Kira_Kriv's Personal Name List
Wyndham
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".
Wortham
Derived from the name of a town in Suffolk, England meaning "enclosed homestead".
Woodham
Indicated a person who had a home near a wood, derived from Old English
wudu "wood" and
ham "home, settlement".
Woodcock
Usage: English
Pronounced: WUWD-kahk(American English) WUWD-kawk(British English)
Nickname referring to the woodcock bird.
Wolfe
Usage: English
Pronounced: WUWLF
Wolf
Usage: German, English
Pronounced: VAWLF(German) WUWLF(English)
From Middle High German or Middle English wolf meaning "wolf", or else from an Old German given name beginning with this element.
Witherspoon
Originally given to a person who dwelt near a sheep enclosure, from Middle English wether "sheep" and spong "strip of land".
Winthrop
Usage: English
Pronounced: WIN-thrəp
Winterbottom
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.
Winter
Usage: English, German, Swedish
Pronounced: WIN-tər(American English) WIN-tə(British English) VIN-tu(German)
From Old English winter or Old High German wintar meaning "winter". This was a nickname for a person with a cold personality.
Winship
Possibly denoted a person who came from Wincheap Street in Canterbury, England. It is uncertain origin, possibly meaning "wine market" in Old English.
Winfield
Usage: English
Pronounced: WIN-feeld
From various English place names, derived from Old English winn "meadow, pasture" and feld "field".
Windsor
Usage: English
Pronounced: WIND-zər(American English) WIND-zə(British English)
From the name of a few English towns, one notably the site of Windsor Castle. Their names mean "riverbank with a windlass" in Old English, a windlass being a lifting apparatus. In 1917 the British royal family adopted this name (after Windsor Castle), replacing their previous name Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
Winchester
Usage: English
Pronounced: WIN-chehs-tər(American English) WIN-chehs-tə(British English)
From an English place name, derived from Venta, of Celtic origin, and Latin castrum meaning "camp, fortress".
Willoughby
From the name of various English towns, derived from Old English
welig "willow" and Old Norse
býr "farm, settlement".
Wild
Usage: English, German
Pronounced: WIELD(English) VILT(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.
Wicksey
Usage: English
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
Two separate surnames, joined together to form Wicksey, when the Vikings invaded England. The name means "Dairy Farmer on the Marsh".
Wickham
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".
Wickersham
Usage: English
Pronounced: wikursham
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
A habitational surname that originates from a lost medieval site or village of Norse origins.
Derived from "Wichnare," meaning an estate steward or bailiff, and the Anglo-Saxon "ham," meaning the steward's house.
Wick
English: topographic name for someone who lived in an outlying settlement dependent on a larger village, Old English wic (Latin vicus), or a habitational name from a place named with this word, of which there are examples in Berkshire, Gloucestershire, Somerset, and Worcestershire. The term seems to have been used, in particular, to denote an outlying dairy farm or a salt works.
English and German: from a medieval personal name, Middle English Wikke, German Wicko, a short form of any of various Germanic personal names formed with the element wig ‘battle’, ‘war’.
Whittemore
From various English place names derived from Old English
hwit "white" and
mor "moor, heath, bog".
Wheelock
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".
Westcott
From any of the several English towns by this name, derived from Old English meaning "west cottage".
Westbury
Usage: English
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
English British surname originating as a place name. There are several Westbury villages, parishes and even Manors across England that have given the name Westbury to people who take up residence in or come from those places.
An example of this is in Kent in the parish of Wateringbury, there was a Westbery manor, which burnt down in the early 1900's. A family of Westbery/Westbury derived there surname from living in the Manor in the 1300-1400's.
Further examples include the 1st Head Master of Eton, a William Westbury in the 1400's, who derived his name from the village of Westbury in Wiltshire.
Other Westburys have be known to derive surnames from Gloucester, Shropshire, and Somerset. Potential other counties include Bedfordshire. Well known locations for Westbury's are Wiltshire, Warwickshire, London, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire.
By the 1500's with the introduction of parish records by Henry the 8th, it was necessary to record surnames. This led to it being established as a permanent surname. Over the centuries of being recorded by relgious offcials numerous variants have resulted.
Westbrook
Usage: English
Pronounced: WEST-bruwk
From the name of places in England, derived from Old English
west "west" and
broc "brook, stream".
Weekes
Usage: English
Pronounced: WEEKS
Webb
Usage: English
Pronounced: WEHB
Occupational name meaning "weaver", from Old English webba, a derivative of wefan "to weave".
Weare
Usage: English (British)
Pronounced: wuh-air(British English)
Derived from the Old English
wer, meaning a "weir, dam, fishing-trap". This was used as an occupational surname for fishermen. Originated in Devon, England.
From houseofnames.com
Warwick
Usage: English
Pronounced: WAWR-ik
From the name of an English town, itself derived from Old English wer "weir, dam" and wic "village, town".
Ware 1
Usage: English
Pronounced: WEHR(American English) WEH(British English)
From Old English wer meaning "dam, weir", indicating someone who lived near such a structure.
Ware 2
Usage: English
Pronounced: WEHR(American English) WEH(British English)
From the Middle English nickname ware meaning "wary, astute, prudent".
Walsh
Usage: English, Irish
Pronounced: WAHLSH(American English) WAWLSH(British English)
From Old English wælisc meaning "foreigner, stranger, Celt".
Wakefield
Originally indicated a person who came from the English city of Wakefield, derived from Old English wacu "wake, vigil" and feld "field".
Urquhart
Derived from Brythonic ar "by" and cardden "thicket". This is the name of several places, the most famous being north of Loch Ness.
Upton
Usage: English
Pronounced: UP-tən
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".
Underwood
Means "dweller at the edge of the woods", from Old English under and wudu.
