Surnames Categorized "child actors"

Adair English
Derived from the given name Edgar.

Adams English, Jewish
Derived from the given name Adam.

Adkins English
Variant of Atkins.

Alexander English
Derived from the given name Alexander.

Allen English, Scottish
Derived from the given name Alan.

Anaya Spanish
From the names of a few Spanish towns, possibly of Arabic origin meaning "stagnant water" or "path".

Anderson English
Means "son of Andrew".

Arias Spanish
Possibly derived from a medieval given name of Germanic origin.

Bagley English
From various English place names, derived from the Old English given name Bacga combined with leah "woodland, clearing".

Bailey English
From Middle English baili meaning "bailiff", which comes via Old French from Latin baiulus "porter".

Baird Scottish
Anglicized form of Mac an Baird.

Baker English
Occupational name meaning "baker", derived from Middle English bakere.

Banks English
Originally indicated someone who lived near a hillside or a bank of land.

Barber English, Scottish
Indicated a barber, one who cut hair for a living, ultimately from Latin barba "beard".

Barnes English
Denoted a person who worked or lived in a barn. The word barn is derived from Old English bere "barley" and ærn "dwelling".

Barton English
From a place name meaning "barley town" in Old English.

Bass English
English cognate of Basso.

Beaumont French, English
From French place names derived from beau "beautiful" and mont "mountain".

Beckett English
Originally a diminutive of Beck 1 or Beck 3.

Bell 1 English
From Middle English belle meaning "bell". It originated as a nickname for a person who lived near the town bell, or who had a job as a bell-ringer.

Bennett English
Derived from the medieval English given name Bennett.

Benson English
Means "son of Benedict".

Bishop English
Means simply "bishop", ultimately from Greek ἐπίσκοπος (episkopos) meaning "overseer". It probably originally referred to a person who served a bishop.

Black English
Means either "black" (from Old English blæc) or "pale" (from Old English blac). It could refer to a person with a pale or a dark complexion, or a person who worked with black dye.

Blair Scottish
From any one of several places of this name in Scotland, which derive from Gaelic blàr meaning "plain, field, battlefield".

Blake English
Variant of Black. A famous bearer was the poet and artist William Blake (1757-1827).

Bond English
Occupational name for a peasant farmer, from Middle English bonde. A famous bearer is the fictional spy James Bond, created by Ian Flemming in 1953.

Booth English
Topographic name derived from Middle English both meaning "hut, stall".

Bowman English
Occupational name for an archer, derived from Middle English bowe, Old English boga meaning "bow".

Boyce English
From Old French bois meaning "wood", originally given to someone who lived by or in a wood.

Boyd Scottish
From the name of the Scottish island of Bute (Bód in Gaelic), which is of unknown meaning.

Bradley English
From a common English place name, derived from brad "broad" and leah "woodland, clearing".

Breen Irish
Anglicized form of Irish Ó Braoin meaning "descendant of Braon", a byname meaning "rain, moisture, drop".

Brewer English
Occupational name for a maker of ale or beer.

Bridges English
Originally denoted a person who lived near a bridge, or who worked as a bridgekeeper, derived from Middle English brigge, Old English brycg.

Brown English
Originally a nickname for a person who had brown hair or skin. A notable bearer is Charlie Brown from the Peanuts comic strip by Charles Schulz.

Bruce Scottish
Possibly from the name of the town of Brix in Normandy, which is of unknown meaning. It was brought to Scotland in the 12th century by the Anglo-Norman baron Robert de Brus. It was later borne by his descendant Robert the Bruce, a hero of the 14th century who achieved independence from England and became the king of Scotland.

Bryan English
From the given name Brian.

Buckley 1 English
From an English place name derived from bucc "buck, male deer" and leah "woodland, clearing".

Burnham English
From the name of various towns in England, typically derived from Old English burna "stream, spring" and ham "home, settlement".

Burns 1 English, Scottish
Derived from Old English burna "stream, spring". A famous bearer was the Scottish poet Robert Burns (1759-1796).

