AceEnglish, Norman, Medieval French The surname Ace's origin is from a Norman and Old French personal name, Ace, Asse, from Germanic Frankish origin Azzo, Atso, a pet form of personal names containing adal ‘noble’ as a first element.
AdelmundFrankish Meaning "Noble Protection", Adel, being a variation of germanic adal, meaning "noble" and mund, meaning "protection".
AglerEnglish From one or more Middle English personal names variously written Alger, Algar, Alcher, Aucher, etc. These represent a falling together of at least three different Continental Germanic and Old English names: Adalgar "noble spear" (Old English Æ{dh}elgār), Albgar "elf spear" (Old English Ælfgār), and Aldgar "old spear" (Old English (E)aldgār)... [more]
AhlbornGerman From the old personal name Albern, from Germanic adal meaning "noble" and boran meaning "born".
AhlerGerman, Dutch, Danish from a Germanic personal name composed of the elements adal ‘noble’ + hari,heri ‘army’.
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".
AllinEnglish Variant spelling of Allen. Also a derivative of the Norman female name Adelina, based on Germanic adal, 'noble'.
AllisEnglish From the Middle English and Old French female personal name Alis (Alice), which, together with its diminutive Alison, was extremely popular in England in the Middle Ages. The personal name is of Germanic origin, brought to England from France by the Normans; it is a contracted form of Germanic Adalhaid(is), which is composed of the elements adal "noble" and haid "brilliance, beauty".
AllowayEnglish Means (i) "person from Alloway, Alloa or Alva", the name of various places in Scotland ("rocky plain"); or (ii) from the medieval male personal name Ailwi (from Old English Æthelwīg, literally "noble battle").
AlmondEnglish From the Middle English personal name Almund, from Old English Æthelmund, "noble protection" and variant of Allman, assimilated by folk etymology to the vocabulary word denoting the tree.
AlwardtGerman From the personal name Adelward, composed of the Germanic elements adal ‘noble’ + ward ‘keeper’, ‘protector’.
ArikunThai Possibly from Thai อารย (araya) meaning "superior, noble, civilized" and กุล (kun), a transcription of Pali kula meaning "clan".
AriyapalaSinhalese Derived from Sanskrit आर्य (arya) meaning "noble, honourable, respectable" and पाल (pala) meaning "guard, protector".
AriyaratneSinhalese Derived from Sanskrit आर्य (arya) meaning "noble, honourable, respectable" and रत्न (ratna) meaning "jewel, treasure".
AriyawansaSinhalese Derived from Sanskrit आर्य (arya) meaning "noble, honourable, respectable" and वंश (vansa) meaning "lineage, clan, family".
AseltonAmerican Asel being a variant of Asil meaning ""noble"" and ton meaning ""town"".
AtaídesPortuguese For people descending from inhabitants of Freguesia do Ataíde, in Portugal; currently part of Vila Meã, or related to the noble family who owned those lands. The place was probably named after Athanagild, 6th-century king of Visigothic Hispania and probable founder of the village.
AtenFrisian, Dutch The Frisian name Aten means "Noble Wolf". The name was probably given to lesser lords. As noble would mean nobility. As wolf was always a symbol of a warrior, or hunter. Usually Nobles who were also warriors, were lesser lords... [more]
AylesworthEnglish It was first found in Warwickshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Kineton.... [more]
AyliffEnglish From the medieval female personal name Ayleve (from Old English Æthelgifu, literally "noble gift"), or from the Old Norse nickname Eilífr, literally "ever-life".
AzzopardiMaltese Possibly derived from the Hebrew term סְפָרַדִּי (s'faradí) used to refer to Jews originating from Iberia (called Sephardim or Sephardic Jews). It may also be of Greek origin from a word meaning "black, Mauritanian" or "soldier" with a connection to Middle Persian spʿh "army" used to refer to a person of African descent or someone who worked as a mercenary... [more]
BalfagerGothic, Medieval Portuguese Name of a Visigoth noble family (around the 10th century) from the Iberian Peninsula (current northern Portugal), meaning "bold spear"; they descent from the Balti dynasty.
