EdenEnglish From Middle English given name Edun, derived from Old English Ēadhūn, with the elements ēad "prosperity, wealth" and hūn "bear cub".... [more]
EdirisingheSinhalese Derived from Sinhalese ඉදිරි (idiri) meaning "front, forward" and Sanskrit सिंह (sinha) meaning "lion".
EhrlichYiddish From the German meaning "honest" or "honorable"
EichlerUpper German South German variant of Eich, the -ler suffix denoting association. "eager"
EidArabic Means "feast, holiday, festival" in Arabic. It is typically used to refer to the two major religious holidays observed by Muslims, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.
EigenGerman Either a status name from Middle High German aigen "unfree; serf" denoting (in the Middle Ages) someone with service obligations to a secular or ecclesiastical authority (also in Switzerland); or from eigen "inherited property" denoting a free landowner (without feudal obligations)... [more]
EitEstonian Eit is an Estonian surname meaning "old woman", "crone" and "hag".
EjioforWestern African, Igbo Means "one who acts in good faith" in Igbo. A famous bearer is British actor Chiwetel Ejiofor (1977-).
EkKhmer Means "one, first" in Khmer, ultimately from Sanskrit एक (eka).
ElenbaasDutch Reinterpretation of Elenbos or Elebaers (see Elbert), or from another Germanic personal name composed of the elements aljaz "other" or agil "point or edge (of a sword)" combined with berht "bright"... [more]
ElichGerman, American Surname meaning "noble" from edelik or edelich. Notable bearer is professional ice hockey player Matt Elich.
EllenderGerman Respelling of German Elender, a nickname for a stranger or newcomer, from Middle High German ellende ‘strange’, ‘foreign’, or a habitational name for someone from any of twenty places named Elend, denoting a remote settlement, as for example in the Harz Mountains or in Carinthia, Austria.
EllikEstonian Ellik is an Estonian surname possibly derived from "hellik" meaning "sensitive" and "tender".
ElmahdyArabic (Egyptian) Means "the Mahdi" from Arabic مَهْدِيّ (mahdiyy) meaning "guided one, rightly guided". In Islam, the term refers to a figure who will restore peace to the world.
ElmalikNorthern African, Arabic From Arabic الْمَالِك (al-mālik) meaning "the king" or "the owner" (chiefly Sudanese).
El MasryArabic (Egyptian) Means "the Egyptian", from Arabic مِصْرِيّ (miṣriyy) meaning "Egyptian person".
ElsevierDutch The name of a prominent Dutch publishing house of the 17th and 18th century, possibly derived from Old Hebrew הל ספר (hal safir) meaning "the book". Another suggested origin is Dutch hellevuur "hellfire" or helsche vier "four from hell", supposedly derived from a sign by the family’s house.
EnglanderGerman, Jewish Ethnic name derived from German Engländer, meaning 'Englishman', thus denoting an incomer from England. In some cases, the Jewish name may be an ornamental adoption.
EsguerraSpanish, Filipino Castilianized form of Basque Ezkerra from ezker meaning "left, left-handed".
EskiTurkish Means "old (as in an object)" in Turkish.
EsmerTurkish Means "brunette" or "tan" in Turkish, ultimately from Arabic أسمر (asmar).
EsmondEnglish It was a name for a person who was of "grace" or "favourable protection". The surname Esmond originally derived from the Old English word Eastmund which referred to "grace".
EspaItalian From Sardinian espa "wasp", making this a cognate of Vespa.
EtienamNigerian, Ibibio (?), Spanish (Caribbean, ?) This is a name which originates from the Calabar/Akwa Ibom region of southeastern Nigeria. It means "a doer of good, or benevolent". It is also found in Spanish-speaking regions of the Caribbean such as Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, and Cuba (El Oriente) which have populations of people of Ibibio/Efik decent known as "Carabali".
EyreEnglish Derived from Middle English eyer, eir "heir", originally denoting a man who was designated to inherit or had already inherited the main property in a particular locality. The surname was borne by the heroine of Charlotte Brontë's 'Jane Eyre' (1847).
