Browse Surnames

Griffin 2 English
Nickname from the mythological beast with body of a lion with head and wings of an eagle. It is ultimately from Greek γρύψ (gryps).

Griffith Welsh, English
Derived from the Welsh given name Gruffudd.

Griffiths Welsh, English
Means "son of Gruffudd".

Grimm German
From a nickname for a stern person, derived from Old High German grim "stern, severe, angry". Famous bearers include Jacob (1785-1863) and Wilhelm Grimm (1786-1859), known for compiling German folktales.

Groen Dutch
Dutch cognate of Green.

Groos German
Variant of Groß.

Groot Dutch
Variant of De Groot.

Gross German
Variant of Groß.

Groß German
From Old High German groz meaning "tall, big".

Große German
Variant of Groß.

Grosse German
Variant of Groß.

Größel German
Variant of Groß, used in southern Germany.

Großel German
Variant of Groß, used in southern Germany.

Großer German
Variant of Groß.

Grosser German
Variant of Groß.

Grover English
From Old English graf meaning "grove of trees". A famous bearer was the American president Grover Cleveland (1837-1908).

Groves English
From Old English graf meaning "grove". This originally indicated a person who lived near a grove (a group of trees).

Gruber Upper German
From German Grube meaning "pit", indicating a person who lived or worked in a pit or depression. This is the most common surname in Austria.

Grünberg German, Jewish
From German grün meaning "green" and Berg meaning "mountain". This name indicated a person who lived on or near a forest-covered mountain.

Grünewald German
Means "green forest" from German grün "green" and Wald "forest".

Gulbrandsen Norwegian
Means "son of Gulbrand" in Norwegian.

Guldbrandsen Norwegian, Danish
Means "son of Gulbrand" in Norwegian and Danish.

Gully English
Nickname for a big person, from Middle English golias meaning "giant" (ultimately from Goliath, the Philistine warrior who was slain by David in the Old Testament).

Gump German (Rare), Popular Culture
Possibly from a nickname derived from Middle High German gumpen meaning "to hop, to jump". This surname was used by author Winston Groom for the hero of his novel Forrest Gump (1986), better known from the 1994 movie adaptation.

Gundersen Norwegian
Means "son of Gunder".

Gunnarsen Norwegian, Danish
Means "son of Gunnar".

Gunnarsson Swedish, Icelandic
Means "son of Gunnar".

Günther German
Derived from the given name Günther.

Gunther German
Derived from the given name Günther.

Gunvaldsen Norwegian
Means "son of Gunvald".

Gustafsson Swedish
Means "son of Gustaf". The actress Greta Garbo (1905-1990) was originally named Greta Gustafsson.

Gustavsson Swedish
Means "son of Gustav".

Gutenberg German, Jewish
Variant of Guttenberg. A notable bearer was the inventor of the printing press Johannes Gutenberg (1398-1468), whose family hailed from an estate by this name.

Gutermuth German
Derived from Middle High German guot meaning "good" and muot meaning "mind, spirit". It was a nickname for an optimistic person.

Guttenberg German, Jewish
From the name of various places, derived from Middle High German guot meaning "good" and berg meaning "mountain". As a Jewish surname it is ornamental.

Gwerder German (Swiss)
From Swiss German gwerig meaning "agile, alert".

Haak Dutch
Occupational name meaning "peddler" in Dutch.

Haakonsson Norwegian
Means "son of Håkon".

Haan Dutch
Variant of De Haan.

Haanraads Dutch
Originally indicated a person from Haanrade, a small village in the south of the province of Limburg in the Netherlands.

Haanraadts Dutch
Variant of Haanraads.

Haanraats Dutch
Variant of Haanraads.

Haas Dutch, German
Variant of Hase.

Haase German
Variant of Hase.

Haber German, Jewish
Occupational name for one who grew or sold oats, derived from Old High German habaro "oat". As a Jewish surname it is ornamental.

Haberkorn German
Occupational name for a dealer in oats, derived from Old High German habaro "oat" and korn "kernel, grain".

Habich German
German cognate of Hawk.

Habicht German
German cognate of Hawk.

