This is a list of submitted surnames in which the description contains the keywords author or writer or poet or playwright or dramatist.
Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
AbagnaleItalian Either an occupational name for a shepherd or a person who lived near a sheepfold (derived from Italian abbagnale meaning "good shepherd, good sheepfold"), or a topographic name for someone who lived in a wet or swampy area (from abagnato meaning "drenched, soaked")... [more]
AgawaJapanese 阿 (A) means "nook, flatter, corner" and 川 (kawa) meaning "stream, river".... [more]
AkashiroJapanese From 赤 (aka) meaning "red" and 城 (shiro) meaning "castle".... [more]
AkatsukiJapanese 丹 (Aka) means "red" and 月 (tsuki) means "month, moon". This surname is a reference to what the moon looks like during a lunar eclipse.... [more]
AkuiJapanese A means "nook", ku means "long time ago, lasting" and i means "well, pit, mineshaft".... [more]
AkutagawaJapanese Akuta (芥) means "mustard", kawa (川) means "river", kawa changes to gawa due to rendaku. Notable bearers of this surname are Ryuunosuke Akutagawa (芥川龍之介), a Japanese writer and Ryuunosuke Akutagawa from Bungou Stray dogs who shares the same name.
AlabanzaSpanish Means "praise" in Spanish, possibly denoted for a worshipper. from Spanish alabar "to praise" and a suffix. Travis Alabanza (1995-) is a British performance artist, writer, and theatremaker.
AleghieriMedieval Italian (Tuscan, Rare, Archaic) It has a hard to trace meaning, but the research shows that the meaning might be "clurgyman's family" or "son of professers." People know this last name for the poet Dante Aligheri who wrote the Dievine Comedy.
AlighieriItalian From the given name Alighiero, Italian form of Aldiger. A famous bearer of this surname is Dante Alighieri (1265-1321), author of the Divine Comedy.
AlloolooInuit Surname borne by inuk writer and artist Siku Allooloo and by politician Titus Allooloo.
Al-shairArabic Means "the poet" in Arabic, derived from شاعر (sha'ir) meaning "poet, bard".
AmatuzioItalian The surname *Amatuzio* is of Italian origin and is likely derived from personal names or characteristics. It could be connected to the root Amato, which means "beloved" or "loved" in Italian, suggesting that it might have originally been used as a nickname or descriptor for someone who was cherished or valued within their community... [more]
AmbedkarIndian, Hindi, Marathi Derived from the name of the village of Ambadawe (also called Ambavade) in Maharashtra, India. A notable bearer was B. R. Ambedkar (1891-1956), one of the authors of the Indian constitution.
AndishmandOld Persian ANDISHMAND (pronounced: AEN-DEESH-MAND, in the West D is silent), Origin Middle-Persian, means one who thinks (i.e. an intellectual). Given to people of Persian and non-Persian descent of diverse Persian or Central Asian ethnic and religious backgrounds (including Jews, Christians, Zoroastrians) based on a person's profession that requires thinking (technocrat, writer, poet, intellectual).
AngelouGreek (Cypriot) Means "son of Angelos" or "son of the angel" in Greek. A famous bearer is the American poet, memoirist, and civil rights activist Maya Angelou (1928-2014)
AnnakafAfrican, Hebrew, Hausa Annaka is a feminine appellation particularly beloved in the Chadic language of Hausa, spoken mainly in Nigeria, Niger, and throughout West Africa. Meaning “sweet-faced,” Annaka is a form of Anika, adding a dash of flavor with its triple “a” and double “n.” Annaka is also a form of the Hebrew Anna, meaning “graciousness.” American author Annaka Harris bears this beautiful appellation, whose work focuses on mental health in children and adults.
AnnoJapanese Means "of hermitage" in Japanese. A famous bearer is famous Japanese illustrator and children's educational book author Mitsumasa Anno (1926-present).
AnouilhFrench From Catalan anull, meaning "slow worm". It is originally a nickname given to a spineless and slow person. The French author Jean Anouilh is a famous bearer of this surname.
AnsteyEnglish Means "person from Anstey or Ansty", the name of numerous places in England (either "single track" or "steep track"). F. Anstey was the pen-name of British barrister and author Thomas Anstey Guthrie (1856-1934).
ArdellaAfrican American Derivative of Arden, popularized by the poem of the same name by Langston Hughes, the most well-known Black poet of the Harlem Renaissance. Meaning is "garden dweller."... [more]
AriostoItalian From the Germanic given name Ariost, meaning "battle-ready". A famous bearer of this surname is Italian poet Ludovico Ariosto (1474-1533).
ArlottEnglish From a medieval nickname for a ne'er-do-well (from Middle English harlot or arlot "vagabond, base fellow"; "prostitute" is a 15th-century development). This surname was borne by Jack Arlott (1914-1991), a British journalist, poet and cricket commentator.
AsimovRussian A notable bearer was author Isaac Asimov (1920-1992) whose name was derived from Russian озимый хлеб (ozímyj khleb) "winter grain" combined with the patronymic suffix -ov. His family name was originally spelled Азимов (Azimov), but it got anglicized to Asimov with an S instead of Z when the family immigrated to the United States... [more]
AudenEnglish This surname is derived from the Germanic given name Aldwin, of which the Old English equivalent is Ealdwine... [more]
BairnsfatherEnglish From a medieval nickname in Scotland and northern England for the (alleged) father of an illegitimate child (from northern Middle English bairnes "child's" + father). This surname was borne by British cartoonist and author Bruce Bairnsfather (1888-1959).
BandasackLao From Lao ບັນດາ (banda) meaning "all, entire, whole" and ສັກ (sack) meaning "power, authority".
