This traditionally male surname name could find new life for girls thanks to its similarity to the popular Abby and Abigail. 

Abbott

As a boys' name, Angel has two distinct name personalities. One is as a perennial favorite Hispanic <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">boys’ name</a>, popular in the US along with Spain, Mexico, and South America.
 
Then Buffy the Vampire Slayer brought Angel into the Anglo camp, where it's now heard more frequently, pronounced the English way. Angel entered the boys' Top 100 in 1997 and remains solidly there today.
 
Angel's popularity for girls began to wane at the same time the name took off for boys. Any child named Angel, of whatever gender or nationality, has a, well, angelic image to live up to or live down.
 Other notable male Angels: the husband in Thomas Hardy's Tess of the D'Urbervilles, a character on Dexter, and several athletes.

Angel

Archer is an Anglo-Saxon surname that feels more modern than most because of its on-target occupational and Hunger Games associations. And it's a nice way to bypass the clunky Archibald to get to the cool nickname Archie.
 But have a look at that amazing popularity chart below: After 1889, Archer took a 130-year nap, resurfacing on the Top 1000 in 2009 and now shooting straight upwards. Five years ago, we named Archer one of our Hottest Names of 2011—and, indeed, it jumped 102 places that year, thanks in part to Archer's similarity to popular Asher and its cross-gender appeal. Moms may like its literary gentility and dads its tough-guy FX cartoon appeal. Or, of course, vice versa.
 Trivia tidbit: Archer is the name of Dr. Doolittle's father.

Archer

Meaning bard, this is an original choice with poetic and melodic undertones. Bard itself has also come into consideration, both names bringing to mind Shakespeare and other literary lights. 
The Scottish surname Baird's most notable bearer was John Logie Baird, the Scottish engineer and inventor of the televisor, the world's first practical television system in 1926, and also the world's first fully electronic color TV tube two years later. Some might also remember puppeteers Bil and Cora Baird.

Baird

One of the most appealing of the newly hip occupational names, evoking sweet smells emanating from the oven. Much fresher sounding than than others that have been around for a while, like Cooper, and Carter.
 American football star Baker Mayfield has propelled his name into the big time over the past decade. There also are plenty of notable surnamed Bakers, including writers Nicholson and Russell, actor Simon, Senator Howard, rocker Ginger, jazz musician Chet, blues singer Anita, and entertainer Josephine. Baker is one of the <a href="https://nameberry.com/blog/top-last-names-in-the-us">most common surnames in the US</a>.

Baker

This name's all-male occupational roots help it break the Barbara bonds, but still not the most inspiring surname choice. 

Barber

Great Irish middle name choice for Shakespeare lovers. 

Bard

Barker may be appealing to parents looking for a name with many layers - not only does it share a meaning with the more common Shepherd and Tanner, it also brings to mind the bark of a tree, making this a surreptitious choice for nature enthusiasts.

Barker

If you're going to choose a noble word name, why not aim higher and pick Duke, Prince...or King. The Donald Trumps picked the Barron spelling for their little princeling. 

Baron

An x makes any name cooler, so that Baxter has a bit more pizzazz than the original Baker. Baxter had some currency as a first name a century ago--it was on the popularity lists sporadically from 1880 till the 1920s, peaking at Number 515 in 1886-- which means it's just about due for a comeback. And we can see Bax as a worthy follow-up to Max and Jax.
 Singer Ian Dury named his now-grown son Baxter, and Dr. Baxter Stockman was a scientist in the "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle" series. 
 Fun feminist fact: as an occupational name, Baxter was actually the word for a female baker. It's only used for boys now, but could legitimatelt be a unisex name.

Baxter

Reese Witherspoon's Deacon has opened this churchy direction for occupational names. It reentered the US Top 1000 in 2015.

Bishop

Booker would make for a very cool name, for writers, reformers, R & B fans and those wanting to pay tribute to Booker T. Washington.

