Aarle DutchDenoted a person who hailed from a place of this name in the Netherlands, or from Arlon in Belgium (which is
Aarlen in Dutch).
Abney EnglishFrom the name of a town in Derbyshire, derived from Old English meaning "Abba's island".
Achterberg Dutch, GermanFrom the name of various places in the Netherlands and Germany, for example the village of
achterberg in Utrecht. The place names are derived from Low German
achter "behind" and
berg "mountain, hill".
Achthoven DutchDenoted a person from various towns in the Netherlands called Achthoven, which is derived from Dutch
acht "eight" and
hoven "farmsteads".
Adrichem DutchFrom the name of an estate and castle (demolished in 1812) that was formerly in North Holland, the Netherlands. It means "Adrik's home".
Ainsley ScottishFrom a place name: either Annesley in Nottinghamshire or Ansley in Warwickshire. The place names themselves derive from Old English
anne "alone, solitary" or
ansetl "hermitage" and
leah "woodland, clearing".
Alfarsi ArabicMeans
"the Persian" in Arabic, derived from Arabic
فارس (Fāris) meaning "Persia".
Altena DutchFrom the name of a town in the Netherlands, possibly meaning "close, near" in Dutch.
Apeldoorn DutchFrom the name of a city in the Netherlands, meaning "apple tree" in Dutch.
Appleby EnglishFrom the name of various English towns, derived from Old English
æppel "apple" and Old Norse
býr "farm, settlement".
Appleton EnglishFrom the name of several English towns, meaning "orchard" in Old English (a compound of
æppel "apple" and
tun "enclosure, yard").
Aquino Italian, SpanishFrom the name of an Italian town near Rome, derived from Latin
aqua meaning "water", the home town of the 13th-century saint Thomas Aquinas. In Italy the surname is derived directly from the town's name. As a Spanish-language surname, it was sometimes bestowed by missionaries in honour of the saint as they evangelized in Spanish colonies.
Arendonk DutchDenoted a person from Arendonk, a town between in northern Belgium. It is derived from
arend "eagle" and
donk "hill".
Ashley EnglishDenoted a person hailing from one of the many places in England that bear this name. The place name itself is derived from Old English
æsc "ash tree" and
leah "woodland, clearing".
Ashton EnglishDenoted a person from one of the towns in England that bear this name, itself derived from Old English
æsc "ash tree" and
tun "enclosure, yard, town".
Ashworth EnglishFrom an English place name meaning "ash enclosure" in Old English.
Asís SpanishOriginally denoted a person from the Italian city of Assisi (called
Asís in Spanish).
Assendorp DutchFrom the name of a place called Assendorp, composed of Dutch
essen and
dorp, meaning "ash tree village".
Asturias SpanishFrom the name of a region in Spain, formerly a medieval kingdom. It is possibly derived from Basque
asta "rock" and
ur "water".
Ayton EnglishFrom the name of towns in Berwickshire and North Yorkshire. They are derived from Old English
ea "river" or
ieg "island" combined with
tun "enclosure, yard, town".
Baarda FrisianFrom the name of the town of
Baard in the Netherlands, possibly derived from a given name that was a variant of
Bert.
Baars DutchIndicated a person coming from the town of Beers in the Netherlands.
Baarsma FrisianIndicated a person coming from the small town of Beers in Frisia.
Baggio ItalianOriginally denoted a person from the Italian town of Baggio (now part of Milan). It is probably derived from Latin
Badalocum meaning "watch place".
Bagley EnglishFrom various English place names, derived from the Old English given name
Bacga combined with
leah "woodland, clearing".
Barclay English, ScottishFrom the English place name
Berkeley, derived from Old English
beorc "birch" and
leah "woodland, clearing". The surname was imported to Scotland in the 12th century.
Beasley EnglishFrom the name of a place in Lancashire, from Old English
beos "bent grass" and
leah "woodland, clearing".
Becskei HungarianIndicated a person from Becske, a town in Hungary, which might be derived from the given name
Benedek.
Begbie ScottishFrom the name of a town in East Lothian, Scotland. It is derived from the Old Norse given name
Baggi and
býr "farm, settlement".
Bennington EnglishFrom the English town name
Benington, which can mean either
"settlement belonging to Beonna's people" or
"settlement by the River Beane".
Bentley EnglishFrom a place name derived from Old English
beonet "bent grass" and
leah "woodland, clearing". Various towns in England bear this name.
