Aarden DutchFrom Dutch
aarden meaning
"earthen, clay". It denoted a person who worked with clay.
Abbey EnglishIndicated a person who lived near an abbey or worked in an abbey, from Middle English
abbeye.
Ackerman EnglishMeans
"ploughman", derived from Middle English
aker "field" and
man.
Almássy HungarianMeans
"from the apple orchard", derived from Hungarian
alma meaning "apple".
Azzarà ItalianSicilian name, derived from Greek dialects of southern Italy. It is from Greek
ψαράς (psaras) meaning
"fisherman".
Bailey EnglishFrom Middle English
baili meaning
"bailiff", which comes via Old French from Latin
baiulus "porter".
Banner EnglishOccupational name for a flag carrier, derived from Old French
baniere meaning
"banner", ultimately of Germanic origin.
Barker EnglishFrom Middle English
bark meaning
"to tan". This was an occupational name for a leather tanner.
Barnes EnglishDenoted a person who worked or lived in a barn. The word
barn is derived from Old English
bere "barley" and
ærn "dwelling".
Barone ItalianFrom the title
barone "baron", derived via Latin from Frankish
baro "man, warrior, servant".
Barros Portuguese, SpanishFrom 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 ItalianProbably from the medieval Latin word
baro meaning
"man, freeman" (of Frankish origin).
Bauer GermanFrom Old High German
bur meaning
"peasant, farmer".
Beltz GermanOccupational name for a tanner of hides, derived from Middle High German
belz meaning
"fur".
Bicchieri ItalianMeans
"drinking glasses" in Italian, referring originally to a person who made or sold them.
Biermann GermanDerived from German
bier "beer" and
mann "man". The name may have referred to a brewer or a tavern owner.
Binici TurkishFrom the Turkish word
binici meaning
"rider, horseman".
Blecher GermanOccupational name for someone who worked with tin or sheet metal, from German
blech "tin".
Bleier GermanOccupational name for a worker of lead, derived from German
blei "lead".
Boerefijn DutchPossibly an adaptation of French
beurre fin meaning
"good butter".
Bond EnglishOccupational 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 HungarianDerived from Hungarian
bor "wine". Originally it could have indicated someone who made or sold wine.
Bowman EnglishOccupational name for an archer, derived from Middle English
bowe, Old English
boga meaning "bow".
Brasher EnglishMeans
"brass worker", derived from Old English
bræs "brass".
Brisbois FrenchReferred to a person who cleared land, from Old French
briser "to cut" and
bois "forest".
Brodbeck GermanMeans
"bread baker" from Middle High German
brot "bread" and
becke "baker".
Buckley 2 IrishFrom Irish
Ó Buachalla meaning
"descendant of Buachaill", a nickname meaning "cowherd, servant".
Butcher EnglishOccupational name for a butcher, derived from Old French
bouchier.
Cannon EnglishFrom the ecclesiastical usage of
canon, referring to a church official or servant who worked in a clergy house.
Carman 1 EnglishOccupational name for a carter, from Middle English
carre "cart" (of Latin origin) and
man "man".
Carpenter EnglishFrom the occupation, derived from Middle English
carpentier (ultimately from Latin
carpentarius meaning "carriage maker").
Carter EnglishOccupational 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-).
Carver EnglishOccupational surname for a carver, from Middle English
kerve "cut".
Cavallo ItalianMeans
"horse" in Italian, an occupational name for a horseman.
Chancellor EnglishOccupational name for an administrator, a chancellor, from Norman French
chancelier.
Chase EnglishOccupational name for a hunter, from Middle English
chase "hunt".
Chevrolet FrenchFrom a diminutive of
chèvre meaning
"goat", indicating a person who cultivated goats.
Clay EnglishMeans simply
"clay", originally referring to a person who lived near or worked with of clay.
Cloutier FrenchDerived from French
clou meaning
"nail", referring to someone who made or sold nails.
