This is a list of surnames in which the length is 4.
Aaij DutchDerived from the given name
Aaij, a short form of
Adriaan and other names.
Agli ItalianFrom place names like
Agliè,
Aglietti,
Agliana and
Agliate, all originating from the Latin name
Allius or
Alleius.
Agua SpanishMeans
"water" in Spanish, indicating a person who lived near water or worked with water.
Aita ItalianOriginally denoted a person from Aieta, Italy, a place name derived from Greek
ἀετός (aetos) meaning "eagle".
Akai JapaneseFrom Japanese
赤 (aka) meaning "red" and
井 (i) meaning "well, mine shaft, pit".
Alma FrisianMeans
"son of Ale 2", the suffix
-ma indicating that it is of Frisian origin.
Aoki JapaneseFrom Japanese
青 (ao) meaning "green, blue" and
木 (ki) meaning "tree, wood".
Årud NorwegianFrom Norwegian
å meaning "river, stream" and the archaic word
rud meaning "cleared land".
Arzt DutchMeans
"doctor, physician" in German, ultimately from Latin
archiater.
Asís SpanishOriginally denoted a person from the Italian city of Assisi (called
Asís in Spanish).
Auer GermanFrom German
Aue, Old High German
ouwa, meaning
"meadow by a river, wetland".
Baak DutchFrom a Frisian given name, a short form of Germanic names starting with the element
batu "fight, struggle".
Bach 1 GermanTopographic name for someone who lived by a stream, from Middle High German
bach meaning
"stream". This name was borne by members of the Bach musical family, notably the composer Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750).
Bähr GermanFrom Middle High German
bër "bear" or
ber "boar". This was originally a nickname for a strong or brave person.
Ball EnglishFrom Middle English
bal, Old English
beall meaning
"ball". This was either a nickname for a rotund or bald person, or a topographic name for someone who lived near a ball-shaped feature.
Barr EnglishIndicated a person who lived near a barrier, from Old French
barre.
Baum German, JewishMeans
"tree" in German. A famous bearer was the American author L. Frank Baum (1856-1919).
Beck 3 EnglishFrom a nickname for a person with a big nose, from Middle English
bec meaning
"beak".
Beck 4 EnglishFrom Old English
becca meaning
"pickaxe", an occupational surname.
Bell 1 EnglishFrom Middle English
belle meaning
"bell". It originated as a nickname for a person who lived near the town bell, or who had a job as a bell-ringer.
Best 1 EnglishDerived from Middle English
beste meaning
"beast", an occupational name for a keeper of animals or a nickname for someone who acted like a beast. A famous bearer of this surname was soccer legend George Best (1946-2005).
Best 2 GermanDerived from the name of the river Beste, meaning unknown.
Bird EnglishOccupational name for a person who raised or hunted birds.
Blau GermanMeans
"blue" in German, most likely used to refer to a person who wore blue clothes.
Blue EnglishFrom a nickname for a person with blue eyes or blue clothing.
Böhm GermanOriginally indicated a person from the region of
Bohemia (
Böhmen in German).
Bohn GermanOccupational name for a bean grower, derived from Middle High German
bone "bean".
Bond EnglishOccupational name for a peasant farmer, from Middle English
bonde. A famous bearer is the fictional spy James Bond, created by Ian Flemming in 1953.
Boon 2 EnglishOriginally indicated a person from the town of Bohon, in Manche in France. The town's name is of unknown origin.
Borg SwedishFrom Swedish
borg meaning
"fortification, castle".
Bove ItalianDerived from an Italian nickname meaning
"bull, ox".
Boyd ScottishFrom the name of the Scottish island of Bute (
Bód in Gaelic), which is of unknown meaning.
Bray EnglishFrom a place name derived from Cornish
bre "hill".
Broz CroatianDerived from
Broz, a diminutive of
Ambrozije. This was the birth surname of the Yugoslavian dictator Josip Broz Tito (1892-1980).
Brun French, Danish, Norwegian, SwedishMeans
"brown" in French, Danish, Norwegian and Swedish. It was originally a nickname for a person who had brown hair or skin.
Büki HungarianDerived from the name of the Bükk Mountains, which means "beech tree" in Hungarian (probably of Slavic origin).
Bull EnglishFrom a nickname for a person who acted like a bull.
Bush EnglishOriginally a name for a person who lived near a prominent bush or thicket.
Cano SpanishMeans
"white-haired, old" in Spanish, from Latin
canus.
Case EnglishFrom Norman French
casse meaning
"box, case", ultimately from Latin
capsa. This was an occupational name for a box maker.
Čech m CzechMeans
"Czech". The name was used to differentiate a native of Bohemia from the natives of Silesia, Moravia and other regions that are now part of the Czech Republic.
Chen ChineseFrom Chinese
陈 (chén) meaning
"exhibit, display, old, ancient" and also referring to the former state of Chen, which existed in what is now Henan province from the 11th to 5th centuries BC.
Chey KhmerMeans
"victory" in Khmer, from Sanskrit
जय (jaya).