BangDanish Originally a nickname denoting a loud or brash person, from Old Danish bang "noise" (from Old Norse banga "to pound, hammer" of echoic origin). A literary bearer was Danish author Herman Bang (1857-1912).... [more]
BattersbyEnglish Derives from the place of Battersby in North Yorkshire, which is composed of Old Norse personal name Bǫðvarr and the Old Norse suffix býr "farm, settlement"... [more]
BehnGerman From the German male personal name Behn, a shortened form of Bernhard. A famous bearer was the English novelist and dramatist Aphra Behn (1640-1689).
BellmanSwedish, English Swedish and English form of Bellmann. A notable bearer was Swedish composer, poet and entertainer Carl Michael Bellman (1740-1795).
BeskowSwedish Derived from the name of the city Beeskow in Germany. A notable bearer was Swedish author and illustrator Elsa Beskow (1874-1953).
BiankiRussian (Rare) Russian form of Bianchi. A famous bearer is Vitaly Valentinovich Bianki, the Soviet children’s writer.
BierceEnglish, Welsh English variant and Welsh form of Pierce. A famous bearer was the American author, journalist and poet Ambrose Bierce (1842-c. 1914), who wrote The Devil's Dictionary and other works... [more]
BlaylockEnglish The surname of James P. Blaylock (1950-), an early steampunk author. His surname may mean "black lock" from Middle English blakelok, originally referring to a person with dark hair.
BocchinoItalian The Italian family name is classified as being of nickname origin. The most obvious are those names which are based on a physical characteristic or personal attribute of the initial bearer. In this particular instance, according to the author Emedio De Felice, the family name Bocchino derives from "bocca", meaning "mouth", in turn derived from the Latin word "bucca".De Felice states that this family name may not only have arisen from a nickname which described the mouth in a literal sense, since "bocca" in a figurative sense designated such things such things as intelligence and veracity.... [more]
BonacciItalian "Bona" comes from the Italian for good, "Buona" and "cci" is ancient Latin form for "man." Thus, "the good man." A derivation of FiBonacci, or "son of Bonacci." Was the name of the famous mathematician, Leondardo de Pisa: Leonardo of Pisa is now known as Fibonacci short for filius Bonacci... [more]
BontempsFrench Derived from Old French bon temps meaning "good time". One popular bearer of the name is the American poet and novelist Arna Wendell Bontemps (1902-1973).
BorzaniItalian Family of ancient and noble tradition, originally from Romagna. The commendator GB of Crollalanza reports the blazon of this family in the volumes of his historical blazon dictionary of the noble and notable Italian families... [more]
BradstreetEnglish A notable bearer is Anne Bradstreet, essentially known as America's first famous poet.
BubienPolish The name came originally from France. An officer of Napoleon Bonaparte during the French Russian war, in 1812 stayed in Poland and married. One of his sons, became a regional Judge and large land owner in the Belarus area of Poland... [more]
ByronEnglish An English place name, earlier Byram, from byre, meaning "farm" and the suffix -ham meaning "homestead". Famously borne by the aristocratic poet, Lord Byron.
CañosaFilipino It is derived from the word 'Caña' meaning 'reed'. Born as a surname in before World War I, it is a newly formed family name built by Angelo Cañosa and his 2 siblings, formerly his birth surname is Caña when he and his siblings migrated to Agusan when they are wanted by the Spanish Authorities as they were berdugos(Killing Spanish allies)in their native place, Minglanilla and by rowing boats, they landed in Mindanao and he, Angelo Caña and his two siblings changed their family name into Cañosa... [more]
CapangyarihanTagalog From Tagalog kapangyarihan meaning "power, authority, command".
CarducciItalian From Riccarduccio, an affectionate form of the given name Riccardo. A famous bearer of this surname is Italian poet Giosuè Carducci (1835-1907), winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1906.
CarmiggeltDutch Dutch cognate of Carmichael. This was the surname of the Dutch writer, journalist and poet Simon Carmiggelt (1913-1987).
CatsDutch, Jewish Habitational name for a person from the village of Kats in Zeeland, Holland, or a nickname for someone who in some way resembled a cat, derived from Middle Dutch catte literally meaning "cat"... [more]
CeludrusPersian Mythology (Rare, Archaic, ?) It is a mystical name of a fiction book by an author named Giselle Viatcheslav, meaning "DRAGON DIAMOND GUARDIAN OF EVIL". It emerged shortly after a millennium dragon gives birth to a child with vampire blood on the sacred celestial moon... [more]
ChaucerEnglish Meaning a "worker who makes leggings or breeches". Notable bearer is author Geoffrey Chaucer (1343-1400), most well known for his classic 'The Canterbury Tales'.
CheeverEnglish Means "goatherd", or from a medieval nickname for someone thought to resemble a goat (e.g. in capriciousness) (in either case from Anglo-Norman chivere "goat"). It was borne by American author John Cheever (1912-1982).
ChekhovRussian Possibly referred to someone from Czechia, or a derivative of the ancient Russian name Chekh or Chokh, which in turn relates to the verb chikhat "to sneeze"... [more]
ChiassonFrench, English French surname originally denoting someone from the the municipality of Chiasso in Ticino, Switzerland, located along the Swiss/Italian border.... [more]
ChigurhLiterature, Popular Culture Meaning unknown. It is intended to be "ethnically ambiguous", but one theory suggests that it may be derived from the Spanish verb seguir meaning "to follow, to continue". This name was invented by the American author Cormac McCarthy for the villain in his novel No Country for Old Men (2005)... [more]
ChviedarovičBelarusian (Rare) Means "son of Chviedar". A notable bearer is Mikalaj Čarnuševič (1904-1981), the Belarusian poet, prose writer and translator better known by his nickname Mikola Chviedarovič.
