Browse Names

Grier f & m English (Rare)
From a Scottish surname that was derived from the given name Gregor.

Grosvenor m English (Rare)
From an English surname that meant "great hunter" in Norman French.

Grover m English
From an English surname derived from Old English graf meaning "grove of trees". A famous bearer was the American president Grover Cleveland (1837-1908), who popularized the name in the United States at the end of the 19th century. The name is now associated with a muppet character from the children's television program Sesame Street.

Hadley f & m English
From an English surname that was derived from a place name meaning "heather field" in Old English.

Hale 2 m English
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "nook, retreat" from Old English healh.

Hall m English
From a surname that was derived from Old English heall "manor, hall", originally belonging to a person who lived or worked in a manor.

Hallam m English (Rare)
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning either "at the rocks" or "at the nook" in Old English.

Hamilton m English
From a Scottish and English surname that was derived from Old English hamel "crooked, mutilated" and dun "hill". The surname was originally taken from the name of a town in Leicestershire, England (which no longer exists). A famous bearer of the surname was Alexander Hamilton (1755-1804), a founding father of the United States who was killed in a duel with Aaron Burr.

Hammond m English (Rare)
From an English surname that was derived from either the Norman given name Hamo or the Old Norse given name Hámundr.

Harding m English
From an English surname that was derived from the Old English given name Heard. A famous bearer of the surname was American president Warren G. Harding (1865-1923).

Hardy 1 m English
From a surname that was derived from Middle English hardi "bold, hardy".

Harlan m English
From a surname that was from a place name meaning "hare land" in Old English. In America it has sometimes been given in honour of Supreme Court justice John Marshall Harlan (1833-1911).

Harland m English
From a surname that was a variant of Harlan.

Harley m & f English
From an English surname that was derived from a place name, itself from Old English hara "hare" or hær "rock, heap of stones" and leah "woodland, clearing". An American name for boys since the 19th century, it began to be used for girls after a character with the name began appearing on the soap opera Guiding Light in 1987.

Harlow f & m English
From an English surname derived from a place name, itself derived from Old English hær "rock, heap of stones" or here "army", combined with hlaw "hill". As a name for girls, it received some attention in 2008 when the American celebrity Nicole Richie used it for her daughter.

Harmon m English
From a surname that was derived from the given name Herman.

Harper f & m English
From an English surname that originally belonged to a person who played or made harps (Old English hearpe). A notable bearer was the American author Harper Lee (1926-2016), who wrote To Kill a Mockingbird. It rapidly gained popularity in the 2000s and 2010s, entering the American top ten for girls in 2015.

Harris m English
From an English surname that was derived from the given name Harry.

Harrison m English
From an English surname that meant "son of Harry". This was the surname of two American presidents, William Henry Harrison (1773-1841) and his grandson Benjamin Harrison (1833-1901). As a given name it reached a low point in America in 1977 before it was revived by the career of actor Harrison Ford (1942-), who starred in such movies as Star Wars in 1977 and Indiana Jones in 1984.

Hartley m & f English (Rare)
From an English surname that was derived from a place name, itself from Old English heorot "hart, male deer" and leah "woodland, clearing".

Hayden m & f English
From an English surname that was derived from place names meaning either "hay valley" or "hay hill", derived from Old English heg "hay" and denu "valley" or dun "hill". Its popularity at the end of the 20th century was due to the sound it shared with other trendy names of the time, such as Braden and Aidan.

Haydn m English (British)
From a German surname meaning "heathen". It is used in honour of the Austrian composer Joseph Haydn (1732-1809).

Hayes m English
From a surname, either Hayes 1 or Hayes 2. It was borne by American president Rutherford B. Hayes (1822-1893).

Haywood m English
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "fenced wood" in Old English.

Heath m English
From an English surname that denoted one who lived on a heath. It was popularized as a given name by the character Heath Barkley from the 1960s television series The Big Valley.

Hedley m English (Rare)
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "heather clearing" in Old English.

Henderson m English
From a Scottish surname meaning "son of Henry".

Hendrix m English (Modern)
From a Dutch surname that was derived from the given name Hendrik. A famous bearer of the surname was the American rock musician Jimi Hendrix (1942-1970).

Holden m English (Modern)
From a surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "deep valley" in Old English. This is the name of the main character in J. D. Salinger's novel The Catcher in the Rye (1951), Holden Caulfield.

Hollis m & f English
From an English surname that was derived from Middle English holis "holly trees". It was originally given to a person who lived near a group of those trees.

Houston m English
From a Scottish surname meaning "Hugh's town". The original Houston is in Scotland near Glasgow, but this is also the name of a city in Texas, named after the Texas president Sam Houston (1793-1863).

Howard m English
From an English surname that can derive from several different sources: the Anglo-Norman given name Huard, which was from the Germanic name Hughard; the Anglo-Scandinavian given name Haward, from the Old Norse name Hávarðr; or the Middle English term ewehirde meaning "ewe herder". This is the surname of a British noble family, members of which have held the title Duke of Norfolk from the 15th century to the present. A famous bearer of the given name was the American industrialist Howard Hughes (1905-1976).

Hoyt m English
From an English surname that was derived from Middle English hoit "stick", originally a nickname for a thin person.

Hudson m English
From an English surname meaning "son of Hudde". A famous bearer of the surname was the English explorer Henry Hudson (1570-1611).

Hugo m Spanish, Portuguese, English, Dutch, German, French, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Germanic
Old German form of Hugh. As a surname it has belonged to the French author Victor Hugo (1802-1885), the writer of The Hunchback of Notre-Dame and Les Misérables.

Hunter m & f English
From an English occupational surname for a hunter, derived from Old English hunta. A famous bearer was the eccentric American journalist Hunter S. Thompson (1937-2005).

Huxley m English (Modern)
From an English surname that was derived from the name of a town in Cheshire. The final element is Old English leah "woodland, clearing", while the first element might be hux "insult, scorn". A famous bearer of the surname was the British author Aldous Huxley (1894-1963).

Ike m English
Diminutive of Isaac. This was the nickname of the American president Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890-1969), based on the initial sound of his surname.

