Surnames with Relationship "from word"

SOURD French
French cognate of SORDI.

SPEAR English
From Old English spere "spear", an occupational name for a hunter or a maker of spears, or a nickname for a thin person.

SPECHT German
Means "woodpecker" in German.

SPEIGHT English
English form of SPECHT, probably a loanword from German or Dutch.

SPENCE English
Variant of SPENCER.

STACK English
From a nickname for a big person, derived from Middle English stack "haystack", of Old Norse origin.

STACKS English
Variant of STACK.

STÁREK Czech
Czech cognate of STAREK.

STAREK Polish
From a nickname derived from Polish stary "old".

STARK English, German
From a nickname meaning "strong, rigid", from Old English stearc or Old High German stark.

STARR English
From Middle English sterre meaning "star". This was usually a nickname, but it could also occasionally be a sign name from the name of an inn called the Star.

STEEN Low German
Low German variant of STEIN.

STEIN German, Jewish
From Old High German stein meaning "stone". It might indicate the original bearer lived near a prominent stone or worked as a stonecutter. As a Jewish name it is ornamental.

STERN (2) German, Jewish
German cognate of STARR.

STEUBE German
Variant of STEUBEN.

STEUBEN German
Name for a dweller by a stump of a large tree, from Middle Low German stubbe "stub".

STEWART Scottish
Occupational name for an administrative official of an estate or steward, from Old English stig "house" and weard "guard". The Stewart family (sometimes spelled Stuart) held the Scottish crown for several centuries. One of the most famous members of the Stewart family was Mary, Queen of Scots.

STONE English
Name for a person who lived near a prominent stone or worked with stone, derived from Old English stan.

STRAND Norwegian, Swedish, Danish
From Old Norse strǫnd meaning "beach, sea shore". It was originally given to someone who lived on or near the sea.

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

STRAUB German
From Old High German strub meaning "rough, unkempt".

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.

STRNAD Czech, Slovene
Means "bunting" in Czech and Slovene.

STROBEL German
Diminutive form of STRAUB.

STROUD English
From Old English strod meaning "marshy ground overgrown with brushwood".

STRUNA Slovene, Czech
From Slavic struna meaning "string, cord", possibly denoting a maker of rope.

STUART Scottish
Variant of STEWART.

STUBER German
Occupational name for the owner of an inn, derived from Old High German stuba "room".

STÜCK German, Jewish
From Old High German stucki meaning "piece, part".

STUECK German, Jewish
Variant of STÜCK.

STURM German
Means "storm" in German, originally a nickname for a volatile person.

SUESS German
Variant of SÜß. A famous bearer was the American children's author Dr. Seuss (1904-1991), who was born Theodor Seuss Geisel.

SULTAN Arabic
From a nickname meaning "sultan, ruler" in Arabic.

SULTANA Bengali, Urdu, Maltese
Bengali, Urdu and Maltese form of SULTAN.

SUMMERS (1) English
Variant of SUMNER.

SUMMERS (2) English
Variant of SOMMER (1).

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".

SUN Chinese
From Chinese 孙 (sūn) meaning "grandchild, descendant". A famous bearer of the surname was Sun Tzu, the 6th-century BC author of The Art of War.

SÜSS German
Variant of SÜß.

SÜß German
From Old High German suozi meaning "sweet".

SVÉD Hungarian
Means "Swedish" in Hungarian.

SWEET English
From a nickname meaning "sweet, pleasant", from Old English swete.

SÝKORA Czech, Slovak
Means "tit (bird)" in Czech and Slovak.

SZEWC Polish
Means "shoemaker" in Polish.

SZWED Polish
Variant of SZWEDA.

SZWEDA Polish
Derived from Polish Szwed meaning "Swede, person from Sweden".

SZWEDKO Polish
Variant of SZWEDA.

TACHIBANA Japanese
From Japanese 橘 (tachibana) meaning "orange, tangerine".

TAFT English
Variant of TOFT.

TAILLER French
Means "tailor" from Old French tailleur.

TAILOR English
Variant of TAYLOR.

TANG Chinese
From Chinese 唐 (táng) referring to the Tang dynasty, which ruled China from 618 to 907.

TAR Hungarian
Derived from Hungarian tar meaning "bald".

TARR Hungarian
Variant of TAR.

TASH English
From Middle English at asche meaning "at the ash tree".

