Submitted Surnames Starting with B

usage
Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
Bertwig Swedish (Rare)
Derived from the forename elements beraht meaning "bright", and wig, meaning "war, battle".
Bérubé French
Habitational name from some minor place named with Old French bel ru "beautiful stream", with the subsequent pleonastic addition of , variant of bel "beautiful".
Beruška Czech
Allegedly derived from Czech beruška "ladybird; ladybug".
Berwald German, Swedish (Rare), Danish (Rare)
Originally derived from the given name Bernwald, composed of Old High German bern, bero "bear" and wald "ruler"... [more]
Berwick English, Scottish
Habitational name from Berwick-on-Tweed.
Berzelius Swedish
Derived from the name of an estate named Bergsätter located near Motala, Östergötland, Sweden. Bergsätter is composed of Swedish berg "mountain" and säter "outlying meadow"... [more]
Besalú Catalan
This indicates familial origin within the eponymous municipality.
Besemer German
Occupational name meaning "broom maker".
Beshay Arabic (Egyptian)
Unknown origin. Mostly borne by Christians.
Beshimov Kyrgyz
Possibly derived from the given name Beshim. A known bearer is Bakyt Beshimov, the deputy chairman of the Social Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan.
Beshirov Kazakh
Means "son of Beshir".
Beske German
Likely derived from Peschke and Peske, vernacular forms of the given name Petrus.
Beskow Swedish
Derived from the name of the city Beeskow in Germany. A notable bearer was Swedish author and illustrator Elsa Beskow (1874-1953).
Bess English
Popularly grown surname from the diminuative form of "Elizabeth" during any time of a Queen Elizabeth
Bessa Portuguese
Origin in the name Beça surname of medieval ancestry
Bessel German
Of uncertain origin; possibly from the name of a place or river.
Besselman German
Derived from the German surname Bessel + suffix man "man".
Besson French, Provençal, Occitan
Southern French nickname from Occitan besson "twin" (from Latin bis) or from the various places (Le) Besson in southern France.
Bestauty Ossetian
Derived from Ossetian бистэ (biste) meaning "village, suburb" or from Persian به (beh) meaning "good, excellent, better". In the case of the former, it would have been used to indicate the place of residence of an ancestor.
Beste French, English
Nickname from Middle English beste Old French beste "beast animal" (especially those used for food or work) applied either as a metonymic occupational name for someone who looked after beasts such as a herdsman or as a nickname for someone thought to resemble an animal... [more]
Betances Spanish, American (Hispanic)
Unexplained; probably related to Betanzos, the name of a town near A Coruña in Galicia.
Betanzos Galician
This indicates familial origin within the eponymous municipality.
Beterbekov Chechen
Chechen form of Batyrbekov.
Beterbiev Chechen
Chechen form of Batyrbaev.
Beteta Spanish
This indicates familial origin within the eponymous Manchego municipality.
Beth English
From the given name Beth, itself a short form of Elizabeth and Bethany.
Bethany English
Possibly a topographic name derived from the Old English plant name betonice meaning "betony". The form of the name has been altered by folk association with the New Testament place name.
Bethea Welsh
Possible altered form of the Welch surname Bethel
Bethel English, Welsh (Anglicized)
Anglicized form of Welsh ab Ithel "son of Ithel".
Bethencourt French, English, Portuguese (Rare)
Bettencourt and Bethencourt are originally place-names in Northern France. The place-name element -court (courtyard, courtyard of a farm, farm) is typical of the French provinces, where the Frankish settlements formed an important part of the local population... [more]
Bethune Scottish
Scottish form of Béthune.
Betjeman Dutch
One of the earliest surnames, it derives from the Roman personal name "Benedictus", meaning blessed.
Beton English
Variant of Beeton.
Betschla Romansh (Archaic)
Derived from the Germanic name element beraht "bright". The name was replaced by the Italianized form Bezzola in the 18th century.
