144 American Last Names That Are Gaining Popularity for a Reason (With Meanings & Origins)

There is a particular quality that American surnames carry when they cross over into first name use. They arrive with a kind of cool, confident authority that given names rarely possess from birth. A name like Carter or Cooper or Hudson has already done something in the world before you give it to a child. It has been attached to presidents, to great cities, to the craftsmen and workers who built American civilization from the ground up. It carries history without requiring you to explain the history. It announces itself with the specific confidence of something that has already proven its worth.

The trend of using surnames as first names is not new in American culture. It has been happening since the colonial period when families gave children their mother’s maiden name to preserve family lines and inheritance connections. What is new is the scale and the democratization of the practice. Where once surnames as first names were primarily a mark of aristocratic family connection or regional distinction, they have become one of the most broadly embraced naming trends in American history. And they have become popular for good reason, because they work.

American surnames that have become popular first names tend to come from several distinct traditions. The great occupational surnames that describe what an ancestor did, names like Cooper and Fletcher and Mason and Hunter, carry the working American spirit in their very etymology. The geographical surnames that describe where an ancestor lived, names like Brooks and Heath and Glenn and Clifton, carry the specific American relationship with landscape. The patronymic surnames that preserve a family’s original given name, names like Jackson and Jefferson and Harrison, carry both the democratic tradition of presidential naming and the folk tradition of honoring ancestry. And the clan surnames that carry Irish, Scottish, Welsh, and English family heritage, names like Kennedy and Sullivan and Campbell and Morgan, carry the immigrant experience that is foundational to American identity.

Popularity rankings are based on the most recent Social Security Administration (SSA) data.

Quick Info: Names ranked >1000 on the SSA database are considered truly rare and unique. Names closer to 1 are among the most popular in the US today.

Occupational Surnames Now Used as First Names

Cooper

• Origin: English
• Meaning: Barrel maker, one who makes barrels
• Popularity: #22

One of the great occupational surnames that has crossed into mainstream first name use with extraordinary success, Cooper carries the specific craft of barrel-making, a trade that was essential to every aspect of colonial American commerce, from storing flour to shipping rum.

Carter

• Origin: English
• Meaning: Cart driver, one who transports goods
• Popularity: #30

The transporter of goods whose cart was essential to every market and farm in pre-industrial America, Carter has become one of the most successfully modern first names while carrying a presidential association through Jimmy Carter.

Mason

• Origin: English
• Meaning: Stone worker, builder in stone
• Popularity: #7

The builder who worked in stone, one of the most skilled and essential craftsmen in any community, Mason has become one of the most popular boy names in America and carries both its working heritage and a cultural association with Freemasonry.

Hunter

• Origin: English
• Meaning: One who hunts, the huntsman
• Popularity: #43

The hunter whose skills were essential to frontier survival, Hunter carries a clean, slightly outdoorsy quality and a deep connection to the American tradition of self-sufficiency in the wilderness.

Fletcher

• Origin: English
• Meaning: Arrow maker, one who makes arrows
• Popularity: #430

The craftsman who made the arrows that fed and defended early American communities, Fletcher carries a clean, slightly archaic quality and the specific heritage of the most essential craft in pre-gunpowder warfare.

Spencer

• Origin: English
• Meaning: Keeper of provisions, dispenser of goods
• Popularity: #200

The dispenser of provisions who managed the household stores, Spencer carries a slightly aristocratic quality and a clean, confident sound that has made it one of the more successfully elegant occupational surname names.

Tanner

• Origin: English
• Meaning: Leather tanner, one who tans hides
• Popularity: #339

The craftsman who transformed animal hides into leather, one of the most essential and physically demanding trades in colonial America, Tanner carries a warm, slightly rugged quality.

Sawyer

• Origin: English
• Meaning: One who saws wood, the woodcutter
• Popularity: #93

The woodcutter whose trade was fundamental to building and heating colonial America, Sawyer carries a clean, slightly literary quality through Mark Twain’s great Tom Sawyer.

Tucker

• Origin: English
• Meaning: One who tucks cloth, cloth finisher
• Popularity: #120

The cloth finisher whose trade was essential to the textile industry, Tucker carries a warm, friendly quality and a clean sound that has made it one of the more successful occupational first names.

Tyler

• Origin: English
• Meaning: Tile layer, one who lays tiles
• Popularity: #66

The craftsman who laid tiles and worked with clay, Tyler has become one of the most successfully mainstream surname first names and carries a presidential association through John Tyler.

Chandler

• Origin: English
• Meaning: Candle maker, one who makes candles
• Popularity: >1000

The candle maker whose craft was essential before electricity, Chandler carries a warm, slightly literary quality through the great crime writer Raymond Chandler and the beloved Friends character.

