Surnames Starting with A

Aafjes Dutch
Means "son of Aafje".

Aaij Dutch
Derived from the given name Aaij, a short form of Adriaan and other names.

Aakster Dutch
Derived from Old Dutch ekster "magpie".

Aaldenberg Dutch
Originally denoted a person who came from an uncertain place called Aaldenberg, meaning "old mountain".

Aalders Dutch
Means "son of Aldert".

Aalfs Dutch
Means "son of Aalf", a short form of Adolf.

Aalmers Dutch (Rare)
Means "son of Aalmar", a Dutch form of Adelmar.

Aaltink Dutch
Variant of Alting.

Aalto Finnish
From Finnish aalto meaning "wave". A famous bearer was Finnish architect Alvar Aalto (1898-1976).

Aaltonen Finnish
From Finnish aalto meaning "wave".

Aarden Dutch
From Dutch aarden meaning "earthen, clay". It denoted a person who worked with clay.

Aarens Dutch
Means "son of Arend".

Aarle Dutch
Denoted a person who hailed from a place of this name in the Netherlands, or from Arlon in Belgium (which is Aarlen in Dutch).

Aaron Jewish, English
From the given name Aaron.

Aarse Dutch
Means "son of Arend".

Aarts Dutch
Means "son of Aart".

Aartsen Dutch
Means "son of Arend".

Aartsma Frisian
Means "son of Arend", the suffix -ma indicating that it is of Frisian origin.

Abadjiev m Bulgarian
Alternate transcription of Bulgarian Абаджиев (see Abadzhiev).

Abadjieva f Bulgarian
Alternate transcription of Bulgarian Абаджиева (see Abadzhieva).

Abadzhiev m Bulgarian
Derived from Bulgarian абаджия (abadzhiya) meaning "weaver, tailor" (of Turkish origin, ultimately from Arabic عباءة (ʿabāʾa) meaning "cloak").

Abadzhieva f Bulgarian
Feminine form of Abadzhiev.

Abano Italian
Originally denoted a person from the town of Abano, Latin Aponus, which was derived from the old Celtic root ab meaning "water".

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.

Abaroa Basque
Possibly from Basque abaro meaning "refuge".

Abascal Spanish
Means "priest's street" from Basque abas "priest" and kale "street".

Abasolo Basque
Means "priest's meadow" from Basque abas "priest" and solo "meadow".

Abatangelo Italian
From Italian abate meaning "abbot, priest" combined with the given name Angelo.

Abatantuono Italian
From Italian abate meaning "abbot, priest" combined with the given name Antonio.

Abate Italian
From Italian abate meaning "abbot, priest", derived via Latin and Greek from an Aramaic word meaning "father". This was used either as a nickname or an occupational name for a worker in a priest's house.

Abategiovanni Italian
From Italian abate meaning "abbot, priest" combined with the given name Giovanni.

Abatescianni Italian
From Italian abate meaning "abbot, priest" combined with the given name Gianni.

Abbà Italian
Variant of Abate.

Abbadelli Italian
Means "little abbot" from Italian abate and the diminutive suffix -elli.

Abbandonato Italian
Means "forsaken, abandoned" in Italian.

Abbas Arabic, Urdu
From the given name Abbas.

Abbascia Italian
Variant of Abatescianni.

Abbasi Persian, Urdu
From the given name Abbas.

Abbasov m Azerbaijani
Means "son of Abbas".

Abbasova f Azerbaijani
Feminine form of Abbasov.

Abbatangelo Italian
Variant of Abatangelo.

Abbatantuono Italian
Variant of Abatantuono.

Abbate Italian
Variant of Abate.

Abbatelli Italian
Variant of Abbadelli.

Abbaticchio Italian
Means "little abbot" from Italian abate and the diminutive suffix -icchio, from Latin -iculus.

Abbes Dutch
Means "son of Abbe".

Abbey English
Indicated a person who lived near an abbey or worked in an abbey, from Middle English abbeye.

