MalatestaItalian Means "bad head" in Italian, a nickname for a stubborn or perhaps malicious person. It could have also indicated the bearer had a misshapen head. ... [more]
MalebrancheFrench (Rare) Means "bad branch" in French, denoting a person who is on the bad side of a family tree. It could also possibly be a variant of Malherbe. Nicolas Malebranche was a French Oratorian Catholic priest and rationalist philosopher.
MaleckiPolish Habitational name for someone from places called Malki in the voivodeships of Ostroleka and Torun.
MalefeijtDutch A variant spelling of Malefeyt. This is also actually an archaic spelling (as the sound written as -eijt will be always be written as -eit or -ijt in modern times), but it has (barely) managed to survive into modern times... [more]
MalefeytDutch (Archaic) Archaic Dutch surname that is now no longer in use (not in this exact spelling, that is): the spelling reflects the surname's origin from older times (as -eyt is an exclusively archaic spelling that has not survived into modern times like its counterparts -eit and -ijt did)... [more]
MalefijtDutch Modern form of Malefeyt, which is also the most common form of the surname. In The Netherlands, there were 24 bearers of the surname in 2007.
MalenkovRussian Patronymic derived from Russian маленький (malen'kiy) meaning "little, small". The Soviet leader Georgy Malenkov (1902-1988) was a notable bearer of this name.
MalewskiPolish Habitational name for someone from any of the places called Malewo in Masovian, Łódź, Pomeranian and Greater Poland voivodeships, or Malewice in Podlaskie Voivodeship. Both place names are named with the personal name Mal, a short form of Old Polish Małomir, based on Old Slavic malъ ‘small, little’.
MalfaitFrench Derived from French mal fait, which literally means "poorly done, badly done". In the context of the surname, it refers to the first bearer being "malformed" or "deformed" (as it was in the eyes of people from older times), which means that he either was physically disabled or able-bodied but with a physical trait that deviated from the norm.
MalfeytDutch, Flemish Generally a Dutch form (or "dutchization", if you will) of Malfait, with the spelling reflecting the surname's origin from older times (as -eyt is an exclusively archaic spelling that has not survived into modern times like its counterparts -eit and -ijt did)... [more]
MalinFrench, Flemish From the masculine given name Madalin, a short form of names composed of the Germanic element mahal "council, assembly, meeting" such as Madalbert.
MalkawiArabic (Arabized) The surname 'Malkawi' deprives from the town of Malka, a small village in Jordan bordering Syria.
MallahiPersian From Persian ملاح (mallah) meaning "sailor", ultimately of Arabic origin.
MallardEnglish Either (i) from the Old French male personal name Malhard, brought into England by the Normans but ultimately of Germanic origin and meaning literally "council-brave"; or (ii) from a medieval nickname for someone thought to resemble a male wild duck.
MallerGerman An occupational name given to a painter of stained glass.
MalletAnglo-Norman, Medieval English, French, Catalan Originated in Norman France and spread to England following the Norman conquest of 1066. The surname comes from the given name Malle, an Old English diminutive of Mary or from the given name Malo, a popular form of the name of Saint Maclovius, a 6th-century Welsh monk who the church of Saint Maclou in Rouen is named for.... [more]
MallettEnglish Possible origins Malet a medieval diminutive of Mal(le) being a pet form of and name Mary, could also be of Norman origin from the Old French personal name Malhard.
MallochScottish Reduced Anglicized form of Gaelic MacIain Mhalaich "son of Ian of the bushy eyebrows", which was the family name of the MacGregors of Balhaldie. The Ian from whom the name is derived died in the early 16th century.
MalloryEnglish, Anglo-Norman The more common variant of the surname Malory. Originally an Anglo-Norman byname for an unfortunate or unhappy person, from the Old French word "maleuré" meaning "unfortunate", "wretched" "wicked"... [more]
MallowGerman Variant spelling of Malow, a habitational name from Malow in Mecklenburg.
