West Germanic Submitted Surnames

This is a list of submitted surnames in which the language is West Germanic.
usage
language
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Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
Ottmar German
From the given name Ottmar.
Ottoway English
From the Norman male personal names Otoïs, of Germanic origin and meaning literally "wealth-wide" or "wealth-wood", and Otewi, of Germanic origin and meaning literally "wealth-war".
Oudeland Dutch
Habitational name from places called Oudeland in the Netherlands, or perhaps the village of Oudelande in the Dutch province of Zeeland. Their names mean "old land" in Dutch.
Oudenhoven Dutch
Derived from Dutch oude "old" and hoeve "farm, farmstead, manor". As a surname it is derived from one of the many places of this name.
Oudshoorn Dutch
From the name of a former village in South Holland, Netherlands, derived from Out, a Middle Dutch diminutive of the given name Otgar, and hoorn "horn; corner, protruding bend (of a river)"... [more]
Outland Dutch (Anglicized)
Americanized form of Oudeland.
Ouwehand Dutch
Means "old hand" in Dutch, originally a nickname for a fisherman, associated with the phrase "old hands at sea". Another theory holds that it comes from a misdivision of the surname Oudeland... [more]
Oven Slovene, German
Derived from Oven "ram, male sheep".
Ovenden English
A habitational name perhaps derived from Ovingdean (Sussex) or Ovenden (Yorkshire)... [more]
Overath German
From the name of the town of Overath in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. A famous bearer is the German former soccer player Wolfgang Overath (1943-).
Overbeck Low German, Dutch (Americanized)
German cognate of Overbeeke, as well as its Americanized form.
Overbeeke Dutch
Means "over the creek", from Dutch over "over, above" and beek "brook, creek".
Overduin Dutch
Means "over the dune" in Dutch, derived from any of several place names.
Overfelt English
Derived from the Old English "ofer," meaning "seashore," or "riverbank" and "felt" meaning "field".
Overholser German (Swiss)
The Oberholtzer family originated in the Swiss village of Oberholtz, south of Zurich, before the 15th century. However, in 1661, one family left Switzerland for the Palatinate in Germany.
Overmars Dutch
Means "over the marsh", derived from Middle Dutch over meaning "over, above" and marsch meaning "marsh". A famous bearer of this name is the former Dutch soccer player Marc Overmars (1973-).
Overpelt Dutch
From the name of a town in Limburg, Belgium, meaning "above the pelt" (see Van Pelt).
Overson English
Derived from the Old French name Overson, meaning "dweller by the river-banks". The name was probably brought to England in the wake of the Norman conquest of 1066.
Overstreet English
A notable bearer is Chord Paul Overstreet.
Owner English
From English owner meaning "a person who owns something".
Owsley English
Habitational name form a now lost place name in Southern England. Possibly derived from the name of the river name Ouse and Old English -leah meaning "wood".
Oxby English
fortification where oxen are kept (From the Old English words “oxa” and “burh”)
Oxendine English
From an English place name meaning "valley of the oxen", which was derived from Old English oxa "ox" (genitive plural oxena) and denu "valley".
Oxford English
Habitational name from the city of Oxford. The placename derives from Old English oxa "ox" and ford "ford".
Oyaski English (American)
A surname created by Michael Oyaski (formally Michael O'Yaski). The surname is currently known to only be used by one particular branch of the O'Yaski family tree. The surname means "Dragon Rider of the West" according to members of the Oyaski family.
Oyelowo English (African, Rare)
surname born by British actor David Oyelowo (1976-)
Pacal German
South German: pet form of Pach .
Pacey English
Habitational name from the French location Pacy-sur-Eure, derived from the Gallo-Roman personal name Paccius and the locative suffix -acum... [more]
Pach German
Pach is an occupational hereditary surname for a baker in Old German. Pach is also a German local name for someone who lived by a stream, which was originally derived from the German word "bach" which means stream... [more]
Packard English, Norman, Medieval English, German (Anglicized)
English from Middle English pa(c)k ‘pack’, ‘bundle’ + the Anglo-Norman French pejorative suffix -ard, hence a derogatory occupational name for a peddler. ... [more]
Packman English
Variant of Pack.
