Browse Surnames

Abadzhiev m Bulgarian
Derived from Bulgarian абаджия (abadzhiya) meaning "weaver, tailor" (of Turkish origin, ultimately from Arabic عباءة (ʿabāʾa) meaning "cloak").

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

Abasolo Basque
Means "priest's meadow" from Basque abas "priest" and solo "meadow".

Abatangelo Italian
From Italian abate meaning "abbot, priest" combined with the given name Angelo.

Abatantuono Italian
From Italian abate meaning "abbot, priest" combined with the given name Antonio.

Abate Italian
From Italian abate meaning "abbot, priest", derived via Latin and Greek from an Aramaic word meaning "father". This was used either as a nickname or an occupational name for a worker in a priest's house.

Abategiovanni Italian
From Italian abate meaning "abbot, priest" combined with the given name Giovanni.

Abatescianni Italian
From Italian abate meaning "abbot, priest" combined with the given name Gianni.

Abbà Italian
Variant of Abate.

Abbadelli Italian
Means "little abbot" from Italian abate and the diminutive suffix -elli.

Abbatangelo Italian
Variant of Abatangelo.

Abbatantuono Italian
Variant of Abatantuono.

Abbate Italian
Variant of Abate.

Abbatelli Italian
Variant of Abbadelli.

Abbaticchio Italian
Means "little abbot" from Italian abate and the diminutive suffix -icchio, from Latin -iculus.

Abbott English
English cognate of Abate.

Abspoel Dutch
From Abtspoel, the name of an estate near Oegstgeest in South Holland, meaning "abbot's pool".

Abt German
German cognate of Abate.

Ackerman English
Means "ploughman", derived from Middle English aker "field" and man.

Admiraal Dutch
Means "admiral" in Dutch.

Agricola Italian
From Latin agricola meaning "farmer".

Akerman English
Variant of Ackerman.

Alunni Italian
From Italian alunno meaning "student".

Arbeider Dutch
From Dutch arbeider meaning "worker".

Archer English
Occupational name for one who practiced archery, from Latin arcus "bow" (via Old French).

Arkwright English
Occupational name meaning "chest maker", from Middle English arc meaning "chest, coffer" and wyrhta meaning "maker, craftsman".

Armbrüster German
Variant of Armbruster.

Armbruster German
Means "crossbow maker" from German armbrust "crossbow". The word armbrust was originally from Latin arcuballista meaning "bow ballista", but was modified under the influence of German arm "arm" and brust "breast".

Arts 2 Dutch
Dutch cognate of Arzt.

Arzt Dutch
Means "doctor, physician" in German, ultimately from Latin archiater.

Avcı Turkish
Means "hunter" in Turkish.

Azzarà Italian
Sicilian name, derived from Greek dialects of southern Italy. It is from Greek ψαράς (psaras) meaning "fisherman".

Bachmeier German
Originally referred to a farmer whose farm was beside a stream, from Middle High German bach "stream" and meier "steward, tenant farmer".

Bachvarov m Bulgarian
Derived from Bulgarian бъчвар (bachvar) meaning "cooper, barrel maker".

Bäcker German
Variant of Becker, mostly found in northern Germany.

Bager Danish
Danish cognate of Baker.

Bailey English
From Middle English baili meaning "bailiff", which comes via Old French from Latin baiulus "porter".

Baker English
Occupational name meaning "baker", derived from Middle English bakere.

Bakker Dutch
Dutch cognate of Baker, from Middle Dutch backere.

Ballerini Italian
From Italian ballerino meaning "dancer", an occupational name or nickname for someone who liked to dance.

Baník m Slovak
Means "miner" in Slovak.

Barber English, Scottish
Indicated a barber, one who cut hair for a living, ultimately from Latin barba "beard".

Barbier French
French cognate of Barber.

Barbieri Italian
Italian cognate of Barber.

Bauer German
From Old High German bur meaning "peasant, farmer".

Bauers German
Variant of Bauer.

