English Surnames

SIMPSON English
Means "son of Sim", Sim being a medieval short form of SIMON (1).

SIMS English
Variant of SIMMS.

SINCLAIR English
Derived from a Norman French town called "Saint CLAIR".

SKEATES English
From the Old Norse nickname or byname skjótr meaning "swift".

SKINNER English
Occupational name for a person who skinned animals, from Old Norse skinn.

SLATER English
Occupational name indicating that an early member worked covering roofs with slate, from Old French esclat "shard", of Germanic origin.

SMALL English
From a nickname for a small person, from Middle English smal.

SMALLS English
Variant of SMALL.

SMEDLEY English
From an unidentified place name probably meaning "smooth clearing" in Old English.

SMITH English
Means "metalworker, blacksmith" from Old English smiþ, related to smitan "to smite, to hit". It is the most common surname in most of the English-speaking world. A famous bearer was the Scottish economist Adam Smith (1723-1790).

SMYTHE English
Variant of SMITH.

SNELL English
From Old English snel meaning "fast, quick, nimble".

SNELLING English
Variant of SNELL.

SNIDER English
Variant of SNYDER.

SNIDERS English
Variant of SNYDER.

SNYDER English
Means "tailor", derived from Middle English snithen "to cut", an occupational name for a person who stitched coats and clothing.

SNYDERS English
Variant of SNYDER.

SOLOMON English, 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.

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.

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.

SPEIGHT English
English form of SPECHT, probably a loanword from German or Dutch.

SPENCE English
Variant of SPENCER.

SPENCER English
Occupational name for a person who dispensed provisions to those who worked at a manor, derived from Middle English spense "larder, pantry".

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 Sir 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".

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".

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

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.

STEVENS English
Variant of STEPHENS.

STEVENSON English
Variant of STEPHENSON.

STIDOLPH English
From the Old English given name STITHULF.

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".

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

STRANGE English
Derived from Middle English strange meaning "foreign", ultimately from Latin extraneus.

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".

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 wíc meaning "village, town".

STYLES English
Locational name for one who lived near a steep hill, from Old English stigol "stile, set of steps".

SUDWORTH English
From an English place name composed of Old English suþ "south" and worþ "enclosure".

SUGGITT English
Variant of SOUTHGATE.

SUMMERFIELD English
Originally indicated the bearer was from a town of this name, derived from Old English sumor "summer" and feld "field".

SUMMERS (1) English
Variant of SUMNER.

SUMMERS (2) English
Variant of SOMMER (1).

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
From various English place names meaning "south town".

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.

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 "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.

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 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".

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".

TROY English
Originally denoted a person from the city of Troyes in France.

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". 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.

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 bearing 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 "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.

WILEY English
From any of the various English towns named WILLEY or from the River WYLYE.

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.

WILLEY English
Variant of WILEY.

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 various English place names, 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, settlement".

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, settlement".

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".