GhassanArabic (Modern) The Ghassan surname originated in the village of Furzol in eastern Lebanon. It is believed that the name came from Shefa-'Amr in Israel, and was brought by Ghassans that were fleeing the unjust rule of Ahmed al-Jazzar, the Wali of Sidon and Damascus in the late 18th century... [more]
GhirsciMaltese The spelling of the original surname indicates that it probably didn't originate from Malta, but the surname is almost only found there anyway. The surname means "cross-eyed".
GiacominimItalian Giacomini is a diminutive form of the Italian name Giacomo, equivalent to James. It suggests 'little Giacomo' or 'son of Giacomo'
GiamattiItalian (Anglicized) Americanized form of Giammattei. Famous bearers include brothers Paul Giamatti (1967-) and Marcus Giamatti (1961-), both American actors.
GidlowEnglish The first recorded use of the name is from 1291; Robert de Gidlow was a freeholder in Aspull, Lancanshire, United Kingdom and the name occurs frequently down to the 17th century. The Gidlow family moved to the United States in the mid-18th century where the spelling was changed to Goodlow and eventually to Goodloe.
GiedraitisLithuanian This indicates familial origin within the town of Giedraičiai.
GielMedieval English From a medieval personal name of which the original form was Latin Aegidius, from Greek aigidion "kid, young goat". Compare English Giles.... [more]
GiesingerGerman Denoted a person from the town of Giesing in Germany. Or perhaps a variant spelling of Geisinger. A famous bearer of this surname is the German singer-songwriter Max Giesinger.
GiglioItalian From the personal name Giglio, from giglio "lily" (from Latin lilium), a plant considered to symbolize the qualities of candor and purity.
GilgenGerman, German (Swiss) Derived from Middle High German gilge "lily", this was a habitational name from the inflected form of a house name meaning "at the lily".
GilioItalian Derived from a variant of the given name Giglio, which can be from an Italian form of Latin Aegidius, or else taken directly from the Italian word giglio meaning "lily".
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]
GillanIrish The Gillan surname is a reduced Anglicized form of the Irish Gaelic Mac Gille Fhaoláin, which means "son of the servant of St Faolán." While the name may have originated in Ireland, this line was extant by the beginning of the 17th century, only to find many of the family to return to Ireland about 100 years later with the Plantation of Ulster.... [more]
GillardEnglish English from a pejorative derivative of the personal name Giles.
GillardEnglish, French, Swiss English and French from an assimilated form of the personal name Gislehard, a compound of Old High German gisel ‘hostage’, ‘pledge’, ‘noble youth’ (see Giesel) + hard ‘hardy’... [more]
GillespieScottish, Irish Gillespie can be of Scottish and Irish origin. The literal meaning is "servant of bishop", but it is a forename rather than a status name. The Irish Gillespies, originally MacGiollaEaspuig, are said to to be called after one Easpog Eoghan, or Bishop Owen, of Ardstraw, County Tyrone... [more]
GilliItalian Patronymic form of the personal name Gillio, a vernacular derivative of Aegilius, which itself is a later form of the given name Aegidius.
GilliardFrench, Swiss French and Swiss French from a derivative of Gillier, from the Germanic personal name Giselher, composed of gisil ‘hostage’, ‘pledge’, ‘noble offspring’ (see Giesel) + heri ‘army’.
GillibrandEnglish From the Norman personal name Gillebrand, of Germanic origin and meaning literally "hostage-sword".
GilstrapEnglish (British, Anglicized, Rare) This is a place name acquired from once having lived at a place spelled Gill(s)thorp(e), Gilsthorp(e), Gill(s)throp(e) or Gil(s)throp(e) located in the Old Danelaw area of England.... [more]
GinigeSinhalese From Sinhala ගිනි (gini) meaning "fire" combined with the suffix ගේ (ge) meaning "of, home, house" or "custodian". It was used as an occupational name for someone who used fuel and firewood to create fire before the introduction of firearms and gunpowder.
GinsburgGerman, Jewish Habitational name for someone who came from Gunzberg in Bavaria, Günsburg in Swabia, or Gintsshprik (Königsburg) in East Prussia. Its origin is from the name of the river Günz, written in early Latin documents as Guntia, which was probably of Celtic origin, and Old High German burg meaning "Fortress, walled town".
GioèItalian This is a short form of given name Gioele used as surname.
GioiaItalian Means "joy, delight" in Italian. Can derive from the given name Gioia, from a nickname, or from any of several toponyms in southern Italy.
GiorgainafGreek (Archaic) Andronymic meaning "wife of Georgios". This was used in early modern Greece, at which time a married woman's surname was formed from her husband's given name and the suffix -αινα (-aina)... [more]
GioveItalian From Giove ("Jupiter") the name of the chief Roman deity perhaps a nickname for someone who habitually swore per Giove "by Jove". From Sicilian ggiòve iòvi "Thursday" applied as a personal name for someone born or baptized on that day of the week... [more]
GipsGerman, Dutch Patronymic derived from a short form of names containing the Old Germanic element gebō "gift", or a Dutch cognate of Gibbs.