Benton EnglishDenoted someone who came from Benton, England, which is derived from Old English
beonet "bent grass" and
tun "enclosure".
Blackburn EnglishFrom the name of a city in Lancashire, meaning "black stream" in Old English.
Blakesley EnglishFrom the name of a town in Northamptonshire, itself meaning "Blæcwulf's meadow" in Old English.
Blæcwulf is a byname meaning "black wolf".
Bloodworth EnglishOriginally indicated someone from the town of Blidworth in Nottinghamshire, which was derived from the Old English byname
Blīþa (meaning "happy, blithe") combined with
worð "enclosure".
Bloxham EnglishFrom a place name meaning "Blocca's homestead". The Old English byname
Blocca is of uncertain origin.
Böhler GermanDerived from the name of several German towns called
Boll or
Böhl, meaning "hill".
Böhm GermanOriginally indicated a person from the region of
Bohemia (
Böhmen in German).
Bologna ItalianFrom the name of the city of Bologna in northern Italy. It may derive from a Celtic word meaning "settlement".
Boon 2 EnglishOriginally indicated a person from the town of Bohon, in Manche in France. The town's name is of unknown origin.
Borgia ItalianItalian form of
Borja. This was the name of an Italian noble family who were influential during the Renaissance period.
Borja SpanishOriginally indicated a person from the Spanish town of Borja in Aragon, derived from Arabic
برْج (burj) meaning "tower".
Bradford EnglishDerived from the name of the city of Bradford in West Yorkshire, which meant "broad ford" in Old English. This is also the name of other smaller towns in England.
Breckenridge Scottish, EnglishOriginally indicated someone from Brackenrig in Lanarkshire, derived from northern Middle English
braken meaning "bracken" (via Old Norse
brækni) and
rigg meaning "ridge" (via Old Norse
hryggr).
Bristol EnglishFrom the name of a city in England meaning "the site of the bridge".
Bristow EnglishFrom the name of the city of Bristol, originally
Brycgstow in Old English, meaning "the site of the bridge".
Brodie ScottishOriginally derived from a place in Moray, Scotland. It is probably from Gaelic
broth meaning "ditch, mire".
Budai HungarianOriginally indicated a person from the Hungarian city of
Buda (one of the two cities that were joined to make Budapest in 1873).
Burnham EnglishFrom the name of various towns in England, typically derived from Old English
burna "stream, spring" and
ham "home, settlement".
Burton EnglishFrom a common English place name, derived from Old English meaning "fortified town".
Busto Spanish, ItalianFrom the name of towns in Spain and Italy, derived from Late Latin
bustum meaning "ox pasture".
Caiazzo ItalianFrom the name of a city near Naples, originally
Caiatia in Latin, a derivative of the given name
Caius.
Caivano ItalianFrom the name of the town of Caivano near Naples, derived from Latin
Calvianum, derived from the Roman cognomen
Calvus.
Carlisle EnglishFrom the name of a city in northern England. The city was originally called by the Romans
Luguvalium meaning "stronghold of
Lugus". Later the Brythonic element
ker "fort" was appended to the name of the city.
Cason EnglishFrom the English place name
Cawston, derived from the Old Norse given name
Kálfr combined with Old English
tun meaning "enclosure, yard, town".
Castilla SpanishOriginally indicated a person from Castile, a region (and medieval kingdom) in Spain. The name of the region is derived from Late Latin
castellum meaning "castle".
Catalán SpanishOriginally indicated a person who came from Catalonia, a region of eastern Spain.
Čech m CzechMeans
"Czech". The name was used to differentiate a native of Bohemia from the natives of Silesia, Moravia and other regions that are now part of the Czech Republic.
Chadwick EnglishFrom the name of English towns meaning "settlement belonging to
Chad" in Old English.
Chaves Portuguese, SpanishFrom the name of a Portuguese city, derived from the Roman name
Flavius (being named for the emperor Vespasian, whose family name was Flavius).
Cheshire EnglishOriginally indicated a person from the county of Cheshire in England. Cheshire is named for its city
Chester.
Chester EnglishFrom the name of a city in England, derived from Latin
castrum "camp, fortress".
Clinton EnglishDerived from the English place name
Glinton, of uncertain meaning, or
Glympton, meaning "settlement on the River Glyme". This surname is borne by former American president Bill Clinton (1946-).