Abbiati Italian
Originally a name for a person from the city of Abbiategrasso, near Milan in Italy, called Abiatum in Latin.

Abbing Dutch
Variant of Abbink.

Abbingh Dutch
Variant of Abbink.

Abbink Dutch
From various Dutch places meaning "(farm) belonging to Abbe".

Abbott English
English cognate of Abate.

Abdel Arabic
From the given name Abdul.

Abdul Arabic, Pashto
From the given name Abdul.

Abdullaev m Uzbek, Kyrgyz, Kazakh
Alternate transcription of Cyrillic Абдуллаев (see Abdullayev).

Abdullaeva f Uzbek, Kyrgyz, Kazakh
Alternate transcription of Cyrillic Абдуллаева (see Abdullayeva).

Abdullah Arabic
Derived from the given name Abd Allah.

Abdullayev m Azerbaijani, Uzbek, Kyrgyz, Kazakh
Means "son of Abdulla".

Abdullayeva f Azerbaijani, Uzbek, Kyrgyz, Kazakh
Feminine form of Abdullayev.

Abdulrashid Arabic
Derived from the given name Abd ar-Rashid.

Abe 1 Japanese
From Japanese 安 (a) meaning "peace" and 倍 (be) meaning "multiple times".

Abe 2 Japanese
From Japanese 安 (a) meaning "peace" and 部 (be) meaning "part, section".

Abel 1 English, French, Danish, Spanish, Portuguese
Derived from the given name Abel.

Abel 2 German
Derived from a diminutive of the given name Albert.

Abélard History
Adopted by the 12th-century French philosopher Pierre le Pallet, thereafter known as Pierre Abélard (or Peter Abelard in English). It is not certain how he contrived it. Possibly he was inspired by the given name Abel.

Abelen Dutch
Patronymic surname derived from Abel or a diminutive of Albert.

Abelli Italian
From the given name Abele.

Abelló Catalan
From the Latin given name Abellio, which may have been derived from the name of a Pyrenean god.

Abeln German
Patronymic derived from a diminutive of Albert.

Abels Dutch
Means "son of Abel".

Aben Dutch
Means "son of Abe 2".

Åberg Swedish
From Swedish å meaning "river, stream" and berg meaning "mountain".

Abiodun Yoruba
From the given name Abiodun.

Abioye Yoruba
From the given name Abioye.

Abney English
From the name of a town in Derbyshire, derived from Old English meaning "Abba's island".

Abraham Jewish, English, German, French, Spanish, Dutch
Derived from the given name Abraham.

Abrahams Jewish, English, Dutch
Means "son of Abraham".

Abrahamsen Norwegian, Danish
Means "son of Abraham".

Abrahamson Jewish, English
Means "son of Abraham".

Abrahamsson Swedish
Means "son of Abraham".

Abram English
Derived from the given name Abraham.

Abrami Italian
Derived from the given name Abramo.

Abramo Italian
Derived from the given name Abramo.

Abrams Jewish, English
Means "son of Abraham".

Abramsen Norwegian
Means "son of Abraham".

Abramson English
Means "son of Abraham".

Abramsson Swedish
Means "son of Abraham".

Abreu Portuguese, Galician
Meaning uncertain, possibly from a given name that was of Germanic origin.

Abspoel Dutch
From Abtspoel, the name of an estate near Oegstgeest in South Holland, meaning "abbot's pool".

Abt German
German cognate of Abate.

Acardi Italian
Derived from the Norman name Achard, a form of Ekkehard.

Accardi Italian
Variant of Acardi.

Accardo Italian
Variant of Acardi.

Acciai Italian
Derived from medieval Italian accia meaning "axe", ultimately from Latin ascia.

Acciaio Italian
Variant of Acciai.

Acciaioli Italian
Variant of Acciai.

Acconci Italian
Variant of Acconcio.

Acconcio Italian
From the medieval Italian given names Accuntius or Acconcius, of uncertain meaning.

