Browse Surnames

This is a list of surnames in which the gender is unisex; and the order is random.
usage
gender
Carter English
Occupational name for a person who operated a cart to transport goods, from Norman French caretier. A famous bearer was the American president Jimmy Carter (1924-2024).
Luna Spanish
From various places in Spain meaning "moon".
Van Antwerp Dutch
Means "from Antwerp", a city in Belgium.
Sierżant Polish
Polish cognate of Sergeant.
Bachmann German
Denoted a person who lived near a stream, from Middle High German bach "stream" and man "man".
Mitrović Serbian
Means "son of Mitar".
Josephson English
Means "son of Joseph".
Joó Hungarian
Variant of .
Proulx French
Derived from Old French preu meaning "valiant, brave".
Tumicelli Italian
Possibly from a diminutive of the given name Bartolomeo.
Dickinson English
Means "son of Dicun", Dicun being a medieval diminutive of Dick 1. American poet Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) was a famous bearer.
Pettersen Norwegian
Means "son of Petter".
Ó Rabhartaigh Irish
Irish Gaelic form of Rafferty.
Oja Estonian
Means "brook, creek" in Estonian.
Martin English, French, German, Swedish
Derived from the given name Martin. This is the most common surname in France.
Venczel Hungarian
Derived from the given name Vencel.
Janzen Dutch
Means "son of Jan 1".
Aldebrandi Italian
Means "son of Aldebrando", an Italian form of Aldebrand.
Winton English
Derived from the name of several English villages. Their names derive from Old English meaning "enclosure belonging to Wine".
McWilliam Scottish
Means "son of William" in Gaelic.
Baldwin English
Derived from the given name Baldwin.
Bermúdez Spanish
Means "son of Bermudo".
Erdős Hungarian
Occupational name meaning "forester", derived from Hungarian erdő "forest".
Bähr German
From Middle High German bër "bear" or ber "boar". This was originally a nickname for a strong or brave person.
Azarola Basque
Possibly from Basque azeri meaning "fox".
Bertolini Italian
Derived from a diminutive of the given name Bertoldo.
Bellandini Italian
Diminutive form of Bellandi.
Sacco Italian
Occupational name for a maker of sacks, from Italian sacco, Latin saccus.
Ó Caiside Irish
Irish Gaelic form of Cassidy.
Poingdestre Jèrriais
Jèrriais form of Poindexter.
Gonçalves Portuguese
Means "son of Gonçalo" in Portuguese.
Albani Italian
Derived from the given name Albano.
Hambleton English
From various English place names, derived from Old English hamel "crooked, mutilated" and tun "enclosure, yard, town".
Ong Chinese (Hokkien)
Min Nan romanization of Wang 1.
Roma Italian
Variant of Romano 2.
Ely English
From the name of a town in eastern England meaning "eel district".
Altena Dutch
From the name of a town in the Netherlands, possibly meaning "close, near" in Dutch.
Clausen Danish
Means "son of Claus".
Albers Dutch
Means "son of Albert".
Reis German, Jewish
From Middle High German ris meaning "twig, branch, bush", denoting a person who lived in an overgrown area. As a Jewish name it is ornamental.
Tkachuk Ukrainian
From Ukrainian ткач (tkach) meaning "weaver".
Perrier French
Occupational name for a person who worked with stone, derived from French pierre meaning "stone", from Latin petra, Greek πέτρα (petra).
Chlebek Polish
From Polish chleb "bread", used to denote a baker.
Béranger French
From the given name Bérenger.
Ó Dubhthaigh Irish
Irish Gaelic form of Duffy 1.
Josephs English
Derived from the given name Joseph.
Ruud Norwegian
Derived from Old Norse ruð meaning "cleared land".
Umar Arabic, Urdu
From the given name Umar.
Raine 2 English, French
Derived from a Germanic name that was short for longer names beginning with the element ragin meaning "advice, counsel".
Moloney Irish
From Irish Ó Maol Dhomhnaigh meaning "descendant of a church servant".
