Submitted Surnames Starting with G

usage
Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
Grabe German
Topographic name for someone who lived by a dike or ditch, or habitational name from either of two places in Thuringia named with this word: Grabe and Graba.
Grabenstein German
Habitational name from Grafenstein near Wohlau, Silesia.
Grabińska f Polish
Feminine form of Grabiński.
Grabiński Polish
Habitational name for someone from a settlement named Grabienice, Grabin, Grabina, Grabiny, etc.; ultimately from grab meaning "hornbeam" or, in the case of Grabienice, possibly from gręba meaning "hill".
Grabinsky m Russian
Russian form of Grabiński. A known bearer is the Ukrainian chess master Vladimir Grabinsky (1974-).
Grable German
Means "digger of ditches or graves" (from a derivative of Middle High German graben "ditch"). A famous bearer was US actress, dancer and singer Betty Grable (1916-1973).
Grabowsky English
Russian form of Grabowski.
Grace English
From the given name Grace
Graceffa Italian
Meaning uncertain, possibly from a southern Italian place name in the comune of Aragona in the province of Agrigento, Sicily, Italy.
Gracia Spanish
From gracia "grace", or an alteration of García.
Graciano Spanish, Portuguese
From the given name Graciano.
Građankić Bosnian (Rare)
Derived from "građan" meaning "citizen" in Serbo-Croatian.
Graden Scottish
Habitational name from the lands of Graden in Berwickshire.
Gradowska f Polish
Feminine form of Gradowski.
Gradowski Polish
Habitational name for someone from a place called Gradowo in Włocławek voivodeship.
Grady Irish
From the Gaelic Gráda meaning "noble."
Graef Dutch, German
Variant form of Graf or De Graaf.
Graf Jewish, Yiddish
Ornamental name selected, like Herzog and other words denoting titles, because of their aristocratic connotations.
Graff English
Metonymic occupational name for a clerk or scribe, from Anglo-Norman French grafe "quill, pen" (a derivative of grafer "to write", Late Latin grafare, from Greek graphein).
Grahamson Scottish
Means "son of Graham".
Grainville French
Original French form of Granville, from locations in France called Grainville from the given name Guarin and ville "town" meaning "Guarin's town".
Grajales Spanish
Topographic name from the plural of Spanish grajal ‘place inhabited with rooks’ a derivative of the bird name graja feminine of grajo ‘rook (Corvus frugilegus)’.
Grajçevci Kosovar, Albanian, Serbian
Originally indicated a person from a place named Greiçec in the town of Suva Reka in Prizren, Kosovo. In Serbian it is called Grejčevce.
Grämlich German
Nickname for an irascible person, derived from Middle High German gramelich, gremlich meaning "angry".
Grammenos m Greek
Means "written" in Greek.
Grammer German, English
Variant of Krämer or a habitational name for someone possibly from German places called Gram or Grammen. It can also be an English occupational name for a scholar or an astrologer, derived from Old French gramaire meaning "grammarian, scholar, astrologer"... [more]
Gran Swedish, Norwegian
Means "spruce" in Swedish and Norwegian.
Granado Spanish
Nickname from Spanish granado "mature", "experienced", "distinguished".
Granado Spanish
Occupational name for a grower or seller of pomegranates, or a topographic name for someone who lived near a pomegranate tree, from granado "pomegranate tree" (cf. GARNETT).
Granados Spanish
Occupational name for a grower or seller of pomegranates, or a topographic name for someone who lived near a pomegranate tree, from granado "pomegranate tree" (cf. GARNETT).
Granarolo Italian
It means bread baker.
Granata Italian
Granata is an Italian word for a shade of red (maroon), and the Latin name of the city of Granada.
Granath Swedish
Swedish soldier name meaning "grenade". ... [more]
Granato Italian
Occupational name for a jeweler or lapidary, from granato "garnet".
Grand French, Romansh
Derived from Old French grand, grant and Romansh grand "tall; large".
Grand English
Variant of Grant.
Granda Spanish
Spanish form of the surname Grand.
Grande Spanish, Italian, Portuguese
Means "tall, large" in Spanish, Italian and Portuguese, used as a nickname for a person of large stature.
Grandin French
Diminutive of Grand.
