Back in the day - around the 11th century - as the concentration of given names grew denser, the monarchy needed a way to distinguish among the many Johns, Roberts and Williams in a village - so that he could tax them properly. So, men were given identifiers, one of which was their occupation. That way, everyone knew who John (the) Baker vs. John (the) Miller.
Surnames began to be used as given names around the 17th century, usually as a way of carrying forward an important family name of power and prestige. In America, the southern states have the longest tradition of using surnames as first name. This trend went mainstream in the late 20th century, and now the Top 100 name lists for both girls and boys are filled with surnames.
𝗠𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻 (ranked # 11) - The mason was a 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗿 who built castles, churches and cathedrals.
𝗖𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿 (ranked # 33) - The carter 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘃𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝘁.
𝗛𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 (ranked # 69) - this surname was actually given to both men of the aristocracy (those who 𝗵𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝗶𝗴 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲 for sport and recreation) as well as a working-class man who hunted small game for food.
𝗖𝗼𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿 (ranked # 74) - The cooper 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗹𝘀 used in the preservation of dry goods and liquid products -- especially ale, a staple of every Englishman's diet 
𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗿 (ranked # 95) - the parker was basically a medieval 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿. He oversaw large tracts of land set aside by the monarchy or wealthy landowners for the sport of hunting.
𝗦𝗮𝘄𝘆𝗲𝗿 (ranked # 116) - the sawyer was a 𝘄𝗼𝗼𝗱-𝗰𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿. It took two sawyers to cut a giant felled log. One who cut from above, and the other who had the dirtier job of cutting from the hole dug underneath. They gave us the terms 𝗧𝗼𝗽 𝗗𝗼𝗴 and 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗱𝗼𝗴.
The 𝗣𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿 (ranked # 423) was the 𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗿 of the Middle Ages. It was his job to guard the gate of a large castle or fortified town. The first known surname-bearer (Milo Portarius) guarded the gate at Winchester Castle 1,000 years ago!
𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿 (ranked # 160) – 𝗔 𝗯𝗼𝘄𝗺𝗮𝗻. In medieval times, those who were skilled with the longbow were greatly valued as protectors of their countrymen.
𝗥𝘆𝗱𝗲𝗿 (ranked # 108) – This was a surname given to an English knight, “one who rides,” used specifically for a 𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲-𝗺𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿 (it was later replaced with Olde English cniht “knight”).
𝗛𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗻 (ranked # 228) – this medieval Anglo-Saxon surname described a man whose job it was to watch over animals, particularly a 𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗽𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗱, from Olde English 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘥 “to guard.” Thanks to J.D. Salinger's 1951 coming-of-age novel, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘺𝘦, multiple generations of readers have taken this name into their hearts forever.
𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗹𝗲𝗿 (ranked # 569), the 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗟𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁, was a “maker or seller of candles” (also someone who managed the lighting of an estate, castle or monastery). Super critical job since candles were the only light source of the Middle Ages!
𝗖𝗼𝗵𝗲𝗻 (ranked # 282) – this common Jewish surname means “𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀𝘁,” which is a hereditary title passed down from father to son, all of whom are descended from Aaron (it is different than a rabbi). God calls the whole of Israel cohens: “And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests.” (Exodus 19:6).
Traditionally, “surnames-as-first-names” were used for boys. However, that all changed in the 21st century. Surnames are increasingly more common for girls – here’s a look at some of the most popular occupational ones.
𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗽𝗲𝗿 (ranked # 10) - Harper is an artistic surname, from a musical occupation. The “𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗽 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿” held a lofty position because the small pluck harp was a favorite of all the instruments. Its use has been influenced by 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗟𝗲𝗲, author of the iconic American novel 𝘛𝘰 𝘒𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘢 𝘔𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘣𝘪𝘳𝘥 (1960).
𝗦𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁 (ranked # 21) – interestingly, the surname Scarlet(t) signified one in the trade of “𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘁𝗵,” from Old French escarlate, “top-quality fabric” (it’s also used to describe a brilliant color of red). Katie 𝗦𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁 𝗢’𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗮, the heroine of 𝘎𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘪𝘯𝘥 (1936), made it a household name.
𝗦𝗸𝘆𝗹𝗮𝗿 (ranked # 63) – This is an anglicization of the Dutch surname Schuyler “𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹;” given to a scholar or schoolteacher. It was popularized by Revolutionary War hero Philip Schuyler (1733-1804).
𝗣𝗶𝗽𝗲𝗿 (ranked # 91) – The “𝗽𝗶𝗽𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿” is another musical occupation, evolving from Olde English 𝘱𝘪𝘱𝘪𝘢𝘯 “to play on a pipe,” borrowed from Latin 𝘱𝘪𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦, quite charmingly, “𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗲𝗲𝗽, 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗽.” Everyone follows the enchantment of her music.
𝗧𝗮𝘆𝗹𝗼𝗿 (ranked # 161) – The “tailor” comes from Anglo-Norman 𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘰𝘳 “cutter;” the job for one who cut, altered and repaired clothes. It was this occupation that gave birth to our concept of “𝗳𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗼𝗻” (mid-14th century), since it was the tailor who gave form and shape to a person through the cutting and design of clothes.
𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗿 (ranked # 128) - - the parker was basically a medieval 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿. They oversaw large tracts of land set aside by the monarchy or wealthy landowners for the sport of hunting.
Here are three more girly occupational surnames that started out as masculine.
𝗣𝗮𝗶𝗴𝗲: ranked # 273. In Medieval England, a Page was essentially a "𝗞𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁-𝗶𝗻-𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴," from Old French 𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘦, literally, “youth preparing to be a knight;” from Medieval Latin 𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘶𝘴 “servant” and Greek παιδιον “little boy, lad.” A "page" was a young boy who, starting around the age of seven, served a lord or knight for seven years before being promoted to a “squire” and eventually achieving the lofty position of a knight himself. Today, a page is used with gender-neutrality, describing an errand boy or girl (usually in a legislative capacity). Despite its rather masculine origins, this occupational surname came into regular use as a female first name in the early 1950s and it got as high as #47 on the charts in 2003.
𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗻: ranked #192 - an anglicization of an Irish-Gaelic clan name Ó 𝘛𝘢𝘥𝘩𝘨á𝘪𝘯, from Old Irish 𝘛𝘢𝘥𝘩𝘨á𝘯, quite charmingly, “𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗼𝗲𝘁.” As custodians of all ancient oral traditions, the poets and storytellers were among the highest ranking members of early Irish societies (it was the role of such esteemed poets to guide and sustain Irish society through the wise and magical power of their words). Though most of the poets were male, ancient Celtic law did allow women to participate in all the same professional occupations as men, such as warriors, law-givers and poets.
Bailey: ranked #171 - From the occupation of a 𝗕𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗳, from Old French 𝘣𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪 “manager;” from Latin 𝘣𝘢𝘪𝘶𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘶𝘴 “official in charge of a castle.” Prior to the Norman Conquest of 1066, the Anglo-Saxon’s word for the bailiff is found in the Olde English 𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘢 (“𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗳𝗳”) describing a representative of royal authority in a shire, “a king’s officer.” The term was replaced with bailiff post-Conquest after the Normans introduced the feudal system into England, when the role changed to “an agent of a lord, overseer of an estate.” As a female forename, Bailey came into familiar use in the 1980s and reached as high as #60 on the charts in 1998.