DukelowEnglish This surname is of Old French origin. It was initially introduced into England by the Normans after the Conquest of 1066, and subsequently by French Huguenot refugees fleeing religious persecutions in their own country... [more]
Du LacArthurian Cycle In the series Merlin, this was the surname of Sir Lancelot: Lancelot du Lac. du Lac possibly means "of the lake."
DunkinsonEnglish (British) Derives from the Scottish surname of Duncanson with the same meaning of "son of Duncan". Likewise, it may derive further from the Gaelic male given name "Donnchad", related ultimately to "Donncatus", a Celtic personal name of great antiquity.
DunleavyIrish, English Anglicized form of Mac Duinnshléibhe meaning "son of Donn Sléibhe".
DupainFrench Means "of the bread" in French, probably used as an occupational name for a baker.
DupinFrench Means "of the pine tree" in French, referring to a person who lived near a pine tree or was from any of various locations named Le Pin.
DurraniPashto Derived from Persian در (dorr) meaning "pearl". It was historically used in the phrase padshah durr-i durran meaning "king pearl of the age", a title used by Ahmad Shah Durrani, the founder of the modern state of Afghanistan.
DurwardEnglish, Scottish (?) Means "guardian of the door, door-keeper" (cf. Durward). A fictional bearer of the surname is Quentin Durward, eponymous hero of the novel (1823) by Sir Walter Scott.
DutertreFrench Means "of the hillock, of the mound" in French.
D'uvaItalian From Italian uva "grape", meaning "of the grapes". An occupational name for someone who produced grapes, or possibly a nickname.
DzugaevOssetian (Russified) Probably derived from Dzuga, the name of a past ancestor and the founder of the family/clan of uncertain meaning, though it could have been used to refer to a shepherd or herder if derived from Iron Ossetian дзуг (dzug) meaning "flock, herd (of sheep or cattle)".
EarnshawEnglish Means "person from Earnshaw", Lancashire ("Earn's nook of land" - Earn from an Old English personal name meaning literally "eagle"). In fiction this surname is borne by Catherine Earnshaw, her brother Hindley and her nephew Hareton, characters in Emily Brontë's 'Wuthering Heights' (1847).
EastburnEnglish Habitational name from either of two places, one in Humberside and one in West Yorkshire, so named from Old English ēast, ēasten "east" and burna "stream".
EasterbrookEnglish Topographic name for someone who lived by a brook to the east of a main settlement, from Middle English easter meaning "eastern" + brook meaning "stream".
EbenEnglish Meaning unknown. It could be from the given name Eden, from the place name Eden, meaning "Place Of Pleasure".
EconomosGreek (Anglicized, Expatriate, ?) Alternate transcription of Greek Οικονόμος (see Oikonomos), which was an occupational surname meaning "one who manages a household, steward of an estate, housekeeper" from the ancient Greek word οἰκόνομος (oikonomos), itself derived from οἶκος (oikos) "house, household" and νόμος (nomos) "law, custom".
EdaJapanese From Japanese 江 (e) meaning "bay, inlet" and 田 (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".
EdénSwedish Possibly a habitational name from a place named with the element ed "isthmus". In some cases it could also be a shortened form of EDENIUS (a combination of Swedish ed "isthmus" and the Latin suffix -enius "descendant of").
EguchiJapanese From Japanese 江 (e) meaning "inlet, bay" and 口 (kuchi) meaning "mouth, entrance".
EhlertGerman From a Germanic personal name composed of the elements agil "edge", "point (of a sword)" + hard "brave", "hardy", "strong" or ward "guard".
ElfvingSwedish Possibly a combination of an obsolete spelling of Swedish älv "river" and the suffix -ing (ultimately from Proto-Germanic -ingaz) meaning "coming from, belonging to, descending from"... [more]
ElizabelarBasque The Basque surname Elizabelar or De Elizabelar means "meadow of the church,". It's a surname that belongs to Celtic families. The Basques come from the ancient Celtic ethnic group (Celtic tribe) in the Pyrenees called (named) the baskunes or the barskunes (the people of the above).
EllerveeEstonian Ellervee is an Estonian surname meaning "Eller water", but of undetermined origin. Possibly from the German "Eller". Possibly a corruption of the surname "Ellerbee" or "Ellerby".
El-qasesArabic It means "the narrative (which refers to the title of a chapter of the Quran)".