ClerihewScottish A Scottish surname of unknown origin and meaning. A clerihew is a humorous or satirical verse consisting of two rhyming couplets in lines of irregular metre about someone who is named in the poem. It was invented by the British author Edmund Clerihew Bentley (1875-1956; Clerihew was his mother's maiden name)... [more]
CoitMedieval Welsh, French, English The surname Coit was first found in Carnarvonshire, a former country in Northwest Wales, anciently part of the Kingdom of Gwynedd, and currently is divided between the unitary authorities of Gwynedd and Conwy, where they held a family seat... [more]
CollodiItalian, History From a part of the municipality of Pescia in the Tuscany region of central Italy, of unknown etymology. This was the surname of the pen name of the Italian author Carlo Lorenzini (1826-1890) who wrote the fairy tale novel The Adventures of Pinocchio.
ConquestEnglish Probably from a medieval nickname, perhaps applied to a domineering person. This surname is borne by the British poet, historian and critic Robert Conquest (1917-).
ConwellEnglish Russell Cornwell Hoban was a children's book writer.
CourcellesFrench The name of several places in France, Belgium and Canada. In Middle French the word courcelle was used to describe a "small court" or a "small garden". The word is derived from the medieval Gallo-Romance and Gallo-Italian word corticella, which was formed from the Latin word cohors, meaning "court" or "enclosure", and the diminutive –icella.... [more]
CouricFrench Originally a nickname given to a short person, derived from Middle Breton corr, korr meaning "dwarf, midget". A well-known bearer of this surname is the American journalist, television host and author Katie Couric (1957-).
DamasFrench French form of Damascus. Famous bearer Léon-Gontran Damas (1912-1978) was a French poet and politican from French Guiana, cofounder of the Négritude Mouvement and author of the collection "Black Label".
DambudzoShona Dambudzo means "that which causes suffering or trouble". #The Zimbabwean writer, Dambudzo Marechera is a famous bearer of this name".
D'annunzioItalian Patronymical form of Annunzio, Italian form of the Latin given name Annuntius. A famous bearer of this surname is Italian poet Gabriele D'Annunzio (1863-1938).
DapperDutch Nickname from dapper meaning ‘brave, gallant’ in Dutch. Famous bearers of this surname include the American actor and model Marco Dapper (1983-), and Dutch physician and writer Olfert Dapper (1636-1689).
De AssisPortuguese Referred to a person who was originally from the town of Assisi (called Assis in Portuguese) in Umbria, Italy. This surname is borne by several Brazilian soccer players, including Ronaldinho (1980-; birth name Ronaldo de Assis Moreira) and João Alves de Assis Silva (1987-), who is usually called simply Jô... [more]
DefordFrench Variant of Dufort meaning "son of the strong" from French de-, "of" and fort, "strong". Notable namesake is author Frank Deford.
De La HalleFrench Means "of the hall" or "of the covered market" in French, from French halle "hall, covered market". Adam de la Halle (1245-1306) was a French poet-composer trouvère, widely considered as both a conservative and progressive composer.
DenhamEnglish From the name of various places in England, most of which meant "farm in the valley" (from Old English denu "valley" + ham "homestead"). Notable bearers of the surname included John Denham (1615-1669), an English poet; British Labour politician John Denham (1953-); and British actor Maurice Denham (1909-2002).
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]
DickterGerman From dichter, the German word for "poet".
DoolittleEnglish From a medieval nickname applied to a lazy man (from Middle English do "do" + little "little"). It was borne by the American poet Hilda Doolittle (1886-1961). A fictional bearer is Eliza Doolittle, the flower seller in Bernard Shaw's 'Pygmalion' (1913); and a variant spelling was borne by Dr Dolittle, the physician who had the ability to talk to animals, in the series of books written by Hugh Lofting from 1920.
DouwesDutch, Frisian From the given name Douwe, itself derived from Frisian dou meaning "dove, pigeon". A notable bearer was the Dutch writer Eduard Douwes Dekker (1820-1887), better known by his pen name Multatuli.
DowsonEnglish Either a patronymic surname derived from the given name Dow, a medieval variant of Daw (which was a diminutive of David), or else a metronymic form of the medieval feminine name Dowce, literally "sweet, pleasant", from Old French dolz, dous (cf... [more]
DruckmannGerman, Jewish Variant of Drucker. A famous of the name is Israeli-American writer Neil Druckmann (1978-).
DrydenEnglish Possibly from an English place name meaning "dry valley" from the Old English elements drȳġe "dry" and denu "valley". A notable bearer was the English poet, literary critic, translator and playwright John Dryden (1631-1700).
EgnerNorwegian (Rare) From the name of a farm in Norway, of unknown origin. A known bearer was Norwegian playwright Thorbjørn Egner (1912-1990).
EigenGerman Either a status name from Middle High German aigen "unfree; serf" denoting (in the Middle Ages) someone with service obligations to a secular or ecclesiastical authority (also in Switzerland); or from eigen "inherited property" denoting a free landowner (without feudal obligations)... [more]
EnrightIrish (Anglicized) From Irish Gaelic Indreachtach, literally "attacker". The surname was borne by British poet D.J. Enright (1920-2002).
EschenbachGerman Eschenbach, from the root words Esch and Bach, is a surname that has origins in Germany and/or Switzerland. Esch is German for ash tree, and bach is German for brook, a small stream. Popular use of the surname includes the poet knight Wolfram von Eschenbach, and the name is used for multiple locations in Germany and Switzerland, or even more locations if you include spelling variations such as Eschbach, as this surname has undergone multiple mutations throughout history... [more]
EschonbachGerman (Japanized, Modern, Rare) A misspelling of the surname Eschenbach from the science-fiction series Mobile Suit Gundam with the characters Icelina Eschonbach and Joseph Eschonbach, which is possibly in reference to the poet knight Wolfram von Eschenbach given the military themes in the series such as German-based armored robotic vehicles.
FaliszekPolish A notable bearer of this name is Chet Faliszek, an American videogame writer who has worked for companies like Valve and Bossa Studios, having been involved in the story writing for series such as Half-Life, Portal, and Left 4 Dead.
