Albero ItalianFrom Italian
albero meaning
"tree", ultimately from Latin
arbor, referring to someone who lived in the woods or worked as a woodcutter.
Barclay English, ScottishFrom the English place name
Berkeley, derived from Old English
beorc "birch" and
leah "woodland, clearing". The surname was imported to Scotland in the 12th century.
Beasley EnglishFrom the name of a place in Lancashire, from Old English
beos "bent grass" and
leah "woodland, clearing".
Beauchêne FrenchFrom French place names derived from
beau "beautiful" and
chêne "oak".
Beech 2 EnglishOriginally a name for a person who lived near a beech tree, from Old English
bece.
Bentley EnglishFrom a place name derived from Old English
beonet "bent grass" and
leah "woodland, clearing". Various towns in England bear this name.
Bobal m CzechDerived from Czech
bob meaning
"bean".
Bokor HungarianTopographic name derived from Hungarian
bokor "bush". This is also the name of a village in Hungary.
Bradshaw EnglishFrom any of the places by this name in England, derived from Old English
brad "broad" and
sceaga "thicket".
Brandon EnglishFrom the name of various places in England meaning
"hill covered with broom" in Old English.
Breckenridge Scottish, EnglishOriginally indicated someone from Brackenrig in Lanarkshire, derived from northern Middle English
braken meaning "bracken" (via Old Norse
brækni) and
rigg meaning "ridge" (via Old Norse
hryggr).
Busch GermanMeans
"bush" in German, a name for someone who lived close to a thicket.
Bush EnglishOriginally a name for a person who lived near a prominent bush or thicket.
Byqvist SwedishDerived from Swedish
by (Old Norse
býr) meaning "village" and
qvist (Old Norse
kvistr) meaning "twig, branch".
Carrasco SpanishTopographic name derived from Spanish
carrasca meaning
"holm oak" (species Quercus ilex).
Chmela m CzechDerived from Czech
chmel "hops", referring to a person who grew hops, a plant used in brewing beer.
Cracchiolo ItalianDerived from Italian
cracchiola, referring to a chicory-like vegetable.
Delaney 1 EnglishDerived from Norman French
de l'aunaie meaning
"from the alder grove".
Desrosiers FrenchMeans
"from the rose bushes", from French
rosier "rose bush". It probably referred to a person who lived close to, or cared for a rose garden.
Du ChineseFrom Chinese
杜 (dù) meaning
"stop, prevent" or
"birchleaf pear tree".
Escobar SpanishDerived from Spanish
escoba meaning
"broom plant", from Latin
scopa. It originally indicated a person who lived near a prominent patch of broom.
Espina SpanishMeans
"thorn" in Spanish, a name for someone who lived near a thorn bush.
Espinosa SpanishFrom Spanish
espinoso meaning
"thorny", ultimately from Latin
spinosus, a derivative of
spina meaning "thorn, spine". This was the real surname of the Dutch philosopher Baruch Spinoza (1632-1677), who was of Portuguese Jewish origin.
Fairburn EnglishFrom a place name meaning
"fern stream", from Old English
fearn "fern" and
burna "stream".
Farnham EnglishIndicated a person from any of the various towns named Farnham in England, notably in Surrey. Their names are from Old English
fearn "fern" and
ham "home, settlement" or
ham "water meadow, enclosure".
Fava ItalianFrom Italian
fava referring to a type of broad bean.
Flower EnglishFrom Middle English
flour meaning
"flower, blossom", derived from Old French
flur, Latin
flos. This was a nickname given to a sweet person. In other cases it could be a metonymic occupational name for a maker of flour (a word derived from the same source).
Forney GermanName for someone who lived near ferns, from Old High German
farn "fern".
Forst GermanDerived from Old High German
forst "forest". Probably unrelated to the Old French word
forest, which was derived from Latin, Old High German
forst was derived from
foraha meaning "fir tree".
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).
Garofalo ItalianFrom a nickname, from a southern variant of the Italian word
garofano meaning
"carnation".
Garrastazu BasqueFrom the Basque word
arratz "bush" combined with the suffix
sta denoting a place.
Greenwood EnglishTopographic name for someone who lived in or near a lush forest, from Old English
grene "green" and
wudu "wood".
Grünewald GermanMeans
"green forest" from German
grün "green" and
Wald "forest".
Haber German, JewishOccupational name for one who grew or sold oats, derived from Old High German
habaro "oat". As a Jewish surname it is ornamental.
Hawthorne EnglishDenoted a person who lived near a hawthorn bush, a word derived from Old English
hagaþorn, from
haga meaning "enclosure, yard" and
þorn meaning "thorn bush". A famous bearer was the American writer Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864), author of
The Scarlet Letter.
Haywood EnglishFrom various place names meaning "fenced wood" in Old English.
Holme English, ScottishReferred either to someone living by a small island (northern Middle English
holm, from Old Norse
holmr) or near a holly tree (Middle English
holm, from Old English
holegn).