Slater

• Origin: English
• Meaning: Slate layer, one who works with slate
• Popularity: >1000

The craftsman who worked with slate roofing, Slater carries a clean, slightly unusual quality and a connection to the craft tradition.

Weaver

• Origin: English
• Meaning: One who weaves cloth
• Popularity: >1000

The cloth weaver whose trade was one of the most important in colonial America, Weaver carries a warm, slightly creative quality and a connection to the making tradition.

Thatcher

• Origin: English
• Meaning: Roof thatcher, one who thatches roofs
• Popularity: >1000

The craftsman who covered roofs with straw or reeds, Thatcher carries a clean, slightly British quality and a connection to the trade tradition.

Mercer

• Origin: English
• Meaning: Cloth merchant, fabric dealer
• Popularity: >1000

The fabric merchant whose trade was central to colonial commerce, Mercer carries a clean, slightly elegant quality and a deep connection to the textile trade tradition.

Presidential Surname Names

Lincoln

• Origin: English
• Meaning: Lake settlement, Roman colony by the lake
• Popularity: #110

The name of the sixteenth and possibly greatest president carries an extraordinary American historical heritage and a clean, slightly solemn quality that has been rising strongly as parents reach for names of genuine historical weight.

Jackson

• Origin: English
• Meaning: Son of Jack, son of God’s gracious one
• Popularity: #40

The name of the seventh president and one of the most complex figures in American history, Jackson carries a warm, slightly populist quality and a connection to the frontier spirit of early American democracy.

Jefferson

• Origin: English
• Meaning: Son of Jeffrey, son of the divine peace
• Popularity: >1000

The name of the great Founding Father and third president carries an extraordinary intellectual heritage and a clean, slightly formal quality that suits a name connected to one of the most brilliant men in American history.

Harrison

• Origin: English
• Meaning: Son of Harry, son of the home ruler
• Popularity: #100

The name of two presidents, William Henry Harrison and Benjamin Harrison, carries a warm, slightly presidential quality and has been one of the more successful surname first names.

Madison

• Origin: English
• Meaning: Son of Matthew, son of God’s gift
• Popularity: #24

Originally the name of the fourth president, Madison has become one of the most beloved girl names in America, making a remarkably successful gender transition while retaining its presidential heritage.

Monroe

• Origin: Scottish
• Meaning: From the mouth of the Roe River
• Popularity: >1000

The name of the fifth president and more recently associated with Marilyn Monroe, Monroe carries a warm, slightly glamorous quality and a deep connection to American presidential tradition.

Wilson

• Origin: English
• Meaning: Son of Will, son of the resolute protector
• Popularity: #184

The name of the twenty-eighth president carries a warm, slightly formal quality and a connection to the progressive era of American politics.

Grant

• Origin: English/French
• Meaning: Large, great, the great one
• Popularity: #224

The name of the eighteenth president and Civil War general carries a clean, strong quality and a connection to one of the most significant periods in American military and political history.

Hayes

• Origin: English
• Meaning: Hedged area, from the hedged enclosure
• Popularity: #367

The name of the nineteenth president carries a clean, slightly unusual quality and has been rising steadily as parents discover its combination of presidential heritage and modern freshness.

Pierce

• Origin: English/French
• Meaning: Rock, stone, Peter
• Popularity: #456

The name of the fourteenth president carries a clean, sharp quality and a connection to the antebellum period of American history.

Tyler

• Origin: English
• Meaning: Tile layer
• Popularity: #66

Already celebrated in the occupational section, Tyler belongs here as the surname of the tenth president John Tyler.

Taylor

• Origin: English
• Meaning: Cloth cutter, tailor
• Popularity: #77

The name of the twelfth president Zachary Taylor carries both the presidential heritage and the occupational meaning of the cloth cutter.

Ford

• Origin: English
• Meaning: River crossing, ford
• Popularity: #433

The name of the thirty-eighth president Gerald Ford and one of the great American automobile dynasties, Ford carries both a presidential and an industrial American heritage.

Reagan

• Origin: Irish
• Meaning: Little king, descendant of the little king
• Popularity: #185

The name of the fortieth president has crossed from primarily a surname to a beloved first name, carrying both the political heritage and a warm Irish quality.

Geographical and Nature Surnames

Brooks

• Origin: English
• Meaning: Small streams, person who lives by the brook
• Popularity: #139

Named after the small streams that run through the English and American countryside, Brooks has a clean, flowing quality and a warm connection to the natural water tradition.

