Submitted Surnames with "occupational" in Description

Marner English, German
Occupational name for a sailor from Anglo-Norman French mariner Middle, High German marnære "seaman". English variant of Mariner.

Marquis English, French
From the title of nobility, which originally denoted an officer whose duty was to guard the marches or frontiers of the kingdom. A march was originally denoted as a border region at a frontier. The word marquis was derived from Late Latin marchensis, from Frankish *marku "boundary, border"... [more]

Marrero Spanish
Occupational name for a stonecutter, derived from Spanish marrear "to hit with a sledgehammer", ultimately from Latin marra "hoe, hook, spade".

Marschall German, English
occupational name for a man in the service of a member of the nobility originally one who looked after the horses derived from Middle High German marschalc from Latin mariscalcus, ultimately from Old High German marah "horse" and scalc "servant"... [more]

Marsteller German
Occupational name for a stable boy in or for the supervisor of the stables on a noble estate, from Middle High German mar(c) 'noble horse' stall 'stable' + the agent suffix -er.

Martelle English, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese
English and German: from a medieval personal name, a pet form of Martin or Marta.... [more]

Martello Italian
Southern Italian: nickname for someone with a forceful personality, from Italian martèllo ‘hammer’ (Late Latin martellus), or a metonymic occupational name for someone who used a hammer in their work.

Martillo Spanish
From the Spanish word "martillo" which means hammer. Occupational name for a user or maker of hammers.

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.

Maslov Russian, Jewish
Derived from Russian масло (maslo) meaning "butter", originally used as an occupational name for someone who worked as a dairyman or sold dairy products.

Massara Italian, Greek
Either a feminine form of Massaro or from the equivalent occupational or status name in medieval Greek, (massaras meaning ‘peasant’ or ‘share cropper’) which is from the word massaria meaning ‘small farm’.

Masse Dutch
Derived from Middle Dutch masse "clog; cudgel", this name might have been a metonymic occupational name for someone who wielded a club. In some cases, however, it may also have been a patronymic of Maas.

Masse English, French
English: variant of Mace ... [more]

Mast German, Dutch
Derived from Middle High German and Middle Dutch mast "mast (fodder made of acorns and beechnuts); the process of fattening livestock", an occupational name for a pig farmer or a swineherd. In some cases, however, the German name may also have been derived from Middle High German mast, mastic "fat, stout".

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

Mastin French, Flemish, Walloon
occupational name for a household servant or guard from Old French mastin "watchdog, manservant" (from Latin mansuetudinus "domestic"). The Old French word had the further sense of a bad-tempered dog and was used as an adjective in the sense of "bad cruel".

Matassa Italian
Means "hank, skein, coil" in Italian and Sicilian, derived from Ancient Greek μέταξα (metaxa) via Latin mataxa "raw silk; thick string, thread", an occupational name for a silk merchant (compare Metaxas)... [more]

Mauser German
Occupational name for a mouse catcher.

Mayor English, Spanish, Catalan
English variant of Mayer 3 and Catalan variant of Major. Either a nickname for an older man or a distinguishing epithet for the elder of two bearers of the same personal name, from mayor "older", from Latin maior (natus), literally "greater (by birth)"... [more]

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').

Maza Spanish
Occupational name for someone who carried a mace, either as a symbol of office or as a weapon.

Mazar Polish
Slovak occupational name for mortar, or an alternate spelling of Mazur

Mead English, English (New Zealand)
topographic name for someone who lived by a meadow, from Middle English mede ‘meadow’ (Old English m?d). metonymic occupational name for a brewer or seller of mead (Old English meodu), an alcoholic beverage made by fermenting honey

Meeboer Dutch (Rare)
Possibly an occupational name for someone who brewed or sold mead, from Dutch mede (also mee) "mead" and boer "farmer, peasant; merchant, producer (of a product)".

Meersman Flemish
An occupational name for a travelling salesman, from Middle Dutch merseman "itinerant merchant, peddler".

Meester Dutch, Flemish, German
Occupational name for a teacher, lecturer or a master craftsman, or a nickname for someone who had a bossy demeanor, derived from Dutch meester meaning "master". A famous bearer of this surname is the American actress, singer and model Leighton Meester (1986-).

Melero Spanish
Occupational name for a collector or seller of honey, melero (Late Latin mellarius, an agent derivative of mel, genitive mellis, ‘honey’).

Melillo Italian
Means "small apple, crab apple" in Neapolitan, either a topographic name, an occupational name for a grower or seller of apples, or perhaps a nickname for someone with a sour disposition. Alternatively, it could be from the Latin given name Mellilus, related to the endearment mellilla "little honey", or be a diminutive form of Meli.

Melle French
Occupational name derived from Old French melle "buckle, ring".

Meller German (Americanized), Danish (Americanized), Jewish (Ashkenazi), Polish (Germanized), English
Variant of Miller, Möller, Møller, Meller and Moeller... [more]

Meltzer German
German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): occupational name for a maltster, a brewer who used malt, from German Meltzer (an agent derivative of Middle High German malt ‘malt’, ‘germinated barley’), Yiddish meltser ‘maltster’... [more]

Mendler German
Occupational name for a maker of coats from an agent derivative of Middle High German mantel, mandel, mendel "coat".

Mercante Italian
An occupational name meaning "merchant, trader" in Italian, from Latin mercans "trading".

Mesmer German
Occupational name for a maker of knives from Middle High German messer meaning "knife". A famous bearer was Franz Mesmer (1734-1815), a German doctor known for his theory of "animal magnetism", which was eventually incorporated into the field of hypnosis.

Messenger English
Occupational name for someone who brings messages, from Middle English messangere, a compound of message "communication" with an agent suffix. A famous bearer of the name was Australian footballer Dally Messenger, real name Herbert Henry Messenger (1883-1959), known as Australasia's first professional rugby footballer.

Messer German
Occupational name for an official in charge of measuring the dues paid in kind by tenants, from an agent derivative of Middle High German mezzen "to measure".

Messer Scottish
Occupational name for someone who kept watch over harvested crops, Middle English, Older Scots mess(i)er, from Old French messier (see Messier).