Ingram m Germanic, English (Rare)
Germanic name composed of either the element angil, from the name of the Germanic tribe of the Angles, or engil meaning "angel" combined with hram meaning "raven". This name was brought to England by the Normans, though it died out after the medieval era. These days it is usually inspired by the surname that was derived from the medieval name.

Irvin m English
From a surname that is a variant of either Irving or Irwin.

Irvine m English, Scottish
From a surname that was a variant of Irving.

Irving m English, Jewish
From a Scottish surname that was derived from the town of Irvine in North Ayrshire, itself named for the River Irvine, which is derived from Brythonic elements meaning "green water". Historically this name has been relatively common among Jews, who have used it as an American-sounding form of Hebrew names beginning with I such as Isaac, Israel and Isaiah. A famous bearer was the Russian-American songwriter and lyricist Irving Berlin (1888-1989), whose birth name was Israel Beilin.

Irwin m English
From an English surname that was derived from the Old English given name Eoforwine.

Jackson m English
From an English surname meaning "son of Jack". A famous bearer of the surname was American president Andrew Jackson (1767-1845).

Jagger m English (Modern)
From an English surname meaning "carter, peddler". It is used as a given name in honour of the British musician Mick Jagger (1943-), the lead vocalist of the Rolling Stones.

Jameson m English
From an English surname meaning "son of James".

Jamison m English
From an English surname meaning "son of James".

Jarrett m English
From a surname that was a variant of Garrett.

Jarvis m English
From an English surname that was derived from the given name Gervais.

Jay 1 m English
Short form of names beginning with the sound J, such as James or Jason. It was originally used in America in honour of founding father John Jay (1749-1825), whose surname was derived from the jaybird.

Jefferson m English
From an English surname meaning "son of Jeffrey". It is usually given in honour of Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), the third president of the United States and the primary author of the Declaration of Independence.

Jensen m English (Modern)
From a Danish surname meaning "son of Jens".

Jepson m English (Rare)
From an English surname that meant "son of Jep".

Jervis m English (Rare)
From a surname that was a variant of Jarvis.

Jewel f & m English
In part from the English word jewel, a precious stone, derived from Old French jouel, which was possibly related to jeu "game". It is also in part from the surname Jewel or Jewell (a derivative of the Breton name Judicaël), which was sometimes used in honour of the 16th-century bishop of Salisbury John Jewel. It has been in use as a given name since the 19th century.

Jocelyn f & m English, French
From a Frankish masculine name, variously written as Gautselin, Gauzlin, along with many other spellings. It was derived from the Germanic element *gautaz, which was from the name of the Germanic tribe the Geats, combined with a Latin diminutive suffix. The Normans brought this name to England in the form Goscelin or Joscelin, and it was common until the 14th century. It was revived in the 20th century primarily as a feminine name, perhaps an adaptation of the surname Jocelyn (a medieval derivative of the given name). In France this is a masculine name only.

Johnson m English (African)
From an English surname meaning "son of John". As a given name, it is most common in English-speaking Africa.

Jones m English
From the English and Welsh surname, itself derived from the given name John.

Jordan m & f English, French, Macedonian, Serbian
From the name of the river that flows between the countries of Jordan and Israel. The river's name in Hebrew is יַרְדֵן (Yarḏen), and it is derived from יָרַד (yaraḏ) meaning "descend, flow down". In the New Testament John the Baptist baptizes Jesus Christ in its waters, and it was adopted as a personal name in Europe after crusaders brought water back from the river to baptize their children. There may have been some influence from the Latin name Jordanes, notably borne by a 6th-century Gothic historian.... [more]

Joyce f & m English
From the medieval masculine name Josse, which was derived from the earlier Iudocus, which was a Latinized form of the Breton name Judoc meaning "lord". The name belonged to a 7th-century Breton saint, and Breton settlers introduced it to England after the Norman Conquest. It became rare after the 14th century, but was later revived as a feminine name, perhaps because of similarity to the Middle English word joise "to rejoice". This given name also became a surname, as in the case of the Irish novelist James Joyce (1882-1941).

Judd m English, Medieval English
Medieval diminutive of Jordan. Modern use of this name is inspired by the surname that was derived from the medieval name.

Justice m & f English
From an occupational surname meaning "judge, officer of justice" in Old French. This name can also be given in direct reference to the English word justice.

Kane m English (Modern)
From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Ó Catháin, derived from the given name Cathán.

Kean m English (Rare)
From an Irish surname, a variant of Kane.

Keane m English (Modern)
From an Irish surname, a variant of Kane.

Keaton m English (Modern)
From an English surname that was derived from a few different place names (see the surname Keaton).

Keefe m English (Rare)
From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Ó Caoimh, derived from the given name or byname Caomh.

Keegan m English
From an Irish surname, the Anglicized form of Irish Gaelic Mac Aodhagáin, which was derived from the given name Aodhagán, a double diminutive of Aodh.

Keith m English, Scottish
From a Scottish surname that was originally derived from the name of a place in East Lothian, itself possibly derived from the Celtic root *kayto- meaning "wood". This was the surname of a long line of Scottish nobles. It has been used as a given name since the 19th century, becoming fairly common throughout the English-speaking world in the 20th century.

Kellen m English (Modern)
Possibly from a German surname, itself derived from Middle Low German kel "swampy area". This name began to be used in the United States in the early 1980s after the American football player Kellen Winslow (1957-) began his professional career.

Kelly m & f Irish, English
Anglicized form of the Irish given name Ceallach or the surname derived from it Ó Ceallaigh. As a surname, it has been borne by actor and dancer Gene Kelly (1912-1996) and actress and princess Grace Kelly (1929-1982).... [more]

Kelsey f & m English
From an English surname that is derived from town names in Lincolnshire. It may mean "Cenel's island", from the Old English name Cenel "fierce" in combination with eg "island".

Kemp m English (Rare)
From a surname derived from Middle English kempe meaning "champion, athlete, warrior".

Kendal m & f English (Modern)
From a surname that was a variant of Kendall.

Kendall m & f English
From an English surname that comes from the name of the city of Kendale in northwestern England meaning "valley on the river Kent". Originally mostly masculine, the name received a boost in popularity for girls in 1993 when the devious character Kendall Hart began appearing on the American soap opera All My Children.

