Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
Beshimov KyrgyzPossibly derived from the given name Beshim. A known bearer is Bakyt Beshimov, the deputy chairman of the Social Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan.
Beskow SwedishDerived from the name of the city Beeskow in Germany. A notable bearer was Swedish author and illustrator Elsa Beskow (1874-1953).
Bess EnglishPopularly grown surname from the diminuative form of "Elizabeth" during any time of a Queen Elizabeth
Bessel GermanOf uncertain origin; possibly from the name of a place or river.
Bessho JapaneseFrom 別 (
be, betsu) meaning "separate, another different" and 所 (
sho) meaning "place, plant, institute, station".
Bestauty OssetianDerived from Ossetian бистэ
(biste) meaning "village, suburb" or from Persian به
(beh) meaning "good, excellent, better". In the case of the former, it would have been used to indicate the place of residence of an ancestor.
Beste French, EnglishNickname from Middle English
beste Old French
beste "beast animal" (especially those used for food or work) applied either as a metonymic occupational name for someone who looked after beasts such as a herdsman or as a nickname for someone thought to resemble an animal... [
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Betanzos GalicianThis indicates familial origin within the eponymous municipality.
Beteta SpanishThis indicates familial origin within the eponymous Manchego municipality.
Bethany EnglishPossibly a topographic name derived from the Old English plant name
betonice meaning "betony". The form of the name has been altered by folk association with the New Testament place name.
Bethea WelshPossible altered form of the Welch surname Bethel
Bethencourt French, English, Portuguese (Rare)Bettencourt and Bethencourt are originally place-names in Northern France. The place-name element -court (courtyard, courtyard of a farm, farm) is typical of the French provinces, where the Frankish settlements formed an important part of the local population... [
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Bettencourt French, English, Portuguese (Rare)Bettencourt and
Bethencourt are originally place-names in Northern France. The place-name element -court (courtyard, courtyard of a farm, farm) is typical of the French provinces, where the Frankish settlements formed an important part of the local population... [
more]
Bever GermanNickname from bever ‘beaver’, possibly referring to a hard worker, or from some other fancied resemblance to the animal.
Beveridge EnglishDerived from the town of
Beverege or from the Old French
beivre "drink", a nickname for a person who sealed contracts with a drink
Bevetto CornishFrom
bo-veth, the dwelling by the grave or
bo-verth, the green house.
Bevier French (Germanized)From Old French
bevier, meaning "a measure of land". This was probably a nickname for someone who owned or worked such a piece of land. This surname was first found in Austria, where the name Bevier came from humble beginnings but gained a significant reputation for its contribution to the emerging medieval society.
Bevilacqua ItalianFrom Italian
bevi l'acqua "drinks water", a nickname likely applied ironically to an alcoholic.
Bexley EnglishHabitational name from Bexley (now Bexleyheath in Greater London), which was named from Old English
byxe ‘box tree’ +
leah ‘woodland clearing’.
Beyoğlu TurkishMeans son of a bey. “Bey” (Ottoman Turkish: بك “Beik”, Albanian: bej, Bosnian: beg, Arabic: بيه “Beyeh”, Persian: بیگ “Beyg” or بگ “Beg”) is a Turkish title for chieftain, traditionally applied to the leaders or rulers of various sized areas in the Ottoman Empire... [
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Bezdenezhnykh RussianMeans "without money", from Russian денежных (denezhnykh) meaning money and prefix без (bez) meaning without. Denoted to a very very poor person.
Bezos SpanishFrom
bezo meaning "thick lips" in Spanish, referring to a person with blubber or thick lips.
Bezrodnykh RussianPossibly derived from без (bez) "without" and родной (rodnoy) "native".
Bhaduri BengaliHabitational name from the village of Bhadur in present-day West Bengal, India.
Bhaer GermanLikely a variant of German
Baer, meaning "bear". A notable bearer is character Friedrich Bhaer, Jo's husband in Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.
Bhalla IndianThis surname is derived from Sanskrit bhalla meaning (among other things) ‘auspicious’, ‘missile’, and ‘bear’.
Bhalli PunjabiMeaning uncertain. This is the name of a clan found in Punjab, Pakistan.
Bhardwaj IndianFrom Sanskrit bhāradvāja ‘descendant of bharadvāja’, bharadvāja meaning ‘one who has strength or vigor’ (a compound of bharat ‘bearing’ + vāja ‘vigor’). According to legend, Bharadvaja (bharadvāja) was the name of one of the great sages.
Bhargava IndianFrom Sanskrit bhārgava ‘(descendant) of Bhrigu’. Bhrigu is the name of one of the great sages of Hindu legend.
Bharucha Indian (Parsi)Refers to the city of Bharuch in Gujarat, India, which is thought to be derived from the name of a figure in Hindu mythology.
Bhatnagar Indian, Hindi, Marathi, OdiaDerived from the name of a subgroup of the Kayasth community, denoting association with
Hanumangarh (formerly named
Bhatner), a city in Rajasthan, India.
