BetschlaRomansh (Archaic) Derived from the Germanic name element beraht "bright". The name was replaced by the Italianized form Bezzola in the 18th century.
BevilacquaItalian From Italian bevi l'acqua "drinks water", a nickname likely applied ironically to an alcoholic.
BhallaIndian This surname is derived from Sanskrit bhalla meaning (among other things) ‘auspicious’, ‘missile’, and ‘bear’.
BhargavaIndian From Sanskrit bhārgava ‘(descendant) of Bhrigu’. Bhrigu is the name of one of the great sages of Hindu legend.
BharuchaIndian (Parsi) Refers to the city of Bharuch in Gujarat, India, which is thought to be derived from the name of a figure in Hindu mythology.
BhatejaPunjabi, Jatt, Sikhism Bhateja is a clan name found among Jatt Sikhs and khatris primarily concentrated in Punjab, India. The clan holds a deep historical, cultural, and social presence within Sikh society. Over time, many Bhateja families have migrated to different parts of the world, particularly to Canada, the UK, the USA, and Australia, where Sikh communities have flourished... [more]
BhuiyaBengali Bangladeshi: from Bengali bhuyyan ‘landlord’, ‘chieftain’. Bearers of this surname claim descent from one of the twelve chieftains (nine Muslims and three Hindus), who ruled the Sultanate of Bengal (1336–1576)... [more]
BiaNavajo The U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs ("BIA") required all Indians to choose a family name. The Navajo family name Bia is derived from BIA ("Bureau of Indian Affairs")
BiarujiaTaneraic This is the only existing surname derived from Javant Biarujia’s constructed personal language, Taneraic, which he created over several decades. The meaning is unknown.
BijlsmaWest Frisian Occupational name from Dutch bijl "axe" (see Bijl) combined with the Frisian suffix -ma. Could also be a patronym.
BikuñaBasque From the name of a village in Álava, Basque Country, possibly derived from Latin vicus "street, neighbourhood; village, hamlet" and Basque on "good". Alternatively, the first element could be related to bike "steep slope".
BobolaPolish From a derivative of bób meaning 'bean'.
BocachicaSpanish (Latin American) Literally means "little mouth" in Spanish. It could have been given to someone who had a small mouth or a small jaw, or to someone who was known for having a quiet and reserved speaking style. It could also have been a nickname given to someone who had a small but sweet smile.
BocanegraSpanish Spanish: nickname from boca ‘mouth’ + negra ‘black’, denoting a foul-mouthed or abusive person. In the form Boccanegra, this surname has also been long established in Italy.
BoccafuscaItalian Possibly means "dark mouth", from bocco "mouth" and fosco "dark, gloomy", a nickname for someone who often spoke ill of others, or perhaps given to foundlings.
BombaPortuguese, Spanish, Polish, Ukrainian, Czech, Slovak From bomba "bomb", (Latin bombus), hence probably a nickname for someone with an explosive temperament, or a metonymic occupational name for an artilleryman.
BonaCatalan, Spanish Catalan and Spanish surname derived from the Catalan word bona meaning good
BonaseraSicilian Derived from the expression bona sera "good evening". This name was applied as a nickname either for someone who made frequent use of this salutation or as a personal name bestowed on a child as an expression of gratitude in the sense "it was a good evening when you were born".
BonbaBasque, Spanish From Basque bonba meaning "bomb", (Latin bombus), hence probably a nickname for someone with an explosive temperament, or a metonymic occupational name for an artilleryman.
BondiaCatalan Bondia is a Catalan surname. It means 'good day' or 'good morning'.
BoneraItalian Derived from the medieval Italian given name Bonora or Buonora meaning "good hour" or "finally", often given to children whose birth was long-awaited or celebrated, or who were born early in the morning... [more]
BonkobaraJapanese From 盆 (bon) meaning "tray, bowl, basin, lantern festival", combined with 子 (ko, shi) meaning "child, sign of the rat", and 原 (hara) meaning "field, plain".
BoodaDutch (Rare) Possibly derived from a French surname or place name.
BoonmaThai Alternate transcription of Thai บุญมา (see Bunma).
BoonstraWest Frisian, Dutch Denoted someone who cam from the town of Oldeboorn, named for the nearby De Boarn river, related to Middle Dutch borne "well, spring, source".
BorondaAmerican (Hispanic), Basque Boronda is a Californio surname that is also of Basque origin. Boronda is the name of a place in Salinas California named after Jose Eusebio Boronda where he made his house out of Adobe. Today, It is a California national Historic landmark in Boronda road in Salinas.
BoukharoubaArabic (Maghrebi) Meaning unknown, possibly of Kabyle origin. A notable bearer was Algerian revolutionary and President HouariBoumediene (1932-1978), who was born as Mohamed ben Brahim Boukharouba.
BoumaWest Frisian Shortened form of the now-extinct Frisian surname Bouwema, a patronymic form of the given name Bouwe (see Boudewijn)... [more]
BouphaLao Means "flower" in Lao, ultimately from Sanskrit पुष्प (pushpa).
BourassaIndian Seems to be an Indian name. I am in touch with a relative whose family were Pottawatomi Indians in Oklahoma. This name comes from that reservation.
BouteflikaArabic (Maghrebi) Possibly means "one who makes things explode" in Algerian Arabic. A famous bearer is Abdelaziz Bouteflika (1937-), who served as president of Algeria from 1999 to 2019.
BoutellaArabic (Maghrebi, Rare) Means "father of the mountain" or "father of the hill", from Arabic أَبُو (ʾabū) meaning "father (of)" and تَلّ (tall) meaning "hill, foothill". Two notable bearers include father and daughter Safy (1950-) and Sofia (1982-) Boutella, an Algerian singer and an Algerian-French actress, respectively.
