Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
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.
Vadelov Ingush (Russified)Russified form of an Ingush family name, which is from the name of an Ingush teip (clan) which is of disputed origin, possibly derived from Ingush да
(da) meaning "father", Arabic وَعْد
(waʿd) meaning "promise" (through Turkish
vaat), or from the hypothetical name
Vadel derived from Lezgin вад
(vad) meaning "five" (hypothetically given to the fifth-born child of a family).
Vadén SwedishCombination of Swedish place name element
vad which in most cases mean "ford, place for wading", and the common surname suffix
-én.
Vader German (Rare)From Middle Low German vader meaning ‘father’, ‘senior’; in the Middle Ages this was used a term of address for someone who was senior in rank or age.
Værnes NorwegianVærnes 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"... [
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Vaga EstonianVaga is an Estonian surname meaning "devout" and "pious".
Våge NorwegianHabitational name from any of several farms named Våge, derived from Old Norse
vágr "bay, inlet, fjord".
Vágó HungarianOccupational name for a wood- or stonecutter, or butcher, from vágni ‘to cut’.
Vagula Estonian, BrazilianVagula is the name of a village and a lake in Võru Parish, Võru County in southern Estonia.
Vahejõe EstonianVahejõe is an Estonian surname meaning "mid/dividing river".
Vahemets EstonianVahemets is an Estonian surname meaning "middle/dividing forest".
Vahenõmm EstonianVahenõmm is an Estonian surname meaning "dividing/middle heath".
Vahesalu EstonianVahesalu is an Estonian surname meaning "dividing/middle grove".
Vähi EstonianVähi is an Estonian surname, derived from "vähim", meaning "smallest" or "lightest".
Vahi EstonianVahi is an Estonian surname meaning "watch" or "guard"; derived from "vahimees", meaning "watchman".
Vähk EstonianVähk is an Estonian surname meaning "crayfish".
Vahtra EstonianVahtra is an Estonian surname meaning "maple" (Aceraceae).
Vaidya Indian, MarathiDerived from Sanskrit वैद्य
(vaidya) meaning "physician, doctor", ultimately from the word विद्
(vid) meaning "to know".
Vaik EstonianVaik is an Estonian surname meaning both "quiet/still ("vaikus") and "resin/pitch", "tar".
Vaiksaar EstonianVaiksaar is an Estonian surname meaing "quiet/still ("vaikus") island ("saar")". May also come from "väike saar", meaning "little island".
Vaiksoo EstonianVaiksoo is an Estonian surname meaning "quiet/still swamp".
Vaikvee EstonianVaikvee is an Estonian surname meaning "quiet/still water".
Vaillancourt French (Quebec)Possibly a variant of Valencourt. This is the surname of a noble family who probably lived near Willencourt.
Vaillant FrenchFrom a medieval nickname for a brave person (from Old French
vaillant "brave, sturdy").
Vain EstonianVain is an Estonian surname meaning "village common", or "village green".
Vainküla EstonianVainküla is an Estonian surname meaning "(village) green/common village"
Vainmäe EstonianVainmäe is an Estonian surname meaning "(village) green/common hill/mountain".
Vaino EstonianVaino is an Estonian surname, derived from the patronymic given name Vaino.
Vainumäe EstonianVainumäe is an Estonian surname derived from "vainurästas", meaning "redwing blackbird" (Turdus iliacus) and "mäe", meaning ""hill".
Väisänen FinnishTopographic name from väisä meaning either meaning "road" or "sign placed on the ice" + the common surname suffix -nen.
Vaišys m LithuanianPossibly from
vaišės ("feast, entertainment") or a related word.
Väits EstonianVäits is an Estonian surname derived from "väit" meaning "insist".
Vakili PersianDerived from Persian وکیل
(vakil) meaning "lawyer, attorney".
Vakk EstonianVakk is an Estonian surname meaning "granary bin".
Val Spanish, FrenchIt means valley. It comes from Britain and then moved to Aragón (Spain).
Valaulta RomanshDerived from Romansh
val "valley" and
aulta, the feminine form of the adjective
ault, "high".
Valbuena SpanishHabitational name from any of the places called Valbuena for example in Valladolid Cáceres and Salamanca.
Valderrama SpanishHabitational name from any of the places named Valderrama, as for example in Burgos province.
Valderrama SpanishThis surname is made up of the prefix "bal-" from latin "vallis," the equivalent of prefix "-valle" meaning a vale or a valley plus the Spanish "derramare" - to scatter or to spread. Hence, implies valley which is spread out.
Valdés AsturianThis indicates familial origin within the eponymous municipality.
Valdivieso SpanishThis place-name is derived from the Asturian word val-di-vieso, which means old man's-valley.
Valdovinos SpanishSpanish: from a personal name of ancient Germanic origin composed of the elements bald 'bold brave' + win 'friend'.
Valdre EstonianValdre is an Estonian surname possibly derived from the masculine given name "Valter", or relating to a "parish" or "borough" ("vald").
Vale EnglishTopographic name for someone who lived in a valley, Middle English
vale (Old French
val, from Latin
vallis). The surname is now also common in Ireland, where it has been Gaelicized as de Bhál.
