Browse Surnames

Falkenrath German
Derived from Middle High German falke "falcon" and rat "counsel, advice".

Falkner English, German
English variant and German cognate of Faulkner.

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

Farmer English
Occupational name for a tax collector, from Middle English ferme "rent, revenue, provision", from medieval Latin firma, ultimately from Old English feorm. This word did not acquire its modern meaning until the 17th century.

Farnham English
Indicated a person from any of the various towns named Farnham in England, notably in Surrey. Their names are from Old English fearn "fern" and ham "home, settlement" or ham "water meadow, enclosure".

Farran English
Derived from Old French ferrant meaning "iron grey".

Fashingbauer German
From Fasching, a German carnival (Fastnacht meaning "eve of the beginning of the fast", or the time before Lent) celebrated in Austria and Bavaria, and bauer meaning "farmer".

Faulkner English, Scottish
Occupational name meaning "keeper of falcons", from Middle English and Scots faulcon, from Late Latin falco, of Germanic origin.

Faust German
Derived from the given name Faust, a form of Faustus.

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.

Fay 2 English
From a nickname for a person who was thought to have magical qualities, from Middle English faie meaning "magical, enchanted".

Fear English
Derived from Middle English feare meaning "friend, comrade".

Feigenbaum German, Jewish
Means "fig tree" in German.

Feld German, Jewish
Means "field" in German. The name was originally given to someone who lived on land cleared of forest.

Feldt German, Danish, Swedish
North German, Danish and Swedish variant of Feld.

Fenn English
From a name for someone who dwelt near a marsh, from Old English fenn meaning "fen, swamp, bog".

Fenstermacher German
Means "window maker" in German.

Fenwick English
From an English place name, derived from Old English fenn "fen, swamp, bog" and wic "village, town".

Ferber German
Variant of Färber.

Fertig German
Means "ready, prepared" in German.

Fiddler English
English form of Fiedler.

Fiedler German
Means "fiddler" in German.

Field English
Variant of Fields.

Fields English
Name for a person who lived on or near a field or pasture, from Old English feld.

Finch English, Literature
From the name of the bird, from Old English finc. It was used by Harper Lee for the surname of lawyer Atticus Finch and his children in her novel To Kill a Mockingbird (1960).

Firmin English, French
From the given name Firmin.

Fischer German
Occupational name meaning "fisherman" in German.

Fisher English, Jewish
Cognate of Fischer.

Fishman English
Occupational name for a fisherman.

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

Flater German
Means "reed bed" in German.

Fleischer German
Occupational name meaning "butcher" in German.

Fleming English
Given to a person who was a Fleming, that is a person who was from Flanders in the Netherlands.

Fletcher English
Occupational name for a fletcher, someone who attached feathers to the shaft of an arrow. It is derived from Old French fleche meaning "arrow".

Flipse Dutch
Variant of Flipsen.

Flipsen Dutch
Means "son of Flip".

Flower English
From Middle English flour meaning "flower, blossom", derived from Old French flur, Latin flos. This was a nickname given to a sweet person. In other cases it could be a metonymic occupational name for a maker of flour (a word derived from the same source).

Flowers English
Variant of Flower.

Foerstner German
Variant of Förstner.

Ford English
Name given to someone who lived by a ford, possibly the official who maintained it. A famous bearer was the American industrialist Henry Ford (1863-1947).

Forest English, French
Originally belonged to a person who lived near or in a forest. It was probably originally derived, via Old French forest, from Latin forestam (silva) meaning "outer (wood)".

Forester English
Denoted a keeper or one in charge of a forest, or one who has charge of growing timber in a forest (see Forest).

Forney German
Name for someone who lived near ferns, from Old High German farn "fern".

Forrest English
Variant of Forest.

Forst German
Derived from Old High German forst "forest". Probably unrelated to the Old French word forest, which was derived from Latin, Old High German forst was derived from foraha meaning "fir tree".

Förstner German
Denoted a keeper or one in charge of a forest (see Forst).

Fortuin Dutch
Dutch cognate of Fortune.

Fortune English
From Middle English, ultimately from Latin fortuna meaning "fortune, luck, chance". This was possibly a nickname for a gambler.

Fortuyn Dutch
Dutch cognate of Fortune.

Foss English
Variant of Fosse.

Fosse English, French
Derived from Old French fosse "ditch".

Foster 1 English
Variant of Forester.

Foster 2 English
Occupational name for a scissor maker, derived from Old French forcetier.