BalokovićCroatian Most of Croatian families with the surname (last name) Baloković originate from the town of Donji Miholjac located in Osijek-Baranja County on the border with Hungary. During the 1700s and 1800s most of the people bearing this family name were born either in Donji Miholjac and/or nearby Nasice... [more]
BanCroatian Derived from a noble title used in several states in Central and Southeastern Europe between the 7th century and the 20th century.
BaruaBengali From the name of the Barua people of Bangladesh and Myanmar, perhaps meaning "great noble rulers" or of Assamese origin.
BellersEnglish Name came from the son of a French Noble born in Leicestershire, England. Hamon Bellers took his last name after the Kirby Bellers (Bellars) which was the name of the land given to him by his father.
BernadotteFrench, Swedish Possibly from the name of a historical province in Southern France named Béarn. This was originally a French non-noble surname. French general Jean Baptise Bernadotte (1763-1844) became the king of Sweden as Charles XIV John (Swedish: Karl XIV Johan) in 1818 and founded the current royal house in Sweden, House of Bernadotte.
BildtSwedish (Rare) Bildt is a Danish-Swedish-Norwegian noble family originating from Jutland in Denmark and now domiciled in Bohus county in southwest Sweden. The Norwegian branch of the family died out in the beginning of the 18th century... [more]
BlaseyFrench The name may have been associated with a 4th century (316) French saint Blasius of Armenie (Armienes,) and later introduced into and adopted by Yorkshire people as their saint of wool-combers from a Norman noble.
BraheDanish (Rare), Swedish (Rare) Danish and Swedish noble family with roots in Scania and Halland, southern Sweden (both provinces belonged to Denmark when the family was founded). A notable bearer was Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe (1546-1601).
BrunsFrench Bruns was first found in Poitou where this noble family held a family seat since ancient times. The Bruns surname derives from the French word "brun," meaning "brown"; possibly a nickname for someone who habitually dressed in the color brown.
BurlEnglish Old English occupational name originally meaning "cup bearer" or "butler" for one who dispensed wine and had charge of the cellar. Eventually the name came to mean the chief servant of a royal or noble household and was replaced by the French language inspired named 'Butler,' akin to the world "bottler".
CámaraSpanish Occupational name for a courtier or servant who could access the private quarters of a king or noble, from Spanish cámara meaning "room, chamber".
ChaiariyakunThai From Thai ชัย (chai) meaning "victory", อริยะ (ariya) meaning "excellent, honorable, noble" and กุล (kun) meaning "lineage, clan".
ChalkokondylisGreek Chalkokondylis (or Chalkokondyles) was a Greek noble family of Athens which was elected during the Florentine possession of the city. The family can be traced back to the 11th century.
ChernookyRussian Derived from Russian черноокий (chernooky) meaning "black-eyed, having dark brown eyes". This surname has Polish, Ukrainian or Belarusian noble origin.
ClossonScottish this name is of the noble family in Orkney islands known as the closson whom came to Orkney with the viking raiders in the early 900's and they founded the noble house of closson there of
CommonsBreton It's generally believed this name comes from a Breton personal name, derived from element "cam," meaning "bent," or "crooked;" or from the herb "cummin" (cumin). Or from the place name Comines, in Flanders, Northern France.... [more]
DaaeLiterature, Norwegian, Danish (Rare), Swedish (Rare) Norwegian surname, originating in Trondheim in the 17th century. Also a variant of Daa, the name of a Danish noble family which originated in Southern Jutland in the 14th century... [more]
DamanikBatak Means "charismatic, noble, intelligent", derived from Simalungun Batak si mada meaning "possessor, owner" and manik meaning "enthusiasm, charisma, intelligence".