Accorsi Italian
From the given name Bonaccorso.

Accorso Italian
From the given name Bonaccorso.

Accursio Italian
From the given name Bonaccorso.

Acerbi Italian
From Italian acerbo meaning "bitter, harsh, severe".

Acheson Scottish
Scots form of Atkinson.

Achilles German
Derived from the given name Achilles.

Achterberg Dutch, German
From the name of various places in the Netherlands and Germany, for example the village of achterberg in Utrecht. The place names are derived from Low German achter "behind" and berg "mountain, hill".

Achterkamp Dutch
From the name of various places in the Netherlands, derived from Low German achter "behind" and kamp "field".

Achterop Dutch
Variant of Ogtrop.

Achthoven Dutch
Denoted a person from various towns in the Netherlands called Achthoven, which is derived from Dutch acht "eight" and hoven "farmsteads".

Acker German, English
Denoted a person who lived near a field, derived from Middle English aker or Middle High German acker meaning "field".

Ackerman English
Means "ploughman", derived from Middle English aker "field" and man.

Ackermann German
Denoted a person who lived near a field, from Middle High German acker "field" and man "man".

Acone Italian
Possibly from the name of a harbour in Bithynia (in modern Turkey).

Acosta Spanish
Spanish form of Da Costa (from a misdivision of the surname).

Acqua Italian
Means "water" in Italian, indicating one who dwelt by or transported water.

Acquafredda Italian
Denoted a person who came from one of the various places in Italy with this name, derived from Italian meaning "cold water".

Acquarone Italian
Meaning uncertain, possibly from a place name or an occupation derived from Italian acqua "water".

Acquati Italian
From the name of a village, part of the city of Lecco in Lombardy. Its name is presumably derived from Italian acqua "water".

Adair English
Derived from the given name Edgar.

Ádám Hungarian
Hungarian form of Adam.

Adam um English, French, German, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Romanian, Jewish
Derived from the given name Adam.

Adamczak Polish
Derived from the given name Adam.

Adamczyk Polish
Derived from the given name Adam.

Adami Italian
Means "son of Adamo".

Adamić Croatian
Means "son of Adam".

Adamík m Czech, Slovak
Czech and Slovak diminutive form of Adam.

Adamíková f Czech, Slovak
Feminine form of Adamík.

Adamo Italian
Italian form of Adam.

Adamoli Italian
Diminutive form of Adami.

Adamová f Czech, Slovak
Czech and Slovak feminine form of Adam.

Adams English, Jewish
Derived from the given name Adam.

Adamsen Danish, Norwegian
Means "son of Adam".

Adamson English
Means "son of Adam".

Adamsson Swedish
Means "son of Adam".

Adcock English
Derived from a diminutive of the given name Adam.

Addario Italian
Derived from the given name Addarius, of unknown meaning.

Addens Dutch
Means "son of Adde".

Addicks Dutch
Means "son of Addik", a diminutive of Adde.

Addison English
Means "son of Addy 2".

Adebayo Yoruba
From the given name Adebayo.

Adel Arabic
From the given name Adil.

Adelardi Italian
Means "son of Adelardo".

Adema Frisian
Means "son of Ade 2".

Adenauer German
Denoted a person from the town of Adenau in Germany. The name of the town is of uncertain etymology.

Adesso Italian
Perhaps a nickname for a punctual or fast person, from Italian adesso meaning "now, at this moment".

Adimari Italian
Means "son of Ademaro".

Adkins English
Variant of Atkins.

Adler German, Jewish
Means "eagle" in German.

Admiraal Dutch
Means "admiral" in Dutch.

Adolfs Dutch
Means "son of Adolf".

Adolfsson Swedish
Means "son of Adolf".

Adolvsson Swedish (Rare)
Variant of Adolfsson.

Adomaitienė f Lithuanian
Feminine form of Adomaitis. This form is used by married women.

Adomaitis m Lithuanian
From the given name Adomas.

