Surnames Starting with K

usage
Kaczka Polish
Means "duck" in Polish.
Kaczmarek Polish
Occupational name for a person who worked as an innkeeper, derived from Polish karczma meaning "inn".
Kádár Hungarian
Means "cooper, barrel maker" in Hungarian.
Kader Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic قادر (see Qadir).
Kadeř Czech
Variant of Kudrna.
Kadlec Czech
From Czech tkadlec meaning "weaver".
Kafka Czech
Derived from Czech kavka "jackdaw".
Kahler German
From a nickname derived from German kahl meaning "bald".
Kaiser German
From Middle High German keiser meaning "emperor", originally a nickname applied to someone who acted kingly. The title ultimately derives from the Roman name Caesar.
Kalb German
Occupational name meaning "calf (animal)" in German.
Kalbfleisch German
Occupational name for a butcher who dealt in veal, from German kalb meaning "calf" and fleisch meaning "meat".
Kalmár Hungarian
Occupational name meaning "merchant, shopkeeper" in Hungarian, of German origin.
Kalniņš Latvian
From Latvian kalns meaning "mountain, hill".
Kaloyanov Bulgarian
Means "son of Kaloyan".
Kałuża Polish
Means "puddle" in Polish.
Kaluža Slovene, Czech
Czech and Slovene form of Kałuża.
Kamau Eastern African, Kikuyu
Derived from the given name Kamau.
Kamiński Polish
From Polish kamień meaning "stone", a name for a stonecutter or for one who lived at a place with this name.
Kamiya Japanese
From Japanese (kami) meaning "god" and (ya) meaning "valley".
Kanda Japanese
From Japanese (kan) meaning "god" and (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".
Kane Irish
Anglicized form of Ó Catháin.
Kaneko Japanese
From Japanese (kane) meaning "gold, metal, money" and (ko) meaning "child".
Kanemaru Japanese
From Japanese (kane) meaning "gold, metal, money" and (maru) meaning "circle, round, whole".
Kang Korean
Korean form of Jiang 2, from Sino-Korean (gang).
Kanzaki Japanese
From Japanese (kan) meaning "god" and (saki) meaning "cape, peninsula".
Kapanadze Georgian
Means "son of the one from Kapan", originally denoting someone who came from the city of Kapan in present-day Armenia (from Armenian կապել (kapel) meaning "to tie, to fasten").
Kappel German, Dutch
Name for a person who lived near or worked at a chapel, ultimately from Late Latin cappella, a diminutive of cappa "cape", arising from the holy relic of the torn cape of Saint Martin, which was kept in small churches.
Karamazov Literature
Created by Russian author Fyodor Dostoyevsky for his novel The Brothers Karamazov (1879), about three brothers and their murdered father. Dostoyevsky may have based it on Tartar/Turkic кара (kara) meaning "black" and Russian мазать (mazat) meaning "stain". The connection to black is implied in the novel when one of the brothers is accidentally addressed as Mr. Черномазов (Chernomazov), as if based on Russian чёрный meaning "black".
Kardos Hungarian
From Hungarian kard meaning "sword". It could have been applied to soldiers, sword makers, or one with a pugnacious nature.
Karga Turkish
Nickname meaning "crow" in Turkish.
Karim Arabic
Derived from the given name Karim.
Karimi Arabic, Persian
Derived from the given name Karim.
Kərimov Azerbaijani
Means "son of Kərim".
Karimov Uzbek, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Tajik, Tatar, Azerbaijani
Means "son of Karim". It is also an alternate transcription of Azerbaijani Kərimov.
Kariuki Eastern African, Kikuyu
Derived from the given name Kariuki.
Karjalainen Finnish
Derived from Finnish Karjala meaning "Karelia". Karelia is an area on the border between Finland and Russia.
Karl German
From the given name Karl.
Karlsen Danish, Norwegian
Means "son of Karl".
Karlsson Swedish
Means "son of Karl".
Kárpáti Hungarian
Derived from Kárpátok, the Hungarian name of the Carpathians.
Karppinen Finnish
From Finnish karppi meaning "carp", of Germanic origin.
Kartal Turkish
From a nickname meaning "eagle" in Turkish.
