Surnames Categorized "towns"

This is a list of surnames in which the categories include towns.
usage
Achthoven Dutch
Denoted a person from various towns in the Netherlands called Achthoven, which is derived from Dutch acht "eight" and hoven "farmsteads".
Acquati Italian
From the name of a village, part of the city of Lecco in Lombardy. Its name is presumably derived from Italian acqua "water".
Aldana Basque
From the name of a Basque town, derived from aldats meaning "slope".
Almeida Portuguese
Designated a person who had originally lived in the town of Almeida in Portugal. The place name is from Arabic ال مائدة (al ma'idah) meaning "the plateau, the table".
Amantea Italian
From 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 English
From the name of several English towns, meaning "orchard" in Old English (a compound of æppel "apple" and tun "enclosure, yard").
Arendonk Dutch
Denoted a person from Arendonk, a town between in northern Belgium. It is derived from arend "eagle" and donk "hill".
Arrington English
From the name of a town in Cambridgeshire, originally meaning "Earna's settlement" in Old English (Earna being a person's nickname meaning "eagle").
Aston 1 English
From a place name meaning "east town" in Old English.
Ayala Spanish
From 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 English
Indicated 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 English
From 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 English
From a place name meaning "barley town" in Old English.
Beaumont French, English
From French place names derived from beau "beautiful" and mont "mountain".
Belmont French, English
French and English form of Belmonte.
Belmonte Spanish, Italian
From various place names in Italy and Spain meaning "beautiful mountain".
Bennington English
From the English town name Benington, which can mean either "settlement belonging to Beonna's people" or "settlement by the River Beane".
Benton English
Denoted someone who came from Benton, England, which is derived from Old English beonet "bent grass" and tun "enclosure".
Blakesley English
From the name of a town in Northamptonshire, itself meaning "Blæcwulf's meadow" in Old English. Blæcwulf is a byname meaning "black wolf".
Bolton English
From any of the many places in England called Bolton, derived from Old English bold "house" and tun "enclosure".
Boon 2 English
Originally indicated a person from the town of Bohon, in Manche in France. The town's name is of unknown origin.
Borja Spanish
Originally indicated a person from the Spanish town of Borja in Aragon, derived from Arabic بُرْج (burj) meaning "tower".
Brigham English
Originally 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 Italian
From the name of the town of Brivio in Lombardy. Supposed it derives from a Celtic word meaning "bridge".
Burton English
From a common English place name, derived from Old English meaning "fortified town".
Cárdenas Spanish
From the name of towns in the Spanish provinces of Almería and La Rioja. They are derived from Spanish cárdeno "blue, purple".
Cason English
From the English place name Cawston, derived from the Old Norse given name Kálfr combined with Old English tun meaning "enclosure, yard, town".
Cingolani Italian
From Cingoli, a town in the Marche region of Italy. It is derived from Latin cingo "surround, ring".
Cisternino Italian
From the name of the town of Cisternino, near the city of Bari in southern Italy.
Clayton English
From the name of various places meaning "clay settlement" in Old English.
Clifton English
Derived from various place names meaning "settlement by a cliff" in Old English.
Clinton English
Derived 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, Literature
From 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.
Debenham English
Originally 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 Scottish
From 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 English
From any of the various English towns with this name, derived from Old English ea "river" and tun "enclosure, yard, town".
Eccleston English
Denoted 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 English
From 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 English
From an English place name meaning "Ella's town".
Farnham English
Indicated 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 Italian
Originally indicated a person from the town of Fermo in the Marche region of Italy, originally called Firmum in Latin meaning "strong, steady, firm".
Fulton English
From the name of the English town of Foulden, Norfolk, meaning "bird hill" in Old English.
Hampton English
From the name of multiple towns in England, derived from Old English ham "home" or ham "water meadow, enclosure" and tun "enclosure, yard, town".
Harrington English
From the name of towns in England, meaning either "Hæfer's town" or "stony town" in Old English.
Hilton English
From 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 English
From the name of a town in the Yorkshire region of England, which means "Hudel's town" in Old English.
Jöllenbeck German
From 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 German
From the name of the town of Kaub in Germany.
Kingston English
From a place name meaning "king's town" in Old English.
Kinsley English
From 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".
Lacy English
Variant of Lacey.
Lamon Italian
From the name of the village of Lamon near the city of Belluno in Veneto, Italy.
Landau German, Jewish
Derived from the town of Landau in the Palatinate region of Germany, of Old High German origin meaning "land valley".
Lara Spanish
From the name of a village in Burgos, Spain. It might be derived from Latin lar "household god, house, home".
Laterza Italian
From the name of the town of Laterza near Taranto in Apulia. It is typical of southern Italy.
Lémieux French
Derived from the place name Leymieux, a town in the Rhône-Alpes region of France.
Locatelli Italian
From Locatello, a town in Lombardy, northern Italy, near the city of Bergamo.
