Browse Submitted Surnames

Aglipay Filipino, Ilocano
Means "to play with lipay seeds", referring to a type of thorny shrub or bush.

Ainara Japanese
From Japanese 相 (ai) meaning "mutual, reciprocal, with one another", 奈 (na) meaning "apple tree" and 良 (ra) meaning "good".

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]

Amito Japanese
Means "doorway with an insect net" in Japanese.

Apas Filipino, Cebuano
Means "catch up with, overtake" in Cebuano.

Axford English
Derived from Axford, which is the name of two villages in England (one is located in the county of Hampshire, the other in Wiltshire). Both villages derive their name from Old English æsc(e) "ash tree(s)" and Old English ford "ford", which gives their name the meaning of "ford by the ash trees" or "a ford with ash trees"... [more]

Ayohua Nahuatl
Meaning uncertain, possibly from ayotli "squash, pumpkin" or ayotl "turtle" combined with the possessive suffix -hua, or from ayohua "to fill with water".

Babington English
Habitational name for someone from Babington in Somerset or Great or Little Bavington in Northumberland, named with the Old English personal name Babba + the connective particle -ing- meaning "associated with", "named after" + tūn meaning "settlement".

Bacigalupo Italian
From Ligurian bacigare "to beat with a stick" and lupo "wolf", or from Genoese basigâ "to swing, to tease" and lupo "wolf". Possibly a nickname for someone considered courageous or cowardly, or an occupational name for a hunter.

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

Beddoes Welsh
“This name derives from Old Welsh name and patronymic surname “Morgetuid / Margetiud”, composed of two elements: “mere” (great, splendid) plus “iudd” (lord). As a personal name the origins are lost in the mists of time but it is certainly pre Roman, however the modern use of the name is commonly taken from Merdydd ap Bleddyn, prince of Powys who died in 1132... [more]

Bomengen English (American), Norwegian (Rare)
Name created from during immigration from Norway to the United States in either the late 19th or early 20th century meaning, "The farm with the big gate."

Bonaduce Italian
From the Latin phrase bona duce fortuna, "with good luck as your guide".

Borjigin Mongolian
This is the name of a Mongol sub-clan, of which Genghis Khan was part of. A suggested origin is a Turkic-language term borčïqïn meaning "man with dark blue eyes", though this is somewhat dubious... [more]

Brenton English
habitational name primarily from Brenton near Exminster possibly named in Old English as Bryningtun "settlement (Old English tun) associated with Bryni" (a personal name from Old English bryne "fire flame") or "Bryni's town".

Brühl German, Jewish
Topographic name for someone who lived by a swampy area, derived from Middle High German brüel and Middle Low German brul meaning "swampy land with brushwood". It may also be a habitational name from various places named Brühl in Germany.

Bulić Croatian
Derived from Ottoman Turkish bula meaning "a married woman or a Muslim woman in harem pants or covered with a headscarf" or from the forename Bule a hypocoristic of Budislav, Budimir, Budivoj, Budimil.

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

Buscemi Sicilian
Name for someone originally from the town of Buscemi in Sicily, derived from the Arabic toponym قلعة أبي شامة‎ (qal'at 'abi shama) meaning "castle of the man with the mole‎" or "castle of (the family of) Abi Shama".

Caacbay Filipino, Tagalog
From Tagalog kaakbay meaning "comrade-in-arms, person with another's arm over the shoulders".

Casilang Tagalog
Literally "One you are born with" in Tagalog.

Catagbo Filipino, Cebuano
From Cebuano katagbo meaning "someone one is meeting with".

Coyac Nahuatl
Meaning uncertain, possibly derived from Nahuatl coyahuac "broad, wide" or coyoctic "a hole, something with a hole in it".

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

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

Dalusung Filipino, Pampangan
Means "go with force and agility" in Kapampangan.

Datsyuk Ukrainian, Russian
Believed to mean “to give or provide with a service.” The prefix -uk is a diminutive.

Fukuyo Japanese
From the Japanese 福 (fuku) "fortune" or 副 (fuku) "accessory" and 與 or 与(yo) "together with."

Geisinger German
Denoted a person from the town of Geising in Germany, which in turn got it's name from the Geisingberg mountain. The Geisingberg most likely got it's name from the Germanic geut or the Early New High German geußen, both meaning "to pour", and the German word Berg meaning "mountain"... [more]

Gifford English
Gifford is an English name for someone who comes from Giffords Hall in Suffolk. In Old English, it was Gyddingford, or "ford associated with Gydda." Alternatively, it could come from the Middle English nickname, "Giffard," from Old French meaning "chubby-cheeked."

