Browse Submitted Surnames

Agler English
From one or more Middle English personal names variously written Alger, Algar, Alcher, Aucher, etc. These represent a falling together of at least three different Continental Germanic and Old English names: Adalgar "noble spear" (Old English Æ{dh}elgār), Albgar "elf spear" (Old English Ælfgār), and Aldgar "old spear" (Old English (E)aldgār)... [more]

Ahing Estonian
Ahing is an Estonian surname meaning "fishing spear".

Alabaster English
From the name of a whitish kind of gypsum used for vases, ornaments and busts, ultimately deriving from Greek alabastros, itself perhaps from Egyptian 'a-labaste "vessel of the goddess Bast"... [more]

Alzalg Arabic
Means "the sharp sword that can slid smoothly from its sheath" in Arabic.

Ambor Filipino, Maranao
Means "bullets" or "cannon ball" in Maranao.

Armas Spanish
Occupational name for an arms maker or soldier, from Spanish armas meaning "arms, weapons".

Arquette French
From arquet meaning "little bow" or "little arch" (diminutive of arche, from Latin arcus). It was originally an occupational name for an archer, but the French word arquet(te) is also found in the sense 'market trader' (originally, perhaps, one with a stall underneath an arch)... [more]

Arrotino Italian
Occupational name meaning "knife-sharpener, knife-grinder" in Italian.

Arrowsmith English
Given to someone who made arrows from the Old English elements arwe "arrow" and smiþ "smith".

Aru Italian
Meaning uncertain, possibly from Sardinian aru, a forked branch used to close hedges (possibly related to Latin varus "bent outwards, bow-legged"), or from arru "ring".

Ashford English
Derived from Ashford, which is the name of several places in England. All but one of these derive the second element of their name from Old English ford meaning "ford" - for the one in North Devon, it is derived from Old English worō or worth meaning "enclosure".... [more]

Balfager Gothic, Medieval Portuguese
Name of a Visigoth noble family (around the 10th century) from the Iberian Peninsula (current northern Portugal), meaning "bold spear"; they descent from the Balti dynasty.

Balistreri Sicilian
Means "archer, crossbowman" or "crossbow maker" in Sicilian.

Ballaster English
Meant "person who makes or is armed with a crossbow" (from a derivative of Middle English baleste "crossbow", from Old French).

Bang Danish
Originally a nickname denoting a loud or brash person, from Old Danish bang "noise" (from Old Norse banga "to pound, hammer" of echoic origin). A literary bearer was Danish author Herman Bang (1857-1912).... [more]

Bennouna Arabic (Maghrebi)
Most likely from Arabic بن (bin) meaning "son" and the given name Nouna, which may have been derived from an Arabic word meaning "whale, big fish" or "sabre, sword". Alternately, it may be from an Arabic name for a variety of melon... [more]

Biesheuvel Dutch
From Biesheuvel, the name of a small village in the north of the province of Noord-Brabant in the Netherlands. It is derived from Dutch bies meaning "bulrush, club rush" (a grasslike plant that grows in wetlands and damp locations) and heuvel meaning "hill"... [more]

Billeaud French
From a personal name composed of the Germanic elements bil "sword" (or possibly bili "gentle") + wald "ruler".

Billings English
It comes from the old English bil, meaning "sword or halberd", though the word later came to refer to a pruning hook used to harvest fruit. It's also possible that the name comes from a location in ancient England called Billing, which would've gotten its name from the same source.

Blade English
Metonymic occupational name for a cutler, from Middle English blade "cutting edge, sword".

Blasius German, Dutch, Scandinavian
From the Latin personal name Blasius. This was a Roman family name, originating as a byname for someone with some defect, either of speech or gait, from Latin blaesus "stammering" (compare Greek blaisos "bow-legged")... [more]

Bolland French, German, English
From the Ancient Germanic name Bolland. Alternatively it derive from the place name Bowland from the Old English boga meaning "bow" and land meaning "land".

Bolt English
From Middle English bolt meaning "bolt", "bar" (Old English bolt meaning "arrow"). In part this may have originated as a nickname or byname for a short but powerfully built person, in part as a metonymic occupational name for a maker of bolts... [more]

Bow English, Scottish
Habitational name from any of various minor places called with Old English boga, meaning "bow, arch, bend".

