KnollEnglish, German, Jewish English and German topographic name for someone living near a hilltop or mountain peak, from Middle English knolle ‘hilltop’, ‘hillock’ (Old English cnoll), Middle High German knol ‘peak’... [more]
KnorrGerman From a nickname for a gnarly person, derived from Middle High/Low German knorre "knot, protruberance".
KnottEnglish Either from the Middle English personal name Knut, or denoting a person who lived "at the knot", which is the summit of a rocky hill.
KoideJapanese From Japanese 小 (ko) meaning "small" and 出 (ide or de) meaning "rising."
KoiduEstonian Koidu is an Estonian feminine given name and surname derived from "Koit" (also, a masculine given name) meaning "dawn". In Estonian mythology, Koit was a handsome young man who was the personification of dawn.
KoikeJapanese From Japanese 小 (ko) meaning "little, small" and 池 (ike) meaning "pond."
KoisoJapanese Combination of the kanji 小 (ko; "small, little, short") and 磯 (iso; "seashore")
KondaJapanese Written with characters meaning ‘now’ and ‘rice paddy’, this version of the name is found mostly in eastern Japan. In western Japan it is pronounced Imata.
KondōJapanese From Japanese 近 (kon) meaning "near, close" and 藤 (tō) meaning "wisteria". The latter character could indicate a connection to the Fujiwara clan.
KongoEstonian Kongo is an Estonian surname, possibly derived from "kangur" meaning "weaver", or from "kongus" meaning "hooked".
KongoKongo From Kongo meaning "hunter". This surname could also be from places named "Kongo".
KonksEstonian Konks is an Estonian surname meaning "hook", "swan neck", and "trammel".
KonnoJapanese Variously written, most usually with characters meaning ‘now’ or ‘near’ and ‘field’. Found mostly in eastern Japan, farther to the northeast it is pronounced Imano.
KonnoJapanese From Japanese 今 (kon) meaning "this, now" and 野 (no) meaning "field, wilderness".
KonnoJapanese From Japanese 金 (kon) meaning "gold, money" and 野 (no) meaning "field, wilderness".
KonnoJapanese From Japanese 紺 (kon) meaning "dark blue, navy blue" and 野 (no) meaning "field, wilderness".
KonoeJapanese Means "royal guardian" in Japanese. The kanji that make up this name are 近 (kon, "near, close") and 衛 (e, "protection"). A famous bearer of this surname was Japanese Prime Minister Fumimaro Konoe (近衞 文麿; 1891–1945).
KontsEstonian Konts is an Estonian surname meaning "heel" and "stubb".
KooijDutch From Dutch kooi meaning "cage", often referring to a pen or duck decoy (a plot of land with a pond set aside to lure in ducks). Occupational name for someone who raised or hunted ducks, or who made cages.
KooliEstonian Kooli is an Estonian surname meaning "scholastic".
KoopsDutch, Low German Patronymic from the given name Koop, a diminutive form of Jakob. Alternatively, a variant of German and Dutch Koop.
KorenSlovene, Hebrew Koren is a surname which has multiple origins. Koren may be a variant of the German occupational surname Korn, meaning a dealer in grain. Alternatively, it may be a variant of the Greek female name Kora... [more]
KoyleOld Irish The surname Koyle was first found in Donegal (Irish: Dún na nGall), northwest Ireland in the province of Ulster, sometimes referred to as County Tyrconnel, where they held a family seat from very ancient times.
KöylüTurkish Means "villager, peasant" in Turkish.
KozakPolish, Czech, Slovak, Sorbian, Ukrainian Ethnic name for a Cossack, a member of a people descended from a group of runaway serfs who set up a semi-independent military republic in Ukraine in the 15th and 16th centuries.
KozakJewish Nickname from Yiddish kozak from a Ukrainian loanword meaning "warrior", "brave man".
KozubCzech, Polish, Slovak Either denoted a fireplace maker or a saddler depending on the origin, either meaning "fireplace, hearth" in Czech and Slovak or "saddle" in Polish.
KozueJapanese (Rare) This surname is used as 梢, 小梢 or 梢江 with 梢 (shou, kusunoki, kozue) meaning "treetops, twig", 小 (shou, o-, ko-, sa-, chii.sai) meaning "little, small" and 江 (kou, e) meaning "bay, creek, inlet."... [more]
KraanDutch Means "crane" in Dutch, referring to both the bird and the machine. Usually a nickname for a tall or long-legged person, but can also be an occupational name for someone who worked a mechanical crane, or a habitational name from a place containing the element kraan.
