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 A Dutch name that literally means “producer of tiles.” the earliest trace of the name in the Netherlands is in the year 1568, associated with Herr Jan de Pannebakker and his wife Nancy who were accused of heresy and killed by the Spaniards at Utrecht.... [more]
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"
PapHungarian A populaur Hungarian surname meaning Priest. It is also a variant of Papp.
PapademosGreek Likely derived from Greek papas, meaning "pope".
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).
PartonEnglish Habitational name from any of various places called Parton; most are named with Old English peretun ‘pear orchard’. A famous bearer of the surname is Dolly Parton.
ParveEstonian Parve is an Estonian surname meaning "raft". Probably taken from "parvemees" meaning "raftsman".
PašalićBosnian, Croatian Derived from paša, meaning "Pasha", which was a high rank in the Ottoman political and military system.
PasdarPersian Means "guard, sentinel, watchman" in Persian.
PashaUrdu, Bengali, Persian, Albanian From the high-ranking Ottoman military rank pasha of disputed origin, perhaps derived from the Persian title پادشاه (padeshah) meaning "king" or from Turkish baş meaning "head" and ağa meaning "lord, master".
PasquierFrench Meaning uncertain. Possibly "keeper of the oven."
PasteurFrench French for "shepherd" or "preacher, pastor". Famous bearer Louis Pasteur (1822-1895), French chemist who created the first rabies vaccine, gave his name to the process of 'pasteurization'.
PastukhovRussian Derived from Russian пастух (pastukh) meaning "shepherd".
PatemanEnglish The name Pateman is rooted in the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. It is a name for someone who worked as a boatman. The surname Pateman is derived from the Anglo-Saxon word bat, which means a boat.
PchyolkinRussian Derived from Russian пчёлка (pchyolka), a diminutive of пчела (pchela) meaning "bee". The founder of the surname may have been a beekeeper.
PearlEnglish Metonymic occupational name for a trader in pearls, which in the Middle Ages were fashionable among the rich for the ornamentation of clothes, from Middle English, Old French perle (Late Latin perla).
PearsallEnglish a British surname of French origin derived from the pre-9th-century word "pourcel", which described a breeder of animals or a farmer
PechmanGerman "Pechman" means "man with bad luck" in many European languages (Polish, German, and Dutch predominantly), though in German, it originally referred to one who prepared, sold, or used pitch.
PeiperGerman (Austrian) Occupational name for a piper, from Middle High German piper. In some cases it may be derived from Sorbian pipar "pepper", thus being an occupational name for a spicer or a nickname for one with a fiery temper.
PeixotoPortuguese Occupational name for a fisherman or fish seller or a nickname for someone thought to resemble a fish, derived from Portuguese peixe meaning "fish".
PelevinRussian Derived from dialectal Russian пелева (peleva) meaning "chaff, shuck". A notable bearer is Victor Pelevin, the Russian fiction writer.
PelissierFrench From Old French "Pelicier", (Meaning "Furrier", from an agent derivative of pelice, meaning "Fur cloak", from Late Latin "pellicia", from "pellis", meaning "skin fur". An occupational name of someone likely in the fur and hide trade.
PelleGerman From Middle Low German pelle "precious purple silk cloth", presumably an occupational name for a maker or seller of such cloth or for a maker of official and church vestments.
PelterDutch This surname is occupational in origin. It comes from the Latin word "pellis," meaning "skin" or "hide," and would have originally been born by someone who tanned or sold hides and pelts for a living.
PeltierFrench Variant of Pelletier (from Old French pellet, a diminutive of pel "skin, hide").
PeltzGerman, Jewish Occupational name for a furrier, from Middle High German bellez, (modern German pelz) "fur", "animal skin".
PelzerGerman Occupational name for a furrier, from an agent derivative Middle High German bellez "fur".
PenmanScottish Occupational name for someone who was a scribe, but could also be a habitational name derived from any place named with the British elements penn "hill" and maen "stone".
PennaItalian Possibly from Italian penna "feather, pen", a nickname for a scribe.
PennebakerDutch (Anglicized) Coming from the Dutch name Pannebakker. The name is of occupational origin and is traceable to a term literally translated as "producer of tiles." Legend has it that the family imigrated from central Europe in the mid 1300’s to the Netherlands to escape the wars and plague that were common in the area at that time.
PennybackerLow German Pennybacker is an anglicized German surname for someone who worked making roof tiles or as a tiler.
PépinFrench From the Old French name Pepis, itself a form of the given name Pépin. Alternatively, it may be derived from French pépin meaning "(fruit) seed", thus making it an occupational name for a gardener or someone who grew fruit-bearing trees.
