AamisseppEstonian Aamissepp is an Estonian surname meaning "cooper". From "aam" (genitive: "aami", partitive "aami" meaning a "big barrel" and "sepp", meaning "smith".)
AbadJudeo-Spanish Nickname from abad ‘priest’ (from Late Latin abbas ‘priest’, genitive abbatis, from the Aramaic word meaning ‘father’). The application is uncertain: it could be a nickname, an occupational name for the servant of a priest, or denote an (illegitimate) son of a priest.
AbajianArmenian The surname Abjian is a patronymic from Turkish abacι ‘maker or seller of coarse woolen cloth or garments’, from aba ‘coarse woolen cloth’.
AbitbolJudeo-Spanish Means "father of drums" (figuratively referring to a drum maker) from Arabic أَبُو (abū) meaning "father" and طَبْل (ṭabl) meaning "drum".
AidlaEstonian Aidla is an Estonian surname meaning "store/goods area".
AignerGerman (Austrian) German: from an agent derivative of Middle High German aigen ‘own’ a status name originally denoting a landowner who held his land outright rather than by rent or feudal obligation. In the Middle Ages this was sufficiently rare to be worthy of remark and was normally a special privilege granted in recognition of some exceptional service... [more]
AkinnuoyeWestern African, Yoruba Means "chief warrior" in Yoruba. A famous bearer is English actor Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (1967-).
Al-attarArabic Means "the perfumer, the druggist" from Arabic عَطَّار (ʿaṭṭār) "perfumer, druggist, pharmacist".
AlcaideSpanish, Portuguese ancient occupational or status name from alcaide from Arabic al-qāʾid "the leader, the commander" (see Kaid ). The meaning of the Spanish and Portuguese word varied depending on period and region including "castellan" "constable of a castle" "customs officer" and "jailer".
AlcaldeSpanish Spanish: from alcalde 'mayor' from Arabic al-qāḍī 'the judge' a title dating from the days of Moorish rule in Spain.
AleghieriMedieval Italian (Tuscan, Rare, Archaic) It has a hard to trace meaning, but the research shows that the meaning might be "clurgyman's family" or "son of professers." People know this last name for the poet Dante Aligheri who wrote the Dievine Comedy.
AlfieriItalian From Italian alfiere "standard-bearer, ensign", ultimately from Arabic فارس (al-faris) "horseman, rider; knight, cavalier". May alternately derive from the Germanic given name Adalfarus, meaning "noble journey".
AlhadeffJudeo-Spanish Possibly an occupational name for a weaver from Arabic الهداف (al-̣haddāf) meaning "the weaver's shuttle". Alternately, it may be from Arabic الهدى (al-hadā) meaning "the guided one".
AlifierisGreek From Italian alfiere "standard-bearer, ensign" cognate to the Italian surname Alfieri.
AltmeyerGerman Status name for an older steward, headman, or tenant farmer, as distinguished from a younger one, from Middle High German alt ‘old’ + meier ‘steward’, ‘headman’, ‘tenant farmer’
AmburEstonian Ambur is an Estonian surname meaning "arbalist (crossbowman)"
AmmannUpper German, German (Swiss) Alemannic form of Amtmann "official". Ultimately derived from Middle High German ambet man "retinue man; retainer", this word came to denote various kinds of administrator including a tax farmer.
AmslerGerman (Swiss) Derived from German Amsel "(European) blackbird", this was an occupational name for a fowler (bird catcher).
AmusanJapanese (Rare) The Amusan Clan (秋道一族, Amusan Ichizoku) is a prominent clan in Kanazawa. Since its disbandment, most of its known members reside in Neuilly-sur-Seine ,Britain and Washington D.C.
AnabukiJapanese It is written like this : 穴 (Ana) "Whole, pit" and 吹 (Buki) "Blow into".
AnbarArabic Means "amber" in Arabic (see English name Amber). Notable actress Nihal Anbar was born in 1960.
AndishmandOld Persian ANDISHMAND (pronounced: AEN-DEESH-MAND, in the West D is silent), Origin Middle-Persian, means one who thinks (i.e. an intellectual). Given to people of Persian and non-Persian descent of diverse Persian or Central Asian ethnic and religious backgrounds (including Jews, Christians, Zoroastrians) based on a person's profession that requires thinking (technocrat, writer, poet, intellectual).
