Browse Surnames

Abascal Spanish
Means "priest's street" from Basque abas "priest" and kale "street".

Akai Japanese
From Japanese 赤 (aka) meaning "red" and 井 (i) meaning "well, mine shaft, pit".

Aldershof Dutch
Means "Aldert's courtyard" from the given name Aldert combined with Dutch hof "yard, court".

Althaus German
Name for a person dwelled in or by an old house, from German alt "old" and haus "house".

Althuis Dutch
Dutch cognate of Althaus.

Appelhof Dutch
Indicated a person who lived by or at an apple garden, from Dutch appel "apple" and hof "yard, court".

Arterberry English
Variant of Atteberry.

Arterbury English
Variant of Atteberry.

Atteberry English
Means "dweller at the fortified town" from Middle English at and burh "fortified place".

Atterberry English
Variant of Atteberry.

Auteberry English
Variant of Atteberry.

Barnes English
Denoted a person who worked or lived in a barn. The word barn is derived from Old English bere "barley" and ærn "dwelling".

Barton English
From a place name meaning "barley town" in Old English.

Bauers German
Variant of Bauer.

Baumann German, Jewish
From Middle High German bumann meaning "farmer, builder".

Beckenbauer German
Means "farmer living by a stream" in German.

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 Basque
Means "the house furthest down" from Basque bengo "furthest down" and etxe "house".

Berry English
Derived from a place name, which was derived from Old English burh "fortification".

Beyersdorf German
Means "farmers village", from German Bauer meaning "farmer" and Dorf meaning "village".

Boer Dutch
Dutch cognate of Bauer.

Bolton English
From any of the many places in England called Bolton, derived from Old English bold "house" and tun "enclosure".

Booth English
Topographic name derived from Middle English both meaning "hut, stall".

Boothman English
Variant of Booth.

Borg Swedish
From Swedish borg meaning "fortification, castle".

Bourke English
Variant of Burke.

Bower English
From Old English bur meaning "dwelling, room".

Bowers English
Variant of Bower.

Bridges English
Originally denoted a person who lived near a bridge, or who worked as a bridgekeeper, derived from Middle English brigge, Old English brycg.

Briggs English
Variant of Bridges.

Brigham English
Originally 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 Polish
Possibly from Polish buda meaning "hut, cabin".

Buhr Low German
Low German form of Bauer.

Burgstaller German
From 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, Irish
Derived from Middle English burgh meaning "fortress, fortification, castle". It was brought to Ireland in the 12th century by the Norman invader William de Burgh.

Caldwell English
From various English place names derived from Old English ceald "cold" and wille "spring, stream, well".

Capela Portuguese
Portuguese form of Kappel.

Capella Catalan
Catalan form of Kappel.

Capilla Spanish
Spanish form of Kappel.

Casal Spanish
From the Spanish word casal meaning "house", ultimately from Late Late casalis and Latin casa.

Casale Italian
Italian cognate of Casal.

Casales Spanish
Variant of Casal.

Castell Catalan
Catalan cognate of Castle.

Castelo Portuguese
Portuguese cognate of Castle.

Castillo Spanish
Spanish cognate of Castle.

Castle English
From Middle English castel meaning "castle", from Late Latin castellum, originally indicating a person who lived near a castle.

Castro Spanish, Portuguese
Means "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.

Chalupa m Czech
Means "cottage" in Czech.

Chalupník m Czech
Derived from Czech chalupa meaning "cottage". The name referred to a peasant farmer who owned a very small piece of land.

Chambers English
From Old French chambre meaning "chamber, room", an occupational name for a person who worked in the inner rooms of a mansion.

Church English
From 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 English
From an English place name meaning "church hill". A famous bearer was Winston Churchill (1874-1965), the British prime minister during World War II.

Clayton English
From the name of various places meaning "clay settlement" in Old English.

Clifton English
Derived from various place names meaning "settlement by a cliff" in Old English.

Close English
From Middle English clos meaning "enclosure", a topographic name for someone who lived near a courtyard or farmyard.

Corti Italian
From Italian corte meaning "court, yard".

Coste French
French form of Costa.

Côté French
French form of Costa.

Courtois French
French form of Curtis.

