ErreyEnglish This uncommon and intriguing name is of Old Norse origin, and is found chiefly in the north western counties of England, reflecting the dense settlement of Scandinavian peoples in those areas. The surname is locational, from places such as Aira Beck or Aira Force near Ullswater in Cumberland, or some other minor or unrecorded place also named with the Old Norse term "eyrara", meaning "gravel-bank stream river”.
ErripaldaBasque It indicates familial origin within the eponymous hamlet in the Navarrese municipality of Gorza.
ErrolScottish Derived from a village by this name in Perthshire.
ErrotabarriaBasque (Archaic) An extinct surname. Derived from Basque errota meaning "mill, factory" with the Spanish suffix -barria which refers to a "neighborhood".
ErvásExtremaduran It indicates familial origin within the eponymous municipality.
ErwinEnglish, German, Irish, Scottish From the given name Erwin. From the Middle English personal name EverwinErwin perhaps from Old English Eoforwine (eofor "boar" and wine "friend") but mostly from an Old French form of the cognate ancient Germanic name Everwin or from a different ancient Germanic name Herewin with loss of initial H- (first element hariheri "army")... [more]
EsakaJapanese E means "river, inlet" and saka means "slope, hill".
EsakiJapanese E means "river, inlet" and saki means "cape, peninsula".
EsawaJapanese E means "river, inlet" and sawa means "swamp, marsh".
EscandónSpanish, Spanish (Mexican) Derived from a field named "Escanda" denoting a type of wheat. Perhaps farmers who lived close to the area.
EscañuelaSpanish This indicates familial origin within the eponymous Andalusian municipality.
EschelsLow German A name common to the native inhabitants of the island of Föhr off the coast of northern Germany.
EschenbachGerman Eschenbach, from the root words Esch and Bach, is a surname that has origins in Germany and/or Switzerland. Esch is German for ash tree, and bach is German for brook, a small stream. Popular use of the surname includes the poet knight Wolfram von Eschenbach, and the name is used for multiple locations in Germany and Switzerland, or even more locations if you include spelling variations such as Eschbach, as this surname has undergone multiple mutations throughout history... [more]
EscherGerman Derived from German Esche meaning "ash (tree)", a habitational name for someone who lived near an ash tree, or came from a place named after it. This name was borne by the Dutch graphic artist M. C. Escher, known for making works inspired by mathematics.
EschonbachGerman (Japanized, Modern, Rare) A misspelling of the surname Eschenbach from the science-fiction series Mobile Suit Gundam with the characters Icelina Eschonbach and Joseph Eschonbach, which is possibly in reference to the poet knight Wolfram von Eschenbach given the military themes in the series such as German-based armored robotic vehicles.
EscoriuelaAragonese It indicates familial origin within the eponymous municipality.
EscotoSpanish ethnic name from escoto originally denoting a Gaelic speaker from Ireland or Scotland; later a Scot someone from Scotland. Spanish cognitive of Scott.
EspinalSpanish Spanish: from any of numerous fields named Espinal or Espinar, from a collective of espina ‘thorn’.
EspíndolaPortuguese (Latinized, ?) Portuguese of uncertain origin, but possibly a topographic name or a variation of Spinola. It was taken to Portugal by an immigrant family from Genoa, Italy.
EspiñeiraGalician Habitational from any of numerous places called Espiñeira in Galicia, Spain, from Galician espiño meaning "hawthorn".
Espinosa De Los MonterosSpanish Originating in northern Spain in the Espinosa de los Monteros municipality, it has various meanings. One meaning is that it was the surname of hidalgos who lived in Espinosa and helped the nobles get on their horses... [more]
EspotzBasque This indicates familial origin within the Navarrese municipality Artzi’s eponymous neighborhood.
EsprontzedaBasque This indicates familial origin within the eponymous Navarrese municipality.
EsquivelSpanish A name for someone who lives behind lime trees.
EssLow German, German (Swiss) North German: topographic name for someone living on or owning land that was waterlogged or partly surrounded by water, from Middle Low German es ‘swamp’, ‘water’. ... [more]
EssenDutch, German From any of several places called Essen, probably derived from asc "ash tree".
EsterhuizenSouthern African, Afrikaans Habitational name of French origin, denoting a person from Estreux, a commune in the Hauts-de-France region of northern France.
EsteruelasSpanish Possibly from the place name Camarma de Esteruelas, a village in Madrid.
