Surnames on the United States Popularity List

Miyake Japanese
From Japanese 三 (mi) meaning "three" and 宅 (yake) meaning "house, home".

Miyamoto Japanese
From Japanese 宮 (miya) meaning "temple, shrine, palace" and 本 (moto) meaning "base, root, origin". A notable bearer is video game pioneer Shigeru Miyamoto (1952-).

Miyashita Japanese
From Japanese 宮 (miya) meaning "temple, shrine, palace" and 下 (shita) meaning "under, below".

Miyata Japanese
From Japanese 宮 (miya) meaning "temple, shrine, palace" and 田 (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".

Miyazaki Japanese
From Japanese 宮 (miya) meaning "temple, shrine, palace" and 崎 (saki) meaning "cape, peninsula".

Mizuno Japanese
From Japanese 水 (mizu) meaning "water" and 野 (no) meaning "field, wilderness".

Mizushima Japanese
From Japanese 水 (mizu) meaning "water" and 島 (shima) meaning "island".

Mizutani Japanese
From Japanese 水 (mizu) meaning "water" and 谷 (tani) meaning "valley".

Mlakar Slovene, Croatian
Referred to someone who lived near a pool, derived from South Slavic mlaka meaning "pool, puddle".

Mlynář m Czech
Means "miller" in Czech.

Mochizuki Japanese
Means "full moon" in Japanese, a compound of 望 (mochi) meaning "wish, desire" and 月 (tsuki) meaning "moon".

Modugno Italian
From the town of Modugno, in Apulia in southern Italy. It is the surname of the Italian actor and singer Domenico Modugno (1928-1994).

Moe Norwegian
Means "sandy ground" in Norwegian.

Moen Norwegian
Means "the sandy ground" in Norwegian.

Moffett Scottish
From the town of Moffat in Scotland, meaning "long field" in Gaelic.

Mogensen Danish
Means "son of Mogens".

Mohamed Arabic
Derived from the given name Muhammad.

Mohammad Persian, Urdu, Bengali
Derived from the given name Mohammad.

Mohammadi Persian
From the given name Mohammad.

Mohammed Arabic, Urdu, Bengali
Derived from the given name Muhammad.

Mohan Irish
Anglicized form of Irish Ó Mocháin meaning "descendant of Mochán".

Moldovan Romanian
Originally indicated a person from the historic principality of Moldavia (see Moldova).

Moles Catalan
From Catalan mola meaning "millstone".

Molina Spanish
Means "mill" in Spanish.

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

Møller Danish
Danish form of Müller.

Molloy Irish
Anglicized form of Ó Maolmhuaidh or Ó Maol Aodha.

Molnár Hungarian
Occupational name meaning "miller" in Hungarian.

Moloney Irish
From Irish Ó Maol Dhomhnaigh meaning "descendant of a church servant".

Monaghan Irish
Variant of Monahan.

Monahan Irish
From Irish Ó Manacháin meaning "descendant of Manacháin". The given name Manacháin meant "little monk", from manach "monk" and a diminutive suffix.

Monday 1 English
Derived from the Old Norse given name Mundi.

Monday 2 English
Denoted a person for whom this was a significant day, often the day they would pay their feudal fees.

Monday 3 Irish
Anglicized form of Mac Giolla Eoin. The last part of the surname was mistakenly taken as the Gaelic word for "Monday", Luain.

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

Mondy English
Variant of Monday 1 or Monday 2.

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.

Monk English
Nickname or occupational name for a person who worked for monks. This word is derived from Latin monachus, from Greek μοναχός (monachos) meaning "alone".

Monroe Scottish
Anglicized (typically American) form of Munro. It was borne by the American actress Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962).

Montagna Italian
Means "mountain" in Italian, from Latin montanus, indicating a person who lived on or near a mountain.

Montagne French
French cognate of Montagna.

Montague English
From a Norman place name meaning "sharp mountain" in Old French.

Montaña Spanish
Spanish cognate of Montagna.

Montana Italian
Variant of Montagna.

