This is a list of submitted surnames in which the language is West Germanic.
Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
MuisDutch From Dutch muis meaning "mouse". Could be a nickname denoting someone with mouse-like tendencies, or who caught mice, or a short form of the given name Bartholomeus.
MulcasterEnglish (Modern) The surname Mulcaster was first found in Cumberland where they trace their lineage back to the place name Muncaster, home of Muncaster Castle, a privately owned castle overlooking the Esk river, near the west-coastal town of Ravenglass in Cumbria which dates back at least 800 years.
MullensFlemish A name referring to someone who lived at or by a mill.
MüllerleileGerman Derived from Middle High German mülnære, müller meaning "miller" (see Müller), and the German given names Lawlin, Lauwelin and Lawelin, medieval diminutives of Nikolaus.
MullisEnglish As either Mulles and Mullis, the surname first found in Parish Registers in Cornwall Co. by 1548 in Michaelstow. Manorial tenement rolls trace that particular family to 1483. Between 1337 and 1453 random tenants were recorded between Tintagel and Altarnun as Molys and Mollys... [more]
MultatuliDutch From the Latin phrase multa tulī meaning "I have suffered much" or "I have borne much". This was the pen name of the Dutch writer Eduard Douwes Dekker (1820-1887), who wrote Max Havelaar, which denounced the abuses of colonialism in the Dutch East Indies, now called Indonesia... [more]
MumbyEnglish Habitational name from a place in Lincolnshire so named from the Old Norse personal name Mundi (see Monday ) + Old Norse bȳ 'farmstead village'.
MunichGerman From the lower German word for monk, most likely first used as a surname for a former member of a monastery.
MunkGerman, Scandinavian, Dutch, English From Middle High German münich Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish munk Middle Dutch munc "monk" a nickname for someone thought to resemble a monk or a metonymic occupational name for someone in the service of a monastery... [more]
MunnScottish, English Variant form of McMunn. In English, it is a nickname or an occupational name for a person who worked for monks, derived from Anglo-Norman French moun meaning "monk" (see Monk).
MünsterGerman, Dutch habitational name from any of the places called Münster (in Germany) or Munster derived from Latin monasterium "monastery" or a topographic name for someone living near a monastery.
MurchieEnglish (American, Anglicized), English (British, Anglicized) "Murchie" comes from the personal name "Murdo". The Scottish Gaelic form of the surname was "Mac Mhurchaidh", meaning son of "Murdo". The name "Murdo" is equivalent to "Murdock", and means sea warrior.
MurtonEnglish habitational name from any of various places in northern England called Murton all named in Old English as "settlement or enclosure at the marsh or moor" from mor "marsh, fen, moor" and tun "enclosure, settlement"... [more]
MüschGerman Either a habitational name from a place named Müsch in Germany, or a topographic name meaning "bog", perhaps given to someone living near a bog.
MuschDutch, German From Middle Dutch mussche "house sparrow", a nickname for a quick person, or perhaps someone who was small and weak.
MuskatGerman, Jewish Occupational name for a spice merchant from Middle High German muscāt meaning "nutmeg mace". As a Jewish name however it is mainly ornamental.
MussertDutch Dutch cognate of Mussett. This name was borne by the infamous Nazi politician Anton Mussert (1894-1946), the leader of the National Socialist Movement in the Netherlands (NSB) during World War II.
MussettEnglish Nickname for a foolish or dreamy person, derived from Middle English musard meaning "absent-minded, stupid", ultimately from Old French musart, musarde meaning "confused".
MusseyEnglish Nickname from Middle English mūs ‘mouse’ + ēage ‘eye’.
MustonEnglish Habitational name from places so named, from Old English mus "mouse", or must, "muddy stream or place" combined with tun "enclosure, settlement". Another explanation could be that the first element is derived from an old Scandinavian personal name, Músi (of unknown meaning), combined with tun.
MutterGerman (also Mütter): occupational name for an official employed to measure grain, from Middle High German mutte, mütte 'bushel', 'grain measure' (Latin modius) + the agent suffix -er.
MyattEnglish From the medieval personal name Myat, literally "little Mihel", an Anglo-Norman variant of Michael.
MycroftEnglish From Old English ġemȳþ "mouth (of a river)" + croft meaning "enclosed field", originally denoting somebody who lives at the mouth of a river.... [more]
MyeEnglish 1 English: (i) occupational name from Middle English (Hypothetical) *mie, Old French mie ‘physician’, synonymous with Mee, Mayer 3 or Mayer 4, and Myer... [more]
NabbEnglish (British), Scottish (Anglicized) English (Lancashire): topographic name for someone who lived by a nab, Middle English nabbe ‘hillock, knoll’ (Old Norse nabbi ‘projecting peak, hill’), or a habitational name from any of the many minor places in northern and eastern England named with this word, for example Whalley Nab in Blackburn (Lancashire), Nab Scar in Rydal (Westmorland), and The Nab in Burgh Saint Margaret (Norfolk).... [more]
NadelGerman, Jewish Metonymic occupational name for a maker of needles, or in some cases for a tailor, from Middle High German nadel(e), German Nadel "needle".
