JessieEnglish Possibly a variant of Jessey, an occupational name for someone making jesses (a short strap fastened around the leg of a bird used in falconry).
JezavitBelarusian Derived from dialectal Belarusian езавіт (jezavit), an equivalent to standard езуіт (jezuit) meaning "jesuit".
JezavitaŭBelarusian Patronymic surname derived from dialectal Belarusian езавіт (jezavit) meaning "jesuit".
JourdemayneMedieval English Likely from Old French jor de main meaning "day labourer". This was borne by Margery Jourdemayne, an English woman known as the "Witch of Eye" who was burned at the stake in 1441 for conspiring to kill the king with witchcraft... [more]
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]
JuhtEstonian Juht is an Estonian surname meaning "leader" and "driver".
JunkurEstonian Junkur is an Estonian surname meaning "squire" and "cadet".
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.
JupinFrench from a diminutive of Old French jupe a term denoting a long woolen garment hence a metonymic occupational name for a maker or seller (or a nickname for a wearer) of such garments. This word ultimately derives from Arabic.
JuskeEstonian Juske is an Estonian surname possibly derived from "harjusk", meaning "peddler".
KaeserGerman, German (Swiss) Occupational name for a cheesemaker or a cheese merchant from an agent derivative of Middle High German kæse "cheese". Variant of Käser.
KafetzisGreek Means "coffee shop owner" in Greek, derived from the Ottoman Turkish word قهوهجی (kahveci), equivalent to Greek καφές (kafés) both meaning “coffee” and the Greek suffix -τζής (-tzís), from Ottoman Turkish قهوه (kahve) and Ottoman Turkish ـجی (-ci) respectively... [more]
KalafatovićCroatian Derived from kalafat, meaning "caulker", a type of shipbuilder.
KalameesEstonian Kalamees is an Estonian surname meaning "fisherman".
KalanderGerman Status name for the chairman or a member fraternity that held meetings on the first of each month, from Latin ad calendas.
KalantariPersian Derived from Persian کلانتر (kalantar) meaning "sheriff, marshal".
KalashnikUkrainian Means "maker of kalaches", a variant of калачник (kalachnik) - itself composed of калач (kalach), a type of bread, and the agent suffix -ник (-nik). See also Kalashnikov.
KalashnikovRussian Means "son of the kalach-maker", derived from Russian калашник (kalashnik), a variant of калачник (kalachnik) "maker of kalaches" - kalach being a type of bread - combined with the patronymic suffix -ов (-ov)... [more]
KallmeyerGerman from a Germanized form of Slavic kal "marshland bog" or from Middle High German Middle Low German kalc "lime" and Middle High German meier "tenant farmer" (see Meyer 1) hence a distinguishing nickname for a farmer whose farm lay on marshy land or near a lime pit.
KallweitGerman (East Prussian) East Prussian German (and thus heavily Lithuanian influenced) name meaning "smith; blacksmith; farrier", derived from Old Prussian kalt "to forge; to hammer" and Old Prussian kalweitis "the village smith".
KalogerasGreek From the Greek word καλόγερος (kalogeros), meaning monk.
KalogeropoulosGreek Means "son of the monk" in Greek, derived from Greek καλόγερος (kalógeros) "monk, friar".
KalpGerman, Jewish From Middle High German kalp ‘calf’, German Kalb, probably applied as a metonymic occupational name for someone who reared calves.
KamatIndian, Hindi, Marathi, Kannada, Konkani Means "people who work in soil" from काम (kām) meaning "work, task, labour" combined with मिट्टी (miṭṭī) meaning "soil, earth".
KambleIndian, Marathi, Konkani Occupational name for a weaver of blankets or a nickname for a person who often carried blankets with them, derived from Sanskrit कम्बल (kambala) meaning "blanket".
KamenevmRussian Derived from Russian камень (kamen'), meaning "stone". Denoted to somebody who worked with stones or rocks.
