Submitted Surnames with "place name" in Description

Malewski Polish
Habitational name for someone from any of the places called Malewo in Masovian, Łódź, Pomeranian and Greater Poland voivodeships, or Malewice in Podlaskie Voivodeship. Both place names are named with the personal name Mal, a short form of Old Polish Małomir, based on Old Slavic malъ ‘small, little’.

Malpass English, Scottish, French
Habitational name from any of various places named Malpas, because of the difficulty of the terrain, from Old French mal pas "bad passage" (Latin malus passus). It is a common French minor place name, and places in Cheshire, Cornwall, Gwent, and elsewhere in England were given this name by Norman settlers... [more]

Manford English
Place name for "Munda's ford" from an Old English personal name Munda, the same element in the second syllable of Edmund and ford meaning a waterway crossing.

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.

Marsland English
Probably derived from some place named as being a boggy place, from Old English mersc meaning "marsh" and land meaning "land". Alternatively, it may be a variant of Markland.

Marye English
Derived from Old French marais "a marsh". It may have arisen as a surname from the place name (Le) Marais in Calvados, Normandy.

Masey English, Scottish, French, Norman
English and Scottish (of Norman origin) and French: habitational name from any of various places in northern France which get their names from the Gallo-Roman personal name Maccius + the locative suffix -acum.... [more]

Matlock English
Derived from a place name (Matlock in Derbyshire) meaning ‘meeting-place oak’ from Old English mæthel ‘meeting’, ‘gathering’, ‘council’ and ac ‘oak’.

Mattingly English (British)
This name dates all the way back to the 1200s and research shows that Mattingly families began immigrating to the United States in the 1600s and continued until the 1900s. However, the place name (Mattingley, England) dates back to the year 1086, but spelled as Matingelege... [more]

Maxton English
From a place name meaning "Maccus' settlement".

Mayberry English, Irish
Of uncertain origin, probably an altered form of Mowbray. Possibly it is derived from an English place name.

Mayorga Spanish
habitational name, taken on from the place name Mayorga in Valladolid province of Castile.

Meiler Romansh
Derived from the place name Meils (present-day Mels in the canton of St. Gallen, Switzerland).

Melander Swedish
Combination of the element Mel-, which is unexplained but probably derived from a place name, and the common surname suffix -ander (a combination of land "land" and the habitational suffix -er)... [more]

Melin Swedish
From any place name named with the element mel- "middle".

Merton English
From a place name meaning "town on a lake" in Old English.

Milanés Spanish
habitational name for someone from Milan in Italy (see Milano) from milanés an adjectival form of the place name. Variant of Milan.

Minaya Spanish
From Minaya, the name of a town in Albacete province, Spain. According to the scholar Miguel Asín Palacios, the place name comes means "open and visible path" from Arabic. It has also been speculated that the place name has Basque origins, meaning "ore", "ore vein" or "asphodel pastures".

Mitsue Japanese
This surname is used as 光永, 光江, 三枝, 満江, 三ツ江 or 三津江 with 光 (kou, hikari, hika.ru, mitsu) meaning "light, ray", 三 (san, zou, mi, mi'.tsu, mi.tsu) meaning "three", 満 (ban, man, mi.tasu, mi.chiru, mi.tsu) meaning "enough, full, fullness, satisfy", 永 (ei, naga.i, e) meaning "eternity, long, lengthy", 江 (kou, e) meaning "bay, creek, inlet", 枝 (shi, eda, e) meaning "bough, branch, twig, limb" and 津 (shin, tsu) meaning "ferry, harbour, haven, port."... [more]

Monstein Romansh
Derived from the place name Monstein, a village in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.

Monteleone Italian
From various place names, meaning "mountain lion", or "mountain of the lion".

Morgenthaler German (Swiss)
Derived from the place name Murgental in the Swiss canton Aargau and Obermurgenthal in the canton Bern.

Mossman English
This interesting name is a variant of the surname Moss which is either topographical for someone who lived by a peat bog, from the Old English pre 7th Century 'mos' or a habitational name from a place named with this word, for example Mosedale in Cumbria or Moseley in West Yorkshire.

Moyano Spanish
Habitational name for someone from Moya, from an adjectival form of the place name.

Mulcaster English (Modern)
The surname Mulcaster was first found in Cumberland where they trace their lineage back to the place name Muncaster, home of Muncaster Castle, a privately owned castle overlooking the Esk river, near the west-coastal town of Ravenglass in Cumbria which dates back at least 800 years. 

Müsch German
Either a habitational name from a place named Müsch in Germany, or a topographic name meaning "bog", perhaps given to someone living near a bog.

Nagórny Russian, Polish, Ukrainian
Place name for someone from multiple cites of Russia named Nagornoye and Nagorny, itself derived from the The prefix Nagorno- that derives from the Russian attributive adjective nagorny (нагорный), which means "highland".