Bowden English
Habitational name from any of several places called Bowden or Bowdon, most of them in England. From Old English boga "bow" and dun "hill", or from Old English personal names Buga or Bucge combined with dun.... [more]

Bowe Medieval English, English, Irish (Anglicized)
There are three possible sources of this surname, the first being that it is a metonymic occupational name for a maker or seller of bows, a vital trade in medieval times before the invention of gunpowder, and a derivative of the Old English boga "bow", from bugan "to bend"... [more]

Bransby English (British)
English locational name from the village of Bransby in Lincolnshire. The place name is first recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as 'Branzbi' and later (1115) as 'Brandesby'. These recordings showing that the derivation is from the Old Norse personal name Brandr meaning "sword" and byr, the whole meaning being "Brand's village" or "homestead"... [more]

Bunal Filipino, Cebuano
Means "hit, strike (with a bat or club)" in Cebuano.

Buxton English
1. A habitational name for someone from Buxton in Derbyshire, from the Middle English Buchestanes or Bucstones (meaning "bowing stones"), from Old English būgan meaning "to bow" and stanes, meaning "stones".... [more]

Çekiç Turkish
Means "hammer" in Turkish.

Čekić Serbian, Bosnian
Derived from čekić (чекић), meaning "hammer".

Chiya Japanese (Rare)
Means "bloody arrow; arrow of blood" in Japanese.

Corrigan English
Traditionally an Irish surname meaning "spear". From the Irish Gaelic corragán which is a double diminutive of corr 'pointed'.

Cutler English
Given to a "knife maker" or a man that "makes cutlery"

Degen German, Swiss
Means "rapier, small sword, dagger" in German, an occupational name for someone who made rapiers. Alternately, it could be derived from a given name containing Old High German degan "soldier, warrior", such as Degenhard or Herdegen.

Działo Polish
Derived from Polish działo "cannon" or "gun" as an occupational name metonymically. It can also be a nickname from Polish działać "to work", "to do", "to influence", etc.

Ehlert German
From a Germanic personal name composed of the elements agil "edge", "point (of a sword)" + hard "brave", "hardy", "strong" or ward "guard".

Espada Portuguese, Spanish
metonymic occupational name for an armorer or a swordsman from espada "sword" (from Latin spata from Greek spathe originally denoting a broad two-edged sword without a point)... [more]

Garlick English
(i) "grower or seller of garlic"; (ii) perhaps from a medieval personal name descended from Old English Gārlāc, literally "spear-play"; (iii) an anglicization of the Belorussian Jewish name Garelick, literally "distiller"

Gear English
Derived from the Germanic name element ger, meaning "spear".

Gere English
Variant of Geer, Gehr or Geary, all related to the Old High German element gēr (Old English gār, Old Norse geirr) meaning "spear, arrow". A famous bearer is American actor Richard Gere (b... [more]

German English, Norman, German, Jewish, Greek
From Old French germain meaning "German". This sometimes denoted an actual immigrant from Germany, but was also used to refer to a person who had trade or other connections with German-speaking lands... [more]

Gerry English
Diminutive of names containing ger, meaning "spear".

Gerwig German, French
Derived from the Germanic given name Gerwig, ultimately from the elements gēr meaning "spear" and wīg meaning "battle, fight". This surname is also found in France (mainly in the region of Alsace)... [more]

Gerwulf German
This is an old Germanic name meaning "spear wolf" (ger "spear" and wulf "wolf.")

Gierke German
A derivative of the personal names Gerard or Gerald. ... [more]

Gillibrand English
From the Norman personal name Gillebrand, of Germanic origin and meaning literally "hostage-sword".

Gleave English
Means either "sword-maker" or "sword-seller", or else from a nickname applied to a skilled swordsman (in either case from Middle English gleyve "sword").

Głownia Polish
Derived from Polish word głownia which means "blade".

Gunner English
From Old English gunne meaning "cannon, gun" and the agent suffix "-er"

Haamer Estonian
Haamer is an Estonian surname meaning "hammer".

