Browse Submitted Surnames

Dioaiuti Italian
Means "may god help you", from dio "god" and aiutare "to help, assist". Most often given to foundlings and orphans.

Diotallevi Italian
Means "god raise you", from Italian dio "god, deity" and allevi "to raise (children)". Often given to abandoned or orphaned children.

Dock English, Scottish
Possibly a variant of Duke or Duck. Alternatively, could be derived from a place name such as Doxey.

Dock Norwegian
Habitational name from a farm called Dokk, from Old Norse dǫkk "pit, hollow, depression", itself from Proto-Germanic *dankwaz "dark".

Dock German
An occupational name for someone who worked with textiles, related to the German word Tuch "cloth, piece of fabric".

Donders Dutch
From Dutch donder meaning "thunder", a nickname for someone loud or boisterous.

Doneddu Italian
From Sardinian doneddu "little gift".

Donker Dutch
Means "dark, dim, somber" in Dutch, a nickname for a person with dark hair or a dark complexion, or perhaps for someone with a gloomy demeanour.

Donna Italian
Probably a matronymic, from the given name Donna meaning "lady, mistress" in classical Italian and "woman" in modern Italian. May alternately derive from a place name.

Donnaloia Italian
A matronymic from Italian donna "lady, mistress" and Aloia.

Douma West Frisian
Patronymic from the personal name Douwe.

Douw Dutch
Possibly from the given name Douwe, derived from West Frisian do "dove, pigeon". Alternatively, from a short form of David.

Dow English
Variant of Daw.

Dow Dutch (Americanized)
Americanized spelling of Dutch Douw.

Dow German (Americanized)
Americanized form of Dau, from the Frisian personal name Douwe meaning "dove, pigeon".

Downing English
Topographic name derived from Middle English doun "hill, down" (see dun). Compare Downer.

Drenth Dutch
From the place name Drenthe, possibly derived from Old Dutch thrie "three" and hant "lands".

D'uva Italian
From Italian uva "grape", meaning "of the grapes". An occupational name for someone who produced grapes, or possibly a nickname.

Duyster Dutch
Derived from Middle Dutch duuster meaning "dark, gloomy, obscure" or "stupid, terrible".

Ecca Italian
From Sardinian ecca "gate".

Eck German
From Old High German ekka meaning "edge, corner".

Ellerby English
Denoted a person from a town called Ellerby, meaning "Ælfweard’s farm", or perhaps "alder tree town" from Middle English aller "alder tree" and Old Norse býr "farm, settlement".

Elortza Basque
Derived from Basque elorri "hawthorn, thorn" and the abundance suffix -tza.

Espa Italian
From Sardinian espa "wasp", making this a cognate of Vespa.

Fadda Italian
Possibly from fada "fairy, fate", or from Sardinian fadda "error", itself from Latin falla "mistake, failure, trick".

Faggiano Italian
From Italian faggio "beech (tree)".

Falaguerra Italian
Possibly means "make war" in Italian, from fare "to make, to provoke" and guerra "war". Alternately, from a given name of the same origin. ... [more]

Falanga Italian
From Sicilian falanga "plank, temporary bridge; fence".

Falasca Italian
Possibly from a dialectical word falasca meaning "straw", referring to someone's build or hair, or possibly an occupation of making things out of straw.

Falone Italian
Meaning uncertain, possibly from a dialectical word for a row of grapes or tomatoes.

Fanara Italian
A Sicilian occupational name from Greek φαναράς (fanarás) "lampmaker", ultimately from φανός (fanós) "torch, lamp".

Fanciulacci Italian
Probably means "bad child", from Italian fanciullo "child" and the pejorative suffix -accio.

Fanciulli Italian
Means "child" in Italian.

Fanti Italian
Derived from the given name Fante, or another name containing the medieval element fante "child, boy".

Farris Italian
From Sardinian farris "barley flour".

Fasano Italian
Probably from Italian fasani "pheasant", a nickname for someone who resembled the bird in appearance or (lack of) intelligence, who hunted them, or who lived in an area populated by them. ... [more]

Fatica Italian
From Italian fatica "hard work, effort, labour; fatigue".