Packwood English
Habitational name from a place in Warwickshire, so named from the Old English personal name Pac(c)a + wudu ‘wood’.
Paddington English
Believed to mean "Pada's farm", with the Anglo-Saxon name Pada possibly coming from the Old English word pad, meaning "toad".
Paddock English
Derived from Middle English parrock meaning "paddock, small enclosure", hence a topographic name for a dweller by a paddock or an enclosed meadow. It could also be a nickname for a person who resembled a toad or frog in some way (derived from Middle English paddock meaning "toad, frog"), or denote a person hailing from one of the many places in England that bear this name, for example the town and civil parish of Paddock Wood in Kent.
Padgett English
Diminutive form of Page, which is of Old French origin, and an occupational name for a young servant, a personal attendant in a noble's house, from the Old French, Middle English "page", ultimately deriving from the Greek "paidion", a boy, child... [more]
Padgham English
A habitational name.
Padley English
A habitational name from a place named Padley, which was probably named with the Old English personal name Padda and lēah meaning ‘glade, woodland clearing’. Alternatively, the first element may have been padde, meaning ‘toad’.
Pagan English
Variant of Payne.
Page German
Metonymic occupational name for a horse dealer, from Middle Low German page "horse".
Paine English
Variant spelling of Payne.
Painter English, Medieval French, German
English: from Middle English, Old French peinto(u)r, oblique case of peintre ‘painter’, hence an occupational name for a painter (normally of colored glass). In the Middle Ages the walls of both great and minor churches were covered with painted decorations, and Reaney and Wilson note that in 1308 Hugh le Peyntour and Peter the Pavier were employed ‘making and painting the pavement’ at St... [more]
Paish English
From Pasci, a department in Euce, Normandy
Paiton English
Locational surname derived from the village of Peyton in Essex, England; Variant of Peyton
Pakenham English
From the parish of Pakenham in Suffolk, meaning "Pacca's settlement" from Old English ham "estate, settlement".
Paler Jewish, Yiddish (Ukrainianized), English (Rare)
Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic): occupational name for a distiller, a Yiddishized form of Ukrainian palyar 'distiller'. English: variant of Paylor.
Paley English
English surname, either a habitational name denoting a person from a lost or unidentified place in Lancashire or Yorkshire (which was apparently named with Old English leah "woodland, clearing" as the final element), or derived from the Old Danish personal name Palli, from Old Danish páll meaning "pole"... [more]
Paley Jewish, Yiddish, Belarusian, Ukrainian
Occupational name for a distiller, derived from an East Slavic word (Russian палить (palitʹ), Ukrainian палити (palyty)) meaning "to burn". A famous bearer was Princess Olga Valerianovna Paley (1865-1929), the morganatic second wife of Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich of Russia.
Palfreyman English
Occupational name for a man responsible for the maintenance and provision of saddle-horses.
Palin English
(i) "person from Palling", Norfolk ("settlement of Pælli's people") or "person from Poling", Sussex ("settlement of Pāl's people"); (ii) from the Welsh name ap Heilyn "son of Heilyn", a personal name perhaps meaning "one who serves at table"
Pallas German, Polish (Germanized)
Nickname for a small man, from Slavic palac 'thumb'.
Palliser English
Means "maker of palings and fences" (from a derivative of Old French palis "palisade"). In fiction, the Palliser novels are a series of six political novels by Anthony Trollope, beginning with 'Can You Forgive Her?' (1864) and ending with 'The Duke's Children' (1880), in which the Palliser family plays a central role.
Pallmann German
The name Pallmann originates from the Landsuhl area of Bavaria, Germany (nor in Rhineland-Palatinate). The meaning of the name is unknown. Some Pallmanns came to America and Americanized the spelling, by dropping the second "n", while others retained the "n".
Pally English
Variant of Paley.
Palmberg Dutch (Rare), German (Rare)
Derived from any of the various places in Germany named Palmberg.
Palmtag German
Means "Palm Sunday" in German.
Pancek Yiddish
Variant of Penzig.
