American Submitted Surnames

American names are used in the United States. See also about American names.
usage
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Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
Springall English
Means (i) "operator of a springald (a type of medieval siege engine)" (from Anglo-Norman springalde); or (ii) from a medieval nickname for a youthful person (from Middle English springal "youth").
Springer German, English, Dutch, Jewish
Nickname for a lively person or for a traveling entertainer, from springen "to jump, to leap". A famous bearer was Ludwig der Springer (AKA Louis the Springer), a medieval Franconian count who, according to legend, escaped from a second or third-story prison cell by jumping into a river after being arrested for trying to seize County Saxony in Germany.
Springer English
An occupational name for a dancer, or perhaps a hunter, from either Old English springen "to leap" or Middle English springe "snare, trap".
Springfield English
Dusty Springfield 1939-1999
Sprout English
This name is derived from the name of an ancestor, meaning "the son of Sprot".... [more]
Spruance English
Possibly a variant of Spruce. A notable bearer was Raymond A. Spruance (1886-1969), a United States Navy admiral during World War II.
Spruce English
Altered form of Prowse.
Spry English
Was apparently a nickname for an active, brisk, or smart person. The word spry is of obscure origin.
Spurgeon English
Unexplained meaning.
Spurrier English
Derived from the Old French word “esperonier,” meaning “to spur on”. It was likely given as a nickname to someone who was known for encouraging or motivating others. The name could have also referred to someone who was skilled at using spurs to control horses.
Squibb English
Nickname for an irascible, unpredictable or petty person, derived from Middle English squibbe meaning "firework, firecracker". A famous bearer is the American actress June Squibb (1929-).
Squire English
Surname comes from the occupation of a Squire. A young man who tends to a knight.
Squires English
Surname is plural of Squire. A young person that tends to his knight, also someone that is a member of a landowner class that ranks below a knight.
Stackhouse English
habitational name from Stackhouse in Giggleswick (Yorkshire) from Old Norse stakkr "stack pile rick" and hus "house".
Staley English
Byname from Middle English staley "resolute, reliable", a reduced form of Stallard.
Stallard English
Byname for a valiant or resolute person, from a reduced pronunciation of Middle English stalward, stalworth "stalwart" (an Old English compound of stǣl "place" and wierðe "worthy").
Stalton English
Etymology uncertain. Possibly derived from a place name, as the last element resembles the suffix -ton "town".
Stampler American
Of uncertain etymology.
Stanaway English
Possibly a variant form of English Stanway, a habitational name from any of the places called Stanaway, in Essex, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, and Shropshire, all named with Old English stān ‘stone’ + weg ‘track’, ‘road’
Stancil English
English habitational name from a place so named in South Yorkshire.
Stancliff English
Habitational name from Scout in Northowram (Yorkshire) recorded as Staynclif in 1309 and Stancliff Skoute (the home of Edward Stankliff) in 1536. The placename derives from Old English stan 1 "stone rock" with influence from Old Norse steinn "stone rock" and Old English clif "cliff bank" later with Middle English scoute "projecting cliff overhanging rock" (Old Norse skúti).
Standen English
Habitational name predominantly from Standen in Pendleton (Lancashire) and Standean in Ditchling (Sussex) but also from other places similarly named including Standen in East Grinstead (Sussex) Standen in Biddenden (Kent) Standen in Benenden (Kent) Upper and Lower Standen in Hawkinge (Kent) Standen (Berkshire Wiltshire Isle of Wight) and Standon (Devon Hampshire Hertfordshire Staffordshire)... [more]
Standish English
Habitational name Standish (Lancashire Now Part Of Greater Manchester, and Yorkshire) meaning Old English Stān ‘Stone Rock’ + Edisc ‘Enclosure; or Enclosed Park’.
Stannard English
From the medieval personal name Stanhard, literally "stone-strong" or "stone-brave".
Stanson English
Means "son of Stanley".
Stanwick English
Habitational name from a place so called in Northamptonshire, named in Old English with stan ‘stone’ + wic ‘outlying dairy farm’.
Stanwood English (American)
From Old English stan meaning "stone, rock" and weald meaning "forest, wooded area".
