Submitted Surnames with "leader" in Description

Abcede Filipino
A bearer of this name was Salvador Abcede, the leader of the anti-Japanese guerrilla group on Negros.

Abecassis Judeo-Spanish
From Hebrew אָב (áv) meaning "father" and Arabic قَصَّاص (qaṣṣāṣ) meaning "storyteller, narrator" (used as a title for community leaders and rabbis among North African Jews).

Abeynayake Sinhalese
From Sanskrit अभय (abhaya) meaning "fearless" and नायक (nāyaka) meaning "hero, leader".

Akhunzadah Pashto
Means “descendant of a religious leader” or “child of a priest”.

Alcaide Spanish, Portuguese
Ancient occupational or status name from alcaide from Arabic al-qāʾid "the leader, the commander" (see Kaid)... [more]

Aminov Uzbek (Russified)
Derived from the mid-Eastern name "Amin" (son of Amin). It is typically used by Bukharan people (also called "Bukharians"), an ethno-religious Jewish sub-group of Central Asia that historically spoke Bukharian, a Judeo-Tajik dialect of the Tajik language, in turn a variety of the Persian language; Bukharan Jews emerged from the Central Asian Emirate of Bukhara (now primarily Uzbekistan), which at the time, was a part of the Soviet Union and its mostly-Russian leaders.

Apollo Italian, Spanish
From the Greek personal name Apollo. There are several saints Apollo in the Christian Church, including an Egyptian hermit and monastic leader who died in 395 ad. The personal name derives from the name in classical mythology of the sun god, Apollo, an ancient Indo-European name, found for example in Hittite as Apulana "god of the gate" (from pula "gate", cognate with Greek pylē), therefore "protector, patron".

Arachchi Sinhalese
From a title used during the British colonial era of Sri Lanka (Ceylon) to denote a native village headman or leader.

Artigas Aragonese, Catalan, Spanish
Plural form of artiga, referring to land cleared for agriculture.... [more]

Attanayake Sinhalese
From Sinhala අත්ත (atta) meaning "branch, offset" and නායක (nayake) meaning "hero, leader".

Bandaranayake Sinhalese
From the Sinhala title බණ්ඩාර (baṇḍāra) meaning "chief's son, prince" combined with Sanskrit नायक (nāyaka) meaning "hero, leader".

Baş Turkish
Means "head, top" or "leader" in Turkish.

Başoğlu Turkish
Means "son of the leader" from Turkish baş meaning "leader, head".

Begić Croatian, Bosnian, Serbian
Possibly related to Turkish element beg meaning "chieftain, leader".

Behera Indian, Odia
Means "owner, master, leader" in Odia.

Ben Nun Hebrew
Joshua or Yehoshua Ben Nun functioned as Moses' assistant in the books of Exodus and Numbers, and later succeeded Moses as leader of the Israelite tribes in the Hebrew Bible's Book of Joshua

Beyoğlu Turkish
Means son of a bey. “Bey” (Ottoman Turkish: بك‎ “Beik”, Albanian: bej, Bosnian: beg, Arabic: بيه‎ “Beyeh”, Persian: بیگ‎ “Beyg” or بگ “Beg”) is a Turkish title for chieftain, traditionally applied to the leaders or rulers of various sized areas in the Ottoman Empire... [more]

Bhateja Punjabi, Jatt, Sikhism
Bhateja is a clan name found among Jatt Sikhs and khatris primarily concentrated in Punjab, India. The clan holds a deep historical, cultural, and social presence within Sikh society. Over time, many Bhateja families have migrated to different parts of the world, particularly to Canada, the UK, the USA, and Australia, where Sikh communities have flourished... [more]

Boso Italian
From the medieval personal name Boso, from a Germanic personal name derived from a pejorative nickname meaning ‘leader’, ‘nobleman’, or ‘arrogant person’. Compare Dutch Boos.

