CalviItalian Patronymic or plural form of Calvo. Habitational name from Calvi in Benevento province.
CamdenEnglish From a place name perhaps derived from Old English camp meaning "enclosure" and denu meaning "valley".
CamroseEnglish (Rare), Welsh (Rare) From the village of Camrose in Pembrokeshire, Wales. The surname itself is derived from Welsh cam meaning "crooked, bent", and rhos meaning "moor, heath."
CandyEnglish perhaps from Middle English candi "crystallized cane sugar" (via French from Persian qand "sugar") and used as a metonymic occupational name for a sugar merchant... [more]
CannockEnglish From from the town of Cannock in Staffordshire, England. The surname itself might be derived from Old English cnocc, meaning "hillock."
CanoyFilipino Possibly derived from Hokkien 橄欖孫 (ka-núi-sun) meaning "great-grandchild".
CapelleFrench, English, Dutch, Flemish French topographic name for someone living by a chapel, from a regional variant of chapelle "chapel" (compare Chapell 2), or a habitational name from any of several places named La Capelle... [more]
CapuaItalian From the name of a city in Campania, Italy, possibly derived from Etruscan 𐌂𐌀𐌐𐌄𐌅𐌀 (capeva) meaning "city of marshes", though this etymology is disputed.
CarbreyIrish Anglicized form of Irish Gaelic Ó Cairbre and Mac Cairbre meaning "descendant of Cairbre", a given name meaning "charioteer".
CarlinSwedish (Rare) Combination of the given name Karl, which is also a common place name prefix, and the common surname suffix -in (originally from Latin -inus "descendant of").
CarreyIrish Variant of Carey. A famous bearer is Canadian-American actor and comedian Jim Carrey (1962-).
CarriónSpanish It comes from the knight Alonso Carreño, who distinguished himself in the conquest of the town of Carrión de los Condes (Palencia), where he founded his solar house.
CartmellEnglish Denoted a person from Cartmel, a village in Cumbria, England (formerly in Lancashire). The place derives its name from the Cartmel Peninsula, which is composed of Old Norse kartr "rocky ground" and melr "sandbank, dune".
CastelFrench, English Topographic name from a derivative of Late Latin castellum "castle" (a diminutive of Latin castrum "fort Roman walled city") or a habitational name from any of several places called Le Castel... [more]
ÇatalTurkish Means "fork, prong, yoke" in Turkish.
CaterEnglish Comes from the English word "caterer".
CatesbyEnglish Derived from a civil parish with the same name, located in Northamptonshire, England. An infamous bearer was Robert Catesby (1572-1605), the leader of a group of English Catholics who attempted to assassinate King James VI and I in the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605.
CavillEnglish Derived from Cavil, a place located in the East Riding of Yorkshire in northern England, named from Old English ca meaning "jackdaw" and feld meaning "open country". It is borne by the British actor Henry Cavill (1983-).
CayenneFrench, English, Tupi Most likely from the city of Cayenne, French Guiana or from the name of the pepper, also known as Capsicum annuum which comes from the Tupi language, specifically the word kyynha, which meant "capsicum" or "hot pepper".
CeraSpanish, Italian, Catalan, Sicilian Metonymic occupational name for a wax seller, derived from Latin cera meaning "wax". A famous bearer of this surname is Canadian actor and musician Michael Cera (1988-).
CerdaSpanish, Portuguese Nickname for a person with a prominent tuft of hair, derived from Spanish and Portuguese cerda meaning "bristle, stiff, coarse, short, thick hair", ultimately from Late Latin cirra.
CerdàCatalan Denoted someone from Cerdanya (also called La Cerdanya), a natural and historical region of the eastern Pyrenees divided between France and Spain.
CeriseFrench, Italian Italian habitational name from La Cerise or Torrent-La Cerise placenames in Valle d'Aosta from French cerise "cherry"; and French occupational name from cerise "cherry" (from Latin cerasus) applied as a metonymic occupational name for someone who grew or sold cherries.
ÇerkezTurkish Means "Circassian" or "Adyghe" in Turkish, referring to an ethnic group native to the Caucasus.
CervaItalian Possibly derived from Italian cerva "doe, hind", the feminine form of cervo "deer, stag", or perhaps from the Latin cognomen Cervius, which likely also derives from Latin cervus "deer, stag".