Hajake Japanese (Rare)
From Japanese 羽者 (haja), sound- and script-changed from 刃物 (hamono) meaning "blade; edged tool" and 家 (-ke), a suffix representing family, referring to a family who specialized with knives.

Hammar Swedish
From a common place name element ultimately derived from Old Norse hamarr meaning "hammer, stone, steep cliff".

Hammarberg Swedish
Combination of Swedish hammare "hammer" and berg "mountain".

Hammarlund Swedish
Combination of Swedish hammare "hammer" and lund "grove".

Hammarskjöld Swedish (Rare)
Combination of Swedish hammare "hammer" and sköld "shield". A notable bearer was diplomat and Secretary-General of the United Nations Dag Hammarskjöld (1905-1961).

Hjermstad Norwegian (Rare)
Hjerm means royal swords, stad means place. So Hjermstad means "place for the King's swords".

Hodson English
Hodson is a very interesting surname in that it has multiple origins, depending on the Hodson lineage in question. ... [more]

Høyer Danish
A surname relatively common in Denmark, derived from the Old Norse word haugr, meaning "mound, cairn, hill". Alternatively, meaning can be traced back to the old Germanic personal name Hucger, a compound consisting of hug- "heart, mind, spirit" and geirr "spear".

Jago Cornish
A patronym, Jago is the Cornish for James/Jacob but is most commonly found as a surname. It’s use as a surname dates back to the early 13th Century.... [more]

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

Kallweit German (East Prussian)
East Prussian German (and thus heavily Lithuanian influenced) name meaning "smith; blacksmith; farrier", derived from Old Prussian kalt "to forge; to hammer" and Old Prussian kalweitis "the village smith".

Keel English
English habitational name from Keele in Staffordshire, named from Old English cy ‘cows’ + hyll ‘hill’, or from East and West Keal in Lincolnshire, which are named from Old Norse kjolr ‘ridge’... [more]

Kenobi Popular Culture
Obi-Wan Kenobi is a fictional character in the 'Star Wars' saga, created by George Lucas. The meaning of the name is not known, but as Lucas was very much influenced by Japanese samurai movies, it is possible that the name is a combination of Japanese 剣 (ken) "sword" and 帯 (obi) "belt".

Kenworthy English (British, Anglicized, Rare)
his interesting surname of English origin is a locational name from a place so called in Cheshire, deriving from the Old English pre 7th Century personal name Cyna, a short from of the various compound names with the first element "cyne" meaning "Royal", or, Cena, a byname meaning "Keon", "Bold" or a short form of various compound personal names with this first element plus the Old English pre 7th Century "worthing" "enclosure"... [more]

Kılıç Turkish
Means "sword" in Turkish.

Kılıçaslan Turkish
From Turkish kılıç meaning "sword" and aslan meaning "lion".

Kleehammer German
Means "Cloverleaf hammer"

Klingemann German
Occupational surname for a knife maker, literally meaning "knife maker, weapons smith". It is derived from German klinge meaning "blade".

Kolber German
From an agent derived from Middle High German kolbe "club, cudgel" an occupational name for someone who made wooden clubs later for an armorer, or a habitational name for someone from Kolben in Württemberg or Cölbe in Hesse.

Kõverjalg Estonian
Kõverjalg is an Estonian surname meaning "bow-legged" or "bandy-legged".

Laflash French (Quebec, Anglicized)
Anglicization of the name "Richer dit Laflèche." Richer comes from a Germanic personal name composed of the elements ric ‘power(ful)’ + hari, heri ‘army.' Laflèche is a reference to La Flèche, a town in historical Anjou, France... [more]

Lancer Jewish
Ornamental name from German Lanze "lance, spear" combined with the agent suffix -er.

Lancer Jewish
Polish Jewish name derived from German Lanze "lance".

Lancia Italian
From Latin lancea, meaning "spear", given to those who made, sold or used spears. A famous bearer of this surname is Vincenzo Lancia (1881-1937), who established the Lancia car brand in 1906.

