Old High German Origin Surnames

Karl German
From the given name Karl.

Kästner German
Means "cabinet maker", derived from Middle High German kaste "box".

Käufer German
Variant of Kaufer.

Kaufer German
Means "trader" in German.

Kauffmann German, Jewish
Variant of Kaufmann.

Kaufman German, Jewish
Variant of Kaufmann.

Kaufmann German, Jewish
Means "trader, merchant" in German.

Kempf German
German cognate of Kemp.

Kendrick 3 Scottish
Variant of McKendrick.

Kerper German
Variant of Gerber.

Kiefer 2 German
Occupational name for a barrel maker, derived from Old High German kuofa meaning "barrel".

Király Hungarian
Means "king" in Hungarian, of Slavic origin (a cognate of Król).

Kirch German
German cognate of Church.

Kistler German
Occupational name meaning "chest maker, cabinetmaker" from Middle High German kiste.

Kistner German
Variant of Kistler.

Klein German, Dutch, Jewish
Means "small, little" from German klein or Yiddish kleyn. A famous bearer of this name is clothes designer Calvin Klein (1942-).

Knepp German
Variant of Knopf.

Knopf German
Means "button" in German, originally belonging to a button maker or button seller.

Knopp German
Variant of Knopf.

Koch German
German cognate of Cook.

Koenig German
German cognate of King.

Koenigsmann German
Variant of Königsmann.

Köhl German
Variant of Kohl.

Kohl German
Derived from Middle High German kol "cabbage".

Köhler German
Variant of Kohler.

Kohler German
From Middle High German koler meaning "charcoal burner" or "charcoal seller".

Königsmann German
Means "king's man", or someone who played a king in a play.

Kraemer German
Variant of Krämer.

Král m Czech
Czech form of Król.

Kráľ m Slovak
Slovak form of Król.

Kralj Slovene, Croatian, Serbian
Slovene, Croatian and Serbian form of Król.

Krall Czech (Anglicized), Slovak (Anglicized)
Americanized form of Král or Kráľ.

Kráľová f Slovak
Feminine form of Kráľ.

Králová f Czech
Feminine form of Král.

Kramář m Czech
Czech form of Krämer.

Kramářová f Czech
Feminine form of Kramář.

Krämer German
Means "shopkeeper, merchant" in German, derived from Old High German kram meaning "tent, trading post".

Kramer Low German, Jewish
Low German and Jewish form of Krämer.

Krantz German, Jewish
Variant of Kranz.

Kranz German, Jewish
Derived from Old High German kranz meaning "wreath", an occupational name for a maker of wreaths or an ornamental Jewish name.

Kröger German
Variant of Krüger 1 and Krüger 2.

Król Polish
Means "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, Swedish
From German Krone and Swedish krona meaning "crown" (from Latin corona), perhaps a nickname for one who worked in a royal household.

Kroon Dutch, Estonian
Means "crown" in Dutch and Estonian (from Latin corona).

Krüger 2 German
In southern Germany an occupational name for a potter, derived from Middle High German kruoc meaning "jug, pot".

Kruger German
Variant of Krüger 1 and Krüger 2.

Kuhn German
Derived from a diminutive of the German given name Konrad.

Kundert German
Derived from the given name Konrad.

Kuntz German
Derived from a diminutive of the given name Konrad.

Kunz German
Derived from a diminutive of the given name Konrad.

Kunze German
Derived from a diminutive of the given name Konrad.

Kurzmann German
Means "short man" in German.

Lambert French
Derived from the given name Lambert.

Lamberti Italian
Derived from the given name Lamberto.

Landi Italian
Derived from the given name Lando.

Lando Italian
Derived from the given name Lando.

Landolfi Italian
From the given name Landolfo, Italian form of the Lombardic name Landulf.

Lang German, Danish, Norwegian
German, Danish and Norwegian cognate of Long.

Lange German, Danish, Norwegian
German, Danish and Norwegian cognate of Long.

Langenberg German, Dutch
From various place names meaning "long mountain" in German and Dutch.

