Surnames from Occupations

Dressler German
Means "turner" from Middle High German dreseler, an agent derivative of drehen "to turn". A turner was a person who used a lathe to create small objects from wood or bone.

Dreyer German
Variant of Dreher.

Driscoll Irish
From Irish Ó hEidirsceóil meaning "descendant of the messenger".

Dufour French
Occupational name for a baker, from French four "oven".

Duke English
From the noble title, which was originally from Latin dux "leader". It was a nickname for a person who behaved like a duke, or who worked in a duke's household.

Dukes English
Patronymic form of Duke.

Dvořák Czech
Occupational name derived from Czech dvůr "manor", indicating a person who worked at such a place. This name was borne by the Czech composer Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904).

Dyer English
Occupational name meaning "cloth dyer", from Old English deah "dye".

Dziedzic Polish
Derived from Polish dziedzic "landowner".

Earl English
From the aristocratic title, which derives from Old English eorl meaning "nobleman, warrior". It was either a nickname for one who acted like an earl, or an occupational name for a person employed by an earl.

Earls English
Patronymic form of Earl.

Ebner 2 German
Means "judge, arbiter" from Middle High German ebenære.

Egger German
South German occupational name meaning "plowman" or "farmer", derived from German eggen "to harrow, to plow".

Ekmekçi Turkish
Means "baker" in Turkish.

El-Mofty Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic المفتي (see Al-Mufti).

Episcopo Italian
Means "bishop" in Italian, ultimately from Greek ἐπίσκοπος (episkopos).

Erdős Hungarian
Occupational name meaning "forester", derived from Hungarian erdő "forest".

Esser German
Means "cartwright", related to Old High German ahsa "axle".

Essert German
Variant of Esser.

Evangelista Italian, Portuguese, Spanish
Means "evangelist" in Italian, Portuguese and Spanish.

Fabbri Italian
From Italian fabbro meaning "blacksmith", ultimately from Latin faber.

Fabbro Italian
Variant of Fabbri.

Fabre Occitan, French
Occitan form of Fèvre.

Fabron French
Diminutive form of Fabre.

Faerber German
Variant of Färber.

Falco Italian
Derived from Italian falco "falcon". The name was used to denote a falconer or a person who resembled a falcon in some way.

Falconer English, Scottish
Variant of Faulkner.

Falk Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, German
From Old Norse falki or Old High German falco meaning "falcon".

Falkner English, German
English variant and German cognate of Faulkner.

Faragó Hungarian
An occupational name meaning "woodcutter", from Hungarian farag meaning "carve, cut".

Färber German
Occupational name meaning "dyer", derived from German Farbe "colour".

Farina Italian
Occupational name for a miller, derived from Italian farina "flour".

Farmer English
Occupational name for a tax collector, from Middle English ferme "rent, revenue, provision", from medieval Latin firma, ultimately from Old English feorm. This word did not acquire its modern meaning until the 17th century.

Fashingbauer German
From Fasching, a German carnival (Fastnacht meaning "eve of the beginning of the fast", or the time before Lent) celebrated in Austria and Bavaria, and bauer meaning "farmer".

Fattore Italian
Means "land agent, bailiff, steward, farmer" in Italian.

Faucher French
Occupational name meaning "mower" in French, ultimately from Latin falx meaning "sickle, scythe".

Faucheux French
Variant of Faucher.

Faulkner English, Scottish
Occupational name meaning "keeper of falcons", from Middle English and Scots faulcon, from Late Latin falco, of Germanic origin.

Faure Occitan, French
Occitan form of Fèvre.

Fava Italian
From Italian fava referring to a type of broad bean.

Favero Italian
Variant of Fabbri.

Favre French
Southern French variant of Fèvre.

Favreau French
Diminutive of Favre.

Fazekas Hungarian
Occupational name meaning "potter" in Hungarian.

Fenstermacher German
Means "window maker" in German.

Ferber German
Variant of Färber.

Ferrari Italian
Occupational name for a metalworker or smith, derived from Latin ferrarius, a derivative of ferrum meaning "iron".

Ferraro Italian
Variant of Ferrari.

Ferreiro Galician
Galician cognate of Ferrari.

Ferrer Catalan
Catalan cognate of Ferrari.

