Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
MesserScottish Occupational name for someone who kept watch over harvested crops, Middle English, Older Scots mess(i)er, from Old French messier (see Messier).
MesserschmidtGerman Name given to a knife smith. From German "messer" meaning knife, and "schmidt" meaning smith.
MessiItalian, Spanish (Latin American) Possibly from Italian messi meaning "messengers". Aamous bearer of this surname is Lionel Messi (born 1987-), an Argentinian footballer of Italian descent.
MessierFrench Occupational name for someone who kept watch over harvested crops, Old French messier 'harvest master' (Late Latin messicarius, agent derivative of messis 'harvest').
MessingGerman, Jewish Derived from Middle High German messinc meaning "brass", referring to a person who makes or repairs brass objects. A famous bearer is American actress Debra Messing (1968-).
MetcalfeEnglish An occupational name from Northern England, from Old English mete, 'food' and calf, 'calf', i.e calfs being fattened for consumption in late summer. Thus, making this surname an occupational name for either a slaughterer or herdsman... [more]
MetsavahtEstonian Metsavaht is an Estonian surname meaning "forest guard" and "forest warden".
MilitaruRomanian Derived from Romanian militar meaning "military". This could refer to someone who was a soldier or had a military background, or whose ancestors served in the military.
MilkEnglish Probably from Middle English milk ‘milk’, applied as a metonymic occupational name for a producer or seller of milk.In some instances, probably a translation of German Milch, a variant of Slavic Milich or of Dutch Mielke (a pet form of Miele), or a shortening of Slavic Milkovich.
MillayEnglish This surname is thought to be a respelling of Millais, which may come from the French surname Millet, a metonymic occupational name for a grower or seller of millet or panic grass (derived from a diminutive form of Old French mil which is then derived from Latin milium meaning "millet").... [more]
MilletFrench, Catalan metonymic occupational name for a grower or seller of millet or panic grass or a topographic name for someone who lived by a field of millet from French and Catalan millet (from Latin milietum a derivative of milium in Old French mil "millet").
MillsapEnglish (American), English Judging by the name and how it sounds, I guess it's occupational. This is the name of a town in Texas, named after Fuller Millsap.
MinerEnglish English occupational name for someone who built mines, either for the excavation of coal and other minerals, or as a technique in the medieval art of siege warfare. The word represents an agent derivative of Middle English, Old French mine ‘mine’ (a word of Celtic origin, cognate with Gaelic mein ‘ore’, ‘mine’).
MinionFrench French form of Miner, an occupational name for a someone working in a mine.
MinterEnglish The surname was likely an occupational name for someone who was involved in the production or distribution of coins, such as a moneyer or a clerk in a mint.
MiodownikPolish, Jewish The literal translation is "honey cake", from the Polish word/root surname miod, meaning "honey." An occupational surname to those in the honey business, mainly beekeepers and bakers.... [more]
MiragliaItalian From the Old Sicilian military title miraglia di mari meaning "admiral".
MisoJapanese (Rare) Miso is made up of two symbols literally referring to "miso soup". Approximately less than 140 people in Japan possess this last name.
MitnickUkrainian, Jewish Occupational name from Ukrainian mytnyk, Polish mytnik, which means ‘toll collector’.
MoesDutch Derived from Middle Dutch moes "stew, mush, vegetables, food", either on its own as a nickname for a cook or vegetable farmer, or as a shortened form of a longer name, such as the toponym Moespot "vegetable pot".
MolDutch Means "mole (animal)" in Dutch. Could be a nickname for someone with poor eyesight or who was known for digging, an occupational name for a mole catcher, or a habitational name for someone from Mol in the Antwerp province, Belgium.
MölderEstonian Mölder is an Estonian surname meaning "miller".
MoleEnglish Mole is (in some but not all cases) the English form of the German Möhl meaning mill.
MolinaroItalian Occupational name for a miller, derived from Italian mulino meaning "mill".
MolinaroloItalian Probably from a person's occupation, with molino/mulino meaning "mill" in Italian. The second part may come from rullo, meaning "a roller" or "I roll."
MonetaItalian from moneta "money" probably applied as either a nickname for a rich man or as a metonymic occupational name for a moneyer or money lender.
MoneymakerEnglish (American) Translated form of German Geldmacher or Geldschläger, occupational names for a coiner.
MongerEnglish Occupational name for a retail trader or a stallholder in a market, derived Old English mangere "trader, merchant, dealer".
