American Surnames

Clark English
Means "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.

Clarke English
Variant of Clark.

Clarkson English
Patronymic form of Clark.

Clay English
Means simply "clay", originally referring to a person who lived near or worked with of clay.

Clayton English
From the name of various places meaning "clay settlement" in Old English.

Clemens English
Derived from the given name Clement. This was the surname of the author Samuel Clemens (1835-1910), also known as Mark Twain.

Clement English
Derived from the given name Clement.

Cleveland English
Derived from a place name meaning "cliff land" in Old English.

Clifford English
Derived from various place names that meant "ford by a cliff" 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-).

Close English
From Middle English clos meaning "enclosure", a topographic name for someone who lived near a courtyard or farmyard.

Cobb English
From a medieval English byname meaning "lump".

Coburn Scottish, English
Variant of Cockburn.

Cock English
Derived from the medieval nickname cok meaning "rooster, cock". The nickname was commonly added to given names to create diminutives such as Hancock or Alcock.

Cockburn Scottish, English
Originally indicated someone who came from Cockburn, a place in Berwickshire. The place name is derived from Old English cocc "rooster" and burna "stream".

Cocks English
Patronymic form of Cock.

Coke English
Variant of Cook.

Cokes English
Variant of Cook.

Colbert English, French
Derived from the given name Colobert.

Colby English
From various English place names, which were derived from the Old Norse byname Koli (meaning "coal, dark") and býr "farm, settlement".

Cole English
From a medieval short form of Nicholas or from the byname Cola.

Coleman Irish, English
From the given name Colmán.

Collingwood English
From a place name, itself derived from Old French chalenge meaning "disputed" and Middle English wode meaning "woods".

Collins 2 English
Means "son of Colin 2".

Colson English
Means "son of Col".

Colt English
Occupational name for a keeper of horses, derived from Middle English colt.

Colter English
Variant of Colt using an agent suffix.

Colton English
From a place name meaning "Cola's town".

Combs English
Variant of Coombs.

Comstock English
Possibly from the name of the River Culm in Devon, England. This name is seen in the Domesday book as Culmstoke or Colmstoke.

Conner English
From Middle English connere meaning "inspector", an occupational name for an inspector of weights and measures.

Constable English
From Old French conestable, ultimately from Latin comes stabuli meaning "officer of the stable".

Conway Welsh, English
From the name of the River Conwy in Wales, or the town situated at the mouth of the river. It is possibly derived from Welsh cyn "foremost" and the common river name suffix wy.

Cook English
Derived from Old English coc meaning "cook", ultimately from Latin coquus. It was an occupational name for a cook, a man who sold cooked meats, or a keeper of an eating house.

Cooke English
Variant of Cook.

Cookson English
Patronymic form of Cook.

Coombs English
From Old English cumb meaning "valley", the name of several places in England.

Cooper English
Means "barrel maker", from Middle English couper.

Corey English
Derived from the Old Norse given name Kóri, of unknown meaning.

Cornell English
Derived from the given name Cornelius.

Cornett English
Derived from Old French cornet meaning "horn", referring to one who worked as a horn blower.

Corwin English
Derived from Old French cordoan "leather", ultimately from the name of the Spanish city of Cordova.

Cory English
Variant of Corey.

Cotterill English
Derived from Middle English cotter meaning "cottager", referring to a small tenant farmer.

Coupe English
From Middle English coupe meaning "barrel", a name for a barrel maker or cooper.

Courtenay 1 English
From the name of towns in France that were originally derivatives of the Gallo-Roman personal name Curtenus, itself derived from Latin curtus "short".

Courtenay 2 English
From the Old French nickname court nes meaning "short nose".

Courtney English
Variant of Courtenay 1 or Courtenay 2.

Cowden English
From various English place names, which meaning either "coal valley", "coal hill" or "cow pasture" in Old English.

Cox English
Patronymic form of Cock.