Ferrero Italian
Regional variant of Ferrari. It is typical of the area around Turin.

Ferri Italian
Variant of Ferro.

Ferro Italian, Spanish
Means "iron", ultimately from Latin ferrum. This was an occupational name for one who worked with iron.

Fèvre French
Occupational name meaning "blacksmith" in Old French, derived from Latin faber.

Fiddler English
English form of Fiedler.

Fiedler German
Means "fiddler" in German.

Fierro Spanish, Italian
Variant of Ferro.

Fiscella Italian
Derived from Italian fiscella, which was a basket used to conserve cheese. The name was probably used to denote a person who made cheese.

Fischer German
Occupational name meaning "fisherman" in German.

Fisher English, Jewish
Cognate of Fischer.

Fishman English
Occupational name for a fisherman.

Fisker Danish
Means "fisherman" in Danish.

Fleischer German
Occupational name meaning "butcher" in German.

Fletcher English
Occupational name for a fletcher, someone who attached feathers to the shaft of an arrow. It is derived from Old French fleche meaning "arrow".

Flower English
From Middle English flour meaning "flower, blossom", derived from Old French flur, Latin flos. This was a nickname given to a sweet person. In other cases it could be a metonymic occupational name for a maker of flour (a word derived from the same source).

Forester English
Denoted a keeper or one in charge of a forest, or one who has charge of growing timber in a forest (see Forest).

Forestier French
French cognate of Forester.

Fortier French
Derived from Old French fort "stronghold", indicating a person who lived near or worked at such a place.

Foster 1 English
Variant of Forester.

Foster 2 English
Occupational name for a scissor maker, derived from Old French forcetier.

Foster 3 English
Occupational name for a maker of saddle trees, derived from Old French fustier.

Fournier French
Occupational name for a baker, from French fourneau meaning "oven".

Fowler English
Occupational name for a fowler or birdcatcher, ultimately derived from Old English fugol meaning "bird".

Franklin English
Derived from Middle English frankelin meaning "freeman". It denoted a landowner of free but not noble birth, from Old French franc meaning "free".

Franklyn English
Variant of Franklin.

Fuhrmann German
Derived from Middle High German vuorman meaning "cartwright".

Fuller English
Occupational name for a fuller, a person who thickened and cleaned coarse cloth by pounding it. It is derived via Middle English from Latin fullo.

Funar Romanian
Means "rope maker" in Romanian.

Furnadjiev Bulgarian
Occupational name for a baker, derived from Bulgarian фурна (furna) meaning "oven".

Gabler German
Occupational name for someone who made or sold forks, from Old High German gabala "fork".

Gadhavi Indian, Gujarati
Meaning unknown, related to the Charan caste of Gujarat.

Gaertner German
German form of Gardener.

Gage French, English
Occupational name derived either from Old French jauge "measure" (a name for an assayer) or gage "pledge, payment" (a name for a moneylender). Both words were ultimately of Frankish origin.

Gagne French
Variant of Gagneux. This surname is especially common in Quebec.

Gagneux French
Derived from Old French gagnier meaning "to farm, to cultivate".

Gagnier French
Variant of Gagneux.

Garb German
Variant of Garber.

Garber German
Variant of Gerber.

Garçon French
Means "boy" in French, referring to a servant.

Gardener English
Occupational surname for one who was a gardener, from Old French jardin meaning "garden" (of Frankish origin).

Gardiner English
Variant of Gardener.

Gardinier French
French form of Gardener.

Gardner English
Variant of Gardener.

Garner 1 English
From Old French gernier meaning "granary", a derivative of Latin granum meaning "grain". This name could refer to a person who worked at a granary or lived near one.

Garner 2 English
Variant of Gardener.

Garnet English
Variant of Garnett 1 or Garnett 2.

Garnett 1 English
Occupational name referring to a person who made hinges, from Old French carne "hinge".

Garnier 2 English
Variant of Garner 1.

Gärtner German
German form of Gardener.

Garver German
Variant of Gerber.

Geiger German
Means "fiddle player" in German, derived from Old High German giga "fiddle".

Geisler German
Variant of Geissler.

Geißler German
Variant of Geissler.

Geissler German
Occupational name for a goat herder, from southern German Geiss meaning "goat" and the suffix ler signifying an occupation.

