Abe 1 JapaneseFrom Japanese
安 (a) meaning "peace" and
倍 (be) meaning "multiple times".
Baker EnglishOccupational name meaning
"baker", derived from Middle English
bakere.
Barker EnglishFrom Middle English
bark meaning
"to tan". This was an occupational name for a leather tanner.
Barrett EnglishProbably derived from the Middle English word
barat meaning
"trouble, deception", originally given to a quarrelsome person.
Blake EnglishVariant of
Black. A famous bearer was the poet and artist William Blake (1757-1827).
Böhm GermanOriginally indicated a person from the region of
Bohemia (
Böhmen in German).
Bolton EnglishFrom any of the many places in England called Bolton, derived from Old English
bold "house" and
tun "enclosure".
Bradford EnglishDerived from the name of the city of Bradford in West Yorkshire, which meant "broad ford" in Old English. This is also the name of other smaller towns in England.
Bridges EnglishOriginally denoted a person who lived near a bridge, or who worked as a bridgekeeper, derived from Middle English
brigge, Old English
brycg.
Brown EnglishOriginally a nickname for a person who had brown hair or skin. A notable bearer is Charlie Brown from the
Peanuts comic strip by Charles Schulz.
Butler English, IrishOccupational name derived from Norman French
butiller "wine steward", ultimately from Late Latin
butticula "bottle". A famous bearer of this surname is the fictional character Rhett Butler, created by Margaret Mitchell for her novel
Gone with the Wind (1936).
Cameron ScottishMeans
"crooked nose" from Gaelic
cam "crooked" and
sròn "nose".
Campbell ScottishFrom a Gaelic nickname
cam beul meaning
"wry or crooked mouth". The surname was later represented in Latin documents as
de bello campo meaning "of the fair field".
Carlisle EnglishFrom the name of a city in northern England. The city was originally called by the Romans
Luguvalium meaning "stronghold of
Lugus". Later the Brythonic element
ker "fort" was appended to the name of the city.
Castro Spanish, PortugueseMeans
"castle" in Spanish and Portuguese, referring to one who lived near a castle. A famous bearer was Fidel Castro (1926-2016), revolutionary and president of Cuba.
Cecil WelshFrom the Welsh given name
Seisyll, which was derived from the Roman name
Sextilius, a derivative of
Sextus.
Chamberlain EnglishOccupational name for one who looked after the inner rooms of a mansion, from Norman French
chambrelain.
Chapman EnglishOccupational name derived from Old English
ceapmann meaning
"merchant, trader".
Chen ChineseFrom Chinese
陈 (chén) meaning
"exhibit, display, old, ancient" and also referring to the former state of Chen, which existed in what is now Henan province from the 11th to 5th centuries BC.
Clark EnglishMeans
"cleric" or
"scribe", from Old English
clerec meaning "priest", ultimately from Latin
clericus. A famous bearer was William Clark (1770-1838), an explorer of the west of North America.
Cunningham 1 ScottishFrom the name of place in the Ayrshire district of Scotland. It possibly comes from Gaelic
cuinneag meaning "milk pail".
Doyle IrishFrom the Irish
Ó Dubhghaill, which means
"descendant of Dubhghall". A famous bearer was Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930), the author of the Sherlock Holmes mystery stories.
Dudley EnglishFrom a place name meaning "
Dudda's clearing" in Old English. The surname was borne by a British noble family.
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.
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".
Ford EnglishName given to someone who lived by a ford, possibly the official who maintained it. A famous bearer was the American industrialist Henry Ford (1863-1947).
Fournier FrenchOccupational name for a baker, from French
fourneau meaning
"oven".
Freeman EnglishReferred to a person who was born free, or in other words was not a serf.
García SpanishFrom a medieval given name of unknown meaning, possibly related to the Basque word
hartz meaning "bear". This is the most common surname in Spain.
Graves EnglishOccupational name for a steward, derived from Middle English
greyve, related to the German title
Graf.
Green EnglishDescriptive name for someone who often wore the colour green or someone who lived near the village green.
Holland 1 EnglishFrom various English places of this name, derived from Old English
hoh "point of land, heel" and
land "land".
Horváth um Hungarian, SlovakHungarian and Slovak form of
Horvat. This is the second most common surname in Hungary and the most common surname in Slovakia (where is is typically borne by those of Hungarian ancestry).
Ingham EnglishFrom the name of an English town, of Old English origin meaning "
Inga's homestead".
Inoue JapaneseMeans
"above the well", from Japanese
井 (i) meaning "well, mine shaft, pit", an unwritten possessive marker
の (no), and
上 (ue) meaning "above, top, upper".
Johnson EnglishMeans
"son of John". Famous bearers include American presidents Andrew Johnson (1808-1875) and Lyndon B. Johnson (1908-1973).