Pane English
Variant of Payne.
Pankratz German (East Prussian)
The name originated in Holland, as a surname chosen in 1811 when Napoleon insisted that all Dutch people have permanent surnames passed down to children. This particular family chose the name of a venerated saint - Saint Pancras, the patron saint of children... [more]
Pannebakker Dutch
From Middle Dutch panne "pan, roof tile" and backer "baker", an occupational name for someone who made roof tiles.
Pannekoek Dutch
Means "pancake" in Dutch, possibly a nickname for someone who made or liked to eat pancake. Alternatively, it could derive from a place name, such as an inn or field named for pancakes.
Panzer German
Metonymic occupational name for an armorer from Middle High German panzier "mailcoat" (Old French pancier "armor for the stomach, body armor" from Late Latin).
Papamichael Greek, English (Rare)
Means "son of priest Michael".
Papier French, German, Jewish
Means "paper" in French and German, denoting a paper maker or merchant, both derived from Old French papier.
Pappin English (Canadian)
Southeastern Ontario, Canada. My dad and uncle are the only two I met. I was told their family background was Metis/Cree.
Paradise English, Scottish
Nickname for someone who "lived by a park or pleasure garden".
Pardoe English
From a medieval nickname based on the Old French oath par Dieu "by God" (cf. Purdie).
Parduhn German
Variant Of Pardon From Middle English Pardun, Pardon "Pardon" A Metonymic occupational name for a pardoner, a person licensed to sell papal pardons or indulgences. German: either a cognate of 1 (also for a sexton), from Old French pardon ‘pardon’, or perhaps a nickname from Middle Low German bardun, Middle High German purdune ‘pipe’ (instrument), ‘tenor’ (voice).
Pardy English (Modern)
English (Dorset) variant of Perdue.
Pare English
Variant of Parr.
Parfitt English, Welsh
Derived from Middle English parfit meaning "perfect."
Parham Irish, English
This name has been used amongst the Irish and English. This user's great grandmother came from Ireland and her maiden name was Parham. However, in English (London) it is a habitational name from places in Suffolk and Sussex, named in Old English with pere ‘pear’ + ham ‘homestead’.
Parke English
Variant spelling of Park 2 or Park 3.
Parkes English
Variant of Parks.
Parkin English
From the given name Parkin
Parkington English
Habitational name from a place in Greater Manchester (formerly in Cheshire) called Partington, from Old English Peartingtun 'settlement (tun) associated with Pearta', a personal name not independently recorded.
Parkis English
Variant of Perkins or Parks.
Parkzer English (American, Modern, Rare)
Variant of "Parker". Adam Parkzer, better known mononymously as Parkzer, formally known as Adam Park, renamed it to Parkzer because of 'how generic his surname was'
Parley English
A place name meaning "pear field" from Old English 'per' with 'lee' or 'lea' meaning a field or clearing, perhaps where land was cleared to cultivate pear trees. Therefore this name denotes someone who lived near or worked at such a location or came from a habitation associated with the name... [more]
Parmley English
Variant of Parley. This form is found more in northern England, specifically Cumberland and Durham, but is of like derivation.
Parnham English
English habitational name from Parnham in Beaminster, Dorset.
Parr English
From a place so named in England. Derived from Old English pearr "enclosure".
Parr German
Variant of Pfarr.
Parsley Medieval French, English, Norman, French
Derived from Old French passelewe "cross the water."... [more]
Parson English
Means "priest, cleric, minister" in English, either an occupational name for someone who worked for a parson, a nickname for someone considered particularly pious, or perhaps given to illegitimate children of a priest.
Partenheimer German
Habitational name for someone from Partenheim in Rheinhessen.
Partington English
Habitational name from a place in Greater Manchester (formerly in Cheshire) called Partington, from Old English Peartingtun "Pearta's town".
Parton English
Habitational name from any of various places called Parton; most are named with Old English peretun ‘pear orchard’. A famous bearer of the surname is Dolly Parton.
Pasch German
Topographic name for a field or meadow which was used at Easter as a playground; etymologically two sources seem to be combined: Latin pascuum ‘pasture’ and Middle Low German pāsche(n) ‘Easter’.
