Browse Surnames

Pettigrew English
Derived from Norman French petit "small" and cru "growth".

Ahonen Finnish
From Finnish aho meaning "meadow, glade".

Ó Raghailligh Irish
Means "descendant of Raghailligh", an Irish given name of unknown meaning.

Waters 1 English
Originally given to a person who lived near the water.

Igarashi Japanese
From Japanese 五十 (i) meaning "fifty", an unwritten subject marker が (ga), and 嵐 (arashi) meaning "storm".

Cremaschi Italian
From the name of the city of Crema in Lombardy, northern Italy.

Ölvirsson Icelandic
Means "son of Ölvir".

Wyman English
From the Old English given name Wigmund.

Dragić Serbian, Croatian, Slovene
Patronymic from any of the Slavic given names starting with Drag (see Drago).

Stoica Romanian
From Romanian stoic meaning "stoic, impassive".

Lysenko Ukrainian
From a nickname, either from Ukrainian лис (lys) meaning "fox" or лисий (lysy) meaning "bald".

Courtois French
French form of Curtis.

Saab Arabic
Means "hard, difficult" in Arabic.

Bukoski Polish (Anglicized)
Variant of Bukowski.

Agthoven Dutch
Variant of Achthoven.

Weasley Literature
Used by J. K. Rowling for the character of Ron Weasley (and other members of his family) in her Harry Potter series of books, first released in 1997. Rowling presumably derived it from the English word weasel, perhaps in combination with the common place name/surname suffix -ley, which is derived from Old English leah meaning "woodland, clearing".

Bayer German
Originally denoted a person from Bavaria, from its German name Bayern.

Fiedler German
Means "fiddler" in German.

Knutson Swedish
Variant of Knutsson.

Solak Turkish
From the nickname solak meaning "left-handed".

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

Oberst German
From Old High German obar meaning "above, upper", indicating a person from the uppermost end of a village or the top of a house.

Ottosen Danish, Norwegian
Means "son of Otto".

Arnesen Norwegian
Means "son of Arne 1".

Solomon English, Romanian, Jewish
Derived from the given name Solomon.

Rowan Irish
Anglicized form of Ó Ruadháin.

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

Aalmers Dutch (Rare)
Means "son of Aalmar", a Dutch form of Adelmar.

Coste French
French form of Costa.

Cheng 1 Chinese
From Chinese 程 (chéng) meaning "rule, order, regulations", also referring to the territory of Cheng (in present-day Henan province) that existed during the Zhou dynasty.

Nixon English
Means "son of Nick". A famous bearer was the American president Richard Nixon (1913-1994).

Slade English
Derived from Old English slæd meaning "valley".

Friseal Scottish Gaelic
Gaelic form of Fraser.

Micheli Italian
From the given name Michele 1.

Holland 2 Dutch, German, English
Indicated a person from the Dutch province of Holland 1.

Yancy Dutch (Anglicized)
Americanized form of Jansen.

Schultze German
Variant of Schulz.

Ó Cuirc Irish
Irish Gaelic form of Quirke.

Aston 1 English
From a place name meaning "east town" in Old English.

Lê Vietnamese
Vietnamese form of Li 2, from Sino-Vietnamese 黎 (lê). This is the third most common surname in Vietnam.

Jackson English
Means "son of Jack". Famous bearers of this name include the American president Andrew Jackson (1767-1845) and the singer Michael Jackson (1958-2009).

Bergmann German
From Old High German berg meaning "mountain" and man meaning "man", originally denoting someone who lived on a mountain.

Shinohara Japanese
From Japanese 篠 (shino) meaning "dwarf bamboo" and 原 (hara) meaning "field, plain".

Thompson English
Means "son of Thomas".

Messer German
Occupational name for a person who made knives, from Middle High German messer "knife".

Tanzi Italian
From a short form of the given name Costanzo.

Morandi Italian
From the medieval given name Morando, an Italian form of Morandus.

