All Submitted Surnames

usage
​
Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
Knabe German
German status name for a young man or a page, from Middle High German knabe (English knave). In aristocratic circles this term denoted a page or squire (a youth destined to become a knight), while among artisans it referred to a journeyman’s assistant or (as a short form of Lehrknabe) ‘apprentice’... [more]
Knape German
Variant of Knapp.
Knapke German
A relative of mine has said this surname means “over the hill” and that it is of German origin.... [more]
Knapp German
Occupational name from the German word Knapp or Knappe, a variant of Knabe "young unmarried man". In the 15th century this spelling acquired the separate, specialized meanings "servant", "apprentice", or "miner"... [more]
Knapp English
Topographic name for someone who lived by a hillock, Middle English "nappe, Old English cnæpp, or habitational name from any of the several minor places named with the word, in particular Knapp in Hampshire and Knepp in Sussex.
Knappe German
German variant of Knapp.
Knatchbull English
A nickname from Old English knatch "to strike" + bull "bull", indicating strength.
Knauer German (Silesian)
Nickname for a gnarled person, from Middle High German knur(e) 'knot', 'gnarl'. habitational name for someone from either of two places in Thuringia called Knau.
Knaus German
Comes from Middle High German knuz ‘proud’, ‘arrogant’, ‘daring’, hence a nickname for a haughty person. In Württemberg knaus (and in Switzerland knus) also meant ‘gnarl’, hence a nickname for a short, fat, gnarled person; topographic name for someone living on a hillock, from knaus ‘hillock’ in the Swabian and Alemannic dialects of German
Knauss German
A variant of Knaus.
Knavs Slovene
Slovenian form of Knaus, this was the maiden name of Donald Trump's wife, and current First Lady of the United States, Melania Trump.
Kneale Manx
Manx contracted form of Mac Néill
Knecht German, German (Swiss), Dutch
From the occupation of a servant and a journeyman from Middle High German kneht Middle Low German and Middle Dutch knecht "knight's assistant" also "lad, servant"... [more]
Kneen Manx
Manx cognate of the Gaelic surname Mac Niadháin, itself derived from the Gaelic personal name Nia meaning "champion." It may also be a corruption of the surname McNiven (Anglicized form of Mac Cnáimhín).
Knefac Slovak (Rare), Croatian (Rare)
Uncommon surname from Burgenland, easternmost Austria.
Knez Slovene, Croatian
Derived from knez, meaning "prince".
Knezevich Spanish (?)
rafe knezevich is a cutie patootie
Knick German
German: from Knick “hedge”, “boundary”, hence a topographic name for someone living near a hedge or hedged enclosure or a metonymic occupational name for someone who lays hedges. Hedging is a characteristic feature of the pastureland of Holstein, Mecklenburg, Westphalia, and Lower Saxony.
Knickerbocker Dutch (Anglicized)
Americanized spelling of the Dutch occupational name Knickerbacker "marble baker", i.e., a baker of children's clay marbles. This lowly occupation became synonymous with the patrician class in NYC through Washington Irving's attribution of his History of New York (1809) to a fictitious author named Diedrich Knickerbocker... [more]
Knie Swiss
A famous bearer is the Knie family, a Swiss circus dynasty that founded it in 1803. Today the circus is an enterprise with about 200 employees, operated by Frédy and Franco Knie and it is famous worldwide.
Knifati Arabic
Means "Knafeh maker," given to pasty makers specializing in Knafeh, a filo-dough middle-eastern pastry typically filled with cheese and syrup.
Knigge North German
North German: variant of Knick... [more]
Knightley English
English surname meaning knight. The book Emma by Jane Austen has a character named George Knightley.
Knighton English
English surname which was derived from a place name composed of the Old English elements cnihta meaning "servant, retainer" (genitive plural of cniht) and tun "enclosure, settlement".
Knipe English
The lineage of the name Knipe begins with the Anglo-Saxon tribes in Britain. It is a result of when they lived on the peak of a hill or highland. The surname Knipe is primarily familiar in the regions of Lancashire and Westmoreland.... [more]
Knitts English
Derived from the given name Knut.
