Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
Demers FrenchFrom French meaning "of the seas". A famous bearer of this surname was Modeste Demers, a bishop in 18th century Vancouver.
Demestre FrenchIt's an occupational word coming from Latin. It means "master". It is of French origin.
De Metz Medieval Jewish, Medieval FrenchA medieval Ashkenazic French habitational name originally meaning "of Metz", from the city of Metz (now known as Mettis) in Lorraine, which was originally known as Mediomatrica, after the Gaulish tribe of the Mediomatrici... [
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Demidov RussianMeans "son of
Demid". This was the name of a Russian industrialist family prominent in the 18th and 19th centuries. A bearer of the feminine form
Demidova was Anna Stepanovna Demidova (1878-1918), a lady-in-waiting in the service of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna who acquired posthumous fame for being executed alongside her employer in 1918.
DeMille French (Belgian)Denoted a person from
Hamme-Mille, a section of the municipality of Beauvechain, in the province of Walloon Brabant in Wallonia, Belgium. This surname was borne by the American filmmaker and producer Cecil B. DeMille (1881-1959).
Demirel TurkishMeans "iron hand" from Turkish
demir meaning "iron" and
el meaning "hand".
Demirtaş TurkishMeans "iron rock" from Turkish
demir meaning "iron" and
taş meaning "rock, stone".
Demma ItalianMatronymic derived from a contracted form of Italian
d(e) Emma meaning "of
Emma".
Demontigny Frenchhabitational name with fused preposition
de "from" for someone from any of several places in various parts of France named Montigny (see
Montigny).
Demory FrenchFrom the commune in northern France called
Mory with the element
de "from".
Dempster Manx, English, ScottishThe name for a judge or arbiter of minor disputes, from Old English dem(e)stre, a derivative of the verb demian ‘to judge or pronounce judgement’. Although this was originally a feminine form of the masculine demere, by the Middle English period the suffix -stre had lost its feminine force, and the term was used of both sexes... [
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Demsky Polish, JewishDerived from Polish
dab and
demb meaning "oak", which is either a habitational name from a place with the same name or an ornamental name with reference to the tree and its qualities of strength and durability.
Demura JapaneseThe Japanese surname "Demura" (出村) consists of two kanji characters: "出" meaning "to go out" or "to leave" and "村" meaning "village" or "town." So, "Demura" could be interpreted as "from the village" or "originating from the village." However, as with many Japanese surnames, there may be variations in meaning and interpretation depending on the family's history and region.
Demuro ItalianProbably denoting someone from Muro, Basilicata. Alternately, may be a nickname from Sardinian
muru "wall" or "donkey".
Denby EnglishMeans "person from Denby", Derbyshire or Yorkshire ("farmstead of the Danes").
Denham EnglishFrom the name of various places in England, most of which meant "farm in the valley" (from Old English
denu "valley" +
ham "homestead"). Notable bearers of the surname included John Denham (1615-1669), an English poet; British Labour politician John Denham (1953-); and British actor Maurice Denham (1909-2002).
Den Hartog DutchDerived from Dutch
hertog "duke", a nickname for someone behaved in a haughty manner, or an occupational name for someone who worked for a duke’s household.
Denley EnglishApparently a habitational name from an unidentified place, probably so named from Old English denu 'valley' + leah 'woodland clearing'.
Dennehy IrishAnglicized form of Irish Gaelic
Ó Duineachdha meaning "descendant of Duineachaidh", a given name meaning "humane". A famous bearer was American actor Brian Dennehy (1938-2020).
Denninger GermanHabitational name for someone from Denning in Bavaria. Denning is related to Middle Low German denne meaning "wooded vale".
Dennington EnglishHabitational name from a place in Suffolk, recorded in Domesday Book as Dingifetuna, from the Old English female personal name Denegifu (composed of the elements Dene meaning "Dane" + gifu meaning "gift") + Old English tūn meaning "enclosure", "settlement".
Den Ouden DutchMeans "the elder, the senior", from Middle Dutch
out "old".
Den Uijl DutchMeans "the owl" in Dutch, from Middle Dutch
ule. A notable bearer was the Dutch prime minister Johannes den Uijl (1919-1987), also known as Joop den Uyl.
