Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
GemistosGreek, Late Greek Means "full, laden" in Greek, supposedly referring to a head full of knowledge. One of the earliest recorded bearers was Georgios Gemistos Plethon, a Greek scholar of the late Byzantine era. He chose the pseudonym Plethon (from πλῆθος (plethos) "multitude, great number", from πλήθω (pletho) "to fill") partly in reference to the meaning of his surname.
GillanIrish The Gillan surname is a reduced Anglicized form of the Irish Gaelic Mac Gille Fhaoláin, which means "son of the servant of St Faolán." While the name may have originated in Ireland, this line was extant by the beginning of the 17th century, only to find many of the family to return to Ireland about 100 years later with the Plantation of Ulster.... [more]
GillespieScottish, Irish Gillespie can be of Scottish and Irish origin. The literal meaning is "servant of bishop", but it is a forename rather than a status name. The Irish Gillespies, originally MacGiollaEaspuig, are said to to be called after one Easpog Eoghan, or Bishop Owen, of Ardstraw, County Tyrone... [more]
GiorgainaGreek (Archaic) Andronymic meaning "wife of Georgios". This was used in early modern Greece, at which time a married woman's surname was formed from her husband's given name and the suffix -αινα (-aina)... [more]
GlockGerman Meant "person who lives by a church bell-tower or in a house with the sign of a bell", "bell-ringer" or "town crier" (German Glocke "bell"). It was borne by Sir William Glock (1908-2000), a British music administrator.
GlushkovRussian Derived from Russian глухой (glukhoy) meaning "deaf" or "remote, out-of-the-way", either used as a nickname for a deaf person or for someone originally from a remote place.
GogolUkrainian, Polish, Jewish Means "Common goldeneye (a type of duck)" in Ukrainian. Possibly a name for a fowler. A famous bearer was Nikolai Gogol.
GormleyIrish (Anglicized) Anglicised form of Ó Gormghaile meaning "descendant of Gormghal," Gormghal, a personal name, being derived from gorm meaning "noble, (dark) blue" and gal meaning "valour, ardour."
GoswamiIndian, Bengali, Hindi, Assamese Derived from Sanskrit गोस्वामिन् (gosvamin) meaning "religious mendicant" (literally "owner of cows" or "lord of cows"), from गो (go) meaning "cow" and स्वामिन् (svamin) meaning "owner, lord, master".
GoudierGerman Germanic patronym from "godhari" meaning "army of God".
GoulterEnglish (Rare) This very unusual name has long been recorded in England but perhaps surprisingly as a Norman personal name. The first recording in England was as "Galterii" which appears in the Domesday Book of 1086 for London as a French form of the Olde German "Walter" translating as "Mighty Army".
GrableGerman Means "digger of ditches or graves" (from a derivative of Middle High German graben "ditch"). A famous bearer was US actress, dancer and singer Betty Grable (1916-1973).
GribbenIrish This surname is of Old Gaelic origin, and is a variant of "Cribben", which itself is the Anglicized form of the Gaelic name "MacRoibin", meaning "son of (mac) Robin", a patronymic from the Anglo-Norman French given name "Robin"... [more]
GriffinIrish (Anglicized) Anglicized (part translated) form of Gaelic Ó Gríobhtha "descendant of Gríobhtha", a personal name from gríobh "gryphon".
GukasyanArmenian Means "son of Gukas", the Armenian equivalent of Luke.
GulianArmenian From Armenian word gul meaning "rose", as well as "laughter", combined with the common suffix of ian meaning "son of".
GulliverEnglish From a medieval nickname for a greedy person (from Old French goulafre "glutton"). Jonathan Swift used it in his satire 'Gulliver's Travels' (1726), about the shipwrecked ship's surgeon Lemuel Gulliver, whose adventures "offer opportunities for a wide-ranging and often savage lampooning of human stupidity and vice."
GürsoyTurkish From Turkish gür meaning "bushy, strong" or "thunder" and soy meaning "ancestry, descent, family".