ArabacıTurkish Occupational name for a driver, maker or seller of carts and wagons, from Turkish araba meaning "cart, carriage".
ArablePopular Culture An occupational surname for people who are capable of being farmed productively. Also used in the novel Charlotte's Web (1952).
AradhyaIndian, Sanskrit Means "one who worships god". Commonly seen in India, Karnataka and other parts of India like kashi. They wear holy thread (yagnopaveetha).
AraldiItalian Means “heralds” in Italian. Famous bearers include Italian painters Alessandro Araldi (c. 1460 – c. 1529) and Paolo Araldi (18th century – after 1820).
ArceriItalian From Italian arciere "archer, bowman". May alternately be from a place name, such as Arcera.
ArcidiaconoItalian Means "archdeacon", denoting someone who worked for or was related to an archdeacon.
ArcillaSpanish (Philippines) From Spanish arcilla meaning "clay," derived via Latin from Greek ἄργιλλος (árgillos), ultimately from ἀργός (argós) meaning "white."
ArderEstonian Arder is an Estonian surname meaning, possibly a corruption of "ader", meaning "plow".
ArendiEstonian Arendi is an Estonian surname derived from "arendaja" meaning "developer".
ArgentisGreek Means "silver" in Italian, originally used as an occupational name for a silversmith or a nickname for a person with gray hair. Greek version of the Italian surname Argenti.
ArgentoItalian Means "silver" in Italian, originally used as an occupational name for a silversmith or a nickname for a person with gray hair.
AriesEnglish, French The name means either a person who worked in a fashion of the "Arras" cloth, as in the quotation "one bede Coveringe of Aries" (1562), or someone who was a former inhabitant of Arras in France, or Arras in Yorkshire; the latter being a particularly popular source of the name.
ArmasSpanish Occupational name for an arms maker or soldier, from Spanish armas meaning "arms, weapons".
ArmijoSpanish Derived from the Spanish adjetive "armigero", meaning "one who bears arms". First found in the Northern Region of Spain in Cantabria. Alternate spellings include: Armijos, Armigo, and Armija.
ArmourScottish, Northern Irish From Middle English, Old French armure, blended with the agent noun armer (see Armer), hence an occupational name for a maker of arms and armor. The collective noun armure denoted offensive weapons as well as the more recently specialized sense of protective gear.
ArousiJewish, Hebrew, Judeo-Arabic, Arabic Yemenite Jewish and Arabic name possibly deriving from Arabic words aroosi, "bridal, relating to a wedding", rousi, "groom". El Aroussi, a variant, is found densely in Morocco and Francophone populations (France, Canada).
ArquetteFrench From arquet meaning "little bow" or "little arch" (diminutive of arche, from Latin arcus). It was originally an occupational name for an archer, but the French word arquet(te) is also found in the sense 'market trader' (originally, perhaps, one with a stall underneath an arch)... [more]
AsaJapanese Variously written, sometimes with characters used phonetically. It can mean ‘morning’, but the most likely meaning is ‘hemp’, making it a topographic or occupational name. Both forms are found mostly in Amami, one of the Ryūkyū Islands.
AsensioBasque It signifies "dweller at the place where the blackberry bushes grew."
AshmanEnglish, Anglo-Saxon From Middle English Asheman, a byname meaning "pirate, seaman". It can also be made up of English ash referring to the "ash tree", and man. In that case, it could refer to someone who lived by ash trees... [more]
AškāpuBabylonian Means "leatherworker", deriving from the Akkadian aškāpu ("a leatherworker , a cobbler , a shoemaker").
AßmanGerman Derived from Middle Low German asse "axle", this name used to denote an axle maker. In some cases, however, it can also be a variant of Asmussen.
AtenFrisian, Dutch The Frisian name Aten means "Noble Wolf". The name was probably given to lesser lords. As noble would mean nobility. As wolf was always a symbol of a warrior, or hunter. Usually Nobles who were also warriors, were lesser lords... [more]
AtlıTurkish Means "horseman, equestrian" in Turkish.
AttalJudeo-Spanish Derived from Arabic عتال ('attal) meaning "porter, carrier".
AuberjonoisFrench A French last name meaning "armourer". Actor René Murat Auberjonois is a notable bearer.
AubuchonFrench (Modern, ?) The Aubuchon name is French, but of uncertain origin. It is probably from the patronymic prefix au + buchon, a dialect term for a woodcutter (Standard French bûcheron).
