Southern Last Names

These southern last names are real surnames rooted in the American South, from Scots-Irish Appalachian names like Crockett and Calhoun to Virginia and Carolina families like Rutledge and Dabney. Each is listed A to Z with its meaning and origin.

254 real surnames with meanings, A to Z.

A

Abernathy

Mouth of the Nethy river, Scottish place

Scottish
Autry

Possibly from Norman given name Autri

French

B

Bankston

Bank settlement, English place name

English
Barefoot

Barefoot pilgrim or penitent

English
Barksdale

Possibly from Barkisland, a Yorkshire place

English
Beasley

Bent-grass clearing, English place name

English
Blackwell

Black spring, English place name

English
Blalock

Black lock of hair

English
Blankenship

From Blenkinsop, a Northumberland place

English
Bledsoe

From Bledisloe, a Gloucestershire place

English
Boggs

Dweller by a bog

Scottish
Boone

From Old French bon, good

English
Bowden

Curved hill, English place name

English
Boyette

Possibly Huguenot, from French Boyet

French
Branch

Dweller by a branch or stream

English
Braswell

Possibly broad spring, an English place name

English
Broadnax

Broad oaks, English place name

English
Buchanan

Scottish place, house of the canon

Scottish
Buckner

Possibly keeper of bucks

English
Bullard

Bull keeper, or a ball player

English
Bunch

Hunchback, a nickname

English
Burch

Dweller by birch trees

English
Burleson

Son of Burrell, possibly coarse cloth

English
Burnside

Dweller beside a stream

Scottish
Butts

Archery target, or a strip of land

English
Byrd

Bird, a nickname for a singer or light person

English

C

Cagle

Anglicized German Kegel, skittle

German
Caldwell

Cold spring, a Scottish and English place

English
Calhoun

From Colquhoun, a Scottish place, narrow corner

Scottish
Cantrell

Possibly English, meaning uncertain

English
Carlisle

From Carlisle, Cumbrian city, fort of Luguvalos

English
Caudill

Possibly from Scottish Caddell, of Cawdor

Scottish
Chandler

Candle maker or seller

English
Chastain

Huguenot name meaning chestnut tree

French
Cheatham

From Cheetham, Lancashire, wood homestead

English
Childress

Possibly from Childerhouse, an orphanage worker

English
Cobb

Lump, or a big stout man

English
Coker

Possibly haymaker, from cock of hay

English
Conley

Anglicized Ó Conghaile, hound-like

Irish
Crawford

Crow ford, a Scottish place name

Scottish
Crenshaw

Crow's wood, from Crawshaw

English
Crockett

Possibly from Old French crochet, small hook

Scottish
Cromartie

From Cromarty, Scottish place, crooked bay

Scottish
Crowder

Fiddler, player of the crwth

English
Crump

Crooked or bent, a nickname

English
Culpepper

Spice seller or herbalist

English
Cunningham

Scottish place name, possibly rabbit farm

Scottish

D

Dabney

Anglicized d'Aubigny, a Norman place

French
Darnell

Darnel grass, a weedy field

English
Daughtry

Possibly from Huguenot Dautrey

French
Dees

Son of Dai, Welsh pet form of David

Welsh
Dillard

Possibly from Old English dol, foolish

English
Dobbins

Son of Dobbin, pet form of Robert

English
Dowdy

Possibly from Irish Ó Dubhda, dark

Irish
Dozier

Huguenot name, dweller by osier willows

French
Drummond

Scottish place name, ridge

Scottish
Duckworth

Duck enclosure, Lancashire place

English
Dukes

Leader, or servant of a duke

English
Dunaway

Possibly a hilltop place name

English
Dunlap

Fort at the bend, from Dunlop in Ayrshire

Scottish
Dupree

Anglicized Huguenot Dupré, from the meadow

French

E

Earnhardt

Anglicized German Ehrhardt, honor and hardy

German
Epps

Possibly aspen tree, or a pet form

English
Eubanks

Yew bank, English place name

English

F

Faircloth

Fair cloth, a cloth maker

English
Fairfax

Fair-haired, from Old English fæger feax

English
Farris

Possibly Irish Ó Fearghusa, or iron worker

Irish
Faulkner

Falconer, a trainer of hawks

English
Fentress

Of uncertain origin, possibly English

English
Fincher

Finch catcher or seller

English
Fulcher

From Germanic Fulcher, people army

English

G

Gaines

From Norman Engaine, ingenious

English
Gantt

Glove maker, or from Ghent

English
Garner

Granary keeper, or from Warner, guard

English
Gatlin

Possibly companion, from Old English gædeling

English
Gentry

Of noble birth, from gentrise

English
Gilliam

From William, resolute protector

English
Godwin

Good friend or God's friend

English
Goforth

Go forth, a messenger's nickname

English
Grissom

