Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
ZABALETABasque This indicates familial origin within either of 2 eponymous localities: the vicinity of the tower house in the Navarrese municipality of Lesaka or the neighborhood of the municipality of Nabarniz.
ZABELGerman The surname has multiple meanings. It may come from a Slavic given name, or the High German word zabel, meaning "board game" - given, perhaps, as a nickname to those who played many board games.
ZÁČEKCzech Žáček means "small school boy" in Czech. A famous bearer is Chicagoan writer Dennis Začek.
ZACHARYEnglish A reference to Sacheverell, a location in Normandy. May also refer to the given name Zacharias, meaning "to remember God," or "the Lord recalled."
ZACHEREnglish A reference to Sacheverell, a location in Normandy. May also refer to the given name Zacharias, meaning "to remember God," or "the Lord recalled."
ZACHRYEnglish A reference to Sacheverell, a location in Normandy. May also refer to the given name Zacharias, meaning "to remember God," or "the Lord recalled."
ZAGURSKIPolish Derived from the Polish places Zagórz and Zagórze. Also given to those who lived on the side of a hill opposite a main settlement - za means "beyond" and góra means "hill".
ZAHNGerman Zahn was a nickname given to a person with a peculiar tooth or a strange or defective set of teeth. It comes from the Middle High German Zan(t), which means "tooth".
ZÄHNEGerman The German surname Zähne is derived from the Middle High German word "zan," which means "tooth." It is believed that the surname takes its origin from a nickname, most likely bestowed on the original bearer due to either a prominent tooth or a missing tooth.
ZAHNERGerman Name given to people who lived in Zahna, near Wittenberg.
ZAHRANIArabic From the Arabic زهراني (zahran) meaning "flowering, blossoming"; ultimately from زَهْرَة (zahra) meaning "flower, blossom" (see ZAHRAH)... [more]
ZAJĄCZKOWSKIPolish A habitational name that was given to someone from any of the various places named Zajączki, Zajączkowo, or Zajączków (which were named for 'zajączek', a diminutive of the Polish word 'zając', meaning ‘hare’.)
ZAKPolish A nickname given to youthful or studious people. Comes from the Polish zak, meaning "student" or "schoolboy". It originally meant "novice" or "candidate for the priesthood", and so in some cases it is perhaps a nickname for someone who had been destined for holy orders.
ZAKHAEVRussian Russian surname, likely a derivative of the given name ZAKHEY combined with the Russian suffix "-ev" ("of"), therefore meaning "of Zakhey."... [more]
ZAKOWSKIPolish a Polish surname which is most frequent in the cities of Warszawa, Płońsk and Bydgoszcz in central Poland and is also to be found as Zakowski among the Polish diaspora.
ZALBIDEABasque This indicates familial origin within either of 2 eponymous localities: the commune in the French canton of Bidaxunerria, Amikuze eta Oztibarre or the neighborhood of the municipality of Urduliz in the Spanish comarca of Uribe Kosta.
ZALDIBARBasque This indicates familial origin within the eponymous municipality in the comarca of Durangaldea. It’s Castilianized form is ZALDÍVAR.
ZALDÍVARBasque, Spanish Derived from Basque zaldi meaning "horse" combined with ibar meaning "valley". This is also the name of a town in Biscay, Spain.
ZALEPolish (Anglicized) Possibly from a Polish surname, the meaning of which is uncertain (it may have been a variant of the surname Zalas which originally indicated one who lived "on the other side of the wood", from za "beyond" and las "forest").
ZALUSKYUkrainian Derives from the Slavic word zalew, meaning "bay" or "flooded area". Given to families who lived near water or areas that flooded often.
ZAMARRIPABasque Habitational name of the city and province of Zamora, which is located on the Duero in northwest Spain. Because of its strategic position, the city was disputed during the Middle Ages, first between the Christians and Moors, then between the kingdoms of Leon and Castille.
ZAMLOCHGerman (Austrian) Altered, likely Americanized or Germanized, version of the Czech surname Zemlicka. Zemlicka derives from žemle, meaning "bread roll," and was a name given to bakers.... [more]
ZAMORASpanish Comes from the ancient city of Zamora in Northwest Spain. It means "wild olives."
ZAMUDIOBasque This indicates familial origin within the eponymous municipality.
