SpenderEnglish Occupational name for a paymaster or someone in charge of finances, from Old English spendan "to spend" and Latin expendere "to pay out".
SpendloveEnglish From a medieval nickname for someone who spread their amorous affections around freely. A different form of the surname was borne by Dora Spenlow, the eponymous hero's "child-wife" in Charles Dickens's 'David Copperfield' (1849-50).... [more]
SperberGerman, Jewish From a nickname for a small but belligerent person from Middle High German sperwære "sparrow hawk" (Old High German sparwāri a compound of sparw "sparrow" and āri "eagle").
SperingEnglish There is a fish in Germany or Austria names "Spering or Spiering fish" it is in the meat Isle of Germany orAustrian fish.... [more]
SpiceEnglish From Middle English spice meaning "spice", referring to a spice dealer or an apothecary.
SpicerEnglish, Jewish, Polish English: occupational name for a seller of spices, Middle English spic(i)er (a reduced form of Old French espicier, Late Latin speciarius, an agent derivative of species ‘spice’, ‘groceries’, ‘merchandise’).... [more]
SpiegelGerman, Jewish Metonymic occupational name for a maker or seller of mirrors, from Middle High German spiegel, German Spiegel "mirror" (via Old High German from Latin speculum, a derivative of specere "to look").
SpieglerGerman, Jewish Occupational name for a maker or seller of mirrors, from Middle High German spiegel, German Spiegel "mirror" and the agent suffix -er.
SpielbergJewish, German From Old High German spiegel "lookout point" or German Spiel "game, play" and berg "mountain". Locational surname after a town in Austria. A famous bearer is American director Steven Spielberg (1946-present).
SpielerGerman, Jewish Occupational Name For A Tumbler Or Jester German Spieler ‘Player’ Middle High German Spilære An Agent Derivative Of Spiln ‘To Play To Jest To Sport’.
SpiesGerman While it translates to the plural of "spy" in English, Spies is a semi-common name found throughout Germany and the surrounding nations. This surname is also popular throughout states with a high German population.
ŠpiljakCroatian Possibly derived from špilja, meaning "cave".
SpillaneIrish Irish: reduced form O’Spillane, an Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Spealáin or ‘descendant of Spealán’, a personal name representing a diminutive of "speal" "‘scythe’"... [more]
SpillmanEnglish From the medieval male personal name Spileman, literally "acrobat" or "jester" (from a derivative of Middle English spillen "to play, cavort").
SpinaItalian Means "thorn" in Italian, originally a topographic name for someone who lived by a thorn bush or a habitational name from any of various locations called Spina.
SpindlerEnglish, German, Jewish Occupational name for a spindle maker, from an agent derivative of Middle English spindle, Middle High German spindel, German Spindel, Yiddish shpindl "spindle, distaff".
SpinelliItalian Variant of Spina, of uncertain etymology: could be related to several place names in Italy, to given names such as Crispino, or to the crown of thorns placed on the head of Jesus.
SpiteriMaltese The surname Spiteri is derived from the Latin word "hospitalieri" meaning hospitaliers. It was initially given to babies born to mothers who worked as nurses at the Knights' hospital during the 16th century where the babies' fathers were usually knights who had been treated at said hospital.
SpohrGerman Occupational name for a maker of spurs, from Middle High German spor ‘spur’, or a topographic name, from Middle High German spor ‘spoor’, ‘animal tracks’.... [more]
SpoonEnglish Apparently a metonymic occupational name either for a maker of roofing shingles or spoons, from Old English spon "chip, splinter" (see also Spooner).
SpoonapplePopular Culture Edwina Spoonapple is a fictional character and the titular character from the Off-Broadway musical "Dear Edwina" (2008). She is a 13-year-old girl who wants proof of her accomplishments, just like her siblings... [more]
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.
SpragueEnglish English from northern Middle English Spragge, either a personal name or a byname meaning "lively", a metathesized and voiced form of "spark."
SpringGerman From Middle High German sprinc, Middle Low German sprink "spring, well", hence a topographic name for someone who lived by a spring or well, or habitational name from Springe near Hannover.
SpringallEnglish Means (i) "operator of a springald (a type of medieval siege engine)" (from Anglo-Norman springalde); or (ii) from a medieval nickname for a youthful person (from Middle English springal "youth").
SpringbornGerman Derived from Middle Low German sprinkborn meaning "spring, well", hence either a nickname for someone who lived by a spring or a water well, or from various place names in Germany.
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".
SpurrierEnglish Derived from the Old French word “esperonier,” meaning “to spur on”. It was likely given as a nickname to someone who was known for encouraging or motivating others. The name could have also referred to someone who was skilled at using spurs to control horses.
SquibbEnglish Nickname for an irascible, unpredictable or petty person, derived from Middle English squibbe meaning "firework, firecracker". A famous bearer is the American actress June Squibb (1929-).
SquireEnglish Surname comes from the occupation of a Squire. A young man who tends to a knight.
SquiresEnglish Surname is plural of Squire. A young person that tends to his knight, also someone that is a member of a landowner class that ranks below a knight.