MonierFrench, English, French (Huguenot) French variant of Monnier and occupational name for a moneyer from Middle English monier "moneyer" (Old French monier) or for a miller from Old French monier "miller".
MonkmanEnglish Occupational name for a servant in a monastery, from Middle English monk "monk" and man "man", effectively a variant of Monk with an added suffix.
MonomachosGreek Meaning gladiator or 'the one that fights alone.' A surname of a Byzantine family from Nicomedia (Izmit).
MontalbanSpanish Spanish (Montalbán): habitational name from Montalbán de Córdoba from Latin montem albanum 'white mountain'.
MontisciItalian Originated in Sardinia, Italy in the 17th century given to fishermen
MonzoItalian Possibly a variant of Monsu, which may be an occupational name for a cook, Calabrian munsu, or a nickname or title from Milanese monsu ‘sir’, ‘lord’, ‘gentleman’.
MorkovinRussian From Russian морковь (morkov) meaning "carrot".
MostGerman Metonymic occupational name for a producer or seller of must, i.e. unfermented grape juice, from Middle High German most, ultimately derived from Latin mustum vinum meaning "young (i.e. fresh) wine"... [more]
MoulderEnglish Derived from the Middle English word molder which means "to shape or mold something." It could refer to a person who shaped or molded dough or other ingredients into loaves of bread or other baked goods... [more]
MridhaBengali From a title for a high-ranking commander or security guard who was employed by a zamindar (a landowner) during the Mughal era, presumably derived from Sanskrit मृध (mrdha) meaning "battle, war".
MudaliarTamil "Mudaliar" is a combination of a Tamil word "Mudali" which means "First" and "yar" which is an honorific suffix. So the surname means "First People" or "Elite People" in Tamil.
MuehlhauserOld High German The German surname Müehlhauser is derived from the Middle High German words "mülle" and "hûs" which respectively mean mill and house. It is roughly translated to mean "mill-house" and is believed to have evolved from an individual who was either the owner of a mill or lived in a house attached to a mill in earlier times.
MüllerleileGerman Derived from Middle High German mülnære, müller meaning "miller" (see Müller), and the German given names Lawlin, Lauwelin and Lawelin, medieval diminutives of Nikolaus.
MunchDanish, French, Norwegian (Rare) Either a variant of Münch or Munk, both meaning "monk". A notable bearer was Norwegian painter Edvard Munch (1863-1944), whose best known work is 'The Scream'.
MunichGerman From the lower German word for monk, most likely first used as a surname for a former member of a monastery.
MunkGerman, Scandinavian, Dutch, English From Middle High German münich Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish munk Middle Dutch munc "monk" a nickname for someone thought to resemble a monk or a metonymic occupational name for someone in the service of a monastery... [more]
MunshiUrdu, Bengali Derived from Persian منشی (monshi) meaning "secretary, teacher, writer", ultimately of Arabic origin.
MuskatGerman, Jewish Occupational name for a spice merchant from Middle High German muscāt meaning "nutmeg mace". As a Jewish name however it is mainly ornamental.
MutamboLuba It means "forest" in Songye and Tshiluba, but can also mean "supreme ruler" in Tshiluba.
MutterGerman (also Mütter): occupational name for an official employed to measure grain, from Middle High German mutte, mütte 'bushel', 'grain measure' (Latin modius) + the agent suffix -er.
MüüriseppEstonian Müürisepp is an Estonian surname meaning "brick mason" (literally: "wall smith").
MuzikiSwahili From Swahili meaning "music". Possibly an occupational name for a musician.
MuzykaBelarusian, Russian, Ukrainian Derived either from Belarusian музыка (muzyka) or Ukrainian музика (muzyka), both possibly derived from German Musiker meaning "musician".
MyōchinJapanese (Rare) From Japanese 明珍 (myōchin), the 2 characters used in 明らかに珍しい (akiraka ni mezurashii) meaning "evidently rare". This is from the event in the Heian Period, of an armorer who created an armor that was then praised by Emperor Konoe... [more]
NachtmannGerman, Jewish Derived from German nacht "night" and mann, referring to a night watchman. As a Jewish name it is ornamental.
NacrourArabic The name of a family of Lebanese goldsmiths descended from the Ottoman Prince Hanna, the name itself refers to the actual sound the hammer makes as it hits the gold. This is the French spelling but the original Arabic spelling is äÞÑæÑ ; other spellings in the Latin alphabet include Nakrour and Nacrur.