GishGerman From a shortened form of the Germanic personal name Gisulf, literally "hostage wolf". It was borne by American actress Lillian Gish (?1893-1993), original name Lillian de Guiche.
GittingsWelsh From the Welsh personal name Gutyn, Guto, a pet form of Gruffydd, with the redundant addition of English patronymic -s.
GiudiceItalian Means "judge, magistrate" in Italian, from Latin iudex, composed of ius "law" and dicere "to say, declare". This was an occupational name for an officer of justice, or a nickname for a solemn and authoritative person.
GizaPolish Nickname from Old Polish and dialect giża meaning "hind leg of an ox or swine". It could also be applied as an occupational name for a butcher.
GlæpurPopular Culture Means "crime" in Icelandic. Glanni Glæpur, or Robbie Rotten as he is called in English, is a fictional character in the Icelandic children's TV-show 'LazyTown' played by StefánKarlStefánsson... [more]
GlassIrish, Scottish Anglicized form of the epithet glas "gray, green, blue" or any of various Gaelic surnames derived from it.
GlauberJewish (Ashkenazi) Derived from German glauben "to believe" and the suffix -er. It was originally given either to an elder of the tribe, one renowned for his counsel, or to a layman who kept 'the faith'.
GlendenningScottish Habitational name from a place in the parish of Westerkirk, Dumfries, recorded in 1384 as Glendonwyne. It is probably named from Welsh glyn meaning "valley" + din meaning "fort" + gwyn meaning "fair", "white".
GlissenEnglish, Irish Possible British version of the Irish surname Glasson from the the Gaelic word O’Glasain. Meaning green from the counties of Tipperary.
GlockGerman Meant "person who lives by a church bell-tower or in a house with the sign of a bell", "bell-ringer" or "town crier" (German Glocke "bell"). It was borne by Sir William Glock (1908-2000), a British music administrator.
GloffGerman German and Swiss German: from the Germanic personal name Egilolf, composed of the elements agi(l) ‘edge’, ‘point’ (of a sword) + wolf ‘wolf’, cognate with Old English Ecgwulf. This was the name of several Lombard kings (ancestors of the Bavarian ducal line of the Agilolfinger), who introduced the name to Italy.
GlosterEnglish habitational name from the city of Gloucester. The place originally bore the British name Glevum (apparently from a cognate of Welsh gloyw "bright") to which was added the Old English element ceaster "Roman fort or walled city" (from Latin castrum "legionary camp")... [more]
GloucesterEnglish habitational name from the city of Gloucester. The place originally bore the British name Glevum (apparently from a cognate of Welsh gloyw "bright") to which was added the Old English element ceaster "Roman fort or walled city" (from Latin castrum "legionary camp")... [more]
GlushkovRussian Derived from Russian глухой (glukhoy) meaning "deaf" or "remote, out-of-the-way", either used as a nickname for a deaf person or for someone originally from a remote place.
GobaraArabic (Egyptian, Anglicized), Arabic In Egypt and Sudan the surname Jabbar is pronounced with a ‘G’ sound in English. It is also feminine form hence the additional ‘A’ at the end of the name.
GoberEnglish, French The surname Gober was first found in Warwickshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. The Norman influence of English history dominated after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The language of the courts was French for the next three centuries and the Norman ambience prevailed.
GödelGerman From an Old German personal name, Godilo, Godila.German (Gödel): from a pet form of a compound personal name beginning with the element god ‘good’ or god, got ‘god’.Variant of Godl or Gödl, South German variants of Gote, from Middle High German got(t)e, gö(t)te ‘godfather’.
GodilEnglish English: habitational name for someone from Gadshill in Kent, either of two places called Godshill in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, or Godsell Farm in Wiltshire, which were all originally named Godeshyll ‘God's hill’.
GodinEnglish Comes from the Germanic personal name Godin-, a pet form of any of various compound names beginning with god, got ‘god’. Compare Godbold, Goddard, and Godfrey.
GoebbelsGerman, History Originally an occupational name for a brewer. Paul Joseph Goebbels was a German politician and Reich Minister of Propaganda in Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945.
GoetheGerman From a short form of the personal name Godo, formed with the Germanic element god, got 'god', or from Middle High German göte 'godfather'.
GoettelGerman From a pet form of Gottfried, or any of the other personal names formed with Got(t)-.
GoettemsGerman, Brazilian Brazilian adaptation of the German surname Goedems; altered for easier comprehension by the Portuguese-speaking population of Brazil. All members of the Goettems family in Brazil are descendants of Johann Goedems, born in Oberlöstern, Saarland, on September 17, 1798.