Underhill
Means "dweller at the foot of a hill", from Old English under and hyll.
Tysk
Usage: Swedish
Pronounced: TUYSK
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
Means "German" in Swedish. It probably started out as a nickname for someone who had immigrated from Germany or for someone who had German ancestry. It could also be a 'soldier name' and refer to the military unit someone belonged to. Soldier names became common in Sweden in the 17th and 18th century when patronymic surnames were the norm. When joining the army, the soldiers needed a unique surname in order to distinguish them from each other. The names could be taken from a trait (like one's ancestry), or from military terms (like the military unit one belonged to).
Twist
Usage: English, Literature
Pronounced: TWIST(English)
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.
Tuft
Usage: English
Pronounced: TUFT
Denoted one who lived near a clump of trees or bushes, from Middle English tufte "tuft, clump", from Old French.
Tuff
Usage: English
Pronounced: TUF
Tudor
Usage: Romanian, Croatian
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
True
Usage: English
Rating: 100% based on 2 votes
This surname is of Anglo-Saxon origin, and has three distinct possible sources, each with its own history and derivation.
Firstly, True may belong to that sizeable group of early European surnames that were gradually created from the habitual use of nicknames. The surname may have derived from the Olde English pre-7th Century "treowe" (Middle English "trow(e)", faithful, steadfast), denoting a loyal, steadfast person.
The second possibility is that True is a topographical name from residence by some prominent tree, deriving from the Olde English "treow" (Middle English "trew, trow"), tree, or from Trew (Cornwall), or True (Devon), localities named with this word.
Finally, the name may be topographic for someone who lived near a depression in the ground, from the Middle English "trow", trough, hollow, or from Trow Farm (Wiltshire).
Trudeau
Usage: French (Quebec)
Pronounced: TRUY-DO
From a
diminutive of the given name
Thouroude, a medieval French form of the Norse name
Torvald. This name has been borne by two Canadian prime ministers, Pierre Elliott Trudeau (1919-2000) and his son Justin Trudeau (1971-).
Trengove
Originally indicated a person from Trengove in Cornwall, England.
Tremblay
From French tremble meaning "aspen". It is especially widespread in Quebec, being the most common surname there.
Treloar
Originally denoted a person from a place of this name in Cornwall, England.
Trask
Originally indicated a person from Thirsk, North Yorkshire, derived from Old Norse þresk meaning "fen, marsh".
Townsend
Usage: English
Pronounced: TOWN-zənd
Indicated a person who lived at the town's edge, from Old English
tun "enclosure, yard, town" and
ende "end, limit".
Toft
Denoted a person hailing from one of the many places in Britain of that name, derived from Old Norse topt meaning "homestead".
Tipton
Usage: English
Pronounced: TIP-tən
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".
Tinker
Usage: English
Pronounced: TING-kər(American English) TING-kə(British 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.
Tindall
Usage: English
Pronounced: TIN-dəl
From Tindale, the name of a town in Cumbria, derived from the name of the river Tyne combined with Old English dæl "dale, valley".
Timberlake
From an English place name, derived from Old English timber "timber, wood" and lacu "lake, pool, stream".
Thwaite
Indicated a dweller in a forest clearing or pasture, from Old Norse þveit "clearing, pasture".
Thornton
Usage: English
Pronounced: THAWRN-tən(American English) THAWN-tən(British English)
From any of the various places in England by this name, meaning "thorn town" in Old English.
Thorne
Usage: English
Pronounced: THAWRN(American English) THAWN(British English)
Thorn
Usage: English, Danish
Pronounced: THAWRN(American English) THAWN(British English)
Originally applied to a person who lived in or near a thorn bush.
Thorburn
Usage: English, Scottish
Pronounced: THAWR-bərn(American English) THAW-bən(British English)
Derived from the Old Norse given name
Þórbjǫrn.
Thirring
Usage: Upper German (Rare)
Rating: 100% based on 2 votes
The name Thirring has many different forms/variant spellings. These include Thiering, Thiring, Thuring,Thuringer, Turinger, Duringer, Diringer, Diring and During. One of the reasons for all the variant spellings is that the church scribes in Hungary originally all recorded the name differently. All these surnames including Thirring were based on the original surname Thuringer. The surname Thuringer means "Thuringian forest" and was based on the Thuringian forest in Thruingia, Germany.The Thirring family originally came from Thuringia, Germany, and later moved to Hungary and Austria.
Thatcher
Usage: English
Pronounced: THACH-ər(American English) THACH-ə(British 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).
Thacker
Northern Middle English variant of
Thatcher.
Tatham
From the name of the town of Tatham in Lancashire, itself from the Old English given name
Tata combined with
ham meaning "home, settlement".
Tasse
From Old French tasse "purse, bag", an occupational name for a maker or seller of purses.
Tasker
Usage: English
Pronounced: TAS-kər(American English) TAS-kə(British 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.
Tash
Usage: English
Pronounced: TASH
From Middle English at asche meaning "at the ash tree".
Taft
Usage: English
Pronounced: TAFT
Swallow
Usage: English
Pronounced: SWAHL-o(American English) SWAWL-o(British English)
From the name of the bird, from Old English swealwe, a nickname for someone who resembled or acted like a swallow.
Sutherland
Regional name for a person who came from the former county by this name in Scotland. It is derived from Old Norse suðr "south" and land "land", because it was south of the Norse colony of Orkney.
Summerfield
Originally indicated the bearer was from a town of this name, derived from Old English sumor "summer" and feld "field".
Strudwick
From an English place name derived from Old English
strod meaning "marshy ground overgrown with brushwood" and
wic meaning "village, town".
Stoddard
Occupational name for a horse keeper, from Old English stod "stallion, stud" and hierde "herder".
