Browse Submitted Surnames

Agbeko Western African, Ewe
From Ewe meaning "chief of the family line of the Beko people".

Al-kindi Arabic
"From the Kinda tribe".

Allemann German (Swiss)
Derived from German Alemanne, originally "member of the Alemanni tribe", this word came to denote "of Germanic descent". It was used to refer to members of the German-speaking population of Switzerland (as opposed to those who spoke one of the Romance languages; compare Welsch).

Amatayakun Thai (Rare)
Means "government officer clan", from Thai อมาตย (amataya-) meaning "government official; public officer; bureaucrat" and กุล (kun), a transcription of Pali kula meaning "clan".

Arikun Thai
Possibly from Thai อารย (araya) meaning "superior, noble, civilized" and กุล (kun), a transcription of Pali kula meaning "clan".

Ariyawansa Sinhalese
Derived from Sanskrit आर्य (arya) meaning "noble, honourable, respectable" and वंश (vansa) meaning "lineage, clan, family".

Assaratanakul Thai
From Thai อัสสะ (atsa) meaning "horse", รัตนะ (ratana) meaning "precious gem; precious jewel", and กุล, a transcription of Pali kula meaning "clan".

Bankoku Japanese (Rare)
From Japanese 万国 meaning "all nations; the whole world; universal". The fact that it is homophonous as Japanese バンコク (Bankoku) meaning "Bangkok", the city in Thailand, is coincidental.

Bansal Indian, Hindi, Punjabi
Most likely derived from Sanskrit वंश (vansha) meaning "lineage, clan, race" or "bamboo".

Bentinck Dutch
Patronymic of the given name Bent 2 with the suffix inck meaning "people".

Bingley English
Habitational surname for someone originally from the town of Bingley in West Yorkshire, England. The name is either derived from the given name Bynna combined with the suffix -inga meaning "the people of" or from the Old English elements bing meaning "hollow" and leah meaning "woodland, clearing".

Boro Indian, Bodo
From the name of the Boro (or Bodo) people, itself either meaning "great people" or derived from the name of the Hindu god Varaha.

Buckingham English
Habitational name from the former county seat of the county of Buckinghamshire, Old English Buccingahamm "water meadow (Old English hamm) of the people of (-inga-) Bucc(a)".

Caithness Scottish
Anglicized form of Scottish-Gaelic Gallaibh, which means "among the strangers" (referring to the Norse). The name of the Catti survives in the Gaelic name for eastern Sutherland, Cataibh, and in the old Gaelic name for Shetland, Innse Chat... [more]

Canning English, Irish (Anglicized), Scottish
Habitational name from a place so named in England. From the Old English byname Cana and -ingas meaning "people of".... [more]

Canterbury English
Habitational name from Canterbury in Kent, named in Old English as Cantwaraburg "fortified town (burgh) of the people (wara) of Kent".

Chaiariyakun Thai
From Thai ชัย (chai) meaning "victory", อริยะ (ariya) meaning "excellent, honorable, noble" and กุล (kun) meaning "lineage, clan".

Chirawetsunthonkun Thai (Rare)
From Thai จิร (chira) meaning "long", เวช (wet) meaning "doctor; physician", สุนทร (sunthon) meaning "beautiful; nice; well", and กุล (kun) meaning "tribe, race, lineage".

