Surnames with 3 Syllables

This is a list of surnames in which the number of syllables is 3.
usage
syllables
Ferreiro Galician
Galician cognate of Ferrari.
Filipov m Bulgarian, Macedonian
Means "son of Filip".
Filippi Italian
Derived from the given name Filippo.
Filippov m Russian
Means "son of Filip".
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.
Fonseca Spanish, Portuguese
Originally belonged to a person who lived near a dry spring, from Latin fons "well, spring" and siccus "dry".
Fontana Italian, Spanish
Italian and Spanish cognate of Fontaine.
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.
Francisco Portuguese, Spanish
Derived from the given name Francisco.
Fujita Japanese
From Japanese (fuji) meaning "wisteria" and (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".
Fukui Japanese
Denoted a person who was from Fukui prefecture in Japan.
Fyodorov m Russian
Means "son of Fyodor".
Gabriels English
Derived from the given name Gabriel.
Gagliardi Italian
From Italian gagliardo meaning "strong, vigorous".
Galanis m Greek
From Greek γαλανός (galanos) meaning "light blue".
Gallardo Spanish
Means "gallant, elegant" in Spanish.
Gallego Spanish
Originally indicated a person from Galicia, a region in northwestern Spain.
García Spanish
From a medieval given name of unknown meaning, possibly related to the Basque word hartz meaning "bear". This is the most common surname in Spain.
Garcia Portuguese, Spanish
Portuguese form of García. It is also an unaccented form of the Spanish name used commonly in America and the Philippines.
Gardener English
Occupational surname for one who was a gardener, from Old French jardin meaning "garden" (of Frankish origin).
Gárdonyi Hungarian
Originally denoted a person from Gárdony, a town near Budapest in Hungary.
Garrido Spanish
Means "elegant, ostentatious" in Spanish.
Gaspari Italian
From the given name Gaspare.
Gavrilyuk Ukrainian
Alternate transcription of Ukrainian Гаврилюк (see Havrylyuk).
Gentile Italian
From a nickname meaning "gentle, kind" in Italian.
Gereben Hungarian
Means "hackle, hatchel" in Hungarian (a hackle is a tool used to comb out fibers).
Germano Italian
From the given name Germano.
Gevorgian Armenian
Alternate transcription of Armenian Գեւորգյան (see Gevorgyan).
Gevorgyan Armenian
Means "son of Gevorg".
Ghasabyan Armenian
From Armenian ղասաբ (ghasab) meaning "butcher", of Arabic origin.
Giannino Italian
Derived from the given name Giannino.
Giordano Italian
Derived from the given name Giordano.
Giuliani Italian
From the given name Giuliano.
Gomółka Polish
Derived from Polish gomółka, a type of round cheese, ultimately from an old Polish word meaning "round".
Gonçalves Portuguese
Means "son of Gonçalo" in Portuguese.
González Spanish
Means "son of Gonzalo" in Spanish. This is among the most common surnames in Spain.
Gonzalez Spanish
Unaccented variant of González.
Gonzalo Spanish
From the given name Gonzalo.
Gorecka f Polish
Feminine form of Gorecki.
Gorecki m Polish
Originally indicated a person from Górka, the name of various towns in Poland, ultimately from Polish góra "mountain".
Gouveia Portuguese
From the name of the city of Gouveia in Portugal, of unknown meaning.
Grabowska f Polish
Feminine form of Grabowski.
Grabowski m Polish
Habitational name for someone from any of the various places called Grabów, Grabowa or Grabowo, all derived from Polish grab meaning "hornbeam tree".
Gregory English
From the given name Gregory.
Grigoryan Armenian
Means "son of Grigor" in Armenian.
Grimaldi Italian
From the given name Grimaldo. It is the surname of the royal family of Monaco, which came from Genoa.
Grześkiewicz Polish
Derived from the given name Grzegorz.