Bhattarai NepaliDerived from Sanskrit भट्ट
(bhatta) meaning "venerable, learned, philosopher".
Bhavaraju SanskritIt is a patronymic name, meaning it is from the father’s or ancestor’s name. It is derived from the Sanskrit words “bha,” which means “knowledge,” and “raja,” which means “king.” So, it means “king of knowledge” or “one who is knowledgeable.”
Bhawalkar IndianFrom the town of Bhawal in the NorthWest part of India, around the state of Jaipur.
Bhole German1 North German: nickname for a male relative, colleague in a guild or fraternity, or lover, Middle Low German bōle.... [
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Bhowmik Indian, BengaliMeans "landowner, landlord" in Bengali, ultimately derived from Sanskrit भूमि
(bhūmi) "earth, soil, ground".
Bhuiya BengaliBangladeshi: from Bengali bhuyyan ‘landlord’, ‘chieftain’. Bearers of this surname claim descent from one of the twelve chieftains (nine Muslims and three Hindus), who ruled the Sultanate of Bengal (1336–1576)... [
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Bhullar Indian, PunjabiProbably from the name of a village in Punjab, India, which is of uncertain meaning. This is the name of a Jat clan found in India and Pakistan.
Bhutto SindhiMeaning uncertain. This is the name of a prominent Pakistani political family of Sindhi origin. Two of its members,
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (1928-1979) and
Benazir Bhutto (1953-2007) served as prime ministers of Pakistan.
Bi ChineseProbably from the name of a people living to the west of China in ancient times, who integrated with the Han Chinese during the Han dynasty (206 bc–220 ad). The character also means ‘finish’, ‘conclude’.
Bi ChineseFrom Chinese 毕
(bì) referring to the ancient fief of Bi, which existed during the Zhou dynasty in what is now Shaanxi province.
Bia NavajoThe U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs ("BIA") required all Indians to choose a family name. The Navajo family name Bia is derived from BIA ("Bureau of Indian Affairs")
Białaczowski PolishThis indicates familial origin within the Lesser Polish village of Białaczów.
Bialik Polish, Czech, JewishDerived from Polish
biały meaning "white", originally a nickname for a person with blond hair or a pale complexion. A famous bearer of this name is American actress Mayim Bialik (1975-).
Białkowski PolishHabitational name for someone from any of various places named Bialkowo, Bialków or Bialkowice, all derived from Polish
biały meaning "white".
Biały PolishMeans "white" in Polish. This form is more often, but not exclusively, used by men.
Bian ChineseRomanization of a Chinese surname, which in Pinyin may be respectively Biàn, Biān or Biǎn. The former, written with the character
卞 means "to be impatient", "to be in a hurry" or "excitable" and is by far the most common... [
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Bian ChineseFrom Chinese 边
(biān) referring to the ancient state of Bian, which existed during the Shang dynasty in what is now Henan province.
Bian ChineseFrom Chinese 卞
(biàn) referring to the ancient fief of Bian, which existed during the Zhou dynasty in what is now Shandong province.
Biarujia TaneraicThis is the only existing surname derived from Javant Biarujia’s constructed personal language, Taneraic, which he created over several decades. The meaning is unknown.
Bibi Urdu, Pashto, Sindhi, Indian, Bengali, Assamese, Odia, Hindi, PunjabiFrom a respectful title meaning "woman, lady, miss", ultimately derived from Persian بیبی
(bibi).
Bibylty OssetianDerived from Georgian ბიბილო
(bibilo) meaning "scar" or "crest", used to refer to a person with a distinctive scar on their face.
Bickel German, German (Swiss), JewishGerman: from bickel ‘pickaxe’ or ‘chisel’, hence a metonymic occupational name for someone who made pickaxes or worked with a pickaxe or for a stonemason. South German: from a pet form of Burkhart... [
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Bickerman EnglishThe toponym Bickerton is derived from the Old English beocere, which means bee-keeper, and tun, which originally denoted a fence or enclosure.
Bickham EnglishHabitational name from places so named in Devon and Somerset, most of which are most probably named with an Old English personal name
Bicca and Old English
cumb "valley". The first element could alternatively be from
bica "pointed ridge".
Bidaurreta BasqueIt indicates familial origin within the eponymous Navarrese municipality.
Biddle English, IrishVariant of English
BEADLE or German
BITTEL. The name is now popular in the north east region of America, where it was brought by English and Irish immigrants.
Biddulph EnglishFrom the name of a town in Staffordshire, England, derived from Old English
bī meaning "beside" and
dylf meaning "digging" (a derivative of
delfan "to dig").
Biedermann German, Jewishnickname for an honest man from a compound of Middle High German
biderbe "honorable" and
man "man". Jewish surname adopted because of its honorific meaning from German
bieder "honest, upright" and
mann "man".
Biedroń PolishNickname, either from dialect biedron ‘spotted bullock’, or for someone with conspicuous or deformed hips, from a derivative of dialect biedro ‘hip’.
