Browse Submitted Surnames

Orosco Spanish, Basque
Variant of Orozco. Means "place of the holly trees" from oros meaning "holly tree" and the suffix -ko signifying a place. Also believed to have been derived from Latin orosius meaning "the son of bringer of wisdom".

Österreicher German, German (Austrian)
Means "One from Austria", "the Austrian".

O'Tolan Irish
The meaning of the name is unclear, but it seems to derive from the pre 13th century Gaelic O'Tuathalain suggesting that it was probably religious and may translate as "The male descendant of the follower of the lord".

Otonari Japanese
This surname combines 乙 (itsu, otsu, oto-, kinoto) meaning "duplicate, strange, the latter, witty" or 音 (in, on, -non, oto, ne) meaning "noise, sound" with 成 (jou, sei, na.su, -na.su, na.ru, nari) meaning "become, elapse, get, grow, reach, turn into."

O’toole Irish
O'Toole, along with Toole, comes from the Irish O Tuathail. This derives from the personal name Tuathal, meaning "ruler of the people", used by many Irish kings and heroes and accordingly incorporated into a surname in a number of distinct areas, among them south Ulster, Mayo and Kildare.

O'Tuathalain Irish
May translate as "The male descendant of the follower of the lord".

O'Twolan Irish
The meaning of the name is unclear, but it seems to derive from the pre 13th century Gaelic O' Tuathalain suggesting that it was probably religious and may translate as "The male descendant of the follower of the lord".

Overbeeke Dutch
Means "over the creek", from Dutch over "over, above" and beek "brook, creek".

Overduin Dutch
Means "over the dune" in Dutch, derived from any of several place names.

Overpelt Dutch
From the name of a town in Limburg, Belgium, meaning "above the pelt" (see Van Pelt).

Overson English
Derived from the Old French name Overson, meaning "dweller by the river-banks". The name was probably brought to England in the wake of the Norman conquest of 1066.

Owari Japanese
From Japanese 終 (owa) meaning “last, to finish” and 里 (ri) meaning “village, the home of one’s parents, hometown”. The latter character is also an archaic Japanese unit of area.

Oxendine English
From an English place name meaning "valley of the oxen", which was derived from Old English oxa "ox" (genitive plural oxena) and denu "valley".

Oxenstierna Swedish (Rare)
A notable surname used by an ancient Swedish noble family from Småland dating back to the 13th century. The name means "the ox's forehead". It is a combination of Swedish oxen, a cognate to the English plural of 'ox', and stierna, which is likely derived from German Stirn "forehead", though it is often mistaken for Swedish stjärna "star"... [more]

Oyaski English (American)
A surname created by Michael Oyaski (formally Michael O'Yaski). The surname is currently known to only be used by one particular branch of the O'Yaski family tree. The surname means "Dragon Rider of the West" according to members of the Oyaski family.

Ọyáwálé Yoruba, Nigerian
Means "the river goddess came home" in Yoruba.

Oyekan Yoruba
Means "the next to be crowned" in Yoruba.

Øyen Norwegian
Means "the island" in Norwegian.

Pahlevanyan Armenian
Means "son of the wrestler" or "son of the champion", ultimately from Persian پهلوان (pahlevân) meaning "strong man, champion, wrestler".

Panzer German
Metonymic occupational name for an armorer from Middle High German panzier "mailcoat" (Old French pancier "armor for the stomach, body armor" from Late Latin).

Panzeri Italian
Either a nickname from Italian pancia "belly, paunch", referring to someone with a prominent belly (see Panza), or an occupational name for someone who manufactured girdles and armour, from panciere "corset, girdle; paunce (armour covering the belly)", ultimately from the same root.

Papachristodoulopoulos Greek
Means "descendant of the priest and servant of Christ" in Greek.

Papadiamantopoulos Greek
Means "descendant of the diamond priest" in Greek. A notable bearer of this surname is Ioannis Papadiamantopoulos, a Greek revolutionary leader.

Papakostas Greek
Means "son of Kostas the priest", from Greek πάπας (papas) combined with the given name Kostas.

Papastathopoulos Greek
Meaning "you are the priest" in Greek.

Papazoglou Greek
Means "son of the priest", derived from the Greek παπάς (papás) meaning "priest" combined with the Turkish oğlu or oğul meaning "son, descendant".

Paramar Indian, Gujarati
Means "one who strikes the enemy" from Sanskrit पर (para) meaning "other, alien, foreigner, enemy" and मार (mā́ra) meaning "killing, slaying, destroying".

Parelius Norwegian
Latinization of a learned Hellenized translation of either Solvorn, a placename in Luster (Sogn og Fjordane), or of Solnør, a placename in Skodje/Ørskog (Møre og Romsdal), Norway. The surname itself is then derived from Greek para heliou "near (or close by) the sun".

Parquier French
From an Old French word meaning "Keeper of the Park". Made from the element "Parc", meaning park, and the suffix "-ier", which indicates a profession. The surname Parker is a descendant.

Parsley Medieval French, English, Norman, French
Derived from Old French passelewe "cross the water."... [more]

Parvin Persian, Bengali
Means "the Pleiades" in Persian.

Pashley English
From the an Old English personal name Pæcca, and with the Old English word "le-ah," meaning "clearing in the wood. ''

Pasquier French
Meaning uncertain. Possibly "keeper of the oven."

Passafiume Italian
ferryman "across the water"

Passepartout Literature
Derived from French passe-partout, which literally means "goes everywhere" but is actually an idiom for "skeleton key".... [more]

Patta Italian
Possibly from patta "draw, settlement", perhaps a nickname given to a negotiator. The same term can also mean "heat, warmth of the hearth".

Peachy English (Anglicized)
Means “lived near a peach tree, sold peaches, or was associated with the fruit in some other way”. Originally arrived with the in England after the Norman conquest of 1066.

