NakaJapanese, Okinawan From Japanese 中 (naka) meaning "middle; center". It is a reference to an event in the Northern and Southern Courts Period, of 3 sons of Takase who became heroes for the south. The emperor of Japan awarded each of the sons a new surname; Oku for the eldest son, Naka for the middle son, and Kuchi for the youngest son.... [more]
NakaJapanese From Japanese 那珂 (Naka) meaning "Naka", a district in the former Japanese province of Hitachi in parts of present-day Ibaraki, Japan.
NakacheJudeo-Spanish From Arabic نقاش (naqqash) meaning "engraver, inscriber, sculptor".
NanjoJapanese From 南 (nan) meaning "south" and 條 (jo) meaning "section, article, clause".
NankeJapanese From 南 (nan, minami) meaning "south" and 家 (ke, ie) meaning "home, house residence".
NapsoCircassian (Russified) Means "whole-eyed", derived from Adyghe нэ (nă) meaning "eye" and псэу (psăw) "health, alive" or "whole, all, complete".
NaptsokCircassian Circassian name derived from Adyghe напцэ (nāpcă) meaning “eyelash, eyebrow”.
NaqqacheArabic (Mashriqi) Occupational name meaning "engraver, carver" in Arabic. It is usually found in Lebanon. A famous bearer was the Lebanese president and prime minister Alfred Naqqache (1888-1978), also called Alfred Naccache.
NaraJapanese This surname is used as 楢, 奈良 or 那良 with 楢 (shuu, yuu, nara) meaning "oak", 奈 (dai, na, nai, ikan, karanashi) meaning "Nara, what?", 那 (na, da, nani, nanzo, ikan) meaning "what?" and 良 (ryou, i.i, -i.i, yo.i, -yo.i, ra) meaning "good, pleasing, skilled."... [more]
NassauGerman, Dutch, Jewish From the name of the town of Nassau in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany (formerly the seat of an independent duchy in the 19th century), derived from Old High German naz meaning "damp, wet" and ouwa meaning "water meadow"... [more]
NatkhoCircassian Shapsug name possibly derived from Adyghe нат (nāt) meaning "Nart" (referring to a Caucasian saga) combined with хъо (χo) meaning "pig".
NeedhamEnglish From a place name derived from Old English ned meaning "need, constraint" and ham meaning "home, estate, settlement".
NeeskensDutch Nickname for a nosy person, from Dutch nees meaning "nose, snout". It could also be derived from a Dutch diminutive of the feminine given name Agnes... [more]
NegleyGerman (Swiss) Altered spelling of Swiss German Nägele, Naegeli, or Nägeli, variants of Nagel.
NegruRomanian Nickname or ethnic name from negru "black" (Latin niger), denoting someone with dark hair or a dark complexion.
NehruIndian, Hindi From Sanskrit नहर (nahar, nehar) meaning "canal". This name was borne by Jawaharlal Nehru (1889-1964), the first Prime Minister of India. His earliest recorded ancestor Raj Kaul adopted the name when, upon moving from Kashmir to Delhi, he was granted a jagir (feudal land grant) with a house situated on the banks of a canal... [more]
NeighborEnglish From the Middle English word neighbor, derived from neghebour, which in turn comes from the Old English words neah, meaning "near", and gebur, meaning "a dweller". This may have been used as a nickname for someone who was a 'good neighbor', more likely it evolved from the term of address for someone living nearby.
NeisserGerman German demonym of the town of Neisse (nowadays Nysa, in Poland), itself from the name of the river Neisse (Nysa) which runs through the city.
NejadPersian Means "lineage, race" in Persian (an archaic word), typically used as a suffix for compound surnames.
NejiJapanese (Rare) This surname is used as 子師, combining 子 (shi, su, tsu, ko, -ko, ne) meaning "child, sign of the rat (1st sign of Chinese zodiac)" with 師 (shi, su, nara.u, moromoro) meaning "army, exemplar, expert, master, model, teacher, war."
NestorIrish Derived from the surname Mac Girr an Adhastair (sometimes shortened to Mac an Aghastair), meaning "Short man of the halter." The Mac Girr an Adhastair were associated with the local lords, the Ó Lochlainn family.
NetleyEnglish Locative name from Netley Marsh in Eling (Hants), which is recorded as Nateleg in 1248. The place name derives from Old English næt "wet" + lēah "open woodland".
NeubertGerman Derived from the German word “neu,” meaning “new,” and the word “Bert,” which is a shortened form of the Germanic given name “Berthold,” meaning “bright ruler.” So, it means “new bright ruler”.
NeugerGerman, French (?) Was popularized by the German community. Famous bearers include investors Win Neuger and Dan Neuger, author Christie Cozad Neuger.
NeuserGerman (Rare) Person who had ancestors that lived in Germany near Dusseldorf in the town called Neuss.
NeveuFrench Relationship name from Old French neveu "nephew" also "grandson" used to distinguish the two bearers of the same personal name.
