Submitted Surnames on the List of Olympic Medalists
This is a list of submitted surnames in which the name appears on the list of Olympic Medalists.
Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
HatchEnglish English (mainly Hampshire and Berkshire): topographic name from Middle English hacche ‘gate’, Old English hæcc (see Hatcher). In some cases the surname is habitational, from one of the many places named with this word... [more]
HealyIrish Southern Irish: reduced form of O’Healy, an Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó hÉilidhe ‘descendant of the claimant’, from éilidhe ‘claimant’, or of Gaelic Ó hÉalaighthe ‘descendant of Éaladhach’, a personal name probably from ealadhach ‘ingenious’.
HebelGerman 1 German: metonymic occupational name for a baker, from Middle High German hebel ‘yeast’.... [more]
HechtGerman Means "pike (fish)" in German, generally a nickname for a rapacious and greedy person. In some instances it may have been a metonymic occupational name for a fisher, and in others it may be a habitational name from a house distinguished by a sign depicting this fish.
HeemskerkDutch From the name of a small town in the province of North Holland in the Netherlands, possibly derived from the personal name Hemezen (itself possibly a diminutive form of the element heim) combined with kirke "church".
HeidenreichGerman From the medieval personal name Heidenrich, ostensibly composed of the elements heiden 'heathen', 'infidel' (see Heiden 2) + ric 'power', 'rule', but probably in fact a variant by folk etymology of Heidrich.
HelleNorwegian From any of several toponyms derived from Old Norse hallr "rock, boulder, stone slab".
HelleGerman Topographic name probably derived from Old High German helle "hell", denoting a place with a steep hollow or a wild area.
HelleFinnish Means "hot weather, swelter" in Finnish, mostly adopted in the 20th century to replace Swedish names beginning with Hell- or Häll-.
HellmannGerman Habitational name from Middle Low German helle meaning precipitous terrain, steep slope" and mann meaning "man".
HelmEnglish, Dutch, German from Old English helm "protection covering" (in later northern English dialects "cattle shelter barn"). The name may be topographic for someone who lived by or worked at a barn or habitational from a place so named such as Helme in Meltham (Yorkshire)... [more]
HemingwayEnglish Probably from the name of an unidentified minor place near the village of Southowram in West Yorkshire, England, derived from the Old English given name Hemma combined with weg meaning "way, road, path"... [more]
HemmingsEnglish Derived from the given name Hemming. It is the last name of the band member of Five Seconds of Summer (5sos), Luke Hemmings.
HenleyEnglish, Irish, German (Anglicized) English: habitational name from any of the various places so called. Most, for example those in Oxfordshire, Suffolk, and Warwickshire, are named with Old English héan (the weak dative case of heah ‘high’, originally used after a preposition and article) + Old English leah ‘wood’, ‘clearing’... [more]
HerbstGerman, Jewish Nickname from Middle High German herbest "harvest". The modern German word herbst has come to mean "fall" the time of year when the harvest takes place... [more]
HeroldEnglish, Dutch, German From the given name Herold. This was the surname of David Herold, one of the conspirators in the Abraham Lincoln assassination plot.
HineEnglish occupational name from Middle English Old English hine "servant member of a household" also "farm laborer" (such as a herdsman or shepherd)... [more]
HippGerman From the middle high German word hippe meaning "waffle". Perhaps an occupational name for someone who cooks waffles.
HiraokaJapanese From Japanese 平 (hira 2) meaning "level, even, peaceful" and 岡 (oka) meaning "hill, ridge".
HiroseJapanese From Japanese 広 or 廣 (hiro) meaning "broad, wide, spacious" and 瀬 (se) meaning "rapids, current".
HirschfeldGerman, Jewish, Yiddish Ornamental name composed of German hirsch or Yiddish hirsh meaning "deer" and feld meaning "field". It is also a topographic name for someone who lived in an area of land frequented by deer or where millets grew.
HochsteinGerman Topographic name for someone who lived by a high rock or a castle of that name from Middle High German hoh "high" and stein "rock stone castle".
HodgeEnglish Nickname from Middle English hodge "hog", which occurs as a dialect variant of hogge, for example in Cheshire place names.
HoggEnglish An occupational name for someone who herded swine.
HolcombEnglish Habitational name from any of various places, for example in Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Greater Manchester, Oxfordshire, and Somerset, so named from Old English hol meaning "hollow", "sunken", "deep" + cumb meaning "valley".
HollandRomani Holland is an English surname that was adopted by some Romani families that immigrated to England in the 1500s. It is unclear if the surname was simply adopted, or if it an anglicised form of a Romani surname.
HolmanDutch Topographic or habitational name from Dutch hol "hollow, hole" or Middle Dutch heule "arched bridge, weir". It can also derive from the given name Holle, a short form of names containing the element hold "loyal, faithful, gracious".
HolmanEnglish Uncertain etymology. Could be a topographic name derived from Old English holh "hollow, hole" or holm, which can mean either "holly" or "small island" (see Holme), combined with man "man, person"... [more]
HolthausGerman North German: topographic name for someone who lived by a copse (a small group of trees), from Middle Low German holt ‘small wood’ + haus ‘house’.