Bureau French
From Old French burel, a diminutive of bure, a type of woollen cloth. It may have originated as a nickname for a person who dressed in the material or as an occupational name for someone who worked with it.

Grier Scottish
Derived from the given name Gregor.

Blom Swedish
Means "bloom, flower" in Swedish.

Bonnet French
From the given name Bonitus.

Bellerose French
Means "beautiful rose" in French.

Bryan English
From the given name Brian.

Van Alst Dutch
Means "from Aalst", the name of towns in Belgium and the Netherlands, which is possibly from Germanic *alhs meaning "temple, shelter".

O'Callaghan Irish
Variant of Callahan.

Rocca Italian
Italian cognate of Roach.

Lawson English
Means "son of Laurence 1".

Vinci 2 Italian
Originally indicated a person from Vinci near Florence, the birthplace of Leonardo da Vinci.

Modugno Italian
From the town of Modugno, in Apulia in southern Italy. It is the surname of the Italian actor and singer Domenico Modugno (1928-1994).

Turchi Italian
Means "Turkish" in Italian.

Rowland English
Derived from the given name Roland.

Thayer French (Anglicized)
Americanized form of Tailler.

Adolfsson Swedish
Means "son of Adolf".

Breisacher German
Originally denoted one who came from the town of Breisach, in Germany. The town's name is possibly from a Celtic word meaning "breakwater".

Couch Cornish
From Cornish cough "red", indicating the original bearer had red hair.

Rossini Italian
Diminutive form of Rossi. A famous bearer was the Italian composer Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868).

Jurković Croatian
Patronymic derived from a diminutive of Jure.

Aliprandi Italian
Means "son of Alibrand".

Papakonstantinou Greek
Means "son of Konstantinos the priest", from Greek πάπας (papas) combined with the given name Konstantinos.

Talbot English
Of Norman origin, possibly derived from an unattested Germanic given name composed of the elements dala "to destroy" and bod "message".

Maradona Spanish
From the name of a place near Lugo in northern Spain. A notable bearer is the former Argentinian soccer star Diego Maradona (1960-2020).

Nishimura Japanese
From Japanese 西 (nishi) meaning "west" and 村 (mura) meaning "town, village".

Amadori Italian
Means "son of Amatore".

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".

Hobbes English
Derived from the medieval given name Hob. A famous bearer of this name was British political philosopher Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679), the author of Leviathan.

Fülöp Hungarian
Derived from the given name Fülöp.

Schuhart German
Variant of Schuchardt.

Park 2 English
From Middle English park, from Latin parricus, of Frankish origin. This was a name for someone who worked in or lived in a park.

Coombs English
From Old English cumb meaning "valley", the name of several places in England.

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

Hofmann German
Variant of Hoffmann.

Van der Vennen Dutch (Rare)
Variant of Van der Veen.

Napoleoni Italian
From the medieval given name Napoleone.

Muggia Italian
From the town of Muggia in northeastern Italy near the Slovenian border. It was called Muglae in Latin.

Segers Dutch
Means "son of Sieger".

Martel 1 English, French
Derived from the given name Martel, a medieval diminutive of Martin.

Warrick English
Variant of Warwick.

Qadir Arabic
Derived from the given name Qadir.

Alders Dutch
Means "son of Aldert".

Connelly Irish
Variant of Connolly.

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.

Lara Spanish
From the name of a village in Burgos, Spain. It might be derived from Latin lar "household god, house, home".

Cochrane Scottish
From the name of a place in Renfrewshire, Scotland. Its origin is uncertain.

Gorbold English
From the given name Gerbold.

Vasile Romanian
Derived from the given name Vasile.

Jekyll English
Derived from the Breton given name Judicaël. This name was used by Robert Louis Stevenson for the character of Dr Henry Jekyll in the book Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (1886).

Reagan Irish
Anglicized form of Irish Ó Riagáin meaning "descendant of Riagán". A famous bearer was the American president Ronald Reagan (1911-2004).

Bloxham English
From a place name meaning "Blocca's homestead". The Old English byname Blocca is of uncertain origin.