Possibly from Gresham, grassy homestead

English
Grubbs

Short stout person, or a digger

English
Gunter

From Germanic Gunther, battle army

German
Guthrie

Scottish place name, possibly windy

Scottish

H

Hamby

Hamlet farm, possibly Norse-English

English
Hargrove

Hoary grove, English place name

English
Harkins

Son of Hark, pet form of Henry

English
Harrell

Possibly from Harold, army ruler

English
Harrelson

Son of Harold, army ruler

English
Hatcher

Gatekeeper, dweller by a hatch

English
Hatfield

Heathland field, an English place name

English
Hembree

Possibly from Hembury, a Devon place

English
Hendrix

Son of Hendrick, home ruler

Dutch
Hightower

High tower, English place name

English
Hinton

High settlement, English place name

English
Hobgood

Possibly Hob the good, pet form of Robert

English
Holcomb

Deep valley, English place name

English
Hollingsworth

Holly enclosure, English place name

English
Hollis

Dweller by holly trees

English
Holloway

Sunken road, hollow way

English
Honeycutt

Possibly honey cottage, an English place name

English
Hooper

Maker of hoops for barrels

English
Huckabee

Possibly from Huccaby, a Devon place

English
Huger

Huguenot Charleston name, possibly from Hugues

French
Hurt

Hart, a stag

English

I

Inman

Innkeeper or lodging keeper

English

J

Jernigan

From Breton Iarnogon, iron-famous, via England

English
Jolly

Cheerful or merry

English

K

Kilgore

From Kilgour, Scottish place, possibly goat's wood

Scottish
Kincaid

Scottish place, head of the pass

Scottish
Kinlaw

Possibly from Scottish Kinloch, head of the lake

Scottish
Kirkland

Church land, northern English place

English

L

Lackey

Possibly Irish Ó Leacaigh, or a servant

Irish
Lamar

Huguenot name, from la mare, the pond

French
Lanier

Huguenot name, possibly wool merchant

French
Lankford

Long ford, English place name

English
Lassiter

Possibly from Lancaster or Leicester

English
Ledbetter

Lead beater, a worker in lead

English
Ledford

Ford by a watercourse, English place name

English
Legare

Huguenot Charleston name of uncertain French origin

French
Loftin

Loft house settlement, Norse-English place

English
Loveless

Unloved, or from Lovelace

English
Lovett

Little wolf, from Old French louvet

English
Lowery

Pet form of Lawrence, laurel

Scottish
Lumpkin

Diminutive of Lambert, bright land

English

M

Mabry

Possibly from an Old French personal name

English
Maddox

Son of Madog, Welsh, fortunate

Welsh
Mangum

Possibly from Mangham, an English place

English
Manigault

Huguenot Charleston name of French origin

French
Mauldin

Possibly from Maulden, an English place

English
Maury

Huguenot name, from Maurice, Moorish

French
Maxey

Maccus's island, English place name

English
Maxwell

Maccus's stream, a Scottish place name

Scottish
Maynard

From Germanic Meginhard, strong and hardy

English
McBride

Son of the servant of St. Brigid

Irish
McCain

Son of Iain, John

Scottish
McClain

Son of the servant of John

Scottish
McCoy

Anglicized Mac Aoidh, son of Aodh, fire

Scottish
McCrary

Son of Ruaidhrí, red king

Irish
McCullough

Son of the boar, or hound of Ulster

Irish
McDaniel

Son of Donald, world ruler

Irish
McGee

Son of Aodh, fire

Irish
McGowan

Son of the smith

Irish
McKee

Son of Aodh, fire

Irish
McKinney

Son of Cionaodh, fire-born

Scottish
McMillan

Son of the tonsured servant

Scottish
McNair

Son of the heir, or of the smith

Scottish
McRae

Son of grace

Scottish
McWhorter

Son of the cottar

Scottish
Meeks

Meek or humble one

English
Merritt

Boundary gate, English place name

English
Middleton

Middle settlement, a common English place name

English
Mims

Possibly from Mimms, Hertfordshire place

English
Moody

Brave or proud, from Old English modig

English
Mullins

Miller, from Old French moulin

English

N

Nance

Valley, from Cornish nans

English
Nesbitt

Nose-shaped headland, Scottish place

Scottish
Nobles

Noble one, or from a noble coin

English
Norris

Northerner, or a nurse

English

O

Oakley

Oak clearing, an English place name

English
Odom

Son-in-law, from Old English athum

English
Ogle

Ocga's hill, Northumberland place

English
Overby

Upper farm, Norse-English place name

English
Oxendine

From Oxenden, ox valley, Kent; a Lumbee name

English

P

Pace

Peace, or Easter

English
Parrish

Dweller in a parish, or from Paris

English
Peacock

Proud, showy person

English
Peebles

From Peebles, Scottish town, shelters

