Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
AardemaFrisian The surname Aardema is a patronymic from the personal name Aart, a local variant of Arend, + -ma, a Frisian suffix of origin.
AaronsonJewish Aaronson is a patronymic surname from the personal name Aaron.
AbagnaleItalian Either an occupational name for a shepherd or a person who lived near a sheepfold (derived from Italian abbagnale meaning "good shepherd, good sheepfold"), or a topographic name for someone who lived in a wet or swampy area (from abagnato meaning "drenched, soaked")... [more]
AbasimAfrican Abasi is a name of African origin that means 'stern' or 'severe'.
AbayonFilipino, Cebuano Derived from Cebuano abay meaning "parallel, analogue, juxtapose".
AbazaArabic From the name of the Abazin (or Abaza) people native to the Northwest Caucasus. This name was adopted by Abazins, Circassians, and Abkhaz who were expelled from the Caucasus in the 19th century.
AbecassisJudeo-Spanish From Hebrew אָב (áv) meaning "father" and Arabic قَصَّاص (qaṣṣāṣ) meaning "storyteller, narrator" (used as a title for community leaders and rabbis among North African Jews).
AbkhazavaGeorgian, Mingrelian Most likely from Georgian აფხაზი (apkhazi) meaning "Abkhaz". Alternately, it may be from the Adjaran (Muslim) given name Abkhas, derived from Arabic أب ('ab) meaning "father" and خاص (khas) meaning "special, particular".
AbkhaziGeorgian Means "Abkhaz person" in Georgian, referring to a member of the Abkhaz ethnic group inhabiting the Black Sea coast. This was the name of a Georgian family of princely status descended from the Shervashidze ruling family of Abkhazia.
AboulkerJudeo-Spanish Derived from Arabic أبو الخير ('abu al-khayr) meaning "father of the good".
AbplanalpGerman, German (Swiss) Topographic name for someone living high on a mountainside, from German ab- "below", "off" + Planalp "high, flat mountain-meadow".
AbulafiaJudeo-Spanish From Arabic أبو العافية (abū l-ʿāfiya) meaning "father of health" from أبو (abū) meaning "father" and عافية (ʿāfiya) meaning "health, well-being".
AdleibaAbkhaz Most likely from the given name Adlei, itself derived from Arabic عَادِل (ʿādil) meaning "fair, just", combined with Abkhaz аҧа (āpā) meaning "son"... [more]
AdornoSicilian Means "honey buzzard" in the Calabrian dialect, a nickname given to someone with a hawklike appearance, or an occupational name for a falconer.
AdvaniIndian, Sindhi Means "descendant of Adu" in Sindhi, Adu probably being the name of a past ancestor.
AfsharPersian From the name of the Afshar people, a Turkic tribe residing in Iran, Turkey and Afghanistan. The name itself may mean "obedient" or perhaps "extraction, squeeze, press".
AgbayFilipino, Cebuano Means "to put one's arm around another's shoulders" in Cebuano.
AgelastosGreek Means in Greek, 'The one that never laughs.'
AghaeiPersian From the Persian title آقا (âqâ) meaning "sir, lord, mister".
AgiusMaltese Nickname derived from Maltese għaġuż meaning "old man".
AgrasGalician, Catalan (Rare) Refers to ancient type of grape. Possibly given to someone was known for being a bit tart or sour in personality, or that they owned or worked on a vineyard or in the wine-making industry.
AgrazSpanish Refers to an ancient type of grape. In Spanish, agraz means "sour grape, unripe grape, verjuice" Possibly an occupational name for someone who worked on a vineyard or in the wine-making industry... [more]
AgrbaAbkhaz Most likely derived from Abkhaz агыруа (ā́gər-uā) meaning "Mingrelian, farm labourer, serf", historically used to refer to the Mingrelians, an ethic sub-group of the Georgians. Alternatively, it could be from Abkhaz агара (āgārā) meaning "to take" or "to bring"... [more]
AgresteFrench French cognate of Agresta. This is also the French word for the grayling butterfly, Hipparchia semele.
