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.
Bedwell English
Derived from the town of Bidwell, Hertfordshire, England, from Old English words "Byde", which meant tub, and "Well", meaning fountain or spring. The surname is classified as a habitational name. The name Bedwell is most common in Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire, England, and the state of Indiana in the USA.
Bedworth English
An English habitational surname from a place so named near Nuneaton, in Warwickshire, derived most likely from the Old English personal name Baeda (see Bede), suffixed with worþ, 'enclosure', denoting an enclosed area of land belonging to Baeda.
Bee English
From Middle English be meaning "bee", Old English beo, hence a nickname for an energetic or active person or a metonymic occupational name for a beekeeper.
Beech English
Dweller at the beech tree.
Beeler English
Anglicized spelling of German BIEHLER.
Beer English, German, Dutch, German (Swiss)
Habitational name from any of the forty or so places in southwestern England called Beer(e) or Bear(e). Most of these derive their names from the West Saxon dative case, beara, of Old English bearu ‘grove’, ‘wood’ (the standard Old English dative bearwe being preserved in Barrow)... [more]
Beerbrewer English
Means Brewer of Beer.
Beers English
Name for someone who lives in a grove of woods.
Beery English (American)
Americanized form of Swiss German Bieri.
Beever English
Yorkshire variant of Beaver.
Beihl English, German
Variant of Biehl, a short form of BIEHLER.
Belew English, Irish
variant spelling of Bellew.
Belgrave English
Aristocratic surname from French, meaning "beautiful grove"; comes from a place name in Leicestershire. A famous namesake is British polar explorer Belgrave Ninnis, who perished in Antarctica on a 1912 expedition.
Belladonna English (Rare), Popular Culture
Named after an extremely poisonous plant (Atropa belladonna; also known as the deadly nightshade). One fictional bearer of this surname is Blake Belladonna, a main character from the popular web series RWBY.
Belle English
Possibly a variant of Bell 1 or Bell 2.
Bellers English
Name came from the son of a French Noble born in Leicestershire, England. Hamon Bellers took his last name after the Kirby Bellers (Bellars) which was the name of the land given to him by his father.
Bellew English, Irish
Of Norman origin: habitational name from any of the various places in northern France, such as Belleu (Aisne), named in Old French with bel ‘beautiful’ + l(i)eu ‘place’, or from Belleau (Meurthe-et-Moselle), which is named with Old French bel ‘lovely’ + ewe ‘water’ (Latin aqua), or from Bellou (Calvados), which is probably named with a Gaulish word meaning ‘watercress’... [more]
Bellingham English
Habitational name from places called Bellingham.
Bellman Swedish, English
Swedish and English form of Bellmann. A notable bearer was Swedish composer, poet and entertainer Carl Michael Bellman (1740-1795).
Bellman English
Occupational name for someone who worked as a bell-ringer.
Belmont English
English surname of Norman origin, a variant of the surname Beaumont, which was derived from place names meaning "lovely hill" in Old French (from beu, bel "fair, lovely" and mont "hill").
Bendy American
A notable example of this surname is Anthony Bendy
Benedict English
Of Latin origin. Due to an early association as a saint's name and a papal name, often said to mean "blessed." Originally the Latin elements are 'bene-' meaning "good" or as an adverb "well" plus '-dict,' meaning "spoken." Thus, the literal meaning is "well spoken." ... [more]
Benedictson English
English surname meaning "Son of Benedict"
Bengtson English, Swedish
Variant of the Swedish surname Bengtsson.
Benjamin English
From the given name Benjamin
Bennettson English
Means 'Son of Bennett'.
Benningfield English, Anglo-Saxon
Benningfield is believed to be either ... [more]
Bensen English
Related to Benson, meaning "Son of Ben"
Bentham English
Habitational name from any of various places named Bentham, from Old English beonet "bent grass" + ham "homestead" or hamm "enclosure hemmed in by water".
