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.
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 makes 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.
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.
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Baby Girl Surnames as First 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:
A
Addison
Addison sounds like a really cute gender-neutral first name for a baby and what’s even cuter, you can call her with a pet name Addie!
Aubrey
Derived from a Norman French version of the Germanic name Alberic, which combines the words alb (meaning “elf, supernatural entity”) and ric (meaning “power”) to denote “ruler of elves.”
B
Baldwin
Baldwin is an Old French and Old German boy’s name with the meaning “strong, valiant companion.”
Bardot
Want something unusual? Go for Bardot.
Beckett
The gender-neutral name Beckett, which is of English origin, originally meant Dweller By The Brook.
Blaine
Blaine derives from the Scottish given name “Blane,” that is inherited from the ancient Gaelic “Blaan,” which comes from the Gaelic word bla, which meaning “yellow.”
Brady
Brady is derived from the Irish surname Brádaigh or Mac Brádaigh, which means “spirited; broad.”
C
Cameron
Cameron first name meanings is One with a crooked nose.
Cassidy
Have a curly baby? Cassidy is one clever option for you!
Connolly
Connelly is said to be an Anglicized variant of the Old Gaelic O’Conghaile, which meaning “as fierce as a hound.”
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D
Delaney
Delaney is a gender-neutral Irish name that means “dark challenger.”
Devlin
Devlin is a fitting first name for a boy who will discover the value of tenacity.
E
Ellis
The name Ellis means “The Lord is my God” in Hebrew Baby Names.
Emerson
Emerson means “brave” or “powerful.”
F
Finley
The name Finley is primarily a gender-neutral name with Scottish roots that means Fair Warrior/Hero.
H
Harlow
Harlow is an English gender-neutral name. This powerful baby name, which means “army hill,” is likely to inspire strength and confidence in its bearer.
Harper
Harper is derived from the term “harp,” which refers to the musical stringed instrument. Throughout medieval times, noblemen and lords often engaged musicians in their residences for amusement, especially harp players.
K
Kennedy
Kennedy is a Christian male first name that originates in English and has several meanings. Kennedy’s name meaning is “ugly head,” and his lucky number is 6.
Kinsey
The gender-neutral name Kinsey is mostly of English origin and means King’s Victory.
L
Lennox
Lennox, which means “elm grove” and “with many elm trees,” is a gender-neutral name with Scottish and Gaelic roots.
Luna
Luna is a Hebrew girl name that means “Moon; Purity; Lovely; Flower.”
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M
McKenzie
Mackenzie is a Gaelic surname that may mean “comely,” “beautiful,” or “pleasing to look at,” as well as “child of the wise commander” and “born of fire.”
Monroe
Monroe is a boy’s name with Scottish and Irish Gaelic origins that will encourage little one to follow the flow. This name translates to “mouth of the River Roe,” referring to a river in Northern Ireland. Which makes it a one-of-a-kind approach to teach kids to appreciate the natural world’s beauty.
Penn
Penn is a straightforward but sophisticated boy’s name with English roots that means “enclosure” and “hill.” Over the years, famous authors, performers, and campaigners have all gone by this name, albeit often as a surname.
Peyton
The definition of Peyton in the Holy Bible is ‘warrior’s estate.’
Q
Quinn
Quinn is not directly related to the Bible, despite its popularity in Christian families. It has Irish roots as a unisex name and may also mean “queen.”
R
Rowan
Rowan is a traditionally male name with Irish and English roots. It derives from the Irish name Ruadhán, which means “red-haired” in Irish.
S
Sloane
A rare girls’ name, this is derived from an Irish surname that means “little raid”.
Sutton
The gender-neutral British name Sutton alludes to a “southern homestead,” and it might be the ideal tribute to a particular spot in your heart that captured you with its southern charm
T
Taylor or Tayla
Taylor’s biblical meaning is “clothed with salvation,” and the name denotes “everlasting beauty.”
W
Wylie
There are a few ways to spell this name, which is a place name from Medieval England.
Baby Boy Surnames as First 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.
Brady
Tom Brady the elite athlete has made the traditional surname popular as a Boy’s first name.
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.
Carson
Carson is a gender-neutral name with Scottish and Irish roots that is definitely on the rise. Carson, sometimes used as a surname, meaning “son of the marsh-dwellers” and has a touch of old-west romance courtesy to American frontiersman Kit Carson.
Carter
Carter is an industrial title given to someone who delivers things by cart or wagon, ultimately of Celtic heritage.
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.
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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.
Hendrix
Hendrix is a newborn unisex name that is mostly used in the Christian faith and has a Germanic origin. The meaning of Hendrix’s name is “Home Ruler.”
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”.
Lennon
Lennon has a unique meaning in English is ‘Of A Courtesan.’
Lennox
Lennox, which means “elm grove” and “with many elm trees,” is a gender-neutral name with Scottish and Gaelic roots.
Lincoln
The name comes from the English city of Lincoln, whose name combines the Brythonic word lynn with the Latin term colonia to indicate “lake/pool colony.”
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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 surnames names used as first baby names do you like?
