skylerrae's Personal Name List

Originally denoted a person who came from an uncertain place called Aaldenberg, meaning "old mountain".

Possibly from Basque abaro meaning "refuge".

English cognate of Abate.

Patronymic surname derived from Abel or a diminutive of Albert.

From the Latin given name Abellio, which may have been derived from the name of a Pyrenean god.

As a Spanish surname, it was from Spanish ábrego, which originally meant "African", from Latin africus. The vocabulary word in modern Spanish has lost this general sense and now means "south wind" (literally, "African (wind)").

Derived from Spanish acebedo meaning "holly grove", itself from acebo meaning "holly tree".

From the name of various places in the Netherlands and Germany, for example the village of achterberg in Utrecht. The place names are derived from Low German achter "behind" and berg "mountain, hill".

Spanish form of Da Costa (from a misdivision of the surname).

Derived from the given name Edgar.

Variant of Atkins.

Derived from Spanish agua "water", indicating a person who lived near water or worked with water.

From a place name that was derived from Spanish águila meaning "eagle", ultimately from Latin aquila.

From Basque aitz meaning "rock, stone".

Topographic name from alameda meaning ‘poplar grove’, a collective form of álamo meaning ‘poplar’, or a habitational name from any of the many places named with this word.

From the name of a Basque town, derived from aldats meaning "slope".

Derived from the Old English given name Ealdwine.

From the given name Ali 1.

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

From the name of a town in the Netherlands, possibly meaning "close, near" in Dutch.

From a Spanish place name, possibly derived from Spanish alba "white".

Means "son of Álvaro".

From the name of a mountain and an ancient city in the province of Burgos, Spain, possibly derived from Basque amai "end, ending" and the article suffix -a. Compare the given name Amaia.

Means "son of Anders". A noteworthy bearer was the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875).

Means "son of Andrew".

Means "son of Andrew".

From the name of an Italian town near Rome, derived from Latin aqua meaning "water", the home town of the 13th-century saint Thomas Aquinas. In Italy the surname is derived directly from the town's name. As a Spanish-language surname, it was sometimes bestowed by missionaries in honour of the saint as they evangelized in Spanish colonies.

Occupational name for one who practiced archery, from Latin arcus "bow" (via Old French).

From the name of a town in Nevarre, Spain, of uncertain etymology. Possibly derived from either of the Latin personal names Valerius or Aurelius, indicating land owned by someone of the name, or from Basque aritz "oak (tree)" (see haritz).

From various Spanish place names, which are derived from Spanish arena meaning "sand".

Means "son of Aris 2".

From Basque aritz meaning "oak tree". This was a nickname of Iñigo, the first king of Pamplona, Spain (9th century).

Castilianized form of Basque Aritza, a topographic name from Basque (h)aritz ‘oak’ + the article suffix -a.

Means "strong arm" from Middle English. Tradition holds that the family is descended from Siward, an 11th-century Earl of Northumbria. Famous bearers of this name include the Americans Louis Armstrong (1901-1971), a jazz musician, and Neil Armstrong (1930-2012), an astronaut who was the first person to walk on the moon.

From the name of a town in Cambridgeshire, originally meaning "Earna's settlement" in Old English (Earna being a person's nickname meaning "eagle").

From an English place name meaning "ash enclosure" in Old English.

From Middle English meaning "dweller at the water".

From Middle English meaning "dweller at the wood".

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

From Middle English eir meaning "heir".

From Chinese 白 (bái) meaning "white".

From Middle English baili meaning "bailiff", which comes via Old French from Latin baiulus "porter".

From any of the various places of this name, derived from Old English bean meaning "bean" and croft meaning "small enclosed field".

Spanish cognate of Banner.

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

Habitational name from any of several places in Spain, of uncertain etymology. Coincides with Spanish barajas meaning "playing cards" or "quarrels".

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

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

Derived from Old English bærnet meaning "place cleared by burning".

Means "barrier, wall" in Spanish and Catalan, a topographic name for someone who lived near a gate or fence, or a habitational name from a location named with the element. Alternatively, it can also derive from Spanish barrero "clay pit", from barro "mud, clay".

Probably derived from the Middle English word barat meaning "trouble, deception", originally given to a quarrelsome person.

