Abascal SpanishMeans
"priest's street" from Basque
abas "priest" and
kale "street".
Akai JapaneseFrom Japanese
赤 (aka) meaning "red" and
井 (i) meaning "well, mine shaft, pit".
Althaus GermanName for a person dwelled in or by an old house, from German
alt "old" and
haus "house".
Appelhof DutchIndicated a person who lived by or at an apple garden, from Dutch
appel "apple" and
hof "yard, court".
Atteberry EnglishMeans
"dweller at the fortified town" from Middle English
at and
burh "fortified place".
Barnes EnglishDenoted a person who worked or lived in a barn. The word
barn is derived from Old English
bere "barley" and
ærn "dwelling".
Barton EnglishFrom a place name meaning "barley town" in Old English.
Beethoven Dutch (Archaic)From a place name derived from Dutch
beet "beet, beetroot" and
hoven "farms". This name was borne by the German composer Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827), whose family was of Flemish origin. The surname is now mostly extinct.
Bengoetxea BasqueMeans
"the house furthest down" from Basque
bengo "furthest down" and
etxe "house".
Berry EnglishDerived from a place name, which was derived from Old English
burh "fortification".
Beyersdorf GermanMeans
"farmers village", from German
Bauer meaning "farmer" and
Dorf meaning "village".
Bolton EnglishFrom any of the many places in England called Bolton, derived from Old English
bold "house" and
tun "enclosure".
Booth EnglishTopographic name derived from Middle English
both meaning
"hut, stall".
Borg SwedishFrom Swedish
borg meaning
"fortification, castle".
Bridges EnglishOriginally denoted a person who lived near a bridge, or who worked as a bridgekeeper, derived from Middle English
brigge, Old English
brycg.
Brigham EnglishOriginally referred to one who came from a town called Brigham, meaning "homestead by the bridge" in Old English. This is the name of towns in Cumberland and Yorkshire.
Budny PolishPossibly from Polish
buda meaning
"hut, cabin".
Burgstaller GermanFrom German
Burg "fortress, castle" and
Stelle "place, position". This was a name given to a person dwelling at or near such a site.
Burke English, IrishDerived from Middle English
burgh meaning
"fortress, fortification, castle". It was brought to Ireland in the 12th century by the Norman invader William de Burgh.
Burrows EnglishTopographic name derived from Old English
beorg meaning
"hill, mountain" or
burg meaning
"fort". Alternatively, it could come from a compound of
bur "room, cottage, dwelling" and
hus "house".
Caldwell EnglishFrom various English place names derived from Old English
ceald "cold" and
wille "spring, stream, well".
Casal SpanishFrom the Spanish word
casal meaning
"farmhouse, country house", ultimately from Late Late
casalis, from Latin
casa.
Casas SpanishFrom Spanish
casa meaning
"house", of Latin origin.
Castle EnglishFrom Middle English
castel meaning
"castle", from Late Latin
castellum, originally indicating a person who lived near a castle.
Castro Spanish, PortugueseMeans
"castle" in Spanish and Portuguese, referring to one who lived near a castle. A famous bearer was Fidel Castro (1926-2016), revolutionary and president of Cuba.
Chalupník m CzechDerived from Czech
chalupa meaning
"cottage". The name referred to a peasant farmer who owned a very small piece of land.
Chambers EnglishFrom Old French
chambre meaning
"chamber, room", an occupational name for a person who worked in the inner rooms of a mansion.
Church EnglishFrom the English word, derived from Old English
cirice, ultimately from Greek
κυριακόν (kyriakon) meaning "(house) of the lord". It probably referred to a person who lived close to a church.
Churchill EnglishFrom an English place name meaning
"church hill". A famous bearer was Winston Churchill (1874-1965), the British prime minister during World War II.
Clayton EnglishFrom the name of various places meaning "clay settlement" in Old English.
Clifton EnglishDerived from various place names meaning "settlement by a cliff" in Old English.
Close EnglishFrom Middle English
clos meaning
"enclosure", a topographic name for someone who lived near a courtyard or farmyard.
Dalgaard DanishFrom Old Norse
dalr meaning "valley" and
garðr meaning "yard, farmstead".
Dalton EnglishDerived from a place name meaning "valley town" in Old English. A notable bearer of the surname was the English chemist and physicist John Dalton (1766-1844).
Dam Dutch, DanishMeans
"dike, dam" in Dutch and Danish. In modern Danish it also means "pond".
Dufort FrenchMeans
"from the fort", from French
fort "stronghold".
Dupont FrenchMeans
"from the bridge", from French
pont "bridge".
