SalgadoGalician, Portuguese Nickname for a witty person, from Galician or Portuguese salgado meaning "salty" (figuratively "witty, sharp").
SaliernoItalian Possibly denotes someone from the city Salerno.
SalmDutch Denoted a person from any of various places called Salm. It could also derive from Dutch zalm meaning "salmon", referring to someone who lived near a sign depicting them, or to someone who fished for salmon.
SamaniegoBasque, Spanish Habitational name from a town and municipality in Álava, Basque Country, of uncertain etymology.
SaralegiBasque Habitational name of uncertain etymology. Possibly derived from Basque sarale "hay, dry grass, livestock feed" combined with either tegi "stable, pen, enclosure", -(t)egi "place of", or possibly (h)egi "slope, hillside; edge, border".
SarracinoItalian From Neapolitan sarracino, meaning "Saracen", a term used to refer to a variety of ethnic and religious groups, including a nomadic people from Sinai, Muslims, and pirates from the Mediterranean.
ScafataItalian Possibly denoting someone from the Italian town Scafati, from Latin scapha "skiff, light boat". Alternately, may be from Italian scafare "to husk peas", either literally referring to someone's occupation, or from the figurative meaning of "to make more confident; alert, shrewd".
ScanagattaItalian Probably means "cat killer", from Italian scannare "to slaughter, to cut the throat of" and gatto "cat", with the figurative meaning of "cheat, scoundrel". (Compare Pelagatti)... [more]
ScanarottiItalian Meaning uncertain, possibly a nickname given to a boastful person.
ScanavaccaItalian Possibly an occupational name for a butcher, from scannare "to slaughter, to cut the throat of" and vacca "cow".
ScanavinoItalian Meaning uncertain, possibly related to scanalare "to cut a groove, to plough" and vino "wine".
ScannabissiItalian Possibly from scannare "to slaughter, to cut the throat of" and biscio "snake". Alternately, the first element may be from an archaic form of zanna, "tooth (of an animal)".
ScannapiecoItalian Occupational name for a butcher, from scannare "to slaughter, to cut the throat of" and piecuro "sheep, lamb".
ScannellaItalian Possibly from Italian scannellare "to channel, to cut a groove", itself from Latin scamnum "ridge (of earth formed by plowing)".
SchaalGerman, Dutch, French, Jewish Either a nickname for a braggart or a market crier, (derived from Middle High German schal meaning "noise, bragging"), an occupational name for someone who made dishes for scales and vessels for drinking, (from Middle Low German and Dutch schale "dish"), a habitational name from Schaala in Thuringia or the Schaalsee lake near Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, or a topographic name for someone living on marshy land, (from Dutch schald "shallow")... [more]
SchaapDutch Means "sheep" in Dutch, an occupational name for a shepherd. Alternatively, it could be a nickname for someone who looked or behaved like a sheep in some way, or who lived by a sign depicting a sheep.
SchachtGerman, Flemish From Middle Low German and Middle Dutch schacht "shaft; pole, tunnel", a metonymic occupational name for someone who made shafts for tools or weapons, or who worked in a mineshaft.
SchadeGerman, Dutch From schade "damage, injury", a derivative of schaden "to do damage, harm, hurt", generally a nickname for a thug or clumsy person, or, more particularly, a robber knight, who raided others’ lands.
SchalkGerman, Dutch From Old High German scalc "servant, retainer, jester", which eventually evolved to mean "joker, rogue, knave". Could be an occupational name for an attendant or jester, a nickname for someone mischievous, or derived from a given name containing scalc as an element, such as Godschalk.
SchankweilerGerman From the name of a German municipality, derived from Schank "bar, pub, tavern" and Weiler "hamlet".
SchaumburgGerman, Belgian Habitational name from any of the places called Schaumburg or Schauenburg in Germany, or Schauwberg in Brabant, Belgium. Derived from schūm "slag, cinder" and burg "mountain, hill".
ScheepensDutch From Middle Dutch schēpen "alderman", a member of a municipal council.
SchiazzaItalian From chiazza "stain, blot", perhaps given to someone with a prominent birthmark. Might also from a regional dialect, meaning "piazza, town square".
SchildGerman, Dutch Occupational name for a maker or painter of shields, from Middle High German, Middle Dutch schilt "shield".
SchildJewish From German Schild "shield" or "(house) sign", applied either as an ornamental name or as a habitational name for someone who lived in a house distinguished by a sign.