From the Portuguese and Spanish word barro meaning "clay, mud". This could either be an occupational name for a person who worked with clay or mud such as a builder or artisan, or a topographic name for someone living near clay or mud.

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

Means "son of Bate".

Derived from the given name Bautista.

From the name of a place in Lancashire, from Old English beos "bent grass" and leah "woodland, clearing".

From French place names derived from beau "beautiful" and mont "mountain".

From Middle English bekke (from Old Norse), Low German beke or Old Norse bekkr all meaning "stream".

Originally a diminutive of Beck 1 or Beck 3.

From Old French bel ami meaning "beautiful friend".

Means "beautiful" in Spanish and Italian, originally a nickname for an attractive person.

French and English form of Belmonte.

From various place names in Italy and Spain meaning "beautiful mountain".

Means "son of Benito".

Derived from the medieval English given name Bennett.

From the English town name Benington, which can mean either "settlement belonging to Beonna's people" or "settlement by the River Beane".

Means "son of Benedict".

Derived from Czech beran meaning "ram, male sheep".

From Old High German, Old Dutch and Old Norse berg meaning "mountain".

From the given name Berengar.

From the name of a city in Lancashire, meaning "black stream" in Old English.

Variant of Black. A famous bearer was the poet and artist William Blake (1757-1827).

Derived from the given name Blanchard.

Means "white" in Spanish. The name most likely referred to a person who was pale or had blond hair.

Dutch cognate of Bauer.

From Middle English boneire "kind, courteous", derived from Norman French bon aire "good bloodline".

Derived from Middle Dutch bosch meaning "wood, forest".

Catalan cognate of Bosco.

Derived from Old English burna "stream, spring".

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).

Occupational name for a maker of ale or beer.

Originally denoted a person who lived near a bridge, or who worked as a bridgekeeper, derived from Middle English brigge, Old English brycg.

Originally referred to one who came from a town called Brigham, meaning "homestead by the bridge" in Old English. This is the name of towns in Cumberland and Yorkshire.

Possibly from English places named Brindley, derived from Old English berned "burned" and leah "woodland, clearing".

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.

Derived from Middle English burgh meaning "fortress, fortification, castle". It was brought to Ireland in the 12th century by the Norman invader William de Burgh.

From a common English place name, derived from Old English meaning "fortified town".

From the name of Spanish towns, diminutive forms of Busto.

From a nickname derived from Spanish caballero meaning "knight", a cognate of Chevalier.

From various place names derived from Late Latin capraria meaning "place of goats", from Latin capra meaning "goat".

From various English place names derived from Old English ceald "cold" and wille "spring, stream, well".

Portuguese and Spanish variant of Campo.

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

From the name of a town in Catalonia, of uncertain meaning.

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.

Topographic name derived from Spanish carrasca meaning "holm oak" (species Quercus ilex).

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-).

Occupational surname for a carver, from Middle English kerve "cut".

Variant of Castilla.

Catalan variant of Castell or from Italian castello meaning "castle".

Spanish cognate of Castle.

Possibly from Old Spanish servanto meaning "servant" or ciervo meaning "stag". A famous bearer was the Spanish novelist Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616).

From the name of English towns meaning "settlement belonging to Chad" in Old English.

Cantonese romanization of Chen.

From a nickname for a lucky person or a gambler.

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

Variant of Chaves. A famous bearer was the labour leader César Chávez (1927-1993).

Means "cleric" or "scribe", from Old English clerec meaning "priest", ultimately from Latin clericus. A famous bearer was William Clark (1770-1838), an explorer of the west of North America.

From a medieval short form of Nicholas or from the byname Cola.

Means "son of Colin 2".

From the name of a town in Burgos, Spain, derived from Late Latin contraria meaning "area opposite".

Variant of Cook.

Means "barrel maker", from Middle English couper.

Means "polite, courteous" in Spanish.

Variant of Cortés.

Means "riverbank, slope, coast" in Portuguese, Italian and Catalan, ultimately from Latin meaning "side, edge".

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.

Spanish and Portuguese cognate of Cross.

Derived from Spanish cueva meaning "cave".

Nickname for a courteous person, derived from Old French curteis meaning "refined, courtly".

From Old Norse dalr meaning "valley". A famous of this surname was author Roald Dahl (1916-1990) who is mostly remembered for children's stories such as Matilda and Henry Sugar.

