Chase

I love this name, but of course I would, considering it's my last name. Did you know "Chase" means "hunt"? Of course, if you're hunting something you ARE chasing it... I still think this is a sweet last name OR first name. It doesn't seem hard to spell, but I guess my school spelled it as "Chace" on a form I had. My brother got HIS name spelled right, though... anyway, I can't name my kid this when I grow up, or he'd be Chase Chase.

Can also be a nickname for Charles.

Chase is a nickname turned surname and most recently given a given name, originating from the French word Chasseur, meaning "hunter". (Chasseur was derived from the Old French word Chacier, so variant spelling Chace is legitimate.) The name Chasseur was given to regiments of French light infantry and cavalry troops which were created in the mid 1700's. Before this time, it was used in light of hunting parties, and the name was strictly given to men, as women did not hunt. It is similar and comparable to English occupational surnames and also the name Jäger/Jagger, which is the German word for "hunter" and was also the name given to German light infantry around the same time Chasseur came into military use for the French.

I've always thought Chase is short for Charles, but I guess not.