SchilderDutch Means "painter" in Dutch, derived from Middle Dutch schildere "shield painter" (from schilt "shield"), originally denoting someone who painted coats of arms on shields. An occupational name for someone who painted houses, shields, or anything else.
SchillingGerman, Dutch, Jewish Means "shilling (coin)", possibly a nickname for a serf who had paid his rent or fee to his lord for his freedom. It could also be a habitational name derived from Schillingen, a municipality in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany... [more]
SchimmelpfennigGerman From Middle High German schimel "mildew, mould" and pfennic "penny", a nickname for someone who was miserly or stingy with their money, hence it growing mouldy in its purse.
SchinkUpper German Nickname for someone with long or otherwise remarkable legs, from Middle High German schinke "thigh, leg". Compare Schenkel.
SchoenGerman, Jewish From German schön, Middle High German schoene "fine, beautiful; refined, friendly, nice", a nickname for a handsome or pleasant man. As a Jewish name, it’s usually ornamental.
SchoenDutch Means "shoe" in Dutch, an occupational name for a shoemaker.
SchotDutch Name originates from the German name Schott, meaning peddler. Shortened in late 17th century.
SchottlanderGerman, Jewish From German Schottland "Scotland" and, in some cases, denoted an immigrant from Scotland or Ireland. As a Jewish surname, it is most often an ornamental name.
SchrootDutch Possibly an altered form of des Groot via Sgroot, meaning "son of the Groot", itself a byname meaning "great, large". Alternatively, it could be related to schroot "scrap (metal)" or the older scrode "to cut", an occupational name for someone who worked with metal, or perhaps a tailor.
SchruijerDutch Possibly a variant form of Schreier, from Dutch schreien or schreeuwen, meaning "to scream, shout, yell".
SchutzGerman Occupational surname for an archer or a watchman, from Middle High German schützen "to guard, protect". Also a habitational name from Schutz, a place near Trier, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.
SchuurmanDutch Derived from Dutch schuur "barn, shed" and man "person, man".
ScimiaItalian From an archaic form of Italian scimmia "monkey", from Ancient Greek σιμός (simos) "snub-nosed". Has figurative meanings of "drunk" and "imitator, mimic, aper".
ScogginsEnglish Possibly derived from Old Norse skegg meaning "beard".
ScorranoItalian Denotes someone from Scorrano, Italy. Coincides with scorrano "to run, to flow".
ScrogginsEnglish Derived from Middle English scrogge meaning "brushwood", given to someone who lived near a bushy area, or perhaps a nickname for someone with a prickly personality.
ScurtiItalian Possibly from Neapolitan curto "short".
SeamarkEnglish Derived from any of several places in France called Saint-Marc.
SecchiItalian Probably related to Italian secco "thin, dry". May alternately derive from secare "to cut", Sardinian seghi "sixteen", segete "harvest, harvest fodder", or a shortened form of seneche "old, aged".
SeddaItalian From a place name in Sardinia, meaning "top of a mountain". May alternately derive from Sardinian sedda "saddle", indicating the bearer's occupation.
SercombeEnglish Derived from Sharracombe, a former settlement in Devon, England, derived from Old English cumb "valley, hollow" and an uncertain first element – possibly scir "shire, district" or the related scīrgerēfa "sheriff".
SerraoItalian Probably from a dialectical term meaning "closed, shut".
SetteItalian Means "seven". Probably a nickname for the seventh child of a family, though it could derive from a place name containing the element.
SeydouxFrench, French (Swiss), Occitan Derived from the Germanic names Sedulius, Sedulfus or Segedolfus. Another theory suggests Occitan roots; it might be an occupational name for someone who worked with silk, derived from Occitan sedós meaning "silky, soft"... [more]
SeynaeveFlemish Either derived from Old French chenave "hemp", an occupational name for a hemp farmer, or a cognate of German Senft "mustard".
SeysBelgian, Flemish Possibly derived from a pet form of François, or from Middle Dutch cijns "toll, tribute, feudal tax".
ShadeEnglish, Scottish Topographic name for someone who lived near a boundary, from Old English scead "boundary".
ShadeEnglish From Old English sceadu "shadow, wraith", possibly a nickname for a very thin man.
SiddiItalian From the name of a municipality in Sardinia, possibly deriving from Vulgar Latin casilli "huts, farmhouses".
SidduItalian From Sardinian siddu "seal, brand", or the related siddai/re "to seal, to tighten", from which come the phrases 'siddai is dentis' "to grit one's teeth" and 'siddàu siast ingùnis' "may you be sealed there", the latter of which would have been affectionately said to a child that wouldn't stay still.