Nara Japanese
This surname is used as 楢, 奈良 or 那良 with 楢 (shuu, yuu, nara) meaning "oak", 奈 (dai, na, nai, ikan, karanashi) meaning "Nara, what?", 那 (na, da, nani, nanzo, ikan) meaning "what?" and 良 (ryou, i.i, -i.i, yo.i, -yo.i, ra) meaning "good, pleasing, skilled."... [more]

Naranjo Spanish
Topographic name for someone who lived by an orange grove, from Spanish naranjo ‘orange tree’ (from naranja ‘orange’, Arabic nāránjya), or a habitational name from a place named Naranjo in A Coruña and Códoba provinces... [more]

Natsumi Japanese (Rare)
This is occasionally,but rarely used as a last name. Natsu means "Summer",and Mi in this surname means "Look". So the literal meaning of this could be "Look at Summer",or "The Look of Summer"... [more]

Needham English
From a place name derived from Old English ned meaning "need, constraint" and ham meaning "home, estate, settlement".

Netley English
Locative name from Netley Marsh in Eling (Hants), which is recorded as Nateleg in 1248. The place name derives from Old English næt "wet" + lēah "open woodland".

Newark English
A habitational name taken on from a place name, such as Newark in Cambridgeshire or Newark on Trent in Nottinghamshire.

Newbrough English (British)
Newbrough surname is thought to be a habitational, taken on from a place name such as from Newbrough in Northumberland, which is derived from the Old English words niwe, meaning "new," and burh, meaning "fortification."

Niskanen Finnish
Either from a place named with Finnish niska "neck", or from a nickname for a headstrong person.

Nordahl Norwegian, Swedish
The surname derives from a place name in Sunnmøre, Norway. Meaning from Old Norse norðr ''north'' and dalr ''dale'', ''valley''. In Sweden, this name is mostly ornamental, rather than habitaional.

Northam English
habitational namefrom Northam (Devon) Northam Farm in Brean (Somerset) Northam in Southampton (Hampshire) or a lost Northam in Redbridge Hundred Hampshire. The place names derive from Old English norþ "north northern" and ham "village homestead" or ham "water meadow".

Nuttall English
English: habitational name from some place named with Old English hnutu ‘nut’ + h(e)alh ‘nook’, ‘recess’. In some cases this may be Nuthall in Nottinghamshire, but the surname is common mainly in Lancashire, and a Lancashire origin is therefore more likely... [more]

Nylander Swedish
Combination of Swedish ny "new" (possibly a habitational name from a place named with this element) and the common surname suffix -ander (a combination of land "land" and the habitational suffix -er).

Oakden English
A variant of Ogden, from a place name derived from Old English āc "oak" and denu "valley". Famous bearers include British diplomat Edward Oakden and English cricketer Patrick Oakden.

Odén Swedish
Likely a locational name derived from place names containing the elements od or oden (see Oden).

Odham English
Variant of Odom, altered by folk etymology as if derived from a place name formed with -ham.

Oglethorpe English
From Oglethorpe Hall in Bramham (WR Yorks) which is recorded as Ocelestorp in 1086 and Okelesthorp in 124 The place-name derives from the Old Scandinavian personal name Oddkell and Old Scandinavian or Old English þorp "secondary settlement outlying farmstead" meaning "Oddkell's village" the surname derived from oddr "point of a weapon" and ketill "cauldron".

Ogliari Italian
Possibly derived from a place name, or from oglio "oil", indicating the bearer's occupation, or perhaps appearance.

Onstenk Dutch
Derived from a place name, ultimately composed of on- "un-, bad" and stede "city, town" combined with the possessive suffix -ink.

Ophir Hebrew
From the given name Ophir. Ophir (or Ofir) is originally a biblical place name. In the days of King Solomon, Ophir was metioned as the name of a land, full of abudant natural treasures such as gold, silver, etc.

Orange Medieval English, Medieval French, English
Derived from the medieval female name, or directly from the French place name. First used with the modern spelling in the 17th century, apparently due to William, Prince of Orange, who later became William III... [more]

Orr Scottish
This is an old name of Renfrewshire area of Scotland. The origins could be French or Norwegian (Viking) from more man 1000 years ago. What is known is that Orr is a place name and a sept of the Campbell clan... [more]

Ortman German
The surname Ortman was first found in Silesia, where the name emerged after the 14th century, where it was related to the name "Ertmar"; this name is also reflected in the place name Erdmannsdorf, found in both Saxony and Silesia... [more]

Ōtsuki Japanese
This surname combines 大 (tai, dai, oo-, -oo.ini, oo.kii) "large, big" with 月 (gatsu, getsu, tsuki) meaning "moon, month," 槻 (ki, tsuki) meaning "Zelkova tree," 築 (chiku, kizu.ku, tsuki) meaning "build, construct, fabricate," 附 (fu, tsu.ku, tsu.keru) meaning "affixed, append, attach" or 即 (soku, sunawa.chi, tsu.ku, tsu.keru) meaning "adapt, agree, as is, conform, instant, namely." It can also be used to combine 王 (ou, -nou) meaning "king, magnate, rule" and 月.... [more]

Overbeck Low German, German (Modern), English (American, Americanized), Anglo-Saxon
From Low German over meaning "über" (over as a direct english translation) and beck meaning "Bach" (creek, stream). As opposed to many other germanic names it doesn't stem from someone's occupation rather from their address, with the exact meaning being something like "über dem Bach" (over the creek)... [more]

Owsley English
Habitational name form a now lost place name in Southern England. Possibly derived from the name of the river name Ouse and Old English -leah meaning "wood".

