Sabbadin ItalianFrom a nickname from Italian
sabbato "Saturday", a name for one born on that day of the week.
Saitō JapaneseFrom Japanese
斎 (sai) meaning "purification, worship" and
藤 (tō) meaning "wisteria". The latter character could indicate a connection to the Fujiwara clan.
Sanna ItalianFrom Italian
sanna or
zanna meaning
"tusk, fang", a nickname for a person with a protruding tooth.
Santoro ItalianMeans
"all saint's day" in Italian, a nickname for one born on that day.
Santos Portuguese, SpanishMeans
"saint" in Portuguese and Spanish, ultimately from Latin
sanctus. This was a nickname for a pious person.
Šarić Croatian, SerbianPatronymic of (possibly) Serbo-Croatian
šaren meaning
"colourful, patterned".
Satō JapaneseFrom Japanese
佐 (sa) meaning "help, aid" and
藤 (tō) meaning "wisteria". The final character might indicate a connection to the Fujiwara clan. This is the most common surname in Japan.
Sauer GermanMeans
"sour" in German, a nickname for an embittered or cantankerous person.
Savage EnglishEnglish nickname meaning
"wild, uncouth", derived from Old French
salvage or
sauvage meaning "untamed", ultimately from Latin
silvaticus meaning "wild, from the woods".
Scarsi ItalianNickname for a poor or miserly person, from Italian
scarso "scarce, scant".
Schlender GermanFrom Middle High German
slinderen "to dawdle" or Middle Low German
slinden "to swallow, to eat".
Schreck GermanFrom Middle High German
schrecken meaning
"to frighten, to scare".
Schwarz German, JewishMeans
"black" in German, from Old High German
swarz. It originally described a person with black hair or a dark complexion.
Sciarra ItalianFrom Sicilian
sciarra meaning
"quarrel, dispute", originally a nickname for a quarrelsome person.
Scott English, ScottishOriginally given to a person from Scotland or a person who spoke Scottish Gaelic.
Scrooge LiteratureCreated by Charles Dickens for the central character in his short novel
A Christmas Carol (1843). He probably based it on the rare English word
scrouge meaning
"to squeeze". In the book Ebenezer Scrooge is a miserly old man who is visited by three spirits who show him visions of his past, present and future. Since the book's publication,
scrooge has been used as a word to mean "miser, misanthrope".
Segreti ItalianFrom Italian
segreto meaning
"secret", a nickname for a confidant.
Senft 2 GermanNickname for a helpful, kind person, from Old High German
semfti meaning
"soft, accommodating".
Serpico ItalianFrom a nickname derived from Italian
serpe "serpent, reptile".
Sgro ItalianNickname for a curly-haired person, from Greek
σγουρός (sgouros) meaning
"curly".
Shain JewishMeans
"beautiful, handsome" in Yiddish, from German
schön.
Shakespeare EnglishFrom a nickname for a warlike person, from Old English
scacan "to shake" and
spere "spear". A famous bearer was the English dramatist and poet William Shakespeare (1564-1616).
Sharma Indian, Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Assamese, Gujarati, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, NepaliMeans
"joy, shelter, comfort" in Sanskrit.
Sharp EnglishNickname for a keen person, from Old English
scearp "sharp".
Short EnglishFrom a nickname for a short person, from Middle English
schort.
Silver EnglishFrom a nickname for a person with grey hair, from Old English
seolfor "silver".
Sitz 2 GermanMeans
"house owner", derived from Old High German
siz "seat, domicile".
Skeates EnglishFrom the Old Norse nickname or byname
skjótr meaning
"swift".
Small EnglishFrom a nickname for a small person, from Middle English
smal.
Smirnov RussianDerived from Russian
смирный (smirny) meaning "quiet, peaceful, timid". This is one of the most common surnames in Russia.
Snell EnglishFrom Old English
snel meaning
"fast, quick, nimble".
Sokol Czech, Slovak, JewishFrom Czech and Slovak
sokol meaning
"falcon", a nickname or an occupational name for a falconer. As a Jewish name it is ornamental.
Sokołowski PolishUsually refers to the city of Sokołów Podlaski in Poland. It may sometimes be derived from Polish
sokół meaning "falcon".
Sommer 1 German, EnglishMeans
"summer", from Old High German
sumar or Old English
sumor. This was a nickname for a cheerful person, someone who lived in a sunny spot, or a farmer who had to pay taxes in the summer.
Sonnen GermanMeans
"sun" from Middle High German
sunne. It probably denoted someone of cheerful temperament or a person who lived in a sunny area.
Sordi ItalianFrom Italian
sordo meaning
"deaf", from Latin
surdus.
Sorge GermanMeans
"worry, care, anxiety" in German, from Old High German
sorga.
Souček CzechFrom Czech
suk meaning
"tree knot". This could either be a topographic name or a nickname for a stubborn person.
Sówka PolishFrom a diminutive of Polish
sowa meaning
"owl".
