Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
Blakeway EnglishLiterally means "black way", thus referring to a black road near which the original bearer must have lived. A famous bearer of this surname was Jacob Blakeway (b. 1583-?), the biological father of
Mayflower passenger Richard More (1614-1696).
Blakewood Medieval EnglishDerived from the Old English words blaec, which means black, and wudu, which means wood, and indicates that the original bearer lived near a dark, wooded area.
Blamey EnglishFrom blaidh-mez, the wolf's meadow; or pleu-mez, the parish meadow.
Blanchflower EnglishFrom a complimentary nickname for a woman or a pejorative term for an effeminate man, from Old French meaning
blanc "white" and
flor "flower". A famous bearer of the name was Northern Irish footballer Robert Dennis Blanchflower (1926-1993).
Bland EnglishBland is a habitational name from a place in West Yorkshire called Bland, the origin of which is uncertain. Possibly it is from Old English (ge)bland ‘storm’, ‘commotion’ (from blandan ‘to blend or mingle’), with reference to its exposed situation... [
more]
Blandford EnglishHabitational name from Blandford Forum and other places called Blandford in Dorset (Blaneford in Domesday Book), probably named in Old English with bl?ge 'gudgeon' (genitive plural blægna) + ford 'ford'.
Blaney IrishTopographic name from Welsh
blaenau, plural of
blaen "point, tip, end", i.e. uplands, or remote region, or upper reaches of a river.
Blank German, Dutch, JewishMeans "white, pale, bright", a nickname for a person with white or fair hair or a pale complexion. As a Jewish name, it’s ornamental.
Blankenbijl DutchMeans "white axe", from
blanken "white, pale; bare" and
bijl "axe". Possibly a toponymic name, or perhaps an occupational name for a woodcutter or carpenter.
Blankenbühler GermanPossibly means "from the bare hill", from
blanken "bare, bright" and
bühl "hill".
Blankenship EnglishVariant of
Blenkinsop, a surname derived from a place in Northumberland called Blenkinsopp. The place name possibly derives from Cumbric
blaen "top" and
kein "back, ridge", i.e. "top of the ridge", combined with Old English
hōp "valley" (compare
Hope).
Blasey FrenchThe name may have been associated with a 4th century (316) French saint Blasius of Armenie (Armienes,) and later introduced into and adopted by Yorkshire people as their saint of wool-combers from a Norman noble.
Blasioli ItalianAncient and illustrious Benevento family, called Blasi or Di Blasi, of clear and avita nobility.
Blasius German, FrenchFrom the Latin personal name
Blasius. This was a Roman family name, originating as a byname for someone with some defect, either of speech or gait, from Latin
blaesus "stammering, lisping", itself from Ancient Greek βλαισός
(blaisos) "bent, crooked; bow-legged".
Blasquez SpanishFrom the medieval diminutive Velasco, from the Basque word 'bela' meaning "crow", and the diminutive suffix 'sko'.
Blatt German, JewishOrnamental name derived from German
blatt and Yiddish
blat meaning "leaf", or a topographic name for someone who lived at a farm on a ledge on a mountainside, derived from Middle High German
blate meaning "flat surface, ledge, plateau".
Blaum GermanGerman last name, likely a variant of the last name Blom or Blum, referring to the word flower/blooming.
Blauman German, JewishFrom German
Blau meaning "blue" and
Mann meaning "man". It can be a nickname for a person who wears blue clothes.
Blaxton EnglishThere are two possible origins for this surname; one- from the name of the village in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster (part of South Yorkshire, England) on the border of Lincolnshire, or two- from the Old English personal name
Blaecstan, meaning "black stone"
Blay FrenchFrom Old French bloi 'blond', or a habitational name from a placename, perhaps by metanalysis from Blois in Loir-et-Cher, France. Usually someone with the lastname 'Blay' is a gentle or merry person.
Blaylock EnglishThe surname of James P. Blaylock (1950-), an early steampunk author. His surname may mean "black lock" from Middle English
blakelok, originally referring to a person with dark hair.