Kasabian Armenian
Alternate transcription of Armenian Ղասաբյան (see Ghasabyan).
Kask Estonian
Means "birch" in Estonian.
Kašpar Czech
Derived from the given name Kašpar.
Kaspar German
Derived from the given name Kaspar.
Kaspersen Danish
Means "son of Kasper".
Kasprzak Polish
Means "son of Kacper".
Kästner German
Means "cabinet maker", derived from Middle High German kaste "box".
Kasun Croatian
Possibly derived from the old Slavic word kazati meaning "to order, to command".
Katırcı Turkish
Derived from Turkish katır meaning "mule", a name for a person who made transports by mule.
Kato Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 加藤 (see Katō).
Kató Hungarian
Derived from a diminutive of the Hungarian feminine given name Katalin.
Katō Japanese
From Japanese (ka) meaning "add, increase" and () meaning "wisteria". The latter character may indicate a connection to the Fujiwara clan.
Katona Hungarian
Means "soldier" in Hungarian.
Katou Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 加藤 (see Katō).
Katsaros Greek
Means "curly" in Greek, referring to a person with curly hair.
Katz Jewish
Derived from Hebrew כֹּהֵן צֶדֶק (kohen tzedek) meaning "priest of justice", indicating a descendant of Aaron.
Kaube German
From the name of the town of Kaub in Germany.
Käufer German
Variant of Kaufer.
Kaufer German
Means "trader" in German.
Kaufmann German, Jewish
Means "trader, merchant" in German.
Kaur Indian (Sikh)
Means "princess", ultimately from Sanskrit कुमारी (kumari) meaning "girl". In 1699 Guru Gobind Singh gave all his Sikh female followers the surname Kaur and all males Singh. In many instances, it is also used as a middle name with the family name serving as the surname.
Kavaliauskas Lithuanian
Lithuanian form of Kowalski.
Kavalioŭ Belarusian
Alternate transcription of Belarusian Кавалёў (see Kavalyow).
Kavalyow Belarusian
Patronymic from Belarusian каваль (kaval') meaning "blacksmith".
Kavanagh Irish
Derived from the Irish Gaelic name Caomhánach, which means "a student of saint Caomhán". It was the name used by a 12th-century king of Leinster, Domhnall Caomhánach, the eldest son of the historic Irish king Diarmait Mac Murchada.
Kawa Polish
Derived from Polish kawka "jackdaw".
Kawaguchi Japanese
Means "mouth of the river", from Japanese (kawa) meaning "river, stream" and (kuchi) meaning "mouth, entrance".
Kawakami Japanese
From Japanese (kawa) meaning "river, stream" and (kami) meaning "above, top, upper".
Kawasaki Japanese
From Japanese (kawa) meaning "river, stream" and (saki) meaning "cape, peninsula".
Kay 1 English
Derived from the given name Kay 2.
Kay 2 English
Derived from Old French kay meaning "wharf, quay", indicating one who lived near or worked on a wharf.
Kaya Turkish
Means "rock, cliff" in Turkish.
Kayode Western African, Yoruba
From the given name Kayode.
Kazama Japanese
From Japanese (kaza) meaning "wind, style" and (ma) meaning "among, between".
Kazlauskas Lithuanian
Lithuanian form of Kozłowski. This is the most common surname in Lithuania.
Kazloŭ Belarusian
Alternate transcription of Belarusian Казлоў (see Kazlow).
Kazlow Belarusian
Patronymic from Belarusian казёл (kaziol) meaning "male goat", probably used to denote a goatherd.
Kean Irish
Anglicized form of Ó Catháin.
Keane Irish
Anglicized form of Ó Catháin.
Kearney Irish
From the Irish name Ó Ceithearnaigh meaning "descendant of Ceithearnach", a given name meaning "warrior".
Keaton English
From any of three English place names: Ketton in Rutland, Ketton in Durham or Keaton in Devon. The first is probably derived from an old river name or tribal name combined with Old English ea "river", with the spelling later influenced by tun "enclosure, yard, town". The second is from the Old English given name Catta or the Old Norse given name Káti combined with Old English tun. The third is possibly from Cornish kee "hedge, bank" combined with Old English tun.
