Not Common Last Names: Discover Unique and Rare Surnames

Looking for a unique last name that sets you apart? Explore this comprehensive list of not common last names, delving into their origins and meanings. Whether you're seeking inspiration for a fictional character or simply curious about the diverse tapestry of surnames, this collection offers a fascinating glimpse into the history and culture behind these rare appellations.
1. **Abernathy:** From the Gaelic "Abhainn" (river) and "ath" (ford), meaning "river ford".
2. **Ainsworth:** Meaning "worth near the ash tree", combining the Old English words "æsc" (ash tree) and "worth" (farm).
3. **Alston:** Derived from the Old English "ælf" (elf) and "stān" (stone), meaning "elf stone".
4. **Amory:** A variant of "Amherst," likely from a place name meaning "moorland near the ash tree".
5. **Arden:** An English place name meaning "valley of the arduin" (a type of wild flower).
6. **Ashcroft:** Meaning "ash tree field", combining the Old English words "æsc" (ash tree) and "croft" (field).
7. **Atherton:** Originating from the Old English "æþer" (noble) and "tūn" (farm), meaning "noble farm".
8. **Barclay:** Derived from the Old English "beorclea" (birch clearing), meaning "clearing where birch trees grow".
9. **Barlowe:** Meaning "hill fort", combining the Old English "beorg" (hill) and "hlaw" (fort).
10. **Bassett:** Likely derived from the Old English "bast" (coarse cloth) or "bæse" (low-lying land), meaning "maker of coarse cloth" or "dweller by the low-lying land".
11. **Beauchamp:** From the Old French "beau" (beautiful) and "champ" (field), meaning "beautiful field".
12. **Bedford:** A place name meaning "ford by a stream", combining the Old English "bedd" (stream) and "ford" (ford).
13. **Belmont:** From the Italian "bel" (beautiful) and "monte" (mountain), meaning "beautiful mountain".
14. **Berkeley:** Meaning "birch clearing", derived from the Old English "beorclea" (birch clearing).
15. **Bingham:** A place name meaning "dweller by the meadow", combining the Old English "bīn" (meadow) and "hām" (dwelling).
16. **Blackburn:** Meaning "black stream", combining the Old English "blæc" (black) and "burn" (stream).
17. **Blackwood:** Meaning "black wood", combining the Old English "blæc" (black) and "wud" (wood).
18. **Blakeley:** A variant of "Blackley", likely from the Old English "blæc" (black) and "lēah" (meadow), meaning "black meadow".
19. **Bledsoe:** Derived from the Old English "blēds" (blood) and "hūs" (house), meaning "house of the blood".
20. **Blythe:** Meaning "joyful", from the Old English "blithe" (joyful).
21. **Bolingbroke:** A place name meaning "farm by the brook", combining the Old English "bōl" (dwelling) and "brōc" (brook).
22. **Bolton:** Meaning "farm on a hill", combining the Old English "bōl" (dwelling) and "tūn" (farm).
23. **Bonham:** A place name meaning "dwelling of the builders", combining the Old English "bōn" (builder) and "hām" (dwelling).
24. **Boswell:** From the Old English "bōs" (dwelling) and "well" (spring), meaning "dwelling by the spring".
25. **Bowden:** Meaning "dwelling on the hill", combining the Old English "bōg" (bend) and "dun" (hill).
26. **Bradley:** Meaning "broad meadow", combining the Old English "brād" (broad) and "lēah" (meadow).
27. **Bradshaw:** Meaning "broad meadow", combining the Old English "brād" (broad) and "sceadu" (shade).
28. **Brentwood:** Meaning "burnt wood", combining the Old English "brent" (burnt) and "wud" (wood).
29. **Bridgewater:** A place name meaning "bridge over the water", combining the Old English "brycg" (bridge) and "wæter" (water).
30. **Briggs:** Meaning "dweller by the bridge", derived from the Old English "brycg" (bridge).
31. **Brinkerhoff:** From the Dutch "brink" (edge) and "hof" (court), meaning "court on the edge".
32. **Brock:** Meaning "badger", from the Old English "brocc" (badger).
33. **Brooks:** Meaning "dweller by the stream", derived from the Old English "brōc" (brook).
34. **Burnett:** Meaning "strong fortress", derived from the Old French "brun" (strong) and "haute" (fortress).
35. **Bushnell:** From the Old English "būs" (dwelling) and "hēal" (slope), meaning "dwelling on the slope".
36. **Cadwell:** A place name meaning "boundary valley", combining the Old English "cēap" (market) and "dæl" (valley).
37. **Calvert:** From the Old French "calvert" (young colt), meaning "colt".
38. **Campbell:** From the Gaelic "cam" (crooked) and "beul" (mouth), meaning "crooked mouth".
39. **Carlisle:** A place name meaning "fortified hill", combining the Old English "cær" (fort) and "lēah" (meadow).
40. **Carver:** From the Old English "ceorfan" (to carve), meaning "carver".
41. **Caswell:** From the Old French "chastel" (castle) and "well" (spring), meaning "castle by the spring".
42. **Chafin:** From the Old English "ceaf" (chaff) and "fin" (fine), meaning "fine chaff".
43. **Chamberlain:** From the Old French "chambre" (chamber) and "lain" (one who serves), meaning "one who serves in the chamber".
44. **Chandler:** From the Old English "candel" (candle), meaning "candle maker".
45. **Chapman:** From the Old English "ceapman" (merchant), meaning "merchant".
46. **Cheever:** From the Old English "cēaf" (chaff) and "here" (army), meaning "one who gathers chaff for the army".
