Browse Submitted Surnames

Abdul-Jabbar Arabic, Indian
This last name is famous for a basketball player, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Adachihara Japanese
A means "leg, limb, step", dachi is a form of tachi meaning "stand", and hara means "plain". ... [more]

Agassi Armenian, Persian, Italian
The surname Agassi most likely evolved from a nickname for someone resembling a mappie, perhaps jokingly referred to as chattering or nagging person. ... [more]

Aikyō Japanese
From Japanese 愛 (ai) meaning "love, affection" and 敬 (kyō) meaning "respect, honour, reverence". One known bearer is Hisashi Aikyō (1976-), a retired Japanese baseball player... [more]

Aizlewood English (Rare)
Believed to be a South Yorkshire variant of the popular Hazelwood, of which there are several villages in the region. Also known as a development of Olde English 'Ashlac' found in the Yorkshire village of Aislaby, which translates as The farm (bi) of Ashlac... [more]

Aleksinas Greek (?)
A famous bearer is the American former professional basketball player Chuck Aleksinas (1959-).

Alomar Catalan
From the given name Alomar, used especially in the Balearic Islands, itself derived from the Old German name Aldemar. This is borne by the Puerto Rican baseball player Roberto Alomar (1968-).

Antetokounmpo Western African, Yoruba (Hellenized)
Hellenized form of Adetokunbo. This name is borne by the Greek-Nigerian basketball player Giannis Antetokounmpo (1994-), as well as his brothers Thanasis (1992-), Kostas (1997-) and Alex Antetokounmpo (2001-), also noted basketball players.

Anunoby Nigerian (?)
A famous bearer is the British basketball player O.G. Anunoby (1997-).

Aoba Japanese
青 (Ao) means "green, blue" and 葉 (ba) being a form of, ha meaning "leaf". This surname refers to a fresh leaf. ... [more]

Arlott English
From a medieval nickname for a ne'er-do-well (from Middle English harlot or arlot "vagabond, base fellow"; "prostitute" is a 15th-century development). This surname was borne by Jack Arlott (1914-1991), a British journalist, poet and cricket commentator.

Asamoah Western African, Akan
From the given name Asamoah. A famous bearer is the retired Ghanaian soccer player Kwadwo Asamoah (1988-).

Aveiro Portuguese, Spanish
Demonymic surname refering to Aveiro a city in middle north-eastern Portugal. A famous bearer of this surname is Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo.

Badelj Croatian
Meaning unknown.... [more]

Bakshis Lithuanian
Means fighter or boxer

Bale English
Variant of Bail. This is the surname of Welsh footballer Gareth Bale.

Baresi Italian
Variant of Barrese. A famous bearer is Franchino "Franco" Baresi (1960-), as well as his brother Giuseppe Baresi (1958-), both former Italian soccer players.

Batistuta Italian
Possibly from a diminutive of the given name Battista. A famous bearer is the former Argentinian soccer player Gabriel Batistuta (1969-).

Beaty Scottish, Northern Irish
Variant form of Beattie. A famous bearer of this name was the American basketball player Zelmo Beaty (1939-2013).

Belfiore Italian
Means "beautiful (as a) flower", derived from Italian bel "beautiful" combined with Italian fiore "flower". Two Italian sources claim that this surname was derived from the medieval masculine given name Belfiore (which has of course the same meaning), but I can find no evidence that this was an actual given name in medieval Italy... [more]

Béliveau French (Rare), French (Quebec)
Derived from Old French besliver meaning "to stagger along", originally a nickname referring to a drunkard. It could also denote a person who lived in a beautiful, lovely valley, derived from French beau "beautiful" or Old French beu, bel "fair, lovely", combined with val meaning "valley"... [more]

Belkalem Arabic (Maghrebi)
This is the surname of Essaïd Belkalem (1989-), an Algerian footballer.

Benzema Arabic (Maghrebi)
This is the surname of French professional footballer Karim Benzema who is of Algerian descent.

Beqiraj Albanian
Meaning unknown.... [more]

Bergkamp Dutch, German
From the name of various places in the Netherlands and Germany, derived from Old Dutch and Old High German berg meaning "mountain" and kamp meaning "field". This name is borne by Dutch former soccer player Dennis Bergkamp (1969-).

Bernabéu Catalan (Valencian)
From the given name Bernabé. A famous bearer was Santiago Bernabéu (1895-1978), a Spanish soccer player and the eleventh president of the soccer club Real Madrid CF.

Bilić Croatian
Derived from dialectal bil, standard Croatian bijel, meaning "white".... [more]

Birindelli Italian
It is a regional surname of Tuscany common in provinces like Pisa, Lucca or Livorno.... [more]

Blanchflower English
From a medieval nickname applied probably to an effeminate man (from Old French blanche flour "white flower"). This surname was borne by Northern Irish footballer Danny Blanchflower (1926-1993).

Blissett English
A different form of Blessed. A bearer of this surname is Luther Blissett (1958-), a Jamaican-born English footballer ("Luther Blissett" has been used since 1994 as a cover name for activists engaging in anti-cultural establishment polemics and spoofs on the internet and elsewhere).

Blyleven Dutch (Anglicized)
Americanized form of Blijleven. Dutch-American former baseball player Bert Blyleven (1951-), born Blijleven, is a famous bearer of this surname.

Boateng Western African, Akan
Means "someone who is humble to God" in Akan. This is among the most common surnames in Ghana. Famous bearers include half-brothers Jérôme (1988-) and Kevin-Prince Boateng (1987-), both of whom are German soccer players.

