Surnames Starting with B

Baaiman Dutch
Means "son of Baaij", the given name Baaij being a diminutive of names like Baugulf, Boudewijn or Bernard.

Baak Dutch
From a Frisian given name, a short form of Germanic names starting with the element batu "fight, struggle".

Baanders Dutch
Dutch cognate of Banner.

Baar Dutch
Variant of Baars.

Baarda Frisian
From the name of the town of Baard in the Netherlands, possibly derived from a given name that was a variant of Bert.

Baardsen Norwegian
Means "son of Bård".

Baardwijk Dutch
From the name of a town in the Netherlands, possibly from Baard, a variant of Bert, and wijk meaning "neighbourhood, district".

Baars Dutch
Indicated a person coming from the town of Beers in the Netherlands.

Baarsma Frisian
Indicated a person coming from the small town of Beers in Frisia.

Baart Dutch
Means "beard" in Dutch, originally describing a person who wore a beard.

Baas Dutch
Means "boss, overseer" in Dutch.

Baasch Low German
From Middle Low German bas meaning "boss".

Babatunde Yoruba
From the given name Babatunde.

Babayev m Azerbaijani
Means "son of Baba".

Babayeva f Azerbaijani
Feminine form of Babayev.

Babcock English
Derived from the medieval name Bab, possibly a diminutive of Bartholomew or Barbara.

Babić Serbian, Croatian
Matronymic surname derived from Serbo-Croatian baba "grandmother, old woman".

Babič Slovene
Slovene form of Babić.

Babin French
From the given name Babin, a medieval diminutive of Babylas.

Babineaux French
Variant of Babin.

Bach 1 German
Topographic 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).

Bach 2 Danish
Variant of Bak.

Bachchan Hindi
From Hindi बच्चा (bachchā) meaning "child", a word of Persian origin. This surname was adopted by the Indian poet Harivansh Rai Srivastava (1907-2003).

Bachman German
Anglicized form of Bachmann.

Bachmann German
Denoted a person who lived near a stream, from Middle High German bach "stream" and man "man".

Bachmeier German
Originally referred to a farmer whose farm was beside a stream, from Middle High German bach "stream" and meier "steward, tenant farmer".

Bachvarov m Bulgarian
Derived from Bulgarian бъчвар (bachvar) meaning "cooper, barrel maker".

Bachvarova f Bulgarian
Feminine form of Bachvarov.

Bäcker German
Variant of Becker, mostly found in northern Germany.

Backus English
Means "bakery", an occupational name for a baker, from Old English bæchus literally "bake house".

Badcock English
From a diminutive of the medieval given name Bada.

Badem Turkish
Derived from a Turkish word meaning "almond".

Bader German
Derived from Old High German bad "bath", most likely referring to a bath attendant.

Bager Danish
Danish cognate of Baker.

Baggi Italian
Variant of Baggio.

Baggins Literature
Created by J. R. R. Tolkien for the hobbit Bilbo Baggins, the hero of The Hobbit (1937), and also for his cousin Frodo Baggins, the hero of The Lord of the Rings (1954). He probably derived it from the English word bag. The Baggins family home was called Bag End, and Tolkien himself had an aunt who owned a farm by this name, so that may have been his inspiration. Tolkien used English-like translations of many hobbit names; according to his notes the real hobbit-language form of the surname was Labingi.

Baggio Italian
Originally denoted a person from the Italian town of Baggio (now part of Milan). It is probably derived from Latin Badalocum meaning "watch place".

Baghdasaryan Armenian
Means "son of Baghdasar".

Baghdassarian Armenian
Alternate transcription of Armenian Բաղդասարյան (see Baghdasaryan).

Bagheri Persian
From the given name Bagher.

Bagley English
From various English place names, derived from the Old English given name Bacga combined with leah "woodland, clearing".

Baglio Italian
Italian cognate of Bailey.

Bagni Italian
From Italian bagno "bath", derived from Latin balneum, referring to a person who worked as a bath house attendant.

Bagnoli Italian
Diminutive form of Bagni.

