EichenbergGerman Derived from Middle High German eih "oak" and berg "mountain hill" meaning "oak hill, oak mountain"; a topographic name for someone who lived on an oak-covered hillside or a habitational name from any of the places so named... [more]
EichhornGerman, Jewish, Belgian German topographic name for someone who lived on or near an oak-covered promontory, from Middle High German eich(e) ‘oak’ + horn ‘horn’, ‘promontory’. German from Middle High German eichhorn ‘squirrel’ (from Old High German eihhurno, a compound of eih ‘oak’ + urno, from the ancient Germanic and Indo-European name of the animal, which was later wrongly associated with hurno ‘horn’); probably a nickname for someone thought to resemble the animal, or alternatively a habitational name for someone who lived at a house distinguished by the sign of a squirrel... [more]
EichlerUpper German South German variant of Eich, the -ler suffix denoting association. "eager"
EidsnessNorwegian (Expatriate) From Old Norse eið "isthmus" and nes "headland". This was the name of a farmstead in Norway.
EigenGerman Either a status name from Middle High German aigen "unfree; serf" denoting (in the Middle Ages) someone with service obligations to a secular or ecclesiastical authority (also in Switzerland); or from eigen "inherited property" denoting a free landowner (without feudal obligations)... [more]
EimerGerman (Sudeten) Of uncertain meaning. A famous bearer of that surname was Norbert Eimer.
EinhornGerman, Jewish Derived from German Einhorn (Middle High German einhorn) "unicorn", denoting someone who lived at a house distinguished by the sign of a unicorn.
EirizPortuguese This indicates familial origin within the eponymous parish of the municipality of Paços de Ferreira.
EiseleGerman Either from a diminutive of any of the Germanic given names formed with the element isarn meaning "iron" (such as Isanhard) or from Isenlin, a nickname for a blacksmith, ironworker or dealer in iron, composed of Middle High German īsen "iron" and the diminutive suffix -līn.
EisenGerman, Jewish German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): metonymic occupational name for an ironworker or smith, or an ironmonger, from Middle High German isen ‘iron’, German Eisen. It may also have been used as a nickname, with reference to the strength and hardness of iron or to its color, while as a Jewish name it was also adopted as an ornamental name from modern German Eisen ‘iron’ or the Yiddish cognate ayzn.
EisenbergerGerman, Jewish Habitational name for someone from any of the several places called Eisenberg. As a Jewish name it is also an ornamental name.
EisenhauerGerman Occupational name meaning "iron cutter" where Eisen- means "iron" and -hauer means "hewer". The verb 'hew' being less well used in English than in earlier times, but still understood to mean cut, such as in hewing tree limbs... [more]
EisenhowerEnglish (American) American form of German Eisenhauer. A notable bearer was Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890-1969), president of the United States between 1953 and 1961. His ancestors immigrated to Pennsylvania from Germany in the 1740s and at some point the spelling changed from Eisenhauer to Eisenhower.
EisensteinGerman, Jewish topographic name for someone who lived by a place where iron ore was extracted or perhaps a habitational name from a place called for its iron works. Jewish artificial compound of German isarn "iron" and stein "stone".
EisnerGerman, Jewish Occupational name for an ironworker, smith, or ironmonger, from an agent derivative of Middle High German īsen and German Eisen, meaning ‘iron’ (see Eisen).
EjercitoSpanish (Philippines) From Spanish ejército meaning "army". A notable bearer was Joseph Ejercito Estrada (1937-), the 13th president of the Philippines.
EkernNorwegian (Rare) From Old Norse ekra "meadow, field". This was the name of a farmstead in Norway.
EkholmSwedish Composed of the elements ek "oak" and holm "islet"
EklandSwedish (Rare) Combination of Swedish ek "oak" and land "land". A famous bearer is Swedish actress Britt Ekland (b. 1942), but in her case, the name is a variant of Eklund.
EklöfSwedish Combination of Swedish ek "oak" and löf, an archaic spelling of löv, "leaf".
EkmanSwedish Combination of Swedish ek "oak" and man "man".
EkvallSwedish Composed of Swedish ek "oak" and vall "field, pasture".
