NabbEnglish (British), Scottish (Anglicized) English (Lancashire): topographic name for someone who lived by a nab, Middle English nabbe ‘hillock, knoll’ (Old Norse nabbi ‘projecting peak, hill’), or a habitational name from any of the many minor places in northern and eastern England named with this word, for example Whalley Nab in Blackburn (Lancashire), Nab Scar in Rydal (Westmorland), and The Nab in Burgh Saint Margaret (Norfolk).... [more]
NachtriebGerman It possibly comes from the German name of a nachtrab, which is a "night bird like the owl". Another possible meaning is "night tribe".
NacrourArabic The name of a family of Lebanese goldsmiths descended from the Ottoman Prince Hanna, the name itself refers to the actual sound the hammer makes as it hits the gold. This is the French spelling but the original Arabic spelling is äÞÑæÑ ; other spellings in the Latin alphabet include Nakrour and Nacrur.
NadelGerman, Jewish Metonymic occupational name for a maker of needles, or in some cases for a tailor, from Middle High German nadel(e), German Nadel "needle".
NaegiJapanese (Rare) This surname is used as 苗木 with 苗 (byou, myou, nae, nawa-) meaning "sapling, seedling, shoot" and 木 (boku, moku, ki, ko-) meaning "tree, wood."... [more]
NaeshiroJapanese The meaning of Naeshiro/苗代 equals to "Seedling Substitute"
NagatoJapanese (Rare) There might be different readings, but one is Naga meaning "chief" and to meaning "gate".... [more]
NagavekarIndian Of Indian origin, specifically from the Konkan region of Maharashtra. The name is derived from the words "nagav" which means cobra and "kar" meaning owner, thus Nagavekar means "owner of cobras" in English... [more]
NagórnyRussian, Polish, Ukrainian Place name for someone from multiple cites of Russia named Nagornoye and Nagorny, itself derived from the The prefix Nagorno- that derives from the Russian attributive adjective nagorny (нагорный), which means "highland".
NahasapeemapetilonPopular Culture Borne by Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, a fictional character from the television series 'The Simpsons' (1989-). According to the show's sources, the character is meant to be of Bengali Indian origin.
NaiduIndian The surname Naidu occurs in communities of Andhra Pradesh. It is composed of a stem word ‘naya’, which means leader or chief. The suffix ‘du’ is a third person masculine suffix in Telegu.
NaimanUkrainian, Jewish Before Genghis Khan conquered the world, he conquered his neighbors, and his last great victory, in 1204, was over a tribe of Turkic Christians called the Naiman. (Some Naimans today are Christian but most are Jewish.)... [more]
NainggolanBatak From the name of a village located on the island of Samosir in Lake Toba (itself on the island of Sumatra).
NairIndian, Malayalam From Nair, the name of a group of Hindu castes concentrated in the Indian state of Kerala. The origin of the word itself is somewhat disputed. Some believe it is derived from nayaka, an honorific meaning "leader of the people", while another theory suggests that is is derived from the Sanskrit नाग (nāgá) "snake, serpent" (a reference to the practice of snake worship)... [more]
NairnScottish Means "person from Nairn", Highland region ("(place at the mouth of the river) Nairn", a Celtic river-name perhaps meaning "penetrating one").
NajarSpanish Spanish: Most Probably A Habitational Name From Najar Alicante. Alternatively It May Be An Occupational Name For A Carpenter Of Arabic Origin
NakaJapanese, Okinawan From Japanese 中 (naka) meaning "middle; center". It is a reference to an event in the Northern and Southern Courts Period, of 3 sons of Takase who became heroes for the south. The emperor of Japan awarded each of the sons a new surname; Oku for the eldest son, Naka for the middle son, and Kuchi for the youngest son.... [more]
NakaJapanese From Japanese 那珂 (Naka) meaning "Naka", a district in the former Japanese province of Hitachi in parts of present-day Ibaraki, Japan.
NakabugoEastern African A rare surname primarily found in Uganda derived from Nakabugo, with a documented origin in the Nkima clan of the Buganda kingdom. The name is derived from one of the daughters of the clan head, Mugema.
NakaiPunjabi This surname originates from the Punjab. It is a sub-cast of Sandhu Jats and are descendants of Nakai Misl, a principality of the Sikh Empire from 1748 to 1810.
