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.
Keirns English
Name for someone who works at a mill of makes butter.
Kelce English
Variant of Kelsey.
Kelham English
Derived from the village of Kelham, near Newark-upon-Trent, Nottingham.
Kellett Irish, English
Unknown meaning. Comes from Anglo-Saxon origin.
Kelner German, English, Vilamovian
Means "waiter" in German.
Kelsay English
Variant spelling of Kelsey.
Kelshaw English
Derived from the villages of North or South Kelsey in Lincolnshire.
Kelson English
Means "son of Kel"
Kelvin Scottish, English
See the given name Kelvin.
Kempton English
From the name of a place in Shropshire meaning "Cempa's town" or "warrior town", from a combination of either the Old English word cempa "warrior" or the byname derived from it and tun "farmstead, settlement".
Kenderdine English
Origins: Staffordshire, England
Kendrew English
Variant of Andrew, possibly influenced by Mcandrew. Notable namesake is Nobel Prize winning chemist John Kendrew (1917-1997).
Kendy English (?)
Variant of Kindy(?).
Kennaway English
From the medieval personal name Kenewi, from Old English Cynewīg, literally "royal war", or Cēnwīg, literally "bold war".
Kennerk English
The surname Kennerk was first found in Westphalia, where the name emerged in mediaeval times as one of the notable families in the western region. From the 13th century onwards the surname was identified with the great social and economic evolution which made this territory a landmark contributor to the development of the nation.
Kenneth English
Derived from the given name Kenneth.
Kennethson English
Means “Son Of Kenneth.”
Kenney English
Variant of Kenny
Kenny English, Irish, Scottish
Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Coinnigh "descendant of Coinneach" or Ó Cionaodha "descendant of Cionaodh".
Kensington English
English surname meaning "Cynesige's town", from the Old English personal name Cynesige and ton 'town'.
Kensit English
A surname of Old English, pre-7th-century origins. It derives from a locality, probably either Kingsettle in Somerset, which translates as "the seat of the King", and is believed to relate to Alfred the Great, or possibly Kingside in Cumberland, or to some now lost village or town with a similar spelling.
Kensley English
This surname might derive from the surname Kinsley or from the locational surname Kelsey (denoting someone who is from either North or South Kelsey in Lincolnshire).
Kent English (?)
Region in England
Kenton English
habitational name from any of various places so named Kenton, for example in Devon, Greater London (formerly Middlesex), Northumberland, and Suffolk... [more]
Kenwood English
From the settlement of Kenwood in the parish of Kenton, county of Devon, England. ... [more]
Kenyon English, Welsh
Kenyon is a surname from Wales meaning "a person from Ennion's Mound"
Kepple English (American)
Americanized form of Köppel and Köpple.
Kerbel English, German, Russian (Rare)
Means "chervil" in German, a parsley-related herb. The surname probably came into England via Germanic relations between the two languages, hence it being most common in German & English countries.
Kershaw English
It indicates familial origin within either of 3 places named Kirkshaw: 1 in Lancashire and 2 in the West Riding of Yorkshire.
Kerslake English
Topographic name for someone who lived by a stream where cress grew, derived from Old English cærse meaning "watercress" and lacu meaning "stream".
Kestel English
Habitational name from Kestle, a place in Cornwall, so named from Cornish castell "castle, village, rock".
Ketcham English
Contracted form of Kitchenham.
Ketchell English
Indicates familial origin from Kestell in Cornwall
Ketchell English
Derived from the Ancient Scandinavian name Ketill
Ketley English
Means "person from Ketley", Shropshire ("glade frequented by cats").
Ketterley English
Meaning unknown. It is used in C.S. Lewis' novel, the Magician's Nephew, as the surname of Andrew and Letty Ketterley.
Keville English
Denoted someone from Keevil (recorded in the Domesday book as Chivele), a village and civil parish in Wiltshire, England, probably derived from Old English c¯f meaning "hollow" and leah meaning "woodland clearing".
Keyworth English
Habitational name from Keyworth in Nottinghamshire. The place name derives from an uncertain initial element (perhaps Old English ca "jackdaw") and Old English worþ "enclosure".
Kicklighter American
Americanized spelling of German Kückleiter, literally ‘chicken ladder’, probably a nickname for a chicken farmer.
