Browse Surnames

This is a list of surnames in which the gender is unisex; and the order is random.
usage
gender
Czajka Polish
Means "lapwing (bird)" in Polish.
Good English
From a nickname meaning "good", referring to a kindly person.
Boon 1 English
Variant of Bone 1.
Lopes Portuguese
Means "son of Lopo" in Portuguese.
Pryor English
Originally belonged to one who was a prior (a religious official), or one who worked for a prior.
Seelen Dutch
Variant of Ceelen.
Walsh English, Irish
From Old English wælisc meaning "foreigner, stranger, Celt".
Ebner 2 German
Means "judge, arbiter" from Middle High German ebenære.
Teke 1 Turkish
Originally denoted someone from Teke, Turkey.
Buchholz German
From Middle High German buoche "beech" and holz "wood".
Von Grimmelshausen German
Means "from Grimmelshausen", a town in Germany. It is itself derived from Grimmel, of uncertain meaning, and hausen meaning "houses". A famous bearer was the German author Hans Jakob Christoffel von Grimmelshausen (1621-1676).
Braun German
Means "brown" in German.
Olasz Hungarian
Means "Italian" in Hungarian, from Old Slavic volxŭ "Romance-speaker" (of Germanic origin).
Arntzenius Dutch
Latinized form of Arntzen.
Cason English
From the English place name Cawston, derived from the Old Norse given name Kálfr combined with Old English tun meaning "enclosure, yard, town".
Süß German
From Old High German suozi meaning "sweet".
Giorgadze Georgian
Means "son of Giorgi".
Joiner English
Occupational name for a carpenter (that is, a person who joins wood together to make furniture).
Pentti Finnish
Derived from the given name Pentti.
Gutiérrez Spanish
Means "son of Gutierre".
Alfonso Spanish
From the given name Alfonso.
Gallagher Irish
Anglicized form of the Irish Ó Gallchobhair meaning "descendant of Gallchobhar".
Korošec Slovene
Originally indicated a person from Koroška (Carinthia), a medieval Slovene state, now divided between Slovenia and Austria.
Couch Cornish
From Cornish cough "red", indicating the original bearer had red hair.
Goebel German
Variant of Göbel.
Janzen Dutch
Means "son of Jan 1".
Gallo Italian, Spanish
Means "rooster", ultimately from Latin gallus. This was a nickname for a proud person.
Milford English
Originally derived from various place names all meaning "ford by a mill" in Old English.
Goddard English
Derived from the Germanic given name Godehard.
Leitzke German
Either from Leitzkau, the name of a town in Saxony-Anhalt, or from a diminutive of the given name Leutz, a variant of Lutz.
Scordato Italian
Means "forgotten, left behind" in Italian.
Chandler English
Occupational name meaning "candle seller" or "candle maker" in Middle English, ultimately derived from Latin candela via Old French.
Dorsey English
Means "from Orsay", referring to the town of Orsay near Paris, its name deriving from the Latin personal name Orcius.
Benenati Italian
Means "son of Benenato", a given name derived from Latin bene "good, well" and natus "good".
Brodbeck German
Means "bread baker" from Middle High German brot "bread" and becke "baker".
Sandström Swedish
From Swedish sand (Old Norse sandr) meaning "sand" and ström (Old Norse straumr) meaning "stream".
Bologna Italian
From the name of the city of Bologna in northern Italy. It may derive from a Celtic word meaning "settlement".
Trudu Sardinian
Means "thrush" in Sardinian (from Latin turdus).
Van Beek Dutch
Means "from the creek" in Dutch.
Avakian Armenian
Alternate transcription of Armenian Ավագյան (see Avagyan).
Matheson Scottish
Means "son of Matthew".
Averesch Dutch
From a place name, possibly from a dialectal variation of Dutch over meaning "over" combined with esch meaning "ash tree".
Kipling English
From the name of a town in Yorkshire, of Old English origin meaning "Cyppel's people", from a given name Cyppel of unknown meaning. A famous bearer of this name was the author Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936).
Calvin French (Latinized)
Latinized form of Chauvin, used to refer to the French theologian Jean Cauvin (1509-1564).
Kasabian Armenian
Alternate transcription of Armenian Ղասաբյան (see Ghasabyan).
Trump German
Derived from Middle High German trumbe meaning "drum". This surname is borne by the American president Donald Trump (1946-).
Scarlett English
Denoted a person who sold or made clothes made of scarlet, a kind of cloth, possibly derived from Persian سقرلاط (saqrelāṭ).
Nguyen Vietnamese
Simplified variant of Nguyễn.
