Submitted Surnames with "leader" in Meaning

Abeynayake Sinhalese
From Sanskrit अभय (abhaya) meaning "fearless" and नायक (nāyaka) meaning "hero, leader".

Akhunzadah Pashto
Means “descendant of a religious leader” or “child of a priest”.

Alcaide Spanish, Portuguese
Ancient occupational or status name from alcaide from Arabic al-qāʾid "the leader, the commander" (see Kaid)... [more]

Attanayake Sinhalese
From Sinhala අත්ත (atta) meaning "branch, offset" and නායක (nayake) meaning "hero, leader".

Bandaranayake Sinhalese
From the Sinhala title බණ්ඩාර (baṇḍāra) meaning "chief's son, prince" combined with Sanskrit नायक (nāyaka) meaning "hero, leader".

Baş Turkish
Means "head, top" or "leader" in Turkish.

Başoğlu Turkish
Means "son of the leader" from Turkish baş meaning "leader, head".

Begić Croatian, Bosnian, Serbian
Possibly related to Turkish element beg meaning "chieftain, leader".

Behera Indian, Odia
Means "owner, master, leader" in Odia.

Bouras Arabic (Maghrebi)
Means "father of the head" from Arabic أبو (abu) meaning "father" and رأس (ras) meaning "head, leader, chief".

Burruchaga Spanish, Basque (Hispanicized)
Altered form of Basque Burutxaga, a habitational name from a location in Navarre, Spain, possibly derived from buru "head; top, summit; leader, chief" or burutza "office of chief" combined with -aga "place of".

Cabucos English
Decended from Old English meaning "leader."

Chousokabe Japanese
From Japanese 長 (chou) meaning "chief, head, leader", 宗 (so) meaning "religion", 我 (ka) meaning "ego" and 部 (be) meaning "section".

Commander English
From Middle English comander "commander, leader, director", derived from Old French comandeor "military commander". This may have been either an occupational name or a nickname.

Coninx Belgian, Dutch
Variant form of Koning, from a genitive form of Middle Dutch coninc "king, leader, important person".

Datuimam Filipino, Maranao
From Maranao datoʼ meaning "chieftain, leader" combined with Arabic إِمَام (ʾimām) meaning "leader". It is used as a title for religious leaders.

Datumolok Filipino, Maranao
From Maranao datoʼ meaning "chieftain, leader" and molok meaning "own, possess", used as a title of nobility.

De Heer Dutch
Means "the lord" or "the gentleman" in Dutch, derived from Middle Dutch hêre "feudal lord, master, leader, gentleman". Could be a nickname for a person who acted as a leader, or an occupational name for someone who worked for a lord... [more]

Dissanayake Sinhalese
From Sanskrit दिशा (diśā) meaning "region, quarter, direction" and नायक (nāyaka) meaning "hero, leader".

Duca Italian
from the title of rank duca "duke" (from Latin dux genitive ducis "leader") an occupational name for someone who lived or worked in the household of a duke or a nickname for someone who gave himself airs and graces like a duke... [more]

Duque Spanish, Portuguese
Spanish and Portuguese cognate of Duke. from duque "duke" (from Latin dux genitive ducis "leader") an occupational name for someone who worked in the household of a duke or as a nickname for someone who gave himself airs and graces.

Ekanayake Sinhalese
From Sanskrit एक (eka) meaning "one" and नायक (nāyaka) meaning "hero, leader".

Emami Persian
From Persian امام (emam) meaning "imam, leader", of Arabic origin.

Fallon Irish
Anglicized form of the surname Ó Fallamhain meaning "descendant of Fallamhan", the name being a byname meaning "leader" (derived from follamhnas meaning "supremacy").

Foucault French
Derived from the Germanic given name Folcwald, which was composed of the elements folk "people" and walt "power, leader, ruler"... [more]

Gamanayake Sinhalese
From Sanskrit ग्राम (grāma) meaning "village, settlement" and नायक (nāyaka) meaning "hero, leader".

Garabedian Armenian
Means "son of Garabed", an Armenian personal name meaning literally "leader, precursor" and traditionally used as an epithet of John the Baptist in the Armenian church.

Hazzan Jewish
Occupational name for a cantor or singer of a synagogue, from Hebrew חזן (khazán) "cantor, leader of a congregation".

Hennayake Sinhalese
Derived from Sanskrit संनद्ध (sannaddha) meaning "armoured, ready, prepared" and नयक (nayaka) meaning "hero, leader".

Homan Dutch
From Old Dutch hovitman "leader, head man, chief". Alternatively, the Dutch form of Hoffmann.

Imam Arabic, Bengali, Persian, Urdu
From Arabic إِمَام (ʾimām) meaning "leader, guide", used to denote a Muslim leader.

Juht Estonian
Juht is an Estonian surname meaning "leader" and "driver".

Kanters Dutch
An occupational name for a singer, such as a precentor (someone who leads songs or prayers in a church, monastery, or synagogue) or choir member. Ultimately derived from Latin cantor "singer, leader of song at a ceremony; prayer leader in a Jewish ceremony".

Karunanayake Sinhalese
From Sanskrit करुणा (karuna) meaning "compassion, kindness, mercy" and नायक (nayaka) meaning "hero, leader".