Feenstra West Frisian, Dutch
Variant of Veenstra.

Fegatilli Italian
From Italian fegato "liver", figuratively used to denote courage. May be occupational, for someone who cooked liver, or a nickname for someone considered to be courageous.

Felli Italian
Possibly derived from a nickname based on fello "criminal; evil, wretched; angry; sad, gloomy".

Fellin Venetian
Variant of Fellini.

Fenoglio Italian
Variant of Finocchio.

Fenton English
Originated from several place names in England, meaning “marsh town” from Old English fenn “marsh, fen” + tun “enclosure; settlement, town”.

Fenu Italian
From Sardinian fenu "hay, marsh grass". A relation to Latin faenus "interest, profit" has been suggested, but seems unlikely.

Fera Italian
Probably related to modern Italian fiero "fierce, savage, raging; bold, daring; proud", by way of Latin ferus "wild, fierce; untamed" or fera "wild beast".

Ferella Italian
Possibly an elaborate form of Fera.

Ferla Italian
Denoting someone from a town of the same name, from Latin ferula "stick, cane".

Fichera Italian
From Sicilian fichera "fig tree", a nickname for someone who grew or sold figs, or perhaps lived near them.

Finco Venetian
From Venetian finco "finch", possibly a nickname for someone considered shrewd or cunning.

Finocchio Italian
From Italian finocchio "fennel", a nickname for someone who grew or sold the plant. In modern Italian, the word is a derogatory slang term for a gay man. The meaning "fine eye, keen eyesight" has also been suggested.

Flammia Italian
From Latin flammeus "flaming, fiery; flame-coloured", probably referring to the bearer's red hair.

Floris Italian
Cognate to Flores, or a toponym from Sardinian floris "flowers". Possibly from the Latin cognomen Florens meaning "prosperous, flourishing".

Foe English (Rare)
From Middle English fo "foe, enemy; hostile", possibly a nickname for someone who played the Devil in a pageant play. Can also be a variant form of Fow.

Foglia Italian
From Italian foglia "leaf".

Fogu Italian
From Sardinian fogu "fire", perhaps referring to the hearth of a home, or to the bearer's personality or hair colour.

Fois Italian
From a Sardinian nickname, related to Latin bos "bull, ox".

Forconi Italian
From Italian forcone "pitchfork, fork".

Fornari Italian
From Italian fornaio "baker", ultimately from Latin furnus "oven".

Forner Venetian
Variant of Fornari.

Foschi Italian
From Italian fosco "dark, murky (colour); gloomy", a nickname referring to the bearer's hair colour or mood. May also stem from the given name Fuscus, of the same meaning.

Fow English
Derived from Middle English fou "spotted, stippled, multicoloured".

Foweather English
Derived from the place name Fawether, Bingley, itself a combination of Middle English fah "multicoloured, stippled" and hather "heather"... [more]

Francoletti Italian
Probably means "son of Franco", or derives from a similar name.

Franken Dutch
Patronymic form of the given name Frank.

Fratta Italian
Means "thicket, hedge".

Fratti Italian
Variant of Frattini.

Frattini Italian
Probably from Italian frate "monk, friar; brother". May also be from a place name.

Frigerio Italian
Possibly from the Lombard name for hackberry.

Fumagalli Italian
Means "smoke the rooster" in Italian, from fuma "to smoke" and gallo "rooster". Refers to filling a henhouse with smoke to keep the chickens quiet when stealing them, thus making this a name probably given to chicken thieves.

Fusillo Italian
From Italian fuso "spindle", referring to their occupation, or a nickname based on the bearer's build. Also the name of a type of pasta.

Galano Italian
A Campanian name from Greek γαλανός (galanós) "light blue, pale blue", denoting someone with blue eyes.

Galbusera Italian
From Latin gallicus albus agger, "white Gallic Field".

Gamberini Italian
Possibly from the given name Gambrinus or Gambarus. The Italian word gambero "prawn, shrimp" has also been suggested as an origin.