Kidder English
English: possibly an occupational name from early modern English kidd(i)er ‘badger’, a licensed middleman who bought provisions from farmers and took them to market for resale at a profit, or alternatively a variant of Kidman... [more]
Kidman English
English: occupational name, probably for a goatherd (from Middle English kid(e) ‘young goat’ + man ‘man’), but possibly also for a cutter of wood used for fuel. (from Middle English kidde ‘faggot’ (an archaic English unit for a bundle of sticks)).
Kidwell Welsh, English
The origins of this surname are uncertain, but it may be derived from Middle English kidel "fish weir", denoting a person who lived by a fish weir or made his living from it, or from an English place called Kiddal, probably meaning "Cydda's corner of land" from the Old English given name Cydda and halh "nook or corner of land".
Kiff English
the origin of the name KIFF could have come from a variation of KITH as in "kith and kin". The O.E.D. definition of the word KITH is that of a native land, familiar place or home so "kith and kin" meant your home and your relations... [more]
Kile English (American)
Americanized form of Keil.
Kiley Irish, English
Anglicized form of the Old Gaelic "O' Cadhla" meaning "son of Cadhla". Cadhla means meaning graceful or beautiful; hence, "descendant(s) of 'the graceful one'".
Kilroy English
"Kilroy was here" was a phrase widely written up on walls by American service personnel in the UK during World War II. The identity of the probably mythical Kilroy has been much debated (one theory is that he was a shipyard inspector of Quincy, Massachusetts, who chalked the phrase on material he had checked).
Kilvert English
Probably from an Old Norse personal name Ketilfrith, literally "cauldron peace". The surname was borne by British clergyman and diarist Francis Kilvert (1840-1879).
Kin English
From a short form of names containing cyne "royal, kingly" or cynn "relations, family, tribe".
Kind English
Nickname from Middle English kynde meaning "kind, type, nature" or "disposition", possibly used in the sense of "legitimate".
Kindem English
1 English: habitational name from a place in Derbyshire, of unknown etymology (probably a pre-English hill name, but the form is obscure).... [more]
Kinder English
Habitational name derived from a place in Derbyshire, of unknown etymology.
Kindred English
From the Anglo-Saxon given name Cenered meaning "bold counsel" from the elements cene, cen (later kene) meaning "bold, brave, proud" and raed meaning "counsel".
Kindy English
"From Kinder".
Kingdom English
Either a variant of Kingdon or from Old English cyningdom "kingdom" derived from cyning "king" or cyne "royal" and dom "authority".
Kingdon English
Habitational name from Higher Kingdon in Alverdiscott or from Kendon in North Bovey both in Devon... [more]
Kingman English
From the words "king" and "man", denoting a servant of the king.
Kingsbury English
Habitational surname derived from several places in England with the same name, for example in northwest London (formerly Middlesex), Somerset, and Warwickshire. These are mostly named in Old English as cyninges burh meaning "the king’s stronghold", but the last mentioned is cynesburh meaning "stronghold of Cyne" (cyne is a short form of any of various compound names with cyne- meaning "royal" as the first element).
Kingsford English
English habitational name from any of various places named Kingsford, for example in Essex, Devon, Warwickshire, and Worcestershire. The name ostensibly means ‘the king’s ford’, but the one in Worcestershire is named as Ceningaford ‘ford of Cena’s people’.
Kingsland m English
Kyngeslond... [more]
Kingsland m English
Kyngeslond... [more]
Kingsleigh English
It is a variant of KINGSLEY.
Kingsmore English
Derived from several places named Kingsmoor or King’s Moor, in Somerset, Sussex, and Essex, England.
Kingsolver English (American)
Altered form of English Consolver, which is unexplained. Compare Kinsolving.
Kingswell English
An English surname meaning "Lives by the King's spring"
Kingswood English
Means “King’s wood.”
Kington English
Variant of Kingston meaning "King's Town".
Kinslow English
habitational name from Kingslow in Worfield (Shropshire). The placename means "king's tumulus" from Old English cyning "king" (genitive cyninges) and hlaw "tumulus burial mound hill".