Messi Italian
Possibly an occupational name derived from Italian messo "messenger". Alternatively, it could derive from the Germanic Metzel, a pet form of given names such as Matz, Metze, or Matzo... [more]

Messier French
Occupational name for someone who kept watch over harvested crops, Old French messier 'harvest master' (Late Latin messicarius, agent derivative of messis 'harvest').

Messing German, Jewish
Occupational name for a brazier, from German Messing "brass".

Metallo Italian
Means "metal" in Italian, ultimately derived from Ancient Greek μέταλλον (metallon) "mine, quarry; metal". Probably a metonymic occupational name for a miner or a metalworker, or perhaps a nickname for someone with a clear, metallic tone of voice... [more]

Metcalfe English
An occupational name from Northern England, from Old English mete, 'food' and calf, 'calf', i.e calfs being fattened for consumption in late summer. Thus, making this surname an occupational name for either a slaughterer or herdsman... [more]

Mick German, Dutch
Occupational name from Middle Low German and Middle Dutch micke "(wheat or rye) bread". Alternatively, a Germanized form of Mik.

Milk English
Probably from Middle English milk ‘milk’, applied as a metonymic occupational name for a producer or seller of milk.In some instances, probably a translation of German Milch, a variant of Slavic Milich or of Dutch Mielke (a pet form of Miele), or a shortening of Slavic Milkovich.

Mill Scottish, English
Scottish and English: topographic name for someone who lived near a mill, Middle English mille, milne (Old English myl(e)n, from Latin molina, a derivative of molere ‘to grind’)... [more]

Millay English
This surname is thought to be a respelling of Millais, which may come from the French surname Millet, a metonymic occupational name for a grower or seller of millet or panic grass (derived from a diminutive form of Old French mil which is then derived from Latin milium meaning "millet").... [more]

Millet French, Catalan
metonymic occupational name for a grower or seller of millet or panic grass or a topographic name for someone who lived by a field of millet from French and Catalan millet (from Latin milietum a derivative of milium in Old French mil "millet").

Millsap English (American), English
Judging by the name and how it sounds, I guess it's occupational. This is the name of a town in Texas, named after Fuller Millsap.

Miner English
English occupational name for someone who built mines, either for the excavation of coal and other minerals, or as a technique in the medieval art of siege warfare. The word represents an agent derivative of Middle English, Old French mine ‘mine’ (a word of Celtic origin, cognate with Gaelic mein ‘ore’, ‘mine’).

Minion French
French form of Miner, an occupational name for a someone working in a mine.

Minium Italian (Modern, ?)
Minium is the name of a red pigment made from lead oxide as well as the name of the mineral itself, coming from Latin. It was named so because the mines it came from were close to the River Minius in Iberia... [more]

Minter English
Occupational name for someone involved in the production or distribution of coins, such as a moneyer or a clerk in a mint, derived from Old English mynet "coin".

Miodownik Polish, Jewish
The literal translation is "honey cake", from the Polish word/root surname miod, meaning "honey." An occupational surname to those in the honey business, mainly beekeepers and bakers.... [more]

Mitnick Ukrainian, Jewish
Occupational name from Ukrainian mytnyk, Polish mytnik, which means ‘toll collector’.

Mittelkauff German (Archaic)
An extinct occupational name for a broker or middleman from Middle High German mittel meaning "middle" and kauf meaning "purchase".

Mol Dutch
Means "mole (animal)" in Dutch. Could be a nickname for someone with poor eyesight or who was known for digging, an occupational name for a mole catcher, or a habitational name for someone from Mol in the Antwerp province, Belgium.

Molinares Spanish
Derived from Spanish molina meaning "mill". Possibly an occupational name for a mill worker.

Molinaro Italian
Occupational name for a miller, derived from Italian mulino meaning "mill".

Molinero Spanish
An occupational surname from molinero (“miller”).

Mollen Dutch
Means "mill" inboth Dutch and German from the German "mühle" and the Dutch "molen". Originally an occupational surname for someone who worked at or lived near a mill.

Molly Dutch (Surinamese)
Possibly derived from an occupational name for a millwright, from Middle Dutch molen "mill".

Monaco Italian
Means "monk" in Italian, ultimately derived from Ancient Greek μοναχός (monakhós) "single, solitary" via Latin monachus. Could be a nickname for someone of monkish habits or appearance, a topographic name for someone living close to a monastery, or an occupational name for a servant employed at a monastery.

Moneta Italian
from moneta "money" probably applied as either a nickname for a rich man or as a metonymic occupational name for a moneyer or money lender.

Money English
Occupational name for someone who makes money or a nickname for a rich person, from Old French monoie. A famous bearer of the name was New Zealand-American psychologist John Money (1921-2006).

Moneymaker English (American)
Translated form of German Geldmacher or Geldschläger, occupational names for a coiner.

Monger English
Occupational name for a retail trader or a stallholder in a market, derived Old English mangere "trader, merchant, dealer".

Monier French, English, French (Huguenot)
French variant of Monnier and occupational name for a moneyer from Middle English monier "moneyer" (Old French monier) or for a miller from Old French monier "miller".

Monkman English
Occupational name for a servant in a monastery, from Middle English monk "monk" and man "man", effectively a variant of Monk with an added suffix.

Monzo Italian
Possibly a variant of Monsu, which may be an occupational name for a cook, Calabrian munsu, or a nickname or title from Milanese monsu ‘sir’, ‘lord’, ‘gentleman’.

Moscato Italian
Variant of the personal name Muscato, also Americanized spelling of Greek Moskatos, a metonymic occupational name for a grower of muscat grapes.

Most German
Metonymic occupational name for a producer or seller of must, i.e. unfermented grape juice, from Middle High German most, ultimately derived from Latin mustum vinum meaning "young (i.e. fresh) wine"... [more]

Mower English
Occupational name for someone who cut hay or grass.

Munk German, Scandinavian, Dutch, English
From Middle High German münich Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish munk Middle Dutch munc "monk" a nickname for someone thought to resemble a monk or a metonymic occupational name for someone in the service of a monastery... [more]

Munn Scottish, English
Variant form of McMunn. In English, it is a nickname or an occupational name for a person who worked for monks, derived from Anglo-Norman French moun meaning "monk" (see Monk).

