Browse Submitted Surnames

Netting English
As Needham the derivation is from the Olde English pre 7th century elements 'ned' meaning need, with 'ham', a homestead or village, the name indicating a place that provided a poor living.

Neuberger German
German surname meaning 'new mountaineer'

Neudorf German
Derived from various places named Neudorf. From German neu meaning "new" and dorf meaning "village". This surname had been used by the Mennonite communities in Mexico.

Newberg Jewish (Americanized)
Americanized form of Neuberg, an ornamental Jewish name meaning "new mountain" in German.

Ney German, English
A dialectal form of the common German word neu "new".... [more]

Neyama Japanese
Ne means "root" and yama means "mountain, hill".

Ngumba Kongo
From Kongo meaning "mountain".

Nieuwenhuis Dutch
Means "new house" in Dutch. Indicated that the bearer lived in a new house or lived in a village of the same name

Niezabitowski Polish
This indicates familial origin within either of 2 Lesser Polish villages: Niezabitów or Niezabitów-Kolonia.

Nihon'yanagi Japanese
Means "2 salix trees", from Japanese 二本 (nihon) meaning "2 (cylindrical objects)" and 柳 (yanagi) meaning "salix". This is the name of a few places in Japan (in the city of Goshogawara and the city of Gonohe).

Niinemäe Estonian
Niinemäe is an Estonian surname meaning "linden hill/mountain".

Nimura Japanese
From Japanese 二 (ni) meaning "two" and 村 (mura) meaning "town, village".

Ninberg Jewish
1 Jewish (Ashkenazic): variant of Feinberg .... [more]

Nirehara Japanese (Rare)
From Japanese 楡原 (Nirehara), an variant reading of 楡原 (Nirebara) meaning "Nirebara", a former large village in the district of Koshi in the former Japanese province of Echigo in parts of present-day Niigata, Japan or an area in the same place, in the city of Nagaoka in the prefecture of Niigata in Japan.

Nishishima Japanese
From Japanese 西 (nishi) meaning "west" and 島 (shima) meaning "island".

Nishiyasu Japanese (Rare)
From Japanese 西 (nishi) meaning "west" and 安 (yasu) meaning "peaceful, tranquil, safe, simple, ammonium". The fact that it is homographic as Japanese 西安 (Shīan) meaning "Xi'an", a city in Shaanxi, China, is coincidental.

Niz Spanish (Latin American, Hispanicized, Modern)
Derived from the city of Nice in France, usually a surname given to someone without paternal recognition in that city.... [more]

Niziński m Polish
Might be derived from a Polish village called Niziny. It comes from Polish nizina, meaning "plain, lowland."

Noar English
This surname is thought to be derived from nore which could mean "shore, cliff." This could denote that someone might have lived in a shore or cliff. It may also be used as a surname for someone who lived in the now 'diminished' village of Nore in Surrey.

Noe Medieval English, Korean
A patronymic form of the biblical male given name Noah from the Hebrew word "noach" meaning long-lived. Possible origins could be ... [more]

Nojima Japanese
From Japanese 野 (no) meaning "field, wilderness" and 島 or 嶋 (shima) meaning "island".

Nõmme Estonian
Nõmme is an Estonian surname, derived from "nõmm", meaning "heath". It is also the name of several locations of towns and villages in Estonia.

Nomura Japanese
From Japanese 野 (no) meaning "field, wilderness" and 村 (mura) meaning "town, village".

Nonomura Japanese
From Japanese 野 (no) meaning "field" and 村 (mura) meaning "village".

Nonoyama Japanese
From Japanese 野 (no) meaning "field, wilderness" (repeated, indicated by the iteration mark 々) and 山 (yama) meaning "mountain".

Noormägi Estonian
Noormägi is an Estonian surname meaning "young hill/mountain".

Nordahl Norwegian, Swedish
The surname derives from a place name in Sunnmøre, Norway. Meaning from Old Norse norðr ''north'' and dalr ''dale'', ''valley''. In Sweden, this name is mostly ornamental, rather than habitaional.

Nordenskiöld Swedish, Finland Swedish (Archaic)
Combination of Swedish nord "north" and sköld "shield". Norden is also the Swedish name for the Nordic countries, but it is not the element used in this surname. Nordenskiöld is a Swedish and Fennoswedish noble family, the first known members are brothers Anders Johan Nordenskiöld (1696-1763) and Carl Fredric Nordenskiöld the elder (1702-1779)... [more]

Noriega Asturian
This indicates familial origin within an eponymous village.

Noronha Portuguese
Derived from Noreña, the name of a village in Asturias, northern Spain.

Norrington English
Derived from Old English norþ in tun meaning "north of the village".

Northam English
habitational namefrom Northam (Devon) Northam Farm in Brean (Somerset) Northam in Southampton (Hampshire) or a lost Northam in Redbridge Hundred Hampshire. The place names derive from Old English norþ "north northern" and ham "village homestead" or ham "water meadow".

Northey English
Habitational name from Northay in Hawkchurch Devon. The placename derives from Middle English north "north northern" and heie "fence enclosure hedge" (Old English norþ (ge)hæg)... [more]

Noshima Japanese
No means "field, rice paddy, wilderness" and shima means "island".

Nosho Japanese
From 納 (no) meaning "payment, supply, acceptance" and 庄 (sho) meaning "village, manor, hamlet."

Nottingham English (British)
A habitational name from the city of Nottingham in the East Midlands. Comes from the Old English name, meaning "homestead (ham) of Snot’s people". The initial S- was lost in the 12th century, due to the influence of Anglo-Norman French.... [more]

Nouveau French
Denoting someone who was new to a village or country. From French meaning "newcomer".