PercherEnglish In textile mills, woven fabric coming off the mill / loom would pass over a frame, or rod, called a 'perch'. It was the job of the 'Percher' to examine the cloth for defects, and repair them when they were found... [more]
PewterschmidtPopular Culture Comprised of the English word pewter, which is a metal alloy made mostly of tin, and the German element schmidt 'smith' (see Schmidt). This surname is obviously intended to be of Germanic origin... [more]
PfefferGerman, Jewish Occupational name for a spicer, or a nickname for a person with a fiery temper, for a small man, or for a dark-haired person. Derived from German Pfeffer "pepper".
PfefferleGerman South German diminutive of Pfeffer, and a nickname for a person who sells spices.
PflügerGerman Occupational name for a Ploughman, literally meaning "Ploughman/Plowman" in German.
PfundGerman metonymic occupational name for a sealer of weights, or for a wholesale merchant, from Middle High German pfunt ‘pound’ (as a measure of weight and a unit of currency).
PicklerEnglish Derived from the occupation of "pickler," which referred to someone who worked in the pickling industry, preserving foods such as vegetables or meats in brine or vinegar.
PilarskiPolish Occupational name for a sawyer, Polish pilarz + -ski, common ending of surnames.
PilchEnglish From Middle English pilch, a metonymic occupational name for a maker or seller of pilches or a nickname for a habitual wearer of these. A pilch (from Late Latin pellicia, a derivative of pellis "skin, hide") was a kind of coarse leather garment with the hair or fur still on it.
PilcherEnglish Occupational name for a maker or seller of pilches, from an agent derivative of Pilch. In early 17th-century English, pilcher was a popular term of abuse, being confused or punningly associated with the unrelated verb pilch "to steal" and with the unrelated noun pilchard, a kind of fish.
PimentaPortuguese Means "pepper" in Portuguese, used as an occupational name for someone who grew or sold peppers.
PimentelPortuguese, Spanish Derived from Portuguese pimenta meaning "pepper", used as an occupational name for someone who grew or sold peppers.
PincockEnglish It is believed to be a variant of the surname Pink, which itself can have several origins, including being a nickname for someone with pink cheeks or a rosy complexion, or an occupational name for a dyer or someone who worked with pigment dyes.
PininfarinaItalian A combination of "pinin", Piedmontese for youngest/smallest brother, and Farina, the Italian variant of Miller. This is the name of the Italian coachbuilder, founded by Battista "Pinin" Farina, later Battista Pininfarina.
PinnEnglish, German Derived from Middle English pin and Middle Low German pinne, both meaning "peg" or "pin". This was an occupational name from a maker of these things. The German name can in some cases be an occupational name for a shoemaker.
PiscopoItalian From a reduced form of episcopo "bishop" (Greek episkopos "bishop", literally "overseer"), hence a metonymic occupational name for someone in the service of a bishop, or perhaps a nickname for a pompous person.
PitcherEnglish, German From an agent derivative of Middle English pich ‘pitch’, hence an occupational name for a caulker, one who sealed the seams of ships or barrels with pitch. English variant of Pickard... [more]
PittlerFrench A surname which originally belonged to a person who lived by a pit or hollow. Meaning "King of the Pit" or "King of the Hollow".
PlateGerman, Dutch metonymic occupational name for a maker of plate armor from Middle High German blateplate Middle Dutch plate "plate armor plating".
PlatiniItalian Occupational name for a person who coats objects with platinum, derived from Italian platinare literally meaning "to platinize, to coat with platinum". A notable bearer is the former French soccer star Michel Platini (1955-).
PlumEnglish, German, Jewish English and North German: from Middle English plum(b)e, Middle Low German plum(e) ‘plum’, hence a topographic name for someone who lived by a plum tree, or a metonymic occupational name for a fruit grower... [more]
PlumerGerman, English, Dutch North German (Plümer) and English: variant of Plum, the suffix -er denoting habitation or occupation. Altered form of South German Pflümer, an occupational name for a grower or seller of plums, from an agent derivative of Middle High German pflume ‘plum’... [more]
PlumierFrench, Belgian Possibly an occupational name for a dealer in feathers and quills, from an agent derivative of Old French plume "feather, plume" (compare English and Dutch Plumer)... [more]
PlummerEnglish 1. Occupational name for a worker in lead, especially a maker of lead pipes and conduits, from Anglo-Norman French plom(m)er, plum(m)er ‘plumber’, from plom(b), plum(b) ‘lead’ (Latin plumbum)... [more]
PoddaItalian From Sardinian podda "flour", or pudda "chicken".