Bolingoli Central African, Lingala
Means "shining" in Lingala. This surname is borne by Belgian soccer player Romelu Lukaku Bolingoli (1993-), more commonly known as Romelu Lukaku. Another famous bearer is Romelu's cousin Boli Bolingoli (1995-), also a noted soccer player.

Boulahrouz Arabic (Maghrebi), Berber
Means "father of Lahrouz", possibly an Arabic given name of unknown meaning. It is chiefly used in Algeria and Morocco. The retired Dutch soccer player Khalid Boulahrouz (1981-) is a famous bearer of this name.

Bourque French (Quebec)
Unknown history. A famous bearer is Raymond Bourque (B.-1960), a Quebec born professional ice hockey player from 1979-2001.

Boykins English (American)
Americanized form of Dutch Boeijkens: patronymic from the personal name Boye with the diminutive element -ken and genitive -s. Compare the English cognate Boykin and North German Boyken.... [more]

Braafheid Dutch, Dutch (Surinamese)
Means "braveness" in Dutch, derived from braaf meaning "brave, well-behaved, obedient" and the suffix -heid denoting a condition or state of being. This was originally a nickname for a strong or brave person... [more]

Brancato Italian
This surname can be derived from a given name (thus making it a patronymic surname) as well as from a place name (thus making it a locational surname). In the case of a patronymic surname, the surname is derived from the medieval Italian given name Brancato, which is a variant form of the given name Brancazio, itself ultimately derived from the late Latin given name Brancatius... [more]

Brearley English
Variation of Brierley possibly originating in Yorkshire, England. A well-known bearer is former English cricketer Mike Brearley.

Brehme German
Variant form of Bremer. German former soccer player Andreas Brehme (1960-) bears this name.

Breitner German
Derived from Middle High German breit meaning "broad, fat, wide". This was either a nickname for a stout or fat person, a topographic name for someone who lived on fertile and flat land, or an occupational name for a farmer who owned such land... [more]

Bresnahan Irish (Anglicized)
Reduced Anglicized form of Irish Ó Brosnacháin (See Brosnan). Roger Bresnahan (1879-1944) was an American player and manager in Major League Baseball.

Butragueño Spanish
Originally denoted someone from either the town of Buitrago del Lozoya in Madrid, or from the village of Buitrago in Soria, Castile and León in Spain, both derived Spanish buitre meaning "vulture" (see Buitrago)... [more]

Camoranesi Italian
Originally indicated a person from Camerano, a small town near the city of Ancona in central Italy. A famous bearer of this name is the Argentine-born Italian former soccer player Mauro Camoranesi (1976-).

Cannavaro Italian
Probably from a nickname used to refer to rope makers or hemp growers. This surname is most famously borne by brothers Fabio (1973–) and Paolo Cannavaro (1981–), former football players.

Carbonero Spanish
Famous bearers are Carlos Carbonero, a Colombian footballer who plays as a midfielder for Sampdoria on loan from Fénix and Sara Carbonero, a Spanish sports journalist.

Casillas Spanish
From any of various places called Casillas or Las Casillas, from the plural of casilla, a diminutive of Casa. ... [more]

Castaignède French
Stéphane Castaignède is a French rugby player and coach.... [more]

Cazaly English (Australian)
The meaning of this surname is unknown. This is a very important name in Australian Football culture, as it was the surname of a very prestigious Australian rules football player, Roy Cazaly. Mike Brady, from The Two Man Band, published a song called "Up There Cazaly", which is played every year at the AFL grand finals, thus making this surname is well-known by Australian Football fans.

Chaisson French, English
Variant of the French surname Chiasson originally denoting someone from the the municipality of Chiasso in Ticino, Switzerland, located along the Swiss/Italian border.... [more]

Champion English, French
Derived from the Middle English and Old French words campion, champiun and champion all meaning "athlete" such as a wrestler or boxer; also "warrior hired to do battle in single combat on behalf of others" (from Late Latin campio genitive campionis a derivative of campus "plain field of battle")... [more]

Chiasson French, English
French surname originally denoting someone from the the municipality of Chiasso in Ticino, Switzerland, located along the Swiss/Italian border.... [more]

Codreanu Romanian, Moldovan
A common surname in Romania and Moldova.... [more]

Ćorluka Croatian
Derived from Turkish körlük, meaning "blindness".... [more]

Courcelles French
The name of several places in France, Belgium and Canada. In Middle French the word courcelle was used to describe a "small court" or a "small garden". The word is derived from the medieval Gallo-Romance and Gallo-Italian word corticella, which was formed from the Latin word cohors, meaning "court" or "enclosure", and the diminutive –icella.... [more]

Creus Catalan
Means "crosses" in Catalan, the plural of creu. Also compare Spanish Cruces. A famous bearer of this surname is the Spanish footballer Xavi Hernández Creus (1980-).

Cruijff Dutch
Referred to a person with curly locks of hair, derived from Middle Dutch cruuf, cruve literally meaning "curl, lock", ultimately from Latin curvus. A famous bearer was the Dutch soccer player Hendrik Johannes Cruijff (1947-2016), commonly known as Johan Cruyff.

Cruyff Dutch
Variant of Cruijff. This name was borne by the Dutch soccer player Johan Cruyff (1947-2016).

Cubillas Spanish
Denoted a person from one of the various places of this name in Castile and León, Spain, which may derive from a diminutive of Old Spanish cuba meaning "barrel", ultimately from Latin cupa (see Cuba)... [more]

Czibor Hungarian
Hungarian surname derived from the Slavic given name Ctibor. The Hungarian soccer player Zoltán Czibor (1929-1997) was a famous bearer of this name.