Kinsolving English
Altered form of English Consolver
Kiplin English
A locational surname that takes its name from the hamlet of Kiplin in the English county of North Yorkshire. In turn, the hamlet is said to derive its name from Old English Cyppelingas, which means "the people of Cyppel", as it consists of the Old English personal name Cyppel with the Old English word ingas meaning "people".
Kipps English
From Middle English Kipp, perhaps a byname for a fat man, from an unattested Old English form Cyppe, which according to Reaney is from the Germanic root kupp 'to swell'.
Kirkby English
Variant of Kirby.
Kirkland English, Scottish
Derived from the Scottish 'kirk', meaning church, and land. This name denoted one who lived near or tended to the land belonging to or surrounding a church. A famous /fictional/ bearer is Arthur Kirkland, a main character in the highly popular anime/webmanga Axis Powers Hetalia... [more]
Kirkman English
A name originally found in both Scotland and England. From Kirk- meaning "church" and -man for someone who lived near or worked at a church.
Kirkpatrick English, Scottish, Northern Irish
Habitational name from various places so called from the dedication of their church to St. Patrick. See Kirk.
Kirksey English
English: probably a habitational name from a lost or unidentified place. This surname is also common in the American South.
Kirsten English
English and modernized version of Kirstein
Kirton English
Family name for someone who resides near a church.
Kish English
A name for a person who worked as a maker of leather armor for the knight's legs.
Kitchener English
Variant spelling of Kitchen. A notable bearer was the Anglo-Irish senior British Army officer and colonial administrator Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener (1850-1916).
Kitchenham English
Occupational surname for a person who was in charge of the kitchen in a royal or noble house, or a monastery. From the Anglo Saxon cycene (German: Küche Dutch: kjøkken Latin: cocina Italian: cucina)
Kitching English
The surname is thought to have originally been an occupational name for a cook, deriving from the Old English word cycen.
Kite English
From the name of the bird of prey, derived from Middle English Kete and Old English Cyta.
Kitley English
Derived from a place name in Devonshire, England, and was first recorded in the form of Kitelhey in 1305.... [more]
Kitson Scottish, English
Patronymic form of Kit.
Kitt English, German
English: From the Middle English personal name Kit, a pet form of Christopher... [more]
Kittell German (Anglicized), English
English: variant of Kettle. ... [more]
Kittredge English
Derived from the given name Keterych.
Kittridge English
Variant form of Kittredge.
Kitzmiller English (American)
Americanized form of German Kitzmüller, literally ‘kid miller’ ( see Kitz + Muller ), a nickname for a miller who kept goats; alternatively, the first element may be from a personal name formed with the Germanic element Gid-, cognate with Old English gidd ‘song’.
Kix English (Rare)
Location name from one of two rivers in West Yorkshire called Kex.
Klarich English
English spelling of Klarić.
Kleber German, English (American)
Derived from German kleben "to bind, to stick", hence an occupational name for someone who applied clay daub or whitewash on buildings.
Kline American
Kline is one of the smaller groups of anglicized forms of the German surname Klein.... [more]
Kloda Polish, English
Maybe an anglicized form or a variant of Kłoda.
Knapp English
Topographic name for someone who lived by a hillock, Middle English "nappe, Old English cnæpp, or habitational name from any of the several minor places named with the word, in particular Knapp in Hampshire and Knepp in Sussex.
Knatchbull English
A nickname from Old English knatch "to strike" + bull "bull", indicating strength.
Knightley English
English surname meaning knight. The book Emma by Jane Austen has a character named George Knightley.
Knighton English
English surname which was derived from a place name composed of the Old English elements cnihta meaning "servant, retainer" (genitive plural of cniht) and tun "enclosure, settlement".
Knipe English
The lineage of the name Knipe begins with the Anglo-Saxon tribes in Britain. It is a result of when they lived on the peak of a hill or highland. The surname Knipe is primarily familiar in the regions of Lancashire and Westmoreland.... [more]
Knitts English
Derived from the given name Knut.
Knock English
Topographic name for someone living by a hill, from Middle English knocke "hill" (Old English cnoc).
Knoll English, German, Jewish
English and German topographic name for someone living near a hilltop or mountain peak, from Middle English knolle ‘hilltop’, ‘hillock’ (Old English cnoll), Middle High German knol ‘peak’... [more]
Knopfler English, German
Derived from Knopf (German for "button"), this surname was originally given to button makers or button sellers. A famous bearer of this surname is English musician Mark Knopfler (1949-).