Hasegawa Japanese
From the Japanese place name 長谷 (Hase, not a standard reading) combined with 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream".

Shiratori Japanese
From Japanese 白 (shira) meaning "white" and 鳥 (tori) meaning "bird".

Simonsson Swedish
Swedish form of Simonson.

Albinsson Swedish
Means "son of Albin".

Alfonso Spanish
From the given name Alfonso.

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

Hughes 1 English
Patronymic of the given name Hugh.

Ayodele Yoruba
From the given name Ayodele.

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".

Alescio Italian
From the given name Alessio.

Martelli Italian
Italian form of Martel 2.

Biermann German
Derived from German bier "beer" and mann "man". The name may have referred to a brewer or a tavern owner.

Rao 2 Italian
Derived from the given name Raul.

Lungu Romanian
Romanian cognate of Long.

Radić Serbian, Croatian
Patronymic derived from the given name Rade.

Brontë Irish
Variant of Brunty adopted by the Irish-born Englishman Patrick Brunty (1777-1861) as an adult. He was the father of Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Brontë, each prominent authors.

Mohammad Persian, Urdu, Bengali
Derived from the given name Mohammad.

Blomqvist Swedish
From Swedish blomma (Old Norse blóm) meaning "flower" and qvist (Old Norse kvistr) meaning "twig, branch".

Bandyopadhyay Bengali
From the name of the village of Bandoghat combined with upadhaya "instructor, priest".

Okeke Igbo
From the given name Okeke.

Tunison Dutch (Anglicized)
Americanized form of Teunissen.

Kroon Dutch, Estonian
Means "crown" in Dutch and Estonian (from Latin corona).

Profeta Italian
From Italian profeta meaning "prophet". It probably came from a nickname indicating a person who wanted to predict the future. It is typical of southern Italy.

Petri Italian
Derived from the given name Pietro.

Choudhury Bengali
Alternate transcription of Bengali চৌধুরী (see Chowdhury).

Song Chinese, Korean
From Chinese 宋 (sòng) referring to the Song dynasty, which ruled China from 960 to 1279.

Wescott English
Variant of Westcott.

Yuen Chinese (Cantonese)
Cantonese romanization of Ruan.

Åberg Swedish
From Swedish å meaning "river, stream" and berg meaning "mountain".

Noschese Italian
From the name of the town of Nusco in Campania, southern Italy.

Van Nifterick Dutch
Variant of Van Niftrik.

Mathieson Scottish
Variant of Matheson.

Sarkisyan Armenian
Alternate transcription of Armenian Սարգսյան (see Sargsyan).

Frost English, German
From Old English and Old High German meaning "frost", a nickname for a person who had a cold personality or a white beard.

Alexandrescu Romanian
Means "son of Alexandru".

Gniewek Polish
Derived from Gniewek, a diminutive of Zbigniew, Jarogniew, or other names containing gniew "anger".

Guan Chinese
From Chinese 关 (guān) meaning "frontier pass".

Ihejirika Igbo
Means "the one that I have is greater" in Igbo.

Banes Welsh
Variant of Baines 1.

Otieno Luo
Derived from the given name Otieno.

Drummond Scottish
From various Scottish place names that are derived from Gaelic drumainn, a derivative of druim meaning "ridge".

Nathans Jewish
Derived from the given name Nathan.

Baarda Frisian
From the name of the town of Baard in the Netherlands, possibly derived from a given name that was a variant of Bert.

Breen Irish
Anglicized form of Irish Ó Braoin meaning "descendant of Braon", a byname meaning "rain, moisture, drop".

Van Middelburg Dutch (Rare)
Means "from Middelburg", the name of a city in Zeeland in the Netherlands, itself meaning "middle fortress" in Dutch.

Almstedt Swedish
Ornamental name derived from Swedish alm (Old Norse almr) meaning "elm" and stad (Old Norse staðr) meaning "town, city".

Zupan Slovene
From Old Slavic županŭ meaning "head of the district, community leader", a derivative of župa meaning "district, region".