Coelho PortugueseFrom the Portuguese word for
"rabbit", either a nickname or an occupational name referring to a hunter or seller of rabbits.
Coiro ItalianFrom Italian
cuoio meaning
"leather", ultimately from Latin
corium. This was an occupational surname for a leather worker or tanner.
Colombo ItalianEither 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 EnglishFrom Old French
conestable, ultimately from Latin
comes stabuli meaning "officer of the stable".
Cotterill EnglishDerived from Middle English
cotter meaning
"cottager", referring to a small tenant farmer.
Coupe EnglishFrom Middle English
coupe meaning
"barrel", a name for a barrel maker or cooper.
Dean 2 EnglishOccupational 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 TurkishMeans
"iron" in Turkish, originally referring to an ironworker.
Dobos HungarianDerived from Hungarian
dob meaning
"drum". Originally the name was given to someone who played drums or made them.
Duke EnglishFrom 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 EnglishIndicated a person who worked or lived at a dyehouse, which is a place where dyeing was done.
Egger GermanSouth German occupational name meaning
"plowman" or
"farmer", derived from German
eggen "to harrow, to plow".
Esser GermanMeans
"cartwright", related to Old High German
ahsa "axle".
Farmer EnglishOccupational 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 GermanFrom
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 ItalianMeans
"land agent, bailiff, steward, farmer" in Italian.
Ferro Italian, SpanishMeans
"iron", ultimately from Latin
ferrum. This was an occupational name for one who worked with iron.
Fletcher EnglishOccupational name for a fletcher, someone who attached feathers to the shaft of an arrow. It is derived from Old French
fleche meaning "arrow".
Forester EnglishDenoted a keeper or one in charge of a forest, or one who has charge of growing timber in a forest (see
Forest).
Fuhrmann GermanDerived from Middle High German
vuorman meaning
"cartwright".
Gagneux FrenchDerived from Old French
gagnier meaning
"to farm, to cultivate".
Gardener EnglishOccupational surname for one who was a gardener, from Old French
jardin meaning "garden" (of Frankish origin).
Geiger GermanMeans
"fiddle player" in German, derived from Old High German
giga "fiddle".
Geissler GermanOccupational name for a goat herder, from southern German
Geiss meaning "goat" and the suffix
ler signifying an occupation.
Gerber GermanMeans
"tanner, leather dresser" in German, derived from Old High German
garawen meaning "to prepare".
Glazier EnglishMeans
"glass worker, glazier", from Old English
glæs meaning "glass".
Goffe EnglishDerived from Breton or Cornish
goff meaning
"smith", referring to a metalworker.
Gold English, German, JewishFrom 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 EnglishOccupational name for a steward, derived from Middle English
greyve, related to the German title
Graf.
Grieve ScottishOccupational name meaning
"steward, farm manager" in Middle English, related to the German title
Graf.
Guerrero SpanishMeans
"warrior" in Spanish, an occupational name for a soldier. It is derived from Late Latin
werra "war", of Germanic origin.
Harper EnglishOriginally belonged to a person who played the harp or who made harps.
Hauer GermanDerived from Middle High German
houwen "to chop", referring to a butcher or woodchopper.
Haumann GermanDerived from Middle High German
houwen "to chop" and
man "man", referring to a butcher or woodchopper.
Hayward EnglishOccupational name for a person who protected an enclosed forest, from Old English
hæg "enclosure, fence" and
weard "guard".
Head EnglishFrom 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 GermanFrom 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 GermanMeans
"deer, hart" in German. This was a nickname for a person who resembled a deer in some way, or who raised or hunted deer.
Hoggard EnglishOccupational name meaning
"pig herder", from Old English
hogg "hog" and
hierde "herdsman, guardian".
Holzmann GermanDerived from Old High German
holz "wood" and
man "man", a name for someone who lived close to a wood or worked with wood.
Hooper EnglishOccupational name for someone who put the metal hoops around wooden barrels.
