Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
Bonnemaison FrenchLiterally means "good house", derived from French
bonne "good" and French
maison "house". As such, this surname is most likely a locational surname, in that it originally either referred to someone who lived in a good house (probably more like a mansion) or to someone who was born in (or lived in) the place Bonnemaison, which is nowadays located in the Calvados department of France... [
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Bonnevier SwedishLikely brought to Sweden by Walloon immigrants in the 16th century.
Bonnin FrenchDerived from a diminutive of
Bon, it is also found in the island of Mallorca and Turin, Italy.
Bonsall English (British)This is a locational name which originally derived from the village of Bonsall, near Matlock in Derbyshire. The name is Norse-Viking, pre 10th Century and translates as 'Beorns-Halh' - with 'Beorn' being a personal name meaning 'Hero' and 'Halh' a piece of cultivated land - a farm.
Bonsor FrenchBonsor is from French origin mean good day
Bon soir Bontempo ItalianFrom the personal name
Bontempo, meaning "good time" from Old Italian
bono "good" +
tempo "time". This was a name bestowed as an expression of gratitude for the birth of a much wanted child.
Bontemps FrenchFrom a French word
bon temps meaning "good time". One popular bearer of the name is the American poet and novelist Arna Wendell Bontemps (1902-1973).
Bontrager GermanComing from the Old German, Bonträger or Bornträger, meaning 'water carrier'.
Bonus French, German, DutchHumanistic Latinization of vernacular names meaning ‘good’, for example French Lebon or Dutch de Goede
Bonuš CzechFrom a pet form of the personal name Bonifác, Czech form of Bonifacio.
Boo KoreanFrom Sino-Korean 富 (Bu) meaning "Fortune".
Booke AmericanAmerican variant of the German name
Buche meaning "beech" in reference to the beech tree. Notable bearer is the actor
Sorrell Booke (1930-1994).
Booker EnglishOccupational name for a maker of books, a scribe or a binder of books, from Old English
bocere.
Bookman German (East Prussian)Bookman, as a surname, derives from East Purssian origin. It is the American version of “Buchmann” with “Buch” meaning book in German, and “Mann” meaning man, creating the Americanized German surname Bookman.
Bool EnglishThis surname derives from the Old English pre 7th Century
bula, or the Medieval English
bulle,
bolle, meaning "bull", and was given as a nickname to one with great physical strength.
Boomgarden German, Dutch (?)Either an occupational name for an orchard worker or a topographic name for someone who lives in or by an orchard.
Boomhouwer German, DutchBoomhouwer, means "Cutter of Trees", or "The one who hews trees", having Boom translating into "tree", houw meaning to "hew" or to "cut", and er meaning "the one who".... [
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Boonyaratglin ThaiFrom Thai บุญ (
bun) meaning "delight; happiness", รัต (
rat) of unknown meaning, and กลิน (
klin) of unknown meaning.
Boorman EnglishThis surname is of Anglo-Saxon origin, and may be either a topographical name for someone who lived in a particularly noteworthy or conspicuous cottage, from the Old English
bur "bower, cottage, inner room" with
mann "man", or a locational name from any of the various places called Bower(s) in Somerset and Essex, which appear variously as
Bur,
Bure and
Bura in the Domesday Book of 1086.
Boot English, Dutch, GermanEnglish: metonymic occupational name for a maker or seller of boots, from Middle English, Old French bote (of unknown origin).... [
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Boothroyd EnglishPossibly from the Old English booth meaning "hut, shack" and royd meaning "clearing (in the woods)".
Booty EnglishMeans butt. Usually big and round.There are also two of them.
Bootz DutchA Dutch surname meaning a "nickname for a ridiculous person" or a variant of
Boot Bora Indian, AssameseFrom a military title used during the Ahom Kingdom that indicated an official who commanded 20 soldiers.
Borák CzechHabitational name for someone from one of many places named with bor meaning "pine forest"; alternatively from a short form of the personal names Dalibor or Bořivoj, containing the element -bor meaning "battle".