Bouras Arabic (Maghrebi)
Means "father of the head" from Arabic أبو (abu) meaning "father" and رأس (ras) meaning "head, leader, chief".

Brezhnev m Russian
Denoted a person from a village called Brezhnevo. The most notable bearer was Leonid Brezhnev (1906-1982), a leader of the Soviet Union.

Buljubašić Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian, Slovene
Buljubašić is a Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian surname derived from the Ottoman military rank Boluk-bashi.... [more]

Burruchaga Spanish, Basque (Hispanicized)
Altered form of Basque Burutxaga, a habitational name from a location in Navarre, Spain, possibly derived from buru "head; top, summit; leader, chief" or burutza "office of chief" combined with -aga "place of".

Cabucos English
Decended from Old English meaning "leader."

Caesar Ancient Roman, English
An Ancient Roman political title that indicated a military leader. A famous bearer was Julius Caesar, Roman general, dictator, and politician. In modern times, the surname is used to refer to an individual with a tyrannical attitude, which references the connotative meaning of the word "caesar", meaning "a dictator".

Castelo Branco Portuguese
Means “White Castle” in Portuguese.... [more]

Catesby English
Derived from a civil parish with the same name, located in Northamptonshire, England. An infamous bearer was Robert Catesby (1572-1605), the leader of a group of English Catholics who attempted to assassinate King James VI and I in the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605.

Cavler m French (Rare)
Etymology and Meaning:... [more]

Cavler m French (Rare)
The Name Cavler: A Unique Blend of History and Modern Appeal... [more]

Ceesay Western African, Manding
Gambian surname of Mandinka origin, which originally indicated a descendant of a marabout, i.e. a West African Muslim teacher and religious leader.... [more]

Challenger English
Probably from a medieval nickname for a touchy or quarrelsome person (from a derivative of Middle English chalangen "to challenge"). A fictional bearer is Professor George Challenger, irascible scientist and explorer, leader of the expedition to Amazonia in Arthur Conan Doyle's 'The Lost World' (1912).

Chousokabe Japanese
From Japanese 長 (chou) meaning "chief, head, leader", 宗 (so) meaning "religion", 我 (ka) meaning "ego" and 部 (be) meaning "section".

Cocke English
nickname from Middle English cok ‘cock’, ‘male bird or fowl’ (Old English cocc), given for a variety of possible reasons. Applied to a young lad who strutted proudly like a cock, it soon became a generic term for a youth and was attached with hypocoristic force to the short forms of many medieval personal names (e.g. Alcock, Hancock, Hiscock, Mycock)... [more]

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

Commander English
From Middle English comander "commander, leader, director", derived from Old French comandeor "military commander". This may have been either an occupational name or a nickname.

Coninx Belgian, Dutch
Variant form of Koning, from a genitive form of Middle Dutch coninc "king, leader, important person".

Corbyn English
Variant of Corbin, notably borne by current Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn (1949-).

Corday French
Either from the French word corde meaning "cord/rope/string", or from the Latin word cor meaning "heart." This was the surname of Charlotte Corday, the assassin who killed Jacobin leader Jean-Paul Marat during the French revolution.

Curiale Italian (Rare)
In ancient Rome, the curiales (from co + viria, 'gathering of men') were initially the leading members of a gentes (clan) of the city of Rome. Their roles were both civil and sacred. Each gens curialis had a leader, called a curio... [more]

Datuimam Filipino, Maranao
From Maranao datoʼ meaning "chieftain, leader" combined with Arabic إِمَام (ʾimām) meaning "leader". It is used as a title for religious leaders.

Datumolok Filipino, Maranao
From Maranao datoʼ meaning "chieftain, leader" and molok meaning "own, possess", used as a title of nobility.

Debs French
From the given name Debus, a variant of Thebs or Thebus, which was an altered short form of Mattheus. This was borne by American union leader Eugene V. Debs (1855-1926).