GursulturJewish (Latinized), Kurdish, Hebrew This name is a composition of the following words: GUR; Hebrew for "lion cub", SUL; which is an abbreviation of Suleman (Kurdish for king Solomon), TUR; this word is derived from the Arba'ah Turim. The Arbaáh Turim are often called simply the Tur, which is an important Halakhic code.... [more]
GurugeSinhalese Derived from Sinhala ගුරු (guru) meaning "teacher, master" and the locative suffix -ගේ (-ge) meaning "of, home, house".
GuthrieScottish, Irish As a Scottish surname, this is either a habitational name for a person from the village of Guthrie near Forfar, itself from Gaelic gaothair meaning "windy place" (a derivative of gaoth "wind") and the locative suffix -ach, or alternatively it might possibly be an Anglicized form of Scottish Gaelic Mag Uchtre meaning "son of Uchtre", a personal name of uncertain origin, perhaps related to uchtlach "child".... [more]
GyljárlaugssonIcelandic The name Gyljárlaugsson combines two Icelandic words, "gylja" meaning "to roar" and "laug" meaning "hot spring". Therefore, the name Gyljárlaugsson could be interpreted as "son of the roaring hot spring".
HaavistoFinnish Means "place with aspens" or "group of aspens". This name comes from a combination of haapa, "aspen", and the suffix -sto which is used for places and groups of things.
HaganIrish Reduced Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó hÁgáin "descendant of Ógán", a personal name from a diminutive of óg "young".
HaganIrish Reduced Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó hAodhagáin "descendant of Aodhagán", a personal name formed from a double diminutive of Aodh meaning "fire".
HallamEnglish Habitational name from Halam (Nottinghamshire) or from Kirk or West Hallam (Derbyshire) all named with the Old English dative plural halum "(at the) nooks or corners of land" (from Old English halh "nook recess"; see Hale)... [more]
HalliganIrish shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó hÁilleagán "descendant of Áilleagán" a double diminutive of áille "beauty".
HallinanIrish Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó hÁilgheanáin "descendant of Áilgheanán", a pet form of a personal name composed of old Celtic elements meaning "mild, noble person".
HamillIrish According to MacLysaght, a shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó hÁdhmaill "descendant of Ádhmall", which he derives from ádhmall "active".
HanleyIrish Means “descendant of Áinle.” Derived from “O’Hanley,” an anglicized form of “Ó hÁinle,” ultimately from Gaelic “ainle” meaning “beauty, grace.”
HanlonIrish Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó hAnluain "descendant of Anluan", a personal name from the intensive prefix an- and luan "light", "radiance" or "warrior". Occasionally it has been used to represent Hallinan.
HanrattyIrish Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó hInreachtaigh meaning "descendant of Ionnrachtach", a given name meaning "attacker".
HansdotterfSwedish Means "daughter of Hans". This name is only given to females. A notable bearer is Swedish alpine ski racer Frida Hansdotter (b. 1985).
HarmsMedieval Low German Of ancient German origin, Harms is derived from a Germanic personal name made up of the elements "heri," meaning "army," and "man," meaning "man." Surname Harms was first found in Prussia, in medieval times as one of the notable families of the region.
HarndenEnglish From an English village Harrowden in Bedfordshire. This place name literally means "hill of the heathen shrines or temples," from the Old English words hearg and dun.
HarvardEnglish From the Old English given name Hereweard, composed of the elements here "army" and weard "guard", which was borne by an 11th-century thane of Lincolnshire, leader of resistance to the advancing Normans... [more]
HarwoodEnglish, Scots Habitation name found especially along the border areas of England and Scotland, from the Old English elements har meaning "gray" or hara referring to the animals called "hares" plus wudu for "wood"... [more]
HaylingEnglish Either (i) "person from Hayling", Hampshire ("settlement of Hægel's people"); or (ii) from the Old Welsh personal name Heilyn, literally "cup-bearer" (see also Palin).