Glenn

• Origin: Celtic
• Meaning: Valley, narrow valley
• Popularity: >1000

Named after the valley, Glenn carries the specific Celtic landscape imagery of the narrow valley between hills and a warm, slightly vintage quality.

Heath

• Origin: English
• Meaning: Heathland, open moorland
• Popularity: >1000

Named after the open heathland where heather grows, Heath carries a clean, slightly dramatic quality and a connection to the wild English and Scottish moorland landscape.

Forest

• Origin: English
• Meaning: Woodland, the forest
• Popularity: >1000

Named after the woodland itself, Forest carries a free-spirited, outdoor quality and a warm, slightly green character.

Clifton

• Origin: English
• Meaning: Settlement on a cliff
• Popularity: >1000

Named after the cliffside settlement, Clifton carries a warm, slightly elevated quality and a deep connection to the dramatic landscape of cliffs and coastlines.

Ashton

• Origin: English
• Meaning: Ash tree settlement, the ash town
• Popularity: #207

Named after the settlement by the ash trees, Ashton has become one of the more successfully mainstream geographical surname first names with a warm, slightly botanical quality.

Daxton

• Origin: English
• Meaning: From Daxton, the settlement
• Popularity: #414

A place-name surname that has been rising strongly as a first name, Daxton carries a clean, modern quality and a warm geographical character.

Lawson

• Origin: English
• Meaning: Son of Lawrence, from Laurentum
• Popularity: >1000

The geographical and patronymic surname carries a warm, slightly literary quality through the great Australian writer Henry Lawson and a clean American character.

Holden

• Origin: English
• Meaning: From the hollow valley
• Popularity: #399

Named after the hollow valley, Holden carries a warm, slightly literary quality through J.D. Salinger’s great protagonist Holden Caulfield.

Dalton

• Origin: English
• Meaning: Valley settlement, dale town
• Popularity: #252

Named after the settlement in the valley, Dalton has a clean, slightly Western quality and a warm connection to the American frontier tradition.

Clayton

• Origin: English
• Meaning: Clay settlement, clay town
• Popularity: #155

Named after the settlement on clay soil, Clayton has a warm, slightly Southern quality and a clean, confident sound.

Sutton

• Origin: English
• Meaning: Southern settlement, south town
• Popularity: #388

Named after the southern settlement, Sutton has a warm, slightly aristocratic quality and a clean, modern sound that has been rising strongly.

Acton

• Origin: English
• Meaning: Oak settlement, oak town
• Popularity: >1000

Named after the settlement by the oak trees, Acton carries a warm, botanical quality and a connection to the English oak tradition.

Morton

• Origin: English
• Meaning: Settlement by the moor
• Popularity: >1000

Named after the moorside settlement, Morton carries a warm, slightly old-fashioned quality and a deep connection to the moorland landscape tradition.

Irish American Surnames

Kennedy

• Origin: Irish
• Meaning: Helmeted head, ugly head
• Popularity: >1000

The name of the great Irish-American political dynasty carries an extraordinary American cultural heritage through President John F. Kennedy and connects to the Irish-American experience that shaped so much of American political life.

Sullivan

• Origin: Irish
• Meaning: Dark-eyed, sharp-eyed one
• Popularity: >1000

One of the great Irish surnames deeply embedded in American culture through generations of Irish immigration, Sullivan carries a warm, slightly musical quality and a deep connection to the Irish-American experience.

Murphy

• Origin: Irish
• Meaning: Sea warrior, descendant of the sea warrior
• Popularity: >1000

The most common Irish surname in America, Murphy carries the specific quality of the Irish-American community and a warm, slightly rambunctious character.

Kelly

• Origin: Irish
• Meaning: Bright-headed, war strife
• Popularity: >1000

One of the great Irish surnames used both as a first name and a surname in America, Kelly carries a warm, confident quality and a deep connection to the Irish-American tradition.

Brady

• Origin: Irish
• Meaning: Descendant of Brádach, broad-eyed
• Popularity: #220

The Irish surname carries a warm, slightly sporty quality in America through its connection to football legend Tom Brady and the beloved Brady Bunch, making it one of the more culturally loaded surname first names.

Quinn

• Origin: Irish
• Meaning: Counsel, descendant of Conn
• Popularity: #90

The clean, modern Irish surname has been one of the most successfully cross-gender first names in contemporary American naming, carrying a warm Irish heritage and a crisp, forward-moving quality.

Casey

• Origin: Irish
• Meaning: Vigilant, watchful one
• Popularity: #340

The Irish surname meaning vigilant has become a beloved first name in America, carrying both the Irish heritage and a warm, slightly folksy American quality.

