Latin Origin Surnames

Palomo Spanish
Means "pigeon, dove", from Latin palumbes.

Palumbo Italian
From Italian palombo meaning "pigeon" (also "dogfish"). This form is typical of southern Italy.

Pander Dutch
Variant of Penders.

Panders Dutch
Variant of Penders.

Panza Italian, Literature
From a variant of the Italian word pancia meaning "stomach, paunch", originally a nickname for a chubby person. The Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes used it in his novel Don Quixote (1605), where it is the surname of Don Quixote's squire Sancho Panza. Not a common Spanish surname, Cervantes may have based it directly on the Spanish word panza (a cognate of the Italian word).

Pape French
French cognate of Pope.

Papke Low German
Low German diminutive form of papa (see Pope).

Paquet 2 French
From a diminutive of the given name Pascal.

Paredes Portuguese, Spanish
Denoted a person who lived near a wall, from Portuguese parede and Spanish pared meaning "wall", both derived from Latin paries.

Parent English, French
Derived from Old French parent meaning either "notable" (from Latin pārēre meaning "to be apparent") or "parent" (from Latin parere meaning "to produce, to give birth").

Parish 2 English
Derived from the medieval given name Paris, an Old French diminutive form of Patrick.

Pascal French
Derived from the given name Pascal.

Pascual Spanish
From the given name Pascual.

Pasternack Polish (Anglicized), Yiddish
Americanized form of Pasternak.

Pasternak Polish, Ukrainian, Russian, Yiddish
Means "parsnip" in various Slavic languages, ultimately from Latin pastinaca. A famous bearer was Boris Pasternak (1890-1960), author of Doctor Zhivago.

Pastor Spanish
Means "shepherd" in Spanish.

Pastore Italian
Means "shepherd" in Italian.

Paszek Polish
Derived from a diminutive of Paweł.

Pásztor Hungarian
Means "shepherd" in Hungarian.

Patenaude French (Quebec)
French form of Paternoster.

Paternoster English, Italian
Occupational name for a maker of rosaries, also called paternosters. They are derived from the Latin phrase pater noster "our Father", the opening words of the Lord's Prayer.

Paterson English, Scottish
Means "son of Patrick".

Patrick English
From the given name Patrick.

Patrickson English
Means "son of Patrick".

Patriksson Swedish
Means "son of Patrik".

Patterson English, Scottish
Means "son of Patrick".

Patton English, Scottish
Diminutive of the medieval name Pate, a short form of Patrick.

Paul English, French, German, Dutch
From the given name Paul.

Paulauskas Lithuanian
From the given name Paulius.

Paulis Dutch
From the given name Paul.

Paulissen Dutch
Means "son of Paul".

Paulsen Norwegian, Danish
Means "son of Paul".

Paulson English
Means "son of Paul".

Pauwels Dutch, Flemish
Means "son of Paul".

Pavesi Italian
Variant of Pavia.

Pavía Spanish
Spanish form of Pavia.

Pavia Italian
From the name of the city of Pavia in Lombardy, Italy. It is of unknown meaning.

Pavić Croatian
Means "son of Pavle".

Pavičić Croatian
Means "son of Pavao".

Pavlenko Ukrainian
From the given name Pavlo.

Pavletić Croatian
Derived from a diminutive of the given name Pavle.

Pavlov Russian, Bulgarian
Means "son of Pavel". A famous bearer of this surname was the Russian scientist Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936), known for his discovery of the conditioned reflex.

Pavlović Croatian, Serbian
Means "son of Pavle".

Pavlovski Macedonian
Means "son of Pavle".

Pavlovsky Russian
Means "son of Pavel".

Pavone Italian
Means "peacock" in Italian. It was originally a nickname for a proud or haughty person.

Pavoni Italian
Variant of Pavone.

Pawlak Polish
From the given name Paweł.

Pawlitzki German
German surname derived from a Slavic form of the given name Paul.

Payne English
From a medieval given name or nickname derived from Latin paganus meaning "heathen, pagan" (from an earlier sense "rural, rustic"), which was given to children whose baptism had been postponed or adults who were not overly religious.

