CaneEnglish From the English word meaning "cane, reed", a nickname for someone tall and thin, or perhaps an occupational name for someone who gathered reeds.
CaneloSpanish From spanish canela meaning "cinnamon". Perhaps a nickname for someone with red hair.
CannarsaItalian Possibly means "dry throat", a joking nickname for someone who drinks too much.
CanomanuelSpanish The first part of this surname is possibly derived from Spanish cano "hoary, white-haired, grey-haired". The second part is derived from the given name Manuel... [more]
CaoVietnamese Vietnamese form of Gao, from Sino-Vietnamese 高 (cao).
CaouetteFrench (Quebec) Altered form of French Cahouet, itself a regional form of chat-huant meaning "screech owl", hence a nickname referring to the bird.
CapaldoItalian Probably a diminutive of Italian capo meaning "head", perhaps used as a nickname for a stubborn or hard-headed person.
ČapekCzech Derived from a diminutive of Czech cáp meaning "stork", applied as a habitational name for someone who lived at a house distinguished by the sign of a stork. In some cases the family name may have derived from a heraldic symbol.
CardenEnglish Derived from Middle English cardoon "wild thistle, artichoke thistle". Could be a nickname for someone who carded wool (which was originally done with thistles), for a person who lived near a thistle patch, or for a prickly and unapproachable person... [more]
CarotiItalian From Italian carota "carrot", probably referring to the bearer's hair colour.
CarrizoSpanish Nickname for a person who's bold, shameless.
CarroguItalian Possibly from Sardinian carroga "crow, carrion crow".
CasabuenaSpanish (Modern, Rare) Means "Happy House" or "House of Happiness" in Spanish, with the Spanish word "Casa", which means "House" and Buena, meaning "Happy" or "Happiness".
CasseseItalian From Arabic قِسِّيس (qissis) "priest", perhaps a nickname for someone who worked for or was related to a priest, or perhaps someone who was notably pious.
CatoneItalian Derived from the name of the Roman republican statesman Cato, used as a nickname.
CatsDutch, Jewish Habitational name for a person from the village of Kats in Zeeland, Holland, or a nickname for someone who in some way resembled a cat, derived from Middle Dutch catte literally meaning "cat"... [more]
CattEnglish Nickname from the animal, Middle English catte "cat". The word is found in similar forms in most European languages from very early times (e.g. Gaelic cath, Slavic kotu). Domestic cats were unknown in Europe in classical times, when weasels fulfilled many of their functions, for example in hunting rodents... [more]
CavaleiroPortuguese From a nickname derived from Portuguese cavaleiro meaning "knight", a cognate of Galician Cabaleiro.
CaveNorman, French, English A name of various possible origins. As a Norman French name Cave can mean "bald" from cauf or it can mean "worker in a wine cellar" or "one who dwelt in or near a cave". As an English name Cave refers to a Yorkshire river whose fast current inspired the name meaning "swift".
CavellEnglish Nickname for a bald man, from a diminutive of Anglo-Norman French cauf.
ÇaylakTurkish Means "kite (the bird)" or "inexperienced" in Turkish.
CenaItalian Derived from Latin meaning "dinner, meal, supper". Possibly an occupational name for a cook or a waiter. In an alternative representation, it could be given to someone who's known for hosting or being involved in meals or dinners, or may have given this surname to an illegitimate child who was not welcomed at the dinner table.
CentofantiItalian Means "a hundred soldiers on foot" in Italian, derived from Italian cento meaning "(a) hundred" and Italian fanti, which is the plural form of fante meaning "soldier, infantryman"... [more]
CentoreItalian from cento ore "hundred gold pieces" hence probably a nickname for a wealthy person.
CenturiónSpanish Originally a nickname derived from Spanish centurión (ultimately from Late Latin centum) literally meaning "centurion". Historically, a centurion is a military officer who commanded one hundred men in an Ancient Roman army during the classical period.
CepedaSpanish A nickname for someone from the region where they grow vineyards.
ÇerkezTurkish Means "Circassian" or "Adyghe" in Turkish, referring to an ethnic group native to the Caucasus.