Morris English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh
Derived from the given name Maurice.
Török Hungarian
Means "Turkish" in Hungarian.
Oja Estonian
Means "brook, creek" in Estonian.
Ó hEachthighearna Irish
Means "descendant of Echthigern" in Irish.
Man Chinese (Cantonese)
Cantonese romanization of Wen.
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.
Branson English
Means "son of Brandr".
Jagger English
From an English word meaning "carter, peddler". A famous bearer is the British musician Mick Jagger (1943-), the lead singer of the Rolling Stones.
Vång Swedish
Swedish variant of Wang 3.
Ó Cuaig Irish
Irish Gaelic form of Quigg.
Agnarsson Icelandic
Means "son of Agnar".
Patton English, Scottish
Diminutive of the medieval name Pate, a short form of Patrick.
Papathanasiou Greek
Means "son of Athanasios the priest", from Greek πάπας (papas) combined with the given name Athanasios.
Šimić Croatian
Means "son of Šime".
Ó Foghladha Irish
Irish Gaelic form of Foley.
Riese German, Jewish
Means "giant" in German, from Old High German risi.
Kilpatrick Irish
From the Irish Mac Giolla Phádraig meaning "son of the servant of Saint Patrick".
Adema Frisian
Means "son of Ade 2".
Hope English
Derived from Middle English hop meaning "small valley".
Myles English
From the given name Miles.
Goldschmidt German
Occupational name meaning "goldsmith" in German.
Sorrentino Italian
Derived from the town of Sorrento near Naples, called Surrentum in Latin, of unknown meaning.
Lehmann German
From Middle High German lehenman meaning "vassal, liege man".
Heintze German
Derived from a diminutive of Heinrich.
Björk Swedish
From Swedish björk meaning "birch tree", Old Norse bjǫrk.
Sala Italian, Spanish, Catalan, Portuguese, Romanian
Occupational name for a worker at a manor house, from the Romance word sala meaning "hall, large room", of Germanic origin.
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.
Hamasaki Japanese
From Japanese (hama) meaning "beach, seashore" and (saki) meaning "cape, peninsula".
Reese 2 Low German
Low German cognate of Riese.
Sherburn English
Denoted a person hailing from any of the various places called Sherborne or Sherburn in England, derived from Old English scir "bright" and burna "spring, fountain, stream".
Mejía Spanish
Possibly from a nickname derived from Spanish Mesías meaning "Messiah", from Latin Messias, ultimately from Biblical Hebrew מָשִׁיחַ (mashiyaḥ) meaning "anointed".
Bonham English
English form of Bonhomme.
Xu 2 Chinese
From Chinese () referring to the minor state of Xu, which existed to the 4th century BC in what is now Henan province. The character means "allow, permit".
Bray English
From a place name derived from Cornish bre "hill".
Atkins English
Means "son of Atkin", a medieval diminutive of Adam.
Perrin French
From a diminutive of the given name Pierre.
Sutherland Scottish
Regional name for a person who came from the former county by this name in Scotland. It is derived from Old Norse suðr "south" and land "land", because it was south of the Norse colony of Orkney.
Lyall Scottish
From the Old Norse given name Liulfr, which was derived in part from úlfr "wolf".
Biancardi Italian
Italian form of Blanchard.
Süss German
Variant of Süß.
Coppola Italian
From the name of a type of hat characteristic of Sicily and southern Italy. This surname indicated a person who wore or made these hats. A famous bearer is the filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola (1939-), as well as other members of his extended family also in show business.
Lecomte French
Means "the count" in French, a nickname for someone in the service of a count or for someone who behaved like one.
Ackermann German
Denoted a person who lived near a field, from Middle High German acker "field" and man "man".
Malloye Irish
Variant of Molloy.
Ó Dubhshláin Irish
Irish Gaelic form of Dolan.
Șerban Romanian
Means "a Serb" in Romanian.
Schröter German
Means "beer-porter, wine-porter" in German, an occupational name for a carrier of wine or beer barrels.
Szwarc Polish
Polish phonetic spelling of German Schwarz.
Hampson English
Means "son of Hamo".
Theunissen Dutch
Means "son of Theunis".
Ravenna Italian
From the name of the city of Ravenna in northern Italy, which is of uncertain origin, possibly Etruscan.
Kádár Hungarian
Means "cooper, barrel maker" in Hungarian.
Sampson English
Derived from a medieval form of the given name Samson.
Königsmann German
Means "king's man", or someone who played a king in a play.
Presley English
Variant of Priestley. This name was borne by musician Elvis Presley (1935-1977).
