Browse Submitted Surnames

Ahlbrecht German
Variant of Albrecht.

Akashi Japanese
From Japanese 明 (aka) meaning "bright" and 石 (shi) meaning "stone".

Akechi Japanese
From Japanese 明 (ake) meaning "bright" and 智 (chi) meaning "wisdom, intellect".

Amada Japanese
From Japanese 天 (ama) meaning "heaven" and 田 (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".

Aotsuki Japanese (Rare)
From Japanese 青 (ao) or 蒼 (ao) both meaning "blue" combined with 月 (tsuki) meaning "moon".

Appelman Dutch
Occupational name from Middle Dutch apelmanger "apple seller".

Aquila Italian
Habitational name from L'Aquila in Abruzzo or from any of various smaller places called Aquila.

Ashwood English
Habitational name from a place in Staffordshire named Ashwood, from Old English æsc "ash" and wudu "wood".

Belkin Russian
Patronymic from the nickname Belka meaning "squirrel" (a derivative of bely "white", referring to the animal's white stomach).

Betances Spanish, American (Hispanic)
Unexplained; probably related to Betanzos, the name of a town near A Coruña in Galicia.

Blade English
Metonymic occupational name for a cutler, from Middle English blade "cutting edge, sword".

Breed English
Habitational name from any of various minor places, for example Brede in Sussex, named with Old English brǣdu "breadth, broad place" (a derivative of brād "broad").

Canavan Irish (Anglicized)
Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Ceanndubháin "descendant of Ceanndubhán", a byname meaning "little black-headed one", from ceann "head" combined with dubh "black" and the diminutive suffix -án.

Catt English
Nickname 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... [more]

Chase French
Topographic name for someone who lived in or by a house, probably the occupier of the most distinguished house in the village, from a southern derivative of Latin casa "hut, cottage, cabin".

Cotter Irish
Reduced Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Oitir "son of Oitir", a personal name borrowed from Old Norse Óttarr, composed of the elements ótti "fear, dread" and herr "army".

Cromwell English
Habitational name from places in Nottinghamshire and West Yorkshire named Cromwell, from Old English crumb "bent, crooked" and well(a) "spring, stream".

Daimon Japanese
From Japanese 大 (dai) meaning "big, great" and 門 (mon) meaning "gate, door".

Damian French, Spanish, Italian, Czech, Slovak, Polish
From the medieval personal name Damian, Greek Damianos (from damazein "to subdue"). St. Damian was an early Christian saint martyred in Cilicia in ad 303 under the emperor Domitian, together with his brother Cosmas... [more]

Damon English, Scottish
From the personal name Damon, from a classical Greek name, a derivative of damān "to kill". Compare Damian.

Date Japanese
From Japanese 伊 (da) meaning "this" and 達 (te) meaning "achieve, arrive at, intelligent".

Dodgen English
From a pet form of Dogge (see Dodge).

Dodgson English
Patronymic form of Dodge.

Drouillard French
Probably a derogatory nickname, from a derivative of the regional term drouiller "to defecate", which also has various figurative senses.

Ellens English
Metronymic from Ellen 1.

Fell English, German, Jewish
Metonymic occupational name for a furrier, from Middle English fell, Middle High German vel, or German Fell or Yiddish fel, all of which mean "skin, hide, pelt". Yiddish fel refers to untanned hide, in contrast to pelts "tanned hide" (see Pilcher).

Feller English, German, Jewish
Occupational name for a furrier, from an agent derivative of Middle English fell, Middle Low German, Middle High German vel, or German Fell or Yiddish fel "hide, pelt". See also Fell.

Feller German
Habitational name for someone from a place called Feld(e) or Feld(a) in Hesse.

Feuer Jewish
Ornamental name from modern German Feuer "fire".

Feuer German
Metonymic occupational name for a stoker in a smithy or public baths, or nickname for someone with red hair or a fiery temper, from Middle High German viur "fire".

Fils French
From fils "son", used to identify the younger of two bearers of the same personal name in a family.

Flam Jewish
Ornamental name from Yiddish flam "flame".

Free English
Nickname or status name from Old English frēo "free(-born)", i.e. not a serf.

Fucci Italian
From the plural of Fuccio, a short form of any of various personal names with a root ending in -f (as for example Rodolfo, Gandolfo) to which has been attached the hypocoristic suffix -uccio, or alternatively from a reduced form of a personal name such as Fantuccio, Feduccio.