Valee GermanFrom French origin, denoting someone who lives or comes from a valley.
Valen English, ScottishEnglish and Scottish: from a medieval personal name, Latin
Valentinus, a derivative of
Valens (see also
Valente), which was never common in England, but is occasionally found from the end of the 12th century, probably as the result of French influence... [
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Valenciano SpanishA Spanish surname. It is a regional name denoting someone from Valencia.
Valenzuela SpanishHabitational name from places named Valenzuela in Córdoba and Ciudad Real. The place name is a diminutive of Valencia, literally "Little Valencia".
Valera SpanishHabitational name from either of two places in Spain named Valera.
Valez SpanishI think it is of Spanish Background possibly meaning 'Soldier' or 'Guard'. ... [
more]
Valgañón SpanishThis indicates familial within the eponymous Riojan municipality.
Vali Spanish, Italian(Swiss), ArabicThis Spanish and Italian surname of VALI was a locational name for someone OR A family who lived in a valley. In valle quiescit ( In the valley of our home, we find peace.)... [
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Välja EstonianVälja is an Estonian surname meaning "outside" and "afield".
Väljaots EstonianVäljaots is an Estonian surname meaning "out/afield (of the) cusp/tip".
Väljas EstonianVäljas is an Estonian surname meaning "afield" or "out in the open".
Väljataga EstonianVäljataga is an Estonian surname meaning "outside behind/at the back of".
Välk EstonianVälk is an Estonian surname meaning "lightning".
Valkeapää FinnishFrom the Finnish
valkea meaning "white", and
pää meaning "head" or "tip".
Valkonen FinnishFrom Finnish
valkoinen meaning "white" and the suffix
-nen.
Vall EstonianVall is an Estonian surname meaning "wall" or "berm".
Vallad OjibweName given to dozens of a First Nations Anishinaabek at residential schools.
Vallance EnglishMeans "person from Valence", southeastern France (probably "place of the brave").
Valle Spanish, Filipino, ItalianHabitational name from any of the many places named with
valle "valley", or topographic name for someone who lived in a valley (Latin
vallis).
Vallée Frenchtopographic name for someone who lived in a valley from Old French
valee "valley" (from Latin
vallis) or a habitational name from (La) Vallée the name of several places in various parts of France... [
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Vallera FrenchFrench: habitational name from Vallery in Yonne, once a Romano-Gallic estate, recorded in 1218 as Valerianus. The surname is also found in the British Isles and may be of Norman origin, from the same place.
Vallet French, EnglishFrench topographic name from a diminutive of Old French
val "valley" (see
Val ) or a habitational name from (Le) Vallet the name of several places mainly in the northern part of France and French and English occupational name for a manservant from Old French and Middle English
vallet "manservant groom".
Valley EnglishTopographic name for someone who lived in a valley, Middle English
valeye.
Vallie GermanProbably an altered spelling of German
Valee, a fairly common surname of French origin denoting someone who lived in a valley. The name in Germany is also spelled
Wallee.
Vallin SwedishDerived from either Latin
vallis "valley" or Swedish
vall "wall, pasture, field of grass".
Vällo EstonianVällo is an Estonian surname, possibly a corruption of "väli" meaning "field" and "plain".
Valmer Estonian (?)Surname which is believed to have originated in Estonia, although its meaning is unknown.
Valmorida Filipino, CebuanoMeans "valley of the forest field" derived from Spanish
val, a contraction of
valle meaning "valley", combined with Japanese 森
(mori) meaning "forest, woods" and 田
(ta) "paddy, field" (see
Morita).
Valois Frenchtopographic name for someone who lived in a valley, or a habitational name from any of the various places called Val(l)ois, or regional name from the district in northern France so called, which was once an independent duchy... [
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Valsecchi ItalianDenoting someone from the former municipality of Valsecca in Lombardy.
Valverde SpanishRefers to a place name which suggests a landscape, agreeable with herbs, flowers and water.
Vammus EstonianVammus is an Estonian surname meaning "jacket" and "doublet".
Van Agt DutchMeans "from Acht", a small village within the city of Eindhoven in the province of Noord-Brabant in the Netherlands. It is derived from Middle Dutch
acht,
achte meaning either "eight" or "preserve, lordly possession, legal district"... [
more]
Van Amerongen DutchMeans "from Amerongen", a town in the province of Utrecht in the Netherlands.
Van Ark DutchHabitational name from a place called Ark in Gelderland.
Van Beek DutchLike Verbeek and Van de(r) Beek, the family name Van Beek can indicate a place of residence on a certain stream, the name for a narrow and shallow (clear and sometimes erratic) water stream, or in a village or hamlet that leads to a stream... [
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Van Beethoven FlemishMeans "from the beet fields". A famous bearer of this name was German Clasical composer Ludwig Van Beethoven (1770-1827).
Van Blankenberg Dutch, BelgianHabitational name from any of various places so called, in particular in Hennef and Gelderland, or from Blankenberge in West Flanders, Belgium.
