111 Top Last Names as First Names: That Sound Great

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These last names as first names are as unique and radiant as your new little star.

Choosing last names as first names for your kids makes them sound amazingly stylish from the get-go. Some are popular, and some are rare, but all surnames as last names have a fresh, eloquent, and powerful stature that your little one is sure to adore!

To help inspire you, we have gathered some of the coolest last names that can be used as first names and listed their meanings and origins below. Whether you like the traditional or the more modern names, you’re bound to find a hot pick that’ll make your baby shine!


22 Adorable Last Names as First Names for Girls

You’ll love these delightfully feminine picks among last names that can be used as first names for girls!

  1. Addison – a gorgeous girl’s name, originally a Scottish patronymic for a “son of Adam.”
  2. Bellamy – the most lovely French pick for a daughter who’s the most “beautiful friend.”
  3. Carey – with various origins, this gorgeous English, Gaelic, Welsh, and French surname is a pretty girl’s name.
  4. Cassidy – meaning “curly-haired,” a beautiful Irish pick among last names as first names.
  5. Courtney – originally a Norman-rooted locational surname, now a stunning pick for a girl.
  6. Darcy – or Darcie, this beautifully mysterious given name and surname means “dark one.”
  7. Delaney – a fresh, Irish-rooted last name that works as a great given name for a girl.
  8. Emmerson – a patronymic surname with Anglo-Saxon roots, makes a sweet, devout pick for a little girl.
  9. Fallon – an earthy-sounding Irish name meaning “leader, supremacy.”
  10. Harper – this musical occupational surname is a beautiful celebrity choice.
  11. Kelly – originally an Irish surname, this gorgeous name means “bright-headed warrior.”
  12. Madison – or Maddison, originally a presidential surname for a “son of Matthew.”
  13. Mallory – this French name sounds sweet and friendly yet holds the unfortunate meanings of “misfortune” and “ill-omened.”
  14. McKenzie – also spelled Mackenzie, this typically Scottish “son of Kenneth” surname is a beautiful pick for a girl.
  15. Nieves – a Spanish word name meaning “snow” makes a beautiful given name for a winter-born baby.
  16. Paisley -a funky fabric pattern and a stylish surname meaning “church.”
  17. Piper – a cute and harmonious bird name and a traditional occupational surname for a “pipe player.”
  18. Silva – this common Portuguese surname meaning “forest” would sparkle as a girl’s first name.
  19. Sloane – an Irish surname for a “leader, warrior,” now a beautiful given name for a tough cookie.
  20. Teagan – this Welsh surname and female name means “beautiful, perfect, attractive,”… just like your new daughter.
  21. Tierney – a pretty, saintly surname-turned-given-name from Irish, meaning “lord, master.”
  22. Tracy – a powerful name for a “fighter,” this cute British surname is strong and fiery.

67 Most Manly Last Names as First Names for Boys

These last names that can be used as first names are all as strong and handsome as your new little lad.

