Browse Submitted Surnames

Bernasconi Italian
The surname of BERNASCONI is of Italian origin, a locational name meaning the dweller on or near a small hill. The names of habitation are derived from pre-existing names denoting towns, villages, farmsteads or other named habitations... [more]

Berner German, Low German
German habitational name, in Silesia denoting someone from a place called Berna (of which there are two examples); in southern Germany and Switzerland denoting someone from the Swiss city of Berne. ... [more]

Bernfield German
An Americanized variant of the German surname, "Bergfeld", meaning "mountain field".

Bernthal Jewish
Ornamental name derived from the Yiddish given name Ber meaning "bear" and German thal meaning "valley". A famous bearer is American actor Jon Bernthal (1976-).

Berryann Medieval English (Rare)
The name is pre 7th century Olde English and later Olde French. It derives from the word burri or berri, translating as a fortress or castle and means 'one who dwelt at the castle'. The suffix 'man' also indicates that it was job descriptive for a guard or keeper of the castle... [more]

Bersford English (Canadian)
Named after the city 'Bersford'... [more]

Berzelius Swedish
Derived from the name of an estate named Bergsätter located near Motala, Östergötland, Sweden. Bergsätter is composed of Swedish berg "mountain" and säter "outlying meadow"... [more]

Besançon French
Habitational name for a person from the eponymous capital city of Doubs in France, ultimately from Latin Vesontiō, derived from Proto-Celtic *ves "mountain". Folk etymology states that it is associated with the place name with Old French bison "wisent".

Beskow Swedish
Derived from the name of the city Beeskow in Germany. A notable bearer was Swedish author and illustrator Elsa Beskow (1874-1953).

Bestauty Ossetian
Derived from Ossetian бистэ (biste) meaning "village, suburb" or from Persian به (beh) meaning "good, excellent, better". In the case of the former, it would have been used to indicate the place of residence of an ancestor.

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

Bhaduri Bengali
Habitational name from the village of Bhadur in present-day West Bengal, India.

Bharucha Indian (Parsi)
Refers to the city of Bharuch in Gujarat, India, which is thought to be derived from the name of a figure in Hindu mythology.

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

Bhatnagar Indian, Hindi, Marathi, Odia
Derived from the name of a subgroup of the Kayasth community, denoting association with Hanumangarh (formerly named Bhatner), a city in Rajasthan, India.

Bhullar Indian, Punjabi
Probably from the name of a village in Punjab, India, which is of uncertain meaning. This is the name of a Jat clan found in India and Pakistan.

Białaczowski Polish
This indicates familial origin within the Lesser Polish village of Białaczów.

Bickham English
Habitational name from places so named in Devon and Somerset, most of which are most probably named with an Old English personal name Bicca and Old English cumb "valley". The first element could alternatively be from bica "pointed ridge".

Biddle English, Irish
Variant of English BEADLE or German BITTEL. The name is now popular in the north east region of America, where it was brought by English and Irish immigrants.

Bielawski Polish
This indicates familial origin within the Masovian village of Bielawa.

Bielby English (British)
This surname takes its name from the village of Bielby in East Yorkshire. It derives from the Old Norse personal name Beli and the Old Norse býr "farm, settlement"... [more]

Bieniak Polish
Polish family name with Germanic origins. The Bieniak family lived in the Polish villages of Grębków and nearby Kózki for nearly 500 years.

Biesheuvel Dutch
From Biesheuvel, the name of a small village in the north of the province of Noord-Brabant in the Netherlands. It is derived from Dutch bies meaning "bulrush, club rush" (a grasslike plant that grows in wetlands and damp locations) and heuvel meaning "hill"... [more]

Bikandi Basque
Possibly derived from Latin vicus "street, neighbourhood; village, hamlet" and Basque (h)andi "big, large". Alternatively, the first element could be from bike "steep slope".

Bikuña Basque
From the name of a village in Álava, Basque Country, possibly derived from Latin vicus "street, neighbourhood; village, hamlet" and Basque on "good". Alternatively, the first element could be related to bike "steep slope".

Bilbao Spanish
Spanish: Habitational Name From The City Of Bilbao In Biscay Basque Country.

Bilczewski Polish
This indicates familial origin within either of 2 distinct Greater Polish villages by the name of Bilczew.

Billinghurst English
It indicates familial origin within the eponymous village in West Sussex.

Birčanin Serbian
Possibly derived from the village of Birač, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Birket English
It's a locational surname taken from the village of Birket Houses in Lancashire.

Birkin English
The surname "Birkin" comes from a village in Yorkshire of the same name, first recorded as "Byrcene" in the Yorkshire charters of 1030, and as "Berchine" and "Berchinge" in the Domesday Book. The first known person with the surname "Birkin" was Jon de Birkin, a baron who lived in the late-11th century.

Bisbee English
Named after the city of Bisbee which is in Arizona.... [more]

Bisby Medieval Scottish, Medieval English, English (British), Scottish, English (Australian), Anglo-Norman
Either originating from the village Busby in historic county East Renfrewshire in Scotland, or Great Busby in Yorkshire. The place name is likely derived from the Norman buki, "shrub". See also Busby.

Bisley English (British)
Bisley is a locational surname from the village of Bisley in Surrey. It comes from the words biss meaning “brown” or "ashy" and leah meaning “clearing” denoting a wide area of untilled land such as a meadow or woodland.

Bismarck German
Noble family from the Altmark Region.

Bito Japanese
From 美 (bi) meaning "beauty" or 尾 (bi) meaning "end, tail, foot of a mountain" combined with 藤 (to) meaning "wisteria".

Bizkarra Basque
Derived from Basque bizkar "back (of a mountain), hill, slope".

Bizkarrondo Basque
It literally means "near the shoulder of a mountain".

Björnberg Swedish
Ornamental name derived from Swedish björn meaning "bear" and berg meaning "mountain".

Blagden English
Derived from any of several places across England called Blagden, Blackden, or Blagdon, which can varyingly derive from Old English blæc dun ("black hill") or blæc denu ("black valley").

Blagoveshchensky Russian
Named after the City of Blagoveshchensk

Blaney Irish
Topographic name from Welsh blaenau, plural of blaen "point, tip, end", i.e. uplands, or remote region, or upper reaches of a river.

