Browse Submitted Surnames

Manlangit Filipino, Tagalog, Cebuano
Means "to go to heaven" in Tagalog and Cebuano.

Mannay-ool Tuvan (Rare)
Derived from Tuvan маңнаар (mañnar) meaning "to run" combined with оол (ool) "son, boy".

Manobal Thai
From Thai มโน (mano) meaning "heart; mind; imagination" and "บาล" (ban) meaning "to protect; to tend; to govern".

March English
From the English word meaning, "to walk stiffly and proudly" or possibly from the month.

Marcus English
Marcus is a surname derived from the given name of Ancient Roman pre-Christian origin derived either from Etruscan Marce of unknown meaning (possibly from the Etruscan "mar" which means "to harvest"), or referring to the god Mars... [more]

Marongiu Italian
From Sardinian marongiu "to hoe, hoeing", from marra "hoe, digging tool".

Marvel English
Either (i) from a medieval nickname (often ironic) for someone regarded as a prodigy; or (ii) "person from Merville", the name of two places in northern France ("smaller settlement" and "settlement belonging to a man with a Germanic name beginning with Meri-, literally 'famous'")... [more]

Mascherano Italian
Occupational name for maker of masks, derived from Italian mascherare meaning "to mask". The Argentine former soccer player Javier Mascherano (1984-) is a famous bearer of this name.

Masuda Japanese
From Japanese 増 (masu) meaning "increase", 益 (masu) meaning "benefit", 舛 (masu) meaning "oppose, to go against" (kun reading), 桝 (masu) meaning "box seat, measure" or 升 (masu) meaning "box" and 田 (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".

Matan Hebrew (Modern, Rare)
From the given name Matan which means "gift" or "to give" in Hebrew.

Mautz German
Meaning "to gripe", or "to complain" in Swabian German.

Medico Italian
Occupational name for a physician, Italian medico (Latin medicus, from medere "to heal").

Mérida Spanish
habitational name from the city of Mérida in Badajoz province... [more]

Messer German
Occupational name for an official in charge of measuring the dues paid in kind by tenants, from an agent derivative of Middle High German mezzen "to measure".

Messiaen Dutch, French
Derived from Messiaen, the (archaic) Dutch form of the latinate first name Messianus, which itself is ultimately derived from the Roman praenomen Messus. The meaning of Messus is not wholly certain; it may be derived from the Latin verb meto "to reap, to harvest, to cut, to sever", or from the latinized form of Greek mesos or messos "(the) middle, (the) middle one"... [more]

Metwally Arabic (Egyptian)
From Arabic متولي (mutawalli) meaning "responsible, entrusted with, charged with", ultimately from the word تَوَلَّى (tawalla) meaning "to take charge of, to take control of".

Mheenak Thai
From Thai มีนัก (Minak) meaning "of Khmer royalty or nobility".... [more]

Minghella English (British)
It derives from the Roman (Latin) "Dominicus", meaning "belonging to the lord god", from "dominus", lord or master. The name was given considerable impetus by the fame of the Spanish saint "Dominicus", who founded the Dominican order of monks, although it was already well established.

Morand French, French (Swiss)
from the medieval Latin personal name Maurandus Morandus derived from Maurus "Mauritanian Moor" and the suffix -andus (following the pattern of names formed from a verbal noun such as Amandus) or shortened from Moderandus which appears to be Latin for "he who is (able) to be guided"... [more]

Morceli Arabic (Maghrebi)
Possibly from Arabic مُرْسِل (mursil) meaning "sender, dispatcher" or "sent, transmitted" from أَرْسَلَ (ʾarsala) "to send, to dispatch".

Mostefaoui Arabic (Maghrebi)
Means "relating to Mustafa" in Arabic (chiefly Algerian).

Moteki Japanese
From the Japanese 茂 (mote) "overgrown," "to grow thick" and 木 (ki, moku or boku) "tree."

Muslim Arabic, Indonesian, Pakistani, Indian (Muslim)
From the Arabic مُسْلِم (muslim), the active participle of أَسْلَمَ (ʾaslama) "to surrender, expose" (from the same root of the word Islam). The term denotes a follower of Islam.

Nabatame Japanese
From 生 meaning "to live, raw", 天 meaning "heaven, sky", and 目 meaning "eyes".

Nachtigall German, Jewish
Nickname from Middle High German nachtegal "nightingale" from Old High German galan "to sing". Cognate to Nightingale.

Nascimento Portuguese (Brazilian)
Means "birth, nativity" in Portuguese, from Late Latin nascimentum, a derivative of Latin nasci "to be born". This was originally a religious byname. It was also an epithet of the Virgin Mary (Maria do Nascimento), and was used as a given name for children born on Christmas.

Nazareth Hebrew
From the Hebrew for "To guard."

Newcomer English (American)
Nickname for a person who was new to a town or location, from Old English niwe meaning "new" and cumen meaning "to come".

Nightingale English
Nickname for someone with a good voice from Middle English nightegale "nightingale" (Old English nihtegale, ultimately from niht "night" and galan "to sing").

Noe Medieval English, Korean
A patronymic form of the biblical male given name Noah from the Hebrew word "noach" meaning long-lived. Possible origins could be ... [more]

Nomikos Greek
A Greek surname which means "relating to law" (see first name Nomiki).

Nonnenmacher German
Occupational name for a gelder of hogs, from Middle High German nunne, nonne meaning "nun", and by transfer "castrated hog" + an agent derivative of machen meaning "to make".

Northway English
Habitational name from one or more of the minor places called with Middle English bi northe weie "(place) to the north of the way or road" from the elements norþ "north" and weg "way" including Northway in Monkleigh Widecombe in the Moor and Parkham Norway in Whitestone Narraway in Drewsteignton (all Devon) and Northway in Halse (Somerset)... [more]

Novosel Croatian
Derived from nov, meaning "new", and selo, meaning "village", so the possible meaning is "the one who's new to the village".

Novoselec Croatian
Derived from nov, meaning "new", and selo, meaning "village", so the possible meaning is "the one who's new to the village".