St Clair
From the place name St
Clair
Statham
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".
Stafford
Usage: English
Pronounced: STAF-ərd(American English) STAF-əd(British 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".
Spurling
From Middle English
sparewe "sparrow" and the
diminutive suffix
-ling.
Spears
Usage: English
Pronounced: SPIRZ(American English) SPEEYZ(British English)
Patronymic form of
Spear.
Sinclair
Usage: Scottish (Anglicized)
Clan Sinclair is a Scottish clan, which held lands in the highlands; thought to have come to Scotland from France after the Norman invasion.
Sinclair
Usage: English
Pronounced: sin-KLEHR(American English) sin-KLEH(British English)
Derived from a Norman French town called "
Saint Clair".
Sibley
Usage: English (British)
Pronounced: SIB-lee(British English)
From the Anglo-Saxons influence in England. Said to be derived from the ancient Sibbelee, a woman’s Christian name, and has been traced through Sibilla, Sybbly, and finally Sibley. Sibilla was the name of a Greek princess who uttered the ancient oracles, and is represented on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. The present Christian name Sybil (meaning a prophetess) is also from the same source. Spelling variations include Siblee, Sibleigh, Siblie, Sibly, Sibbly, Sibely, Sibili, Sibble, Sybly and Sybley. Spelling variations were frequent in the Middle Ages, even between father and son.
Some information from House of Names.
Sharrow
Originally a name for someone from Sharrow, England, derived from Old English scearu "boundary" and hoh "point of land, heel".
Shakespeare
Usage: English
Pronounced: SHAYK-spir(American English) SHAYK-speey(British English)
Rating: 50% based on 2 votes
From a nickname for a warlike person, from Old English scacan "to shake" and spere "spear". A famous bearer was the English dramatist and poet William Shakespeare (1564-1616).
Sessions
Usage: English
Pronounced: SESH-ənz
From the name of the city of Soissons in northern France, itself derived from the name of the Celtic tribe of the Suessiones.
Sedgwick
Usage: English
Pronounced: SEJ-wik
Habitational name from Sedgwick in Cumbria, so named from the Middle English personal name Sigg(e) (from Old Norse Siggi or Old English Sicg, short forms of the various compound names with the first element "victory") + Old English wic "outlying settlement", "dairy farm"; or from Sedgewick in Sussex, named with Old English secg (sedge) + wic.
Sedgewick
Usage: English
Pronounced: SEJ-wik
Sears
Usage: English
Pronounced: SEERS
Version of
Sayer. Used in the United States. Famous bearer of the name is Richard Warren Sears, one of the founders of Sears, Roebuck and Co.
Seabrook
Denoted a person from a town by this name in Buckinghamshire, England. It is derived from that of a river combined with Old English broc "stream".
Saylor
Usage: English
Pronounced: SAY-lər(American English) SAY-lə(British English)
Occupational name meaning "acrobat, dancer", derived from Old French sailleor, from Latin sallitor.
Sayer
From Welsh saer meaning "carpenter".
Sawa
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 澤(Japanese Kanji)
Pronounced: SAH-WAH
Rating: 50% based on 2 votes
From Japanese 澤 (sawa) meaning "marsh".
Sands
Usage: English
Pronounced: SANDZ
From Old English, indicated the original nearer lived on sandy ground.
Rutherford
From the name of places in southern Scotland and northern England, derived from Old English
hriðer meaning "cattle, ox" and
ford meaning "ford, river crossing".
Ruskin 1
From Gaelic rusgaire meaning "tanner".
Rousseau
Diminutive of
Roux. A famous bearer was the philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) whose ideas influenced the French Revolution.
Richelieu
From the name of the town of Richelieu, derived from French riche "wealthy" and lieu "place". The historic figure Cardinal Richelieu (1585-1642), born Armand du Plessis, was so-called because he became the first Duke of Richelieu. He appears in Alexander Dumas' novel The Three Musketeers (1844).
Radclyffe
Usage: English
Pronounced: RAD-klif
Radcliff
Usage: English
Pronounced: RAD-klif
From various place names in England that mean "red cliff" in Old English.
Quille
Usage: Irish
Rating: 50% based on 2 votes
Quill
Usage: Irish
Rating: 100% based on 2 votes
Quill or
Quille is an anglicised version of the Irish surnames
Ó Cuill,
Coll,
Coill, and
O'Coill (
Ó Coill), all of which mean wood, forest or shrub Hazel Tree. The Coill clan are believed to be a bardic family from Munster, particularly Kerry and Cork. The Irish surname has also been Anglicised as
Woods.
Pym
Usage: English
Pronounced: /'pım/
Rating: 100% based on 2 votes
Recorded in several forms including
Pim, Pimm, Pimme,
Pym, and Pymm, this is a surname which at various times has been prominent in the history of England. The name itself is of medieval English (Anglo-Saxon) origin. It derives from the medieval female given name, 'Pymme/Pymma' (from ‘Phemie’) which is a shortened/nickname or pet form of ‘εϋφημα’ (Euphemia/Eufemia), a Greek name, introduced into Europe by the returning Crusaders of the 11th century. The surname Pym referred to the son of Euphemia which belongs to the category of patronymic surnames. Composed of the elements 'EU', meaning 'well', and 'phone' meaning ‘to speak’, the name was adopted by Christians, who used it in the sense of 'praise God' or 'good repute’ (well-spoken-of or to speak well of). This Greek word is found at Philippians 4:8 (strong’s No: 2163 - Well spoken of, i.e reputable - of Good report)
Putnam
From Puttenham, the name of towns in Hertfordshire and Surrey in England, which mean "Putta's homestead".
Proudfoot
Nickname for a person with a proud step.