ElamEnglish English habitational name for someone from a place called Elham, in Kent, or a lost place of this name in Crayford, Kent. The first is derived from Old English el ‘eel’ + ham ‘homestead’ or hamm ‘enclosure hemmed in by water’... [more]
ElenbaasDutch Reinterpretation of Elenbos or Elebaers (see Elbert), or from another Germanic personal name composed of the elements aljaz "other" or agil "point or edge (of a sword)" combined with berht "bright"... [more]
ElestialEnglish (British, Modern, Rare) First used as a surname in September 2000, first appearing on a birth certificate in July 2009. Meaning "protected by angels"; the origin is an adopted surname from a type of quartz crystal, often referred to as a new millennium crystal... [more]
ElexaldeBasque The name of several locations in Biscay, Spain, derived from Basque elexa "church" (variant of eliza) and -alde "near, by; side". Compare Elizalde.
ElfmanJewish (Ashkenazi), German May be an Americanized form of German Elfmann. This is both a habitational name for someone from a place called Elvede or Elbe and a short form of an ancient Germanic personal name composed of the elements alf ‘ghost’ + man ‘man’... [more]
ElfordMedieval English From the Old English personal name Ella, from the word oelf meaning "elf" or from the Old English alor/elre, meaning "alder tree." The name in full would mean "alder tree by a ford" or "Ella who lives by a ford".... [more]
ElfvingSwedish Possibly a combination of an obsolete spelling of Swedish älv "river" and the suffix -ing (ultimately from Proto-Germanic -ingaz) meaning "coming from, belonging to, descending from"... [more]
ElgetaBasque (Rare) From the name of a town in Gipuzkoa, Basque Country, derived from Basque elge "cultivated land, field" and the suffix -eta "place of, abundance of".
ElgezabalBasque From the name of a neighborhood in the municipality of Zornotza, Spain, derived from Basque elge "field, cultivated land" and zabal "wide, broad, open".
ElizagaBasque It indicates familial origin within the eponymous hamlet in the commune of Sarrikotapea.
ElizaldeBasque, Spanish From Basque eleiza meaning "church" combined with the suffix -alde "by". This could be either a habitational name for a person who was from the town of Elizalde in Gipuzkoa, Basque Country, or a topographic name for someone living near a church.
ElkingtonEnglish According to Wikipedia Elkington is a deserted medieval village and civil parish in the West Northamptonshire in England. The villages name means "Elta's hill" or perhaps, less likely, "swan hill".... [more]
EllMedieval This name derives from the Medieval given name Elis first recorded in the 1220 Pipe Rolls of Middlesex "Elis de Adham". The ultimate origin of the name is the Hebrew, Elisha or Elijah (meaning "Jehovah is God")... [more]
EllenderGerman Respelling of German Elender, a nickname for a stranger or newcomer, from Middle High German ellende ‘strange’, ‘foreign’, or a habitational name for someone from any of twenty places named Elend, denoting a remote settlement, as for example in the Harz Mountains or in Carinthia, Austria.
EllermaaEstonian Ellermaa is an Estonian surname, most likely an Estoniazation of the German surname Ellermann.
EllermeyerGerman It is a combination of the German words “Eller,” which means “alder,” and “Meyer,” which means “steward” or farmer”. So, it is thought to refer to someone who was either a steward or farmer who lived near an alder grove.
EllerveeEstonian Ellervee is an Estonian surname meaning "Eller water", but of undetermined origin. Possibly from the German "Eller". Possibly a corruption of the surname "Ellerbee" or "Ellerby".
EllicotScottish The Ellicot family name was first used by descendants of the Pictish people of ancient Scotland. It is a name for someone who lived in Liddesdale and Teviotdale where the family has a long and distinguished history dating back to the early Middle Ages... [more]
EllinghamEnglish Habitational name from places so named in Hampshire, Northumbria, and Norfolk. The first of these is named from Old English Edlingaham ‘homestead (Old English ham) of the people of Edla’, a personal name derived from a short form of the various compound names with a first element ead ‘prosperity’, ‘fortune’; the others may have the same origin or incorporate the personal name Ella 1 (see Ellington).
EllingsonNorwegian The name Ellingson came from Norway and was spelled Ellingsen but then it was changed to fit with more common English spelling. Ellingson most likely came from the son of Elling but may have more meanings.
ElmendorfGerman Derived from a village with the same name in the district of Oldenburg, Lower Saxony, Germany.
