Browse Surnames

This is a list of surnames in which the usage is Danish or Dutch or English or German or Norwegian or Swedish.
usage
Snell English
From Old English snel meaning "fast, quick, nimble".
Snijder Dutch
Means "tailor" in Dutch, a cognate of Schneider.
Snyder English, Dutch (Anglicized), German (Anglicized)
Means "tailor", derived from Middle English snithen "to cut". In many cases this is an Anglicized form of Snijder or Schneider.
Söderberg Swedish
From Swedish söder (Old Norse suðr) meaning "south" and berg meaning "mountain".
Söderström Swedish
From Swedish söder (Old Norse suðr) meaning "south" and ström (Old Norse straumr) meaning "stream".
Solberg Norwegian, Swedish
From a place name, derived from Old Norse sól meaning "sun" and berg meaning "mountain". As a Swedish name it may be ornamental.
Solheim Norwegian
From the name various of various villages in Norway, derived from Old Norse sól meaning "sun" and heimr meaning "home".
Solomon English, Romanian, Jewish
Derived from the given name Solomon.
Sommer 1 German, English
Means "summer", from Old High German sumar or Old English sumor. This was a nickname for a cheerful person, someone who lived in a sunny spot, or a farmer who had to pay taxes in the summer.
Sommer 2 German
From Middle High German sumber or sommer meaning "basket, wickerwork, drum".
Sonnen German
Means "sun" from Middle High German sunne. It probably denoted someone of cheerful temperament or a person who lived in a sunny area.
Sörensen Swedish
Swedish form of Sørensen.
Sörensson Swedish
Swedish form of Sørensen.
Sorg German
Variant of Sorge.
Sorge German
Means "worry, care, anxiety" in German, from Old High German sorga.
Southers German (Anglicized)
Possibly an Americanized form of Sauter.
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.
Sowards English, Irish
Possibly a variant of Seward 1 or Seward 3.
Spalding English
From the name of the town of Spalding in Lincolnshire, derived from the Anglo-Saxon tribe of the Spaldingas.
Spannagel German
Occupational name for a nailsmith, from Middle High German span nagel "connecting bolt".
Sparks English
From an Old Norse nickname or byname derived from sparkr meaning "sprightly".
Spear English
From Old English spere "spear", an occupational name for a hunter or a maker of spears, or a nickname for a thin person.
Spearing English
Patronymic form of Spear.
Spears English
Patronymic form of Spear.
Specht German
Means "woodpecker" in German.
Speight English
English form of Specht, probably a loanword from German or Dutch.
Spellmeyer German
Possibly from German spielen meaning "to play, to jest" combined with meyer meaning "village headman". Perhaps it referred to someone who was played or acted as the village headman.
Spencer English
Occupational name for a person who dispensed provisions to those who worked at a manor, derived from Middle English spense "larder, pantry".
Spijker 1 Dutch
Denoted a dweller by or worker at a granary, from Dutch spijker "granary".
Spijker 2 Dutch
Occupational name for a nailsmith, from Dutch spijker "nail".
Spillum Norwegian
Originally denoted a person from Spillum, Norway.
Spitz German
Means "sharp" in German, indicating the original bearer lived near a pointed hill.
Spitznagel German
Means "sharp nail" in German, an occupational name for a nailsmith.
Spooner English
Occupational name for a maker of spoons or a maker of shingles, derived from Middle English spone meaning "chip of wood, spoon".
Spurling English
From Middle English sparewe "sparrow" and the diminutive suffix -ling.
Stacey English
Variant of Stacy.
Stack English
From a nickname for a big person, derived from Middle English stack "haystack", of Old Norse origin.
Stacks English
Variant of Stack.
Stacy English
Derived from Stace, a medieval form of Eustace.
Stafford English
From the name of the English city of Stafford, Staffordshire, derived from Old English stæð meaning "wharf, landing place" and ford meaning "ford, river crossing".
Stainthorpe English
Originally indicated a person from Staindrop, County Durham, England, derived from Old English stæner meaning "stony ground" and hop meaning "valley".
Stamp English
Originally denoted a person from Étampes near Paris. It was called Stampae in Latin, but the ultimate origin is uncertain.
Stanford English
Derived from various English place names meaning "stone ford" in Old English.
Stanley English
From various place names meaning "stone clearing" in Old English. A notable bearer was the British-American explorer and journalist Henry Morton Stanley (1841-1904).
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".
Stark English, German
From a nickname meaning "strong, rigid", from Old English stearc or Old High German stark.