ÁguilaSpanish From águila "eagle" (Latin aquila). This is either a nickname for a haughty man or one with an aquiline nose, or a habitational name from a place in Salamanca province called Águila.
AikmanEnglish, Scottish Either a modified form of Akerman or Agemund (see Agmundr), or derived from a coven name composed of Old English ac "oak" and man "person, man".
AimScottish Orcadian surname derived from Gaelic aimh "raw".
AiresEnglish It was a name for a person who was well-known as the heir to a title, fortune, or estate.
AïtBerber, Northern African Derived from Tamazight ⴰⵢⵜ (aït) meaning "son", also commonly used a component for compound names and surnames.
AkyüzTurkish Means "white face" in Turkish, from ak meaning "white" and yüz meaning "face".
AlabanzaSpanish Means "praise" in Spanish, possibly denoted for a worshipper. from Spanish alabar "to praise" and a suffix. Travis Alabanza (1995-) is a British performance artist, writer, and theatremaker.
AlacaTurkish Means "freckle, fleck" or "multi-coloured, piebald" in Turkish.
AlamiArabic (Maghrebi) Derived from Arabic عَلِيم (ʿalīm) meaning "knowing, learned, education" (see Alim), mainly used in a religious context.
AlasEstonian Alas is an Estonian surname, derived from either "ala-" meaning "area" and "region"; or "alasti", meaning "bald" and "nude"; "alastus" means "bareness".
al-AwlakiArabic Means "the Awlaki" in Arabic, referring to a person from the Awalik (عواليك) tribe of south Yemen.
AlbeeScottish Means either "son of the blond one" or "son of Alpin".
AlberGerman Alber family name was first found in Alsace. The nickname given to someone fair in complexion or blond haired is derived from Latin word Albanus, which means white.
al-DosariArabic Means "the Dosari" in Arabic, referring to a person from the Dawasir (الدواسر) Bedouin tribe of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Yemen, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates. The tribe was formed in the town of Wadi Al Dawasir, in the Riyadh Province of Saudi Arabia.
al-DulaimiArabic Means "the Dulaimi" in Arabic, referring to a person from the Dulaim (الدليم) royal tribe of Iraq, Syria, Kuwait and Jordan.
AlemánSpanish from alemán an ethnic name for a German also used as a nickname for a Spanish person having some connection with Germany. Cognate to Allman and Allemand.
al-MohannadiArabic (Mashriqi) Originally indicated a person from the Al Muhannadi (أل مهند) or Al-Mahanda (المهاندة) tribe based primarily in the Arab states of the Persian Gulf, especially in Qatar. The tribe itself is derived from the given name Muhannad.
Al-mutairiArabic Means “the Mutairi” referring to the Mutayr (مطير) tribe of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.
al-WarfalliArabic (Maghrebi) Means "the Warfalli" in Arabic, referring to a person from the Warfalla (ورفلة) tribal confederation of western Libya. The tribe is of mixed Arab and Arabized Berber origin, and they mainly reside in the city of Bani Walid in the Misrata district.
Al-YafaiArabic From the name of the tribe Yafa of south Yemen, one of the biggest tribes that descended from the ancient Himyarite tribe.
Al-ZahraniArabic Means "the Zahrani" in Arabic, referring to the Zahran (زهران) tribe in Saudi Arabia. The name itself is derived from Arabic زهراني (zahran) meaning "flowering, blossoming", ultimately from زَهْرَة (zahra) meaning "flower, blossom" (see Zahrah).
AmanziItalian Possibly from amate "to love". Alternately, may be from the dialectical word manzu "tame, gentle, docile", or from the given name Mantius.
AmicoItalian Means "friend, companion" in Italian, possibly given as a nickname, but more likely derived from the given name Amico, or perhaps a short form of Bonamico.
AmistadiItalian From the Old Italian word amistade meaning "friendship", possibly given as a nickname, or taken from a personal name.