Pedemonte Italian
Variant of Piemonte, Means "at the foot of the mountains"... [more]

Pelekanos Greek
Means woodpecker" from Greek pelekanos "green woodpecker" (cognate with pelekan "pelican"; both come from pelekys "axe" the pelican because its beak is shaped like an axe the woodpecker because it uses its beak like an axe).

Pennyworth English
From Old English pening, penig meaning "penny (the coin)" and worþ meaning "enclosure". A notable fictional bearer is Alfred Pennyworth, a DC Comics character notable for being the butler of the superhero Batman.

Penrose Cornish, Welsh
Originally meant "person from Penrose", Cornwall, Herefordshire and Wales ("highest part of the heath or moorland"). It is borne by the British mathematician Sir Roger Penrose (1931-).... [more]

Penry Welsh, Cornish, English
Derived from Welsh ap Henry meaning "son of Henry". It is also a variant of Pendray, which is derived from a place name in Cornwall meaning "top of the village" in Middle Cornish... [more]

Perovski Russian
I looked for the meaning of this name, but my searches almost always came up with "Perovskite, the mineral that named after the mineralogist" (there's also "Perovskia, the mint-plant named after a Russian General")... [more]

Phommachanh Lao
From Lao ພົມມະ (phomma) referring to the Hindu god Brahma combined with ຈັນ (chanh) meaning "moon".

Phukuntsi Tswana, Sotho
This surname has multilayered meanings... [more]

Pickenpaugh German
The surname Pickenpaugh is an Americanized version of the German name Beckenbach, meaning "from the river basin"... [more]

Piliang Minangkabau
Probably derived from Indonesian pili meaning "a lot, many" and hyang meaning "god, deity" or the phrase pili hyang meaning "the god, the deity" (most likely referring to the Hindu-influenced gods that were worshiped before the arrival of Islam in the Indonesian archipelago)... [more]

Pinches English (British, Rare)
This is one of the very earliest of surnames. This is an English name. First recorded in the 12th century it was a nickname of endearment for a bright, chirpy, person, thought by his peer group to be active like a finch... [more]

Pingol Pampangan
From Pampangan pi'ngul meaning "ear lobe (particularly the part pierced for earrings)".

Pino Spanish, Galician, Italian
Spanish and Galician habitational name from any of the places in Galicia (Spain) named Pino from pino "pine" or a topographic name for someone who lived by a remarkable pine tree. Italian habitational name from Pino d'Asti in Asti province Pino Torinese in Torino or Pino Solitario in Taranto all named with pino "pine’... [more]

Pirzadeh Persian
Means "born of the pir", from the Persian title پیر (pir) denoting a Sufi spiritual guide (literally meaning "elder, old"). This name was traditionally used by owners or custodians of Sufi mausoleums and shrines.

Pittler French
A surname which originally belonged to a person who lived by a pit or hollow. Meaning "King of the Pit" or "King of the Hollow".

Plantz English (American)
Deriving from England. "Men known as a Planter was an English term for people who were "planted" abroad in order to promote a political, religious cause or for colonization purposes." ... [more]

Pliev Ingush (Russified), Ossetian (Russified)
Russified form of an Ingush and Ossetian name, which is derived from the name of an Ingush teip (clan). The name itself comes from Plievo, the name of a village in Ingushetia, which means "village of the sons of Pkhile", referring to a given name possibly derived from Ossetian пыл (pyl) meaning "elephant".

Plotnikov Russian
Means "son of the carpenter" from Russian плотник (plotnik) "carpenter".

Põhjala Estonian
Põhjala is an Estonian surname meaning "the North" and "Northern area" as well as "Norse".

Poltimore English (Rare)
Rare English surname derived from a Devon place name of Celtic origin, allegedly meaning “pool by the large house”.

Pomeroy English
From an English surname meaning "dweller by the apple orchard".

Ponce Spanish, English
The Ponce name was carried into England after the migration from Normandy following the Norman Conquest of 1066.'Ponce' is derived from 'Ponsoby',a place in Cumberland, where the family settled. The Ponce motto is 'Pro rege, lege grege' meaning "For the King, law, and people"

Popoola Yoruba
"The way of the rich man" or "The way of prosperity"

Popovici Romanian
Means "son of the priest" from Romanian popă meaning "priest".

Premachandra Sinhalese
Derived from Sanskrit प्रेम (prema) meaning "love, affection" and चन्द्र (chandra) meaning "moon".

Prestwood English
habitational name from any of several places called from Middle English prest priest "priest" and wode "wood" (Old English preost wudu) meaning "dweller by the priest's wood"

Preve Italian
From Greek "πρεσβύτερος" (presbyteros), via Latin "presbyter" with the meaning of "The Old One".... [more]

Pridonov Russian
The surname Pridonov is derived from a nickname. It contains an indication of the place of residence of the ancestor: "at the Don, i.e. on the Don River". The river named Don flows not only in the European part of Russia, but also in Scotland (the city of Aberdon is located on it) and in France (a tributary of the Vilena).

Priel Hebrew
Means "the fruit of god"

Prieskorn German
Possibly either a derisive nickname for a grain merchant from pries a variant of Middle High German brüsch or Middle Low German bross "brittle crumbly" and korn "grain" or alternatively for a grain seller from prisekorn "(I) determine the price of grain".

Primavera Italian, Portuguese, Spanish
Means "spring (the season)" in Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish.

Prior Irish
Anglicized form of Irish Gaelic Mac an Phríora meaning "son of the prior".

Profitendieu Literature
Used by André Gide in his novel "The Counterfeiters."

Puddephatt English
Probably from the unattested Old English *pudi "fat, swollen; round in the belly" combined with fæt "vat, cask, barrel", a nickname for someone with a large paunch, or perhaps who was known for drinking.

