Old Germanic Origin Surnames

Habicht German
German cognate of Hawk.

Hadaway English
Variant of Hathaway.

Haden English
From a place name derived from Old English hæþ "heath" and dun "hill".

Hafner German
Occupational name for a potter, derived from Old High German hafan "pot, vessel".

Hagen Norwegian, Dutch
From Old Norse hagi or Old Dutch hago meaning "enclosure, pasture".

Haig English, Scottish
From Old English haga or Old Norse hagi meaning "enclosure, pasture".

Hailey English
Variant of Haley.

Haines English
Variant of Haynes.

Håkansson Swedish
Means "son of Håkan".

Hale English
Derived from Old English halh meaning "nook, recess, hollow".

Haley English
From the name of an English town meaning "hay clearing", from Old English heg "hay" and leah "woodland, clearing".

Hall English, German, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish
Means simply "hall", given to one who either lived in or worked in a hall (the house of a medieval noble).

Halle German
German variant of Hall.

Hallman Swedish
From Swedish hall (Old Norse hallr) meaning "rock, boulder, slab" and man (Old Norse maðr) meaning "person, man".

Halvorsen Norwegian
Means "son of Halvor".

Hambleton English
From various English place names, derived from Old English hamel "crooked, mutilated" and tun "enclosure, yard, town".

Hamilton English, Scottish
From an English place name, derived from Old English hamel "crooked, mutilated" and dun "hill". This was the name of a town in Leicestershire, England (which no longer exists).

Hamm English
Means "river meadow" in Old English.

Hammond English
From the Norman given name Hamo or the Old Norse given name Hámundr.

Hampson English
Means "son of Hamo".

Hampton English
From the name of multiple towns in England, derived from Old English ham "home" or ham "water meadow, enclosure" and tun "enclosure, yard, town".

Hanley English
From various English place names meaning "high meadow" in Old English.

Haraldsen Norwegian
Means "son of Harald".

Haraldsson Swedish
Means "son of Harald".

Harden English
From a place name meaning "hare valley" in Old English.

Hardie Scottish
Scots variant of Hardy.

Harding English
Derived from the given name Heard. A famous bearer was American president Warren G. Harding (1865-1923).

Hardwick English
From Old English heord "herd" and wic "village, town".

Hardy English, French
From Old French and Middle English hardi meaning "bold, daring, hardy", from the Germanic root *harduz.

Harford English
Habitational name from places called Harford in Gloucestershire and Devon, meaning "hart ford" or "army ford".

Hargrave English
Derived from Old English har meaning "grey" and graf "grove".

Harlan English
Variant of Harland.

Harland English
From various place names meaning "hare land" in Old English.

Harley English
Derived from a place name meaning "hare clearing", from Old English hara "hare" or hær "rock, heap of stones" and leah "woodland, clearing".

Harlow English
Habitational name derived from a number of locations named Harlow, from Old English hær "rock, heap of stones" or here "army", combined with hlaw "hill".

Harman English
From the given name Herman.

Harmon English
From the given name Herman.

Haroldson Swedish (Anglicized)
Americanized form of Haraldsson.

Harrell English
From the given name Harold.

Harrelson English
Means "son of Harold". A famous bearer of this surname is the American actor Woody Harrelson (1961-).

Harris English
Means "son of Harry".

Harrison English
Means "son of Harry".

Hart English
Means "male deer". It was originally acquired by a person who lived in a place frequented by harts, or bore some resemblance to a hart.

Hartell English
From various place names derived from Old English heorot "hart, male deer" and hyll "hill".

Hartley English
Habitational name for someone originally from any of the various locations in England named Hartley, from Old English heorot "hart, male deer" and leah "woodland, clearing".

Hartman Dutch, German
Dutch and Americanized form of Hartmann.

Hartmann German
From the German given name Hartmann.

Hase German
From Middle High German and Middle Low German hase meaning "hare, rabbit". This was a nickname for a person who was quick or timid.

Hasenkamp German
From a northern German place name meaning "rabbit field", from Old Saxon haso "hare" and kamp "field" (from Latin campus).

Hass German
From the given name Hasso.

Hathaway English
Habitational name for someone who lived near a path across a heath, from Old English hæþ "heath" and weg "way".

Hatheway English
Variant of Hathaway.

Hathway English
Variant of Hathaway.

Hauer German
Derived from Middle High German houwen "to chop", referring to a butcher or woodchopper.

Haumann German
Derived from Middle High German houwen "to chop" and man "man", referring to a butcher or woodchopper.

