Surnames are hot, and the actor that wears this name is very Hollywood cool.

Thanks to Sarah for suggesting her son’s name as our Baby Name of the Day: Sutherland.

Sutherland: Surname Name

Sutherland is a surname name that fits right in with Easton and Westley. The direction this name heads? South, of course.

Except it’s best known as a Scottish name, so it’s reasonable to ask south of what, precisely?

In this case, Sutherland is a relic of Norse rule of Scotland. The Old Norse suðr meant south, and the land was south of Scandinavia, as well as other Norse colonies.

There’s a Scottish Earl of Sutherland, and it’s used as a place name throughout the world, including South Africa and New Zealand, as well as a handful of places in the US.

Sutherland: Kiefer

The most famous bearer of the name is Hollywood’s Kiefer Sutherland.

Plenty of surnames end up as given names, and we’ve been especially fond of borrowing star-powered Hollywood surnames in recent years. Think Aniston and Winslet, along with musical legends like Lennon, Marley, and Hendrix.

In fact, Kiefer’s unusual first name is also a last name. He’s named after Warren Kiefer, better known as Lorenzo Sabatini, a director Kiefer’s dad, Donald, worked with early in his career.

Sutherland: Beyond Hollywood

Back to the last name.

It’s very rare as a given name in the US – so rare that it’s never been given to even five children in one single year.

And yet, it’s broadly familiar. Clan Sutherland is a Scottish clan with the tartans to prove it. That’s their crest above – sans peur means without fear.

Plenty of notables have worn the surname, including:

• College Football Hall of Fame coach Jock – there’s a Sutherland Hall on the University of Pittsburgh’s campus, named in his honor.
• Kiefer’s dad, Donald, also had a successful actor.
• Donald’s dad, Tommy, a Canadian politician credited with bringing universal health care to Canada back in the 1960s.
• A 1971 Michigan-born Nobel prize winner in medicine answered to the surname.
• So did World War II-era British artist Graham.
• Several ships of the Royal Navy have been given the name.
• I thought it was the surname of a Law & Order assistant district attorney, but it turns out that her name was spelled a little bit differently. Elisabeth Rohm played Serena Southerlyn.

Sutherland: Under the Radar

All of this makes Sutherland one of those great secret names.

It shares sounds with the popular Landon, the up-and-coming Landry, the invented Ryland, and the retro revivals Roland and Leland. On the girls’ side, place name Ireland is a recent re-entry to the US Top 1000.

Directional names are having a moment, from mainstream Easton to Kim and Kanye’s North West. And while Sutherland’s south is subtle, it’s clearly there.

Spelled Southerlyn, this feels more like a feminine choice, along the lines of Avalyn or Caralyn.

If you’re looking for a name that’s off the beaten path, but still feels familiar, Sutherland is one to consider.

What do you think of Sutherland? Do you like directional names in general?