De Assis Portuguese
Referred to a person who was originally from the town of Assisi (called Assis in Portuguese) in Umbria, Italy. This surname is borne by several Brazilian soccer players, including Ronaldinho (1980-; birth name Ronaldo de Assis Moreira) and João Alves de Assis Silva (1987-), who is usually called simply Jô... [more]

De Bruyne Dutch, French, Flemish
Derived from Middle Dutch bruun meaning "brown", referring to hair colour or complexion. A famous bearer is Belgian soccer player Kevin De Bruyne (1991-).

De Goeij Dutch
From Dutch goei meaning "good", making this a cognate of Good. A famous bearer is the retired Dutch soccer goalkeeper Eduard de Goeij (1966-), better known as Ed de Goey.

De Goey Dutch
Variant of De Goeij. Famous bearers of this name include former Dutch soccer goalkeeper Ed de Goey (1966-) and Australian rules footballer Jordan De Goey (1996-).

De Oliveira Portuguese
Variant of Oliveira.... [more]

Desailly French
Originally denoted a person who came from any of the various places in northern or eastern France called Sailly, which is possibly derived from Old French saillir, salir meaning "to spring", ultimately from Latin saliō... [more]

Djabou Arabic (Maghrebi), Central African
Meaning unknown. A bearer is Abdelmoumene Djabou (1987-), an Algerian footballer.

Do Nascimento Portuguese (Brazilian)
Variant of Nascimento. This surname was borne by several Brazilian soccer players, including Pelé (1940-2022), Ramires (1987-) and Thiago Alcântara (1991-).

Dumfries Scottish, Dutch, Dutch (Surinamese)
From the name of a market town in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, derived from Gaelic dùn meaning "fort" and preas meaning "thicket". This surname is found predominantly in Aruba, the Netherlands and Suriname... [more]

Effenberg German
Possibly denoted a person coming from a place of this name in Germany, or for someone who lived on or near a mountain or hill covered with elm trees, derived from German effe meaning "elm" and berg meaning "mountain, hill"... [more]

Elich German, American
Surname meaning "noble" from edelik or edelich. Notable bearer is professional ice hockey player Matt Elich.

Elie American
From Rembrandt and Giacomo Elie, professional footballers for Genoa FC and Juventus FC.

El Ouafi Arabic (Maghrebi)
Means "the Ouafi", derived from the given name Wafi. A bearer was Ahmed Boughèra El Ouafi (1898-1959), an Algerian athlete during the French rule over the country.

Emboaba Portuguese (Brazilian, Rare)
Variant of Emboava. A famous bearer of this surname is Brazilian footballer Oscar.

Enokida Japanese
榎 (Enoki) means "Hackle/Chinese Nettle Berry Tree", and 田 (Da) means "Rice Paddy, Field". A notable bearer with this family name is Daiki Enokida, who is a professional baseball player.

Espírito Santo Portuguese
Means “Holy Spirit” in Portuguese.... [more]

Essien Western African, Akan, Ibibio, Efik
Means "sixth born child" in Akan, possibly deriving from the given name Nsia. As a Nigerian name it is derived from a given name (found among the Ibibio and Efik people) denoting the son the family lineage depends on, possibly meaning either "a child who belongs to everyone" or "the child who takes charge of outside matters"... [more]

Eto'o Central African, Ibibio, Efik
Means "tree, wood" in Ibibio and Efik. It is found predominantly in Cameroon. The former Cameroonian soccer player Samuel Eto'o (1981-) is a famous bearer of this surname.

Fàbregas Catalan
Deriving from any of the places in Barcelona province named Fàbregues, from the plural of Fàbrega. Famous bearer of this surname is Spanish/Catalan footballer Francesc "Cesc" Fàbregas Soler.

Facchetti Italian
Derived from a diminutive of Italian facchino meaning "porter" (see Facchini). A notable bearer was the Italian soccer star Giacinto Facchetti (1942-2006).

Fantasia Italian
From Italian fantasia meaning "imagination", possibly a nickname for a person who had a vivid imagination, or from the personal name Fantasia, the feminine form of Fantasio. Known bearers include American sociologist Rick Fantasia and Australian footballer Orazio Fantasia (1995-).

Ferrante Italian
This surname can be derived from a given name (thus making it a patronymic surname) as well as from a nickname (thus making it a descriptive surname). In the case of a patronymic surname, the surname is derived from the medieval masculine given name Ferrante... [more]

Firmino Portuguese
Surname descendant of Firmino, meaning “firm”. A famous bearer is Brazilian footballer Roberto Firmino.

Flo Norwegian
Famous bearers include Norwegian footballers and relatives Tore Andre, Håvard, and Jostein Flo of the Norwegian national team that upset Brazil twice in both a friendly in 1997 and a 1998 World Cup group match.

Frampton English
English: habitational name from any of various places so called, of which there are several in Gloucestershire and one in Dorset. Most take the name from the Frome river (which is probably from a British word meaning ‘fair’, ‘brisk’) + Old English tun ‘enclosure’, ‘settlement’... [more]

Francescoli Italian
Variant form of Francesco. This name is borne by the former Uruguayan soccer star Enzo Francescoli (1961-).

Frascatore Italian (Rare)
Meaning uncertain. It is possibly derived from (or related to) Italian frasca meaning "bough, branch", which might possibly indicate that the surname had first started out as a nickname for someone who worked as a woodcutter or as a forester... [more]

Gakpo Western African, Ewe
Means "iron, metal" in Ewe, possibly derived from a nickname or an occupation. It is usually found in Ghana and Togo. Dutch soccer player Cody Gakpo (1999-) bears this name.

