YusonFilipino From Hokkien 楊孫 (iûⁿ-sun), derived from 楊 (iûⁿ) meaning "willow, poplar, aspen" and 孫 (sun) meaning "grandchild". It could also be from 余孫 (û-sun), derived from 余 (û) meaning "surplus" and 孫 (sun) meaning "grandchild".
ZabaletaBasque This indicates familial origin within either of 2 eponymous localities: the vicinity of the tower house in the Navarrese municipality of Lesaka or the neighborhood of the municipality of Nabarniz.
ZabelGerman The surname has multiple meanings. It may come from a Slavic given name, or the High German word zabel, meaning "board game" - given, perhaps, as a nickname to those who played many board games.
ZacharJewish, Hungarian, Russian, Slovak, Belarusian Derived from the Hebrew word זָכַר (zakhar) meaning "to remember". As a surname it can also derive from the given name Zakhar (Zechariah) that shares this etymology.
ZacharyEnglish A reference to Sacheverell, a location in Normandy. May also refer to the given name Zacharias, meaning "to remember God," or "the Lord recalled."
ZacherEnglish A reference to Sacheverell, a location in Normandy. May also refer to the given name Zacharias, meaning "to remember God," or "the Lord recalled."
ZachowGerman Meaning unknown. A notable bearer of this name is Friedrich Wilhelm Zachow, a organist, musician, and composer who lived from 1663 to 1712. Zachow, Wisconsin is an unincorporated community named after a local landowner, William Zachow.
ZachryEnglish A reference to Sacheverell, a location in Normandy. May also refer to the given name Zacharias, meaning "to remember God," or "the Lord recalled."
ZagoItalian Probably from Venetian zago "alter boy", or someone preparing to become a priest. Alternately, may derive from a toponym, such as Massanzago, Lorenzago, Cazzago, Vanzago, or Sozzago.
ZagurskiPolish Derived from the Polish places Zagórz and Zagórze. Also given to those who lived on the side of a hill opposite a main settlement - za means "beyond" and góra means "hill".
ZahmMedieval German Zahm is a nickname from Middle High German Zam meaning "tame".
ZahnGerman Zahn was a nickname given to a person with a peculiar tooth or a strange or defective set of teeth. It comes from the Middle High German Zan(t), which means "tooth".
ZähneGerman The German surname Zähne is derived from the Middle High German word "zan," which means "tooth." It is believed that the surname takes its origin from a nickname, most likely bestowed on the original bearer due to either a prominent tooth or a missing tooth.
ZahnerGerman Name given to people who lived in Zahna, near Wittenberg.
ZaimTurkish Zaim may be a representation of the male Arabic given name Za'im / Zaeim (Arabic: ضعیم / زاعِم/ زاعيم), meaning leader, chief. Correspondingly al-Za'im (Arabic: الزعيم) means "the leader".
ZajączkowskiPolish A habitational name that was given to someone from any of the various places named Zajączki, Zajączkowo, or Zajączków (which were named for 'zajączek', a diminutive of the Polish word 'zając', meaning ‘hare’.)
ZakPolish A nickname given to youthful or studious people. Comes from the Polish zak, meaning "student" or "schoolboy". It originally meant "novice" or "candidate for the priesthood", and so in some cases it is perhaps a nickname for someone who had been destined for holy orders.
ZakowskiPolish a Polish surname which is most frequent in the cities of Warszawa, Płońsk and Bydgoszcz in central Poland and is also to be found as Zakowski among the Polish diaspora.
ZaldívarBasque, Spanish Derived from Basque zaldi meaning "horse" combined with ibar meaning "valley". This is also the name of a town in Biscay, Spain.
ZaleEnglish, Polish (Anglicized) Possibly from a Polish surname, the meaning of which is uncertain (it may have been a variant of the surname Zalas which originally indicated one who lived "on the other side of the wood", from za "beyond" and las "forest").
ZaluskyUkrainian Derives from the Slavic word zalew, meaning "bay" or "flooded area". Given to families who lived near water or areas that flooded often.
ZamarripaBasque Habitational name of the city and province of Zamora, which is located on the Duero in northwest Spain. Because of its strategic position, the city was disputed during the Middle Ages, first between the Christians and Moors, then between the kingdoms of Leon and Castille.
ZangaraItalian Southern Italian: from a feminine form of Zangaro ( see Zangari ).
ZaniItalian Comes from the personal name Z(u)an(n)i, a northeastern (Venetian) form of Gianni (from Giovanni, Italian equivalent of John). Zani or Zanni is a comic figure in the Commedia del’Arte, and the surname may be a nickname derived from this use, which is also the origin of the English word zany.
ZaniniItalian The surname Zanini or Zanin was given to the descendants of Giovanni (John). It originates from the diminutive of the Venetian variant of Zani, being Zanino.
ZanniItalian From the first name Gianni, which derives from Giovanni, which is the Italian version of John, which means "the grace/mercy of the Lord." ... [more]
ZapataSpanish Occupational surname for a shoemaker, from Spanish zapato meaning "shoe". It can also be considered a habitational name for someone originally from any of the various locations in Spain called Zapata.
ZazzaraItalian Ancient and very noble Lazio family, with residence in the city of Viterbo, known as Zazzara or Zazzera, of clear and ancestral virtue, which has spread over the centuries in various regions of Italy.
ZdrojewskiPolish Habitational name for someone from any of several places called Zdroje or Zdrojewo, in particular in Bydgoszcz voivodeship, named with Polish zdroje meaning "springs","spa".
ZdunichPolish Polish name of unknown meaning or origin. A notable bearer of this name is American actor/singer/artist/songwriter Terrance Zdunich.