BråNorwegian Means "sudden, short-tempered" in Norwegian.
BraaksmaFrisian (Dutchified, Modern, Rare) Topographic name for someone who lived by a piece of wasteland or newly cultivated land, from Frisian, Dutch braak ‘fallow’, ‘waste’ + Frisian ma ‘man’. The suffix -ma indicating that it is of Frisian origin.
BragaPortuguese The first man to own this name was a feudal lord on Portugal, near to the region of Coimbra. Could also come from the other surname "Bragança".
BragançaPortuguese From the city of Bragança in Portugal. It's also the name of the Royal House that ruled Portugal from 1640 to 1910.
BrancacciaItalian (Rare) Derived from the medieval Italian given name Brancazia, which is the feminine form of the masculine given name Brancazio. For more information, please see the entry for the patronymic surname Brancazio... [more]
BrancatellaItalian (Rare) Derived from the feminine given name Brancatella, which is a diminutive of the medieval Italian given name Brancazia, the feminine form of the masculine given name Brancazio. For more information about this, please see the entry for the patronymic surname of Brancazio... [more]
BrennaNorwegian Variant of Brenden, a Norwegian surname derived from brenna "land cleared for cultivation by burning" (also known as svedjebruk "slash-and-burn agriculture").
BrizuelaSpanish This indicates familial origin within the eponymous neighborhood of the Castilian municipality of Merindad de Valdeporres.
Br MaharajafBatak Feminine form of Maharaja. The Br (short form of boru, pronounced BOH-roo) part is a nickname for women in Bataknese (except Karo tribe).
BuffaItalian From Sicilian buffa, "toad". May alternately derive from Rebuffo.
BuġejaMaltese Possibly derived from Maltese abjad meaning "white", ultimately from Arabic أَبْيَض (ʾabyaḍ).
BujandaBasque It indicates familial origin within the eponymous council of the municipality of Kanpezu.
BulaPolish Nickname for a fat man, from buła "bread roll".... [more]
BulaCzech Nickname for a fat man, from buła "bread roll".... [more]
BulgariaItalian, Spanish Originally an ethnic name or regional name for someone from Bulgaria or a nickname for someone who had visited or traded with Bulgaria, which is named after the Turkic tribe of the Bulgars, itself possibly from a Turkic root meaning "mixed".
BulsaraIndian (Parsi) From the name of the city of Valsad (historically known as Bulsar) in Gujarat, India. A famous bearer was British singer Farrokh Bulsara (1946-1991), better known as Freddie Mercury.
BurruchagaSpanish, 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".
BuruagaBasque It indicates familial origin within the eponymous council of the municipality of Zigoitia.
ButalaSlovene Nickname from Slovenian meaning "foolish person".
ButeraItalian Means “vineyard” or “grapevine” in Italian.
ButtaItalian Italian: from a short form of a compound name formed with butta- ‘throw’, as for example Buttacavoli.Italian: from an old German feminine personal name Butta.Italian: variant of Botta.
ButturaThai From Thai บุตร (but) meaning "son, child" and ธุระ (thura) meaning "business; affairs; errands".
CababaSpanish Spanish (Cabaña) and Portuguese: habitational name from a place named with Spanish cabaña ‘hut’, ‘cabin’ (Late Latin capanna , a word of Celtic or Germanic origin).
CabañaSpanish, Portuguese Habitational name from a place named with Spanish cabaña ‘hut’, ‘cabin’ (Late Latin capanna, a word of Celtic or Germanic origin).
CabeleiraPortuguese Likely originates from the Portuguese word "cabeleira," which means "head of hair" or "hairpiece." It might have been used as a nickname to describe someone with a notable or distinctive head of hair... [more]
Cabeza De VacaSpanish Literally translates to "cow's head" or "head of a cow". It is likely an occupational name for someone who was associated with cows or cattle, perhaps as a rancher or butcher. Alternatively, it could also have been used to describe someone with a thick-headed or stubborn personality.
CahanaJewish (Rare, Archaic) Jewish surname, originally of Eastern European Ashkenazi origin, found in Russia, Ukraine, Romania, Moldova. Currently a relatively common surname in Israel. Aramaic equivalent of Cohen.
CaixetaPortuguese (Brazilian) Portuguese common name for Tabebuia cassinoides, a tree native to Central and South America.
CajavilcaQuechua From kaja (cold) and vilca (supreme) meaning supreme cold. Possibly when the inhabitants of upper Chavín had to cross to the Callejón de Huaylas by the pass near Ulta they described this place as being too cold... [more]
CalabazaSpanish, Indigenous American Nickname from ‘calabaza’ meaning pumpkin squash. This is commonly used by Pueblos (Native Americans) in New Mexico.
CalcaterraItalian Nickname from calcare meaning "to tread", "to stamp" + terra meaning "land", "earth", "ground", probably denoting a short person, someone who walked close to the ground, or an energetic walker.
CaldeiraPortuguese Name given to a maker of kettles or other cooking vessels.
CalderaSpanish Derived from Spanish caldera meaning "basin, crater, hollow", ultimately from Latin caldarium or caldaria both meaning "hot bath, cooking pot". The word also denotes a depression in volcanoes, and it is commonly used as an element for surnames denoting streams or mountains.
CaliforniaSpanish (Latin American) It is thought that it might've been derived from Latin calida fornax meaning "hot furnace", or from Native American, kali forno meaning "high hill, native land". It is also thought to have derived from the given name Khalif or Khalifa.
CalihuaNahuatl Meaning uncertain, possibly related to calli "house".
CámaraSpanish Occupational name for a courtier or servant who could access the private quarters of a king or noble, from Spanish cámara meaning "room, chamber".