KamiNepali From the name of a caste of blacksmiths derived from Nepali काम (kam) meaning "work, act", ultimately from Sanskrit कर्मन् (karman).
KammGerman, Estonian Means "comb" in German, an occupational name for a wool comber or fuller, or perhaps a maker of combs. In some cases it might have been used in the sense of "ridge of mountains, hills", making it a topographic name... [more]
KämmererGerman from Middle High German kamerære "chamberlain" (from kamere "chamber") a status name for the treasurer of a court monastery a great household or a city and in Switzerland for the manager of a church property a so-called Widem... [more]
KämpfGerman, Jewish From middle high German kampf, German kamf "fight, struggle" an occupational name for a champion a professional fighter (see Kemp ) or a nickname for someone with a pugnacious temperament.
KampradGerman, Swedish (Rare) Possibly a variant of the German surname Kamprath meaning ”cogwheel (in a mill)”. A notable bearer is Ingvar Kamprad (1926-2018), a Swedish business magnate and the founder of IKEA... [more]
KanDutch Means "jug, teapot, can" in Dutch, from Middle Dutch kanne "pitcher, tankard, flagon", a metonymic occupational name for a potter, pewterer, or tinsmith.
KanatTurkish Occupational name for a seller of poultry from Turkish kanat meaning "(bird) wing".
KandtGerman Probably from Middle High German kant meaning "jug" (from Latin olla cannata meaning "pot with one spout") and hence an occupational name for a maker or seller of jugs.
KangasEstonian Kangas is an Estonian surname meaning "fabric" and "weft" and "piece goods". Associated with weavers.
KangelarisGreek Etymologically it goes back to the Latin cancellarius, which means chief secretary or chancellor.
KangroEstonian Kangro is an Estonian surname derived from "kangur", meaning "weaver".
KangurEstonian Kangur is an Estonian language surname meaning "weaver".
KantersDutch An occupational name for a singer, such as a precentor (someone who leads songs or prayers in a church, monastery, or synagogue) or choir member. Ultimately derived from Latin cantor "singer, leader of song at a ceremony; prayer leader in a Jewish ceremony".
KapadiaIndian, Gujarati Occupational name for a cloth maker from Gujarati કાપડ (kāpaḍ) meaning "cloth, fabric".
KapelDutch, Dutch (Surinamese) Means "chapel" in Dutch, a habitational name for someone who lived near a chapel (or in a place named after one), or an occupational name for a chaplain.
KapelaPolish Occupational name for a musician, derived from Polish kapela "music band; court orchestra".
KaplanGerman, Czech, Jewish Means "chaplain, curate" in German and Czech, ultimately from Latin cappellanus. It is also sometimes used as a Jewish name, from a translation of Hebrew כֹּהֵן (kohen) meaning "priest" (see Cohen).
KapuIndian, Telugu It is a Telugu name, denoting an "agricultural worker".
KarabeynikBelarusian Alyaksey Karabeynik is a member of the band Shuma, the band performed at Eurovision in 2018. It means peddler. The Russian form is Korobeynik.
KarmanJewish From Russian карман (karman) meaning "pocket, bag pocket", probably an occupational name for someone who made such items. Alternatively, could derive from Hungarian Kármán.
KarpPolish From Middle High German karp(f)e Middle Low German karpe or Slavic (Russian and Polish) and Yiddish karp ‘carp’ hence a metonymic occupational name for a carp fisherman or seller of these fish or a nickname for someone thought to resemble the fish.... [more]
KartashyanArmenian Means "son of the stonemason" from Armenian քարտաշ (kʿartaš) meaning "stonecutter, stonemason".
KarterBreton Breton form of Carter. This was the birth surname of Breton-French explorer Jacques Cartier (1491-1557), who is known for discovering the gulf of St. Lawrence.
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.
KäsemannGerman Occupational name for someone who makes or sells cheese.
