Browse Surnames

Maddison English
Variant of Madison.

Bernard French, English, Dutch, German, Czech, Slovene
From the given name Bernard.

Apted English
Probably from an unidentified place name meaning "up tower" in Old English.

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

Elwyn English
Derived from the given names Ælfwine, Æðelwine or Ealdwine.

Barker English
From Middle English bark meaning "to tan". This was an occupational name for a leather tanner.

Killam English
Denoted one who hailed from the English town of Kilham, meaning "kiln homestead".

Roach English
From Middle English and Old French roche meaning "rock", from Late Latin rocca, a word that may be of Celtic origin. It indicated a person who lived near a prominent rock, or who came from a town by this name (such as Les Roches in Normandy).

Murgatroyd English
From a place name meaning "Margaret's clearing".

Allard French, English
Derived from the given name Adalhard (or the Old English cognate Æðelræd).

Brant German, English
Variant of Brand 1 and Brand 2.

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).

Cokes English
Variant of Cook.

Gibson English, Scottish
Means "son of Gib".

Gabrielson English
Means "son of Gabriel".

Elmer English
Derived from the Old English name Æðelmær.

Bennet English
Derived from the medieval English given name Bennett.

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

Sackville English
From the name of the Norman French town of Saqueneville.

Toft English
Denoted a person hailing from one of the many places in Britain of that name, derived from Old Norse topt meaning "homestead".

Payton English
From the name of the town of Peyton in Sussex. It means "Pæga's town".

Barlow English
Derived from a number of English place names that variously mean "barley hill", "barn hill", "boar clearing" or "barley clearing".

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. This surname was sometimes adopted by freed slaves, resulting in a high proportion of African-American bearers.

Ellis English, Welsh
Derived from the given name Elijah, or sometimes Elisedd.

Nelson 1 English
Means "son of Neil". This name was borne by the British admiral Horatio Nelson (1758-1805).

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

Danniel English
Variant of Daniel.

Coburn Scottish, English
Variant of Cockburn.

Sharman English
Variant of Sherman 1.

Hibbert English
Derived from the given name Hilbert.

Eustis English
Derived from the given name Eustace.

Martin English, French, German, Swedish
Derived from the given name Martin. This is the most common surname in France.

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

Bone 2 English
Variant of Baines 2.

Elliott English
Derived from a diminutive of the given name Elias.

Gibb English
Derived from the given name Gib.

Lyndon English
Originally from a place name meaning "linden tree hill" in Old English.

Tatum English
Variant of Tatham.

Kingsley English
From a place name meaning "king's clearing" in Old English.

Gill English
Originally indicated someone who lived near a ravine, from Middle English gil (of Old Norse origin).

Cooke English
Variant of Cook.

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

Hancock English
From a diminutive of the medieval name Hann.

Alberts English, Dutch
Means "son of Albert".

Chance English
From a nickname for a lucky person or a gambler.

Layton English
Derived from the name of English towns, meaning "town with a leek garden" in Old English.

Chaplin English, French
Occupational name for a chaplin, or perhaps for the servant of one, from Middle English, Old French chapelain. A famous bearer was the British comic actor Charlie Chaplin (1889-1977).

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

Smythe English
Variant of Smith.

Hudson English
Means "son of Hudde".

Brook English
Denoted a person who lived near a brook, a word derived from Old English broc.

Ingram English
Derived from the Norman French given name Enguerrand.

Ogden English
From a place name derived from Old English ac "oak" and denu "valley".

Benjaminson English
Means "son of Benjamin".

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).

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

Barnes English
Denoted a person who worked or lived in a barn. The word barn is derived from Old English bere "barley" and ærn "dwelling".

Darnell 2 English
From the name of a town near Sheffield, derived from Old English derne "hidden" and halh "nook".

Sanderson English
Means "son of Alexander".

Firmin English, French
From the given name Firmin.

Bell 2 English
Derived from the given name Bel, a medieval short form of Isabel.

Kynaston English
Originally derived from a place name meaning "Cynefrith's town" in Old English.

