Browse Surnames

This is a list of surnames in which the gender is unisex; and the order is random.
usage
gender
Cao Chinese
From Chinese (cáo) referring to the ancient state of Cao, which existed during the Zhou dynasty in what is now Shandong province.
Ó Maoilsheachlainn Irish
Means "descendant of Maolsheachlann" in Irish.
Wakefield English
Originally indicated a person who came from the English city of Wakefield, derived from Old English wacu "wake, vigil" and feld "field".
Hailey English
Variant of Haley.
Brandon English
From the name of various places in England meaning "hill covered with broom" in Old English.
Gates English
Originally denoted a person who lived near the town gates.
Tilki Turkish
From a nickname meaning "fox" in Turkish.
Quijada Spanish
Means "jaw" in Spanish, a nickname for someone with a large jaw.
Ingersleben German
From the name of the town of Ingersleben, Germany, which meant "Inge's village".
Mai Vietnamese
Vietnamese form of Mei, from Sino-Vietnamese (mai).
Salucci Italian
From Italian sale meaning "salt".
Dirix Flemish, Dutch
Means "son of Dirk".
Panossian Armenian
Alternate transcription of Armenian Փանոսյան (see Panosyan).
Azzarà Italian
Sicilian name, derived from Greek dialects of southern Italy. It is from Greek ψαράς (psaras) meaning "fisherman".
Baanders Dutch
Dutch cognate of Banner.
Walmsley English
Originally denoted a person from the English town of Walmersley.
Parma Italian
From the city of Parma in northern Italy, the name of which is probably of Etruscan origin.
Steinmann German
Means "stone man" in German, used as a habitational name for a person who lived near a prominent stone or an occupational name for a stone worker.
Salo Finnish
Means "forest" in Finnish.
Rana Italian, Spanish
Means "frog" in Italian and Spanish.
Shea Irish
Anglicized form of Ó Séaghdha.
Selvatici Italian
Italian form of Savage.
Woodcock English
Nickname referring to the woodcock bird.
Aita Italian
Originally denoted a person from Aieta, Italy, a place name derived from Greek ἀετός (aetos) meaning "eagle".
Niemczyk Polish
From Polish Niemiec meaning "German" and the patronymic suffix -czyk.
Hopper English
Occupational name for an acrobat or a nickname for someone who was nervous or restless. A famous bearer was the American actor Dennis Hopper (1936-2010).
Castañeda Spanish
Habitational name from any of various places called Castañeda, from a Spanish word meaning "chestnut grove", itself derived from castaña meaning "chestnut".
Tomàs Catalan
Derived from the given name Tomàs.
Barbier French
French cognate of Barber.
Van Hassel Dutch
Means "from Hassel", a town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It may be derived from Old Dutch hasal meaning "hazel tree".
Regan Irish
Variant of Reagan.
Lengyel Hungarian
Means "Polish" in Hungarian.
Trần Vietnamese
Vietnamese form of Chen, from Sino-Vietnamese (trần). This is the second most common surname in Vietnam.
Pavičić Croatian
Means "son of Pavao".
Kolbe German
From Middle High German kolbe meaning "club".
MacGregor Scottish
Anglicized form of Gaelic MacGriogair meaning "son of Gregor". It originates from the Highland clan Gregor. A famous bearer was the Scottish folk hero Rob Roy MacGregor (1671-1734).
Grigorescu Romanian
Means "son of Grigore" in Romanian.
Aue German
From German meaning "meadow by a river, wetland". There are many places with this name in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
Shimizu Japanese
From Japanese (shi) meaning "clear, pure, clean" and (mizu) meaning "water".
Hou Chinese
From Chinese (hóu) meaning "lord, nobleman".
Jukić Croatian
Derived from a diminutive of the given name Juraj.
Cowden English
From various English place names, which meaning either "coal valley", "coal hill" or "cow pasture" in Old English.
Wrona Polish
Derived from Polish wrona meaning "crow".
Mikaelsson Swedish
Means "son of Mikael".