Fujinaka Japanese
From Japanese 藤 (fuji) meaning "wisteria" and 中 (naka) meaning "middle".

Haberland German
Topographic name from Middle High German haber(e) "oats" and land "land", or a habitational name from any of various places so called.

Hackney English, Scottish
Habitational name from Hackney in Greater London, named from an Old English personal name Haca (genitive Hacan) combined with ēg "island, dry ground in marshland".

Hackney English, Scottish
From Middle English hakenei (Old French haquenée), an ambling horse, especially one considered suitable for women to ride; perhaps therefore a metonymic occupational name for a stablehand... [more]

Hardacre English
Topographic name for someone who lived on a patch of poor, stony land, from Middle English hard "hard, difficult" and aker "cultivated land" (Old English æcer), or a habitational name from Hardacre, a place in Clapham, West Yorkshire, which has this etymology.

Harlacher German
Habitational name for someone from Ober- or Unter-Harlachen, near Überlingen.

Hiiragi Japanese
From Japanese 柊 (hiiragi) meaning "holly osmanthus".

Hikawa Japanese (Rare)
From Japanese 氷 (hi) meaning "ice" and 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream".

Hisamoto Japanese
From Japanese 久 (hisa) meaning "long time ago" and 本 (moto) meaning "base, root, origin".

Hiyama Japanese
From Japanese 檜, 桧 (hi) meaning "Japanese cypress" and 山 (yama) meaning "mountain, hill".

Hodge English
Nickname from Middle English hodge "hog", which occurs as a dialect variant of hogge, for example in Cheshire place names.

Hoshi Japanese
From Japanese 星 (hoshi) meaning "star".

Hu Chinese
From Chinese 虎 (hǔ) meaning "tiger".

Hurst German
Topographic name from Middle High German hurst "woodland, thicket".

Ida Japanese
From Japanese 井 (i) meaning "well, mine shaft, pit" and 田 (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".

Iguchi Japanese
From Japanese 井 (i) "well, mine shaft, pit" and 口 (kuchi) meaning "mouth, entrance".

Ishimori Japanese
From Japanese 石 (ishi) meaning "stone" and 森 (mori) meaning "forest".

Ishizu Japanese
From Japanese 石 (ishi) meaning "stone" and 津 (zu) meaning "ferry".

Jules French
From a personal name (Latin Julius). The name was borne in the Middle Ages in honor of various minor Christian saints.

Jules English
Patronymic or metronymic from a short form of Julian.

Kaki Japanese
From Japanese 柿 (kaki) meaning "persimmon".

Kakihara Japanese
From Japanese 柿 (kaki) meaning "persimmon" and 原 (hara) meaning "field, plain". A notable bearer of this surname is voice actor Tetsuya Kakihara (柿原 徹也, 1982–).

Kakita Japanese (Rare)
From Japanese 柿 (kaki) meaning "persimmon" and 田 (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".

Kamikaze Japanese (Rare)
From Japanese 神 (kami) meaning "god" and 風 (kaze) meaning "wind".

Kamoshida Japanese
From Japanese 鴨 (kamo) meaning "duck", 志 (shi) meaning "will, purpose" and 田 (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".

Kestel English
Habitational name from Kestle, a place in Cornwall, so named from Cornish castell "castle, village, rock".

Kitajima Japanese
From Japanese 北 (kita) meaning "north" and 島 (shima) meaning "island".

Kondou Japanese
From Japanese 近 (kon) meaning "near, close" and 藤 (dou) meaning "wisteria". The latter character could indicate a connection to the Fujiwara clan.

Kumai Japanese
From Japanese 熊 (kuma) meaning "bear" and 井 (i) meaning "well, mine shaft, pit".

Kunimoto Japanese
From Japanese 国 (kuni) meaning "country" and 本 (moto) meaning "base, root, origin".

Kuramoto Japanese
From Japanese 倉, 蔵 (kura) meaning "warehouse, storehouse" and 本 (moto) meaning "base, root, origin".

Kurosu Japanese
From Japanese 黒 (kuro) meaning "black" and 須 (su) meaning "mandatory, necessary".

Kusanagi Japanese
From Japanese 草 (kusa) meaning "grass" and 彅 (nagi) meaning "cutter". A notable bearer of this surname is actor Tsuyoshi Kusanagi (草彅 剛, Kusanagi Tsuyoshi, 1974–).