NadelGerman, Jewish Metonymic occupational name for a maker of needles, or in some cases for a tailor, from Middle High German nadel(e), German Nadel "needle".
NaiduIndian, Telugu Means "chief" in Telugu, ultimately from Sanskrit नाय (naya) meaning "guide, leader" combined with the Telugu masculine suffix డు (du).
NaismithEnglish Means either "nail-maker" (from Old English nægelsmith) or "knife-maker" (from Old English cnīfsmith).
NalciTurkish Occupational surname denoting a horse-shoe maker, from the Turkish word nal meaning "horse-shoe" and the particle -cı a suffix appended to words to create a noun denoting a profession or occupation.
NapierScottish, English Scottish occupational name for a producer or seller of table linen or for a naperer, the servant in charge of the linen in use in a great house from the Middle English, Old French nap(p)ier, an agent derivative of Old French nappe ‘table cloth’ (Latin mappa)... [more]
NaqqacheArabic (Mashriqi) Occupational name meaning "engraver, carver" in Arabic. It is usually found in Lebanon. A famous bearer was the Lebanese president and prime minister Alfred Naqqache (1888-1978), also called Alfred Naccache.
NasmithScottish, English This surname is derived from an occupation, "nail-smith", but may also mean "knife-smith".
NastGerman Topographic name for someone who lived in a thickly wooded area, or a metonymic occupational name for a woodcutter, from Middle High German nast meaning "branch", a regional variant of ast, resulting from the misdivision of forms such as ein ast meaning "a branch".
NateghPersian Means "orator, speaker" in Persian, ultimately from Arabic ناطق (nāṭiq).
NaterGerman (Swiss) Derived from Middle High German nâtaere "tailor; furrier".
NauGerman A variant of Neu; meaning "ship" or "boat."
NautaDutch Humanistic Latinization of Schipper, from nauta "sailor, seaman, mariner".
NawabUrdu, Punjabi From a title traditionally used by Muslim officials in South Asia who acted as local governors and rulers of deputy states. It is ultimately derived from Arabic نائب (na'ib) via Persian.
NaylorEnglish Occupational name for someone who made nails, from Middle English nayler "nail maker".
NestlerGerman Derived from the middle high German word nesteler meaning "maker of string or thread".
NestorIrish Derived from the surname Mac Girr an Adhastair (sometimes shortened to Mac an Aghastair), meaning "Short man of the halter." The Mac Girr an Adhastair were associated with the local lords, the Ó Lochlainn family.
NeuwirthGerman German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): nickname for a new innkeeper, from Middle High German niuwe ‘new’ + wirt and German neu + Wirt ‘master of a house’, ‘innkeeper’.
NgoyCentral African Means "lion" in Baluba cultures, identifying someone from a warrior or hunting family.
NichterGerman, Yiddish Possibly means "negator, negate" from Middle High German nicht meaning "not", or "sober", from Middle High German nüchter. Perhaps it originally denoted a person who was a philosopher, judge, or bartender.
NiedermeierGerman, German (Austrian) Occupational name for a farmer who had a farm lower than the neighboring one(s). This surname and its variant spellings are common to Austria and the state of Bavaria in Germany.
NiedermeyerGerman Means "lower farmer", a distinguishing name for a farmer who worked further south or in a low-lying location.
NiidasEstonian Niidas is an Estonian surname derived from "niide" meaning "hay harvest", "mowing" and "hay crop".
NongChinese, Vietnamese From Chinese 农 (nóng) meaning "farming, agriculture, cultivation", also referring to the ancient official position Nong Zheng (農正) meaning "agriculture officer". It is also used as a simplified variant of Vietnamese Nông, which is of the same origin.
NonnenmacherGerman Occupational name for a gelder of hogs, from Middle High German nunne, nonne meaning "nun", and by transfer "castrated hog" + an agent derivative of machen meaning "to make".
NoolEstonian Nool is an Estonian surname meaning "arrow".
NoppeFlemish Possibly related to Middle Dutch noppe "tuft of wool, tassel", a metonymic name for someone who worked with cloth, or a nickname for someone with a slight stature. Alternatively, from a childish form of the given name Norbert.
