300+ Unique Last Names 2026 (With Meanings)
Unique last names: Family names tell stories, many of which may have been lost to time. Unique last names may offer an insight into their distinctive heritage, geographical connections, historical occupations, or etymological roots when compared to common surnames.
While all family names are equally valid, it is the uniqueness of each family name, the sound of it, or the history behind it that makes that name feel distinctive.
The goal of this article is to share with you some of the unique last names from all around the globe, and this collection contains many last names that you’ll find to be original, meaningful, and memorable.
Unique Last Names
Alderwyn (English) – “Friend of the alder tree”
Belmont (French) – “Beautiful mountain”
Calderon (Spanish) – “Large cauldron or rocky basin”
Darrow (English) – “Place of oak trees”
Elmsworth (English) – “Elm tree enclosure”
Fairchild (English) – “Beautiful or fair-haired child”
Grantham (English) – “Gravelly homestead”
Hallowell (English) – “Holy spring”
Ingram (Scandinavian) – “Raven of peace”
Jarrow (English) – “Marshland settlement”
Kessler (German) – “Coppersmith or kettle maker”
Langford (English) – “Long river crossing”
Merrick (Welsh) – “Fame and power”
Norwood (English) – “Northern forest”
Oakley (English) – “Oak tree meadow”
Penrose (Cornish) – “Headland near the moor”
Quinlan (Irish) – “Descendant of the well-shaped one”
Redgrave (English) – “Red ditch or trench”
Sinclair (Norman French) – “Saint Clare”
Thatcher (English) – “Roof maker with straw”
Ulricson (Scandinavian) – “Son of the wolf ruler”
Vallance (French) – “Strength and vigor”
Wainwright (English) – “Cart or wagon builder”
Yardley (English) – “Enclosed meadow”
Zephyrin (Greek/French) – “West wind”
Ashbourne (English) – “Ash tree stream”
Bexley (English) – “Box tree clearing”
Carmichael (Scottish) – “Follower of Saint Michael”
Dunbar (Scottish) – “Fortress on the summit”
Everley (English) – “Wild boar meadow”
Fairfax (English) – “Fair-haired”
Goodwin (English) – “Good friend”
Hedstrom (Swedish) – “Heath stream”
Isley (English) – “Island clearing”
Kirkland (Scottish) – “Church land”
Lindenberg (German) – “Lime tree mountain”
Morland (English) – “Moorland”
Nettleton (English) – “Nettle plant settlement”
Ormond (Irish) – “Northern region”
Prescott (English) – “Priest’s cottage”
Quarryman (English) – “Stone worker”
Rothwell (English) – “Red spring”
Somerville (Norman French) – “Summer settlement”
Tolliver (French) – “Tax collector”
Underwood (English) – “Dweller near the forest”
Vanderlyn (Dutch) – “From the flax field”
Whitcombe (English) – “White valley”
Yelverton (English) – “Yellow farmstead”
Zeller (German) – “From a small cell or monastery”
Arkwright (English) – “Chest maker”
Bromfield (English) – “Broom-covered field”
Creswell (English) – “Cress stream”
Driscoll (Irish) – “Interpreter or messenger”
Eastwood (English) – “Eastern forest”
Farnham (English) – “Fern-covered homestead”
Goldring (Germanic) – “Golden ring”
Huxley (English) – “Hugh’s meadow”
Iversen (Scandinavian) – “Son of Ivar”
Kensington (English) – “Estate of the king’s people”
Lockwood (English) – “Enclosed forest”
Marchand (French) – “Merchant”
Newcomb (English) – “New valley”
Osborne (Old English) – “Divine bear”
Pickford (English) – “Pike fish crossing”
Quinton (English) – “Fifth settlement”
Ravenel (French) – “Little raven”
Sterling (English) – “Genuine or excellent”
Templeton (English) – “Temple settlement”
Upton (English) – “Upper town”
Vickers (English) – “Village priest”
Westfall (English) – “Western waterfall or slope”
Yarroway (English) – “Path by the river Yarrow”
Zanetti (Italian) – “Little John”
Ashford (English) – “Ford near ash trees”
Bellingham (English) – “Homestead of the bell people”
Coleridge (English) – “Cold ridge”
Davenport (English) – “Town by the river”
Ellsworth (English) – “Nobleman’s estate”
Fitzroy (Norman French) – “Son of the king”
Greenleaf (English) – “Fresh foliage”
Huntington (English) – “Hunter’s settlement”
Iverson (Scandinavian) – “Son of Iver”
Kingswell (English) – “King’s spring”
Larkspur (English) – “Lark flower”
Montclair (French) – “Clear mountain”
Northcott (English) – “Northern cottage”
Oakridge (English) – “Oak tree ridge”
Rutherford (English) – “Cattle crossing”
Snowden (English) – “Snow-covered hill”