HolyfieldEnglish, Scottish Although the Scottish surname is known to derive from the Medieval Latin word "olifantus," meaning "elephant," its origins as a surname are quite uncertain. ... He was one of the many Anglo-Norman nobles that were invited northward by the early Norman kings of Scotland.
HörmannGerman The distinguished surname Hormann is of very ancient German origin. It is derived from a Germanic personal name made up of the elements "heri," meaning "army," and "man," meaning "man."
HornerEnglish 1 English, Scottish, German, and Dutch: from Horn 1 with the agent suffix -er; an occupational name for someone who made or sold small articles made of horn, a metonymic occupational name for someone who played a musical instrument made from the horn of an animal, or a topographic name for someone who lived at a ‘horn’ of land.... [more]
HorsleyEnglish Old English hors ‘horse’ + lēah ‘woodland clearing’... [more]
HoshiJapanese From Japanese 星 (hoshi) meaning "star".
HoughtonEnglish Habitational name derived from any of several locations across England, usually derived from Old English hoh "heel, hough, point of land" and tun "town, settlement, enclosure"... [more]
HowieScottish I believe it is from "The Land of How" in Ayrshire
HoyEnglish Metonymic occupational name for a sailor, from Middle Dutch hoey "cargo ship".
HøyerDanish A surname relatively common in Denmark, derived from the Old Norse word haugr, meaning "mound, cairn, hill". Alternatively, meaning can be traced back to the old Germanic personal name Hucger, a compound consisting of hug- "heart, mind, spirit" and geirr "spear".
HoytEnglish Generally a topographical name for someone who lived on a hill or other high ground. As such Hoyt is related to words such as heights or high. Hoyt is also possibly a nickname for a tall, thin person where the original meaning is said to be "long stick".
HübnerGerman status name for a prosperous small farmer from a variant of Huber.
HudecCzech, Slovak Occupational name for a fiddler, hudec, a derivative of housti meaning "to play the fiddle".
HuizingaWest Frisian, Dutch Habitational name from Huizinge, a town in Groningen, Netherlands, possibly derived from Old Frisian hūs "house" and dinge "newly cultivated lands"... [more]
HuntleyEnglish, Scottish Habitational name from a place in Gloucestershire, so named from Old English hunta 'hunter' (perhaps a byname (see Hunt) + leah 'wood', 'clearing'). Scottish: habitational name from a lost place called Huntlie in Berwickshire (Borders), with the same etymology as in 1.
HuoChinese From Chinese 霍 (huò) referring to the ancient state of Huo, which existed during the Zhou dynasty in what is now the city of Huozhou in Shanxi province.
HurleyEnglish, Irish Meaning is "from a corner clearing" in Old English. Also an anglicized form of an Irish name meaning "sea tide" or "sea valor".
HusseyEnglish, Irish As an English surname, it comes from two distinct sources. It is either of Norman origin, derived from Houssaye, the name of an area in Seine-Maritime which ultimately derives from Old French hous "holly"; or it is from a Middle English nickname given to a woman who was the mistress of a household, from an alteration of husewif "housewife"... [more]
HuttonEnglish, Scottish Scottish and northern English habitational name from any of the numerous places so called from Old English hoh ‘ridge’, ‘spur’ + tun ‘enclosure’, ‘settlement’.
IbarguenBasque From the name of a neighborhood in Biscay, Spain, derived from Basque ibar "valley, riverbank" and guren "limit, edge, bank".
IbbotsonEnglish Diminutive form ("son of" or little) of Hibbs, itself a patronymic, from a diminutive of Hibbert, which derives from a Norman personal name, "Hil(de)bert", composed of the Germanic elements "hild", battle, and "berht" famous.
IidaJapanese From Japanese 飯 (ii) meaning "cooked grains, cooked rice" and 田 (ta) meaning "field".
IizukaJapanese From Japanese 飯 (ii) meaning "cooked grains" and 塚 (tsuka) meaning "mound, hillock".
IlesEnglish (British), French English (mainly Somerset and Gloucestershire): topographic name from Anglo-Norman French isle ‘island’ (Latin insula) or a habitational name from a place in England or northern France named with this element.
IrbyEnglish The name of several places in England, derived from Old Norse Iri býr meaning "Irish settlement".
IrieJapanese From Japanese 入 (iri) meaning "entry, input" and 江 (e) meaning "river, inlet". 入江 (irie) means "cove, creek".
IronsEnglish English (of Norman origin): habitational name from Airaines in Somme, so named from Latin harenas (accusative case) ‘sands’. The form of the name has been altered as a result of folk etymology, an association of the name with the metal... [more]
JardinFrench, English Derived from Old French jardin meaning "enclosure, garden", hence a topographic name for someone who lived by a garden or a metonymic occupational name for someone who worked as a gardener.
JasińskimPolish From the name of various settlements called Jasień, Jasieniec, Jasionna or similar, derived from Slavic asenĭ meaning "ash tree".
JastremskimPolish Likely derives from the Slavic word for "hawk" or "falcon".
JaunzemeLatvian Feminine form of Jaunzems, a Latvian occupational surname meaning "new farmer", composed of jauns meaning "new" and zeme meaning "land" (compare zemlja).