Muskat German, Jewish
Occupational name for a spice merchant from Middle High German muscāt meaning "nutmeg mace". As a Jewish name however it is mainly ornamental.

Mutter German
(also Mütter): occupational name for an official employed to measure grain, from Middle High German mutte, mütte 'bushel', 'grain measure' (Latin modius) + the agent suffix -er.

Muziki Swahili
From Swahili meaning "music". Possibly an occupational name for a musician.

Mye English
Occupational name from Middle English (Hypothetical) *mie, Old French mie meaning "physician", synonymous with Mee, Mayer 3 or Mayer 4, and Myer... [more]

Nahksep Estonian
A surname drived from an occupational name meaning, "leatherworker".

Najar Spanish
Spanish: Most Probably A Habitational Name From Najar Alicante. Alternatively It May Be An Occupational Name For A Carpenter Of Arabic Origin

Nalci Turkish
Occupational surname denoting a horse-shoe maker, from the Turkish word nal meaning "horse-shoe" and the particle -cı a suffix appended to words to create a noun denoting a profession or occupation.

Napper English
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]

Naqqache Arabic (Mashriqi)
Occupational name meaning "engraver, carver" in Arabic. It is usually found in Lebanon. A famous bearer was the Lebanese president and prime minister Alfred Naqqache (1888-1978), also called Alfred Naccache.

Nast German
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".

Naylor English
Occupational name for someone who made nails, from Middle English nayler "nail maker".

Needle English, 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]

Neher German
An occupational name for a tailor from a deritive of Middle Low German, 'nehen' which means 'to sew' or 'to embroider'

Nesmith English, Scottish
Occupational name for a nail or knife maker, derived from Middle English nayl "nail" or knyf "knife" and smyth "craftsman, smith" (from Old English smiþ).

Niedermeier German, German (Austrian)
Occupational name for a farmer who had a farm lower than the neighboring one(s). This surname and its variant spellings are common to Austria and the state of Bavaria in Germany.

Noce Italian
Means "nut" or "walnut" in Italian. Could be a topographic name for someone who lived where nut trees grew, an occupational name for a grower or seller of walnuts, or perhaps a nickname based on the bearer’s strength of character, or a physical characteristic such as brown hair or skin.

Nocito Italian
from Latin nucetum (Italian noceto) "walnut orchard" applied as either a topographic name for someone who lived by such a place or as a metonymic occupational name for someone who worked in one.

Nonnenmacher German
Occupational name for a gelder of hogs, from Middle High German nunne, nonne meaning "nun", and by transfer "castrated hog" + an agent derivative of machen meaning "to make".

Nuss German
from Middle High German nuz ‘nut’, hence a metonymic occupational name for a gatherer and seller of nuts, or a nickname for a man thought to resemble a nut in some way

Obukhov m Russian
Occupational name for a lumberjack or a maker of axes, derived from Russian обух (obukh) meaning "butt" (referring to the thicker end of a tool or weapon like an axe).

Oechslin German (Swiss)
South German (also Öchslein): from Middle High German ohse ‘ox’ + the diminutive suffix -lin. An occupational name for someone who tended cattle, or for a cattle dealer; or a nickname for a farmer who used oxen for plowing, or for someone perceived to resemble an ox.

Office English (Modern)
Occupational name for a person who works in an office.

Officer English (Canadian), English (American, Rare)
Occupational name for the holder of any office, from Anglo-Norman French officer (an agent derivative of Old French office ‘duty’, ‘service’, Latin officium ‘service’, ‘task’).

Olivo Italian, Spanish
Topographic name from olivo "olive tree" or occupational name for someone who sold olives. Or from the given name Olivo given to someone born on Palm Sunday.

Organ English
Metonymic occupational name for a player of a musical instrument (any musical instrument, not necessarily what is now known as an organ), from Middle English organ (Old French organe, Late Latin organum ‘device’, ‘(musical) instrument’, Greek organon ‘tool’, from ergein ‘to work or do’).

Ortolano Italian, Spanish
occupational name for a cultivator or seller of fruit and vegetables ortolano "gardener" from a derivative of orto "vegetable garden" (from Latin hortus "garden"). The term was also used in the medieval period to denote both a cleric with a fervant devotion to pastoral work and a rough or uncouth person and in some instances may have been applied as a nickname in either sense... [more]

Pach German
Pach is an occupational hereditary surname for a baker in Old German. Pach is also a German local name for someone who lived by a stream, which was originally derived from the German word "bach" which means stream... [more]

Packard English, Norman, Medieval English, German (Anglicized)
English from Middle English pa(c)k ‘pack’, ‘bundle’ + the Anglo-Norman French pejorative suffix -ard, hence a derogatory occupational name for a peddler. ... [more]

Pacyna Polish
Unflattering nickname from paczyna meaning "clod", "brickbat", or possibly a metonymic occupational name for a boatman, from the same word in the sense meaning "oar", "rudder".

Padgett English
Diminutive form of Page, which is of Old French origin, and an occupational name for a young servant, a personal attendant in a noble's house, from the Old French, Middle English "page", ultimately deriving from the Greek "paidion", a boy, child... [more]

Page German
Metonymic occupational name for a horse dealer, from Middle Low German page "horse".

Pagliaro Italian
Derived from Italian paglia "straw" or pagliaro "haystack, straw-rick", an occupational name for someone who gathered or used straw, or a topographic name for someone who lived near a barn or straw-loft.

Painter English
Occupational name for a painter, derived from Middle English paynter.

Pălărie Romanian
Occupational name for a hatter.

Paler Jewish, Yiddish (Ukrainianized), English (Rare)
Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic): occupational name for a distiller, a Yiddishized form of Ukrainian palyar 'distiller'. English: variant of Paylor.

Paley Jewish, Yiddish, Belarusian, Ukrainian
Occupational name for a distiller, derived from an East Slavic word (Russian палить (palitʹ), Ukrainian палити (palyty)) meaning "to burn". A famous bearer was Princess Olga Valerianovna Paley (1865-1929), the morganatic second wife of Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich of Russia.

