VongKhmer Means "family, lineage" in Khmer, ultimately from Sanskrit वंश (vansha).
VonkDutch Means "spark" in Dutch, a metonymic occupational name for a smith, or possibly a nickname for a lively or fiery person.
VoogdDutch Means "guardian" in Dutch, an occupational name for a bailiff, farm manager, or someone appointed to look after the interests of other people. Ultimately from Latin advocatus "witness, advocate; one called upon to help"... [more]
VorstDutch, Low German topographic name for someone who lived in a vorst "forest" or habitational name for someone from any of numerous places called Vorst or Voorst... [more]
VovkUkrainian, Slovene Derived from Ukrainian вовк (vovk) meaning "wolf", also used in Slovenia.
VưuVietnamese Vietnamese form of You, from Sino-Vietnamese 尤 (vưu).
WäiteLuxembourgish (Germanized, Rare) The name originates from Luxembourg and the surrounding Germanic regions most notably the Rhenish Palatinate from around the 1800s. The word wäite is Luxembourgish for wide and also broad, the word wäit which is an alternative spelling of the Surname Wäite is Luxembourgish for far or distant.... [more]
WaldEnglish, German, Jewish Originally indicated a person who lived in or near a forest, from Old English weald or from Old High German wald... [more]
WarnsGerman, Dutch Patronymic form of the Germanic given name Warn (see Warin). Alternatively, a habitational name from various Frisian places likely named using the same or similar elements.
WelkGerman (East Prussian) Nickname from Middle High German welc, meaning "soft and mild". The name was first recorded in South Holland, however many of the bearers of the name trace its roots back to East Germany. A famous bearer of this name was Lawrence Welk, an American musician and host of the Lawrence Welk Show.
WemyssScottish From the lands of Wemyss in Fife, which is derived from Gaelic uaimheis "cave place".
WenChinese From Chinese 温 (wēn) meaning "warm", also referring to any of several territories that were called Wen, namely an ancient state that existed during the Zhou dynasty.
WengChinese From Chinese 翁 (wēng) meaning "elderly man".
WentzGerman (Rare) Originally a pet form of the given names Werner and Wenceslaw. Meaning "guard" or "army".
WhangKorean Alternate transcription of Korean Hangul 황 (see Hwang).
WimpEnglish The surname has at least two origins. The first is occupational and describes a maker of 'wimplels', an Old English veil later much associated with nuns. Second, it may also be locational from the village of Whimple in Devonshire, or Wimpole in Cambridge.
WindSwedish (Rare) From Swedish vind "wind". It's either ornamental or a habitational name derived from a place named with this element.
WorthEnglish Habitational name from any of several locations derived from Old English worþ "enclosure, enclosed homestead, settlement".
WrayeEnglish Variant of the habitational name Wray or Ray, from any of various minor places in northern England named Wray, Wrea, or Wreay, from Old Norse vrá ‘nook’, ‘corner’, ‘recess’.
WuChinese From Chinese 伍 (wǔ), an alternate form of 五 (wǔ) meaning "fifth".
WuChinese From Chinese 巫 (wū) meaning "shaman, doctor, witch", a short form of Wuma.
WyndScottish, Irish Scotland or Ireland not sure of original origin. There was a childe Wynd some type of royal who slayed a dragon type thing worm or something and a Henery Wynd who was a mercenary in a battle at north inch in Scotland
XiChinese From Chinese 习 (xí) referring to an ancient territory named Xi, which existed during the Zhou dynasty in the Qin state in what is now Shangxian County, Shaanxi province. A notable berarer is Xi Jinping (1953-), the current president of China.
XiChinese From Chinese 奚 (xī), possibly a short form of various Xianbei compound surnames such as Boxi (薄奚) or Daxi (达奚), which were changed to Xi after Han assimilation.
XiaChinese From Chinese 夏 (xià) referring to the Xia dynasty, the first dynasty in Chinese history that is believed to have existed from 2070 to 1600 BC. According to legend, this name was adopted by the descendants of Yu the Great (who was also known as Xia Yu), a legendary king who supposedly founded the Xia dynasty.
XiangChinese From Chinese 向 (xiàng) referring to the ancient state of Xiang, which existed during the Spring and Autumn period in what is now the Shandong province.
XiangChinese From Chinese 项 (xiàng) referring to the ancient state of Xiang, which existed during the Zhou dynasty in what is now Henan province.
YanChinese (Russified) Russified form of Yang used by ethnic Chinese living in parts of the former Soviet Union.
YanChinese From Chinese 严 (yán) referring to the ancient fief of Yan Jun (嚴君) that existed in what is now Sichuan province.
YanChinese From Chinese 阎 (yán) meaning "gate", also referring to a fief that existed in the ancient state of Jin in what is now Shanxi province.
