Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
GourkuñvBreton Breton combination of gour and kuñv meaning "a charming, affable, gentle or conciliatory man". The digraph -ff was introduced by Middle Ages' authors to indicate a nasalized vowel.
GozonFilipino From Min Nan 五孫 (gō͘-sun) or 五孙 (gō͘-sun) meaning "fifth grandchild".
GrandjeanFrench, French (Swiss) Derived from French grand meaning "tall, large" and the given name Jean 1, hence possibly a nickname for a tall or large person.
GrawertLow German, German (East Prussian) As a Low German name, Grawert is derived from Middle High German grā and Old High German grāo "gray" (originally "shimmery, gleaming"). As a surname, it was a nickname given to someone with gray hair.... [more]
GrbavacCroatian Derived from grbavo, meaning "bumpy" or "hunchbacked".
GreayEnglish (Rare) The name Greay originated when a family matriarch changed the name to differentiate between the two families with the same name Grey. There was a wedding between the two families and it was easier if the name was changed.
GreeleyEnglish, Norman English (of Norman origin): nickname for someone with a pock-marked face, from Old Northern French greslé ‘pitted’, ‘scarred’ (from gresle ‘hailstone’, of Germanic origin).
GreenleafEnglish From Old English grēne "green" and lēaf "leaf", presumably applied as a nickname, the significance of which is now lost.
GreifGerman Means "Griffin" in German. From the mythological creature.
GreinerUpper German, German (Swiss) Nickname for a quarrelsome or cantankerous person, derived from Middle High German grīner meaning "squabbler, quarreler" (ultimately an agent derivative of grīn meaning "loud, cry, screaming, shouting")... [more]
GrellGerman Nickname for an irritable or irascible person, from Middle High German, Middle Low German grellen "to be angry".
GriffoItalian From grifo "gryphon" (Latin gryphus, Greek gryps, of Assyrian origin), hence a nickname for someone thought to resemble the mythical beast.
GriffonFrench From a diminutive of Old French griffe "claw", hence a nickname for a grasping or vicious person, or perhaps for someone with a deformed or otherwise remarkable hand.
GrignonFrench From French 'grignard' meaning "angry" and "contemptuous", and Old French (of Germanic origin) 'grignier' "to grit the teeth" or "curl the lips".
GrillGerman From a nickname for a cheerful person, from Middle High German grille "cricket" (Old High German grillo, from Late Latin grillus, Greek gryllos). The insect is widely supposed to be of a cheerful disposition, no doubt because of its habit of infesting hearths and warm places... [more]
GrinerGerman (Anglicized), Jewish Americanised form of German Greiner. It could also denote a person who came from various German places called Grüna or Grünau. In Jewish, it is a topographic name for someone who lived in a green of leafy area, derived from Yiddish grin meaning "green" or Middle High German gruene meaning "greenery".
GrinfelderCroatian Derived from German grün, "green", and feld, "field".
GrischottRomansh Variant of Grisch by way of combining it with the diminutive suffix -ott.
GriselFrench, French (Swiss) Derived from the Old French adjective grisel, a variant of gris meaning "grey". It was a nickname for a person with grey hair a grey complexion or who habitually wore grey.
GrissomEnglish From a diminutive of Grice, which was originally a nickname for a grey-haired man, derived from Middle English grice, gris meaning "grey" (itself from Old French gris, apparently of Germanic origin).
GrobGerman A nickname for a strong, heavy man, or for a lout, from Middle High German g(e)rop "coarse".
GroschGerman Either a metonymic occupational name for a moneyer or possibly a nickname for an avaricious person from Middle High German Middle Low German grosche "groschen" a medieval thick silver coin its name ultimately derived from medieval Latin denarius grossus literally "thick coin".
GrosjeanFrench, French (Belgian) Derived from French gros "large" and the given name Jean 1. As a nickname, it is sometimes applied to a person who is perceived as stupid.
