Browse Submitted Surnames

Lavelle French
From Old French val "valley".... [more]

Lavender English, Dutch
Occupational name for a washerman or launderer, Old French, Middle Dutch lavendier (Late Latin lavandarius, an agent derivative of lavanda "washing", "things to be washed"). The term was applied especially to a worker in the wool industry who washed the raw wool or rinsed the cloth after fulling... [more]

Laverdière French
Habitational name from various places named La Verdière in France, or a variant of the name Leverdier (see Verdier).

Laverdiere French (Quebec)
Said to be a locational or occupational name related to land and greenery. Related to the Cauchons, descended from Quebec. A noble Paris woman was sent to Quebec for marriage in the 17th century.

Lavers English
English (chiefly Devon and Cornwall): Medieval English and occupational, from pre-10th century Old French "lavandier". Introduced by the Normans after 1066, originally described a worker in the wool industry, and was a metonymic or nickname for a person employed to wash raw wool or rinse the cloth after fulling... [more]

Lavery Irish, Northern Irish
From the Gaelic Ó Labhradha, "descendants of Labhradha" (speaker, spokesman, the father of Etru, chief of the Monagh of the Irish over-kingdom of Ulaid); the name of an ancient family originating from Magh Rath (present-day Moira, County Down, Northern Ireland)... [more]

Lawless English, Scottish, Irish
From a nickname for someone who was undisciplined or an outlaw, derived from Middle English laweles "not following the law or discipline".

Lawman English
Derived from Middle English lagman or lagheman "lawyer".

Lawyer Dutch (Anglicized), Flemish (Anglicized)
Anglicized form of Lauwer or Louwers.

Laybourn English
Habitational name from Leyburn in North Yorkshire, High Leybourne in Godalming in Surrey, or Leybourne in Kent. The North Yorkshire name may derive from Old English hlēg “shelter” and burna “spring, stream”... [more]

Laycock English
The name comes from a small village in England called "Laycock" and has something to do with "the place of the birds."... [more]

Lazalde Basque
Latz = River/Stream Alde = Near or by.

Lazos Greek
Either from the short version of the name Lazaros or meaning the Laz, an ethnic group in Pontus related to the Georgians.

Łazowski Polish
Habitational name for someone from any of various places called Łazy, Łazow, or Łazowa, named with łazy meaning "clearing in a forest".

Lbov Russian
Derived either from Russian лоб (lob) meaning "forehead" or from the name of the Elbe river meaning "river".

Leaf English
Derived from Old English lēof "dear, beloved".

Lear English
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]

Leather English, Scottish
A metonymic occupational name for a leatherworker or seller of leather goods, and derived from Middle English and Old English lether meaning "leather".

Lebaron French
Either a variant of Baron "baron" with the French masculine definite article le. Or a habitational name from Le Baron the name of several places in various parts of France.

Lebleu French
From French bleu "blue" with the masculine element le from a nickname for someone who wore blue clothes with blue eyes or a person with a bluish complexion.

Lebon French
Approbatory (or ironic) nickname from le bon "the good" a variant of Bon with fused masculine definite article le.

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

Leconte French
from the Old French title of rank conte "count", an occupational name for a servant in the household of a count or who was one.

Lecoq French
Coq means rooster or fowl

Ledesma Spanish, Spanish (Philippines), Spanish (Latin American), Galician
Habitational name from any of the numerous places in Spain called Ledesma, particularly in Salamanca or Boqueixón, possibly derived from a superlative form of the Proto-Celtic root *ɸletos "breadth, side" or *ɸleitos "grey".

Ledger English
From the given name Leodegar or Legier. Alternatively, could be an occupational name for a stonemason, ultimately derived from Old English lecgan "to put, place, lay (down)".

Leduc French, Breton
From the Old French title of rank duc "duke" (from Latin dux "leader" genitive ducis) with the French masculine definite article le used as a nickname for someone who gave himself airs and graces or else as a metonymic occupational name for a servant employed in a ducal household.

Leegstra Dutch
Probably derived from either leeg "empty, hollow" or laag "low" combined with the West Frisian suffix -stra.

Leffert Dutch, North Frisian
From the given name Leffert, a combination of liob "dear, beloved" and hart "strong, brave, hardy".

Lefort French, Walloon
Either a nickname from French le fort "the strong" (see Fort ). It is also found in Germany where it is probably of Alsatian origin (compare Lefor ) and in Haiti where it most likely originates from the nickname Lefort... [more]

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

Lehane Irish
Lehane (Irish: Ó Liatháin) is an uncommon Irish surname, typically from County Cork. Ó Liatháin is more frequently anglicized as Lane or Lyons. The surname is also found in County Donegal where it was also anglicized from the Ulster branch of O'Liathain into Lehane, Lane, Lyons,and Lawn.

Lehemaa Estonian
Lehemaa is an Estonian surname derived from "lehine" ("leafy" or "foliage") and "maa" ("land").

Lehmkuhl German, Low German
topographic or occupational name for someone working or living by a clay pit from Middle Low German lēm "clay" and kule "pit" a habitational name from any of several places called with this term for example Lehmkuhlen near Kiel.

Lehner German
Status name for a feudal tenant or vassal, from an agent derivative of Middle High German lehen 'to hold land as a feudal tenant'. variant of Leonhardt.