Palfrey English
Occupational surname for a man who works with saddle-horses, from Middle English palfrey, a kind of small saddle horse used in the Middle Ages.

Palomares Spanish
Derived from Spanish "palomar," meaning "dovecote" or "columbarium". An occupational name for someone who was known for raising or caring for carrier pigeons or doves.

Panaritis Greek
Occupational name for a baker, from Latin panarium ‘bread basket’.

Panaro Italian
From old Italian panaro meaning "bread basket" or "wooden basket, hamper", an occupational name for a baker, or perhaps a basket maker. Alternatively, could be a habitational name from the Panaro river.

Pane Italian, Corsican
Means "bread" in Italian, a metonymic occupational name for a baker, or a a nickname or given name (medieval Panis, Panellus) figuratively meaning "good as bread, good thing".

Panebianco Italian
Means "white bread", from Italian pane "bread" and bianco "white", an occupational name for a baker who worked with high quality breads, or in some cases perhaps a nickname for someone of good character.

Panella Italian
From the name of a kind of fritter or pancake made with chickpea powder. Could be an occupational name for a baker, or perhaps a nickname for someone with a yellowish complexion. Alternatively, can be a diminutive form of Pane.

Panetta Italian
Diminutive form of Italian pane "bread", probably an occupational name for a baker.

Pannebakker Dutch
From Middle Dutch panne "pan, roof tile" and backer "baker", an occupational name for someone who made roof tiles.

Panozzo Italian
Venice, one of the oldest and most beautiful regions of Italy, is the esteemed birthplace of numerous prominent families, and of a family that bears the surname Panozzo. Although people were originally known only by a single name, it became necessary for them to adopt a second name to identify themselves, as populations grew and travel became more frequent... [more]

Panzer German
Metonymic occupational name for an armorer from Middle High German panzier "mailcoat" (Old French pancier "armor for the stomach, body armor" from Late Latin).

Panzeri Italian
Either a nickname from Italian pancia "belly, paunch", referring to someone with a prominent belly (see Panza), or an occupational name for someone who manufactured girdles and armour, from panciere "corset, girdle; paunce (armour covering the belly)", ultimately from the same root.

Pão Portuguese
Metonymic occupational name for a baker, from pão meaning "bread"

Paragas Pangasinan, Ilocano
From Pangasinan or Ilocano ragas meaning "to cut, to trim (clothing)", probably used as an occupational name.

Parduhn German
Variant Of Pardon From Middle English Pardun, Pardon "Pardon" A Metonymic occupational name for a pardoner, a person licensed to sell papal pardons or indulgences. German: either a cognate of 1 (also for a sexton), from Old French pardon ‘pardon’, or perhaps a nickname from Middle Low German bardun, Middle High German purdune ‘pipe’ (instrument), ‘tenor’ (voice).

Paré French (Quebec)
Unclear. Possibly occupational for a pareur, a textile worker that smooths and flattens the fabric.

Parmentier French, Belgian
An occupational surname for a maker of "facings" and "trimmings".

Parnes Jewish
Eastern Ashkenazic occupational name for the president of a Jewish community, from Yiddish parnes (from Hebrew parnas).

Parolo Italian
Derived from a variant of Italian paiolo "cauldron, copper pot", an occupational name for someone who made or sold such vessels.

Parreira Portuguese
Means "grapevine" in Portuguese. It was used as a toponymic name for someone from any of various places called Parreira, a topographic name for someone who lived near many grapevines, or an occupational name for someone who worked on a grapevine plantation.

Parson English
Means "priest, cleric, minister" in English, either an occupational name for someone who worked for a parson, a nickname for someone considered particularly pious, or perhaps given to illegitimate children of a priest.

Passafiume Italian
From Italian passa fiume meaning "(one who) crosses the river", an occupational name for a ferryman.

Pasta Italian
From Italian pasta meaning "dough, paste". Occupational name for a baker or cook.

Pastorelli Italian
An occupational name meaning "shepherd."

Pearl English
Metonymic occupational name for a trader in pearls, which in the Middle Ages were fashionable among the rich for the ornamentation of clothes, from Middle English, Old French perle (Late Latin perla).

Pease English
English: from Middle English pese ‘pea’, hence a metonymic occupational name for a grower or seller of peas, or a nickname for a small and insignificant person. The word was originally a collective singular (Old English peose, pise, from Latin pisa) from which the modern English vocabulary word pea is derived by folk etymology, the singular having been taken as a plural.

Pechtold German, Dutch, Jewish
From the Old German given name Pechtholt, which is composed of the elements pecht "rotation" and holdt "hero". As a Dutch-language surname, it is derived from the Middle Dutch given name Pechte combined with Old High German walt "power, authority"... [more]

Peikert German
Probably an occupational name for a drummer.

Peiper German (Austrian)
Occupational name for a piper, from Middle High German piper. In some cases it may be derived from Sorbian pipar "pepper", thus being an occupational name for a spicer or a nickname for one with a fiery temper.

Peixoto Portuguese
Occupational name for a fisherman or fish seller or a nickname for someone thought to resemble a fish, derived from Portuguese peixe meaning "fish".

Pelissier French
From Old French "Pelicier", (Meaning "Furrier", from an agent derivative of pelice, meaning "Fur cloak", from Late Latin "pellicia", from "pellis", meaning "skin fur". An occupational name of someone likely in the fur and hide trade.

Pelle Italian
Means "skin, hide; leather" in Italian, an occupational name for a tanner, or a nickname for someone with notable skin.

Pelle German
From Middle Low German pelle "precious purple silk cloth", presumably an occupational name for a maker or seller of such cloth or for a maker of official and church vestments.

Pelsmaker Dutch
Occupational name for a pelt maker, from Dutch pels "pelt, fur" and maker "maker"

Pelter English
Derived from Middle English pellet "skin (of an animal, sheep)", an occupational name for someone who tanned or sold hides and pelts for a living. Compare French Pelletier.

Peltz German, Jewish
Occupational name for a furrier, from Middle High German bellez, (modern German pelz) "fur", "animal skin".

Pelzer German
Occupational name for a furrier, from an agent derivative Middle High German bellez "fur".

