Lemoine FrenchMeans
"the monk" in French. This was typically a nickname or an occupational name for a person who worked in a monastery.
Lenz GermanFrom a nickname meaning
"springtime" in German.
Leroux FrenchMeans
"the red", from Old French
ros "red". This was a nickname for a person with red hair.
Li 1 ChineseFrom Chinese
李 (lǐ) meaning
"plum, plum tree". This was the surname of Chinese emperors of the Tang dynasty.
Lis PolishMeans
"fox" in Polish, a nickname for a sly person.
Little EnglishMeaning simply
"little", it was originally a nickname given to a short person.
Liu ChineseFrom Chinese
刘 (liú) meaning
"kill, destroy". This was the surname of Chinese emperors of the Han dynasty.
Lloyd WelshOriginally a nickname from the Welsh word
llwyd meaning
"grey".
Long EnglishOriginally a nickname for a person who had long limbs or who was tall.
Longstaff EnglishOccupational name for an official who was equipped with a ceremonial staff, or a nickname for a tall person.
Lowell EnglishFrom a nickname derived from a Norman French
lou meaning
"wolf" and a diminutive suffix.
Lozano SpanishMeans
"healthy, exuberant, lively" in Spanish, originally used as a nickname for an elegant or haughty person.
Lyon 2 English, FrenchFrom a nickname derived from Old French and Middle English
lion meaning
"lion".
Majewski PolishDerived from Polish
maj meaning
"May". It may have been given in reference to the month the bearer was baptized.
Maldonado SpanishFrom a nickname meaning
"badly given, ill-favoured" in Spanish.
Mallory EnglishFrom Old French
maloret meaning
"unfortunate, unlucky", a term introduced to England by the Normans.
Manco ItalianMeans
"left-handed" in Italian, derived from Latin
mancus meaning "maimed".
Mann German, EnglishFrom a nickname meaning
"man". This may have originally been given in order to distinguish the bearer from a younger person with the same name.
Marchesi ItalianFrom the Italian title
marchese meaning
"marquis". It was probably a nickname for a person who behaved like a marquis or worked in the household of a marquis.
Maus GermanFrom a nickname meaning
"mouse", from Old High German
mus.
Mazza ItalianFrom a nickname (perhaps occupational) meaning
"maul, mallet" in Italian.
McGill Irish, ScottishAnglicized form of Gaelic
Mac an Ghoill meaning
"son of the foreigner", derived from
gall "foreigner".
Mejía SpanishPossibly from a nickname derived from Spanish
Mesías meaning
"Messiah", from Latin
Messias, ultimately from Biblical Hebrew
מָשִׁיחַ (mashiyach) meaning "anointed".
Merlo Italian, SpanishMeans
"blackbird", ultimately from Latin
merula. The blackbird is a symbol of a naive person.
Mitchell 2 EnglishOriginally a nickname for a large person, from Old English
micel "big".
Mittelman JewishNickname for a man of moderate means, from Yiddish, ultimately from Old High German
mittil "means, resources".
Monday 2 EnglishDenoted a person for whom this was a significant day, often the day they would pay their feudal fees.
Monk EnglishNickname or occupational name for a person who worked for monks. This word is derived from Latin
monachus, from Greek
μοναχός (monachos) meaning "alone".
Moore 3 EnglishNickname for a person of dark complexion, from Old French
more, Latin
maurus, meaning
"Moorish".
Moschella ItalianFrom a diminutive of Italian
mosca meaning
"housefly", perhaps originally a nickname for an annoying person.
Munson EnglishPatronymic formed from the Norman French nickname
moun meaning
"monk".
Musil CzechPossibly from a nickname meaning
"the one who had to", from the past participle of the Czech verb
muset meaning "must" (of Germanic origin).
Mutton EnglishReferred to a shepherd or else someone who in some way resembled a sheep, derived from Norman French
mouton "sheep".
Myška CzechFrom nickname derived from Czech
myš meaning
"mouse".
Nagy HungarianFrom a nickname meaning
"big, great" in Hungarian, referring to one's characteristics. This is the most common Hungarian surname.
Nasato ItalianNickname for someone with a prominent nose, from Italian
naso "nose".
Navrátil CzechMeans
"returned" in Czech, from the verb
navrátit "to return", perhaps used to denote a person who came home following a long absence.
Negri ItalianNickname derived from Italian
negro "black", used to refer to someone with dark hair or dark skin.
Neri ItalianFrom Italian
nero "black", indicating a person with a dark complexion or dark hair.
Nguyễn VietnameseVietnamese form of
Ruan, from Sino-Vietnamese
阮 (nguyễn). This is the most common Vietnamese surname, accounting for over a third of the population.
Nieddu ItalianFrom Sardinian
nieddu meaning
"black", derived from Latin
niger.
Niemczyk PolishFrom Polish
Niemiec meaning
"German" and the patronymic suffix
-czyk.
Noel French, EnglishEither 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.
Novosad CzechFrom place names meaning
"new orchard" in Czech.
Ohme GermanFrom Middle High German
oem meaning
"maternal uncle".
