Browse Surnames

This is a list of surnames in which the usage is English; and the name appears on the list of Fictional Characters from Books.

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Abbott English
English cognate of Abate.

Abrams Jewish, English
Means "son of Abraham".

Adams English, Jewish
Derived from the given name Adam.

Andrews English
Means "son of Andrew".

Austin English
Derived from the given name Austin.

Baker English
Occupational name meaning "baker", derived from Middle English bakere.

Banks English
Originally indicated someone who lived near a hillside or a bank of land.

Banner English
Occupational name for a flag carrier, derived from Old French baniere meaning "banner", ultimately of Germanic origin.

Barton English
From a place name meaning "barley town" in Old English.

Bass English
English cognate of Basso.

Baxter English
Variant (in origin a feminine form) of Baker.

Bennet English
Derived from the medieval English given name Bennett.

Black English
Means either "black" (from Old English blæc) or "pale" (from Old English blac). It could refer to a person with a pale or a dark complexion, or a person who worked with black dye.

Blythe English
From Old English meaning "happy, joyous, blithe".

Bond English
Occupational name for a peasant farmer, from Middle English bonde. A famous bearer is the fictional spy James Bond, created by Ian Flemming in 1953.

Bone 1 English
Derived from Old French bon meaning "good".

Bone 2 English
Variant of Baines 2.

Boone English
Variant of Boon 1 or Boon 2.

Bourne English
Derived from Old English burna "stream, spring".

Brandon English
From the name of various places in England meaning "hill covered with broom" in Old English.

Bray English
From a place name derived from Cornish bre "hill".

Brooke English
Variant of Brook.

Brown English
Originally a nickname for a person who had brown hair or skin. A notable bearer is Charlie Brown from the Peanuts comic strip by Charles Schulz.

Butler English, Irish
Occupational name derived from Norman French butiller "wine steward", ultimately from Late Latin butticula "bottle". A famous bearer of this surname is the fictional character Rhett Butler, created by Margaret Mitchell for her novel Gone with the Wind (1936).

Carr 1 Scottish, English
Variant of Kerr.

Caulfield English
From a place name meaning "cold field", from Old English ceald "cold" and feld "pasture, field".

Chase English
Occupational name for a hunter, from Middle English chase "hunt".

Churchill English
From an English place name meaning "church hill". A famous bearer was Winston Churchill (1874-1965), the British prime minister during World War II.

Cooper English
Means "barrel maker", from Middle English couper.

Crawford English
From a place name derived from Old English crawe "crow" and ford "river crossing". A notable bearer was the American actress Joan Crawford (1904-1977), born Lucille Fay LeSueur.

Crawley English
From various place names derived from Old English crawe "crow" and leah "woodland, clearing".

Croft English
From Old English croft meaning "enclosed field".

Cullen 1 English
From the name of the German city of Cologne, which was derived from Latin colonia "colony".

Dallas 1 English
From Old English dæl meaning "valley" and hus meaning "house".

Darcy English
From Norman French d'Arcy, originally denoting someone who came from the town of Arcy in La Manche, France. A notable fictional bearer is Fitzwilliam Darcy from Jane Austen's novel Pride and Prejudice (1813).

Darling English
From a nickname or byname derived from Middle English dereling, Old English deorling, meaning "darling, beloved one".

Darwin English
From the given name Deorwine. A famous bearer was the British naturalist Charles Darwin (1809-1882).

Davis English, Scottish
Means "son of David". This was the surname of the revolutionary jazz trumpet player Miles Davis (1926-1991).

Dixon English
Means "son of Dick 1".

Dobbs English
Derived from the medieval given name Dobbe, a diminutive of Robert.

Dobson English
Means "son of Dobbe", a medieval diminutive of Robert.

Elliot English
Variant of Elliott.

Elton English
From an English place name meaning "Ella's town".

Evans Welsh, English
Means "son of Evan".

Finch English, Literature
From the name of the bird, from Old English finc. It was used by Harper Lee for the surname of lawyer Atticus Finch and his children in her novel To Kill a Mockingbird (1960).