Montanari Italian
Means "from the mountain" in Italian.

Monte Italian, Portuguese, Spanish
Italian variant of Monti, as well as a Portuguese and Spanish cognate.

Monteiro Portuguese
Portuguese cognate of Montero.

Montero Spanish
Means "hunter" in Spanish, an agent derivative of monte meaning "mountain, wilderness".

Montes Spanish
From Spanish monte "mountain, hill", derived from Latin mons.

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.

Monti Italian
Means "mountain, hill" in Italian, from Latin mons.

Montoya Spanish
From the name of a village in the province of Álava in Spain. It is possibly of Basque origin, or possibly from Latin mons "mountain, hill".

Moon 1 Korean
Korean form of Wen, from Sino-Korean 文 (mun).

Moon 2 English
Originally indicated a person from the town of Moyon in Normandy.

Moon 3 Irish
Variant of Mohan.

Mooney Irish
Variant of O'Mooney.

Moore 1 English
Originally indicated a person who lived on a moor, from Middle English mor meaning "open land, bog".

Moore 2 English
Derived from the given name Maurus.

Moore 3 English
Nickname for a person of dark complexion, from Old French more, Latin maurus, meaning "Moorish".

Moores English
Variant of Moore 1.

Moors English
Variant of Moore 1.

Mora Spanish
Derived from Spanish mora meaning "mulberry", of Latin origin.

Moradi Persian
From the given name Morad.

Morales Spanish
Derived from Spanish moral meaning "mulberry tree", of Latin origin.

Moralez Spanish
Variant of Morales.

Morán Spanish
Spanish form of Morandi.

Moran Irish
Anglicized form of Irish Ó Móráin meaning "descendant of Mórán", a given name meaning "great, large".

Morand French
French form of Morandi.

Morandi Italian
From the medieval given name Morando, an Italian form of Morandus.

Moravec m Czech
Originally indicated a person from Moravia (Czech Morava).

Moray Scottish
Variant of Murray 1.

Moreau French
Derived from a diminutive of the given name Maurus.

Moreira Portuguese
Derived from Portuguese amoreira meaning "mulberry tree".

Morel French
Derived from a diminutive of the given name Maurus.

Morelli Italian
Derived from a diminutive of the given name Mauro.

Morello Italian
Derived from a diminutive of the given name Mauro.

Moreno Spanish, Portuguese
From a nickname meaning "dark" in Spanish and Portuguese.

Moretti Italian
Derived from a diminutive of the given name Mauro.

Morgan Welsh
Derived from the given name Morgan 1.

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

Mori Japanese
From Japanese 森 (mori) meaning "forest".

Moriarty Irish
From Irish Ó Muircheartach meaning "descendant of Muirchertach". This was the surname given by Arthur Conan Doyle to a master criminal in the Sherlock Holmes series.

Morikawa Japanese
From Japanese 森 (mori) meaning "forest" and 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream".

Morimoto Japanese
From Japanese 森 (mori) meaning "forest" and 本 (moto) meaning "base, root, origin".

Morin French
Derived from a diminutive of the given name Maurus.

Morishita Japanese
From Japanese 森 (mori) meaning "forest" and 下 (shita) meaning "under, below".

Morison English
Variant of Morrison.

Morita Japanese
From Japanese 森 (mori) meaning "forest" and 田 (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".

Moriyama Japanese
From Japanese 森 (mori) meaning "forest" and 山 (yama) meaning "mountain, hill".

Morley English
From the name of various English towns, from Old English mor "moor, bog" and leah "woodland, clearing".

Moroz Ukrainian
Means "frost" in Ukrainian.

Morozov m Russian
Derived from Russian мороз (moroz) meaning "frost".

Morozova f Russian
Feminine form of Morozov.

Morra Italian
Locative name derived from Italian places such as Morra De Sanctis, Campania, or Morra del Villar, Piedmont.

Morris English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh
Derived from the given name Maurice.

Morrish English
Variant of Morriss.

Morrison English
Means "son of Morris".

Morriss English
Derived from the given name Morris.

