ZangaraItalian Southern Italian: from a feminine form of Zangaro ( see Zangari ).
ZangievOssetian, Soviet, Russian, Popular Culture The Russified Soviet and Modern Russian form of the Ossetian surname Зæнджиаты Zændžiaty. A famous user of it is wrestler Victor Zangiev, himself the inspiration for Zangief of Street Fighter fame.
ZangozaBasque It indicates familial origin within the eponymous Navarrese city.
ZaniItalian Comes from the personal name Z(u)an(n)i, a northeastern (Venetian) form of Gianni (from Giovanni, Italian equivalent of John). Zani or Zanni is a comic figure in the Commedia del’Arte, and the surname may be a nickname derived from this use, which is also the origin of the English word zany.
ZaniniItalian The surname Zanini or Zanin was given to the descendants of Giovanni (John). It originates from the diminutive of the Venetian variant of Zani, being Zanino.
ZanniItalian From the first name Gianni, which derives from Giovanni, which is the Italian version of John, which means "the grace/mercy of the Lord." ... [more]
ZanuggRomansh Derived from a diminutive form of the given name Gian.
ZanussiFriulian, Italian Zanussi is best known as the surname of an influential Italian inventor from Brugnera in Friulia. The name likely comes from zanuso meaning ‘sedge’ in Italian.
ZapataSpanish Occupational surname for a shoemaker, from Spanish zapato meaning "shoe". It can also be considered a habitational name for someone originally from any of the various locations in Spain called Zapata.
ZatarainBasque From any of several place names in Basque Country, Spain, probably derived from the toponymic suffix -ain and an uncertain first element possibly meaning "thicket, underbrush". Alternatively, could derive from an altered form of Basque talaia "watchtower, lookout, vantage point", which is ultimately from Arabic طليعة (ṭalīʕa) "forefront, vanguard".
ZatzJewish Abbreviation of the Hebrew phrase Zera TSadikim "seed of the righteous", assumed in a spirit of pious respect for one’s ancestors.
ZaunGerman From a topographical name from Middle High German zun "fence, hedge" the German cognitive to Anglo-Saxon tun.
ŽaŭniarovičBelarusian Derived from Belarusian жаўнер (žaŭnier) meaning "soldier (of the Polish army)", borrowed from Polish żołnierz via German Söldner.
ŽavbiSlovene The surname is mostly tied to prefession but can also be based off of certain personality traits or profession. It comes from the word "žavba", ointment, cream.
ZavosGreek Used for someone who has a weird character or is considered stupid, found as a surname in Greek, probably derives from the word ζαβολιά (zavolia)which means cheating.
ZayasSpanish, Caribbean Derives from the Basque word 'zai', meaning watchman or guard.
ZayasuJapanese From Japanese 座 (Za) meaning "squat; seat; cushion; gathering; sit" and 安 (Yasu) meaning "relax; cheap; low; quiet; rested; contented; peaceful".
ZazuetaSpanish Probably a topographic name of Basque origin, from an unexplained first element + the collective suffix -eta 'place or group of'.
ZazzaraItalian Ancient and very noble Lazio family, with residence in the city of Viterbo, known as Zazzara or Zazzera, of clear and ancestral virtue, which has spread over the centuries in various regions of Italy.
ZdrojewskiPolish Habitational name for someone from any of several places called Zdroje or Zdrojewo, in particular in Bydgoszcz voivodeship, named with Polish zdroje meaning "springs","spa".
ZdunichPolish Polish name of unknown meaning or origin. A notable bearer of this name is American actor/singer/artist/songwriter Terrance Zdunich.
ZechesEnglish The surname Zeches was first found in Silesia, where the name was closely identified in early mediaeval times with the feudal society which would become prominent throughout European history. The name would later be associated with noble family with great influence, having many distinguished branches, and become noted for its involvement in social, economic and political affairs.
ZechmanJewish Occupational name from Yiddish tsekh meaning "guild" or "craft corporation" and man "man".
ZehnerGerman (chiefly Bavaria, Austria, Switzerland, and Württemberg): occupational name for an official responsible for collecting, on behalf of the lord of the manor, tithes of agricultural produce owed as rent.... [more]
ZehrenGerman (Swiss) From a prepositional phrase from Middle High German ze hērren, an occupational name for someone was in service of a lord.
ZeilingerGerman Habitational name for someone from Zeiling in Bavaria.
