MENEARCornish, English (British) English (Devon; of Cornish origin): topographic name for someone who lived by a menhir, i.e. a tall standing stone erected in prehistoric times (Cornish men ‘stone’ + hir ‘long’). In the United States, it is a common surname in Pennsylvania & West Virginia.
MENEZBreton Menez means mount or mountain in Breton.
MEREDITHWelsh From the personal name Maredudd. In Welsh the stress is on the second syllable. The Old Welsh form is Morgetiud, of which the first element may mean "pomp, splendor" and the second is iudd "lord".
MERRIAMWelsh Derived from either the personal name Meuric, which is the Welsh form of MAURICE, or ultimately from the Latin personal name Mauritius, which means "dark".
MÉZECBreton Mézec derives from mezeg which means physician in Breton
MICKGerman, Dutch, Irish Short form of the given name MIKOLAJ or an occupational name from Middle Low German and Middle Dutch micke "(wheat or rye) bread"... [more]
MIDNIGHTIrish Middle of the night, darkness, dark blue
MORANIrish The surname Moran, originating in counties Mayo and Sligo of Connaught, is the shortened version of O'Moran, Anglicized form of the older O'Morain "grandson of the great one" with the Old Irish root mor 'great, big' (denoting stature and/or character).
MOREYIrish, English Anglicized form of Irish Gaelic Ó Mórdha, and in English (of Norman origin), from the Old French given name Mory, a short form of AMAURY (see EMERY).
MULKERINIrish The Irish surname Mulkerin is an anglicied rendering of the Gaelic surname O'Maoilchiarain which means ,literally, "descendant of a follower of Saint Ciaran", the Irish saint who founded the great monastery at Clonmacnois... [more]
MULLARKEYIrish From Irish Gaelic Ó Maoilearca "descendent of the follower of (St) Earc", a personal name meaning literally either "speckled one" or "salmon".
MULVEYIrish Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Maoilmhiadhaigh "descendant of Maoilmhiadhach", a personal name meaning "honorable chief".
MULVIHILLIrish Anglicized from Gaelic Ó Maoil Mhichíl meaning "descendant of Maoilmhichil", Maoilmhichil being a personal name meaning "devotee of (Saint) Michael", referring to the archangel.
MURLANDIrish Murland is an Irish surname, which according to MacLysaght's The Surnames of Ireland is MacMurghalain in Gaelic, ultimately deriving from words meaning "sea" and "valor".
NANCARROWCornish Means "person from Nancarrow", Cornwall (either "valley frequented by deer" or "rough valley"). It was borne by US composer Conlon Nancarrow (1912-1997).
NANCECornish Medieval Cornish surname. Derived from the Celtic word 'nans', meaning valley. Often linked with the Breton surname 'de Nant', which also means valley.
NANKERVISCornish, English (Australian) From the name of a place in St Enoder parish in Cornwall, derived from Cornish nans "valley" and an uncertain second element, possibly *cerwys, an unattested plural of carow "stag".... [more]
NARAMOREnglish, Welsh Naramor, also Narramore or Naramore, is a corruption of Northmore, and has Welsh/English background. "More North"
NEESONIrish, Dutch, German Irish: reduced Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Naois ‘son of Naois’, usually Anglicized as MCNEESE. Can also be an altered form of Dutch or German NIESEN... [more]
NESBITTScottish, 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.
NESTORIrish Derived from the surname Mac Girr an Adhastair (sometimes shortened to Mac an Aghastair), meaning "Short man of the halter." The Mac Girr an Adhastair were associated with the local lords, the Ó Lochlainn family.
NETTERVILLEIrish Of Anglo-Norman origin, probably a habitational name from an unidentified place in France.
NOBLEEnglish, Scottish, Irish, French Nickname from Middle English, Old French noble "high-born, distinguished, illustrious" (Latin nobilis), denoting someone of lofty birth or character, or perhaps also ironically someone of low station... [more]
NOCKCeltic, English Dweller at the oak tree; originally spelt as "Noake" evolved into "Nock".