Stanwyck English
Variant spelling of Stanwick. This name was borne by the American actress, model and dancer Barbara Stanwyck (1907-1990).
Stapleford English
Habitational name from any of a number of places, in Cambridgeshire, Cheshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, and Wiltshire, so named from Old English stapol meaning "post" + ford meaning "ford".
Stapleton English
Habitational surname from any of various places in England.
Star English
Variant of Starr.
Starbuck English
After Starbeck village in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England. A famous bearer of this name was the fictional character, Starbuck, the first mate of the Pequod in Herman Melville's novel Moby-Dick.
Starke German, Dutch, English
Variant of German and English Stark and Dutch and German Sterk. Nickname for a strong bold person from Middle High German stark Middle Dutch starcke staerke "strong brave".
Starkey English, German
From a diminutive of Stark. This surname is borne by the English musician Sir Richard Starkey (1940-), also known as Ringo Starr.
Starling English
From a medieval nickname for someone thought to resemble a starling, especially in constantly chattering.
Start English
Habitational name from any of the various minor places named from Old English steort "tail".
Stater English
Occupational name for an official in charge of a public weighing machine derived from Middle English stater(er), from Latin statera "balance, scales, steelyard; value", ultimately from Ancient Greek στατήρ (stater) "a weight, a standard; a type of coin".
Stather English
Habitational name derived from a place in England by the River Trent 1, derived from Old Norse stǫðvar "jetties, wharfs, landing stage".
Stay English, American
Possibly related to the word Stay, or a nickname for Stanley.
St Clair French, English
From the place name St Clair
Steacy English
Variant of Stacy.
Stead English
Dweller at the homestead.
Steel English
Variant spelling of Steele, or an Americanized form of the German and Swedish cognates Stahl or Stål.
Steelworker English (Rare)
Modern version of Smith, meaning "someone who works with steel". Comes from the occupation Steel Worker .
Steely English (American)
Americanized form of Swiss German Stühle, a variant of Stuhl .
Stegal English
Variant of Styles.
Stell English
Unknown origin, possibly a variant of Steel, from the English word "steel", originating in Yorkshire, UK. Alternatively, it may be derived from North German dialect word stel meaning "bog", denoting someone who lived near a marsh; or from Latin stella meaning "star", eg for a person who lived at an inn with a star on its sign.
Stemle English
FROM KUPPENHEIM, BADEN, GERMANY, WHERE IT WAS (AND IS TODAY) SPELLED WITH 2 Ms: STEMMLE.... [more]
Stenson English
Means "son of Stephen".
Stenson English
From the name of a hamlet (now called Twyford and Stenson) in Derbyshire, England. The name is a combination of the Old Norse name Steinn and Old English tun "settlement, enclosure".
Stent English (Archaic)
Derived from the Old Norse name Steinn meaning "stone". Recorded in several forms including Stein, Steen, Stone and Ston, this surname is english. It is perhaps not surprisingly one of the first recorded surnames anywhere in the world.... [more]
Stephan French, English
From the given name Stephan
Stephanie English (American)
Directly from the given name Stephanie.
Sterley English
This is an English locational surname. Recorded as Starley, Stearley, Sterley, Sturley, and others, it originates from a place called 'ster-leah', meaning "steer" or "cattle farm". However no such place in any of the known surname spellings is to be found in England, although there is place called Starleyburn in Fifeshire in Scotland... [more]
Steve English
From the given name Steve.
Steven Scottish, English, Dutch, Low German, English (New Zealand)
From the personal name Steven, a vernacular form of Latin Stephanus, Greek Stephanos "crown".
Steward English
Occupational name for an administrative official of an estate or steward, from Old English stig "house" and weard "guard".
St George English
From Saint George.
Stiff English (American)
Used sometimes as a derogatory term, stiff means uptight. It is used in a surname in American culture as well as in the media, such as novels, movies or tv shows.
Stifflemire English (American)
Derived from Old English words "stiff" and "mere," which together could have referred to a stiff or rigid body of water, perhaps a lake or pond.
Stile English
Variant of Styles.
Stiles English
From Old English stigel, stigol ‘steep uphill path’ (a derivative of stigan ‘to climb’).