KraavEstonian Kraav is an Estonian surname meaning "ditch".
KrabiEstonian Krabi is an Estonian surname meaning "crab".
KrabsPopular Culture This is the surname of Eugene H. Krabs from SpongeBob SquarePants.
KräftGerman, Jewish Nickname for a strong man, from Old High German kraft, German Kraft ‘strength’, ‘power’.
KrahnGerman Nickname for a slim or long-legged person, from Middle Low German krane "crane". Compare Kranich.
KraisGerman, Brazilian Brazilian adaptation of the German surname Greis; altered for easier comprehension by the Portuguese-speaking population of Brazil.
KreemEstonian Kreem is an Estonian surname meaning "cream".
KreitUpper German Topographic name from Middle High German geriute meaning “land cleared for farming”
KreppGerman topographic name for someone living in a hollow
KressGerman From Middle High German kresse "gudgeon", hence probably a nickname for someone thought to resemble the fish in some way or an occupational name for a fisherman.
KressGerman From Old High German krassig, gratag "greedy".
KreulGerman From Middle Low German krouwel "hook, claw; three-pronged fork, trident, meat hook", a metonymic name for someone who made such tools, or a nickname for someone who used them.
KriesGerman From Middle High German kriese "cherry" hence an occupation for someone who sold soft fruits or a locational surname for some who lived by a cherry tree.
KriitEstonian Kriit is an Estonian surname meaning "chalk".
KrishIndian Shortened form of Krishna or of any other name beginning with Krishna (such as Krishnan, Krishnaswami, Krishnamurthy, etc.), used in the U.S. by families from southern India. It is not in use in India.
KroesDutch, Low German Means "chalice, cup, jug" in Dutch, an occupational name for someone who made drinking vessels, such as a potter. Could also be a habitational name for someone who lived by a sign depicting a cup.
KrollGerman, Dutch Nickname for someone with curly hair, from Middle High German krol "curly", Middle Low German krulle "ringlet, curl", Middle Dutch croel, crul.
KruipDutch Means "crawl, creep" in Dutch, possibly a nickname for someone known for skulking about.
KruisDutch, Flemish Means "cross" in Dutch, a habitational name for someone who lived near a crossroads, a sign depicting a cross, or a place where people were executed. Could also denote someone who made crosses, either the religious symbol or the instrument of torture.
KrullEstonian Krull is an Estonian surname possibly derived from "kull" meaning "hawk".
KrummGerman From a nickname, which in turn is from the Middle High German word krum, meaning "crooked" or "deformed".
KuchaOkinawan (Rare, Archaic) From Okinawan 古知屋 (Kucha) meaning "Kucha", a former village in the former district of Kin in the former Ryūkyū Kingdom.
KuchiJapanese (Rare) From Japanese 口 (kuchi) meaning "mouth". It is a reference to an event in the Northern and Southern Courts Period, of 3 sons of Takase who became heroes for the south. The emperor of Japan awarded each of the sons a new surname; Oku for the eldest son, Naka for the middle son, and Kuchi for the youngest son.
KuijtDutch Occupational name for a brewer of beer, derived from Dutch kuit, koyt literally meaning "beer". A famous bearer of this name is retired Dutch soccer player Dirk Kuijt (1980-), also known as Dirk Kuyt.
KuivaEstonian Kuiva is an Estonian surname derived from "kuivaks" meaning "dry".
KulakRussian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Polish Means "fist". Was also used to describe Ukrainian farmers who went against the Soviet government in the early 30s.
KupkaCzech, Polish, Ukrainian, Slovak, Sorbian, Jewish Nickname or topographic name from the Polish, Ukrainian, Czech and Sorbian word kupka, a diminutive of kupa meaning "heap, pile", in Upper Sorbian also "lump".... [more]
KuraiJapanese Kura means "warehouse, storehouse" and i means "well, pit, mineshaft".
KuyonHungarian, Romanian Largely unknown, but may have origins in a village in Poland, called Kujan. There’s records on the name at Ellis Island in New York where it was anglicized to the phonetic, Kuyon. There’s also a split in the main families with the name in the US to another diminutive, Kenyon.... [more]
KuzmaUkrainian, Belarusian From the personal name Kuzma, Greek Kosmas, a derivative of kosmos ‘universe’, ‘(ordered) arrangement’. St. Cosmas, martyred with his brother Damian in Cilicia in the early 4th century ad, came to be widely revered in the Eastern Church.