Last Names That Are Adorable First Names

An unconventional route to the nickname Penny. Pennington debuted on the charts for girls in 2015.

With Gabriel, Gage, Abel, and Gael in the US Top 1000, and the Anne of Green Gables a well-beloved book series and the inspiration for Anne with an E, Gables could make an off-beat but familiar choice. While Gable is given to a small handful of boys each year, Gables has yet to catch on.

This preppy alternative to Gen Z favorite Summer has the potential to be a big surname hit for girls. It recently gained media attention from Instagram model Sumner Stroh.

As surname names for girls become more popular, we could see Catesby catching on among style-conscious parents. Bonus: it easily shortens to the girlish nickname Cate.

As a given name, Wheelock has been passed down to generations of the Whitney family — descendants of Eli Whitney, creator of the cotton gin. The first Wheelock Whitney — known as Wheels — was named after his mother, Alice Wheelock. His son, Wheelock Whitney Jr. went by Whee, and Wheelock Whitney III is called Lock.

Preppier and less politically-charged than its source name, Sanders

A German surname, Tessin is drawn from several places in or near the Mecklenburg region of northeastern Germany. This rare first name can work for either sex.

Sommers is a surname-y spin on the word name Summer, made all the more fashionable by the final S. If Hayes, Rivers, and Brooks can be trendy gender-neutral names, why not Sommers?

An English surname derived from the Old French taillis, this nature inspired choice could be an alternative to Wallis, Alice, Tallie, or Ellis. Other sources suggest it could derive from the Greek name Thales (TA-LEHS) meaning "to blossom".

While Kendrix is predominantly used on boys — likely owing to its musical namesakes, Kendrick Lamar and Jimi Hendrix — the most noteworthy Kendrix (as yet) is in fact Kendrix Morgan, also known as the Pink Galaxy Ranger from the Power Rangers franchise.

Royal and Rory are both in the US Top 1000 for girls where they join a number of surname-inspired names ending in -son, from long-time favorite Madison to the newer Emerson. The yet to rank Royson could be a new consideration with its rosy feel, but tougher edge.

Roy, Royce, Royal, and Rory are all in the US Top 1000, where they join a plethora of surname-inspired names ending in -son. Royson is a new consideration, with a smart, handsome feel to it, combined with a touch of the floral.

Holder, part occupational name and part Holden, is a rare word name. It brings to mind holding onto someone or something, which itself suggests a love for or connection to whatever is being held on to.

Effortlessly cool and sporty, but with a touch of ruggedness, McCall is a yet to be discovered last name choice. Unexpected, but enough like McKenzie, Callan, Callum, Mack, and Malcolm that it doesn't sound outlandish, it is currently a gender-neutral choice in the US, given to 15 girls and 13 boys in a recent year.

Effortlessly cool and preppy, but with a touch of outdoorsy ruggedness, McCall is a yet to be discovered last name choice. Unexpected, but enough like McKenzie, Mckinley, Nicole, and Callie that it doesn't sound outlandish, it is currently a gender-neutral choice in the US, given to 15 girls and 13 boys in a recent year.

A last name style choice with the sounds of Grayson, Graham, Weston, and Clayton, but ranking well outside the US Top 1000, unlike its counterparts. Given to less than 10 babies in a recent year, Grayton is a familiar sounding but little used option.

Inspired by the likes of Braxton, Paxton, and Daxton, Drexton is a modern sounding but little used option, given to just 5 babies in 2022. It likely derives from the occupational names Dressler and Dexter, combined with the Old English element tun meaning "town" or "settlement">.

A surname style name of Dutch and Anglo-Saxon origin, which could make an interesting alternative to Ben or Bennett.

A Welsh place name and surname, it derives from Cyffin or Gyffin, meaning "limit" or "confine". Notable bearers include landscape painter Kyffin Williams and racing driver Kyffin Simpson.