NakamatsuJapanese This surname combines 中 (chuu, ata.ru, uchi, naka) meaning "centre, in(side), mean (not as in the way a person acts), middle" or 仲 (chuu, naka) meaning "go-between, relationship" with 松 (shou, matsu) meaning "pine tree." One bearer of this surname is inventor Yoshirō Nakamatsu (中松 義郎), also known as Dr... [more]
NakaradaNorwegian From the Norwegian composer Alexander Nakarada, who is the founder of SerpentSound Studios. His main focus is to make it easier for all creative people around the globe to get good music for their work.
NakasoneJapanese Combination of the kanji 中 (naka, "middle"), 曽 (so, of uncertain meaning) and 根 (ne, "root"). A famous bearer of this surname was Japanese Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone (中曽根 康弘; 1918–2019).
NakibogofEastern African From the prefix "Na-" which is commonly used in female names and can denote "mother of" or relate to femininity and the root "kibogo" which is a dialectal form of "kibuga," which in Luganda means "city" or "capital."
NalbandyanArmenian Means "son of the farrier" from dialectal Armenian նալբանդ (nalband) meaning "farrier" (of Persian origin).
NalisCroatian (Rare) Meaning unknown. A famous bearer of this surname is Antun Nalis, aka Tonči Nalis, a post-World War 2 actor in Croatian and Yugoslav cinema in the 1950s and 1960s.
NamazuJapanese (Rare) From Japanese 鯰 (Namazu) meaning "Namazu", a former large village in the former district of Aida in the former Japanese province of Mimasaka in parts of present-day Okayama, Japan.
NamazuJapanese (Rare) From Japanese 鯰 (Namazu) meaning "Namazu", a division in the town of Kashima in the district of Kamimashiki in the prefecture of Kumamoto in Japan.
NandasiriSinhalese Derived from Sanskrit नन्द (nanda) meaning "joy, delight" and श्री (shri) meaning "diffusing light, radiance, splendour, beauty".
NandedkarMarathi Means "one from Nanded" in Marathi. Nanded is a city in the Indian state of Maharashtra.
ÑáñezSpanish Patronymic from an unidentified personal name, perhaps it's a cognate of Ibáñez.
NankervisCornish, English (Australian) From the name of a place in St Enoder parish in Cornwall, derived from Cornish nans "valley" and an uncertain second element, possibly *cerwys, an unattested plural of carow "stag".... [more]
NanningaFrisian, Dutch, German Derived from the given name Nanne, a short form of Germanic names containing the element nand meaning "daring, brave, courage"... [more]
NantzGerman From a pet form of a Germanic compound name formed with Nant- (for example, Nantwig, Nantger); its meaning is reflected in Middle High German nenden 'to dare'.
NapierEnglish, Scottish Occupational name for someone who sold table linen or was in charge of the linen of a medieval household, derived from Old French nape "table cloth".
NapieralaPolish Nickname for an insistent person, from a derivative of napierac ‘advance’, ‘press’, ‘urge’.
NaporaPolish Nickname for an interfering person, Polish napora, derivative of napierać meaning ‘to insist on somebody doing something’.
NapperEnglish 1 English: occupational name for a naperer, the servant in charge of the linen in use in a great house, Middle English, Old French nap(p)ier. Compare Scottish Napier .... [more]
NaqviUrdu Derived from Arabic نقي (naqi) meaning "pure, clean". This is the name of a Shi'ite clan found primarily in Iran, Iraq and South Asia, named after 9th-century imam Ali al-Hadi (also known as al-Naqi).
NaramorEnglish, Welsh Naramor, also Narramore or Naramore, is a corruption of Northmore, and has Welsh/English background. "More North"
NarewskiPolish Possibly derived from the name of the river Narew. Surname associated with the Wieniawa coat of arms which dates back as early as the XIV century.
NariñoGalician This indicates familial origin within the eponymous neighborhood of the parish of Niveiro, Val do Dubra.
NarisakiJapanese Narisaki is a japanese surname that denotes to noblewomen whom were exceptional and unique, as well as embodying the quality of novelty. It is believed to be a lost surname from an ancient Japanese reigning dynasty that was rediscovered and is now used by a sorority founded by Yuumi and Jovani.