Guerrero Spanish
Means "warrior" in Spanish, an occupational name for a soldier. It is derived from Late Latin werra "war", of Germanic origin.
Guevara Spanish
Hispanicized form of Gebara. A notable bearer was Argentine revolutionary Che Guevara (1928-1967).
Gustafsson Swedish
Means "son of Gustaf". The actress Greta Garbo (1905-1990) was originally named Greta Gustafsson.
Gustavsson Swedish
Means "son of Gustav".
Gutiérrez Spanish
Means "son of Gutierre".
Hadjiev m Bulgarian
Alternate transcription of Bulgarian Хаджиев (see Hadzhiev).
Hadzhiev m Bulgarian
Derived from Bulgarian хаджия (hadzhiya) meaning "pilgrim", ultimately from Arabic حَجّ (ḥajj).
Håkansson Swedish
Means "son of Håkan".
Hakobyan Armenian
Means "son of Hakob" in Armenian.
Hamilton English, Scottish
From an English place name, derived from Old English hamel "crooked, mutilated" and dun "hill". This was the name of a town in Leicestershire, England (which no longer exists).
Harrison English
Means "son of Harry".
Hashemi Persian
From the given name Hashem.
Hathaway English
Habitational name for someone who lived near a path across a heath, from Old English hæþ "heath" and weg "way".
Havrylyuk Ukrainian
From a diminutive of the given name Havryil.
Hayashi Japanese
From Japanese (hayashi) meaning "forest".
Hegedűs Hungarian
Means "fiddler" in Hungarian, from hegedű "violin".
Heikkilä Finnish
From the given name Heikki with the suffix -lä indicating a place.
Heikkinen Finnish
From the given name Heikki.
Heinonen Finnish
From the given name Heino.
Herbertson English
Means "son of Herbert".
Hermanson English
Means "son of Herman".
Hernández Spanish
Means "son of Hernando" in Spanish.
Hernandez Spanish
Unaccented variant of Hernández.
Hernando Spanish
From the given name Hernando.
Herrera Spanish
Spanish form of Ferreira.
Herrero Spanish
Spanish cognate of Ferrari.
Heydari Persian
From the given name Heydar.
Hidaka Japanese
From Japanese (hi) meaning "sun, day" and (taka) meaning "tall, high".
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.
Higashi Japanese
From Japanese (higashi) meaning "east".
Hildebrand German
From the given name Hildebrand.
Himura Japanese
From Japanese (hi) meaning "scarlet, dark red" and (mura) meaning "town, village".
Hirano Japanese
From Japanese (hira) meaning "level, even, peaceful" and (no) meaning "field, wilderness".
Hirata Japanese
From Japanese (hira) meaning "level, even, peaceful" and (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".
Holloway English
From the name of various English places, derived from Old English hol "hollow, sunken, deep" and weg "path, way".
Hoshino Japanese
From Japanese (hoshi) meaning "star" and (no) meaning "field, wilderness".
Hosseini Persian
From the given name Hossein.
Hutchinson English
Means "son of Huchin", a medieval diminutive of Hugh.
Ibáñez Spanish
Means "son of Ibán".
Ibrahim Arabic, Urdu, Hausa
From the given name Ibrahim.
Iglesias Spanish
From Spanish iglesia meaning "church", from Latin ecclesia (of Greek origin).
Ignatiev m Russian
Alternate transcription of Russian Игнатьев (see Ignatyev).
Ignatov m Bulgarian, Russian
Means "son of Ignat".
Ignatyev m Russian
Means "son of Ignatiy".
Ikeda Japanese
From Japanese (ike) meaning "pool, pond" and (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".
Imai Japanese
From Japanese (ima) meaning "now, present" and (i) meaning "well, mine shaft, pit".
Inaba Japanese
From Japanese (ina) meaning "rice plant" and (ha) meaning "leaf".
Inada Japanese
From Japanese (ina) meaning "rice plant" and (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".