Betsubu Japanese (Rare)
Variant reading of Japanese Kanji 別部 (see Beppu 2, Beppu 3, Beppu 4, Beppu 5, Beppu 6, Beppu 7, Beppu 8, Beppu 9, Beppu 10, Beppu 11, Beppu 12, or Beppu 13).
Betsufu Japanese (Rare)
Variant reading of Japanese Kanji 別符 (see Beppu 2, Beppu 3, Beppu 4, Beppu 5, Beppu 6, Beppu 7, Beppu 8, Beppu 9, Beppu 10, Beppu 11, Beppu 12, or Beppu 13).
Bettany English
Variant of Betteley in the West Midlands and variant of Beatley in East England with /n/ substituted for /l/.
Bettencourt French, English, Portuguese (Rare)
Bettencourt and Bethencourt are originally place-names in Northern France. The place-name element -court (courtyard, courtyard of a farm, farm) is typical of the French provinces, where the Frankish settlements formed an important part of the local population... [more]
Bettin Venetian
Venetian form of Bettini.
Bettini Italian
Patronymic form of Bettino.
Bettino Italian
From the given name Bettino.
Bettwy Irish, Scottish
From the name Beatrice.
Betz German
Derived from a Thuringian short form of the personal name Bernhard.
Bever German
Nickname from bever ‘beaver’, possibly referring to a hard worker, or from some other fancied resemblance to the animal.
Beveridge English
Derived from the town of Beverege or from the Old French beivre "drink", a nickname for a person who sealed contracts with a drink
Bevetto Cornish
From bo-veth, the dwelling by the grave or bo-verth, the green house.
Bevier French (Germanized)
From Old French bevier, meaning "a measure of land". This was probably a nickname for someone who owned or worked such a piece of land. This surname was first found in Austria, where the name Bevier came from humble beginnings but gained a significant reputation for its contribution to the emerging medieval society.
Bevilacqua Italian
From Italian bevi l'acqua "drinks water", a nickname likely applied ironically to an alcoholic.
Bexley English
Habitational name from Bexley (now Bexleyheath in Greater London), which was named from Old English byxe ‘box tree’ + leah ‘woodland clearing’.
Bey French, German, Frisian
North German and Frisian: from the Old Frisian personal name Beyo or Boy/Boye (see Boye).... [more]
Bey Indian (Muslim), Assamese, Turkish, Arabic (Maghrebi)
Derived from the Ottoman Turkish title بك (beg) (modern Turkish bey) meaning "ruler, chief, lord, master".
Beyaz Turkish
Means "white, fair" in Turkish.
Beyincé French, Louisiana Creole
Louisiana Creole form of Boyancé.... [more]
Beynon Welsh
From Welsh ab Einon meaning "son of Einon". Einon is a variant of Einion.
Beyoğlu Turkish
Means son of a bey. “Bey” (Ottoman Turkish: بك‎ “Beik”, Albanian: bej, Bosnian: beg, Arabic: بيه‎ “Beyeh”, Persian: بیگ‎ “Beyg” or بگ “Beg”) is a Turkish title for chieftain, traditionally applied to the leaders or rulers of various sized areas in the Ottoman Empire... [more]
Bezerra Portuguese
Means "young cow, heifer" in Portuguese.
Bezos Spanish
From bezo meaning "thick lips" in Spanish, referring to a person with blubber or thick lips.
Bezzola Romansh
Italianization of Betschla.
Bhaduri Bengali
Habitational name from the village of Bhadur in present-day West Bengal, India.
Bhaer German
Likely a variant of German Baer, meaning "bear". A notable bearer is character Friedrich Bhaer, Jo's husband in Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.
Bhagat Indian, Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Gujarati, Punjabi, Nepali
Derived from Sanskrit भक्त (bhákta) meaning "devotee, worshiper".
Bhakta Sanskrit
From Sanskrit meaning 'devotee'.
Bhakta Indian, Bengali, Odia, Assamese
Derived from Sanskrit भक्त (bhakta) meaning "devoted, loyal, faithful".