NarramoreEnglish Earliest progenitor is Reginald Bynorthemore, living 1318 inbetween Bovey Tracy and Moretonhampstead, in Dartmoor, Devonshire, England. By the 16th century, the surname was being used interchangeably as Narramore/Northmore within the same generation, as in the case of Walter Narramore/Northmore... [more]
NaruJapanese The meaning of the name Naru is ''become''
NarvaEstonian Narva is an Estonian surname taken from the city of the same name in Ida-Viru County.
NaryOld Irish An anglicized form of the Gaelic surname O Naraigh. This surname is derived from the personal name Narach which means modest.
NaryshkinRussian Russian surname of unclear, possibly Crimean Tatar origin. One of the most famous bearers is Natalya Naryshkina, Tsaritsa of Russia and mother of Tsar Peter I of Russia.
NascimentoPortuguese (Brazilian) Means "birth, nativity" in Portuguese, from Late Latin nascimentum, a derivative of Latin nasci "to be born". This was originally a religious byname. It was also an epithet of the Virgin Mary (Maria do Nascimento), and was used as a given name for children born on Christmas.
NassauGerman, Dutch, Jewish From the name of the town of Nassau in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany (formerly the seat of an independent duchy in the 19th century), derived from Old High German naz meaning "damp, wet" and ouwa meaning "water meadow"... [more]
NasserGerman Someone from any of the places called Nassen, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Hesse, and Bavaria.
NastGerman Topographic name for someone who lived in a thickly wooded area, or a metonymic occupational name for a woodcutter, from Middle High German nast meaning "branch", a regional variant of ast, resulting from the misdivision of forms such as ein ast meaning "a branch".
NasutionBatak From Mandailing Nan Sakti On or Na Sakti On meaning "the magic one", itself from sakti meaning "mystical, magical" (ultimately of Sanskrit origin). This was a nickname of legendary Mandailing ruler Si Baroar Nan Sakti.
NatsumeJapanese From Japanese 棗 (natsume) meaning "jujube". Natsume was a large village in the former district of Sakai, but the surname could also be from the former name for the area of Ishishimbo.
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).
NatsumiJapanese (Rare) This is occasionally,but rarely used as a last name. Natsu means "Summer",and Mi in this surname means "Look". So the literal meaning of this could be "Look at Summer",or "The Look of Summer"... [more]
Natt och DagOld Swedish, Swedish (Rare) Means "night and day" in Swedish. This is the name of one of the oldest noble families in Sweden. The name is believed to be a reference to the family's coat of arms which consisted of a blue and a golden field, the blue symbolizing night and the gold symbolizing day.
NauGerman A variant of Neu; meaning "ship" or "boat."
NaultFrench From a short form of various medieval personal names derived from Germanic personal names formed with wald 'rule' as the final element, in particular Arnold.
NautaDutch Humanistic Latinization of Schipper, from nauta "sailor, seaman, mariner".
NavalnymUkrainian More common transcription of Navalnyy, due to the Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
NavalnyymUkrainian Means "stormy, cloudy" in Ukrainian. Aleksey Navalnyy was a Russian political dissident of partially Ukrainian origin. He died on 16 February 2024. The more common transcription is Navalny.
NavarreFrench The name means "By the sea". Originally a country of its own, located between Spain and France, Navarre became a part of France in 1284 when the Queen of Navarre married King Philip IV of France. After much war, becoming independent once again, and falling into Spanish rule, the Kingdom of Navarre is now split between Spain and France.
NavarreteSpanish From the town of Navarrete in La Rioja, Spain, meaning "the mountain pass of the Navarrans" or "dun mountain pass". It became particularly popular in the province of Jaen through the Castillian conquest of Baeza.
NavonHebrew Means "wise, intelligent" in Hebrew. A notable bearer of this surname was Israeli president Yitzhak Navon (1921-2015).
NawabUrdu, Punjabi From a title traditionally used by Muslim officials in South Asia who acted as local governors and rulers of deputy states. It is ultimately derived from Arabic نائب (na'ib) via Persian.
NawaqanitawaseFijian A surname of Fijian heritage. A famous person with this surname is Mark Nawaqanitawase, an Australian rugby player.
NazimovaRussian, Literature Notable users of the name includes the Russian silent screen star Alla Nazimova (1879-1945) and the heroine of the Russian novel 'Children of the Streets', Nadezhda Nazimova.
NearsEnglish French in origin, it is derived from the word "Noir," which is the equivalent of the English word "Black." It could have referred to a person with dark features, hair, or perhaps even one who was thought to engage in nafarious, or "dark," deeds.
