Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
Willingham EnglishHabitational name from a place named Willingham, notably one in Cambridgeshire and one in Suffolk. The first is recorded in Domesday Book as
Wivelingham "homestead (Old English
hām) of the people of a man called
Wifel".
Willock EnglishFrom the medieval male personal name
Willoc, a pet-form based on the first syllable of any of a range of Old English compound names beginning with
willa "will, desire".
Willows English (British)This is an English residential or perhaps occupational surname. It may originate from one of the various places in England called 'The Willows', or even a place such as Newton le Willows in Lancashire, or it may describe a supplier of willow.
Wills GermanPatronymic from any of the Germanic personal names beginning with
wil "will, desire".
Wimmer GermanOccupational last name, meaning "wine maker," using a derivation of the element
Wein (meaning "wine") and likely another derivation from
-macher (meaning "maker"). It's possible as well that it is derived from
Weimann.
Wimp EnglishThe surname has at least two origins. The first is occupational and describes a maker of 'wimplels', an Old English veil later much associated with nuns. Second, it may also be locational from the village of Whimple in Devonshire, or Wimpole in Cambridge.
Wimpey EnglishPerhaps a deliberate alteration of
Impey. It is borne by George Wimpey, a British construction company, founded in Hammersmith, London in 1880 by George Wimpey (1855-1913)... [
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Winchel Englishfrom Old English wencel ‘child’, perhaps used to distinguish a son from his father with the same forename or perhaps a nickname for a person with a baby face or childlike manner
Wind English, German, DanishNickname for a swift runner, from Middle English
wind "wind", Middle High German
wint "wind", also "greyhound".
Wind EnglishTopographic name for someone who lived near a pathway, alleyway, or road, Old English
(ge)wind (from
windan "to go").
Wind Swedish (Rare)From Swedish
vind "wind". It's either ornamental or a habitational name derived from a place named with this element.
Windham English, Irish (Anglicized)English habitational name from Wyndham in West Sussex, near West Grinstead, probably named from an unattested Old English personal name
Winda + Old English
hamm ‘water meadow’; or from Wymondham in Leicestershire and Norfolk, named from the Old English personal name
Wigmund (see
Wyman) + Old English
ham ‘homestead’... [
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Windus EnglishVariant of
Wingers. The name is a metonymic occupational name for a textile worker or weaver, derived from the Middle English wyndhows ("winding house").
Winegar GermanThis German surname may belong to one whose ancestors worked in the food industry or in the production of vinegar. In German the letter “W” is pronounced as the letter “V” in English.
Winehouse Jewish, GermanAnglicized variant of German and Yiddish 'Weinhaus'. From German
wein, 'vine, grapevine' and
haus 'house, building, home', likely indicating a house with a vineyard. ... [
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Winford EnglishEnglish location name meaning "from a white ford or water crossing" or "from a meadow ford".
Winfrey EnglishFrom the Old English personal name
Winfrith, literally "friend-peace". A famous bearer of this surname is Oprah Winfrey (1954-), a US television talk-show presenter.
Winkel German, JewishDerived from Middle High German
winkel "corner, angle", a topographic name for someone who lived on a corner of land in the country or a street corner in a town or city. This word also came to denote a corner shop (see
Winkelmann)... [
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Winkel Dutch, BelgianHabitational name from any of numerous minor places named using the element
winkel "corner".
Winkelmann German, JewishGerman and Jewish (Ashkenazic): topographic name for someone who lived on a corner or kept a corner shop (see
Winkel), with the addition of Middle High German man, German Mann ‘man’... [
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Winkle Englishit's said to originate from the village of Wincle, near the town of Macclesfield in the county of Cheshire.
Winne FlemishOccupational name for an agricultural worker, from Middle Dutch
winne "farmer, peasant, tenant".
Winney EnglishDerived from an unattested Old English given name, *
Wyngeofu, composed of the elements
wyn "joy" and
geofu "battle".... [
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Winnick English (Rare)Habitational name for someone from a place called Winwick, for example in Northamptonshire or Cambridgeshire, both of which are named from the Old English personal name Wina + wic 'outlying dairy farm or settlement'.