KäserGerman, German (Swiss) occupational name for a cheesemaker or a cheese merchant (see Kaeser ). topographic name for someone who lived by a summer dairy in the Alps from a Tyrolean dialect word derived from Ladin casura... [more]
KashevarovRussian Derived from Russian кашевар (kashevar) meaning "cook (in military unit or team of workers)".
KatanabeJapanese Kata could mean "single" or "shape" and nabe could mean "pot, pan".
KatebArabic From Arabic كَاتِب (kātib) meaning "writer, scribe, clerk".
KatsavHebrew Occupational name for a butcher, derived from Hebrew קַצָּב (qatzav) meaning "butcher, purveyor of meat". A famous bearer is former Israeli president Moshe Katsav (1945-), born Musa Qassab.
KatzirHebrew Occupational name derived from Hebrew קָצִיר (qatsiyr) meaning ""harvesting, reaping", ultimately from קָצַר (qatsar). A famous bearer was the Israeli president and scientist Ephraim Katzir (1916-2009), born Efraim Katchalski.
KauGerman From Middle High German gehau "(mountain) clearing" hence a topographic name for a mountain dweller or possibly an occupational name for a logger.
KaukGerman probably a variant of Kauke from Middle Low German koke "cake" (dialect kauke) hence a metonymic occupational name for a baker or confectioner or a nickname for a cake lover.
KaukeGerman Variant of Kauk from Middle high German kauke "cake" hence a metonymic occupational name for a baker or confectioner or a nickname for a cake lover.
KaupEstonian Kaup is an Estonian surname meaning "merchandise" or "goods".
KaupmeesEstonian Kaupmees is an Estonian surname meaning "shopkeeper".
KautGerman Netonymic occupational name for a flax grower or dealer, from Middle High German kute, from Kaut(e) "male dove", hence a metonymic occupational name for the owner or keeper of a dovecote.
KazanJewish From Hebew chazan, which is an occupational name for a cantor in a synagogue.
KazanGreek Reduced form of Kazandis which is an occupational surname for a maker of cauldrons or someone who uses a cauldron for the distillation of ouzo or raki... [more]
KebelGerman (Americanized) Possibly an Americanized form of German Kübel "tub, vat", a metonymic occupational name for a cooper or barrel-maker.
KeçeciTurkish Means "felt seller, person who makes felt" in Turkish, derived from keçe meaning "felt, cloth".
KeelerEnglish English: occupational name for a boatman or boatbuilder, from an agent derivative of Middle English kele ‘ship’, ‘barge’ (from Middle Dutch kiel). Americanized spelling of German Kühler, from a variant of an old personal name (see Keeling) or a variant of Kühl.
KeicherGerman from the East Prussian dialect word keicher "small cake, pastry" hence a metonymic occupational name for a pastry chef or cook.
KeiperGerman Similar to the origins of Kuiper (Dutch) and Cooper (English), Keiper was an occupation which means "cooper" or "barrelmaker".
KeirnsEnglish Name for someone who works at a mill of makes butter.
KekkeJapanese (Rare) From Japanese 結解 (kekke), a variant reading of 結解 (ketsuge) meaning "account settlement", referring to someone who would deal with settlement of accounts.
KellnerGerman, Dutch, Jewish, Czech, Slovak, Polish, Hungarian, French Means "waiter, cellarman" in German, ultimately derived from Latin cellarium "pantry, cellar, storeroom". This was an occupational name for a steward, a castle overseer, or a server of wine.
KemererGerman From the Old German word "kämmerer," which means "chamberlain." A chamberlain was the person in charge of the noble household; to him would fall the duty of ensuring that the castle and court of the noble ran smoothly.
KemperGerman, Dutch From Kamp "field, piece of land", an occupational name denoting a peasant farmer. It could also indicate someone from a place named using the element. Alternatively, a variant of Kempf meaning "fighter".
