Hawthorne EnglishDenoted a person who lived near a hawthorn bush, a word derived from Old English
hagaþorn, from
haga meaning "enclosure, yard" and
þorn meaning "thorn bush". A famous bearer was the American writer Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864), author of
The Scarlet Letter.
Hayden 1 EnglishFrom place names meaning either
"hay valley" or
"hay hill", derived from Old English
heg "hay" and
denu "valley" or
dun "hill".
Hayes 1 EnglishFrom various English place names that were derived from Old English
hæg meaning
"enclosure, fence". A famous bearer was American President Rutherford B. Hayes (1822-1893).
Hayter EnglishName for a person who lived on a hill, from Middle English
heyt meaning
"height".
Hayward EnglishOccupational name for a person who protected an enclosed forest, from Old English
hæg "enclosure, fence" and
weard "guard".
Haywood EnglishFrom various place names meaning "fenced wood" in Old English.
Head EnglishFrom 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.
Headley EnglishFrom place names meaning "heather clearing" in Old English.
Heath EnglishOriginally belonged to a person who was a dweller on the heath or open land.
Heeren DutchFrom Dutch
heer "lord, master", a nickname for a person who acted like a lord or who worked for a lord.
Hendrix DutchDerived from the given name
Hendrik. A famous bearer was the American rock musician Jimi Hendrix (1942-1970).
Henryson EnglishMeans
"son of Henry". A bearer of this surname was the poet Robert Henryson (1425-1500).
Hepburn English, ScottishFrom northern English place names meaning
"high burial mound" in Old English. It was borne by Mary Queen of Scot's infamous third husband, James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwall. Other famous bearers include the actresses Katharine Hepburn (1907-2003) and Audrey Hepburn (1929-1993).
Herschel German, JewishDiminutive 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.
Hertz GermanDerived from Middle High German
herze meaning
"heart", a nickname for a big-hearted person.
Herzog GermanFrom a German title meaning
"duke", a nickname for a person who either acted like a duke or worked in a duke's household.
Hext EnglishFrom a nickname meaning
"tallest" in Middle English. It is most common in the southwest of England in the county of Devon.
Hiedler GermanFrom southern German
Hiedl meaning
"underground stream".
Hill EnglishOriginally given to a person who lived on or near a hill, derived from Old English
hyll.
Hillam EnglishFrom English places by this name, derived from Old English
hyll meaning
"hill".
Hilton EnglishFrom various English place names derived from Old English
hyll "hill" and
tun "enclosure, town". Famous bearers of this name include the Hilton family of hotel heirs.
Hirsch 1 GermanMeans
"deer, hart" in German. This was a nickname for a person who resembled a deer in some way, or who raised or hunted deer.
Hitler GermanVariant of
Hiedler. This was spelling used by Alois Hitler, the father of German dictator Adolf Hitler (1889-1945), when he adopted his stepfather Johann Georg Hiedler's surname.
Hobbes EnglishDerived from the medieval given name
Hob. A famous bearer of this name was British political philosopher Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679), the author of
Leviathan.
Hoedemaker DutchOccupational name for a hat maker, from Dutch
hoed "hat" and
maker "maker".
Hofer GermanOccupational name for a farmer, from German
Hof "farm", from Old High German
hof "yard, court".
Hofmeister GermanMeans
"master of the household", from Old High German
hof "yard, court, house" and
meistar "master" (from Latin
magister).
Hoggard EnglishOccupational name meaning
"pig herder", from Old English
hogg "hog" and
hierde "herdsman, guardian".
Holden EnglishFrom various English place names, derived from Old English
hol "hollow, sunken, deep" and
denu "valley".
Holland 1 EnglishFrom various English places of this name, derived from Old English
hoh "point of land, heel" and
land "land".
Hollins EnglishReferred to someone living by a group of holly trees, from Old English
holegn.
Holloway EnglishFrom the name of various English places, derived from Old English
hol "hollow, sunken, deep" and
weg "path, way".
Holme English, ScottishReferred either to someone living by a small island (northern Middle English
holm, from Old Norse
holmr) or near a holly tree (Middle English
holm, from Old English
holegn).
Holmes English, ScottishVariant of
Holme. A famous fictional bearer was Sherlock Holmes, a detective in Arthur Conan Doyle's mystery stories beginning in 1887.
Holst Danish, Low German, DutchOriginally 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).
Holzknecht GermanOccupational name for a forester's helper, from Old High German
holz "wood" and
kneht "servant, apprentice".