Novoselić Croatian
Derived from nov, meaning "new", and selo, meaning "village", so the possible meaning is "the one who's new to the village".... [more]

Nukutō Japanese (Rare)
From Japanese 抽く (nuku) meaning "to pull out; to draw out" and 冬 (tō) meaning "winter".

Nungesser German
Apparently a variant spelling of German Nonnengasse, derived from a street name meaning "nuns, lane". It could also be a variant of Gnugesser, a nickname for a big eater, derived from g(e)nug meaning "enough" and esser meaning "eater" (which derived from essen meaning "to eat")... [more]

Obradović Serbian
Patronymic from the personal name Obrad, a derivative of obradovati meaning "to give joy".

Ogami Japanese
This surname is used as 拝, 小上, 小神, 尾上, 尾神, 男神 with 拝 (hai, oga.mu, oroga.mu) meaning "adore, pray to, worship," 小 (shou, o-, ko-, sa-, chii.sai) meaning "little, small," 尾 (bi, o) meaning "end, tail," 男 (dan, nan, o, otoko) meaning "male," 上 (shan, shou, jou, a.gari, a.garu, a.geru, ue, -ue, uwa-, kami, nobo.su, nobo.seru, nobo.ri, nobo.ru, yo.su) meaning "above, up" and 神 (shin, jin, kami, kan-, kou-) meaning "gods, mind, soul."

Oit Estonian
Oit is an Estonian surname possibly derived from "õitsev", meaning "to blossom" or "to bloom".

Omtzigt Dutch
Derived from Dutch omzicht meaning "cautious, careful, circumspection", ultimately from the verb omzien meaning "to look around". It may have originated in a Dutch village with several farms named Omzicht, or as a nickname for a cautious person... [more]

Onyilogwu Nigerian (Rare), Igbo (Rare)
Possibly means "he who is invulnerable to dark magic" in Igbo.

Osame Japanese
From Japanese 納 (osame), a variant spelling of 納め (osame) meaning "to pay fees, to supply, to store, to complete, to restore".... [more]

Ostwald German
from the ancient Germanic personal name Ostold composed of the elements ōst "east" (see Oest ) and Old High German walt(an) "to rule". Variant of Oswald.

Owari Japanese
From Japanese 終 (owa) meaning “last, to finish” and 里 (ri) meaning “village, the home of one’s parents, hometown”. The latter character is also an archaic Japanese unit of area.

Oyekan Yoruba
Means "the next to be crowned" in Yoruba.

Pacquiao Filipino, Cebuano
From Cebuano pakyaw meaning "wholesale, to buy in bulk", ultimately from Hokkien 跋繳 (poa̍h-kiáu). A famous bearer is Filipino politician and former boxer Emmanuel "Manny" Pacquiao (1978-).

Paglinawan Filipino, Tagalog, Cebuano
Means "to clarify" or "to make clear" in Tagalog and Cebuano.

Paley Jewish, Yiddish, Belarusian, Ukrainian
Occupational name for a distiller, derived from an East Slavic word (Russian палить (palitʹ), Ukrainian палити (palyty)) meaning "to burn". A famous bearer was Princess Olga Valerianovna Paley (1865-1929), the morganatic second wife of Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich of Russia.

Palić Serbian, Croatian
Derived from paliti, meaning "to fire" or "to set on fire".

Paljević Montenegrin, Croatian
Derived from paliti (палити), meaning "to burn, to set of fire".

Pamintuan Filipino, Pampangan
Means "to obey, to serve" in Pampangan, derived from pintu meaning "respect, restraint, obedience".

Pamulaklakin Filipino (Rare), Tagalog (Rare)
Means "to make it bloom" in Tagalog.

Pangandag Filipino, Maranao
Means "to boast, to be proud of" in Maranao.

Pangilinan Filipino, Tagalog
Means "place of abstinence" from Tagalog pangilin meaning "abstinence, to abstain" and the suffix -an meaning "place of, time of". It was used to denote abstinence from certain foods for religious purposes.

Panozzo Italian
Venice, one of the oldest and most beautiful regions of Italy, is the esteemed birthplace of numerous prominent families, and of a family that bears the surname Panozzo. Although people were originally known only by a single name, it became necessary for them to adopt a second name to identify themselves, as populations grew and travel became more frequent... [more]

Papin French
Either from Old French papin "pap (for kids)" a noun derivative of paper "to munch or eat" (from Late Latin pappare in origin a nursery word) as a nickname probably referring to a glutton... [more]

Paratore Italian
Derived from Italian paratore meaning "decorator, fuller", which refers to a craftsman who fulls coarse cloth. In other words: this surname is the Italian cognate of the English surname Fuller... [more]

Paxson English
This surname means "son of Pack." Pack may be a survival of the Old English personal name Pacca or it may have been a Middle English personal name derived from Paschalis (meaning "relating to Easter"), the Latin form of Pascal.

Peevey Norman, English
Means "a place with a fine view". Composed of the Old French roots beu, which means "fair" and "lovely", and voir, which means "to see".

Peinado Spanish
Derived from peinado meaning "combed" (past participle of peinar meaning "to comb"), hence a nickname for a well-groomed person or for someone with naturally smooth rather than curly hair.

Pelagatti Italian
Probably derives from an old expression meaning "cheat, scoundrel", literally a combination of pela "to skin" and gatti "cats".

Pennant Celtic
Meaning, "Belonging to Pennant" (a common Welsh place-name).

Pense French
Pense is, quite literally, a French word meaning "to think" or "thought", but is also a surname. Sometimes confused with the surname Pence, which is German.

Pettai Estonian
Pettai is an Estonian surname derived from "petta" meaning "to be up to mischief".

Phatthanaphanit Thai
From Thai พัฒน (phatthana) meaning "to progress, to develop, to evolve" and พาณิช (phanit) meaning "commerce".

Philippart Belgian
In the Medieval period, of Ancient Greek origin, derives from philippos, a compound made of philein meaning "to love", and hippos, a horse, hence "lover of horses".

Pilcher English
Occupational name for a maker or seller of pilches, from an agent derivative of Pilch. In early 17th-century English, pilcher was a popular term of abuse, being confused or punningly associated with the unrelated verb pilch "to steal" and with the unrelated noun pilchard, a kind of fish.