Keith Scottish
From a place name that is probably derived from the Brythonic element cet meaning "wood". This was the surname of a long line of Scottish nobles.
Muraro Italian
Occupational name for a wall builder, from Italian murare meaning "to wall up".
Holst Danish, Low German, Dutch
Originally referred to a person from the region of Holstein between Germany and Denmark. A famous bearer of this name was the English composer Gustav Holst (1874-1934).
Grimm German
From a nickname for a stern person, derived from Old High German grim "stern, severe, angry". Famous bearers include Jacob (1785-1863) and Wilhelm Grimm (1786-1859), known for compiling German folktales.
Dior French
Possibly from French doré meaning "golden". A famous bearer was the French fashion designer Christian Dior (1905-1957).
Benetton Italian
Northern Italian variant of Benedetti.
Savage English
English nickname meaning "wild, uncouth", derived from Old French salvage or sauvage meaning "untamed", ultimately from Latin silvaticus meaning "wild, from the woods".
Philips English, Dutch
Means "son of Philip". Famous bearers of this surname were Frederick Philips (1830-1900) and his son Gerard (1858-1942), the Dutch founders of the company Philips.
McAdams Scottish, Irish
Means "son of Adam" in Gaelic.
Rapallino Italian
From the name of the town of Rapallo near Genoa.
Butler English, Irish
Occupational name derived from Norman French butiller "wine steward", ultimately from Late Latin butticula "bottle". A famous bearer of this surname is the fictional character Rhett Butler, created by Margaret Mitchell for her novel Gone with the Wind (1936).
Norris 1 English, Scottish
Means "from the north" from Old French norreis. It either denoted someone who originated in the north or someone who lived in the northern part of a settlement.
Kalb German
Occupational name meaning "calf (animal)" in German.
Fitzgerald Irish
Means "son of Gerald" in Anglo-Norman French. It was brought to Ireland with William the Conqueror. A famous bearer was Ella Fitzgerald (1917-1996), an American jazz singer.
Bowen Welsh
From Welsh ap Owain meaning "son of Owain".
Austin English
Derived from the given name Austin.
Gevorgian Armenian
Alternate transcription of Armenian Գեւորգյան (see Gevorgyan).
Patil Marathi
Means "village chief" in Marathi.
Aikema Frisian
Means "son of Aike".
Strudwick English
From an English place name derived from Old English strod meaning "marshy ground overgrown with brushwood" and wic meaning "village, town".
Nelissen Dutch
Means "son of Cornelis".
Holmström Swedish
From Swedish holme (Old Norse holmr) meaning "small island" and ström (Old Norse straumr) meaning "stream".
Hu Chinese
From Chinese () meaning "beard, whiskers, recklessly, wildly, barbarian".
Stasyuk Ukrainian
Alternate transcription of Ukrainian Стасюк (see Stasiuk).
Babič Slovene
Slovene form of Babić.
Linville English
From an unknown place name.
Van Althuis Dutch
Dutch cognate of Althaus.
Görög Hungarian
Means "Greek" in Hungarian.
Shirakawa Japanese
From Japanese (shira) meaning "white" and (kawa) meaning "river, stream".
Branco Portuguese
Means "white" in Portuguese, referring to someone with light skin or hair.
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.
Albescu Romanian
Derived from Romanian alb meaning "white".
Alma Frisian
Means "son of Ale 2", the suffix -ma indicating that it is of Frisian origin.
Albertson English
Means "son of Albert".
Luther German
From the old given name Leuthar. It was notably borne by the religious reformer Martin Luther (1483-1546).
Trengove English
Originally indicated a person from Trengove in Cornwall, England.
Wilk Polish
Means "wolf" in Polish.
Romagna Italian
From the region of Romagna, on the Adriatic coast of Italy. It is derived from Latin Romania meaning "land of the Romans".
Lecomte French
Means "the count" in French, a nickname for someone in the service of a count or for someone who behaved like one.
Bauer German
From Old High German bur meaning "peasant, farmer".