Holmgren SwedishOrnamental name derived from Swedish
holme (Old Norse
holmr) meaning "small island" and
gren (Old Norse
grein) meaning "branch".
Jabłoński m PolishOriginally denoted someone who lived by an apple tree, from Polish
jabłoń meaning
"apple tree".
Jaso BasqueDerived from Basque
jats meaning
"sorghum", a type of cereal grass.
Keaton EnglishFrom any of three English place names: Ketton in Rutland, Ketton in Durham or Keaton in Devon. The first is probably derived from an old river name or tribal name combined with Old English
ea "river", with the spelling later influenced by
tun "enclosure, yard, town". The second is from the Old English given name
Catta or the Old Norse given name
Káti combined with Old English
tun. The third is possibly from Cornish
kee "hedge, bank" combined with Old English
tun.
Keith ScottishFrom a place name that is probably derived from the Brythonic element
cet meaning
"wood". This was the surname of a long line of Scottish nobles.
Kerner GermanDerived from Old High German
kerno "seed", an occupational name for one who sold or planted seeds.
Kerr Scottish, EnglishFrom Scots and northern Middle English
kerr meaning
"thicket, marsh", ultimately from Old Norse
kjarr.
Kersey EnglishFrom an English place name meaning derived from Old English
cærse "watercress" and
ieg "island".
Kjær DanishTopographic name for someone living near a wetland, from Danish
kær "marsh", from Old Norse
kjarr "thicket".
Kohl GermanDerived from Middle High German
kol "cabbage".
Kranz German, JewishDerived from Old High German
kranz meaning
"wreath", an occupational name for a maker of wreaths or an ornamental Jewish name.
Kwiatkowski m PolishHabitational name for someone from any of the various locations named
Kwiatków,
Kwiatkowo or
Kwiatkowice, named from a diminutive of Polish
kwiat meaning "flower".
Laganà ItalianOccupational name for a greengrocer, meaning
"vegetables" in southern Italian dialects, ultimately from Greek
λάχανον (lachanon).
Lavigne FrenchMeans
"the vineyard" in French, referring to a person who lived close to a vineyard, or was from the town of Lavigny.
Layton EnglishDerived from the name of English towns, meaning "town with a leek garden" in Old English.
Leslie ScottishFrom a Scottish clan name, earlier
Lesselyn, derived from a place name in Aberdeenshire, itself probably from Gaelic
leas celyn meaning "garden of holly".
Lewandowski m PolishFrom the Polish estate name
Lewandów, which is itself possibly derived from a personal name or from
lawenda "lavender".
Lindqvist SwedishOrnamental name derived from Swedish
lind meaning "linden tree" and
qvist (Old Norse
kvistr) meaning "twig, branch".
Linton EnglishOriginally from place names meaning either "flax town" or "linden tree town" in Old English.
Ljunggren SwedishOrnamental name derived from Swedish
ljung (Old Norse
lyng) meaning "heather" and
gren (Old Norse
grein) meaning "branch".
Ljungman SwedishFrom Swedish
ljung (Old Norse
lyng) meaning "heather" and
man (Old Norse
maðr) meaning "person, man".
Löfgren SwedishOrnamental name derived from Swedish
löv (Old Norse
lauf) meaning "leaf" and
gren (Old Norse
grein) meaning "branch".
Lund Danish, Swedish, NorwegianIndicated a person who lived near a grove of trees, from Old Norse
lundr meaning
"grove". There are towns in Sweden named Lund.
Lyndon EnglishOriginally from a place name meaning "linden tree hill" in Old English.
Mathers EnglishOccupational name meaning
"mower, cutter of hay" in Old English.
Medeiros PortugueseFrom various Portuguese place names that were derived from Portuguese
medeiro meaning
"haystack", ultimately from Latin
meta meaning "cone, pyramid".
Mondadori ItalianFrom Italian
mondatore meaning
"weeder". This was an occupational name for someone who kept fields clear of weeds.
Morales SpanishDerived from Spanish
moral meaning
"mulberry tree", of Latin origin.
Mutō JapaneseFrom Japanese
武 (mu) meaning "military, martial" and
藤 (tō) meaning "wisteria". The final character may indicate a connection to the Fujiwara clan.
Nespoli ItalianFrom the name of towns such as Nespoli and Nespoledo, derived from Italian
nespola meaning "medlar (tree)".
Novosad m CzechFrom place names meaning
"new orchard" in Czech.
Ó Cuilinn IrishMeans
"descendant of Cuileann",
Cuileann being a nickname meaning "holly".
Odell EnglishOriginally denoted a person who was from Odell in Bedfordshire, derived from Old English
wad "woad" (a plant that produces a blue dye) and
hyll "hill".
Ojeda SpanishFrom the name of the Ojeda river in Soria, Spain, possibly derived from Latin
folia "leaves".
Ortega SpanishFrom a Spanish place name (belonging to various villages) derived from
ortiga "nettle".
