205 Last Names for Characters 2026 (With Meanings)

Last Names for Characters: When picking out a character’s last name, it is paramount in making them unique and believable!

A well-designed last name enhances more than just a character’s name; it has personality characteristics, lends clues about their history, provides hints of character traits such as strength, mystery, grace, or even danger, and brings that character’s life into reality.

Last names can greatly determine a reader’s view of a character prior to them saying a word.

Some last names have an ageless or real-world feel, while others have a distinct dramatic look that fits perfectly into imaginary worlds.

You have a broad selection of last names to utilize for all your characters to inspire a powerful identity, enhance your story, and create unforgettable characters.

Last Names for Characters

Ashford – one who lives near an ash tree crossing

Brighton – from a bright or shining town

Coldwyn – friend from a cold region

Davenport – town near a river bank

Everhart – brave and enduring heart

Fairchild – beautiful or fortunate child

Grayson – son of a gray-haired man

Hawthorne – from the hawthorn bush area

Irons – strong like iron

Kingsley – king’s meadow

Langston – long stone settlement

Merrick – ruler of the sea

Northwood – northern forest dweller

Oakley – meadow of oak trees

Prescott – priest’s cottage

Quinlan – descendant of the graceful one

Radcliffe – red cliff or hillside

Sterling – of high quality or purity

Thorne – sharp and protective like a thorn

Underwood – below the forest

Vance – marshland or fen dweller

Whitaker – white field or farm

Yardley – enclosed meadow

Zeller – one who lives by a cell or small dwelling

Albright – noble and bright

Bennett – blessed one

Caldwell – cold stream

Dalton – valley town

Ellsworth – noble estate

Fletcher – arrow maker

Garland – wreath or honor symbol

Hollis – dweller by holly trees

Iverson – son of Ivar

Jensen – son of Jens

Kendrick – royal ruler

Lockwood – enclosed forest

Montague – pointed hill

Norwood – northern woods

Osborne – divine bear

Pemberton – barley settlement

Quincy – estate of the fifth son

Rutherford – cattle crossing near a river

Sutton – southern settlement

Tennyson – son of Dennis

Upton – upper town

Vaughn – small or little

Winslow – hill of victory

Xanders – defender of people

Yates – gates or entrances

Zimmerman – carpenter

Arlington – estate of the eagle

Baxter – baker

Carver – wood sculptor

Donovan – dark warrior

Eastwood – eastern forest

Finch – small bird

Garrison – protection or stronghold

Hendrix – ruler of the home

Ingram – raven of peace

Jarvis – skilled spear warrior

Keaton – place of hawks

Lennox – elm grove

Maddox – son of Madoc

Nolan – noble or famous

Ortega – nettle field

Palmer – pilgrim

Quade – fourth-born

Ronan – little seal

Sawyer – woodcutter

Turner – maker of goods on a lathe

Ulrich – noble ruler

Valentine – strong and healthy

Wilder – untamed or wild

Xavier – new house

York – yew tree estate

Zane – gift of God

Abbott – head of a monastery

Briggs – dweller near a bridge

Crosby – village with crosses

Dunham – hill settlement

Eldridge – old wise ruler

Foster – forest guardian

Gibson – son of Gilbert

Harlow – rocky hill

Ivory – pure and white

Jagger – carter or transporter

Keller – cellar master

Langley – long meadow

Mercer – merchant

Nash – by the ash tree

Olsen – son of Olaf

Parker – park keeper

Quinton – queen’s town

Reeves – steward or manager

Shepard – sheep herder

Tanner – leather worker

Usher – doorkeeper

Vickers – church official

Warren – animal enclosure

Zimmer – room or chamber

Aldridge – old or wise ruler

Barlow – hill where barley grows

Corwin – friend of the heart

Dunstan – dark stone

Eldwood – ancient forest

Falkner – falcon keeper

Gatlin – companion or wanderer

Hadley – heather field

Isley – island meadow

Jorvik – wild boar settlement

Kinsley – king’s meadow

Larkin – fierce or rough

Marwood – forest by the lake

Norcross – northern crossing

Orwin – spear friend

Penrose – hill of roses

Quillen – cub or young warrior

Renshaw – raven wood

Selwyn – friend of the manor

Treadwell – well-trodden path

Ulman – noble protector

Varden – green hill

Westbrook – western stream

Yorath – ancient lord

Zorion – happiness or joy

Ashbourne – brook of ash trees

Brierley – meadow of thorn bushes

Cavendish – cave settlement

Dunley – meadow on a hill

Elwood – forest of elders

Fenton – marsh town

Glenwood – valley forest

Huxley – inhospitable place

Iverly – meadow by the yew tree

Jarrow – spear or arrow

Kenrick – bold ruler

Langford – long river crossing

Marlow – driftwood hill

Nerwood – narrow forest

Oakridge – ridge of oak trees

Pryor – religious official

Quenby – queen’s settlement

Ridgewell – well on a ridge

Somerfield – summer field

Thornley – meadow of thorns

Upchurch – church on a hill

Valewood – valley forest

Windham – windy village

Yardwell – enclosed spring

Zayden – growth or abundance

Arkwright – maker of chests

Bexley – box tree meadow

Cresswell – spring of watercress

Dalloway – meadow path

Easton – eastern town

Fallow – pale or fallow land

Greeley – gray meadow

Hollingworth – enclosure by holly trees

Inwood – inner forest

Jenson – son of Jens

Kirkland – church land

Loxley – lynx meadow

Merriton – pleasant town

Northcott – northern cottage

Orton – river town

Palliser – cloth maker

Quarles – maker of quarrels or bolts

Rothwell – red spring

Sedgewick – marshy settlement

Thurston – Thor’s stone

Underhill – beneath the hill

Vail – valley

Westfall – western waterfall

Yorston – boar town

Ziegler – brick maker

Alcott – old cottage

Bromley – broom grass meadow

Chadwick – warrior’s settlement

Denholm – valley island

Evington – farm of a tribe

Farnham – fern meadow

Gresham – grazing land

Hargrove – grove of hares

Ilford – ford by the yew tree

Joplin – son of Job

Kettering – place of people

Ludlow – hill by a loud river

Merton – lake settlement

Nesbit – nose-shaped land

Oxton – ox farm

Penton – enclosed town

Quimby – woman’s estate

Rivington – river settlement

Sutton – southern town

Tolliver – metal worker

Ullman – noble man

Voss – fox

Wetherby – sheep farm

Yardman – keeper of land

Zeller – one who lives by a small dwelling

Ashcroft – farm near ash trees

Blandford – gentle river crossing

Culver – dove

Drayton – farmstead by a portage

Eldham – old home