Browse Submitted Surnames

Casley English
Derived from Old English C(e)atta, a personal name meaning "cat" and leah "woodland, clearing"."

Castañeda Spanish
Habitational name from any of various places called Castañeda, a Spanish word meaning "chesnut grove", itself derived from castaña meaning "chesnut".

Castanheira Portuguese
Portuguese cognate of Castañeda meaning "chestnut grove".

Castel French
Topographic name from a derivative of Late Latin castellum "castle" (a diminutive of Latin castrum "fort Roman walled city") or a habitational name from any of several places called (Le) Castel... [more]

Catapano Italian
Means "catapan, governor of a catepanate", ultimately from Byzantine Greek κατεπάνω (katepánō) "(the one) placed at the top, or the topmost".

Catindig Filipino, Tagalog
From Tagalog katindig meaning "upright, standing".

Caverly English
English surname, a variant of the English surname Calverley, itself derived from the Old English calf "calf" and leag "field, clearing".

Cavill English
Derived from Cavil, a place located in the East Riding of Yorkshire in northern England, named from Old English ca meaning "jackdaw" and feld meaning "open country". It is borne by the British actor Henry Cavill (1983-).

Cawood English
Traditional English habitational surname meaning "jackdaw wood" from the Old English ca referring to 'jackdaw' (a member of the crow family), and wudu 'wood'.

Çay Turkish
Means "river, brook, creek" in Turkish.

Çayır Turkish
Means "meadow, pasture" in Turkish.

Celsius Swedish (Archaic), History
Latinized form of Högen "the mound" (Latin: celsus), the name of a vicarage in Ovanåker parish, Sweden. Celsius is a unit of measurement for temperature named for Swedish astronomer Anders Celsius (1701–1744).

Ceretti Italian (Tuscan), Medieval Italian (Tuscan)
The surname Cerri is derived from the Italian word cerro, which means bitter or Turkey oak. Often Italian local surnames bore the prefix "di", which signifies emigration from one place to another.... [more]

Cerrito Italian
Variant of Cerri, or directly from Sicilian cirritu "Turkey oak grove".

Cervera Spanish
A name for someone coming from any one of many places called Cervera, coming from Late Latin cervaria, meaning "place of stags".

Chakravarti Marathi, Hindi
Derived from Sanskrit चक्रवर्तिन् (chakravartin) meaning "world-ruler, emperor, monarch" (literally "wheel-turner" or "one who's wheels are turning"), from चक्र (chakra) meaning "wheel, circle" and वर्तिन् (vartin) meaning "abiding, moving, turning"... [more]

Chamanara Persian
Occupational name for a gardener, derived from Persian چمن (chaman) meaning "lawn, meadow" and آرا (ara) meaning "arrange, decorate".

Champagne French
regional name for someone from Champagne, named in Latin as Campania (from campus "plain", "flat land"). This is also the name of various villages in France, and in some cases the family name may derive from one of these.

Champion English, French
Derived from the Middle English and Old French words campion, champiun and champion all meaning "athlete" such as a wrestler or boxer; also "warrior hired to do battle in single combat on behalf of others" (from Late Latin campio genitive campionis a derivative of campus "plain field of battle")... [more]

Chandrasekara Sinhalese
Derived from Sanskrit चन्द्र (chandra) meaning "moon" and शेखर (shekhara) meaning "crest, peak, top".

Chantry English
Means "singer in a chantry chapel" or "one who lives by a chantry chapel". A chantry was a type of chapel, one endowed for the singing of Masses for the soul of the founder (from Old French chanterie, from chanter "to sing").

Chapdelaine French
Compound name derived from Old French chape meaning "hooded cloak, cape, hat" and de laine meaning "of wool", probably applied as a metonymic occupational name for a maker of such apparel, or as a nickname for someone who wore a distinctive cloak or hat.

Chapel French
Occupational name for a maker of cloaks or a nickname for a person who wore a distinctive cloak, from a diminutive of Old French chape meaning "cape, cloak".

Chapelle French
Topographic name for someone who lived near a chapel from French chapelle "chapel" or from several places in France and Belgium called (La) Chapelle and variant of Lachapelle, Capelle, and Chappelle.

Chappell English
Name for someone who lived near a chapel, derived from Old French chapele meaning "chapel".

Charlton English, Caribbean
Location last name from any of the numerous places called Charlton, from Old English Ceorlatun meaning "settlement of the peasants"... [more]

Châtelain French
from châtelain "lord (of the manor)" Old French chastelain (from Latin castellanus a derivative of castellum "castle") applied either as a status name for the governor or constable of a castle or as an ironic nickname.

Chaugule Marathi
Derived from Marathi चौगुला (chaugula) meaning "village officer".

Chaumont French
Habitational name from any of numerous places called Chaumont "bald mountain" from the elements chals caux "bald" and mont "mountain" (ultimately from Latin calvus mons) for example in Cher Orne Jura Haute-Savoie.

Chénier French
French surname which indicated one who lived in an oak wood or near a conspicuous oak tree, derived from Old French chesne "oak" (Late Latin caxinus). In some cases it may be from a Louisiana dialectical term referring to "an area of shrub oak growing in sandy soil" (i.e., "beach ridge, usually composed of sand-sized material resting on clay or mud... [more]

Cheon Korean
From Sino-Korean 天 (cheon) meaning "sky, heavens" or 千 (cheon) meaning "thousand, many".