HazardEnglish, French, Dutch Nickname for an inveterate gambler or a brave or foolhardy man prepared to run risks, from Middle English, Old French hasard, Middle Dutch hasaert (derived from Old French) "game of chance", later used metaphorically of other uncertain enterprises... [more]
HelderDutch, German, Upper German, English 1. Dutch and German: from a Germanic personal name Halidher, composed of the elements haliò “hero” + hari, heri “army”, or from another personal name, Hildher, composed of the elements hild “strife”, “battle” + the same second element... [more]
HelmEnglish, Dutch, German from Old English helm "protection covering" (in later northern English dialects "cattle shelter barn"). The name may be topographic for someone who lived by or worked at a barn or habitational from a place so named such as Helme in Meltham (Yorkshire)... [more]
HemanIndian The name 'Heman' is a Jewish name, meaning 'Faithfull'.... [more]
HennellyIrish From the Irish Ó'hIonnghaile, itself "descendant of (a variation of) Fionnghal" (fionn, "white, fair"; gall, "stranger")... [more]
HennesseeIrish A variant of the traditionally Irish surname Hennessey or Hennessy, an Anglicization of Ó hAonghusa meaning "descendant of Aonghus".
HenvilleWelsh Derived from the name of an ancestor meaning "Son of Anwyl"
HerbarthGerman, Norman References Old Norse Deity "Odin" being one of the "Son's of Odin". Remember that the Geats became the Ostrogoths through the Denmark pass--referenced in Beowulf. Or, it means "Warrior of the Bearded One", perhaps a King... [more]
HerefordEnglish Habitational name from Hereford in Herefordshire, or Harford in Devon and Goucestershire, all named from Old English here "army" + ford "ford".
HerlihyIrish From Irish Gaelic Ó hIarfhlatha "descendant of Iarfhlaith", a personal name meaning literally "lord of the west".
HerndonMedieval English The surname Herndon was first found in Bedfordshire (Old English: Bedanfordscir), located in Southeast-central England, formerly part of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia, where they held a family seat from ancient times... [more]
HerrmanGerman Herrman is of ancient German origin. It is derived from a Germanic personal name made up of the elements heri meaning "army," and man meaning "man." Herrman was first found in Prussia, where the name emerged in medieval times as one of the notable families of the region.
HettigeSinhalese From Sinhala හෙට්ටි (hetti) referring to the Chetty caste (primarily composed of merchants and traders) combined with the suffix -ගේ (-ge) meaning "of, home, house".
HewczakPolish Hewczak is primarily a Polish surname of the Ukrainian surname of Hewczuk.... [more]
HietalaFinnish Finnish. (hieta) meaning, “fine-sand” combined with (la) meaning, “abode, house, place, or land of….”
HigashikoJapanese Higashi means "east" and ko means "child, sign of the rat".
HijikataJapanese From 泥 (hiji) meaning "mud, mire," more often written as 土, from tsuchi meaning "earth, soil, dirt, mud," and 方 (kata) meaning "direction, way" or, more rarely, 片 (kata) meaning "one (of a pair); incomplete, fragmentary" (cognate with 方).... [more]
HilgersenGerman Means "son of Hilger”. From a Germanic personal name composed of the elements hild 'strife', 'battle' + gar, ger 'spear' and sen 'son'. Most common in Northern Germany.
HimmelreichGerman, Jewish humorous topographic name from a place so named as being at a high altitude from Middle High German himel "heaven" and riche "empire" meaning "kingdom of heaven, heavenly kingdom".
HineEnglish occupational name from Middle English Old English hine "servant member of a household" also "farm laborer" (such as a herdsman or shepherd)... [more]
HingstonEnglish The distribution of the Hingston surname appears to be based around the South Hams area of Devon. The English Place Name Society volumes for Devon give the best indication of the source of the name... [more]
HõimEstonian Hõim is an Estonian surname meaning "tribe".
