HwangKorean, Taiwanese Korean form of Huang, from Sino-Korean 黃 (hwang). It is also a Chinese alternate transcription of the same name chiefly used in Taiwan.
HyōdōJapanese From Japanese 兵 (hyō) meaning "soldier" and 藤 (dō) meaning "wisteria".
İleriTurkish Means "advanced, forward, ahead" in Turkish.
IllustrisimoSpanish (Philippines) Variant of Ilustrisimo. This spelling variation possibly came about from the influence of American surnames during the American occupation of the Philippines... [more]
ImamovićBosnian Means "son of the imam", from Arabic إِمَام (ʾimām) referring to a Muslim leader.
ImanishiJapanese From Japanese 今 (ima) meaning "now, present" and 西 (nishi) meaning "west".
ImbimboNeapolitan From Italian bimbo meaning "a child, a male baby" (which is a variant of bambino "child") combined with in-, a prefix indicating "belonging to the family of".
InfanteSpanish From infante literally "child", but in Spain also a title borne by the eldest sons of noblemen before they inherited, and in particular by the son of the king of Castile; thus the surname probably originated either as a nickname for one of a lordly disposition or as an occupational name for a member of the household of an infante.
InfanteItalian Nickname for someone with a childlike disposition, from infante "child" (Latin infans, literally "one who cannot speak").
IraniPersian Means "Iranian" in Persian. It is also commonly used within a Zoroastrian community in India with the same name.
IrelandEnglish, Scottish Ethnic name for someone from Ireland, Old English Iraland. The country gets its name from the genitive case of Old English Iras "Irishmen" and land "land". The stem Ir- is taken from the Celtic name for Ireland, Èriu, earlier Everiu... [more]
IronsideEnglish Possibly from Middle English irenside (Old English iren ‘iron’ + side ‘side’), a nickname for an iron-clad warrior.
İşbaşaranTurkish From Turkish iş "work" and başaran "one who is successful".
JadallahArabic Means "the generosity of Allah" in Arabic.
JadeEnglish, French From the given name Jade. It could also indicate someone with jade green eyes.
JaikEstonian Jaik is an Estonian surname derived from "jäik" meaning "rigid" and "stiff".
JaniIndian, Odia, Gujarati Derived from Sanskrit ज्ञानिन् (jñānin) meaning "knowing, learned, wise".
JanisseFrench Possibly a respelling of French Janisset, from a pet form of Jan, a variant spelling of Jean, French equivalent of John.
JaradatArabic Means "locusts, grasshoppers" in Arabic.
JarząbekPolish A Polish surname meaning "Grouse". A nickname for someone thought to resemble the bird.
JarzombekPolish Variant spelling of Jarząbek, from jarząbek meaning "grouse", presumably a nickname for someone thought to resemble the bird.
JaskółkaPolish Nickname from Polish jaskółka meaning "swallow".
JayEnglish, French Nickname from Middle English, Old French jay(e), gai "jay (the bird)", probably referring to an idle chatterer or a showy person, although the jay was also noted for its thieving habits.
JeanpetitFrench Means "little Jean" from Old French petit "small" and the given name Jean 1, originally a nickname for a small man called Jean (or applied ironically to a large man), or a distinguishing epithet for the younger of two men named Jean.... [more]
JeknićMontenegrin Derived from jekanje (јекање), meaning "moaning, crying".
JeterFrench (Huguenot), German Jeter is a French and German surname. It is the last name of former New York Yankees baseball player, Derek Jeter. It's also the last name of Carmelita Jeter, an American sprinter who specializes in the 100 meter sprint.
JobEnglish, French, German, Hungarian English, French, German, and Hungarian from the personal name Iyov or Job, borne by a Biblical character, the central figure in the Book of Job, who was tormented by God and yet refused to forswear Him... [more]
JolicoeurFrench (Quebec), Haitian Creole From Old French joli "joyful, cheerful" and cuer "heart". It was originally a nickname for a cheerful person. This was a frequent French Canadian secondary surname (or dit name).
