Browse Surnames

Solak Turkish
From the nickname solak meaning "left-handed".

Son Korean
Korean form of Sun, from Sino-Korean 孫 (son).

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

Sosa Spanish
Spanish form of Sousa.

Sousa Portuguese
Originally indicated someone who lived near the River Sousa in Portugal, possibly derived from Latin salsus "salty" or saxa "rocks".

Souza Portuguese
Variant of Sousa.

Su Chinese
From Chinese 苏 (sū) meaning "perilla", also referring to an ancient minor state called Su.

Suen Chinese (Cantonese)
Cantonese romanization of Sun.

Sugimoto Japanese
From Japanese 杉 (sugi) meaning "cedar" and 本 (moto) meaning "base, root, origin".

Sugimura Japanese
From Japanese 杉 (sugi) meaning "cedar" and 村 (mura) meaning "town, village".

Sugita Japanese
From Japanese 杉 (sugi) meaning "cedar" and 田 (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".

Sugiura Japanese
From Japanese 杉 (sugi) meaning "cedar" and 浦 (ura) meaning "bay, inlet".

Sugiyama Japanese
From Japanese 杉 (sugi) meaning "cedar" and 山 (yama) meaning "mountain, hill".

Sultan Arabic
From a nickname meaning "sultan, ruler" in Arabic.

Sultana Bengali, Urdu, Maltese
Bengali, Urdu and Maltese form of Sultan.

Sultanov m Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Azerbaijani
Means "son of Sultan".

Sultanova f Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Azerbaijani
Feminine form of Sultanov.

Sultonov m Uzbek, Tajik
Means "son of Sulton".

Sultonova f Uzbek, Tajik
Feminine form of Sultonov.

Sun Chinese
From Chinese 孙 (sūn) meaning "grandchild, descendant". A famous bearer of the surname was Sun Tzu, the 6th-century BC author of The Art of War.

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

Suzuki Japanese
From Japanese 鈴 (suzu) meaning "bell" and 木 (ki) meaning "tree, wood". This is the second most common surname in Japan. A notable bearer was the artist Suzuki Harunobu (1725-1770).

Sydykov m Kyrgyz
Means "son of Sydyk".

Sydykova f Kyrgyz
Feminine form of Sydykov.

Tachibana Japanese
From Japanese 橘 (tachibana) meaning "orange, tangerine".

Tahirović Bosnian
Means "son of Tahir".

Takahashi Japanese
From Japanese 高 (taka) meaning "tall, high" and 橋 (hashi) meaning "bridge".

Takeda Japanese
From Japanese 武 (take) meaning "military, martial" and 田 (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".

Takenaka Japanese
Means "dweller amongst bamboo", from Japanese 竹 (take) meaning "bamboo" and 中 (naka) meaning "middle".

Takeuchi Japanese
From Japanese 竹 (take) meaning "bamboo" and 内 (uchi) meaning "inside".

Tamura Japanese
From Japanese 田 (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy" and 村 (mura) meaning "town, village".

Tan Chinese (Hokkien)
Min Nan romanization of Chen.

Tanaka Japanese
Means "dweller in the rice fields", from Japanese 田 (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy" and 中 (naka) meaning "middle".

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".

Taniguchi Japanese
From Japanese 谷 (tani) meaning "valley" and 口 (kuchi) meaning "mouth, entrance".

Tavares Portuguese
From any of the numerous places in Portugal called Tavares, likely of pre-Roman origin.

Tawfeek Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic توفيق (see Tawfiq).

Tawfiq Arabic
From the given name Tawfiq.

Teixeira Portuguese
From Portuguese teixo meaning "yew tree".

Teke 1 Turkish
Originally denoted someone from Teke, Turkey.

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

Temitope Yoruba
From the given name Temitope.

Teodoro Portuguese
Derived from the given name Teodoro.

Terzi 2 Turkish
Means "tailor" in Turkish, ultimately of Persian origin.

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

Tilki Turkish
From a nickname meaning "fox" in Turkish.

Tiryaki Turkish
Possibly from a nickname meaning "addict, opium user" in Turkish.

