The baby naming trend of using last names that you can use as your baby’s first name has been around for quite awhile, and is often seen in boys’ names.
Parents might want to honor an ancestral name, or they might just like the unique nature of a certain surname.
For both boys and girls, there are many surnames out there that actually make great first names. These names might not be so popular in many instances, which make them perfect for parents who want their kids to stand out a bit from the pack. Allow us to introduce you to some of our favorite surnames as first names, for both your daughter and your son.
Table of Contents:
1. Baby Girl Names
2. Baby Boy Names
A Note On Ending Sounds
When you are choosing a name, particularly if you’re using last names, be sure to think about the ending sounds of the name. This is particularly true for names ending in -son, -y, -er, -on and a few others. You don’t want to name your child something with too similar sounds, as it can be confusing.
For example: Carson Wilson, Cooper Walker and so on. Even if you think you’re ‘breaking’ these sounds up with your child’s middle name, you should remember that a child’s middle name is rarely said along with their first name and surname, except by you when you’re really telling them off.
Baby Girl Names
Having last names as a first name has not been a common choice for girls over the years, but it might be started to get some traction now. There are a number of really gorgeous surnames suitable as first names for girls.
Here are just a few:
Addison
An English last names such as this means “Son of Addy”, Addy being a variant on Adam. It’s popular with girls due to its similar sound with the well-known Maddison.
Aubrey
This one comes from the German last names Alberich, meaning “powerful elf”, and was more commonly associated with boys before the similar-sounding Audrey came along.
Blaine
From Scottish last names meaning “yellow” in Gaelic.
Cassidy
Originally Irish last names meant “descendant of Caiside”, which means “curly haired”.
Connolly
There are a few ways to spell this, but it comes from a surname that means “descendant of the valiant”.
Delaney
Originating as both an English and Irish surname, it means “from the alder grove” or “descendant of the dark defiance” respectively.
Devlin
An Anglicised version of an Irish surname meaning “descendant of Doibhilin”, which is a given name thought to mean “unlucky”.
Ellis
These last names are actually thought to come from the given name Elisedd, a Welsh name meaning “kind”.
Emerson
Comes from an English surname meaning “son of Emery”. The name Emery has many possible meanings, depending on the area.
Finley
The Anglicised form of an Irish name that means “white warrior” in Gaelic.
Harlow
This name comes from an old English last names that relates to a place, either “rock hill” or “army hill”.
Kennedy
A well-known name, Kennedy was originally an Irish surname meaning “descendant of Cennétig”, meaning “armoured head”.
Kinsey
This one likely comes from an English surname derived from the medieval name Kynsey, meaning “royal victory”.
Lennox
A Scottish surname that is thought to mean “place of elms”.
McKenzie
One of the more well known surnames as first names, McKenzie means “son of Coinneach”, which in turn means “handsome”.
Monroe
This name, while not popular with girls, has a classy sound and means “from the mouth of the Roe”, which is an Irish river.
Penn
Welsh last names that likely originated in a legend, it means “head” in Welsh.
Quinn
Another more common surname as a first name, Quinn means “descendant of Conn”, meaning “chief”.
Sloane
A rare girls’ name, this is derived from an Irish surname that means “little raid”.
Willie
There are a few ways to spell this name, which is a place name from Medieval England.
Baby Boy Names
For boys, the surname as a first name trend is much more common, and there are an enormous number of names out there. These are just a few of our favorites.
Anderson
Means “son of Andrew”, this is an English surname seen in variations all over the world.
Beckett
This might be a diminutive version of Beck, which means “stream, brook”, and was held by famous playwright Samuel Beckett.
Bryson
A name that means “son of Brice”, which in turn means “speckled”. Perfect for a freckled dad!
Carlisle
Did you watch the Twighlight movie? Yes, exactly!
Carmichael
Carmichael is in Sacramento County, California, United States and one of the most beautiful places to live in.
Cohen
A common Jewish last names, which means “priest”, this name has been accepted as a first name for many years now.
Channing
Comes from an English surname of unknown origin, this name has grown popular with both girls and boys of late.
Crawford
The surname CRAWFORD is said to derive from the Gaelic term cru, which means “bloody,” and ford, which means “pass or crossing,” and most people think that the name means a crossing of blood.
Crosby
Although Bing Crosby has made the surname Crosby more well-known, the name is equally often used as a given one. This boy’s name has Scandinavian roots; it means “at the cross,” which was formerly a common way to indicate a person’s place of residence.
Dalton
Dalton is a sophisticated and stylish boy’s name that is taken from the dapper British surname of the same name. It has equal parts cool and geeky qualities, making it a great choice for today’s young men.
Dante
Dante is a man’s name that has a lot of literary connotation and a lot of opportunity for creative use. The Latin root duras gives the Italian diminutive Dante its meaning of “steadfast” or “enduring.”
Davis
From a surname that probably comes from the first name David, which likely means “beloved”.
Donovan
This name was originally an Irish surname meaning “descendant of Donndubhán” meaning “dark brown”.
Grady
This name is also an Irish surname, which is linked to the name Grádaigh, meaning “noble” in Gaelic.
Huxley
Comes from an English surname that was a town in Cheshire, and held by famous author Aldous Huxley.
Kingsley
A surname that comes from a place name, which means “king’s wood” in Old English.
Lane
From a surname that means “lane, path”, likely belonging to a person who lived by this landmark.
Lawson
Comes from an English surname that means “son of Laurence”, which means “laurel”.
Miller
An occupational surname for someone who worked or owned a grain mill.
Nash
Comes from the Middle English phrase “at the ash tree”.
Parker
A very popular first name that has come from a surname meaning “keeper of the park” in Middle English.
Sawyer
An occupational surname meaning “sawer of wood”, used by Mark Twain for his main character in the well-known novel.
Sullivan
This surname is the Anglicised form of an Irish last name meaning “descendant of Súileabhán”, which in turn means “little dark eye”.
Turner
This is an occupational surname for “One who works with a lathe”
Walker
There’s a Wild West association with this name, but it actually comes from an occupational name for someone who walked on damp, raw cloth to thicken it.
Wilson
A nice simple name that is popular as a surname and a first name, this one means “son of Will”, which in turn means “desire” and “protection”.
What last names used as first baby names do you like?