Booker T. Washington, born into enslavement, became a dominant figure in African-American history. Musician Booker T. Jones, of Booker T. and the M.G's, was named for Booker T.Washington. "Booker" was also the name of a short-lived TV crime drama series, spun off from "21 Jump Street".

Another reference plus for literary-minded parents, beyond the obvious book: the U.K. Man Booker Prize, awarded annually to the best novel.

 No longer on the US popularity list, it was as high as Number 177 in 1910 and would make for an old-school cool option today.

Booker

A recent addition to the Most Popular list, Bridger has the trendy two-syllables and 'er' ending, and a historical reference to Jim Bridger, a foremost nineteenth-century frontiersman, explorer, trapper, scout, and teller of tall tales. 
 Bridger might be a nice name for a baby whose heritage bridges two cultures.

Bridger

We don't see that bright a future for this one either. 

Butler

Carter has ranked in the Top 100 since the the turn of the millennium, but despite its recent popularity, it's not a trendy new name. In fact, Carter is one of those names that just misses ranking in the US Top 1000 for its entire 140+ year history. 
 
Carter's off its recent popularity peak now, but it's getting some fresh style via Beyonce's country album Cowboy Carter, which references the surname of her husband Jay-Z aka Shawn Carter.
 
Having hot characters named Carter on both Gossip Girl and The OC probably didn't hurt Carter's rise, along with Noah Wyle's Dr. John Carter on ER, who was always called by his last name. Carter also, of course, has presidential cred.
 Carter is especially popular in the Midwest, having recently been Number 2 in Nebraska and Number 3 in Iowa, as well as spreading north to Canadian provinces Saskatchewan (recently Number 2) and Manitoba (recently Number 5). It does straddle the line between country and city, another reason for its longtime appeal.

Carter

CARTWRIGHT

Carver is an occupational name with an artistic bent, as is the newly arrived Painter, which has a fresher feel than the 1990's Carter. It also has eminent last-name links to botanist and educator George Washington Carver and short story master Raymond Carver. 
 Carver appears as a character in the R. D. Blackmore classic Lorna Doone.

Carver

For a generation, this name will always be linked to 1990s hit TV series Friends. Whether this is a positive or a negative will depend on your fondness for the show, and character Chandler Bing, but this name deserves consideration beyond these connotations: Chandler is a fresh take on the professional surname names.

Chandler

CHAPMAN

One of the most distinguished names in literature could become a hero name in a family of poetry-lovers -- or be seen as a trendy new occupational name. 

Chaucer

Clerk

The name of three hundred saints, a mustard, and your own baby boy. Coleman was off the US Top 1000 list for much of the 1960s and 1970s, but it was a mainstay before and has been for most years since. It could be an interesting way to honor a Colin or Cole.

Coleman

COOK

The genial yet upscale and preppy Cooper was one of the first occupational last names to catch on -- and Cooper remains a pleasing option.
 Cooper began his rapid climb in 1982 and is a popular choice for baby boys. It is wildly popular in Australia, where in some areas Cooper is the top name.
 Two surnamed Coopers currently shining a spotlight on the name: Anderson and Bradley. Parents of Coopers include Melissa Rivers and Dylan Lauren.
 One caveat: Cooper is an extremely popular dog name.

Cooper

Cooper would be a more engaging C-starting occupational choice. 

Cutler

Chamberlain

This name was transposed from the word for a church officer to a baby name when Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe chose it for their son, after a baseball player ancestor, and Don Johnson followed suit. Its popularity also got a boost from Nashville character Deacon Claybourne -- only to fall a bit in recent years.

Deacon

Dean may sound to some like a retro surfer boy name, but it is once again climbing up the popularity chart in the USA. For decades it was associated with Dean (born Dino) Martin; more recent representatives include Dean Cain, Dean McDermott and Dean Koontz -- not to mention Jared Padalecki's dreamy Dean Forester in Gilmore Girls.

