The tree, not the charred bit of soot in the fireplace, usually used for boys, but, as a short form of Ashley, works for girls too. 

Avalon, an island paradise of Celtic myth and Arthurian legend--it was where King Arthur was taken to recover from his wounds-- and also the colorful capital of the California island of Catalina-- makes a heavenly first name. Actress Rena Sofer and British musician Julian Cope used it for their daughters.
 Avalon manages to blend the appeal of Ava and Evelyn, while sounding more interesting and unique.

Avalon

Argent

Astbury

Barrett is one of many surname names that are up and coming for boys in recent years. Barrett joints Bennett, Beckett, and others in the trend of "-tt" ending boy names taking over the charts. 

Barrett first experienced a small bout of popularity in the 60s and 70s, but never quite cracked the Top 500. However, since 2000 Barrett has been rising quickly, and is now officially in the Top 200. 

Barrett has a pleasing sound and literary association with poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning, and would be a fresh way to honor a grandpa Barry.

Barrett

The popular single-named alternative singer (born Bek) has given this cool nature-meets-surname name a new lease of life. Another notable bearer is Beck Weathers, a Texan pathologist who survived the 1996 Mount Everest disaster, which was covered in the book and film Into Thin Air.

 Outdoorsy yet refined, Beck still sits below the radar but could follow brother Beckett up the charts.

Beck

An Irish surname name with a combination of boldness and élan. Some might connect it to the founder of the group T. Rex -- Marc Bolan. 

Bolan

Baseball commissioner Bowie Kuhn put this name in play as a first name, but David Bowie (born with the considerably less marketable moniker of David Robert Jones) gave it charisma. He changed his surname in 1965 to avoid confusion with the then popular Davy Jones of The Monkees, borrowing it from the American hero of Alamo, Jim Bowie.
 
An obscure choice until the 2010s, Bowie really took off in 2016 after the star's death, when admirers began to see it as a viable namesake - or, as a usable alternative to Bodhi, Brody and co. Given to around 200 boys and 120 girls each year, Bowie sits just outside the US Top 1000.
 
Deriving from the Scottish Gaelic word buidhe, meaning yellow, or blond, Bowie is Top 300 choice in the Netherlands and sits just within the Top 500 in the UK. It is also now at Number 457 on Nameberry, and actor Jackson Rathbone used it for his daughter.
 Successfully combining Gaelic charm, a Western drawl, and musical cred, it's understandable that parents are choosing Bowie. The only problem? It can be said three different ways.

Bowie

Byrne

Bonham

With the popular 'ash' sound and a contemporary feel, Cash is a widely used name in the US. Used occasionally before the 2000s, Cash really took off in 2003, following the death of American musical legend, Johnny Cash. 
 
Cash could be considered an old occupational name, derived from the Latin capsa, meaning someone who makes boxes. It also, and perhaps more obviously, is an English word for money, giving it a slightly celebrity-name vibe, along the lines of Saint, Sir, and Legendary. 
 An alternative origin for the name could be as a derivative of the Roman names, Cassius and Cassian, which are sometimes pronounced as "cash-us" or "cash-un". This could lend the name some additional history, along with the meaning "empty" "hollow" or "vain" (and therefore, maybe just a touch of irony).
 Celebrities including Annabeth Gish, Joshua Morrow, John Rich, Finola Hughes and Russell Young, have used Cash for their sons, and as of 2023, it is a Top 200 choice in the US.
 Until 2021, Cash was always the preferred spelling, however in more recent years, the variation Kash has ranked slightly higher. Given to over 1100 babies each year, Cash has seen a slightly decline, but nevertheless, remains in style.

Cash

A lean and lanky Irish cowboy name with great nickname potential to boot (Cass or Sid are both options). This is one of the great under-rated <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/519/american-baby-names">American names</a>!

Cassidy

Cochran

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

This name has not one but two impressive cultural connections: collage artist Joseph Cornell and photographer Cornell Capa--not to mention Cornell University.

Cornell

Cantrell

Cobain

Corgan

In ancient Greece, a student of Plato; in modern America, a cool guy. 

Dion

Boys' favorite retains more of its poetic, windswept quality when used for a girl, as Robin Wright and Sean Penn did. Alyssa Milano gave her daughter Elizabella Dylan as a middle name. 

Dylan

Daltrey

Danzig

Evokes 1960s brotherly close harmony. The Red Hot Chili Peppers' Anthony Kiedis named his son Everly Bear, and it is also an explosively popular choice for girls. We predict that all the "Ever" names will be one of the defining trends of the 2010s-20s.

Everly

Gilmour

The second most popular spelling of this name is also the most straightforward. 

Haley

Harrison, a name made viable by Harrison Ford, is increasingly popular with parents who want an H name that's more formal than Harry or Hank but doesn't veer into the stiff Huntington-Harrington territory. 
 As a surname, Harrison has both Beatle and presidential connections. Harrison was the surname of two presidents, William Henry Harrison, who died 31 days after taking office, and Benjamin Harrison, whose election in 1888 sparked Harrison's peak as a first name.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, aka Prince Harry and Meghan, used Harrison as a patronymic middle name for their son, Prince Archie.

