SieberGerman The roots of the German surname Sieber can be traced to the Old Germanic word "Siebmacher," meaning "sieve maker." The surname is occupational in origin, and was most likely originally borne by someone who held this position
SikanderPersian Sikander ultimately comes from Persian literature by the Shahnameh. It is a variant of Alexander along with the word “Eskander”. Both words are used in Persian literature to refer to Alexander the Great... [more]
SikderBengali From a historical title used to denote a person who owned one quarter of land, derived from Bengali সিকি (siki) meaning "quarter, fourth".
SilberGerman, Jewish From Middle High German silber, German Silber "silver"; a metonymic occupational name for a silversmith, or often, in the case of the Jewish surname, an ornamental name.
SilerEnglish Anglicized form of Seiler, an occupational name for a rope maker, from German Seil ‘rope’
SinclairScottish (Anglicized) Clan Sinclair is a Scottish clan, which held lands in the highlands; thought to have come to Scotland from France after the Norman invasion.
SitarmakerIndian, Bengali, Pakistani Denoting someone who makes sitar, a stringed instrument that is popular in northern India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.
SjölanderSwedish Combination of Swedish sjö "lake, sea" and the common surname suffix -ander (a combination of land and the habitational suffix -er). The second element is sometimes said to be derived from Greek aner "man".
SlaughterEnglish occupational name from Middle English slaughter "butcher" a derivative of Middle English slaught "butchery" and the suffix er or from a shortened form of the synonymous Middle English slaughterer a derivative of slaughter "butchery" and the suffix er.
SlingerEnglish Travelled with the army's a user of Slings for war. The variant Slingo is a misspelling only appeared after the English civil war. YDNA between the two matches.
SmokerEnglish Derived from the Old English word "smoc," meaning "smock" or, literally, "woman's undergarment." The name was most likely originally borne by someone who made or sold smocks.
SnapperDutch From Middle Dutch snappen meaning "to chatter, babble, snap" or "to snatch, grab, seize", a nickname for a talkative person, or perhaps a thief. Compare Schnapp.
SolarSpanish (Rare), Catalan, Aragonese, Asturian Spanish, Catalan, Aragonese, and Asturian-Leonese: topographic name from Latin solarius ‘ancestral home’ (a derivative of solum ‘ground’, ‘floor’), perhaps denoting someone who lived near or at the house of an important family.
SoldnerGerman German surname meaning mercenary. German spelling has umlaut over the O, but American spelling is Soldner or Soeldner.
SouterEnglish, Scottish Occupational name for a cobbler or shoemaker, derived from Middle English soutere, from Old Norse sutare, ultimately derived from Latin sutor meaning "to sew".
SoutomaiorGalician This indicates familial origin within the eponymous council in the Province of Pontevedra.
SoyerFrench French surname (Alexis Benoist Soyer is a famous bearer).
SpaderGerman Occupational name for a spade maker or for someone who used a spade in his work, derived from Middle High or Middle Low German spade. A notable bearer is American actor James Spader (1960-).
SpanglerGerman Spangler is an occupational surname for "metal worker" having derived from the German word spange, meaning a clasp or buckle of the sort such a craftsman might have designed.
SpenderEnglish Occupational name for a paymaster or someone in charge of finances, from Old English spendan "to spend" and Latin expendere "to pay out".
SpenglerGerman Occupational surname literally meaning “metal worker” or “tin knocker”.
SperberGerman, Jewish From a nickname for a small but belligerent person from Middle High German sperwære "sparrow hawk" (Old High German sparwāri a compound of sparw "sparrow" and āri "eagle").
SpicerEnglish, Jewish, Polish English: occupational name for a seller of spices, Middle English spic(i)er (a reduced form of Old French espicier, Late Latin speciarius, an agent derivative of species ‘spice’, ‘groceries’, ‘merchandise’).... [more]
SpieglerGerman, Jewish Occupational name for a maker or seller of mirrors, from Middle High German spiegel, German Spiegel "mirror" and the agent suffix -er.
