American Submitted Surnames

American names are used in the United States. See also about American names.
usage
Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
Hinshelwood Scottish, English
Denoted a person from a lost place called Henshilwood near the village of Carnwath on the southern edge of the Pentland Hills of South Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is derived from Scots hainchil obscurely meaning "haunch" and Old English wudu meaning "wood"... [more]
Hinton English (Archaic)
Comes from Old English heah meaning "high" and tun meaning "enclosure" or "settlement." A notable person with the surname is female author S.E Hinton.
Hiott English (American)
Possibly a variant form of Hyatt.
Hipkin English
English name meaning relative of Herbert
Hipkins English
Patronymic surname from the nickname "Hib" or "Hibkin" for Hilbert (see Hibbert).
Hirst English
Variant of Hurst
Hirt German, English (Anglicized), Czech, Polish
From German Hirte meaning "shepherd".
Hisaw English
Of uncertain origin and meaning.
Hiscock English
From Hick, a Middle English pet form of Richard, with the diminutive suffix -cok.
Hitch English
Variant form of Hick, from the medieval given name Hitch.
Hitchens English
The name Hitchens has a rich and ancient history. It is an Anglo-Saxon name that was originally derived from the baptismal name Richard. As the naming tradition grew in Europe baptismal names began to be introduced in many countries.
Hitchins English
Comes from the town Hitchin
Hix English
Variant of Hicks
Hoadley English
Habitational name from East or West Hoathly in Sussex, so named from Old English hað / Middle English hoath "heath" + leah "wood, clearing".
Hoagland American
American form of Scandinavian topographical surnames, such as Swedish Högland or Norwegian Haugland, both essentially meaning "high land".
Hoar English
Nickname meaning gray haired.
Hoare English
From a nickname meaning "gray-haired", ie. "hoary".
Hobart English
Variant of Hubert via Hubbard.
Hockenhull English
This indicates familial origin within the eponymous neighborhood of Tarvin, Cheshire West and Chester.
Hodder English
Occupational name for a maker or seller of hoods, from a Middle English agent derivative of Old English hod
Hodge English
From the given name Hodge, a medieval diminutive of Roger.
Hodge English
Nickname from Middle English hodge "hog", which occurs as a dialect variant of hogge, for example in Cheshire place names.
Hodgkinson English
Means "son of Hodge".
Hodnett English
Derived from an English village named "hodnet".
Hodsen English
Variant of Hodson.
Hodson English
Hodson is a very interesting surname in that it has multiple origins, depending on the Hodson lineage in question. ... [more]
Hoe English
Topographic name for someone who lived by a spur of a hill.
Hoerman English, German
Variant of Herman. Variant of Hörmann.
Hogg English
An occupational name for someone who herded swine.
Hoggatt English
A name for someone who worked as a keeper of cattle and pigs.
Hoit English
A variant of Hoyt.
Holbrook English, German (Anglicized)
English: habitational name from any of various places, for example in Derbyshire, Dorset, and Suffolk, so called from Old English hol ‘hollow’, ‘sunken’ + broc ‘stream’. ... [more]
Holcomb English
Habitational name from any of various places, for example in Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Greater Manchester, Oxfordshire, and Somerset, so named from Old English hol meaning "hollow", "sunken", "deep" + cumb meaning "valley".
Holder German, Jewish, English
1. German: topographic name for someone who lived by an elder tree. Middle High German holder, or from a house named for its sign of an elder tree. In same areas, for example Alsace, the elder tree was believed to be the protector of a house... [more]
Hole English
Topographic name for someone who lived by a depression or low-lying spot, from Old English holh "hole, hollow, depression".
Holiday English
Variation of Holladay.
Holl English
Variant of Hole.
Holladay English
English: from Old English haligdæg ‘holy day’, ‘religious festival’. The reasons why this word should have become a surname are not clear; probably it was used as a byname for one born on a religious festival day.
Hollander German, English, Jewish, Dutch, Swedish
Regional name for someone from Holland 1.