Haupt German
German cognate of Head.

Häusler German
Name for someone who lived in a house with no land, derived rom Old High German word hus meaning "house".

Havener German
Variant of Hafner.

Haward English
Variant of Howard 1 or Hayward.

Hawk English
Originally a nickname for a person who had a hawk-like appearance or who acted in a fierce manner, derived from Old English hafoc "hawk".

Hawking English
From a diminutive of Hawk. A famous bearer was the British physicist Stephen Hawking (1942-2018).

Hawkins English
From a diminutive of Hawk.

Hayden 1 English
From place names meaning either "hay valley" or "hay hill", derived from Old English heg "hay" and denu "valley" or dun "hill".

Hayes 1 English
From various English place names that were derived from Old English hæg meaning "enclosure, fence". A famous bearer was American President Rutherford B. Hayes (1822-1893).

Hayley English
Variant of Haley.

Haynes English
Patronymic derived from the Norman name Hagano.

Hayter English
Name for a person who lived on a hill, from Middle English heyt meaning "height".

Hayward English
Occupational name for a person who protected an enclosed forest, from Old English hæg "enclosure, fence" and weard "guard".

Haywood English
From various place names meaning "fenced wood" in Old English.

Head English
From Middle English hed meaning "head", from Old English heafod. It may have referred to a person who had a peculiar head, who lived near the head of a river or valley, or who served as the village headman.

Headley English
From place names meaning "heather clearing" in Old English.

Heath English
Originally belonged to a person who was a dweller on the heath or open land.

Hébert French
Derived from the given name Herbert.

Hedley English
Variant of Headley.

Hedlund Swedish
From Swedish hed (Old Norse heiðr) meaning "heath, moor" and lund (Old Norse lundr) meaning "grove".

Heeren Dutch
From Dutch heer "lord, master", a nickname for a person who acted like a lord or who worked for a lord.

Heidrich German
From the Old German given name Heidrich.

Heijman Dutch
Patronymic from a diminutive of the given name Hendrik.

Heijmans Dutch
Variant of Heijman.

Heikki Finnish
From the given name Heikki.

Heikkilä Finnish
From the given name Heikki with the suffix -lä indicating a place.

Heikkinen Finnish
From the given name Heikki.

Heimans Dutch
Variant of Heijman.

Heimisson Icelandic
Means "son of Heimir".

Heinonen Finnish
From the given name Heino.

Heinrich German
Derived from the given name Heinrich.

Heinrichs German
Derived from the given name Heinrich.

Heintze German
Derived from a diminutive of Heinrich.

Heinz German
Derived from a diminutive of Heinrich.

Hellström Swedish
From Swedish häll (Old Norse hallr), a type of flat rock, combined with ström (Old Norse straumr) meaning "stream".

Henderson Scottish, English
Means "son of Hendry".

Hendrickx Flemish
Derived from the given name Hendrik.

Hendriks Dutch
Derived from the given name Hendrik.

Hendrikx Dutch
Derived from the given name Hendrik.

Hendrix Dutch
Derived from the given name Hendrik. A famous bearer was the American rock musician Jimi Hendrix (1942-1970).

Hendry Scottish, English
Derived from the given name Henry.

Hennig German
From a diminutive of the given name Heinrich.

Henningsen Danish
Means "son of Henning".

Henriksen Danish, Norwegian
Means "son of Henrik".

Henriksson Swedish
Means "son of Henrik".

Henriques Portuguese
Means "son of Henrique".

Henry English
Derived from the given name Henry.

Henryson English
Means "son of Henry". A bearer of this surname was the poet Robert Henryson (1425-1500).

Henson English
Means "son of Henne", a medieval diminutive of Henry.

Hepburn English, Scottish
From northern English place names meaning "high burial mound" in Old English. It was borne by Mary Queen of Scot's infamous third husband, James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwall. Other famous bearers include the actresses Katharine Hepburn (1907-2003) and Audrey Hepburn (1929-1993).

Herbert English, German, French
Derived from the male given name Herbert.

Herberts English, Dutch
Variant of Herbert.

Herbertson English
Means "son of Herbert".

Herbertsson Swedish
Swedish form of Herbertson.

Herceg Croatian
Croatian form of Herzog.

Herczeg Hungarian
Hungarian form of Herzog.

Herczog Hungarian
Hungarian form of Herzog.

Herman English, Dutch
From the given name Herman.

Hermann German
From the given name Hermann.

Hermans Dutch, Flemish
Means "son of Herman".

Hermansen Danish, Norwegian
Means "son of Herman".