Hopper EnglishOccupational 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).
Howard 2 EnglishOccupational name meaning
"ewe herder", from Old English
eowu "ewe" and
hierde "herdsman, guardian".
Hrabě CzechMeans
"count" in Czech, perhaps used to denote someone who worked for a count or acted like a count.
Hunter English, ScottishOccupational name that referred to someone who hunted for a living, from Old English
hunta.
Jäger GermanMeans
"hunter" in German, from Old High German
jagon meaning "to hunt".
Joiner EnglishOccupational name for a carpenter (that is, a person who joins wood together to make furniture).
Kamiński PolishFrom Polish
kamień meaning
"stone", a name for a stonecutter or for one who lived at a place with this name.
Kardos HungarianFrom Hungarian
kard meaning
"sword". It could have been applied to soldiers, sword makers, or one with a pugnacious nature.
Katırcı TurkishDerived from Turkish
katır meaning
"mule", a name for a person who made transports by mule.
Kellogg EnglishOccupational name for a pig butcher, from Middle English
killen "to kill" and
hog "pig, swine, hog".
Kerner GermanDerived from Old High German
kerno "seed", an occupational name for one who sold or planted seeds.
Knight EnglishFrom Old English
cniht meaning
"knight", a tenant serving as a mounted soldier.
Kohler GermanFrom Middle High German
koler meaning
"charcoal burner" or
"charcoal seller".
Kolář CzechMeans
"wheelwright", a derivative of Czech
kolo "wheel".
Košar CroatianFrom Croatian
koš meaning
"basket", originally indicating a person who made or sold baskets.
Koszorús HungarianDerived from Hungarian
koszorú meaning
"garland, wreath, girdle", a name for someone who made garlands.
Kowalski PolishFrom Polish
kowal meaning
"blacksmith". This is the second most common surname in Poland.
Krämer GermanMeans
"shopkeeper, merchant" in German, derived from Old High German
kram meaning "tent, trading post".
Kranz German, JewishDerived from Old High German
kranz meaning
"wreath", an occupational name for a maker of wreaths or an ornamental Jewish name.
Król PolishMeans
"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 GermanOccupational surname for a baker who made small cakes or cookies, derived from Middle High German
kuoche "cake, pastry".
Kurucz HungarianDerived from the Hungarian word
kuruc, referring to rebels who fought against the Habsburgs in the late 17th to early 18th century.
Laguardia ItalianOccupational 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 RussianPatronymic name derived from Russian
лагун (lagun) meaning
"water barrel". It was used to denote the descendants of a person who made water barrels.
Láník CzechDerived 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 HungarianMeans
"minstrel, bard, lutist" in Hungarian, from
lant meaning "lute".
Lapointe FrenchMeans
"the point (of a lance)" in French, possibly a nickname for a soldier.
Lécuyer FrenchFrom French
écuyer meaning
"squire, shield-bearer".
Lehmann GermanFrom Middle High German
lehenman meaning
"vassal, liege man".
Lemaire FrenchMeans
"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 ScottishAnglicized form of the Gaelic
Mac an Fleisdeir meaning
"son of the arrow maker".
Marmo ItalianMeans
"marble" in Italian, possibly indicating a person who lived near a quarry or one who worked with marble.
Marquardt GermanFrom Old High German
marka "border, boundary" and
wart "protector". This was an occupational name for a border guard.
Marshall EnglishDerived 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 CzechReferred to one who churned or sold butter or buttermilk, derived from Czech
máslo "butter".
Mason EnglishOccupational name for a stoneworker or layer of bricks, from Old French
masson, of Frankish origin (akin to Old English
macian "to make").
Mayer 3 EnglishOccupational name for a mayor, from Middle English
mair, derived via Old French from Latin
maior.
Mazza ItalianFrom a nickname (perhaps occupational) meaning
"maul, mallet" in Italian.
McIntyre ScottishFrom Scottish Gaelic
Mac an tSaoir meaning
"son of the carpenter".
