UnterreinerGerman Topographic name for someone who lived below a mountain ridge, from Middle High German under meaning ‘under’ + rein meaning ‘ridge’.
UnthankEnglish From a place name meaning "squatter's holding" from Old English unthanc (literally "without consent").
UnwinEnglish From the Old English male personal name Hūnwine, literally "bearcub-friend" (later confused with Old English unwine "enemy"). Bearers include British publisher Sir Stanley Unwin (1885-1968) and "Professor" Stanley Unwin (1911-2002), South African-born British purveyor of comical nonsense language.
UpchurchEnglish habitational name from a place called as "the high church" or possibly the higher of two churches from Middle English up "up high higher" and chirche "church" (Old English upp and cirice)... [more]
UpshawEnglish Probably a habitational name from a lost or unidentified place named with Old English upp meaning "up(per)" and sc(e)aga meaning "copse", or a topographic name with the same meaning.
UpsherEnglish Habitational name denoting someone from the hamlet Upshire in County Essex, derived from Old English upp "up, upper" and scir "shire, district".
UpshurEnglish Most probably an altered spelling of English Upshire, a habitational name from Upshire in Essex, named with Old English upp "up" and scir "district". Alternatively, it may be a variant of Upshaw.
UptainEnglish Derived from Upton, but meaning "always prepared"
UrbanskyCzech, Slovak, Polish, Russian, Jewish In Czech and Slovak usage, it is a habitational name for someone from a place called Urbanice. In Polish usage, it is a habitational name for someone from a place named with the personal name Urban.
UrbinoSicilian, Italian Possibly from the name of an Italian town. Could also be from Sicilian urbu or orbu, meaning "blind", in which case it may refer to literal blindness, or a more metaphorical "blind to one's sins", especially in the case of foundlings.
UrdanetaBasque It indicates familial origin within the eponymous neighborhood of the municipality of Aia.
UrendaBasque Probably a topographic name formed with Basque ur "water".
UrtiagaBasque It indicates familial origin near the eponymous cave in the municipality of Deba.
UsSlovene (Rare) Us is a Slovene Surname which in itself is a shortened version of the House Name Ušič,Meaning Son of Us. The surname may be linked the the slovene word Oves, which translates to "Oats", and may have been an occupational surname referring to someone who farmed Oats and or grains.
UsecheBasque Habitational name from Basque Usaetxe, composed of uso "dove, pigeon" and etxe "house, home, building".
UseltonEnglish Perhaps a variant of Osselton, a habitational name from a lost or unidentified place, probably in northeastern England, where this name is most common.
UshakovmRussian Derives from Russian word "уша (usha)" meaning ear.
UsherEnglish Occupational name from Middle English usher, meaning "usher, doorkeeper".
UshijimaJapanese From Japanese 牛 (ushi) meaning "cow, bull, ox" and 島 (shima) meaning "island".
UskoRusyn, Slovak Slovak-Rusyn (Suško): hypocoristic derivative of an adjective (see Suchý) meaning ‘dry’ (as a topographic name) or, when applied to people, ‘thin, lean, meager’.... [more]
UtleyEnglish Derived from the Old English elements ote, or "oats" and leah, meaning "a clearing."
UtneNorwegian In Norwegian, probably has some pre-Germanic elements (i.e. before approx. 200 CE). Other place-names in the area also has an element of pre-Germanic and unknown origins. It has been suggested that it derives from "Út-tún", meaning the hamlet or farmstead that is "out"
VadeboncœurFrench (Quebec) From the French phrase va de bon cœur meaning "go with a good (merry) heart". This was a secondary surname, common among soldiers in colonial French Canada, which has been adopted as a principal surname.
VadénSwedish Combination of Swedish place name element vad which in most cases mean "ford, place for wading", and the common surname suffix -én.
VaderGerman (Rare) From Middle Low German vader meaning ‘father’, ‘senior’; in the Middle Ages this was used a term of address for someone who was senior in rank or age.
ValderrábanoSpanish It indicates familial origin within the eponymous municipality.
ValderramaSpanish Habitational name from any of the places named Valderrama, as for example in Burgos province.
ValderramaSpanish This surname is made up of the prefix "bal-" from latin "vallis," the equivalent of prefix "-valle" meaning a vale or a valley plus the Spanish "derramare" - to scatter or to spread. Hence, implies valley which is spread out.
ValdiviaSpanish Topographic or habitational name based on Spanish val, valle meaning "valley". A notable bearer was Pedro de Valdivia (died 1553), a Spanish conquistador who conquered Chile with a small expedition corps after he served under Francisco Pizarro in Peru... [more]
ValdiviesoSpanish This place-name is derived from the Asturian word val-di-vieso, which means old man's-valley.