Cassidy

• Origin: Irish
• Meaning: Curly-haired, descendant of Caiside
• Popularity: #368

The Irish surname has become a beloved first name, carrying a warm, slightly Western quality through Butch Cassidy and a clean, flowing sound.

Callahan

• Origin: Irish
• Meaning: Lover of churches, fond of religion
• Popularity: >1000

The Irish surname carries a warm, slightly ecclesiastical quality and a deep connection to the Irish-American Catholic tradition.

Rafferty

• Origin: Irish
• Meaning: Floodtide, one who is prosperous
• Popularity: >1000

The Irish surname carries a warm, slightly flowing quality and a connection to the tide imagery of Irish coastal culture.

Flanagan

• Origin: Irish
• Meaning: Red, ruddy-faced descendant
• Popularity: >1000

The Irish surname carries a warm, slightly fiery quality and a deep connection to the Irish-American community.

Donovan

• Origin: Irish
• Meaning: Brown warrior, dark warrior
• Popularity: >1000

The Irish surname carries a warm, slightly musical quality through the great Irish singer Donovan and a clean, modern sound.

Calloway

• Origin: Irish/English
• Meaning: Foreign caller, the caller
• Popularity: >1000

The Irish-American surname carries a warm, slightly musical quality through the great jazz musician Cab Calloway.

Delaney

• Origin: Irish
• Meaning: Descendant of the challenger
• Popularity: #438

The Irish surname carries a warm, flowing quality and a clean, slightly aristocratic character.

Scottish American Surnames

Campbell

• Origin: Scottish Gaelic
• Meaning: Crooked mouth, wry-mouthed
• Popularity: #513

The great Scottish clan name that was brought to America in waves of Scottish immigration, Campbell carries a warm, slightly formal quality and a deep connection to the Scottish Highland clan tradition.

Douglas

• Origin: Scottish
• Meaning: Dark river, black water
• Popularity: >1000

The great Scottish clan name meaning dark river carries a warm, slightly dramatic quality and a deep connection to the Scottish border tradition.

Graham

• Origin: Scottish
• Meaning: Grey home, gravel homestead
• Popularity: #167

The Scottish surname has become a beloved first name in America, carrying a warm, slightly formal quality and a clean, confident sound.

Cameron

• Origin: Scottish Gaelic
• Meaning: Crooked nose, bent nose
• Popularity: #233

The great Scottish clan name has become a beloved cross-gender first name in America, carrying a warm Scottish heritage and a clean, modern quality.

Logan

• Origin: Scottish Gaelic
• Meaning: Little hollow, small meadow
• Popularity: #14

One of the great success stories of the surname-to-first-name trend, Logan has become one of the most popular names in America and carries both its Scottish heritage and a contemporary superhero association through the X-Men.

Ross

• Origin: Scottish
• Meaning: Headland, promontory
• Popularity: >1000

The Scottish clan name meaning headland carries a clean, minimal quality and a warm connection to both the Scottish landscape and the American folk tradition through Bob Ross.

Gordon

• Origin: Scottish
• Meaning: Great hill, spacious hill
• Popularity: >1000

The great Scottish clan name carries a warm, slightly formal quality and a deep connection to the Gordon Highlanders and the Scottish military tradition.

Reid

• Origin: Scottish
• Meaning: Red-haired, ruddy complexion
• Popularity: >1000

The Scottish surname describing red hair carries a clean, minimal quality and a warm connection to the Scottish tradition.

Boyd

• Origin: Scottish
• Meaning: Yellow, fair-haired
• Popularity: >1000

The Scottish surname meaning fair-haired carries a clean, minimal quality and a warm Scottish heritage.

Maxwell

• Origin: Scottish
• Meaning: Mack’s stream, from the great stream
• Popularity: #141

The Scottish surname has become a beloved first name in America, carrying both a Scottish heritage and a clean, slightly aristocratic quality.

Mackenzie

• Origin: Scottish
• Meaning: Son of Kenneth, son of the handsome
• Popularity: #166

The Scottish clan name has become a beloved first name in America, carrying a warm Scottish heritage and a clean, modern quality.

Duncan

• Origin: Scottish
• Meaning: Brown warrior, dark warrior
• Popularity: >1000

The great Scottish royal name carries a warm, slightly literary quality through Shakespeare’s King Duncan and a deep connection to Scottish royal tradition.

English and Welsh Surnames

Morgan

• Origin: Welsh
• Meaning: Sea circle, sea chief
• Popularity: #92

The great Welsh name meaning sea circle has become one of the most successfully cross-gender surname first names in America, carrying a warm Welsh heritage and a clean, modern quality.

Owen

• Origin: Welsh
• Meaning: Young warrior, well born
• Popularity: #28

The Welsh surname and given name has become one of the most beloved first names in America, carrying both a Welsh heritage and a clean, warm quality that works across genders.