Boerefijn Dutch
Possibly an adaptation of French beurre fin meaning "good butter".
Plaskett English
Originally denoted a dweller by a swampy meadow, from Old French plascq meaning "wet meadow".
Magro Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
From a nickname meaning "thin, lean", ultimately from Latin macer.
Jernigan English
Possibly derived from the old Breton name Iarnogon meaning "iron famous".
Etxebarria Basque
Original Basque form of Echeverría.
Mills English
Originally given to one who lived near a mill or who worked in a mill, from Middle English mille.
Walmsley English
Originally denoted a person from the English town of Walmersley.
Agnelli Italian
From Italian agnello meaning "lamb" (ultimately from Latin agnus), denoting a pious or timid person.
Arrighetti Italian
Means "son of Arrighetto", a diminutive of the given name Arrigo.
Friel Irish
From the Irish Ó Frighil meaning "descendant of Fearghal".
Severijns Dutch
Derived from the Latin given name Severinus.
Milojević Serbian
Means "son of Miloje".
Hooper English
Occupational name for someone who put the metal hoops around wooden barrels.
Arkes Dutch
Means "son of Arke 2".
Kis Hungarian
Variant of Kiss.
Pfenning German
From Old High German pfenning meaning "penny, coin". It was used in reference to feudal tax obligations.
Yūki Japanese
From Japanese () meaning "tie, bind" and (ki) meaning "castle".
Brunetti Italian
Diminutive of Bruno.
Frye English
Variant of Fry.
Gully English
Nickname for a big person, from Middle English golias meaning "giant" (ultimately from Goliath, the Philistine warrior who was slain by David in the Old Testament).
Văduva Romanian
From Romanian văduvă meaning "widow".
Dean 1 English
Derived from Middle English dene meaning "valley".
Mac Suibhne Irish
Means "son of Suibhne" in Irish.
Glazier English
Means "glass worker, glazier", from Old English glæs meaning "glass".
Reeves English
Variant of Reeve.
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").
Demirci Turkish
Means "blacksmith" in Turkish.
Takala Finnish
Means "(dweller in the) back", probably denoting someone who lived in a remote area, from Finnish taka.
Nicodemo Italian
Derived from the given name Nicodemo.
Avery English
Derived from a Norman French form of the given names Alberich or Alfred.
Rasch German
German form of Rask.
John English
Derived from the given name John. A famous bearer is British musician Elton John (1947-), born Reginald Dwight.
Abdulrashid Arabic
Derived from the given name Abd ar-Rashid.
Perugia Italian
From the name of the city of Perugia in Umbria, Italy. It was known as Perusia in the classical period, and it is of Etruscan origin.
Barber English, Scottish
Indicated a barber, one who cut hair for a living, ultimately from Latin barba "beard".
Dustin English
From the Old Norse given name Þórsteinn.
Waller 1 English
Derived from Old French gallier meaning "person with a pleasant temper".
Haley English
From the name of an English town meaning "hay clearing", from Old English heg "hay" and leah "woodland, clearing".
Björkman Swedish
From Swedish björk (Old Norse bjǫrk) meaning "birch tree" and man (Old Norse maðr) meaning "person, man".
Kuroda Japanese
From Japanese (kuro) meaning "black" and (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".
Kallio Finnish
Means "rock, outcrop" in Finnish.
Szwedko Polish
Variant of Szweda.
Nicotera Italian
From the name of the town of Nicotera in Calabria.
Trent English
Denoted one who lived near the River Trent in England.
Inada Japanese
From Japanese (ina) meaning "rice plant" and (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".
Lie Norwegian
From Norwegian li, Old Norse hlíð meaning "hillside, slope".
McFarlane Scottish, Irish
Anglicized form of Scottish Gaelic MacPhàrlain or Irish Gaelic Mac Pharlain meaning "son of Parthalán".
Houtkooper Dutch
Means "buyer of wood" in Dutch.
Talbot English
Of Norman origin, possibly derived from an unattested Germanic given name composed of the elements dala "to destroy" and bod "message".