Jefferson English
Means "son of Jeffrey". A famous bearer was American president Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826). Since his surname was sometimes adopted by freed slaves, it is now more common among the African-American population.

Gereben Hungarian
Means "hackle, hatchel" in Hungarian (a hackle is a tool used to comb out fibers).

Walmsley English
Originally denoted a person from the English town of Walmersley.

Oláh Hungarian
Means "Romanian, Wallachian" in Hungarian, from Old Slavic volxŭ "Romance-speaker" (of Germanic origin).

Heikkilä Finnish
From the given name Heikki with the suffix -lä indicating a place.

Tót Hungarian
Variant of Tóth.

Arany Hungarian
Means "golden" in Hungarian. A famous bearer of the name was Hungarian poet János Arany (1817-1882).

Griffin 1 Welsh
Derived from the given name Gruffudd.

Henryson English
Means "son of Henry". A bearer of this surname was the poet Robert Henryson (1425-1500).

Mac Giolla Bhrighde Irish
Means "son of the servant of Brighid" in Irish.

Fabian German, English, Polish
Derived from the given name Fabian.

Juárez Spanish
Variant of Suárez.

Cousineau French
Derived from Old French cosin meaning "cousin".

Rasmussen Danish, Norwegian
Means "son of Rasmus".

Garnier 2 English
Variant of Garner 1.

Vasylyk Ukrainian
Derived from a diminutive of the given name Vasyl.

Hearn Irish
Anglicized form of Ó hEachthighearna.

Mollown Irish
Variant of Malone.

Reardon Irish
Variant of Riordan.

Merx Dutch, Flemish
From the given name Mark.

Grenville English
Variant of Granville.

McCullough Irish
Anglicized form of Irish Mac Cú Uladh meaning "son of Cú Uladh". The byname Cú Uladh means "hound of Ulster". This surname has also been associated with Old Irish cullach "boar".

Albrektson Swedish
Variant of Albrechtsson.

Marsh English
Originally denoted one who lived near a marsh or bog, derived from Old English mersc "marsh".

Bertrand French
Derived from the given name Bertrand.

Kingsley English
From a place name meaning "king's clearing" in Old English.

Herschel German, Jewish
Diminutive form of Hirsch 1 or Hirsch 2. A famous bearer was the British-German astronomer William Herschel (1738-1822), as well as his sister Caroline Herschel (1750-1848) and son John Herschel (1792-1871), also noted scientists.

Bloxam English
Variant of Bloxham.

Van Hout Dutch
Variant of Van Houten.

Hsieh Chinese
Alternate transcription of Chinese 谢 (see Xie).

Van Hautum Dutch
Variant of Van Houten.

Collins 2 English
Means "son of Colin 2".

Vasilescu Romanian
Means "son of Vasile".

Zambrano Spanish
Possibly a habitational name for someone from Zambrana, a town in the province of Álava in Spain.

Amos Jewish
From the given name Amos.

Thorne English
Variant of Thorn.

Priestley English
From a place name meaning "priest clearing", from Old English preost and leah.

Keane Irish
Anglicized form of Ó Catháin.

Averesch Dutch
From a place name, possibly from a dialectal variation of Dutch over meaning "over" combined with esch meaning "ash tree".

Matsuoka Japanese
From Japanese 松 (matsu) meaning "pine tree, fir tree" and 岡 (oka) meaning "hill, ridge".

Pavone Italian
Means "peacock" in Italian. It was originally a nickname for a proud or haughty person.

Giannino Italian
Derived from the given name Giannino.

Thibault French
Derived from the given name Thibault.

Kidd English
From a nickname meaning "young goat, kid" in Middle English, of Old Norse origin.

Asanuma Japanese
From Japanese 浅 (asa) meaning "shallow" and 沼 (numa) meaning "swamp, marsh".

Low English
Variant of Law.

Fábián Hungarian
Derived from the given name Fábián.

Merino Spanish
From the title for a judge in medieval Spain, derived from Latin maior.

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

Willemse Dutch
Derived from the given name Willem.