NushiroJapanese (Rare) From Japanese 主代 (nushiro), a contraction of 主代 (nushishiro), from 主 (nushi), a variant reading of 主 (shu), a clipping of 主人 (shujin) meaning "master, owner, host" and 代 (shiro), a variant reading of 代 (dai), a clipping of 代理 (dairi) meaning "surrogation; proxy", referring to someone who would represent their master.
NutterEnglish Means either (i) "scribe, clerk" (from Middle English notere, ultimately from Latin notārius); or (ii) "person who keeps or tends oxen" (from a derivative of Middle English nowt "ox")... [more]
ObućaBosnian Derived from obuća meaning ''footwear'', denoting someone who made or sold footwear.
ObukhovmRussian Occupational name for a lumberjack or a maker of axes, derived from Russian обух (obukh) meaning "butt" (referring to the thicker end of a tool or weapon like an axe).
O'CarrollIrish (Anglicized) Originates from the ancient Gaelic name Mac Cearbhaill or O'Cearbhaill, deriving from the word "Cearbh" which means to "Hack". Making it a possible name for a warrior or blacksmith.
OchsGerman, Jewish Means "ox" in German, derived from Middle High German ohse, possibly denoting a strong person or someone who worked with oxen. As a Jewish name it is ornamental.
OchsnerGerman (Swiss) Means "oxen herder" in Swiss, from Middle High German ohse "ox".
OechslinGerman (Swiss) South German (also Öchslein): from Middle High German ohse ‘ox’ + the diminutive suffix -lin. An occupational name for someone who tended cattle, or for a cattle dealer; or a nickname for a farmer who used oxen for plowing, or for someone perceived to resemble an ox.
OfficerEnglish (Canadian), English (American, Rare) Occupational name for the holder of any office, from Anglo-Norman French officer (an agent derivative of Old French office ‘duty’, ‘service’, Latin officium ‘service’, ‘task’).
OgorodnikovRussian From Russian огородник (ogorodnik) meaning "truck farmer, market gardener".
OikonomosGreek Means "housekeeper, steward" from the Greek word οἰκόνομος (oikonomos), derived from οἶκος (oikos) "house, household" and νόμος (nomos) "law, custom"... [more]
OotonoJapanese (Rare) Oo means "big, great, large, huge" and tono is an outdated honorific that literally means "lord".
ÖövelEstonian Öövel is an Estonian surname, a derivation of "hööve" meaning "plane" and "jointer", or "röövel" meaning "gunman", "robber" and "bandit".
OrganEnglish Metonymic occupational name for a player of a musical instrument (any musical instrument, not necessarily what is now known as an organ), from Middle English organ (Old French organe, Late Latin organum ‘device’, ‘(musical) instrument’, Greek organon ‘tool’, from ergein ‘to work or do’).
OrpinEnglish Means "herbalist" (from Middle English orpin "yellow stonecrop", a plant prescribed by medieval herbalists for healing wounds). A variant spelling was borne by British painter Sir William Orpen (1878-1931).
OrtolanoItalian, Spanish occupational name for a cultivator or seller of fruit and vegetables ortolano "gardener" from a derivative of orto "vegetable garden" (from Latin hortus "garden"). The term was also used in the medieval period to denote both a cleric with a fervant devotion to pastoral work and a rough or uncouth person and in some instances may have been applied as a nickname in either sense... [more]
OslerEnglish Possibly derived from Ostler (from the the Norman 'Hostelier') meaning clerk or bookkeeper. First used in England after the Norman invasion of 1066. Surname of a 19th cent... [more]
PabalatTagalog (Filipinized, Archaic) A Filipino surname meaning "cover, saddle" or "saddle maker". This surname was probably created when a Spanish surveyor conducts a census sometime in the 19th century in Cavinti, Laguna, Philippines... [more]
PachGerman Pach is an occupational hereditary surname for a baker in Old German. Pach is also a German local name for someone who lived by a stream, which was originally derived from the German word "bach" which means stream... [more]
PagourtzisGreek Derived from Greek Παγούρι (Pagouri) meaning "flask, canteen", a vessel containing (usually) water.
PainterEnglish, Medieval French, German English: from Middle English, Old French peinto(u)r, oblique case of peintre ‘painter’, hence an occupational name for a painter (normally of colored glass). In the Middle Ages the walls of both great and minor churches were covered with painted decorations, and Reaney and Wilson note that in 1308 Hugh le Peyntour and Peter the Pavier were employed ‘making and painting the pavement’ at St... [more]
PalaiologosGreek From the Greek words palaios logos, lit. "old word", most likely signifying an "antique collector".The surname of the last ruling Byzantine family.