Biehl GermanFrom Middle Low German
bil "hatchet", Middle High German
biel; given to someone who made or used hatchets.
Biel Polish, Czech, SlovakNickname for a white- or fair-haired person, from Polish
biel, Old Czech
bielý, Slovak
biely "white".
Bielawski PolishThis indicates familial origin within the Masovian village of Bielawa.
Bielec PolishNickname for a man with white hair or a blond beard, from biały meaning "white".
Bielecki PolishHabitational name for someone from a place called Bielcza, derived from Polish
biel meaning "white".
Bieler German, JewishJewish (Ashkenazic): habitational name from any of the many places in eastern Europe whose name incorporates the Slavic element
byel- ‘white’.... [
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Bieliński PolishHabitational name for someone from any of various places named Bielin, Bielina, Bielino or Bieliny, all derived from Polish
biel meaning "white".
Bieniak PolishPolish family name with Germanic origins. The Bieniak family lived in the Polish villages of Grębków and nearby Kózki for nearly 500 years.
Bieńkowski PolishHabitational name for someone from any of various places called Bieńkowice, Bieńkowiec, or Bieńkowo.
Bier German, Jewishfrom Middle High German
bier "beer" German
bier Yiddish
bir a metonymic occupational name for a brewer of beer or a tavern owner or in some cases perhaps a nickname for a beer drinker.
Bierbaum GermanGerman: topographic name for someone who lived by a pear tree, Middle Low German berbom. Compare
Birnbaum.
Bierce English, WelshEnglish variant and Welsh form of
Pierce. A famous bearer was the American author, journalist and poet Ambrose Bierce (1842-c. 1914), who wrote
The Devil's Dictionary and other works... [
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Bieri German (Swiss)Derived from a diminutive of the given name
Pierre which was also commonly used in German-speaking Switzerland.
Biesheuvel DutchFrom
Biesheuvel, the name of a small village in the north of the province of Noord-Brabant in the Netherlands. It is derived from Dutch
bies meaning "bulrush, club rush" (a grasslike plant that grows in wetlands and damp locations) and
heuvel meaning "hill"... [
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Biesiada PolishNickname from biesiada meaning "feast", "banquet", probably for someone who liked to feast.
Biesiadecki PolishPossible name for a person who came from
Biesiadki or
Biesiadka in Poland.
Bigelow EnglishHabitational name from a place in England called Big Low meaning "big mound".
Biggers Scottish, EnglishPossibly related to the Scottish place name Biggar in South Lanarkshire or the English place name Biggar in Cumbria
Biggins EnglishHabitational name from any of the various places in England named with northern Middle English
bigging "building" (from Old Norse). This word came to denote especially an outbuilding, and is still used in and around Northumberland and Cumbria.
Biggs EnglishDerived from the ancient word, "bigga", meaning large.
Biglin English (British)German origin, settled by a single farmer in East Yorkshire in 1750. The name comes from the phrase "big land" meaning someone who owns alot of land.
Bigot FrenchEither from Old French
bigot possibly meaning "beggar" or from the Norman interjection
bî got ("by God"), used as a pejorative nickname for the Normans... [
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Bigović CroatianMeaning unknown. Sources say that there's only 35 people with this surname in Croatia.... [
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Bijl DutchMeans "axe" in Dutch, a metonymic name for someone who used an axe in their work, such as a woodcutter, shipwright, or butcher. Alternatively, a metronym derived from a short form of
Amabilia or
Sibilia.
Bijlsma West FrisianOccupational name from Dutch
bijl "axe" (see
Bijl) combined with the Frisian suffix
-ma. Could also be a patronym.
Bikandi BasquePossibly derived from Latin
vicus "street, neighbourhood; village, hamlet" and Basque
(h)andi "big, large". Alternatively, the first element could be from
bike "steep slope".
Bikuña BasqueFrom the name of a village in Álava, Basque Country, possibly derived from Latin
vicus "street, neighbourhood; village, hamlet" and Basque
on "good". Alternatively, the first element could be related to
bike "steep slope".
Bilbao SpanishSpanish: Habitational Name From The City Of Bilbao In Biscay Basque Country.
Bilczewski PolishThis indicates familial origin within either of 2 distinct Greater Polish villages by the name of Bilczew.
Bildt Swedish (Rare)Bildt is a Danish-Swedish-Norwegian noble family originating from Jutland in Denmark and now domiciled in Bohus county in southwest Sweden. The Norwegian branch of the family died out in the beginning of the 18th century... [
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Bilek CzechNickname for a fair-haired person, from
bílek "whiteness", a derivative of
bílý "white".
Bilić CroatianDerived from dialectal
bil, standard Croatian
bijel, meaning "white".... [
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Bilici TurkishMeans "visionary", "seer", "omniscient", "aware", "knowing" and derivated from "bil-" root which means "to know".
Bilir TurkishMeans "understanding, knowledgeable" in Turkish.
Billeaud FrenchFrom a personal name composed of the Germanic elements
bil "sword" (or possibly
bili "gentle") +
wald "ruler".