GreenbergerGerman, Jewish Anglicized form of the German surname Grünberger, which is formed from the words grün "green", Berg "mountain", and the habitational suffix -er. This name indicated a person who lived on or near a forest-covered mountain.
GreinerUpper German, German (Swiss) Nickname for a quarrelsome or cantankerous person, derived from Middle High German grīner meaning "squabbler, quarreler" (ultimately an agent derivative of grīn meaning "loud, cry, screaming, shouting")... [more]
GrenierFrench Occupational name for a grain merchant (from Latin granarius), or a topographic name for someone who lived by a granary (from Latin granarium) or a metonymic occupational name for someone who supervised or owned one.
GretzingerGerman Habitational name for someone from any of three places named Grötzingen (Old High German Grezzingun) in Baden-Württemberg.
GrieserUpper German topographic name for someone living on a sandy site, from Middle High German griez ‘sand’ + -er suffix denoting an inhabitant.
GriesslerGerman Topographic name for someone who lived or farmed in an area of sand.
GrinerGerman (Anglicized), Jewish Americanised form of German Greiner. It could also denote a person who came from various German places called Grüna or Grünau. In Jewish, it is a topographic name for someone who lived in a green of leafy area, derived from Yiddish grin meaning "green" or Middle High German gruene meaning "greenery".
GrinfelderCroatian Derived from German grün, "green", and feld, "field".
GrosvenorEnglish English surname of Norman origin meaning ‘the master huntsman’. Derived from Le Grand Veneur, this title was held by Hugh d'Avranches who accompanied William the Conqueror in the Norman invasion of England in 1066.
GuggenbergerGerman A habitation surname originating from Guggenberg, Bavaria.
GuggenheimerJewish Originally indicated a person from either Gougenheim in Alsace or Jugenheim in Hesse, perhaps meaning "home of Gogo(n)". Gogo(n) is a Germanic personal name
GuilderEnglish Occupational name for someone who worked in gold. The derivation is from the Old English pre 7th Century "gyldan" and the Old High German "gold", a refiner, jeweller, or gilder.
GülerTurkish Means "laughing, smiling" in Turkish.
GulliverEnglish From a medieval nickname for a greedy person (from Old French goulafre "glutton"). Jonathan Swift used it in his satire 'Gulliver's Travels' (1726), about the shipwrecked ship's surgeon Lemuel Gulliver, whose adventures "offer opportunities for a wide-ranging and often savage lampooning of human stupidity and vice."
GürTurkish Means "bushy, strong" or "thunder" in Turkish.
GursulturJewish (Latinized), Kurdish, Hebrew This name is a composition of the following words: GUR; Hebrew for "lion cub", SUL; which is an abbreviation of Suleman (Kurdish for king Solomon), TUR; this word is derived from the Arba'ah Turim. The Arbaáh Turim are often called simply the Tur, which is an important Halakhic code.... [more]
HaferGerman, Jewish Metonymic occupational name for a grower of or dealer in oats, from German Hafer "oats". Compare Haber. As a Jewish surname, it is in many cases ornamental.
HagerDutch, North Frisian From a Germanic personal name, either Hager, composed of hag "hedge, enclosure" and heri "army", or Hadegar, from hadu "battle, combat" and gar "spear" or garu "ready, prepared".
HallikäärEstonian Hallikäär is an Estonian name meaning "grayish edge".
HambergerGerman, Jewish German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) habitational name for someone from any of various places named Hamberg. Jewish (Ashkenazic) variant of Hamburger.
HamburgerGerman, Jewish German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) habitational name for someone from Hamburg.
HamerEnglish, German From the town of Hamer in Lancashire from the old english word Hamor combining "Rock" and "Crag". It is also used in Germany and other places in Europe, possibly meaning a maker of Hammers.
HammarSwedish From a common place name element ultimately derived from Old Norse hamarr meaning "hammer, stone, steep cliff".
