Surnames Categorized "occupations"

This is a list of surnames in which the categories include occupations.
usage
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Aarden Dutch
From Dutch aarden meaning "earthen, clay". It denoted a person who worked with clay.
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.
Agricola Italian
From Latin agricola meaning "farmer".
Almássy Hungarian
Means "from the apple orchard", derived from Hungarian alma meaning "apple".
Alunni Italian
From Italian alunno meaning "student".
Arbeit German
From German arbeit meaning "work".
Azzarà Italian
Sicilian name, derived from Greek dialects of southern Italy. It is from Greek ψαράς (psaras) meaning "fisherman".
Baas Dutch
Means "boss, overseer" in Dutch.
Bailey English
From Middle English baili meaning "bailiff", which comes via Old French from Latin baiulus "porter".
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.
Bannerman English
Variant of Banner.
Barber English, Scottish
Indicated a barber, one who cut hair for a living.
Barbier French
French cognate of Barber.
Bardakçı 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 Frankish 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
Probably from the medieval Latin word baro meaning "man, freeman" (of Frankish origin).
Bauer German
From Old High German bur meaning "peasant, farmer".
Baumann German, Jewish
From Middle High German bumann meaning "farmer, builder".
Bautista Spanish
Derived from the given name Bautista.
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".
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.
Binici Turkish
From the Turkish word binici meaning "rider, horseman".
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".
Bodnár Hungarian
Means "cooper, barrel maker" in Hungarian.
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. A famous bearer is the fictional spy James Bond, created by Ian Flemming in 1953.
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".
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".
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.
Cannon English
From the ecclesiastical usage of canon, referring to a church official or servant who worked in a clergy house.
Carman 1 English
Occupational name for a carter, from Middle English carre "cart" (of Latin origin) and man "man".
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".
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.
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.
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.
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.
Constable English
From Old French conestable, ultimately from Latin comes stabuli meaning "officer of the stable".
Cookson English
Patronymic form of Cook.
Cooper English
Means "barrel maker", from Middle English couper.
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.
Darbinyan Armenian
From Armenian դարբին (darbin) meaning "blacksmith".
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").
Demir Turkish
Means "iron" in Turkish, originally referring to an ironworker.
Demirci 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.
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.
Egger German
South German occupational name meaning "plowman" or "farmer", derived from German eggen "to harrow, to plow".
Episcopo Italian
Means "bishop" in Italian, ultimately from Greek ἐπίσκοπος (episkopos).
Esser German
Means "cartwright", related to Old High German ahsa "axle".
Evangelista Italian, Portuguese, Spanish
Means "evangelist" in Italian, Portuguese and Spanish.
Fabre Occitan, French
Occitan form of Fèvre.
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.
Ferro Italian, Spanish
Means "iron", ultimately from Latin ferrum. This was an occupational name for one who worked with iron.
Fiddler English
English form of Fiedler.
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".
Funar Romanian
Means "rope maker" in Romanian.
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).
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".
Glazier English
Means "glass worker, glazier", from Old English glæs meaning "glass".
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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).
Joshi Indian, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Nepali
From Sanskrit ज्योतिश (jyotisha) meaning "astronomer".
Kádár Hungarian
Means "cooper, barrel maker" in Hungarian.
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).
Katırcı 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.
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.
Kitchens English
Variant of Kitchen.
Knight English
From Old English cniht meaning "knight", a tenant serving as a mounted soldier.
Koch German
German cognate of Cook.
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.
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". This is the second most common surname in Poland.
Krämer German
Means "shopkeeper, merchant" in German, derived from Old High German kram meaning "tent, trading post".
Krantz German, Jewish
Variant of Kranz.
Kranz German, Jewish
Derived from Old High German kranz meaning "wreath", an occupational name for a maker of wreaths or an ornamental Jewish name.
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".
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.
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".
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".
Lovász Hungarian
Means "groom, stableman, ostler" in Hungarian.
Madeira Portuguese
Occupational name for a carpenter, from Portuguese madeira "wood".
Maki 1 Japanese
From Japanese 牧 (maki) meaning "shepherd, tend cattle".
Markwardt German
Variant of Marquardt.
Marmo Italian
Means "marble" in Italian, possibly indicating a person who lived near a quarry or one who worked with marble.
Marquardt German
From Old High German marka "border, boundary" and wart "protector". This was an occupational name for a border guard.
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.
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, of Frankish origin (akin to Old English macian "to make").
Masson 1 French, Scottish
Variant of Mason.
Mayer 3 English
Occupational name for a mayor, from Middle English mair, derived via Old French from Latin maior.
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".
Melnik Russian
Means "miller" in Russian.
Merchant English
Variant of Marchand.
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.
Müller German
German equivalent of Miller, derived from Middle High German mülnære or müller.
Najjar Arabic
Means "carpenter" in Arabic.
Notaro Italian
Occupational name for a clerk, derived from Latin notarius.
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.
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 Frankish 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".
Patel Indian, Gujarati
Means "landowner" in Gujarati.
Pecora Italian
Means "sheep" in Italian, an occupational name for a shepherd.
Pesce Italian
Means "fish" in Italian, referring either to a fisherman or to a person who resembled a fish in some way.
Peynirci Turkish
From Turkish peynir meaning "cheese".
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. This surname was used by J. K. Rowling for the hero in her Harry Potter series of books, first released in 1997.
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").
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".
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".
Sangster English, Scottish
Occupational name or nickname for a singer, from Old English singan "to sing, to chant".