Spanò SicilianFrom Sicilian
spanu meaning
"sparse, thin hair", ultimately from Greek
σπάνιος (spanios) meaning "scarce, rare".
Sparks EnglishFrom an Old Norse nickname or byname derived from
sparkr meaning
"sprightly".
Spear EnglishFrom Old English
spere "spear", an occupational name for a hunter or a maker of spears, or a nickname for a thin person.
Spurling EnglishFrom Middle English
sparewe "sparrow" and the diminutive suffix
-ling.
Stack EnglishFrom a nickname for a big person, derived from Middle English
stack "haystack", of Old Norse origin.
Starek PolishFrom a nickname derived from Polish
stary "old".
Stark English, GermanFrom a nickname meaning
"strong, rigid", from Old English
stearc or Old High German
stark.
Starr EnglishFrom 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.
Stern 1 EnglishFrom Old English
styrne meaning
"stern, severe". This was used as a nickname for someone who was stern, harsh, or severe in manner or character.
Stieber GermanDerived from Middle High German
stiuben meaning
"to run away". It may have been given as a nickname to a cowardly person or a thief.
Stoppelbein GermanMeans
"stump leg" from Middle Low German
stoppel "stump" and
bein "leg".
Strange EnglishDerived from Middle English
strange meaning
"foreign", ultimately from Latin
extraneus.
Straub GermanFrom Old High German
strub meaning
"rough, unkempt".
Strong EnglishNickname derived from Middle English
strong or
strang meaning
"strong".
Stumpf GermanNickname for a short person or a topographic name someone who lived near a prominent stump, from Middle High German
stumpf.
Sturm GermanMeans
"storm" in German, originally a nickname for a volatile person.
Suchý CzechMeans
"dry" in Czech. This was a nickname for a thin person.
Suess GermanVariant of
Süß. A famous bearer was the American children's author Dr. Seuss (1904-1991), who was born Theodor Seuss Geisel.
Sultan ArabicFrom a nickname meaning
"sultan, ruler" in Arabic.
Sun ChineseFrom 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 GermanFrom Old High German
suozi meaning
"sweet".
Svoboda CzechMeans
"freedom" in Czech. This was a medieval name for a freeman, someone who was not a serf.
Swallow EnglishFrom the name of the bird, from Old English
swealwe, a nickname for someone who resembled or acted like a swallow.
Sweet EnglishFrom a nickname meaning
"sweet, pleasant", from Old English
swete.
Swift EnglishNickname for a quick person, from Old English
swift.
Szarka HungarianFrom Hungarian
szarka meaning
"magpie", often used as a euphemistic term for a thief.
Székely HungarianDenoted a person of Székely ancestry. The Székelys are a population of Hungarians who live in central Romania.
Tafani ItalianFrom the nickname
tafano meaning
"gadfly", indicating an annoying person.
Tanzer GermanMeans
"dancer" in German, derived from Middle High German
tanzen "to dance".
Targaryen LiteratureCreated by author George R. R. Martin for his series
A Song of Ice and Fire, published beginning 1996, and the television adaptation
Game of Thrones (2011-2019). The Targaryens were the rulers of Westeros for almost 300 years until shortly before the beginning of the first novel. The name is presumably from the Valyrian language, though Martin provides no explanation of the meaning.
Teel EnglishFrom Middle English
tele meaning
"teal, duck".
Terrell EnglishProbably derived from the Norman French nickname
tirel meaning
"to pull", referring to a stubborn person.
Teufel GermanFrom a nickname meaning
"devil" in German, given to a mischievous person or one who was devil-like.
Thrussell EnglishFrom Old English
þrostle meaning
"song thrush", referring to a cheerful person.
Tiryaki TurkishPossibly from a nickname meaning
"addict, opium user" in Turkish.
Todd EnglishMeans
"fox", derived from Middle English
todde.
Tolkien GermanPossibly from a Low German byname
Tolk meaning
"interpreter" (of Slavic origin). A famous bearer was the English author J. R. R. Tolkien (1892-1973). According to him, the surname was derived from German
tollkühn meaning
"foolhardy".
Tornincasa ItalianFrom a medieval Italian name given to a boy born after the death of a previous one, derived from Italian
ritorna in casa "come back home".
Tosi ItalianMeans
"clean-shaven", usually denoting a younger man, from Latin
tonsus "shaved".
Tosto ItalianFrom a nickname for a tough, stubborn person, from Italian
tosto "hard, tough".
Tót HungarianDerived from Hungarian
tót, which means
"Slovak" or
"Slovene".
Triggs EnglishFrom a byname derived from Old Norse
tryggr meaning
"true, loyal".
Truman EnglishMeans
"trusty man" in Middle English. A famous bearer of the surname was American president Harry S. Truman (1884-1972).
Trumbauer GermanPossibly from Middle High German
trame "rafter, frame" and
bauer "peasant, neighbour".
Tyson 1 EnglishDerived from a nickname for a quarrelsome person, from Old French
tison meaning
"firebrand".