Adomaitytė f Lithuanian
Feminine form of Adomaitis. This form is used by unmarried women.

Adriaans Dutch
Means "son of Adriaan".

Adriaansen Dutch
Means "son of Adriaan".

Adriatico Italian
Originally denoted a person who lived near the Adriatic sea.

Adrichem Dutch
From the name of an estate and castle (demolished in 1812) that was formerly in North Holland, the Netherlands. It means "Adrik's home".

Aerssens Dutch
Means "son of Arend".

Aerts Dutch, Flemish
From a diminutive of the given name Arnout.

Affini Italian
From Latin affinis meaning "neighbouring, kindred".

Afolabi Yoruba
From the given name Afolabi.

Afolayan Yoruba
Means "walks like a wealthy person, walks with confidence" in Yoruba.

Africani Italian
Means "son of Africano", the Italian form of Africanus.

Africano Italian
From the given name Africano, the Italian form of Africanus.

Agani Italian
Means "son of Agano", a given name of unknown meaning.

Ağayev m Azerbaijani
Means "son of Ağa".

Ağayeva f Azerbaijani
Feminine form of Ağayev.

Agema Frisian
Means "son of Age 1".

Aggio Italian
Possibly from the name Aggius, probably related to the Germanic name Agi.

Agli Italian
From place names like Agliè, Aglietti, Agliana and Agliate, all originating from the Latin name Allius or Alleius.

Agnarsson Icelandic
Means "son of Agnar".

Agnelli Italian
From Italian agnello meaning "lamb" (ultimately from Latin agnus), denoting a pious or timid person.

Agnellini Italian
From a diminutive of Agnelli.

Agnusdei Italian
From Latin Agnus Dei meaning "lamb of God". This was a nickname for someone who was particularly religious or someone who wore this symbol.

Agócs Hungarian
Derived from a diminutive of the given name Ágoston.

Agosti Italian
Means "son of Agosto", a variant of Augusto.

Agostini Italian
Means "son of Agostino".

Agramunt Catalan
Originally denoted a person from the town of Agramunt, Spain. It means "field hill" in Catalan.

Agresta Italian
From Latin agrestis meaning "rural, rustic".

Agricola Italian
From Latin agricola meaning "farmer".

Agthoven Dutch
Variant of Achthoven.

Agua Spanish
Means "water" in Spanish, indicating a person who lived near water or worked with water.

Aguado Spanish
Derived from Spanish agua "water", indicating a person who lived near water or worked with water.

Aguilar Spanish
From a place name that was derived from Spanish águila meaning "eagle", ultimately from Latin aquila.

Aguilera Spanish
From a place name that was derived from Spanish aguilera meaning "eagle's nest". A famous bearer is American singer Christina Aguilera (1980-).

Aguirre Spanish
From Basque ageri meaning "open, cleared, prominent", originally given to a peron who lived in an open area.

Ahearn Irish
Anglicized form of Ó hEachthighearna.

Ahearne Irish
Anglicized form of Ó hEachthighearna.

Ahlberg Swedish
Ornamental name derived from Swedish al (Old Norse ǫlr) meaning "alder" and berg meaning "mountain".

Ahlers Low German
Means "son of Alard".

Ahlgren Swedish
Ornamental name derived from Swedish al (Old Norse ǫlr) meaning "alder" and gren (Old Norse grein) meaning "branch".

Ahlström Swedish
Ornamental name derived from Swedish al (Old Norse ǫlr) meaning "alder" and ström (Old Norse straumr) meaning "stream".

Ahmad Arabic, Urdu, Bengali, Indian (Muslim)
Derived from the given name Ahmad.

Ahmadi Persian
From the given name Ahmad.

Əhmədov m Azerbaijani
Means "son of Əhməd".

Ahmadov m Azerbaijani
Alternate transcription of Azerbaijani Əhmədov.

Əhmədova f Azerbaijani
Feminine form of Əhmədov.

Ahmadova f Azerbaijani
Alternate transcription of Azerbaijani Əhmədova.