Coy English
Means "quiet, shy, coy" from Middle English coi.

Crawford English
From a place name derived from Old English crawe "crow" and ford "river crossing". A notable bearer was the American actress Joan Crawford (1904-1977), born Lucille Fay LeSueur.

Crawley English
From various place names derived from Old English crawe "crow" and leah "woodland, clearing".

Crewe English
Originally denoted someone from Crewe in Cheshire, which is from Welsh criu "weir, dam, fish trap".

Crisp English
English cognate of Crespo.

Croft English
From Old English croft meaning "enclosed field".

Cropper English
Occupational name derived from Middle English croppe "crop", referring to a fruit picker or a crop reaper.

Crosby English
From the name of various towns in England, derived from Old Norse kross "cross" (a borrowing from Latin crux) and býr "farm, settlement".

Cross English
Locative name meaning "cross", ultimately from Latin crux. It denoted one who lived near a cross symbol or near a crossroads.

Crouch English
Variant of Cross.

Crowley 2 English
Variant of Crawley.

Cullen 1 English
From the name of the German city of Cologne, which was derived from Latin colonia "colony".

Cummings English
Variant of Cummins.

Cummins English, Scottish, Irish
From the Old Breton given name Cunmin, a cognate of Cuimín, introduced to Britain at the time of the Norman Conquest.

Curtis English
Nickname for a courteous person, derived from Old French curteis meaning "refined, courtly".

Dabney English
Variant of Daubney.

Dale English
From Old English dæl meaning "valley", originally indicating a person who lived there.

Dallas 1 English
From Old English dæl meaning "valley" and hus meaning "house".

Dalton English
Derived from a place name meaning "valley town" in Old English. A notable bearer of the surname was the English chemist and physicist John Dalton (1766-1844).

Dane 1 English
Variant of Dean 1 or Dean 2.

Dane 2 English
Originally denoted a Dane, that is a person from Denmark.

Danell English
Derived from the given name Daniel.

Daniel um English, French, German, Portuguese, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Romanian
Derived from the given name Daniel.

Daniell English
Derived from the given name Daniel.

Daniels English
Variant of Daniel.

Danielson English
Means "son of Daniel".

Dannel English
Variant of Daniel.

Danniel English
Variant of Daniel.

Danniell English
Variant of Daniel.

Darby English
From the name of the English town Derby, derived from Old Norse djúr "animal" and býr "farm, settlement".

Darcy English
From Norman French d'Arcy, originally denoting someone who came from the town of Arcy in La Manche, France. A notable fictional bearer is Fitzwilliam Darcy from Jane Austen's novel Pride and Prejudice (1813).

Darling English
From a nickname or byname derived from Middle English dereling, Old English deorling, meaning "darling, beloved one".

Darnell 1 English
Derived from Old French darnel, a type of grass.

Darnell 2 English
From the name of a town near Sheffield, derived from Old English derne "hidden" and halh "nook".

Darrell English
Originally denoted one who came from the town of Airel in Normandy, derived from Late Latin arealis meaning "open space".

Darwin English
From the given name Deorwine. A famous bearer was the British naturalist Charles Darwin (1809-1882).

Daubney English
From any of the various towns in France called Aubigny, derived from the Gallo-Roman personal name Albinus.

David um English, French, German, Welsh, Czech, Portuguese, Romanian, Jewish
From the given name David.

Davids English
Means "son of David".

Davidson English
Means "son of David".

Davies English, Scottish
Variant of Davis.

Davis English, Scottish
Means "son of David". This was the surname of the revolutionary jazz trumpet player Miles Davis (1926-1991).

Davison English
Means "son of David".

Dawson English
Means "son of Daw".

Day English
From a diminutive form of David.

Dayton English
Variant of Deighton.

Deacon English
Means "deacon", ultimately from Greek διάκονος (diakonos) meaning "servant".

Deadman English
Variant of Debenham.