Meyer 1 GermanFrom 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 EnglishOccupational surname referring to a person who owned or worked in a grain mill, from Middle English
mille "mill".
Millhouse EnglishName for someone whose house was in a mill or who worked in a mill.
Mills EnglishOriginally given to one who lived near a mill or who worked in a mill, from Middle English
mille.
Moździerz PolishMeans
"mortar" in Polish. It probably referred to someone who worked with or sold mortar.
Müller GermanGerman equivalent of
Miller, derived from Middle High German
mülnære or
müller.
Notaro ItalianOccupational name for a clerk, derived from Latin
notarius.
Offermans DutchFrom Dutch
offer meaning
"offering, donation", referring to a person who collected money in a church.
Palladino ItalianFrom Italian
paladino meaning
"knight, defender", from Late Latin
palatinus meaning "palace officer".
Park 2 EnglishFrom Middle English
park, from Latin
parricus, of Frankish origin. This was a name for someone who worked in or lived in a park.
Parker EnglishMeans
"keeper of the park" in Middle English. It is an occupational name for a person who was a gamekeeper at a medieval park.
Parsons EnglishOriginally denoted a son of a parson, a derivative of Latin
persona "person".
Pecora ItalianMeans
"sheep" in Italian, an occupational name for a shepherd.
Pesce ItalianMeans
"fish" in Italian, referring either to a fisherman or to a person who resembled a fish in some way.
Plank German, EnglishMeans
"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 CzechMeans
"one who sits behind" in Czech, an equivalent to
Zahradník mainly used in the region of Moravia.
Porcher English, FrenchMeans
"swineherd" from Old French and Middle English
porchier, from Latin
porcus "pig".
Porter EnglishOccupational name meaning
"doorkeeper", ultimately from Old French
porte "door", from Latin
porta.
Potter EnglishOccupational 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.
Procházka CzechMeans
"walk, wander, stroll" in Czech. This was an occupational name for a travelling tradesman.
Purcell EnglishFrom Old French
pourcel "piglet", from Latin
porcellus, a derivative of
porcus "pig". This was a nickname or an occupational name for a swineherd.
Puskás HungarianOccupational name for a gunsmith or cannon maker, from Hungarian
puska meaning
"gun" (from German, itself from Latin
buxis "box").
Rettig GermanDerived from Middle High German
retich, Middle Low German
redik meaning
"radish", an occupational name for a grower or seller of radishes.
Reuter 2 GermanFrom Middle High German
riutœre meaning
"highwayman, thief".
Rimmer EnglishOccupational name meaning
"poet", from Middle English
rime meaning "rhyme".
Ritter GermanFrom Middle High German
riter meaning
"rider, knight", a cognate of
Ryder.
Rothbauer GermanFrom Old High German
riuten "to clear land" and
bur "peasant, farmer".
Ryba Czech, PolishMeans
"fish" in Czech and Slovak, an occupational name for a fisher.
Rybář CzechMeans
"fisher" in Czech, from
ryba meaning "fish".
Sappington EnglishPossibly from the city of Sapperton, England, derived from Old English
sapere meaning "soap maker" and
tun meaning "enclosure, yard, town".
Sawyer EnglishOccupational 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).
Saylor EnglishOccupational name meaning
"acrobat, dancer", derived from Old French
sailleor, from Latin
sallitor.
Scarlett EnglishDenoted a person who sold or made clothes made of scarlet, a kind of cloth, possibly derived from Persian
سقرلاط (saghrelat).
Schenk German, DutchFrom Middle High German, Middle Dutch
schenke meaning
"wine server" (from Old High German
scenken "to pour out").
Schirmer GermanMeans
"fencer, fencing master", from Old High German
skirmen meaning "to defend".
School DutchFrom Dutch
school, ultimately from Latin
schola meaning
"school", indicating a person who worked at or lived near a school.