Lehto Finnish
Finnish: from lehto ‘grove’; either a habitational name, recorded since the 17th century, from any of the farms in eastern Finland named for their location by a grove, or in other cases a more recent ornamental adoption... [more]

Leibniz German
The German surname Leibnitz emerged in the lands that form the modern state of Lower Saxony, which is presently bordered by the North Sea, the Hartz mountains and the Elbe and Ems rivers. Lower Saxony was previously a medieval dukedom... [more]

Leinbach German
German topographic name from any of several streams called leinbach, from Middle High German lin ‘flax’ or Middle Low German leie (genitive leien) ‘rock’, ‘stone’ + bach ‘stream’.

Leinberg German
Habitational name for someone in Bavaria, or a topographic name from Middle High German lin meaning "flax" and berg meaning "mountain".

Leit Estonian
Leit is an Estonian surname derived from either "leitav" meaning "findable" or "leitsak" meaning "humid/sultry air".

Leitao Portuguese
Portuguese metonymic occupational name for a keeper of pigs, or nickname meaning ‘piglet’, from Portuguese leitão ‘(suckling) pig’.

Leiter German
From Leiter ‘leader’, status name for a foreman or for the leader of a military expedition, from Middle High German leiten ‘lead’.German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): variant of Leitner.

Leland English, Irish, Scottish
derived from Leyland in England from the Old English elements leah "wood, clearing, meadow" or læge "fallow" and land "land, area"... [more]

Lemaître French
Means "the master" in French, either used as a nickname for someone who behaved in a masterful manner or an occupational name for someone who was a master of their craft.

Lemon English, Northern Irish, Scottish
English: from the Middle English personal name Lefman, Old English Leofman, composed of the elements leof ‘dear’, ‘beloved’ + mann ‘man’, ‘person’... [more]

Lemon African American
This surname is a Middle English personal name Lefman, Old English Leofman, composed of the elements leof ‘dear’, ‘beloved’, and mann ‘man’, person. This surname came to be used as a nickname for a lover or sweetheart, from Middle English Lemman.

Lempinen Finnish
Derived from the given name Lempi, meaning "love" or from a nickname.

Lems Dutch
Short form of a given name such as Lambrecht, Adelem, or Willem.

Lenau German
Some characteristic forenames: German Kurt, Erna.... [more]

Lengsavath Lao
From Lao ແລງ (leng) meaning "evening" and ສະຫວາດ (sawat) meaning "fond, affectionate" or "sincere, open".

Lenkeit German (East Prussian)
East Prussian German (and thus heavily Lithuanian influenced) surname.... [more]

Lennan English
Either a variant of Lennon or a shortened form of Maclennan.

Lennard Anglo-Saxon, German
Derived from the baptismal name for Leonard.... [more]

Lennis Scottish
May be a variant of the Scottish surnames Lennie or Lennox.

Lent English, German, Dutch
Nickname from either Old English lencten meaning "spring season, springtime" or from Germanic langa-tinez meaning "long days" which refers to the increasing daylight of spring. Likely a nickname for someone who was born or baptized during springtime.

Lenton English
Habitational name from any of several places called Lenton, which can be derived from the name of the River Leen (from a Celtic word meaning "lake, pool") in Nottinghamshire, from the Old English given name Lāfa (see Leif) in Lincolnshire, or possibly from Old English lin "flax" in some cases, all combined with tun "town, enclosure, settlement".

Leo Italian
Nickname for a fierce or brave warrior, from Latin leo meaning "lion".

Le Pen Breton
Le Pen is a Breton surname meaning "the head", "the chief" or "the peninsula".

Lepri Italian
From Italian lepre "hare", a nickname for a fast runner, or for a timid person.

Lepsy Slavic (Rare), Turkish (Rare)
Possibly dating back to the Ottoman Empire's invasion of Europe, the original Turkic meaning is veiled in mystery, and possibly meant "one who comes from the edge of the lake." ... [more]

Lerner German, Jewish
Its literal meaning can be either "student" or "scholar".

Lescher German
German metonymic occupational name for a mediator or arbitrator, or possibly for a fireman, from Middle High German leschære ‘extinguisher’.

Lesieur French
From old French sieur "lord, overlord" (from Latin senior "elder") fused with le either an occupational name for someone in service of a great lord or an ironic nickname for someone who gives himself airs or graces.

Lesiński Polish
Habitational name for someone from any of the places called Lesin Lesina or Leśna named with les dialect form of standard Polish las ‘forest’.

Lesmana Chinese (Indonesian)
Indonesianized form of Chinese surnames such as Li 1 (李) or Shi (施). Surnames like these were instituted during the New Order era (1966–1998) in Indonesia due to social and political pressure toward Chinese Indonesians.

Lessard French
Name for someone who lived in a clearing, derived from French l'essart meaning "the assart" (a term for cleared forest land used for agriculture). It is also a habitational name for someone from any of various locations named Lessard or Lessart, of the same origin and meaning.

Leszczyński Polish
Name for someone from any of various places called Leszczyna, Leszczyno, Leszczyny or Leszczynek, all derived from Polish leszczyna meaning "hazel".

Letendre French
From 'tendre', meaning "tender" or "delicate".

Létourneau French
Nickname for a chatty, gregarious person or an occupational name for a birdcatcher, derived from French l'étourneau meaning "the starling".

Lett Estonian
Lett is an Estonian surname meaning "counter" or "counter table".

Leva Bulgarian (Rare), Czech (Rare), French (Rare), Jewish (Rare)
From the Hebrew given name Lev, meaning Lion. It is also the name of the currency in Bulgaria, and a verb in French meaning to lever or to lift.

Levana Hebrew
From the given name Levana 1, means "white" or "moon" in Hebrew.

