This is a list of surnames in which the length is 4.
Lara SpanishFrom the name of a village in Burgos, Spain. It might be derived from Latin
lar "household god, house, home".
Lehr GermanFrom Old High German
loh meaning
"meadow, clearing".
Lenz GermanFrom a nickname meaning
"springtime" in German.
León 1 SpanishReferred to a person from the city of León in northern Spain, derived from Latin
legio (genitive
legionis) meaning
"legion", so named because the Roman 7th Legion Gemina was stationed there.
Liao ChineseFrom Chinese
廖 (liào) referring to the ancient state of Liao, which was located in present-day Henan province.
Long EnglishOriginally a nickname for a person who had long limbs or who was tall.
Love EnglishFrom the Old English given name
Lufu meaning "love".
Luna SpanishFrom various places in Spain meaning "moon".
Lund Danish, Swedish, NorwegianIndicated a person who lived near a grove of trees, from Old Norse
lundr meaning
"grove". There are towns in Sweden named Lund.
Lusk ScottishPossibly from the place name
Leask in Aberdeenshire, of unknown meaning.
Lyle EnglishDerived from Norman French
l'isle meaning
"island".
Lyne ScottishHabitational name for someone who lived in places of this name in Scotland.
Lynn EnglishFrom the name of a town in Norfolk (King's Lynn), derived from Welsh
llyn meaning
"lake".
Lyon 1 English, FrenchOriginally denoted a person from the city of Lyon in central France, originally Latin
Lugdunum, of Gaulish origin meaning "hill fort of
Lugus". It could also denote a person from the small town of Lyons-la-Forêt in Normandy.
Lyon 2 English, FrenchFrom a nickname derived from Old French and Middle English
lion meaning
"lion".
Mack 1 Scottish, IrishShortened form of various Irish and Scottish surnames beginning with
Mac or
Mc (from Irish
mac meaning "son").
Mann German, EnglishFrom a nickname meaning
"man". This may have originally been given in order to distinguish the bearer from a younger person with the same name.
Mata Spanish, Portuguese, CatalanFrom Spanish, Portuguese and Catalan
mata meaning
"trees, shrubs", possibly from Late Latin
matta meaning "reed mat".
Maus GermanFrom a nickname meaning
"mouse", from Old High German
mus.
Metz 1 GermanOccupational name for maker of knives, from Middle High German
metze "knife".
Monk EnglishNickname or occupational name for a person who worked for monks. This word is derived from Latin
monachus, from Greek
μοναχός (monachos) meaning "alone".
Moon 2 EnglishOriginally indicated a person from the town of Moyon in Normandy.
Mora SpanishDerived from Spanish
mora meaning
"mulberry", of Latin origin.
Moto JapaneseFrom Japanese
本 (moto) meaning
"base, root, origin". More commonly it is the final character in Japanese surnames.
Moya SpanishFrom any of various towns named Moya in Spain, of uncertain meaning.
Muir ScottishScots form of
Moore 1. This name was borne by the Scottish-American naturalist John Muir (1838-1914).
Mutō JapaneseFrom Japanese
武 (mu) meaning "military, martial" and
藤 (tō) meaning "wisteria". The final character may indicate a connection to the Fujiwara clan.
Myer EnglishFrom Old French
mire meaning
"doctor", derived from Latin
medicus.
Nagy um Hungarian, SlovakFrom a nickname meaning
"big, great" in Hungarian, referring to one's characteristics. This is the most common Hungarian surname. In Slovakia this spelling is only used for men, with
Nagyová being the feminine form.
Nash EnglishDerived from the Middle English phrase
atten ash "at the ash tree". A famous bearer was the mathematician John Nash (1928-2015).
Nepi ItalianFrom the town of Nepi in central Italy, which is of uncertain origin.
Neri ItalianFrom Italian
nero "black", indicating a person with a dark complexion or dark hair.
Ness English, Scottish, NorwegianFrom English
ness and Norwegian
nes meaning
"headland, promontory", of Old Norse origin, originally referring to a person who lived there.
Nisi ItalianMeans
"son of Niso", an Italian form of the mythological name
Nisus.
Noel French, EnglishEither from the given name
Noël, or else derived directly from Old French
noel "Christmas" and given to a person who had a particular connection with the holiday.