Butler English, Irish
Occupational name derived from Norman French butiller "wine steward", ultimately from Late Latin butticula "bottle". A famous bearer of this surname is the fictional character Rhett Butler, created by Margaret Mitchell for her novel Gone with the Wind (1936).

Butts English
From a nickname meaning "thick, stumpy", from Middle English butt.

Byrne Irish
Variant of O'Byrne.

Campbell Scottish
From a Gaelic nickname cam beul meaning "wry or crooked mouth". The surname was later represented in Latin documents as de bello campo meaning "of the fair field".

Carlson Swedish
Means "son of Carl".

Carpenter English
From the occupation, derived from Middle English carpentier (ultimately from Latin carpentarius meaning "carriage maker").

Carroll Irish
From the given name Cearbhall. A famous bearer was Lewis Carroll (1832-1898), whose real name was Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, the author of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

Carter English
Occupational name for a person who operated a cart to transport goods, from Norman French caretier. A famous bearer is the former American president Jimmy Carter (1924-).

Cartwright English
Occupational name indicating one who made carts.

Chandler English
Occupational name meaning "candle seller" or "candle maker" in Middle English, ultimately derived from Latin candela via Old French.

Chase English
Occupational name for a hunter, from Middle English chase "hunt".

Clark English
Means "cleric" or "scribe", from Old English clerec meaning "priest", ultimately from Latin clericus. A famous bearer was William Clark (1770-1838), an explorer of the west of North America.

Cobb English
From a medieval English byname meaning "lump".

Cody Irish
Anglicized form of Irish Ó Cuidighthigh or Mac Óda. A famous bearer was the American frontiersman and showman Buffalo Bill Cody (1846-1917).

Coghlan Irish
Anglicized form of Ó Cochláin.

Cohen Jewish
Means "priest" from Hebrew כֹּהֵן (kohen). It originally denoted one of the priestly tribe of Levi.

Cole English
From a medieval short form of Nicholas or from the byname Cola.

Coleman Irish, English
From the given name Colmán.

Collins 1 Irish
Anglicized form of Ó Coileáin. A famous bearer was Michael Collins, an Irish nationalist leader who was assassinated in 1922.

Connelly Irish
Variant of Connolly.

Cook English
Derived from Old English coc meaning "cook", ultimately from Latin coquus. It was an occupational name for a cook, a man who sold cooked meats, or a keeper of an eating house.

Coombs English
From Old English cumb meaning "valley", the name of several places in England.

Cooper English
Means "barrel maker", from Middle English couper.

Coppola Italian
From the name of a type of hat characteristic of Sicily and southern Italy. This surname indicated a person who wore or made these hats. A famous bearer is the filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola (1939-), as well as other members of his extended family also in show business.

Corcoran Irish
From Irish Ó Corcráin meaning "descendant of Corcrán", a given name derived from the Gaelic word corcair "purple".

Crawford English
From a place name derived from Old English crawe "crow" and ford "river crossing". A notable bearer was the American actress Joan Crawford (1904-1977), born Lucille Fay LeSueur.

Croft English
From Old English croft meaning "enclosed field".

Cross English
Locative name meaning "cross", ultimately from Latin crux. It denoted one who lived near a cross symbol or near a crossroads.

Cruz Spanish, Portuguese
Spanish and Portuguese cognate of Cross.

Cuesta Spanish
Spanish form of Costa.

Cummings English
Variant of Cummins.

Curry Irish
Anglicized form of Ó Comhraidhe or Ó Corra.

Daly Irish
Anglicized form of Irish Ó Dálaigh meaning "descendant of Dálach".

Daniels English
Variant of Daniel.

Davies English, Scottish
Variant of Davis.

Davis English, Scottish
Means "son of David". This was the surname of the revolutionary jazz trumpet player Miles Davis (1926-1991).

Dawson English
Means "son of Daw".

Di Caprio Italian
From the name of the island of Capri near Naples, itself possibly derived from Latin capra meaning "goat" or Greek κάπρος (kapros) meaning "wild boar".

Doherty Irish
From the Irish Ó Dochartaigh meaning "descendant of Dochartach". The byname Dochartach means "obstructive".