Levenstein Jewish, Yiddish
Jewish (Ashkenazic): ornamental name, or perhaps an ornamental elaboration associated with the name Leyb; from Middle High German lewe ‘lion’, translating the Yiddish male personal name Leyb (see Low) + German stein ‘stone’, ‘rock’... [more]

Lever French, English
Nickname for a fleet-footed or timid person, from Old French levre "hare" (Latin lepus, genitive leporis). It may also have been a metonymic occupational name for a hunter of hares.

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

Leverett English
Diminutive of Lever, from the Middle English personal name Lefred, Old English Leofræd, composed of the elements leof ‘dear’, ‘beloved’ + red ‘counsel’.

Leverich English
The surname Leverich was first found in West Yorkshire at Liversedge, a township that dates back to the Domesday Book where it was listed as Livresec, a manor belonging to Radulf, a vassal of Ilbert de Lacy... [more]

Leverton English
This surname combines the Old English personal female name Leofwaru or the Old English word læfer meaning "rush, reed" with another Old English word tún meaning "enclosure, field, farm, dwelling." The etymology with the female name addition fits in with the town of the same name in Berkshire while the etymology with the word addition fits in with the one in Lincolnshire.

Lewski Polish
Habitational name for someone from any of the places called Leńce in Podlaskie Voivodeship or Leńcze in Silesian Voivodeship.

Leżałka Polish
Means "a fallen tree" or "a fallen brunch" derived from Old Polish.

Lezama Basque
It indicates familial origin within either of 2 eponymous localities: the municipality or the council of the municipality of Amurrio.

L'hernault Medieval French
Originating in Northern France, Rouen River Valley, Normandie, L'Hernault is an Old French word for a "heralder", one who would act as an announcer, diplomat or town crier.... [more]

L'Huillier French
Denoted a person who produces or sells oil, from French huile "oil" with fused definite article l'. Anne Geneviève L'Huillier (1958-) is a French physicist who beat the world record for the shortest laser pulse, of 170 attoseconds.

Libra Italian
Derived from the latin word 'libra' meaning "balance, weigh". It's probably a nickname for a deliberate or well-balanced person.

Licata Italian, Sicilian
From the name of a town in Sicily, possibly derived from the Ancient Greek toponym Λευκάδα (Leukada) (see Leocadia) or from Arabic الْقَلْعَةَ‎ (al-qalʕata) "the castle, the fortress".

Licht Jewish
From the German word meaning "light", possibly derived from a given name meaning "light" such as Uri or Meir.

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

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

Lichter German, Jewish
Occupational name for someone who made candles or possibly for someone who tended a light, from an agent derivative of from Middle High German lieht, Yiddish likht "candle, light".

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

Lieb German, Jewish
Nickname for a pleasant or agreeable person, from Middle High German liep "dear, beloved"; Yiddish lib or German lieb. This word was also used as a personal name, both alone (German) and in compounds (German and Jewish).

Liebermann German, Jewish
Derived from German lieb or Yiddish lib meaning "dear, beloved". Many Liebermann families originally spelled the name in Hebrew or Cyrillic characters, so variations in the spelling occurred during transliteration to the Latin alphabet.

Liebhart German
From a Germanic personal name, composed of the elements liub "beloved, dear" and hard "brave, strong".

Liebling German, Yiddish, Jewish
Derived from German lieb meaning "dear, beloved" or German liebling meaning "darling".

Liebman Jewish
Variant of German Liebmann, itself a variant of Libman and derived from the Yiddish personal name Lipman, from Middle High German liep "dear, beloved" and man "man"... [more]

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

Lieshout Dutch
Originally indicated a person from the village of Lieshout in the province of North-Brabant, Netherlands. It is possibly derived from either Dutch lies meaning "great manna grass" (a grasslike plant that grows near riverbanks and ponds) or Middle Dutch lese meaning "track, furrow", combined with hout meaning "forest".

Lietzen German
Lietzen is a municipality in the district Märkisch-Oderland, in Brandenburg, Germany.... [more]

Lif Swedish
This is most likely a name adopted by soldiers in the 17th century. The actual meaning is unclear. It could be taken directly from the Swedish word liv meaning "life" or from a location named with this element.

Lightfoot English
From a nickname for a messenger or a swift runner, derived from Middle English light "having little weight" and fot "foot".

Ligi Estonian
Ligi is an Estonian surname meaning "near" or "accessible".

Liier Estonian
Liier is an Estonian surname possibly derived from "liige", meaning "member" or "participant".

Liik Estonian
Liik is an Estonian surname meaning "kind" or "benevolent".

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

Liit Estonian
Liit is an Estonian surname meaning "alliance" or "union".

Lillingstone English
It indicates familial origin within either of 2 villages in Buckinghamshire: Lillingstone Dayrell or Lillingstone Lovell.

Lilly English
Derived from Lilly, a pet name for Elizabeth. It was also used as a nickname for someone with fair skin or hair, and is derived from Old English lilie meaning "lily (the flower)"... [more]

Lillywhite English
From a medieval nickname for someone with very fair hair or complexion. It was borne by English cricketers James Lillywhite (1842-1929), first captain of England, and William Lillywhite (1792-1854), pioneer of overarm bowling, uncle of James... [more]

Lily English
Derived from Lily, a pet name for Elizabeth. It was also used as a nickname for someone with fair skin or hair, and is derived from Old English lilie meaning "lily (the flower)"... [more]

Limon Spanish
An occupational name for a grower or seller of the fruit.

Limpert German
Of German origin. Could mean wise or smart. Also seeLambert

Linde German, Dutch, Jewish, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
Derived from Middle Hugh German, Dutch linde or Scandinavian lind "lime tree". Almost exclusively ornamental in Swedish, otherwise probably habitational. There are also a number of feminine names containing the element lind, for example Linda, Dietlinde and Gerlinde, and it's possible that the surname is derived from any of those names.