Borbak-ool TuvanDerived from Tuvan борбак
(borbak) meaning "round, rounded, spherical" combined with оол
(ool) "son, boy".
Borberg DanishBorberg is derived from the location Borbjerg in Western Jutland in Denmark.
Borcha AragoneseProper, non-Castilianized form of
Borja; it indicates familial origin within the eponymous municipality.
Bordner GermanA variant spelling of Bartner, a job name for a battle axe maker.
Borecki EnglishHabitational name for someone from a place called Borek or Borki, from
bór "pine forest".
Borén SwedishCombination of an unknown first element and the common surname suffix
-én (originally from Latin
-enius "descendant of"). Also possible habitational name derived from places named with
Bor-, such as Borås, Borensberg, and Borlänge... [
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Boren GermanOf unclear origin, most likely a variant of the German surname
Born.
Borg MalteseDerived from Arabic برج
(burj) meaning "castle, citadel".
Borges Portuguese, SpanishPossibly from Old French
burgeis meaning "town-dweller" (see
Burgess). Alternately, it may have denoted someone originally from the city of Bourges in France.
Borgo ItalianBorgo is an Italian surname, which means 'village' or 'borough'.
Borisow UkrainianThe origin of this name comes from Ukraine, the original name being Borisov.
Borjigin MongolianThis is the name of a Mongol sub-clan, of which Genghis Khan was part of. A suggested origin is a Turkic-language term
borčïqïn meaning "man with dark blue eyes", though this is somewhat dubious... [
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Borkowski PolishHabitational name for someone from any of various locations called Borki, Borkowice or Borek, all derived from Polish
bór meaning "conifer forest, pine forest".
Bormann GermanThis surname is presumed to be a variant of
Bornemann, which is made up of Middle Low German
born meaning "spring" and
man meaning "man," denoting someone who lived by a spring or a well.
Born German, EnglishA topographical name indicating someone who lived near a stream, from the Old English "burna, burne". Alternatively, it could be contemporarily derived from the modern English word "born". Possible variants include
Bourne,
Burns and
Boren.
Bornemann Low GermanNorth German: topographic name denoting someone who lived by a well or spring, from Middle Low German born ‘spring’, ‘well’ + man ‘man’.
Boro Indian, BodoFrom the name of the Boro (or Bodo) people, itself either meaning "great people" or derived from the name of the Hindu god
Varaha.
Boronda American (Hispanic), BasqueBoronda is a Californio surname that is also of Basque origin. Boronda is the name of a place in Salinas California named after Jose Eusebio Boronda where he made his house out of Adobe. Today, It is a California national Historic landmark in Boronda road in Salinas.
Borowicz PolishPatronymic from a pet form of Borowy, or from Borzyslaw, Bolebor, or some other personal name formed with the element bor ‘to fight’.
Borrelli ItalianThere are three possible origins of this surname. It could derive from some place names located in Catania and Campania -two Italian southern regions. Another hypothesis is that it derives from the Celtic word
borro, meaning "proud" or maybe "ditch"... [
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Borresen DanishThe Danish surname Borresen has two origins. Boerresen is composed of -sen 'son' + the given name Boerre, the modern equivalent of Old Norse Byrgir 'the helper' (from proto-Indo-European root BHER- 'to carry, bear')... [
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Borromeo Spanish (Philippines)Nickname derived from Italian
buon romeo meaning "good pilgrim", from
buono meaning "good" and
Romeo meaning "pilgrim (to Rome)".
Borsheim Norwegian (Rare)Habitational name from either of two farmsteads in Norway: Borsheim in Rogaland and Børsheim in Hordaland. Borsheim is a combination of an unknown first element and Norwegian
heim "home", while Børsheim is a combination of Old Norse
byrgi "fence, enclosure" and
heim.
Bortnik RussianMeans "beekeeper" in Russian, used as an occupational name.
Borzykh RussianDerived from Russian борзый
(borzy) meaning "swift, brisk".