Novgorodsky Russian, Belarusian
Refers to the region named "Novgorod" in Russia.

Novikoff Jewish, Belarusian
habitational name from the Belorussian village of Noviki.

Novoselec Croatian
Derived from nov, meaning "new", and selo, meaning "village", so the possible meaning is "the one who's new to the village".

Novoselić Croatian
Derived from nov, meaning "new", and selo, meaning "village", so the possible meaning is "the one who's new to the village".... [more]

Novoselov m Russian
From Russian новый (novyy), meaning "new", and село (selo), meaning "village".

Novotutov m Russian
Maybe from Russian новый (novyy) meaning "new", and тут (tut), meaning "here", probably denoting to a new person in a village.

Noyama Japanese
Combination of Kanji Characters 野 meaning "Field", and 山 meaning "Mountain".

Nōzawa Japanese (Rare)
Variant of Osame but adding Japanese 沢 (zawa), the joining form of 沢 (sawa) meaning "mountain stream, marsh; wetlands", possibly referring to a place with wet grounds or a mountain stream.

Nürnberger German, Jewish
Habitational name for someone from the city of Nürnberg in Bavaria.

Nusuku Okinawan (Rare, Archaic)
From Okinawan 野底 (Nusuku) meaning "Nosoko", an area in the city of Ishigaki in the prefecture of Okinawa in Japan.

Oakden English
A variant of Ogden, from a place name derived from Old English āc "oak" and denu "valley". Famous bearers include British diplomat Edward Oakden and English cricketer Patrick Oakden.

Oakwell English
Probably either from the former village of Oakwell-in-the-Blean in the county of Kent, or Ockwell Manor, and again a former village, near Bray, in Berkshire

Obenauf German
Surname used to refer to someone who lived 'up there' (on a mountain, hill, etc.).

Obolensky Russian
Indicates familial origin within the village of Obolensk in the Kaluga Oblast, Russia. This was the name of a Russian aristocrat family of the Rurik Dynasty.

Ochitani Japanese
From 落 (ochi) meaning "fall, leave behind, drop" and 谷 (tani) meaning "valley".

Odajima Japanese
From Japanese 小 (o) meaning "small", 田 (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy" and 島 (shima) meaning "island".

Oeffelt Dutch
Oeffelt is a village in the Dutch province of North Brabant, part of the Boxmeer municipality.

Offenbach German, Jewish
From the name of the city of Offenbach am Main in Hesse, Germany. A famous bearer was the German-born French composer Jacques Offenbach (1819-1880).

Ogasawara Japanese
From Japanese 小笠原 (Ogasawara) meaning "Ogasawara", a former village in the former district of Koma in the former Japanese province of Kai in parts of present-day Yamanashi, Japan.

Oginskiai Lithuanian
This indicates familial origin within the village of Uogintai.

Oglethorpe English
From Oglethorpe Hall in Bramham (WR Yorks) which is recorded as Ocelestorp in 1086 and Okelesthorp in 124 The place-name derives from the Old Scandinavian personal name Oddkell and Old Scandinavian or Old English þorp "secondary settlement outlying farmstead" meaning "Oddkell's village" the surname derived from oddr "point of a weapon" and ketill "cauldron".

Oiartzun Basque
From the name of a town and municipality in Basque Country, Spain, possibly derived from the nearby Roman town Oiasso (also called Oiarso), the name of which may have been applied to the entire surrounding region... [more]

Oibar Basque
The name of several locations in Navarre, Spain, of uncertain etymology. Possibly derived from Basque ibar "valley". Compare Aybar.

Oihaneder Basque
It indicates familial origin within the eponymous palace in the city of Gasteiz.

Okajima Japanese
From Japanese 岡 (oka) meaning "hill, ridge" and 島 (shima) meaning "island".

Okashima Japanese
岡 (Oka) means "ridge, hill" and 島 (shima) means "island".

Okatani Japanese
Oka means "ridge, hill" and tani means "valley".

Okayama Japanese
From Japanese 岡 (oka) meaning "hill, ridge" and 山 (yama) meaning "mountain".

Okitani Japanese
Oki could mean "open sea", or it could be spelled as o meaning "big, great", and tani meaning "valley".

Okocimski Polish
This indicates familial origin within the Lesser Polish village of Okocim.

Okroj Kashubian
The name has been in existence in the Kashubian region for centuries.

Okutani Japanese
Oku means inside, interior" and tani means "valley".

Okuyama Japanese
From Japanese 奥 (oku) meaning "inside" and 山 (yama) meaning "mountain, hill".

Olabeaga Basque
From the name of a neighbourhood in the city of Bilbao in Biscay, Basque Country, derived from Basque ola "factory, foundry, ironworks" and -be "lower part" combined with -aga "place of, group of".

Oldenhave Dutch
From the name of a small village in the province of Drenthe, Holland, composed of Dutch oud and hoeve, meaning "old farm".

Oldham English
Habitational name from Oldham in Lancashire. The placename derives from Old English ald "old" and Old Norse holmr "island water meadow" or eald "old" and ham "farmstead" meaning either "old lands" or "old farm".

Olissaar Estonian
Olissaar is an Estonian surname possibly derived from "õli" meaning "oil/fat" and "saar" meaning "island".

Olloki Basque (Rare)
From the name of a village in Navarre, Spain, derived from Basque oilo "chicken, hen".