De TalleyrandFrench A French noble surname. A cadet branch of the family of sovereign counts of Périgord, they took their name from the estate of Périgord owned by these counts, and date back to Boso I, count of la Marche... [more]
De TiberioItalian Ancient and noble family, originally from Lombardy propagated, over the centuries, in different regions of Italy where its members acquired the nobility and were welcomed in the important offices of the city where they lived... [more]
ErberJewish, German Meaning uncertain. Either a habitational name for someone living in a place named Erb or Erp, a name for a owner of a farm named Erbhof (derived from MIddle High German erbære "honorable, noble"), or derived from the given name Erpo.
EvloevIngush (Russified) Russified form of an Ingush name, which is derived from Yovloy, the name of an Ingush teip (clan), which is of unknown meaning. It may be from the name of the Alans, a medieval Iranian nomadic group (the word itself derived from Sanskrit आर्य (ā́rya) meaning "noble, honourable") or from Adyghe елъы (ełăə) meaning "to sharpen" combined with елъэ (ełă) meaning "to jump over".
FerrarEnglish The Ferrars are the Lincolnshire branch of the noble De Ferrers family. The latter having been linked to Tamworth Castle, manors in Baddesley Clinton, Tutbury Castle and the now ruined Groby Castle as well as many other estates around the UK.... [more]
FrewinEnglish From the Middle English personal name Frewine, literally "noble or generous friend".
GeiselhartGerman (Silesian, Rare), Lombardic (Rare), Old High German (Rare) Possibly after the Geisel, a river in Saxony-Anhalt, which likely received its name from either the Lombardic patronym Giso, meaning "noble, precious promise" or from the Old High German gewi, from the Gothic gavi, or gaujis, a which is a medieval term for a "region within a country", often a former or actual province combined with the suffix Hart, which means "stag", and comes from the Middle English hert and the Old English heort.... [more]
GentryFrench From the English word, which is in turn from French gentrie, referring to that which is "noble," or the "nobility." From earlier gentillece, which was originally from gentil, "refinement."
GillardEnglish, French, Swiss English and French from an assimilated form of the personal name Gislehard, a compound of Old High German gisel ‘hostage’, ‘pledge’, ‘noble youth’ (see Giesel) + hard ‘hardy’... [more]
GilliardFrench, Swiss French and Swiss French from a derivative of Gillier, from the Germanic personal name Giselher, composed of gisil ‘hostage’, ‘pledge’, ‘noble offspring’ (see Giesel) + heri ‘army’.
GormleyIrish (Anglicized) Anglicised form of Ó Gormghaile meaning "descendant of Gormghal," Gormghal, a personal name, being derived from gorm meaning "noble, (dark) blue" and gal meaning "valour, ardour."
GutmannGerman German cognate of Goodman. from Middle High German guot man literally "good man, capable man" derived from the elements guot "good" and man "man"... [more]
HaagGermanic (Archaic) 'The German surname Haag, like many surnames, was taken from some geographical feature near the dwelling place of its first bearer. Coming from the Old Norse haga, or some local variation of the word, the name means "one who lives near a hedged or fenced enclosure."... [more]
HallinanIrish Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó hÁilgheanáin "descendant of Áilgheanán", a pet form of a personal name composed of old Celtic elements meaning "mild, noble person".
HarlinEnglish English surname transferred to forename use, from the Norman French personal name Herluin, meaning "noble friend" or "noble warrior."
JuelDanish, Norwegian, Swedish Alternate form of Juhl. This variant of the name can be traced back to the 14th century and is the name of a Danish noble family sometimes referred to as "Juel med stjernen" meaning "Juel with the star" in reference to their coat-of-arms, as a way to distinguish them from another Danish noble family - the Juul-family - who in turn are known as "Juul with the fleur-de-lis"... [more]
JuulDanish, Norwegian Alternate form of Juhl. This variant of the name can be traced back to the 13th century as the name of a Danish noble family still alive today. The family is sometimes referred to as "Juul med liljen" meaning "Juul with the fleur-de-lis" in reference to their coat-of-arms, as a way to distinguish them from another Danish noble family - the Juel-family - who in turn are known as "Juel with the star"... [more]
KaneIrish, Norwegian From the anglicized Irish surname Cathan, meaning "warlike." In Norway, it's used as a noble name.