Den Uyl DutchVariant of
Den Uijl, notably borne by the Dutch prime minister Joop den Uyl (1919-1987).
Denver EnglishEnglish surname, composed of the Old English elements Dene "Dane" and fær "passage, crossing," hence "Dane crossing."
Deo Indian, Urdu, Hindi, Marathi, Punjabi, Telugu, Tamil, Bengali, Assamese, Odia, Malayalam, KannadaVariant of
Dev.
Deol PunjabiSikh name based on the name of a Jat clan. Etymology unexplained.
Depardieu FrenchMeans "of by God", derived from French
pardieu meaning "by God", originally a nickname for someone who blasphemously uttered the name of God. It could also indicate a person who came from various places in France called
Part-Dieu or
Pardieu, for example the Lyon-Part-Dieu Business District in the city of Lyon... [
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De Paula Spanisha Metronymic from the female personal name Paula and from a shortened form of Francisco de Paula a personal name bestowed in honor of Saint Francis of Paola
D’épernon FrenchShortened form of the title
duc d’Epernon, or "Duke of Épernon". Épernon is a place in Eure-et-Loir, France.
Depietri ItalianThe distinguished surname Depietri can be traced back to the ancient and beautiful region of Piedmont. Although people were originally known only by a single name, it became necessary for people to adopt a second name to identify themselves as populations grew and travel became more frequent... [
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Deplano ItalianFrom Latin
de plano, "of the plain, from the flat land".
Deplaz RomanshDerived from the preposition
de "of" and Romansh
plaz "plaza; place".
Depooter FlemishVariant of
De Poorter, or alternatively, an occupational name for a farmer or gardener derived from
poten "to plant, to sow seeds". Compare
Potter.
Depp GermanDerived from Germanic
depp which is a nickname for a joker (person who plays jokes on others). A notable bearer is Johnny Depp, an American actor.
De Praetere FlemishMeans "the prattler", from or related to Middle Dutch
praten "to chatter" (c. 1400), from a Proto-Germanic imitative root.
Depuoz RomanshDerived from the preposition
de "of" and Romansh
puoz "well, spring".
De Rais HistoryDenoted a person from the historical subregion of France, once a part of the Duchy of Brittany, Pays de Retz, historically called
Rais,
Rays, or
Raiz during the Middle Ages. Gilles de Rais (1405-1440) was a knight and lord from Brittany, known for his confession as a serial killer of children.
Deremer DutchOccupational name for a belt maker or cutter of leather straps, from Dutch
riem "belt, strap". It could also be a name for a peat digger, someone who "riems" peat.
De Rijke DutchMeans "the rich one", from Dutch
rijk "rich, wealthy, abundant".
Derkach UkrainianMeans "derkach", a Ukrainian folk instrument similar to a rattle or a noisemaker, from Ukrainian
деркач (derkach).
Dermatis GreekThe surname is derived from the Greek word for skin: derma (δέρμα).
De Roma Medieval Spanish (Rare)A Spanish locational surname meaning “Of Rome”, perhaps for a Spaniard who lived in Rome or an Italian expat who immigrated to Spain
De Rooij DutchMeans "the red", derived from Dutch
rood "red", a nickname for someone with red hair.
Derrett English (British)From a Middle English personal name
Der(i)et, derived from Old English
Dēorgēat, Dȳregēat, which are composed of the elements
dēore meaning “dear” or
dēor meaning “bold, fierce” + the tribal name
Gēat... [
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Derricott EnglishHabitational name, possibly a variant of Darracott, from Darracott in Devon. However, the present-day concentration of the form Derricott in the West Midlands and Shropshire suggests that this may be a distinct name, from a different source, now lost.
Derry Irish, EnglishEnglish variant of
Deary, or alternatively a nickname for a merchant or tradesman, from Anglo-French
darree ‘pennyworth’, from Old French
denree... [
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Deruelle FrenchHabitational name for someone who lived near a place called
(la) Ruelle, for example Ruelle-sur-Touvre.
