Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
Puddephat EnglishFrom a medieval nickname for someone with a roly-poly physique (from Middle English
puddy fat "round-bellied vat").
Pudiwitr CzechOriginally Pudivitr, or Pudivitrova(female only). V was switched to W when the family came to the U.S., though there are both names in the U.S.
Pudwill GermanOf Slavic origin, habitational name from Podewils in Pomerania.
Puente SpanishHabitational name from any of the numerous places named Puente, from puente ‘bridge’.
Puentes SpanishMeans "bridges" in Spanish. Originated from "puente". The surname was first found in the valley of the Trucios in the Basque region of Spain.However, families with this surname have been present in Catalonia for hundreds of years... [
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Puerto SpanishHabitational name from any of the numerous places named Puerto, in most cases from
puerto ‘harbor’ (from Latin
portus ‘harbor’, ‘haven’).
Pugachev RussianFrom the nickname
Pugach which is probably derived from Ukrainian пугач
(pugach) meaning "owl". Following this etymology, the nickname was most likely given to someone who was wise or sensible (attributing to the owl as a symbol of wisdom).
Pugina ItalianMost likely derived from the feminine form of the Italian word
pugno which means "fist".
Pugno ItalianThe Italian family name Pugno is considered by scholars to be of nickname origin. While the majority of surnames that are derived from a sobriquet or nickname reveal to us some aspect of the physical appearance of the initial bearer of the name or may allude to a characteristic of this person, other nickname family names make reference to a particular piece of clothing or favorite article or indeed a favorite color of the bearer of the name... [
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Puhar Serbian (Modern, Rare)The last name of the contestant Mirjana Puhar from America's Next Top Model, who originally was born in Serbia. She died on February 24, 2015, aged 19 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Pühvel EstonianPühvel is an Estonian surname meaning "buffalo (wisent)" and "bull".
Puigdemont CatalanMeans "top of the hill" or "peak of the mountain". It is derived from Catalan
puig meaning "hill, peak" combined with either
damunt meaning "on top, above", or
munt (a diminutive of
muntanya) meaning "mountain", using the preposition
d'... [
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Pujol Catalan, FrenchCatalan and French variant of
Puig. Spanish tennis player Marcel Granollers (1986-) bears this name.
Puķe LatvianDerived from Latvian
puķe "flower". Occupational surname for a person who sells flowers.
Pulaski PolishPolish (Pułaski): habitational name for someone from the Pulazie in Łomża Voivodeship.
Puławski PolishIt indicates familial origin within the eponymous Lesser Polish city.
Puletua SamoanMay come from Pule meaning 'authority, leader, command'.
Pulido Spanish, Spanish (Latin American)Thought to have come through Cuba and Puerto Rico from Burgos, the capital of Castile in northern Spain in the 16th century. The name likely originated there in the 11th century. It means neat, polished, and clean.
Pulišić CroatianDerived From
puliš meaning "to smoke". It may refer to a smoker or someone who sells cigarettes.
Pulitzer Hungarian, German, JewishVariant form of
Politzer. A famous bearer was the Hungarian-American businessman, newspaper publisher and politician Joseph Pulitzer (1847-1911). His family came from Hungary, but they were of Czech origin.
Pulow GermanPulow is the name of a small village in the northeast of Germany. There is also a lake with the same name.
Pulsipher Italian (Anglicized)from the nickname meaning "handsome man" of a member of the Italian Pulci family who settled in England around the time of the Norman conquest
Pulver Low German, French, EnglishI comes from the Latin verb meaning "to make powder." This name was given to either an alchemist or one who made gunpowder.
Punay Filipino, CebuanoMeans "yellow-breasted fruit dove" or "pink-necked green pigeon" (both species of bird) in Cebuano.
Pung KoreanFrom Sino-Korean 馮 (
pung) meaning "fast running horse".
Punga MaoriThe name means "reason, cause, origin". Punga is the name of the daughter of Ra (Sun) and his spouse Tame. This was the name of Ngati Mutunga chief Apitea Punga (1827?-1885) who had Moriori slaves and was a big land owner... [
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Punke GermanUnexplained; possibly an altered form of Bunke, from a Middle Low German personal name.
Punn EstonianPunn is an Estonian surname meaning "cork" and "plug".
Puntar Slovene, CroatianDerived from a 19th century phrase that denoted someone who supported the unification of the Kingdoms of Croatia and Dalmatia within Austria-Hungary.
Puntila FinnishBorne by the title character in Bertolt Brecht's play 'Mr. Puntila and his Man Matti' (1948), set in Finland in the 1920s.
Punzalan Filipino, Tagalog, PampanganPossibly an occupational name for a maker of fences or a nickname derived from Spanish
punzar meaning "to punch, to sting".
Purba BatakMeans "east" in Batak, ultimately from Sanskrit पूर्व
(purva).