Dean 1 English
Derived from Middle English dene meaning "valley".

Dean 2 English
Occupational 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").

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".

Dedrick English
Derived from the given name Dederick, an older form of Derek.

Deering English
From the Old English given name Deora meaning "dear, beloved".

Deighton English
From English towns by this name, from Old English dic "ditch" and tun "enclosure, yard, town".

Delaney 1 English
Derived from Norman French de l'aunaie meaning "from the alder grove".

Denman English
From Middle English dene "valley" combined with man.

Dennell English
Variant of Daniel.

Dennis English
From the given name Dennis.

Denzil English
From the place name Denzell, a manor in Cornwall, which is of unknown meaning.

Derby English
Variant of Darby.

Derrick English
Derived from the given name Derrick (see Derek). A famous bearer of this surname is the character Stephan Derrick from the German television series Derrick (1974-1998).

Derricks English
Derived from the given name Derrick.

Derrickson English
Means "son of Derrick".

Devereux English
Indicated a person from Evreux in France, itself named after the Gaulish tribe of the Eburovices, which was probably derived from a Celtic word meaning "yew".

Devin 2 French, English
Nickname for a person who acted divinely or prophetically, from Old French devin meaning "divine" or "seer, fortune teller", ultimately from Latin divinus.

Devine 2 English
Variant of Devin 2.

Dexter English
Occupational name meaning "dyer" in Old English (originally this was a feminine word, but it was later applied to men as well).

Dick English
From the given name Dick 1.

Dickens English
From the medieval given name Dicun, a medieval diminutive of Dick 1. A famous bearer of this surname was the British author Charles Dickens (1812-1870).

Dickenson English
Variant of Dickinson.

Dickerson English
Means "son of Dick 1".

Dickinson English
Means "son of Dicun", Dicun being a medieval diminutive of Dick 1. American poet Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) was a famous bearer.

Dickman English
From Old English dic "ditch" combined with man "person, man". It was originally a name for a ditch digger or someone who lived near a ditch.

Dickson English
Means "son of Dick 1".

Disney English
Means "from Isigny", referring to the town of Isigny in Normandy. This surname was borne by the American animator and filmmaker Walt Disney (1901-1966).

Dixon English
Means "son of Dick 1".

Dobbs English
Derived from the medieval given name Dobbe, a diminutive of Robert.

Dobson English
Means "son of Dobbe", a medieval diminutive of Robert.

Doctor English
Originally denoted someone who was a doctor, ultimately from Latin doctor meaning "teacher".

Dodge English
From Dogge, a medieval diminutive of Roger.

Donalds English
Derived from the given name Donald.

Donaldson English
Means "son of Donald". A notable bearer is the online personality Jimmy Donaldson (1998-), who goes by the alias MrBeast.

Dorsey English
Means "from Orsay", referring to the town of Orsay near Paris, its name deriving from the Latin personal name Orcius.

Downer English
Name for someone who lived on or near a down, which is an English word meaning "hill".

Drake English
Derived from the Old Norse byname Draki or the Old English byname Draca both meaning "dragon", both via Latin from Greek δράκων (drakon) meaning "dragon, serpent".

Draper English
Occupational name for a maker or seller of woollen cloth, from Anglo-Norman French draper (Old French drapier, an agent derivative of drap "cloth").

Dudley English
From a place name meaning "Dudda's clearing" in Old English. The surname was borne by a British noble family.

Duke English
From 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.

Dukes English
Patronymic form of Duke.

Dunn English, Scottish, Irish
Derived from Old English dunn "dark" or Gaelic donn "brown", referring to hair colour or complexion.

Durand French, English
From Old French durant meaning "enduring", ultimately from Latin durans. This was a nickname for a stubborn person.

Durant English, French
Variation of Durand.

Dustin English
From the Old Norse given name Þórsteinn.