Lloyd

• Origin: Welsh
• Meaning: Grey, sacred
• Popularity: >1000

The Welsh surname meaning grey or sacred carries a warm, slightly vintage quality and a deep connection to the Welsh naming tradition.

Barrett

• Origin: English
• Meaning: From the surname, possibly brave
• Popularity: #310

The English surname has become a beloved first name, carrying a warm, slightly unusual quality and a clean, confident sound.

Bennett

• Origin: English
• Meaning: Blessed, from Benedict
• Popularity: #160

The English surname derived from the blessed meaning has become a beloved first name in America, carrying both the blessing meaning and a warm, slightly literary quality through Pride and Prejudice.

Garrett

• Origin: English/Irish
• Meaning: Spear strength, brave spear
• Popularity: #344

The English and Irish surname carries a warm, slightly medieval quality and a connection to the warrior tradition.

Beckett

• Origin: English
• Meaning: Beehive cottage, bee settlement
• Popularity: #302

The English surname has become a beloved first name in America, carrying a warm, slightly literary quality through Samuel Beckett and a connection to the medieval Thomas à Beckett.

Whitman

• Origin: English
• Meaning: White man, fair-haired man
• Popularity: >1000

The English surname carries an extraordinary American literary heritage through Walt Whitman and a warm, slightly poetic quality.

Emerson

• Origin: English
• Meaning: Son of Emery, son of the brave power
• Popularity: #139

The English surname carries an extraordinary American intellectual heritage through Ralph Waldo Emerson and a warm, philosophical quality.

Thoreau

• Origin: French
• Meaning: From Thor, of the thunder
• Popularity: >1000

The French-origin surname carries an extraordinary American literary heritage through Henry David Thoreau and a warm, slightly philosophical quality.

American Pioneer and Frontier Surnames

Crockett

• Origin: English/Irish
• Meaning: Hook-shaped object, possibly from crozier
• Popularity: >1000

The surname of the great American frontier hero Davy Crockett carries the specific spirit of American frontier mythology and the quality of someone who makes legend through action.

Boone

• Origin: English/French
• Meaning: Good, the good one
• Popularity: >1000

The surname of the great frontier explorer Daniel Boone carries the clean, simple meaning of goodness and the specific American frontier spirit of someone who goes first into the unknown.

Carson

• Origin: Irish
• Meaning: Son of Carr, son of the marsh dweller
• Popularity: #76

The surname of the great frontier scout Kit Carson has become a beloved first name in America, carrying both the frontier heritage and a warm, slightly adventurous quality.

Houston

• Origin: Scottish
• Meaning: Hugh’s town, settlement of Hugh
• Popularity: #297

The surname of Sam Houston the great Texas leader carries an extraordinary American historical heritage and a connection to the independent spirit that created Texas.

Bowie

• Origin: Scottish
• Meaning: Yellow, blond-haired
• Popularity: >1000

The surname of Jim Bowie the Alamo defender and David Bowie the great musician carries both an American frontier heritage and a contemporary musical one.

Travis

• Origin: French/English
• Meaning: Crossing, toll collector at a crossing
• Popularity: #205

The surname of William Barret Travis who commanded the Alamo has become a beloved first name in America, carrying both the frontier heritage and a warm, slightly Southern quality.

Austin

• Origin: Latin/English
• Meaning: Great, magnificent, from Augustine
• Popularity: #62

The surname of Stephen F. Austin the father of Texas has become one of the most beloved first names in America, carrying both the Texas heritage and a clean, warm quality.

Custer

• Origin: German/English
• Meaning: Uncertain, possibly coster or the cushion maker
• Popularity: >1000

The surname of General George Armstrong Custer carries a complex American military and frontier heritage.

Sheridan

• Origin: Irish
• Meaning: Seeker, searcher
• Popularity: >1000

The surname of Civil War General Philip Sheridan carries both a military heritage and a warm Irish quality.

Sherman

• Origin: English
• Meaning: Shear man, cloth cutter
• Popularity: >1000

The surname of Civil War General William Tecumseh Sherman carries both a military heritage and an occupational meaning.

American Cultural and Literary Surnames

Whitman

• Origin: English
• Meaning: White man, fair-haired
• Popularity: >1000

Already celebrated, Whitman carries the extraordinary American poetic heritage of Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass.

Emerson

• Origin: English
• Meaning: Son of Emery
• Popularity: #139

Already celebrated, Emerson carries the extraordinary American philosophical heritage of Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Hawthorne

• Origin: English
• Meaning: Hawthorn hedge, hawthorn tree
• Popularity: >1000

The surname of Nathaniel Hawthorne the great American novelist carries an extraordinary literary heritage and a warm, botanical quality.