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]

Platini Italian
Occupational name for a person who coats objects with platinum, derived from Italian platinare literally meaning "to platinize, to coat with platinum". A notable bearer is the former French soccer star Michel Platini (1955-).

Pletikosa Croatian
Derived from pletiti, meaning "to knit", and kosa, meaning "hair".

Pletikosić Croatian
Derived from pletiti, meaning "to knit", and kosa, meaning "hair".

Pool Estonian
Pool is an Estonian surname meaning "at", "to", "towards", as well as "half". Derived from the location in which one lived.

Popoca Aztec, Nahuatl
From Nahuatl meaning "to smoke".

Posthumus Dutch, Low German
From a personal name which was given to a posthumous child, i.e., one born after the death of his father, derived from Latin postumus "last, last-born" (superlative of posterus "coming after, subsequent") via Late Latin posthumus, which was altered by association with Latin humare "to bury", suggesting death (i.e., thought to consist of post "after" and humus "grave", hence "after death"); the one born after the father's death obviously being the last.

Prevedoros Greek
From the Italian rank of provveditore "he who sees to things" (overseer) was the style of various local district governors in the extensive, mainly maritime empire of the Republic of Venice.

Priestland English
From Middle English prest priest "priest" and land "landed property land" (Old English preost land) meaning "land that belonged to priests"... [more]

Princip Bosnian, Serbian
Probably derived from Latin princeps "leader, initiator, prince", which itself was ultimately derived from primus "first" and capere "to take". The surname may thus have originated as a nickname for someone with a princely appearance, or for someone who was the illegitimate offspring of a prince... [more]

Príncipe Italian, Spanish
From principe "prince, heir" (Latin princeps, genitive principis, from primus "first" and capere "to take"), applied probably as a nickname for someone who gave himself airs and graces or for someone in the service of a prince.

Proctor English
Occupational name from Middle English prok(e)tour "steward" (reduced from Old French procurateour, Latin procurator "agent", from procurare "to manage"). The term was used most commonly of an attorney in a spiritual court, but also of other officials such as collectors of taxes and agents licensed to collect alms on behalf of lepers and enclosed orders of monks.

Pulišić Croatian
Derived From puliš meaning "to smoke". It may refer to a smoker or someone who sells cigarettes.

Pulsoni Italian
Probably from Latin pulso "to beat, to strike".

Pulver Low German, French, English
I comes from the Latin verb meaning "to make powder." This name was given to either an alchemist or one who made gunpowder.

Punzalan Filipino, Tagalog, Pampangan
Possibly an occupational name for a maker of fences or a nickname derived from Spanish punzar meaning "to punch, to sting".

Pyo Korean (Rare)
From Sino-Korean 俵 (pyo) meaning "to share".

Quichocho Chamorro
Chamorro for "to take out from hiding"

Quinene Chamorro
Chamorro for "to take away"

Qureshi Arabic, Urdu
Denotes a member of the Quraysh, a mercantile Arab tribe that the Prophet Muhammad belonged to, itself is derived from Arabic قرش (qarasha) meaning "to gnash, to grind, to chew".

Radford English
Habitational name from any of the various places so named, for example in Devon, Nottinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, and Hereford and Worcester. Most are named from Old English read "red" + ford "ford", but it is possible that in some cases the first element may be a derivative of Old English ridan "to ride", with the meaning "ford that can be crossed on horseback".

Radolović Croatian
Possibly derived from rado lovi, meaning "glad to hunt".

Radulović Serbian
Possibly derived from rado lovi, meaning "glad to hunt".

Ramm Estonian
Ramm is an Estonian surname meaning both "beetle" and "(to) ram".

Rapino Italian
From the name of two municipalities in Abruzzo, Italy. It could also be a nickname for a barber, derived from Italian rapare meaning "to crop, to shave, to scalp".

Rastoder Bosnian
Possibly derived from hrast, meaning "oak", and derati, meaning "tearing, to tear".

Rausch German
Nickname for a noisy person, derived from ruschen, meaning "to make a noise" in Middle High German. ... [more]

Rausing Swedish (Rare)
Combination of Raus, the name of a parish in southern Sweden, and the common surname suffix -ing "belonging to, coming from".

Régis French
Occupational name for a local dignitary, from a derivative of Old French régir "to rule or manage".

Rideout English
Means "outrider (a municipal or monastic official in the Middle Ages whose job was to ride around the country collecting dues and supervising manors)".

Riedel German
Derived from a given name containing the Middle Low German name element riden "to ride".

Rodman English
The surname Rodman is an ancient English surname, derived from a trade name, "men who were by the tenure or customs of their lands to ride with or for the lord of the manor about his business". The most famous bearer of this name is the basketball player Dennis Rodman.

Rothacker German
Either a topographic name based on a field name derived from Middle High German riuten roten "to clear land (for cultivation)" and acker "field"... [more]

Rozbiewski Polish (?)
Unknown, possibly related to any of the words: rozbież ("crossroads", "outskirts"),... [more]

Rucker German
Middle High German: nickname rucken "to move or draw". North German: nickname from Middle Low German rucker "thief", "greedy or acquisitive person". German: from a reduced form of the Germanic personal name Rudiger... [more]

Rumfelt German, Dutch
Altered spelling of German Romfeld, derived from Middle Low German rüm- meaning "to clear (land)" and feld meaning "open country, field", hence a topographic name or possibly a metonymic occupational name for a person engaged in clearing woodland, or in some cases a habitational name for someone from Romfelt in the Ardennes... [more]

Rünne Estonian
Rünne is an Estonian surname meaning both "attack" and "to make inroads into something".

Rushdie Kashmiri (Rare)
Derived from Arabic رَشَدَ (rašada) meaning "to go the right way, to follow the right course" or "to be well guided" (related to the given names Rashad and Rashid)... [more]

Rydinger Swedish (Rare)
Either a combination of Swedish ryd "woodland clearing" and the common surname suffix -ing "belonging to, coming from" (compare Norling), a variant of Ryding, or a Swedish form of German Rüdinger.