Oxendine English
From an English place name meaning "valley of the oxen", which was derived from Old English oxa "ox" (genitive plural oxena) and denu "valley".

Padley English
A habitational name from a place named Padley, which was probably named with the Old English personal name Padda and lēah meaning ‘glade, woodland clearing’. Alternatively, the first element may have been padde, meaning ‘toad’.

Palafox Spanish (Mexican)
From Palafolls, a Catalan place name.

Panarese Italian
habitational name for someone from a place called Panaro (from Latin panarium "bread basket") for example in Siracusa province Sicily or from Panareo in Salento from an adjectival form of the place names.

Panier Romansh
Derived from the place name Panix (present-day Pigniu) in the district of Surselva in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland.

Pannekoek Dutch
Means "pancake" in Dutch, possibly a nickname for someone who made or liked to eat pancake. Alternatively, it could derive from a place name, such as an inn or field named for pancakes.

Paradis French
From a learned variant of Old French pareis "Paradise" (from Greek paradeisos). As a toponym this was applied to verdant places and it is quite common as a place name in Nord and Normandy; the surname therefore can be a topographic or habitational name.

Parley English
A place name meaning "pear field" from Old English 'per' with 'lee' or 'lea' meaning a field or clearing, perhaps where land was cleared to cultivate pear trees. Therefore this name denotes someone who lived near or worked at such a location or came from a habitation associated with the name... [more]

Peebles Scottish, Spanish (?)
Habitational name from places so named in Scotland. The place names are cognate with Welsh pebyll "tent, pavilion".

Penley English
habitational name from Penleigh in Dilton Wiltshire. The place name probably derives from Old English penn "fold enclosure" or perhaps Celtic penn "head" and Old English leah "wood woodland clearing"... [more]

Penman Scottish
Occupational name for someone who was a scribe, but could also be a habitational name derived from any place named with the British elements penn "hill" and maen "stone".

Pennant Celtic
Meaning, "Belonging to Pennant" (a common Welsh place-name).

Penrose Cornish, Welsh
Originally meant "person from Penrose", Cornwall, Herefordshire and Wales ("highest part of the heath or moorland"). It is borne by the British mathematician Sir Roger Penrose (1931-).... [more]

Penry Welsh, Cornish, English
Derived from Welsh ap Henry meaning "son of Henry". It is also a variant of Pendray, which is derived from a place name in Cornwall meaning "top of the village" in Middle Cornish... [more]

Persky Belarusian, Lithuanian, Jewish
Derived from the village of Pershai in the Valozhyn District of Belarus, or the place named Perki in Lithuania.

Pettis English
From the possessive or plural form of Middle English pytte, pitte ‘pit’, ‘hollow’, hence a topographic name for someone who lived by a pit, or a habitational name from a place named with this word, as for example Pett in East Sussex.

Pickup English
The name is derived from when the family resided in Pickup or Pickup Bank in Lancashire. This place-name was originally derived from the Old English word Pic-copp which referred to those individuals who "lived on a hill with a sharp peak."

Pike English, Irish
English: topographic name for someone who lived by a hill with a sharp point, from Old English pic ‘point’, ‘hill’, which was a relatively common place name element.... [more]

Pilgaonkar Konkani, Indian
Pilgaonkar is a Konkani surname used mostly in Goa by Konkani Hindus. Sachin Pilgaonkar of Bollywood fame is a famous person with that surname... [more]

Pin French
A topographic name for someone living by a pine tree or in a pine forest, or a habitational name from a place named with the Old French word pin, meaning "pine, pine tree".

Pinn English (British)
A topographic or habitational name from a place named with Middle English pinne, meaning "hill" (Old English penn).

Pisa Italian
Habitational name from the city of Pisa in Tuscany. The city was probably founded by Greek colonists, but before coming under Roman control it was in the hands of the Etruscans, who probably gave it its name... [more]

Pittendrigh Scottish
From various place names possibly derived from pett "holding farm" and drech "face, countenance (of a hill)".

Playfair English
From a medieval nickname for an enthusiastic competitor in sports and games (from Middle English pleyfere "companion in play, playmate"), or else a different form of Playford (from a Suffolk place-name meaning "ford where sports are held")... [more]

Plummer English
1. Occupational name for a worker in lead, especially a maker of lead pipes and conduits, from Anglo-Norman French plom(m)er, plum(m)er ‘plumber’, from plom(b), plum(b) ‘lead’ (Latin plumbum)... [more]

Plymouth English (Rare)
Derived from the place name Plymouth.

Poltimore English (Rare)
Rare English surname derived from a Devon place name of Celtic origin, allegedly meaning “pool by the large house”.

Ponsonby English
From a place name in England.