Dupuis FrenchMeans
"from the well", from Old French
puts, Latin
puteus "well".
Dupuy FrenchMeans
"from the hill", from Occitan
puy "hill", from Latin
podium "platform".
Dvořák m CzechOccupational name derived from Czech
dvůr "manor", indicating a person who worked at such a place. This name was borne by the Czech composer Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904).
Dwerryhouse EnglishIndicated a person who worked or lived at a dyehouse, which is a place where dyeing was done.
Easton EnglishFrom the name of various places meaning "east town" in Old English.
Eccleston EnglishDenoted a person from any of the various places named Eccleston in England, derived from Latin
ecclesia "church" (via Briton) and Old English
tun "enclosure, yard, town".
Endicott EnglishTopographic name derived from Old English meaning
"from the end cottage".
Fairburn EnglishFrom a place name meaning
"fern stream", from Old English
fearn "fern" and
burna "stream".
Fonseca Spanish, PortugueseOriginally belonged to a person who lived near a dry spring, from Latin
fons "well, spring" and
siccus "dry".
Fontaine FrenchDerived from Old French
fontane meaning
"well, fountain", a derivative of Latin
fons.
Fortier FrenchDerived from Old French
fort "stronghold", indicating a person who lived near or worked at such a place.
Fuentes SpanishMeans
"spring, well" in Spanish, derived from Latin
fons.
Garner 1 EnglishFrom Old French
gernier meaning
"granary", a derivative of Latin
granum meaning "grain". This name could refer to a person who worked at a granary or lived near one.
Gates EnglishOriginally denoted a person who lived near the town gates.
Hambleton EnglishFrom various English place names, derived from Old English
hamel "crooked, mutilated" and
tun "enclosure, yard, town".
Hampton EnglishFrom the name of multiple towns in England, derived from Old English
ham "home" or
ham "water meadow, enclosure" and
tun "enclosure, yard, town".
Hathaway EnglishHabitational name for someone who lived near a path across a heath, from Old English
hæþ "heath" and
weg "way".
Häusler GermanName for someone who lived in a house with no land, derived rom Old High German word
hus meaning
"house".
Hawthorne EnglishDenoted a person who lived near a hawthorn bush, a word derived from Old English
hagaþorn, from
haga meaning "enclosure, yard" and
þorn meaning "thorn bush". A famous bearer was the American writer Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864), author of
The Scarlet Letter.
Hayes 1 EnglishFrom various English place names that were derived from Old English
hæg meaning
"enclosure, fence". A famous bearer was American President Rutherford B. Hayes (1822-1893).
Hayward EnglishOccupational name for a person who protected an enclosed forest, from Old English
hæg "enclosure, fence" and
weard "guard".
Haywood EnglishFrom various place names meaning "fenced wood" in Old English.
Hilton EnglishFrom various English place names derived from Old English
hyll "hill" and
tun "enclosure, town". Famous bearers of this name include the Hilton family of hotel heirs.
Hofer GermanOccupational name for a farmer, from German
Hof "farm", from Old High German
hof "yard, court".
Hofmeister GermanMeans
"master of the household", from Old High German
hof "yard, court, house" and
meistar "master" (from Latin
magister).
Holloway EnglishFrom the name of various English places, derived from Old English
hol "hollow, sunken, deep" and
weg "path, way".
Horton EnglishFrom the names of various places in England, which are derived from Old English
horh "dirt, mud" and
tun "enclosure, yard, town".
House EnglishReferred to a person who lived or worked in a house, as opposed to a smaller hut.
Iglesias SpanishFrom Spanish
iglesia meaning
"church", from Latin
ecclesia (of Greek origin).
Imai JapaneseFrom Japanese
今 (ima) meaning "now, present" and
井 (i) meaning "well, mine shaft, pit".
Inoue JapaneseMeans
"above the well", from Japanese
井 (i) meaning "well, mine shaft, pit", an unwritten possessive marker
の (no), and
上 (ue) meaning "above, top, upper".
Iturburua BasqueMeans
"by the fountain" in Basque, from
iturri "fountain, spring".
Iwai JapaneseFrom Japanese
岩 (iwa) meaning "cliff, rocks" and
井 (i) meaning "well, mine shaft, pit".
Kappel German, DutchName for a person who lived near or worked at a chapel, ultimately from Late Latin
cappella, a diminutive of
cappa "cape", arising from the holy relic of the torn cape of Saint
Martin, which was kept in small churches.
Kay 2 EnglishDerived from Old French
kay meaning
"wharf, quay", indicating one who lived near or worked on a wharf.