Truesdale (English) – “Faithful valley”
Ullman (German) – “Prosperous man”
Valerian (Latin) – “Strong and healthy”
Willoughby (English) – “Farm near the willows”
Yardington (English) – “Enclosed estate”
Zornberg (German) – “Angry mountain”
Ashcroft (English) – “Ash tree field”
Brighton (English) – “Bright settlement”
Caldwell (English) – “Cold spring”
Harrington (English) – “Estate of the people of Hæfer”
Langston (English) – “Long stone”
Abernathy (Scottish) – “Mouth of the river Nethy”
Addington (English) – “Settlement of the people of Eadda”
Albertsen (Scandinavian) – “Son of Albert”
Allerton (English) – “Farmstead among alder trees”
Ashwell (English) – “Spring near ash trees”
Atwood (English) – “Dweller by the forest”
Baldwin (Germanic) – “Bold friend”
Bancroft (English) – “Bean field”
Barclay (Scottish) – “Birch tree meadow”
Barkley (English) – “Birch woodland”
Beaumont (French) – “Beautiful hill”
Beckett (English) – “Small stream”
Benedetti (Italian) – “Blessed”
Blackwell (English) – “Dark spring”
Brewster (English) – “Ale brewer”
Bridger (English) – “Bridge keeper”
Buckingham (English) – “Homestead of Bucca’s people”
Burgess (French/English) – “Town dweller”
Callahan (Irish) – “Bright-headed”
Cartwright (English) – “Cart maker”
Chamberlain (French) – “Officer in charge of chambers”
Channing (English) – “Young wolf”
Clayton (English) – “Clay settlement”
Clifford (English) – “Ford near a cliff”
Collinsworth (English) – “Estate of Colin’s people”
Connelly (Irish) – “Love and friendship”
Covington (English) – “Town of Cofa’s people”
Crawford (Scottish) – “Crow crossing”
Dalrymple (Scottish) – “Crooked valley”
Delaney (Irish) – “Descendant of the challenger”
Ellington (English) – “Town of Ella’s people”
Everton (English) – “Wild boar settlement”
Falkenberg (German) – “Falcon mountain”
Ferguson (Scottish) – “Son of Fergus”
Finchley (English) – “Finch clearing”
Fleetwood (English) – “Wood near a creek”
Fontaine (French) – “Spring or fountain”
Fuller (English) – “Cloth cleaner”
Gallagher (Irish) – “Descendant of the foreign helper”
Galloway (Scottish) – “Foreign Gael”
Goldsmith (English) – “Worker in gold”
Greenwood (English) – “Green forest”
Halstead (English) – “Healthy place”
Hawkins (English) – “Son of the hawk”
Hendrickson (Scandinavian) – “Son of Hendrick”
Hollister (English) – “Dweller by holly trees”
Huxford (English) – “Ford near Hugh’s land”
Iverson (Scandinavian) – “Son of Iver”
Jefferson (English) – “Son of Jeffrey”
Kendall (English) – “Valley of the River Kent”
Kingsbury (English) – “King’s fortress”
Lambeth (English) – “Landing place for lambs”
Lancaster (English) – “Roman fort on the River Lune”
Llewellyn (Welsh) – “Leader likeness”
Livingston (Scottish) – “Estate of Leving’s people”
MacArthur (Scottish) – “Son of Arthur”
Maitland (French/Scottish) – “Evil land (borderland)”
Middleton (English) – “Middle settlement”
Montgomery (French) – “Manpower hill”
Mortimer (French) – “Dead sea”
Newbury (English) – “New fortified place”
Northampton (English) – “Northern home settlement”
Oakman (English) – “Man who lived near oak trees”
Pemberton (English) – “Hill settlement”
Pendleton (English) – “Hill town”
Radcliffe (English) – “Red cliff”
Ramsey (English) – “Wild garlic island”
Redmond (Irish) – “Protector”
Rockefeller (German) – “Rye field”
Rowlandson (English) – “Son of Rowland”
Salisbury (English) – “Fort near willow trees”
Sheffield (English) – “Open land by the river”
Singleton (English) – “Single settlement”
Stafford (English) – “Ford by the landing place”
Sutherland (Scottish) – “Southern land”
Tennyson (English) – “Son of Dennis”
Thornton (English) – “Thorn tree town”
Townsend (English) – “End of the village”
Trentham (English) – “Village by the River Trent”
Turnbull (Scottish) – “Bull turner”
Vaughn (Welsh) – “Small”
Wakefield (English) – “Wet field”
Wetherby (English) – “Sheep farm”
Whitfield (English) – “White open land”
Winchester (English) – “Roman market town”
Winslow (English) – “Friend’s hill”
Woodhouse (English) – “House near woods”
Wycliffe (English) – “White cliff”
Yorke (English) – “From the yew tree estate”
Ziegler (German) – “Brick maker”
Ainsworth (English) – “Estate by the river”
Bexford (English) – “Ford by the brook”
Chadwick (English) – “Dairy farm”
Eddington (English) – “Town of Eadda’s people”
Fairhurst (English) – “Beautiful wooded hill”