Blankenship English
Variant of Blenkinsop, a surname derived from a place in Northumberland called Blenkinsopp. The place name possibly derives from Cumbric blaen "top" and kein "back, ridge", i.e. "top of the ridge", combined with Old English hōp "valley" (compare Hope).

Blatt German, Jewish
Ornamental name derived from German blatt and Yiddish blat meaning "leaf", or a topographic name for someone who lived at a farm on a ledge on a mountainside, derived from Middle High German blate meaning "flat surface, ledge, plateau".

Blaxton English
There are two possible origins for this surname; one- from the name of the village in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster (part of South Yorkshire, England) on the border of Lincolnshire, or two- from the Old English personal name Blaecstan, meaning "black stone"

Bleibaum German
"Lead tree" possibly changed at Ellis Island from Blumenbaum meaning "flowering tree"

Błeński Polish
This indicates familial origin anywhere within a cluster of 3 Kuyavian villages in Gmina Izbica Kujawska: Błenna, Błenna A, or Błenna B.

Blin Welsh
The same as Blaen, a point, the inland extremity of a valley. Blin also signifies weary, troublesome.

Bliss Medieval English, Medieval English (Anglicized)
Originally a nickname for a cheerful person, derived from the Old English blisse, meaning "gladness" or "joy." Another origin of the surname is habitional, coming from from the village of Blay in Calvados (modern-day Normandy), spelled as Bleis in 1077, or from the village of Stoke Bliss in Worcestershire, first known as Stoke de Blez, named after the Norman family de Blez.... [more]

Bloch Jewish, German, French
Regional name for someone in Central Europe originating from Italy or France, from Polish "Włoch" meaning "Italian" (originally "stranger / of foreign stock"), ultimately derived – like many names and words in various European languages – from the Germanic Walhaz.

Bloemendaal Dutch
Means "valley of flowers", the name of several places in the Netherlands, derived from bloem "flower" and dal "valley, dale". Cognate to German Blumenthal.

Blumenberg Jewish
Ornamental name composed of German Blume "flower" and Berg "mountain, hill".

Boban Croatian
Habitational name, originates from Bobanova Draga, a village in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Boćwiński Polish
This indicates familial origin within either of 2 Masurian villages.

Boden German, Low German
Patronymic from the personal name Bode or a topographic name for someone living in a valley bottom or the low-lying area of a field. From Middle High German boden "ground, bottom".

Bøe Norwegian
Derived from Old Norse býr "farm, village, settlement" or búa "to reside".

Boekhout English
Probably a habitational name from the village Boekhoute in northern Belgium, close to the border to The Netherlands.

Bøen Norwegian
Habitational name from the common farm name Bøen, simply meaning "the farm" (ultimately derived from Old Norse býr "farm, village, settlement" and the definite article -en).

Bohdanets Ukrainian
Denoted to resident of village called Bohdan (Богдан).

Bohol Filipino, Tagalog, Cebuano
Habitational for someone from the province of Bohol in the Philippines. It is derived from bo-ol, a kind of tree that flourished on the island

Bolibruch Slovak
This name is a last name in the Slovak region.

Bölöni Hungarian
From the place name Bölön, a village located in what is now Covasna County in Romania. This surname is used mainly among the Székelys.

Bondoc Pampangan, Tagalog
From Kapampangan bunduk or Tagalog bundok both meaning "mountain".

Boniadi Persian (Rare)
Probably indicated a person from the Iranian village of Boniad, possibly derived from Persian بنیاد (bonyad) meaning "foundation, base". A notable bearer is Iranian-English actress Nazanin Boniadi (1980-).

Bońkowski m Polish
Habitational name for a person from the village of Bońki.

Bonnemaison French
Literally means "good house", derived from French bonne "good" and French maison "house". As such, this surname is most likely a locational surname, in that it originally either referred to someone who lived in a good house (probably more like a mansion) or to someone who was born in (or lived in) the place Bonnemaison, which is nowadays located in the Calvados department of France... [more]

Bonnin French
Derived from a diminutive of Bon, it is also found in the island of Mallorca and Turin, Italy.

Bonsall English (British)
This is a locational name which originally derived from the village of Bonsall, near Matlock in Derbyshire. The name is Norse-Viking, pre 10th Century and translates as 'Beorns-Halh' - with 'Beorn' being a personal name meaning 'Hero' and 'Halh' a piece of cultivated land - a farm.

Boothroyd English
Habitational name for a person from the village named Boothroyd in Yorkshire, from Middle English both "hut, stall" and royd "cleared land" (derived from Old English rod).

Bordeaux French
City in France.

Borgedalen Norwegian (Rare)
Combination of Norwegian borg "fortification, castle" and dal "valley".

Borges Portuguese, Spanish
Possibly from Old French burgeis meaning "town-dweller" (see Burgess). Alternately, it may have denoted someone originally from the city of Bourges in France.

Borgo Italian
Borgo is an Italian surname, which means 'village' or 'borough'.

Borrelli Italian
There are three possible origins of this surname. It could derive from some place names located in Catania and Campania -two Italian southern regions. Another hypothesis is that it derives from the Celtic word borro, meaning "proud" or maybe "ditch"... [more]

Bostock English
From the name of a village in Cheshire, England, meaning "Bota’s place", derived from the Old English given name Bota combined with stoc "place, dwelling".

Bostwick English
Altered form of Bostock, the second element probably influenced by Old English wic "village, town".

Boswell French (Anglicized)
The name Boswell is an Anglicization of the name of a French village: Boseville (Beuzeville). This was a village of 1400 inhabitants near Yvetot, in Normandy. (from 'A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames', by Charles W. Bardsley, New York, 1901)... [more]

Bottom English
Topographic name for someone who lived at the bottom of a valley, derived from Middle English botme "dell, valley".

Bottomley English
English (Yorkshire and Lancashire): habitational name from a place in West Yorkshire named Bottomley, from Old English botm ‘broad valley’ + lēah ‘woodland clearing’.