TAUBE German
From a nickname meaning meaning "dove" in German.

TAYLOR English
Derived from Old French tailleur meaning "tailor", ultimately from Latin taliare "to cut".

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

TERZİ Turkish
Means "tailor" in Turkish, ultimately of Persian origin.

TERZIĆ Bosnian
From Bosnian terzija meaning "tailor", ultimately of Persian origin.

THACKER English
Northern Middle English variant of THATCHER.

THATCHER English
Referred to a person who thatched roofs by attaching straw to them, derived from Old English þæc meaning "thatch".

THORN English, Danish
Originally applied to a person who lived in or near a thorn bush.

THORNE English
Variant of THORN.

THORPE English
From Old Norse þorp meaning "village".

TIFFT English
Variant of TOFT.

TIRRELL English
Variant of TERRELL.

TOD English
Variant of TODD.

TODD English
Means "fox", derived from Middle English todde.

TOFT English
Denoted a person hailing from one of the many places in Britain of that name, derived from Old Norse topt meaning "homestead".

TÖRÖK Hungarian
Means "Turkish" in Hungarian.

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".

TÓT Hungarian
Derived from Hungarian tót, which means "Slovak" or "Slovene".

TÓTH Hungarian
Variant of TÓT.

TRẦN Vietnamese
Vietnamese form of CHEN, from Sino-Vietnamese 陳 (trần).

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.

TRAVERSI Italian
Italian form of TRAVERS.

TRAVERSINI Italian
Italian variant of TRAVERS.

TRAVERSO Italian
Italian form of TRAVERS.

TRAVERT French
French variant of TRAVERS.

TRAVES English
English variant of TRAVERS.

TRAVIESO Spanish
Spanish form of TRAVERS.

TRAVIS English
English variant of TRAVERS.

TRAVISS English
English variant of TRAVERS.

TREMBLAY French
From French tremble meaning "aspen".

TREMBLE French
Variant of TREMBLAY.

TREVIS English
English variant of TRAVERS.

TSUKUDA Japanese
From Japanese 佃 (tsukuda) meaning "cultivated rice field".

TUFF English
Variant of TUFT.

TUFT English
Denoted one who lived near a clump of trees or bushes, from Middle English tufte "tuft, clump", from Old French.

TURCHI Italian
Means "Turkish" in Italian.

TYRELL English
Variant of TERRELL.

TYRRELL English
Variant of TERRELL.

VACCA Italian
Means "cow" in Italian, originally denoting a person who worked with cattle.

VĂN Vietnamese
Vietnamese form of WEN, from Sino-Vietnamese 文 (văn).

VAN ACHTEREN Dutch
Variant of VAN AGTEREN.

VAN AGTEREN Dutch
Means "from behind", probably referring to a place behind something, such as a building or a place at the end of the road.

VAN AKKEREN Dutch
Variant of VAN DEN AKKER.

VANCE English
Indicated a dweller by a fen, from Old English fenn meaning "fen, marsh".

VAN DAAL Dutch
Variant of VAN DALEN.

VAN DAALEN Dutch
Variant of VAN DALEN.

VAN DAEL Dutch
Variant of VAN DALEN.

VAN DAELE Dutch
Variant of VAN DALEN.

VAN DALE Dutch
Variant of VAN DALEN.

VANDALE Dutch
Variant of VAN DALEN.

VAN DALEN Dutch
Means "from the valley", from Old Dutch dal meaning "valley".

VAN DE LAAR Dutch
Variant of VAN LAAR.

VAN DEN AKKER Dutch
Means "from the field" in Dutch.

VAN DER BEEK Dutch
Means "from the creek" in Dutch.

VAN DER BERG Dutch
Means "from the mountain", derived from Dutch berg meaning "mountain".

VAN DER HOUT Dutch
Variant of VAN HOUTEN.

VAN DER LAAR Dutch
Variant of VAN LAAR.

VAN DER VEEN Dutch
Means "from the swamp, from the peat", from Dutch veen "fen, swamp, peat". It originally indicated a person who resided in a peat district or fen colony.

VAN DER VEN Dutch
Variant of VAN DER VEEN.

VAN DER VENNE Dutch
Variant of VAN DER VEEN.

VAN DER VENNEN Dutch (Rare)
Variant of VAN DER VEEN.

VÅNG Swedish
Swedish variant of WANG (3).