ZeilstraDutch, West Frisian Derived from zijl "sluice" and the suffix -stra denoting an inhabitant of a place. The name has also been connected to zeil "sail; to sail", possibly a nickname for someone who made sails or spent a lot of time on a ship.
ZeimetGerman, Luxembourgish Western German and Luxembourgeois: probably a variant spelling of Zeimert, a variant of Zeumer, an occupational name for a harness maker, from an agent derivative of Middle High German zoum ‘bridle’.
ZeitounArabic Derived from the Arabic زَيْتُون (zaytūn) meaning "olive", a cognate of the Maghrebi Zitouni. It could also be linked to the famous El-Zeitoun district in Cairo, Egypt.
ZelayaBasque From Basque Zelaia, a habitational or topographic name derived from zelai "field, meadow, prairie".
ŻelaznyPolish Means "(made of) iron" in Polish, used as a nickname for a person with a strong personality.
ZeldesYiddish An eastern Ashkenazic matronymic surname derived from the Yiddish female personal name Zelde (from the Middle High German word sælde meaning either 'fortunate', 'blessed', or 'happiness'.)
ZeldinJewish Means "son of Zelde", a Yiddish female personal name based on Middle High German sælde "fortunate, blessed".
ZelgowskiPolish Originally, surname Zelegowski was misheard as Zelgowski when Polish immigrants were first coming to the United States through Ellis Island... [more]
ZelieskaPolish Polish Ashkenazic surname, possibly derived from surname Zieliński what is a habitational name for someone from Zielona or Zielonka (places in Poland), deriving from the root word meaning "green".
ZelleGerman, Dutch Topographic name from Middle High German zelle "(hermit's) cell", or a habitational name from various places called Zelle or Celle.
ZellerGerman, Dutch, Jewish Originally denoted someone from Celle, Germany or someone living near a hermit's cell from German zelle "cell". It is also occupational for someone employed at a zelle, for example a small workshop.
ZelmerlöwSwedish (Rare) Rare Swedish surname composed of the name of the family's ancestor SelmaLöf. One bearer is Swedish artist Måns Zelmerlöw (b.1986) who won the Eurovision Song Contest in 2016.
ZelnickJewish Occupational name for a tax collecter, comes from Yiddish tselnik which means haberdashery.
ZelnickovaJewish Zelnickova is a Jewish (Eastern Ashkenazic) surname that can be found in Czechoslovakia, Poland and Slovenia. This surname is derived from the Yiddish word tselnick which in English means haberdashery... [more]
ZeltiņšLatvian Derived from the word zelts meaning "gold".
ZelyonkaRussian Derived from Russian зелёный (zelyonyy), meaning "green".
ŽemaitaitisLithuanian From Lithuanian Žemaitija or Samogitian Žemaitėjė, an region in Lithuania.
ŽemaitisLithuanian Derives from the Lithuanian ethnonym žemaitis "Samogitian", denoting someone who came from the Lithuanian region of Samogitia (Žemaitija). A notable bearer of this last name is Jonas Žemaitis, one of the leaders of the Lithuanian Partisans.... [more]
ZemmosaJapanese (Rare) From Japanese 善 (zen) meaning "virtue, goodness", 茂 (mo) meaning "overgrown; luxuriant", and 砂 (sa) meaning "sand", referring to a place with lots of sand.
ZennerUpper German South German: unflattering nickname for a surly, snarling person, from an agent derivative of Middle High German zannen 'to growl or howl' or 'to bare one's teeth'.
ZgłobickiPolish This indicates familial origin within the Lesser Polish village of Zgłobice.
ZgłobieńiakPolish Habitational name for somebody who comes from the village of Zgłobień in Poland.
ZhaChinese From Chinese 查 (zhā) referring to the ancient fief of Zha, which was part of the state of Qi during the Zhou dynasty in what is now Shandong province. Alternately it may come from the name of a fief that was part of the state of Chu during the Zhou dynasty in what is now Anhui province.
ZhabaBelarusian, Russian Derived from Belarusian жаба (zhaba) meaning "toad, frog". This is an ancient Belarusian noble surname.
ZhaiChinese From Chinese 翟 (zhái) referring to the ancient state of Zhai, which existed during the Zhou dynasty in what is now Shanxi province. The character 翟 was originally read as Di but was later changed to Zhai due to dialectal differences.