Postgate English
From Postgate in Danby (NR Yorks) which is recorded as Postgate in the 12th century. The place-name derives from Old English post "post pillar" and Old Scandinavian gata ‘way path road" or Old English gæt "gate".

Quinter Romansh
Derived from the place name Quinto in the Swiss canton Ticino.

Quinton English
From a place name meaning "queen's town" in Old English.

Quisling Norwegian
A treacherous person who sides with opposing forces, this meaning comes from Vidkun Quisling of Norway. He helped the Germans during the German rule of Norway in the 1940's. Original meaning "One from" (-ling) "Quislemark", (quis) A romanization of the place name of Kvislemark.

Ramanauskas Lithuanian
From Russian Romanovsky, Polish Romanowski, Belarusian Ramanouski, or another cognate... [more]

Ratchford English
habitational name from Rochford (Worcestershire) from Old English ræcc ‘hunting dog’ (genitive ræcces) and ford "ford"... [more]

Ravenscroft English, English (British)
Habitational name from a minor place in Cheshire, England. The place name means "Hræfn's croft", from an Old English personal name Hræfn (itself from Old English hræfn meaning "raven", possibly a byname) and Old English croft meaning "enclosed field".

Réal French
This can derive from several different sources: southern French réal "royal", a word which was applied to someone either as a nickname (presumably given to people perceived as being regal) or as an occupational name (given to a person in the service of the king); or the French place name Réal, in which case this is a habitational name taken from any of various places which were named for having been part of a royal domain (also compare Reau, Reaux).

Reck German
Nickname from Middle High German recke ‘outlaw’ or ‘fighter’. North German and Westphalian: from Middle Low German recke ‘marsh’, ‘waterlogged ground’, hence a topographic name, or a habitational name from a place named with this term.

Reddington English
From a place name derived from an uncertain first element (perhaps the Old English given name Rēada) combined with the suffix ing meaning "belonging to" and tun meaning "enclosure, yard, town".

Renberg Swedish
Combination of Swedish ren "reindeer" and berg "mountain". The first element might also be derived from a place name.

Requiroso Filipino
Denoted a person from one of the various places of this name in Spain. Quirós, the place name, may derive from Galician queiroa meaning "heather".

Revere English, French, Judeo-Italian
French: variant of Rivière, Rivoire, or Rivier, topographic name for someone living on the banks of a river, French rivier ‘bank’, or habitational name from any of the many places in France named with this word.... [more]

Ridinger German
A habitational name for someone from a place named Riding or Rieding. It is also possibly an altered spelling of Reitinger, a topographic name from Reit(e), which means ‘clearing’ (Old High German riuti).

Ritchings French, German, English
This surname has at least three distinct separate origins. ... [more]

Rock English
Topographic name for someone who lived near a notable crag or outcrop, from Middle English rokke "rock" (see Roach), or a habitational name from a place named with this word, as for example Rock in Northumberland.

Roeber Low German
Habitational name from a place named Roben, for example in Thuringia or Schleswig. From a Germanic personal name based on hrod ‘renown’, ‘victory’. Low German variant of Räuber and Rauber.

Rohrlach German (Rare), American
Form a place name, e.g., Rohrlach (Kreis Hirschberg) in Silesia (now Trzcińsko, Poland)

Rota Italian
Means "wheel" in Italian, from various place names.

Rotterdam Dutch
Denoting someone from a place named Rotterdam "place of the muddy water".

Rouen French
From the other broad category of surnames that was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. ... Ruen is a place-name from in Rouen, the capital of Normandy... [more]

Routh English
From the village and civil parish of Routh in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England (recorded in the Domesday book as Rutha). The place name may derive from Old Norse hrúedhr meaning "rough shaly ground"... [more]

Rudyard English
From the location Rudyard (Staffs) which is recorded as Rudegeard in 100 The place-name probably derives from Old English rude "rue" and geard "enclosure yard".

Rundgren Swedish
Swedish surname with somewhat unclear etymology. The first element is possibly taken from a place named with either of the elements rund and/or run. Rund coincides with the Swedish word for "round", but it is not clear if the element used in this name is derived from that word... [more]

Rzymski Polish
Derived from a place named ryzm "Rome". Denoting for someone from Rome.

Saavedra Spanish
Derived from the place-name Saavedra and therefore signifies "descendant or son of one from Saavedra". The place-name Saavedra is located in the north western province of Lugo in Galicia, Spain and is believed to be derived from the elements "Saa" meaning "Hall" and "Vedra" (feminine) meaning "Old".

Saco Italian
There are several possible derivations for the Saco surname: the Saco name evolved from an old Tuscan personal name, Saccus; it came from the word "sacco" meaning "a sack," and was an occupational name for a maker of sacks or bags; it was a habitational name taken on from the place named Sacco in Salerno province.