Gandolfi Italian
Means "son of Gandolf".

Gans German, Dutch
From Old High German ganz "whole, intact, healthy", a nickname for a particularly strong or healthy person.

Garau Italian
Possibly from a Sardinian modification of the given name Gherardo. Alternately, it may be from a Spanish surname derived from Basque garau "grain, wheat".

Gariépy Basque (Gallicized), French (Quebec)
From the Basque surname Garibai.

Garufi Italian
Meaning uncertain, possibly related to the Germanic given name Garulf, or to Arabic qaruf "hard, cruel".

Garvin Irish
Anglicized form of Irish Ó Gairbhín "descendant of Garbhán", a given name derived from a diminutive form of Old Irish garb "rough, coarse, rugged, cruel".

Garvin English
Derived from the Old English given name Garwine meaning "spear friend".

Garzia Italian
Italian variant of García.

Gasparini Italian
Variant of Gaspari.

Gastelo Spanish
Variant of Gaztelu.

Gattini Italian
Means "kitten, little cat" in Italian.

Gattinoni Italian
Variant of Gattini.

Gavazzi Italian
Means "revelry, merrymaking, riot" in Italian.

Gaztelu Basque
From Basque gaztelu "castle", denoting someone from the town of Gaztelu in Basque country, Spain.

Gebbia Italian
From Sicilian gebbia "irrigation cistern", itself from Arabic جُبّ‎ (jubb) "cistern, well".

Gemito Italian
From a misspelling of genito "to be born", given to sculptor Vincenzo Gemito upon being abandoned at an orphanage as an infant.

Gerosa Italian
Denoted someone from the town of Gerosa in Lombardy, or perhaps a nickname from geros (modern ghiaioso) "gravelly".

Gerritsen Dutch
Means "Gerrit’s son" in Dutch.

Gessa Italian
Possibly a variant of Chessa. Alternately, may be from a Sardinian term for "mulberry".

Geurts Dutch
Patronymic form of the personal name Geurt.

Geus Dutch
Derived from the given name Goswin, or possibly a short form of a name beginning with the elements god "good" or god "god".

Ghioni Italian
Possibly from the given name Guido.

Ghislanzoni Italian
Possibly from the Germanic name Guislan.

Giarrizzo Italian
From the given name Giovanni and riccio "curly".

Giarrusso Italian
From the given name Giovanni and rosso "red", a nickname for someone with red hair.

Gielen Dutch, Low German
Patronymic from the given name Giel.

Gigante Italian
Means "giant" in Italian.

Gilardi Italian
Means "son of Gilardo", a rare Italian form of the Germanic given name Gerard.

Gioi Italian
Possibly from Sardinian angioi "lamb", a nickname for a shepherd, or from gioi "Thursday".

Goetbloet Flemish
Means "good blood".

Gorter Dutch
Occupational name for someone who brewed beer or supplied ingredients for doing so, derived from either Dutch gruit, an herbal mixture used to flavour beer, or from the related word gort (also grut) "groat, grit, husked barley, pearl barley".

Greg English
Variant spelling of Gregg.

Groeneveld Dutch
Means "green field" in Dutch.

Guasti Italian
Meaning uncertain, may denote someone from the town of Guasto. Alternately, it may be an occupational name from gastaldo "chamberlain", from Latin gastaldus "manager, bailiff, steward", or be a nickname from guasto "broken, crippled".

Guercio Italian
Probably a variant of Guerzoni, though it may derive from a Germanic given name.

Guerzoni Italian
From guercio "cross-eyed, one-eyed; blind in one eye".

Gulden Dutch, German
Means "golden, gilded" or "guilder, florin (coin)", possibly an occupational name for a goldsmith, or a habitational name derived from a house.

Gusmeroli Italian
Possibly from an alternate form of Cosma.

Habets Dutch
Patronymic from the given name Habert, a diminutive of Haribert, Hadubert, or Hagabert.

Hamel German, Jewish
Habitational name from the town of Hamelin, which sits on the Hamel river.

Hamel English
Variant of Hamill.

Hamers Dutch
Derived from Dutch hamer "hammer".