Chishiya Japanese
From Japanese 千 (chi) meaning "thousand", 地 (chi) meaning "earth, land", 智 (chi) meaning "wisdom, intellect" 散 (chi) meaning "scatter", 梓 (shi) meaning "Japanese cherry birch", 塩 (shio) meaning "salt", 沙 (shi) meaning "sand", 司 (shi) meaning "to take charge of; to control; to manage", 史 (shi) meaning "history", 四 (shi) meaning "four", 士 (shi) meaning "samurai, warrior", 子 (shi) meaning "child", 市 (shi) meaning "market", 志 (shi) meaning "purpose, will, determination, aspiration, ambition", 氏 (shi) meaning "a family; a clan", 糸 (shi) meaning "thread", 紙 (shi) meaning "paper", 紫 (shi) meaning "purple; violet", 至 (shi) meaning "to reach; to arrive", 詩 (shi) meaning "poetry, poem", 資 (shi) meaning "money; fund; wealth; capital", 汐 (shi) meaning "evening tide; night tides; ebb", 心 (shi) meaning "heart, mind, soul" or 清 (shi) meaning "clear; limpid", and 也 (ya) meaning "also" or 哉 (ya), an exclamation... [more]

Ciechi Italian
Means "blind (people)" in Italian, from Latin caecus "devoid of light, blind; invisible; aimless".

Coullson Scottish Gaelic (Anglicized, Rare), English
All origins of the name are patronymic. Meanings include an Anglicized version of the Gaelic Mac Cumhaill, meaning "son of Cumhall", which means "champion" and "stranger" and an Anglicized patronymic of the Gaelic MacDhubhghaill, meaning "son of Dubhgall." The personal name comes from the Gaelic words dubh, meaning "black" and gall, meaning "stranger."... [more]

Dang Vietnamese, Khmer
Meaning Unknown. The Vietnamese Hán Nôm Character is 党 meaning "party" or "society".

Dayawansa Sinhalese
Derived from Sanskrit दया (daya) meaning "compassion, pity" and वंश (vansa) meaning "lineage, clan, family".

Deetz German (Americanized), German
Either an Americanized form of German Dietz or a North German surname which is ultimately derived from the same source (from an old personal name formed with Old High German diota "people, nation")... [more]

Del Popolo Italian
Means "of the people", given to foundlings at a time when a small stipend was allotted to their maintenance by the king.

Derckson Swiss
Meaning: "Powerful People"

Deschene Navajo
From deeshchiiʼnii (clan designation, “red-streak people”).

Dharmawansa Sinhalese
Derived from Sanskrit धर्म (dharma) meaning "that which is established, law, duty, virtue" and वंश (vansa) meaning "lineage, clan, family".

Diesel German
From the pet form of Matthias or from any Germanic compound name beginning with diota meaning "people"

Dion French
Meaning uncertain. It may be a habitational name from any of various locations called Dion or Dionne, derived from the Gaulish element divon- meaning "(sacred) spring" or Celtic dēwos meaning "god, deity"... [more]

Ermatinger German (Swiss)
The surname Ermatinger derives from the village of Ermatingen on the Swiss shore of Lake Constance. It simply means "from Ermatingen".... [more]

Everingham English
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".

Filkins English
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.

Foucault French
Derived from the Germanic given name Folcwald, which was composed of the elements folk "people" and walt "power, leader, ruler"... [more]

Fouche French
"people army"

Guma'taotao Chamorro
Chamorro for "house of the people"

Hayling English
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).

Hõim Estonian
Hõim is an Estonian surname meaning "tribe".

Hõimre Estonian
Hõimre is an Estonian surname derived from "hõim" meaning "tribe" and "kinfolk".

Iddenden English (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]

Kamat Indian, Hindi, Marathi, Kannada, Konkani
Means "people who work in soil" from काम (kām) meaning "work, task, labour" combined with मिट्टी (miṭṭī) meaning "soil, earth".

Khumalo Zulu, Ndebele, South African
Zulu and Ndebele clan name meaning "descendant of the fish tribe".

Kiplin English
A locational surname that takes its name from the hamlet of Kiplin in the English county of North Yorkshire. In turn, the hamlet is said to derive its name from Old English Cyppelingas, which means "the people of Cyppel", as it consists of the Old English personal name Cyppel with the Old English word ingas meaning "people".

Kulawansa Sinhalese
Derived from Sanskrit कुल (kula) meaning "family" and वंश (vansa) meaning "lineage, clan, family".