CestareEnglish (American, Modern) There is a similar name, Sastre, which is the Spanish form of the surname Sarto, meaning "tailor." The name CESTARE is phonetically similar to Sastre and could be a derivative of that name.... [more]
CesurTurkish Means "bold, brave, courageous" in Turkish.
ChaikhamThai From Thai ไชย (chai) meaning "victory" and คำ (kham) meaning "gold" or "word, speech".
ChaissonFrench, English Variant of the French surname Chiasson originally denoting someone from the the municipality of Chiasso in Ticino, Switzerland, located along the Swiss/Italian border.... [more]
ChaisukThai From Thai ชัย or ไชย (chai) meaning "victory" and สุข (suk) meaning "joy, happiness".
ChaiwongThai From Thai ใจ (chai) meaning "heart, mind, spirit" or ไชย (chai) meaning "victory" and วงศ์ (wong) meaning "lineage, family, dynasty".
ChakmaBengali From the name of the Chakma people of Bangladesh, India and Myanmar, derived from Sanskrit शक्तिमान (shaktimana) meaning "powerful" (composed of शक्ति (shakti) meaning "power" and the suffix मत् (mana) meaning "as, like, having the qualities of").
ChaleunLao Means "flourish, prosper" or "much, many" in Lao.
ChalujBelarusian Derived from Belarusian халуй (chaluj), a derogatory word meaning "lackey, groveller".
ChamounArabic, Arabic (Maghrebi), Assyrian, Jewish French-influenced variant of Arabic شمعون (see Shamoun), mainly used in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and parts of North Africa. This name was borne by Lebanese president Camille Chamoun (1900-1987).
ChamplainFrench Name given to those who live in or around fields. Known barrer of the name is Samuel de Champlain who founded Quebec, Canada and after whom the lake is named.
ChapelFrench Occupational name for a maker of cloaks or a nickname for a person who wore a distinctive cloak, from a diminutive of Old French chape meaning "cape, cloak".
ChappellEnglish Name for someone who lived near a chapel, derived from Old French chapele meaning "chapel".
ChâtelainFrench from châtelain "lord (of the manor)" Old French chastelain (from Latin castellanus a derivative of castellum "castle") applied either as a status name for the governor or constable of a castle or as an ironic nickname.
ChaucerEnglish Occupational name for a hosier, derived from Old French chaucier, an agent derivative from chauce "stocking, hose". A famous bearer of the name was English author Geoffrey Chaucer (1343-1400), well known for writing the 'Canterbury Tales'.
ChaumontFrench Habitational name from any of numerous places called Chaumont "bald mountain" from the elements chalscaux "bald" and mont "mountain" (ultimately from Latin calvusmons) for example in Cher Orne Jura Haute-Savoie.
ChaunceyAmerican Of uncertain origin. Possibly from Norman French habitation names Chancé or an American adaptation of a German place name of Schanze located on the Upper Rhine. Could also be a short form of Chancellor.
CheyoTanzanian (Rare) Italian and Spanish variation of Elisha. "God is my salvation"
ChhetriNepali, Indian, Bengali Derived from Sanskrit क्षत्रिय (kṣatríya), the name of the Hindu social class consisting of warriors and rulers.
ChiassonFrench, English French surname originally denoting someone from the the municipality of Chiasso in Ticino, Switzerland, located along the Swiss/Italian border.... [more]
ChiesaItalian Means "church" in Italian, originally a topographic name for someone who lived near a church, a habitational name from any of various places named Chiesa or perhaps an occupational name for someone who worked in a church.
ChigurhLiterature, Popular Culture Meaning unknown. It is intended to be "ethnically ambiguous", but one theory suggests that it may be derived from the Spanish verb seguir meaning "to follow, to continue". This name was invented by the American author Cormac McCarthy for the villain in his novel No Country for Old Men (2005)... [more]
ChiltonEnglish, Irish habitational name from any of various places called Chilton for example in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, County Durham, Hampshire, Kent, Shropshire, Somerset, Suffolk, and Wiltshire... [more]
ChinenJapanese, Okinawan From 知 (chi) meaning "wisdom, knowledge" and 念 (nen) meaning "feeling, sense".
ChinjiJapanese (Rare) From Japanese 鎮寺 (Chinji), from 鎮寺門 (Chinjimon), a name of a group of several households in the Kadowari System that took place in the Edo Period in the former Japanese province of Satsuma in parts of present-day Kagoshima, Japan, as well as surrounding areas.