Linde Spanish
From Spanish linde "boundary" or a habitational name from places called La Linde in Spain.

Lindenbaum German, Jewish
topographic name for someone who lived by a lime tree Lindenbaum or a topographic or habitational name referring to a house distinguished by the sign of a lime tree. Derived from the elements linta "linden" and boum "tree".

Linders Dutch
Patronymic form of Leonard, or possibly of a Germanic name composed of linta "linden tree, shield, spear" and heri "army".

Lindley English, German
English habitational name from either of two places in West Yorkshire called Lindley, or from Linley in Shropshire and Wiltshire, all named from Old English lin ‘flax’ + leah ‘wood’, ‘glade’, with epenthetic -d-, or from another Lindley in West Yorkshire (near Otley), named in Old English as ‘lime wood’, from lind ‘lime tree’ + leah ‘woodland clearing’... [more]

Lindmaa Estonian
Lindmaa is an Estonian name meaning "bird land".

Lindmäe Estonian
Lindmäe is an Estonian surname meaning "bird mountain/hill".

Lindpere Estonian
Lindpere is an Estonian surname meaning "bird family".

Lindt German, Dutch
Derived from given names containing the elements lind "tender, mild, gentle hearted" or lind "linden tree, shield"... [more]

Lindvee Estonian
Lindvee is an Estonian surname meaning "bird water".

Line English
Americanized form of German Lein: occupational name for a grower of or dealer in flax from Middle High German līn, meaning “flax”.... [more]

Liné French (Rare)
From Old French liné meaning "made of linen". This name was an occupational name for someone who weaved linen or was a linen merchant.

Linford English
habitational name from Great and Little Linford in Buckinghamshire or Lynford in Norfolk. The former may have Old English hlyn "maple" as its first element; the latter is more likely to contain lin "flax" or alternatively the first element may relate to the river Lynn... [more]

Lingard English
Habitational name from Lingart, Lancashire, or Lingards Wood in Marsden, West Yorkshire.

Linn Scottish, English
Variant of Lyne or Lynn.

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

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

Linna Estonian
Linna is an Estonian surname meaning (urban) "town" or "city".

Linnus Estonian
Linnus is an Estonian surname meaning "castle" or "citadel".

Linnuste Estonian
Linnuste is an Estonian surname relating to "linnus", meaning "castle" or "citadel".

Lipiński Polish
Name for someone from any of various places named Lipno, Lipin, Lipiny or Lipino, all derived from Polish lipa meaning "lime tree".

Lipowski Polish, Jewish
Habitational name for someone from any of various places called Lipowo, Lipowa, or Lipowe, named with an adjectival derivative of Polish lipa meaning "lime tree".

Lipschitz German, Jewish
The name is derived from the Slavic "lipa," meaning "linden tree" or "lime tree." The name may relate to a number of different place names: "Liebeschitz," the name of a town in Bohemia, "Leipzig," the name of a famous German city, or "Leobschutz," the name of a town in Upper Silesia.

Lipschutz Jewish
Habitational surname for someone in Liebschütz, Germany, or Liebeschitz, Poland, both derived from Proto-Slavic *lipa "lime tree".

Lischke German
A German surname of slavic origin. A historic bearer was Johann Lischke, a German Protestant reformer in the 16th century. The name may come from the German word “Lisch,” which can refer to a marshy or wetland area.

Lisi Italian, Sicilian
Probably derived from a medieval short form of the given name Aloisio (see also Luici) or from Fiordaliso.

Lisiecki Polish
Habitational name for someone from Lisiec in Konin voivodeship or a place called Liszki, both named with lis meaning "fox".

Lisowski Polish
Name for someone from any of various locations named Lisowa, Lisowo, Lisów or Lisowice, all derived from Polish lis meaning "fox".

Listrat French
From Occitan "listrat" meaning "chopped off, striped" or from "Listrac", a commune in the Gironde department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of southwest France.

Litchfield English
locational origin either from Lichfield, south east of Stafford in Staffordshire, or from Litchfield in Hampshire... [more]

Litherland English
From a place name: either Litherland in Merseyside or Uplitherland in Lancashire. The place names themselves derive from Old Norse hlið "hillside, slope" (genitive form hliðar) and Old English land "land".

Littlejohn Scottish, English
Distinguishing epithet for the smallest of two or more bearers of the common personal name John. Compare Meiklejohn... [more]

Littman German (East Prussian), German (West Prussian), German, Jewish
Derived from Germanized Czech personal names like Litomir (Czech: Ljutomir) and Litobor (Czech: Ljutobor) which ultimately go back to Old Slavic ljutu "grim; fierce; ferocious; wild". One theory suggests, however, that these given names might have been influenced by ljub- "love; dear".... [more]

Litvinchuk Ukrainian, Russian, Belarusian
Derived from Russian литвин (litvin) historically denoting a Lithuanian or Belarusian person.

Lively English
A modern English surname possibly derived from a lost village called Laefer-leah which would give it the meaning "the farm by the lake".... [more]

Livingston English, Scottish
This surname is thought to be derived from Middle English Levingestun meaning "Leving's town" or "Leving's settlement."

Liyanaarachchi Sinhalese
From Sinhala ලියන (liyana) meaning "writing" combined with the colonial-era title ආරච්චි (arachchi) used to denote a village headman or leader.

Lizárraga Basque (Hispanicized)
Castilianized form of Basque Lizarraga, a habitational name from any of several places derived from Basque lizar (archaic form leizar) "ash tree" and the locative suffix -aga meaning "abundance of" or "place of".