Gladstone (English) – “Bright stone”
Hardwick (English) – “Strong settlement”
Kirkpatrick (Scottish) – “Church of Saint Patrick”
Ludington (English) – “Town of Lud’s people”
Westbrook (English) – “Western stream”
Abernathy (Scottish) – “Mouth of the river Nethy”
Addington (English) – “Settlement of the people of Eadda”
Albertsen (Scandinavian) – “Son of Albert”
Allerton (English) – “Farmstead among alder trees”
Ashwell (English) – “Spring near ash trees”
Atwood (English) – “Dweller by the forest”
Baldwin (Germanic) – “Bold friend”
Bancroft (English) – “Bean field”
Barclay (Scottish) – “Birch tree meadow”
Barkley (English) – “Birch woodland”
Beaumont (French) – “Beautiful hill”
Beckett (English) – “Small stream”
Benedetti (Italian) – “Blessed”
Blackwell (English) – “Dark spring”
Brewster (English) – “Ale brewer”
Bridger (English) – “Bridge keeper”
Buckingham (English) – “Homestead of Bucca’s people”
Burgess (French/English) – “Town dweller”
Callahan (Irish) – “Bright-headed”
Cartwright (English) – “Cart maker”
Chamberlain (French) – “Officer in charge of chambers”
Channing (English) – “Young wolf”
Clayton (English) – “Clay settlement”
Clifford (English) – “Ford near a cliff”
Collinsworth (English) – “Estate of Colin’s people”
Connelly (Irish) – “Love and friendship”
Covington (English) – “Town of Cofa’s people”
Crawford (Scottish) – “Crow crossing”
Dalrymple (Scottish) – “Crooked valley”
Delaney (Irish) – “Descendant of the challenger”
Ellington (English) – “Town of Ella’s people”
Everton (English) – “Wild boar settlement”
Falkenberg (German) – “Falcon mountain”
Ferguson (Scottish) – “Son of Fergus”
Finchley (English) – “Finch clearing”
Fleetwood (English) – “Wood near a creek”
Fontaine (French) – “Spring or fountain”
Fuller (English) – “Cloth cleaner”
Gallagher (Irish) – “Descendant of the foreign helper”
Galloway (Scottish) – “Foreign Gael”
Goldsmith (English) – “Worker in gold”
Greenwood (English) – “Green forest”
Halstead (English) – “Healthy place”
Hawkins (English) – “Son of the hawk”
Hendrickson (Scandinavian) – “Son of Hendrick”
Hollister (English) – “Dweller by holly trees”
Huxford (English) – “Ford near Hugh’s land”
Iverson (Scandinavian) – “Son of Iver”
Jefferson (English) – “Son of Jeffrey”
Kendall (English) – “Valley of the River Kent”
Kingsbury (English) – “King’s fortress”
Lambeth (English) – “Landing place for lambs”
Lancaster (English) – “Roman fort on the River Lune”
Llewellyn (Welsh) – “Leader likeness”
Livingston (Scottish) – “Estate of Leving’s people”
MacArthur (Scottish) – “Son of Arthur”
Maitland (French/Scottish) – “Evil land (borderland)”
Middleton (English) – “Middle settlement”
Montgomery (French) – “Manpower hill”
Mortimer (French) – “Dead sea”
Newbury (English) – “New fortified place”
Northampton (English) – “Northern home settlement”
Oakman (English) – “Man who lived near oak trees”
Pemberton (English) – “Hill settlement”
Pendleton (English) – “Hill town”
Radcliffe (English) – “Red cliff”
Ramsey (English) – “Wild garlic island”
Redmond (Irish) – “Protector”
Rockefeller (German) – “Rye field”
Rowlandson (English) – “Son of Rowland”
Salisbury (English) – “Fort near willow trees”
Sheffield (English) – “Open land by the river”
Singleton (English) – “Single settlement”
Stafford (English) – “Ford by the landing place”
Sutherland (Scottish) – “Southern land”
Tennyson (English) – “Son of Dennis”
Thornton (English) – “Thorn tree town”
Townsend (English) – “End of the village”
Trentham (English) – “Village by the River Trent”
Turnbull (Scottish) – “Bull turner”
Vaughn (Welsh) – “Small”
Wakefield (English) – “Wet field”
Wetherby (English) – “Sheep farm”
Whitfield (English) – “White open land”
Winchester (English) – “Roman market town”
Winslow (English) – “Friend’s hill”
Woodhouse (English) – “House near woods”
Wycliffe (English) – “White cliff”
Yorke (English) – “From the yew tree estate”
Ziegler (German) – “Brick maker”
Ainsworth (English) – “Estate by the river”
Bexford (English) – “Ford by the brook”
Chadwick (English) – “Dairy farm”
Eddington (English) – “Town of Eadda’s people”
Fairhurst (English) – “Beautiful wooded hill”
Gladstone (English) – “Bright stone”
Hardwick (English) – “Strong settlement”
Kirkpatrick (Scottish) – “Church of Saint Patrick”
Ludington (English) – “Town of Lud’s people”
Westbrook (English) – “Western stream”