Puigdemont Catalan
Means "top of the hill" or "peak of the mountain". It is derived from Catalan puig meaning "hill, peak" combined with either damunt meaning "on top, above", or munt (a diminutive of muntanya) meaning "mountain", using the preposition d'... [more]

Quasimodo Italian (Rare)
From the name of the Sunday that follows Easter, called Quasimodo Sunday, which gets its name from the opening words of the Latin chant quasi modo meaning "like the way" (see Quasimodo as a first name), possibly denoted somebody who was born or baptized in the first Sunday after Easter... [more]

Quinzel Popular Culture
The actual surname of the fictional character Harley Quinn. The character first appeared in the "Batman: The Animated Series" episode "Joker's Favor" in September 1992, but her full name (Harleen Quinzel) was not revealed until the February 1994 one-shot comic "The Batman Adventures: Mad Love"... [more]

Rabinovich Yiddish, Russian
Means "son of the rabbi" (through the name Rabin), referring to a scholar or teacher of the Torah in Judaism.

Rajneesh Indian, Hindi
From the given name Rajnish. Can also be taken directly from the title रजनीश (rajanish) meaning "lord of the night".

Rajput Indian, Marathi, Hindi, Assamese, Punjabi, Pakistani, Urdu
From Sanskrit राजपुत्र (rajaputra) meaning "prince" (literally "son of the king"), derived from राज (raja) meaning "king" combined with पुत्र (putra) meaning "child, son".

Ramaphosa Southern African, Venda
Means "the one who is born in the evening" in Venda. This name is borne by the South African president Cyril Ramaphosa (1952-).

Rangkuti Batak
From a rapid pronunciation of the nickname Orang Yang Ditakuti meaning "The Feared One".

Rascon Spanish
Possibly a nickname for Rascón, meaning “sharp”, “sour”, or “rail (the bird)”

Ratnikov m Russian
Means "son of the warrior", from Russian ратник (ratnik).

Ratzinger German
Ratzinger means that someone has origins in the town of Ratzing. There are several German towns with this name. RATZ means ‘Serb’. Serbs were indigenous people in Germany, and many German cities originally had Serbian names (Berlin, Dresden, Leipzig, Brandenburg)... [more]

Renfrew Scottish
Anglicized form of the Gaelic Rinn Friù, meaning "cradle of the Royal Stewards." It is derived from either the historical county of Renfrewshire in the west central lowlands of Scotland, or the town of Renfrew within both the historical and present-day boundaries of the county.

Rideout English
Means "outrider (a municipal or monastic official in the Middle Ages whose job was to ride around the country collecting dues and supervising manors)".

Rockett French
From the French "la roche," or "of the rock." Some family histories trace this back to French Hugenots (sp) who immigrated to England in the 1500's from the Normandy region of France.

Rodd English
Locational name for someone "at the rod" of land, from Middle English rodde. Also could come from the given name Rod, or the parish of Rodd in Herefordshire, England.

Rodman English
The surname Rodman is an ancient English surname, derived from a trade name, "men who were by the tenure or customs of their lands to ride with or for the lord of the manor about his business". The most famous bearer of this name is the basketball player Dennis Rodman.

Rodwell English
Rodwell, a name of Anglo-Saxon origin, is a locational surname deriving from any one of various places in Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, and Kent, England. In English, the meaning of the name Rodwell is "Lives by the spring near the road".

Roffey English
There are two small villages named "Roffey". One in England, near Horsham, and one in France, Burgundy. The name is of Norman orgin. First mentioned in (surviving English documents) in 1307 when a George Roffey buys a house... [more]

Rogaczewski Medieval Polish
Meaning (Polish): "son of he with antlers" Meaning (Serbian): "son of the Devil"

Roith Old Irish
Roith, Ruith = "Wheel" / Mug Ruith/Mogh Roith = "Servant of the wheel"... [more]

Roka Japanese
Japanese name meaning "White crest of the wave".

Rosemary English
From the plant, meaning "dew of the sea".

Rotterdam Dutch
Denoting someone from a place named Rotterdam "place of the muddy water".

Rubalcava Spanish
Habitational name for someone originally from the town of Rubalcaba in Cantabria, Spain. The name itself is derived from Arabic الربع الخالي (ar-rubʿ al-ḵālī) meaning "the Empty Quarter", referring to the Rub' al Khali desert in the Arabian Peninsula.

Rumford English
From the parish of Romford in Essex, England. The name means "the wide ford" from Old English rúm "wide".

Rushdie Kashmiri (Rare)
Derived from Arabic رَشَدَ (rašada) meaning "to go the right way, to follow the right course" or "to be well guided" (related to the given names Rashad and Rashid)... [more]

Rutter English
Either (i) "player of the rote (a medieval stringed instrument played by plucking)"; or (ii) from a medieval nickname for a dishonest or untrustworthy person (from Old French routier "robber, mugger")... [more]

Rybakov Russian
Means "son of the fisher" from Russian рыбак (rybak) meaning "fisherman".

Saengchan Thai
Means "moonlight" from Thai แสง (saeng) meaning "light, ray, beam" and จันทร์ (chan) meaning "moon".

Sagorsky Polish, Russian
It means literally "of the city/town Sagorsk". Sagorsk is a city near the Russian capital of Moskva. The ending of "sky" means "of". The "Sagor" part of the surname sounds to me like "za gor" which is "za gorod"... [more]

Saharaoui Arabic (Maghrebi)
From Arabic صحراوي (Ṣaḥrāwī) meaning "inhabitant of the desert" (from صحراء (Ṣaḥrā') "desert"), referring to the indigenous Sahrawi people of Western Sahara (see Sahraoui)... [more]

Sahraoui Arabic (Maghrebi)
Means "of the desert" or "of the Sahara" from Arabic صَحْرَاء (ṣaḥrāʾ) meaning "desert".

Sakoda m Japanese
Derived from the Japanese kanji 迫 (sako) meaning "a small valley on the mountain side" and 田 (da) meaning "paddy, field".... [more]

Saładajczyk Polish
A Polish surname consisting of 3 elements: sała or сала a word of East Slavic origin meaning "salo" or "slanina", daj meaning "give" and czyk meaning "son of". The name means "the son of the one who gives the salo".