GuerzoniItalian From guercio "cross-eyed, one-eyed; blind in one eye".
GuestEnglish Nickname for a stranger or newcomer to a community, from Middle English g(h)est meaning "guest", "visitor" (from Old Norse gestr, absorbing the cognate Old English giest).
GuijarroSpanish Spanish: nickname from guijarro 'pebble' perhaps applied to a man who sold pebbles (used for paving the streets).
GuilbeauFrench Possibly from Ancient Germanic wil, meaning "will, power", and Latin bellus, meaning "beautiful".
GülerTurkish Means "laughing, smiling" in Turkish.
GulliverEnglish From a medieval nickname for a greedy person (from Old French goulafre "glutton"). Jonathan Swift used it in his satire 'Gulliver's Travels' (1726), about the shipwrecked ship's surgeon Lemuel Gulliver, whose adventures "offer opportunities for a wide-ranging and often savage lampooning of human stupidity and vice."
GültekinTurkish From Turkish gül meaning "rose" combined with the title tekin meaning "prince".
GummEnglish From a nickname or byname from Middle English gome, Old English guma "man".
GunasekaraSinhalese From Sanskrit गुण (guna) meaning "talent, virtue, quality, merit" and शेखर (shekhara) meaning "crest, peak, top".
GunawardanaSinhalese Derived from Sanskrit गुण (guna) meaning "quality, property, attribute" and वर्धन (vardhana) meaning "increasing, strengthening, growing".
GurungNepali From the name of the Gurung (Tamu) people of Nepal, itself an exonym probably of Tibetan origin.
GusevRussian Derived from Russian гусь (gus) meaning "goose".
GushikenOkinawan, Japanese Means "strong-willed" from Japanese 具 (gu) meaning "tool, utensil, means", 志 (shi) meaning "intention, will", and 堅 (ken) meaning "hard, resolute, unyielding".
GutangFilipino, Cebuano Means "cracked heels, cracked calluses of the feet" in Cebuano.
GutfreundGerman From the words gut freund, which means "good friend."
GutjahrGerman, German (Swiss) nickname for someone born on New Year's Day from a New Year's greeting meaning "Good year".
GutmannGerman German cognate of Goodman. from Middle High German guot man literally "good man, capable man" derived from the elements guot "good" and man "man"... [more]
GüvenTurkish Means "trust, confidence" in Turkish, perhaps designating a trustworthy person or one who trusts in others readily.
GüzelTurkish Meaning "beutiful" or "pretty" in Turkish.
GwizdalaPolish Nickname for someone noted for his cheerful whistling, from a derivative of gwizdac ‘to whistle’.
HagelsteinGerman nickname for a hot-headed irascible man from Middle High German hagelstein "hailstone" derived from the elements hagel "hail" and stein "stone"
HajArabic Refers to a person who has participated in the حج (hajj), the annual pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia that Muslims must undertake at least once in their lifetimes.
HajianPersian From Persian حاجی (haji) meaning "hajji" (of Arabic origin), referring to a person who has participated in the حج (hajj), the annual pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia that Muslims must undertake at least once in their lifetimes.
HajizadehPersian Means "son of the pilgrim" from Arabic حَاجِيّ (ḥājiyy) meaning "pilgrim" and the Persian suffix -زاده (-zâde) meaning "offspring".
HajjArabic Alternate transcription of Arabic حاج (see Haj).
HaleviHebrew Means "The Levite" in Hebrew, from the word ha which means "the", and the surname Levi.
HalfpennyEnglish Nickname probably for a tenant whose feudal obligations included a regular payment in cash or kind (for example bread or salt) of a halfpenny. From Old English healf "half" (from proto Germanic halbaz) and penning "penny" meaning "half penny".
HallmarkEnglish From Middle English halfmark ‘half a mark’, probably a nickname or status name for someone who paid this sum in rent.
HamillEnglish Nickname for a scarred or maimed person, from Middle English, Old English hamel "mutilated", "crooked".
