Browse Submitted Surnames

Akbaş Turkish
From Turkish ak meaning "white" and baş meaning "head".

Alcabasa Filipino
Derived from Spanish el cabeza meaning "the head".

Atangan Filipino, Tagalog
Means "help to raise a load (onto another's head or shoulders)" in Tagalog.

Bankhead Scottish, Northern Irish
Topographic name for someone who lived at the top or end of a bank or hill, derived from Middle English bank meaning "bank" and hed meaning "head". There are several minor places in Scotland so called, but the most likely source of the surname is one on the border between the parishes of Kilmarnock and Dreghorn in Ayrshire, Scotland.

Baş Turkish
Means "head, top" or "leader" in Turkish.

Başoğlu Turkish
Means "son of the leader" from Turkish baş meaning "leader, head".

Boujettif Northern African (Archaic)
Meaning, "The family of the son of the Clever Head" or "One Whom Possess a Clever Head." Bou (normally used in the North African Regions of the Maghrib Countries) has 2 possible derivative meanings both originating from the Arabic language, "Son of..." or an Arabic word Tho meaning, "One Who Possess A Quality." Jettif is a variance of Jettef, Jeif or Ji'f which is derived from the ancient Tamazight or Imazighen (popularly known as Berber) and is pronounced "j-ixf" which means Clever, head, or brain."

Breithaupt German
Nickname for someone with a broad head, from Middle High German breit "broad" and houbet or houpt "head".

Broadhead English (British)
From Middle Eglish brod "wide, broad" and heved, hed "head, headland". Name for someone who lived by a broad headland.

Cabeleira Portuguese
Likely originates from the Portuguese word "cabeleira," which means "head of hair" or "hairpiece." It might have been used as a nickname to describe someone with a notable or distinctive head of hair... [more]

Canavan Irish (Anglicized)
Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Ceanndubháin "descendant of Ceanndubhán", a byname meaning "little black-headed one", from ceann "head" combined with dubh "black" and the diminutive suffix -án.

Capaldo Italian
Probably a diminutive of Italian capo meaning "head", perhaps used as a nickname for a stubborn or hard-headed person.

Capone Italian
Augmentative of Italian capo meaning "head", used as a nickname for a big-headed or arrogant person.

Caputo Italian
Derived from Latin caput meaning "head", used as a nickname for a big-headed or stubborn person.

Chau Khmer
Means "chief, head, boss" in Khmer.

Chousokabe Japanese
From Japanese 長 (chou) meaning "chief, head, leader", 宗 (so) meaning "religion", 我 (ka) meaning "ego" and 部 (be) meaning "section".

Chukho Circassian (Russified)
Derived from Adyghe цу (c°) meaning "ox, bull, buffalo" and шъхьэ (ŝḥă) meaning "head".

Coccia Italian
Meaning uncertain, possibly from Sicilian cocciu "grain, berry", denoting a kind of gruel; an occupational name for a farmer from Greek κόκκος (kokkos) "grain, seed"; or from Italian coccia "head, shell", referring to someone with a large head, or who was stubborn.

Deshmukh Indian, Marathi
From the historical title देशमुख (deśmukh) meaning "district head", derived from Sanskrit देश (deśá) meaning "country, district" combined with मुख (múkha) meaning "face".

Dimaunahan Filipino, Tagalog
Means "champion" (literally "cannot be outdone") from Tagalog di meaning "no, not" and unahan meaning "front, head, first".

Dudayev Chechen, Ossetian (Russified)
Russified form of a Chechen and Ossetian family name of disputed meaning; the name may be derived from Ossetian дудахъхъ (dudaqq) meaning "bustard", from Ingush тат (tat) meaning "Mountain Jew", or from Circassian дадэ (dade) meaning "grandfather" or "king, head, chief"... [more]

Egashira Japanese
From Japanese 江 (e) meaning "bay, inlet" and 頭 (kashira) meaning "head".

Golovanov Russian
Means "son of the head chief".

Golovin Russian
From Russian голова (golova) meaning "head, chief", probably used as a nickname for the head of a household or village.

Golovsky Belarusian, Russian
From Russian голова (golova) meaning "head, chief".

Hardekop German (Rare)
Derived from Middle High German hart "hard" and kopf "head". As a surname, it was given to a hard-headed, stubborn person.