Llapashtica Kosovar, Albanian, Serbian
Derived from the name of Kosovan villages named Llapashticë e Poshtme or Llapashticë e Epërme. It could also denote a person from Serbian villages called Donja Lapaštica or Gornja Lapaštica.

Llovera Catalan
Topographic name from llovera "wolf pack" or "wolves' lair".

Łobaczewski Polish
This indicated familial origin within either Łobaczew Duży or Łobaczew Mały, 2 Polesian villages in Gmina Terespol.

Lobato Spanish, Portuguese
nickname from lobato "wolf cub" (from Latin lupus "wolf") or from a medieval personal name based on this word.

Löbe German
Variant of Löwe from Middle High German lēwe löuwe "lion" hence a nickname for a brave or regal person. In some cases the surname may have been a topographic or habitational name referring to a house or inn distinguished by the sign of a lion.

Lobera Spanish
Either a topographic name from lobera "wolf pack" or "wolves' lair" or a habitational name from any of several places called La Lobera. variant of Lovera.

Lochte Dutch, German
Variant of the habitational names Lichte or Lucht.

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

Lockhart Scottish, German
Scottish: of uncertain origin, probably from a Germanic personal name composed of the elements loc ‘lock’, ‘bolt’ + hard ‘hardy’, ‘brave’, ‘strong’. English: occupational name for a herdsman in charge of a sheep or cattlefold, from Old English loc ‘enclosure’, ‘fold’ + hierde ‘herd(er)’.

Lodge English
Local name for someone who lived in a small cottage or temporary dwelling, Middle English logge (Old French loge, of Germanic origin). The term was used in particular of a cabin erected by masons working on the site of a particular construction project, such as a church or cathedral, and so it was probably in many cases equivalent to an occupational name for a mason... [more]

Lodu Estonian
Lodu is an Estonian surname meaning "marsh" or "fen".

Loen Norwegian
Loen is a Norwegian place name derived from Old Norse Ló, meaning “flat land” or “meadow,” referencing fertile, flat areas near water, often used for farming in ancient times.

Loescher German
German variant of Löscher, an occupational name for a fireman, from Middle High German leschen ‘to extinguish’. Als a variant of Loesch and Lescher or a derivative of Loesche.

Löffler German
Derived from German löffel, it denotes a person who produces or trades spoons.

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

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

Loijen Dutch
Patronymic from the given name Looij, a short form of Lodewijk, Ludolf, or Eligius.

Loiseau French
Means "The Bird" in French.

Loisel French
Derived from Old French oisel "bird" with fused definite article l' used as a nickname for a flighty individual or perhaps for a small birdlike person but possibly also as a metonymic occupational name for a bird-catcher.

Loit Estonian
Loit is an Esotnian surname meaning "flare". Also, probably from "loits", meaning "incantation" or "spell".

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

Lokhande Indian, Marathi
Derived from Marathi लोखंड (lokhanda) meaning "iron", either a nickname for a person who was strong and well-built or an occupational name for a blacksmith.

Lokk Estonian
Lokk is an Estonian surname meaning "crimp" or "curl".

Lomax English
Lomax is a territorial surname, derived from the hamlet of Lumhalghs, near Bury, Greater Manchester, and meaning "pool nook" or "recess". Notable persons with the surname Lomax include: Alan Lomax (1915–2002) American musicologist, son of John Avery Lomax... [more]

Lombard French, English, South African
French and English cognate of Lombardi, or derived from the given name Lambert. A famous bearer of this name was the American actress Carole Lombard (1908-1942), born Jane Alice Peters.

Lomp Estonian
Lomp is an Estonian surname meaning "pond" or "puddle".

Loog Estonian
Loog is an Estonian surname meaning "windrow" (a line of raked hay or sheaves of grain laid out to dry in the wind).

Lõoke Estonian
Means "lark (bird)" in Estonian.

Loomets Estonian
Loomets is an Estonian surname possibly derived from "loom" (animal)" and "mets (forest)".

Loosaar Estonian
Loosaar is an Estonian surname possibly derived from "lood" ("level") and "saar" ("island"); or "loog" ("windrow") and "saar" ("ash tree").

Lopata Russian, Ukrainian
Derived either from Russian лопата (lopata) or Ukrainian лопата (lopata) both meaning "spade, shovel". This may have been a nickname for a digger or a truck farmer.

Lor Hmong
From the clan name Lauj associated with either the Chinese character 劉 (liú) (see Liu) or 羅 (luó) (see Luo).

Lord English
A surname derived from someone of a lordly manner, or perhaps one who had earned the title in some contest of skill or had played the part of the ‘Lord of Misrule’ in the Yuletide festivities.... [more]

Lorencovič Slovak
Patronymic from the given name Lorencs or any other name relating to that.

Lorenson English (American)
Anglicized form of Danish/Norwegian Lauritsen or Swedish Lorentzon or any other variant (all meaning “son of Lorens”).

Lorenzi Italian
“Laurel tree” or “decorated with laurel.” The English equivalent is Lawrence.

Lorimer English, Scottish
Occupational name for a maker or seller of bits and other metal parts of a horse's bridle, and other metal pieces, derived from Old French lorain "tackle, harness".

Lotfi Italian
Italian: patronymic or plural form of the personal name Lotto .

Lotspeich English
possibly from Bavarian lott ‘mud’ + speich ‘spittle’, ‘moist dirt’, either a topographic name for someone who lived on land in a muddy area or a nickname for someone who had a dirty appearance... [more]

Lott English
from a medieval personal name brought to England by the Normans, of uncertain origin. It may be the Hebrew personal name Lot ‘covering’, which was relatively popular in northern France, or a reduced form of various names formed with the diminutive suffix -lot (originally a combination of -el + -ot), commonly used with women’s names.

