KreiselGerman, Jewish Jewish family name and originally a nickname for an active or disorganized person, derived from German kreisel meaning "spinning top, top", ultimately from kreis "circle". Alternatively, it could've be used as a nickname for a person with curly hair in the context of "spiral" or "curl".
KreiteNorth German Nickname for a quarrelsome person derived from Middle Low German kreit meaning “strife.”
KressGerman From Old High German krassig, gratag "greedy".
KreulGerman From Middle Low German krouwel "hook, claw; three-pronged fork, trident, meat hook", a metonymic name for someone who made such tools, or a nickname for someone who used them.
KreyGerman Nickname from Middle Low German krege "crow".
KriebelGerman Nickname from Middle High German kribeln "to tickle, tingle, itch". Can also be a variant form of Kreul.
KrollGerman, Dutch Nickname for someone with curly hair, from Middle High German krol "curly", Middle Low German krulle "ringlet, curl", Middle Dutch croel, crul.
KryvoruchkoUkrainian From Ukrainian кривий (kryvyy), meaning "crooked", and рук (ruk), meaning "hand" or ручка (ruchka), meaning "handle".
KsiazekPolish Nickname meaning ‘little priest’ or possibly a patronymic for an illegitimate son of a priest, from ksiadz ‘priest’ + the diminutive suffix -ek.nickname meaning ‘little prince’, from a diminutive of ksia?ze ‘prince’.
KuChinese Alternate transcription of Chinese 辜 (see Gu).
KuesDutch (Rare) From Middle Dutch cuse "club, cudgel, knobstick".
KühlGerman, Low German The spelling Kühl results from a folk-etymological association with High German kühl ‘cool’ (Middle High German küel(e), a nickname from Middle High German küel ‘cool’, ‘calm’... [more]
KuhlmanGerman Nickname from Middle High German küel ‘cool’, ‘calm.’
KulGerman, Dutch Derived from Old High German kol meaning "coal", perhaps an occupational name for a miner or coal seller.
KulakRussian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Polish Means "fist". Was also used to describe Ukrainian farmers who went against the Soviet government in the early 30s.
KünzlerGerman Nickname for a flatterer, from an agent derivative of Middle High German künzen "to flatter".
KupkaCzech, Polish, Ukrainian, Slovak, Sorbian, Jewish Nickname or topographic name from the Polish, Ukrainian, Czech and Sorbian word kupka, a diminutive of kupa meaning "heap, pile", in Upper Sorbian also "lump".... [more]
KurzbergGerman, Yiddish, Jewish From a location name meaning "short mountain" in German, from Middle High German kurz meaning "short" and berg meaning "mountain". As a Jewish surname it is ornamental.
KuularTuvan Derived from Tuvan куу (kuu) meaning "swan" or "gray". Names bearing unfavourable meanings were traditionally used by Tuvans to ward off evil spirits.
KvasničkaCzech from kvasnička ‘sour cherry’, applied as a nickname.
KvitsiniaAbkhaz Mingrelian form of the Abkhaz surname Kutsnia; the Abkhaz name was replaced by the Mingrelian spelling during the era of Joseph Stalin. It is most likely derived from Abkhaz икуцны иааз (ikutsny iaaz) meaning "one who migrates", though the word квици (kvitsi) has no real meaning in Abkhaz... [more]
LabontéFrench (Quebec), Haitian Creole, Mauritian Creole From French la bonté meaning "(the) kindness, (the) goodness", originally used as a soldier's name and perhaps also as a nickname for a benevolent person. This surname is rare in France.
LacanilaoTagalog From Tagalog lakan ilaw meaning "lord of light".
LacerdaPortuguese, Spanish Nickname for someone with remarkably thick or long hair, or with an unusually hairy back or chest. From Spanish and Portuguese lacerda ‘the lock (of hair)’.
LachicaSpanish (Philippines) Derived from Spanish la chica meaning "the girl", either used as a nickname or a habitational name.
LacsonFilipino From Min Nan 六孫 (la̍k-sun) or 六孙 (la̍k-sun) meaning "sixth grandchild".
LafleurFrench, French (Caribbean) from la fleur "the flower" used as a soldier's name and also as a servant's name; it was one of the most common nicknames (noms de guerre) among French soldiers.
LagasseFrench French: nickname from Old French agace, agasse ‘magpie’ + the definite article l’.