Uccello ItalianMeans
"bird" in Italian, either a nickname for a person who resembled a bird or an occupational name for a birdcatcher.
Unruh GermanRefers to a restless, fidgety, nervous person, from German
unruhe meaning
"unrest".
Vadas HungarianFrom Hungarian
vad meaning
"wild", either a nickname or an occupational name for a hunter of wild game.
Valiente SpanishFrom a nickname derived from Spanish
valiente meaning
"brave".
Vass HungarianDerived from Hungarian
vas meaning
"iron", referring to a worker in iron, a miner of iron ore or a vendor of iron goods. Alternatively, from the same root word, it may have been a nickname referring to one with a distinctively strong constitution.
Vaughan WelshFrom Welsh
bychan (mutated to
fychan) meaning
"little". It was a descriptive name to distinguish father from son.
Vela SpanishDerived from Spanish
vela meaning
"sail" or the homonym
vela meaning
"watchful".
Venäläinen FinnishMeans
"Russian" in Finnish. This name was originally used by the ethnic Finns who lived on the Russian side of the border.
Verity EnglishFrom a nickname meaning
"truth", perhaps given originally to a truthful person.
Veselý CzechFrom a nickname meaning
"cheerful" in Czech.
Virgo EnglishPossibly from Latin
virgo "virgin, maiden". It may have been a nickname for an actor who played the Virgin Mary in mystery plays, or for a shy man or a lecher.
Vivas CatalanFrom the Catalan byname
vivas meaning
"may you live", which was bestowed upon children to bring good luck.
Vlašič SlovenePatronymic from the nickname
Vlah meaning
"Romanian".
Vlček CzechDiminutive form of Czech
vlk meaning
"wolf".
Vogel German, DutchFrom 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.
Vörös HungarianMeans
"red" in Hungarian, referring to a person with red hair or face.
Voss GermanFrom Middle Low German
vos meaning
"fox". It was originally a nickname for a clever person or a person with red hair.
Vroom Dutch, FlemishFrom a nickname derived from Dutch
vroom meaning
"pious, devout".
Vrubel CzechFrom a nickname derived from Czech
vrabec meaning
"sparrow".
Wallace Scottish, English, IrishMeans
"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 YiddishFrom Middle High German
walch meaning
"foreigner (from a Romance country)".
Waller 1 EnglishDerived from Old French
gallier meaning
"person with a pleasant temper".
Wang 1 ChineseFrom Chinese
王 (wáng) meaning
"king, monarch". This is the most common surname in China (and the world).
Wang 2 German, DutchFrom Middle High German and Middle Dutch
wange meaning
"cheek", possibly a nickname for someone with round or rosy cheeks.
Ware 2 EnglishFrom the Middle English nickname
ware meaning
"wary, astute, prudent".
Weasley LiteratureUsed by J. K. Rowling for the character of Ron Weasley (and other members of his family) in her
Harry Potter series of books, first released in 1997. Rowling presumably derived it from the English word
weasel, perhaps in combination with the common place name/surname suffix
-ley, which is derived from Old English
leah meaning "woodland, clearing".
Weiss German, YiddishFrom Middle High German
wiz or Yiddish
װייַס (vais) meaning
"white". This was originally a nickname for a person with white hair or skin.
Wen ChineseFrom Chinese
文 (wén) meaning
"literature, culture, writing".
White EnglishOriginally a nickname for a person who had white hair or a pale complexion, from Old English
hwit "white".
Wiater PolishDerived from Polish
wiatr "wind", a nickname for a quick person.
Wibowo IndonesianFrom Indonesian
wibawa meaning
"authority, power", ultimately from Sanskrit
विभव (vibhava).
Wieczorek PolishFrom a nickname meaning
"bat" in Polish, ultimately from
wieczór meaning "evening".
Wilbur EnglishFrom the nickname
Wildbor meaning "wild boar" in Middle English.
Wild English, GermanMeans
"wild, untamed, uncontrolled", derived from Old English
wilde. This was either a nickname for a person who behaved in a wild manner or a topographic name for someone who lived on overgrown land.
Winter English, German, SwedishFrom Old English
winter or Old High German
wintar meaning
"winter". This was a nickname for a person with a cold personality.
Wolf German, EnglishFrom Middle High German or Middle English
wolf meaning
"wolf", or else from an Old German given name beginning with this element.
Wruck GermanFrom Middle Low German
wrok meaning
"cantankerous".
Yap EnglishFrom a nickname for a clever or cunning person, from Middle English
yap meaning
"devious, deceitful, shrewd".
Young EnglishDerived from Old English
geong meaning
"young". This was a descriptive name to distinguish father from son.
Yun KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
尹 (yun) meaning
"govern, oversee".
Ząbek PolishFrom Polish
zab "tooth" and a diminutive suffix.
Zieliński PolishFrom Polish
zieleń meaning
"green". It was possibly a nickname for a person who dressed in green clothing.