Don't Name Your Daughter Harper

Last names for girls are as established as popular favorites Harper, Madison, and Avery, but what about the new choices in this stylish class?

If you love gender neutral names and the classy image of last names for girls but want to move beyond the expected choices, we have some new ideas for you. 

Adair

A Scottish surname related to Edgar, Adair shortens to the heard-everywhere Addie, but has a bold, unexpected style. Still rare as a first name, 24 of the 86 babies named Adair in 2023 were girls.

Adler

Adler has been growing in popularity as a unisex surname name, and interestingly 11% of the babies with this German and Yiddish surname meaning eagle are girls. That may be thanks to the growing popularity of Adley, which is overwhelmingly female. But Adler is a surnamier spin that also gets you to the cute if, ahem, endemic short form Addie.

Afton

Affable Afton had a brief stint in the Top 1000 in the early 20th century, then came back in the early '80s thanks to Dallas character Afton Cooper. It's the name of a Scottish river, along with numerous cities and towns.

Anderson

Anderson Cooper undeniably inspired the name many of the 1000+ baby boys named Anderson, and we’re going to bet he inspired many of the 114 baby girls with this last name as first too. While this name technically means son of Anders and so refers to a boy, it can be used as an honor name for any ancestral Andrew or Andrea.

Anniston

Why are there so many more baby girls named Anniston and even Annistyn than Aniston, the spelling of actress Jennifer‘s surname that launched the popularity of this surname-name? Maybe to remove the name at least by a letter or two from Jennifer, and also Ann might make it seem more like a legitimate first name. Interestingly, this choice is not at all unisex, with no boys given any variations of this name.

Arden

Arden is an increasingly cool surname name for both sexes, hovering below the Top 1000 for girls but also given more than a third of the time to boys. A Shakespearean name that gets some heat from its similarity to “ardent,” Arden means “valley of the eagle” so could be a good choice for bird lovers.

Ashby

Part Ashley, part Beatrice, Ashby was the name television host Nancy O’Dell chose for her daughter in 2007. Ashby was given to 8 baby girls and 12 boys in 2023.

Auden

The surname of renowned poet W.H., Auden is an inspired choice for both sexes, with 55% of the baby Audens girls. Auden actually started life as a first name meaning “old friend.”

Baker

Baker is a rising baby name now in the Top 400 for boys, but about 9% of the baby Bakers are girls. As an occupation, baxter is the feminine form of baker — literally meaning "female baker" — but as a name, Baxter is used exclusively for boys.

Banks

Hilary Duff may single-handedly populate this surname name for girls, after choosing it for her baby daughter in 2019. Originally referring to a riverbank, these days Banks is more likely to conjure up the image of money. Banks is the surname of the family in Mary Poppins.

Banner

The 2020s have hardly been a banner decade, at least in the positive sense, but Banner is growing as a baby name. Found mainly in Scotland, it’s an occupational name referring to the person who carried the flag or banner.

Baylor

The occupational surname Baylor, which has to do with measuring sticks, is in the Top 1000 for boys and girls now too, perhaps thanks to its similarity to Taylor. Nearly a third of the baby Baylors are girls.

Bellamy

Isabella is a Top 10 favorite. Bellamy — it comes from the French for "beautiful friend" — takes Bella in a different direction. The Novogratz design family gave this name to one of their daughters. Now ranking at Number 828 for girls, Bellamy has become increasingly popular for boys — it is used for male babies 51% of the time.

Berkley

Berkley is a trending choice in the US, now ranking at Number 835 on the charts. It's a habitational surname related to birch trees, giving it a nature connection. Berkeley, as in the California university and city, is 75% less popular than Berkley.

Bowie

Singer David‘s death has sparked a new generation of baby Bowies, about half of them female. It’s a cute name with resonant history for a music lover.

Braxley, Braxton, and Braxtyn

Taken individually, the Brax names may be rare — with the notable exception of Braxton for boys — but collectively they are numerous. While much more popular for boys, these three choices are occasionally used for girls.

Brennan

Brennan is a former Top 1000 surname name for boys, but we’re seeing it start to appear for girls as well, along with the more synthetic feeling Brenley, Brennley, Brenlyn, and even Brennex.