SikkemaWest Frisian, Dutch Patronymic form of Sikke, a short form of names containing the element sigu "victory", using the Frisian suffix -ma "man of".
SingleEnglish Topographic name derived from Old English sengel meaning "burnt clearing" or "brushwood".
SingleEnglish From Middle English sengle meaning "alone, solitary, unmarried" or "simple, honest, sincere".
SingleGerman Derived from a pet form of a Germanic given name beginning with sing-.
SingletonEnglish Habitational name from either of two villages, one in Lancashire, derived from Old English scingol "shingle, roof tile" and tun "enclosure, yard, town", the other in Sussex, derived from Old English sengel meaning "brushwood" or "burnt clearing".
SirotaRussian From Russian сирота (sirota) "orphan", perhaps given to a foundling, or a nickname for someone who was poorly-dressed.
SjoerdsmaFrisian, Dutch Derived from the Frisian given name Sjoerd combined with the Frisian surname suffix -(s)ma, which is most likely derived from Old Frisian monna meaning "men".
SlaatsDutch Possibly a contracted form of Dutch des laats meaning "the serf", from Middle Dutch laets "serf, bondsman, freedman".
SlackEnglish, Dutch Nickname for an idle person, from Middle Dutch slac "slow, loose", Middle English slak "lazy, careless". Alternatively, the Dutch form could derive from Middle Dutch slecke "snail, slug", with a similar implication of idleness.
SlackEnglish Means "small valley, shallow dell", derived from Old Norse slakki "a slope", a topographic name for someone who lived by such a landform, or a habitational name from one of the places named with this word, for example near Stainland and near Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire.
SlatsDutch Possibly derived from a toponym related to Old Germanic slaut meaning "puddle, pool" or "ditch, channel".
SleegersDutch Older form of modern Dutch slager "butcher" and slachter "slaughterer", derived from Old Germanic *slahaną "to hit, to strike; to kill".
SmoutDutch, Flemish Means "oil, lard, melted animal fat" in Dutch, an occupational name for someone who sold fat or lard, or a nickname for someone who ate – or who could afford to eat – large amounts of food containing it.
SnapperDutch From Middle Dutch snappen meaning "to chatter, babble, snap" or "to snatch, grab, seize", a nickname for a talkative person, or perhaps a thief. Compare Schnapp.
SoderiniItalian Possibly related to French soudoyer "to bribe", referring to paid mercenaries. Alternately, an elaborate form of Sodero.
SoderoItalian Probably related to the Greek name Soter, from Ancient Greek σωτήρ (sōtḗr) meaning "saviour".
SolinasItalian Meaning uncertain; could be related to Latin solum, from which comes Italian suolo "earth, ground, soil" and suola "sole (of the foot or shoe)", or from Italian salina "salt pan, salt marsh".
SorhapuruBasque (Rare) From the name of a village in south-west France Basque Country, possibly derived from sorho "field, cultivated land" and buru "head, top, summit; leader, chief".
SpaansDutch Either a patronymic from the archaic given name Spaan, of uncertain etymology, or an occupational name derived from Middle Dutch spaen "wood chip, piece of wood; spoon, spatula".
SpalloneItalian From spalla "shoulder, back", indicating someone who carried things on their shoulders. The modern translation is "smuggler". Alternately, may be an elaboration of Spalla.
SpecaItalian From a variant of spiga "spike, ear (of grain)"
SpijkDutch Possibly a habitational name from any of several locations called Spijk, derived from Old Dutch spich "headland, spit".
SplendenteItalian From Italian splendente "bright, shining", supposedly given to an infants abandoned at orphanages on sunny days.
SpoorEnglish, Dutch From Middle Dutch and Middle English spoor "spur", an occupational name for a maker or seller of spurs.
SpoorsEnglish From Middle English spoor "spur", an occupational name for someone who made spurs, or perhaps a nickname for someone known for wearing them.
SpringerGerman, English, Dutch, Jewish Nickname for a lively person or for a traveling entertainer, from springen "to jump, to leap". A famous bearer was Ludwig der Springer (AKA Louis the Springer), a medieval Franconian count who, according to legend, escaped from a second or third-story prison cell by jumping into a river after being arrested for trying to seize County Saxony in Germany.
SpringerEnglish An occupational name for a dancer, or perhaps a hunter, from either Old English springen "to leap" or Middle English springe "snare, trap".
StaalDutch From Old Dutch stal meaning "steel", a metonymic occupational name for a steelworker or blacksmith.