Saladino Italian, Sicilian
Either from the personal name Saladino from Arabic (see Saladin ) or a nickname from this name denoting a bully or tyrant... [more]

Sandaruwan Sinhalese
Derived from Sinhala සඳ (sanda) meaning "moon" and රුවන (ruvana) meaning "gem".

Sankey English, Irish
Habitational name from a place in Lancashire, which derived from the name of an ancient British river, perhaps meaning "sacred, holy." ... [more]

Santander Spanish
From the toponymy, it is discussed whether Santander is a derivation of San Emeterio or San Andrés. Due to the proximity of the Basque country (Ander = Andrés) and the tenor of some ancient texts, it can be concluded that it refers to San Andrés... [more]

Saotome Japanese
From Japanese 早乙女 (saotome) meaning "Saotome", a former village in the former district of Shioya in the former Japanese province of Shimotsuke in present-day Tochigi, Japan. The name of the location itself is derived from Japanese 早乙女 (saotome) meaning "a woman who plants rice in the fields"... [more]

Sarafyan Armenian
Means "son of the banker" from Arabic صَرَّاف (ṣarrāf) meaning "banker, moneychanger, cashier".

Sardone Italian
Augmentative of Sarda or Sardo "the big Sardinian". in the central and southern Adriatic region from sardone "anchovy".

Sasako Japanese
Sasa means "bamboo grass" and no means "child, first sign of the Chinese zodiac: the rat".

Sasportas Judeo-Spanish
Possibly derived from Spanish seis puertas meaning "six doors" or Catalan las portes meaning "the doors".

Sastrowardoyo Javanese
Means "writings of the heart" from Sanskrit शास्त्र (shastra) meaning "scripture, writings" and हृदय (hrdaya) meaning "heart". This is the name of a Javanese family of nobility.

Saxena Indian, Hindi
Traditionally believed to be derived from Sanskrit सखिसेना (sakhisena) meaning "friend of the army", from सखा (sakha) meaning "friend, companion" and सेना (sena) meaning "army"... [more]

Scanagatta Italian
Probably means "cat killer", from Italian scannare "to slaughter, to cut the throat of" and gatto "cat", with the figurative meaning of "cheat, scoundrel". (Compare Pelagatti)... [more]

Scanavacca Italian
Possibly an occupational name for a butcher, from scannare "to slaughter, to cut the throat of" and vacca "cow".

Scannabissi Italian
Possibly from scannare "to slaughter, to cut the throat of" and biscio "snake". Alternately, the first element may be from an archaic form of zanna, "tooth (of an animal)".

Scannapieco Italian
Occupational name for a butcher, from scannare "to slaughter, to cut the throat of" and piecuro "sheep, lamb".

Schorgl German (Austrian)
Austrian meaning, “Lover of the land”, used by farmers.

Schroot Dutch
Possibly an altered form of des Groot via Sgroot, meaning "son of the Groot", itself a byname meaning "great, large". Alternatively, it could be related to schroot "scrap (metal)" or the older scrode "to cut", an occupational name for someone who worked with metal, or perhaps a tailor.

Scotford English
Derived from Scotforth, the name of a village near Lancaster (in Lancashire) in England. The village's name means "ford of the Scot(s)" and is derived from Old English Scott "Scot" combined with Old English ford "ford".

Scotland English
(i) "person from Scotland"; (ii) "person from Scotland or Scotlandwell", Perth and Kinross; (iii) from the Norman personal name Escotland, literally "territory of the Scots"

Scudamore Anglo-Norman
A locational surname that was first recorded in England in 1264. Derived from one of the ancient villages of Fifield Scudamore or Upton Scudamore, with Scudamore coming from the Old English scitemor, which means "one who lived at the moor."

Seaforth English
The name of a projection of the sea on the east coast of Lewis, on the Long Island, Scotland. Means "the forth of the sea".

Seatter Scottish
From an ancient barony called "The lands of Setter", Stromness, Orkney. Derives from the Ancient Norse word "saetr" meaning a hut or shelter for animals.

Seaward English
Means “dweller by the sea”.

Seehuus Norwegian
Norwegian for "house by the sea."

Sekewael Indonesian
The last name Sekewael is an original name from one of the island in Maluku. That one island name is "Negeri Oma." The meaning of Sekewael is "The Guardian of the River" because in "Negeri Oma" any body want to use the river of the water they have to ask for permission by Sekewael family... [more]

Sengchanh Lao
Means "moonlight" from Lao ແສງ (seng) meaning "light" and ຈັນ (chanh) meaning "moon".

Sethna Indian (Parsi)
Gujarati Parsi name meaning "pertaining to the banker", derived from Hindi सेठ (seṭh) meaning "merchant, banker" (see Seth).

Seton Scottish
It has been claimed in the past that the name Seton is Norman in origin, however evidence points to it being Flemish. Various suggestions have been put forward regarding the derivation of the name but nothing proved conclusively; it probably means "town by the sea" and possibly derives from the "sea town" of Staithes in modern day North Yorkshire... [more]

Shadwell English
English surname meaning "By the shed spring"

Shallcross English
Means "person from Shallcross", Derbyshire ("place by the Shacklecross", an ancient stone cross in the High Peak, its name perhaps denoting a cross to which people could be shackled as a penance).

Sharqawi Arabic (Egyptian)
Means "easterner, one from the east", derived from Arabic شرق (sharq) meaning "east, Orient".

Sherrell English
This surname is of English locational origin, from the place in Devonshire called Shirwell. The placename is first recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Sirewelle, and by 1242 as Shirewill... [more]

Shevardnadze Georgian
Means "son of the falcon", from Georgian შავარდენი (shavardeni) meaning "falcon, hawk". A famous bearer was Georgian president Eduard Shevardnadze (1928-2014).

Shivaza Dungan
Derived from Chinese 十娃子 (shí wázǐ) manning "the tenth child". A notable bearer was Iasyr Shivaza (1906-1988), a Soviet Dungan poet.