ElmiEstonian Elmi is an Estonian surname, possibly derived from "helmikas" meaning "melick" (perennial grasses of the genus Melica, related to fescue).
ElorriagaBasque It indicates familial origin within either of 5 eponymous neighborhoods: the one in Gasteiz, the one in Deba, the one in Kortezubi, the one in Barakaldo, or the one in Lemoa.
El-qasesArabic It means "the narrative (which refers to the title of a chapter of the Quran)".
ElsegoodEnglish (British), English (Australian) Derived from an Old English given name, possibly *Ælfgod or *Æðelgod, in which the second element is god "god". (Another source gives the meaning "temple-god", presumably from ealh and god.)... [more]
ElsemereEnglish The surname Ellesmere was first found in Shropshire at Ellesmere, a market-town and parish, and the head of a union.
ElsevierDutch The name of a prominent Dutch publishing house of the 17th and 18th century, possibly derived from Old Hebrew הל ספר (hal safir) meaning "the book". Another suggested origin is Dutch hellevuur "hellfire" or helsche vier "four from hell", supposedly derived from a sign by the family’s house.
El-shafeiArabic It means "the intercessor (which refers to the Prophet of Islam, who will hopefully intercede on one's behalf before God on the day of judgement)".
ElsingGerman From a variant of the old personal name Elsung.
EltringhamEnglish Habitational name from a minor place called Eltringham in Northumberland, derived from a dative form of Old English given name Ælfhere and ham "home, estate, settlement".
ElwoodEnglish It's either from a place name in Gloucestershire, England called Ellwood that is derived from Old English ellern "elder tree" and wudu "wood", or a form of the Old English personal name Ælfweald, composed of the elements ælf "elf" and weald "rule".
ElzeaHebrew (Gallicized, Rare), American (South, Gallicized, Rare) The name means G-d’s help It is a French transition of the Hebrew name Eleazar applied to Jews that came to France by way of Egypt. Later it was carried over to the French Caribbean mainly St. Martinique which was the first major Jewish settlement in the Caribbean, but the name also spread to other Latin American Islands including Mexico... [more]
EmajõeEstonian Emajõe is an Estonian surname meaning "mother river" (a genitive form of "ema jõgi"). The Emajõgi is a 100km river flowing through Estonia.
EmamiPersian From Persian امام (emam) meaning "imam, leader", of Arabic origin.
EmerinGerman (Portuguese-style) Brazilian adaptation of the German surname Emmerich; altered for easier comprehension by the Portuguese-speaking population of Brazil.
EmeryEnglish, French, Norman English and French from a Germanic personal name, Emaurri, composed of the elements amja ‘busy’, ‘industrious’ + ric ‘power’... [more]
EmmenDutch The surname Emmen carries a legacy of wealth, power, and historical significance within the Netherlands, a name once whispered with admiration in the halls of influence and etched into the annals of Dutch aristocracy... [more]
EmsleyEnglish A name that came from a family that lived in Yorkshire, where they derived the family name from Helmsley. Probably of Old English origin Helm and ley or leah, which means "a clearing in the woods."
EncarnaciónSpanish Means "incarnation" in Spanish. This is given in reference to the Incarnation of Jesus in the womb of the Virgin Mary (see Encarnación).
EngenNorwegian From the name of several farms in Norway named with the singular definite form of Eng.
EnggaardDanish Combination of Danish eng "meadow" and gård "farm, estate".
EngineerIndian (Parsi) Parsi name literally meaning "engineer", referring to someone who made machines or engines. As the British rule of India demanded for all Parsees to adopt a surname, many used English vocabulary based on their occupation.
EnglandNorwegian (Rare) From the name of several farms in Norway, named with Old Norse eng "meadow" and land "land".
EnjolrasLiterature From a surname which was from Occitan enjeura meaning "to terrify". This was the name of a charismatic activist in Victor Hugo's novel 'Les Misérables' (1862).
EnnalsEnglish This unusual and interesting surname is of medieval English origin, and derives from either of two Anglo-Scandinavian male given names: Ingald or Ingulf. The former derives ultimately from the Old Norse "Ingialdr", having as its initial element the divine name "Ing", borne by a minor Norse god associated with fertility, and meaning "swelling, protuberance", with "gialdr", tribute; hence, "Ing's tribute"... [more]
EnnemuistEstonian Ennemuist is an Estonian surname derived from "ennemuiste" meaning "days of yore", and "ennemuistne" meaning "ancient".