Hermanson English
Means "son of Herman".

Hermansson Swedish
Means "son of Herman".

Hernández Spanish
Means "son of Hernando" in Spanish.

Hernandez Spanish
Unaccented variant of Hernández.

Hernando Spanish
From the given name Hernando.

Herrema Frisian
Frisian variant of Heeren.

Herriot English
From an Old French diminutive of the given name Herry.

Herrmann German
From the given name Hermann.

Hersch German, Jewish
Variant of Hirsch 1 or Hirsch 2.

Herschel German, Jewish
Diminutive form of Hirsch 1 or Hirsch 2. A famous bearer was the British-German astronomer William Herschel (1738-1822), as well as his sister Caroline Herschel (1750-1848) and son John Herschel (1792-1871), also noted scientists.

Herzog German
From a German title meaning "duke", a nickname for a person who either acted like a duke or worked in a duke's household.

Hewitt English
Derived from a diminutive of the given name Hugh.

Heymans Dutch
Variant of Heijman.

Hibbert English
Derived from the given name Hilbert.

Hicks English
Derived from the medieval given name Hicke, a diminutive of Richard.

Hightower English
Possibly a variant of Hayter.

Hildebrand German
From the given name Hildebrand.

Hill English
Originally given to a person who lived on or near a hill, derived from Old English hyll.

Hillam English
From English places by this name, derived from Old English hyll meaning "hill".

Hilmarsson Icelandic
Means "son of Hilmar".

Hilton English
From various English place names derived from Old English hyll "hill" and tun "enclosure, town". Famous bearers of this name include the Hilton family of hotel heirs.

Hinrichs Low German
Derived from the given name Hinrich.

Hintzen German
Means "son of Hintz", a diminutive of Heinrich.

Hirsch 1 German
Means "deer, hart" in German. This was a nickname for a person who resembled a deer in some way, or who raised or hunted deer.

Hirsch 2 Jewish
Derived from the given name Hirsh.

Hirschel German, Jewish
Diminutive form of Hirsch 1 or Hirsch 2.

Hjort Danish, Swedish
Danish and Swedish cognate of Hart.

Hobbes English
Derived from the medieval given name Hob. A famous bearer of this name was British political philosopher Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679), the author of Leviathan.

Hobbs English
Derived from the medieval given name Hob.

Hobson English
Means "son of Hob".

Hoch German
Means "tall" in German.

Hochberg German, Jewish
From place names meaning "high hill" in German.

Hodges English
Patronymic of Hodge, a medieval diminutive of Roger.

Hodgson English
Means "son of Hodge", a medieval diminutive of Roger.

Hodson English
Means "son of Hodge", a medieval diminutive of Roger.

Hoedemaeker Dutch
Variant of Hoedemaker.

Hoedemaekers Dutch
Variant of Hoedemaker.

Hoedemaker Dutch
Occupational name for a hat maker, from Dutch hoed "hat" and maker "maker".

Hoedemakers Dutch
Variant of Hoedemaker.

Hoefler German
Variant of Hofer.

Hoek Dutch
From Dutch hoek meaning "corner".

Hoekstra Frisian
From Frisian hoek meaning "corner".

Hofer German
Occupational name for a farmer, from German Hof "farm", from Old High German hof "yard, court".

Hoffman German (Anglicized)
Americanized form of Hoffmann.

Hoffmann German
From Middle High German hofmann meaning "farmer".

Höfler German
Variant of Hofer.

Hofmann German
Variant of Hoffmann.

Hofmeister German
Means "master of the household", from Old High German hof "yard, court, house" and meistar "master" (from Latin magister).

Hofwegen Dutch
Variant of Van Hofwegen.

Hogarth English
Variant of Hoggard.

Hoggard English
Occupational name meaning "pig herder", from Old English hogg "hog" and hierde "herdsman, guardian".

Holgersen Danish, Norwegian
Means "son of Holger".

Holgersson Swedish
Means "son of Holger".

Holland 1 English
From various English places of this name, derived from Old English hoh "point of land, heel" and land "land".

Holland 2 Dutch, German, English
Indicated a person from the Dutch province of Holland 1.

Hollands English
Variant of Holland 1.

Hollins English
Referred to someone living by a group of holly trees, from Old English holegn.

Holm Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
From Swedish, Danish and Norwegian holme, holm meaning "islet" (Old Norse holmr).

Holmberg Swedish
Ornamental name derived from Swedish holme (Old Norse holmr) meaning "small island" and berg meaning "mountain".