Donaldson English
Means "son of Donald". A notable bearer is the online personality Jimmy Donaldson (1998-), who goes by the alias MrBeast.

Donovan Irish
Anglicized form of the Irish name Ó Donndubháin meaning "descendant of Donndubán".

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

Duff Scottish, Irish
Anglicized form of Mac Dhuibh or Ó Duibh.

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.

Dunst German
Derived from Middle High German dunst "haze".

Durand French, English
From Old French durant meaning "enduring", ultimately from Latin durans. This was a nickname for a stubborn person.

Eason English
Variant of Eads.

Edwards English
Means "son of Edward".

English English
Denoted a person who was of English heritage. It was used to distinguish people who lived in border areas (for example, near Wales or Scotland). It was also used to distinguish an Anglo-Saxon from a Norman.

Estrada Spanish
Spanish form of Street.

Evans Welsh, English
Means "son of Evan".

Ferguson Irish, Scottish
Means "son of Fergus".

Fields English
Name for a person who lived on or near a field or pasture, from Old English feld.

Finley Scottish
Anglicized (typically American) form of MacFhionnlaigh.

Fisher English, Jewish
Cognate of Fischer.

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".

Foster 1 English
Variant of Forester.

Fox English
From the name of the animal. It was originally a nickname for a person with red hair or a crafty person.

Fry English
From Old English frig (a variant of freo) meaning "free".

Frye English
Variant of Fry.

Garber German
Variant of Gerber.

Garbutt English
From the given name Gerbold.

Garland English
Means "triangle land" from Old English gara and land. It originally belonged to a person who owned a triangle-shaped piece of land.

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.

Garrett English
Derived from the given name Gerald or Gerard.

Garver German
Variant of Gerber.

Gentile Italian
From a nickname meaning "gentle, kind" in Italian.

Gilbert English, French
Derived from the given name Gilbert.

Gilchrist Scottish
From Gaelic MacGilleChrìosd meaning "son of Gille Críst".

Giraud French
From the given name Gérald.

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.

Gómez Spanish
Spanish form of Gomes.

Gonzales Spanish
Variant of González.

Gorman 1 German
From the Old German given name Germund.

Granville English
Derived from a Norman place name Grainville.

Gray English
From a nickname for a person who had grey hair or grey clothes.

Green English
Descriptive name for someone who often wore the colour green or someone who lived near the village green.

Griffith Welsh, English
Derived from the Welsh given name Gruffudd.

Gross German
Variant of Groß.

Haas Dutch, German
Variant of Hase.

Haines English
Variant of Haynes.

Haley English
From the name of an English town meaning "hay clearing", from Old English heg "hay" and leah "woodland, clearing".

Hall English, German, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish
Means simply "hall", given to one who either lived in or worked in a hall (the house of a medieval noble).

Hammond English
From the Norman given name Hamo or the Old Norse given name Hámundr.

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

Harris English
Means "son of Harry".

Hart English
Means "male deer". It was originally acquired by a person who lived in a place frequented by harts, or bore some resemblance to a hart.

Harvey English
From the Breton given name Haerviu (see Harvey).

Hawkins English
From a diminutive of Hawk.

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.

Henry English
Derived from the given name Henry.

Herbert English, German, French
Derived from the male given name Herbert.

Hernandez Spanish
Unaccented variant of Hernández.

Hicks English
Derived from the medieval given name Hicke, a diminutive of Richard.

Hines Irish
Anglicized form of Irish Ó hEidhin meaning "descendant of Eidhin", a given name or byname of unknown origin.

Hodges English
Patronymic of Hodge, a medieval diminutive of Roger.

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

Holland 1 English
From various English places of this name, derived from Old English hoh "point of land, heel" and land "land".

Holmes English, Scottish
Variant of Holme. A famous fictional bearer was Sherlock Holmes, a detective in Arthur Conan Doyle's mystery stories beginning in 1887.

Holt English, Dutch, Danish, Norwegian
From Old English, Old Dutch and Old Norse holt meaning "forest".

