Are there any rockstar last names on your shortlist?
“Heroes” by David Bowie is my long-time favorite song. If I were expecting a son now, I’d seriously consider incorporating Bowie into his name.
Rock star surname names are a big category, and they’ve gone mainstream in recent years. They work on so many levels: surnames are stylish choices for children in general. They can carry significant meaning. Plenty of them borrow the cool of their famous bearers, too.
What counts as a name in this category? Plenty of names with ties to rock ‘n’ roll are first names, like Elvis, Stevie, and Axl. They’re not on this list. Others don’t seem directly tied to the name’s popularity. Cooper is popular, but I don’t think there’s much connection to Alice. Harrison might sometimes reference George, but only sometimes.
With those caveats, read on for some of the most popular rock star surnames in the US.
BOWIE
Way back in early 2014, rock star parents Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale named their third son, Apollo Bowie Flynn. Stefani said that Bowie and Flynn were family names, and indeed, they’re both common. Bowie also brings to mind Jim Bowie – as in the knife.
It means “fair-haired.” That tracks with charismatic, chameleon singer, actor, and innovator David Bowie.
The fact that Bowie shortens to Bo, like Boden and Bodhi, is another bonus.
CASH
Cash is brash, a bad boy name inspired by the Man in Black. Johnny Cash’s music has endured long after his 2003 death.
As a given name, the surname started to rise following Cash’s death. But it was really the award-winning 2005 biopic, I Walk the Line, starring Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon as Johnny and June Carter Cash that pushed the name into wider use.
The singer cultivated an outlaw image, but his surname actually has a gentle meaning. It’s generally considered an Anglicized form of German surname Kirsch – cherry, or perhaps Kirch – church. It’s got nothing to do with money, but it probably doesn’t hurt that Cash is king.
Cash also rhymes with Guns n’ Roses guitarist Slash – real name Saul Hudson. He’s a legendary performer, and yet it seems like a stretch.
COBAIN
There are few possible origins and meanings for this surname. But it brings to mind the late, legendary Kurt Cobain of Nirvana fame. Maybe because he’s a 90s artist, the name feels more immediately linked to his legacy than, say, Crosby.
COOPER
As in Alice Cooper. Born Vincent Furnier, he was originally the frontman for the band Alice Cooper, but eventually adopted it as his stage name. While he’s a mega rock star from the 1970s, Cooper’s popularity is probably attributable to other factors.
CROSBY
Does Crosby belong on this list? The name’s current claim to fame isn’t musical, but athletic – Sidney Crosby is an ice hockey star, currently playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Bing Crosby was more of a crooner. But then there’s David Crosby, an alum of the Byrds, best known as a member of Crosby, Stills, and Nash. That makes him a two-time inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
DYLAN
Bob Dylan took his stage name from Welsh poet Dylan Thomas, making this a first name that traveled to the last spot and back in record time.
A handful of boys were named Dylan in the 1950s, their parents likely influenced by the poet, too. But the name really took off in the 1960s, as the singer-songwriter rose to international fame.
In the 90s, Beverly Hills, 90210 boosted Dylan all the way into the US Top 100.
But with biopic A Complete Unknown released at the end of 2024, this name could be all about the music once more.
EVERLY
Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman Anthony Kiedis named his son Everly Bear back in 2007.
But this name has been more popular for girls. Maybe that’s because it shortens to Evie, and because we love three-syllable, ends in -y or -ie names for girls, from Dorothy to Kimberly.
It’s a name with rock and roll roots, too. The Everly Brothers, Don and Phil, were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986. They scored a string of hits in the 1960s, upbeat anthems like “Bye Bye Love” and “Wake Up Little Susie.”
The surname comes from an English place name, composed of the elements wild boar and clearing. It’s certainly more appealing to think of it as a musical choice!
HAWKINS
This name makes the list thanks to the late, great Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins.
If you know your 90s grunge, then Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl likely comes to mind as one of the greats. Post-Nirvana, Grohl founded Foo Fighters as the frontman and guitarist. Eventually, Taylor Hawkins took over the drums.
HENDRIX
As in Jimi Hendrix.
In just four years, Hendrix recorded some of the most enduring hits in rock and roll history. It’s impossible to talk about electric guitar without bringing up his name.
Even without Jimi’s legacy, Hendrix boosts that great final x, just like Alex and Felix and many other popular names for boys. And classic Henry, the given name from which Hendrix is derived, remains a solid favorite.
LENNON
A true unisex name, it pays homage to John Lennon.
He’s remembered for his music, both as a member of The Beatles and his solo work, and for his work as a peace activist. Lennon’s life was tragically cut short, following his 1980 assassination.
The surname has a few possible origins, all Gaelic – little cloak, blackbird, or possibly sweetheart. But the name has taken on a meaning that’s about the songwriter’s interests: peace and possibility.
