Surnames of Length 4

Leon English
Variant of Lyon 1, Lyon 2 or Lyon 3.

Levi Jewish
From the given name Levi.

Liao Chinese
From Chinese 廖 (liào) referring to the ancient state of Liao, which was located in present-day Henan province.

Lien Norwegian
Variant of Lie.

Lind Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
Derived from Old Norse lind meaning "linden tree".

Lobo Spanish, Portuguese
Originally a nickname meaning "wolf" in Spanish and Portuguese.

Long English
Originally a nickname for a person who had long limbs or who was tall.

Losa Spanish
From Spanish losa meaning "tile, slab".

Love English
From the Old English given name Lufu meaning "love".

Löwe German, Jewish
Means "lion" in German.

Lowe 1 Jewish (Anglicized)
Americanized form of Löwe.

Lowe 2 English
Variant of Law.

Luna Spanish
From various places in Spain meaning "moon".

Lund Danish, Swedish, Norwegian
Indicated a person who lived near a grove of trees, from Old Norse lundr meaning "grove". There are towns in Sweden named Lund.

Lupo Italian
From an Italian nickname meaning "wolf".

Lupu Romanian
From Romanian lup meaning "wolf".

Lusk Scottish
Possibly from the place name Leask in Aberdeenshire, of unknown meaning.

Lyle English
Derived from Norman French l'isle meaning "island".

Lyne Scottish
Habitational name for someone who lived in places of this name in Scotland.

Lynn English
From the name of a town in Norfolk (King's Lynn), derived from Welsh llyn meaning "lake".

Lyon 1 English, French
Originally denoted a person from the city of Lyon in central France, originally Latin Lugdunum, of Gaulish origin meaning "hill fort of Lugus". It could also denote a person from the small town of Lyons-la-Forêt in Normandy.

Lyon 2 English, French
From a nickname derived from Old French and Middle English lion meaning "lion".

Lyon 3 French, English
From the given name Leon.

Maas Dutch, Low German
From the given name Maas.

Macy English
Variant of Massey.

Maes Flemish
Flemish form of Maas.

Mägi Estonian
Means "hill, mountain" in Estonian.

Maki 1 Japanese
From Japanese 牧 (maki) meaning "shepherd, tend cattle".

Maki 2 Japanese
From Japanese 真 (ma) meaning "real, genuine" and 木 (ki) meaning "tree".

Mały Polish
Polish cognate of Malý.

Malý Czech
Means "small" in Czech.

Mann German, English
From a nickname meaning "man". This may have originally been given in order to distinguish the bearer from a younger person with the same name.

Manz German
From a diminutive of the given name Managold.

Mari Italian
Aphetic form of Altimari.

Mark English
Derived from the given name Mark.

Masi Italian
From the given name Maso a short form of Tommaso.

Mata Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan
From Spanish, Portuguese and Catalan mata meaning "trees, shrubs", possibly from Late Latin matta meaning "reed mat".

Maus German
From a nickname meaning "mouse", from Old High German mus.

Mein German
Derived from the given name Meino.

Meir Jewish
Variant of Meyer 2.

Melo Portuguese
Portuguese form of Merlo.

Merx Dutch, Flemish
From the given name Mark.

Metz 1 German
Occupational name for maker of knives, from Middle High German metze "knife".

Metz 2 German
Derived from Mätz, a diminutive of the given name Matthias.

Moen Norwegian
Means "the sandy ground" in Norwegian.

Monk English
Nickname or occupational name for a person who worked for monks. This word is derived from Latin monachus, from Greek μοναχός (monachos) meaning "alone".

Moon 1 Korean
Korean form of Wen, from Sino-Korean 文 (mun).

Moon 2 English
Originally indicated a person from the town of Moyon in Normandy.

Moon 3 Irish
Variant of Mohan.

Mora Spanish
Derived from Spanish mora meaning "mulberry", of Latin origin.

Mori Japanese
From Japanese 森 (mori) meaning "forest".

Moss 1 English
From Middle English mos meaning "bog, moss".

Moss 2 English
From the given name Moses.

Moto Japanese
From Japanese 本 (moto) meaning "base, root, origin". More commonly it is the final character in Japanese surnames.