Saeki Japanese
This surname is used as 佐伯, 三枝木 or 佐柄木 with 佐 (sa) meaning "assistant, help", 伯 (haku, eki) meaning "chief, count, earl, uncle, Brazil", 三 (san, zou, mi, mi'.tsu, mi.tsu) meaning "three", 枝 (shi, eda, e) meaning "bough, branch, twig, limb", 柄 (hei, gara, e, tsuka) meaning "design, pattern, build, nature, character, handle, crank, grip, knob, shaft" and 木 (boku, moku, ki, ko-) meaning "tree, wood."... [more]

Saffioti Italian
From the place name Punta Safò, a settlement in Briatico.

Sahlin Swedish
Swedish sal "hall, large room" (possibly from a place name containing this element) combined with the common surname suffix -in.

Saint-exupery French
From the place named Saint-Exupery. Famous bearer of this surname is Antoine Saint-Exupery, the writer of .

Saint-saëns French
From any place named Saint-Saens by honor to the saint Sidonius.

Sajin French
1 French: metonymic occupational name for a satin merchant or specialist satin weaver, from Middle French satin ‘satin’, a word of Arabic and (ultimately) Chinese origin, a derivative of the Chinese place name Tsinkiang, whence satin silk was brought to the Middle East and Europe in the Middle Ages.... [more]

Saka Japanese
Saka means "slope, hill", often found in other surnames and place names such as Osaka.

Saldívar Spanish
Castilianized variant of Basque Zaldibar, a habitational name from a place so named in Biscay province. The place name is of uncertain derivation: it may be from zaldu ‘wood’, ‘copse’ or from zaldi ‘horse’ + ibar ‘water meadow’, ‘fertile plain’.

Salthouse English
Salthouse and other variants come from the place name in Northumberland.

Sarfati Judeo-Spanish
From Hebrew צרפתית (tsar'fatit) meaning "French". It was originally used to refer to the Biblical place name Tzarfat, which has come to be identified as modern-day France.

Sarilar Turkish
Means ''yellows'' in Turkish. A common place name in Turkey.

Schelin Swedish
Combination of an unknown element (probably derived from a place name) and the common surname suffix -in.

Scherl German
Derived from the Middle Low German word “scherl” or “scherle,” which means “small shield.” It may have been from a person known for carrying a small shield, a person who lived near a small shield-shaped sign or symbol, or a person who lived in a place named after the small shield.

Schlanser Romansh
Derived from the place name Schlans, a former municipality in the district of Surselva in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.

Sedda Italian
From a place name in Sardinia, meaning "top of a mountain". May alternately derive from Sardinian sedda "saddle", indicating the bearer's occupation.

Selander Swedish
Combination of Swedish sel "stretch of calm water in a river or stream" and the common surname suffix -ander (originally from Greek aner "man"). The first element, sel, is also a common place name element in Northern Sweden and it's possible that this name is both ornamental and locational in origin.

Semadeni Romansh
Derived from the place name Samedan.

Sette Italian
Means "seven". Probably a nickname for the seventh child of a family, though it could derive from a place name containing the element.

Shackleton English
The place name probably means "valley by a point of land," from the Old English scacol + denu. Another source claims the word scacol, describes a "tongue of land."

Shan Chinese
From the place name Shan. Cheng Wang, the second king (1115–1079 bc) of the Zhou dynasty, granted to a son the area of Shan, and the son’s descendants adopted the place name as their surname. It comes from the Chinese word meaning "mountain"... [more]

Sharon Hebrew
From an Old Testament place name, in Hebrew שָׁרוֹן (Sharon), which means "plain", referring to the fertile plain near the coast of Israel.

Sheard English
English surname which was originally from a place name meaning "gap between hills" in Old English.

Sheldon English, English (American)
From an Old English place name meaning "valley with steep sides".

Sherwood English
From a place name meaning "bright forest", derived from Old English scir meaning "bright" and wudu meaning "tree, wood".

Shime Japanese
This surname is used as 七五三, 志免 or 志馬 with 七 (shichi, nana, nana.tsu, nano, shi) meaning "seven", 五 (go, itsu, itsu.tsu, me) meaning "five", 三 (san, zou, mi, mi'.tsu, mi.tsu) meaning "three", 志 (shi, kokorozashi, kokoroza.su, shiringu) meaning "aspire, hopes, intention, motive, plan, resolve, shilling", 免 (men, manuka.reru, manuga.reru, me) meaning "dismissal, excuse" and 馬 (ba, uma, -uma, ma, me) meaning "horse."... [more]

Simamora Batak
From the Batak prefix si for place names and mamora meaning "rich, prosperous, wealthy".

Simbolon Batak
From the Batak prefix si for place names and bolon meaning "big, large, grand".

Sinaga Batak
Possibly from the Batak prefix si used for place names and naga meaning "dragon, naga (a type of mythological snake)".

Sinnamon English
Scottish surname which is a corruption of the place name Kinnimonth, meaning "head of the hill".

Sirait Batak
From the Batak prefix si used for place names and rait meaning "roof frame, hook".

Sitompul Batak
From the Batak prefix si used for place names and tompul meaning "peace".

Skipworth English
From the name of Skipwith in the East Riding of Yorkshire. The place name was recorded as Schipewic in the Domesday Book of 1086; as Scipewiz in the 1166 Pipe Rolls of the county; and as Skipwith in the 1291 Pipe Rolls, and derives from the Old English sceap, scip "sheep", and wic "outlying settlement"; hence, "settlement outside the village where sheep were kept".