Hooker English
Originally applied to one who lived near a river bend or corner of some natural feature, from Old English hoc "angle, hook".

House English
Referred to a person who lived or worked in a house, as opposed to a smaller hut.

Howard 1 English
Derived from the given name Hughard or Hávarðr.

Hughes 1 English
Patronymic of the given name Hugh.

Hunt English
Variant of Hunter.

Irving Scottish, English
Variant of Irvine 1 or Irwin.

Jackson English
Means "son of Jack". Famous bearers of this name include the American president Andrew Jackson (1767-1845) and the singer Michael Jackson (1958-2009).

Janssen Dutch
Means "son of Jan 1".

Jenkins English
From the given name Jenkin, a diminutive of Jen, itself a Middle English form of John.

Johansson Swedish
Means "son of Johan". This is the second most common surname in Sweden.

Johnson English
Means "son of John". Famous bearers include American presidents Andrew Johnson (1808-1875) and Lyndon B. Johnson (1908-1973).

Jones English, Welsh
Derived from the given name Jon, a medieval variant of John.

Kane Irish
Anglicized form of Ó Catháin.

Katz Jewish
Derived from Hebrew כֹּהֵן צֶדֶק (kohen tzedek) meaning "priest of justice", indicating a descendant of Aaron.

Kaufman German, Jewish
Variant of Kaufmann.

Kay 1 English
Derived from the given name Kay 2.

Keen English
From Old English cene meaning "bold, brave".

Kelly 1 Irish
Anglicized form of Irish Ó Ceallaigh meaning "descendant of Ceallach". Famous bearers include actor and dancer Gene Kelly (1912-1996) and actress and princess Grace Kelly (1929-1982).

Kim Korean
Korean form of Jin, from Sino-Korean 金 (gim) meaning "gold". This is the most common surname in South Korea.

Kingsley English
From a place name meaning "king's clearing" in Old English.

Kirk English
From northern Middle English kirk meaning "church", from Old Norse kirkja (cognate of Church). A famous fictional bearer is the starship captain James Kirk from the Star Trek television series (1966-1969), and subsequent films.

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

Knox Scottish
From the name of various places in Scotland and northern England, derived from Scottish Gaelic cnoc "round hill".

Kuhn German
Derived from a diminutive of the German given name Konrad.

Lane 1 English
Originally designated one who lived by a lane, a narrow way between fences or hedges, later used of any narrow pathway, including one between houses in a town.

Langley 1 English
From any of the various places with this name, all derived from Old English lang "long" and leah "woodland, clearing".

Larson Swedish (Anglicized), Danish (Anglicized), Norwegian (Anglicized)
Americanized form of Larsson or Larsen.

Lawrence English
Derived from the given name Laurence 1. Famous bearers include revolutionary T. E. Lawrence (1888-1935) and author D. H. Lawrence (1885-1930).

Lee 1 English
Originally given to a person who lived on or near a leah, Old English meaning "woodland, clearing".

Leslie Scottish
From a Scottish clan name, earlier Lesselyn, derived from a place name in Aberdeenshire, itself probably from Gaelic leas celyn meaning "garden of holly".

Lester Scottish
Variant of Lister.

Lewis 1 English
Derived from the given name Lewis. The author C. S. Lewis (1898-1963) was a bearer of this surname.

Lindgren Swedish
From Swedish lind meaning "linden tree" and gren (Old Norse grein) meaning "branch". A famous bearer of this name was Swedish author Astrid Lindgren (1907-2002).

Little English
Meaning simply "little", it was originally a nickname given to a short person.

Liu Chinese
From Chinese 刘 (liú) meaning "kill, destroy". This was the surname of Chinese emperors of the Han dynasty.

Lloyd Welsh, English
Originally a nickname from the Welsh word llwyd meaning "grey".

Long English
Originally a nickname for a person who had long limbs or who was tall.

López Spanish
Means "son of Lope" in Spanish.

Lowry English, Scottish
From a diminutive of the given name Laurence 1.

Lozano Spanish
Means "healthy, exuberant, lively" in Spanish, originally used as a nickname for an elegant or haughty person.