Kendrick m English
From a surname that has several different origins. It could be from the Old English given names Cyneric "royal power" or Cenric "bold power", or from the Welsh name Cynwrig "chief hero". It can also be an Anglicized form of the Gaelic surname Mac Eanraig meaning "son of Henry".... [more]

Kennard m English (Rare)
From a surname that was derived from the Old English given names Cyneweard or Cyneheard.

Kennedy f & m English, Irish
From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Irish Gaelic Ó Cinnéidigh, itself derived from the given name Cennétig. The name has sometimes been given in honour of assassinated American president John F. Kennedy (1917-1963). It was popularized as a name for girls by Lisa Kennedy Montgomery (1972-), known simply as Kennedy, the host of the television program Alternative Nation on MTV from 1992 to 1997.

Kent m English
From a surname that was originally derived from Kent, the name of a county in England, which may be derived from a Brythonic word meaning "coastal district".

Kenton m English
From a surname that was derived from an English place name meaning either "town on the River Kenn" or "royal town" in Old English.

Kenyon m English
From a surname that was derived from an English place name, of uncertain meaning.

Kermit m English
From a rare (Americanized) Manx surname, a variant of the Irish surname Mac Diarmada, itself derived from the given name Diarmaid. This was the name of a son of Theodore Roosevelt born in 1889. He was named after a relative of his mother, Robert Kermit. The name is now associated with Kermit the Frog, a Muppet created by puppeteer Jim Henson in 1955.

Kiefer m English (Modern)
From a German surname meaning either "pine tree" or "barrel maker".

Kimball m English
From a surname that was derived from either the Welsh given name Cynbel or the Old English given name Cynebald.

King m English
From the English vocabulary word king, ultimately derived from Old English cyning. This was also a surname, derived from the same source, a famous bearer being the American civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968).

Kingsley m & f English (Modern)
From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "king's wood" in Old English. This name may have received a minor boost in popularity after the release of the 2007 movie Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, featuring the character Kingsley Shacklebolt.

Kingston m English (Modern)
From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "king's town" in Old English. This name rose significantly on the popularity charts after musicians Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale used it for their son born 2006.

Kipling m English (Rare)
From an English surname that was from a place name meaning "Cyppel's people". The surname was borne by Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936), a British novelist born in India who wrote The Jungle Book and other works.

Kirby m & f English
From an English surname that was originally from a place name meaning "church settlement" in Old Norse. This name briefly spiked in popularity for American girls in 1982 after the character Kirby Anders Colby was introduced to the soap opera Dynasty.

Kirk m English
From an English and Scottish surname meaning "church" from Old Norse kirkja, ultimately from Greek κυριακόν (kyriakon). A famous bearer was American actor Kirk Douglas (1916-2020), whose birth name was Issur Danielovitch.

Knox m English
From a Scots surname that was derived from various places named Knock, from Gaelic cnoc "round hill". It jumped in popularity after the actors Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt had a baby by this name in 2008.

Kyle m English
From a Scottish surname that was derived from various place names, themselves from Gaelic caol meaning "narrows, channel, strait". As a given name it was rare in the first half of the 20th century. It rose steadily in popularity throughout the English-speaking world, entering the top 50 in most places by the 1990s. It has since declined in all regions.

Kyler m English (Modern)
Probably a blend of the sounds of Kyle and Tyler. It also coincides with the surname Kyler, an Anglicized form of Dutch Cuyler.

Kynaston m English (Rare)
From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "Cynefrið's town" in Old English.

Lacy f & m English
From a surname that was derived from Lassy, the name of a town in Normandy. The name of the town was Gaulish in origin, perhaps deriving from a personal name that was Latinized as Lascius. Formerly more common for boys in America, this name began to grow in popularity for girls in 1975.

Laird m English (Rare)
From a Scottish surname meaning "landowner" in Scots.

Lamar m English, African American
From a French and English surname, originally from a place name in Normandy, which was derived from Old French la mare meaning "the pool". In the second half of the 20th century this name has been well-used in the African-American community, probably because of its popular phonetic components la and mar.

Lamont m English, African American
From a Scottish surname that was derived from the medieval Gaelic given name Lagmann, itself from Old Norse lǫgmaðr meaning "law man". This name reached a peak in its American popularity in 1972, the same year that the sitcom Sanford and Son debuted, featuring the character Lamont Sanford (the titular son).

Landon m English
From a surname that was derived from an Old English place name meaning "long hill" (effectively meaning "ridge"). Use of the name may have been inspired in part by the actor Michael Landon (1936-1991).

Lane m English
From an English surname, meaning "lane, path", which originally belonged to a person who lived near a lane.

Lanford m English (Rare)
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "long ford" in Old English.

Langdon m English (Rare)
From a surname that was a variant of the surname Landon.

Langston m English
From an English surname, itself from a place name, derived from Old English lang "long" and stan "stone". A famous bearer was the American author Langston Hughes (1901-1967).

Laverne f & m English
From a French surname that was derived from a place name, ultimately from the Gaulish word vern "alder". It is sometimes associated with the Roman goddess Laverna or the Latin word vernus "of spring".

Lawrence m English
Variant of Laurence 1. This spelling of the name is now more common than Laurence in the English-speaking world, probably because Lawrence is the usual spelling of the surname. The surname was borne by the author and poet D. H. Lawrence (1885-1930), as well as the revolutionary T. E. Lawrence (1888-1935), who was known as Lawrence of Arabia.

Lawson m English
From an English surname meaning "son of Laurence 1".

Layton m English
From a surname that was originally derived from the name of English towns meaning "town with a leek garden" in Old English. Like similar-sounding names such as Peyton and Dayton, this name began rising in popularity in the 1990s.

Lee m & f English
From a surname that was derived from Old English leah meaning "clearing". The surname belonged to Robert E. Lee (1807-1870), commander of the Confederate forces during the American Civil War. In his honour, it has been used as a given name in the American South. It is common as a middle name.

Leigh f & m English
From a surname that was a variant of Lee.

Leith m & f English (Rare)
From a surname, originally from the name of a Scottish town (now a district of Edinburgh), which is derived from Gaelic lìte "wet, damp". It is also the name of the river that flows though Edinburgh.