Knobel German, German (Swiss), Yiddish
Derived from the Middle High German knübel probably a nickname for a fat person or in the sense "ankle". However the term also denotes a rounded elevation and may therefore also be a topographic name for someone who lived by a knoll... [more]
Knock English
Topographic name for someone living by a hill, from Middle English knocke "hill" (Old English cnoc).
Knodel German
dweller near a hilltop; descendant of Knut (hill, or white-haired); a lumpish, thickset person.
Knoedler German
Occupational name, probably for someone who made dumplings, from an agent derivative of Middle High German knödel.
Knoll English, German, Jewish
English and German topographic name for someone living near a hilltop or mountain peak, from Middle English knolle ‘hilltop’, ‘hillock’ (Old English cnoll), Middle High German knol ‘peak’... [more]
Knopfler English, German
Derived from Knopf (German for "button"), this surname was originally given to button makers or button sellers. A famous bearer of this surname is English musician Mark Knopfler (1949-).
Knorr German
From a nickname for a gnarly person, derived from Middle High/Low German knorre "knot, protruberance".
Knös Swedish (Rare)
Derived from the name of a farm named Knorren or Knörren in Sweden whose name is unexplained but possibly taken from Swedish knusa "to crush, to crumble". Knös coincides with the Swedish word knös meaning "rich person", but the surname existed before the vocabulary word appeared in the Swedish language.
Knott English
Either from the Middle English personal name Knut, or denoting a person who lived "at the knot", which is the summit of a rocky hill.
Knotts English
Variant of Knott
Knowles Irish
As an Irish surname it is an anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Tnúthghail meaning "descendant of Tnúthgal", a given name composed of the elements tnúth "desire, envy" and gal "valor".
Knowlton English
Habitational name from either of two places so named, one in Dorset and the other in Kent.
Knuckles English
Possibly a nickname for someone with prominent knuckles.
Knuth German
From the given name Knut.
Knutz German
Variant of Kuntz
Ko Korean
There is only one Chinese character for the surname Ko. There are ten different Ko clans, but they are all descended from the Ko clan of Cheju Island. There is no historical information regarding the founder of this clan, but there is a legend which tells of three men who appeared from a cave on the north side of Cheju Island’s Halla Mountain... [more]
Ko Chinese (Hakka), Chinese (Hokkien), Chinese (Teochew)
Hakka, Hokkien and Teochew romanization of Ke.
Ko Japanese (Rare)
Variant transcription of Japanese Kanji 荒 (see Kō).
Ko Japanese
Variant transcription of Japanese Kanji 神 (see Kō).
Kō Japanese (Rare)
Variant reading of Japanese Kanji 荒 (see Ara).
Kō Japanese
Variant reading of Japanese Kanji 神 (see Jin).
Kobari Japanese
From Japanese 小 (ko) meaning "small" and 針 (hari) meaning "needle, pin".
Kobashi Japanese
From Japanese 小 (ko) meaning "small" and 橋 (hashi) meaning "bridge".
Kobasigawa Japanese (Anglicized)
The more common form of Kobashigawa in the Western world.
Kobata Japanese (Rare)
Variant of Hatta 3, Hatta 4, Hatta 5, Hatta 6, Hatta 7, or Hatta 8, added Japanese 小 (ko) meaning "small; little".
Kobayakawa Japanese
From Japanese 小 (ko) meaning "small", 早 (baya) meaning "fast" and 川 (kawa) meaning "river".
Kobe Japanese
From the Japanese city of Kobe.
Kobela Hungarian
May come from the slavic word kobila, meaning mare.
Kobiyama Japanese
From Japanese 小 (ko) meaning "small", 檜 (hi) meaning "Japanese cypress" and 山 (yama) meaning "mountain".
Koboldt German (Rare)
Derived from German Kobold (Middle High German kobolt) "kobold; hobgoblin; puck; imp".
Kobori Japanese
From Japanese 小 (ko) meaning "small" and 堀 (hori) meaning "moat, ditch".
Kobrinsky Belarusian
Refers to a city named "Kobryn" in Belarus.
Kobrynsky Ukrainian
Ukrainian form of Kobrinsky. Most of the Kobrynsky family had settled in Canada.