  1. Ackerley – this Old English name makes a gorgeous given name, meaning “oak, meadow.”
  2. Ahmed – a strong, popular, and devout choice among Arabic surnames, meaning “to thank, praise.”
  3. Ali – one of the most common first names and surnames internationally, meaning “high, exalted” in Arabic.
  4. Anderson – a strong, confident, Greek-rooted name for a “manly” son of Andrew.
  5. Ashton – meaning “town of the ash tree,” this given name, surname, and place name is warm and homely.
  6. Barclay – the meaning of “birch tree meadow” makes this English name a delightfully rugged option.
  7. Barrington – a grand-sounding English place name with Barry as the cutest nickname.
  8. Baumann – if you’re looking for something unique, this epic long surname means “farmer.”
  9. Baxter – traditionally the female form of “baker,” now a fantastic surname and given name for males!
  10. Bentley – with elements meaning “bent grass” and “lea, clearing,” this swish name is a classy British pick.
  11. Bertram – works as a surname and given name, this gruff Germanic pick means “bright raven.”
  12. Bradley – a handsome and popular Celtic pick, meaning “broad meadow.”
  13. Bryden – perhaps meaning “headland,” this name is a rugged, Scottish option.
  14. Byron – a classy Victorian surname that works as a given name, meaning “cowsheds.”
  15. Chandler – an occupational surname for a “candle-maker” makes a very friendly-sounding given name.
  16. Clark – or Clarke, both derived from the Latin “clericus,” meaning “secretary.”
  17. Coleman – a traditional occupational surname for someone who burns, gathers, or trades charcoal.
  18. Condor – this bird name makes an awesome pick among surnames as given names for baby high-flyers.
  19. Cooper – an occupational surname-turned-given-name for a “barrel-maker, cooper.”
  20. Corbin – a dark and mysterious option, meaning “crow.”
  21. Donovan – a hot Gaelic pick with the ever-creepy meaning of “descendant of the dark.”
  22. Einstein – for a budding scientist, this German surname meaning “one stone” is rather spectacular!
  23. Findlay – meaning “fair-haired” and “courageous,” we can see why you’d want to use this surname.
  24. Ford – a place name and surname that works as a given name, meaning “ford.”
  25. Gray – this color surname works as a great given name or nickname.
  26. Hartmann – a bold and brash German surname for a “strong man.”
  27. Holden – one for literary lovers, this Old English surname means “deep valley.”
  28. Hudson – meaning “son of Hugh,” this English surname makes a fine nod to the New York river.
  29. Hunter – perfect for any bow-and-arrow-bearing youngster, this name sure is tough!
  30. Jackson – originally a patronymic surname for a “son of Jack,” now a popular first name.
  31. Jameson – a great alternative to the common James, especially if your child is a “son of James.”
  32. Kendrick – a Celtic surname for a “bold ruler” or “powerful champion,” now recognized as a badass first name.
  33. Kiefer – from German, this cool, sassy name means either “pine tree” or “cooper.”
  34. Kingsley – a friendly, familiar pick combining elements “kings” and “lea.”
  35. Kirk – this given name began as a Scottish and Old Norse surname meaning “church.”
  36. Lincoln – a powerful name for a baby president, meaning “town by the pool.”
  37. Mac – used as a Scottish surname prefix meaning “son of,” also a fun given name independently.
  38. Marshall – any “lover of horses” would be proud to hold this handsome Old Scottish surname.
  39. Mason – perfect for a hard worker, this occupational surname is tough and stoney.
  40. Milton – meaning “mill town,” Milton is a charming English place name, surname, and given name.
  41. Mitchell – this surname comes from the same stem as Michael, meaning “who is like God?”
  42. Monroe – also seen as the Scottish surname Munro, meaning “Irish man from the River Roe.”
  43. Morris – one of the coolest names, coming from the same “dark” stem as the Latin Maurice.
  44. Murphy – if you’ve got a baby “sea warrior” on your hands, this Irish name would work perfectly!
  45. Nelson – an English name for places and people, meaning “son of Neil,” a “champion, hero” in Irish.
  46. Newton – another one for the scientists, this Old English name means “new town.”
  47. Oakley – meaning “oak clearing,” this Old English surname sounds so cool.
  48. Parker – a cute, outdoorsy name for a lad destined to be a “park-keeper.”
  49. Porter – an old occupational surname for a “gatekeeper.”
  50. Preston – this UK place and surname meaning “priest’s town” makes a formal-sounding male name.
  51. Ramsay – a pungent choice, meaning “from the island of wild garlic” in Scottish.
  52. Randall – this medieval surname meaning “shield-wolf” sounds striking yet protective.
  53. Reed – or Reid, would beautifully fit a baby “redhead.”
  54. Reeve – a handsome name for an honest “steward” or “officer.”
  55. Rossi – another “red” surname that works as a hot name, this one from Italian.
  56. Sawyer – originally an occupational name for someone who saws wood, now a name full of adventure.
  57. Scott – a super popular pick among surnames as first names, originally used to denote someone from Scotland.
  58. Stewart – or Stuart, both regal options that began as an occupational surname for a “steward.”
  59. Tate – rooted in Old Norse, this gorgeous name holds the spirited meaning of “cheerful.”
  60. Travis – a French-rooted occupational surname for a “toll gatekeeper.”
  61. Tucker – this occupational surname for a “tucker, fuller” is a cute-sounding name for a baby boy.
  62. Tyson – if you’ve got a troublemaker on your hands, consider this “fiery-tempered” French and English name.
  63. Wallace – a dated yet sweet name, traditionally used to denote someone “from Wales.”
  64. Ward – this Old English “guard” name would make a great name for a baby soldier.
  65. Werner – meaning “defending warrior” in German, Werner has a strong, noble vibe.
  66. Wilson – this highly common surname means “son of Will,” from the Germanic William.
  67. Wyatt – a feisty pick among English last names that can be first names, meaning “brave at war.”

