Surnames Starting with N

usage
Naaji Arabic
From the given name Naaji.
Nacar Turkish
Turkish form of Najjar.
Næss Norwegian
Variant of Ness.
Naess Norwegian
Variant of Ness.
Nagarkar Indian, Marathi
Derived from the name of the town of Nagar in Maharashtra, India.
Nagasawa Japanese
From Japanese (naga) meaning "long" and 沢 or 澤 (sawa) meaning "marsh".
Nagel German, Dutch
Means "nail" in German and Dutch, an occupational name for a carpenter or nailsmith.
Naggi Italian
Originally denoted a person from the town of Naggio in Lombardy, Italy.
Naggia Italian
Variant of Naggi.
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.
Najjar Arabic
Means "carpenter" in Arabic.
Najm Arabic
From the given name Najm.
Nakabayashi Japanese
From Japanese (naka) meaning "middle" and (hayashi) meaning "forest".
Nakagawa Japanese
From Japanese (naka) meaning "middle" and (kawa) meaning "river, stream".
Nakahara Japanese
From Japanese (naka) meaning "middle" and (hara) meaning "field, plain".
Nakai Japanese
From Japanese (naka) meaning "middle" and (i) meaning "well, mine shaft, pit".
Nakajima Japanese
From Japanese (naka) meaning "middle" and (shima) meaning "island".
Nakamura Japanese
From Japanese (naka) meaning "middle" and (mura) meaning "town, village".
Nakano Japanese
From Japanese (naka) meaning "middle" and (no) meaning "field, wilderness".
Naldi Italian
From given names like Arnaldo and Rinaldo.
Namgung Korean
From Sino-Korean (nam) meaning "south" combined with (gung) meaning "palace, house". This is the most common Korean compound surname.
Nana Italian
From a diminutive of Giovanni.
Nani Italian
Variant of Nana.
Nanni Italian
Variant of Nana.
Nannini Italian
From Nanni, a diminutive of the given name Giovanni.
Naoumov Russian, Bulgarian
Alternate transcription of Russian/Bulgarian Наумов (see Naumov).
Napoleoni Italian
From the medieval given name Napoleone.
Napoletani Italian
Originally indicated a person from Naples in Italy.
Napoli Italian
Originally indicated a person from Naples in Italy.
Napoliello Italian
Originally indicated a person from Naples in Italy.
Narang Indian, Hindi
From the name of a Pakistani town that was in undivided India.
Nardi Italian
From the given name Nardo, which was originally a short form of names like Bernardo or Leonardo.
Nardo Italian
Variant of Nardi.
Nardovino Italian (Rare)
Either from Nardo, a short form of names like Bernardo or Leonardo, or from Ardovino, a variant of Arduino.
Narváez Spanish
From the name of a town in central Spain.
Nasato Italian
Nickname for someone with a prominent nose, from Italian naso "nose".
Nascimbeni Italian
From the medieval given name Nascimbene, typical of the Venetian region.
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.
Natale Italian
From the given name Natale.
Nathans Jewish
Derived from the given name Nathan.
Nathanson Jewish
Means "son of Nathan".
Naumov Russian, Bulgarian
Means "son of Naum".
Navarro Spanish
Denoted a person who came from Navarre in northern Spain (Spanish Navarra). The name of the region is of Basque origin, possibly from nabar meaning "brown".
Nave Italian
From various Italian places called Nave.
Navrátil Czech
Means "returned" in Czech, from the verb navrátit "to return", perhaps used to denote a person who came home following a long absence.
Nazaretian Armenian
Alternate transcription of Armenian Նազարեթյան (see Nazaretyan).
Nazaretyan Armenian
Means "son of Nazaret".
Nazarian Armenian
Alternate transcription of Armenian Նազարյան (see Nazaryan).
Nazario Italian
From the given name Nazario.
Nazaryan Armenian
Means "son of Nazar".
Neal English
Derived from the given name Neil.
Necchi Italian
Possibly from Italian neccio, a type of flat bread.
Nedbálek Czech
From Czech nedbalý meaning "careless".
Nedvěd Czech
Czech cognate of Medved, derived from the dialectal nedvěd.
Negrescu Romanian
Patronymic derived from Romanian negru "black".
Negri Italian
Nickname derived from Italian negro "black", used to refer to someone with dark hair or dark skin.
Negrini Italian
Variant of Negri.
Neil Scottish, English, Irish
Derived from the given name Neil.
Nejem Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic نجم (see Najm).
Nelissen Dutch
Means "son of Cornelis".
Nelli Italian
Derived from the given name Nello.
Nelson 1 English
Means "son of Neil". This name was borne by the British admiral Horatio Nelson (1758-1805).
Němec Czech
Means "German" in Czech.
Němeček Czech
Diminutive form of Němec.
Nemes Hungarian
Means "noble, gentle" in Hungarian.
