An interesting last name piques the interest and curiosity of both the name and the person. Interesting last names can turn introductions into a conversation. They are often complex, or have profound meanings and are instantly engaging. Check out these lists of the most interesting last names that are sure to add more character to your name.
What are Interesting Last Names?
What makes a last name interesting can vary, but we’ve found common themes in interesting last names and the frequent impressions they make. Distinguishing features of interesting last names include a fascinating historical background and meanings that may be mysterious or complex or refer to places and jobs that are uncommon and or unusual. Interesting last names make strong impressions because they are unique, often rare, and always stand out from the crowd.
Here you will find carefully curated lists of interesting last names. Start with our list of the most interesting last names to start finding a surname that shows your book, script, or comic book character’s true individuality.
Top 100 Interesting Last Names
Only the most exceptionally fascinating surnames made our list of the top interesting last names. Start your search for your character’s last name here.
- Conway
- Bauer
- Carlson
- Vega
- Bishop
- Steele
- Dawson
- Marshall
- Harrington
- Mercer
- Mcguire
- Riggs
- Cruz
- Collier
- Tanner
- Washington
- Knox
- Calhoun
- Woodward
- Barrett
- Maynard
- Briggs
- Andersen
- Sierra
- Proctor
- Cameron
- Kennedy
- Palmer
- Benson
- Thornton
- Lara
- Chandler
- Amaya
- Merrill
- Osborn
- Winter
- Cash
- Pierson
- Pryor
- Locke
- Hopper
- Cassidy
- Corbett
- Peoples
- Katz
- Mckinley
- Temple
- Norwood
- Link
- Thorpe
- Sadler
- Irvin
- Campbell
- Major
- Henley
- Coulter
- North
- Brewster
- Story
- Ogden
- Landis
- Maguire
- Thayer
- Baron
- Titus
- Mcgregor
- Upton
- Braden
- Jarrell
- Easter
- East
- Muse
- Ralston
- Dewey
- Fallon
- Patten
- Bronson
- Skipper
- Maya
- Easton
- Faber
- Beckham
- Jacoby
- Buford
- Cade
- Bear
- Troy
- Jenson
- Usher
- Ivory
- Kingston
- Tudor
- Aston
- Ciprian
- Electra
- Jenner
- Knightley
- Ledger
- Murdoch
- Truman
Unique Interesting Last Names
Interesting last names are inherently unique, but the names on this list of unique interesting last names are simply extraordinary. Read on for surnames fit for the most creative of characters.
- Asher
- Bentley
- Boone
- Boston
- Bowen
- Brady
- Brees
- Calloway
- Calvin
- Channing
- Chase
- Conrad
- Curtis
- Curzon
- Dallas
- Dayton
- Delaney
- Dryden
- Elias
- Falcon
- Fawkes
- Fletcher
- Ford
- Gabriel
- Grayson
- Greer
- Hamlet
- Hart
- Hartley
- Heathcliff
- Heron
- Holden
- Holland
- Holt
- Hope
- Huntley
- Huxley
- Isaac
- Jamison
- Jenkins
- Jensen
- Jolie
- Kane
- Kent
- Kipling
- Lacey
- Lancelot
- Lane
- Lawson
- Leo
- Lock
- Logan
- Lucas
- Mack
- Mackenzie
- Maddox
- Madison
- Mallory
- Marin
- Marlowe
- Mercedes
- Meredith
- Merritt
- Merton
- Moses
- Paige
- Porter
- Reagan
- Reynolds
- Richie
- Ridley
- Riley
- Robinson
- Roman
- Rourke
- Santiago
- Satchel
- Saxon
- Slater
- Sloane
- Snow
- Solomon
- Sterling
- Stoney
- Storm
- Teague
- Tinsley
- Tripp
- Tucker
- Verity
- Wells
- West
- Weston
- Willis
Rare Interesting Last Names
Interesting last names are often inherently uncommon, but we’ve curated this list specifically for the rarest of interesting last names. For a last name that’s truly your own, check out this list.
- Amos
- Anaya
- Anders
- Aristotle
- Bertram
- Cato
- Charlton
- Embry
- Fenwick
- Fortune
- Giles
- Griffith
- Grover
- Heinrich
- Humphrey
- Keane
- Leander
- Martell
- Montague
- Myles
- Prescott
- Reinhart
- Roderick
- Rousseau
- Sena
- Shanahan
- Thatcher
- Valerio
- Werner
Cool Interesting Last Names
These interesting last names have an air of intrigue about them. Our list of cool interesting last names is filled with the best options for the coolest of people.
- Archer
- Archie
- Beck
- Beckett
- Blake
- Booker
- Bowie
- Braxton
- Bryson
- Carson
- Carter
- Carver
- Chasen
- Cooper
- Cortez
- Dexter
- Duke
- Eden
- Ellis
- Felix
- Finn
- Fox
- Gage
- Garrett
- Garrison
- Grace
- Grey
- Harley
- Harlow
- Harrison
- Hawk
- Hendrix
- Hudson
- Hunt
- Hunter
- Ivy
- Jagger
- Jett
- Killian
- Lennon
- Lennox
- Levi
- Lincoln
- Mason
- Nixon
- Oakley
- Otis
- Otto
- Phoenix
- Ryder
- Ryker
- Sage
- Samson
- Sawyer
- Simone
- Tate
- Tobias
- Tyler
- Urban
- Van
- Wilder
- Wolf
- Zane
Uncommon Interesting Last Names
These uncommon interesting last names can’t be found in any old phonebook. We searched around for interesting last names that are a bit off the beaten path for the more independent surname searchers.
