Surname Names Names

Family names used as first names. Most began as one of four things: a father's name, a trade, a place, or a nickname — and the trade ones are the easiest to read centuries later.

Rankings for

265 names, most popular first in United States

Very Rare Rare Uncommon

Girls Boys Unisex

Cohen Cohen is a boy's name from the Hebrew word for priest, and a surname marking descent from the priestly line of ancient Israel.
Boy Hebrew #225 in US
Callahan Callahan is a unisex name of Irish origin, anglicized from Ó Ceallacháin.
Unisex Irish #227 in US
Mackenzie Mackenzie means son of Coinneach, and the missing sound is the point — the Gaelic ends in a soft ch that English cannot spell, so the anglicized ending was written as a z that was never pronounced as one.
Girl Scottish #228 in US
Grant Grant means tall or large, from a Norman French nickname — and it has nothing to do with granting or giving, which is a different word that arrived in English by a separate route.
Boy Scottish #228 in US
Palmer Palmer is a unisex name of English origin meaning a pilgrim, specifically one who had returned from the Holy Land carrying a palm frond as proof of the journey.
Unisex English #232 in US
Brody Brody is a boy's name of Scottish origin taken from a place near Forres in Moray.
Boy Scottish #236 in US
Warren Warren is a boy's name from a Norman place name, and it is the second-strongest revival we hold — it peaked in 1921 and now ranks 240th in the United States on 1,493 births, a century later.
Boy Norman #240 in US
Collins Collins is a unisex name with two separate origins. In Ireland it anglicizes Ó Coileáin, from a word for a young hound; in England it is a patronymic meaning son of Colin, itself a medieval pet form of Nicholas.
Unisex Irish #241 in US
Delaney Delaney names a river, not a challenger — the Irish behind it is the dark one of the Slaney, so the dark challenger gloss that appears everywhere online mistakes a place for a fight.
Girl Irish #242 in US
Ellis Ellis is a name of Hebrew origin meaning "the Lord is my God."
Unisex Hebrew #243 in US
Shepherd Shepherd is a boy's name of English origin, the occupational surname for someone who tended sheep.
Boy English #246 in US
Reagan Reagan means little king, and our data shows the opposite of what most people assume — American births more than halved during the first two years of Ronald Reagan's presidency and did not take off until a decade after he left office.
Unisex Irish #248 in US
Cade Cade is a boy's name of English origin taken from a medieval surname.
Boy English #248 in US
Lane Lane means a narrow way between hedges, and it is one of only two names in this sweep our data marks as rising — it peaked in 2019 and stands at 250th in the United States on 1,495 births.
Boy English #250 in US
Nash Nash is a boy's name of English origin meaning "at the ash tree".
Boy English #255 in US
Brandon Brandon is a boy's name from an English place name meaning broom-covered hill, often confused with the Irish Brendan.
Boy English #261 in US
Bowen Bowen is a boy's name of Welsh origin meaning "son of Owain".
Boy Welsh #266 in US
Karter Karter is a unisex name of English origin, a respelling of Carter, the occupational surname for someone who drove a cart.
Unisex English #270 in US
Benson Benson is a boy's name of English origin meaning "son of Ben", where Ben is a medieval short form of Benedict rather than of Benjamin.
Boy English #279 in US
Jensen Jensen is a Danish surname meaning son of Jens, now used as a given name for both boys and girls.
Unisex Danish #282 in US
Cash Cash is a boy's name of English origin meaning a maker of boxes or cases.
Boy English #287 in US
Lennox Lennox is a unisex name from a Scottish district whose name means "place of elm trees," and our data records it as unisex.
Unisex Scottish #289 in US
Reid Reid means red, and it is the Scots spelling of the color — a byname for someone with red hair or a ruddy complexion, which is why it charts across six markets that all had Scots settlement.
Boy Scottish #293 in US
Blake Blake is a name of Old English origin with two opposite meanings.
Boy English #296 in US
Holden Holden is a boy's name of English origin meaning "deep valley".
Boy English #297 in US
Clayton Clayton means the settlement on clay, from an English place name that describes the ground it stood on.
Boy English #300 in US
Remington Remington is a unisex name of English origin, a place name meaning the settlement by the boundary stream.
Unisex English #307 in US
Banks Banks is a boy's name of English origin meaning someone who lived by a slope or a riverbank.
Boy English #310 in US
Colson Colson is a boy's name of English origin meaning "son of Col", where Col is a medieval short form of Nicholas.
Boy English #311 in US
Brooke Brooke is a girl's name from the English word for a small stream.
Girl English #313 in US
Sullivan Sullivan is a boy's name of Irish origin, from Ó Súilleabháin.
Boy Irish #314 in US
Cody Cody is a boy's name of Irish origin, anglicising Ó Cuidighthigh, meaning "descendant of the helpful one."
Boy Irish #318 in US
Madisson Madisson is a girl's name of English origin, a respelling of Madison.
Girl English #319 in US
Casey Casey is a name of Irish origin meaning "vigilant" or "watchful."
Unisex Irish #320 in US
Brady Brady means descendant of Brádach, an Irish byname whose own meaning is not settled — spirited, large-chested and broad-eyed are all proposed, and none is established.
Boy Irish #321 in US
Marley Marley is a name of Old English origin meaning "boundary wood" or "pleasant meadow."
Unisex English #322 in US
Zane Zane peaked in 2018, later than almost any name in this group, and it entered American use as a surname — Zane Grey's westerns carried a family name that traces back to the founder of Zanesville, Ohio.
Boy American #324 in US
Paxton Paxton is a boy's name of English origin meaning "Pæcc's farmstead".
Boy English #338 in US
Emory Emory is a unisex name of Germanic origin, a variant of Emery.
Unisex English #339 in US
Marshall Marshall began as a stable hand — the word meant a horse servant, and it climbed to become the highest rank in several armies.
Boy English #340 in US
Teagan Teagan is a unisex name of Irish origin, usually derived from Tadhgán, a diminutive of Tadhg meaning "poet".
Unisex Irish #340 in US
Leighton Leighton is a unisex name of English origin meaning "herb garden settlement".
Unisex English #342 in US
Ryleigh Ryleigh is a girl's name of English origin, a modern respelling of Riley.
Girl English #343 in US
Russell Russell is a boy's name from a Norman nickname meaning little red, given to someone red-haired or ruddy.
Boy Norman #346 in US
Paige Paige is a girl's name from a medieval job title meaning a young male servant, and it reached women by way of a surname.
Girl English #346 in US
Wells Wells is a boy's name of English origin meaning someone who lived by a spring.
Boy English #347 in US
Sydney Sydney is a name from a French place name — Saint-Denis, contracted by English speakers — and the Australian city was named after a man who bore it.
Girl English #348 in US
Kade Kade is a boy's name of English origin, a modern respelling of Cade.
Boy English #349 in US

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A style is our reading of a name. A decade is the register — the names children were actually given, in order, with the counts.

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