HoareEnglish From a nickname meaning "gray-haired", ie. "hoary".
HodgeEnglish Nickname from Middle English hodge "hog", which occurs as a dialect variant of hogge, for example in Cheshire place names.
HoeEnglish Topographic name for someone who lived by a spur of a hill.
HoenDutch, German From Middle Dutch hoen "chicken, hen", perhaps a nickname denoting a silly or foolish person, or an occupational name for someone who raised chickens.
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.
HryshkoUkrainian The Hryshko National Botanical Garden is named after Soviet Ukrainian botanist Mykola Hryshko.
HübschGerman Nickname from Middle High German hübesch 'courtly', 'polite', 'refined', 'agreeable', German hübsch.
HuguenotFrench Meaning uncertain. It could be denoted as a French Protestant who held the Reformed tradition of Protestantism, possibly derived from Middle French eiguenot "Swiss confederate", from Swiss republican Besançon Hugues, or a diminutive form of Hugues, from the same person... [more]
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".
IgotFilipino, Cebuano Means "lipote" (a type of tree in the genus Syzygium) in Cebuano.
IlaganTagalog Means "to evade, to dodge, to get out of the way (of something)" in Tagalog.
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.
JagiełłoPolish Originally from Old Lithuanian jotis and gaili, meaning "strong rider". This was the last name of the Polish King Władysław Jagiełło, who, along with his wife, started the Jagiellonian dynasty in the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.
JaikEstonian Jaik is an Estonian surname derived from "jäik" meaning "rigid" and "stiff".
JandusayTagalog From Tagalog handusay meaning "to prostrate, to lie face down".
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".
JaszczukPolish Derived from Polish jaszczurka, meaning "lizard."
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).
JudehArabic From Arabic جودة (jawdah) meaning "excellence, goodness".
JudgeEnglish, Irish occupational name for an officer of justice or a nickname for a solemn and authoritative person thought to behave like a judge from Middle English Old French juge "judge" (from Latin iudex from ius "law" and dicere "to say") which replaced the Old English term dema... [more]
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"
JungbluthGerman Means "young blossom" in German, from German jung "young" and blüte "blossom, flower", possibly denoting a person who blossomed early in their life.
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]
JupeEnglish A kind of cloak or cape. It is possible that an ancestor of an individual with this surname was known for their association with these kinds of clothing.
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).
KalebaPolish Originates from a nickname of Polish dialect meaning “scraggy old cow”
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.
KartmannGerman Derived from German karte meaning "card". Possibly an occupational name for someone who makes, sells or trades cards. In an alternative representation, it could be a nickname for someone who gambles.
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".
KastanismGreek From Greek καστανιά (kastania) meaning "chestnut, chestnut tree". This name is given to someone with chestnut hair or someone who lived near a chestnut tree.
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, South African, Jewish Means "cat", a habitational name for someone who lived by a sign depicting a cat, or a nickname for someone who somehow resembled a cat, perhaps in agility or an independent nature.
KatanJewish From Hebrew קָטָן (katan) meaning "small, little, young".
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.