Stillman English
From German still "quiet" and Mann "man", hence, "calm man".
Stinchcomb English
Habitational name from Stinchcombe in Gloucestershire, recorded in the 12th century as Stintescombe, from the dialect term stint meaning "sandpiper" + cumb meaning "narrow valley".
Stinson English, Scottish
This is one of the many patronymic forms of the male given name Stephen, i.e. son of Stephen. From these forms developed the variant patronymics which include Stim(p)son, Stenson, Steenson, and Stinson.
Stiver English
Occupational name from Old French “estivur” meaning “plowman”, coming from Latin “stivarius”. This has also been used as a name for someone who played the stive, a type of bagpipe.
St James English
St. James has English and French origins and is a rare surname in the United States.
St Leger Irish, English
Anglo-Irish surname, from one of the places in France called Saint-Léger, which were named in honour of St. Leodegar.
St Louis French, English
In honor of Saint Louis.
St Mary English, French
This name is probably used in reference to Mary, Mother of Jesus or one of the many places called St Mary.
St Nicholas English
Indicated the original bearer was from a place named after Saint Nicholas.
Stoakley English
This is an English locational name of Anglo-Saxon origin. The meaning is either the wood from which stocks, that is to say tree stumps or logs were obtained and derived from the Old English pre 7th Century word stocc, meaning a stump and leah, "a wood or glade"... [more]
Stoaks English
A name of unknown meaning that was brought to Britain as a result of the Norman Conquest.
Stockdale English
Habitational name from a place in Cumbria and North Yorkshire, England. Derived from Old English stocc "tree trunk" and dæl "valley".
Stocke English
English: A topographic name for someone who lived near the trunk or stump of a large tree, Middle English Stocke (Old English Stocc)... [more]
Stockholm Danish (Rare), English (American)
Danish variant of Stokholm. English usage could be a habitational name for someone from Stockholm, Sweden (see Stockholm), but this etymology does not apply to Scandinavian usage of the name.
Stocking English
Topographic name from Middle English stocking 'ground cleared of stumps'.
Stockley English
Derived from Old english stocc (tree bark) and leah (clearing), indicating that the original bearer of this name lived in a wooded clearing.
Stockton English
Habitational surname for a person from any of the places (e.g. Cheshire, County Durham, Hertfordshire, Norfolk, Shropshire, Warwickshire, Wiltshire, Worcestershire, and North and West Yorkshire) so called from Old English stocc "tree trunk" or stoc "dependent settlement" + tun "enclosure", "settlement".
Stockwell English
An English boy's name meaning "From the tree stump spring"
Stogdill English
Possibly a variant of Stockdale.
Stokely English
Variation of Stockley.
Stoller German, Jewish, English
Habitational surname for someone from a place called Stolle, near Zurich (now called Stollen).... [more]
Stonefield English
Meaning "stone field".
Stonehill English
Meaning "stone hill".
Stonehouse English
From Middle English ston stan 1 "stone" (Old English stan 1) and house "house" (Old English hus)... [more]
Stoneman English
Combination of Stone and English man. Sometimes used an English form of German Steinmann.
Stonestreet English
Topographic name for someone who lived by a paved road, in most cases a Roman road, from Middle English stane, stone, "stone" and street "paved highway", "Roman road".
Stonor English
Locational name from a village in Oxfordshire, England. The name comes from Old English stán "stony" and the place was named for a stone circle on the land.
Stoops English
May descend from Stoop or Stobe.... [more]
Storey English
From the Old Norse nickname Stóri, literally "large man". A literary bearer is British novelist and playwright David Storey (1933-).
Storie English (American)
Possibly a variant of Storey.
Storm English, Low German, Dutch, Scandinavian
Nickname for a man of blustery temperament.
Stormborn English
most likely of Scandinavian origin
Story English
Variant of Storey.
Stoter English (Modern)
Of Dutch origin and still in use there in a restricted region. Herder of large animals such as cattle or horses. May share a root with Ostler (unverified). Note: Stot in Scottish dialect still means a young bull.... [more]
Stout Scottish, English
Probably a nickname for a brave or powerfully built man, from Middle English stout ‘steadfast’. A contrary origin derives from the Old Norse byname Stútr ‘gnat’, denoting a small and insignificant person.