Ahmed Arabic, Urdu, Bengali, Indian (Muslim)
Derived from the given name Ahmad.

Aho Finnish
Means "meadow, glade" in Finnish.

Ahonen Finnish
From Finnish aho meaning "meadow, glade".

Aiello Italian
From various place names in Italy, such as Aiello del Friuli, Aiello del Sabato and others. They are derived from Latin agellus meaning "little field".

Aikawa Japanese
From Japanese 相 (ai) meaning "mutually, together", 愛 (ai) meaning "love, affection" or 哀 (ai) meaning "grief, sorrow" combined with 川 (kawa) or 河 (kawa) both meaning "river, stream".

Aikema Frisian
Means "son of Aike".

Aiken English
From the medieval given name Atkin, a diminutive of Adam.

Ainsley Scottish
From a place name: either Annesley in Nottinghamshire or Ansley in Warwickshire. The place names themselves derive from Old English anne "alone, solitary" or ansetl "hermitage" and leah "woodland, clearing".

Ainsworth English
Habitational name for a person from the village of Ainsworth near Manchester, itself from the Old English given name Ægen and worþ meaning "enclosure".

Aiolfi Italian
Means "son of Aiolfo", which is derived from the Germanic name Agilulf.

Airaldi Italian
Means "son of Aroldo".

Airò Italian
From the given name Aroldo.

Aita Italian
Originally denoted a person from Aieta, Italy, a place name derived from Greek ἀετός (aetos) meaning "eagle".

Aitken Scottish, English
Derived from the medieval given name Atkin, a diminutive of Adam.

Aiza Spanish, Basque
From Basque aitz meaning "rock, stone".

Ajam Arabic
From Arabic عَجَم (ʿajam) meaning "foreigner, non-Arab".

Ajello Italian
Variant of Aiello.

Akabane Japanese
From Japanese 赤 (aka) meaning "red" and 羽 (hane) meaning "feather".

Akai Japanese
From Japanese 赤 (aka) meaning "red" and 井 (i) meaning "well, mine shaft, pit".

Akamatsu Japanese
From Japanese 赤 (aka) meaning "red" and 松 (matsu) meaning "pine tree, fir tree".

Akbari Persian
From the given name Akbar.

Åkerman Swedish
Swedish form of Ackermann.

Akerman English
Variant of Ackerman.

Akers English
Variant of Acker.

Åkesson Swedish
Means "son of Åke".

Akhmadov m Chechen
Means "son of Akhmad".

Akhmadova f Chechen
Feminine form of Akhmadov.

Akhmetov m Kazakh
Means "son of Akhmet".

Akhmetova f Kazakh
Feminine form of Akhmetov.

Akiyama Japanese
From Japanese 秋 (aki) meaning "autumn" and 山 (yama) meaning "mountain, hill".

Akker Dutch
Dutch form of Acker.

Akkerman Dutch
Dutch form of Ackermann.

Akkermans Dutch
Dutch form of Ackermann.

Akkersdijk Dutch
Originally denoted a person from the town of Akkersdijk, near Delft in the Netherlands. It means "field by the dyke" in Dutch.

Akmatov m Kyrgyz
Means "son of Akmat".

Akmatova f Kyrgyz
Feminine form of Akmatov.

Akselsen Norwegian, Danish
Means "son of Aksel".

Aksoy Turkish
From Turkish ak "white" and soy "lineage, ancestry".

Alagona Italian
From the name of the Spanish region of Aragon, which was a medieval kingdom. The region was named for a river, which was itself derived from an Indo-European root meaning "water".

Alamanni Italian
From Alemannia, the Latin name for Germany.

Alamilla Spanish
From Spanish alamillo meaning "poplar, aspen".

Al-Amin Arabic
Means "the truthful" from Arabic أمين (ʾamīn).

Alan English, Scottish
Derived from the given name Alan.

Alba Spanish
From a Spanish nickname meaning "white".