Khalimbekov Kazakh
This surname is derived from the Kazakh given name Khalimbek, which combines the elements Khalim ("generous") and Bek ("ruler" or "leader"). Therefore, Халимбеков (Khalimbekov) would roughly mean "descendant of Khalimbek" or "belonging to the family of Khalimbek".

Kıral Turkish
Means "supreme leader" in Turkish

Leduc French, Breton
From the Old French title of rank duc "duke" (from Latin dux "leader" genitive ducis) with the French masculine definite article le used as a nickname for someone who gave himself airs and graces or else as a metonymic occupational name for a servant employed in a ducal household.

Mallik Bengali
Means "owner, proprietor, head, leader" in Bengali, ultimately from Arabic مالك (mālik).

Mangudadatu Filipino, Maguindanao
From Maguindanao manguda meaning "young" and the Philippine title datu meaning "chief, leader".

Masterman English
occupational name meaning "servant of the master" from Middle English maister "master" (Latin magister "teacher, master, leader") and mann "man".

Nagamatsu Japanese
This surname is used as 永松, 長松 or 永末 with 永 (ei, naga.i) meaning "eternity, lengthy, long," 長 (chou, osa, naga.i) meaning "leader, long," 松 (shou, matsu) meaning "pine tree" and 末 (batsu, matsu, sue) meaning "close, end, posterity, powder, tip."

Nagao Japanese
From Japanese 長 (naga) meaning "head, leader, chief, long" and 尾 (o) meaning "tail, foot of a mountain, end".

Nagayama Japanese
From Japanese 永 (nagai) meaning "eternity, long, lengthy" or 長 (nagai) meaning "chief, head, leader" combined with 山 (yama) meaning "mountain".

Naidu Indian, Telugu
Means "chief" in Telugu, ultimately from Sanskrit नाय (naya) meaning "guide, leader" combined with the Telugu masculine suffix డు (du).

Nair Indian, Malayalam
From Nair, the name of a group of Hindu castes concentrated in the Indian state of Kerala. The origin of the word itself is somewhat disputed. Some believe it is derived from nayaka, an honorific meaning "leader of the people", while another theory suggests that is is derived from the Sanskrit नाग (nāgá) "snake, serpent" (a reference to the practice of snake worship)... [more]

Nayak Indian, Odia, Gujarati, Hindi, Bengali, Assamese, Kannada, Telugu, Marathi, Konkani, Nepali
From a title derived from Sanskrit नायक (nayaka) meaning "hero, leader".

Osada Japanese
From Japanese 長 (osa) meaning "chief, head, leader" and 田 (da) meaning "field, rice paddy".

Princip Bosnian, Serbian
Probably derived from Latin princeps "leader, initiator, prince", which itself was ultimately derived from primus "first" and capere "to take". The surname may thus have originated as a nickname for someone with a princely appearance, or for someone who was the illegitimate offspring of a prince... [more]

Raees Urdu, Indian (Muslim), Arabic, Indonesian
From the Arabic tile رَئِيس (raʾīs) meaning "chief, leader".

Ramanayake Sinhalese
From the name of the Hindu god Rama 1 combined with Sanskrit नायक (nayaka) meaning "hero, leader".

Ratnayake Sinhalese
From Sanskrit रत्न (ratna) meaning "jewel, treasure" and नायक (nayaka) meaning "hero, leader".

Sadri Persian
From the Persian given name Sadr "chief, leader", from arabic ṣadr, literally "chest (of men)".

Samaranayake Sinhalese
Derived from Sanskrit समर (samara) meaning "coming together, meeting" or "conflict, struggle" and नायक (nayaka) meaning "hero, leader".

Sardar Indian, Bengali, Hindi, Urdu
From a title meaning "chief, leader", derived from Persian سر (sar) meaning "head, authority" and the suffix دار (dar) meaning "possessor".

Séera Literature
Coming from an old Rowénan word to mean "king" or "leader", SÉERA is nowan uncomon surname. Used by the ruling family of eastern Erikówna (see Tyran).

Senanayake Sinhalese
From Sanskrit सेना (sena) meaning "army" and नायक (nayaka) meaning "hero, leader".

Serdar Turkish, Croatian
Turkish form of Persian sardar, meaning "chief", "leader", "field marshal".

Shikongo Southern African
Potentially means "people's leader". Prevalent in Nambia.

Sorhapuru Basque (Rare)
From the name of a village in south-west France Basque Country, possibly derived from sorho "field, cultivated land" and buru "head, top, summit; leader, chief".

Suriyaarachchi Sinhalese
From Sanskrit सूर्य (sūrya) meaning "sun" combined with the Sinhala title ආරච්චි (ārachchi) meaning "village leader, sergeant".

Taijjeron Chamorro
Chamoru for "wituout judge/leader/cheif"

Troxel German
Roots of the German surname Troxel can be found in the region of Hesse, where the name originated. Troxel may be an occupational name, derived from the Middle High German word "truhsaesee," meaning "leader." In this case, Troxel would be a variation of the German surname Truchsess.

Waziri Muslim
"Prime minister, Advisor, leader of passion."

Wickramanayake Sinhalese
From Sanskrit विक्रम (vikrama) meaning "stride, pace" or "valour" and नायक (nayaka) meaning "hero, leader".

Zaim Turkish
Zaim may be a representation of the male Arabic given name Za'im / Zaeim (Arabic: ضعیم / زاعِم/ زاعيم‎), meaning leader, chief. Correspondingly al-Za'im (Arabic: الزعيم‎) means "the leader".