Pratt
Usage: English
Pronounced: PRAT
From Old English prætt meaning "trick, prank". This was a nickname for a trickster.
Pilgrim
Usage: English, German
Pronounced: PIL-grim(English)
Nickname for a person who was a pilgrim, ultimately from Latin peregrinus.
Pickering
From the name of a town in Yorkshire, derived from Old English Piceringas, the name of a tribe.
Pettigrew
Derived from Norman French petit "small" and cru "growth".
Pemberton
From the name of a town near Manchester, derived from Celtic penn meaning "hill" combined with Old English bere meaning "barley" and tun meaning "enclosure, yard, town".
Pelletier
Usage: French
Pronounced: PEHL-TYEH
Derived from Old French pelletier "fur trader".
Peacock
Usage: English
Pronounced: PEE-kahk(American English) PEE-kawk(British English)
From Middle English pecok meaning "peacock". It was originally a nickname for a proud or haughty person.
Paramore
origin is unknown but the meaning of the name is lover used in France and England
Paisley
Usage: Scottish
Pronounced: PAYZ-lee(English)
From the name of a town near Glasgow, which may ultimately be derived from Latin basilica "church".
Padmore
Originally indicated a person from Padmore in England, derived from Old English padde "toad" and mor "moor, marsh".
Overton
Usage: English
Pronounced: O-vər-tən(American English) O-və-tən(British English)
Denoted a person who hailed from one of the various places in England called Overton, meaning "upper settlement" or "riverbank settlement" in Old English.
Outterridge
Derived from the Old English given name
Uhtric.
Northrop
Originally denoted one who came from a town of this name England, meaning "north farm".
Noble
Usage: English, Scottish
Pronounced: NO-bəl(English)
Rating: 100% based on 2 votes
From a nickname meaning "noble, high-born, illustrious", derived via Middle English and Old French from Latin nobilis. In some cases the nickname may have been given ironically to people of the opposite character.
Nightingale
Nickname for someone with a good voice from Middle English nightegale "nightingale" (Old English nihtegale, ultimately from niht "night" and galan "to sing").
Ness
Usage: English, Scottish, Norwegian
Pronounced: NEHS(English)
From English ness and Norwegian nes meaning "headland, promontory", of Old Norse origin, originally referring to a person who lived there.
Moon 2
Usage: English
Pronounced: MOON
Originally indicated a person from the town of Moyon in Normandy.
Montgomery
Usage: English, Scottish
Pronounced: mənt-GUM-ə-ree(English)
From a place name in Calvados, France meaning "
Gumarich's mountain". A notable bearer was Bernard Montgomery (1887-1976), a British army commander during World War II.
Montague
Usage: English
Pronounced: MAHN-tə-gyoo(American English) MAWN-tə-gyoo(British English)
From a Norman place name meaning "sharp mountain" in Old French.
Monet
Usage: French
Pronounced: MAW-NEH
Derived from either of the given names
Hamon or
Edmond. A famous bearer was the French impressionist painter Claude Monet (1840-1926).
Monday 1
Usage: English
Pronounced: MUN-day
Derived from the Old Norse given name
Mundi.
Merriweather
From a medieval nickname for someone of a cheerful disposition (cf.
Meriwether).
Merchant
Usage: English
Pronounced: MUR-chənt(American English) MU-chənt(British English)
Meadows
Usage: English
Pronounced: MEHD-oz
Referred to one who lived in a meadow, from Old English mædwe.
McNab
Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac an Aba meaning "son of the abbot".
McIver
Anglicized form of Gaelic
MacIomhair meaning
"son of Íomhar".
Mathers
Occupational name meaning "mower, cutter of hay" in Old English.
Marlowe
Usage: English
Pronounced: MAHR-lo(American English) MAH-lo(British English)
Marlow
Usage: English
Pronounced: MAHR-lo(American English) MAH-lo(British English)
Originally a name for a person from Marlow in Buckinghamshire, England. The place name means "remnants of a lake" from Old English mere "lake" and lafe "remnants, remains". A notable bearer was the English playwright and poet Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593).
Marchand
Usage: English, French
Pronounced: MAR-SHAHN(French)
Occupational name meaning "merchant", ultimately from Latin mercari "to trade".
Macy
Usage: English
Pronounced: MAY-see
MacBeth
Derived from the Gaelic given name Mac Beatha meaning "son of life", which denoted a man of religious devotion. This was the name of an 11th-century Scottish king, and the name of a play based on his life by William Shakespeare.
Lyon 1
Originally denoted a person from the city of Lyon in central France, originally Latin
Lugdunum, of Gaulish origin meaning "hill fort of
Lugus". It could also denote a person from the small town of Lyons-la-Forêt in Normandy.
Lynwood
Usage: English
Pronounced: LIN-wuwd
Lusk
Possibly from the place name Leask in Aberdeenshire, of unknown meaning.
Love
Usage: English
Pronounced: LUV
From the Old English given name Lufu meaning "love".
Lorimer
Means "maker or seller of metal items of a horse's harness and associated equipment (e.g. bits and spurs)" (from Anglo-Norman loremier, a derivative of Old French lorain "harness").
Lockwood
From an English place name meaning "enclosed wood".
Lithgow
Habitation name meaning derived from Brythonic roots meaning "pool hollow". A famous bearer of this name is actor John Lithgow (1945-).
Lister
Anglicized form of the Gaelic Mac an Fleisdeir meaning "son of the arrow maker".
Linwood
Usage: English
Pronounced: LIN-wuwd
Originally from place names meaning "linden tree forest" in Old English.
Lévesque
Usage: French
Pronounced: LEH-VEHK
Lémieux
Derived from the place name Leymieux, a town in the Rhône-Alpes region of France.