Cucinotta Italian
Derived from a diminutive of Italian cucina meaning "kitchen".

Cuesta Spanish
Spanish form of Costa.

Da Costa Portuguese
Variant of Costa.

Dalgaard Danish
From Old Norse dalr meaning "valley" and garðr meaning "yard, farmstead".

Dallas 1 English
From Old English dæl meaning "valley" and hus meaning "house".

Dalton English
Derived 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, Danish
Means "dike, dam" in Dutch and Danish. In modern Danish it also means "pond".

De Boer Dutch
Dutch cognate of Bauer.

De La Fontaine French
French cognate of De la Fuente.

De la Fuente Spanish
Means "of the fountain" in Spanish.

Dufort French
Means "from the fort", from French fort "stronghold".

Dupond French
Variant of Dupont.

Dupont French
Means "from the bridge", from French pont "bridge".

Dupuis French
Means "from the well", from Old French puts, Latin puteus "well".

Dupuy French
Means "from the hill", from Occitan puy "hill", from Latin podium "platform".

Dvořák m Czech
Occupational 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 English
Indicated a person who worked or lived at a dyehouse, which is a place where dyeing was done.

Easton English
From the name of various places meaning "east town" in Old English.

Eccleston English
Denoted 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".

Ecclestone English
Variant of Eccleston.

Endicott English
Topographic name derived from Old English meaning "from the end cottage".

Estrada Spanish
Spanish form of Street.

Fairburn English
From a place name meaning "fern stream", from Old English fearn "fern" and burna "stream".

Fonseca Spanish, Portuguese
Originally belonged to a person who lived near a dry spring, from Latin fons "well, spring" and siccus "dry".

Fontaine French
Derived from Old French fontane meaning "well, fountain", a derivative of Latin fons.

Fontana Italian, Spanish
Italian and Spanish cognate of Fontaine.

Fortier French
Derived from Old French fort "stronghold", indicating a person who lived near or worked at such a place.

Fuentes Spanish
Means "spring, well" in Spanish, derived from Latin fons.

Garner 1 English
From 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 English
Originally denoted a person who lived near the town gates.

Hadaway English
Variant of Hathaway.

Hagen Norwegian, Dutch
From Old Norse hagi or Old Dutch hago meaning "enclosure, pasture".

Haig English, Scottish
From Old English haga or Old Norse hagi meaning "enclosure, pasture".

Hall English, German, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish
Means simply "hall", given to one who either lived in or worked in a hall (the house of a medieval noble).

Halle German
German variant of Hall.

Hambleton English
From various English place names, derived from Old English hamel "crooked, mutilated" and tun "enclosure, yard, town".

Hampton English
From the name of multiple towns in England, derived from Old English ham "home" or ham "water meadow, enclosure" and tun "enclosure, yard, town".

Hashiguchi Japanese
From Japanese 橋 (hashi) meaning "bridge" and 口 (kuchi) meaning "mouth, entrance".

Hashimoto Japanese
From Japanese 橋 (hashi) meaning "bridge" and 本 (moto) meaning "base, root, origin".

Hathaway English
Habitational name for someone who lived near a path across a heath, from Old English hæþ "heath" and weg "way".

Hatheway English
Variant of Hathaway.

Hathway English
Variant of Hathaway.

Häusler German
Name for someone who lived in a house with no land, derived rom Old High German word hus meaning "house".

Haward English
Variant of Howard 1 or Hayward.

Hayes 1 English
From 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 English
Occupational name for a person who protected an enclosed forest, from Old English hæg "enclosure, fence" and weard "guard".

Haywood English
From various place names meaning "fenced wood" in Old English.

Hilton English
From 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.

Hoefler German
Variant of Hofer.

Hofer German
Occupational name for a farmer, from German Hof "farm", from Old High German hof "yard, court".

Hoffmann German
From Middle High German hofmann meaning "farmer".

Höfler German
Variant of Hofer.

Hofmann German
Variant of Hoffmann.

Hofmeister German
Means "master of the household", from Old High German hof "yard, court, house" and meistar "master" (from Latin magister).

Horton English
From the names of various places in England, which are derived from Old English horh "dirt, mud" and tun "enclosure, yard, town".

House English
Referred to a person who lived or worked in a house, as opposed to a smaller hut.

