Last Names That Are Adorable First Names

Part of the next generation of preppy H-beginning surnames. Once Harrison, Hudson, and Holden are no longer fresh, expect to hear more little boys being called Hughes, Hutch, and Henderson on the playground.

Sean and Robin Wright Penn chose this name for their son to honor their friend Dennis Hopper; others might associate it with the painter Edward. Couldn't be more spirited.

A matronymic surname derived from Emonie and Emeny, which are of uncertain origins.

Wylie is one Celtic surname with as much appeal for girls as for boys. Wylie is ripe for spelling variations: Wiley is as appropriate as Wylie but when you spell it Wylei, as Corey Parker did for his son, you're getting into yooneek naming territory.

Wellington is a tony-sounding English surname turned baby name by pregnancy guru Rosie Pope, who calls her son Wells for short. It's also the middle name of one of the Sweet Home sextuplets, Blu Wellington.

A name that's long been popular for dogs on Chicago's North Side is now gaining traction among human babies. Wrigley Field is the Chicago Cubs' historic ballpark, originally named after the Wrigley Company, which made and sold chewing gum.

Attached to one of the heroes of Christopher Paolini's megapopular fantasy novel Eragon, this name sounds strong yet sensitive.

Ellington's popularity may be inspired by jazz great Duke, but the name is used slightly more often for girls today, perhaps because of its trendy El- beginning. Like a host of other El- names, from the familiar Ella to Eleanor to the more niche Elodie and Elula, Ellington carries the popular Ellie nickname.

Ivey can be considered an alternate spelling of the botanical name Ivy, but it also has separate origins as a surname. For the Anglo-Saxon Ivey line, Ivey means "son of Ive," while for the English-Norman Iveys, it means "person from Ivoy," a commune in the Cher department of France.

A dated fifties surname name that led to the nickname SAndy.

Has the energetic-Irish-slightly-boyish image that many modern parents love.

Parrish is unrelated — but often said to be related — to the English word "parish". Instead, the surname arose as a designator for one who lived in Paris.

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.

Crusoe, as in castaway hero Robinson, is a literary invention by author Daniel Defoe. The character says his name is an Anglicization of the German Kreutznaer, which may be a place name or mean a crossing of the river Nahe. Short form Cru was given to nearly 50 boys in a recent year.

Bromley is an English surname-name that's more possible as a first name now than ever before. The -ley suffix has been adopted for many names, and surnames such as Bromley are fashionable.

Lathan is a surname recorded as relating to the towns of Layton or Latham and meaning, depending on its derivation, barn or leek farm or farm by the water. As a first name, it's reminiscent of the popular Nathan.

Windsor may have male references, such as Britain's royal House of Windsor and a tie's windsor knot, but this name also has a definite feminine feel, as in Windsor Rose. That seems appropriate, as Windsor is used equally these days for boys and girls. Nicknames might include Win, Wind, Windy, and Winnie.

Before there was esteemed actress Anne Hathaway, there was Anne Hathaway, wife of Shakespeare — the former being named after the latter.

Connelly is a rollicking and rare example of the popular surname genre that may work even better for girls. A huge update on Colleen.

Like other stylish choices from Roman to Romy to Romeo, Rohmer is a German surname that relates to both Roman pilgrims and the root word for fame.