KempesGerman, Dutch German and Dutch variant of Kemp or Kamp. It could also be a habitational name for a person from any of the various places named Kempen on the border between Germany and the Netherlands (for example the town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, close to the Dutch border), a status name for a peasant farmer or serf, or an occupational name for an official calibrator who marked the correct weight and measures for verification, derived from Middle Low German kempen... [more]
KenmochiJapanese From 剣 (ken, tsurugi) meaning "sword" and 持 (mochi, ji, chi, mo.tsu) meaning "to hold, to have".
KeplerGerman From Middle High German kappe meaning "hooded cloak". This was an occupational name for someone who made these kind of garments. A notable bearer was German astronomer and mathematician Johannes Kepler (1571–1630).
KernGerman, Dutch, Jewish from Middle High German kerne "kernel, seed pip"; Middle Dutch kern(e)keerne; German Kern or Yiddish kern "grain" hence a metonymic occupational name for a farmer or a nickname for a physically small person... [more]
KesselGerman Occupational name for a maker of cooking vessels from Middle High German kezzel meaning "kettle, cauldron, boiler".
KesslerGerman, Jewish Means "kettle-maker, tinker", denoting a maker of copper or tin cooking vessels, derived from Middle High German kezzel meaning "kettle, cauldron". In some instances, it could have referred to the shape of a landform.
KevatIndian From Sanskrit केवट (kevaṭ) meaning "boatman". This is used by the Kevat caste who traditionally specialized in rowing boats.
KewatIndian Variant transcription of Devanagari केवट (see Kevat).
KhandakarBengali Means "teacher, scholar" (literally "one who reads"), derived from Persian خواندن (khandan) meaning "to read, to study" and the occupational suffix گار (kar).
KhutsishviliGeorgian Means "son of the priest" from Georgian ხუცესი (khuts'esi) meaning "priest".
KidderEnglish English: possibly an occupational name from early modern English kidd(i)er ‘badger’, a licensed middleman who bought provisions from farmers and took them to market for resale at a profit, or alternatively a variant of Kidman... [more]
KidmanEnglish English: occupational name, probably for a goatherd (from Middle English kid(e) ‘young goat’ + man ‘man’), but possibly also for a cutter of wood used for fuel. (from Middle English kidde ‘faggot’ (an archaic English unit for a bundle of sticks)).
KieblerGerman Comes from the Middle High German word "kübel" meaning a "vat," or "barrel." As such it was an occupational name for a cooper, or barrel maker.
KielDutch From Middle Dutch kidel, kedel "smock", hence a metonymic occupational name for someone who make such garments or perhaps a nickname for someone who habitually wore one. Also a Dutch habitational name from a place so named in Antwerp or from the German city Kiel in Schleswig-Holstein.
KienerGerman Named after profession from Middle High German kien ‘pine chip, torch’ for someone who chips pine wood (wood from pine or spruce) and sells it (e.g. to smelters), a lumberjack or charcoal burner.... [more]
KiestlerGerman Possibly a form of Kistler an occupation name for a joiner or cabinet maker.
KiilEstonian Kiil is an Estonian surname meaning "keel", "wedge (tool)", and "frog".
KilmesterGerman Kilmester is attested as a surname near Rostock in the 13th century.
KimmelGerman, Jewish Derived from Middle High German kumin and German kümmel meaning "caraway" (related to Latin cuminum, a word of Oriental origin, like the plant itself), hence a metonymic occupational name for a spicer, literally a supplier of caraway seeds... [more]
KimmichGerman The surname hence a metonymic occupational name for a spicer.
KimpōJapanese (Rare) From Japanese 金 (kin) meaning "gold, metal" and 宝 (pō), the joining form of 宝 (hō) meaning "treasure", possibly referring to someone who manufactured precious metals.
KinderknechtGerman Occupational name for a servant in charge of the children at a manor, derived from kinder (plural of kind) meaning "child" and knecht meaning "servant".
KindermannGerman, Jewish occupational name for a schoolteacher literally "children man", from the elements kind "child" and man "man".
KingmanEnglish From the words "king" and "man", denoting a servant of the king.
KingseppEstonian Kingsepp is an Estonian surname meaning "shoemaker".