Howse English
Variant of Howe.

Iglesias Spanish
From Spanish iglesia meaning "church", from Latin ecclesia (of Greek origin).

Imai Japanese
From Japanese 今 (ima) meaning "now, present" and 井 (i) meaning "well, mine shaft, pit".

Inoue Japanese
Means "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 Basque
Means "by the fountain" in Basque, from iturri "fountain, spring".

Iwai Japanese
From Japanese 岩 (iwa) meaning "cliff, rocks" and 井 (i) meaning "well, mine shaft, pit".

Izumi Japanese
From Japanese 泉 (izumi) meaning "spring, fountain".

Johnston Scottish
From the name of a Scottish town, which meant "John's town".

Kappel German, Dutch
Name 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.

Kavalchuk Belarusian
Belarusian cognate of Kovalchuk.

Kavalyow m Belarusian
Derived from Belarusian каваль (kaval') meaning "blacksmith".

Kay 2 English
Derived from Old French kay meaning "wharf, quay", indicating one who lived near or worked on a wharf.

Key 1 English
Variant of Kay 1 or Kay 2.

Keyes 1 English
Variant of Kay 1 or Kay 2.

Keys 1 English
Variant of Kay 1 or Kay 2.

Kirby English
From numerous towns in northern England named Kirby or Kirkby, derived from Old Norse kirkja "church" and býr "farm, settlement".

Kirch German
German cognate of Church.

Kirk English
From 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.

Kitchens English
Variant of Kitchen.

Koizumi Japanese
From 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.

Kováč m Slovak, Czech
Slovak and Czech cognate of Kovač.

Kovačević Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian
Variant of Kovačić.

Kovačevič Slovene
Slovene form of Kovačević.

Kovách Hungarian
Variant of Kovács.

Kovachev m Bulgarian
Derived from Bulgarian ковач (kovach) meaning "blacksmith".

Kovačić Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian
Patronymic derived from South Slavic kovač meaning "blacksmith".

Kovačič Slovene
Slovene form of Kovačić.

Kovács Hungarian
Hungarian form of Kovač.

Kovalyov m Russian
Derived from Russian коваль (koval) meaning "blacksmith".

Kovář m Czech
Czech cognate of Kovač.

Kováts Hungarian
Variant of Kovács.

Kowalczyk Polish
Patronymic derived from Polish kowal "blacksmith".

Kraemer German
Variant of Krämer.

Kramář m Czech
Czech form of Krämer.

Krämer German
Means "shopkeeper, merchant" in German, derived from Old High German kram meaning "tent, trading post".

Kramer Low German, Jewish
Low German and Jewish form of Krämer.

Kröger German
Variant of Krüger 1 and Krüger 2.

Krüger 1 German
In northern Germany an occupational name for a tavern keeper, derived from Middle Low German kroch meaning "tavern".

Kruger German
Variant of Krüger 1 and Krüger 2.

Kurata Japanese
From Japanese 倉 (kura) or 蔵 (kura) both meaning "granary, storehouse" and 田 (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".

Lachapelle French
Means "the chapel" in French, most likely used to denote a person who lived by a church or a chapel.

Larue French
Means "the street" in French.

Lavoie French
Means "the road, the lane" in French, a name for someone who lived close to a road.

Linna Finnish
Means "castle" in Finnish. A famous namesake is Väinö Linna (1920-1992), Finnish author of The Unknown Soldier.

Ljungborg Swedish
From Swedish ljung (Old Norse lyng) meaning "heather" and borg meaning "castle".

Maurer German
Occupational name meaning "wall builder" in German.

Melnik Russian, Belarusian
Means "miller" in Russian and Belarusian.

Melnyk Ukrainian
Means "miller" in Ukrainian. This is the most common Ukrainian surname.

Melsbach German
From the name of a German town, possibly meaning "mill stream".

Merritt English
From an English place name meaning "boundary gate".

Meunier French
Means "miller" in French.

Middleton English
Originally 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 English
Derived from various place names meaning "mill stream" in Old English.

Milford English
Originally derived from various place names all meaning "ford by a mill" in Old English.

Millard English
Variant of Millward.

Miller English
Occupational surname meaning "miller", referring to a person who owned or worked in a grain mill, derived from Middle English mille "mill".