Moya Spanish
From any of various towns named Moya in Spain, of uncertain meaning.

Muir Scottish
Scots form of Moore 1. This name was borne by the Scottish-American naturalist John Muir (1838-1914).

Mutō Japanese
From Japanese 武 (mu) meaning "military, martial" and 藤 (tō) meaning "wisteria". The final character may indicate a connection to the Fujiwara clan.

Myer English
From Old French mire meaning "doctor", derived from Latin medicus.

Nagi Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic ناجي (see Naaji).

Nagy Hungarian
From a nickname meaning "big, great" in Hungarian, referring to one's characteristics. This is the most common Hungarian surname.

Najm Arabic
From the given name Najm.

Nana Italian
From a diminutive of Giovanni.

Nani Italian
Variant of Nana.

Nash English
Derived from the Middle English phrase atten ash "at the ash tree". A famous bearer was the mathematician John Nash (1928-2015).

Nass Norwegian
Variant of Ness.

Nave Italian
From various Italian places called Nave.

Neal English
Derived from the given name Neil.

Neil Scottish, English, Irish
Derived from the given name Neil.

Nepi Italian
From the town of Nepi in central Italy, which is of uncertain origin.

Neri Italian
From Italian nero "black", indicating a person with a dark complexion or dark hair.

Ness English, Scottish, Norwegian
From English ness and Norwegian nes meaning "headland, promontory", of Old Norse origin, originally referring to a person who lived there.

Nisi Italian
Means "son of Niso", an Italian form of the mythological name Nisus.

Noel French, English
Either from the given name Noël, or else derived directly from Old French noel "Christmas" and given to a person who had a particular connection with the holiday.

Ohme German
From Middle High German oem meaning "maternal uncle".

Oláh Hungarian
Means "Romanian" in Hungarian, from old Slavic volhu "Romance-speaker" (of Germanic origin).

Olmo Spanish
Means "elm tree" in Spanish, ultimately from Latin ulmus. The name originally indicated a person who lived near such a tree.

Öman Swedish
From Swedish ö (Old Norse ey) meaning "island" and man (Old Norse maðr) meaning "person, man".

Omar Arabic
From the given name Umar.

Otis English
Means "son of Ode".

Otto German
From the given name Otto.

Owen Welsh
From the Welsh given name Owain.

Pace Italian
Derived from the Italian given name Pace meaning "peace".

Page English, French
Occupational name meaning "servant, page". It is ultimately derived (via Old French and Italian) from Greek παιδίον (paidion) meaning "little boy".

Pain English
Variant of Payne.

Pape French
French cognate of Pope.

Papp 1 Hungarian
From a nickname meaning "priest, cleric" in Hungarian.

Papp 2 German
Nickname perhaps related to Late Latin pappare meaning "to eat".

Park 1 Korean
From Sino-Korean 樸 or 朴 (bak) meaning "plain, unadorned, simple".

Park 2 English
From Middle English park, from Latin parricus, of Frankish origin. This was a name for someone who worked in or lived in a park.

Park 3 English
From the medieval name Perkin, a diminutive of Peter.

Pärn Estonian
Means "linden tree" in Estonian.

Paul English, French, German, Dutch
From the given name Paul.

Peak English
Originally indicated a dweller by a pointed hill, from Old English peac "peak". It could also denote a person from the Peak District in Derbyshire, England.

Peck 1 English
Variant of Peak.

Peck 2 English
Occupational name for a maker of pecks (vessels used as peck measures), derived from Middle English pekke.

Peel English
Nickname for a thin person, derived from Old French pel, Latin palus meaning "stake, post" (related to English pole).

Peña Spanish
Originally denoted a person who lived near a jutting rock, from Spanish peña meaning "rock, cliff".

Peng Chinese
From Chinese 彭 (péng) referring to the ancient state of Peng, which existed during the Shang dynasty in what is now Jiangsu province.

Penn 1 English
Derived from various place names that were named using the Brythonic word penn meaning "hilltop, head".

Penn 2 English
Occupational name for a person who kept penned animals, from Old English penn.

Pető Hungarian
Derived from an old diminutive of Péter.

