ZamlochGerman (Austrian) Altered, likely Americanized or Germanized, version of the Czech surname Zemlicka. Zemlicka derives from žemle, meaning "bread roll," and was a name given to bakers.... [more]
ZamoraSpanish Habitational name from Zamora, a city in northwestern Spain, of uncertain etymology. Possibly derived from Berber azemur "wild olive tree".
ZamudioBasque From the name of a town and municipality in Biscay, Basque Country, derived from zama "gorge, ravine" and odi "ravine, channel, tube". Alternatively, the second element could instead be -di "place of, forest of".
ZanamweSouthern African Zimbabwean Surname, originally from the Chivi area, shona speaking people of the Shumba(lion) totem originate from the Masvingo province, Mwenezi, Chitanga,Chikombedzi, Boli Chibwedziva. Some migrated to the Mashonaland East province Mhondoro area and assumed the Moyo(heart) totem
ZañartuBasque It indicates familial origin within the eponymous rural district in the municipality of Oñati.
ZandvoortDutch From the name of any of several settlements in the Netherlands, derived from Dutch zand "sand" and voort "ford, crossing".
ZaneEnglish Meaning unknown. It could be a Americanization of the German surname Zahn. Zane 1 is also used as a given name.
ZangaraItalian Southern Italian: from a feminine form of Zangaro ( see Zangari ).
ZangievOssetian, Soviet, Russian, Popular Culture The Russified Soviet and Modern Russian form of the Ossetian surname Зæнджиаты Zændžiaty. A famous user of it is wrestler Victor Zangiev, himself the inspiration for Zangief of Street Fighter fame.
ZaniItalian Comes from the personal name Z(u)an(n)i, a northeastern (Venetian) form of Gianni (from Giovanni, Italian equivalent of John). Zani or Zanni is a comic figure in the Commedia del’Arte, and the surname may be a nickname derived from this use, which is also the origin of the English word zany.
ZaniniItalian The surname Zanini or Zanin was given to the descendants of Giovanni (John). It originates from the diminutive of the Venetian variant of Zani, being Zanino.
ZanniItalian, Venetian From the given name Zanni, a Venetan form of Gianni. This is also the name of a broad character archetype of commedia dell’arte, covering a wide range of servant and trickster characters; in some cases, the surname could have originated as a nickname based on this archetype.
ZanuggRomansh Derived from a diminutive form of the given name Gian.
ZanussiFriulian, Italian Zanussi is best known as the surname of an influential Italian inventor from Brugnera in Friulia. The name likely comes from zanuso meaning ‘sedge’ in Italian.
ZapataSpanish Occupational surname for a shoemaker, from Spanish zapato meaning "shoe". It can also be considered a habitational name for someone originally from any of the various locations in Spain called Zapata.
ZapheiropoulosGreek Meaning descendant of Zapheiris, the name Zapheiris is translated to sapphire.
ZarafshanPersian Means "spreader of gold" in Persian, from زر (zar) meaning "gold" and افشان (afshan) meaning "spreader, scatterer".
ZaragozaSpanish, Aragonese Habitational name from the province of Zaragoza in Aragon, from a Mozarabic form of Latin Caesaraugusta, named after Roman emperor Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus.
ZarateBasque From the name of a hamlet in Álava province, Spain, possibly derived from Basque zara "thicket".
ZarautzBasque From the name of a town in Basque Country, Spain, possibly derived from zara "bush, undergrowth" and a variant of (h)aitz "rock, stone".
ZaslavskyRussian, Jewish Name for someone from the city of Iziaslav (or Zaslav) in Ukraine, derived from the given name Iziaslav.
ZatarainBasque From any of several place names in Basque Country, Spain, probably derived from the toponymic suffix -ain and an uncertain first element possibly meaning "thicket, underbrush". Alternatively, could derive from an altered form of Basque talaia "watchtower, lookout, vantage point", which is ultimately from Arabic طليعة (ṭalīʕa) "forefront, vanguard".
