115+ *Totally Underused* Last Names As First Names

Searching for baby names, and love the classic vibe of last names as first names? 

Last names as first names are such a great, strong choice for baby boys – and more recently – as baby girl names, too. 

From some of the more common last names as first names, like Jackson, Oliver and Henry that have been widely used for years, to super rare names like Copeland and Burke, there’s something for everyone on this list. 

So, kick up your feet, mama, put on those fuzzy socks, and let’s dig in to the list. 

 

Popular Last Names as First Names

These last names as first names are a great, safe bet. They’re well-loved, popular, and you can almost be certain you won’t have deal with mispronunciations.

These are last names as first names that are in, or just outside of, the top 100 most popular baby names in the US (as per Social Security data, 2021) – 

Cooper

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: barrel maker
• Popularity: #68

Hunter

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: one who hunts, pursuer
• Popularity: #86

Jackson

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: son of Jack
• Popularity: #14

Brooks

• Origin: German, English
• Meaning: water or small stream
• Popularity: #77

Hudson

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: son of Hugh
• Popularity: #34

Everett

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: brave, or strong boar
• Popularity: #82

Oliver

• Origin: Old Norse
• Meaning: from the olive tree
• Popularity: #3

Henry

• Origin: French
• Meaning: ruler of the house
• Popularity: #9

Weston

• Origin: British
• Meaning: from the Western town
• Popularity: #95

Miles

• Origin: origin
• Meaning: mean
• Popularity: #54

Wyatt

• Origin: origin
• Meaning: mean
• Popularity: #29

Connor

• Origin: Gaelic
• Meaning: lover of hounds
• Popularity: #97

Carter

• Origin: Irish, Scottish, English
• Meaning: one who transports goods by cart
• Popularity: #39

Harrison

• Origin: Germanic
• Meaning: son of Harry
• Popularity: #120

Walker

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: to walk or to tread; one who cleanses cloth
• Popularity: #129

Rare Last Names as First Names

These are last names as first names that are outside of the top 1000 most popular baby names:

Henderson

• Origin: Germanic
• Meaning: son of Henry
• Popularity: > 1000

Oakes

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: one who lives by the oak tree
• Popularity: > 1000

Olson

• Origin: Scandinavian
• Meaning: son of Olaf
• Popularity: > 1000

Campbell

• Origin: Gaelic
• Meaning: crooked mouth
• Popularity: > 1000

Perry

• Origin: British
• Meaning: one who dwells by the pear tree
• Popularity: >  1000

Powell

• Origin: Welsh
• Meaning: son of Hywel
• Popularity: > 1000

West

• Origin: English, German
• Meaning: from the west
• Popularity: > 1000

Smith

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: to hit or strike; or one who works with metal
• Popularity: > 1000

Cole

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: victory of the people
• Popularity: > 1000

Meyer

• Origin: Hebrew
• Meaning: bringer of light, or shining
• Popularity: > 1000

Hayes

• Origin: British
• Meaning: hedged area
• Popularity: > 1000

Dixon

• Origin: English
• Meaning: son of Richard
• Popularity: > 1000

Burke

• Origin: German, Old English
• Meaning: from the fortified settlement
• Popularity: > 1000

Mills

• Origin: Old English, Gaelic
• Meaning: one who grinds, or lives near the mills
• Popularity: > 1000

Beck

• Origin: Germanic, Hebrew
• Meaning: brook or stream
• Popularity: > 1000

Fuller

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: one who works with wool; treats wool with the process called fulling
• Popularity: > 1000

Wolfe

• Origin: Old German
• Meaning: referring to the wolf (animal)
• Popularity: > 1000

Pearson

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: son of Piers
• Popularity: > 1000

Hartley

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: deer meadow
• Popularity: > 1000

Rhodes

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: where roses grow, also a Greek island
• Popularity: > 1000

Doyle

• Origin: Gaelic
• Meaning: dark foreigner
• Popularity: > 1000

Potter

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: maker of pots
• Popularity: > 1000

Shelton

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: from the enclosure with a ledge
• Popularity: > 1000

Caldwell

• Origin: Old Englis
• Meaning: cold stream
• Popularity: >1000

Copeland

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: bought land
• Popularity: > 1000

Reilly

• Origin: Irish
• Meaning: courageous
• Popularity: > 1000

Sloane

• Origin: Irish
• Meaning: raider or warrior
• Popularity: > 1000

Jennings

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: little John, son of John
• Popularity: > 1000

Peterson

• Origin: Scandinavian
• Meaning: Peter’s son
• Popularity: > 1000

Mercer

• Origin: Old French
• Meaning: merchant
• Popularity: > 1000

Sutherland

• Origin: Scottish, Old Norse
• Meaning: from the Scottish county of Sutherland, or southern land
• Popularity: > 1000