Melville

• Origin: Scottish
• Meaning: From Melville, bad settlement
• Popularity: >1000

The surname of Herman Melville the great American novelist carries an extraordinary literary heritage through Moby Dick.

Faulkner

• Origin: English
• Meaning: Falconer, one who trains falcons
• Popularity: >1000

The surname of the great Southern American novelist William Faulkner carries an extraordinary literary heritage and a connection to the falconry tradition.

Fitzgerald

• Origin: Irish/French
• Meaning: Son of Gerald, son of the spear ruler
• Popularity: >1000

The surname of F. Scott Fitzgerald the great American novelist carries the extraordinary literary heritage of The Great Gatsby and the Jazz Age.

Hemingway

• Origin: English
• Meaning: Hemmings way, from Hemming’s path
• Popularity: >1000

The surname of Ernest Hemingway the great American novelist carries an extraordinary literary heritage and a clean, slightly masculine quality.

Steinbeck

• Origin: German
• Meaning: Stone brook, stony stream
• Popularity: >1000

The surname of John Steinbeck the great American novelist carries the extraordinary literary heritage of The Grapes of Wrath.

Kerouac

• Origin: French/Breton
• Meaning: From the fort, Breton origin
• Popularity: >1000

The surname of Jack Kerouac the great Beat Generation novelist carries the extraordinary literary heritage of On the Road.

Baldwin

• Origin: Germanic
• Meaning: Bold friend, brave companion
• Popularity: >1000

The surname of James Baldwin the great American writer carries an extraordinary literary and civil rights heritage.

Musical and Entertainment Surnames

Presley

• Origin: English
• Meaning: Priest’s clearing, priest’s meadow
• Popularity: #225

The surname of Elvis Presley the King of Rock and Roll carries an extraordinary musical heritage and has become a beloved first name carrying both musical and Southern American qualities.

Lennon

• Origin: Irish
• Meaning: Little cloak, dear little one
• Popularity: #379

The surname of John Lennon the great Beatle carries an extraordinary musical heritage and a warm, slightly rebellious quality.

Hendrix

• Origin: Germanic/Dutch
• Meaning: Son of Henry, son of the home ruler
• Popularity: #341

The surname of Jimi Hendrix the great guitarist carries an extraordinary musical heritage and a clean, modern quality.

Morrison

• Origin: Scottish
• Meaning: Son of Morris, son of the dark one
• Popularity: >1000

The surname of Jim Morrison the great Doors frontman carries an extraordinary musical heritage and a warm, slightly mysterious quality.

Jagger

• Origin: English
• Meaning: Carter, peddler, one who carries
• Popularity: >1000

The surname of Mick Jagger the great Rolling Stones frontman carries an extraordinary musical heritage and a clean, slightly rock-and-roll quality.

Bowie

• Origin: Scottish
• Meaning: Yellow, blond
• Popularity: >1000

Already celebrated, Bowie’s extraordinary musical legacy through David Bowie makes it one of the most culturally loaded musical surnames in rock history.

Cobain

• Origin: Irish
• Meaning: From Cobaine, the hollow
• Popularity: >1000

The surname of Kurt Cobain the great Nirvana frontman carries an extraordinary musical heritage and a clean, slightly melancholy quality.

Marley

• Origin: English
• Meaning: Meadow near the lake, pleasant wood
• Popularity: #407

The surname of Bob Marley the great reggae musician carries an extraordinary musical heritage and a warm, slightly reggae-inflected quality.

Cash

• Origin: English
• Meaning: Maker of chests, money box maker
• Popularity: >1000

The surname of Johnny Cash the great country musician carries an extraordinary musical heritage and a clean, slightly country quality.

Dylan

• Origin: Welsh
• Meaning: Son of the sea, born from ocean waves
• Popularity: #33

The surname of Bob Dylan, the great American singer-songwriter who took his name from the Welsh poet Dylan Thomas, carries an extraordinary musical and literary heritage.

Sports Surname Names

Jordan

• Origin: Hebrew
• Meaning: Descend, flow down, the Jordan River
• Popularity: #49

The surname of Michael Jordan the greatest basketball player of all time carries an extraordinary sporting heritage and has been one of the most beloved first names in America for decades.

Manning

• Origin: English
• Meaning: Son of the man, man’s son
• Popularity: >1000

The surname of the great Manning quarterback dynasty carries an extraordinary American football heritage.

Brady

• Origin: Irish
• Meaning: Broad-eyed, descendant of Brádach
• Popularity: #220

Already celebrated in the Irish section, Brady belongs here for its extraordinary sporting heritage through Tom Brady.

