Achthoven DutchDenoted a person from various towns in the Netherlands called Achthoven, which is derived from Dutch
acht "eight" and
hoven "farmsteads".
Acquati ItalianFrom the name of a village, part of the city of Lecco in Lombardy. Its name is presumably derived from Italian
acqua "water".
Aldana BasqueFrom the name of a Basque town, derived from
aldats meaning
"slope".
Almeida PortugueseDesignated a person who had originally lived in the town of Almeida in Portugal. The place name is from Arabic
ال مائدة (al māʾida) meaning "the plateau, the table".
Amantea ItalianFrom the name of a town in Calabria, Italy. It is possibly derived from Arabic (dating from the Arab raids of the 9th century) meaning "the fortress".
Appleton EnglishFrom the name of several English towns, meaning "orchard" in Old English (a compound of
æppel "apple" and
tun "enclosure, yard").
Arendonk DutchDenoted a person from Arendonk, a town between in northern Belgium. It is derived from
arend "eagle" and
donk "hill".
Arrington EnglishFrom the name of a town in Cambridgeshire, originally meaning "Earna's settlement" in Old English (
Earna being a person's nickname meaning "eagle").
Ayala SpanishFrom the name of the town of Ayala (called
Aiara in Basque) in Álava, Spain. It might be derived from Basque
aiher "slope" or
alha "pasture".
Ayers 3 EnglishIndicated a person from the town of Ayr in Scotland. The town was named for the river that flows through it, itself derived from an Indo-European root meaning "water".
Ayton EnglishFrom the name of towns in Berwickshire and North Yorkshire. They are derived from Old English
ea "river" or
ieg "island" combined with
tun "enclosure, yard, town".
Barton EnglishFrom a place name meaning "barley town" in Old English.
Bennington EnglishFrom the English town name
Benington, which can mean either
"settlement belonging to Beonna's people" or
"settlement by the River Beane".
Benton EnglishDenoted someone who came from Benton, England, which is derived from Old English
beonet "bent grass" and
tun "enclosure".
Blakesley EnglishFrom the name of a town in Northamptonshire, itself meaning "Blæcwulf's meadow" in Old English.
Blæcwulf is a byname meaning "black wolf".
Bolton EnglishFrom any of the many places in England called Bolton, derived from Old English
bold "house" and
tun "enclosure".
Boon 2 EnglishOriginally indicated a person from the town of Bohon, in Manche in France. The town's name is of unknown origin.
Borja SpanishOriginally indicated a person from the Spanish town of Borja in Aragon, derived from Arabic
برْج (burj) meaning "tower".
Brigham EnglishOriginally referred to one who came from a town called Brigham, meaning "homestead by the bridge" in Old English. This is the name of towns in Cumberland and Yorkshire.
Brivio ItalianFrom the name of the town of Brivio in Lombardy. Supposed it derives from a Celtic word meaning "bridge".
Burton EnglishFrom a common English place name, derived from Old English meaning "fortified town".
Cárdenas SpanishFrom the name of towns in the Spanish provinces of Almería and La Rioja. They are derived from Spanish
cárdeno "blue, purple".
Cason EnglishFrom the English place name
Cawston, derived from the Old Norse given name
Kálfr combined with Old English
tun meaning "enclosure, yard, town".
Cingolani ItalianFrom Cingoli, a town in the Marche region of Italy. It is derived from Latin
cingo "surround, ring".
Cisternino ItalianFrom the name of the town of Cisternino, near the city of Bari in southern Italy.
Clayton EnglishFrom the name of various places meaning "clay settlement" in Old English.
Clifton EnglishDerived from various place names meaning "settlement by a cliff" in Old English.
Clinton EnglishDerived from the English place name
Glinton, of uncertain meaning, or
Glympton, meaning "settlement on the River Glyme". This surname is borne by former American president Bill Clinton (1946-).
Corleone Sicilian, LiteratureFrom the name of the town of Corleone in Sicily, which is of uncertain meaning. This surname is well known from the novel
The Godfather (1969) by Mario Puzo, as well as the films based on his characters. The story tells how Vito Andolini comes to America from Sicily, receiving the new surname
Corleone at Ellis Island, and starts a criminal empire based in New York.
Crosby EnglishFrom the name of various towns in England, derived from Old Norse
kross "cross" (a borrowing from Latin
crux) and
býr "farm, settlement".
Debenham EnglishOriginally denoted a person from the town of Debenham in Suffolk, derived from the name of the River Deben (meaning "deep" in Old English) combined with
ham meaning "home, settlement".
Dunbar ScottishFrom the name of a town in East Lothian, Scotland, derived from Gaelic
dùn meaning "fort" and
barr meaning "summit", so called from its situation on a rock that projects into the sea.
Eaton EnglishFrom any of the various English towns with this name, derived from Old English
ea "river" and
tun "enclosure, yard, town".
