Submitted Surnames with "occupational" in Description

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.

Napier Scottish, English
Scottish occupational name for a producer or seller of table linen or for a naperer, the servant in charge of the linen in use in a great house from the Middle English, Old French nap(p)ier, an agent derivative of Old French nappe ‘table cloth’ (Latin mappa)... [more]

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'

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.

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.

Orchard English, Scottish
English: topographic name for someone who lived by an orchard, or a metonymic occupational name for a fruit grower, from Middle English orchard.... [more]

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
Occupational name for someone who gathered or used straw, derived from the Italian word paglia "straw".

Painter English, Medieval French, German
English: from Middle English, Old French peinto(u)r, oblique case of peintre ‘painter’, hence an occupational name for a painter (normally of colored glass). In the Middle Ages the walls of both great and minor churches were covered with painted decorations, and Reaney and Wilson note that in 1308 Hugh le Peyntour and Peter the Pavier were employed ‘making and painting the pavement’ at St... [more]

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.

Palfreyman English
Occupational name for a man responsible for the maintenance and provision of saddle-horses.

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
metonymic occupational name for a baker, from Latin panarium ‘bread basket’.

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
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).

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.

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 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.

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

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.

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).

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
From a reduced form of episcopo "bishop" (Greek episkopos "bishop", literally "overseer"), hence a metonymic occupational name for someone in the service of a bishop, or perhaps a nickname for a pompous person.

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]

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

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 from Middle English prok(e)tour "steward" (reduced from Old French procurateour, Latin procurator "agent", from procurare "to manage"). The term was used most commonly of an attorney in a spiritual court, but also of other officials such as collectors of taxes and agents licensed to collect alms on behalf of lepers and enclosed orders of monks.

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]

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.

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
From reale "royal", 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, French
English (East Anglia): metonymic occupational name for a metalworker, from Middle English, Old French rivet ‘small nail or bolt’ (from Old French river ‘to fix or secure’, of unknown origin).... [more]

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.

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".

Sajin French
1 French: metonymic occupational name for a satin merchant or specialist satin weaver, from Middle French satin ‘satin’, a word of Arabic and (ultimately) Chinese origin, a derivative of the Chinese place name Tsinkiang, whence satin silk was brought to the Middle East and Europe in the Middle Ages.... [more]

Saka Turkish
Either an occupational name for a seller or deliverer of water or a nickname meaning "goldfinch".

Saker English
Occupational name for a maker of sacks or bags, derived from an agent derivative of Old English sacc meaning "sack, bag".

Sale English, French
English: from Middle English sale ‘hall’, a topographic name for someone living at a hall or manor house, or a metonymic occupational name for someone employed at a hall or manor house. ... [more]

Salter English
Occupational name for an extractor or seller of salt (a precious commodity in medieval times), from Middle English salt 'salt' + the agent suffix -er.

Salzmann German, Jewish
Occupational name for a producer or seller of salt, from German salz "salt" + mann "man".

Samet German, Jewish, Yiddish
German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) metonymic occupational name for a maker or seller of velvet, from Yiddish samet ‘velvet’ (German Samt, ultimately from Greek hexamiton, a compound of hex ‘six’ + mitos ‘thread’).

Sandler English
Norman origin. Habitational name from Saint-Hilaire-du-Harcouët in La Manche, which gets its name from the dedication of its church to St. Hilary, or alternatively from either of the places, in La Manche and Somme, called Saint-Lô... [more]

Sarda Italian
From the feminine form of Sardo or from sarda "large sardine" either a nickname or occupational name for selling sardines.

Sardella Italian
From sardella "sardine" used as either an occupational name for a fisher or seller of sardines or a nickname for a thin person.

Sarver English, Jewish
English and Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic) occupational name from Old French serveur (an agent derivative of server ‘to serve’), Yiddish sarver ‘servant’.

Sattler German
An occupational name meaning "saddle maker".

Sauerwein German
Occupational nickname for someone who sold sour wine, or perhaps a nickname for someone with a sour disposition, from Middle High German sur "sour" + win "wine", i.e. vinegar.

Šaulis Lithuanian
Occupational name from Lithuanian šaulys meaning "rifleman".

Sax English
From Middle English sax meaning "knife", an occupational name for a knife maker, or perhaps a nickname for someone skilled with a knife.

Sayer English
Occupational name for a professional reciter or minstrel, derived from Middle English seier "speaker".