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

Baumhauer German
Occupational name meaning "woodcutter", derived from German Baum "tree" and hauen "to chop".

Baxter English
Variant (in origin a feminine form) of Baker.

Beck 2 German
Variant of Becker, from southern German beck.

Becke German
Variant of Beck 1 or Beck 2.

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

Becker German
Derived from Middle High German becker meaning "baker".

Beckert German
Variant of Becker.

Berger 1 French
Occupational name meaning "shepherd", from Old French bergier.

Beridze Georgian
Means "son of the monk", from Georgian ბერი (beri) meaning "monk".

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

Bíró Hungarian
Derived from bíró meaning "judge" in Hungarian.

Bischoffs German
German cognate of Bishop.

Bishop English
Means simply "bishop", ultimately from Greek ἐπίσκοπος (episkopos) meaning "overseer". It probably originally referred to a person who served a bishop.

Biškup Croatian
Croatian cognate of Bishop.

Biskup Polish
Polish cognate of Bishop.

Boatwright English
Occupational name meaning "maker of boats".

Böcker German
Variant of Böttcher.

Bodnár Hungarian
Means "cooper, barrel maker" in Hungarian.

Boer Dutch
Dutch cognate of Bauer.

Boerio Italian
From Italian boaro meaning "cowherd".

Bond English
Occupational name for a peasant farmer, from Middle English bonde. A famous bearer is the fictional spy James Bond, created by Ian Flemming in 1953.

Bondar Ukrainian
Means "cooper, barrel maker" in Ukrainian.

Bondarenko Ukrainian
Derived from Ukrainian бондар (bondar) meaning "cooper, barrel maker".

Borbély Hungarian
Hungarian cognate of Barber.

Böttcher German
Occupational name meaning "cooper, barrel maker" in German.

Botwright English
Variant of Boatwright.

Boucher French
Means "butcher" in French.

Bouvier French
Means "cowherd" in French, from Latin boviarus, a derivative of bos "cow".

Bouwmeester Dutch
Means "architect, builder" in Dutch.

Bowers English
Variant of Bower.

Bowman English
Occupational name for an archer, derived from Middle English bowe, Old English boga meaning "bow".

Boyadzhiev m Bulgarian
Derived from Bulgarian бояджия (boyadzhiya) meaning "dyer".

Brasher English
Means "brass worker", derived from Old English bræs "brass".

Brauer Low German
Derived from Middle Low German bruwer meaning "brewer".

Brewer English
Occupational name for a maker of ale or beer.

Brewster English
Variant of Brewer, originally a feminine form of the occupational term.

Brodbeck German
Means "bread baker" from Middle High German brot "bread" and becke "baker".

Brouwer Dutch
Occupational name for a brewer of beer or ale, Middle Dutch brouwer.

Buhr Low German
Low German form of Bauer.

Burroughs English
Variant of Burrows.

Burrows English
Topographic 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".

Butcher English
Occupational name for a butcher, derived from Old French bouchier.

Caballero Spanish
From a nickname derived from Spanish caballero meaning "knight", a cognate of Chevalier.

Calligaris Italian
From Late Latin caligarius meaning "shoemaker".

Capitani Italian
Occupational name meaning "captain" in Italian, ultimately from Latin caput "head".

Carpenter English
From the occupation, derived from Middle English carpentier (ultimately from Latin carpentarius meaning "carriage maker").

Cartwright English
Occupational name indicating one who made carts.

Cattaneo Italian
Variant of Capitani used in Lombardy.

Cervantes Spanish
Possibly from Old Spanish servanto meaning "servant" or ciervo meaning "stag". A famous bearer was the Spanish novelist Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616).

Chandler English
Occupational name meaning "candle seller" or "candle maker" in Middle English, ultimately derived from Latin candela via Old French.

Chapman English
Occupational name derived from Old English ceapmann meaning "merchant, trader".