Hackett English
From a diminutive of the medieval byname Hake, which was of Old Norse origin and meant "hook".

Hadaway English
Variant of Hathaway.

Haden English
From a place name derived from Old English hæþ "heath" and dun "hill".

Haenraets Dutch
Variant of Haanraads.

Hafner German
Occupational name for a potter, derived from Old High German hafan "pot, vessel".

Hagen Norwegian, Dutch
From Old Norse hagi or Old Dutch hago meaning "enclosure, pasture".

Haggard English
From a nickname meaning "wild, untamed, worn", from Old French, ultimately from a Germanic root.

Hahn German
From a nickname for a proud or pugnacious person, from Old High German hano meaning "rooster, cock".

Haig English, Scottish
From Old English haga or Old Norse hagi meaning "enclosure, pasture".

Haight English
Topographic name for someone who lived at the top of a hill, derived from Old English heahþu "height, summit".

Hail English
From a nickname derived from Middle English hail meaning "healthy" (of Old Norse origin).

Hailey English
Variant of Haley.

Haines English
Variant of Haynes.

Håkansson Swedish
Means "son of Håkan".

Hale English
Derived from Old English halh meaning "nook, recess, hollow".

Haley English
From the name of an English town meaning "hay clearing", from Old English heg "hay" and leah "woodland, clearing".

Hall English, German, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish
Means simply "hall", given to one who either lived in or worked in a hall (the house of a medieval noble).

Halle German
German variant of Hall.

Hallman Swedish
From Swedish hall (Old Norse hallr) meaning "rock, boulder, slab" and man (Old Norse maðr) meaning "person, man".

Halvorsen Norwegian
Means "son of Halvor".

Hambleton English
From various English place names, derived from Old English hamel "crooked, mutilated" and tun "enclosure, yard, town".

Hamilton English, Scottish
From an English place name, derived from Old English hamel "crooked, mutilated" and dun "hill". This was the name of a town in Leicestershire, England (which no longer exists).

Hamm English
Means "river meadow" in Old English.

Hammond English
From the Norman given name Hamo or the Old Norse given name Hámundr.

Hampson English
Means "son of Hamo".

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".

Hancock English
From a diminutive of the medieval name Hann.

Hanley English
From various English place names meaning "high meadow" in Old English.

Hanraets Dutch
Variant of Haanraads.

Hansen Norwegian, Danish
Means "son of Hans". This is the most common surname in Norway, and the third most common in Denmark.

Hanson English
Means "son of Hann".

Hanssen Norwegian
Means "son of Hans".

Hansson Swedish
Means "son of Hans".

Haraldsen Norwegian
Means "son of Harald".

Haraldsson Swedish
Means "son of Harald".

Harden English
From a place name meaning "hare valley" in Old English.

Harding English
Derived from the given name Heard. A famous bearer was American president Warren G. Harding (1865-1923).

Hardwick English
From Old English heord "herd" and wic "village, town".

Hardy English, French
From Old French and Middle English hardi meaning "bold, daring, hardy", from the Germanic root *harduz.

Harford English
Habitational name from places called Harford in Gloucestershire and Devon, meaning "hart ford" or "army ford".

Hargrave English
Derived from Old English har meaning "grey" and graf "grove".

Harlan English
Variant of Harland.

Harland English
From various place names meaning "hare land" in Old English.

Harley English
Derived from a place name meaning "hare clearing", from Old English hara "hare" or hær "rock, heap of stones" and leah "woodland, clearing".

Harlow English
Habitational name derived from a number of locations named Harlow, from Old English hær "rock, heap of stones" or here "army", combined with hlaw "hill".

Harman English
From the given name Herman.

Harmon English
From the given name Herman.

Haroldson Swedish (Anglicized)
Americanized form of Haraldsson.

Harper English
Originally belonged to a person who played the harp or who made harps.

Harrell English
From the given name Harold.

Harrelson English
Means "son of Harold". A famous bearer of this surname is the American actor Woody Harrelson (1961-).

Harrington English
From the name of towns in England, meaning either "Hæfer's town" or "stony town" in Old English.

