Having a rare last name conveys a unique feeling. Rare names are admired; they inspire curiosity and make a person appear intriguing and attractive. On this page, you’ll find comprehensive lists of rare last names that have been hand-picked for their rarity and refinement.
What are Rare Last Names?
The word rare means something that occurs very infrequently. Having such a name — one that can be called one-of-a-kind — is remarkable and noteworthy. It is known that if you introduce yourself with a rare last name, it’s likely to be the first and last time someone has encountered that name. In a world where we often share our name with someone else, there is a socially intriguing feeling to being someone with a rare last name.
Rare last names can undoubtedly create an air of mystery around a person. They come across as creative and unusual, and these qualities in a person can be fascinating. A rare name can draw a person in, as they want to know more about the person with the name. Here you will find lists of some of the rarest last names, categorized by different qualities. Enjoy reading through this list of unique-sounding names.
Top 100 Rare Last Names
Each name on this list has been chosen for its uniqueness and intrigue. You can be sure each last name is rarely if ever, used.
- Salisbury
- Carrington
- Thoreau
- Falconer
- Courtier
- Beckett
- Ellington
- Reinhart
- Rousseau
- Benedict
- Willoughby
- Knightley
- Shanahan
- Tennyson
- Marlowe
- Raleigh
- Tolliver
- Winslet
- Coltrane
- Peregrine
- Caradoc
- Heinrich
- Roosevelt
- Fallon
- Sage
- Harlan
- Keane
- Thatcher
- Broderick
- Jett
- Kincaid
- Braxton
- Ralston
- Charlton
- Martell
- Jaeger
- Killian
- Easter
- Stockton
- Patten
- Buford
- Lawton
- Upton
- Winslow
- Fortune
- Thayer
- Calloway
- Ransom
- Hawk
- Prescott
- Bellamy
- Ambrose
- Cruise
- Zane
- Kerrigan
- Satchel
- Rourke
- Merton
- Heathcliff
- Halen
- Twain
- Warwick
- Sherwin
- Fawkes
- Winthrop
- Kinsley
- Truett
- Edison
- Tudor
- Gatsby
- Theron
- Lafayette
- Torrance
- Redford
- Fleetwood
- Osbourne
- Carlisle
- Milton
- Coulter
- Sadler
- Thorpe
- Ames
- Kimball
- Devine
- Clement
- Holbrook
- Cassidy
- Sinclair
- Cordero
- Hartley
- Ewing
- Madden
- Noble
- Conway
- Cortez
- Lawson
- Jacoby
- Dallas
- Colson
- Lively
Unique Rare Last Names
To strike an even stronger rarity chord, use a name that is as rare and unique as these. These names will certainly get people’s attention.
- Asher
- Barker
- Bowen
- Brandt
- Calhoun
- Callahan
- Carlson
- Fitzgerald
- Fitzpatrick
- Gamble
- Gates
- Greer
- Harmon
- Harrington
- Hawkins
- Hendricks
- Holmes
- Howell
- Jenkins
- Katz
- Knight
- Larson
- McCarthy
- Mccoy
- Mcguire
- Mercer
- Merritt
- Morrisey
- Moss
- Olson
- Quinn
- Redmond
- Rivers
- Shepherd
- Silva
- Simpson
- Sloan
- Stanton
- Ventura
- Wagner
- Warner
- Washington
- Winter
- Woodward
- Yates
Uncommon Rare Last Names
A true rare name is uncommon, and in this list, you’ll find some of the most perfectly uncommon and rare last names.
- Anders
- Angelo
- Bartholomew
- Bliss
- Corbin
- Damon
- Darcy
- Dion
- Dove
- Fulton
- Hadley
- Hyde
- Laird
- Leighton
- Linklater
- Paxton
- Reagan
- Ridge
- Ridley
- Roderick
- Rosenberg
- Royal
- Royce
- Seeley
- Worth
- Worthy
Beautiful Rare Last Names
A beautiful and rare last name is a very interesting thing. You’re bound to attract people into your sphere if you possess a cool last name. A beautiful and rare name is a wonderful piece of beauty in a collection of letters.