CetruloItalian Possibly from Italian citrullo "fool, simpleton", or alternately from Latin citrullus "watermelon".
ÇevikTurkish Means "nimble, agile, quick" in Turkish.
ChabotFrench From chabot ‘bull-head’, a species of fish with a large head, hence a nickname for someone with a big head and a small body.
ChaffinEnglish A diminutive that originated from the Old French word chauf, which itself is derived from Latin calvus, both meaning "bald". Originally used as an Anglo-Norman nickname for a bald man.
ChaichanaThai From Thai ไชย (chai) meaning "victory" and ชนะ (chana) meaning "win, conquer, defeat".
ChaikhamThai From Thai ไชย (chai) meaning "victory" and คำ (kham) meaning "gold" or "word, speech".
ChaiwongThai From Thai ใจ (chai) meaning "heart, mind, spirit" or ไชย (chai) meaning "victory" and วงศ์ (wong) meaning "lineage, family, dynasty".
ChaiyasingThai From Thai ไชย (chai) meaning "victory" and สิงห์ (sing) meaning "lion".
ChakirisGreek Alternate transcription of Greek Τσακίρης (see Tsakiris). The American actor and dancer George Chakiris (1932-), who is best known for portraying the character Bernardo Vasquez in the movie West Side Story (1961), is a famous bearer of this name.
ChakmaBengali From the name of the Chakma people of Bangladesh, India and Myanmar, derived from Sanskrit शक्तिमान (shaktimana) meaning "powerful" (composed of शक्ति (shakti) meaning "power" and the suffix मत् (mana) meaning "as, like, having the qualities of").
ChakravartiMarathi, Hindi Derived from Sanskrit चक्रवर्तिन् (chakravartin) meaning "world-ruler, emperor, monarch" (literally "wheel-turner" or "one who's wheels are turning"), from चक्र (chakra) meaning "wheel, circle" and वर्तिन् (vartin) meaning "abiding, moving, turning"... [more]
ChalametFrench Nickname for someone who played the reed or an occupational name for seller of torches, from a regional form of Old French chalemel meaning "reed" or "blowtorch". A notable bearer is American actor Timothée Chalamet (1995-).
ChaleunLao Means "flourish, prosper" or "much, many" in Lao.
ChallengerEnglish Probably from a medieval nickname for a touchy or quarrelsome person (from a derivative of Middle English chalangen "to challenge"). A fictional bearer is Professor George Challenger, irascible scientist and explorer, leader of the expedition to Amazonia in Arthur Conan Doyle's 'The Lost World' (1912).
ChalovRussian From Russian чалый (chalyy) meaning "roan".
ChalujBelarusian Derived from Belarusian халуй (chaluj), a derogatory word meaning "lackey, groveller".
ChampionEnglish, French Derived from the Middle English and Old French words campion, champiun and champion all meaning "athlete" such as a wrestler or boxer; also "warrior hired to do battle in single combat on behalf of others" (from Late Latin campio genitive campionis a derivative of campus "plain field of battle")... [more]
ChapinFrench, Spanish From a reduced form of French eschapin or Spanish chapín, a term for a light (woman's) shoe; perhaps a nickname for someone who habitually wore this type of footwear or possibly a metonymic occupational name for a shoemaker.
CharmingEnglish (Archaic) An extinct surname. From English meaning "pleasing, attractive". In an alternative representation, it could be derived from the given name Charles.
ChasiydHebrew Nickname for a pious person, derived from Hebrew חָסִיד (chasid) meaning "pious, kind, faithful, saint, godly, holy one".
ChâtelainFrench from châtelain "lord (of the manor)" Old French chastelain (from Latin castellanus a derivative of castellum "castle") applied either as a status name for the governor or constable of a castle or as an ironic nickname.
CheilasGreek From Greek meaning "lips". Possibly a nickname for someone with big lips.
ChemlaJewish (Sephardic) Derived from Arabic ﺷﻤﻠﺔ (shamlah) meaning "cloak, mantle", probably used as a name for someone who wore, made or sold cloaks.