Bosch AmericanThe surname Bosch originates from the Old Norse word "buski," meaning "bush," or "woods” thus it is classed at a toponymic surname and was most likely used by a man who lived near a prominent bush... [
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Boscolo ItalianHabitational name for someone who lived by a forest, derived from Italian
bosco meaning "woods, forest".
Bosinney CornishDenotes the original bearer came from Bossiney, Cornwall. Bossiney comes from Cornish
Bod and
Cini, meaning "Cini's dwelling," with Cini being a Cornish name of unknown meaning.... [
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Bosley EnglishEnglish habitation surname derived from the Old English personal name
Bosa and the Old English
leah "clearing, field". It's also possibly a variant of the French surname Beausoleil meaning "beautiful sun" from the French
beau 'beautiful, fair' and
soleil 'sun'... [
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Boşnak TurkishMeans "Bosniak" in Turkish. One of the only major ethnic groups that adopted Islam during the Ottoman Empire. A huge diaspora of Bosniaks live in Turkey and many Turks have Bosniak heritage.
Bošnjak Croatian, SerbianDerived from "Bošnjak", for someone who has their roots in Bosnia. This surname is rare in Bosnian Muslims.
Boso ItalianFrom the medieval personal name Boso, from a Germanic personal name derived from a pejorative nickname meaning ‘leader’, ‘nobleman’, or ‘arrogant person’. Compare Dutch Boos.
Bosoy RussianDerived from Russian босой
(bosoy) meaning "barefoot". This may have been a nickname for a low-class person.
Boss EnglishFrom an originally French term meaning "hunchback".
Bossier FrenchOccupational name for a cooper, from an agent derivative of Old French
bosse 'barrel'.
Bosso ItalianDerived from Italian
bosso "box tree", probably applied as a topographic name but possibly also as a metonymic occupational name for a wood carver or turner.
Boston EnglishHabitational name from the town Boston in Lincolnshire, England. The name means "
Botwulf’s stone".... [
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Boström SwedishCombination of Swedish
bo "dwelling, home" and
ström "stream, river".
Bostwick EnglishFrom an English surname which was from a lost or unidentified place name. The second element is clearly Old English
wic "outlying (dairy) farm".
Boswell French (Anglicized)The name Boswell is an Anglicization of the name of a French village: Boseville (Beuzeville). This was a village of 1400 inhabitants near Yvetot, in Normandy. (from 'A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames', by Charles W. Bardsley, New York, 1901)... [
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Botelho Portuguese, Portuguese (Brazilian)From the Portuguese word
botelho, which can denote a measure of grain, a grain sack, or seaweed, and was probably applied as an occupational name for a grain dealer or a gatherer of kelp or seaweed.
Botkin RussianThis was the surname of
Evgeniy Botkin ( 1865 - 1918) who was the Russian court physician. He remained loyal to the family of Tsar Nicholas II Romanov when the revolution occurred and followed them into exile in Siberia... [
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Botticelli ItalianEtymology uncertain. It can derive from the Italian word
botte meaning "barrel" and from the occupation
bottaio meaning "cooper". In the case of Sandro Botticelli it has probably another origin... [
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Bottomley EnglishEnglish (Yorkshire and Lancashire): habitational name from a place in West Yorkshire named Bottomley, from Old English botm ‘broad valley’ + lēah ‘woodland clearing’.
Bottum Anglo-SaxonOne of the oldest Anglo-Saxon names in Britain. It is the name of the families who lived in a broad valley or a hillside near Bootham near Yorkshire
Bouazizi Arabic (Maghrebi)Means "father of
Aziz" in Arabic (chiefly Maghrebi). A notable bearer was Mohamed Bouazizi (1984-2011), a Tunisian street vendor who set himself on fire... [
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Bouchareb Arabic (Maghrebi)Means "father of the moustache" or "father of the drinker" from Arabic أَبُو
(ʾabū) meaning "father" and شَارِب
(šārib) meaning "moustache" or "drinker".