Starr English
From Middle English sterre meaning "star". This was usually a nickname, but it could also occasionally be a sign name from the name of an inn called the Star.
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".
Stauss German
Means "buttocks" from Middle High German stuz.
Steed English
Occupational name for one who tended horses, derived from Middle English steed, in turn derived from Old English steda meaning "stallion".
Steele English
Occupational name for a steelworker, from Old English stele meaning "steel".
Steensen Danish
Means "son of Steen".
Stefansen Danish
Means "son of Stefan".
Stefansson Swedish
Means "son of Stefan".
Steffen Low German, English
Derived from the given name Stephen.
Steffensen Danish
Means "son of Steffen".
Stein German, Jewish
From Old High German stein meaning "stone". It might indicate the original bearer lived near a prominent stone or worked as a stonecutter. As a Jewish name it is ornamental.
Steiner German
Variant of Stein.
Steinmann German
Means "stone man" in German, used as a habitational name for a person who lived near a prominent stone or an occupational name for a stone worker.
Stenberg Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
Derived from Scandinavian sten (Old Norse steinn) meaning "stone" and berg meaning "mountain". As a Swedish name it is ornamental.
Stendahl Swedish
Ornamental name derived from Swedish sten (Old Norse steinn) meaning "stone" and dal (Old Norse dalr) meaning "valley".
Stenger German
Occupational name for a post maker, from Old High German stanga "pole".
Stephens English
Derived from the given name Stephen.
Stephenson English
Means "son of Stephen".
Stern 1 English
From Old English styrne meaning "stern, severe". This was used as a nickname for someone who was stern, harsh, or severe in manner or character.
Stern 2 German, Jewish
German cognate of Starr.
Stetson English
Possibly from the name of the village of Stidston in Devon, meaning "Stithweard's town".
Steube German
Variant of Steuben.
Steuben German
Name for a dweller by a stump of a large tree, from Middle Low German stubbe "stub".
Stidolph English
From the Old English given name Stithulf.
Stieber German
Derived from Middle High German stiuben meaning "to run away". It may have been given as a nickname to a cowardly person or a thief.
Stigsson Swedish
Means "son of Stig".
Stiles English
Variant of Styles.
St John English
From a place named for Saint John.
Stoddard English
Occupational name for a horse keeper, from Old English stod "stallion, stud" and hierde "herder".
Stoke English
From the name of numerous places in England, derived from Old English stoc meaning "place, dwelling".
Stokes English
Variant of Stoke.
Stone English
Name for a person who lived near a prominent stone or worked with stone, derived from Old English stan.
Stoppelbein German
Means "stump leg" from Middle Low German stoppel "stump" and bein "leg".
Storstrand Norwegian
Originally denoted someone from Storstrand farm in Norway, derived from stor meaning "big" and strand meaning "beach".
Strand Norwegian, Swedish, Danish
From Old Norse strǫnd meaning "beach, sea shore". It was originally given to someone who lived on or near the sea.
Strange English
Derived from Middle English strange meaning "foreign", ultimately from Latin extraneus.
Straub German
From Old High German strub meaning "rough, unkempt".
Street English
Habitational name for a person who lived in a place called Street, for example in Somerset. It is derived from Old English stræt meaning "Roman road", from Latin strata.
Strickland English
From the name of a town in Cumbria, derived from Old English stirc "calf, young bullock" and land "cultivated land".
Stringer English
Occupational name for a maker of string or bow strings, from Old English streng "string".
Strobel German
Diminutive form of Straub.
Strohkirch German
Means "straw church" in German.
Ström Swedish
Means "stream" in Swedish.
Strøm Norwegian, Danish
Means "stream" in Norwegian and Danish.
Stroman German
Means "straw man" in German, an occupational name for a seller of straw.
Strömberg Swedish
From Swedish ström (Old Norse straumr) meaning "stream" and berg meaning "mountain".
Strong English
Nickname derived from Middle English strong or strang meaning "strong".
Stroud English
From Old English strod meaning "marshy ground overgrown with brushwood".
Strudwick English
From an English place name derived from Old English strod meaning "marshy ground overgrown with brushwood" and wic meaning "village, town".
Stuber German
Occupational name for the owner of an inn, derived from Old High German stuba "room".
Stück German, Jewish
From Old High German stucki meaning "piece, part".
Stumpf German
Nickname for a short person or a topographic name someone who lived near a prominent stump, from Middle High German stumpf.