Gascoigne English
Originally denoted a person from the province of Gascony in France. A famous bearer is the English former soccer player Paul Gascoigne (1967-). Another was the television host and author Bamber Gascoigne (1935-2022).

Gattuso Italian, Sicilian
Sicilian and Calabrian variant of Gatto, notably borne by the Italian former soccer player Gennaro Gattuso (1978-).

Giresse French
Alain Giresse is a French footballer and manager... [more]

Giroud French
Variant of Giraud.... [more]

Gloukh Russian, Jewish
Means "deaf" in several languages, from Slavic gluh. It is borne by the Israeli soccer player Oscar Gloukh (2004-).

Gourcuff Breton
Variant of Gourkuñv. ... [more]

Greengrass English
Notable bearers include film director Paul Greengrass and baseball player Jim Greengrass.

Gretzky Russian, Belarusian
Originally derived from an old Russian word that meant "Greek", though in modern times, the word means "Greek nut" (walnut). A notable bearer is Wayne Gretzky, a former Canadian ice hockey player.

Griezmann German (Rare)
This is the surname of French professional footballer Antoine Griezmann.

Grill German
From a nickname for a cheerful person, from Middle High German grille "cricket" (Old High German grillo, from Late Latin grillus, Greek gryllos). The insect is widely supposed to be of a cheerful disposition, no doubt because of its habit of infesting hearths and warm places... [more]

Grundel German, Swedish
A German/swedish name. Meaning unknown, possibly means "bottom". A person bearing this surname is Heinz Grundel, a former footballer. ... [more]

Gullit Dutch, Dutch (Surinamese)
Possibly derived from Old Dutch golt meaning "gold", most likely referring to a person who worked with gold. The former Dutch soccer player Ruud Gullit (1962-; birth name Rudi Dil) is a famous bearer of this name.

Gyökeres Hungarian
From a nickname meaning "rooted, radical, drastic" in Hungarian. A famous bearer is Viktor Gyökeres (1998-), a Swedish soccer player of Hungarian descent.

Haliburton Scottish
Means "town fortified in stone". It comes from a combination of the Old Norse element hallr meaning rock (as in Halle 1) and of the Old English place name Burton, denoting a fortified town... [more]

Hanganu Romanian
Hanganu is a Romanian surname.... [more]

Hašek Czech (?)
Meaning "Pure" or "Chaste" from Latin Castus, a shortening of Castulus. Diminutive of the personal name Haštal. Noteable people with this surname include Dominik Hašek, a Czech ice hockey Goal-tender and Jaroslav Hašek, a Czech satirist and Journalist, most known for his satirical novel, 'The Good Soldier Švejk'.

Hässli German (Swiss), French (Rare)
Swiss German diminutive form of Haas. This is a French surname via Alsace-Lorraine. A notable bearer is French footballer (soccer player) Eric Hassli (1981-).

Helmanis Latvian
This is a Latvian surname. ... [more]

Hidegkuti Hungarian
Derived from a Hungarian village named Hidegkút meaning "cold well", from hideg "cold" and kút "well". A famous bearer of this surname was the Hungarian soccer legend Nándor Hidegkuti (1922-2002).

Hockey English

Hokinoue Japanese (Rare)
Hoki means "cave, grotto, den", no means "of, therefore", and ue means "upper, top, above". ... [more]

Horigome Japanese
掘 (Hori) means "moat" and 米 (gome) means "rice, America". ... [more]

Houseman English
Referred to a man who lived or worked in a house, as opposed to a smaller hut (see House). Famous bearers of this name include Romanian-British-American actor John Houseman (1902-1988; real name Jacques Haussmann), Argentine soccer player René Houseman (1953-2018) and Canadian actor Tyson Houseman (1990-).

Hradecký m Czech
Hradecký refers to someone from the city of Hradec Králové in the Czech Republic. A famous bearer is Finnish-Slovak soccer goalkeeper Lukáš Hradecký (1989-).

Hrdina Czech, Slovak
Hrdina is a Czech and Slovak surname meaning "hero". Two notable bearers are Jan Hrdina, and Jiří Hrdina, both are ice hockey players.

Hyka Albanian, Czech
This is both an Albanian and Czech surname. ... [more]

Ibričić Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian
Means "son of Ibro" in Serbo-Croatian.... [more]

Iniesta Spanish
Habitational name from places called Iniesta in the province of Cuenca, in Castilla-La Mancha, Spain. The Spanish former soccer player Andrés Iniesta (1984-) is a well-known bearer of this surname.

Jagr Czech
Jágr is a Czech-language surname. It is related to the German surname Jäger which means "hunter" in German. It is used by the Ice Hockey player Jaromír Jágr.

Jeter French (Huguenot), German
Jeter is a French and German surname. It is the last name of former New York Yankees baseball player, Derek Jeter. It's also the last name of Carmelita Jeter, an American sprinter who specializes in the 100 meter sprint.

Jongbloed Dutch
Nickname for a young person, derived from Middle Dutch jonc meaning "young" and bloet meaning "blood". A famous bearer of this surname was the Dutch soccer goalkeeper Jan Jongbloed (1940-2023).

Kakine Japanese (Rare)
Kaki (垣) means "fence", ne (根) means "root, base, foundation". Notable bearers of this surname are Takuya Kakine, a football player, and Teitoku Kakine, a character from Toaru Majutsu no Index

Kalinić Croatian, Serbian
Meaning unknown.... [more]

Karamanli f Greek
Feminine form of Karamanlis. Anna Karamanli (1968-) is a Greek politician, sports journalist, and former athlete.