EzkerraBasque Derived from Basque ezker "left-handed, left".
FacenteItalian Nickname for an industrious person, from Latin facere "to make" "to do".
FaddaItalian Possibly from fada "fairy, fate", or from Sardinian fadda "error", itself from Latin falla "mistake, failure, trick".
FagerSwedish From Swedish fager, an archaic word meaning ”pretty, fair”.
FairEnglish, Irish English: nickname meaning ‘handsome’, ‘beautiful’, ‘fair’, from Middle English fair, fayr, Old English fæger. The word was also occasionally used as a personal name in Middle English, applied to both men and women.... [more]
FairbrotherEnglish From a medieval nickname probably meaning either "better-looking of two brothers" or "brother of a good-looking person", or perhaps in some cases "father's brother".
FairfaxEnglish From a medieval nickname for someone with beautiful hair, from Old English fæger "fair" and feax "hair". It was borne by the English general Thomas Fairfax, 3rd Baron Fairfax of Cameron (1612-1671), commander of the Parliamentary army during the Civil War... [more]
FairweatherEnglish, Scottish From Middle English fayr "fair, beautiful, pleasant" and weder "weather", a nickname for a person with a sunny temperament, or who only worked in good weather. ... [more]
FaïsMedieval Occitan, Occitan (Rare) Derived from Old French and Occitan fagot, meaning "bundle" (of sticks/twigs), denoting someone who collects bundles.
FalaguerraItalian Possibly means "make war" in Italian, from fare "to make, to provoke" and guerra "war". Alternately, from a given name of the same origin. ... [more]
FalcónSpanish, South American Originally a nickname from falcón, an archaic variant of Spanish halcón "falcon" (from Latin falco). It is a cognate of Falco.
FaneEnglish From a medieval nickname for a well-disposed person (from Old English fægen "glad, willing"), or from a medieval Welsh nickname for a slim person (Welsh fain). This is the family name of the earls of Westmorland.
FangHmong From the clan name Faj or Faaj associated with the Chinese character 黃 (huáng) (see Huang).
FariesScottish Gaelic Scottish Gaelic Faries (meaning: fair, beautiful, or handsome) is derived from ancient Scottish Dalriadan MacFergus clans of the mountainous west coast of Scotland... [more]
FarionUkrainian (Rare), Polish (Rare), Rusyn (Rare, ?) Possibly from a Hutsul (Rusyn) dialectal word meaning "intriguer". Alternatively, it could be from the Greek headdress, of which's name derives from φάριο (phário), meaning "lantern, beacon"... [more]
FarmanEnglish (i) from an Old Norse personal name denoting literally a seafarer or travelling trader, brought into English via French; (ii) "itinerant trader, pedlar", from Middle English fareman "traveller"
FarzanehPersian From Persian فرزانه (farzâne) meaning "wise, learned".
FasanoItalian Probably from Italian fasani "pheasant", a nickname for someone who resembled the bird in appearance or (lack of) intelligence, who hunted them, or who lived in an area populated by them. ... [more]
FastGerman, Swedish Either a short form of a name starting with the element fast meaning "steadfast, firm", or a nickname for a reliable steadfast person.
FauntleroyEnglish Little Lord Fauntleroy is the first children's novel written by English playwright and author Frances Hodgson Burnett. Fauntleroy is also Donald Duck's middle name.
FayneEnglish The surname Fayne is derived from the Middle English words "fein," "fayn," or " fane," which all mean "glad." The name was a nickname for a happy or good-natured person.
FebbraioItalian Derived from Italian febbraio meaning "February", perhaps indicating a person who was baptized in that month.
FechtmeisterGerman Means "fencing master" in German, this is a nickname for a show fighter or organizer who are a begging and thieving journeyman at fairs in 17th century Germany, from German fechten "to fence" and meister "master".
FeckGerman, Frisian From a short form of the Frisian personal name Feddeke, a pet form of Fre(de)rik (see Friederich).
FegatilliItalian From Italian fegato "liver", figuratively used to denote courage. May be occupational, for someone who cooked liver, or a nickname for someone considered to be courageous.