22 Unique Unisex Last Names as First Names

Any baby would be lucky to behold one of these stylish and unusual last names that can be used as first names.

  1. Ainsley – this Scottish surname meaning “solitary clearing” sounds beautiful and fresh as a given name.
  2. Bailey – an occupational name meaning “bailiff, porter,” dating back to Middle English.
  3. Blair – or Blaire, a pretty, simple, Celtic surname meaning “plain, meadow.”
  4. Blake – a sweet, woody name from Old English, surprisingly meaning “pale, white” and “dark, black.”
  5. Brodie – with the not-so-stylish meaning of “ditch,” this cute name began as a Scottish clan name.
  6. Cameron – this name’s unusual meaning of “crooked nose” always makes us giggle!
  7. Carter – a presidential pick among occupational Celtic last names that can be used as first names.
  8. Devon – after the beautiful English county, this cool name goes with anything.
  9. Greer – this uncommon Scottish name meaning “watchful, alert” has an unusual, abstract ring.
  10. Griff – originally a nickname for Welsh names such as Griffin or Gryffydd, meaning “lord, prince.”
  11. Kennedy – we adore this presidential pick among last names as first names, despite its alarming “misshapen head” meaning!
  12. Lee – or Li, one of the most common surnames in the world, makes a popular unisex name.
  13. Morgan – a majestic Welsh entry among names that sound good together, meaning “of the sea.”
  14. Perry – or Perrie, after an adorable English and Welsh surname meaning “pear tree.”
  15. Poe – meaning “peacock,” this Norse-rooted name is cute and flamboyant.
  16. Quinn – this unisex Irish name goes with anything, derived from Conn, meaning “chief.”
  17. Reagan – a presidential unisex name that works with anything, great for a “little ruler.”
  18. Riley – meaning “rye clearing, rye lea,” a popular pick for guys and girls.
  19. Ripley – sci-fi fans will love this surname as a Southern given name, meaning “a strip of land clearing.”
  20. Santo – or Santa, after the “saintly” Spanish and Portuguese word name.
  21. Taylor – a famous entry among surnames as first names, after the occupation of a “tailor.”
  22. Zappa – meaning “hoe,” this Italian surname for an earthworker would make the most electrifying given name!

Last Names as First Names FAQs

Can Last Names be Used as First Names?

Of course! If you love a traditional surname and want to use it as a given name for your child, then go ahead. Using a surname as a given name is also a beautiful way to keep a family name alive for future generations or to pay homage to a loved one.

Can a Last Name be a Middle Name?

All the beautiful surnames on this list work perfectly as a given name and would make great middle names too. We hope you’ll agree that these names go well together in any combination, so have fun picking the perfect one for your baby.

What are Some Unique Last Names as First Names?

We love names such as Zappa, Kiefer, Condor, or Sloane if you want a unique choice. Last names as first names such as Wallace, Barrington, Kelly, and Mallory tend to be less heard in recent decades, so they are fun choices to consider.

What are Some Common Last Names as First Names?

Surnames such as Taylor, Bailey, and Riley are also highly common surnames for boys and girls. Popular male, last names as first names, include Hunter, Bradley, Mason, and Mitchell, while parents like picks such as Darcy, Madison, McKenzie, and Piper for their daughters.

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About the Author

Madeleine Lily Webb

Madeleine is a writer from somewhere near Manchester, England. Madeleine's background in languages and linguistics has led to baby names becoming one of her favorite topics to write about. When she's not fallen down a rabbit hole of stories behind unique names, Madeleine can be found hanging out with her cat, taking photos of flowers, or dancing.