OsterhoutDutch From the town of Oosterhout,, meaning "East Wood", as it is located nearby forests in the east of the Netherlands. Primary modern usage is in the United States can be traced back to Jan Jensen van Oosterhoudt, who immigrated to New Amsterdam in the 17th Century, and has been generally been simplified to Osterhout, where the O is pronounced as "AW"... [more]
ØsthagenNorwegian An uncommon Norwegian surname of uncertain origin. It is most likely a locational name, derived from Norwegian øst, 'east' and hagen, 'enclosure'. ... [more]
OstiguyBasque, French Worn Quebec (Ostéguy variant), the name is visibly Basque and assumes initially a Ostegi form, which could designate a place where the foliage is abundant (osteo = + -egi sheet suffix). Alternatively, place the cold, cold house (Ortz, otz, followed -egi or -tegi).
OstosSpanish Habitational name from a place called Ostos which no longer exists; the surname was in the 15th century recorded near Écija in Seville.
OstranderDutch Translated as "from the east border." The name may have been originally borne by one who lived near the eastern border of a town, province, or country.
OsunaSpanish Habitational name from a place in the province of Seville, named from Arabic Oxuna, perhaps named from Late Latin Ursina (villa) "estate of Ursus" a byname meaning "bear".
OtxaranBasque This indicates familial origin within the eponymous neighborhood of the municipality of Zalla.
OuChinese From Chinese 欧 (ōu) referring to Mount Sheng in present-day Huzhou, China. According to legend, this name (along with the compound name Ouyang containing this character) was adopted by the descendants of a prince from the Yue state who settled in the area around the mountain.
OudenhovenDutch Derived from Dutch oude "old" and hoeve "farm; farmstead; manor". As a surname it is derived from one of the many places of this name, for example in Menen, Passendale, Steenvoorde, Steenwerk, Broekburg or Godewaardsvelde.
OueslatiArabic (Maghrebi) Habitational name for someone from the village of Oueslatia in northern Tunisia.
OumañaLeonese It indicates familial origin within the eponymous comarca of the province of Llión.
ŌuraJapanese From Japanese 大 (ō) meaning "big, great" and 浦 (ura) meaning "bay, inlet".
OuyangChinese From Chinese 歐 (ōu) referring to Mount Sheng in present-day Huzhou, China, combined with 陽 (yáng) meaning "southern face (of a mountain)". The name supposedly originated with a prince of the Yue state that settled in the area surrounding the mountain... [more]
OvalleGalician Galician topographic name from o vale ‘the valley’ (Latin uallis, ualles).
OverathGerman From the name of the town of Overath in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. A famous bearer is the German former soccer player Wolfgang Overath (1943-).
OverbeckLow German, German (Modern), English (American, Americanized), Anglo-Saxon From Low German over meaning "über" (over as a direct english translation) and beck meaning "Bach" (creek, stream). As opposed to many other germanic names it doesn't stem from someone's occupation rather from their address, with the exact meaning being something like "über dem Bach" (over the creek)... [more]
OverbeekeDutch Means "over/on brook" or "over/on stream" or "over/on creek"... [more]
OverholserGerman (Swiss) The Oberholtzer family originated in the Swiss village of Oberholtz, south of Zurich, before the 15th century. However, in 1661, one family left Switzerland for the Palatinate in Germany.
OversonEnglish Derived from the Old French name Overson, meaning "dweller by the river-banks". The name was probably brought to England in the wake of the Norman conquest of 1066.
OwariJapanese From Japanese 終 (owa) meaning “last, to finish” and 里 (ri) meaning “village, the home of one’s parents, hometown”. The latter character is also an archaic Japanese unit of area.
OwsleyEnglish Habitational name form a now lost place name in Southern England. Possibly derived from the name of the river name Ouse and Old English -leah meaning "wood".
OxendineEnglish From an English place name meaning "valley of the oxen", which was derived from Old English oxa "ox" (genitive plural oxena) and denu "valley".