Leland m English
From a surname, originally from an English place name, which meant "fallow land" in Old English. A famous bearer was the politician, businessman and Stanford University founder Leland Stanford (1824-1893).

Lemoine m English (Rare)
From a French surname meaning "the monk" in French.

Lennon m & f English (Modern)
From an Irish surname, derived from the Irish byname Leannán meaning "lover". The surname was borne by musician and Beatle member John Lennon (1940-1980), and it may be used as a given name in his honour. In America it is now more common as a feminine name, possibly inspired in part by the singer Lennon Stella (1999-), who began appearing on the television series Nashville in 2012.

Lennox m & f English (Modern)
From a Scottish surname that was derived from the name of a district in Scotland. The district, called Leamhnachd in Gaelic, possibly means "place of elms". This name steadily rose in popularity in the 2000s, at the same time as the similar-sounding (but unrelated) names Lennon and Knox.

Lenox m English (Rare)
From a surname that was a variant of Lennox.

Leslie f & m English
From a Scottish surname that was derived from a place in Aberdeenshire, probably from Gaelic leas celyn meaning "garden of holly". It has been used as a given name since the 19th century. In America it was more common as a feminine name after the 1940s.

Lester m English
From an English surname that was derived from the name of the city of Leicester, originally denoting a person who was from that place. The city's name is derived from the river name Ligore combined with Latin castra "camp".

Lewin m English (Rare)
From an English surname that was derived from the given name Leofwine.

Lewis m English
Medieval English form of Louis. A famous bearer was Lewis Carroll (1832-1898), the author of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. This was also the surname of C. S. Lewis (1898-1963), the author of the Chronicles of Narnia series.

Leyton m English (Modern)
From a surname that was a variant of Layton.

Lincoln m English
From an English surname that was originally from the name of an English city, called Lindum Colonia by the Romans, derived from Brythonic lindo "lake, pool" and Latin colonia "colony". This name is usually given in honour of Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), president of the United States during the American Civil War.

Linden m & f English
From a German and Dutch surname that was derived from Old High German linta meaning "linden tree".

Lindon m English (Rare)
From a surname that was a variant of Lyndon.

Lindsay f & m English
From an English and Scottish surname that was originally derived from the name of the eastern English region of Lindsey, which means "Lincoln island" in Old English. As a given name it was typically masculine until the 1960s (in Britain) and 70s (in America) when it became popular for girls, probably due to its similarity to Linda and because of American actress Lindsay Wagner (1949-).

Linford m English (Rare)
From a surname that was originally taken from place names meaning either "flax ford" or "linden tree ford" in Old English.

Linton m English
From a surname that was originally from place names meaning either "flax town" or "linden tree town" in Old English.

Linwood m English
From an English surname that was originally from a place name meaning "stream forest" in Old English.

Lloyd m English
From a Welsh surname that was derived from llwyd meaning "grey". The composer Andrew Lloyd Webber (1948-) is a famous bearer of this name.

Logan m & f English
From a Scottish surname that was originally derived from a place in Ayrshire meaning "little hollow" (from Gaelic lag "hollow, pit" combined with a diminutive suffix). This name started slowly rising on the American popularity charts in the mid-1970s, perhaps partly inspired by the movie Logan's Run (1976). The comic book character Wolverine, alias Logan, was also introduced around the same time.... [more]

London f & m English (Modern)
From the name of the capital city of the United Kingdom, the meaning of which is uncertain. As a surname it was borne by the American author Jack London (1876-1916).

Lovel m English (Rare)
From a surname that was a variant of Lowell.

Lovell m English
From a surname that was a variant of Lowell.

Lowell m English
From an English surname that was derived from a Norman French nickname, from lou "wolf" and a diminutive suffix. The surname was borne by American poet and satirist James Russell Lowell (1819-1891).

Luther m English
From a German surname, itself derived from the Old German given name Leuthar. The surname was borne by Martin Luther (1483-1546), a monk and theologian who started the Protestant Reformation by nailing his famous 95 theses to a church door. It has since been used as a given name in his honour, especially among Protestants. A notable bearer from the modern era was the American civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968).

Lyall m English (Rare)
From a Scottish surname that was derived from the Old Norse given name Liulfr (which was derived in part from úlfr "wolf").

Lyle m English
From an English surname that was derived from Norman French l'isle meaning "island".

Lyndon m English
From an English surname that was derived from a place name meaning "linden tree hill" in Old English. A famous bearer was American president Lyndon B. Johnson (1908-1973).

Lynn f & m English
From an English surname that was derived from Welsh llyn meaning "lake". Before the start of the 20th century it was primarily used for boys, but it has since come to be more common for girls. In some cases it may be thought of as a short form of Linda or names that end in lyn or line.

Macaulay m English (British)
From a Scottish surname, an Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Amhalghaidh, itself derived from Amhalghadh, a given name of unknown meaning. A famous bearer of the surname was Thomas Babington Macaulay (1800-1861), a British Whig politician and noted historian. The given name is borne by the American former child actor Macaulay Culkin (1980-), who was named after the British politician.

Mack 1 m English
From a surname, originally a shortened form of various Irish and Scottish surnames beginning with Mac or Mc (from Irish mac meaning "son"). It is also used as a generic slang term for a man.

Mackenzie f & m English
From a Scottish surname, an Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Coinnich, itself derived from the given name Coinneach. As a feminine given name it was popularized by the American actress Mackenzie Phillips (1959-), especially after she began appearing on the television comedy One Day at a Time in 1975. In the United Kingdom it is more common as a masculine name.

Maddox m English (Modern)
From a Welsh surname meaning "son of Madoc". It was brought to public attention when the actress Angelina Jolie gave this name to her adopted son in 2002.

Madison f & m English
From an English surname meaning "son of Maud". It was not commonly used as a feminine name until after the movie Splash (1984), in which the main character adopted it as her name after seeing a street sign for Madison Avenue in New York City. It was ranked second for girls in the United States by 2001. This rise from obscurity to prominence in only 18 years represents an unprecedented 550,000 percent increase in usage.... [more]

Maitland m & f English (Rare)
From an English surname that was from a Norman French place name possibly meaning "inhospitable".

Major m English
From an English surname that was originally derived from the given name Mauger, a Norman French form of the Germanic name Malger meaning "council spear". The name can also be given in reference to the English word major.