Harris English
Means "son of Harry".

Harrison English
Means "son of Harry".

Hart English
Means "male deer". It was originally acquired by a person who lived in a place frequented by harts, or bore some resemblance to a hart.

Hartell English
From various place names derived from Old English heorot "hart, male deer" and hyll "hill".

Hartley English
Habitational name for someone originally from any of the various locations in England named Hartley, from Old English heorot "hart, male deer" and leah "woodland, clearing".

Hartman Dutch, German
Dutch and Americanized form of Hartmann.

Hartmann German
From the German given name Hartmann.

Harvey English
From the Breton given name Haerviu (see Harvey).

Hase German
From Middle High German and Middle Low German hase meaning "hare, rabbit". This was a nickname for a person who was quick or timid.

Hasenkamp German
From a northern German place name meaning "rabbit field", from Old Saxon haso "hare" and kamp "field" (from Latin campus).

Hass German
From the given name Hasso.

Hathaway English
Habitational name for someone who lived near a path across a heath, from Old English hæþ "heath" and weg "way".

Hatheway English
Variant of Hathaway.

Hathway English
Variant of Hathaway.

Hauer German
Derived from Middle High German houwen "to chop", referring to a butcher or woodchopper.

Haugen Norwegian
Means "hill" in Norwegian, referring to a person who lived on a hilltop.

Haumann German
Derived from Middle High German houwen "to chop" and man "man", referring to a butcher or woodchopper.

Haupt German
German cognate of Head.

Häusler German
Name for someone who lived in a house with no land, derived rom Old High German word hus meaning "house".

Havener German
Variant of Hafner.

Haward English
Variant of Howard 1 or Hayward.

Hawk English
Originally a nickname for a person who had a hawk-like appearance or who acted in a fierce manner, derived from Old English hafoc "hawk".

Hawking English
From a diminutive of Hawk. A famous bearer was the British physicist Stephen Hawking (1942-2018).

Hawkins English
From a diminutive of Hawk.

Hawthorn English
Variant of Hawthorne.

Hawthorne English
Denoted a person who lived near a hawthorn bush, a word derived from Old English hagaþorn, from haga meaning "enclosure, yard" and þorn meaning "thorn bush". A famous bearer was the American writer Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864), author of The Scarlet Letter.

Hayden 1 English
From place names meaning either "hay valley" or "hay hill", derived from Old English heg "hay" and denu "valley" or dun "hill".

Hayes 1 English
From various English place names that were derived from Old English hæg meaning "enclosure, fence". A famous bearer was American President Rutherford B. Hayes (1822-1893).

Hayley English
Variant of Haley.

Haynes English
Patronymic derived from the Norman name Hagano.

Hayter English
Name for a person who lived on a hill, from Middle English heyt meaning "height".

Hayward English
Occupational name for a person who protected an enclosed forest, from Old English hæg "enclosure, fence" and weard "guard".

Haywood English
From various place names meaning "fenced wood" in Old English.

Head English
From Middle English hed meaning "head", from Old English heafod. It may have referred to a person who had a peculiar head, who lived near the head of a river or valley, or who served as the village headman.

Headley English
From place names meaning "heather clearing" in Old English.

Heath English
Originally belonged to a person who was a dweller on the heath or open land.

Hedley English
Variant of Headley.

Hedlund Swedish
From Swedish hed (Old Norse heiðr) meaning "heath, moor" and lund (Old Norse lundr) meaning "grove".

Heeren Dutch
From Dutch heer "lord, master", a nickname for a person who acted like a lord or who worked for a lord.

Heidrich German
From the Old German given name Heidrich.

Heijman Dutch
Patronymic from a diminutive of the given name Hendrik.

Heijmans Dutch
Variant of Heijman.

Heimans Dutch
Variant of Heijman.

Heinrich German
Derived from the given name Heinrich.

Heinrichs German
Derived from the given name Heinrich.

Heintze German
Derived from a diminutive of Heinrich.

Heinz German
Derived from a diminutive of Heinrich.

Hellström Swedish
From Swedish häll (Old Norse hallr), a type of flat rock, combined with ström (Old Norse straumr) meaning "stream".

