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.
Milley English
Habitational name from a lost or unidentified place possibly in Lincolnshire.
Millington English
Parishes in Cheshire, and the East Riding of Yorkshire.
Millsap English (American), English
Judging by the name and how it sounds, I guess it's occupational. This is the name of a town in Texas, named after Fuller Millsap.
Millwood English, Anglo-Saxon
The name was originally given to a miller or the keeper of a mill. The surname Millwood is derived from the Old English word mylenweard.
Milman English
From the old English word mylen meaning "mill" and mann meaning "man", which in this sense means a worker
Milner English, Scottish
Northern English (mainly Yorkshire) and Scottish: variant of Miller, retaining the -n- of the Middle English word, which was a result of Scandinavian linguistic influence, as in Old Norse mylnari.
Milo English
Derived from the given name Milo.
Minden German, English
Habitational name from any of various places so named, for example in Westphalia (German) or Shropshire (English).
Miner English
English occupational name for someone who built mines, either for the excavation of coal and other minerals, or as a technique in the medieval art of siege warfare. The word represents an agent derivative of Middle English, Old French mine ‘mine’ (a word of Celtic origin, cognate with Gaelic mein ‘ore’, ‘mine’).
Minnieweather African American
Anglicised version of Mannweiler, a municipality in Germany.
Minnow English
Possibly derived from the English word "minnow", a small fish.
Minor English, German, French
English: variant spelling of Miner.... [more]
Missingham English
The name means "lost home", and it's from the Old English words "missan" and "ham".
Mistry English
Influenced by the English word mystery meaning unknown.
Mitcham English
habitational name from Mitcham in Surrey so named from Old English micel "big" and ham "village homestead" or hamm "water meadow" meaning either "the great homestead" or "the great meadow".
Mitten English
English surname, meaning "from Mitten" various towns with the name or similar spelling. The towns were presumably named after the glove.
Mixon English
Means "Mick's son".... [more]
Moats English
Variant of Moat.
Moberley English
English habitational name from Mobberley in Cheshire, named in Old English as ‘clearing with a fortified site where assemblies are held’, from (ge)mot ‘meeting’, ‘assembly’ + burh ‘enclosure’, ‘fortification’ + leah ‘wood’, ‘clearing’.
Mobley English
English reduced form of Moberley.
Mochan Scottish, English, Irish
From the given name Mochan.
Mock English
english for the german surname maag
Mockford English
Mockford comes from "Mocca's ford", with Mocca being an Old English name of uncertain origin. An alternative theory is that it comes from "Motholfr's ford" from the Old Norse meaning "renown-wolf". Either way, Mockford was once a place in Sussex, near Rottingdean, and it is from there that most branches of the name originate.
Molaison American
Unexplained meaning.
Mole English
Mole is (in some but not all cases) the English form of the German Möhl meaning mill.
Mollison English, Scottish
Derived from the female given name Molly, wich is diminutive of Mary.
Molten English
The surname Molten refers to one who melts lead.
Monarch English
Origin unidentified. Perhaps a translation of French Monarque, Monarc, a nickname for a high-handed or haughty person, from Old French monarque 'monarch'.
Monckton English
Possibly meaning "estate of monks"
Moneymaker English (American)
Translated form of German Geldmacher or Geldschläger, occupational names for a coiner.
Moneypenny English
Probably from a medieval nickname for a rich person or a miser. A fictional bearer is Miss Moneypenny, secretary to M (the head of MI6) in the James Bond novels of Ian Fleming and in the films based on them.
Monger English
Name for a retail trader or a stallholder in a market, Middle English monger, manger.
Monier French, English, French (Huguenot)
French variant of Monnier and occupational name for a moneyer from Middle English monier "moneyer" (Old French monier) or for a miller from Old French monier "miller".
Montford English
As a Shropshire name believed to mean "from a communal ford or water crossing" while the Norfolk origin is "from Munda's ford," Munda being an old English personal name meaning "protector, guardian," as seen in names such as Edmund.
Montgomerie Scottish, English
Variation of Montgomery. A famous bearer was Margaret Montgomerie Boswell (1738 to 1789), wife of author James Boswell.
Montpelier English, French
English and French variant of Montpellier. This is the name of several places in the United States, for example the capital city of the state of Vermont, which was named after the French city of Montpellier.
Monty French, English
Topographic name for a mountain dweller, from Old French mont 'mountain' (Latin mons, montis).
Moody English, Irish
Either from Middle English modie "angry, haughty, impetuous", or Old English modig "brave, proud".