Carman 1 English
Occupational name for a carter, from Middle English carre "cart" (of Latin origin) and man "man".
Al-Ghazzawi Arabic
Originally indicated a person who came from Gaza in Palestine.
Ó Ceithearnaigh Irish
Irish Gaelic form of Kearney.
Andrés Spanish
Derived from the given name Andrés.
Cookson English
Patronymic form of Cook.
Rettig German
Derived from Middle High German retich, Middle Low German redik meaning "radish", an occupational name for a grower or seller of radishes.
Jewell English
Derived from the Breton given name Judicaël.
Guttenberg German, Jewish
From the name of various places, derived from Middle High German guot meaning "good" and berg meaning "mountain". As a Jewish surname it is ornamental.
Ardelean Romanian
From the Romanian region of Ardeal, also called Transylvania. It is possibly derived from Hungarian erdő meaning "forest".
Beake English
Variant of Beck 3.
Willard English
From the given name Wilheard or Willihard.
Havener German
Variant of Hafner.
Dürr German
Means "thin" in German.
Ruiz Spanish
Means "son of Ruy" in Spanish.
Ó hÉidín Irish
Means "descendant of Éidín" in Irish. The given name Éidín is a diminutive of éideadh meaning "clothes, armour".
Walther German
From the given name Walther.
González Spanish
Means "son of Gonzalo" in Spanish. This is among the most common surnames in Spain.
Duarte Portuguese, Spanish
From the given name Duarte.
Cola Italian
From the given name Nicola 1.
Jonker Dutch
From the Dutch title jonkheer meaning "young lord". It was originally a medieval noble designation (not an actual title) for a young nobleman.
Marchi Italian
Derived from the given name Marco.
Abasolo Basque
Means "priest's meadow" from Basque abas "priest" and solo "meadow".
Montaña Spanish
Spanish cognate of Montagna.
Illés Hungarian
Derived from the given name Illés.
Linden German, Dutch
Indicated a person who lived near a linden tree, derived from Old High German linta or Old Dutch linda.
Bootsma Frisian
Occupational name meaning "boatman", derived from Dutch boot "boat".
Long English
Originally a nickname for a person who had long limbs or who was tall.
Hashemi Persian
From the given name Hashem.
MacPhàrlain Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic form of McFarlane.
Leonardson English
Means "son of Leonard".
Traverso Italian
Italian form of Travers.
Van der Veen Dutch
Means "from the swamp", from Dutch veen meaning "fen, swamp, peat". It originally indicated a person who resided in a peat district or fen colony.
Queen English
From a given name that was derived from Old English cwen meaning "queen, woman". In some occurrences it may have been a nickname.
Cuijpers Dutch
Variant of Kuiper.
Aggio Italian
Possibly from the name Aggius, probably related to the Germanic name Agi.
Bondar Ukrainian
Means "cooper, barrel maker" in Ukrainian.
Dela Cruz Spanish (Filipinized)
Variant of De la Cruz primarily used in the Philippines (where it is the most common surname).
Cruyssen Dutch
From the name of a place in the Netherlands, derived from kruis "cross".
Alders Dutch
Means "son of Aldert".
Daube German
Variant of Taube.
Nicholson English
Means "son of Nicholas". A famous bearer of this surname is the American actor Jack Nicholson (1937-).
Armati Italian
From Italian armato meaning "armed, armoured, equipped".
Bellandini Italian
Diminutive form of Bellandi.
Martínez Spanish
Means "son of Martín" in Spanish.
Soldati Italian
From Italian soldato meaning "soldier", ultimately from Latin solidus, a type of Roman coin.
Yuuki Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 結城 (see Yūki).
Alesi Italian
From the given name Alessio.
Sobol Ukrainian, Russian, Jewish
Occupational name for a fur trader, from the Slavic word sobolĭ meaning "sable, marten". As a Jewish name it is ornamental.
Ernst German, Dutch, Danish
From the given name Ernst.