EstesWelsh, Spanish, English a popular surname derived from the House of Este. It is also said to derive from Old English and have the meaning "of the East." As a surname, it has been traced to southern England in the region of Kent, as early as the mid-16th century.
EstopanyàRibagorçan This indicates familial origin within the eponymous municipality.
EtchellsEnglish (British) This surname was a habitation name derived from the Old English word "ecels" which is roughly translated as the "dweller on a piece of land added to an estate." Alternatively, the name may have derived from the Old English word "ecan" which means "to increase."
EtheringtonEnglish (British) An Old English surname from Kent, the village of Etherington, which derives from the Old English "Ethel"red' ing (meaning people of, coming from) and "ton" a town/village.
EtoJapanese 江 (E) means "River, Inlet" and 藤 (To) means "Wisteria".
EtoJapanese Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 江藤 (see Etō).
EtōJapanese From Japanese 江 (e) meaning "bay, inlet" and 藤 (tō) meaning "wisteria".
Eto'oCentral African, Ibibio, Efik Means "tree, wood" in Ibibio and Efik. It is found predominantly in Cameroon. The former Cameroonian soccer player Samuel Eto'o (1981-) is a famous bearer of this surname.
EtxekoparBasque It indicates familial origin within the eponymous neighborhood of the commune of Berrogaine-Larüntze in the arrondissement of Auloron e Senta Maria.
EveringhamEnglish Means "homestead of the followers of Eofor". From Old English eofor "boar" inga, meaning "the people of, followers of" and ham meaning "home, estate, settlement".
EvertonEnglish Habitational name from any of various places, in Bedfordshire, Merseyside, and Nottinghamshire, so named from Old English eofor ‘wild boar’ + tun ‘settlement’.
EveshamEnglish Derived from the Old English homme or ham and Eof, the name of a swineherd in the service of Egwin, third bishop of Worcester.
EvjenNorwegian Habitational name from a common farm name derived from Old Norse efja meaning "eddy backwater, mud, ooze".
EvolaItalian Perhaps a topographic name from Italian ebbio, a type of plant known as danewort in English (genus Sambucus), itself derived from Latin ebullus; alternatively, it may have been a habitational name for a person from a minor place named with this word... [more]
EwellEnglish Habitation name from the town of Ewell in Surrey or from Temple Ewell or Ewell Manor, both in Kent or Ewell Minnis near Dover. Originally from Old English Aewill meaning "river source" or "spring".
FaaborgDanish Habitational name from a place so called.
FàbregasCatalan Deriving from any of the places in Barcelona province named Fàbregues, from the plural of Fàbrega. Famous bearer of this surname is Spanish/Catalan footballer Francesc "Cesc" Fàbregas Soler.
FadenArabic Originally denoted someone from the city of Padang in Indonesia.
FahnLow German Topographic name for someone who lived by a bog, from a Westphalian field name van "marsh", or a habitational name from a place named with this word.
FahrGerman, German (Swiss) A topographic name for someone who lived near a crossing point on a river, from Middle High German vare, meaning ferry.
FaireyEnglish Either (i) meant "person from Fairy Farm or Fairyhall", both in Essex (Fairy perhaps "pigsty"); or (ii) from a medieval nickname meaning "beautiful eye". This was borne by Fairey Aviation, a British aircraft company, producer of the biplane fighter-bomber Fairey Swordfish... [more]
FajardoGalician Topographic name for someone who lived by a beech tree or in a beech wood, from Late Latin fagea (arbor) meaning "beech (tree)", a derivative of classical Latin fagus meaning "beech".
FalangaItalian From Sicilian falanga "plank, temporary bridge; fence".
FalcesSpanish (Philippines) Falces is a town and municipality located in the province and autonomous community of Navarre, northern Spain. In Basque the town is called Faltzes. It has a population of around 2500 inhabitants. It is well known for the famous "encierro del pilon", which is a running of the bulls made even more dangerous due to it being run down a narrow road of a steep hill... [more]
FalkenhagenGerman Habitational name from any of several places named from Old High German falke meaning "falcon" + hag meaning "hedge", "fencing". A place so named is documented west of Berlin in the 14th century.
FalkowskiPolish Habitational name for someone from a place called Falkow
FallowEnglish, Jewish English: topographic name for someone who lived by a patch of fallow land, Middle English falwe (Old English f(e)alg). This word was used to denote both land left uncultivated for a time to recover its fertility and land recently brought into cultivation.... [more]
FancourtEnglish Derived from the English surname Fancourt, which originated in the county of Bedfordshire in England.