Ohme GermanFrom Middle High German
oem meaning
"maternal uncle".
Oláh HungarianMeans
"Romanian, Wallachian" in Hungarian, from Old Slavic
volxŭ "Romance-speaker" (of Germanic origin).
Olmo SpanishMeans
"elm tree" in Spanish, ultimately from Latin
ulmus. The name originally indicated a person who lived near such a tree.
Öman SwedishFrom Swedish
ö (Old Norse
ey) meaning "island" and
man (Old Norse
maðr) meaning "person, man".
Pace ItalianDerived from the Italian given name
Pace meaning
"peace".
Page English, FrenchOccupational name meaning
"servant, page". It is ultimately derived (via Old French and Italian) from Greek
παιδίον (paidion) meaning "little boy".
Papp 2 GermanNickname perhaps related to Late Latin
pappare meaning
"to eat".
Park 1 KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
樸 or 朴 (bak) meaning
"plain, unadorned, simple". This is the third most common surname in South Korea.
Park 2 EnglishFrom Middle English
park, from Latin
parricus, of Frankish origin. This was a name for someone who worked in or lived in a park.
Peak EnglishOriginally indicated a dweller by a pointed hill, from Old English
peac "peak". It could also denote a person from the Peak District in Derbyshire, England.
Peck 2 EnglishOccupational name for a maker of pecks (vessels used as peck measures), derived from Middle English
pekke.
Peel EnglishNickname for a thin person, derived from Old French
pel, Latin
palus meaning
"stake, post" (related to English
pole).
Peña SpanishOriginally denoted a person who lived near a jutting rock, from Spanish
peña meaning
"rock, cliff".
Peng ChineseFrom Chinese
彭 (péng) referring to the ancient state of Peng, which existed during the Shang dynasty in what is now Jiangsu province.
Penn 1 EnglishDerived from various place names that were named using the Brythonic word
penn meaning
"hilltop, head".
Penn 2 EnglishOccupational name for a person who kept penned animals, from Old English
penn.
Phạm VietnameseVietnamese form of
Fan, from Sino-Vietnamese
范 (phạm). This is the fourth most common surname in Vietnam.
Pini ItalianName for a person who lived near a pine tree, from Italian
pino, Latin
pinus.
Pitt EnglishOriginally given to a person who lived near a pit or a hole, derived from Old English
pytt "pit".
Pond EnglishOriginally referred to one who lived near a pond.
Popa RomanianFrom Romanian
popă "priest", from Old Church Slavic
popŭ. This is the most common surname in Romania.
Pope EnglishFrom a nickname that originally designated a person who played the part of the pope in a play or pageant. Otherwise the name could be used as a nickname for a man with a solemn, austere, or pious appearance. It is derived from Latin
papa, ultimately from Greek
πάππας (pappas) meaning "father".
Rácz HungarianDerived from Hungarian
rác meaning
"Rascian", a former name for Serbians who lived in the Habsburg Empire.
Rais ItalianOccupational name for the fisherman in charge of the boat, from Italian
rais "captain", of Arabic origin. It is typical of Sicily and Sardinia.
Rake EnglishOriginally a name for a dweller on a narrow pass or hillside, from Old English
hrace meaning
"throat, gorge".
Rapp 1 SwedishFrom Swedish
rapp meaning
"quick, prompt", one of the names adopted by soldiers in the 17th century.
Rapp 2 GermanFrom Middle High German
raben meaning
"raven", a nickname for a person with black hair.
Ravn DanishMeans
"raven" in Danish, from Old Norse
hrafn.
Read 1 EnglishMeans
"red" from Middle English
read, probably denoting a person with red hair or complexion.
Read 2 EnglishFrom Old English
ryd, an unattested form of
rod meaning
"cleared land". It is also derived from various English place names with various meanings, including "roe headland", "reeds" and "brushwood".
Reis German, JewishFrom Middle High German
ris meaning
"twig, branch, bush", denoting a person who lived in an overgrown area. As a Jewish name it is ornamental.
Rios PortugueseOriginally denoted a person who lived near a river, from Portuguese
rios "river", ultimately from Latin
rivus.
Riva ItalianMeans
"bank, shore" in Italian, from Latin
ripa, denoting one who lived by a river or a lake.