Leclair
Either a variant of
Leclerc or from French
clair meaning "bright".
Laird
Means "landowner" in Scots, derived from northern Middle English laverd "lord", from Old English hlafweard.
Lacroix
Means "the cross" in French. It denoted one who lived near a cross symbol or near a crossroads.
Knowles
From Middle English knoll, Old English cnoll meaning "small hill, knoll". A famous bearer is American singer Beyoncé Knowles (1981-).
Knight
Usage: English
Pronounced: NIET
From Old English cniht meaning "knight", a tenant serving as a mounted soldier.
Kinnaird
From the name of a place in Scotland, in Gaelic An Ceann Ard, meaning "high headland". In the 12th century a Norman nobleman received a charter of land here from King William the Lion (King of Scots), and was thereafter known by this name.
Kingston
Usage: English
Pronounced: KINGZ-tən
From a place name meaning "king's town" in Old English.
Kingsley
Usage: English
Pronounced: KINGZ-lee
From a place name meaning "king's clearing" in Old English.
Kerr
From Scots and northern Middle English kerr meaning "thicket, marsh", ultimately from Old Norse kjarr.
Keighley
Derived from an English place name meaning "clearing belonging to Cyhha". The Old English given name Cyhha is of unknown meaning.
Innes 1
From a place name derived from Gaelic inis meaning "island".
Huff
Usage: English
Pronounced: HUF
Means "spur of a hill", from Old English hoh.
Holland 1
Usage: English
Pronounced: HAHL-ənd(American English) HAWL-ənd(British English)
From various English places of this name, derived from Old English hoh "point of land, heel" and land "land".
Herrington
Usage: English
Pronounced: HAYR-ing-tun
habitational name from Herrington in County Durham, England
Hepburn
From northern English place names meaning "high burial mound" in Old English. It was borne by Mary Queen of Scot's infamous third husband, James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwall. Other famous bearers include the actresses Katharine Hepburn (1907-2003) and Audrey Hepburn (1929-1993).
Hendry
Derived from the given name
Henry.
Haywood
Usage: English
Pronounced: HAY-wuwd
From various place names meaning "fenced wood" in Old English.
Hawthorne
Usage: English
Pronounced: HAW-thawrn(American English) HAW-thawn(British 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.
Hawk
Usage: English
Pronounced: HAWK
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".
Hatheway
Usage: English
Pronounced: HATH-ə-way
Hathaway
Usage: English
Pronounced: HATH-ə-way
Habitational name for someone who lived near a path across a heath, from Old English hæþ "heath" and weg "way".
Hartley
Usage: English
Pronounced: HAHRT-lee(American English) HAHT-lee(British English)
Habitational name for someone originally from any of the various locations in England named Hartley, from Old English
heorot "hart, male deer" and
leah "woodland, clearing".
Hart
Usage: English
Pronounced: HAHRT(American English) HAHT(British English)
Means "male deer". It was originally acquired by a person who lived in a place frequented by harts, or bore some resemblance to a hart.
Harrington
From the name of towns in England, meaning either "Hæfer's town" or "stony town" in Old English.
Harlow
Usage: English
Pronounced: HAHR-lo(American English) HAH-lo(British 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".
Hargrave
Usage: English
Pronounced: HAHR-grayv(American English) HAH-grayv(British English)
Derived from Old English
har meaning "grey" and
graf "grove".
Hardwick
From Old English heord "herd" and wic "village, town".
Harding
Usage: English
Pronounced: HAHR-ding(American English) HAH-ding(British English)
Derived from the given name
Heard. A famous bearer was American president Warren G. Harding (1865-1923).
Hancock
Usage: English
Pronounced: HAN-kahk(American English) HAN-kawk(British English)
Halliwell
Usage: English
Rating: 100% based on 2 votes
Derived from various place names in England named with Old English halig "holy" and well "spring, well".
Hale
Usage: English
Pronounced: HAYL
Derived from Old English halh meaning "nook, recess, hollow".
Griffin 2
Usage: English
Pronounced: GRIF-in
Nickname from the mythological beast with body of a lion with head and wings of an eagle. It is ultimately from Greek
γρύψ (gryps).
Greenwood
Usage: English
Pronounced: GREEN-wuwd
Topographic name for someone who lived in or near a lush forest, from Old English
grene "green" and
wudu "wood".
Gosselin
Usage: French
Rating: 100% based on 2 votes
Gosse
Usage: French
Pronounced: GAWS
Derived from the Norman given name
Gosse.
Goodwin
Usage: English
Pronounced: GUWD-win
Derived from the given name
Godwine.
Glass
Usage: English, German
Pronounced: GLAS(English)
From Old English glæs or Old High German glas meaning "glass". This was an occupational name for a glass blower or glazier.
Gilchrist
From Gaelic
MacGilleChrìosd meaning
"son of Gille Críst".
Garland
Usage: English
Pronounced: GAHR-lənd(American English) GAH-lənd(British English)
Means "triangle land" from Old English gara and land. It originally belonged to a person who owned a triangle-shaped piece of land.
Gardner
Usage: English
Pronounced: GAHRD-nər(American English) GAHD-nə(British English)
Frost
Usage: English, German
Pronounced: FRAWST
From Old English and Old High German meaning "frost", a nickname for a person who had a cold personality or a white beard.
Fox
Usage: English
Pronounced: FAHKS(American English) FAWKS(British English)
From the name of the animal. It was originally a nickname for a person with red hair or a crafty person.
Fournier
Usage: French
Pronounced: FOOR-NYEH
Occupational name for a baker, from French fourneau meaning "oven".
Fortier
Usage: French
Pronounced: FAWR-TYEH
Derived from Old French fort "stronghold", indicating a person who lived near or worked at such a place.