Lynch Irish
From Irish Ó Loingsigh meaning "descendant of Loingseach", a given name meaning "mariner".

Lynn English
From the name of a town in Norfolk (King's Lynn), derived from Welsh llyn meaning "lake".

Lyon 1 English, French
Originally denoted a person from the city of Lyon in central France, originally Latin Lugdunum, of Gaulish origin meaning "hill fort of Lugus". It could also denote a person from the small town of Lyons-la-Forêt in Normandy.

Madison English
Means "son of Maud". A famous bearer of this surname was the fourth American president James Madison (1751-1836).

Maguire Irish
Variant of McGuire.

Malone Irish
Anglicized form of Irish Ó Maoil Eoin meaning "descendant of a disciple of Saint John".

Marion French
Derived from the given name Marion 1.

Mark English
Derived from the given name Mark.

Marshall English
Derived from Middle English mareschal "marshal", from Latin mariscalcus, ultimately from Germanic roots akin to Old High German marah "horse" and scalc "servant". It originally referred to someone who took care of horses.

Martin English, French, German, Swedish
Derived from the given name Martin. This is the most common surname in France.

Mathers English
Occupational name meaning "mower, cutter of hay" in Old English.

Maxwell Scottish
From a place name meaning "Mack's stream", from the name Mack, a short form of the Scandinavian name Magnus, combined with Old English wille "well, stream". A famous bearer was James Maxwell (1831-1879), a Scottish physicist who studied gases and electromagnetism.

McCormick Irish, Scottish
From Gaelic Mac Cormaic meaning "son of Cormac".

McCullough Irish
Anglicized form of Irish Mac Cú Uladh meaning "son of Cú Uladh". The byname Cú Uladh means "hound of Ulster". This surname has also been associated with Old Irish cullach "boar".

McFarland Irish, Scottish
Variant of McFarlane.

McKellar Scottish
From Gaelic MacEalair meaning "son of Ealar".

Melvin Scottish
Variant of Melville.

Middleton English
Originally denoted a person who lived in one of the numerous English towns by this name, derived from Old English middel "middle" and tun "enclosure, yard, town".

Milano Italian
Originally indicated someone who came from Milan.

Miles English
From the given name Miles.

Miller English
Occupational surname meaning "miller", referring to a person who owned or worked in a grain mill, derived from Middle English mille "mill".

Mills English
Originally given to one who lived near a mill or who worked in a mill, from Middle English mille.

Miranda Spanish, Portuguese
Habitational name from any of the numerous places in Spain and Portugal bearing this name, possibly derived from Latin mirandus "admirable, wonderful". A notable bearer was the Portuguese-born Brazilian singer and actress Carmen Miranda (1909-1955).

Mitchell 1 English, Scottish
Derived from the given name Michael.

Moffett Scottish
From the town of Moffat in Scotland, meaning "long field" in Gaelic.

Montgomery English, Scottish
From a place name in Calvados, France meaning "Gumarich's mountain". A notable bearer was Bernard Montgomery (1887-1976), a British army commander during World War II.

Moore 1 English
Originally indicated a person who lived on a moor, from Middle English mor meaning "open land, bog".

Morgan Welsh
Derived from the given name Morgan 1.

Morrison English
Means "son of Morris".

Moss 1 English
From Middle English mos meaning "bog, moss".

Murphy Irish
Anglicized form of Irish Ó Murchadha meaning "descendant of Murchadh". This is the most common Irish surname.

Murray 1 Scottish
Derived from the region in Scotland called Moray (Gaelic Moireabh), possibly of Pictish origin, meaning "seashore, coast". A notable bearer of this surname was General James Murray (1721-1794), who was the first British Governor-General of Canada.

Nash English
Derived from the Middle English phrase atten ash "at the ash tree". A famous bearer was the mathematician John Nash (1928-2015).

Nelson 1 English
Means "son of Neil". This name was borne by the British admiral Horatio Nelson (1758-1805).

Ng 1 Chinese (Cantonese)
Cantonese romanization of Wu 1.

Nolan Irish
Anglicized form of Irish Ó Nualláin meaning "descendant of Nuallán".