Kirby EnglishFrom numerous towns in northern England named Kirby or Kirkby, derived from Old Norse
kirkja "church" and
býr "farm, settlement".
Kirk EnglishFrom northern Middle English
kirk meaning
"church", from Old Norse
kirkja (cognate of
Church). A famous fictional bearer is the starship captain James Kirk from the
Star Trek television series (1966-1969), and subsequent films.
Koizumi JapaneseFrom Japanese
小 (ko) meaning "small" and
泉 (izumi) meaning "spring, fountain". A notable bearer of this name is Junichiro Koizumi (1942-), who was Prime Minister of Japan.
Krämer GermanMeans
"shopkeeper, merchant" in German, derived from Old High German
kram meaning "tent, trading post".
Krüger 1 GermanIn northern Germany an occupational name for a tavern keeper, derived from Middle Low German
kroch meaning
"tavern".
Kurata JapaneseFrom Japanese
倉 (kura) or
蔵 (kura) both meaning "granary, storehouse" and
田 (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".
Lachapelle FrenchMeans
"the chapel" in French, most likely used to denote a person who lived by a church or a chapel.
Laporte FrenchMeans
"the door, the gateway" in French, from Latin
porta. This was a name for someone who lived near the town gates or who operated them.
Lavoie FrenchMeans
"the road, the lane" in French, a name for someone who lived close to a road.
Linna FinnishMeans
"castle" in Finnish. A famous namesake is Väinö Linna (1920-1992), Finnish author of
The Unknown Soldier.
Maurer GermanOccupational name meaning
"wall builder" in German.
Melnyk UkrainianMeans
"miller" in Ukrainian. This is the most common Ukrainian surname.
Melsbach GermanFrom the name of a German town, possibly meaning "mill stream".
Mercado SpanishMeans
"market" in Spanish, originally given to a person who lived near a market or worked in one.
Middleton EnglishOriginally denoted a person who lived in one of the numerous English towns by this name, derived from Old English
middel "middle" and
tun "enclosure, yard, town".
Milburn EnglishDerived from various place names meaning "mill stream" in Old English.
Milford EnglishOriginally derived from various place names all meaning "ford by a mill" in Old English.
Miller EnglishOccupational surname meaning
"miller", referring to a person who owned or worked in a grain mill, derived from Middle English
mille "mill".
Millhouse EnglishName for someone whose house was in a mill or who worked in a mill.
Mills EnglishOriginally given to one who lived near a mill or who worked in a mill, from Middle English
mille.
Milne ScottishFrom Scots and Middle English
milne (a variant of
mille) meaning
"mill".
Milton EnglishDerived from an English place name meaning "mill town" in Old English. A famous bearer was John Milton (1608-1674), the poet who wrote "Paradise Lost".
Miyamoto JapaneseFrom Japanese
宮 (miya) meaning "temple, shrine, palace" and
本 (moto) meaning "base, root, origin". A notable bearer is video game pioneer Shigeru Miyamoto (1952-).
Miyata JapaneseFrom Japanese
宮 (miya) meaning "temple, shrine, palace" and
田 (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".
Moloney IrishFrom Irish
Ó Maol Dhomhnaigh meaning
"descendant of a church servant".
Müller GermanGerman equivalent of
Miller, derived from Middle High German
mülnære or
müller.
Muraro ItalianOccupational name for a wall builder, from Italian
murare meaning
"to wall up".
Nakai JapaneseFrom Japanese
中 (naka) meaning "middle" and
井 (i) meaning "well, mine shaft, pit".
Namgung KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
南 (nam) meaning "south" combined with
宮 (gung) meaning "palace, house". This is the most common Korean compound surname.
Newton EnglishFrom the name of one of many English towns meaning "new town". A famous bearer was the English physicist Isaac Newton (1643-1727).
Norton EnglishFrom the name of various towns in England meaning "north town" in Old English.
Ola BasqueFrom Basque
ola meaning
"hut, small house, forge".
Ōshiro JapaneseFrom Japanese
大 (ō) meaning "big, great" and
城 (shiro) meaning "castle". It is especially common on Okinawa.
Østergård DanishFrom Danish
øst meaning "east" and
gård meaning "enclosure, farm".
Paisley ScottishFrom the name of a town near Glasgow, which may ultimately be derived from Latin
basilica "church".
Palazzo ItalianMeans
"palace" in Italian, from Latin
palatium. It was originally used by someone who lived near a palace or mansion, or who worked there.
Paredes Portuguese, SpanishDenoted a person who lived near a wall, from Portuguese
parede and Spanish
pared meaning
"wall", both derived from Latin
paries.