47. **Chilton:** A place name meaning "hill farm", combining the Old English "cild" (child) and "tūn" (farm).
48. **Churchill:** A place name meaning "church on the hill", combining the Old English "cyrice" (church) and "hyll" (hill).
49. **Claiborne:** From the Old English "clēofan" (to cleave), meaning "one who cleaves".
50. **Clayton:** A place name meaning "clay town", combining the Old English "clæg" (clay) and "tūn" (town).
51. **Cleveland:** A place name meaning "cliff by the river", combining the Old English "clif" (cliff) and "land" (land).
52. **Clifton:** A place name meaning "cliff farm", combining the Old English "clif" (cliff) and "tūn" (farm).
53. **Cobb:** From the Old English "cob" (round loaf of bread), meaning "one who makes round loaves of bread".
54. **Cochran:** From the Gaelic "cochran" (red), meaning "red".
55. **Collier:** From the Old English "col" (coal), meaning "coal miner".
56. **Collins:** From the Old English "colin" (young colt), meaning "colt".
57. **Compton:** A place name meaning "settlement on the bend in the river", combining the Old English "cumbe" (valley) and "tūn" (farm).
58. **Conley:** From the Old English "cūn" (bold) and "lēah" (meadow), meaning "bold meadow".
59. **Conway:** A place name meaning "valley of the Conwy River", from the Welsh "cwm" (valley) and "afon" (river).
60. **Cooke:** From the Old English "cōc" (cook), meaning "cook".
61. **Cooper:** From the Old English "coper" (barrel maker), meaning "barrel maker".
62. **Corbett:** From the Old French "corbeau" (raven), meaning "raven".
63. **Cormier:** From the French "cormier" (rowan tree), meaning "rowan tree".
64. **Crouch:** From the Old English "crucian" (to bend), meaning "one who bends".
65. **Culpepper:** From the Old English "cūl" (cool) and "pēpar" (pepper), meaning "cool pepper".
66. **Cunningham:** From the Gaelic "Cù" (hound) and "Ing" (a personal name), meaning "hound's son".
67. **Dalton:** A place name meaning "valley town", combining the Old English "dæl" (valley) and "tūn" (farm).
68. **Darby:** From the Old English "deor" (deer) and "bē" (bee), meaning "deer bee".
69. **Davenport:** A place name meaning "valley by the ford", combining the Old English "dæl" (valley) and "ford" (ford).
70. **Davis:** From the Welsh "Dafydd" (David), meaning "beloved".
71. **Dawes:** From the Old English "dāwe" (dew), meaning "dweller by the dew".
72. **Deering:** From the Old English "dēor" (deer) and "ing" (a personal name), meaning "deer's son".
73. **Delaney:** From the Gaelic "dealan" (lightning), meaning "lightning".
74. **Denham:** A place name meaning "valley dwelling", combining the Old English "den" (valley) and "hām" (dwelling).
75. **Derby:** A place name meaning "settlement by the deer park", combining the Old English "deor" (deer) and "bē" (bee).
76. **Devlin:** From the Gaelic "dubhlaín" (black), meaning "black".
77. **Dodd:** From the Old English "dod" (short stout person), meaning "short stout person".
78. **Dodson:** From the Old English "dod" (short stout person) and "son" (son), meaning "son of the short stout person".
79. **Dolan:** From the Gaelic "dúlachán" (little dark one), meaning "little dark one".
80. **Dorsey:** From the Old English "dore" (door) and "ēa" (river), meaning "door by the river".
81. **Dougherty:** From the Gaelic "dubh" (black) and "earthaigh" (farmer), meaning "black farmer".
82. **Dowling:** From the Gaelic "dúthaigh" (place), meaning "dweller of the place".
83. **Drake:** From the Old English "draca" (dragon), meaning "dragon".
84. **Dudley:** A place name meaning "valley of the Doddle", combining the Old English "dūna" (hill) and "lēah" (meadow).
85. **Dunlap:** From the Gaelic "dùn" (fort) and "lapach" (hollow), meaning "fort in the hollow".
86. **Durand:** From the Old French "dur" (hard) and "and" (one who goes), meaning "one who goes hard".
87. **Earle:** From the Old English "eorl" (earl), meaning "nobleman".
88. **Eaton:** A place name meaning "settlement by the river", combining the Old English "ēa" (river) and "tūn" (farm).
89. **Eckert:** From the German "Eckart" (meaning "strong as an oak"), meaning "strong as an oak".
90. **Edmonds:** From the Old English "Edmund" (meaning "wealthy protector"), meaning "son of Edmund".
91. **Edwards:** From the Old English "Edward" (meaning "wealthy protector"), meaning "son of Edward".
92. **Eldridge:** A place name meaning "old fort", combining the Old English "eald" (old) and "rycg" (ridge).
93. **Ellington:** A place name meaning "settlement by the elm tree", combining the Old English "elm" (elm tree) and "tūn" (farm).
94. **Elliott:** From the Old English "Ealhstan" (meaning "noble stone"), meaning "son of Ealhstan".
95. **Ellis:** From the Old English "æl" (elf) and "is" (island), meaning "elf island".
96. **Emerson:** From the Old English "Eamer" (meaning "strong ruler") and "son" (son), meaning "son of Eamer".
97. **Evans:** From the Welsh "Evan" (meaning "the Lord is gracious"), meaning "son of Evan".
98. **Everett:** From the Old English "efer" (ever) and "heard" (brave), meaning "ever brave".
99. **Fairchild:** From the Old English "fæger" (fair) and "cild" (child), meaning "fair child".
100. **Farrell:** From the Gaelic "fearghall" (meaning "brave warrior"), meaning "brave warrior".