Baines 2 English
From a nickname derived from Old English ban "bones", probably for a thin person.

Stacey English
Variant of Stacy.

Trengove English
Originally indicated a person from Trengove in Cornwall, England.

Jewel English
Variant of Jewell.

Jepson English
Means "son of Jep".

Traylor English
Meaning unknown.

Jarvis English
Derived from the given name Gervais.

Alfredson English
Means "son of Alfred".

Blakely English
Variant of Blakeley.

Scarlett English
Denoted a person who sold or made clothes made of scarlet, a kind of cloth, possibly derived from Persian سقرلاط (saghrelat).

Ellington English
From the name of multiple towns in England. The town's name is derived from the masculine given name Ella (a short form of Old English names beginning with the elements ælf meaning "elf" or eald meaning "old") combined with tun meaning "enclosure, town".

Wilton English
From any of the English towns named Wilton.

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

Derrickson English
Means "son of Derrick".

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

Adkins English
Variant of Atkins.

Fay French, English
Referred to a person who came from various places named Fay or Faye in northern France, derived from Old French fau "beech tree", from Latin fagus.

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

Kimberley English
From various English places called Kimberley. They mean either "Cyneburga's field", "Cynebald's field" or "Cynemær's field".

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

Lindsay English, Scottish
From the region of Lindsey in Lincolnshire, which means "Lincoln island" in Old English.

Dabney English
Variant of Daubney.

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

Bourke English
Variant of Burke.

Spurling English
From Middle English sparewe "sparrow" and the diminutive suffix -ling.

Wilkie English
Double diminutive of the given name William.

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.

Quincey English
Variant of Quincy.

Harley English
Derived from a place name meaning "hare clearing", from Old English hara "hare" and leah "woodland, clearing".

Gardener English
Occupational surname for one who was a gardener, from Old French jardin meaning "garden" (of Frankish origin).

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

Russell English
From a Norman French nickname that meant "little red one", perhaps originally describing a person with red hair.

Carlisle English
From the name of a city in northern England. The city was originally called by the Romans Luguvalium meaning "stronghold of Lugus". Later the Brythonic element ker "fort" was appended to the name of the city.

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

Sinclair English
Derived from a Norman French town called "Saint Clair".

Abney English
From the name of a town in Derbyshire, derived from Old English meaning "Abba's island".

Thompson English
Means "son of Thomas".

Christinsen English
Means "son of Christian".

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

Monday 1 English
Derived from the Old Norse given name Mundi.

Anderson English
Means "son of Andrew".

Power 2 English
From Middle English povre meaning "poor", via Old French from Latin pauper. It could have been a nickname for someone who had no money or a miser.

Beck 4 English
From Old English becca meaning "pickaxe", an occupational surname.

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

Paxton English
From an English place name meaning "Pœcc's town". Pœcc is an Old English name of unknown meaning.

Lyon 2 English, French
From a nickname derived from Old French and Middle English lion meaning "lion".

Sherman 1 English
Means "shear man", referring to someone who used shears in his line of work, such as a sheep-shearer.

Moors English
Variant of Moore 1.

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

Reynell English
Variant of Reynolds.

Albertson English
Means "son of Albert".

Martel 2 French, English
Nickname for a smith, derived from Old French martel "hammer", ultimately from Late Latin martellus.

Peak English
Originally indicated a dweller by a pointed hill, from Old English peac "peak". It could also denote a person from the Peak District in Derbyshire, England.

Gilliam English
Variant of William. A famous bearer of the name is cartoonist and filmmaker Terry Gilliam (1940-).

Randal English
Derived from the given name Randel.

Tyrrell English
Variant of Terrell.

Kendal English
Variant of Kendall.

Millward English
Means "guardian of the mill" in Old English.

Beverly English
Variant of Beverley.

Chamberlain English
Occupational name for one who looked after the inner rooms of a mansion, from Norman French chambrelain.

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

Harris English
Means "son of Harry".

Wilder English, German
Variant of Wild.

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

Ruff German, English
From the given name Rolf.

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).

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.