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.
FanshaweEnglish Meant "person from Featherstonehaugh", Northumberland (now known simply as "Featherstone") ("nook of land by the four-stones", four-stones referring to a prehistoric stone structure known technically as a "tetralith")... [more]
FantauzziItalian Tuscanized form of a surname named for the eponymous settlement at the coordinates 42°28'9N, 12°52'36E.
FanthorpeEnglish Fan means "From France" and Thorpe is a Middle English word meaning "Small Village, Hamlet"
FarahaniPersian Indicated a person from the county of Farahan in Markazi province, Iran, of unknown meaning.
FaranHebrew The name of a desert mentioned in the Bible where Ishmael settled after his wanderings with his mother Hagar. The Israelites also came to this desert on their journey from the Sinai desert.
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.
FariaPortuguese, Italian Faria is a Portuguese surname. A habitational name from either of two places called Faria, in Braga and Aveiro. ... [more]
FariasPortuguese Habitational name from any of various places in Portugal called Faria.
FarizaItalian Original from Rome, Roman conquerors went to Iberia in about 140 B.C. and named a town in Iberia Fariza which was a tree. This town still exists today, and was also mentioned in the book 'El Cid'... [more]
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]
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]
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"
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]
FawcettEnglish Originates from the Anglo-Saxon word 'fag' or 'fah' meaning bright or flowery.
FazakerleyEnglish Means "person from Fazakerley", Liverpool ("glade by the borderland").
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.
FeatherstonhaughEnglish Indicates a person lived in or near Featherstonhaugh in Northumberland, England. From Old English feðere "feather", stān "stone", and healh "corner."
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.
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.
FellerGerman Habitational name for someone from a place called Feld(e) or Feld(a) in Hesse.
FeltonEnglish A habitation name composed of the elements feld-, meaning "field or pasture" and -tun, meaning "settlement."
FenningEnglish Topographic name for a fen dweller, from a derivative of Old English fenn (see Fenn).
FennoyAmerican Fennoy is a name whose history is connected to the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the Fennoy family once lived near a marsh or swamp. Another name for wetlands is fen, in the Old English fenn, from which this name is derived.
FentonEnglish Originated from several place names in England, meaning “marsh town” from Old English fenn “marsh, fen” + tun “enclosure; settlement, town”.
FenuItalian From Sardinian fenu "hay, marsh grass". A relation to Latin faenus "interest, profit" has been suggested, but seems unlikely.
FenwayEnglish Meaning, "through the fens," itself meaning, "through the marsh."
FerganiArabic (Maghrebi) From the name of the village of Ifergan in Morocco, derived from Tamazight afrag meaning "enclosed place, cloister".
FerlaItalian Denoting someone from a town of the same name, from Latin ferula "stick, cane".
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]
FerrersAncient Roman It derives from Latin, "ferrum", which means "iron". As a surname, it derives from two French villages named "Ferrieres" where iron was mined.
FettNorwegian (Rare) Derived from Old Norse fit "land, shore". This was the name of several farmsteads in Norway.
FeuchtwangerGerman Denoted a person from the town of Feuchtwangen in Germany. The name of the town is probably from German feucht "wet, humid, dank" and possibly wangen "cheek".
FeuerbacherGerman Habitational name for someone from any of the places called Feuerbach.
FichterGerman (Austrian) Habitational name deriving from places named with this word in Württemberg, Bavaria, Saxony, or Austria.
FichtnerGerman The Fichtner family name first began to be used in the German state of Bavaria. After the 12th century, hereditary surnames were adopted according to fairly general rules, and names that were derived from locations became particularly common
FielderEnglish Southern English from Middle English felder ‘dweller by the open country’.
FieldhouseEnglish Topographic name for someone who lived in a house in open pasture land. Reaney draws attention to the form de Felhouse (Staffordshire 1332), and suggests that this may have become Fellows.
FieldingEnglish Topographic name from an Old English felding ‘dweller in open country’.
FieneGerman, Low German A nickname for an elegant person, from Middle Low German fin, meaning ‘fine’. Can also be a locational name from several fields and places named Fiene.
FiennesEnglish Derived from Fiennes, a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of France. The wealthy and influential Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes family, prominent in British society, originated in northern France... [more]
FiermonteItalian Meaning uncertain. It possibly consists of the medieval Italian given name Fiero and the Italian word monte meaning "mountain", which would give this surname the meaning of "Fiero's mountain".
