AdornoSicilian Means "honey buzzard" in the Calabrian dialect, a nickname given to someone with a hawklike appearance, or an occupational name for a falconer.
AgassiItalian Derived from the given name Agazio, an Italian form of Latin Agathius, ultimately derived from the Greek element ἀγαθός (agathos) meaning "good".
AlfanoItalian From the name of a town in Salerno, Campania, derived from the Ancient Greek toponym Αλφειός (Alpheios) meaning "whiteish". ... [more]
AlfieriItalian From Italian alfiere "standard-bearer, ensign", ultimately from Arabic فارس (al-faris) "horseman, rider; knight, cavalier". May alternately derive from the Germanic given name Adalfarus, meaning "noble journey".
AllenEnglish Possibly derived from the feminine given name Aline, a medieval diminutive of Adeline.
AmanziItalian Possibly from amate "to love". Alternately, may be from the dialectical word manzu "tame, gentle, docile", or from the given name Mantius.
AmayoNahuatl Possibly from Nahuatl amaitl "inlet, estuary; an arm or branch of a body of water", or from atl "water" and -mayo "branches of a tree, foliage".
AmoleNahuatl From the name of a kind of plant used in the production of soap, ultimately from Nahuatl ahmolli "soap, soap root".
AnarduItalian From a dialectical variant of Italian anatra "duck (bird)".
AneddaItalian Possibly from Sardinian anedda "ring", referring to a walled ring in which animals were tied. May alternately be a diminutive form of the given name Ana.
AngioniItalian From Sardinian angioni "lamb", denoting a shepherd, or perhaps a nickname.
AngiusItalian Meaning uncertain, possibly linked to Sardinian angioni "lamb", Ancient Greek άγγος (àngos) "vessel, jug" or άγχω (ankho) "to strangle; anguish, stress", or from a modification of Latin balneum (see Bagni) "bath", indicating a place with hot springs.
AnnarummaItalian Probably derived from a regional variant of the feminine given name Annadomenica, the second element deriving from a short form of Rummeneca, a Neapolitan variant of Domenica.
AppelGerman, Dutch From the personal name Appel, a pet form of Apprecht (common especially in Thuringia and Franconia), itself a variant of Albrecht... [more]
ArceriItalian From Italian arciere "archer, bowman". May alternately be from a place name, such as Arcera.
ArcidiaconoItalian Means "archdeacon" in Italian, denoting someone who worked for an archdeacon or acted like an archdeacon.
ArrotinoItalian Occupational name meaning "knife-sharpener, knife-grinder" in Italian.
AruItalian Meaning uncertain, possibly from Sardinian aru, a forked branch used to close hedges (possibly related to Latin varus "bent outwards, bow-legged"), or from arru "ring".
AyerEnglish From the Middle English given name Aier, a form of Germanic Agihari, possibly derived from agaz "fear" and hari "army".
AyohuaNahuatl Meaning uncertain, possibly from ayotli "squash, pumpkin" or ayotl "turtle" combined with the possessive suffix -hua, or from ayohua "to fill with water".
AyotleNahuatl Possibly from Nahuatl ayoctle "nothing, no more", or from ayotli "squash, pumpkin".
BaccellieriItalian From baccelliere "batchelor", a title for a young knight, or a university disciple who had studied Canon Law for 5 years and Civil Law for 7 years.
BacigalupoItalian From Ligurian bacigare "to beat with a stick" and lupo "wolf", or from Genoese basigâ "to swing, to tease" and lupo "wolf". Possibly a nickname for someone considered courageous or cowardly, or an occupational name for a hunter.
BadeGerman Occupational name for a messenger, derived from an element related to Old Germanic budą "message, offer".
BadeGerman From a short form of a Germanic personal name containing the element badu "strife, battle".
BainFrench Habitational name probably derived from Old French bain "bath". In some cases, the toponym might instead be derived from the Ancient Roman given name Baenus or Balnus.
BalDutch Diminutive form of the given name Baldwin, or perhaps another name beginning with bald "bold, brave".