ZANAMWESouthern African Zimbabwean Surname, originally from the Chivi area, shona speaking people of the Shumba(lion) totem originate from the Masvingo province, Mwenezi, Chitanga,Chikombedzi, Boli Chibwedziva. Some migrated to the Mashonaland East province Mhondoro area and assumed the Moyo(heart) totem
ZANDEGIACOMOItalian Zandegiacomo's migrated to America and changed the name to Zandi.
ZANIItalian Comes from the personal name Z(u)an(n)i, a northeastern (Venetian) form of Gianni (from Giovanni, Italian equivalent of John). Zani or Zanni is a comic figure in the Commedia del’Arte, and the surname may be a nickname derived from this use, which is also the origin of the English word zany.
ZANNIItalian From the first name Gianni, which derives from Giovanni, which is the Italian version of John, which means "the grace/mercy of the Lord." ... [more]
ZAPATASpanish Occupational surname for a shoemaker, from Spanish zapato meaning "shoe". It can also be considered a habitational name for someone originally from any of the various locations in Spain called Zapata.
ZDROJEWSKIPolish Habitational name for someone from any of several places called Zdroje or Zdrojewo, in particular in Bydgoszcz voivodeship, named with Polish zdroje meaning "springs","spa".
ZEHNERGerman (chiefly Bavaria, Austria, Switzerland, and Württemberg): occupational name for an official responsible for collecting, on behalf of the lord of the manor, tithes of agricultural produce owed as rent.... [more]
ZEHRENGerman (Swiss) From a prepositional phrase from Middle High German ze hērren, an occupational name for someone was in service of a lord.
ZEIMETGerman, Luxembourgish Western German and Luxembourgeois: probably a variant spelling of Zeimert, a variant of Zeumer, an occupational name for a harness maker, from an agent derivative of Middle High German zoum ‘bridle’.
ZEITOUNArabic Derived from the Arabic زَيْتُون (zaytūn) meaning "olive", a cognate of the Maghrebi ZITOUNI. It could also be linked to the famous El-Zeitoun district in Cairo, Egypt.
ZELIESKAPolish Polish Ashkenazic surname, possibly derived from surname ZIELIŃSKI what is a habitational name for someone from Zielona or Zielonka (places in Poland), deriving from the root word meaning "green".
ZELLERGerman, Dutch, English, Jewish Originally denoted someone from Celle, Germany or someone living near a hermit's cell from German zelle "cell". It is also occupational for someone employed at a zelle, for example a small workshop.
ZELMERLÖWSwedish (Rare) Rare Swedish surname composed of the name of the family's ancestor SelmaLÖF. One bearer is Swedish artist Måns Zelmerlöw (b.1986) who won the Eurovision Song Contest in 2016.
ZENNERUpper German South German: unflattering nickname for a surly, snarling person, from an agent derivative of Middle High German zannen 'to growl or howl' or 'to bare one's teeth'.
ZEROUALArabic (Maghrebi) Derived from Arabic أزرق (ʾazraq) meaning "blue" (chiefly Moroccan and Algerian). A notable bearer is Liamine Zéroual (1941–), the former President of Algeria from 1994 to 1999.
ZHUANGChinese Derived from Chinese 莊 (zhuāng) meaning "village, farmstead, hamlet" or "villa, manor".
ZHUGEChinese One of the rare Chinese double character surnames. It is ranked 314th in the Hundred Family Surnames. The first character 諸 can be read as "all, these, various" and the second character 葛 as meaning "vine, vines"... [more]
ZIANIItalian (Rare, Archaic) Habitual surname denoting someone from Ziano, a locality in Italy. Unrelated to the Maghrebi surname of the same spelling.
ZIDARIĆCroatian From zidar meaning ''stonemason, bricklayer''.
ZIĘBAPolish From ‘finch’; a nickname for someone thought to resemble the bird or maybe because a person lived in an area with many finches. Perhaps a metonymic occupational name for a birdcatcher or dealer.
ZINGERGerman The surname Zinger was first found in Saxony, where this family name became a prominent contributor to the development of the district from ancient times. ... In Old German the name meant "lively" and "spritely," or more literally, "a biting, sharp taste."
ZINGESERJewish, Yiddish Comes from Yiddish "ציו" meaning "Tin" and "גייסער" meaning "Smith".
ZINNGerman From the German for word for tin "tin." The name indicated someone who worked with the metal. A famous bearer is Johann Gottfried Zinn, a German botanist. Carl Linnaeus named the flower ZINNIA in his honor.