Boudagh French (Latinized, Rare)
Mountains... [more]

Boujettif Northern African (Archaic)
Meaning, "The family of the son of the Clever Head" or "One Whom Possess a Clever Head." Bou (normally used in the North African Regions of the Maghrib Countries) has 2 possible derivative meanings both originating from the Arabic language, "Son of..." or an Arabic word Tho meaning, "One Who Possess A Quality." Jettif is a variance of Jettef, Jeif or Ji'f which is derived from the ancient Tamazight or Imazighen (popularly known as Berber) and is pronounced "j-ixf" which means Clever, head, or brain."

Boulakia Judeo-Spanish
From the name of the city of Boulaq in Egypt.

Bourget French
Possibly meaning "from the city, town" or given to wealthy families, (from bourgeois)

Bourguignon French
Originally denoted a person from Burgundy (called Bourgogne in French), a historical region of east-central France.

Boutella Arabic (Maghrebi, Rare)
Means "father of the mountain" or "father of the hill", from Arabic أَبُو (ʾabū) meaning "father (of)" and تَلّ (tall) meaning "hill, foothill". Two notable bearers include father and daughter Safy (1950-) and Sofia (1982-) Boutella, an Algerian singer and an Algerian-French actress, respectively.

Bowe Medieval English, English, Irish (Anglicized)
There are three possible sources of this surname, the first being that it is a metonymic occupational name for a maker or seller of bows, a vital trade in medieval times before the invention of gunpowder, and a derivative of the Old English boga "bow", from bugan "to bend"... [more]

Bowler English
The surname Bowler has English origins and is primarily derived from an occupational background. It originally referred to a bowl-maker, someone who crafted bowls and similar utensils. The name comes from the Old English term /bowlere/, which itself stems from /bolla/, meaning "pot, cup, or bowl".... [more]

Boyter Scottish
Denoting a person from the island of Bute.

Bracco Italian
Either a nickname derived from Calabrian braccu meaning "small, chubby", or probably for someone thought to resemble a hunting dog, from Italian bracco literally meaning "hunting dog, bloodhound"... [more]

Braga Portuguese
The first man to own this name was a feudal lord on Portugal, near to the region of Coimbra. Could also come from the other surname "Bragança".

Bragado Portuguese, Spanish
This surname is a Spanish word which means "gritty", refering to a bull. ... [more]

Bragança Portuguese
From the city of Bragança in Portugal. It's also the name of the Royal House that ruled Portugal from 1640 to 1910.

Brancaccio Italian
Variant form of Brancazio. There are a few sources that claim that the surname is derived from a place name (which would make it a locational surname), but that claim is incorrect, as all Italian geographical places carrying the name Brancaccio were either established long after the Middle Ages (by which time virtually all Italians already had a hereditary surname) or were named after a person who had Brancaccio for a surname... [more]

Brancaleone Italian
Derived from the medieval Italian masculine given name Brancaleone, which means either "a lion's paw" or "he who captures the lion". In the case of the former meaning, the name is derived from Italian branca meaning "paw, claw" combined with Italian leone meaning "lion"... [more]

Brancato Italian
This surname can be derived from a given name (thus making it a patronymic surname) as well as from a place name (thus making it a locational surname). In the case of a patronymic surname, the surname is derived from the medieval Italian given name Brancato, which is a variant form of the given name Brancazio, itself ultimately derived from the late Latin given name Brancatius... [more]

Brandeis Jewish
Derived from Brandýs nad Labem-Stará Boleslav (known as Brandeis-Altbunzlau or Brandeis an der Elbe in German), a town located in the Prague-East District, in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic... [more]

Brandenburg German (East Prussian, Rare)
From a state in eastern Germany, formerly known as Prussia, containing the capital city of Berlin. Ancient. Associated with the Margravate (Dukedom) of Brandenburg, the seat of power in the Holy Roman Empire... [more]

Brandenburg German
habitational name from Brandenburg the name of a province its principal city and numerous other places.

Bransby English (British)
English locational name from the village of Bransby in Lincolnshire. The place name is first recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as 'Branzbi' and later (1115) as 'Brandesby'. These recordings showing that the derivation is from the Old Norse personal name Brandr meaning "sword" and byr, the whole meaning being "Brand's village" or "homestead"... [more]

Brasse English
Likely derived from the name of the village of Brace in Shropshire, England. The name of the village likely came from the Old English word braec, which was used for small forests and thickets, or the later Old English word braec, which was used for ground broken up for cultivation.

Braunschweig German, Jewish
Denoted a person from the city of Braunschweig in Lower Saxony, Germany, which is of Old Saxon origin meaning "Bruno's settlement".

Braybrooke English
From the name of the Northamptonshire village of Braybrooke, meaning "the broad brook."

Breaux French (Cajun)
Originally from the region of Poitou.

Brereton English
Habitational name from any of the various places named Brereton or similar in England, derived from Old English brer "briar" and tun "enclosure, town" or dun "hill, mountain".

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

Briatore Italian
This surname originates from the province of Cuneo in the Piedmont region of Italy. It is probably derived from Piedmontese brijador meaning "postilion, coachman", which itself is ultimately derived from Piedmontese bria meaning "bridles, reins".... [more]

Brick Irish (Anglicized), English, German, Jewish
Irish Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Bruic "descendant of Broc", i.e. "badger" (sometimes so translated) or Ó Bric "descendant of Breac", a personal name meaning "freckled"... [more]

Briner German (Swiss)
Habitational name for someone from Brin in Grison canton (Graubünden) or from the Brin valley.

Brink Low German, Dutch, Swedish, Danish
Means "village green" or "hill, slope, edge of a field or steep place". As a Swedish name, it’s ornamental.

Brinker German, Dutch
Derived from brink "edge, slope" or "village green", indicating that the bearer of the surname lived near a prominent slope of land or next to the centre of a village.

Brito Portuguese
The Brito family has its original roots in the village of Brito, around 1033 of the Christian era, where Dom Hero de Brito, lord of many estates in Oliveira, Carrazelo and Subilhães, all located between the Ave River and Portela dos Leitões, a very rich region and where the Solar dos Brito was located.