Van Boxtel DutchThe family name Van Boxtel indicates origin from the North Brabant place Boxtel, written around 1110 Buchestelle, and later in the Middle Ages, among others, Bucstelle and Boextel.... [
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Van Breukelen DutchMeans "from Breukelen", a town in the province of Utrecht in the Netherlands, itself derived from Old Dutch
bruoc meaning "marsh, marshland, wetland" and
lētha meaning "excavated, canalised watercourse"... [
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Van Bronckhorst DutchMeans "from Bronckhorst", a town in the province of Gelderland in the Netherlands, itself derived from Dutch
brink meaning "edge, slope, village green" and
horst meaning "overgrown hillock" or "higher located brushwood"... [
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Van Burgen DutchComes from the Middle Dutch word "burch," or "burg," meaning a fortified town. The prefixes "Van" and "den" mean "from" and "the" respectively. Thus this surname means "from the hill". As such, it may have been topographic name for someone who lived by a citadel or walled city; or, it may have been a habitational name
Van Buskirk DutchThe name is made up of two Dutch words: "bos," meaning "woods," and "kerk," meaning "church." The characteristic Dutch prefix "van" literally means "from," and thus the surname indicates "one from the church in the woods."
Vancouver DutchDutch name meaning "someone from Coevorden", a city in the Netherlands.
Vandal English (Rare)A English word meaning "someone who willfully destroys or defaces property",and a member of ancient Germanic tribes.
Van De Kerkhof DutchMeans "from the churchyard", derived from Middle Dutch
kerke meaning "church" and
hof meaning "court, garden, yard". Famous bearers of this surname include twin brothers René and Willy Van De Kerkhof (1951-), both retired Dutch soccer players.
Van De Leest DutchPossibly an allusion to the shoemaker's profession, whether or not through a house name 'De Leest', which may have been the name of a shoemaker's building. A last is a (wooden) shape over which shoes are formed.
Van De Mark DutchTopographic name for someone who lived by a border or boundary, from Middle Dutch marke, merke meaning "boundary", "borderland".
Van den Bogaard DutchMeans "from the orchard", derived from Dutch
boomgaard literally meaning "orchard".
Van Den Broek DutchThe family name Van den Broek is derived from a toponym with the component Broek, for example a farm name that owes its name to its location near a Broek, a name for a swampy terrain.
Van Der Bilt Dutch (Rare)Topographic name for someone living by a low hill, from Middle Low German bulte "mound", "low hill"
Vanderbilt Dutch, GermanTopographic name for someone living by a low hill, from Middle Low German
bulte "mound", "low hill".
Van Der Graaf DutchDutch 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.
Van Der Heijden DutchThe family name Van der Heijden indicates that the original name bearers inhabited a settlement or a farm located near an area or a heathland that was known as 'de Heide'.
Van Der Kooi Dutchname for someone from either of two places, De Kooi in South Holland or De Kooy in North Holland.
Vanderlei BrazilianIt derives from the Dutch surname Van der Leij/Ley. The surname arrived in Brazil by Kaspar Nieuwhoff Van Der Leij by 1630, a cavalry captain from the Dutch army.
Van Der Leij DutchDerived from Dutch
lei meaning "slate" (effectively meaning "from the slate"), indicating that the original bearer of this name may have come from a place where slate was produced.
Van Der Loop DutchTopographical name for someone who lived by a waterway, Middle Dutch lo(e)pe, in particular a waterway called De Loop in North Brabant.
Vandermast DutchTopographic name for someone from a place rich in animal fodder, for example acorns.
Van Der Merwe Dutch, South AfricanWhile the name is currently very common in South Africa, it originates in Holland, literally meaning "From the Merwe". The first van der Merwes hail from the Merwede river. The name went to South Africa with the Dutch settlers in 1652.
Vanderpan DutchMeans "of the bannner" meaning most likely indicates ancestry of high-ranking occupation.
Vanderplaats DutchA surname given to someone living near a plaats (open space), or someone from De Plaats in North Brabant.
Vanderpool DutchMeans, from the pool. It was a topographic name for someone who lived by a pool or pond, derived from the Dutch word POL. The name is also spelt POHL, POL, POLL, POLS, Van den POLL and POLMAN.
Van Der Steen Dutch, BelgianHabitational name for someone from any of various minor places called Steen or Ten Stene (from steen meaning "stone"), for example in the Belgian provinces of East Flanders and Brabant.
Van Der Velde DutchMeaning "of the field" from Dutch
van -"Of"-
der - "The"- and
veld - "field".
Van Der Waal DutchToponymic surname of Dutch origin. The original bearer of the name may have lived or worked at or near a "wal": a river embankment, quay, or rampage.
Van Der Zanden DutchLiterally means 'From the sand', most likely given to someone who lived near sand grounds. It originated in the southeastern part of the Netherlands.
Van Deusen DutchHabitational name for someone from the German town of Deusen, north of Dortmund, in North Rhine-Westphalia near the Dutch border.
Vandyke DutchTopographic name for someone living near a dyke or levee. Dykes are common structures for keeping lands dry in the low lying Netherlands. ... [
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Van Dyne DutchHabitational name for someone from Duinen in Gelderland.
Van Eck DutchMeans "from Eck", a town in the province of Gelderland in the Netherlands.