- Alba
- Buster
- Cain
- Clary
- Clayton
- Cohen
- Corbin
- Cullen
- Damon
- Decker
- Dion
- Donovan
- Drew
- Ellington
- Everett
- Fabian
- Hannibal
- Hayden
- Hensley
- Hyde
- Jameson
- Keaton
- Keegan
- Laird
- Lyle
- Madden
- Mccoy
- Nash
- Paxton
- Remington
- Romeo
- Rosa
- Sanford
- Slade
- Travis
- Tyson
- Vance
- Warner
- Wiley
Old Fashioned Interesting Last Names
These interesting last names have histories to them. Here you will find old-fashioned interesting last names for those looking for a more vintage flair.
- Alford
- Archibald
- Barton
- Brock
- Broderick
- Brogan
- Coleman
- Cornelius
- Cyrus
- Edison
- Emmett
- Floyd
- Foster
- Griffin
- Hilton
- Jarrett
- Javier
- Jefferson
- Jeremiah
- Kendrick
- Lloyd
- Montgomery
- Niles
- Norris
- Oswald
- Pierce
- Quinton
- Saul
- Sheldon
- Stanley
- Ulysses
- Warren
- Whitman
- Wilbur
- Winston
See more Old Fashioned Last Names
Cute Interesting Last Names
Interesting last names need to have layers, and every layer of these last names is filled with cuteness. Check out these cute interesting last names for your cute character.
- Addison
- Ashton
- Avery
- Blair
- Bradley
- Brice
- Cagney
- Carlisle
- Carrington
- Case
- Casey
- Cason
- Clancy
- Collins
- Connor
- Corey
- Dale
- Darby
- Dashiell
- Emerson
- Emery
- Finley
- Flynn
- Frost
- Hadley
- Harper
- Harvey
- Holliday
- Jaime
- Kay
- Kinsey
- Kirby
- Landon
- Larkin
- Lilly
- Luna
- Maddison
- Maxwell
- McKenna
- Monroe
- Morgan
- Murray
- Park
- Perry
- Peyton
- Piper
- Presley
- Preston
- Quincy
- Quinn
- Raleigh
- Ralph
- Ramsay
- Ramsey
- Reese
- Rhodes
- Ripley
- Royce
- Rudy
- Salem
- Santana
- Selby
- Sloan
- Springer
- Stone
- Tatum
- Tennyson
- Tierney
- Tobin
- Tracy
- Valentine
- Vaughan
- Watson
- Willoughby
- Wylie
- Wynn
- Wynne
- Yale
Strong Interesting Last Names
The strong interesting last names on this list adeptly combine intimidating and intriguing and are perfect for the would-be leaders of tomorrow.
- Adair
- Baldwin
- Barker
- Brantley
- Brennan
- Burgess
- Calder
- Callahan
- Chadwick
- Clinton
- Fitzgerald
- Fitzpatrick
- Forbes
- Gaines
- Hale
- Jamieson
- Kemp
- Larsen
- Marcus
- Morrison
- Omar
- Quinlan
- Radcliff
- Redmond
- Shaw
- Thurman
- Whitney
Unusual Interesting Last Names
These unusual interesting last names are guaranteed to strike up conversations and questions. Check this list out for some intriguing last names.
- Ambrose
- Baird
- Baxter
- Benton
- Bond
- Cecil
- Chester
- Christie
- Cordell
- Cordero
- Earl
- Eason
- Franklin
- Gannon
- Gibson
- Guthrie
- Hamilton
- Herbert
- Hubert
- Jaeger
- Jarvis
- Judd
- Laurent
- Luther
- McArthur
- Merrick
- Meyer
- Morton
- Neville
- Randolph
- Rooney
- Rudolph
- Rupert
- Seymour
- Spear
- Wilkes
- Winslet
Exotic Interesting Last Names
These interesting last names hail from foreign lands and far-off times. Inspired by different cultures, this list has exotic interesting last names that are fit for every world traveler.
- Abel
- Angelo
- Baptiste
- Benoit
- Carrera
- Christensen
- Couture
- Dangelo
- Delacruz
- Deveraux
- Emanuel
- Estrella
- Etienne
- Ferrari
- Gaston
- Gunther
- Lacroix
- Lambert
- Larson
- Larue
- LeBlanc
- Marek
- Mariano
- Marino
- Rafferty
- Raya
- Rivera
- Russo
- Silva
- Talbot
- Thoreau
- Tolliver
- Toussaint
- Ulrich
- Vidal
- Wilhelm
- Yves
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Famous People with Interesting Last Names
Andrea Bocelli was born in Italy. He is blind, a prominent singer, and has sold over 75 million records. Botelli is an interesting last name because there is no direct translation, but it does mean ‘bottle’ in Corsican, a dialect spoken in some parts of Italy.
Alexander McQueen was born in England and his work as a fashion designer led to his establishment of the fashion house and his namesake Alexander McQueen. His last name is mysteriously interesting. McQueen comes from Scots-Gaelic words that could mean ‘son of Suibhne (pleasant)’, ‘son of Conn (chief), or ‘little Aodh (fire)’.
Marcus Goldman was born in Germany and immigrated to America in 1848, working in the banking industry. He established Goldman Sachs in 1869, which is now an international finance and investment company. Goldman is a Yiddish surname that refers to one who worked as a jeweler or had golden hair.
Hugh Falconer was born in Scotland and worked as a scientific researcher in the fields of botany and paleontology, with his works eventually supporting the theory of evolution. The surname Falconer comes from a Scottish clan name and refers to someone who trains falcons.
Thierry Hermès was born in what is now Germany in 1801. He developed his horse saddle business into one that focused on handbags, scarves, and luxury goods. This work became his namesake Hermès International in 1837. The surname Hermès originates in Southern France and refers to one who lives on barren or desert land.
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