Dean

The jazzy, ultra-cool Dexter, like most names with an "x," has a lot of energy and dynamism. Over the years, it's been attached to a number of diverse real and fictional personalities—C. K. Dexter Haven, the witty Cary Grant character in The Philadelphia Story; Dexter Green, the protagonist of the F. Scott Fitzgerald story "Winter Dreams"; great jazz tenor saxophonist Dexter Gordon; the boy-genius protagonist of cartoon Dexter's Laboratory; and the most recent TV series Dexter based on the books by Jeff Lindsay, whose lead happens to be a genial but sociopathic serial killer.
 Dexter was chosen by hip musical couple Diana Krall and Elvis Costello for one of their twin boys, and by singer Charlotte Church.
 Dex is an equally appealing nickname, now sometimes used on its own.

Dexter

Other occupational names would be more commonly accepted, though the Mad Men character has certainly brought it to the fore.

Draper

Driver seems prime for adoption as a first name, with the rise of occupational names ranging from Archer to Ranger to Sawyer.

Driver

DUCHESS

While John Wayne and Duke Ellington are worthy role models, the reason Duke is currently enjoying a revival and returned to the Top 1000 in 2013 as one of the year's fastest-rising <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">boys’ names</a> is more likely due to the name given to high-profile TV couple Giuliana and Bill Rancic. Christened Edward Duke, he has always been called by his middle name, just as Edward Duke Ellington was. Duke is just one of several aristocratic titles being increasingly used by ordinary citizens.

Duke

Earl is a title name - brought to England by the vikings - that's out of fashion right now, unlike King and Duke. Its peak popularity was in the 1920s, which gives it a dusty great-grandpa feel, but there are also younger Earls in pop culture, like the reformed criminal in "My Name is Earl".

Earl

Shepherd is soaring in the charts, so why not Farmer? Perhaps because, unlike some of the occupation names that are so popular today, it is still an everyday word. Even so, if you're looking for a name that fits modern trends but no one else is using, Farmer could be the one.

Farmer

It’s been more than three decades since Ferris Bueller took his famous day off in the cult classic 1986 teen comedy movie, but we think the time for this name could and should be now! Especially with the recent rise of the hero's girlfriend, Sloane, up the baby name rankings. Half preppy, half rugged, it boasts that stylish S ending and has a cozy, retro feel.

 The surname Ferris can derive either from the Irish name Fergus, meaning "strong man", or from the English surname Ferrers, referring to a blacksmith or ironworker.

Ferris

As a member of two trendy name categories, animal and occupational, this name broke into the Top 1000 in 2004 and would make a nice tribute to an angler Grandpa.
 The best known bearer, Fisher Stevens, pulled a switcheroo on his birth name Steven Fisher. Fischer (another possible spelling) Black was a distinguished economist.
 Fisher is a fairly common surname, whose bearers include the family of Eddie, Carrie, and Joely; actress Isla; food writer M.F.K. Fisher; and two legendary cartoonists: Bud Fisher, creator of "Mutt 'n' Jeff," and Ham Fisher, who invented Joe Palooka.

Fisher

Fletcher is a common surname with a touch of quirkiness; it definitely fits into the So Far Out It's In category--and moving further in all the time along with other occupational names from Parker to Forester.
 One notable historical Fletcher is Fletcher Christian, the British seaman and mutineer portrayed on the screen at various times by Errol Flynn, Clark Gable, Marlon Brando and Mel Gibson. A musical namesake is Fletcher Henderson, who was important in the development of big band jazz and swing music.

Fletcher

Fowler

An occupational surname that hasn't made the limelight like Carter, Baker, etc., but is equally stylish.

Fuller

Fanner

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.

Gardener

A distinctive surname that, despite its meaning, has a cowboy swagger, a la Autry. 