JayEnglish, French Nickname from Middle English, Old French jay(e), gai "jay (the bird)", probably referring to an idle chatterer or a showy person, although the jay was also noted for its thieving habits.
JeffreyEnglish From a Norman personal name that appears in Middle English as Geffrey and in Old French as Je(u)froi. Some authorities regard this as no more than a palatalized form of Godfrey, but early forms such as Galfridus and Gaufridus point to a first element from Germanic gala "to sing" or gawi "region, territory"... [more]
JeterFrench (Huguenot), German Jeter is a French and German surname. It is the last name of former New York Yankees baseball player, Derek Jeter. It's also the last name of Carmelita Jeter, an American sprinter who specializes in the 100 meter sprint.
JiChinese From Chinese 纪 (jì) referring to the ancient state of Ji, which existed during the Zhou dynasty in what is now Shandong province.
JiChinese From Chinese 季 (jì) meaning "youngest brother".
JiaChinese From Chinese 甲 (jiǎ) meaning "one, first", also referring to an ancient fief or small state named Jia located in what is now either Henan or Hebei province.
JiaChinese From Chinese 贾 (jiǎ) referring to an ancient state and fief named Jia, both located in what is now Shanxi province.
JiangChinese From Chinese 蒋 (jiǎng) referring to the ancient state of Jiang, which existed during the Zhou dynasty in what is now Henan province.
JiaoChinese From Chinese 焦 (jiāo) referring to the ancient state of Jiao, which existed during the Zhou dynasty in what is now the provinces of Shaanxi and Henan.
JinJapanese From Japanese 神 (jin) meaning "deity; god". This may have been used by shrine masters, people who came from shrines, or people who were granted by the emperor of Japan.
JobEnglish, French, German, Hungarian English, French, German, and Hungarian from the personal name Iyov or Job, borne by a Biblical character, the central figure in the Book of Job, who was tormented by God and yet refused to forswear Him... [more]
JuhlDanish, Norwegian (Rare), Low German Likely originating as a nickname for people born around Christmas or who had a connection with that time of year, from the Old Norse jól, which was the name of the Nordic pagan midwinter festival, or modern Danish jul meaning "Christmas" (cf... [more]
JukesEnglish Either a variant of Duke, or patronymic from a short form of the Medieval Breton given name Iudicael (see Jewell).
JuniorMedieval English Junior or Jr. is used for a baby boy who has the same name as his father. The name is derived from the Middle English word junior, meaning the young or child.
KalashnikovmRussian Means "son of the kalach-maker", derived from Russian калашник (kalashnik), a variant of калачник (kalachnik) "maker of kalaches" - kalach being a type of bread - combined with the patronymic suffix -ов (-ov)... [more]
KämmererGerman from Middle High German kamerære "chamberlain" (from kamere "chamber") a status name for the treasurer of a court monastery a great household or a city and in Switzerland for the manager of a church property a so-called Widem... [more]
KangChinese, Korean From Chinese 康 (kāng), derived from Kangju (康居), the Chinese name for an ancient kingdom in Central Asia (now known as Sogdiana). It may also refer to the city of Samarkand in present-day Uzbekistan, which was called 康 in Chinese.
KanieJapanese From Japanese 蟹 (kani) meaning "crab" and 江 (e) meaning "bay, inlet".
KanoJapanese From Japanese 狩 (ka) meaning "hunt, gather" and 野 (no) meaning "field, rice paddy".
KanōJapanese From Japanese 加 (ka) meaning "add, increase" and 納 (nō) meaning "settlement, obtain, reap".
KaplanGerman, Czech, Jewish Means "chaplain, curate" in German and Czech, ultimately from Latin cappellanus. It is also sometimes used as a Jewish name, from a translation of Hebrew כֹּהֵן (kohen) meaning "priest" (see Cohen).
KaunEstonian Kaun is an Estonian surname meaning "pod" or "legume".
KawabataJapanese 'Side or bank of the river'; written two ways, with two different characters for kawa ‘river’. One family is descended from the northern Fujiwara through the Saionji family; the other from the Sasaki family... [more]
KawabataJapanese From Japanese 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream" and 畑 (hata) meaning "farm, cropfield".
KawabataJapanese From Japanese 川 (kawa) or 河 (kawa) both meaning "river, stream" and 端 (hata) meaning "edge, end, tip".
KawabeJapanese From Japanese 川 (kawa) or 河 (kawa) both meaning "river, stream" and 辺 (be) meaning "area, place, vicinity".
KawamotoJapanese From Japanese 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream" and 本 (moto) meaning "base, root, origin".
KawamuraJapanese From Japanese 川 or 河 (kawa) meaning "river, stream" and 村 (mura) meaning "town, village".
KayChinese From Chinese 凯 (kǎi) meaning "triumphant, victorious, triumphal".
KazanovRussian Means "of Kazan", either referring to the city of Kazan in Tatarstan, Russia, or from a given name. The name is most likely of Turkic origin, possibly from Bulgar qazan meaning "cauldron, pot", which would have been used to denote someone who made pots.