Saadaoui Arabic (Maghrebi)
Means "relating to Sa'd" in Arabic (chiefly Maghrebi).

Saccà Italian
From Arabic سقى (saqa) "to give water", a nickname for a water carrier.

Sadulaev Chechen
From the Arabic given name Saʼdulla meaning “happiness of Allah” from سَعِدَ (saʿida) “to be happy, to be lucky” combined with Allah.

Sahabi Iranian
Possibly from Arabic صَحَابِيّ‎ (ṣaḥābiyy) meaning "companion", from the verb صَحِبَ‎ (ṣaḥiba) "to accompany, to be one's companion".

Sakuncharoensuk Thai (Rare)
From Thai สกุล (sakun) meaning "birth; ancestry; family", เจริญ (charoen) meaning to "grow; to increase; to develop", and สุข (suk) meaning "joy; happiness".

Sakurami Japanese
From Japanese 桜, 櫻 (sakura) meaning "cherry blossom" combined with 見 (mi) meaning "to see" or 実 (mi) meaning "berry, fruit, nut, real".

Salakaya Abkhaz
Mingrelian form of the Abkhaz surname Шакар-ипа (Shakar-ipa) meaning "son of Shakar". The name itself may be derived from Persian شکر (šakar) meaning "sugar" or from Arabic شَكَرَ (šakara) meaning "to be thankful, to be grateful".

Salangsang Filipino, Pampangan
Means "(to) stack" in Kapampangan.

Santander Spanish
From the toponymy, it is discussed whether Santander is a derivation of San Emeterio or San Andrés. Due to the proximity of the Basque country (Ander = Andrés) and the tenor of some ancient texts, it can be concluded that it refers to San Andrés... [more]

Sbaraglia Italian
From sbaragliare "to defeat, to overcome".

Scafata Italian
Possibly denoting someone from the Italian town Scafati, from Latin scapha "skiff, light boat". Alternately, may be from Italian scafare "to husk peas", either literally referring to someone's occupation, or from the figurative meaning of "to make more confident; alert, shrewd".

Scanagatta Italian
Probably means "cat killer", from Italian scannare "to slaughter, to cut the throat of" and gatto "cat", with the figurative meaning of "cheat, scoundrel". (Compare Pelagatti)... [more]

Scanavacca Italian
Possibly an occupational name for a butcher, from scannare "to slaughter, to cut the throat of" and vacca "cow".

Scanavino Italian
Meaning uncertain, possibly related to scanalare "to cut a groove, to plough" and vino "wine".

Scannabissi Italian
Possibly from scannare "to slaughter, to cut the throat of" and biscio "snake". Alternately, the first element may be from an archaic form of zanna, "tooth (of an animal)".

Scannapieco Italian
Occupational name for a butcher, from scannare "to slaughter, to cut the throat of" and piecuro "sheep, lamb".

Scannella Italian
Possibly from Italian scannellare "to channel, to cut a groove", itself from Latin scamnum "ridge (of earth formed by plowing)".

Scatena Italian
From scatenare "to provoke, stir up, unleash", probably a nickname for a troublemaker.

Schauer German
The Schauer surname comes from the Middle High German word "schouwen" meaning "to inspect;" as such, the name is thought to have originally been occupational, for some kind of inspector, perhaps an official of a market.

Schermann German, Jewish
German cognate of Sherman 1 derived from the elements skeran "to cut, to shear" and Middle High German man "man".

Schleicher German
Could derive from the word schleifen meaning "to grind" but most likely is derived from the word schleicher "to sneak, creeper".

Schleifer German
Derived from the word schleifen "to grind, polish".

Schmeichel German
Nickname for a flatterer, derived from Middle High German smeichen literally meaning "to flatter". Famous bearers of this surname include Peter Schmeichel (1963-) and his son Kasper Schmeichel (1986-), both of whom are Danish soccer goalkeepers.

Schmelzer German
occupational name for a smelter from an agent derivative of Middle High German smelzen German schmelzen "to smelt metal" or "make glass".

Schnapp German
Derived from Middle High German snappen meaning "to chatter", or Middle Low German snappen meaning "to grab". This was originally a nickname for a chatterer or a greedy person.

Schömer German
Nickname for an offensive person, from Middle High German schemen "to insult."

Schonewille Dutch
Perhaps a nickname for an attractive person, derived from Middle Dutch schône meaning "beautiful, clean, pure" and wille meaning "to want, to desire".

Schopenhauer German
Derived from German schöpfen meaning "to scoop, ladle" and hauen meaning "to chop", referring to a maker of wooden and metal scoops and buckets. This name was borne by the German pessimist philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860), the author of the 1818 book The World as Will and Representation among other works.

Schrepfer German (Swiss), German
Derived from from Middle High German schrepfer "barber-surgeon's assistant", ultimately from the verb schrepfen "to bleed someone".

Schruijer Dutch
Presumably an occupational name for a town crier, from "schreien" or "schreeuwen", meaning "to shout", or "to yell".

Schutz German
Occupational surname for an archer or a watchman (from Middle High German schützen "to guard or protect"). Also a habitational name from Schutz, a place near Trier, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.

Schwandt German
Topographic name for someone who lived in a forest clearing, from Middle High German swant (from swenden "to thin out", "make disappear", causative from swinden "to disappear" modern German schwinden.

Schwandt German
Habitational name from any of the various places called Schwand or Schwanden, all in southern Germany, named with this element, from Middle High German swant (from swenden "to thin out", "make disappear", causative from swinden "to disappear" modern German schwinden.

Schwenk German
Variant spelling of Schwanke, or apparently a nickname referring to a person's gait, derived from Middle High German swenken meaning "to swing back and forth, to sling" (see Schwenke 1).

Schwerdtfeger German
occupational name for an armorer or specifically for a servant whose job was to polish swords Middle High German Middle Low German swertfeger (from swert "sword" and an agent derivative of fegen "to polish or clean").

Schwing German
Occupational name for someone whose job was to swingle flax, i.e. to beat the flax with a swingle in order to remove the woody parts of the plant prior to spinning, from Middle German swingen meaning "to swing" or swing meaning "swingle".