Ferber German
Variant of Färber.
Peláez Spanish
Means "son of Pelayo".
Nervi Italian
From the name of the town of Nervi in Liguria, northwestern Italy.
Head English
From Middle English hed meaning "head", from Old English heafod. It may have referred to a person who had a peculiar head, who lived near the head of a river or valley, or who served as the village headman.
Senft 1 German
Occupational name for a mustard seller, from German Senf "mustard".
Enns German
Derived from a short form of the German given name Anselm.
Waters 1 English
Originally given to a person who lived near the water.
Bodilsen Danish
Means "son of Bodil".
McConnell Scottish, Irish
Derived from Gaelic MacDhòmhnaill (see MacDonald).
Coke English
Variant of Cook.
Bagheri Persian
From the given name Bagher.
Bùi Vietnamese
Vietnamese form of Pei, from Sino-Vietnamese (bùi).
Horn English, German, Norwegian, Danish
From the Old English, Old High German and Old Norse word horn meaning "horn". This was an occupational name for one who carved objects out of horn or who played a horn, or a person who lived near a horn-shaped geographical feature, such as a mountain or a bend in a river.
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).
Ansel English
Derived from the given name Anselm.
Moya Spanish
From any of various towns named Moya in Spain, of uncertain meaning.
Lennon Irish
Anglicized form of the Irish name Ó Leannáin, which means "descendant of Leannán". The byname Leannán means "lover". The name was borne by the musician John Lennon (1940-1980).
Papadimitriou Greek
Means "son of Dimitrios the priest", from Greek πάπας (papas) combined with the given name Dimitrios.
Palomer Provençal
Means "pigeon keeper" from Latin palumbes "pigeon".
Ryley English
Variant of Riley 1.
Cremonesi Italian
From the name of the Italian city of Cremona in Lombardy.
Babcock English
Derived from the medieval name Bab, possibly a diminutive of Bartholomew or Barbara.
Mac Íomhair Irish
Irish Gaelic form of McIver.
Romeijnders Dutch
From Dutch Romein meaning "Roman, person from Rome".
Russell English
From a Norman French nickname that meant "little red one", perhaps originally describing a person with red hair.
Merckx Dutch, Flemish
From the given name Mark.
Wieczorek Polish
From a nickname meaning "bat" in Polish, ultimately from wieczór meaning "evening".
Dunkel German
Means "dark" in German.
Honeysett English
Possibly a variant of Honeycutt.
Abarca Spanish
From the name of a type of leather-soled shoe or sandal made on the Balearic Islands. It originally indicated a person who made or sold this item.
Saarinen Finnish
From Finnish saari meaning "island".
Hartley English
Habitational name for someone originally from any of the various locations in England named Hartley, from Old English heorot "hart, male deer" and leah "woodland, clearing".
Parry Welsh
Derived from ap Harry meaning "son of Harry".
Freeman English
Referred to a person who was born free, or in other words was not a serf.
Dixon English
Means "son of Dick 1".
Rao 1 Telugu, Kannada
From Sanskrit राज (rāja) meaning "king".
Santoro Italian
Means "all saint's day" in Italian, a nickname for one born on that day.
Stępień Polish
Possibly an occupational name for a herbalist, from Polish stępa "mortar".
Altena Dutch
From the name of a town in the Netherlands, possibly meaning "close, near" in Dutch.
Gaspar Portuguese, Spanish
Derived from the given name Gaspar.
Jewell English
Derived from the Breton given name Judicaël.
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).
Schmeling German
From Middle Low German smal meaning "small, slender".
MacGriogair Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic form of MacGregor.
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.
Ștefan Romanian
From the given name Ștefan.
Ławniczak Polish
From Polish ławnik meaning "alderman".
Meaney Irish
Variant of O'Mooney.
Ebrahimi Persian
From the given name Ebrahim.
Haynes English
Patronymic derived from the Norman name Hagano.
Barišić Croatian
Patronymic derived from a diminutive of Bartol.
Ramírez Spanish
Means "son of Ramiro" in Spanish.
Haakonsson Norwegian
Means "son of Håkon".
Abramsson Swedish
Means "son of Abraham".
Losnedahl Norwegian
From Norwegian dahl meaning "valley" and Losna, a place in Norway.
Ye Chinese
From Chinese () meaning "leaf".
Nagi Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic ناجي (see Naaji).
Hölzer German
German cognate of Holt.
Hunt English
Variant of Hunter.
Hernandez Spanish
Unaccented variant of Hernández.