AugelloItalian Italian (Campania) dialect variant of Uccello ‘bird’, hence either a nickname for a diminutive, birdlike person or an occupational name for a fowler. Compare Auciello.
AukermanDutch Americanized form of Dutch Ackerman. This was a frequent name in New Netherland in the 17th century.
AvenaSpanish, Italian A traditionally Spanish and Italian occupational surname for a "grain grower or merchant", or the Italian habitation surname for Avena, Calabria. Means "oats". From the Latin avēna meaning 'oats, wild oats, straw'.
AviñaGalician Galician surname referring to someone who "lives by a vineyard", from d’Aviña, a variant of da viña.
AvogadroItalian An occupational name for a lawyer or public official with administrative duties. Ultimately from Latin advocator, "advocate".
BacalRomanian, Jewish Derived from Romanian bacal, an alternative form of băcan meaning "grocer".
BacallRomanian, Jewish Variant spelling of Bacal. A famous bearer was the American actress Lauren Bacall (1924-2014).
BaccellieriItalian From baccelliere "batchelor", a title for a young knight, or a university disciple who had studied Canon Law for 5 years and Civil Law for 7 years.
BacchusEnglish (i) Variant of Backus (meaning "one who lives in or works in a bakery", from Old English bǣchūs "bakehouse, bakery"), the spelling influenced by Bacchus (name of the Greek and Roman god of wine).... [more]
BaciuRomanian Romanian surname from the word "baci" (shepherd)or the capitan of the game "oina".
BackmanEnglish, Swedish, German Combination of Old English bakke "spine, back" and man "man". In Swedish, the first element is more likely to be derived from Swedish backe "hill", and in German the first element can be derived from German backen "to bake"... [more]
BaconEnglish, French, Norman An occupational surname for someone who sold pork, from Middle English and Old French bacun or bacon, meaning 'bacon', which is ultimately of Germanic origin. Can also be derived from the Germanic given names Baco, Bacco, or Bahho, from the root bag-, meaning 'to fight'... [more]
BaishōJapanese Bai (倍) means "double", while shō (賞) means "Prize" or "Award". When you combine the two, it would likely mean "Double the Award".
BajajIndian, Punjabi, Hindi Occupational name for a clothier from Punjabi ਬਜਾਜ (bajaj) meaning "cloth merchant", ultimately derived from Arabic بزاز (bazzaz).
BakshiIndian, Bengali, Punjabi Derived from Persian بخشی (baxši) meaning "paymaster, scribe, secretary", used as a title for officials who distributed wages in Muslim armies.
BalTurkish Means "honey" in Turkish, originally denoting a person who worked as a beekeeper.
BalcıTurkish Means "beekeeper" in Turkish, ultimately from bal meaning "honey".
BaldacchinoMaltese Derived from Italian baldacchino meaning "baldachin (or baldaquin)", referring to a type of canopy placed over a throne. It was originally used as an occupational name for a maker of baldachins.
BallasterEnglish Meant "person who makes or is armed with a crossbow" (from a derivative of Middle English baleste "crossbow", from Old French).
BallutFrench Derived from Old Occitan baluter, cognate of French bluter (via Middle French beluter), meaning "to sift, to sieve, especially the flour from the bran", this name used to denote a miller.
BalsamGerman Occupational name for a seller of spices and perfumes.
BanovićSerbian, Croatian "Son of a Ban", the -ić "son of" suffix with ban, the title of class of Croatian nobility beginning in the 7th century approximately equivalent to viceroy, lord or duke, stemming potentially from the Turkic bajan ("rich, wealthy").
BarbeGerman From Middle High German barbe, the name of a species of fish resembling the carp; hence by metonymy an occupational name for a fisherman or fish dealer, or possibly a nickname for someone thought to resemble the fish in some way.
BarbeauFrench Derived from barbeau meaning "barbel", a type of fish, hence a metonymic occupational name for a fisherman, or a nickname for a man with a sparse beard, the fish being distinguished by beardlike growths on either side of its mouth... [more]
BarberoSpanish Spanish occupational name for a barber-surgeon (see Barber), Spanish barbero, from Late Latin barbarius, a derivative of barba ‘beard’ (Latin barba).
BarchoCircassian Possibly derived from an Adyghe word meaning "band, lace", referring to someone who made ropes or binding tapes, or from a Chechen word referring to a tailor.