Morse English
Variant of Morriss.

Mortensen Danish, Norwegian
Means "son of Morten".

Mortimer English
From the name of a town in Normandy meaning "dead water, still water" in Old French.

Morton English
Derived from a place name meaning "moor town" in Old English.

Moschella Italian
From a diminutive of Italian mosca meaning "housefly", perhaps originally a nickname for an annoying person.

Mosconi Italian
Variant of Moschella.

Moser German
Name for someone who lived near a peat bog, from Middle High German mos.

Moses Jewish, English
Derived from the given name Moses.

Moss 1 English
From Middle English mos meaning "bog, moss".

Moss 2 English
From the given name Moses.

Mostafa Arabic
From the given name Mustafa.

Moto Japanese
From Japanese 本 (moto) meaning "base, root, origin". More commonly it is the final character in Japanese surnames.

Motta Italian
From various names of places around Italy. It is derived from a Gaulish word meaning "hill".

Mottershead English
From the name of a lost place in Cheshire, derived from the Old English byname Motere meaning "speaker" and heafod meaning "headland".

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

Moulin French
Means "mill" in French.

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

Mousavi Persian
From the given name Mousa.

Moya Spanish
From any of various towns named Moya in Spain, of uncertain meaning.

Moździerz Polish
Means "mortar" in Polish. It probably referred to someone who worked with or sold mortar.

Mueller German
Variant of Müller.

Muhammad Arabic, Urdu, Bengali
Derived from the given name Muhammad.

Muir Scottish
Scots form of Moore 1. This name was borne by the Scottish-American naturalist John Muir (1838-1914).

Mulder Dutch
Dutch equivalent of Miller.

Mullane Irish
Variant of Mullen.

Mullen Irish
From the Irish Ó Maoláin meaning "descendant of Maolán". The given name Maolán meant "devotee, servant, tonsured one".

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

Muller German
Variant of Müller.

Mulligan Irish
Variant of Milligan.

Mullins 1 English
Derived from Norman French molin "mill".

Mullins 2 Irish
Variant of Mullen.

Mulloy Irish
Variant of Molloy.

Mulryan Irish
Anglicized form of Ó Maoil Riain.

Mun Korean
Alternate transcription of Korean Hangul 문 (see Moon 1).

Muñoz Spanish
Patronymic derived from the medieval Spanish given name Muño, from Latin Munnius, possibly of Germanic origin.

Munro Scottish
Designated a person who had originally lived near the mouth of the Roe River in Derry, Ireland. It is derived from Gaelic bun meaning "root, base" combined with the river's name.

Munroe Scottish
Anglicized (typically Canadian and American) form of Munro.

Munson English
Patronymic formed from the Norman French nickname moun meaning "monk".

Munteanu Romanian
From Romanian muntean meaning "mountaineer, from the mountains", ultimately from Latin mons.

Muraro Italian
Occupational name for a wall builder, from Italian murare meaning "to wall up".

Muratović Bosnian
Means "son of Murat".

Murdoch Scottish
Scottish form of Murdock.

Murdock Irish
Derived from the given name Murchadh.

Murgatroyd English
From a place name meaning "Margaret's clearing".

Murgia Sardinian
Means "brine" in Sardinian, perhaps a nickname for someone who pickled foods.

Murphy Irish
Anglicized form of Irish Ó Murchadha meaning "descendant of Murchadh". This is the most common Irish surname.

Murray 1 Scottish
Derived from the region in Scotland called Moray (Gaelic Moireabh), possibly of Pictish origin, meaning "seashore, coast". A notable bearer of this surname was General James Murray (1721-1794), who was the first British Governor-General of Canada.

Murray 2 Irish
Anglicized form of Irish Ó Muireadhaigh meaning "descendant of Muireadhach".

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).

Mustafa Arabic, Urdu
From the given name Mustafa.

Mustonen Finnish
Derived from Finnish musta meaning "black".

Mutō Japanese
From Japanese 武 (mu) meaning "military, martial" and 藤 (tō) meaning "wisteria". The final character may indicate a connection to the Fujiwara clan.