ChemsoAdyghe (Russified) From Adyghe чэмы (čămə) meaning "cow" and шъо (ŝo) meaning "skin, colour".
ChenKhmer From Khmer meaning "Chinese". It denotes a person who is Chinese descent or originally came from China.
CherenkovmRussian Derived from Russian черенок (čerenók) "handle, hilt", denoting a tall, thin person or a maker of such handles. Pavel Alekseyevich Cherenkov (1904-1990) was a Soviet physicist who shared the Nobel Prize in physics in 1958 with Ilya Frank and Igor Tamm for the discovery of Cherenkov radiation, made in 1934.
ChernikovmRussian Derived from Russian word чёрный (chyornyy) meaning "black".
ChernoffRussian, Jewish Alternative spelling of Chernov, a patronymic from the byname Chernyj meaning ‘black’, denoting a black-haired or dark-skinned person.
ChernookyRussian Derived from Russian черноокий (chernooky) meaning "black-eyed, having dark brown eyes". This surname has Polish, Ukrainian or Belarusian noble origin.
ChernovRussian From Russian чёрный (chyorniy) meaning "black".
ChikamiyaJapanese 近 (chika) means ‘near, close, proximity’, 宮 (Miya) means ‘palace, shrine, temple.’ Could be used for someone who had lived near a palace, shrine, or temple. Currently used by around 10 families.
ChionidisGreek From the Greek word for snow, 'χιόνι'. Descendant, son of the 'snowy one.'
ChipsEnglish (British) Chips is a rare English (british) last name which is a nickname of Christopher and Charles
ChockalingamIndian, Tamil From a nickname referring to the Hindu god Shiva, composed of the Sanskrit words चोक्का (cokkā) meaning "alluring" and लिङ्गम् (liṅga) meaning "sign, symbol, mark".
ChokalingamIndian, Tamil Variant of Chockalingam. A famous bearer is American actress and comedienne Vera Mindy Chokalingam (1979-), who uses the stage name Mindy Kaling.
ChopinFrench French and English: nickname for a heavy drinker, from Old French chopine, a large liquid measure (from Middle Low German schopen "ladle"). The derived Old French verb chopiner has the sense 'to tipple’, ‘to drink to excess’... [more]
ChristGerman, Dutch Either from a short form of the personal name Christian, or from a nickname meaning "the Christian", both from Latin Christ (see Christos 1).
ChryslerGerman, Jewish From a German name referring to spinning or related to a Yiddish word, krayzl meaning "spinning top." The name can refer to a potter who spun a wheel to make utensils or to a person with curly hair or someone known for being continually active... [more]
CialiehaBelarusian Derived from цялега (cialieha) meaning "cart, telega".
CianciItalian The surname Cianci is a name for a person of small financial means. The surname Cianfari is derived from the Italian words cianfrone and cianferone, which referred to a type of medieval coin.
CifrinoItalian Uncommon name originating in Italy. Legend says that it was used for the offspring of a king and one of his maids. Meaning is most likely something like "little nothing".
ÇilTurkish Means "freckle, spot, fleck" in Turkish.
ÇillerTurkish Means "freckles" in Turkish, referring to a person with freckles on their face. A notable bearer was Turkey's first female prime minister, Tansu Çiller (1946-).
CinTurkish Means "jinn" in Turkish, also figuratively meaning "smart, intelligent".
CingözTurkish Means "wily, sly, cunning" in Turkish.
CiottiRomanian From Meglenite, a closely related language.
CircelliSicilian Derived from Sicilian circedda meaning "(hoop) earring", originally used to denote someone who wore hoop earrings.
CirrincioneItalian From Sicilian cirrinciò meaning "greenfinch, great tit".
CiuffiItalian Probably from Italian ciuffo "tuft (of hair)".
ClossGerman The surname Closs is of Germanic origin, likely derived from the Low German word kloss or kloß, meaning “dumpling” or “ball”, possibly used as a nickname for someone with a round shape or associated with food preparation... [more]
ClottsEnglish Found in the United States, most likely either an English spelling of Klutz, meaning "awkward, clumsy," or as a plural form of the English surname Clot, meaning "cloth ."