Grandin Italian
Derived from Grande.
Grandis Italian, French
Ultimately from Latin meaning "big, tall".
Grandison English
A habitational name from Grandson on Lake Neuchâtel in Switzerland.... [more]
Grandjean French, French (Swiss)
Derived from French grand meaning "tall, large" and the given name Jean 1, hence possibly a nickname for a tall or large person.
Grandpierre French
Derived from French grand meaning "tall, large" and the given name Pierre.
Grange English, French
Topographic name for someone who lived by a granary, from Middle English, Old French grange (Latin granica "granary, barn", from granum "grain"). In some cases, the surname has arisen from places named with this word, for example in Dorset and West Yorkshire in England, and in Ardèche and Jura in France... [more]
Granier French
French for a grain merchant (from Latin granarius), a topographic name for someone who lived by a granary (from Latin granarium) or a metonymic role name for someone who monitors or owned one.
Granlund Swedish
Combination of Swedish gran "spruce" and lund "grove".
Grano Italian, Spanish
from grano "grain" (from Latin granum) probably applied as a metonymic occupational name for a farmer or grain merchant.
Granoff Jewish
Short form of Granovsky.... [more]
Grañón Spanish
This indicates familial origin within the eponymous Riojan municipality.
Granov Jewish, Bosnian
Habitational name from Granov, Ukraine.... [more]
Granovsky Jewish
From the town of Granov, Ukraine (cf. Granov).
Granqvist Swedish
Combination of Swedish gran "spruce" and kvist "twig, branch".
Grant English, Scottish
From a medieval personal name, probably a survival into Middle English of the Old English byname Granta (see Grantham).
Grantaire Literature
This is the name of a minor character in Victor Hugo's novel 'Les Misérables' (1862), a follower of the revolutionary Enjolras.
Grantham English
Habitational name from Grantham in Lincolnshire, of uncertain origin. The final element is Old English hām "homestead"; the first may be Old English grand "gravel" or perhaps a personal name Granta, which probably originated as a byname meaning "snarler"... [more]
Grap Low German
Variant of Grape.
Grape Low German
Metonymic occupational name for a maker of metal or earthenware vessels, from Middle Low German grope "pot".
Gras French
Means "fat" in french.
Grass English, German
Topographic name for someone who owned or lived by a meadow, or a metonymic occupational name for someone who made or sold hay, from Middle English gras, Middle High German gras "grass, pasture, grazing".
Grass Scottish
Occupational name, reduced from Gaelic greusaiche "shoemaker". A certain John Grasse alias Cordonar (Middle English cordewaner "shoemaker") is recorded in Scotland in 1539.
Grass Romansh
Derived from Romansh grass "fat".
Grässli Romansh
Derived from Romansh grass "fat" in combination with the diminutive suffix -li.
Grato English
From a nickname given to somebody with grass-like hair, making this surname’s meaning “he with grass-like hair.”
Grattà Late Greek (Italianized, Modern, Archaic, Expatriate)
Historical origins of Grattà are found in The Southern Region of Italy in The Province of Catanzaro, Calabria; predominately in the Comune of Girafalco and Palermiti. There is also at least one Coat of Arms that place the name being used in the The Commune of Lucca, Region of Tuscany in Central Italy.
Gratz German
From a short form of a Germanic personal name reflected by Old High German gratag 'greedy'
Grau German, Jewish
Nickname for someone with gray hair or a gray beard, from German grau "gray".
Graudiņš Latvian
Derived from the word grauds meaning "grain".
Graue German
Habitational name from a place so named near Hannover.
Graue German
Variant of Grau.
Graupman German
Occupational name for someone who produced or dealt with grits and legumes, from early modern German graupe "pot barley" (bohemian krupa) and man "man".
Grave English
Occupational name from Middle English greyve "steward", from Old Norse greifi or Low German greve
Grave English
Topographic name, a variant of Grove.
Grave French
Topographic name for someone who lived on a patch of gravelly soil, from Old French grave "gravel" (of Celtic origin).
Grave German
Either from the northern form of Graf, but more commonly a topographic name from Middle Low German grave "ditch", "moat", "channel", or a habitational name from any of several places in northern Germany named with this word.
Gravelotte French
Derived from a commune (town) in the Moselle department in Grand Est in north-eastern France, near Metz.