Cheyne English
Locational or topographical surname derived from Old French chesne, chesnai "oak tree, oak grove", ultimately derived from medieval Latin casnetum.

Chiaramonte Italian
comes from the italian word chiara meaning "clear" and the the word monte meaning "mountain", possibly denoting someone who lived by clear mountians, hills, etc.

Chiesa Italian
Means "church" in Italian, originally a topographic name for someone who lived near a church, a habitational name from any of various places named Chiesa or perhaps an occupational name for someone who worked in a church.

Chigusa Japanese
This surname is used as 千種, 千草 or 千艸 with 千 (sen, chi) meaning "thousand", 種 (shu, -gusa, tane) meaning "class, kind, seed, species, variety", 草 (sou, kusa, kusa-, -gusa) meaning "draft, grass, herbs, pasture, weeds, write" and 艸 (sou, kusa) meaning "grass, plants."... [more]

Chihara Japanese
From Japanese 茅 (chi) meaning "thatch" or 千 (chi) meaning "thousand" combined with 原 (hara) meaning "field, plain". A notable bearer of this surname is Minori Chihara (茅原 実里), a Japanese voice-actress who is best known for voicing Yuki Nagato from the Haruhi Suzumiya series and Aya Natsume from Tenjō Tenge.

Chikano Japanese
Chika means "near" and no means "field, rice paddy".

Chimoto Japanese
Chi can mean "thousand" or "ground, soil" and moto means "source, origin, root".

Chino Japanese
From Japanese 千 (chi) meaning "thousand" and 野 (no) meaning "field, wilderness".

Chisaka Japanese
Chi means "thousand" and saka means "slope, hill".

Chisaki Japanese
Chi can mean "thousand" or "pond", and saki means "cape, promontory, peninsula".

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]

Chisholm Scottish
The name of a location in Roxburghshire, Scotland, which itself comes from cisil "gravel" and holm "islet".

Chiura Japanese (Rare)
This surname is used as 千浦, 地浦 or 知浦 with 千 (sen, chi) meaning "thousand," 地 (ji, chi) meaning "earth, ground", 知 (chi, shi.raseru, shi.ru) meaning "know, wisdom" and 浦 (ho, ura) meaning "bay, beach, creek, gulf, inlet, seacoast."... [more]

Cholmondeley English
An aristocratic surname derived from a place name in Cheshire which means "Ceolmund's grove" in Old English.

Chono Japanese
Cho can mean "butterfly" and no means "field, wilderness, plain".

Chrysler German, Jewish
From a German name referring to spinning or related to a Yiddish word, krayzl meaning "spinning top." The name can refer to a potter who spun a wheel to make utensils or to a person with curly hair or someone known for being continually active... [more]

Churchyard English
It comes from when the family lived in or near the precincts of a church. Churchyard belongs to the large class of Anglo-Saxon topographic surnames, which were given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as "a hill", "stream", "church", or "type of tree".

Cingeswell English
Meaning "Lives at the King's spring"

Cinwell English
Meaning "Lives at the King's spring"

Clairmont English
Means "bright hill."

Clayberg English
Meaning is unknown, but it most likely means "clay mountain", from surnames Clay "clay" and Berg "mountain".

Claypool English
Derived from Claypole, a village and civil parish in the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England, named from Old English cl?g meaning "clay" and pol meaning "pool".

Cleave English
From an English topographical name meaning "cliff".

Clelland Scots, Irish
Scottish and Irish topographical name meaning "clay land".

Cleveland Norwegian (Anglicized)
Americanized spelling of Norwegian Kleiveland or Kleveland, habitational names from any of five farmsteads in Agder and Vestlandet named with Old Norse kleif "rocky ascent" or klefi "closet" (an allusion to a hollow land formation) and land "land".

Cleverley English
Probably means "person from Cleveley", Lancashire ("woodland clearing by a cliff").

Clive English
English surname meaning "cliff" in Old English, originally belonging to a person who lived near a cliff.

Clopton English
Habitational name from any of various places, for example in Essex, Suffolk, and Warwickshire, named Clopton from Old English clopp(a) meaning "rock", "hill" + tūn meaning "settlement".

Clough English (British)
The distinguished surname Clough is of ancient Anglo-Saxon origin. It is derived from the Old English "cloh," meaning "ravine" or "steep-sided valley," and was first used to refer to a "dweller in the hollow."

Clutterbuck English, Dutch (Anglicized, ?)
English surname of unknown origin, possibly a corrupted form of a Dutch surname derived from Dutch klateren "to clatter" and beek "brook". The original surname may have been brought to England by Flemish weavers whom Edward III brought to England in the 14th century to teach their techniques to the English, or by Huguenots who fled the Netherlands in the 16th century to escape religious persecution... [more]

Coggeshall English
Habitational name from Coggeshall in Essex, England, which was derived from Cogg, an Old English personal name, and Old English halh meaning "nook, recess".

Coggill English
Recorded in several forms as shown below, this is a surname of two possible nationalities and origins. Firstly it may be of Scottish locational origins, from the lands of Cogle in the parish of Watten, in Caithness, or secondly English and also locational from a place called Cogges Hill in the county of Oxfordshire... [more]

Cokayne English
Medieval English nickname which meant "idle dreamer" from Cockaigne, the name of an imaginary land of luxury and idleness in medieval myth. The place may derive its name from Old French (pays de) cocaigne "(land of) plenty", ultimately from the Low German word kokenje, a diminutive of koke "cake" (since the houses in Cockaigne are made of cake).