Pallesen Danish
Means "son of Palle".

Tailler French
Means "tailor" from Old French tailleur.

Marinović Croatian, Serbian
Means "son of Marin".

Day English
From a diminutive form of David.

Korošec Slovene
Originally indicated a person from Koroška (Carinthia), a medieval Slovene state, now divided between Slovenia and Austria.

Šimunović Croatian
Means "son of Šimun".

Lamon Italian
From the name of the village of Lamon near the city of Belluno in Veneto, Italy.

Sepp Estonian
Means "smith" in Estonian.

Hubert French, German, English
Derived from the given name Hubert.

Bolkvadze Georgian
From Georgian ბოლქვი (bolkvi) meaning "tuber, bulb".

Cuesta Spanish
Spanish form of Costa.

O'Shaughnessy Irish
Anglicized form of Ó Seachnasaigh.

Van der Venne Dutch
Variant of Van der Veen.

McLaughlin Scottish
Anglicized form of Gaelic MacLachlainn meaning "son of Lachlann".

Vadas Hungarian
From Hungarian vad meaning "wild", either a nickname or an occupational name for a hunter of wild game.

Achthoven Dutch
Denoted a person from various towns in the Netherlands called Achthoven, which is derived from Dutch acht "eight" and hoven "farmsteads".

Tipton English
Originally given to one who came from the town of Tipton, derived from the Old English given name Tippa combined with tun "enclosure, yard, town".

Gallagher Irish
Anglicized form of the Irish Ó Gallchobhair meaning "descendant of Gallchobhar".

Vaughn Welsh
Variant of Vaughan.

Becke German
Variant of Beck 1 or Beck 2.

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

Sloan Irish
From Irish Ó Sluaghadháin meaning "descendant of Sluaghadhán".

Zunino Italian
Derived from the given name Giovanni.

Escamilla Spanish
Derived from the name of the town of Escamilla in Gualadajara, Spain.

Liang Chinese
From Chinese 梁 (liáng) referring to the ancient state of Liang, which existed from the 8th to 7th centuries BC in what is now Shaanxi province.

Crespi Italian
Variant of Crespo.

Shiraishi Japanese
From Japanese 白 (shira) meaning "white" and 石 (ishi) meaning "stone".

De Fiore Italian
Means "son of Fiore".

Ó Gallchobhair Irish
Irish Gaelic form of Gallagher.

Rusu Romanian
From Romanian rus meaning "Russian".

Raskopf German
Possibly from German rasch "quick" and Kopf "head".

Statham English
From the name of a village in the English county of Cheshire, derived from Old English stæð meaning "wharf, landing place" and ham "home, settlement".

Alberdingk Dutch
Variant of Alberink.

Santana Spanish, Portuguese
From any of the numerous places named after Saint Anna. A famous bearer is the Mexican-American musician Carlos Santana (1947-).

Harland English
From various place names meaning "hare land" in Old English.

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".

Palladino Italian
From Italian paladino meaning "knight, defender", from Late Latin palatinus meaning "palace officer".

Temitope Yoruba
From the given name Temitope.

Di Antonio Italian
Variant of D'Antonio.

Barrera Spanish
Spanish cognate of Barr.

Nakajima Japanese
From Japanese 中 (naka) meaning "middle" and 島 (shima) meaning "island".

Balogh Hungarian
Means "left handed" in Hungarian.

Léandre French
Derived from the given name Léandre.

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.

Sponaugle German (Anglicized)
Americanized form of Spannagel.

Foss English
Variant of Fosse.

Ó hÓgáin Irish
Irish Gaelic form of Hogan.

Molloy Irish
Anglicized form of Ó Maolmhuaidh or Ó Maol Aodha.

Agosti Italian
Means "son of Agosto", a variant of Augusto.

Broz Croatian
Derived from Broz, a diminutive of Ambrozije. This was the birth surname of the Yugoslavian dictator Josip Broz Tito (1892-1980).

Weston English
From the name of various English towns, derived from Old English west "west" and tun "enclosure, yard, town".