El-shafeiArabic It means "the intercessor (which refers to the Prophet of Islam, who will hopefully intercede on one's behalf before God on the day of judgement)".
ElwellEnglish Means "person from Elwell", Dorset (probably "spring from which omens can be read").
EmajõeEstonian Emajõe is an Estonian surname meaning "mother river" (a genitive form of "ema jõgi"). The Emajõgi is a 100km river flowing through Estonia.
EnoshimaJapanese From Japanese 江 (e) meaning "bay", ノ (no) which is a particle of possession, and 島 (shima) meaning "island". This can refer to the island in the Kanagawa prefecture.
EpemaFrisian "Son of Epa" or "Son of Eepa". The name was applied starting around 1620 C.E. to the descendants of Eepa, matriarch of a family of the "grytman" type of elected nobility who held political power in and around the town of Sneek/Snits... [more]
EpplerGerman Occupational name for a fruit grower or dealer, from Middle High German epfeler meaning "grower of or dealer in apples".
ErmanGerman (Modern), French (Modern) Erman is a shortened French adaption of the Swiss-German surname Ermendinger, itself derived from the older surname Ermatinger, a name connected to the village of Ermatingen on the Swiss shore of Lake Constance, and came into existence during the early or middle 18th century when Jean-Georges Ermendinger (1710-1767), a Swiss fur trader from Geneva, married into a French speaking Huguenotte family... [more]
ErmatingerGerman (Swiss) The surname Ermatinger derives from the village of Ermatingen on the Swiss shore of Lake Constance. It simply means "from Ermatingen".... [more]
EroğluTurkish Means "son of the warrior" in Turkish.
ErreyEnglish This uncommon and intriguing name is of Old Norse origin, and is found chiefly in the north western counties of England, reflecting the dense settlement of Scandinavian peoples in those areas. The surname is locational, from places such as Aira Beck or Aira Force near Ullswater in Cumberland, or some other minor or unrecorded place also named with the Old Norse term "eyrara", meaning "gravel-bank stream river”.
EspírituSpanish From a short form of Spanish del Espíritu Santo meaning "of the Holy Spirit, of the Holy Ghost" (Latin Spiritus Sanctus), which was the second part of religious compound names formed from the bearer's given name and del Espíritu Santo... [more]
EssLow German, German (Swiss) North German: topographic name for someone living on or owning land that was waterlogged or partly surrounded by water, from Middle Low German es ‘swamp’, ‘water’. ... [more]
EssienWestern African, Akan, Ibibio, Efik Means "sixth born child" in Akan, possibly deriving from the given name Nsia. As a Nigerian name it is derived from a given name (found among the Ibibio and Efik people) denoting the son the family lineage depends on, possibly meaning either "a child who belongs to everyone" or "the child who takes charge of outside matters"... [more]
EstesWelsh, Spanish, English a popular surname derived from the House of Este. It is also said to derive from Old English and have the meaning "of the East." As a surname, it has been traced to southern England in the region of Kent, as early as the mid-16th century.
EsumiJapanese E means "river, inlet" and sumi mean "residence, dwelling, abide" or "nook, corner".
EtchellsEnglish (British) This surname was a habitation name derived from the Old English word "ecels" which is roughly translated as the "dweller on a piece of land added to an estate." Alternatively, the name may have derived from the Old English word "ecan" which means "to increase."
EtienamNigerian, Ibibio (?), Spanish (Caribbean, ?) This is a name which originates from the Calabar/Akwa Ibom region of southeastern Nigeria. It means "a doer of good, or benevolent". It is also found in Spanish-speaking regions of the Caribbean such as Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, and Cuba (El Oriente) which have populations of people of Ibibio/Efik decent known as "Carabali".
EtoJapanese 江 (E) means "River, Inlet" and 藤 (To) means "Wisteria".
EtōJapanese From Japanese 江 (e) meaning "bay, inlet" and 藤 (tō) meaning "wisteria".
EveringhamEnglish Means "homestead of the followers of Eofor". From Old English eofor "boar" inga, meaning "the people of, followers of" and ham meaning "home, estate, settlement".
EwellEnglish Habitation name from the town of Ewell in Surrey or from Temple Ewell or Ewell Manor, both in Kent or Ewell Minnis near Dover. Originally from Old English Aewill meaning "river source" or "spring".