Winninger GermanProbably denoted a person from the municipality of
Winningen in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate in western Germany.
Winsininski Polish (Anglicized)Winsininski is an anglicized version of the name "Wisniewski", which is from multiple places in Poland called Wisniewo, Wisniew, and Wisniewa. These names all have "wisna" which means cherry, or cherry tree.... [
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Winstanley EnglishFrom the name of a place in Lancashire, England, which means "Wynnstan's field" from the Old English masculine given name
Wynnstan and
leah meaning "woodland, clearing"... [
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Winstead EnglishPerhaps derived from the town of
Wanstead in Greater London, England (recorded in the Domesday Book as
Wenesteda), named with Old English
wænn meaning "wagon" and
stede meaning "place, site", but it is more likely derived from the village of
Winestead in East Yorkshire, England, named from Old English
wefa meaning "wife" and
hamstede meaning "homestead"... [
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Winterberg GermanHabitational name from any of several places named with Middle High German
winter "winter" and
berg "mountain".
Winterbourne English (British)Probably meaning "winter stream". A large village in Gloucestershire, From the Thomas Hardy novel "The Woodlanders".
Winterburn Englishhabitational name from any of various places called with Old English
winter "winter" and
burna "stream" meaning "winter stream" for a stream which only flows or flows at a faster rate during the winter and more or less dries up in summer such as Winterburn in Gargrave (Yorkshire) Winterbourne (Berkshire Gloucestershire) Winterbourne Bassett (Wiltshire) or one of thirteen parishes named Winterborne in Dorset including Winterborne Abbas Winterborne Monkton and Winterborne Zelstone... [
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Wirta FinnishFrom virta ‘stream’, used as a topographic name, also as a soldier’s name in the 17th century. Also adopted as an ornamental name, especially in western and southern Finland.
Wise EnglishNickname for a wise or learned person, or in some cases a nickname for someone suspected of being acquainted with the occult arts, from Middle English
wys "wise, thoughtful, knowledgeable; alert, aware"... [
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Wiseau English (American, Rare)Meaning unknown, believed to be derived from French oiseau, meaning bird. As a surname, it is born by American Director Tommy Wiseau.
Wish EnglishTopographic name for someone who lived by a water meadow or marsh, Middle English wyshe (Old English wisc). Americanized spelling of Wisch.
Wisp EnglishThe surname of the author of Quidditch Through The Ages in the Harry Potter Universe, Kennilworthy Whisp. Probably referring to the wind, or a family of people who usually were nearly bald.
Withall English"Withall" comes from the village of "Cornwall" called "Withiel." There is also a connection to an aristocratic level, in the 15th at Henry VII court a noble man and knight went under the family name "Wit-hall"... [
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Witham Englishhabitational name from any of various places so called particularly those in Essex Lincolnshire and Somerset though most often from Essex. The Essex placename may derive from Old English
wiht "curve bend" and
ham "village homestead"... [
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Witly EnglishVariant of
Whitley, a habitational name from any of various places named with Old English hwit ‘white’ + leah ‘wood’, ‘clearing’.
Witschge DutchDutch cognate of
Witzke. Famous bearers of this surname include brothers Rob (1966-) and Richard Witschge (1969-), both of whom are former Dutch soccer players.
Witt GermanEither from the given name
Wittigo or from Middle Low German
witte "white", a nickname for a pale person or someone with white hair.
Witte German, Dutch, EnglishCognate to and variant of
White, a nickname for someone with white or blonde hair or an unusually pale complexion
Wittenberg Low GermanHabitational name for someone from a place called Wittenberg, Wittenberge, or Wittenbergen.
Wittenborn Low GermanHabitational name from any of several places so named, for example near Bad Segeberg and near Neubrandenburg.
Witter GermanFrom a Germanic personal name, composed of the elements
widu "wood" and
hari "army".
Witteveen DutchFrom Dutch
witte "white" and
veen "peat bog, marsh", derived from any of several place names.