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).
Duchamp French
Variant of Deschamps. A famous bearer was the French artist Marcel Duchamp (1887-1968).
Bergfalk Swedish
Derived from Swedish berg meaning "mountain" and falk (Old Norse falki) meaning "falcon".
Barrett English
Probably derived from the Middle English word barat meaning "trouble, deception", originally given to a quarrelsome person.
Corwin English
Derived from Old French cordoan "leather", ultimately from the name of the Spanish city of Cordova.
Mathers English
Occupational name meaning "mower, cutter of hay" in Old English.
Brock English
Derived from Old English brocc meaning "badger", ultimately of Celtic origin.
Aldana Basque
From the name of a Basque town, derived from aldats meaning "slope".
Stumpf German
Nickname for a short person or a topographic name someone who lived near a prominent stump, from Middle High German stumpf.
Santos Portuguese, Spanish
From Portuguese and Spanish santo meaning "saint", ultimately from Latin sanctus. This was a nickname for a pious person.
Kyler Dutch (Anglicized)
Anglicized form of Cuyler.
Atwood English
From Middle English meaning "dweller at the wood".
Song Chinese, Korean
From Chinese (sòng) referring to the Song dynasty, which ruled China from 960 to 1279.
Yamada Japanese
From Japanese (yama) meaning "mountain" and (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".
Morce English
Variant of Morriss.
Trask English
Originally indicated a person from Thirsk, North Yorkshire, derived from Old Norse þresk meaning "fen, marsh".
Kleid Jewish
Occupational name for a tailor, from Old High German kleid meaning "garment, clothing".
Bueno Spanish
From a nickname meaning "good" in Spanish.
Feldt German, Danish, Swedish
North German, Danish and Swedish variant of Feld.
Levchenko Ukrainian
Derived from the given name Lev 1.
Smolak Polish
Occupational name for a distiller of pitch, derived from the Old Slavic word smola meaning "pitch, resin".
Gallo Italian, Spanish
Means "rooster", ultimately from Latin gallus. This was a nickname for a proud person.
Horsfall English
From a minor place in Yorkshire derived from Old English hors "horse" and fall "clearing".
Dumitru Romanian
Derived from the given name Dumitru.
Patrickson English
Means "son of Patrick".
Zsoldos Hungarian
Means "mercenary" in Hungarian.
Matsuoka Japanese
From Japanese (matsu) meaning "pine tree, fir tree" and (oka) meaning "hill, ridge".
Mateu Catalan
Derived from the given name Mateu.
Vico Italian, Spanish
Means "town, village", derived from Latin vicus.
Tomàs Catalan
Derived from the given name Tomàs.
Powell Welsh, English
Derived from Welsh ap Hywel meaning "son of Hywel".
Macías Spanish
Derived from the given name Mateo.
Peerenboom Dutch
From Dutch meaning "pear tree", referring to someone who lived or worked at a pear orchard.
Abelló Catalan
From the Latin given name Abellio, which may have been derived from the name of a Pyrenean god.
Ruzzier Italian
From a dialectal variant of Ruggiero. It is typical of northeastern Italy, the area around Trieste.
MacCrumb Scottish
Anglicized form of MacChruim.
Oomen Dutch
Patronymic derived from Middle Dutch oom meaning "(maternal) uncle".
Nickleby Literature
Created by Charles Dickens for the title character in his novel Nicholas Nickleby (1839). He probably based it on Nicol, a medieval vernacular form of Nicholas, with the common English place name suffix -by, which is derived from Old Norse býr meaning "farm, settlement".
Gerst German
Occupational name for a barley farmer, derived from Old High German gersta "barley".
Van Aarle Dutch
Variant of Aarle.
Kawa Polish
Derived from Polish kawka "jackdaw".
Kovalchuk Ukrainian, Russian
Derived from Ukrainian коваль (koval) meaning "blacksmith".
Grayson English
Means "son of the steward", derived from Middle English greyve "steward".