Brand 1 German, English
Derived from the Germanic given name Brando or its Old Norse cognate Brandr.

Goffe English
Derived from Breton or Cornish goff meaning "smith", referring to a metalworker.

Jeanes 1 English
Derived from the given name Jan, a medieval English form of John.

Swanson English
Patronymic form of Middle English swein meaning "servant" (of Old Norse origin). This word was also used as a byname, and this surname could be a patronymic form of that.

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".

Ramsey English, Scottish
Means "garlic island", derived from Old English hramsa "garlic" and eg "island". The surname was brought to Scotland by the Norman baron Simundus de Ramsay.

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

Jameson English
Means "son of James".

Pierson English
Means "son of Piers".

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.

London English
From the name of the capital city of the United Kingdom, the meaning of which is uncertain.

Thorburn English, Scottish
Derived from the Old Norse given name Þórbjǫrn.

Perkins English
Means "son of Perkin", a medieval diminutive of Peter.

Seward 1 English
Derived from the given name Sigeweard.

Sweet English
From a nickname meaning "sweet, pleasant", from Old English swete.

Buckley 1 English
From an English place name derived from bucc "buck, male deer" and leah "woodland, clearing".

Beake English
Variant of Beck 3.

Saylor English
Occupational name meaning "acrobat, dancer", derived from Old French sailleor, from Latin sallitor.

Padmore English
Originally indicated a person from Padmore in England, derived from Old English padde "toad" and mor "moor, marsh".

Wash English
Derived from the Norman name Wazo.

Kidd English
From a nickname meaning "young goat, kid" in Middle English, of Old Norse origin.

Willey English
Variant of Wiley.

Faulkner English, Scottish
Occupational name meaning "keeper of falcons", from Middle English and Scots faulcon, from Late Latin falco, of Germanic origin.

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

Munson English
Patronymic formed from the Norman French nickname moun meaning "monk".

Ott English, German
From the given name Otto.

Scrivener English
Variant of Scriven.

Aston 1 English
From a place name meaning "east town" in Old English.

Morrison English
Means "son of Morris".

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).

Boothman English
Variant of Booth.

Monday 2 English
Denoted a person for whom this was a significant day, often the day they would pay their feudal fees.

Waters 1 English
Originally given to a person who lived near the water.

Martins English, Portuguese
Derived from the given name Martin.

Farmer English
Occupational name for a tax collector, from Middle English ferme "rent, revenue, provision", from Medieval Latin firma, ultimately from Old English feorm. This word did not acquire its modern meaning until the 17th century.

Paige English
Variant of Page.

Combs English
Variant of Coombs.

Adams English, Jewish
Derived from the given name Adam.

Beckham English
From an English place name meaning "Becca's homestead" in Old English (with Becca being a masculine byname meaning "pickaxe"). A famous bearer is retired English soccer player David Beckham (1975-).

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".

Abel 1 English, French, Danish, Spanish, Portuguese
Derived from the given name Abel.

Montague English
From a Norman place name meaning "sharp mountain" in Old French.

Romilly English, French
Originally denoted a person who came from any of the various places in northern France called Romilly or from Romiley in England.

Benbow English
From a nickname "bend the bow" given to an archer.

Waller 3 English
From Old English wille meaning "well, spring, water hole".

Rose 2 English
Derived from the feminine given name Rose.

Kirby English
From numerous towns in northern England named Kirby or Kirkby, derived from Old Norse kirkja "church" and býr "farm, settlement".

Miles English
From the given name Miles.

Stacks English
Variant of Stack.

Brett English
Originally a name given to someone who was a Breton or a person from Brittany.

Terrell English
Probably derived from the Norman French nickname tirel meaning "to pull", referring to a stubborn person.

Rowe 2 English
From the medieval name Row, which is either a variant of Roul or short form of Roland.

Garnier 2 English
Variant of Garner 1.

Henderson Scottish, English
Means "son of Hendry".

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

Pitts English
Indicated a person who lived by a pit or hollow, from Old English pytt. It could also indicate a person from Pitt (Hants) or Pett (East Sussex) in England.