Phạm Vietnamese
Vietnamese form of Fan, from Sino-Vietnamese 范 (phạm). This is the fourth most common surname in Vietnam.

Phan Vietnamese
Vietnamese form of Pan 2, from Sino-Vietnamese 潘 (phan).

Pini Italian
Name for a person who lived near a pine tree, from Italian pino, Latin pinus.

Pitt English
Originally given to a person who lived near a pit or a hole, derived from Old English pytt "pit".

Pohl 1 Low German
Low German cognate of Poole.

Pohl 2 German
From the given name Paul.

Pond English
Originally referred to one who lived near a pond.

Popa Romanian
From Romanian popă "priest", from Slavic pop. This is the most common surname in Romania.

Pope English
From a nickname that originally designated a person who played the part of the pope in a play or pageant. Otherwise the name could be used as a nickname for a man with a solemn, austere, or pious appearance. It is derived from Latin papa, ultimately from Greek πάππας (pappas) meaning "father".

Post Dutch, German, English
Indicated a person who lived near a post, ultimately from Latin postis.

Puga Galician
Means "thorn, prickle" in Galician.

Pugh Welsh
Derived from Welsh ap Hugh meaning "son of Hugh".

Puig Catalan
Catalan cognate of Poggio.

Rácz Hungarian
Derived from Hungarian rác meaning "Rascian", a former name for Serbians who lived in the Habsburg Empire.

Radu Romanian
From the given name Radu.

Rais Italian
Occupational name for the fisherman in charge of the boat, from Italian rais "captain", of Arabic origin. It is typical of Sicily and Sardinia.

Rake English
Originally a name for a dweller on a narrow pass or hillside, from Old English hrace meaning "throat, gorge".

Rana Italian, Spanish
Means "frog" in Italian and Spanish.

Rapp 1 Swedish
From Swedish rapp meaning "quick, prompt", one of the names adopted by soldiers in the 17th century.

Rapp 2 German
From Middle High German raben meaning "raven", a nickname for a person with black hair.

Rask Danish, Swedish
Means "energetic, quick, healthy" in Danish and Swedish.

Ravn Danish
Means "raven" in Danish, from Old Norse hrafn.

Read 1 English
Means "red" from Middle English read, probably denoting a person with red hair or complexion.

Read 2 English
From Old English ryd, an unattested form of rod meaning "cleared land". It is also derived from various English place names with various meanings, including "roe headland", "reeds" and "brushwood".

Reed English
Variant of Read 1.

Rees Welsh
Derived from the given name Rhys.

Řeha Czech
Derived from the given name Řehoř.

Reid Scottish
Scots variant of Read 1.

Reis German, Jewish
From Middle High German ris meaning "twig, branch, bush", denoting a person who lived in an overgrown area. As a Jewish name it is ornamental.

Rhee Korean
North Korean form of Lee 2.

Rice Welsh
Derived from the given name Rhys.

Rico Spanish, Portuguese
From a nickname meaning "rich, wealthy" in Spanish and Portuguese.

Rigó Hungarian
Means "thrush" in Hungarian.

Ríos Spanish
Spanish cognate of Rios.

Rios Portuguese
Originally denoted a person who lived near a river, from Portuguese rios "river", ultimately from Latin rivus.

Riva Italian
Means "bank, shore" in Italian, from Latin ripa, denoting one who lived by a river or a lake.

Roig Catalan
Means "red" in Catalan, from Latin rubeus, originally a nickname for a person with red hair or a red complexion.

Rojo Spanish
Means "red" in Spanish, referring to the colour of the hair or complexion.

Roma Italian
Variant of Romano 2.

Romà Catalan
Catalan form of Romano 1 or Romano 2.

Rome French, English
English and French form of Romano 2.

Rosa Italian, Catalan
Italian and Catalan form of Rose 1.

Rose 1 English, French, German, Jewish
Means "rose" from Middle English, Old French and Middle High German rose, all from Latin rosa. All denote a person of a rosy complexion or a person who lived in an area abundant with roses. As a Jewish surname it is ornamental, from Yiddish רויז (roiz).

Rose 2 English
Derived from the feminine given name Rose.

Ross English, Scottish
From various place names (such as the region of Ross in northern Scotland), which are derived from Scottish Gaelic ros meaning "promontory, headland".