MaloryAnglo-Norman, English The older variant of the surname Mallory. Originally an Anglo-Norman byname for an unfortunate or unhappy person, from the Old French word "maleuré" meaning "unfortunate", "wretched" "wicked"... [more]
MalpassEnglish, Scottish, French Habitational name from any of various places named Malpas, because of the difficulty of the terrain, from Old French mal pas "bad passage" (Latin malus passus). It is a common French minor place name, and places in Cheshire, Cornwall, Gwent, and elsewhere in England were given this name by Norman settlers... [more]
MalsagovIngush (Russified) Russified form of the Ingush clan name Малсагнаькъан (Malsagnaqan) meaning "tribe of Malsag", from a given name derived from Ingush малх (malkh) meaning "sun, solar" and саг (sag) meaning "person, man".
MaltaItalian, Spanish, Portuguese habitational or ethnic name for someone from the Mediterranean island of Malta (from Latin Melita Greek Melitē).
MalteseItalian habitational or ethnic name for someone from the island of Malta.
MaltezPortuguese Likely has origins in the Portuguese word "maltez," now written as "maltês," which translates to "Maltese" in English. This surname might have been adopted by families with connections to the Mediterranean island of Malta or by individuals who had some association with Maltese culture or trade.
MalthouseEnglish Occupational name for a maker of malt or a malt merchant. It could also be a topographic name for a person who lived at a malt house.
MamboSouthern African Mambo is a surname of the Kaonde tribe, meaning: danger. A warning to would be detractors.
MameliItalian Possibly from latin surname Mamelius. A famous bearer was Goffredo Mameli, author of the italian national anthem.
MamilovIngush (Russified) Russified form of an Ingush surname, which is from the name of an Ingush teip (clan) possibly from a Turkic word meaning "sweet, delicious" or from an Arabic name of unknown meaning.
ManagnielloItalian The name likely comes from the Italian word mangano, meaning "mangle" or "machine for pressing," referring to tools used in fabric and textile production, which were common in medieval Italy. The suffix "-ello" is a diminutive, which could imply that the name originally referred to a person who worked with or operated one of these machines, such as a cloth presser or laundry worker... [more]
ManalangFilipino, Tagalog, Pampangan Derived from Tagalog talang referring to the fruit of the mabolo tree (genus Diospyros), probably used as a topographic name for a place where talang grew in abundance.
MananIndian Manans come from Lahore . They belong to Punjabi Brahmin caste of Hinduism.
ManchesterEnglish Habitational name from the city in northwestern England, formerly part of Lancashire. This is so called from Mamucio (an ancient British name containing the element mammā "breast", and meaning "breast-shaped hill") combined with Old English ceaster "Roman fort or walled city" (Latin castra "legionary camp").
MandevilleFrench, English, Irish French habitational name from Mandeville the name of two places in Normandy derived from Latin magnavilla "large estate" or a variant of Manneville a habitational name from Manneville the name of several places in Normandy... [more]
MandrykmRussian (Rare) I have done some research on this name (because it is my surname) and the origins of this name are largely unknown. However it is believed to have originated from Russia/Ukraine/Poland/Chechnya (formerly independent country now a Russian republic) and is prevalent in Canada, Russia, Ukraine, The United States, South America (Brazil & Argentina) and Australia... [more]
MandujanoSpanish Spanish: Possibly An Altered Form Of A Basque Habitational Name From Mandoiana A Town In Araba/Álava Province Basque Country. This Surname Is Most Common In Mexico.
MandžukićSerbian (Rare), Croatian (Rare) Famous bearer of this last name is Mario Mandžukić who is a Croatian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Italian club Juventus and the Croatia national team.
ManeelyWelsh A Welsh surname derived from 'map Neely' or 'son of Neely'
ManeraItalian Either a habitational name from any of two places called Manera in the Italian provinces of Cuneo and Como, a nickname and perhaps a metonymic occupational name (from the dialect word manèra meaning "executioner's axe, cleaver" or from Italian manero "well-behaved, skilled"), or derived from the given name Mainiero (ultimately from Frankish Maginhari, composed of the Ancient Germanic elements magin "strength, might" and hari, heri "army").