Penman Scottish
Occupational name for someone who was a scribe, but could also be a habitational name derived from any place named with the British elements penn "hill" and maen "stone".

Pépin French
From the Old French name Pepis, itself a form of the given name Pépin. Alternatively, it may be derived from French pépin meaning "(fruit) seed", thus making it an occupational name for a gardener or someone who grew fruit-bearing trees.

Peppard English, Irish
Occupational name from Old French pipart meaning "piper".

Pepper English
Occupational name for a spicer.

Perlman German
Occupational name for a person who makes or sells pearls.

Peskett Medieval Welsh
The surname Peskett is derived from the word "peascod" or "peapod," a sack in which peas were kept. This word was originally derived from the Old English words "peose" and "pise," which mean "pea," and "codd," which means "bag." The Peskett name was occupational for a seller of peas... [more]

Pets Belarusian
Means "to sing" in Belarusian. Occupational name for singer.

Pezzimenti Italian
From pezzimento "military baggage", a word from a Greek dialect in southern Italy. Probably an occupational name for a soldier, or someone who worked in the military in some way.

Pfannebecker German
Occupational name for a maker of roof tiles, cognate of Dutch Pannebakker.

Pfarr German
From Middle High German pfarr 'district' 'parish' or pfarre(r) 'parish priest', hence an occupational name for a parson.

Pfeffer German, Jewish
Occupational name for a spicer, or a nickname for a person with a fiery temper, for a small man, or for a dark-haired person. Derived from German Pfeffer "pepper".

Pfeil German
From Middle High German pfil ‘arrow’ (from Latin pilum ‘spike’, ‘javelin’), either a metonymic occupational name for an arrowsmith or possibly a nickname for a tall thin man.

Pflaum German, Jewish
metonymic occupational name or possibly a nickname from Middle High German pflūme, German pflaume "plum", as a Jewish name it is artificial... [more]

Pflug German
Means "plough, plow" in German, an occupational name for a plowman or plowwright.

Pflüger German
Occupational name for a Ploughman, literally meaning "Ploughman/Plowman" in German.

Pfund German
metonymic occupational name for a sealer of weights, or for a wholesale merchant, from Middle High German pfunt ‘pound’ (as a measure of weight and a unit of currency).

Piccione Italian
Means "pigeon" in Italian, denoting someone who resembles the bird or an occupational name for a pigeon keeper.

Pieper German, Dutch
Occupational name for a piper.

Pierog Polish
Occupational nickname for a cook.

Pijl Dutch
Means "arrow, projectile" in Dutch, an occupational name for an archer or fletcher.

Pikacz Polish
From Polish meaning "picker". Occupational name for someone who had a profession related to picking or sorting through materials.

Pike English, Irish
English: topographic name for someone who lived by a hill with a sharp point, from Old English pic ‘point’, ‘hill’, which was a relatively common place name element.... [more]

Pilarski Polish
Occupational name for a sawyer, Polish pilarz + -ski, common ending of surnames.

Pilch English
From Middle English pilch, a metonymic occupational name for a maker or seller of pilches or a nickname for a habitual wearer of these. A pilch (from Late Latin pellicia, a derivative of pellis "skin, hide") was a kind of coarse leather garment with the hair or fur still on it.

Pilcher English
Occupational name for a maker or seller of pilches, from an agent derivative of Pilch. In early 17th-century English, pilcher was a popular term of abuse, being confused or punningly associated with the unrelated verb pilch "to steal" and with the unrelated noun pilchard, a kind of fish.

Pimenta Portuguese
Means "pepper" in Portuguese, used as an occupational name for someone who grew or sold peppers.

Pimentel Portuguese, Spanish
Derived from Portuguese pimenta meaning "pepper", used as an occupational name for someone who grew or sold peppers.

Pin Dutch
From Middle Dutch pinne meaning "peg, pin", probably an occupational name for a craftsman who used them in his work.

Pinch English
Nickname for a chirpy person, from Middle English pinch, pink ‘(chaf)finch’. Compare Finch. possibly a metonymic occupational name from Middle English pinche ‘pleated fabric’, from Middle English pinche(n) ‘to pinch (pastry)’, ‘to pleat (fabric)’, ‘to crimp (hair, etc.)’, also ‘to cavil’, ‘to be niggardly’.

Pincock English
It is believed to be a variant of the surname Pink, which itself can have several origins, including being a nickname for someone with pink cheeks or a rosy complexion, or an occupational name for a dyer or someone who worked with pigment dyes.

Pingitore Italian, Sicilian
occupational name from pittore "painter".

Pink English, German
Nickname, possibly for a small person, from Middle English pink penkg ‘minnow’ (Old English pinc).English (southeastern): variant of Pinch .Variant spelling of German Pinck, an indirect occupational name for a blacksmith, an onomatopoeic word imitating the sound of hammering which was perceived as pink(e)pank... [more]

Pinn English, German
Derived from Middle English pin and Middle Low German pinne, both meaning "peg" or "pin". This was an occupational name from a maker of these things. The German name can in some cases be an occupational name for a shoemaker.

Pintor Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, Galician, Sardinian
occupational name for a painter from pintor "painter".

Piquet French
Occupational name for someone who dealt with picks from a diminutive of pic ''pick, pickax''.

Piscopo Italian, Neapolitan
Means "bishop" in Neapolitan, ultimately derived from Ancient Greek ἐπίσκοπος (episkopos) "overseer, supervisor, bishop" or "watcher, guardian"... [more]

Pistario English (American, Rare)
Uncertain etymology, possibly an altered spelling of an Italian or Spanish surname derived from Latin pisto "to pound, to beat", perhaps as an occupational name for a baker.

Pitcher English, German
From an agent derivative of Middle English pich ‘pitch’, hence an occupational name for a caulker, one who sealed the seams of ships or barrels with pitch. English variant of Pickard... [more]

Plant English
An occupational surname for a gardener.

Plate German, Dutch
metonymic occupational name for a maker of plate armor from Middle High German blate plate Middle Dutch plate "plate armor plating".

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-).

Plum English, German
From Old Germanic *plūmā "plum", used as a topographic name for someone who lived by a plum tree, a metonymic occupational name for someone who grew or sold plums, or perhaps a nickname referring to a plum-coloured birthmark.

