Last Names That Are Adorable First Names

This lofty sounding surname might put in mind soaring skyscrapers, old castle turrets, or a city in France, but as a given name Towers has yet to catch on. Associated with Lord of the Rings, Mallory Towers, Fawlty Towers, Tim Powers, and a whole variety of other towers worldwide, there is the possibility that some may immediately think of the Twin Towers and understandably not wish to use the name.

As a given name, Wheelock has been passed down to generations of the Whitney family — descendants of Eli Whitney, creator of the cotton gin. The first Wheelock Whitney — known as Wheels — was named after his mother, Alice Wheelock. His son, Wheelock Whitney Jr. went by Whee, and Wheelock Whitney III is called Lock.

Upper-crusty surname name.

Furman is a surname-y spin on the Basque saint's name Fermin, the patron saint of Pamplona, where Hemingway famously ran with the bulls.

As surname names for girls become more popular, we could see Catesby catching on among style-conscious parents. Bonus: it easily shortens to the girlish nickname Cate.

With Gabriel, Gage, Abel, and Gael in the US Top 1000, and the Anne of Green Gables a well-beloved book series and the inspiration for Anne with an E, Gables could make an off-beat but familiar choice. While Gable is given to a small handful of boys each year, Gables has yet to catch on.

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

This preppy alternative to Gen Z favorite Summer has the potential to be a big surname hit for girls. It recently gained media attention from Instagram model Sumner Stroh.

Sommers is a surname-y spin on the word name Summer, made all the more fashionable by the final S. If Hayes, Rivers, and Brooks can be trendy gender-neutral names, why not Sommers?

A German surname, Tessin is drawn from several places in or near the Mecklenburg region of northeastern Germany. This rare first name can work for either sex.

Effortlessly cool and preppy, but with a touch of outdoorsy ruggedness, McCall is a yet to be discovered last name choice. Unexpected, but enough like McKenzie, Mckinley, Nicole, and Callie that it doesn't sound outlandish, it is currently a gender-neutral choice in the US, given to 15 girls and 13 boys in a recent year.

A last name style choice with the sounds of Grayson, Graham, Weston, and Clayton, but ranking well outside the US Top 1000, unlike its counterparts. Given to less than 10 babies in a recent year, Grayton is a familiar sounding but little used option.

Inspired by the likes of Braxton, Paxton, and Daxton, Drexton is a modern sounding but little used option, given to just 5 babies in 2022. It likely derives from the occupational names Dressler and Dexter, combined with the Old English element tun meaning "town" or "settlement">.

A surname style name of Dutch and Anglo-Saxon origin, which could make an interesting alternative to Ben or Bennett.

A Welsh place name and surname, it derives from Cyffin or Gyffin, meaning "limit" or "confine". Notable bearers include landscape painter Kyffin Williams and racing driver Kyffin Simpson.

A Norwegian nature name and surname, Voll derived from the Old Norse vǫllr translating to "meadow, field".

As a German name, it originates from volk or Fulco, meaning "people", although a more literal translation of modern German would be "full".

A last name as a first name that also has the feel of nicknames like Callie, Tully, Tally and Tilly, Cully could derive from an anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Colla.

A clunky-cool name with a "grandpa" quality to it, that equally fits into the trend of last names as first names. Wendall, along with its alternative forms, Wendell and Wendel, peaked in the US during the 1940s possibly after the Republican presidential candidate, Wendall Willkie.

A unisex nickname style name, similar in sound and feel to Andie, Randy, Indy, or Danny, Landie could be a short form of any name including the land element. This includes Landon, Roland, Leland, or Orlando, though it might also work for Leander or Lysander.