ManfordEnglish Place name for "Munda's ford" from an Old English personal name Munda, the same element in the second syllable of Edmund and ford meaning a waterway crossing.
ManganIrish Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Mongáin ‘descendant of Mongán’, originally a byname for someone with a luxuriant head of hair (from mong ‘hair’, ‘mane’), borne by families from Connacht, County Limerick, and Tyrone... [more]
ManganaroItalian occupational name from manganaro agent noun from Mangano (see Mangano) in any of its various senses. Manganaris and Manganaras are also found as Greek surnames.
ManganoItalian occupational name from mangano "mangle" (a device consisting of a pair of rollers used to press textiles and clothes) or "calender" (a similar device used in making paper). The term mangano also denoted a bucket elevator (used for raising water from a well) and any of various other devices including a catapult... [more]
MangiaracinaItalian The Sicilian name for salpa, a kind of fish, from mangia "to eat" and racina "grapes".
ManhartGerman (Modern) From the Germanic personal name Manhard, composed of the Germanic elements man "man", "human" + hard "hardy", "brave", "strong"... [more]
ManhattanEnglish From the name of the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City, in the U.S. state of New York. Derived from the Munsee Lenape language term manaháhtaan (where manah- means "gather", -aht- means "bow" and -aan is an abstract element used to form verb stems), meaning "the place where we get bows" or "place for gathering the (wood to make) bows"... [more]
ManheimGerman, Jewish Habitational name from the city of Mannheim in southwestern Germany (formerly the residence of the electors Palatine) so named from the ancient Germanic personal name Manno (see Mann ) annd Old High German heim "homestead"... [more]
ManikasGreek Occupational name for a maker of handles (e.g. of knives), from medieval Greek manikion "sleeve", "handle", from Latin manicae "sleeve, manacle".
MannSanskrit (Anglicized) Originally Sanskrit, now in Punjabi and Hindi - used by Jats predominantly in Punjab area of NW India. Well represented in Sikhs. Also spelled as {!Maan} when anglicized. Belonged to landholding nobility of warrior caste (knights) that at one time held a strong and established kingdom.... [more]
MannerheimFinland Swedish (Rare) Swedification of the German surname Marhein. A famous bearer was Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim (1867-1951), a Finnish military leader, statesman and the 6th President of Finland... [more]
ManocchioItalian Meaning uncertain, possibly from Italian mano "hand" and occhio "eye", an elaboration of the surname Mano, or an altered form of malocchio meaning "evil eye".
ManousosGreek Surname associated with the name Manouel in Crete. Another possible origin is a Hellenized version of the Venetian surname Manuzio.
MañozkaBasque It indicates familial origin within the eponymous palace in the municipality of Etxebarria.
ManresaCatalan This indicates familial origin within either of 2 eponymous localities: the municipality or the neighborhood in the municipality of Badalona.
MansellEnglish (Canadian), Norman Of Norman origin, a habitational or regional name from Old French mansel ‘inhabitant of Le Mans or the surrounding area of Maine’. The place was originally named in Latin (ad) Ceromannos, from the name of the Gaulish tribe living there, the Ceromanni... [more]
MansellAnglo-Norman, French A status name for a particular type of feudal tenant, Anglo-Norman French mansel, one who occupied a manse (Late Latin mansa ‘dwelling’), a measure of land sufficient to support one family... [more]
MantelEnglish, German, French, Dutch nickname for someone who wore a cloak in a particularly conspicuous way or with a striking design, from Middle English, Middle High German, Old French, and Middle Dutch mantel "cloak, coat" (from Late Latin mantellus)... [more]
ManteuffelGerman The Manteuffel family is the name of an old and influential German Pomeranian noble family. Manteuffel family was first mentioned in 1256, but the family history officially begins with Henricus Manduvel who is first mentioned on 14... [more]
MantillaSpanish Spanish: from mantilla ‘mantilla’, ‘scarf worn over the head and shoulders’, presumably an occupational name for a maker of mantillas or a descriptive name for someone who habitually wore such a garment.