Bähr German
From Middle High German bër "bear" or ber "boar". This was originally a nickname for a strong or brave person.

Bai Chinese
From Chinese 白 (bái) meaning "white".

Baier German
Variant of Bayer.

Bailey English
From Middle English baili meaning "bailiff", which comes via Old French from Latin baiulus "porter".

Bain English
Variant of Baines 2.

Baines 1 Welsh
From Welsh ab Einws meaning "son of Einws", a diminutive of Einion.

Baines 2 English
From a nickname derived from Old English ban "bones", probably for a thin person.

Baird Scottish
Anglicized form of Mac an Baird.

Bajusz Hungarian
Means "moustache" in Hungarian.

Bak Danish
Means "slope, hillside" in Danish, from Old Norse bakki "bank".

Bakalov m Bulgarian
Derived from Bulgarian бакалин (bakalin) meaning "grocer" (of Arabic origin).

Bakalova f Bulgarian
Feminine form of Bakalov.

Bakema Frisian
Means "son of Bake", a short form of names starting with the Old German element batu "fight, struggle".

Baker English
Occupational name meaning "baker", derived from Middle English bakere.

Bakhuizen Dutch
Means "bakery" from Dutch bak "bake" and huis "house", an occupational name for a baker.

Bakke Norwegian
Means "slope, hillside" in Norwegian, from Old Norse bakki "bank".

Bakken Norwegian
Means "the slope, the hillside" in Norwegian, from Old Norse bakki "bank".

Bakker Dutch
Dutch cognate of Baker, from Middle Dutch backere.

Bakó Hungarian
Means "axeman" in Hungarian.

Bălan Romanian
Means "blond" in Romanian.

Baláž m Slovak
Slovak form of Balázs.

Balážová f Slovak
Feminine form of Baláž.

Balázs Hungarian
Derived from the given name Balázs.

Balboni Italian
Derived from the given name Balbino.

Balčiūnaitė f Lithuanian
Feminine form of Balčiūnas. This form is used by unmarried women.

Balčiūnas m Lithuanian
From a given name that was derived from Lithuanian baltas meaning "white".

Balčiūnienė f Lithuanian
Feminine form of Balčiūnas. This form is used by married women.

Baldi Italian
Derived from the given name Baldo.

Baldini Italian
Derived from the given name Baldino, a diminutive of Baldo.

Baldinotti Italian
Derived from the given name Baldinotto, from the Latin name Baldinoctus, a diminutive of Baldo.

Baldovini Italian
Derived from the given name Baldovino.

Baldwin English
Derived from the given name Baldwin.

Balfour Scottish
From various place names that were derived from Gaelic baile "village" and pòr "pasture, crop, cropland".

Balık Turkish
From a Turkish word meaning "fish".

Bálint Hungarian
Derived from the given name Bálint.

Ball English
From 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.

Ballard English
Variant of Ball using a pejorative suffix.

Ballerini Italian
From Italian ballerino meaning "dancer", an occupational name or nickname for someone who liked to dance.

Balode f Latvian
Feminine form of Balodis.

Balodis m Latvian
Means "pigeon" in Latvian.

Balog Hungarian
Variant of Balogh.

Balogh Hungarian
Means "left handed" in Hungarian.

Bambach German
Variant of Baumbach.

Bancroft English
From any of the various places of this name, derived from Old English bean meaning "bean" and croft meaning "small enclosed field".

Banderas Spanish
Spanish cognate of Banner.

Bandini Italian
From the Latin name Bandinus, a derivative of Bandus, which is of unknown meaning.

Bandoni Italian
From Italian bandone meaning "sheet of iron".

Bandyopadhyay Bengali
From the name of the village of Bandoghat combined with upadhaya "instructor, priest".

Banerjee Bengali
Variant of Bandyopadhyay.

Banes Welsh
Variant of Baines 1.

Baník m Slovak
Means "miner" in Slovak.

Baníková f Slovak
Feminine form of Baník.

Banister English
Variant of Bannister.