Beollan English, Irish, Scottish Gaelic
English: variant of Boland.... [more]
Beresford English
English: habitational name from a place in the parish of Alstonfield, Staffordshire named Beresford, from Old English beofor ‘beaver’ (or possibly from a byname from this word) + Old English ford ‘ford’... [more]
Berkeley English
From the elements beorce "birch" and leah "clearing, wood" meaning "birch clearing".
Berlin German, English
Habitational name from the city in Germany, the name of which is of uncertain meaning. It is possibly derived from an Old Slavic stem berl- meaning swamp or from a West Slavic word meaning "river lake".
Bermingham English (Modern, Rare)
Bermingham is the Gaelicised version of 'De Birmingham' and is descended from the family of Warwickshire, England. The Irish version of the name MacFeorais/MacPheorais is derived from Pierce de Bermingham.
Bernal French, English, Dutch, Czech
Possibly a French, English, Dutch, and Czech version of Bernal or a variant of Bernard.
Bernath German, English
Derived from the name Bernhard.
Berner English, Norman
From the Norman personal name Bernier from Old English beornan ‘to burn’, hence an occupational name for a burner of lime (compare German Kalkbrenner) or charcoal... [more]
Bernett Scottish, English
Altered spelling of Scottish and English Burnett or French Bernet.
Berrick English
Variation of Barwick.
Berrycloth English (Rare)
This name is of English locational origin, from the place called Barrowclough near Halifax in West Yorkshire.
Berryhill English
A name for someone who worked as a servant at the manor house.
Berson English
Means "son of Berry 1".
Berwick English, Scottish
Habitational name from Berwick-on-Tweed.
Bess English
Popularly grown surname from the diminuative form of "Elizabeth" during any time of a Queen Elizabeth
Beste French, English
Nickname from Middle English beste Old French beste "beast animal" (especially those used for food or work) applied either as a metonymic occupational name for someone who looked after beasts such as a herdsman or as a nickname for someone thought to resemble an animal... [more]
Betances Spanish, American (Hispanic)
Unexplained; probably related to Betanzos, the name of a town near A Coruña in Galicia.
Beth English
From the given name Beth, itself a short form of Elizabeth and Bethany.
Bethany English
Possibly a topographic name derived from the Old English plant name betonice meaning "betony". The form of the name has been altered by folk association with the New Testament place name.
Bethel English, Welsh (Anglicized)
Anglicized form of Welsh ab Ithel "son of Ithel".
Bethencourt French, English, Portuguese (Rare)
Bettencourt and Bethencourt are originally place-names in Northern France. The place-name element -court (courtyard, courtyard of a farm, farm) is typical of the French provinces, where the Frankish settlements formed an important part of the local population... [more]
Beton English
Variant of Beeton.
Bettany English
Variant of Betteley in the West Midlands and variant of Beatley in East England with /n/ substituted for /l/.
Bettencourt French, English, Portuguese (Rare)
Bettencourt and Bethencourt are originally place-names in Northern France. The place-name element -court (courtyard, courtyard of a farm, farm) is typical of the French provinces, where the Frankish settlements formed an important part of the local population... [more]
Beveridge English
Derived from the town of Beverege or from the Old French beivre "drink", a nickname for a person who sealed contracts with a drink
Bexley English
Habitational name from Bexley (now Bexleyheath in Greater London), which was named from Old English byxe ‘box tree’ + leah ‘woodland clearing’.
Beyincé French, Louisiana Creole
Louisiana Creole form of Boyancé.... [more]
Bible English
From the given name BIBEL or an altered spelling of German BIEBL.
Bickerman English
The toponym Bickerton is derived from the Old English beocere, which means bee-keeper, and tun, which originally denoted a fence or enclosure.
Bickham English
Habitational name from places so named in Devon and Somerset, most of which are most probably named with an Old English personal name Bicca and Old English cumb "valley". The first element could alternatively be from bica "pointed ridge".