Gravenor Welsh
meaning, "great hunter"
Graves English, French, German
Derives from someone who had an occupation as a grave digger or a caretaker for a graveyard.
Graves French, English
Topographic name from the plural of Old French grave "gravel"
Graves English, French
English: patronymic from Grave.
Grawert Low German, German (East Prussian)
As a Low German name, Grawert is derived from Middle High German grā and Old High German grāo "gray" (originally "shimmery, gleaming"). As a surname, it was a nickname given to someone with gray hair.... [more]
Graybill English (American)
Anglicized form of Swiss German Krähenbühl, meaning "crow hill".
Grayden Irish
Variation of Graden.
Grayling English (British)
Uncommon surname of unclear origin; possible medieval locational name, or a derivative of the French surname Grail or the diminutive Graillon.... [more]
Grayson Scottish, Irish
Means "son of Gray".
Grazer English
Not available.
Graziano Italian
From the given name Graziano.
Grbavac Croatian
Derived from grbavo, meaning "bumpy" or "hunchbacked".
Grdinić Montenegrin
Derived from grdan (грдан), meaning "ugly".
Grealish English
The name derives from the Old Norman French word "greslet", meaning pitted or scarred, and is itself derived from the very early Germanic word "gresle", or hailstone.
Greany Irish
The surname Greany comes from the original Irish Ó Gráinne, from the female Christian name Gráinne... [more]
Greasby English
One who came from Greasby, a parish on the Wirral Peninsula, in Cheshire, now Merseyside.
Greaves Popular Culture
Borne by Lucien Greaves, a social activist and the spokesman and co-founder of The Satanic Temple.
Greay English (Rare)
The name Greay originated when a family matriarch changed the name to differentiate between the two families with the same name Grey. There was a wedding between the two families and it was easier if the name was changed.
Grebennikov m Russian
Derived from Russian word гребенник (grebennik) meaning comb.
Grebenstein German
Means "stone from the cliff or ridge" from German greben, (cliff or ridge) and stein (stone).... [more]
Grechishkin m Russian
Possibly derived from греческий (grecheskiy) meaning Greek.
Grecki Polish
Polish form of Gretzky.
Greco Portuguese
Portuguese for Greco.
Greeley English, Norman
English (of Norman origin): nickname for someone with a pock-marked face, from Old Northern French greslé ‘pitted’, ‘scarred’ (from gresle ‘hailstone’, of Germanic origin).
Greenall English
From Lincolnshire in England, meaning "green hill".
Greenberger German, Jewish
Anglicized form of the German surname Grünberger, which is formed from the words grün "green", Berg "mountain", and the habitational suffix -er. This name indicated a person who lived on or near a forest-covered mountain.
Greenblatt Jewish
Ashkenazi Jewish Surname incorporating Yiddish/German elements meaning “Greenleaf.” Writer and storyboard artist C. H. Greenblatt (born 1972) most known for SpongeBob SquarePants is a famous bearer of this name.
Greenburgh German, Jewish
The surname Greenburgh is anglicized for the German Jewish surname Greenberg which translates into English as green mountain.
Greenfeld English
Partly Americanized form of the Ashkenazic Jewish ornamental name Grun(e)feld or Grinfeld, a compound of Yiddish grin + German Feld 'field', or of German Grünfeld (see Grunfeld).
Greenfield English, German (Americanized)
habitational name either from any of numerous minor places called Greenfield, for example in Bedfordshire, Lincolnshire, Oxfordshire, Sussex, and Yorkshire, from Old English grene "green" and feld "pasture, open country"... [more]
Greengrass English
Notable bearers include film director Paul Greengrass and baseball player Jim Greengrass.
Greenhill English
The name is derived from a geographic locality, "at the green hill", or rather, more specifically of "Greenhill". The surname could also derive from the liberty on the wapentake of Corringham in Lincolnshire, or a hamlet in the parish of Harrow in Middlesex... [more]
Greenidge English
From Greenhedge Farm in Aslockton, Nottinghamshire, itself derived from Old English grene “green” + hecg “hedge”.
Greening English
Meaning unknown.