Fontaine
Usage: French
Pronounced: FAWN-TEHN
Derived from Old French fontane meaning "well, fountain", a derivative of Latin fons.
Fay 1
Usage: French, English
Pronounced: FAY(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.
Falconer
Usage: English, Scottish
Pronounced: FAL-kə-nər(American English) FAWL-kə-nə(British English)
Fairclough
From a place name meaning "fair ravine, fair cliff" in Old English.
Fairchild
Means "beautiful child" in Middle English.
Fairburn
From a place name meaning "fern stream", from Old English fearn "fern" and burna "stream".
Fairbairn
Means "beautiful child" in Middle English and Scots.
Étienne
Usage: French
Pronounced: EH-TYEHN(European French) EH-TSYEHN(Quebec French)
English
Usage: English
Pronounced: ING-glish
Denoted a person who was of English heritage. It was used to distinguish people who lived in border areas (for example, near Wales or Scotland). It was also used to distinguish an Anglo-Saxon from a Norman.
Endicott
Topographic name derived from Old English meaning "from the end cottage".
Ellsworth
Habitational name for a person from the town of Elsworth in Cambridgeshire. 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
worþ meaning "enclosure".
Ellington
Usage: English
Pronounced: EH-ling-tən
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".
Dwerryhouse
Indicated a person who worked or lived at a dyehouse, which is a place where dyeing was done.
Dvořák
Usage: Czech
Pronounced: DVO-rak
Rating: 100% based on 2 votes
Occupational name derived from Czech dvůr "manor", indicating a person who worked at such a place. This name was borne by the Czech composer Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904).
Dumont
Usage: French
Pronounced: DUY-MAWN
Means "from the mountain", from French mont "mountain".
Dumas
Usage: French
Pronounced: DUY-MA
Means "from the farm", from Occitan mas "farmhouse", from Latin mansus "dwelling". A famous bearer was the French author Alexandre Dumas (1802-1870).
Dufour
Usage: French
Pronounced: DUY-FOOR
Occupational name for a baker, from French four "oven".
Disney
Usage: English
Pronounced: DIZ-nee
Means "from Isigny", referring to the town of Isigny in Normandy. This surname was borne by the American animator and filmmaker Walt Disney (1901-1966).
Dickens
Usage: English
Pronounced: DIK-inz
From the medieval given name
Dicun, a medieval
diminutive of
Dick 1. A famous bearer of this surname was the British author Charles Dickens (1812-1870).
Devereux
Usage: English
Pronounced: DEHV-ə-roo
Indicated a person from Evreux in France, itself named after the Gaulish tribe of the Eburovices, which was probably derived from a Celtic word meaning "yew".
Descoteaux
Means "from the hillside", from French coteau "hillside".
Delacroix
Usage: French
Pronounced: DEH-LA-KRWA
Means "of the cross" in French. It denoted one who lived near a cross symbol or near a crossroads. A notable bearer was the French painter Eugène Delacroix (1798-1863).
Darrow
Habitational name from Darroch near Falkirk, in Stirlingshire, said to be named from Gaelic darach meaning "oak tree".
D'Aramitz
Originally denoted one who came from Aramits, the name of a town in the French Pyrenees that is possibly derived from Basque haran meaning "valley".
Cross
Usage: English
Pronounced: KRAWS
Locative name meaning
"cross", ultimately from Latin
crux. It denoted one who lived near a cross symbol or near a crossroads.
Croft
Usage: English
Pronounced: KRAWFT
From Old English croft meaning "enclosed field".
Crawford
Usage: English
Pronounced: KRAW-fərd(American English) KRAW-fəd(British 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.
Coy
Usage: English
Pronounced: KOI
Means "quiet, shy, coy" from Middle English coi.
Cox
Usage: English
Pronounced: KAHKS(American English) KAWKS(British English)
Couture
Means "tailor" in Old French.
Cousineau
Derived from Old French cosin meaning "cousin".
Cotterill
Derived from Middle English cotter meaning "cottager", referring to a small tenant farmer.
Comstock
Possibly from the name of the River Culm in Devon, England. This name is seen in the Domesday book as Culmstoke or Colmstoke.
Colt
Usage: English
Pronounced: KOLT
Occupational name for a keeper of horses, derived from Middle English colt.
Collingwood
From a place name, itself derived from Old French chalenge meaning "disputed" and Middle English wode meaning "woods".
Cockburn
Originally indicated someone who came from Cockburn, a place in Berwickshire. The place name is derived from Old English cocc "rooster" and burna "stream".
Cobb
Usage: English
Pronounced: KAHB(American English) KAWB(British English)
From a medieval English byname meaning "lump".
Cloutier
Usage: French
Pronounced: KLOO-TYEH
Derived from French clou meaning "nail", referring to someone who made or sold nails.
Close
From Middle English clos meaning "enclosure", a topographic name for someone who lived near a courtyard or farmyard.
Church
Usage: English
Pronounced: CHURCH(American English) CHUCH(British English)
From the English word, derived from Old English
cirice, ultimately from Greek
κυριακόν (kyriakon) meaning "(house) of the lord". It probably referred to a person who lived close to a church.
Cheshire
Usage: English
Pronounced: CHEH-shər(American English) CHEH-shə(British English)
Originally indicated a person from the county of Cheshire in England. Cheshire is named for its city
Chester.
Chastain
From Old French castan "chestnut tree" (Latin castanea), a name for someone who lived near a particular chestnut tree, or possibly a nickname for someone with chestnut-coloured hair.
Charbonneau
Usage: French
Pronounced: SHAR-BAW-NO
Derived from a
diminutive form of French
charbon "charcoal", a nickname for a person with black hair or a dark complexion.