Íñiguez Spanish
Means "son of Íñigo" in Spanish.
Inoue Japanese
Means "above the well", from Japanese (i) meaning "well, mine shaft, pit", an unwritten possessive marker (no), and (ue) meaning "above, top, upper".
Isaev m Russian
Alternate transcription of Russian Исаев (see Isayev).
Isayev m Russian
Means "son of Isay".
Ishida Japanese
From Japanese (ishi) meaning "stone" and (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".
Ishikawa Japanese
From Japanese (ishi) meaning "stone" and (kawa) meaning "river, stream".
Ismail Arabic
From the given name Ismail.
Ivanov m Bulgarian, Russian, Ukrainian, Macedonian
Means "son of Ivan". It is among the most common surnames in Bulgaria and Russia.
Ivarsson Swedish
Means "son of Ivar".
Iwai Japanese
From Japanese (iwa) meaning "cliff, rocks" and (i) meaning "well, mine shaft, pit".
Iwata Japanese
From Japanese (iwa) meaning "cliff, rocks" and (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".
Izquierdo Spanish
Means "left, left-handed" in Spanish, ultimately from Basque ezker.
Izumi Japanese
From Japanese (izumi) meaning "spring, fountain".
Jabłońska f Polish
Feminine form of Jabłoński.
Jabłoński m Polish
Originally denoted someone who lived by an apple tree, from Polish jabłoń meaning "apple tree".
Jacobson English
Means "son of Jacob".
Jafari Persian
From the given name Jafar.
Jagoda Polish
Means "berry" in Polish.
Jahoda m Czech
Czech cognate of Jagoda.
Jameson English
Means "son of James".
Jamison English
Means "son of James".
Jamshidi Persian
From the given name Jamshid.
Jankovics Hungarian
Means "son of Jankó", a diminutive of János.
Jankowska f Polish
Feminine form of Jankowski.
Jankowski m Polish
Habitational name for a person from a town named Jankowo or Janków, all derived from the given name Janek.
Janowska f Polish
Feminine form of Janowski.
Janowski m Polish
Habitational name for a person from a town named Janowo, Janów or Janowice, all derived from the given name Jan 1.
Järvinen Finnish
Derived from Finnish järvi meaning "lake". It is one of the most common surnames in Finland.
Jaworska f Polish
Feminine form of Jaworski.
Jaworski m Polish
Habitational name for someone from any of the various places named Jawory or Jaworze, derived from Polish jawor meaning "maple tree".
Jedynak Polish
Means "only child" in Polish.
Jefferson English
Means "son of Jeffrey". A famous bearer was American president Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826). Since his surname was sometimes adopted by freed slaves, it is now more common among the African-American population.
Jiménez Spanish
Means "son of Jimeno".
Johansson Swedish
Means "son of Johan". This is the second most common surname in Sweden.
Jokela Finnish
Derived from Finnish joki "river".
Jokinen Finnish
Derived from Finnish joki "river".
Josephson English
Means "son of Joseph".
Kaczmarek Polish
Occupational name for a person who worked as an innkeeper, derived from Polish karczma meaning "inn".
Kałuża Polish
Means "puddle" in Polish.
Kamińska f Polish
Feminine form of Kamiński.
Kamiński m Polish
From Polish kamień meaning "stone", a name for a stonecutter or for one who lived at a place with this name.
Kamiya Japanese
From Japanese (kami) meaning "god" and (ya) meaning "valley".
Kaneko Japanese
From Japanese (kane) meaning "gold, metal, money" and (ko) meaning "child".
Kanzaki Japanese
From Japanese (kan) meaning "god" and (saki) meaning "cape, peninsula".
Karimi Persian, Arabic
Derived from the given name Karim.
Kárpáti Hungarian
Derived from Kárpátok, the Hungarian name of the Carpathians.
Karppinen Finnish
From Finnish karppi meaning "carp", of Germanic origin.