Katō JapaneseFrom Japanese
加 (ka) meaning "add, increase" and
藤 (tō) meaning "wisteria". The latter character may indicate a connection to the Fujiwara clan.
Kaur Indian (Sikh)Means
"princess", ultimately from Sanskrit
कुमारी (kumārī) meaning "girl". In 1699 Guru Gobind Singh gave all his Sikh female followers the surname
Kaur and all males
Singh. In many instances, it is also used as a middle name with the family name serving as the surname.
Keller GermanMeans
"cellar" in German, an occupational name for one in charge of the food and drink.
Kelly 1 IrishAnglicized form of Irish
Ó Ceallaigh meaning
"descendant of Ceallach". Famous bearers include actor and dancer Gene Kelly (1912-1996) and actress and princess Grace Kelly (1929-1982).
Kennedy IrishFrom the Irish name
Ó Cinnéidigh meaning
"descendant of Cennétig". This surname was borne by assassinated American president John F. Kennedy (1917-1963).
Kim KoreanKorean form of
Jin, from Sino-Korean
金 (gim) meaning
"gold". This is the most common surname in South Korea.
Krüger 1 GermanIn northern Germany an occupational name for a tavern keeper, derived from Middle Low German
kroch meaning
"tavern".
Kumar Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, Kannada, Punjabi, Bengali, Assamese, Gujarati, Odia, Malayalam, TamilMeans
"boy, prince" in Sanskrit.
Kurosawa JapaneseFrom Japanese
黒 (kuro) meaning "black" and
沢 or 澤 (sawa) meaning "marsh". A notable bearer was Akira Kurosawa (1910-1998), a Japanese film director.
Lê VietnameseVietnamese form of
Li 2, from Sino-Vietnamese
黎 (lê). This is the third most common surname in Vietnam.
Lee 2 Korean, ChineseKorean form of
Li 1, from Sino-Korean
李 (i). This is the second most common surname in South Korea. It is also a variant Chinese romanization of
Li 1.
Li 1 ChineseFrom Chinese
李 (lǐ) meaning
"plum, plum tree". This was the surname of Chinese emperors of the Tang dynasty.
Liu ChineseFrom Chinese
刘 (liú) meaning
"kill, destroy". This was the surname of Chinese emperors of the Han dynasty.
McLean ScottishAnglicized form of Gaelic
MacGillEathain or
MacGillEain meaning
"son of the servant of Eòin".
Mills EnglishOriginally given to one who lived near a mill or who worked in a mill, from Middle English
mille.
Murray 1 ScottishDerived from the region in Scotland called
Moray (Gaelic
Moireabh), possibly of Pictish origin, meaning
"seashore, coast". A notable bearer of this surname was General James Murray (1721-1794), who was the first British Governor-General of Canada.
Norris 1 English, ScottishMeans
"from the north" from Old French
norreis. It either denoted someone who originated in the north or someone who lived in the northern part of a settlement.
Oliveira PortugueseMeans
"olive tree" in Portuguese, ultimately from Latin
oliva. It indicated a person who lived near or worked with olive trees.
Ortega SpanishFrom a Spanish place name (belonging to various villages) derived from
ortiga "nettle".
Ortiz SpanishMeans
"son of Orti", a byname deriving either from Latin
fortis meaning "brave, strong" or
fortunius meaning "fortunate".
Page English, FrenchOccupational name meaning
"servant, page". It is ultimately derived (via Old French and Italian) from Greek
παιδίον (paidion) meaning "little boy".
Palmer EnglishMeans
"pilgrim", ultimately from Latin
palma "palm tree", since pilgrims to the Holy Land often brought back palm fronds as proof of their journey.
Park 1 KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
樸 or 朴 (bak) meaning
"plain, unadorned, simple". This is the third most common surname in South Korea.
Pavlov m Russian, BulgarianMeans
"son of Pavel". A famous bearer of this surname was the Russian scientist Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936), known for his discovery of the conditioned reflex.
Pereira Portuguese, GalicianFrom Portuguese and Galician
pereira meaning
"pear tree", ultimately from Latin
pirum meaning "pear".
Perry 1 EnglishFrom Old English
pirige meaning
"pear tree", a derivative of
peru meaning "pear", itself from Latin
pirum. A famous bearer was Matthew Perry (1794-1858), the American naval officer who opened Japan to the West.
Porter EnglishOccupational name meaning
"doorkeeper", ultimately from Old French
porte "door", from Latin
porta.
Ramos SpanishOriginally indicated a person who lived in a thickly wooded area, from Latin
ramus meaning
"branch".
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).
Roux FrenchDerived from Old French
ros meaning
"red", from Latin
russus, a nickname for a red-haired person.