PodriznikSlovene From the article of clothing of the same name worn by priests, possibly denoting a maker of them or perhaps a relative of a clergyman.
PodwojskiPolish Archaic -- denotes the office of a minor church official.
PõimEstonian Põim is an Estonian surname derived from "põimima" ("enlace" or "entwine")' loosely meaning "weaver".
PoissonFrench Poisson is the French word for fish, and was given to one who was a fishmonger, fisherman, or could be a nickname for one who had the appearance similar to a fish.
PoitierFrench Evidently an altered spelling of Pothier. A famous bearer of this surname was the Bahamian-American actor Sidney Poitier (1927-2022).
PolandEnglish, German, French (Anglicized), Irish (Anglicized) English and German name is derived from the Middle High German Polan, which means "Poland". The surname originally signified a person with Polish connections.This French surname originated from an occupational name of a poultry breeder, or from a fearful person; it is derived from the Old French poule, which means "chicken".In other cases, particularly in Ireland, the English Poland is a variant of Polin,which is in turn an Anglicised form of the original Gaelic spelling of Mac Póilín, which translated from Irish means "son of little Paul"... [more]
PõldseppEstonian Põldsepp is an Estonian surname meaning "field smith".
PõldurEstonian Põldur is an Estonian surname meaning "farmer".
PontiffFrench Means "bridge builder". Comes from the French word pont, which means bridge. ... [more]
PontzEnglish The name Pontz likely came from Germanic origin, probably originating from the German Pflanzen.
PoogaEstonian Pooga is an Estonian surname derived from "pooge" meaning "graft/grafting".
PoopuuEstonian Poopuu is an Estonian surname, possibly derived from "poom" ("beam") "puu" ("wood" or "tree").
PoortmanDutch Occupational name for a gatekeeper or topographic name for someone who lived near the gates of a fortified town, from Dutch poort meaning "gate" and man meaning "man".
PorcelliItalian From Italian porcello, meaning "piglet". Used to denote someone who worked as a swineherd, or perhaps a nickname for someone who resembled a piglet in some way.
PoroshenkoUkrainian From Ukrainian порох (porokh) meaning "(gun)powder, dust", used as an occupational name for someone who made or sold gunpowder. A notable bearer is current Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko (1965-).
PorteraItalian Occupational name for a female servant, from Spanish portera.
PortmannGerman Occupational name for a gatekeeper, derived from Middle Low German port(e) meaning "gate" and man, or a topographic name for someone who lived near the gates of a fortified town.
PortnoyJewish, Belarusian, Ukrainian Occupational name for a tailor from Russian portnoj (an adjective derivative of port "uncut cloth").
PortnyaginRussian Derived from Russian портняга (portnyaga), a colloquial nickname derived from портной (portnoy) meaning "tailor, clothier".
PortokalosGreek From the Greek word πορτοκάλι (portokáli), which means "orange." The name could refer either to farmers who maintained an orange orchard / grove or someone who had an orange aspect to their appearance or demeanor.
PressEnglish, Jewish A nickname for a pious individual from the Middle English form of "priest" or possibly someone employed by a priest. In the Jewish sense, one whose occupation was to iron clothes.
PreveItalian From Greek "πρεσβύτερος" (presbyteros), via Latin "presbyter" with the meaning of "The Old One".... [more]
PrevedorosGreek From the Italian rank of provveditore "he who sees to things" (overseer) was the style of various local district governors in the extensive, mainly maritime empire of the Republic of Venice.
PrévostFrench From Old French prevost meaning "provost", a status name for officials in a position of responsibility.
PrevotFrench A prevot was a govenment position during the Ancient Régime
PriestEnglish Derived from the occupation priest, which is a minister of a church. It could also be a nickname for a person who is / was a priest.
PrieurFrench from prieur Old French prior "prior" a monastic official immediately subordinate to an abbot (from Latin prior "superior") hence an occupational name for a servant of a prior or an ironic nickname... [more]
PrinsDutch, Jewish Means "prince" in Dutch, but almost never a surname for a prince. Instead, it's an occupational surname for someone in the service of a prince or a nickname for someone who acted in a regal manner. The surname is also Jewish Dutch and is used as an ornamental adoption of Dutch prins still meaning "prince".
PriorEnglish Occupational surname for a prior (a high-ranking official in a monastery), ultimately from Latin prior meaning "superior, first".
PriorIrish Anglicized form of Irish Gaelic Mac an Phríora meaning "son of the prior".
ProctorEnglish Occupational name from Middle English prok(e)tour "steward" (reduced from Old French procurateour, Latin procurator "agent", from procurare "to manage"). The term was used most commonly of an attorney in a spiritual court, but also of other officials such as collectors of taxes and agents licensed to collect alms on behalf of lepers and enclosed orders of monks.