BalDutch Means "ball, sphere" in Dutch, a nickname for a ball player or someone who made balls, or a habitational name for someone who lived by a landmark shaped like a ball. Cognate to English Ball.
BattelloItalian Though it coincides with Italian battello "boat, dinghy", it probably derives from the given name Bathyllus, a latinized form of a Greek name... [more]
BattiloroItalian Means "goldworker", specifically an artisan who applied gold foil to other material, from Italian batti "to beat, to strike" and 'loro "the gold".
BeccariaItalian From beccaro "butcher", ultimately from becco "goat".
BecciItalian Possibly derived from a dialectic form of vecchio "old", or from Celtic becci "beaks", perhaps indicating someone with a large nose.
BedogniItalian Probably from the archaic term bedogna, a kind of polenta (a dish of boiled cornmeal), or a rosary.
BedoniItalian Probably of French origin, from betun "mud" or bedon "paunch, pot belly".
BeerGerman, Dutch From Middle Low German bare, Middle Dutch bere "bear". Given as a nickname to someone who was thought to resemble a bear, a metonymic occupational name for someone who kept a performing bear, or a habitational name for someone who lived near a sign depicting a bear... [more]
BeilGerman Means "axe, hatchet" in German, an occupational name for someone who made or used axes, such as a carpenter.
BijlDutch Means "axe" in Dutch, a metonymic name for someone who used an axe in their work, such as a woodcutter, shipwright, or butcher. Alternatively, a metronym derived from a short form of Amabilia or Sibilia.
BijlsmaWest Frisian Occupational name from Dutch bijl "axe" (see Bijl) combined with the Frisian suffix -ma. Could also be a patronym.
BikandiBasque Possibly derived from Latin vicus "street, neighbourhood; village, hamlet" and Basque (h)andi "big, large". Alternatively, the first element could be from bike "steep slope".
BiondolilloItalian Probably from Sicilian biunnuliddu "little fair one", a nickname for someone with blonde hair. Compare Biondi.
BixioItalian From an older form of Ligurian bixo "grey", a nickname for someone with grey hair.
BizkarraBasque Derived from Basque bizkar "back (of a mountain), hill, slope".
BizzarriItalian From Italian bizzarro, "odd, eccentric, strange".
BlaauwDutch, South African Archaic spelling of Dutch blauw "blue", a nickname referring to the bearer’s eye colour, clothes, or possibly a pale and sickly complexion. It could also be an occupational name for someone who made blue dye, or bluing for laundry.
BlankenbijlDutch Means "white axe", from blanken "white, pale; bare" and bijl "axe". Possibly a toponymic name, or perhaps an occupational name for a woodcutter or carpenter.
BlankenbühlerGerman Possibly means "from the bare hill", from blanken "bare, bright" and bühl "hill".
BlokDutch Means "block" in Dutch. This could be a nickname for someone with a heavy build, a metonymic occupational name for someone who used a block of wood in their work, such as a shoemaker, a milliner, or an executioner, or a toponymic surname for someone living on an enclosed piece of land.
BlondJewish Nickname from German Yiddish blond "fair-haired".
BoccadamoItalian Meaning uncertain, first element probably comes from bocca "mouth".
BoccadifuocoItalian Means "mouth of fire", a nickname for someone known for picking fights, or perhaps given to foundlings.
BoccafuscaItalian Possibly means "dark mouth", from bocco "mouth" and fosco "dark, gloomy", a nickname for someone who often spoke ill of others, or perhaps given to foundlings.
BoccalettiItalian Possibly related to boccale, a kind of jug often used for wine. An occupational name for an innkeeper.
BoccalupoItalian Possibly from an Italian saying, in bocca al lupo, literally "in the mouth of the wolf", a way of wishing good luck.
BoccasaviaItalian Means "sensible mouth", given to someone known for being wise, or giving good advice.
BocchinfusoItalian Possibly derived from a diminutive form of Italian bocca "mouth" combined with fuso "melted", from Latin fusus "poured (out)", perhaps a nickname for a talkative or gossipy person.