PaddingtonEnglish Believed to mean "Pada's farm", with the Anglo-Saxon name Pada possibly coming from the Old English word pad, meaning "toad".
PaddockEnglish Derived from Middle English parrock meaning "paddock, small enclosure", hence a topographic name for a dweller by a paddock or an enclosed meadow. It could also be a nickname for a person who resembled a toad or frog in some way (derived from Middle English paddock meaning "toad, frog"), or denote a person hailing from one of the many places in England that bear this name, for example the town and civil parish of Paddock Wood in Kent.
PadleyEnglish A habitational name from a place named Padley, which was probably named with the Old English personal name Padda and lēah meaning ‘glade, woodland clearing’. Alternatively, the first element may have been padde, meaning ‘toad’.
PadukoneIndian, Kannada (Rare), Konkani (Rare) From the name of ಕುಂದಾಪುರ (Kundapur), a coastal town in the state of Karnataka in India. This is the surname of Deepika Padukone (1986–), an Indian actress.
PaideEstonian Paide is an Estonian surname taken from the town of the same name in Järva County.
PainterEnglish, Medieval French, German English: from Middle English, Old French peinto(u)r, oblique case of peintre ‘painter’, hence an occupational name for a painter (normally of colored glass). In the Middle Ages the walls of both great and minor churches were covered with painted decorations, and Reaney and Wilson note that in 1308 Hugh le Peyntour and Peter the Pavier were employed ‘making and painting the pavement’ at St... [more]
PalametsEstonian Palamets is an Estonian surname meaning "piece (of) forest". It is derived from the compound words "pala", meaning "piece" and "mets", meaning "forest".
PalenzuelaSpanish It indicates familial origin within the eponymous municipality.
PalermoItalian From the name of the capital city in Sicily.
PalinEnglish (i) "person from Palling", Norfolk ("settlement of Pælli's people") or "person from Poling", Sussex ("settlement of Pāl's people"); (ii) from the Welsh name ap Heilyn "son of Heilyn", a personal name perhaps meaning "one who serves at table"
PalmaSpanish, Catalan, Galician, Portuguese, Italian Spanish, Catalan, Galician, Portuguese, and southern Italian: habitational name from any of various places named or named with Palma, from Latin palma ‘palm’. ... [more]
PalmeroItalian The Palmero family lived in the territory of Palma, which is in Campania, in the province of Naples. The surname Palma was also a patronymic surname, derived from the personal name Palma, which was common in medieval times... [more]
PaluchowskiPolish This indicates familial origin within the Lesser Polish village of Paluchów.
PamireddyIndian, Telugu From the name of the village of Pamidi in Andhra Pradesh, India, combined with Telugu రెడ్డి (reddi) meaning "village headman". The village's name means "snake killer" from Telugu పాము (pamu) meaning "snake, serpent".
PanareseItalian habitational name for someone from a place called Panaro (from Latin panarium "bread basket") for example in Siracusa province Sicily or from Panareo in Salento from an adjectival form of the place names.
PangilinanFilipino, Tagalog Means "place of abstinence" from Tagalog pangilin meaning "abstinence, to abstain" and the suffix -an meaning "place of, time of". It was used to denote abstinence from certain foods for religious purposes.
PanierRomansh Derived from the place name Panix (present-day Pigniu) in the district of Surselva in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland.
ParadisFrench From a learned variant of Old French pareis "Paradise" (from Greek paradeisos). As a toponym this was applied to verdant places and it is quite common as a place name in Nord and Normandy; the surname therefore can be a topographic or habitational name.
ParadisoItalian from paradiso "Paradise" applied as a topographic name for someone living in a verdant place where flowers grew in abundance or near a pleasure garden or from the same word used as a personal name recorded in the form Paradisus in Lazio in 108
ParajuliNepali From the name of a village in Dailekh District called Parajul.