Ölund Swedish
Combination of Swedish ö "island" and lund "groove".

Omtzigt Dutch
Derived from Dutch omzicht meaning "cautious, careful, circumspection", ultimately from the verb omzien meaning "to look around". It may have originated in a Dutch village with several farms named Omzicht, or as a nickname for a cautious person... [more]

Ōmura Japanese
From Japanese 大 (ō) meaning "big, great" and 村 (mura) meaning "town, village".

Öngo Estonian
Öngo is an Estonian surname, possibly derived from "õng", meaning "fishing rod/pole" or from the village of Õngu in Hiiu County.

Onidi Italian
Denoting someone from Onida, a former village.

Onstenk Dutch
Derived from a place name, ultimately composed of on- "un-, bad" and stede "city, town" combined with the possessive suffix -ink.

Oosthuizen South African
Came from a village in the Dutch province of North Holland.

Ootani Japanese
From Japanese 大 (oo) meaning "big" and 谷 (tani) meaning "valley".

Oppegård Norwegian
Habitational name meaning "upper farm". Derived from Old Norse uppi "upper" and garðr "farm, yard". This was the name of several farmsteads in Norway. ... [more]

Orbison English
From a village in Lincolnshire, England originally called Orby and later Orreby that is derived from a Scandinavian personal name Orri- and the Scandinavian place element -by which means "a farmstead or small settlement."

Orczy Hungarian
Was the surname of a family of Hungarian nobility (including Baroness Emmuska Orczy, author of *The Scarlet Pimpernel*) originating from the village Orczi (now called Orci).

Org Estonian
Org is an Estonian surname meaning "valley".

Orgla Estonian
Orgla is an Estonian surname meaning "valley area".

Orgmaa Estonian
Orgmaa is an Estonian surname meaning "valley land".

Orgmets Estonian
Orgmets is an Estonian surname meaning "valley forest".

Orgussaar Estonian
Orgussaar is an Estonian surname meaning "valley island".

Orleans French
From Orléans, a city in France sieged by the English in 1429. Orléans is derived from Aurelianum, meaning "of Aurelius" in Latin.

Ornstein Jewish
Ornamental name composed of a variant of Horn (in regions where Yiddish has no h) + stein ‘stone’.

Orro Estonian
Orro is an Estonian surname, probably derived from the prefix "oro-", relating to "hill" ("mäe") and "mountain" ("mägi"); "mountainous" or "hilly".

Ortman German
The surname Ortman was first found in Silesia, where the name emerged after the 14th century, where it was related to the name "Ertmar"; this name is also reflected in the place name Erdmannsdorf, found in both Saxony and Silesia... [more]

Oru Estonian
Oru is an Estonian surname derived from "org" meaning "valley".

Orujärv Estonian
Orujärv is an Estonian surname meaning "valley lake".

Orumaa Estonian
Orumaa is an Estonian surname derived from "org ("valley") and "maa" ("land").

Orusaar Estonian
Orusaar is an Estonian surname meaning "valley island".

Orusalu Estonian
Orusalu is an Estonian surname meaning "valley grove".

Oruvee Estonian
Oruvee is an Estonian surname meaning "valley water".

Oryschak Ukrainian
Refers to someone from the village of Oryshkivsti in Ternopil Oblast in present-day Western Ukraine.

Osafune Japanese
"Osafune" (長船) is a Japanese surname. It originates from the Osafune area in Japan, which historically was known for producing swords during the feudal period. The name "Osafune" itself doesn't have a specific meaning, but it's associated with the renowned sword-making tradition of the region... [more]

Osame Japanese
From Japanese 納 (osame), a variant spelling of 納め (osame) meaning "to pay fees, to supply, to store, to complete, to restore".... [more]

Osanai Japanese
From Japanese 小 (o) meaning "small", 山 (san) meaning "mountain" and 内 (nai) meaning "inside".

Osaragi Japanese (Rare)
From Japanese 大仏 (Osaragi), a variant reading of 大仏 (Daibutsu), a clipping of 大仏ケ谷 (Daibutsugayatsu), a former name for the area of Hase in the city of Kamakura in the prefecture of Kanagawa in Japan.

Osaragi Japanese (Rare)
From Japanese 大仏 (Osaragi), sound- and script-changed from 若木 (Osanagi), a clipping of 若木山 (Osanagiyama) meaning "Osanagi Mountain", a mountain in the city of Higashine in the prefecture of Yamagata in Japan.

Osaragi Japanese (Rare)
From Japanese 大仏 (osaragi), from Old Japanese オホソレキ (ohosoreki), from オホ (oho) meaning "great; large", ソレ (sore) meaning "slash-and-burn cultivation" , and キ (ki) meaning "place", referring to a place in the mountains that had been slash-and-burn cultivated.

Osato Japanese
O means "big" and sato means "hamlet, village, town".

Ōshima Japanese
From Japanese 大 (o) meaning "big, great" and 島 or 嶋 (shima) meaning "island".

Osowski m Polish
Habititional surname for someone from a village called Osowa, derived from Polish osowy meaning "aspen" (the type of tree).

Ossoliński Polish
This indicates familial origin within the Lesser Polish village of Ossolin.

Østby Norwegian
Habitational name from farmsteads in Norway named Østby or Austby. Derived from Old Norse aust "east" and býr "farm, village".

Österdahl Swedish
Derived from Swedish öst meaning "east" and dahl meaning "valley."

Ostrander Dutch (Americanized)
Possibly an altered form of van Nostrand "from Nordstrand", a former island in Germany.