Chancellor
Usage: English
Pronounced: CHAN-sə-lər(American English) CHAN-sə-lə(British English)
Occupational name for an administrator, a chancellor, from Norman French chancelier.
Chambers
Usage: English
Pronounced: CHAYM-bərz(American English) CHAYM-bəz(British English)
From Old French chambre meaning "chamber, room", an occupational name for a person who worked in the inner rooms of a mansion.
Chamberlain
Usage: English
Pronounced: CHAYM-bər-lin(American English) CHAYM-bə-lin(British English)
Occupational name for one who looked after the inner rooms of a mansion, from Norman French chambrelain.
Chadwick
Usage: English
Pronounced: CHAD-wik
From the name of English towns meaning "settlement belonging to
Chad" in Old English.
Čech
Usage: Czech
Rating: 100% based on 2 votes
Means "Czech". The name was used to differentiate a native of Bohemia from the natives of Silesia, Moravia and other regions that are now part of the Czech Republic.
Cavendish
Usage: English (?)
Pronounced: ca-ven-dish
Rating: 100% based on 2 votes
Caulfield
From a place name meaning "cold field", from Old English ceald "cold" and feld "pasture, field".
Caulfield
Comes from the Irish Gaelic Mac Cathmhaoil, which was Anglicized to McCawell and then morphed into Caulfield. Mac Cathmhaoil comes from a word meaning "chieftan".
Castle
Usage: English
Pronounced: KAS-əl
From Middle English castel meaning "castle", from Late Latin castellum, originally indicating a person who lived near a castle.
Case
Usage: English
Pronounced: KAYS
From Norman French casse meaning "box, case", ultimately from Latin capsa. This was an occupational name for a box maker.
Carver
Usage: English
Pronounced: KAHR-vər(American English) KAH-və(British English)
Occupational surname for a carver, from Middle English kerve "cut".
Cartwright
Occupational name indicating one who made carts.
Carpenter
Usage: English
Pronounced: KAHR-pən-tər(American English) KAH-pən-tə(British English)
From the occupation, derived from Middle English carpentier (ultimately from Latin carpentarius meaning "carriage maker").
Cantrell
Usage: English
Pronounced: kan-TREHL
Originally a name for someone from Cantrell in Devon, from an unknown first element and Old English hyll meaning "hill".
Campbell
Usage: Scottish
Pronounced: KAM-bəl(English)
From a Gaelic nickname cam beul meaning "wry or crooked mouth". The surname was later represented in Latin documents as de bello campo meaning "of the fair field".
Caldwell
Usage: English
Pronounced: KAWLD-wehl
From various English place names derived from Old English ceald "cold" and wille "spring, stream, well".
Brooke
Usage: English
Pronounced: BRUWK
Brook
Usage: English
Pronounced: BRUWK
Denoted a person who lived near a brook, a word derived from Old English broc.
Brodeur
Means "embroiderer" in French.
Broadbent
From a place name derived from Old English
brad "broad" and
beonet "bent grass".
Bristow
From the name of the city of Bristol, originally Brycgstow in Old English, meaning "the site of the bridge".
Brierley
From an English place name, derived from
brer "briar" and
leah "woodland, clearing".
Breckenridge
Originally indicated someone from Brackenrig in Lanarkshire, derived from northern Middle English braken meaning "bracken" (via Old Norse brækni) and rigg meaning "ridge" (via Old Norse hryggr).
Bray
Usage: English
Pronounced: BRAY
From a place name derived from Cornish bre "hill".
Braxton
Usage: English
Pronounced: BRAK-stən
From an English place name place name meaning "Bracca's town" in Old English.
Brassington
From a place name, which is derived from Old English meaning "settlement by a steep path".
Bowe
Usage: Medieval English, English, Irish (Anglicized)
Rating: 50% based on 2 votes
There are three possible sources of this surname, the first being that it is a metonymic occupational name for a maker or seller of bows, a vital trade in medieval times before the invention of gunpowder, and a derivative of the Old English
boga "bow", from
bugan "to bend".
The surname may also be topographic for someone living near a bridge, the word boga having acquired the sense "arch", as in the supposed resemblance of the arch to a drawn bow. For example, Richard atte Bowe (1306 Calendar of Letter Books in the City of London).
Lastly, Bowe, being chiefly the Irish variant, is the anglicized form of the Gaelic O'Buadhaigh, a descendant of Buadhach a personal name meaning victorious.
Bouchard
From the Old German given name
Burkhard.
Bonheur
From Old French bonne heure meaning "good time" or "lucky".
Blythe
Usage: English
Pronounced: BLIEDH
From Old English meaning "happy, joyous, blithe".
Blue
Usage: English
Pronounced: BLOO
From a nickname for a person with blue eyes or blue clothing.
Bloodworth
Originally indicated someone from the town of Blidworth in Nottinghamshire, which was derived from the Old English byname Blīþa (meaning "happy, blithe") combined with worð "enclosure".
Blanchett
Usage: French (Anglicized)
Blanchet
Usage: French
Pronounced: BLAHN-SHEH
Blanchard
Usage: French, English
Pronounced: BLAHN-SHAR(French) BLAN-chərd(American English) BLAN-chəd(British English)
Blakesley
From the name of a town in Northamptonshire, itself meaning "Blæcwulf's meadow" in Old English. Blæcwulf is a byname meaning "black wolf".
Blakely
Usage: English
Pronounced: BLAYK-lee
Blakeley
Usage: English
Pronounced: BLAYK-lee
From name of various English places, derived from Old English
blæc "black" and
leah "woodland, clearing".
Blackwood
Usage: English, Scottish
Pronounced: BLAK-wuwd(English)
From an English place name meaning "black wood".
Blackburn
From the name of a city in Lancashire, meaning "black stream" in Old English.