SpielerGerman, Jewish Occupational Name For A Tumbler Or Jester German Spieler ‘Player’ Middle High German Spilære An Agent Derivative Of Spiln ‘To Play To Jest To Sport’.
SpierEnglish An English surname, meaning "the one who watches".
SpindlerEnglish, German, Jewish Occupational name for a spindle maker, from an agent derivative of Middle English spindle, Middle High German spindel, German Spindel, Yiddish shpindl "spindle, distaff".
SpinsterAmerican (Rare) A presumably extinct English occupational name, derived from the occupation of spinning.
SplinterLow German, German From Low German splinter ‘splinter’; probably a metonymic occupational name for a woodworker.
SpohrGerman Occupational name for a maker of spurs, from Middle High German spor ‘spur’, or a topographic name, from Middle High German spor ‘spoor’, ‘animal tracks’.... [more]
SpringerGerman, English, Dutch, Jewish Nickname for a lively person or for a traveling entertainer, from springen "to jump, to leap". A famous bearer was Ludwig der Springer (AKA Louis the Springer), a medieval Franconian count who, according to legend, escaped from a second or third-story prison cell by jumping into a river after being arrested for trying to seize County Saxony in Germany.
SpringerEnglish An occupational name for a dancer, or perhaps a hunter, from either Old English springen "to leap" or Middle English springe "snare, trap".
SpurrierEnglish Derived from the Old French word “esperonier,” meaning “to spur on”. It was likely given as a nickname to someone who was known for encouraging or motivating others. The name could have also referred to someone who was skilled at using spurs to control horses.
StadtmuellerGerman From Middle High German stet meaning "place", "town" + müller meaning "miller", hence an occupational name for a miller who ground the grain for a town.
StahlerGerman Occupational name for a foundry worker, from an agent derivative of Middle High German stal 'steel'.
StålhammarSwedish Means "steel hammer" (from Swedish stål "steel" and hammare "hammer"). Was originally a name common among blacksmiths.
StarGerman, Jewish Means "starling (bird)" in German, probably denoting a talkative or perhaps a voracious person. Alternatively, an Anglicized form of Stern 2.
StarDutch Means "stiff, frozen, rigid" in Dutch, from Middle Dutch staer "having a troubled or gloomy expression; tight, stiff", a nickname either for a gloomy person or for someone who was rigid and inflexible.
StaterEnglish Occupational name for an official in charge of a public weighing machine derived from Middle English stater(er), from Latin statera "balance, scales, steelyard; value", ultimately from Ancient Greek στατήρ (stater) "a weight, a standard; a type of coin".
StatherEnglish Habitational name derived from a place in England by the River Trent 1, derived from Old Norse stǫðvar "jetties, wharfs, landing stage".
StauberGerman, Jewish An occupational name from Staub, with the addition of the German agent suffix -er.
StaufferGerman This surname refers either to various towns named Stauffen or else it might be derived from Middle High German stouf "high rock/cliff/crag".
StegerGerman Means "head miner" or "overman" from the German verb steigen meaning "to climb" or in this case "to lead a climb".
StegerGerman From a derivative of Middle High German stec "steep path or track, narrow bridge". The name was likely given to someone living close to a path or small bridge.
StehrGerman From Middle High German ster ‘ram’, hence probably a nickname for a lusty person, or possibly a metonymic occupational name for a shepherd.
SteifvaterGerman from Middle Low German stēfvader 'stepfather' hence a relationship name.
SteigerGerman Occupational name from Middle High German stiger 'foreman', 'mine inspector'
SteinauerMedieval German Dweller at or near a stone or rock, often a boundary mark; one who came from Stein, in Germany and Switzerland; descendant of Staino or Stein ("stone").... [more]
SteinbrecherGerman occupational name for someone who worked in a stone quarry from Middle High German stein "stone" and an agent derivative of brechen "to break".