Henderson Scottish, English
Means "son of Hendry".

Hendrickx Flemish
Derived from the given name Hendrik.

Hendriks Dutch
Derived from the given name Hendrik.

Hendrikx Dutch
Derived from the given name Hendrik.

Hendrix Dutch
Derived from the given name Hendrik. A famous bearer was the American rock musician Jimi Hendrix (1942-1970).

Hendry Scottish, English
Derived from the given name Henry.

Hennig German
From a diminutive of the given name Heinrich.

Henningsen Danish
Means "son of Henning".

Henriksen Danish, Norwegian
Means "son of Henrik".

Henriksson Swedish
Means "son of Henrik".

Henry English
Derived from the given name Henry.

Henryson English
Means "son of Henry". A bearer of this surname was the poet Robert Henryson (1425-1500).

Henson English
Means "son of Henne", a medieval diminutive of Henry.

Hepburn English, Scottish
From northern English place names meaning "high burial mound" in Old English. It was borne by Mary Queen of Scot's infamous third husband, James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwall. Other famous bearers include the actresses Katharine Hepburn (1907-2003) and Audrey Hepburn (1929-1993).

Heppenheimer German
From the name of the city of Heppenheim in Hesse, Germany.

Herbert English, German, French
Derived from the male given name Herbert.

Herberts English, Dutch
Variant of Herbert.

Herbertson English
Means "son of Herbert".

Herbertsson Swedish
Swedish form of Herbertson.

Herman English, Dutch
From the given name Herman.

Hermann German
From the given name Hermann.

Hermans Dutch, Flemish
Means "son of Herman".

Hermansen Danish, Norwegian
Means "son of Herman".

Hermanson English
Means "son of Herman".

Hermansson Swedish
Means "son of Herman".

Herriot English
From an Old French diminutive of the given name Herry.

Herrmann German
From the given name Hermann.

Hersch German, Jewish
Variant of Hirsch 1 or Hirsch 2.

Herschel German, Jewish
Diminutive form of Hirsch 1 or Hirsch 2. A famous bearer was the British-German astronomer William Herschel (1738-1822), as well as his sister Caroline Herschel (1750-1848) and son John Herschel (1792-1871), also noted scientists.

Hershey English
Originally denoted a person from Hercé in Normandy.

Hertz German
Derived from Middle High German herze meaning "heart", a nickname for a big-hearted person.

Herzog German
From a German title meaning "duke", a nickname for a person who either acted like a duke or worked in a duke's household.

Hewitt English
Derived from a diminutive of the given name Hugh.

Hext English
From a nickname meaning "tallest" in Middle English. It is most common in the southwest of England in the county of Devon.

Heymans Dutch
Variant of Heijman.

Hibbert English
Derived from the given name Hilbert.

Hicks English
Derived from the medieval given name Hicke, a diminutive of Richard.

Hiedler German
From southern German Hiedl meaning "underground stream".

Hightower English
Possibly a variant of Hayter.

Hildebrand German
From the given name Hildebrand.

Hill English
Originally given to a person who lived on or near a hill, derived from Old English hyll.

Hillam English
From English places by this name, derived from Old English hyll meaning "hill".

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.

Hintzen German
Means "son of Hintz", a diminutive of Heinrich.

Hirsch 1 German
Means "deer, hart" in German. This was a nickname for a person who resembled a deer in some way, or who raised or hunted deer.

Hirschel German, Jewish
Diminutive form of Hirsch 1 or Hirsch 2.

Hitler German
Variant of Hiedler. This was spelling used by Alois Hitler, the father of German dictator Adolf Hitler (1889-1945), when he adopted his stepfather Johann Georg Hiedler's surname.

Hjort Danish, Swedish
Danish and Swedish cognate of Hart.

Hobbes English
Derived from the medieval given name Hob. A famous bearer of this name was British political philosopher Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679), the author of Leviathan.

Hobbs English
Derived from the medieval given name Hob.

Hobson English
Means "son of Hob".

Hoch German
Means "tall" in German.

Hochberg German, Jewish
From place names meaning "high hill" in German.