Foster 3 English
Occupational name for a maker of saddle trees, derived from Old French fustier.

Foster 4 English
Nickname given to a person who was a foster child or foster parent.

Foth Low German
From a nickname meaning "foot" in Low German.

Fowler English
Occupational name for a fowler or birdcatcher, ultimately derived from Old English fugol meaning "bird".

Fox English
From the name of the animal. It was originally a nickname for a person with red hair or a crafty person.

Francis English
Derived from the given name Francis.

Frank 1 English
Derived from the given name Frank.

Frank 2 English
From Old English franc meaning "free".

Frank 3 German, Dutch, Danish, Norwegian
Name for a person from Franconia in Germany, so called because it was settled by the Frankish people. A notable bearer was the German-Jewish diarist Anne Frank (1929-1945), a victim of the Holocaust.

Franke German, Dutch
Variant of Frank 3.

Frankenstein German, Literature
From any of the various minor places by this name in Germany, meaning "stone of the Franks" in German. It was used by the author Mary Shelley in her novel Frankenstein (1818) for the character of Victor Frankenstein, a scientist who creates a monster and brings it to life. The monster, nameless in the novel, is sometimes informally or erroneously called Frankenstein in modern speech.

Franklin English
Derived from Middle English frankelin meaning "freeman". It denoted a landowner of free but not noble birth, from Old French franc meaning "free". Famous bearers include American statesman Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) and American singer Aretha Franklin (1942-2018).

Franklyn English
Variant of Franklin.

Franz German
Derived from the given name Franz.

Freeman English
Referred to a person who was born free, or in other words was not a serf.

Frei German
Means "free" in German, probably referring to someone outside the feudal system.

French English
Originally denoted a French person, from Middle English Frensch, Old English Frencisc.

Freud German, Jewish
Means "joy" in German, a nickname for a cheerful person. A famous bearer was the psychologist Sigmund Freud (1856-1939).

Freudenberger German, Jewish
Ornamental name from old German freud meaning "joy" and berg meaning "mountain".

Freund German
From Middle High German vriunt, modern German Freund meaning "friend".

Fried German
Derived from the given name Friedrich.

Friedrich German
Derived from the given name Friedrich.

Fries German
Denoted someone from Frisia, an area along the coastal region of the North Sea stretching from Netherlands to Germany.

Fromm German
From a nickname derived from Middle High German vrume meaning "noble, honourable".

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.

Fry English
From Old English frig (a variant of freo) meaning "free".

Frye English
Variant of Fry.

Fuchs German
From Old High German fuhs meaning "fox". It was originally a nickname for a person with red hair.

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

Fuller English
Occupational name for a fuller, a person who thickened and cleaned coarse cloth by pounding it. It is derived via Middle English from Latin fullo.

Fulton English
From the name of the English town of Foulden, Norfolk, meaning "bird hill" in Old English.

Fürst German
From a nickname meaning "(sovereign) prince" in German. The word fürst itself is derived from Old High German furisto "first".

Fux German
Variant of Fuchs.

Gabler German
Occupational name for someone who made or sold forks, from Old High German gabala "fork".

Gabriels English
Derived from the given name Gabriel.

Gabrielson English
Means "son of Gabriel".

Gadsby English
Habitational name from the village of Gaddesby in Leicestershire, so named from Old Norse gaddr "spur, spike (of land)" and býr "farm, settlement".

Gaertner German
German form of Gardener.

Gage French, English
Occupational name derived either from Old French jauge "measure" (a name for an assayer) or gage "pledge, payment" (a name for a moneylender). Both words were ultimately of Frankish origin.

Gale English
Derived from Middle English gaile meaning "jovial".

Garb German
Variant of Garber.

Garber German
Variant of Gerber.

Garbutt English
From the given name Gerbold.

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

Gardiner English
Variant of Gardener.

Gardner English
Variant of Gardener.

Garey English
Variant of Geary.

Garfield English
Means "triangle field" in Old English. A famous bearer was American president James A. Garfield (1831-1881).

Garland English
Means "triangle land" from Old English gara and land. It originally belonged to a person who owned a triangle-shaped piece of land.

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.

Garner 2 English
Variant of Gardener.

Garnet English
Variant of Garnett 1 or Garnett 2.

Garnett 1 English
Occupational name referring to a person who made hinges, from Old French carne "hinge".

Garnett 2 English
From a diminutive of the given name Guarin.