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

Hammond English
From the Norman given name Hamo.

Stevens English
Variant of Stephens.

Carter English
Occupational name for a person who operated a cart to transport goods, from Norman French caretier. A famous bearer is the former American president Jimmy Carter (1924-).

Macy English
Variant of Massey.

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

Cheshire English
Originally indicated a person from the county of Cheshire in England. Cheshire is named for its city Chester.

Roydon English
Originally derived from a place name meaning "rye hill", from Old English ryge "rye" and dun "hill".

Palmer English
Means "pilgrim", ultimately from Latin palma "palm tree", since pilgrims to the Holy Land often brought back palm fronds as proof of their journey.

Simms English
Derived from the medieval given name Sim, a short form of Simon 1.

Dane 1 English
Variant of Dean 1 or Dean 2.

Dickman English
From Old English dic "ditch" combined with man "man". It was originally a name for a ditch digger or someone who lived near a ditch.

Jernigan English
Possibly derived from the old Breton name Iarnogon meaning "iron famous".

Everill English
Derived from the feminine given name Eoforhild.

Lamar French, English
Originally from a place name in Normandy, derived from Old French la mare meaning "the pool".

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.

Josephs English
Derived from the given name Joseph.

Rigby English
Originally derived from the name of a town in Lancashire, itself from Old Norse hryggr "ridge" and býr "farm, settlement".

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

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

Allison English
Means "son of Alan" or "son of Alexander" (as well as other given names beginning with Al).

Willard English
From the given name Wilheard or Willihard.

Beverley English
From the name of an English city, derived from Old English beofor "beaver" and (possibly) licc "stream".

Averill English
Derived from the feminine given name Eoforhild.

Garrett English
Derived from the given name Gerald or Gerard.

Blakesley English
From the name of a town in Northamptonshire, itself meaning "Blæcwulf's meadow" in Old English. Blæcwulf is a byname meaning "black wolf".

Cannon English
From the ecclesiastical usage of canon, referring to a church official or servant who worked in a clergy house.

Savidge English
Variant of Savage.

Danielson English
Means "son of Daniel".

Colton English
From a place name meaning "Cola's town".

Power 1 English, Irish
From Old French Poier, indicating a person who came from the town of Poix in Picardy, France.

Salmon English, French
Derived from the given name Solomon.

Irvin Scottish, English
Variant of Irvine 1 or Irwin.

Coombs English
From Old English cumb meaning "valley", the name of several places in England.

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

Midgley English
From the English village of Midgley in West Yorkshire, meaning "midge (insect) wood" in Old English.

Hogarth English
Variant of Hoggard.

Sessions English
From the name of the city of Soissons in northern France, itself derived from the name of the Celtic tribe of the Suessiones.

Goddard English
Derived from the Germanic given name Godehard.

Glover English
Occupational name for a person who made or sold gloves, from Middle English glovere.

Nichols English
Derived from the given name Nichol.

Dunn English, Scottish, Irish
Derived from Old English dunn "dark" or Gaelic donn "brown", referring to hair colour or complexion.

Ibbot English
Variant of Ibbott.

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

Cummins English, Scottish, Irish
From the Old Breton given name Cunmin, a cognate of Cuimín, introduced to Britain at the time of the Norman Conquest.

Waldo English
From the Anglo-Scandinavian given name Waltheof.

Kitchens English
Variant of Kitchen.

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

Ingham English
From the name of an English town, of Old English origin meaning "Inga's homestead".

Farnham English
Indicated a person from any of the various towns named Farnham in England, notably in Surrey. Their names are from Old English fearn "fern" and ham "home, settlement" or ham "water meadow, enclosure".

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

Devin 2 English
Nickname for a person who acted divinely, from Old French devin "divine", ultimately from Latin.

Winslow English
Derived from an Old English place name meaning "hill belonging to Wine".

Hughes 1 English
Patronymic of the given name Hugh.

Lyle English
Derived from Norman French l'isle meaning "island".

Parkins English
Means "son of Parkin", a medieval diminutive of Peter.