FigarellaCorsican It indicates familial origin near the eponymous river.
FigueiraPortuguese, Galician Means "fig tree" in Portuguese and Galician, ultimately from Latin ficaria. It was used a topographic name for someone who lived or worked near fig trees or for someone from any of various places called Figueira (derived from the same word).
FigueiredoPortuguese Name for someone from any of various places named Figueiredo, from Portuguese figueiredo meaning "fig tree orchard".
FiguerolaCatalan It indicates familial origin within either of 4 places: Figuerola farmhouse in the nucleus of Fontanet in the municipality of Torà in the comarca of Segarra, Figuerola neighborhood in the municipality of Les Piles, the municipality of Figuerola del Camp, or Figuerola d’Orcau neighborhood in the municipality of Isona i Conca Dellà.
FiguierFrench (Rare) From French figuier meaning "fig tree" (ultimately from Latin ficus; a cognate of Figueroa), possibly indicating a person who lived near a fig tree or one who owned a plantation of fig trees.
FijałkowskiPolish This indicates familial origin within the Masovian village of Fijałkowo.
FilkinsEnglish Means either (i) "person from Filkins", Oxfordshire ("settlement of Filica's people"); or "son of Filkin", a medieval personal name meaning literally "little Phil", from Philip.
FinchamEnglish habitational name from a place in Norfolk so called from Old English finc "finch" and ham "homestead".
FinchemEnglish This surname came from the Norman’s who had invaded England. The surname Finchem means homestead.
FinelGerman (Swiss) In colloquial language the word “Finel” describes a shelter, protecting animal and man from wind and weather.
FinkleaEnglish Variant form of Finkley. A famous bearer was the American actress and dancer Cyd Charisse (1922-2008), whose birth name was Tula Ellice Finklea.
FinkleyEnglish From Finkley, a hamlet in Hampshire, England, derived from Old English finc meaning "finch" and leah meaning "woodland, clearing".
FinstadNorwegian Means "Finn's farmstead", from the given name Finn 2 and Old Norse staðr "farmstead, dwelling". This was the name of several farms in Norway.
FirthEnglish, Scottish, Welsh English and Scottish: topographic name from Old English (ge)fyrhþe ‘woodland’ or ‘scrubland on the edge of a forest’.... [more]
FischbachGerman From a place called Fischbach, or a topographic name from German meaning fisch 'fish' + bach 'stream'.
FiscusGerman From Latin fiscus "basket", a humanistic Latinization of the German surname Korb. This is a metonymic occupational name for a basketmaker or a peddler, or a habitational name for someone who lived at a house distinguished by the sign of a basket.
FishburneEnglish Derived from the villages of Fishbourne in West Sussex and the Isle of Wight, or the village and civil parish of Fishburn in County Durham, England, all named from Old English fisc meaning "fish" and burna meaning "stream"... [more]
FiskeEnglish, Norwegian From the traditionally Norwegian habitational surname, from the Old Norse fiskr "fish" and vin "meadow". In England and Denmark it was a surname denoting someone who was a "fisherman" or earned their living from selling fish.
FivelandNorwegian (Rare) From the name of a farm in Norway named with the word fivel possibly meaning "cottongrass, bog cotton". This plant grows in abundance in the marshy land near the location of the farm.
FlashEnglish Means "person who lives near a pool" (Middle English flasshe "pool, marsh").
FlatowGerman Derived from the name of a district that existed in Prussia from 1818 to 1945. Today the territory of the Flatow district lies in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship and the Greater Poland Voivodeship in Poland.
FlavignyFrench French form of Flavinius. The Flavigny Abbey, in the French region of Burgundy, became famous because of the candies made by its Benedictine monks, called the anise of Flavigny... [more]
FleetwoodEnglish Means "From the town of Fleetwood, in Lancaster".
FlerchingerGerman Flerchinger is a name with origins from the city of Flörschingen or Flörange in the Saarland region on the French and German border.
FlettScottish, English (Canadian) Probably originating in Orkney and Shetland, from a place in the parish of Delting, Shetland, named with an Old Norse term 'flotr' denoting a strip of arable land or pasture. Also possibly derived from the Old Norse byname Fljótr ‘swift’, ‘speedy’... [more]
FlintEnglish, German Topographic name for someone who lived near a significant outcrop of flint, Old English, Low German flint, or a nickname for a hard-hearted or physically tough individual.