ZechesEnglish The surname Zeches was first found in Silesia, where the name was closely identified in early mediaeval times with the feudal society which would become prominent throughout European history. The name would later be associated with noble family with great influence, having many distinguished branches, and become noted for its involvement in social, economic and political affairs.
ZechmanJewish Occupational name from Yiddish tsekh meaning "guild" or "craft corporation" and man "man".
ZehnerGerman (chiefly Bavaria, Austria, Switzerland, and Württemberg): occupational name for an official responsible for collecting, on behalf of the lord of the manor, tithes of agricultural produce owed as rent.... [more]
ZehrenGerman (Swiss) From a prepositional phrase from Middle High German ze hērren, an occupational name for someone was in service of a lord.
ZeimetGerman, Luxembourgish Western German and Luxembourgeois: probably a variant spelling of Zeimert, a variant of Zeumer, an occupational name for a harness maker, from an agent derivative of Middle High German zoum ‘bridle’.
ZeitounArabic Derived from the Arabic زَيْتُون (zaytūn) meaning "olive", a cognate of the Maghrebi Zitouni. It could also be linked to the famous El-Zeitoun district in Cairo, Egypt.
ZelayaBasque Basque surname related to the Euskara word for "field".
ŻelaznyPolish Means "(made of) iron" in Polish, used as a nickname for a person with a strong personality.
ZeldesYiddish An eastern Ashkenazic matronymic surname derived from the Yiddish female personal name Zelde (from the Middle High German word sælde meaning either 'fortunate', 'blessed', or 'happiness'.)
ZeldinJewish Means "son of Zelde", a Yiddish female personal name based on Middle High German sælde "fortunate, blessed".
ZelenskyUkrainian Habitational name derived from the village of Zelenki in the Kaniv region in Ukraine... [more]
ZelleGerman, Dutch Topographic name from Middle High German zelle "(hermit's) cell" and habitational name from a place called Zelle.
ZellerGerman, Dutch, English, Jewish Originally denoted someone from Celle, Germany or someone living near a hermit's cell from German zelle "cell". It is also occupational for someone employed at a zelle, for example a small workshop.
ZelnickJewish Occupational name for a tax collecter, comes from Yiddish tselnik which means haberdashery.
ŽemaitisLithuanian Derives from the Lithuanian ethnonym žemaitis "Samogitian", denoting someone who came from the Lithuanian region of Samogitia (Žemaitija). A notable bearer of this last name is Jonas Žemaitis, one of the leaders of the Lithuanian Partisans.... [more]
ZennerUpper German South German: unflattering nickname for a surly, snarling person, from an agent derivative of Middle High German zannen 'to growl or howl' or 'to bare one's teeth'.
ZervasGreek Meaning unknown. The surname is borne by American rapper, singer and composer Arizona Zervas.
ZervosGreek Nickname for a left-handed person from Greek ζερβός (zervos) meaning "left, left-handed".
ZetterbergSwedish Combination of Swedish säter "outlying meadow" and berg "mountain, hill".
ZettergrenSwedish Combination of Swedish säter "outlying meadow" and gren "branch".
ZetterlundSwedish Combination of Swedish säter "outlying meadow" and lund "grove".
ZhaChinese From Chinese 查 (zhā) referring to the ancient fief of Zha, which was part of the state of Qi during the Zhou dynasty in what is now Shandong province. Alternately it may come from the name of a fief that was part of the state of Chu during the Zhou dynasty in what is now Anhui province.
ZhaiChinese From Chinese 翟 (zhái) referring to the ancient state of Zhai, which existed during the Zhou dynasty in what is now Shanxi province. The character 翟 was originally read as Di but was later changed to Zhai due to dialectal differences.
ZiębaPolish From ‘finch’; a nickname for someone thought to resemble the bird or maybe because a person lived in an area with many finches. Perhaps a metonymic occupational name for a birdcatcher or dealer.
ZiegenhagenGerman Derived from Middle High German zige "goat" and hag "enclosure, hedge, pasture". Could be an occupational name for someone who kept goats, or be derived from any of several places with the name.
ZimbalistJewish Occupational name for a cymbalist or a dulcimer player, particularly the cimbalom, derived from Yiddish tsimbl meaning "dulcimer, cimbalom, cymbal". The American actor Efrem Zimbalist Jr. (1918-2014) was a famous bearer of this surname.
ZingerGerman The surname Zinger was first found in Saxony, where this family name became a prominent contributor to the development of the district from ancient times. ... In Old German the name meant "lively" and "spritely," or more literally, "a biting, sharp taste."
ZinnGerman From the German for word for tin "tin." The name indicated someone who worked with the metal. A famous bearer is Johann Gottfried Zinn, a German botanist. Carl Linnaeus named the flower Zinnia in his honor.
ZolaItalian Italian: habitational name from any of various minor places named with Zol(l)a, from a dialect term for a mound or bank of earth, as for example Zola Predosa (Bologna) or Zolla in Monrupino (Trieste)... [more]
ZongChinese From Chinese 棕 (zōng) meaning "brown".
ZongChinese From Chinese 宗 (zōng) meaning "lineage, ancestry". Perhaps it originally denoted a person who was a geneaolgist.
ZopfGerman Nickname for someone who wore his hair in a pigtail or plait, Middle High German zopf, zoph, or from a field name from same word in the sense ‘tail’, ‘end’, ‘narrow point’.
ZoppiItalian Nickname from zoppo "lame, unsteady".
ZornGerman From Middle High German zorn "wrath, anger". A notable bearer was Swedish painter Anders Zorn (1860-1920) whose father was German.