ZatzJewish Abbreviation of the Hebrew phrase Zera TSadikim "seed of the righteous", assumed in a spirit of pious respect for one’s ancestors.
ŽaŭniarovičBelarusian Derived from Belarusian жаўнер (žaŭnier) meaning "soldier (of the Polish army)", borrowed from Polish żołnierz via German Söldner.
ŽavbiSlovene The surname is mostly tied to prefession but can also be based off of certain personality traits or profession. It comes from the word "žavba", ointment, cream.
ZazuetaSpanish Probably a topographic name of Basque origin, from an unexplained first element + the collective suffix -eta 'place or group of'.
ZazzaraItalian Ancient and very noble Lazio family, with residence in the city of Viterbo, known as Zazzara or Zazzera, of clear and ancestral virtue, which has spread over the centuries in various regions of Italy.
ZdrojewskiPolish Habitational name for someone from any of several places called Zdroje or Zdrojewo, in particular in Bydgoszcz voivodeship, named with Polish zdroje meaning "springs","spa".
ZdunichPolish Polish name of unknown meaning or origin. A notable bearer of this name is American actor/singer/artist/songwriter Terrance Zdunich.
ZehnerGerman (chiefly Bavaria, Austria, Switzerland, and Württemberg): occupational name for an official responsible for collecting, on behalf of the lord of the manor, tithes of agricultural produce owed as rent.... [more]
ZehrenGerman (Swiss) From a prepositional phrase from Middle High German ze hērren, an occupational name for someone was in service of a lord.
ZeilstraDutch, West Frisian Derived from zijl "sluice" and the suffix -stra denoting an inhabitant of a place. The name has also been connected to zeil "sail; to sail", possibly a nickname for someone who made sails or spent a lot of time on a ship.
ZeimetGerman, Luxembourgish Western German and Luxembourgeois: probably a variant spelling of Zeimert, a variant of Zeumer, an occupational name for a harness maker, from an agent derivative of Middle High German zoum ‘bridle’.
ZeitounArabic Derived from the Arabic زَيْتُون (zaytūn) meaning "olive", a cognate of the Maghrebi Zitouni. It could also be linked to the famous El-Zeitoun district in Cairo, Egypt.
ŻelaznyPolish Means "(made of) iron" in Polish, used as a nickname for a person with a strong personality.
ZeldinJewish Means "son of Zelde", a Yiddish female personal name based on Middle High German sælde "fortunate, blessed".
ZelmerlöwSwedish (Rare) Rare Swedish surname composed of the name of the family's ancestor SelmaLöf. One bearer is Swedish artist Måns Zelmerlöw (b.1986) who won the Eurovision Song Contest in 2016.
ZelnickovaJewish Zelnickova is a Jewish (Eastern Ashkenazic) surname that can be found in Czechoslovakia, Poland and Slovenia. This surname is derived from the Yiddish word tselnick which in English means haberdashery... [more]
ŽemaitisLithuanian Derives from the Lithuanian ethnonym žemaitis "Samogitian", denoting someone who came from the Lithuanian region of Samogitia (Žemaitija). A notable bearer of this last name is Jonas Žemaitis, one of the leaders of the Lithuanian Partisans.... [more]
ZemmosaJapanese (Rare) From Japanese 善 (zen) meaning "virtue, goodness", 茂 (mo) meaning "overgrown; luxuriant", and 砂 (sa) meaning "sand", referring to a place with lots of sand.
ZennerUpper German South German: unflattering nickname for a surly, snarling person, from an agent derivative of Middle High German zannen 'to growl or howl' or 'to bare one's teeth'.
ZgłobickiPolish This indicates familial origin within the Lesser Polish village of Zgłobice.
ZgłobieńiakPolish Habitational name for somebody who comes from the village of Zgłobień in Poland.
ZhaChinese From Chinese 查 (zhā) referring to the ancient fief of Zha, which was part of the state of Qi during the Zhou dynasty in what is now Shandong province. Alternately it may come from the name of a fief that was part of the state of Chu during the Zhou dynasty in what is now Anhui province.