Cino ItalianFrom the given name
Cino, a short form of names ending in
cino.
Clay EnglishMeans simply
"clay", originally referring to a person who lived near or worked with of clay.
Cobb EnglishFrom a medieval English byname meaning
"lump".
Cock EnglishDerived from the medieval nickname
cok meaning
"rooster, cock". The nickname was commonly added to given names to create diminutives such as
Hancock or
Alcock.
Cody IrishAnglicized form of Irish
Ó Cuidighthigh or
Mac Óda. A famous bearer was the American frontiersman and showman Buffalo Bill Cody (1846-1917).
Colt EnglishOccupational name for a keeper of horses, derived from Middle English
colt.
Como 2 ItalianFrom the name of the city of Como in Lombardy, the rival city of Milan during the Middle Ages. Its name may come from a Celtic root meaning "valley".
Cook EnglishDerived from Old English
coc meaning
"cook", ultimately from Latin
coquus. It was an occupational name for a cook, a man who sold cooked meats, or a keeper of an eating house.
Dahl Norwegian, Swedish, DanishFrom Old Norse
dalr meaning
"valley". A famous of this surname was author Roald Dahl (1916-1990) who is mostly remembered for children's stories such as
Matilda and
Henry Sugar.
Dale EnglishFrom Old English
dæl meaning
"valley", originally indicating a person who lived there.
Dalí SpanishFrom a given name, itself a diminutive of names beginning with the Old German element
adal meaning "noble". This was the surname of the Spanish surrealist painter Salvador Dalí (1904-1989).
Daly IrishAnglicized form of Irish
Ó Dálaigh meaning
"descendant of Dálach".
Dane 2 EnglishOriginally denoted a Dane, that is a person from Denmark.
Dean 2 EnglishOccupational surname meaning
"dean", referring to a person who either was a dean or worked for one. It is from Middle English
deen (ultimately from Latin
decanus meaning "chief of ten").
Deng ChineseFrom Chinese
邓 (dèng) referring to the ancient state of Deng, which existed during the Shang and Zhou dynasties in what is now either Henan or Hubei province. A famous bearer was the Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping (1904-1997).
Dior FrenchPossibly from French
doré meaning
"golden". A famous bearer was the French fashion designer Christian Dior (1905-1957).
Duke EnglishFrom the noble title, which was originally from Latin
dux "leader". It was a nickname for a person who behaved like a duke, or who worked in a duke's household.
Dunn English, Scottish, IrishDerived from Old English
dunn "dark" or Gaelic
donn "brown", referring to hair colour or complexion.
Dyer EnglishOccupational name meaning
"cloth dyer", from Old English
deah "dye".
Earl EnglishFrom the aristocratic title, which derives from Old English
eorl meaning
"nobleman, warrior". It was either a nickname for one who acted like an earl, or an occupational name for a person employed by an earl.
Fava ItalianFrom Italian
fava referring to a type of broad bean.
Fear EnglishDerived from Middle English
feare meaning
"friend, comrade".
Feld German, JewishMeans
"field" in German. The name was originally given to someone who lived on land cleared of forest.
Feng 1 ChineseFrom Chinese
冯 (féng), which referred to an ancient city in Henan province.
Fenn EnglishFrom a name for someone who dwelt near a marsh, from Old English
fenn meaning
"fen, swamp, bog".
Ford EnglishName 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).
Frei GermanMeans
"free" in German, probably referring to someone outside the feudal system.
Gage French, EnglishOccupational 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 EnglishDerived from Middle English
gaile meaning
"jovial".
Gama PortugueseProbably from a place name derived from Portuguese
gama meaning
"fallow deer doe", from Latin
gammus.
Gass GermanName for someone who lived on a street in a city, from German
gasse.
Gill EnglishOriginally indicated someone who lived near a ravine, from Middle English
gil (of Old Norse origin).
Gold English, German, JewishFrom 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.
Good EnglishFrom a nickname meaning
"good", referring to a kindly person.
Gore EnglishFrom the Old English word
gara meaning
"triangular plot of land".
Gray EnglishFrom a nickname for a person who had grey hair or grey clothes.
Gros FrenchMeans
"thick, fat, big" in French, from Late Latin
grossus, possibly of Germanic origin.
Gump German (Rare), Popular CulturePossibly 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.
Gynt LiteratureMeaning unknown. This name was used by the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen for the central character in his play
Peer Gynt (1867). Ibsen based the story on an earlier Norwegian folktale
Per Gynt.
Haak DutchOccupational name meaning
"peddler" in Dutch.
Hahn GermanFrom a nickname for a proud or pugnacious person, from Old High German
hano meaning
"rooster, cock".
Hail EnglishFrom a nickname derived from Middle English
hail meaning
"healthy" (of Old Norse origin).
Hale EnglishDerived from Old English
halh meaning
"nook, recess, hollow".
Hart EnglishMeans
"male deer". It was originally acquired by a person who lived in a place frequented by harts, or bore some resemblance to a hart.