De Heer Dutch
Means "the lord" or "the gentleman" in Dutch, derived from Middle Dutch hêre "feudal lord, master, leader, gentleman". Could be a nickname for a person who acted as a leader, or an occupational name for someone who worked for a lord... [more]

Dissanayake Sinhalese
From Sanskrit दिशा (diśā) meaning "region, quarter, direction" and नायक (nāyaka) meaning "hero, leader".

Duca Italian
from the title of rank duca "duke" (from Latin dux genitive ducis "leader") an occupational name for someone who lived or worked in the household of a duke or a nickname for someone who gave himself airs and graces like a duke... [more]

Duque Spanish, Portuguese
Spanish and Portuguese cognate of Duke. from duque "duke" (from Latin dux genitive ducis "leader") an occupational name for someone who worked in the household of a duke or as a nickname for someone who gave himself airs and graces.

Ekanayake Sinhalese
From Sanskrit एक (eka) meaning "one" and नायक (nāyaka) meaning "hero, leader".

El Khattabi Moroccan
Derived from the Arabic given name Khattab and translates to "The Khattabi". A famous bearer is Rifian political/military leader Abdelkrim El Khattabi.

Emami Persian
From Persian امام (emam) meaning "imam, leader", of Arabic origin.

Fallon Irish
Anglicized form of the surname Ó Fallamhain meaning "descendant of Fallamhan", the name being a byname meaning "leader" (derived from follamhnas meaning "supremacy").

Forman English
An occupational surname for a keeper of swine, Middle English foreman, from Old English for hog, "pig" and mann ‘man’. The word is attested in this sense from the 15th century but is not used specifically for the leader of a gang of workers before the late 16th century.

Foucault French
Derived from the Germanic given name Folcwald, which was composed of the elements folk "people" and walt "power, leader, ruler"... [more]

Gamanayake Sinhalese
From Sanskrit ग्राम (grāma) meaning "village, settlement" and नायक (nāyaka) meaning "hero, leader".

Garabedian Armenian
Means "son of Garabed", an Armenian personal name meaning literally "leader, precursor" and traditionally used as an epithet of John the Baptist in the Armenian church.

Glavnyy m Russian
Means "main". Given as a nickname to a leader or chief, probably of a village.

Göring German
German surname most commonly associated with Nazi Party leader, Hermann Göring.

Habash Arabic
Derived from Arabic حبش (ḥabash) meaning "Abyssinian", originally indicating a person who came from Abyssinia, a historical region that is nowadays split between Ethiopia and Eritrea. This surname is more common among Muslims and Christians in the Arab world... [more]

Harvard English
From the Old English given name Hereweard, composed of the elements here "army" and weard "guard", which was borne by an 11th-century thane of Lincolnshire, leader of resistance to the advancing Normans... [more]

Hazzan Jewish
Occupational name for a cantor or singer of a synagogue, from Hebrew חזן (khazán) "cantor, leader of a congregation".

Hennayake Sinhalese
Derived from Sanskrit संनद्ध (sannaddha) meaning "armoured, ready, prepared" and नयक (nayaka) meaning "hero, leader".

Hettiarachchi Sinhalese
From Sinhala හෙට්ටි (hetti) referring to the Chetty caste (primarily composed of merchants and traders) combined with the colonial-era title ආරච්චි (arachchi) used to denote a village headman or leader.

Himmler German, History
Derived from German Himmel "heaven, sky". This was a topographic name for someone living at a high altitude. ... [more]

Hoffa German
Altered form of Hofer. This surname was borne by American labor union leader Jimmy Hoffa (1913-1975?).

Homan Dutch
From Old Dutch hovitman "leader, head man, chief". Alternatively, the Dutch form of Hoffmann.

Honecker German
Erich Honecker was the leader of the GDR from 1971 to 1989.

Imam Arabic, Bengali, Persian, Urdu
From Arabic إِمَام (ʾimām) meaning "leader, guide", used to denote a Muslim leader.