Norman English
Referred to a person who was originally from Scandinavia or Normandy. Even before the Norman Conquest, Scandinavians were settling the north and east of England. The Normans who participated in the Conquest were originally from Scandinavia, but had been living in Normandy, France for over a century and spoke French.

North English
Name for a person who lived to the north.

Norton English
From the name of various towns in England meaning "north town" in Old English.

O'Brien Irish
From the Irish Ó Briain meaning "descendant of Brian".

O'Connell Irish
Variant of Connell.

O'Leary Irish
From Irish Ó Laoghaire meaning "descendant of Laoghaire".

Oliveira Portuguese
Means "olive tree" in Portuguese, ultimately from Latin oliva. It indicated a person who lived near or worked with olive trees.

Oliver English, Catalan, German, French
Derived from the given name Oliver.

Olsen Norwegian, Danish
Means "son of Ole".

O'Neal Irish
From Irish Ó Néill meaning "descendant of Neil".

Ortega Spanish
From a Spanish place name (belonging to various villages) derived from ortiga "nettle".

Osborne English
Derived from the given name Osborn.

Owens Welsh
From the Welsh given name Owain.

Padilla Spanish
From various Spanish place names, derived from Spanish padilla, Latin patella meaning "shallow dish", used to indicate a depression in the landscape.

Palmer English
Means "pilgrim", ultimately from Latin palma "palm tree", since pilgrims to the Holy Land often brought back palm fronds as proof of their journey.

Parrish English
Variant of Parish 1.

Parsons English
Originally denoted a son of a parson, a derivative of Latin persona "person".

Patrick English
From the given name Patrick.

Paul English, French, German, Dutch
From the given name Paul.

Peak English
Originally indicated a dweller by a pointed hill, from Old English peac "peak". It could also denote a person from the Peak District in Derbyshire, England.

Peck 1 English
Variant of Peak.

Petersen Danish, Norwegian
Means "son of Peter".

Polley English
From Old French poli meaning "polite, courteous".

Pollock Scottish
From the name of a place in Renfrewshire, Scotland, derived from a diminutive of Gaelic poll meaning "pool, pond, bog". A famous bearer was the American artist Jackson Pollock (1912-1956).

Quigley Irish
Anglicized form of Irish Ó Coigligh meaning "descendant of Coigleach", a given name meaning "untidy".

Quinn Irish
Anglicized form of Irish Ó Cuinn meaning "descendant of Conn".

Rae Scottish
Variant of McRae.

Rapp 1 Swedish
From Swedish rapp meaning "quick, prompt", one of the names adopted by soldiers in the 17th century.

Ray English
Variant of Rey 1, Rey 2, Rye or Wray.

Reed English
Variant of Read 1.

Rees Welsh
Derived from the given name Rhys.

Reese 1 Welsh
Derived from the given name Rhys.

Reid Scottish, English
Scots variant of Read 1.

Rettig German
Derived from Middle High German retich, Middle Low German redik meaning "radish", an occupational name for a grower or seller of radishes.

Reynolds English
Derived from the given name Reynold.

Ricci Italian
From Italian riccio meaning "curly", a nickname for someone with curly hair. It is ultimately from Latin ericius meaning "hedgehog".

Richards English
Derived from the given name Richard.

Richardson English
Means "son of Richard".

Richter German
Means "judge" in German, from Middle High German rihtære.

Ripley English
From the name of various English towns, from Old English rippel "grove, thicket" and leah "woodland, clearing". A notable fictional bearer is the character Ellen Ripley from the movie Alien (1979) and its sequels.

Rivera Spanish
From Spanish ribera meaning "bank, shore", from Latin riparius.

Robinson English
Means "son of Robin".

Robson English
Means "son of Rob".

Rodrigo Spanish, Portuguese
From the given name Rodrigo.

Romano 1 Italian
Derived from the given name Romano.

Ross English, Scottish
From various place names (such as the region of Ross in northern Scotland), which are derived from Scottish Gaelic ros meaning "promontory, headland".

Ruiz Spanish
Means "son of Ruy" in Spanish.