Eccleston EnglishDenoted a person from any of the various places named Eccleston in England, derived from Latin
ecclesia "church" (via Briton) and Old English
tun "enclosure, yard, town".
Ellington EnglishFrom the name of multiple towns in England. The town's name is derived from the masculine given name
Ella (a short form of Old English names beginning with the elements
ælf meaning "elf" or
eald meaning "old") combined with
tun meaning "enclosure, town".
Elton EnglishFrom an English place name meaning
"Ella's town".
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".
Fermi ItalianOriginally indicated a person from the town of Fermo in the Marche region of Italy, originally called
Firmum in Latin meaning "strong, steady, firm".
Fulton EnglishFrom the name of the English town of Foulden, Norfolk, meaning "bird hill" in Old English.
Hampton EnglishFrom the name of multiple towns in England, derived from Old English
ham "home" or
ham "water meadow, enclosure" and
tun "enclosure, yard, town".
Harrington EnglishFrom the name of towns in England, meaning either "Hæfer's town" or "stony town" in Old English.
Hilton EnglishFrom various English place names derived from Old English
hyll "hill" and
tun "enclosure, town". Famous bearers of this name include the Hilton family of hotel heirs.
Huddleston EnglishFrom the name of a town in the Yorkshire region of England, which means "Hudel's town" in Old English.
Jöllenbeck GermanFrom the name of a village in western Germany, itself derived from the name of the Jölle, a small river, combined with Low German
beck "stream".
Kaube GermanFrom the name of the town of Kaub in Germany.
Kinsley EnglishFrom the name of a town in West Yorkshire, meaning "clearing belonging to Cyne". The Old English given name
Cyne is a short form of longer names beginning with
cyne meaning "royal".
Lamon ItalianFrom the name of the village of Lamon near the city of Belluno in Veneto, Italy.
Landau German, JewishDerived from the town of Landau in the Palatinate region of Germany, of Old High German origin meaning "land valley".
Lara SpanishFrom the name of a village in Burgos, Spain. It might be derived from Latin
lar "household god, house, home".
Laterza ItalianFrom the name of the town of Laterza near Taranto in Apulia. It is typical of southern Italy.
Lémieux FrenchDerived from the place name
Leymieux, a town in the Rhône-Alpes region of France.
Locatelli ItalianFrom Locatello, a town in Lombardy, northern Italy, near the city of Bergamo.
Marston EnglishFrom a place name derived from Old English
mersc "marsh" and
tun "enclosure".
Meissner GermanOriginally denoted a person from the German town of Meissen, which is probably of Slavic origin.
Melsbach GermanFrom the name of a German town, possibly meaning "mill stream".
Middleton EnglishOriginally denoted a person who lived in one of the numerous English towns by this name, derived from Old English
middel "middle" and
tun "enclosure, yard, town".
Milton EnglishDerived from an English place name meaning "mill town" in Old English. A famous bearer was John Milton (1608-1674), the poet who wrote "Paradise Lost".
Montoya SpanishFrom the name of a village in the province of Álava in Spain. It is possibly of Basque origin, or possibly from Latin
mons "mountain, hill".
Moon 2 EnglishOriginally indicated a person from the town of Moyon in Normandy.
Neuville FrenchFrom the names of various French towns meaning "new town".
Neville English, IrishFrom the names of towns in Normandy, variously
Neuville or
Néville, meaning "new town" in French.
Newton EnglishFrom the name of one of many English towns meaning "new town". A famous bearer was the English physicist Isaac Newton (1643-1727).
Northrop EnglishOriginally denoted one who came from a town of this name England, meaning "north farm".
Norton EnglishFrom the name of various towns in England meaning "north town" in Old English.
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".
Owston EnglishDenoted a person who came from any one of the places in Britain called Ouston or Owston.
Palmisano ItalianLocative name from the town of Palmi in the Calabria region of southern Italy.
Parodi ItalianFrom the name of a village near Genoa in northern Italy.
Pemberton EnglishFrom the name of a town near Manchester, derived from Celtic
penn meaning "hill" combined with Old English
bere meaning "barley" and
tun meaning "enclosure, yard, town".
Pickering EnglishFrom the name of a town in Yorkshire, derived from Old English
Piceringas, the name of a tribe.
Pontecorvo Italian, JewishFrom the name of a town in central Italy, home to an old Jewish community. The town's name is derived from Italian
ponte "bridge" and
curvo "curved".
Preston EnglishOriginally derived from various place names meaning
"priest town" in Old English.
Ralston ScottishOriginally denoted a person from Ralston, Scotland, which was derived from the given name
Ralph combined with Old English
tun meaning "enclosure, yard, town".
Remington EnglishFrom the name of the town of Rimington in Lancashire, derived from the name of the stream
Riming combined with Old English
tun meaning "enclosure, town".