Knott English
Either from the Middle English personal name Knut, or denoting a person who lived "at the knot", which is the summit of a rocky hill.
Knotts English
Variant of Knott
Knowlton English
Habitational name from either of two places so named, one in Dorset and the other in Kent.
Knuckles English
Possibly a nickname for someone with prominent knuckles.
Kohen Jewish, Hebrew, English
Hebrew form of Cohen.
Kole English
Variant of Cole.
Koon American
Americanized spelling of German Kuhn or Dutch Koen.
Kox English
Variant of Cox
Kozikowski English
Habitational name for someone from Koziki in Masovian and Podlaskie voivodeships.
Kristenson English
Anglicized form of Kristensen
Kroma English (American)
Surname of popular YouTuber Justin Kroma (LankyBox).
Kromrey English (American, Rare)
Kromrey middle school.
Kuchinsky English (American), Jewish
Americanized spelling of Polish Kuczynski or Kucinski. ... [more]
Kush English (American)
Americanization of Kusz, Kusch, Kuš and Kus.
Kyer English (American)
Anglicized form of Geier.
Kyte English
Variant of Kite.
Labrum English
variant of Laybourn with metathesis of -r-
Ladley English
Probably a habitational name from a lost or unidentified place.
Ladson English
Patronymic of Ladd.
Lagadu English
Possible French origins
Lail English (American)
Americanized form of German Lehl or Loehl. In either case, the name is a spelling variant of Lehle or Löhle, pet forms of the personal name Leonhardt.
Laithen English
English habitational name from any of various places so called, for example in Lancashire (near Blackpool) and in North Yorkshire. The former was named in Old English as ‘settlement by the watercourse’, from Old English lad ‘watercourse’ + tun ‘enclosure’, ‘settlement’; the latter as ‘leek enclosure’ or ‘herb garden’, from leac ‘leek’ + tun... [more]
Laity English
Nickname for a trustworthy person, from Old French léauté ‘loyalty’ (Latin legalitas, a derivative of legalis ‘legal’, ‘by law’).
Laiz English
Possibly a variant of German Lehr
Lake English
Topographic name for someone who lived by a stream, Old English lacu, or a habitational name from a place named with this word, for example in Wiltshire and Devon. Modern English lake (Middle English lake) is only distantly related, if at all; it comes via Old French from Latin lacus... [more]
Lakeland English (Rare)
Taken from the Place name Lakeland.... [more]
Lamarr French, English
Variant form of Lamar.
Lambe English
Variant of Lamb.
Lambson English
Patronymic of Lambert.
Lamkin English
Diminutive of Lamb.
Lammas English
Lammas is a surname from the village Lamarsh in Essex, England.
Lammers English
Habitational name from either Lamas in Norfolk or Lamarsh in Essex, derived from Old English lām "loam, clay" combined with ersc "plowed field" or mersc "marsh".
Lampard English
Derived from the given name Lambert. A famous bearer of this surname is the retired English soccer player Frank Lampard (1978-).
Lampert German, English
German & English variant of Lambert.... [more]
Lamshed English
Surname common in Australia & the UK. A variation of Lambshead which was originally a mis-spelling of Lambside which was the area from which the family originated in Pommyland. Other variations include Lambshed, Lamshead, Lammyside and Lamesta... [more]
Lancashire English
Shire of Lancaster; One who came from Lancashire, a county in the North of England.
Lancaster English
From the name of a city in northwestern England derived from Middle English Loncastre, itself from Lon referring to an ancient Roman fort on the River Lune combined with Old English ceaster meaning "city, town".
Lance English
From the Germanic personal name Lanzo, originally a short form of various compound names with the first element land ‘land’, ‘territory’ (for example, Lambert), but later used as an independent name... [more]
Lancelot French, English
From the given name Lancelot.
Lanchester English
Indicated the bearer of the surname lived in the settlement of Lanchester.
Land English, German
Topographic name from Old English land, Middle High German lant, "land, territory". This had more specialized senses in the Middle Ages, being used to denote the countryside as opposed to a town or an estate.
Landers English, Irish
From Norman French de Londres meaning "of London".