NearsEnglish French in origin, it is derived from the word "Noir," which is the equivalent of the English word "Black." It could have referred to a person with dark features, hair, or perhaps even one who was thought to engage in nafarious, or "dark," deeds.
NectariaRomanian Feminine version of Nectarie, Greek saint-St.Nectarie from Egina. In Romanian this means "the juice of flowers". Nectaire is probably of the same derivation as the English word "nectar". This is the etymology of nectar (from http://www.etymonline.com/) from negtar > nogalon... [more]
NedelcuRomanian (Modern) Entered Romania around the 16th century via Bulgaria as a popular female given name - Neda/Nedelea etc., attested under the form of Nedelco/Nedelcu in the historical region of Basarabia around 1560, became a surname in the following century... [more]
NeeskensDutch Nickname for a nosy person, from Dutch nees meaning "nose, snout". It could also be derived from a Dutch diminutive of the feminine given name Agnes... [more]
NeesonIrish (Anglicized) Reduced Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Naois "son of Naois", usually Anglicized as Mcneese. Surname made famous by the actor Liam Neeson.
NeeveEnglish, Scottish An English surname, of Norman origin, meaning the nephew. One who was in care of their uncle. A surname first recorded in Perthshire.
NeffGerman, German (Swiss) From Middle High German neve 'nephew', hence probably a distinguishing name for a close relation or familiar of a prominent personage.
NegahbanPersian Means "watchman, guard, sentry, sentinel" in Persian. A famous bearer is the Iranian-American actor Navid Negahban (1968-).
NeggoEstonian Neggo is an Estonian surname, possibly a corruption of "nõgu", meaning "dell".
NegreCatalan Nickname or ethnic name from negre "black" (Latin niger), denoting someone with dark hair or a dark complexion.
NegreteSpanish Possibly from negrete denoting a member of a 15th-century faction based in the mountainous area of Cantabria.
NegroItalian, Spanish, Portuguese, Jewish Nickname or ethnic name from negro "black" (Latin niger), denoting someone with dark hair or a dark complexion.
NegroItalian, Spanish, Galician, Portuguese, Jewish Nickname or ethnic name from negro "black" (continuation of Latin niger), denoting someone with dark hair, dark eyes, a dark complexion, someone who wore dark clothes, someone who worked a job in the night, or was otherwise associated with the night.
NegronSpanish, Italian This surname is a most likely variant of the word and name Negro.
NeherGerman An occupational name for a tailor from a deritive of Middle Low German, 'nehen' which means 'to sew' or 'to embroider'
NehoJapanese Japanese surname meaning "raised foundation".
NehruIndian, Hindi From Sanskrit नहर (nahar, nehar) meaning "canal". This name was borne by Jawaharlal Nehru (1889-1964), the first Prime Minister of India. His earliest recorded ancestor Raj Kaul adopted the name when, upon moving from Kashmir to Delhi, he was granted a jagir (feudal land grant) with a house situated on the banks of a canal... [more]
NeiEstonian Nei is an Estonian surname possiby derived from "neid", meaning "girl" or "maiden".
NeidhardtGerman From the Germanic given name Nithart, which is derived from Germanic nit meaning "ambition, hatred" and hard meaning "hardy, brave, strong".
NeighborEnglish From the Middle English word neighbor, derived from neghebour, which in turn comes from the Old English words neah, meaning "near", and gebur, meaning "a dweller". This may have been used as a nickname for someone who was a 'good neighbor', more likely it evolved from the term of address for someone living nearby.
NeillIrish, Scottish Reduced form of Irish Gaelic Ó Néill or Scottish Gaelic Mac Néill ‘descendant (or son) of Niall’, a personal name of Irish origin, thought to mean ‘champion’. The personal name was adopted by Norsemen in the form Njáll and was brought to England both directly from Ireland by Scandinavian settlers and indirectly (via France) by the Normans... [more]
NeisserGerman German demonym of the town of Neisse (nowadays Nysa, in Poland), itself from the name of the river Neisse (Nysa) which runs through the city.
NeizvestnyRussian Derived from Russian неизвестный (neizvestny) meaning "unknown" or "stranger".
NejadPersian Means "lineage, race" in Persian (an archaic word), typically used as a suffix for compound surnames.
NejiJapanese (Rare) This surname is used as 子師, combining 子 (shi, su, tsu, ko, -ko, ne) meaning "child, sign of the rat (1st sign of Chinese zodiac)" with 師 (shi, su, nara.u, moromoro) meaning "army, exemplar, expert, master, model, teacher, war."
NelmsEnglish (American) Topographic name for someone who lived near or amid a grove of elm trees, from misdivision of Middle English atten elmes ‘at the elms’
NerenbergJewish Variant of the Ashkenazic Jewish surname Nierenberg, which is derived from Nirnberg, the Yiddish form of Nuremberg (German Nürnberg), hence becoming an Ashkenazic Jewish habitational surname for someone living in that city.
NerënxaAlbanian Derived from Albanian nerënxë "bitter orange".
NergerGerman (Silesian) My family name, Nerger, is listed in the "Deutsches Namenlexicon" by Hans Bahlow. The meaning, given in the lexicon, is "ernahrer" or provider.
NerzGerman From the German word Nerz meaning "Mink".
NesbittScottish, Irish, English Derives from the hamlets of East Nisbet and West Nisbet, Berwickshire. Some bearers of Nisbet/Nesbitt (and variant) names may originate from the village of Nisbet in Roxburghshire.
NeskyPolish Many Polish immigrants' names were shortened to Nesky, such as Nosrazesky, Wolinsky-a wide variety of names that had the letter N somewhere within and ended in sky or ski became "Nesky." There are also non-Polish Neskys in the U.S.
