Swiss
names are used in the country of Switzerland in central Europe.
Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
Gaeta ItalianDerived from the town of Gaeta, in the province of Latina, in Lazio, central Italy. It can also derive from the given name
Gaetano which shares its origin.
Gafafer RomanshDerived from Romansh
casa "house" and, by extension, "household, family" and Romansh
faver "smith".
Gagliano ItalianHabitational name from a few places in Italy, which all derived from the Latin personal name
Gallius Galano ItalianA Campanian name from Greek
γαλανός (
galanós) "light blue, pale blue", denoting someone with blue eyes.
Galante Italian, French, JewishComes from the ancient French word "galant" meaning someone in love or who has fun. In the case of Mordecai Galante, a Spanish exile in 16th century Rome, his courteous manners won for him from the Roman nobles the surname "Galantuomo" (gentleman), from which Galante was eventually derived.... [
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Galbier RomanshDerived from Romansh
casa "house" and, by extension, "household, family" and the given name
Albert.
Galishoff Upper German, German (Austrian)Derived from the ancient Roman name
Gallus, meaning "rooster" in Latin.
Hoff meaning house combines the growing or tending to poultry on a farm house, hence the name
Galishoff which has been modified over the millennia... [
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Galland FrenchNickname for a cheerful or high-spirited or bold person from Old French
galant "lively vivacious" also "bold valiant" (the meanings "gallant" and "attentive to women" developed only in the 16th century) the present participle of Old French
galer "to be in good humor to enjoy oneself" a word of ancient Germanic origin... [
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Galliard FrenchIt resembles the French word "galliard," meaning "brave, cheerful, spirited." Marcel and Porco Galliard from Attack on Titan are known bearers of this name.
Gally FrenchDerived from southern French
gal "rooster", this name was used as a nickname for a vain or conceited person.
Gamberini ItalianPossibly from the given name Gambrinus or Gambarus. The Italian word
gambero "prawn, shrimp" has also been suggested as an origin.
Gambier FrenchDerived from
gambier, a Northern French variant of
jambier, the masculine form of
jambière "greave (a piece of armour that protects the leg, especially the shin, and occasionally the tops of the feet)"... [
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Gambino Italianfrom a diminutive of gamba ‘leg’, probably applied as a nickname for someone with short legs.
Gamelin FrenchFrom pet form of any of the compound personal names formed with gamal, related to Old Norse gamall, Old German gamel "old", "aged". ... [
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Gandin FrenchFrom the French
gandin, pronounced /ɡɑ̃dœ̃/, which is a word used for a dandy, an elegant young man with affected, quite often ridiculous, manners.
Gann GermanTopographic name for someone who lived near an expanse of scree, Middle High German gant.
Gans German, DutchMeaning "goose", perhaps referring to someone who worked with geese, related to
Ganser.
Ganser GermanFrom the Middle High German word
ganser meaning "gander", occupational name for a geese shepherd.
Garand Frenchnickname or status name from the Old French legal term
garant "guarantor". perhaps from a personal name based on the ancient Germanic element
warin "protection shelter" or "guard".
Garau ItalianPossibly from a Sardinian modification of the given name
Gherardo. Alternately, it may be from a Spanish surname derived from Basque
garau "grain, wheat".
Garde Frenchfrom Old French
garde "watch", "protection"; an occupational name for someone who kept watch or guard, or a topographic name for someone who lived near a vantage point or watchtower.
Garneau FrenchFrom a pet form of the Germanic given name
Warinwald, composed of the elements
war(in) meaning "guard" and
waldan meaning "to govern".
Garten German, Jewishmetonymic occupational name for a gardener or overseer of a garden or enclosure. Originally the term denoted the keeper of an enclosure for deer later of a vineyard or smallholding from Middle High German
garte "garden enclosure"... [
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Gartmann German (Swiss)Derived from Middle High German
garte "garden; yard" and German
Mann "man", this was occupational name for a gardener. In some cases it may have been a status name referring to the owner of a small (enclosed or fenced) farm or an occupational name for a worker at a deer preserve.