Brockhaus German
Occupational hereditary surname for a person who was physically powerful, derived from Old German brock which may refer to persons with a stocky or strong build. Or derived from Old German "Brook" or "Brauk," for people near a marshy landscape, common in northern regions.

Brogden English
From the name of a place in West Yorkshire meaning "valley brook", from Old English broc "brook" and denu "valley".

Brogdon English
Variant of Brogden The valley of the brook a rural place now in Lancanshire, England.

Brosnan Irish
Anglicized form of Irish Gaelic Ó Brosnacháin meaning "descendant of Brosnachán", a given name derived from Brosna, a small village and parish in County Kerry, Ireland. A well-known bearer is the Irish actor Pierce Brosnan (1953-).

Brueghel Dutch, Flemish
From the name of various places in the Netherlands and Flanders, Belgium, for example the village of Breugel in North Brabant. Their names mean "enclosed area, hunting preserve" in Dutch. This was the surname of a Dutch-Flemish family of artists who were influential during the Renaissance period in the Low Countries... [more]

Bruggeman Dutch, Flemish
Means "bridgeman" in Dutch, an occupational name for someone who operated, guarded, or otherwise worked on a bridge. It could also denote someone who lived near a bridge, or who came from the Flemish city of Bruges, which also derives from Old Dutch brugga "bridge".

Brumbaugh Germanic
Brumbaugh is derived from towns of the same name, located in various regions of Germany: from "in der Brumbach" a farm near Müsen, Germany, or in the town of Brombach, Swabia and or Switzerland.

Brunner German (Austrian), Upper German, Jewish
Derived from one of various places named Brunn or Brunnen as well as a habitational name denoting someone from the Czech city of Brno (Brünn in German).

Brunsvig Danish, Jewish
Danish form of the German "Braunschweig", a German city.

Brunswick English, German
English habitational name from the city in Saxony now known in German as Braunschweig. ... [more]

Brzozogajski Polish
This indicates familial origin within the Greater Polish village of Brzozogaj.

Brzumiński Polish
This indicates familial origin within the Masovian village of Brzumin.

Bubien Polish
The name came originally from France. An officer of Napoleon Bonaparte during the French Russian war, in 1812 stayed in Poland and married. One of his sons, became a regional Judge and large land owner in the Belarus area of Poland... [more]

Buccambuso Italian (Americanized)
Americanized form of Bocchinfuso and other regional spellings of the surname.

Buchcicki Polish
This indicates familial origin within the Lesser Polish village of Buchcice.

Buchenko Ukrainian
Means "from Bucha". Bucha (Буча) is a city just outside of Kyiv, but the surname can also denote to someone from one of the many villages in Ukraine called Bucha.

Bucur Romanian
A ancient Romanian name of Dacian origin. It means "happy". A legendary Romanian shepherd named Bucur it is said to have founded Bucharest, the present capital or Romania, giving his name to it (The Romanian city name is Bucureşti).

Buglass English
Possibly from the Booklawes region near Melrose, Roxburgshire, originally spelt "Buke-Lawes" (lit. "buck/stag" combined with "low ground"); otherwise from the Gaelic words buidhe - "yellow" and glas - "green".

Buican Romanian (Rare)
It comes from the name Buicani which comes from the village Buiucani situated in Moldova

Buitenhuis Dutch
Means "country house, building outside of the city" in Dutch, derived from buiten "outside, out of; in the country" and huis "house, home, residence".

Bukhari Arabic, Urdu
Indicated a person from the city of Bukhara in present-day Uzbekistan, itself possibly derived from Sogdian βuxārak meaning "place of good fortune".

Bulgaria Italian, Spanish
Originally an ethnic name or regional name for someone from Bulgaria or a nickname for someone who had visited or traded with Bulgaria, which is named after the Turkic tribe of the Bulgars, itself possibly from a Turkic root meaning "mixed".

Bullick English
Habitational name from Bulwick, Northampton, or Bolwick Hall, Norfolk, both derived from Old English bula "bull" and wic "village, settlement, farmstead".

Bulsara Indian (Parsi)
From the name of the city of Valsad (historically known as Bulsar) in Gujarat, India. A famous bearer was British singer Farrokh Bulsara (1946-1991), better known as Freddie Mercury.

Bulstrode English
Locational surname referring to the medieval village of Bulstrode in Berkshire. ... [more]

Bumrap Bosnian (Rare)
Of Slavic origin, possibly originating near the city of Tuzla.

Buôn Yă Rade
From the name of a place, from Rade ƀuôn meaning "village" and the given name Yă.

Burchell English
An English surname derived from the village of Birkehill (also known as Biekel or Birtle). It means "birch hill".

Burdeinei Rusyn (Ukrainianized, Rare)
Burdeinei is an 18th century Ruthenian (Rusyn) surname from the Carpathian Mountains and Western Ukraine. It is a descriptive surname that indicates a type of location of residence.... [more]

Bure Old Swedish, Swedish
This was the name of an influential family in 16th century Sweden. The name originated from the village Bure (now known as Bureå) in Skellefteå parish in Northern Sweden. The village got its name from the nearby Bure River (Swedish: Bure älv, Bureälven) whose name was derived from the Swedish dialectal word burra "buzz, rumble".

Burghersh English
The surname of the burghersh family. Several people had it, Including Bartholomew Burghersh the Elder and Younger, and Henry Burghersh. They also married into the Badlesmere bloodline. It seems to have descended from the village of Burghersh, now known as Burwash

Busby English
Habitational name from a place in North Yorkshire, recorded in Domesday Book as Buschebi, from Old Norse buskr "bush, shrub" or an Old Norse personal name Buski and býr "homestead, village", or from some other place so called.

Butragueño Spanish
Originally denoted someone from either the town of Buitrago del Lozoya in Madrid, or from the village of Buitrago in Soria, Castile and León in Spain, both derived Spanish buitre meaning "vulture" (see Buitrago)... [more]

Büttner German
Occupational name for a cooper or barrel-maker, an agent derivative of Middle High German büte(n) "cask", "wine barrel". This name occurs chiefly in eastern German-speaking regions.

Buuro Somali
Buuro in Somali means "hills" or "mountains".

Byam English
Probably means "person from Bytham", Lincolnshire ("homestead in a valley bottom"). Glen Byam Shaw (1904-1986) was a British theatre director.

