Browse Submitted Surnames

Alrabasi Arabic (Mashriqi)
Derived from the root word "rabiʿ" (ربيع), which means "spring" or "springtime" in Arabic.

Altohami Arabic (Egyptian)
Means, "A person from Tihamah" from the prefix 'al/el' (ال) meaning "the" and 'Tihāmah' (تِهَامَة), a Red Sea coastal plain of the Arabian Peninsula from the Gulf of Aqaba to the Bab el Mandeb.... [more]

Ambetsa Luhya

Andruk Ukrainian
Variant of Andriyenko.

Bakdash Arabic (Mashriqi)
An Arabic Turkish-Ottoman influenced surname of unknown meaning and is largely found in the Levant region (Syria, Lebanon) as well as among families in the United Arab Emirates and broader Middle Eastern diaspora.

Beaudelaire French (Quebec)
Franco-American & French-Canadian variant of the French surname Baudelaire. Also seen in Louisiana French-Creole.

Beausoleil French (Quebec), French
Topographic name for a person who lived in a place that was exposed to the sun, or from minor French place names, both derived from French beau "beautiful" and soleil "sun".

Benade Afrikaans
From Bénade, a regional or dialectical variation of Bénard or Bernard.

Chiguware Shona
Derived from 'Chi' a common noun class prefix in Shona that can indicate a thing, and the root 'guware' meaning 'coward'.

Chilupe Southern African
Chiefly used among the Bemba ethnic group in Zambia in the Lusaka, Copperbelt, and Luapula Provinces. It is in reference to the agricultural tool 'chilupe' which is used to separate husks from pounded grain.

Funderburgh Old High German
Means "from the fortress" or "from the castle" and is derived from the German element "von der" (from the) and "burg" from the Middle High German element meaning fortress, castle, or fortified town.

Fuson French (Huguenot)
An Anglicized variant of the Huguenot surname Fouchon which stems from the Old French personal name Folcher, from Germanic roots folk = “people” and hari/heri = “army”. Fuson may also share anglicization with other Huguenot French surname such as Foucher or Fousson.

Gaceri Eastern African
Surname chiefly found in the Kikuyu language (Gikuyu) group.

Ghaka Bengali
From the historical "Ghataks" who were professional matchmakers in Bengali society, who played a crucial role in arranging marriages and maintaining family lineages.

Hirpa Ethiopian
In the Oromo language, "Hirpa" is mostly interpreted to mean "blessed," "fortunate," or "gifted", though translations can vary based on dialect, regional usage, and context. A bearer of the surname is Bedatu Hirpa, a notable Ethiopian long-distance runner who won the women's race at the 2025 Paris Marathon.

Kereu Eastern African
A surname closely associated with the Kisii (or Abagusii) ethnic group, who primarily live in Kisii County in the western part of Kenya. Kisii clans have unique surnames or roots linked to ancestral lines.

Khin Burmese
From the Burmese 'khin' (ခင်) which means "to be close," "intimate," or "dear."

Konadu Akan
From the given name Konadu.

Kummell German
From the German word "Kümmel", which means caraway, a spice. Kummell is an occupational surname referring to someone who grew, sold, or used caraway in trade (e.g., a spice merchant, herbalist, or apothecary)... [more]

Kumpf Old High German
Derived from the Middle High German word “kumpf”, meaning bowl, pot, or cup. It was originally used as a nickname or occupational name for a potter or vessel maker.

Kyaw Burmese
From the Native Burmese word Kyaw (ကျော်) meaning “famous,” “renowned,” or “outstanding.”

Lofficial Haitian Creole
Derived from the French word, "l'officiel", which means "The official.". The surname appeared in Haiti post French colonization following the Haitian Revolution and the abolition of slavery. Newly freed individuals often adopted surnames for legal and administrative purposes.

Makigo Eastern African
From the Bantu prefix “Ma-” to indicate plurals or collective nouns and the root “kigo” or “kiko” which in this context means “place”. Effectively means, “the place of Kigo".

Mbituwoh Central African
From the prefix "Mbi-" which means "people of" or "descendants of." and the root "tuwoh" which is from the clan name, a small regional designation in Cameroon derived from the Toubou people.

McIlveen Scottish Gaelic
The surname McIlveen is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic name "Mac Giolla Mhín," meaning "son of Giolla Mín".

Mesfun Amharic
Mesfun translates to “prince” or “duke.” Historically, it was a prestigious title given to members of the imperial family or high-ranking nobility in the Ethiopian Empire. During the Zemene Mesafint (Era of the Princes),~ 1750 to 1850, people bearing the title "Mesfin" held substantial political and economic power, often governing regions with significant autonomy.

Mohale Southern African
A Sesotho given and surname using the prefix: "mo-", a common noun class prefix in Bantu languages, typically denoting a person or agent, and "-hale" which together translates to "hero" or "brave one".

