FaneEnglish From a medieval nickname for a well-disposed person (from Old English fægen "glad, willing"), or from a medieval Welsh nickname for a slim person (Welsh fain). This is the family name of the earls of Westmorland.
FangChinese From Chinese 方 (fāng) referring to Fang Shu, a minister and adviser to King Xuan of the Western Zhou dynasty. Alternately it may have come from a place called Fang Shan (方山), which existed in what is now Henan province.
FangChinese From Chinese 房 (fáng) referring to the ancient state of Fang, which existed in what is now Henan province.
FangHmong From the clan name Faj or Faaj associated with the Chinese character 黃 (huáng) (see Huang).
FanningIrish The roots of the name are unclear. It seems the name is Native Irish Gaelic. It is thought to be derived from the Gaelic name Ó Fionnáin which means "fair".
FantasiaItalian From Italian fantasia meaning "imagination", possibly a nickname for a person who had a vivid imagination, or from the personal name Fantasia, the feminine form of Fantasio. Known bearers include American sociologist Rick Fantasia and Australian footballer Orazio Fantasia (1995-).
FantauzziItalian Tuscanized form of a surname named for the eponymous settlement at the coordinates 42°28'9N, 12°52'36E.
FantauzzoItalian From the medieval word "fante," meaning infant or child.
FantiItalian Derived from the given name Fante, or another name containing the medieval element fante "child, boy".
FantinItalian, Venetian, Emilian-Romagnol Likely Derived from a northern, Emilian-Romagnol variant of fantino, meaning 'baby, boy', ‘foot soldier’, or 'young (unmarried) man'.
FantuzziEmilian-Romagnol, Italian A surname derived from the medieval name "Fantino", which is a diminutive of "Fante", usually meaning "infant" or "child", but it was also used to refer to a "foot soldier".
FaradayIrish From Irish Gaelic Ó Fearadaigh "descendant of Fearadach", a personal name probably based on fear "man", perhaps meaning literally "man of the wood". A famous bearer was British chemist and physicist Michael Faraday (1791-1867).
FaranoItalian, Sicilian Possibly deriving from a town Faranò in province of Messina, Sicily. Possible variant of Surname faran which comes from Irish surnames Ó Fearáin, Ó Faracháin, or Ó Forannáin.
FariesScottish Gaelic Scottish Gaelic Faries (meaning: fair, beautiful, or handsome) is derived from ancient Scottish Dalriadan MacFergus clans of the mountainous west coast of Scotland... [more]
FarishScottish "Farish" derives from "Fari" meaning "Farrier".This unravells to many decades ago when people forged shoes for horses,people who were extremly skilled blacksmiths and named "farrier".This group of "farriers" named "Farish" lived in the highlands of the cool misty moors of scotland-the mighty country,who unleashed highly educated citizens who dispersed all over britain.
FarkashHebrew Hebrew transcription of Farkas, famous bearer is Israeli singer and actress Amit Farkash (or Farkas)
FarleyIrish anglicized form of the Gaelic surname O'Faircheallaigh.
FarleyEnglish habitational name from any of various places called Farley of which there are examples in Berkshire Derbyshire Hampshire Kent Somerset Gloucestershire Staffordshire Surrey Wiltshire Shropshire and Sussex... [more]
FarmanEnglish (i) from an Old Norse personal name denoting literally a seafarer or travelling trader, brought into English via French; (ii) "itinerant trader, pedlar", from Middle English fareman "traveller"
FarnumEnglish English and Irish. The origins of the Farnum name lie with England's ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. It comes from when the family lived at Farnham, in several different counties including Buckinghamshire, Dorset, Essex, Suffolk, and the West Riding of Yorkshire... [more]
FarnworthEnglish Farnworth is a combination of two words: old-English fearn meaning "fern" and worth, making the full meaning of Farnworth "settlers from a place where ferns are abundant." The oldest known record of the surname was in Farnworth with Kearsley (modern-day Farnworth), Lancashire in 1185... [more]
FarooqiMuslim Muslim: Arabic family name (Fārūqī), denoting someone descended from or associated with someone called Farooq , in particular a descendant of the khalif ῾Umar.
FarragutBreton, French, Catalan, American A Breton-French surname of unknown origin. A notable bearer was American naval flag officer David Farragut (1801-1870), who is known for serving during the American Civil War. His father was of Catalan ancestry... [more]
FarrarEnglish (British) Northern English: occupational name for a smith or worker in iron, from Middle English and Old French farrour, ferour, from medieval Latin ferrator, an agent derivative of ferrare ‘to shoe horses’, from ferrum ‘iron’, in medieval Latin ‘horseshoe’... [more]
FarrimondEnglish Either from the Norman given name Faramund, or else a variant of the occupational surname Ferriman ('with post-medieval excrescent -d').