Błażejewski PolishName for someone from a place called Błażejewo, Błażejewice, Błażejewko or Błażej, all derived from the given name
Błażej.
Blazer DutchFrom Middle Dutch
blaser "blower", from
blâsen "to blow, to sound (a wind instrument); to brag", hence an occupational name for a player of the trumpet or other wind instrument, or a nickname for a braggart or boaster.
Blazkowicz PolishFrom the video game series, Wolfenstein, Blazkowicz is the main character.
Bledsoe EnglishComes from a place in Gloucestershire called
Bledisloe, comes from an Old English personal name
Blið.
Bleecker DutchOld form of Dutch
bleker "bleacher", an occupational name for a bleacher of textiles, a launderer, or the owner of a public bleaching ground.
Bleeker DutchOccupational name for a bleacher of textiles, from Middle Dutch
ble(e)kere.
Bleibaum German"Lead tree" possibly changed at Ellis Island from Blumenbaum meaning "flowering tree"
Bleiberg Jewish, GermanMeans "lead hill" in German. Can be a toponymic name, likely from a place involved in lead mining, or an ornamental name.
Blemker Dutch (Americanized)Possibly an Americanized form of an occupational name for a bleacher of textiles, derived from Middle Dutch
bleker.
Blennerhassett EnglishThe Blennerhassett surname comes from someone having lived in Cumberland, on the Borderlands between Scotland and England. ... [
more]
Błeński PolishThis indicates familial origin anywhere within a cluster of 3 Kuyavian villages in Gmina Izbica Kujawska: Błenna, Błenna A, or Błenna B.
Blesse English (British), Filipino, Indian, FrenchThe last name Blesse was first discovered in Oxfordshire and held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. In the Philippines, Blesse means "a blessing in the family." In India, Blesse means "bless you."
Blessed EnglishFrom a medieval nickname for a fortunate person. This surname is borne by British actor Brian Blessed (1936-).
Bleuler German (Swiss)From an agent derivative of Middle High German
bliuwen meaning "to pound". Hence an occupational name for the owner of a pounding mill.
Blewett EnglishFrom a medieval nickname for a blue-eyed person or one who habitually wore blue clothing (from Middle English
bleuet "cornflower" or
bluet "blue cloth").
Blijleven DutchFrom a nickname meaning "happy life" in Dutch, indicating a cheerful person.
Blin WelshThe same as Blaen, a point, the inland extremity of a valley. Blin also signifies weary, troublesome.
Blink DutchTopographic name from
blink "bare hill, white dune".
Blinov m RussianFrom Russian
блин (blin), meaning "potato pancake".
Bliss Medieval English, Medieval English (Anglicized)Originally a nickname for a cheerful person, derived from the Old English
blisse, meaning "gladness" or "joy." Another origin of the surname is habitional, coming from from the village of Blay in Calvados (modern-day Normandy), spelled as Bleis in 1077, or from the village of Stoke Bliss in Worcestershire, first known as Stoke de Blez, named after the Norman family de Blez.... [
more]
Blissett EnglishA different form of
Blessed. A bearer of this surname is Luther Blissett (1958-), a Jamaican-born English footballer ("Luther Blissett" has been used since 1994 as a cover name for activists engaging in anti-cultural establishment polemics and spoofs on the internet and elsewhere).
Blitz GermanThis surname is presumed to be coming from a nickname for a fast runner or a quick tempered person, from German
blitz(er) meaning "lightning" (ultimately from Middle High German
blicze.)
Bloch Jewish, German, FrenchRegional name for someone in Central Europe originating from Italy or France, from Polish "Włoch" meaning "Italian" (originally "stranger / of foreign stock"), ultimately derived – like many names and words in various European languages – from the Germanic Walhaz.
