Browse Submitted Surnames

Sinivee Estonian
Sinivee is an Estonian surname meaning "blue water".

Sinov m Russian
From Russian синий (sinyy), meaning "blue".

Sjöman Swedish
Means "seaman, sailor" in Swedish, although this name is more likely to be an ornamental name composed of Swedish sjö "lake, sea" and man "man". A notable bearer is film director Vilgot Sjöman (1924-2006).

Sjöström Swedish
Ornamental name composed of Swedish sjö "lake, sea" and ström "stream, small river".

Solemark Swedish (Modern, Rare)
Combination of Swedish sol "sun" and mark "ground, earth".

Solinas Italian
Meaning uncertain; could be related to Latin solum, from which comes Italian suolo "earth, ground, soil" and suola "sole (of the foot or shoe)", or from Italian salina "salt pan, salt marsh".

Som Khmer
Means "moon" or "air, wind, sky" in Khmer, ultimately from Sanskrit सोम (soma).

Som Khmer
Means "moon" or "air, wind, sky" in Khmer, ultimately from Sanskrit सोम (soma).

Sonoike Japanese (Rare)
From Japanese 園 (sono) meaning "orchard; plantation" and 池 (ike) meaning "pond".... [more]

Soramoto Japanese
Sora means "sky, heaven" and "source, root, origin".

Sorgente Italian
From sorgente "spring, rising water".

Steinhilber German
Habitational name for someone from Steinhilben, from Old High German stein "stone" and hülwe or hülbe "hollow, depression; pond, puddle".

Stellato Italian
Stellato, which is the modern Italian word for "starry", as in "starry sky", translates to "by the stars" from the Latin word Stella. As so many Italians were navigators on ships and navigated "by the stars," and since so many surnames were derived from occupations... [more]

Strathairn Scottish
From Strathearn, the name of a large valley of the River Earn in Scotland, derived from Gaelic srath meaning "river valley, grassland" combined with the river's name. A famous bearer is American actor David Strathairn (1949-).

Sucu Turkish
Means "waterman, water carrier" in Turkish.

Suekawa Japanese
Sue means "posterity, close, end, powder, tip" and kawa means "river, stream".

Sunagawa Japanese
From Japanese 砂 (suna) meaning "sand" and 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream".

Suzukawa Japanese
Suzu means "bell, chime" and kawa means "river, stream".

Synenko Ukrainian
From Ukrainian синій (syniy), meaning "blue".

Tachikawa Japanese
Tachi means "stand" and kawa means "river, stream".

Taevas Estonian
Taevas is an Estonian surname meaning "sky", "heavens" and "Heaven"

Tagalog Filipino
Of uncertain etymology. It could be from Filipino prefix taga- "native of" combined either from alog "ford" or ilog "river". It could also be from Tagal, a name of some tribes in Borneo or Sumatra... [more]

Tagawa Japanese (Rare)
Tagawa means "ricefield river"

Takatsutsumi Japanese
Taka means "high, tall, expensive" and tsutsumi means "river, bank, enbankment, dike".

Takekawa Japanese
Take means "bamboo" and kawa means "stream, river".

Takemizu Japanese
From Japanese 竹 (take) meaning "bamboo" combined with 水 (mizu) meaning "water".

Takigawa Japanese
From Japanese 滝 or 瀧 (taki) meaning "waterfall, rapids" and 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream".

Takikawa Japanese
Taki means "waterfall" and kawa means "river, stream".

Talivee Estonian
Talivee is an Estonian surname meaning "winter water".

Tamagawa Japanese
From Japanese 玉 (tama) meaning "gem, jewel, ball" and 川 (kawa) or 河 (kawa) meaning "river, stream".

Tamakawa Japanese
Tama means "jewel square" and kawa means "river".

Tang Chinese
From Chinese 汤 (tāng) meaning "hot water, soup, broth", originally derived from the name of Cheng Tang, the first king of the Shang dynasty.

Tanie Japanese
Tani means "valley" and e means "inlet, river".

Tanigawa Japanese
From Japanese 谷 (tani) meaning "valley" and 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream".