Cochrane ScottishFrom the name of a place in Renfrewshire, Scotland. Its origin is uncertain.
Cockburn Scottish, EnglishOriginally indicated someone who came from Cockburn, a place in Berwickshire. The place name is derived from Old English
cocc "rooster" and
burna "stream".
Colby EnglishFrom various English place names, which were derived from the Old Norse byname
Koli (meaning "coal, dark") and
býr "farm, settlement".
Courtenay 1 EnglishFrom the name of towns in France that were originally derivatives of the Gallo-Roman personal name
Curtenus, itself derived from Latin
curtus "short".
Crawford EnglishFrom a place name derived from Old English
crawe "crow" and
ford "river crossing". A notable bearer was the American actress Joan Crawford (1904-1977), born Lucille Fay LeSueur.
Cremaschi ItalianFrom the name of the city of Crema in Lombardy, northern Italy.
Cremona ItalianFrom the Italian city of Cremona, south of Milan, in Lombardy.
Cullen 1 EnglishFrom the name of the German city of
Cologne, which was derived from Latin
colonia "colony".
Czajkowski m PolishOriginally indicated a person from any of the Polish towns named Czajków, all derived from Polish
czajka meaning "lapwing (bird)".
Darby EnglishFrom the name of the English town
Derby, derived from Old Norse
djúr "animal" and
býr "farm, settlement".
Daubney EnglishFrom any of the various towns in France called Aubigny, derived from the Gallo-Roman personal name
Albinus.
Debenham EnglishOriginally denoted a person from the town of Debenham in Suffolk, derived from the name of the River Deben (meaning "deep" in Old English) combined with
ham meaning "home, settlement".
Deighton EnglishFrom English towns by this name, from Old English
dic "ditch" and
tun "enclosure, yard, town".
Douglas ScottishFrom the name of a town in Lanarkshire, itself named after a tributary of the River Clyde called the Douglas Water, derived from Gaelic
dubh "dark" and
glais "water, river" (an archaic word related to
glas "grey, green"). This was a Scottish Lowland clan, the leaders of which were powerful earls in the medieval period.
Dudley EnglishFrom a place name meaning "
Dudda's clearing" in Old English. The surname was borne by a British noble family.
Dunajski m PolishDerived from
Dunaj, the Polish name for the river Danube.
Eaton EnglishFrom any of the various English towns with this name, derived from Old English
ea "river" and
tun "enclosure, yard, town".
Echeverría SpanishDerived from the Basque place name
Etxeberria, which itself is derived from Basque
etxe "house" and
berri "new".
Ewart 2 EnglishFrom the name of an English town, derived from Old English
ea "river" and
worþ "enclosure".
Farnham EnglishIndicated a person from any of the various towns named Farnham in England, notably in Surrey. Their names are from Old English
fearn "fern" and
ham "home, settlement" or
ham "water meadow, enclosure".
Filipowski m PolishEither a patronymic from the given name
Filip, or a habitational name denoting a person from the Polish town of Filipów (also derived from the given name).
Fleury FrenchFrom the name of various towns in northern France, derived from the Gallo-Roman personal name
Florus.
Frank 3 German, Dutch, Danish, NorwegianName for a person from Franconia in Germany, so called because it was settled by the Frankish people. A notable bearer was the German-Jewish diarist Anne Frank (1929-1945), a victim of the Holocaust.
Frankenstein German, LiteratureFrom any of the various minor places by this name in Germany, meaning
"stone of the Franks" in German. It was used by the author Mary Shelley in her novel
Frankenstein (1818) for the character of Victor Frankenstein, a scientist who creates a monster and brings it to life. The monster, nameless in the novel, is sometimes informally or erroneously called Frankenstein in modern speech.
Franzese ItalianFrom a nickname that indicated a person who came from France. It is typical of the area around Naples.
Fulton EnglishFrom the name of the English town of Foulden, Norfolk, meaning "bird hill" in Old English.
Furlan Italian, SloveneFrom the name of the Italian region of
Friuli, in the northeast of Italy, which is derived from the name of the Roman town of Forum Iulii meaning "forum of Julius".
Gadsby EnglishHabitational name from the village of Gaddesby in Leicestershire, so named from Old Norse
gaddr "spur, spike (of land)" and
býr "farm, settlement".
Gorecki m PolishOriginally indicated a person from Górka, the name of various towns in Poland, ultimately from Polish
góra "mountain".