Imamović Bosnian
Means "son of the imam", from Arabic إِمَام (ʾimām) referring to a Muslim leader.

Jehle Hebrew
Jehle-Romanov surname was given name of monarchical leaders over the areas of eastern Eurasia known as Russia and all Russia's yet upon revolution family erroneously reported all dead. Most family of Alexander died while remaining in Russia, while those whom escaped circa 1880 survived... [more]

Juht Estonian
Juht is an Estonian surname meaning "leader" and "driver".

Kanters Dutch
An occupational name for a singer, such as a precentor (someone who leads songs or prayers in a church, monastery, or synagogue) or choir member. Ultimately derived from Latin cantor "singer, leader of song at a ceremony; prayer leader in a Jewish ceremony".

Karunanayake Sinhalese
From Sanskrit करुणा (karuna) meaning "compassion, kindness, mercy" and नायक (nayaka) meaning "hero, leader".

Khalimbekov Kazakh
This surname is derived from the Kazakh given name Khalimbek, which combines the elements Khalim ("generous") and Bek ("ruler" or "leader"). Therefore, Халимбеков (Khalimbekov) would roughly mean "descendant of Khalimbek" or "belonging to the family of Khalimbek".

Khamenei Persian
Originally denoted someone who came from the village of Khamaneh, located in the East Azerbaijan province of Iran. A famous bearer is Ali Khamenei (1939-), a former president and the current Supreme Leader of Iran.

Khomeini Persian
Originally indicated a person who came from the city of Khomeyn in the Markazi province of Iran. A notable bearer of this surname was the Islamic revolutionary, politician and religious leader Ruhollah Khomeini (1900 or 1902-1989), who founded the Islamic Republic of Iran following the Iranian Revolution in 1979... [more]

Kim Korean (Americanized, Rare)
Surname of North Korean leaders and also means rock

Kıral Turkish
Means "supreme leader" in Turkish

Kolchak Russian, Ukrainian
Aleksandr Kolchak was a White Army general and the leader of the Russian Empire for a short period of time (1918-1920).

Kolokotronis Greek
Notable bearer of this name is ... [more]

Konashevych Ukrainian
Surname of Petro Konashevych-Sahaidachny, a Ukrainian cossack hetman and military leader of the Polish-Lithuanian commonwealth.

Krochmal Polish, Yiddish, Hebrew
Krochmal (Yiddish: קראָכמאַל, Hebrew, קרוכמל/קרוכמאל) is a rare Ashkenazi-Jewish-Polish surname meaning "laundry starch" (a starch solution in water used to whiten and stiffen fabric)... [more]

Leader English

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

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

Limonov m Russian
Derived from Russian word "лимон (limon)" meaning "lemon". This is the last name of Eduard Limonov, the leader of the National Bolshevik Party in Russia.

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

Macapaar Filipino, Maranao
From Maranao kapa'ar meaning "leadership, power".

Malenkov Russian
Patronymic derived from Russian маленький (malen'kiy) meaning "little, small". The Soviet leader Georgy Malenkov (1902-1988) was a notable bearer of this name.

Mallik Bengali
Means "owner, proprietor, head, leader" in Bengali, ultimately from Arabic مالك (mālik).

Mangudadatu Filipino, Maguindanao
From Maguindanao manguda meaning "young" and the Philippine title datu meaning "chief, leader".

Mannerheim Finland Swedish (Rare)
Swedification of the German surname Marhein. A famous bearer was Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim (1867-1951), a Finnish military leader, statesman and the 6th President of Finland... [more]

Marchesini Italian
Derived from the Latin word “marchese,” which means “marquis.” It is a title of nobility that was used in medieval Italy and referred to the leader of a march or border region. It likely refers to someone who was descended from or associated with a marquis or who held a similar position of authority in a border region.

Masterman English
occupational name meaning "servant of the master" from Middle English maister "master" (Latin magister "teacher, master, leader") and mann "man".