Roth German, Jewish
From Middle High German rot meaning "red". It was originally a nickname for a person with red hair.

Roux French
Derived from Old French ros meaning "red", from Latin russus, a nickname for a red-haired person.

Rowe 1 English
Means "row" in Middle English, indicating a dweller by a row of hedges or houses.

Rowe 2 English
From the medieval name Row, which is either a variant of Roul or short form of Roland.

Ruan Chinese
From Chinese 阮 (ruǎn), which refers to a type of musical instrument, similar to a lute.

Ruff German, English
From the given name Rolf.

Ruiz Spanish
Means "son of Ruy" in Spanish.

Rush English
Indicated a person who lived near rushes, the grasslike plant that grows in a marsh, from Old English rysc.

Rusu Romanian
From Romanian rus meaning "Russian".

Ruud Norwegian
Derived from Old Norse ruð meaning "cleared land".

Ryan Irish
Anglicized form of Ó Riain, or else a simplified form of Mulryan.

Ryba Czech, Polish
Means "fish" in Czech and Slovak, an occupational name for a fisher.

Ryer German (Anglicized)
Possibly an Americanized form of Reiher.

Saab Arabic
Possibly from the Arabic given name Sabah.

Saad Arabic, Malay
From the given name Sa'd.

Saar Estonian
From Estonian saar meaning "island".

Sáez Spanish
Variant of Sánchez.

Sala Italian, Spanish, Catalan, Romanian
Occupational name for a worker at a manor house, from the Romance word sala meaning "hall, large room", of Germanic origin.

Salo Finnish
Means "forest" in Finnish.

Sams English
Derived from the given name Samuel.

Sano Japanese
From Japanese 佐 (sa) meaning "help, aid" and 野 (no) meaning "field, wilderness".

Sanz Spanish
From the given name Sancho.

Sass Hungarian
Variant of Sas.

Sato Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 佐藤 (see Satō).

Satō Japanese
From Japanese 佐 (sa) meaning "help, aid" and 藤 (tō) meaning "wisteria". The final character might indicate a connection to the Fujiwara clan. This is the most common surname in Japan.

Seki Japanese
From Japanese 関 (seki) meaning "frontier pass".

Sepp Estonian
Means "smith" in Estonian.

Sgro Italian
Nickname for a curly-haired person, from Greek σγουρός (sgouros) meaning "curly".

Shah Persian, Urdu
Derived from Persian شاه (shah) meaning "king".

Shaw 1 English
Originally given to a person who lived near a prominent thicket, from Old English sceaga meaning "thicket, copse".

Shaw 2 Scottish
From a given name or byname that was derived from Gaelic sitheach meaning "wolf" (Old Irish sídach).

Shea Irish
Anglicized form of Ó Séaghdha.

Shen Chinese
From Chinese 申 (shēn) referring to the ancient state of Shen, which existed during the Zhou dynasty.

Shin Korean
Korean form of Shen, from Sino-Korean 申 (sin).

Sims English
Variant of Simms.

Sitz 1 German
Derived from a given name beginning with the Old High German element sigu meaning "victory".

Sitz 2 German
Means "house owner", derived from Old High German siz "seat, domicile".

Skov Danish
Topographic name meaning "forest, wood" in Danish, from Old Norse skógr.

Smit Dutch
From Middle Dutch smit "metalworker, blacksmith", a cognate of Smith.

Snel Dutch
Dutch cognate of Snell.

Solo Basque
Means "rural estate" in Basque.

Song Chinese, Korean
From Chinese 宋 (sòng) referring to the Song dynasty, which ruled China from 960 to 1279.

Sorg German
Variant of Sorge.

Sosa Spanish
Spanish form of Sousa.

Soto Spanish
Means "grove of trees, small forest" in Spanish, ultimately from Latin saltus.

Soun Khmer
Means "garden" in Khmer.

Stan Romanian
Derived from the given name Stan 2.

Suen Chinese (Cantonese)
Cantonese romanization of Sun.

Sung Chinese
Alternate transcription of Chinese 宋 (see Song).

Süss German
Variant of Süß.

Süß German
From Old High German suozi meaning "sweet".