Hanvey Irish
Variant of Hanafin.

Harmsen Dutch, Low German, Danish
Means "son of Harm" in Dutch and Danish.

Hartog Dutch
Variant of Den Hartog.

Hauschild German
Possibly from German haus "house" or hauen "to chop, to hack" combined with schild "shield".

Hauteville French
From French haute "high" and ville "town, estate".

Hazard French, Flemish
From Middle Dutch hase "hare".

Hazard English
Variant form of Hansard.

Heckenlaible German (Rare)
Probably derived from Middle High German hecke "hedge" and a diminutive form of loube "arbour, bower".

Heijnen Dutch
Patronymic from Heijn, a short form of the given name Hendrik.

Hermsen Dutch
Means "son of Herm", a short form of Herman.

Herrick English
From the personal name Erik.

Herrick Irish
Anglicized form of Irish Ó hEirc "descendant of Erc", a byname meaning "speckled, spotted".

Heyer Dutch
From Middle Dutch heiger "heron", a nickname for someone with long legs. Alternatively, from a Germanic personal name composed of hag "enclosure, hedge" and heri "army".

Heyer English
Variant of Ayer.

Hiemstra West Frisian, Dutch
Derived from West Frisian hiem "home" or the related Dutch Low Saxon hiem "farmstead, homestead" combined with the habitational suffix -stra.

Hinkelbein German
Nickname for someone with a limp, from Middle High German hinken "to limp, hobble" and bein "leg, bone".

Hoed Dutch
Means "hat, cover", an occupational name for a hatmaker.

Hoen Dutch, German
From the personal name Huno, a short form of names containing the element hun "bear cub, offspring".

Hoen Norwegian
Denoted someone from one of two farmsteads called Hon, derived from either Old Norse hundr "dog" or from Hóvin, a compound of hór "high", or possibly hof "temple, shrine", and vin "meadow".

Hoff German
Means "yard, court, farmyard", from Germanic hof.

Hofman mu Polish, Czech, Slovene, Croatian, Slovak
Derived from German Hoffmann.

Hofstede Dutch
Means "farmstead, property; farmhouse with land" in Dutch, a compound of Old Dutch hof "yard, court" and stat "place, location, abode, town".

Höld German
Variant of Held.

Holl German
Short form of German Höld.

Holl English
Variant of Hole.

Holl Dutch
Variant of Holle.

Holle Dutch
Derived from a short form of given names containing the element hold "friendly, gracious, loyal".

Holman English
Uncertain etymology. Could be a topographic name derived from Old English holh "hollow, hole" or holm, which can mean either "holly" or "small island" (see Holme), combined with man "man, person"... [more]

Homan English
Variant of Human.

Homan Dutch
From Old Dutch hovitman "leader, head man, chief". Alternatively, the Dutch form of Hoffmann.

Hoog Dutch
Variant of De Hoog.

Hoogendoorn Dutch
From any of several place names derived from either hoog "high" or haag "hedge" combined with doorn "thorn bush".

Hoogeveen Dutch
From any of several places called Hoogeveen, derived from Dutch hoog "high, elevated" and veen "peat bog, marsh".

Hoogteijling Dutch
Habitational name from Hoogteilingen, derived from hoogh "high" and the toponym Teijlingen, from Old Dutch *tagla "tail, narrow ridge".

Hoot German (Americanized)
Americanized form of Hoth.

Hopf German
An occupational name for a brewer or farmer, from German Hopfen meaning "hops", a plant used in preserving and flavouring beer.

Hoth German
Variant of Huth.

Hout Dutch
Means "wood, forest", a Dutch cognate of Holt. Can also be an occupational name (see Houtman).

Hübenthal German
From either of two place names, derived from the older form Hufinadah meaning "valley where the hooves were".

Hück German
Topographic name meaning "bog" or "corner".

Huck German, Dutch
Pet form of the given name Hugo.

Huizinga West Frisian, Dutch
Habitational name from Huizinge, a town in Groningen, Netherlands, possibly derived from Old Frisian hūs "house" and dinge "newly cultivated lands"... [more]

Hulshof Dutch
Habitational name derived from Middle Dutch hul "holly" and hof "court, garden, farmstead".