Roig CatalanMeans
"red" in Catalan, from Latin
rubeus, originally a nickname for a person with red hair or a red complexion.
Rojo SpanishMeans
"red" in Spanish, referring to the colour of the hair or complexion.
Rose 1 English, French, German, JewishMeans
"rose" from Middle English, Old French and Middle High German
rose, all from Latin
rosa. All denote a person of a rosy complexion or a person who lived in an area abundant with roses. As a Jewish surname it is ornamental, from Yiddish
רויז (roiz).
Ross English, ScottishFrom various place names (such as the region of Ross in northern Scotland), which are derived from Scottish Gaelic
ros meaning "promontory, headland".
Roth German, JewishFrom Middle High German
rot meaning
"red". It was originally a nickname for a person with red hair.
Roux FrenchDerived from Old French
ros meaning
"red", from Latin
russus, a nickname for a red-haired person.
Rowe 1 EnglishMeans
"row" in Middle English, indicating a dweller by a row of hedges or houses.
Ruan ChineseFrom Chinese
阮 (ruǎn), which refers to a type of musical instrument, similar to a lute.
Rush EnglishIndicated a person who lived near rushes, the grasslike plant that grows in a marsh, from Old English
rysc.
Ryba um Polish, CzechMeans
"fish" in Polish and Czech, an occupational name for a fisher.
Sano JapaneseFrom Japanese
佐 (sa) meaning "help, aid" and
野 (no) meaning "field, wilderness".
Satō JapaneseFrom Japanese
佐 (sa) meaning "help, aid" and
藤 (tō) meaning "wisteria". The final character might indicate a connection to the Fujiwara clan. This is the most common surname in Japan.
Sgro ItalianNickname for a curly-haired person, from Greek
σγουρός (sgouros) meaning
"curly".
Shaw 1 EnglishOriginally given to a person who lived near a prominent thicket, from Old English
sceaga meaning
"thicket, copse".
Shaw 2 ScottishFrom a given name or byname that was derived from Gaelic
sitheach meaning
"wolf" (Old Irish
sídach).
Shen ChineseFrom Chinese
申 (shēn) referring to the ancient state of Shen, which existed during the Zhou dynasty.
Sitz 1 GermanDerived from a given name beginning with the Old High German element
sigu meaning "victory".
Sitz 2 GermanMeans
"house owner", derived from Old High German
siz "seat, domicile".
Skov DanishTopographic name meaning
"forest, wood" in Danish, from Old Norse
skógr.
Smit DutchFrom Middle Dutch
smit "metalworker, blacksmith", a cognate of
Smith.
Song Chinese, KoreanFrom Chinese
宋 (sòng) referring to the Song dynasty, which ruled China from 960 to 1279.
Soto SpanishMeans
"grove of trees, small forest" in Spanish, ultimately from Latin
saltus.
Süß GermanFrom Old High German
suozi meaning
"sweet".
Tamm EstonianMeans
"oak" in Estonian. This is among the most common surnames in Estonia.
Tang 1 ChineseFrom Chinese
唐 (táng) referring to the Tang dynasty, which ruled China from 618 to 907.
Tash EnglishFrom Middle English
at asche meaning
"at the ash tree".
Teel EnglishFrom Middle English
tele meaning
"teal, duck".
Teke 2 TurkishOccupational name for a goat herder, from Turkish
teke "goat".
Todd EnglishMeans
"fox", derived from Middle English
todde.
Toft EnglishDenoted a person hailing from one of the many places in Britain of that name, derived from Old Norse
topt meaning
"homestead".
Tosi ItalianMeans
"clean-shaven", usually denoting a younger man, from Latin
tonsus "shaved".
Trần VietnameseVietnamese form of
Chen, from Sino-Vietnamese
陳 (trần). This is the second most common surname in Vietnam.
Troy EnglishOriginally denoted a person from the city of Troyes in France.
Tuft EnglishDenoted one who lived near a clump of trees or bushes, from Middle English
tufte "tuft, clump", from Old French.
Ueda JapaneseFrom Japanese
上 (ue) meaning "above, top, upper" and
田 (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".
Ueno JapaneseFrom Japanese
上 (ue) meaning "above, top, upper" and
野 (no) meaning "field, wilderness".
