GailītisLatvian Derived from the word gailis meaning "rooster".
GainesEnglish, Norman, Welsh English (of Norman origin): nickname for a crafty or ingenious person, from a reduced form of Old French engaine ‘ingenuity’, ‘trickery’ (Latin ingenium ‘native wit’). The word was also used in a concrete sense of a stratagem or device, particularly a trap.... [more]
GaitánSpanish Originated from the Spanish word "gato," which means "cat." It is thought that the name may have been used to describe someone who had cat-like qualities, such as being agile or quick on their feet.
GajdaSerbian, Croatian, Czech A slavicized variant of the German surname, Geidl. This was most notably used by Radola Gajda, a Czech military commander and politician who slaviczed his name from Rudolf Geidl.
GalanteItalian, French, Jewish Comes from the ancient French word "galant" meaning someone in love or who has fun. In the case of Mordecai Galante, a Spanish exile in 16th century Rome, his courteous manners won for him from the Roman nobles the surname "Galantuomo" (gentleman), from which Galante was eventually derived.... [more]
GalbierRomansh Derived from Romansh casa "house" and, by extension, "household, family" and the given name Albert.
GalbraithScottish, Scottish Gaelic Ethnic name for someone descended from a tribe of Britons living in Scotland, from Gaelic gall ‘stranger’ + Breathnach ‘Briton’ (i.e. ‘British foreigner’). These were either survivors of the British peoples who lived in Scotland before the Gaelic invasions from Ireland in the 5th century (in particular the Welsh-speaking Strathclyde Britons, who survived as a distinctive ethnic group until about the 14th century), or others who had perhaps migrated northwestwards at the time of the Anglo-Saxon invasions.
GalliardFrench It resembles the French word "galliard," meaning "brave, cheerful, spirited." Marcel and Porco Galliard from Attack on Titan are known bearers of this name.
GalliganIrish Shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Gealagáin 'descendant of Gealagán' a personal name from a double diminutive of geal 'bright white'.
GanChinese From Chinese 甘 (gān) of uncertain origin, possibly from the name of Shang dynasty minister Gan Pan or from the name of an ancient territory called Gan that existed in what is now Shaanxi province.
GanesanIndian Indian (Kerala, Tamil Nadu): Hindu name from Sanskrit gaṇeṣa ‘lord of the army’ ( see Ganesh ) + the Tamil-Malayalam third-person masculine singular suffix -n. This is found only as a given name in India, but has come to be used as a family name in the U.S.
GanusRussian, Ukrainian Possibly derived from Russian анис (anis) referring to the anise (Pimpinella anisum) plant or from the Turkish given name Gainislam itself from Arabic عَيْن (ʿayn) meaning "spring, source" combined with the name of the religion Islam.
GaramataBatak Means both ‘dogs’ and ‘red eyes’ in Karo Batak.
GarfunkelJewish, Yiddish From גאָרפֿינקל (gorfinkl), "carbuncle" in Yiddish, which in turns derives from German Karfunkel. A notable bearer of this surname is Art Garfunkel.... [more]
GartmannGerman (Swiss) Derived from Middle High German garte "garden; yard" and German Mann "man", this was occupational name for a gardener. In some cases it may have been a status name referring to the owner of a small (enclosed or fenced) farm or an occupational name for a worker at a deer preserve.
GasparrinoItalian (Tuscan) Gasparinus de Bergamo was a Italian Teacher who tutored The Future Popes of Italy and was a Secertary for Pope Martin V in the late 1400.
GatdulaFilipino, Tagalog This surname honors Lakan Dula, the last ruler of the Kingdom of Tondo, via his alternative name Gat Dula. In it, the word or prefix Gat is a shortened version of the Tagalog honorific Pamagat, which at the time meant "nobleman," while Dula possibly means "palace." Altogether, it means "Nobleman of the Palace."
GayaAfrican African spelling, surname form, and variant spelling of Gaia. It is the 18,784th most frequently used surname in the world. It is borne by approximately 1 in 246,879 people... [more]
GazdievIngush (Russified), Ossetian (Russified) Russified form of an Ingush and Ossetian surname derived from the name of an Ingush teip (clan) of unknown meaning, possibly of Turkic origin. The name is mainly found in present-day Ingushetia and North Ossetia-Alania.
GellerYiddish, German, Russian The name may derive from the German word "gellen" (to yell) and mean "one who yells." It may derive from the Yiddish word "gel" (yellow) and mean the "yellow man" or from the Yiddish word "geler," an expression for a redheaded man... [more]
GenainEnglish (American, ?) This pseudonym was used to protect the identities of the Morlok sisters, identical quadruplets born in 1930. All four developed schizophrenia, suggesting a large genetic component to the cause of the disease.
GenarroItalian The surname "Gennaro" has Italian origins and is commonly associated with the given name "Gennaro," which is derived from the Latin name "Ianuarius," meaning "January." The name is often linked to St... [more]
GentryFrench From the English word, which is in turn from French gentrie, referring to that which is "noble," or the "nobility." From earlier gentillece, which was originally from gentil, "refinement."
GereEnglish Variant of Geer, Gehr or Geary, all related to the Old High German element gēr (Old English gār, Old Norse geirr) meaning "spear, arrow". A famous bearer is American actor Richard Gere (b... [more]
GhassanArabic (Modern) The Ghassan surname originated in the village of Furzol in eastern Lebanon. It is believed that the name came from Shefa-'Amr in Israel, and was brought by Ghassans that were fleeing the unjust rule of Ahmed al-Jazzar, the Wali of Sidon and Damascus in the late 18th century... [more]
GhirsciMaltese The spelling of the original surname indicates that it probably didn't originate from Malta, but the surname is almost only found there anyway. The surname means "cross-eyed".
GidlowEnglish The first recorded use of the name is from 1291; Robert de Gidlow was a freeholder in Aspull, Lancanshire, United Kingdom and the name occurs frequently down to the 17th century. The Gidlow family moved to the United States in the mid-18th century where the spelling was changed to Goodlow and eventually to Goodloe.