Svéd Hungarian
Means "Swedish" in Hungarian.

Szép Hungarian
Means "beautiful, lovely" in Hungarian.

Taft English
Variant of Toft.

Tamm Estonian
Means "oak" in Estonian. This is among the most common surnames in Estonia.

Tang 1 Chinese
From Chinese 唐 (táng) referring to the Tang dynasty, which ruled China from 618 to 907.

Tang 2 Chinese (Cantonese)
Cantonese romanization of Deng.

Tani Japanese
From Japanese 谷 (tani) meaning "valley".

Tarr Hungarian
Variant of Tar.

Tash English
From Middle English at asche meaning "at the ash tree".

Tate English
Derived from the Old English given name Tata.

Teel English
From Middle English tele meaning "teal, duck".

Teke 1 Turkish
Originally denoted someone from Teke, Turkey.

Teke 2 Turkish
Occupational name for a goat herder, from Turkish teke "goat".

Tian Chinese
From Chinese 田 (tián) meaning "field".

Todd English
Means "fox", derived from Middle English todde.

Toft English
Denoted a person hailing from one of the many places in Britain of that name, derived from Old Norse topt meaning "homestead".

Toma Romanian
From the given name Toma 2.

Tong Chinese (Cantonese)
Cantonese romanization of Tang 1.

Tosi Italian
Means "clean-shaven", usually denoting a younger man, from Latin tonsus "shaved".

Tóth Hungarian
Variant of Tót.

Trần Vietnamese
Vietnamese form of Chen, from Sino-Vietnamese 陳 (trần). This is the second most common surname in Vietnam.

Tran Vietnamese
Simplified variant of Trần.

Troy English
Originally denoted a person from the city of Troyes in France.

Tsui Chinese (Cantonese)
Cantonese romanization of Xu 1.

Tuff English
Variant of Tuft.

Tuft English
Denoted one who lived near a clump of trees or bushes, from Middle English tufte "tuft, clump", from Old French.

Ueda Japanese
From Japanese 上 (ue) meaning "above, top, upper" and 田 (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".

Ueno Japanese
From Japanese 上 (ue) meaning "above, top, upper" and 野 (no) meaning "field, wilderness".

Ughi Italian
From the given name Ugo.

Umar Arabic, Urdu
From the given name Umar.

Uzun Turkish
Means "long, tall" in Turkish.

Vale Portuguese
Means "valley" in Portuguese, ultimately from Latin vallis.

Vång Swedish
Swedish variant of Wang 3.

Vang 1 Norwegian, Danish
Variant of Wang 3.

Vang 2 Yiddish
Variant of Wang 4.

Vann English
From Old English fenn meaning "fen, swamp", indicating a person who lived near such a place.

Vass Hungarian
Derived from Hungarian vas meaning "iron", referring to a worker in iron, a miner of iron ore or a vendor of iron goods. Alternatively, from the same root word, it may have been a nickname referring to one with a distinctively strong constitution.

Vega Spanish
From Spanish vega meaning "meadow, plain", of Basque origin.

Vela Spanish
Derived from Spanish vela meaning "sail" or the homonym vela meaning "watchful".

Vico Italian
Means "town" in Italian, derived from Latin vicus.

Vida Hungarian
From the given name Vid.

Vigo Italian
Variant of Vico.

Vogt German
Occupational name from Middle High German voget meaning "bailiff, administrator, steward", ultimately from Latin advocatus.

Volk German
Derived from given names beginning with the Old High German element folk meaning "people".

Voll 1 Norwegian
Originally indicated a person who lived in a meadow, from Old Norse vǫllr "meadow, field".

Voll 2 German
Variant of Volk.

Voss German
From Middle Low German vos meaning "fox". It was originally a nickname for a clever person or a person with red hair.

Voß German
Variant of Voss.

Wada Japanese
From Japanese 和 (wa) meaning "harmony, peace" and 田 (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".

Wade 1 English
Derived from the Old English place name wæd meaning "a ford".

Wade 2 English
From the Old English given name Wada, a derivative of the word wadan "to go".

Wall English
Originally denoted a person who lived near a prominent wall, from Old English weall.

Wang 1 Chinese
From Chinese 王 (wáng) meaning "king, monarch". This is the most common surname in China (and the world).