ValdoviñoGalician This indicates familial origin within the eponymous municipality.
ValdovinosSpanish Spanish: from a personal name of ancient Germanic origin composed of the elements bald 'bold brave' + win 'friend'.
ValeEnglish Topographic name for someone who lived in a valley, Middle English vale (Old French val, from Latin vallis). The surname is now also common in Ireland, where it has been Gaelicized as de Bhál.
ValenEnglish, Scottish English and Scottish: from a medieval personal name, Latin Valentinus, a derivative of Valens (see also Valente), which was never common in England, but is occasionally found from the end of the 12th century, probably as the result of French influence... [more]
ValenzuelaSpanish Habitational name from places named Valenzuela in Córdoba and Ciudad Real. The place name is a diminutive of Valencia, literally "little Valencia".
ValeraSpanish Habitational name from either of two places in Spain named Valera.
ValetteFrench Topographic name for someone who lived in a small valley, from a diminutive of Old French valee meaning "valley".
ValezSpanish I think it is of Spanish Background possibly meaning 'Soldier' or 'Guard'. ... [more]
VäliEstonian Väli is an Estonian surname meaning "field".
ValiSpanish, Italian (Swiss), Arabic This Spanish and Italian surname of VALI was a locational name for someone OR A family who lived in a valley. In valle quiescit ( In the valley of our home, we find peace.)... [more]
VallanceEnglish Means "person from Valence", southeastern France (probably "place of the brave").
ValleSpanish, Filipino, Italian Habitational name from any of the many places named with valle "valley", or topographic name for someone who lived in a valley (Latin vallis).
ValléeFrench topographic name for someone who lived in a valley from Old French valee "valley" (from Latin vallis) or a habitational name from (La) Vallée the name of several places in various parts of France... [more]
ValleraFrench French: habitational name from Vallery in Yonne, once a Romano-Gallic estate, recorded in 1218 as Valerianus. The surname is also found in the British Isles and may be of Norman origin, from the same place.
ValletFrench, English French topographic name from a diminutive of Old French val "valley" (see Val ) or a habitational name from (Le) Vallet the name of several places mainly in the northern part of France and French and English occupational name for a manservant from Old French and Middle English vallet "manservant groom".
ValleyEnglish Topographic name for someone who lived in a valley, Middle English valeye.
VallieGerman Probably an altered spelling of German Valee, a fairly common surname of French origin denoting someone who lived in a valley. The name in Germany is also spelled Wallee.
ValoisFrench topographic name for someone who lived in a valley, or a habitational name from any of the various places called Vallois, or regional name from the district in northern France so called, which was once an independent duchy... [more]
Van BerkelDutch Means "from Berkel", the name of several villages derived from berk "birch tree" and lo "forest clearing".
Van BoxtelDutch Means "from Boxtel" in Dutch, the name of a town in North Brabant, Netherlands, derived from Middle Dutch buk "buck, roebuck, hart" and stelle "stable, safe residence".
Van BrocklinDutch (Americanized) Americanized form of Van Breukelen. A notable bearer of this surname was the American football player, coach and executive Norman Mack Van Brocklin (1926-1983), also known as "The Dutchman".
VandalEnglish (Rare) A English word meaning "someone who willfully destroys or defaces property",and a member of ancient Germanic tribes.
Van De MarkDutch Topographic name for someone who lived by a border or boundary, from Middle Dutch marke meaning "boundary, borderland". Could also derive from the river Mark, likely originating from the same etymology.
Van Den OeverDutch Means "from the riverbank" in Dutch, derived from oever "bank, riverbank, shore". Den Oever is also the name of a village in North Holland.
VandeputteFlemish Means "from the pit, of the well", from Middle Dutch putte "pit, well".
Van DerDutch Possibly a clipping of a longer surname beginning with van der meaning "of the, from the". Alternatively, could be a variant spelling of van Deur.
Van Der AaDutch, Flemish Means "from the Aa" in Dutch, a common name for rivers and streams derived from Old Germanic *ahwō "stream, river; water".
Van Der BiltDutch Means "from De Bilt", the name of a town derived from Middle Dutch belt "mound, heap, hill".
Van Der KlokDutch Means "from the bell", from Middle Dutch clocke "bell; bell-shaped", a habitational name for someone who lived near a bell tower, or perhaps a sign depicting a bell.