Mollen Dutch
Means "mill" inboth Dutch and German from the German "mühle" and the Dutch "molen". Originally an occupational surname for someone who worked at or lived near a mill.

Mostaed Dari Persian
Derived from the Arabic and Persian word "mosta'ed" or "mostaʿid" (مستعد), which translates to "prepared," "ready," or "capable." In Arabic, it functions as an adjective meaning "ready" or "prepared," and in Persian, it carries similar connotations.

Muli Eastern African
Muli is chiefly found among the Kamba ethnic group in Kenya which is largely located in the Eastern Province. The Kamba people are part of the larger Bantu-speaking group. It derives from the given name and when used as a surname is patronymic... [more]

Mutembwa Shona
From the Shona elements Mu-: a common Shona prefix for people or agents, meaning "one who..." and -tembwa: derived from the verb “kutemba” or related forms meaning “to cut,” “to sever,”... [more]

Nakabugo Eastern African
A rare surname primarily found in Uganda derived from Nakabugo, with a documented origin in the Nkima clan of the Buganda kingdom. The name is derived from one of the daughters of the clan head, Mugema.

Nakibogo f Eastern African
From the prefix "Na-" which is commonly used in female names and can denote "mother of" or relate to femininity and the root "kibogo" which is a dialectal form of "kibuga," which in Luganda means "city" or "capital."

Ndezuh Central African

Nighswander German (Swiss)
An Americanized form of the Swiss German Neuenschwander or its variant Neuschwander.

Nkakoumoussou Southern African
Of Bantu-origin surname connected to family or clan identity (patronymic).

Nshimiyimana Eastern African
A common Kinyarwanda surname, the official language of Rwanda. Nshimiyimana breaks down into parts in Kinyarwanda: Nshimi — derived from the verb “gushima”, which means “to thank” or “to praise.”, yi — a possessive connector roughly meaning “of” or “who has.”, and mana — which means “God.”.

Nygren Swedish
From the elements "ny" meaning "new" and "gren" meaning "branch" or "twig".

Okumu Eastern African
In the Luo language, Okumu (for males) and Akumu (for females) are traditionally given to children conceived under unusual circumstances. Specifically, these names are associated with "mysterious births," such as conception occurring shortly after a previous birth but before the mother's menstrual cycle has resumed... [more]

Oyinade Western African
Of Yoruba origin, predominantly found in Nigeria. A compound surname from the word Oyin meaning "honey" or "sweetness" and Ade: meaning "crown" or "royalty".

Pounds English
From the Old English word "pund," which has two primary occupational meanings relevant to the surname's etymology. The first is a reference to someone who lived near or worked at a "pound," which was a public enclosure for stray or dis-trained livestock... [more]

Sakar Bengali
The surname Sakar is a variant of the more common surname, Sarkar, commonly found in India, particularly in West Bengal and Bangladesh which originates from the Persian word "sarkār," which translates to "chief, superintendent, or lord".

Shodipe Western African
From the Yoruba compound elements “Sho" (Ṣọ́) meaning "to guard" or "to watch over.", “Di” meaning "to become" or "to be.", and “Pe” which means "complete," "perfect,".

Taran Sanskrit
Derived from the Sanskrit word “Tara” (तारा), meaning “star” or “to cross over (water)”— symbolizing salvation, guidance, or crossing to safety.

Tukamushaba Eastern African
Derived from Runyankore-Rukiga languages, spoken primarily by the Banyankole and Bakiga ethnic groups in southwestern Uganda. From the elements Tuka-: a first-person plural imperative prefix meaning "let us" or "we should.", -mu-: a personal pronoun meaning "him" or "him/her.", and -shaba: derived from the verb "okushaba" meaning "to thank" or "to praise." The overall meaning being "Let us thank him" or "We should thank him.".

Tukashabe Eastern African
In Luganda, "Tuka" means "to stay" or "to reside," and "shabe" could be a variation of "shabe", meaning "to be happy" or "to rejoice."

Varaworn Thai
From วร (Wara / Vara) derived from the Sanskrit वर (vara) which means "excellent, noble, best, chosen." and วรณ์ (Worn / Vorn) which is a Thai suffix that can derive from Sanskrit -वर्ण (varṇa) meaning color, class, category or appearance and in modern Thai surnames it is often used ornamentally or as an honorific flourish.

Vestal French (Huguenot)
French Huguenot alternate from the Old French word "Vassal".

Wigren Old Norse
From the Old Norse Végrein derived from the prefix "Wi-" or "Vi-" in Scandinavian place names and surnames often relates to "holy place" or "sanctuary" (from Old Norse vé meaning a sacred place or shrine) with the suffix "-gren" means "branch" in Swedish.

Zongo Hausa
In Hausa “Zongo” refers to settlement areas or quarters traditionally inhabited by traders, migrants, or communities often of Muslim background. The word broadly means “a neighborhood or camp”.