Lotta Italian
Possibly derived from a short form of the feminine given name Carlotta, or of names such as Paola or Orsola using the diminutive suffix -otta... [more]

Lou Chinese
From Chinese 娄 (lóu) referring to the 16th constellation of the Twenty-Eight Mansions in traditional Chinese astronomy. It may also refer to the ancient state of Zhu Lou, which existed during the Zhou dynasty in what is now Shandong province, or the ancient fief of Lou, which existed in the ancient state of Chu in present-day Shandong province.

Loud English
from the English word "loud", given to a loud or, in jest, quiet person

Loudon Scottish, English (Canadian)
This surname is Scottish, although also recorded in England. It is believed to be locational from the village of Loudoun, in the district of Cunningham, in the county of Ayrshire. The placename is composed of the Northern English word "low", meaning a flame or beacon, itself from the pre 7th century Norse word "loge", plus the Gaelic "doun", meaning a hill... [more]

Louise French
From the given name Louise or a variant of Louis.

Loukanis Greek
Means "sausage" in Greek, nickname for a butcher or sausage maker.

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

Løvdahl Norwegian (Rare)
From the name of any of the numerous homes or places named Old Norse lauf "leaf foliage" and dalr "valley".

Loveday English
Means either (i) "person particularly associated with a 'loveday'" (a day when, by custom, old differences were settled and reconciliations were made); or (ii) from the medieval female personal name Loveday, a descendant of Old English Leofdæg, literally "beloved day"... [more]

Loveland English
From the name of a farmstead in Devon, England, possibly derived from the Old English given name Leofa (or Lufa) combined with land "land, cultivated land, estate".

Lovelock English
From a medieval nickname for a dandy or a man conceited about his appearance (from lovelock, a term for an elaborately curled lock of hair). This surname is borne by British scientist James Lovelock (1919-), formulator of the "Gaia" concept.

Lovera Italian, Spanish
Either a topographic name from lovera "wolf pack" or "wolves’ lair" or a habitational name from a place called Lovera. Spanish variant of Lobera.

Löwenthal German, Jewish
Habitational name from any of the various places called Löwenthal in Germany, derived from German Löwe "lion" and Thal "valley". As a Jewish name, it is ornamental, sometimes associated with given names that mean "lion" (i.e., Levi, Leib or Lew 2).

Lozac’h Breton
From a Breton word meaning “husband” or “patriarch”

Lubahn German
Germanized form of a Slavic or Old Prussian name formed with lub- "love", "dear".

Lubarsky Ukrainian, Lithuanian, Jewish
Habitational name for someone from Liubar, an urban-type settlement in the Zhytomyr Oblast of Ukraine, or Lubarka, an unknown place in Lithuania.

Lubbe German, Slavic, Prussian
Variant of Lubben. Germanized form of a Slavic or Old Prussian name formed with lub- ‘love’, ‘dear’ (see Luba).

Lubeck German
Habitational name from the city of Lübeck in Schleswig-Holstein.... [more]

Lubinski Polish
Habitational name for someone from any of the places called Lubin, Lubiń, or Lubiny.

Lubrański Polish
This indicates familial origin either within the Kuyavian town of Lubraniec or the adjacent village of Lubrańczyk.

Lucci Italian
Patronymic or plural form of Luccio, a reduced form of a personal name formed with this suffix.

Lucero Spanish
Means "morning star, daystar" or "brilliance, splendour, lustre" in Spanish, a derivative of luz "light".

Łuczyński Polish
Habitational name for someone from places called Łuczyna or Łuczynów.

Ludd English
Etymology uncertain. Possibly derived from Middle English ladde "male servant, commoner, boy", or from Old English lade "bearing, carrying; way, passage, watercourse". In the case of Ned Ludd, legendary founder of the Luddite movement, it may have originated in the surname Ludlam.

Lugo Spanish
Galician and Spanish habitational name from Lugo, a city in Galicia. This was a Roman settlement under the name of Lucus Augusti ‘grove or wood of Augustus’, but that may have been no more than an adaptation of an earlier name derived from that of the Celtic god Lugos.

Luht Estonian
Luht is an Estonian surname meaning "marsh" or "watery meadow".

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

Luisk Estonian
Luisk is an Estonian surname meaning "grinding stone" or "whet stone".

Luk Chinese (Cantonese)
Cantonese romanisation of 呂 (see Lu 1) or 盧 (see Lu 2)

Lukas Various
From the given name Lukas, mainly used in Scandinavian or Slavic languages.

Łukaszewski Polish
habitational name for someone from Łukaszew or Łukaszewo, so named from the personal name Łukasz

Luker German
Luker see also Lucher or Luchre, meaning money more specifically money obtained by nefarious means.

Łukowski Polish
Habitational name for someone from places called Łuków, Łukowa, or Łukowe, named with the personal name Łukasz.

Lumbantoruan Batak
From Batak lumban meaning "village, hamlet" and toruan meaning "lower (area or place), below".

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

Lunavelasco Spanish (Latin American, Rare)
Un-hyphenated combination of the last names, Luna, and Velasco forming its’ own name. Luna meaning “the moon” in Latin as well as multiple languages. Velasco meaning “crow” or “raven”.

Lundy English
Either (i) "person from Lundie", the name of various places in Scotland (meaning "place by a marsh"); or (ii) a different form of Mcalinden.