PareliusNorwegian Latinization of a learned Hellenized translation of either Solvorn, a placename in Luster (Sogn og Fjordane), or of Solnør, a placename in Skodje/Ørskog (Møre og Romsdal), Norway. The surname itself is then derived from Greek para heliou "near (or close by) the sun".
PareteItalian Denoted from a person who lived near a wall.
ParkingtonEnglish Habitational name from a place in Greater Manchester (formerly in Cheshire) called Partington, from Old English Peartingtun 'settlement (tun) associated with Pearta', a personal name not independently recorded.
ParleyEnglish A place name meaning "pear field" from Old English 'per' with 'lee' or 'lea' meaning a field or clearing, perhaps where land was cleared to cultivate pear trees. Therefore this name denotes someone who lived near or worked at such a location or came from a habitation associated with the name... [more]
ParreiraPortuguese Means "grapevine" in Portuguese. It was used as a toponymic name for someone from any of various places called Parreira, a topographic name for someone who lived near many grapevines, or an occupational name for someone who worked on a grapevine plantation.
PartenheimerGerman Habitational name for someone from Partenheim in Rheinhessen.
PartingtonEnglish Habitational name from a place in Greater Manchester (formerly in Cheshire) called Partington, from Old English Peartingtun "Pearta's town".
PaschGerman Topographic name for a field or meadow which was used at Easter as a playground; etymologically two sources seem to be combined: Latin pascuum ‘pasture’ and Middle Low German pāsche(n) ‘Easter’.
PashleyEnglish From the an Old English personal name Pæcca, and with the Old English word "le-ah," meaning "clearing in the wood. ''
PasinskiPolish Habitational name for someone from a place called Paszyn in Nowy Sacz voivodeship; also a pet form of Paweł.
PassetFrench (Huguenot) Derived from French pas "(geography) strait, pass" in combination with a diminutive suffix.
PastranaSpanish This indicates familial origin within the eponymous Manchego municipality.
PaternoItalian Italian surname of unknown origin, most likely comes from Paternò in Sicily. Notable individuals include Joe Paterno (1926 - 2012), head coach at Pennsylvania State University until 2011.
PathéFrench Meaning, "Dweller near an important path or footway."
PaudelNepali From Nepali पौडी (paudi) possibly referring to the town of Pauri in Uttarakhand, India, combined with आलय (alaya) meaning "house, dwelling".
PaveseItalian Means "one from Pavia". Pavia is an Italian town located in Lombardy, northern Italy. It can also derive from pavese, a kind of big, Medieval shield.... [more]
PayánSpanish Possibly derived from Mozarabic päiên meaning "cave ravine", ultimately from Latin pedem meaning "foot".
PeachyEnglish (Anglicized) Means “lived near a peach tree, sold peaches, or was associated with the fruit in some other way”. Originally arrived with the in England after the Norman conquest of 1066.
PearcyEnglish (American) Variant of Percy, which is a name derived from Perci, a parish and canton near St. Lo, in Normandy
PećanacSerbian Habitational name for someone from the village of Peći, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
PecicAlbanian Derived from the name of the small town Peja (Pec) in western Kosovo. Most likely given to the inhabitants of the town and their descedents.
PedreiraPortuguese, Galician Means "quarry, rocky place" in Portuguese and Galician, originally a habitational name from any of various places called Pedreira or A Pedreira.
PedrolaAragonese It indicates familial origin within the eponymous municipality.
PedrosaSpanish, Catalan, Portuguese, Galician Habitational name from any of numerous places named Pedrosa, from pedroso, pedrosa meaning "stoney", an adjectival derivative of pedra meaning "stone".
PeeblesScottish, Spanish (?) Habitational name from places so named in Scotland. The place names are cognate with Welsh pebyll "tent, pavilion".
PeeleEnglish This surname was given topographically to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. A famous bearer of this surname is actor, comedian, writer, producer, and director Jordan Peele.