Shlyapnikov m Russian
Means "son of the hatmaker", from Russian шляпник (shlyapnik), meaning "hatmaker, hatter".

Shockley English
(i) perhaps "person from Shocklach", Cheshire ("boggy stream infested with evil spirits"); (ii) perhaps an anglicization of Swiss German Schoechli, literally "person who lives by the little barn"

Shore English
From the Old English word scora meaning "the land along the edge of an ocean, sea, lake, or river; a coast."

Sidiqi Pashto, Persian, Afghan
Means "the veracious" from Arabic صَدَقَ (ṣadaqa) meaning "to be truthful, to be sincere". It is also a variant of Persian Sadeghi.

Simbeck German
Originates from the German prefix sim meaning "of the head" and the German word becka meaning "bull". When combined in this order, the meaning was "bull-headed", meaning stubborn and obstinant.

Sinnamon English
Scottish surname which is a corruption of the place name Kinnimonth, meaning "head of the hill".

Skipworth English
From the name of Skipwith in the East Riding of Yorkshire. The place name was recorded as Schipewic in the Domesday Book of 1086; as Scipewiz in the 1166 Pipe Rolls of the county; and as Skipwith in the 1291 Pipe Rolls, and derives from the Old English sceap, scip "sheep", and wic "outlying settlement"; hence, "settlement outside the village where sheep were kept".

Slaats Dutch
Possibly a contracted form of Dutch des laats meaning "the serf", from Middle Dutch laets "serf, bondsman, freedman".

Smeaton English
From Old English Smiðatun meaning "settlement of the smiths".

Smithwick English
habitational name from Smethwick in Staffordshire Smethwick Green near Brereton Heath (Cheshire) or a lost place called Smithwick in Southover (Sussex). The place name means "the farm of the smiths" from Old English smiþ "smith" and wic "dwelling specialized farm"... [more]

Smulders Dutch
Occupational name derived from Dutch des mulders meaning "son of the miller". A famous bearer is Canadian-American actress Cobie Smulders (1982-).

Snelson English
Means "son of Snell", Snell being a nickname for a brisk or active person, from Middle English snell "quick, lively" (cf... [more]

Soames English
Denoted a person hailing from a village called Soham in Cambridgeshire, England. The place name itself means "homestead by the lake" from Old English sæ "lake" and ham "farm, homestead"... [more]

Solano Spanish, Aragonese
From various Spanish place names, which are derived from Spanish solano meaning "place exposed to the sun" (from Late Latin solanus "pertaining to the sun", a derivative of sol "sun")... [more]

Solari Italian
Habitational name from any of various places called "Solaro" or "Solara", from solaro 'site', 'plot', 'meadow', literally "land exposed to the sun".

Soldatenko Ukrainian, Russian, Belarusian
Means "son of the soldier". It is a Ukrainian last name, but it is more common in Russia and Belarus.

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 Indian, Bengali
Derived from Sanskrit सोम (soma) meaning "moon".

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

Somerset English
Regional name from the county of this name, so called from Old English sumer(tun)saete meaning "dwellers at the summer settlement".

Sorenson Jewish
Means "son of the son of Sore", a Yiddish female personal name (from Hebrew Sara, literally "princess"), with the addition of the Slavic possessive suffix -in and German Sohn "son".

Sota Japanese
From Japanese 颯 (sō) meaning "sudden, sound of the wind" and 太 (ta) meaning "thick, big, great". This name can also be formed of other kanji combinations. There is a character in Danganronpa used as a surname, but it's not actually used as a surname and it's originated from a boy's name from Japanese.

Souta Japanese
From Japanese 颯 (sō) meaning "sudden, sound of the wind" and 太 (ta) meaning "thick, big, great". This name can also be formed of other kanji combinations. Also used as a given name.

Southam English
habitational name primarily from Southam (Warwickshire) and occasionally from Southam (Gloucestershire) from Old English suþ "south southern" and ham "village homestead" meaning "the southern farmstead".

Southwell English
English surname meaning "From the south well"

Spatafora Italian
This surname originates from the Italian island of Sicily, where it was first borne by a noble family of Byzantine origin, which had settled on the island in the 11th century AD. Their surname was derived from the Greek noun σπάθη (spathe) "blade, sword" (akin to Latin spatha "broad sword with a double edge") combined with Greek φορεω (phoreo) "to carry, to bear", which gives the surname the meaning of "he who carries the sword" or "sword-bearer"... [more]

Spiegelman German (Germanized, Rare, Archaic), Jewish (Germanized, Rare, Archaic)
The name Spiegelman is a name with both German and Jewish origins. In German the word "Spiegel" translates to "mirror". Also "Mann" translates to "man". So one could interpret the name to mean "mirror man" or less often "man of the mirror"... [more]

Spier English
An English surname, meaning "the one who watches".

Sprout English
This name is derived from the name of an ancestor, meaning "the son of Sprot".... [more]

Sriram Sanskrit
Meaning "The God 'Ram'" in Sanskrit.

Stalinov Russian
Means "son of the man of steel" in Russian.

Stansfield English (British)
Habitational name from a place in West Yorkshire, probably named with the genitive case of the Old English personal name Stan 1 "stone" and Old English feld "pasture, open country"... [more]

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]

Stent English (Archaic)
Derived from the Old Norse name Steinn meaning "stone". Recorded in several forms including Stein, Steen, Stone and Ston, this surname is english. It is perhaps not surprisingly one of the first recorded surnames anywhere in the world.... [more]

Stockwell English
An English boy's name meaning "From the tree stump spring"

Stoops English
May descend from Stoop or Stobe.... [more]

Stradlater Literature
The surname of Ward Stradlater, a character in J. D. Salinger's novel "The Catcher in the Rye".

Strasburg German
It is derived from the Old Germanic phrase "an der Strasse," which literally means "on the street." Thus, the original bearer of this name was most likely someone whose residence was located on a street.

