Surnames Categorized "occupations"

This is a list of surnames in which the categories include occupations.
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AARDEN Dutch
From Dutch aarden meaning "clay, stone, earth". It probably denoted a person who worked with those materials.
ABADJIEV Bulgarian
Patronymic name derived from the Turkish word aba "coat". It may have originally denoted the children of a tailor.
ABARCA Spanish
From the name of a type of leather-soled shoe or sandal made on the Balearic Islands. It originally indicated a person who made or sold this item.
ABBEY English
Indicated a person who lived near an abbey or worked in an abbey, from Middle English abbeye.
ACKERMAN English
Means "ploughman", derived from Middle English aker "field" and man.
ADMIRAAL Dutch
Means "admiral" in Dutch.
ALMÁSSY Hungarian
Derived from Hungarian alma meaning "apple", perhaps originally referring to a person who harvested or sold apples.
ALUNNI Italian
From Italian alunno meaning "student".
ANKER Dutch, Danish, Norwegian
Metonymic surname for a sailor, meaning "anchor" in Dutch, Danish and Norwegian.
ARBEIT German
From German arbeit meaning "work".
ARCHER English
Occupational name for one who practiced archery, from Latin arcus "bow" (via Old French).
ARMBRUSTER German
Means "crossbow maker" from German armbrust "crossbow". The word armbrust was originally from Latin arcuballista meaning "bow ballista", but was modified under the influence of German arm "arm" and brust "breast".
ARZT Dutch
Means "doctor, physician" in German, ultimately from Latin archiater.
AZZARÀ Italian
Sicilian name, derived from Greek dialects of southern Italy. It is from Greek ψαρας (psaras) meaning "fisherman".
BAAS Dutch
Means "boss, overseer" in Dutch.
BAGNI Italian
From Latin balnea "bath", referring to a person who worked as a bath house attendant.
BAILEY English
From Middle English baili meaning "bailiff", which comes via Old French from Latin baiulus "porter".
BAKALOV Bulgarian
Patronymic derived from Bulgarian bakalin meaning "grocer".
BAKER English
Occupational name meaning "baker", derived from Middle English bakere.
BAKÓ Hungarian
Means "axeman" in Hungarian.
BANÍK Slovak
Means "miner" in Slovak.
BANNER English
Occupational name for a flag carrier, derived from Old French baniere meaning "banner", ultimately of Germanic origin.
BANNISTER English
From Norman French banastre meaning "basket". This was originally a name for a maker of baskets.
BARBER English, Scottish
Indicated a barber, one who cut hair for a living.
BARDAKÇI Turkish
Means "glassmaker" from Turkish bardak "glass".
BARKER English
From Middle English bark meaning "to tan". This was an occupational name for a leather tanner.
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".
BARONE Italian
From the title barone "baron", derived via Latin from Germanic baro "man, warrior, servant".
BARROS Portuguese, Spanish
From the Portuguese and Spanish word barro meaning "clay, mud". This could either be an occupational name for a person who worked with clay or mud such as a builder or artisan, or a topographic name for someone living near clay or mud.
BARSOTTI Italian
Meaning uncertain, possibly derived from the Germanic word baro "man, warrior, servant".
BAUER German
From Old High German bur meaning "peasant, farmer".
BAUMANN German, Jewish
From Middle High German bumann meaning "farmer, builder".
BECK (4) English
From Old English becca meaning "pickaxe", an occupational surname.
BECKER German
Derived from Middle High German becker meaning "baker".
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.
BELTZ German
Occupational name for a tanner of hides, derived from Middle High German belz meaning "fur".
BERIDZE Georgian
Means "son of the monk", from Georgian ბერი (beri) meaning "monk".
BEUTEL German
From Middle High German biutel meaning "bag", originally belonging to a person who made or sold bags.
BICCHIERI Italian
Means "drinking glasses" in Italian, referring originally to a person who made or sold them.
BIERMANN German
Derived from German bier "beer" and mann "man". The name may have referred to a brewer or a tavern owner.
BİNİCİ Turkish
From the Turkish word binici meaning "rider, horseman".