Garnier 2 English
Variant of Garner 1.

Garrard English
From the given name Gerard.

Garret English
Variant of Garrett.

Garrett English
Derived from the given name Gerald or Gerard.

Garrod English
Derived from the given name Gerald.

Garry English
Variant of Geary.

Gärtner German
German form of Gardener.

Garver German
Variant of Gerber.

Gary English
Variant of Geary.

Gass German
Name for someone who lived on a street in a city, from German gasse.

Gates English
Originally denoted a person who lived near the town gates.

Gatsby English (Rare), Literature
Rare variant of Gadsby. This name was used by the American author F. Scott Fitzgerald for the central character in his novel The Great Gatsby (1925). In the book, James Gatz renames himself as Jay Gatsby at age 17 because he believes it sounds more sophisticated.

Geary English
Derived from a Norman given name that was a short form of Germanic names starting with the element ger "spear".

Geelen Dutch
Derived from the given name Geel, itself from Gillis or Gilbert.

Geels Dutch
Variant of Geelen.

Geerts Dutch
Means "son of Geert".

Gehrig German
Variant of Gehring.

Gehring German
Derived from a short form of Old German names starting with the element ger "spear".

Geier German
Means "vulture" in German, a nickname for a greedy person.

Geiger German
Means "fiddle player" in German, derived from Old High German giga "fiddle".

Geisler German
Variant of Geissler 1 or Geissler 2.

Geißler German
Variant of Geissler 1 or Geissler 2.

Geissler 1 German
Derived from the given name Giselher.

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

Geiszler German (Anglicized)
Variant of Geissler 1 or Geissler 2.

Gelens Dutch
Variant of Geelen.

Gensch German
From the given name Gensch, a Sorbian form of John.

George English
Derived from the given name George.

Georgeson English
Means "son of George".

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

Gerhard German
Derived from the given name Gerhard.

Gerhardt German
Derived from the given name Gerhard.

Gerig German
Variant of Gehring.

Gerst German
Occupational name for a barley farmer, derived from Old High German gersta "barley".

Gerstle German
Variant of Gerst.

Gerver German
Variant of Gerber.

Gibb English
Derived from the given name Gib.

Gibbs English, Scottish
Means "son of Gib".

Gibson English, Scottish
Means "son of Gib".

Giehl German
German form of Giles.

Giese German, Danish
Derived from a short form of the given name Giselbert or other Old German names beginning with the element gisal meaning "pledge, hostage".

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.

Gilbert English, French
Derived from the given name Gilbert.

Giles English
From the given name Giles.

Gill English
Originally indicated someone who lived near a ravine, from Middle English gil (of Old Norse origin).

Gilliam English
Variant of William. A famous bearer of the name is cartoonist and filmmaker Terry Gilliam (1940-).

Gladwin English
Derived from the Old English given name Glædwine.

Gladwyn English
Variant of Gladwin.

Glas German, Dutch
German and Dutch cognate of Glass.

Glass English, German
From Old English glæs or Old High German glas meaning "glass". This was an occupational name for a glass blower or glazier.

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

Glenn Scottish, English
From place names derived from Gaelic gleann "valley". A famous bearer was the American astronaut John Glenn (1921-2016).

Glöckner German
Derived from Middle High German glocke "bell". It may have referred to a person who worked at or lived close to a bell tower.

Glover English
Occupational name for a person who made or sold gloves, from Middle English glovere.

Göbel German
Derived from the given name Göbel, a diminutive of the Old German name Godabert.

Goddard English
Derived from the Germanic given name Godehard.

Godfrey English
From the Norman given name Godfrey.

Goebel German
Variant of Göbel.

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

Gold English, German, Jewish
From Old English and Old High German gold meaning "gold", an occupational name for someone who worked with gold or a nickname for someone with yellow hair. As a Jewish name it is ornamental.

Goldschmidt German
Occupational name meaning "goldsmith" in German.

Good English
From a nickname meaning "good", referring to a kindly person.

Goode English
Variant of Good.

Goodman English
Variant of Good.

Goodwin English
Derived from the given name Godwine.

Goossens Flemish
From the Germanic given name Gozzo.

Gorbold English
From the given name Gerbold.

Gore English
From the Old English word gara meaning "triangular plot of land".

Gorman 1 German
From the Old German given name Germund.

Gott German
Derived from the Old German given name Goda 1.

Gotti German
Variant of Gott.

Gottlieb German
Derived from the given name Gottlieb.