Vale PortugueseMeans
"valley" in Portuguese, ultimately from Latin
vallis.
Vann EnglishFrom Old English
fenn meaning
"fen, swamp", indicating a person who lived near such a place.
Vass HungarianDerived from Hungarian
vas meaning
"iron", referring to a worker in iron, a miner of iron ore or a vendor of iron goods. Alternatively, from the same root word, it may have been a nickname referring to one with a distinctively strong constitution.
Vega SpanishFrom Spanish
vega meaning
"meadow, plain", of Basque origin.
Vela SpanishOccupational name for a guard, from Spanish
vela meaning
"watch, vigil".
Vera SpanishMeans
"shore, bank" in Spanish. This was a name for a person who lived near such a feature, or who came from any of the various locations in Spain named
Vera or
La Vera.
Vogt GermanOccupational name from Middle High German
voget meaning
"bailiff, administrator, steward", ultimately from Latin
advocatus.
Volk GermanDerived from given names beginning with the Old High German element
folk meaning "people".
Voll 1 NorwegianOriginally indicated a person who lived in a meadow, from Old Norse
vǫllr "meadow, field".
Voss GermanFrom Middle Low German
vos meaning
"fox". It was originally a nickname for a clever person or a person with red hair.
Wada JapaneseFrom Japanese
和 (wa) meaning "harmony, peace" and
田 (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".
Wade 1 EnglishDerived from the Old English place name
wæd meaning
"a ford".
Wade 2 EnglishFrom the Old English given name
Wada, a derivative of the word
wadan "to go".
Wall EnglishOriginally denoted a person who lived near a prominent wall, from Old English
weall.
Wang 1 ChineseFrom Chinese
王 (wáng) meaning
"king, monarch". This is the most common surname in China (and the world).
Wang 2 German, DutchFrom Middle High German and Middle Dutch
wange meaning
"cheek", possibly a nickname for someone with round or rosy cheeks.
Wang 4 YiddishName for a Jew from Hungary, ultimately from Russian
Венгрия (Vengriya) meaning
"Hungary".
Ward 1 EnglishDerived from Old English
weard meaning
"guard, guardian".
Ward 2 IrishAnglicized form of Irish
Mac an Bhaird, which means
"son of the bard".
Ware 1 EnglishFrom Old English
wer meaning
"dam, weir", indicating someone who lived near such a structure.
Ware 2 EnglishFrom the Middle English nickname
ware meaning
"wary, astute, prudent".
Watt EnglishDerived from the Middle English given name
Wat or
Watt, a diminutive of the name
Walter. A noteworthy bearer was the Scottish inventor James Watt (1736-1819).
Webb EnglishOccupational name meaning
"weaver", from Old English
webba, a derivative of
wefan "to weave".
West English, GermanDenoted a person who lived to the west of something, or who came from the west.
Wild English, GermanMeans
"wild, untamed, uncontrolled", derived from Old English
wilde. This was either a nickname for a person who behaved in a wild manner or a topographic name for someone who lived on overgrown land.
Wolf German, EnglishFrom Middle High German or Middle English
wolf meaning
"wolf", or else from an Old German given name beginning with this element.
Wood English, ScottishOriginally denoted one who lived in or worked in a forest, derived from Old English
wudu "wood".
Wray EnglishOriginally denoted someone who came from any of the various places of this name in northern England, from Old Norse
vrá meaning
"corner, nook".
Xiao ChineseFrom Chinese
蕭 (xiāo) referring to the fiefdom or territory of Xiao (in present-day Anhui province) that existed during the Zhou dynasty.
York EnglishFrom the name of the English city of York, which was originally called
Eburacon (Latinized as
Eboracum), meaning "yew" in Brythonic. In the Anglo-Saxon period it was corrupted to
Eoforwic, based on Old English
eofor "boar" and
wic "village". This was rendered as
Jórvík by the Vikings and eventually reduced to
York.
Yūki JapaneseFrom Japanese
結 (yū) meaning "tie, bind" and
城 (ki) meaning "castle".
Zeng ChineseFrom Chinese
曾 (zēng) referring to the former state of Zeng, which existed during the Zhou dynasty in what is now Hubei province.