Greenland English (Germanized)
Greenland Name Meaning. English: topographic name for someone who lived near a patch of land left open as communal pasturage, from Middle English grene 'green' + land 'land'. Translated form of German Grönland, a topographic name with the same meaning as 1, from Low German grön 'green' + Land 'land'.
Greenlaw English
From one of two placenames, located near the Anglo-Scottish border. Named with Old English grēne, 'green' and halw, 'hill, mound'.
Greenleaf English
From Old English grēne "green" and lēaf "leaf", presumably applied as a nickname, the significance of which is now lost.
Greenlee English
habitational name from any of various minor places, for example in Staffordshire, so named from Old English grene ‘green’ + leah ‘woodland clearing’.
Greensmith English
Occupational name for a greensmith, a smith who works with lead.
Greenstein Jewish
From German, means "Green Stone".
Greenwald American
Partly Americanized form of German and Jewish Grün(e)wald (see Grunwald). ... [more]
Greenway English
Originally given to a person who lived near a grassy path, from Middle English grene "green" and weye "road, path" (cf. Way).... [more]
Greenway Welsh
Derived from the given name Goronwy.
Greet German
Americanized form of German Fried.
Greg English
Variant spelling of Gregg.
Gregerson English
Means "son of Gregory/Greg"
Gregg English
Derived from the given name Greg, a short form of Gregory or Gregor.
Greggs English
Variant of Gregg.
Grégoire French, Belgian
Derived from the given name Grégoire.
Gregori Italian
Patronymic or plural form of Gregorio.
Gregorič Slovene
Means "son of Gregor".
Gregoriou Greek (Cypriot)
Alternate transcription of Greek Γρηγορίου (see Grigoriou) chiefly used in Cyprus.
Gregson English
Means "son of Greg"
Gregurić Croatian
Possibly patronymic, meaning "son of Gregor" or "son of Grgur".
Greif German
Means "Griffin" in German. From the mythological creature.
Greig Scottish
From the given name Greig
Greiner Upper German, German (Swiss)
Nickname for a quarrelsome or cantankerous person, derived from Middle High German grīner meaning "squabbler, quarreler" (ultimately an agent derivative of grīn meaning "loud, cry, screaming, shouting")... [more]
Grell German
Nickname for an irritable or irascible person, from Middle High German, Middle Low German grellen "to be angry".
Grell German
Habitational name from a place named Grelle.
Grelle German
Variant of Grell.
Gren Swedish
Means "branch" in Swedish.
Grenier French
Occupational name for a grain merchant (from Latin granarius), or a topographic name for someone who lived by a granary (from Latin granarium) or a metonymic occupational name for someone who supervised or owned one.
Grensky Russian
Russian cognate of Gronski.
Gresham English
From a place name meaning "grazing homestead" in Old English.
Gresley English
From the name of either of two villages in Derbyshire, derived from Old English greosn "gravel" and leah "woodland clearing, glade".
Gretzinger German
Habitational name for someone from any of three places named Grötzingen (Old High German Grezzingun) in Baden-Württemberg.
Gretzky Russian, Belarusian
Originally derived from an old Russian word that meant "Greek", though in modern times, the word means "Greek nut" (walnut). A notable bearer is Wayne Gretzky, a former Canadian ice hockey player.
Grewe German, Low German
Low German form of Graf via Middle Low German grave / greve.
Greyeyes Indigenous American
A notable bearer is the Canadian actor Michael Greyeyes.
Grgurić Croatian
Means "son of Grgur".
Gribben Irish
This surname is of Old Gaelic origin, and is a variant of "Cribben", which itself is the Anglicized form of the Gaelic name "MacRoibin", meaning "son of (mac) Robin", a patronymic from the Anglo-Norman French given name "Robin"... [more]
Gribov m Russian
Derived from Russian гриб, meaning "mushroom."
Griebe German
Occupational name for a butcher or fat dealer from Middle High German griebe griube "rendered bacon pieces crackling".
Grieg Norwegian
Derived from the Scottish surname of Greig.
Griego Spanish
Means "from Greece" in Spanish
Grieser Upper German
topographic name for someone living on a sandy site, from Middle High German griez ‘sand’ + -er suffix denoting an inhabitant.
Griezmann German (Rare)
This is the surname of French professional footballer Antoine Griezmann.