Coll Catalan
Topographic name from Catalan coll meaning "hill, mountain pass", ultimately from Latin collum.

Colston English
Colston means “Coal town settlement.” It is also a variant of Colton.

Colville Scottish, English
Derived from the place Colleville in Normandy, France. With the Scandinavian name Koli and French ville "town, village".

Combe French
Either a topographic name for someone living in or near a ravine from combe "narrow valley ravine" (from Latin cumba a word of Gaulish origin); or a habitational name from Combe the name of several places in the southern part of France of the same etymology.

Combès French
Either a topographic name from combe "narrow valley ravine" (see Combe ) or a habitational name from any of various places in southern France for example in Hérault named Combes.

Compton English
Habitational name from any of the numerous places throughout England (but especially in the south) named Compton, from Old English cumb meaning "short, straight valley" + tūn meaning "enclosure", "settlement".

Conant Old Celtic, Pictish
A patronym from the ancient Celtic personal name Conan, which derives from the Celtic kunovals meaning "high" and "mighty".... [more]

Conde Spanish
1 Spanish and Portuguese: “nickname from the title of rank conde ‘count’, a derivative of Latin comes, comitis ‘companion’.”... [more]

Condon Irish (Anglicized, Modern)
Anglicized form of Gaelic Condún, itself a Gaelicized form of the Anglo-Norman habitational name de Caunteton... [more]

Confalone Italian
from gonfalone "standard banner" from Old French gonfalon (of ancient Germanic origin) a metonymic occupational name for a standard bearer either in a military context or as the officer of a guild responsible for carrying the banner in religious processions... [more]

Connington English
This name means "The king's manor, the royal estate," from the Old Scandinavian word "konunger" + the Old English word "tun." It was listed twice in the Domesday Book of 1086, once as Coninctune and secondly as Cunitone.

Copeland English
Some sources say that Copeland is English: "one that is good at coping". Another says Copeland is Northern English and Scottish, from Cumberland and Northumberland meaning "bought land". Old Norse, kaupa-land for‘bought land’.

Coppenhaver German
Americanized spelling, probably originally spelled Kopenhaver or Koppenhaver. Means "owner of a hill".

Corder French (Anglicized, Archaic), English (American)
Linked to both English, French and Spanish origin. Cordier, Cordero, Corder- one who makes cord. Can refer to both the act of making cords (rope), cores of fire wood, or actual location names.... [more]

Córdoba Spanish
Indicates someone who was originally from the city of Córdoba (Cordova) in Andalusia, Spain. The name itself is derived from Phonecian Qʾrtuba meaning "Juba’s city", itself from Phonecian qʾrt meaning "city" and juba referring to King Juba I of Numidia.

Corongiu Italian
Possibly from Sardinian corongiu "rocky hill, boulder, large mass", denoting someone who lived near such a landmark, or perhaps a nickname based on the bearer's physical appearance.

Corrias Italian
Probably from Sardinian corria "leather strap, lace, belt; narrow strip of land".

Cosca Italian
Topographic name from the Calabrian dialect word c(u)oscu "oak", also "wood".

Cosgrove English
Habitational name from Cosgrove in Northamptonshire, named with an Old English personal name Cof + Old English graf "grove", "thicket".

Courcelles French
The name of several places in France, Belgium and Canada. In Middle French the word courcelle was used to describe a "small court" or a "small garden". The word is derived from the medieval Gallo-Romance and Gallo-Italian word corticella, which was formed from the Latin word cohors, meaning "court" or "enclosure", and the diminutive –icella.... [more]

Courtier French, Medieval French, Medieval English
French: habitational name from places called Courtier (Seine-et-Marne, Aples-de-Haute-Provence), Courtié (Tarn), or Courtière (Loir-et-Cher). ... [more]

Cowburn English
The place-name, in turn, comes from the Old English cocc, meaning "rooster," and burna, meaning "a stream." As such, the surname is classed as a local, or habitational name, derived from a place where the original bearer lived or held land.

Cranston Scottish
Combination of the Old English byname Cran "crane" and Old English tun "settlement".

Creek English
"Creek".

Creighton English
From Irish 'crioch' meaning "border", and Old English 'tun' meaning "town".

Cresta Italian, Romansh
Derived from Italian and Romansh cresta "crest" (ultimately from Latin crista). This name was perhaps applied as a topographic name for someone who lived by the crest of a mountain or as a nickname with reference to the comb of a rooster.

Cricks American
"living near a river." Comes from a similar origin of Rios

Crnković Croatian
Derived from crn "black". The name refers to a person who was dark-skinned, or a person from the region Crna Gora "Black Mountain" (modern-day Montenegro).

Crofter English
A surname of Scottish origin used in the Highlands and Islands and means “an owner or a tenant of a small farm”. The Old English word croft seems to correspond with the Dutch kroft meaning “a field on the downs”.

Crofton English
Derived from a place name meaning "town with a small enclosed field" in Old English.

Cromwell English
Habitational name from places in Nottinghamshire and West Yorkshire named Cromwell, from Old English crumb "bent, crooked" and well(a) "spring, stream".

