Unique Last Names: A Guide to Rare and Distinctive Surnames

Looking for a unique last name? Whether you're searching for inspiration for a fictional character, a new business name, or just curious about rare surnames, this list offers a comprehensive guide to distinctive and uncommon last names. This compilation delves into the origins, meanings, and cultural significance of each name, providing a rich tapestry of history and linguistic diversity.
1. **Abernathy:** A Scottish surname meaning "from the oak tree meadow."

2. **Ackerman:** A German surname meaning "field man."

3. **Ainsworth:** An English surname meaning "from the ash grove."

4. **Albright:** A German surname meaning "bright light."

5. **Aldridge:** An English surname meaning "old ridge."

6. **Amory:** A French surname meaning "love."

7. **Ancrum:** A Scottish surname meaning "valley of the oaks."

8. **Arden:** An English surname meaning "valley of the deer."

9. **Ashworth:** An English surname meaning "from the ash grove."

10. **Atwood:** An English surname meaning "at the wood."

11. **Balfour:** A Scottish surname meaning "beautiful farm."

12. **Barclay:** A Scottish surname meaning "birch grove."

13. **Barlow:** An English surname meaning "bare hill."

14. **Bassett:** An English surname meaning "from the low place."

15. **Beaumont:** A French surname meaning "beautiful mountain."

16. **Belmont:** A French surname meaning "beautiful mountain."

17. **Bennet:** An English surname meaning "son of Benedict."

18. **Bertram:** A German surname meaning "bright raven."

19. **Blackwood:** An English surname meaning "dark wood."

20. **Bledsoe:** An English surname meaning "from the place of the bleating sheep."

21. **Bloomfield:** An English surname meaning "field of flowers."

22. **Blythe:** An English surname meaning "joyful."

23. **Bolton:** An English surname meaning "settlement near a dwelling."

24. **Booth:** An English surname meaning "dwelling."

25. **Bourne:** An English surname meaning "brook."

26. **Bowden:** An English surname meaning "settlement by a bend in the river."

27. **Bracken:** An English surname meaning "fern."

28. **Brandon:** An English surname meaning "hill where broom grows."

29. **Bridgewater:** An English surname meaning "bridge over the water."

30. **Brightwell:** An English surname meaning "bright spring."

31. **Brinkley:** An English surname meaning "meadow by the edge of the wood."

32. **Broderick:** An English surname meaning "broad river."

33. **Browning:** An English surname meaning "from the place where brown (soil) is found."

34. **Buckingham:** An English surname meaning "buck's home."

35. **Burnett:** An English surname meaning "from the burnt place."

36. **Burton:** An English surname meaning "settlement near a fort."

37. **Calvert:** An English surname meaning "bald hill."

38. **Campbell:** A Scottish surname meaning "crooked mouth."

39. **Canterbury:** An English surname meaning "from the city of Canterbury."

40. **Carlisle:** An English surname meaning "castle by the lake."

41. **Carrington:** An English surname meaning "carriage road."

42. **Carson:** An English surname meaning "son of Car."

43. **Caswell:** An English surname meaning "from the well in the wood."

44. **Chalmers:** A Scottish surname meaning "chamber."

45. **Chapman:** An English surname meaning "merchant."

46. **Chatfield:** An English surname meaning "field of the chat (bird)."

47. **Cheever:** An English surname meaning "from the place where goats are kept."

48. **Chilton:** An English surname meaning "child's hill."

49. **Claremont:** A French surname meaning "clear mountain."

50. **Cleveland:** An English surname meaning "cliff by the wood."

51. **Cobb:** An English surname meaning "one who works with cobbles."

52. **Cole:** An English surname meaning "charcoal burner."

53. **Collier:** An English surname meaning "coal miner."

54. **Collins:** An English surname meaning "son of Colin."

55. **Compton:** An English surname meaning "settlement by the deep valley."

56. **Conway:** A Welsh surname meaning "bright valley."

57. **Cooke:** An English surname meaning "cook."

58. **Cooper:** An English surname meaning "barrel maker."

59. **Corbin:** An English surname meaning "raven."

60. **Cordova:** A Spanish surname meaning "cord maker."

61. **Cotswold:** An English surname meaning "sheepfold."