Griff Welsh
Short form of Griffith.
Griffeth Welsh
Altered spelling of Griffith.
Griffin Irish (Anglicized)
Anglicized (part translated) form of Gaelic Ó Gríobhtha "descendant of Gríobhtha", a personal name from gríobh "gryphon".
Griffioen Dutch
Dutch cognate of Griffin 2. Could be a habitational name referring to a sign depicting a griffin, or derived from a coat of arms.
Griffo Italian
From grifo "gryphon" (Latin gryphus, Greek gryps, of Assyrian origin), hence a nickname for someone thought to resemble the mythical beast.
Griffon French
From a diminutive of Old French griffe "claw", hence a nickname for a grasping or vicious person, or perhaps for someone with a deformed or otherwise remarkable hand.
Grigahcine Berber (Rare, ?)
Meaning unknown, perhaps of Kabyle origin. A known bearer is DJ Snake, who was born William Grigahcine (1986-), an Algerian-French musician.
Griggs English
Means "son of Grigg", Grigg being a short form of Gregory.
Grignon French
From French 'grignard' meaning "angry" and "contemptuous", and Old French (of Germanic origin) 'grignier' "to grit the teeth" or "curl the lips".
Grigoriadis Greek
Means "son of Grigorios".
Grigorian Armenian
Alternate transcription of Grigoryan.
Grigoriev Russian
Variant transcription of Grigoriyev.
Grigorios Greek
from given name Grigorios
Grigoriou Greek
Means "son of Grigorios".
Grigoriu Romanian
Derived from the given name Grigore.
Grigoriyev Russian
Means "son of Grigoriy".
Grigoryev Russian
Means "son of Grigoriy".
Grijalva Spanish, Central American
Spanish: habitational name from any of various places called Grijalba in particular the one in Burgos province. The placename is from iglesia 'church' + Old Spanish alva 'white'.
Grill German
From a nickname for a cheerful person, from Middle High German grille "cricket" (Old High German grillo, from Late Latin grillus, Greek gryllos). The insect is widely supposed to be of a cheerful disposition, no doubt because of its habit of infesting hearths and warm places... [more]
Grimaldo Spanish, Italian
From the given name Grimaldo.
Grimes English
Patronymic derived from Grime.... [more]
Grimké German (Americanized)
Americanised form of the German surname Grimk or Grimke with French inspiration. This was the name of a prominent American family of abolitionists.
Grimme German
Variant of Grimm.
Grimmie English
American variant of Grimm.
Grimshaw English
A habitational surname originating from the hamlet of Grimshaw in Lancashire, derived from Old English elements grīma "mask" and sċeaga "copse". Famous bearers of this surname include , English Victorian-era artist John Atkinson Grimshaw and Irish writer Beatrice Grimshaw, as well as the Grimshaw family in Coronation Street.
Grinder English
Occupational name for a grinder.
Grindstaff German (Anglicized)
Americanized form of German Frenzhof or Grenzhof, a place near Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg or Granzow, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in Germany.
Grindy German (Modern), French
I have seen elsewhere explanations about this name being German or French in origin. Sorry, I do not have the sources to hand
Griner German (Anglicized), Jewish
Americanised form of German Greiner. It could also denote a person who came from various German places called Grüna or Grünau. In Jewish, it is a topographic name for someone who lived in a green of leafy area, derived from Yiddish grin meaning "green" or Middle High German gruene meaning "greenery".
Grinfelder Croatian
Derived from German grün, "green", and feld, "field".
Grisch Romansh
Derived from Romansh grisch "grey".
Grischott Romansh
Variant of Grisch by way of combining it with the diminutive suffix -ott.
Griscom Welsh
from phrase gris-y-cwm, welsh for 'steps of the valley'. Root word 'grisiau' meaning steps or stairs. A place name from an extant village in Wales.
Grisel French, French (Swiss)
Derived from the Old French adjective grisel, a variant of gris meaning "grey". It was a nickname for a person with grey hair a grey complexion or who habitually wore grey.
Grishin Russian
From the given name Grisha.
Grissom English
From a diminutive of Grice, which was originally a nickname for a grey-haired man, derived from Middle English grice, gris meaning "grey" (itself from Old French gris, apparently of Germanic origin).