Bhalla Indian
This surname is derived from Sanskrit bhalla meaning (among other things) ‘auspicious’, ‘missile’, and ‘bear’.
Bhalli Punjabi
Meaning uncertain. This is the name of a clan found in Punjab, Pakistan.
Bhandari Indian, Hindi, Bengali, Gujarati, Punjabi, Nepali
Derived from Sanskrit भाण्डागारिक (bhandagarika) meaning "storekeeper, treasurer", ultimately from भाण्डागार (bhandagara) meaning "storeroom, storehouse, treasury".
Bhanuvadh Thai (Sanskritized, Rare)
Sanskritized transcription of Thai ภาณุวัฒน์ (see Phanuwat).
Bharat Indian, Hindi, Marathi
From the given name Bharat.
Bharath Tamil, Indian, Malayalam, Telugu
From the given name Bharath.
Bhardwaj Indian
From Sanskrit bhāradvāja ‘descendant of bharadvāja’, bharadvāja meaning ‘one who has strength or vigor’ (a compound of bharat ‘bearing’ + vāja ‘vigor’). According to legend, Bharadvaja (bharadvāja) was the name of one of the great sages.
Bhargava Indian
From Sanskrit bhārgava ‘(descendant) of Bhrigu’. Bhrigu is the name of one of the great sages of Hindu legend.
Bharucha Indian (Parsi)
Refers to the city of Bharuch in Gujarat, India, which is thought to be derived from the name of a figure in Hindu mythology.
Bhasin Indian, Hindi, Punjabi
Believed to be derived from Sanskrit भानु (bhānu) meaning "ray of light" or "sun".
Bhat Kashmiri, Marathi, Kannada, Konkani, Urdu
Alternate transcription of Bhatt.
Bhatnagar Indian, Hindi, Marathi, Odia
Derived from the name of a subgroup of the Kayasth community, denoting association with Hanumangarh (formerly named Bhatner), a city in Rajasthan, India.
Bhatt Indian, Hindi, Kannada, Marathi, Gujarati, Malayalam, Nepali
Derived from Sanskrit भट्ट (bhatta) meaning "lord" or "learned one".
Bhattacharyya Bengali
A variant spelling of Bhattacharya
Bhattarai Nepali
Derived from Sanskrit भट्ट (bhatta) meaning "venerable, learned, philosopher".
Bhaumik Bengali, Indian
Variant transcription of Bhowmik.
Bhavaraju Sanskrit
It is a patronymic name, meaning it is from the father’s or ancestor’s name. It is derived from the Sanskrit words “bha,” which means “knowledge,” and “raja,” which means “king.” So, it means “king of knowledge” or “one who is knowledgeable.”
Bhavasar Indian, Gujarati
Meaning uncertain.
Bhavsar Indian, Marathi, Gujarati
Marathi form of Bhavasar as well as an alternate transcription of Gujarati ભાવસાર.
Bhawal Bengali
Varient spelling of Bhowal.
Bhawalkar Indian
From the town of Bhawal in the NorthWest part of India, around the state of Jaipur.
Bhole German
1 North German: nickname for a male relative, colleague in a guild or fraternity, or lover, Middle Low German bōle.... [more]
Bhowal Bengali
From the Bhawal Estate in British India.
Bhowmick Bengali, Indian
Variant transcription of Bhowmik.
Bhowmik Indian, Bengali
Means "landowner, landlord" in Bengali, ultimately derived from Sanskrit भूमि (bhūmi) "earth, soil, ground".
Bhuiya Bengali
Bangladeshi: from Bengali bhuyyan ‘landlord’, ‘chieftain’. Bearers of this surname claim descent from one of the twelve chieftains (nine Muslims and three Hindus), who ruled the Sultanate of Bengal (1336–1576)... [more]
Bhuiyan Indian, Bengali, Hindi
Alternate transcription of Bhuyan.