Byström Swedish
From Swedish by (Old Norse býr) meaning "village" and ström (Old Norse straumr) meaning "stream".
Fürst German
From a nickname meaning "(sovereign) prince" in German. The word fürst itself is derived from Old High German furisto "first".
Penn 1 English
Derived from various place names that were named using the Brythonic word penn meaning "hilltop, head".
Antonio Spanish
From the given name Antonio.
Lucas English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Dutch
Derived from the given name Lucas. A famous bearer of this surname is George Lucas (1944-), the creator of the Star Wars movies.
Ó Murchadha Irish
Irish Gaelic form of Murphy.
De la Fuente Spanish
Means "of the fountain" in Spanish.
Marchand English, French
Occupational name meaning "merchant", ultimately from Latin mercari "to trade".
Gauthier French
Derived from the given name Gauthier.
Mihai Romanian
From the given name Mihai.
Qasim Arabic
Derived from the given name Qasim.
Salvador Spanish, Portuguese
From the given name Salvador.
Lenz German
From a nickname meaning "springtime" in German.
Samsa Hungarian
Derived from a diminutive of the given name Sámuel.
Aita Italian
Originally denoted a person from Aieta, Italy, a place name derived from Greek ἀετός (aetos) meaning "eagle".
Schuchardt German
From Middle High German schuochwürte meaning "shoemaker, cobbler".
Selvaggio Italian
Italian form of Savage.
Sörös Hungarian
From Hungarian sör meaning "beer". Originally the name was given to beer brewers.
Biskup Polish
Polish cognate of Bishop.
Villa Italian, Spanish
Means "town" in Italian and Spanish, from Latin. It was originally given to a person who came from a town, as opposed to the countryside.
Copperfield Literature
Created from the English words copper and field by the author Charles Dickens, who used it for the title character in his novel David Copperfield (1850).
Al-Ghazzawi Arabic
Originally indicated a person who came from Gaza in Palestine.
Winterbottom English
From Old English winter meaning "winter" and botm meaning "ground, soil, bottom". This name probably referred to a winter pasture at the bottom of a lowland valley.
Cloutier French
Derived from French clou meaning "nail", referring to someone who made or sold nails.
Sartre French
French cognate of Sarto. A famous bearer was the French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre (1905-1980).
Ansaldi Italian
Means "son of Ansaldo".
Taniguchi Japanese
From Japanese (tani) meaning "valley" and (kuchi) meaning "mouth, entrance".
Morimoto Japanese
From Japanese (mori) meaning "forest" and (moto) meaning "base, root, origin".
Markey Irish
From the Irish Ó Marcaigh meaning "descendant of Marcach", a given name meaning "horse rider".
Foley Irish
From Irish Ó Foghladha meaning "descendant of Foghlaidh". The byname Foghlaidh meant "pirate, marauder, plunderer".
Bruce Scottish
Possibly from the name of the town of Brix in Normandy, which is of unknown meaning. It was brought to Scotland in the 12th century by the Anglo-Norman baron Robert de Brus. It was later borne by his descendant Robert the Bruce, a hero of the 14th century who achieved independence from England and became the king of Scotland.
Perić Croatian, Serbian
Means "son of Pero".
Perrault French
From a diminutive of the given name Pierre.
Zeelen Dutch
Derived from the given name Ceel.
Văn Vietnamese
Vietnamese form of Wen, from Sino-Vietnamese (văn).
Campana Italian, Spanish
Occupational name from Late Latin campana meaning "bell", ultimately derived from the Italian region of Campania, where bells were produced.
Man Chinese (Cantonese)
Cantonese romanization of Wen.
Parma Italian
From the city of Parma in northern Italy, the name of which is probably of Etruscan origin.
Carrara Italian
From the name of a city in Tuscany famous for its marble quarries. It is probably derived from Late Latin quadreria meaning "quarry".
Burgess English
From Middle English and Old French burgeis meaning "city-dweller", ultimately from Frankish burg "fortress".