Plum English
From Old French plomb "lead (metal)", a metonymic occupational name for a plumber, or someone who dealt in lead.

Pluma Spanish
From Spanish meaning "plume, feather". Occupational name for a scribe.

Plumer German, English, Dutch
North German (Plümer) and English: variant of Plum, the suffix -er denoting habitation or occupation. Altered form of South German Pflümer, an occupational name for a grower or seller of plums, from an agent derivative of Middle High German pflume ‘plum’... [more]

Plumier French, Belgian
Possibly an occupational name for a dealer in feathers and quills, from an agent derivative of Old French plume "feather, plume" (compare English and Dutch Plumer)... [more]

Plummer English
1. Occupational name for a worker in lead, especially a maker of lead pipes and conduits, from Anglo-Norman French plom(m)er, plum(m)er ‘plumber’, from plom(b), plum(b) ‘lead’ (Latin plumbum)... [more]

Plunket English
Either an occupational name for someone who sold plunket, a "coarse white woollen cloth", or a location in France with the name Planquette or Planquenet.

Poland English, German, French (Anglicized), Irish (Anglicized)
English and German name is derived from the Middle High German Polan, which means "Poland". The surname originally signified a person with Polish connections.This French surname originated from an occupational name of a poultry breeder, or from a fearful person; it is derived from the Old French poule, which means "chicken".In other cases, particularly in Ireland, the English Poland is a variant of Polin,which is in turn an Anglicised form of the original Gaelic spelling of Mac Póilín, which translated from Irish means "son of little Paul"... [more]

Pomante Italian
An occupational name for someone who farms or sells fruit, from Italian pomo "apple", descended from Latin pomum "fruit, fruit tree".

Pomerantz German
Occupational name for an importer or seller of bitter (Seville) oranges, Middle High German pomeranz (medieval Latin pomarancia, composed of the elements arancia, the name imported with the fruit.

Poortman Dutch
Occupational name for a gatekeeper or topographic name for someone who lived near the gates of a fortified town, from Dutch poort "gate" and man "man, person".

Pootsmann Estonian
Possibly an altered form of German Bootsmann, an occupational name meaning "boatswain, bosun". Compare Frisian Bootsma.

Poroshenko Ukrainian
From Ukrainian порох (porokh) meaning "(gun)powder, dust", used as an occupational name for someone who made or sold gunpowder. A notable bearer is the former Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko (1965-).

Porteous Scottish
A topographic surname for someone who lived in the lodge at the entrance to a manor house, derived from Middle English port, meaning "gateway" or "entrance", and hous meaning "house". It can also be an occupational name with similar meaning, derived from Latin portarius meaning "porter"... [more]

Portera Italian
Occupational name for a female servant, from Spanish portera.

Portier French
occupational name for the gatekeeper of a walled town or city, or the doorkeeper of a great house, Old French portier (from Late Latin portarius)... [more]

Portmann German
Occupational name for a gatekeeper, derived from Middle Low German port(e) meaning "gate" and man, or a topographic name for someone who lived near the gates of a fortified town.

Portnoy Jewish, Belarusian, Ukrainian
Occupational name for a tailor from Russian portnoj (an adjective derivative of port "uncut cloth").

Postma West Frisian, Dutch
West Frisian variant of the Dutch and North German surname Posthumus, given to a child born after their father’s death. It could also be a variant of the habitational name Post or an occupational name for a mailman or guard, using the Frisian suffix -ma.

Pot Dutch
From Middle Dutch pot "pot, jar", an occupational name for a potter, or perhaps a toponymic surname referring to a low-lying piece of land.

Potier French
An occupational name for a maker of drinking and storage vessels, from potier "potter", an agent derivative of Old French pot "drinking vessel"... [more]

Pounds English
From the Old English word "pund," which has two primary occupational meanings relevant to the surname's etymology. The first is a reference to someone who lived near or worked at a "pound," which was a public enclosure for stray or dis-trained livestock... [more]

Preece Welsh (Anglicized), English
Variant of Price. From Welsh ap Rhys meaning "son of Rhys". ... [more]

Presser Jewish (Ashkenazi)
An occupational surname used to describe someone who ironed clothes. Derived from the Yiddish pres meaning "flat iron".

Prieur French
from prieur Old French prior "prior" a monastic official immediately subordinate to an abbot (from Latin prior "superior") hence an occupational name for a servant of a prior or an ironic nickname... [more]

Prior English
Occupational surname for a prior (a high-ranking official in a monastery), ultimately from Latin prior meaning "superior, first".

Priore Italian
from Italian priore "prior" either a nickname or occupational name which probably most often originated as a metonymic occupational name for a servant of a prior or some important lay dignitary... [more]

Proctor English
Occupational name for a legal practitioner in an ecclesiastical court or a person appointed to collect alms for those who could not go out to beg for themselves (i.e., lepers and the bedridden), from Middle English proctour "steward", ultimately a contracted form derived from Latin procurator "agent, manager"... [more]

Prowze Anglo-Norman
An Anglo-Norman occupational surname used for soldiers or a nickname for someone bold that is derived from the pre-10th-century Old French proz or prouz, meaning "proud" or "brave". It could also be a variant of the surname Prue... [more]

Prudhomme French, English
From Old French preudomme "noble man, valiant man, hero", denoting a brave person or an occupational name for a magistrate.

Puckett English
Of uncertain origin; perhaps a variant of Pocket(t), from a diminutive of Anglo-Norman French poque "small pouch", hence a metonymic occupational name for a maker of purses and pouches or a nickname... [more]

Puķe Latvian
Derived from Latvian puķe "flower". Occupational surname for a person who sells flowers.

Puleo Sicilian
Derived from Sicilian pule(i)o (from Latin pulegium) "pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium)", an herb in the mint family historically used in medicine and as a flea repellent. Possibly a metonymic occupational name for an herbalist.

Pullman German
Variant of Puhlmann, itself a variant of Puhl.... [more]

Punzalan Filipino, Tagalog, Pampangan
Possibly an occupational name for a maker of fences or a nickname derived from Spanish punzar meaning "to punch, to sting".