SteinbrennerGerman occupational name for a lime burner from Middle High German stein "stone" (in this case limestone) and an agent derivative of brennen "to burn".
SteingräberGerman occupational name for a quarry worker from Middle High German stein "stone" and agent derivative of Middle High German graben "to dig".
SteinhilberGerman Habitational name for someone from Steinhilben, from Old High German stein "stone" and hülwe or hülbe "hollow, depression; pond, puddle".
SteinmeierGerman Distinguishing name for a tenant farmer (Meyer) whose farm was on stony ground or was distinguished by a conspicuous rock formation (Middle High German stein 'rock').
StellmacherGerman occupational name for a cartwright from late Middle High German stelle "carriage" (originally "frame chassis") and mahhon "maker"... [more]
StelterGerman nickname for a disabled person; from Middle Low German stelte, stilt "wooden leg"
StelznerGerman Variant of Stelzer, probably an occupational name for a stilt-maker. Also, a habitational name for anyone from any of the places named Stelzen.
StempferGerman Derived from occupation means 'Stump remover'
StifterGerman, German (Austrian) Means "founder" in Middle High German, from stiften "to bring about, endow, donate", a name for a tenant farmer on previously unoccupied land, or a habitational name from the related word Stift meaning "endowed monastery, secular convent, church foundation".
StiverEnglish Occupational name from Old French “estivur” meaning “plowman”, coming from Latin “stivarius”. This has also been used as a name for someone who played the stive, a type of bagpipe.
St LegerIrish, English Anglo-Irish surname, from one of the places in France called Saint-Léger, which were named in honour of St. Leodegar.
StoehrGerman From Middle Low German store ‘sturgeon’, hence a metonymic occupational name for someone who caught or sold sturgeon, or a nickname for someone with some supposed resemblance to the fish... [more]
StonorEnglish Locational name from a village in Oxfordshire, England. The name comes from Old English stán "stony" and the place was named for a stone circle on the land.
StorrGerman Nickname for a crude man, from Middle High German storr 'tree stump', 'clod'.
StoterEnglish (Modern) Of Dutch origin and still in use there in a restricted region. Herder of large animals such as cattle or horses. May share a root with Ostler (unverified). Note: Stot in Scottish dialect still means a young bull.... [more]
StrayerGerman Americanized form of GermanStröher: habitational name for "someone from any of the places called Ströh in Westphalia and Lower Saxony".
StreeterEnglish English (Sussex) topographic name for someone living by a highway, in particular a Roman road (see Street).
StreicherGerman Occupational name for someone who measured grain or inspected cloth
StreiterGerman Topographic name from Middle High German struot 'swamp', 'bush', 'thicket' + -er, suffix denoting an inhabitant.
StrickerGerman, Low German, Dutch Occupational name for a rope maker or knitter (of hose, for example), from an agent derivative of Middle High German, Middle Low German stricken ‘to tie’.
StriderEnglish Likely an anglicized variation of the Dutch term "Strijder" or German term "Streiter," this surname represents an occupational designation for a soldier or a descriptive term for someone with a combative demeanor.... [more]
StryckerDutch From Dutch de Strycker, an occupational name for someone responsible for measuring out cloth or grain. See also Stryker.
StrykerDutch From Dutch Strijker, an occupational name for someone whose job was to fill level measures of grain by passing a flat stick over the brim of the measure, thus removing any heaped excess... [more]
SugarGerman (Rare) Sugar is the surname of talented storyteller, writer, and composer Rebecca Rae Sugar (creator of animated series Steven Universe).
SugarbakerEnglish Occupational name for an owner of a sugar-house, a factory where raw sugar was made or refined, derived from Middle English sugre, suker meaning "sugar" and bakere meaning "baker".
SuhrGerman Nickname for a bitter or cantankerous person, from Middle Low German sūr meaning "sour".