Kecskeméti Hungarian
Originally indicated a person who came from the Hungarian city of Kecskemét, derived from kecske meaning "goat".
Kedves Hungarian
Means "nice, kind" in Hungarian.
Kędzierski Polish
From a nickname meaning "curly", describing a person with curly hair.
Keefe Irish
Anglicized form of the Irish Ó Caoimh meaning "descendant of Caomh".
Keegan Irish
From Irish Mac Aodhagáin meaning "descendant of Aodhagán". The given name Aodhagán is a double diminutive of Aodh.
Keeley Irish
Anglicized form of Irish Ó Caolaidhe meaning "descendant of Caoladhe", a given name derived from caol "slender".
Keely Irish
Variant of Keeley.
Keen English
From Old English cene meaning "bold, brave".
Keighley English
Derived from an English place name meaning "clearing belonging to Cyhha". The Old English given name Cyhha is of unknown meaning.
Keil German
Means "wedge shaped" in German. It was used to denote a person who owned a wedge-shaped piece of land.
Keir Scottish
Variant of Kerr.
Keith Scottish
From a place name that is probably derived from the Brythonic element cet meaning "wood". This was the surname of a long line of Scottish nobles.
Kelemen Hungarian
Derived from the given name Kelemen.
Keller German
Means "cellar" in German, an occupational name for one in charge of the food and drink.
Kelley Irish
Variant of Kelly 1.
Kellogg English
Occupational name for a pig butcher, from Middle English killen "to kill" and hog "pig, swine, hog".
Kelly 1 Irish
Anglicized form of Irish Ó Ceallaigh meaning "descendant of Ceallach".
Kelly 2 Scottish
From a Scottish place name derived from coille meaning "grove".
Kelsey English
From an English place name meaning "Cenel's island", from the Old English name Cenel "fierce" in combination with eg "island".
Kemény Hungarian
Means "firm, hard, tough" in Hungarian.
Kemp English
Derived from Middle English kempe meaning "champion, warrior".
Kempf German
German cognate of Kemp.
Kendall English
Derived from the town of Kendal in England, so-called from the river Kent, on which it is situated, and Old English dæl meaning "valley, dale".
Kendrick 1 English
From the Old English given names Cyneric or Cenric.
Kendrick 2 Welsh
Derived from the given name Cynwrig.
Kennard English
Derived from the given names Cyneweard or Cyneheard.
Kennedy Irish
From the Irish name Ó Cinnéidigh meaning "descendant of Cennétig". This surname was borne by assassinated American president John F. Kennedy (1917-1963).
Kenyatta Eastern African, Kikuyu
From kinyata, the name of a type of ornamental belt worn by the Maasai. This was the surname of the first president of Kenya, Jomo Kenyatta (1897-1978). He adopted the surname in his youth.
Keo Khmer
Means "glass" in Khmer.
Kerekes Hungarian
Occupational name for a maker of wheels, from Hungarian kerék meaning "wheel".
Kermit Manx
Anglicized form of Mac Diarmada (see McDermott).
Kermode Manx
Anglicized form of Mac Diarmada (see McDermott).
Kerner German
Derived from Old High German kerno "seed", an occupational name for one who sold or planted seeds.
Kerper German
Variant of Gerber.
Kerr Scottish, English
From Scots and northern Middle English kerr meaning "thicket, marsh", ultimately from Old Norse kjarr.
Kersey English
From an English place name meaning derived from Old English cærse "watercress" and ieg "island".
Kertész Hungarian
Occupational name meaning "gardener" in Hungarian.
Kevorkian Armenian
Alternate transcription of Armenian Գեւորգյան (see Gevorgyan).
Key 1 English
Variant of Kay 1 or Kay 2.
Key 2 Irish
Anglicized form of Mac Aodha.
Keyes 1 English
Variant of Kay 1 or Kay 2.
Keyes 2 Irish
Anglicized form of Mac Aodha.
Keys 1 English
Variant of Kay 1 or Kay 2.
Keys 2 Irish
Anglicized form of Mac Aodha.
Khachaturian Armenian
Alternate transcription of Armenian Խաչատրյան (see Khachaturyan).
