Submitted Surnames from Occupations

Given Name   Occupation   Location   Nickname   Ornamental   Other
usage
source
Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
Schug American, German
From the German word Schuh "shoe". ... [more]
Schuh German, Jewish
Occupational name for a maker or repairer of shoes, derived from Middle High German schuoch meaning "shoe". In some cases, it may have denoted a person to a house distinguished by the sign of a shoe.
Schuler Jewish
Occupational name for a Talmudic scholar or the sexton of a synagogue, from an agent derivative of Yiddish shul "synagogue".
Schulman Yiddish
Refers to a person, typically a Rabbi, who works at a Shul (Synagogue in Yiddish.)... [more]
Schuman German
From the old german scuoh "shoe" and man "man", an occupational name for a shoe maker
Schut Dutch
Variant of Schutte.
Schut Jewish
Occupational name from East Slavic šut "jester, fool".
Schütte German
From schutter "marksman, shooter", an occupational name for an archer. Compare Schutz.
Schutte Dutch, Low German, South African
Variant of (Schütte), an occupational name for an archer.
Schutz German
Occupational surname for an archer or a watchman, from Middle High German schützen "to guard, protect". Also a habitational name from Schutz, a place near Trier, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.
Schweinsteiger German
Occupational name for a pig farmer, an overseer of pigs or a nickname for someone who rode a pig, derived from Middle High German swīn meaning "hog, swine" and stīger meaning "foreman, mine inspector"... [more]
Schwerdtfeger German
occupational name for an armorer or specifically for a servant whose job was to polish swords Middle High German Middle Low German swertfeger (from swert "sword" and an agent derivative of fegen "to polish or clean").
Schwertfuehrer German (Austrian)
Sword leader; military general or other leadership position
Schwimer German, Jewish
Occupational name meaning "swimmer" in German. As a Jewish name, it may be ornamental.
Schwing German
Occupational name for someone whose job was to swingle flax, i.e. to beat the flax with a swingle in order to remove the woody parts of the plant prior to spinning, from Middle German swingen meaning "to swing" or swing meaning "swingle".
Sciortino Italian
Occupational name from a diminutive of sciorta, sciurta "city guard, watchman, policeman" (Arabic ̣shuṛtī).
Scognamiglio Italian
Literally "millet thresher", probably from the Neapolitan verb scugnà ("to thresh") and miglio ("millet"), denoting cereal threshers.
Scrimshaw Medieval English
Referring to one who was a fencing-master, coming from the old French "eskermisseour", meaning "fencer" and which came in turn from the old high German word "skirmen", which meant "to defend".
Scuderi Sicilian
Patronymic form of Scudero, a status name equivalent to English Squire, from scudero "shield-bearer", Latin scutarius, an agent derivative of scutum "shield"... [more]
Scutti Italian
From Sicilian scutu, "shield".
Seagle English (American)
Americanized form of Jewish Segal 1 or German Siegel.
Seal English
Variant of Seals, perhaps an occupational name for a person who makes saddles.
Seaman English
Means "born by a sailor".
Sears English
Version of Sayer. Used in the United States. Famous bearer of the name is Richard Warren Sears, one of the founders of Sears, Roebuck and Co.
Secker English
Variant of Saker.
Sedlack Czech (Anglicized)
Americanized spelling of Czech Sedlák.
Seel German
Occupational name for a person who makes or sells ropes.
Segale English, Italian
Respelling of SEGAL. A famous bearer is Mario A. Segale, the inspiration for Nintendo's video game character Mario
Šegrt Serbian
Derived from šegrt (шегрт), meaning "apprentice".
Seid Jewish
Metonymic occupational name from German Seide and Yiddish zayd "silk"
Seide German, Jewish
German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): from Middle High German side, German Seide ‘silk’ (from Late Latin seta, originally denoting animal hair), hence a metonymic occupational name for a manufacturer or seller of silk.
Seider German
Originating in the region of Saxony. Name of a silk merchant, from the German word for silk: seide
Seif German, Jewish
Metonymic occupational name for a soap maker, from Middle High German seife, German Seife 'soap'.
Seiler German
German and Jewish occupational surname for a rope maker.
Seim Upper German
German: metonymic occupational name for a beekeeper, from Middle High German seim ‘honey’.