Öström Swedish
Combination of Swedish ö "island" and ström "stream, river".

Ostrow Polish (Americanized)
From any of several places called Ostrów (island), or Jewish-American shortened form of Ostrowski.

Otamendi Basque
From Basque ota meaning "foothill" or "low hill" and mendi meaning "mountain."

Ōtani Japanese
From Japanese 大 (ō) meaning "big, great" and 谷 (tani) meaning "valley".

Otxaran Basque (Rare)
From the name of a neighborhood in the municipality of Zalla, Spain, derived from Basque otso "wolf" and (h)aran "valley".

Ou Chinese
From Chinese 欧 (ōu) referring to Mount Sheng in present-day Huzhou, China. According to legend, this name (along with the compound name Ouyang containing this character) was adopted by the descendants of a prince from the Yue state who settled in the area around the mountain.

Oudeland Dutch
Habitational name from places called Oudeland in the Netherlands, or perhaps the village of Oudelande in the Dutch province of Zeeland. Their names mean "old land" in Dutch.

Oudshoorn Dutch
From the name of a former village in South Holland, Netherlands, derived from Out, a Middle Dutch diminutive of the given name Otgar, and hoorn "horn; corner, protruding bend (of a river)"... [more]

Oueslati Arabic (Maghrebi)
Habitational name for someone from the village of Oueslatia in northern Tunisia.

Ouyang Chinese
From Chinese 歐 (ōu) referring to Mount Sheng in present-day Huzhou, China, combined with 陽 (yáng) meaning "southern face (of a mountain)". The name supposedly originated with a prince of the Yue state that settled in the area surrounding the mountain... [more]

Övall Swedish (Rare)
Combination of Swedish ö "island" and vall "wall, pasture, field of grass".

Ovalle Galician
Galician topographic name from o vale ‘the valley’ (Latin uallis, ualles).

Ovenden English
A habitational name perhaps derived from Ovingdean (Sussex) or Ovenden (Yorkshire)... [more]

Overholser German (Swiss)
The Oberholtzer family originated in the Swiss village of Oberholtz, south of Zurich, before the 15th century. However, in 1661, one family left Switzerland for the Palatinate in Germany.

Owari Japanese
From Japanese 終 (owa) meaning “last, to finish” and 里 (ri) meaning “village, the home of one’s parents, hometown”. The latter character is also an archaic Japanese unit of area.

Oxendine English
From an English place name meaning "valley of the oxen", which was derived from Old English oxa "ox" (genitive plural oxena) and denu "valley".

Oxford English
Habitational name from the city of Oxford. The placename derives from Old English oxa "ox" and ford "ford".

Øy Norwegian
From Norwegian øy meaning "island".

Oyama Japanese
From the Japanese 大 (o) "big" and 山 (yama) "mountain."

Oyamada Japanese
O means "small", yama means "mountain", da is a form of ta meaning "field, wilderness, rice paddy".

Øyen Norwegian
Means "the island" in Norwegian.

Ożga m Polish (Polonized, Modern)
The Polish surname Ozga, originating in the 15th century, derives from the Polish word "ozga," denoting a young tree or sapling, especially a willow. Variations such as "Ożga" reflect regional dialectal differences and linguistic shifts... [more]

Özil Turkish
From Turkish words Öz meaning "core", "essence", "pure" and Il meaning "city", "province".

Pačariz Bosnian
Derived from Turkish "paçariz" meaning "damage, difficulty, or mess" ... [more]

Pagán Spanish
Castilianized spelling of Catalan Pagà, from the Late Latin personal name Paganus, which originally meant "dweller in an outlying village" (see Paine).

Pähklimägi Estonian
Pähklimägi is an Estonian surname meaning "nutty mountain".

Pahlavi Persian
Means "hero, champion, athletic, strong man", a variant of Pahlavan. It could also refer to a person who came from Parthia, a historical region situated in present-day Iran and Turkmenistan, derived from Persian پهلو (pahlaw) meaning "Parthian, person from Parthia"... [more]

Paiton English
Locational surname derived from the village of Peyton in Essex, England; Variant of Peyton

Pająkowski Polish
This indicates familial origin within the Lesser Polish village of Pająków.

Pakarati Rapa Nui
This name was from a given name before it became a surname due to the Rapanui adopting Catholic names as first names and making their original first names their surnames. This surname was the most common Rapanui surname from 1937-1996... [more]

Palermo Italian
From the name of the capital city in Sicily.

Pallominy Italian
Old surname first used in northern Italy,was derived from the old latin word "palominus", used to refer to a yellowish horse. The lastname Pallominy, originally spelled "Pallomini", was used to denote a heard of those horses in the medieval Italy ( circa 1350 AD), more especifically in the city of Florence and its surroundings.

Palmberg Swedish
Combination of Swedish palm "palm tree" and berg "mountain".

Palmsaar Estonian
Palmsaar is an Estonian surname meaning "palm island".

Palola Finnish
Probably from Palo, the name of many Finnish villages or palo meaning "fire" and the suffix -la signifying a place.

Paluchowski Polish
This indicates familial origin within the Lesser Polish village of Paluchów.

Palumäe Estonian
Palumäe is an Estonian surname meaning "heath woodland hill/mountain".

Palusaar Estonian
Palusaar is an Estonian surname meaning "sandy heath/heathy woodland island".

Pamireddy Indian, Telugu
From the name of the village of Pamidi in Andhra Pradesh, India, combined with Telugu రెడ్డి (reddi) meaning "village headman". The village's name means "snake killer" from Telugu పాము (pamu) meaning "snake, serpent".