Skov Danish
Topographic name meaning "forest, wood" in Danish, from Old Norse skógr.
Poletti Italian
From a diminutive of the given name Paolo. This name is typical of northern and central Italy.
Nishiyama Japanese
From Japanese 西 (nishi) meaning "west" and (yama) meaning "mountain, hill".
Blanxart Catalan
Catalan form of Blanchard.
Okorie Igbo
From the given name Okorie.
Augustin French, German
From the given name Augustin.
Gabriels English
Derived from the given name Gabriel.
Manning 1 English
Patronymic form of Mann.
Ó Díomasaigh Irish
Irish Gaelic form of Dempsey.
Frisk Swedish
From Swedish frisk "healthy", which was derived from the Middle Low German word vrisch "fresh, young, frisky".
Coupe English
From Middle English coupe meaning "barrel", a name for a barrel maker or cooper.
Kundakçı Turkish
From Turkish kundak meaning "stock, wooden part of a rifle".
McConnell Scottish, Irish
Derived from Gaelic MacDhòmhnaill (see MacDonald).
Acone Italian
Possibly from the name of a harbour in Bithynia (in modern Turkey).
Layton English
Derived from the name of English towns, meaning "town with a leek garden" in Old English.
Van Assen Dutch
Means "from Assen", a city in the Netherlands, which is possibly from essen meaning "ash trees".
Kidd English
From a nickname meaning "young goat, kid" in Middle English, of Old Norse origin.
Suess German
Variant of Süß. A famous bearer was the American children's author Dr. Seuss (1904-1991), who was born Theodor Seuss Geisel.
Lyon 2 English, French
From a nickname derived from Old French and Middle English lion meaning "lion".
Kalbfleisch German
Occupational name for a butcher who dealt in veal, from German kalb meaning "calf" and fleisch meaning "meat".
Kumięga Polish
Possibly from Polish kum "godfather, friend" or komięga "raft, barge".
Okumura Japanese
From Japanese (oku) meaning "inside" and (mura) meaning "town, village".
Hummel 1 German, Dutch
Derived from the given name Humbert.
Jennings English
From the given name Jenyn, a diminutive of Jen, itself a Middle English form of John.
Rosa Italian, Catalan
Italian and Catalan form of Rose 1.
Dirchs Dutch (Rare)
Means "son of Dirk".
Haan Dutch
Variant of De Haan.
Salih Arabic
From the given name Salih.
Blažević Croatian
Means "son of Blaž".
Hopkins English
Patronymic formed from a diminutive of Hob.
Meadows English
Referred to one who lived in a meadow, from Old English mædwe.
Moore 1 English
Originally indicated a person who lived on a moor, from Middle English mor meaning "open land, bog".
Chapman English
Occupational name derived from Old English ceapmann meaning "merchant, trader".
Beck 2 German
Variant of Becker, from southern German beck.
Alfredsson Swedish
Means "son of Alfred".
Correia Portuguese
Means "leather strap, belt" in Portuguese, denoting a person who worked with leather products.
Bain English
Variant of Baines 2.
Caulfield English
From a place name meaning "cold field", from Old English ceald "cold" and feld "pasture, field".
Booker English
Occupational name meaning "book maker", derived from Old English boc "book".
Garrison English
Means "son of Gerard" or "son of Gerald".
Reece Welsh
Derived from the given name Rhys.
Burnett English
Means "brown" in Middle English, from Old French brunet, a diminutive of brun.
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.
Giffard French, English
Possibly from Old French gifart meaning "chubby" or possibly from the Germanic name Gebhard. Walter Giffard was one of the Norman companions of William the Conqueror.
Arkema Frisian
Means "son of Arke 2".
Aleksić Serbian
Means "son of Aleksa".
Wash English
Derived from the Norman name Wazo.
Courtois French
French form of Curtis.
Wardrobe English
From Old French warder "to guard" and robe "garment", an occupational name for a servant responsible for the clothing in a household.
Choudhury Bengali
Alternate transcription of Bengali চৌধুরী (see Chowdhury).