Penn 2 EnglishOccupational name for a person who kept penned animals, from Old English
penn.
Pound EnglishOccupational name for a person who kept animals, from Old English
pund "animal enclosure".
Pozzi ItalianFrom Italian
pozzo meaning
"well, pit", derived from Latin
puteus.
Prescott EnglishFrom the name of various English places meaning
"priest's cottage" in Old English.
Preston EnglishOriginally derived from various place names meaning
"priest town" in Old English.
Puerta SpanishMeans
"door, gate", a topographic name for a person who lived near the gates of the town.
Putin m RussianFrom Russian
путь (put) meaning
"road, path". This surname is borne by the Russian president Vladimir Putin (1952-).
Schofield EnglishFrom various northern English place names, which were derived from Old Norse
skáli "hut" and Old English
feld "field".
School DutchFrom Dutch
school, ultimately from Latin
schola meaning
"school", indicating a person who worked at or lived near a school.
Sitz 2 GermanMeans
"house owner", derived from Old High German
siz "seat, domicile".
Skovgaard DanishFrom a place name, derived from Danish
skov "forest, wood" and
gård "farm, yard".
Southgate EnglishName for a person who lived near the southern gate of a town or in a town named Southgate, from Old English
suþ and
gæt.
Spijker 1 DutchDenoted a dweller by or worker at a granary, from Dutch
spijker "granary".
Stanton EnglishFrom one of the many places named Stanton or Staunton in England, derived from Old English
stan meaning "stone" and
tun meaning "enclosure, town".
Street EnglishHabitational name for a person who lived in a place called Street, for example in Somerset. It is derived from Old English
stræt meaning
"Roman road", from Latin
strata.
Stuber GermanOccupational name for the owner of an inn, derived from Old High German
stuba "room".
Sutton EnglishFrom various English place names meaning
"south town".
Ter Avest DutchMeans
"at the edge, eave" indicating a person who lived at the edge of a forest or under a covered shelter.
Townsend EnglishIndicated a person who lived at the town's edge, from Old English
tun "enclosure, yard, town" and
ende "end, limit".
Turunen FinnishFrom Finnish
turku meaning
"marketplace" or the Finnish city of
Turku (derived from the same word).
Van Damme FlemishMeans
"from Damme", the name of a town in Belgium, derived from Dutch
dam meaning "dam". A famous bearer is the Belgian actor Jean-Claude Van Damme (1960-), who was born with the surname
Van Varenberg.
Vargas Spanish, PortugueseMeans
"slope, flooded field, pastureland" or
"hut", from the Spanish and Portuguese dialectal word
varga.
Vestergaard DanishFrom a place name, derived from Danish
vest "west" and
gård "farm, yard".
Vidmar SloveneFrom various places in Slovenia named
Videm, meaning
"church property" in Slovene.
Villalba SpanishDenoted a person from one of the various Spanish places by this name. It is derived from Spanish
villa "town" and
alba "white".
Villalobos SpanishHabitational name for 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 "town" and
verde "green".
Wall EnglishOriginally denoted a person who lived near a prominent wall, from Old English
weall.
Waller 2 EnglishDerived from Old English
weall meaning
"wall", denoting a builder of walls or someone who lived near a prominent wall.
Wallin SwedishFrom Swedish
vall meaning
"wall, bank" (ultimately of Latin origin).
Walton EnglishFrom the name of any of several villages in England, derived from Old English
wealh "foreigner, Celt",
weald "forest",
weall "wall", or
wille "well, spring, water hole" combined with
tun "enclosure, yard, town".
Ware 1 EnglishFrom Old English
wer meaning
"dam, weir", indicating someone who lived near such a structure.
Warren 1 EnglishDenoted a person who lived near a warren, from Norman French
warrene meaning
"animal enclosure" (of Germanic origin).
Way EnglishFrom Old English
weg meaning
"way, road, path".
Wells EnglishDerived from Middle English
wille meaning
"well, spring, water hole".
Woodrow EnglishFrom a place name meaning
"row of houses by a wood" in Old English.
Yates EnglishFrom Old English
geat meaning
"gate", a name for a gatekeeper or someone who lived near a gate.
Yūki JapaneseFrom Japanese
結 (yū) meaning "tie, bind" and
城 (ki) meaning "castle".
Zingel JewishFrom Middle High German
zingel "defensive wall". This name was originally applied to a person who lived near the outermost wall of a castle.
Zubizarreta BasqueMeans
"old bridge", from Basque
zubia "bridge" and
zahar "old". A famous bearer is the Spanish soccer player Andoni Zubizarreta (1961-).