Panbal Punjabi
The surname Panbal is predominantly associated within the Sikh Jatt community. The surname "Panbal" is a distinctive Punjabi Jatt surname rooted in the region of Punjab, specifically associated with Pandori Ganga Singh in Hoshiarpur district... [more]

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

Parajuli Nepali
From the name of a village in Dailekh District called Parajul.

Parenteau French (Rare), French (Quebec)
Diminutive of Parent. In France, this name is predominantly found in the Poitou-Charentes region.

Parley English
A place name meaning "pear field" from Old English 'per' with 'lee' or 'lea' meaning a field or clearing, perhaps where land was cleared to cultivate pear trees. Therefore this name denotes someone who lived near or worked at such a location or came from a habitation associated with the name... [more]

Passi Italian, Medieval Italian
The surname Passi was first found in the town of Mugello, with the Passerini family who moved south to Florence in the 10th century. Terranova dei Passerini is a comune in the Province of Lodi in the Italian region Lombardy about 50 kilometres (31 miles) southeast of Milan.... [more]

Peabody English
Probably from a nickname for a showy dresser, from Middle English pe "peacock" (see Peacock) and body "body, person". Alternatively it may be from the name of a Celtic tribe meaning "mountain men" from Brythonic pea "large hill, mountain" combined with Boadie, the tribe's earlier name, which meant "great man" (or simply "man") among the Briton and Cambri peoples... [more]

Pećanac Serbian
Habitational name for someone from the village of Peći, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Pedemonte Italian
Variant of Piemonte, Means "at the foot of the mountains"... [more]

Peerna Estonian
Peerna is an Estonian surname, possibly derived from the city of Pärnu in Pärnu County.

Peia Italian
Village in Italy

Pelisaar Estonian
Pelisaar is an Estonian surname meaning "capstan/windlass island".

Pendarvis English (American)
The American English spelling of the Cornish surname Pendarves. Ultimately, the surname is traced back to Pendarves Island, Cornwall.

Penry Welsh, Cornish, English
Derived from Welsh ap Henry meaning "son of Henry". It is also a variant of Pendray, which is derived from a place name in Cornwall meaning "top of the village" in Middle Cornish... [more]

Perello Catalan (Balearic), Catalan
Perello is a Catalan surname linked to regions like Catalonia and the Balearic Islands in Spain, often associated with "pear tree" or specific locations named Perello.

Perham English
A variation of the English name Parham, based on the village of Parham (one in county Suffolk, another in county Sussex). From the Old English peru, meaning "pear" (the fruit), and ham, meaning "homestead".

Periz Gascon
Periz is a Gascon surname. It's a native of the region of Gascony (Guyenne). Its signification is Descendant of Peter (Also is The family of Peter). In the French languaje is Pierre. It's a surname of the Christian inspiration and alludes to St... [more]

Perminov Russian
Indicated a person from the Russian city of Perm, of Uralic origin meaning "faraway land".

Pernier Italian
A famous bearer is the Italian archaeologist Luigi Pernier (1874 - 1937), who discovered the mysterious Phaistos disc on the Greek island of Crete.

Perpich English (American)
Americanized spelling of Croatian and Serbian Prpić. Prporuše was a term denoting young girls who, in the dry season, would visit houses in the village and pray for rain.

Persia Italian, Spanish
Ethnic name or regional name for someone from Persia (modern-day Iran) or some other country with Persian-speaking peoples or a nickname for someone who had visited or traded with one of these countries (see the given name Persis)... [more]

Persky Belarusian, Lithuanian, Jewish
Derived from the village of Pershai in the Valozhyn District of Belarus, or the place named Perki in Lithuania.

Pesto Italian
1. Etymology:... [more]

Petraliphas Greek
The surname is composed of the name Petros and the city Alifa in Campania, Italy. The surname was held by a Byzantine-Italian family in Epirus.

Pew Welsh
From Welsh ap Hew or ap Hugh "son of Hugh" (see Pugh). A fictional bearer is Blind Pew, the blind pirate in Robert Louis Stevenson's 'Treasure Island' (1883).

Pico Spanish
meaning beak of a bird, or peak of a mountain in spanish... [more]

Pidluzhnyi m Ukrainian
Denoted to someone from the village of Pidluzhne

Pietrafesa Italian
The derivation of the name Pietrafesa comes from the cracked aspect of the mountain on which it rose. In Italian "Pietra" mean Rock and "-fesa" comes from the Italian word fessura meaning cracked.... [more]

Pihlakas Estonian
Pihlakas is an Estonian surname meaning "rowan" or "mountain ash".

Pihlapuu Estonian
Pihlapuu is an Estonian surname meaning "rowan/mountain ash tree".

Pihlasalu Estonian
Pihlasalu is an Estonian surname meaning "rowan/mountain ash grove".

Piirimäe Estonian
Piirimäe is an Estonian surname meaning "border mountain".

Piirisaar Estonian
Piirisaar is an Estonian surname meaning "border island".

Pikalov m Russian
Means "from Pikalovo, Pikalevo, Pikalev" or other similar sounding places. These are the names of various Russian villages.

Pikamäe Estonian
Pikamäe is an Estonian surname meaning "long hill/mountain".

Piñal Spanish
Surname whose house was in Hoz de Anero, in the City council of Ribamontán al Monte (Santander).