Rubio SpanishNickname for a person with red hair, from Latin
rubeus "red".
Russell EnglishFrom a Norman French nickname that meant
"little red one", perhaps originally describing a person with red hair.
Santos Portuguese, SpanishMeans
"saint" in Portuguese and Spanish, ultimately from Latin
sanctus. This was a nickname for a pious person.
Sasaki JapaneseFrom Japanese
佐 (sa) meaning "help, aid" (repeated, indicated by the iteration mark
々) and
木 (ki) meaning "tree, wood".
Satō JapaneseFrom Japanese
佐 (sa) meaning "help, aid" and
藤 (tō) meaning "wisteria". The final character might indicate a connection to the Fujiwara clan. This is the most common surname in Japan.
Savage EnglishEnglish nickname meaning
"wild, uncouth", derived from Old French
salvage or
sauvage meaning "untamed", ultimately from Latin
silvaticus meaning "wild, from the woods".
Schofield EnglishFrom various northern English place names, which were derived from Old Norse
skáli "hut" and Old English
feld "field".
Schulz GermanOccupational name derived from Middle High German
schultheiße meaning
"mayor, judge".
Silva Portuguese, SpanishFrom Spanish or Portuguese
silva meaning
"forest". This is the most common surname in Portugal and Brazil.
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).
Stafford EnglishFrom the name of the English city of Stafford, Staffordshire, derived from Old English
stæð meaning "wharf, landing place" and
ford meaning "ford, river crossing".
Strickland EnglishFrom the name of a town in Cumbria, derived from Old English
stirc "calf, young bullock" and
land "cultivated land".
Suzuki JapaneseFrom Japanese
鈴 (suzu) meaning "bell" and
木 (ki) meaning "tree, wood". This is the second most common surname in Japan. A notable bearer was the artist Suzuki Harunobu (1725-1770).
Svoboda m CzechMeans
"freedom" in Czech. This was a medieval name for a freeman, someone who was not a serf.
Tarantino ItalianLocational name that originally designated a person who came from Taranto, a city in southeastern Italy, which was originally called
Τάρας (Taras) by Greek colonists. A famous bearer of this name is the American director Quentin Tarantino (1963-).
Taylor EnglishDerived from Old French
tailleur meaning
"tailor", ultimately from Latin
taliare "to cut".
Thornton EnglishFrom any of the various places in England by this name, meaning "thorn town" in Old English.
Turner EnglishOccupational name for one who worked with a lathe, derived from Old English
turnian "to turn", of Latin origin. A famous bearer is the American musician Tina Turner (1939-2023), born Anna Mae Bullock.
Villanueva SpanishOriginally denoted someone who came from one of the various Spanish towns by this name, derived from
villa "town" and
nueva "new".
Virtanen FinnishDerived from Finnish
virta meaning
"stream". This is the second most common surname in Finland.
Wade 1 EnglishDerived from the Old English place name
wæd meaning
"a ford".
Wagner GermanFrom Middle High German
wagener meaning
"wagon maker, cartwright". This name was borne by the German composer Richard Wagner (1813-1883).
Wang 1 ChineseFrom Chinese
王 (wáng) meaning
"king, monarch". This is the most common surname in China (and the world).
Ward 1 EnglishDerived from Old English
weard meaning
"guard, guardian".
Weiss German, YiddishFrom Middle High German
wiz or Yiddish
װייַס (vais) meaning
"white". This was originally a nickname for a person with white hair or skin.
Wells EnglishDerived from Middle English
wille meaning
"well, spring, water hole".
West English, GermanDenoted a person who lived to the west of something, or who came from the west.
White EnglishOriginally a nickname for a person who had white hair or a pale complexion, from Old English
hwit "white".
Wilson EnglishMeans
"son of Will". A famous bearer was the American president Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924).
Wu 1 ChineseFrom Chinese
吴 (wú) referring to the ancient state of Wu, which was located in present-day Jiangsu province.
Young EnglishDerived from Old English
geong meaning
"young". This was a descriptive name to distinguish father from son.
Zeman m Czech, SlovakMeans
"landowner", ultimately from Old Slavic
zemľa meaning "land".
Zhang ChineseFrom Chinese
张 (zhāng) meaning
"stretch, extend". It may have denoted a bowmaker whose job it was to stretch bow wood.
Zhao ChineseFrom Chinese
赵 (zhào), which refers to an ancient city-state in what is now Shanxi province. According to legend, King Mu rewarded his chariot driver Zaofu with the city, at which time Zaofu adopted this surname. The later historic state of Zhao, which existed from the 5th to 3rd centuries BC, was named after this city.
... [more] Zimmermann German, JewishFrom the German word for
"carpenter", derived from Middle High German
zimber "timber, wood" and
mann "man".