Brogan

Brody is overwhelmingly male, but Brogan is 17% female and not quite as uncommon as you might think. Brogan originated as a personal name — it’s the name of an Irish saint and an ancient king. It has several possible meanings, among them "sorrowful", "sharp-faced", and "shoe".

Callahan

Callahan is one of the rising Irish surname names, predominantly for boys but for girls too, with 67 of the 729 baby Callahans born in 2023 female and another 5 baby girls named Callaghan. We’re also seeing Callan, Callaway, and Calloway, any of which could get you to the nickname Callie.

Campbell

Campbell Brown was born Alma Dale Campbell Brown, but the anchorwoman has put Campbell on the list of possible surname names for girls, with built-in nicknames Belle and Bella. Campbell is among the most gender-neutral surname names for girls, currently 50% female.

Carlisle, Carlyle

Both spellings of this name are uncommon and used more for boys, but Carlisle and Carlyle are growing as last names for girls now too. Popularized by a (male) character in Twilight, Carlyle and Carlisle are successors to Carter.

Carrington

There’s definitely a quiet but growing trend toward locational surnames with the ton ending (meaning town) for both girls and boys. We’re seeing Arlington, Arrington, Lexington, and of course, Carrington, which is more than half female.

Channing

The most famous Channing may be male, but more than a third of the baby Channings are girls. One possible meaning: "wolf cub". It made the Top 1000 for girls for a single year, 1987 — the year after actress Stockard Channing appeared in the film Heartburn.

Chesney

The most famous Chesney is country singer Kenny, but this rising surname-name is 100% female. It’s also inspired the unmistakably feminine spelling Chesnee. Chesney was derived from the Old French chesnai, meaning “oak grove.”

Clancy

With its jaunty Y ending, Clancy feels more in step with rising grandpa names for girls — Scottie, Leni, and Georgie — than its fellow surname names. Only 12 baby girls were named Clancy in 2023, but we expect that number to rise as this trend gains steam.

Clarke

Streamlined Clark is almost exclusively male, while female Clarkes outnumber males by more than 5:1. And while Clark has plateaued for boys, Clarke is climbing rapidly for girls — over the past five years, it has more than tripled in use.

Collier

A collier was one who gathered coal — a rather humble profession. In 2023, Collier feels like a twist on Colette, with the popular ‘r’ ending of Harper and Piper. 31% of the baby Colliers born in 2023 are girls.

Copeland

An English surname meaning “bought land,” Copeland calls to mind esteemed ballet dancer Misty Copeland, which perhaps contributes to its rising popularity among baby girls. Out of the 78 babies named Copeland in 2023, 18 were female.

Dempsey

Jaunty Irish Dempsey may be mostly associated with Grey Anatomy’s McDreamy, Patrick Dempsey, but it is given as a surname for girls almost one-third of the time. Dempsey could prove to be the next Delaney.

Ellery

Ellison previously broke into the girls’ Top 1000. But Ellery remains relatively rare. It’s best known as the name of fictional detective Ellery Queen and the pen name for the group of writers who created the character. Ellery is a cousin to the name Hillary, a name that has become well-established for girls.

Ellington

Ellington has been heating up over the past few years, thanks to the one-two punch of a trendy -ton ending and ready-made nickname Ellie. The latter contributes to Ellington’s popularity among baby girls — over 65% of Ellingtons born in 2023 were female.

Embry

Embry is probably another English place name, but it makes this list because of its similarity to Emmy, Ember, and Emily — as well as Emery, a surname name currently ranked Number 70 for girls in the US. Embry remains rare — just 28 girls and 9 boys were given the name in the last year on record.

Flannery

Harper and Hadley are surnames for girls with literary ties, which makes it more surprising that so few parents have embraced Flannery. The Southern Gothic writer was born Mary Flannery — shades of Nelle Harper — but best known by her middle name only. Flannery was given to only seven baby girls in 2023.

Gentry

Gentry was historically a term for the well-born social class below nobility in the UK. Its use was transferred to surnames, and now in the 21st century, a unisex baby name. Gentry may be the perfect baby name for our time — it falls into the trendy categories of surname-name, word name, and aspirational name, and at 43% female usage is truly gender-neutral.