Schröter GermanMeans
"beer-porter, wine-porter" in German, an occupational name for a carrier of wine or beer barrels.
Schüttmann GermanMeans
"watchman, guard" from Middle High German
schützen "to protect".
Scriven EnglishOccupational name meaning
"writer, clerk, scribe" in Old French, derived from Latin
scriba.
Senft 1 GermanOccupational name for a mustard seller, from German
Senf "mustard".
Sergeant English, FrenchOccupational name derived from Old French
sergent meaning
"servant", ultimately from Latin
servire "to serve".
Seward 2 EnglishMeans
"swineherd" from Old English
su "sow, female pig" and
hierde "herdsman, guardian".
Sexton EnglishOccupational name for a sexton (Middle English
sexteyn), a caretaker for a church or graveyard.
Shepherd EnglishOccupational name meaning
"shepherd, sheep herder", from Old English
sceaphyrde.
Slater EnglishOccupational name indicating that an early member worked covering roofs with slate, from Old French
esclat "shard", of Germanic origin.
Smith EnglishMeans
"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, JewishOccupational name for a fur trader, from the Slavic word
soboli meaning
"sable, marten". As a Jewish name it is ornamental.
Soldati ItalianFrom Italian
soldato meaning
"soldier", ultimately from Latin
solidus, a type of Roman coin.
Sörös HungarianFrom Hungarian
sör meaning
"beer". Originally the name was given to beer brewers.
Spada ItalianOccupational name for an armourer or swordsman, from Italian
spada "sword", Latin
spatha.
Sparacello ItalianFrom Sicilian
sparaciu meaning
"asparagus", an occupational name for an asparagus seller or grower.
Spear EnglishFrom Old English
spere "spear", an occupational name for a hunter or a maker of spears, or a nickname for a thin person.
Steed EnglishOccupational name for one who tended horses, derived from Middle English
steed, in turn derived from Old English
steda meaning "stallion".
Steele EnglishOccupational name for a steelworker, from Old English
stele meaning
"steel".
Stewart ScottishOccupational 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 EnglishOccupational name for a horse keeper, from Old English
stod "stallion, stud" and
hierde "herder".
Struna Slovene, CzechFrom Slavic
struna meaning
"string, cord", possibly denoting a maker of rope.
Tanner EnglishOccupational 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 GermanMeans
"dancer" in German, derived from Middle High German
tanzen "to dance".
Tasker EnglishFrom 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 TurkishOccupational name for a goat herder, from Turkish
teke "goat".
Tesař CzechMeans
"carpenter" in Czech, ultimately from the Slavic word
tesla meaning "adze".
Thatcher EnglishReferred to a person who thatched roofs by attaching straw to them, derived from Old English
þæc meaning "thatch".
Toller EnglishOccupational name meaning
"tax gatherer", derived from Old English
toln "toll, fee, tax".
Tupper EnglishOccupational name for a herdsman, derived from Middle English
toupe "ram".
Tyler EnglishOccupational 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 ItalianMeans
"cow" in Italian, originally denoting a person who worked with cattle.
Vadas HungarianFrom Hungarian
vad meaning
"wild", either a nickname or an occupational name for a hunter of wild game.
Vámos HungarianMeans
"customs officer" in Hungarian, a derivative of
vám "customs".
Vinogradov RussianMeans
"vineyard" in Russian (ultimately from German), referring to a person who worked at a vineyard or lived near one.
Weimann GermanFrom German
Wein meaning
"wine", an occupational name for a wine seller or producer.
Wheeler EnglishOccupational name for a maker of wagon wheels, derived from Middle English
whele "wheel".
Woodward EnglishOccupational name for a forester, meaning
"ward of the wood" in Old English.
Yates EnglishFrom Old English
geat meaning
"gate", a name for a gatekeeper or someone who lived near a gate.
Zimmermann German, JewishFrom the German word for
"carpenter", derived from Middle High German
zimber "timber, wood" and
mann "man".