Şekerci Turkish
Means "confectioner, candy seller" in Turkish.
Sekretarev m Russian
Derived from the Russian word секретарь meaning "secretary."
Sell Estonian
Sell is an Estonian surname meaning "apprentice".
Sellars Scottish
From the Scottish name for a merchant.
Sellmeyer German
Occupational name for the steward of a hall or manor house from Middle High German sal "hall residence" and meier "steward" (see Meyer 1).
Selmer German
Teutonic name meaning "hall master" for a steward or keeper of a large home or settlement.
Selyem Hungarian
Means "silk".
Semenza Italian
From semenza ‘seeds’ possibly used for a seed merchant.
Seminario Spanish (Latin American)
Means "seminar" in Spanish, likely denoting an academic person. Miguel Grau Seminario (1834-1879) was the most renowned Peruvian naval officer and hero of the naval battle of Angamos during the War of the Pacific
Senapati Odia, Bengali, Assamese
Means "commander" in Sanskrit, from सेना (sena) meaning "army" and पति (pati) meaning "lord".
Senatore Italian
status name from senatore "senator" (from Latin senator) or a nickname for a stately or perhaps pompous man.
Sénécal French
status name for a seneschal an official in a large household who was responsible for overseeing day-to-day domestic arrangements from Old French seneschal (of ancient Germanic origin composed of the elements sini "old" and scalc "servant")... [more]
Sénéchal French
Variant of Sénécal, a status name for a seneschal an official in a large household who was responsible for overseeing day-to-day domestic arrangements from Old French seneschal (of ancient Germanic origin composed of the elements sini "old" and scalc "servant").
Senn German
Derived from the Middle High German word senne meaning "dairy farmer".
Senna Portuguese
Possibly coming from the surname "Sanna", it may mean "one with a big protruding tooth".... [more]
Senokosov Russian
Derived from Russian сенокос (senokos) meaning "haymaking, hayfield".
Sensenbrenner German
Combination of German Sense, meaning "scythe", and Brenner meaning "burner".... [more]
Seppälä Finnish
A Finnish surname and toponym derived from the occupation of blacksmith ("seppä")
Serdar Turkish, Croatian
Turkish form of Persian sardar, meaning "chief", "leader", "field marshal".
Serebrennikov Russian, Ukrainian, Kazakh, Belarusian
Denoted somebody who engaged in silver mining or a silversmith, derived from Russian серебреник (serébrenik) meaning "silver coin". This name is also found in Kazakhstan and Belarus.
Sergente Italian
Italian cognate of Sergeant.
Serratore Italian
Means either "sawyer", from Italian serrare, "to saw", or "locksmith", from Italian serratura, "lock".
Serzhantov Russian
Means "son of a sergeant".
Seth Indian, Hindi, Odia, Bengali, Marathi, Punjabi
Means "merchant, banker" in Hindi, ultimately from Sanskrit श्रेष्ठ (shreshtha) meaning "best, chief, most excellent".
Sethi Indian, Odia, Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu
Occupational name for a merchant from Sanskrit श्रेष्ठ (shreshtha) meaning "best, chief, most excellent".
Sethna Indian (Parsi)
Gujarati Parsi name meaning "pertaining to the banker", derived from Hindi सेठ (seṭh) meaning "merchant, banker" (see Seth).
Seto Chinese (Cantonese)
Cantonese romanization of Situ.
Sett Indian, Hindi, Bengali
Variant transcription of Seth.
Setzer German, Jewish
Derived from either Middle High German "setzen", used to refer to market inspectors and tax officials, or Yiddish "setser", a typesetter.
Seuss German, Jewish
Means "sweet", "pleasant", or "agreeable".
Sevcik Czech
Unaccented form of Ševčík.
Sevier English
Occupational name for a sieve-maker, Middle English siviere (from an agent derivative of Old English sife "sieve").
Seydoux French, French (Swiss), Occitan
Derived from the Germanic names Sedulius, Sedulfus or Segedolfus. Another theory suggests Occitan roots; it might be an occupational name for someone who worked with silk, derived from Occitan sedós meaning "silky, soft"... [more]
Seynaeve Flemish
Either derived from Old French chenave "hemp", an occupational name for a hemp farmer, or a cognate of German Senft "mustard".