JolleyEnglish The surname Jolley came from the English word jolly.
JollyEnglish From the English word jolly, which is ultimately from Old French joli# ("merry, happy"). Originally a nickname for someone of a cheerful or attractive disposition.
JongbloedDutch Nickname for a young person, derived from Middle Dutch jonc meaning "young" and bloet meaning "blood". A famous bearer of this surname was the Dutch soccer goalkeeper Jan Jongbloed (1940-2023).
JuanChinese Alternate transcription of Chinese 阮 (see Ruan).
JuelDanish, Norwegian, Swedish Alternate form of Juhl. This variant of the name can be traced back to the 14th century and is the name of a Danish noble family sometimes referred to as "Juel med stjernen" meaning "Juel with the star" in reference to their coat-of-arms, as a way to distinguish them from another Danish noble family - the Juul-family - who in turn are known as "Juul with the fleur-de-lis"... [more]
JuhlDanish, Norwegian (Rare), Low German Likely originating as a nickname for people born around Christmas or who had a connection with that time of year, from the Old Norse jól, which was the name of the Nordic pagan midwinter festival, or modern Danish jul meaning "Christmas" (cf... [more]
JuinFrench Derived from French juin meaning "June", perhaps indicating a person who was baptized in that month.
JuneauFrench A nickname for someone who is "young"
JüngerGerman, Jewish German (Jünger) distinguishing name, from Middle High German jünger ‘younger’, for the younger of two bearers of the same personal name, usually a son who bore the same name as his father... [more]
JusayFilipino, Tagalog, Cebuano From Tagalog and Cebuano husay meaning "settled, orderly, arranged" or "settle, arrange, put in order".
JuulDanish, Norwegian Alternate form of Juhl. This variant of the name can be traced back to the 13th century as the name of a Danish noble family still alive today. The family is sometimes referred to as "Juul med liljen" meaning "Juul with the fleur-de-lis" in reference to their coat-of-arms, as a way to distinguish them from another Danish noble family - the Juel-family - who in turn are known as "Juel with the star"... [more]
KabaTurkish Means "rough, rude, coarse" in Turkish.
KabiriPersian From the Arabic كَبِير (kabīr) meaning "big, large, great".
KaçanTurkish Means "runaway, fugitive, escaper" in Turkish.
KaleIndian, Marathi Means "black" in Marathi, ultimately from Sanskrit काल (kala).
KalenderTurkish Means "bohemian, easygoing, carefree" in Turkish.
KalhorhUrdu, Sindhi Originally a nickname for a person who belonged to the Kalhora clan in Sindh, Pakistan. The clan's name is derived from Sindhi ڪلهوڙو (kalhoro), ultimately from ڪَلھو (kalho) meaning "alone".
KalhoroSindhi From the name of the Kalhora (or Kalhoro) people, a Sindhi tribe residing in Pakistan. The name itself is of uncertain meaning.
KalitaPolish A polish surname meaning "money pouch" in old polish
KalkEstonian Kalk is an Estonian surname meaning "heartless", "callous" and "harsh".
KaltGerman, German (Swiss) From Middle High German kalt "cold" probably applied as a nickname for someone who felt the cold or for someone with an unfriendly disposition.
KambanFaroese, Old Norse, Old Celtic, Old Irish Likely from Old Irish cambán "crooked one". This was the surname of Grímur Kamban, the legendary first settler in the Faroe Islands according to the Færeyinga saga. This name is still borne by a handful of people in the Faroe Islands today.
Kara-SalTuvan Means "black beard", derived from Tuvan кара (kara) meaning "black" combined with сал (sal) meaning "beard, moustache".
KarataşTurkish From Turkish kara meaning "black" and taş meaning "stone, rock".
KarayusufTurkish Yusuf is a name for men and Karayusuf means Dark Yusuf.