ClutterbuckEnglish English surname of unknown origin, possibly a corrupted form of a Dutch surname derived from Dutch klateren "to clatter" and beek "brook", or from klateren and bok "buck, billy goat", or from an older form of kladboek meaning "account book, minute book".
ClyNavajo From Navajo tłʼaaí meaning "lefty, left-handed one", from the verb nishtłʼa "to be left-handed".
CoakleyIrish From Irish Gaelic Mac Caochlaoich "son of Caochlaoch", a personal name meaning literally "blind warrior".
CocciaItalian Meaning uncertain, possibly from Sicilian cocciu "grain, berry", denoting a kind of gruel; an occupational name for a farmer from Greek κόκκος (kokkos) "grain, seed"; or from Italian coccia "head, shell", referring to someone with a large head, or who was stubborn.
CoccoItalian Possibly from Italian cocco, meaning "darling, favourite" or "hen's egg".
CochetFrench Either from cochet a diminutive of coq "rooster" used as a nickname for a vain conceited or womanizing individual. Or possibly also a habitational name from (Le) Cochet the name of several places in various parts of France.
CockeEnglish nickname from Middle English cok ‘cock’, ‘male bird or fowl’ (Old English cocc), given for a variety of possible reasons. Applied to a young lad who strutted proudly like a cock, it soon became a generic term for a youth and was attached with hypocoristic force to the short forms of many medieval personal names (e.g. Alcock, Hancock, Hiscock, Mycock)... [more]
CockerEnglish, German (Anglicized) Originally a nickname for a bellicose person, from Middle English cock "to fight". Also an anglicized form of Köcher.
CodinoItalian Means "pigtail, plait" in Italian, literally "tail's end". Ultimately from Latin cauda "tail (of an animal)". Perhaps given to someone who often wore their hair in such a style, possibly given to orphans or foundlings.
CodispotiItalian A Calabrian surname from Greek οικοδεσπότης (oikodespótis) "host, master of the house".
CoeEnglish English (Essex and Suffolk): nickname from the jackdaw, Middle English co, Old English ca (see Kay). The jackdaw is noted for its sleek black color, raucous voice, and thievish nature, and any of these attributes could readily have given rise to the nickname.
CogottiItalian From Sardinian cogotto "cockerel, rooster".
CojuangcoFilipino From Hokkien 許寰哥 (Khó͘ Hoân-ko), which was the nickname of Co Yu Hwan (許玉寰), a Chinese migrant who arrived in the Philippines in the 19th century. This is the name of a prominent political and business family in the Philippines.
CokayneEnglish Medieval English nickname which meant "idle dreamer" from Cockaigne, the name of an imaginary land of luxury and idleness in medieval myth. The place may derive its name from Old French (pays de) cocaigne "(land of) plenty", ultimately from the Low German word kokenje, a diminutive of koke "cake" (since the houses in Cockaigne are made of cake).
ColeyEnglish With variant Colley can mean "dark" or "blackbird" or it can be a nickname for Nicholas.
ColfaxEnglish From a medieval nickname for someone with dark or black hair, from Old English cola "charcoal" and feax "hair".
ColleyEnglish With variant Coley, can mean "dark" or "blackbird" or it can be a nickname for Nicholas. Colley was used as a surname for generations of students from the same family taught by a teacher over many years in James Hilton's sentimental novel "Goodbye, Mr... [more]
ColluItalian From a dialectical form of Italian collo, meaning "neck" or "parcel, package".
ColosiItalian Patronymic or plural form of a pet form of the personal name Nicoloso.
ComitoItalian From the medieval Latin comitus, meaning "count", or the medieval Greek form of this word, komitos, used as a nickname for someone who put on airs and graces or worked for a count.
CommanderEnglish From Middle English comander "commander, leader, director", derived from Old French comandeor "military commander". This may have been either an occupational name or a nickname.
ConejoSpanish from conejo "rabbit" (from Latin cuniculus), presumably applied as a nickname with various possible connotations (big ears, timidity, etc.) or otherwise as a metonymic occupational name for a rabbit catcher or dealer... [more]
ConquestEnglish Probably from a medieval nickname, perhaps applied to a domineering person. This surname is borne by the British poet, historian and critic Robert Conquest (1917-).