KantakouzenosGreek One of the noble Byzantine families, the surname is connected to the locality of Kouzenas, a name for the southern part of Mount Sipylus near Smyrna (Izmir).
KemererGerman From the Old German word "kämmerer," which means "chamberlain." A chamberlain was the person in charge of the noble household; to him would fall the duty of ensuring that the castle and court of the noble ran smoothly.
KemmerGerman Kemmer is a surname. The surname Kemmer is an occupational surname. Further research revealed that the name is derived from the Old German word "kämmerer," which means "chamberlain." A chamberlain was the person in charge of the noble household; to him would fall the duty of ensuring that the castle and court of the noble ran smoothly... [more]
KibarTurkish Means "kind, polite, noble" in Turkish, ultimately from Arabic كبار (kibar).
KitchenhamEnglish Occupational surname for a person who was in charge of the kitchen in a royal or noble house, or a monastery. From the Anglo Saxon cycene (German: Küche Dutch: kjøkken Latin: cocina Italian: cucina)
KlugGerman (Austrian) First recorded in the early 14th century in present-day Austria (southeastern region of the Holy Roman Empire at that time). The surname was derived from the ancient Germanic word kluoc meaning "noble" or "refined".... [more]
KotromanićMedieval Serbian The Kotromanić were a late medieval Bosnian and Serbian noble family. The name is thought to have originated from a knight named Cotromano.
KourlitisGreek (Modern) Of unknown origin, bearing the locational suffix -tis, "of, from". Potentially related to κουρλί, "tendril of hair", kouros, "noble boy, youth", or a location such as Koursaroi.
KuchlerGerman (Rare) Often confused with Küchler a name for a cookie baker, Kuchler is a noble name for an old german family. Kuchler is origined in a city named Kuchl at the border of todays german bavaria... [more]
LaverdiereFrench (Quebec) Said to be a locational or occupational name related to land and greenery. Related to the Cauchons, descended from Quebec. A noble Paris woman was sent to Quebec for marriage in the 17th century.
LecubarriBasque Noble and old surname from the province of Biscay in the Basque Country, were it was first recorded. It comes from the roots "lek(h)u" meaning "place", and the ending "barri" which means "new" in the Basque language... [more]
ManteuffelGerman The Manteuffel family is the name of an old and influential German Pomeranian noble family. Manteuffel family was first mentioned in 1256, but the family history officially begins with Henricus Manduvel who is first mentioned on 14... [more]
MarstellerGerman Occupational name for a stable boy in or for the supervisor of the stables on a noble estate, from Middle High German mar(c) 'noble horse' stall 'stable' + the agent suffix -er.
MatteiItalian Patronymic or plural form Matteo. The Mattei family was a powerful noble family in Rome during the Middle Ages.
McquarrieScottish Scottish Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Guaire, a patronymic from a Gaelic personal name meaning "proud", "noble".
MitryMedieval French Descendants of the noble owner of the region located outside of Paris France (Mitry)
MullinixFrench A locational name "of de Moloneaux" probably from the noble family who trace their descent from William the Conqueror, from Molineaux-sur-Seine, near Rouen. The name came to England during the wake of the Norman Conquest... [more]
Natt och DagOld Swedish, Swedish (Rare) Means "night and day" in Swedish. This is the name of one of the oldest noble families in Sweden. The name is believed to be a reference to the family's coat of arms which consisted of a blue and a golden field, the blue symbolizing night and the gold symbolizing day.