NewbyEnglish Means "person from Newby", Newby being a combination of the Middle English elements newe "new" and by "farm, settlement" (ultimately from Old Norse býr "farm"). British travel writer Eric Newby (1919-2006) bore this surname.
NeweyEnglish Topographic name for someone who lived at a "new enclosure", from Middle English newe "new" and haga "enclousire".
NewhouseEnglish Either a habitational name for someone who lived at a "new house" (from Middle English niwe "new" and hus "new house") or a habitational name from any of various minor places so called especially perhaps Newhouses in Horton Yorkshire near the border with Lancashire... [more]
NibeJapanese Variant transcription or reading of Japanese Kanji 新部 (see Niibe).
NichterGerman, Yiddish Possibly means "negator, negate" from Middle High German nicht meaning "not", or "sober", from Middle High German nüchter. Perhaps it originally denoted a person who was a philosopher, judge, or bartender.
NietzscheGerman, German (Silesian) Derived from a Silesian diminutive of the given name Nikolaus. A notable bearer was Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (1844-1900), a German philosopher.
NihonJapanese (Rare) Means "Japan" in Japanese, though originally from 日本 (nihon), a clipping of 日本晴れ (nihombare) meaning "no clouds in the sky". It is a reference to an event in the Edo Period, of a weather forecaster who was asked for the weather and answered 日本晴れ... [more]
NiibeJapanese From Japanese 新 (nii) meaning "new" and 部 (be) meaning "department, division; part".
NiidaJapanese From 新 (ni) meaning "new" or 仁 (ni) meaning "benevolence", combined with 井 (i) meaning "well", and 田 (da) meaning "field, rice paddy".
NiimiJapanese Nii means "new" and mi means "see, outlook, viewpoint".
NikbakhtPersian From Persian نیک (nik) meaning "good" and بخت (bakht) meaning "fortune, happiness".
NiknamPersian From Persian نیک (nik) meaning "good" and نام (nam) meaning "name".
NikpourPersian From Persian نیک (nik) meaning "good" and پور (pour) meaning "son, descendant".
NimitzGerman Derived from Russian немчин (nemchin) meaning "German", of Slavic origin. This surname was borne by Chester W. Nimitz (1885-1966), a fleet admiral of the United States Navy during World War II.
NobeJapanese From 野 (no) meaning "plain, field, wilderness" and 邊 (be) meaning "general area, place, vicinity".
NobelSwedish Habitational name from Östra Nöbbelöv in Scania, Southern Sweden. The name was originally spelled Nobelius but was later shortened to Nobel. A famous bearer was Alfred Nobel (1833-1896), a Swedish engineer, chemist, and inventor.
NōdaJapanese Variant of Osame but adding Japanese 田 (da), the joining form of 田 (ta) meaning "rice paddy, cultivated field", possibly referring to a place with rice paddies or cultivated fields.
NodaJapanese Combination of the kanji 野 (no, "area, field, hidden part of a structure; wild, rustic") and 田 (ta, "rice paddy, field"). A famous bearer of this surname is Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda (野田 佳彦; b. 1957).
NodaJapanese Variant reading or transcription of Japanese Kanji 納田 (see Nōda).
NoeMedieval English, Korean A patronymic form of the biblical male given name Noah from the Hebrew word "noach" meaning long-lived. Possible origins could be ... [more]
NokoJapanese From 野 (no) meaning "field, plain" and 古 (ko) meaning "old, antique, ancient".
NolteGerman From a short form of various medieval given names derived from Germanic given names ending with -n and wald meaning "rule", for example Arnold and Reinwald... [more]
NomiJapanese From the Japanese possessive particle 乃 (no) and 美 (mi) "beauty."
NoonanIrish Anglicized form of Irish Ó Nuanáin (from Irish Gaelic Ó hIonmhaineáin) meaning "descendant of Ionmhaineán", a diminutive of the given name Ionmhain "beloved, dear". ... [more]
NordahlNorwegian, Swedish The surname derives from a place name in Sunnmøre, Norway. Meaning from Old Norse norðr ''north'' and dalr ''dale'', ''valley''. In Sweden, this name is mostly ornamental, rather than habitaional.
NordénSwedish Combination of Swedish nord "north" and the common surname suffix -én.
NugentEnglish, Irish, French An English, Irish (of Norman origin) and French habitational surname derived from any of several places in northern France (such as Nogent-sur-Oise), From Latin novientum and apparently an altered form of a Gaulish name meaning "new settlement".
NuttallEnglish English: habitational name from some place named with Old English hnutu ‘nut’ + h(e)alh ‘nook’, ‘recess’. In some cases this may be Nuthall in Nottinghamshire, but the surname is common mainly in Lancashire, and a Lancashire origin is therefore more likely... [more]
NyblomSwedish Combination of Swedish ny "new" and blom "bloom".
OakdenEnglish A variant of Ogden, from a place name derived from Old English āc "oak" and denu "valley". Famous bearers include British diplomat Edward Oakden and English cricketer Patrick Oakden.