VANG (1) Norwegian, Danish
Variant of WANG (3).

VAN HAUTUM Dutch
Variant of VAN HOUTEN.

VAN HOORN Dutch
Dutch form of HORN.

VAN HORN Dutch
Dutch form of HORN.

VAN HOUT Dutch
Variant of VAN HOUTEN.

VAN HOUTE Dutch
Variant of VAN HOUTEN.

VAN HOUTEM Dutch
Variant of VAN HOUTEN.

VAN HOUTEN Dutch
Means "from forests", derived from Dutch hout "forest".

VAN HOUTTUM Dutch
Variant of VAN HOUTEN.

VAN HOUTUM Dutch
Variant of VAN HOUTEN.

VAN LAAR Dutch
Derived from Dutch laar (plural laren), which means "open spot in the forest". These areas were used to graze cattle for example.

VAN LAREN Dutch
Variant of VAN LAAR.

VANN English
From Old English fenn meaning "fen, swamp, peat", indicating a person who lived near such a place.

VAN 'T HOUT Dutch
Variant of VAN HOUTEN.

VAN VEEN Dutch
Variant of VAN DER VEEN.

VAN VEENEN Dutch
Variant of VAN DER VEEN.

VAN WILLIGEN Dutch
Means "from the willows", from Old Dutch wilga "willow".

VARGA Hungarian
Occupational name meaning "cobbler" in Hungarian.

VARGAS Spanish, Portuguese
Means "hut, slope, pastureland" in Spanish and Portuguese dialects.

VARGHA Hungarian
Variant of VARGA.

VASTAG Hungarian
From a nickname meaning "stout, thick" in Hungarian.

VASTAGH Hungarian
Variant of VASTAG.

VAUGHAN Welsh
From Welsh bychan meaning "little". It was a descriptive name to distinguish father from son.

VAUGHN Welsh
Variant of VAUGHAN.

VENNER Dutch
Variant of VAN DER VEEN.

VERBOOM Dutch
Means "from the tree" in Dutch.

VERES Hungarian
Dialectical variant of VÖRÖS.

VERHOEVEN Dutch
Means "from the farm" in Dutch, derived from hoeve "farm", and so indicated a person who lived on a farm.

VERMEULEN Flemish
Means "from the mill" in Dutch.

VERVLOET Flemish
Means "from the stream" in Dutch.

VESELA Czech
Moravian Czech variant of VESELÝ.

VESELÝ Czech
From a nickname meaning "cheerful" in Czech.

VICARIO Spanish, Italian
Means "vicar" in Spanish and Italian, an ecclesiastic title used to denote a representative of a bishop. It is derived from Latin vicarius meaning "substitute, deputy".

VICO Italian
Means "town" in Italian, derived from Latin vicus.

VIGO Italian
Variant of VICO.

VILAR Portuguese, Galician, Catalan
Means "hamlet, farm" in Portuguese, Galician and Catalan, from Late Latin villare, a derivative of Latin villa.

VILARÓ Catalan
Catalan variant of VILAR.

VILLA Italian, Spanish
Means "town" in Italian and Spanish, from Latin. It was originally given to a person who came from a town, as opposed to the countryside.

VILLAR Spanish
Spanish cognate of VILAR.

VINOGRADOV Russian
Means "vineyard" in Russian (ultimately from German), referring to a person who worked at a vineyard or lived near one.

VINTER Danish, Norwegian, Swedish
Scandinavian variant of WINTER.

VIVAS Catalan
From the Catalan byname vivas meaning "may you live", which was bestowed upon children to bring good luck.

VIVES Catalan
Variant of VIVAS.

VLAHOVIĆ Serbian, Croatian
Patronymic from Serbo-Croatian Vlah meaning "Romanian".

VLAŠIĆ Croatian
Patronymic from the nickname Vlah meaning "Romanian".

VLAŠIČ Slovene
Patronymic from the nickname Vlah meaning "Romanian".

VLČEK Czech
Diminutive form of Czech vlk meaning "wolf".

VOGEL German, Dutch
From Old High German and Old Dutch fogal meaning "bird". It was originally an occupational name for a bird catcher, or a nickname for a person who liked to sing.

VOGELS Dutch
Variant of VOGEL.

VOGT German
Occupational name from Middle High German voget meaning "bailiff, lawyer", ultimately from Latin advocatus.