Mutton English
Referred to a shepherd or else someone who in some way resembled a sheep, derived from Norman French mouton "sheep".

Muyskens Dutch
Means "little mouse" in Dutch.

Mwangi Kikuyu
Derived from the given name Mwangi.

Myer English
From Old French mire meaning "doctor", derived from Latin medicus.

Myers English
Patronymic form of Myer or Mayer 3.

Myles English
From the given name Miles.

Mylonas m Greek
Means "miller" in Greek, from μύλος (mylos) meaning "mill".

Mynatt English
Variant of Minett.

Myška m Czech
From a nickname derived from Czech myš meaning "mouse".

Nacar Turkish
Turkish form of Najjar.

Næss Norwegian
Variant of Ness.

Naess Norwegian
Variant of Ness.

Nagarkar Marathi
Derived from the name of the town of Nagar in Maharashtra, India.

Nagasawa Japanese
From Japanese 長 (naga) meaning "long" and 沢 or 澤 (sawa) meaning "marsh".

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

Nagi Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic ناجي (see Naaji).

Nagy um Hungarian, Slovak
From a nickname meaning "big, great" in Hungarian, referring to one's characteristics. This is the most common Hungarian surname. In Slovakia this spelling is only used for men, with Nagyová being the feminine form.

Najjar Arabic
Means "carpenter" in Arabic.

Najm Arabic
From the given name Najm.

Nakabayashi Japanese
From Japanese 中 (naka) meaning "middle" and 林 (hayashi) meaning "forest".

Nakagawa Japanese
From Japanese 中 (naka) meaning "middle" and 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream".

Nakahara Japanese
From Japanese 中 (naka) meaning "middle" and 原 (hara) meaning "field, plain".

Nakai Japanese
From Japanese 中 (naka) meaning "middle" and 井 (i) meaning "well, mine shaft, pit".

Nakajima Japanese
From Japanese 中 (naka) meaning "middle" and 島 (shima) meaning "island".

Nakamura Japanese
From Japanese 中 (naka) meaning "middle" and 村 (mura) meaning "town, village".

Nakano Japanese
From Japanese 中 (naka) meaning "middle" and 野 (no) meaning "field, wilderness".

Nakashima Japanese
Variant of Nakajima.

Namgung Korean
From Sino-Korean 南 (nam) meaning "south" combined with 宮 (gung) meaning "palace, house". This is the most common Korean compound surname.

Nana Italian
From a diminutive of Giovanni.

Nani Italian
Variant of Nana.

Nanni Italian
Variant of Nana.

Nannini Italian
From Nanni, a diminutive of the given name Giovanni.

Napoleoni Italian
From the medieval given name Napoleone.

Napoli Italian
Originally indicated a person from Naples in Italy.

Napoliello Italian
Originally indicated a person from Naples in Italy.

Narang Hindi
From the name of a Pakistani town that was in undivided India.

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

Nardo Italian
Variant of Nardi.

Narváez Spanish
From the name of a town in central Spain.

Nash English
Derived from the Middle English phrase atten ash "at the ash tree". A famous bearer was the mathematician John Nash (1928-2015).

Nass Norwegian
Variant of Ness.

Natale Italian
From the given name Natale.

Nathans Jewish
Derived from the given name Nathan.

Nathanson Jewish
Means "son of Nathan".

Naumov m Russian, Bulgarian
Means "son of Naum".

Navarro Spanish
Denoted a person who came from Navarre in northern Spain (Spanish Navarra). The name of the region is of Basque origin, possibly from nabar meaning "brown".

Nave Italian
From various Italian places called Nave.

Navickas m Lithuanian
Lithuanian form of Nowicki.

Navrátil m Czech
Means "returned" in Czech, from the verb navrátit "to return", perhaps used to denote a person who came home following a long absence.

Nazarenko Ukrainian
From the given name Nazar.

Nazarian Armenian
Alternate transcription of Armenian Նազարյան (see Nazaryan).