JAGGER
Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger was, in fact, born Michael Philip Jagger. His surname was an occupational name for a peddler, from the Middle English word jag – pack.
It’s seen sparing use as a given name since the 1990s. But it was a song by another band that pushed Jagger to its highest rank ever.
In 2011, Maroon 5 scored a hit with “Moves Like Jagger,” an a video chock full of archival footage of a young Mick Jagger. Kesha name checks the seemingly immortal rock star in her 2009 hit “TiK ToK,” too.
JOPLIN
Singer Janis Joplin’s voice is unforgettable. Joplin, though, hasn’t provided much baby name inspiration.
Maybe that’s because it’s as much place name as surname. (Think Joplin, Missouri.)
Then again, it’s always been musical. Composer Scott Joplin was known as the King of Ragtime, popular at the turn of the twentieth century.
MARLEY
Marley makes this list because it’s the surname of the immortal Bob Marley, who brought reggae to the world. More than three years after his death, Marley remains among the best-selling and most influential artists of all time.
And yet, the name might owe its success not to the musician – but to a dog.
Originally an English place name, the surname has a long history of sparing use as a given name for boys and girls alike.
It was already on the upswing when John Grogan published Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World’s Worst Dog. The memoir became a bestseller, and inspired a 2008 movie adaptation with Owen Wilson as Grogan.
The name spiked in popularity following the movie, but remains in steady use now. As time passes, it probably feels more like a nod to the musician again, especially after 2024 biopic One Love came out.
McCARTNEY
Paul McCartney and fellow Beatles founder John Lennon remain one of the most successful and influential songwriting duos of the twentieth century – maybe of all time.
In the 1970s, Paul co-founded Wings. Wings was wildly successful, too, paling only in comparison to his first group.
The surname traces its roots to Scotland and Ireland, where it ultimately comes from a personal name that could mean bear – or hero.
MERCURY
As in Freddie Mercury, legendary singer of Queen. The singer adopted the last name; he was born Farrokh Bulsara.
Mercury is the Roman messenger god, and the smallest planet. It’s quite rare as a given name, but when it is used, it might easily be a mythological or night sky pick. But it’s always possible that this shining name is a nod to one of rock and roll’s greats.
NASH
Another name borrowed from Crosby Stills & Nash, or sometimes Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. The folk rock supergroup formed in 1968. Graham Nash, formerly of the Hollies, was the only English member of the group.
PRESLEY
From Ashley to Hadley, we love a good ends-with-ley name, especially for our daughters.
Presley needs no introduction. The surname of the King of Rock and Roll, it comes from either an English place name or maybe a German one. But it means just one thing: Elvis Presley.
The Mississippi native became a major recording star in the 1950s, a movie star in the decade following, and then made a comeback in the 1970s. He died in 1977, but remixes of his songs have topped charts as recently as 2002 and 2003.
SANTANA
Not so long ago, Santana was famously connected to a cheerleader on Glee.
But the Spanish surname – a contraction of Santa Ana, for a place named after Saint Ann – is actually much more popular for boys than girls. Mexican-born musician Carlos Santana, the Mexican-born musician, may deserve credit for the name’s success.
Carlos gave his surname to his band. Santana performed at Woodstock way back before they even had a record deal. Since then, he’s racked up 10 Grammys and is widely considered one of the greatest guitarists of all time.
STRUMMER
Strumming a guitar sounds gentle. But Joe Strummer of The Clash was a punk rock innovator – the opposite of quiet. Rebellious, creative, and bold, Strummer laid the groundwork for alternative rock as we know it today.
The name Strummer fits with Carter and Walker and so many occcupational surnames. It’s always been rare, but it could wear nicely for a just-outside-the-mainstream choice inspired by a musical hero.
SO glad to see Santana on this list! Santana is my surname through marriage. The name we chose for my son is one we love, but very popular (it was number 1 name for years until VERY recently). The middle name, Homero, is one we love equally and is an important family name. It might be too unusual for him to go by as far as a “backup” name, however. I had thought that maybe if he grows up and shared his name with too many other people, he could start to go by his surname instead. This makes me think that idea was not too bad! Either as a surname or first name it is a pretty cool name.
Bowie was on my radar long before his passing, and even more so now. But I work with a women who has a teenage son named Bowie, and when I started working with her back in May of 2015 I dropped the name from my list because it seemed a little odd to be considering such a unique name that was already at use in the workplace. After Bowie’s death, however, I may put it back on my list. I would consider using it as a middle, except my husband and I were planning on using family names for those two spots. Baby naming is especially hard once you’ve moved from the realm of fantasy to reality!
My immediate thought upon hearing of David Bowie’s passing was that Bowie was going to rise in popularity. Only a name nerd, right?
Dylan Farrow (Mia’s daughter) is another famous female Dylan.