Charmchi Persian
Means "leather worker" in Persian, from چرم (charm) meaning "leather" combined with چی (chī), denoting an occupation.

Chevalier French
From a nickname derived from French chevalier meaning "knight", from Late Latin caballarius "horseman", Latin caballus "horse".

Ciobanu Romanian
From Romanian cioban meaning "shepherd".

Clacher Scottish
From Scottish Gaelic clachair meaning "stonemason".

Clark English
Means "cleric" or "scribe", from Old English clerec meaning "priest", ultimately from Latin clericus. A famous bearer was William Clark (1770-1838), an explorer of the west of North America.

Clarke English
Variant of Clark.

Clarkson English
Patronymic form of Clark.

Cleary Irish
From Irish cléireach meaning "clerk" (see Clark).

Clery Irish
Variant of Cleary.

Cohen Jewish
Means "priest" from Hebrew כֹּהֵן (kohen). It originally denoted one of the priestly tribe of Levi.

Coke English
Variant of Cook.

Cokes English
Variant of Cook.

Colter English
Variant of Colt using an agent suffix.

Cook English
Derived from Old English coc meaning "cook", ultimately from Latin coquus. It was an occupational name for a cook, a man who sold cooked meats, or a keeper of an eating house.

Cooke English
Variant of Cook.

Cookson English
Patronymic form of Cook.

Cooper English
Means "barrel maker", from Middle English couper.

Couture French
Means "tailor" in Old French.

Császár Hungarian
Hungarian form of Kaiser.

Cuijper Dutch
Variant of Kuiper.

Cuijpers Dutch
Variant of Kuiper.

Cuocco Italian
Italian cognate of Cook.

Cuoco Italian
Italian cognate of Cook.

Cuyper Dutch
Variant of Kuiper.

Cuypers Dutch
Variant of Kuiper.

Darbinyan Armenian
From Armenian դարբին (darbin) meaning "blacksmith".

Darzi Persian
Means "tailor" in Persian.

Das Bengali, Assamese, Odia, Hindi, Marathi
Means "servant, devotee" in Sanskrit.

Daskalov m Bulgarian
Derived from даскал (daskal) meaning "teacher".

Deacon English
Means "deacon", ultimately from Greek διάκονος (diakonos) meaning "servant".

Deák Hungarian
Possibly a Hungarian form of Deacon.

Dean 2 English
Occupational surname meaning "dean", referring to a person who either was a dean or worked for one. It is from Middle English deen (ultimately from Latin decanus meaning "chief of ten").

De Boer Dutch
Dutch cognate of Bauer.

De Clerc Dutch
Variant of De Klerk.

De Clercq Dutch
Variant of De Klerk.

De Cock Flemish
Flemish cognate of Cook.

Değirmenci Turkish
From a Turkish word meaning "miller".

De Klerk Dutch
From Dutch klerk meaning "clerk", making this a cognate of Clark.

De Kock Dutch
Dutch cognate of Cook.

De Koning Dutch
Dutch cognate of King.

Demirci Turkish
Means "blacksmith" in Turkish.

De Rege Italian (Rare)
Italian variant of Rey 1.

De Smet Flemish
Flemish variant of Smit.

De Snaijer Dutch
Dutch cognate of Snyder.

Dexter English
Occupational name meaning "dyer" in Old English (originally this was a feminine word, but it was later applied to men as well).

Doctor English
Originally denoted someone who was a doctor, ultimately from Latin doctor meaning "teacher".

Draper English
Occupational name for a maker or seller of woollen cloth, from Anglo-Norman French draper (Old French drapier, an agent derivative of drap "cloth").

Drechsler German
Variant of Dressler.

Dreher German
Means "turner" from Middle High German drehen "to turn". A turner was a person who used a lathe to create small objects from wood or bone.

Dreier German
Variant of Dreher.

Dreschner German
Derived from Middle High German dreschen "to thresh". A thresher was a person who separated the grains from a cereal plant by beating it.

