Surnames with 1 Syllable

This is a list of surnames in which the number of syllables is 1.
usage
syllables
Wash English
Derived from the Norman name Wazo.
Watt English
Derived from the Middle English given name Wat or Watt, a diminutive of the name Walter. A noteworthy bearer was the Scottish inventor James Watt (1736-1819).
Watts English
Patronymic derived from the Middle English given name Wat or Watt, a diminutive of the name Walter.
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).
Webb English
Occupational name meaning "weaver", from Old English webba, a derivative of wefan "to weave".
Weekes English
Variant of Weeks.
Weeks English
Derived from Old English wic meaning "village, town".
Wei Chinese
From Chinese (wèi) referring to the ancient state of Wei, which existed from the 5th to 3rd centuries BC in what is now Henan, Hebei, Shanxi, and Shandong provinces.
Weiss German, Yiddish
From Middle High German wiz or Yiddish װייַס (vais) meaning "white". This was originally a nickname for a person with white hair or skin.
Welch English
Variant of Walsh.
Wells English
Derived from Middle English wille meaning "well, spring, water hole".
Wen Chinese
From Chinese (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".
Wild English, German
Means "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.
Wilk Polish
Means "wolf" in Polish.
Wolf German, English
From Middle High German or Middle English wolf meaning "wolf", or else from an Old German given name beginning with this element.
Wolfe English
Variant of Wolf.
Wong 1 Chinese (Cantonese)
Cantonese romanization of Wang 1.
Wong 2 Chinese (Cantonese)
Cantonese romanization of Huang.
Wood English, Scottish
Originally denoted one who lived in or worked in a forest, derived from Old English wudu "wood".
Woolf English
Variant of Wolf.
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.
Wright 2 French (Anglicized)
Americanized form of Droit.
Wu 1 Chinese
From Chinese () referring to the ancient state of Wu, which was located in present-day Jiangsu province.
Wu 2 Chinese
From Chinese () meaning "military, martial".
Wu 3 Chinese (Cantonese)
Cantonese romanization of Hu.
Wynne English
Derived from the given name Wine.
Xiao Chinese
From Chinese (xiāo) referring to the fiefdom or territory of Xiao (in present-day Anhui province) that existed during the Zhou dynasty.
Xie Chinese
From Chinese (xiè) referring to the minor state of Xie, which existed in what is now Hubei province.
Xu 1 Chinese
From Chinese () referring to the ancient state of Xu, which existed to the 6th century BC in what is now Jiangsu and Anhui. The character means "slowly, calmly".
Xu 2 Chinese
From Chinese () referring to the minor state of Xu, which existed to the 4th century BC in what is now Henan province. The character means "allow, permit".
Xun Chinese
From Chinese (xún) meaning "plant, ancient state".
Yang Chinese
From Chinese (yáng) meaning "willow, poplar, aspen".
Yap English
From a nickname for a clever or cunning person, from Middle English yap meaning "devious, deceitful, shrewd".
Yates English
From Old English geat meaning "gate", a name for a gatekeeper or someone who lived near a gate.
Ye Chinese
From Chinese () meaning "leaf".
Yeung Chinese (Cantonese)
Cantonese romanization of Yang.
York English
From the name of the English city of York, which was originally called Eburacon (Latinized as Eboracum), meaning "yew" in Brythonic. In the Anglo-Saxon period it was corrupted to Eoforwic, based on Old English eofor "boar" and wic "village". This was rendered as Jórvík by the Vikings and eventually reduced to York.
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 () 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 () meaning "surplus".
Yu 3 Chinese
From Chinese () meaning "consent, approve".
Yu 4 Chinese
From Chinese () 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 (yuán), (yuán) or (yuán), which mean "origin, source".
Yuen Chinese (Cantonese)
Cantonese romanization of Ruan.
Zeng Chinese
From Chinese (zēng) referring to the former state of Zeng, which existed during the Zhou dynasty in what is now Hubei province.
Zhang Chinese
From Chinese (zhāng) meaning "stretch, extend". It may have denoted a bowmaker whose job it was to stretch bow wood.
Zhao Chinese
From Chinese (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 (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 (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 (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.