Langer German, Jewish
German cognate of Long.

Leblanc French
Means "the white", from French blanc "white". The name referred to a person who was pale or whose hair was blond.

Leitz German
Derived from the archaic given name Leutz, a variant of Lutz.

Leitzke German
Either from Leitzkau, the name of a town in Saxony-Anhalt, or from a diminutive of the given name Leutz, a variant of Lutz.

Lemmi Italian
From a short form of the given name Guglielmo. It is typical of Tuscany.

Lennartsson Swedish
Means "son of Lennart".

Leonard English
Derived from the given name Leonard.

Leonardi Italian
From the given name Leonardo.

Leonardsen Norwegian
Means "son of Lennart".

Leonardson English
Means "son of Leonard".

Leonardsson Swedish
Variant of Lennartsson.

Lewis 1 English
Derived from the given name Lewis. The author C. S. Lewis (1898-1963) was a bearer of this surname.

Lichtenberg Jewish
Means "light hill" in German.

Linden German, Dutch
Indicated a person who lived near a linden tree, derived from Old High German linta or Old Dutch linda.

Lindner German
Variant of Linden.

Loewe German
Variant of Löwe.

Louis French
From the given name Louis.

Löwe German, Jewish
Means "lion" in German.

Lowe 1 Jewish (Anglicized)
Americanized form of Löwe.

Ludvigsen Danish
Means "son of Ludvig".

Ludwig German
From the given name Ludwig.

Luther German
From the old given name Leuthar. It was notably borne by the religious reformer Martin Luther (1483-1546).

MacEanruig Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic form of McKendrick.

Mac Óda Irish
Means "son of Odo" in Irish.

Maçon French
French cognate of Mason.

Mac Uileagóid Irish
Irish Gaelic form of McElligott.

MacWilliam Scottish
Means "son of William" in Gaelic.

Maddison English
Variant of Madison.

Madison English
Means "son of Maud". A famous bearer of this surname was the fourth American president James Madison (1751-1836).

Major English
From the Norman French given name Mauger, derived from the Germanic name Malger.

Mandel German, Yiddish
Means "almond" in German, an occupational name for a grower or seller, or a topographic name for a person who lived near an almond tree. As a Jewish name it is ornamental.

Mandelbaum Jewish
Means "almond tree" in German.

Manfredi Italian
Derived from the given name Manfredo.

Manfredonia Italian
Originally indicated a person from Manfredonia, Italy. The city was named for the 13th-century King Manfred of Sicily.

Mangold German
From the given name Managold.

Mann German, English
From a nickname meaning "man". This may have originally been given in order to distinguish the bearer from a younger person with the same name.

Manz German
From a diminutive of the given name Managold.

Mari Italian
Aphetic form of Altimari.

Markwardt German
Variant of Marquardt.

Marquardt German
From Old High German marka "border, boundary" and wart "protector". This was an occupational name for a border guard.

Marquering Dutch
Possibly a Dutch form of Marquardt.

Masson 1 French, Scottish
Variant of Mason.

Maurer German
Occupational name meaning "wall builder" in German.

Maus German
From a nickname meaning "mouse", from Old High German mus.

Maynard English
Derived from the Old German given name Meginhard.

McElligott Irish
Anglicized form of the Irish Gaelic name Mac Uileagóid meaning "son of Uileagóid", a diminutive of Uilleag.

McKendrick Scottish
Anglicized form of Gaelic MacEanruig meaning "son of Eanraig".

McReynolds Scottish, Irish
Means "son of Reynold" in Gaelic.

McWilliam Scottish
Means "son of William" in Gaelic.

Mein German
Derived from the given name Meino.

Meindl German
Derived from a diminutive of the given name Meino.

Meinhardt German
Derived from the given name Meinhard.

Melsbach German
From the name of a German town, possibly meaning "mill stream".

Mendel 1 Jewish
Derived from the given name Mendel.

Mendel 2 German
Derived from a diminutive of the given name Meino. A famous bearer was Gregor Mendel (1822-1884), a Czech monk and scientist who did experiments in genetics.