GogliaItalian Nickname or a metonymic occupational name for a person who used leaves from a kind of plant to bind grafts, derived from the Italian dialectal goglia.
GohrbandGerman (Rare) Contained in a Latin land deed granted to a German for a castle-keep dated February 21, 1308. It is believed to be the first written record and original spelling of the name, generally understood to mean in German, "he who lives by the marsh"... [more]
GoldfederJewish Ornamental name composed of Old High German gold literally meaning "gold" and feder meaning "feather pen".
GoldfingerJewish Ornamental name composed of Old High German gold literally "gold" and finger "finger". It may perhaps also be a nickname for someone who wore a prominent gold ring on their finger.
GoldmannGerman, Jewish occupational name for someone who worked with gold denoting anything from a gold-miner to a maker of gold jewelry or a gilder (someone skilled in decorating surfaces with a very thin layer of gold leaf)... [more]
GoldringScottish Scottish: habitational name from Goldring in the bailiary of Kylestewart.
GoldsmithEnglish Occupational name for a worker in gold, a compound of Old English gold "gold" and smið "smith". In North America it is very often an English translation of German or Jewish Goldschmidt.
GoldsternYiddish (Germanized, Rare) It is a Jewish surname that means (Gold Star), which in Hebrew is כוכב המלך דוד the star of King David. This surname has its origins in Hungary, Austria and Germany, this surname was bought by the Jews who worked as sellers of gold, diamonds, emeralds and jewels... [more]
GoldwaterGerman (Anglicized), Jewish (Anglicized) This name is an Anglicized form of the German or Ashkenazic ornamental surname 'Goldwasser', or 'Goldvasser'. The name derives from the German or Yiddish gold', gold, with 'wasser', water, and is one of the very many such compound ornamental names formed with 'gold', such as 'Goldbaum', golden tree, 'Goldbert', golden hill, 'Goldkind', golden child, 'Goldrosen', golden roses, and 'Goldstern', golden star.
GoldwynEnglish, Jewish Derived from the Old English given name Goldwine, composed of the elements gold meaning "gold" and win meaning "friend".
GołyńskiPolish This indicates familial origin within the Masovian village of Gołyń.
GombertFrench, German French and German: from Gundbert, a Germanic personal name composed of the elements gund ‘battle’ + berht ‘bright’, ‘famous’... [more]
GonellaItalian From Italian gonnella "skirt", derived from Latin gunna "leather garment", in Old Italian referring to a unisex garment similar to a long tunic that probably originated as military garb... [more]
GongChinese From Chinese 龚 (gōng) referring to the ancient state of Gong (written as 共), which existed during the Shang dynasty possibly in what is now Henan province. This name was adopted in place of 共 by future descendants to flee persecution.
GongChinese From Chinese 恭 (gōng) referring to the ancient state of Gong, which existed in what is now Gansu province.
GongoraBasque From the name of a town in Navarre, Spain, derived from Basque goien "highest, supreme; apex, peak" and gora "up, upwards, above, high".
GoñiBasque, Spanish From the name of a town and municipality in Navarre, Spain, probably derived from Basque goien "highest point, apex, peak".
GonnaimueangThai End with the word "ในเมือง"(nai - mueang), which is the name of a sub-district in the northeastern region of Thailand.
GonnyngeEnglish (Rare) A variant of the given name Gunwyn, which is derived from the Old English word gundwein, meaning "battle friend".
GonyeauFrench Respelling of French Gagnon, found predominantly in New England, possibly also of Gagneau, from a diminutive of Gagne.
GonzagaSpanish, Portuguese, Italian (Archaic) Habitational name for someone from a location called Gonzaga in Mantua, Italy. This was the name of an Italian family that ruled Mantua from 1328 to 1708.
GoodbarGerman (Anglicized), English Possibly an altered spelling of English Godber, derived from the medieval given name Godebert, or an occupational name for a beer brewer and a nickname for a toper... [more]
GoodchildEnglish Nickname derived from Middle English god "good" and cild "child". In some cases, it might have instead derived from godchild and been a nickname for someone who was the godchild of a prominent member of the community.
GoodenoughEnglish From a medieval nickname probably applied either to someone of average abilities or to an easily satisfied person, from Middle English good "good" (from Old English god) and ynogh "enough"... [more]
GooderhamDanish It is derived from a personal name, originally "Gudormr", which has the rather unusual translation of "battle-snake".
GoodfriendEnglish Nickname for a reliable friend or neighbor, from Middle English gode meaning "good", and frend meaning "friend". It is an English translation and cognate of German Gutfreund, from Middle High German guot meaning "good" and vriunt meaning "friend".
GoodingEnglish Derived from a pet form of names containing the Old English element god "god" or god "good", such as Godwin or Goding.