Boudreaux FrenchVariant of
Beaudreau. Originated in ancient area known as Languedoc, where the family was established. Comes from having lived in Languedoc, where the name was found since the early Middle Ages.
Bouhired Arabic (Maghrebi)Meaning unknown. A notable bearer is
Djamila Bouhired (1935-), an Algerian militant and nationalist who opposed the French rule over Algeria.
Bouhouche Berber, Northern AfricanKabyle name possibly derived from Arabic أَبُو
(ʾabū) meaning "father" and حَوْش
(ḥawš) meaning "courtyard, enclosure, farm" (chiefly Algerian).
Boujettif Northern African (Archaic)Meaning, "The family of the son of the Clever Head" or "One Whom Possess a Clever Head."
Bou (normally used in the North African Regions of the Maghrib Countries) has 2 possible derivative meanings both originating from the Arabic language, "Son of..." or an Arabic word
Tho meaning, "One Who Possess A Quality."
Jettif is a variance of
Jettef,
Jeif or
Ji'f which is derived from the ancient Tamazight or Imazighen (popularly known as Berber) and is pronounced "j-ixf" which means Clever, head, or brain."
Boukouras GreekName of Dacian/Illyrian or Thracian origin. It means "happy". Also, see the Romanian surname
Bukur Boulier FrenchOccupational name for a maker of balls or the organizer of a game of boules, from French
boule meaning "ball".
Boulton EnglishMeans "district" characterized by bends from the Old English words boga and land.
Boumediene Arabic (Maghrebi)Means "father of
Midian" in Arabic (chiefly Algerian). A notable bearer was
Houari Boumediene (1932-1978), born as
Mohamed ben Brahim Boukharouba, an Algerian revolutionary who served as the second President of Algeria from 1976-1978.
Bounvilay LaoFrom Lao ບຸນ
(boun) meaning "happiness, prosperity, goodness" and ວິໄລ
(vilay) meaning "splendid, beautiful".
Bounyavong LaoFrom Lao ບຸນ
(boun) meaning "happiness, prosperity, goodness" and ວົງ
(vong) meaning "lineage, family".
Bounyavong LaoFrom Lao ບຸນ
(boun) meaning "happiness, prosperity, goodness" and ວົງ
(vong) meaning "lineage, family".
Bourassa IndianSeems to be an Indian name. I am in touch with a relative whose family were Pottawatomi Indians in Oklahoma. This name comes from that reservation.
Bourbon FrenchThe Bourbons were one of the most important ruling houses of Europe . Its members were descended from Louis I, duc de Bourbon from 1327 to 1342, the grandson of the French king Louis IX (ruled 1226-70)... [
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Bourbon Frenchhabitational name from a village in Allier the site of the (now ruined) castle of Bourbon or from another place called (Le) Bourbon mainly in the southern part of France. The placename is derived from a Celtic and pre-Celtic element borb- denoting a hot spring.
Bourget FrenchPossibly meaning "from the city, town" or given to wealthy families, (from bourgeois)
Bourguignon FrenchOriginally denoted a person from Burgundy (called
Bourgogne in French), a historical region of east-central France.
Bourque French (Quebec)Unknown history. A famous bearer is Raymond Bourque (B.-1960), a Quebec born professional ice hockey player from 1979-2001.
Bousquet FrenchOriginally a name for someone living or working in a wooded area.
Bouteflika Arabic (Maghrebi)Possibly means "one who makes things explode" in Algerian Arabic. A famous bearer is Abdelaziz Bouteflika (1937-), who served as president of Algeria from 1999 to 2019.
Boutella Arabic (Maghrebi, Rare)Means "father of the mountain" or "father of the hill", from Arabic أَبُو
(ʾabū) meaning "father (of)" and تَلّ
(tall) meaning "hill, foothill". Two notable bearers include father and daughter
Safy (1950-) and
Sofia (1982-) Boutella, an Algerian singer and an Algerian-French actress, respectively.
Boutet Frenchfrom a pet form of the ancient Germanic personal name
Boto a short form of any of various names composed with the element
bod "messenger"... [
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