MantonIrish (Anglicized) Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Manntáin "descendant of Manntán", a personal name derived from a diminutive of manntach "toothless"... [more]
ManusNorwegian (Hispanicized) Hispanicized variant of Magnussen. This was the surname of Norwegian World War II resistance fighter Max Manus, whose father spent much of his life living in Hispanophone countries.
ManvilleFrench A locational surname deriving from any of the various places in France called "Manneville or Magneville", named, from the Old Germanic personal name "Manno" or the Old French adjective "magne", great, with the word "ville", meaning a town or settlement.
ManzanaresSpanish Habitational Name From The City Of Manzanares In Ciudad Real Province
ManzanoSpanish (Mexican) Habitational name from any of various minor places named Manzano, or a topographic name for someone who lived by an apple tree or orchard, from Spanish manzano ‘apple tree’, Old Spanish maçano, from maçana ‘apple’, Late Latin (mala) Mattiana, a type of apple named in honor of the 1st century bc horticultural writer Gaius Matius.
ManzoniItalian Of uncertain origin: could be derived from a nickname given to those who raised and took care of bullock, or from the medieval terms manso or mansueto, denoting a gentle person.... [more]
MaoChinese From Chinese 毛 (máo) referring to the ancient region of Mao, which existed during the Zhou dynasty in what is now the Henan province. A notable bearer of this surname was Chinese communist revolutionary Mao Zedong (1893-1976).
MaouloudWestern African Derived from Arabic مولود (mawlud) meaning "born, newborn", used to refer to the مولد (Mawlid) observance of the birth of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad (chiefly Mauritanian).
MaplesEnglish Variant of Maple, probably a name for plural Maple, a famous bearer of this name is Marla Maples (1963-).
MapletonEnglish The surname Mapleton was first found in Kent where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor.
MappEnglish From a variant of the medieval female personal name Mabbe, a shortened form of Amabel. A fictional bearer is Elizabeth Mapp, busybodyish spinster in the 'Mapp and Lucia' novels of E.F. Benson.
MaquedaSpanish This indicates familial origin within either of 2 eponymous localities: the Manchego municipality or the neighborhood of the Andalusian municipality of Málaga.
MaqueronFrench Of debated origin and meaning. Theories include a derivation from Picard maqueron "chin" (in which case this would have been a pejorative nickname for someone with a protruding chin) and a diminutive of Macquart.
MaquetFrench From a derivative of bac ‘tub’, also ‘ferry’, used as a metonymic occupational name for a maker or for a boatman.... [more]
MaquibarBasque (Hispanicized) Castilianized form of Makibar, possibly derived from Basque mako "arch, hook; curved, crooked" or "club, cane, staff" and ibar "valley, riverbank"... [more]
MaquilingFilipino, Tagalog (Hispanicized) Derived from Tagalog makiling meaning "uneven, crooked, bent." This name was given in honor of Maria Makiling. She is said to be the protector of Mount Makiling, a volcano in the Philippines.
MaraghIndian Means "king" in Hindu. Due to the vast amount of Indian emigrates in Jamaica, this is a common name there and also refers to a teacher of Rastafarianism.
MarajIndian, Trinidadian Creole Shortened form of Maharaj. A notable bearer is singer Onika Maraj-Petty (1982-), professionally known as Nicki Minaj.
MaranoItalian Habitational name from any of various places named with the Latin personal name Marius and the suffix -anu.
MarcantonioItalian Ancient family, called Marcantonio or Di Marcantonio, of clear and ancestral virtue, flourished in Abruzzo.
MarcetCatalan Marcet is a name that roughly translates to "Seven Seas" or "The Sea and the Sky" in the Catalan language. The name is unusual in the United States but very common in areas of Spain such as Barcelona, and in neighboring France.