Lancer Jewish
Ornamental name from German Lanze "lance, spear" combined with the agent suffix -er.

Leeming English
Habitational name from either of two places, in West Yorkshire near Keighley and in North Yorkshire near Northallerton. Both are named with a river name, derived from the Old English word lēoma "gleam, sparkle".

Lieb German
From a short form of the various compound Slavic personal names formed with lubo- "love" as the first element.

Loewenthal German, Jewish
Variant of Löwenthal.

Löwenstein German
Habitational name from any of several places called Löwenstein.

Lucius German, Dutch
From the personal name Lucius.

Manchester English
Habitational name from the city in northwestern England, formerly part of Lancashire. This is so called from Mamucio (an ancient British name containing the element mammā "breast", and meaning "breast-shaped hill") combined with Old English ceaster "Roman fort or walled city" (Latin castra "legionary camp").

Mark English, German, Dutch
Topographic name for someone who lived on a boundary between two districts, from Old High German marka "border, boundary, march". The German term also denotes an area of fenced-off land (see Marker) and, like the English word, is embodied in various place names which have given rise to habitational names.

Marker German
Status name for someone who lived on an area of land that was marked off from the village land or woodland, Middle High German merkære.

Matsuki Japanese
From Japanese 松 (matsu) meaning "pine tree, fir tree" and 木 (ki) meaning "tree, wood".

Matsuno Japanese
From Japanese 松 (matsu) meaning "pine tree, fir tree" and 野 (no) meaning "field, wilderness".

Mccarley Irish (Anglicized)
Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Fhearghaile "son of Fearghal", a personal name meaning "valiant man".

Meaux French
Habitational name from a place in Seine-et-Marne, so named from the Gaulish tribal name Meldi, or from Meaux-la-Montagne in Rhône.

Misaki Japanese
From Japanese 三 (mi) meaning "three" and 崎 (saki) meaning "cape, peninsula".

Miyagi Japanese
From Japanese 宮 (miya) meaning "temple, shrine, palace" and 城 (gi) meaning "castle".

Miyaoka Japanese
From Japanese 宮 (miya) meaning "temple, shrine, palace" and 岡 (oka) meaning "ridge, hill".

Miyasaki Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 宮崎 (see Miyazaki).

Miyauchi Japanese
From Japanese 宮 (miya) meaning "temple, shrine, palace" and 内 (uchi) meaning "inside".

Mizusaki Japanese
From Japanese 水 (mizu) meaning "water" and 崎 (saki) meaning "cape, peninsula".

Mizuta Japanese
From Japanese 水 (mizu) meaning "water" and 田 (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".

Nakaoka Japanese
From Japanese 中 (naka) meaning "middle" and 岡 (oka) meaning "hill, ridge".

Natal Portuguese, Spanish
From the personal name Natal (from Latin Natalis), bestowed on someone born at Christmas or with reference to the Marian epithet María del Natal.

Natividad Spanish
From the personal name Natividad "nativity, Christmas", from Latin nativitas "birth", genitive nativitatis, usually bestowed with reference to the Marian epithet María de la Natividad... [more]

Nishihara Japanese
From Japanese 西 (nishi) meaning "west" and 原 (hara) meaning "meadow, field, plain".

Nishioka Japanese
From Japanese 西 (nishi) meaning "west" and 岡 (oka) meaning "hill, ridge".

Numata Japanese
From Japanese 沼 (numa) meaning "swamp, marsh" and 田 (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".

Okajima Japanese
From Japanese 岡 (oka) meaning "hill, ridge" and 島 (shima) meaning "island".

O'Shaughnessey Irish
Variant of O'Shaughnessy.

Pagán Spanish
Castilianized spelling of Catalan Pagà, from the Late Latin personal name Paganus, which originally meant "dweller in an outlying village" (see Paine).

Peppe Italian
From a short form of the personal name Giuseppe.

Peppe German
From Peppo, a pet form of a Germanic personal name (see Pepin).

Philippi German (Latinized)
Latinized patronymic derived from the given name Philipp.

Philson English
Patronymic from Phil, a short form of the personal name Philip.

Pickles English
Variant of Pickle.

Picó Catalan
Probably a nickname from Catalan picó "having a thick upper lip".

