Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
Carrow EnglishEnglish: habitational name from either of two places: Carrow in Norfolk or Carraw in Northumberland. The first is thought to be named from Old English carr ‘rock’ (a Celtic loan word) + hoh ‘spur of a hill’, while the last may be named either from an Old British plural of carr, or from carr + Old English raw ‘row’... [
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Carruthers ScottishThis old Scottish surname was first used by Strathclyde-Briton people. The Carruthers family in the land of Carruthers in the parish of Middlebie, Dumfriesshire. In that are it is pronounced 'Cridders'.... [
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Carstairs English (British)From the manor or barony of the same name in the parish of Carstairs (= 1170 Casteltarres, 'Castle of Tarres').
Cartagena SpanishFrom the name of the city of Cartagena in southeastern Spain, derived from Latin
Carthāgō Nova meaning "New Carthage" (ultimately derived from Phonecian
qrt-ḥdšt meaning "new city").
Cartier French, NormanOriginal Norman French form of
Carter. A notable bearer was Breton-French explorer Jacques Cartier (1491-1557), who is known for discovering the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
Cartman Popular CultureMeans a man who pulls a cart. A famous bearer is
Eric Cartman, Villain Protagonist of the adult cartoon South Park
Cartmell EnglishDenoted a person from
Cartmel, a village in Cumbria, England (formerly in Lancashire). It is the site of a famous priory, inland from Cartmel Sands. The place name is derived from Old Norse
kartr meaning "rocky ground" and
melr meaning "sandbank".
Cartmill Anglo-SaxonThe name Cartmill is an old Anglo-Saxon name. It comes from when a family lived in or near the village of Cartmel in the county of Lancashire (now part of Cumbria.) Thus, Cartmill is a habitation surname which is derived from the name of a place... [
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Carucci ItalianDerived from Medieval Latin names
Carutius or
Caruccius or from the Italian term
caruccio composed by
caro meaning "dear" with the endearment suffix
-uccio.
Carulli ItalianIt should derive from the late Latin cognomen Carullus, a hypochoristic form of the more widespread cognomen Carus.... [
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Caruthers ScottishMeans "Rhydderch's fort" in Cumbric. This might refer to the king of Alt Clut, Rhydderch Hael.
Carville French, IrishAs a French location name it comes from a settlement in Normandy. As an Irish name it derives from a word for "warrior".
Casabuena Spanish (Modern, Rare)Means "Happy House" or "House of Happiness" in Spanish, with the Spanish word "Casa", which means "House" and Buena, meaning "Happy" or "Happiness".
Casagrande ItalianHabitational name for someone from any of the various locations called Casagrande or Casa Grande, derived from Italian
casa meaning "house" and
grande meaning "big, large".
Casamitjana CatalanIt indicates familial origin within either of 3 farmhouses: the one in Castellnou de Bages, the one in l'Esquirol, or the one in Moià.
Casanova Catalan, ItalianCatalan and Italian: topographic name from Latin
casa ‘house’ +
nova ‘new’, or a habitational name from any of the many places named with these words.
Casapiccola ItalianHabitational name for someone from any of the various locations called Casapiccola or Casa Piccola, derived from Italian
casa meaning "house" and
piccola meaning "small".
Casaulta RomanshDerived from Romansh
casa "house" and
aulta, the feminine form of the adjective
ault, "high".
Casavantes French, Spanish, BasqueTopographic name composed of
casa "house" +
avant "ahead of forward" + the suffix
-es, denoting one who lived in the house located at the beginning of a village. This surname has died out in France.
Cascalho Portuguese (?)What I know about this surname is that it came from Alentejo, a region in Portugal countryside. The eldest Cascalho I know lived in Évora (city in this province) so I assume the name born there...
Case EnglishFrom Anglo-Norman French
cas(s)e "case, container" (from Latin
capsa), hence a metonymic occupational name for a maker of boxes or chests.
Caseli RomanshDerived from Romansh
casa "house" and, by extension, "household, family" and the given name
Seli, a short form of
Salomon.
Casella ItalianFrom casa "house" (Latin casa "hut, cottage, cabin"), perhaps originally denoting the occupier of the most distinguished house in a village. Italian chef Cesare Casella (1960 - ) is one such bearer of this name.
Casement ManxAnglicized and reduced form of Manx Gaelic
Mac Asmuint meaning "son of
Ásmundr". A notable bearer was Sir Roger Casement (1864-1916), an Irish-born British consular official and rebel.