Malone m & f English (Rare)
From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Ó Maoil Eoin meaning "descendant of a disciple of Saint John".

Manley m English
From an English surname, originally a place name, meaning "common clearing" in Old English.

Mansel m English (Rare)
From an English surname that originally referred to a person who came from the French city of Le Mans.

Marion 2 m English
From a French surname that was derived from Marion 1. This was the real name of American actor John Wayne (1907-1979), who was born Marion Robert Morrison.

Marley f & m English (Modern)
From an English surname that was taken from a place name meaning either "pleasant wood", "boundary wood" or "marten wood" in Old English. A famous bearer of the surname was the Jamaican musician Bob Marley (1945-1981).

Marlowe f & m English (Modern)
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "remnants of a lake" in Old English. A famous bearer of the surname was the English playwright Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593).

Marshall m English
From an English surname that originally denoted a person who was a marshal. The word marshal originally derives from Latin mariscalcus, itself from Germanic roots akin to Old High German marah "horse" and scalc "servant". A famous bearer is the American rapper Marshall Mathers (1972-), who performs under the name Eminem.

Marvin m English, German, Dutch
From an English surname that was derived from the Welsh given name Merfyn or the Old English name Mærwine. As an American given name, it steadily rose in popularity through the beginnings of the 20th century and peaked in the early 1930s (closely mirroring the similar-sounding but unrelated name Melvin). A famous bearer was the American musician Marvin Gaye (1939-1984).

Mason m English
From an English surname (or vocabulary word) meaning "stoneworker", derived from an Old French word of Frankish origin (akin to Old English macian "to make"). In the United States this name began to increase in popularity in the 1980s, likely because of its fashionable sound. It jumped in popularity after 2009 when Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick gave it to their son, as featured on their reality show Keeping Up with the Kardashians in 2010. It peaked as the second most popular name for boys in 2011.

Masterman m English (Rare)
From an English surname that originally belonged to a person who worked as a servant.

Maverick m English
Derived from the English word maverick meaning "independent". The word itself is derived from the surname of a 19th-century Texas rancher who did not brand his calves.

Maxwell m English
From a Scottish surname meaning "Mack's stream", from the name Mack, a short form of the Scandinavian name Magnus, combined with Old English wille "well, stream". A famous bearer of the surname was James Maxwell (1831-1879), a Scottish physicist who studied gases and electromagnetism.... [more]

Maynard m English
From an English surname that was derived from the Old German given name Meginhard.

McKinley f & m English
From a Scottish surname, an Anglicized form of Mac Fhionnlaigh, from the given name Fionnlagh. A famous bearer of the surname was the American president William McKinley (1843-1901).... [more]

Meade m & f English (Rare)
From an English surname that indicated one who lived on a meadow (from Middle English mede) or one who sold or made mead (an alcoholic drink made from fermented honey; from Old English meodu).

Melville m English
From a Scots surname that was originally from a Norman French place name Malleville meaning "bad town". A famous bearer of the surname was the American author Herman Melville (1819-1891), who wrote several novels including Moby-Dick.

Melvin m English, Swedish
From a Scots surname that was a variant of Melville. This name has been used in America since the 19th century. It became popular in the early 20th century and reached a peak in the late 1920s, but has steadily declined since then (closely mirroring the similar-sounding but unrelated names Marvin and Alvin).

Meredith m & f Welsh, English
From the Welsh name Maredudd or Meredydd, from Old Welsh forms such as Margetud, possibly from mawredd "greatness, magnificence" combined with iudd "lord". The Welsh forms of this name were well used through the Middle Ages. Since the mid-1920s it has been used more often for girls than for boys in English-speaking countries, though it is still a masculine name in Wales. A famous bearer of this name as surname was the English novelist and poet George Meredith (1828-1909).

Meriwether m English (Rare)
From a surname meaning "happy weather" in Middle English, originally belonging to a cheery person. A notable bearer of the name was Meriwether Lewis (1774-1809), who, with William Clark, explored the west of North America.

Merle m & f English, Estonian
From the English word merle or the French surname Merle, which both mean "blackbird" (from Latin merula). It was borne by the devious character Madame Merle (in fact her surname) in Henry James' novel The Portrait of a Lady (1880).... [more]

Merrick m English (Modern)
From a Welsh surname that was originally derived from the given name Meurig.

Merrill m English
From an English surname that was derived either from the given name Muriel or from place names meaning "pleasant hill".

Merritt m & f English
From an English surname, originally from a place name, which meant "boundary gate" in Old English.

Merton m English
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "town on a lake" in Old English.

Milburn m English
From an English surname that was from a place name meaning "mill stream" in Old English.

Milford m English
From an English surname that was originally derived from various place names all meaning "ford by a mill" in Old English.

Millard m English
From an occupational English surname meaning "guardian of the mill" in Old English.

Miller m & f English
From an English occupational surname for a miller, derived from Middle English mille "mill".

Milton m English, Spanish (Latin American)
From an English surname that was derived from a place name meaning "mill town" in Old English. A famous bearer of the surname was John Milton (1608-1674), the poet who wrote Paradise Lost.

Mitchell m English
From an English surname, itself derived from the given name Michael or in some cases from Middle English michel meaning "big, large".

Monroe m & f English
From a Scottish surname meaning "from the mouth of the Roe". The Roe is a river in Northern Ireland. Two famous bearers of the surname were American president James Monroe (1758-1831) and American actress Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962).... [more]

Montague m English (Rare)
From an aristocratic English surname meaning "sharp mountain", from Old French mont agu. In Shakespeare's tragedy Romeo and Juliet (1596) this is the surname of Romeo and his family.

Montgomery m English
From an English surname meaning "Gumarich's mountain" in Norman French. A notable bearer of this surname was Bernard Montgomery (1887-1976), a British army commander during World War II.

Morley m English (Rare)
From a surname that was originally from an Old English place name meaning "marsh clearing".

Mortimer m English
From an English surname that was derived from the name of a town in Normandy, itself meaning "dead water, still water" in Old French.

Morton m English
From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "moor town" in Old English.

Munro m English (Rare)
From a surname that was a variant of Monroe.