Derived from a place name meaning "valley town" in Old English. A notable bearer of the surname was the English chemist and physicist John Dalton (1766-1844).

Variant of Dean 1 or Dean 2.

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

Means "son of Daw".

From a diminutive form of David.

Variant of Deighton.

Derived from Middle English dene meaning "valley".

Spanish cognate of Delacroix.

Means "of the fountain" in Spanish.

Means "thin" in Spanish and Portuguese, ultimately from Latin delicatus meaning "delicate, tender, charming".

Means "of the river" in Spanish.

Means "son of Diego" in Spanish.

Means "son of Dick 1".

Means "son of Dobri".

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

Derived from the Old Norse byname Draki or the Old English byname Draca both meaning "dragon", both via Latin from Greek δράκων (drakon) meaning "dragon, serpent".

From the noble title, which was originally from Latin dux "leader". It was a nickname for a person who behaved like a duke, or who worked in a duke's household.

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

Occupational name meaning "cloth dyer", from Old English deah "dye".

From the name of various places meaning "east town" in Old English.

Means "son of Edward".

Derived from Old English ealdra meaning "older", used to distinguish two people who had the same name.

Derived from the given name Aldric.

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".

Patronymic form of the English name Ellis, from the medieval given name Elis, a vernacular form of Elijah.

Means "son of Emery". The surname was borne by Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), an American writer and philosopher who wrote about transcendentalism.

Means "son of Erik".

Derived from the Basque place name Espartza, a town in the province of Navarre.

Means "thorn" in Spanish, a name for someone who lived near a thorn bush.

From Spanish espinoso meaning "thorny", ultimately from Latin spinosus, a derivative of spina meaning "thorn, spine". This was the real surname of the Dutch philosopher Baruch Spinoza (1632-1677), who was of Portuguese Jewish origin.

Means "son of Evan".

From the given name Everard.

Means "son of Evert".

Variant of Faulkner.

From Old Norse falki or Old High German falco meaning "falcon".

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

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.

Means "son of Fernando". This is among the most common surnames in Spain.

From places named for Galician figueira meaning "fig tree".

Occupational name for a fletcher, someone who attached feathers to the shaft of an arrow. It is derived from Old French fleche meaning "arrow".

Means "son of Floro" in Spanish.

Italian and Spanish cognate of Fontaine.

Variant of Forester.

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

From the name of the animal. It was originally a nickname for a person with red hair or a crafty person.

Means "spring, well" in Spanish, derived from Latin fons.

Occupational name for a fuller, a person who thickened and cleaned coarse cloth by pounding it. It is derived via Middle English from Latin fullo.

Habitational name from the village of Gaddesby in Leicestershire, so named from Old Norse gaddr "spur, spike (of land)" and býr "farm, settlement".

Occupational name derived either from Old French jauge "measure" (a name for an assayer) or gage "pledge, payment" (a name for a moneylender). Both words were ultimately of Frankish origin.

From a medieval given name of unknown meaning, possibly related to the Basque word hartz meaning "bear". This is the most common surname in Spain.

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

From Old French gernier meaning "granary", a derivative of Latin granum meaning "grain". This name could refer to a person who worked at a granary or lived near one.

Derived from Spanish garza meaning "heron".

Originally denoted a person who lived near the town gates.

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.

Derived from the given name Gauthier.

Derived from the given name Gilbert.

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

Topographic name for someone who lived in a valley, from Welsh glyn and Cornish glin, or a habitational name from a place named with this word.

Spanish form of Gomes.

Variant of González.

Means "son of Gonzalo" in Spanish. This is among the most common surnames in Spain.

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

Occupational name for a steward, derived from Middle English greyve, related to the German title Graf.

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

Variant of Green.

Nickname from the mythological beast with body of a lion with head and wings of an eagle. It is ultimately from Greek γρύψ (gryps).

From Old English graf meaning "grove of trees". A famous bearer was the American president Grover Cleveland (1837-1908).

From Old English graf meaning "grove". This originally indicated a person who lived near a grove (a group of trees).

From a nickname meaning "war", given to a belligerent person or one engaged in warfare.

Means "warrior" in Spanish, an occupational name for a soldier. It is derived from Late Latin werra "war", of Germanic origin.