Tanikawa Japanese
From the Japanese 谷 (tani) meaning "valley" and 川 or 河 (kawa) meaning "stream, river."

Tanimizu Japanese
From Japanese 谷 (tani) meaning "valley" and 水 (mizu) meaning "water".

Teich German, Jewish
Derived from Middle High German tīch "pond".

Telford English
From the words taelf meaning "plateau" and ford meaning "river crossing"... [more]

Téllez Spanish
from the given name Tello which is the Spanish form of the name Tellus, meaning "earth" in Latin

Tenjiùmae Japanese
From the kanji 天 meaning "sky, heaven", 救 "salvation, saviour, rescue, save", and 前 as "before, prior, previous, former".... [more]

Tenkubashi Japanese (Rare)
From 天 (ten) meaning "heaven", 空 (ku) meaning "sky", and 橋 (hashi) meaning "bridge".

Terracciano Italian
Derived from Italian terrazzano "inhabitant of a walled city or castle; fellow countryman, villager, peasant", ultimately derived from Latin terra "land, earth, country".

Teshigawara Japanese
From Japanese 勅 (te) meaning "imperial order", 使 (shi) meaning "messenger, envoy", 河 (ga) meaning "river", and 原 (wara) meaning "field".

Thimmesch Luxembourgish
Meaning "Tiller of the Water" in Luxembourgish. A variant of the Germanic surname Miller

Tiigi Estonian
Tiigi is an Estonian surname meaning "pond".

Tiigimaa Estonian
Tiigimaa is an Estonian surname meaning "pond land".

Tiigirand Estonian
Tiigirand is an Estonian surname meaning "pond shore".

Tiik Estonian
Tiik is an Estonian surname meaning "pond".

Tiikjärv Estonian
Tiikjärv is an Estonian surname meaning "pond lake".

Todachine Navajo
Variant of Todicheene meaning "bitter water people."

Todicheene Navajo
"Bitter water people."

Tokairin Japanese
From 東 (to, higashi) meaning "east" combined with 海 (kai, umi, mi) meaning "sea, ocean", and 林 (rin) meaning "grove".

Tokugawa Japanese
From 徳 (toku) meaning "virtue" and 川 (kawa) meaning "stream, river".

Tomabechi Japanese
From Japanese 苫 (toma) meaning "woven mat", 米 (me) meaning "rice" and 地 (chi) meaning "earth, land".

Tomikawa Japanese
From 富/冨 (tomi) meaning "riches, wealth, fortune" combined with 川/河 (kawa) meaning "river."

Toprak Turkish
Means "earth, soil, land" in Turkish.

Toriumi Japanese
From Japanese 鳥 (tori) meaning "bird" and 海 (umi) meaning "sea, ocean".

Torriente Spanish (Latin American, Rare)
Cuban name likely meaning "river".

Toyokawa Japanese
From Japanese 豊 (toyo) meaning "bountiful, luxuriant" and 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream".

Trafford English
Habitational name derived from either Trafford, Lancashire (an Anglo-French variant of Stratford), from Bridge Mickle and Wimbolds Trafford, Cheshire (derived from Old English trog "trough, valley" and ford "river crossing"), or from the now-lost settlement of Trafford in Northamptonshire (derived from Old English traeppe "trap, fish trap" and ford).

Traun German
Derived from the Celtic word dru meaning "river". Traun is a river in the Austrian state of Upper Austria as well as a city located on the north bank of that river and borders Linz, the capital of Upper Austria, to the east.

Tsakiris Greek
Means "crock" in Greek, a nickname for a feeble person. It could also be derived from the Turkish word çakır meaning "gray eyed" or "blue eyed".

Tsaritsyn Russian
From a former name of the Russian city of Volgograd that was used from 1589 to 1925. The name is from Царица (Tsaritsa), a small river and a tributary of the Volga, which was probably derived from Tatar сары су (sary su) meaning "yellow water".