Tomioka Japanese
From Japanese 富 (tomi) meaning "wealth, abundance" and 岡 (oka) meaning "hill, ridge".

Tong Chinese (Cantonese)
Cantonese romanization of Tang 1.

Torres Spanish, Portuguese
Name for a person who lived in or near a tower, ultimately from Latin turris.

Toyoda Japanese
From Japanese 豊 (toyo) meaning "bountiful, luxuriant" and 田 (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy". A famous bearer was Kiichiro Toyoda (1894-1952), founder of Toyota Motor Corporation.

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.

Tsang Chinese (Cantonese)
Cantonese romanization of Zeng.

Tse Chinese (Cantonese)
Cantonese romanization of Xie.

Tso Chinese (Cantonese)
Cantonese romanization of Cao.

Tsui Chinese (Cantonese)
Cantonese romanization of Xu 1.

Tsukuda Japanese
From Japanese 佃 (tsukuda) meaning "cultivated rice field".

Tsunoda Japanese
From Japanese 角 (tsuno) meaning "point, corner" and 田 (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".

Uchimura Japanese
From Japanese 内 (uchi) meaning "inside" and 村 (mura) meaning "town, village".

Uchiyama Japanese
From Japanese 内 (uchi) meaning "inside" and 山 (yama) meaning "mountain, hill".

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

Uehara Japanese
From Japanese 上 (ue) meaning "above, top, upper" and 原 (hara) meaning "field, plain".

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

Uesugi Japanese
From Japanese 上 (ue) meaning "above, top, upper" and 杉 (sugi) meaning "cedar".

Umar Arabic, Urdu
From the given name Umar.

Umarov m Uzbek, Tajik, Kyrgyz
Means "son of Umar".

Umarova f Uzbek, Tajik, Kyrgyz
Feminine form of Umarov.

Urano Japanese
From Japanese 浦 (ura) meaning "bay, inlet" and 野 (no) meaning "field, wilderness".

Uzun Turkish
Means "long, tall" in Turkish.

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

Văn Vietnamese
Vietnamese form of Wen, from Sino-Vietnamese 文 (văn).

Vargas Spanish, Portuguese
Means "slope, flooded field, pastureland" or "hut", from the Spanish and Portuguese dialectal word varga.

Ventura Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan
From the given name Bonaventura.

Vicente Spanish, Portuguese
From the given name Vicente.

Vieira Portuguese
Denoted a person who came from a Portuguese town by this name, derived from vieria meaning "scallop". The scallop was a symbol of Saint James, and was traditionally worn by pilgrims to the shrine of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia.

Vilar Portuguese, Galician, Catalan
Means "hamlet, farm" in Portuguese, Galician and Catalan, from Late Latin villare, a derivative of Latin villa.

Võ Vietnamese
Variant of Vũ used more often in southern Vietnam.

Vũ Vietnamese
Vietnamese form of Wu 2, from Sino-Vietnamese 武 (vũ).

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

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

Watanabe Japanese
From Japanese 渡 (wata) meaning "cross, ferry" and 辺 (nabe) meaning "area, place".

Wattana Thai
From Thai วัฒน (wathan) meaning "culture".

Wei Chinese
From Chinese 魏 (wèi) referring to the ancient state of Wei, which existed from the 5th to 3rd centuries BC in what is now Henan, Hebei, Shanxi, and Shandong provinces.

Wen Chinese
From Chinese 文 (wén) meaning "literature, culture, writing".

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

Wong 2 Chinese (Cantonese)
Cantonese romanization of Huang.

Wu 1 Chinese
From Chinese 吴 (wú) referring to the ancient state of Wu, which was located in present-day Jiangsu province.

Wu 2 Chinese
From Chinese 武 (wǔ) meaning "military, martial".

Wu 3 Chinese (Cantonese)
Cantonese romanization of Hu.

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.

Xie Chinese
From Chinese 谢 (xiè) referring to the minor state of Xie, which existed in what is now Hubei province.