Golden

Whether you consider Golden a word name, a color name, a surname name, or more accurately all of the above, it’s a rising name that’s extremely gender-neutral: 45% female at last count versus 55% male.

Gray, Grey

Faye and Kay are typically reserved for girls, while Jay is usually a boy. Bay is an equal-opportunity nature name, and Gray? With the ‘e’ spelling, it currently ranks Number 862 for boys. But if Scarlett and Ivory work for girls, Gray might, too. There were 49 female Greys and 33 female Grays born in 2023.

Halston

Halston was the fashion designer who dressed the decade of the 1970s. Today it feels vaguely retro and less flashy than Chanel. It’s an increasingly female choice, with 62% of Halstons born in 2023 girls. Drop the H, and you have another possibility: Alston.

Hartley

The ley ending may have started with Ashley but it’s since been appended to almost any prefix you can imagine. There are a rising number of boys given the name Hart, as in tragic poet Hart Crane, but Hartley is a surname-y spin used 82% of the time for girls.

Hathaway

If Harlow and Anniston are girls’ names, why not Hathaway? It could have originated as a name for someone who lives near a heath or be derived from the Germanic feminine name Hedwig. Either way, Oscar-winning actress Anne Hathaway lends the name some visibility. five baby girls received the name at last count.

Haviland, Havilland

Let’s linger in Hollywood for this name, inspired by 1940s Oscar winner, Olivia de Haviland. It’s a longer, less expected choice that’s just starting to get noticed. It was last recorded in 2018, when five girls were given the single-L spelling. Liv, a reversal of the middle three letters, is a potential nickname.

Hayes

The popularity of Hazel makes Hayes a particularly viable choice for girls. Hayes was given to 79 girls in 2023 — still fewer than the 10% of total babies given the name required to meet our definition of a unisex name.

Holiday, Holliday

In Truman Capote’s novella, Miss Golightly is named Holiday. By the time Audrey Hepburn starred in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Holiday was dropped for her nickname — Holly. Holiday also brings to mind legendary jazz singer Billie Holiday. Holiday, used for 17 girls in 2023, would be an ideal choice for a daughter born around the winter holidays, while double-L Holliday plants the name firmly in surname territory.

Hollis, Hollister

Two more Holly names, the first a surname given to those who lived near holly trees, the second most closely associated with the American clothing company Hollister. Hollis is given to girls and boys in roughly equal numbers, with more than 42% of new baby Hollises female. And Hollister is so rare it doesn’t even chart on the extended data, meaning it was used on fewer than five boys and girls in a given year.

Huntley

A more feminine Hunter? This is gender-neutral option is given to 45% girls and 55% boys. Huntley and Brinkley were a famous 20th-century news team; we’re seeing Brinkley as a new surname-name for girls too.

Huxley

Huxley is rising fast for boys and, although in smaller numbers, for girls as well. Huxley was used on 48 baby girls in 2023, making it around 9% female. We anticipate Huxley will continue its ascent, along with nicknames Hux and Huck.

Isley, Eisele

The English Isley might come from the German Eisele, a name for a blacksmith. Singer Hillary Scott gave this family name to her daughter in 2013, using the rarer Eisele spelling. Isley might make for a more straightforward choice — one that brings to mind musical group The Isley Brothers. Rumer Willis recently used Isley as a middle name for her daughter Louetta.

Kensington

Kensington made the Top 1000 for a single year in 2015, and was given to 62 baby girls in 2023. It’s a natural successor to Mackenzie — sharing the same friendly Kensi/Kenzie nickname — and Kendall and Kennedy as well. It doesn’t hurt that Kensington has a royal touch, being the name of the palace where Will and Kate live with their children.

Landry

Another name with noble associations — the meaning "ruler" — is Landry. It's a more feminine answer to Landon and is currently given to girls just over 58% of the time.

Levy

This surname, related to future Top 10 boy name Levi, is rising in popularity among both sexes. Right now, Levy is predominantly male, but names ending in -vy and -vie are much more common among girls — think Ivy, Navy, Evie, and Jovie.

Lexington

Lexington is a hot new surname name with patriotic overtones and a relatively balanced gender divide. In 2023, 35 girls and 40 boys were named Lexington. Bonus: the adorable user-friendly nickname Lexi.