Mendelsohn Jewish
Means "son of Mendel".

Mendelssohn Jewish
Means "son of Mendel".

Messer German
Occupational name for a person who made knives, from Middle High German messer "knife".

Messerli German (Swiss)
Swiss diminutive form of Messer.

Messmann German
Variant of Messer.

Metz 1 German
Occupational name for maker of knives, from Middle High German metze "knife".

Minett English
From the medieval given name Minna.

Mlynář m Czech
Means "miller" in Czech.

Mlynárik m Slovak
Slovak form of Mlynář.

Mlynáriková f Slovak
Feminine form of Mlynárik.

Mlynářová f Czech
Feminine form of Mlynář.

Möller Low German, Swedish
Low German and Swedish form of Müller.

Molnár Hungarian
Occupational name meaning "miller" in Hungarian.

Mondo Italian
From a given name, a short form of names such as Raimondo or Edmondo.

Monet French
Derived from either of the given names Hamon or Edmond. A famous bearer was the French impressionist painter Claude Monet (1840-1926).

Monette French
Variant of Monet.

Montgomery English, Scottish
From a place name in Calvados, France meaning "Gumarich's mountain". A notable bearer was Bernard Montgomery (1887-1976), a British army commander during World War II.

Morgenstern German, Jewish
Ornamental name meaning "morning star" in German.

Mould English
From the given name Mauld, a medieval form of Matilda.

Mounce German (Anglicized)
Possibly an Americanized form of German Manz.

Mueller German
Variant of Müller.

Muhlfeld German
Means "mill field" in German.

Müller German
German equivalent of Miller, derived from Middle High German mülnære or müller.

Muller German
Variant of Müller.

Musiał Polish
Polish cognate of Musil.

Musil m Czech
Possibly from a nickname meaning "the one who had to", from the past participle of the Czech verb muset meaning "must" (of Germanic origin).

Musilová f Czech
Feminine form of Musil.

Mynatt English
Variant of Minett.

Nagel German, Dutch
Means "nail" in German and Dutch, an occupational name for a carpenter or nailsmith.

Naldi Italian
From given names like Arnaldo and Rinaldo.

Nardi Italian
From the given name Nardo, which was originally a short form of names like Bernardo or Leonardo.

Nardo Italian
Variant of Nardi.

Nardovino Italian (Rare)
Either from Nardo, a short form of names like Bernardo or Leonardo, or from Ardovino, a variant of Arduino.

Nelli Italian
Derived from the given name Nello.

Neuman German, Jewish
Variant of Neumann.

Neumann German, Jewish
From Middle High German niuwe and man meaning "new man, newcomer".

Nieri Italian
Either a variant of Neri, or from the Italian name Raniero.

Nussbaum German, Jewish
Means "nut tree", derived from the German Nuss "nut" and Baum "tree".

Nussenbaum Jewish
Variant of Nussbaum.

Oberti Italian
Derived from the given name Uberto.

Oberto Italian
Derived from the given name Uberto.

Ohme German
From Middle High German oem meaning "maternal uncle".

Orenstein Jewish
Means "horn stone" in German.

Orlando Italian
Derived from the given name Orlando.

Otis English
Means "son of Ode".

Ott English, German
From the given name Otto.

Otten Dutch
Means "son of Otto".

Otto German
From the given name Otto.

Ottosen Danish, Norwegian
Means "son of Otto".

Ottosson Swedish
Means "son of Otto".

Parry Welsh
Derived from ap Harry meaning "son of Harry".

Perry 2 Welsh
From Welsh ap Herry meaning "son of Herry".

Pfeiffer German
Occupational name meaning "pipe player" in German, from Middle High German pfifen "to whistle".

Pfenning German
From Old High German pfenning meaning "penny, coin". It was used in reference to feudal tax obligations.

Prichard Welsh
Variant of Pritchard.

Pritchard Welsh
From Welsh ap Richard meaning "son of Richard".

Probert Welsh
Derived from Welsh ap Robert, which means "son of Robert".

