Baak DutchFrom a Frisian given name, a short form of Germanic names starting with the element
batu "fight, struggle".
Baardwijk DutchFrom the name of a town in the Netherlands, possibly from
Baard, a variant of
Bert, and
wijk meaning "neighbourhood, district".
Baars DutchIndicated a person coming from the town of Beers in the Netherlands.
Baart DutchMeans
"beard" in Dutch, originally describing a person who wore a beard.
Bakhuizen DutchMeans
"bakery" from Dutch
bak "bake" and
huis "house", an occupational name for a baker.
Baron English, FrenchFrom the title of nobility, derived from Latin
baro (genitive
baronis) meaning "man, freeman", possibly from Frankish
barō meaning "servant, man, warrior". It was used as a nickname for someone who worked for a baron or acted like a baron.
Beauchêne FrenchFrom French place names derived from
beau "beautiful" and
chêne "oak".
Beaufort FrenchFrom various French place names derived from
beau "beautiful" and
fort "strong place, fortress".
Beaulieu FrenchFrom various French place names derived from
beau "beautiful" and
lieu "place".
Beethoven Dutch (Archaic)From a place name derived from Dutch
beet "beet, beetroot" and
hoven "farms". This name was borne by the German composer Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827), whose family was of Flemish origin. The surname is now mostly extinct.
Berger 1 FrenchOccupational name meaning
"shepherd", from Old French
bergier.
Bezuidenhout DutchFrom Dutch
zuid "south" and
hout "forest". It refers to the south of the forest in The Hague.
Blanc FrenchMeans
"white" in French. The name referred to a person who was pale, or whose hair was blond.
Boerefijn DutchPossibly an adaptation of French
beurre fin meaning
"good butter".
Boivin FrenchNickname for a wine drinker, from Old French
boi "to drink" and
vin "wine".
Bonfils FrenchDerived from Old French
bon fils meaning
"good son".
Bonheur FrenchFrom Old French
bonne heure meaning
"good time" or
"lucky".
Borde FrenchFrom Old French
bord meaning
"board, plank", derived from Frankish *
bord. This name belonged to a person who lived in a house made of planks.
Borst DutchFrom a nickname derived from Dutch
borst "chest".
Bourreau 2 FrenchOccupational name for an executioner or torturer, derived from
bourrer "to hit, to stuff with cloth" (derived from French
boure "stuffing").
Bouvier FrenchMeans
"cowherd" in French, from Latin
boviarus, a derivative of
bos "cow".
Brand 2 German, DutchFrom Old High German
brant or Old Dutch
brand meaning
"fire", originally a name for a person who lived near an area that had been cleared by fire.
Brisbois FrenchReferred to a person who cleared land, from Old French
briser "to cut" and
bois "forest".
Brouwer DutchOccupational name for a brewer of beer or ale, Middle Dutch
brouwer.
Brun French, Danish, Norwegian, SwedishMeans
"brown" in French, Danish, Norwegian and Swedish. It was originally a nickname for a person who had brown hair or skin.
Brunet FrenchFrom a diminutive of French
brun meaning
"brown".
Bunschoten DutchOriginally indicated a person from the Dutch town of Bunschoten, which might mean "raised, enclosed land".
Bureau FrenchFrom Old French
burel, a diminutive of
bure, a type of woollen cloth. It may have originated as a nickname for a person who dressed in the material or as an occupational name for someone who worked with it.