Geiszler German
Variant of Geissler.

Gerber German
Means "tanner, leather dresser" in German, derived from Old High German garawen meaning "to prepare".

Gereben Hungarian
Means "hackle, hatchel" in Hungarian (a hackle is a tool used to comb out fibers).

Gerst German
Occupational name for a barley farmer, derived from Old High German gersta "barley".

Gerstle German
Variant of Gerst.

Gerver German
Variant of Gerber.

Ghasabyan Armenian
From Armenian ղասաբ (ghasab) meaning "butcher", of Arabic origin.

Gilroy Irish
Anglicized form of Mac Giolla Ruaidh or Mac Giolla Rí.

Glas German, Dutch
German and Dutch cognate of Glass.

Glass English, German
From Old English glæs or Old High German glas meaning "glass". This was an occupational name for a glass blower or glazier.

Glazier English
Means "glass worker, glazier", from Old English glæs meaning "glass".

Glöckner German
Derived from Middle High German glocke "bell". It may have referred to a person who worked at or lived close to a bell tower.

Glover English
Occupational name for a person who made or sold gloves, from Middle English glovere.

Goffe English
Derived from Breton or Cornish goff meaning "smith", referring to a metalworker.

Gold English, German, Jewish
From Old English and Old High German gold meaning "gold", an occupational name for someone who worked with gold or a nickname for someone with yellow hair. As a Jewish name it is ornamental.

Goldschmidt German
Occupational name meaning "goldsmith" in German.

Gomółka Polish
Derived from Polish gomółka, a type of round cheese, ultimately from an old Polish word meaning "round".

Gomułka Polish
Variant of Gomółka.

Graf German
From the German noble title Graf meaning "count", ultimately from Greek γραφεύς (grapheus) meaning "scribe".

Granger English, French
Means "farm bailiff" from Old French grangier, ultimately from Latin granum meaning "grain". It is borne in the Harry Potter novels by Harry's friend Hermione Granger.

Graves English
Occupational name for a steward, derived from Middle English greyve, related to the German title Graf.

Grayson English
Means "son of the steward", derived from Middle English greyve "steward".

Grieve Scottish
Occupational name meaning "steward, farm manager" in Middle English, related to the German title Graf.

Gruber Upper German
From German Grube meaning "pit", indicating a person who lived or worked in a pit or depression. This is the most common surname in Austria.

Guerrero Spanish
Means "warrior" in Spanish, an occupational name for a soldier. It is derived from Late Latin werra "war", of Germanic origin.

Guerriero Italian
Italian form of Guerrero.

Gulyás Hungarian
Means "herdsman, tender of cows" in Hungarian.

Gwózdek Polish
Derived from either archaic Polish gwozd meaning "forest" or gwóźdź meaning "nail".

Haak Dutch
Occupational name meaning "peddler" in Dutch.

Haber German, Jewish
Occupational name for one who grew or sold oats, derived from Old High German habaro "oat". As a Jewish surname it is ornamental.

Haberkorn German
Occupational name for a dealer in oats, derived from Old High German habaro "oat" and korn "kernel, grain".

Hafner German
Occupational name for a potter, derived from Old High German hafan "pot, vessel".

Hajós Hungarian
Means "boatman, sailor" in Hungarian.

Halász Hungarian
Means "fisherman" in Hungarian.

Harper English
Originally belonged to a person who played the harp or who made harps.

Hauer German
Derived from Middle High German houwen "to chop", referring to a butcher or woodchopper.

Haumann German
Derived from Middle High German houwen "to chop" and man "man", referring to a butcher or woodchopper.

Haupt German
German cognate of Head.

Havener German
Variant of Hafner.

Haward English
Variant of Howard 1 or Hayward.

Hayward English
Occupational name for a person who protected an enclosed forest, from Old English hæg "enclosure, fence" and weard "guard".

Head English
From Middle English hed meaning "head", from Old English heafod. It may have referred to a person who had a peculiar head, who lived near the head of a river or valley, or who served as the village headman.

Heeren Dutch
From Dutch heer "lord, master", a nickname for a person who acted like a lord or who worked for a lord.

Hegedűs Hungarian
Means "fiddler" in Hungarian, from hegedű "violin".

Herceg Croatian
Croatian form of Herzog.

