VASS HungarianDerived from Hungarian
vas meaning
"iron", referring to a worker in iron, a miner of iron ore or a vendor of iron goods. Alternatively, from the same root word, it may have been a nickname referring to one with a distinctively strong constitution.
VAUGHAN WelshFrom Welsh
bychan meaning
"little". It was a descriptive name to distinguish father from son.
VEGA SpanishFrom Spanish
vega meaning
"meadow, plain", of Basque origin.
VELA SpanishDerived from Spanish
vela meaning
"sail" or the homonym
vela meaning
"watchful".
VENÄLÄINEN FinnishMeans
"Russian" in Finnish. This name was originally used by the ethnic Finns who lived on the Russian side of the border.
VENTIMIGLIA ItalianFrom the name of the historical Italian city Ventimiglia, now near the French border, ultimately from Latin
Albintimilium.
VERHOEVEN DutchMeans
"from the farm" in Dutch, derived from
hoeve "farm", and so indicated a person who lived on a farm.
VERITY EnglishFrom a nickname meaning
"truth", perhaps given originally to a truthful person.
VERNON EnglishLocational name in the Eure region of Normandy, from the Gaulish element
vern "alder (tree)" with the genitive case maker
onis.
VERONA ItalianFrom the name of the city of Verona, one of the most important historical cities of northern Italy. The meaning of the city's name is uncertain.
VERVERS DutchOccupational name derived from Dutch
verver meaning
"dyer, painter".
VESELÝ CzechFrom a nickname meaning
"cheerful" in Czech.
VICARIO Spanish, ItalianMeans
"vicar" in Spanish and Italian, an ecclesiastic title used to denote a representative of a bishop. It is derived from Latin
vicarius meaning "substitute, deputy".
VICO ItalianMeans
"town" in Italian, derived from Latin
vicus.
VILLA Italian, SpanishMeans
"town" in Italian and Spanish, from Latin. It was originally given to a person who came from a town, as opposed to the countryside.
VILLALOBOS SpanishDenoted a person from the town of Villalobos, Spain, which is derived from Spanish
villa "town" and
lobo "wolf".
VILLANUEVA SpanishOriginally denoted someone who came from one of the various Spanish towns by this name, derived from
villa "town" and
nueva "new".
VILLAVERDE SpanishOriginally denoted a person from one of the various Spanish towns by this name, derived from
villa "farm, settlement" and
verde "green".
VINCENT (2) IrishAnglicized form of Irish
Mac Dhuibhinse meaning
"son of Duibhinse", a given name meaning "black island".
VINCI (2) ItalianOriginally indicated a person from Vinci near Florence, the birthplace of Leonardo da Vinci.
VINOGRADOV RussianMeans
"vineyard" in Russian (ultimately from German), referring to a person who worked at a vineyard or lived near one.
VIPOND EnglishFrom
Vieux-Pont, the name of various places in Normandy, derived from French
vieux "old" and
pont "bridge".
VIRGO EnglishPossibly from Latin
virgo "virgin, maiden". It may have been a nickname for an actor who played the Virgin Mary in mystery plays, or for a shy man or a lecher.
VIVAS CatalanFrom the Catalan byname
vivas meaning
"may you live", which was bestowed upon children to bring good luck.
VLASÁK CzechDerived from Czech
vlas "hair", probably referring to a barber or a person who bought and sold hair.
VLAŠIČ SlovenePatronymic from the nickname
Vlah meaning
"Romanian".
VLČEK CzechDiminutive form of Czech
vlk meaning
"wolf".
VOGEL German, DutchFrom Old High German and Old Dutch
fogal meaning
"bird". It was originally an occupational name for a bird catcher, or a nickname for a person who liked to sing.
VOGT GermanOccupational name from Middle High German
voget meaning
"bailiff, lawyer", ultimately from Latin
advocatus.
VOLK GermanDerived from given names beginning with the Germanic element
fulc meaning "people".
VOLL (1) NorwegianOriginally indicated a person who lived in a meadow, from Old Norse
vǫllr "meadow, field".
VOLTOLINI ItalianFrom the name of the alpine valley of Valtellina in Lombardy, northern Italy.
VON BRANDT GermanMeans
"from the area cleared by fire", from Middle High German
brant.
VON ESSEN GermanMeans
"from Essen", a city in Germany, possibly a derivative of Old High German
asc meaning "ash tree".
VON GRIMMELSHAUSEN GermanMeans
"from Grimmelshausen", a town in Germany. It is itself derived from
Grimmel, of uncertain meaning, and
hausen meaning "houses". A famous bearer was the German author Hans Jakob Christoffel von Grimmelshausen (1621-1676).
VONNEGUT GermanPossibly from the Germanic
vonn meaning "hunting track" and
gut meaning "good". A famous bearer was the American author Kurt Vonnegut (1922-2007).