Härjapea Estonian
Härjapea is an Estonian surname literally meaning "ox head", but derived from a colloquial name for "clover".

Homura Japanese
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]

Hovda Norwegian
Habitational name from the many farmsteads in Norway named Hovda. Derived from Old Norse hófði "rounded peak", itself derived from Old Norse hofuð "head".

In'yaku Japanese (Rare)
From Japanese 印鑰 (in'yaku) meaning "seal of head government office and keys to various buildings", referring to someone who would make seals or keys for such purposes.

Kabuto Japanese (Rare)
This surname is used as 甲, 兜, 加太, 甲頭, 加部東 or 鹿伏兎 with 甲 (ka, kan, kou, kinoe, kabuto) meaning "A grade, armour, carapace, first class, former, high (voice), instep", 兜 (to, tou, kabuto) meaning "headpiece, helmet", 加 (ka, kuwa.eru, kuwa.waru) meaning "add(ition), Canada, include, increase, join", 太 (ta, tai, futo.i, futo.ru) meaning "big around, plump, thick", 頭 (zu, to, tou, atama, kashira, kaburi, -gashira) meaning "head", 部 (bu, -be) meaning "bureau, class, copy, department, part, portion, section", 東 (tou, higashi) meaning "east", 鹿 (rou, ka, shika) meaning "deer", 伏 (fuku, fu.su, fu.seru) meaning "bend down, bow, cover, lay (pipes), prostrated" or 兎 (tsu, to, usagi) meaning "hare, rabbit."... [more]

Kefalas Greek
Nickname for a big-headed or obstinate person, derived from Greek κεφάλι (kefali) meaning "head".

Kenapea Estonian
Kenapea is an Estonian surname meaning "beautiful head".

Kenneally Irish
Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Cionnfhaolaidh "descendant of Cionnfhaoladh", a personal name derived from ceann "head" + faol "wolf".

Kogane Japanese (Rare)
This surname is used as 黄金, 小金, 古金, 子金, 故金 or 小賀根 with 黄 (ou, kou, ki, ko-) meaning "yellow", 小 (shou, o-, ko-, sa-, chii.sai) meaning "little, small", 古 (ko, furu-, furu.i, -fu.rusu) meaning "old", 子 (shi, su, tsu, ko, -ko, -ne) meaning "child, sign of the rat (1st sign of Chinese zodiac", 故 (ko, furu.i, moto, yue) meaning "cause, circumstances, consequently, especially, happenstance, intentionally, reason, the late, therefore", 賀 (ga) meaning "congratulations, joy", 根 (kon, ne, -ne) meaning "head (pimple), radical, root" and 金 (kin, kon, gon, kana-, kane, -gane) meaning "gold."... [more]

Koll German
From the given name Colo or Koloman. Alternatively derived from Middle Low German kolle "head".

Kopf German
Means "head" in German.

Köppel German (Silesian)
Derived from Silesian German Köppel "head" (ulitmately derived from Low German Kopp), this name was a nickname for someone with a visible deformity or peculiarity of the head.

Kozyrev Russian
From Russian козырь (kozyr) meaning "high standing collar" or "canopy" or "head of a sleigh".

Kumigashira Japanese
From 組 (kumi) meaning "group, set," and 頭 (kashira) meaning "head".

Lebowski Polish
Means "head"

Le Pen Breton
Le Pen is a Breton surname meaning "the head", "the chief" or "the peninsula".

Lillicrap English
From a medieval nickname for someone with very fair hair (literally "lily-head").

Lochhead Scottish
Topographic name for someone who lived at the head of a loch, derived from Scottish Gaelic ceann meaning "head (land)" and loch meaning "loch".

Mäepea Estonian
Mäepea is an Estonian surname meaning "hill head" ("top of the hill").

Malatesta Italian
Means "bad head" in Italian, a nickname for a stubborn or perhaps malicious person. It could have also indicated the bearer had a misshapen head. ... [more]

Malatestas Greek
Means "bad head" in Italian, from the Italian surname Malatesta, also found in Greece.