Wittgenstein German, JewishDenoted one who came from the
Wittgenstein castle in the Siegen-Wittgenstein district in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, derived from Old High German
witt meaning "white" and
stein meaning "stone"... [
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Wittlin JewishEastern Ashkenazic, from the Yiddish female personal name
Vitle, a pet form of
Vite combined with the eastern Slavic suffix -
in Wittman GermanWittman was first found in the Palatinate in the Rhineland valley. The surname Wittman was given to someone who lived in the area that was referred to as widem which was originally derived from the German word denoting church property.
Witz German, JewishFrom the medieval personal name
Witzo, a short form of any of several Germanic compound names beginning with wig ‘battle’... [
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Witzel GermanThe German surname is of patronymic origin, deriving from the name of the father of the original bearer.
Witzig GermanGerman: nickname from Middle High German witzic ‘clever’, ‘prudent’, ‘knowing’.
Wlodawski JewishHabitual surname from Włodawa, Poland. First seen in a 1806 revision list of the city Kobryn (Grodno Guberniya), now Kobryn Belarus. ... [
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Włoszczowski PolishThis indicates familial origin within either of 2 Lesser Polish localities: the town of Włoszczowa or the village of Włoszczowice.
Wodehouse EnglishThe name "de Wodehouse" is attested as early as in the 11th century, of one Bertram, of Wodehouse-tower, Yorkshire, who lived at the time of the Norman conquest.
Wodziński PolishHabitational name for someone from Wodzin in Piotrków voivodeship, named with Polish woda meaning "water".
Woehrle GothicOrigin from Ohio Known for
Farmers, less common occupation was
Baker Farmer, Gardener and
Bag Maker were the top 3 reported jobs.
Wogan IrishFrom the Old Welsh personal name
Gwgan or
Gwgon, originally probably a nickname meaning literally "little scowler". (Cf. the second element in
Cadogan.) This surname is borne by Irish radio and television presenter Terry Wogan (1938-).
Wójcicki PolishHabitational name for a person originally from a place called Wójcice.
Wójciński PolishHabitational name for someone from any of the many places called Wójcin, or from Wójcina in Tarnów voivodeship, named with wójt meaning "village headman".
Wójt Medieval PolishOccupational name and title from Medieval Polish meaning Lord Protector or Governor. Derived from Latin advocatus. German variant
Vogt, Swedish variant
Fogde... [
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Wojtczak PolishPolish: patronymic from Wojtek, a pet form of the personal name Wojciech ( see
Voytek ).
Wojtyła PolishDerived from a diminutive of the given name
Wojciech. It was the surname of Karol Józef Wojtyła (1920-2005), the pope John Paul II.
Wolfenden Englishderived from the place called
Wolfenden in the parish of Newchurch-in-Rossendale, Lancashire. The placename means "Wulfhelm's valley", or "the valley of Wulfhelm" derived from the Olde English pre 7th Century personal name
Wulfhelm, composed of the elements
wulf "wolf" and
helm "helmet, protection" and
denu "valley".
Wolfeschlegelsteinhausenbergerdorff German (Rare)The truncated form of the surname Wolfeschlegelsteinhausenbergerdorffwelchevoralternwarengewissenhaftschaferswessenschafewarenwohlgepflegeundsorgfaltigkeitbeschutzenvorangreifendurchihrraubgierigfeindewelchevoralternzwolfhunderttausendjahresvorandieerscheinenvonderersteerdemenschderraumschiffgenachtmittungsteinundsiebeniridiumelektrischmotorsgebrauchlichtalsseinursprungvonkraftgestartseinlangefahrthinzwischensternartigraumaufdersuchennachbarschaftdersternwelchegehabtbewohnbarplanetenkreisedrehensichundwohinderneuerassevonverstandigmenschlichkeitkonntefortpflanzenundsicherfreuenanlebenslanglichfreudeundruhemitnichteinfurchtvorangreifenvorandererintelligentgeschopfsvonhinzwischensternartigraum... [
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Wolfhard German, JewishThis name derives from the Old High German name “Wolfhard”, composed of two elements: the “*-wulfaz” (wolf) plus “*harduz / *hardu-” (hard, strong, brave, valiant, powerful one). In turn the name means “the one who is strong like a wolf”.