Seys Belgian, Flemish
Possibly derived from a pet form of François, or from Middle Dutch cijns "toll, tribute, feudal tax".
Sferrazza Italian
Occupational name for a scrap-metal merchant, from a derivative of Sferro in the sense ‘old and broken iron’. Habitational name from the district of Paternò in Catania, Sicily.
Shaar Arabic
Variant of Al-shair. Borne by both Muslims and Christians.
Shaffer German (Americanized)
Americanized form of German Schäfer.
Shaffner German, German (Swiss)
Americanized version of German occupational name for a steward or bailiff, variant of Schaffner and Schaffer.... [more]
Shaikh Urdu, Bengali
Alternate transcription of Sheikh.
Shalit Hebrew
From Hebrew שליט (shalit) meaning "ruler" or "ruling, governing, dominant".
Shamanov Russian
From Russian шаман (shaman) meaning "shaman".
Sharett Hebrew
Means "minister, servant", from Hebrew שָׁרַת (sharath) literally meaning "to minister, to serve". This surname was adopted by Moshe Sharett (1894-1965), born Moshe Chertok, who was the first foreign minister and later the second Prime Minister of Israel.
Shastri Hindi, Marathi
From a title meaning "scholar", itself derived from Sanskrit शास्त्रिन् (shastrin) denoting a person who was well-versed in the shastras.
Shauchenka Belarusian
Belarusian form of Shevchenko.
Shaulis Lithuanian
Occupational name from Lithuanian šaulys ‘rifleman’.
Sheet Indian, Hindi, Bengali
Variant transcription of Seth.
Sheik Arabic, Indian, Bengali
Alternate transcription of Arabic شيخ or Bengali শেখ (see Sheikh).
Sheikh Arabic, Bengali, Urdu
From the Arabic title شَيْخ (šayḵ) meaning "chief, chieftain, head". It is used to denote a political or spiritual leader of a Muslim community.
Sheikhi Persian
Persian form of Sheikh.
Sheperd English
Variant of Shepherd or transferred use of the surname Sheperd.
Sheriff English, Scottish
Occupational name for a sheriff, derived from Middle English schiref, shreeve, shryve literally meaning "sheriff", or from Old English scir meaning "shire, administrative district" and (ge)refa meaning "reeve"... [more]
Sheth Indian, Marathi, Bengali, Hindi
Variant transcription of Seth.
Shi Chinese
From 时(shí) means time.
Shield English
Metonymic occupational name for an armorer, from Middle English scheld "shield" (Old English scild, sceld).
Shikalgar Indian (Muslim), Indian
Derived from the Persian word صیقلگر (saiqalgar) "polisher", referring a person who polishes stuff.
Shikari Indian, Hindi
From Hindi meaning "hunter, huntsman".
Shilo Russian, Ukrainian
Means "awl" in Russian and Ukrainian, from the Old Slavic root šidlo.
Shilov m Russian
Derived from Russian шило (shilo) meaning awl, from the Old Slavic root šidlo.
Shilova f Russian
Feminine form of Shilov.
Shingler English
An occupational name for someone who laid wooden tiles, or shingles on roofs, from an agent derivative of Middle English schingle ‘shingle’. ... [more]
Shinn English
Metonymic occupational name for a Skinner, from Old English scinn, Middle English shin ‘hide’, ‘pelt’. In Middle English this word was replaced by the Norse equivalent, skinn.
Ship English
This unusual name is of Anglo-Saxon origin and is an occupational surname for "a mariner", or perhaps, occasionally a "ship or boat-builder". The derivation of the name is from the Olde English pre 7th Century scip, ship, in Middle English schip
Shipman English
Occupational name for a mariner, or occasionally perhaps for a boatbuilder, from Middle English "schipman". One notable person is known evildoer Harold Shipman. He was an English general practitioner who is believed to be one of the most prolific serial killers in modern history.
Shipper German, Jewish, English
German and Jewish Cognate and English variant of Schipper. occupational name from Middle English shippere "shipman sailor seaman" (Old English scipere) perhaps also with the sense "skipper" (Middle Low German schipper).
Shipwright English
Occupational name for a ship builder.
Shit Indian, Hindi, Bengali
Variant transcription of Seth.