Pasternak Polish, Ukrainian, Russian, YiddishMeans
"parsnip" in various Slavic languages, ultimately from Latin
pastinaca. A famous bearer was Boris Pasternak (1890-1960), author of
Doctor Zhivago.
Porras Spanish, CatalanFrom a nickname meaning
"club" in Spanish and Catalan, ultimately from Latin
porrum meaning "leek".
Quirós SpanishDenoted a person from one of the various places of this name in Spain, which may derive from Galician
queiroa meaning
"heather".
Ramos SpanishOriginally indicated a person who lived in a thickly wooded area, from Latin
ramus meaning
"branch".
Read 2 EnglishFrom Old English
ryd, an unattested form of
rod meaning
"cleared land". It is also derived from various English place names with various meanings, including "roe headland", "reeds" and "brushwood".
Reis German, JewishFrom Middle High German
ris meaning
"twig, branch, bush", denoting a person who lived in an overgrown area. As a Jewish name it is ornamental.
Rettig GermanDerived from Middle High German
retich, Middle Low German
redik meaning
"radish", an occupational name for a grower or seller of radishes.
Rietveld DutchMeans
"reed field", from Dutch
riet "reed" and
veld "field". It is found mostly in the western part of the Netherlands (the Holland area).
Rose 1 English, French, German, JewishMeans
"rose" from Middle English, Old French and Middle High German
rose, all from Latin
rosa. All denote a person of a rosy complexion or a person who lived in an area abundant with roses. As a Jewish surname it is ornamental, from Yiddish
רויז (roiz).
Rowntree EnglishOriginally given to a person who lived near a rowan tree or mountain ash.
Rush EnglishIndicated a person who lived near rushes, the grasslike plant that grows in a marsh, from Old English
rysc.
Sadowski m PolishDenoted someone who lived in Sadowo, Sadowice or other places beginning with Polish
sad meaning "garden, orchard".
Sandoval SpanishDerived from the name of a town in Spain, ultimately from Latin
saltus "forest, glade" and
novalis "unploughed land".
Shaw 1 EnglishOriginally given to a person who lived near a prominent thicket, from Old English
sceaga meaning
"thicket, copse".
Silva Portuguese, SpanishFrom Spanish or Portuguese
silva meaning
"forest". This is the most common surname in Portugal and Brazil.
Sjögren SwedishFrom Swedish
sjö (Old Norse
sær) meaning "lake, sea" and
gren (Old Norse
grein) meaning "branch".
Soto SpanishMeans
"grove of trees, small forest" in Spanish, ultimately from Latin
saltus.
Sparacello ItalianFrom Sicilian
sparaciu meaning
"asparagus", an occupational name for an asparagus seller or grower.
Spini ItalianDenoted a person who lived near thorn bushes, from Italian
spina "thorn, spine", from Latin.
Stack EnglishFrom a nickname for a big person, derived from Middle English
stack "haystack", of Old Norse origin.
Su ChineseFrom Chinese
苏 (sū) meaning
"perilla", also referring to an ancient minor state called Su.
Tamboli MarathiFrom the Sanskrit word
ताम्बूल (tāmbūla) meaning
"betel leaves". These leaves are used in rituals and worship, and the name was originally given to a person who grew or sold them.
Tenley EnglishPossibly from the name of an English town derived from Old English
tind "point" and
leah "woodland, clearing".
Thorley EnglishFrom any of the various places in England called
Thornley or
Thorley, meaning "thorn clearing" in Old English.
Thornton EnglishFrom any of the various places in England by this name, meaning "thorn town" in Old English.
Timberlake EnglishFrom an English place name, derived from Old English
timber "timber, wood" and
lacu "lake, pool, stream".
Tuft EnglishDenoted one who lived near a clump of trees or bushes, from Middle English
tufte "tuft, clump", from Old French.
Urquhart ScottishDerived from Brythonic
ar "by" and
cardden "thicket". This is the name of several places, the most famous being north of Loch Ness.
Van Wieren Frisian, DutchMeans
"from Wieren". This is the name of towns in Frisia and other parts of the Netherlands, which mean "seaweed".
Varela SpanishDerived from Spanish
vara "stick". It may have originally been given to one who used a stick in his line of work, for example an animal herder.
Vega SpanishFrom Spanish
vega meaning
"meadow, plain", of Basque origin.
Vernon EnglishLocational name in the Eure region of Normandy, from the Gaulish element
vern "alder (tree)" with the genitive case maker
onis.
Vinogradov m RussianMeans
"vineyard" in Russian (ultimately from German), referring to a person who worked at a vineyard or lived near one.
Walkenhorst GermanPossibly derived from a German place name
Falkenhorst, from
Falken meaning "falcons" and
Horst meaning "thicket".
Whinery EnglishFrom Middle English
whin "gorse bush" and
wray "nook of land".
Woodward EnglishOccupational name for a forester, meaning
"ward of the wood" in Old English.