NobleEnglish, Scottish, Irish, French Nickname from Middle English, Old French noble "high-born, distinguished, illustrious" (Latin nobilis), denoting someone of lofty birth or character, or perhaps also ironically someone of low station... [more]
NordenskiöldSwedish, Finland Swedish (Archaic) Combination of Swedish nord "north" and sköld "shield". Norden is also the Swedish name for the Nordic countries, but it is not the element used in this surname. Nordenskiöld is a Swedish and Fennoswedish noble family, the first known members are brothers Anders Johan Nordenskiöld (1696-1763) and Carl Fredric Nordenskiöld the elder (1702-1779)... [more]
OxenstiernaSwedish (Rare) A notable surname used by an ancient Swedish noble family from Småland dating back to the 13th century. The name means "the ox's forehead". It is a combination of Swedish oxen, a cognate to the English plural of 'ox', and stierna, which is likely derived from German Stirn "forehead", though it is often mistaken for Swedish stjärna "star"... [more]
PateEnglish Derives from the given name Pat(t), a short form of the personal name Patrick from the Latin Patricius meaning "son of a noble father".
PendaWolof Penda stems from the Swahili “kupenda” = to love/like/be pleasant. Notable bearer was Fara Penda, a Waalo noble of the Wolof people in West Africa. Waalo was a kingdom on the lower Senegal River in in what is now Senegal and Mauritania.
PeyronFrench Unknown meaning. French surname. Famous bearer of this name is Bruno Peyron and the German princess Louise Peyron (1918-1989).... [more]
PlantzEnglish (American) Deriving from England. "Men known as a Planter was an English term for people who were "planted" abroad in order to promote a political, religious cause or for colonization purposes." ... [more]
RallisGreek A surname held by the descendants of a Frankish-Byzantine noble named Raoul. The Rallis family (also spelled Ralli, Ralles or Rallet in Romanian) is the name of an old Greek Phanariote family, whose members played important political role in the history of modern Greece, Danubian Principalities and later in the United Kingdom... [more]
SappingfieldAmerican (Anglicized, Rare) From the German name "Sappenfeld," a small town in Bavaria, Germany. (Pop. 380.) The town itself is named after an early resident named "Sappo;" in English, the name means "Sappo's Field." The name "Sappo" may mean noble (unconfirmed)... [more]
SovinRussian Derived from Russian сова (sova) meaning "owl". This may have been a nickname for a night person. This is a Russian noble surname.
SpataforaItalian This surname originates from the Italian island of Sicily, where it was first borne by a noble family of Byzantine origin, which had settled on the island in the 11th century AD. Their surname was derived from the Greek noun σπάθη (spathe) "blade, sword" (akin to Latin spatha "broad sword with a double edge") combined with Greek φορεω (phoreo) "to carry, to bear", which gives the surname the meaning of "he who carries the sword" or "sword-bearer"... [more]
StrijbisDutch It means noble and kind hearted. Someone with the last name Strijbis is usually someone who frequently does good deeds.
StrohmUpper German From the noble name Strohmeier. Great river and electricity.
StungevičiusLithuanian The oldest currently known use of the surname in history was for a Polish-Lithuanian noble Kazimieras Stungevičius who lived circa 1667 within the village of Stungaičiai in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth... [more]
TarchaneiotesGreek (1) Either from the village of Tarchaneion in Thrace, (2) from Mongol word targan, for "smith",(3) from the Khazar noble title tarkhan, ultimately of Sogdian/Saka origin.
TrolleSwedish, Old Swedish Swedish noble family. According to legend, an early ancestor killed a troll and that's how the family got its name. The family's coat of arms depicts a headless troll. The earliest known ancestor is Birger Knutsson Trulle (died approx... [more]
UrusovRussian From Slavic urush which means "warrior". This was the surname of a noble family in Russia.
VäärsiEstonian Väärsi is an Estonian surname possibly derived from "vääris", meaning "costly", "noble" and "valuable".