Herczeg Hungarian
Hungarian form of Herzog.

Herczog Hungarian
Hungarian form of Herzog.

Herrema Frisian
Frisian variant of Heeren.

Herrero Spanish
Spanish cognate of Ferrari.

Hersch German, Jewish
Variant of Hirsch 1 or Hirsch 2.

Herschel German, Jewish
Diminutive form of Hirsch 1 or Hirsch 2. A famous bearer was the British-German astronomer William Herschel (1738-1822), as well as his sister Caroline Herschel (1750-1848) and son John Herschel (1792-1871), also noted scientists.

Herzog German
From a German title meaning "duke", a nickname for a person who either acted like a duke or worked in a duke's household.

Hickey Irish
Anglicized form of Irish Ó hÍcidhe meaning "descendant of the healer".

Hidalgo Spanish
Means "nobleman" in Spanish. The Spanish word is a contraction of the phrase hijo de algo meaning "son of something". This surname was typically in origin a nickname or an occupational name for one who worked in a noble's household.

Hierro Spanish
Spanish form of Ferro.

Hirsch 1 German
Means "deer, hart" in German. This was a nickname for a person who resembled a deer in some way, or who raised or hunted deer.

Hirschel German, Jewish
Diminutive form of Hirsch 1 or Hirsch 2.

Hodžić Bosnian
From Bosnian hodža meaning "master, teacher, imam", a word of Persian origin.

Hoedemaeker Dutch
Variant of Hoedemaker.

Hoedemaekers Dutch
Variant of Hoedemaker.

Hoedemaker Dutch
Occupational name for a hat maker, from Dutch hoed "hat" and maker "maker".

Hoedemakers Dutch
Variant of Hoedemaker.

Hoefler German
Variant of Hofer.

Hofer German
Occupational name for a farmer, from German Hof "farm", from Old High German hof "yard, court".

Hoffman German
Variant of Hoffmann.

Hoffmann German
From Middle High German hofmann meaning "farmer".

Höfler German
Variant of Hofer.

Hofmann German
Variant of Hoffmann.

Hofmeister German
Means "master of the household", from Old High German hof "yard, court, house" and meistar "master" (from Latin magister).

Hogarth English
Variant of Hoggard.

Hoggard English
Occupational name meaning "pig herder", from Old English hogg "hog" and hierde "herdsman, guardian".

Holtman Dutch
Dutch cognate of Holzmann.

Holzknecht German
Occupational name for a forester's helper, from Old High German holz "wood" and kneht "servant, apprentice".

Holzmann German
Derived from Old High German holz "wood" and man "man", a name for someone who lived close to a wood or worked with wood.

Hood English
Metonymic occupational name for a maker of hoods or a nickname for someone who wore a distinctive hood, from Old English hod.

Hooper English
Occupational name for someone who put the metal hoops around wooden barrels.

Hoover German (Anglicized)
Americanized form of Huber.

Hopper English
Occupational name for an acrobat or a nickname for someone who was nervous or restless. A famous bearer was the American actor Dennis Hopper (1936-2010).

Horn English, German, Norwegian, Danish
From the Old English, Old High German and Old Norse word horn meaning "horn". This was an occupational name for one who carved objects out of horn or who played a horn, or a person who lived near a horn-shaped geographical feature, such as a mountain or a bend in a river.

Horne English
Variant of Horn.

Hornick Czech (Anglicized), Slovak (Anglicized)
Anglicized form of Horník.

Horník Czech, Slovak
Occupational name meaning "miner" in Czech and Slovak.

Hou Chinese
From Chinese 侯 (hóu) meaning "lord, nobleman".

Houtkooper Dutch
Means "buyer of wood" in Dutch.

Houtman Dutch
Dutch cognate of Holzmann.

Howard 2 English
Occupational name meaning "ewe herder", from Old English eowu "ewe" and hierde "herdsman, guardian".

Hrabě Czech
Means "count" in Czech, perhaps used to denote someone who worked for a count or acted like a count.

Hruška Czech
Means "pear" in Czech, most likely used to denote a person who grew or sold pears.

Hu Chinese
From Chinese 胡 (hú) meaning "beard, whiskers, recklessly, wildly, barbarian".

Hüber German
Variant of Huber.