Moorcock English
From a medieval nickname for someone thought to resemble a moorcock (the male of the red grouse). It is borne by British author Michael Moorcock (1939-).
Moorehouse English
Variant spelling of Morehouse.
Moralee English, French
First found in Norfolk where they were seated from very early times and were granted lands by Duke William of Normandy, their liege Lord, for their distinguished assistance at the Battle of Hastings.
Morant English, French
From the Old French personal name Morant, perhaps from a nickname meaning "steadfast", or alternatively of Germanic origin and meaning literally "courage-raven". A known bearer was the British-born Australian soldier and poet Breaker Morant, original name Edwin Henry Murrant (?1864-1902).
Mordaunt English
Recorded as Mordant, Mordaunt (English), Mordagne, Mordant (French) and apparently Mordanti in Italy, this is a surname of French origins. According to the famous Victorian etymologist Canon Charles Bardsley writing in the year 1880, the name was originally Norman, and was brought to England by a follower of Duke William of Normandy, when he conquered England in 1066... [more]
Mordecai English
From the given name Mordecai
Morden English
Parish in Surrey; one mile from Mitcham. "Moor Hollow" in Old English.
More English, Scottish
Variant of Moore 3. A famous bearer was the English lawyer, humanist, and martyr Saint Thomas More (1478-1535).
Moredock English
From the fact that boats get moored at a dock.
Morehouse English
Habitational name from any of various places, for example Moorhouse in West Yorkshire, named from Old English mōr meaning "marsh", "fen" + hūs meaning "house".
Morey Irish, English
Anglicized form of Irish Gaelic Ó Mórdha, and in English (of Norman origin), derived from the Old French given name Mory, a short form of Amaury (see Emery).
Morgans English, Irish
Variation of Morgan.
Morganson English
Means “son of Morgan”.
Morningstar English, Jewish
English transcription of Morgenstern.
Moroux Louisiana Creole
From the surname Moroux.
Morrell English
Anglicization of Morel, related to Morell.
Mort English
Perhaps from a Norman nickname based on Old French mort "dead", possibly referring to someone with a deathly pallor or otherwise sepulchral appearance.
Mortenson English
Means "Son of Morten".
Mortonson English
Means "Son of Morton".
Moscow English (American, Rare)
From the city of Moscow in Russia.
Mosher English
It is one of several variants of the name Mauger, also spelt Moger and Major, which itself comes from the Old French Maugier and Old German Malger, a compound name meaning "council-spear"... [more]
Mosley English
Habitational name from any of several places called Mos(e)ley in central, western, and northwestern England. The obvious derivation is from Old English mos ‘peat bog’ + leah ‘woodland clearing’, but the one in southern Birmingham (Museleie in Domesday Book) had as its first element Old English mus ‘mouse’, while one in Staffordshire (Molesleie in Domesday Book) had the genitive case of the Old English byname Moll.
Mossman English
This interesting name is a variant of the surname Moss which is either topographical for someone who lived by a peat bog, from the Old English pre 7th Century 'mos' or a habitational name from a place named with this word, for example Mosedale in Cumbria or Moseley in West Yorkshire.
Mota American
Surname of YouTuber and Dancing with the Stars competitor Bethany Mota.
Moth English
From a nickname derived from Middle English mothe meaning "moth". Known bearers include New Zealand photojournalist Margaret Moth (1951-2010), British artist Charlotte Moth (1978-), and British Roman Catholic bishop Richard Moth (1958-).
Mothersbaugh English
Anglicized form of Muttersbach.
Motley English
This surname may come from a nickname for someone wearing parti-coloured clothes (from Anglo-French motteley, which may come from Old English mot meaning "speck").
Mott English
The surname Mott was first found in Essex, where the family held a family seat from very early times, having been granted lands by Duke William of Normandy, their liege Lord, for their distinguished assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D. Moate (Irish: An Móta) is a town in County Westmeath, Ireland... [more]
Moulton English
Derived from various places with the same name, for example in the counties of Cheshire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Northamptonshire, Suffolk and North Yorkshire in England. It is either derived from the Old English given name Mūla, the Old Norse name Múli or Old English mūl meaning "mule" and tun meaning "enclosure, yard, town".
Mount English
Mount is often used as part of the name of specific mountains.
Mountain English
Topographic name from Old French montagne "mountain" (see Montagne).
Mountjoy English
Habitational surname for a person from Montjoie in La Manche, France, named with Old French mont "hill", "mountain" + joie "joy".
Mountstuart English
Possibly derived from the mountain in the Cascade Range, in the state of Washington, United States.