Cases CatalanCatalan family name. Plural of 'casa' meaning 'house', possibly given to people who were given or built a manor or town house or had a slightly better than normal dwelling for their location/village etc..... [
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Casillas SpanishFrom any of various places called Casillas or Las Casillas, from the plural of casilla, a diminutive of Casa. ... [
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Cassar MalteseOf debated origin and meaning. Theories include a derivation from the Italian given name
Cesare (via the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies) and a Maltese adoption of the Sicilian surname
Cassarà... [
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Cassata ItalianDerived from the Italian word
cassata, denoting a sweet cake made with cheese and candied fruit.
Cassatt FrenchOrigin uncertain. This is not known as a surname in Britain. It may be an Americanized form of a French name such as
Casault.
Cassel English, French, GermanA surname derived from the Latin military term
castellum "watchtower, fort". A variant spelling of the word castle. Denoted someone hailing from the commune of Cassel in the Nord départment in northern France or the city of Kassel (spelled Cassel until 1928) in Germany... [
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Casselberry German (Anglicized)Americanized form of German
Kesselberg, which may derive from various places called
Kesselberg or
Kesselburg in the states of Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate and Bavaria in Germany.
Cassell EnglishEither (i) "person from Cassel", northern France, or "person from Kassel", Germany ("fort"); or (ii) a different form of
Castle ("person who lives by or lives or works in a castle")... [
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Cassese ItalianFrom Arabic
قِسِّيس (
qissis) "priest", perhaps a nickname for someone who worked for or was related to a priest, or perhaps someone who was notably pious.
Cassey Scottish, IrishThis surname originated around ancient Scotland and Ireland. In its Gaelic form it is called, 'O Cathasaigh', which means 'the watchful one'.... [
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Castagna ItalianFrom Italian
castagna "chestnut" (from Latin
castanea) for someone who worked with chestnuts. Variant of
Castagno and Italian cognitive of
Chastain.
Castagno ItalianFor someone who lived near a chestnut tree from
castagno "chestnut" (from latin
castanea). Variant of
Castagna and Italian cognitive of
Chastain.
Castañeda SpanishHabitational name from any of various places called Castañeda, a Spanish word meaning "chesnut grove", itself derived from
castaña meaning "chesnut".
Castel FrenchTopographic name from a derivative of Late Latin
castellum "castle" (a diminutive of Latin
castrum "fort Roman walled city") or a habitational name from any of several places called (Le) Castel... [
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Castellan ItalianThis name is of Latin origin. It comes from "castellanus" meaning 'castellan, steward of a castle'.
Castellanos SpanishHabitational name from any of various places called Castellanos, derived from Spanish
castellano meaning "Castilian".
Castiglia ItalianA Regional name for someone from Castile in Spain. Castile was an independent kingdom between the 10th and 15th centuries, it formed the largest power in the Iberian peninsula. The name derives from the many castles in the region.
Castiglione ItalianHabitational name for someone from any of various places called Castiglione, derived from Italian
castiglione meaning "castle, fortress".
Caston EnglishA habitational name from a place named Caston, which is from the unattested Old English personal name
Catt or the Old Norse personal name
Káti + Old English
tūn meaning ‘farmstead, settlement’.
Castrejon SpanishHabitational Name From Any Of Various Places Called Castrejón Especially In Valladolid Province Or A Topographic Name From A Diminutive Of Castro ‘Castle’ From Latin Castrum ‘Fort Roman Walled City’.
Castrogiovanni ItalianHabitational name from
Castrogiovanni, the name until 1927 of Enna in central Sicily.
Casura RomanshDerived from Romansh
casa "house" and
sura "above; upper".
Caswell EnglishHabitational name from places in Dorset, Northamptonshire, and Somerset named Caswell, from Old English cærse '(water)cress' + well(a) 'spring', 'stream'.
Catapano ItalianMeans "catapan, governor of a catepanate", ultimately from Byzantine Greek
κατεπάνω (
katepánō) "
the one placed at the top, or the topmost".
Catchpole EnglishMeant "bailiff, especially (originally) one who could seize domestic animals in lieu of tax or debt" (from Anglo-Norman
cachepol, from
cacher "to chase" +
pol "chicken").
Cates EnglishEnglish patronymic from the Old Norse byname
Káti (from
káti ‘boy’).
Catesby EnglishDerived from a civil parish with the same name, located in Northamptonshire, England. An infamous bearer was Robert Catesby (1572-1605), the leader of a group of English Catholics who attempted to assassinate King James VI and I in the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605.
Cathomas RomanshDerived from Romansh
casa "house" and, by extension, "household, family" and the given name
Thomas.
Cathomen RomanshDerived from Romansh
casa "house" and, by extension, "household, family" and the given name
Thoman.