Pash English (American)
Americanized spelling of German Pasch.
Pashley English
From the an Old English personal name Pæcca, and with the Old English word "le-ah," meaning "clearing in the wood. ''
Passelewe Medieval English
The medieval name is from Old French passe(r) ‘to pass or cross’ + l’ewe ‘the water’, hence a nickname, probably for a ferryman or a merchant who was in the habit of traveling overseas, or else someone who had been on a pilgrimage or crusade.
Passmore English
Either (i) from a medieval nickname for someone who crossed marshy moorland (e.g. who lived on the opposite side of a moor, or who knew the safe paths across it); or (ii) perhaps from an alteration of Passemer, literally "cross-sea", an Anglo-Norman nickname for a seafarer... [more]
Pastorius German (Latinized)
Derived from Latin pastor "shepherd", a Latinized form of German surname Schäfer. This surname is no longer found in Germany. Jaco Pastorius (1951-1987), full name John Francis Anthony Pastorius III, was the most influential American jazz bassist, composer, and producer... [more]
Pate English
Derives from the given name Pat(t), a short form of the personal name Patrick from the Latin Patricius meaning "son of a noble father".
Pateman English
The name Pateman is rooted in the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. It is a name for someone who worked as a boatman. The surname Pateman is derived from the Anglo-Saxon word bat, which means a boat.
Pater Dutch, German, English, Polish
From Latin pater "father", used as a religious title for a priest in Roman Catholicism. Possibly used semi-literally for a man who worked in the church, or figuratively for a solemn or pompous man.
Patricks English
Patronymic form of Patrick.
Patters English
History not available.
Pattinson English, Scottish
Derived from the name of an ancestor. 'The son of Patrick' (which see), from the nick. Pate and diminutive Patt-in; compare Colin, Robin.
Pauley English, German
English: from a medieval pet form of Paul.... [more]
Paulick German
German (of Slavic origin) spelling of Pavlík, a Slavic derivative of Paul.
Paulus German, Dutch
From the given name Paulus and variant of Paul.
Paustenbach German
Family name associated with the town Paustenbach, Germany
Pauw Dutch, Flemish
Means "peacock" in Dutch. Could be a habitational name from a sign depicting a peacock, or a nickname for a proud or flamboyant person. In some cases, it can be a shortened form of the patronymic Pauwels "son of Paul".
Pavey English
Either (i) from the medieval female personal name Pavia, perhaps from Old French pavie "peach"; or (ii) "person from Pavia", Italy.
Pawley English
English variant of Pauley.
Paxson English
This surname means "son of Pack." Pack may be a survival of the Old English personal name Pacca or it may have been a Middle English personal name derived from Paschalis (meaning "relating to Easter"), the Latin form of Pascal.
Payan English
Variant of Payne.
Paysen German, Frisian
Patronymic from the personal name Pay, the Frisian form of Paul.
Payson German, Frisian
German and Frisian variant spelling of Paysen, a patronymic from the personal name Paul.
Paytas Hungarian, English (American)
From the Hungarian nickname pajtás meaning "comrade, pal". Possibly originates from the Ottoman Turkish word پایداش‎ (paydaş) meaning "partner, sharer". A notable bearer of the surname is the American YouTuber Trisha Paytas.
Peabody English
Probably from a nickname for a showy dresser, from Middle English pe "peacock" (see Peacock) and body "body, person". Alternatively it may be from the name of a Celtic tribe meaning "mountain men" from Brythonic pea "large hill, mountain" combined with Boadie, the tribe's earlier name, which meant "great man" (or simply "man") among the Briton and Cambri peoples... [more]
Peach English (Rare)
Derived from the name of the fruit, which itself derived its name from Late Latin persica, which came from older Latin malum persicum meaning "Persian fruit."
Peachy English (Anglicized)
Means “lived near a peach tree, sold peaches, or was associated with the fruit in some other way”. Originally arrived with the in England after the Norman conquest of 1066.