FarissolJudeo-Provençal Abraham ben Mordecai Farissol was a Jewish-Italian geographer, cosmographer, scribe, and polemicist. He was the first Hebrew writer to deal in detail with the newly-discovered Americas, born in Avignon in 1451.
FassbinderGerman Derived from German Fass "barrel, keg, cask" and binder "girder, tie", denoting a barrel maker. Rainer Werner Fassbinder (1945-1982) was a German filmmaker, dramatist and actor, considered as one of the major figures and catalysts of the New German Cinema movement.
FauntleroyEnglish Little Lord Fauntleroy is the first children's novel written by English playwright and author Frances Hodgson Burnett. Fauntleroy is also Donald Duck's middle name.
FerrandinoItalian Derived from the masculine given name Ferrandino, which is a diminutive of the medieval Italian given name Ferrando. For more information about this, please see the entry for the patronymic surname of Ferrando.... [more]
FightmasterGerman (Americanized) Americanized form of Fechtmeister. Emmett Rogers Fightmaster (1992-), known professionally as E. R. Fightmaster, is an American non-binary actor, producer and writer.
FlavignyFrench French form of Flavinius. The Flavigny Abbey, in the French region of Burgundy, became famous because of the candies made by its Benedictine monks, called the anise of Flavigny... [more]
ForchukUkrainian Marsha Skrypukh-Forchuk is a Ukrainian-Canadian author.
FrödingSwedish Meaning uncertain. Possibly from a place name element derived from Swedish frodig meaning "lush, thriving, flourishing" or from the name of the Norse god Frö (see Freyr)... [more]
GascoigneEnglish Originally denoted a person from the province of Gascony in France. A famous bearer is the English former soccer player Paul Gascoigne (1967-). Another was the television host and author Bamber Gascoigne (1935-2022).
GermanEnglish, Norman, German, Jewish, Greek From Old French germain meaning "German". This sometimes denoted an actual immigrant from Germany, but was also used to refer to a person who had trade or other connections with German-speaking lands... [more]
GillPunjabi Gill is an Indian (Punjab): Sikh name, probably from Punjabi gil ‘moisture’, also meaning ‘prosperity’. There is a Jat tribe that bears this name; the Ramgarhia Sikhs also have a clan called Gill... [more]
GiudiceItalian Occupational name for an officer of justice, Italian giudice " judge" (Latin iudex, from ius "law" + dicere "to say"). In some cases it may have been applied as a nickname for a solemn and authoritative person thought to behave like a judge.
GoshawkEnglish Probably referring to a breeder of Eagle-Owls or an eagle-tamer. Shares its name with the Wizarding World author, Miranda Goshawk.
GourkuñvBreton Breton combination of gour and kuñv meaning "a charming, affable, gentle or conciliatory man". The digraph -ff was introduced by Middle Ages' authors to indicate a nasalized vowel.
GreenblattJewish Ashkenazi Jewish Surname incorporating Yiddish/German elements meaning “Greenleaf.” Writer and storyboard artist C. H. Greenblatt (born 1972) most known for SpongeBob SquarePants is a famous bearer of this name.
GrimshawEnglish A habitational surname originating from the hamlet of Grimshaw in Lancashire, derived from Old English elements grīma "mask" and sċeaga "copse". Famous bearers of this surname include , English Victorian-era artist John Atkinson Grimshaw and Irish writer Beatrice Grimshaw, as well as the Grimshaw family in Coronation Street.
GuéroultFrench Old French form of an uncertain Ancient Germanic given name, possibly composed of Old Germanic warōną "to watch, protect, guard", gredaz "desire, hunger" or gernaz "eager, willing", or Old High German ger "spear" combined with either wolf "wolf" or walt "power, authority".
GuitryFrench Derived from the given name Witeric. A famous bearer of this name was Sacha Guitry (1885-1957), a French actor, playwright, screenwriter and director.
GuriraSouthern African, Shona From the Ndau word gurira meaning "to break or cut for someone, cut short, take shortcut". The American-Zimbabwean actress and playwright Danai Gurira (1978-) is a famous bearer of this name.
HaliburtonScottish Means "town fortified in stone". It comes from a combination of the Old Norse element hallr meaning rock (as in Halle 1) and of the Old English place name Burton, denoting a fortified town... [more]
HarkonnenLiterature Derived from the Finnish surname Härkönen. Vladimir Harkonnen is a fictional character in the ’Dune’ franchise created by American author Frank Herbert.
HemanIndian The name 'Heman' is a Jewish name, meaning 'Faithfull'.... [more]
HemingwayEnglish Probably from the name of an unidentified minor place near the village of Southowram in West Yorkshire, England, derived from the Old English given name Hemma combined with weg meaning "way, road, path"... [more]
HerzlGerman, Jewish Variant of Hertz. It was notably borne by the Austro-Hungarian Jewish journalist, writer and political activist Theodor Herzl (1860-1904), who is considered the founder of the modern Zionist movement.
HintonEnglish (Archaic) Comes from Old English heah meaning "high" and tun meaning "enclosure" or "settlement." A notable person with the surname is female author S.E Hinton.
HitokiriJapanese A notable bearer is the author Gentatsu Hitokiri.
HrybovmRussian (Ukrainianized) Ukrainianised form of Gribov. Roman Hrybov was the author of the Ukrainian Russian-language phrase «Русский военный корабль, иди нах..й» (Russian warship, go f..ck yourself).
HugoFrench Victor Hugo was a French poet, novelist, and dramatist of the Romantic movement. He was also the writer of 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame' and 'Les Misérables'.
HussieEnglish, Irish Variant of Hussey. A notable bearer is American webcomic author/artist Andrew Hussie (1979-).