Huth German
From Middle High German huot "hat, cap, helmet", a name for someone who made or wore hats.

Hyatt Jewish (Americanized)
Americanized form of Chait.

Iacono Italian
From Sicilian jacunu "deacon".

Ibba Italian
Meaning uncertain, possibly from Sardinian v-ibba "settlement" (compare Deidda), or from Latin ibi "that place, there".

Ingleby English
From the names of either of two hamlets in England, derived from Old Norse Englar "Englishman" and býr "farmstead, village".

Inutile Italian
Means "useless" in Italian.

Invernizzi Italian
Probably denoted someone from Inverno e Monteleone, a municipality in Lombardy. Inverno itself is Italian for "winter".

Iraola Basque
Derived from Basque ira "fern" and -ola "location, place of".

Janse Dutch
Variant of Jansen.

Jonkman Dutch
Means "young man" or "bachelor".

Kamphuis Dutch
Topographic name for someone who lived near a field, derived from Dutch kamp "enclosed field" and huis "house, home, building".

Kanters Dutch
An occupational name for a singer, such as a precentor (someone who leads songs or prayers in a church, monastery, or synagogue) or choir member. Ultimately derived from Latin cantor "singer, leader of song at a ceremony; prayer leader in a Jewish ceremony".

Kármán Hungarian
An ethnic name for people from Karaman, Turkey, via Medieval Latin Caramanus.

Karman Jewish
From Russian карман (karman) meaning "pocket, bag pocket", probably an occupational name for someone who made such items. Alternatively, could derive from Hungarian Kármán.

Karmann German
German form of Carman 1.

Keizer Dutch
Dutch cognate of Kaiser.

Kenealy Irish
Variant of Kenneally.

Kersten Low German, Dutch
Derived from the given name Kersten, a Dutch and low German form of Christian.

Kin English
From a short form of names containing cyne "royal, kingly" or cynn "relations, family, tribe".

Kind English
Nickname from Middle English kynde meaning "kind, type, nature" or "disposition", possibly used in the sense of "legitimate".

Kinne Flemish
Variant of Kin.

Klaver Dutch
Means "clover" in Dutch, a topographic name for someone who lived by a field of clovers or a sign depicting them, or an occupational name for a clover farmer.

Klem German, Dutch
From a short form of the given name Klemens, or a location named using the personal name.

Klemm German
Either from Middle High German klem "narrow, tight", a nickname for miserly person, or from the related klemme "constriction; narrows", a habitational name for someone who lived in a narrow area... [more]

Klijn Dutch
Could be a variant of Klein "small, little", or could be derived from Old Dutch kluin (also klyn or kloen) "peat".

Kloek Dutch
From Middle Dutch cloec meaning "deft, clever, skilful", derived from Old Germanic *klōkaz "strong, quick, smart".

Klok Dutch
From Middle Dutch clocke "bell", an occupational name for someone who made or rang bells, or perhaps for a clockmaker. Compare Van Der Klok and Kloek.

Kloosterman Dutch
Derived from Dutch klooster "cloister, monastery" and man "person, man", given to someone who worked for a monastery or lived near one.

Kluit Dutch
Means "lump, clod (of earth)" in Dutch.

Knol Dutch
Derived from Middle Dutch knolle "tuber, turnip, lump of earth", a nickname for a fat or clumsy person, or an occupational name for a farmer.

Koelewijn Dutch
Derived from Dutch koel "cool, cold" and wei "whey", a metonymic occupational name for a dairy farmer. Altered by folk etymology to mean "cool wine". Can also derive from a place name.

Koenen Dutch
Patronymic from the given name Koen, a short form of names beginning with the element kuoni "brave, bold".

Koers Dutch
Means "son of Koert".

Konings Dutch
Patronymic form of Koning.

Kooij Dutch
From Dutch kooi meaning "cage", often referring to a pen or duck decoy (a plot of land with a pond set aside to lure in ducks). Occupational name for someone who raised or hunted ducks, or who made cages.