StaffieriItalian Means "footman, groom", ultimately from staffa "stirrup".
StaltonEnglish Etymology uncertain. Possibly derived from a place name, as the last element resembles the suffix -ton "town".
StamDutch Means "trunk (of a tree), stem" in Dutch, a nickname for a blocky or heavily built man.
StamponeItalian Meaning uncertain. Possibly from Italian stampare "to print, to stamp", or from Tuscan stampo "tree stump".
StarGerman, Jewish Means "starling (bird)" in German, probably denoting a talkative or perhaps a voracious person. Alternatively, an Anglicized form of Stern 2.
StarDutch Means "stiff, frozen, rigid" in Dutch, from Middle Dutch staer "having a troubled or gloomy expression; tight, stiff", a nickname either for a gloomy person or for someone who was rigid and inflexible.
StegemanDutch Derived from Middle Dutch stēge "lane, alleyway; steep path, slope" and man "person, man".
StegerGerman Means "head miner" or "overman" from the German verb steigen meaning "to climb" or in this case "to lead a climb".
StegerhoekDutch Derived from Old Dutch stega "lane, alleyway; steep path, slope" and huok "corner, angle, hook".
SteinhagenGerman Derived from Old High German stein "stone" and hag "enclosure, hedge, pasture".
SteinhilberGerman Habitational name for someone from Steinhilben, from Old High German stein "stone" and hülwe or hülbe "hollow, depression; pond, puddle".
SteketeeDutch Derived from the biblical Greek word στήκετε (stekete) meaning "I stand (firm)", probably of Protestant or Huguenot origin.
StifterGerman, German (Austrian) Means "founder" in Middle High German, from stiften "to bring about, endow, donate", a name for a tenant farmer on previously unoccupied land, or a habitational name from the related word Stift meaning "endowed monastery, secular convent, church foundation".
StikvoortDutch Derived from Middle Dutch voort "ford" and an uncertain first element; perhaps from a relation of Middle High German stickel "hill, slope".
StockardIrish Variant of Stoker, an occupational name for a trumpeter derived from Gaelic stocaire, an agent derivative of stoc "trumpet, horn". The name is borne by a sept of the McFarlanes.
StokerDutch Means "stoker, one who stokes a fire" or "firestarter, agitator" in Dutch, an occupational name or a nickname for a troublemaker.
StokerScottish, Irish Means "trumpeter", from Scottish Gaelic and Irish stoc "trumpet, bugle, horn".
StolkDutch Contracted form of Stolwijk, a town in South Holland, Netherlands, probably derived from Middle Dutch stolle "lump, chunk" and wijc "farmstead, village".
StoopDutch From Middle Dutch stoop "pitcher, stone bottle, wine jug", an occupational name for an innkeeper or a nickname for a heavy drinker.
StrijbisDutch Etymology uncertain. Possibly derived from strijd meaning "conflict, strife" or "disputed, contested", an element in some place names.
StronachScottish From Gaelic srónach meaning "nosy" or "sharp-nosed".
StrynckxFlemish Variant form of Dutch Streng "strong, rope, cord", a metonymic occupational name for a rope maker. Alternatively, it could be a nickname derived from streng "strict, severe, cruel".
StuifzandDutch Means "drift-sand, quicksand" in Dutch, from the name of a town in the Netherlands.
SugaEstonian Means "brush, comb" in Estonian, referring to either a comb used for brushing hair, or a comb used in looms to separate threads while weaving (also called a reed).
SulaEstonian, Finnish Means "molten, melted, not covered in ice" or "melt, thaw" in Estonian and Finnish.
SullenEnglish Means "gloomy, ill-tempered, moody" in English, with the archaic meanings "lonely, desolate" and "mischievous, malignant, obstinate", derived from Anglo-Norman soleyn "solitary, alone".
SzálasHungarian Derived from Hungarian szál "thread, stick, straw", a nickname for a tall, thin person.
TabakDutch Occupational name for a butcher or hog breeder, from Middle Dutch tucbake composed of tucken "to pull, push, strike" and bake "hog, pig; meat from the back of a pig".
TasmanDutch Derived from Dutch tas "bag" and man "person, man". Usually a metonymic name for someone who made bags, though in at least one case it was taken from the name of a ship, De Tas.
TassiItalian Could be a patronymic form of the given name Tasso, indicate the bearer is from one of several municipalities called Tasso, or be a nickname from Italian tasso meaning "badger (animal)" or "yew".