Lunski Polish
Habitational name for someone from Łońsko in Piła voivodeship or Łono in Rzeszów voivodeship.

Lunz German
Nickname for a careless or slovenly person, from Middle High German lunzen 'to doze'. Can also be a habitational name for someone from Lunz in Tyrol.

Luoma Finnish
A name derived from the Finnish topographic word luomi, meaning "creek" or "small river". Common in central and western Finland.

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

Lustig Swedish, German, Jewish, Dutch
A nickname for a cheerful person, derived from Swedish and German lustig "humorous, funny, enjoyable" or Middle High German lustig "merry, carefree". Usually ornamental as a Jewish surname.

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

Luttrell English
From a diminutive of Old French loutre, meaning "otter" (from Latin lutra), applied as a nickname for someone thought to resemble an otter or a metonymic occupational name for someone who hunted otters (for their pelts).

Lutz German, German (Swiss), French
From the given name Lutz, a short form of Ludwig, or of names containing the element liut "people" such as Luitgard.

Luxenberg German, Jewish, Luxembourgish, Belgian, French, Walloon
Habitational name from various places named Luxenberg, Luxemberg, Luxenburg, or Luxembourg, including the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.

Luxton English
English habitational name from a minor place, probably one of two in Devon, so called from the possessive form of the Middle English personal name or surname Lugg (from Old English Lugga) + Middle English tune, tone ‘settlement’ (Old English tun).

Luzader Judeo-Spanish
Sephardi variant of Losada or Lousada.

Lyboult German
Famous Warrior... [more]

Lykov Russian
Derived from Russian лыко (lyko) meaning "bast". The founder of the surname may have been a shoemaker or a ropemaker.

Lyman English
Topographic name for someone who lived near a meadow or a patch of arable land (see Layman).

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

Lyness Northern Irish, Irish, English
Variant of Lines or anglicized form of Mac Aleenan.

Lyskin Belarusian, Russian, Ukrainian
Derived either from Belarusian лысы (lysy) or Russian лысый (lysy) or Ukrainian лисий (lysyi) all meaning "bald, bald-headed, hairless".

Lysych Ukrainian
From either Ukrainian лиса (lysa) "fox" or лисий (lysyy) "bald".

Lyubenko Ukrainian
Either from Ukrainian word любити (lyubyty) "to love" or the given name Lyuba (Lyubov).

Ma Korean
From Sino-Korean 馬 meaning “horse”, or 麻 meaning “hemp, flax, jute”.

Maag German
Comes from the Middle High German “mage”, meaning “relative” or “kinsman”.

Maalouf Arabic
Derived from the Arabic word "mayuuf" (معيوف), meaning "exempted" or "protected".

Maarend Estonian
Maarend is an Estonian surname derived from either "maa rendileandja" meaning "landholder", or "maa rendilevõtja" meaning "land tenant".

Ma'ayan Hebrew (Rare)
Means "spring of water" or "fountain" in Hebrew, this is more common as a given name than a surname

Macadangdang Filipino, Cebuano, Ilocano
Derived from Cebuano dangdang "to broil, to grill" or Tagalog dangdang "heating, toasting, or drying through exposure to fire or glowing coals", possibly an occupational name for someone who dries things by the fire.

Macalinao Tagalog, Cebuano
From Tagalog makalinaw meaning "to clarify, to make apparent" or Cebuano makalinaw meaning "to make calm, to make peaceful".

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

Mac An Ghalloglaigh Irish
Irish Gaelic form of Gallogly, from galloglach "foreign warrior" or "galloglass"... [more]

Maccarone Italian
from maccaroni "macaroni" (or in northern Italy "gnocco") perhaps applied as a metonymic occupational name for a maker of pasta or in the North as a nickname for a silly or foolish person.

Macchia Italian
Topographic name from Italian macchia "thicket, scrub, brush" (from Latin macula "spot, fleck, stain") as well as a habitational name from any of various places named Macchia... [more]

Macchiarini Italian
Possibly a variant of Macchia, or else derived from the related macchiare "to stain, mark, blot" combined with a plural form of the diminutive suffix -ino.

Macchione Italian
Originally from the south of italy (Calabria or Sicily), from an augmentative of Macchia (stain), in some cases, a habitational name from various places so named in Campania and Puglia.

Mac Coingheallaigh Irish
Meaning, ‘son (or descendant) of Coingheallach’, a personal name meaning ‘faithful to pledges’.

Macconuisce Irish, Old Irish
Varient of o'hUisce... [more]

Macedo Portuguese, Spanish (Latin American)
Referred to a person who worked or lived at an apple orchard. It is derived from Vulgar Latin mattianēta meaning "place with apple trees."

Macfhearghuis Irish, Scottish, Irish Mythology
Gaelic for "Son of Fhearghuis" (also spelled "Fearghas") and due to the complexities of pronunciation, has been spelled MacFergus, McKerras, MacKersey, MacErris, MacFirries and anglicised as Ferguson or Fergusson and shortened in Fergus, Ferrar, Ferrie, Ferries, Ferris, Ferriss, corrupted into other forms like Fergushill, Fergie etc.

Mac Giolla Bháin Irish
It means, "white" or "fair".

Mac Giolla Uidhir Northern Irish
It literally means "the son of the pale youth" or "the son of Odhar's servant."

Machados Jewish
From the Hebrew name Adam, meaning "man" or "male."

Macher German
Either a habitational name for someone from any of several places called Machern, for example one near Leipzig... [more]

Machi Japanese (Rare)
町 (machi) means 'town' or 'street'. Some occurrences in America could be shortened versions of longer names beginning with this element, not common in Japan.