Richelieu FrenchFrom the name of the town of Richelieu, derived from French
riche "wealthy" and
lieu "place". The historic figure Cardinal Richelieu (1585-1642), born Armand du Plessis, was so-called because he became the first Duke of Richelieu. He appears in Alexander Dumas' novel
The Three Musketeers (1844).
Royston EnglishOriginally taken from an Old English place name meaning "Royse's town". The given name
Royse was a medieval variant of
Rose.
Salazar Basque, SpanishFrom Spanish
sala meaning "hall" and Basque
zahar meaning "old". It can also refer to the town of Salazar in Burgos, Spain, which is of the same origin.
Sandoval SpanishDerived from the name of a town in Spain, ultimately from Latin
saltus "forest, glade" and
novalis "unploughed land".
Sarno ItalianOriginally denoted a person from Sarno in Italy, named for the Sarno River (called
Sarnus in Latin).
Seabrook EnglishDenoted a person from a town by this name in Buckinghamshire, England. It is derived from that of a river combined with Old English
broc "stream".
Solheim NorwegianFrom the name various of various villages in Norway, derived from Old Norse
sól meaning "sun" and
heimr meaning "home".
Solís SpanishFrom the name of a village in Asturias, Spain, derived from Spanish
sol "sun".
Soucy FrenchOriginally denoted someone from French towns by this name in Aisne or Yonne, both derived from the Latin name
Suciacum.
Southgate EnglishName for a person who lived near the southern gate of a town or in a town named Southgate, from Old English
suþ and
gæt.
Stanton EnglishFrom one of the many places named Stanton or Staunton in England, derived from Old English
stan meaning "stone" and
tun meaning "enclosure, town".
Statham EnglishFrom the name of a village in the English county of Cheshire, derived from Old English
stæð meaning "wharf, landing place" and
ham "home, settlement".
Stoke EnglishFrom the name of numerous places in England, derived from Old English
stoc meaning
"place, dwelling".
Strickland EnglishFrom the name of a town in Cumbria, derived from Old English
stirc "calf, young bullock" and
land "cultivated land".
Summerfield EnglishOriginally indicated the bearer was from a town of this name, derived from Old English
sumor "summer" and
feld "field".
Sutton EnglishFrom various English place names meaning
"south town".
Tatton EnglishOriginally indicated a person from a town by this name, derived from the Old English given name
Tata combined with
tun meaning "enclosure, yard, town".
Tipton EnglishOriginally given to one who came from the town of Tipton, derived from the Old English given name
Tippa combined with
tun "enclosure, yard, town".
Twist English, LiteratureProbably from the name of towns in England and Wales called
Twist or
Twiss. This surname was used by Charles Dickens for the hero of his novel
Oliver Twist (1838), about an orphan surviving the streets of London. Dickens probably had the vocabulary word
twist in mind when naming the character.
Van Alphen DutchMeans
"from Alphen", a town in the Netherlands. It is derived from the name of the Roman fort
Albaniana, itself from Latin
albus "white".
Van Bokhoven DutchMeans
"from Bokhoven", a small town in the province of Noord-Brabant in the Netherlands. It means "goat yards" in Dutch.
Van Damme FlemishMeans
"from Damme", the name of a town in Belgium, derived from Dutch
dam meaning "dam". A famous bearer is the Belgian actor Jean-Claude Van Damme (1960-), who was born with the surname
Van Varenberg.
Van Wieren Frisian, DutchMeans
"from Wieren". This is the name of towns in Frisia and other parts of the Netherlands, which mean "seaweed".
Vieira PortugueseDenoted a person who came from a Portuguese town by this name, derived from
vieria meaning
"scallop". The scallop was a symbol of Saint James, and was traditionally worn by pilgrims to the shrine of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia.
Villalba SpanishDenoted a person from one of the various Spanish places by this name. It is derived from Spanish
villa "town" and
alba "white".
Villalobos SpanishHabitational name for a person from the town of Villalobos, Spain, which is derived from Spanish
villa "town" and
lobo "wolf".
Villanueva SpanishOriginally denoted someone who came from one of the various Spanish towns by this name, derived from
villa "town" and
nueva "new".
Warren 2 EnglishOriginally denoted a person from the town of La Varenne in Normandy, which may derive from a Gaulish word meaning "sandy soil".
Waxweiler GermanDenoted a person from Waxweiler, a village in the Eifel region of Germany.
Weston EnglishFrom the name of various English towns, derived from Old English
west "west" and
tun "enclosure, yard, town".
Wheelock EnglishOriginally indicated a person from the town of Wheelock, England. It was named for the nearby River Wheelock, which is derived from Welsh
chwylog meaning "winding".
Wildgrube GermanFrom the name of a German town, derived from German
wild "wild, untamed" and
Grube "hollow, pit".
Yoxall EnglishOriginally indicated a person from the town of Yoxall in Staffordshire, itself derived from Old English
geoc "oxen yoke" and
halh "nook, recess".