Shivers Irish
Irish variant of Chivers.
Shlyapnikov m Russian
Means "son of the hatmaker", from Russian шляпник (shlyapnik), meaning "hatmaker, hatter".
Shmidt Russian
Russian form of Schmidt.
Shnayderman Yiddish
It literally means "snitherman".
Shōami Japanese (Rare)
From Japanese 正阿弥 (shōami), a sect of kettle brim making, hat brim making, or weapon-end guard making.
Shoami Japanese (Rare)
Variant transcription of Japanese Kanji 正阿弥 (see Shōami).
Shōaya Japanese (Rare)
Variant reading of Japanese Kanji 正阿弥 (see Shōami).
Shoaya Japanese (Rare)
Variant transcription of Japanese Kanji 正阿弥 (see Shōaya).
Shoesmith English
occupational name for a blacksmith who either specialized in shoeing horses (a farrier) or in making and fitting iron blades known as shoes such as the tips of spades and the plowshares on plow moldboards from Middle English sho "shoe" (Old English scoh) and smith "smith" (Old English smiþ).
Shōji Japanese
From Japanese 庄 (shō) meaning "manor, villa" and 司 (ji) meaning "officer, boss".
Shoji Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese 庄司 (see Shōji).
Shōjiya Japanese (Rare)
Variant reading of Japanese Kanji 小路谷 (see Kōjiya).
Shojiya Japanese (Rare)
Variant transcription of Japanese Kanji 小路谷 (see Shōjiya).
Shouami Japanese (Rare)
Variant transcription of Japanese Kanji 正阿弥 (see Shōami).
Shouaya Japanese (Rare)
Variant transcription of Japanese Kanji 正阿弥 (see Shōaya).
Shoyu Japanese (Rare)
Shoyu is made up of two kanji that literally means "soy sauce".
Shpigl Yiddish
Yiddish form of Spiegel.
Shreve English
Altered English variant of Sheriff. In some cases, this surname may have arisen from a nickname.
Shreves English
Variant form of Shreve.
Shroff Indian, Hindi, Gujarati, Arabic, Urdu, Indian (Parsi)
Originally an occupational name for a cashier, money changer or banker, derived from Gujarati સરાફ (saraf) meaning "bullion merchant", itself ultimately derived from Arabic صراف (sarraf) meaning "teller".
Shrout German
This surname is related to the German surname Schroder which means cut as in a wood cutter etc.
Shudai Japanese (Rare)
Variant reading of Japanese Kanji 主代 (see Nushiro).
Shue German (Anglicized), Jewish (Anglicized)
Americanized form of Schuh or Schue. A famous bearer of this name is the American actress Elisabeth Shue (1963-).
Shuford English (American)
American form of German Schuffert (see Schuchardt).
Shulman Jewish
It is a Jewish-Polish surname that first appeared around 1090. It means Rabai, Gabbai, or Shamash. These are occupations that take place in a Shul-Synagogue. Shul is the Yiddish word for Synagogue. The name litterally means 'man that goes to the Synagogue'.
Shuster English
Variant of German Schuster or Slovenian Šuster, both meaning "shoemaker".
Shvetsov Russian, Ukrainian
Means "son of a cobbler" or "shoemaker" in Russian or Ukrainian.
Shyla Belarusian
Means "awl" in Belarusian, from the Old Slavic root šidlo.
Shylau m Belarusian
Belarusian form of Shilov.
Shylava f Belarusian
Feminine form of Shylau.
Sickler English (Rare)
Came from one who used a sickle to farm fields
Sidiropoulos Greek
Means "son of a blacksmith worker" in Greek.
Sieber German
The roots of the German surname Sieber can be traced to the Old Germanic word "Siebmacher," meaning "sieve maker." The surname is occupational in origin, and was most likely originally borne by someone who held this position
Sievewright English
Denoted a person who makes sieves, from Middle English sive "sieve" and wyrhta "maker, craftsman".
Sigel Upper German
Upper German variant of Siegel 1.
Signore Italian
from the medieval personal name Signore (from Latin senior "senior elder" genitive senioris). from signore ‘lord’ hence a derisive nickname for a peasant who gave himself airs and graces or an occupational name for someone in the service of a great lord... [more]
Sijarić Montenegrin
Derived from sijati (сијати), meaning "to sow".
