English Surnames

STACY     English
Derived from Stace, a medieval form of EUSTACE.

STAFFORD     English
From the English place name Staffordshire, which was adopted by the man who lived near a river or creek at a crossing point, which was called a ford. The particular crossing point was a "stony ford", or "ford by a landing place".

STAINTHORPE     English
Originally indicated a person from Staindrop (Durham), England, which means "valley with stony ground" from Old English stæner meaning "stony ground" and hop meaning "valley".

STAMP     English
Originally denoted a person from Etampes (Seine-et-Oise), France.

STANFORD     English
Derived from a place name meaning "stone ford" in Old English.

STANLEY     English
From a place name meaning "stone clearing" in Old English. A notable bearer was the British-American explorer and journalist Sir Henry Morton Stanley (1841-1904).

STANTON     English
Means from one of the many places named Stanton, Staunton in Britain. The place name means "farmstead on stony ground".

STARK     English, German
From a nickname meaning "strong, brave" in Old German and Old English.

STARR     English
From Middle English sterre "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 Lancashire, near Manchester, Liverpool, and Warrington. The name literally translates as something like "town of the staves (poles or staffs) near the river".

STEED     English
Derived from Middle English steed, which is in turn derived from Old English steda meaning "stallion". It was an occupational name for one who tended horses.

STEELE     English
Occupational name for a steelworker.

STEFFEN     Low German, English
Derived from the given name STEPHEN.

STENET     English
Derived from Sten, a diminutive of STEPHEN, plus the diminutive suffix -et.

STEPHENS     English
Derived from the given name STEPHEN.

STEPHENSON     English
Means "son of STEPHEN".

STERN (1)     English
From Old English styrne, Middle English sterne meaning "stern, severe". This was used as a nickname for someone who was stern, harsh, or severe in manner or character.

STEVENS     English
Variant of STEPHENS.

STEVENSON     English
Variant of STEPHENSON.

STIDOLPH     English
From an Old English name meaning "strong wolf".

ST JOHN     English
From the place name St JOHN.

STODDARD     English
Occupational name for a horse keeper, from Old English stod "stud" and hierde "herder".

STONE     English
Name for a person who lived near a prominent stone, or a person who worked with stone. It is derived from Old English stan.

STRANGE     English
Derived from Middle English strange "foreign" (ultimately derived from Latin extraneus).

STREET     English
Habitational name for anyone who lived in a place called Street, for example in Hertfordshire, Kent and Somerset. It is derived from Old English stræt "Roman road".

STRICKLAND     English
From a place called Strickland in Westmoreland, England. The place name is of Old English origin, from stirc "young bullock" and land "cultivated land".

STRINGER     English
Occupational name for a maker of string or bow strings, from Middle English streng "string".

STROUD     English, Scottish
Locational name meaning "thicket, marsh, marshy ground overgrown with brushwood".

STRUDWICK     Scottish, English
Originally a name for a person from Strudwick, England.

STUDWICK     Scottish, English
Variant of STRUDWICK.

STYLES     English
Locational name for one who lived near a steep hill, from Old English stigol "climb".

SUDWORTH     English
From an English place name composed of sud "south" and worth "farm".

SUGGITT     English
Variant of SOUTHGATE.

SUMMERFIELD     English
Means literally "dwellers in the summer fields", and is derived from the city of Summerfield, located in the county of Norfolk in England.

SUMMERS (1)     English
Variant of SUMNER.

SUMMERS (2)     English
From Middle English sumer meaning "summer". This was a nickname given to someone associated with the summer season.

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 submonere "to advise".

SUTTON     English
Means "south town". Several towns in England bear this name.

SWEET     English
From a nickname meaning "sweet, pleasant".

SWINDLEHURST     English
From a place name in the Forest of Bowland in central Lancashire. In 1190 Sir Robert Fitzhenry, Lord of Lathom, gave the lease of part of his land in Aules-Large called Swynleyhurst (meaning "pig grazing wood") to a family who adopted the place as their family name.

SYDNEY     English
Variant of SIDNEY.

SYMONS     English
Derived from the given name SIMON (1).

TAFT     English
Variant of TOFT.

TAILOR     English
Variant of TAYLOR.

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.

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 "homestead".

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.

TAYLOR     English
Derived from Old French tailleur meaning "tailor", ultimately from Latin taliare "to cut".

TEEL     English
From Middle English tele meaning "teal, duck".

TENNISON     English
Means "son of DENIS".

TENNYSON     English
Means "son of DENIS".

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.