Khachaturyan Armenian
Means "son of Khachatur" in Armenian. A famous bearer was the Armenian composer Aram Khachaturyan or Khachaturian (1903-1978).
Khalil Arabic
From the given name Khalil.
Khan Urdu, Pashto, Bengali
From a title meaning "king, ruler", probably of Mongolian origin but used in many languages.
Khoroushi Persian
Derived from the given name Kurosh.
Kidd English
From a nickname meaning "young goat, kid" in Middle English, of Old Norse origin.
Kiefer 1 German
Means "pine tree" in German.
Kiefer 2 German
Occupational name for a barrel maker, derived from Old High German kuofa meaning "barrel".
Kijek Polish
Means "small stick", from Polish kij "stick".
Kikkert Dutch
Derived from Dutch kikker meaning "frog".
Kilduff Irish
From the Irish Mac Giolla Dhuibh meaning "son of the black-haired man".
Killam English
Denoted one who hailed from the English town of Kilham, meaning "kiln homestead".
Killough Irish
Indicated a person who was from Killough (County Down, Northern Ireland) or Killough (Wicklow, Ireland). The place name Killough means "church on the lake", derived from the Irish cill "church" and loch "lake".
Kilpatrick Irish
From the Irish Mac Giolla Phádraig meaning "son of the servant of Saint Patrick".
Kim Korean
Korean form of Jin, from Sino-Korean (gim) meaning "gold". This is the most common surname in Korea.
Kimball English
Derived from the Welsh given name Cynbel or the Old English given name Cynebald.
Kimberley English
From various English places called Kimberley. They mean either "Cyneburga's field", "Cynebald's field" or "Cynemær's field".
Kimura Japanese
From Japanese (ki) meaning "tree, wood" and (mura) meaning "town, village".
King English
From Old English cyning "king", originally a nickname for someone who either acted in a kingly manner or who worked for or was otherwise associated with a king. A famous bearer was the American civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968).
Kingsley English
From a place name meaning "king's clearing" in Old English.
Kingston English
From a place name meaning "king's town" in Old English.
Kinley Scottish
Anglicized form of MacFhionnlaigh.
Kinnaird Scottish
From the name of a place in Scotland, in Gaelic An Ceann Ard, meaning "high headland". In the 12th century a Norman nobleman received a charter of land here from King William the Lion (King of Scots), and was thereafter known by this name.
Kinnunen Finnish
Possibly derived from the Finnish dialectal word kinni meaning "animal skin, fur", borrowed from Swedish skinn.
Kinsey English
Derived from the given name Cynesige.
Kinsley English
From the name of a town in West Yorkshire, meaning "clearing belonging to Cyne". The Old English given name Cyne is a short form of longer names beginning with cyne meaning "royal".
Kipling English
From the name of a town in Yorkshire, of Old English origin meaning "Cyppel's people", from a given name Cyppel of unknown meaning. A famous bearer of this name was the author Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936).
Király Hungarian
Means "king" in Hungarian, of Slavic origin (a cognate of Król).
Kirby English
From numerous towns in northern England named Kirby or Kirkby, derived from Old Norse kirkja "church" and býr "farm, settlement".
Kirch German
German cognate of Church.
Kirchner German
Derived from Middle High German kirchenaere meaning "sexton".
Kirk English
From northern Middle English kirk meaning "church", from Old Norse kirkja (cognate of Church). A famous fictional bearer is the starship captain James Kirk from the Star Trek television series (1966-1969), and subsequent films.
Kis Hungarian
Variant of Kiss.
Kishimoto Japanese
From Japanese (kishi) meaning "beach, shore, bank" and (moto) meaning "base, root, origin".
Kiss Hungarian
Nickname meaning "small" in Hungarian.
Kistler German
Occupational name meaning "chest maker, cabinetmaker" from Middle High German kiste.
Kita Japanese
From Japanese (kita) meaning "north".
Kitagawa Japanese
From Japanese (kita) meaning "north" and (kawa) meaning "river, stream".
Kitchen English
Occupational name for a person who worked in a kitchen (of a monastery for example), derived from Old English cycene, ultimately from Latin coquina.
Kjær Danish
Topographic name for someone living near a wetland, from Danish kær "marsh", from Old Norse kjarr "thicket".