Paz Spanish
Means "peace" in Spanish, originally a nickname for a calm person.

Peel English
Nickname for a thin person, derived from Old French pel, Latin palus meaning "stake, post" (related to English pole).

Pellegrini Italian
Variant of Pellegrino.

Pellegrino Italian
Means "pilgrim, traveller" in Italian, ultimately from Latin peregrinus.

Pender 2 Dutch
Variant of Penders.

Penders Dutch
From Middle Dutch paender meaning "brewer", derived from panne meaning "pan, pot", ultimately from Latin patina.

Penners Dutch
Variant of Penders.

Pentti Finnish
Derived from the given name Pentti.

Pereira Portuguese, Galician
From Portuguese and Galician pereira meaning "pear tree", ultimately from Latin pirum meaning "pear".

Pereiro Galician
Variant of Pereira.

Pereyra Portuguese, Galician
Variant of Pereira.

Perry 1 English
From Old English pirige meaning "pear tree", a derivative of peru meaning "pear", itself from Latin pirum. A famous bearer was Matthew Perry (1794-1858), the American naval officer who opened Japan to the West.

Pesaresi Italian
Variant of Pesaro.

Pesaro Italian
From the name of the city of Pesaro, in the Marche region (Latin Pisaurum).

Petit French, Catalan, English
Means "small, little" derived from Old French and Catalan petit. It was perhaps used for a short, small person or to denote the younger of two individuals.

Peusen Dutch
Derived from the given name Pascal.

Pfaff German
From a nickname meaning "priest, cleric" from Old High German pfaffo, from Latin papa.

Piazza Italian
Means "plaza" in Italian, indicating that the residence of the original bearer was near the town square. It is derived from Latin platea.

Pilgrim English
Nickname for a person who was a pilgrim, ultimately from Latin peregrinus.

Pinheiro Portuguese
Means "pine tree" in Portuguese.

Pinho Portuguese
Habitational name meaning "pine" in Portuguese.

Pini Italian
Name for a person who lived near a pine tree, from Italian pino, Latin pinus.

Pinto Portuguese, Spanish, Italian
Means "mottled" in Portuguese, Spanish and Italian, derived from Late Latin pinctus, Latin pictus "painted".

Planche French
French form of Plank.

Planck German
German variant of Plank.

Plank German, English
Means "plank", from Old French, itself from Late Latin planca. This could have referred to a person who lived by a plank bridge over a stream, someone who was thin, or a carpenter.

Planque French
French form of Plank.

Plaza Spanish
Spanish cognate of Piazza.

Poggi Italian
Variant of Poggio.

Poggio Italian
Means "hillock, small hill" in Italian, a derivative of Latin podium meaning "balcony, platform".

Pohl 2 German
From the given name Paul.

Poirier French
Means "pear tree" in French, originally a nickname for someone who lived close to such a tree.

Poirot French, Literature
From a diminutive of French poire "pear", originally referring to a pear merchant or someone who lived near a pear tree. Starting in 1920 this name was used by the mystery writer Agatha Christie for her Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. Christie based the name on that of Jules Poiret, a contemporary fictional detective.

Poletti Italian
From a diminutive of the given name Paolo. This name is typical of northern and central Italy.

Pope English
From 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".

Porcher English, French
Means "swineherd" from Old French and Middle English porchier, from Latin porcus "pig".

Porra Catalan
Variant of Porras.

Porras Spanish, Catalan
From a nickname meaning "club" in Spanish and Catalan, ultimately from Latin porrum meaning "leek".

Porter English
Occupational name meaning "doorkeeper", ultimately from Old French porte "door", from Latin porta.

Portner Low German
Low German cognate of Porter.

Portoghese Italian
Means "Portuguese" in Italian.

Post Dutch, German, English
Indicated a person who lived near a post, ultimately from Latin postis.

Poulsen Danish
Means "son of Poul".

Power 2 English
From Middle English povre meaning "poor", via Old French from Latin pauper. It could have been a nickname for someone who had no money or a miser.

Powers English
Variant of Power 1 or Power 2.

Prinsen Dutch
Means "son of the prince", the term prince would have denoted someone who acted in a regal manner.