Xu 1 Chinese
From Chinese 徐 (xú) referring to the ancient state of Xu, which existed to the 6th century BC in what is now Jiangsu and Anhui. The character 徐 means "slowly, calmly".

Xu 2 Chinese
From Chinese 许 (xǔ) referring to the minor state of Xu, which existed to the 4th century BC in what is now Henan province. The character 许 means "allow, permit".

Xun Chinese
From Chinese 荀 (xún) meaning "plant, ancient state".

Yamada Japanese
From Japanese 山 (yama) meaning "mountain" and 田 (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".

Yamagishi Japanese
From Japanese 山 (yama) meaning "mountain" and 岸 (kishi) meaning "beach, shore, bank".

Yamaguchi Japanese
From Japanese 山 (yama) meaning "mountain" and 口 (kuchi) meaning "mouth, entrance". Olympic figure-skating champion Kristi Yamaguchi (1971-) bears this name.

Yamamoto Japanese
From Japanese 山 (yama) meaning "mountain" and 本 (moto) meaning "base, root, origin".

Yamasaki Japanese
Variant of Yamazaki.

Yamashita Japanese
From Japanese 山 (yama) meaning "mountain" and 下 (shita) meaning "under, below".

Yamauchi Japanese
From Japanese 山 (yama) meaning "mountain" and 内 (uchi) meaning "inside".

Yamazaki Japanese
From Japanese 山 (yama) meaning "mountain" and 崎 (saki) meaning "cape, peninsula".

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

Yasuda Japanese
From Japanese 安 (yasu) meaning "peace, quiet" or 保 (yasu) meaning "protect, maintain" and 田 (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".

Ye Chinese
From Chinese 叶 (yè) meaning "leaf".

Yeung Chinese (Cantonese)
Cantonese romanization of Yang.

Yi Korean
Variant of Lee 2.

Yıldız Turkish
Means "star" in Turkish.

Yılmaz Turkish
From the given name Yılmaz.

Yokota Japanese
From Japanese 横 (yoko) meaning "beside, next to" and 田 (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".

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

Yoshida Japanese
From Japanese 吉 (yoshi) meaning "good luck" and 田 (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".

Yoshinaga Japanese
From Japanese 吉 (yoshi) meaning "good luck" and 永 (naga) meaning "perpetual, eternal".

Yoshino Japanese
From Japanese 吉 (yoshi) meaning "good luck" and 野 (no) meaning "field, wilderness".

Yoshioka Japanese
From Japanese 吉 (yoshi) meaning "good luck" and 岡 (oka) meaning "hill, ridge".

Yu 1 Chinese
From Chinese 于 (yú) meaning "in, on, at". According to legend, King Wu of Zhou bestowed the realm of Yu to his second son, who subsequently adopted this as his surname.

Yu 2 Chinese
From Chinese 余 (yú) meaning "surplus".

Yu 3 Chinese
From Chinese 俞 (yú) meaning "consent, approve".

Yu 4 Chinese
From Chinese 虞 (yú) meaning "concerned, anxious" and also referring to the ancient state of Yu, which was situated in what is now Shanxi province.

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".

Yukimura Japanese
From Japanese 雪 (yuki) meaning "snow" and 村 (mura) meaning "town, village".

Yun Korean
From Sino-Korean 尹 (yun) meaning "govern, oversee".

Yuuki Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 結城 (see Yūki).

Zaman Arabic, Urdu
Derived from the given name Zaman.

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.

Zhang Chinese
From Chinese 张 (zhāng) meaning "stretch, extend". It may have denoted a bowmaker whose job it was to stretch bow wood.

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]

Zheng Chinese
From Chinese 郑 (zhèng), which refers to the ancient state of Zheng. Zheng existed between the 9th to 4th centuries BC in present-day Henan province. A famous bearer of this surname was the 15th-century explorer Zheng He.

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.

Zhu Chinese
From Chinese 朱 (zhū) meaning "vermilion red, cinnabar" and also referring to the ancient state of Zhu, which existed in what is now Shandong province. This was the surname of the emperors of the Ming dynasty.