Holzmann GermanDerived from Old High German
holz "wood" and
man "man", a name for someone who lived close to a wood or worked with wood.
Homewood EnglishFrom various place names derived from Old English
ham meaning "home" and
wudu meaning "wood".
Honeycutt EnglishDerived from the name of the English town of Hunnacott, derived from Old English
hunig "honey" or the given name
Huna combined with
cot "cottage".
Hood EnglishMetonymic occupational name for a maker of hoods or a nickname for someone who wore a distinctive hood, from Old English
hod.
Hooker EnglishOriginally applied to one who lived near a river bend or corner of some natural feature, from Old English
hoc "angle, hook".
Hooper EnglishOccupational name for someone who put the metal hoops around wooden barrels.
Hope EnglishDerived from Middle English
hop meaning
"small valley".
Hopper EnglishOccupational name for an acrobat or a nickname for someone who was nervous or restless. A famous bearer was the American actor Dennis Hopper (1936-2010).
Horn English, German, Norwegian, DanishFrom 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.
Horsfall EnglishFrom a minor place in Yorkshire derived from Old English
hors "horse" and
fall "clearing".
Horton EnglishFrom the names of various places in England, which are derived from Old English
horh "dirt, mud" and
tun "enclosure, yard, town".
House EnglishReferred to a person who lived or worked in a house, as opposed to a smaller hut.
Howard 2 EnglishOccupational name meaning
"ewe herder", from Old English
eowu "ewe" and
hierde "herdsman, guardian".
Howe EnglishName for one who lived on a hill, from Middle English
how "hill" (of Norse origin).
Huber GermanOccupational name for a farmer, derived from Old High German
huoba "plot of land, farm".
Huddleston EnglishFrom the name of a town in the Yorkshire region of England, which means "Hudel's town" in Old English.
Hudnall EnglishFrom various English place names, derived from the Old English given name
Huda combined with
halh "nook, recess".
Huff EnglishMeans
"spur of a hill", from Old English
hoh.
Hummel 2 German, DutchNickname for a busy person, from Middle Low German and Middle Dutch
hommel, Middle High German
hummel, all meaning
"bee".
Hunter English, ScottishOccupational name that referred to someone who hunted for a living, from Old English
hunta.
Hurst EnglishOriginally a name for a person who lived near a thicket of trees, from Old English
hyrst "thicket".
Huxley EnglishFrom the name of a town in Cheshire. The final element is Old English
leah "woodland, clearing", while the first element might be
hux "insult, scorn". A famous bearer was the British author Aldous Huxley (1894-1963).
Huxtable EnglishDerived from the name of an English place meaning "hook post", from Old English
hoc "hook" and
stapol "post".
Hyde EnglishFrom Middle English
hide, a unit of land, approximately the size necessary to support a household.
Hyland 1 EnglishTopographic name meaning
"high land", from Old English
heah and
land.
Ingersleben GermanFrom the name of the town of Ingersleben, Germany, which meant "Inge's village".
Ingham EnglishFrom the name of an English town, of Old English origin meaning "
Inga's homestead".
Jackson EnglishMeans
"son of Jack". Famous bearers of this name include the American president Andrew Jackson (1767-1845) and the singer Michael Jackson (1958-2009).
Jäger GermanMeans
"hunter" in German, from Old High German
jagon meaning "to hunt".
Jagger EnglishFrom an English word meaning
"carter, peddler". A famous bearer is the British musician Mick Jagger (1943-), the lead singer of the Rolling Stones.
Jeffers EnglishPatronymic from the given name
Jeffrey. A famous bearer was poet Robinson Jeffers (1887-1962).
Jefferson EnglishMeans
"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.
Jekyll EnglishDerived 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).
Jenkins EnglishFrom the given name
Jenkin, a diminutive of
Jen, itself a Middle English form of
John.
Jennings EnglishFrom the given name
Jenyn, a diminutive of
Jen, itself a Middle English form of
John.
Jernigan EnglishPossibly derived from the old Breton name
Iarnogon meaning "iron famous".
Jerome EnglishDerived from the given name
Jerome. A famous bearer of this surname was the American-born Jennie Jerome (1854-1921), Lady Randolph Churchill, mother of Winston Churchill.
Jinks EnglishMeans
"son of Jenk", a short form of
Jenkin, a diminutive of
Jen, itself a Middle English form of
John.
John EnglishDerived from the given name
John. A famous bearer is British musician Elton John (1947-), born Reginald Dwight.