VOIGT German
Variant of VOGT.

VOLL (1) Norwegian
Originally indicated a person who lived in a meadow, from Old Norse vǫllr "meadow, field".

VOLLAN Norwegian
Variant of VOLL (1).

VON BRANDT German
Means "from the area cleared by fire", from Middle High German brant.

VORONIN Russian
Derived from Russian ворона (vorona) meaning "crow".

VÖRÖS Hungarian
Means "red" in Hungarian, referring to a person with red hair or face.

VOSS German
From Middle Low German vos meaning "fox". It was originally a nickname for a clever person or a person with red hair.

VOß German
Variant of VOSS.

VROOM Dutch, Flemish
From a nickname derived from Dutch vroom meaning "pious, devout".

VROOMEN Dutch, Flemish
Variant of VROOM.

WÄGNER German
Variant of WAGNER.

WAGNER German
From Middle High German wagener meaning "wagon maker, cartwright". This name was borne by the German composer Richard Wagner (1813-1883).

WÄHNER German
Variant of WAGNER.

WAHNER German
Variant of WAGNER.

WALDROUP English
Variant of WARDROBE.

WALLACE Scottish, English, Irish
Means "foreigner, stranger, Celt" from Norman French waleis (of Germanic origin). It was often used to denote native Welsh and Bretons. A famous bearer was the 13th-century Sir William Wallace of Scotland.

WALLACH Yiddish
From Middle High German walch meaning "foreigner (from a Romance country)".

WALLER (2) English
Derived from Old English weall meaning "wall", denoting a builder of walls or someone who lived near a prominent wall.

WALLER (3) English
From Old English well meaning "well, spring, water hole".

WALLIS Scottish, English
Variant of WALLACE.

WALSH English, Irish
From Old English wælisc meaning "foreigner, stranger, Celt".

WANG (1) Chinese
From Chinese 王 (wáng) meaning "king, monarch". This is the most common surname in China (and the world).

WANG (2) German, Dutch
From Middle High German and Middle Dutch wange meaning "cheek", possibly a nickname for someone with round or rosy cheeks.

WANG (3) German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
From Old High German wang or Old Norse vangr meaning "grassy slope, meadow".

WARD (1) English
Derived from Old English weard meaning "guard, guardian".

WARDROBE English
From Old French warder "to guard" and robe "garment", an occupational name for a servant responsible for the clothing in a household.

WARE (1) English
From Old English wer meaning "dam, weir", indicating someone who lived near such a structure.

WATERS (1) English
Originally given to a person who lived near the water.

WAY English
From Old English weg meaning "way, road, path".

WAYNE English
Occupational name meaning "wagon maker, cartwright", derived from Old English wægn "wagon". A famous bearer was the American actor John Wayne (1907-1979).

WECHSLER German, Jewish
Means "money changer, banker", from German wechseln "to exchange".

WEEKES English
Derived from Old English wíc meaning "village, town".

WEGENER Low German
Low German variant of WAGNER.

WEGNER Low German
Low German variant of WAGNER.

WEHNER German
Variant of WAGNER.

WEHNERT German
Variant of WAGNER.

WEIMANN German
From German Wein meaning "wine", an occupational name for a wine seller or producer.

WEINER German
Variant of WAGNER.

WEISS German
From Middle High German wiz meaning "white". This was originally a nickname for a person with white hair or skin.

WEIß German
Variant of WEISS.

WELCH English
Variant of WALSH.

WELLS English
Derived from Middle English welle meaning "well, spring, water hole".

WEN Chinese
From Chinese 文 (wén) meaning "literature, culture, writing".

WEST English, German
Denoted a person who lived to the west of something, or who came from the west.

WHITE English
Originally a nickname for a person who had white hair or a pale complexion, from Old English hwit "white".

WIECK German
Means "village, town", derived from Latin vicus.

WINOGRAD Jewish
Jewish form of VINOGRADOV.

WINOGRODZKI Polish
Polish cognate of VINOGRADOV.

WINTER English, German, Swedish
From Old English winter or Old High German wintar meaning "winter". This was a nickname for a person with a cold personality.

WINTHER Danish, Swedish
Danish and Swedish variant of WINTER.

WIRT German
Variant of WIRTH.

WIRTH German, Jewish
Occupational name for an innkeeper, derived from German wirt meaning "host".