Oláh HungarianMeans
"Romanian" in Hungarian, from old Slavic
volhu "Romance-speaker" (of Germanic origin).
Olasz HungarianMeans
"Italian" in Hungarian, from old Slavic
volhu "Romance-speaker" (of Germanic origin).
Oomen DutchPatronymic derived from Middle Dutch
oom meaning
"(maternal) uncle".
Oriol CatalanFrom Catalan
or meaning
"gold", originally a nickname for a person with blond hair.
Orlov RussianPatronymic derived from the Russian nickname
Орёл (Oryol) meaning
"eagle".
Orsini ItalianFrom a nickname meaning
"little bear" in Italian, from Latin
ursus "bear".
Palumbo ItalianFrom Italian
palombo meaning
"pigeon" (also "dogfish"). This form is typical of southern Italy.
Papp 2 GermanNickname perhaps related to Late Latin
pappare meaning
"to eat".
Pardo SpanishMeans
"brown" in Spanish, originally a nickname for someone with brown hair.
Parent English, FrenchDerived from Old French
parent meaning either
"notable" (from Latin
pārēre meaning "to be apparent") or
"parent" (from Latin
parere meaning "to produce, to give birth").
Park 1 KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
樸 or 朴 (bak) meaning
"plain, unadorned, simple".
Parrino SicilianFrom a Sicilian variant of Italian
padrino meaning
"godfather".
Pavone ItalianMeans
"peacock" in Italian. It was originally a nickname for a proud or haughty person.
Payne EnglishFrom a medieval given name or nickname derived from Latin
paganus meaning
"heathen, pagan" (from an earlier sense "rural, rustic"), which was given to children whose baptism had been postponed or adults who were not overly religious.
Paz SpanishMeans
"peace" in Spanish, originally a nickname for a calm person.
Peacock EnglishFrom Middle English
pecok meaning
"peacock". It was originally a nickname for a proud or haughty person.
Peel EnglishNickname for a thin person, derived from Old French
pel, Latin
palus meaning
"stake, post" (related to English
pole).
Pellegrino ItalianMeans
"pilgrim, traveller" in Italian, ultimately from Latin
peregrinus.
Penny EnglishNickname meaning
"penny, coin" from Old English
penning.
Pesce ItalianMeans
"fish" in Italian, referring either to a fisherman or to a person who resembled a fish in some way.
Petit French, Catalan, EnglishMeans
"small, little" derived from Old French and Catalan
petit. It was perhaps used for a short, small person or to denote the younger of two individuals.
Pfaff GermanFrom a nickname meaning
"priest, cleric" from Old High German
pfaffo, from Latin
papa.
Pfenning GermanFrom Old High German
pfenning meaning
"penny, coin". It was used in reference to feudal tax obligations.
Phạm VietnameseVietnamese form of
Fan, from Sino-Vietnamese
范 (phạm). This is the fourth most common surname in Vietnam.
Piątek PolishMeans
"Friday" in Polish, derived from the word
piąty meaning "fifth".
Picasso ItalianFrom Italian
pica meaning
"magpie". This probably denoted someone who was talkative or prone to stealing, although it may have described someone's unusual colouring. The Spanish painter and sculptor Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) was a famous bearer of this name.
Piccoli ItalianNickname for a short person, from Italian
piccolo "small".
Pilgrim EnglishNickname for a person who was a pilgrim, ultimately from Latin
peregrinus.
Pittaluga ItalianOriginally a nickname for somebody who steals grapes from vineyards. In the Genoese dialect
pittà means "to pick" and
uga means "grapes" (
uva in Italian).
Plank German, EnglishMeans
"plank", from Old French, itself from Late Latin
planca. This could have referred to a person who lived by a plank bridge over a stream, someone who was thin, or a carpenter.
Platt EnglishFrom Old French
plat meaning
"flat, thin", from Late Latin
plattus, from Greek
πλατύς (platys) meaning "wide, broad, flat". This may have been a nickname or a topographic name for someone who lived near a flat feature.
Pleško SloveneNickname for a bald person, from Slovene
pleša meaning
"bald patch".
Pope EnglishFrom a nickname that originally designated a person who played the part of the pope in a play or pageant. Otherwise the name could be used as a nickname for a man with a solemn, austere, or pious appearance. It is derived from Latin
papa, ultimately from Greek
πάππας (pappas) meaning "father".
Poppins LiteratureUsed by P. L. Travers for the magical nanny in her
Mary Poppins series of books, first published in 1934. It is not known how Travers devised the name. She may have had the English words
pop or
poppet (meaning "young woman") in mind.
Porras Spanish, CatalanFrom a nickname meaning
"club" in Spanish and Catalan, ultimately from Latin
porrum meaning "leek".
Pospíšil CzechNickname for a person in a hurry, from Czech
pospíšit "hurry".
Power 2 EnglishFrom Middle English
povre meaning
"poor", via Old French from Latin
pauper. It could have been a nickname for someone who had no money or a miser.