Biddle English, Irish
Variant of English BEADLE or German BITTEL. The name is now popular in the north east region of America, where it was brought by English and Irish immigrants.
Biddulph English
From the name of a town in Staffordshire, England, derived from Old English meaning "beside" and dylf meaning "digging" (a derivative of delfan "to dig").
Bierce English, Welsh
English variant and Welsh form of Pierce. A famous bearer was the American author, journalist and poet Ambrose Bierce (1842-c. 1914), who wrote The Devil's Dictionary and other works... [more]
Bigelow English
Habitational name from a place in England called Big Low meaning "big mound".
Biggers Scottish, English
Possibly related to the Scottish place name Biggar in South Lanarkshire or the English place name Biggar in Cumbria
Biggins English
Habitational name from any of the various places in England named with northern Middle English bigging "building" (from Old Norse). This word came to denote especially an outbuilding, and is still used in and around Northumberland and Cumbria.
Biggs English
Derived from the ancient word, "bigga", meaning large.
Billard English, German
From a short form of the personal name Robillard, a derivative of Robert.... [more]
Billingham English
A surname of English origin.
Billinghurst English
It indicates familial origin within the eponymous village in West Sussex.
Billings English
It comes from the old English bil, meaning "sword or halberd", though the word later came to refer to a pruning hook used to harvest fruit. It's also possible that the name comes from a location in ancient England called Billing, which would've gotten its name from the same source.
Billingsly English
Habitational name from a place in Shropshire named Billingsley, from Old English Billingesleah, probably 'clearing (Old English leah) near a sword-shaped hill'
Billson English
Means "Son of Bill."
Billy English
Derived from the given name Bill.
Bilson English
Patronymic surname of the given name Bill.
Binger English
Derived from the Old English name Binningas, which was a name for someone who lived near stables.
Bingham English
Ultimately deriving from the toponym of Melcombe Bingham in Dorset. The name was taken to Ireland in the 16th century, by Richard Bingham, a native of Dorset who was appointed governor of Connaught in 1584... [more]
Bingley English
Habitational surname for someone originally from the town of Bingley in West Yorkshire, England. The name is either derived from the given name Bynna combined with the suffix -inga meaning "the people of" or from the Old English elements bing meaning "hollow" and leah meaning "woodland, clearing".
Bink English
Topographic name for someone living by a bink, a northern dialect term for a flat raised bank of earth or a shelf of flat stone suitable for sitting on. The word is a northern form of modern English bench.
Binks English
Variant of Bink.
Birch English, German, Danish, Swedish (Rare)
From Middle High German birche, Old English birce, Old Danish birk, all meaning "birch". This was likely a topographic name for someone living by a birch tree or a birch forest... [more]
Birchall English
Probably a habitational name from Birchill in Derbyshire or Birchills in Staffordshire, both named in Old English with birce "birch" + hyll "hill".
Birchard English
From the Old English personal name, Burgheard. See also Burkett.
Birchfield English
Variant of English BURCHFIELD or an anglicized form of German BIRKENFELD.
Birdee English
Probably a variant spelling of English Burden .
Birdson African American
It means son of Bird and most likely came from someone who was given the name Bird. The word bird is found in all English language dictionaries and was not intended to be a name.
Birdsong English
From the English words bird and song. Possibly an English translation of the German surname Vogelsang.
Birdwhistle English (Rare)
derived from whistling like a bird or the sound of the birds were sold.
Birket English
It's a locational surname taken from the village of Birket Houses in Lancashire.
Birkin English
The surname "Birkin" comes from a village in Yorkshire of the same name, first recorded as "Byrcene" in the Yorkshire charters of 1030, and as "Berchine" and "Berchinge" in the Domesday Book. The first known person with the surname "Birkin" was Jon de Birkin, a baron who lived in the late-11th century.
Birks English
Northern English variant of Birch.