Munroe m & f English (Rare)
From a surname that was a variant of Monroe.

Murphy m & f English
From a common Irish surname, the Anglicized form of Irish Gaelic Ó Murchadha, itself derived from the given name Murchadh. As a given name, it has been borne by female characters on the American television series Murphy Brown (1988-1998) and the movie Interstellar (2014).

Murray m Scottish, English
From a surname, which is either Scottish or Irish in origin (see Murray 1 and Murray 2).

Napier m English (Rare)
From an English and Scots surname meaning "linen keeper" in Middle English, from Old French nappe "table cloth".

Nash m English (Modern)
From an English surname that was derived from the Middle English phrase atten ash "at the ash tree". A famous bearer of the surname was the mathematician John Nash (1928-2015).... [more]

Neely m & f English (Rare)
From a Scottish surname, an Anglicized and reduced form of Gaelic Mac an Fhilidh (or McNeilly) meaning "son of the poet".

Nelson m English, Spanish
From an English surname meaning "son of Neil". It was originally given in honour of the British admiral Horatio Nelson (1758-1805). His most famous battle was the Battle of Trafalgar, in which he destroyed a combined French and Spanish fleet, but was himself killed. Another notable bearer was the South African statesman Nelson Mandela (1918-2013). Mandela's birth name was Rolihlahla; as a child he was given the English name Nelson by a teacher.

Neville m English (British)
From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "new town" in Norman French. As a given name it is chiefly British and Australian.

Newton m English
From a surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "new town" in Old English. A famous bearer of the surname was the English physicist Isaac Newton (1643-1727).

Niles m English
From an English surname that was derived from the given name Neil.

Nixon m English (Modern)
From an English surname meaning "son of Nick". It was borne by the American president Richard Nixon (1913-1994).

Noble m English
From an English surname meaning "noble, high-born". The name can also be given in direct reference to the English word noble.

Nolan m English, French (Modern)
From an Irish surname, the Anglicized form of Ó Nualláin, itself derived from the given name Nuallán. The baseball player Nolan Ryan (1947-) is a famous bearer. This name has climbed steadily in popularity since the 1970s.

Norris m English
From an English surname, either Norris 1 or Norris 2.

Norton m English
From a surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "north town" in Old English.

Norwood m English
From a surname that was originally taken from a place name meaning "north wood" in Old English.

Nowell m English (Rare)
From the surname Nowell (a variant of Noel).

Oakley m & f English
From an English surname that was from various place names meaning "oak clearing" in Old English. A famous bearer of the surname was the American sharpshooter Annie Oakley (1860-1926).

Odell m & f English
From an English surname that was originally from a place name, itself derived from Old English wad "woad" (a plant that produces a blue dye) and hyll "hill".

Ogden m English (Rare)
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "oak valley" in Old English. A famous bearer was the humorous American poet Ogden Nash (1902-1971).

Ormond m English (Rare)
From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Irish Gaelic Ó Ruaidh, derived from the given name Ruadh.

Orrell m English (Rare)
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "ore hill" in Old English.

Osborn m English
Derived from the Old English elements os "god" and beorn "warrior, man". During the Anglo-Saxon period there was also a Norse cognate Ásbjǫrn used in England, and after the Norman Conquest the Norman cognate Osbern was introduced. It was occasionally revived in the 19th century, in part from a surname that was derived from the given name.

Osborne m English
From a surname that was a variant of Osborn.

Osbourne m English (Rare)
From a surname that was a variant of Osborn.

Osmond m English (Rare)
From the Old English elements os "god" and mund "protection". During the Anglo-Saxon period a Norse cognate Ásmundr was also used in England, and another version was imported by the Normans. Saint Osmund was an 11th-century Norman nobleman who became an English bishop. Though it eventually became rare, it was revived in the 19th century, in part from a surname that was derived from the given name.

Otis m English
From an English surname that was derived from the medieval given name Ode, a cognate of Otto. In America it has been used in honour of the revolutionary James Otis (1725-1783).

Pace m English (Rare)
From an English surname that was derived from the Middle English word pace meaning "peace".

Pacey m & f English (Rare)
From an English surname that was derived from the French place name Pacy, itself derived from Gaulish given name of unknown meaning.

Paden m English (Rare)
From a surname, itself probably a derivative of the given name Pate, a short form of Patrick. It was an obscure given name in America until 1985, when it appeared in the western movie Silverado. Its modest usage after that can probably be attributed to the fact that it ends in the popular den sound found in more-popular names such as Braden, Hayden and Aidan.

Page m & f English
From a surname that was a variant of Paige.

Paget f & m English (Rare)
From a French and English surname that meant "little page" (see Paige).

Palmer m & f English
From an English surname meaning "pilgrim". It is ultimately from Latin palma "palm tree", since pilgrims to the Holy Land often brought back palm fronds as proof of their journey.

Parker m & f English
From an English occupational surname that meant "keeper of the park".

Parris m & f English (Rare)
From an English surname that originally denoted a person who came from the French city of Paris (see Paris 2).

Parry m English (Rare)
From a Welsh surname that was derived from ap Harry meaning "son of Harry".

Patton m English (Rare)
From an English surname that was derived from a diminutive of Patrick. A notable bearer of the surname was the American World War II general George S. Patton (1885-1945), who played an important part in the allied offensive in France.

Paxton m English (Modern)
From an English surname that was derived from a place name meaning "Pœcc's town". Pœcc is an Old English given name of unknown meaning.

Percy m English
From an English surname that was derived from the name of a Norman town Perci, which was itself perhaps derived from a Gaulish given name that was Latinized as Persius. The surname was borne by a noble English family, and it first used as a given name in their honour. A famous bearer was Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822), an English romantic poet whose works include Adonais and Ozymandias. This name can also be used as a short form of Percival.

Perry m English
From a surname that is either English or Welsh in origin. It can be derived from Middle English perrie meaning "pear tree", or else from Welsh ap Herry, meaning "son of Herry". A famous bearer of the surname was Matthew Perry (1794-1858), the American naval officer who opened Japan to the West.

Peyton f & m English
From an English surname, originally a place name meaning "Pæga's town". This was a rare masculine name until the 1990s. In 1992 it was used for a female character in the movie The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, and, despite the fact that it was borne by the villain, the name began to rise in popularity for girls as well as boys.... [more]

Phillip m English
Variant of Philip, inspired by the usual spelling of the surname.