Wolfit EnglishFrom the medieval male personal name
Wolfet or
Wolfat (from Old English
Wulfgēat, literally "wolf-Geat" (the name of a Germanic people)). This surname was borne by Sir Donald Wolfit (1902-1968), a British actor and manager.
Wolford GermanMeans where the wolves cross the river/stream. Wolf meaning the animal and Ford meaning crossing a body of shallow water.... [
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Wolk German, AmericanSurname derived from a northern German short form of the given name Walter.
Wolken GermanSurname derived from a diminutive of the given name Wolter, a Low German form of Walter.... [
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Wollmann GermanOccupational name for a wool worker or wool trader Middle High German Middle Low German
wollman derived from German
wolle "wool" and
man "man".
Wollschläger GermanOccupational name for someone who prepared wool for spinning by washing and combing or carding it, from Middle High German wolle(n)slaher, -sleger, Middle Low German wullensleger (literally ‘wool beater’).
Wolowitz JewishThis is the surname of the character Howard in the American television show "The Big Bang Theory".
Wolsey EnglishFrom the medieval male personal name
Wulsi (from Old English
Wulfsige, literally "wolf-victory"). A famous bearer of the surname was English churchman and statesman Thomas Wolsey (Cardinal Wolsey), ?1475-1530.
Wolston EnglishFrom the Middle English personal name
Wolfstan or
Wolstan, Old English
Wulfstan, composed of the elements
wulf ‘wolf’ +
stan stone or a habitational name from any of a large number of places called Woolston(e) or Wollston, all of which are named with Old English personal names containing the first element
Wulf (Wulfheah, Wulfhelm, Wulfric, Wulfsige, and Wulfweard) + Old English
tun ‘enclosure’, ‘settlement’.
Wondergem DutchHabitational name from Wondelgem or Wontergem in East Flanders, Belgium, using the suffix
-gem which is related to Old Germanic
haimaz meaning "home".
Wongchai ThaiFrom Thai วงศ์
(wong) meaning "lineage, family, dynasty" and ไชย
(chai) meaning "victory".
Wongkaeo ThaiFrom Thai วงศ์ or วงษ์
(wong) meaning "lineage, family, dynasty" and แก้ว
(kaeo) meaning "crystal, glass, diamond".
Wongkham ThaiFrom Thai วงศ์
(wong) meaning "lineage, family, dynasty" and คำ
(kham) meaning "gold".
Wongphakdi ThaiFrom Thai วง
(wong) meaning "lineage, family, dynasty" and ภักดี
(phakdi) meaning "devotion, loyalty".
Wongsawat ThaiFrom Thai วงศ์
(wong) meaning "lineage, family, dynasty" and สวัสดิ์
(sawat) meaning "happiness".
Wongsuwan ThaiFrom Thai วงศ์
(wong) meaning "lineage, family, dynasty" and สุวรรณ
(suwan) meaning "gold".
Wongyai ThaiFrom Thai วงศ์
(wong) meaning "lineage, family, dynasty" and ใหญ่
(yai) meaning "big, large, great".
Woo KoreanWoo is a spelling variant of ‘Wu’ referring to an ancient state of ‘Wu’. It is located in the Jiangsu province.
Woodbine English (Rare)From the English word "woodbine" that means "honeysuckle(plant)"in English.It seems uncommon in the English-speak culture for a surname.Also some American place names,too.
Woodbridge EnglishOriginated in old England and likely linked to the town of Woodbridge in Suffolk, East Anglia, United Kingdom. Well known Woodbridge's include the Australian Tennis player Todd Woodbridge. There was a famous lineage of six English John Woodbridge's in the fourteenth to seventeenth centuries, all Church ministers... [
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Woodfall EnglishEnglish surname used as a first name. The name means "dweller by a fold in the woods" - in this case, "fold" means "sheep-pen".... [
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