Bloem DutchMeans "flower, bloom" or "flour (of wheat, corn)" in Dutch. Could be a nickname for a pretty or cheerful person, a metonymic occupational name for a florist, gardener, baker or miller, or a habitational name for a person who lived near flowers or a sign depicting them... [
more]
Bloemen Dutch, FlemishMeans "flowers, blooms" or "flour" in Dutch. Can be a nickname denoting beauty or a cheerful disposition, an occupational name for a gardener, miller, or baker, or a habitational name for someone who lived near flowers, or a sign depicting them... [
more]
Bloemendaal DutchMeans "valley of flowers", the name of several places in the Netherlands, derived from
bloem "flower" and
dal "valley, dale". Cognate to German
Blumenthal.
Blogg EnglishThe name is most likely Anglo-Saxon or early medieval English in origin. ... [
more]
Blok DutchMeans "block" in Dutch. This could be a nickname for someone with a heavy build, a metonymic occupational name for someone who used a block of wood in their work, such as a shoemaker, a milliner, or an executioner, or a toponymic surname for someone living on an enclosed piece of land.
Blond FrenchNickname from Old French
blund,
blond meaning "blond, fair-haired", a word of ancient Germanic origin.
Blond JewishNickname from German Yiddish
blond "fair-haired".
Błoński PolishHabitational name for someone from any of various places named Błonie, derived from Polish
błonie meaning "pasture, meadow".
Blood EnglishOccupational name for a bloodletter, or a blood relative, or an oath-taker, derived from Middle English
blood.
Blood WelshAnglicized form of Welsh ap Llwyd ‘son of Llwyd’.
Blood EnglishDerived from the Old English byname Blīþa (meaning "happy, blithe").
Bloom EnglishMetonymic occupational name for an iron worker, from Middle English
blome ‘ingot (of iron)’.
Bloomfield EnglishThis interesting surname is of early medieval English origin, and is a locational name from either of the two places thus called in England, one in Staffordshire, and the other in Somerset, or it may be a dialectal variant of Blonville (-sur-Mer) in Calvados, Normandy, and hence a Norman habitation name... [
more]
Blough EnglishAnglo-Saxon form of German “Blauch.” The name means “one who plays a horn.”
Blow EnglishFrom a medieval nickname for someone with a pale complexion (from Middle English
blowe "pale"). This surname was borne by English composer John Blow (1649-1708) and British fashion editor Isabella Blow (original name Isabella Delves Broughton; 1958-2007); additionally, "Joe Blow" is a name used colloquially (in US, Canadian and Australian English) as representative of the ordinary uncomplicated unsophisticated man, the average man in the street (of which the equivalent in British English is "Joe Bloggs").
Blueberry EnglishEnglish surname of unexplained origin, probably from the name of a lost or unidentified place.
Bluemel GermanDiminutive of the Middle High German
bluome meaning "flower." The name is believed to be an occupational name.
Bluestein GermanThe surname Bluestein is an Anglicized surname and translates as blue stone.
Bluford English, American (South)Possibly an English habitational name from a lost or unidentified place. The name occurs in records of the 19th century but is now very rare if not extinct in the British Isles. In the U.S. it is found chiefly in TX and TN.
Bluhm GermanGerman alternate spelling of the Italian surname,
Blum meaning flower.
Blumenberg JewishOrnamental name composed of German
Blume "flower" and
Berg "mountain, hill".
Blumenschein Germanfrom Middle High German
bluomenschin "flower splendor" from the elements
bluomo "bloom" and
sconi "beautiful" probably a topographic or habitational name referring to a house distinguished by a sign depicting a bunch of flowers or decorated with flower designs or noted for its flower garden.
Blunt EnglishNickname for a person with fair hair or a light complexion from Old French
blunt meaning "blond". It was also used as a nickname for a stupid person from Middle English
blunt or
blont meaning "dull".
Bluth German, JewishGerman and Jewish (Ashkenazic): ornamental name from Middle High German bluot, German Blüte ‘bloom’, ‘flower head’. ... [
more]
Blyshchyk UkrainianMeans "one who shines", from Ukrainian
блищить (blyshchyt'), meaning "to shine".