Graham Scottish, EnglishDerived from the English place name
Grantham, which probably meant "gravelly homestead" in Old English. The surname was first taken to Scotland in the 12th century by William de Graham.
Haanraads DutchOriginally indicated a person from Haanrade, a small village in the south of the province of Limburg in the Netherlands.
Haley EnglishFrom the name of an English town meaning "hay clearing", from Old English
heg "hay" and
leah "woodland, clearing".
Hamilton English, ScottishFrom 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).
Harden EnglishFrom a place name meaning "hare valley" in Old English.
Harel JewishOrnamental name adopted from a biblical place name meaning "altar, mountain of God" in Hebrew.
Harford EnglishHabitational name from places called Harford in Gloucestershire and Devon, meaning "hart ford" or "army ford".
Harley EnglishDerived from a place name meaning "hare clearing", from Old English
hara "hare" or
hær "rock, heap of stones" and
leah "woodland, clearing".
Holland 1 EnglishFrom various English places of this name, derived from Old English
hoh "point of land, heel" and
land "land".
Holst Danish, Low German, DutchOriginally 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).
Honeycutt EnglishDerived from the name of the English town of Hunnacott, derived from Old English
hunig "honey" or the given name
Huna combined with
cot "cottage".
Horowitz JewishFrom the German name of Hořovice, a town in the Czech Republic. Its name is derived from Czech
hora "mountain".
Houston ScottishFrom a place name meaning "
Hugh's town". The original Houston is in Scotland near Glasgow.
Huxley EnglishFrom 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).
Iordanou GreekFrom the name of the Jordan river, which is from Hebrew
יָרַד (yaraḏ) meaning "descend" or "flow down".
Irvine 1 ScottishOriginally derived from the name of a Scottish (North Ayrshire) town, which was named for the River Irvine, derived from Brythonic elements meaning
"green water".
Jankowski m PolishHabitational name for a person from a town named
Jankowo or
Janków, all derived from the given name
Janek.
Janowski m PolishHabitational name for a person from a town named
Janowo,
Janów or
Janowice, all derived from the given name
Jan 1.
Jaskólski m PolishOriginally indicated a person from various Polish towns named
Jaskółki, derived from Polish
jaskółka "swallow (bird)".
Jordan 2 JewishDerived from the name of the Jordan river, which is from Hebrew
יָרַד (yaraḏ) meaning "descend" or "flow down".
Kendall EnglishDerived 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".
Kingsley EnglishFrom a place name meaning "king's clearing" in Old English.
Kozłowski m PolishOriginally a name for a person from Kozłów, Kozłowo, or other places with a name derived from Polish
kozioł meaning "male goat".
Lacey EnglishDerived from
Lassy, the name of a town in Normandy. The name of the town was Gaulish in origin, perhaps deriving from a personal name that was Latinized as
Lascius.
Lamar French, EnglishOriginally from a place name in Normandy, derived from Old French
la mare meaning "the pool".
Landau German, JewishDerived from the town of Landau in the Palatinate region of Germany, of Old High German origin meaning "land valley".
Langley 1 EnglishFrom any of the various places with this name, all derived from Old English
lang "long" and
leah "woodland, clearing".
Layton EnglishDerived from the name of English towns, meaning "town with a leek garden" in Old English.
Leavitt EnglishFrom the name of various places called Livet in Normandy, France. They are possibly of Gaulish origin.
Lecce ItalianOriginally indicated a person from Lecce, southern Italy. The town was known as
Licea or
Litium in Latin, earlier
Lupiae.
Leitzke GermanEither from
Leitzkau, the name of a town in Saxony-Anhalt, or from a diminutive of the given name
Leutz, a variant of
Lutz.
Lennox ScottishFrom the name of a district in Scotland, called
Leamhnachd in Gaelic, possibly meaning "place of elms".
León 1 SpanishReferred to a person from the city of León in northern Spain, derived from Latin
legio (genitive
legionis) meaning
"legion", so named because the Roman 7th Legion Gemina was stationed there.
Leslie ScottishFrom a Scottish clan name, earlier
Lesselyn, derived from a place name in Aberdeenshire, itself probably from Gaelic
leas celyn meaning "garden of holly".