Dwerryhouse English
Indicated a person who worked or lived at a dyehouse, which is a place where dyeing was done.

Dwight English
From the medieval feminine name Diot, a diminutive of Dionysia, the feminine form of Dionysius.

Dyer English
Occupational name meaning "cloth dyer", from Old English deah "dye".

Dyson English
Means "son of Dye".

Eads English
Means "son of Eda 2" or "son of Adam".

Eady English
From a diminutive of the given name Eda 2 or Adam.

Earl English
From the aristocratic title, which derives from Old English eorl meaning "nobleman, warrior". It was either a nickname for one who acted like an earl, or an occupational name for a person employed by an earl.

Earls English
Patronymic form of Earl.

Easom English
Variant of Eads.

Eason English
Variant of Eads.

Easton English
From the name of various places meaning "east town" in Old English.

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".

Ecclestone English
Variant of Eccleston.

Edgar English
Derived from the given name Edgar.

Edison English
Means "son of Eda 2" or "son of Adam". The surname was borne by American inventor Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931).

Edwards English
Means "son of Edward".

Edwardson English
Means "son of Edward".

Elder English
Derived from Old English ealdra meaning "older", used to distinguish two people who had the same name.

Eldred English
From the given name Ealdræd.

Eldridge English
Derived from the given name Aldric.

Eliot English
Variant of Elliott.

Eliott English
Variant of Elliott.

Ellery English
From the medieval masculine name Hilary.

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".

Elliot English
Variant of Elliott.

Elliott English
Derived from a diminutive of the given name Elias.

Ellis English, Welsh
Derived from the given name Elijah, or sometimes Elisedd.

Ellison English
Patronymic form of the English name Ellis, from the medieval given name Elis, a vernacular form of Elijah.

Ellisson English
Variant of Ellison.

Elliston English
Variant of Ellison.

Ellsworth English
Habitational name for a person from the town of Elsworth in Cambridgeshire. 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 worþ meaning "enclosure".

Elmer English
Derived from the Old English name Æðelmær.

Elton English
From an English place name meaning "Ella's town".

Elvis English
Variant of Elwes.

Elwes English
Derived from the given name Eloise.

Elwin English
Variant of Elwyn.

Elwyn English
Derived from the given names Ælfwine, Æðelwine or Ealdwine.

Ely English
From the name of a town in eastern England meaning "eel district".

Emerson English
Means "son of Emery". The surname was borne by Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), an American writer and philosopher who wrote about transcendentalism.

Emmet English
Variant of Emmett. This name was borne by the Irish nationalist Robert Emmet (1778-1803).

Emmett English
Derived from a diminutive of the feminine given name Emma.

Emmitt English
Variant of Emmett.

Endicott English
Topographic name derived from Old English meaning "from the end cottage".

English English
Denoted a person who was of English heritage. It was used to distinguish people who lived in border areas (for example, near Wales or Scotland). It was also used to distinguish an Anglo-Saxon from a Norman.

Erickson English
Means "son of Eric".

Ericson English, Swedish
Means "son of Eric".

Eustis English
Derived from the given name Eustace.

Evans Welsh, English
Means "son of Evan".

Evanson English
Means "son of Evan".

Evelyn English
Derived from the given name Aveline.

Evered English
From the given name Everard.

Everest English
Originally denoted a person from Évreux in Normandy, itself named after the Gaulish tribe of the Eburovices. Mount Everest in the Himalayas was named for the British surveyor George Everest (1790-1866).

Everett English
From the given name Everard.

Everill English
Derived from the feminine given name Eoforhild.

Everly English
From place names meaning derived from Old English eofor "boar" and leah "woodland, clearing".

Ewart 1 English
From a Norman form of Edward.

Ewart 2 English
From the name of an English town, derived from Old English ea "river" and worþ "enclosure".

Fabian German, English, Polish
Derived from the given name Fabian.

Fairbairn Scottish, English
Means "beautiful child" in Middle English and Scots.

