Surnames? How to find THE one?

I usually have no problem naming characters. I love picking first names, finding the names that fit the personalities and the vibes of the character; give them nicknames, create a set of names that even go together and have the perfect meanings…

HOWEVER, when it comes to surnames, I feel like I can never find the right one. One that is distinct enough, that has the right meaning or feels that fits in… [name_f]Do[/name_f] you know what I mean?

I have a few families I’m haunting surnames for. All powerful families with old lineages from around the world. I have specific visual associations for each but I can’t seem to find the right surname, so I thought maybe you could help me with your expertise.

Family #1: American family. [name_u]Southern[/name_u]. Maybe [name_f]Georgia[/name_f], [name_u]Tennessee[/name_u] or [name_u]Texas[/name_u] based. Horses. [name_m]Gold[/name_m]. First names are a mix or old classics (Ellen, Joseph) and gender neutrals and surnames (Blake). I was thinking a “C” surname? [name_m]Long[/name_m] surname?

Family #2: American family. [name_u]New[/name_u] [name_u]York[/name_u] based. Large family. Think Succession’s [name_u]Roy[/name_u] but messier. Bunch of cousins. Elegant. First names are simple classics that could be used by royalty (Think [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f], [name_f]Laura[/name_f], [name_u]James[/name_u], Max). Double word surname. The letters VK come to mind, but any good sounding combination would work.

Family #3: Italian family. Think rich old money south of [name_f]Italy[/name_f] family for first names (Francesco, [name_m]Edoardo[/name_m], [name_f]Vittoria[/name_f], [name_f]Alice[/name_f], Matilde). Think of a Italian luxurious villa. Olives and big dinner spreads in the garden. [name_u]Green[/name_u] and earthy tones. That’s kind of the vibe. Kind of want an Italian surname that is not too on the nose.

Family #4: [name_m]Swede[/name_m] family. Moved to [name_u]London[/name_u], UK. Think a bunch of blonde, blue eyed people with short names (Axel, [name_u]Liam[/name_u], [name_f]Astrid[/name_f], [name_m]Soren[/name_m], [name_m]Magnus[/name_m], Greta). Again, kinda want a Swedish surname that is not too on the nose, and that would sound good in [name_f]English[/name_f]. Some “L” last name? Snow-y vibes? Not sure.

Family #1

[name_u]Cooper[/name_u]
[name_m]Cook[/name_m]
[name_m]Clark[/name_m]
[name_m]Coleman[/name_m]
Chambers
[name_u]Carter[/name_u]
[name_m]Cobb[/name_m]
[name_m]Caldwell[/name_m]
[name_u]Campbell[/name_u]
[name_u]Collins[/name_u]
[name_m]Cox[/name_m]
[name_u]Cassidy[/name_u]
[name_m]Coltrane[/name_m]
[name_m]Carmichael[/name_m]
[name_m]Calhoun[/name_m]
Covington
[name_u]Carrington[/name_u]
[name_u]Channing[/name_u]
Chisolm
Chatham
Carnegie
[name_u]Charleston[/name_u]
[name_u]Chase[/name_u]
[name_u]Carson[/name_u]
[name_u]Curtis[/name_u]
[name_m]Calvin[/name_m]
[name_u]Cody[/name_u]
[name_m]Colton[/name_m]
[name_m]Clement[/name_m]
[name_m]Clements[/name_m]
[name_u]Cameron[/name_u]
[name_f]Chantilly[/name_f]
[name_m]Clint[/name_m]
[name_m]Clinton[/name_m]
[name_u]Corbin[/name_u]
Cunningham
[name_m]Cliff[/name_m]
[name_u]Camden[/name_u]
[name_m]Cole[/name_m]
[name_u]Clifford[/name_u]
[name_m]Clive[/name_m]
[name_u]Clarence[/name_u]
[name_m]Crawford[/name_m]
[name_u]Connor[/name_u]
[name_u]Cash[/name_u]
[name_u]Coy[/name_u]
[name_m]Conway[/name_m]
[name_m]Creed[/name_m]
Canby