IhimaeraMaori This name in English means Ishmael. This name is not only a surname but was used at least in the past as a first name. This name could have another origin. This is the last name of the first Maori author to produce a book made up of stories Witi Ihimaera (1944- ).
IwaakiJapanese From Japanese 岩 (iwa) meaning "cliff" and 明 (aki) meaning "bright". ... [more]
JeffreyEnglish From a Norman personal name that appears in Middle English as Geffrey and in Old French as Je(u)froi. Some authorities regard this as no more than a palatalized form of Godfrey, but early forms such as Galfridus and Gaufridus point to a first element from Germanic gala "to sing" or gawi "region, territory"... [more]
JelušićCroatian The first ever appearance recorded to this date was even before the Turkish men (Ottoman) broke into the Kingdom of Croatia (around 13. century).... [more]
JudgeEnglish, Irish occupational name for an officer of justice or a nickname for a solemn and authoritative person thought to behave like a judge from Middle English Old French juge "judge" (from Latin iudex from ius "law" and dicere "to say") which replaced the Old English term dema... [more]
KanatiquelliCherokee This surname is derived from the Old French surname Cantrell, meaning "small bell" or "treble". The first known bearer is a part-Cherokee author.
KanbayashiJapanese From the Japanese 上 (kan, kami or ue) "upper," "above," 管 (kan) "tube," "canal," 官 (kan) "authorities," "government" or 神 (kan, kami or shin) "god" and 林 (bayashi or hayashi) "forest," "woods," "grove."
KatebArabic From Arabic كَاتِب (kātib) meaning "writer, scribe, clerk".
KerouacFrench (Quebec) Variant form of Kirouac. This name was borne by the American novelist and poet Jack Kerouac (1922-1969), who was a pioneer of the Beat Generation, alongside William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg.
KiellandNorwegian Alexander Kielland was a Norwegian writer (1849–1906).
KierkegaardDanish Means "farm near the church" from elements kirke meaning "church" and gaard meaning "farm." A famous bearer is Søren Aabye Kierkegaard, a Danish philosopher, theologian, poet, social critic and religious author who is widely considered to be the first existentialist philosopher.
KnickerbockerDutch (Americanized) Americanized spelling of the Dutch occupational name Knickerbacker "marble baker", i.e., a baker of children's clay marbles. This lowly occupation became synonymous with the patrician class in NYC through Washington Irving's attribution of his History of New York (1809) to a fictitious author named Diedrich Knickerbocker... [more]
KoniRussian Derived from Russian конь (konʹ) "horse", denoting someone who worked with horses or whose traits are similar to one. Anatoly Koni (1844-1927) was a Russian jurist, judge, politician and writer... [more]
KönigsbergJewish Associated with the Polish/Prussian/German/Russian town Königsberg, now called Kaliningrad. This surname was borne by the parents of American actor, writer, teacher, and director Walter Koenig (1936-) before they emigrated to the United States.
KrochmalPolish, Yiddish, Hebrew Krochmal (Yiddish: קראָכמאַל, Hebrew, קרוכמל/קרוכמאל) is a rare Ashkenazi-Jewish-Polish surname meaning "laundry starch" (a starch solution in water used to whiten and stiffen fabric)... [more]
KurianGreek Originated from the name Quriaqos (ܩܘܪܝܩܘܣ) or the Greek Kyrios or kurios (Ancient Greek: κύριος) meaning Lord, master, power or authority, and is very popular among Kerala Christians both as a first name and as a surname.
KuusinenFinnish A surname originating from Eastern Finland, comprised of the elements “kuusi” meaning “six” or “moon”, and the suffix “-nen” which is typical of Eastern Finnish surnames. A notable bearer of this name is the Finnish-Soviet politician and writer Otto V. Kuusinen, one of the original founders of the Finnish Communist Party.
LagerlöfSwedish A notable bearer was Swedish author Selma Lagerlöf (1858-1940), the first female writer to win the Nobel Prize in literature (1909).
LaplumemFrench (Rare) It is a French last name translated to the feather. It can also mean the quill, the writer, and the pen.
LaxnessIcelandic (Rare) Derived from the name of a farm in Mosfellsbær parish in southwest Iceland. A notable bearer was author and Nobel Prize winner Halldór Laxness (1902-1998).
LearEnglish Means (i) "person from Leire", Leicestershire ("place on the river Leire", a river-name that may also be the ancestor of Leicestershire); or (ii) "person from Lear", any of several variously spelled places in northern France with a name based on Germanic lār "clearing"... [more]
LidmanSwedish Combination of Swedish place name element lid "slope, hillside" and man "man". A notable bearer was Swedish writer Sara Lidman (1923-2004).
LongfellowEnglish Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was an American poet and educator whose works include "Paul Revere's Ride", The Song of Hiawatha, and Evangeline.
LovecraftEnglish An English surname coming from the Old English lufu, meaning "love, desire", and cæft, meaning "strength, skill".... [more]
LukeEnglish From a derivative of Lucas. This was (and is) the common vernacular form of the name, being the one by which the author of the fourth Gospel is known in English.
LustgartenJewish An invented Jewish name based on German Lustgarten "pleasure garden" (perhaps alluding to the Garden of Eden). It was borne by British barrister, writer and broadcaster Edgar Lustgarten (1907-1978), presenter of television crime reconstructions.
MacgrathIrish First found in County Clare, on the west coast of Ireland in the province of Munster, where they held a family seat from ancient times.... [more]
MadhubutiSwahili A notable bearer is Haki R. Madhubuti, a writer.
MakriyannisGreek Notable bearer of this name is General Yannis Makriyannis (1797-1864), was a Greek merchant, military officer, politician and author.
MaloryAnglo-Norman, English The older variant of the surname Mallory. Originally an Anglo-Norman byname for an unfortunate or unhappy person, from the Old French word "maleuré" meaning "unfortunate", "wretched" "wicked"... [more]
MameliItalian Possibly from latin surname Mamelius. A famous bearer was Goffredo Mameli, author of the italian national anthem.