Scaloni Italian
Likely derived from Italian scala meaning "ladder, stairs". It may have originated as a occupational name for someone who built or worked with ladders.

Scanavacca Italian
Possibly an occupational name for a butcher, from scannare "to slaughter, to cut the throat of" and vacca "cow".

Scannapieco Italian
Occupational name for a butcher, from scannare "to slaughter, to cut the throat of" and piecuro "sheep, lamb".

Scarlato Italian
Occupational name for a dyer, or as a nickname for someone who habitually wore scarlet or who had bright red hair, From Sicilian scarlatu "scarlet".

Schaaf German
Metonymic occupational name for a shepherd, from Middle High German schāf ‘sheep’. In some cases it may have been a nickname for someone thought to resemble a sheep, or a habitational name for someone living at a house distinguished by the sign of a sheep... [more]

Schaal German, Dutch, French, Jewish
Either a nickname for a braggart or a market crier, (derived from Middle High German schal meaning "noise, bragging"), an occupational name for someone who made dishes for scales and vessels for drinking, (from Middle Low German and Dutch schale "dish"), a habitational name from Schaala in Thuringia or the Schaalsee lake near Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, or a topographic name for someone living on marshy land, (from Dutch schald "shallow")... [more]

Schaap Dutch
Means "sheep" in Dutch, an occupational name for a shepherd. Alternatively, it could be a nickname for someone who looked or behaved like a sheep in some way, or who lived by a sign depicting a sheep.

Schacht German, Flemish
From Middle Low German and Middle Dutch schacht "shaft; pole, tunnel", a metonymic occupational name for someone who made shafts for tools or weapons, or who worked in a mineshaft.

Schäffler German
Occupational name for a cooper, from an agent derivative of Middle High German scheffel "bushel".

Schaffner German, Jewish, German (Swiss)
German: occupational name for a steward or bailiff, variant of Schaffer.

Schalk German, Dutch
From Old High German scalc "servant, retainer, jester", which eventually evolved to mean "joker, rogue, knave". Could be an occupational name for an attendant or jester, a nickname for someone mischievous, or derived from a given name containing scalc as an element, such as Godschalk.

Schatz German, Jewish
German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) metonymic occupational name for a treasurer, from German Schatz ‘treasure’, Middle High German scha(t)z. It may also have been a nickname for a rich man (or ironically for a miser), or else for a well-liked person or a ladies’ favorite, from the use of the vocabulary word as a term of endearment... [more]

Schauer German
The Schauer surname comes from the Middle High German word "schouwen" meaning "to inspect;" as such, the name is thought to have originally been occupational, for some kind of inspector, perhaps an official of a market.

Scheid German, Jewish
Either a topographic name for someone who lived near a boundary (between two valleys etc.) or crossroads Middle High German scheide, a habitational name from any of various places called Scheidt Scheiden... [more]

Schellekens Dutch
Patronymic form of Schelleken, a diminutive of given names derived from scalc "servant, knight", such as Schalk or Godschalk... [more]

Schenkel German, Dutch, Jewish
Means "leg, shank", an occupational name for a butcher or a nickname for someone with long or otherwise notable legs.

Schiffmann German
Occupational derived from the elements schiff "ship" and mann "man" meaning "shipman, German cognate of Shipman.

Schild German, Dutch
Occupational name for a maker or painter of shields, from Middle High German, Middle Dutch schilt "shield".

Schilder Dutch
Means "painter" in Dutch, derived from Middle Dutch schildere "shield painter" (from schilt "shield"), originally denoting someone who painted coats of arms on shields. An occupational name for someone who painted houses, shields, or anything else.

Schiltz German
German: variant of Schilz and, in North America.... [more]

Schirmacher German
occupational name for someone who makes harnesses and bridles for horses from Middle High German geschirre "harness" and macher "maker".

Schleiger German
Occupational name for a maker or seller of scarves and veils from Middle Low German sleiger sleier "(head)scarf".

Schlep German
Probably a nickname or occupational name for a laborer or carrier, especially in a mine, from Middle Low German slepen, Middle High German slepen 'to drag or carry (a load)' (modern German schleppen, schleifen).

Schlott German, Low German
Occupational name for a locksmith, from Middle Low German slot 'lock'.

Schmaltz German (Rare), German (Austrian, Rare)
Schmaltz is a German and Austrian surname. It was used as an occupational surname for chandlers.