- Amaya
- Aston
- Christian
- Constantine
- Coulson
- Deacon
- Eden
- Elliot
- Emmanuel
- Estrella
- Everett
- Fabian
- Grace
- Hillary
- Honor
- Ireland
- Kendrick
- Kingsley
- Laken
- Marlow
- Matias
- Mercedes
- Meriwether
- Merrill
- Paris
- Raphael
- Rider
- Romeo
- Rosario
- Salvatore
- Sena
- Sierra
- Simone
- Teague
- Teal
- Tierney
- Truman
- Valencia
- Valentine
- Voltaire
- Wesley
- Wren
Unusual Rare Last Names
It’s hard to find a rare name that is not also unusual, but here’s a list of especially unusual and rare names. If you’re looking for something incredibly unique, this is the list.
- Baird
- Baxter
- Bayard
- Benoit
- Bond
- Collins
- Cordell
- Earl
- Eason
- Englebert
- Finnegan
- Franklin
- Gibson
- Godfrey
- Guthrie
- Hawthorne
- Heron
- Hubert
- Jacobsen
- Jarvis
- Judd
- Kendall
- Kenyon
- Kipling
- Landis
- Laurent
- Lorcan
- Luther
- Malik
- Marsden
- Mathias
- Matisse
- Merrick
- Meyer
- Montez
- Montserrat
- Morton
- Nero
- Neville
- Olivera
- Pomeroy
- Quinlan
- Rudolph
- Seymour
- Steele
- Tilden
- Tobin
- Truitt
- Vernon
- Vicente
Old Fashioned Rare Last Names
An old-fashioned last name is a great way to commemorate the past. These names that have old-fashioned inspiration might have been popular in years gone by, but today they are used more rarely and therefore are more interesting to the ear.
- Atticus
- Bertram
- Bronson
- Crawford
- Darling
- Emerson
- Finley
- Forrest
- Hayden
- Hoyt
- Jefferson
- Lacy
- Lambert
- Lance
- Lane
- Langston
- Lyle
- Maguire
- Maynard
- Monroe
- Newton
- Nichols
- Niles
- Ogden
- Prior
- Rafferty
- Roland
- Shelton
- Sylvester
- Thurston
See more Old Fashioned Last Names
Strong Rare Last Names
If you’re looking for a last name that has that rare quality and communicates an element of strength and power, this is the list for you.
- Augustin
- Augustine
- Barclay
- Bowden
- Brannon
- Brantley
- Calder
- Cason
- Chadwick
- Clancy
- Clinton
- Cornell
- Eldridge
- Elwood
- Ernst
- Fairfax
- Fritz
- Gaines
- Jamieson
- Larkin
- Moe
- Osborne
- Yale
Powerful Rare Last Names
A name with great power and rarity comes across as strong and interesting. Take a look at this list of names that are both rare and powerful.
- Andersen
- Bentley
- Braden
- Branson
- Cade
- Calvin
- Carlos
- Channing
- Columbus
- Dryden
- Dunne
- Dustin
- Ferguson
- Fleming
- Garrick
- Griffen
- Holton
- Huston
- Hutchings
- Hutton
- Israel
- Kiefer
- Lancelot
- Major
- McClain
- Mcgregor
- Ness
- Nobel
- Novak
- Ramon
- Randall
- Santana
- Sherman
- Taggart
- Urban
- Woodson
Vintage Rare Last Names
Rare last names with a vintage flair give a feeling of being from another time but maintaining the style and originality of that time. Take a look through this list to find some wonderful vintage rare last names.
- Abbott
- Abel
- Amos
- Barney
- Bernard
- Clarence
- Clifford
- Concord
- Dewey
- Dorsey
- Edgar
- Elias
- Felton
- Finn
- Giles
- Hilton
- Humphrey
- Montgomery
- Newell
- Oswald
- Pollock
- Preston
- Proctor
- Pryor
- Ralph
- Saul
- Sheldon
- Walter
- Whitman
- Wilbur
- Winston
- Wylie
Posh Rare Last Names
Sometimes, a rare last name can convey poshness. Certainly, there is some connection between being posh and being able to benefit from the rarest, most beautiful things. Here’s a list of names that convey it all.
- Archibald
- Archimedes
- Beauchamp
- Beauregard
- Berkley
- Brinkley
- Buckingham
- Callaway
- Cavendish
- Cecil
- Churchill
- Florence
- Gerard
- Montague
- Mountbatten
- Randolph
- Shephard
- StJohn
- Templeton
- Wadsworth
- Wentworth
- Willard
- Windsor
Cute Rare Last Names
Cute last names are perfect for unique and adorable characters. These names have an approachable feeling, while still maintaining a rarity.