Pinochet Basque, French, Spanish
Derived from Basque pinoche meaning "pine cone". Alternately, it could be derived from the name of the hamlet of Pinouchet, located in the Gironde department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of France... [more]

Pinoy Tagalog, Filipino
Relating to the Philippine Islands or the Filipinos.

Pirhadi Persian
Either from Persian پیر (pir) meaning "old" combined with Hadi or from the name of the Persian village of Pirhadi.

Pisa Italian
Habitational name from the city of Pisa in Tuscany. The city was probably founded by Greek colonists, but before coming under Roman control it was in the hands of the Etruscans, who probably gave it its name... [more]

Pláňsker Czech (Rare, Archaic), Slovak (Rare, Archaic), German (Rare, Archaic)
Originating from Bohemia, a region between The Czech Republic and Germany. The name means "forest clearing", Pláň: forest, sker: clearing. It is a very rare last name with only about 20 holders of it.

Plevneliev Bulgarian
From the Bulgarian name for the Greek village of Petroussa (called Plevnya in Bulgarian), itself derived from Bulgarian плевня (plevnya) meaning "barn". A notable bearer is Bulgarian president Rosen Plevneliev (1964-).

Pliev Ingush (Russified), Ossetian (Russified)
Russified form of an Ingush and Ossetian name, which is derived from the name of an Ingush teip (clan). The name itself comes from Plievo, the name of a village in Ingushetia, which means "village of the sons of Pkhile", referring to a given name possibly derived from Ossetian пыл (pyl) meaning "elephant".

Po Italian
Derived from Po the longest river in Italy (651,8 km). It flows eastward across northern Italy starting from the Cottian Alps across the regions: Piemonte, Lombardia, Emilia-Romagna and Veneto... [more]

Podolski Polish
Refers to a region named Podolia in Ukraine.

Põdramägi Estonian
Põdramagi is an Estonian surname meaning "moose mountain".

Pogonowski Polish
This indicates familial origin within either of 2 Lesser Polish villages.

Pokharel Nepali
Derived from the city of Pokhara in Nepal.

Põldmäe Estonian
Põldmäe is an Estonian surname meaning "field hill/mountain".

Põldsaar Estonian
Põldsaar is an Estonian surname meaning "field island".

Politis Greek
Politis derives from the Greek word polis, which means 'city'. Therefore Politis means 'citizen'. According to some historians people with this surname have ancestors who came from Constantinople, which was commonly called Polis in the Byzantine era.

Polli Estonian
Possibly derived from the name of a village in Estonia, which may be related to põld "field".

Pollusaar Estonian (Anglicized, Rare)
Means "field island" in Estonian.

Polychronakis Greek
The suffix 'akis' indicates that this name comes from the island of Crete. The precise meaning is unknown, though it is theorised that, as 'poly' means "many" or "much" and 'chron' might be supposed to come from the same root as 'Chronos' meaning "time", the name means "much time" or "long time".

Poortvliet Dutch
From the name of the village and former municipality called Poortvliet in the province of Zeeland in the Netherlands, derived from Middle Dutch port meaning "port, harbour, storage yard, city" and vliet meaning "brook, stream, river, creek, inlet"... [more]

Port English, German, French
Either from Middle English porte "gateway, entrance" (Old French porte, from Latin porta), hence a topographic name for someone who lived near the gates of a fortified town or city, or for the gatekeeper... [more]

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

Portugal Spanish, Portuguese, English, Catalan, French, Jewish
Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, English, French, and Jewish surname meaning ethnic name or regional name for someone from Portugal or who had connections with Portugal. The name of the country derives from Late Latin Portucale, originally denoting the district around Oporto (Portus Cales, named with Latin portus ‘port’, ‘harbor’ + Cales, the ancient name of the city)... [more]

Potocki Polish
This indicates familial origin within the Lesser Polish village of Potok, Gmina Szydłów.

Pottier French
A variant of the french word for potter, potier.... [more]

Potulicki Polish
This indicates familial origin within either of 3 Greater Polish villages named Potulice.

Powroznik Polish
Derived from Powroźnik, a village in Nowy Sącz County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, southern Poland.

Poznanski Polish, Jewish
Habitational name from the city of Poznan in west-central Poland, or possibly from other places of this name, in Katowice and Siedlce voivodeships.

Pratley English
Originates from a now "lost" medieval village believed to have been in the south east of England.

Presley Scottish
From Persley, a small Scottish hamlet on the River Don, Aberdeenshire, now a suburb of the much larger city of Aberdeen, named perhaps with the Pictish word *pres-, meaning 'bushes' or 'undergrowth'.... [more]

Preve Italian
Derives from the Latin "presbyter" with the meaning of "Older". Abundant in the Piedmont region.

Preve Italian
From Greek "πρεσβύτερος" (presbyteros), via Latin "presbyter" with the meaning of "The Old One".... [more]

Pridonov Russian
The surname Pridonov is derived from a nickname. It contains an indication of the place of residence of the ancestor: "at the Don, i.e. on the Don River". The river named Don flows not only in the European part of Russia, but also in Scotland (the city of Aberdon is located on it) and in France (a tributary of the Vilena).

Procida Italian
Habitational name from Procida, one of the Flegrean Islands off the coast of Naples in southern Italy.

Prontzos Greek
Originally cattle breeders located in the Parnon mountains, the name derives from its original form, Prountzos, which means red faced ancestor, or bronzed face. It eventually got its current form as the centuries went by.

Providence English
From the name of the capital city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island, derived from Middle English providence meaning "divine guidance, care", ultimately from Latin providentia.

