GreinerUpper German, German (Swiss) Nickname for a quarrelsome or cantankerous person, derived from Middle High German grīner meaning "squabbler, quarreler" (ultimately an agent derivative of grīn meaning "loud, cry, screaming, shouting")... [more]
GrenardFrench, Walloon, English (British) Some characteristic forenames: French Andre, Henri, Armand, Emile, Jacques, Marielle, Michel, Monique, Olivier, Pierre, Remi, Serge.... [more]
GreshamEnglish From a place name meaning "grazing homestead" in Old English.
GresleyEnglish From the name of either of two villages in Derbyshire, derived from Old English greosn "gravel" and leah "woodland clearing, glade".
GrieserUpper German topographic name for someone living on a sandy site, from Middle High German griez ‘sand’ + -er suffix denoting an inhabitant.
GrimkéGerman (Americanized) Americanised form of the German surname Grimk or Grimke with French inspiration. This was the name of a prominent American family of abolitionists.
GrindstaffGerman (Anglicized) Americanized form of German Frenzhof or Grenzhof, a place near Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg or Granzow, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in Germany.
GrinerGerman (Anglicized), Jewish Americanised form of German Greiner. It could also denote a person who came from various German places called Grüna or Grünau. In Jewish, it is a topographic name for someone who lived in a green of leafy area, derived from Yiddish grin meaning "green" or Middle High German gruene meaning "greenery".
GrobglasJewish Perhaps an ornamental name derived from Yiddish גראָב (grob) meaning "crude, coarse, rough" and גלאז (glaz) meaning "glass". Israeli actress Yael Grobglas (1984-) bears this surname.
GrullonDominican, Mexican, French Possibly from a derivative of Spanish grulla "crane (bird)" presumably applied as a nickname for tall thin person; in Mexico however grulla denotes a crafty person
GrundinSwedish Combination of Swedish grund "shallow (water)" and the surname suffix -in.
GucciItalian Patronymic or plural form of the given name Guccio, a late medieval Italian diminutive of various names ending in go, such as Arrigo (via Arriguccio) or Ugo (via Uguccio)... [more]
GuchetlAdyghe (Russified) From Circassian гъукӏэ (ġ°č̣̍ă) meaning "blacksmith" and лӏы (ḷə) meaning "man".
GuernseyEnglish Denoted someone who lived in Guernsey, an island in the Channel Islands, derived from Old Norse Grani and ey "island"... [more]
GuéroultFrench Old French form of an uncertain Ancient Germanic given name, possibly composed of Old Germanic warōną "to watch, protect, guard", gredaz "desire, hunger" or gernaz "eager, willing", or Old High German ger "spear" combined with either wolf "wolf" or walt "power, authority".
GuertinFrench A French surname that evolved from the Old Germanic given name Warin meaning "to guard" or "protection". This surname was often given as an occupational name for a guard, or someone who served as a protector in their community.
GuettaJudeo-Spanish Meaning uncertain, possibly from the name of a tribe from northwestern Libya or from the name of the town of Huete in Cuenca province, Spain.
GuezJudeo-Spanish Either derived from Hebrew גָּזַז (gazaz) meaning "to shear, to cut (hair)" or Arabic قزاز (qazzaz) meaning "silk merchant, sericulturist".
GuitryFrench Derived from the given name Witeric. A famous bearer of this name was Sacha Guitry (1885-1957), a French actor, playwright, screenwriter and director.
Guivarc'hBreton Guivarc'h means 'swift stallion' in the Breton language.
GullitDutch, Dutch (Surinamese) Possibly derived from Old Dutch golt meaning "gold", most likely referring to a person who worked with gold. The former Dutch soccer player Ruud Gullit (1962-; birth name Rudi Dil) is a famous bearer of this name.
GüllüTurkish Means "(made) with roses" in Turkish.
GuloIndonesian, Nias From the Nias clan name Gulö, possibly derived from the name of the clan's ancestor, Kulo Ana'a.
GummaJapanese (Rare) From Japanese 群馬 (Gumma) meaning "Gumma", a former district in the former Japanese province of Kōzuke in present-day Gumma, Japan.... [more]
GurneyEnglish, French, Norman Originated from the region Normandy in France, is also a biospheric name from Gournay-en-Bray, a commune in France. It is also a fictional character's maiden name, Jacqueline "Jackie" Bouvier from the animated sitcom show, The Simpsons.
GürsoyTurkish From Turkish gür meaning "bushy, strong" or "thunder" and soy meaning "ancestry, descent, family".
HabashArabic Derived from Arabic حبش (ḥabash) meaning "Abyssinian", originally indicating a person who came from Abyssinia, a historical region that is nowadays split between Ethiopia and Eritrea. This surname is more common among Muslims and Christians in the Arab world... [more]
HabsburgGerman This surname may have been used by someone whose descendants originated from the House of Habsburg, which was one of the most important royal houses in Europe. It is assumed that the surname is derived from High German Habichtsburg meaning "hawk castle," but some historians and linguists believe that it may actually be derived from Middle High German hab/hap meaning "ford", as there is a river with a ford nearby.