Scognamiglio Italian
Literally "millet thresher", probably from the Neapolitan verb scugnà ("to thresh") and miglio ("millet"), denoting cereal threshers.

Scorrano Italian
Denotes someone from Scorrano, Italy. Coincides with scorrano "to run, to flow".

Secchi Italian
Probably related to Italian secco "thin, dry". May alternately derive from secare "to cut", Sardinian seghi "sixteen", segete "harvest, harvest fodder", or a shortened form of seneche "old, aged".

Seinfeld German, Jewish
From the German word sein "to be" and the word of German Jewish origin feld which means "field". It was a name given to areas of land that had been cleared of forest.

Sethna Indian (Parsi)
Gujarati Parsi name meaning "pertaining to the banker", derived from Hindi सेठ (seṭh) meaning "merchant, banker" (see Seth).

Sezer Turkish
Means "intuition", from Turkish sezmek meaning "to understand, to perceive".

Sforza Italian
Derived from the Italian verb sforzare meaning "to force, strain"; also compare the related word forza "force, strength". This was the surname of a dynasty of Milanese dukes, which held power in the 15th and 16th centuries.

Shacklady English
Perhaps from a medieval nickname for a man who had had sexual relations with a woman of higher social class (from shag "to copulate with" (not recorded before the late 17th century) and lady).... [more]

Shackleford English, Medieval English
Locational surname deriving from the place called Shackleford in Surrey, near the town of Farnham. The origin of "shackle" is uncertain. It could be derived from Old English sceacan "to shake"... [more]

Shimekake Japanese (Rare)
From Japanese 七 (shichi) from 楠木七郎 (Kusunoki Shichirō), 五 (go) from 和田五郎 (Wada Gorō), 三 (san) from 三百騎 (sambyakuki) meaning "300 horses" and 掛 (kake), phonetically assigned to write 駆ける (kakeru) meaning "to run"... [more]

Shimonari Japanese
From 下 (shimo) meaning "below," "under" and 成 (naru) meaning "to become."

Sho Japanese
Japanese name meaning "to fly/soar" or "wind instrument".

Si Chinese
From Chinese 司 (sī) meaning "to take charge of, to control, to manage" or "officer, official".

Siddu Italian
From Sardinian siddu "seal, brand", or the related siddai/re "to seal, to tighten", from which come the phrases 'siddai is dentis' "to grit one's teeth" and 'siddàu siast ingùnis' "may you be sealed there", the latter of which would have been affectionately said to a child that wouldn't stay still.

Sidiqi Pashto, Persian, Afghan
Means "the veracious" from Arabic صَدَقَ (ṣadaqa) meaning "to be truthful, to be sincere". It is also a variant of Persian Sadeghi.

Sijarić Montenegrin
Derived from sijati (сијати), meaning "to sow".

Sillaste Estonian
Sillaste is an Estonian surname meaning "pertaining to bridges".

Skutnik Romanian
Derived from the historical term scutnic.... [more]

Snape English (British), Scottish
An old, now rare surname, with various origins in Suffolk and Yorkshire in England and Lanarkshire in Scotland, derived from Middle English snaipen, “to injure; to nip (of sleet or snow); to criticize, rebuke, revile”, from Old Norse sneypa, “to disgrace, to dishonor, to outrage”... [more]

Soderini Italian
Possibly related to French soudoyer "to bribe", referring to paid mercenaries. Alternately, an elaborate form of Sodero.

Solano Spanish, Aragonese
From various Spanish place names, which are derived from Spanish solano meaning "place exposed to the sun" (from Late Latin solanus "pertaining to the sun", a derivative of sol "sun")... [more]

Solari Italian
Habitational name from any of various places called "Solaro" or "Solara", from solaro 'site', 'plot', 'meadow', literally "land exposed to the sun".

Solstice English
Taken from it's usage as a given name, which derived from Latin solsticium and thus ultimately from sol "sun" and stito "to stand still". The English word solstice refers to two times of the year when the sun's apparent position in the sky reaches its northernmost or southernmost extremes.

Sorime Japanese (Rare)
From Japanese 反り (sori), the continuative form of 反る (soru) meaning "to curve" and 目 (me) meaning "visual feature", referring to a curved landscape of a field.

Soudani Arabic (Maghrebi)
Means "Sudanese (referring to a person from Sudan)", derived from Arabic سُودَانِيّ (sūdāniyy).

Souter English, Scottish
Occupational name for a cobbler or shoemaker, derived from Middle English soutere, from Old Norse sutare, ultimately derived from Latin sutor meaning "to sew".

Spatafora Italian
This surname originates from the Italian island of Sicily, where it was first borne by a noble family of Byzantine origin, which had settled on the island in the 11th century AD. Their surname was derived from the Greek noun σπάθη (spathe) "blade, sword" (akin to Latin spatha "broad sword with a double edge") combined with Greek φορεω (phoreo) "to carry, to bear", which gives the surname the meaning of "he who carries the sword" or "sword-bearer"... [more]

Spelling English, Irish, Jewish
Occupational name for a scholar, speaker or a story teller, derived from Middle English spellan meaning "to tell or relate". It could also be a variant of Irish Spillane or Jewish Spellman... [more]

Spender English
Occupational name for a paymaster or someone in charge of finances, from Old English spendan "to spend" and Latin expendere "to pay out".

Spiegel German, Jewish
Metonymic occupational name for a maker or seller of mirrors, from Middle High German spiegel, German Spiegel "mirror" (via Old High German from Latin speculum, a derivative of specere "to look").

Spillman English
From the medieval male personal name Spileman, literally "acrobat" or "jester" (from a derivative of Middle English spillen "to play, cavort").

Spurrier English
Derived from the Old French word “esperonier,” meaning “to spur on”. It was likely given as a nickname to someone who was known for encouraging or motivating others. The name could have also referred to someone who was skilled at using spurs to control horses.

Stampone Italian
Meaning uncertain. Possibly from Italian stampare "to print, to stamp", or from Tuscan stampo "tree stump".

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

Steinbrecher German
occupational name for someone who worked in a stone quarry from Middle High German stein "stone" and an agent derivative of brechen "to break".