Sturm German
Means "storm" in German, originally a nickname for a volatile person.
Styles English
Locational name for one who lived near a steep hill, from Old English stigel "stile, set of steps".
Sudworth English
From an English place name composed of Old English suþ "south" and worþ "enclosure".
Suess German
Variant of Süß. A famous bearer was the American children's author Dr. Seuss (1904-1991), who was born Theodor Seuss Geisel.
Sulzbach German
Toponymic name from German places named Sulzbach meaning "salty stream", derived from Old High German sulza "salty water" and bah "stream".
Summerfield English
Originally indicated the bearer was from a town of this name, derived from Old English sumor "summer" and feld "field".
Sumner English
Occupational name for a summoner, an official who was responsible for ensuring the appearance of witnesses in court, from Middle English sumner, ultimately from Latin submoneo "to advise".
Sundberg Swedish
From Swedish sund meaning "strait" and berg meaning "mountain".
Sundén Swedish
From Swedish sund meaning "sound, strait".
Sundström Swedish
From Swedish sund meaning "strait" and ström (Old Norse straumr) meaning "stream".
Süss German
Variant of Süß.
Süß German
From Old High German suozi meaning "sweet".
Sutton English
From various English place names meaning "south town".
Svendsen Danish, Norwegian
Means "son of Svend".
Svensen Norwegian
Means "son of Sven".
Svensson Swedish
Means "son of Sven".
Swallow English
From the name of the bird, from Old English swealwe, a nickname for someone who resembled or acted like a swallow.
Swango German (Anglicized)
Americanized form of Schwangau.
Swanson English
Patronymic form of Middle English swein meaning "servant" (of Old Norse origin). This word was also used as a byname, and this surname could be a patronymic form of that.
Sweet English
From a nickname meaning "sweet, pleasant", from Old English swete.
Swift English
Nickname for a quick person, from Old English swift.
Swindlehurst English
From the place name Swinglehurst in the Forest of Bowland in central Lancashire, derived from Old English swin "swine, pig", hyll "hill" and hyrst "wood, grove".
Sydney English
Variant of Sidney.
Symonds English
Derived from the given name Simon 1.
Symons English
Derived from the given name Simon 1.
Taft English
Variant of Toft.
Tailor English
Variant of Taylor.
Talbot English
Of Norman origin, possibly derived from an unattested Germanic given name composed of the elements dala "to destroy" and bod "message".
Tangeman German
Originally indicated a person from a place named Tange in northern Germany.
Tanner English
Occupational name for a person who tanned animal hides, from Old English tannian "to tan", itself from Late Latin and possibly ultimately of Celtic origin.
Tanzer German
Means "dancer" in German, derived from Middle High German tanzen "to dance".
Tash English
From Middle English at asche meaning "at the ash tree".
Tasker English
From Middle English taske meaning "task, assignment". A tasker was a person who had a fixed job to do, particularly a person who threshed grain with a flail.
Tate English
Derived from the Old English given name Tata.
Tatham English
From the name of the town of Tatham in Lancashire, itself from the Old English given name Tata combined with ham meaning "home, settlement".
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".
Tatum English
Variant of Tatham.
Taube German
From a nickname meaning "dove" in German.
Taylor English
Derived from Old French tailleur meaning "tailor", ultimately from Latin talio "to cut".
Teel English
From Middle English tele meaning "teal, duck".
Tenley English
Possibly from the name of an English town derived from Old English tind "point" and leah "woodland, clearing".
Tennfjord Norwegian
Originally denoted a person from Tennfjord, Norway.
Tennison English
Means "son of Denis".
Tennyson English
Means "son of Denis".
Ter Avest Dutch
Means "at the edge, eave" indicating a person who lived at the edge of a forest or under a covered shelter.
Terrell English
Probably derived from the Norman French nickname tirel meaning "to pull", referring to a stubborn person.
Terry English
Derived from the medieval name Thierry, a Norman French form of Theodoric.
Teufel German
From a nickname meaning "devil" in German, given to a mischievous person or one who was devil-like.
Teunissen Dutch
Means "son of Teunis".
Thacker English
Northern Middle English variant of Thatcher.
Thälmann German
From the given name Thilo. It was borne by the German communist party leader Ernst Thälmann (1886-1944).
Thatcher English
Referred to a person who thatched roofs by attaching straw to them, derived from Old English þæc meaning "thatch, roof". A famous bearer was the British prime minister Margaret Thatcher (1925-2013).