Pugh Welsh
Derived from Welsh ap Hugh meaning "son of Hugh".

Raimondi Italian
Derived from the given name Raimondo.

Raine 2 English, French
Derived from a Germanic name that was short for longer names beginning with the element ragin meaning "advice, counsel".

Randal English
Derived from the given name Randel.

Randall English
Derived from the given name Randel.

Randell English
Derived from the given name Randel.

Raneri Italian
Derived from the Italian given name Raniero.

Rao 2 Italian
Derived from the given name Raul.

Rapp 2 German
From Middle High German raben meaning "raven", a nickname for a person with black hair.

Rasch German
German form of Rask.

Rask Danish, Swedish
Means "energetic, quick, healthy" in Danish and Swedish.

Raskob German
Variant of Raskopf.

Raskop German
Variant of Raskopf.

Raskopf German
Possibly from German rasch "quick" and Kopf "head".

Rayne English, French
Variant of Raine 1 or Raine 2.

Regenbogen German, Jewish
From a German nickname meaning "rainbow", probably a habitational name for someone who lived in a house with the sign of a rainbow. As a Jewish surname it is ornamental.

Reich German, Jewish
Nickname for a wealthy or powerful person, from Old High German rihhi "rich, powerful".

Reier German
Variant of Reiher.

Reiher German
Means "heron" in German, a nickname for a person with long legs.

Reijnders Dutch, Frisian
Variant of Reinders.

Reinders Dutch, Frisian
From the given name Reindert.

Reis German, Jewish
From Middle High German ris meaning "twig, branch, bush", denoting a person who lived in an overgrown area. As a Jewish name it is ornamental.

Reiter German
Variant of Reuter 1.

Renard French
From the given name Renard.

Renaud French
From the given name Renaud.

Renault French
Derived from the given name Renaud.

Rennell English
Variant of Reynolds.

Rennold English
Variant of Reynolds.

Rennoll English
Variant of Reynolds.

Reuter 1 German
Fom Middle High German riute meaning "cleared land".

Reyer German
Variant of Reiher.

Reynders Dutch, Frisian
Variant of Reinders.

Reynell English
Variant of Reynolds.

Reynolds English
Derived from the given name Reynold.

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

Richards English
Derived from the given name Richard.

Richardson English
Means "son of Richard".

Rickard English
From the given name Richard.

Rieck Low German
Low German form of Reich.

Riese German, Jewish
Means "giant" in German, from Old High German risi.

Righi Italian
From the given name Arrigo.

Rijnders Dutch, Frisian
Variant of Reinders.

Riker German
Possibly a variant of Reich.

Rinaldi Italian
Derived from the given name Rinaldo.

Ritchie Scottish
From a Scottish diminutive of the given name Richard.

Ritter German
From Middle High German riter meaning "rider, knight", a cognate of Ryder.

Robbins English
Derived from the given name Robin.

Robert French, English
From the given name Robert.

Roberts English
Means "son of Robert".

Robertsen Danish
Means "son of Robert".

Robertson English
Means "son of Robert".

Róbertsson Icelandic
Means "son of Robert".

Robertsson Swedish
Means "son of Robert".

Robin French
From the given name Robin.

Robinson English
Means "son of Robin".

Robson English
Means "son of Rob".

Rocchi Italian
Derived from the given name Rocco.

Rocco Italian
Derived from the given name Rocco.

Roderick English
Derived from the given name Roderick.

Rodgers English
Derived from the given name Rodger.

Roger French
From the given name Roger.

Rogers English
Derived from the given name Roger.

Rogerson English
Means "son of Roger".

Roldán Spanish
Derived from the given name Roldán.

Rolland French
From the given name Roland.

Rollins English
From a diminutive of the given name Roland.

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.

Rot German, Jewish
Variant of Roth.

Roth German, Jewish
From Middle High German rot meaning "red". It was originally a nickname for a person with red hair.

Rothenberg German, Jewish
From Middle High German rot meaning "red" and berg meaning "mountain". As a Jewish name it may be ornamental.