TassoniItalian Probably derived from Italian tasso meaning "badger (animal)", though it can also mean "yew (tree)".
TazelaarDutch Dutch (Zeeland) variant of ’t Hazelaar "the hazel bush", a topographic name for someone living by hazel bushes.
TellecheaBasque Castilianized spelling of Telletxea, a habitational name meaning "(from) the house with tiles", composed of teila "roof tile" and etxe "house, home, building".
TelleriaBasque Habitational name derived from Basque teileria meaning "tile works, tile kiln; place where tiles are made".
Ten BoomDutch Means "at the tree" in Dutch. A notable bearer of this surname was Corrie ten Boom (1892-1983), a German woman who helped Jewish people take refuge into her home during the Second World War.
TeneyckDutch (Americanized) From Dutch ten eik meaning "at the oak tree", a topographic name for someone who lived by a prominent oak tree. This has been a prominent family name in Albany, NY, area since the 1630s.
TerpstraWest Frisian, Dutch Derived from terp, a kind of artificial hill used as shelter during floods or high tide, and the Frisian habitational suffix -stra.
ThamesEnglish Derived from the name of the River Thames, a major river in England. It is thought to have derived from Celtic Tamesis, which may have meant "dark, cloudy" or "turbid, turbulent".
ToomingasEstonian Means "bird cherry (tree)" (species Prunus padus) in Estonian.
TorrontegiBasque Derived from Basque dorre "tower" and on "good" with the suffix -tegi "place of".
TortaItalian Probably from Italian torto "twisted, bent, crooked", or the related French tort "wrong, deviated".
TraffordEnglish Habitational name derived from either Trafford, Lancashire (an Anglo-French variant of Stratford), from Bridge Mickle and Wimbolds Trafford, Cheshire (derived from Old English trog "trough, valley" and ford "river crossing"), or from the now-lost settlement of Trafford in Northamptonshire (derived from Old English traeppe "trap, fish trap" and ford).
TranmerEnglish Habitational name from Tranmere, a district within the borough of Birkenhead, Cheshire, or Tranmires, an area in Hackness, North Yorkshire. Both toponyms derive from Old Norse trani "crane (bird)" and melr "sandbank, dune".
TransonFrench Possibly from Old French tronçon "block of wood", perhaps an occupational name for a woodcutter.
TrevelyanWelsh, Cornish Derived from Welsh tref "village, settlement" or Cornish trev "farmstead, town" combined with the given name Elyan.
TreviñoSpanish Habitational name from either of the places so named in the provinces of Burgos and Santander, possibly derived from Latin trifinium "place where three boundaries meet".
TricaricoItalian Denoting someone from the province of Tricarico, in Basilicata.
TroiaItalian Could derive from the name of a town in Foggia, or be a nickname derived from Italian troia "sow, female pig", which has a slang meaning of "slut".
TrompDutch Occupational name for a musician derived from trompet "trumpet, horn", or possibly Middle Dutch tromme "drum".
TroostDutch, Low German Means "comfort, consolation" in Dutch, a nickname for someone who was particularly encouraging or helpful, or perhaps a byname for a child born after the death of an older sibling.
TrothEnglish From a nickname meaning "truth" or "oath, pledge, promise", given to someone known to be truthful or loyal, or perhaps known for swearing oaths.
TrovatelliItalian Means "foundling" in Italian, literally trovato "found" and the diminutive suffix -ello.
TrovatoItalian Given to a foundling or abandoned child, literally "found" in Italian.
TumbrellEnglish (Rare, Archaic) Etymology uncertain. Possibly derived from Old English tumbrel, a kind of small, two-wheeled cart designed to be easily tipped over, or from a variant form of timbrel, a percussion instrument similar to a tambourine.
TunnardEnglish Means "town herd", from Old English tun "town, enclosure, yard" and heord "a herd", an occupational name for someone who guarded the town’s cattle.
TurbaItalian Possibly from Italian turbare, "to disturb, to trouble", itself from Latin turba, "turmoil, disturbance; mob, crowd". Alternately, it could be from the German surname Turba, of uncertain meaning.
TürnpuuEstonian Means "buckthorn tree" (genus Rhamnus) in Estonian.
TuttoilmondoItalian Possibly derived from the French given name Toulemonde, which is either itself derived from the Germanic names Thurmond or Tedmond, or from the phrase tout le monde, literally "all the world", or "everybody"... [more]
TuveriItalian Possibly from Sardinian Campidanese tuvera, meaning "pipe of the bellows", indicating someone who worked at a forge.