Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
HöövelEstonian Höövel is an Estonian surname meaning "planer".
HopDutch Variant form of Hopp. Alternatively, an occupational name derived from Dutch hop referring to the common hop (Humulus lupus), a kind of plant traditionally used to preserve and flavour beer.
HopfGerman An occupational name for a brewer or farmer, from German Hopfen meaning "hops", a plant used in preserving and flavouring beer.
HosekinDutch (Archaic) Occupational name for a maker or seller of hose (garments for the legs), from Middle Dutch hose "stocking, boot".
HoshinaJapanese It can be spelled with 星 (hoshi) meaning "star, mark, dot" and 奈 (na) meaning "name, noted, distinguished, reputation", or 保 (ho) meaning "protect", combined with 科 (shina, ka) meaning "department, technology".
HosnerGerman Occupational name for a knitter of hose (garments for the legs), from the plural form of Middle High German hose + the agent suffix -er (see Hose 3).
HospodPolish (Rare) From the Proto-Slavic gospodь, meaning "lord" or "host." Variant of the Old Polish gospodzin, meaning "landlord."... [more]
HowladerBengali From a Bengali word meaning "land owner", itself derived from Arabic حول (hawl) meaning "power, might, strength" and the Persian suffix دار (dar) indicating ownership.
HoyEnglish Metonymic occupational name for a sailor, from Middle Dutch hoey "cargo ship".
HuāwūChinese From Chinese 花 (huā) meaning "flower, blossom" combined with 屋 (wū) meaning "shop".
HübnerGerman status name for a prosperous small farmer from a variant of Huber.
HudecCzech, Slovak Occupational name for a fiddler, hudec, a derivative of housti meaning "to play the fiddle".
HufnagelGerman Metonymic occupational name for a farrier from Middle High German hufnagel "horseshoe nail" (literally "hoof nail"). Derived from huof "hoof" and nagal "nail".
HulkeEnglish a nickname for a person who literally "towed" ships and barges
HurtadoSpanish Derived from the Spanish word hurtar, meaning "to steal".
HusemannGerman Epithet for a servant or an administrator who worked at a great house, from Middle Low German hus ‘house’ (see House 1, Huse) + man ‘man’.
HütterGerman German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): occupational name for a hatter from an agent derivative of Middle High German huot ‘hat’; Yiddish hut, German Hut ‘hat’. German (Hütter): topographic name from Middle High German hütte ‘hut’... [more]
ImamArabic, Bengali, Persian, Urdu From Arabic إِمَام (ʾimām) meaning "leader, guide", used to denote a Muslim leader.
IngaItalian, Spanish Possibly from Sicilian inga "ink", an occupational name for a scribe. Alternatively, it could derive from the Germanic given name Inge.
IngogliaItalian Means "belonging to the family of Goglia" in Italian, derived from the prefix in- meaning "belonging to the family of" combined with the name Goglia... [more]
InmanEnglish (British) Anglo-Saxon in Origin. Occupational surname given to a person who "tended a lodge or an inn". Surname first found in Lancashire, England.
In'yakuJapanese (Rare) From Japanese 印鑰 (in'yaku) meaning "seal of head government office and keys to various buildings", referring to someone who would make seals or keys for such purposes.
IteJapanese (Rare) From Japanese 射 (i) meaning "shoot" and 手 (te) meaning "hand", referring to an archer.
JäägerEstonian Jääger is an Estonian surname meaning "game warden". Ultimately, from the German-language "jäger" meaning "hunter".
JägermeisterssenGerman Means son of the "Master-Hunter". Originally given to the son of the master-hunter in hunting camps.
JaggardEnglish The name Jaggard is rooted in the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. It was originally a name for someone who worked as a person who tends draughthorses.
JahimeesEstonian Jahimees is an Estonian surname meaning "hunter" (literally, "hunting man").
JaimoukhaCircassian Means "cow herd, cowman", from Kabardian жэм (žăm) meaning "cow" and хъу (χ°) "male, man". It traditionally indicated someone who was wealthy because they possessed a large herd of bovine.
JanmaatDutch Possibly from janmaat, a slang term for a sailor or the collective nautical community, derived from a combination of the common given name Jan 1 and maat "shipmate, sailor; mate, buddy".
JardinFrench, English Derived from Old French jardin meaning "enclosure, garden", hence a topographic name for someone who lived by a garden or a metonymic occupational name for someone who worked as a gardener.
JaukGerman (Austrian) The meaning of the name Jauk is similar to the word "acre" in English. It is a measure word for how much land an ox can plough in one day. People with the surname Jauk are likely to have descended from farmers... [more]
JaunzemeLatvian Feminine form of Jaunzems, a Latvian occupational surname meaning "new farmer", composed of jauns meaning "new" and zeme meaning "land" (compare zemlja).
JavaheriPersian Occupational name for a jeweller from Persian جواهر (javaher) meaning "jewel".
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.
KalashnikovmRussian 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]
KamyshnikovmRussian Means "son of the reed worker", from Russian камышник (kamyshnik), meaning "reed worker".
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).
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".
KauppiFinnish From the medieval variant of the given name Jaakob. In some cases from the Finnish archaic term meaning "merchant, trader".
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.