ProvodnikovRussian From Russian проводник (provodnik) meaning "conductor". Means "son of a conductor".
ProvostEnglish, French Derived from the Middle English provost; referring to the person who heads a religious chapter in a cathedral or educational establishment. It was also used as a nickname for a self-important person and is a French variant of Prevost.
ProwzeAnglo-Norman An Anglo-Norman occupational surname used for soldiers or a nickname for someone bold that is derived from the pre-10th-century Old French proz or prouz, meaning "proud" or "brave". It could also be a variant of the surname Prue... [more]
PruulEstonian Pruul is an Estonian surname meaning "brew".
PuckettEnglish Of uncertain origin; perhaps a variant of Pocket(t), from a diminutive of Anglo-Norman French poque "small pouch", hence a metonymic occupational name for a maker of purses and pouches or a nickname... [more]
PuķeLatvian Derived from Latvian puķe "flower". Occupational surname for a person who sells flowers.
PuletuaSamoan May come from Pule meaning 'authority, leader, command'.
PulišićCroatian Derived From puliš meaning "to smoke". It may refer to a smoker or someone who sells cigarettes.
PulverLow German, French, English I comes from the Latin verb meaning "to make powder." This name was given to either an alchemist or one who made gunpowder.
PunzalanFilipino, Tagalog, Pampangan Possibly an occupational name for a maker of fences or a nickname derived from Spanish punzar meaning "to punch, to sting".
PuriEstonian Puri is an Estonian surname meaning "sail".
PurjeEstonian Purje is an Estonian surname derived from "purjetama", meaning "sail".
PurvianceScottish Materials collector for the Crown. Materials that may be used as tax or in war. Similar to the system of purveyance. Approximately 1100's , southwest Scotland.
PurvisScottish Probably means "person in charge of buying supplies for a large household" (from Middle English purveys "provisions").
PüttseppEstonian Püttsepp is an Estonian name meaning "cooper" (literally, "tub smith").
PutzGerman German for "plaster". Likely used to denote someone who manufactured plaster
PüüdjaEstonian Püüdja is an Estonian surname meaning "catcher".
PuurEstonian Puur is an Estonian surname meaning "hutch" or "coop".
PuuseppEstonian Puusepp is an Estonian surname meaning "carpenter" (literally "woodsmith").
PygallEnglish (Hellenized, Rare) From ancient Greek for rump, associations with prostitution across Europe, commonly given to illegitimate children of prostitutes, found especially in North East England and Nottinghamshire.
PykeEnglish Most likely originates from the words pike (the weapon or the fish), having to do with fishermen or soldiers, or pick, having to do with miners or somebody who tills the ground.
PyleDutch Metonymic occupational name for a marksman or an arrowsmith, from pijl meaning "arrow".
QuakerEnglish, Scottish This surname was used to indicate someone who worked as a son of a vicar, who was a priest in charge of a parish in which most or all of the tithes were paid to another recipient, while the vicar received a stipend.
QuestelFrench, Medieval French (?) The surname Questel was first found in Normandy. Currently, Questel is the most commonly occurring last name in Saint-Barthélemy, a French island in the Caribbean Sea.... [more]
QuituguaChamorro Chamoru meaning "Knock down/tear down/cut down"
RaadDutch Metonymic occupational name for an adviser, counselor, or member of a town council, from raad ‘advice’, ‘counsel’.
RacineFrench Means "(tree) root" in French, used as an occupational name for a grower or seller of root vegetables or as a nickname for a stubborn person.
RacioppiItalian, Sicilian Derived from Sicilian racioppu meaning "cluster of grapes", hence presumably a metonymic occupational name for someone who sold or produced grapes.
RaderGerman Variation of Rademacher, meaning "maker of wheels" in German ("rat" meaning wheel), later shortened to Rader and other variations such as Redder, Raeder, Redler, etc.
RadlerGerman Occupational name, which was derived from the kind of work done by the original bearer. It is a name for a wheelmaker or wheelwright. The name stems from the German noun rat, meaning wheel. The origin is more clear in the variant Rademacher
RafanielloItalian Probably from Italian ravanello "radish", probably given to someone who grew or sold radishes, or perhaps resembled one in some way.
RagostaItalian from aragosta "lobster" used for a shell-fisherman or otherwise as a nickname for someone thought to resemble a lobster in some way.
RaiaItalian, Sicilian Either a topographic name from Sicilian raia ‘smilax’ (a climbing shrub), or else derived from Sicilian raja meaning ‘ray’, or ‘skate’ (the fish), presumably a nickname for someone thought to resemble the fish or a metonymic occupational name for a fisherman or fish seller.