SuigusaarEstonian Suigusaar is an Estonian surname meaning "somnolent (sleepy) island".
SuiterAmerican (South) "Suiter" may also refer to a surname that originated in South Germany as an occupational name for a shoemaker. It comes from a metathesized form of the Middle High German word siuter.
SulivarMedieval Russian Sulivar was a name used in Southern Russia near Kazakhstan and was even a name a leader had when the mongol empire fell.
SullenbergerGerman (Swiss) Derived from an unknown place called Sullenberg or from Schallenberg in Baden, Switzerland. A famous bearer is Sully Sullenberger (1951-), an American retired Air Force fighter pilot and airline captain who is best known for saving all 155 people aboard in the 2009 ditching of US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River off Manhattan, after both engines were disabled by a bird strike.
SulzerGerman occupational name for someone who made prepared meats from Middle High German sulzer "butcher charcutier". from a derivative of Middle High German sulze "brine" hence a topographic name for someone who lived near a spring of salty water or a habitational name for someone from any of the places called Sulz in Germany Austria Alsace and Switzerland.
SummerEnglish, German From Middle English sum(m)er, Middle High German sumer "summer", hence a nickname for someone of a warm or sunny disposition, or for someone associated with the season of summer in some other way.
SumpterEnglish Occupational name for someone who drove a packhorse, from Middle English sompter.
SumterEnglish This surname is derived from an official title. 'the sumpter.' Old French sommetier, a packhorseman, one who carried baggage on horseback
SunderEnglish From Sanskrit sundara‘beautiful’. This is only a given name in India, but has come to be used as a family name in the U.S.
SutradharIndian, Bengali, Assamese Derived from Sanskrit सूत्रधार (sutradhara) meaning "thread-holder" or "carpenter", from सूत्र (sutra) meaning "thread, string, line" and धार (dhara) meaning "holding, bearing" (referring to a carpenter's role in weaving together different parts of wooden or metal structures).
SutterGerman, English English and South German occupational name for a shoemaker or cobbler (rarely a tailor), from Middle English suter, souter, Middle High German suter, sutære (from Latin sutor, an agent derivative of suere ‘to sew’).
SwartzlanderEnglish (American) Americanized form of German Schwarzländer, a habitational name for someone from an area of Bavaria known as Schwarzland ‘the black land’, from Middle High German swarz ‘black’ + land ‘land’.
SwisherGerman Americanized form of German Schweitzer meaning Swiss.
SwitserEnglish Either (i) from the medieval nickname Swetesire (literally "sweet sir, amiable master"), applied sarcastically either to someone who used the expression liberally as a form of address or to someone with a de-haut-en-bas manner; or (ii) an anglicization of Schweitzer (from Middle High German swīzer "Swiss person").
TaiberGerman German (also Täuber) and Jewish (Ashkenazic): variant of Taube ‘pigeon, dove’. The -er inflection denotes the male bird, but in most cases this is an occupational name for a pigeon breeder, from an agent noun derivative ending in -er(t).
TalukderBengali From a title for land-owning aristocrats in the Mughal Empire and British Raj who were responsible for collecting taxes. The title itself was derived from Arabic تعلق (ta'alluq) meaning "attachment, affiliation" combined with the Persian suffix دار (-dar) indicating ownership.
TalusaarEstonian Talusaar is an Estonian surname meaning "farm island".
TalwarIndian Sikh name based on the name of a clan in the Khatri community, derived from Panjabitəlwār ‘sword’ (Sanskrit taravāri).
TammejuurEstonian Tammejuur is an Estonian surname meaning "oak root".
TammiksaarEstonian Tammiksaar is an Estonian surname meaning "oak wood island".
TammsaarEstonian Tammsaar is an Estonian surname, meaning "oak island".
TamrakarNewar, Indian Means "copper maker; craftsman" in Sanskrit. This is used by the Tamrakar caste of Nepal and India, and mainly of Newar ethnicity in Nepal.