Prinz German, Jewish
Means "prince", used as an ornamental name by Jews or as a nickname for someone who acted in a princely manner.

Provenza Italian
From the name of the Provence region of southern France (in Italian Provenza). It is derived from Latin provincia "province", a territorial division.

Provenzano Italian
Variant of Provenza typical of southern Italy, namely Sicily and Calabria.

Puerta Spanish
Means "door, gate", a topographic name for a person who lived near the gates of the town.

Puig Catalan
Catalan cognate of Poggio.

Purcell English
From Old French pourcel "piglet", from Latin porcellus, a derivative of porcus "pig". This was a nickname or an occupational name for a swineherd.

Quincey English
Variant of Quincy.

Quincy English
Originally from various place names in Normandy that were derived from the given name Quintus.

Quiñones Spanish
From various Spanish place names derived from quiñón meaning "shared piece of land", derived from Latin quinque "five".

Quintana Spanish, Catalan
Originally indicated someone who lived on a piece of land where the rent was a fifth of its produce, from Spanish and Catalan quintana "fifth", from Latin quintus.

Rana Italian, Spanish
Means "frog" in Italian and Spanish.

Ray English
Variant of Rey 1, Rey 2, Rye or Wray.

Ré Italian
Italian form of Rey 1.

Redondo Spanish
Means "round" in Spanish, originally a nickname for a plump person, ultimately from Latin rotundus.

Rey 1 English, Spanish, French, Catalan
Means "king" in Old French, Spanish and Catalan, ultimately from Latin rex (genitive regis), perhaps originally denoting someone who acted like a king.

Reyes Spanish
Spanish variant of Rey 1.

Ribeiro Portuguese
Means "little river, stream" in Portuguese, ultimately from Latin riparius meaning "riverbank".

Ricchetti Italian
Diminutive form of Ricci.

Ricci Italian
From Italian riccio meaning "curly", a nickname for someone with curly hair. It is ultimately from Latin ericius meaning "hedgehog".

Ríos Spanish
Spanish cognate of Rios.

Rios Portuguese
Originally denoted a person who lived near a river, from Portuguese rios "river", ultimately from Latin rivus.

Riva Italian
Means "bank, shore" in Italian, from Latin ripa, denoting one who lived by a river or a lake.

Rivas Spanish
Spanish form of Riva.

Rivera Spanish
From Spanish ribera meaning "bank, shore", from Latin riparius.

Rivero Spanish
Variant of Rivera.

Rivers English
Denoted a person who lived near a river, from Middle English, from Old French riviere meaning "river", from Latin riparius meaning "riverbank".

Rivière French
French cognate of Rivers.

Rizzi Italian
Variant of Ricci.

Rizzo Italian
Variant of Ricci.

Roach English
From Middle English and Old French roche meaning "rock", from Late Latin rocca, a word that may be of Celtic origin. It indicated a person who lived near a prominent rock, or who came from a town by this name (such as Les Roches in Normandy).

Robledo Spanish
Means "oak wood" from Spanish roble "oak", ultimately from Latin robur.

Robles Spanish
Originally indicated a person who lived near an oak tree or forest, from Spanish roble "oak", from Latin robur.

Rocca Italian
Italian cognate of Roach.

Rocha Portuguese, Galician
Portuguese and Galician cognate of Roach.

Roche French
French cognate of Roach.

Roig Catalan
Means "red" in Catalan, from Latin rubeus, originally a nickname for a person with red hair or a red complexion.

Rojas Spanish
Variant of Rojo.

Rojo Spanish
Means "red" in Spanish, referring to the colour of the hair or complexion.

Roma Italian
Variant of Romano 2.

Romà Catalan
Catalan form of Romano 1 or Romano 2.

Romagna Italian
From the region of Romagna, on the Adriatic coast of Italy. It is derived from Latin Romania meaning "land of the Romans".

Romagnoli Italian
Variant of Romagna.

Román Spanish
From the given name Román.

Roman Romanian, Polish, Ukrainian
From the given name Roman.

Romano 1 Italian
Derived from the given name Romano.

Romano 2 Italian
Denoted a person from the city of Rome, either a resident or someone who visited as a pilgrim. In Calabria it was also used to designate a person from New Rome, a name for Constantinople.