Schmelzer German
occupational name for a smelter from an agent derivative of Middle High German smelzen German schmelzen "to smelt metal" or "make glass".

Schmidlkofer German, German (Austrian)
Occupational name for a farmer who was also a blacksmith, derived from a diminutive of Middle High German smit meaning "smith" and the suffix -kofer (a variant of -hofer).

Schmuck German, German (Austrian)
From Middle High German smuc meaning "jewel", "finery", hence a metonymic occupational name for a jeweler, or a nickname for someone who wore a prominent jewel or ornament.North German: nickname from Middle Low German smuck meaning "neat", "dainty".

Schoen Dutch
Means "shoe" in Dutch, an occupational name for a shoemaker.

Schönrock German
Either a metonymic occupational name for a baker from Middle High German schœn "fine" (see Schoen ) and rogge "rye"... [more]

Schottler German
Occupational name for a wood turner, Middle Low German scoteler (an agent derivative of scotel ‘wooden bowl’).

Schreiner German
Occupational surname for a joiner (maker of wooden furniture), ultimately from Middle High German schrīnære.

Schroot Dutch
Possibly an altered form of des Groot via Sgroot, meaning "son of the Groot", itself a byname meaning "great, large". Alternatively, it could be related to schroot "scrap (metal)" or the older scrode "to cut", an occupational name for someone who worked with metal, or perhaps a tailor.

Schuh German, Jewish
Occupational name for a maker or repairer of shoes, derived from Middle High German schuoch meaning "shoe". In some cases, it may have denoted a person to a house distinguished by the sign of a shoe.

Schuknecht German
Occupational name for a shoemaker’s assistant, from Middle High German schuoch meaning "shoe" + knecht meaning "journeyman", "assistant".

Schuler Jewish
Occupational name for a Talmudic scholar or the sexton of a synagogue, from an agent derivative of Yiddish shul "synagogue".

Schuman German
From the old german scuoh "shoe" and man "man", an occupational name for a shoe maker

Schut Jewish
Occupational name from East Slavic šut "jester, fool".

Schütte German
From schutter "marksman, shooter", an occupational name for an archer. Compare Schutz.

Schutte Dutch, Low German, South African
Variant of (Schütte), an occupational name for an archer.

Schutz German
Occupational surname for an archer or a watchman, from Middle High German schützen "to guard, protect". Also a habitational name from Schutz, a place near Trier, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.

Schwein German
Metonymic occupational name for a swineherd from Middle High German swīn "hog".

Schweinhardt German
an occupational or nickname having to do with pigs

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]

Schwerdtfeger German
occupational name for an armorer or specifically for a servant whose job was to polish swords Middle High German Middle Low German swertfeger (from swert "sword" and an agent derivative of fegen "to polish or clean").

Schwertner German
Either a habitational name for someone from Schwerta in Silesia or an occupational name for a sword maker.

Schwimer German, Jewish
Occupational name meaning "swimmer" in German. As a Jewish name, it may be ornamental.

Schwing German
Occupational name for someone whose job was to swingle flax, i.e. to beat the flax with a swingle in order to remove the woody parts of the plant prior to spinning, from Middle German swingen meaning "to swing" or swing meaning "swingle".

Sciortino Italian
Occupational name from a diminutive of sciorta, sciurta "city guard, watchman, policeman" (Arabic ̣shuṛtī).

Seal English
Variant of Seals, perhaps an occupational name for a person who makes saddles.

Seel German
Occupational name for a person who makes or sells ropes.

Seid Jewish
Metonymic occupational name from German Seide and Yiddish zayd "silk"

Seide German, Jewish
German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): from Middle High German side, German Seide ‘silk’ (from Late Latin seta, originally denoting animal hair), hence a metonymic occupational name for a manufacturer or seller of silk.

Seif German, Jewish
Metonymic occupational name for a soap maker, from Middle High German seife, German Seife 'soap'.

Seiler German
German and Jewish occupational surname for a rope maker.

Seim Upper German
German: metonymic occupational name for a beekeeper, from Middle High German seim ‘honey’.

Sellmeyer German
Occupational name for the steward of a hall or manor house from Middle High German sal "hall residence" and meier "steward" (see Meyer 1).

Sethi Indian, Odia, Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu
Occupational name for a merchant from Sanskrit श्रेष्ठ (shreshtha) meaning "best, chief, most excellent".