De Ruiter DutchMeans "the rider" in Dutch, derived from Middle Dutch
ruter "freebooter, vagrant, robber", later meaning "cavalryman, soldier, armed horseman". It could also be a nickname based on an event, in one case deriving from an incident involving a ride on a runaway pig.
Derungs RomanshDerived from the preposition
de "of" and Latin
runcare "to weed out, to thin out, to root up", referring to someone who lived near a clearing.
Desai Indian, Marathi, GujaratiFrom a feudal title derived from Sanskrit देश
(desha) meaning "country, kingdom" and स्वामिन्
(svamin) meaning "owner, master, lord".
Desailly FrenchOriginally denoted a person who came from any of the various places in northern or eastern France called
Sailly, which is possibly derived from Old French
saillir,
salir meaning "to spring", ultimately from Latin
saliō... [
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De Salvo ItalianMeaning of "De" is "From", or "Of", so probably "From Salvo".
Desanges French (Rare)Means "from the angels", possibly connected to the French title of the Virgin Mary
Notre Dame des Anges, meaning "Our Lady of the Angels". Bearers of this surname include Louis William Desanges (1822-1905), an English artist of French descent, and French historian Jehan Desanges (1929-).
De Santa Italian (Tuscan)The surname De Santa was first found in Lucca, a city and comune in Tuscany, capital of the province of Lucca and where Bascilican type churches abound. The history commences in 218 B.C., and passed through many hands in the intervening centuries... [
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Desaulniers French (Quebec)Topographic name denoting a property distinguished by a grove of alder trees, derived from Old French
au(l)ne meaning "alder".
De Saussure French (Swiss)Referred to a person who came from various places named
Saussure,
Saulxures or
Saussay in northern France. Their names are derived from Medieval Latin
salcetum, a derivative of Latin
salix meaning "willow"... [
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Deschain French, LiteratureOf French origin. This is the last name of the character of the Gunslinger Roland in Stephen King’s The Dark Tower series.
Deschanel FrenchDerived from French
eschamel meaning "stepladder" or
des chanels meaning "from the channels, from the little jugs". An occupational nickname for a trader, it supposedly originated in the Ain department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France... [
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Deschene NavajoFrom
deeshchiiʼnii (clan designation, “red-streak people”).
Deschenes French"Chenes" is French for "oak tree". In French, "Des" means more than one. "Des"+ "Chenes"= Deschenes meaning "Many oak trees."
Deshapriya SinhaleseFrom Sanskrit देश
(deśa) meaning "region, place, country" and प्रिय
(priya) meaning "beloved, dear".
Deshmukh Indian, MarathiFrom the historical title देशमुख
(deśmukh) meaning "district head", derived from Sanskrit देश
(deśá) meaning "country, district" combined with मुख
(múkha) meaning "face".
Deshpande Indian, MarathiMeans "district accountant", derived from Sanskrit देश
(deśá) meaning "country, kingdom, province" combined with पण्डित
(paṇḍitá) meaning "learned, wise man".
Deslauriers French (Quebec)A topographic name for someone living among laurels, a combination of the fused preposition and plural definite article des ‘from the’ + the plural of Old French lorier ‘laurel’.
Desmarais FrenchHabitational name for someone from any of various places named with Old French mareis, maresc ‘marsh’, as for example Les Marets, in Seine-et-Marne, Centre, Nord, and Picardy.
Desmoulins FrenchA French surname meaning “of the windmills.” A famous bearer of this surname is Camille Desmoulins, a journalist and politician during the French Revolution who was guillotined.
Desnoyers French (Quebec)Means "of the walnut trees", from French word "noyer", meaning walnut. "Des noyers" literally translates to "the walnuts".
Desogus ItalianDenotes someone from the town of Sogus, which may have taken its name from
Sa bia de is Ogus, "the road of the eyes".
De Souza PortugueseMeans "of Sousa" in Portuguese, referring to the River Sousa flowing through northern Portugal. The word
Sousa itself is derived from the Latin
saxa, saxum meaning "stone, rock". The surname is more commonly used in Brazil and Portuguese-speaking African countries today.
Des Roches FrenchEither a topographic name for someone living among rocks or a habitational name from any of several places named with this word, meaning "from the rocks" in French.