Blythin WelshRecorded as Blethin, Bleythin, Bleything, Blythin, and others, this is a surname which has Welsh royal connections. It derives from the Ancient British personal name "Bleddyn," translating as the son of Little Wolf... [
more]
Bo ChineseNickname from Chinese 薄
(bò) meaning "thin, cold in manner".
Bo ChineseNickname from Chinese 伯
(bó) meaning "oldest brother, senior".
Bo BurmeseFrom a title for a military officer or someone who distinguished themselves in the struggle for independence of Burma.
Bo KhmerFrom Khmer បូ
(bo) meaning "ribbon, colored headband". Possibly a nickname for a person who's associated with a ribbon. Alternatively, it could be an occupational name for a ribbon maker.
Boateng Western African, AkanMeans "someone who is humble to God" in Akan. This is among the most common surnames in Ghana. Famous bearers include half-brothers Jérôme (1988-) and Kevin-Prince Boateng (1987-), both of whom are German soccer players.
Boatfield EnglishOccupational name for a person who worked on the deck of a ship.
Boban CroatianHabitational name, originates from Bobanova Draga, a village in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Bobber EnglishFrom the ancient Anglo-Saxon name Baber, a town in the county of Suffolk. A famous bearer of the last name is actor, director, animator, voice actor, and musician Troy Bobber.
Bobbitt EnglishPossibly derived from the Middle English personal name
Bobbe.
Bobiński PolishHabitational name for someone from a place called Bobin or Bobino.
Bobo SpanishMeans "a fool; stupid, silly, naive" in Spanish, derived from Latin
balbus "stammering, stuttering, fumbling".
Bobrov RussianPatronymic surname derived from Russian бобр
(bobr) or бобёр
(bobyor) both meaning "beaver".
Bobrownik PolishFrom
bobrownik, meaning "beaver hunter" or "beaver breeder."
Bobrowski PolishHabitational name for someone from a place called Bobrowa, Bobrowo, Bobrowce, or Bobrowiec, all deriving from Polish
bóbr, meaning "beaver".
Bóbski PolishPossibly derived from the Polish word
bób, which means "broad bean".
Bocachica Spanish (Latin American)Literally means "little mouth" in Spanish. It could have been given to someone who had a small mouth or a small jaw, or to someone who was known for having a quiet and reserved speaking style. It could also have been a nickname given to someone who had a small but sweet smile.
Bocanegra SpanishSpanish: nickname from boca ‘mouth’ + negra ‘black’, denoting a foul-mouthed or abusive person. In the form Boccanegra, this surname has also been long established in Italy.
Boccadamo ItalianMeaning uncertain, first element probably comes from
bocca "mouth".
Boccadifuoco ItalianMeans "mouth of fire", a nickname for someone known for picking fights, or perhaps given to foundlings.
Boccafusca ItalianPossibly means "dark mouth", from
bocco "mouth" and
fosco "dark, gloomy", a nickname for someone who often spoke ill of others, or perhaps given to foundlings.
Boccaletti ItalianPossibly related to
boccale, a kind of jug often used for wine. An occupational name for an innkeeper.
Boccalupo ItalianPossibly from an Italian saying,
in bocca al lupo, literally "in the mouth of the wolf", a way of wishing good luck.
Boccasavia ItalianMeans "sensible mouth", given to someone known for being wise, or giving good advice.
Bocchinfuso ItalianPossibly derived from a diminutive form of Italian
bocca "mouth" combined with
fuso "melted", from Latin
fusus "poured (out)", perhaps a nickname for a talkative or gossipy person.
Bocchino ItalianMeans "small mouth" in Italian, either referring to a physical attribute of the bearer, or given as a nickname to a talkative person or someone prone to gossiping.
Bockelmann GermanPossibly derived from the name Bockel, a place in Germany. A famous bearer is Udo Jürgens (1934-2014), an Austrian musician, born Jürgen Udo Bockelmann.