Strayer German
Americanized form of German Ströher: habitational name for "someone from any of the places called Ströh in Westphalia and Lower Saxony".

Strel'nikov m Russian
Means "son of the shooter", from Russian стрельник (strel'nik).

Sugizaki Japanese
Sugizaki (杉崎) can be translated out to (杉 = cedar; cryptomeria & 崎 = promontory; cape; spit) can be fully read as "Promontory of the cedar" it simply as "Cedar Promontory"

Summerhays English
Probably means "person living by a summer enclosure (where animals were grazed on upland pastures in the summer)" (from Middle English sumer "summer" + hay "enclosure").

Summerset English
Regional surname for someone from Somerset, an area in England. The name is derived from Old English sumer(tun)saete meaning "dwellers at the summer settlement".

Sunga Filipino, Pampangan
Possibly means "the first breath of a newborn".

Surridge English
Meant "person from the south" (from Old French surreis "southerner").

Susan English, Dutch, Jewish (Sephardic)
As an English (London) and Dutch surname, it comes from the feminine personal name Susanna, from Hebrew שושן (shushan) meaning "lily, lily of the valley".... [more]

Sussex English
Derived from an English county name meaning "region of the Saxons from the south" in Old English.

Swain Scottish, Irish, English
Northern English occupational name for a servant or attendant, from Middle English swein "young man attendant upon a knight", which was derived from Old Norse sveinn "boy, servant, attendant"... [more]

Swinkels Dutch
Contracted form of Dutch des winkels meaning "from the corner". Compare Winkler.

Taagepera Estonian
Taagepera is an Estonian surname possibly derived from "taga" ("behind", "at the back") and "pere" ("family", "folk").

Tabak Dutch
Occupational name for a butcher or hog breeder, from Middle Dutch tucbake composed of tucken "to pull, push, strike" and bake "hog, pig; meat from the back of a pig".

Taglialatela Italian
Taglialatela means "the person who cuts the cloth" and is typical in the Naples and Caserta areas of Italy.

Takatsuki Japanese
From Japanese 高 (taka) meaning "tall, expensive" combined with 月 (tsuki) meaning "moon, month" or 槻 (tsuki) meaning "Zelkova tree".

Takehara Japanese (Rare)
Take means "Bamboo" while Hara means "Plain". This surname means " Plain of the Bamboo". Takehara is also a city in Hiroshima and a railway station.

Tănăsescu Romanian
Patronymic surname meaning "the son of Tănăs".

Tänavsuu Estonian
Tänavsuu is an Estonian surname literally meaning "street mouth" ("street entry", or "the beginning of the street"); derived from the compound words "tänav" ("street") and "suu" ("mouth").

Tapachula Nahuatl, Aztec
Means "between the waters" in Nahuatl.

Tatsumi Japanese
This surname is used as the combinations shown above + others that aren't on this entry.... [more]

Tatsuno Japanese
From Japanese 辰 (tatsu) meaning "dragon of the Chinese zodiac" and 野 (no) meaning "field, wilderness".

Tazelaar Dutch
Dutch (Zeeland) variant of ’t Hazelaar "the hazel bush", a topographic name for someone living by hazel bushes.

Teare Manx
Manx form of McIntyre, from Manx "mac y teyr" and Irish "mac an tSaoir" meaning "son of the craftsman"

Tellechea Basque
Castilianized spelling of Telletxea, a habitational name meaning "(from) the house with tiles", composed of teila "roof tile" and etxe "house, home, building".

Ten Boom Dutch
Means "at the tree" in Dutch. A notable bearer of this surname was Corrie ten Boom (1892-1983), a German woman who helped Jewish people take refuge into her home during the Second World War.

Teneyck Dutch (Americanized)
From Dutch ten eik meaning "at the oak tree", a topographic name for someone who lived by a prominent oak tree. This has been a prominent family name in Albany, NY, area since the 1630s.

Te Poki Maori
The word Te means "the." The word Poki possibly means "to clear the garden." This was the name of a Ngati Mutunga tidewaiter and constable on what is now the Chatham Islands named Toenga Te Poki.

Ter Haar Dutch
Habitational name meaning "at the sandy ridge".

Ter Stegen Dutch (Rare), German (Rare)
Means "in the alley", from Middle Dutch stege "alleyway, lane, narrow path".

Terwogt Dutch
Probably derived from Dutch ter "in the, of" and an uncertain second element.

Theroux French (Quebec)
Southern French (Théroux): of uncertain origin; perhaps a topographic name for someone living by "the wells", from a plural variant of Occitan théron "well".

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

Thorbecke Dutch
Possibly an altered form of ter Beek "in the stream" (compare Van der Beek).

Thorbecke German
Possibly from an unknown place name meaning either "at the brook" or "Thor's stream" in German. A noteworthy bearer was the Dutch liberal statesman and prime minister Johan Rudolph Thorbecke (1798-1872), whose family was of German origin; he is best known for almost single-handedly drafting the revision of the Constitution of the Netherlands, which turned the country from an absolute monarchy into a constitutional monarchy, during the Revolutions of 1848.

Thornburg English
The name Thornburg comes from the Old English thorn broc, because the original bearers lived near a "stream by the thorns" in Buckinghamshire and North Yorkshire.

Thornley English
Derived from Thornley, which is the name of three villages in England (two are located in the county of Durham, the third in Lancashire). All three villages derive their name from Old English þorn "thorn" and Old English leah "clearing (in a wood), glade", which gives their name the meaning of "the thorny glade"... [more]

Threston Medieval English (Rare)
The surname of Threston is English in origin, and, means "to twist"** and, can be traced as far back as the 11th century where the name is found in the "Domesday Book." The name Threston is a variation of the name of the town of Threxton, Norfolk, UK, and, there are several variations of the name Threxton including:... [more]

Thulis Irish
The meaning of the name is unclear, but it seems to derive from the pre 13th century Gaelic O' Tuathalain suggesting that it was probably religious and may translate as "The male descendant of the follower of the lord".