Stowell English
A locational name from various places in England called Stowell
Stoyle English
Variant of Styles.
St Peter English
Originally from French Canadian immigrants, an anglicized form of French St Pierre.
Straight English
Nickname from Middle English streʒt "straight, upright", presumably applied in either a literal or a figurative sense.
Strang English
Originally given as a nickname to one who possessed great physical strength.
Strangeways English
Means "person from Strangeways", Greater Manchester ("strong current").
Stratton English
English: habitational name from any of various places, in Bedfordshire, Dorset, Hampshire, Norfolk, Oxfordshire, Somerset, Suffolk, Surrey, and Wiltshire, so named from Old English str?t ‘paved highway’, ‘Roman road’ + tun ‘enclosure’, ‘settlement’... [more]
Straughan English
Northern English (Northumbria and the Northeast) variant of Scottish Strachan.
Strawberry English (American, Rare)
Possibly from the name of the fruit, or from any of the various places named Strawberry in the US.
Strawbridge English (American)
Someone who built bridges as a living.
Stream English
English topographic name for someone who lived beside a stream, Middle English streme. Americanized form of Swedish Ström or Danish Strøm (see Strom).
Streeter English
English (Sussex) topographic name for someone living by a highway, in particular a Roman road (see Street).
Strete English
Strete is derived from Old English "Straet" which, in turn is derived from the latin "strata". This surname has spelling variants including, Streeter, Street, Straight, and Streeten. The first occurrences of this surname include Modbert de Strete of Devon (1100), AEluric de Streitun and his heir Roger (at the time of Henry de Ferrers) and Eadric Streona, Ealdorman of Mercia.
Stribling English
From a medieval nickname for a youthful or inexperienced person (from Middle English stripling "youth").
Strider English
Likely an anglicized variation of the Dutch term "Strijder" or German term "Streiter," this surname represents an occupational designation for a soldier or a descriptive term for someone with a combative demeanor.... [more]
Stringfellow English
Nickname for a powerful man, Middle English streng ‘mighty’, ‘strong’ + felaw ‘fellow’ (see Fellows).
Stroh English, German
Means "straw" when translated from German, indicating a thin man, a person with straw-colored hair, or a dealer of straw.
Stroll English
Stroll comes from the English word meaning to walk without hurry, probably for someone who liked to walk.
Stuckey English
Stuckey was first found in Devonshire where they held family seat as Lords of the Manor. The Saxon influence diminished after the battle of Hastings in 1066. For the next three centuries the Norman ambience prevailed... [more]
Studley English
From any number of places called Studley in Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Wiltshire, and North Yorkshire. The name comes from Old English stod "stud farm" + leah "pasture".
Stukeley English
From a surname meaning "woodland clearing with tree stumps" in Old English.
Stukely English
Possibly meaning "stucco" or "stuck".
Sturdivant English
Perhaps a nickname for messenger, a pursuivant or a hasty person, derived from Middle English stirten, sterten meaning "to start, leap" (ultimately from Old English styrtan) and avaunt meaning "forward" (itself from Old French).
Sturdy English
From a nickname meaning "strong".
Sturgeon English
From the word "sturgeon" from the Old French esturgeon "sturgeon". A nickname for someone who closely resembled the eponymous fish.
Sturt English
Variant of Stuart
Sturtevant English
Variant form of Sturdivant.
St Vincent English
Most likely referring to Vincent Ferrer, a friar and preacher or one of the many places called St. Vincent.
Style English
Variant of Styles.
Suckling English
From a medieval nickname for someone of childlike appearance or childish character (from Middle English suckling "infant still feeding on its mother's milk"). Sir John Suckling (1609-1642) was an English poet and dramatist.
Sugarbaker English
Occupational name for an owner of a sugar-house, a factory where raw sugar was made or refined, derived from Middle English sugre, suker meaning "sugar" and bakere meaning "baker".
Suiter American (South)
"Suiter" may also refer to a surname that originated in South Germany as an occupational name for a shoemaker. It comes from a metathesized form of the Middle High German word siuter.