Smithwick English
habitational name from Smethwick in Staffordshire Smethwick Green near Brereton Heath (Cheshire) or a lost place called Smithwick in Southover (Sussex). The place name means "the farm of the smiths" from Old English smiþ "smith" and wic "dwelling specialized farm"... [more]

Soames English
Denoted a person hailing from a village called Soham in Cambridgeshire, England. The place name itself means "homestead by the lake" from Old English sæ "lake" and ham "farm, homestead"... [more]

Solano Spanish, Aragonese
From various Spanish place names, which are derived from Spanish solano meaning "place exposed to the sun" (from Late Latin solanus "pertaining to the sun", a derivative of sol "sun")... [more]

Sonnenberg German, Jewish
From various place names derived from Middle High German sunne meaning "sun" and berg meaning "mountain, hill".

Souness Scottish (Rare)
Perhaps derived from the place name Soonhouse in the town of Melrose in the Scottish Borders area (which is of uncertain meaning), or from the place names Sun-hlaw or Sunilaw near the town of Coldstream, also in the Scottish Borders in Scotland, meaning "south hill" or "sunny hill" in Old English... [more]

Spinazzola Italian
From a place named Spinazzola in Italy.

Spinelli Italian
Variant of Spina, of uncertain etymology: could be related to several place names in Italy, to given names such as Crispino, or to the crown of thorns placed on the head of Jesus.

Springborn German
Derived from Middle Low German sprinkborn meaning "spring, well", hence either a nickname for someone who lived by a spring or a water well, or from various place names in Germany.

Staaf Swedish
Derived from various place names beginning with stav- or staf-, often meaning "boundary marker" when used in place names. Other meanings are possible. Also found occasionally as a soldier's name pre-20th century... [more]

Starczewski Polish (Rare)
It indicates origin in either a place named Starczewo or Starczewice.

St Clair French, English
From the place name St Clair

St Fleur Haitian Creole
From the French place name St Fleur.

St-gelais French (Quebec)
From the French place name Saint-Gelais which was allegedly named for a 5th-century bishop of Poitiers. The name Gelais is a variant of Gélase.

St Germain French, Haitian Creole
From a French place named for Saint Germanus.

St Nicholas English
Indicated the original bearer was from a place named after Saint Nicholas.

Strijbis Dutch
Etymology uncertain. Possibly derived from strijd meaning "conflict, strife" or "disputed, contested", an element in some place names.

St-vil Haitian Creole, French (Caribbean), French
From the place named St Vil.

Sully French, Haitian Creole
from any of the various places called Sully for example in Calvados Loiret Saone-et-Loire and Oise. The first of these is recorded in 1180 as Silleium from the Gallo-Roman personal name Silius or Cilius and the Latin locative element acum... [more]

Suō Japanese (Rare)
Derived from place name Suō.... [more]

Suomalainen Finnish
Means "Finn, person from Finland" in Finnish. A combination of Suomi "Finland" and the suffix -lainen that combined with a place name, forms the noun for the inhabitant of a place.

Šutović Macedonian
Comes from place named Šutovo in Macedonia.

Svedberg Swedish
Combination of Swedish svedja "to burn off, to swidden" (referring to slash-and-burn agriculture (in Swedish: svedjebruk)) and berg "mountain". This name can be both locational (surname derived from a place named with Sved-... [more]

Swinton English, Scottish
From various place names composed of Old English swin "pig, wild boar" and tun "settlement, enclosure".

Tarnutzer Romansh
Derived from the place name Malanser Tarnutz.

Taunton English
Habitational name from Taunton in Somerset, Taunton Farm in Coulsdon, Surrey, or Tanton in North Yorkshire. The Somerset place name was originally a combination of a Celtic river name (now the Tone, possibly meaning ‘roaring stream’) + Old English tūn ‘enclosure’, ‘settlement’... [more]

Thorén Swedish
Combination of the name Thor (possibly derived from a place named with this element) and the common surname suffix -én.

Tilsley English
Derived from the place name Tyldesley, which in turn derives from Old English personal name Tīlweald with the suffix lēah “clearing, meadow”. Notable bearers of this name include Canadian salvationist and writer Bramwell Tillsley, as well as Welsh poet and Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales Gwilym Tilsley known under his bardic name of "Tilsli".... [more]

Tinsley English
From a place name in England composed of the unattested name Tynni and Old English hlaw "hill, mound, barrow".

Toggwiler Romansh
Derived from the place name Toggwil.

Topelius Finnish (Rare), Swedish (Rare)
Latinized form of the Finnish place name Toppila in Ostrobothnia, Finland. Zachris Topelius (1818-1898) was a Swedish-speaking Finnish author, journalist, and historian.

Trail Scottish
This surname is most likely a habitational name, taken on from a place name; perhaps from the Gaelic "Traill Creek" which runs into Upper Loch Torridon of Scotland.... [more]

Tressillian English
Derived from a Cornish place name meaning "Sulyen's farmstead" (see Sulien).

