100 Cool Last Names For Your Characters
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Choosing a family name for a fictional character is very important if you want your characters to stay in the mind of the reader.
While choosing a name for a character, one must understand the meaning behind the names. Using unique last names or a proper last name with a deep meaning can really bring out the attributes of your character easily.
Having a cool and interesting name for your character always helps your story. Cool character names bring more gravitas to your plot, meaning it stays with the people for a long time.
Here we are providing a list of cool last names and their origin and meanings. You want to make sure that the surnames are appropriate and meaningful so that the name can enhance the person's character.
For more inspiration, take a look at these last names that start with C or these last names that start with S.
Popular Cool Last Names
There are many popular last names that we know. Many characters from books, TV series and films are famous by their last names. Here we have crafted a list of popular cool last names, some of which are familiar to you from your favorite books or media.
1. Allen (Irish Origin) meaning "handsome."
2. Bennet (Latin Origin) meaning " blessed one". The name is associated with Elizabeth Bennet, the protagonist of the novel 'Pride and Prejudice'.
3. Bond (English origin) meaning " tied to the land". The name is associated with the popular character James Bond.
4. Chrysalis (Greek Origin) meaning "Pupa of a butterfly". Derived from the Greek word 'Chrysafénios' meaning "golden".
5. Diggory (French Origin) derived from the French word 'egare' meaning "astray".
6. Duke (English Origin) meaning "title of nobility".
7. Dumbledore (Old English Origin) meaning "bumblebee". The name is associated with Albus Dumbledore, a popular character from the novel and film series 'Harry Potter'.
8. Elliot (English Origin) meaning "the Lord is my God". T.S. Eliot had this surname. This is a one of the most popular surnames too.
9. Fernandez (Spanish Origin) meaning "son of Fernando".
10. Frederick (German Origin) meaning " peaceful ruler".
11. Granger (English and French Origin), an occupational name for a farm bailiff. Hermione Granger had this surname.
12. Hendrix (Dutch Origin), meaning "son of Hendrik". The name can be associated with the famous musician Jimi Hendrix. Hendrix has been a popular surname ever since.
13. Holmes (English Origin) derived from the Middle English word 'holme,' meaning "an islet". This name is associated with the popular fictional character Sherlock Holmes.
14. Jackson (American or Scottish Origin) meaning "son of Jack". The name can be associated with Perseus Jackson, the title character from Rick Riordan's 'Percy Jackson And The Olympians' series.
15. Karenina (Slavic Origin) meaning "pure" or "chaste". The name is associated with the novel 'Anna Karenina' written by Russian author Leo Tolstoy.
16. Wayne (English Origin) meaning "wagon driver." Bruce Wayne becomes Batman in the 'Batman' series.
17. Werner (German Origin) meaning "defending warrior".
18. Potter (English Origin), meaning " pot maker". The name is associated with Harry Potter, the protagonist of the popular series 'Harry Potter'.
19. Wickham (English Origin) meaning "village paddock". The name is associated with George Wickham from the novel 'Pride And Prejudice'.
20. Vader (Dutch Origin) meaning "father". The name is associated with Darth Vader, a popular character from the 'Star Wars' franchise.
Cool Last Names From Around The World
Each and every region has unique last names. If you want to add a few interesting factors about your character, the easiest way is to choose a name or surname from a different origin.
Try Russian last names, French last names, Italian last names, and many more. Here we provide you a list of such surnames from around the world.
21. Beaumont (French Origin) meaning " beautiful hill".
22. Cadieux (French Origin) meaning "little fighter".
23. D'Angelo (Italian Origin meaning "messenger" or "angel".
24. Gomez (Spanish Origin) meaning " son of Gomesano". Gomesano means "man of the path". The name can be associated with the singer Selena Gomez.
25. Guiliani (Italian Origin) meaning "youthful."
26. Nishikawa (Japanese Origin), meaning "western river".
27. Oliveira ( Portuguese Origin) meaning "olive tree".
28. Pereira ( Portuguese Origin) meaning "pear tree". The name can be associated with the footballer Andreas Hugo Pereira.
29. Ramirez (Spanish Origin) meaning "son of Ramiro".
30. Smirnov (Russian Origin) meaning "calm" or "obedient" or "quiet".
Cool Last Names That Also Make Great First Names
Using a Last name as first names has become a trend now. Here's a list of a few such names that can be either used as a first name or a last name or as a baby name.
31. Abbott (Hebrew Origin) meaning "father of a monastic community".
32. Adair (Scottish Origin) meaning "shallow place in a river near oaks".
33. Adler (German Origin) meaning "eagle". The name can be associated with David Abraham Adler, the author of 'Carl Jensen' series.
34. Beckett (English Origin) meaning "dweller by the brook". The name can be associated with the Irish Playwright Samuel Beckett.
35. Blaine (Irish Origin) meaning "slender."
36. Cassidy (Irish Origin) meaning "curly haired". The name is associated with Proinsias Cassidy, an Irish Vampire from the American TV series 'Preacher'.
37. Campbell (Scottish Origin) meaning "crooked mouth".
38. Cohen (Jewish Origin) meaning "priest".
39. Cooper (English Origin) meaning "barrel maker".
40. Delaney (Irish origin) meaning "challenger".
41. Duncan (Scottish Origin), meaning "warrior".
42. Ellis (Welsh Origin) meaning "benevolent".
43. Finley (Scottish Origin) meaning "fair-haired hero".
44. Garcia (Spanish origin) meaning "bear".
45. Griffin (Celtic origin) meaning "strong Lord" It is also the name of a mythical creature that is half lion and half eagle.
46. Harlow (English Origin) meaning "meadow of hares, rock, and hills". The name is associated with the American actress Jean Harlow.