Linden

Y vowel replacements typically skew more female than their counterparts, but Lyndon — as in former President Lyndon B. Johnson — is far more male than Linden, which is 42% female. It’s a tree name, one that could also be used as a tailored update to Linda.

Madden

We’re not sure if Madden rose on the wings of the football video game. It may be telling that this surname name is given only 19% of the time to girls, despite its user-friendly nickname Maddie.

Madigan

A cousin to Madden and Madison, this Irish surname name was remarkably only used for 10 girls in the last year on record. Its charming meaning — “little dog” — could make it an ideal choice for a lover of hounds, mutts, or terriers.

Maguire

Maguire could easily shorten to Maggie, making this seldom-used Irish surname name very wearable for a girl. Only nine baby girls named Maguire were recorded in 2023.

Malone

Yet another Irish surname beginning with M, Malone is slowly but steadily rising in use among girls and boys, currently 56% female. “Molly Malone” is an Irish folk song and the unofficial anthem of Dublin.

Mercer

This English surname comes from the French mercier, meaning “merchant.” Mercer was given to just 45 babies in 2023, but it’s a covetable choice among those in the know. Mercer is one to watch — particularly for girls, for whom it can be easily be shortened to the feminine nickname Mercy.

Merritt

Part surname-name and part modern virtue, Merritt is a future Top 1000 pick that’s currently hot for girls. 62% of baby Merritts at last count were female, in large part due to actress Merritt Wever of Nurse Jackie fame.

Miller

Miller is a widely-used surname that’s gaining in popularity as a first name too, 35% of the time for baby girls. It’s an occupational name referring to someone who mills wheat or other grain.

Montgomery

Montgomery is one of the hottest boy names in the UK right now and is catching on in the US as well. But not just for sons — 14% of the parents who used the name Montgomery in 2023 gave it to a daughter.

Murphy

About as classic as Irish surnames come, Murphy is on the ascent as a first name. It broke into the Top 1000 for girls in 2020, and rose last year to Number 519. The ‘80s and ‘90s show Murphy Brown is a feminine touchstone and a likely influence for many of the 582 sets of parents who chose Murphy for their baby girls in 2023.

Palmer

Palmer is one of the fastest-rising girl names of the decade, ranking outside the Top 1000 in 2017 and now Number 277 in 2023. In Romeo and Juliet, Juliet tells the cute boy she’s just met that “palm to palm is Holy Palmer’s kiss.” A Palmer was a pilgrim, one who had been to the Holy Land and returned with palm branches. It’s a romantic spin on the familiar surname.

Payson

Is Payson the new Payton? Even though the -son ending seems by definition male, Payson Is 56% female. 58 girls were given the name in 2023. To some it might be considered a place name — there are towns named Payson in Arizona and Utah.

Ramsey

A surnamier take on the most fashionable nickname names of the moment — Remy and Remi. It’s pretty evenly split across gender lines, with 49% of the 189 babies named Ramsey in 2023 female.

Quimby

Beverly Cleary's iconic heroine Ramona Quimby gives her surname a feminine air. Not to mention the fact that it means "from the woman's estate." Quimby could be used as an alternative to the rising name Quincy. Fewer than five babies of either sex were named Quimby in 2023.

Reeve

A potential successor to Reese, Reeve was originally an occupational name for a bailiff. In 2023, eight baby girls were named Reeve. A famous bearer is author Reeve Lindbergh, the youngest of Charles and Anne Morrow Lindbergh’s children. Reeve was a family name honoring Anne’s older sister.

Rooney

Once a rare, exclusively male name, Rooney is now on the rise, especially among baby girls. Actress Rooney Mara is, of course, to thank, lending her name a stylish and slightly quirky feel. Rooney is actually her middle name — she was born Patricia.

Ripley

Sigourney Weaver put her character’s surname on the map when Ellen Ripley first fended off a deadly alien in the 1979 sci-fi hit. Now, almost 64% of all Ripleys born are female. Thandie Newton has a daughter by the name.