Firmin English, French
From the given name Firmin.

Fisher English, Jewish
Cognate of Fischer.

Fowler English
Occupational name for a fowler or bird catcher, ultimately derived from Old English fugol meaning "bird".

Franklin English
Derived from Middle English frankelin meaning "freeman". It denoted a landowner of free but not noble birth, from Old French franc meaning "free". Famous bearers include American statesman Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) and American singer Aretha Franklin (1942-2018).

Frost English, German
From Old English and Old High German meaning "frost", a nickname for a person who had a cold personality or a white beard.

Fry English
From Old English frig (a variant of freo) meaning "free".

Gale English
Derived from Middle English gaile meaning "jovial".

Gatsby English (Rare), Literature
Rare variant of Gadsby. This name was used by the American author F. Scott Fitzgerald for the central character in his novel The Great Gatsby (1925). In the book, James Gatz renames himself as Jay Gatsby at age 17 because he believes it sounds more sophisticated.

Gibson English, Scottish
Means "son of Gib".

Gilbert English, French
Derived from the given name Gilbert.

Granger English, French
Means "farm bailiff" from Old French grangier, ultimately from Latin granum meaning "grain". It is borne in the Harry Potter novels by Harry's friend Hermione Granger.

Grant English, Scottish
Derived from Norman French meaning "grand, tall, large, great". A famous bearer was the American general and president Ulysses S. Grant (1822-1885).

Gray English
From a nickname for a person who had grey hair or grey clothes.

Grayson English
Means "son of the steward", derived from Middle English greyve "steward".

Grey English
Variant of Gray.

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).

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).

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

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

Harris English
Means "son of Harry".

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".

Hawkins English
From a diminutive of Hawk.

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.

Henderson Scottish, English
Means "son of Hendry".

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

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.

Holmwood English
Variant of Homewood.

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.

Howland English
Variant of Holland 1.

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

Humphrey English
Derived from the given name Humphrey.

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

Jackson English
Means "son of Jack". Famous bearers of this name include the American president Andrew Jackson (1767-1845) and the singer Michael Jackson (1958-2009).

Jekyll English
Derived from the Breton given name Judicaël. This name was used by Robert Louis Stevenson for the character of Dr Henry Jekyll in the book Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (1886).

Johnson English
Means "son of John". Famous bearers include American presidents Andrew Johnson (1808-1875) and Lyndon B. Johnson (1908-1973).

Jones English, Welsh
Derived from the given name Jon, a medieval variant of John. This is the most common surname in Wales.

King English
From Old English cyning "king", originally a nickname for someone who either acted in a kingly manner or who worked for or was otherwise associated with a king. A famous bearer was the American civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968).

Lane 1 English
Originally designated one who lived by a lane, a narrow way between fences or hedges, later used of any narrow pathway, including one between houses in a town.

Langdon English
Derived from the name of various places, of Old English origin meaning "long hill" (effectively "ridge").

Leon English
Variant of Lyon 1, Lyon 2 or Lyon 3.

Lewis 1 English
Derived from the given name Lewis. The author C. S. Lewis (1898-1963) was a bearer of this surname.

Linton English
Originally from place names meaning either "flax town" or "linden tree town" in Old English.

Little English
Meaning simply "little", it was originally a nickname given to a short person.

Long English
Originally a nickname for a person who had long limbs or who was tall.

Lucas English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Dutch
Derived from the given name Lucas. A famous bearer of this surname is George Lucas (1944-), the creator of the Star Wars movies.

Marley English
Originally denoted a person who hailed from one of the various places in Britain called Marley, ultimately meaning either "pleasant wood", "boundary wood" or "marten wood" in Old English. One of the main characters in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol (1843) bears this surname. It was also borne by the Jamaican reggae musician Bob Marley (1945-1981).

Marlowe English
Variant of Marlow.

Marvin English
Derived from the Welsh given name Merfyn or the Old English name Mærwine.