Sappington English
Possibly from the city of Sapperton, England, derived from Old English sapere meaning "soap maker" and tun meaning "enclosure, yard, town".
Sastre Spanish
Spanish cognate of Sarto.
Sawyer English
Occupational name meaning "sawer of wood, woodcutter" in Middle English, ultimately from Old English sagu meaning "saw". Mark Twain used it for the main character in his novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876).
Sayer Welsh
From Welsh saer meaning "carpenter".
Saylor English
Occupational name meaning "acrobat, dancer", derived from Old French sailleor, from Latin sallitor.
Scarlett English
Denoted a person who sold or made clothes made of scarlet, a kind of cloth, possibly derived from Persian سقرلاط (saghrelat).
Scavo Italian
Means "serf, slave", from Old Sicilian scavu.
Schäfer German
From Old High German scaphare meaning "shepherd".
Schenk German, Dutch
From Middle High German, Middle Dutch schenke meaning "wine server" (from Old High German scenken "to pour out").
Schirmer German
Means "fencer, fencing master", from Old High German skirmen meaning "to defend".
School Dutch
From Dutch school, ultimately from Latin schola meaning "school", indicating a person who worked at or lived near a school.
Schröter German
Means "beer-porter, wine-porter" in German, an occupational name for a carrier of wine or beer barrels.
Schüttmann German
Means "watchman, guard" from Middle High German schützen "to protect".
Scriven English
Occupational name meaning "writer, clerk, scribe" in Old French, derived from Latin scriba.
Senft 1 German
Occupational name for a mustard seller, from German Senf "mustard".
Seppä Finnish
Means "smith" in Finnish.
Sergeant English, French
Occupational name derived from Old French sergent meaning "servant", ultimately from Latin servire "to serve".
Seward 2 English
Means "swineherd" from Old English su "sow, female pig" and hierde "herdsman, guardian".
Sexton English
Occupational name for a sexton (Middle English sexteyn), a caretaker for a church or graveyard.
Shearer English
English cognate of Scherer.
Shepard English
Variant of Shepherd.
Shepherd English
Occupational name meaning "shepherd, sheep herder", from Old English sceaphyrde.
Shriver German
German cognate of Scriven.
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).
Sobol Russian, Ukrainian, Jewish
Occupational name for a fur trader, from the Slavic word soboli meaning "sable, marten". As a Jewish name it is ornamental.
Soldati Italian
From Italian soldato meaning "soldier", ultimately from Latin solidus, a type of Roman coin.
Sörös Hungarian
From Hungarian sör meaning "beer". Originally the name was given to beer brewers.
Spada Italian
Occupational name for an armourer or swordsman, from Italian spada "sword", Latin spatha.
Sparacello Italian
From Sicilian sparaciu meaning "asparagus", an occupational name for an asparagus seller or grower.
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.
Steed English
Occupational name for one who tended horses, derived from Middle English steed, in turn derived from Old English steda meaning "stallion".
Steele English
Occupational name for a steelworker, from Old English stele meaning "steel".
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.
Stoddard English
Occupational name for a horse keeper, from Old English stod "stallion, stud" and hierde "herder".
Struna Slovene, Czech
From Slavic struna meaning "string, cord", possibly denoting a maker of rope.
Tailor English
Variant of Taylor.
Tanner English
Occupational name for a person who tanned animal hides, from Old English tannian "to tan", itself from Late Latin and possibly ultimately of Celtic origin.
Tanzer German
Means "dancer" in German, derived from Middle High German tanzen "to dance".
Tasker English
From Middle English taske meaning "task, assignment". A tasker was a person who had a fixed job to do, particularly a person who threshed grain with a flail.
Teke 2 Turkish
Occupational name for a goat herder, from Turkish teke "goat".
Tesař Czech
Means "carpenter" in Czech, ultimately from the Slavic word tesla meaning "adze".
Thatcher English
Referred to a person who thatched roofs by attaching straw to them, derived from Old English þæc meaning "thatch".
Thayer French (Anglicized)
Americanized form of Tailler.
Toller English
Occupational name meaning "tax gatherer", derived from Old English toln "toll, fee, tax".
Tolvaj Hungarian
Means "thief" in Hungarian.
Towner English
Variant of Toller.
Tupper English
Occupational name for a herdsman, derived from Middle English toupe "ram".
Tyler English
Occupational name for a tiler of roofs, derived from Old English tigele "tile". A famous bearer of this name was American president John Tyler (1790-1862).
Vacca Italian
Means "cow" in Italian, originally denoting a person who worked with cattle.
Vadas Hungarian
From Hungarian vad meaning "wild", either a nickname or an occupational name for a hunter of wild game.
Vámos Hungarian
Means "customs officer" in Hungarian, a derivative of vám "customs".
Vinogradov Russian
Means "vineyard" in Russian (ultimately from German), referring to a person who worked at a vineyard or lived near one.
Weimann German
From German Wein meaning "wine", an occupational name for a wine seller or producer.
Wheeler English
Occupational name for a maker of wagon wheels, derived from Middle English whele "wheel".
Woodward English
Occupational name for a forester, meaning "ward of the wood" in Old English.
Yates English
From Old English geat meaning "gate", a name for a gatekeeper or someone who lived near a gate.
Zapatero Spanish
Spanish cognate of Savatier.
Zimmermann German, Jewish
From the German word for "carpenter", derived from Middle High German zimber "timber, wood" and mann "man".
Zsoldos Hungarian
Means "mercenary" in Hungarian.