Pearcy English (American)
Variant of Percy, which is a name derived from Perci, a parish and canton near St. Lo, in Normandy
Pearks English
Sir Stuart Edmond Pearks (1875–1931) served as the Chief Commissioner of the North-West Frontier Province of British India from 1930 until 1931. Sourced from Wikipedia.... [more]
Pearl English
Metonymic occupational name for a trader in pearls, which in the Middle Ages were fashionable among the rich for the ornamentation of clothes, from Middle English, Old French perle (Late Latin perla).
Pears English
Patronymic from the given name Piers (see Pearson).
Pearsall English
a British surname of French origin derived from the pre-9th-century word "pourcel", which described a breeder of animals or a farmer
Peartree English
Means "pear tree".
Peary English
Variant of Perry 1.
Pease English
English: from Middle English pese ‘pea’, hence a metonymic occupational name for a grower or seller of peas, or a nickname for a small and insignificant person. The word was originally a collective singular (Old English peose, pise, from Latin pisa) from which the modern English vocabulary word pea is derived by folk etymology, the singular having been taken as a plural.
Pechman German
"Pechman" means "man with bad luck" in many European languages (Polish, German, and Dutch predominantly), though in German, it originally referred to one who prepared, sold, or used pitch.
Pechtold German, Dutch, Jewish
From the Old German given name Pechtholt, which is composed of the elements pecht "rotation" and holdt "hero". As a Dutch-language surname, it is derived from the Middle Dutch given name Pechte combined with Old High German walt "power, authority"... [more]
Peele English
This surname was given topographically to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. A famous bearer of this surname is actor, comedian, writer, producer, and director Jordan Peele.
Peet Dutch
Means "godparent, godchild" in Dutch, derived from Middle Dutch pete meaning "godfather, godmother, godchild".
Peet English
Derived from a pet form of the given name Peter.
Peete English
Variant spelling of Peet.
Peevey Norman, English
Means "a place with a fine view". Composed of the Old French roots beu, which means "fair" and "lovely", and voir, which means "to see".
Pegg English, Welsh
Son of "Margaret", in Old English.
Peik German
From Middle Low German pek ‘sharp, pointed tool or weapon’.
Peikert German
Probably an occupational name for a drummer.
Peiper German (Austrian)
Occupational name for a piper, from Middle High German piper. In some cases it may be derived from Sorbian pipar "pepper", thus being an occupational name for a spicer or a nickname for one with a fiery temper.
Peirce English
From the given name Piers. A notable bearer was the American philosopher Charles Sanders Peirce (1839-1914), who is considered to be one of the founders of pragmatism, along with William James and John Dewey.
Peles English, Welsh, Italian
Some characteristic forenames: Italian Angelo, Livio, Primo, Santo.... [more]
Pelham English
From the name of a place in Hertfordshire, which meant "Peotla's homestead" in Old English.
Pelle Danish, German
From the personal name Pelle, a vernacular form of Peter.
Pelle German
From Middle Low German pelle "precious purple silk cloth", presumably an occupational name for a maker or seller of such cloth or for a maker of official and church vestments.
Pelsmaker Dutch
Occupational name for a pelt maker, from Dutch pels "pelt, fur" and maker "maker"
Pelt Dutch
Shortened form of Van Pelt.
Pelter English
Derived from Middle English pellet "skin (of an animal, sheep)", an occupational name for someone who tanned or sold hides and pelts for a living. Compare French Pelletier.
Pelton English
Habitational name from Pelton, a place in County Durham, named from an unattested Old English personal name Peola + tun 'farmstead', 'settlement'.
Peltz German, Jewish
Occupational name for a furrier, from Middle High German bellez, (modern German pelz) "fur", "animal skin".
Pelz German, Jewish
Variant of Peltz.
Pelzer German
Occupational name for a furrier, from an agent derivative Middle High German bellez "fur".
Pember English
From Paegna, a given name meaning "pagan", ber meaning "barley", or it's a variant of Pamber.
Pemberley English
From the given name Paegna, ber meaning "barley" and leah meaning "clearing".
Pemberly English
From the given name Paegna, ber meaning "barley" and leah meaning "clearing".