Kashiwada Japanese (Rare)
Kashiwa means "oak" and da comes from ta meaning "field, rice paddy". ... [more]

Kelava Croatian
Possibly derived from Turkish kel, meaning "bald".... [more]

Kemmer German
Kemmer is a surname. The surname Kemmer is an occupational surname. Further research revealed that the name is derived from the Old German word "kämmerer," which means "chamberlain." A chamberlain was the person in charge of the noble household; to him would fall the duty of ensuring that the castle and court of the noble ran smoothly... [more]

Kempes German, Dutch
German and Dutch variant of Kemp or Kamp. It could also be a habitational name for a person from any of the various places named Kempen on the border between Germany and the Netherlands (for example the town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, close to the Dutch border), a status name for a peasant farmer or serf, or an occupational name for an official calibrator who marked the correct weight and measures for verification, derived from Middle Low German kempen... [more]

Klose German, Silesian
From a Silesian short form of the given name Nikolaus. A notable bearer is the German former soccer player Miroslav Klose (1978-).

Kluivert Dutch, Dutch (Surinamese)
Nickname perhaps related to Dutch kluiven meaning "to gnaw, to bite, to nibble". A notable bearer is Dutch former soccer player Patrick Kluivert (1976-).

Krzyżewski Polish
Derived from the name of any of the villages called Krzyżewo in Poland. A notable bearer is American basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski (b. 1947).

Kuijt Dutch
Occupational name for a brewer of beer, derived from Dutch kuit, koyt literally meaning "beer". A famous bearer of this name is retired Dutch soccer player Dirk Kuijt (1980-), also known as Dirk Kuyt.

Kuyt Dutch
Variant of Kuijt, notably borne by the Dutch former soccer player Dirk Kuyt (1980-).

Lampard English
Derived from the given name Lambert. A famous bearer of this surname is the retired English soccer player Frank Lampard (1978-).

Lanier French, English
Occupational name designating one who worked in the wool trade (see Lane 2), derived from Old French lanier (ultimately from laine) meaning "wool", or for a keeper of donkeys, from Old French asnier literally "donkey keeper, donkey driver"... [more]

Laudrup Danish
Possibly from the name of homesteads in Denmark, most likely derived from Old Norse laut meaning "barn", combined with the Danish suffix -drup (itself from Old Norse thorp) meaning "outlying farmstead, village, settlement"... [more]

Leite Portuguese, Galician
Meaning "milk".... [more]

Leskinen Finnish
From Leski, meaning "widow". Notable people with this name are Otto Leskinen, a Finnish ice hockey player, and Alexis Leskinen, a character from Steins;Gate 0

Lidström Swedish
Combination of the Swedish place name element lid "slope, hillside" and ström "stream, flow". A notable bearer is Swedish ice hockey player Nicklas Lidström (b. 1970).

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]

Lineker English
From a place name composed of Old English lin meaning "flax" and æcer meaning "field". A famous bearer is retired English soccer player Gary Lineker (1960-).

Litmanen Finnish
Derived from Finnish litma meaning "water slime". This name is borne by retired Finnish soccer star Jari Litmanen (1971-).

Lowrie English
Variant of Lowry. A famous bearer of the surname is baseball infielder Jed Lowrie.

Luján Spanish
This is the second last name of Spanish footballer/soccer player Andrés Iniesta.

Macginty Irish
Patronymic surname from the original Irish Gaelic form 'mac an tsaoi' meaning "son of the scholar". Notable namesake is Irish rugby player Alan Leon "AJ" MacGinty.

Mahrez Arabic (Maghrebi)
From Arabic مُحْرَز (maḥraz) meaning "accomplished, achieved, attained". A notable bearer is Riyad Mahrez (1991-), an Algerian footballer.

Makélélé Central African, Lingala (Gallicized)
Gallicized form of Makelele. A notable bearer is the French former soccer player Claude Makélélé (1973-).

Makepeace English
From a medieval nickname for a skilled conciliator. It was borne by English cricketer Harry Makepeace (1881-1952).

Mandžukić Serbian (Rare), Croatian (Rare)
Famous bearer of this last name is Mario Mandžukić who is a Croatian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Italian club Juventus and the Croatia national team.

Mari Japanese (Rare)
From Japanese 鞠 (mari) meaning a type of ancient football used by courtiers.

Mascherano Italian
Occupational name for maker of masks, derived from Italian mascherare meaning "to mask". The Argentine former soccer player Javier Mascherano (1984-) is a famous bearer of this name.

Masopust m Czech
From a Czech nickname meaning "carnival", originally given to a festive person. A famous bearer was the Czech soccer player Josef Masopust (1931-2015).

Mbappé Central African (Gallicized)
Borne by French professional footballer Kylian Mbappé (1998-), whose father is from Cameroon.

Mccaw American
Famous bearer of this surname is NBA basketball player is Patrick McCaw (1995-).

Mertesacker German
Means "Merten's field" in German, derived from the given name Merten and Middle High German acker meaning "field". A famous bearer is the retired German soccer player Per Mertesacker (1984-).

Messi Italian, Spanish (Latin American)
Possibly from Italian messi meaning "messengers". Aamous bearer of this surname is Lionel Messi (born 1987-), an Argentinian footballer of Italian descent.

Meutstege Dutch
Possibly from Dutch meute meaning "pack, crowd" and steeg meaning "alleyway, lane, narrow path". Dutch former soccer player Wim Meutstege (1952-) bears this name.