Garufi ItalianMeaning uncertain, possibly related to the Germanic given name
Garulf, or to Arabic
qaruf "hard, cruel".
Gasnier FrenchFrom Old French
gaaigner meaning "to win, to earn" or "to till, to cultivate", possibly used as an occupational name for a farmer.
Gasser German (Swiss)Occupational name for a goat herd from Middle High German geiz meaning "Goat" and (n)er an agent suffix.
Gassmann German, JewishFrom German
Gasse or Yiddish גאַס (
gas), both from Middle High German
gazze, meaning "street", denoting someone who lived in a street of a city, town or village.... [
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Gatlin GermanPossibly an altered spelling of German
Göttling, from a Germanic personal name formed with
god ‘god’ or
god ‘good’ +
-ling suffix of affiliation, or, like
Gättling (of which this may also be an altered form), a nickname from Middle High German
getlinc ‘companion’, ‘kinsman’.
Gatto ItalianDerived from Old Italian
gatto meaning "cat", ultimately from Late Latin
cattus. This was a nickname for a person who resembled a cat in some way.
Gattuso Italian, SicilianSicilian and Calabrian variant of
Gatto, notably borne by the Italian former soccer player Gennaro Gattuso (1978-).
Gatz GermanHabitational name from a place so named in Pomerania.
Gau GermanHabitational name from any of various places named with Middle High German gau, göu ‘area of fertile agricultural land’.
Gaudin FrenchFrom the Old French personal name
Gaudin Norman French Waldin Waudin a pet form of ancient Germanic names based on the element
wald "rule power".
Gauger GermanMiddle High German gougern 'to wander around or stagger', presumably a nickname for someone with a peculiar gait.
Gay English, FrenchNickname for a lighthearted or cheerful person, from Middle English, Old French
gai.
Gayer GermanDerived from Slavic
gaj "grove", this name denoted a forest warden.
Gebbia ItalianFrom Sicilian
gebbia "irrigation cistern", itself from Arabic
جُبّ (
jubb) "cistern, well".
Gebhardt GermanFrom a Germanic given name composed of the elements
geb "gift" and
hard "hardy", "brave", "strong".
Geidl GermanDerived from a Middle High German nickname
giudel meaning “braggart” or “squanderer.”
Geipelhorst GermanThis rather rare surname is appears to be the combination of "Geipel", which is a variant of "Geibel" originating from a personal name or topographic name formed with Old High German gawi ‘fertile region’, ‘countryside’ (as opposed to a town), and "Horst" which came from of Old High German, meaning "man from the forest", "bosk" or "brushwood"... [
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Geisberger GermanRegional name for someone who lives in a town in Germany called "Geisa".
Geisinger GermanDenoted a person from the town of Geising in Germany, which in turn got it's name from the Geisingberg mountain. The Geisingberg most likely got it's name from the Germanic
geut or the Early New High German
geußen, both meaning "to pour", and the German word
Berg meaning "mountain"... [
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Geist GermanHabitational name for someone who lived in a house marked by the sign of the Holy Spirit (normally depicted as a dove), from Middle High German geist 'spirit'.
Gelin FrenchMost often an alternate form of
Ghislain. Could also be the Old French
gelin (dim. of Latin
gallus), "chicken", which would then refers to a cowardly person or a poultry farmer.
Geller Yiddish, German, RussianThe name may derive from the German word "gellen" (to yell) and mean "one who yells." It may derive from the Yiddish word "gel" (yellow) and mean the "yellow man" or from the Yiddish word "geler," an expression for a redheaded man... [
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Gelsomino ItalianMeans "jasmine" in Italian, possibly also used as a topographic name.
Gemito ItalianFrom a misspelling of
genito "to be born", given to sculptor Vincenzo Gemito upon being abandoned at an orphanage as an infant.
Gemünd GermanRegional name for someone who lives in Gemünden.
Gendron FrenchEither a diminutive of French
gendre meaning "son-in-law" or a habitational name for someone from the town of Gendron in Belgium.