Holley English
English (chiefly Yorkshire) topographic name from Middle English holing, holi(e) ‘holly tree’. Compare Hollen.
Hollier English, French
Occupational name for a male brothel keeper, from a dissimilated variant of Old French horier "pimp", which was the agent noun of hore "whore, prostitute". Hollier was probably also used as an abusive nickname in Middle English and Old French.... [more]
Hollifield English
habitational name from a minor place called as "the holy field" (Old English holegn "holy" and feld "open country") perhaps Holyfield in Waltham Holy Cross (Essex) or less likely for linguistic reasons Hellifield (Yorkshire).
Holliman English
Possibly means "holly man"
Holling English
Location name for someone who lived near holly trees.
Hollinger English, Northern Irish, Scottish
Topographical name from Middle English holin 'holly' + the suffix -er denoting an inhabitant.
Hollingshead English
Habitational name from a lost place in County Durham called Hollingside or Holmside, from Old English hole(g)n "holly" and sīde "hillside, slope"; there is a Hollingside Lane on the southern outskirts of Durham city... [more]
Hollingworth English
Habitational name for a person from the village in Greater Manchester and other villages as such, all derived from Old English holen "holly" and worþ "enclosure". Leta Stetter Hollingworth (1886-1939) was an American psychologist, educator, and feminist.
Hollis English
Topographic name for someone who lived where holly trees grew.
Hollister English
English: occupational name for a brothelkeeper; originally a feminine form of Hollier.
Hollobone English
Common surname in the southeast England, predominantly Sussex
Hollow English
Variant of Hole.
Hollowell English
Either a variant of Halliwell or derived from another place named with Old English hol "hollow" and wella "spring, well".
Hollywood English
Habitational name from any of various farms or hamlets in England called Hollywood such as one in Sandon and Burston (Staffordshire) perhaps named with Middle English holegn "holly" and wudu "wood".
Holman English
Uncertain etymology. Could be a topographic name derived from Old English holh "hollow, hole" or holm, which can mean either "holly" or "small island" (see Holme), combined with man "man, person"... [more]
Holter English, German, Norwegian
Derived from English holt meaning "small wood". A topographic name for someone who lived near a small wooden area, as well as a habitational name from a place named with that element.
Holyfield English, Scottish
Although the Scottish surname is known to derive from the Medieval Latin word "olifantus," meaning "elephant," its origins as a surname are quite uncertain. ... He was one of the many Anglo-Norman nobles that were invited northward by the early Norman kings of Scotland.
Holyoak English
Habitational name from Holy Oakes (Leicestershire) or else a topographic name from residence near a "holy oak" (or "gospel oak") from Middle English holy "holy" and oke "oak" (from Old English halig and ac).
Homan English
Variant of Human.
Home English, Scottish
English and Scottish variant spelling of Holme.
Honeyball English
From Honeyball, a medieval personal name of uncertain origin: perhaps an alteration of Annabel, or alternatively from a Germanic compound name meaning literally "bear-cub brave" (i.e. deriving from the elements hun "warrior, bear cub" and bald "bold, brave").
Hood English, Scottish, Irish
English and Scottish: metonymic occupational name for a maker of hoods or a nickname for someone who wore a distinctive hood, from Middle English hod(de), hood, hud ‘hood’. Some early examples with prepositions seem to be topographic names, referring to a place where there was a hood-shaped hill or a natural shelter or overhang, providing protection from the elements... [more]
Hook English
This surname is derived from a geographical locality. "at the hook," from residence in the bend or sudden turn of a lane or valley.
Hookham English
This surname may derive from Old English hóc meaning "hook, angle" and hám meaning "village, hamlet, dwelling."
Hopkinson English
Means "son of Hopkin"
Hore English
Variant of Hoare.
Hornby English
A habitational name from locations called Hornby in northern England, though predominantly associated with Lancashire. Derived from the Norse horni meaning "horn" and býr meaning "farm" or "settlement".