Pratt EnglishFrom Old English
prætt meaning
"trick, prank". This was a nickname for a trickster.
Prieto SpanishFrom a nickname meaning
"dark" in Spanish, referring to a person with dark hair or skin.
Prinsen DutchMeans
"son of the prince", the term prince would have denoted someone who acted in a regal manner.
Prinz German, JewishMeans
"prince", used as an ornamental name by Jews or as a nickname for someone who acted in a princely manner.
Profeta ItalianFrom Italian
profeta meaning
"prophet". It probably came from a nickname indicating a person who wanted to predict the future. It is typical of southern Italy.
Protz GermanFrom a nickname meaning
"showy, pompous", derived from an old southern German word meaning "toad".
Proulx FrenchDerived from Old French
preu meaning
"valiant, brave".
Purcell EnglishFrom Old French
pourcel "piglet", from Latin
porcellus, a derivative of
porcus "pig". This was a nickname or an occupational name for a swineherd.
Quattrocchi ItalianFrom Italian
quattro meaning "four" and
occhi meaning "eyes", a nickname for a person who wore glasses. It is usually found in Sicily.
Queen EnglishFrom a given name that was derived from Old English
cwen meaning
"queen, woman". In some occurrences it may have been a nickname.
Quick EnglishNickname for a quick or agile person, ultimately from Old English
cwic meaning
"alive".
Quijada SpanishMeans
"jaw" in Spanish, a nickname for someone with a large jaw.
Rácz HungarianDerived from Hungarian
rác meaning
"Rascian", a former name for Serbians who lived in the Habsburg Empire.
Rapp 1 SwedishFrom Swedish
rapp meaning
"quick, prompt", one of the names adopted by soldiers in the 17th century.
Rapp 2 GermanFrom Middle High German
raben meaning
"raven", a nickname for a person with black hair.
Raskopf GermanPossibly from German
rasch "quick" and
Kopf "head".
Ratti ItalianFrom Italian
ratto meaning
"rat", originally denoting a sly individual.
Ravn DanishMeans
"raven" in Danish, from Old Norse
hrafn.
Read 1 EnglishMeans
"red" from Middle English
read, probably denoting a person with red hair or complexion.
Redondo SpanishMeans
"round" in Spanish, originally a nickname for a plump person, ultimately from Latin
rotundus.
Reich German, JewishNickname for a wealthy or powerful person, from Old High German
rihhi "rich, powerful".
Reiher GermanMeans
"heron" in German, a nickname for a person with long legs.
Rendón SpanishPossibly derived from a variant of Spanish
de rondón meaning
"unexpectedly, rashly".
Reuter 2 GermanFrom Middle High German
riutœre meaning
"highwayman, thief".
Rey 1 English, Spanish, French, CatalanMeans
"king" in Old French, Spanish and Catalan, ultimately from Latin
rex (genitive
regis), perhaps originally denoting someone who acted like a king.
Rey 2 EnglishMeans
"female roe deer" from Old English
ræge, probably denoting someone of a nervous temperament.
Ricci ItalianFrom Italian
riccio meaning
"curly", a nickname for someone with curly hair. It is ultimately from Latin
ericius meaning "hedgehog".
Robustelli ItalianFrom a nickname for a strong person, from Italian
robusto "strong", from Latin
robustus "firm, solid, oaken".
Roig CatalanMeans
"red" in Catalan, from Latin
rubeus, originally a nickname for a person with red hair or a red complexion.
Rojo SpanishMeans
"red" in Spanish, referring to the colour of the hair or complexion.
Rosário PortugueseMeans
"rosary" in Portuguese. This name was often given to people born on the day of the festival of Our Lady of the Rosary.
Rose 1 English, French, German, JewishMeans
"rose" from Middle English, Old French and Middle High German
rose, all from Latin
rosa. All denote a person of a rosy complexion or a person who lived in an area abundant with roses. As a Jewish surname it is ornamental, from Yiddish
רויז (roiz).
Rossi ItalianDerived from a nickname for a red-haired person, from Italian
rosso, Latin
russus meaning "red". This is the most common surname in Italy.
Rossini ItalianDiminutive form of
Rossi. A famous bearer was the Italian composer Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868).
Roth German, JewishFrom Middle High German
rot meaning
"red". It was originally a nickname for a person with red hair.
Rotolo ItalianFrom the Italian word for a measure of weight, from southern Italian dialects, derived from Greek via Arabic.
Rounds EnglishPatronymic derived from Middle English
rond meaning
"round, plump", ultimately from Latin
rotundus.
Rousseau FrenchDiminutive of
Roux. A famous bearer was the philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) whose ideas influenced the French Revolution.
Roux FrenchDerived from Old French
ros meaning
"red", from Latin
russus, a nickname for a red-haired person.
Ruan ChineseFrom Chinese
阮 (ruǎn), which refers to a type of musical instrument, similar to a lute.
Rubio SpanishNickname for a person with red hair, from Latin
rubeus "red".
Russell EnglishFrom a Norman French nickname that meant
"little red one", perhaps originally describing a person with red hair.