Tsuchida Japanese
From the Japanese 土 (tsuchi) "earth," "soil," 槌 (tsuchi) "mallet" or 津 (tsu) "harbour" and 知 (chi) "wisdom," "intellect" and 田 (da or ta) "rice paddy" or 多 (da or ta) "many."

Tsuchiya Japanese
From Japanese 土 (tsuchi) meaning "earth, soil, ground" and 屋 (ya) meaning "roof, dwelling" or 谷 (ya) meaning "valley".

Tsuchiyama Japanese
From Japanese 土 (tsuchi) meaning "earth, soil, ground" and 山 (yama) meaning "mountain, hill". Other Kanji combinations are possible.

Tsugawa Japanese
From 津 (tsu) meaning "ferry, port, harbor" and 川 (kawa) meaning "stream, river".

Tsunekawa Japanese
From Japanese 恒 (tsune) meaning "constant, persistent" and 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream".

Tsuryū Japanese (Rare)
From Japanese 釣 (tsu), from 釣り (tsuri) meaning "fishing; angling" and 流 (ryū) meaning "flow of water, style", referring to a fisher.... [more]

Tsutsumi Japanese
From the Japanese 堤 (tsutsumi) "river, embankment, riverbank."

Tutera Italian
Means “Of the Earth”

Tweedel English
Tweedel is Scottish for "the dell on the tweed river"

Twining English
From the name of the village of Twyning in Gloucestershire, derived from Old English betweonan meaning "between" and eam meaning "river".

Uchiumi Japanese
Uchi means "inside" and umi means "sea, ocean".

Udagawa Japanese
From Japanese 宇 (u) meaning "eaves, roof, house", 田 (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy" and 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream".

Uekawa Japanese
From Japanese 上 (ue) meaning "above, top, upper" and 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream".

Ugalde Basque
Habitational name meaning "waterside, by the river" or "flood, deluge" in Basque, derived from ur "water" and -alde "side, near".

Ugarte Basque
Means "island" in Basque, ultimately derived from ur "water" and -arte "between".

Ujula Estonian
Ujula is an Estonian surname meaning "pool" and "pond".

Ülejõe Estonian
Ülejõe is an Estonian surname meaning "across the river".

Ülevain Estonian
Ülevain is an Estonian surname meaning "above/across village green".

Umekawa Japanese
Ume means "plum" and kawa means "stream, river".

Unami Japanese (Rare)
From Japanese 海南 (unami), a contraction of 海南 (unanami), from 海 (una-) meaning "of the sea; of the ocean" and 南 (nami) meaning "south".

Ungvári Hungarian
Originally denoted a person from the city of Uzhhorod in Ukraine (formerly part of Hungary), meaning "castle on the River Uzh". In Hungarian it is called Ungvár.

Unno Japanese
From Japanese 海 (un) meaning "sea, ocean" and 野 (no) meaning "field, wilderness".

Upham English
"enclosure surrounded by water"

Urenda Basque
Probably a topographic name formed with Basque ur "water".

Urtsua Basque (Rare, Archaic)
From the name of a mountain in the French department of Pyrénées-Atlantiques, derived from Basque ur "water" and -tzu "plenty of".

Utagawa Japanese
Uta means "song" and Gawa comes from Kawa, meaning "river".

Utakawa Japanese
Uta means "song" and kawa means "river, stream".

Utsugi Japanese
Utsugi can be written in 15 ways, them being: 宇ツ木, 宇次, 宇津城, 宇津木, 宇都城, 宇都木, 卯都木, 卯木, 空木, 槍, 打木, 梼木, 楊盧木, 擣木, 棯. The 宇津木 and 打木 are also place names while 空木 is also a female given name... [more]

Vahejõe Estonian
Vahejõe is an Estonian surname meaning "mid/dividing river".

Vaikvee Estonian
Vaikvee is an Estonian surname meaning "quiet/still water".

Vain Estonian
Vain is an Estonian surname meaning "village common", or "village green".

Vainküla Estonian
Vainküla is an Estonian surname meaning "(village) green/common village"

Vainmäe Estonian
Vainmäe is an Estonian surname meaning "(village) green/common hill/mountain".