Mousall English
The surname Mousall was first found in Lancashire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. The Saxon influence of English history diminished after the Battle of Hastings in 1066.
Mousel German (Austrian, Anglicized), English
Anglicisation of the German Mäusl, from the German word maus - "mouse" combined with a diminutive suffix, literally meaning "little mouse"... [more]
Mowbray English
Ultimately from the name of a place in Normandy meaning "mud hill" in Old French.
Mowers Scottish, English
English: variant of Mower
Moxley English, Irish, Welsh, Scottish
From the name of a minor place in the West Midlands.
Moxon English
Means "son of Magge", a pet-form of Margaret, a female personal name which came into English via French from Late Latin Margarita, literally "pearl".
Moyes English
From the medieval personal name Moise, a vernacular variant of Moses (the biblical name of the Hebrew prophet who led the Children of Israel out of captivity).
Mudd English
Either (i) "person who lives in a muddy area"; (ii) from the medieval female personal name Mudd, a variant of Maud (variously Mahalt, Mauld, Malt, vernacular versions of Anglo-Norman Matilda); or (iii) from the Old English personal name Mōd or Mōda, a shortened form of various compound names beginning with mōd "courage".
Mudge English
A location surname for someone who lives or dwells near the swamps. A famous bearer of this surname is Angela Mudge, a champion fell runner and trail runner from Scotland.
Mudgett English
Derived from a pet form of Mudge.
Mudie English
Possibly from Old English 'modig', meaning "brave", or "reckless".
Muffet English
Variant of Moffat.
Mulberry English
From the name of the fruit.
Mulcaster English (Modern)
The surname Mulcaster was first found in Cumberland where they trace their lineage back to the place name Muncaster, home of Muncaster Castle, a privately owned castle overlooking the Esk river, near the west-coastal town of Ravenglass in Cumbria which dates back at least 800 years. 
Mullis English
As either Mulles and Mullis, the surname first found in Parish Registers in Cornwall Co. by 1548 in Michaelstow. Manorial tenement rolls trace that particular family to 1483. Between 1337 and 1453 random tenants were recorded between Tintagel and Altarnun as Molys and Mollys... [more]
Mumford English (?)
No available.
Mumphery English
Variant spelling of Mumphrey.
Mumphrey English
Variant spelling of the surname Humphrey.
Munden English
From the name of a parish in Hertfordshire, England.
Munger English
Variant of Monger.
Munn Scottish, English
Variant form of McMunn. In English, it is a nickname or an occupational name for a person who worked for monks, derived from Anglo-Norman French moun meaning "monk" (see Monk).
Murchie English (American, Anglicized), English (British, Anglicized)
"Murchie" comes from the personal name "Murdo". The Scottish Gaelic form of the surname was "Mac Mhurchaidh", meaning son of "Murdo". The name "Murdo" is equivalent to "Murdock", and means sea warrior.
Murchison English (American)
May be an Anglicized form of the Gaelic "Mac Mhurchaidh" meaning "Son of Sea Warrior"
Murkerson English (American)
May be related to the surname Murchison
Murrey English, Scottish, Irish
English, Scottish, and Irish variant of Murray.
Muscott English
A surname for someone from Muscott.
Music English
Anglicized form of Mušič and Musić.
Musk English
Perhaps a variant of Dutch Musch.
Mussey English
Nickname from Middle English mūs ‘mouse’ + ēage ‘eye’.
Mustaine English
meaning unknown. though we all no singer/guitarist for the metal band megadeth. Dave Mustaine!
Mustin English
Origin uncertain, possibly a variant of Muston or Musto.
Muston English
Habitational name from places so named, from Old English mus "mouse", or must, "muddy stream or place" combined with tun "enclosure, settlement". Another explanation could be that the first element is derived from an old Scandinavian personal name, Músi (of unknown meaning), combined with tun.
Myatt English
From the medieval personal name Myat, literally "little Mihel", an Anglo-Norman variant of Michael.
Mycroft English
From Old English ġemȳþ "mouth (of a river)" + croft meaning "enclosed field", originally denoting somebody who lives at the mouth of a river.... [more]
Myrick English
Either means "dark", "work" or "ruler".
Naismith English
Means either "nail-maker" (from Old English nægelsmith) or "knife-maker" (from Old English cnīfsmith).
Napier Scottish, English
Scottish occupational name for a producer or seller of table linen or for a naperer, the servant in charge of the linen in use in a great house from the Middle English, Old French nap(p)ier, an agent derivative of Old French nappe ‘table cloth’ (Latin mappa)... [more]
Napper English
1 English: occupational name for a naperer, the servant in charge of the linen in use in a great house, Middle English, Old French nap(p)ier. Compare Scottish Napier .... [more]
Naramor English, Welsh
Naramor, also Narramore or Naramore, is a corruption of Northmore, and has Welsh/English background. "More North"
Narch English
Variant of Narchi.