KarhuFinnish Means "bear" (the animal) in Finnish.
KarkEstonian Kark is an Estonian surname meaning "stilt" (Himantopus himantopus).
KärkkäinenFinnish From Finnish kärkäs meaning ”eager” and the suffix -nen. A Finnish department store chain bears this name after its founder, Juha Kärkkäinen.
KarunanayakeSinhalese From Sanskrit करुणा (karuna) meaning "compassion, kindness, mercy" and नायक (nayaka) meaning "hero, leader".
KarunaratneSinhalese From Sanskrit करुणा (karuna) meaning "compassion, kindness, mercy" and रत्न (ratna) meaning "jewel, treasure".
KastlGerman From a pet form of the saint's name Castulus, itself a diminutive of the Latin adjective castus 'chaste'.
KastratiAlbanian Derived from the name of the Kastrati tribe inhabiting the region of Malësia in northern Albania.
KasunićCroatian Possibly derived from the old Slavic word kazati, meaning "to order, to command".
KatDutch, Frisian, Afrikaans, Jewish Means "Cat" in Dutch, Frisian, and Afrikaans, perhaps originally a nickname for someone who owned a cat or somehow resembled a cat.
KatsushimaJapanese The word Katsu (勝) meaning "cutlet" and the word Shima (島) meaning "mother".
KatzinJewish Jewish: nickname from Hebrew katsin ‘rich man’. ... [more]
KauGerman Topographic name for someone who lived by a mineshaft, from Middle High German kouw(e) "mining hut".
KauhaneHawaiian Literally, "the spirit". Ka being "the" and Uhane being "spirit".
KaukaLow German, Sorbian Best known as the surname of a certain Rolf. It is perhaps a Sorbian and Northeast Low German variant of Kafka and Kawa, both of which mean ‘Jackdaw’ in Czech and Polish.... [more]
KaunisEstonian Kaunis is an Estonian surname meaning "beautiful".
KauschGerman Pet name derived from the Old High German personal name Gozwin, of uncertain origin.
KautGerman Topographic name from the Franconian dialect word Kaut(e) "hollow", "pit", "den".
KautzGerman Nickname for a shy or strange person, from Middle High German kuz "screech owl".
KavkaSlovak, Ukrainian, Czech Yet another variant of Kafka and its pop culture equivalents Kefka and Cefca. Also like Kaffka, it simply means ‘Jackdaw’ in Slovak.
KayChinese From Chinese 凯 (kǎi) meaning "triumphant, victorious, triumphal".
KelavaCroatian Possibly derived from Turkish kel, meaning "bald".... [more]
KelchGerman nickname from Middle High German kelch "double chin", "goiter". from another meaning of Middle High German kelch "glass", "chalice", hence a metonymic occupational name for a chalice maker or a habitational name for someone living at a house distinguished by the sign of a chalice.
KeleşTurkish Means "brave, handsome" as well as "bald" or "ugly" in Turkish.
KeränenFinnish Possibly from Keräpää, a nickname for a bald person or someone with a round head and/or with closely cropped hair, combined with the common surname suffix -nen. In eastern Finland the name dates back to the 16th century.
KettsEnglish (British) The proud Norman name of Ketts was developed in England soon after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. It was a name for a person who has a fancied resemblance to a cat. The name stems from the Old Northern French cat, of the same meaning, which occurs in many languages in the same form from a very early period.
KeurigDutch Keurig is derived from a Dutch word meaning "excellence." A more accurate translation from the Dutch is "neat" or "tidy."
KhalafArabic Means "successor, descendant" in Arabic.
KhalajiPersian From the name of the Khalaj people who primarily reside in Iran. The name itself is said to be derived from Turkic kal aç meaning "stay hungry".
KhaleghiPersian Derived from Persian خالق (khaleq) meaning "creator (an epithet for God)".
KhalsaIndian (Sikh), Punjabi Derived from Arabic خلص (khalasa) meaning "pure, clear". This is also the term used to refer to initiated Sikhs.