ChinoJapanese From Japanese 千 (chi) meaning "thousand" and 野 (no) meaning "field, wilderness".
ChronisGreek From a short form of Greek Polychronis. The word χρόνος (chrónos) itself means "time" in Greek.
ChryslerGerman, Jewish From a German name referring to spinning or related to a Yiddish word, krayzl meaning "spinning top." The name can refer to a potter who spun a wheel to make utensils or to a person with curly hair or someone known for being continually active... [more]
ChukhoCircassian (Russified) Derived from Adyghe цу (c°) meaning "ox, bull, buffalo" and шъхьэ (ŝḥă) meaning "head".
ChumaJapanese Possibly from 忠 (chuu, tada, tadashi) meaning "loyalty" and 馬 (ba, uma, -uma, ma) meaning "horse."
ÇillerTurkish Means "freckles" in Turkish, referring to a person with freckles on their face. A notable bearer was Turkey's first female prime minister, Tansu Çiller (1946-).
CimaItalian Means "mountain top, peak, summit" in Italian. Alternatively, it could derive from the medieval given name Cima.
ÇimenTurkish Means "grass, lawn, turf" in Turkish.
ÇınarTurkish Means "plane tree" in Turkish (genus Platanus), derived from Persian چنار (chenar).
CincoFilipino From a Hispanicised form of the Hokkien surname Go.
CiriaSpanish This indicates familial origin within the eponymous Castilian municipality.
ClaretCatalan Diminutive of clar meaning "clear, bright". This is the name of various towns in Catalonia. A famous bearer of this surname is Catalan saint and missionary Antonio María Claret (1807-1870).
ClaxtonEnglish From the names of any of several settlements in England, derived from either the personal name Clacc (from Old Norse Klakkr "bump, hillock") or the Old English word clacc "hill, peak" combined with tun "town, settlement".
ClaymanEnglish, Jewish (Ashkenazi) Anglicized form of Ashkenazic Jewish Kleimann or Kleiman, from German 'Klei' meaning "clay" and "mann" meaning "man".
ClaypoolEnglish Derived from Claypole, a village and civil parish in the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England, named from Old English cl?g meaning "clay" and pol meaning "pool".
ClevelandEnglish English regional name from the district around Middlesbrough named Cleveland ‘the land of the cliffs’, from the genitive plural (clifa) of Old English clif ‘bank’, ‘slope’ + land ‘land’... [more]
ClooneyEnglish, Irish (Anglicized) From Gaelic Ó Cluanaigh meaning "descendant of Cluanach". Cluanach was a given name derived from Irish clauna "deceitful, flattering, rogue".
ClydesdaleEnglish, Scottish From the name of a location in Lanarkshire, Scotland, meaning "Clyde’s valley", derived from the name of the river Clyde.
CochetFrench Either from cochet a diminutive of coq "rooster" used as a nickname for a vain conceited or womanizing individual... [more]
CockerEnglish, German (Anglicized) Originally a nickname for a bellicose person, from Middle English cock "to fight". Also an anglicized form of Köcher.
CodaItalian Means "tail" in Italian, from Latin cauda, probably referring to the bearer living on a long, narrow piece of land.
CoetseeAfrikaans Coetsee is a rare Afrikaans given name derived from a historically significant South African surname. Coetsee/Coetzee is a Dutch-influenced adaptation of the French Huguenot surname, Couché, which means "to lay down" or "to place." The name has occupational origins, referencing upholsterers, bedmakers, or those who crafted bedding, as well as scribes and record keepers... [more]
ColeyEnglish With variant Colley can mean "dark" or "blackbird" or it can be a nickname for Nicholas.
ColleyEnglish With variant Coley, can mean "dark" or "blackbird" or it can be a nickname for Nicholas. Colley was used as a surname for generations of students from the same family taught by a teacher over many years in James Hilton's sentimental novel "Goodbye, Mr... [more]
CollinSwedish Either a combination of an unknown first name element (possibly derived from a place name) and the common surname suffix -in, or a variant of German Colin.
CollisEnglish A variant of Collins 2, itself a patronymic of given names Collin or Colin, both ultimately nicknames for Nicholas.
ColonelAmerican From a French word for a military rank of an officer who led a column of regimental soldiers. Could be a nickname for someone with a military bearing or demeanor.
ColstonEnglish Colston means “Coal town settlement.” It is also a variant of Colton.