FeijóoSpanish, Portuguese Derived from Galician feixó, meaning "bean", possibly denoting a bald person.
FeinmanGerman, Jewish Nickname for a fine person, derived from either Middle High German fīn meaning "fine, elegant, cultivated" or German fein and Yiddish fayn meaning "fine, excellent", combined with man.
FeitGerman, Jewish Variant of Veit. Also, nickname from Middle High German feit ‘adorned’, ‘pretty’ (the same word as French fait, Latin factus).
FellenbaumGerman nickname for a woodman literally "fell the tree" or possibly a topographic name for someone who lived by a fallen tree derived from fellen "fall" and boum "tree".
FelliItalian Possibly derived from a nickname based on fello "criminal; evil, wretched; angry; sad, gloomy".
FellousJudeo-Spanish Derived from Maghrebi Arabic فلوس (fallus) meaning "chick, young chicken".
FeraItalian Probably related to modern Italian fiero "fierce, savage, raging; bold, daring; proud", by way of Latin ferus "wild, fierce; untamed" or fera "wild beast".
FerrignoItalian Derived from the Italian adjective ferrigno meaning "made of or resembling iron" (a derivative of Latin ferrum meaning "iron"), applied as a nickname to someone who was very strong or thought to resemble the metal in some other way... [more]
FettGerman Nickname for a fat man, from Middle Low German vett meaning "fat".
FettEnglish Nickname from Old French fait, Middle English fet meaning "suitable", "comely".
FeverelEnglish From a Middle English form of February, probably used as a nickname either for someone born in that month or for someone with a suitably frosty demeanor. In fiction, this surname was borne by the central character of George Meredith's novel 'The Ordeal of Richard Feverel' (1859).
FeynmanRussian, Yiddish Russian and Yiddish form of Feinman. This name was borne by the American theoretical physicist Richard Feynman (1918-1988).
FfrostMedieval Welsh Devired from the old Welsh word "Ymffrostgar", meaning a brag or boastful person. Originally spelt as "Ffrost", later changed to "Frost".
FichterGerman Topographic name for someone who lived near pine trees (originally bei den Fichten, Feichten, or Feuchten), from Old High German fiohta. The vowel of the first syllable underwent a variety of changes in different dialects.
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.
FiggisEnglish From a medieval nickname for a trustworthy person (from the Anglo-Norman form of Old French fichais "loyal").
FightmasterGerman (Americanized) Americanized form of Fechtmeister. Emmett Rogers Fightmaster (1992-), known professionally as E. R. Fightmaster, is an American non-binary actor, producer and writer.
FilizTurkish Means "sprout, bud, shoot" in Turkish.
FilleryEnglish From a medieval nickname derived from Anglo-Norman fitz le rei "son of the king" (see also Fitzroy), probably applied mainly (and ironically) to an illegitimate person or to someone who put on quasi-royal airs.
FillionFrench, French (Quebec) Probably a diminutive of fils or fille, respectively "son" and "daughter". May have alluded to the bearer being the youngest amongst siblings.
FilsFrench From fils "son", used to identify the younger of two bearers of the same personal name in a family.
FincoVenetian From Venetian finco "finch", possibly a nickname for someone considered shrewd or cunning.
FineEnglish (?) English nickname for a clever or elegant man, from Old French fin ‘fine’, ‘delicate’, ‘skilled’, ‘cunning’ (originally a noun from Latin finis ‘end’, ‘extremity’, ‘boundary’, later used also as an adjective in the sense ‘ultimate’, ‘excellent’).
FingerEnglish, German, Jewish Probably applied as a nickname for a man who had some peculiarity of the fingers, such as possessing a supernumerary one or having lost one or more of them through injury, or for someone who was small in stature or considered insignificant... [more]
FinkGerman, Slovene, English, Jewish Nickname for a lively or cheerful person, Jewish ornamental name derived from the Germanic word for "finch", and German translation of Slovene Šinkovec which is from šcinkovec or šcinkavec meaning "finch".