Cronholm Swedish
Ornamental name derived from Swedish krona (from Latin corona) meaning "crown" and holme (Old Norse holmr) meaning "small island".

Crossley English
From the word cross, of Latin origin, and leah "woodland, clearing". Indicated that the bearer lived by a cross in a clearing

Crownover German (Anglicized)
Americanised spelling of German Kronauer, denoting someone from Kronau, a town near Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It could also be an Americanised form of Kronhöfer (a variant of Grünhofer), a habitational name for someone from a lost place called Grünhof, derived from Middle High German gruene meaning "green" or kranech meaning "crane" and hof meaning "farmstead".

Croydon English
From the name of a town in England, which comes from Anglo-Saxon croh “crocus” and denu “valley”.

Cuenca Spanish
Cuenca is an ancient Spanish last name which originated from Cuenca, a city in the Kingdom of Castilla.... [more]

Cumba Gaulish
A topographic name from Gaulish cumba meaning "narrow valley" or a habitational name for a village associated with this name (see Coombe).

Cumberbatch English
Name for someone from Comberbach in North Cheshire. May come from etymological elements meaning "stream in a valley."

Cunliffe English
Originally meant "person from Cunliffe", Lancashire ("slope with a crevice" (literally "cunt-cliff")).

D'abbeville French
Means "of Abbeville" Abbeville is a commune in France. Takes its name from Latin Abbatis Villa meaning "Abbot's Village".

Dağ Turkish
Means "mountain" in Turkish.

Dahlby Swedish (Rare)
Combination of Swedish dal "valley" and by "village".

Dahlén Swedish
Combination of Swedish dal "valley" and the common surname suffix -én.

Dahlgren Swedish
Combination of Swedish dal "valley" and gren "branch".

Dahlin Swedish
Combination of Swedish dal "valley" and the common surname suffix -in.

Dahlqvist Swedish
Combination of Swedish dal "valley" and qvist "twig, branch".

Dahlström Swedish
Derived from Swedish dal "valley" and ström "stream".

Dalby English, Danish, Norwegian
From any of the locations call Dalby from the old Norse elements dalr "valley" and byr "farm, settlement" meaning "valley settlement". Used by one of the catholic martyrs of England Robert Dalby... [more]

Dale Norwegian, Danish
Habitational name from any of the various farmsteads called Dale in Norway. Derived from Old Norse dalr "valley".

Dalgleish Scottish
Means "person from Dalgleish", near Selkirk ("green field").

Dalglish Scottish
Derived from Gaelic dail meaning "field" and glaise meaning "brook".

Dalhousie Scottish
Meant "person from Dalhousie", near Edinburgh (perhaps "field of slander").

Dallimore English
An English surname probably derived from the French de la mare, meaning "of the sea", though some contend that "mare" springs from the English word moor. This surname probably arose after the Norman conquest of Britain.

Dalmas French
Surname Dalmas was first found in Limousin. Literally means "of the sea."

Dalrymple Scottish
Habitational name from Dalrymple, a village and civil parish in East Ayrshire, Scotland, said to be named from Gaelic dail chruim puill meaning "field of the crooked stream" or "dale of the crooked pool".

Dalusong Filipino, Tagalog, Pampangan
Means "to attack upon an enemy coming from a higher place" in Tagalog, also a Kapampangan variant of Dalusung.

Dalziel Scottish
Means "person from Dalyell", in the Clyde valley (probably "white field"). The name is standardly pronounced "dee-el". A fictional bearer is Detective Superintendent Andrew Dalziel, one half of the detective team of 'Dalziel and Pascoe' in the novels (1970-2009) of Reginald Hill.

Damgaard Danish
Danish name element gård "farmstead, yard" combined with prefix dam meaning "pond".

Danao Filipino, Tagalog
Topographic name for someone who lived near a body of water, derived from Tagalog danaw meaning "lagoon, lake".

Dangerfield English
Habitational name, with fused preposition d(e), for someone from any of the various places in northern France called Angerville, from the Old Norse personal name Ásgeirr and Old French ville "settlement, village"... [more]

Dankworth German (Anglicized)
Formed from the German forename Tancred, which mutated to a hard D in English, combined with Old English Worth "a farmstead."

Dārziņš Latvian
Derived from the word dārzs meaning "garden".

Dasalan Filipino, Tagalog
Means "place of prayer" from Tagalog dasal "prayer".

Daugaard Danish
Danish name element gård "farmstead, yard" combined with prefix dau of unknown origin. ... [more]

D'aurevalle French (Archaic)
This medieval surname literally means "from Aurevalle". Aurevalle can refer to any of the three French communes that are nowadays known by the more modern spelling Orival. All of them ultimately derive their name from Latin aurea vallis meaning "golden vale" or "golden valley".

D'aureville French
This surname literally means "from Aureville". Aureville is a commune in southwestern France, which was established in late medieval times. It derives its name from Latin aurea villa or villa aurea which literally means "golden country-house, golden farm" but of course later came to mean "golden village".

Davenport English
Habitational name from a place in Cheshire named Davenport, from the Dane river (apparently named with a Celtic cognate of Middle Welsh dafnu "to drop, to trickle") and Old English port "market town".

Dearden English
Meant "person from Dearden", Lancashire ("valley frequented by wild animals"). It was borne by British film director Basil Dearden (original name Basil Dear; 1911-1971).