ComerEnglish Occupational name for a maker or seller of combs, or to someone who used them to prepare wool or flax for spinning, derived from Middle English combere, an agent derivative of Old English camb meaning "comb"... [more]
CondéFrench habitational name from any of several places in Normandy and Picardy called Condé a French form of the Gaulish condate "junction of rivers".
CongdonIrish, English A variant of Irish "Condon". In English usage: a habitational name from a lost or unidentified place; probably Devon or Cornwall, where the modern surname is most frequent.
CooterEnglish A Sussex, England surname of uncertain meaning. Could be a local pronunciation of Cotter, meaning "cottage dweller" for a serf in the feudal system allowed to live in a cottage in exchange for labor on the cottage owner's estate.
CopaItalian from the Italian word scopa which means “broom” or “heather”.
CorbieFrench From the name of a town in northern France, possibly derived from a given name originating with the Latin word corvus meaning "raven, crow". Alternatively, it could be a variant form of Corbeau.
CorbinEnglish, French Derived from French corbeau meaning "raven," originally denoting a person who had dark hair.
CorbyEnglish From the name of a town in Northamptonshire, England, derived from the Old Norse byname Kóri combined with býr "farm, settlement".
CorbynEnglish Variant of Corbin, notably borne by current Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn (1949-).
CordayFrench Either from the French word corde meaning "cord/rope/string", or from the Latin word cor meaning "heart." This was the surname of Charlotte Corday, the assassin who killed Jacobin leader Jean-Paul Marat during the French revolution.
CordellEnglish Means "maker of cord" or "seller of cord" in Middle English.
CordierFrench Given to someone who worked or made with cord and or strings from old French corde "string". French cognate of Corder.
CornetFrench, Walloon Either a topographic name for someone who lived on a street corner, from a derivative of corne "corner". From cornet, denoting either a rustic horn or an object made of horn, hence a metonymic occupational name for a hornblower or for a worker in horn... [more]
CorteSpanish, Catalan, Italian, Portuguese From corte "court", applied as an occupational name for someone who worked at a manorial court or a topographic name for someone who lived in or by one.
CossartEnglish, French From French, referring to "a dealer of horses" (related to the English word "courser"). This surname was brought to England in the wake of the Norman Conquest of 1066, and became one of the many Anglo-Norman words that made up Middle English.
CottrellEnglish, French First found in Derbyshire where the family "Cottrell" held a family seat and were granted lands by Duke William of Normandy, their liege lord for their distinguished assistance at the Battle of Hastings, 1066CE... [more]
CoudercOccitan From Occitan codèrc meaning "pasture, meadow, enclosure".
CouncilEnglish, German 1 English: nickname for a wise or thoughtful man, from Anglo-Norman French counseil ‘consultation’, ‘deliberation’, also ‘counsel’, ‘advice’ (Latin consilium, from consulere ‘to consult’)... [more]
CouricFrench Originally a nickname given to a short person, derived from Middle Breton corr, korr meaning "dwarf, midget". A well-known bearer of this surname is the American journalist, television host and author Katie Couric (1957-).
CousinEnglish, French Nickname derived from Middle English cousin and Old French cosin, cusin meaning "cousin".
CoutoPortuguese, Portuguese (Brazilian), Galician Habitational name for a person from any of the various places in Portugal containing Portuguese or Galician word couto "enclosed area of land". In some cases, the name may be topographic.
CraigheadScottish Habitational name for someone who lived in places of this name in Scotland.
CraigmileScottish Derived from Craigmyle, a place in the village of Kincardine O'Neil, in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It could also be an occupational name for a baker who made cracknel biscuits.
CranfordEnglish Habitational name from any of several places derived from Old English cran "crane (bird)" and ford "ford".
CremaItalian From the name of a city in Lombardy, Italy, derived from Lombardic (an Old Germanic language) krem "small hill".
CrépeauFrench Nickname for someone with curly hair from a derivative of Old French crespe "curly-haired" (from Latin crispus)... [more]
CroftonEnglish Derived from a place name meaning "town with a small enclosed field" in Old English.
CromwellEnglish Habitational name from a place called Cromwell in Nottinghamshire, derived from Old English crump "bent, crooked" and wille "well, stream". Famous bearers of the name were English statesman Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658), considered as one of the most important figures in British history, as well as his son, English statesman Richard Cromwell (1626-1712).
CronholmSwedish Ornamental name derived from Swedish krona (from Latin corona) meaning "crown" and holme (Old Norse holmr) meaning "small island".