Gentry

If you're seeking a solid last-name-first occupational name with a warm, friendly sound, one that's not overused, this could be it. 
 Granger is much better known as a surname — think handsome mid-century actors Stewart and Farley, and, more recently and majorly, Hermione Jean Granger, one of the three main protagonists of the Harry Potter series — but would make an uncommon but accessible first.

Granger

Forget the furry blue Muppet, forget corpulent President Cleveland (not too difficult), and consider this name anew. We think it's spunky, a little funky, and well worth a second look. 
 President (Stephen) Grover Cleveland is actually a more than respectable namesake. The only president to serve two non-consecutive terms, he was well liked and respected. Many children were named in his honor, including the major league Hall of Fame pitcher Grover Cleveland Alexander. Another well known Grover is jazz saxophonist Grover Washington Jr.
 Not surprisingly, Grover was at its most popular as a baby name around the time of Cleveland's presidency;it was Number 20 in 1884 and 1885.

Grover

Gypsy, long associated with the intellectual stripper Gypsy Rose Lee and the musical that was made about her life, was used by Drea de Matteo and Shooter Jennings as the middle name of their daughter Alabama. Be aware, however, that the word gypsy is now considered an ethnic slur when used for the Romani, or Roma, people.

Gypsy

Harper got its start as a celebrity baby name when Paul Simon chose it for his now-grown son. Since then, other famous parents have followed suit: musician Tim Finn and actor Cecilia Peck both have sons called Harper.

Other high-profile Harpers, like author (Nelle) Harper Lee and starbabies Harper Burtka-Harris and Harper Beckham, are female, but it makes a handsome choice for either sex (and is in the US Top 1000 for both boys and girls).

Harper

Hunter has been dropping a bit for the past few years but is still one of the leaders of a distinctive band of boys' names that combines macho imagery (Hunter, Austin, Harley) with a softened masculinity. Hunter was for years attached to gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson; Josh Holloway used it for his son.

Hunter

Jack may have fallen from its Number 1 place in England, but in the US it's as popular as it was at its height in the 1920s and 1930s. A durable, cheery, everyman form of John, Jack ranks as one of the most popular <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/boys-names/j">boy names starting with J</a>. 
Jack is a derivative of John that originated in medieval England. The name went from John to Johnkin to Jankin to Jackin to Jack. The name was so common in the Middle Ages that Jack became a generic term for a man. 
 
Jack is familiar to all from earliest childhood via Jack and Jill, Jack Sprat, Jack and the Beanstalk and Little Jack Horner et al. It is still a recent favorite for novel, TV and movie characters. 
 
Jack is at the top of the charts in Ireland and Scotland, and also ranks highly in Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Belgium.
 
The jaunty Scottish version is Jock.

Jack

King is a name that sends a mixed message. While some might think of it as more fitting for a canine, others see it as a strong name with offbeat style and a full court of rich associations, from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to Elvis. 

King Vidor was an important early Hollywood director; King Camp Gillette invented the safety razor.

If it's <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/505/names-with-royal-meanings">king names</a> you're after that aren't King itself, see our list of Names with Royal Meanings or other lists and blogs on royal names.

King

Knight (as opposed to Night) is a name clad in shiny armor. This high-ranking word name was introduced by singers Kelis and Nas. Knight might join brothers King, Royal, and Noble in a new definition of <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/453/royal-baby-names">royal baby names</a>.

Knight

Marshall is an occupational surname, not having to do with anything military or martial, but stemming from the Norman French for someone caring for horses. It's been used as a first name since the nineteenth century and has been on the Social Security list since it started to publish its data in 1880.
 Marshall is the real name of rapper Eminem, and it got some attention during the heyday of communications maven Marshall McLuhan. Peyton Manning named his son Marshall, and Jason Segel played the character of Marshall Eriksen on How I Met Your Mother.

