Last Names That Are Adorable First Names
- Dior
Origin:
French surnameMeaning:
"golden"Description:
Dior has joined Chanel and Armani on the fashionista hit parade of names, appealing due to its designer quality, its succinct sound, and contemporary air.
- Windsor
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"riverbank with a winch"Description:
Windsor may have male references, such as Britain's royal House of Windsor and a tie's windsor knot, but this name also has a definite feminine feel, as in Windsor Rose. That seems appropriate, as Windsor is used equally these days for boys and girls. Nicknames might include Win, Wind, Windy, and Winnie.
- Jefferson
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"son of Jeffrey"Description:
The name of the third U.S. President sounds, like Harrison and Jackson, more modern and stylish now than its root name. Used as a first name long before our surname-crazed era, Jefferson was most famously used as a first name by the President of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis, which may justifiably make you not want to use it. Jefferson is the middle name of another Prez, William Clinton.
- Tallis
Origin:
English, Old FrenchMeaning:
"clearing of woodland"Description:
An English surname derived from the Old French taillis, this nature inspired choice could be an alternative to Wallis or Travis. Tallis appears as the surname of the central characters in Ian McEwan's book, Atonement and the subsequent film.
- Coltrane
Origin:
Irish surnameMeaning:
"descendant of Coltarán"Description:
The great sax player John Coltrane could be a cool naming inspiration for a jazz fan.
- Wellington
Origin:
English surname from place nameMeaning:
"people living in the hamlet in the cleared area near the temple"Description:
Wellington is a tony-sounding English surname turned baby name by pregnancy guru Rosie Pope, who calls her son Wells for short. It's also the middle name of one of the Sweet Home sextuplets, Blu Wellington.
- Karson
Origin:
Spelling variation of Carson, Scottish and EnglishMeaning:
"son of the marsh dwellers"Description:
An increasingly popular spelling of Carson, Karson feels at home with Kayden, Kieran, and Kai. While the Carson spelling sits just outside the Top 100 and is used three times more often, Karson is still given to around 980 babies each year.
- Hewitt
Origin:
English, Scottish, and Irish surnameMeaning:
"descendant of Hugh; one who lives near the wood clearing"Description:
Modern way to honor an ancestral Hugh.
- Kensington
Origin:
Place nameDescription:
Kensington is a place name with a number of referents; there are cities by the name in Australia, Canada, South Africa, the UK, and the US. As a girls' name, it entered the US Top 1000 in 2015, likely as a fresher way to get to nickname Kensie/Kenzie than Mackenzie, Mckenzie, or Makenzie.
- Renwick
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"raven's settlement"Description:
A rustic yet aristocratic boy name, derived from an English surname and place name. It derives from the Old English name Hræfn and the element wic to create the cool meaning "raven's settlement".
- Brantley
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"sword, fiery torch"Description:
Brantley is one of several English surnames that was new to the tops in 2009. A possible-probable inspiration is the country rock singer Brantley Gilbert.
- Talcott
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"cottage near the lake"Description:
A bit formal for our time, Alcott would be a bit less forbidding.
- Melrose
Origin:
Scottish surnameMeaning:
"bare promontory"Description:
Traditionally a Scottish habitational surname, but today could be viewed as a mashup of Melanie or Melissa and Rose.
- Forbes
Origin:
ScottishMeaning:
"field"Description:
Forbes is a business magazine in the U.S., long led by Malcolm Forbes, with a buttoned-down Brooks Brothers image. If you name your son Forbes, you're definitely implying a connection to the prominent and wealthy family -- which may be exactly what you're intending. But if you have a more down-to-earth image in mind, try Field.
- Grey
Origin:
Color nameDescription:
Grey is the more common spelling in Britain and Australia. This color name has a softness and ambiguity which makes it equally lovely for a boy or a girl.
- Maguire
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"son of the beige one"Description:
Although Maguire is such a prominent Irish surname —it ranks in the Top 40 in the Emerald Isle —this lively and cheerful family name has rarely been used as a first, unlike more familiar examples like Ryan, Riley and Reagan. The powerful and distinguished Maguire clan was known for their courage, leadership and resilience. The name's many notable associations include the unionizing Pennsylvania coal miners known as the Molly Maguires, actor Tobey Maguire and Dixie Chick Martie Maguire. Other spellings are McGuire and McGwire; two other handsome Irish surnames to consider are Malone and Magee.
- Schuyler
Origin:
DutchMeaning:
"scholar"Description:
Originally a Dutch surname, imported by the early Dutch colonists, has been all but overpowered by the phonetic spellings in the US -- Skyler for boys and Skylar for girls. With the surnames-as-first-names trend, however, and the popularity of the Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical Hamilton, which features the Schuyler sisters, perhaps Schuyler might receive some more interest in the coming years.
- Stiles
Origin:
English surnameMeaning:
"steep hill, steps"Description:
Stylish surname name which can also be spelled Styles, as in One Direction band member Harry.
- Field
Origin:
Nature nameDescription:
More unusual than Forest or Forrest, Field is a nature name that is simple, evocative, and fresh--sort of the male equivalent of Meadow.Field and Fields are both relatively common surnames, noted bearers including department store owner Marshall Field, poet Eugene Field (Wynken, Blynken and Nod) and actress Sally. Those with the plural include W.C. Fields, cookie company founder Debbi, and entertainers Gracie and Kim Fields.
- Hyde
Origin:
Medieval measure of land, or English surnameMeaning:
"hide"Description:
Hyde, of course, is most familiar as a surname -- as in Mr. Hyde, evil alter ego of Dr. Jeckyll. Unless Hyde is a family name or you have some other excellent reason for using it, we think you could do better.