BÍRÓ Hungarian
Derived from bíró meaning "judge" in Hungarian.
BLECHER German
Occupational name for someone who worked with tin or sheet metal, from German blech "tin".
BLEIER German
Occupational name for a worker of lead, derived from German blei "lead".
BOEREFIJN Dutch
Possibly an adaptation of French beurre fin meaning "good butter".
BOERIO Italian
From Italian boaro meaning "cowherd".
BOND English
Occupational name for a peasant farmer, from Middle English bonde.
BOROS Hungarian
Derived from Hungarian bor "wine". Originally it could have indicated someone who made or sold wine.
BOUWMEESTER Dutch
Means "architect, builder" in Dutch.
BOWMAN English
Occupational name for an archer, derived from Middle English bowe, Old English boga meaning "bow".
BOYADZHIEV Bulgarian
Patronymic from Bulgarian бояджия (boyadzhiya) meaning "dyer".
BRASHER English
Means "brass worker", derived from Old English bræs "brass".
BREINER German, Swedish
Occupational name derived from Middle High German brie "porridge".
BREWER English
Occupational name for a maker of ale or beer.
BREWSTER English
Variant of BREWER, originally a feminine form of the occupational term.
BRISBOIS French
Referred to a person who cleared land, from Old French briser "to cut" and bois "forest".
BRODBECK German
Means "bread baker" from Middle High German brot "bread" and becke "baker".
BRODEUR French
Means "embroiderer" in French.
BUCKLEY (2) Irish
From Irish Ó Buachalla meaning "descendant of Buachaill", a nickname meaning "cowherd, servant".
BUTCHER English
Occupational name for a butcher, derived from Old French bouchier.
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).
CAITO Italian
Occupational name from Sicilian càjitu meaning "official, leader", ultimately from Arabic قاضي (qadi) meaning "judge".
CALLIGARIS Italian
From Late Latin caligarius meaning "shoemaker".
CAMPANA Italian, Spanish
Occupational name from Late Latin campana meaning "bell", ultimately derived from the Italian region of Campania, where bells were produced.
CANNON English
From the ecclesiastical usage of canon, referring to a church official or servant who worked in a clergy house.
CAPELLO (1) Italian
From Late Latin cappa meaning "cloak, cape, hood". This was a name for one who made or wore cloaks.
CAPITANI Italian
Occupational name meaning "captain" in Italian, ultimately from Latin caput "head".
CARPENTER English
From the occupation, derived from Middle English carpentier (ultimately from Latin carpentarius meaning "carriage maker").
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.
CARVER English
Occupational surname for a carver, from Middle English kerve "cut".
CAUSER English
Occupational name for one who made leggings, derived from Old French chausse "leggings".
CAVALCANTE Italian
Derived from Italian cavalcare "to ride".
CAVALLO Italian
Means "horse" in Italian, an occupational name for a horseman.
CHANCELLOR English
Occupational name for an administrator, a chancellor, from Norman French chancelier.
CHAPUT French
From a diminutive of the Old French word chape meaning "cloak, hood". The name referred to a person who made, sold or often wore cloaks.
CHASE English
Occupational name for a hunter, from Middle English chase "hunt".
CHAUDHARY Indian, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Nepali
From a title meaning "holder of four", from Sanskrit चतुर् (chatur) meaning "four" and धुरीय (dhuriya) meaning "bearing a burden".
CHEVROLET French
From a diminutive of chèvre meaning "goat", indicating a person who cultivated goats.
CHLEBEK Polish
From Polish chleb "bread", used to denote a baker.
CHMELA Czech
Derived from Czech chmel "hops", referring to a person who grew hops, a plant used in brewing beer.
CLACHER Scottish
From Scottish Gaelic clachair meaning "stonemason".
CLAY English
Means simply "clay", originally referring to a person who lived near or worked with of clay.
CLEARY Irish
From Irish cléireach meaning "clerk" (see CLARK).
CLOUTIER French
Derived from French clou meaning "nail", referring to someone who made or sold nails.
COELHO Portuguese
From the Portuguese word for "rabbit", either a nickname or an occupational name referring to a hunter or seller of rabbits.