Means "son of Gunnar".

Means "son of Gutierre".

Variant of Hase.

Variant of Hathaway.

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

Means simply "hall", given to one who either lived in or worked in a hall (the house of a medieval noble).

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).

From the Norman given name Hamo or the Old Norse given name Hámundr.

From Chinese 韩 (hán) referring to the ancient state of Han, which existed from the 5th to 3rd centuries BC in what is now Shanxi and Henan provinces.

Means "son of Hann".

Derived from the given name Heard. A famous bearer was American president Warren G. Harding (1865-1923).

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

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".

From the given name Herman.

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

Means "son of Harry".

Means "son of Harry".

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.

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".

From the Breton given name Haerviu (see Harvey).

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".

From a diminutive of Hawk.

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.

From various English place names that were derived from Old English hæg meaning "enclosure, fence". A famous bearer was American President Rutherford B. Hayes (1822-1893).

Variant of Headley.

Derived from the given name Hendrik. A famous bearer was the American rock musician Jimi Hendrix (1942-1970).

Derived from the given name Henry.

Means "son of Hernando" in Spanish.

Spanish form of Ferreira.

Derived from a diminutive of the given name Hugh.

Means "nobleman" in Spanish. The Spanish word is a contraction of the phrase hijo de algo meaning "son of something". This surname was typically in origin a nickname or an occupational name for one who worked in a noble's household.

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

Occupational name for someone who put the metal hoops around wooden barrels.

Means "garden" (Latin hortus), hence a topographic name for someone who lived by an enclosed garden or an occupational name for one who was a gardener.

From the names of various places in England, which are derived from Old English horh "dirt, mud" and tun "enclosure, yard, town".

Means "son of Hudde".

Means "garden, orchard" in Spanish, ultimately from Latin hortus.

Patronymic of the given name Hugh.

Derived from the given name Humphrey.

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

Means "son of Huchin", a medieval diminutive of Hugh.

From Basque place names derived from ibar meaning "meadow".

From Spanish iglesia meaning "church", from Latin ecclesia (of Greek origin).

Variant of Irvine 1 or Irwin.

This indicates familial origin within the eponymous municipality.

This indicates familial origin within either of 2 eponymous neighborhoods: the one in the municipality of Gasteiz or the one in the municipality of Urkabustaiz.

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

Derived from the given name Jacob.

Means "son of Jacob".

Derived from the given name James.

Means "garden", denoting someone who worked as a gardener.

Means "son of Jimeno".

From Chinese 金 (jīn) meaning "gold".

Occupational name for a carpenter (that is, a person who joins wood together to make furniture).

Variant of Suárez.

Alternate transcription of Arabic قادر (see Qadir).

Derived from the given name Karim.

From Scots and northern Middle English kerr meaning "thicket, marsh", ultimately from Old Norse kjarr.

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

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).

Means "small, little" from German klein or Yiddish kleyn. A famous bearer of this name is clothes designer Calvin Klein (1942-).

Cantonese and Min Nan romanization of Gao.

Variant of Koopman.

Cantonese romanization of Guan.

Anglicized form of Cuyler.

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.

German, Danish and Norwegian cognate of Long.

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

Americanized form of Larsson or Larsen.

Derived from the given name Laurence 1. Famous bearers include revolutionary T. E. Lawrence (1888-1935) and author D. H. Lawrence (1885-1930).

Means "son of Laurence 1".

Means "the white" in French, from blanc "white". The name referred to a person who was pale or whose hair was blond.

Either a variant of Leclerc or from French clair meaning "bright".

Originally given to a person who lived on or near a leah, Old English meaning "woodland, clearing".

Korean form of Li 1, from Sino-Korean 李 (i). This is the second most common surname in South Korea. It is also a variant Chinese romanization of Li 1.

Cantonese romanization of Liang.

From Chinese 李 (lǐ) meaning "plum, plum tree". This was the surname of Chinese emperors of the Tang dynasty.

Originally indicated that the bearer was from the English city of Lincoln, called Lindum Colonia by the Romans, derived from Brythonic lindo "lake, pool" and Latin colonia "colony". A famous bearer was Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), president of the United States during the American Civil War.

Variant of Lindsay.

Cantonese romanization of Luo.

Means "son of Lope" in Spanish.