Prusinowski Polish (Rare)
Habitational name for someone from any of various Polish places called Prusinow, Prusinowo, or Prusinowice, named with the ethnic name Prus, meaning 'village of the Prussians'.

Przespolewski Polish
This indicates familial origin within either of 2 Greater Polish villages in Gmina Ceków-Kolonia: Przespolew Pański or Przespolew Kościelny.

Puentes Spanish
Means "bridges" in Spanish. Originated from "puente". The surname was first found in the valley of the Trucios in the Basque region of Spain.However, families with this surname have been present in Catalonia for hundreds of years... [more]

Puhasmägi Estonian
Puhasmägi is an Estonian surname meaning "pure mountain".

Puigdemont Catalan
Means "top of the hill" or "peak of the mountain". It is derived from Catalan puig meaning "hill, peak" combined with either damunt meaning "on top, above", or munt (a diminutive of muntanya) meaning "mountain", using the preposition d'... [more]

Puławski Polish
It indicates familial origin within the eponymous Lesser Polish city.

Pulow German
Pulow is the name of a small village in the northeast of Germany. There is also a lake with the same name.

Punongbayan Tagalog
From Tagalog punong bayan meaning "mayor, chief (of a city)".

Purzycki Polish
This indicates familial origin within either of 3 Masovian villages: Purzyce, Purzyce-Rozwory, or Purzyce-Trojany.

Pusey English
Habitational name from Pusey in Oxfordshire (formerly in Berkshire), so called from Old English peose, piosu ‘pea(s)’ + ēg ‘island’, ‘low-lying land’, or from Pewsey in Wiltshire, recorded in Domesday Book as Pevesie, apparently from the genitive case of an Old English personal name Pefe, not independently attested + Old English ēg ‘island’.

Puttick English (British)
A variant spelling of the Sussex surname Puttock from the Village of Puttock, which itself derives from the Old English "Puttocke" a bird of prey, the kite. ... [more]

Pyrgos Greek
Means "tower" in Greek. Pyrgos is a city in the northwestern Peloponnese, Greece, capital of the regional unit of Elis.

Qiao Chinese
From Chinese 乔 (qiáo) referring to Qiao Shan, a mountain in present-day Shaanxi province where the legendary king Huang Di was supposedly buried.

Quested English (British)
English surname of uncertain origin, possibly derived from the lost village of Questers.

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

Quezon Filipino
Meaning uncertain, possibly a variant of Quizon or from Hokkien 郭孫 (keh-sun) derived from 郭 (keh) meaning "outer city" and 孫 (sun) meaning "grandchild"... [more]

Rabsztyński Polish
This indicates familial origin within the Lesser Polish village of Rabsztyn.

Radley English
From rēadlēah meaning "red clearing". Radley is a village and civil parish in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, England.

Radoliński Polish
This indicates familial origin within the Greater Polish village of Radolin.

Rafford Scottish, English
From a village called Rafford in Moray, Scotland. The surname itself is derived from Gaelic rath meaning "fort, dwelling", and ford reffering to a river crossing.

Ragsdale English
Apparently an English habitational name from Ragdale in Leicestershire, which is probably named from Old English hraca "gully", "narrow pass" + dæl "valley", "dale".

Ragusa Italian
Habitational name from Ragusa in Sicily, or from the ancient city of Dubrovnik on the Dalmatian coast of Croatia (Italian name Ragusa).

Rahamägi Estonian
Rahamägi is an Estonian surname meaning "money mountain".

Rahn Low German
From the slavic tribe of the Rani on the island of Rügen.

Rahumägi Estonian
Rahumägi is an Estonian surname meaning "peace(ful) mountain".

Rahusaar Estonian
Rahusaar is an Estonian surname meaning "reef island".

Raider English
Taken from a village called "Rait".

Rajasaar Estonian
Rajasaar is an Estonian surname meaning "border island" or "storm island".

Rambo Swedish (Rare), Norwegian (Rare)
Combination of Norwegian and (dialectal) Swedish ramn "raven" and bo meaning either "dweller, inhabitant" or "home, nest". Peter Gunnarsson Rambo (1611-1698) was one of the first Swedish immigrants to the United States in the 17th century and considered to be the father of the settlement New Sweden in Pennsylvania... [more]

Ramsamy Indian (Gallicized), French (African)
Contracted form of Ramasamy, found on the island of Mauritius.

Ramsbottom English
Habitational name from a market town called Ramsbottom in Greater Manchester, England (historically in Lancashire), derived from Old English hramsa meaning "wild garlic" or ramm "ram", and bothm meaning "bottom, bottom valley".

Rannamäe Estonian
Rannamäe is an Estonian surname meaning "inshore hill/mountain".

Rannikmäe Estonian
Rannikmäe is an Estonian surname meaning "beach/coastal hill/mountain".

Rantavuori Finnish (Rare)
Means Mountain By The Beach/Bay

Rapu Rapa Nui
People with this surname have a connection to the Rapa Nui Ngaure clan. Rapu is the surname of Rapanui insurrection leader and mayor of Rapa Nui aka Easter Island Alfonso Rapu (1942) who led a revolt against the Chilean government in 1965... [more]

Rasband American (Americanized, Rare)
This name is not a very common family name found in the United States. The first Rasband (Thomas) coming to the U.S. arrived in New Orleans on the ship North Atlantic on 1 November 1850 and arrived in Salt Lake City, Utah on 13 August 1856... [more]

Ratzinger German
Ratzinger means that someone has origins in the town of Ratzing. There are several German towns with this name. RATZ means ‘Serb’. Serbs were indigenous people in Germany, and many German cities originally had Serbian names (Berlin, Dresden, Leipzig, Brandenburg)... [more]

Ravenscar English (British)
From a coastal village with the same name, located in the Scarborough district of North Yorkshire, England.