Banks English
Originally indicated someone who lived near a hillside or a bank of land.

Banner English
Occupational name for a flag carrier, derived from Old French baniere meaning "banner", ultimately of Germanic origin.

Bannerman English
Variant of Banner.

Bannister English
From Norman French banastre meaning "basket". This was originally a name for a maker of baskets.

Baran um Polish, Slovak, Ukrainian
Means "ram, male sheep" in Polish, Slovak and Ukrainian.

Baranová f Slovak
Slovak feminine form of Baran.

Bárány Hungarian
Means "lamb" in Hungarian.

Baráth Hungarian
Derived from Hungarian barát meaning "friend".

Barber English, Scottish
Indicated a barber, one who cut hair for a living.

Barbier French
French cognate of Barber.

Barbieri Italian
Italian cognate of Barber.

Barclay English, Scottish
From the English place name Berkeley, derived from Old English beorc "birch" and leah "woodland, clearing". The surname was imported to Scotland in the 12th century.

Bardakçı Turkish
Means "glassmaker" from Turkish bardak "glass".

Bardolph Literature
The name of a drunken thief and frequent companion of John Falstaff in four of William Shakespeare's plays. Shakespeare probably adapted it from the aristocratic English surname Bardolf, now rare, which was itself derived from the Germanic given name Bardulf.

Bardsley English
From the name a village near Manchester, from the Old English given name Beornræd and leah "woodland, clearing".

Barends Dutch
Means "son of Barend".

Barış Turkish
From the given name Barış.

Barker English
From Middle English bark meaning "to tan". This was an occupational name for a leather tanner.

Barlow English
Derived from a number of English place names that variously mean "barley hill", "barn hill", "boar clearing" or "barley clearing".

Barna Hungarian
Means "brown" in Hungarian.

Barnes English
Denoted a person who worked or lived in a barn. The word barn is derived from Old English bere "barley" and ærn "dwelling".

Barnet English
Variant of Barnett.

Barnett English
Derived from Old English bærnet meaning "place cleared by burning".

Baron English, French
From the title of nobility, derived from Latin baro (genitive baronis) meaning "man, freeman", possibly from Frankish barō meaning "servant, man, warrior". It was used as a nickname for someone who worked for a baron or acted like a baron.

Barone Italian
Italian cognate of Baron.

Barr English
Indicated a person who lived near a barrier, from Old French barre.

Barre French
French cognate of Barr.

Barret English
Variant of Barrett.

Barrett English
Probably derived from the Middle English word barat meaning "trouble, deception", originally given to a quarrelsome person.

Barros Portuguese, Spanish
From the Portuguese and Spanish word barro meaning "clay, mud". This could either be an occupational name for a person who worked with clay or mud such as a builder or artisan, or a topographic name for someone living near clay or mud.

Barsamian Armenian
Alternate transcription of Armenian Պարսամյան (see Parsamyan).

Barsotti Italian
Probably from the medieval Latin word baro meaning "man, freeman" (of Frankish origin).

Bárta m Czech
From a given name that was a diminutive of Bartoloměj.

Barta Hungarian
From the given name Barta.

Bartalotti Italian
Means "son of Bartalotto", a diminutive of Bartolo.

Bartha Hungarian
Variant of Barta.

Bartolomei Italian
Derived from the given name Bartolomeo.

Bartolomeo Italian
Derived from the given name Bartolomeo.

Barton English
From a place name meaning "barley town" in Old English.

Bartos Hungarian
From a given name that was a diminutive of Bertalan.

Bartoš m Czech, Slovak
Derived from Bartoš, a diminutive of Bartoloměj or Bartolomej.

Bartošová f Czech, Slovak
Feminine form of Bartoš.

Bartosz Polish
Derived from the given name Bartosz.

Bártová f Czech
Feminine form of Bárta.

Bartram English
From the given name Bertram.

Barwegen Frisian
Derived from the name of a village in Frisia meaning "road to the dike".

Barzetti Italian
Variant of Barsotti.