Deaton English
Means "farmstead surrounded by a ditch", from the Old English dic + tun.

Debbie English
It comes from Dibden meaning "deep valley".

Debby English
"Deep valley" from Old English Dipden.

Decazes French
The surname Decazes was first found in Gascony (French: Gascogne), an area of southwest France bordering Spain, that was part of the "Province of Guyenne and Gascony" prior to the French Revolution, where the family held a family seat in ancient times.... [more]

De Clermont French
Means "of the bright hill" from the French de meaning "of" and clair, cler 'bright', 'clear' + mont 'hill'

Decurtins Romansh
Derived from the preposition de "of" and Romansh curtin "garden".

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]

Deiana Italian
From Sardinian de "of, from" and jana "fairy, spirit of the woods, sorceress" (from Latin Diana).

Deidda Sardinian
Sardinian cognate of Villani, from de "of, from" and bidda "town, hamlet".

Dejima Japanese
Means "sticking out island" in Japanese.

Delacour French
Probably based off the term "de la cœur", meaning "on the court".

De La Iglesia Spanish
Means “of the church” in Spanish.

De La Isla Spanish
Means "of the island" in Spanish.

Delalande French
French surname, pronounced /dølalɑ̃də/, which means "from the moor", "from the heath". Famous bearer Michel-Richard Delalande (1657-1726), French baroque composer and organist nicknamed "the Latin Lully", changed its spelling in "de Lalande" in order to give it aristocratic looks.

De La Montagne French
Means "of the mountain" in French.

De La Mora Spanish
"De la," in several Romance languages (including Spanish and Romanian), means "from." "Mora," in Spanish, translates to "mulberry."... [more]

Delaplaine French
Means "of the Plain" in French

de la Pole Medieval English, Anglo-Norman, Cambro-Norman
Meaning "from the pool", from Norman de la Pole. This name was typically given to families who lived near lakes or similar bodies of water.... [more]

De La Sierra Spanish
Means "of the mountain range" in Spanish.

De La Vega Spanish
Means "of the meadow" in Spanish.

Della Chièsa Italian
It literally means "of the church".

Del Mar Spanish
Means "of the sea" in Spanish.

Del Mundo Spanish (Philippines)
Means "of the World" in Spanish. A famous bearer of this name is Fe del Mundo, a Filipino pediatrician.

Delogu Italian
Means "from/of the place", from Sardinian de "of, from" and logu "place".

Del Pueblo Spanish
Means "of the village" in Spanish.

De Macedo Portuguese (Brazilian)
Means "of the apple orchard" (see Macedo).

Demar French, English
Combination of the French word de, meaning "from" and the Old French word maresc, meaning "marsh".

Demegawa Japanese
From Japanese 出 (de) "out", 目 (me) "eye" and 川 (kawa) "river".

Demers French
From French meaning "of the seas". A famous bearer of this surname was Modeste Demers, a bishop in 18th century Vancouver.

Demura Japanese
The Japanese surname "Demura" (出村) consists of two kanji characters: "出" meaning "to go out" or "to leave" and "村" meaning "village" or "town." So, "Demura" could be interpreted as "from the village" or "originating from the village." However, as with many Japanese surnames, there may be variations in meaning and interpretation depending on the family's history and region.

Denby English
Means "person from Denby", Derbyshire or Yorkshire ("farmstead of the Danes").

Denham English
From the name of various places in England, most of which meant "farm in the valley" (from Old English denu "valley" + ham "homestead"). Notable bearers of the surname included John Denham (1615-1669), an English poet; British Labour politician John Denham (1953-); and British actor Maurice Denham (1909-2002).

Denholm English, Scottish
habitational name from Denholm in southern Scotland near Hawick (Roxburghshire) formerly Denham from the elements denu "valley" and ham "homestead" or holmr "island"... [more]

Deniz Turkish
Means "sea" in Turkish.

Denninger German
Habitational name for someone from Denning in Bavaria. Denning is related to Middle Low German denne meaning "wooded vale".

Dennington English
Habitational name from a place in Suffolk, recorded in Domesday Book as Dingifetuna, from the Old English female personal name Denegifu (composed of the elements Dene meaning "Dane" + gifu meaning "gift") + Old English tūn meaning "enclosure", "settlement".

Denton English
The surname Denton means "valley town" in Old English. ... [more]

D'entrone Italian
Italian conjugation, meaning "from within".

Deplano Italian
From Latin de plano, "of the plain, from the flat land".

Deplaz Romansh
Derived from the preposition de "of" and Romansh plaz "plaza; place".

Depuoz Romansh
Derived from the preposition de "of" and Romansh puoz "well, spring".

Dere Turkish
Means "creek, brook, stream" in Turkish.

Deriu Italian
Means "of the river" in Sardinian.

Desai Indian, Marathi, Gujarati
From a feudal title derived from Sanskrit देश (desha) meaning "country, kingdom" and स्वामिन् (svamin) meaning "owner, master, lord".

Desailly French
Originally denoted a person who came from any of the various places in northern or eastern France called Sailly, which is possibly derived from Old French saillir, salir meaning "to spring", ultimately from Latin saliō... [more]

Deschanel French
Derived from French eschamel meaning "stepladder" or des chanels meaning "from the channels, from the little jugs". An occupational nickname for a trader, it supposedly originated in the Ain department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France... [more]

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".