Roggeveen Dutch
Means "rye field" in Dutch. A famous bearer was Jacob Roggeveen (1659-1729), the first European explorer to Easter Island.
Stacks English
Variant of Stack.
Sárközi Hungarian
Originally indicated someone from Sárköz, a region in Hungary, derived from sár "mud" and köz "margin, lane".
Ratti Italian
From Italian ratto meaning "rat", originally denoting a sly individual.
Rojo Spanish
Means "red" in Spanish, referring to the colour of the hair or complexion.
Davidsen Danish
Means "son of David".
Agricola Italian
From Latin agricola meaning "farmer".
Griffith Welsh, English
Derived from the Welsh given name Gruffudd.
Aikawa Japanese
From Japanese (ai) meaning "mutually, together", (ai) meaning "love, affection" or (ai) meaning "grief, sorrow" combined with (kawa) or (kawa) both meaning "river, stream".
Knox Scottish
From the name of various places in Scotland and northern England, derived from Scottish Gaelic cnoc "round hill".
Cojocaru Romanian
From Romanian cojoc meaning "sheepskin coat". This was an occupational name for a maker of these coats.
Derricks English
Derived from the given name Derrick.
Romijn Dutch
Derived from the given name Romein.
Pedrotti Italian
From a diminutive of the given name Pietro.
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.
Plaza Spanish
Spanish cognate of Piazza.
Bouvier French
Means "cowherd" in French, from Latin boviarus, a derivative of bos "cow".
Nigel English
Derived from the given name Neil.
Mlakar Slovene, Croatian
Referred to someone who lived near a pool, derived from South Slavic mlaka meaning "pool, puddle".
Irvine 1 Scottish
Originally derived from the name of a Scottish (North Ayrshire) town, which was named for the River Irvine, derived from Brythonic elements meaning "green water".
Abram English
Derived from the given name Abraham.
Sadeghi Persian
From the given name Sadegh.
MacGillEain Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic form of McLean.
Kron German, Swedish
From German Krone and Swedish krona meaning "crown" (from Latin corona), perhaps a nickname for one who worked in a royal household.
Okorie Igbo
From the given name Okorie.
Mitchell 1 English, Scottish
Derived from the given name Michael.
Najm Arabic
From the given name Najm.
Koemans Dutch
Variant of Koopman.
Knopf German
Means "button" in German, originally belonging to a button maker or button seller.
Laganà Italian
Occupational name for a greengrocer, meaning "vegetables" in southern Italian dialects, ultimately from Greek λάχανον (lachanon).
Lupo Italian
From an Italian nickname meaning "wolf".
Graves English
Occupational name for a steward, derived from Middle English greyve, related to the German title Graf.
Li 1 Chinese
From Chinese () meaning "plum, plum tree". This was the surname of Chinese emperors of the Tang dynasty.
Page English, French
Occupational name meaning "servant, page". It is ultimately derived (via Old French and Italian) from Greek παιδίον (paidion) meaning "little boy".
Ó Frighil Irish
Irish Gaelic form of Friel.
Lachapelle French
Means "the chapel" in French, most likely used to denote a person who lived by a church or a chapel.
Pecora Italian
Means "sheep" in Italian, an occupational name for a shepherd.
Winthrop English
Habitational name from the place names Winthrope 1 or Winthrope 2.
De Koning Dutch
Dutch cognate of King.
Curran Irish
Anglicized form of Irish Ó Corraidhín meaning "descendant of Corraidhín".
Fürst German
From a nickname meaning "(sovereign) prince" in German. The word fürst itself is derived from Old High German furisto "first".
Babin French
From the given name Babin, a medieval diminutive of Babylas.
Henningsen Danish
Means "son of Henning".
Pohl 1 Low German
Low German cognate of Poole.
Delaney 1 English
Derived from Norman French de l'aunaie meaning "from the alder grove".
Ayers 1 English
From Middle English eir meaning "heir".
Nicastro Italian
From the name of the town of Nicastro in Calabria, southern Italy.