HammerGerman, English, Jewish From Middle High German hamer, Yiddish hamer, a metonymic occupational name for a maker or user of hammers, for example in a forge, or nickname for a forceful person.
HamnerWelsh Variant spelling of "Hanmer", parish in Flintshire.
HansdotterfSwedish Means "daughter of Hans". This name is only given to females. A notable bearer is Swedish alpine ski racer Frida Hansdotter (b. 1985).
HarbourEnglish Variant of French Arbour or a metonymic occupational name for a keeper of a lodging house, from Old English herebeorg "shelter, lodging".
HargierFrench Known back to the 15th or 16th century in France.... [more]
HarkerEnglish (British) English (mainly northeastern England and West Yorkshire): habitational name from either of two places in Cumbria, or from one in the parish of Halsall, near Ormskirk, Lancashire. The Cumbrian places are probably named from Middle English hart ‘male deer’ + kerr ‘marshland’... [more]
HarlacherGerman Habitational name for someone from Ober- or Unter-Harlachen, near Überlingen.
HarmerEnglish (British) Meaning, of the Army or man of Armor, from the battle at Normandy, France. It was formerly a French last name Haremere after the battle at Normandy it moved on to England where it was shortened to Harmer.
HatcherEnglish Southern English: topographic name for someone who lived by a gate, from Middle English hacche (Old English hæcc) + the agent suffix -er. This normally denoted a gate marking the entrance to a forest or other enclosed piece of land, sometimes a floodgate or sluice-gate.
HatterEnglish This name derives from the Old English pre 7th Century "haet" meaning a hat and was originally given either as an occupational name to a maker or seller of hats
HattlerGerman Occupational name for someone who raises goats.
HauserGerman, Jewish From Middle High German hus "house", German haus, + the suffix -er, denoting someone who gives shelter or protection.
HazarTurkish Turkish / Muslim last name meaning "nightingale".
HeatherEnglish Topographic name, a variant of Heath with the addition of the habitational suffix -er. This surname is widespread in southern England, and also well established in Ireland.
HeberGerman Occupational name for a carrier (someone who loaded or transported goods), from an agent derivative of Middle High German heben "to lift".
HeiderGerman Combination of German Heide "heath, headland" and the suffix -er denoting an inhabitant. The surname can be either topographic for someone living on or near a heath, or habitational for someone from any place named with the element Heide.
HeierGerman The Heier surname is an occupational name from the Middle High German word "heie", which means "ranger guard".
HeierNorwegian A Norwegian habitational name from farmsteads in the Oslofjord region, meaning "heath moor". While primarily Norwegian, the surname "Heier" also has Dutch and German variants, which are considered variants of "Heyer".
HeimburgerGerman, Jewish Status name for a village head, derived from Middle High German heim meaning "homestead, settlement" and bürge meaning "guardian". It could also be a habitational name for someone from numerous places called Heimburg or Heimberg in Germany.
HeitmeyerGerman German: distinguishing nickname for a farmer whose land included heathland, from Middle Low German heide ‘heath’, ‘wasteland’ + Meyer 1.
HelanderSwedish The first element is Hel-, which is probably derived from place names ultimately derived from Swedish helig "holy, sacred, blessed" or the male given name Helge... [more]
HelberGerman Occupational name for a thresher, from Middle High German helwe 'chaff' + the agent suffix -er; alternatively, it could be a habitational name from a place called Helba near Meiningen.
HelderDutch, German, Upper German, English 1. Dutch and German: from a Germanic personal name Halidher, composed of the elements haliò “hero” + hari, heri “army”, or from another personal name, Hildher, composed of the elements hild “strife”, “battle” + the same second element... [more]
HelferGerman Metonymic occupational name for an assistant of some kind, or nickname for a helpful person, from Middle High German hëlfære, German Helfer 'helper', 'assistant'.