ManzanoSpanish (Mexican) Habitational name from any of various minor places named Manzano, or a topographic name for someone who lived by an apple tree or orchard, from Spanish manzano ‘apple tree’, Old Spanish maçano, from maçana ‘apple’, Late Latin (mala) Mattiana, a type of apple named in honor of the 1st century bc horticultural writer Gaius Matius.
ManzoniItalian Of uncertain origin: could be derived from a nickname given to those who raised and took care of bullock, or from the medieval terms manso or mansueto, denoting a gentle person.... [more]
MarchesiniItalian Derived from the Latin word “marchese,” which means “marquis.” It is a title of nobility that was used in medieval Italy and referred to the leader of a march or border region. It likely refers to someone who was descended from or associated with a marquis or who held a similar position of authority in a border region.
MarinettiItalian Variant of Marino. A famous bearer of this surname is Italian poet Filippo Tommaso Marinetti (1876-1944), considered to be the founder of Futurism.
MarvelEnglish Either (i) from a medieval nickname (often ironic) for someone regarded as a prodigy; or (ii) "person from Merville", the name of two places in northern France ("smaller settlement" and "settlement belonging to a man with a Germanic name beginning with Meri-, literally 'famous'")... [more]
MernissiArabic (Maghrebi) Possibly a variant of Marnissi. A famous bearer was Moroccan feminist writer and sociologist Fatima Mernissi (1940-2015).
MickiewiczPolish Polish form of Mitskevich. A notable bearer is Adam Mickiewicz (1798-1855), the Polish poet of Belarusian origin.
MillayEnglish This surname is thought to be a respelling of Millais, which may come from the French surname Millet, a metonymic occupational name for a grower or seller of millet or panic grass (derived from a diminutive form of Old French mil which is then derived from Latin milium meaning "millet").... [more]
MobergSwedish Combination of Swedish mo "sandy heath" and berg "mountain". A notable bearer was Swedish author and playwright Vilhelm Moberg (1898-1973).
MontaleItalian From Latin mons ("mountain"), this surname was originally given as a nickname to people who lived on hills and mountains. A famous bearer of this surname is Italian poet and writer Eugenio Montale (1896-1981), winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1975.
MontgomerieScottish, English Variation of Montgomery. A famous bearer was Margaret Montgomerie Boswell (1738 to 1789), wife of author James Boswell.
MoorcockEnglish From a medieval nickname for someone thought to resemble a moorcock (the male of the red grouse). It is borne by British author Michael Moorcock (1939-).
MorantEnglish, French From the Old French personal name Morant, perhaps from a nickname meaning "steadfast", or alternatively of Germanic origin and meaning literally "courage-raven". A known bearer was the British-born Australian soldier and poet Breaker Morant, original name Edwin Henry Murrant (?1864-1902).
MorpurgoJudeo-Italian Italian surname of Jewish origin, originally Marpurg, from the Austrian city Marburg an der Drau (today Maribor in Slovenia). The progenitor was Moises Jacob, father of Petachia, in Bad-Rackersburg, Austria... [more]
MosaddeghPersian Nickname derived from Persian مصدق (mosaddeğ) meaning "approved, reliable, certified, attested, verified", ultimately from Arabic مُصَدِّق (muṣaddiq). It was borne by the politician, author and lawyer Mohammad Mosaddegh (1882-1967), who was Prime Minister of Iran from 1951 until his democratic government was overthrown in a coup d'état in 1953.
MotionScottish A Scottish name of uncertain origin. British poet Andrew Motion (1952-) is a known bearer.
MultatuliDutch From the Latin phrase multa tulī meaning "I have suffered much" or "I have borne much". This was the pen name of the Dutch writer Eduard Douwes Dekker (1820-1887), who wrote Max Havelaar, which denounced the abuses of colonialism in the Dutch East Indies, now called Indonesia... [more]
MunshiUrdu, Bengali Derived from Persian منشی (monshi) meaning "secretary, teacher, writer", ultimately of Arabic origin.
NatsumeJapanese From Japanese 夏 (Natsu) meaning "summer" and 目 (me) meaning "eye". A famous bearer of this name was Japanese writer Sōseki Natsume (1867-1916).
NeugerGerman, French (?) Was popularized by the German community. Famous bearers include investors Win Neuger and Dan Neuger, author Christie Cozad Neuger.
NijibayashiJapanese (Rare) From Japanese 虹 (Niji) meaning "Rainbow" and 林 (Bayashi) meaning "Forest". A notable bearer of this surname was academic author Kei Nijibayashi.
NostradamusHistory, French (Latinized) Latinized form of de Nostredame. This surname was borne by the French physician and writer Michel de Nostredame (1503-1566), famous for his collection of prophecies Les Prophéties (1555) allegedly predicting the apocalypse and danger from the Arab world.
OrczyHungarian Was the surname of a family of Hungarian nobility (including Baroness Emmuska Orczy, author of *The Scarlet Pimpernel*) originating from the village Orczi (now called Orci).
OrrisEnglish (Canadian) This unusual and interesting name is of Italian, Latin origin, and derives from one of the earliest Roman names, "Horatius". The name is thought to mean something connected with "hora", the Latin for "hour", but the original meaning has been lost... [more]
OżgamPolish (Polonized, Modern) The Polish surname Ozga, originating in the 15th century, derives from the Polish word "ozga," denoting a young tree or sapling, especially a willow. Variations such as "Ożga" reflect regional dialectal differences and linguistic shifts... [more]
PaveseItalian Means "one from Pavia". Pavia is an Italian town located in Lombardy, northern Italy. It can also derive from pavese, a kind of big, Medieval shield.... [more]
PechtoldGerman, Dutch, Jewish From the Old German given name Pechtholt, which is composed of the elements pecht "rotation" and holdt "hero". As a Dutch-language surname, it is derived from the Middle Dutch given name Pechte combined with Old High German walt "power, authority"... [more]
PeeleEnglish This surname was given topographically to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. A famous bearer of this surname is actor, comedian, writer, producer, and director Jordan Peele.