VÖRÖS HungarianMeans
"red" in Hungarian, referring to a person with red hair or face.
VOSS GermanFrom Middle Low German
vos meaning
"fox". It was originally a nickname for a clever person or a person with red hair.
VOSSEN DutchFrom the given name
Vos, which comes from the Frisian name
Fos, which is from Old Germanic given names beginning with the element
folk meaning "people".
VROOM Dutch, FlemishFrom a nickname derived from Dutch
vroom meaning
"pious, devout".
VRUBEL CzechFrom a nickname derived from Czech
vrabec meaning
"sparrow".
WADE (1) EnglishDerived from the Old English place name
wæd meaning
"a ford".
WADE (2) EnglishFrom the Old English given name
Wada, a derivative of the word
wadan "to go".
WAGNER GermanFrom Middle High German
wagener meaning
"wagon maker, cartwright". This name was borne by the German composer Richard Wagner (1813-1883).
WAKEFIELD EnglishOriginally indicated a person who came from the English city of Wakefield, derived from Old English
wacu "wake, vigil" and
feld "field".
WALDVOGEL JewishOrnamental name derived from German
Wald meaning "forest" and
Vogel meaning "bird".
WALKENHORST GermanPossibly derived from a German place name
Falkenhorst, from
Falken meaning "falcons" and
Horst meaning "thicket".
WALKER EnglishOccupational name for a person who walked on damp raw cloth in order to thicken it. It is derived from Middle English
walkere, Old English
wealcan meaning "to move".
WALLACE Scottish, English, IrishMeans
"foreigner, stranger, Celt" from Norman French
waleis (of Germanic origin). It was often used to denote native Welsh and Bretons. A famous bearer was the 13th-century Sir William Wallace of Scotland.
WALLACH YiddishFrom Middle High German
walch meaning
"foreigner (from a Romance country)".
WALLER (1) EnglishDerived from Old French
gallier meaning
"person with a pleasant temper".
WALLER (2) EnglishDerived from Old English
weall meaning
"wall", denoting a builder of walls or someone who lived near a prominent wall.
WALTON EnglishFrom the name of any of several villages in England, derived from Old English
wealh "foreigner, Celt",
weald "forest",
weall "wall", or
well "well, spring, water hole" combined with
tun "enclosure".
WANG (1) ChineseFrom Chinese
王 (wáng) meaning
"king, monarch". This is the most common surname in China (and the world).
WANG (2) German, DutchFrom Middle High German and Middle Dutch
wange meaning
"cheek", possibly a nickname for someone with round or rosy cheeks.
WARD (2) IrishAnglicized form of Irish
Mac an Bhaird, which means
"son of the bard".
WARDROBE EnglishFrom Old French
warder "to guard" and
robe "garment", an occupational name for a servant responsible for the clothing in a household.
WARE (1) EnglishFrom Old English
wer meaning
"dam, weir", indicating someone who lived near such a structure.
WARE (2) EnglishFrom the Middle English nickname
ware meaning
"wary, astute, prudent".
WARREN (1) EnglishDenoted a person who lived near a warren, from Norman French
warrene meaning
"animal enclosure" (of Germanic origin).
WARREN (2) EnglishOriginally denoted a person from the town of La Varenne in Normandy, which may derive from a Gaulish word meaning "sandy soil".
WARWICK EnglishFrom the name of an English town, itself derived from Old English
wer "weir, dam" and
wíc "village, town".
WASHINGTON EnglishFrom a place name meaning "settlement belonging to Wassa's people", from the given name
WASSA and Old English
tun meaning "enclosure, yard, town". A famous bearer was George Washington (1732-1799), the first president of the United States.
WATERMAN (2) English, DutchOccupational name for a boatman or a water carrier. It could also describe a person who lived by water.
WATKINS EnglishDerived from the Middle English given name
Wat or
Watt, which was a diminutive of the name
WALTER.
WATT EnglishDerived from the Middle English given name
Wat or
Watt, a diminutive of the name
WALTER.
WATTS EnglishPatronymic derived from the Middle English given name
Wat or
Watt, a diminutive of the name
WALTER.
WAXWEILER GermanDenoted a person from Waxweiler, a village in the Eifel region of Germany.
WAY EnglishFrom Old English
weg meaning
"way, road, path".
WAYNE EnglishOccupational name meaning
"wagon maker, cartwright", derived from Old English
wægn "wagon". A famous bearer was the American actor John Wayne (1907-1979).
WEAVER (1) EnglishOccupational name for a weaver, derived from Old English
wefan "to weave".
WEAVER (2) EnglishFrom the name of the River Weaver, derived from Old English
wefer meaning "winding stream".
WEBB EnglishOccupational name meaning
"weaver", from Old English
webba, a derivative of
wefan "to weave".
WEBSTER EnglishOccupational name meaning
"weaver", from Old English
webba, a derivative of
wefan "to weave".