Steinbrenner German
occupational name for a lime burner from Middle High German stein "stone" (in this case limestone) and an agent derivative of brennen "to burn".

Steingräber German
occupational name for a quarry worker from Middle High German stein "stone" and agent derivative of Middle High German graben "to dig".

Sterken Dutch, English
Means "strong". Derived either from the Old English term sterċan, meaning "to make rigid", or from the Old Saxon sterkian and Old High German sterken, both meaning "to strengthen."

Stokholm Danish, Norwegian (Rare)
Combination of Norwegian skyta "to shoot" (indicating a protruding piece of land like a cape or headland) and holme "islet".

Sturdivant English
Perhaps a nickname for messenger, a pursuivant or a hasty person, derived from Middle English stirten, sterten meaning "to start, leap" (ultimately from Old English styrtan) and avaunt meaning "forward" (itself from Old French).

Sture Old Swedish, Swedish (Rare)
Derived from Old Norse stura "to be contrary". This was the surname of two important families in the 15th and 16th century Sweden. Members of these families served as regents of Sweden during this time... [more]

Sturtz German
Sturtz comes from an alpine village in Germany. It literately means "to stumble".

Subramanian Indian
A Hindu name, based on Sanskrit subrahmaṅya "dear to Brahmans".

Šuškov Croatian
Derived from šuškati, meaning "to rustle".

Suutre Estonian
Suutre is an Estonian surname derived from "suutma" meaning "to be able/capable".

Svedberg Swedish
Combination of Swedish svedja "to burn off, to swidden" (referring to slash-and-burn agriculture (in Swedish: svedjebruk)) and berg "mountain". This name can be both locational (surname derived from a place named with Sved-... [more]

Svedin Swedish
Combination of Swedish svedja "to burn off, to swidden" (referring to slash-and-burn agriculture (in Swedish: svedjebruk)) and the common surname suffix -in.

Swigert German (Americanized)
Americanized form of German Schweigert or Zweigert, an occupational name for a gardener or tender of plants, from an agent derivative of Middle High German zwigen, meaning "to graft" or "to plant".

Świtała Polish
Derived from Polish świt "dawn" "sun" "daylight" or świtać "to dawn". It is a nickname for an early-riser.

Szmulik Polish
The Szmulik surname has much history. Its origins are Hebrew. It has taken on various spellings over the centuries, depending on where the person or family lived in Europe or America.... [more]

Tabak Dutch
Occupational name for a butcher or hog breeder, from Middle Dutch tucbake, from tucken meaning "to pull, push, or strike" + bake meaning "hog".

Tagliacarne Italian
From Italian 'tagliare' "to cut" and 'carne' "meat".

Tagliaferro Italian
From the Italian tagliare "to cut" and ferro "iron" occupational name for an ironworker or a nickname for a strong or ferocious fighter, one who was adept at cutting through the cuirass of the enemy with his sword (see Telfer).

Tagliafico Italian
From the Italian tagliare "to cut" and fico "fig".

Taitano Chamorro
Meaning "one without land" from Chamorro tai, prefix meaning "to be without", and tano meaning "land".

Tajanlangit Filipino, Cebuano
From Cebuano tahan langit meaning "to surrender to heaven".

Takamaki Japanese
From Japanese 高 (taka) meaning "tall, high" and 巻 (maki) meaning "scroll, book, roll up, tie" or 高巻 (takamaki) meaning "to detour around a waterfall"

Tartaglia Italian
From Italian tartagliare "to stutter".

Taufer German (Rare, Archaic)
Taufer is a german surname. The meaning of Taufer is "to dip".... [more]

Tedpahogo Chamorro
Chamorro for "Not able to complete or finish"

Telfer Scottish, English, Italian
From a personal name based on a byname for a strong man or ferocious warrior, from Old French taille or tailler "to cut" + fer "iron" Latin: ferrum "iron" (see Tagliaferro).

Te Poki Maori
The word Te means "the." The word Poki possibly means "to clear the garden." This was the name of a Ngati Mutunga tidewaiter and constable on what is now the Chatham Islands named Toenga Te Poki.

Tetreault French
Ultimately derived from French tistre "to weave".

Threston Medieval English (Rare)
The surname of Threston is English in origin, and, means "to twist"** and, can be traced as far back as the 11th century where the name is found in the "Domesday Book." The name Threston is a variation of the name of the town of Threxton, Norfolk, UK, and, there are several variations of the name Threxton including:... [more]

Tiffany English
From the medieval female personal name Tiffania (Old French Tiphaine, from Greek Theophania, a compound of theos "God" and phainein "to appear"). This name was often given to girls born around the feast of Epiphany.

Tiger Swedish
Perhaps taken from Swedish tiga "to keep quiet, to say nothing". Tiger is one of the names adopted by Swedish soldiers in the 17th century.

Tkáč Slovak
From Slovak words Tkáč and Tkať meaning "A weaver" and "To weave" respectively.

Tobi Japanese (Rare)
From Japanese 登 (to) meaning "to climb; to rise" and 日 (bi), the joining form of 日 (hi) meaning "sun; day", referring to a port that is closest to sunrise.

Todde Italian
From a modification of Latin tollere "to lift, to raise; to destroy". Alternately, may derive from the medieval Sardinian name Totolle.

Tornatore Italian
Derived from Italian tornatore meaning "turner", which refers to a craftsman who turns and shapes various materials (such as wood and metal) on a lathe. In other words: this surname is the Italian cognate of the English surname Turner... [more]

Toyhacao Filipino, Cebuano
From Cebuano tuyhakaw meaning "to crane one's neck, to pull oneself up tall".

Tozzi Italian
Derived from the Italian adjective tozzo meaning "squat; stocky" and also "chunk; hunk", both from Latin túndere meaning "to dent" or from Slavic stotz meaning "stump".... [more]

Trachtenberg German, Jewish
Could mean either mean "mountain of thoughts", from Yiddish trakhtn (טראַכטן) "to think" and berg "mountain" or "mountain of costumes", from German tracht "to wear, carry" and berg "mountain"... [more]

Traoré Western African, Manding
Francization of Manding Tarawele, which is of uncertain etymology. It was originally used by 13th-century Malian warrior Tiramakhan and possibly means "going to call it".