Family #2

Vernon-Harcourt
Venables-Vernon
Vaughan-Lee
Wynn-Williams
Wynn-Jones
Wright-Phillips
Wreford-Brown
Wolrige-Gordon
Wolf-Ferrari
Wade-Gery
Waller-Bridge
Williams-Wynn
Windsor-Clive
Winfield-Hill
Taylor-Johnson
Thiselton-Dyer
Toulmin [name_m]Smith[/name_m]
Trevor-Roper
Turner-Samuels
Shepherd-Barron
Spencer-Churchill
Spencer-Smith
Sterling-James
Taylor-Corbett
Sciver-Brunt
Scott-Elliot
Servan-Schreiber
Seton-Watson
Seymour-Conway
Poulett-Harris
Pye-Smith
Rees-Jones
Revell-Reade
Rice-Oxley
Petty-Fitzmaurice
Peyton-Jones
Pickard-Cambridge
Pitt-Rivers
[name_m]Preston[/name_m] Crayford
Palmer-Tomkinson
Parker-Smith
Pelham-Clinton
Pelham-Holles
Perry-Keene
Neville-Rolfe
Newton-John
[name_m]Nielsen[/name_m] [name_u]Hayden[/name_u]
Osten-Sacken
Overgaard-Nielsen
Mayr-Harting
McNair-Wilson
Milne-Edwards
Montmorency-Laval
Myles-Mills
Lister-Kaye
Longuet-Higgins
Lott-Hogan
Lynch-Staunton
Mardam-Bey
Hylton-Foster
John-Jules
Johnson-Marshall
Kemp-Welch
Leigh-Pemberton
Hely-Hutchinson
Hope-Johnstone
Huntington-Whiteley
Hyde-Smith
Hyde-White
Hamilton-Baillie
Harcourt-Vernon
Hayes-Roth
Heathcoat-Amory
Heber-Percy
[name_m]Gavan[/name_m] [name_u]Duffy[/name_u]
Gordon-Cumming
Gore-Browne
Gray-Lawson
Grice-Hutchinson
Fletcher-Watson
Floyd-Jones
Forbes-Robertson
Friese-Greene
Froment-Meurice
Fauchier-Magnan
Fearnley-Whittingstall
Featherstone-Witty
Fermor-Hesketh
Foxley-Norris
Donn-Byrne
Douglas-Home
Drake-Brockman
Elis-Thomas
Emmanuel-Thomas
Day-Lewis
Debnam-Carey
DeLisle-Griffin
Diggins-Smith
Domscheit-Berg
[name_m]Vanderbilt[/name_m]
[name_u]Van[/name_u] Orden
Clerk-Maxwell
Clutton-Brock
Cowden [name_u]Clarke[/name_u]
Dalberg-Acton
David-Weill
Chatfield-Taylor
Chichester-Clark
Clegg-Hill
Clephane-Cameron
Caldwell-Pope
Campbell-Bannerman
Carus-Wilson
Casely-Hayford
Casimir-Perier
Bucknall-Estcourt
Bulwer-Lytton
Burnell-Nugent
Calder-Marshall
Bowes-Lyon
Bramley-Moore
Bromley-Davenport
Brooke-Hitching
Bryan-Brown
Baillie-Hamilton
Baring-Gould
Baron-Cohen
Bell-Irving
Bethel-Thompson
Armstrong-Jones
Arnall-Thompson
Ashley-Cooper
Austen-Leigh
Bagnall-Oakeley
Achamer-Pifrader
Adey-Jones
Agar-Ellis
Akers-Jones
Alexander-Arnold
Abney-Hastings

Family #3

[name_u]Rossi[/name_u]
De [name_u]Luca[/name_u]
Bianchi
Ajello
Abate
Lombardi
[name_m]Giordano[/name_m]
[name_m]Costa[/name_m]
Conti
[name_m]Colombo[/name_m]
Pesci
[name_m]Greco[/name_m]
Esposito
Accardi
[name_m]Romano[/name_m]
Bonetti
Bernardi
[name_m]Amato[/name_m]
Agosti
Accetta
Toscano
[name_m]Revello[/name_m]
Fiorentino
Lastra
Bonetti
Peralta
Beneventi
Marchesi
Lombardo
Toscano
Casella
[name_m]Palermo[/name_m]
Peralta
Beneventi
Marchesi
[name_u]Fiore[/name_u]

Family #4

Andersson
[name_m]Nilsson[/name_m]
Lindgren
Ahlgren
Abrahamsson
Bergman
[name_f]Adell[/name_f]
Akerson
Akerman
Jonsson
Pettersson
Persson
Olsson
[name_m]Karlsson[/name_m]
Lundgren
Lundberg
Jakobsson
Lindberg
[name_m]Hansson[/name_m]
Wallin
Henriksson
Sandberg
Fredriksson
Mattsson
Fransson
Holm
Samuelsson
Bergman
Danielsson
Lundin
Nordin
Claesson
Nyberg
Holmberg
Arvidsson
[name_m]Hansen[/name_m]
Dahlberg
Sundberg
[name_m]Falk[/name_m]
Hedlund
Norberg
Jonasson

[name_f]Hope[/name_f] this comes in handy🙂.

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Oh wow! Thank you so much! Those are such great lists!

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Family 1: [name_m]Carmichael[/name_m], [name_u]Cassidy[/name_u], [name_m]Calihan[/name_m] (Callaghan), [name_u]Carey[/name_u], [name_m]Colton[/name_m], [name_m]Cormac[/name_m], [name_u]Courtney[/name_u], [name_m]Canton[/name_m], Copes, [name_u]Copeland[/name_u], [name_m]Carlton[/name_m], [name_m]Crow[/name_m], Crawley, Crick, [name_m]Crowley[/name_m], Crickmore, [name_u]Calloway[/name_u], [name_m]Caton[/name_m],

Family 2: Vorderman, [name_u]Van[/name_u] der Beek, Verboten, Vells, Vellis, Veller, Ackerton,
[name_u]Van[/name_u] [name_m]Kirk[/name_m], Devanche-Kirkbride, Delane-Koner, [name_u]Van[/name_u] der Kamp, Venice-Kruick, Voss-Knightsbridge, Kaverdale, Veren-Knox, Villers-Kraft, Veber Coombs, Vickers, [name_m]Keating[/name_m], Knaresborough, Knelton, [name_m]Kenelm[/name_m], [name_u]Venice[/name_u], Kassock, Casack, Kramer,

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