BodeGerman, Dutch, English, Danish Means "messenger, deliverer, herald; prophet, omen", ultimately from Old Germanic budą. This can be an occupational name, or a patronymic derived from a given name containing the element (see Bothe).
BoersmaWest Frisian, Dutch From Dutch boer "farmer, peasant" combined with the Frisian suffix -ma.
BoffiItalian Possibly from buffare "to blow, to be short of breath", or a related term meaning "bloated".
BolDutch Derived from the given name Baldo, a short form of names beginning with the element bald "bold, brave”.
BompadreItalian From a medieval given name Bonuspater, meaning "good father", given in hopes that the "eternal father (god)" would look kindly on the child. Was often given to abandoned infants as a surname.
BoomDutch From Old Dutch bom "tree", a nickname for someone tall or robust, or a toponymic surname for someone who lived by a notable tree. It could also be an occupational name for someone who operated a boom barrier
BoomgaardenEast Frisian, Dutch From Dutch boomgaard "orchard", literally "tree garden", an occupational name for an orchard worker or a topographic name for someone who lived in or by an orchard.
BoonstraWest Frisian, Dutch Denoted someone who cam from the town of Oldeboorn, named for the nearby De Boarn river, related to Middle Dutch borne "well, spring, source".
BootGerman, Dutch Metonymic occupational name for a boat builder, sailor, or a ship’s carpenter, from Dutch boot "boat, ship".
BootDutch, German Patronymic form of Bode, derived from either Old High German boto "messenger, envoy" or the related bot "command, order".
BorneDutch Shortened form of the Dutch surname van den Borne, derived from Middle Dutch borne "well, spring, source". A habitational name for someone from Born in the province of Limburg (Netherlands) or from a place associated with the watercourse of the Borre river in French Flanders.
BostockEnglish From the name of a village in Cheshire, England, meaning "Bota’s place", derived from the Old English given name Bota combined with stoc "place, dwelling".
BouwmanDutch Means "farmer" in Dutch. Alternatively, a patronymic form of Boudewijn.
BrandsDutch, German Patronymic from the given name Brand, derived from Old Dutch brand "fire, sword, torch" or a name containing the element.
BrauItalian Meaning uncertain, possibly from the dialectical term brau, meaning "wild, untamed" in Sardinian and "brave, fierce" or "bull" in Catalan, or from blau "blue, turquoise".
BrierEnglish Derived from Old English brer "briar, bramble", a topographic name for someone who lived near a briar patch, or a nickname for a prickly, irritable person.
BroedersDutch From Middle Dutch broeder "brother, colleague" or "friar, monk, clergyman". Compare the German surname Bruder.
BüchlerGerman Habitional name for someone from Büchle or Büchel, or who lived near beech trees, ultimately from Büche "beech (tree)". Alternatively, could be an occupational name for someone who pressed oil from beechnuts.
BucklerEnglish Occupational name for a maker of buckles, derived from Old French bouclier. Could also be a name for someone who used a buckle, a kind of small shield.
BudeGerman, Dutch Means "booth, stall" or "hut, small house".
BuffaItalian From Sicilian buffa, "toad". May alternately derive from Rebuffo.
BugiardiniItalian Means "little liar" in Italian, from bugiardo "lying, false, deceitful; liar" and the diminutive suffix -ino.
BuijsDutch Patronymic form of Boso. Alternatively, could derive from Dutch buis "gambeson, jacket" as a nickname for someone who made or wore jackets, or from buis "herring buss, fishing boat" as a nickname for a fisherman.
BuisDutch Means "buss, fishing vessel" in Dutch, a metonymic occupational name for a fisherman. Alternatively, a variant of the patronymic surname Buijs.
BullickEnglish Habitational name from Bulwick, Northampton, or Bolwick Hall, Norfolk, both derived from Old English bula "bull" and wic "village, settlement, farmstead".
