100 Popular Last Names As First Names

If you’re not sure what to name your child, there’s always the option of giving their last name as a first name. It might sound “old-fashioned,” but it’s gaining momentum thanks to celebrities like John Legend and Priyanka Chopra. Here are the 100 most popular last names as first names if you’re curious.

1. Adler

Adler is a German last name meaning “eagle.” It also received its due to Melanie Adler, a successful American actress

2. Anderson

Anderson is a Scandinavian last name that means “son of Anders” or “son of Andres .”It has been used as a first name on and off.

3. Garcia

Garcia is a Spanish last name that means “son of García,” who was often called Garcias in medieval Castile.

4. Beckett

Beckett is an Irish last name that means “blessed little one.” Irish playwright Samuel Beckett coined it.

5. Bell

Bell is a common last name that means “a small church” or “a hermitage .”It has been used as a first name since the 11th century.

6. Cruz

Cruz is a Spanish last name that means “cross .”It was used by Spanish conquistador Pedro de Alvarado and his descendants.

7. Cook

Cook is a common last name that means “cook” in English or “cook,” short for cuisines. It’s been used for generations among English-speaking people and was used as a first name by the cooks of British royalty during the Victorian Era.

8. Houston

Houston is a common last name that means “from Homestead .”Tennessee Williams used it as a first name when calling his most famous play “The Glass Menagerie.”

9. King

King is a common last name that means “son of the king” or “one who rules .”It has been used as a first name since time immemorial.

10. Brady

Brady is the last name of Irish and Scottish origin, meaning “descendant of Bradach,” which means “sorrowful .”It has been used as a first name since the 20th century.

11. Sanchez

Sanchez is a Spanish last name that means “son of Sancho .”It was given by missionaries to native Americans and Europeans to replace their pagan terms.

12. Carson

Carson is a common last name that means “son of Crunniht .”It has been used as a first name since the 17th century.

13. Ford

Ford is a common last name that means “son of Ford.” English politician and industrialist Henry Ford coined it.

14. Goodwin

Goodwin is an Irish last name that means either “yellow” or “one who goes to the G” (i.e., an ogham bone).

15. Carter

Carter is a common last name that means “cart driver .”It was coined by John Carter, the former owner of a freight company.

16. Cooper

Cooper is a common last name that means “barrel maker .”It was used for generations in both America and England.

17. Baker

Baker is a common last name that means “one who works at a baker’s shop .”It used to be popular among English bakers during the Victorian Era and has been used as a first name since the 18th century.

18. Channing

Channing is an English last name that means “chino’s place.” It was used as a first name by 19th-century poet William Channing and his ancestors.

19. Brooks

Brooks is a common last name that means “brook,” or stream of water. It has been used as a first name since the 18th century.

20. Cohen

Cohen is a common last name that means “a warrior .”It was used as a first name by the Cohens of Germany, who were prominent in medieval Judaism, and then spread to Germany.

21. Cunningham

Cunningham is an Irish last name that means “son of Cuinnius,” derived from the Latin word “comes.” It was popularly used as a first name in Ireland and then spread to England during the 19th century.

22. Coleman

Coleman is an English last name that means “follower of the hare .”It was popularly used as a first name in England and then spread to the US.

23. Doolittle

Doolittle is a common last name that means “son of Dùlaidh,” which means “an Ogma .”It was popularized by aviator James Francis “Jimmy” Doolittle, who made a secret flight to Japan during World War II.

24. Copeland

Copeland is an English last name that means “son of Copluc,” which means “hare’s hill .”It has been used as a first name since the 19th century.

25. Davis

Davis is a common last name that means “a field at the House on the Hill .”It was used as a first name in medieval England by those who worked on fields around the abbey.

26. Duncan

Duncan is an English last name that means “son of Dun. It has been used as a first name since the 1300s.

27. Epps

Epps is an English last name that means “the pool of a river .”It was commonly used as a first name until the late 16th century when it fell out of favor.

28. Englebardt

Englebardt is an English last name that means “son of Engelbert .”It was popularized by Robert Englebardt, who won the first Olympic gold medal for fencing in 1904.

29. Dixon

Dixon is a common last name that means “a bald hill .”It has been used as a first name since the 19th century.