Fairburn English
From a place name meaning "fern stream", from Old English fearn "fern" and burna "stream".

Fairchild English
Means "beautiful child" in Middle English.

Fairclough English
From a place name meaning "fair ravine, fair cliff" in Old English.

Falconer English, Scottish
Variant of Faulkner.

Falkner English, German
English variant and German cognate of Faulkner.

Farmer English
Occupational 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.

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".

Farran English
Derived from Old French ferrant meaning "iron grey".

Faulkner English, Scottish
Occupational name meaning "keeper of falcons", from Middle English and Scots faulcon, from Late Latin falco, of Germanic origin.

Fay 1 French, English
Referred to a person who came from various places named Fay or Faye in northern France, derived from Old French fau "beech tree", from Latin fagus.

Fay 2 English
From a nickname for a person who was thought to have magical qualities, from Middle English faie meaning "magical, enchanted".

Fear English
Derived from Middle English feare meaning "friend, comrade".

Fenn English
From a name for someone who dwelt near a marsh, from Old English fenn meaning "fen, swamp, bog".

Fenwick English
From an English place name, derived from Old English fenn "fen, swamp, bog" and wic "village, town".

Fiddler English
English form of Fiedler.

Field English
Variant of Fields.

Fields English
Name for a person who lived on or near a field or pasture, from Old English feld.

Finch English, Literature
From the name of the bird, from Old English finc. It was used by Harper Lee for the surname of lawyer Atticus Finch and his children in her novel To Kill a Mockingbird (1960).

Firmin English, French
From the given name Firmin.

Fisher English, Jewish
Cognate of Fischer.

Fishman English
Occupational name for a fisherman.

Fitzroy English
Means "son of the king" in Anglo-Norman French, from French roi meaning "king". This name has been bestowed upon illegitimate children of kings.

Fleming English
Given to a person who was a Fleming, that is a person who was from Flanders in the Netherlands.

Fletcher English
Occupational name for a fletcher, someone who attached feathers to the shaft of an arrow. It is derived from Old French fleche meaning "arrow".

Flower English
From 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).

Flowers English
Variant of Flower.

Ford English
Name 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).

Forest English, French
Originally belonged to a person who lived near or in a forest. It was probably originally derived, via Old French forest, from Latin forestam (silva) meaning "outer (wood)".

Forester English
Denoted a keeper or one in charge of a forest, or one who has charge of growing timber in a forest (see Forest).

Forrest English
Variant of Forest.

Fortune English
From Middle English, ultimately from Latin fortuna meaning "fortune, luck, chance". This was possibly a nickname for a gambler.

Foss English
Variant of Fosse.

Fosse English, French
Derived from Old French fosse "ditch".

Foster 1 English
Variant of Forester.

Foster 2 English
Occupational name for a scissor maker, derived from Old French forcetier.

Foster 3 English
Occupational name for a maker of saddle trees, derived from Old French fustier.

Foster 4 English
Nickname given to a person who was a foster child or foster parent.

Fowler English
Occupational name for a fowler or birdcatcher, ultimately derived from Old English fugol meaning "bird".

Fox English
From the name of the animal. It was originally a nickname for a person with red hair or a crafty person.

Francis English
Derived from the given name Francis.

Frank 1 English
Derived from the given name Frank.

Frank 2 English
From Old English franc meaning "free".

Franklin English
Derived from Middle English frankelin meaning "freeman". It denoted a landowner of free but not noble birth, from Old French franc meaning "free". Famous bearers include American statesman Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) and American singer Aretha Franklin (1942-2018).

Franklyn English
Variant of Franklin.

Freeman English
Referred to a person who was born free, or in other words was not a serf.

French English
Originally denoted a French person, from Middle English Frensch, Old English Frencisc.

Frost English, German
From Old English and Old High German meaning "frost", a nickname for a person who had a cold personality or a white beard.