Bašić Croatian, Serbian
Means "son of the chief", derived from Serbo-Croatian baša meaning "chief, boss" (of Turkish origin).

Basile Italian, French
From the given name Basilio or Basile.

Bass English
English cognate of Basso.

Bassanelli Italian
Diminutive form of Bassani.

Bassani Italian
Derived from the place name Bassano, belonging multiple villages in Italy.

Bassi Italian
Variant of Basso, common in northern Italy.

Basso Italian
Originally a nickname for a short person, from Latin bassus "thick, low".

Basurto Spanish
From the Basque place name Basurtu, a village (now part of Bilbao) in Biscay. It means "middle of the forest".

Bates English
Means "son of Bate".

Bateson English
Means "son of Bate".

Báthory Hungarian
Originally indicated a person from Bátor, a village in Hungary, which might be of Turkic origin meaning "hero". This was the surname of a Hungarian noble family who historically controlled the town. One of the family members, Stephen Báthory, became the king of Poland in the 16th century.

Bátori Hungarian
Variant of Báthory.

Battaglia Italian
From a nickname meaning "battle" in Italian.

Battle English
From a nickname for a combative person. In some cases it may come from the name of English places called Battle, so named because they were sites of battles.

Batts English
Means "son of Bate".

Baudin French
From the given name Baud, French form of Baldo.

Bauer German
From Old High German bur meaning "peasant, farmer".

Bauers German
Variant of Bauer.

Baum German, Jewish
Means "tree" in German. A famous bearer was the American author L. Frank Baum (1856-1919).

Baumann German, Jewish
From Middle High German bumann meaning "farmer, builder".

Baumbach German
From a place name meaning "tree stream" in German.

Baumer German
Variant of Baum.

Baumgarten German
Variant of Baumgartner.

Baumgärtner German
Variant of Baumgartner.

Baumgartner German
Occupational name for a person who worked or lived at an orchard, from German Baumgarten "orchard" (derived from Baum "tree" and Garten "garden").

Baumhauer German
Occupational name meaning "woodcutter", derived from German Baum "tree" and hauen "to chop".

Bautista Spanish
Derived from the given name Bautista.

Baxter English
Variant (in origin a feminine form) of Baker.

Bayer German
Originally denoted a person from Bavaria, from its German name Bayern.

Baylor German (Anglicized)
Possibly an Americanized form of Beiler.

Bazzoli Italian
From Italian bazza meaning "protruding chin".

Beake English
Variant of Beck 3.

Bean English
English cognate of Bohn.

Beasley English
From the name of a place in Lancashire, from Old English beos "bent grass" and leah "woodland, clearing".

Beattie Scottish
From the medieval name Battie, a diminutive of Bartholomew.

Beatty Scottish
Variant of Beattie.

Beauchêne French
From French place names derived from beau "beautiful" and chêne "oak".

Beaufort French
From various French place names derived from beau "beautiful" and fort "strong place, fortress".

Beaulieu French
From various French place names derived from beau "beautiful" and lieu "place".

Beaumont French, English
From French place names derived from beau "beautiful" and mont "mountain".

Beck 1 English, German, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian
From Middle English bekke (from Old Norse), Low German beke or Old Norse bekkr all meaning "stream".

Beck 2 German
Variant of Becker, from southern German beck.

Beck 3 English
From a nickname for a person with a big nose, from Middle English bec meaning "beak".

Beck 4 English
From Old English becca meaning "pickaxe", an occupational surname.

Becke German
Variant of Beck 1 or Beck 2.

Beckenbauer German
Means "farmer living by a stream" in German.

Becker German
Derived from Middle High German becker meaning "baker".

Beckert German
Variant of Becker.

Becket English
Variant of Beckett.

Beckett English
Originally a diminutive of Beck 1 or Beck 3.

Beckham English
From an English place name meaning "Becca's homestead" in Old English (with Becca being a masculine byname meaning "pickaxe"). A famous bearer is retired English soccer player David Beckham (1975-).

Becskei Hungarian
Indicated a person from Becske, a town in Hungary, which might be derived from the given name Benedek.