Horner English
1 English, Scottish, German, and Dutch: from Horn 1 with the agent suffix -er; an occupational name for someone who made or sold small articles made of horn, a metonymic occupational name for someone who played a musical instrument made from the horn of an animal, or a topographic name for someone who lived at a ‘horn’ of land.... [more]
Hornsby English
A habitational name from Cumbria, derived from the Norse Ormr meaning "serpent" and býr meaning "farm". Similar in form to Hornby, Hornsby is a widespread surname in northern England.
Hornton English (Rare, Archaic)
Derived from the surname Horton or perhaps used to describe a horn maker meaning “maker of horns.”
Horsley English
Old English hors ‘horse’ + lēah ‘woodland clearing’... [more]
Horvitz English (American)
Surname of Richard Steven Horvitz, a voice actor in Angry Beavers, The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, and Invader Zim.
Hoseason English
Means "son of Hosea", a personal name that was originally probably Osie, a pet-form of Oswald, but came to be associated with the biblical personal name Hosea.
Hoseason English
The roots of the Hoseason family name are in ancient Scotland with the Viking settlers. Hoseason was derived from the name Aassi, which is a Old Norse form of the Old English personal name Oswald, which means divine power... [more]
Hoseason English
The roots of the Hoseason family name are in ancient Scotland with the Viking settlers. Hoseason was derived from the name Aassi, which is a Old Norse form of the Old English personal name Oswald, which means divine power... [more]
Hoskin English
From the Middle English personal name Osekin.
Hoskins English
Patronymic form of Hoskin.
Hoskinson English
Patronymic form of Hoskin.
Hosmer English
From the Old English name Osmaer, a combination of the Old English elements oss, meaning "god", and maer, meaning "fame".
Hotchkiss English
Patronymic from Hodgkin, a pet form of Hodge.
Hotchner Scottish, English
An occupational surname for a person who drove cattle.
Hough English
English: habitational name from any of various places, for example in Cheshire and Derbyshire, so named from Old English hoh ‘spur of a hill’ (literally ‘heel’). This widespread surname is especially common in Lancashire... [more]
Houghton English
English habitational name from any of the various places so called. The majority, with examples in at least fourteen counties, get the name from Old English hoh ‘ridge’, ‘spur’ (literally ‘heel’) + tun ‘enclosure’, ‘settlement’... [more]
Householter English (American, Rare)
Americanized form of the German surname Haushalter.
Houseman English
Referred to a man who lived or worked in a house, as opposed to a smaller hut (see House). Famous bearers of this name include Romanian-British-American actor John Houseman (1902-1988; real name Jacques Haussmann), Argentine soccer player René Houseman (1953-2018) and Canadian actor Tyson Houseman (1990-).
Houser English
Variant of House.
Hovenden English, Irish
Variant of Ovenden a habitational name perhaps derived from Ovingdean (Sussex) or Ovenden (Yorkshire)... [more]
Howardson English
Means "Son of Howard".
Howarth English
"From a hedged estate", from Old English haga ("hedge, haw") and worð ("farm, estate"). Likely originating from the Yorkshire village of the same name. Common in Lancashire and recorded from at least 1518, as Howorthe, with an earlier version of Hauewrth in Gouerton dated 1317 recorded in the Neubotle charters.
Howcroft English
Means "enclosed field on a hill". Derived from the words haugr "hill", of Norse origin, and croft "enclosed field"
Howdyshell American, German
Americanized (i.e., Anglicized) form of the Swiss German Haudenschild, which originated as a nickname for a ferocious soldier, literally meaning "hack the shield" from Middle High German houwen "to chop or hack" (imperative houw) combined with den (accusative form of the definite article) and schilt "shield".
Howlett English
The name Howlett was brought to England in the great wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. It comes from the Norman personal name Hugh. Howlett was a baptismal name which means the son of Hugh... [more]
Howley English, Irish
English habitational name from Howley in Warrington (Lancashire) or Howley in Morley (Yorkshire). The Lancashire name also appears as Hooley and Wholey while the Yorkshire placename comes from Old English hofe "ground ivy... [more]
Hoxie English
They were first found in the settlement of Hawkshaw in the county of Lancashire. The surname Hoxie belongs to the large category of Anglo-Saxon habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.