HamillIrish According to MacLysaght, a shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó hÁdhmaill "descendant of Ádhmall", which he derives from ádhmall "active".
HammerGerman, English, Jewish From Middle High German hamer, Yiddish hamer, a metonymic occupational name for a maker or user of hammers, for example in a forge, or nickname for a forceful person.
HaringtonEnglish Variant spelling of Harrington. A famous bearer is English actor Kit Harington (1986-).
HarjoCreek From Creek Ha'chō meaning "crazy brave; recklessly brave".
HarkawayEnglish From a sporting phrase used to guide and incite hunting dogs.
HarlessEnglish, German English: probably a variant spelling of Arliss, a nickname from Middle English earles ‘earless’, probably denoting someone who was deaf rather than one literally without ears.
HašekCzech (?) Meaning "Pure" or "Chaste" from Latin Castus, a shortening of Castulus. Diminutive of the personal name Haštal. Noteable people with this surname include Dominik Hašek, a Czech ice hockey Goal-tender and Jaroslav Hašek, a Czech satirist and Journalist, most known for his satirical novel, 'The Good Soldier Švejk'.
HässliGerman (Swiss), French (Rare) Swiss German diminutive form of Haas. This is a French surname via Alsace-Lorraine. A notable bearer is French footballer (soccer player) Eric Hassli (1981-).
HasumiJapanese From Japanese 蓮 (hasu) meaning "lotus" and 見 (mi) meaning "look, appearance".
HatzisGreek Hatzis is the modern form of the Greek khatzis 'a pilgrim to Jerusalem' (either Christian or Muslim), considered a high social distinction. The Greek term is Semitic in origin and is cognate with Arabic hajj 'pilgrimage (to Mecca).'
HaworthEnglish Literally means "enclosure with a hedge," from the Old English words haga + worth.
HazardEnglish, French, Dutch Nickname for an inveterate gambler or a brave or foolhardy man prepared to run risks, from Middle English, Old French hasard, Middle Dutch hasaert (derived from Old French) "game of chance", later used metaphorically of other uncertain enterprises... [more]
HazarikaIndian, Assamese From a military title used during the Ahom Kingdom that indicated an official who commanded over 1,000 soldiers. The title itself is derived from Assamese হাজাৰ (hazar) meaning "thousand".
HeaEstonian Hea is an Estonian surname meaning "good".
HechtGerman, Dutch From Middle High German hech(e)t, Middle Dutch heect, hecht "pike", generally a nickname for a rapacious and greedy person. In some instances it may have been a metonymic occupational name for a fisher and in others it may be a habitational name from a house distinguished by a sign depicting this fish.
HeenanOld Irish Thought to be a nickname or metonymic, and to owe its derivation from the early Gaelic word ean meaning a "bird". The derivation is from the ancient name O'hEeanchain, which loosely translates as The descendant of the son of the Bird.
HeintzelmanGerman From a pet form of Heinrich, with the addition of -mann ‘man’.
HeitmeyerGerman German: distinguishing nickname for a farmer whose land included heathland, from Middle Low German heide ‘heath’, ‘wasteland’ + Meyer 1.
HeldGerman The German word for "hero", ultimately derived from Middle High German helt.... [more]
HeldeEstonian Helde is an Estonian surname meaning "big-hearted".
HellatEstonian Hellat is an Estonian surname derived from "hellalt", meaning "affectionately".
HellerGerman Nickname from the small medieval coin known as the häller or heller because it was first minted (in 1208) at the Swabian town of (Schwäbisch) Hall.
HemKhmer From Khmer ហេម (hem) meaning "gold", ultimately from Sanskrit हेम (hema).
HematiPersian Derived from Persian همت (hemat) meaning "aspiration, ambition, zeal".
