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| Photo Courtesy of Natalie Harris Photography |
I sometimes feel like I could write a book on great preppy surname names, especially for boys. There’s just something I find so attractive about them. Todays name is no different – heard on a young contestant on a kid’s cooking show J
Townsend is a pretty straightforward name, meaning – and you probably
guessed this – 'from the end of the town'. It’s much more popular as a last
name, but quite rare as a given name. It sits well outside the US top 1,000,
given to just 18 boys in 2015.
Whereas I often like preppy surname names because they feel somewhat
polished, I find that the main appeal for me in Townsend is that it feels a
little less upper crust. I can picture a sheepish little Townsend coming home
dirty at the end of a day spent in rough and tumble play with his friends,
almost like a slightly more reserved version of Tom Sawyer. Maybe it’s because
the “town” is at the start of the name, rather than at the end like so many
other surnames that end in “ton”.
Besides the romantic vision in my head, there are plenty of places to
find Townsend inspiration. Perhaps it is a name that runs in the family, or perhaps
you grew up in one of the many places named Townsend. Or maybe you are inspired
by the achievements of one of the many people with the surname Townsend.
If you like the feel of a preppy surname but sometimes find them a
little too stiff and stuffy – or overused and clichéd – then Townsend is a stylish
option.