LagleEstonian Lagle is an Estonian surname (and feminine given name) meaning "goose".
LagoudakisGreek Derived from the Greek word λαγουδάκι (lagoudáki), diminutive of λαγός (lagós) meaning "bunny".
LaguerreFrench Nickname for a belligerent person or a valiant soldier from old French guerre "war" (from Latin werra) with fused article la.
LahiffeIrish (Rare) From Irish Ó Laochdha meaning "descendant of the hero" or "descendant of the heroic", ultimately from laoch "warrior, hero".
LahlouArabic (Maghrebi) Derived from Arabic حُلْو (ḥulw) meaning "sweet" or "nice, charming", chiefly used in Moroccan Arabic.
LahoudArabic (Mashriqi) Means either "one who stands alone" or "one and only" in Aramaic, given in reference to Jesus Christ. This is the surname of a Lebanese Christian family prominent in Maronite politics. One of the family members, Émile Lahoud (1936-), became the eleventh President of Lebanon.
LaiguEstonian Laigu is an Estonian surname derived from "laigustama" meaning "blotchy", "dappled" and "mottled".
LaînéFrench distinguishing epithet from French l'aîné "the eldest (son)", used to identify the older of two bearers of the same name in a family.
LaingScottish Scottish form of Lang. A famous bearer was the explorer Alexander Gordon Laing.
LaityEnglish Nickname for a trustworthy person, from Old French léauté ‘loyalty’ (Latin legalitas, a derivative of legalis ‘legal’, ‘by law’).
LajoieFrench From a nickname for a happy cheerful person from joie "joy" with fused feminine definite article la.
LakobaAbkhaz From the nickname Lako, possibly meaning "swamp" in Abkhaz (denoting someone who lived in a marshy area).
LalIndian, Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi From Sanskrit लाला (lālā) meaning "caressing, cajoling". It can also be interpreted to mean "garnet" or "red, ruby" from Persian لال (lâl) or لعل (la'l).
LämmleGerman, Jewish Derived from German lamm meaning "lamb", a nickname for a meek and inoffensive person or a shepherd.
LamoreeFrench From the nickname "the loved one" derived from the French word amour meaning "love" from (Latin amor).
LamourFrench From Old French l'amour "(the) friendship bond" used as a nickname for a kindly individual derived from the French word amour "love" (from Latin amor).
LamoureauxFrench Means "the lover" in French. It would be the nickname of an amorous person.
LandaPolish Nickname for a persistent and irritating person, from a derivative of the dialect verb landzić "to ask insistently, badger someone".
LandichoFilipino Either from a nickname derived from Spanish le han dicho meaning "he has been told" or a variant of the name Landecho.
LangevinFrench From French l'Angevin meaning "the Angevin", denoting a person from the French province of Anjou.
LanghansGerman German and Dutch: distinguishing nickname for a tall man (see Lang) called Hans.
LanghoorDutch, Belgian Means "long ear", from lang "long, tall" and oor "ear", a nickname for someone with large ears, or perhaps good hearing.
LanghorneEnglish From Middle English lang "long" and horn "horn". Can be a habitational name from a place named with the elements, with horn used in the sense of a promontory or extending piece of land... [more]
LargeFrench, English Originally a nickname derived from Middle English and Old French large "generous".
LarkEnglish From the name of the bird, a nickname for a singer or a cheerful person, or perhaps someone who caught and sold larks. Alternatively, could be a shortened form of the personal name Larkin.
LarussoItalian Derived from the Italian word "Rosso," which comes from the Latin words "Rubius and Rossius," which mean "red." As a surname, larusso was originally a nickname for a person with red hair or a reddish complexion.
LasacTagalog From Tagalog lasak meaning "rotten, decomposed, decayed".
LasagnaItalian From Italian (lasagna) denoting a popular Italian dish made of stacked layers of thin flat pasta alternating with fillings such as ragù and other vegetables, cheese, seasonings and spices.
LaskinRussian Derived from Russian ласка (laska) meaning "weasel" or "endearment, favour".
LatoHungarian, Polish From Hungarian látni meaning ‘to see’, hence a nickname for a wise person or an occupational name for a clairvoyant, or possibly for an official who checked the quality of products at markets.... [more]
LauGerman nickname for a physically strong person from Middle High German louwelauwe "lion". In some cases the surname may have been a topographic or habitational name referring to a house or inn distinguished by the sign of a lion... [more]
LäuferGerman, Jewish Habitational name for someone from a place called Lauf, also an occupational name for a messenger or a nickname for a fast runner, from an agent derivative of Middle High German loufen, German laufen ‘to run’.