VaillancourtFrench (Quebec) Possibly a variant of Valencourt. This is the surname of a noble family who probably lived near Willencourt.
ValiSpanish, Italian(Swiss), Arabic This Spanish and Italian surname of VALI was a locational name for someone OR A family who lived in a valley. In valle quiescit ( In the valley of our home, we find peace.)... [more]
Van Der GraafDutch Dutch toponymic surname. Although graaf is a Dutch noble title similar to "count", here it refers to an old term for a canal with the same origin in the verb graven ("to dig") as gracht and grave.
VasaOld Swedish, Swedish (Archaic) Swedish noble and former royal family. Possibly from vase meaning "bundle" or "withy". The name is believed to be a reference to the family's coat of arms. The most notable member of the family was Gustav Eriksson Vasa (1496-1560), later known as Gustav I of Sweden (in modern times known exclusively as Gustav Vasa)... [more]
VicaryEnglish (British) There are a number of theories as to the origins of the name, Spanish sailors shipwrecked after the Armada and French Huguenots fleeing the Revolution are two of the more romantic ones. It is more likely to have come as someone associated with the church - the vicar, who carried out the pastoral duties on behalf of the absentee holder of a benefice... [more]
ViscontiItalian Derived from visconte, itself from the Medieval vice comes, a title of rank meaning "deputy of a count". The Visconti of Milan are a noble Italian family. They rose to power in Milan during the Middle Ages where they ruled from 1277 to 1447, initially as Lords then as Dukes, and several collateral branches still exist... [more]
Vogt Von HunolsteinMedieval German Toponymic variant of Vogt. Members also use the surname Vogt de Hunolstein. This noble family split into several lines to include the older and younger lines and the Vogt de Hunolstein de Niederwiesen.
Vogt Von WeidaMedieval German Toponymic variant of Vogt. This noble family split into several lines to include Weida, Gera, and Plauen. The Princes of Reuss descend from the Plauen line.
Von SydowSwedish, German von Sydow is a German and Swedish noble family from Pomerania, an area in modern day Poland and Germany. Some members of the family immigrated to Sweden in 1724. The name literary means "from Sydow"... [more]
WigginEnglish Either (i) from the Germanic male personal name Wīgant, literally "warrior", introduced into England by the Normans; or (ii) from the Breton male personal name Wiucon, literally "worthy-noble", introduced into England by the Normans.
WithallEnglish "Withall" comes from the village of "Cornwall" called "Withiel." There is also a connection to an aristocratic level, in the 15th at Henry VII court a noble man and knight went under the family name "Wit-hall"... [more]
XuerebMaltese Possibly means "noble", of Semitic origin transmitted to Central Europe. Alternatively, it may be derived from Arabic شَارِب (šārib) meaning "drinker, drinking" or "moustache", used as a nickname for an alcoholic or someone with distinctive facial hair.
YüceTurkish Means "exalted, lofty, noble" in Turkish.
YüksekTurkish Means "high, lofty, great, noble" in Turkish.
ZazzaraItalian Ancient and very noble Lazio family, with residence in the city of Viterbo, known as Zazzara or Zazzera, of clear and ancestral virtue, which has spread over the centuries in various regions of Italy.
ZechesEnglish The surname Zeches was first found in Silesia, where the name was closely identified in early mediaeval times with the feudal society which would become prominent throughout European history. The name would later be associated with noble family with great influence, having many distinguished branches, and become noted for its involvement in social, economic and political affairs.
ZhabaBelarusian, Russian Derived from Belarusian жаба (zhaba) meaning "toad, frog". This is an ancient Belarusian noble surname.
ZholnerovskyRussian (Rare) Surname of Polish noble origin derived from Polish żołnierz meaning "soldier".
ZuhmLow German Name of a noble family from the island of Rügen.
ŽupanovićCroatian Derived from župan, a noble and administrative title, the leader of a territorial unit called županija.