62. **Cromwell:** An English surname meaning "crooked meadow."

63. **Culver:** An English surname meaning "dove."

64. **Cunningham:** A Scottish surname meaning "from the long valley."

65. **Dabney:** An English surname meaning "from the valley of the Dane."

66. **Dalton:** An English surname meaning "from the dale."

67. **Darby:** An English surname meaning "deer."

68. **Davison:** An English surname meaning "son of David."

69. **Dawson:** An English surname meaning "son of David."

70. **Deering:** An English surname meaning "deer."

71. **Delaney:** An Irish surname meaning "descendant of the black knight."

72. **Devereaux:** A French surname meaning "deer grove."

73. **Dewitt:** An English surname meaning "white."

74. **Dodd:** An English surname meaning "son of Dodd."

75. **Donnelly:** An Irish surname meaning "descendant of the dark one."

76. **Dorsey:** An English surname meaning "from the place of the deer."

77. **Douglass:** An English surname meaning "dark glen."

78. **Drake:** An English surname meaning "dragon."

79. **Drayton:** An English surname meaning "from the town by the river."

80. **Dunlap:** A Scottish surname meaning "from the hill fort."

81. **Durham:** An English surname meaning "from the deer farm."

82. **Dyer:** An English surname meaning "one who dyes."

83. **Eames:** An English surname meaning "from the place where eagles nest."

84. **Eaton:** An English surname meaning "settlement at the river."

85. **Edgar:** An English surname meaning "wealthy spear."

86. **Edmonds:** An English surname meaning "son of Edmund."

87. **Edwards:** An English surname meaning "son of Edward."

88. **Eldridge:** An English surname meaning "old ridge."

89. **Emerson:** An English surname meaning "son of Emery."

90. **Emory:** An English surname meaning "powerful warrior."

91. **Erickson:** A Scandinavian surname meaning "son of Eric."

92. **Everett:** An English surname meaning "strong boar."

93. **Fairchild:** An English surname meaning "beautiful child."

94. **Farley:** An English surname meaning "meadow by the heath."

95. **Farrell:** An Irish surname meaning "descendant of the mighty warrior."

96. **Fawcett:** An English surname meaning "falcon."

97. **Felton:** An English surname meaning "from the farm."

98. **Ferguson:** A Scottish surname meaning "son of Fergus."

99. **Fidler:** An English surname meaning "fiddler."

100. **Finley:** An Irish surname meaning "fair hero."

101. **Fisher:** An English surname meaning "fisherman."

102. **Fitzgerald:** An Irish surname meaning "son of Gerald."

103. **Fitzpatrick:** An Irish surname meaning "son of Patrick."

104. **Fletcher:** An English surname meaning "arrow maker."

105. **Floyd:** An English surname meaning "grey."

106. **Forbes:** A Scottish surname meaning "fox's hill."

107. **Ford:** An English surname meaning "ford."

108. **Foreman:** An English surname meaning "leader of men."

109. **Foster:** An English surname meaning "one who nurses."

110. **Fowler:** An English surname meaning "bird catcher."

111. **Fox:** An English surname meaning "fox."

112. **Franklin:** An English surname meaning "free landowner."

113. **Fraser:** A Scottish surname meaning "strawberry."

114. **Frederick:** A German surname meaning "peaceful ruler."

115. **Freeman:** An English surname meaning "free man."

116. **French:** An English surname meaning "from France."

117. **Fuller:** An English surname meaning "one who fulls (dresses) cloth."

118. **Gage:** An English surname meaning "pledge."

119. **Gallagher:** An Irish surname meaning "bold warrior."

120. **Garrison:** An English surname meaning "fortified place."

121. **Gates:** An English surname meaning "one who makes gates."

122. **Gault:** An Irish surname meaning "greyhound."

123. **Gaylord:** An English surname meaning "gay lord."

124. **Gearhart:** A German surname meaning "spear heart."

125. **George:** A Greek surname meaning "farmer."

126. **Gibbs:** An English surname meaning "son of Gibb."

127. **Gibson:** An English surname meaning "son of Gilbert."

128. **Gilbert:** A German surname meaning "bright pledge."

129. **Giles:** A Greek surname meaning "goat."

130. **Gill:** An English surname meaning "brook."