WOJDA Polish
Variant of WOJEWODA.

WOJEWODA Polish
From the Polish title wojewoda meaning "governor, voivode" (originally meaning "warlord").

WOJEWÓDKA Polish
Variant of WOJEWODA.

WOJEWÓDZKI Polish
Variant of WOJEWODA.

WOLF German, English
From Middle High German or Middle English wolf meaning "wolf", or else from a Germanic given name beginning with this element.

WOLFE English
Variant of WOLF.

WOLFF German, Danish, Norwegian, Jewish
Variant of WOLF.

WOOD English, Scottish
Originally denoted one who lived in or worked in a forest, derived from Old English wudu "wood".

WOODS English, Scottish
Variant of WOOD.

WRAY English
Originally denoted someone who came from any of the various places of this name in northern England, from Old Norse vrá meaning "corner, nook".

WRIGHT (1) English
From Old English wyrhta meaning "wright, maker", an occupational name for someone who was a craftsman. Famous bearers were Orville and Wilbur Wright, the inventors of the first successful airplane.

WRONA Polish
Derived from Polish wrona meaning "crow".

WRONSKI Polish
Derived from Polish wrona meaning "crow".

WU Chinese
From Chinese 吴 (wú) referring to the ancient state of Wu, which was located in present-day Jiangsu province.

XU Chinese
From Chinese 徐 (xú) meaning "slowly, calmly".

XUN Chinese
From Chinese 荀 (xún) meaning "plant, ancient state".

YANG Chinese
From Chinese 杨 (yáng) meaning "willow, poplar, aspen".

YONG English
Variant of YOUNG.

YOUNG English
Derived from Old English geong meaning "young". This was a descriptive name to distinguish father from son.

YOUNGE English
Variant of YOUNG.

YU (1) Chinese
From Chinese 于 (yú) meaning "in, on, at". According to legend, King Wu of Zhou bestowed the realm of Yu to his second son, who subsequently adopted this as his surname.

YU (2) Chinese
From Chinese 余 (yú) meaning "surplus".

YU (3) Chinese
From Chinese 俞 (yú) meaning "consent, approve".

YU (4) Chinese
From Chinese 虞 (yú) meaning "concerned, anxious" and also referring to the ancient state of Yu, which was situated in what is now Shanxi province.

YUAN Chinese
From Chinese 源 (yuán), 原 (yuán) or 元 (yuán), which mean "origin, source".

ZELENKA Czech
Czech cognate of ZIELIŃSKI.

ZELENKO Ukrainian
Ukrainian cognate of ZIELIŃSKI.

ZHANG Chinese
From Chinese 张 (zhāng) meaning "stretch, extend". It may have denoted a bowmaker whose job it was to stretch bow wood.

ZHAO Chinese
From Chinese 赵 (zhào), which refers to an ancient city-state in what is now Shanxi province. According to legend, King Mu rewarded his chariot driver Zaofu with the city, at which time Zaofu adopted this surname. The later historic state of Zhao, which existed from the 5th to 3rd centuries BC, was named after this city.... [more]

ZHENG Chinese
From Chinese 郑 (zhèng), which refers to the ancient state of Zheng. Zheng existed between the 9th to 4th centuries BC in present-day Henan province. A famous bearer of this surname was the 15th-century explorer Zheng He.

ZHOU Chinese
From Chinese 周 (zhōu) referring to the Zhou dynasty, which held power from 1046 to 771 BC, continuing for a few more centuries as figureheads.

ZHU Chinese
From Chinese 朱 (zhū) meaning "vermilion red, cinnabar" and also referring to the ancient state of Zhu, which existed in what is now Shandong province. This was the surname of the emperors of the Ming dynasty.

ZIELIŃSKI Polish
From Polish zieleń meaning "green". It was possibly a nickname for a person who dressed in green clothing.

ZIMA Czech, Slovak, Polish, Russian
From a Slavic word meaning "winter". This may have been a nickname for a person with a chilly personality.

ŽITNIK Slovene, Czech
From the Slavic root žito meaning "rye". This was an occupational name for a dealer in rye or a baker.

ŽUPAN Croatian
Croatian cognate of ZUPAN.

ZUPAN Slovene
From Slavic župan meaning "head of the district, community leader".

ZYMA Ukrainian
Ukrainian form of ZIMA.