Bedrosian Armenian
Alternate transcription of Armenian Պետրոսյան (see Petrosyan).

Beech 1 English
English cognate of Bach 1.

Beech 2 English
Originally a name for a person who lived near a beech tree, from Old English bece.

Beethoven Dutch (Archaic)
From a place name derived from Dutch beet "beet, beetroot" and hoven "farms". This name was borne by the German composer Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827), whose family was of Flemish origin. The surname is now mostly extinct.

Begam Indian (Muslim), Bengali (Muslim), Urdu, Punjabi
Alternate transcription of Urdu بیگم, Bengali বেগম or Gurmukhi ਬੇਗਮ (see Begum).

Begbie Scottish
From the name of a town in East Lothian, Scotland. It is derived from the Old Norse given name Baggi and býr "farm, settlement".

Begum Indian (Muslim), Bengali (Muslim), Urdu, Punjabi
From a title traditionally used as an honorific for Muslim women in India and other parts of southern Asia. It is derived from a feminine form of the Turkic title beg meaning "chieftain" (modern Turkish bey).

Behrend German
Derived from the given name Bernd.

Behrends German
Derived from the given name Bernd.

Behringer German
From the given name Berengar.

Beiler German
Derived from Middle High German beile meaning "measuring stick".

Beirne Irish
Variant of O'Byrne.

Beitel German
Variant of Beutel.

Bélanger French
From the given name Bérenger.

Belanger English
From the given name Berengar.

Belcher English
From a Middle English version of Old French bel chiere meaning "beautiful face". It later came to refer to a person who had a cheerful and pleasant temperament.

Bell 1 English
From 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.

Bell 2 English
Derived from the given name Bel, a medieval short form of Isabel.

Bellamy French, English
From Old French bel ami meaning "beautiful friend".

Bellandi Italian
Means "son of Bellando", from a medieval given name derived from Latin bellandus meaning "which is to be fought".

Bellandini Italian
Diminutive form of Bellandi.

Bellerose French
Means "beautiful rose" in French.

Bellincioni Italian
Means "son of Bellincione", from a medieval name (borne for example by Dante's grandfather) that was probably a derivative of Italian bello "beautiful, fair".

Bellini Italian
From Italian bello meaning "beautiful".

Bello Spanish, Italian
Means "beautiful" in Spanish and Italian, originally a nickname for an attractive person.

Bellomi Italian
Variant of Bellomo.

Bellomo Italian
From a nickname derived from Italian bello "beautiful, fair" and uomo "man".

Belloni Italian
Augmented form of Bello.

Belluomo Italian
Variant of Bellomo.

Belmont French, English
French and English form of Belmonte.

Belmonte Spanish, Italian
From various place names in Italy and Spain meaning "beautiful mountain".

Belo Portuguese
Portuguese form of Bello.

Belrose French
Variant of Bellerose.

Beltz German
Occupational name for a tanner of hides, derived from Middle High German belz meaning "fur".

Benbow English
From a nickname "bend the bow" given to an archer.

Bencivenni Italian
Means "son of Bencivenne", from the medieval name Bencivenga, a Tuscan variant of Benvenuto.

Bendtsen Danish
Means "son of Bendt".

Benedetti Italian
From the given name Benedetto.

Benenati Italian
Means "son of Benenato", a given name derived from Latin bene "good, well" and natus "good".

Benes Hungarian
Hungarian form of Beneš.

Beneš m Czech
Derived from a diminutive of the given name Benedikt.

Benešová f Czech
Feminine form of Beneš.

Benetton Italian
Northern Italian variant of Benedetti.

Bengochea Basque
Variant of Bengoetxea.

Bengoechea Basque
Variant of Bengoetxea.

Bengoetxea Basque
Means "the house furthest down" from Basque bengo "furthest down" and etxe "house".

Bengtsdotter Swedish
Means "daughter of Bengt".

Bengtsson Swedish
Means "son of Bengt".

Benini Italian
Means "son of Benino" from a diminutive of Bene or Beno, short forms of Benedetto.