- Ashton
- Bear
- Blue
- Bowie
- Brice
- Bryson
- Colby
- Daly
- Delaney
- Everly
- Flora
- Fox
- Gabriel
- Grey
- Hart
- Henley
- Hope
- Huey
- Isaac
- Isaiah
- Jasper
- Jenner
- Kasey
- Kinsey
- Lacey
- Lake
- Laney
- Layne
- Levi
- Mackenzie
- Maya
- Morrissey
- Noel
- Otto
- Paige
- Payton
- Peace
- Peyton
- Piper
- Presley
- Rhea
- Ruby
- Shea
- Shepard
- Tobias
Cool Rare Last Names
Cool can also be considered synonymous with rare. Cool is an unspoken air of individuality and intrigue, and these rare names certainly hit on both of those feelings.
- Ace
- Archer
- Baron
- Benton
- Booker
- Cash
- Dexter
- Duke
- Eagle
- Easton
- Electra
- Falcon
- Flint
- Gage
- Grover
- Harley
- Harlow
- Hendrix
- Holden
- Huntley
- Huxley
- Jagger
- Jamison
- Jenson
- Justice
- Keaton
- Keenan
- Lennon
- Locke
- Lockwood
- Maddox
- Murdock
- Nixon
- North
- Otis
- Phoenix
- Reno
- Riggs
- Rockwell
- Ryder
- Sampson
- Samson
- Saxon
- Slade
- Slater
- Steel
- Sterling
- Stoney
- Storm
- Titus
- Wilder
- Wynn
Rare Last Names for Characters
If your book, story, novel, movie or game needs a rare last name for a character, this list is for you. Here you will find a curated selection of the finest rare last names for characters.
- Aiken
- Bach
- Bader
- Boone
- Boston
- Bradford
- Chester
- Clifton
- Collier
- Conrad
- Corbett
- Cornelius
- Cowan
- Coy
- Croft
- Curran
- Dempsey
- Dudley
- Eames
- Emery
- Faber
- Farley
- Fischer
- Fraser
- Frost
- Garrison
- Gervais
- Haines
- Hamlet
- Hancock
- Hensley
- Hewitt
- Hobbs
- Houston
- Ives
- Kane
- Keates
- Kohl
- Lanier
- Lincoln
- Ludwig
- Madrigal
- Mallory
- Mayer
- Mckinley
- Nolan
- Norton
- Norwood
- Orlando
- Pace
- Pierson
- Richmond
- Roper
- Rosa
- Sanford
- Selby
- Sherwood
- Silver
- Snow
- Solomon
- Stanford
- Tatum
- Troy
- Wallis
- York
See more Last Names for Characters
Random Last Name Generator
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Famous People with Rare Last Names
Charles Tolliver is an American jazz musician. Tolliver is an incredibly rare name with English origins meaning “metalworker”. How apt then that Charles Tolliver made a name for himself working with metal — brass to be exact — as a talented and Grammy-nominated trumpeter and composer.
Harrison Salisbury was an American journalist. The name Salisbury was first recorded around the year 900 as a translation of a Roman Celtic name meaning “fortress”. Notably, in 1955, Salisbury won a Pulitzer Prize as a result of his efforts in battling the fortress that was Soviet censorship in the aftermath of World War II.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau was a Genevan philosopher, writer, and composer. Rousseau as a rare name has intriguing origins, coming from France to mean a red-haired man. While we don’t know the color of Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s hair, we do know much of his work helped develop modern political, economic and educational thought.
Duke Ellington was an American jazz pianist and composer, most well-known for the jazz orchestra he led from 1923 through the rest of his life. Ellington is a rare last name of British origin, meaning “from Ellis’s town”. With a name that is so musical and jazzy to say, it is certainly an appropriate one for Duke Ellington.
Samuel Beckett was an Irish writer, dramatist, and poet. Beckett is a rare family name derived from the Old English words for bee and shelter, often interpreted as ‘beehive’. How apt then that Samuel Beckett was regarded as a creative genius and one of the last modernist writers when bees are one of nature’s busiest little creators.
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