HabuJapanese From 羽 (ha) meaning "feather, plume" and 生 (bu) meaning "life, living".
HackneyEnglish, Scottish Habitational name from Hackney in Greater London, named from an Old English personal name Haca (genitive Hacan) combined with ēg "island, dry ground in marshland".
HackneyEnglish, Scottish From Middle English hakenei (Old French haquenée), an ambling horse, especially one considered suitable for women to ride; perhaps therefore a metonymic occupational name for a stablehand... [more]
HaddockEnglish Haddock is a surname of English. It may refer to many people. It may come from the medieval word Ædduc, a diminutive of Æddi, a short form of various compound names including the root ēad, meaning prosperity or fortune... [more]
HaddonEnglish Derived from the Old English word had meaning "heathland" and the Old English suffix -don meaning "hill"; hence, the "heathland hill" or the "heather-covered hill".... [more]
HagaJapanese From Japanese 芳 (ha) meaning "fragrant, aroma, reputable, satisfactory" and 賀 (ka) meaning "congratulate, greet, celebrate". It's mostly in the northeastern Japan and may come from the place name in Tochigi Prefecture.
HagenGerman, Dutch, Danish from the ancient Germanic personal name Hagen a short form of various compound names formed with hag "enclosure protected place" as the first element... [more]
HäggkvistSwedish Combination of Swedish hägg "bird cherry" (a type of tree native to Sweden) and kvist "twig".
HägglundSwedish Combination of Swedish hägg "bird cherry" (a type of tree native to Sweden) and lund "grove".
HäggströmSwedish Combination of Swedish hägg "bird cherry" and ström "stream, small river".
HallaDanish Derived from the Old Norse HALLR, which means 'flat stone, rock' or 'sloping, leaning to one side'... [more]
HallamEnglish Habitational name from Halam (Nottinghamshire) or from Kirk or West Hallam (Derbyshire) all named with the Old English dative plural halum "(at the) nooks or corners of land" (from Old English halh "nook recess"; see Hale)... [more]
HallasGreek Possibly derived from Albanian hala "yet, still", a nickname for a slow or lazy person. Alternatively, it could be related to Greek χαλάω (chaláo) "to break, spoil, ruin", descended from Ancient Greek χαλάω (khaláo) "to become loose, slack; to open, be open".
HallénSwedish Combination of Swedish hall "hall" or häll "rock, stone" and the common surname -én.
HallgrenSwedish, English Combination of the dialectal Swedish word hall (Standard Swedish häll, Old Norse hallr), a type of flat rock, and gren meaning "branch". The first element may be taken from the name of a place named with this element (e.g. Halland, Hallsberg, or Hallstavik)... [more]
HallströmSwedish Combination of Swedish hall "hall, stone, rock" and ström "stream, small river".
HalpernJewish Habitational name for someone originally from the city of Heilbronn in Germany, derived from Old High German heil meaning "whole" or "holy" combined with brunno meaning "well".
HamelFrench topographic name for someone who lived and worked at an outlying farm dependent on the main village Old French hamel (a diminutive from an ancient Germanic element cognate with Old English ham "homestead"); or a habitational name from (Le) Hamel the name of several places in the northern part of France named with this word.
HamerEnglish, German From the town of Hamer in Lancashire from the old english word Hamor combining "Rock" and "Crag". It is also used in Germany and other places in Europe, possibly meaning a maker of Hammers.
HampshireEnglish Originally indicated a person from the county of Hampshire in England (recorded in the Domesday Book as Hantescire), derived from Old English ham meaning "water meadow, enclosure" and scir meaning "shire, district"... [more]
HanleyIrish Means “descendant of Áinle.” Derived from “O’Hanley,” an anglicized form of “Ó hÁinle,” ultimately from Gaelic “ainle” meaning “beauty, grace.”
HappyEnglish, Scottish From a nickname for a fortunate person, derived from Middle English happy "fortunate, prosperous, blessed". In some cases, an Anglicized calque of any of the surnames meaning "happy, fortunate" (i.e., French L'Heureux or German Glück).
HarbinEnglish This surname is of Anglo-Saxon origins, and is derived from the personal names Rabin, Robin, and Robert. It has the English prefix 'har', which means gray.... [more]
HarcusScottish Orcadian form of Harcase, a habitational name originating from Berwickshire, Scotland.