Sullen English
Means "gloomy, ill-tempered, moody" in English, with the archaic meanings "lonely, desolate" and "mischievous, malignant, obstinate", derived from Anglo-Norman soleyn "solitary, alone".
Sully English
Sully, Varient of the last name Sullivan. Notable people include Alfred Sully, American Civil war officer famous for his paintings.
Summ English
Variant of the surname Summers.
Summer English, German
From Middle English sum(m)er, Middle High German sumer "summer", hence a nickname for someone of a warm or sunny disposition, or for someone associated with the season of summer in some other way.
Summerhays English
Probably means "person living by a summer enclosure (where animals were grazed on upland pastures in the summer)" (from Middle English sumer "summer" + hay "enclosure").
Summerlee English (Rare)
This surname is originated from Old English sumer meaning "summer" and leah meaning "clearing, meadow."
Summerlin English, German, Scottish
An English surname.... [more]
Summerset English
Regional surname for someone from Somerset, an area in England. The name is derived from Old English sumer(tun)saete meaning "dwellers at the summer settlement".
Summit English (American)
Of uncertain origin and meaning.
Sumpter English
Occupational name for someone who drove a packhorse, from Middle English sompter.
Sumter English
This surname is derived from an official title. 'the sumpter.' Old French sommetier, a packhorseman, one who carried baggage on horseback
Sunday English
Denoted a person who was born on or is associated with Sunday, ultimately derived from Proto-West-Germanic *sunnōn dag. A famous bearer of the name was American evangelist and professional baseball outfielder Billy Sunday (1862-1935), full name William Ashley Sunday, which is an anglicized form of the surname Sonntag as his parents were German immigrants
Sunder English
From Sanskrit sundara‘beautiful’. This is only a given name in India, but has come to be used as a family name in the U.S.
Sunderland English
Habitational name from any of the locations with the name 'Sunderland', most notably the port city County Durham. This, along with other examples in Lancashire, Cumbria and Northumberland derives from either Old English sundor 'seperate' and land 'land' or Old Norse suðr 'southern' and land 'land' (see Sutherland)... [more]
Surrey English
Regional name for someone from the county of Surrey.
Surridge English
From the medieval personal name Seric, a descendant of both Old English Sǣrīc, literally "sea power", and Sigerīc, literally "victory power".
Surridge English
Originally meant "person from Surridge", Devon ("south ridge").
Surridge English
Meant "person from the south" (from Old French surreis "southerner").
Susan English, Dutch, Jewish (Sephardic)
As an English (London) and Dutch surname, it comes from the feminine personal name Susanna, from Hebrew שושן (shushan) meaning "lily, lily of the valley".... [more]
Sussex English
Derived from an English county name meaning "region of the Saxons from the south" in Old English.
Sutcliff English
From Old English sūth, meaning "south, southern" and cliff.
Sutcliffe English
The name means ''south of the cliff/hill''.
Sutherlin English
Variant of Sutherland
Sutter German, English
English and South German occupational name for a shoemaker or cobbler (rarely a tailor), from Middle English suter, souter, Middle High German suter, sutære (from Latin sutor, an agent derivative of suere ‘to sew’).
Sutterfield English
Possibly derives from the Old English word ''sutere'', and the Latin word ''sutor'', meaning a shoemaker.
Suttor English
English... [more]
Swagger English (American)
Probably a nickname for someone who's confident but aggressive and arrogant.
Swaile English
Recorded in the spellings of Swaile, Swale and Swales, this is an English surname. It is locational, and according to the famous Victorian etymologist Canon Charles Bardsley, originates from either a hamlet called Swallow Hill, near Barnsley in Yorkshire, with Swale being the local dialectal pronunciation and spelling... [more]
Swain Scottish, Irish, English
Northern English occupational name for a servant or attendant, from Middle English swein "young man attendant upon a knight", which was derived from Old Norse sveinn "boy, servant, attendant"... [more]
Swan English, Scottish
Originally given as a nickname to a person who was noted for purity or excellence, which were taken to be attributes of the swan, or who resembled a swan in some other way. In some cases it may have been given to a person who lived at a house with the sign of a swan... [more]
Swann English
Variant of Swan.
Swannell English
From the Old Norse female personal name Svanhildr, literally "swan-battle".
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