Hodge English
From a medieval diminutive of Roger.

Hodges English
Patronymic of Hodge, a medieval diminutive of Roger.

Hodgson English
Means "son of Hodge", a medieval diminutive of Roger.

Hodson English
Means "son of Hodge", a medieval diminutive of Roger.

Hoedemaeker Dutch
Variant of Hoedemaker.

Hoedemaekers Dutch
Variant of Hoedemaker.

Hoedemaker Dutch
Occupational name for a hat maker, from Dutch hoed "hat" and maker "maker".

Hoedemakers Dutch
Variant of Hoedemaker.

Hoefler German
Variant of Hofer.

Hoek Dutch
From Dutch hoek meaning "corner".

Hofer German
Occupational name for a farmer, from German Hof "farm", from Old High German hof "yard, court".

Hoffman German (Anglicized)
Americanized form of Hoffmann.

Hoffmann German
From Middle High German hofmann meaning "farmer".

Höfler German
Variant of Hofer.

Hofmann German
Variant of Hoffmann.

Hofmeister German
Means "master of the household", from Old High German hof "yard, court, house" and meistar "master" (from Latin magister).

Hofwegen Dutch
Variant of Van Hofwegen.

Hogarth English
Variant of Hoggard.

Hoggard English
Occupational name meaning "pig herder", from Old English hogg "hog" and hierde "herdsman, guardian".

Holden English
From various English place names, derived from Old English hol "hollow, sunken, deep" and denu "valley".

Holgersen Danish, Norwegian
Means "son of Holger".

Holgersson Swedish
Means "son of Holger".

Holland 1 English
From various English places of this name, derived from Old English hoh "point of land, heel" and land "land".

Holland 2 Dutch, German, English
Indicated a person from the Dutch province of Holland 1.

Hollands English
Variant of Holland 1.

Hollins English
Referred to someone living by a group of holly trees, from Old English holegn.

Holloway English
From the name of various English places, derived from Old English hol "hollow, sunken, deep" and weg "path, way".

Holm Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
From Swedish, Danish and Norwegian holme, holm meaning "islet" (Old Norse holmr).

Holmberg Swedish
Ornamental name derived from Swedish holme (Old Norse holmr) meaning "small island" and berg meaning "mountain".

Holme English, Scottish
Referred either to someone living by a small island (northern Middle English holm, from Old Norse holmr) or near a holly tree (Middle English holm, from Old English holegn).

Holmes English, Scottish
Variant of Holme. A famous fictional bearer was Sherlock Holmes, a detective in Arthur Conan Doyle's mystery stories beginning in 1887.

Holmgren Swedish
Ornamental name derived from Swedish holme (Old Norse holmr) meaning "small island" and gren (Old Norse grein) meaning "branch".

Holmström Swedish
From Swedish holme (Old Norse holmr) meaning "small island" and ström (Old Norse straumr) meaning "stream".

Holmwood English
Variant of Homewood.

Holst Danish, Low German, Dutch
Originally referred to a person from the region of Holstein between Germany and Denmark. A famous bearer of this name was the English composer Gustav Holst (1874-1934).

Holt English, Dutch, Danish, Norwegian
From Old English, Old Dutch and Old Norse holt meaning "forest".

Holtman Dutch
Dutch cognate of Holzmann.

Holtz German
German cognate of Holt.

Hölzer German
German cognate of Holt.

Holzer German
German cognate of Holt.

Holzknecht German
Occupational name for a forester's helper, from Old High German holz "wood" and kneht "servant, apprentice".

Holzmann German
Derived from Old High German holz "wood" and man "man", a name for someone who lived close to a wood or worked with wood.

Homewood English
From various place names derived from Old English ham meaning "home" and wudu meaning "wood".

Honeycutt English
Derived from the name of the English town of Hunnacott, derived from Old English hunig "honey" or the given name Huna combined with cot "cottage".

Honeysett English
Possibly a variant of Honeycutt.

Hood English
Metonymic occupational name for a maker of hoods or a nickname for someone who wore a distinctive hood, from Old English hod.