Ravenswaaij Dutch
From the name of a village in Gelderland, Netherlands, meaning "Raven’s ford", derived from the personal name Raven combined with Old Dutch wade "ford, shallows", later reinterpreted as Middle Dutch way "pool, kolk lake".

Reddish English
This surname is derived from a geographical locality. 'of Reddish,' a village near Stockport, Cheshire.

Reddy Telugu
Means "village headman" in Telugu.

Rédey Hungarian
Indicated a person from Kisréde or Nagyréde, a village in Hungary.

Redgrave English
From the name of a village and civil parish in Suffolk, England, derived from Old English hrēod meaning "reed" or rēad "red", and græf meaning "pit, ditch" or grāf "grove"... [more]

Reichenberg German, Jewish
Habitational name from various places named Reichenberg in several different areas of Germany. As an ornamental name, it is composed of German reich(en) meaning "rich" and berg meaning "mountain, hill".

Relyea German, French (Anglicized)
Altered spelling of southern German and French Rellier, or probably a regional variant of Swiss German Reller, especially in the western provinces of Austria... [more]

Renberg Swedish
Combination of Swedish ren "reindeer" and berg "mountain". The first element might also be derived from a place name.

Rensenbrink Dutch
Possibly derived from the given name Rens (a short form of Laurens, Emerens, Reinaart, Reinier and other names) combined with Dutch brink meaning "village green, edge, slope"... [more]

Requião Portuguese
Derived from the name of a village in Vila Nova de Famalicão, Portugal, ultimately from the name of Rechila, a 5th-century Suevic king of Gallaecia.

Reus German
Topographic name from Middle High German riuse "fish trap", or from a regional term reuse meaning "small stream, channel".

Reus Catalan
From the name of a city in Catalonia, Spain.

Rheims French
From the city of Reims in France, also known as Rheims in English.

Rhode American
Comes from the state 'Rhode Island' in America

Ribchester English
This name originates from the small village in Lancashire that shares the same name. Interestingly, most people with the name 'Ribchester' are in Lancashire, but a lot are also found in Newcastle Upon Tyne.

Rich English
Derived from the name of a (former) village in Lincolnshire, England named with the Old English element ric "stream, drainage channel".

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

Riesenberg German
Topographic name for someone who lived by a big mountain, from Middle High German rise meaning "giant" and berg meaning "mountain".

Riesenberg German
Topographic name for someone who lived by a big mountain, derived from Middle High German rise meaning "giant" and berg meaning "mountain".

Rieser Swiss, German
Alemannic form of Reiser. A habitational name for someone from Ries near Passau. Alemannic variant of Rüsser and Rüser, a variant of Reusser... [more]

Rifi Moroccan
Habitational name from the region of Rif.

Rimes English
Originally denoted one who came from the city of Reims in the Grand Est region of France, or a topographic name for someone who lived in a thickly wooded area, derived from Old French ramel (a diminutive of raim) meaning "branch", ultimately from Latin ramus... [more]

Ringelberg German
From the mountain on which sat Castle Ringel.

Riola Italian
Regional variant of Riolo.

Ripamonti Italian
From ripa "bank, shore" and monte "mountain".

Riroroko Rapa Nui
Riroroko is a surname that comes from the Miru Rapa Nui clan. This was concerning the Riro portion the name of a ariki "king" on Easter Island who succeeded Atamu Tekena. Riro was part of the Miru clan... [more]

Ritchings French, German, English
This surname has at least three distinct separate origins. ... [more]

Roascio Italian (Rare)
Derived from Roascio, the name of a municipality in the province of Cuneo in the Piedmont region of Italy. The meaning of the municipality's name is uncertain, but since it is located in Piedmont and known as Roass in the Piedmontese language, the etymological origin of the name is most likely Piedmontese... [more]

Roasio Italian
This surname originates from the Piedmont region of Italy. It is most likely derived from Roasio, which is the name of a municipality in that same region. The meaning of the municipality's name is uncertain, but since it is located in Piedmont and known as Roaso in the Piedmontese language, the etymological origin of the name is most likely Piedmontese... [more]

Rochester English
Habitational name from one of three places in Northumberland called Rochester, with names whose early spellings are very similar and sometimes difficult to distinguish from each other... [more]

Rockett French
From the French "la roche," or "of the rock." Some family histories trace this back to French Hugenots (sp) who immigrated to England in the 1500's from the Normandy region of France.

Rødahl Norwegian, Danish (Rare)
From Norwegian and Danish rød meaning "red" and dahl meaning "valley, dale".

Roffey English
There are two small villages named "Roffey". One in England, near Horsham, and one in France, Burgundy. The name is of Norman orgin. First mentioned in (surviving English documents) in 1307 when a George Roffey buys a house... [more]

Rogin Jewish
Habitational name from any of various villages named Rogi or from Rogin, all in Belarus.

Rokuyama Japanese (Rare)
Means "6 mountains" in Japanese.

Romaña Spanish
Habitational name from the Italian city of Romagna.

Romansky Czech, Slovak, Polish, Russian
In Czech and Slovak usage, it is a habitational name from Romanov, a village in central Bohemia. In Polish usage, it is a habitational name for someone from any of several places in Poland called Romany, named with the personal name Roman... [more]