Gretzky

• Origin: Ukrainian/Polish
• Meaning: Greek, the Greek one
• Popularity: >1000

The surname of the great one Wayne Gretzky carries an extraordinary hockey heritage.

Ripken

• Origin: German
• Meaning: From Ripke, the Ripke family
• Popularity: >1000

The surname of Cal Ripken Jr. who played more consecutive games than anyone in baseball history carries an extraordinary sporting heritage of endurance.

Griffey

• Origin: English/Welsh
• Meaning: From Griffin, son of the griffin
• Popularity: >1000

The surname of Ken Griffey Jr. the great baseball player carries an extraordinary sporting heritage.

Kobe

• Origin: Japanese
• Meaning: From Kobe city, God’s gate
• Popularity: #430

The first name of the great basketball player Kobe Bryant, itself inspired by the Japanese city, has become one of the most beloved basketball-inspired names.

Curry

• Origin: Irish/English
• Meaning: From the marsh, the marsh one
• Popularity: >1000

The surname of Steph Curry the great basketball player carries a warm, slightly athletic quality and a connection to the modern era of basketball.

Lebron

• Origin: French
• Meaning: The dark one, the brown one
• Popularity: >1000

The name of LeBron James the great basketball player, itself a unique name, carries an extraordinary sporting heritage.

Shaquille

• Origin: Arabic
• Meaning: Handsome, well-formed
• Popularity: >1000

The name of Shaquille O’Neal the great basketball player carries both an Arabic meaning and an extraordinary American sporting heritage.

Presidential and Political Middle Names Now Used as First Names

Grover

• Origin: English
• Meaning: Grove of trees, the grove dweller
• Popularity: >1000

The name of President Grover Cleveland carries a warm, slightly vintage quality and a deep connection to the naturalistic naming tradition.

Warren

• Origin: Germanic/English
• Meaning: Animal park, warren of rabbits
• Popularity: #237

The name of President Warren G. Harding carries a warm, slightly outdoorsy quality and has been rising steadily as a first name.

Calvin

• Origin: Latin
• Meaning: Bald, hairless
• Popularity: #197

The name of President Calvin Coolidge carries a warm, slightly philosophical quality and a deep connection to the Reformed Protestant tradition.

Chester

• Origin: English
• Meaning: Roman fort, the fortress city
• Popularity: >1000

The name of President Chester A. Arthur carries a warm, slightly vintage quality and a deep connection to the Roman naming tradition.

Millard

• Origin: English
• Meaning: Mill guard, guardian of the mill
• Popularity: >1000

The name of President Millard Fillmore carries a warm, slightly unusual quality and a deep connection to the milling tradition.

Rutherford

• Origin: English
• Meaning: Cattle ford, river crossing for cattle
• Popularity: >1000

The name of President Rutherford B. Hayes carries a warm, slightly elaborate quality and a deep connection to the pastoral naming tradition.

Ulysses

• Origin: Latin/Greek
• Meaning: Wrathful, the one who hates
• Popularity: >1000

The name of President and Civil War General Ulysses S. Grant carries an extraordinary classical and military heritage.

Woodrow

• Origin: English
• Meaning: Row of trees, wooded lane
• Popularity: >1000

The name of President Woodrow Wilson carries a warm, slightly old-fashioned quality and a deep connection to the progressive era.

Chester

• Origin: English
• Meaning: Roman fort
• Popularity: >1000

Already celebrated, Chester carries the warm, slightly vintage quality of the presidential tradition.

Grover

• Origin: English
• Meaning: Grove of trees
• Popularity: >1000

Already celebrated, Grover carries the warm, naturalistic quality of the presidential tradition.

Contemporary American Surname Names

Easton

• Origin: English
• Meaning: East settlement, eastern town
• Popularity: #47

One of the most successfully rising surname first names, Easton carries a clean, directional quality and a warm, slightly outdoorsy character.

Weston

• Origin: English
• Meaning: West settlement, western town
• Popularity: #132

The western direction surname has become a beloved first name, carrying a warm, slightly frontier quality and a clean, directional character.

Colton

• Origin: English
• Meaning: Coal settlement, from the dark town
• Popularity: #112

A place-name surname that has become a beloved first name, Colton carries a warm, slightly country quality and a clean, modern sound.

Peyton

• Origin: English
• Meaning: Peacock town, fighter’s estate
• Popularity: #96

The place-name surname has become one of the most successfully cross-gender first names in America, carrying a warm, slightly sporty quality.

