Row an ultra-cool edge.

Lupin is an unusual flower name with roots in Old French, from the Latin lupinus, meaning "pertaining to the wolf". In the literary world, it's the surname of Remus Lupin, a popular character in the Harry Potter franchise and a werewolf.

Anglicized version of a the common German surname Klein. Musician Mike Eli named his daughter Kline Olivia in 2012.

Bridger follows one of the recent trendy name formulas: a brisk first syllable + -er ending + history as a surname. It recently broke through the top 1000 on the boys side, but Bridger remains a rarity for girls. The similarity to familiar feminine name Bridget makes it viable for a daughter.

Bridger could work as a name for a baby whose heritage bridges multiple cultures.

Right in step with the two-syllable irish surname-names now on the rise.

Sander would be an unconventional short form of Alexandra, variation of Sandra, or surname-name for girls. It was given to 41 baby boys in the US last year but no girls, but it certainly can be a gender-neutral choice.

Jagger, made famous as the surname of Rolling Stone Mick, gets an entry in the girls' column thanks to Ashlee Simpson and Evan Ross, who chose it for their daughter. For either gender, this name rocks...but a bit jaggedly. Currently, there are nearly 20 times as many baby boys than girls are given the name Jagger. That balance may shift, making Jagger a more truly gender neutral name.