Roig Catalan
Means "red" in Catalan, from Latin rubeus, originally a nickname for a person with red hair or a red complexion.
Nakamura Japanese
From Japanese (naka) meaning "middle" and (mura) meaning "town, village".
Dohman German
Derived from a diminutive of the given name Thomas.
McCauley Irish, Scottish
Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Amhalghaidh or Mac Amhalghadha meaning "son of Amhalghaidh". The given name Amhalghaidh, from Old Irish Amalgaid, is of uncertain meaning.
Ferri Italian
Variant of Ferro.
Hovhannisyan Armenian
Means "son of Hovhannes" in Armenian.
Dunst German
Derived from Middle High German dunst "haze".
Niklasson Swedish
Means "son of Niklas".
O'Shea Irish
Anglicized form of Ó Séaghdha.
Terrell English
Probably derived from the Norman French nickname tirel meaning "to pull", referring to a stubborn person.
Royston English
Originally taken from an Old English place name meaning "Royse's town". The given name Royse was a medieval variant of Rose.
Seaver English
From the unattested Old English given name Sæfaru, derived from the Old English elements "sea, ocean" and faru "journey".
Maxwell Scottish
From a place name meaning "Mack's stream", from the name Mack, a short form of the Scandinavian name Magnus, combined with Old English wille "well, stream". A famous bearer was James Maxwell (1831-1879), a Scottish physicist who studied gases and electromagnetism.
Finn Irish
Derived from the given name Fionn.
Fortunato Italian
From the given name Fortunato.
Spearing English
Patronymic form of Spear.
Steele English
Occupational name for a steelworker, from Old English stele meaning "steel".
Lundqvist Swedish
Derived from Swedish lund (Old Norse lundr) meaning "grove" and qvist (Old Norse kvistr) meaning "twig, branch".
Laursen Danish
Means "son of Laur", a short form of Laurits.
Tucker English
Occupational name for a fuller of cloth, derived from Old English tucian meaning "offend, torment". A fuller was a person who cleaned and thickened raw cloth by pounding it.
Mårdh Swedish
From Swedish mård meaning "pine marten".
MacRae Scottish
Variant of McRae.
Dickson English
Means "son of Dick 1".
Higashi Japanese
From Japanese (higashi) meaning "east".
Kaspar German
Derived from the given name Kaspar.
Koizumi Japanese
From Japanese (ko) meaning "small" and (izumi) meaning "spring, fountain". A notable bearer of this name is Junichiro Koizumi (1942-), who was Prime Minister of Japan.
Spooner English
Occupational name for a maker of spoons or a maker of shingles, derived from Middle English spone meaning "chip of wood, spoon".
Ravn Danish
Means "raven" in Danish, from Old Norse hrafn.
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".
Hüber German
Variant of Huber.
Lesauvage French
French form of Savage.
Medeiros Portuguese
From various Portuguese place names that were derived from Portuguese medeiro meaning "haystack", ultimately from Latin meta meaning "cone, pyramid".
Akkersdijk Dutch
Originally denoted a person from the town of Akkersdijk, near Delft in the Netherlands. It means "field by the dyke" in Dutch.
Mac Branáin Irish
Means "son of Branán" in Irish. The given name Branán is a diminutive of Bran 1.
Van Agteren Dutch
Means "from behind", probably referring to a place behind something, such as a building or a place at the end of the road.
Yoshino Japanese
From Japanese (yoshi) meaning "good luck" and (no) meaning "field, wilderness".
Walentowicz Polish
Means "son of Walenty".
Seegers Dutch
Means "son of Sieger".
Cartwright English
Occupational name indicating one who made carts.
Filip um Romanian, Polish, Czech, Slovak
Derived from the given name Filip.
Dunn English, Scottish, Irish
Derived from Old English dunn "dark" or Gaelic donn "brown", referring to hair colour or complexion.
Starr English
From Middle English sterre meaning "star". This was usually a nickname, but it could also occasionally be a sign name from the name of an inn called the Star.
Shelby English
Variant of Selby.