Marshall

Mason is an occupational surname that ranked among the Top 10 name for boys throughout the 2010s, after its choice as one of the first Kardashian baby names.
Part of its appeal is as a fresher-sounding replacement for dad name Jason. It's also one of the leaders of the Jackson-Hudson-Grayson-Kayson trend.
Along with Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Dissick, Mason was chosen for their sons by several other celebrities, including Cuba Gooding, Jr., Melissa Joan Hart and Kevin Richardson (as well as by Kelsey Grammer for his daughter).
And there were two cute TV werewolves named Mason: Mason Greyback on Wizards of Waverly Place and Mason Lockwood on Vampire Diaries--a far cry from the name's wholesome image.

Mason

Miller is an up-and-coming choice in the stylish occupational genre, among the fastest-rising names for both boys and girls in the US in 2023.
 
Miller is also among the <a href="https://nameberry.com/blog/top-last-names-in-the-us">most common last names in the US</a>.
 Miller was chosen as a baby name by Stella McCartney, Melissa Etheridge, and by Tea Leoni and David Duchovny. There are innumerable Miller namesakes, including writers Arthur and Henry, and entertainers Dennis, Glenn, Jonny Lee, Larry, Mitch, Roger, Steve, and Sienna. And in fiction, there's Henry James's heroine, Daisy Miller.

Miller

Packer

Sleek and sophisticated single-syllable choice that has NEVER been in the Top 1000, though sister name Paige has ranked since the mid 1950s. Though off her peak, Paige is still in the Top 200. Along with Poppy, Patience, and Plum, Page is one of the <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/girls-names/p">girl names that start with P</a> that are also words.

Page

Palmer is a name that derives from the fact that pilgrims often carried palms, thus the double meaning. It's a fresher sounding twist on such upper-crusty surname names as Porter and Parker. Despite its long history as a boy's name, Palmer has been most successful recently on the US girl's charts — solidly in the Top 300. Nonetheless, Palmer is sitting quietly just inside the Top 1000 boy's list, and would make a respectably stylish choice for any gender.

Palmer

One of the first generation of surname names, along with Porter and Morgan, Parker's still one of the most appealing and remains firmly in the Top 100 for boys. About three times as many boys as girls get this occupational name. The association with Charlie Parker gives Parker itself a jazzy edge, and it also has a nature-related meaning. Rosie O'Donnell has a son named Parker.

Parker

Piper's rising popularity for girls makes it an unlikely masculine choice.

Piper

Poet is a new entry in both the trendy word and occupational categories as well as a member of the growing group of <a href="https://nameberry.com/unisex-names">gender neutral names</a>. A handful of baby boys received the name in the US last year. A perfect choice, especially in the middle, for the child of writers or those with a poetic bent. And Po is an adorable nickname for either gender.

Poet

It may surprise you to know that surname name Porter was fairly popular in the US in the 19th and early 20th centuries, then went underground for 40 years only to reemerge at the turn of this century and climb the ladder again.

Now, it's wobbling around the middle of the Top 1000 list for boys, not a bad place to be. Theoretically unisex, Porter is used seven times as often for boys as for girls.

Porter

Could join such up-and-comers as Miller and Gardener. 

Potter

Prince rose to its highest ranking in a century in 2015, and the tragic death of its most famous bearer in April 2016 propelled it even higher. The Purple Rain legend isn't its only tie to pop royalty: Michael Jackson chose it for not one but two of his sons.
Royal names such as King and Prince, once thought of as canine, have begun to be used by human non-royals for their sons.

Prince

Part of the trend for formerly canine royal names; this is one a little girl might love—up till the age of eight. 

Princess

Queen has seen a revival in recent times, reaching its record high in 2018 with 280 births — it has remained steady since then. Previously, Queen saw a peak in the 1920s, but its origins go back even further than that. Queen was a noted name among enslaved people in America, along with other royal choices such as Duke, Squire, and Prince.

