Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
Woosencraft Welshthough this surname has an exotic look & attracts legends, it has it's origins in the Lancashire place name Wolstencraft, from elements Wulfstan (personal name) + croft ("enclosure")
Wooten EnglishHabitational name from any of the extremely numerous places named with Old English
wudu "wood" +
tun "enclosure", "settlement",
Work ScottishScottish: habitational name from the lands of Work in the parish of St. Ola, Orkney.
Workman EnglishOstensibly an occupational name for a laborer, derived from Middle English
work and
man. According to a gloss, the term was used in the Middle Ages to denote an ambidextrous person, and the surname may also be a nickname in this sense.
Worley Englishmostly found in Lancashire and Sussex. very old english surname. something to do with a hill near a stream.
Worsley EnglishAnglo-Saxon origin, and is a locational surname from either of the places called Worsley in Lancashire and in Worcestershire. The place in Lancashire was recorded as "Werkesleia" in 1196, and means
Weorchaeth's wood or glade, derived from the Olde English pre 7th Century personal name "Weorchaeth", from
weorc, work, fortification, and
leah, a wood, or clearing in a wood... [
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Worth EnglishFrom the Old English
WORÞ, meaning "enclosure".
Worthington EnglishHabitational 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’.
Wowereit German (East Prussian)East Prussian German (and thus heavily Lithuanian influenced) name meaning "squirrel", from Old Prussian
wowere and Lithuanian
voveraite (which, apart from "squirrel", also means "chanterelle").... [
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Wrangel GermanicThe surname Wrangel was first found in Westphalia. The name is derived from the place name Warangale (now Wrangelshof) in Estonia.... [
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Wraye EnglishVariant of the habitational name Wray or Ray, from any of various minor places in northern England named Wray, Wrea, or Wreay, from Old Norse vrá ‘nook’, ‘corner’, ‘recess’.
Wrbanek PolishPolish, Czech (Urbánek), and Sorbian: from a pet form of the personal name Urban . The surname is also established in Germany.
Wreden German, JewishHabitational name for any place in Germany or Denmark, of uncertain meaning. Famous bearers include
Davey Wreden (1988-) is an American game designer known for his work in
The Stanley Parable and
The Beginner's Guide as well as his brother, American internet personality,
Douglas Scott Wreden (1991-), known by his pseudonym
DougDoug.
Wren EnglishNickname from the bird, Middle English
wrenne, probably in reference to its small size.
Wretman SwedishCombination of Swedish
vret "remote small field situated some distance away from a bigger field" and
man "man".
Wrieden JewishJewish (Ashkenazic): variant of Fried or a short form of any of the various compound names beginning Frieden of the same derivation.
Wriedt German, DanishFrom Old Germanic
*wraiþ meaning "twisted, bent, uneven" or "angry, furious; hostile, violent". Could be a habitational name from an area with rough terrain or overgrown roots, or a nickname for someone with a bad temper.
Wrinn Irish (Anglicized)From Irish Gaelic
Ó Rinn "descendant of
Rinn", a personal name perhaps based on
reann "spear".
Wriothesley English (British)Name is of unknown origin, deriving from older Wrotteslega, who were a family that held estates in Staffordshire in the late 1100s. Possibly a combination of
wrot "snout" and
leah "meadow, cleaning", suggesting it's origin as a pig farm.
Wryta NormanOld Norse Men Normans Wryta brothers fought with William The Conqueror at Battle of Hastings onto King Henry VIII granting landed, gentry, coat of arms, baronetcy, and lord title to Sir John
Wright 1 of Kelvedon Hall ESsex on 6/20/1509
Wrzesiński PolishName for someone from a place called Września, Wrzesina or Wrzesiny, all derived from Polish
wrzos meaning "heather".
Wujek PolishIt literally means "uncle" in Polish but it could possibly refer to the Polesian village of the same name.
Wulfhart GermanCould mean "brave wolf" from the German elements "wulf" (variant of "wolf") and "hard" (meaning "brave, hardy").
Wulflam Low GermanName of the mayor of Stralsund Bertram Wulflam and his son Wulfhard Wulflam.
Wunderlich GermanA nickname for an eccentric or moody person, derived from the word
wunderlich meaning "whimsical" in German.
Wünsche GermanProbably denoted a person from Wendland, a region in Germany on the borders of the states of Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt. Alternatively, the name could have been derived from Wendling, a municipality in the Grieskirchen District, Upper Austria, Austria.
Würdemann GermanFrom the German "Würde"-honour or dignity, and "Mann"-man or person. "Man of Honour" or "Person of Dignity".
Wurdemann German (Rare)This is a German surname, also spelled WÜRDEMANN (original) and often rendered as WUERDEMANN in English. It come from the German "würde", "dignity" or "honor" and "mann", meaning "man" or "person".... [
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Wurnig GermanGerman origin from the place name am Virgen originally meaning a person from the town of Virgen in Tyrol. Construed as a family name in 1501.