Deshpande Indian, Marathi
Means "district accountant", derived from Sanskrit देश (deśá) meaning "country, kingdom, province" combined with पण्डित (paṇḍitá) meaning "learned, wise man".

Desruisseaux French, French (Quebec)
Topographic name for someone who lived in an area characterized by streams, from the fused preposition and plural definite article des meaning "from the" and ruisseaux (plural of ruisseau) meaning "stream".

Deveaux French, Bahamian Creole
Means "of the valleys", derived from French val "valley".

Dewan Indian, Pakistani
Status name for a treasurer or court official, from Arabic diwan "royal court", "tribunal of justice", or "treasury". Under the Mughal administration in India the dewan was usually the highest official in a state.

Dewan Indian, Bengali, Hindi, Urdu, Nepali
From a title for a high-ranking government official or minister, derived from Persian دیوان (divan) meaning "royal court, tribunal, ministry, assembly".

Diasamidze Georgian
Means "son of Diasami", from a Georgian given name of unknown meaning, perhaps meaning "master" or derived from Abkhaz дәаӡа (dwaʒa) meaning "uncultivated land, virgin soil" (thus used to refer to someone who plowed land)... [more]

Digby English
Derived from the name of an English town, itself derived from a combination of Old English dic "dyke, ditch" and Old Norse býr "farm, town".

Dijkhuizen Dutch
Means "houses in the dike" in Dutch, derived from dijk meaning "dike, ditch, levee" and huizen meaning "houses, settlement", and so indicated a person who lived in a house close to a dyke or embankment.

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]

Dissanayake Sinhalese
From Sanskrit देश (desha) meaning "region, country, kingdom" and नायक (nayaka) meaning "hero, leader".

Djazairi Arabic (Maghrebi)
Derived from Arabic الجزائر (al-Jazā’ir) meaning "the islands", referring to the country of Algeria or referring to an Algerian person. This surname could be used to refer to someone from the city of Algiers, or just a general Algerian person.

Dobashi Japanese
From Japanese 土 (do) meaning "earth, soil" and 橋 (hashi) meaning "bridge".

Doi Japanese
Do ("Earth") + I ("Habitation") or ("Well, Mineshaft") in a different region. "Earth Well" is used mainly in the west and in Shikoku, the "Earth Habitation" kanji is used in eastern Japan. This name isn't rare and considered out of the ordinary, but it's uncommon to the ears.

Doi Japanese
From Japanese 土 (do) meaning "earth, soil" and 井 (i) meaning "well, mine shaft, pit".

Doi Japanese
From Japanese 土 (do) meaning "earth, soil" and 居 (i) meaning "being, sitting".

Doi Japanese
From Japanese 土 (do) meaning "earth, soil" and 肥 (i) meaning "manure, fertilizer".

Dōjima Japanese
From Japanese 堂 (dou) meaning "temple, shrine" and 島 (shima) meaning "island".

Donham Scottish
A surname meaning "House on the Hill" .

Donnellan Irish
From the Gaelic Domhnallain, a diminutive of Donnell/Domhnall meaning "world mighty" (Irish form of the Scottish Donald).

Donskikh Russian
Derived from the name of the Don river, derived from an Aryan root meaning "river".

Dorchester English
Derived from either the village in Oxfordshire, or the county town of Dorset, England (both of which have the same name). Both are named with a Celtic name, respectively Dorcic and Durnovaria combined with Old English ceaster meaning "Roman fort, walled city".

Dorsainvil Haitian Creole
Ornamental name derived from French d'or meaning "of gold" combined with saint "holy" and vil "settlement" (the Haitian Creole spelling of French ville).

Døskeland Norwegian
A surname originating from south-western Norway. The Døskeland farm in Sande, Gaular is the most notable place name. An older pronunciation, Dysjeland, has also been suggested by the Norwegian archaeologist Oluf Rygh... [more]

Dotani Japanese (Rare)
戸 (Do) means "door" or 藤 (do) means "wisteria". 谷 (Tani) means "valley".

Douangsavanh Lao
From Lao ດວງ (douang) meaning "circle, sphere" and ສະຫວັນ (savanh) meaning "heaven".

Doubrava Czech
It means "forest".

Dōune Japanese (Rare)
From Japanese 堂 (dō) meaning "temple, shrine, hall" and 畝 (une) meaning "raised ridge of earth in a field; furrow", referring to possibly a place with a hall and a field.

Doward English, Welsh
Indicated that the bearer lived by two hills, from Old Welsh dou "two" and garth "hill"

Down English
Derived from Old English dun meaning "down, low hill".

Downs English
This surname is derived from the Old English element dun meaning "hill, mountain, moor." This denotes someone who lives in a down (in other words, a ridge of chalk hills or elevated rolling grassland).

Dōyu Japanese (Rare)
From Japanese 堂 (dō) meaning "temple, shrine, hall" and 湯 (yu) meaning "hot water, bath; hot spring".

Dransfield English
Means "Drains the fields".

Dromgoole Irish
An Anglicized from the Irish Gaelic place name Droim Gabhail in County Louth, Ireland meaning "ridge of the forking stream." Dromgoolestown in County Louth is believed to be named after this surname... [more]

Drum Scottish
Habitational name from a place and castle in Aberdeenshire named from Gaelic druim "ridge".

Drummer English
Locational name from a place called Drummer, near Chadderton in Lancashire. The meaning is possibly from the pre 7th century Olde English 'drum' meaning "a ridge".