Treadwell English
Occupational name for a fuller, a person who cleaned and shrunk newly woven cloth by treading it. It is derived from Middle English tred(en) "to tread" and well "well".

Tribudarak Thai
From Thai ตรี (tri), a transcription of Sanskrit त्रि (trí) meaning "3", บุ (bu) meaning "to line", ดา (da) meaning "to walk together, scattered", and รักษ์ (rak) meaning "to cure, to take care of".

Tshuva Hebrew
Means "answer" or "returning" in Hebrew. The term חוזר בתשובה which means "returning to the faith", reffers to a person who becomes more religious person in Judaism.

Tsukita Japanese (Rare)
From Japanese 舂 (tsuki), from 舂き (tsuki), the continuative form of 舂く (tsuku) meaning "to grind with a mortar" and 田 (ta) meaning "rice paddy field", referring to a rice paddy field where they would grind grain with mortars.

Tsurubami Japanese (Rare)
From Japanese 鶴喰 (Tsurubami) meaning "Tsurubami", an area in the city of Rokunohe in the district of Kamikita in the prefecture of Aomori in Japan.... [more]

Tumacder Filipino, Ilocano
Derived from Ilocano tumakder meaning "to stand, to rise up".

Tumgoev Ingush (Russified)
Russified form of an Ingush surname, which is from the name of an Ingush teip (clan). The clan's name itself is derived from Tumag (ТIумагI), the name of a village in Ingushetia, possibly meaning "to see with the heart" in Ingush.

Tumibay Filipino, Tagalog
Means "to become strong, to become firm" in Tagalog.

Turba Italian
Possibly from Italian turbare, "to disturb, to trouble", itself from Latin turba, "turmoil, disturbance; mob, crowd". Alternately, it could be from the German surname Turba, of uncertain meaning.

Twiner English
Occupational name for a maker of thread or twine; an agent derivative of Old English twinen meaning "to twine".

Tysoe English
Denoted the bearer was from the parish of Tysoe, Warwickshire, England. The name of the parish is derived from Old English Tīges hōh, meaning "spur of land belonging to the god Tiw." (Tiw was the Old English name for the Roman deity Mars, and also inspired the name of Tuesday.)

Ulatowski Polish
Habitational name for someone from Ulatowo in Ostrołęka voivodeship, a place named with Old Polish ulot, ulatać meaning "to fly away".

Ulema Estonian
Ulema is an Estonian surname; possibly a corruption of "tulema" meaning "come" and "to come/hail from".

Urbino Sicilian, Italian
Possibly from the name of an Italian town. Could also be from Sicilian urbu or orbu, meaning "blind", in which case it may refer to literal blindness, or a more metaphorical "blind to one's sins", especially in the case of foundlings.

Usai Italian
Possibly from the name of the former village Usani, or alternately, from Sardinian uscare "to burn, to scorch".

Uwimana Rwandan, Eastern African
Means "belongs to God"

Værnes Norwegian
Værnes is a village in the municipality of Stjørdal in Nord-Trøndelag county in Mid-Norway. The original spelling of the village's name was Vannes and it is a combination of var "calm, quiet" and nes "headland"... [more]

Vaidya Indian, Marathi
Derived from Sanskrit वैद्य (vaidya) meaning "physician, doctor", ultimately from the word विद् (vid) meaning "to know".

Van Der Graaf Dutch
Dutch toponymic surname. Although graaf is a Dutch noble title similar to "count", here it refers to an old term for a canal with the same origin in the verb graven ("to dig") as gracht and grave.

Vatistas Greek
From the Latin Batista which means "baptist", originally deriving from Greek βάπτω (bapto) meaning "to dip".

Venier Venetian
From the medieval name Venerius, meaning "of Venus, dedicated to Venus".

Viht Estonian
Viht is an Estonian surname and word meaning "the branches used to beat oneself in sauna".

Viitas Estonian
Viitas is an Estonian surname meaning "refer" or "point (out/to)".

Vrátil Czech
Derived from the past participle of the verb vrátit "to return". The name was perhaps used to denote a person who came back to his home following a long absence.

Waghmare Indian, Marathi
Means "tiger killer" from Marathi वाघ (vagh) meaning "tiger" and मारणे (marne) meaning "to kill".

Wahba Arabic
Means "gift" in Arabic, derived from the word وَهَبَ (wahaba) meaning "to grant, to gift".

Wake English, Scottish
From the Old Norse byname Vakr meaning "wakeful", "vigilant" (from vaka meaning "to remain awake"), or perhaps from a cognate Old English Waca (attested in place names such as Wakeford, Wakeham, and Wakeley).

Wakuri Japanese (Rare)
This surname is used as 和久利, 和久理, 和久里 or 和栗 with 和 (o, ka, wa, nago.mu, nago.yaka, yawa.ragu, yawa.rageru) meaning "harmony, Japan, Japanese style, peace, soften", 久 (kyuu, ku, hisa.shii) meaning "long time, old story", 利 (ri, ki.ku) meaning "advantage, benefit, profit", 理 (ri, kotowari) meaning "arrangement, justice, logic, reason, truth", 里 (ri, sato) meaning "league, parent's home, ri (unit of distance - equal to 3.927 km), village" and 栗 (ritsu, ri, kuri, ononoku) meaning "chestnut."... [more]

Wallen English
Originated from the Old English words "waellan" or "weallan," which mean "to boil" or "to bubble." It is thought that the name may have been used to describe someone who lived near a boiling spring or a bubbling brook.

Wardrop Scottish
Metonymic occupational name for someone who was in charge of the garments worn by a feudal lord and his household, from Norman French warde(r) meaning "to keep or guard" + robe meaning "garment".

Wäscher German
Occupational surname for a washer, from Middle High German waschen, weschen "to wash".