Byberg Norwegian, Swedish (Rare)
Combination of Swedish and Norwegian by "village" and berg "mountain".

Bycraft English (American, Rare, ?)
Found mostly in the American Great Lakes region and Canada, likely a singular extended family. Likely of 6th century English descent, though there are very few English natives who bear the name. Name either refers to the occupation running some sort of mill machine, the original holder living near a croft (enclosed pasture or tillage) or implies "craftiness" of its original holder.

Bydłowski Polish
This indicates familial origin within the Lesser Polish village of Bydłowa.

Bylin Swedish
A combination of Swedish by "village" and the suffix -in, derived from Latin -inus, -inius "descendant of"

Bylund Swedish
Combination of Swedish by "village" and lund "grove".

Bystedt Swedish
A combination of Swedish by "village" and German stedt "home, place".

Bystrowski m Polish
Habitational surname for someone from a village named Bystrowice, derived from Polish bystry, meaning "light."

Caan Scottish, German, Jewish
Altered spelling of Jewish Cohen, or probably denoted a person from the city of Aberdeen in Scotland. Famous bearers of this surname include American actor James Caan (1940-2022), as well as his son Scott Caan (1976-), also a noted actor.

Caccavale Italian
Possibly a combination of cacare "to shit" and vale "valley".

Cadillac French
From the name of a city in France, of origin I am not sure of (anyone who knows the name's etymology edit this). This is most notably the name of the car company of the same name, named after Detroit, Michigan founder Antoine de la Mothe, Sieur de Cadillac.

Cádiz Spanish
Habitational name for a person from the city of Cádiz in southwestern Spain.

Cain English
Habitational name from the city of Caen in France, or a variant form of Cane.

Çakmak Turkish
Means "lighter" in Turkish, referring to a tool used to ignite fire. This is also the name of a village in Antalya Province, Turkey.

Calatayud Spanish
From the city in Spain, in province of Zaragoza within the autonomous community Aragón. The name Calatayud came from the Arabic قلعة أيوب Qal‘at ’Ayyūb, "the qalat (fortress) of Ayyub".

Caldera Spanish
Derived from Spanish caldera meaning "basin, crater, hollow", ultimately from Latin caldarium or caldaria both meaning "hot bath, cooking pot". The word also denotes a depression in volcanoes, and it is commonly used as an element for surnames denoting streams or mountains.

Calonder Romansh
Either derived from Romansh casa "house" and, by extension, "household, family" and the given name Leonhard or from the name of the mountain Calanda.

Calörtscher Romansh
Derived from the place name Calörtsch, a village in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.

Camarata Sicilian
Name from city in Sicily: Cammarata

Camargodeabreu Portuguese (Brazilian, Portuguese-style, Archaic)
An old and wealthy family from the southern region of Brazil in Paraná and the Ribeira valley.

Camden English
From a place name perhaps derived from Old English camp meaning "enclosure" and denu meaning "valley".

Camembert French
Named after the village of Camembert in Normandy, France

Camerano Italian
From the name of the town of Camerano near the city of Ancona in Marche, Italy.

Camoranesi Italian
Originally indicated a person from Camerano, a small town near the city of Ancona in central Italy. A famous bearer of this name is the Argentine-born Italian former soccer player Mauro Camoranesi (1976-).

Camrose English (Rare), Welsh (Rare)
From the village of Camrose in Pembrokeshire, Wales. The surname itself is derived from Welsh cam meaning "crooked, bent", and rhos meaning "moor, heath."

Camus Basque
From the name of a location in Bermeo, Vizcaya (or Biscay), a Basque region in Spain.

Canizales Spanish (Latin American)
This surname came from around the beginnings of 1800 in south regions of Colombia where sugar cane was cultivated. It's a variation of Cañizales, that literally means "sugar cane fields".

Cañosa Filipino
It is derived from the word 'Caña' meaning 'reed'. Born as a surname in before World War I, it is a newly formed family name built by Angelo Cañosa and his 2 siblings, formerly his birth surname is Caña when he and his siblings migrated to Agusan when they are wanted by the Spanish Authorities as they were berdugos(Killing Spanish allies)in their native place, Minglanilla and by rowing boats, they landed in Mindanao and he, Angelo Caña and his two siblings changed their family name into Cañosa... [more]

Caouette French (Quebec)
Altered form of French Cahouet, itself a regional form of chat-huant meaning "screech owl", hence a nickname referring to the bird.

Capelle French, English, Dutch, Flemish
French topographic name for someone living by a chapel, from a regional variant of chapelle "chapel" (compare Chapell 2), or a habitational name from any of several places named La Capelle... [more]

Capri Italian
habitational name for someone from Capri the island in the Bay of Naples.

Capua Italian
From the name of a city in Campania, Italy, possibly derived from Etruscan 𐌂𐌀𐌐𐌄𐌅𐌀 (capeva) meaning "city of marshes", though this etymology is disputed.

Carabelli Italian
Common surname in the Lombardy region of Italy.

Caradine English, German (Anglicized)
Americanized form of German Gardein, itself a Germanized spelling of French Jardin. It could also denote someone from the village and civil parish of Carden in Cheshire, England.

Carden English
From the name of a village in Cheshire, England, derived from Old English carr "stone, rock" and worþign "enclosure, estate".

Cariglia Galician
The surname Cariglia comes from the autonomous region in the northwest Iberian peninsula.

Carisbrook English
Carisbrooke is a village on the Isle of Wight; the name is thought to mean "Carey's brook". When in 1917 the British royal family changed its name from the "House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha" to the "House of Windsor" and renounced all German titles, the title of Marquess of Carisbrooke was created for the erstwhile German Prince Alexander of Battenberg.

Carlberg Swedish
Combination of the given name Carl or Swedish karl "man", and berg "mountain".

Carmichael Scottish, English
From the name of a village in Scotland meaning "fort of Michael", from Welsh caer meaning "fortress" and the given name Michael.

Cartagena Spanish
From the name of the city of Cartagena in southeastern Spain, derived from Latin Carthāgō Nova meaning "New Carthage" (ultimately derived from Phonecian qrt-ḥdšt meaning "new city").