Bhullar Indian, Punjabi
Probably from the name of a village in Punjab, India, which is of uncertain meaning. This is the name of a Jat clan found in India and Pakistan.
Bhutto Sindhi
Meaning uncertain. This is the name of a prominent Pakistani political family of Sindhi origin. Two of its members, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (1928-1979) and Benazir Bhutto (1953-2007) served as prime ministers of Pakistan.
Bhuyan Indian, Bengali, Assamese, Odia
Means "landlord, chieftain", derived from Sanskrit भूमि (bhumi) meaning "earth, soil".
Bi Chinese
Probably from the name of a people living to the west of China in ancient times, who integrated with the Han Chinese during the Han dynasty (206 bc–220 ad). The character also means ‘finish’, ‘conclude’.
Bi Chinese
From Chinese 毕 (bì) referring to the ancient fief of Bi, which existed during the Zhou dynasty in what is now Shaanxi province.
Bia Navajo
The U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs ("BIA") required all Indians to choose a family name. The Navajo family name Bia is derived from BIA ("Bureau of Indian Affairs")
Biała f Polish
Strictly feminine form of Biały.
Białaczowski Polish
This indicates familial origin within the Lesser Polish village of Białaczów.
Bialik Polish, Czech, Jewish
Derived from Polish biały meaning "white", originally a nickname for a person with blond hair or a pale complexion. A famous bearer of this name is American actress Mayim Bialik (1975-).
Białkowski Polish
Habitational name for someone from any of various places named Bialkowo, Bialków or Bialkowice, all derived from Polish biały meaning "white".
Biały Polish
Means "white" in Polish. This form is more often, but not exclusively, used by men.
Bian Chinese
Romanization of a Chinese surname, which in Pinyin may be respectively Biàn, Biān or Biǎn. The former, written with the character means "to be impatient", "to be in a hurry" or "excitable" and is by far the most common... [more]
Bian Chinese
From Chinese 边 (biān) referring to the ancient state of Bian, which existed during the Shang dynasty in what is now Henan province.
Bian Chinese
From Chinese 卞 (biàn) referring to the ancient fief of Bian, which existed during the Zhou dynasty in what is now Shandong province.
Biancaniello Italian
It means "white ring".... [more]
Bianchini Italian
Means "little white one"
Bianki Russian (Rare)
Russian form of Bianchi. A famous bearer is Vitaly Valentinovich Bianki, the Soviet children’s writer.
Biarujia Taneraic
This is the only existing surname derived from Javant Biarujia’s constructed personal language, Taneraic, which he created over several decades. The meaning is unknown.
Bibble Medieval Italian (Tuscan)
In the 1600s, Bibble was a nickname for Bribblick, an Italian name.
Biber German
Varient of Bieber.
Bibi Urdu, Pashto, Sindhi, Indian, Bengali, Assamese, Odia, Hindi, Punjabi
From a respectful title meaning "woman, lady, miss", ultimately derived from Persian بی‌بی (bibi).
Bibiano Spanish
From the given name Bibiano.
Bible English
From the given name BIBEL or an altered spelling of German BIEBL.
Bibylty Ossetian
Derived from Georgian ბიბილო (bibilo) meaning "scar" or "crest", used to refer to a person with a distinctive scar on their face.
Bích Vietnamese
From Sino-Vietnamese 碧 (bích) meaning "bluish-green".
Bickel German, German (Swiss), Jewish
German: from bickel ‘pickaxe’ or ‘chisel’, hence a metonymic occupational name for someone who made pickaxes or worked with a pickaxe or for a stonemason. South German: from a pet form of Burkhart... [more]
Bickerman English
The toponym Bickerton is derived from the Old English beocere, which means bee-keeper, and tun, which originally denoted a fence or enclosure.
Bickham English
Habitational name from places so named in Devon and Somerset, most of which are most probably named with an Old English personal name Bicca and Old English cumb "valley". The first element could alternatively be from bica "pointed ridge".
