Last Names That Are Adorable First Names

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Royal and Rory are both in the US Top 1000 for girls where they join a number of surname-inspired names ending in -son, from long-time favorite Madison to the newer Emerson. The yet to rank Royson could be a new consideration with its rosy feel, but tougher edge.

Roy, Royce, Royal, and Rory are all in the US Top 1000, where they join a plethora of surname-inspired names ending in -son. Royson is a new consideration, with a smart, handsome feel to it, combined with a touch of the floral.

Holder, part occupational name and part Holden, is a rare word name. It brings to mind holding onto someone or something, which itself suggests a love for or connection to whatever is being held on to.

While Kendrix is predominantly used on boys — likely owing to its musical namesakes, Kendrick Lamar and Jimi Hendrix — the most noteworthy Kendrix (as yet) is in fact Kendrix Morgan, also known as the Pink Galaxy Ranger from the Power Rangers franchise.