ZhaiChinese From Chinese 翟 (zhái) referring to the ancient state of Zhai, which existed during the Zhou dynasty in what is now Shanxi province. The character 翟 was originally read as Di but was later changed to Zhai due to dialectal differences.
ZhugeChinese One of the rare Chinese double character surnames. It is ranked 314th in the Hundred Family Surnames. The first character 諸 can be read as "all, these, various" and the second character 葛 as meaning "vine, vines"... [more]
ZhytaryukUkrainian Means "child of the grain farmer". Derived from Ukrainian "житар (zhytar)", meaning "grain farmer" and the last name suffix -юк (-yuk).
ZianiItalian (Rare, Archaic) Habitual surname denoting someone from Ziano, a locality in Italy. Unrelated to the Maghrebi surname of the same spelling.
ZiegenhagenGerman Derived from Middle High German zige "goat" and hag "enclosure, hedge, pasture". Could be an occupational name for someone who kept goats, or be derived from any of several places with the name.
ZildjianArmenian (Anglicized) English form of Armenian Զիլճյան (see Zilčyan). The famous bearer of this name was Avedis Zildjian, founder of the oldest manufacturer of musical instruments in the world, the Avedis Zildjian Company.
ZimbalistJewish Occupational name for a cymbalist or a dulcimer player, particularly the cimbalom, derived from Yiddish tsimbl meaning "dulcimer, cimbalom, cymbal". The American actor Efrem Zimbalist Jr. (1918-2014) was a famous bearer of this surname.
ZinderGerman A mostly Ashkenazi Jewish surname, while specific documentation linking "Zinder" to the German word "Zünder" (meaning "tinder" or "firestarter") is limited, the surname "Zinder" is believed to have German origins, possibly derived from the word "Zindel," which refers to a "bundle of wood shavings." This term is associated with materials used to start fires, suggesting a potential connection to the "firestarter" occupation... [more]
ZingerGerman The surname Zinger was first found in Saxony, where this family name became a prominent contributor to the development of the district from ancient times. ... In Old German the name meant "lively" and "spritely," or more literally, "a biting, sharp taste."
ZirkzeeDutch, German Could be potentially related to the German surname Zirkel or Zirkl. Another theory says that it has its historical roots in the Netherlands, particularly in the region of Zeeland, where it is believed to have originated... [more]
ZloczowerPolish, Jewish Denoted a person from Zolochiv (known as Złoczów in Polish), a small city in the Lviv Oblast of Ukraine.
ZlodejSlovene (Rare) It is the euphemism (an innocuous word or expression used in place of one that is deemed offensive or suggests something unpleasant) for the word "devil". Another variant of the surname is Slodej.
ZoccolaItalian Possibly derives from a dialectic variant of zoccolo "clog (shoe with wooden sole); hoof (of an animal)", perhaps a nickname for someone who made or often wore such shoes, or for a mountaineer... [more]
ZolaItalian Italian: habitational name from any of various minor places named with Zol(l)a, from a dialect term for a mound or bank of earth, as for example Zola Predosa (Bologna) or Zolla in Monrupino (Trieste)... [more]
ZongoHausa In Hausa “Zongo” refers to settlement areas or quarters traditionally inhabited by traders, migrants, or communities often of Muslim background. The word broadly means “a neighborhood or camp”.
ZorefBiblical Hebrew Zoref, spelled צורף in Hebrew and pronounced Tzo-ref, though the typical American pronunciation is with a Z, means "Goldsmith" in both Biblical and Modern Hebrew, Zoref does not necessarily connote working only with gold; rather, it is a metalsmith that works with any kind of metallic substance.... [more]
ZororoShona Zororo means "rest". It may be given to mean that the parent has rested after the birth of this child. Zimbabwean politician Zororo Duri was a well known bearer of this name.
ZouChinese From Chinese 邹 (zōu) referring to the ancient state of Zou, which existed during the Zhou dynasty in what is now Shandong province.