Michikiyo Japanese
Michi means "path, road" and kiyo means "pure, clean".... [more]

Miyaichi Japanese
From Japanese 宮 (miya) meaning "a shrine; a palace" and 一 (ichi) meaning "one".... [more]

Modrić Croatian
Famous bearer of this surname is Croatian footballer Luka Modrić.

Modrić Croatian
Derived from Croatian mȍdar meaning "blue", most likely used to refer to a person who wore blue clothes. It can also be a habitational name for someone from any of the various places called Modrić, Modrič, Modrići, Modrića, Modruš or Modřice in Croatia... [more]

Mokri Persian
This is a Persian surname.... [more]

Mycroft English
From Old English ġemȳþ "mouth (of a river)" + croft meaning "enclosed field", originally denoting somebody who lives at the mouth of a river.... [more]

Nanninga Frisian, Dutch, German
Derived from the given name Nanne, a short form of Germanic names containing the element nand meaning "daring, brave, courage"... [more]

Navas Spanish
Pural form of Spanish and Asturian-Leonese Nava (see also Naves).... [more]

Nawaqanitawase Fijian
A surname of Fijian heritage. A famous person with this surname is Mark Nawaqanitawase, an Australian rugby player.

Ndzengue Central African (?)
Unknown. One notable bearer of the surname is Fahd Richard Ndzengue Moubeti, a Gabonese professional footballer.

Nečas m Czech
Nečas roughly means "no time", composed of two words Ne ("no") and čas ("time").... [more]

Neeskens Dutch
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]

Nemec m Slovak
Slovak or unaccented/Anglicized form of Němec. A famous bearer of this surname is Slovak soccer player Adam Nemec (1985–).

Oakden English
A variant of Ogden, from a place name derived from Old English āc "oak" and denu "valley". Famous bearers include British diplomat Edward Oakden and English cricketer Patrick Oakden.

Opetaia Maori, Polynesian
This name possibly came from the given name Opetaia. A notable bearer of this name is Jai Opetaia, an australian boxer born in 1995.

Osako Japanese
From Japanese 大 (o) meaning "big, large" combined with 迫 (sako) meaning "imperative".... [more]

Ovechkin Russian
Patronymic derived from Russian овечка (ovechka) meaning "lamb". A famous bearer is the Russian hockey player Alexander Ovechkin (1985-).

Overath German
From the name of the town of Overath in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. A famous bearer is the German former soccer player Wolfgang Overath (1943-).

Özyakup Turkish
From Turkish öz meaning "core, essence, self, pure" combined with the given name Yakup. This name is borne by the Turkish-Dutch soccer player Oğuzhan Özyakup (1992-).

Pacquiao Filipino, Cebuano
From Cebuano pakyaw meaning "wholesale, to buy in bulk", ultimately from Hokkien 跋繳 (poa̍h-kiáu). A famous bearer is Filipino politician and former boxer Emmanuel "Manny" Pacquiao (1978-).

Paratore Italian
Derived from Italian paratore meaning "decorator, fuller", which refers to a craftsman who fulls coarse cloth. In other words: this surname is the Italian cognate of the English surname Fuller... [more]

Pikachu Brazilian
From Japanese ピカチュウ (Pikachuu), derived from the onomatopoeic words ピカピカ (pikapika), a sparkly sound, and チュウチュウ (chuuchuu), a mouse sound. It happens to be a nickname for someone with a short stature who runs super fast according to the famous barrier Yago Pikachu (born Glaybson Yago Souza Lisboa) a Brazilian footballer who plays for Fortaleza.

Piqué Catalan
A famous bearer of this surname is Spanish/Catalan footballer Gerard Piqué.

Pironkov Bulgarian
A professional Bulgarian tennis player, Tsvetana Pironkova, bears this surname.

Platini Italian
Occupational name for a person who coats objects with platinum, derived from Italian platinare literally meaning "to platinize, to coat with platinum". A notable bearer is the former French soccer star Michel Platini (1955-).

Pochettino Italian (Modern)
Famous Argentine soccer manager named Mauricio Pochettino (Born 1972)

Poortvliet Dutch
From the name of the village and former municipality called Poortvliet in the province of Zeeland in the Netherlands, derived from Middle Dutch port meaning "port, harbour, storage yard, city" and vliet meaning "brook, stream, river, creek, inlet"... [more]

Portis English (American)
A famous bearer is the American basketball player Bobby Portis (1995-).

Pujol Catalan, French
Catalan and French variant of Puig. Spanish tennis player Marcel Granollers (1986-) bears this name.

Puyol Catalan
Catalan variant of Pujol. It is borne by the retired Spanish soccer player Carles Puyol (1978-).

Rakitić Croatian (Rare), Serbian (Rare)
Famous bearer of this surname is Croatian footballer Ivan Rakitić.

Rampling English
Originally indicated a person who lived in a thickly wooded area, derived from Latin ramus meaning "branch" (see Ramos). Famous bearers include English actress Charlotte Rampling (1946-) and her father, athlete and British Army officer Godfrey Rampling (1909-2009).

Rapinoe Italian (Anglicized)
Americanized form of Rapino. American former soccer player Megan Rapinoe (1985-) bears this name.

Raudabaugh German (Americanized)
Raudabaugh is a German-Americanized surname of Reidenbach. People include Dan Raudabaugh (American Football coach) and Dave Raudabaugh (Outlaw who was an acquaintance to Billy the kid).

Reiziger Dutch, Dutch (Surinamese)
Derived from Middle Dutch reisiger meaning "traveller, voyager", ultimately from Middle High German meaning "soldier on horseback". It is notably borne by the Dutch former soccer player Michael Reiziger (1973-).