Van Brink Dutch
Means "from the village green", from Dutch brink "village green, town square, edge of a field or hill".

Van Bronckhorst Dutch
Means "from Bronckhorst", a town in the province of Gelderland in the Netherlands, itself derived from Dutch brink meaning "village green, edge, slope" and horst meaning "overgrown elevated place" or "higher located brushwood"... [more]

Van Der Aa Dutch, Flemish
Means "from the Aa" in Dutch, a common name for rivers and streams derived from Old Germanic *ahwō "stream, river; water".

Van Der Aarde Dutch
Variant of Van der Aart. Means "from the earth".

Van Der Loop Dutch
From Dutch loop "course, duration; river course", a topographical name for someone who lived by a waterway, in particular a waterway called De Loop in North Brabant.

Van der Plas Dutch
Means "from the pool" in Dutch, derived from plas "pool, puddle, pond; body of stagnant water".

Van Gestel Dutch
Means "from Gestel" in Dutch, a settlement in North Brabant, Netherlands derived from either gestel "height between two river valleys" or gestel "guest house, inn" (compare Gastel).

van Maarschalkerweerd Dutch
Habitational name denoting someone from Maarschalkerweerd, a place near Utrecht in the Netherlands. Derived from Dutch maarschalk "marshal" and weerd "land next to water, riverine island".

Van Ooijen Dutch
Means "from Ooijen" in Dutch, the name of a hamlet in Limburg, Netherlands, as well as several other settlements derived from Middle Dutch ooy "floodplain, wetland, meadow in the bend of a river".

Van Putten Dutch
Means "from Putten" in Dutch, a toponym derived from Old Dutch putti "well (water)".

Van Reenen Dutch, South African
Means "from Rhenen", the name of a city in Utrecht, Netherlands. Possibly derived from Proto-Germanic *hraini "clean, pure", or from Rijn "the Rhine (river)" combined with Old Dutch hem "home, settlement".

Van Wormer Dutch (Rare)
Means "from Wormer", a town in North Holland. Derived from Old Dutch wer "fishing weir" and mere "lake", or possibly from Proto-Germanic *werm "water".

Vasershteyn Yiddish
It literally means "water stone".

Veemaa Estonian
Veemaa is an Estonian surname meaning "water land".

Veeorg Estonian
Veeorg is an Estonian surname meaning "water valley/gully".

Veesaar Estonian
Veesaar is an Estonian surname meaning "water island".

Veesalu Estonian
Veesalu is an Estonian surname meaning "water grove".

Veetamm Estonian
Veetamm is an Estonian surname meaning "water oak".

Veetõusme Estonian
Veetõusme is an Estonian surname meaning "water (vee) surge (tõusma)".

Verde Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
From Spanish verde "green" (Latin viridis), presumably a nickname for someone who habitually dressed in this color or had green eyes, etc. This is also a common element of place names.

Verdi Italian
The Italian word for "green".

Verdier French, Norman, English
Occupational name for a forester. Derived from Old French verdier (from Late Latin viridarius, a derivative of viridis "green"). Also an occupational name for someone working in a garden or orchard, or a topographic name for someone living near one... [more]

Vermont French (Rare)
Derived from french, meaning "green mountain" (Vert, "green"; mont, "mountain").

Vesi Estonian
Means "water" in Estonian.

Vesiloik Estonian
Vesiloik is an Estonian surname meaning "water puddle/a small pool of water."

Veskioja Estonian
Veskioja is an Estonian surname meaning "(water) mill creek".

Von Aachen German
Means "from Aachen", a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, ultimately derived from Latin acquae "water, water sources", referring to the sacred springs associated with the Celtic god Grannus.

Wakatsuchi Japanese
From the Japanese 若 (waka) "young" and 土 (tsuchi) "earth," "soil."

Wardell English, Irish
A habitational name from Wardle in Lancashire and possibly Wardle in Cheshire, both named with Old English elements weard "guard, guardian" hyll "hill" meaning "watch hill"... [more]

Wasser German, Jewish
Topographic name from Middle High German wazzer "water".