Lantz Swedish
Swedish soldier name meaning "lance". ... [more]

Largaespada Spanish (Latin American), Central American
Combination of Spanish larga, the feminine form of the adjective largo meaning "long," and espada meaning "sword." It is mostly used in Nicaragua.

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

Lo Màglio Italian
Literally means "the hammer." However, "the" would normally be represented as "il" in Italian, in this case.

Mallet Anglo-Norman, Medieval English, French, Catalan
Originated in Norman France and spread to England following the Norman conquest of 1066. The surname comes from the given name Malle, an Old English diminutive of Mary or from the given name Malo, a popular form of the name of Saint Maclovius, a 6th-century Welsh monk who the church of Saint Maclou in Rouen is named for.... [more]

Manhattan English
From the name of the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City, in the U.S. state of New York. Derived from the Munsee Lenape language term manaháhtaan (where manah- means "gather", -aht- means "bow" and -aan is an abstract element used to form verb stems), meaning "the place where we get bows" or "place for gathering the (wood to make) bows"... [more]

Mazarro Italian
It means "mace bearer".

Mazzarino Italian
A diminutive of Mazzaro, an Italian surname meaning "mace-bearer".

McLial Scottish (Anglicized, ?)
"Son of the Blade"

Mesmer German
Occupational name for a maker of knives from Middle High German messer meaning "knife". A famous bearer was Franz Mesmer (1734-1815), a German doctor known for his theory of "animal magnetism", which was eventually incorporated into the field of hypnosis.

Molotov Russian
From Russian молот (molot) meaning "hammer", indicating someone who worked with hammers.

Mõõk Estonian
Mõõk is an Estonian surname meaning "sword".

Mosher English
It is one of several variants of the name Mauger, also spelt Moger and Major, which itself comes from the Old French Maugier and Old German Malger, a compound name meaning "council-spear"... [more]

Naismith English
Means either "nail-maker" (from Old English nægelsmith) or "knife-maker" (from Old English cnīfsmith).

Nasmith Scottish, English
This surname is derived from an occupation, "nail-smith", but may also mean "knife-smith".

Nool Estonian
Nool is an Estonian surname meaning "arrow".

Nuga Estonian
Nuga is an Estonian surname meaning "knife".

Nuiamäe Estonian
Nuiamäe is an Estonian surname meaning "clubs hill."

Oglethorpe English
From Oglethorpe Hall in Bramham (WR Yorks) which is recorded as Ocelestorp in 1086 and Okelesthorp in 124 The place-name derives from the Old Scandinavian personal name Oddkell and Old Scandinavian or Old English þorp "secondary settlement outlying farmstead" meaning "Oddkell's village" the surname derived from oddr "point of a weapon" and ketill "cauldron".

Ok Turkish
Means "arrow" in Turkish.

Ordwald English
English name meaning "spear strength".

Overson Danish, Norwegian
Altered spelling of Oveson, itself a patronymic from the personal name Ove, a Danish form of the older Aghi, with a second element possibly meaning "spear".

Ōya Japanese
From Japanese 大 (ō) meaning "big, great" and 矢 (ya) meaning "arrow".

Pala Turkish
Means "machete, scimitar, blade" in Turkish.

Phimmasone Lao
From Lao ພິມ (phim) meaning "law, custom, form" and ສອນ (sone) meaning "arrow, weapon".

Phommasone Lao
From Lao ພົມມະ (phomma) referring to the Hindu god Brahma and ສອນ (sone) meaning "arrow, weapon".

Pushkin Russian
Derived from Russian пушка (pushka) meaning "gun, cannon". A notable bearer was Alexander Pushkin (1799-1837), a Russian poet and writer.

Puss Estonian
Puss is an Estonian surname meaning "penknife" and "carving knife".

Pyle English
From the Middle English word pile, meaning "stake" or "post", which is derived via Old English from Latin pilum, meaning "spike" or "javelin". This was a topographic name for someone who lived near a stake or post serving as a landmark, a metonymic occupational name for a stake maker, or a nickname for a tall, strong man.

Pyle Dutch
Metonymic occupational name for a marksman or an arrowsmith, from pijl meaning "arrow".