FarrowEnglish Northern English: hyper-corrected form of Farrar, occupational name for a smith or worker in iron. The original -ar or -er ending of this name came to be regarded as an error, and was changed to -ow.
FarrugiaMaltese Derived from Maltese farruġ meaning "chicken", used as a name for someone who kept chickens.
FarthingEnglish (i) "someone who lives on a 'farthing' of land" (i.e. a quarter of a larger area); (ii) from a medieval nickname based on farthing "1/4 penny", perhaps applied to someone who paid a farthing in rent; (iii) from the Old Norse male personal name Farthegn, literally "voyaging warrior"
FarzanehPersian From Persian فرزانه (farzâne) meaning "wise, learned".
FasanoItalian Probably from Italian fasani "pheasant", a nickname for someone who resembled the bird in appearance or (lack of) intelligence, who hunted them, or who lived in an area populated by them. ... [more]
FassGerman From Middle High German faz, German Fass 'cask', 'keg', hence a metonymic occupational name for a maker or seller of casks and kegs, or a nickname for someone as rotund as a barrel. German: variant of Fasse, Faas.
FassbinderGerman Variant of Kiefer 2, from German Fass "barrel, keg, cask" and binder "girder, tie". Rainer Werner Fassbinder (1945-1982) was a German filmmaker, dramatist and actor, considered as one of the major figures and catalysts of the New German Cinema movement.
FastGerman, Swedish Either a short form of a name starting with the element fast meaning "steadfast, firm", or a nickname for a reliable steadfast person.
FaucettEnglish Locational surname from various British places: Fawcett in Cumberland, Facit in Lancashire, Forcett in North Yorkshire, or Fa’side Castle in East Lothian, Scotland. The linguistic origins of the name arise variously from, in Cumberland and Lancashire, "multi-coloured hillside" in 7th century Old English fag or fah, "brightly coloured, variegated, flowery" with side, "slope"; in North Yorkshire from Old English ford, "ford", and sete, "house, settlement"; or, reputedly, in East Lothian, "fox on a hillside"... [more]
FauntleroyEnglish Little Lord Fauntleroy is the first children's novel written by English playwright and author Frances Hodgson Burnett. Fauntleroy is also Donald Duck's middle name.
FawcettEnglish Originates from the Anglo-Saxon word 'fag' or 'fah' meaning bright or flowery.
FawkesEnglish From the Norman personal name Faulques or Fauques, which was derived from a Germanic nickname meaning literally "falcon". A famous bearer of the surname was Guy Fawkes (1570-1606), the English Catholic conspirator... [more]
FawleyEnglish This is a name for someone who worked as a person who worked as the fowler or the bird-catcher having derived from the Old English word "fugelere" which literally means "hunter of wild birds, fowler"... [more]
FayneEnglish The surname Fayne is derived from the Middle English words "fein," "fayn," or " fane," which all mean "glad." The name was a nickname for a happy or good-natured person.
FazalArabic In Islam Imam Hussain's brother (Abbas) was named Fazal, however he was not his biological brother. Imam Hasan was his biological brother. Fazal was rather referred to as Abbas, in his life (c. 566 – c. 653 CE) he was referred to as Abbas and is also referred to today as Abbas
FearnleyEnglish (British) Comes from the family having resided in a forest glade carpeted with ferns. The name Fearnley is derived from two Old English elements: fearn, the old English word for ferns, and leah, a word for a clearing in a forest.
FeatherEnglish from Middle English fetherfedder "feather" or perhaps a shortened form of Middle English fetherer applied as a metonymic occupational name for a trader in feathers and down a maker of quilts or possibly a maker of pens... [more]
FeatherstonEnglish (British) The name probably means feudal stone where the locals paid the lord of the manor their taxes. It probably starts spelled in the 1500's as Fetherston which is mainly when parish records began and moves though the century's to Fetherstone and then to Featherston then Featherstone, In the Doomsday book the lord of the manor of Featherstone in West Yorkshire but in both cases it was of course Fetherston was Ralph de Fetherston... [more]
FechterGerman Occupational name derived from Middle High German vehten "to fence", denoting a fencer. Notable bearers include German bricklayer Peter Fechter (1944–1962), and American engineer and inventor Aaron Fechter (1953-), creator of the band Rock-afire Explosion.
FeckGerman, Frisian From a short form of the Frisian personal name Feddeke, a pet form of Fre(de)rik (see Friederich).
FederGerman, Jewish metonymic occupational name for a trader in feathers or in quill pens from Middle High German vedere German feder "feather quill pen"... [more]
FederspielGerman (Swiss) Derived from Middle High German vederspil "bird of prey (trained for hunting)", this was an occupational name for a falconer.
FedieLow German Originally spelled as 'Fidi' in Austria, later changed to Fedie when bearers of the name immigrated to the United States. The meaning of the name is "faith."
FegleyEnglish A notable bearer is Oakes Fegley, an actor.