Hopson English
Variant of Hobson.

Humphrey English
Derived from the given name Humphrey.

Reed English
Variant of Read 1.

Stephenson English
Means "son of Stephen".

Tracy English, Irish
Variant of Tracey 1 or Tracey 2.

Gardner English
Variant of Gardener.

Rowbottom English
Originally indicated a person who lived in an overgrown valley, from Old English ruh "rough, overgrown" and boðm "valley".

Danell English
Derived from the given name Daniel.

Ellisson English
Variant of Ellison.

Byrd English
Variant of Bird.

Attwater English
Variant of Atwater.

Badcock English
From a diminutive of the medieval given name Bada.

Leonard English
Derived from the given name Leonard.

Penny English
Nickname meaning "penny, coin" from Old English penning.

Marston English
From a place name derived from Old English mersc "marsh" and tun "enclosure".

Winthrop English
Habitational name from the place names Winthrope 1 or Winthrope 2.

Goodman English
Variant of Good.

Jewell English
Derived from the Breton given name Judicaël.

Ericson English, Swedish
Means "son of Eric".

Berry English
Derived from a place name, which was derived from Old English burh "fortification".

Bates English
Means "son of Bate".

Lindsey English, Scottish
Variant of Lindsay.

Ryder English
Occupational name for a mounted warrior, from Old English ridere meaning "rider".

Barrett English
Probably derived from a Middle English word meaning "strife", originally given to a quarrelsome person.

Norwood English
Originally taken from a place name meaning "north wood" in Old English.

Wild English, German
Means "wild, untamed, uncontrolled", derived from Old English wilde. This was either a nickname for a person who behaved in a wild manner or a topographic name for someone who lived on overgrown land.

Draper English
Occupational name for a maker or seller of woolen cloth, from Anglo-Norman French draper (Old French drapier, an agent derivative of drap "cloth").

Pitt English
Originally given to a person who lived near a pit or a hole, derived from Old English pytt "pit".

Mercer English
Occupational name for a trader in textiles, from Old French mercier, derived from Latin merx meaning "merchandise".

Roscoe English
From the name of a town in Lancashire, derived from Old Norse rá "roebuck" and skógr "wood, forest".

Salvage English
Variant of Savage.

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

Tollemache English
Means "knapsack" in Old French.

Bryan English
From the given name Brian.

Brownlow English
From Old English brun meaning "brown" and hlaw meaning "mound, small hill". The name was probably given to a family living on a small hill covered with bracken.

Daniel English, French, German, Portuguese, Polish, Czech, Romanian
Derived from the given name Daniel.

Gold English, German, Jewish
From Old English and Old High German gold meaning "gold", an occupational name for someone who worked with gold or a nickname for someone with yellow hair. As a Jewish name it is ornamental.

Sharpe English
Variant of Sharp.

Quickley 1 English
Variant of Quick.

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

Parris English, French
Variant of Parish 1.

Mottershead English
From the name of a lost place in Cheshire, derived from the Old English byname Motere meaning "speaker" and heafod meaning "headland".

Marchand English, French
Occupational name meaning "merchant", ultimately from Latin mercari "to trade".

Wescott English
Variant of Westcott.

Cantrell English
Originally a name for someone from Cantrell in Devon, from an unknown first element and Old English hyll meaning "hill".

Suggitt English
Variant of Southgate.

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.

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.

Kelsey English
From an English place name meaning "Cenel's island", from the Old English name Cenel "fierce" in combination with eg "island".

Darwin English
From the given name Deorwine.

Purcell English
From Old French pourcel "piglet", from Latin porcellus, a derivative of porcus "pig". This was a nickname or an occupational name for a swineherd.

Richardson English
Means "son of Richard".

Collins 2 English
Means "son of Colin 2".

Neville English, Irish
From the names of towns in Normandy, variously Neuville or Néville, meaning "new town" in French.

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).

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.

Ryland English
From various English place names, derived from Old English ryge "rye" and land "land".

Traviss English
English variant of Travers.

Earls English
Patronymic form of Earl.