Németh Hungarian
Means "German" in Hungarian.
Nenci Italian
Means "son of Nencio", a Tuscan diminutive of the name Lorenzo.
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.
Neroni Italian
Variant of Neri.
Nervetti Italian
Possibly a nickname for an innkeeper, from archaic Milanese nervètt, a local meal prepared from a calf.
Nervi Italian
From the name of the town of Nervi in Liguria, northwestern Italy.
Nespoli Italian
From the name of towns such as Nespoli and Nespoledo, derived from Italian nespola meaning "medlar (tree)".
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.
Neumann German, Jewish
From Middle High German niuwe and man meaning "new man, newcomer".
Neuville French
From the names of various French towns meaning "new town".
Neville English, Irish
From the names of towns in Normandy, variously Neuville or Néville, meaning "new town" in French.
Nevin 1 Irish
Anglicized form of Mac Naoimhín.
Newman English
English cognate of Neumann.
Newport English
Given to one who came from the town of Newport (which means simply "new port"), which was the name of several English towns.
Newton English
From the name of one of many English towns meaning "new town". A famous bearer was the English physicist Sir Isaac Newton (1643-1727).
Ng 1 Chinese (Cantonese)
Cantonese romanization of Wu 1.
Ng 2 Chinese (Hokkien)
Min Nan romanization of Huang.
Ngo Vietnamese
Simplified variant of Ngô.
Ngô Vietnamese
Vietnamese form of Wu 1, from Sino-Vietnamese (ngô).
Nguyễn Vietnamese
Vietnamese form of Ruan, from Sino-Vietnamese (nguyễn). This is the most common Vietnamese surname, accounting for over a third of the population.
Nguyen Vietnamese
Simplified variant of Nguyễn.
Nibhanupudi Indian, Telugu
From the name of a village in Andhra Pradesh, India.
Nicastro Italian
From the name of the town of Nicastro in Calabria, southern Italy.
Nicchi Italian
From the Italian word nicchio meaning "shell", possibly a nickname for people related to the sea.
Nicholls English
Derived from the given name Nichol.
Nichols English
Derived from the given name Nichol.
Nicholson English
Means "son of Nicholas". A famous bearer of this surname is the American actor Jack Nicholson (1937-).
Nickleby Literature
Created by Charles Dickens for the title character in his novel Nicholas Nickleby (1839). He probably based it on Nicol, a medieval vernacular form of Nicholas, with the common English place name suffix -by, which is derived from Old Norse býr meaning "farm, settlement".
Nicodemo Italian
Derived from the given name Nicodemo.
Nicolai Italian
Means "son of Nicola 1".
Nicolas French
Derived from the given name Nicolas.
Nicolescu Romanian
Means "son of Nicolae".
Nicolosi Italian
From the name of the town Nicolosi on Sicily, itself named for Saint Nicholas.
Nicosia Italian
From the name of the town Nicosia on Sicily.
Nicotera Italian
From the name of the town of Nicotera in Calabria.
Nieddu Italian
From Sardinian nieddu meaning "black", derived from Latin niger.
Nielsen Danish
Means "son of Niels 1".
Niemczyk Polish
From Polish Niemiec meaning "German" and the patronymic suffix -czyk.
Niemec Polish
Means "German" in Polish.
Niemi Finnish
Means "peninsula, cape" in Finnish.
Nieminen Finnish
Derived from Finnish niemi meaning "peninsula, cape".
Nieri Italian
Either a variant of Neri, or from the Italian name Raniero.
Nieto Spanish
From a nickname meaning "grandson" in Spanish.
Nieves Spanish
From the given name Nieves.
Nigel English
Derived from the given name Neil.
Nigro Italian
Variant of Negri.
Niklasson Swedish
Means "son of Niklas".
Nikolajsen Danish
Means "son of Nikolaj".
Nikolov Bulgarian
Means "son of Nikolay".
Nikula Finnish
From the given name Niku, a Finnish form of Nicholas.
Niles English
Means "son of Neil".
Nilsen Norwegian
Means "son of Nils".
Nilsson Swedish
Means "son of Nils".
Nishikawa Japanese
From Japanese 西 (nishi) meaning "west" and (kawa) meaning "river, stream".
Nishimura Japanese
From Japanese 西 (nishi) meaning "west" and (mura) meaning "town, village".
Nishitani Japanese
From Japanese 西 (nishi) meaning "west" and (tani) meaning "valley".
Nishiyama Japanese
From Japanese 西 (nishi) meaning "west" and (yama) meaning "mountain, hill".
Nisi Italian
Means "son of Niso", an Italian form of the mythological name Nisus.
Nissen Danish
Means "son of Nis".
Niven Scottish
Anglicized form of Mac Naoimhín.
Nixon English
Means "son of Nick". A famous bearer was the American president Richard Nixon (1913-1994).