Gottschalk German
Derived from the given name Gottschalk.

Graf German
From the German noble title Graf meaning "count", ultimately from Greek γραφεύς (grapheus) meaning "scribe".

Graham Scottish, English
Derived from the English place name Grantham, which probably meant "gravelly homestead" in Old English. The surname was first taken to Scotland in the 12th century by William de Graham.

Graner German
Originally denoted a person from Gran, the German name for Esztergom, a city in northern Hungary.

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

Grant English, Scottish
Derived from Norman French meaning "grand, tall, large, great". A famous bearer was the American general and president Ulysses S. Grant (1822-1885).

Granville English
Derived from a Norman place name Grainville.

Graves English
Occupational name for a steward, derived from Middle English greyve, related to the German title Graf.

Gray English
From a nickname for a person who had grey hair or grey clothes.

Grayson English
Means "son of the steward", derived from Middle English greyve "steward".

Green English
Descriptive name for someone who often wore the colour green or someone who lived near the village green.

Greenberg German (Anglicized), Jewish
Anglicized form of Grünberg.

Greene English
Variant of Green.

Greenwood English
Topographic name for someone who lived in or near a lush forest, from Old English grene "green" and wudu "wood".

Gregory English
From the given name Gregory.

Grenville English
Variant of Granville.

Grey English
Variant of Gray.

Griffin 2 English
Nickname from the mythological beast with body of a lion with head and wings of an eagle. It is ultimately from Greek γρύψ (gryps).

Griffith Welsh, English
Derived from the Welsh given name Gruffudd.

Griffiths Welsh, English
Means "son of Gruffudd".

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.

Groen Dutch
Dutch cognate of Green.

Groos German
Variant of Groß.

Groot Dutch
Variant of De Groot.

Gross German
Variant of Groß.

Groß German
From Old High German groz meaning "tall, big".

Große German
Variant of Groß.

Grosse German
Variant of Groß.

Größel German
Variant of Groß, used in southern Germany.

Großel German
Variant of Groß, used in southern Germany.

Großer German
Variant of Groß.

Grosser German
Variant of Groß.

Grover English
From Old English graf meaning "grove of trees". A famous bearer was the American president Grover Cleveland (1837-1908).

Groves English
From Old English graf meaning "grove". This originally indicated a person who lived near a grove (a group of trees).

Gruber Upper German
From German Grube meaning "pit", indicating a person who lived or worked in a pit or depression. This is the most common surname in Austria.

Grünberg German, Jewish
From German grün meaning "green" and Berg meaning "mountain". This name indicated a person who lived on or near a forest-covered mountain.

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

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).

Gump German (Rare), Popular Culture
Possibly from a nickname derived from Middle High German gumpen meaning "to hop, to jump". This surname was used by author Winston Groom for the hero of his novel Forrest Gump (1986), better known from the 1994 movie adaptation.

Günther German
Derived from the given name Günther.

Gunther German
Derived from the given name Günther.

Gutenberg German, Jewish
Variant of Guttenberg. A notable bearer was the inventor of the printing press Johannes Gutenberg (1398-1468), whose family hailed from an estate by this name.

Gutermuth German
Derived from Middle High German guot meaning "good" and muot meaning "mind, spirit". It was a nickname for an optimistic person.

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.

Gwerder German (Swiss)
From Swiss German gwerig meaning "agile, alert".

Haak Dutch
Occupational name meaning "peddler" in Dutch.

Haan Dutch
Variant of De Haan.

Haanraads Dutch
Originally indicated a person from Haanrade, a small village in the south of the province of Limburg in the Netherlands.

Haanraadts Dutch
Variant of Haanraads.

Haanraats Dutch
Variant of Haanraads.

Haas Dutch, German
Variant of Hase.

Haase German
Variant of Hase.

Haber German, Jewish
Occupational name for one who grew or sold oats, derived from Old High German habaro "oat". As a Jewish surname it is ornamental.

Haberkorn German
Occupational name for a dealer in oats, derived from Old High German habaro "oat" and korn "kernel, grain".

Habich German
German cognate of Hawk.

Habicht German
German cognate of Hawk.

Hackett English
From a diminutive of the medieval byname Hake, which was of Old Norse origin and meant "hook".

Hadaway English
Variant of Hathaway.

Haden English
From a place name derived from Old English hæþ "heath" and dun "hill".

Haenraets Dutch
Variant of Haanraads.