HarmaFinnish, Estonian Anglicized form of either Härma or Haarma. The former is a toponymic surname referring to several places in Estonia and Finland, probably derived from the given name Herman... [more]
HarwoodEnglish, Scots Habitation name found especially along the border areas of England and Scotland, from the Old English elements har meaning "gray" or hara referring to the animals called "hares" plus wudu for "wood"... [more]
HashiJapanese (Rare, Archaic) Alternative spelling of Old Japanese "波斯" (Hashi) meaning "Persia", ultimately from Middle Chinese "波斯" (Puɑ siᴇ), from Old Persian 𐎱𐎠𐎼𐎿 (Pārsa).... [more]
HashiJapanese (Rare, Archaic) From Old Japanese "破斯" (Hashi), an alternative spelling of Old Japanese "波斯" (Hashi) meaning "Persia", from Middle Chinese "波斯" (Puɑ siᴇ), ultimately from Old Persian "𐎱𐎠𐎼𐎿" (Pārsa).... [more]
HässliGerman (Swiss), French (Rare) Swiss German diminutive form of Haas. This is a French surname via Alsace-Lorraine. A notable bearer is French footballer (soccer player) Eric Hassli (1981-).
HatsuJapanese (Rare) From Japanese 初 (hatsu) meaning "first, start, beginning, initial, new". Notable bearers of this surname is Akiko Hatsu (Japanese manga artist) and a bearer of the first name form is Hatsu Hioki (Japanese wrestler).
HattaJapanese From Japanese 八 (hatsu) meaning "eight" and 田 (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy". Hatsuta or Hatta is the name of various places in Japan.
HawleyEnglish From the place name Hawley, specifically from the former settlement in Yorkshire from Old Norse haugr meaning "hill" and Old English leah meaning "woodland".
HazbounArabic From the name of the ancient Biblical town of Heshbon located in present-day Jordan.
HeadleeEnglish (Rare) The Anglo-Saxon name Headlee comes from when the family resided in one of a variety of similarly-named places. Headley in Hampshire is the oldest. The surname Headlee belongs to the large category of Anglo-Saxon habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.
HealyIrish Southern Irish: reduced form of O’Healy, an Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó hÉilidhe ‘descendant of the claimant’, from éilidhe ‘claimant’, or of Gaelic Ó hÉalaighthe ‘descendant of Éaladhach’, a personal name probably from ealadhach ‘ingenious’.
HeaphyIrish From Irish Gaelic Ó hÉamhthaigh meaning "descendant of Éamhthach", the given name Éamhthach meaning "swift" in Gaelic.
HeatherEnglish Topographic name, a variant of Heath with the addition of the habitational suffix -er. This surname is widespread in southern England, and also well established in Ireland.
HedbergSwedish Combination of Swedish hed "heath, moor" and berg "mountain".
HedénSwedish Combination of Swedish hed "heath, moor" and the common surname suffix -én.
HedinSwedish Combination of Swedish hed "heath, moor" and the common surname suffix -in.
HedströmSwedish Combination of Swedish hed "heath, moor" and ström "stream, river".
HeemskerkDutch From the name of a small town in the province of North Holland in the Netherlands, possibly derived from the personal name Hemezen (itself possibly a diminutive form of the element heim) combined with kirke "church".
HeenanOld Irish Thought to be a nickname or metonymic, and to owe its derivation from the early Gaelic word ean meaning a "bird". The derivation is from the ancient name O'hEeanchain, which loosely translates as The descendant of the son of the Bird.
HeilprinJewish From the Yiddish name for Heilbronn, Germany.
HeimburgGerman German for "home". Originates in the German village of Heimburg (not to be confused with Hamburg) and the nearby castle of the same name.
HelianChinese (Rare) Chinese transcription of 祁連 (qílián), a Xiongnu word meaning "sky".
HelleFinnish Means "hot weather, swelter" in Finnish, mostly adopted in the 20th century to replace Swedish names beginning with Hell- or Häll-.
HellerGerman Nickname from the small medieval coin known as the häller or heller, named for the city it was first minted (in 1208) at, Hall am Kocher (currently called Schwäbisch Hall).
HellgrenSwedish Combination of Swedish häll "flat rock" and gren "branch".
HelmEnglish, Dutch, German Either from Old English helm "protection covering" (in later northern English dialects "cattle shelter barn"). The name may be topographic for someone who lived by or worked at a barn or habitational from a place so named such as Helme in Meltham (Yorkshire)... [more]
HeringhSlovak Heringh, no history known, people having these surnames in Slovakia belong to the same family, very untypical for this region - Slovakia in the middle of Europe.
HerodEnglish Usually a variant of Herald but Occasionally the name may have been used as a nickname in allusion to the Biblical King Herod played as a bragging tyrant in medieval mystery plays or for someone who had an overbearing temper but evidence to support this possibility is lacking.
HerrmanGerman Herrman is of ancient German origin. It is derived from a Germanic personal name made up of the elements heri meaning "army," and man meaning "man." Herrman was first found in Prussia, where the name emerged in medieval times as one of the notable families of the region.