Mine Japanese
This surname is used as 岑, 峯, 峰, 嶺, 三根, 美根, 美祢, 美禰 or 見根 with 岑 (gin, shin, mine), an outdated character meaning "mountaintop, peak," 峯/峰 (hou, ne, mine) meaning "peak, summit," 嶺 (ryou, rei, mine) meaning with the same meaning as 峯/峰, 三 (san, zou, mi, mi'.tsu, mi.tsu) meaning "three," 美 (bi, mi, utsuku.shii) meaning "beauty/iful," 見 (ken, mi.eru, mi.seru, mi.ru) meaning "chances, hopes, idea, look at, opinion, see, visible," 根 (kon, ne, -ne) meaning "head (pimple), radical, root" and 祢/禰 (dei, nai, ne) meaning "ancestral shrine."... [more]

Muirhead Scottish
Derived from many places in southern Scotland with the same name, from northern Middle English muir meaning "moor" and heid meaning "head, end".

Nagao Japanese
Naga means "Chief, Head, Leader" and O means "Tail".

Nagayama Japanese
From Japanese 永 (nagai) meaning "eternity, long, lengthy" or 長 (nagai) meaning "chief, head, leader" combined with 山 (yama) meaning "mountain".

Osada Japanese
From Japanese 長 (osa) meaning "chief, head, leader" and 田 (da) meaning "field, rice paddy".

Pasha Urdu, Bengali, Persian, Albanian
From the high-ranking Ottoman military rank pasha of disputed origin, perhaps derived from the Persian title پادشاه (padeshah) meaning "king" or from Turkish baş meaning "head" and ağa meaning "lord, master".

Pengelly Cornish
Habitational name for someone from any of various locations in Cornwall named Pengelly, from Cornish penn meaning "head, top, end" and gelli or gilly meaning "copse, grove".

Penley English
habitational name from Penleigh in Dilton Wiltshire. The place name probably derives from Old English penn "fold enclosure" or perhaps Celtic penn "head" and Old English leah "wood woodland clearing"... [more]

Penrose Cornish, Welsh
Originally meant "person from Penrose", Cornwall, Herefordshire and Wales ("highest part of the heath or moorland"). It is borne by the British mathematician Sir Roger Penrose (1931-).... [more]

Pradhan Indian, Odia, Bengali, Hindi, Marathi, Assamese, Nepali
From a title derived from Sanskrit प्रधान (pradhana) meaning "chief, head".

Sakagashira Japanese (Rare)
From Japanese 坂 (saka) meaning "slope; hill" and 頭 (gashira), the joining form of 頭 (kashira) meaning "head", referring to the top of a hill.... [more]

Sardar Indian, Bengali, Hindi, Urdu
From a title meaning "chief, leader", derived from Persian سر (sar) meaning "head, authority" and the suffix دار (dar) meaning "possessor".

Schwarzkopf German
Means "black head", from German Schwarz "black", and Kopf "head".

Sheikh Arabic, Bengali, Urdu
From the Arabic title شَيْخ (šayḵ) meaning "chief, chieftain, head". It is used to denote a political or spiritual leader of a Muslim community.

Simbeck German
Originates from the German prefix sim meaning "of the head" and the German word becka meaning "bull". When combined in this order, the meaning was "bull-headed", meaning stubborn and obstinant.

Sinnamon English
Scottish surname which is a corruption of the place name Kinnimonth, meaning "head of the hill".

Steger German
Means "head miner" or "overman" from the German verb "steigen" meaning "to climb" or in this case "to lead a climb".

Sutt Estonian
Sutt is an Estonian surname possibly derived from "sült" meaning "brawn" and "meat jelly/head cheese".

Tarkpea Estonian
Tarkpea is an Estonian surname meaning "wiseacre" (literally, "clever head").

Topp English
From an English nickname, possibly derived from Old English topp "hair on the head", for someone with distinctive hair.

Valgepea Estonian
Valgepea is an Estonian surname meaning "white head".

Valkeapää Finnish
From the Finnish valkea meaning "white", and pää meaning "head" or "tip".

Weishaupt German
Nickname for someone with white hair from Middle High German wiz "white" and houbit "head". German cognate of Whitehead.

Wynn Welsh, English
The surname Wynn ,(also spelled Winn, and Gwynn), is derived from the Welsh element, Gwynn, which can loosely be translated as "white" or "fair". It features in the name of the North Welsh kingdom of Gwynedd, (meaning "white head" or "white land")... [more]