General Germannickname for a mercenary (employed in royal services).
Gennarelli ItalianAncient and illustrious Piedmontese family, originally from Polonghera but residing in Cherasco, which is decorated with the titles of: Counts of Cocconato, Lords of Cocconito and Consignori of Marcorengo.
Genova Italianhabitational name from Genoa (Italian Genova) in Liguria which during the Middle Ages was one of the great seaports of the Mediterranean and a flourishing mercantile and financial center. The origin of the name of the city is uncertain... [
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Gentilis Italian (Latinized)Latinized form of
Gentili. The Italian-born Oxford professor and jurist Alberico Gentili (1552-1608) was known as Albericus Gentilis in Latin.
Gentry FrenchFrom the English word, which is in turn from French
gentrie, referring to that which is "noble," or the "nobility." From earlier
gentillece, which was originally from
gentil, "refinement."
Gerling GermanGerman patronymic from a short form of a Germanic personal name beginning with the element
gar,
ger ‘spear’, ‘lance’.
Germaine FrenchGermaine was first found in Savoy in the Rhône-Alpes region of the French Alps, where the family held a family seat from ancient times.
German English, Norman, German, Jewish, GreekFrom Old French
germain meaning "German". This sometimes denoted an actual immigrant from Germany, but was also used to refer to a person who had trade or other connections with German-speaking lands... [
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Germanotta ItalianPossibly derived from Germano by adding a diminutive suffix. Most common in the Messina area in Sicily. A famous bearer of the surname is singer Lady Gaga (Stefani Germanotta).
Gerosa ItalianDenoted someone from the town of Gerosa in Lombardy, or perhaps a nickname from
geros (modern
ghiaioso) "gravelly".
Gertsch German (Swiss)From a short form of any of the Germanic personal names formed with
gēr meaning ‘spear’, ‘lance’.
Gertz GermanPatronymic from a Germanic personal name meaning "hardy", "brave", "strong."
Gerwig German, FrenchDerived from the Germanic given name
Gerwig, ultimately from the elements
gēr meaning "spear" and
wīg meaning "battle, fight". This surname is also found in France (mainly in the region of Alsace)... [
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Gerwulf GermanThis is an old Germanic name meaning "spear wolf" (ger "spear" and wulf "wolf.")
Gessa ItalianPossibly a variant of
Chessa. Alternately, may be from a Sardinian term for "mulberry".
Gfeller GermanTopographical name for someone who lived by a gorge, Middle High German gevelle, or a habitational name for someone from any of various places in Bavaria and Austria named from this word.
Ghezzi ItalianPatronymic or plural form of a nickname from Old Italian ghezzo ‘dark’
Giacchino ItalianMeaning unknown. A famous bearer of this name is an American music composer films known as Michael Giacchino (1967-).
Giannone ItalianFrom a diminutive meaning "big Gianni" formed by combining the personal name
Gianni with
-one, a suffix used to form augmentatives.
Gieriet RomanshDerived from the given name
Gieri in combination with the diminutive suffix
-et.
Giesinger GermanDenoted a person from the town of Giesing in Germany. Or perhaps a variant spelling of
Geisinger. A famous bearer of this surname is the German singer-songwriter Max Giesinger.
Giglio ItalianFrom the personal name Giglio, from
giglio "lily" (from Latin
lilium), a plant considered to symbolize the qualities of candor and purity.
Giguère French, French (Quebec)Unclear, possibly from Middle French
giguer ("to dance, to frolick") but could also refer to the
gigue, a medieval three-string vielle, which would suggest a musical profession.
Gilgen German, German (Swiss)Derived from Middle High German
gilge "lily", this was a habitational name from the inflected form of a house name meaning "at the lily".
Gilio ItalianTuscany. One variation of the surname Giglio meaning ""lily"". ... [
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Gilli ItalianPatronymic form of the personal name
Gillio, a vernacular derivative of
Aegilius, which itself is a later form of the given name
Aegidius.