BardolphLiterature The name of a drunken thief and frequent companion of John Falstaff in four of William Shakespeare's plays. Shakespeare probably adapted it from the aristocratic English surname Bardolf, now rare, which was itself derived from the Germanic given name Bardulf.
BellincioniItalian Means "son of Bellincione", from a medieval name (borne for example by Dante's grandfather) that was probably a derivative of Italian bello "beautiful, fair".
BoyleIrish From Irish Ó Baoighill meaning "descendant of Baoigheall". The meaning of the given name Baoigheall is uncertain, but it is thought to be connected to Irish geall meaning "pledge".
BradenIrish Anglicized form of Irish Ó Bradáin meaning "descendant of Bradán".
BradyIrish Anglicized form of the Irish name Ó Brádaigh meaning "descendant of Brádach". A famous bearer is the American football quarterback Tom Brady (1977-).
BrahmsGerman Derived from the given name Abraham. A famous bearer of this surname was the German composer Johannes Brahms (1833-1897).
BrontëIrish Variant of Brunty adopted by the Irish-born Englishman Patrick Brunty (1777-1861) as an adult. He was the father of Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Brontë, each prominent authors.
BunnagThai From the name of Bunnag, an 18th-century general of Persian heritage.
BuonarrotiItalian From the medieval Italian given name Buonarroto meaning "good increase". This was the surname of the Renaissance painter and sculptor Michelangelo (1475-1564).
BurešCzech Derived from a diminutive of the old Slavic given name Burian, of uncertain meaning.
CarrollIrish From the given name Cearbhall. A famous bearer was Lewis Carroll (1832-1898), whose real name was Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, the author of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
ColomboItalian Either from Italian colomba"dove" indicating a dove keeper, or from the given name Colombo, which is derived from the same word. This was the Italian surname of the 15th-century explorer Christopher Columbus.