Bicknell English (British)
Contracted form of the placename Bickenhill in Somerset, England.
Bidaurreta Basque
It indicates familial origin within the eponymous Navarrese municipality.
Biddle English, Irish
Variant of English BEADLE or German BITTEL. The name is now popular in the north east region of America, where it was brought by English and Irish immigrants.
Biddulph English
From the name of a town in Staffordshire, England, derived from Old English meaning "beside" and dylf meaning "digging" (a derivative of delfan "to dig").
Biebrich German
Town of Biebrich Germany
Biedermann German, Jewish
nickname for an honest man from a compound of Middle High German biderbe "honorable" and man "man". Jewish surname adopted because of its honorific meaning from German bieder "honest, upright" and mann "man".
Biedroń Polish
Nickname, either from dialect biedron ‘spotted bullock’, or for someone with conspicuous or deformed hips, from a derivative of dialect biedro ‘hip’.
Biehl German
From Middle Low German bil "hatchet", Middle High German biel; given to someone who made or used hatchets.
Biel Polish, Czech, Slovak
Nickname for a white- or fair-haired person, from Polish biel, Old Czech bielý, Slovak biely "white".
Bielawski Polish
This indicates familial origin within the Masovian village of Bielawa.
Bielec Polish
Nickname for a man with white hair or a blond beard, from biały meaning "white".
Bielecki Polish
Habitational name for someone from a place called Bielcza, derived from Polish biel meaning "white".
Bieler German, Jewish
Jewish (Ashkenazic): habitational name from any of the many places in eastern Europe whose name incorporates the Slavic element byel- ‘white’.... [more]
Bieliński Polish
Habitational name for someone from any of various places named Bielin, Bielina, Bielino or Bieliny, all derived from Polish biel meaning "white".
Biện Vietnamese
From Sino-Vietnamese 边 (biān) meaning "edge".
Bien-Aimé Haitian Creole
Means "beloved" from French bien meaning "good" and aimé meaning "love".
Bieniak Polish
Polish family name with Germanic origins. The Bieniak family lived in the Polish villages of Grębków and nearby Kózki for nearly 500 years.
Bieniek Polish
From a pet form of the personal names Benedykt.
Bieńkowski Polish
Habitational name for someone from any of various places called Bieńkowice, Bieńkowiec, or Bieńkowo.
Bier German, Jewish
from Middle High German bier "beer" German bier Yiddish bir a metonymic occupational name for a brewer of beer or a tavern owner or in some cases perhaps a nickname for a beer drinker.
Bierbaum German
German: topographic name for someone who lived by a pear tree, Middle Low German berbom. Compare Birnbaum.
Bierbrauer German
occupational name for a brewer German bierbrauer. Derived from the elements bier "beer" and brauen "to brew".
Bierce English, Welsh
English variant and Welsh form of Pierce. A famous bearer was the American author, journalist and poet Ambrose Bierce (1842-c. 1914), who wrote The Devil's Dictionary and other works... [more]
Bieri German (Swiss)
Derived from a diminutive of the given name Pierre which was also commonly used in German-speaking Switzerland.
Bierkle German (Anglicized), Polish (Anglicized)
The surname Bierkle is most likely an anglicized form of the Polish Bierkowski, or the German Bierkandt.... [more]
Biernacki Polish
means bear strong
Bierschbach German
German habitational name from a lost or unidentified place.
Biert Romansh
Derived from the given name Albert.
Biesheuvel Dutch
From Biesheuvel, the name of a small village in the north of the province of Noord-Brabant in the Netherlands. It is derived from Dutch bies meaning "bulrush, club rush" (a grasslike plant that grows in wetlands and damp locations) and heuvel meaning "hill"... [more]
Biesiada Polish
Nickname from biesiada meaning "feast", "banquet", probably for someone who liked to feast.
Biesiadecki Polish
Possible name for a person who came from Biesiadki or Biesiadka in Poland.
Biet Romansh
Derived from the given name Beatus.