Kasabian Armenian
Alternate transcription of Armenian Ղասաբյան (see Ghasabyan).
Katona Hungarian
Means "soldier" in Hungarian.
Kavanagh Irish
Derived from the Irish Gaelic name Caomhánach, which means "a student of saint Caomhán". It was the name used by a 12th-century king of Leinster, Domhnall Caomhánach, the eldest son of the historic Irish king Diarmait Mac Murchada.
Kazama Japanese
From Japanese (kaza) meaning "wind, style" and (ma) meaning "among, between".
Kazlauskas m Lithuanian
Lithuanian form of Kozłowski. This is the most common surname in Lithuania.
Kelemen Hungarian
Derived from the given name Kelemen.
Kennedy Irish
From the Irish name Ó Cinnéidigh meaning "descendant of Cennétig". This surname was borne by assassinated American president John F. Kennedy (1917-1963).
Kerekes Hungarian
Occupational name for a maker of wheels, from Hungarian kerék meaning "wheel".
Kevorkian Armenian
Alternate transcription of Armenian Գեւորգյան (see Gevorgyan).
Kimberley English
From various English places called Kimberley. They mean either "Cyneburga's field", "Cynebald's field" or "Cynemær's field".
Kimura Japanese
From Japanese (ki) meaning "tree, wood" and (mura) meaning "town, village".
Kinnunen Finnish
Possibly derived from the Finnish dialectal word kinni meaning "animal skin, fur", borrowed from Swedish skinn.
Klymenko Ukrainian
From the given name Klym.
Konishi Japanese
From Japanese (ko) meaning "small" and 西 (nishi) meaning "west".
Korhonen Finnish
Possibly from archaic Finnish korho meaning "deaf, hard of hearing". This is the most common surname in Finland.
Koskinen Finnish
Derived from Finnish koski meaning "rapids".
Kosmatka Polish
Derived from Polish kosmaty meaning "shaggy, hairy".
Koszorús Hungarian
Derived from Hungarian koszorú meaning "garland, wreath, girdle", a name for someone who made garlands.
Kovachev m Bulgarian
Derived from Bulgarian ковач (kovach) meaning "blacksmith".
Kovalchuk Ukrainian, Russian
Derived from Ukrainian коваль (koval) meaning "blacksmith".
Kovalev m Russian
Alternate transcription of Russian Ковалёв (see Kovalyov).
Kovalyov m Russian
Derived from Russian коваль (koval) meaning "blacksmith".
Kowalczyk Polish
Patronymic derived from Polish kowal "blacksmith".
Kowalska f Polish
Feminine form of Kowalski.
Kowalski m Polish
From Polish kowal meaning "blacksmith". This is the second most common surname in Poland.
Kozlova f Russian
Feminine form of Kozlov.
Kozłowska f Polish
Feminine form of Kozłowski.
Kozłowski m Polish
Originally a name for a person from Kozłów, Kozłowo, or other places with a name derived from Polish kozioł meaning "male goat".
Krakowska f Polish
Feminine form of Krakowski.
Krakowski mu Polish, Jewish
Habitational name for a person from the city of Kraków in southern Poland.
Kravchenko Ukrainian
Derived from Ukrainian кравець (kravets) meaning "tailor".
Krikorian Armenian
Alternate transcription of Armenian Գրիգորյան (see Grigoryan).
Kulmala Finnish
From Finnish kulma meaning "corner" with the suffix -la indicating a place.
Kumięga Polish
Possibly from Polish kum "godfather, friend" or komięga "raft, barge".
Kurata Japanese
From Japanese (kura) or (kura) both meaning "granary, storehouse" and (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".
Kuroda Japanese
From Japanese (kuro) meaning "black" and (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".
Kuroki Japanese
From Japanese (kuro) meaning "black" and (ki) meaning "tree, wood".
Kuznetsov m Russian
Derived from Russian кузнец (kuznets) meaning "blacksmith".
