English Last Names

  1. Knight
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Meaning:

      " a mounted man-at-arms serving a feudal superior"
    • Description:

      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 royal baby names.
  2. Orwell
    • Origin:

      English surname
    • Meaning:

      "the branch of the river"
    • Description:

      Most closely associated with famed English novelist George Orwell (whose real name was Eric Arthur Blair), this English surname is now occasionally sported as a literary first name. Given its meaning, Orwell could also be used by those looking for a more subtle alternative to River.
  3. Darling
    • Origin:

      English surname, English word name
    • Meaning:

      "dear"
    • Description:

      Darling has history as an English surname, but it would most likely be read as a quirky and loving word name, a la Sweetheart or Honey.
  4. Talbot
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "command of the valley"
    • Description:

      Upscale and upstanding.
  5. Fielding
    • Origin:

      English topographical surname
    • Description:

      Fielding isn't an occupational name, exactly, though it does relate to someone who works in or lives in a Field. Although there have been a handful of people, real and fictional, with the first name Fielding, the most famous Fielding is eighteenth century writer Henry Fielding, author of Tom Jones.
  6. Bell
    • Origin:

      English and Scottish occupational name
    • Meaning:

      "ringer of the bell"
    • Description:

      These days, it's more likely you'd call your daughter the popular Belle or Bella.
  7. Dayton
    • Origin:

      English, variation of Deighton
    • Meaning:

      "place with a dike"
    • Description:

      If Dayton, like Trenton and Camden, is finding favor with parents, it's more because of its popular two-syllable surname feel and -on ending than the industrial city in Ohio.
  8. Embry
    • Origin:

      English surname
    • Meaning:

      "flat-topped hill"
    • Description:

      Though Embry became famous as the name of a boy werewolf in Twilight, we think its Em- beginning and -y ending make it perfectly appropriate for a girl. You might consider it as an alternative to Emma, Emily, or Aubrey. Embry or Embury is an established English surname.
  9. Weaver
    • Origin:

      Occupational name
    • Description:

      Weaver, which made an appearance as a first name on the U.S. Top 1000 in the late 19th century and then vanished, may rise again along with its occupational brethren, from already-popular choices such as Cooper and Parker to au courant ones like Archer to occupational hotties of the future, including Booker and Sayer.
  10. Long
    • Origin:

      Chinese and Vietnamese
    • Meaning:

      "dragon"
    • Description:

      An Asian name that may be thought of as an English word name, for better or worse.
  11. Wainwright
    • Origin:

      English occupational name
    • Meaning:

      "wagon maker"
    • Description:

      A surname style name that could make an alternative to Wayne or Wyatt.
  12. Barlow
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "bare hillside"
    • Description:

      A friendly sounding surname name reminiscent of the increasingly popular Marlow and Harlow. British musician Gary Barlow is a notable namesake.
  13. Day
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Description:

      A bright and optimistic middle name choice.
  14. Shaw
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "dweller by the wood"
    • Description:

      With the current taste for last names first, this sounds a lot cooler than Shawn; it also has creative connections to the great Irish playwright, George Bernard Shaw, novelist Irwin Shaw, and Big Band Era clarinetist/bandleader and one-time Ava Gardner husband Artie Shaw.
  15. Roe
    • Origin:

      English, Scottish, Irish, Norwegian, or Korean surname
    • Meaning:

      "roe deer; wise protector; son of Ruadh; red; clearing; ability"
    • Description:

      In the US, the multicultural surname Roe is primarily associated with the landmark Supreme Court case Roe vs. Wade, which granted the federal right to abortion, though elsewhere it might be associated with fish eggs or a small breed of reddish deer.
  16. Burton
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "fortified enclosure"
    • Description:

      Prissy, no matter how you spell it.
  17. Stanton
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "stony town"
    • Description:

      Seems to stand at attention and salute.
  18. Reed
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "red-haired"
    • Description:

      Sleek, unisex surname rarely heard for girls -- which could be seen as an asset.
  19. Page
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "page, attendant"
    • Description:

      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 girl names that start with P that are also words.
  20. Fordham
    • Origin:

      English surname and place-name
    • Meaning:

      "meadow by a stream"
    • Description:

      English surname most notably used by Ashley Hebert for her son in 2014.