30. Frase

Frase is an English last name that means “son of Fergus .”Frasier popularized it when they starred in the television show “Cheers.”

31. Easton

Easton is an English last name that means “Eastern town .”It was used as a first name by the Easton’s of England and spread to America during the 19th century.

32. Farrell

Farrell is an Irish last name that means “son of Fearghal .”It was commonly used in Ireland, Scotland, and England during the Middle Ages.

33. Finley

Finley is an English last name that means “trader .”It was used by the Scottish Flemings, who were important merchants and bankers in medieval England.

34. Garcia

Garcia is a Spanish last name that means “son of García,” who was often called Garcias in medieval Castile.

35. Goodwin

Goodwin is an Irish last name that means either “yellow” or “one who goes to the G” (i.e., an ogham bone).

36. Gibbs

Gibbs is the last name of English origin, meaning “son of Geoffrey .”It has been used as a first name since the 19th century.

37. Hall

Hall is the last name of English origin that means “person who lives in the hall .”It was used as a first name in medieval England and spread to America during the 19th century.

38. Harrison

Harrison is an English last name that means “son of Harry, or Henry. It was popularized by the Harrison family in America.

39. Hayden

Hayden is an English last name that means “river valley .”It has been used as a first name since the 19th century.

40. Jameson

Jameson is an English last name that means “son of James .”It was popularized by philanthropist John D. Rockefeller Jr., a descendant of Scottish immigrants who came to America during the 19th century.

41. Griffin

Griffin is an English last name that means “grey squirrel .”It was used as a first name in medieval England by those who worked on the deer hunt.

42. Griffith

Griffith is an English last name that means “son of Gresford .”It was popularized by George Griffith, who founded the Griffith Park Observatory and Planetarium in Los Angeles.

43. Hamilton

Hamilton is an English last name derived from the Old Norse word “harm,” meaning “rush.”

44. Hendrix

Hendrix is the most commonly used last name for boys and the prettiest first name for girls. It’s a given that Hendrix can be found on the most popular last names as first names.

45. Hutton

Hutton is the prettiest and most popular last name as the first name for girls. Hutton comes in at positions 25 and 33.

46. Jenkins

A simple name, Jenkins is the first choice for boys. Jenkins comes in at position 12, while girls go with Jones or Jane as their pick.

47. Jennings

Jennings is a pretty common first name for both genders. It comes in at number 14 for boys and 16 for girls.

48. Carter & Cartera

Cartera is the cutest last name as the first name for girls, while the same goes for Carter when it comes to boys. The full form of the names are Cárter and Catherine, but they’re almost always shortened to Carter and Cartera.

49 . Rosario

Rosario is a unique name for last names as first names. Rosario comes in at number 13, while the full version is Rosario.

50. Lopes

Lopes is another very popular first name for boys and girls alike. Lopes comes in at positions 14 and 23, respectively, on the list of most popular first names for boys and girls.

51. Alves

Alves is an interesting last name to pair with “Oak” as a first name. Alves is at position 19 for boys and number 79 for girls.

52. Duncan

Duncan is commonly used as a last name for both genders. It comes in at position 30 when it comes to boys and 78 when it comes to girls.

53 . Thorne

Thorne is a pretty popular first name choice in the US, with Thorne coming in at number 16 on the list of most popular first names for boys and 31 on the list of girls.

54. Jones

Jones is another popular last name as a first name. It’s a traditional choice for boys, coming in at position 19, while it’s more of an alternative for girls as it comes in at number 57.

55 . Andersen

Andersen is an interesting choice for both genders, especially given that Andersen comes in at position 18 on the list of most popular first names for boys and only 62 on the list of most popular first names for girls.

56. Lennon

Lennon is an English surname that originates in a place-name referring to the Welsh word llyn.

57. Harrigan

Harrigan is an Irish surname that is believed to have come from “Ó hEithirigh,” which means “descendant of Either .”The harp was an ancient symbol of Ireland, so it makes sense that this name would be popular with people who were born there.

58. Lopez

López is a Spanish last name, which means “from Léon .”It might have been influenced by the city’s nickname, “The City of Lions .”Alternatively, it may derive from the Latin word lupus.