COIRO Italian
From Italian cuoio meaning "leather", ultimately from Latin corium. This was an occupational surname for a leather worker or tanner.
COJOCARU Romanian
From Romanian cojoc meaning "sheepskin coat". This was an occupational name for a maker of these coats.
COLOMBO Italian
Either from Italian colomba "dove" indicating a dove keeper, or from the given name COLOMBO, which is derived from the same word. This was the Italian surname of the 15th-century explorer Christopher Columbus.
COLT English
Occupational name for a keeper of horses, derived from Middle English colt.
CONSTABLE English
From Old French conestable, ultimately from Latin comes stabuli meaning "officer of the stable".
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.
COOPER English
Means "barrel maker", from Middle English couper.
CORNETT English
Derived from Old French cornet meaning "horn", referring to one who worked as a horn blower.
COTTERILL English
Derived from Middle English cotter meaning "cottager", referring to a small tenant farmer.
COUPE English
From Middle English coupe meaning "barrel", a name for a barrel maker or cooper.
COUTURE French
Means "tailor" in Old French.
CROPPER English
Occupational name derived from Middle English croppe "crop", referring to a fruit picker or a crop reaper.
CSIZMADIA Hungarian
Means "bootmaker" in Hungarian.
DARBINYAN Armenian
From Armenian դարբին (darbin) meaning "blacksmith".
DARZI Persian
Means "tailor" in Persian.
DAS Bengali, Indian, Assamese, Odia, Hindi, Marathi
Means "servant, devotee" in Sanskrit.
DASKALOV Bulgarian
Patronymic derived from даскал (daskal) meaning "teacher".
DEAN (2) English
Occupational surname meaning "dean", referring to a person who either was a dean or worked for one. It is from Middle English deen (ultimately from Latin decanus meaning "chief of ten").
DEMİR Turkish
Means "iron" in Turkish, originally referring to an ironworker.
DEMİRCİ Turkish
Means "blacksmith" in Turkish.
DOBOS Hungarian
Derived from Hungarian dob meaning "drum". Originally the name was given to someone who played drums or made them.
DOCTOR English
Originally denoted someone who was a doctor, ultimately from Latin doctor meaning "teacher".
DRAPER English
Occupational name for a maker or seller of woolen cloth, from Anglo-Norman French draper (Old French drapier, an agent derivative of drap "cloth").
DREHER German
Means "turner" from Middle High German drehen "to turn". A turner was a person who used a lathe to create small objects from wood or bone.
DRESCHNER German
Derived from Middle High German dreschen "to thresh". A thresher was a person who separated the grains from a cereal plant by beating it.
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.
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.
DWERRYHOUSE English
Indicated a person who worked or lived at a dyehouse, which is a place where dyeing was done.
DYER English
Occupational name meaning "cloth dyer", from Old English deah "dye".
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.
EPISCOPO Italian
Means "bishop" in Italian, ultimately from Greek επισκοπος (episkopos).
ESSER German
Means "cartwright", related to Old High German ahsa "axle".
EVANGELISTA Italian
Means "evangelist" in Italian.
FABRE French
Derived from Latin faber meaning "blacksmith".
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".
FENSTERMACHER German
Means "window maker" in German.
FERRO Italian, Portuguese
Means "iron", ultimately from Latin ferrum. This was an occupational name for one who worked with iron.
FIDDLER English
English form of FIEDLER.
FIEDLER German
Means "fiddler" in German.
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.
FISHER English, Jewish
Cognate of FISCHER.
FISHMAN English
Occupational name for a fisherman.
FISKER Danish
Means "fisherman" in Danish.
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".
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).
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".
GAGNEUX French
Derived from Old French gagnier meaning "to farm, to cultivate".
GARDENER English
Occupational surname for one who was a gardener, from Old French jardin meaning "garden" (of Frankish origin).
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.
GEIGER German
Means "fiddle player" in German, derived from Old High German giga "fiddle".
GEISSLER German
Occupational name for a goat herder, from southern German Geiss meaning "goat" and the suffix ler signifying an occupation.
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).
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.