BurgioItalian Denoting someone from a town of the same name, ultimately from a Proto-Indo-European word meaning "high, lofty", possibly by way of Arabic بُرْج (burj) "tower", German burg "castle, fortification; settlement", French bourg "burg, market town", or Latin burgus "watchtower, fortified town".
BusDutch Possibly derived from Middle Dutch busse meaning "firelock" or "round box, tin", an occupational name for someone who made containers or firearms.
BusalacchiItalian Means "father of Zallaq", from Arabic أَبُو (abu) "father of" and الزلاق (zallaq) of unknown meaning, possibly related to the given name Salah 1 meaning "righteousness".
CabboiItalian Probably from Sardinian caboi "capon", a gelded cockerel, perhaps a nickname for a cowardly person.
CabibboItalian Ultimately from the Arabic given name Habib, meaning "beloved, darling".
CadedduItalian From Sardinian cadeddu "puppy, whelp", ultimately from Latin catellus.
CainFrench From the biblical name Cain, probably a nickname for someone considered to be treacherous.
CalamariItalian From Latin calamarius "relating to a writing reed, ink pen", a name for a scribe, or perhaps a fisherman from the Italian descendant calamaro "squid, calamari".
CalassoItalian Possibly from the given name Galasso, or from the dialectical word cala "cove, inlet, creek".
CalihuaNahuatl Meaning uncertain, possibly related to calli "house".
CaneEnglish From the English word meaning "cane, reed", a nickname for someone tall and thin, or perhaps an occupational name for someone who gathered reeds.
CannarsaItalian Possibly means "dry throat", a joking nickname for someone who drinks too much.
CantagalloItalian From the name of a town, or possibly a nickname meaning "singing rooster".
CantalupiItalian Denoting a person from Cantalupo, the name of several towns and counties near wooded areas where wolves could be heard. From Italian canta "singing" and lupo "wolf". ... [more]
CantoreItalian From cantore "cantor, singer", itself from Latin canto "sing; enchant, call forth by charms".
CanuItalian From Sardinian canu "gray-haired, hoary-haired". Compare Canuto.
CardenEnglish Derived from Middle English cardoon "wild thistle, artichoke thistle". Could be a nickname for someone who carded wool (which was originally done with thistles), for a person who lived near a thistle patch, or for a prickly and unapproachable person... [more]
CarganicoItalian Possibly from cargar, an Italic descendent of Latin carrico "to load", indicating someone who carried or loaded items for transport for a living.
CarosellaItalian From carosello "carousel, merry-go-round", possibly a nickname for a farmer, as a carousel was an allotment of grain collected by farmers. Also a type of jousting tournament.
CarotiItalian From Italian carota "carrot", probably referring to the bearer's hair colour.
CasseseItalian From 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.
CatapanoItalian Means "catapan, governor of a catepanate", ultimately from Byzantine Greek κατεπάνω (katepánō) "(the one) placed at the top, or the topmost".
CattermoleEnglish Found 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”.
CavadentiItalian From Italian cava ("to extract, to pull out") and denti ("teeth"), an occupational name for a dentist.
CehuanocatlNahuatl Meaning uncertain, possibly derived from Nahuatl cehua "to be cold, cold weather" or cehualli "shadow, shade cast by something", combined with the suffix -catl indicating affiliation.
ChildreyEnglish From the name of a village in Oxfordshire, England, derived from either the Old English given name Cilla or the element cille/cwylla "spring, well" combined with riþ "stream".
ChimalhuaNahuatl Means "has a shield, possessor of shields" in Nahuatl.
CiavarellaItalian From Sicilian ciavaredda "goat kid", an occupational name for a goatherd, or perhaps a nickname based on the bearer's appearance or behaviour.
CiavattaItalian From ciabatta "slippers", a nickname for a cobbler, or someone known for dressing casually.
CocciaItalian Meaning uncertain, possibly from Sicilian cocciu "grain, berry", denoting a kind of gruel; an occupational name for a farmer from Greek κόκκος (kokkos) "grain, seed"; or from Italian coccia "head, shell", referring to someone with a large head, or who was stubborn.
