Last Names That Are Adorable First Names

  1. Sanford
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "sandy ford"
    • Description:

      A dated fifties surname name that led to the nickname SAndy.
  2. Mosley
    • Origin:

      English place name and surname
    • Meaning:

      "peat bog, mouse clearing"
    • Description:

      Mosley, former best known as the surname of author Walter, has been put in play as a first name for girls by football great Peyton Manning, who used the name for his twin daughter, sister of Marshall. Alternate spellings are Moseley and Mosely and the first syllable rhymes with Rose.
  3. Emmons
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "son of Emonie"
    • Description:

      A matronymic surname derived from Emonie and Emeny, which are of uncertain origins.
  4. Hopper
    • Origin:

      English or Dutch
    • Meaning:

      "leaper, dancer; hop grower"
    • Description:

      Sean and Robin Wright Penn chose this name for their son to honor their friend Dennis Hopper; others might associate it with the painter Edward. Couldn't be more spirited.
  5. Wrigley
    • Origin:

      Surname name
    • Description:

      A name that's long been popular for dogs on Chicago's North Side is now gaining traction among human babies. Wrigley Field is the Chicago Cubs' historic ballpark, originally named after the Wrigley Company, which made and sold chewing gum.
  6. Parrish
    • Origin:

      English surname
    • Meaning:

      "from Paris"
    • Description:

      Parrish is unrelated — but often said to be related — to the English word "parish". Instead, the surname arose as a designator for one who lived in Paris.
  7. Ivey
    • Origin:

      Surname name, variation of Ivy
    • Meaning:

      "son of Ive; person from Ivoy; ivy plant"
    • Description:

      Ivey can be considered an alternate spelling of the botanical name Ivy, but it also has separate origins as a surname. For the Anglo-Saxon Ivey line, Ivey means "son of Ive," while for the English-Norman Iveys, it means "person from Ivoy," a commune in the Cher department of France.
  8. Hughes
    • Origin:

      English, Scottish, Irish surname
    • Meaning:

      "mind, intellect; son of Aodh"
    • Description:

      Part of the next generation of preppy H-beginning surnames. Once Harrison, Hudson, and Holden are no longer fresh, expect to hear more little boys being called Hughes, Hutch, and Henderson on the playground.
  9. Gardener
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "keeper of the garden"
    • Description:

      Gardener is surely one of the most pleasant and evocative of the occupational options, calling up images of green grass and budding blooms. The name can also be spelled without the first 'e', as in Gardner (born George Cadogan Gardner) McCay, a hunky TV heartthrob of the 1950s and 60s. Gardner is a much more common surname spelling, associated with screen legend Ava, mystery writer Erle Stanley and art collector and patron Isabella Stewart, founder of Boston's Gardner Museum.
  10. Wellington
    • Origin:

      English surname from place name
    • Meaning:

      "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.
  11. Brom
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Bromley, English
    • Meaning:

      "broom meadow"
    • Description:

      Attached to one of the heroes of Christopher Paolini's megapopular fantasy novel Eragon, this name sounds strong yet sensitive.
  12. Brady
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "one with broad eyes"
    • Description:

      Has the energetic-Irish-slightly-boyish image that many modern parents love.
  13. Windsor
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "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.
  14. Crusoe
    • Origin:

      Literary surname
    • Description:

      Crusoe, as in castaway hero Robinson, is a literary invention by author Daniel Defoe. The character says his name is an Anglicization of the German Kreutznaer, which may be a place name or mean a crossing of the river Nahe. Short form Cru was given to nearly 50 boys in a recent year.
  15. Ellington
    • Origin:

      English place-name and surname
    • Meaning:

      "Ellis' town"
    • Description:

      Ellington's popularity may be inspired by jazz great Duke, but the name is used slightly more often for girls today, perhaps because of its trendy El- beginning. Like a host of other El- names, from the familiar Ella to Eleanor to the more niche Elodie and Elula, Ellington carries the popular Ellie nickname.
  16. Bromley
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "broom meadow"
    • Description:

      Bromley is an English surname-name that's more possible as a first name now than ever before. The -ley suffix has been adopted for many names, and surnames such as Bromley are fashionable.
  17. Connelly
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "love, friendship"
    • Description:

      Connelly is a rollicking and rare example of the popular surname genre that may work even better for girls. A huge update on Colleen.
  18. Hathaway
    • Origin:

      English surname
    • Meaning:

      "one who lives near the heath"
    • Description:

      Before there was esteemed actress Anne Hathaway, there was Anne Hathaway, wife of Shakespeare — the former being named after the latter.
  19. Chesney
    • Origin:

      English from French
    • Meaning:

      "oak grove"
    • Description:

      A rising surname name for girls — it's overwhelmingly feminine, despite the association with Kenny Chesney.
  20. Lathan
    • Origin:

      English surname or place name
    • Description:

      Lathan is a surname recorded as relating to the towns of Layton or Latham and meaning, depending on its derivation, barn or leek farm or farm by the water. As a first name, it's reminiscent of the popular Nathan.