GreenwayEnglish Originally given to a person who lived near a grassy path, from Middle English grene "green" and weye "road, path" (cf. Way).... [more]
GakpoWestern African, Ewe Means "iron, metal" in Ewe, possibly derived from a nickname or an occupation. It is usually found in Ghana and Togo. Dutch soccer player Cody Gakpo (1999-) bears this name.
HatchEnglish English (mainly Hampshire and Berkshire): topographic name from Middle English hacche ‘gate’, Old English hæcc (see Hatcher). In some cases the surname is habitational, from one of the many places named with this word... [more]
WójtMedieval Polish Occupational name and title from Medieval Polish meaning Lord Protector or Governor. Derived from Latin advocatus. German variant Vogt, Swedish variant Fogde... [more]
ShulmanJewish It is a Jewish-Polish surname that first appeared around 1090. It means Rabai, Gabbai, or Shamash. These are occupations that take place in a Shul-Synagogue. Shul is the Yiddish word for Synagogue. The name litterally means 'man that goes to the Synagogue'.
HadfieldEnglish Habitational name from a place so named in Derbyshire named from Old English hæþ "heathland heather" and feld "field" meaning "heath open land".
LomaxEnglish Lomax is a territorial surname, derived from the hamlet of Lumhalghs, near Bury, Greater Manchester, and meaning "pool nook" or "recess". Notable persons with the surname Lomax include: Alan Lomax (1915–2002) American musicologist, son of John Avery Lomax... [more]
MastenEnglish This surname came from when a family lived in the settlements named Marsden in Lancashire and the West Riding of Yorkshire.
EnysCornish (Rare), Celtic (Rare) Enys is an ancient Celtic word meaning a circle, and island or a clearing in the forest, so it is possible that the first owners took their name from the land.
AuksiEstonian Auksi is an Estonian surname derived from "auks" meaning "in honor of".
AdaagistBerber Moroccan (Rifian): habitational name from the town of Daagist in the province of Řḥusima.
ShadowEnglish Origin unidentified. The name Shadue, Schadewe is recorded in England in the 12th and 13th centuries, from Middle English shadwe ‘shadow’, Old English sceadu (see Shade)... [more]
KivistöFinnish A combination of Finnish kivi "stone, rock" and the suffix -stö.
PhoenixEnglish From the name of a beautiful immortal bird which appears in Egyptian and Greek mythology. After living for several centuries in the Arabian Desert, it would be consumed by fire and rise from its own ashes, with this cycle repeating every 500 years... [more]
MeesterDutch, Flemish, German Occupational name for a teacher, lecturer or a master craftsman, or a nickname for someone who had a bossy demeanor, derived from Dutch meester meaning "master". A famous bearer of this surname is the American actress, singer and model Leighton Meester (1986-).
VillardFrench French cognate of Vilar. A topographic name denoting an inhabitant of a hamlet; or a habitational name from (Le) Villard the name of several places in various parts of France... [more]
AmstutzGerman (Swiss), German (Austrian) Topographic name for someone living near or at the foot of a steep mountainside, German am Stutz ‘at the escarpment’.
AllsaarEstonian Allsaar is an Estonian surname meaning "below/under island".
KöppelGerman (Silesian) Derived from Silesian German Köppel "head" (ulitmately derived from Low German Kopp), this name was a nickname for someone with a visible deformity or peculiarity of the head.
DonScottish Don derives from the Old Gaelic "donn", brown, or the Old English pre 7th Century "dunn", brown, or the Old English pre 7th Century "dunn", dull brown or dark, and was originally given as a distinguishing nickname to someone with dark hair or a swarthy complexion.
RuszczakPolish From the verb ruszać with numerous potential meanings—"to move; to set out", "to shake; to waver", "to bother; to harass" or "to disturb someone else's belongings"—or from Rus meaning either "reddish-haired person" or "Ruthenian; Rusyn".
KatDutch, Frisian, South African, Jewish Means "cat", a habitational name for someone who lived by a sign depicting a cat, or a nickname for someone who somehow resembled a cat, perhaps in agility or an independent nature.
SalgueroSpanish Means "willow tree" in Spanish, ultimately from Latin salix. It was either a topographic name for someone who lived near willow trees or a habitational name for someone from the city of Salguero in Burgos, Spain (also derived from this word).