Russell English
From a Norman French nickname that meant "little red one", perhaps originally describing a person with red hair.

Ryan Irish
Anglicized form of Ó Riain, or else a simplified form of Mulryan.

Samuel English, Welsh, French, Jewish
Derived from the given name Samuel.

Saunders English, Scottish
Variant of Sanders.

Savage English
English nickname meaning "wild, uncouth", derived from Old French salvage or sauvage meaning "untamed", ultimately from Latin silvaticus meaning "wild, from the woods".

Schröder 1 Low German
Occupational name for a tailor, from Middle Low German schroden meaning "to cut".

Scott English, Scottish
Originally given to a person from Scotland or a person who spoke Scottish Gaelic.

Segal 1 Jewish
From the Hebrew phrase סגן לויה (seḡan Lewiya) meaning "assistant Levite".

Shea Irish
Anglicized form of Ó Séaghdha.

Shearer English
English cognate of Scherer.

Sheridan Irish
From the Irish name Ó Sirideáin meaning "descendant of Sirideán". The given name Sirideán possibly means "searcher".

Shirley English
From an English place name, derived from Old English scir "bright" and leah "woodland, clearing".

Sidney English
Originally derived from various place names in England meaning "wide island", from Old English sid "wide" and eg "island". Another theory holds that it comes from the name of a town in Normandy called "Saint Denis", though evidence for this is lacking.

Simms English
Derived from the medieval given name Sim, a short form of Simon 1.

Sinclair English
Derived from a Norman French town called "Saint Clair".

Singh Hindi, Marathi, Nepali, Punjabi, Indian (Sikh)
From Sanskrit सिंह (siṃha) meaning "lion". In 1699 Guru Gobind Singh gave all his Sikh male followers the surname Singh and all females Kaur. It is among the most common surnames in India.

Slater English
Occupational name indicating that an early member worked covering roofs with slate, from Old French esclat "shard", of Germanic origin.

Smith English
Means "metalworker, blacksmith" from Old English smiþ, related to smitan "to smite, to hit". It is the most common surname in most of the English-speaking world. A famous bearer was the Scottish economist Adam Smith (1723-1790).

Song Chinese, Korean
From Chinese 宋 (sòng) referring to the Song dynasty, which ruled China from 960 to 1279.

Sörensen Swedish
Swedish form of Sørensen.

Spanò Sicilian
From Sicilian spanu meaning "sparse, thin hair", ultimately from Greek σπάνιος (spanios) meaning "scarce, rare".

Spear English
From Old English spere "spear", an occupational name for a hunter or a maker of spears, or a nickname for a thin person.

Stacy English
Derived from Stace, a medieval form of Eustace.

Stanley English
From various place names meaning "stone clearing" in Old English. A notable bearer was the British-American explorer and journalist Henry Morton Stanley (1841-1904).

Stenberg Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
Derived from Scandinavian sten (Old Norse steinn) meaning "stone" and berg meaning "mountain". As a Swedish name it is ornamental.

Stephens English
Derived from the given name Stephen.

Stevens English
Variant of Stephens.

Stewart Scottish
Occupational name for an administrative official of an estate or steward, from Old English stig "house" and weard "guard". The Stewart family (sometimes spelled Stuart) held the Scottish crown for several centuries. One of the most famous members of the Stewart family was Mary, Queen of Scots.

Stone English
Name for a person who lived near a prominent stone or worked with stone, derived from Old English stan.

Sutherland Scottish
Regional name for a person who came from the former county by this name in Scotland. It is derived from Old Norse suðr "south" and land "land", because it was south of the Norse colony of Orkney.

Swift English
Nickname for a quick person, from Old English swift.

Switzer German (Anglicized)
Americanized form of Schweitzer.

Talbot English
Of Norman origin, possibly derived from an unattested Germanic given name composed of the elements dala "to destroy" and bod "message".

Taylor English
Derived from Old French tailleur meaning "tailor", ultimately from Latin taliare "to cut".

Thomas English, Welsh, French, German
Derived from the given name Thomas.

Thompson English
Means "son of Thomas".