LaverickEnglish Derived from Old English lāferce meaning "lark", making it a cognate of Lark.
LavioletteFrench, French (Quebec), French (Acadian) A secondary surname, associated with some forty family names in Canada and also used independently since 1698, a nickname from the flower violette ‘violet’, with the definite article la. In feudal France it was a name given to soldiers and domestic servants.
LayKhmer Means "marbled, patterned, striped" in Khmer.
LazrakArabic (Maghrebi) Derived from Arabic الأزرق (al ʾazraq) meaning "the blue (one)", from أَزْرَق (ʾazraq) "blue". It is chiefly used for Moroccan Arabic.
LbovRussian Derived either from Russian лоб (lob) meaning "forehead" or from the name of the Elbe river meaning "river".
LeafEnglish Derived from Old English lēof "dear, beloved".
LealEnglish Derived from Old French leial "loyal, faithful (to obligations)", this name was occasionally used as a nickname for a trustworthy person.
LeamonEnglish From an Old English word leof related to love and in this case meaning "beloved" plus the word man.
LebaronFrench Either a variant of Baron "baron" with the French masculine definite article le. Or a habitational name from Le Baron the name of several places in various parts of France.
LebesgueFrench Means "the stammerer" in French, denoting a person with a stammer, from Old French beguer "stuttering, stammering", from Middle Dutch beggen “to chat”.
LebleuFrench From French bleu "blue" with the masculine element le from a nickname for someone who wore blue clothes with blue eyes or a person with a bluish complexion.
LeBoeufFrench Nickname for a powerfully built man, derived from French boeuf meaning "bull", with the definite article le. In some cases it may have been originally a metonymic occupational name for a herdsman.
LebonFrench Approbatory (or ironic) nickname from le bon "the good" a variant of Bon with fused masculine definite article le.
Le BrasBreton Altered form of Breton Ar Brazh meaning "the great, the imposing" or "the big, the fat", ultimately from Proto-Celtic *brassos "great, violent".
LeducFrench, Breton From the Old French title of rank duc "duke" (from Latin dux "leader" genitive ducis) with the French masculine definite article le used as a nickname for someone who gave himself airs and graces or else as a metonymic occupational name for a servant employed in a ducal household.
LefilsFrench, Haitian Creole Derived from French le "the" and fils "son". This was originally a nickname to distinguish a son from his father with the same given name.
LefortFrench, Walloon Either a nickname from French le fort "the strong" (see Fort ). It is also found in Germany where it is probably of Alsatian origin (compare Lefor ) and in Haiti where it most likely originates from the nickname Lefort... [more]
Le GallFrench From a nickname which means “the Gaul”.
LegendreFrench relationship name from Old French gendre "son-in-law" (from Latin gener) with fused masculine definite article le.
LeggioItalian From Sicilian leggiu "light, not heavy; superficial", a nickname for someone considered unreliable or irresponsible. Variant of Leggièri.
LegkovmRussian Derived from Russian word легко (lyegko) meaning easy.
LegoreItalian Possibly Italian, a nickname for a fleet-footed or timid person, from a northern variant of lepre "hare". However, only the plural form Legori is attested in Italian records.
LeiterGerman From Leiter ‘leader’, status name for a foreman or for the leader of a military expedition, from Middle High German leiten ‘lead’.German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): variant of Leitner.
LemaîtreFrench Means "the master" in French, either used as a nickname for someone who behaved in a masterful manner or an occupational name for someone who was a master of their craft.
LemmikEstonian Lemmik is an Estonian surname meaning "favorite".
LemonAfrican American This surname is a Middle English personal name Lefman, Old English Leofman, composed of the elements leof ‘dear’, ‘beloved’, and mann ‘man’, person. This surname came to be used as a nickname for a lover or sweetheart, from Middle English Lemman.
LenoirFrench French surname which was originally a nickname for a person with dark hair or skin, derived from noir "black" combined with the definite article le. A famous bearer is Étienne Lenoir (1822 - 1900), the inventor of the internal combustion engine.
LeskEstonian Lesk is an Estonian surname meaning "widow" and "widower".
LetendreFrench From 'tendre', meaning "tender" or "delicate".