Scottish
Pendleton

Hill settlement, Lancashire place

English
Pettigrew

Little growth, nickname for a small man

English
Petty

Small, from Old French petit

English
Pickett

Possibly diminutive of pike, a pointed hill or tool

English
Pinckney

From Picquigny, a place in Picardy

English
Pinson

Chaffinch, from French pinson

English
Pittman

Dweller by a pit or hollow

English
Pitts

Dweller by a pit or hollow

English
Poindexter

From Jersey, Old French poing dextre, right fist

French
Polk

From Pollock, little pool

Scottish
Pope

Nickname for a pompous person, from pope

English
Poteet

Possibly Huguenot, from French Petit

French
Presley

From Priestley, priest's clearing

English
Pruitt

From Old French preux, little valiant one

English
Puckett

Little goblin or puck

English
Pugh

Welsh ap Hugh, son of Hugh

Welsh
Purvis

Purveyor of provisions

English

R

Ragsdale

From Ragdale, a Leicestershire place

English
Ramsey

Wild garlic island, English place name

English
Randolph

Shield wolf, from Germanic rand and wulf

English
Ratliff

Red cliff, English place name

English
Ravenel

Huguenot Charleston name of French origin

French
Rayburn

Roe deer stream

English
Register

Registrar or clerk

English
Revels

Reveler or merrymaker

English
Rhodes

Dweller by a clearing or road

English
Rhyne

Anglicized German Rhein, Rhine

German
Roper

Maker of ropes

English
Rowland

From Roland, famous land

English
Rutledge

From Routledge, rough stream

English

S

Satterfield

English place name, possibly shieling field

English
Scruggs

Possibly from scrog, brushwood

English
Sessions

From Soissons in France

English
Sewell

Seven wells, or from Sigeweald

English
Shackelford

Shackle ford, English place name

English
Shelton

Settlement on a ledge, English place name

English
Shipp

Shipbuilder, or from Shipton

English
Shoemake

Anglicized German Schumacher, shoemaker

German
Sizemore

Possibly from Sismore, an English place name

English
Skaggs

Possibly from Old Norse skegg, beard

English
Slaughter

Muddy place, from Old English slohtre

English
Snipes

Swampy or marshy place

English
Speight

Woodpecker, from Middle English speght

English
Spivey

Of uncertain English origin

English
Stallings

Horse keeper, or stable dweller

English
Stanfield

Stony field, an English place name

English
Stith

Stiff or strong, from Old English stith

English
Strickland

Pasture for young cattle, Cumbrian place

English
Stroud

Marshy thicket, English place name

English
Sturdivant

Possibly Old French, rash forward

English
Sumrall

Possibly summer hall, English place name

English
Swain

Young servant or herdsman, from Old Norse sveinn

English

T

Talley

Possibly from Talley, Welsh place, end of the lakes

Welsh
Tanner

Tanner of leather hides

English
Tarleton

Thoraldr's settlement, Lancashire place

English
Tatum

From Tatham, Lancashire, Tata's homestead

English
Teague

From Irish Tadhg, poet

Irish
Thigpen

Possibly thick fen, an English place

English
Tidwell

Tida's spring, English place name

English
Tillery

Possibly from Tillières, Normandy

French
Tolbert

Variant of Talbot, possibly Germanic

English
Toombs

Son of Thomas, twin

English
Tubbs

Son of Tubb, pet form of Theobald

English

U

Upchurch

Upper church, English place name

English

V

Vance

Dweller by a fen or marsh

English
Vaughan

Small, from Welsh bychan

Welsh

W

Waddell

Woad valley, Scottish place

Scottish
Wadsworth

Wæddi's enclosure, English place name

English
Walden

Valley of the Britons

English
Weathers

Herder of wethers, castrated rams

English
Weems

From Wemyss, Scottish place, caves

Scottish
Whitehead

Nickname for a white-haired person

English
Whitfield

White field, an English place name

English
Whitlock

White lock of hair

English
Wiggins

Son of Wiggin, Breton, worthy

English
Wilkes

Son of Wilkin, little William

English
Wimberly

Wynbeald's clearing, English place name

English
Winstead

Possibly from Winstead, an English place

English
Wofford

Possibly from Wolford, wolf ford

English
Womack

Of uncertain English origin, possibly hollow oak

English
Wooten

Wood settlement, English place name

English
Wren

Wren bird, nickname for a small person

English

Y

Yancey

Of uncertain origin, possibly Dutch or Huguenot

Southern
Yarbrough

Earth fortification, from Yarborough

English
Yates

Gatekeeper, dweller by gates

English
Yeager

Anglicized German Jäger, hunter

German
Yearwood