Grayson

• Origin: English
• Meaning: Son of Gray, son of the gray-haired one
• Popularity: #32

One of the most remarkably successful surname first names, Grayson has risen to the top fifty and carries a clean, modern quality with a warm patronymic heritage.

Benson

• Origin: English
• Meaning: Son of Benjamin, son of the right hand
• Popularity: #332

The patronymic surname has become a beloved first name in America, carrying a warm, slightly formal quality.

Anderson

• Origin: English/Scandinavian
• Meaning: Son of Andrew, son of the warrior
• Popularity: #323

The patronymic surname carrying the Andrew heritage has become a beloved first name with a clean, confident sound.

Henderson

• Origin: Scottish
• Meaning: Son of Henry, son of the home ruler
• Popularity: >1000

The Scottish patronymic carrying the Henry heritage, Henderson carries a warm, slightly formal quality.

Robertson

• Origin: Scottish/English
• Meaning: Son of Robert, son of the bright fame
• Popularity: >1000

The patronymic carrying the Robert heritage, Robertson carries a warm, slightly formal quality.

Patterson

• Origin: Scottish/English
• Meaning: Son of Patrick, son of the noble one
• Popularity: >1000

The patronymic carrying the Patrick heritage, Patterson carries a warm, slightly noble quality.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why are American last names becoming popular as first names?

A: American last names are becoming popular as first names for several interconnected reasons. They carry a quality of cool, confident authority that given names rarely possess from birth. They allow parents to honor family names, including mother’s maiden names, without using them in the traditional surname position. They often sound more distinctive than popular given names while remaining familiar enough to feel accessible. And they carry specific American cultural associations, whether presidential, literary, musical, or frontier, that connect children to particular aspects of the American story that parents find meaningful.

Q: What is the history of using surnames as first names in America?

A: The practice of using surnames as first names has deep roots in American history. Colonial families frequently gave children their mother’s maiden name as a middle or first name to preserve family connections and inheritance links. The practice of naming children after famous surnames, particularly presidential surnames like Washington, Lincoln, and Jefferson, goes back to the early republic. In the South, the tradition of giving children family surnames as first names was particularly strong and produced names like Ashley, Carter, and Savannah as first names long before they became nationally popular.

Q: Do surname first names work well for girls as well as boys?

A: Many American surname first names work beautifully across genders, and some have made extraordinarily successful transitions from primarily male to primarily female use or have become genuinely gender-neutral. Madison has become predominantly female while carrying its presidential heritage. Morgan works beautifully across genders. Quinn has become popular for both boys and girls. Bailey, Cameron, and Riley all work cross-gender. The surname naming tradition is one of the most gender-fluid areas of American naming, and parents should feel free to use surname names for daughters as readily as for sons.

Q: What makes some surnames work better as first names than others?

A: The surnames that work best as first names tend to share certain qualities. They are usually two syllables, giving them enough weight to stand on their own without being overwhelming. They have clear, confident sounds without awkward consonant combinations. They carry positive or at least neutral associations rather than negative cultural baggage. And they have some connection to American cultural heritage that gives them meaning beyond their sound. Surnames like Cooper, Carter, Mason, and Logan succeed because they meet all of these criteria simultaneously.

Q: Are there surname first names that are particularly rising right now?

A: According to the most recent SSA data, Grayson is one of the most remarkable risers, entering the top thirty-five. Easton has been climbing strongly. Hayes has been rising steadily. Bennett has been gaining momentum. Emerson has been one of the most successful surname first names for both genders. Among the presidential surnames, Lincoln has been rising consistently. In the sports category, names like Brady and Jordan continue to perform strongly. And the Irish-American surnames particularly Quinn and Casey have been among the more successful surname first name crossovers.

Conclusion

American last names that are gaining popularity as first names carry something genuinely valuable, the specific weight of American cultural heritage compressed into a form that works as a personal name. They carry presidents and pioneers, writers and musicians, craftsmen and settlers, the full sweep of the American story told through the names that American families have carried through generations. Whether you choose an occupational surname like Cooper or Mason, a presidential surname like Lincoln or Harrison, a geographical surname like Easton or Clayton, an Irish-American surname like Kennedy or Quinn, a Scottish-American surname like Logan or Cameron, a Welsh-American surname like Morgan or Owen, a literary surname like Emerson or Whitman, a musical surname like Lennon or Presley, a sporting surname like Jordan or Brady, or one of the contemporary rising surnames like Grayson or Bennett, you are giving your child a name that has already proven itself in the world. These names have been carried by remarkable people, attached to great places, and used by families who understood that what you call yourself matters. Take your time with this list, follow the historical threads that connect most deeply to your own heritage and aspiration, and trust that the right American surname name will find you.

Which surname is your favorite? I would love to hear in the comments below![