Laaspere Estonian
Laaspere is an Estonian surname meaning "forest/woodland folk".

Léger French, French (Cajun)
From the Old German name Leodegar, meaning "people spear."

Lickert German (East Prussian)
Derived from the German feminine name Luitgard, and thus ultimately from Old High German liut "people" and garto "garden; enclosure".

Liebrecht German
From a Germanic personal name formed with liut "people, tribe" and berht "shining, famous".

Loia Italian
Most likely a variant of Aloia. May alternately be related to Italian loggia "atrium, open-roofed gallery", Greek λεώς (leos) "the people", or Tuscan loia "dirt, filth on clothes or skin", perhaps a nickname for someone with a profession that often made them dirty, such as mining.

Luikpere Estonian
Luikpere is an Estonian surname meaning "swan family/folk".

Macnicol Scottish
A Scottish surname meaning "Son of the conquering people"

Madlangsakay Filipino (Modern, Rare, ?)
Meaning in Filipino "people on board"

Mahajan Indian, Marathi, Punjabi, Gujarati, Hindi, Bengali
Means "great (number of) people" or "tradesman, merchant" from Sanskrit महा (maha) meaning "great" combined with जन (jána) meaning "person, people".

Malsagov Ingush (Russified)
Russified form of the Ingush clan name Малсагнаькъан (Malsagnaqan) meaning "tribe of Malsag", from a given name derived from Ingush малх (malkh) meaning "sun, solar" and саг (sag) meaning "person, man".

Mcnulty Northern Irish (Anglicized)
Irish surname historically associated with County Donegal in northwest Ireland meaning "descended of the Ulaid Nation". The surname is derived from an anglicized contraction of the original Irish patronymic Mac "descended" an Ultaigh "Ulaid race".

Mudaliar Tamil
"Mudaliar" is a combination of a Tamil word "Mudali" which means "First" and "yar" which is an honorific suffix. So the surname means "First People" or "Elite People" in Tamil.

Mueangkhot Thai
From Thai เมือง (mueang) meaning "city, town" and โคตร (khot) meaning "ancestry, clan, family".

Nachtrieb German
It possibly comes from the German name of a nachtrab, which is a "night bird like the owl". Another possible meaning is "night tribe".

Nair Indian, Malayalam
From Nair, the name of a group of Hindu castes concentrated in the Indian state of Kerala. The origin of the word itself is somewhat disputed. Some believe it is derived from nayaka, an honorific meaning "leader of the people", while another theory suggests that is is derived from the Sanskrit नाग (nāgá) "snake, serpent" (a reference to the practice of snake worship)... [more]

Nottingham English (British)
A habitational name from the city of Nottingham in the East Midlands. Comes from the Old English name, meaning "homestead (ham) of Snot’s people". The initial S- was lost in the 12th century, due to the influence of Anglo-Norman French.... [more]

Oğuz Turkish
From the name of an ancient Turkic people, itself derived from a Turkic word meaning "tribe, clan".

O’toole Irish
O'Toole, along with Toole, comes from the Irish O Tuathail. This derives from the personal name Tuathal, meaning "ruler of the people", used by many Irish kings and heroes and accordingly incorporated into a surname in a number of distinct areas, among them south Ulster, Mayo and Kildare.

Paisarnkulwong Thai
From Thai ไพศาล (phaisan) meaning "large", กุล, a transcription of Pali kula meaning "clan", and วงศ์ (wong) meaning "family, race"

Palin English
(i) "person from Palling", Norfolk ("settlement of Pælli's people") or "person from Poling", Sussex ("settlement of Pāl's people"); (ii) from the Welsh name ap Heilyn "son of Heilyn", a personal name perhaps meaning "one who serves at table"

Panzacola Indigenous American (Rare)
Named after the tribe meaning "hairy people".