Hoy English
Metonymic occupational name for a sailor, from Middle Dutch hoey "cargo ship".
Hoyland English, Norwegian
English (South Yorkshire): habitational name from any of various places in South Yorkshire named with Old English hoh ‘hill spur’ + land ‘(cultivated) land’. ... [more]
Hoyle Welsh, English
Derived from Old English holh meaning "hole". It is thought to have originally been a name for someone who lived in a round hollow or near a pit.
Hoyt English
Generally a topographical name for someone who lived on a hill or other high ground. As such Hoyt is related to words such as heights or high. Hoyt is also possibly a nickname for a tall, thin person where the original meaning is said to be "long stick".
Hubble English
From the Norman personal name Hubald, composed of the Germanic elements hug "heart, mind, spirit" and bald "bold, brave".
Huck English
From the medieval personal name Hucke, which was probably descended from the Old English personal name Ucca or Hucca, perhaps a shortened form of Uhtræd influenced by a medieval form of Hugh... [more]
Huckabee English
This surname originated as a habitational name, derived from Huccaby in Devon, England; this place name is derived from two Old English elements: the first, woh, meaning "crooked"; the second, byge, meaning "river bend".... [more]
Huckaby English
Means "person from Huccaby", Devon (perhaps "crooked river-bend"), or "person from Uckerby", Yorkshire ("Úkyrri's or Útkári's farmstead").
Hucke English
Variant of Huck
Huckle English
English surname
Huckleberry English
From the name of the variety of shrubs (genus Vaccinium) or the berries that grow on them. This is also the anglicized form of the German surname Hackelberg.
Huddlestun English
Variant spelling of Huddleston.
Hudkins English
Means "son of Hudkin"
Hudspeth English
English (northeastern counties): unexplained. Compare Hedgepeth.
Huet English, French
From the nickname from given name Hugh, Hugues, Hugo or Hubert.
Huff English (Rare)
Short form of Humphrey. It is almost exclusively used as short for the surname, not for the first name.
Huffington English
Means "Uffa's town". A famous bearer is Arianna Huffington, born Αριάδνη-Άννα Στασινοπούλου
Hughson Scottish, English
Means "son of Hugh".
Hulbert English
1 English and German: from a Germanic personal name, Holbert, Hulbert, composed of the elements hold, huld ‘friendly’, ‘gracious’ + berht ‘bright’, ‘famous’.... [more]
Hulke English
a nickname for a person who literally "towed" ships and barges
Huller English
Topographical name for a 'dweller by a hill', deriving from the Old English pre 7th Century 'hyll' a hill, or in this instance 'atte hulle', at the hill.
Human English, South African, Dutch
Means "Hugh’s man", an occupational name for a servant of a man named Hugh. Alternatively, from the given name Hugheman.
Humble English
Nickname for a meek or lowly person, from Middle English, Old French (h)umble (Latin humilis "lowly", a derivative of humus "ground").
Hummer German, English
Hummer is the German word for 'Lobster' in English. It is also the name of a vehicle- the 'Hummer'!
Humphery English, Irish
English and Irish: variant of Humphrey.
Humphries English, Welsh
Patronymic from Humphrey.
Hungate English
A habitational name from Old English hund,'hound', and Old Norse gata, 'gate'.
Hungerford English
From the name of a settlement in Berkshire, England, derived from Old English hungor "hunger, famine" and ford "ford, river crossing".
Hunley English (American)
English: variant of Hundley, which also has English origins (Worcestershire and Herefordshire): possibly a variant of Huntley or a habitational name from a lost Hundley, and Hanley.... [more]
Hunnam English
Variant form of Hannam. A famous bearer is the English actor and screenwriter Charlie Hunnam (1980-).