Rekdal Norwegian
The name of people from the small town Rekdal in West-Norway. Former footballer Kjetil Rekdal (1968- ) is the most known person from there.

Rensenbrink Dutch
Possibly derived from the given name Rens (a short form of Laurens, Emerens, Reinaart, Reinier and other names) combined with Dutch brink meaning "village green, edge, slope"... [more]

Rijkaard Dutch, Dutch (Surinamese)
Dutch variant of Richard. A famous bearer of this surname is the retired Dutch soccer player Frank Rijkaard (1962-).

Rijsbergen Dutch
Variant of Van Rijsbergen. It is borne by the retired Dutch soccer player Wim Rijsbergen (1952-).

Rodman English
The surname Rodman is an ancient English surname, derived from a trade name, "men who were by the tenure or customs of their lands to ride with or for the lord of the manor about his business". The most famous bearer of this name is the basketball player Dennis Rodman.

Rugby English
From Rugby, Warwickshire. Originally named *Rocheberie, from Old English *Hrocaburg, 'Hroca's fort', the name was altered due to influence fort Danish settlers, with the second element being replaced with Old Norse byr, 'farm'.... [more]

Rummenigge German
Meaning uncertain. It could possibly be an occupational name for a viticulturist who grew grapes to make wine, a seller or producer of Romanian wine, or a nickname for a person who preferred to drink Romanian wine... [more]

Rybakina f Russian
Feminine form of Rybakin. A notable bearer is the Russian-born Kazakhstani tennis player Elena Rybakina (1999-).

Saltmarsh English
Last name of cricket player Ian Saltmarsh (1901-1970).

Sarazen French
From a medieval French nickname for a swarthy person, or for someone who had gone on a Crusade (from Old French sarrazin "Saracen"). It was borne by American golfer Gene Sarazen (1902-99), original name Eugene Saraceni.

Schliwka German
A notable person bearing the surname was athlete Gunther Schliwka.

Schmeichel German
Nickname for a flatterer, derived from Middle High German smeichen literally meaning "to flatter". Famous bearers of this surname include Peter Schmeichel (1963-) and his son Kasper Schmeichel (1986-), both of whom are Danish soccer goalkeepers.

Schrijvers Dutch
Dutch cognate of Scriven. A famous bearer was the Dutch soccer goalkeeper Piet Schrijvers (1946-2022).

Schürrle German
Variant of Schurr. A famous bearer is the retired German soccer player André Schürrle (1990-).

Schwaab German
The surname of German VfB Stuttgart footballer Daniel Schwaab, born in Waldkirch, Germany.

Schweinsteiger German
Means "Swine Climber". ... [more]

Schweinsteiger German
Occupational name for a pig farmer, an overseer of pigs or a nickname for someone who rode a pig, derived from Middle High German swīn meaning "hog, swine" and stīger meaning "foreman, mine inspector"... [more]

Sedin Swedish
Two famous bearers are the Swedish ice hockey players, and twins, Henrik and Daniel Sedin (b. 1980).

Souness Scottish (Rare)
Perhaps derived from the place name Soonhouse in the town of Melrose in the Scottish Borders area (which is of uncertain meaning), or from the place names Sun-hlaw or Sunilaw near the town of Coldstream, also in the Scottish Borders in Scotland, meaning "south hill" or "sunny hill" in Old English... [more]

Spadafora Italian
Variant form of Spatafora. Spadafora is the younger out of the two surnames and yet the most common of the two, which might partly be because it is a little bit more italianized... [more]

Stekelenburg Dutch
Derived from Middle Dutch stekel meaning "prickle, stickle, spine, spike" and burg meaning "fortress". A famous bearer is the retired Dutch soccer goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg (1982-).

Stoichkov Bulgarian
Means "son of Stoichko", Stoichko being a diminutive of Stoyan... [more]

Strider English
Likely an anglicized variation of the Dutch term "Strijder" or German term "Streiter," this surname represents an occupational designation for a soldier or a descriptive term for someone with a combative demeanor.... [more]

Sunday English
Denoted a person who was born on or is associated with Sunday, ultimately derived from Proto-West-Germanic *sunnōn dag. A famous bearer of the name was American evangelist and professional baseball outfielder Billy Sunday (1862-1935), full name William Ashley Sunday, which is an anglicized form of the surname Sonntag as his parents were German immigrants

Suurbier Dutch
Dutch cognate of Sauerbier. A famous bearer was the Dutch soccer player Wim Suurbier (1945-2020).

Sverchkov m Russian
From Russian сверчок (sverchok), meaning "cricket".

Świerczyński Polish
Name for someone from a place called Świerczyn or Świerczyna, both derived either from Polish świerk meaning "spruce" or świerszcz meaning "cricket".

Tennis English

Tisdale English
Variant spelling of Teasdale. Famous bearers or this name include the actress and singer Ashley Tisdale (1985-), basketball player and bass guitarist Wayman Tisdale (1964-2009) and the engraver, miniature painter and cartoonist Elkanah Tisdale (1768-1835), all Americans.

Totti Italian
From the Medieval given name Toto, abbreviation of either Benedetto or Battista... [more]

Touilbini Arabic (Maghrebi, Rare)
Meaning unknown. A bearer is Abdelaziz Touilbini (1978-), an Algerian boxer.

