Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
Crenshaw EnglishThe derivation of this surname is from the Old English pre 7th Century "Crawa", a crow, with "sceaga" a grove, thus "Crowswood". The earliest recording of this placename is in the Lancashire Inquests of 1324 and appears as "Croweshagh".
Crepeau FrenchFrom the Latin word,
crispus, meaning "curly hair".
Cress German, Jewish, BelarusianA variant of the German surname Kress. From the Middle High German "kresse" meaning "gudgeon" (a type of fish) or the Old High German "krassig", meaning "greedy". Can also be from an altered form of the names Erasmus or Christian, or the Latin spelling of the Cyrillic "КРЕСС".
Cresta Italian, RomanshDerived from Italian and Romansh
cresta "crest" (ultimately from Latin
crista). This name was perhaps applied as a topographic name for someone who lived by the crest of a mountain or as a nickname with reference to the comb of a rooster.
Crete FrenchFrench (adjectival form
Crété ‘crested’): nickname for an arrogant individual, from Old French
creste ‘crest (of a hill)’ (Late Latin
crista), used with reference to the comb of a rooster... [
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Creus CatalanMeans "crosses" in Catalan, the plural of
creu. Also compare Spanish
Cruces. A famous bearer of this surname is the Spanish footballer Xavi Hernández Creus (1980-).
Cribbs English (Rare)Unknown origin. Likely either from the Old English given name Crispin, which derives from a Latin nickname meaning "curly-haired", or from the place Cribbis near Lauder, England.
Cripps EnglishOccupational name of a pouch maker. Derived from the Middle English plural "crippes" meaning pouch. Metathesized version of
Crisp.
Crisafulli ItalianDerived from a Greek name, perhaps from
χρυσός (
khrysos) "gold" and
φύλλον (
phyllon) "leaf, foliage".
Crist EnglishApplied to someone who played the part of christ in a pageant
Crivelli ItalianFrom the Italian
crivello, which is derived from the Latin
cribrum, meaning "sieve," (a mesh food strainer); likely an occupational name for a maker or user of sieves.
Crnković CroatianDerived from
crn "black". The name refers to a person who was dark-skinned, or a person from the region Crna Gora "Black Mountain" (modern-day Montenegro).
Croaker EnglishMeant "person from Crèvecoeur", the name of various places in northern France ("heartbreak", an allusion to the poverty of the local soil).
Crobu ItalianFrom Sardinian
crobu "crow", or a place of the same name.
Crock EnglishMeaning "barrel," signifying one who made or worked with barrels.
Crockett English, ScottishNickname for someone who affected a particular hairstyle, from Middle English
croket ''large curl'' (Old Norman French
croquet, a diminutive of
croque "curl", "hook").
Crofter EnglishA surname of Scottish origin used in the Highlands and Islands and means “an owner or a tenant of a small farm”. The
Old English word croft seems to correspond with the
Dutch kroft meaning “a field on the downs”.
Crofton EnglishDerived from a place name meaning "town with a small enclosed field" in Old English.
Croitoru RomanianCroitoru is a Romanian-language surnames derived from the occupation of
croitor, meaning "tailor".
Cromwell EnglishHabitational name from places in Nottinghamshire and West Yorkshire named Cromwell, from Old English
crumb "bent, crooked" and
well(a) "spring, stream".
Cronholm SwedishOrnamental name derived from Swedish
krona (from Latin
corona) meaning "crown" and
holme (Old Norse
holmr) meaning "small island".
Cronkhite Dutch (Anglicized)Americanized form of Dutch
Krankheid, derived from an abstract noun meaning "weakness", most likely a nickname for a sickly individual.
Crook Scottish, EnglishPossible origin a medieval topographical surname, denoting residence from the Middle English word "crok" from the Old NOrse "Krokr". Possibly a maker or seller of hooks. Another possibility is meaning crooked or bent originally used of someone with a hunch back.
Crooks EnglishHabitational name from Crookes in Sheffield (Yorkshire), named with Old Norse
krókr ‘hook, bend’.... [
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Croom EnglishBased on a nickname for a crippled person or a hunchback, derived from Middle English
crom(p) and Old English
crumb, meaning "bent", "crooked", or "stopping". (See
Crump.)
Croom EnglishAn occupational surname for a maker, seller, or user of hooks. Derived from Middle English
crome or
cromb, meaning "hook" or "crook".
Croom EnglishA habitational surname, describing someone who lived in a place named Croom or Croome.
Croslay EnglishThe name is derived from their residence in a region known as the "cross" or "for the dweller at the cross."
Crossley EnglishFrom the word
cross, of Latin origin, and
leah "woodland, clearing". Indicated that the bearer lived by a cross in a clearing
Crow EnglishFrom Middle English
crow, Old English
crawa, applied as a nickname for someone with dark hair or a dark complexion or for someone thought to resemble the bird in some other way.
Crowley Irish (Anglicized), EnglishIrish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Cruadhlaoich ‘descendant of Cruadhlaoch’, a personal name composed of the elements cruadh ‘hardy’ + laoch ‘hero’. ... [
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Crowner EnglishMeans "coroner" (from Anglo-Norman
corouner "coroner", a derivative of Old French
coroune "crown").