Treuz German
Derived from the town Trezzo sull'Adda in northern Italy, the name di Trezzo was used by a Milanese armourer family of the 14th century with the first known member being Bazarino di Trezzo, who was possibly also related to the Missaglia family of armourers... [more]

Trevorrow Cornish
Trevorrow pronounced like tomorrow but with trev at the beginning.... [more]

Tripoli Italian
Habitational name from Tripoli in Libya, a place name of Greek origin meaning "triple city", from the elements τρι- (tri-) "three, thrice" and πόλις (polis) "city".

Trollope English
Locational surname derived from Trolhop, the original name of Troughburn, a place in Northumberland, England. The place name means "troll valley" from Old Norse troll "troll, supernatural being" and hop "enclosed valley, enclosed land"... [more]

Ulatowski Polish
Habitational name for someone from Ulatowo in Ostrołęka voivodeship, a place named with Old Polish ulot, ulatać meaning "to fly away".

Umpleby English
Originally given to people from the village of Anlaby in East Yorkshire, UK. Written as Umlouebi in the Domesday Book, the place name is from Old Norse given name Óláfr + býr, "farmstead" or "village".

Underberg Norwegian
Habitational name from a place named with Old Norse undir meaning "under" and berg meaning "mountain, hill".

Unthank English
From a place name meaning "squatter's holding" from Old English unthanc (literally "without consent").

Upshaw English
Probably a habitational name from a lost or unidentified place named with Old English upp meaning "up(per)" and sc(e)aga meaning "copse", or a topographic name with the same meaning.

Upwood English
Derived from a place name meaning "upper forest" in Old English.

Urbansky Czech, Slovak, Polish, Russian, Jewish
In Czech and Slovak usage, it is a habitational name for someone from a place called Urbanice. In Polish usage, it is a habitational name for someone from a place named with the personal name Urban.

Utne Norwegian
In Norwegian, probably has some pre-Germanic elements (i.e. before approx. 200 CE). Other place-names in the area also has an element of pre-Germanic and unknown origins. It has been suggested that it derives from "Út-tún", meaning the hamlet or farmstead that is "out"

Utsugi Japanese
Utsugi can be written in 15 ways, them being: 宇ツ木, 宇次, 宇津城, 宇津木, 宇都城, 宇都木, 卯都木, 卯木, 空木, 槍, 打木, 梼木, 楊盧木, 擣木, 棯. The 宇津木 and 打木 are also place names while 空木 is also a female given name... [more]

Utsunomiya Japanese
This surname is used as either 宇都宮 or 宇津宮 with 宇 (u) meaning "eaves, heaven, house, roof", 都 (tsu, to, miyako) meaning "capital, metropolis", 津 (shin, tsu) meaning "ferry, harbour, haven, port" and 宮 (kyuu, ku, kuu, guu, miya) meaning "constellations, palace, princess, Shinto shrine."... [more]

Vadén Swedish
Combination of Swedish place name element vad which in most cases mean "ford, place for wading", and the common surname suffix -én.

Valančiūnas Lithuanian (Rare)
Derived from the place name Valančiūnai.... [more]

Valdivieso Spanish
This place-name is derived from the Asturian word val-di-vieso, which means old man's-valley.

Valenzuela Spanish
Habitational name from places named Valenzuela in Córdoba and Ciudad Real. The place name is a diminutive of Valencia, literally "Little Valencia".

Valverde Spanish
Refers to a place name which suggests a landscape, agreeable with herbs, flowers and water.

Van Beek Dutch
Variant of Van der Beek, indicating someone from a place named Beek.

Van Boxtel Dutch
The family name Van Boxtel indicates origin from the North Brabant place Boxtel, written around 1110 Buchestelle, and later in the Middle Ages, among others, Bucstelle and Boextel.... [more]

Van Der Kooi Dutch
Means "from the pen", derived from Dutch kooi "cage", given to someone who owned a duck decoy field for hunting, or who came from a place named after one.

Van Hertrooij Dutch
Means "from Hertrooij", most likely a place name in the Netherlands. It could possibly derive from Middle Dutch hert meaning "deer" and rood meaning "red".

Van Look Dutch
Topographic name from look "enclosure, fence", or habitational name from a place named with this word.

Varney English
From the French place name Vernay, derived from Gaulish verno- "alder" and the locative suffix -acum. A fictional bearer is the vampire Sir Francis Varney, the title character of the mid-19th-century gothic horror story Varney the Vampire; or, the Feast of Blood.

Verde Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
From Spanish verde "green" (Latin viridis), presumably a nickname for someone who habitually dressed in this color or had green eyes, etc. This is also a common element of place names.

Vice English
May come from "devise", an Old French word that means "dweller at the boundary". It may also derive a number of place names in England, or be a variant of Vise.

Vorotyntsev Russian
Derived from place names Воротынск (Vorotynsk), Воротынцево (Vorotyntsevo) or Воротынец (Vorotynets).