Bristow English
From the name of the city of Bristol, originally Brycgstow in Old English, meaning "the site of the bridge".

Dreessen Dutch
Variant of Driessen.

Ledford English
From the name of English places called Lydford, derived from hlud meaning "loud, noisy" and ford meaning "ford, river crossing".

Tyrell English
Variant of Terrell.

Kasabian Armenian
Alternate transcription of Armenian Ղասաբյան (see Ghasabyan).

White English
Originally a nickname for a person who had white hair or a pale complexion, from Old English hwit "white".

Traves English
English variant of Travers.

Karstensen Danish, Norwegian
Means "son of Karsten".

Gentile Italian
From a nickname meaning "gentle, kind" in Italian.

Halász Hungarian
Means "fisherman" in Hungarian.

Fertig German
Means "ready, prepared" in German.

Szwed Polish
Variant of Szweda.

Martinson English
Means "son of Martin".

Takenaka Japanese
Means "dweller amongst bamboo", from Japanese 竹 (take) meaning "bamboo" and 中 (naka) meaning "middle".

Heiman Jewish
From the given name Chayyim.

Abano Italian
Originally denoted a person from the town of Abano, Latin Aponus, which was derived from the old Celtic root ab meaning "water".

Case English
From Norman French casse meaning "box, case", ultimately from Latin capsa. This was an occupational name for a box maker.

Wheeler English
Occupational name for a maker of wagon wheels, derived from Middle English whele "wheel".

Pisani Italian
From Italian pisano, the name for an inhabitant of the city of Pisa, Italy. The city's name is of unknown meaning.

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

Okabe Japanese
From Japanese 岡 (oka) meaning "hill, ridge" and 部 (be) meaning "part, section".

Garrido Spanish
Means "elegant, ostentatious" in Spanish.

Duffy 2 Irish, Scottish
Anglicized form of Mac Dhuibhshíthe.

Wilkins English
Means "son of Wilkin".

Nervetti Italian
Possibly a nickname for an innkeeper, from archaic Milanese nervètt, a local meal prepared from a calf.

Rostami Persian
Derived from the given name Rostam.

Ryan Irish
Anglicized form of Ó Riain, or else a simplified form of Mulryan.

Hammond English
From the Norman given name Hamo or the Old Norse given name Hámundr.

Vale Portuguese
Means "valley" in Portuguese, ultimately from Latin vallis.

Gerhardt German
Derived from the given name Gerhard.

Tupper English
Occupational name for a herdsman, derived from Middle English toupe "ram".

Davidović Serbian
Means "son of David".

Baumgärtner German
Variant of Baumgartner.

Plourde French
Possibly derived from French palourde, a type of a shellfish.

Seres Hungarian
Variant of Sörös.

McPhee Scottish
Anglicized form of MacDhubhshìth.

Mussolini Italian
From Italian mussolina meaning "muslin", a type of cloth, itself derived from the city of Mosul in Iraq. This name was borne by the Italian dictator Benito Mussolini (1883-1945).

Bothe Dutch
Variant of Both.

Paquet 2 French
From a diminutive of the given name Pascal.

Forestier French
French cognate of Forester.

Grünewald German
Means "green forest" from German grün "green" and Wald "forest".

Richards English
Derived from the given name Richard.

Farley English
From various English place names meaning "fern clearing" in Old English.

Gosse French
Derived from the Norman given name Gosse.

Muñoz Spanish
Patronymic derived from the medieval Spanish given name Muño, from Latin Munnius, possibly of Germanic origin.

Traver French
French variant of Travers.

Plešec Slovene
Variant of Pleško.

Gerhard German
Derived from the given name Gerhard.

Murdock Irish
Derived from the given name Murchadh.

Dupond French
Variant of Dupont.

Vinković Croatian
Means "son of Vinko".

McCreery Irish, Scottish
Variant of McCrory.

Jerković Croatian, Serbian
Means "son of Jerko".

Ilves Estonian
Means "lynx" in Estonian.