So, here's a list of names that were originally surnames, but first caught on for feminine use in the U.S.; as well as a few surnames that are currently underused for either.
In many cases, the rise of these names can be directly attributed to a prominent female figure.
- Adair (ah-DAYR)
- Ansley (ANZ-lee)--variant is Ainsley
- Arden (AHR-den)
- Averill (AV-er-il)
- Baxter (BAKS-ter) [technically, this has only ever gotten use as a male name, but since it's the extremely rare example of a feminine occupational name--"female baker"--I had to include it!]
- Bellamy (BEL-ah-mee)
- Blythe (BLITHE)
- Cassidy (KAS-ih-dee)
- Chanel (shan-EL)--Coco Chanel
- Chantal (shahn-TAHL)
- Charisse (shah-REES)--Cyd Charisse
- Darcy (DAR-see) [masc. in Australia, however]
- Delaney (deh-LAY-nee)
- Ellery (EL-er-ee)
- Fallon (FAL-lon)
- Flannery (FLAN-er-ee)--Flannery O'Connor
- Greer (GREER)--Greer Garson
- Halle (HAL-lee, HAHL-leh)--Halle Berry
- Harlow (HAR-loh)
- Harper (HAR-per)--Harper Lee
- Hayley (HAY-lee)--Hayley Mills
- Joyce (JOYS)
- Kimberly (KIM-ber-lee)
- Laverne (lah-VERN)
- Macy (MAY-see)
- Mallory (MAL-oh-ree)
- Marley (MAR-lee) [masculine in France, however]
- Paige (PAYJ)
- Piper (PYE-per)--"Piper Halliwell", Charmed
- Presley (PREZ-lee)
- Reagan (RAY-gan)
- Romilly (ROH-mil-ee)
- Scarlett (SKAR-let)--"Scarlett O'Hara", Gone With the Wind
- Sheridan (SHEHR-ih-dan)
- Sloane (SLOHN)
- Tatum (TAY-tum)--Tatum O'Neal
- Tiffany (TIF-an-ee)
- Zola (ZOH-lah)
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