Kwiatkowska f Polish
Feminine form of Kwiatkowski.
Kwiatkowski m Polish
Habitational name for someone from any of the various locations named Kwiatków, Kwiatkowo or Kwiatkowice, named from a diminutive of Polish kwiat meaning "flower".
Laakkonen Finnish
Possibly from a diminutive of the given name Niklas.
Laaksonen Finnish
Derived from Finnish laakso meaning "valley".
Labriola Italian
Originally indicated a person from the town of Abriola in southern Italy.
Lagorio Italian
From a nickname derived from Ligurian lagö, referring to a type of lizard, the European green lizard. This little reptile is respected because it supposedly protects against vipers.
Laguardia Italian
Occupational name meaning "sentry, sentinel" in Italian, also a locative name referring to a person who lived near a watchtower. Fiorello Laguardia (1882-1947) was the first mayor of New York of Italian origin.
Lahtinen Finnish
From Finnish lahti meaning "bay, cove".
Laitinen Finnish
Finnish surname of unknown origin.
Lakatos Hungarian
Means "locksmith" in Hungarian, a word of Romance origin.
Lamberti Italian
Derived from the given name Lamberto.
Laterza Italian
From the name of the town of Laterza near Taranto in Apulia. It is typical of southern Italy.
Laukkanen Finnish
From a nickname for a person who took big steps, from Finnish laukka meaning "canter, gallop".
Ławniczak Polish
From Polish ławnik meaning "alderman".
Lázaro Spanish, Portuguese
From the given name Lázaro.
Lazarov m Bulgarian, Macedonian
Means "son of Lazar".
Lazzari Italian
Means "son of Lazzaro".
Lebedev m Russian
From Russian лебедь (lebed) meaning "swan".
Leccese Italian
Variant of Lecce.
Lehtinen Finnish
Derived from Finnish lehti meaning "leaf".
Lehtonen Finnish
Derived from Finnish lehto meaning "grove, small forest".
Leone Italian
Derived from the given name Leone 1.
Leoni Italian
Derived from the given name Leone 1.
Lombardi Italian
Originally indicated someone who came from the Lombardy region of northern Italy, which was named for the Lombards, a Germanic tribe who invaded in the 6th century. Their name is derived from the Old German roots lang "long" and bart "beard".
Lorenzo Spanish
From the given name Lorenzo.
Lozano Spanish
Means "healthy, exuberant, lively" in Spanish, originally used as a nickname for an elegant or haughty person.
Mac an Bhaird Irish
Irish Gaelic form of Ward 2.
Mac Aodhagáin Irish
Irish Gaelic form of Keegan.
Mac Daibhéid Irish
Irish Gaelic form of McDevitt.
MacDhubhghaill Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic form of MacDougall.
MacEalair Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic form of McKellar.
MacEanruig Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic form of McKendrick.
MacGriogair Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic form of MacGregor.
Machado Portuguese, Spanish
Denoted a person who made or used hatchets, derived from Spanish and Portuguese machado "hatchet", both from Latin marculus "little hammer".
Macías Spanish
Derived from the given name Mateo.
MacKenzie Scottish
Anglicized form of Gaelic MacCoinnich meaning "son of Coinneach". It originates from the Kintail area of Scotland on the northwest coast.
Mac Maghnuis Irish
Irish Gaelic form of McManus.
Mac Naoimhín Irish
Means "son of Naomhán" in Irish.
Mac Neachtain Irish
Means "son of Nechtan" in Irish.
MacPhàrlain Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic form of McFarlane.
Madeira Portuguese
Occupational name for a carpenter, from Portuguese madeira "wood".
Madison English
Means "son of Maud". A famous bearer of this surname was the fourth American president James Madison (1751-1836).
Maeda Japanese
From Japanese (mae) meaning "front, forward" and (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".
Maestri Italian
Means "master" in Italian.