Dressler German
Means "turner" from Middle High German dreseler, an agent derivative of drehen "to turn". A turner was a person who used a lathe to create small objects from wood or bone.

Dreyer German
Variant of Dreher.

Driscoll Irish
From Irish Ó hEidirsceóil meaning "descendant of the messenger".

Dyer English
Occupational name meaning "cloth dyer", from Old English deah "dye".

Dziedzic Polish
Derived from Polish dziedzic "landowner".

Earl English
From the aristocratic title, which derives from Old English eorl meaning "nobleman, warrior". It was either a nickname for one who acted like an earl, or an occupational name for a person employed by an earl.

Ebner 2 German
Means "judge, arbiter" from Middle High German ebenære.

Egger German
South German occupational name meaning "plowman" or "farmer", derived from German eggen "to harrow, to plow".

Ekmekçi Turkish
Means "baker" in Turkish.

Episcopo Italian
Means "bishop" in Italian, ultimately from Greek ἐπίσκοπος (episkopos).

Esser German
Means "cartwright", related to Old High German ahsa "axle".

Essert German
Variant of Esser.

Evangelista Italian, Portuguese, Spanish
Means "evangelist" in Italian, Portuguese and Spanish.

Fabbri Italian
From Italian fabbro meaning "blacksmith", ultimately from Latin faber.

Fabbro Italian
Variant of Fabbri.

Fabre Occitan, French
Occitan form of Fèvre.

Fabron French
Diminutive form of Fabre.

Faerber German
Variant of Färber.

Faragó Hungarian
An occupational name meaning "woodcutter", from Hungarian farag meaning "carve, cut".

Färber German
Occupational name meaning "dyer", derived from German Farbe "colour".

Fattore Italian
Means "land agent, bailiff, steward, farmer" in Italian.

Faure Occitan, French
Occitan form of Fèvre.

Favero Italian
Variant of Fabbri.

Favre French
Southern French variant of Fèvre.

Favreau French
Diminutive of Favre.

Fazekas Hungarian
Occupational name meaning "potter" in Hungarian.

Ferber German
Variant of Färber.

Ferrari Italian
Occupational name for a metalworker or smith, derived from Latin ferrarius, a derivative of ferrum meaning "iron".

Ferraro Italian
Variant of Ferrari.

Ferreiro Galician
Galician cognate of Ferrari.

Ferrer Catalan
Catalan cognate of Ferrari.

Ferrero Italian
Regional variant of Ferrari. It is typical of the area around Turin.

Fèvre French
Occupational name meaning "blacksmith" in Old French, derived from Latin faber.

Fiedler German
Means "fiddler" in German.

Fischer German
Occupational name meaning "fisherman" in German.

Fisher English, Jewish
Cognate of Fischer.

Fisker Danish
Means "fisherman" in Danish.

Fitzroy English
Means "son of the king" in Anglo-Norman French, from French roi meaning "king". This name has been bestowed upon illegitimate children of kings.

Fleischer German
Occupational name meaning "butcher" in German.

Fuhrmann German
Derived from Middle High German vuorman meaning "cartwright".

Gaertner German
German form of Gardener.

Gandhi Gujarati, Hindi
From Sanskrit गान्धिक (gāndhika) meaning "perfumier, perfume seller", derived from गनध (gandha) meaning "scent, perfume". Notable bearers include Indian civil rights leader Mohandas Gandhi (1869-1948), also known as Mahatma Gandhi, and Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi (1917-1984).

Gardener English
Occupational surname for one who was a gardener, from Old French jardin meaning "garden" (of Frankish origin).

Gardiner English
Variant of Gardener.

Gardinier French
French form of Gardener.

Gardner English
Variant of Gardener.

Garner 2 English
Variant of Gardener.

Gärtner German
German form of Gardener.

Geisler German
Variant of Geissler 1 or Geissler 2.

Geißler German
Variant of Geissler 1 or Geissler 2.

Geissler 2 German
Occupational name for a goat herder, from southern German Geiss meaning "goat" and the suffix ler signifying an occupation.