Pendarvis English (American)
The American English spelling of the Cornish surname Pendarves. Ultimately, the surname is traced back to Pendarves Island, Cornwall.
Pendlebury English
Likely originated from the area Pendlebury, in the Borough of Swindon and Pendlebury in Greater Manchester. Formed from the Celtic pen meaning "hill" and burh meaning "settlement".... [more]
Pendleton English
An Old English name meaning "overhanging settlement".
Pendragon English
From 'Pen Dragon' meaning head dragon or dragons head. This was the name of the king Uther Pendragon who was King Arthurs father
Peniston English
Denoted someone who came from the town of Penistone in South Yorkshire.
Penketh English (British)
The surname Penketh was first found in Lancashire at Penketh, a township, in the chapelry of Great Sankey, parish of Prescot, union of Warrington, hundred of West Derby.
Penley English
habitational name from Penleigh in Dilton Wiltshire. The place name probably derives from Old English penn "fold enclosure" or perhaps Celtic penn "head" and Old English leah "wood woodland clearing"... [more]
Penney English
Variant of Penny.
Penning English, Dutch, Low German
From early Middle English penning, Low German penning, and Middle Dutch penninc, all meaning "penny". It was used as a topographic surname from the name of a field, or a nickname referring to tax dues of one penny.
Penning Upper German
Shortened form of Panno, which is a personal given name.
Pennington English
Habitational surname denoting someone originally from any of the various locations in England named Pennington, derived from Old English penning meaning "penny" (used as a byname or from a tribute due on the land) and tun meaning "town".
Pennock Cornish, English
From the Cornish 'pennknegh', meaning "hilltop".
Pennybacker Low German
Pennybacker is an anglicized German surname for someone who worked making roof tiles or as a tiler.
Pennyfield English (Rare, ?)
Probably derives from the two English words, 'Penny' and 'Field'.
Pennywell English
English habitational name from Pennywell in Tyne and Wear or from a similarly named lost place elsewhere.
Pennyworth English
From Old English pening, penig meaning "penny (the coin)" and worþ meaning "enclosure". A notable fictional bearer is Alfred Pennyworth, a DC Comics character notable for being the butler of the superhero Batman.
Penrose English, Cornish, Welsh
From the names of various towns in Cornwall and Wales, all derived from Cornish penn "head" and ros "moor, heathland".
Penry Welsh, Cornish, English
Derived from Welsh ap Henry meaning "son of Henry". It is also a variant of Pendray, which is derived from a place name in Cornwall meaning "top of the village" in Middle Cornish... [more]
Penwell English
English probably a variant of Pennywell.
People English
Possibly a variant of Pepall, a patronymic form of the given name Pepin. Alternatively, may be a habitational name.
Pepall English
Variant of People.
Peppard English, Irish
Occupational name from Old French pipart meaning "piper".
Peppe German
From Peppo, a pet form of a Germanic personal name (see Pepin).
Pepper English
Occupational name for a spicer.
Pepys English
From the medieval personal name Pepis, a form of Old French Pepin, brought into England by the Normans. It may have been based on an earlier nickname meaning "awesome"... [more]
Perceval English, Norman
Derived from either the Old French given name Perceval, or from one of two places called Perceval in the department of Calvados in Normandy, France... [more]
Percher English
In textile mills, woven fabric coming off the mill / loom would pass over a frame, or rod, called a 'perch'. It was the job of the 'Percher' to examine the cloth for defects, and repair them when they were found... [more]
Percival English, Norman
Variant of Perceval, derived from the given name Percival.
Percy English
Either a nickname from Old French percehaie "pierce hedge" (Old French percer "to pierce, penetrate" and haie "hedge, fence"), perhaps with the sense of someone breaking into an enclosure... [more]
Perdue English, Irish, French
English and Irish from Old French par Dieu ‘by God’, which was adopted in Middle English in a variety of more or less heavily altered forms. The surname represents a nickname from a favorite oath... [more]
Peregrine English, Popular Culture
Derived from the given name Peregrine. A fictional bearer is Alma LeFay Peregrine, a character from the novel "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" (2011) by Ransom Riggs.
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