Pilch English
From Middle English pilch, a metonymic occupational name for a maker or seller of pilches or a nickname for a habitual wearer of these. A pilch (from Late Latin pellicia, a derivative of pellis "skin, hide") was a kind of coarse leather garment with the hair or fur still on it.

Pilcher English
Occupational name for a maker or seller of pilches, from an agent derivative of Pilch. In early 17th-century English, pilcher was a popular term of abuse, being confused or punningly associated with the unrelated verb pilch "to steal" and with the unrelated noun pilchard, a kind of fish.

Plata Spanish
Byname from plata "silver".

Plata Spanish
Habitational name from places in Toledo and Cáceres provinces named Plata, or various places named La Plata.

Pollick Scottish
Variant of Pollock.

Qing Chinese
From Chinese 青 (qīng) meaning "blue, green, young".

Régis French
Occupational name for a local dignitary, from a derivative of Old French régir "to rule or manage".

Richmond English
Habitational name from any of the numerous places so named, in northern France as well as in England. These are named with the Old French elements riche "rich, splendid" and mont "hill"... [more]

Rin Japanese
From Japanese 林 (rin) meaning "forest".

Ritz German
From a short form of the personal name Rizo, itself derived in part from Richard and in part from Heinrich (see Henry).

Satomiya Japanese (Rare)
From Japanese 里 (sato) meaning "village" and 宮 (miya) meaning "temple, shrine, palace".

Seitzer German
Variant of Seitz.

She Chinese
From Chinese 佘 (shé), which is of unknown significance.

Shimono Japanese
From Japanese 下 (shimo) meaning "under, below" and 野 (no) meaning "field, wilderness".

Stellrecht German
Occupational name for a cartwright, from Middle High German stel "framework" and reht (from Old High German wurht-) "maker". Compare English -wright.

Sugioka Japanese
From Japanese 杉 (sugi) meaning "cedar" and 岡 (oka) meaning "hill, ridge".

Szot Polish
Nickname for a fish seller with a bad reputation, from szot "bad herring".

Takaishi Japanese
From Japanese 高 (taka) meaning "tall, high" and 石 (ishi) meaning "stone".

Takamoto Japanese
From Japanese 高 (taka) meaning "tall, high" and 本 (moto) meaning "base, root, origin".

Tatsuno Japanese
From Japanese 辰 (tatsu) meaning "dragon of the Chinese zodiac" and 野 (no) meaning "field, wilderness".

Tinkler English, Scottish
Variant of Tinker.

Toba Japanese
From Japanese 鳥 (to) meaning "bird" and 羽 (ba) meaning "feather".

Tomlin English
From a pet form of Tom, a short form of the personal name Thomas.

Toriumi Japanese
From Japanese 鳥 (tori) meaning "bird" and 海 (umi) meaning "sea, ocean".

Toriyama Japanese
From Japanese 鳥 (tori) meaning "bird" and 山 (yama) meaning "mountain, hill". A notable bearer of this surname is Akira Toriyama (1955–), a manga artist best known for creating the Dragon Ball manga series.

Toyosaki Japanese
From Japanese 豊 (toyo) meaning "bountiful, luxuriant" and 崎 (saki) meaning "cape, peninsula".

Trump English
Metonymic occupational name for a trumpeter, from Middle English trumpe "trumpet".

Tsukioka Japanese
From Japanese 月 (tsuki) meaning "moon" and 岡 (oka) meaning "hill, ridge". A notable bearer of this surname was Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (月岡 芳年, 1839–1892), a Japanese artist who is widely recognized as the last great master of the ukiyo-e genre of woodblock printing and painting.

Uchihara Japanese
From Japanese 内 (uchi) meaning "inside" and 原 (hara) meaning "field, plain".

Uekawa Japanese
From Japanese 上 (ue) meaning "above, top, upper" and 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream".

Wahl German, Jewish
From Middle High German Walhe, Walch "foreigner from a Romance country", hence a nickname for someone from Italy or France, etc. This surname is also established in Sweden.

Wind English
Topographic name for someone who lived near a pathway, alleyway, or road, Old English (ge)wind (from windan "to go").

Wren English
Nickname from the bird, Middle English wrenne, probably in reference to its small size.

Yusa Japanese
From Japanese 遊 (yu) meaning "play" and 佐 (sa) meaning "help, aid".