Machrach Scottish
Means "campestral" in Scottish Gaelic, possibly a name for someone who lived or worked in an open field.

Machuca American (Hispanic, Hispanicized, Modern, Rare)
in Spanish and Portuguese Machuca means "to squash" or "to crush." it is a Hispanic surname

Maciejewski Polish
Name for someone from any of various places called Maciejowa, Maciejów or Maciejowice, all derived from the given name Maciej.

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

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

Mackin Irish (Anglicized)
Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Macáin, Ó Maicín or Mac Maicín.

Mac Laoidhigh Irish
Irish Gaelic form of McAlea, which comes from the word laoidh, which means "a poem;" or from Mac Giolla Íosa, which means "son of the devotee of Jesus."

Macri Italian
Italian variant of Magro. It could also be a southern Italian nickname for a person who had long limbs or who was tall, derived from Greek μακρύς (makrýs) literally meaning "long, tall" (see Makris)... [more]

Macron Scottish
The surname MacRon is a nickname for someone with blond hair. The Scottish name Crone was originally derived from the Gaelic word “cron”, which means saffron, yellow-colored or dark, and refers to the complexion or hair coloring of the original bearing.

MacRoy Scots
The ancient Dalriadan-Scottish name MacRoy is a nickname for a person with red hair. MacRoy is a nickname, which belongs to the category of hereditary surnames. Nicknames form a broad and miscellaneous class of surnames, and can refer directly or indirectly to one's personality, physical attributes, mannerisms, or even their habits of dress... [more]

Maddaloni Italian
Habitational name from Maddaloni, a town in Campania, South Italy, of uncertain etymology. Theories include a derivation from Arabic مِجْدَل (majdal) "fortress, tower", or from a now-destroyed monastery dedicated to Mary Magdalene, among others.

Made Estonian
Matronymic or patronymic surname taken either from the female name Magdaleena or the male name Matteus.

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

Madeiras Portuguese
Came from the Portuguese Madeira word "wood" or "timber". perhaps the portuguese version of the surname Woods or someone who's from the Portuguese island Madeira

Madej Polish
Either a short form of the given name Amadeusz or a variant of Matej.

Madera Spanish
describing someone who lived or worked in a forest. the word Madera means "wood" in Spanish. Spanish meaning of surname Wood

Madiga Indian, Telugu
Telugu occupational name for a leather worker, a job historically considered polluting and impure in India, where the surname belongs to Dalit, or "Untouchables" - members of the lowest caste.

Madonia Italian
Habitational name from any of numerous places named Madonia, or a regional name for someone from Madonie in Sicily.

Madrigal Spanish
"Madrigal" comes from from the Venetian madregal "simple, ingenuous," from Late Latin matricalis "invented, original," literally "of or from the womb," from matrix (gen. matricis) "womb."

Maebara Japanese
Maebara is an uncommon Japanese surname that has more than one meaning, depending on the characters used to write it. The first and most common spelling is with the characters for "Before" (前) and "Original" (原)... [more]

Mafune Japanese
From 真 (ma) meaning "real, genuine" and 船 or 舟 (fune) meaning "ship, boat".

Magaldi Italian, South American
Patronymic or plural form of the Old German personal name Magoald (from the elements megin, magan "strength, might, power" and wald "power"), or else a nickname from magaldo meaning "evil, wicked", which was derived from the personal name... [more]

Mag Annaidh Irish
Meaning "son of Annaidh"; the fullest and most correct form of the surname which is usually written Mac Anna or Mac Canna, which see... [more]

Maggio Italian
From a nickname or personal name from the month of May, maggio, from Latin Maius (mensis), from Maia, a rather obscure goddess of fertility, whose name is derived from the same root as maius "larger" and maiestas "greatness"... [more]

Maggiori Italian
Recorded in many spelling forms including the 'base' form of Maggi, and the diminutives and double diminutives Maggiore, Maggiori, Di Maggio, Maggorini, and many others, this is an Italian surname of Roman (Latin) origins... [more]

Maghribi Arabic (Maghrebi)
Derived from Arabic المغرب (al-Maghrib) meaning "the west", also referring to the country of Morocco. It could be used to refer to a Moroccan person or (in English) someone from the Maghreb region of Northern Africa.

Maglasang Filipino, Cebuano
Denotes a forest dweller or a person originally from a forest, derived from Cebuano lasang meaning "forest".

Magnesi Italian
Derived from the word "magnesia," which is an ancient term for a region in present-day Greece that was known for its deposits of magnesium and other minerals. The surname may have been given to someone who originated from this region or was associated with it.

Mahajan Indian, Marathi, Punjabi, Gujarati, Hindi, Bengali
Means "great (number of) people" or "tradesman, merchant" from Sanskrit महा (maha) meaning "great" combined with जन (jána) meaning "person, people".

Maharaj Indian, Hindi, Gujarati, Bengali, Marathi, Trinidadian Creole
Means "great king" or "great ruler" from Sanskrit महा (mahā) meaning "great, large, big" combined with राज (rāja) meaning "king, sovereign".

Maharjan Nepali
Either from Sanskrit महाजन (mahajana) meaning "great, distinguished, eminent" or महा (maha) meaning "great" combined with अर्जन (arjana) meaning "acquisition, earning".

Mahato Indian, Bengali, Hindi, Assamese, Odia, Nepali
From a title given to the head of a village or a well-to-do peasant, possibly derived from Sanskrit महत् (mahat) meaning "great, large, big".

Maher Irish (Rare)
The originally spelling was "O'Meachair" which means the 'kindly' or the 'generous'. The Maher family resided in the O'Carrol... [more]