Koca Turkish
Means "large, great" or "husband" in Turkish.
Kocabaş Turkish
Means "hawfinch" (a type of bird) in Turkish.
Koçak Turkish
Means "brave, strong" or "generous" in Turkish.
Kocaman Turkish
Means "huge, enormous" in Turkish.
Koch Jewish
Koch - which also has the meaning of Cook in German's origin was however not from that meaning. It origins are to be traced in the Jewish ancestory. The original meaning came from the word Star. Amongst the related surnames (with or without bar in front or a ba or similar appended) are: Koch, Kochba, Kok, Kock, Kuk, Coq, Coqui, Cook (as a translation from the perceived meaning of cook) and a host of others... [more]
Kochav Hebrew
Means "star" in Hebrew. Also compare Kochavi.
Kochavi Hebrew
From Hebrew כוכב (kokhav) meaning "star", commonly used as a replacement for Ashkenazi surnames containing the old German element stern "star". For example, it was adopted as a surname by the Romanian-born Israeli archaeologist and university professor Moshe Kochavi (1928-2008), whose birth surname was Stern.
Kochendorfer German
Habitational name for someone from any of several places called Kochendorf, in Württemberg, Schleswig-Holstein, and Bohemia.
Köcher German
It literally means "quiver".
Kochiya Okinawan (Japanized, Rare)
Japanese reading of Japanese Kanji 古知屋 (see Kucha).
Kočí Czech
Kočí means "driver".
Kociołek Polish
It literally means "small kettle".
Kocis Slovak
Slovak derivative of Hungarian Kocsis "Coachman".
Koço Albanian
Variant of Koco.
Kocsmar Hungarian
This name means pub in Hungarian meaning that my ancestors were most likely pub owners
Koculi Albanian
From a place name Kocul in Albania.
Kocur Ukrainian
means "tom cat" or "male cat"
Koda Japanese
From Japanese 香 (kō) meaning "fragrance, incense", 神 (kō) meaning "god", or 行 (kō) meaning "journey, travel" and 田 (ta) meaning "field".
Kodaira Japanese
Ko means "small" and daira is a form of taira meaning "peace, level". ... [more]
Kodajima Japanese
From Japanese 古 (Ko) meaning "Old" and 田 (Ta, Da) meaning "Rice Field" and 島 (Shima) meaning "Island"
Kodály Hungarian
Hungarian surname.... [more]
Kodama Japanese
From Japanese 児 or 兒 (ko) meaning "child, young" and 玉 (tama) meaning "jewel, ball".
Kodama Japanese
From Japanese 小 (ko) meaning "small" and 玉 (tama) meaning "jewel, ball".
Kodera Japanese
"Little temple".
Kodikara Sinhalese
Derived from Sinhala කොඩිය (kodiya) meaning "flag, banner" and Sanskrit कार (kara) meaning "maker, doer", possibly an occupational name for a person who made flags.
Kodjo Ewe
From the given name Kodjo
Kodu Estonian
Kodu is an Estonian surname meaning "home".
Kodzuchi Japanese (Rare)
From Japanese 小 (ko) meaning "small; little" and 土 (dzuchi), the joining form of 土 (tsuchi) meaning "earth; soil; mud, ground".
Koefoed Danish
Probably a Danish form of Dutch Koevoets. The name arrived on the Danish island Bornholm via Lübeck, Germany.
Koehl German
Variant of Köhl
Koehnline German
Anglicized form of the German name Köhnlein used by people who moved to the US from Germany during the 19th Century.
Koel Estonian
Koel is an Estonian surname meaning "weft" and "seal(ant)".
Koell Upper German (Rare)
(Koell) named used when came1880s to 1905 in America changed to( Kohl)... [more]
Koelsch German
German from the adjective kölsch, denoting someone from Cologne (German Köln).
Koelzer German
From a noun derived from kolzen "ankle boots" (from Latin calceus "half-boot walking shoe") hence an occupational name for a boot maker or a cobbler. Or a habitational name for someone from Kölzen near Merseburg.
Kōen Japanese
Japanese form of Cohen.