Harrison

Hendrix is one of those hip rock and roll names, like Lennon, Jagger and Presley, that have been used by fellow celebs and others, to honor the seminal guitarist/singer/songwriter Jimi. And this one has the trendy 'x' ending, as well, helping to propel it up the charts and into the spotlight.

Hendrix

Hutchence

Jagger is a swaggering Rolling Stone of a name that's been picked up by a number of fellow celebs, including Lindsay Davenport and Brett Scallions--while Soleil Moon Frye pulled a gender switch when she bestowed it on her daughter. It's edgy with a touch of danger.
 Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee started the ball rolling when they gave their son Dylan the middle name of Jagger in 1997; it entered the popularity list in 2001.

Jagger

Joplin

A growing number of high-profile (and other) parents are choosing to honor their musical idols, such as Hendrix, Presley, Jagger, and now Lennon, an <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/509/irish-names-for-girls">Irish name for girls</a> as well as boys with a wonderful meaning on many levels. Lennon first came to notice when Liam Gallagher and Patsy Kensit used it for their son in 1999, and singer-musician Adam Pascal followed their lead two years later. 
 Most recently, YouTube sensation and star of the hit television show Nashville, Lennon Stella, can be credited for this name's spike in popularity among girls. This may be why it entered the US Top 1000 for the first time in 2013.

Lennon

Lennox is an aristocratic and powerful Scottish surname name made truly special by that final x. The worldwide fame of British boxer--World and Olympic champion--Lennox Claudius Lewis brought the name into the spotlight as a first name, while as a last it's tied to Eurythmics singer Annie L.
 The Thane of Lennox appears in Macbeth, Mary Lennox is in The Secret Garden and there are two Agatha Christie characters with the name.
 Lenox is another accepted spelling.

Lennox

Lydon

Morrison is one of the more uncommon patronymics; it could be used to honor an ancestral Morris, or one of the well-known surnamed Morrisons: Toni, Jim or Van.


Morrison

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

More universal than Elvis...and more conventionally attractive, too. Cindy Crawford used it for her son, though it's on the rise mainly for girls. 

The last time Presley ranked in the Top 1000 for boys was 1903, 120 years ago. Today, it's used for girls 14 times as often as for boys, mainly because of the -ley ending.

Presley

Ramon is a common Latin male name, but Ramone would clearly be in tribute to the early punk rock group--each of whose members took on the last name Ramone.

Ramone

Sleek, unisex surname rarely heard for girls -- which could be seen as an asset. 

Reed

Richman

Reznor

Staley

Thayil

Vincent is a name with a complex image. After being quietly used for centuries, it is suddenly seeming stylish, along wih other V names. Even the nickname Vince has been given a reprieve via actor Vince Vaughn and country singer Vince Gill. Vin Diesel was born with the more prosaic name Mark Vincent.
 Vincent was popular during the Middle Ages, especially among the French, who brought it to England. There are a number of St. Vincents, most famous of whom is St. Vincent de Paul, a seventeenth century French priest who organized societies of laymen to help the poor.
 Vincent has always been a favorite of Roman Catholic families, particularly in the Italian community. Its most notable bearer was Vincent van Gogh, but there also was philanthropist Vincent Astor, who gave it a patrician edge, and actors Vincent Price and Vincent D'Onofrio.
 Vincent/Vince/Vinny has appeared on screen as the central characters of My Cousin Vinny and Entourage. John Travolta had two key Vin-roles: Vinnie Barbarino in the TV series that launched him (Welcome Back, Kotter), and as Vincent Vega in Pulp Fiction. Vincent was the gentle giant on TV's Beauty and the Beast, and Ethan Hawke played a Vincent in Gattaca.

Vincent

Valens

Vanian

Vedder

Weiland

Wilson is a substantive presidential choice far less prevalent than Taylor or Tyler, and with the advantage of being a new route to friendly nickname Will. We see Wilson growing in popularity as an alternative to William; and as a patronymic, it would make a conceivable (if possibly confusing) choice for a son of William.
 Being the tenth most common surname in the U.S., Wilson has countless possible last-named namesakes in every field, from politics to show biz. Those with Wilson as a first name are harder to find, beyond soul singer-songwriter Wilson Pickett and Wilson Rawls, author of the beloved book Where the Red Fern Grows. Wilson is also the name of Tom Hank's friend, the volleyball, in the movie Castaway.

Wilson

deco2gogo's list "Rock-n-Roll Surnames" of 48 great name ideas: Ash - Wilson!

Rock-n-Roll Surnames

There's no better way to testify to your love of music than to name your child after a favorite rock artist. These are just a few rock-n-roll surnames that could be interesting and original as first or middle names.