Vrhovac Serbian, Croatian
From vrh meaning ''top, peak, summit''. Also a common place name.Bpхoвaц

Vrioni Albanian
From the place name Vrion.

Vuolo Italian
Southern variant of Volo, likely after the place name Bolo from Sicily.

Wacławski Polish
Name for someone from a place named Wacławice or Wacławów, both derived from the given name Wacław.

Wake English, Scottish
From the Old Norse byname Vakr meaning "wakeful", "vigilant" (from vaka meaning "to remain awake"), or perhaps from a cognate Old English Waca (attested in place names such as Wakeford, Wakeham, and Wakeley).

Warder English
Weard ora. Place name in Wilshire. Became Wardour ( see castle & village). Became Warder.

Warszawa Polish
Place name for a person from Warsaw, the capital of Poland.

Watari Japanese (Rare)
Watari means "ferry, import, deliver". Watari is also a first name and a place name.... [more]

Waterford English (Rare)
From a place name derived from the Old Norse words veðra, 'ram' (Swedish vädur, 'ram', See Wetherby) and fjord, 'fjord'.

Wendt German, Danish
Ethnic name for a Wend, Middle High German wind(e). The Wends (also known as Sorbians) once occupied a large area of northeastern Germany (extending as far west as Lüneburg, with an area called Wendland), and many German place names and surnames are of Wendish origin... [more]

Wennerström Swedish
Combination of the place name element wenner, which is probably derived from the name of Lake Vänern, and Swedish ström "stream".

Westbury English
English British surname originating as a place name. There are several Westbury villages, parishes and even Manors across England that have given the name Westbury to people who take up residence in or come from those places... [more]

Westhouse Dutch (Anglicized, ?), English
Possibly an Anglicized form of Westhuis. Alternatively, from a place named Westhouse.

Whitby English
English surname which was from either of two place names, that of a port in North Yorkshire (which comes from the Old Norse elements hvítr "white" (or Hvíti, a byname derived from it) combined with býr "farm") or a place in Cheshire (from Old English hwit "white" (i.e., "stone-built") and burh "fortress").

Whitley English
This surname is derived from a place name composed of Old English elements hwit meaning "white" and leah meaning "clearing, grove."

Whittington English
From a place name, meaning "Hwita’s settlement".

Wiberg Swedish
Combination of Old Norse víðr "forest, wood" (probably taken from a place name) and Swedish berg "mountain".

Wick English, German
English: topographic name for someone who lived in an outlying settlement dependent on a larger village, Old English wic (Latin vicus), or a habitational name from a place named with this word, of which there are examples in Berkshire, Gloucestershire, Somerset, and Worcestershire... [more]

Wilbraham English
Denoted a person hailing from Wilbraham in Cambridgeshire, England. The place name itself means "Wilburg's homestead or estate" in Old English, Wilburg or Wilburga allegedly referring to a 7th-century Anglo-Saxon princess who was given the lands later called Wilbraham by her father, King Penda of Mercia.

Willingham English
Habitational name from a place named Willingham, notably one in Cambridgeshire and one in Suffolk. The first is recorded in Domesday Book as Wivelingham "homestead (Old English hām) of the people of a man called Wifel".

Wind Swedish (Rare)
From Swedish vind "wind". It's either ornamental or a habitational name derived from a place named with this element.

Woodbine English (Rare)
From the English word "woodbine" that means "honeysuckle(plant)"in English.It seems uncommon in the English-speak culture for a surname.Also some American place names,too.

Woosencraft Welsh
though this surname has an exotic look & attracts legends, it has it's origins in the Lancashire place name Wolstencraft, from elements Wulfstan (personal name) + croft ("enclosure")

Wurnig German
German origin from the place name am Virgen originally meaning a person from the town of Virgen in Tyrol. Construed as a family name in 1501.

Wycherley English
Derived from a place name apparently meaning "elm-wood clearing" from Old English wice and leah. A famous bearer was the dramatist William Wycherley (1640-1715).

Xavier English, French
Derived from the Basque place name Etxaberri meaning "the new house". This was the surname of the Jesuit priest Saint Francis Xavier (1506-1552). He was a missionary to India, Japan, China, and other areas in East Asia, and he is the patron saint of the Orient and missionaries.

Yoichi Japanese (Rare)
This surname is used as 与市 with 与 (yo, ata.eru, azuka.ru, kumi.suru, tomoni) meaning "bestow, participate in, give, award, impart, provide, cause, gift, godsend" and 市 (shi, ichi) meaning "city, market, town."... [more]

Yorkshire English
From Yorkshire "the county of York". The place-name is recorded as Eoforwicscire in 1065 and derives from the city name York and Old English scir "district region".

Zwingli Swiss
Possibly derived from a place name in Toggenburg, Switzerland. A notable bearer was Huldrych Zwingli (1484 – 1531), leader of the protestant reformation in Switzerland, who was born in Wildhaus, Toggenburg... [more]

Żywicki Polish
A habitational name that was given to someone from a place named ̣Zywy, or possibly from a nickname from the Polish word ̣'zywy', which means ‘live wire’.