NadigGerman (Swiss), Romansh Derived from from Old High German (gi-)nadig "kind", this was a nickname for a kind and benevolent person.
NankervisCornish, English (Australian) From the name of a place in St Enoder parish in Cornwall, derived from Cornish nans "valley" and an uncertain second element, possibly *cerwys, an unattested plural of carow "stag".... [more]
NanningaFrisian, Dutch, German Derived from the given name Nanne, a short form of Germanic names containing the element nand meaning "daring, brave, courage"... [more]
NantzGerman From a pet form of a Germanic compound name formed with Nant- (for example, Nantwig, Nantger); its meaning is reflected in Middle High German nenden 'to dare'.
NapierEnglish, Scottish Occupational name for someone who sold table linen or was in charge of the linen of a medieval household, derived from Old French nape "table cloth".
NapperEnglish 1 English: occupational name for a naperer, the servant in charge of the linen in use in a great house, Middle English, Old French nap(p)ier. Compare Scottish Napier .... [more]
NaramorEnglish, Welsh Naramor, also Narramore or Naramore, is a corruption of Northmore, and has Welsh/English background. "More North"
NarrGerman Nickname for a foolish or silly person, from Middle High German narr ‘fool’, ‘jester’.
NarramoreEnglish Earliest progenitor is Reginald Bynorthemore, living 1318 inbetween Bovey Tracy and Moretonhampstead, in Dartmoor, Devonshire, England. By the 16th century, the surname was being used interchangeably as Narramore/Northmore within the same generation, as in the case of Walter Narramore/Northmore... [more]
NasersGerman Habitational, derived from any of several places called Nesse in Oldenburg and Friesland.
NasmithScottish, English This surname is derived from an occupation, "nail-smith", but may also mean "knife-smith".
NassauGerman, Dutch, Jewish From the name of the town of Nassau in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany (formerly the seat of an independent duchy in the 19th century), derived from Old High German naz meaning "damp, wet" and ouwa meaning "water meadow"... [more]
NasserGerman Someone from any of the places called Nassen, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Hesse, and Bavaria.
NastGerman Topographic name for someone who lived in a thickly wooded area, or a metonymic occupational name for a woodcutter, from Middle High German nast meaning "branch", a regional variant of ast, resulting from the misdivision of forms such as ein ast meaning "a branch".
NaterGerman (Swiss) Derived from Middle High German nâtaere "tailor; furrier".
NatesEnglish, Jewish It's probably from the given name Nate, the origin is said to be Jewish*, but the ancestors immigrated to English speaking countries.
NaughtonEnglish Habitational name from a place in Suffolk, named in Old English with nafola meaning "navel" + tūn meaning "enclosure", "settlement", i.e. "settlement in the navel or depression".
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.
NederhorstDutch From the name of the village of Nederhorst den Berg in North Holland, the Netherlands. It means "lower height, lower hill" in Dutch, derived from neder "lower" and horst "overgrown elevated place"... [more]
NeedhamEnglish From a place name derived from Old English ned meaning "need, constraint" and ham meaning "home, estate, settlement".
NeedleEnglish, Jewish (Americanized) English: from Middle English nedle nadle ‘needle’ (Old English nǣdle) hence a metonymic occupational name for a maker of needles or in some cases perhaps for a tailor. See also Nadler.... [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]
NeffGerman, German (Swiss) From Middle High German neve 'nephew', hence probably a distinguishing name for a close relation or familiar of a prominent personage.
NegleyGerman (Swiss) Altered spelling of Swiss German Nägele, Naegeli, or Nägeli, variants of Nagel.
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.
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.
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’
NelvinEnglish (American) Female named after her uncle who surname was Melvin. Born in Shreveport, Louisiana in 1931.
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".
NesbittEnglish, Scottish, Irish Habitational name from any of the places in England, Scotland and Ireland called Nesbitt or similar, all derived from Old English nes "headland, promontory" and bita "bit, fragment, morsel" or byht "bight, bend, angle"... [more]
NesmithEnglish, Scottish Occupational name for a nail or knife maker, derived from Middle English nayl "nail" or knyf "knife" and smyth "craftsman, smith" (from Old English smiþ).
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".
NettGerman, German (Swiss) Derived from Early New High German net(t) "clean; pure; unadulterated".
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.
NeudorfGerman 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.
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]
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’.
NeveEnglish, Dutch, German, Danish, Swedish Ultimately derived from Old Germanic nefo "nephew, grandson". In Middle English, it also became a term meaning "wastrel, spendthrift".
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."
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".
NewfieldEnglish habitational name from any of many places called Newfield especially in northern England and Scotland. Derived from the elements niwe "new" and feld "field"... [more]
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.
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’.
NiceEnglish From the English word 'nice', meaning "kind".
NichterGerman, Yiddish Possibly means "negator, negate" from Middle High German nicht meaning "not", or "sober", from Middle High German nüchter. Perhaps it originally denoted a person who was a philosopher, judge, or bartender.