Holme English, Scottish
Referred either to someone living by a small island (northern Middle English holm, from Old Norse holmr) or near a holly tree (Middle English holm, from Old English holegn).

Holmes English, Scottish
Variant of Holme. A famous fictional bearer was Sherlock Holmes, a detective in Arthur Conan Doyle's mystery stories beginning in 1887.

Holmgren Swedish
Ornamental name derived from Swedish holme (Old Norse holmr) meaning "small island" and gren (Old Norse grein) meaning "branch".

Holmström Swedish
From Swedish holme (Old Norse holmr) meaning "small island" and ström (Old Norse straumr) meaning "stream".

Holmwood English
Variant of Homewood.

Holst Danish, Low German, Dutch
Originally referred to a person from the region of Holstein between Germany and Denmark. A famous bearer of this name was the English composer Gustav Holst (1874-1934).

Holt English, Dutch, Danish, Norwegian
From Old English, Old Dutch and Old Norse holt meaning "forest".

Holtman Dutch
Dutch cognate of Holzmann.

Holtz German
German cognate of Holt.

Hölzer German
German cognate of Holt.

Holzer German
German cognate of Holt.

Holzknecht German
Occupational name for a forester's helper, from Old High German holz "wood" and kneht "servant, apprentice".

Holzmann German
Derived from Old High German holz "wood" and man "man", a name for someone who lived close to a wood or worked with wood.

Homewood English
From various place names derived from Old English ham meaning "home" and wudu meaning "wood".

Hood English
Metonymic occupational name for a maker of hoods or a nickname for someone who wore a distinctive hood, from Old English hod.

Hooker English
Originally applied to one who lived near a river bend or corner of some natural feature, from Old English hoc "angle, hook".

Hoover German (Anglicized)
Americanized form of Huber.

Hopkins English
Patronymic formed from a diminutive of Hob.

Hopson English
Variant of Hobson.

Horn English, German, Norwegian, Danish
From the Old English, Old High German and Old Norse word horn meaning "horn". This was an occupational name for one who carved objects out of horn or who played a horn, or a person who lived near a horn-shaped geographical feature, such as a mountain or a bend in a river.

Horne English
Variant of Horn.

Horton English
From the names of various places in England, which are derived from Old English horh "dirt, mud" and tun "enclosure, yard, town".

Houben Dutch
Derived from the given name Hubert.

Houk Dutch (Anglicized)
Possibly an Americanized form of Hoek.

House English
Referred to a person who lived or worked in a house, as opposed to a smaller hut.

Houston Scottish
From a place name meaning "Hugh's town". The original Houston is in Scotland near Glasgow.

Houtkooper Dutch
Means "buyer of wood" in Dutch.

Houtman Dutch
Dutch cognate of Holzmann.

Howard 1 English
Derived from the given name Hughard or Hávarðr.

Howard 2 English
Occupational name meaning "ewe herder", from Old English eowu "ewe" and hierde "herdsman, guardian".

Howe English
Name for one who lived on a hill, from Middle English how "hill" (of Norse origin).

Howland English
Variant of Holland 1.

Howse English
Variant of Howe.

Hubbard English
Derived from the given name Hubert.

Hüber German
Variant of Huber.

Huber German
Occupational name for a farmer, derived from Old High German huoba "plot of land, farm".

Hubert French, German, English
Derived from the given name Hubert.

Huddleson English
Means "son of Hudel", a diminutive of Hudde.

Hudson English
Means "son of Hudde".

Huff English
Means "spur of a hill", from Old English hoh.

Huffman German (Anglicized)
Americanized form of Hoffmann.

Huffmann German
Variant of Hoffmann.

Hughes 1 English
Patronymic of the given name Hugh.

Hull English
Variant of Hill.

Hult Swedish
Swedish form of Holt.

Hume Scottish, English
Variant of Holme. A famous bearer was the philosopher David Hume (1711-1776).

Hummel 1 German, Dutch
Derived from the given name Humbert.

Hummel 2 German, Dutch
Nickname for a busy person, from Middle Low German and Middle Dutch hommel, Middle High German hummel, all meaning "bee".

Humphrey English
Derived from the given name Humphrey.

Hunt English
Variant of Hunter.

Hunter English, Scottish
Occupational name that referred to someone who hunted for a living, from Old English hunta.

Hurst English
Originally a name for a person who lived near a thicket of trees, from Old English hyrst "thicket".

Hutchinson English
Means "son of Huchin", a medieval diminutive of Hugh.

Hutmacher German
German cognate of Hoedemaker.

Hutson English
Variant of Hudson.