Johnson EnglishMeans
"son of John". Famous bearers include American presidents Andrew Johnson (1808-1875) and Lyndon B. Johnson (1908-1973).
Joiner EnglishOccupational name for a carpenter (that is, a person who joins wood together to make furniture).
Jöllenbeck GermanFrom the name of a village in western Germany, itself derived from the name of the Jölle, a small river, combined with Low German
beck "stream".
Jonker DutchFrom the Dutch title
jonkheer meaning
"young lord". It was originally a medieval noble designation (not an actual title) for a young nobleman.
Jung 1 GermanMeans
"young" in German, from Middle High German
junc.
Kahler GermanFrom a nickname derived from German
kahl meaning
"bald".
Kaiser GermanFrom Middle High German
keiser meaning
"emperor", originally a nickname applied to someone who acted kingly. The title ultimately derives from the Roman name
Caesar.
Kalb GermanOccupational name meaning
"calf (animal)" in German.
Kalbfleisch GermanOccupational name for a butcher who dealt in veal, from German
kalb meaning "calf" and
fleisch meaning "meat".
Kappel German, DutchName for a person who lived near or worked at a chapel, ultimately from Late Latin
cappella, a diminutive of
cappa "cape", arising from the holy relic of the torn cape of Saint
Martin, which was kept in small churches.
Kästner GermanMeans
"cabinet maker", derived from Middle High German
kaste "box".
Kaube GermanFrom the name of the town of Kaub in Germany.
Kay 2 EnglishDerived from Old French
kay meaning
"wharf, quay", indicating one who lived near or worked on a wharf.
Keaton EnglishFrom any of three English place names: Ketton in Rutland, Ketton in Durham or Keaton in Devon. The first is probably derived from an old river name or tribal name combined with Old English
ea "river", with the spelling later influenced by
tun "enclosure, yard, town". The second is from the Old English given name
Catta or the Old Norse given name
Káti combined with Old English
tun. The third is possibly from Cornish
kee "hedge, bank" combined with Old English
tun.
Keen EnglishFrom Old English
cene meaning
"bold, brave".
Keighley EnglishDerived from an English place name meaning "clearing belonging to Cyhha". The Old English given name
Cyhha is of unknown meaning.
Keil GermanMeans
"wedge shaped" in German. It was used to denote a person who owned a wedge-shaped piece of land.
Keller GermanMeans
"cellar" in German, an occupational name for one in charge of the food and drink.
Kellogg EnglishOccupational name for a pig butcher, from Middle English
killen "to kill" and
hog "pig, swine, hog".
Kelsey EnglishFrom an English place name meaning "Cenel's island", from the Old English name
Cenel "fierce" in combination with
eg "island".
Kemp EnglishDerived from Middle English
kempe meaning
"champion, warrior".
Kendall EnglishDerived from the town of Kendal in England, so-called from the river
Kent, on which it is situated, and Old English
dæl meaning "valley, dale".
Kerner GermanDerived from Old High German
kerno "seed", an occupational name for one who sold or planted seeds.
Kerr Scottish, EnglishFrom Scots and northern Middle English
kerr meaning
"thicket, marsh", ultimately from Old Norse
kjarr.
Kersey EnglishFrom an English place name meaning derived from Old English
cærse "watercress" and
ieg "island".
Kidd EnglishFrom a nickname meaning
"young goat, kid" in Middle English, of Old Norse origin.
Kiefer 2 GermanOccupational name for a barrel maker, derived from Old High German
kuofa meaning
"barrel".
Killam EnglishDenoted one who hailed from the English town of Kilham, meaning "kiln homestead".
King EnglishFrom Old English
cyning "king", originally a nickname for someone who either acted in a kingly manner or who worked for or was otherwise associated with a king. A famous bearer was the American civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968).
Kingsley EnglishFrom a place name meaning "king's clearing" in Old English.
Kinsley EnglishFrom the name of a town in West Yorkshire, meaning "clearing belonging to Cyne". The Old English given name
Cyne is a short form of longer names beginning with
cyne meaning "royal".
Kipling EnglishFrom 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).
Kirby EnglishFrom numerous towns in northern England named Kirby or Kirkby, derived from Old Norse
kirkja "church" and
býr "farm, settlement".
Kirchner GermanDerived from Middle High German
kirchenaere meaning
"sexton".
Kirk EnglishFrom northern Middle English
kirk meaning
"church", from Old Norse
kirkja (cognate of
Church). A famous fictional bearer is the starship captain James Kirk from the
Star Trek television series (1966-1969), and subsequent films.