FlobergSwedish, Norwegian (Rare) Of uncertain origin. Could possibly be combination of flo, an unexplained element (but probably either ornamental or locational), and berg "mountain", or a habitational name from a place so named.
FlodgaardDanish Danish name element gård "farmstead, yard" combined with prefix flod meaning "river".
FloerchingerGerman Habitational name for someone from Flörchingen in the Saar region.
FlorkowskiPolish Habitational name for someone from Florków in Częstochowa voivodeship, or Florki from Przemyśl voivodeship, both so named from Florek, a pet form of the personal name Florian.
FollowillEnglish Of Norman origin - from Folleville Somme in northern France. The placename Ashby Folville in Leicestershire derives its affix from the de Folevill family who held the manor from the 12th to 14th centuries.
FontCatalan, Occitan, Spanish, French topographic name for someone living near a spring or well Catalan and Occitan font "spring well" (from Latin fons genitive fontis).
ForbesIrish, Scottish Comes from a Scottish place meaning "field" in Gaelic. It can also be used as a first name.... [more]
ForceEnglish From the word "force" meaning waterfall in the North of England.
FørdeNorwegian From Old Norse fyrði dative form of fjórðr "fjord". This was the name of several farmsteads in Norway.
FordhamEnglish Habitational name from any of the places in Cambridgeshire, Essex, and Norfolk named Fordham, from Old English ford ‘ford’ + ham ‘homestead’ or hamm ‘enclosure hemmed in by water’.
ForetFrench, French Creole From Old French forest ‘forest’, a topographic name for someone who lived in or near a royal forest, or an occupational name for a keeper or worker in one. See also Forrest... [more]
ForgieScottish Possibly a variant of Fergie or a shortened form of Ferguson. It could also be a habitational name from a place so named in Scotland.
ForlanFriulian It's a toponymic and it means born in Cividale del Friuli (north of Italy).
FormbyEnglish From the name of a town in Merseyside, England, meaning "Forni's village". The second part is derived from Old Norse býr meaning "farm, settlement". A famous bearer is George Formby (1904-1961), English comedian and entertainer.
FornesNorwegian Habitational name from various farmsteads in Norway named furanes or fornes.
FortonEnglish Habitational name from any of the places in Hampshire Lancashire Shropshire and Staffordshire named Forton from Old English ford "ford" and tun "settlement enclosure".
FortuneScottish Originally meant "person from Fortune", Lothian ("enclosure where pigs are kept").
FosdickEnglish From Fosdyke in Lincolnshire, England, meaning "fox dyke".
FoubisterScottish Habitational name for a village in Saint Andrew, from Old Norse fúll "foul, stinking" and bólstaðr "farmstead"
FountainEnglish Topographic name for someone who lived near a spring or well, from Middle English fontayne, "fountain".
FoweatherEnglish Derived from the place name Fawether, Bingley, itself a combination of Middle English fah "multicoloured, stippled" and hather "heather"... [more]
FoxwellEnglish Means "fox stream", from Old English fox and well(a), meaning stream.
FoxworthEnglish "dweller at the homestead infested by foxes." or "house of Fox" aka Foxworthy... [more]
FøyenNorwegian Named after a small island originally called Føyen, now known as Føynland in the Vestfold county of Norway. ... [more]
FragosoPortuguese, Spanish Means "rocky, rough, uneven" in Portuguese and Spanish, ultimately from Latin fragosus. It was originally a habitational name from any of various places called Fragoso.
FrainFrench Topographic name for someone who lived near a prominent ash tree from Old French fraisnefresne "ash" from Latin fraxinus "ash".
FramptonEnglish English: habitational name from any of various places so called, of which there are several in Gloucestershire and one in Dorset. Most take the name from the Frome river (which is probably from a British word meaning ‘fair’, ‘brisk’) + Old English tun ‘enclosure’, ‘settlement’... [more]
FrangiehArabic (Mashriqi) Means "occidental" in Arabic, denoting someone who came from the western world. Famous bearers of this name include the Frangieh family of Lebanese Maronite politicians, notably the fifth president Suleiman Frangieh (1910-1992)... [more]
FrankenbergGerman, Jewish habitational name from a place in northern Hesse named as "fort (Old High German burg) of the Franks". From German franken and berg "mountain hill mountain"... [more]
FrankowskimPolish Habitational name for someone from any of the various locations named Franki, Frankowo, or Frankowa, all derived from Polish frank "franc, free"