Rothschild Jewish
From Middle High German rot "red" and schilt "shield", or Yiddish רויט (roit) and שילד (shild). The famous Rothschild family of bankers took their name from a house with a red shield on it.

Rowe 2 English
From the medieval name Row, which is either a variant of Roul or short form of Roland.

Rowland English
Derived from the given name Roland.

Royce English
Originally derived from the medieval given name Royse, a variant of Rose.

Royceston English
Variant of Royston.

Royston English
Originally taken from an Old English place name meaning "Royse's town". The given name Royse was a medieval variant of Rose.

Rózsa Hungarian
From the feminine given name Rózsa.

Ruf German
From the given name Rolf.

Ruff German, English
From the given name Rolf.

Ruggeri Italian
Derived from the given name Ruggero.

Ruggiero Italian
From the given name Ruggiero.

Ruggles English
From a medieval diminutive of the given name Roger.

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

Rutgers Dutch
Derived from the given name Rutger.

Rutten Dutch
Derived from the given name Rutger.

Ruzsa Hungarian
Dialectical variant of Rózsa.

Ruzzier Italian
From a dialectal variant of Ruggiero. It is typical of northeastern Italy, the area around Trieste.

Ryer German (Anglicized)
Possibly an Americanized form of Reiher.

Sachs German
Originally indicated a person from Saxony (German Sachsen). The region was named for the Germanic tribe of the Saxons, ultimately derived from the Germanic word *sahsą meaning "knife".

Sandberg Swedish, Norwegian, Jewish
From Swedish and Norwegian sand (Old Norse sandr) meaning "sand" and berg meaning "mountain" (or in the case of the Jewish surname, from the Yiddish or German cognates).

Scheer German, Dutch
Variant of Scherer.

Scheinberg Jewish
Ornamental name meaning "beautiful mountain" from German schön "beautiful, good, nice" and berg "mountain".

Schenck German
Variant of Schenk.

Schenk German, Dutch
From Middle High German, Middle Dutch schenke meaning "wine server" (from Old High German scenken "to pour out").

Scherer German
Occupational name for a cutter of cloth or a sheep-shearer, from Old High German skeran "to cut".

Schirmer German
Means "fencer, fencing master", from Old High German skirmen meaning "to defend".

Schlösser German
Variant of Schlosser.

Schlosser German
Occupational name for a locksmith, derived from Old High German sloz meaning "lock".

Schmid German
Variant of Schmidt.

Schmidt German
Occupational name derived from Middle High German smit "smith, metalworker", a cognate of Smith.

Schmitt German
Variant of Schmidt.

Schmitz German
Variant of Schmidt, originating in the Rhine area in western Germany.

Schneider German, Jewish
From German schneider or Yiddish shnayder, making it a cognate of Snyder.

Schnell German
German cognate of Snell.

Schnoor German
Variant of Schnur.

Schnur German, Jewish
From Old High German snuor meaning "rope, cord", an occupational name for a maker of rope.

Scholz German
Variant of Schulz.

Schreier German, Jewish
Occupational name for a town crier, from Old High German scrian meaning "to shout, to yell".

Schubert German
Variant of Schuchardt. This name was borne by the Austrian composer Franz Schubert (1797-1828).

Schuchard German
Variant of Schuchardt.

Schuchardt German
From Middle High German schuochwürte meaning "shoemaker, cobbler".

Schuchert German
Variant of Schuchardt.

Schuhart German
Variant of Schuchardt.

Schuhmacher German
From the Middle High German occupational name schuochmacher meaning "shoemaker".

Schult Low German
Low German variant of Schulz.

Schulte Low German
Low German variant of Schulz.

Schultes German
Variant of Schulz.

Schultheis German
Variant of Schulz.

Schultheiss German
Variant of Schulz.

Schultheiß German
Variant of Schulz.

Schultz German
Variant of Schulz.

Schultze German
Variant of Schulz.

Schulz German
Occupational name derived from Middle High German schultheiße meaning "mayor, judge".

Schulze German
Variant of Schulz.

Schumacher German
Variant of Schuhmacher.