FinneFinnish, Finland Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish (Rare) Derived from Swedish, Norwegian and Danish finne "Finn", ultimately from Old Norse finnr "Sámi, person from Finland". In Norwegian and Danish sometimes habitational.
FinsterGerman, Jewish Nickname from German finster "dark, gloomy" or Yiddish fintster (Middle High German vinster). The name may have referred to a person's habitual character or it may have been acquired as a result of some now irrecoverable anecdote... [more]
FitzEmpressHistory, Anglo-Norman Means "son of the empress" in Anglo-Norman French. The three sons of Empress Matilda (1102-1167) were known as Henry FitzEmpress (King Henry II of England), Geoffrey FitzEmpress, Count of Nantes, and William FitzEmpress, Count of Poitou.
FlahertyIrish (Anglicized) Irish (Connacht) reduced Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Flaithbheartaigh ‘descendant of Flaithbheartach’, a byname meaning ‘generous’, ‘hospitable’ (from flaith(eamh) ‘prince’, ‘ruler’ + beartach ‘acting’, ‘behaving’).
FlaugherGerman (Anglicized) Americanized spelling of German Flacher, itself a variant of Flach, or of Flaucher, a nickname derived from an agent derivative of Middle High German vluochen meaning "to swear".
FlickGerman Nickname for a quick and lively person. From Middle High German vlücke meaning "awake, bright, energetic".
FlinkSwedish From Swedish flink, an adjective for someone who is quick and accurate.
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.
FlygareSwedish Means "someone who flies" in Swedish, ultimately a combination of the verb flyga "to fly" and the suffix -are denoting a person who performs the action of the verb. The surname was first used in the 17th century and is therefore unrelated to the modern occupation pilot (the Swedish word for pilot is also "pilot"), instead, a flygare probably referred to a person who was quick, fast.
FoeEnglish (Rare) From Middle English fo "foe, enemy; hostile", possibly a nickname for someone who played the Devil in a pageant play. Can also be a variant form of Fow.
FooteEnglish Nickname for someone with a peculiarity or deformity of the foot, from Middle English fot (Old English fot), or in some cases from the cognate Old Norse byname Fótr.
FormicaItalian Means "ant" in Italian, a nickname for a hard worker.
FoschiItalian From Italian fosco "dark, murky (colour); gloomy", a nickname referring to the bearer's hair colour or mood. May also stem from the given name Fuscus, of the same meaning.
FountasGreek Someone with a lot of hair from the Latin word funda.
FoustGerman Foust is a name for a person who was strong and pugnacious and was derived from the Old German word "fust," which meant "fist."
FowEnglish Derived from Middle English fou "spotted, stippled, multicoloured".
FoweatherEnglish Derived from the place name Fawether, Bingley, itself a combination of Middle English fah "multicoloured, stippled" and hather "heather"... [more]
FowlEnglish, Popular Culture This name is of Anglo-Saxon origin, and derives from the Old English pre 7th Century word fugol, "fowl", "bird", which was used as a byname and as a personal name. The medieval form of the word was the Middle English development foul, fowl(e), used as a continuation of the Old English personal name and also as a nickname for someone who in some way resembled a bird.
FoyFrench From a medieval nickname based on Old French foi "faith", applied either to a notably pious person or to one who frequently used the word as an oath; also, from the medieval French female personal name Foy, from Old French foi "faith".
FrasureFrench The surname Frasure is of French origin and is derived from the Old French word "frasor," meaning "breaker" or "smasher." It is believed to have been a nickname given to someone who was strong or forceful.
FreimannGerman German cognate of Freeman. from Middle High German vriman "free man" status name in the feudal system for a free man as opposed to a bondman or serf derived from the elements fri "free" and man "man".
FreirePortuguese, Galician Means "friar" in Portuguese and Galician, either an occupational name or a nickname for a pious person.
FridmanYiddish, German (Anglicized) Derived from the Yiddish "Frid" (see fridu) meaning "peace," combined with "man" meaning "man" or "person." Originally derived from a vernacular form of Shalom, it is also an anglicized spelling of the German name Friedmann.