Maxson Popular Culture, English
Means son of Max. This is the surname of the hereditary leaders of the Brotherhood of Steel in the popular Fallout game. The first bearer of the name was Captain Roger Maxson, who founded the BOS, with the most recent bearer being Arthur Maxson, the current leader of the BOS in Fallout 4.

Mayoral Spanish
Occupational name for the foreman of a gang of agricultural workers or the leader of a group of herdsmen mayoral (from Late Latin maioralis originally an adjective derivative of maior 'greater').

Melanchthon History
Means "black earth", derived from Greek μελανός (melanos), the genitive of the adjective μέλας (melas) meaning "black, dark", and χθών (chthon) meaning "land, earth, soil"... [more]

Monkey Popular Culture
This is the surname of a few characters in the manga One Piece written by mangaka Eiichiro Oda including the main character. The main character Monkey D. Luffy is the founding father and captain of the pirate Straw Hats who, as of this writing, seeks the treasure the One Piece and desires to be the Pirate King... [more]

Mu Chinese
Chinese : in the state of Song during the Spring and Autumn period (722–481 bc) there existed a leader who was posthumously given the name of the duke of Mu. His descendants adopted Mu as their surname... [more]

Mussert Dutch
Dutch cognate of Mussett. This name was borne by the infamous Nazi politician Anton Mussert (1894-1946), the leader of the National Socialist Movement in the Netherlands (NSB) during World War II.

Nagamatsu Japanese
This surname is used as 永松, 長松 or 永末 with 永 (ei, naga.i) meaning "eternity, lengthy, long," 長 (chou, osa, naga.i) meaning "leader, long," 松 (shou, matsu) meaning "pine tree" and 末 (batsu, matsu, sue) meaning "close, end, posterity, powder, tip."

Nagao Japanese
From Japanese 長 (naga) meaning "head, leader, chief, long" and 尾 (o) meaning "tail, foot of a mountain, end".

Nagayama Japanese
From Japanese 永 (nagai) meaning "eternity, long, lengthy" or 長 (nagai) meaning "chief, head, leader" combined with 山 (yama) meaning "mountain".

Naidu Indian
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.

Naidu Indian, Telugu
Means "chief" in Telugu, ultimately from Sanskrit नाय (naya) meaning "guide, leader" combined with the Telugu masculine suffix డు (du).

Nair Indian, 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]

Navalny m Ukrainian
More common transcription of Navalnyy, due to the Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

Nayak Indian, Odia, Gujarati, Hindi, Bengali, Assamese, Kannada, Telugu, Marathi, Konkani, Nepali
From a title derived from Sanskrit नायक (nayaka) meaning "hero, leader".

Oakenshield English (British), Literature
In J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit", the surname of Thorin Oakenshield, the leader of the Company of Dwarves and the King of Durin's Folk.

Osada Japanese
From Japanese 長 (osa) meaning "chief, head, leader" and 田 (da) meaning "field, rice paddy".

Ouy French
Some derive this name from the French word "gui," meaning mistletoe. Others think it comes through the Celtic name "Kei," from Caius. Others belive the name comes from the French words "guide," a leader, or "guidon," a banner... [more]

Palme Swedish
The name was adopted by a notable Swedish family in honor of their ancestor Palme Lyder (born 1570s, died 1630), a merchant who immigrated to Sweden from the Netherlands or Germany in the early 1600s... [more]

Papadiamantopoulos Greek
Means "descendant of the diamond priest" in Greek. A notable bearer of this surname is Ioannis Papadiamantopoulos, a Greek revolutionary leader.

Pasechnik Russian
Means "beekeeper" in Russian. Leonid Pasechnik is the leader of the LNR.

Peza Albanian
Myslim Peza, leader of the anti-fascist movement.