Van Der KooiDutch Means "from the pen", derived from Dutch kooi "cage", given to someone who owned a duck decoy field for hunting, or who came from a place named after one.
Van Der LoopDutch From Dutch loop "course, duration; river course", a topographical name for someone who lived by a waterway, in particular a waterway called De Loop in North Brabant.
Van Der MerweDutch, South African Means "from the Merwe", Merwe being an older form of Merwede, the name of a river in the Netherlands. It derives from meri "lake, sea" and widu "wood"... [more]
VanderplaatsDutch A surname given to someone living near a plaats (open space), or someone from De Plaats in North Brabant.
Van der PlasDutch Means "from the pool" in Dutch, derived from plas "pool, puddle, pond; body of stagnant water".
Van der PloegDutch Means "of the plough" in Dutch, an occupational name for a farmer or a bookbinder (a ploeg also being a tool used in binding books), or a habitational name for someone who lived by a sign depicting a plough.
Van Der SpekDutch Habitational name derived from Middle Dutch specke "log dam, bridge of tree trunks, road through a marshy area".
Van Der SteenDutch, Flemish Means "from the stone", a habitational name for someone from any of various minor places called Steen or Ten Stene, for example in the Belgian provinces of East Flanders and Brabant.
Van Der WaalDutch Toponymic or habitational name derived from Middle Dutch wael "dike breach pool, eddy, vortex, mud flat" or "reservoir, well".
Van der WeideDutch Means "from the pasture" in Dutch, either a topographic name for someone who lived by a meadow, or a metonymic occupational name for a butcher.
Van der WerfDutch Means "from the wharf" or "from the shipyard" in Dutch, derived from werf meaning "quay, wharf, shipyard", or from the older form werve "dyke, quay, bank". Can be a topographic name for someone who lived near such a place, or an occupational name for someone who worked at a shipyard, such as a carpenter.
Van Der ZandenDutch Means "from the sand", most likely given to someone who lived near sandy grounds. It originated in the southeastern part of the Netherlands.
Van DeusenDutch (Americanized) Most likely an altered form of Van Deursen. Alternatively, could be a habitational name for someone from the German town of Deusen, north of Dortmund, in North Rhine-Westphalia near the Dutch border... [more]
Van DrielDutch Means "from Driel" in Dutch, referring to either the village Driel or any of several other settlements containing driel as an element... [more]
Van DyneDutch (Americanized) Americanized form of Dutch Van Duijne, a habitational name from any of several locations in the Netherlands name Duin or Duinen, derived from the element duin "dune".
Van EgmondDutch Means "from Egmond" in Dutch, the name of a town and former municipality in North Holland. The toponym is possibly derived from heeg-munde (or hecmunda) meaning "enclosed fortress".
Van ErpDutch Means "from Erp" in Dutch, a town in North Brabant, Netherlands, possibly derived from Old Dutch *apa "watercourse" and an unclear first element.
Van EsDutch Means "from the ash tree", denoting someone who lived by an ash tree or who came from a place named for them, such as Esch.
van EssenDutch Means "from Essen" in Dutch, the name of a German city possibly derived from Old High German asc "ash tree".
Van EyckDutch It means "of the oak", Eyck is a different, more archaic spelling of the word "eik" which means oak.
Van GelderDutch Dutch toponymic surname meaning "from/of Guelders", a county and later duchy in the Low Countries.
Van GemertDutch Means "from Gemert" in Dutch, the name of a village in North Brabant, Netherlands, possibly derived from Old Germanic mari "lake" (compare Old Dutch meri) combined with the collectivising prefix ga-.
Van GentDutch Means "from Ghent" in Dutch, the name of a city in Belgium possibly derived from Celtic ganda "confluence; place where two rivers meet", or from the name of the Celtic goddess Gontia, tutelary deity of the river Günz#.
Van GinkelDutch Means "from Ginkel" in Dutch, the name of a settlement in Gelderland, Netherlands, possibly derived from Old Dutch gengi "accessible, passable" and lo "light forest, forest clearing".
Van HarenDutch Means "from Haren" in Dutch, the name of several settlements derived from haar "sandy ridge".
Van HeldenDutch Means "from Helden" in Dutch, the name of a village in Limburg, Netherlands, derived from Old Dutch helde "slope, incline".
Van HeukelomDutch, Belgian Denoted someone from any of several places Heukelom or similar, derived from Old Dutch *hukila "hill, elevated place" and hem "home, settlement".
Van HeusenDutch Heusen is derived from the town Husum in Holland. The town was on the Zuyder Zee, Holstein, Holland.