Abbink Dutch
From various Dutch places meaning "(farm) belonging to Abbe".
Stolarz Polish
Occupational name from Polish stolarz meaning "joiner, maker of furniture".
Bunschoten Dutch
Originally indicated a person from the Dutch town of Bunschoten, which might mean "raised, enclosed land".
Ainsley Scottish
From a place name: either Annesley in Nottinghamshire or Ansley in Warwickshire. The place names themselves derive from Old English anne "alone, solitary" or ansetl "hermitage" and leah "woodland, clearing".
Abrami Italian
Derived from the given name Abramo.
Jørgensen Danish
Means "son of Jørgen".
Ferrari Italian
Occupational name for a metalworker or smith, derived from Latin ferrarius, a derivative of ferrum meaning "iron".
Bunker English
Derived from Old French bon cuer meaning "good heart".
Böhm German
Originally indicated a person from the region of Bohemia (Böhmen in German).
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.
Hoedemaker Dutch
Occupational name for a hat maker, from Dutch hoed "hat" and maker "maker".
Normand French
French form of Norman.
Papp 2 German
Nickname perhaps related to Latin pappo meaning "to eat".
Suen Chinese (Cantonese)
Cantonese romanization of Sun.
Berne Irish
Variant of O'Byrne.
Sugiyama Japanese
From Japanese (sugi) meaning "cedar" and (yama) meaning "mountain, hill".
Ó Maoláin Irish
Irish Gaelic form of Mullen.
Zajec Slovene
Means "hare" in Slovene.
Peura Finnish
Means "deer" in Finnish.
Szwed Polish
Variant of Szweda.
Murtas Sardinian
From Sardinian murta meaning "myrtle".
MacColuim Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic form of MacCallum.
McKinley Scottish
Anglicized form of MacFhionnlaigh. This name was borne by the American president William McKinley (1843-1901), who was assassinated.
Escárcega Spanish
Derived from the Basque place name Eskarzaga, which itself is derived from Basque hazkar "maple".
Klaasen Dutch
Means "son of Klaas".
Waller 2 English
Derived from Old English weall meaning "wall", denoting a builder of walls or someone who lived near a prominent wall.
Ó Maoil Eoin Irish
Irish Gaelic form of Malone.
Petit French, Catalan, English
Means "small, little" derived from Old French and Catalan petit. It was perhaps used for a short, small person or to denote the younger of two individuals.
Lundin Swedish
Variant of Lund.
Wyrick Polish (Anglicized)
Americanized form of Wyrzyk.
Žagar Slovene
Occupational name for a woodcutter, from Slovene žaga meaning "saw".
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".
Moss 2 English
From the given name Moses.
Stanley English
From various place names meaning "stone clearing" in Old English. A notable bearer was the British-American explorer and journalist Henry Morton Stanley (1841-1904).
Hopson English
Variant of Hobson.
Kitagawa Japanese
From Japanese (kita) meaning "north" and (kawa) meaning "river, stream". A famous bearer was the artist and printmaker Kitagawa Utamaro (1753-1806).
Schindler German
Occupational name for a roof tiler, from Middle High German schindel "shingle". A famous bearer was Oskar Schindler (1908-1974), who saved over a thousand Polish Jews during World War II.
Kelly 1 Irish
Anglicized form of Irish Ó Ceallaigh meaning "descendant of Ceallach". Famous bearers include actor and dancer Gene Kelly (1912-1996) and actress and princess Grace Kelly (1929-1982).
Gereben Hungarian
Means "hackle, hatchel" in Hungarian (a hackle is a tool used to comb out fibers).
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.
Vlahović Serbian, Croatian
Patronymic from Serbo-Croatian Vlah meaning "Romanian, Wallachian".
Holt English, Dutch, Danish, Norwegian
From Old English, Old Dutch and Old Norse holt meaning "forest".
MacCoughlan Irish
Means "son of Cochlán". The given name Cochlán is derived from Irish cochal meaning "cape" or "hood".