Pozharsky Russian
Possibly from Russian пожар (požár) meaning "fire, conflagration". A famous bearer of the name was Russian prince Dmitry Mikhaylovich Pozharsky (1577-1642) known for his military leadership during the Polish–Muscovite War.

Prather Irish
The name Prather derives from the word Praetor which means leader or each of two ancient Roman magistrates ranking below consul.

Prigozhin m Russian
From Russian пригожий (prigozhiy), meaning "beautiful, pretty". Prigozhin was the last name of Yevgeniy Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner PMC until 2023 when he died in a plane crash... [more]

Princip Bosnian, Serbian
Probably derived from Latin princeps "leader, initiator, prince", which itself was ultimately derived from primus "first" and capere "to take". The surname may thus have originated as a nickname for someone with a princely appearance, or for someone who was the illegitimate offspring of a prince... [more]

Proost Dutch, Belgian
Means "provost" in Dutch, a leadership position.

Puletua Samoan
May come from Pule meaning 'authority, leader, command'.

Ramanayake Sinhalese
From the name of the Hindu god Rama 1 combined with Sanskrit नायक (nayaka) meaning "hero, leader".

Rapu Rapa Nui
People with this surname have a connection to the Rapa Nui Ngaure clan. Rapu is the surname of Rapanui insurrection leader and mayor of Rapa Nui aka Easter Island Alfonso Rapu (1942) who led a revolt against the Chilean government in 1965... [more]

Ratnayake Sinhalese
From Sanskrit रत्न (ratna) meaning "jewel, treasure" and नायक (nayaka) meaning "hero, leader".

Riel French
French variant of Riehl. Most notable bearer is Canadian Métis political leader Louis Riel, best known for his Red River Rebellion.

Rotter German
Variant spelling of Rother, an occupational name for the foreman or leader of a group or association of men, or a work gang, from an agent derivative of Middle High German rotte ‘team’, ‘gang’... [more]

Sadri Persian
From the Persian given name Sadr "chief, leader", from arabic ṣadr, literally "chest (of men)".

Sakigake Japanese
魁 (Sakigake) can be translated to (pioneer; leader; taking the initiative; forerunner; harbinger; herald; / leading an attack; charging ahead of others (towards the enemy)) It could be interpreted as a nickname for who's a leader

Samaranayake Sinhalese
Derived from Sanskrit समर (samara) meaning "coming together, meeting" or "conflict, struggle" and नायक (nayaka) meaning "hero, leader".

Sardar Indian, Bengali, Hindi, Urdu
From a title meaning "chief, leader", derived from Persian سر (sar) meaning "head, authority" and the suffix دار (dar) meaning "possessor".

Schwertfuehrer German (Austrian)
Sword leader; military general or other leadership position

Séera Literature
Coming from an old Rowénan word to mean "king" or "leader", SÉERA is nowan uncomon surname. Used by the ruling family of eastern Erikówna (see Tyran).

Senanayake Sinhalese
From Sanskrit सेना (sena) meaning "army" and नायक (nayaka) meaning "hero, leader".

Serdar Turkish, Croatian
Turkish form of Persian sardar, meaning "chief", "leader", "field marshal".

Shariy Ukrainian, Russian
Last name of Anatoly Shariy, the leader of Party of Shariy, a Ukrainian political party that was shut down due to alleged ties to Russia.

Sheikh Arabic, Bengali, Urdu
From the Arabic title شَيْخ (šayḵ) meaning "chief, chieftain, head". It is used to denote a political or spiritual leader of a Muslim community.

Shikongo Southern African
Potentially means "people's leader". Prevalent in Nambia.

Sorhapuru Basque (Rare)
From the name of a village in south-west France Basque Country, possibly derived from sorho "field, cultivated land" and buru "head, top, summit; leader, chief".

Sovereign English
Occupational surname for a leader or supervisor, derived from the English word sovereign meaning "possessing supreme or ultimate power".

Sulivar Medieval Russian
Sulivar was a name used in Southern Russia near Kazakhstan and was even a name a leader had when the mongol empire fell.