Wurster GermanDerived from German
Wurst (Middle High German
wurst) "sausage" and thus either denoted a butcher who specialized in the production of sausages, or was used as a nickname for a plump person or someone who was particularly fond of sausages.
Wurðingtun EnglishHabitational 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’.
Württemberg GermanWürttemberg is an historical German territory. Together with Baden and Hohenzollern, two other historical territories, it now forms the Federal State of Baden-Württemberg.
Wurtz GermanA metonymic occupational name for a greengrocer or grower or seller of herbs, from Middle High German
würz, meaning ‘herb’.
Wurzburger Jewish"The Wurzburger surname is derived from the German city of Wurzburg, Bavaria, where Jews first settled in the 11th century. The German and Yiddish ending -er means 'of', 'from'." - from https://forebears.io/surnames/wurzburger
Wuttke GermanOriginally denoted a person from
Wutike, a district near the town of Neuruppin in Brandenburg, Germany.
Wycherley EnglishDerived from a place name apparently meaning "elm-wood clearing" from Old English
wice and
leah. A famous bearer was the dramatist William Wycherley (1640-1715).
Wyeth EnglishMay come either from the Old English word "withig" meaning "willow" or from Guyat, a pet form of the Old French given name
Guy. Probably unrelated to
Wyatt.
Wylde English (British)It is a nickname for a person who was of wild or undisciplined character. Looking back even further, the name was originally derived from the Old English word "wilde," meaning "untamed" or "uncivilized."... [
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Wylie Medieval EnglishIt is of locational origin, and derives from the places called Willey in the counties of Cheshire, Herefordshire, Shropshire, Warwickshire, Devonshire and Surrey.
Wymer EnglishEither (i) from the medieval male personal name
Wymer (from Old English
Wīgmǣr, literally "war-famous"); or (ii) from the Old Breton male personal name
Wiumarch, literally "worthy-horse".
Wymore EnglishFrom a town called
Waymore in England, possibly abandoned. Combining Old English
wic meaning "dwelling place," and
mor meaning "moor."
Wyn Welsh, EnglishEnglish: from the Old English personal name and byname Wine meaning ‘friend’, in part a short form of various compound names with this first element. Welsh: variant of
Gwynn.
Wynd Scottish, IrishScotland or Ireland not sure of original origin. There was a childe Wynd some type of royal who slayed a dragon type thing worm or something and a Henery Wynd who was a mercenary in a battle at north inch in Scotland
Wynn WelshDerived from the given name
Gwynn, itself from Welsh
gwyn meaning "white, fair; blessed".
Wynn EnglishFrom Old English
wine "friend", which could be used as a byname or personal name (see
Wine).
Wynnman English (British)as Wimbledon is said to be rooted in words that mean "Wynnman's Hill," I searched and the closest results indicated that 'Wynnman' must mean 'Heir of
Wynn'
Wysokiński PolishThis indicates familial origin within the Lesser Polish village of Wysokin.
Wyss EnglishNickname for someone with pale or white skin.
Wyszyński PolishIt indicates familial origin within any of several Podlachian villages named ''Wyszonki''.
Xavier English, FrenchDerived from the Basque place name
Etxaberri meaning "the new house". This was the surname of the Jesuit priest Saint Francis Xavier (1506-1552). He was a missionary to India, Japan, China, and other areas in East Asia, and he is the patron saint of the Orient and missionaries.
Xayachack LaoFrom Lao ໄຊ
(xay) meaning "victory" and ຈັກ
(chak) meaning "wheel, circle, disk".
Xayaseng LaoFrom Lao ໄຊ
(xay) meaning "victory" and ແສງ
(seng) meaning "light".
Xaysongkham LaoFrom Lao ໄຊ
(sai) meaning "victory" and ສົງຄາມ
(songkham) meaning "war, battle".
Xenos Ancient GreekFrom Greek xenos ‘stranger’, ‘newcomer’ (equivalent to English Newman), or short for a composite name such as Xenocostas ‘Costas the newcomer’.
Xi ChineseFrom Chinese 习
(xí) referring to an ancient territory named Xi, which existed during the Zhou dynasty in the Qin state in what is now Shangxian County, Shaanxi province. A notable berarer is Xi Jinping (1953-), the current president of China.
Xia ChineseFrom Chinese 夏
(xià) referring to the Xia dynasty, the first dynasty in Chinese history that is believed to have existed from 2070 to 1600 BC. According to legend, this name was adopted by the descendants of Yu the Great (who was also known as Xia Yu), a legendary king who supposedly founded the Xia dynasty.
Xiang ChineseFrom Chinese 向
(xiàng) referring to the ancient state of Xiang, which existed during the Spring and Autumn period in what is now the Shandong province.
Xiang ChineseFrom Chinese 项
(xiàng) referring to the ancient state of Xiang, which existed during the Zhou dynasty in what is now Henan province.