Kjeldsen Danish
Means "son of Kjeld".
Kjellsson Swedish
Means "son of Kjell".
Klaasen Dutch
Means "son of Klaas".
Kladivo Czech
Means "hammer" in Czech, a nickname for a blacksmith.
Klasson Swedish
Means "son of Klas".
Klausen Danish
Means "son of Klaus".
Kleid Jewish
Occupational name for a tailor, from Old High German kleid meaning "garment, clothing".
Klein German, Dutch, Jewish
Means "small, little" from German klein or Yiddish kleyn. A famous bearer of this name is clothes designer Calvin Klein (1942-).
Klement Czech, Slovak
From the given name Klement.
Klerk Dutch
Variant of De Klerk.
Klerks Dutch
Variant of De Klerk.
Klerkx Dutch
Variant of De Klerk.
Klerx Dutch
Variant of De Klerk.
Klíma Czech
Derived a diminutive of Kliment.
Klímek Czech
Derived from a diminutive of Kliment.
Klimek Polish
Derived from a diminutive of Klemens.
Kloet Dutch
Possibly from Middle Dutch cloet meaning "lump, ball". In some cases this was a nickname for an oafish person. In other cases it may have been a name for someone who lived near a sign that had a globe on it.
Kloeten Dutch
Variant of Kloet.
Klossner German
Derived from German Klausner, Middle High German klosenære meaning "hermit".
Klymenko Ukrainian
From the given name Klym.
Knaggs English
From Middle English knagg meaning "small mound, projection". It is found most commonly in the north of England, in particular Yorkshire.
Knef German
Occupational name for a shoemaker, derived from Low German knif meaning "shoemaker's knife".
Kneib German
Variant of Knef.
Kneller German
Originally a nickname for a noisy or disruptive person, derived from Old German knellen "to make noise, to cause a disturbance".
Knepp German
Variant of Knopf.
Knežević Croatian, Serbian
Patronymic of Serbo-Croatian knez meaning "prince" (ultimately of Germanic origin).
Knight English
From Old English cniht meaning "knight", a tenant serving as a mounted soldier.
Knochenmus German
From German Knochen "bone" and Mus "sauce". It probably referred to someone who worked in the butcher trade.
Knopf German
Means "button" in German, originally belonging to a button maker or button seller.
Knopp German
Variant of Knopf.
Knowles English
From Middle English knoll, Old English cnoll meaning "small hill, knoll". A famous bearer is American singer Beyoncé Knowles (1981-).
Knox Scottish
From the name of various places in Scotland and northern England, derived from Scottish Gaelic cnoc "round hill".
Knudsen Danish
Means "son of Knud".
Knutsen Norwegian
Means "son of Knut".
Knutsson Swedish
Means "son of Knut".
Ko Chinese (Cantonese), Chinese (Hokkien)
Cantonese and Min Nan romanization of Gao.
Kobayashi Japanese
From Japanese (ko) meaning "small" and (hayashi) meaning "forest".
Kóbor Hungarian
From Hungarian kóbor meaning "wanderer, ranger".
Koç Turkish
Means "ram" in Turkish.
Koch German
German cognate of Cook.
Kock Low German, Dutch
Low German and Dutch cognate of Cook.
Kocsis Hungarian
Means "coachman" in Hungarian.
Koeman Dutch
Variant of Koopman.
Koemans Dutch
Variant of Koopman.
Koenig German
German cognate of King.
Köhl German
Variant of Kohl.
Kohl German
Derived from Middle High German kol "cabbage".
Köhler German
Variant of Kohler.
Kohler German
From Middle High German koler meaning "charcoal burner" or "charcoal seller".
Kohout Czech
Czech cognate of Kohut.
Kohut Ukrainian
Means "rooster" in Ukrainian, a nickname for a proud person.
Koizumi Japanese
From Japanese (ko) meaning "small" and (izumi) meaning "spring, fountain". A notable bearer of this name is Junichiro Koizumi (1942-), who was Prime Minister of Japan.
Kok Dutch
Dutch cognate of Cook.
Kokkinos Greek
From a nickname meaning "red" in Greek.
Kokot Slovene, Croatian
Slovene and Croatian cognate of Kohut.