Purdom EnglishEnglish: metathesized variants of
Prudhomme; the -ru- reversal is a fairly common occurrence in words where -r- is preceded or followed by a vowel.
Pürg EstonianPürg is an Estonian surname derived from "pürg" meaning both "avidity (eagerness or enthusiasm") and a colloquial name for the European bison ("Bison bonasus").
Purge EstonianPurge is an Estonian surname derived "purk" meaning "can" and "purgis" meaning "canned".
Purificacion Spanish (Philippines)Derived from Spanish
purificación, meaning "purification," referring to the ritual purification of the Virgin Mary after her childbirth.
Purje EstonianPurje is an Estonian surname derived from "purjetama", meaning "sail".
Purple EnglishNickname for someone wore purple clothing or has a purple complexion
Purpura ItalianA nickname for someone associated with the color purple.
Pursley EnglishHabitational name from Pursley Farm in Shenley, Hertfordshire, England.
Purviance ScottishMaterials collector for the Crown. Materials that may be used as tax or in war. Similar to the system of purveyance. Approximately 1100's , southwest Scotland.
Purvis ScottishProbably means "person in charge of buying supplies for a large household" (from Middle English
purveys "provisions").
Purzycki PolishThis indicates familial origin within either of 3 Masovian villages: Purzyce, Purzyce-Rozwory, or Purzyce-Trojany.
Pusch GermanName for someone who lived near bushes or a thicket. The distinguished name Pusch is derived from the Old German word busc, which means thicket or brush.
Puschat German (East Prussian)East Prussian German (and thus heavily Lithuanian influenced) surname derived from Lithuanian
pušaite "(young) pine tree", which - allegedly - used to be a term of endearment for a young girl.
Pusey EnglishHabitational name from Pusey in Oxfordshire (formerly in Berkshire), so called from Old English peose, piosu ‘pea(s)’ + ēg ‘island’, ‘low-lying land’, or from Pewsey in Wiltshire, recorded in Domesday Book as Pevesie, apparently from the genitive case of an Old English personal name Pefe, not independently attested + Old English ēg ‘island’.
Pusey FrenchHabitational name form Pusey in Haute-Saône, so named from a Gallo-Roman personal name, Pusius, + the locative suffix -acum.
Pushkin RussianDerived from Russian пушка
(pushka) meaning "gun, cannon". A notable bearer was
Alexander Pushkin (1799-1837), a Russian poet and writer.
Pušnik SloveneHabitational name for someone living near or on a
pušča, which is Slovene for "uncultivated land" or "wasteland".
Puss EstonianPuss is an Estonian surname meaning "penknife" and "carving knife".
Putney Englishhabitational name from Putney in Surrey (now Greater London) named in Old English from the personal name
Putta (genitive Puttan) and
hyth "landing place quay".
Putnik EstonianThe surname definition is unknown. It is from the name of a farm
Putniku Talu, meaning "Putnik farm". It was located in Vana-Kariste, Viljandimaa, Estonia.
Pütt GermanHabitational name from any of several places so named in Rhineland, Westphalia, and Pomerania, but in most cases a topographic name from Middle Low German putte ‘pit’, ‘well’, ‘puddle’, ‘pond’.
Pütt EstonianPütt is an Estonian surname meaning "tub" and "cask".
Puttick English (British)A variant spelling of the Sussex surname Puttock from the Village of Puttock, which itself derives from the Old English "Puttocke" a bird of prey, the kite. ... [
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Püttsepp EstonianPüttsepp is an Estonian name meaning "cooper" (literally, "tub smith").
Putxeta BasqueThis indicates familial origin within the eponymous neighborhood of the municipality of Abanto.
Putz GermanGerman for "plaster". Likely used to denote someone who manufactured plaster
Pützstück German (Rare)Habitational name from a place so named near Königswinter, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
Püü EstonianPüü is an Estonian surname meaning "grouse".
Puu EstonianPuu is an Estonian surname meaning "tree" and "wood".
Puudist EstonianPuudist is an Estonian surname derived from "puude-" meaning "arborary".
Puur EstonianPuur is an Estonian surname meaning "hutch" or "coop".
Puusepp EstonianPuusepp is an Estonian surname meaning "carpenter" (literally "woodsmith").
Puust EstonianPuust is an Estonian surname meaning "treen" (small handmade functional household objects made of wood) or "wooden".
Püvi EstonianPüvi is an Estonian surname possibly derived from "puuvili" meaning "fruit".
Puyol CatalanCatalan variant of
Pujol. It is borne by the retired Spanish soccer player Carles Puyol (1978-).
Pyanykh RussianDerived from Russian пьяный
(pyany) meaning "drunk". This may have been a nickname for a family of drunks.
Pyburn English (?)Apparently from some lost or minor place so named. 1881 British census has 109; KH.
Pygall English (Hellenized, Rare)From ancient Greek for rump, associations with prostitution across Europe, commonly given to illegitimate children of prostitutes, found especially in North East England and Nottinghamshire.