Gerber German
Means "tanner, leather dresser" in German, derived from Old High German garawen meaning "to prepare".

Ghasabyan Armenian
From Armenian ղասաբ (ghasab) meaning "butcher", of Arabic origin.

Gilmore Scottish, Irish
Anglicized form of Scottish Gaelic MacGilleMhoire or Irish Gaelic Mac Giolla Mhuire meaning "son of the servant of Moire".

Glazier English
Means "glass worker, glazier", from Old English glæs meaning "glass".

Goffe English
Derived from Breton or Cornish goff meaning "smith", referring to a metalworker.

Goldschmidt German
Occupational name meaning "goldsmith" in German.

Granger English, French
Means "farm bailiff" from Old French grangier, ultimately from Latin granum meaning "grain". It is borne in the Harry Potter novels by Harry's friend Hermione Granger.

Guerrero Spanish
Means "warrior" in Spanish, an occupational name for a soldier. It is derived from Late Latin werra "war", of Germanic origin.

Guerriero Italian
Italian form of Guerrero.

Gulyás Hungarian
Means "herdsman, tender of cows" in Hungarian.

Hajós Hungarian
Means "boatman, sailor" in Hungarian.

Halász Hungarian
Means "fisherman" in Hungarian.

Harper English
Originally belonged to a person who played the harp or who made harps.

Hauer German
Derived from Middle High German houwen "to chop", referring to a butcher or woodchopper.

Hegedűs Hungarian
Means "fiddler" in Hungarian, from hegedű "violin".

Herrero Spanish
Spanish cognate of Ferrari.

Hickey Irish
Anglicized form of Irish Ó hÍcidhe meaning "descendant of the healer".

Hodžić Bosnian
From Bosnian hodža meaning "master, teacher, imam", a word of Persian origin.

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.

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

Hogarth English
Variant of Hoggard.

Hoggard English
Occupational name meaning "pig herder", from Old English hogg "hog" and hierde "herdsman, guardian".

Holzknecht German
Occupational name for a forester's helper, from Old High German holz "wood" and kneht "servant, apprentice".

Hooper English
Occupational name for someone who put the metal hoops around wooden barrels.

Horník m Czech, Slovak
Occupational name meaning "miner" in Czech and Slovak.

Howard 2 English
Occupational name meaning "ewe herder", from Old English eowu "ewe" and hierde "herdsman, guardian".

Hunter English, Scottish
Occupational name that referred to someone who hunted for a living, from Old English hunta.

Jackman English
Means "servant of Jack".

Jäger German
Means "hunter" in German, from Old High German jagon meaning "to hunt".

Jakeman English
Means "servant of Jack".

Jardine English, Scottish
Means "garden", denoting someone who worked as a gardener.

Joiner English
Occupational name for a carpenter (that is, a person who joins wood together to make furniture).

Joyner English
Variant of Joiner.

Jughashvili Georgian (Rare)
Meaning uncertain. One theory suggests Ossetian roots with the meaning "son of the herder", derived from Ossetian дзуг (dzug) meaning "herd, flock, troop". Alternately, it could be derived from the name of the village of ჯუღაანი (Jughaani) in eastern Georgia. The most notable bearer was Joseph Stalin (1878-1953), born Ioseb Jughashvili, a leader of the Soviet Union.

Juhász Hungarian
Occupational name meaning "shepherd" in Hungarian, from juh "sheep".

Jurado Spanish
Occupational name for a judge or another official who had to take an oath, derived from Latin iurare "to take an oath".

Kádár Hungarian
Means "cooper, barrel maker" in Hungarian.

Kadlec m Czech
From Czech tkadlec meaning "weaver".

Kaiser German
From Middle High German keiser meaning "emperor", originally a nickname applied to someone who acted kingly. The title ultimately derives from the Roman name Caesar.

Kalmár Hungarian
Occupational name meaning "merchant, shopkeeper" in Hungarian, of German origin.