Bigelow English
Habitational name from a place in England called Big Low meaning "big mound".
Biggers Scottish, English
Possibly related to the Scottish place name Biggar in South Lanarkshire or the English place name Biggar in Cumbria
Biggins English
Habitational name from any of the various places in England named with northern Middle English bigging "building" (from Old Norse). This word came to denote especially an outbuilding, and is still used in and around Northumberland and Cumbria.
Biggs English
Derived from the ancient word, "bigga", meaning large.
Biglin English (British)
German origin, settled by a single farmer in East Yorkshire in 1750. The name comes from the phrase "big land" meaning someone who owns alot of land.
Bigot French
Either from Old French bigot possibly meaning "beggar" or from the Norman interjection bî got ("by God"), used as a pejorative nickname for the Normans... [more]
Bigović Croatian
Meaning unknown. Sources say that there's only 35 people with this surname in Croatia.... [more]
Bihag Filipino, Cebuano
Means "captive, hostage" in Cebuano.
Bihan Breton
Bihan means small in Breton.
Bijelić Croatian
Derived from bijel, meaning "white".
Bikić Croatian
Occupational name for someone who raised bulls.
Bikuña Basque
This indicates familial origin within the eponymous village in Araba.
Bilal Arabic, Turkish, Urdu
From the given name Bilal
Bilbao Spanish
Spanish: Habitational Name From The City Of Bilbao In Biscay Basque Country.
Bilczewski Polish
This indicates familial origin within either of 2 distinct Greater Polish villages by the name of Bilczew.
Bilderback German (Modern, Archaic)
German: habitational name from any of the three places in northern Germany named Billderbeck, formerly Bilderbeck.... [more]
Bildt Swedish (Rare)
Bildt is a Danish-Swedish-Norwegian noble family originating from Jutland in Denmark and now domiciled in Bohus county in southwest Sweden. The Norwegian branch of the family died out in the beginning of the 18th century... [more]
Bilek Czech
Nickname for a fair-haired person, from bílek "whiteness", a derivative of bílý "white".
Bilen Turkish
Means "knowing, cognizant" in Turkish.
Bilgiç Turkish
Means "pedant, pragmatist" in Turkish.
Bilgin Turkish
Means "scholar, learned, pundit" in Turkish.
Bilić Croatian
Derived from dialectal bil, standard Croatian bijel, meaning "white".... [more]
Bilici Turkish
Means "visionary", "seer", "omniscient", "aware", "knowing" and derivated from "bil-" root which means "to know".
Bilir Turkish
Means "understanding, knowledgeable" in Turkish.
Bilko Czech
From the Czech word meaning white.
Billard English, German, French
From a short form of the personal name Robillard, a derivative of Robert.... [more]
Billeaud French
From a personal name composed of the Germanic elements bil "sword" (or possibly bili "gentle") + wald "ruler".
Billig German
Habitational name from a place named Billig, near Cologne. Nickname from Middle High German billich ‘proper’, ‘appropriate’.
Billingham English
A surname of English origin.
Billinghurst English
It indicates familial origin within the eponymous village in West Sussex.
Billings English
It comes from the old English bil, meaning "sword or halberd", though the word later came to refer to a pruning hook used to harvest fruit. It's also possible that the name comes from a location in ancient England called Billing, which would've gotten its name from the same source.
Billingsly English
Habitational name from a place in Shropshire named Billingsley, from Old English Billingesleah, probably 'clearing (Old English leah) near a sword-shaped hill'
Billinis Greek
Of Italian origin, probably a Hellenized version of Bellini.
Billson English
Means "Son of Bill."
Billy English
Derived from the given name Bill.
Bilotti Italian
Variant of Bilotta and Bellotti, from a diminutive of Belli or Bello.
Bilsland Scottish
From a place near Kilmaurs in East Ayrshire, Scotland. Allegedly a combination of Bil and land "farm, land, property".
Bilson English
Patronymic surname of the given name Bill.