Cartmell English
Denoted a person from Cartmel, a village in Cumbria, England (formerly in Lancashire). The place derives its name from the Cartmel Peninsula, which is composed of Old Norse kartr "rocky ground" and melr "sandbank, dune".

Carveth English
From the village of Carveth, from Cornish Karvergh meaning "fort of horses".

Casavantes French, Spanish, Basque
Topographic name composed of casa "house" + avant "ahead of forward" + the suffix -es, denoting one who lived in the house located at the beginning of a village. This surname has died out in France.

Cascalho Portuguese (?)
What I know about this surname is that it came from Alentejo, a region in Portugal countryside. The eldest Cascalho I know lived in Évora (city in this province) so I assume the name born there...

Casella Italian
From casa "house" (Latin casa "hut, cottage, cabin"), perhaps originally denoting the occupier of the most distinguished house in a village. Italian chef Cesare Casella (1960 - ) is one such bearer of this name.

Cases Catalan
Catalan family name. Plural of 'casa' meaning 'house', possibly given to people who were given or built a manor or town house or had a slightly better than normal dwelling for their location/village etc..... [more]

Cassel English, French, German
A surname derived from the Latin military term castellum "watchtower, fort". A variant spelling of the word castle. Denoted someone hailing from the commune of Cassel in the Nord départment in northern France or the city of Kassel (spelled Cassel until 1928) in Germany... [more]

Castel French, English
Topographic name from a derivative of Late Latin castellum "castle" (a diminutive of Latin castrum "fort Roman walled city") or a habitational name from any of several places called Le Castel... [more]

Castellar Medieval Italian, Medieval Spanish
An Italian surname variant of or relating to Castello , Castelli, or Spanish Castella, among others, the Castellar family name signified that the original bearers "lived at or near a castle"... [more]

Castille French
Regional name for someone from Castile in central Spain (see Castilla).

Castrejon Spanish
Habitational Name From Any Of Various Places Called Castrejón Especially In Valladolid Province Or A Topographic Name From A Diminutive Of Castro ‘Castle’ From Latin Castrum ‘Fort Roman Walled City’.

Caton English
From the name of a village in Lancashire, England, possibly derived from the Old Norse given name Káti combined with Old English tun "town, yard, enclosure".

Cats Dutch, Jewish
Habitational name for a person from the village of Kats in Zeeland, Holland, or a nickname for someone who in some way resembled a cat, derived from Middle Dutch catte literally meaning "cat"... [more]

Cavendish English
Habitational name for a person from the village of Cavendish in Suffolk, from Old English personal name Cāfna and edisc "pasture".

Cayenne French, English, Tupi
Most likely from the city of Cayenne, French Guiana or from the name of the pepper, also known as Capsicum annuum which comes from the Tupi language, specifically the word kyynha, which meant "capsicum" or "hot pepper".

Cayton English
From the name of a village in North Yorkshire, England, derived from the Old English given name Cæga and tun "town, yard, enclosure".

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

Cendejas Spanish
Cendejas is a city in Guadalahara. It is short for Cendejas de la Torre.

Cepeda Spanish
A nickname for someone from the region where they grow vineyards.

Cerasuolo Italian
Means "cherry red, cherry-coloured" in Italian, either a habitational name from either of two villages, or a nickname.

Cerdà Catalan
Denoted someone from Cerdanya (also called La Cerdanya), a natural and historical region of the eastern Pyrenees divided between France and Spain.

Chaires Spanish (Mexican)
Possibly a plural form of Galician chaira "little valley or meadow" or chairo "flat" (way, terrain). Refers to a person who lived in such a place.

Chalamet French
Nickname for someone who played the reed or an occupational name for seller of torches, from a regional form of Old French chalemel meaning "reed" or "blowtorch". A notable bearer is American actor Timothée Chalamet (1995-).

Chalkokondylis Greek
Chalkokondylis (or Chalkokondyles) was a Greek noble family of Athens which was elected during the Florentine possession of the city. The family can be traced back to the 11th century.

Challinor English
Occupational name for a blanket maker, derived from Middle English chaloun "blanket", itself derived from the French city of Châlons-sur-Marne (now Châlons-en-Champagne), where blankets were made in the Middle Ages.

Champagne French
regional name for someone from Champagne, named in Latin as Campania (from campus "plain", "flat land")... [more]

Champlin Belgian, English
Means Champion, was a family name in Belgium, a status and influence that was envied by the princes of the region.... [more]

Charlesworth English
Derived from a village and civil parish with the same name near Glossop, Derbyshire, England.

Chase French
Topographic name for someone who lived in or by a house, probably the occupier of the most distinguished house in the village, from a southern derivative of Latin casa "hut, cottage, cabin".

Chatateba Japanese (Rare)
From Japanese 茶立場 (Chatateba) meaning "Chatateba", a division in the area of Tōkaichi in the city of Hachinohe in the prefecture of Aomori in Japan.

Chattopadhyay Bengali
From Chatta, the name of a village, and Sanskrit उपाध्याय (upadhyaya) meaning "teacher, instructor".

Chaugule Marathi
Derived from Marathi चौगुला (chaugula) meaning "village officer".

Chaumont French
Habitational name from any of numerous places called Chaumont "bald mountain" from the elements chals caux "bald" and mont "mountain" (ultimately from Latin calvus mons) for example in Cher Orne Jura Haute-Savoie.

Chaux French
French / Switzerland.... [more]

Chawla Indian, Hindi, Punjabi, Indian (Sikh)
Derived from the name of a clan in the Arora community, which is apparently named with Sanskrit तांडुल (cawal) meaning "rice". Originating from the Punjab region of India and Pakistan, the name is also derived from Aror (now Rohri), a city in the Sukkur District, Sindh, Pakistan, and the community comprises both Hindus and Sikhs.

Chechensky Chechen
Refers to a region in Southwestern Russia named "Chechnya".