Sevier English
Occupational name for a sieve-maker, Middle English siviere (from an agent derivative of Old English sife "sieve").

Seydoux French, French (Swiss), Occitan
Derived from the Germanic names Sedulius, Sedulfus or Segedolfus. Another theory suggests Occitan roots; it might be an occupational name for someone who worked with silk, derived from Occitan sedós meaning "silky, soft"... [more]

Seynaeve Flemish
Either derived from Old French chenave "hemp", an occupational name for a hemp farmer, or a cognate of German Senft "mustard".

Sferrazza Italian
Occupational name for a scrap-metal merchant, from a derivative of Sferro in the sense ‘old and broken iron’. Habitational name from the district of Paternò in Catania, Sicily.

Shaffner German, German (Swiss)
Americanized version of German occupational name for a steward or bailiff, variant of Schaffner and Schaffer.... [more]

Shaulis Lithuanian
Occupational name from Lithuanian šaulys ‘rifleman’.

Sheriff English, Scottish
Occupational name for a sheriff, derived from Middle English schiref, shreeve, shryve literally meaning "sheriff", or from Old English scir meaning "shire, administrative district" and (ge)refa meaning "reeve"... [more]

Shield English
Metonymic occupational name for an armorer, from Middle English scheld "shield" (Old English scild, sceld).

Shingler English
An occupational name for someone who laid wooden tiles, or shingles on roofs, from an agent derivative of Middle English schingle ‘shingle’. ... [more]

Shinn English
Metonymic occupational name for a Skinner, from Old English scinn, Middle English shin ‘hide’, ‘pelt’. In Middle English this word was replaced by the Norse equivalent, skinn.

Ship English
This unusual name is of Anglo-Saxon origin and is an occupational surname for "a mariner", or perhaps, occasionally a "ship or boat-builder". The derivation of the name is from the Olde English pre 7th Century scip, ship, in Middle English schip

Shipman English
Occupational name for a mariner, or occasionally perhaps for a boatbuilder, from Middle English "schipman". One notable person is known evildoer Harold Shipman. He was an English general practitioner who is believed to be one of the most prolific serial killers in modern history.

Shipper German, Jewish, English
German and Jewish Cognate and English variant of Schipper. occupational name from Middle English shippere "shipman sailor seaman" (Old English scipere) perhaps also with the sense "skipper" (Middle Low German schipper).

Shipwright English
Occupational name for a ship builder.

Shoesmith English
occupational name for a blacksmith who either specialized in shoeing horses (a farrier) or in making and fitting iron blades known as shoes such as the tips of spades and the plowshares on plow moldboards from Middle English sho "shoe" (Old English scoh) and smith "smith" (Old English smiþ).

Shootman Germanic
Uncertain origin, probably occupational, from German, Dutch, or English. If German, possible occupational surname for a cobbler, from Old German Schuchmann, lit. "shoe man". Similar origin if Dutch... [more]

Shroff Indian, Hindi, Gujarati, Arabic, Urdu, Indian (Parsi)
Originally an occupational name for a cashier, money changer or banker, derived from Gujarati સરાફ (saraf) meaning "bullion merchant", itself ultimately derived from Arabic صراف (sarraf) meaning "teller".

Sieber German
The roots of the German surname Sieber can be traced to the Old Germanic word "Siebmacher," meaning "sieve maker." The surname is occupational in origin, and was most likely originally borne by someone who held this position

Signore Italian
from the medieval personal name Signore (from Latin senior "senior elder" genitive senioris). from signore ‘lord’ hence a derisive nickname for a peasant who gave himself airs and graces or an occupational name for someone in the service of a great lord... [more]

Silber German, Jewish
From Middle High German silber, German Silber "silver"; a metonymic occupational name for a silversmith, or often, in the case of the Jewish surname, an ornamental name.

Silbernagel German
Occupational for a silversmith from middle high German silber "silver" and nagel "nail".

Siler English
Anglicized form of Seiler, an occupational name for a rope maker, from German Seil ‘rope’

Silk English, Irish
English: metonymic occupational name for a silk merchant, from Middle English selk(e), silk(e) ‘silk’. ... [more]

Silversmith English
Occupational name for a worker in silver.

Sintes Catalan
Occupational name for a person who sold ribbons, from Catalan cinta meaning "ribbon, strip". This surname is mainly found in the Balearic Islands.

Sirar Serbian, Bosnian
Occupational name for someone who makes or sells cheese.