Magalhães Portuguese
Denoted a person hailing from one of the numerous minor places of this name in Portugal, possibly of Celtic origin. A notable bearer was the Portuguese explorer Fernão de Magalhães (1480-1521), normally called Ferdinand Magellan in English.
Mag Aonghuis Irish
Irish Gaelic form of McGuinness.
Magellan History
Anglicized form of Magalhães, referring to the explorer.
Magnusson Swedish
Means "son of Magnus".
Mag Uidhir Irish
Irish Gaelic form of McGuire.
Majewska f Polish
Feminine form of Majewski.
Majewski m Polish
Derived from Polish maj meaning "May". It may have been given in reference to the month the bearer was baptized.
Makarov m Russian
Means "son of Makar".
Mäkelä Finnish
Means "the place of the hill" in Finnish.
Mäkinen Finnish
Derived from Finnish mäki meaning "hill".
Maksimov m Russian
Means "son of Maksim".
Mallory English
From Old French maloret meaning "unfortunate, unlucky", a term introduced to England by the Normans.
Mancini Italian
Diminutive of Manco.
Manfredi Italian
Derived from the given name Manfredo.
Marchenko Ukrainian
Derived from the given name Marko.
Marchesi Italian
From 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.
Marchetti Italian
From a diminutive of the given name Marco.
Marchioni Italian
Possibly from the given name Melchiorre or the compound name Marco Giovanni.
Marciniak Polish
Means "son of Marcin".
Marconi Italian
Derived from the given name Marco.
María Spanish
From the given the name María.
Maria Italian, Portuguese
From the given the name Maria.
Mariani Italian
From the given name Mariano.
Marini Italian
Derived from the given name Marino.
Marino Italian, Spanish
Derived from the given name Marino.
Markova f Bulgarian, Russian
Feminine form of Markov.
Marszałek Polish
Polish cognate of Marshall.
Martelli Italian
Italian form of Martel 2.
Martínek m Czech
Derived from the given name Martin.
Martinek m Czech
Derived from the given name Martin.
Martínez Spanish
Means "son of Martín" in Spanish.
Martinez Spanish
Unaccented variant of Martínez.
Martini Italian
Derived from the given name Martino.
Martino Italian
From the given name Martino.
Martinson English
Means "son of Martin".
Martinsson Swedish
Means "son of Martin".
Maślanka Polish
Polish cognate of Máselník.
Masterson English
Patronymic derived from Middle English maister meaning "master", via Old French from Latin magister.
Mateo Spanish
Derived from the given name Mateo.
Mateos Spanish
Derived from the given name Mateo.
Matsuda Japanese
From Japanese (matsu) meaning "pine tree, fir tree" and (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".
Matsushita Japanese
From Japanese (matsu) meaning "pine tree, fir tree" and (shita) meaning "under, below".
Matveev m Russian
Alternate transcription of Russian Матвеев (see Matveyev).
Matveyev m Russian
Means "son of Matvey".
McLaughlin Scottish
Anglicized form of Gaelic MacLachlainn meaning "son of Lachlann".
Medvedev m Russian
Derived from Russian медведь (medved) meaning "bear".
Mendoza Spanish, Basque
From a Basque place name derived from mendi "mountain" and hotz "cold".
Menéndez Spanish
Means "son of Menendo" in Spanish, the given name Menendo being a medieval Spanish form of Hermenegildo.
Mercado Spanish
Means "market" in Spanish, originally given to a person who lived near a market or worked in one.
Merino Spanish
From the title for a judge in medieval Spain, derived from Latin maior.
Messina Italian
From the name of the Sicilian city of Messina, founded by Greek colonists. The city was named after the Greek city Μεσσήνη (Messene).
Mészáros Hungarian
Means "butcher" in Hungarian.
Michael English, German
From the given name Michael.
Michaelson English
Means "son of Michael".
Michalak Polish
Means "son of Michał".
Michalska f Polish
Feminine form of Michalski.