All Surnames

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

Wu 3 Chinese (Cantonese)
Cantonese romanization of Hu.

Wuopio Swedish
Meaning uncertain, possibly referred to a dweller in a narrow bay with steep shores.

Wyatt English
From the medieval given name Wyot.

Wyman English
From the Old English given name Wigmund.

Wyndham English
From the name of the town of Wymondham, meaning "home belonging to Wigmund", from the given name Wigmund combined with Old English ham meaning "home, settlement".

Wynne English
Derived from the given name Wine.

Wyrick Polish (Anglicized)
Americanized form of Wyrzyk.

Wyrzyk Polish
Variant of Wyrzykowski.

Wyrzykowska f Polish
Feminine form of Wyrzykowski.

Wyrzykowski m Polish
Possibly from the Polish place name Wyrzyki, of uncertain meaning, maybe "away from the river".

Xanthopoulos m Greek
Means "son of Xanthos".

Xanthopoulou f Greek
Feminine form of Xanthopoulos.

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".

Xylander German
From Greek ξύλον (xylon) meaning "wood, timber" and ἀνδρός (andros) meaning "man". This surname was a Greek translation of German surnames of the same meaning.

Yakovlev m Russian
Means "son of Yakov".

Yakovleva f Russian
Feminine form of Yakovlev.

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".

Yancy Dutch (Anglicized)
Americanized form of Jansen.

Yanev m Bulgarian
Means "son of Yane", a diminutive of Yoan 2.

Yaneva f Bulgarian
Feminine form of Yanev.

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

Yankov m Bulgarian
Means "son of Yanko".

Yankova f Bulgarian
Feminine form of Yankov.

Yap English
From a nickname for a clever or cunning person, from Middle English yap meaning "devious, deceitful, shrewd".

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

Yates English
From Old English geat meaning "gate", a name for a gatekeeper or someone who lived near a gate.

Ybarra Spanish, Basque
Variant of Ibarra.

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

Yegorov m Russian
Means "son of Yegor".

Yegorova f Russian
Feminine form of Yegorov.

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".

Yo'ldoshev m Uzbek
Means "son of Yo'ldosh".

Yo'ldosheva f Uzbek
Feminine form of Yo'ldoshev.

Yong English
Variant of Young.

Yonker Dutch (Anglicized)
Americanized form of Jonker.

Yonkers Dutch (Anglicized)
Americanized spelling of Jonkers.

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

Yordanov m Bulgarian
Means "son of Yordan".

Yordanova f Bulgarian
Feminine form of Yordanov.

York English
From the name of the English city of York, which was originally called Eburacon (Latinized as Eboracum), meaning "yew" in Brythonic. In the Anglo-Saxon period it was corrupted to Eoforwic, based on Old English eofor "boar" and wic "village". This was rendered as Jórvík by the Vikings and eventually reduced to York.

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".

Yosipov m Tatar
Means "son of Yosif".

Yosipova f Tatar
Feminine form of Yosipov.

Young English
Derived from Old English geong meaning "young". This was a descriptive name to distinguish father from son.

Younge English
Variant of Young.

Yount German (Anglicized)
Americanized form of Jundt.

Yoxall English
Originally indicated a person from the town of Yoxall in Staffordshire, itself derived from Old English geoc "oxen yoke" and halh "nook, recess".

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".

Yusupov m Uzbek, Tajik, Tatar (Russified)
Means "son of Yusuf". This is the name of a Russian noble family, of Tatar origin (Йосыпов in Tatar).

Yusupova f Uzbek, Tajik, Tatar (Russified)
Feminine form of Yusupov.

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

Zaal Dutch
Means "hall" in Dutch.

Zabala Basque
Originally denoted someone who lived in a place of this name in Biscay. It is derived from Basque zabal meaning "large, wide".

Ząbek Polish
From Polish zab "tooth" and a diminutive suffix.

Zahariev m Bulgarian
Means "son of Zahari".

Zaharieva f Bulgarian
Feminine form of Zahariev.

Zahradník m Czech
Derived from Czech zahrada meaning "garden". It referred to someone who owned less land than a Sedlák or a Dvořák, but more land than a Chalupník.

Zahradníková f Czech
Feminine form of Zahradník.

Zając Polish
Means "hare" in Polish.

Zakharov m Russian
Means "son of Zakhar".

Zakharova f Russian
Feminine form of Zakharov.

Zaman Arabic, Urdu
Derived from the given name Zaman.

Zambrano Spanish
Possibly a habitational name for someone from Zambrana, a town in the province of Álava in Spain.

Zamorano Spanish
Originally denoted a person from Zamora, the name of both a province in Spain and its capital city.

Zanetti Italian
Derived from a diminutive of the given name Giovanni. A famous bearer is Argentinian soccer player Javier Zanetti (1973-).

Zangari Italian
Southern Italian name, derived from Greek τσαγκάρης (tsankaris) meaning "shoemaker, cobbler".

Zapatero Spanish
Spanish cognate of Savatier.

Zappa Italian
From Italian zappa meaning "hoe, mattock", probably denoting a farmer. Two musicians of Italian origin have bore this name: Francesco Zappa (1717-1803) and Frank Zappa (1940-1993).

Zariņa f Latvian
Feminine form of Zariņš.

Zariņš m Latvian
Derived from Latvian zars meaning "branch".

Zavala Spanish
Variant of Zabala.

Zawisza Polish
Derived from the Old Polish given name Zawisza.

Zaytsev m Russian
Derived from Russian заяц (zayats) meaning "hare".

Zaytseva f Russian
Feminine form of Zaytsev.

Żbikowska f Polish
Feminine form of Żbikowski.

Żbikowski m Polish
From Polish towns named Żbikowice or Żbików, which are derived from żbik meaning "wildcat".