SaujiJapanese (Rare) From Japanese 佐 (sa) meaning "aid; help" and 氏 (shi) meaning "family, clan". This may also be a variant transcription of Japanese Kanji 佐氏 (see Saudji)... [more]
WiersmaWest Frisian Can be a patronymic form of the given name Wier, a contracted form of Wieger (see also Wiro), or a toponymic surname from West Frisian wier "artificial hill, dwelling mound", a cognate of English weir and Dutch wierde.
AlamilloSpanish Spanish: topographic name from alamillo a diminutive of álamo 'poplar' or a habitational name from any of the many places called with this word in particular one in Ciudad Real.
LeetEstonian Leet is an Estonian surname meaning "sandbank".
FukubeJapanese From Japanese 福 (fuku) meaning "happiness, good fortune, blessing" and 辺 (be) meaning "area, place, vicinity".
KoniRussian Derived from Russian конь (konʹ) "horse", denoting someone who worked with horses or whose traits are similar to one. Anatoly Koni (1844-1927) was a Russian jurist, judge, politician and writer... [more]
AxeEnglish Locational surname which describes one who lived by the Axe Rivers in Somerset or Dorset.
SudlowEnglish (British) Apparently a habitational name from an unidentified place, perhaps Sudlow Farm in Cheshire.
ObukhovmRussian Occupational name for a lumberjack or a maker of axes, derived from Russian обух (obukh) meaning "butt" (referring to the thicker end of a tool or weapon like an axe).
BarnerEnglish Southern English habitational name for someone who lived by a barn.
TsukigataJapanese 月 (Tsuki) means "month, moon" and 形 (gata) means "shape, form, type".
MungiaBasque From the name of a town and municipality in Biscay, Basque Country, possibly derived from the personal name Munio combined with the locative suffix -(t)egi.
HegadushHungarian Meaning violin maker and violin player deriving from the Hungarian work for violin.
ArboledaSpanish From arboleda meaning "grove of trees". This is the name of a prominent Colombian family, in which case it is derived from their region of origin in Arboleya, Spain.
ArisawaJapanese From Japanese 有 (ari) meaning "have, possess" and 沢 or 澤 (sawa) meaning "marsh".
De SouzaPortuguese Means "of Sousa" in Portuguese, referring to the River Sousa flowing through northern Portugal. The word Sousa itself is derived from the Latin saxa, saxum meaning "stone, rock". The surname is more commonly used in Brazil and Portuguese-speaking African countries today.
RappaItalian, Sicilian from Sicilian rappa meaning ‘bunch, cluster’ or Italian rappa meaning ‘lock, quiff’, which was presumably applied as a nickname with reference to someone’s hair.
TedderEnglish From the Middle English word Thedere or Teddere which either comes from the Old English name Thēodhere or the Germanic name Theudher. Alternatively, it could be an occupational name from the Middle English Teddere, meaning “one who teds”... [more]
HaavistoFinnish Means "place with aspens" or "group of aspens". This name comes from a combination of haapa, "aspen", and the suffix -sto which is used for places and groups of things.
PastoriusGerman (Latinized) Derived from Latin pastor "shepherd", a Latinized form of German surname Schäfer. This surname is no longer found in Germany. Jaco Pastorius (1951-1987), full name John Francis Anthony Pastorius III, was the most influential American jazz bassist, composer, and producer... [more]
PyleDutch (Americanized) Americanized form of Dutch Pijl, a metonymic occupational name for a marksman or an arrowsmith, derived from pijl meaning "arrow".
MajerleSlovene Slovene surname Majerle, a variant of the Polish, Czech, and Slovak Majer, which was a status name for "steward, bailiff, tenant farmer, or village headman", from the German Meyer 1.
BatlokwaTswana, Southern African a branch of the Bakgatla section of the Bantu speaking communities which originated from the Great Lakes and Northern Central Africa. Batlokwa are said to have been a breakaway branch of the Bakgatla which is another Bahurutse section of the Tswana people.
NoviItalian Derived from Italian novello and ultimately derived from Latin novellus meaning "new". "Novi" also means "new" in several Slavic languages.