American last names used as baby names -- either first names or middle names -- is a popular trend in the U.S. Other Western cultures, including English-speaking ones, do not generally use last names as first names, which makes American last names particularly suited to this genre.

Some of these American last names have been used for a long time as first names, or even originated as first names, as with Thomas. Other American surnames are more recent entrants to the baby name pool, especially when used for girls: Taylor, for example, or Carter. And while non-Anglo last names have been slower to be adapted as first names, that is starting to happen too.

Especially stylish right now are last names ending with S: Brooks, Collins, Wells, Gates. Hilary Duff named her little girl Banks, and Emma Roberts' son is name Rhodes.

To gather typical American last names in one place, we drew all the names on this list from the Census Bureau's count of top last names in the U.S. They are ordered here not by how popular they are as last names in the US, but how popular they are as baby names among the visitors to Nameberry.

American Last Names

Simple and down-to-earth, but would probably work best as a middle name. 

Hill

Sanchez

Adams

Writer James Baldwin could make this an inspirational choice for a child of either sex. 

Baldwin

Watkins

Jenkins

Weber

Ramos

Myers

Simmons is one of the S-ending popular American last names that are starting to be used as firsts.

Simmons

Walsh

Roberts

Carroll

American last names image child American flag

Top American surnames used as first names for baby boys and baby girls, with meanings, origins, and popularity. (Page 10)

American Last Names as First Names

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