THACKER     English
Northern Middle English variant of THATCHER.

THATCHER     English
Referred to a person who thatched roofs by attaching straw to them, derived from Old English þæc meaning "thatch".

THOMAS     English, French
Derived from the given name THOMAS.

THOMPSETT     English
From a diminutive form of the given name THOMAS.

THOMPSON     English
Means "son of THOMAS".

THOMSON     English
Variant of THOMPSON.

THORBURN     English, Scottish
Derived from the Old Norse given name ÞÓRBJÖRN.

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".

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.

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".

TIRRELL     English
Variant of TERRELL.

TITTENSOR     English
Indicated a person from Tittensor, England, which means "Titten's ridge".

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".

TOLLEMACHE     English
Means "knapsack" in Old French.

TOLLER     English
Occupational name meaning "tax gatherer", derived from Old English toln "toll, fee, tax".

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.

TRACY     English, Irish
Variant of TRACEY (1) or TRACEY (2).

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 (which comes from Late Latin transversare), 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".

TRUEMAN     English
Variant of TRUMAN.

TRUMAN     English
Means "trusty man" in Middle English. A famous bearer of the surname was American president Harry S. Truman (1884-1972).

TUCKER     English
Occupational name for a fuller of cloth, derived from Old English tucian meaning "offend, torment".

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.

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.

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).

TYRELL     English
Variant of TERRELL.

TYRRELL     English
Variant of TERRELL.

TYSON (1)     English
Derived from a nickname for a quarrelsome person, from Old French tison meaning "firebrand".

TYSON (2)     English
Variant of DYSON.

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.

UPTON     English
Denoted a person hailing from one of the many towns in England which bear this name. The place name itself is derived from Old English upp "up" and tun "enclosure, yard, town".

VANCE     English
Indicated a dweller by a fen, from Old English fenn meaning "fen, marsh".

VANN     English
From Old English fenn meaning "fen, swamp, peat", indicating a person who lived near such a place.

VARLEY     English
Originally denoted a person from Verly, France, itself derived from the Roman name Virilius.

VARNHAM     English
Variant of FARNHAM.

VERITY     English
From a nickname meaning "truth", perhaps given originally to a truthful person.

VERNON     English
Locational name in the Eure region of Normandy, from the Gaulish element vern "alder (tree)" with the genitive case maker onis.

VICTOR     French, English
Derived from the male given name VICTOR.

VICTORS     English
Derived from the given name VICTOR.

VINCENT (1)     English, French
From the given name VINCENT.

VIPOND     English
From Vieux-Pont, the name of various places in Normandy, derived from French vieux "old" and pont "bridge".

VIRGO     English
Possibly from Latin virgo "virgin, maiden". It may have been a nickname for an actor who played the Virgin Mary in mystery plays, or for a shy man or a lecher.

WADE (1)     English
Derived from the Old English place name wæd meaning "a ford".

WADE (2)     English
From the Old English given name Wada, a derivative of the word wadan "to go".

WAKEFIELD     English
Originally indicated a person who came from the English city of Wakefield, derived from Old English wacu "wake, vigil" and feld "field".

WALDROUP     English
Variant of WARDROBE.

WALKER     English
Occupational name for a person who walked on damp raw cloth in order to thicken it. It is derived from Middle English walkere, Old English wealcan meaning "to move".

WALLACE     Scottish, English, Irish
Means "foreigner, stranger, Celt" from Norman French waleis (of Germanic origin). It was often used to denote native Welsh and Bretons. A famous bearer was the 13th-century Sir William Wallace of Scotland.

WALLER (1)     English
Derived from Old French gallier meaning "a person with a pleasant temper".

WALLER (2)     English
Derived from Old English weall meaning "wall", denoting a builder of walls or someone who lived near a prominent wall.

WALLER (3)     English
From Old English well meaning "well, spring, water hole".

WALLIS     Scottish, English
Variant of WALLACE.

WALMSLEY     English
Originally denoted a person from the English town of WALMERSLEY.

WALSH     English, Irish
From Old English wælisc meaning "foreigner, stranger, Celt".

WALTER     English, German
Derived from the given name WALTER.

WALTERS     English
Derived from the given name WALTER.

WALTERSON     English
Means "son of WALTER".

WALTON     English
From the name of any of several villages in England, derived from Old English wealh "foreigner, Celt", weald "forest", weall "wall", or well "well, spring, water hole" combined with tun "enclosure".

WARD (1)     English
Derived from Old English weard meaning "guard, guardian".