Pierce m English
From an English surname that was derived from the given name Piers. In America this name slowly started to grow in popularity in 1982 when actor Pierce Brosnan (1953-) began starring on the television series Remington Steele.

Porter m English
From an occupational English surname meaning "doorkeeper", ultimately from Old French porte "door", from Latin porta.

Presley f & m English
From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "priest clearing" (Old English preost and leah). This surname was borne by musician Elvis Presley (1935-1977).

Preston m English
From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "priest town" (Old English preost and tun).

Price m English
From a Welsh surname that was derived from ap Rhys meaning "son of Rhys".

Purdie m & f English (Rare)
From an English surname that was derived from the Norman French expression pur die "by God". It was perhaps originally a nickname for a person who used the oath frequently.

Quincy m & f English
From an English surname that was derived (via the place name Cuinchy) from the personal name Quintus. A famous bearer was John Quincy Adams (1767-1848), sixth president of the United States, who was born in the town of Quincy, Massachusetts. Both the town and the president were named after his maternal great-grandfather John Quincy (1689-1767). Another notable bearer is the American musician Quincy Jones (1933-).

Quinlan m & f English (Rare)
From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Ó Caoindealbháin, itself from the given name Caoindealbhán (Old Irish Caíndelbán).

Quinn m & f English
From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Irish Gaelic Ó Cuinn, itself derived from the given name Conn. In the United States it was more common as a name for boys until 2010, the year after the female character Quinn Fabray began appearing on the television series Glee.

Quinton m English
Variant of Quentin, also coinciding with an English surname meaning "queen's town" in Old English.

Radcliff m English (Rare)
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "red cliff" in Old English.

Radclyffe m English (Rare)
From a surname, a variant of Radcliff.

Raeburn m English (Rare)
From a Scottish surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "stream where deer drink" (from Scots rae "roe deer" and burn "stream"). A famous bearer of the surname was Scottish portrait painter Henry Raeburn (1756-1823).

Rafferty m English
From an Irish surname, itself derived from the given name Rabhartach meaning "flood tide".

Raine f & m English (Rare)
From a surname derived from the Old French nickname reine meaning "queen". A famous bearer was the British socialite Raine Spencer (1929-2016), the stepmother of Princess Diana. In modern times it is also considered a variant of Rain 1.

Raleigh m & f English
From an English surname that was derived from a place name meaning either "red clearing" or "roe deer clearing" in Old English. A city in North Carolina bears this name, after the English courtier, poet and explorer Walter Raleigh (1552-1618).

Ramsey m & f English
From an English and Scottish surname that was derived from a place name meaning "garlic island" in Old English.

Rand m English
Short form of Randolf and other names beginning with Rand. As a surname (also derived from Randolf), it was borne as a pen name by the Russian-American author Ayn Rand (1905-1982).

Randall m English
From an English surname that was derived from the medieval given name Randel.

Read m English (Rare)
From a surname that was a variant of Reed.

Reagan f & m English (Modern)
From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Ó Riagáin, derived from the given name Riagán. This surname was borne by American actor and president Ronald Reagan (1911-2004).... [more]

Rearden m English (Rare)
From an Irish surname, a variant of Riordan.

Reed m English
From an English surname that was derived from Old English read meaning "red", originally a nickname given to a person with red hair or a ruddy complexion. Unconnected, this is also the English word for tall grass-like plants that grow in marshes.

Reid m English
From a surname, a Scots variant of Reed.

Reilly m & f English (Modern)
From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Ó Raghailligh, derived from the given name Raghailleach, meaning unknown.

Remington m & f English
From an English surname that was derived from the name of the town of Rimington in Lancashire, itself meaning "settlement on the Riming stream". It may be given in honour of the American manufacturer Eliphalet Remington (1793-1861) or his sons, founders of the firearms company that bears their name.

Rhett m English
From a surname, an Anglicized form of the Dutch de Raedt, derived from raet "advice, counsel". Margaret Mitchell used this name for the character Rhett Butler in her novel Gone with the Wind (1936).

Ridge m English (Modern)
From the English vocabulary word denoting a continuous elevated mountain crest, or from the English surname derived from the word.

Ridley m & f English (Rare)
From an English surname that was originally derived from various place names meaning either "reed clearing" or "stripped clearing" in Old English.

Rigby m English (Rare)
From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "ridge farm" in Old Norse.

Riley m & f English
From a surname that comes from two distinct sources. As an Irish surname it is a variant of Reilly. As an English surname it is derived from a place name meaning "rye clearing" in Old English.... [more]

Riordan m English (Rare)
From an Irish surname (Anglicized from Irish Gaelic Ó Ríoghbhárdáin), which was derived from the given name Rígbarddán.

Ripley f & m English (Rare)
From a surname that was derived from the name of various English towns, from Old English rippel "grove, thicket" and leah "clearing". A famous fictional bearer is the character Ellen Ripley (usually only called by her surname) from the Alien series of movies, beginning 1979.

Robinson m English (Rare)
From an English surname that was a patronymic form of the given name Robin. This is the name of the main character in Daniel Defoe's novel Robinson Crusoe (1719), about a sailor shipwrecked on a remote island.

Rodney m English
From an English surname, originally derived from a place name, which meant "Hroda's island" in Old English (where Hroda is an Old English given name meaning "fame"). It was first used as a given name in honour of the British admiral Lord Rodney (1719-1792).

Romilly m & f English (British, Rare)
From an English surname that was derived from the name of various Norman towns, themselves from the given name Romilius.

Roosevelt m English
From a Dutch surname meaning "rose field". This name is often given in honour of American presidents Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919) or Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945).

Roscoe m English
From an English surname, originally derived from a place name, itself derived from Old Norse rá "roebuck" and skógr "wood, forest".

Ross m Scottish, English
From a Scottish and English surname that originally indicated a person from a place called Ross (such as the region of Ross in northern Scotland), derived from Gaelic ros meaning "promontory, headland". A famous bearer of the surname was James Clark Ross (1800-1862), an Antarctic explorer.

Roswell m English
From a surname that was derived from an Old English place name meaning "horse spring".