Chénier French
French surname which indicated one who lived in an oak wood or near a conspicuous oak tree, derived from Old French chesne "oak" (Late Latin caxinus). In some cases it may be from a Louisiana dialectical term referring to "an area of shrub oak growing in sandy soil" (i.e., "beach ridge, usually composed of sand-sized material resting on clay or mud... [more]

Cherkaskyy m Ukrainian
Derived from Ukrainian Черкас (Cherkas) meaning "Circassian" or from the region in Ukraine Cherkasy.

Cherkassky Russian, Jewish
Name for someone from the city of Cherkasy (or Cherkassy) in Ukraine, which is of uncertain meaning.

Cherro Medieval Spanish (Latinized)
Meaning villager or farmer of Salamanca, especially of the region which includes Alba, Vitigudino, Ciudad Rodrigo And Ledesma. Concerning the villager from Salamanca called Charro and its equivalent demonym or gentilic is salmantino, salmanticense, salamanqués, salamanquino.

Chiaramonte Italian
Italianized from of the French surname Clermont, using Italian chiaro "bright, clear" and monte "mountain". It was brought to Sicily from Picardy, France, by a branch of the House of Clermont in the 11th century, and several locations were subsequently named after them... [more]

Chigirev m Russian (?)
Possibly from the Ukrainian city of Chyhyryn

Childrey English
From the name of a village in Oxfordshire, England, derived from either the Old English given name Cilla or the element cille/cwylla "spring, well" combined with riþ "stream".

Chilton English, Irish
habitational name from any of various places called Chilton for example in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, County Durham, Hampshire, Kent, Shropshire, Somerset, Suffolk, and Wiltshire... [more]

Chipperfield English
Derived from Hertfordshire Village of Chipperfield

Chkalov m Russian
Denoted to someone from village called Chkalov.

Cholerzyński Polish
This indicates familial origin within the Lesser Polish village of Cholerzyn.

Chornobay Ukrainian
Likely referred to dark hair landowner from Central Asia, from Ukrainian чорний (chornyy) "black" and бай (bay) "Central Asian wealthy landowner". The name of village Chornobayivka in Kherson oblast is derived from here.

Chraplewski Polish
This indicates familial origin within either of 3 Greater Polish villages named Chraplewo.

Chronowski Polish
This indicates familial origin within either of 5 Lesser Polish villages: Chronów-Kolonia Dolna, Chronów-Kolonia Górna, Chronówek, Chronów in Gmina Orońsko, or Chronów in Gmina Nowy Wiśnicz.

Ciechanower Polish, Jewish
Denoted a person who came from one of the places in Poland called Ciechanów, for example the city in the Mazovia province.

Ciepliński Polish
This indicates familial origin within either of 3 Kuyavian villages: Ciepliny-Budy, Cieplinki, or Ciepliny.

Çifligu Albanian (Rare)
This surname derives from the Albanian city Çiflig. The word Çiflig comes from the Turkish term for land management in the Ottoman Empire. Albania was under Ottoman rule for almost 500 years and has many cities and surnames that derive from Turkish terms.

Cima Italian
Means "mountain top, peak, summit" in Italian. Alternatively, it could derive from the medieval given name Cima.

Cimarosa Italian
Possibly derived from Italian cima "top, peak, summit" combined with either rossa "red" or rosa "rose (flower); pink (colour)". If the former, it may be a habitational name derived from Cima Rossa, a mountain in the Alps... [more]

City English

Claremont French
Means "clear hill" in French, from the Latin clarus "clear" and French mont "mountain", A cognate of Clairmont.

Clayberg English
Meaning is unknown, but it most likely means "clay mountain", from surnames Clay "clay" and Berg "mountain".

Claypool English
Derived from Claypole, a village and civil parish in the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England, named from Old English cl?g meaning "clay" and pol meaning "pool".

Clermont French
Habitational name derived from Old French cler "bright, clear" and mont "mountain".

Cleveland English
English regional name from the district around Middlesbrough named Cleveland ‘the land of the cliffs’, from the genitive plural (clifa) of Old English clif ‘bank’, ‘slope’ + land ‘land’... [more]

Cliffe English (British)
After the village of Cliffe, Kent in England.

Clisby English
Surname originating in the village of Cleasby in North Yorkshire's Richmondshire district.

Closson Scottish
this name is of the noble family in Orkney islands known as the closson whom came to Orkney with the viking raiders in the early 900's and they founded the noble house of closson there of

Clough English (British)
The distinguished surname Clough is of ancient Anglo-Saxon origin. It is derived from the Old English "cloh," meaning "ravine" or "steep-sided valley," and was first used to refer to a "dweller in the hollow."

Cluff English
Derived from pre 7th century word "cloh" meaning a ravine or steep-sided valley.

Clyde Scottish
A river in the south-west of Scotland, running through Inverclyde, Ayrshire, Dunbartonshire, Lanarkshire, and the city of Glasgow. The second longest in Scotland; and the eighth longest in the United Kingdom... [more]

Clydesdale English, Scottish
From the name of a location in Lanarkshire, Scotland, meaning "Clyde’s valley", derived from the name of the river Clyde.

Coberley English
Possibly from a village in England called Coberley

Coens Medieval German
Variation of Coen. A diminutive of Konrad/Conrad, an old German Emperor's name (compare its Dutch form 'Coenraad')... [more]

Coetsee Afrikaans
The surname Coetsee is of French Huguenot origin, derived from the Old French surname Couché or Cossé, meaning “laid down” or “placed in a reclining position.” It originally referred to craftsmen involved in bed-making and upholstery, as well as scribes who recorded information by “laying down” words on paper... [more]

Cogdell English (British)
This surname derives from Coquetdale, the picturesque area within Northumberland National Park. Its name is taken from the River Coquet and Old English dæl "valley". The earliest reference of the River Coquet is found in the 8th Century, deriving from the Old English Cocwudu “cock wood”.

Coggill English
Recorded in several forms as shown below, this is a surname of two possible nationalities and origins. Firstly it may be of Scottish locational origins, from the lands of Cogle in the parish of Watten, in Caithness, or secondly English and also locational from a place called Cogges Hill in the county of Oxfordshire... [more]

Coimbra Portuguese
Habitational name for someone from the city of Coimbra in Portugal.