Koen Jewish
A variant of Cohen
Koenigsberg Jewish
Associated with the Polish, then Prussian, then German, now Russian town Königsberg.
Koerner German
Koerner is an occupational name for a grain merchant or possibly an administrator of a granary. ... [more]
Koeth German
Variant of Köth
Koetsier Dutch
"Coachman, Coachdriver"... [more]
Koffi Ewe
From the given name Koffi
Kofi Akan
From the given name Kofi
Koga Japanese
From Japanese 古 (ko) meaning "old, past" and 賀 (ka) meaning "congratulate, greet, celebrate".
Kogai Korean (Russified)
Variant transcription of Kogay.
Kogălniceanu Romanian
Meaning unknown.
Kogan Jewish (Russified)
Russified version of the common Jewish surname Cohen.
Kogane Japanese (Rare)
This surname is used as 黄金, 小金, 古金, 子金, 故金 or 小賀根 with 黄 (ou, kou, ki, ko-) meaning "yellow", 小 (shou, o-, ko-, sa-, chii.sai) meaning "little, small", 古 (ko, furu-, furu.i, -fu.rusu) meaning "old", 子 (shi, su, tsu, ko, -ko, -ne) meaning "child, sign of the rat (1st sign of Chinese zodiac", 故 (ko, furu.i, moto, yue) meaning "cause, circumstances, consequently, especially, happenstance, intentionally, reason, the late, therefore", 賀 (ga) meaning "congratulations, joy", 根 (kon, ne, -ne) meaning "head (pimple), radical, root" and 金 (kin, kon, gon, kana-, kane, -gane) meaning "gold."... [more]
Kogawara Japanese
Variant reading of Ogasawara.
Kogay Korean (Russified)
Form of Ko used by ethnic Koreans living in former Soviet territories.
Koger German
South German: occupational name for a knacker, from an agent derivative of koge ‘carrion’.
Kōgi Japanese (Rare)
From Japanese 鴻 (kō) meaning "powerful, prosperous" and 戯 (gi) meaning "frolic".
Kogi Japanese (Rare)
Variant transcription of Kōgi.
Kögltin Kalmyk
Kögltin has no known meaning.
Kogure Japanese
From Japanese 木 (ko) meaning "tree, wood" and 暮 (kure) meaning "end, close".
Koh Chinese (Hokkien), Chinese (Teochew)
Hokkien and Teochew romanization of Xu 2.
Koh Korean
Alternate romanization of Ko.
Koh Japanese
Variant transcription of Japanese Kanji 神 (see Kō).
Koha Estonian
Koha is an Estonian surname meaning "pike-perch (fish)".
Kohashi Japanese
Ko means "small" and hashi means "bridge".
Kohen Jewish, Hebrew, English
Hebrew form of Cohen.
Kohinata Japanese
From Japanese 小 (ko) meaning "small", 日 (hi) meaning "day, sun" and 向 (na, ta) meaning "approach".
Kohira Japanese
A variant of Kodaira.... [more]
Køhler Danish
Danish form of Kohler.
Kohlhaas German
Apparently a nickname from Middle Low German kōlhase, literally "cabbage rabbit".
Kohli Indian
Derived from the Khatri clan of the Punjab state of India.
Kohlman German
This surname comes from the Middle High German word kol which translates into English as coal. However, German Kohl, kol or Kohle also translate into English as cabbage. Middle High German man and German Mann translate into English as man... [more]
Kohlstedt Medieval German (Modern)
Likely derived from the German word Kohl, meaning “Cabbage,” and a Variation of the word Stadt, meaning “City, town, and/or place.”
Köhn German
From the given name Köhn.
Kohn Jewish
Variant of Cohen.
Köhnlein German
From the personal name Köhn + the diminutive suffix -lein
Kohr German
1. occupational name for a guard or watchman on a tower, Middle Low German kure.... [more]
Kohsaka Japanese
Variant transcription of Kosaka 2.
Kohus Estonian (Rare)
I know it's Russian Ukraine means court duty requirement not just any court world of world courts in Estonian
Kohvakka Finnish
from the Finnish root word Kohva - meaning ice crust, frozen slush, or something hard... [more]
Kohver Estonian
Kohver is an Estonian surname meaning "suitcase", "trunk" and "coffer".