Nizzola Italian
From the name of the Italian town of Nizzola near Modena.
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.
Noguchi Japanese
From Japanese (no) meaning "field, wilderness" and (kuchi) meaning "mouth, entrance".
Nogueira Portuguese, Galician
From Portuguese and Galician nogueira meaning "walnut tree", from the Late Latin nucarius, ultimately from Latin nux meaning "nut".
Noguera Spanish, Catalan
Spanish and Catalan form of Nogueira.
Nolan Irish
Anglicized form of Irish Ó Nualláin meaning "descendant of Nuallán".
Nordberg Swedish, Norwegian
From Swedish and Norwegian nord (Old Norse norðr) meaning "north" and berg meaning "mountain". As a Swedish name it is ornamental.
Nordin Swedish
Derived from Swedish nord meaning "north" (Old Norse norðr).
Nordskov Danish
Means "north woods" in Danish.
Nordström Swedish
From Swedish nord (Old Norse norðr) meaning "north" and ström (Old Norse straumr) meaning "stream".
Norling Swedish
Originally denoted a person who came from the north.
Norman English
Referred to a person who was originally from Scandinavia or Normandy. Even before the Norman Conquest, Scandinavians were settling the north and east of England. The Normans who participated in the Conquest were originally from Scandinavia, but had been living in Normandy, France for over a century and spoke French.
Normand French
French form of Norman.
Norris 1 English, Scottish
Means "from the north" from Old French norreis. It either denoted someone who originated in the north or someone who lived in the northern part of a settlement.
Norris 2 English
Means "wet nurse, foster mother" from Old French norrice, from Latin nutricius.
North English
Name for a person who lived to the north.
Northrop English
Originally denoted one who came from a town of this name England, meaning "north farm".
Norton English
From the name of various towns in England meaning "north town" in Old English.
Nørup Danish
From the name of Danish villages named Nørup or Norup.
Norup Danish
Variant of Nørup.
Norwood English
Originally taken from a place name meaning "north wood" in Old English.
Noschese Italian
From the name of the town of Nusco in Campania, southern Italy.
Nosek Czech, Polish
Means "small nose" in Czech and Polish.
Notaro Italian
Occupational name for a clerk, derived from Latin notarius.
Nováček Czech
Diminutive of Novak.
Novák Czech, Slovak, Hungarian
Czech, Slovak and Hungarian form of Novak.
Novak Slovene, Croatian, Serbian
Derived from Slavic novy "new", originally a name for someone who was new to a village.
Novik Belarusian
From Belarusian новы (novy) meaning "new".
Novikov Russian
Derived from Russian новый (novy) meaning "new".
Novosad Czech
From place names meaning "new orchard" in Czech.
Novotný Czech
Czech variant of Novak.
Nowak Polish
Polish cognate of Novak. This is the most common surname in Poland.
Nowakowski Polish
Habitational name for a person from various towns called Nowakowo or similar, derived from Polish nowy meaning "new".
Nowell English
Variant of Noel.
Nowicki Polish
Habitational name for a person from any of the towns in Poland called Nowice. The name is derived from Polish nowy meaning "new".
Noyer French
French form of Nogueira.
Nozawa Japanese
From Japanese (no) meaning "field, wilderness" and 沢 or 澤 (sawa) meaning "marsh".
Nunes Portuguese
Means "son of Nuno".
Núñez Spanish
Spanish form of Nunes.
Nuremberg German
Derived from the name of a city in Bavaria, Germany.
Nurmi Finnish
Means "meadow, field" in Finnish. It was the surname of the athlete Paavo Nurmi (1897-1973).
Nussbaum German, Jewish
Means "nut tree", derived from the German Nuss "nut" and Baum "tree".
Nyberg Swedish
From Swedish ny (Old Norse nýr) meaning "new" and berg meaning "mountain".
Nye English
Originally indicated a person who lived near a river, from Middle English atten eye meaning "at the river".
Nygård Norwegian
From Norwegian ny (Old Norse nýr) meaning "new" and gård (Old Norse nýr) meaning "farm, estate".
Nyilas Hungarian
Means "archer, bowman" in Hungarian.
Nyitrai Hungarian
Indicated someone from Nitra, a city and historic principality of Slovakia (formerly in Hungary). Its name is derived from that of a local river, which is of unknown meaning.
Nylund Swedish
From Swedish ny (Old Norse nýr) meaning "new" and lund (Old Norse lundr) meaning "grove".
Nyman Swedish
Swedish cognate of Neumann.
Nyqvist Swedish
From Swedish ny (Old Norse nýr) meaning "new" and qvist (Old Norse kvistr) meaning "twig, branch".
Nyström Swedish
Ornamental name derived from Swedish ny (Old Norse nýr) meaning "new" and ström (Old Norse straumr) meaning "stream".