Watanuki Japanese
This surname is used as 渡抜, 渡樌, 渡貫, 綿抜, 綿貫, 四月一日 or 四月朔日 with 渡 (to, wata.su, wata.ru) meaning "cross, deliver, diameter, ferry, ford, import, migrate, transit," 綿 (men, wata) meaning "cotton," 抜 (hai, hatsu, batsu, nu.kasu, nu.karu, nu.ki, nu.ku, -nu.ku, nu.keru) meaning "extract, omit, pilfer, pull out, quote, remove, slip out," 樌 (kan, nuki), an outdated kanji meaning "grove," 貫 (kan, tsuranu.ku, nuki, nu.ku) meaning "brace, penetrate, pierce, kan (obsolete unit of measuring weight - equal to 3.75 kg./8.33 lbs... [more]

Wein German, Yiddish, Hungarian
Means "grape, vine, wine" in German and Yiddish (װײַנ). According to Nelly Weiss, Wein-style family names originated from signboards (house sign, house shield) in Jewish communities. Wein may also be related the German verb weinen meaning "to cry"... [more]

Wero Spanish (Latin American), Maori
Maori: Means "to cast a spear"... [more]

Westrop English (British)
Viking name local to Somerset and several counties in the North East of England. Approximate meaning "place to the west of the village with the church".

Whippet English
Possibly used as a nickname from the early 17th century English word whippet, meaning "to move briskly". A type of sighthound bears this name.

Wi Korean (Rare)
From Sino-Korean 偉 (wi) meaning "to be extraordinary".

Wi Korean (Rare)
From Sino-Korean 衛 (wi) meaning "to block; to protect; to prevent", possibly referring to occupations related to defense.

Wind English
Topographic name for someone who lived near a pathway, alleyway, or road, Old English (ge)wind (from windan "to go").

Xie Chinese
Means “to solve”.

Yabuki Japanese (Rare)
Derived from the Japanese kanji 矢 (ya) meaning "arrow" and 吹 (buki), from 吹き (buki), the joining continuative form of 吹く (fuku) meaning "to blow". It can also derive from 藪 (yabu) meaning "thicket; grove; copse" and 亀 (ki) meaning "tortoise, turtle"... [more]

Yabut Filipino, Pampangan
Derived from Pampangan iabut meaning "to hand over, to give".

Yamasato Japanese
This surname combines 山 (san, sen, yama) meaning "mountain" and 里 (ri, sato) meaning "league, parent's home, ri (unit of distance - equal to 3.927 km), village," 県 or 縣 - outdated variant of 県 - (ken, ka.keru) meaning "county, district, subdivision, prefecture," the last meaning reserved for 県.... [more]

Yokobe Japanese
From Japanese 横 (yoko) meaning "beside, next to" and 部 (be) meaning "part, section".

Yokobori Japanese
From Japanese 横 (yoko) meaning “beside, next to” and 掘 (hori) meaning “ditch, moat, canal”.

Yokohira Japanese
Yoko means "beside, next to" and hira means "peace, level, even".

Yokohori Japanese
Yoko means "beside, next to" and hori means "moat, canal".

Yokoi Japanese
From Japanese 横 (yoko) meaning "side, beside, next to" and 井 (i) meaning "well, mine shaft, pit".

Yokokawa Japanese
From Japanese 横 (yoko) meaning "beside, next to" and 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream".

Yokomori Japanese
Yoko means "beside, next to" and mori means "forest".

Yokoo Japanese
From Japanese 横 (yoko) meaning "beside, next to" and 尾 (o) meaning "tail, foot, end".

Yokosawa Japanese
From Japanese 横 (yoko) meaning "beside, next to" and 澤 (sawa) meaning "marsh".

Yokose Japanese
Yoko means "beside next to" and se means "current, ripple".

Yokoshima Japanese
From Japanese 横 (yoko) meaning "side, beside, next to" and 島 or 嶋 (shima) meaning "island".

Yokotake Japanese
From Japanese 横 (yoko) meaning "side, beside, next to" and 竹 (take) meaning "bamboo".

Yokotani Japanese (Rare)
From Japanese 横 (yoko) meaning "next to, beside" combined with 谷 (tani) "valley".

Yokoyama Japanese
From Japanese 横 (yoko) meaning "side, beside, next to" and 山 (yama) meaning "mountain".

Yokozawa Japanese
From Japanese 横 (yoko) meaning "beside, next to" and 沢 (sawa) meaning "marsh".

Yonao Japanese (Rare)
From Japanese 与 (yo) or 與 (yo), both meaning "to bestow, to participate, to provide, cause, gift, godsend" or referring to a given name with one of those characters and 猶 (nao) meaning "still".

Yontararak Thai (Rare)
From Thai ยนตร (yontra) meaning "mechanical device; motor; engine" and รักษ์ (rak) meaning "to cure, to take care of".

Zachar Jewish, Hungarian, Russian, Slovak, Belarusian
Derived from the Hebrew word זָכַר (zakhar) meaning "to remember". As a surname it can also derive from the given name Zakhar (Zechariah) that shares this etymology.

Zachary English
A reference to Sacheverell, a location in Normandy. May also refer to the given name Zacharias, meaning "to remember God," or "the Lord recalled."

Zacher English
A reference to Sacheverell, a location in Normandy. May also refer to the given name Zacharias, meaning "to remember God," or "the Lord recalled."

Zachry English
A reference to Sacheverell, a location in Normandy. May also refer to the given name Zacharias, meaning "to remember God," or "the Lord recalled."

Zahraoui Arabic (Maghrebi)
Means "related to Zahra" in Arabic (chiefly Moroccan and Algerian).

Zárate Spanish
Habitational surname meaning "entrance to the grove coppice".

Zhu Chinese
In Chinese means “to bless”.

Zieja Polish
Derived from Polish ziajać meaning "to spontaneously/violently show negative feelings". This surname denoted someone who complained often.

Zugrăvescu Romanian
Patronymic surname of uncertain origin. It may be derived from the verb a zugrăvi meaning "to paint, to describe figuratively" and therefore mean "The descendant of he who describes/paints".

Zwingli Swiss
Possibly derived from a place name in Toggenburg, Switzerland. A notable bearer was Huldrych Zwingli (1484 – 1531), leader of the protestant reformation in Switzerland, who was born in Wildhaus, Toggenburg... [more]