Bishop
Usage: English
Pronounced: BISH-əp
Means simply
"bishop", ultimately from Greek
ἐπίσκοπος (episkopos) meaning "overseer". It probably originally referred to a person who served a bishop.
Best 1
Usage: English
Pronounced: BEST
Derived from Middle English beste meaning "beast", an occupational name for a keeper of animals or a nickname for someone who acted like a beast. A famous bearer of this surname was soccer legend George Best (1946-2005).
Bennington
From the English town name Benington, which can mean either "settlement belonging to Beonna's people" or "settlement by the River Beane".
Belmont
Usage: French, English
Pronounced: BEHL-MAWN(French) BEHL-mahnt(American English) BEHL-mawnt(British English)
Bellerose
Means "beautiful rose" in French.
Bell 1
Usage: English
Pronounced: BEHL
From Middle English belle meaning "bell". It originated as a nickname for a person who lived near the town bell, or who had a job as a bell-ringer.
Bell 2
Usage: English
Pronounced: BEHL
Derived from the given name
Bel, a medieval short form of
Isabel.
Beckingham
From the name of two villages in England, one in Lincolnshire and one in Nottinghamshire.
Beckham
Usage: English
Pronounced: BEHK-əm
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-).
Beauchêne
Usage: French
Pronounced: BO-SHEHN
From French place names derived from beau "beautiful" and chêne "oak".
Barnes
Usage: English
Pronounced: BAHRNZ(American English) BAHNZ(British English)
Denoted a person who worked or lived in a barn. The word barn is derived from Old English bere "barley" and ærn "dwelling".
Barlow
Usage: English
Pronounced: BAHR-lo(American English) BAH-lo(British English)
Derived from a number of English place names that variously mean "barley hill", "barn hill", "boar clearing" or "barley clearing".
Bannister
Usage: English
Pronounced: BAN-is-tər(American English) BAN-is-tə(British English)
From Norman French banastre meaning "basket". This was originally a name for a maker of baskets.
Banister
Usage: English
Pronounced: BAN-is-tər(American English) BAN-is-tə(British English)
Bancroft
From any of the various places of this name, derived from Old English bean meaning "bean" and croft meaning "small enclosed field".
Balfour
From various place names that were derived from Gaelic baile "village" and pòr "pasture, crop, cropland".
Ayers 1
From Middle English eir meaning "heir".
Ayers 3
Indicated a person from the town of Ayr in Scotland. The town was named for the river that flows through it, itself derived from an Indo-European root meaning "water".
Atwood
Usage: English
Pronounced: AT-wuwd
From Middle English meaning "dweller at the wood".
Atwater
Usage: English
Pronounced: AT-wawt-ər(American English) AT-wawt-ə(British English)
From Middle English meaning "dweller at the water".
Attwood
Usage: English
Pronounced: AT-wuwd
Attwater
Usage: English
Pronounced: AT-wawt-ər(American English) AT-wawt-ə(British English)
Atteberry
Means "dweller at the fortified town" from Middle English at and burh "fortified place".
Attaway
Means "at the way", originally denoting someone who lived close to a road.
Ashworth
From an English place name meaning "ash enclosure" in Old English.
Ashton
Usage: English
Pronounced: ASH-tən
Denoted a person from one of the towns in England that bear this name, itself derived from Old English
æsc "ash tree" and
tun "enclosure, yard, town".
Ashcroft
Usage: English
Rating: 100% based on 2 votes
English (chiefly Lancashire) topographic name from Middle English asche ‘ash tree’ + croft ‘enclosure’, or a habitational name from a minor place named with these elements.
Ashcraft
Usage: English
Rating: 100% based on 2 votes
Ash
Usage: English
Pronounced: ASH
From Old English
æsc meaning
"ash tree", indicating a person who lived near ash trees.
Arrington
From the name of a town in Cambridgeshire, originally meaning "Earna's settlement" in Old English (Earna being a person's nickname meaning "eagle").
Armistead
Means "hermitage", indicating a person who lived near one, from Middle English ermite "hermit" and stede "place".
Arkwright
Occupational name meaning
"chest maker", from Middle English
arc meaning "chest, coffer" and
wyrhta meaning "maker, craftsman".
Archer
Usage: English
Pronounced: AHR-chər(American English) AH-chə(British English)
Occupational name for one who practiced archery, from Latin arcus "bow" (via Old French).
Appleton
From the name of several English towns, meaning "orchard" in Old English (a compound of
æppel "apple" and
tun "enclosure, yard").
Applegate
Extremely common variant of
Applegarth, in which the less familiar final element has been assimilated to the northern Middle English word gate meaning "road" or to modern English gate.
Appleby
From the name of various English towns, derived from Old English
æppel "apple" and Old Norse
býr "farm, settlement".
Allaway
From a Scottish place name, itself derived from alla "wild" and mhagh "field".
Ainsworth
Habitational name for a person from the village of Ainsworth near Manchester, itself from the Old English given name Ægen and worþ meaning "enclosure".
Ainsley
From a place name: either Annesley in Nottinghamshire or Ansley in Warwickshire. The place names themselves derive from Old English
anne "alone, solitary" or
ansetl "hermitage" and
leah "woodland, clearing".
Adair
Usage: Celtic
Pronounced: ə-DER
Mostly Scottish surname meaning "at the oak ford".
Adair
Usage: English
Pronounced: ə-DEHR(American English) ə-DEH(British English)
Derived from the given name
Edgar.
Abney
Usage: English
Pronounced: AB-nee
From the name of a town in Derbyshire, derived from Old English meaning "Abba's island".
Abbey
Usage: English
Pronounced: AB-ee
Indicated a person who lived near an abbey or worked in an abbey, from Middle English abbeye.
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