CoccimiglioItalian From Sicilian cuccumeli, the name of several fruit-bearing deciduous trees or of the hackberry plant, itself borrowed from an Ancient Greek word; possibly κοκκύμηλον (kokkymelon) "plum", literally "cuckoo apple", or from κόκκος (kókkos) "grain, seed, kernel" and μῆλον (mêlon) "apple, any fruit from a tree".
CoccoItalian Possibly from Italian cocco, meaning "darling, favourite" or "hen's egg".
CodinoItalian Means "pigtail, plait" in Italian, literally "tail's end". Ultimately from Latin cauda "tail (of an animal)". Perhaps given to someone who often wore their hair in such a style, possibly given to orphans or foundlings.
CodispotiItalian A Calabrian surname from Greek οικοδεσπότης (oikodespótis) "host, master of the house".
CogottiItalian From Sardinian cogotto "cockerel, rooster".
CoisItalian Possibly from the name of a lost town, Coni. Alternately, may be from dialectical words meaning "to cook" or "finch", referring to an occupation or nickname.
ConsiglioItalian Derived from the medieval given name Consilius, or from a short form of the auspicious name Buonconsiglio "good advice", associated with the Marian title Madonna del Buon Consiglio "Our Lady of Good Counsel".
ContestabileItalian Means "debatable, questionable" in Italian, perhaps a nickname for an argumentative person, or for someone of dubious respectability.
CopasEnglish Possibly a topographic name derived from Middle English coppis "coppice, thicket, grove of brushwood; cut-over forest".
CoppEnglish Derived from Old English copp "top, summit; crown (of the head)", a topographic name for someone who lived at the top of a hill, or perhaps a nickname for someone with an oddly-shaped head.
CorcinoSpanish Means "little deer", a diminutive of Spanish corzo "roe deer". More commonly used outside of Spain.
CordiscoItalian Possibly from Italian cordesco "second-born lamb, butchered calf".
CorletoItalian Habitational name derived from the town Corleto Perticara, the first element derived from Latin coryletum "hazel tree grove, copse of hazel trees".
CorongiuItalian Possibly from Sardinian corongiu "rocky hill, boulder, large mass", denoting someone who lived near such a landmark, or perhaps a nickname based on the bearer's physical appearance.
CorriasItalian Probably from Sardinian corria "leather strap, lace, belt; narrow strip of land".
CossuItalian Probably from Sardinian cossu "tub, trough, basin".
CoyacNahuatl Meaning uncertain, possibly derived from Nahuatl coyahuac "broad, wide" or coyoctic "a hole, something with a hole in it".
CraigieScottish Habitational name from any of several places in Scotland called Craigie, or simply a topographic name derived from Scottish Gaelic creag.
CucuzzaItalian From Sicilian cucuzza "marrow, pumpkin", perhaps a nickname for someone who resembled a pumpkin.
CugnascaItalian Meaning 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".
CugnoItalian From 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.
DaveyEnglish, Welsh Derived from the given name David. Alternately, it may be a variant spelling of Welsh Davies or Davis, which could be patronymic forms of David, or corrupted forms of Dyfed, an older Welsh surname and the name of a county in Wales.
DawlingEnglish Derived from the Old English given name Dealing, or possibly from Middle English Daulin, a rhyming pet form of Rawlin which is a medieval diminutive of Roul.
De BieDutch Means "the bee" in Dutch, a nickname for a beekeeper or a for a busy person, or perhaps a habitational name for someone who lived near a sign depicting a bee.
De BonoItalian Derives from the Latin word bonus, meaning "good".
De BreeDutch Means "the broad", from Dutch breed "broad, wide, large", a nickname for someone strong or with a broad build.
DefraiaItalian From an archaic Sardinian term, possibly meaning "factory", or from an alteration of frai "brother". Alternately, may mean "from Fraia", a settlement in Italy.
DegenGerman, Swiss Means "rapier, small sword, dagger" in German, an occupational name for someone who made rapiers. Alternately, it could be derived from a given name containing Old High German degan "soldier, warrior", such as Degenhard or Herdegen.