Tiensuu Finnish
Means "The road's mouth". Tien means "the road" and Suu means "mouth" in Finnish.

Tisgaonkar Marathi
It is derived from the words “tis” meaning “three” and “gaonkar” meaning “landlord or village headman.” The surname’s meaning is “the headman of three villages.”

Tolan Irish
Recorded as O'Tolan, O'Twolan, Toland, Toolan, Toolin, apparently Thulis, possibly on some occasions O'Toole, and probably others, this is an ancient Irish surname of very confusing origins... [more]

Toland Irish
The meaning of the name is unclear, but it seems to derive from the pre 13th century Gaelic O'Tuathalain suggesting that it was probably religious and may translate as "The male descendant of the follower of the lord".

Tõll Estonian
Tõll is an Estonian surname derived from the mythological Estonian hero giant Suur Tõll ("Big Tõll" or "Tõll the Great") who lived on the island of Saaremaa.

Took Literature
In J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings", the surname of Peregrin "Pippin" Took, a cousin of Meriadoc Brandybuck and second cousin of Frodo Baggins... [more]

Toolan Irish
The meaning of the name is unclear, but it seems to derive from the pre 13th century Gaelic O'Tuathalain suggesting that it was probably religious and may translate as "The male descendant of the follower of the lord".

Toolin Irish
The meaning of the name is unclear, but it seems to derive from the pre 13th century Gaelic O'Tuathalain suggesting that it was probably religious and may translate as "The male descendant of the follower of the lord".

Tootmorsel Popular Culture
The surname used by the character Harry "Ocho" Tootmorsel in the animated series "The Amazing World of Gumball".... [more]

Topp English
From an English nickname, possibly derived from Old English topp "hair on the head", for someone with distinctive hair.

Toussaint French
Derived from the given name Toussaint, which in turn is derived from Toussaint, the French name for the Christian feast day All Saints' Day (celebrated on November 1st every year)... [more]

Trail Scottish
This surname is most likely a habitational name, taken on from a place name; perhaps from the Gaelic "Traill Creek" which runs into Upper Loch Torridon of Scotland.... [more]

Trapanese Italian
Habitational name meaning "Trapanese", "from the city of Trapani or "from the province of Trapani". Variant of Trapani.

Traylor French
Assumed to mean "by the trail". May have originally been "Trouillart". Variations may include: Trail Traill Treil Trelly Teign Pentrail

Tregurtha Cornish
A rare Cornish surname that derives its name from either the manor of Tregurtha in the parish of St. Hilary (located in west Cornwall) or from the hamlet of Tregurtha Barton in the parish of St. Wenn (located in central Cornwall)... [more]

Trentadue Italian
Trentadue, Joseph, Trentadue Irene, Trentadue Leo, Trentadue Evelyn, Trentadue Victor, Trentadue Cindy, Trentadue Steven, Trentadue Tyler, Trentadue Winery... [more]

Trinket English, Popular Culture
Effie Trinket's surname: one of "The Hunger Games"'s trilogy character.

Trivedi Indian, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati
Means "one who knows the three Vedas", derived from Sanskrit त्रि (tri) meaning "three" and वेद (veda) meaning "Veda".

Tshuva Hebrew
Means "answer" or "returning" in Hebrew. The term חוזר בתשובה which means "returning to the faith", reffers to a person who becomes more religious person in Judaism.

Tsosie Navajo
From the Navajo suffix -tsʼósí meaning "slender, slim", originally a short form of a longer name such as kiitsʼósí "slender boy", hashkétsʼósí "slender warrior", cháalatsʼósí "slim Charlie", dághaatsʼósí "the one with a slender mustache", dinétsʼósí "slender man", or hastiintsʼósí "slender man".

Tsuburako Japanese (Rare)
From 円 (tsubura) meaning "round, circle" and 子 (ko) meaning "child, sign of the rat".

Tsujibayashi Japanese
The kanji 辻 (tsuji) means "crossroad" or "intersection," and 林 (bayashi) means "woods" or "grove." Together, they could be translated into a sentence like:... [more]

Tsukigata Japanese
月 (Tsuki) means "month, moon" and 形 (gata) means "shape, form, type".

Tsukii Japanese
Tsuki means "moon, month" and i means "well, mineshaft."

Tsukimi Japanese
From 月 (tsuki) meaning "moon, month" and 見 (mi) meaning "outlook, view, mindset". ... [more]

Tsukimoto Japanese
月 (Tsuki) means "moon, month" and 本 (moto) meets "origin, root, source".

Tsukinomiya Japanese
Tsuki means "moon, month", no is a possesive article, and miya means "shrine".

Tsukioka Japanese
From Japanese 月 (tsuki) meaning "moon" and 岡 (oka) meaning "hill, ridge". A notable bearer of this surname was Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (月岡 芳年, 1839–1892), a Japanese artist who is widely recognized as the last great master of the ukiyo-e genre of woodblock printing and painting.

Tsukishiro Japanese
Tsuki means "month, moon" and shiro means "castle".

Tsumiki Japanese
Tsu could mean "harbor, seaport", mi could mean "sign of the snake, ego, I, myself" and ki means "tree, wood".

Tsunetsuki Popular Culture
In the case of the character Matoi Tsunetsuki (常月 まとい) from 'Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei', the surname is made up of 常 (jou, tsune, toko) meaning "constant" and 月 (getsu, gatsu, tsuki) meaning "moon, month."... [more]

Tuleshova Russian, Ukrainian
Was the surname of “The Voice Kids Ukraine”, Daneliya Tuleshova.

Tully Irish
Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Maol Tuile "descendant of the devotee of the will of God" (from toil "will of God").

Tumgoev Ingush (Russified)
Russified form of an Ingush surname, which is from the name of an Ingush teip (clan). The clan's name itself is derived from Tumag (ТIумагI), the name of a village in Ingushetia, possibly meaning "to see with the heart" in Ingush.