FriendEnglish Nickname for a companionable person, from Middle English frend "friend" (Old English freond). In the Middle Ages the term was also used to denote a relative or kinsman, and the surname may also have been acquired by someone who belonged to the family of someone who was a more important figure in the community
FrigerioItalian Possibly from the Lombard name for hackberry.
FrimodigSwedish Taken directly from Swedish frimodig meaning "frank, outspoken, bold, ingenuous".
FrischGerman Nickname for someone who was handsome, cheerful, or energetic, from Middle High German vrisch.
FrithEnglish, Scottish From Old English friþ "peace, refuge, sanctuary", probably denoting a person who lives in a sanctuary or at peace. It also be a variant of English surname Firth.
FromSwedish From Swedish from "pious, devout, religious, holy".
FromentFrench, Walloon, English from French froment "wheat" (from Latin frumentum "grain") probably applied as a nickname for a peasant or as metonymic occupational name for a dealer in wheat... [more]
FroschGerman Nickname for someone thought to resemble a frog.
FrostWelsh Originally spelled Ffrost (the double ff is a Welsh letter). The Welsh word ffrost refered to someone who is excessively bold or a brag, especially with regard to warrior feats. Edmund Ffrost signed his name this way on the ship's register of the boat which brought him to the Massachussett's Bay Colony in 1631... [more]
FrühlingGerman (Rare) Nickname from Middle High German vrüelinc German frühling "spring" in some cases for an early-born child from früh "early" and the suffix -ling denoting affiliation.
FruscianteItalian Derived from the Italian adjective frusciante meaning "rustling, swishing, whishing", which itself is derived from the Italian verb frusciare meaning "to rustle, to swish, to whish". The surname had probably started out as a nickname for someone who made a rustling or whishing sound whenever they walked, which was probably caused by the clothes that they were wearing (in that the clothes must have been made of a certain fabric that is prone to making some noise when touched in any way).... [more]
FruthGerman nickname from Middle High German vruot ‘clever’, ‘astute’
FuchiwakiJapanese From 淵 (fuchi) meaning "abyss, deep pool, profound, deep end" and 脇 (waki) meaning "armpit, flank, side, underarm".
FuerteSpanish Derived from the Spanish word "fuerte" meaning strong.
FujinagaJapanese From Japanese 藤 (fuji) meaning "wisteria" and 永 (nagai) meaning "eternity".
FukushiJapanese From Japanese 福 (fuku) meaning "happiness, good fortune, blessing" and 士 (shi) meaning "esteemed person, gentleman".
FulhuDhivehi From an honorific title used for items associated with nobility.
FumagalliItalian Means "smoke the rooster" in Italian, from fuma "to smoke" and gallo "rooster". Refers to filling a henhouse with smoke to keep the chickens quiet when stealing them, thus making this a name probably given to chicken thieves.
FurtadoPortuguese Means "stolen" in Portuguese, probably used to refer to an illegitimate or kidnapped child.
FusilloItalian From Italian fuso "spindle", referring to their occupation, or a nickname based on the bearer's build. Also the name of a type of pasta.
FustGerman Variant of Faust or a nickname for a person who was strong and pugnacious, derived from Old German fust "fist".
FutamiJapanese From Japanese 二 (futa) meaning "two" and 見 (mi) meaning "look, appearance".
GabaratyOssetian Derived from Алгуз (Alguz), an earlier Ossetian family name of unknown meaning. Historically, the last of the Alguz family migrated to the village of Zalda (located in present-day South Ossetia), where most members of the family presently reside.
GabbettEnglish From the middle English Gabbett, which is from a pet form of the personal name Gabriel.
GaddafiArabic (Maghrebi) From قذاذفة (Qadhadhfa), the Arabic name for a Berber tribe in Libya. The name possibly means "thrower, archer", from Arabic قَذَفَ (qaḏafa) meaning "to throw". A famous bearer was Muammar Gaddafi (1942–2011), a Libyan politician and revolutionary.
GaddamIndian, Telugu Derived from Telugu గడ్డము (gaddamu) meaning "beard".