Gilstrap English (British, Anglicized, Rare)
This is a place name acquired from once having lived at a place spelled Gill(s)thorp(e), Gilsthorp(e), Gill(s)throp(e) or Gil(s)throp(e) located in the Old Danelaw area of England.... [more]

Glock German
Meant "person who lives by a church bell-tower or in a house with the sign of a bell", "bell-ringer" or "town crier" (German Glocke "bell"). It was borne by Sir William Glock (1908-2000), a British music administrator.

Grato English
From a nickname given to somebody with grass-like hair, making this surname’s meaning “he with grass-like hair.”

Güllü Turkish
Means "(made) with roses" in Turkish.

Haavisto Finnish
Means "place with aspens" or "group of aspens". This name comes from a combination of haapa, "aspen", and the suffix -sto which is used for places and groups of things.

Haworth English
Literally means "enclosure with a hedge," from the Old English words haga + worth.

Hazelden English
Means "person from Hazelden", the name of various places in England ("valley growing with hazel trees").

Iori Japanese
This surname is used as 庵, 井居, 井折, 井織, 伊折 or 伊織 with 庵 (an, iori, io) meaning "hermitage, retreat", 井 (sei, shou, i) meaning "well, well crib, town, community", 伊 (i, kare) meaning "Italy, that one", 居 (kyo, ko, i.ru, -i, o.ru) meaning "reside, to be, exist, live with", 折 (setsu, o.ru, ori, o.ri, -o.ri, o.reru) meaning "fold, break, fracture, bend, yield, submit" and 織 (o.ri) meaning "fabric, weave."... [more]

Isheanesu Shona
Isheanesu means "The Lord is with us".

Juel Danish, Norwegian, Swedish
Alternate form of Juhl. This variant of the name can be traced back to the 14th century and is the name of a Danish noble family sometimes referred to as "Juel med stjernen" meaning "Juel with the star" in reference to their coat-of-arms, as a way to distinguish them from another Danish noble family - the Juul-family - who in turn are known as "Juul with the fleur-de-lis"... [more]

Juul Danish, Norwegian
Alternate form of Juhl. This variant of the name can be traced back to the 13th century as the name of a Danish noble family still alive today. The family is sometimes referred to as "Juul med liljen" meaning "Juul with the fleur-de-lis" in reference to their coat-of-arms, as a way to distinguish them from another Danish noble family - the Juel-family - who in turn are known as "Juel with the star"... [more]

Kaasa Estonian
Kaasa is an Estonian surname meaning "along" and "with", as well as "spouse".

Kandt German
Probably from Middle High German kant meaning "jug" (from Latin olla cannata meaning "pot with one spout") and hence an occupational name for a maker or seller of jugs.

Karanci Turkish
Means "merchant","someone who deals with transport"

Knapp English
Topographic name for someone who lived by a hillock, Middle English "nappe, Old English cnæpp, or habitational name from any of the several minor places named with the word, in particular Knapp in Hampshire and Knepp in Sussex.

Krieger German
Noun to kriegen, kämpfen meaning "to fight (with words)". Describes a person who likes to argue. A wrangler, a quarreler, a brawler. Literal translation "warrior", from the German noun krieg "war" and the suffix -er.

Liivik Estonian
Liivik is an Estonian surname meaning "sandy outcrop with sparse vegetation".

Lilly English
Derived from Lilly, a pet name for Elizabeth. It was also used as a nickname for someone with fair skin or hair, and is derived from Old English lilie meaning "lily (the flower)"... [more]

Lily English
Derived from Lily, a pet name for Elizabeth. It was also used as a nickname for someone with fair skin or hair, and is derived from Old English lilie meaning "lily (the flower)"... [more]

Lochner German
Means "a place where rivers meet with a partial obstruction from a wooden dam. "

Lorenzi Italian
“Laurel tree” or “decorated with laurel.” The English equivalent is Lawrence.

Loveday English
Means either (i) "person particularly associated with a 'loveday'" (a day when, by custom, old differences were settled and reconciliations were made); or (ii) from the medieval female personal name Loveday, a descendant of Old English Leofdæg, literally "beloved day"... [more]

Macdoof English, Scottish
It is based off of a book character (or two given names into one).... [more]

Macedo Portuguese, Spanish (Latin American)
Referred to a person who worked or lived at an apple orchard. It is derived from Vulgar Latin mattianēta meaning "place with apple trees."

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]

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".

Michalsky Polish
A variant of Michalski. "Polish and Jewish (from Poland): habitational name for someone from a place called Michale in Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship or Michały in Masovian Voivodeship both named with the personal name Michał (see Michal ). Jewish (from Poland): patronymic from the personal name Michal." ... [more]

Peachy English (Anglicized)
Means “lived near a peach tree, sold peaches, or was associated with the fruit in some other way”. Originally arrived with the in England after the Norman conquest of 1066.