Romanov Russian
Means "son of Roman". This was the surname of the last dynasty of Russian tsars.

Romão Portuguese
Portuguese form of Romano 1 or Romano 2.

Rome French, English
English and French form of Romano 2.

Romeijn Dutch
Derived from the given name Romein.

Romeijnders Dutch
From Dutch Romein meaning "Roman, person from Rome".

Romeijnsen Dutch
Means "son of Romein" in Dutch.

Romero Spanish
Derived from Spanish romero meaning "pilgrim to Rome".

Romijn Dutch
Derived from the given name Romein.

Romijnders Dutch
Variant of Romeijnders.

Romijnsen Dutch
Means "son of Romein" in Dutch.

Romilly English, French
Originally denoted a person who came from any of the various places in northern France called Romilly or from Romiley in England.

Roncalli Italian
From the names of places like Ronco or Ronchi, quite common in northern Italy, derived from ronco meaning "cleared land, terraced land". It was the surname of Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli (1881-1963), the pope John XXIII.

Ronchi Italian
From Italian places named Ronchi, derived from ronco meaning "cleared land, terraced land". It is most common in northern and central Italy.

Roosa Dutch
From Dutch roos meaning "rose".

Roosevelt Dutch
Means "rose field" from Dutch roos "rose" and veld "field". This was the surname of American presidents Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919) and Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945).

Rosa Italian, Catalan
Italian and Catalan form of Rose 1.

Rosales Spanish
Means "rose bushes" in Spanish.

Rosário Portuguese
Means "rosary" in Portuguese. This name was often given to people born on the day of the festival of Our Lady of the Rosary.

Rosario Spanish
Spanish form of Rosário.

Rose 1 English, French, German, Jewish
Means "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).

Rose 2 English
Derived from the feminine given name Rose.

Rosenberg German, Swedish, Jewish
Means "rose mountain" in German and Swedish. As a Swedish and Jewish name it is ornamental.

Rosenberger German, Jewish
Variant of Rosenberg.

Rosenfeld German, Jewish
Means "field of roses" in German. As a Jewish surname it is ornamental.

Rossi Italian
Derived from a nickname for a red-haired person, from Italian rosso, Latin russus meaning "red". This is the most common surname in Italy.

Rossini Italian
Diminutive form of Rossi. A famous bearer was the Italian composer Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868).

Rounds English
Patronymic derived from Middle English rond meaning "round, plump", ultimately from Latin rotundus.

Rousseau French
Diminutive of Roux. A famous bearer was the philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) whose ideas influenced the French Revolution.

Roussel French
French form of Russell.

Roux French
Derived from Old French ros meaning "red", from Latin russus, a nickname for a red-haired person.

Roxas Filipino
Filipino form of the Spanish Rojas.

Roy 1 French, English
Variant of Rey 1.

Royer French
From French roue meaning "wheel", ultimately from Latin rota, an occupational name for a wheelwright.

Rózsa Hungarian
From the feminine given name Rózsa.

Rubio Spanish
Nickname for a person with red hair, from Latin rubeus "red".

Rundström Swedish
Ornamental name derived from Swedish rund (from Latin rotundus) meaning "round" and ström (Old Norse straumr) meaning "stream".

Ruskin 2 English
From a diminutive of the feminine given name Rose.

Russel English
Variant of Russell.

Russell English
From a Norman French nickname that meant "little red one", perhaps originally describing a person with red hair.

Russo Italian
Variant of Rossi.

Růžička Czech
Means "little rose" in Czech.

Ruzsa Hungarian
Dialectical variant of Rózsa.

Sáez Spanish
Variant of Sánchez.

Salcedo Spanish
Derived from Latin salix meaning "willow tree". The name was originally given to one who lived near a willow tree.

Salinas Spanish
Occupational name for a salt worker or someone who lived bear a salt works, from Spanish salina "salt works, salt mine", ultimately from Latin sal "salt".

Salucci Italian
From Italian sale meaning "salt".

Salvador Spanish, Portuguese
From the given name Salvador.

Salvage English
Variant of Savage.