Benítez Spanish
Means "son of Benito".

Benito Spanish
From the given name Benito.

Benizzi Italian
From the medieval given name Bonizzone.

Benjaminson English
Means "son of Benjamin".

Benn English
From a short form of Benedict.

Bennet English
Derived from the medieval English given name Bennett.

Bennett English
Derived from the medieval English given name Bennett.

Bennington English
From the English town name Benington, which can mean either "settlement belonging to Beonna's people" or "settlement by the River Beane".

Benoit French
From the given name Benoît.

Benscoter Dutch (Anglicized)
Anglicized form of Bunschoten.

Benson English
Means "son of Benedict".

Bentley English
From a place name derived from Old English beonet "bent grass" and leah "woodland, clearing". Various towns in England bear this name.

Benton English
Denoted someone who came from Benton, England, which is derived from Old English beonet "bent grass" and tun "enclosure".

Bentsen Danish
Means "son of Bent 1".

Benvenuti Italian
Means "son of Benvenuto".

Beran m Czech
Derived from Czech beran meaning "ram, male sheep".

Beránek m Czech
Means "little ram, male lamb" in Czech.

Béranger French
From the given name Bérenger.

Beránková f Czech
Feminine form of Beránek.

Beranová f Czech
Feminine form of Beran.

Berardi Italian
From the given name Berardo.

Berg German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
From Old High German, Old Dutch and Old Norse berg meaning "mountain".

Bergamaschi Italian
Originally indicated an inhabitant of the city of Bergamo in Lombardy.

Berge Norwegian, German, Swedish
Variant of Berg.

Berger 1 French
Occupational name meaning "shepherd", from Old French bergier.

Berger 2 German, Dutch
Variant of Berg.

Bergfalk Swedish
Derived from Swedish berg meaning "mountain" and falk (Old Norse falki) meaning "falcon".

Berggren Swedish
From Swedish berg meaning "mountain" and gren (Old Norse grein) meaning "branch".

Berglund Swedish
Ornamental name from Swedish berg meaning "mountain" and lund (Old Norse lundr) meaning "grove".

Bergman Swedish
From Swedish berg meaning "mountain" and man (Old Norse maðr) meaning "person, man", originally a name for a person living on a mountain.

Bergmann German
From Old High German berg meaning "mountain" and man meaning "man", originally denoting someone who lived on a mountain.

Bergqvist Swedish
From Swedish berg meaning "mountain" and qvist (Old Norse kvistr) meaning "twig, branch".

Bergström Swedish
Derived from Swedish berg meaning "mountain" and ström (Old Norse straumr) meaning "stream".

Beridze Georgian
Means "son of the monk", from Georgian ბერი (beri) meaning "monk".

Béringer French
From the given name Bérenger.

Beringer German, English
From the given name Berengar.

Berkovich Jewish
Means "son of Berko" in Yiddish, Berko being a derivative of Ber.

Berkowicz Jewish
Variant of Berkovich.

Berkowitz Jewish
Variant of Berkovich.

Berlusconi Italian
Probably from the Milanese word berlusch meaning "cross-eyed, crooked".

Bermúdez Spanish
Means "son of Bermudo".

Bernard um French, English, Dutch, German, Czech, Slovene
From the given name Bernard.

Bernardi Italian
From the given name Bernardo.

Bernardino Portuguese, Spanish
From the given name Bernardino.

Bernardo Portuguese
From the given name Bernardo.

Bernardová f Czech
Czech feminine form of Bernard.

Bernat Catalan
Derived from the given name Bernat.

Berne Irish
Variant of O'Byrne.

Bernhard German
From the given name Bernhard.

Bernhardsson Swedish
Means "son of Bernhard".

Berntsen Norwegian, Danish
Means "son of Bernt".

Berntsson Swedish
Means "son of Bernt".

Berry English
Derived from a place name, which was derived from Old English burh "fortification".

Berti Italian
Derived from the given name Berto.

Bertolini Italian
Derived from a diminutive of the given name Bertoldo.