SrokaPolish From the Polish word sroka, meaning "magpie".
StaafSwedish Derived from various place names beginning with stav- or staf-, often meaning "boundary marker" when used in place names. Other meanings are possible. Also found occasionally as a soldier's name pre-20th century... [more]
StaalDutch From Old Dutch stal meaning "steel", a metonymic occupational name for a steelworker or blacksmith.
StadtmuellerGerman From Middle High German stet meaning "place", "town" + müller meaning "miller", hence an occupational name for a miller who ground the grain for a town.
StaffEnglish Derived from Middle English staf "rod staff, stave" (Old English stæf) used as a nickname either for a tall thin person someone who made staves or for anyone who carried a staff of office.
StaffieriItalian Means "footman, groom", ultimately from staffa "stirrup".
StaleyEnglish Byname from Middle English staley "resolute, reliable", a reduced form of Stallard.
StaleyBelgian From Old French estalee "fish trap", hence possibly a metonymic occupational name for a fisherman, or topographic name for someone who lived near where fish traps were set.
StålhammarSwedish Means "steel hammer" (from Swedish stål "steel" and hammare "hammer"). Was originally a name common among blacksmiths.
StallardEnglish Byname for a valiant or resolute person, from a reduced pronunciation of Middle English stalward, stalworth "stalwart" (an Old English compound of stǣl "place" and wierðe "worthy").
StallmanGerman Variant of Staller. German: topographic name for someone who lived in a muddy place, from the dialect word stal. English: habitational name from Stalmine in Lancashire, named probably with Old English stæll 'creek', 'pool' + Old Norse mynni 'mouth'.
StalloneItalian from stallone "stallion" applied either as a nickname for someone thought to resemble a stallion or as a metonymic occupational name for someone who bred horses. from an augmentative of stalla "stable stall" used as a topographic name and as a habitational name from any of the minor places called with this word.... [more]
StanawayEnglish Possibly a variant form of English Stanway, a habitational name from any of the places called Stanaway, in Essex, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, and Shropshire, all named with Old English stān ‘stone’ + weg ‘track’, ‘road’
StancilEnglish English habitational name from a place so named in South Yorkshire.
StancliffEnglish Habitational name from Scout in Northowram (Yorkshire) recorded as Staynclif in 1309 and Stancliff Skoute (the home of Edward Stankliff) in 1536. The placename derives from Old English stan 1 "stone rock" with influence from Old Norse steinn "stone rock" and Old English clif "cliff bank" later with Middle English scoute "projecting cliff overhanging rock" (Old Norse skúti).
StandenEnglish Habitational name predominantly from Standen in Pendleton (Lancashire) and Standean in Ditchling (Sussex) but also from other places similarly named including Standen in East Grinstead (Sussex) Standen in Biddenden (Kent) Standen in Benenden (Kent) Upper and Lower Standen in Hawkinge (Kent) Standen (Berkshire Wiltshire Isle of Wight) and Standon (Devon Hampshire Hertfordshire Staffordshire)... [more]
StandishEnglish Habitational name Standish (Lancashire Now Part Of Greater Manchester, and Yorkshire) meaning Old English Stān ‘Stone Rock’ + Edisc ‘Enclosure; or Enclosed Park’.
StangGerman, Jewish German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) from Middle High German stang, German Stange ‘pole’, ‘shaft’, hence a nickname for a tall, thin person, a metonymic occupational name for a maker of wooden shafts for spears and the like, or a metonymic occupational name for a soldier.
StanislawPolish, German Polish from the personal name Stanisław, composed of the Slavic elements stani ‘become’ + slav ‘glory’, ‘fame’, ‘praise’... [more]
StanisławskiPolish Name for someone from any of various places named Stanisław, Stanisławów or Stanisławice, derived from the given name Stanisław.
StansfieldEnglish (British) Habitational name from a place in West Yorkshire, probably named with the genitive case of the Old English personal name Stan 1 "stone" and Old English feld "pasture, open country"... [more]
StantzGerman Possibly an altered spelling of German Stanz, a habitation name from places called Stans or Stanz in Austria and Switzerland (see also Stentz).
StaplefordEnglish Habitational name from any of a number of places, in Cambridgeshire, Cheshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, and Wiltshire, so named from Old English stapol meaning "post" + ford meaning "ford".
StapletonEnglish Habitational surname from any of various places in England.
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.
StarbuckEnglish After Starbeck village in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England. A famous bearer of this name was the fictional character, Starbuck, the first mate of the Pequod in Herman Melville's novel Moby-Dick.
StarkeyEnglish, German From a diminutive of Stark. This surname is borne by the English musician Sir Richard Starkey (1940-), also known as Ringo Starr.
StarobratPolish (Rare) Possibly comprised of the Polish elements stary "old" deriving from Proto-Slavic *starъ and brat "brother" deriving from Proto-Slavic *bràtrъ or *bràtъ.
StarokonRussian Means "old horse", from Russian старий (stariy) "old" and конь (kon') "horse".