Albanesi Italian
Originally indicated a person who came from Albania.

Albani Italian
Derived from the given name Albano.

Albano Italian
Derived from the given name Albano.

Alberda Dutch
Derived from the given name Albert.

Alberdingk Dutch
Variant of Alberink.

Alberghi Italian
Variant of Alberici.

Alberghini Italian
Diminutive of Alberghi.

Alberici Italian
Means "son of Alberico".

Alberighi Italian
Variant of Alberici.

Alberink Dutch
Means "(farm) belonging to Albert" in Dutch.

Albero Italian
From Italian albero meaning "tree", ultimately from Latin arbor, referring to someone who lived in the woods or worked as a woodcutter.

Albers Dutch
Means "son of Albert".

Albert English, French, Catalan, Hungarian, Romanian, German
Derived from the given name Albert.

Alberto Portuguese, Spanish, Italian
From the given name Alberto.

Alberts English, Dutch
Means "son of Albert".

Albertsen Danish, Norwegian
Means "son of Albert".

Albertson English
Means "son of Albert".

Albertsson Swedish, Icelandic
Means "son of Albert".

Albescu Romanian
Derived from Romanian alb meaning "white".

Albini Italian
Means "son of Albino".

Albinson English
Means "son of Albin".

Albinsson Swedish
Means "son of Albin".

Albrecht German
From the given name Albrecht.

Albrechtsson Swedish
Means "son of Albrecht".

Albrecktsson Swedish
Variant of Albrechtsson.

Albrektson Swedish
Variant of Albrechtsson.

Albrektsson Swedish
Variant of Albrechtsson.

Albricci Italian
Variant of Alberici.

Albrici Italian
Variant of Alberici.

Albring Dutch
Variant of Alberink.

Albronda Dutch
From the name of various streets in the Netherlands.

Albu Romanian
From Romanian alb meaning "white".

Albuquerque Portuguese
From the name of the Spanish town of Alburquerque, near the Portuguese border in the province of Badajoz. It is probably derived from Latin alba quercus meaning "white oak".

Aldana Basque
From the name of a Basque town, derived from aldats meaning "slope".

Aldebrandi Italian
Means "son of Aldebrando", an Italian form of Aldebrand.

Alden English
Derived from the Old English given name Ealdwine.

Aldenberg Dutch
Variant of Aaldenberg.

Aldenkamp Dutch
Possibly from an unknown place name meaning "old field" in Dutch.

Alderisi Italian
Means "son of Alderissius", a Latinized form of a Germanic name of unknown meaning.

Alderliesten Dutch
From Dutch allerliefste meaning "most dearest". This name could have referred to the nature of the person or perhaps a phrase the person commonly used.

Alders Dutch
Means "son of Aldert".

Aldershof Dutch
Means "Aldert's courtyard" from the given name Aldert combined with Dutch hof "yard, court".

Alduino Italian
Derived from the Italian given name Alduino, derived from the Germanic name Aldwin.

Aleksandrov m Russian, Bulgarian
Means "son of Aleksandr".

Aleksandrova f Russian, Bulgarian
Feminine form of Aleksandrov.

Alekseev m Russian
Alternate transcription of Russian Алексеев (see Alekseyev).

Alekseeva f Russian
Alternate transcription of Russian Алексеева (see Alekseyeva).

Alekseyev m Russian
Means "son of Aleksey".

Alekseyeva f Russian
Feminine form of Alekseyev.

Aleksić Serbian
Means "son of Aleksa".

Alemagna Italian
From Alemannia, the Latin name for Germany.

Aleppo Italian
From the name of the Syrian city of Aleppo, which is from Arabic خالاب (Khālāb), of uncertain meaning.

Alesci Italian
Means "son of Alessio".

Alescio Italian
From the given name Alessio.

Aleshire German (Anglicized)
Anglicized form of Alscher.

Alesi Italian
From the given name Alessio.

Alesini Italian
Means "son of Alesino", a diminutive of Alessio.