PaleyJewish, Yiddish, Belarusian, Ukrainian Occupational name for a distiller, derived from an East Slavic word (Russian палить (palitʹ), Ukrainian палити (palyty)) meaning "to burn". A famous bearer was Princess Olga Valerianovna Paley (1865-1929), the morganatic second wife of Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich of Russia.
PalfreymanEnglish Occupational name for a man responsible for the maintenance and provision of saddle-horses.
PalliIndian, Tamil It is a Tamil name, meaning "agricultural laborers".
PallingEstonian Palling is an Estonian surname meaning "serve".
PalliserEnglish Means "maker of palings and fences" (from a derivative of Old French palis "palisade"). In fiction, the Palliser novels are a series of six political novels by Anthony Trollope, beginning with 'Can You Forgive Her?' (1864) and ending with 'The Duke's Children' (1880), in which the Palliser family plays a central role.
PalomaresSpanish Derived from Spanish "palomar," meaning "dovecote" or "columbarium". An occupational name for someone who was known for raising or caring for carrier pigeons or doves.
PanbalPunjabi The surname Panbal is predominantly associated within the Sikh Jatt community. The surname "Panbal" is a distinctive Punjabi Jatt surname rooted in the region of Punjab, specifically associated with Pandori Ganga Singh in Hoshiarpur district... [more]
PancieraItalian from panciera denoting the piece of the armor covering the stomach (from pancia "belly paunch") perhaps used for an armorer or for someone with a large paunch.
PanebiancoItalian given to someone who worked with high quality breads. from italian word pane "bread" and bianco "white"
PanepintoItalian Derived from the word "pane" meaning "bread" in Italian and "pinto" meaning "painted", "flecked", or possibly "bad". The name is generally given to a baker.
PanichiItalian Probably from panico, a type of millet grown in Italy. Alternately, it could be from the Latin name Panicus "of Pan, panic".
PanjaitanBatak Derived from Batak panjait meaning "tailor, sewer".
PankseppEstonian Panksepp is an Estonian surname meaning "bank smith". May also be derived from "pangsepp", meaning "bucket smith/maker".
PannebakkerDutch From Middle Dutch panne "pan, roof tile" and backer "baker", an occupational name for someone who made roof tiles.
PannekoekDutch Means "pancake" in Dutch, possibly a nickname for someone who made or liked to eat pancake. Alternatively, it could derive from a place name, such as an inn or field named for pancakes.
PanozzoItalian Venice, one of the oldest and most beautiful regions of Italy, is the esteemed birthplace of numerous prominent families, and of a family that bears the surname Panozzo. Although people were originally known only by a single name, it became necessary for them to adopt a second name to identify themselves, as populations grew and travel became more frequent... [more]
PanzerGerman Metonymic occupational name for an armorer from Middle High German panzier "mailcoat" (Old French pancier "armor for the stomach, body armor" from Late Latin).
PãoPortuguese Metonymic occupational name for a baker, from pão meaning "bread"
PapazianArmenian Patronymic from Turkish papaz ‘(Orthodox) priest’, ‘father’, from Greek papas (see Papas).
PapierFrench, German, Jewish Means "paper" in French and German, denoting a paper maker or merchant, both derived from Old French papier.
ParagasPangasinan, Ilocano From Pangasinan or Ilocano ragas meaning "to cut, to trim (clothing)", probably used as an occupational name.
ParaiyaIndian, Tamil It is a Tamil name, denoting laborers in agriculture and/or industry. This is a surname belonging to Dalit, or "Untouchables," in the Hindu caste system.
ParatoreItalian Derived from Italian paratore meaning "decorator, fuller", which refers to a craftsman who fulls coarse cloth. In other words: this surname is the Italian cognate of the English surname Fuller... [more]
ParduhnGerman Variant Of Pardon From Middle English Pardun, Pardon "Pardon" A Metonymic occupational name for a pardoner, a person licensed to sell papal pardons or indulgences. German: either a cognate of 1 (also for a sexton), from Old French pardon ‘pardon’, or perhaps a nickname from Middle Low German bardun, Middle High German purdune ‘pipe’ (instrument), ‘tenor’ (voice).
ParekhGujarati Means "assayer, examiner" in Gujarati, ultimately from Sanskrit परीक्षक (parīkṣaka). It was used to denote a person who tested the authenticity of currency or jewels.