Nazario Italian
From the given name Nazario.

Nazaryan Armenian
Means "son of Nazar".

Neal English
Derived from the given name Neil.

Nedbálek m Czech
From Czech nedbalý meaning "careless".

Nedvěd m Czech
Czech cognate of Medved, derived from the dialectal nedvěd.

Neely Scottish
Variant of McNeilly.

Negri Italian
Nickname derived from Italian negro "black", used to refer to someone with dark hair or dark skin.

Negrini Italian
Variant of Negri.

Neil Scottish, English, Irish
Derived from the given name Neil.

Nelli Italian
Derived from the given name Nello.

Nelson 1 English
Means "son of Neil". This name was borne by the British admiral Horatio Nelson (1758-1805).

Nelson 2 Swedish (Anglicized), Norwegian (Anglicized), Danish (Anglicized)
Americanized form of the Scandinavian names Nilsson, Nilsen, or Nielsen.

Němec m Czech
Means "German" in Czech.

Němeček m Czech
Diminutive form of Němec.

Nemes Hungarian
Means "noble, gentle" in Hungarian.

Német Hungarian
Variant of Németh.

Németh Hungarian
Means "German" in Hungarian.

Neri Italian
From Italian nero "black", indicating a person with a dark complexion or dark hair.

Neroni Italian
Variant of Neri.

Nespoli Italian
From the name of towns such as Nespoli and Nespoledo, derived from Italian nespola meaning "medlar (tree)".

Ness English, Scottish, Norwegian
From English ness and Norwegian nes meaning "headland, promontory", of Old Norse origin, originally referring to a person who lived there.

Neuman German, Jewish
Variant of Neumann.

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

Neuville French
From the names of various French towns meaning "new town".

Neville English, Irish
From the names of towns in Normandy, variously Neuville or Néville, meaning "new town" in French.

Nevin 1 Irish
Anglicized form of Mac Naoimhín.

Nevin 2 Irish
Anglicized form of Mac Cnáimhín or Ó Cnáimhín.

Newell English
Variant of Neville.

Newman English
English cognate of Neumann.

Newport English
Given to one who came from the town of Newport (which means simply "new port"), which was the name of several English towns.

Newton English
From the name of one of many English towns meaning "new town". A famous bearer was the English physicist Isaac Newton (1643-1727).

Ng 1 Chinese (Cantonese)
Cantonese romanization of Wu 1.

Ng 2 Chinese (Hokkien)
Min Nan romanization of Huang.

Ngo Vietnamese
Simplified variant of Ngô.

Ngô Vietnamese
Vietnamese form of Wu 1, from Sino-Vietnamese 吳 (ngô).

Nguyễn Vietnamese
Vietnamese form of Ruan, from Sino-Vietnamese 阮 (nguyễn). This is the most common Vietnamese surname, accounting for over a third of the population.

Nguyen Vietnamese
Simplified variant of Nguyễn.

Nicastro Italian
From the name of the town of Nicastro in Calabria, southern Italy.

Nicholls English
Derived from the given name Nichol.

Nichols English
Derived from the given name Nichol.

Nicholson English
Means "son of Nicholas". A famous bearer of this surname is the American actor Jack Nicholson (1937-).

Nicodemo Italian
Derived from the given name Nicodemo.

Nicolai Italian
Means "son of Nicola 1".

Nicolaou Greek
Alternate transcription of Greek Νικολάου (see Nikolaou).

Nicolas French
Derived from the given name Nicolas.

Nicolescu Romanian
Means "son of Nicolae".

Nicolosi Italian
From the name of the town Nicolosi on Sicily, itself named for Saint Nicholas.

Nicolson English
Variant of Nicholson.

Nicosia Italian
From the name of the town of Nicosia on Sicily.

Nicotera Italian
From the name of the town of Nicotera in Calabria.

Nielsen Danish
Means "son of Niels 1".

Nielson English
Variant of Nelson 1.

Niemczyk Polish
From Polish Niemiec meaning "German" and the patronymic suffix -czyk.