47. Harper (English Origin), meaning "harp player".
48. Jones (Welsh Origin) meaning "dove". The name is derived from the Hebrew word Johan.
49. Lennon (Irish Origin) meaning "small cloak" or "cape". The name can be associated with John Lennon, a member of the famous band Beatles.
50. Lincoln (English Origin) meaning "town by the pool". The name is associated with Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth President of the United States of America.
51. Ludovico (German Origin) is a variation of the German name Ludwig meaning "famous warrior". The name is associated with famous Italian Pianist Ludovico Einaudi.
52. Luna(Latin Origin) meaning "moon".
53. Parker (Old English origin) meaning "park keeper". The name is associated with the fictional character Peter Parker aka fictional superhero Spider-man.
54. Quinn (Irish Origin) meaning "wise".
55. Riley (Irish Origin) meaning "courageous."
56. Rowan (Irish Origin) meaning "little redhead". The name is associated with actor Rowan Atkinson famous for playing 'Mr. Bean'.
57. Sawyer (English Origin) an occupational surname for someone who earns a living by sawing woods or woodcutters. The name can be associated with the popular fictional character Tom Sawyer.
58. Smith (English Origin) meaning "blacksmith".
59. Taylor (English Origin) an occupational surname for a tailor.
60. Wilson (Scottish Origin) meaning "son of Wilson."
Cool Uncommon Last Names
Going for uncommon names or surnames really makes your character stand out. Here we give you a list of uncommon surnames and last name meanings.
61. Arden(English Origin) meaning "valley of eagle."
62. Castellan (English origin) meaning "keeper of castle".
63. Curran (Irish Origin) meaning "descendants of spearmen".
64. Cyprus (English Origin) meaning "a type of tree".
65. Dagon (Arabic Origin) meaning "rain cloud".
66. Damaris (Greek Origin) meaning "calf" or "gentle."
67. Disney (English Origin) is an English surname derived from French. Originally 'D'Isigny', meaning "from Isigny, France".
68. Donovan (Irish origin) meaning "princeling".
69. Emerson (German Origin) meaning "son of Emery".
70. Katz (Jewish origin) meaning "Priest of justice".
71. Langston (English origin) meaning "tall man's town".
72. Lennox(Scottish Origin) meaning "elm grove".
73. Levine (Jewish Origin) derived from the Hebrew name 'Levi', meaning "joining".
74. Mycroft (English origin) meaning "by the stream". The name is associated with the fictional character Mycroft Holmes, the older brother of Sherlock Holmes.
75. Nadir(Arabic Origin) meaning "rare".
Cool Fictional Last Names
Are you searching for some good surnames for the characters of your story? Do you want to create a fictional character with a cool last name or take inspiration from some fantasy last names? Here we give you a list of cool last names (or surnames) for your fictional charcater.
76. Abednego meaning "servant of Nebo". Nebo is the Babylonian god of Wisdom.
77. Amos (Hebrew or Jewish Origin) meaning "born by God".
78. Cherith (Hebrew Origin) meaning "winter stream".
79. Cornelius (Latin Origin) derived from the word 'Cornu,' meaning "horn".
80. Cunningham (Irish Origin) meaning "chief."
81. Festus (Latin Origin) meaning "joyous" or "festive".
82. Godfrey (German Origin) is composed of words meaning "God" and "peace".
83. Lozano (Spanish Origin) meaning "splendid" or "good-looking".
84. Omega (Greek origin) meaning "the end". Omega is the last letter of the Greek alphabet.
85. Sapphirus (Latin Origin) meaning "blue-stone" or "sapphire".
86. Sierra (Spanish Origin) meaning "mountain range".
87. Silvius(Latin Origin) meaning "forest" or "wood".
88. Targaryenmeans "of the dragon". The name is associated with the Targaryens of popular series 'Game Of Thrones'.
89. Umbra(Latin Origin) meaning "shade" or "shadow".
90. Zibia (Hebrew Origin) meaning "doe".
Unique Cool Last Names
Using unique and cool last names can pique people's interests. Take a look at this list of unique last names.
91. Augustus (Latin origin) a last name meaning "majestic". The name is associated with Caesar Augustus, the first Roman Emperor.
92. Bexley (English Origin) is composed of words 'byxe' meaning "box tree," and 'leah' meaning "woodland clearing".
93. Byron (English origin) meaning "from the barns". The name is associated with Lord Byron, a famous English poet.
94. Channing (English origin) a last name meaning "young wolf".
95. Emerson (German Origin ) meaning "son of Emery".
96. Gaumond is likely derived from the Germanic personal name 'Walmund' composite of words meaning "death in battle" and "protector".
97. Gilbert (Norman-French Origin) meaning "bright".
98. Hillary (Latin-Greek Origin) meaning "cheerful", "glad," or "joyful". The surname is associated with Edmund Hillary, one of the first people to reach the summit of Mt. Everest.
99. Hogwood (Anglo-Sussex Origin) a last name meaning "the wood frequented by hawks".
100. Swindells (Old English Origin) meaning "wild boar valley".
Kidadl has lots of great name articles to inspire you. If you liked our suggestions for cool last names then why not take a look at these Dominican surnames, or for something different take a look at these Icelandic last names.
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Bachelor of Arts specializing in English, Master of Arts specializing in English
Rajnandini RoychoudhuryBachelor of Arts specializing in English, Master of Arts specializing in English
With a Master of Arts in English, Rajnandini has pursued her passion for the arts and has become an experienced content writer. She has worked with companies such as Writer's Zone and has had her writing skills recognized by publications such as The Telegraph. Rajnandini is also trilingual and enjoys various hobbies such as music, movies, travel, philanthropy, writing her blog, and reading classic British literature.
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