PelevinRussian Derived from dialectal Russian пелева (peleva) meaning "chaff, shuck". A notable bearer is Victor Pelevin, the Russian fiction writer.
PoeEnglish From a medieval nickname for a vain or flamboyantly dressed person (from Old Norse pá "peacock"). American author and poet Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) was a famous bearer.
PolidoriItalian Means "son of Polidoro". Famous bearers include John William Polidori (1795-1821), a physician to Lord Byron and author of 'The Vampyre' (1819), and his sister Frances Polidori (1800-1886), the mother of painter and poet Dante Gabriel Rossetti, poet Christina Rossetti, critic William Michael Rossetti, and author Maria Francesca Rossetti.
ProtopopescuRomanian Derived from Romanian protopop meaning "archpriest", from Old Church Slavonic протопопъ (protopopŭ), from Koine Greek πρωτοπαπάς (prōtopapás). A famous bearer of this surname is Dragoș Protopopescu, a Romanian writer, poet, critic, philosopher, and far-right politician.
ProustFrench From a nickname derived from French preux meaning "valiant, brave". A famous bearer was Marcel Proust (1871-1922), a French writer.
PuletuaSamoan May come from Pule meaning 'authority, leader, command'.
PushkinRussian Derived from Russian пушка (pushka) meaning "gun, cannon". A notable bearer was Alexander Pushkin (1799-1837), a Russian poet and writer.
QuasimodoItalian (Rare) From the name of the Sunday that follows Easter, called Quasimodo Sunday, which gets its name from the opening words of the Latin chant quasi modo meaning "like the way" (see Quasimodo as a first name), possibly denoted somebody who was born or baptized in the first Sunday after Easter... [more]
QuennellEnglish From the medieval female personal name Quenilla, from Old English Cwēnhild, literally "woman-battle". This was borne by Peter Quennell (1905-1993), a British poet, critic and historian.
RantzauGerman, Theatre This is the surname used in 'I Rantzau' (The Rantzau Family), an opera in four acts by Pietro Mascagni (1892), based on a libretto by Guido Menasci and Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti, based on the play Les Rantzau (1873) by French writers Erckmann and Chatrian, after their novel (1882) Les Deux Frères (The Two Brothers).
RattanasackLao From Lao ລັດຕະນະ (rattana) meaning "precious stone, jewel, gem" and ສັກ (sack) meaning "power, authority".
RennisonEnglish Patronymic surname meaning "son of Renard". Derived as a shortened form of Reynoldson from the Old French personal name Renart with the -son suffix... [more]
RoyintanPersian Royintan means "invulnerable". It is a Persian origin surname, which is written as رویین تن in Persian. It consists of royen meaning "strong" and tan meaning "body, person".... [more]
RushdieKashmiri (Rare) Derived from Arabic رَشَدَ (rašada) meaning "to go the right way, to follow the right course" or "to be well guided" (related to the given names Rashad and Rashid)... [more]
RuyintanIranian Ruyintan means "Invulnerable". It is a Persian-origin surname, which is written as رویین تن in Persian. It consists of ruyin, meaning "strong", and tan meaning "body, person" ultimately defining immortality... [more]
RydbergSwedish Combination of Swedish ryd "woodland clearing" and berg "mountain". Notable bearers are author and poet Viktor Rydberg (1828-1895) and physicist Johannes Rydberg (1854-1919).
SackdavongLao From Lao ສັກດາ (sackda) meaning "power, authority" and ວົງ (vong) meaning "lineage, family".
Saint-exuperyFrench From the place named Saint-Exupery. Famous bearer of this surname is Antoine Saint-Exupery, the writer of .
SakurazakaJapanese (Rare) Sakura means "cherry blossom" and zaka is a form of saka that means means "peninsula, cape". ... [more]
SangmaGaro The clan name of a folklore writer from Northeast India.
SantanderSpanish From the toponymy, it is discussed whether Santander is a derivation of San Emeterio or San Andrés. Due to the proximity of the Basque country (Ander = Andrés) and the tenor of some ancient texts, it can be concluded that it refers to San Andrés... [more]
SardarIndian, Bengali, Hindi, Urdu From a title meaning "chief, leader", derived from Persian سر (sar) meaning "head, authority" and the suffix دار (dar) meaning "possessor".
SchopenhauerGerman Derived from German schöpfen meaning "to scoop, ladle" and hauen meaning "to chop", referring to a maker of wooden and metal scoops and buckets. This name was borne by the German pessimist philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860), the author of the 1818 book The World as Will and Representation among other works.
ScriblerusLiterature The Scriblerus Club was an informal association of authors, based in London, that came together in the early 18th century. The nucleus of the club included the satirists Jonathan Swift and Alexander Pope... [more]
SedarisGreek David Sedaris, author of Calypso and others, and Amy Sedaris, actress and comedienne, are two well-known siblings with the surname.
SewallEnglish Derived from the Middle English given names Sewal(d) or Sawal(d), variants of Old English Sæweald from sæ "sea" and weald "power, authority, rule".
SewellEnglish Derived from the Middle English given names Sewal(d) and Siwal(d), variants of Old English Sigeweald, composed of sige "victory" and weald "power, authority, rule".
ShazarHebrew Referred to someone living near acacia trees that tend to be twisted, derived from Hebrew שָׁזַר (shazar) literally meaning "to twist, to be twisted, to intertwine". A famous bearer was the Israeli president, author and poet Zalman Shazar (1889-1974), who was born Shneur Zalman Rubashov.