Millhouse English
Name for someone whose house was in a mill or who worked in a mill.

Mills English
Originally given to one who lived near a mill or who worked in a mill, from Middle English mille.

Millward English
Means "guardian of the mill" in Old English.

Milne Scottish
From Scots and Middle English milne (a variant of mille) meaning "mill".

Milton English
Derived 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".

Miyagawa Japanese
From Japanese 宮 (miya) meaning "temple, shrine, palace" and 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream".

Miyajima Japanese
From Japanese 宮 (miya) meaning "temple, shrine, palace" and 島 (shima) meaning "island".

Miyake Japanese
From Japanese 三 (mi) meaning "three" and 宅 (yake) meaning "house, home".

Miyamoto Japanese
From Japanese 宮 (miya) meaning "temple, shrine, palace" and 本 (moto) meaning "base, root, origin". A notable bearer is video game pioneer Shigeru Miyamoto (1952-).

Miyashita Japanese
From Japanese 宮 (miya) meaning "temple, shrine, palace" and 下 (shita) meaning "under, below".

Miyata Japanese
From Japanese 宮 (miya) meaning "temple, shrine, palace" and 田 (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".

Miyazaki Japanese
From Japanese 宮 (miya) meaning "temple, shrine, palace" and 崎 (saki) meaning "cape, peninsula".

Mlynárik m Slovak
Slovak form of Mlynář.

Molina Spanish
Means "mill" in Spanish.

Möller Low German, Swedish
Low German and Swedish form of Müller.

Møller Danish
Danish form of Müller.

Molnár Hungarian
Occupational name meaning "miller" in Hungarian.

Moloney Irish
From Irish Ó Maol Dhomhnaigh meaning "descendant of a church servant".

Moulin French
Means "mill" in French.

Mueller German
Variant of Müller.

Muhlfeld German
Means "mill field" in German.

Mulder Dutch
Dutch equivalent of Miller.

Müller German
German equivalent of Miller, derived from Middle High German mülnære or müller.

Muller German
Variant of Müller.

Mullins 1 English
Derived from Norman French molin "mill".

Muraro Italian
Occupational name for a wall builder, from Italian murare meaning "to wall up".

Nakai Japanese
From Japanese 中 (naka) meaning "middle" and 井 (i) meaning "well, mine shaft, pit".

Namgung Korean
From Sino-Korean 南 (nam) meaning "south" combined with 宮 (gung) meaning "palace, house". This is the most common Korean compound surname.

Newton English
From the name of one of many English towns meaning "new town". A famous bearer was the English physicist Isaac Newton (1643-1727).

Norton English
From the name of various towns in England meaning "north town" in Old English.

Nygård Norwegian
From Norwegian ny (Old Norse nýr) meaning "new" and gård (Old Norse garðr) meaning "farm, estate".

Ola Basque
From Basque ola meaning "hut, small house, forge".

Ōshiro Japanese
From Japanese 大 (ō) meaning "big, great" and 城 (shiro) meaning "castle". It is especially common on Okinawa.

Østergaard Danish
Variant of Østergård.

Østergård Danish
From Danish øst meaning "east" and gård meaning "enclosure, farm".

Paisley Scottish
From the name of a town near Glasgow, which may ultimately be derived from Latin basilica "church".

Paredes Portuguese, Spanish
Denoted a person who lived near a wall, from Portuguese parede and Spanish pared meaning "wall", both derived from Latin paries.

Penn 2 English
Occupational name for a person who kept penned animals, from Old English penn.

Penner English
Variant of Penn 2.

Poggi Italian
Variant of Poggio.

Portner Low German
Low German cognate of Porter.

Pound English
Occupational name for a person who kept animals, from Old English pund "animal enclosure".

Pozzi Italian
From Italian pozzo meaning "well, pit", derived from Latin puteus.

Prescott English
From the name of various English places meaning "priest's cottage" in Old English.

Preston English
Originally derived from various place names meaning "priest town" in Old English.

Puerta Spanish
Means "door, gate", a topographic name for a person who lived near the gates of the town.

Puig Catalan
Catalan cognate of Poggio.

Putin m Russian
From Russian путь (put) meaning "road, path". This surname is borne by the Russian president Vladimir Putin (1952-).