Theunissen Dutch
Means "son of Theunis".
Thomas English, Welsh, French, German
Derived from the given name Thomas.
Thompkins English
From a diminutive of the given name Thomas.
Thompsett English
From a diminutive of the given name Thomas.
Thompson English
Means "son of Thomas".
Thorburn English, Scottish
Derived from the Old Norse given name Þórbjǫrn.
Thorley English
From any of the various places in England called Thornley or Thorley, meaning "thorn clearing" in Old English.
Thorn English, Danish
Originally applied to a person who lived in or near a thorn bush.
Thorne English
Variant of Thorn.
Thornton English
From any of the various places in England by this name, meaning "thorn town" in Old English.
Thorpe English
From Old Norse þorp meaning "village".
Thorsen Danish, Norwegian
Means "son of Thor".
Thrussell English
From Old English þrostle meaning "song thrush", referring to a cheerful person.
Thurstan English
Derived from the Old Norse name Þórsteinn.
Thwaite English
Indicated a dweller in a forest clearing or pasture, from Old Norse þveit "clearing, pasture".
Tifft English
Variant of Toft.
Tillens Flemish
From the old Dutch name Tiel, a medieval diminutive of Dietrich.
Timberlake English
From an English place name, derived from Old English timber "timber, wood" and lacu "lake, pool, stream".
Tindall English
From Tindale, the name of a town in Cumbria, derived from the name of the river Tyne combined with Old English dæl "dale, valley".
Tinker English
Occupational name for a mender of kettles, pots and pans. The name could derive from the tinking sound made by light hammering on metal. It is possible that the word comes from the word tin, the material with which the tinker worked.
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".
Tittensor English
Indicated a person from Tittensor, England, which means "Titten's ridge".
Tjäder Swedish
Means "wood grouse" in Swedish.
Tobias English, German, Jewish
From the given name Tobias.
Tobin English
From a diminutive of the given name Tobias.
Tod English
Variant of Todd.
Todd English
Means "fox", derived from Middle English todde.
Toft English
Denoted a person hailing from one of the many places in Britain of that name, derived from Old Norse topt meaning "homestead".
Tolbert English
Possibly from a Germanic given name of unknown meaning. The second element of the name is derived from beraht meaning "bright, famous".
Tolkien German
Possibly from a Low German byname Tolk meaning "interpreter" (of Slavic origin). A famous bearer was the English author J. R. R. Tolkien (1892-1973). According to him, the surname was derived from German tollkühn meaning "foolhardy".
Tollemache English
Means "knapsack" in Old French.
Toller English
Occupational name meaning "tax gatherer", derived from Old English toln "toll, fee, tax".
Tomasson Swedish
Means "son of Tomas".
Towner English
Variant of Toller.
Townsend English
Indicated a person who lived at the town's edge, from Old English tun "enclosure, yard, town" and ende "end, limit".
Tracey 1 English
From the village of Tracy-sur-mer on the Normandy coast in France. It was brought to England with William the Conqueror.
Trafford English
From a place name meaning "fish-trap ford" in Old English.
Trask English
Originally indicated a person from Thirsk, North Yorkshire, derived from Old Norse þresk meaning "fen, marsh".
Travers English, French
From an English and French place name that described a person who lived near a bridge or ford, or occasionally as an occupational name for the collector of tolls at such a location. The place name is derived from Old French traverser (from Latin transversus), which means "to cross".
Traves English
English variant of Travers.
Travis English
English variant of Travers.
Traviss English
English variant of Travers.
Traylor English
Meaning unknown.
Treloar English
Originally denoted a person from a place of this name in Cornwall, England.
Trengove English
Originally indicated a person from Trengove in Cornwall, England.
Trent English
Denoted one who lived near the River Trent in England.
Trevis English
English variant of Travers.
Triggs English
From a byname derived from Old Norse tryggr meaning "true, loyal".
Tripp English
From Middle English trippen meaning "to dance", an occupational name for a dancer.
Tritten German
Originally denoted someone who lived by a set of steps, from Middle High German trit "step".
Troelsen Danish
Means "son of Troels".
Troy English
Originally denoted a person from the city of Troyes in France.
Truman English
Means "trusty man" in Middle English. A famous bearer of the surname was American president Harry S. Truman (1884-1972).
Trumbauer German
Possibly from Middle High German trame "rafter, frame" and bauer "peasant, neighbour".
Trump German
Derived from Middle High German trumbe meaning "drum". This surname is borne by the American president Donald Trump (1946-).