ShivazaDungan Derived from Chinese 十娃子 (shí wázǐ) manning "the tenth child". A notable bearer was Iasyr Shivaza (1906-1988), a Soviet Dungan poet.
SilhouetteFrench (Rare) Famous bearers include Étienne de Silhouette (1709–67), French author and politician. He was a French Ancien Régime Controller-General of Finances under Louis XV.
SillanpääFinnish Means "bridgehead" in Finnish, an area around the end of a bridge. Frans Eemil Sillanpää (1888-1964) was a Finnish author and the first Finnish writer to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature.
SillitoeEnglish A different form of Shillito (which is 'a name of unknown derivation and meaning, probably originating in Yorkshire'), borne by British novelist, short-story writer and poet Alan Sillitoe (1928-2010).
SingerGerman variant of Sänger, in the sense of ‘poet’
SpellingEnglish, Irish, Jewish Occupational name for a scholar, speaker or a story teller, derived from Middle English spellan meaning "to tell or relate". It could also be a variant of Irish Spillane or Jewish Spellman... [more]
StoreyEnglish From the Old Norse nickname Stóri, literally "large man". A literary bearer is British novelist and playwright David Storey (1933-).
StrindbergSwedish Likely a combination of Strinne, the name of a village in Multrå parish, Ångermanland, Sweden, and berg "mountain". A well known bearer of this name was Swedish playwright and novelist August Strindberg (1849-1912).
SucklingEnglish From a medieval nickname for someone of childlike appearance or childish character (from Middle English suckling "infant still feeding on its mother's milk"). Sir John Suckling (1609-1642) was an English poet and dramatist.
SugarGerman (Rare) Sugar is the surname of talented storyteller, writer, and composer Rebecca Rae Sugar (creator of animated series Steven Universe).
TaffeEnglish Of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic surname "Ó Táth," meaning "descendant of Táth." It's believed to have originated as a personal name, possibly meaning "poet" or "philosopher."
TegnérSwedish Derived from the name of Tegnaby parish in Småland, Sweden. The name was originally spelled Tegnérus, but was later shortened to Tegnér. Notable bearers include Alice Tegnér (1864-1943), composer of many Swedish hymns and children's songs, and Esaias Tegnér (1782-1846), bishop and writer.
ThackerayEnglish Famous bearer is William Makepeace Thackeray, author of the novel Vanity Fair. ... [more]
ThoreauEnglish Last name of famous American author, naturalist, transcendentalist, tax resister, development critic, sage writer and philosopher, Henry David Thoreau.
TilsleyEnglish 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]
TolstoyRussian Means "fat" from Russian толстый (tolstyy) meaning "thick, stout, fat". This was the name of a Russian family of nobility; a notable member was Count Lev "Leo" Tolstoy (1828-1910), a Russian writer.
TopeliusFinnish (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.
ToussaintFrench Derived from the given name Toussaint, which in turn is derived from Toussaint, the French name for the Christian feast day All Saints' Day (celebrated on November 1st every year)... [more]
TrainEnglish English (Devon): 1. metonymic occupational name for a trapper or hunter, from Middle English trayne, Old French traine ‘guile’, ‘snare’, ‘trap’. ... [more]
TregarthenCornish From Tregarthen in Ludgvan; from treg-ar-den the dwelling upon the hill, or treg-arth-en, the dwelling upon the high place.... [more]
TrigianiItalian Adriana Trigiani (1969-) is an Italian-American best-selling author, award-winning playwright, television writer/producer, film director/screenwriter/producer, and entrepreneur based in New York City.
TsukimiJapanese From 月 (tsuki) meaning "moon, month" and 見 (mi) meaning "outlook, view, mindset". ... [more]
TwainAmerican Most famously borne in the pen name of American author and one time Mississippi riverboat pilot Mark Twain (1835-1910), whose real name is Samuel Langhorne Clemens... [more]
Van Den VondelDutch Means "from the small wooden bridge", derived from a dialectal variant of Dutch vonder meaning either "narrow bridge" or "plank bridge". This name was borne by the Dutch playwright, poet, literary translator and writer Joost van den Vondel (1587-1679).
VilaysackLao From Lao ວິໄລ (vilay) meaning "splendid, beautiful" and ສັກ (sack) meaning "rank, power, authority".
VreeswijkDutch Habitational name from a former village and municipality in the province Utrecht, Netherlands, derived from Old Dutch Frieso "Frisian" and wic "village, town"... [more]
WakakiJapanese 若 (Waka) means "young" and 木 (ki) means "wood, tree".... [more]
WalpoleEnglish Originally indicated a person from either of two places by this name in Norfolk and Suffolk (see Walpole). Famous bearers of the surname include Robert Walpole (1676-1745), the first Prime Minister of Great Britain, and his youngest son, the writer Horace Walpole (1717-1797)... [more]
WeiseGerman Means "wise, prudent" in German. Notable bearers include Christian Weise (1642-1708), a German writer.
WeltyGerman (Swiss) From a Swiss German diminutive of the German given name Walther. A literary bearer was the American writer Eudora Welty (1909-2001).
WhitmanEnglish From Middle English whit ‘white’ + man ‘man’, either a nickname with the same sense as White, or else an occupational name for a servant of a bearer of the nickname White.... [more]
WinegardnerEnglish (American) Anglicized form of the German occupational surname Weingartner. A known bearer of this surname is the American writer Mark Winegardner (b. 1961).
WispEnglish The surname of the author of Quidditch Through The Ages in the Harry Potter Universe, Kennilworthy Whisp. Probably referring to the wind, or a family of people who usually were nearly bald.
WycherleyEnglish 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).
XudoyberdiyevafUzbek Feminine form of Xudayberdiyev. Halima Xudoyberdiyeva (1947-2018) was an Uzbek poet whose themes at different times of her career have dealt with Uzbek nationhood and history, liberation movements, and feminism.