Kästner German
Means "cabinet maker", derived from Middle High German kaste "box".

Katona Hungarian
Means "soldier" in Hungarian.

Katz Jewish
Derived from Hebrew כֹּהֵן צֶדֶק (kohen tzedek) meaning "priest of justice", indicating a descendant of Aaron.

Kaufer German
Means "trader" in German.

Kaufmann German, Jewish
Means "trader, merchant" in German.

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

Kemp English
Derived from Middle English kempe meaning "champion, warrior".

Kempf German
German cognate of Kemp.

Kertész Hungarian
Occupational name meaning "gardener" in Hungarian.

Khan Urdu, Pashto, Bengali
From a title meaning "king, ruler", probably of Mongolian origin but used in many languages.

Khatib Arabic
Means "speaker, orator" in Arabic, referring person who delivers sermons.

Kiefer 2 German
Occupational name for a barrel maker, derived from Old High German kuofa meaning "barrel".

Kilduff Irish
From the Irish Mac Giolla Dhuibh meaning "son of the black-haired man".

Kilpatrick Irish
From the Irish Mac Giolla Phádraig meaning "son of the servant of Saint Patrick".

King English
From Old English cyning "king", originally a nickname for someone who either acted in a kingly manner or who worked for or was otherwise associated with a king. A famous bearer was the American civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968).

Király Hungarian
Means "king" in Hungarian, of Slavic origin (a cognate of Król).

Kistler German
Occupational name meaning "chest maker, cabinetmaker" from Middle High German kiste.

Kistner German
Variant of Kistler.

Klerk Dutch
Variant of De Klerk.

Klerken Dutch
Variant of De Klerk.

Klerks Dutch
Variant of De Klerk.

Klerkse Dutch
Variant of De Klerk.

Klerkx Dutch
Variant of De Klerk.

Klerx Dutch
Variant of De Klerk.

Knef German
Occupational name for a shoemaker, derived from Low German knif meaning "shoemaker's knife".

Knight English
From Old English cniht meaning "knight", a tenant serving as a mounted soldier.

Koch German
German cognate of Cook.

Kock Low German, Dutch
Low German and Dutch cognate of Cook.

Koenig German
German cognate of King.

Koenigsmann German
Variant of Königsmann.

Köhler German
Variant of Kohler.

Kohler German
From Middle High German koler meaning "charcoal burner" or "charcoal seller".

Kok Dutch
Dutch cognate of Cook.

Kolář m Czech
Means "wheelwright", a derivative of Czech kolo "wheel".

Kolar Croatian, Slovene
Croatian and Slovene cognate of Kolář.

Kollár m Slovak
Slovak form of Kolář.

König German
German cognate of King.

Königsmann German
Means "king's man", or someone who played a king in a play.

Koning Dutch
Dutch cognate of King.

Koopman Dutch
Occupational name meaning "merchant" in Dutch.

Kovač Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian, Slovene
Means "blacksmith", a derivative of Slavic kovati meaning "to forge".

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

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

Koval Ukrainian
Means "blacksmith" in Ukrainian.

Kovalchuk Ukrainian, Russian
Derived from Ukrainian коваль (koval) meaning "blacksmith".

Kovalenko Ukrainian
Derived from Ukrainian коваль (koval) meaning "blacksmith".

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

Kowalczyk Polish
Patronymic derived from Polish kowal "blacksmith".

Kowalski m Polish
From Polish kowal meaning "blacksmith". This is the second most common surname in Poland.

Kraemer German
Variant of Krämer.

Král m Czech
Czech form of Król.

Kráľ m Slovak
Slovak form of Król.

Kralj Slovene, Croatian, Serbian
Slovene, Croatian and Serbian form of Król.

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.

Kravchenko Ukrainian
Derived from Ukrainian кравець (kravets) meaning "tailor".

Kravchuk Ukrainian
Derived from Ukrainian кравець (kravets) meaning "tailor".