Mason English
Occupational name for a stoneworker or layer of bricks, from Old French masson, of Frankish origin (akin to Old English macian "to make").

Miller English
Occupational surname meaning "miller", referring to a person who owned or worked in a grain mill, derived from Middle English mille "mill".

Milton English
Derived from an English place name meaning "mill town" in Old English. A famous bearer was John Milton (1608-1674), the poet who wrote "Paradise Lost".

Moon 2 English
Originally indicated a person from the town of Moyon in Normandy.

Morris English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh
Derived from the given name Maurice.

Morrison English
Means "son of Morris".

Morse English
Variant of Morriss.

Morton English
Derived from a place name meaning "moor town" in Old English.

Moss 1 English
From Middle English mos meaning "bog, moss".

Moss 2 English
From the given name Moses.

Norris 1 English, Scottish
Means "from the north" from Old French norreis. It either denoted someone who originated in the north or someone who lived in the northern part of a settlement.

Norris 2 English
Means "wet nurse, foster mother" from Old French norrice, from Latin nutricius.

Oakley English
From a place name meaning "oak clearing" in Old English. It was borne by American sharpshooter Annie Oakley (1860-1926).

Osborne English
Derived from the given name Osborn.

Parker English
Means "keeper of the park" in Middle English. It is an occupational name for a person who was a gamekeeper at a medieval park.

Peacock English
From Middle English pecok meaning "peacock". It was originally a nickname for a proud or haughty person.

Phillips English
Means "son of Philip".

Pierce English
From the given name Piers.

Pilgrim English, German
Nickname for a person who was a pilgrim, ultimately from Latin peregrinus.

Porter English
Occupational name meaning "doorkeeper", ultimately from Old French porte "door", from Latin porta.

Post Dutch, German, English
Indicated a person who lived near a post, ultimately from Latin postis.

Potter English
Occupational name for a potter, one who makes earthen vessels. This surname was used by J. K. Rowling for the hero in her Harry Potter series of books, first released in 1997.

Prince English, French
From a nickname for someone who acted in a princely manner, ultimately derived from Latin princeps.

Randall English
Derived from the given name Randel.

Ray English
Variant of Rey 1, Rey 2, Rye or Wray.

Reynolds English
Derived from the given name Reynold.

Ripley English
From the name of various English towns, from Old English rippel "grove, thicket" and leah "woodland, clearing". A notable fictional bearer is the character Ellen Ripley from the movie Alien (1979) and its sequels.

Rogers English
Derived from the given name Roger.

Sawyer English
Occupational name meaning "sawer of wood, woodcutter" in Middle English, ultimately from Old English sagu meaning "saw". Mark Twain used it for the main character in his novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876).

Seward 1 English
Derived from the given name Sigeweard.

Seward 2 English
Means "swineherd" from Old English su "sow, female pig" and hierde "herdsman, guardian".

Seymour 1 English
From Saint Maur, a French place name, which commemorates Saint Maurus.

Seymour 2 English
From an English place name, derived from Old English sæ "sea" and mere "lake".

Shirley English
From an English place name, derived from Old English scir "bright" and leah "woodland, clearing".

Silver English
From a nickname for a person with grey hair, from Old English seolfor "silver".

Simon English, French, German, Dutch, Hungarian, Jewish
Derived from the given name Simon 1.

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

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).

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

Stacy English
Derived from Stace, a medieval form of Eustace.

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.

Steele English
Occupational name for a steelworker, from Old English stele meaning "steel".

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.

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).

Thomas English, Welsh, French, German
Derived from the given name Thomas.

Thompson English
Means "son of Thomas".

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".

Trask English
Originally indicated a person from Thirsk, North Yorkshire, derived from Old Norse þresk meaning "fen, marsh".

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

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.

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

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

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 Scottish hero William Wallace.

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

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).

Wells English
Derived from Middle English wille meaning "well, spring, water hole".

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

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

Willoughby English
From the name of various English towns, derived from Old English welig "willow" and Old Norse býr "farm, settlement".

Woods English, Scottish
Variant of Wood.

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