Dryden English
Possibly from an English place name meaning "dry valley" from the Old English elements drȳġe "dry" and denu "valley". A notable bearer was the English poet, literary critic, translator and playwright John Dryden (1631-1700).

Dual Romansh
Derived from the preposition de "of" and Romansh ual "brook, creek".

Dubec French
Geographical du bec "from the stream". Bec (from Germanic baki) is a regional term in Normandy for a stream.

Dubreuil French
Topographic name derived from Old French breuil meaning "marshy woodland" (also derived from Late Latin brogilum, of Gaulish origin). In French the term later came to mean "enclosed woodland" and then "cleared woodland", and both these senses may also be reflected in the surname.

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]

Duhaylungsod Filipino, Cebuano
Means "having two hometowns" from Cebuano duha meaning "two" and lungsod meaning "town."

Dujardin French
Means "from the garden" in French.

Du Lac Arthurian Cycle
In the series Merlin, this was the surname of Sir Lancelot: Lancelot du Lac. du Lac possibly means "of the lake."

Dumfries Scottish, Dutch, Dutch (Surinamese)
From the name of a market town in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, derived from Gaelic dùn meaning "fort" and preas meaning "thicket". This surname is found predominantly in Aruba, the Netherlands and Suriname... [more]

Dunaway English
Originally indicated someone who came from the village and civil parish of Dunwich in Suffolk, England, derived from Old English dun meaning "hill" (or possibly dune meaning "valley") and weg meaning "way"... [more]

Dunstan English
Either from the given name Dunstan or habitational name from Dunston (Derbyshire Lincolnshire Norfolk) from the Old English personal name Dunn and tun "settlement"... [more]

Duplain French
topographic name from Old French plain an adjective meaning "flat" and a noun meaning "plain" with fused preposition and definite article du "from the".

Dupré French
Means "of the meadow" in French.

Durham English
Denotes a person from either the town of Durham, or elsewhere in County Durham, in England. Durham is derived from the Old English element dun, meaning "hill," and the Old Norse holmr, meaning "island."

Durieux French
Derived from Old French riu meaning "river, stream", originally used to indicate someone who lived by a stream.

Düsterwald German
Derived from Middle Low German düster "dark" combined with Old High German wald "forest".

Dutertre French
Means "of the hillock, of the mound" in French.

Duvernay French
Means "from the alder grove," from Gaulish vern meaning "alder" combined with Latin -etum, whence Modern French -aie, forming names of orchards or places where trees/plants are grown)... [more]

Earnshaw English
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).

Eastburn English
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".

Easterbrook English
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".

Easthope English
From the name of the village and civil parish of Easthope in Shropshire, England, derived from Old English est meaning "east, eastern" and hop meaning "enclosed valley".

Eastlake English
"East lake".

Eastland English
Meaning "east land".

Eben English
Meaning unknown. It could be from the given name Eden, from the place name Eden, meaning "Place Of Pleasure".

Eccbeer English (Rare)
From Middle English aker "field" and Old English bǣre "swine pasture," denoting someone who lived near one.... [more]

Eccles English
From the name of a town in Greater Manchester, England or another town or village named Eccles, derived from Latin ecclesia via Romano-British ecles meaning "church".

Eckland English (Rare), Norwegian (Anglicized, Rare, Expatriate), Swedish (Anglicized, Expatriate)
Possibly a variant of Ecklund. It might also be an anglicization of the rare Swedish surname Ekland or of a Norwegian name derived from several farmsteads named with eik "oak" and land "land".

Economos Greek (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".

Eda Japanese
From Japanese 江 (e) meaning "bay, inlet" and 田 (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".

Edamura Japanese
The kanji 枝 (Eda) means "Branch", while 村 (Mura) means "Town, Village". Combine the two and the surname means "Branching Town/Village".

Edgecombe English
From a location meaning ridge valley, from Old English ecg "edge, ridge" and cumb "valley".

Edgely English
A surname of Anglo-Saxon origin, and a place name taken from either a village in Cheshire or one in Shropshire. The name means “park by the wood” in Old English.

Edgerton English
From a place name meaning either "settlement of Ecghere" or "settlement of Ecgheard" (see Ekkehard).

Edmiston Scottish
Habitational name from Edmonstone, near Edinburgh, so named from the Old English personal name Ēadmund + tūn meaning "settlement".

Edo Japanese
E means "river, inlet" and to means "wisteria".

Edström Swedish
Combination of Swedish ed "isthmus" and ström "stream".

Eelmaa Estonian
Eelmaa is an Estonian surname derived from "eel" maening "fore" aand "maa" meaning "land".

Eelmäe Estonian
Eelmäe is an Estonians surname meaning "fore hill".

Eelsalu Estonian
Eelsalu is an Estonia surname meaning "fore grove".

Eenmaa Estonian
Eenmaa is an Estonian name, possibly derived from "eend" (meaning "ledge") and "salu" ("grove").

Eenpalu Estonian
Eenpalu is an Estonian name, possibly derived from "eend" (meaning "ledge") and "palu" ("sandy heath").

Eensaar Estonian
Eensaar is an Estonian name, possibly derived from "eend" (meaning "ledge") and "saar" ("island").

Eensalu Estonian
Eensalu is an Estonian name, possibly derived from "eend" (meaning "ledge") and "salu" ("grove").