Tregurtha Cornish
A rare Cornish surname that derives its name from either the manor of Tregurtha in the parish of St. Hilary (located in west Cornwall) or from the hamlet of Tregurtha Barton in the parish of St. Wenn (located in central Cornwall)... [more]

Trezeguet French
Meaning uncertain, possibly an occupational name derived from Old French treize, treze meaning "thirteen" and guet (itself from Old French gué) meaning "look-out, watch, vigil"... [more]

Tshibuabua Central African
A notable bearer is Martin Tshibuabua, a soccer player.

Tsujiura Japanese (Rare)
Tsuji means "crossroad" and ura means "bay, coast". ... [more]

Uramoto Japanese (Rare)
浦 (Ura) means "Seacoast,Bay" and 本 (Moto) means "Source, Origin, Root". Kentaro Uramoto is a notable bearer of this surname, he is a former Japanese football player.

Valančiūnas m Lithuanian (Rare)
Derived from the place name Valančiūnai.... [more]

Van Aanholt Dutch
Means "from Anholt", a small village in the northeast of the province of Drenthe in the Netherlands, itself meaning "hold, rest" in Dutch (a place where people could rest for the night). A famous bearer is the Dutch soccer player Patrick van Aanholt (1990-).

Van Bommel Dutch
Means "from Bommel", a city now called Zaltbommel, in the province of Gelderland in the Netherlands. A famous bearer is the former Dutch soccer player Mark van Bommel (1977-).

Van Breukelen Dutch
Means "from Breukelen", a town in the province of Utrecht in the Netherlands, itself derived from Old Dutch bruoc meaning "marsh, marshland, wetland" and lētha meaning "excavated, canalised watercourse"... [more]

Van Brocklin Dutch (Americanized)
Americanized form of Van Breukelen. A notable bearer of this surname was the American football player, coach and executive Norman Mack Van Brocklin (1926-1983), also known as "The Dutchman".

Van Bronckhorst Dutch
Means "from Bronckhorst", a town in the province of Gelderland in the Netherlands, itself derived from Dutch brink meaning "village green, edge, slope" and horst meaning "overgrown hillock" or "higher located brushwood"... [more]

Van De Kerkhof Dutch
Means "from the churchyard", derived from Middle Dutch kerke meaning "church" and hof meaning "court, garden, yard". Famous bearers of this surname include twin brothers René and Willy Van De Kerkhof (1951-), both retired Dutch soccer players.

Van De Zandschulp Dutch
Means "from the sandy seashell" in Dutch. A famous bearer is the Dutch tennis player Botic van de Zandschulp (1995-).

Van Hanegem Dutch, Flemish
Means "from Hanegem", possibly from a place name in Flanders, Belgium; one theory suggests that it may be associated with Danegem, a town near Beernem, West Flanders. Other theories connect it to Hunnegem, the name of an old settlement in Geraardsbergen, East Flanders, or a place called Huinegem in Asse, Flemish Brabant... [more]

Van Ierssel Dutch
Variant of Van Iersel. A famous bearer is the former Dutch soccer player Kees van Ierssel (1945-).

Van Nistelrooij Dutch
Means "from Nistelrode", a small village in the province of Noord-Brabant in the Netherlands. It is derived from Middle Dutch nest meaning "nest, burrow, resting place" and lo meaning "light forest", combined with rode meaning "land cleared of trees"... [more]

Van Nistelrooy Dutch
Variant of Van Nistelrooij, notably borne by the former Dutch soccer player Ruud van Nistelrooy (1976-).

Van 't Schip Dutch
Means "from the ship", derived from Middle Dutch schip literally meaning "ship". It is borne by the Dutch-Canadian former soccer player John van 't Schip (1963-).

Vollach Hebrew
Hebrew variant of Wallach. Israeli former soccer player Yochanan Vollach (1945-) bears this name.

Völler German
German cognate of Fuller and a variant of Voll 2. A notable bearer is the retired German soccer player Rudi Völler (1960-).

Whineray English
Means "person from Whinneray", Cumbria, or "person who lives in a nook of land growing with gorse" (in either case from Old Norse hvin "whin, gorse" + vrá "nook of land"). It was borne by New Zealand rugby player Sir Wilson Whineray (1935-2012).

Wie Korean
Means “top” in Korean. Most known for Korean American golfer Michelle Wie West

Wijnaldum Frisian, Dutch, Dutch (Surinamese)
From Wijnaldum, the name of a village within the city of Harlingen in northwest Friesland in the Netherlands, derived from the given name Winald combined with Old Frisian hēm meaning "home, settlement"... [more]

Wildschut Dutch
Occupational name meaning "gamekeeper, game warden" in Dutch. A famous bearer is the Dutch former soccer player Piet Wildschut (1957-).

Witschge Dutch
Dutch cognate of Witzke. Famous bearers of this surname include brothers Rob (1966-) and Richard Witschge (1969-), both of whom are former Dutch soccer players.

Woodbridge English
Originated in old England and likely linked to the town of Woodbridge in Suffolk, East Anglia, United Kingdom. Well known Woodbridge's include the Australian Tennis player Todd Woodbridge. There was a famous lineage of six English John Woodbridge's in the fourteenth to seventeenth centuries, all Church ministers... [more]

Yashin Russian
Means "son of Yasha", a Russian diminutive of Yakov. This surname was borne by the Soviet soccer goalkeeper Lev Yashin (1929-1990).

Youngkin Scottish (?), Irish (?)
Possibly derived from Younkin; A Strathclyde-Briton family from the Scottish/English Borderlands was the first to use the surname Younkin. It is a name for a person who was very young, from the Old English word yong and yung... [more]

Zamloch German (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]

Zidane Arabic (Maghrebi)
From the given name Zaydan. A notable bearer is Zinedine Zidane (1972-), a French former footballer of Algerian descent.