BarileItalian From Italian barile "barrel" either an occupational name for a Cooper or a nickname for a fat man.
BarillaItalian Occupational name from medieval Greek barellas "cooper" from Italian barella "barrel" with the suffix (e)as.
BarjaktarovićMontenegrin Derived from barjaktar (барјактар), meaning "flag bearer, standard bearer".
BarkerEnglish SURNAME Town cryer, or someone who shouts out notices
BarkisEnglish Meant "person who works in a tannery" (from Middle English barkhous "tannery" - bark was used in the tanning process). A fictional bearer is Barkis, a carrier in Charles Dickens's 'David Copperfield' (1849) who sends a message via David to Clara Peggotty that "Barkis is willin'" (i.e. to marry her).
BarkusEnglish Probably a reduced form of Barkhouse, a topographic name for someone who lived by a tannery, Middle English barkhous, or an occupational name for someone who worked in one.
BarreauFrench Possibly a variant of Barreur, an agent derivative of barrer ‘to bar’, ‘to close or block off’, hence possibly an occupational name for a jailer or doorkeeper.
BarretoPortuguese Occupational name for a cap maker. Comes from barreto which means ‘cap’.
BarrowmanEnglish A man employed in wheeling a barrow; specifically, in coal-mining, one who conveys the coal in a wheelbarrow from the point where it is mined to the trolleyway or tramway on which it is carried to the place where it is raised to the surface.
BarzagliItalian Probably from barezzo, an old word of Germanic origin used to denote people who bred pigs or sold ham.
BatchelorEnglish, Scottish Occupational name for an unmarried man, a young knight or a novice, derived from Middle English and Old French bacheler literally meaning "bachelor", ultimately from medieval Latin baccalarius.
BateyEnglish (?) Originates from mostly northern England. Is the presumed given name to fishers. (With it meaning "Small fishing boat" in old English.)
BattiloroItalian Means "goldworker", specifically an artisan who applied gold foil to other material, from Italian batti "to beat, to strike" and 'loro "the gold".
BaumeisterGerman Occupational name for a "builder" in German; from Middle High German 'buwen' 'to build' + meister 'master'.... [more]
BaumkötterGerman (Modern) From the German words 'Baum' meaning 'tree' and 'Kötter' a type of villager who dwelt in a cottage, similar to the Scottish Cotter. "Presumably a 'Baumkötter' earned money from a small orchard on their property."
BaygentsAnglo-Saxon The earliest recorded spelling of the surname was "Besant", "Bezant", or "Beasant", which comes from an old French word "besant", which, in turn, was derived from the Latin term "byzantius aureus". The "byzantius" or "bezant" was a gold coin named after the city of Byzantium (ancient name in BC, later named 'Constantinople' in 330 AD)... [more]
BayleFrench Occupational name for a Bailiff from Old French Bailli "bailiff" (from Latin baiulus).
BaylisEnglish Derived from the Middle English 'bail(l)i', a development of the Old French 'baillis'. In Scotland the word survives as 'bailie', the title of a chief magistrate for a part of a county or barony. The word survives in England as 'bailiff', an officer who serves writs and summonses for the court.
BaylorEnglish Possibly derived from the legal term bailor "one who delivers goods". It could also be a respelling of German name Beiler, an occupational name for an inspector of measures or a maker of measuring sticks... [more]
BeccariaItalian From beccaro "butcher", ultimately from becco "goat".
BecherGerman Shortened form of Becherer as well as a surname given to for someone who distilled or worked with pitch, in which case it is derived from Middle High German bech / pech "pitch".
BechmannGerman (Rare) Surname denoting someone who worked with pitch, from Middle High German bech / pech "pitch" and man, a suffix which can mean "man" or simply be used as a name suffix.
BeckerEnglish Occupational name for a maker or user of mattocks or pickaxes, from an agent derivative of Old English becca "mattock".
BednářCzech Bednář means "hooper, cooper" in Czech.
BednarzPolish Occupational name for a cooper in Polish.
BeeEnglish From Middle English be meaning "bee", Old English beo, hence a nickname for an energetic or active person or a metonymic occupational name for a beekeeper.