Possibly eagle wood, an English place

English

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Scruggs

Possibly from scrog, brushwood

English
Godwin

Good friend or God's friend

English
Barksdale

Possibly from Barkisland, a Yorkshire place

English
Register

Registrar or clerk

English
Nesbitt

Nose-shaped headland, Scottish place

Scottish
Loveless

Unloved, or from Lovelace

English

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Where southern last names came from

The South was settled in waves, and its surnames record each one. English planters and farmers brought names like Rutledge, Pickett and Hargrove to Virginia and the Carolinas. Scots-Irish families, who moved from Ulster in the eighteenth century and pushed into the Appalachian backcountry, brought names such as Calhoun, Crockett, McKinney and Caldwell. Germans settled parts of the Carolinas and Texas, and French speakers shaped Louisiana.

African American families are also central to the story of southern surnames. After emancipation, many freed people kept, chose or were recorded under English and Scots-Irish surnames already common in their counties, which is why names like Strickland, Beasley and Gaines are shared by Black and white southern families alike. The list above includes the origin of each name, so you can see which strand of southern history it most likely comes from.

Common southern last names and regional flavour

Some surnames are especially dense in the South compared with the rest of the country. Names like Strickland, Beasley, Cantrell, Wimberly, Purvis and Lankford are common in Georgia, Alabama, the Carolinas and Mississippi, even though they began in England. Scots-Irish names such as McKinney, Guthrie and Calhoun cluster in Tennessee, Kentucky and the Appalachian foothills. Hatfield brings to mind the famous feud along the Kentucky and West Virginia border.

Other names are tied to particular places. Cajun families in Louisiana carry French surnames like Thibodeaux, Boudreaux and Landry. Texas mixes southern English names with Spanish and German ones. North Carolina has distinctive names like Barefoot and Kinlaw. When you need a name for a character from a specific state, look at the meaning and origin beside each surname, and choose one that fits the history of that region.

The southern habit of surnames as first names

One of the most recognisable southern naming customs is giving children family surnames as first names. A mother's maiden name or a grandmother's family name often becomes a son's or daughter's first name, which is why the South has so many people called Tucker, Harper, Presley, Mason or Walker. The custom keeps family lines visible even when a surname passes out of use.

For writers, this habit is a quick way to make a southern character feel authentic. A boy named Calhoun Pickett or a girl named Dabney Rutledge sounds rooted in a specific family and place. Pair a southern surname with a double first name, such as Mary Beth or Billy Ray, for a rural feel, or with a formal first name for an old Charleston or Savannah family. The random picker below the list helps you test combinations quickly.

Frequently asked questions

Are southern last names mostly Scots-Irish?

Many are, especially in Appalachia and the upland South, but not all. English names are very common in the coastal South, French names dominate parts of Louisiana, and German and Spanish names appear in Texas. The origin shown beside each surname tells you which tradition it comes from.

Why do southerners use surnames as first names?

It is a long tradition of honouring family. Parents often give a child the maiden name of a mother or grandmother as a first or middle name, which keeps that family line visible. Names like Tucker, Harper and Walker became popular first names through this custom.

Which surnames sound Cajun?

Cajun surnames are French in origin and often end in -eaux or -ier. Thibodeaux, Boudreaux, Landry, Guidry, Hebert and Broussard are well-known examples. They came with Acadians who were expelled from Canada in the eighteenth century and settled in south Louisiana.

What surname suits a character from Appalachia?

Scots-Irish and English names fit best, such as McKinney, Guthrie, Calhoun, Crockett, Hatfield or Caldwell. They reflect the families who settled the mountains in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Pair one with a traditional first name like Ruth, Earl or Clara for an authentic feel.