Fry English
From Old English frig (a variant of freo) meaning "free".

Frye English
Variant of Fry.

Fuller English
Occupational name for a fuller, a person who thickened and cleaned coarse cloth by pounding it. It is derived via Middle English from Latin fullo.

Fulton English
From the name of the English town of Foulden, Norfolk, meaning "bird hill" in Old English.

Gabriels English
Derived from the given name Gabriel.

Gabrielson English
Means "son of Gabriel".

Gadsby English
Habitational name from the village of Gaddesby in Leicestershire, so named from Old Norse gaddr "spur, spike (of land)" and býr "farm, settlement".

Gage French, English
Occupational name derived either from Old French jauge "measure" (a name for an assayer) or gage "pledge, payment" (a name for a moneylender). Both words were ultimately of Frankish origin.

Gale English
Derived from Middle English gaile meaning "jovial".

Garbutt English
From the given name Gerbold.

Gardener English
Occupational surname for one who was a gardener, from Old French jardin meaning "garden" (of Frankish origin).

Gardiner English
Variant of Gardener.

Gardner English
Variant of Gardener.

Garey English
Variant of Geary.

Garfield English
Means "triangle field" in Old English. A famous bearer was American president James A. Garfield (1831-1881).

Garland English
Means "triangle land" from Old English gara and land. It originally belonged to a person who owned a triangle-shaped piece of land.

Garner 1 English
From Old French gernier meaning "granary", a derivative of Latin granum meaning "grain". This name could refer to a person who worked at a granary or lived near one.

Garner 2 English
Variant of Gardener.

Garnet English
Variant of Garnett 1 or Garnett 2.

Garnett 1 English
Occupational name referring to a person who made hinges, from Old French carne "hinge".

Garnett 2 English
From a diminutive of the given name Guarin.

Garnier 2 English
Variant of Garner 1.

Garrard English
From the given name Gerard.

Garret English
Variant of Garrett.

Garrett English
Derived from the given name Gerald or Gerard.

Garrod English
Derived from the given name Gerald.

Garry English
Variant of Geary.

Gary English
Variant of Geary.

Gates English
Originally denoted a person who lived near the town gates.

Gatsby English (Rare), Literature
Rare variant of Gadsby. This name was used by the American author F. Scott Fitzgerald for the central character in his novel The Great Gatsby (1925). In the book, James Gatz renames himself as Jay Gatsby at age 17 because he believes it sounds more sophisticated.

Geary English
Derived from a Norman given name that was a short form of Germanic names starting with the element ger "spear".

George English
Derived from the given name George.

Georgeson English
Means "son of George".

Gibb English
Derived from the given name Gib.

Gibbs English, Scottish
Means "son of Gib".

Gibson English, Scottish
Means "son of Gib".

Giffard French, English
Possibly from Old French gifart meaning "chubby" or possibly from the Germanic name Gebhard. Walter Giffard was one of the Norman companions of William the Conqueror.

Gilbert English, French
Derived from the given name Gilbert.

Giles English
From the given name Giles.

Gill English
Originally indicated someone who lived near a ravine, from Middle English gil (of Old Norse origin).

Gilliam English
Variant of William. A famous bearer of the name is cartoonist and filmmaker Terry Gilliam (1940-).

Gladwin English
Derived from the Old English given name Glædwine.

Gladwyn English
Variant of Gladwin.

Glass English, German
From Old English glæs or Old High German glas meaning "glass". This was an occupational name for a glass blower or glazier.

Glazier English
Means "glass worker, glazier", from Old English glæs meaning "glass".

Glenn Scottish, English
From place names derived from Gaelic gleann "valley". A famous bearer was the American astronaut John Glenn (1921-2016).

Glover English
Occupational name for a person who made or sold gloves, from Middle English glovere.

Goddard English
Derived from the Germanic given name Godehard.

Godfrey English
From the Norman given name Godfrey.