Sala Italian, Spanish, Catalan, Portuguese, Romanian
Occupational name for a worker at a manor house, from the Romance word sala meaning "hall, large room", of Germanic origin.

Schofield English
From various northern English place names, which were derived from Old Norse skáli "hut" and Old English feld "field".

School Dutch
From Dutch school, ultimately from Latin schola meaning "school", indicating a person who worked at or lived near a school.

Schuyler Dutch
Possibly a Dutch form of Schuler.

Scola Italian
From Italian scuola meaning "school".

Shirai Japanese
From Japanese 白 (shira) meaning "white" and 井 (i) meaning "well, mine shaft, pit".

Sitz 2 German
Means "house owner", derived from Old High German siz "seat, domicile".

Skovgaard Danish
From a place name, derived from Danish skov "forest, wood" and gård "farm, yard".

Southgate English
Name 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 Dutch
Denoted a dweller by or worker at a granary, from Dutch spijker "granary".

Stanton English
From one of the many places named Stanton or Staunton in England, derived from Old English stan meaning "stone" and tun meaning "enclosure, town".

Street English
Habitational 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.

Strohkirch German
Means "straw church" in German.

Stuber German
Occupational name for the owner of an inn, derived from Old High German stuba "room".

Sudworth English
From an English place name composed of Old English suþ "south" and worþ "enclosure".

Suggitt English
Variant of Southgate.

Sutton English
From various English place names meaning "south town".

Takahashi Japanese
From Japanese 高 (taka) meaning "tall, high" and 橋 (hashi) meaning "bridge".

Tapia Spanish
Means "mud wall" in Spanish.

Ter Avest Dutch
Means "at the edge, eave" indicating a person who lived at the edge of a forest or under a covered shelter.

Torres Spanish, Portuguese
Name for a person who lived in or near a tower, ultimately from Latin turris.

Townsend English
Indicated a person who lived at the town's edge, from Old English tun "enclosure, yard, town" and ende "end, limit".

Turunen Finnish
From Finnish turku meaning "marketplace" or the Finnish city of Turku (derived from the same word).

Van Althuis Dutch
Dutch cognate of Althaus.

Van Damme Flemish
Means "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, Portuguese
Means "slope, flooded field, pastureland" or "hut", from the Spanish and Portuguese dialectal word varga.

Vermeulen Flemish
Means "from the mill" in Dutch.

Vestergaard Danish
From a place name, derived from Danish vest "west" and gård "farm, yard".

Vilaró Catalan
Catalan variant of Vilar.

Villalba Spanish
Denoted a person from one of the various Spanish places by this name. It is derived from Spanish villa "town" and alba "white".

Villalobos Spanish
Habitational name for a person from the town of Villalobos, Spain, which is derived from Spanish villa "town" and lobo "wolf".

Villanueva Spanish
Originally denoted someone who came from one of the various Spanish towns by this name, derived from villa "town" and nueva "new".

Villar Spanish
Spanish cognate of Vilar.

Villaverde Spanish
Originally denoted a person from one of the various Spanish towns by this name, derived from villa "town" and verde "green".

Wall English
Originally denoted a person who lived near a prominent wall, from Old English weall.

Waller 2 English
Derived from Old English weall meaning "wall", denoting a builder of walls or someone who lived near a prominent wall.

Waller 3 English
From Old English wille meaning "well, spring, water hole".

Wallin Swedish
From Swedish vall meaning "wall, bank" (ultimately of Latin origin).

Walton English
From 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 English
From Old English wer meaning "dam, weir", indicating someone who lived near such a structure.

Warren 1 English
Denoted a person who lived near a warren, from Norman French warrene meaning "animal enclosure" (of Germanic origin).

Way English
From Old English weg meaning "way, road, path".

Wells English
Derived from Middle English wille meaning "well, spring, water hole".

Woodrow English
From a place name meaning "row of houses by a wood" in Old English.

Wootton English
Derived from Old English wudu "wood" and tun "enclosure, town".

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

Yūki Japanese
From Japanese 結 (yū) meaning "tie, bind" and 城 (ki) meaning "castle".

Zaal Dutch
Means "hall" in Dutch.

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.

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