Marston English
From a place name derived from Old English mersc "marsh" and tun "enclosure".
Meissner German
Originally denoted a person from the German town of Meissen, which is probably of Slavic origin.
Melsbach German
From the name of a German town, possibly meaning "mill stream".
Middleton English
Originally 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 English
Derived 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 Spanish
From 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 English
Originally indicated a person from the town of Moyon in Normandy.
Neuville French
From the names of various French towns meaning "new town".
Neville English, Irish
From the names of towns in Normandy, variously Neuville or Néville, meaning "new town" in French.
Newton English
From the name of one of many English towns meaning "new town". A famous bearer was the English physicist Sir Isaac Newton (1643-1727).
Nicotera Italian
From the name of the town of Nicotera in Calabria.
Nishimura Japanese
From Japanese 西 (nishi) meaning "west" and (mura) meaning "town, village".
Northrop English
Originally denoted one who came from a town of this name England, meaning "north farm".
Norton English
From the name of various towns in England meaning "north town" in Old English.
Odell English
Originally 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 English
Denoted a person who came from any one of the places in Britain called Ouston or Owston.
Palmisano Italian
Locative name from the town of Palmi in the Calabria region of southern Italy.
Parodi Italian
From the name of a village near Genoa in northern Italy.
Payton English
From the name of the town of Peyton in Sussex. It means "Pæga's town".
Pemberton English
From 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".
Peyton English
Variant of Payton.
Pickering English
From the name of a town in Yorkshire, derived from Old English Piceringas, the name of a tribe.
Piraino Italian
From the name of the town of Piraino on Sicily.
Pontecorvo Italian, Jewish
From 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 English
Originally derived from various place names meaning "priest town" in Old English.
Ralston Scottish
Originally denoted a person from Ralston, Scotland, which was derived from the given name Ralph combined with Old English tun meaning "enclosure, yard, town".
Remington English
From 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 French
From 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 English
Originally taken from an Old English place name meaning "Royse's town". The given name Royse was a medieval variant of Rose.
Salazar Basque
From 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 Spanish
Derived from the name of a town in Spain, ultimately from Latin saltus "forest, glade" and novalis "unploughed land".
Sarno Italian
Originally denoted a person from Sarno in Italy, named for the Sarno River (called Sarnus in Latin).
Seabrook English
Denoted 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".
Shimamura Japanese
From Japanese (shima) meaning "island" and (mura) meaning "town, village".
Solheim Norwegian
From the name various of various villages in Norway, derived from Old Norse sól meaning "sun" and heimr meaning "home".
Solís Spanish
From the name of a village in Asturias, Spain, derived from Spanish sol "sun".
Soucy French
Originally denoted someone from French towns by this name in Aisne or Yonne, both derived from the Latin name Suciacum.
Southgate English
Name 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 English
From one of the many places named Stanton or Staunton in England, derived from Old English stan meaning "stone" and tun meaning "enclosure, town".
Statham English
From 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 English
From the name of numerous places in England, derived from Old English stoc meaning "place, dwelling".
Strickland English
From the name of a town in Cumbria, derived from Old English stirc "calf, young bullock" and land "cultivated land".
Summerfield English
Originally indicated the bearer was from a town of this name, derived from Old English sumor "summer" and feld "field".
Sutton English
From various English place names meaning "south town".
Tatton English
Originally 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 English
Originally 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, Literature
Probably 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 Dutch
Means "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 Dutch
Means "from Bokhoven", a small town in the province of Noord-Brabant in the Netherlands. It means "goat yards" in Dutch.
Van Damme Flemish
Means "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, Dutch
Means "from Wieren". This is the name of towns in Frisia and other parts of the Netherlands, which mean "seaweed".
Vieira Portuguese
Denoted 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 Spanish
Denoted a person from one of the various Spanish places by this name. It is derived from Spanish villa "town" and alba "white".
Villalobos Spanish
Habitational name for a person from the town of Villalobos, Spain, which is derived from Spanish villa "town" and lobo "wolf".
Villanueva Spanish
Originally denoted someone who came from one of the various Spanish towns by this name, derived from villa "town" and nueva "new".
Villeneuve French
French cognate of Villanueva.
Warren 2 English
Originally denoted a person from the town of La Varenne in Normandy, which may derive from a Gaulish word meaning "sandy soil".
Waxweiler German
Denoted a person from Waxweiler, a village in the Eifel region of Germany.
Weston English
From the name of various English towns, derived from Old English west "west" and tun "enclosure, yard, town".
Wheelock English
Originally 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 German
From the name of a German town, derived from German wild "wild, untamed" and Grube "hollow, pit".
Wilton English
From any of the English towns named Wilton.
Yoxall English
Originally indicated a person from the town of Yoxall in Staffordshire, itself derived from Old English geoc "oxen yoke" and halh "nook, recess".