59. Lennox

Lennox is a Scottish last name that originates in an Anglicized form of a Gaelic name meaning “little fox.”

60. Lincoln

Lincoln is an English surname that means “from Lincoln .”It may have been influenced by the city’s nickname, “The City of Ships.”

61. Jackson

Jackson is an English last name that refers to someone who worked at or with a jack or jackdaw, which are species of birds. It may be derived from the diminutive form Jack, which means “jackdaw” in Old French.

62. Marshall

Marshall is an English last name that derives from the Old English word music, which refers to a dry place. After the Norman conquest, the word was occasionally recorded as Marschall.

63. Cabot

Cabot is a French last name meaning “from Cabot .”It may have been derived from “Capot,” which means “chapel,” or else it might have been influenced by the personal name Cabeo, itself from Latin caput, which means “head.”

64. Mason

Mason is an English last name derived from the Old English phrase maesse-cost, which means “priest’s servant .”In the modern world, it’s been used as the name for someone who worked in masonry, which is the construction of building structures out of bricks or stone.

65. Miller

Miller is a German last name that means “dark .”It may have been influenced by the Miller’s lager; a beer brewed during the Wehrmacht’s occupation of Germany.

66. Mansel

Mansel is an English surname that comes from the Old French word manus, which means “man .”It might have been influenced by the Latin personal name Manolius, which means “manly,” and had many pagan associations in Britain.

67. Nash

Nash is an English last name meaning “inside of a building .”It might have been influenced by the diminutive form Nick or Nico, which means “little one.”

68. Doane

Doane is an Old English last name derived from a place name meaning “valley of the doe .”It may have been influenced by the name Douglas, a Scottish place name meaning “forest stream.”

69. Parker

Parker is an English surname taken from the Old French word parker, meaning “keeper of a park .”It might have been influenced by the name of the city of Paris.

70. Penn

Penn is an English surname that comes from a place name meaning “dove’s nest,” which is presumably derived from a place where pigeons nested. It might have been influenced by the Old French personal name Pennon, which means “penny,” and the Old French word penon, which means “pigeon.”

71. Sawyer

Sawyer is an English last name meaning “sewer .”It might have been influenced by the occupation of a sawyer, someone who sawed wood for a living.

72. Larkin

Larkin is an English last name referring to what was once a landholder who owned more than one farm. It may have been influenced by the name Laramie, which stems from the French phrase “la Ramie,” which means “heather moor.”

73. Shaw

Shaw is an English last name that originally meant “tailor .”It might have been influenced by the Scottish word sleigh, which means “good.”

74. Smith

Smith is a German last name that refers to someone who worked as a blacksmith, which is someone who makes or fixes metal tools and hardware. It might have been influenced by the German wordsmith, which means “blacksmith.”

75. Stone

Stone is an English last name that refers to someone who lived near a stone or worked with a stone. It might have been influenced by the Old English word stan, which means “stone.”

76. Taylor

Taylor is an English surname that comes from the Old French word tailleur, which means “tailor .”It might have been influenced by the Old French personal name Taillefer, derived from Tirefert, originally meaning “cutter,” and later came to mean “carpenter.”

77. Sullivan

Sullivan is an Irish last name that was an Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Ó Súileabháin, meaning “descendant of Súilabel,” which means “eye .”It might have been influenced by the Latin personal name Silvanus.

78. Tillman

Tillman is a German last name that could possibly be derived from the German word toll, which means “mad” or “foolish,” and Mann, which means “man.”

80. Thompson

Thompson is an English last name that comes from the Old English word Thompson, which means “son of Thomas .”It might have been influenced by the name Thom, which is an Irish spelling of Thomas.

81. Wallace

Wallace is a Scottish surname that comes from a Scottish place name meaning “wall-face,” referring to someone who lived near a wall or someone who worked with stone.

82. Walker

Walker is an English surname that comes from the Old English word wærke, which means “guard .”It might have been influenced by the name Walker, which was a nickname for someone who worked as a guard.

83. Wiley

Wiley is the 82nd most popular last name as a first name. This name is pronounced with a heavy emphasis on the second syllable, making it similar to the English word “wise .”Wiley has been used as a men’s name in the United States since the 19th century.