Sikari Punjabi, Bengali, Nepali, Marathi
Means "hunter, huntsman".
Silber German, Jewish
From Middle High German silber, German Silber "silver"; a metonymic occupational name for a silversmith, or often, in the case of the Jewish surname, an ornamental name.
Silbermann German, Jewish
Variant of Silber. from Middle High German silber German silber "silver" and Middle High German Yiddish man "man" an occupation for a man who worked with silver.
Silbernagel German
Occupational for a silversmith from middle high German silber "silver" and nagel "nail".
Siler English
Anglicized form of Seiler, an occupational name for a rope maker, from German Seil ‘rope’
Silk English, Irish
English: metonymic occupational name for a silk merchant, from Middle English selk(e), silk(e) ‘silk’. ... [more]
Silversmith English
Occupational name for a worker in silver.
Sindik Croatian
Derived from sindik, a type of lawyer or representative that existed in Dalmatia in the Middle Ages.
Singer German
variant of Sänger, in the sense of ‘poet’
Sintes Catalan
Occupational name for a person who sold ribbons, from Catalan cinta meaning "ribbon, strip". This surname is mainly found in the Balearic Islands.
Sirar Serbian, Bosnian
Occupational name for someone who makes or sells cheese.
Sitarmaker Indian, Bengali, Pakistani
Denoting someone who makes sitar, a stringed instrument that is popular in northern India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.
Sith Indian, Hindi, Odia
Variant transcription of Seth.
Situ Chinese
From Chinese 司徒 (sītú), a title for one of the highest ranking government positions in ancient China.
Skelly Irish
Anglicization of the Gaelic O Scolaidhe, which means student.
Skipper English
Occupational name for either a basket weaver Derived from Middle English skeppe witch itself is from Old Norse skeppa... [more]
Sklenář Czech
Means "glassworker".
Skrzypczak Polish
One who plays a stringed instrument... [more]
Skura Polish
Polish name meaning tanner.
Slaats Dutch
Possibly a contracted form of Dutch des laats meaning "the serf", from Middle Dutch laets "serf, bondsman, freedman".
Slate English
Occupational name for a slater, from Middle English slate, "slate".
Slaughter English
occupational name from Middle English slaughter "butcher" a derivative of Middle English slaught "butchery" and the suffix er or from a shortened form of the synonymous Middle English slaughterer a derivative of slaughter "butchery" and the suffix er.
Sleegers Dutch
Older form of modern Dutch slager "butcher" and slachter "slaughterer", derived from Old Germanic *slahaną "to hit, to strike; to kill".
Slinger English
Travelled with the army's a user of Slings for war. The variant Slingo is a misspelling only appeared after the English civil war. YDNA between the two matches.
Slipper English
Occupational surname for a sword-slipper, or scabbard maker.
Slot Dutch
Means "lock, clasp" in Dutch, an occupational name for a locksmith.
Slotnick Jewish (Anglicized, Modern)
A Polish, Russian, Belarusian, and Ukrainian surname, meaning 'goldsmith'. Also a Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic) occupational name for a goldsmith. Variant/anglicization of Polish Zlotnik, Ukrainian Zlotnyk.
Sluiter Dutch
Means "gatekeeper, porter, prison guard, cellar master" in Dutch, literally "one who closes".
Slynger Old Danish
user of a sling. ... [more]
Smart English
From Old English (smeart) meaning "quick". This surname was used to refer to person who worked as a handyman.
Smed Danish, Swedish, Norwegian (Rare)
Scandinavian cognate of Smith.
Smet Flemish
Flemish form of Smit.
Smid Dutch
Means "smith" in Dutch, cognate to English Smith.
Smidt Dutch
Variant spelling of Smit, or a corruption of the German cognate Schmidt.
Smithe English (Rare)
Rare spelling of Smith.
Smither English
Occupational surname Smith with the suffix -er.
Smitherman English
Somebody who assisted the blacksmith.
Smithers English
Patronymic from Smither.
Smithson English
Means "a son who was born by a blacksmith worker".
Smock English
From Middle English smoc, smok meaning "smock", "shift", hence a metonymic occupational name for someone who made or sold such garments, or a nickname for someone who habitually wore a smock (the usual everyday working garment of a peasant).