Koop German, Dutch
From kopen "to buy".

Koopmans Dutch
Patronymic form of Koopman.

Koops Dutch, Low German
Patronymic from the given name Koop, a diminutive form of Jakob. Alternatively, a variant of German and Dutch Koop.

Koot Dutch
Possibly derived from Middle Dutch kuut "coot (bird)".

Körmös Hungarian
From Hungarian köröm "nail, claw", indicating someone with long or dirty nails, or perhaps someone aggressive.

Kormos Hungarian
Means "sooty" in Hungarian. Most likely a nickname for someone with dark hair or a shabby appearance, but may also be an occupational name for a house painter who used soot as a raw material. ... [more]

Kraan Dutch
Means "crane" in Dutch, referring to both the bird and the machine. Usually a nickname for a tall or long-legged person, but can also be an occupational name for someone who worked a mechanical crane, or a habitational name from a place containing the element kraan.

Krabbe German, Dutch, Danish
Means "crab, shrimp", either a metonymic occupational name for someone who caught or sold shellfish, or a nickname based on someone’s way of walking.

Kreul German
From Middle Low German krouwel "hook, claw; three-pronged fork, trident, meat hook", a metonymic name for someone who made such tools, or a nickname for someone who used them.

Kriebel German
Nickname from Middle High German kribeln "to tickle, tingle, itch". Can also be a variant form of Kreul.

Krijgsman Dutch
Means "warrior, soldier" in Dutch, derived from krijg "war, warfare" and man "person, man".

Krijnen Dutch
Patronymic from the given name Krijn, a diminutive of Quirijn, the Dutch form of Quirinus.

Kroes Dutch, Low German
Means "frizzy, curly (hair)" in Dutch.

Kroes Dutch, Low German
Means "chalice, cup, jug" in Dutch, an occupational name for someone who made drinking vessels, such as a potter. Could also be a habitational name for someone who lived by a sign depicting a cup.

Kroeze Dutch, Low German
Variant spelling of Kroes.

Kröll German
From Middle High German krellen "to claw", a nickname for a snappish or cruel person. Compare Kreul.

Kroll Polish (Germanized)
Germanized form of Król.

Kroll German
Derived from the given name Rollo.

Krouwel Dutch
From Middle Dutch crauwel meaning "trident, hook, claw", an occupational name for someone who used such a tool, or habitational name for someone who lived near a landmark depicting it.

Kues Dutch (Rare)
From Middle Dutch cuse "club, cudgel, knobstick".

Kusters Dutch
Variant of Koster.

Laan Dutch
Means "lane, avenue" in Dutch (see Van Der Laan). Alternatively, could be a matronymic from the given name Lane, a Middle Dutch diminutive of Juliana and other names with similar elements.

La Cognata Italian
From Sicilian cugnata "hatchet". Compare Cugno.

Lai Italian
Possibly denoting someone from Alà dei Sardi, or derived from the given name Nicola 1. Alternately, it may derive from lai, a type of lyrical poem.

Lam German, Dutch
From a short form of the given name Lambert.

Lamers Dutch
Patronymic from the given name Lamert, a variant of Lammert.

Lammers Dutch, German
Patronymic form of the given name Lammert, a variant of Lambert.

Lander English
Variant of Launder and Lavender.

Lander German, Jewish
Topographic or status name from Middle High German lant "land, territory".

Landers English, Irish
From Norman French de Londres meaning "of London".

Langhoor Dutch, Belgian
Means "long ear", from lang "long, tall" and oor "ear", a nickname for someone with large ears, or perhaps good hearing.

Langhorn Danish
Habitational name from Langenhorn (Danish Langhorn), a settlement in the north of Germany that was at one point under Danish rule.

Langhorne English
From Middle English lang "long" and horn "horn". Can be a habitational name from a place named with the elements, with horn used in the sense of a promontory or extending piece of land... [more]

Langiu Italian
From Sardinian langiu "slim, thin", cognate to Long.