Pyke EnglishMost likely originates from the words pike (the weapon or the fish), having to do with fishermen or soldiers, or pick, having to do with miners or somebody who tills the ground.
Pyle EnglishFrom 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 DutchMetonymic occupational name for a marksman or an arrowsmith, from
pijl meaning "arrow".
Pym EnglishRecorded in several forms including
Pim, Pimm, Pimme,
Pym, and Pymm, this is a surname which at various times has been prominent in the history of England... [
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Pyne EnglishMeans "pine" from the Old French pin. This was originally given as a topographical name for someone who lived by a conspicuous pine tree or in a pine forest.
Pynt DanishDanish ornamental name, meaning "decoration, ornament". It is mostly extinct in modern Denmark, though alternative form
Pyndt is still seen, though rare.
Pyrgos GreekMeans "tower" in Greek. Pyrgos is a city in the northwestern Peloponnese, Greece, capital of the regional unit of Elis.
Pyromallis GreekThe redhaired, from the words, πύρ fire/reddish and μαλλί for hair.
Qayyum UrduDerived from Arabic قيوم
(qayyum) meaning "subsistence, independent, sustainer".
Qazi MuslimStatus name for a judge, from a Persian form of Arabic Qadi.
Qiao ChineseNamed after a Chinese mountain, Qiao Shan, where Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi was supposedly buried. This is the 96th most common surname in China.
Qiao ChineseFrom Chinese 喬
(qiáo) meaning "tall, lofty". It may also refer Qiao Shan, a mountain in present-day Shaanxi province where the legendary king Huang Di was supposedly buried.
Qin ChineseFrom Chinese 秦
(qín) referring to the ancient state of Qin, which existed from 221 BC to 206 BC in what is now the Gansu and Shaanxi provinces.
Qing ChineseFrom Chinese 青
(qīng) meaning "blue, green, young".
Qiu ChineseFrom Chinese 邱 or 丘
(qiū) referring to a place called Yingqiu that existed in the state of Qi in what is now Shandong province. The name was originally written with the character 丘 until its usage was prohibited during the Qing dynasty in order to avoid a taboo caused by using the character of
Confucius's given name, 丘... [
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Qu ChineseFrom Chinese 屈
(qū) meaning "bent, crooked", also referring to the ancient fief of Qu, which existed during the Zhou dynasty in what is now Hubei province.
Quaas GermanNickname for a big eater, from Middle Low German quās meaning "guzzling", "feasting".
Quaderer GermanNickname for someone stocky, from Middle High German quader meaning "building stone".
Quagmire Popular CultureDerived from places named "Quagmire". One notable character is Glenn Quagmire from Family Guy.
Quail English, ManxA variant of
Quayle, derived from various patronymics meaning "son of Paul". Alternately, an English nickname derived from the bird, perhaps given to a person who was timid, or known for being promiscuous.
Quaker English, ScottishThis surname was used to indicate someone who worked as a son of a vicar, who was a priest in charge of a parish in which most or all of the tithes were paid to another recipient, while the vicar received a stipend.
Quán ChineseFrom Chinese 泉 (quán) meaning "fountain, spring".
Quan ChineseFrom Chinese 权
(quán) referring to the ancient state of Quan, which existed during the Shang and Zhou dynasties in what is now Hubei province.
Quant Dutch, GermanMiddle High German, Middle Low German
quant "smart aleck, pranskter, rogue, imp".
Quantrell EnglishFrom a medieval nickname for an elegantly or flamboyantly dressed person (from Middle English
quointerel "dandy, fop", from
quointe "known, knowledgeable, crafty, elegant").
Quarry EnglishFrom Middle English quarey "quarry", a topographic name for someone who lived near a stone quarry, or a metonymic occupational name for someone who worked in one. ... [
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Quartermain EnglishFrom a medieval nickname for a very dextrous person, or for someone who habitually wore gloves (from Old French
quatremains, literally "four hands"). A fictional bearer of the surname is Allan Quartermain, the hero of 'King Solomon's Mines' (1886) and other adventure novels by H. Rider Haggard... [
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Quast Germanhabitational name from any of several places so named in northern Germany. metonymic occupational name for a barber or nickname for someone who wore a conspicuous tassel or feather, from Middle Low German, Middle High German quast(e) "tuft", "tassel", "brush", also "fool".
Quelch English (British)Mid 16th Century variant of the name Wels(c)he, Welsh or Welch, itself deriving from the Middle English "walsche", Celtic, foreign, (Olde English "woelisc", a derivative of "wealh", foreign), and originally given as a distinguishing nickname to a Celt... [
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Quenby EnglishEnglish: of uncertain origin; perhaps a variant of
Quarmby, a habitational name from a place so called in West Yorkshire.
Quennell EnglishFrom the medieval female personal name
Quenilla, from Old English
Cwēnhild, literally "woman-battle". This was borne by Peter Quennell (1905-1993), a British poet, critic and historian.