AmmazzalorsoItalian Means "slaughter the bear" from Italian ammazzare "to kill, to murder" and orso "bear", given as an occupational name to someone who hunted bears, or as a nickname to someone considered to be courageous or bold.
AmorSpanish, Portuguese Means "love" in Spanish and Portuguese, likely denoting an illegitimate child or a philanderer. It could also be from the given name Amor. Qween Amor (1988-) is a performance artist who predominantly utilizes public space for her performances.
AmoresSpanish From a nickname for a philanderer meaning "loves" in Spanish, the plural of amor meaning "love".
AmpuanFilipino, Maranao From a royal title meaning "one who asks for apology" or "revered, great" in Maranao.
AmsalemJudeo-Spanish From an uncertain first element, perhaps the Tamazight prefix 'am denoting an agent, combined with Hebrew שָׁלוֹם (shalom) meaning "peace".
AnackerGerman Nickname for a day laborer, as opposed to someone who owned fields, from Middle High German āne meaning "without" + acker meaning "field".
AnarduItalian From a dialectical variant of Italian anatra "duck (bird)".
Anay-oolTuvan Derived from Tuvan анай (anay) meaning "goat, kid" combined with оол (ool) meaning "son, boy".
AnouilhFrench From Catalan anull, meaning "slow worm". It is originally a nickname given to a spineless and slow person. The French author Jean Anouilh is a famous bearer of this surname.
ApacibleSpanish (Philippines) Means "peaceful" in Spanish. Galicano Apacible was a Filipino physician and politician who was the co-founder of La Solidaridad and the Nacionalista Party.
ApaydınTurkish Means "very bright, well lit" in Turkish.
ApicellaItalian Possibly derived from a diminutive of Italian ape "bee", an occupational name for a beekeeper, or perhaps a nickname for an industrious person. Alternatively, it could derive from the Latin cognomen Apicius.
AppadooMauritian Creole Derived from Telugu అప్ప (appa) meaning "father" combined with the suffix -డు (-du) added to nouns.
AquilinaMaltese Nickname for a person with eagle-like features or a person who owned an eagle, from Latin aquila meaning "eagle".
AràbiaItalian, Spanish Ethnic name for someone from Arabia or some other Arabic-speaking country or a nickname for someone who had visited or traded with one of these countries.
ArabieFrench Ethnic name denoting someone from Arabia or an Arabic-speaking person.
ArabuliGeorgian Means "Arabic, Arab" in Georgian, referring to Arabs who historically resided in the region of Khevsureti in Georgia.
ArachchiSinhalese From a title used during the British colonial era of Sri Lanka (Ceylon) to denote a native village headman or leader.
ArachchigeSinhalese From the colonial-era Sinhala title ආරච්චි (arachchi) used to denote a native village headman combined with the suffix -ගේ (-ge) meaning "of, home, house".
ArcheambeauFrench The name Archambeau is derived from the Latin personal name 'Arcambaldus'. In turn the name 'Arcambaldus', is derived from the Germanic word 'Ercan', which means precious in Germanic, and 'bald', meaning bold and daring.... [more]
ArdzinbaAbkhaz Means "son of silver" from Abkhaz араʒны (aradzny) meaning "silver" and аҧа (apa) meaning "son".
ArlottEnglish From a medieval nickname for a ne'er-do-well (from Middle English harlot or arlot "vagabond, base fellow"; "prostitute" is a 15th-century development). This surname was borne by Jack Arlott (1914-1991), a British journalist, poet and cricket commentator.
ArranoBasque Derived from the Basque word "Arranoa", meaning eagle.
ArroEstonian Arro is an Estonian surname, possibly derived from "aroom", meaning "fragrant". Possibly a corruption of "aru", meaning "upland meadow".
ArshbaAbkhaz Most likely from a contracted form of Arabic أَرْشَد (ʾaršad) meaning "most sensible, most reasonable" or Persian ارشد (arshad) "senior, superior, eldest" combined with Abkhaz аԥа (āpā) "son".