Turan Turkish
Refers to Turan, an historical region in Central Asia inhabited by the nomadic Iranian Turanian people. The name itself means "land of the Tur" and is derived from the name of a Persian mythological figure, Tur (تور).

Tutera Italian
Means “Of the Earth”

Tuttoilmondo Italian
Possibly derived from the French given name Toulemonde, which is either itself derived from the Germanic names Thurmond or Tedmond, or from the phrase tout le monde, literally "all the world", or "everybody"... [more]

Tuveri Italian
Possibly from Sardinian Campidanese tuvera, meaning "pipe of the bellows", indicating someone who worked at a forge.

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

Tysoe English
Denoted the bearer was from the parish of Tysoe, Warwickshire, England. The name of the parish is derived from Old English Tīges hōh, meaning "spur of land belonging to the god Tiw." (Tiw was the Old English name for the Roman deity Mars, and also inspired the name of Tuesday.)

Uddin Bengali, Urdu, Tausug
From Arabic الدين (ad-dīn) meaning "the religion", commonly used as a suffix for given names.

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

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

Ülesoo Estonian
Ülesoo is an Estonian surname meaning "above (beyond) the swamp".

Ülker Turkish
Means "the Pleiades" in Turkish.

Ulmer German
German surname meaning "from the city of Ulm".

Umburter Tiv
Means, "Remember the father". Father also used in the context of God.

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".

Underbrook English
Meaning "under the brook".

Upchurch English
habitational name from a place called as "the high church" or possibly the higher of two churches from Middle English up "up high higher" and chirche "church" (Old English upp and cirice)... [more]

Uppadathil Malayalam
From Old Malayalam uppadam (sea), lit. "from over the Arabian sea," referring to the descendants of a group of Arab traders who settled in Kerala. Predominantly Muslim, although sizeable sections have branched away and practice Hinduism... [more]

Ushi Japanese
Ushi means "cow, bull, ox, secind sign of the Chinese zodiac".

Ushisawa Japanese
From 牛 (ushi) meaning "cow, bull, ox, 2nd sign of the Chinese zodiac" and 澤 or 沢 (sawa) meaning "marsh, swamp".

Ushishima Japanese
Ushi means "cow, bull, ox, second sign of the Chinese zodiac" and shima means "island".

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]

Uytdehaage Dutch
Means "from The Hague", a city in the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. It could also mean "from the hedge". Both etymologies are derived from Dutch uit meaning "out, of, from" and Middle Dutch hage meaning "hedge, bush"... [more]

Väisänen Finnish
Topographic name from väisä meaning either meaning "road" or "sign placed on the ice" + the common surname suffix -nen.

Vali Spanish, Italian (Swiss), Arabic
This Spanish and Italian surname of VALI was a locational name for someone OR A family who lived in a valley. In valle quiescit ( In the valley of our home, we find peace.)... [more]

Väljaots Estonian
Väljaots is an Estonian surname meaning "out/afield (of the) cusp/tip".

Väljas Estonian
Väljas is an Estonian surname meaning "afield" or "out in the open".

Väljataga Estonian
Väljataga is an Estonian surname meaning "outside behind/at the back of".

Vallance English
Means "person from Valence", southeastern France (probably "place of the brave").

Valmont English, French
Means "Hill of the vale"

Valmorida Filipino, Cebuano
Means "valley of the forest field" derived from Spanish val, a contraction of valle meaning "valley", combined with Japanese 森 (mori) meaning "forest, woods" and 田 (ta) "paddy, field" (see Morita).

van Beethoven Flemish
Means "from the beet fields", a variant of Beethoven. A famous bearer of this name was German Clasical composer Ludwig Van Beethoven (1770-1827).

Van Bijsterveldt Dutch
Means "from the waste land", derived from Middle Dutch bijstervelt meaning "waste land, chaffing and infertile land". Dutch politician Marja van Bijsterveldt (1961-) bears this name.

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

Van Brocklin Dutch (Americanized)
Americanized form of Van Breukelen. A notable bearer of this surname was the American football player, coach and executive Norman Mack Van Brocklin (1926-1983), also known as "The Dutchman".

Vancouver Dutch (Anglicized)
Variant of Van Coevorden, meaning "from the cow ford".

Van De Kerkhof Dutch
Means "from the churchyard", derived from Middle Dutch kerke meaning "church" and hof meaning "court, garden, yard". Famous bearers of this surname include twin brothers René and Willy Van De Kerkhof (1951-), both retired Dutch soccer players.

Van den Bogaard Dutch
Means "from the orchard", derived from Dutch boomgaard literally meaning "orchard".

Van den Bos Dutch
Means "from the forest" in Dutch, a variant form of Van Den Bosch.

Van Den Bosch Dutch
Means "from De Bosch" or "from the woods", derived from Middle Dutch bosch "forest, wood".

Van Den Oever Dutch
Means "from the riverbank" in Dutch, derived from oever "bank, riverbank, shore". Den Oever is also the name of a village in North Holland.

Van Den Vondel Dutch
Means "from the small wooden bridge", derived from a dialectal variant of Dutch vonder meaning either "narrow bridge" or "plank bridge". This name was borne by the Dutch playwright, poet, literary translator and writer Joost van den Vondel (1587-1679).

Vandeputte Flemish
Means "from the pit, of the well", from Middle Dutch putte "pit, well".

Van Der Dutch
Possibly a clipping of a longer surname beginning with van der meaning "of the, from the". Alternatively, could be a variant spelling of van Deur.

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 Boom Dutch
Means "from the tree", derived from Dutch boom "tree". Compare Verboom.

Van Der Bruggen Dutch
Means "from the bridges" in Dutch.

Van Der Burg Dutch
A toponymic surname meaning "from the fortress, stronghold" in Dutch.

Van Der Eijk Dutch
Means "from the oak", derived from Middle Dutch eike "oak (tree)".

Van Der Geer Dutch
Means "from the headland", derived from Dutch geer "pointed piece of land, headland; spear".