Salvaggi Italian
Italian form of Savage.

Salvatici Italian
Italian form of Savage.

Salvi Italian
From the given name Salvo or Salvio.

Sánchez Spanish
Means "son of Sancho".

Sanchez Spanish
Unaccented variant of Sánchez.

Sancho Spanish, Portuguese
From the given name Sancho.

San Nicolás Spanish
Indicated the original bearer was from a place named after Saint Nicholas.

Santana Spanish, Portuguese
From any of the numerous places named after Saint Anna. A famous bearer is the Mexican-American musician Carlos Santana (1947-).

Santiago Spanish, Portuguese
From various Spanish and Portuguese places called Santiago.

Santini Italian
Diminutive form of Santo.

Santo Italian
Italian form of Santos.

Santoro Italian
Means "all saint's day" in Italian, a nickname for one born on that day.

Santos Portuguese, Spanish
Means "saint" in Portuguese and Spanish, ultimately from Latin sanctus. This was a nickname for a pious person.

Sanz Spanish
From the given name Sancho.

Sargent English
Variant of Sergeant.

Sargsyan Armenian
Means "son of Sargis" in Armenian.

Sarkisian Armenian
Alternate transcription of Armenian Սարգսյան (see Sargsyan).

Sarkissian Armenian
Alternate transcription of Armenian Սարգսյան (see Sargsyan).

Sarkisyan Armenian
Alternate transcription of Armenian Սարգսյան (see Sargsyan).

Sarti Italian
Variant of Sarto.

Sartini Italian
Diminutive form of Sarto.

Sarto Italian
Occupational name meaning "tailor" in Italian, from Latin sartor, from sarcire meaning "to mend".

Sartor Italian
Variant of Sarto.

Sartore Italian
Variant of Sarto.

Sartre French
French cognate of Sarto.

Sastre Spanish
Spanish cognate of Sarto.

Sault French
French cognate of Soto.

Sauter German
Occupational name for a cobbler, from Latin sutor "sewer, cobbler".

Sauvage French
French form of Savage.

Sauvageau French
French diminutive form of Savage.

Sauvageon French
French diminutive form of Savage.

Sauvageot French
French diminutive form of Savage.

Savage English
English nickname meaning "wild, uncouth", derived from Old French salvage or sauvage meaning "untamed", ultimately from Latin silvaticus meaning "wild, from the woods".

Savege English (Rare)
Variant of Savage.

Savidge English
Variant of Savage.

School Dutch
From Dutch school, ultimately from Latin schola meaning "school", indicating a person who worked at or lived near a school.

Schreiber German
German cognate of Scriven.

Schrijnemakers Dutch
Occupational name for a cabinet maker, from Dutch schrijn "box, container" and maker "maker".

Schuler German
Means "scholar, student" in German, ultimately from Latin schola meaning "school".

Schuster German
Means "shoemaker, cobbler", from Middle High German schuoch "shoe" and suter, from Latin sutor "sewer, cobbler".

Schuyler Dutch
Possibly a Dutch form of Schuler.

Scola Italian
From Italian scuola meaning "school".

Scott English, Scottish
Originally given to a person from Scotland or a person who spoke Scottish Gaelic.

Scotti Italian
From the medieval given name Francescotto, a diminutive of Francesco.

Scriven English
Occupational name meaning "writer, clerk, scribe" in Old French, derived from Latin scriba.

Scrivener English
Variant of Scriven.

Scrivenor English
Variant of Scriven.

Scrivens English
Variant of Scriven.

Sebastiani Italian
From the given name Sebastiano.

Seelen Dutch
Variant of Ceelen.

Selvaggio Italian
Italian form of Savage.

Sempers English
From the name of various towns named Saint Pierre in Normandy, all of which commemorate Saint Peter.

Serafim Portuguese
Derived from the Latin given name Seraphinus.

Serafin Polish, Italian
Derived from the given name Serafin or Serafino.

Serafini Italian
Derived from the given name Serafino.

Sergeant English, French
Occupational name derived from Old French sergent meaning "servant", ultimately from Latin servire "to serve".

Serra Italian, Portuguese, Catalan
Italian, Portuguese and Catalan cognate of Sierra.

