100 Cool Southern Last Names
Southern last names are steeped in tradition, culture, and ancestry.
From the grand plantations of the Deep South to the Appalachian hills, these surnames tell stories of resilience, legacy, and heritage.
Passed down from English, Scottish, Irish, or French ancestors, many Southern last names are effectively tied down to the region’s agrarian past, an incredible sense of family and pride.
In this article, we will explore some of the enduring Southern surnames, their meanings, and their history.
Southern Last names
Adkins – English; “son of Adam.”
Anderson – Scandinavian/Scottish; “son of Andrew.”
Atkinson – English/Scottish; “son of Atkin (a form of Adam).”
Barnes – English; “someone who lived near a barn.”
Beauchamp – French; “beautiful field” or “fair valley.”
Beauregard – French; “beautiful gaze” or “fine view.”
Bellamy – French; “fine friend” or “good-looking companion.”
Bennett – Latin/English; “blessed” or “little Benedict.”
Blackwell – English; “dark stream” or “black well.”
Boudreaux – French; derived from “boudier,” meaning “stout person.”
Bradshaw – English; “broad wood” or “spacious thicket.”
Bridges – English; for someone living near a bridge.
Callahan – Irish; “bright-headed” or “descendant of Ceallachán.”
Carrington – English; “settlement of the people of Cara.”
Carver – English; occupational name for a wood or stone carver.
Chambers – French/English; occupational name for a chamberlain.
Chapman – English; “merchant” or “trader.”
Clayton – English; “settlement near clay soil.”
Clements – Latin/English; “merciful” or “gentle.”
Crockett – French; “crochet” meaning “hook” (possibly for a hooked weapon or tool).
Dalton – English; “valley town” or “settlement in the dale.”
Davenport – English; “port or market town of the Dane.”
Delaney – Irish/French; “descendant of Dubhshláine” or “from the alder grove.”
Dillard – French; “brave” or “bold.”
Duke – English/Norman; “leader” or “noble title.”
Ellington – English; “Ellis’s town” or “town of Ealdhelm.”
Ellis – Hebrew/English; derived from Elijah, meaning “Yahweh is my God.”
Emerson – English; “son of Emery,” meaning “brave power.”
Fairchild – English; “beautiful child” or “fair offspring.”
Ferguson – Scottish/Irish; “son of Fergus,” meaning “man of strength.”
Gaines – English; “crafty” or “ingenious.”
Garrison – English/French; “stronghold” or “fortified place.”
Goodwin – English; “friend of God” or “good-hearted.”
Graves – English; “grove of trees” or “steward of land.”
Hampton – English; “home settlement” or “homestead by the river.”
Harper – English/Scottish; occupational name for a harp player.
Hawthorne – English; “near a hawthorn bush or hedge.”
Hollis – English; “dweller near holly trees.”
Houston – Scottish; “Hugh’s town” or “settlement on the hill.”
Jefferson – English; “son of Geoffrey” or “son of peace.”
Kendall – English; “valley of the River Kent.”
Langston – English; “long stone” or “long settlement.”
Lovelace – French/English; “lovely and charming.”
Montgomery – French/Scottish; “mountain of the hunter.”
Nash – English; “by the ash tree.”
Preston – English; “priest’s town” or “settlement of the clergy.”
Reeves – English; “bailiff” or “steward.”
Sinclair – French/Scottish; “holy light” or “St. Clair.”
Truitt – English; “little troop” or “small army.”
Whitaker – English; “white field” or “dweller near a wheat field.”
Abbott – English; “father” or “priest.”
Armstrong – Scottish; “strong arms” or “powerful warrior.”
Ashford – English; “ford near ash trees.”
Barksdale – English; “valley of the birch trees.”
Bassett – French; “low” or “short,” possibly indicating stature.
Baxter – English/Scottish; “baker.”
Benton – English; “settlement near bent grass.”
Blalock – English; “dark-haired” or “pale-haired.”
Boone – French; “good” or “fortunate.”
Brantley – English; “fiery torch” or “proud fire.”
Buchanan – Scottish; “house of the canon” or “place of the cannon.”
Burke – Irish; “fortified hill” or “stronghold.”
Calhoun – Scottish/Irish; “narrow woods” or “from Colquhoun.”
Carson – Scottish/Irish; “son of the marsh-dweller.”
Chandler – French/English; “candle maker or seller.”
Clemons – Latin/English; “merciful” or “gentle.”
Colton – English; “coal town” or “charcoal settlement.”
Covington – English; “settlement of Cofa’s people.”
Crawford – Scottish/English; “ford of the crows.”
Crenshaw – English; “settlement in the limestone area.”
Crowder – English; “fiddler” or “player of a crowde (stringed instrument).”
Daugherty – Irish; “descendant of Dochartach,” meaning “hurtful.”
Delmar – Spanish; “of the sea” or “from the sea.”
Devlin – Irish; “descendant of the fierce one.”
Dugger – English; occupational name for a ditch digger.
Eldridge – English; “old ruler” or “wise leader.”
Faulkner – English; “falconer” or “keeper of falcons.”
Fitzgerald – Irish/Norman; “son of Gerald,” meaning “rule of the spear.”
Fontenot – French; “little fountain” or “spring.”
Forrest – French/English; “dweller near a forest.”
Gentry – French/English; “noble” or “of high birth.”
Guthrie – Scottish; “windy place” or “place of streams.”
Hardin – English; “valley of the hares” or “brave warrior.”
Hensley – English; “woodland clearing of Henne.”
Hollingsworth – English; “Holly’s farmstead” or “dweller near holly trees.”
Huckabee – English; possibly “dweller by the bend in the river.”
Jarrett – English; “spear strong” or “brave with a spear.”
Kimbrough – English; “from the royal field.”
Lafayette – French; “faithful” or “little beech tree.”
Lamar – French; “the pool” or “dweller by the pond.”
Lawson – English/Scottish; “son of Lawrence.”
McAlister – Scottish; “son of Alistair,” meaning “defender of men.”
McCoy – Irish/Scottish; “fire” or “son of Hugh.”
McGraw – Irish; “son of the gray-haired one.”
Meredith – Welsh; “great ruler” or “protector.”
Patterson – Scottish/English; “son of Patrick.”
Redmond – Irish; “wise protector” or “counsel protector.”
Sorrell – French; “reddish-brown” or “fox-colored.”
Thornton – English; “town near thorns” or “thorny settlement.”
Vaughn – Welsh; “small” or “little one.”