Rowan m & f Irish, English (Modern)
Anglicized form of the Irish name Ruadhán. As an English name, it can also be derived from the surname Rowan, itself derived from the Irish given name. It could also be given in reference to the rowan tree, a word of Old Norse origin (coincidentally sharing the same Indo-European root meaning "red" with the Irish name).

Royce m English
From an English surname that was derived from the medieval given name Royse, a variant of Rose.

Roydon m English (Rare)
From a surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "rye hill", from Old English ryge "rye" and dun "hill".

Royle m English (Rare)
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "rye hill" from Old English ryge "rye" and hyll "hill".

Royston m English (British)
From a surname that was originally taken from an Old English place name meaning "town of Royse". The given name Royse was a medieval variant of Rose.

Russell m English
From an English surname, of Norman origin, meaning "little red one" (a diminutive of Old French rous "red"). A notable bearer of the surname was the agnostic British philosopher Bertrand Russell (1872-1970), who wrote on many subjects including logic, epistemology and mathematics. He was also a political activist for causes such as pacifism and women's rights.... [more]

Ryan m English
From a common Irish surname, the Anglicized form of Ó Riain. This patronymic derives from the given name Rian, which is of uncertain meaning. It is traditionally said to mean "little king", from Irish rí "king" combined with a diminutive suffix.... [more]

Ryder m English (Modern)
From an English occupational surname derived from Old English ridere meaning "mounted warrior" or "messenger". It has grown in popularity in the 2000s because it starts with the same sound found in other popular names like Ryan and Riley.

Ryker m English (Modern)
Possibly a variant of the German surname Riker, a derivative of Low German rike "rich". As a modern English name, it has become popular because it shares the same trendy sounds found in other names such as Ryan and Ryder.

Ryland m English (Modern)
From an English surname, which was originally derived from a place name meaning "rye land" in Old English.

Sacheverell m English (Rare)
From a now extinct English surname that was derived from a Norman place name. It was occasionally given in honour of the English preacher Henry Sacheverell (1674-1724), especially by the Sitwell noble family.

Sampson 2 m English
From an English surname that was itself derived from a medieval form of the given name Samson.

Sandford m English (Rare)
From a surname that was a variant of Sanford.

Sanford m English
From an English surname, originally from a place name, which meant "sand ford" in Old English.

Santana f & m Spanish (Latin American), Portuguese (Brazilian), English (Modern)
From a contraction of Santa Ana (referring to Saint Anna) or from a Spanish and Portuguese surname derived from any of the numerous places named for the saint. It can be given in honour of the Mexican-American musician Carlos Santana (1947-), the founder of the band Santana. The name received a boost in popularity for American girls after the character Santana Andrade began appearing on the soap opera Santa Barbara in 1984.

Satchel m English (Rare)
From an English surname derived from Old English sacc meaning "sack, bag", referring to a person who was a bag maker. A famous bearer was the American baseball player Satchel Paige (1906-1982). In his case it was a childhood nickname acquired because he sold bags.

Sawyer m & f English (Modern)
From an English surname meaning "sawer of wood". Mark Twain used it for the hero in his novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876).... [more]

Saxon m English (Rare)
From an English surname that was derived from the name of the Germanic tribe the Saxons, ultimately deriving from the Germanic word *sahsą meaning "knife". This name can also be given in direct reference to the tribe.

Schuyler m & f English
From a Dutch surname meaning "scholar". Dutch settlers brought the surname to America, where it was subsequently adopted as a given name in honour of the American general and senator Philip Schuyler (1733-1804).

Scott m English, Scottish
From an English and Scottish surname that referred to a person from Scotland or a person who spoke Scottish Gaelic. It is derived from Latin Scoti meaning "Gael, Gaelic speaker", with the ultimate origin uncertain.

Sefton m English (Rare)
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "town in the rushes" in Old English.

Selby m & f English (Rare)
From an English surname that was from a place name meaning "willow farm" in Old Norse.

Selwyn m English (Rare)
From a surname that was originally derived from an Old English given name, which was formed of the elements sele "manor" and wine "friend".

Seward m English
From an English surname, either Seward 1 or Seward 2.

Seymour m English
From a Norman surname that originally belonged to a person coming from the French town of Saint Maur (which means "Saint Maurus").

Shaw m English (Rare)
From a surname. As an English surname it is derived from Old English sceaga meaning "thicket". As a Scottish surname it is derived from the Gaelic byname Sitheach meaning "wolf".

Sheard m English (Rare)
From a surname that was originally from a place name meaning "gap between hills" in Old English.

Shelby m & f English
From an English surname, which was possibly a variant of Selby. Though previously in use as a rare masculine name, it was popularized as a feminine name by the main character in the movie The Woman in Red (1935). It was later reinforced by the movie Steel Magnolias (1989) in which Julia Roberts played a character by this name.

Sheldon m English
From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "valley with steep sides" in Old English. Sheldon is the name of several locations in England.

Shelley f & m English
From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "clearing on a bank" in Old English. Two famous bearers of the surname were Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822), a romantic poet whose works include Adonais and Ozymandias, and Mary Shelley (1797-1851), his wife, the author of the horror story Frankenstein. As a feminine given name, it came into general use after the 1940s.

Shelton m English
From a surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "shelf town" in Old English.

Shepherd m English
From an English occupational surname meaning "sheep herder, shepherd".

Sheridan m & f English
From an Irish surname (Anglicized from Irish Gaelic Ó Sirideáin), which was derived from the given name Sirideán possibly meaning "searcher".

Sherman m English
From an English surname meaning "shear man", originally denoting a person who cut cloth. Famous bearers of the surname include American politician Roger Sherman (1721-1793) and American Civil War general William Tecumseh Sherman (1820-1891).

Sherwood m English
From an English place name (or from a surname that was derived from it) meaning "bright forest". This was the name of the forest in which the legendary outlaw Robin Hood made his home.

Shirley f & m English
From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "bright clearing" in Old English. This is the name of a main character in Charlotte Brontë's semi-autobiographical novel Shirley (1849). Though the name was already popular in the United States, the child actress Shirley Temple (1928-2014) gave it a further boost. By 1935 it was the second most common name for girls.