Xin ChineseFrom the name of a state of Xin that existed during the Xia dynasty. King Qi (2197–2188 bc) granted this state to one of his sons, whose descendants adopted a modified form of the character for Xin as their surname.
Xing ChineseFrom the name of an area called Xing, which existed during in the Zhou dynasty (1122–221 bc). Descendants of the ruling family of this area adopted Xing as their surname. Another account of the origin derives it from an area named Pingxing.
Xisto PortugueseMeans "schist" or "shale" in Portuguese. Can also be found in Brazil.
Xiu ChineseFrom Chinese 修
(xiū) meaning "study, decorate, cultivate" or "tall, long", taken from the name of a son of the legendary emperor Shaohao.
Xompero ItalianMeaning uncertain, possibly from Cimbrian
somerousch "pack horse", indicating the bearer's strength or occupation. Alternately, may mean "son of
Piero".
Xotlanihua NahuatlMeans "owner of flowering" or "there will be growing" in Nahuatl, probably originating as a personal name.
Xudoyberdiyeva f UzbekFeminine form of
Xudayberdiyev. Halima Xudoyberdiyeva (1947-2018) was an Uzbek poet whose themes at different times of her career have dealt with Uzbek nationhood and history, liberation movements, and feminism.
Xue ChineseFrom Chinese 薛
(xuē) referring to the ancient state of Xue that existed during the Xia dynasty in what is now Shandong province.
Xuereb MaltesePossibly means "noble", of Semitic origin transmitted to Central Europe. Alternatively, it may be derived from Arabic شَارِب
(šārib) meaning "drinker, drinking" or "moustache", used as a nickname for an alcoholic or someone with distinctive facial hair.
Xūwáng ChineseA Chinese surname taken from combining 須 (xū) meaning "must, necessary" with 王 (wáng) meaning "king, monarch". It is the Chinese reading of the Japanese surname Suō.
Xyooj HmongThis name is possible from a location since Chinese during the 18th century gave Hmong surnames based on the location the Hmong were in. It's a possible clan surname.
Ya JapaneseFrom Japanese
ya meaning "night". Note that other kanji interpretations and meanings could be possible.
Yabe JapaneseFrom the Japanese 矢 (
ya) "arrow" and 部 (be) "region," "division," "part."
Yaben BasqueMeans "under the rushes, reed bed, bracken".
Yablokov RussianFrom Russian яблоко
(yabloko) meaning "apple", used as a nickname for a ruddy person or a gardener who received a plentiful harvest.
Yabsley EnglishIt is believed to be a derived spelling of Abboldesi, a place now more commonly known as Abbotsley or Abbotsleigh. However, the original surname had nothing to do with "Abbots" in any spelling, and derives from to the Olde English pre 7th Century personal name "Eadbeald" meaning "Prosperity-bold".
Yabu JapanesePossibly from 薮 (
yabu) meaning "thicket, bush, underbrush, grove".
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"... [
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Yabunaka JapaneseFrom 薮 (
yabu) meaning "thicket, bush, underbrush, grove" and 中 (
naka) meaning "middle, in between".
Yabuno JapaneseFrom 薮 (
yabu) meaning "thicket, bush, underbrush, grove", combined with 野 (
no) meaning "field, wilderness"..
Yabusaki JapaneseFrom the Japanese 八 (
ya) meaning "eight", 武 (
bu) which was a traditional unit of measurement approximately equal to 90 centimeters, and 崎 (
saki) meaning "cape, peninsula".
Yada JapaneseFrom the Japanese 矢 (
ya) "arrow" and 田 (
da or
ta) "rice paddy."
Yaeger GermanYaeger is a relatively uncommon American surname, most likely a transcription of the common German surname "Jaeger/Jäger" (hunter). The spelling was changed to become phonetic because standard English does not utilize the umlaut.
Yager GermanAmericanized form of JÄGER, meaning "hunter."
Yagi JapaneseFrom Japanese 八
(ya) meaning "eight" and 木
(ki) meaning "tree, wood".
Yagira JapaneseFrom Japanese 柳 (yagi) meaning "willow" combined with 楽 (ra) meaning "music, comfort, ease".
Yago JapanesePossibly from 谷 (
ya, tani) meaning "valley" and 戸 (
go, to) meaning "door".
Yagüe SpanishIt is possibly derived from a name for someone born on St James' Day, from Old Spanish Santi Yague, a common medieval form of Santiago.
Yahaba JapaneseFrom Japanese 矢幅 (
Yahaba) meaning "Yahaba", a former village in the district of Shiwa in the former Japanese province of Rikuchū in parts of present-day Iwate and Akita in Japan.... [
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Yajima JapaneseDerived from Japanese 矢
(ya) meaning "arrow" or 谷 (
ya) meaning "valley, lowland, plain" combined with 島 or 嶋
(shima) meaning "island".... [
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Yajin Japanese (Rare)From Japanese 夜 (
ya) meaning "night; evening" and 陣 (
jin) meaning "battle formation; camp"