Lark English
From the name of the bird, a nickname for a singer or a cheerful person, or perhaps someone who caught and sold larks. Alternatively, could be a shortened form of the personal name Larkin.

Larregui Basque (Hispanicized)
Castilianized form of Larregi.

Laster English
Occupational name for a shoemaker, or for someone who made lasts, a wooden tool in the shape of a foot used for stretching and shaping leather when making boots.

Laster English
Variant spelling of Lester.

Lauwer Flemish
Occupational name for a tanner, from Dutch looien "to tan (leather)".

Le Bras Breton
Altered form of Breton Ar Brazh meaning "the great, the imposing" or "the big, the fat", ultimately from Proto-Celtic *brassos "great, violent".

Leenders Dutch
Patronymic form of Leendert.

Leggio Italian
From Sicilian leggiu "light, not heavy; superficial", a nickname for someone considered unreliable or irresponsible. Variant of Leggièri.

Lever English
Topographic name for someone who lived in a place thickly grown with rushes, from Old English lǣfer "rush, reed". Compare Laver. Great and Little Lever in Greater Manchester (formerly in Lancashire) are named with this word, and in some cases the surname may also be derived from these places.

Lever Dutch, English
Possibly from personal name composed of the elements leof "dear, beloved" and here "army" or hard "strong", such as Leofhere or Leffert.

Licht German, Dutch, Yiddish
Means "light" or "candle". Could be an occupational name for a chandler, a topographic name for someone who lived in a clearing (see Lichte), or a nickname for someone who had light hair, or who was agile and slender.

Lichte German
Habitational name for someone who lived in a clearing (see Lucht) or topographic name from a town in Germany, situated by the Lichte river. Alternatively, a variant of Licht.

Licursi Italian
Of Albanian origin, either an occupational name for a tanner from lëkurë "skin, leather", or a habitational name.

Liddell English
From the Liddel river, which takes its name from Okd English hl̄de “loud” + dæl “valley”.

Lieman Dutch
From a Germanic personal name composed of liut "people", or possibly liob "dear, beloved", combined with man "person, man" (see Liutman, Liefman).

Liistro Italian
From Sicilian lijistru "privet", a kind of shrub or small tree.

Linn Irish
Variant of Lynn.

Linn German
Toponymic surname derived from Germanic lin "swamp, bog, marsh".

Linn German
Derived from the given name Linto, a short form of names containing the element lind "soft, flexible".

Linn German (Silesian), Jewish (Ashkenazi)
Derived from the Slavic word lin "tench (fish)", a nickname for a fisherman, or for a person who somehow resembled a tench.

Linn Finnish (Anglicized)
Anglicized form of Linna, or a like-sounding surname.

Linn Estonian
Means "city" in Estonian. Compare Finnish Linna "castle".

Littarru Italian
From Sardinian littarru "buckthorn".

Locci Italian
Possibly from the Spanish given name Eloche (see Elochius.

Locke English, German
From Old English or Old High German loc meaning "lock of hair, curl".

Locke English
Occupational name for a locksmith.

Lodde Italian
From Sardinian lodde "fox".

Lo Guasta Italian
Variant of Guasti, literally "the broken". Probably used as a nickname for someone with a twisted or deformed limb, used in at least one case for a foundling.

Loi Italian
Clipped form of Balloi.

Loia Italian
Most likely a variant of Aloia. May alternately be related to Italian loggia "atrium, open-roofed gallery", Greek λεώς (leos) "the people", or Tuscan loia "dirt, filth on clothes or skin", perhaps a nickname for someone with a profession that often made them dirty, such as mining.

Lokerse Dutch
Possibly a patronymic form of a given name such as Lokke, or a habitational name from a place using the Middle Dutch element loken "to close, shut, fence" (compare Lock).

Louwers Dutch
Either a patronymic from a short form of Laurentius, or an occupational name for a tanner from Dutch looien "to tan (leather)".

Lubbers Dutch
Patronymic from the given name Lubbert.

Lucius German
Latinized form of Lutz.

Luijten Dutch
From the given name Luit or Luitje, a diminutive form of names beginning with the element liud "people".