YanChinese From Chinese 颜 (yán) meaning "face, countenance", also referring to the ancient fief of Yan that existed during the Western Zhou dynasty in what is now Shandong province.
YappEnglish From a nickname for a clever or cunning person, derived from Middle English yap "deceitful, shrewd", from Old English geap "crooked, bent, curved".
YashPolish (Americanized) Americanized form of Polish Jeż ‘hedgehog’ and possibly also of its Slovenian or other Slavic cognate Jež (see Jez).
YimKhmer Meaning uncertain, probably of Chinese origin.
YinChinese From Chinese 印 (yìn) meaning "stamp, seal".
YinChinese From Chinese 尹 (yǐn), a title for a ministerial position in ancient China. It may also refer to the ancient fief of Yin, which existed in what is now either Shanxi or Henan province.
YinChinese From Chinese 殷 (yīn) referring to the ancient city of Yin, which existed in what is now Henan province and served as the capital of the Shang dynasty (which reigned from 1600 to 1045 BC and was also called Yin).
YingChinese From Chinese 应 (yīng) referring to the ancient state of Ying, which existed during the Zhou dynasty in what is now Henan province.
YongChinese From Chinese 雍 (yōng) either referring the ancient state of Yong, located in what is now Henan province, or the ancient fief of Yong, which existed during the Shang dynasty in what is now Shaanxi province.
YueChinese From Chinese 岳 (yuè) referring to the ancient title Tai Yue (太岳), which was used by officials in charge of sacrificial rituals on mountain sites.
YuehTaiwanese Alternate romanization of Yue chiefly used in Taiwan.
YukKorean From Sino-Korean 陸 (yuk/ryuk) meaning "dry land; land".
ZahmMedieval German Zahm is a nickname from Middle High German Zam meaning "tame".
ZähneGerman The German surname Zähne is derived from the Middle High German word "zan," which means "tooth." It is believed that the surname takes its origin from a nickname, most likely bestowed on the original bearer due to either a prominent tooth or a missing tooth.
ŻakPolish A nickname given to youthful or studious people. Comes from the Polish żak, meaning "student" or "schoolboy". It originally meant "novice" or "candidate for the priesthood", and so in some cases it is perhaps a nickname for someone who had been destined for holy orders.
ZdunmPolish Means "stove maker" from Polish word zdun meaning "stove maker, stove mason".
ZeitzGerman From a town called Zeitz in Germany. Might be Germanized from Zajec.
ZhaChinese From Chinese 查 (zhā) referring to the ancient fief of Zha, which was part of the state of Qi during the Zhou dynasty in what is now Shandong province. Alternately it may come from the name of a fief that was part of the state of Chu during the Zhou dynasty in what is now Anhui province.
ZhaiChinese From Chinese 翟 (zhái) referring to the ancient state of Zhai, which existed during the Zhou dynasty in what is now Shanxi province. The character 翟 was originally read as Di but was later changed to Zhai due to dialectal differences.
ZhanChinese From Chinese 詹 (zhān) referring to the ancient state of Zhan, which existed during the Zhou dynasty (present-day location uncertain).
ZhanChinese From Chinese 展 (zhǎn) meaning "open, unfold, stretch, extend".
ZhangChinese From Chinese 章 (zhāng) referring to the ancient fiefdom of Zhang (spelled as 鄣), which existed in what is now Shandong province.
ZhongChinese From Chinese 钟 (zhōng) referring to the ancient fief of Zhong Li that existed in the state of Chu in what is now Anhui or Hubei province.
ZhuanChinese (Russified) Russified form of Ruan used by ethnic Chinese living in parts of the former Soviet Union.
ZhuangChinese From Chinese 莊 (zhuāng), the posthumous name of king Xiong Lü of the state of Chu (which existed during the Zhou dynasty).
ZhuoChinese From Chinese 卓 (zhuó) meaning "outstanding, lofty".
ZinnGerman From the German for word for tin "tin." The name indicated someone who worked with the metal. A famous bearer is Johann Gottfried Zinn, a German botanist. Carl Linnaeus named the flower Zinnia in his honor.
ZuoChinese From Chinese 左 (zuǒ) meaning "left, left-hand side".
ZwaanDutch Means "swan" in Dutch. Could be a nickname for a person who resembled a swan in some way, an occupational name for a swan keeper, or a patronymic derived from a given name containing the element swan... [more]
ZwackPolish Comes from the Polish name "Czwak." Possible German roots as well.
ZwartDutch Means "black, dark, swarthy" in Dutch, a nickname for someone with dark hair or skin.
ZweigGerman, Jewish Derived from Middle High German zwīg "branch bough twig graft" German zweig applied perhaps as a nickname for a new member in a family offspring or as an occupational name for a horticultural expert... [more]