EnoshimaJapanese From Japanese 江 (e) meaning "bay", ノ (no) which is a particle of possession, and 島 (shima) meaning "island". This can refer to the island in the Kanagawa prefecture.
EnsorEnglish Derived from Endesor, a village in Derbyshire, indicating a person who lived there. Endesor itself is Old English, coming from the genitive case of the first name Ēadin and ‘ofer’, meaning ‘sloping ridge’ (From ‘Dictionary of American Family Names’, 2nd edition, 2022).... [more]
EntwistleEnglish Habitational name for a person from the village of Entwistle in Lancashire, from Old English henn "hen" or ened "duck, coot" and twisel "fork, bifurcation".
EpaltzaBasque It indicates familial origin within the vicinity of the eponymous waterfall in the Navarrese municipality of Baztan.
EpemaFrisian "Son of Epa" or "Son of Eepa". The name was applied starting around 1620 C.E. to the descendants of Eepa, matriarch of a family of the "grytman" type of elected nobility who held political power in and around the town of Sneek/Snits... [more]
EpshteynGerman, Jewish This surname may be derived from a German town known as Eppstein in Hesse. Epp probably came from Gaulish apa which means water or river and stein translates into English as stone.
ErasSpanish From the medieval personal name Egas, probably of Visigothic origin. This surname is very rare in Spain; it is found mainly in Ecuador... [more]
ErasoBasque Habitational name of uncertain etymology, possibly derived from Basque iratze "fern" and the abundance suffix -so. Coincides with the Basque word meaning "attack, charge, assault".
ErbakanTurkish From Turkish er meaning "man, hero, brave" and bakan meaning "minister". A famous bearer of this name was Necmettin Erbakan (1926-2011), a Prime Minister of Turkey.
ErberJewish, German Meaning uncertain. Either a habitational name for someone living in a place named Erb or Erp, a name for a owner of a farm named Erbhof (derived from MIddle High German erbære "honorable, noble"), or derived from the given name Erpo.
EriksonEnglish, Swedish Means "son of Erik". This was famously used by Icelandic explorer Leif Erikson (Old Norse: Leifr Eiríksson).
EriksooEstonian Eriksoo is an Estonian surname meaning "Erik's swamp" in Estonian. However, it most likely derived from a corruption of the Swedish surname "Eriksson" that has been Estonianized.
ErkiletianAncient Armenian (Rare) Erkiletian is an ancient surname possibly derived from an ancient translation of “Achilles”. Family tradition holds that during the first century AD a businessman quarreled with his son because he wanted his son to work in their family business, but the son wanted to work as an artist instead, and after the argument the son ran away and to the town Erkilet, located in modern day Kayseri, Turkey... [more]
ErlanderSwedish Derived from the personal name Erland. A famous bearer was Swedish politician Tage Erlander (1901-1985), Prime Minister of Sweden between 1946 and 1969... [more]
ErmanGerman (Modern), French (Modern) Erman is a shortened French adaption of the Swiss-German surname Ermendinger, itself derived from the older surname Ermatinger, a name connected to the village of Ermatingen on the Swiss shore of Lake Constance, and came into existence during the early or middle 18th century when Jean-Georges Ermendinger (1710-1767), a Swiss fur trader from Geneva, married into a French speaking Huguenotte family... [more]
ErmatingerGerman (Swiss) The surname Ermatinger derives from the village of Ermatingen on the Swiss shore of Lake Constance. It simply means "from Ermatingen".... [more]
ErmendingerGerman The surname Ermendinger was derived from the older surname Ermatinger, a name connected to the village of Ermatingen on the Swiss shore of Lake Constance, and came into existence at some point during the early 17th or late 16th century when a branch of the Ermatinger family relocated from Schaffhausen, Switzerland, to Mulhouse, Alsace... [more]
ErratzurizBasque (Rare, Archaic) From the name of a farmhouse in Baztan, Navarre, derived from Basque erratz "broom (plant), Spanish broom" and zuri "white" with the toponymic suffix -iz.
ErrenteriaBasque Non-Castilianized form of the toponymic surname Rentería. Means "customs house, exchange" in Basque, itself in turn from Spanish rentaría.