FeiChinese From Chinese 费 (fèi) referring to the ancient state of Fei, which existed during the Xia and Zhou dynasties in what is now Shandong province. Alternately it may come from Feiyi (費邑), the name of a fief that existed in the state of Lu (during the Zhou dynasty) in what is now Shandong province.
FeijóoSpanish, Portuguese Derived from Galician feixó, meaning "bean", possibly denoting a bald person.
FeilerGerman Occupational name for a filemaker, from Feil + the agent suffix -er.
FeinJewish German-style spelling of Yiddish fayn as in "fine"; "excellent"
FeingoldJewish A Jewish name, from German, literally "fine gold".
FeinmanGerman, Jewish Nickname for a fine person, derived from either Middle High German fīn meaning "fine, elegant, cultivated" or German fein and Yiddish fayn meaning "fine, excellent", combined with man.
FeldsteinGerman, Jewish Ornamental name meaning "field stone" in German. A famous bearer is American actor and filmmaker Jonah Hill (1983-), born Jonah Hill Feldstein. Another famous bearer is Hill's sister, actress Beanie Feldstein (1993-).
FeliceItalian Given name Felice, which is the Italian form of Felix.... [more]
FelkerEnglish The surname Felker was a patronymic surname, created from a form of the medieval personal name Philip. It was also a habitational name from a place name in Oxfordshire. Forms of the name such as de Filking(es) are found in this region from the 12th and 13th centuries.
FellEnglish From Middle English fell ”high ground”, ultimately derived from Old Norse fjall, describing one who lived on a mountain.
FellEnglish, German, Jewish Metonymic occupational name for a furrier, from Middle English fell, Middle High German vel, or German Fell or Yiddish fel, all of which mean "skin, hide, pelt". Yiddish fel refers to untanned hide, in contrast to pelts "tanned hide" (see Pilcher).
FellerEnglish, German, Jewish Occupational name for a furrier, from an agent derivative of Middle English fell, Middle Low German, Middle High German vel, or German Fell or Yiddish fel "hide, pelt". See also Fell.
FellerGerman Habitational name for someone from a place called Feld(e) or Feld(a) in Hesse.
FelliItalian Possibly derived from a nickname based on fello "criminal; evil, wretched; angry; sad, gloomy".
FellowsEnglish English: patronymic from Fellow, from Middle English felagh, felaw late Old English feolaga ‘partner’, ‘shareholder’ (Old Norse félagi, from fé ‘fee’, ‘money’ + legja to lay down)... [more]
FennerEnglish A surname of either Old French origin, allegedly meaning “huntsman”, or else more probably referring to those who were brought over from the Low Countries to assist in draining the “fens” or wetlands of England and Ireland – a process which lasted from the 9th to the 18th centuries.
FennesseyIrish An ancient Irish name. Presumed to come from the name Fionnghusa, or sometimes O'Fionnghusa.... [more]
FenningEnglish Topographic name for a fen dweller, from a derivative of Old English fenn (see Fenn).
FentonEnglish Originated from several place names in England, meaning “marsh town” from Old English fenn “marsh, fen” + tun “enclosure; settlement, town”.
FeraItalian Probably related to modern Italian fiero "fierce, savage, raging; bold, daring; proud", by way of Latin ferus "wild, fierce; untamed" or fera "wild beast".
FerrandFrench, English This French surname can be derived from a given name (thus making it a patronymic surname) as well as from a nickname (thus making it a descriptive surname). In the case of a patronymic surname, the surname is derived from the medieval French masculine given name Ferrand, which was a variant form of the name Fernand, itself a contraction of Ferdinand.... [more]
FerrandinoItalian Derived from the masculine given name Ferrandino, which is a diminutive of the medieval Italian given name Ferrando. For more information about this, please see the entry for the patronymic surname of Ferrando.... [more]
FerrandoItalian, Spanish This surname can be derived from a given name (thus making it a patronymic surname) as well as from a nickname (thus making it a descriptive surname). In the case of a patronymic surname, the surname is derived from the medieval masculine given name Ferrando, which was in use in both Italy and Spain during the Middle Ages... [more]
FerranteItalian This surname can be derived from a given name (thus making it a patronymic surname) as well as from a nickname (thus making it a descriptive surname). In the case of a patronymic surname, the surname is derived from the medieval masculine given name Ferrante... [more]
FerrantiItalian Derived from the Latin word ferrum, which means "iron". Originally an occupational name for a blacksmith or a worker in iron.
FerrantinoItalian Derived from the masculine given name Ferrantino, which is a diminutive of the medieval Italian given name Ferrante. For more information about this, please see the entry for the patronymic surname of Ferrante.
FerrarEnglish The Ferrars are the Lincolnshire branch of the noble De Ferrers family. The latter having been linked to Tamworth Castle, manors in Baddesley Clinton, Tutbury Castle and the now ruined Groby Castle as well as many other estates around the UK.... [more]