PeernaEstonian Peerna is an Estonian surname, possibly derived from the city of Pärnu in Pärnu County.
PeltonEnglish Habitational name from Pelton, a place in County Durham, named from an unattested Old English personal name Peola + tun 'farmstead', 'settlement'.
PembrokeWelsh Habitual surname for someone from Pembroke, a town in Wales.
PeñafielSpanish It indicates familial origin within the eponymous municipality.
PenagosCantabrian It indicates familial origin within the eponymous municipality.
PenalunaCornish A surname with somewhat uncertain origins, though many agree it is locational. Potentially from pen-lyn, the head of a pond or pool.
PeñalverSpanish This indicates familial origin within the eponymous Manchego municipality.
PeñarandaSpanish Habitational name from places in Burgos and Salamanca named Peñaranda.
PendarvisEnglish (American) The American English spelling of the Cornish surname Pendarves. Ultimately, the surname is traced back to Pendarves Island, Cornwall.
PendleburyEnglish Likely originated from the area Pendlebury, in the Borough of Swindon and Pendlebury in Greater Manchester. Formed from the Celtic pen meaning "hill" and burh meaning "settlement".... [more]
PendletonEnglish An Old English name meaning "overhanging settlement".
PengellyCornish Habitational name for someone from any of various locations in Cornwall named Pengelly, from Cornish penn meaning "head, top, end" and gelli or gilly meaning "copse, grove".
PenhaligonCornish Originally meant "person from Penhaligon", Cornwall ("willow-tree hill"). It is borne by Susan Penhaligon (1950-), a British actress.
PenkethEnglish (British) The surname Penketh was first found in Lancashire at Penketh, a township, in the chapelry of Great Sankey, parish of Prescot, union of Warrington, hundred of West Derby.
PenleyEnglish habitational name from Penleigh in Dilton Wiltshire. The place name probably derives from Old English penn "fold enclosure" or perhaps Celtic penn "head" and Old English leah "wood woodland clearing"... [more]
PenningEnglish, Dutch, Low German From early Middle English penning, Low German penning, and Middle Dutch penninc, all meaning "penny". It was used as a topographic surname or a nickname referring to tax dues of a penny.
PenningtonEnglish Habitational surname denoting someone originally from any of the various locations in England named Pennington, derived from Old English penning meaning "penny" (used as a byname or from a tribute due on the land) and tun meaning "town".
PennycuikScottish Originally meant "person from Penycuik", near Edinburgh (probably "hill frequented by cuckoos").
PennywellEnglish English habitational name from Pennywell in Tyne and Wear or from a similarly named lost place elsewhere.
PennyworthEnglish From Old English pening, penig meaning "penny (the coin)" and worþ meaning "enclosure". A notable fictional bearer is Alfred Pennyworth, a DC Comics character notable for being the butler of the superhero Batman.
PenroseCornish, Welsh Originally meant "person from Penrose", Cornwall, Herefordshire and Wales ("highest part of the heath or moorland"). It is borne by the British mathematician Sir Roger Penrose (1931-).... [more]
PenryWelsh, Cornish, English Derived from Welsh ap Henry meaning "son of Henry". It is also a variant of Pendray, which is derived from a place name in Cornwall meaning "top of the village" in Middle Cornish... [more]
PeralesSpanish Habitational name for someone from any of various locations named Perales, from Spanish perales meaning "pear trees" (the plural of peral meaning "pear tree").
PeraltaCatalan, Spanish, Aragonese Habitational name from any of the places in Aragon, Catalonia, and Navarre called Peralta, from Latin petra alta "high rock". This name is also established in Italy.
PercevalEnglish, Norman Derived from either the Old French given name Perceval, or from one of two places called Perceval in the department of Calvados in Normandy, France... [more]
PereaBasque It indicates familial origin within the municipality of Aiara.
PeredoGalician, Portuguese For Galicians, it indicates familial origin near the eponymous hill in the municipality of Castroverde and for Portuguese people, it indicates familial origin within the eponymous parish of the municipality of Macedo de Cavaleiros.