82. Wilson

Wilson’s name is pronounced with a heavy emphasis on the second syllable, making it similar to the English word “wise .”Wilson has been used as a men’s name in the United States since 1881. It was most popular with African-Americans during the Great Depression. It is also currently used as a women’s name in Asia.

83. Adair

Adair is a Scottish and Irish surname. Adairs have been used as a first name in the United States since the 19th century. According to the Social Security Administration, the name rose in popularity during the 1920s.

81. Adams

Adams has been used as a first name in the United States since at least 1880, but it rose in popularity after Barack Obama was elected President of the United States in 2008. It’s currently used for both male and female names. The most popular spelling is Addie.

82. Addison

Addison is a surname and a masculine given name. Although it is not very common in the United States, this name has been used as a given name since at least the 1500s. Addison can be found in several other English-speaking countries as well. The English form is sometimes spelled Addy.

83. Adella

Adella is a feminine name that’s pronounced with a long o in the middle. It’s similar to the English word “hail .”The literal meaning of Adella is “noblewoman.”

84. Ashley

Ashley was first used as a surname in England before it was adopted as a given name. It rose in popularity after Ashley Judd became famous in the United States. It’s currently used for both male and female names. The spelling Ashlie is also sometimes seen.

85. Avery

Avery is a commonly given name in the United States. It’s a relatively recent addition to the top 100 and has been used as a first name since at least the 1950s.

86. Bailey

Bailey is a popular given name in the United States. It’s also used as a first name for both male and female names. In certain contexts, the surname Bailey is pronounced with an emphasis on the second syllable.

87. Baker

Baker is a common surname in the United States, and it has been used as a first name since at least the 1700s. The name is also very popular in Canada, where it was most popular during the 1800s and early 1900s.

88. Bardo

The French surname Bardot has two different meanings. The first meaning is “blessed because of God” or “blessed by God .”The second meaning is “the bearded one .”Bards are also called bards.

89. Bellamy

Bellamy is a surname that usually refers to someone who belongs to a bellamite family. This surname is most popular in Scotland and Ireland.

90. Blystone

This name means “son of Balm” or “son of pleasantness .”Blystone’s were a group of people who lived on the Isle of Wight.

91. Brauner

Brauner has been used as a given name for both male and female names since at least the 1900s, when it was most popular in South Africa, Finland, and Russia.

92. Cameron

The surname Cameron is most common in Scotland and Ireland. It’s believed that the name means “crooked nose” in Gaelic. It has been used as a given name since at least the 1800s when it was most popular among people of Scottish ancestry.

93. Carmody

This unusual name is pronounced with a long o at the beginning ( KAHR -MO- dee). The name is often spelled Cormody, which means “son of Cormac,” who was a legendary Irish king.

94. Campbell

The surname Campbell is most common in Scotland and Ireland. It means “crooked nose .”Campbell has been used as a given name since at least the 1800s, when it was most popular among people with Scottish ancestry.

95. McKenna

McKenna has been used as a first name since at least the 1900s, but it didn’t become popular outside of Ireland until the 1960s. It’s currently most popular in Ireland, Canada, and the United States. The name is thought to come from the Irish ( CIOCH ) and Scottish ( CIONNAITH ) word “ceann,” which means “head.”

96. Quinn

Quinn is a surname that comes from Irish. It means “descendant of the phantom .”The name has been used as a given name since at least the 1900s, but it didn’t become popular outside of Ireland until the 1960s.

97. Cairns

Cairns have been used as a first name since at least the 1870s. It’s currently the most popular in New Zealand. It’s thought to be an Anglicisation of the Scottish surname Cairn, which means “cairn.”

98. Madigan

Madigan is a surname that refers to someone who was “born of the sea .”It has been used as a given name since at least the 1900s, but it didn’t become popular outside of Ireland until the 1960s.

99. Dalton

Dalton has been used as a first name since at least the 1800s. The surname Dalton (or Dalten ) comes from the Old English words dæl and tun, which together meant “valley town.”

100. Harper

Harper has been used as a first name since at least the 19th century. It’s currently most popular in the United States and Canada. Harper was originally a surname that meant “harp player.”