Huber German
Occupational name for a farmer, derived from Old High German huoba "plot of land, farm".

Huffman German
Variant of Hoffmann.

Huffmann German
Variant of Hoffmann.

Hunt English
Variant of Hunter.

Hunter English, Scottish
Occupational name that referred to someone who hunted for a living, from Old English hunta.

Hutmacher German
German cognate of Hoedemaker.

Jackman English
Means "servant of Jack".

Jaeger German
Variant of Jäger.

Jäger German
Means "hunter" in German, from Old High German jagon meaning "to hunt".

Jager German
Variant of Jäger.

Jagger English
From an English word meaning "carter, peddler". A famous bearer is the British musician Mick Jagger (1943-), the lead singer of the Rolling Stones.

Jakeman English
Means "servant of Jack".

Jardine English, Scottish
Means "garden", denoting someone who worked as a gardener.

Jehlička Czech
From Czech jehla meaning "needle", most likely borne by tailors in reference to their occupation.

Joiner English
Occupational name for a carpenter (that is, a person who joins wood together to make furniture).

Jonckers Dutch
Patronymic form of Jonker.

Jonker Dutch
From the Dutch title jonkheer meaning "young lord". It was originally a medieval noble designation (not an actual title) for a young nobleman.

Jonkers Dutch
Patronymic form of Jonker.

Jonkheer Dutch
Variant of Jonker.

Joshi Indian, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Nepali
From Sanskrit ज्योतिश (jyotisha) meaning "astronomer".

Joyner English
Variant of Joiner.

Juhász Hungarian
Occupational name meaning "shepherd" in Hungarian, from juh "sheep".

Kaczmarek Polish
Occupational name for a person who worked as an innkeeper, derived from Polish karczma meaning "inn".

Kádár Hungarian
Means "cooper, barrel maker" in Hungarian.

Kadlec Czech
From Czech tkadlec meaning "weaver".

Kalb German
Occupational name meaning "calf (animal)" in German.

Kalbfleisch German
Occupational name for a butcher who dealt in veal, from German kalb meaning "calf" and fleisch meaning "meat".

Kalmár Hungarian
Occupational name meaning "merchant, shopkeeper" in Hungarian, of German origin.

Kamiński Polish
From Polish kamień meaning "stone", a name for a stonecutter or for one who lived at a place with this name.

Kappel German, Dutch
Name for a person who lived near or worked at a chapel, ultimately from Late Latin cappella, a diminutive of cappa "cape", arising from the holy relic of the torn cape of Saint Martin, which was kept in small churches.

Kardos Hungarian
From Hungarian kard meaning "sword". It could have been applied to soldiers, sword makers, or one with a pugnacious nature.

Kasabian Armenian
Alternate transcription of Armenian Ղասաբյան (see Ghasabyan).

Kästner German
Means "cabinet maker", derived from Middle High German kaste "box".

Katırcı Turkish
Derived from Turkish katır meaning "mule", a name for a person who made transports by mule.

Katona Hungarian
Means "soldier" in Hungarian.

Käufer German
Variant of Kaufer.

Kaufer German
Means "trader" in German.

Kauffmann German, Jewish
Variant of Kaufmann.

Kaufman German, Jewish
Variant of Kaufmann.

Kaufmann German, Jewish
Means "trader, merchant" in German.

Kavaliauskas Lithuanian
Lithuanian form of Kowalski.

Kavalioŭ Belarusian
Alternate transcription of Belarusian Кавалёў (see Kavalyow).

Kavalyow Belarusian
Patronymic from Belarusian каваль (kaval') meaning "blacksmith".

Kay 2 English
Derived from Old French kay meaning "wharf, quay", indicating one who lived near or worked on a wharf.

Keller German
Means "cellar" in German, an occupational name for one in charge of the food and drink.

Kellogg English
Occupational name for a pig butcher, from Middle English killen "to kill" and hog "pig, swine, hog".

Keo Khmer
Means "glass" in Khmer.

Kerekes Hungarian
Occupational name for a maker of wheels, from Hungarian kerék meaning "wheel".

Kerner German
Derived from Old High German kerno "seed", an occupational name for one who sold or planted seeds.

Kerper German
Variant of Gerber.

Kertész Hungarian
Occupational name meaning "gardener" in Hungarian.

