Last Names That Are Adorable First Names

A well-to-do English surname with a comedic undertone, thanks to the Griswold family of National Lampoon's Vacation.

A surname very rarely heard as a first, associated with Hall of Fame basketball star Patrick Ewing and, in the 1980s, the oil-rich Ewing family on the nighttime soap, "Dallas"

This habitational surname works as a modern way to honor a Carrie, Carolyn, or Caroline.

Fenmore Baldwin is a character on The Young and the Restless, his first name being his mother's maiden name. In the real world, it was given to virtually no babies last year.

Rarely heard surname name that lacks the lightness of other o-ending names.

The use of O-prefixes could create the next wave of Irish-inflected names, offering an innovative way of honoring a relative with the old-fashioned moniker Brian. On Downton Abbey, the surname O'Brien was heard so often, it began to seem like a first.

Lexington is rising as a place name used just about evenly for the genders. For Americans, it's got a patriotic ring, given the importance of Lexington, Massachusetts in the Revolutionary War. Lexington, Kentucky, in horse country, is another famous place with the name.

Classy-sounding surname name usually bypassed in favor of the simpler Landon.

Trilby was used first for a character by French novelist Charles Nodier (1822) and made more famous by writer George du Maurier in an 1894 work. A Trilby hat, which Du Maurier's character wore, is a short-brimmed fedora of the kind recently revived by hipsters. Du Maurier's character Trilby fell under the hypnotic power of Svengali: not the best choice for an independent and self-determining daughter. Still, if you want a unisex name that moves far beyond the usual Taylor and Morgan and has energy and feminine verve, Trilby might well be your girl.

A novel way to get to the nicknames Ash or Ford

Cute and eminently wearable surname name for girls.

Stokes is ultimately an English surname, although it's been used in Ireland and Scotland for generations as well. It's a variation of Stoke, a habitational surname, as there were many towns named Stoke in England. The origin of the word stoke, however, is contested. Some say it simply means "place," while others contest it designated a small hamlet. There's also evidence that connects it to the Old English word stocc, meaning "tree trunk."

Pembroke's brother.

Updates Lindsey for the 21st century.

Surname-sounding unisex cousin of Peyton is gaining in popularity, especially for girls.

With an easy-going and interesting sound, the surname-inspired Keyes might fit in with the likes of Hayes, Reese, Kai and Keegan. While Keyes has never appeared in the US stats, Key (perhaps as a variation of Kay or Kai) is given to a handful of boys each year.

Bulky surname honoring Grandpa Henry or Saul Bellow's Rain King.

Makes Donna into a cool twenty-first-century unisex Irish surname.

Wharton is a rather stiff banker name that becomes creative as a middle name choice for lovers of the novels of writer Edith.

This evocative Spanish surname would make an unusual but lively choice for a girl.