131. **Gladstone:** An English surname meaning "from the place of the glade."

132. **Glover:** An English surname meaning "glove maker."

133. **Goddard:** An English surname meaning "god's gift."

134. **Goldsmith:** An English surname meaning "goldsmith."

135. **Goodwin:** An English surname meaning "good friend."

136. **Gordon:** A Scottish surname meaning "great hill."

137. **Graham:** A Scottish surname meaning "gravel."

138. **Grant:** A Scottish surname meaning "great."

139. **Graves:** An English surname meaning "one who lives by a grove."

140. **Gray:** An English surname meaning "grey."

141. **Green:** An English surname meaning "one who lives in a green place."

142. **Greer:** A Scottish surname meaning "watchful."

143. **Griffin:** An English surname meaning "strong."

144. **Griffith:** A Welsh surname meaning "strong lord."

145. **Guthrie:** A Scottish surname meaning "strong warrior."

146. **Haig:** A Scottish surname meaning "from the heath."

147. **Hale:** An English surname meaning "healthy."

148. **Hall:** An English surname meaning "hall."

149. **Hamilton:** A Scottish surname meaning "from the hill by the stream."

150. **Hammond:** An English surname meaning "home by the meadow."

151. **Hancock:** An English surname meaning "son of Hank."

152. **Harding:** An English surname meaning "hard forest."

153. **Hardy:** An English surname meaning "brave."

154. **Harlow:** An English surname meaning "hare's wood."

155. **Harper:** An English surname meaning "harp player."

156. **Harris:** An English surname meaning "son of Harry."

157. **Harrison:** An English surname meaning "son of Harry."

158. **Hart:** An English surname meaning "deer."

159. **Harvey:** An English surname meaning "brave warrior."

160. **Hastings:** An English surname meaning "from the place where the hawthorn grows."

161. **Hawkins:** An English surname meaning "son of Hawk."

162. **Hawthorne:** An English surname meaning "from the place where the hawthorn grows."

163. **Hayden:** An English surname meaning "from the heath."

164. **Hayes:** An English surname meaning "from the enclosure."

165. **Hazelton:** An English surname meaning "hazel wood."

166. **Heath:** An English surname meaning "from the heath."

167. **Henderson:** An English surname meaning "son of Henry."

168. **Hendricks:** An English surname meaning "son of Henry."

169. **Henry:** A German surname meaning "home ruler."

170. **Herbert:** A German surname meaning "bright army."

171. **Hewitt:** An English surname meaning "one who works with wood."

172. **Higgins:** An English surname meaning "son of Hugh."

173. **Hill:** An English surname meaning "one who lives on a hill."

174. **Hobbs:** An English surname meaning "son of Hob."

175. **Hodges:** An English surname meaning "son of Hodge."

176. **Hoffman:** A German surname meaning "court man."

177. **Holbrook:** An English surname meaning "hollow brook."

178. **Holden:** An English surname meaning "from the valley."

179. **Holland:** An English surname meaning "hollow valley."

180. **Holloway:** An English surname meaning "hollow way."

181. **Holmes:** An English surname meaning "from the elm grove."

182. **Holt:** An English surname meaning "wood."

183. **Hood:** An English surname meaning "hood."

184. **Hopkins:** An English surname meaning "son of Hopkin."

185. **Horne:** An English surname meaning "from the place by the horn."

186. **Horton:** An English surname meaning "from the farm."

187. **Howard:** An English surname meaning "brave guardian."

188. **Howell:** A Welsh surname meaning "noble."

189. **Hudson:** An English surname meaning "son of Hugh."

190. **Huffman:** A German surname meaning "court man."

191. **Hughes:** An English surname meaning "son of Hugh."

192. **Humphrey:** A German surname meaning "home protector."

193. **Hunt:** An English surname meaning "one who hunts."

194. **Hunter:** An English surname meaning "one who hunts."

195. **Hurst:** An English surname meaning "wood."

196. **Hutchinson:** An English surname meaning "son of Hutchins."

197. **Hyde:** An English surname meaning "from the hill."

198. **Ingram:** An English surname meaning "son of Ingram."

199. **Irvine:** A Scottish surname meaning "from the green valley."

200. **Jackson:** An English surname meaning "son of Jack."