Key 1 English
Variant of Kay 1 or Kay 2.

Keyes 1 English
Variant of Kay 1 or Kay 2.

Keys 1 English
Variant of Kay 1 or Kay 2.

Kiefer 2 German
Occupational name for a barrel maker, derived from Old High German kuofa meaning "barrel".

Kilpatrick Irish
From the Irish Mac Giolla Phádraig meaning "son of the servant of Saint Patrick".

King English
From Old English cyning "king", originally a nickname for someone who either acted in a kingly manner or who worked for or was otherwise associated with a king. A famous bearer was the American civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968).

Kinnunen Finnish
Possibly derived from the Finnish dialectal word kinni meaning "animal skin, fur", borrowed from Swedish skinn.

Kirchner German
Derived from Middle High German kirchenaere meaning "sexton".

Kistler German
Occupational name meaning "chest maker, cabinetmaker" from Middle High German kiste.

Kistner German
Variant of Kistler.

Kitchen English
Occupational name for a person who worked in a kitchen (of a monastery for example), derived from Old English cycene, ultimately from Latin coquina.

Kitchens English
Variant of Kitchen.

Kladivo Czech
Means "hammer" in Czech, a nickname for a blacksmith.

Kleid Jewish
Occupational name for a tailor, from Old High German kleid meaning "garment, clothing".

Klerk Dutch
Variant of De Klerk.

Klerken Dutch
Variant of De Klerk.

Klerks Dutch
Variant of De Klerk.

Klerkse Dutch
Variant of De Klerk.

Klerkx Dutch
Variant of De Klerk.

Klerx Dutch
Variant of De Klerk.

Knef German
Occupational name for a shoemaker, derived from Low German knif meaning "shoemaker's knife".

Kneib German
Variant of Knef.

Knepp German
Variant of Knopf.

Knight English
From Old English cniht meaning "knight", a tenant serving as a mounted soldier.

Knochenmus German
From German Knochen "bone" and Mus "sauce". It probably referred to someone who worked in the butcher trade.

Knopf German
Means "button" in German, originally belonging to a button maker or button seller.

Knopp German
Variant of Knopf.

Koch German
German cognate of Cook.

Kock Low German, Dutch
Low German and Dutch cognate of Cook.

Kocsis Hungarian
Means "coachman" in Hungarian.

Koeman Dutch
Variant of Koopman.

Koemans Dutch
Variant of Koopman.

Köhler German
Variant of Kohler.

Kohler German
From Middle High German koler meaning "charcoal burner" or "charcoal seller".

Kok Dutch
Dutch cognate of Cook.

Kolář Czech
Means "wheelwright", a derivative of Czech kolo "wheel".

Kolar Croatian, Slovene
Croatian and Slovene cognate of Kolář.

Kolarić Croatian
Patronymic form of Kolar.

Kolbe German
From Middle High German kolbe meaning "club".

Koopman Dutch
Occupational name meaning "merchant" in Dutch.

Kopitar Slovene
From Slovene kopito meaning "hoof", an occupational name for a shoer.

Košar Croatian
From Croatian koš meaning "basket", originally indicating a person who made or sold baskets.

Koszorús Hungarian
Derived from Hungarian koszorú meaning "garland, wreath, girdle", a name for someone who made garlands.

Koumans Dutch
Variant of Koopman.

Kováč Slovak, Czech
Slovak and Czech cognate of Kovač.

Kovac Slovak, Croatian, Serbian, Czech
Simplified spelling of Kováč or Kovač.

Kovač Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian, Slovene
Means "blacksmith", a derivative of Slavic kovati meaning "to forge".

Kovačević Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian
Variant of Kovačić.

Kovačevič Slovene
Slovene form of Kovačević.

Kovách Hungarian
Variant of Kovács.

Kovachev Bulgarian
Patronymic derived from Bulgarian ковач (kovach) meaning "blacksmith".

Kovačić Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian
Patronymic derived from South Slavic kovač meaning "blacksmith".

Kovačič Slovene
Slovene form of Kovačić.

Kovács Hungarian
Hungarian form of Kovač.

Kovalchuk Ukrainian, Russian
Derived from Ukrainian and Russian коваль (koval) meaning "blacksmith".