Fay 1 French, English
Referred to a person who came from various places named Fay or Faye in northern France, derived from Old French fau "beech tree", from Latin fagus.
Kiss Hungarian
Nickname meaning "small" in Hungarian.
Daube German
Variant of Taube.
Novik Belarusian
From Belarusian новы (novy) meaning "new", originally a name for a newcomer to a village.
Mizushima Japanese
From Japanese (mizu) meaning "water" and (shima) meaning "island".
Kazem Arabic, Persian
From the given name Kazim.
Tran Vietnamese
Simplified variant of Trần.
Wolters Dutch
Means "son of Wouter".
Hinrichs Low German
Derived from the given name Hinrich.
Laganà Italian
Occupational name for a greengrocer, meaning "vegetables" in southern Italian dialects, ultimately from Greek λάχανον (lachanon).
Rice Welsh
Derived from the given name Rhys.
MacNiven Scottish
Anglicized form of Mac Naoimhín.
Alfson Swedish (Anglicized)
Americanized form of Alfsson.
Peter English, German, Dutch
Derived from the given name Peter.
O'Neal Irish
From Irish Ó Néill meaning "descendant of Neil".
Nagel German, Dutch
Means "nail" in German and Dutch, an occupational name for a carpenter or nailsmith.
Santiago Spanish, Portuguese
From various Spanish and Portuguese places called Santiago.
Penders Dutch
From Middle Dutch paender meaning "brewer", derived from panne meaning "pan, pot", ultimately from Latin patina.
Purcell English
From Old French pourcel "piglet", from Latin porcellus, a derivative of porcus "pig". This was a nickname or an occupational name for a swineherd.
Marlow English
Originally a name for a person from Marlow in Buckinghamshire, England. The place name means "remnants of a lake" from Old English mere "lake" and lafe "remnants, remains". A notable bearer was the English playwright and poet Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593).
Davis English, Scottish
Means "son of David". This was the surname of the revolutionary jazz trumpet player Miles Davis (1926-1991).
Kravets Ukrainian
Means "tailor" in Ukrainian.
Johnston Scottish
From the name of a Scottish town, which meant "John's town".
Amos Jewish
From the given name Amos.
Sterling Scottish
Derived from city of Stirling, which is itself of unknown meaning.
Kralj Slovene, Croatian, Serbian
Slovene, Croatian and Serbian form of Król.
Baasch Low German
From Middle Low German bas meaning "boss".
Mac Neachtain Irish
Means "son of Nechtan" in Irish.
Chey Khmer
Means "victory" in Khmer, from Sanskrit जय (jaya).
Kecskeméti Hungarian
Originally indicated a person who came from the Hungarian city of Kecskemét, derived from kecske meaning "goat".
Salim Arabic
From the given name Salim.
Arendonk Dutch
Denoted a person from Arendonk, a town between in northern Belgium. It is derived from arend "eagle" and donk "hill".
Siegert German
Derived from the given name Sieghard.
Edwardson English
Means "son of Edward".
Tindall English
From Tindale, the name of a town in Cumbria, derived from the name of the river Tyne combined with Old English dæl "dale, valley".
Kawa Polish
Derived from Polish kawka "jackdaw".
Gaál Hungarian
Variant of Gál.
Poirot French, Literature
From a diminutive of French poire "pear", originally referring to a pear merchant or someone who lived near a pear tree. Starting in 1920 this name was used by the mystery writer Agatha Christie for her Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. Christie based the name on that of Jules Poiret, a contemporary fictional detective.
Tsang Chinese (Cantonese)
Cantonese romanization of Zeng.
Mathisen Norwegian
Means "son of Mathias".
Scherer German
Occupational name for a cutter of cloth or a sheep-shearer, from Old High German skeran "to cut".
Beckert German
Variant of Becker.
Zeelen Dutch
Derived from the given name Ceel.
Schouten Dutch
Occupational name derived from Middle Dutch schout meaning "sheriff, bailiff".
Hardy English, French
From Old French and Middle English hardi meaning "bold, daring, hardy", from the Germanic root *harduz.
Tritten German
Originally denoted someone who lived by a set of steps, from Middle High German trit "step".
Seward 1 English
Derived from the given name Sigeweard.
Dumitrescu Romanian
Means "son of Dumitru".
Wallach Yiddish
From Middle High German walch meaning "foreigner (from a Romance country)".
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).
Van Rijn Dutch
Means "from the Rhine". A famous bearer was the Dutch painter Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669).
Olofsdotter Swedish
Means "daughter of Olof".
Darnell 1 English
Derived from Old French darnel, a type of grass.