Eensoo Estonian
Eensoo is an Estonian name, possibly derived from "eend" (meaning "ledge") and "soo" meaning "swamp/marsh".

Eentalu Estonian
Eentalu is an Estonian name, possibly derived from "eend" (meaning "ledge") and "talu" meaning "farm".

Eesmaa Estonian
Eesmaa is an Estonian surname meaning "(a)fore land".

Eespõld Estonian
Eespõld is an Estonian surname meaning "afore/ahead of field".

Eessaar Estonian
Eessaar is an Estonian surname meaning "fore island".

Effenberg German
Possibly denoted a person coming from a place of this name in Germany, or for someone who lived on or near a mountain or hill covered with elm trees, derived from German effe meaning "elm" and berg meaning "mountain, hill"... [more]

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

Egeland Norwegian
From the name of several farmsteads in Norway named with Norwegian eik "oak" and land "land".

Eguchi Japanese
From Japanese 江 (e) meaning "inlet, bay" and 口 (kuchi) meaning "mouth, entrance".

Ehala Estonian
Ehala is an Estonian surname meaning "sunset glow/twilight area".

Ehasalu Estonian
Ehasalu is an Estonian surname meaning "dusk grove". Eha is also an common feminine given name.

Ehrenberg Jewish (Anglicized, Rare, Archaic), German
In German it means "mountain of honor"

Eichacker German
Topographic name meaning "oak field. from Middle High German eiche "oak" and acker "field".

Eichelberg German
Habitational name from any of various places, notably one southeast of Heidelberg, named from Middle High German eichel meaning "acorn" + berc meaning "mountain", "hill", or topographic name for someone who lived on an oak-covered hill.

Eichenlaub German, Jewish
Derived from Eichenlau, a topographic name from Middle High German eichen "oaks" and loh "forest clearing", reinterpreted through folk etymology as Eichenlaub, meaning "oak leaf".

Eickhoff German
From Middle Low German eke "oak" and hof "manor farm."

Eidsness Norwegian (Expatriate)
From Old Norse eið "isthmus" and nes "headland". This was the name of a farmstead in Norway.

Eiland German
Topographic name for someone who lived on or owned property surrounded by water, from Middle High German eilant, "island"

Eisenberg German, Jewish
Means "iron hill" from German isen meaning "iron" and berg meaning "hill".

Ejiri Japanese
江 (E) means "inlet, river" and 尻 (jiri) means "behind, rear".

Ejiri Japanese
From Japanese 江 (e) meaning "bay, inlet" and 尻 (shiri) meaning "behind, end, rear".

Ekberg Swedish
Combination of Swedish ek "oak" and berg "mountain".

Ekdahl Swedish
Combination of Swedish ek "oak" and dal "valley".

Ekern Norwegian (Rare)
From Old Norse ekra "meadow, field". This was the name of a farmstead in Norway.

Ekholm Swedish
Composed of the elements ek "oak" and holm "islet"

Ekland Swedish (Rare)
Combination of Swedish ek "oak" and land "land". A famous bearer is Swedish actress Britt Ekland (b. 1942), but in her case, the name is a variant of Eklund.

Ekvall Swedish
Composed of Swedish ek "oak" and vall "field, pasture".

Eldon English
Habitation name from the Old English personal name Ella- and -don from dun meaning "hill."

Elfving Swedish
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]

Elizabelar Basque
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).

Elizalde Basque, Spanish
From Basque eleiza meaning "church" combined with the suffix -alde "by". This could be either a habitational name for a person who was from the town of Elizalde in Gipuzkoa, Basque Country, or a topographic name for someone living near a church.

Elkington English
According to Wikipedia Elkington is a deserted medieval village and civil parish in the West Northamptonshire in England. The villages name means "Elta's hill" or perhaps, less likely, "swan hill".... [more]

Ellenberg German, Jewish, German (Swiss)
Derived from two municipalities and a village called Ellenberg in Germany. As an ornamental name, it is derived from German ölenberg, literally meaning "olive mountain".

Ellerhoff German
This name means "Black Alder Tree Courtyard" and was inspired by a tree in a yard at the family farm in Nettelstedt, Germany.

Ellermeyer German
It is a combination of the German words “Eller,” which means “alder,” and “Meyer,” which means “steward” or farmer”. So, it is thought to refer to someone who was either a steward or farmer who lived near an alder grove.

Elsegood English (British), English (Australian)
Derived from an Old English given name, possibly *Ælfgod or *Æðelgod, in which the second element is god "god". (Another source gives the meaning "temple-god", presumably from ealh and god.)... [more]

Elshout Dutch
Means "alder wood" in Dutch.

Elwell English
Means "person from Elwell", Dorset (probably "spring from which omens can be read").

Elwood English
It's either from a place name in Gloucestershire, England called Ellwood that is derived from Old English ellern "elder tree" and wudu "wood", or a form of the Old English personal name Ælfweald, composed of the elements ælf "elf" and weald "rule".

Emajõe Estonian
Emajõe is an Estonian surname meaning "mother river" (a genitive form of "ema jõgi"). The Emajõgi is a 100km river flowing through Estonia.

Emersby English
Meaning "Emery's farm."

Emori Japanese
From Japanese 江 (e) meaning "bay, inlet" and 守 (mori) meaning "watchman, keeper, caretaker".