BeerEnglish, German, Dutch, German (Swiss) Habitational name from any of the forty or so places in southwestern England called Beer(e) or Bear(e). Most of these derive their names from the West Saxon dative case, beara, of Old English bearu ‘grove’, ‘wood’ (the standard Old English dative bearwe being preserved in Barrow)... [more]
BelzerGerman Occupational name for a furrier, from an agent derivative of Middle High German bel(li)z "fur"
BenderGerman, German (East Prussian) As a German surname, Bender is a regional occupational surname from the Rhineland area denoting a "barrel-maker" (the Standard German Fassbinder became "Fassbender" in the local dialects and ultimately was shortened to Bender).... [more]
BennerGerman Occupational name for a basket and bassinet maker, from an agent derivative of Middle High German benne 'work basket', 'bassinet', 'cradle'.
BerberićBosnian Occupational name for a barber, from berber(in) meaning "barber", from Turkish.
BeresHungarian Occupational name for a farm laborer or casual harvest hand, béres, a derivative of bér 'wage', 'payment'.
BergeronFrench Diminutive of French berger meaning "shepherd".
BergholdGerman Surname that denoted the owner of a vineyard.
BernerEnglish, Norman From the Norman personal name Bernier from Old English beornan ‘to burn’, hence an occupational name for a burner of lime (compare German Kalkbrenner) or charcoal... [more]
BernerGerman, Low German German habitational name, in Silesia denoting someone from a place called Berna (of which there are two examples); in southern Germany and Switzerland denoting someone from the Swiss city of Berne. ... [more]
BerrettaItalian From berretta, originally meaning ‘hooded cloak’ (Latin birrus), later ‘headdress’, ‘bonnet’, hence a metonymic occupational name for a maker of such headgear or a nickname for an habitual wearer.
BerrutiItalian From Late Latin berrutum "cart", indicating someone who drove or made carts.
BerryannMedieval English (Rare) The name is pre 7th century Olde English and later Olde French. It derives from the word burri or berri, translating as a fortress or castle and means 'one who dwelt at the castle'. The suffix 'man' also indicates that it was job descriptive for a guard or keeper of the castle... [more]
BerryhillEnglish A name for someone who worked as a servant at the manor house.
BertagniItalian Bertagni has a lineage in Genoa and one in Lucca. Possibly derives from Gothic, Lombard and Germanic names containing the root germanica bertha (bright) or the celtic bert (bearer).
BesemerGerman Occupational name meaning "broom maker".
BesteFrench, English Nickname from Middle English beste Old French beste "beast animal" (especially those used for food or work) applied either as a metonymic occupational name for someone who looked after beasts such as a herdsman or as a nickname for someone thought to resemble an animal... [more]
BhandariIndian, Hindi, Bengali, Gujarati, Punjabi, Nepali Derived from Sanskrit भाण्डागारिक (bhandagarika) meaning "storekeeper, treasurer", ultimately from भाण्डागार (bhandagara) meaning "storeroom, storehouse, treasury".
BhuyanIndian, Bengali, Assamese, Odia Means "landlord, chieftain", derived from Sanskrit भूमि (bhumi) meaning "earth, soil".
BickelGerman, German (Swiss), Jewish German: from bickel ‘pickaxe’ or ‘chisel’, hence a metonymic occupational name for someone who made pickaxes or worked with a pickaxe or for a stonemason. South German: from a pet form of Burkhart... [more]
BickermanEnglish The toponym Bickerton is derived from the Old English beocere, which means bee-keeper, and tun, which originally denoted a fence or enclosure.
BiddleEnglish, Irish Variant of English BEADLE or German BITTEL. The name is now popular in the north east region of America, where it was brought by English and Irish immigrants.
BiehlGerman From Middle Low German bil "hatchet", Middle High German biel; given to someone who made or used hatchets.
BielerGerman, Jewish Jewish (Ashkenazic): habitational name from any of the many places in eastern Europe whose name incorporates the Slavic element byel- ‘white’.... [more]
BierGerman, Jewish from Middle High German bier "beer" German bier Yiddish bir a metonymic occupational name for a brewer of beer or a tavern owner or in some cases perhaps a nickname for a beer drinker.
BingerEnglish Derived from the Old English name Binningas, which was a name for someone who lived near stables.
BirgeHungarian Occupational name for a shepherd, from birga, a variant spelling of birka 'sheep'.
BirneEnglish, German, Jewish Means "pear" in German, making it the German equivalent of Perry 1, perhaps originally referring to a person who harvested or sold pears... [more]