Peoples Irish
An attempted English translation of Ó Duibhne, based on the Irish word daoine meaning "people".

Plantz English (American)
Deriving from England. "Men known as a Planter was an English term for people who were "planted" abroad in order to promote a political, religious cause or for colonization purposes." ... [more]

Ponce Spanish, English
The Ponce name was carried into England after the migration from Normandy following the Norman Conquest of 1066.'Ponce' is derived from 'Ponsoby',a place in Cumberland, where the family settled. The Ponce motto is 'Pro rege, lege grege' meaning "For the King, law, and people"

Pulkkinen Finnish
Derived from Germanic volk meaning "people".

Randpere Estonian
Randpere is an Estonian surname meaning "beach/seashore folk".

Saarepera Estonian
Saarepera is an Estonian surname meaning "island folk".

Sauji Japanese (Rare)
From Japanese 佐 (sa) meaning "aid; help" and 氏 (shi) meaning "family, clan". This may also be a variant transcription of Japanese Kanji 佐氏 (see Saudji)... [more]

Selter Estonian
Selter is an Estonian surname derived from either "selts" meaning "society", "union", "association", or "selters" (of German origin) meaning "seltzer".

Sherpa Nepali, Indian, Tibetan, Bengali
From the name of the Sherpa people, a Tibetic ethnic group inhabiting Nepal, China, Bhutan, and the Himalayas. The name itself is derived from Sherpa ཤར (shar) meaning "east" and wa "people" (thus, "people of the east" or "eastern people"), a reference to their origin in northeastern Nepal... [more]

Shikongo African
Potentially means "people's leader". Prevalent in Nambia.

Skeffington English
From a location name meaning "homestead of Sceaft's people". This is the name of a parish in Leicestershire, England.

Soopere Estonian
Soopere is an Estonian surname meaning "swamp folks".

Suokas Finnish
Comes from the finnish word "suo" which means swamp, and directly translated "suokas" means "swampy". This surname originally came from Karelian Isthmus, Sakkola, that in nowadays belongs to Russia... [more]

Suryavanshi Indian, Marathi
Derived from Sanskrit सूर्य (surya) meaning "sun" and वंश (vansha) meaning "lineage, clan".

Taagepera Estonian
Taagepera is an Estonian surname possibly derived from "taga" ("behind", "at the back") and "pere" ("family", "folk").

Tebay English
From the name of a village in Cumbria, England, derived from the German name element theod meaning "people".

Thiel German
Derived from Old High German thiot "people".

Todachine Navajo
Variant of Todicheene meaning "bitter water people."

Todicheene Navajo
"Bitter water people."

Tôn Thất Vietnamese
Derived from Sino-Vietnamese 宗室 (tông thất) meaning "imperial clan". This name was used by the royal family of the Nguyễn dynasty.

Tulenheimo Finnish
Meaning "fire's tribe" in Finnish. A famous bearer was Finnish prime minister Antti Tulenheimo (1879-1952), who was born Antti Thulé.

Ujiie Japanese
From Japanese 氏 (uji) meaning "family, clan" and 家 (ie) menaing "house, home".

Volkmuth German
Volk: People... [more]

Volksmärchen German
A German surname meaning "folk tale".

Vongsa Lao
Means "family line" in Lao, ultimately from Sanskrit वंश (vansha) meaning "race, lineage, clan".

Weerawansa Sinhalese
Derived from Sanskrit वीर (vira) meaning "hero, man, brave" and वंश (vansa) meaning "lineage, clan, family".

Willingham English
Habitational name from a place named Willingham, notably one in Cambridgeshire and one in Suffolk. The first is recorded in Domesday Book as Wivelingham "homestead (Old English hām) of the people of a man called Wifel".

Zahornacky South Slavic (Americanized, Modern, Rare)
Zahornacky is the americanized version of name Zahornitski, meaning “The people from over the mountain”. The name has roots in Czechoslovakian and Polish decent.