HellerGerman Nickname from the small medieval coin known as the häller or heller, named for the city it was first minted (in 1208) at, Hall am Kocher (currently called Schwäbisch Hall).
HerbolsheimerGerman Habitational name for someone from either of two places called Herbolzheim, in Baden and Bavaria.
HerbsterGerman Occupational name for a grape picker or vintner from Middle High German herbest "(grape) harvest".
HerderGerman An occupational surname in reference to herding animals. The anglicized pronounciation is "Her-der", but is Germanically pronounced, "Herr-der".
HergenötherGerman Habitational name for someone from Hergenroth near Limburg or from Hergenrode near Darmstadt, both in Hessen.
HeyerGerman, Dutch Occupational name for a grower or reaper of grass for hay, from Middle High German höu "grass, hay" and the agent suffix -er. Could also be a variant spelling of Heier.
HeyerDutch From Middle Dutch heiger "heron", a nickname for someone with long legs. Alternatively, from a Germanic personal name composed of hag "enclosure, hedge" and heri "army".
HighlanderScottish Name given to a person who lived in the high lands of Scotland.
HilderEnglish English (mainly Sussex and Kent): topographic name from the Middle English hilder “dweller on a slope” (from Old English hylde “slope”).
HilfikerGerman (Swiss) Altered spelling of Hilfinger, patronymic derivative of the personal name Hilfo, Helfo, a short form of a Germanic personal name based on helfe 'helper'.
HillierEnglish Occupational name for a roof tiler or thatcher from Middle English helier "roofer, slater, tiler", ultimately derived from Old English helan "to hide, conceal, cover".
HillikerGerman The last name of Dance Moms star, Kalani Hilliker.
HolderGerman, Jewish, English 1. German: topographic name for someone who lived by an elder tree. Middle High German holder, or from a house named for its sign of an elder tree. In same areas, for example Alsace, the elder tree was believed to be the protector of a house... [more]
HollierEnglish, French Occupational name for a male brothel keeper, from a dissimilated variant of Old French horier "pimp", which was the agent noun of hore "whore, prostitute". Hollier was probably also used as an abusive nickname in Middle English and Old French.... [more]
HollingerGerman, Jewish Habitational name for someone from places called Holling or Hollingen.
HoneckerGerman Erich Honecker was the leader of the GDR from 1971 to 1989.
HoneggerSwiss Arthur Honegger (10 March 1892 – 27 November 1955) was a Swiss composer, and a member of Les Six, a group of composers associated with Jean Cocteau and Erik Satie. His most famous work is "Pacific 231".
HorneckerGerman Habitational name denoting someone from any of various places called Horneck.
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]
HosmerEnglish From the Old English name Osmaer, a combination of the Old English elements oss, meaning "god", and maer, meaning "fame".
HosnerGerman Occupational name for a knitter of hose (garments for the legs), from the plural form of Middle High German hose + the agent suffix -er (see Hose 3).
HostetlerGerman The name itself comes from the word Hostet or Hochstatt meaning "high place". Thus Hostetler is someone living in a high place or on high ground.
HowladerBengali From a Bengali word meaning "land owner", itself derived from Arabic حول (hawl) meaning "power, might, strength" and the Persian suffix دار (dar) indicating ownership.
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".
HrafnakonrmOld Norse (Modern) From Old Norse hrafn, meaning "raven," and konr, meaning "descendant" or "noble kin." The name konr is associated with Konr!, the youngest son of Jarl (or Skjöldr) and the grandson of Rígr, as described in Rígsþula... [more]
HuberMaltese Not to be confused with the German surname.
HullerEnglish Topographical name for a 'dweller by a hill', deriving from the Old English pre 7th Century 'hyll' a hill, or in this instance 'atte hulle', at the hill.
HütterGerman German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): occupational name for a hatter from an agent derivative of Middle High German huot ‘hat’; Yiddish hut, German Hut ‘hat’. German (Hütter): topographic name from Middle High German hütte ‘hut’... [more]