KhamThai, Lao From Thai คำ (kham) meaning "gold" or "word, speech" or Lao ຄຳ (kham) meaning "gold".
KhamkaeoThai From Thai คำ (kham) meaning "gold" or "word, speech" and แก้ว (kaeo) meaning "crystal, glass, diamond".
KhanumBengali, Urdu From an aristocratic title traditionally used as an honorific for Muslim women in the Middle East and South Asia. It is derived from a feminine form of the title khan meaning "king, ruler", which is probably of Mongolian origin.
KharaziaAbkhaz There are several theories on the origin of the name. It could be derived from Arabic حَارِس (ḥāris) meaning "guard, guardian, defender", from a contraction of a Hebrew term, or from the Abkhaz word ҳара (ḥārā́) meaning "we, ours" combined with the Abkhaz suffix -ya or -ia denoting descent.
KhaskheliUrdu, Sindhi Referred to a person belonging to the Khaskheli tribe in the Pakistani provinces of Sindh and Balochistan. It is perhaps derived from the Urdu words خاص (khas) meaning "proper" and خالی (khali) meaning "performer"... [more]
KhatriIndian, Gujarati, Marathi, Hindi, Punjabi, Nepali Name for a member of the Kshatriya caste, derived from Sanskrit क्षत्रिय (kshatriya) referring to the Hindu caste consisting of kings, warriors and soldiers, ultimately from क्षत्र (kshatra) meaning "power, might, dominion".
KibarTurkish Means "kind, polite, noble" in Turkish, ultimately from Arabic كبار (kibar).
KicklighterAmerican Americanized spelling of German Kückleiter, literally ‘chicken ladder’, probably a nickname for a chicken farmer.
KiehlMedieval Low German From Middle Low German kil ‘wedge’, applied as a metonymic occupational name or as a pejorative nickname for a ruffian. Possibly a habitational name from Kiel in Schleswig-Holstein, from Dutch and Frisian kil ‘stagnant water’ (see Kiel)... [more]
KielPolish Polish from kiel ‘tooth’, ‘fang’, hence a nickname for someone with bad or protruding teeth.
KienerGerman (Swiss) Nickname derived from the dialect verb chienen 'to whimper'.
KihulaneEstonian Kihulane is an Estonian surname meaning "midge".
KikkasEstonian Kikkas is an Estonian surname, derived from "kikas", meaning "rooster".
KilJewish Jewish (Ashkenazic) of uncertain origin; perhaps a nickname from Yiddish kil ‘cool’.
KillJewish Maybe a nickname derived from Yiddish kil "cool".
KinDutch Nickname for someone with a pointed or jutting chin.
KindEnglish, German, Jewish, Dutch German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) from Middle High German kint, German Kind ‘child’, hence a nickname for someone with a childish or naive disposition, or an epithet used to distinguish between a father and his son... [more]
KippsEnglish From Middle English Kipp, perhaps a byname for a fat man, from an unattested Old English form Cyppe, which according to Reaney is from the Germanic root kupp 'to swell'.
KıraçTurkish Means "barren, wasted, infertile" in Turkish.
KıranTurkish Means "pestilence, murrain" or "breaker, crusher" in Turkish.
KislitsynRussian Derived from Russian кислица (kislitsa) meaning "mope, a dull, spiritless person".
KislyRussian, Belarusian Derived from Russian кислый (kisly) meaning "acid, acidic, sour".
KissamiArabic (Maghrebi) Means "descendants of Qasim" in Arabic. This was the name of a Moroccan family descended from the Idrisid dynasty.
KisselGerman From a pet form of the Germanic personal name Gisulf.
KitchingEnglish The surname is thought to have originally been an occupational name for a cook, deriving from the Old English word cycen.
KitumainiCentral African, Swahili Means "little hope" in Swahili, a diminutive of tumaini meaning simply "hope". It is mostly found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.