Lincoln EnglishOriginally indicated that the bearer was from the English city of Lincoln, called
Lindum Colonia by the Romans, derived from Brythonic
lindo "lake, pool" and Latin
colonia "colony". A famous bearer was Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), president of the United States during the American Civil War.
Linton EnglishOriginally from place names meaning either "flax town" or "linden tree town" in Old English.
Linwood EnglishOriginally from place names meaning "linden tree forest" in Old English.
Lombardi ItalianOriginally indicated someone who came from the Lombardy region of northern Italy, which was named for the Lombards, a Germanic tribe who invaded in the 6th century. Their name is derived from the Old German roots
lang "long" and
bart "beard".
London EnglishFrom the name of the capital city of the United Kingdom, the meaning of which is uncertain.
Loyola Spanish, BasqueFrom the name of a place name near the town of Azpeitia in the Basque Country of Spain, derived from Basque
loi meaning "mud". This was the birthplace of Saint Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556), the founder of Jesuits.
Lyndon EnglishOriginally from a place name meaning "linden tree hill" in Old English.
Lyon 1 English, FrenchOriginally denoted a person from the city of Lyon in central France, originally Latin
Lugdunum, of Gaulish origin meaning "hill fort of
Lugus". It could also denote a person from the small town of Lyons-la-Forêt in Normandy.
Manfredonia ItalianOriginally indicated a person from Manfredonia, Italy. The city was named for the 13th-century King
Manfred of Sicily.
Marchegiano ItalianFrom the name of the Marche region in Italy, derived from Late Latin
marca meaning "borderland". It was the real surname of the American boxer Rocky Marciano (1923-1969), who was born Rocco Marchegiano.
Marlow EnglishOriginally a name for a person from Marlow in Buckinghamshire, England. The place name means "remnants of a lake" from Old English
mere "lake" and
lafe "remnants, remains". A notable bearer was the English playwright and poet Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593).
Massey EnglishDerived from
Massy, the name of several towns in France. The name of the town is perhaps derived from a personal name that was Latinized as
Maccius.
Maxwell ScottishFrom a place name meaning "Mack's stream", from the name
Mack, a short form of the Scandinavian name
Magnus, combined with Old English
wille "well, stream". A famous bearer was James Maxwell (1831-1879), a Scottish physicist who studied gases and electromagnetism.
Meissner GermanOriginally denoted a person from the German town of Meissen, which is probably of Slavic origin.
Melville ScottishFrom the place name
Malleville meaning "bad town" in Norman French.
Messina ItalianFrom the name of the Sicilian city of Messina, founded by Greek colonists. The city was named after the Greek city
Μεσσήνη (Messene).
Miranda Spanish, PortugueseHabitational name from any of the numerous places in Spain and Portugal bearing this name, possibly derived from Latin
mirandus "admirable, wonderful". A notable bearer was the Portuguese-born Brazilian singer and actress Carmen Miranda (1909-1955).
Montgomery English, ScottishFrom 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.
Murray 1 ScottishDerived 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.
Naggi ItalianOriginally denoted a person from the town of Naggio in Lombardy, Italy.
Neuville FrenchFrom the names of various French towns meaning "new town".
Neville English, IrishFrom the names of towns in Normandy, variously
Neuville or
Néville, meaning "new town" in French.
Nørup DanishFrom the name of Danish villages named
Nørup or
Norup.
Nowakowski m PolishHabitational name for a person from various towns called
Nowakowo or similar, derived from Polish
nowy meaning "new".
Nowicki m PolishHabitational name for a person from any of the towns in Poland called
Nowice. The name is derived from Polish
nowy meaning "new".
Ogtrop DutchOriginally denoted a person who was from the town of Ochtrup in Germany, which is of uncertain origin.
Orellana SpanishOriginally indicated a person from one of the two towns named
Orellana in Badajoz, Spain. Their names are probably derived from Latin
Aureliana meaning "of
Aurelius".
Padovano ItalianOriginally denoted one who came from the city of Padua in Italy, from Italian
Padova, itself from Latin
Patavium, of unknown meaning.
Parish 1 EnglishOriginally denoted a person who came from the French city of Paris, which got its name from the ancient Celtic tribe known as the Parisii.
Pavia ItalianFrom the name of the city of Pavia in Lombardy, Italy. It is of unknown meaning.
Penzig YiddishDenoted a person who came from Penzig, the German name for Pieńsk, a town in southwest Poland. It is derived from Polish
pień meaning "stump, tree trunk".