ZouaouiArabic (Maghrebi) Indicates a member of the Igawawen (called Zouaoua in French) Kabyle tribe, from Maghrebi Arabic زواوة (zwāwa). The tribe's name is of uncertain meaning; it may be derived from the name of a massif in Kabylie, Algeria.
ZuberGerman, German (Swiss) German: Metonymic occupational name for a cooper or tubmaker, from Middle High German zuber ‘(two-handled) tub’, or a habitational name from a house distinguished by the sign of a tub. ... [more]
ZubiagaBasque Means "place of the bridge", from Basque zubi "bridge" and the locative suffix -aga.
ZufallMedieval German A German name from the Middle High German "zuoval," meaning "benefit," "coincidence" or "windfall." It was a nickname for a lucky person, most likely a person to whom a plot of land had been given. It could also be an occupational name for a tax collector.
ZugGerman (Swiss) Denotes somebody from either the Canton of Zug or town of Zug.
ZugrăvescuRomanian Patronymic surname of uncertain origin. It may be derived from the verb a zugrăvi meaning "to paint, to describe figuratively" and therefore mean "The descendant of he who describes/paints".
ZuhmLow German Name of a noble family from the island of Rügen.
ZuidemaDutch, West Frisian Either derived from a toponym containing the element zuid "south, southern" (from Middle Dutch suid), or a patronymic form of a name beginning with the element swith "strong".
ZuillEnglish, Scottish From the town of Zuill, Scotland. The "Z" pronounced as "Y" comes from ancient yogh representing a variety of sounds. The name itself is of unknown origin.
ZuletaSpanish, Basque Variant of Zulueta, which comes from the Basque topographic name 'zulo' meaning ‘hole hollow’ + the collective suffix '-eta' meaning "place or group of."
ZuloagaBasque From the name of a settlement in Biscay, Spain, meaning "place of holes" in Basque, derived from zulo "hole, pit, burrow, opening" and -aga "place of, abundance of".
ZumarragaBasque From the name of a town in Basque Country, Spain, derived from zumar "elm (tree)" and -aga "place of, group of".
ZurbanoBasque (Hispanicized) Castilianized form of Basque Zurbao, a toponym of uncertain etymology. Possibly related to zur "wood, timber" or zurbeltz "holm oak, kermes oak".
ZürcherGerman Habitational name for someone from the Swiss city of Zurich.
ZurerYiddish Possibly a variant of Zur or Tzur. Israeli actress Ayelet Zurer (1969-) bears this name.
ZuritaSpanish, Aragonese An Aragonese surname derived from the Stock Bird, a species of bird.
ZuritaSpanish Habitational surname from either of two places called Zurita in Huesca and Cantabria named with a derivative of Basque zuri 'white'
ŻurowskiPolish This indicates familial origin within the Lesser Polish village of Żurowa.
ZurruItalian From Sardinian "gush, spring (of water)".
ZurzoloItalian The last name of actor, Lorenzo Zurzolo, who is Niccolo in Baby and Theodore Nott in Harry Potter.
ZwingliSwiss Possibly derived from a place name in Toggenburg, Switzerland. A notable bearer was Huldrych Zwingli (1484 – 1531), leader of the protestant reformation in Switzerland, who was born in Wildhaus, Toggenburg... [more]
ZykRussian, Belarusian A Russian name now found in Belarus and other areas around "white Russia". Literally translates to the Russian word "beetle". It's pronounced "Z'ook" and has taken on other forms of spelling, such as; Zuck, Tzook, Shyk, etc.
ZyrinRussian Derived from Russian зырянин (zyryanin) or зыря (zyrya) meaning "Komi, Zyrian". This may have been a nickname for someone who looked like a person of this ethnic group.
ŻywieckiPolish This indicates familial origin within the Lesser Polish town of Żywiec.
ŻyźniewskiPolish This indicates familial origin within the Masovian village of Żyźniewo.