Niemelä Finnish
From Finnish niemi meaning "peninsula, cape" with the suffix -la indicating a place.

Niemi Finnish
Means "peninsula, cape" in Finnish.

Nieminen Finnish
Derived from Finnish niemi meaning "peninsula, cape".

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

Nieto Spanish
From a nickname meaning "grandson" in Spanish.

Nieves Spanish
From the given name Nieves.

Nigro Italian
Variant of Negri.

Nikitin m Russian
From the given name Nikita 1.

Nikitina f Russian
Feminine form of Nikitin.

Nikolaev m Russian, Bulgarian
Alternate transcription of Russian Николаев (see Nikolayev), as well as the usual Bulgarian form.

Nikolaidis m Greek
Means "son of Nikolaos" in Greek.

Nikolaou Greek
Means "son of Nikolaos".

Nikolayev m Russian
Means "son of Nikolay".

Nikolić Serbian, Croatian
Means "son of Nikola 1".

Nikolov m Bulgarian, Macedonian
Means "son of Nikola 1".

Nikolova f Bulgarian, Macedonian
Feminine form of Nikolov.

Nikolovski m Macedonian
Means "son of Nikola 1".

Nikula Finnish
From the given name Niku, a Finnish form of Nicholas.

Niles English
Means "son of Neil".

Nilsen Norwegian
Means "son of Nils".

Nilsson Swedish
Means "son of Nils".

Nishikawa Japanese
From Japanese 西 (nishi) meaning "west" and 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream".

Nishimura Japanese
From Japanese 西 (nishi) meaning "west" and 村 (mura) meaning "town, village".

Nishitani Japanese
From Japanese 西 (nishi) meaning "west" and 谷 (tani) meaning "valley".

Nishiyama Japanese
From Japanese 西 (nishi) meaning "west" and 山 (yama) meaning "mountain, hill".

Nisi Italian
Means "son of Niso", an Italian form of the mythological name Nisus.

Niskanen Finnish
Derived from Finnish niska meaning "neck", indicating someone who lived on a neck of land or who had a distinctive neck.

Nissen Danish
Means "son of Nis".

Niven Scottish
Anglicized form of Mac Naoimhín.

Nixon English
Means "son of Nick". A famous bearer was the American president Richard Nixon (1913-1994).

Noble English, Scottish
From a nickname meaning "noble, high-born, illustrious", derived via Middle English and Old French from Latin nobilis. In some cases the nickname may have been given ironically to people of the opposite character.

Noel French, English
Either from the given name Noël, or else derived directly from Old French noel "Christmas" and given to a person who had a particular connection with the holiday.

Noguchi Japanese
From Japanese 野 (no) meaning "field, wilderness" and 口 (kuchi) meaning "mouth, entrance".

Nogueira Portuguese, Galician
From Portuguese and Galician nogueira meaning "walnut tree", from the Late Latin nucarius, ultimately from Latin nux meaning "nut".

Noguera Spanish, Catalan
Spanish and Catalan form of Nogueira.

Nolan Irish
Anglicized form of Irish Ó Nualláin meaning "descendant of Nuallán".

Norberg Swedish
Variant of Nordberg.

Nordberg Swedish, Norwegian
From Swedish and Norwegian nord (Old Norse norðr) meaning "north" and berg meaning "mountain". As a Swedish name it is ornamental.

Nordin Swedish
Derived from Swedish nord meaning "north" (Old Norse norðr).

Nordström Swedish
From Swedish nord (Old Norse norðr) meaning "north" and ström (Old Norse straumr) meaning "stream".

Norling Swedish
Originally denoted a person who came from the north.

Norman English
Referred to a person who was originally from Scandinavia or Normandy. Even before the Norman Conquest, Scandinavians were settling the north and east of England. The Normans who participated in the Conquest were originally from Scandinavia, but had been living in Normandy, France for over a century and spoke French.

Normand French
French form of Norman.

Norris 1 English, Scottish
Means "from the north" from Old French norreis. It either denoted someone who originated in the north or someone who lived in the northern part of a settlement.