Mac Néill Irish
Irish form of McNeil.
Nikula Finnish
From the given name Niku, a Finnish form of Nicholas.
Björk Swedish
From Swedish björk meaning "birch tree", Old Norse bjǫrk.
Crawley English
From various place names derived from Old English crawe "crow" and leah "woodland, clearing".
Sakurada Japanese
From Japanese (sakura) meaning "cherry blossom" and (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".
Kahler German
From a nickname derived from German kahl meaning "bald".
Willey English
Variant of Wiley.
Kane Irish
Anglicized form of Ó Catháin.
Mac an Bhaird Irish
Irish Gaelic form of Ward 2.
Gerber German
Means "tanner, leather dresser" in German, derived from Old High German garawen meaning "to prepare".
Baggins Literature
Created by J. R. R. Tolkien for the hobbit Bilbo Baggins, the hero of The Hobbit (1937), and also for his cousin Frodo Baggins, the hero of The Lord of the Rings (1954). He probably derived it from the English word bag. The Baggins family home was called Bag End, and Tolkien himself had an aunt who owned a farm by this name, so that may have been his inspiration. Tolkien used English-like translations of many hobbit names; according to his notes the real hobbit-language form of the surname was Labingi.
Teke 2 Turkish
Occupational name for a goat herder, from Turkish teke "goat".
Anton Romanian
From the given name Anton.
Addison English
Means "son of Addy 2".
Holm Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
From Swedish, Danish and Norwegian holme, holm meaning "islet" (Old Norse holmr).
Van Aarle Dutch
Variant of Aarle.
Yamazaki Japanese
From Japanese (yama) meaning "mountain" and (saki) meaning "cape, peninsula".
MacCormaic Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic form of McCormick.
Klassen German
Means "son of Klaus".
Nussbaum German, Jewish
Means "nut tree", derived from the German Nuss "nut" and Baum "tree".
Østergård Danish
From Danish øst meaning "east" and gård meaning "enclosure, farm".
Niemec Polish
Means "German" in Polish.
Gwózdek Polish
Derived from either archaic Polish gwozd meaning "forest" or gwóźdź meaning "nail".
Hartell English
From various place names derived from Old English heorot "hart, male deer" and hyll "hill".
Sheinfeld Jewish
Ornamental name derived from German schön "beautiful, good, nice" and feld "field".
Lundström Swedish
From Swedish lund (Old Norse lundr) meaning "grove" and ström (Old Norse straumr) meaning "stream".
Faraldo Italian
From a given name, ultimately the Germanic name Faroald.
Curie French
Occupational name for a farm hand, from Old French éscuerie "stable". Famous bearers were the married scientists Marie (1867-1934) and Pierre Curie (1859-1906), who studied radioactivity.
Baart Dutch
Means "beard" in Dutch, originally describing a person who wore a beard.
Anand Hindi, Punjabi, Marathi
Means "happiness, bliss" in Sanskrit.
Álvarez Spanish
Means "son of Álvaro".
Aikema Frisian
Means "son of Aike".
Alserda Frisian
Designated a person who was from a farm called Alserd, of uncertain meaning.
Neal English
Derived from the given name Neil.
Clément French
Derived from the given name Clément.
Roth German, Jewish
From Middle High German rot meaning "red". It was originally a nickname for a person with red hair.
Meyer 2 Jewish
From Hebrew מֵאִיר (meir) meaning "enlightened".
Bell 2 English
Derived from the given name Bel, a medieval short form of Isabel.
Audley English
From a place name meaning "Ealdgyð's clearing" in Old English.
Hirsch 2 Jewish
Derived from the given name Hirsh.
Ayers 2 English
Derived from the given name Ealhhere.
Ahmed Arabic, Urdu, Bengali, Indian (Muslim)
Derived from the given name Ahmad.
Émile French
Derived from the given name Émile.
Jankovič Slovene
Means "son of Janko".
Strickland English
From the name of a town in Cumbria, derived from Old English stirc "calf, young bullock" and land "cultivated land".