Queen

Rider is a rock-and-roll baby name, in every sense of the term, though usually spelled Ryder, as in the sons of Kate Hudson and John Leguizamo.

Rider

Cowboyish occupational name sure to attract notice. 

Roper

Sawyer is a surname with a more relaxed and friendly feel than many others, and is one of the hottest occupational names right now, with the Nameberry seal of approval. Sawyer is becoming one of the <a href="https://nameberry.com/unisex-names">top unisex names</a>. Both Sara Gilbert and Diane Farr used Sawyer for their daughters, while it was given a boost as a boys' name by the character Sawyer on Lost, an alias for the character really named James Ford. 
 Kate Capshaw and Steven Spielberg were among the first to discover Sawyer when they used it for their son in 1992, the year it leaped up 356 places. 
 Sawyer is a relatively common surname--think Tom and Diane. It originated as an occupational name for a woodcutter, otherwise known as someone who worked with a saw.

Sawyer

Spencer is a name that has everything: it's both distinguished sounding and accessible, dignified but Spencer Tracy-like friendly. Picked by several celebrities (a couple of times even for a girl), adding up to an enthusiastically recommended choice.
 As a family surname, Spencer became the middle name of Winston Churchill, and was the maiden name of Princess Diana. The surname version was often spelled Spenser in the past, as in Edmund Spenser, the poet known for The Faerie Queene.
 The protagonist of Henry James's short story The Jolly Corner" is Spencer Brydon.

Spencer

This ancient royal Scottish name and its equally-correct spelling French variation Stuart had a brief vogue in midcentury America--it was Number 286 in 1955--dropped off the list completely in the nineties. 
 The Stuart version was introduced to Scotland by Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots, who grew up in France. As a surname, it was an occupational appellation for someone who served as a steward in an aristocratic or royal household. Stewart and Stuart started being used as first names in the early nineteenth century. One current bearer is Stewart Copeland, best known as the drummer for the band the Police.
 NIckname Stewie is not a plus--just think Stewie Griffin on Family Guy.

Stewart

Tailor

One of the hot two-syllable T names of the nineties (along with Tyler, Trevor, and Taylor), and well represented on soap operas; Tanner is still widely used, but its popularity is declining. 

Tanner

Thatcher is an open and friendly freckle-faced surname, fresher sounding than Tyler or Taylor, that dates back to the days of thatched-roof cottages. It is catching on with modern parents—it reached the US Top 1000 for the first time in 2013.
 Britberries in particular may have strong associations to Prime Minister Margaret, but the surname has other notable bearers as well, such as Becky Thatcher, the object of Tom's affections in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Thatcher Grey is the protagonist's father on Grey's Anatomy, and a young Heath Ledger played William Thatcher in 2001's A Knight's Tale.
 TV celebrity chef Cat Cora has a son named Thatcher Julius.

Thatcher

TILLER

Has a laid-back rural feel some would associate with country singer Travis Tritt; Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon chose it for their son. Travis Scott, born Jacques Webster Jr., a popular rap artist, is another famous Travis.

Travis

Tucker has more spunk than most last-name-first-names, and also a positive, comforting ("Tuck me in, Mommy") feel. 
 Tucker got something of a preppy image via bow-tied conservative TV commentator Tucker Carlson, and quite the opposite from writer/blogger Tucker Max, author of the #1 best-seller I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell. Tucker Crowe is a character in the Nick Hornby novel Juliet, Naked.

Tucker

Strongly associated with the mega-popular single-named singer, who was actually the fourth Usher Raymond in his family. He could start a fad.
 
The Yiddish variation of Usher is commonly used in the Hasidic community.

Usher

Until recently Ward was, like Wally, a Cleaver name, but today's parents are seeing it as a cooler nickname for Edward than Eddie, and are also beginning to use it on its own. 

Ward

Wright

undefined's list "OCCUPATION NAMES" of 79 great name ideas: Abbott - Wright!