Hafner German
Occupational name for a potter, derived from Old High German hafan "pot, vessel".

Hagen Norwegian, Dutch
From Old Norse hagi or Old Dutch hago meaning "enclosure, pasture".

Haggard English
From a nickname meaning "wild, untamed, worn", from Old French, ultimately from a Germanic root.

Hahn German
From a nickname for a proud or pugnacious person, from Old High German hano meaning "rooster, cock".

Haig English, Scottish
From Old English haga or Old Norse hagi meaning "enclosure, pasture".

Haight English
Topographic name for someone who lived at the top of a hill, derived from Old English heahþu "height, summit".

Hail English
From a nickname derived from Middle English hail meaning "healthy" (of Old Norse origin).

Hailey English
Variant of Haley.

Haines English
Variant of Haynes.

Hale English
Derived from Old English halh meaning "nook, recess, hollow".

Haley English
From the name of an English town meaning "hay clearing", from Old English heg "hay" and leah "woodland, clearing".

Hall English, German, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish
Means simply "hall", given to one who either lived in or worked in a hall (the house of a medieval noble).

Halle German
German variant of Hall.

Hambleton English
From various English place names, derived from Old English hamel "crooked, mutilated" and tun "enclosure, yard, town".

Hamilton English, Scottish
From an English place name, derived from Old English hamel "crooked, mutilated" and dun "hill". This was the name of a town in Leicestershire, England (which no longer exists).

Hamm English
Means "river meadow" in Old English.

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

Hampson English
Means "son of Hamo".

Hampton English
From the name of multiple towns in England, derived from Old English ham "home" or ham "water meadow, enclosure" and tun "enclosure, yard, town".

Hancock English
From a diminutive of the medieval name Hann.

Hanley English
From various English place names meaning "high meadow" in Old English.

Hanraets Dutch
Variant of Haanraads.

Hanson English
Means "son of Hann".

Harden English
From a place name meaning "hare valley" in Old English.

Harding English
Derived from the given name Heard. A famous bearer was American president Warren G. Harding (1865-1923).

Hardwick English
From Old English heord "herd" and wic "village, town".

Hardy English, French
From Old French and Middle English hardi meaning "bold, daring, hardy", from the Germanic root *harduz.

Harford English
Habitational name from places called Harford in Gloucestershire and Devon, meaning "hart ford" or "army ford".

Hargrave English
Derived from Old English har meaning "grey" and graf "grove".

Harlan English
Variant of Harland.

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

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".

Harlow English
Habitational name derived from a number of locations named Harlow, from Old English hær "rock, heap of stones" or here "army", combined with hlaw "hill".

Harman English
From the given name Herman.

Harmon English
From the given name Herman.

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

Harrell English
From the given name Harold.

Harrelson English
Means "son of Harold". A famous bearer of this surname is the American actor Woody Harrelson (1961-).

Harrington English
From the name of towns in England, meaning either "Hæfer's town" or "stony town" in Old English.

Harris English
Means "son of Harry".

Harrison English
Means "son of Harry".

Hart English
Means "male deer". It was originally acquired by a person who lived in a place frequented by harts, or bore some resemblance to a hart.

Hartell English
From various place names derived from Old English heorot "hart, male deer" and hyll "hill".

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".

Hartman Dutch, German
Dutch and Americanized form of Hartmann.

Hartmann German
From the German given name Hartmann.

Harvey English
From the Breton given name Haerviu (see Harvey).

Hase German
From Middle High German and Middle Low German hase meaning "hare, rabbit". This was a nickname for a person who was quick or timid.

Hasenkamp German
From a northern German place name meaning "rabbit field", from Old Saxon haso "hare" and kamp "field" (from Latin campus).

Hass German
From the given name Hasso.

Hathaway English
Habitational name for someone who lived near a path across a heath, from Old English hæþ "heath" and weg "way".

Hatheway English
Variant of Hathaway.

Hathway English
Variant of Hathaway.

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

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

Haupt German
German cognate of Head.

Häusler German
Name for someone who lived in a house with no land, derived rom Old High German word hus meaning "house".

Havener German
Variant of Hafner.

Haward English
Variant of Howard 1 or Hayward.

Hawk English
Originally a nickname for a person who had a hawk-like appearance or who acted in a fierce manner, derived from Old English hafoc "hawk".

Hawking English
From a diminutive of Hawk. A famous bearer was the British physicist Stephen Hawking (1942-2018).