OaklandEnglish This surname is derived from Old English āc and land and it, obviously, means "oak land."
ŌbaJapanese From Japanese 大 (ō) meaning "big, great" and 場 (ba) meaning "place, situation, circumstances".
ObaJapanese Alternate transcription of Japanese 大場 (see Ōba).
OcakTurkish Means "stove, oven, furnace" in Turkish.
OcónSpanish This indicates familial origin within either the eponymous Riojan municipality or the Ocón de Villafranca neighborhood of the Castilian municipality of Villafranca Montes de Oca.
OdaJapanese From the Japanese 小 (o) "small," 尾 (o) "tail" or 織 (o) "fabric," "material," "cloth" and 田 (ta or da) "rice paddy" or 多 (ta or da) "many."... [more]
ŌeJapanese From Japanese 大 (ō) meaning "big, great" and 江 (e) meaning "bay, inlet".
OeJapanese O means "big, great" and e means "inlet, shore".
OeJapanese Alternate transcription of Japanese 大江 (see Ōe).
OechslinGerman (Swiss) South German (also Öchslein): from Middle High German ohse ‘ox’ + the diminutive suffix -lin. An occupational name for someone who tended cattle, or for a cattle dealer; or a nickname for a farmer who used oxen for plowing, or for someone perceived to resemble an ox.
OeffeltDutch Oeffelt is a village in the Dutch province of North Brabant, part of the Boxmeer municipality.
OestenGerman Possibly derived from a watercourse, e.g. the Oste, tributary of the Elbe.
ŌgaJapanese (Rare) This surname is used as 淡河, 王賀 or 相賀 with 淡 (tan, awa.i) meaning "faint, fleeting, pale, thin," 河 (ka, kawa) meaning "river," 王 (ou, -nou) meaning "king, magnate, rule," 相 (shou, sou, ai-, ou) meaning "aspect, councillor, each other, inter-, minister of state, mutual, phase, physiognomy, together" and 賀 (ga) meaning "congratulations, joy."... [more]
OkeyEnglish Location name meaning "lives near oak trees".
ŌkiJapanese From Japanese 大 (ō) meaning "big, great" and 木 (ki) meaning "tree, wood".
OkiJapanese Alternate transcription of Japanese 大木 (see Ōki).
OkiJapanese From Japanese 沖 (oki) meaning "open sea".
ÖksüzTurkish Means "orphan, motherless child" in Turkish.
OkuJapanese From Japanese 奥 (oku) meaning "inside; inner depths". It is a reference to an event in the Northern and Southern Courts Period, of 3 sons of Takase who became heroes for the south. The emperor of Japan awarded each of the sons a new surname; Oku for the eldest son, Naka for the middle son, and Kuchi for the youngest son.... [more]
OkuJapanese From Japanese 奥 (oku) meaning "inside, interior".
OlinEnglish Etymology uncertain, possibly derived from the Swedish surname Olander.
OlinSwedish Combination of the unexplained element o-/oh- and the common surname suffix -lin. A notable bearer is Swedish actress Lena Olin (b. 1955).
OlmertJewish Possibly from a Germanic given name of uncertain meaning. It could be derived from the Old High German elements ol meaning "ancestor" and mert, a diminutive of merida meaning "fame" or "bright"... [more]
ÖlmezTurkish Means "immortal, undying, eternal" in Turkish.
OmtzigtDutch Derived from Dutch omzicht meaning "cautious, careful, circumspection", ultimately from the verb omzien meaning "to look around". It may have originated in a Dutch village with several farms named Omzicht, or as a nickname for a cautious person... [more]
ÖncüTurkish Means "innovator, pioneer, trailblazer" in Turkish.
OndaJapanese From Japanese 恩 (on) meaning "obligation" and 田 (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".
OphirHebrew From the given name Ophir. Ophir (or Ofir) is originally a biblical place name. In the days of KingSolomon, Ophir was metioned as the name of a land, full of abudant natural treasures such as gold, silver, etc.
OpstadNorwegian Norwegian: habitational name from any of ten farmsteads in southeastern Norway named Olstad, from a contracted form of Old Norse Ólafsstaðir, from the personal name Ólaf + staðir, plural of staðr ‘farmstead’, ‘dwelling’.
OrleansFrench From Orléans, a city in France sieged by the English in 1429. Orléans is derived from Aurelianum, meaning "of Aurelius" in Latin.
OrleyEnglish Habitational name from Orleigh, possibly meaning "Ordwulf’s clearing", functionally from ort "point" and leah "woodland, clearing"... [more]
OrtmanGerman The surname Ortman was first found in Silesia, where the name emerged after the 14th century, where it was related to the name "Ertmar"; this name is also reflected in the place name Erdmannsdorf, found in both Saxony and Silesia... [more]
OuyangChinese From Chinese 歐 (ōu) referring to Mount Sheng in present-day Huzhou, China, combined with 陽 (yáng) meaning "southern face (of a mountain)". The name supposedly originated with a prince of the Yue state that settled in the area surrounding the mountain... [more]