Daubney English
From any of the various towns in France called Aubigny, derived from the Gallo-Roman personal name Albinus.
Danell English
Derived from the given name Daniel.
Sancho Spanish, Portuguese
From the given name Sancho.
Goldhirsch Jewish
Means "golden stag" in Yiddish.
Dahlman Swedish
From Swedish dal (Old Norse dalr) meaning "dale, valley" and man (Old Norse maðr) meaning "person, man".
Schuhmacher German
From the Middle High German occupational name schuochmacher meaning "shoemaker".
Harley English
Derived from a place name meaning "hare clearing", from Old English hara "hare" or hær "rock, heap of stones" and leah "woodland, clearing".
Vartanian Armenian
Alternate transcription of Armenian Վարդանյան (see Vardanyan).
Roma Italian
Variant of Romano 2.
Brennan Irish
From Irish Ó Braonáin meaning "descendant of Braonán", a byname meaning "rain, moisture, drop" (with a diminutive suffix).
McReynolds Scottish, Irish
Means "son of Reynold" in Gaelic.
Lundqvist Swedish
Derived from Swedish lund (Old Norse lundr) meaning "grove" and qvist (Old Norse kvistr) meaning "twig, branch".
Haight English
Topographic name for someone who lived at the top of a hill, derived from Old English heahþu "height, summit".
Kools Dutch
Derived from the given name Nicolaas.
Nieri Italian
Either a variant of Neri, or from the Italian name Raniero.
Tiryaki Turkish
Possibly from a nickname meaning "addict, opium user" in Turkish.
Odell English
Originally denoted a person who was from Odell in Bedfordshire, derived from Old English wad "woad" (a plant that produces a blue dye) and hyll "hill".
Boucher French
Means "butcher" in French.
Keen English
From Old English cene meaning "bold, brave".
Virgo English
Possibly from Latin virgo "virgin, maiden". It may have been a nickname for an actor who played the Virgin Mary in mystery plays, or for a shy man or a lecher.
Esser German
Means "cartwright", related to Old High German ahsa "axle".
Mogensen Danish
Means "son of Mogens".
Hume Scottish, English
Variant of Holme. A famous bearer was the philosopher David Hume (1711-1776).
Kevorkian Armenian
Alternate transcription of Armenian Գեւորգյան (see Gevorgyan).
Dierickx Flemish
Means "son of Dirk".
Marszałek Polish
Polish cognate of Marshall.
Arechavaleta Spanish
Originally indicated a person from the town of Aretxabaleta in Spain. It means "oak trees" in Basque.
Joyner English
Variant of Joiner.
Leblanc French
Means "the white" in French, from blanc "white". The name referred to a person who was pale or whose hair was blond.
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.
Hanson English
Means "son of Hann".
Bowen Welsh
From Welsh ap Owain meaning "son of Owain".
Garver German
Variant of Gerber.
Cavey Irish
Possibly an Anglicized form of Mac Daibhéid.
Bouwmeester Dutch
Means "architect, builder" in Dutch.
Ó Cuidighthigh Irish
Means "descendant of Cuidightheach" in Irish.
Pék Hungarian
Means "baker" in Hungarian.
Di Pasqua Italian
Means "of Easter" in Italian.
Barros Portuguese, Spanish
From the Portuguese and Spanish word barro meaning "clay, mud". This could either be an occupational name for a person who worked with clay or mud such as a builder or artisan, or a topographic name for someone living near clay or mud.
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.
Obando Spanish
Habitational name for someone who came from Obando in Extremadura, Spain.
Fournier French
Occupational name for a baker, from French fourneau meaning "oven".
Herman English, Dutch
From the given name Herman.
Anthony English
From the given name Anthony.
Abiodun Yoruba
From the given name Abiodun.
Merx Dutch, Flemish
From the given name Mark.
Piccirillo Italian
From Neapolitan piccerillo meaning "small, young".
Kuzmenko Ukrainian
Derived from the given name Kuzma.
Antonini Italian
Means "son of Antonino".
Zhou Chinese
From Chinese (zhōu) referring to the Zhou dynasty, which held power from 1046 to 771 BC, continuing for a few more centuries as figureheads.
Arthur English, French
From the given name Arthur.
Welch English
Variant of Walsh.
Dalgaard Danish
From Old Norse dalr meaning "valley" and garðr meaning "yard, farmstead".
Gang Korean
Alternate transcription of Korean Hangul (see Kang).
Rovigatti Italian
From the name of the city of Rovigo in northeastern Italy near Venice. It was called Rodigium in Latin, and is of unknown meaning.