Puškár Slovak, Czech
Occupational name for a rifle maker.

Pyle English
From the Middle English word pile, meaning "stake" or "post", which is derived via Old English from Latin pilum, meaning "spike" or "javelin". This was a topographic name for someone who lived near a stake or post serving as a landmark, a metonymic occupational name for a stake maker, or a nickname for a tall, strong man.

Pyle Dutch (Americanized)
Americanized form of Dutch Pijl, a metonymic occupational name for a marksman or an arrowsmith, derived from pijl meaning "arrow".

Quarry English
From Middle English quarey "quarry", a topographic name for someone who lived near a stone quarry, or a metonymic occupational name for someone who worked in one. ... [more]

Quast German
habitational name from any of several places so named in northern Germany. metonymic occupational name for a barber or nickname for someone who wore a conspicuous tassel or feather, from Middle Low German, Middle High German quast(e) "tuft", "tassel", "brush", also "fool".

Questel French, Medieval French (?)
The surname Questel was first found in Normandy. Currently, Questel is the most commonly occurring last name in Saint-Barthélemy, a French island in the Caribbean Sea.... [more]

Raad Dutch
Metonymic occupational name for an adviser, counselor, or member of a town council, from raad "advice, counsel", or derived from a given name containing the element (see rēdaz).

Raat Dutch
From Middle Dutch raet "advice, counsel". Could be an occupational name for a member of a council, or a short form of names containing rēdaz, such as Radulf... [more]

Rabiot French
Occupational name for a radish merchant.

Racine French
Means "(tree) root" in French, used as an occupational name for a grower or seller of root vegetables or as a nickname for a stubborn person.

Racioppi Italian, Sicilian
Derived from Sicilian racioppu meaning "cluster of grapes", hence presumably a metonymic occupational name for someone who sold or produced grapes.

Radler German
Occupational name, which was derived from the kind of work done by the original bearer. It is a name for a wheelmaker or wheelwright. The name stems from the German noun rat, meaning wheel. The origin is more clear in the variant Rademacher

Raia Italian, Sicilian
Either a topographic name from Sicilian raia ‘smilax’ (a climbing shrub), or else derived from Sicilian raja meaning ‘ray’, or ‘skate’ (the fish), presumably a nickname for someone thought to resemble the fish or a metonymic occupational name for a fisherman or fish seller.

Raisch German, German (Swiss)
From Middle High German rīsch, rūsch ‘reed’, ‘rush’, hence a topographic name for someone who lived near a reed bed, or perhaps a metonymic occupational name for someone who used or harvested reeds... [more]

Raiter German
Occupational name for a taxman or accountant, from an agent derivative of Middle High German reiten ‘to reckon’, ‘to calculate’.

Rak Polish, Czech, Slovak, Slovene, Hungarian, Jewish
Polish, Czech, Slovak, Slovenian, Hungarian (Rák), and Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic): from Slavic rak ‘crab’, ‘lobster’, or ‘crayfish’. This was applied as an occupational name for someone who caught and sold crayfish, crabs, or lobsters, or as a nickname to someone thought to resemble such a creature... [more]

Range German, French
German: nickname for a ragamuffin, from Middle High German range ‘naughty boy’, ‘urchin’.... [more]

Ranger English, German, French
English: occupational name for a gamekeeper or warden, from Middle English ranger, an agent derivative of range(n) ‘to arrange or dispose’.... [more]

Rather German, Jewish
1. Occupational name for a counsellor or nickname for a wise person, from Middle High German rater ‘adviser’. ... [more]

Rathgeber German
From Middle High German ratgebe or Middle Low German ratgever "giver of advice, counselor", an occupational name for an adviser or wise man.

Rauch German
Perhaps an occupational nickname for a blacksmith or charcoal burner, from Middle High German rouch, German Rauch ‘smoke’, or, in the case of the German name, a status name or nickname relating to a hearth tax (i.e. a tax that was calculated according to the number of fireplaces in each individual home).

Ravenel English, French
Habitational name from Ravenel in Oise or a metonymic occupational name for a grower or seller of horseradish, from a diminutive of Old French ravene ‘horseradish’ (Latin raphanus)... [more]

Réal French
This can derive from several different sources: southern French réal "royal", a word which was applied to someone either as a nickname (presumably given to people perceived as being regal) or as an occupational name (given to a person in the service of the king); or the French place name Réal, in which case this is a habitational name taken from any of various places which were named for having been part of a royal domain (also compare Reau, Reaux).

Real Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, Galician
Either a habitational name from any of numerous places called Real; those in Galicia (Spain) and Portugal being named from real "royal" or as variant of Rial while those in southern Spain and Catalonia are named in part from real meaning "encampment rural property" (Arabic raḥāl "farmhouse cabin")... [more]

Reale Italian
Means "royal" in Italian, either an occupational name for someone in the service of a king or a nickname for someone who behaved in a regal manner.

Reaper Scottish
Occupational name for a harvester.

Rechner German
Occupational name from Middle High German rechenære "reckoner keeper of accounts".

Recknagel German
from Middle High German recken "to raise or lift" (here in the imperative) and nagel "nail" hence a metonymic occupational name for a blacksmith or perhaps an obscene nickname (with a transferred sense for nagel i.e. ‘penis’).

Redner German
German: possibly a variant of Redmer, or an occupational name for a spokesman, Middle High German rednære.

Regel German
from Middle High German regel "(monastic) rule" (from Latin regula), perhaps a metonymic occupational name for someone who worked in a monastery.

Régis French
Occupational name for a local dignitary, from a derivative of Old French régir "to rule or manage".

Rehder German
Occupational name, which was derived from the kind of work done by the original bearer. It is a name for a wheelmaker or wheelwright.

Reiser German, Upper German
Habitational name for someone from Reis or Reissen in Bavaria (see Reis). An occupational name from Middle High German reisære ‘warrior’, ‘traveler’... [more]

Reisner German
A habitational name for someone from a place called Reisen (for example in Bavaria), Reissen in Thuringia, or Reussen on the Saale river. A variant of Reiser Also from an agent derivative of Middle High German, Middle Low German rise ‘veil’; perhaps an occupational name for someone who made veils.