From Spanish losa meaning "tile, slab".

From a nickname derived from a Norman French lou meaning "wolf" and a diminutive suffix.

From a diminutive of the given name Laurence 1.

From a location in Navarre, Spain, probably means "the mud", derived from Basque lohi "mud, mire".

From the name of a place name near the town of Azpeitia in the Basque Country of Spain, derived from Basque loi meaning "mud". This was the birthplace of Saint Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556), the founder of Jesuits.

Means "happiness" in Danish.

From the name of a town in Norfolk (King's Lynn), derived from Welsh llyn meaning "lake".

From the given name Maas.

Derived from the given name Mateo.

patronymic surname meaning "son of Madrileño"; given to a person that came from Madrid, Spain.

Means "son of Mads".

Derived from Finnish mäki meaning "hill".

From a nickname meaning "badly given, ill-favoured" in Spanish.

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).

Means "son of Marcos".

From a place name derived from Old English mearc "boundary" and denu "valley".

Derived from Middle English mareschal "marshal", from Latin mariscalcus, ultimately from Germanic roots akin to Old High German marah "horse" and scalc "servant". It originally referred to someone who took care of horses.

Derived from the given name Martin. This is the most common surname in France.

Means "son of Martín" in Spanish.

Derived from Massy, the name of several towns in France. The name of the town is perhaps derived from a personal name that was Latinized as Maccius.

From Spanish, Portuguese and Catalan mata meaning "trees, shrubs", possibly from Late Latin matta meaning "reed mat".

Derived from the given name Matthew.

Derived from the Old German given name Meginhard.

Means "(Arab) city" in Spanish, derived from Arabic مدينة (madīna).

Dutch form of Meyer 1.

Variant of Menéndez.

From a Basque place name derived from mendi "mountain" and hotz "cold".

Means "son of Menendo" in Spanish, the given name Menendo being a medieval Spanish form of Hermenegildo.

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

From the given name Miles.

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

Derived from the given name Michael.

Means "mill" in Spanish.

Danish form of Müller.

Means "hunter" in Spanish, an agent derivative of monte meaning "mountain, wilderness".

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.

From the name of a village in the province of Álava in Spain. It is possibly of Basque origin, or possibly from Latin mons "mountain, hill".

Originally indicated a person who lived on a moor, from Middle English mor meaning "open land, bog".

Derived from Spanish mora meaning "mulberry", of Latin origin.

From a nickname meaning "dark" in Spanish and Portuguese.

Derived from a diminutive of the given name Maurus.

Derived from the given name Maurice.

From the given name Moses.

Derived from Norman French molin "mill".

Patronymic derived from the medieval Spanish given name Muño, from Latin Munnius, possibly of Germanic origin.

Patronymic form of Myer or Mayer 3.

Denoted a person who came from Navarre in northern Spain (Spanish Navarra). The name of the region is of Basque origin, possibly from nabar meaning "brown".

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

Americanized form of the Scandinavian names Nilsson, Nilsen, or Nielsen.

Means "son of Niels 1".

Variant of Nelson 1.

From the given name Nieves.

Spanish and Catalan form of Nogueira.

From the name of various towns in England meaning "north town" in Old English.

Derived from Slavic novŭ "new", originally a name for someone who was new to a village.

From Belarusian новы (novy) meaning "new".

Means "son of Nuño".

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

Spanish form of Otxoa.

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

From the name of the Ojeda river in Soria, Spain, possibly derived from Latin folia "leaves".

Means "son of Ole".

Derived from the given name Oliver.

Catalan: variant spelling of the topographic name Oliveres, from the plural of olivera ‘olive tree’, or a habitational name from Las Oliveras in Murcia province.

Americanized form of Olsson or Olsen.

Originally indicated a person from one of the two towns named Orellana in Badajoz, Spain. Their names are probably derived from Latin Aureliana meaning "of Aurelius".

From a Spanish place name (belonging to various villages) derived from ortiga "nettle".

Means "son of Orti", a byname deriving either from Latin fortis meaning "brave, strong" or fortunius meaning "fortunate".

Means "hill, knoll, height" in Spanish.

From various Spanish place names, derived from Spanish padilla, Latin patella meaning "shallow dish", used to indicate a depression in the landscape.