NečasmCzech Nečas roughly means "no time", composed of two words Ne ("no") and čas ("time").... [more]
NeckerGerman Denoted a person who lives near the Neckar River, a major tributary of the Rhine.
NectariaRomanian Feminine version of Nectarie, Greek saint-St.Nectarie from Egina. In Romanian this means "the juice of flowers". Nectaire is probably of the same derivation as the English word "nectar". This is the etymology of nectar (from http://www.etymonline.com/) from negtar > nogalon... [more]
NedelcuRomanian (Modern) Entered Romania around the 16th century via Bulgaria as a popular female given name - Neda/Nedelea etc., attested under the form of Nedelco/Nedelcu in the historical region of Basarabia around 1560, became a surname in the following century... [more]
NederhorstDutch From the name of the village of Nederhorst den Berg in North Holland, the Netherlands. It means "lower height, lower hill" in Dutch, derived from neder "lower" and horst "overgrown elevated place"... [more]
NeeIrish, Scottish reduced Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Niadh ("descendant of Nia") or Ó Niadh ("son of Nia"). Compare McNee.
NeedleEnglish, Jewish (Americanized) English: from Middle English nedle nadle ‘needle’ (Old English nǣdle) hence a metonymic occupational name for a maker of needles or in some cases perhaps for a tailor. See also Nadler.... [more]
NeeskensDutch Nickname for a nosy person, from Dutch nees meaning "nose, snout". It could also be derived from a Dutch diminutive of the feminine given name Agnes... [more]
NeesonIrish (Anglicized) Reduced Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Naois "son of Naois", usually Anglicized as Mcneese. Surname made famous by the actor Liam Neeson.
NeffGerman, German (Swiss) From Middle High German neve 'nephew', hence probably a distinguishing name for a close relation or familiar of a prominent personage.
NeggoEstonian Neggo is an Estonian surname, possibly a corruption of "nõgu", meaning "dell".
NegleyGerman (Swiss) Altered spelling of Swiss German Nägele, Naegeli, or Nägeli, variants of Nagel.
NegreteSpanish Possibly from negrete denoting a member of a 15th-century faction based in the mountainous area of Cantabria.
NegroItalian, Spanish, Galician, Portuguese, Jewish Nickname or ethnic name from negro "black" (continuation of Latin niger), denoting someone with dark hair, dark eyes, a dark complexion, someone who wore dark clothes, someone who worked a job in the night, or was otherwise associated with the night.
NegronSpanish, Italian This surname is a most likely variant of the word and name Negro.
NeherGerman An occupational name for a tailor from a deritive of Middle Low German, 'nehen' which means 'to sew' or 'to embroider'
NehruIndian, Hindi From Sanskrit नहर (nahar, nehar) meaning "canal". This name was borne by Jawaharlal Nehru (1889-1964), the first Prime Minister of India. His earliest recorded ancestor Raj Kaul adopted the name when, upon moving from Kashmir to Delhi, he was granted a jagir (feudal land grant) with a house situated on the banks of a canal... [more]
NeighborEnglish From the Middle English word neighbor, derived from neghebour, which in turn comes from the Old English words neah, meaning "near", and gebur, meaning "a dweller". This may have been used as a nickname for someone who was a 'good neighbor', more likely it evolved from the term of address for someone living nearby.
NeillIrish, Scottish Reduced form of Irish Gaelic Ó Néill or Scottish Gaelic Mac Néill ‘descendant (or son) of Niall’, a personal name of Irish origin, thought to mean ‘champion’. The personal name was adopted by Norsemen in the form Njáll and was brought to England both directly from Ireland by Scandinavian settlers and indirectly (via France) by the Normans... [more]
NeinGerman Unexplained. Perhaps from a short form of a Germanic personal name formed with an element cognate with Old High German niuwi meaning "new".
NeisserGerman German demonym of the town of Neisse (nowadays Nysa, in Poland), itself from the name of the river Neisse (Nysa) which runs through the city.
NejiJapanese (Rare) This surname is used as 子師, combining 子 (shi, su, tsu, ko, -ko, ne) meaning "child, sign of the rat (1st sign of Chinese zodiac)" with 師 (shi, su, nara.u, moromoro) meaning "army, exemplar, expert, master, model, teacher, war."
NelmsEnglish (American) Topographic name for someone who lived near or amid a grove of elm trees, from misdivision of Middle English atten elmes ‘at the elms’