Crownover German (Anglicized)Americanised spelling of German
Kronauer, denoting someone from
Kronau, a town near Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It could also be an Americanised form of
Kronhöfer (a variant of
Grünhofer), a habitational name for someone from a lost place called
Grünhof, derived from Middle High German
gruene meaning "green" or
kranech meaning "crane" and
hof meaning "farmstead".
Crowther EnglishOriginally meant "person who plays the crowd (an ancient Celtic stringed instrument)". It was borne by British entertainer Leslie Crowther (1933-1996).
Croy ScottishMeans "person from Croy", the name of various places in Scotland.
Croydon EnglishFrom the name of a town in England, which comes from Anglo-Saxon
croh “crocus” and
denu “valley”.
Crozier English, FrenchEnglish and French occupational name for one who carried a cross or a bishop’s crook in ecclesiastical processions, from Middle English, Old French
croisier.
Crudup German (Anglicized)Probably an Americanised form of North German
Gratop, a nickname for an old man, derived from Middle Low German
gra meaning "gray" and
top meaning "braid". Famous bearers of this name include the Americans Billy Crudup (1968-), an actor, and Arthur Crudup (1905-1974), a Delta blues singer, songwriter and guitarist.
Cruijff DutchReferred to a person with curly locks of hair, derived from Middle Dutch
cruuf,
cruve literally meaning "curl, lock", ultimately from Latin
curvus. A famous bearer was the Dutch soccer player Johan Cruijff (1947-2016), as well as his son Jordi Cruijff (1974-), also a noted soccer player; both are better known as Johan Cruyff and Jordi Cruyff respectively.
Cruikshank ScottishFrom a medieval Scottish nickname for someone with a crooked leg (from Scots
cruik "bent" +
shank "leg"). This was the surname of British caricaturist George Cruikshank (1792-1872) and British actor Andrew Cruikshank (1907-1988).
Crumble GermanProbably an altered form of German Krumpel or Krümpel a nickname from Middle High German krum(p) 'deformed crooked'; skeletal deformities were common in the Middle Ages often as a result of childhood illnesses such as rickets.
Crumbley EnglishDerived from the Old English word
crump meaning "bent, crooked." Perhaps a name for a person with an abnormal spine. One notable person with this surname is evil doer Ethan Crumbley, who was a school shooter in Oxford High School in Michigan.
Crump EnglishOriginally a nickname for a crippled or deformed person, from Middle English
cromp,
crump meaning "bent, crooked, stooping" (from Old English
crumb).
Crusoe English (Rare)According to Reaney and Wilson this name was taken to England by John Crusoe, a Huguenot refugee from Hownescourt in Flanders, who settled in Norwich.
Cruyff DutchVariant of
Cruijff. This name was borne by Johan Cruyff (1947-2016) and his son Jordi Cruyff (1974-), both Dutch soccer players.
Cua CatalanNickname from Catalan cua meaning "tail".
Cuadra AsturianAsturian-Leonese: probably a habitational name from a place in Asturies called Cuadra.
Cuarto SpanishMeans "fourth" in English. It is derived from the Latin word "quartus," which means "fourth." The surname may have originally been used to denote a fourth child in a family or to indicate that the family lived on the fourth floor of a building.
Cuaton FilipinoPossible alternate transcription of Chinese 廣東 (Guǎngdōng) referring to a coastal province in the South China region.
Cuaya AsturianThis indicates familial origin within the eponymous parish of the municipality of Grau.
Cuba Portuguese, Asturian-Leonese, Galician, Spanishhabitational name from any of the places in Portugal (in the provinces of Alentejo and Beira Baixa) or Spain (in Aragon, Asturies, and Galicia) named Cuba, from
cuba ‘barrel’ (from Latin
cupa)... [
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Cubero Spanishoccupational name for a cooper, from an agent derivative of cuba ‘barrel’, ‘tub
Cucuzza ItalianFrom Sicilian
cucuzza "marrow, pumpkin", perhaps a nickname for someone who resembled a pumpkin.
Cuda SlovakDerives from the word name derives from
cuda meaning "miracle".
Cudak PolishMeans "oddity, crank" in Polish. It can also come from the word
cud meaning "miracle, wonder".
Cuenca SpanishCuenca is an ancient Spanish last name which originated from Cuenca, a city in the Kingdom of Castilla.... [
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Cuerden EnglishDerived from a geographical locality. 'of Cuerden,' a township in the parish of Leyland, Lancashire.
Cuervo SpanishMeans "raven, crow" in Spanish, ultimately from Latin
corvus. From a nickname for a man with strikingly glossy black hair or with a raucous voice. Alternatively, a habitational name from places containing this word (e.g. El Cuervo, Teruel).
Cugnasca ItalianMeaning uncertain, possibly from Italian
cugnata "hatchet" (from Sicilian
cugna "wedge"), or
cugnata "related, similar; sister-in-law" (from Latin
cognata "related by blood"), or
cugino "cousin", combined with
nascere "to be born, to sprout".