Birmingham English
Indicates familial origin from Birmingham, England
Birne English, German, Jewish
Means "pear" in German, making it the German equivalent of Perry 1, perhaps originally referring to a person who harvested or sold pears... [more]
Birney English
Scottish: habitational name from a place in Morayshire, recorded in the 13th century as Brennach, probably from Gaelic braonach 'damp place'.
Bisbee English
Named after the city of Bisbee which is in Arizona.... [more]
Bish English
Comes from the old English word bis meaning "dingy" or "murky". Was given to someone who dressed in drab or murky colors.
Bitencourt Brazilian, Portuguese (Brazilian), French (Rare), English
BITENCOURT, derives from Bittencourt, Bettencourt and Bethencourt; They are originally place-names in Northern France. The place-name element -court (courtyard, courtyard of a farm, farm) is typical of the French provinces, where the Frankish settlements formed an important part of the local population... [more]
Bittaker English
Possibly an altered spelling of Whitaker. A infamous bearer was the American serial killer and rapist Lawrence Bittaker (1940-2019).
Bitterman English, German
Name given to a person who was bitter.
Bizzell English
a corn merchant; one who made vessels designed to hold or measure out a bushel.
Bjorklund English (American)
Anglicized form of Swedish Björklund or Norwegian Bjørklund.
Blackberry English
English surname of unexplained origin, probably from the name of a lost or unidentified place.
Blackerby English, Irish, Scottish
English surname of unexplained origin, probably from the name of a lost or unidentified place.
Blackford English
Derived from the words blæc "black" or blac "pale, shining, white" and ford "river crossing"
Blackley English
The name derives from the Anglo-Saxon Blæcleah which meant "dark wood" or "dark clearing".
Blackmore English
BLACKMORE, an English name, has two possible beginnings: ... [more]
Blacksmith English
Occupational name for a blacksmith, a smith who work with iron. The name is rare in England and mostly found in North America, suggesting that it's a translation of a non-English name meaning "blacksmith" (see Kowalski, Raudsepp and Lefèvre for example).
Blackstock English
English and southern Scottish: topographic name from Middle English blak(e) ‘black’, ‘dark’ + stok ‘stump’, ‘stock’.
Blackwell English
From an English place name derived from Old English blæc meaning "black" and wille meaning "well, spring, water hole".
Blade English
Metonymic occupational name for a cutler, from Middle English blade "cutting edge, sword".
Blain Scottish (Anglicized), Scottish Gaelic, English
Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Bláán, a shortened form of MACBLAIN, or a variant of Blin... [more]
Blaire Scottish, English
Variant spelling of Blair.
Blakelock English
A nickname derived from blæc "black" and locc "lock of hair"
Blakeway English
Literally means "black way", thus referring to a black road near which the original bearer must have lived. A famous bearer of this surname was Jacob Blakeway (b. 1583-?), the biological father of Mayflower passenger Richard More (1614-1696).
Blamey English
From blaidh-mez, the wolf's meadow; or pleu-mez, the parish meadow.
Blanchflower English
From a medieval nickname applied probably to an effeminate man (from Old French blanche flour "white flower"). This surname was borne by Northern Irish footballer Danny Blanchflower (1926-1993).
Bland English
Bland is a habitational name from a place in West Yorkshire called Bland, the origin of which is uncertain. Possibly it is from Old English (ge)bland ‘storm’, ‘commotion’ (from blandan ‘to blend or mingle’), with reference to its exposed situation... [more]
Blandford English
Habitational name from Blandford Forum and other places called Blandford in Dorset (Blaneford in Domesday Book), probably named in Old English with bl?ge 'gudgeon' (genitive plural blægna) + ford 'ford'.
Blankenship English
Variant of Blenkinsop, a surname derived from a place in Northumberland called Blenkinsopp. The place name possibly derives from Cumbric blaen "top" and kein "back, ridge", i.e. "top of the ridge", combined with Old English hōp "valley" (compare Hope).