Kohyama Japanese
Variant transcription of Koyama.
Koichi Japanese
The Surname "Koichi" translates to "Small Market"
Koide Japanese
From the Japanese 小 (ko) "small" and 出 (ide or de) "rising."
Koidu Estonian
Koidu is an Estonian feminine given name and surname derived from "Koit" (also, a masculine given name) meaning "dawn". In Estonian mythology, Koit was a handsome young man who was the personification of dawn.
Koigakubo Japanese
Koi means "love", ga is a language particle, ku means "long time ago, lasting" and bo means "guarantee, protect".
Koik Estonian
Koik is an Estonian surname meaning "all".
Koike Japanese
From the Japanese 小 (ko) "small" and 池 (ike) "pond."
Koirala Nepali
From the name of the village of Koirali in Nepal.
Koiree Indian
Denotes "weaver" in Hindi.
Koishi Japanese
Ko means "small" and ishi means "stone".
Koiso Japanese
Combination of the kanji 小 (ko; "small, little, short") and 磯 (iso; "seashore")
Koitla Estonian
Koitla is an Estonian surname derived from "koit" meaning "dawn".
Koitmets Estonian
Koitmets is an Estonian surname meaning "dawn forest".
Kõiv Estonian
Kõiv is an Estonian surname which means "birch" in Võro, a dialect of Estonian.... [more]
Kõivastik Estonian
Kõivastik is an Estonian surname meaning "birch stand/forest". "Kõiv" comes from the Võro dialect.
Kõivisto Estonian
Kõivisto is an Estonian surname meaning "birch grove".
Koivisto Finnish
From "koivu" meaning "birch tree". A place with lot of birches.
Koivu Finnish
Means "birch" in Finnish.
Koivula Finnish
From Finnish koivu meaning "birch" and the suffix -la signifying a place.
Koivunen Finnish
From Finnish koivu meaning "birch" and the suffix -nen.
Koiwai Japanese, Popular Culture
Ko means "Small", Iwa means "Stone", and I means "Well". Fictional characters with this last name: Yotsuba from the manga "Yotsuba&!" and Yoshino Koiwai from "Masamune-kun's Revenge" are examples of this.
Kōja Japanese (Rare)
From Japanese 紅 (kō) meaning "crimson; vivid red" and 蛇 (ja) meaning "snake; serpent".
Koja Japanese (Rare)
Variant transcription of Japanese Kanji 紅蛇 (see Kōja).
Kojadinović Serbian
Derived from the forename Kojadin.
Kojanović Serbian, Croatian
Derived from the forename Koja.
Kojić Serbian
Derived from the forename Koja.
Kōjidani Japanese
Variant reading of Japanese Kanji 糀谷 or 小路谷 (see Kōjiya).
Kojidani Japanese
Variant transcription of Japanese Kanji 糀谷 or 小路谷 (see Kōjidani) or a variant reading of Japanese Kanji 小路谷 (see Kōjiya).
Kojima Japanese
From Japanese 小 (ko) meaning "small" or 児 (ko) meaning "young" and 島 (shima) meaning "island".
Kōjitani Japanese
Variant reading of Japanese Kanji 麹谷, 糀谷, 粷谷, or 小路谷 (see Kōjiya).
Kojitani Japanese
Variant transcription of Japanese Kanji 麹谷, 糀谷, 粷谷, or 小路谷 (see Kōjitani) or a variant reading of Japanese Kanji 小路谷 (see Kōjiya).
Kōjiya Japanese
From Japanese 麹 (kōji) meaning a substance made from plant molds to make fermented products and 屋 (ya) meaning "seller; shop".
Kojiya Japanese
Variant transcription of Japanese Kanji 麹屋, 麹家, 麹谷, 糀屋, 糀谷, 糀矢, 粷谷, or 小路谷 (see Kojiya) or a variant reading of Japanese Kanji 小路谷 (see Kōjiya).
Kojo Japanese
Occupational name for a gardener.
Kojović Serbian
Derived from the forename Koja.