Smoke English, German, German (Austrian)
Possibly a variant of English Smock or an altered form of German Schmuck.
Smoker English
Derived from the Old English word "smoc," meaning "smock" or, literally, "woman's undergarment." The name was most likely originally borne by someone who made or sold smocks.
Smolders Belgian (Modern)
A Flemish occupational name equivalent to "Miller", meaning a person who operated a wind or water mill for grinding grain.
Smolov m Russian
Russian form of Smolak.
Smoot Dutch (Americanized)
Americanized form of Smout.
Smout Dutch, Flemish
Means "oil, lard, melted animal fat" in Dutch, an occupational name for someone who sold fat or lard, or a nickname for someone who ate – or who could afford to eat – large amounts of food containing it.
Smulders Dutch
Occupational name derived from Dutch des mulders meaning "son of the miller". A famous bearer is Canadian-American actress Cobie Smulders (1982-).
Smyczek Polish
Occupational surname for someone who made or used strings, derived from Polish smycz, meaning "leash."
Smyth English
Creative spelling of the surname Smith.
Snidro Italian (Swiss)
Swiss Italian borrowing of Schneider.
Snoek Dutch
Means "pike (fish)" in Dutch.
Snyder Dutch, English, German, Yiddish, Jewish
Means "tailor" in Dutch, an occupational name for a person who stitched coats and clothing.... [more]
Snyman Afrikaans
Afrikaans version of the German surname Schneider, which is German for tailor.
Hungarian
Metonymic occupational name for a salt seller or producer, from ‘salt’.
Sobaĺ Belarusian, Jewish
Belarusian form of Sobol.
Sobolev Russian
Variant of Sobol.
Sobolov m Russian
Variant of Sobolev.
Soderini Italian
Possibly related to French soudoyer "to bribe", referring to paid mercenaries. Alternately, an elaborate form of Sodero.
Sõelsepp Estonian
Sõelsepp is an Estonian surname meaning "sieve smith".
Sointu Finnish, Karelian
"chord (music)"
Sokolovski m Macedonian
Means "son of Sokol".
Solak Polish
Surname; meaning seller of salt or salt
Soldat Russian, Ukrainian, French, German
Means "soldier" in various languages.
Soldatenko Ukrainian, Russian, Belarusian
Means "son of the soldier". It is a Ukrainian last name, but it is more common in Russia and Belarus.
Soldatov m Russian
From солдат (soldat) meaning "soldier"
Soldatović Serbian
Means "son of a soldier" in Serbian.
Soldner German
German surname meaning mercenary. German spelling has umlaut over the O, but American spelling is Soldner or Soeldner.
Solzhenitsyn Russian
Derived from Russian соложеница (solozhenitsa) meaning "maltman".
Sommerhalder German (Swiss)
From High German sommer meaning "summer" and halder meaning "holder".
Sood Indian, Punjabi
From the name of a mercantile caste derived from Persian سود (sud) meaning "profit, gain, benefit".
Soohoo Chinese (Cantonese)
Cantonese romanization of Situ.
Sööt Estonian
Sööt is an Estonian surname meaning to "bait" or to "lure".
Sorgato Italian
From Italian sorgo "sorghum".
Šorgo Croatian
Derived from Slavic sorga "sorghum". This surname might've been given to someone who lives or work near sorghum plants.
Sota Japanese
From Japanese 颯 (sō) meaning "sudden, sound of the wind" and 太 (ta) meaning "thick, big, great". This name can also be formed of other kanji combinations. There is a character in Danganronpa used as a surname, but it's not actually used as a surname and it's originated from a boy's name from Japanese.
Soudagar Urdu
soudagar is the word related to one who do the business
Soulier French
Metonymic occupational name for a shoemaker, from Old French soulier ‘shoe’, ‘sandal’.... [more]
Souter English, Scottish
Occupational name for a cobbler or shoemaker, derived from Middle English soutere, from Old Norse sutare, ultimately derived from Latin sutor meaning "to sew".
Sovereign English
Occupational surname for a leader or supervisor, derived from the English word sovereign meaning "possessing supreme or ultimate power".