Catone ItalianDerived from the name of the Roman republican statesman Cato, used as a nickname.
Catschegn RomanshDerived from Romansh
casa "house" and, by extension, "household, family" and a short form of the given name
Vincentius.
Catt EnglishNickname from the animal, Middle English
catte "cat". The word is found in similar forms in most European languages from very early times (e.g. Gaelic
cath, Slavic
kotu). Domestic cats were unknown in Europe in classical times, when weasels fulfilled many of their functions, for example in hunting rodents... [
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Cattano Sicilian (Rare)Meaning "captain," this name began as a nickname in the Medieval Ages, probably for someone who actually was a ship's captain, or perhaps for someone who acted in some way like a captain.
Cattell Anglo-Saxon, French, Old NorseOriginated in Scandinavia as a patronym of the first name
Thurkettle, a derivative of the Olde Norse name
Arnkell, which is composed of
arn meaning "eagle" and
ketil meaning "a helmet" or "a helmeted warrior" as well as "cauldron", but helmet is the more likely translation... [
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Cattermole EnglishFound mainly in Norfolk and Suffolk. Meaning uncertain; possibly from an east Anglian term meaning “dweller at the dyke”, or from Old French
quatre moles “four mills”.
Cattley EnglishMeans "person from Catley", Herefordshire and Lincolnshire ("glade frequented by cats"). It was borne by the British botanical patron William Cattley (1788-1835).
Cattrall EnglishThis surname is of Old Scandinavian origin, is an English locational name from Catterall, near Garstang in Lancashire, which appeared as "Catrehala" in the Domesday Book of 1086, and "Caterhale" in the Book of Fees of 1212... [
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Cauchon French, Norman, PicardMetonymic occupational name for a maker or seller of slippers, derived from French
chausson literally meaning "slipper".
Caulfield IrishComes from the Irish Gaelic
Mac Cathmhaoil, which was Anglicized to
McCawell and then morphed into Caulfield.
Mac Cathmhaoil comes from a word meaning "chieftan".
Cava Italian, Catalan, Spanish, PortugueseFrom
cava ‘cave’, ‘cellar’ (from Latin
cavea), hence a metonymic occupational name for someone employed in the wine cellars of a great house, a topographic name for someone who lived in or near a cave, or a habitational name from any of numerous places named with this word.
Cavadenti ItalianFrom Italian
cava ("to extract, to pull out") and
denti ("teeth"), an occupational name for a dentist.
Cavalcanti ItalianMeans "riding" in Italian. An occupational surname for people who worked with horses.
Cavalera ItalianA bearer of this name is Brazilian metal musician Max Cavalera, whose father was Italian.
Cavallini ItalianThe surname comes from the words "cavallaro," which means a horse dealer; or from "cavalieri," meaning a horseman, rider or knight.
Cave Norman, French, EnglishA name of various possible origins. As a Norman French name Cave can mean "bald" from
cauf or it can mean "worker in a wine cellar" or "one who dwelt in or near a cave". As an English name Cave refers to a Yorkshire river whose fast current inspired the name meaning "swift".
Cavegn RomanshDerived from Romansh
casa "house" and, by extension, "household, family" and the given name
Vivengius, itself a variant of
Viventius.
Cavell EnglishNickname for a bald man, from a diminutive of Anglo-Norman French
cauf.
Cavelti RomanshThe first element is derived from Romansh
casa "house" and, by extension, "household, family". The second element is of debated origin and meaning; theories include an adoption of Swiss German
Welti.
Caverly EnglishEnglish surname, a variant of the English surname Calverley, itself derived from the Old English
calf "calf" and
leag "field, clearing".
Caviezel RomanshDerived from Romansh
casa "house" and, by extension, "household, family" and the given name
Viezel, a Romansh form of
Wetzel.
Cavigelli RomanshDerived from Romansh
casa "house" and, by extension, "household, family" and the given name
Vigelli (see
Vigeli).
Cavill EnglishDerived from
Cavil, a place located in the East Riding of Yorkshire in northern England, named from Old English
ca meaning "jackdaw" and
feld meaning "open country". It is borne by the British actor Henry Cavill (1983-).
Cawood EnglishTraditional English habitational surname meaning "jackdaw wood" from the Old English
ca referring to 'jackdaw' (a member of the crow family), and
wudu 'wood'.
Cawthorne EnglishMeans "person from Cawthorn or Cawthorne", both in Yorkshire ("cold thorn bush").
Çay TurkishMeans "river, brook, creek" in Turkish.
Caylus FrenchOf debated origin and meaning; theories include a Southern French corruption of Latin
castellum "castle, fort, citadel, fortress, stronghold".