Submitted Surnames Starting with Z
Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
ZABALETA BasqueThis 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.
ZABEL GermanThe 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.
ZÁČEK CzechŽáček means "small school boy" in Czech. A famous bearer is Chicagoan writer Dennis Začek.
ZACHARY EnglishA reference to
Sacheverell, a location in Normandy. May also refer to the given name Zacharias, meaning "to remember God," or "the Lord recalled."
ZACHER EnglishA reference to
Sacheverell, a location in Normandy. May also refer to the given name Zacharias, meaning "to remember God," or "the Lord recalled."
ZACHRY EnglishA reference to
Sacheverell, a location in Normandy. May also refer to the given name
Zacharias, meaning "to remember God," or "the Lord recalled."
ZACKERT English, GermanAn Americanization of the German surnames Zacher and Zachert. It comes from a vernacular form of the personal name Zacharias.
ZADEH PersianFrom Persian زاده
(-zâde) meaning "offspring (of)", also often used as a suffix for patronymic-based Persian surnames.
ZADRAN PashtoMeaning unknown. This is the name of a Pashtun tribe inhabiting Afghanistan and Waziristan (Pakistan).
ZADZISAI ShonaZadzisai means "you must fulfil - a pledge or promise".
The name is given as a reminder to fulfil a pledge or promise.
ZAGER Germanhabitational name from ZAGER, a place near Wollin
ZAGÓROWSKI PolishThis indicates familial origin within either the Lesser Polish village of Zagórowa or the Greater Polish town of Zagórów.
ZAGURSKI PolishDerived 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".
ZAHAVI HebrewDerived from Hebrew זָהָב
(zaháv) meaning "gold".
ZAHN GermanZahn 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".
ZÄHNE GermanThe 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.
ZAHNER GermanName given to people who lived in Zahna, near Wittenberg.
ZAHNISER GermanAlteration of German
Zahneisen and/or
Zahnhäuser and/or
Zahneiser. Refers to someone from a place called Zahnhausen. Also refers to those who made false teeth out of iron:
Zan means "tooth" and
iser means "iron" or "ironworker".
ZAHRANI ArabicFrom the Arabic زهراني
(zahran) meaning "flowering, blossoming"; ultimately from زَهْرَة
(zahra) meaning "flower, blossom" (see
Zahrah). This surname is prevalent in Saudi Arabia.
ZAK PolishA 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.
ZAKHAEV RussianRussian surname, likely a derivative of the given name
Zakhey combined with the Russian suffix "-ev" ("of"), therefore meaning "of Zakhey."...
[more] ZALBIDEA BasqueThis 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.
ZALDIBAR BasqueThis indicates familial origin within the eponymous municipality in the comarca of Durangaldea. It’s Castilianized form is
Zaldívar.
ZALDÍVAR Basque, SpanishDerived from Basque
zaldi meaning "horse" combined with
ibar meaning "valley". This is also the name of a town in Biscay, Spain.
ZALE Polish (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").
ZALUSKY UkrainianDerives from the Slavic word
zalew, meaning "bay" or "flooded area". Given to families who lived near water or areas that flooded often.
ZAMFIR RomanianFrom
zamfir, a variant of the Slavonic word
samfir or
safir meaning "sapphire".
ZAMLOCH German (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] ZAMORA SpanishComes from the ancient city of Zamora in Northwest Spain. It means "wild olives."
ZAMUDIO BasqueThis indicates familial origin within the eponymous municipality.
ZANAMWE Southern AfricanZimbabwean 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
ZANE EnglishMeaning unknown. It could be a Americanization of the German surname
Zahn.
Zane is also used as a given name.
ZANI ItalianComes 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.
ZANNI ItalianFrom the first name
Gianni, which derives from
Giovanni, which is the Italian version of
John, which means "the grace/mercy of the Lord." ...
[more] ZAPATA SpanishOccupational surname for a shoemaker; derived from the Spanish word
zapato meaning "shoe".
ZARATE BasqueNamed after Zarate, a place in Araba province, Spain. Zarate comes from the Basque word
zara, meaning "thicket".
ZARAUTZ BasqueThis indicates familial origin within the eponymous municipality.
ZAREMBA PolishName for a woodcutter, derived from Polish
zarabac, meaning ''to hack or chop''.
ZARGARI PersianDerived from Persian زرگر
(zargar) meaning "goldsmith", ultimately from زر
(zar) "gold".
ZARIŅŠ LatvianFrom Latvian
zars meaning "branch, twig" combined with
-iņš, a diminutive suffix.
ZASLAVSKY Russian, JewishRussian Jewish surname derived from Iziaslav (also called Zaslav), the name of a city in Volhynia, Ukraine.
ZATARAIN BasqueFrom the Biscayan and Gipuzkoan dialects of Basque; topographic surname meaning someone who lived or lives near a Shrub tree.
ZATZ JewishAbbreviation of the Hebrew phrase
Zera TSadikim "seed of the righteous", assumed in a spirit of pious respect for one’s ancestors.
ZAZAI Pashto, AfghaniMeaning unknown. The Zazai (or Zazi) are a Karlani Pashtun tribe in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
ŻBIKOWSKI PolishThis indicates familial origin within the Lesser Polish village of Żbikowice.