GRAVES English
Occupational name for a steward, derived from Middle English greyve, related to the German title Graf.
GRIEVE Scottish
Occupational name meaning "steward, farm manager" in Middle English, related to the German title Graf.
GUERRERO Spanish
Means "warrior" in Spanish, an occupational name for a soldier. It is derived from Late Latin werra "war", of Germanic origin.
GULYÁS Hungarian
Means "herdsman, tender of cows" in Hungarian.
HAJÓS Hungarian
Means "boatman, sailor" in Hungarian.
HALÁSZ Hungarian
Means "fisherman" in Hungarian.
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).
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.
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".
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.
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.
HOFFMANN German
From Middle High German hofmann meaning "farmer".
HOGGARD English
Occupational name meaning "pig herder", from Old English hogg "hog" and hierde "herdsman, guardian".
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.
HOOPER English
Occupational name for someone who put the metal hoops around wooden barrels.
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 Germanic 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.
HOUTKOOPER Dutch
Means "buyer of wood" in Dutch.
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.
HUNTER English, Scottish
Occupational name that referred to someone who hunted for a living, from Old English hunta.
JÄGER German
Means "hunter" in German, from Old High German jagon meaning "to hunt".
JARDINE English, Scottish
Means "garden", denoting someone who worked as a gardener.
JOINER English
Occupational name for a carpenter (that is, a person who joins wood together to make furniture).
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.
JOSHI Indian, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Nepali
From Sanskrit ज्योतिश (jyotisha) meaning "astronomer".
KÁDÁR Hungarian
Means "cooper, barrel maker" in Hungarian.
KADLEC Czech
From Czech tkadlec meaning "weaver".
KAMIŃSKI Polish
From Polish kamień meaning "stone", a name for a stonecutter or for one who lived at a place with this name.
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).
KATIRCI Turkish
Derived from Turkish katır meaning "mule", a name for a person who made transports by mule.
KAUFMANN German, Jewish
Means "trader, merchant" in German.
KAY (2) English
Derived from Old French kay meaning "wharf, quay", indicating one who lived near or worked on a wharf.
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.
KERNER German
Derived from Old High German kerno "seed", an occupational name for one who sold or planted seeds.
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.
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".
KNEF German
Occupational name for a shoemaker, derived from Low German knif meaning "shoemaker's knife".
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.
KOCSIS Hungarian
Means "coachman" in Hungarian.
KOHLER German
From Middle High German koler meaning "charcoal burner" or "charcoal seller".
KOLÁŘ Czech
Means "wheelwright", a derivative of Czech kolo "wheel".
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.
KOVAČ Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian, Slovene
Means "blacksmith", a derivative of Slavic kovati meaning "to forge".
KOWALSKI Polish
From Polish kowal meaning "blacksmith".
KRÄMER German
Means "shopkeeper, merchant" in German, derived from Old High German kram meaning "tent, trading post".
KRANZ German, Jewish
Derived from Old High German kranz meaning "wreath", an occupational name for a maker of wreaths or an ornamental Jewish name.
KRAVITZ Jewish
Occupational name derived from Polish krawiec meaning "tailor".
KREJČI Czech
Means "tailor" in Czech.
KRÓL Polish
Means "king" in Polish. The name referred to one who acted like a king or was connected in some way with a king's household.
KÜCHLER German
Occupational surname for a baker who made small cakes or cookies, derived from Middle High German kuoche "cake, pastry".
KUIPER Dutch
Means "cooper, barrel maker" in Dutch.
KULKARNI Indian, Marathi
Means "village clerk, revenue collector" in Marathi.
KURUCZ Hungarian
Derived from the Hungarian word kuruc, referring to rebels who fought against the Habsburgs in the late 17th to early 18th century.
KUZNETSOV Russian
Patronymic form of Russian кузнец (kuznets) meaning "blacksmith".
LAGANÀ Italian
Occupational name for a greengrocer, meaning "vegetables" in southern Italian dialects, ultimately from Greek λαχανον (lachanon).
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.
LAGUNOV Russian
Patronymic name derived from Russian лагун (lagun) meaning "water barrel". It was used to denote the descendants of a person who made water barrels.