Zdravkov m Bulgarian, Macedonian
Means "son of Zdravko".

Zdravkova f Bulgarian, Macedonian
Feminine form of Zdravkov.

Zdunowska f Polish
Feminine form of Zdunowski.

Zdunowski m Polish
Denoted a person from one of the various towns named Zduny in Poland, which is derived from Polish zdun meaning "potter". It can also be an occupational surname derived directly from zdun.

Zeegers Dutch
Means "son of Sieger".

Zeelen Dutch
Derived from the given name Ceel.

Zegers Dutch
Means "son of Sieger".

Zelenka m Czech
Czech cognate of Zieliński.

Zelenko Ukrainian
Ukrainian cognate of Zieliński.

Zelenková f Czech
Feminine form of Zelenka.

Zellweger German (Swiss)
Originally denoted a person from the Appenzell region of Switzerland. The place name is derived from Latin abbatis cella meaning "estate of the abbot". A famous bearer is actress Renée Zellweger (1969-).

Zeman m Czech, Slovak
Means "landowner", ultimately from Old Slavic zemľa meaning "land".

Zemanová f Czech, Slovak
Feminine form of Zeman.

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.

Zeni Italian
Means "son of Zeno".

Zentai Hungarian
Originally indicated a person from the city of Senta in Serbia (formerly a part of Hungary and called Zenta).

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.

Zhivkov m Bulgarian
Means "son of Zhivko".

Zhivkova f Bulgarian
Feminine form of Zhivkov.

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.

Zhuk Belarusian
Means "beetle" in Belarusian.

Zhukov m Russian
Derived from Russian жук (zhuk) meaning "beetle".

Zhukova f Russian
Feminine form of Zhukov.

Ziegler German
Means "bricklayer" or "brickmaker" in German, from Middle High German ziegel "brick, tile".

Zielińska f Polish
Feminine form of Zieliński.

Zieliński m Polish
From Polish zieleń meaning "green". It was possibly a nickname for a person who dressed in green clothing.

Ziemniak Polish
Means "potato" in Polish.

Zientek Polish (Anglicized)
Anglicized form of Ziętek.

Ziętek Polish
Possibly from a diminutive of Polish zięć meaning "son-in-law".

Zilberschlag Jewish
Occupational name for a silversmith from Yiddish zilber "silver" and schlag "strike".

Zilberstein Jewish
Ornamental name meaning "silver stone", from Yiddish זילבער (zilber) and שטיין (tein), both of Old High German origin.

Žilinskaitė f Lithuanian
Feminine form of Žilinskas. This form is used by unmarried women.

Žilinskas m Lithuanian
Lithuanian form of Zieliński.

Žilinskienė f Lithuanian
Feminine form of Žilinskas. This form is used by married women.

Zima mu Czech, Slovak, Polish, Russian
From an Old Slavic word meaning "winter". This may have been a nickname for a person with a chilly personality.

Zimman Jewish
Possibly a variant of Zimmermann.

Zimmerman German
Variant of Zimmermann.

Zimmermann German, Jewish
From the German word for "carpenter", derived from Middle High German zimber "timber, wood" and mann "man".

Zimová f Czech, Slovak
Feminine form of Zima.

Zingel Jewish
From Middle High German zingel "defensive wall". This name was originally applied to a person who lived near the outermost wall of a castle.

Zini Italian
Derived from names such as Lorenzino, a diminutive of Lorenzo, or Vincenzino, a diminutive of Vincenzo.

Zino Italian
Derived from the given name Zino, a short form of names ending with -zino, such as Lorenzino, a diminutive of Lorenzo, or Vincenzino, a diminutive of Vincenzo.

Ziskind Jewish
Ornamental name, or from a given name, meaning "sweet child", derived from Yiddish זיס (zis) meaning "sweet" and קינד (kind) meaning "child", both words of Old High German origin.

Žitnik Slovene
From the Slavic root žito meaning "rye, grain". This was an occupational name for a dealer in rye or a baker.

Živković Serbian, Croatian
Means "son of Živko".

Zlatkov m Bulgarian, Macedonian
Means "son of Zlatko".

Zlatkova f Bulgarian, Macedonian
Feminine form of Zlatkov.

Zoltánfi Hungarian
Means "son of Zoltán".

Zorić Serbian, Croatian
Means "son of Zora".

Zsoldos Hungarian
Means "mercenary" in Hungarian.

Zubizarreta Basque
Means "old bridge", from Basque zubia "bridge" and zahar "old". A famous bearer is the Spanish soccer player Andoni Zubizarreta (1961-).

Zuiderduin Dutch
Means "southern dune" in Dutch.

Žukauskaitė f Lithuanian
Feminine form of Žukauskas. This form is used by unmarried women.

Žukauskas m Lithuanian
Lithuanian form of Żukowski.

Žukauskienė f Lithuanian
Feminine form of Žukauskas. This form is used by married women.

Żukowska f Polish
Feminine form of Żukowski.

Żukowski Polish
From various Polish towns named Żukowo or Żuków, which are derived from żuk meaning "beetle".

Zuñiga Basque
From the name of a Spanish town, formerly named Estuniga in Basque, possibly derived from Basque istuin "channel, strait".

Zunino Italian
Derived from the given name Giovanni.

Župan Croatian
Croatian cognate of Zupan.

Zupan Slovene
From Old Slavic županŭ meaning "head of the district, community leader", a derivative of župa meaning "district, region".

Zupančič Slovene
Patronymic form of Zupan.

Żuraw Polish
Means "crane" in Polish, a nickname for a tall person.

Zvirbule f Latvian
Feminine form of Zvirbulis.

Zvirbulis m Latvian
Means "sparrow" in Latvian.

Zyma Ukrainian
Ukrainian form of Zima.