FaheyIrish Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Fathaidh or Ó Fathaigh meaning "descendant of Fathadh", a given name derived from the Gaelic word fothadh "base, foundation".... [more]
FairbrotherEnglish From a medieval nickname probably meaning either "better-looking of two brothers" or "brother of a good-looking person", or perhaps in some cases "father's brother".
FallonIrish Anglicized form of the surname Ó Fallamhain meaning "descendant of Fallamhan", the name being a byname meaning "leader" (derived from follamhnas meaning "supremacy").
FanshaweEnglish Meant "person from Featherstonehaugh", Northumberland (now known simply as "Featherstone") ("nook of land by the four-stones", four-stones referring to a prehistoric stone structure known technically as a "tetralith")... [more]
FaradayIrish From Irish Gaelic Ó Fearadaigh "descendant of Fearadach", a personal name probably based on fear "man", perhaps meaning literally "man of the wood". A famous bearer was British chemist and physicist Michael Faraday (1791-1867).
FariesScottish Gaelic Scottish Gaelic Faries (meaning: fair, beautiful, or handsome) is derived from ancient Scottish Dalriadan MacFergus clans of the mountainous west coast of Scotland... [more]
FarthingEnglish (i) "someone who lives on a 'farthing' of land" (i.e. a quarter of a larger area); (ii) from a medieval nickname based on farthing "1/4 penny", perhaps applied to someone who paid a farthing in rent; (iii) from the Old Norse male personal name Farthegn, literally "voyaging warrior"
FasanoItalian Probably from Italian fasani "pheasant", a nickname for someone who resembled the bird in appearance or (lack of) intelligence, who hunted them, or who lived in an area populated by them. ... [more]
FawleyEnglish This is a name for someone who worked as a person who worked as the fowler or the bird-catcher having derived from the Old English word "fugelere" which literally means "hunter of wild birds, fowler"... [more]
FederspielGerman (Swiss) Derived from Middle High German vederspil "bird of prey (trained for hunting)", this was an occupational name for a falconer.
FernelFrench Derived from French ferronel, a diminutive of (obsolete) ferron "maker or seller of iron".
FerrarEnglish The Ferrars are the Lincolnshire branch of the noble De Ferrers family. The latter having been linked to Tamworth Castle, manors in Baddesley Clinton, Tutbury Castle and the now ruined Groby Castle as well as many other estates around the UK.... [more]
FerrignoItalian Derived from the Italian adjective ferrigno meaning "made of or resembling iron" (a derivative of Latin ferrum meaning "iron"), applied as a nickname to someone who was very strong or thought to resemble the metal in some other way... [more]
FilkinsEnglish Means either (i) "person from Filkins", Oxfordshire ("settlement of Filica's people"); or "son of Filkin", a medieval personal name meaning literally "little Phil", from Philip.
FilleryEnglish From a medieval nickname derived from Anglo-Norman fitz le rei "son of the king" (see also Fitzroy), probably applied mainly (and ironically) to an illegitimate person or to someone who put on quasi-royal airs.
FinanIrish Means "descendant of Fionnán", anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Fionnáin.
FinnertyIrish Reduced anglicisation of Irish Ó Fionnachta meaning "descendant of Fionnachta", a given name derived from fionn meaning "fair, white" and sneachta meaning "snow".
FishburneEnglish Derived from the villages of Fishbourne in West Sussex and the Isle of Wight, or the village and civil parish of Fishburn in County Durham, England, all named from Old English fisc meaning "fish" and burna meaning "stream"... [more]
FitzEmpressHistory, Anglo-Norman Means "son of the empress" in Anglo-Norman French. The three sons of Empress Matilda (1102-1167) were known as Henry FitzEmpress (King Henry II of England), Geoffrey FitzEmpress, Count of Nantes, and William FitzEmpress, Count of Poitou.
FontCatalan, Occitan, Spanish, French topographic name for someone living near a spring or well Catalan and Occitan font "spring well" (from Latin fons genitive fontis).
FontecchioItalian Habitational name from Fontecchio in Aquila province or a topographic name from a diminutive of fonte meaning "spring".
ForsSwedish Means "rapid, small waterfall" in Swedish.
ForsströmSwedish, Finnish Derived from Swedish fors meaning "waterfall" and ström (Old Norse straumr) meaning "stream".