Ringer English
From the Norman name Reinger or Rainger derived from the Germanic elements ragin meaning "advice, counsel" and ger meaning "spear"... [more]

Sarangapani Hindi
From the sanskrit words Sarangan "bow of Vishnu" and pani "hand".

Saxon English
Derived from the tribe of the Saxons from the Anglo-Saxon element seaxa "a Saxon" derived Germanic elements sahso and sahsaz derived from sahsą "knife"... [more]

Scheid German, Jewish
Either a topographic name for someone who lived near a boundary (between two valleys etc.) or crossroads Middle High German scheide, a habitational name from any of various places called Scheidt Scheiden... [more]

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").

Spadafora Italian
Variant form of Spatafora. Spadafora is the younger out of the two surnames and yet the most common of the two, which might partly be because it is a little bit more italianized... [more]

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]

Speer German, Dutch, English
from Middle High German Middle Dutch sper "spear" hence a nickname for a tall thin person or else for a skilled user of the hunting spear... [more]

Spjut Swedish
Taken directly from Swedish spjut "spear".

Stålhammar Swedish
Means "steel hammer" (from Swedish stål "steel" and hammare "hammer"). Was originally a name common among blacksmiths.

Strzałkowski Polish
Denoted a person from various places in Poland named Strzałki, Strzałkowo, Strzałków, all derived from Polish strzalka meaning "arrow".

Svärd Swedish
Means "sword" in Swedish.

Tera Estonian
Tera is an Estonia surname that can mean "blade", "edge" and "grain".

Top Turkish
Means "ball, cannon" in Turkish.

Topuz Turkish
Means "mace, knob, club" in Turkish.

Toya Japanese
From Japanese 斗 (to) “constellation” and 矢 (ya) “arrow”

Utsugi Japanese
Utsugi can be written in 15 ways, them being: 宇ツ木, 宇次, 宇津城, 宇津木, 宇都城, 宇都木, 卯都木, 卯木, 空木, 槍, 打木, 梼木, 楊盧木, 擣木, 棯. The 宇津木 and 打木 are also place names while 空木 is also a female given name... [more]

Vasar Estonian
Vasar is an Estonian surname meaning "hammer".

Venables English
Derives from Latin venabulum "long hunting spear".

Veraguth Romansh
Derived from Latin ferrum acutum "cutting sword", this name was given to a blacksmith.

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

Widger English
From the Old English male personal name Wihtgār, literally "elf-spear".

Woolgar English
From the medieval male personal name Wolgar (from Old English Wulfgār, literally "wolf-spear").

Wrinn Irish (Anglicized)
From Irish Gaelic Ó Rinn "descendant of Rinn", a personal name perhaps based on reann "spear".

Yabe Japanese
From the Japanese 矢 (ya) "arrow" and 部 (be) "region," "division," "part."

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]

Yada Japanese
From the Japanese 矢 (ya) "arrow" and 田 (da or ta) "rice paddy."

Yaguchi Japanese
From Japanese 矢 (ya) meaning "arrow" and 口 (kuchi) meaning "mouth, entrance".

Yajima Japanese
Derived from Japanese 矢 (ya) meaning "arrow" or 谷 (ya) meaning "valley, lowland, plain" combined with 島 or 嶋 (shima) meaning "island".... [more]

Yanai Japanese
From the Japanese 矢 (ya) "arrow" and 内 (nai or uchi) "inside."

Yano Japanese
From Japanese 矢 (ya) meaning "arrow" and 野 (no) meaning "field, wilderness".

Yarimizo Japanese (Rare)
From Japanese 鑓 (yari) meaning "sword" and 溝 (mizo) meaning "ditch; drain".

Yauchi Japanese
From Japanese 矢 (ya) meaning "arrow" and 内 (uchi) meaning "inside".

Yazawa Japanese
From Japanese 矢 (ya) meaning "arrow" and 沢 or 澤 (sawa) meaning "marsh".

Yumbe Japanese (Rare)
From Japanese 弓 (yun), a contraction of 弓 (yumi) meaning "bow, archery" and 部 (be) meaning "division", possibly referring to a fighter who specialized in archery.

Zoch German
Derived from Middle High German zoche meaning "cudgel, club".