Kolář Czech
Means "wheelwright", a derivative of Czech kolo "wheel".
Kolar Croatian, Slovene
Croatian and Slovene cognate of Kolář.
Kolarić Croatian
Patronymic form of Kolar.
Kolbe German
From Middle High German kolbe meaning "club".
Kolen Dutch
From the given name Nicolaas.
Kolijn Dutch
From the given name Nicolaas.
Kollen Dutch
From the given name Nicolaas.
König German
German cognate of King.
Königsmann German
Means "king's man", or someone who played a king in a play.
Koning Dutch
Dutch cognate of King.
Konishi Japanese
From Japanese (ko) meaning "small" and 西 (nishi) meaning "west".
Kontos Greek
Means "short" in Greek.
Kool Dutch
Derived from a short form of the given name Nicolaas.
Koole Dutch
Derived from a short form of the given name Nicolaas.
Koolen Dutch
Derived from the given name Nicolaas.
Kools Dutch
Derived from the given name Nicolaas.
Koopman Dutch
Occupational name meaning "merchant" in Dutch.
Kopecký Czech
Derived from Czech kopec meaning "hill". The name was given to a person who lived close to a hill.
Kopitar Slovene
From Slovene kopito meaning "hoof", an occupational name for a shoer.
Kopp German
Derived from a diminutive of the given name Jakob.
Koppel Estonian, Danish
From Low German koppel meaning "paddock, pasture" (a word borrowed into Estonian).
Korhonen Finnish
Possibly from archaic Finnish korho meaning "deaf, hard of hearing". This is the most common surname in Finland.
Korošec Slovene
Originally indicated a person from Koroška (Carinthia), a medieval Slovene state, now divided between Slovenia and Austria.
Korrapati Indian, Telugu
From an area called Korra or Korrapalem combined with Telugu పతి (pati) meaning "belongs to".
Kos Slovene
Means "blackbird" in Slovene.
Košar Croatian
From Croatian koš meaning "basket", originally indicating a person who made or sold baskets.
Koskinen Finnish
Derived from Finnish koski meaning "rapids". This is the second most common surname in Finland.
Kosmatka Polish
Derived from Polish kosmaty meaning "shaggy, hairy".
Kostelecký Czech
Originally denoted a person from a village named Kostelec, derived from Czech kostel meaning "church".
Koszorús Hungarian
Derived from Hungarian koszorú meaning "garland, wreath, girdle", a name for someone who made garlands.
Koumans Dutch
Variant of Koopman.
Kováč Slovak, Czech
Slovak and Czech cognate of Kovač.
Kovac Slovak, Croatian, Serbian, Czech
Simplified spelling of Kováč or Kovač.
Kovač Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian, Slovene
Means "blacksmith", a derivative of Slavic kovati meaning "to forge".
Kovachev Bulgarian
Patronymic derived from Bulgarian ковач (kovach) meaning "blacksmith".
Kovačić Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian
Patronymic derived from South Slavic kovač meaning "blacksmith".
Kovačič Slovene
Slovene form of Kovačić.
Kovács Hungarian
Hungarian form of Kovač.
Kovalchuk Ukrainian, Russian
Derived from Ukrainian and Russian коваль (koval) meaning "blacksmith".
Kovalenko Ukrainian
Derived from Ukrainian коваль (koval) meaning "blacksmith".
Kovalev Russian
Alternate transcription of Russian Ковалёв (see Kovalyov).
Kovalyov Russian
Patronymic from Russian коваль (koval) meaning "blacksmith".
Kovář Czech
Czech cognate of Kovač.
Kövér Hungarian
Means "fat" in Hungarian.
Kowalczyk Polish
Patronymic derived from Polish kowal "blacksmith".
Kowalski Polish
From Polish kowal meaning "blacksmith". This is the second most common surname in Poland.
Kozel Czech
Czech cognate of Kozioł.
Kozioł Polish
Means "male goat" in Polish, probably used to denote a goatherd.
Kozlov Russian
Patronymic from Russian козёл (kozyol) meaning "male goat", probably used to denote a goatherd.
Kozłowski Polish
Originally a name for a person from Kozłów, Kozłowo, or other places with a name derived from Polish kozioł meaning "male goat".