Sheridan

Sheridan has never lived up to its potential as a baby name. Only 25 sets of parents chose it for their daughters in 2023. It has the same pleasant rhythm as Kennedy and Addison, two of the top last names for girls.

Sinclair

Sinclair comes from a contracted form of St. Clair, as in the saint who worked closely with Saint Francis of Assisi and founded a religious order for women based on his teachings. If Santiago is reserved for boys, why not Sinclair for girls? 22 girls were named Sinclair at last count, compared to five boys.

Sterling

Golden‘s cousin? Sterling is also rising mostly for boys, but nearly 19% of the almost 1000 baby Sterlings born the last year counted are female. And there’s nothing intrinsically gendered about it.

Sullivan

Sullivan may not seem like a feminine name, but it’s easily shortened to the nickname Liv. It’s still a stretch – Sullivan ranked Number 358 for boys in 2023 and was only given to 85 girls, making it 91% male. But it’s a more original choice than Olivia.

Swayze  

Late actor Patrick Swayze has had a profound influence on his lively Anglo-German surname. It’s 81% female, with 83 girls given the name at last count. Another 24 were named Swayzee.

Tinsley

Tinsley has received a massive boost in popularity thanks to the increased visibility of socialite Tinsley Mortimer on The Real Housewives of New York City. It’s one of the few surname names used exclusively for girls — in 2023, it was given to 252 baby girls but virtually no boys.

Thayer

Taylor was a smash-hit surname for girls in the 1990s. Then, it brought to mind Elizabeth Taylor. Now it conjures up the equally famous Taylor Swift. Thayer is a rarer form of the name, two-parts Taylor and one-part Thea.

Torrance, Torrence

Kirsten Dunst played high school cheerleading captain Torrance Shipman in 2000’s Bring It On. Torrance is a Scottish surname and place name also spelled Torrence, and because it shortens to Tori, it seems like a natural option for a girl. Torrance is the more gender-neutral spelling, with 32% of new babies with the name female. It is also the name of a town south of Los Angeles.

Vaughn

Tailored Vaughn has fallen off the charts for boys but piqued the interest of some parents expecting daughters. As of 2023, only 10% of baby Vaughns were female, but it is increasingly headed toward a more balanced gender split.

Wilder

Wilder has become a, well, wildly popular name for boys, entering the Top 1000 for the first time in 2015 and already in the Top 500. And now, about 6% of the baby Wilders are female.

Wimberley

Take '70s darling Kimberly and add a dash of William, and you'll have a brand new, rising surname name for girls. Wimberley debuted on the charts in 2022, making it the newest name on this list. It was used five times at last count.

Windsor

This locational surname, drawn from Windsor Castle, was adopted by the British Royal Family only 100 years ago. Rare as a first name, 70% of the babies named Windsor are girls. Winnie is a friendly and optimistic nickname.

Winslet

Kate Winslet gives an attractive, elegant, and undeniably feminine feel to her otherwise under-the-radar surname. Only 33 girls were named Winslet in 2023, but fewer than ten years ago, it had never been used as a first name at all. Cute nickname Winnie is a definite plus.

Winslow

Speaking of Winnie, why not Winslow? It brings to mind the Eagles’ reference to Winslow, Arizona. Winslow could shorten to Winnie or Win, and feels like an alternative for Harlow and Marlowe, too. Traditionally a masculine name, Winslow is now 77% female.

Wrigley

Wrigley is less a surname name and more a baseball name, with a growing number of babies named for Chicago‘s iconic Wrigley Field. And 38% of those baby Wrigleys are girls. Wrigley Field itself was named after William Wrigley Jr., chewing gum tycoon and owner of the Chicago Cubs.

Wylie

Wylie and its alternate form Wiley are both moving more toward the center, with almost a third of the babies named Wylie in 2023 female — though oddly, only 14% of the Wileys. There’s something about that prominent Y that says girl to some parents.

Yancy

Yancy is very rare as a first name: Fewer than five babies were named Yancy in 2023, and in 2022, all of them were female. As a surname, Yancy is an ancient derivative of Johnson or Jansen and might be the forerunner of the term Yankee. So it could make a possible honor name for an ancestral John or Jane or Johanna.

You also might want to check out our past story on Last Names for Boys or our giant list of Last Names as First Names.