WEIMANN GermanFrom German
Wein meaning
"wine", an occupational name for a wine seller or producer.
WEISS GermanFrom Middle High German
wiz meaning
"white". This was originally a nickname for a person with white hair or skin.
WELLS EnglishDerived from Middle English
welle meaning
"well, spring, water hole".
WEMBLEY EnglishFrom the name of a town, now part of Greater London, meaning "
WEMBA's clearing" in Old English.
WEN ChineseFrom Chinese
文 (wén) meaning
"literature, culture, writing".
WEST English, GermanDenoted a person who lived to the west of something, or who came from the west.
WESTCOTT EnglishFrom any of the several English towns by this name, derived from Old English meaning "west cottage".
WESTENBERG DutchMeans
"west of the mountain", originally referring to a person who lived there.
WESTLEY EnglishFrom the name of various English towns, derived from Old English
west "west" and
leah "woodland, clearing".
WHEELER EnglishOccupational name for a maker of wagon wheels, derived from Middle English
whele "wheel".
WHEELOCK EnglishOriginally indicated a person from the town of Wheelock, England. It was named for the nearby River Wheelock, which is derived from Welsh
chwylog meaning "winding".
WHINERY EnglishFrom Middle English
whin "gorse bush" and
wray "nook of land".
WHITE EnglishOriginally a nickname for a person who had white hair or a pale complexion, from Old English
hwit "white".
WHITNEY EnglishOriginally from the name of an English town, meaning "white island" in Old English.
WIATER PolishDerived from Polish
wiatr "wind", a nickname for a quick person.
WICKHAM EnglishFrom any of various towns by this name in England, notably in Hampshire. They are derived from Old English
wíc "village, town" (of Latin origin) and
ham "home, settlement".
WIECK GermanMeans
"village, town", derived from Latin
vicus.
WILBUR EnglishFrom the nickname
Wildbor meaning "wild boar" in Middle English.
WILDGRUBE GermanFrom the name of a German town, derived from German
wild "wild, untamed" and
Grube "hollow, pit".
WILLIS EnglishDerived from the given name
WILLIAM. A famous bearer of this surname is actor Bruce Willis (1955-).
WILLOUGHBY EnglishFrom the name of various English towns, derived from Old English
wilig meaning "willow" and Old Norse
býr "farm, settlement".
WINCHESTER EnglishFrom an English place name, derived from
Venta, of Celtic origin, and Latin
castrum meaning "camp, fortress".
WINFIELD EnglishFrom various English place names, derived from Old English
winn "meadow, pasture" and
feld "field".
WINKLER GermanDerived from Old High German
winkil meaning
"corner".
WINSHIP EnglishPossibly denoted a person who came from Wincheap Street in Canterbury, England. It is uncertain origin, possibly meaning "wine market" in Old English.
WINTER English, German, SwedishFrom Old English
winter or Old High German
wintar meaning
"winter". This was a nickname for a person with a cold personality.
WINTERBOTTOM EnglishFrom Old English
winter meaning "winter" and
botm meaning "ground, soil, bottom". This name probably referred to a winter pasture at the bottom of a lowland valley.
WINTON EnglishDerived from the name of several English villages. Their names derive from Old English meaning "enclosure belonging to
WINE".
WIRTH German, JewishOccupational name for an innkeeper, derived from German
wirt meaning
"host".
WITHERSPOON EnglishOriginally given to a person who dwelt near a sheep enclosure, from Middle English
wether "sheep" and
spong "strip of land".
WOJEWODA PolishFrom the Polish title
wojewoda meaning
"governor, voivode" (originally meaning "warlord").
WOLANSKI PolishDenoted a person who came from one of the places in Poland called Wola or Wolany, derived from the given name
Wolan meaning "to want".
WOLF German, EnglishFrom Middle High German or Middle English
wolf meaning
"wolf", or else from a Germanic given name beginning with this element.
WOMACK EnglishOf uncertain origin. One theory suggests that it indicated a dweller by a hollow oak tree, derived from Old English
womb "hollow" and
ac "oak".
WOOD English, ScottishOriginally denoted one who lived in or worked in a forest, derived from Old English
wudu "wood".
WOODHAM EnglishIndicated a person who had a home near a wood, derived from Old English
wudu "wood" and
ham "home, settlement".
WOODROW EnglishFrom a place name meaning
"row of houses by a wood" in Old English.
WOODWARD EnglishOccupational name for a forester, meaning
"ward of the wood" in Old English.
WORTHAM EnglishDerived from the name of a town in Suffolk, England meaning
"enclosed homestead".
WRAY EnglishOriginally denoted someone who came from any of the various places of this name in northern England, from Old Norse
vrá meaning
"corner, nook".
WRIGHT (1) EnglishFrom Old English
wyrhta meaning
"wright, maker", an occupational name for someone who was a craftsman. Famous bearers were Orville and Wilbur Wright, the inventors of the first successful airplane.