WARDROBE     English
From Old French warder "to guard" and robe "garment", an occupational name for a servant responsible for the clothing in a household.

WARE (1)     English
From Old English wer meaning "dam, weir", indicating someone who lived near such a structure.

WARE (2)     English
From the Middle English nickname ware meaning "wary, astute, prudent".

WARNER     German, English
Variant of WERNER.

WARREN (1)     English
Denoted a person who lived near a warren, from Norman French warrene meaning "animal enclosure" (of Germanic origin).

WARREN (2)     English
Originally denoted a person from the town of La Varenne in Normandy, which may derive from a Gaulish word meaning "sandy soil".

WARRICK     English
Variant of WARWICK.

WARWICK     English
From the name of an English town, itself derived from Old English wer "weir, dam" and wíc "village, town".

WASH     English
Derived from the Norman name WAZO.

WASHINGTON     English
From a place name meaning "settlement belonging to Wassa's people", from the given name WASSA and Old English tun meaning "enclosure, yard, town". A famous bearer was George Washington (1732-1799), the first president of the United States.

WATERMAN (1)     English
Means "servant of WALTER".

WATERMAN (2)     English, Dutch
Occupational name for a boatman or a water carrier. It could also describe a person who lived by water.

WATERS (1)     English
Originally given to a person who lived near the water.

WATERS (2)     English
Derived from the given name WALTER.

WATKINS     English
Derived from the Middle English given name Wat or Watt, which was a diminutive of the name WALTER.

WATSON     English, Scottish
Patronymic derived from the Middle English given name Wat or Watt, a diminutive of the name WALTER.

WATT     English
Derived from the Middle English given name Wat or Watt, a diminutive of the name WALTER.

WATTS     English
Patronymic derived from the Middle English given name Wat or Watt, a diminutive of the name WALTER.

WAY     English
From Old English weg meaning "way, road, path".

WAYNE     English
Occupational name meaning "wagon maker, cartwright", derived from Old English wægn "wagon". A famous bearer was the American actor John Wayne (1907-1979).

WEAVER (1)     English
Occupational name for a weaver, derived from Old English wefan "to weave".

WEAVER (2)     English
From the name of the River Weaver, derived from Old English wefer meaning "winding stream".

WEBB     English
Occupational name meaning "weaver", from Old English webba, a derivative of wefan "to weave".

WEBSTER     English
Occupational name meaning "weaver", from Old English webba, a derivative of wefan "to weave".

WEEKES     English
Derived from Old English wíc meaning "village, town".

WELCH     English
Variant of WALSH.

WELLS     English
Derived from Middle English welle meaning "well, spring, water hole".

WEMBLEY     English
From the name of a town, now part of Greater London, meaning "WEMBA's clearing" in Old English.

WESCOTT     English
Variant of WESTCOTT.

WESLEY     English
Variant of WESTLEY.

WEST     English, German
Denoted a person who lived to the west of something, or who came from the west.

WESTBROOK     English
From the name of places in England, derived from Old English west "west" and broc "brook, stream".

WESTCOTT     English
From any of the several English towns by this name, derived from Old English meaning "west cottage".

WESTLEY     English
From the name of various English towns, derived from Old English west "west" and leah "woodland, clearing".

WHEELER     English
Occupational name for a maker of wagon wheels, derived from Middle English whele "wheel".

WHEELOCK     English
Originally indicated a person from the town of Wheelock, England. It was named for the nearby River Wheelock, which is derived from Welsh chwylog meaning "winding".

WHINERY     English
From Middle English whin "gorse bush" and wray "nook of land".

WHITAKER     English
From a place name composed of Old English hwit "white" and æcer "field".

WHITE     English
Originally a nickname for a person who had white hair or a pale complexion, from Old English hwit "white".

WHITNEY     English
Originally from the name of an English town, meaning "white island" in Old English.

WHITTEMORE     English
From various English place names derived from Old English hwit "white" and mor "moor, heath, bog".

WHITTLE     English
From various English place names derived from Old English hwit "white" and hyll "hill".

WICKHAM     English
From any of various towns by this name in England, notably in Hampshire. They are derived from Old English wíc "village, town" (of Latin origin) and ham "home, settlement".

WILBUR     English
From the nickname Wildbor meaning "wild boar" in Middle English.

WILCOX     English
From a diminutive of the given name WILLIAM.

WILKERSON     English
Means "son of WILKIN".

WILKIE     English
Double diminutive of the given name WILLIAM.

WILKINS     English
Means "son of WILKIN".

WILKINSON     English
Means "son of WILKIN".