Dempsey

• Origin: Gaelic
• Meaning: proud
• Popularity: > 1000

Redmond

• Origin: English
• Meaning: red haired defender
• Popularity: > 1000

Noble

• Origin: Irish, British, Scottish
• Meaning: aristocratic
• Popularity: > 1000

Wiley

• Origin: Scottish 
• Meaning: resolute protector
• Popularity: > 1000

Greer

• Origin: Scottish
• Meaning: alert, watchful
• Popularity: > 1000

Ellison

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: son of Ellis
• Popularity: > 1000

Connolly

• Origin: Irish, Gaelic
• Meaning: as fierce as a hound 
• Popularity: > 1000

Patton

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: fighter’s town
• Popularity: > 1000

Vaughn

• Origin: Welsh
• Meaning: small
• Popularity: > 1000

Bauer

• Origin: German
• Meaning: peasant or farmer
• Popularity: > 1000

Abbott

• Origin: Hebrew
• Meaning: father
• Popularity: > 1000

Becker

• Origin: German, Dutch, Norse
• Meaning: baker of bread, or one who lives by the stream
• Popularity: > 1000

Unique Last Names as First Names

These are names that are within the top 1000, but outside of the top 100. 

Harris

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: son of Harry
• Popularity: #996

Jensen 

• Origin: Scandinavian
• Meaning: son of Jan; God is gracious
• Popularity: #303

Jones

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: son of John; or God is gracious; or Jehovah has favored
• Popularity: #913

Palmer

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: pilgrim to the holy land; or he who holds the palm
• Popularity: #990

Anderson

• Origin: Scandinavian, Greek
• Meaning: son of Andrew
• Popularity: #328

Miller

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: one who grinds grain
• Popularity: #591

Taylor

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: cutter of cloth
• Popularity: #643

Baker

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: one who bakes
• Popularity: #449

Lewis

• Origin: Latin, French, Gaelic
• Meaning: renowned warrior
• Popularity: #487

Fisher

• Origin: Old English, German
• Meaning: fisherman
• Popularity: #875

Grey

• Origin: British
• Meaning: a color between black and white
• Popularity: #716

Watson

• Origin: Old English, Scottish
• Meaning: son of Walter
• Popularity: #596

Wells

• Origin: Welsh, Old English
• Meaning: spring
• Popularity: #479

Ford

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: river crossing
• Popularity: #439

Porter

• Origin: French, English
• Meaning: gatekeeper
• Popularity: #441

Elliott

• Origin: Hebrew
• Meaning: the Lord is my God
• Popularity: #169

Jensen

• Origin: Scandinavian
• Meaning: God is gracious
• Popularity: #303

Lane

• Origin: English
• Meaning: path or roadway
• Popularity: #261

Benson

• Origin: origin
• Meaning: mean
• Popularity: #585

Sutton

• Origin: origin
• Meaning: mean
• Popularity: #541

Fletcher

• Origin: origin
• Meaning: mean
• Popularity: #655

Shepherd 

• Origin: origin
• Meaning: mean
• Popularity: #528

Cain

• Origin: origin
• Meaning: mean
• Popularity: #956

Heath

• Origin: English
• Meaning: someone who lived by a moor or heath
• Popularity: #958

Banks

• Origin: English
• Meaning: one who lives on the hillside or riverbank
• Popularity: #503

Nash

• Origin: English
• Meaning: by the ash tree
• Popularity: #233

Tanner

• Origin: English
• Meaning: one who tans leather, leather worker
• Popularity: #358

Sawyer

• Origin: English
• Meaning: woodcutter, one who works with a saw
• Popularity: #114

Tate

• Origin: Old Norse
• Meaning: cheerful
• Popularity: #305

Vance

• Origin: English, Irish
• Meaning: one who lives near the marshland
• Popularity: #943

Bentley

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: meadow with the coarse grass
• Popularity: #151

Hayden

• Origin: Old English, German
• Meaning: of the hay fields, or fire
• Popularity: #176

Crosby

• Origin: Scandinavian
• Meaning: at the cross
• Popularity: #932

Hendrix

• Origin: German
• Meaning: ruler of the home
• Popularity: #275

Archer

• Origin: Latin, English
• Meaning: bowman
• Popularity: #138

Oakley

• Origin: English
• Meaning: meadow of oak trees
• Popularity: #403

Emery

• Origin: British
• Meaning: industrious, power
• Popularity: #764

Tatum

• Origin: English
• Meaning: cheerful, full of spirit
• Popularity: #385

Wilder

• Origin: English, German
• Meaning: a wild, free or natural state of existence
• Popularity: #368

Otto

• Origin: German
• Meaning: wealth, prosperity
• Popularity: #336

Grady

• Origin: Irish
• Meaning: noble
• Popularity: #428

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