Narramore English
Earliest progenitor is Reginald Bynorthemore, living 1318 inbetween Bovey Tracy and Moretonhampstead, in Dartmoor, Devonshire, England. By the 16th century, the surname was being used interchangeably as Narramore/Northmore within the same generation, as in the case of Walter Narramore/Northmore... [more]
Nasmith Scottish, English
This surname is derived from an occupation, "nail-smith", but may also mean "knife-smith".
Nate English
From the given name Nate.
Nates English, Jewish
It's probably from the given name Nate, the origin is said to be Jewish*, but the ancestors immigrated to English speaking countries.
Nathan English
From the given name Nathan.
Nathon English
Variant of Nathan.
Nation English
Most probably a variant of Nathan, altered by folk etymology under the influence of the English vocabulary word nation
Naughton English
Habitational name from a place in Suffolk, named in Old English with nafola meaning "navel" + tūn meaning "enclosure", "settlement", i.e. "settlement in the navel or depression".
Nead English
1. English: possibly a metonymic nickname for a needy person, from Middle English ne(e)d ‘need’. ... [more]
Neale English, Scottish, Irish
English, Scottish, and Irish variant of Neal.
Nears English
French in origin, it is derived from the word "Noir," which is the equivalent of the English word "Black." It could have referred to a person with dark features, hair, or perhaps even one who was thought to engage in nafarious, or "dark," deeds.
Neave English
Variant of Neeve
Neaves English
Variant of Neeve
Nedd English
Variant of Nidd.
Nedry English (American)
It was the most popular in the United States in 1897-1990.
Needham English
From a place name derived from Old English ned meaning "need, constraint" and ham meaning "home, estate, settlement".
Neel English
A variant of Neal
Neele English
Variant of Neal.
Neeve English, Scottish
An English surname, of Norman origin, meaning the nephew. One who was in care of their uncle. A surname first recorded in Perthshire.
Neeves English
Variant of Neeve
Neighbor English
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.
Neilson English
Means "son of Neil". Often an English respelling of the surnames Nielsen or Nilsen.
Nelms English (American)
Topographic name for someone who lived near or amid a grove of elm trees, from misdivision of Middle English atten elmes ‘at the elms’
Nelvin English (American)
Female named after her uncle who surname was Melvin. Born in Shreveport, Louisiana in 1931.
Nemirow English
Is the English for the Russian/Ukrainian Surname Nemirov
Nemo English
A different form of Nimmo (a Scottish name of unknown origin).
Nerby English, Norwegian, Swedish (Rare)
From Old Norse neðri "lowest" and býr "farm".
Nesbitt Scottish, Irish, English
Derives from the hamlets of East Nisbet and West Nisbet, Berwickshire. Some bearers of Nisbet/Nesbitt (and variant) names may originate from the village of Nisbet in Roxburghshire.
Nestor English
Transferred use of given name Nestor
Netherland English
Indicates origin from The Netherlands.
Netherton English
The Netherton surname is derived from the Old English "neothera," meaning "lower," and "tun," meaning "enclosure," or "settlement." It is a habitational name derived from any of several places so named, such as one in Northumberland, and one in Worcestershire.
Netley English
Means "wet" and "open woodland" in Old English.
Netting English
As Needham the derivation is from the Olde English pre 7th century elements 'ned' meaning need, with 'ham', a homestead or village, the name indicating a place that provided a poor living.
Neufeld German, English
Neufeld is a surname of German origin, meaning "new field". It is not seldom in Germany and it is common among German speaking Mennonites from Russia.
Neve English
Variant of Neeve
Nevels English, Scottish
(1) Variant of Neville (2) Possibly variant of Dutch Nevens, which is derived from Neve, from Middle English, Old Norse, Middle Dutch neve ‘nephew’, presumably denoting the nephew of some great personage.
Nevil English
"Variant of the name Neville"
New English
Nickname for a newcomer to an area, from Middle English newe meaning "new".
Newark English
A habitational name taken on from a place name, such as Newark in Cambridgeshire or Newark on Trent in Nottinghamshire.
Newborn English
Habitational name from Newbourn in Suffolk or Newburn in Tyne and Wear (formerly part of Northumberland), both named with Old English niwe "new" and burna "stream", perhaps denoting a stream that had changed its course.
Newby English
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.