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

Denoted a person who lived near a wall, from Portuguese parede and Spanish pared meaning "wall", both derived from Latin paries.

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

Means "son of Patrick".

From the given name Patrick.

Means "son of Patrick".

Originally denoted a person who lived near a jutting rock, from Spanish peña meaning "rock, cliff".

From Old English pirige meaning "pear tree", a derivative of peru meaning "pear", itself from Latin pirum. A famous bearer was Matthew Perry (1794-1858), the American naval officer who opened Japan to the West.

Means "son of Peter".

From the given name Piers.

Means "pine forest" in Spanish and Catalan.

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

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.

From the name of various English places meaning "priest's cottage" in Old English.

Originally belonged to one who was a prior (a religious official), or one who worked for a prior.

Derived from the given name Qadir.

Originally indicated someone who lived on a piece of land where the rent was a fifth of its produce, from Spanish and Catalan quintana "fifth", from Latin quintus.

Means "son of Ramiro" in Spanish.

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.

Variant of Reeve.

From the name of the town of Rimington in Lancashire, derived from the name of the stream Riming combined with Old English tun meaning "enclosure, town".

From Chinese 任 (rén), of uncertain meaning.

Means "king" in Old French, Spanish and Catalan, ultimately from Latin rex (genitive regis), perhaps originally denoting someone who acted like a king.

Spanish variant of Rey 1.

Derived from the given name Reynold.

Means "butcher" in Czech.

Topographic name derived from Old English rod meaning "cleared land", or a locational name from any of the locations named with this word.

Denoted a person who hailed from one of the various places of this name in England. The places are derived from Old English geryd "channel" or hreod "reed" combined with leah "woodland, clearing".

Means "reed field", from Dutch riet "reed" and veld "field". It is found mostly in the western part of the Netherlands (the Holland area).

From the name of the town of Ryley in Lancashire, derived from Old English ryge "rye" and leah "woodland, clearing".

Means "hillside" in Finnish.

Spanish cognate of Rios.

Spanish form of Riva.

From Spanish ribera meaning "bank, shore", from Latin riparius.

Denoted a person who lived near a river, from Middle English, from Old French riviere meaning "river", from Latin riparius meaning "riverbank".

Means "son of Robert".

Originally indicated a person who lived near an oak tree or forest, from Spanish roble "oak", from Latin robur.

Means "son of Rodrigo" in Spanish. This is among the most common surnames in Spain.

Variant of Rojo.

From a diminutive of the given name Roland.

Derived from Spanish romero meaning "pilgrim to Rome".

Means "rose bushes" in Spanish.

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

Means "row" in Middle English, indicating a dweller by a row of hedges or houses.

Derived from the given name Roland.

Means "son of Ruy" in Spanish.

From Spanish sala meaning "hall" and Basque zahar meaning "old". It can also refer to the town of Salazar in Burgos, Spain, which is of the same origin.

Derived from Latin salix meaning "willow tree". The name was originally given to one who lived near a willow tree.

Occupational name for a salt worker or someone who lived bear a salt works, from Spanish salina "salt works, salt mine", ultimately from Latin sal "salt".

Either a variant of Salas or Sala, or else a nickname from Arabic, Turkish, or Persian salli meaning "broad, wide, large, tall".

Means "son of Sancho".

Patronymic of the given name Sander, a medieval form of Alexander.

Derived from the name of a town in Spain, ultimately from Latin saltus "forest, glade" and novalis "unploughed land".

From any of the numerous places named after Saint Anna. A famous bearer is the Mexican-American musician Carlos Santana (1947-).

Variant of Sanders.

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).

Originally given to a person from Scotland or a person who spoke Scottish Gaelic.

Italian, Portuguese and Catalan cognate of Sierra.

Variant of Sierra.

Originally given to a person who lived near a prominent thicket, from Old English sceaga meaning "thicket, copse".

From the name of various English towns, meaning "shelf town" in Old English.

From Spanish or Portuguese silva meaning "forest". This is the most common surname in Portugal and Brazil.

Derived from the given name Simon 1.

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

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

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

It indicates familial origin within the eponymous neighborhood of the municipality of Zalla.

Means "son of Søren".

Means "grove of trees, small forest" in Spanish, ultimately from Latin saltus.