Huntington English
English: habitational name from any of several places so called, named with the genitive plural huntena of Old English hunta ‘hunter’ + tun ‘enclosure’, ‘settlement’ or dun ‘hill’ (the forms in -ton and -don having become inextricably confused)... [more]
Huntley English, Scottish
Habitational name from a place in Gloucestershire, so named from Old English hunta 'hunter' (perhaps a byname (see Hunt) + leah 'wood', 'clearing'). Scottish: habitational name from a lost place called Huntlie in Berwickshire (Borders), with the same etymology as in 1.
Huntress English
From huntress, referring to a female hunter.
Huot English, French
Variant of Huet.
Hurd English
Variant of Heard.
Hurl English
English (Suffolk): unexplained.
Hurley English, Irish
Meaning is "from a corner clearing" in Old English. Also an anglicized form of an Irish name meaning "sea tide" or "sea valor".
Hurrell English, Norman
English (of Norman origin) from a derivative of Old French hurer ‘to bristle or ruffle’, ‘to stand on end’ (see Huron).
Hurry English
From a Norman form of the Middle English personal name Wol(f)rich (with the addition of an inorganic initial H-).
Hushour English
English. Maybe means tailor or carpenter
Huskey English (American)
Likely was named after an person who owned a husky
Hussey English, Irish
As an English surname, it comes from two distinct sources. It is either of Norman origin, derived from Houssaye, the name of an area in Seine-Maritime which ultimately derives from Old French hous "holly"; or it is from a Middle English nickname given to a woman who was the mistress of a household, from an alteration of husewif "housewife"... [more]
Hussie English, Irish
Variant of Hussey. A notable bearer is American webcomic author/artist Andrew Hussie (1979-).
Hutch English
From the medieval personal name Huche, a pet form of Hugh.
Hutchin English
From the given name Hutchin
Hutchings English
Patronymic of Hutchin, a medieval diminutive of Hugh.
Hutchins English
Southern English patronymic from the medieval personal name Hutchin, a pet form of Hugh.
Hutton English, Scottish
Scottish and northern English habitational name from any of the numerous places so called from Old English hoh ‘ridge’, ‘spur’ + tun ‘enclosure’, ‘settlement’.
Hux English
Means "insult, scorn" in Old English. This is used in Popular Culture by First Order General Armitage Hux, played by Domhnall Gleeson in the Star Wars sequel trilogy.
Huxford English
Habitational name from a place in Devon called Huxford (preserved in the name of Huxford Farm), from the Old English personal name Hōcc or the Old English word hōc ‘hook or angle of land’ + ford ‘ford’.
Hyatt English
Topographic name derived from Middle English heih "high" and yate "gate".
Hylan Scottish, English
Variation of the surname Hyland 1.
Hylton English
Variant of Hilton.
Hyman Jewish, English
Jewish (American): Americanized variant of Heiman. English: variant of Hayman or Americanized spelling of Heimann.
Hymel American
Possibly an altered form of HUMMEL.
Iams English (American)
Possibly the result of a misdivision of the given name William.
Ibbotson English
Diminutive form ("son of" or little) of Hibbs, itself a patronymic, from a diminutive of Hibbert, which derives from a Norman personal name, "Hil(de)bert", composed of the Germanic elements "hild", battle, and "berht" famous.
Ice English
Americanized form of Eis.
Ickes German, English
In German the meaning is unknown.... [more]
Iddenden English (Rare)
Iden as a village name is to be found in both the counties of Kent and Sussex, and describes a pasture, or strictly speaking an area within a marsh suitable for pasture. The origination is the pre 6th century phrase ig-denn with ig meaning an island... [more]
Iddon English
From the Old Norse female personal name Idunn, literally probably "perform love" (cf. Idony).
Iden English
Habitational name from a place called Iden Green in Benenden, Kent, or Iden Manor in Staplehurst, Kent, or from Iden in East Sussex. All these places are named in Old English as meaning "pasture by the yew trees", from ig meaning "yew" + denn meaning "pasture".
Ignatius English
From the given name Ignatius