Cugno ItalianFrom Sicilian
cugnu "wedge", indicating someone who lived on a hill or other topographical "wedge", someone whose occupation involved using an axe, or a person who was considered to be hard or angular in personality or appearance.
Cui ChineseFrom Chinese 崔
(cuī) referring to a place called Cui that existed in what is now Shandong province.
Cuizon FilipinoFrom Hokkien 貴孫
(kuì sun) meaning "expensive grandchild" or "precious grandchild".
Cujec CroatianDerived from the word "cuj" which means "listen" or "hear" in English. Likely used to denote someone who was a good listener or was known for their attentive nature.
Culbert Anglo-Saxon, Irish, English, ScottishMeaning and origin are uncertain. Edward MacLysaght (The Surnames of Ireland, 1999, 6th Ed., Irish Academic Press, Dublin, Ireland and Portland, Oregon, USA) states that this surname is of Huguenot (French Protestant) origin, and found mainly in Ireland's northern province of Ulster... [
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Culkin IrishReduced anglicization of Irish Gaelic
Mac Uilcín meaning "descendant of Uilcín", a diminutive of
Ulick, itself an Irish diminutive of
William... [
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Cullimore English (Rare)Apparently a habitational name from an unidentified place. There is a place called Colleymore Farm in Oxfordshire, but it is not clear whether this is the source of the surname, with its many variant spellings
Cully EnglishFrom an Irish surname which was derived from
Ó Colla meaning "descendant of Colla". The Old Irish name Colla was a variant of Conla (perhaps the same
Connla).
Culpeper EnglishVariant of
Culpepper. Known bearers of this surname include: Nicholas Culpeper (1616-1664), an English herbalist, physician and astrologer; and English colonial administrator Thomas Culpeper, 2nd Baron Culpeper (1635-1689), governor of Virginia 1680-1683... [
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Culpepper EnglishMeans "person who collects, prepares and/or sells herbs and spices" (from Middle English
cullen "to pick" +
pepper).
Culver EnglishMeans "person who keeps or looks after doves", or from a medieval nickname for someone thought to resemble a dove (e.g. in mild disposition) (in either case from Middle English
culver "dove")... [
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Cumba GaulishA topographic name from Gaulish
cumba meaning "narrow valley" or a habitational name for a village associated with this name (see
Coombe).
Cumberbatch EnglishName for someone from Comberbach in North Cheshire. May come from etymological elements meaning "stream in a valley."
Cumberland EnglishRegional name for someone from Cumberland in northwestern England (now part of Cumbria).
Cummer EnglishThe surname Cummer has origins in both English and Scottish cultures. In English, it's thought to be a topographic name for someone who lived by a bend in a river, derived from the Middle English word "cummer," meaning "bend" or "meander." In Scottish, it could also be a variant of the surname Comer, derived from the Gaelic word "comar," meaning "confluence" or "meeting of waters."
Cundall EnglishThis is an English surname, deriving from the village so-named in North Yorkshire. The village takes its name from the Cumbric element
cumb meaning 'dale' (cognate with Welsh
cwm, 'valley') and Old Norse
dalr meaning 'valley', forming a compound name meaning 'dale-valley'.
Cung VietnameseFrom Sino-Vietnamese 龔
(gōng) meaning "general, total".
Cunliffe EnglishOriginally meant "person from Cunliffe", Lancashire ("slope with a crevice" (literally "cunt-cliff")).
Cunniff IrishFrom Irish Gaelic
Mac Conduibh "son of
Condubh", a personal name meaning literally "black dog".
Cuomo ItalianProbably from a shortened form of
Cuosëmo, a Neapolitan variant of the Italian male personal name
Cosimo.
Curcio ItalianThis name derives from Latin “curtĭus”, which in turn derives from the Latin “curtus” meaning “shortened, short, mutilated, broken, incomplete”.
Curcuruto ItalianFrom an Italian nickname derived from
curcurutu meaning "speedy, fleet of foot".
Curiale Italian (Rare)In ancient Rome, the curiales (from co + viria, 'gathering of men') were initially the leading members of a gentes (clan) of the city of Rome. Their roles were both civil and sacred. Each gens curialis had a leader, called a curio... [
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Curie FrenchOccupational name for a farm hand, from Old French
éscuerie "stable".
Curmi Maltese(Warning: Whatever you do, don't look up the coat of arms, if you're squeamish. Take me seriously.)
Curniana AsturianThis indicates familial origin within the eponymous parish of the municipality of Salas.
Current IrishThe surname of Current, is of Irish/Scottish with several different families, and meanings of this name. There are many spelling variations of this name.
Currer EnglishIt was a name given to someone who was a messenger or person who "dresses tanned leather". In the former case, the surname Currer is derived from the Old French words
corëor or
courreour, which means "courier".
Currie Scottish, Irish, EnglishIrish: Habitational name from Currie in Midlothian, first recorded in this form in 1230. It is derived from Gaelic
curraigh, dative case of
currach ‘wet plain’, ‘marsh’. It is also a habitational name from Corrie in Dumfriesshire (see
Corrie).... [
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Currier EnglishOccupational surname meaning "a worker who prepared leather".