Sinister Surnames
What is the most sinister surname you can think of?

This message was edited 11/17/2005, 2:37 PM

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Malatesta sounds sinister to meLike it meant "evil head".There is a Swedish surname Svinhufvud, which literally means "Swine head". Maybe they were thinking of the wild boar, so the name siginifies courage and strength. Svinhufvud is an aristocratic name, just like Leijonhufvud (Lion head)."You sought a flower and found a fruit. You sought a spring and found a sea. You sought a woman and found a soul. You are disappointed."
"It does not become me to make myself smaller than I am." (Edith Södergran 1891-1923)
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In Dutch there are surnames like Naaktgeboren, meaning "born naked" and Rotensen, which originally was Rotmensen meaning "nasty people".
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the surname Malatesta is not so "awful" as you imagine.It just means a "nasty or stubborn person" or perhaps a false or a wicked person.
However the Malatesta have been the most powerful family and the "Lords" of the Romagna region in Northern Italy (the area of RIMINI), now one of the most important sea resorts of the Adriatic Coast. So this surname is quite popular in Italy.
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Death is an English surname apparently, though I've only encountered it in the fancy form De'Ath, which I take to be an attempt to make the name less sinister.
There's also a surname Deadman, which is a corrupt form of the place-name Debenham.
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