From the name of the town of Spalding in Lincolnshire, derived from the Anglo-Saxon tribe of the Spaldingas.

From an Old Norse nickname or byname derived from sparkr meaning "sprightly".

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

Variant of Stephens.

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

Means "stream" in Norwegian and Danish.

Means "son of Suero".

Occupational name for a summoner, an official who was responsible for ensuring the appearance of witnesses in court, from Middle English sumner, ultimately from Latin submonere "to advise".

Occupational name for a person who tanned animal hides, from Old English tannian "to tan", itself from Late Latin and possibly ultimately of Celtic origin.

Means "mud wall" in Spanish.

Derived from the Old English given name Tata.

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).

Americanized form of Tailler.

Derived from the given name Thomas.

From any of the various places in England by this name, meaning "thorn town" in Old English.

From Tindale, the name of a town in Cumbria, derived from the name of the river Tyne combined with Old English dæl "dale, valley".

Name for a person who lived in or near a tower, ultimately from Latin turris.

Denoted one who lived near the River Trent in England.

Originally denoted a person from Trujillo, Spain, originally called Turgalium in Latin.

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.

Means "dweller at the edge of the woods", from Old English under and wudu.

Means "son of Baldo".

From the name of the Spanish city of Valencia.

Means "from Buren", a small town on the island of Ameland in the north of the Netherlands, as well as a small city in the Dutch province Gelderland. The place names derive from Old Dutch bur meaning "house, dwelling". In the 16th century the countess Anna van Buren married William of Orange, the founder of the Dutch royal family. A famous bearer of this surname was Martin van Buren (1782-1862), the eighth President of the United States.

Means "from the mountain", derived from Dutch berg meaning "mountain".

Means "from the sea" in Dutch. The original bearer may have been someone who lived on the coast.

Dutch form of Horn.

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

Means "slope, flooded field, pastureland" or "hut", from the Spanish and Portuguese dialectal word varga.

Means "son of Vasco".

Derived from the given name Velasco.

From the given name Bonaventura.

From a nickname meaning "cheerful" in Czech and Slovak.

From the given name Vidal.

Catalan variant of Vilar.

Means "town" in Italian and Spanish, from Latin. It was originally given to a person who came from a town, as opposed to the countryside.

Habitational name for a person from the town of Villalobos, Spain, which is derived from Spanish villa "town" and lobo "wolf".

Meaning uncertain, possibly from a Basque place name.

From the given name Vos, which comes from the Frisian name Fos, which is from Old German given names beginning with the element folk meaning "people".

Derived from the Old English place name wæd meaning "a ford".

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".

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

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

Derived from Old English weard meaning "guard, guardian".

Variant of Werner.

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

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.

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

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

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

From Chinese 文 (wén) meaning "literature, culture, writing".

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

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

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

Variant of Wild.

Means "son of William".

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

Means "son of Will". A famous bearer was the American president Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924).

Variant of Wolf.

Variant of Wolf.

Variant of Wood.

From Chinese 吴 (wú) referring to the ancient state of Wu, which was located in present-day Jiangsu province.

From Chinese 许 (xǔ) referring to the minor state of Xu, which existed to the 4th century BC in what is now Henan province. The character 许 means "allow, permit".

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

Variant of Ibarra.

From the name of the English city of York, which was originally called Eburacon (Latinized as Eboracum), meaning "yew" in Brythonic. In the Anglo-Saxon period it was corrupted to Eoforwic, based on Old English eofor "boar" and wic "village". This was rendered as Jórvík by the Vikings and eventually reduced to York.

From Chinese 张 (zhāng) meaning "stretch, extend". It may have denoted a bowmaker whose job it was to stretch bow wood.

From Chinese 赵 (zhào), which refers to an ancient city-state in what is now Shanxi province. According to legend, King Mu rewarded his chariot driver Zaofu with the city, at which time Zaofu adopted this surname. The later historic state of Zhao, which existed from the 5th to 3rd centuries BC, was named after this city.

This was the surname of Chinese emperors of the Song dynasty.

From Chinese 周 (zhōu) referring to the Zhou dynasty, which held power from 1046 to 771 BC, continuing for a few more centuries as figureheads.

From the name of a Spanish town, formerly named Estuniga in Basque, possibly derived from Basque istuin "channel, strait".