Cok Chinese
Meaning 'the wall that surrounds a city.'... [more]

Colden English, Scottish
English: habitational name from a place in West Yorkshire named Colden, from Old English cald ‘cold’ col ‘charcoal’ + denu ‘valley’.... [more]

Coll Catalan
Topographic name from Catalan coll meaning "hill, mountain pass", ultimately from Latin collum.

Collabrusco Italian
From the region Calabria in southern Italy; widely moved to US.

Colville Scottish, English
Derived from the place Colleville in Normandy, France. With the Scandinavian name Koli and French ville "town, village".

Combe French
Either a topographic name for someone living in or near a ravine from combe "narrow valley ravine" (from Latin cumba a word of Gaulish origin); or a habitational name from Combe the name of several places in the southern part of France of the same etymology.

Comberbach English
Habitational name for a person from the village of Comberbach in Cheshire, from the Old English byname or given name Cumbra "Cumbrian" and bæc "stream, brook".

Combès French
Either a topographic name from combe "narrow valley ravine" (see Combe ) or a habitational name from any of various places in southern France for example in Hérault named Combes.

Comley English
Either a nickname from Middle English cumly, which means “fair,” “beautiful,” and “pleasing,” or a habitational name from Comley in Shropshire named with Old English cumb meaning “valley” + lēah meaning “woodland clearing.”

Commisso Italian
Habitational name from the city Comiso.

Commons Breton
It's generally believed this name comes from a Breton personal name, derived from element "cam," meaning "bent," or "crooked;" or from the herb "cummin" (cumin). Or from the place name Comines, in Flanders, Northern France.... [more]

Compton English
Habitational name from any of the numerous places throughout England (but especially in the south) named Compton, from Old English cumb meaning "short, straight valley" + tūn meaning "enclosure", "settlement".

Condom French
Regional name for someone who lives in a French province named "Condom".

Conneely Irish
from Mac Conghaile or Ó Conghaile, which comes from Ó Conghalaigh... [more]

Copenhagen Jewish
From the name of the capital city of Denmark.

Copernicus History
Nicolaus Copernicus is a mathematician and astronomer who formulated a model of the universe that placed the Sun rather than the Earth at the center of the universe... [more]

Corden English
Derives from Old French Cordon meaning "a seller of ribbon" or from Cordoan, a locational job description for a worker in fine kid leather. Originally associated with the city of Cordova in Spain... [more]

Córdoba Spanish
Indicates someone who was originally from the city of Córdoba (Cordova) in Andalusia, Spain. The name itself is derived from Phonecian Qʾrtuba meaning "Juba’s city", itself from Phonecian qʾrt meaning "city" and juba referring to King Juba I of Numidia.

Coreano Filipino, Spanish, Portuguese
Means "Korean" in Spanish and Portuguese, possibly an ethnic name or regional name for someone from Korea or who had connections with Korea.

Corney English
A habitational surname from places in Cumbria and Hertfordshire named Corney, derived from either Old English corn "grain, seed" or a metathesized form of cran "crane (bird)" combined with eg "island, dry land in a marsh"... [more]

Coronado Spanish
from coronado "crowned" past participle of coronare "to crown" (from Latin corona "crown") applied as a nickname for someone who behaved in an imperious manner or derived from the village Coronado in Galacia.

Corrie English
Habitational name from places in Arran, Dumfries, and elsewhere, named Corrie, from Gaelic coire "cauldron", applied to a circular hanging valley on a mountain.

Cosby English
From the name of a village in Leicestershire, derived from the Old English given name Cossa and Old Norse býr "sarm, settlement". A famous bearer of the name is American comedian and convicted felon Bill Cosby, full name William Henry Cosby Jr... [more]

Coventry English
habitational name from the city of Coventry in the West Midlands, which is probably named with the genitive case of an Old English personal name Cofa (compare Coveney) + Old English treow 'tree'.

Coverdale English (British)
From the valley (Dale) of the river Cover.... [more]

Covert English, French
The surname is probably topographical, for someone who either lived by a sheltered bay, or more likely an area sheltered by trees. The formation is similar to couvert, meaning a wood or covert, and originally from the Latin "cooperio", to cover... [more]

Craigmile Scottish
Derived from Craigmyle, a place in the village of Kincardine O'Neil, in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It could also be an occupational name for a baker who made cracknel biscuits.

Cram English
From the the Scottish place name Crambeth (now Crombie), a village and ancient parish in Torryburn, Fife.

Craven Irish, English
Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Crabháin (County Galway) or Mac Crabháin (Louth, Monaghan) ‘descendant (or ‘son’) of Crabhán’... [more]

Cravotta Sicilian
From a Sicilian immigrant to America, Cravotta was changed to Cravatta upon arrival at Ellis Island. The name means "bowtie."

Crema Italian
From the name of a city in Lombardy, Italy, derived from Lombardic (an Old Germanic language) krem "small hill".

Cresta Italian, Romansh
Derived from Italian and Romansh cresta "crest" (ultimately from Latin crista). This name was perhaps applied as a topographic name for someone who lived by the crest of a mountain or as a nickname with reference to the comb of a rooster.

Crnković Croatian
Derived from crn "black". The name refers to a person who was dark-skinned, or a person from the region Crna Gora "Black Mountain" (modern-day Montenegro).

Crofter English
A surname of Scottish origin used in the Highlands and Islands and means “an owner or a tenant of a small farm”. The Old English word croft seems to correspond with the Dutch kroft meaning “a field on the downs”.

Cronholm Swedish
Ornamental name derived from Swedish krona (from Latin corona) meaning "crown" and holme (Old Norse holmr) meaning "small island".

Cronje Afrikaans
Altered form of the French surname Cronier, derived from Old French crones, a term denoting a sheltered area by a river bank where fish retreat to. This could be used as an occupational name for someone who fished in such an area, or derived from a place named with the element, such as the French village Crosne.

Croslay English
The name is derived from their residence in a region known as the "cross" or "for the dweller at the cross."

Crowcroft English
From the village in England, Crowcroft

Croydon English
From the name of a town in England, which comes from Anglo-Saxon croh “crocus” and denu “valley”.

Cuaton Filipino
Possible alternate transcription of Chinese 廣東 (Guǎngdōng) referring to a coastal province in the South China region.