ConteItalian Means "count (a title of nobility)" in Italian.
ContestabileItalian Means "debatable, questionable" in Italian, perhaps a nickname for an argumentative person, or for someone of dubious respectability.
ConversFrench Nickname for a Jew who converted to Christianity.
ConverseEnglish Originally a nickname for a Jew converted to Christianity or an occupational name for someone converted to the religious way of life, a lay member of a convent, from Middle English and Old French convers "convert".
CootEnglish “an early member was a person who seemed to exhibit some of the characteristics of birds.”
CopeEnglish From Middle English cope "cape, cloak", an occupational name for a maker of cloaks, or a nickname for someone known for wearing one.
CorbettEnglish, Scottish, Welsh Nickname from Norman French corbet meaning 'little crow, raven'. This surname is thought to have originated in Shropshire. The surname was taken by bearers to Scotland in the 12th Century, and to Northern Ireland in the 17th Century.... [more]
CorbinEnglish, French Derived from French corbeau meaning "raven," originally denoting a person who had dark hair.
CorbynEnglish Variant of Corbin, notably borne by current Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn (1949-).
CorcovadoSpanish Means "hunchback" in Spanish. It would denote a person with a curved spine.
CorderoSpanish Means "lamb" in Spanish, either used as an occupational name for a shepherd or a religious name referring to Jesus as the Lamb of God.
CordrayEnglish From a medieval nickname for a proud man (from Old French cuer de roi "heart of a king").
CorlissEnglish Derived from Old English carleas "free from anxiety; unconcerned", cognate to Old Norse kærulauss. This was a nickname given to a carefree person.
CornacchiaItalian Nickname meaning "crow, jackdaw" in Italian, applied to someone who was talkative or thought to resemble a crow or jackdaw in some other way.
CoronadoSpanish from coronado "crowned" past participle of coronare "to crown" (from Latin corona "crown") applied as a nickname for someone who behaved in an imperious manner or derived from the village Coronado in Galacia.
CottEnglish From the Old English personal name Cotta. Possibly an altered spelling of French Cotte, a metonymic occupational name for a maker of chain mail, from Old French cot(t)e ‘coat of mail’, ‘surcoat’... [more]
CoulibalyWestern African, Manding Francization of Bambara kulu bari meaning "without a canoe", referring to someone who crossed a river or another body of water without the use of a canoe.
CoullsonScottish Gaelic (Anglicized, Rare), English All origins of the name are patronymic. Meanings include an Anglicized version of the Gaelic Mac Cumhaill, meaning "son of Cumhall", which means "champion" and "stranger" and an Anglicized patronymic of the Gaelic MacDhubhghaill, meaning "son of Dubhgall." The personal name comes from the Gaelic words dubh, meaning "black" and gall, meaning "stranger."... [more]
CountrymanEnglish Translation of German Landmann, Landsmann or Dutch Landman, Landsman, which means ‘countryman’ or ‘fellow countryman’.
CouricFrench Originally a nickname given to a short person, derived from Middle Breton corr, korr meaning "dwarf, midget". A well-known bearer of this surname is the American journalist, television host and author Katie Couric (1957-).
CourtEnglish, French, Irish A topographic name from Middle English, Old French court(e) and curt, meaning ‘court’. This word was used primarily with reference to the residence of the lord of a manor, and the surname is usually an occupational name for someone employed at a manorial court.... [more]
CousinEnglish, French Nickname derived from Middle English cousin and Old French cosin, cusin meaning "cousin".
CrabbEnglish, Scottish From Old English crabba "crab (crustacean)", a nickname for someone with a peculiar gait. Could also be from the sense of "crabapple (tree)", from Middle English crabbe "crabapple, wild apple", hence a topographic name for someone who lived by a crabapple tree, or a nickname for a cantankerous person, with reference to the sourness of the fruit.
CraneEnglish From Middle English crane "crane (bird)", a nickname for a tall, thin man with long legs. The term included the heron until the introduction of a separate word for the latter in the 14th century... [more]