Kök Turkish
Means "root, origin" in Turkish.
Kok Chinese (Hakka), Chinese (Hokkien)
Hakka and Hokkien romanization of Guo.
Kōka Japanese (Rare)
From Japanese 紅花 (kōka) meaning "red- or crimson-colored flower", referring to an occupation that involves flowers and rouge powder.
Kokamägi Estonian
Kokamägi is an Estonian surname meaning "cookery mountain".
Kokan Japanese
Variant reading of Japanese Kanji 小菅 or 小管 (see Kosuge).
Kokawa Japanese
Ko means "small" and kawa means "river".
Köken Turkish
Means "root, origin" in Turkish.
Koki Japanese
This surname combines 古 (ko, furu-, furu.i, -fu.rusu) meaning "old" or 小 (shou, o-, ko-, sa-, chii.sai) meaning "little, small" with 木 (boku, moku, ki, ko-) meaning "tree, wood."
Kokk Estonian
Kokk is Estonian surname, meaning "cook".
Kokonoe Japanese (Rare)
From 九重 (kokonoe) meaning "ninefold."... [more]
Kokoszka Polish
Nickname for a fussy or broody person, from kokoszka "laying hen".
Kokotović Croatian, Serbian
From the Slavic word kokot meaning "rooster, cock".
Koks Estonian
Koks is an Estonian surname meaning "coke" or "charred coal".
Kokubo Japanese
From Japanese 小 (ko) meaning "small", 久 (ku) meaning "long time ago" and 保 (ho) meaning "protect".
Kokubu Japanese
From Japanese 国 or 國 (koku) meaning "country, state" and 分 (bu) meaning "part, share, portion".
Kokuda Japanese (Rare)
Variant reading of Japanese Kanji 小管 (see Kosuge).
Kolac Croatian
From kolac, meaning "(wooden) stake".
Kołakowski Polish
Name for someone originally from a place called Kołaków, Kołaki or Kołakowo.
Kolan Indian (Christian), Sinhalese
Variant of Colón used by Christians from India and in Sri Lanka.
Kolarac Croatian
Derived from Kolar.
Kolarec Croatian
Derived from Kolar.
Kolarek Croatian
Derived from Kolar.
Kolarin Croatian
Derived from Kolar.
Kolarov Serbian, Bulgarian
An occupational surname derived from kolar, meaning "wheelwright".
Kolb German
Comes from Middle High German Kolbe.
Kolber German
From an agent derived from Middle High German kolbe "club, cudgel" an occupational name for someone who made wooden clubs later for an armorer, or a habitational name for someone from Kolben in Württemberg or Cölbe in Hesse.
Kolden German, Norwegian
From Middle Low German kolt, kolde ‘cold’, a nickname for an unfriendly person; alternatively, it may be a habitational name, a shortened form of Koldenhof ‘cold farm’ in Mecklenburg (standardized form: Kaltenhof, a frequent place name in northern Germany, East Prussia, Bavaria, and Württemberg).Norwegian: habitational name from a farm called Kolden, from Old Norse kollr ‘rounded mountain top’.
Kole English
Variant of Cole.
Kolenović Montenegrin
Derived from koleno (колено), meaning "knee".
Kolesar Czech (Modern, Rare), German (Modern, Rare), German (Austrian, Modern, Rare)
Means either 'wheelwright' or 'coleminer' depending on the region.
Kolesnik Ukrainian
From kolesnik, meaning "wheelwright".
Kolesnikov Russian
Derived from Russian колесник (kolesnik) meaning "wheelwright, wheel artisan".
Kolesnyk Ukrainian
Denoting to a person who fixed wheels (from "колесник (kolesnyk)" meaning "wheelwright").
Kolettis Greek
The Greek version of the Italian surname Coletti. A significant person with that name was Ioannis Kolettis, prime minister of Greece.
Kolev Bulgarian
Means "son of Kole", a diminutive of Nikola 1.
Kolga Estonian
Kolga is an Estonian surname derived from "kolgas" meaning "back country", "province", and "hinterland".
Kolin Russian
Derived from a diminutive Kolya of the Russian given name Nikolay.
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