Hooker English
Originally applied to one who lived near a river bend or corner of some natural feature, from Old English hoc "angle, hook".

Hooper English
Occupational name for someone who put the metal hoops around wooden barrels.

Hoover German (Anglicized)
Americanized form of Huber.

Hope English
Derived from Middle English hop meaning "small valley".

Hopkins English
Patronymic formed from a diminutive of Hob.

Hopper English
Occupational name for an acrobat or a nickname for someone who was nervous or restless. A famous bearer was the American actor Dennis Hopper (1936-2010).

Hopson English
Variant of Hobson.

Horn English, German, Norwegian, Danish
From the Old English, Old High German and Old Norse word horn meaning "horn". This was an occupational name for one who carved objects out of horn or who played a horn, or a person who lived near a horn-shaped geographical feature, such as a mountain or a bend in a river.

Horne English
Variant of Horn.

Horsfall English
From a minor place in Yorkshire derived from Old English hors "horse" and fall "clearing".

Horton English
From the names of various places in England, which are derived from Old English horh "dirt, mud" and tun "enclosure, yard, town".

Houben Dutch
Derived from the given name Hubert.

Houk Dutch (Anglicized)
Possibly an Americanized form of Hoek.

House English
Referred to a person who lived or worked in a house, as opposed to a smaller hut.

Houtkooper Dutch
Means "buyer of wood" in Dutch.

Houtman Dutch
Dutch cognate of Holzmann.

Howard 1 English
Derived from the given name Hughard or Hávarðr.

Howard 2 English
Occupational name meaning "ewe herder", from Old English eowu "ewe" and hierde "herdsman, guardian".

Howe English
Name for one who lived on a hill, from Middle English how "hill" (of Norse origin).

Howland English
Variant of Holland 1.

Howse English
Variant of Howe.

Hubbard English
Derived from the given name Hubert.

Hüber German
Variant of Huber.

Huber German
Occupational name for a farmer, derived from Old High German huoba "plot of land, farm".

Hubert French, German, English
Derived from the given name Hubert.

Huddleson English
Means "son of Hudel", a diminutive of Hudde.

Huddleston English
From the name of a town in the Yorkshire region of England, which means "Hudel's town" in Old English.

Hudnall English
From various English place names, derived from the Old English given name Huda combined with halh "nook, recess".

Hudson English
Means "son of Hudde".

Huff English
Means "spur of a hill", from Old English hoh.

Huffman German (Anglicized)
Americanized form of Hoffmann.

Huffmann German
Variant of Hoffmann.

Hughes 1 English
Patronymic of the given name Hugh.

Hull English
Variant of Hill.

Hult Swedish
Swedish form of Holt.

Hume Scottish, English
Variant of Holme. A famous bearer was the philosopher David Hume (1711-1776).

Hummel 1 German, Dutch
Derived from the given name Humbert.

Hummel 2 German, Dutch
Nickname for a busy person, from Middle Low German and Middle Dutch hommel, Middle High German hummel, all meaning "bee".

Humphrey English
Derived from the given name Humphrey.

Humphreys English
Derived from the given name Humphrey.

Hunnicutt English
Variant of Honeycutt.

Hunnisett English
Possibly a variant of Honeycutt.

Hunt English
Variant of Hunter.

Hunter English, Scottish
Occupational name that referred to someone who hunted for a living, from Old English hunta.

Hurst English
Originally a name for a person who lived near a thicket of trees, from Old English hyrst "thicket".

Hutchinson English
Means "son of Huchin", a medieval diminutive of Hugh.

Hutmacher German
German cognate of Hoedemaker.

Hutson English
Variant of Hudson.

Huxley English
From the name of a town in Cheshire. The final element is Old English leah "woodland, clearing", while the first element might be hux "insult, scorn". A famous bearer was the British author Aldous Huxley (1894-1963).

Huxtable English
Derived from the name of an English place meaning "hook post", from Old English hoc "hook" and stapol "post".

Hyde English
From Middle English hide, a unit of land, approximately the size necessary to support a household.

Hyland 1 English
Topographic name meaning "high land", from Old English heah and land.

I'Anson English
Variant of Janson.