LAKATOS Hungarian
Means "locksmith" in Hungarian, a word of Romance origin.
LANE (2) French
Derived from a French word meaning "wool", designating one who worked in the wool trade.
LÁNÍK Czech
Derived from Czech lán, a measure of land equal to approximately 18 hectares. The name loosely translates as "farmer" and is considered a Moravian equivalent of Sedlák.
LANTOS Hungarian
Means "minstrel, bard, lutist" in Hungarian, from lant meaning "lute".
LAPOINTE French
Means "the point (of a lance)" in French, possibly a nickname for a soldier.
ŁAWNICZAK Polish
From Polish ławnik meaning "alderman".
LEACH English
Originally indicated a person who was a physician, from the medieval practice of using leeches to bleed people of ills.
LECLERC French
Means "the clerk" in French.
LÉCUYER French
From French écuyer meaning "squire, shield-bearer".
LEHMANN German
From Middle High German lehenman meaning "vassal, liege man".
LEHRER Jewish
Means "teacher" in German (Yiddish לערער (lerer)).
LEMAIRE French
Means "the mayor" in French. It was a title given to a town official, or else a nickname for someone who was pompous and officious.
LISTER Scottish
Anglicized form of the Gaelic Mac an Fleisdeir meaning "son of the arrow maker".
LONČAR Croatian, Serbian, Slovene
Means "potter", from Serbo-Croatian lonac, Slovene lonec meaning "pot".
LOVÁSZ Hungarian
Means "groom, stableman, ostler" in Hungarian.
MACHADO Portuguese, Spanish
Denoted a person who made or used hatchets, derived from Spanish and Portuguese machado "hatchet", both from Latin marculus "little hammer".
MAKI (1) Japanese
From Japanese 牧 (maki) meaning "shepherd, tend cattle".
MARMO Italian
Means "marble" in Italian, possibly indicating a person who lived near a quarry or one who worked with marble.
MARSHALL English
Derived from Middle English mareschal "marshal", ultimately from Germanic marah "horse" and scalc "servant". It originally referred to someone who took care of horses.
MARTEL (2) French, English
Nickname for a smith, derived from Old French martel "hammer", ultimately from Late Latin martellus.
MÁSELNÍK Czech
Referred to one who churned or sold butter or buttermilk, derived from Czech máslo "butter".
MASON English
Occupational name for a stoneworker or layer of bricks, from Old French masson, ultimately of Germanic origin (akin to Old English macian "to make").
MATHERS English
Occupational name meaning "mower, cutter of hay" in Old English.
MAZZA Italian
From a nickname (perhaps occupational) meaning "maul, mallet" in Italian.
MCINTYRE Scottish
From Scottish Gaelic Mac an tSaoir meaning "son of the carpenter".
METZ (1) German
Occupational name for maker of knives, from Middle High German metze "knife".
MEYER (1) German
From Middle High German meier meaning "bailiff, administrator", derived from Latin maior meaning "greater". Later it also denoted a tenant farmer. The spellings Meier and Meyer are more common in northern Germany while Maier and Mayer are more common in southern Germany.
MILLER English
Occupational surname referring to a person who owned or worked in a grain mill, from Middle English mille "mill".
MILLHOUSE English
Name for someone whose house was in a mill or who worked in a mill.
MILLS English
Originally given to one who lived near a mill or who worked in a mill, from Middle English mille.
MILLWARD English
Means "guardian of the mill" in Old English.
MOŹDZIERZ Polish
Means "mortar" in Polish. It probably referred to someone who worked with or sold mortar.
MUTTON English
Referred to a shepherd or else someone who in some way resembled a sheep, derived from Norman French mouton "sheep".
NAJJAR Arabic
Means "carpenter" in Arabic.
NYILAS Hungarian
Means "archer, bowman" in Hungarian.
OFFERMANS Dutch
From Dutch offer meaning "offering, donation", referring to a person who collected money in a church.
PAGE English, French
Occupational name meaning "servant, page". It is ultimately derived (via Old French and Italian) from Greek παιδιον (paidion) meaning "little boy".