Hase GermanFrom Middle High German and Middle Low German
hase meaning
"hare, rabbit". This was a nickname for a person who was quick or timid.
Hawk EnglishOriginally a nickname for a person who had a hawk-like appearance or who acted in a fierce manner, derived from Old English
hafoc "hawk".
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.
Hext EnglishFrom a nickname meaning
"tallest" in Middle English. It is most common in the southwest of England in the county of Devon.
Hill EnglishOriginally given to a person who lived on or near a hill, derived from Old English
hyll.
Hino JapaneseFrom Japanese
日 (hi) meaning "sun, day" or
火 (hi) meaning "fire" and
野 (no) meaning "field, wilderness".
Hood EnglishMetonymic occupational name for a maker of hoods or a nickname for someone who wore a distinctive hood, from Old English
hod.
Hope EnglishDerived from Middle English
hop meaning
"small valley".
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.
Howe EnglishName for one who lived on a hill, from Middle English
how "hill" (of Norse origin).
Huff EnglishMeans
"spur of a hill", from Old English
hoh.
Hyde EnglishFrom Middle English
hide, a unit of land, approximately the size necessary to support a household.
Imai JapaneseFrom Japanese
今 (ima) meaning "now, present" and
井 (i) meaning "well, mine shaft, pit".
Iwai JapaneseFrom Japanese
岩 (iwa) meaning "cliff, rocks" and
井 (i) meaning "well, mine shaft, pit".
Iyer TamilReferred to a person belonging to the Iyer subcaste of the larger Brahmin caste. The Iyer subcaste is traditionally devoted to the God Vishnu.
Jain Hindi, Marathi, GujaratiReferred to a person who followed the principles of Jainism, a religion practiced in India. Jains are the followers of Lord Mahavira (599-527 BC).
Jaso BasqueDerived from Basque
jats meaning
"sorghum", a type of cereal grass.
John EnglishDerived from the given name
John. A famous bearer is British musician Elton John (1947-), born Reginald Dwight.
Joly FrenchFrom Old French
joli meaning
"happy, jolly, pretty".
Jung 1 GermanMeans
"young" in German, from Middle High German
junc.
Kalb GermanOccupational name meaning
"calf (animal)" in German.
Katō JapaneseFrom Japanese
加 (ka) meaning "add, increase" and
藤 (tō) meaning "wisteria". The latter character may indicate a connection to the Fujiwara clan.
Kaur Indian (Sikh)Means
"princess", ultimately from Sanskrit
कुमारी (kumārī) meaning "girl". In 1699 Guru Gobind Singh gave all his Sikh female followers the surname
Kaur and all males
Singh. In many instances, it is also used as a middle name with the family name serving as the surname.
Keen EnglishFrom Old English
cene meaning
"bold, brave".
Keil GermanMeans
"wedge shaped" in German. It was used to denote a person who owned a wedge-shaped piece of land.
Kemp EnglishDerived from Middle English
kempe meaning
"champion, warrior".
Kerr Scottish, EnglishFrom Scots and northern Middle English
kerr meaning
"thicket, marsh", ultimately from Old Norse
kjarr.
Khan Urdu, Pashto, BengaliFrom a title meaning
"king, ruler", probably of Mongolian origin but used in many languages.
Kidd EnglishFrom a nickname meaning
"young goat, kid" in Middle English, of Old Norse origin.
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).
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.
Knef GermanOccupational name for a shoemaker, derived from Low German
knif meaning
"shoemaker's knife".
Knox ScottishFrom the name of various places in Scotland and northern England, derived from Scottish Gaelic
cnoc "round hill".
Kohl GermanDerived from Middle High German
kol "cabbage".
Kříž m CzechMeans
"cross" in Czech, ultimately from Latin
crux.
Król PolishMeans
"king" in Polish. The name referred to one who acted like a king or was connected in some way with a king's household.
Kron German, SwedishFrom German
Krone and Swedish
krona meaning
"crown" (from Latin
corona), perhaps a nickname for one who worked in a royal household.
Kubo JapaneseFrom Japanese
久 (ku) meaning "long time ago" and
保 (ho) meaning "protect".
Kukk EstonianMeans
"rooster" in Estonian, ultimately of Germanic origin.
Kurz GermanMeans
"short" in German, ultimately from Latin
curtus.
Kyle ScottishDerived from Scottish Gaelic
caol meaning
"narrows, channel, strait", originally given to a person who lived by a strait.
Lama ItalianDerived from the name place
Lama, common in Italy.
Lamb EnglishFrom the name of the animal, perhaps a nickname for a shy person.
Lane 1 EnglishOriginally designated one who lived by a lane, a narrow way between fences or hedges, later used of any narrow pathway, including one between houses in a town.
Lane 2 FrenchDerived from a French word meaning
"wool", designating one who worked in the wool trade.
Lane 3 IrishFrom Irish
Ó Luain meaning
"descendant of Luan", a given name meaning "warrior".