Blaxton English
There are two possible origins for this surname; one- from the name of the village in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster (part of South Yorkshire, England) on the border of Lincolnshire, or two- from the Old English personal name Blaecstan, meaning "black stone"
Blaylock English
The surname of James P. Blaylock (1950-), an early steampunk author. His surname may mean "black lock" from Middle English blakelok, originally referring to a person with dark hair.
Blaze English
Variant of Blaise.
Bledsoe English
Comes from a place in Gloucestershire called Bledisloe, comes from an Old English personal name Blið.
Blennerhassett English
The Blennerhassett surname comes from someone having lived in Cumberland, on the Borderlands between Scotland and England. ... [more]
Blessed English
From a medieval nickname for a fortunate person. This surname is borne by British actor Brian Blessed (1936-).
Blewett English
From a medieval nickname for a blue-eyed person or one who habitually wore blue clothing (from Middle English bleuet "cornflower" or bluet "blue cloth").
Bligh English
Variant of Blythe.
Blight English
comes from blithe
Blissett English
A different form of Blessed. A bearer of this surname is Luther Blissett (1958-), a Jamaican-born English footballer ("Luther Blissett" has been used since 1994 as a cover name for activists engaging in anti-cultural establishment polemics and spoofs on the internet and elsewhere).
Blizzard English
A different form (influenced by blizzard "heavy snowstorm") of Blissett.
Blogg English
The name is most likely Anglo-Saxon or early medieval English in origin. ... [more]
Blood English
Evidently from Old English blod ‘blood’, but with what significance is not clear. In Middle English the word was in use as a metonymic occupational term for a physician, i.e. one who lets blood, and also as an affectionate term of address for a blood relative.
Blood English
Derived from the Old English byname Blīþa (meaning "happy, blithe").
Bloodgood English (American), Dutch (Americanized)
Anglicized form of Dutch Bloetgoet. The progenitor of the American Bloodgood family was Francis Bloodgood, a 17th-century Dutch emigrant to Flushing, Queens, New York, originally named Frans Jansen Bloetgoet.
Bloodsworth English
Variant spelling of Bloodworth.
Bloom English
Metonymic occupational name for an iron worker, from Middle English blome ‘ingot (of iron)’.
Bloomfield English
This interesting surname is of early medieval English origin, and is a locational name from either of the two places thus called in England, one in Staffordshire, and the other in Somerset, or it may be a dialectal variant of Blonville (-sur-Mer) in Calvados, Normandy, and hence a Norman habitation name... [more]
Blount English
Variant of Blunt.
Blow English
From a medieval nickname for someone with a pale complexion (from Middle English blowe "pale"). This surname was borne by English composer John Blow (1649-1708) and British fashion editor Isabella Blow (original name Isabella Delves Broughton; 1958-2007); additionally, "Joe Blow" is a name used colloquially (in US, Canadian and Australian English) as representative of the ordinary uncomplicated unsophisticated man, the average man in the street (of which the equivalent in British English is "Joe Bloggs").
Blueberry English
English surname of unexplained origin, probably from the name of a lost or unidentified place.
Bluford English, American (South)
Possibly an English habitational name from a lost or unidentified place. The name occurs in records of the 19th century but is now very rare if not extinct in the British Isles. In the U.S. it is found chiefly in TX and TN.
Blume German, English
Could be from the Jewish surname Blum of from Swedish Blom. It could also be from the English word bloom.
Blunden English
From Middle English blund "blond".
Blunt English
Nickname for a person with fair hair or a light complexion from Old French blunt meaning "blond". It was also used as a nickname for a stupid person from Middle English blunt or blont meaning "dull".
Blyth English
Variant of Blythe
Boatfield English
Occupational name for a person who worked on the deck of a ship.
Bobber English
From the ancient Anglo-Saxon name Baber, a town in the county of Suffolk. A famous bearer of the last name is actor, director, animator, voice actor, and musician Troy Bobber.