Serrano Spanish
Variant of Sierra.

Severijns Dutch
Derived from the Latin given name Severinus.

Séverin French
Derived from the given name Séverin.

Severins Dutch
Derived from the Latin given name Severinus.

Sevriens Dutch
Derived from the Latin given name Severinus.

Seymour 1 English
From Saint Maur, a French place name, which commemorates Saint Maurus.

Shriver German
German cognate of Scriven.

Sidney English
Originally derived from various place names in England meaning "wide island", from Old English sid "wide" and eg "island". Another theory holds that it comes from the name of a town in Normandy called "Saint Denis", though evidence for this is lacking.

Sierra Spanish
Originally indicated a dweller on a hill range or ridge, from Spanish sierra "mountain range", derived from Latin serra "saw".

Sierżant Polish
Polish cognate of Sergeant.

Silje Norwegian
Derived from the given name Silje.

Silva Portuguese, Spanish
From Spanish or Portuguese silva meaning "forest". This is the most common surname in Portugal and Brazil.

Silveira Portuguese
Means "forests" in Portuguese.

Silvestri Italian
Derived from the given name Silvester.

Sinclair English
Derived from a Norman French town called "Saint Clair".

Soler Occitan, Catalan
Denoted a person from any of the numerous places in the area whose names derive from Occitan or Catalan soler meaning "ground, floor".

Sordi Italian
From Italian sordo meaning "deaf", from Latin surdus.

Sörensen Swedish
Swedish form of Sørensen.

Sørensen Danish, Norwegian
Means "son of Søren".

Sorenson Danish (Anglicized), Swedish (Anglicized)
Americanized form of Sørensen or Sörensson.

Sörensson Swedish
Swedish form of Sørensen.

Soto Spanish
Means "grove of trees, small forest" in Spanish, ultimately from Latin saltus.

Sourd French
French cognate of Sordi.

Southers German
Possibly an Americanized form of Sauter.

St John English
From a place named for Saint John.

St Martin French
From a place named for Saint Martin.

St Pierre French
From a French place named for Saint Peter.

Strange English
Derived from Middle English strange meaning "foreign", ultimately from Latin extraneus.

Street English
Habitational name for a person who lived in a place called Street, for example in Somerset. It is derived from Old English stræt meaning "Roman road", from Latin strata.

Strudwick English
From an English place name derived from Old English strod meaning "marshy ground overgrown with brushwood" and wic meaning "village, town".

Summers 1 English
Variant of Sumner.

Sumner English
Occupational name for a summoner, an official who was responsible for ensuring the appearance of witnesses in court, from Middle English sumner, ultimately from Latin submonere "to advise".

Sydney English
Variant of Sidney.

Tanzi Italian
From a short form of the given name Costanzo.

Terrell English
Probably derived from the Norman French nickname tirel meaning "to pull", referring to a stubborn person.

Terzi 1 Italian
From the given name Terzo, or a name for a third child.

Teunissen Dutch
Means "son of Teunis".

Theunissen Dutch
Means "son of Theunis".

Tirrell English
Variant of Terrell.

Torres Spanish, Portuguese
Name for a person who lived in or near a tower, ultimately from Latin turris.

Tos Spanish
Spanish form of Tosi.

Tosell Catalan
Catalan form of Tosi.

Toselli Italian
Diminutive form of Tosi.

Toset Catalan
Catalan form of Tosi.

Tosetti Italian
Diminutive form of Tosi.

Tosi Italian
Means "clean-shaven", usually denoting a younger man, from Latin tonsus "shaved".

Tracey 1 English
From the village of Tracy-sur-mer on the Normandy coast in France. It was brought to England with William the Conqueror.

Tracy English, Irish
Variant of Tracey 1 or Tracey 2.

Traver French
French variant of Travers.

Travere French
French variant of Travers.

Travers English, French
From an English and French place name that described a person who lived near a bridge or ford, or occasionally as an occupational name for the collector of tolls at such a location. The place name is derived from Old French traverser (which comes from Late Latin transversare), which means "to cross".

Traversa Italian
Italian form of Travers.

Traverse French
French variant of Travers.