PALLADINO Italian
From Italian paladino meaning "knight, defender", from Late Latin palatinus meaning "palace officer".
PALOMER Provençal
Means "pigeon keeper" from Latin palumbes "pigeon".
PAN (1) Provençal
Means "baker", from Latin panis meaning "bread".
PARK (2) English
From Middle English park, from Latin parricus, of Germanic origin. This was a name for someone who worked in or lived in a park.
PARKER English
Means "keeper of the park" in Middle English. It is an occupational name for a person who was a gamekeeper at a medieval park.
PARSONS English
Originally denoted a son of a parson, a derivative of Latin persona "person".
PECK (2) English
Occupational name for a maker of pecks (vessels used as peck measures), derived from Middle English pekke.
PECORA Italian
Means "sheep" in Italian, an occupational name for a shepherd.
PÉK Hungarian
Means "baker" in Hungarian.
PELLETIER French
Derived from Old French pelletier "fur trader".
PENDERS Dutch
From Middle Dutch paender meaning "brewer", derived from panne meaning "pan, pot", ultimately from Latin patina.
PESCE Italian
Means "fish" in Italian, referring either to a fisherman or to a person who resembled a fish in some way.
PEYNİRCİ Turkish
From Turkish peynir meaning "cheese".
PIPER English
Originally given to a person who played on a pipe (a flute).
PLANK German, English
Means "plank", from Old French, itself from Late Latin planca. This could have referred to a person who lived by a plank bridge over a stream, someone who was thin, or a carpenter.
PODSEDNÍK Czech
Means "one who sits behind" in Czech, an equivalent to Zahradník mainly used in the region of Moravia.
PORCHER English, French
Means "swineherd" from Old French and Middle English porchier, from Latin porcus "pig".
PORTER English
Occupational name meaning "doorkeeper", ultimately from Old French porte "door", from Latin porta.
POTTER English
Occupational name for a potter, one who makes earthen vessels.
POTTINGER English
Occupational name, either for an apothecary, from Old French potecaire, or a seller of stew, from Old French potagier.
POULIN French
Derived from Old French poule meaning "chicken". It was most likely used to denote a person who raised or sold poultry.
PRIDDY Welsh
From Welsh prydudd meaning "bard".
PROCHÁZKA Czech
Means "walk, wander, stroll" in Czech. This was an occupational name for a travelling tradesman.
PURCELL English
From Old French pourcel "piglet", from Latin porcellus, a derivative of porcus "pig". This was a nickname or an occupational name for a swineherd.
PUSKÁS Hungarian
Occupational name for a gunsmith or cannon maker, from Hungarian puska meaning "gun" (from German, itself from Latin buxis "box").
RAIS Italian
Occupational name for the fisherman in charge of the boat, from Italian rais "captain", of Arabic origin. It is typical of Sicily and Sardinia.
RAPTIS Greek
Means "tailor" in Greek.
RAUTIO Finnish
Means "smith" in Finnish.
RETTIG German
Derived from Middle High German retich, Middle Low German redik meaning "radish", an occupational name for a grower or seller of radishes.
REUTER (2) German
From Middle High German riutœre meaning "highwayman, thief".
ŘEZNÍK Czech, Slovak
Means "butcher" in Czech and Slovak.
RICHTER German
Means "judge" in German, from Middle High German rihtære.
RIDER English
Variant of RYDER.
RIMMER English
Occupational name meaning "poet", from Middle English rime meaning "rhyme".
RITTER German
From Middle High German riter meaning "rider, knight", a cognate of RYDER.
ROTHBAUER German
From Old High German riuten "to clear land" and bur "peasant, farmer".
RUSKIN (1) Scottish
From Gaelic rusgaire meaning "tanner".
RYBA Czech, Polish
Means "fish" in Czech and Slovak, an occupational name for a fisher.
RYBÁŘ Czech
Means "fisher" in Czech, from ryba meaning "fish".
RYE English
Topographic name. It could be a misdivision of the Middle English phrases atter ye meaning "at the island" or atter eye meaning "at the river". In some cases it merely indicated a person who lived where rye was grown or worked with rye (from Old English ryge).