Wang 2 German, Dutch
From Middle High German and Middle Dutch wange meaning "cheek", possibly a nickname for someone with round or rosy cheeks.

Wang 3 German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
From Old High German wang or Old Norse vangr meaning "grassy slope, meadow".

Wang 4 Yiddish
Name for a Jew from Hungary, ultimately from Russian Венгрия (Vengriya) meaning "Hungary".

Ward 1 English
Derived from Old English weard meaning "guard, guardian".

Ward 2 Irish
Anglicized form of Irish Mac an Bhaird, which means "son of the bard".

Ware 1 English
From Old English wer meaning "dam, weir", indicating someone who lived near such a structure.

Ware 2 English
From the Middle English nickname ware meaning "wary, astute, prudent".

Wash English
Derived from the Norman name Wazo.

Watt English
Derived from the Middle English given name Wat or Watt, a diminutive of the name Walter.

Webb English
Occupational name meaning "weaver", from Old English webba, a derivative of wefan "to weave".

West English, German
Denoted a person who lived to the west of something, or who came from the west.

Wild English, German
Means "wild, untamed, uncontrolled", derived from Old English wilde. This was either a nickname for a person who behaved in a wild manner or a topographic name for someone who lived on overgrown land.

Wilk Polish
Means "wolf" in Polish.

Wirt German
Variant of Wirth.

Wolf German, English
From Middle High German or Middle English wolf meaning "wolf", or else from an Old German given name beginning with this element.

Wong 1 Chinese (Cantonese)
Cantonese romanization of Wang 1.

Wong 2 Chinese (Cantonese)
Cantonese romanization of Huang.

Wood English, Scottish
Originally denoted one who lived in or worked in a forest, derived from Old English wudu "wood".

Wray English
Originally denoted someone who came from any of the various places of this name in northern England, from Old Norse vrá meaning "corner, nook".

Xiao Chinese
From Chinese 蕭 (xiāo) referring to the fiefdom or territory of Xiao (in present-day Anhui province) that existed during the Zhou dynasty.

Yang Chinese
From Chinese 杨 (yáng) meaning "willow, poplar, aspen".

Yong English
Variant of Young.

Yoon Korean
Alternate transcription of Korean Hangul 윤 (see Yun).

York English
From the name of the English city of York, which was originally called Eburacon (Latinized as Eboracum), meaning "yew" in Brythonic. In the Anglo-Saxon period it was corrupted to Eoforwic, based on Old English eofor "boar" and wic "village". This was rendered as Jórvík by the Vikings and eventually reduced to York.

Yuan Chinese
From Chinese 源 (yuán), 原 (yuán) or 元 (yuán), which mean "origin, source".

Yuen Chinese (Cantonese)
Cantonese romanization of Ruan.

Yūki Japanese
From Japanese 結 (yū) meaning "tie, bind" and 城 (ki) meaning "castle".

Zaal Dutch
Means "hall" in Dutch.

Zeng Chinese
From Chinese 曾 (zēng) referring to the former state of Zeng, which existed during the Zhou dynasty in what is now Hubei province.

Zeni Italian
Means "son of Zeno".

Zhao Chinese
From Chinese 赵 (zhào), which refers to an ancient city-state in what is now Shanxi province. According to legend, King Mu rewarded his chariot driver Zaofu with the city, at which time Zaofu adopted this surname. The later historic state of Zhao, which existed from the 5th to 3rd centuries BC, was named after this city.... [more]

Zhou Chinese
From Chinese 周 (zhōu) referring to the Zhou dynasty, which held power from 1046 to 771 BC, continuing for a few more centuries as figureheads.

Zima Czech, Slovak, Polish, Russian
From a Slavic word meaning "winter". This may have been a nickname for a person with a chilly personality.

Zini Italian
Derived from names such as Lorenzino, a diminutive of Lorenzo, or Vincenzino, a diminutive of Vincenzo.

Zino Italian
Derived from the given name Zino, a short form of names ending with -zino, such as Lorenzino, a diminutive of Lorenzo, or Vincenzino, a diminutive of Vincenzo.

Zyma Ukrainian
Ukrainian form of Zima.