WILLARD     English
From the given name WILHEARD or WILLIHARD.

WILLIAM     English
Derived from the given name WILLIAM.

WILLIAMS     English
Means "son of WILLIAM".

WILLIAMSON     English
Means "son of WILLIAM".

WILLIS     English
Derived from the given name WILLIAM. A famous bearer of this surname is actor Bruce Willis (1955-).

WILLOUGHBY     English
From the name of various English towns, derived from Old English wilig meaning "willow" and Old Norse býr "farm, settlement".

WILMER     English
Derived from the given name WILMǢR.

WILSON     English
Means "son of WILL".

WILTON     English
From any of the English towns named WILTON.

WINCHESTER     English
From an English place name, derived from Venta, of Celtic origin, and Latin castrum meaning "camp, fortress".

WINFIELD     English
From a place name derived from Old English winn "meadow, pasture" and feld "field".

WINSHIP     English
Possibly denoted a person who came from Wincheap Street in Canterbury, England. It is uncertain origin, possibly meaning "wine market" in Old English.

WINSLOW     English
Derived from an Old English place name meaning "hill belonging to WINE".

WINSTON     English
Derived from the given name WYNNSTAN.

WINTER     English, German, Swedish
From Old English winter or Old High German wintar meaning "winter". This was a nickname for a person with a cold personality.

WINTERBOTTOM     English
From Old English winter meaning "winter" and botm meaning "ground, soil, bottom". This name probably referred to a winter pasture at the bottom of a lowland valley.

WINTHROP     English
Habitational name from the place names WINTHROPE (1) or WINTHROPE (2).

WINTON     English
Derived from the name of several English villages. Their names derive from Old English meaning "enclosure belonging to WINE".

WITHERSPOON     English
Originally given to a person who dwelt near a sheep enclosure, from Middle English wether "sheep" and spong "strip of land".

WOLF     German, English
From Middle High German or Middle English wolf meaning "wolf", or else from a Germanic given name beginning with this element.

WOLFE     English
Variant of WOLF.

WOMACK     English
Of uncertain origin. One theory suggests that it indicated a dweller by a hollow oak tree, derived from Old English womb "hollow" and ac "oak".

WOOD     English, Scottish
Originally denoted one who lived in or worked in a forest, derived from Old English wudu "wood".

WOODCOCK     English
Nickname referring to the woodcock bird.

WOODHAM     English
Indicated a person who had a home near a wood, derived from Old English wudu "wood" and ham "home".

WOODHAMS     English
Variant of WOODHAM.

WOODROW     English
From a place name meaning "row of houses by a wood" in Old English.

WOODS     English, Scottish
Variant of WOOD.

WOODWARD     English
Occupational name for a forester, meaning "ward of the wood" in Old English.

WOOTTON     English
Derived from Old English wudu "wood" and tun "enclosure, town".

WORTHAM     English
Derived from the name of a town in Suffolk, England meaning "enclosed homestead".

WRAGGE     English
Derived from the Old Danish given name Wraghi, a variant of VRAGI.

WRAY     English
Originally denoted someone who came from any of the various places of this name in northern England, from Old Norse vrá meaning "corner, nook".

WRIGHT (1)     English
From Old English wyrhta meaning "wright, maker", an occupational name for someone who was a craftsman. Famous bearers were Orville and Wilbur Wright, the inventors of the first successful airplane.

WRIGHT (2)     English
Americanized form of DROIT.

WYATT     English
From the medieval given name WYOT.

WYMAN     English
From the Old English given name WIGMUND.

WYNDHAM     English
From the name of the town of Wymondham, meaning "home belonging to Wigmund", from the given name WIGMUND combined with Old English ham meaning "home".

WYNNE     English
Derived from the given name WINE.

YAP     English
From a nickname for a clever or cunning person, from Middle English yap meaning "devious, deceitful, shrewd".

YATES     English
From Old English geat meaning "gate", a name for a gatekeeper or someone who lived near a gate.

YONG     English
Variant of YOUNG.

YORK     English
From the name of the English city of York, which was originally called Eburacon (Latinized as Eboracum), meaning "yew" in Brythonic, but was altered by association with Old English Eoforwic, meaning "pig farm".

YOUNG     English
Derived from Old English geong meaning "young". This was a descriptive name to distinguish father from son.

YOUNGE     English
Variant of YOUNG.

YOXALL     English
Originally indicated a person from the town of Yoxall in Staffordshire, itself derived from Old English geoc "oxen yoke" and halh "nook, recess".