ZDROJEWSKI PolishHabitational name for someone from any of several places called Zdroje or Zdrojewo, in particular in Bydgoszcz voivodeship, named with Polish zdroje meaning "springs","spa".
ZEBRZYDOWSKI PolishThis indicates familial origin within the Lesser Polish village of Zebrzydowice.
ZECHMAN JewishOccupational name from Yiddish tsekh meaning "guild" or "craft corporation" and man "man".
ZEGAMA BasqueThis indicates familial origin within the eponymous municipality.
ZEHNER German(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] ZEHREN German (Swiss)From a prepositional phrase from Middle High German ze hērren, an occupational name for someone was in service of a lord.
ZEIMET German, LuxembourgishWestern 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’.
ZEITOUN ArabicDerived 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.
ZELAYA BasqueBasque surname related to the Euskara word for "field".
ZELDIN JewishMeans "son of
Zelde", a Yiddish female personal name based on Middle High German
sælde "fortunate, blessed".
ZELIESKA PolishPolish 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".
ZELLER German, Dutch, English, JewishOriginally 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.
ZELMERLÖW Swedish (Rare)Rare Swedish surname composed of the name of the family's ancestor
Selma Löf. One bearer is Swedish artist Måns Zelmerlöw (b.1986) who won Eurovision Song Contest 2016.
ZELNICK JewishOccupational name for a tax collecter, comes from Yiddish
tselnik which means
haberdashery.
ZELNÍČKOVÁ CzechFeminine form of
Zelníček, this is the maiden name of Donald J. Trump's first wife,
Ivana Zelníčková Trump.
ZENGIN TurkishFrom Turkish
zengin meaning "rich", ultimately from Persian سنگين
(sangin).
ZENGOTITA BasqueThis indicates familial origin within the eponymous neighborhood of the municipality of Mallabia.
ZENNER Upper GermanSouth 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'.
ZERAFA MalteseDerived from Arabic زَرَافَة
(zarāfa) meaning "giraffe" or ظَرِيف
(ẓarīf) meaning "charming, elegant, graceful".
ZEROUAL Arabic (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.
ZESCOI Englishderived from the word zesty when used to describe someone
ZETTERBERG SwedishCombination of Swedish
säter "mountain pasture" and
berg "mountain, hill".
ZGŁOBICKI PolishThis indicates familial origin within the Lesser Polish village of Zgłobice.
ZGŁOBIEŃIAK PolishHabitational name for somebody who comes from the village of Zgłobień in Poland.
ZHUANG ChineseDerived from Chinese 莊
(zhuāng) meaning "village, farmstead, hamlet" or "villa, manor".
ZHUGE ChineseOne 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] ZIANI Italian (Rare, Archaic)Habitual surname denoting someone from Ziano, a locality in Italy. Unrelated to the Maghrebi surname of the same spelling.
ZICKUHR GermanZickuhr is a German surname that means "zigzag." Although, some person believe that Zickuhr means "cuckoo clock."
ZIDANE Arabic (Maghrebi)From the given name
Zaydan, which in turn is derived from Arabic زاد
(zāda) meaning "to add, to increase". A notable bearer is
Zinedine "Zizou" Zidane (1972-), a former French footballer of Algerian descent.
ZIĘBA PolishFrom ‘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.
ZIELSDORF GermanHabitational name from an unidentified place, perhaps Ziersdorf in Lower Austria.
ZIVANAI ShonaZivanai means "You must know each other". #This name is a call to family and relatives to get to know each other by visiting and fellowship - usually so that they do not drift apart"
ZOHAR HebrewDerived from the the given name
Zohar meaning "light, brilliance" in Hebrew.
ZOLDAN Italianfrom the name place Zoldo. Zoldan indicates also the name of a little valley North from Venice.
ZOLOTAREV RussianMeans "son of the goldsmith" derived from Russian золотарь
(zolotar) meaning "goldsmith".
ZOPF GermanNickname for someone who wore his hair in a pigtail or plait, Middle High German zopf, zoph, or from a field name from same word in the sense ‘tail’, ‘end’, ‘narrow point’.
ZORANSKY German (East Prussian)The surname Zoransky (alternatively Zoranski) is of Prussian origin and traces back to 1525 when Prussia was formed. The surname Zoransky or Zoranski is of nobility class, however, the family was stripped of its rights and titles in 1834 during the Needle losses which took place 1794-1870...
[more] ZOREF Biblical HebrewZoref, spelled צורף in Hebrew and pronounced Tzo-ref, though the typical American pronunciation is with a Z, means "Goldsmith" in both Biblical and Modern Hebrew, Zoref does not necessarily connote working only with gold; rather, it is a metalsmith that works with any kind of metallic substance....
[more] ZORN GermanFrom Middle High German
zorn "wrath, anger". A notable bearer was Swedish painter Anders Zorn (1860-1920) whose father was German.
ZORORO ShonaZororo means "rest". #It may be given to mean that the parent has rested after the birth of this child". Zimbabwean politician Zororo Duri was a well known bearer of this name.
ZOUAOUI Arabic (Maghrebi), BerberDerived from French
zouave, in turn from Arabic الزواويون
(al-zuwâwiyun), referring to a member one of the Algerian Kabyle tribes of
Zuwâwa (also spelled
Zouaoua; known as the ⵉⴳⴰⵡⴰⵡⵏ
(Igawawen) in Tamazight)...
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