Huxley English
From the name of a town in Cheshire. The final element is Old English leah "woodland, clearing", while the first element might be hux "insult, scorn". A famous bearer was the British author Aldous Huxley (1894-1963).

Hyland 1 English
Topographic name meaning "high land", from Old English heah and land.

Ikin English
Derived from a diminutive of the medieval given name Ida.

Ilbert English
Derived from a Norman form of the Old German given name Hildiberht.

Ingesson Swedish
Means "son of Inge".

Ingólfsson Icelandic
Means "son of Ingólfr".

Ingram English
Derived from the given name Ingram.

Irvin Scottish, English
Variant of Irvine 1 or Irwin.

Irvine 2 English
Variant of Irwin.

Irving Scottish, English
Variant of Irvine 1 or Irwin.

Irwin English
Derived from the Old English given name Eoforwine.

Ivarsson Swedish
Means "son of Ivar".

Ivers English, Irish
Patronymic derived from the given name Ivor.

Iversen Norwegian, Danish
Means "son of Iver".

Jackman English
Means "servant of Jack".

Jaeger German
Variant of Jäger.

Jäger German
Means "hunter" in German, from Old High German jagon meaning "to hunt".

Jager German
Variant of Jäger.

Jakeman English
Means "servant of Jack".

Jardine English, Scottish
Means "garden", denoting someone who worked as a gardener.

Jarrett English
Variant of Garrett.

Jarvis English
Derived from the given name Gervais.

Jeffers English
Patronymic from the given name Jeffrey. A famous bearer was poet Robinson Jeffers (1887-1962).

Jefferson English
Means "son of Jeffrey". A famous bearer was American president Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826). Since his surname was sometimes adopted by freed slaves, it is now more common among the African-American population.

Jeffery English
Derived from the given name Jeffrey.

Jeffries English
Patronymic from the given name Jeffrey.

Jephson English
Variant of Jepson.

Jepson English
Means "son of Jep".

Jervis English
Variant of Jarvis.

Johnston Scottish
From the name of a Scottish town, which meant "John's town".

Joubert French
From the given name Gaubert.

Juárez Spanish
Variant of Suárez.

Jung 1 German
Means "young" in German, from Middle High German junc.

Junge German
Variant of Jung 1.

Kaiser German
From Middle High German keiser meaning "emperor", originally a nickname applied to someone who acted kingly. The title ultimately derives from the Roman name Caesar.

Kalmár Hungarian
Occupational name meaning "merchant, shopkeeper" in Hungarian, of German origin.

Karl German
From the given name Karl.

Karlsen Danish, Norwegian
Means "son of Karl".

Karlsson Swedish
Means "son of 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.

Keir Scottish
Variant of Kerr.

Kemp English
Derived from Middle English kempe meaning "champion, warrior".

Kempf German
German cognate of Kemp.

Kendal English
Variant of Kendall.

Kendall English
Derived from the town of Kendal in England, so-called from the river Kent, on which it is situated, and Old English dæl meaning "valley, dale".

Kendrick 1 English
From the Old English given names Cyneric or Cenric.

Kendrick 3 Scottish
Variant of McKendrick.

Kennard English
Derived from the given names Cyneweard or Cyneheard.

Kerper German
Variant of Gerber.

Kerr Scottish, English
From Scots and northern Middle English kerr meaning "thicket, marsh", ultimately from Old Norse kjarr.

Kerry English
Variant of Kendrick 1.

Kersey English
From an English place name meaning derived from Old English cærse "watercress" and ieg "island".

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

Kimball English
Derived from the Welsh given name Cynbel or the Old English given name Cynebald.

Kimberley English
From various English places called Kimberley. They mean either "Cyneburga's field", "Cynebald's field" or "Cynemær's field".

Kimberly English
Variant of Kimberley.

King English
From Old English cyning "king", originally a nickname for someone who either acted in a kingly manner or who worked for or was otherwise associated with a king. A famous bearer was the American civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968).

Kingsley English
From a place name meaning "king's clearing" in Old English.

Kingston English
From a place name meaning "king's town" in Old English.

Kinsey English
Derived from the given name Cynesige.

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

Kirby English
From numerous towns in northern England named Kirby or Kirkby, derived from Old Norse kirkja "church" and býr "farm, settlement".

Kirch German
German cognate of Church.

Kirk English
From northern Middle English kirk meaning "church", from Old Norse kirkja (cognate of Church). A famous fictional bearer is the starship captain James Kirk from the Star Trek television series (1966-1969), and subsequent films.

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