LétourneauFrench Nickname for a chatty, gregarious person or an occupational name for a birdcatcher, derived from French l'étourneau meaning "the starling".
LetovmRussian From Russian лето (leto), meaning "summer".
LeverFrench, English Nickname for a fleet-footed or timid person, from Old French levre "hare" (Latin lepus, genitive leporis). It may also have been a metonymic occupational name for a hunter of hares.
LeverichEnglish The surname Leverich was first found in West Yorkshire at Liversedge, a township that dates back to the Domesday Book where it was listed as Livresec, a manor belonging to Radulf, a vassal of Ilbert de Lacy... [more]
LibraItalian Derived from the latin word 'libra' meaning "balance, weigh". It's probably a nickname for a deliberate or well-balanced person.
LibuttiItalian Composed of the definite article li and dialect butti "barrels".
LichtGerman, Dutch, Yiddish Means "light" or "candle". Could be an occupational name for a chandler, a topographic name for someone who lived in a clearing (see Lichte), or a nickname for someone who had light hair, or who was agile and slender.
LichtenGerman, Jewish From German licht meaning "light". Nickname for someone with a light complexion.
LiebGerman, Jewish Nickname for a pleasant or agreeable person, from Middle High German liep "dear, beloved"; Yiddish lib or German lieb. This word was also used as a personal name, both alone (German) and in compounds (German and Jewish).
LiebermannGerman, Jewish Derived from German lieb or Yiddish lib meaning "dear, beloved". Many Liebermann families originally spelled the name in Hebrew or Cyrillic characters, so variations in the spelling occurred during transliteration to the Latin alphabet.
LieblingGerman, Yiddish, Jewish Derived from German lieb meaning "dear, beloved" or German liebling meaning "darling".
LillicrapEnglish From a medieval nickname for someone with very fair hair (literally "lily-head").
LillyEnglish Derived from Lilly, a pet name for Elizabeth. It was also used as a nickname for someone with fair skin or hair, and is derived from Old English lilie meaning "lily (the flower)"... [more]
LillywhiteEnglish From a medieval nickname for someone with very fair hair or complexion. It was borne by English cricketers James Lillywhite (1842-1929), first captain of England, and William Lillywhite (1792-1854), pioneer of overarm bowling, uncle of James... [more]
LilyEnglish Derived from Lily, a pet name for Elizabeth. It was also used as a nickname for someone with fair skin or hair, and is derived from Old English lilie meaning "lily (the flower)"... [more]
LimaPortuguese Topographic name for someone living on the banks of the river of this name (of pre-Roman origin, probably akin to a Celtic element lemos, limos 'elm').
LimboItalian It comes from latin word "limbus". It has religious origin.... [more]
LindeSpanish From Spanish linde "boundary" or a habitational name from places called La Linde in Spain.
LindemannGerman Means "soft man" in German, from the elements lind meaning "soft, flexible", and man meaning "man".
LindtGerman, Dutch Derived from given names containing the elements lind "tender, mild, gentle hearted" or lind "linden tree, shield"... [more]
LinnGerman (Silesian), Jewish (Ashkenazi) Derived from the Slavic word lin "tench (fish)", a nickname for a fisherman, or for a person who somehow resembled a tench.
LisciItalian Probably means "smooth" in Italian, derived from the Italian liscio "smoothing", likely denoting a clean person.
LitmanenFinnish Derived from Finnish litma meaning "water slime". This name is borne by retired Finnish soccer star Jari Litmanen (1971-).
LivelyEnglish Nickname from Middle English lifly, "lively", "nimble".
LiwoszPolish It comes from the name "liswoze" which means to be a all around "good person". Even though it is a nickname, It may have been derived from occupation because of the name's meaning to be a "Funny man".
LobatoSpanish, Portuguese nickname from lobato "wolf cub" (from Latin lupus "wolf") or from a medieval personal name based on this word.
LöbeGerman Variant of Löwe from Middle High German lēwelöuwe "lion" hence a nickname for a brave or regal person. In some cases the surname may have been a topographic or habitational name referring to a house or inn distinguished by the sign of a lion.
Lo GuastaItalian Variant of Guasti, literally "the broken". Probably used as a nickname for someone with a twisted or deformed limb, used in at least one case for a foundling.
LoidEstonian Loid is an Estonian surname meaning "languid" and "inert".