Suriyaarachchi Sinhalese
From Sanskrit सूर्य (sūrya) meaning "sun" combined with the Sinhala title ආරච්චි (ārachchi) meaning "village leader, sergeant".

Taijjeron Chamorro
Chamoru for "wituout judge/leader/cheif"

Tamanaha Japanese
From 玉 (tama) meaning "jewel, ball", 那 (na) meaning "what?", and 覇 (ha) meaning "supremacy, leadership, hegemony, champion".

Tapu Moriori
Tapu in the Moriori language means sacred. This was the surname of a 19th century Owenga Moriori leader named Hirawanu Tapu (?-1900).

Tenayuca Indigenous American, Mexican (Rare), Comanche (?)
Of uncertain origin. A known bearer was Emma Tenayuca (1916-1999), an American labor leader of Comanche descent.

Troxel German
Roots of the German surname Troxel can be found in the region of Hesse, where the name originated. Troxel may be an occupational name, derived from the Middle High German word "truhsaesee," meaning "leader." In this case, Troxel would be a variation of the German surname Truchsess.

Troyer German (Anglicized)
Surname common among the Amish and the Mennonites. It is the Pennsylvania German form of the German last name "Dreier", "Dreyer" or "Treyer". Hans Treyer, an early Anabaptist leader, died as a martyr of his faith in Bern in 1529... [more]

Tsikhanouskaya f Belarusian, Russian (Belarusianized)
From the given name Tsikhan. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya is the Belarusian opposition leader. It is also the Belarusianised form of Russian Tikhonovskaya.

Van Geelkerken Dutch, Flemish
Means "from the yellow churches", derived from Dutch geel meaning "yellow" and kerken, the plural of kerk meaning "church". A notable bearer was the infamous fascist political leader Cornelis van Geelkerken (1901-1976), who founded the National Socialist Movement in the Netherlands (NSB) during World War II, alongside Anton Mussert.

Wallenstein German, Jewish
Variant of Waldstein a habitational name from Wallenstein (originally Waldenstein "forest rock" Czech Valdštejn) in Bohemia... [more]

Waziri Muslim
"Prime minister, Advisor, leader of passion."

Wickramanayake Sinhalese
From Sanskrit विक्रम (vikrama) meaning "stride, pace" or "valour" and नायक (nayaka) meaning "hero, leader".

Winstanley English
From the name of a place in Lancashire, England, which means "Wynnstan's field" from the Old English masculine given name Wynnstan and leah meaning "woodland, clearing"... [more]

Yamabi Japanese (Rare)
From Japanese 山 (yama) meaning "mountain" and 火 (bi), the joining form of 火 (hi) meaning "fire". It is a reference to an event when the leader of the Morioka Domain came to the mountains and the residents warmed him up by starting a fire using flint... [more]

Yapp English (British)
Derives from Old English ġēap meaning "crooked, bent" and could either refer to a cunning person or someone with crooked features (e.g. curved nose). Famous bearers of this name include English botanist Richard Henry Yapp and Sir Stanley Graham Yapp, Labour politician and first leader of West Midlands County Council.

Yezhov m Russian
Derived from Russian word "ёж (yozh)" meaning hedgehog. Yezhov was the last name of Nikolay Yezhov, the leader of the Soviet NKVD from 1936-38 who is known for Yezhovshchina.

Zaim Turkish
Zaim may be a representation of the male Arabic given name Za'im / Zaeim (Arabic: ضعیم / زاعِم/ زاعيم‎), meaning leader, chief. Correspondingly al-Za'im (Arabic: الزعيم‎) means "the leader".

Žemaitis Lithuanian
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]

Županović Croatian
Derived from župan, a noble and administrative title, the leader of a territorial unit called županija.

Zwingli Swiss
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]

Zyuganov m Russian
Gennadiy Zyuganov is the leader of the Russian communist party.