Wassermann German
German cognate of Waterman 2. occupational name for a water-carrier or a topographic name from Middle High German wazzar "water" and man "man"... [more]

Waterhouse German
Old German and Dutch locational name meaning “a house by water.”

Waterworth English
Means "guard of the water".

Wehlburg German (Rare), Dutch (Rare)
Possibly derived from German Wehl "pool of water (esp. behind a dyke)" (cognate to Dutch weil "vortex, maelstrom; dyke breach pool") and burg "fortress, citadel".

Weimar German
Habitational name from any of several places called Weimar in Hesse and Thuringia.... [more]

Winford English
English location name meaning "from a white ford or water crossing" or "from a meadow ford".

Wodziński Polish
Habitational name for someone from Wodzin in Piotrków voivodeship, named with Polish woda meaning "water".

Yamakawa Japanese
From Japanese 山 (yama) meaning "mountain, hill" and 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream".

Yamamizu Japanese
山 (Yama) means "mountain" and 水 (mizu) means "water".

Yamikawa Japanese
From Japanese 闇 (Yami) meaning "darkness" 川(Kawa) meaning "river", the name basically means "Dark river"

Yanagawa Japanese
From Japanese 柳 (yana) meaning "willow" and 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream".

Yarbrough English
Habitational name derived from Yarborough or Yarburgh in Lincolnshire, England, both composed of Old English eorþe "earth, ground, dirt" and burg "fortress, citadel, stronghold".

Yasumizu Japanese
From 安 (yasu) meaning "calm, peaceful, low, inexpensive" and 水 (mizu) meaning "water".

Ybiricu Basque (Hispanicized, Rare)
Derived from Basque ibi "ford, river crossing".

Yeşil Turkish
Means "green" in Turkish.

Yeşilgöz Turkish, Kurdish
Means "green eye" in Turkish and Kurdish. Dutch politician Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius (1977-) bears this name.

Yohe Medieval English
The Yohe surname comes from the Old English word "ea," or "yo," in Somerset and Devon dialects, which meant "river" or "stream." It was likely originally a topographic name for someone who lived near a stream.

Yokokawa Japanese
From Japanese 横 (yoko) meaning "beside, next to" and 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream".

Yonekawa Japanese
From Japanese 米 (yone) meaning "rice" and 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream".

Yoshikawa Japanese
From Japanese 吉 (yoshi) meaning "good luck" and 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream".

Yukawa Japanese
From Japanese 湯 (yu) meaning "hot spring" and 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream".

Yumekawa Japanese
Yumekawa means yume (夢) means "dream" and kawa (川) means "river", so this means "dream river".

Yuno Japanese
From 湯 (yu) meaning "hot water, bath, hot spring" and 野 (no) meaning "plains, field".

Žaliūkas Lithuanian
From žaliūkas meaning "young, strong, healthy man", related to žalias meaning "green".

Zelená f Czech, Slovak
Means "green" in Czech and Slovak.

Zelenov m Russian
From Russian зеленый (zelenyy), meaning "green".

Zelenović Serbian
Derived from Serbian зелен (zelen) "green".

Zelensky Ukrainian
Habitational name derived from the village of Zelenki in the Kaniv region in Ukraine... [more]

Zelený Czech
Zelený means "green" in Czech.

Zelieska Polish
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".

Zelyonka Russian
Derived from Russian зелёный (zelyonyy), meaning "green".

Zemlov m Russian
Derived from Russian земля (zemlya), meaning "land, earth".

Zemlyanov m Russian
From Russian земля (zemlya) meaning "earth, land, soil".

Zeroual Arabic (Maghrebi), Berber
Nickname for a person with blue eyes from Berber aẓerwal meaning "blue".

Zerrouki Arabic (Maghrebi)
From Arabic أَزْرَق (ʾazraq) meaning "blue".

Zielonka Polish, Jewish
Derived from the Polish word for "green"

Zielony Polish
Means "green; young, unripe" in Polish.

Zurru Italian
From Sardinian "gush, spring (of water)".