HenaresSpanish Derived from the Celtic form of "brave". Also is the name of many towns (Alcala de Henares, Espinosa de Henares, Tortola de Henares...) and a river
HengstGerman, Dutch metonymic occupational name for someone who worked with or bred horses or a nickname for a brave strong man from Middle High German and Middle Dutch hengest "stallion" also "gelding" derived from Old Germanic hangist "stallion"... [more]
HeppEstonian Hepp is an Estonian surname meaning "lively".
HerbstGerman, Jewish Nickname from Middle High German herbest "harvest". The modern German word herbst has come to mean "fall" the time of year when the harvest takes place... [more]
HerdDutch Comes from Middle Dutch hert, herte ‘hart’, ‘stag’; probably a nickname for someone who was fleet of foot, or a habitational name for someone who lived at a house distinguished by the sign of a deer; variant of Heard.
HerrickDutch From a Germanic personal name composed of the elements heri, hari 'army' + ric 'power', or from an assimilated form of Henrick, a Dutch form of Henry.
HertzelGerman The ancestral home of the Hertzel family is in the German province of Bavaria. Hertzel is a German nickname surname. Such names came from eke-names, or added names, that described their initial bearer through reference to a physical characteristic or other attribute... [more]
HessGerman (?) It is arguably both tribal and residential, originating from the pre 10th century A.D. It is believed to have originally described people who came from the region known as Hesse. The translation of this name is the 'hooded people'
HickDutch From a pet form of a Germanic personal name, such as Icco or Hikke (a Frisian derivative of a compound name with the first element hild "strife", "battle").
HickGerman From Hiko, a pet form of any of the Germanic personal names formed with hild "strife", "battle" as the first element.
HindEnglish, Scottish English (central and northern): nickname for a gentle or timid person, from Middle English, Old English hind ‘female deer’.... [more]
HinkebeinDutch, German Nickname for someone with a limp, from Middle Low German hinken meaning "to limp" + bein meaning "leg".
HinkelGerman Nickname for a timid, fearful person, from dialect hinkel ‘chicken’
HinkelmanGerman Elaborated variant of Hinkel, with the addition of Middle High German 'man'.
HolappaFinnish The name Holappa has its origin in a Russian word holop which means “slave” or “soul” (see “Dead Souls” by Nikolai Gogol).
HolbeinGerman nickname for a bow-legged man from Middle High German hol "hollow" and bein "leg".
HolladayEnglish English: from Old English haligdæg ‘holy day’, ‘religious festival’. The reasons why this word should have become a surname are not clear; probably it was used as a byname for one born on a religious festival day.
HölttäFinnish Means "unreliable" or "untrustworthy". A nickname for a deceitful person.
HoltzclawGerman (Anglicized, Modern) Americanized spelling of German Holzklau, which translates into modern German as "wood thief", but is probably a nickname for someone who gathered wood, from Middle High German holz "wood" + a derivative of kluben "to pick up", "gather", "steal".
HolzklauGerman From Middle High German holz ‘wood’ + a derivative of klūben ‘to pick up, gather, steal’. It means "wood thief" but it was probably more likely used as nickname for someone who gathered wood
HomolkaCzech From homolka meaning "(cone-shaped lump of) cream cheese". The word homolka itself is derived from homole "cone". This was either a nickname for a mild person or an occupational name for someone who made cheese.
HörmannGerman The distinguished surname Hormann is of very ancient German origin. It is derived from a Germanic personal name made up of the elements "heri," meaning "army," and "man," meaning "man."
HouckGerman Nickname from Middle Dutch houck, a marine fish, or from Middle Dutch hoec, houck ‘buck’. variant of Hoek.
HowdyshellAmerican, German Americanized (i.e., Anglicized) form of the Swiss German Haudenschild, which originated as a nickname for a ferocious soldier, literally meaning "hack the shield" from Middle High German houwen "to chop or hack" (imperative houw) combined with den (accusative form of the definite article) and schilt "shield".
HoyleWelsh, English Derived from Old English holh meaning "hole". It is thought to have originally been a name for someone who lived in a round hollow or near a pit.