HõimreEstonian Hõimre is an Estonian surname derived from "hõim" meaning "tribe" and "kinfolk".
HokinoueJapanese (Rare) Hoki means "cave, grotto, den", no means "of, therefore", and ue means "upper, top, above". ... [more]
HomolkaCzech From homolka meaning "(cone-shaped lump of) cream cheese". The word homolka itself is derived from homole "cone". This was either a nickname for a mild person or an occupational name for someone who made cheese.
HomuraJapanese This surname is used as 保村, 甫村 or 穂村 with 保 (ho, hou, tamo.tsu) meaning "guarantee, keep, preserve, protect, support, sustain", 甫 (fu, ho, haji.mete, suke) meaning "for the first time, not until", 穂 (sui, ho) meaning "crest (of wave), ear, ear (of grain), head" and 村 (son, mura) meaning "town, village."... [more]
HörmannGerman The distinguished surname Hormann is of very ancient German origin. It is derived from a Germanic personal name made up of the elements "heri," meaning "army," and "man," meaning "man."
HorntonEnglish (Rare, Archaic) Derived from the surname Horton or perhaps used to describe a horn maker meaning “maker of horns.”
HorsleyEnglish Old English hors ‘horse’ + lēah ‘woodland clearing’... [more]
HoseasonEnglish Means "son of Hosea", a personal name that was originally probably Osie, a pet-form of Oswald, but came to be associated with the biblical personal name Hosea.
HoshiroJapanese 保城 or HOSHIRO would translate to "Castle of Protection"
HospodPolish (Rare) From the Proto-Slavic gospodь, meaning "lord" or "host." Variant of the Old Polish gospodzin, meaning "landlord."... [more]
HowieScottish I believe it is from "The Land of How" in Ayrshire
HowleyEnglish, Irish English habitational name from Howley in Warrington (Lancashire) or Howley in Morley (Yorkshire). The Lancashire name also appears as Hooley and Wholey while the Yorkshire placename comes from Old English hofe "ground ivy... [more]
HuarangaIncan Possibly refers to the Inca administrative "unit of a thousand households"
HubenGerman The roots of the distinguished German surname Huben lie in the kingdom of Bavaria. The name is derived from the Middle High German word "huober," meaning "owner of a patch of farmland." The term "Hube" was used to denote a 40-acre hide of farmland... [more]
HusseyEnglish, Irish As an English surname, it comes from two distinct sources. It is either of Norman origin, derived from Houssaye, the name of an area in Seine-Maritime which ultimately derives from Old French hous "holly"; or it is from a Middle English nickname given to a woman who was the mistress of a household, from an alteration of husewif "housewife"... [more]
HutaurukBatak From Batak huta meaning "village, area" and uruk meaning "upper, above" or "bone leaves (a type of plant)".
IbbotsonEnglish Diminutive form ("son of" or little) of Hibbs, itself a patronymic, from a diminutive of Hibbert, which derives from a Norman personal name, "Hil(de)bert", composed of the Germanic elements "hild", battle, and "berht" famous.
IchinoeJapanese From 一 (ichi, kazu) meaning "one", 之 (no) meaning "of", and 江 (e) meaning "river, bay, inlet". This is not spelled the same as the town named Ichinohe.
IchinomiyaJapanese This surname is used as 一宮, 一の宮, 一ノ宮, 一之宮 or 市之宮 with 一 (ichi, itsu, hito, hito.tsu) meaning "one," 市 (shi, ichi) meaning "city, market, town," 之 (shi, oite, kono, kore, no, yuku) meaning "of, this" or 宮 (kyuu, ku, kuu, guu, miya) meaning "constellations, palace, princess."... [more]
IddendenEnglish (Rare) Iden as a village name is to be found in both the counties of Kent and Sussex, and describes a pasture, or strictly speaking an area within a marsh suitable for pasture. The origination is the pre 6th century phrase ig-denn with ig meaning an island... [more]