Tschida German
Possibly derived from a Slavic given name of unknown meaning.
Tucker English
Occupational name for a fuller of cloth, derived from Old English tucian meaning "offend, torment". A fuller was a person who cleaned and thickened raw cloth by pounding it.
Tuff English
Variant of Tuft.
Tuft English
Denoted one who lived near a clump of trees or bushes, from Middle English tufte "tuft, clump", from Old French.
Tunison Dutch (Anglicized)
Americanized form of Teunissen.
Tupper English
Occupational name for a herdsman, derived from Middle English toupe "ram".
Turnbull English, Scottish
Nickname for someone thought to be strong enough to turn around a bull.
Turner English
Occupational 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.
Tveit Norwegian
Habitational name derived from Old Norse þveit meaning "clearing".
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.
Tyler English
Occupational name for a tiler of roofs, derived from Old English tigele "tile". A famous bearer of this name was American president John Tyler (1790-1862).
Tyson 1 English
Derived from a nickname for a quarrelsome person, from Old French tison meaning "firebrand".
Tyson 2 English
Variant of Dyson.
Ulfsson Swedish
Means "son of Ulf".
Underhill English
Means "dweller at the foot of a hill", from Old English under and hyll.
Underwood English
Means "dweller at the edge of the woods", from Old English under and wudu.
Unkle German
Possibly denoted a person from the town of Unkel in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.
Unruh German
Refers to a restless, fidgety, nervous person, from German unruhe meaning "unrest".
Upton English
Denoted a person hailing from one of the many towns in England bearing this name. The place name itself is derived from Old English upp "up" and tun "enclosure, yard, town".
Urban mu Czech, Slovak, Polish, German
Derived from the given name Urban.
Valentin French, German
From the given name Valentin.
Valentine English
From the given name Valentine 1.
Van Aalsburg Dutch
Means "from Aalsburg", which is possibly Adelsburg, composed of adal "noble" and burg "fortress".
Van Aarle Dutch
Variant of Aarle.
Van Aggelen Dutch
Denoted someone from Aggelen, which could refer to Achel in the Belgian province of Limburg or Egchel in the Dutch province of Limburg.
Van Agteren Dutch
Means "from behind", probably referring to a place behind something, such as a building or a place at the end of the road.
Van Aller Dutch
Means "from the Aller", a river in Germany, of uncertain meaning.
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 Alst Dutch
Means "from Aalst", the name of towns in Belgium and the Netherlands, which is possibly from Germanic *alhs meaning "temple, shelter".
Van Althuis Dutch
Dutch cognate of Althaus.
Van Amelsvoort Dutch
Means "from Amersfoort", a city in the Netherlands. It means "ford of the Amer (Eem) River" in Dutch.
Van Amstel Dutch
Means "from Amstel", a Dutch river that means "water area".
Van Andel Dutch
Means "from Andel", a town in the Netherlands, possibly meaning "upper forest" in Old Dutch.
Van Ankeren Dutch
Means "from the anchor" in Dutch.
Van Antwerp Dutch
Means "from Antwerp", a city in Belgium.
Van As Dutch
Means "from Asch", a town in the Netherlands, meaning "ash tree".
Van Asch Dutch
Variant of Van As.
Van Assen Dutch
Means "from Assen", a city in the Netherlands, which is possibly from essen meaning "ash trees".
Van Baarle Dutch
Means "from Baarle", a town in both the Netherlands and Belgium.
Van Beek Dutch
Means "from the creek" in Dutch.
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 Breda Dutch
Means "from Breda", a city in the province of Noord-Brabant in the Netherlands. It is derived from Dutch breed meaning "wide" and Aa, the name of a river.
Van Buggenum Dutch
Means "from Buggenum", a small town in the middle of the province of Limburg in the Netherlands.
Van Buren Dutch
Means "from Buren", a small town on the island of Ameland in the north of the Netherlands, as well as a small city in the Dutch province Gelderland. The place names derive from Old Dutch bur meaning "house, dwelling". In the 16th century the countess Anna van Buren married William of Orange, the founder of the Dutch royal family. A famous bearer of this surname was Martin van Buren (1782-1862), the eighth President of the United States.
Van Can Dutch
Variant of Van Kan.
Vance English
Indicated a dweller by a fen, from Old English fenn meaning "fen, marsh".
Van Dalen Dutch
Means "from the valley", from Old Dutch dal meaning "valley".
Van Dam Dutch
Means "from the dam" 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.