Reisser Upper German
An occupational name for a woodcutter, Middle High German risser.

Reller German (Swiss)
Occupational name for a miller, derived from the Swiss German dialect term relle meaning "grist mill".

Reshetnikov Russian
Occupational name for a maker of sieves or gratings, derived from Russian решетник (reshetnik) meaning "sheathing, grate, sieve".

Reuss German
Occupational name for a cobbler, from Middle High German riuze.

Reusser Swiss, German, Upper German
In Switzerland, an occupational name for a fisherman or maker of fish traps, from an agent derivative of Middle High German riuse "fish trap, weir basket". A nickname from an agent noun based on Middle High German riusen "to moan or complain"... [more]

Reznikov Russian, Jewish
Occupational name for a Jewish ritual slaughterer, from Yiddish reznik meaning "butcher".

Ribić Croatian
Occupational surname for a fisherman.

Riegel German
From Middle High German rigel "bar, crossbeam, mountain incline", hence a topographic name or a habitational name from any of numerous places named with this word in Baden, Brandenburg, and Silesia; in some instances it may have been a metonymic occupational name for a maker of crossbars, locks, etc.

Rind German
Probably a metonymic occupational name for a cattle dealer or butcher, from Middle High German rint meaning "cow".

Ringer English
From the Norman name Reinger or Rainger derived from the Germanic elements ragin meaning "advice, counsel" and ger meaning "spear"... [more]

Rivet French, English
French: from a diminutive of Old French rive ‘(river) bank’, ‘shore’ (see Rives).... [more]

Rivett English
Occupational name for someone who worked with rivets, derived from Old French rivet "rivet, fastener".

Roll Upper German, German, English
German: from Middle High German rolle, rulle ‘roll’, ‘list’, possibly applied as a metonymic occupational name for a scribe.... [more]

Roos Estonian, Swedish, Danish, Dutch, German (Swiss), Low German
Means "rose" in Estonian and Dutch. Swedish and Danish variant of Ros, also meaning "rose". This could be a locational name for someone living near roses, an occupational name for someone who grew roses, or a nickname for someone with reddish skin.

Rooster Dutch (Rare)
Possibly related to German Rüster, an occupational name for an arms dealer.

Roper English
English: occupational name for a maker or seller of rope, from an agent derivative of Old English rāp ‘rope’. See also Roop.

Ros Dutch
Could be an occupational name for a horse breeder or trader derived from Middle Dutch ros "horse, steed" (see hros), or a nickname for someone with red hair or ruddy skin derived from Dutch ros "reddish; red-haired, ginger".

Rost German
A metonymic occupational name for a limeburner or blacksmith, from Middle High German, Middle Low German rōst meaning ‘grate, grill’ or Middle High German rōst(e) meaning ‘fire, embers, pyre, grate’ (typically one for burning lime).

Rothman German, Jewish
German (Rothmann) and Jewish (Ashkenazic): nickname for a person with red hair, from an elaborated form of Roth 1. ... [more]

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]

Rozman Jewish
Variant of Rosman. Slovenian (also Rožman): occupational name for a carter or a horse breeder or dealer, from Middle High German ros 'horse' + man 'man'. Compare German Rossmann.

Rubin French, German, Slovene, Croatian, Czech, Slovak
Metonymic occupational name for a jeweler, from Middle High German rubn Old French rubi Slovenian and Croatian rubin Czech and Slovak rubín "ruby"... [more]

Rude Norwegian, German
German: From a pet form of a personal name formed with Old High German hrōd "fame", for example Rudolf or Rüdiger... [more]

Ruderer German
Occupational name meaning "Rower" in German.

Rumfelt German, Dutch
Altered spelling of German Romfeld, derived from Middle Low German rüm- meaning "to clear (land)" and feld meaning "open country, field", hence a topographic name or possibly a metonymic occupational name for a person engaged in clearing woodland, or in some cases a habitational name for someone from Romfelt in the Ardennes... [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]

Rusher German (Americanized)
Americanized version of the German surname Rüscher or Roshcer. Either a topographic name for someone who lived among rushes or an occupational name for someone who created things out of rushes.

Rüster German
Means "elm (tree)" in German. Could alternatively derive from rüsten to "to equip, to arm", an occupational name for someone who provided weapons to an army.

Ryals English
English occupational surname.

Rybalkin Russian
Occupational name for a fisherman.

Rybalko Russian, Ukrainian
Occupational name for a fisherman.

Rybolovlev Russian
Russian occupational surname of "Fisher"

Rybski Polish
Occupational name for a fisherman.

Rybskyi Ukrainian
Occupational name for a fisherman.

Rymer English
Occupational name for a poet.

Rzepka Polish
from rzepka, diminutive of rzepa ‘turnip’, either a nickname or a metonymic occupational name for a peasant who grew root vegetables.

Saccardo Italian
Occupational name for someone who transported or guarded supplies for an army, ultimately derived from sacco "sack, bag" and the suffix -ardo, literally translating as "sacker". Has the transferred meaning of "looter, robber".

Sackhoff German
Occupational name for a farmer who cultivated land to grow plants, particularly crops, derived from Middle High German sack meaning "sack, end of a valley, area of cultivation" and hof meaning "farmstead, manor, farm"... [more]

Sackmann German
Occupational name from Middle High German sacman meaning "baggage servant", one who was in charge of transporting and looking after a knight’s baggage and supplies on campaign.

Saco Italian
There are several possible derivations for the Saco surname: the Saco name evolved from an old Tuscan personal name, Saccus; it came from the word "sacco" meaning "a sack," and was an occupational name for a maker of sacks or bags; it was a habitational name taken on from the place named Sacco in Salerno province.

Sadile English
1 English (mostly Lancashire): probably a variant of Sale .... [more]

Saenger German, Jewish
Occupational name for a chorister or a nickname for someone who liked singing, from Middle High German senger, German Sänger meaning "singer".

Saitta Sicilian, Italian
Means "arrow" or "lightning bolt" in Sicilian, from Latin sagitta via sajitta. Probably a nickname for a quick or fast-footed person, though it may have also been a metonymic occupational name for a fletcher.