NestorIrish Derived from the surname Mac Girr an Adhastair (sometimes shortened to Mac an Aghastair), meaning "Short man of the halter." The Mac Girr an Adhastair were associated with the local lords, the Ó Lochlainn family.
NethertonEnglish The Netherton surname is derived from the Old English "neothera," meaning "lower," and "tun," meaning "enclosure," or "settlement." It is a habitational name derived from any of several places so named, such as one in Northumberland, and one in Worcestershire.
NetjesDutch Possibly a matronymic from of a diminutive form of Annetje. Coincides with the Dutch word for "tidy, neat" or "decent, proper."
NetleyEnglish Locative name from Netley Marsh in Eling (Hants), which is recorded as Nateleg in 1248. The place name derives from Old English næt "wet" + lēah "open woodland".
NettingEnglish 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.
NeubertGerman Derived from the German word “neu,” meaning “new,” and the word “Bert,” which is a shortened form of the Germanic given name “Berthold,” meaning “bright ruler.” So, it means “new bright ruler”.
NeuburgGerman From the name of various places in Germany and Austria.
NeuenfeldtGerman Habitational name for someone from places so named in Brandenburg and Pomerania, or from places in Lower Saxony or Westphalia called Neuenfelde.
NeufeldGerman, English Neufeld is a surname of German origin, meaning "new field". It is not seldom in Germany and it is common among German speaking Mennonites from Russia.
NeugerGerman, French (?) Was popularized by the German community. Famous bearers include investors Win Neuger and Dan Neuger, author Christie Cozad Neuger.
NeuhausGerman, Jewish Topographical name for someone who lived in a new house, Middle High German niuwe hus, modern German neu Haus, or a habitational name for someone from any of several places named Neuhaus ('new house') in various parts of Germany and Austria, also in Bohemia.
NeujahrGerman nickname for someone who owed feudal dues at the New Year, or sometimes a name given to someone born on that day
NeukirchGerman, German (Swiss) Derived from the Middle High German niuwe meaning "new" and kirch meaning "church".
NeumeyerGerman German: distinguishing name for a newly appointed steward or tenant farmer, or one who was a newcomer to an area, from Middle High German niuwe ‘new’ + meier ‘steward’, ‘tenant farmer’ ( see Meyer 1)... [more]
NeuserGerman (Rare) Person who had ancestors that lived in Germany near Dusseldorf in the town called Neuss.
NeustädterGerman Habitational name for someone from any of many places in Germany and Austria called Neustadt.
NeutsFlemish Flemish Dutch, meaning "New Son" lore tells of a son of a foreign given this name after being born in Flanders with no known father
NeuwirthGerman German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): nickname for a new innkeeper, from Middle High German niuwe ‘new’ + wirt and German neu + Wirt ‘master of a house’, ‘innkeeper’.
NevalaFinnish From Finnish word 'neva', which is a marsh type and '-la', a suffix used for places.
NevelsEnglish, Scottish (1) Variant of Neville (2) Possibly variant of Dutch Nevens, which is derived from Neve, from Middle English, Old Norse, Middle Dutch neve ‘nephew’, presumably denoting the nephew of some great personage.
NeverGerman Habitational surname denoting someone from the town of Nevern (Mecklenburg-Vorpommern), Germany.
NevilisVenetian (Archaic) An extinct surname. Likely derives from Italian "neve", meaning "snow". This surname was possibly given as a nickname to someone with light hair or fair skin. It could also be a cognate of the French surname Neuville.
NevolinRussian In the old days "Nilly", called the lack of freedom, obedience to the will of another. Such negative names were given then, that they defended the man and drove him from unhappiness.
NewEnglish Nickname for a newcomer to an area, from Middle English newe meaning "new".
NewarkEnglish A habitational name taken on from a place name, such as Newark in Cambridgeshire or Newark on Trent in Nottinghamshire.
NewbornEnglish Habitational name from Newbourn in Suffolk or Newburn in Tyne and Wear (formerly part of Northumberland), both named with Old English niwe "new" and burna "stream", perhaps denoting a stream that had changed its course.
NewbroughEnglish (British) Newbrough surname is thought to be a habitational, taken on from a place name such as from Newbrough in Northumberland, which is derived from the Old English words niwe, meaning "new," and burh, meaning "fortification."
NewbyEnglish Means "person from Newby", Newby being a combination of the Middle English elements newe "new" and by "farm, settlement" (ultimately from Old Norse býr "farm"). British travel writer Eric Newby (1919-2006) bore this surname.
NewcomerEnglish (American) Nickname for a person who was new to a town or location, from Old English niwe meaning "new" and cumen meaning "to come".
NeweyEnglish Topographic name for someone who lived at a "new enclosure", from Middle English newe "new" and haga "enclousire".
NewhamEnglish Habitational name from any of the various places, for example in Northumbria and North Yorkshire, so named from Old English neowe "new" and ham "homestead".
NewhouseEnglish Either a habitational name for someone who lived at a "new house" (from Middle English niwe "new" and hus "new house") or a habitational name from any of various minor places so called especially perhaps Newhouses in Horton Yorkshire near the border with Lancashire... [more]
NewittEnglish Possibly derived from Middle English newete "newt", or perhaps from the Dutch personal name Nout.
NiazaiPashto Most likely from Persian نیاز (niyaz) meaning "need, necessity, desire, wish" (see Niaz or Niyaz) combined with Pashto زوی (zoy) meaning "son (of)"... [more]
NibbeGerman Nickname meaning ‘beak’, or from a short form of a Germanic personal name Nippo, composed of Old High German nit ‘hostility’, ‘eagerness’ + boto ‘messenger’.