KinkleGerman Derived from the Middle High German word "kunkel," which meant "spindle." It is thus supposed that the first bearers of this surname were spindle makers in occupation.
KircherGerman from Middle High German kirchner "minister, sexton patron" hence an occupational name for a priest or a church assistant.
KirchmannGerman From Middle High German kirihha "church" and man "man" hence an occupational name for someone working in the service of the church or possibly a topographic name for someone living near a church... [more]
KirkmanEnglish A name originally found in both Scotland and England. From Kirk- meaning "church" and -man for someone who lived near or worked at a church.
KirschenmannGerman from Middle High German kirsche "cherry" and man "man" an occupational name for a grower or seller of cherries or a topographic name.
KirschnerGerman (Silesian) From the German word "kirchenære." The other occupation is that of a furrier and, in this case, the name is derived from the word "kuerschner."
KishEnglish A name for a person who worked as a maker of leather armor for the knight's legs.
KitchenerEnglish Variant spelling of Kitchen. A notable bearer was the Anglo-Irish senior British Army officer and colonial administrator Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener (1850-1916).
KitchenhamEnglish Occupational surname for a person who was in charge of the kitchen in a royal or noble house, or a monastery. From the Anglo Saxon cycene (German: Küche Dutch: kjøkken Latin: cocina Italian: cucina)
KitcherEnglish (British) This name derives from the Old English word "Cyta", and describes 'the cat' or perhaps more specifically a wild cat. This name may also refer to someone who worked in a Kitchen.
KitzmillerEnglish (American) Americanized form of German Kitzmüller, literally ‘kid miller’ ( see Kitz + Muller ), a nickname for a miller who kept goats; alternatively, the first element may be from a personal name formed with the Germanic element Gid-, cognate with Old English gidd ‘song’.
KlaasseppEstonian Klaassepp is an Estonian surname meaning "glass smith".
KlaverDutch Means "clover" in Dutch, a topographic name for someone who lived by a field of clovers or a sign depicting them, or an occupational name for a clover farmer.
KleberGerman, English (American) Derived from German kleben "to bind, to stick", hence an occupational name for someone who applied clay daub or whitewash on buildings.
KleiberGerman Derived from an agent Middle High German kleben "to stick or bind" an occupational name for a builder working with clay or in Swabia for someone who applied whitewash. in Bavaria and Austria an occupational name for a shingle maker from Middle High German klieben "to split (wood or stone)".
KleinknechtGerman A combining of the German word klein "small" and knecht "servant", originally an occupational name for a secondary hired hand. A famous historic figure who bore this surname was Jakob Friedrich Kleinknecht (8 April 1722 in Ulm - 11 August 1794 in Ansbach), a German composer of many works of chamber music and symphonies, flutist and Kapellmeister (chapel master).
KleinschmidtGerman Occupational surname which means "small smith", that is, a maker of small forged items and metal hand tools.
KlempnerGerman Means "plumber, tinsmith" in German, originally from Central German and Low German, derived from Middle Low German klampe "clamp"
KlepperGerman A metonymic name for someone who bred or kept horses, from Middle High German klepper "knight’s horse", possibly derived from kleppen "to strike rapidly, to ring sharply" in reference to bells on their harness... [more]
KlijnDutch Could be a variant of Klein "small, little", or could be derived from Old Dutch kluin (also klyn or kloen) "peat".
KlingDutch Occupational surname meaning "blade" in Dutch, referring to a person who made knives. A Dutch cognate of Messer.
KlingbeilGerman From Middle High German klingen "to ring or sound" and bīl "axe", literally "sound the axe", an occupational nickname for a journeyman, carpenter, shipwright (or any occupation involving the use of an axe)... [more]
KlingemannGerman Occupational surname for a knife maker, literally meaning "knife maker, weapons smith". It is derived from German klinge meaning "blade".