PereyroGalician It's a Galician surname and it means apple tree.
PerhamEnglish A variation of the English name Parham, based on the village of Parham (one in county Suffolk, another in county Sussex). From the Old English peru, meaning "pear" (the fruit), and ham, meaning "homestead".
PerminovRussian Indicated a person from the Russian city of Perm, of Uralic origin meaning "faraway land".
PerovskiRussian I looked for the meaning of this name, but my searches almost always came up with "Perovskite, the mineral that named after the mineralogist" (there's also "Perovskia, the mint-plant named after a Russian General")... [more]
PersakisGreek Possibly related to περσικός (persikos), itself from the Ancient Greek Περσίς (Persís) meaning “Persia (today Iran)”.
PersiaItalian, Spanish Ethnic name or regional name for someone from Persia (modern-day Iran) or some other country with Persian-speaking peoples or a nickname for someone who had visited or traded with one of these countries (see the given name Persis)... [more]
PerskeBelarusian, Lithuanian, Jewish Variant form of Persky. This was the real surname of American actress Lauren Bacall (1924-2014), who was born Betty Joan Perske.
PerskyBelarusian, Lithuanian, Jewish Derived from the village of Pershai in the Valozhyn District of Belarus, or the place named Perki in Lithuania.
PeruškoCroatian Habitational name for someone from Peruški, Croatia.
PesäläFinnish From Finnish pesä meaning “nest” and the suffix -lä signifying a place.
PessegueiroPortuguese Means "peach tree" in Portuguese, ultimately from Latin persicum. It indicated a person who lived near or worked with peach trees.
PetraliphasGreek The surname is composed of the name Petros and the city Alifa in Campania, Italy. The surname was held by a Byzantine-Italian family in Epirus.
PetrosinoItalian Habitational name from Petrosino in Trapani, Sicily.
PettisEnglish From the possessive or plural form of Middle English pytte, pitte ‘pit’, ‘hollow’, hence a topographic name for someone who lived by a pit, or a habitational name from a place named with this word, as for example Pett in East Sussex.
PezdaPolish Probably old polish word for "Orzech Ziemny" (Peanut)
PfuhlGerman a topographic name for someone who lived by a swamp or pond, Middle High German phuol.... [more]
PhilbrickEnglish (British) English (southeastern): probably a habitational name from Felbrigg in Norfolk named with Old Norse fjǫl “board plank” + Old English brycg “bridge”.... [more]
PhilliskirkEnglish (Rare) From a 'lost' medieval parish in England or Scotland, named with the Old Norse element kirk meaning 'church' or 'place of worship'.... [more]
PianaItalian Topographic name from piana ‘plain’, ‘level ground’, from Latin planus, or a habitational name from any of the places named with this word.
PianoItalian Topographic name for someone who lived on a plain or plateau, Italian piano (Latin planum, from the adjective planus ‘flat’, ‘level’).
PicaItalian, Catalan Nickname for a gossipy or garrulous person, from the central-southern Italian word pica ‘magpie’. Compare Picazo.Catalan: habitational name from any of the numerous places called Pica.Catalan: from either pica ‘pointed object’ (weapon, etc.) or a derivative of picar ‘to prick’.
PickersgillEnglish This famous Yorkshire name is of early medieval English origin, and is a locational surname deriving from the place in West Yorkshire called Pickersgill, or "Robber's Ravine". The placename is derived from the Middle English "pyker", thief, robber, and "gill", gully, ravine, deep glen.
PickfordEnglish This surnames origins lie with the Anglo-Saxons. It is a product of their having lived in the parish of Pitchford in Shropshire. ... [more]
PickupEnglish The name is derived from when the family resided in Pickup or Pickup Bank in Lancashire. This place-name was originally derived from the Old English word Pic-copp which referred to those individuals who "lived on a hill with a sharp peak."