ForsytheScottish, Northern Irish This surname has two possible origins. The more accepted explanation is that it comes from the Gaelic given name Fearsithe, which means "man of peace" from the elements fear "man" and sithe "peace"... [more]
FoxwellEnglish Means "fox stream", from Old English fox and well(a), meaning stream.
FoxworthEnglish "dweller at the homestead infested by foxes." or "house of Fox" aka Foxworthy... [more]
FoyIrish (Anglicized) A different form of Fahy (from Irish Gaelic Ó Fathaigh "descendant of Fathach", a personal name probably based on Gaelic fothadh "foundation").
FrankenbergGerman, Jewish habitational name from a place in northern Hesse named as "fort (Old High German burg) of the Franks". From German franken and berg "mountain hill mountain"... [more]
FrisbyEnglish Means "person from Frisby", Leicestershire ("farmstead of the Frisians"). A frisbee is a plastic disc thrown from person to person as a game; the trademarked name, registered in 1959 by Fred Morrison, was inspired by the Frisbie bakery of Bridgeport, Connecticut, whose pie tins were the original models for the plastic discs.
FrühlingGerman (Rare) Nickname from Middle High German vrüelinc German frühling "spring" in some cases for an early-born child from früh "early" and the suffix -ling denoting affiliation.
FuchinoJapanese Fuchi means "abyss, deep end, pool" and no means "field, plain".
FuchinoueJapanese Fuchi means "abyss, pool, deep end", no is a possessive particle, and ue means "upper, top, above".
FuenokazeJapanese Borne by character Ren Fuenokaze (笛の 風錬) in the fake visual novel adventure game 'Danganronpa 4K: Hopeless Rising', made up of the nouns 笛 (fue) meaning "flute", の (no) meaning "of the", and 風 (kaze) meaning "winds".... [more]
FujikawaJapanese From Japanese 藤 (fuji) meaning "wisteria" and 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream".
GamageSinhalese Means "of the village", from Sinhala ගම (gama) meaning "village" and the locative suffix -ගේ (-ge) meaning "home, house".
GambierFrench Derived from gambier, a Northern French variant of jambier, the masculine form of jambière "greave (a piece of armour that protects the leg, especially the shin, and occasionally the tops of the feet)"... [more]
GamgeeLiterature In J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings", the surname of Samwise "Sam" Gamgee, Frodo Baggins' gardener.
GanusRussian, Ukrainian Possibly derived from Russian анис (anis) referring to the anise (Pimpinella anisum) plant or from the Turkish given name Gainislam itself from Arabic عَيْن (ʿayn) meaning "spring, source" combined with the name of the religion Islam.
GarabedianArmenian Means "son of Garabed", an Armenian personal name meaning literally "leader, precursor" and traditionally used as an epithet of John the Baptist in the Armenian church.
GarcésSpanish Meaning "son of García" ultimately from medieval spanish Garsea, using the patronymic suffix és/ez
GarlickEnglish (i) "grower or seller of garlic"; (ii) perhaps from a medieval personal name descended from Old English Gārlāc, literally "spear-play"; (iii) an anglicization of the Belorussian Jewish name Garelick, literally "distiller"
GarriguesFrench, Provençal This surname comes from Old Provençal garrique meaning "grove of holm oaks or kermes oaks."
GartonEnglish habitational name from Garton or Garton on the Wolds in the East Yorkshire or from various minor places so named from Old English gara "triangular plot of land" and tun "farmstead".
GarwoodEnglish Comes from a lost locational name from the Olde English gara, referring to a "triangular piece of land" or to a "spearhead", and wudu meaning a "wood".
GatchalianFilipino, Tagalog From a Hispanicised spelling of Gat Sa Li-Han, a Chinese title meaning "lord of Li-Han". It was used by the rulers of Li-Han, an ancient Philippine state that was located in the present-day city of Malolos.
GatdulaFilipino, Tagalog This surname honors Lakan Dula, the last ruler of the Kingdom of Tondo, via his alternative name Gat Dula. In it, the word or prefix Gat is a shortened version of the Tagalog honorific Pamagat, which at the time meant "nobleman," while Dula possibly means "palace." Altogether, it means "Nobleman of the Palace."
GatmaitanFilipino, Tagalog From a Hispanicised form of Gat Maitan, a title meaning "lord of Mait" that was used by rulers of an ancient place named Mait or Maitan.
GauntEnglish This name is believed to have derived "from the town of Gaunt, now Ghent, in Flanders."... [more]