Pechman German
"Pechman" means "man with bad luck" in many European languages (Polish, German, and Dutch predominantly), though in German, it originally referred to one who prepared, sold, or used pitch.

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".

Pelekanos Greek
Means woodpecker" from Greek pelekanos "green woodpecker" (cognate with pelekan "pelican"; both come from pelekys "axe" the pelican because its beak is shaped like an axe the woodpecker because it uses its beak like an axe).

Pickup English
The name is derived from when the family resided in Pickup or Pickup Bank in Lancashire. This place-name was originally derived from the Old English word Pic-copp which referred to those individuals who "lived on a hill with a sharp peak."

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-).

Prymak Belarusian
Derived from Belarusian прымак (prymak) meaning "live-in son-in-law (man who marries and lives with his wife's family)".

Quiambao Filipino
Possibly from Hokkien 欠賺 (khiàm-báu) meaning "owed money, lacking money" or 鹹賺 (kiâm-báu) meaning "stingy with money".

Rabek Arabic
Rabik (Rabek,Rabbek); "Lord" ... [more]

Rackham English
Means "person from Rackham", Sussex ("homestead or enclosure with ricks"). This surname was borne by British watercolourist and book illustrator Arthur Rackham (1867-1939).

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.

Rogaczewski Medieval Polish
Meaning (Polish): "son of he with antlers" Meaning (Serbian): "son of the Devil"

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

Senna Portuguese
Possibly coming from the surname "Sanna", it may mean "one with a big protruding tooth".... [more]

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]

Sheldon English, English (American)
From an Old English place name meaning "valley with steep sides".

Shen Chinese
From Chinese 慎 (shèn) meaning "cautious, acting sincerely, with care".

Shinazugawa Japanese (Rare)
Means "immortal river; never dying river; river with no deaths" in Japanese.

Shockley English
(i) perhaps "person from Shocklach", Cheshire ("boggy stream infested with evil spirits"); (ii) perhaps an anglicization of Swiss German Schoechli, literally "person who lives by the little barn"

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]

Steelworker English (Rare)
Modern version of Smith, meaning "someone who works with steel". Comes from the occupation Steel Worker .

Stukeley English
From a surname meaning "woodland clearing with tree stumps" in Old English.

Tellechea Basque
Latinized spelling of "Telletxea" meaning in Basque "(from) the house with tiles"

Thistlethwaite English
A surname found in Lancashire in north west England, taken from the name of a minor place in the parish of Lancaster which meant "meadow overgrown with thistles" from Middle English thistle and thwaite "meadow" (cf... [more]

Threadgold English
Means "person who embroiders cloth with gold thread".

Tregurtha Cornish
A rare Cornish surname that derives its name from either the manor of Tregurtha in the parish of St. Hilary (located in west Cornwall) or from the hamlet of Tregurtha Barton in the parish of St. Wenn (located in central Cornwall)... [more]

Tsosie Navajo
From the Navajo suffix -tsʼósí meaning "slender, slim", originally a short form of a longer name such as kiitsʼósí "slender boy", hashkétsʼósí "slender warrior", cháalatsʼósí "slim Charlie", dághaatsʼósí "the one with a slender mustache", dinétsʼósí "slender man", or hastiintsʼósí "slender man".

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.

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.

Vadeboncœur French (Quebec)
From the French phrase va de bon cœur meaning "go with a good (merry) heart". This was a secondary surname, common among soldiers in colonial French Canada, which has been adopted as a principal surname.

Viramontes Spanish
Viramontes is composed of the elements "mira" and "montes," two Spanish words with the combined meaning of "place with a view of the mountains."

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".

Whineray English
Means "person from Whinneray", Cumbria, or "person who lives in a nook of land growing with gorse" (in either case from Old Norse hvin "whin, gorse" + vrá "nook of land"). It was borne by New Zealand rugby player Sir Wilson Whineray (1935-2012).

Worthington English
Habitational name from places in Lancashire and Leicestershire named Worthington; both may have originally been named in Old English as Wurðingtun "settlement (Old English tun) associated with Wurð", but it is also possible that the first element was Old English worðign, a derivative of worð ‘enclosure’.

Wurðingtun English
Habitational name from places in Lancashire and Leicestershire named Worthington; both may have originally been named in Old English as Wurðingtun "settlement (Old English tun) associated with Wurð", but it is also possible that the first element was Old English worðign, a derivative of worð ‘enclosure’.

Yonamine Japanese
From the Japanese 與 or 与(yo) "together with," 那 (na) "what" and 嶺 (mine) "peak," "summit."