Luiten Dutch
Variant of Luijten.

Lunatici Italian
A nickname for a quirky or temperamental person, ultimately from Latin lunaticus "of the moon, moonstruck".

Lusso Italian
From the given name Lucius, or possibly the toponym Santu Lussurgiu.

Luter English
From Middle English leuter "lute player", or else from Old French lutre "otter", either a nickname or a metonymic name for someone who hunted otters.

Luyando Basque (Hispanicized), Spanish
Castilianized form of Luiaondo.

Luyten Dutch
Variant of Luijten.

Lyman German
Americanized form of German Leimann, Americanized form of Leinemann, habitational name for someone from Leine in Pomerania, or for someone who lived by either of two rivers called Leine, near Hannover and in Saxony.

Lynn Irish
Shortened Anglicized form of Ó Floinn.

Maassen Dutch
Patronymic form of Maas.

Macaluso Italian
Possibly from Arabic مخلوص (maklus) "freed, liberated", indicating a freedman or slave who had been liberated, which may be related to Sicilian macaluscio, "cleaned and prepared cotton".

Macis Italian
From Sardinian maccia "shrub, thick bush, brush", or possibly denoting someone from the village Simax.

Mack German, Dutch, French
From the Germanic personal name Macco or Makko.

Madau Italian
From Sardinian madau "fold, enclosure for sheep".

Madeddu Italian
Possibly a variant of Madau "sheepfold". Alternately, may derive from a Sardinian variant of Amato "beloved", or from the Latin cognomen Metellus "hired servant".

Maia Basque
From the name of a village in Navarre, Spain, called Amaiur in Basque, derived from amai "end, boundary, limit" (compare the given name Amaia).

Maiorana Italian
From Sicilian maiurana, "marjoram (herb)".

Malandra Italian
Possibly related to Italian malandrino "dishonest, mischievous; rascal".

Malatesta Italian
Means "bad head" in Italian, a nickname for a stubborn or perhaps malicious person. It could have also indicated the bearer had a misshapen head. ... [more]

Malfatto Italian
Means "badly made, shoddy; deformed" in Italian, possibly originating with the nickname Malefactus "ugly, injured". Cognate to French Malfait.

Malinconico Italian
Means "gloomy, melancholy" in Italian.

Malo Italian
Possibly from Italian mano "hand", a nickname for a skillful person, or a short form of a given name such as Romano.

Malvestio Italian
From Venetian malvestio "poorly-dressed, shabby", given to foundlings turned into an orphanage with shabby clothes.

Malvestiti Italian
Variant of Malvestio.

Mambelli Italian
Possibly from Italian mano "hand" and bello "beautiful".

Manacorda Italian
Possibly means "bad heart", from Latin malus "bad" and cordis "heart".

Manai Italian
From Sardinian mannai "grandfather, grandmother".

Mangialaglio Italian
Means "eats garlic" in Italian, from mangia "to eat" and aglio "garlic". Possibly a nickname for someone known for heavily seasoning their food, or for having bad breath.

Mangiaracina Italian
The Sicilian name for salpa, a kind of fish, from mangia "to eat" and racina "grapes".

Mangiarotti Italian
From an Italian nickname, possibly meaning "rat eater".

Manocchio Italian
Meaning uncertain, possibly from Italian mano "hand" and occhio "eye", an elaboration of the surname Mano, or an altered form of malocchio meaning "evil eye".

Marcioni Italian
Means "son of Marcio".

Marigo Italian
Either from Venetian marigo "mayor of a rural village", or from the given name Amerigo.

Markelj Slovene
From the given name Markelj.

Markell English
Habitational name from various locations in England containing the Old English element mearc (from Old Germanic markō) meaning "border, boundary".

Markl German
From a pet form of given names containing the element markō "boundary, border", such as Markolf and Markward.

Marongiu Italian
From Sardinian marongiu "to hoe, hoeing", from marra "hoe, digging tool".

Massidda Italian
From Sardinian massidda "jaw, jawbone".

Mastrangelo Italian
From Italian mastro "master, expert craftsman" combined with the given name Angelo.