AruEstonian Aru is an Estonian surname meaning both "dry upland grassy meadow" and "wit" and "intelligence".
AruItalian Meaning uncertain, possibly from Sardinian aru, a forked branch used to close hedges (possibly related to Latin varus "bent outwards, bow-legged"), or from arru "ring".
AruküllEstonian Aruküll is an Estonian surname meaning "intelligent enough".
AsanteWestern African, Akan From the ethnic name of the Ashanti, a sub-ethnic group of the Akan from southern Ghana. The name possibly means "warlike" in the Twi language.
AsariJapanese From Japanese 浅 (asa) meaning "shallow" and 利 (ri) meaning "benefit, advantage".
AshkatsaoAbazin Possibly from an Abkhaz word meaning "lazy", used as a nickname for a lazy person.
AshkenaziJewish From a nickname given by Jews in Slavic countries to Jews from Germany. It was also used to denote a Yiddish-speaking Jew who had settled in an area where non-Ashkenazic Jews were the majority. The name ultimately comes from Hebrew אַשְׁכְּנַז (ashk'náz), a location mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, which is likely from Assyrian Aškūza.
AshmanEnglish, Anglo-Saxon Derived from Anglo-Saxon Æscmann, a byname meaning "pirate, seaman", composed of æsc "(boat or spear made of) ash tree" and man "person, man"... [more]
AşıkTurkish Means "lover, devotee, suitor" in Turkish.
AskeladdFolklore The main character in Asbjornsen and Moe's Norwegian Folktales, Askeladd is usually the youngest and smallest of three brothers who is left to sit by the fire in the ashes, hence his name (similar to Cinderella)... [more]
AslamasGreek This surname is usually found among Pontic Greeks. The surname comes from the Georgian first name Aslamaz which is likely related to the Georgian adjective ლამაზი (lamazi) meaning "beautiful, handsome".
AspergesItalian A kind of device used to sprinkle holy water, or the ceremony in which it is used, derived from Latin asperges "you will sprinkle", a conjugation of aspergo "to scatter, to strew (something); to sprinkle (liquid)", taken from the first word of the 9th verse of Psalm 51 (or Psalm 50) in its Latin translation... [more]
AstoreItalian Derived from Italian astore meaning "goshawk", an occupational name for a falconer, or a nickname for a person who had aquiline features or who was cunning by nature.
AtakTurkish Means "rash, audacious, reckless" in Turkish.
AtatürkTurkish It means "Father of the Turks" in Turkish. It was given to the first Turkish president, Mustafa Kemal, by the Turkish Parliament in 1934.
AteşTurkish Means "fever" or "fire, light" in Turkish, ultimately from Persian آتش (atash).
AtılganTurkish Means "brash, bold, venturous" in Turkish.
AtlanJudeo-Spanish From an Arabic word originally meaning "noble" but later taking on the pejorative meaning of "spoiled, worthless" or "crippled, infirm".
AuricchioItalian "A nickname from a dialect variant of orecchio ‘ear’ (from Latin auricula)."
AusEstonian Aus is an Estonian surname meaning "honest".
AushevIngush (Russified) Russified form of an Ingush surname derived from Nakh ауш (aush) or аус (aus) literally meaning "rock, slope", figuratively meaning "strong, solid, confident".
AventEnglish From a shortened form of the Anglo-Norman personal name or nickname Avenant or Avaunt, derived from Old French avenant meaning "beautiful, agreeable, fitting".
AvidzbaAbkhaz Derived from Georgian ავი (avi) meaning "currish, severe, sullen" combined with ძე (dze) "son" and Abkhaz аԥа (āpā) "son". The name was most likely borne by Georgians under the spelling Avidze, which was modified with the Abkhaz suffix -ba after migration to Abkhazia.
AvitovHebrew (Modern, Rare) Means "my father is good", from Hebrew ’av meaning "father" and tov meaning "good".