Spaans Dutch
Either a patronymic from the archaic given name Spaan, of uncertain etymology, or an occupational name derived from Middle Dutch spaen "wood chip, piece of wood; spoon, spatula".
Spader German
Occupational name for a spade maker or for someone who used a spade in his work, derived from Middle High or Middle Low German spade. A notable bearer is American actor James Spader (1960-).
Spallone Italian
From spalla "shoulder, back", indicating someone who carried things on their shoulders. The modern translation is "smuggler". Alternately, may be an elaboration of Spalla.
Spangler German
Spangler is an occupational surname for "metal worker" having derived from the German word spange, meaning a clasp or buckle of the sort such a craftsman might have designed.
Speare English
Variant of Spear.
Spector Jewish
From Polish szpektor meaning "teacher's assistant (in a Jewish school)", ultimately from inspektor meaning "supervisor".
Speer German, Dutch, English
German and Dutch cognate of Spear, as well as an English variant of the same surname.
Speicher German
occupational name for someone in charge of a granary. From middle high German spicher meaning "grain store".
Speiser German
German cognate of Spencer.
Spelling English, Irish, Jewish
Occupational name for a scholar, speaker or a story teller, derived from Middle English spellan meaning "to tell or relate". It could also be a variant of Irish Spillane or Jewish Spellman... [more]
Spender English
Occupational name for a paymaster or someone in charge of finances, from Old English spendan "to spend" and Latin expendere "to pay out".
Spengler German
Occupational surname literally meaning “metal worker” or “tin knocker”.
Spens Scottish
Variant of Spence.
Speroni Italian
Either a Plural form of sperone "spur" an occupation for a spurrier or from the given name Gaspare.
Spezia Italian
Means "spice, drug" in Italian. It was used to denote someone who worked as a spicer or apothecary.
Spice English
From Middle English spice meaning "spice", referring to a spice dealer or an apothecary.
Spicer English, Jewish, Polish
English: occupational name for a seller of spices, Middle English spic(i)er (a reduced form of Old French espicier, Late Latin speciarius, an agent derivative of species ‘spice’, ‘groceries’, ‘merchandise’).... [more]
Spiegel German, Jewish
Metonymic occupational name for a maker or seller of mirrors, from Middle High German spiegel, German Spiegel "mirror" (via Old High German from Latin speculum, a derivative of specere "to look").
Spiegelman German (Germanized, Rare, Archaic), Jewish (Germanized, Rare, Archaic)
The name Spiegelman is a name with both German and Jewish origins. In German the word "Spiegel" translates to "mirror". Also "Mann" translates to "man". So one could interpret the name to mean "mirror man" or less often "man of the mirror"... [more]
Spiegler German, Jewish
Occupational name for a maker or seller of mirrors, from Middle High German spiegel, German Spiegel "mirror" and the agent suffix -er.
Spieler German, Jewish
Occupational Name For A Tumbler Or Jester German Spieler ‘Player’ Middle High German Spilære An Agent Derivative Of Spiln ‘To Play To Jest To Sport’.
Spindler English, German, Jewish
Occupational name for a spindle maker, from an agent derivative of Middle English spindle, Middle High German spindel, German Spindel, Yiddish shpindl "spindle, distaff".
Spinster American (Rare)
A presumably extinct English occupational name, derived from the occupation of spinning.
Spivak Ukrainian
Means "singer" in Ukrainian.
Splinter Low German, German
From Low German splinter ‘splinter’; probably a metonymic occupational name for a woodworker.
Spoon English
Apparently a metonymic occupational name either for a maker of roofing shingles or spoons, from Old English spon "chip, splinter" (see also Spooner).
Spoor English, Dutch
From Middle Dutch and Middle English spoor "spur", an occupational name for a maker or seller of spurs.
Spoors English
From Middle English spoor "spur", an occupational name for someone who made spurs, or perhaps a nickname for someone known for wearing them.
Spradlin English (British)
Originally Spradling, mean one who spreads seed
Springall English
Means (i) "operator of a springald (a type of medieval siege engine)" (from Anglo-Norman springalde); or (ii) from a medieval nickname for a youthful person (from Middle English springal "youth").
Springer English
An occupational name for a dancer, or perhaps a hunter, from either Old English springen "to leap" or Middle English springe "snare, trap".
Spruce English
Altered form of Prowse.