RaidEstonian Raid is an Estonian surname derived from "raidur"; meaning "hewer".
RaieEstonian Raie is an Estonian surname meaning "cutting", "hewing" and "(tree) lumbering".
RaisteEstonian Raiste is an Estonian surname derived from "raie" meaning meaning "cutting", "hewing" and "(tree) lumbering".
RaiterGerman Occupational name for a taxman or accountant, from an agent derivative of Middle High German reiten ‘to reckon’, ‘to calculate’.
RajopadhyayaNewar From Sanskrit राजोपाध्याय (rājopādhyāya) meaning "royal guru; royal teacher". This is used by the Rajopadhyaya caste.
RakPolish, Czech, Slovak, Slovene, Hungarian, Jewish Polish, Czech, Slovak, Slovenian, Hungarian (Rák), and Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic): from Slavic rak ‘crab’, ‘lobster’, or ‘crayfish’. This was applied as an occupational name for someone who caught and sold crayfish, crabs, or lobsters, or as a nickname to someone thought to resemble such a creature... [more]
RakićSerbian From Serbian "rak" meaning 'crab', 'lobster', or 'crayfish'. It can also mean 'cancer'.
RändurEstonian Rändur is an Estonian surname meaning "itinerant" and "migrant".
RangeGerman, French German: nickname for a ragamuffin, from Middle High German range ‘naughty boy’, ‘urchin’.... [more]
RangerEnglish, German, French English: occupational name for a gamekeeper or warden, from Middle English ranger, an agent derivative of range(n) ‘to arrange or dispose’.... [more]
RaščiusLithuanian Probably from Lithuanian raštvedys meaning "clerk" or "scribe".
RasilaFinnish A variant of the finnish word (rasi) for a forest that has been cleared for slash and burn but has not yet been burnt for agricultural means. The suffix "-la" is usually added to the stem of the word to indicate a location... [more]
RasorEnglish Probably from Old French rasor, meaning "razor".
RatasseppEstonian Ratassepp is an Estonian surname meaning "wheel smith".
RatherGerman, Jewish 1. Occupational name for a counsellor or nickname for a wise person, from Middle High German rater ‘adviser’. ... [more]
RathgeberGerman From Middle High German ratgebe or Middle Low German ratgever "giver of advice, counselor", an occupational name for an adviser or wise man.
RauchGerman Perhaps an occupational nickname for a blacksmith or charcoal burner, from Middle High German rouch, German Rauch ‘smoke’, or, in the case of the German name, a status name or nickname relating to a hearth tax (i.e. a tax that was calculated according to the number of fireplaces in each individual home).
RaudseppEstonian Raudsepp is an Estonian name meaning "blacksmith" (the combination of "raud", meaning "iron" and "sepp", meaning "smith").
RavelFrench, French (African) Derived from either a place called Ravel in the district of Drome or Provence, or from the word 'rave' meaning a root vegetable, and hence a grower or seller of such items.
RavelinoOld Celtic (Latinized, Archaic) It means manufacturing of fine and expensive fabrics. Also means the tailor or weaver. It comes from Asti and Piedmont (noth of Italy).
RavellinoCeltic It means weaver or taylor. In the Gaelic languaje is wehydd or gwehydd.
RavenelEnglish, French Habitational name from Ravenel in Oise or a metonymic occupational name for a grower or seller of horseradish, from a diminutive of Old French ravene ‘horseradish’ (Latin raphanus)... [more]
RavierOccitan Means "horseradish" in French, denoting someone who selled them.
RayamajhiNepali Probably a portmanteau of the Nepali words meaning 'Royal Fishmongers'. A member of the Rajput-Chhetri subcaste of Nepali family names.
RealeItalian From reale "royal", either an occupational name for someone in the service of a king or a nickname for someone who behaved in a regal manner.
RealiItalian Variant of the surname Reale, which stems from reale "royal", either a name for someone in the service of a royal or a nickname for someone who behaved in a regal, aristocratic manner.
ReamsPolish The last name Reams comes from Normandy, France.
RechnerGerman Occupational name from Middle High German rechenære "reckoner keeper of accounts".
RectorEnglish Status name for the director of an institution, in particular the head of a religious house or a college. Also an anglicized form of Richter.
ReddyIndian, Telugu Derived from Telugu రెడ్డి (reddi) meaning "village headman".
RedenbacherEnglish (American) The name "Redenbacher" appears to be a combination of two parts: "Reden" and "Bacher". Here's what I found about the meanings of these parts:... [more]