MarchantFrench, English, Spanish Variant of Marchand, from French marchand meaning "merchant, mercantile". Though it is of French origin, it was transferred into the Spanish-speaking world, especially Chile, by French invasion of the Iberian Peninsula.
MarchenaSpanish This indicates familial origin within either of 4 Andalusian localities or 1 Murcian locality.
MarcheseItalian From the title of rank marchése "marquis" (in Italy the rank immediately below that of duke), probably applied as a nickname for someone who behaved like a marquis, or an occupational name for a servant in the household of a marquis... [more]
MarchesiniItalian Derived from the Latin word “marchese,” which means “marquis.” It is a title of nobility that was used in medieval Italy and referred to the leader of a march or border region. It likely refers to someone who was descended from or associated with a marquis or who held a similar position of authority in a border region.
MarcusEnglish Marcus is a surname derived from the given name of Ancient Roman pre-Christian origin derived either from Etruscan Marce of unknown meaning (possibly from the Etruscan "mar" which means "to harvest"), or referring to the god Mars... [more]
MarengoItalian Habitational name from Marengo in Alessandria Province or Marengo-Talloria in Cuneo. From Maréngo, Marénco, meaning Of The Sea, Maritime (Medieval Latin Marincus from Mare ‘Sea’), which were often used as personal names or nicknames in the Middle Ages.
MargulisHebrew Margulis is a surname that is derived from the Ashkenazi Hebrew pronunciation of the Hebrew word מרגלית (Israeli Hebrew /maʁɡaˈlit/), meaning 'pearl,'
MargvelashviliGeorgian A bearer is Giorgi Margvelashvili, the current president of Georgia.
MariJapanese (Rare) From Japanese 鞠 (mari) meaning a type of ancient football used by courtiers.
MarigoItalian Either from Venetian marigo "mayor of a rural village", or from the given name Amerigo.
MarínGalician This indicates familial origin within either of 4 eponymous localities: the municipality in the Comarca of O Morrazo, the neighborhood of the parish of Xubial, the neighborhood of the parish of Camos in the municipality of Nigrán, or the neighborhood of the parish of Fiestras in the municipality of Silleda.
MarinerEnglish, Catalan Occupational name from Middle English mariner "sailor seaman boatman" (Anglo-Norman French mariner Old French mariniermarniermerinier) Catalan mariner (from Late Latin marinarius a derivative of marinus "marine").
MarinettiItalian Variant of Marino. A famous bearer of this surname is Italian poet Filippo Tommaso Marinetti (1876-1944), considered to be the founder of Futurism.
MariñoGalician It indicates familial origin within either of 4 neighborhoods: Mariño in the parish of Marei in the municipality of Corgo, Mariño in the parish of Santaia de Rairiz in the municipality of Santiso, O Mariño in the parish of Taboexa in the municipality of As Neves, or O Mariño in the parish of Goiáns in the municipality of Porto do Son.
MarjoribanksScottish Reputedly from the name of a Scottish estate (Ratho-Marjoribankis) bestowed on Robert the Bruce's daughter Marjorie on her marriage in 1316... [more]
MarkEnglish, German, Dutch Topographic name for someone who lived on a boundary between two districts, from Old High German marka "border, boundary, march". The German term also denotes an area of fenced-off land (see Marker) and, like the English word, is embodied in various place names which have given rise to habitational names.
MarkhamEnglish English name from a place in Nottinghamshire, named in Old English as 'homestead at a (district) boundary', from mearc 'boundary' + ham 'homestead'. English surname used as an equivalent of Gaelic Ó Marcacháin 'descendant of Marcachán', a diminutive of Marcach (see Markey).
MarklandEnglish From Old English mearc meaning "boundary" and lanu meaning "lane", it is a habitational name from a place in the town of Wigan in Greater Manchester, England. It can also be a topographic name for someone who lived by a stretch of border or boundary land, or a status name for someone who held land with an annual value of one mark.
MarlboroughEnglish From the name of the market town and civil parish of Marlborough in Wiltshire, England, derived from the Old English given name Mǣrla and beorg meaning "hill, mound".