KlobučarSlovene, Croatian, Serbian Occupational name derived from Serbian, Croatian and Slovene klobučar meaning "hatter" (a derivative of klobuk meaning "hat"), originally indicating a person who made, sold or repaired hats.
KlokDutch From Middle Dutch clocke "bell", an occupational name for someone who made or rang bells, or perhaps for a clockmaker. Compare Van Der Klok and Kloek.
KlompDutch, Low German Means both "lump, block, compact heap" and "clog, wooden shoe" in Dutch, often an occupational name for someone who made such shoes. It could also be a nickname for a stocky or clumsy person, or a habitational name for someone who lived by a sign depicting a clog.
KloosterboerDutch Occupational name derived from Dutch klooster meaning "monastery, convent, cloister" and boer meaning "peasant, farmer".
KloostermanDutch Derived from Dutch klooster "cloister, monastery" and man "person, man", given to someone who worked for a monastery or lived near one.
KlopferGerman, Jewish (Ashkenazi) Derived from Middle High German klopfen "to knock, pound, hammer", an occupational name for a clothmaker, metalworker, miner, or hunter. As a Jewish name, it can refer to a shulklopfer, someone who knocks to call people to synagogue.
KluczewskimPolish Habititional surname for someone from a village called Kluczewo, derived from klucz, meaning "key."
KluczyńskimPolish Variant of Kluczewski. A notable bearer was John C. Kluczynski (1896-1975), an American veteran who served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.
KluverGerman From the word kluven meaning "split wooden block". It used to refer to bailiffs.
KmetSlovene, Serbian, Croatian, Slovak Slovenian, Serbian, Croatian, and Slovak status name for a type of peasant. In Slovenia this denoted a peasant who had his own landed property. In Serbia and elsewhere it was a status name for a feudal peasant farmer who cultivated the land of his lord instead of paying rent or doing military service... [more]
KnabenshuemAmerican German This surname is an American anglicized version of the German surname Knabenschuh. It means a "boy's shoe." The word maybe related to the English word "knave," which means rogue, scoundrel, or rascal... [more]
KnappGerman Occupational name from the German word Knapp or Knappe, a variant of Knabe "young unmarried man". In the 15th century this spelling acquired the separate, specialized meanings "servant", "apprentice", or "miner"... [more]
KnechtGerman, German (Swiss), Dutch Means "servant, assistant" in German and Dutch, an occupational name for a journeyman or male servant derived from Old Germanic kneht meaning "servant, knight" or "youth, boy"... [more]
KnickerbockerDutch (Americanized) Americanized spelling of the Dutch occupational name Knickerbacker "marble baker", i.e., a baker of children's clay marbles. This lowly occupation became synonymous with the patrician class in NYC through Washington Irving's attribution of his History of New York (1809) to a fictitious author named Diedrich Knickerbocker... [more]
KnoedlerGerman Occupational name, probably for someone who made dumplings, from an agent derivative of Middle High German knödel.
KnolDutch Derived from Middle Dutch knolle "tuber, turnip, lump of earth", a nickname for a fat or clumsy person, or an occupational name for a farmer.
KnopflerEnglish, German Derived from Knopf (German for "button"), this surname was originally given to button makers or button sellers. A famous bearer of this surname is English musician Mark Knopfler (1949-).
KnyazevmRussian Derived from князь (knyaz'), a word for a Russian prince used in the Kiyevan Rus' settlement.
KodikaraSinhalese Derived from Sinhala කොඩිය (kodiya) meaning "flag, banner" and Sanskrit कार (kara) meaning "maker, doer", possibly an occupational name for a person who made flags.
KoelewijnDutch Derived from Dutch koel "cool, cold" and wei "whey", a metonymic occupational name for a dairy farmer. Altered by folk etymology to mean "cool wine". Can also derive from a place name.
KoelzerGerman From a noun derived from kolzen "ankle boots" (from Latin calceus "half-boot walking shoe") hence an occupational name for a boot maker or a cobbler. Or a habitational name for someone from Kölzen near Merseburg.