NUGENTEnglish, Irish, French An English, Irish (of Norman origin) and French habitational surname derived from any of several places in northern France (such as Nogent-sur-Oise), From Latin novientum and apparently an altered form of a Gaulish name meaning "new settlement".
Ó CANANNIrish Means "descendant of CANÁN". Canán is a given name derived from the word cano "wolf cub".
O'CARROLLIrish (Anglicized) Originates from the ancient Gaelic name Mac Cearbhaill or O'Cearbhaill, deriving from the word "Cearbh" which means to "Hack". Making it a possible name for a warrior or blacksmith.
Ó CÉIRÍNIrish Meaning ‘descendant of CÉIRÍN’, a personal name from a diminutive of ciar ‘dark’, ‘black’. English patronymic -s has been added superfluously.
O'DUFFYIrish The name O'Duffy originates from the gaelic surname "O Dubhthaigh". Dubh meaning "Black" in Gaeilge. They claim descent from the ancient Heremon kings of Ireland. They descend from "Cahir Mor", the King of Leinster in the second century... [more]
Ó DUIBHIDHIRIrish Means "descendant of DUIBHUIDHIR". Duibhuidhir is a personal name composed of the elements dubh "dark, black" and odhar "sallow, tawny".
O'FARRELLIrish From Irish Ó Fearghail meaning "descendant of FEARGHAL. This name is borne by several families in Ireland, in counties Longford, Tyrone, and Wicklow.
O'GALVINIrish Anglicized form of Ó Gealbháin, which means "descendant of the bright, fair one", derived from the Gaelic elements geal "bright" and ban "fair, white". A known bearer of the original form of the surname is Ciarán Ó Gealbháin, former signer of the Irish traditional music band Danú.
O'GRADYIrish Anglicized form of Ó Gradaigh, meaning "descendant of Gradaigh." Gradaigh is a personal name derived from the Irish Gaelic word grada, "the illustrious one."
ÓHEARCÁINIrish The surname ÓhEarcáin (Harkins) is derived from the Irish nickname of Erc or Earc meaning freckled. The diminutive of Erc or Earc is Ercáin or Earcáin. When the Irish alphabet added the aspirate “h” the name became hErcáin or hEarcáin with the hereditary surname prefixes Uí hErcáin, UahErcáin, ÓhEarcáin and (female)Ní Earcáin that was anglicized as Harkin, Harkan, or Harkins... [more]
O'HURLEYIrish The name HURLEY itslef come from the stick used in the game of Hurling, first played in Ireland. The name might have origanated due to a player of the game being dubbed hurley... [more]
O'LENNONIrish Original form of LENNON. Probably a variant of O'Leannain (from a by-name meaning "lover"), but may also be derived from O'LONAIN (from lon, "blackbird").
O'SHEERANIrish (Rare) Anglicized form of either Ó Sírín or Ó Síoráin meaning "descendant of Sírín" and "descendant of Síoráin" respectively. Sírín and Síoráin are variants of the same name, both are derived from a diminutive of síor meaning "long-lasting".
O' TOLANIrish The meaning of the name is unclear, but it seems to derive from the pre 13th century Gaelic O' TUATHALAIN suggesting that it was probably religious and may translate as "The male descendant of the follower of the lord".
Ó TORÁINIrish Meaning, ‘descendant of TORÁN’, a personal name formed from a diminutive of tor ‘lord’, ‘hero’, ‘champion’.
O’TORANIrish (Anglicized) Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó TORÁIN ‘descendant of TORÁN’, a personal name formed from a diminutive of tor ‘lord’, ‘hero’, ‘champion’.
O' TUATHALAINIrish May translate as "The male descendant of the follower of the lord".
O' TWOLANIrish The meaning of the name is unclear, but it seems to derive from the pre 13th century Gaelic O' TUATHALAIN suggesting that it was probably religious and may translate as "The male descendant of the follower of the lord".
PARHAMIrish, English This name has been used amongst the Irish and English. This user's great grandmother came from Ireland and her maiden name was Parham. However, in English (London) it is a habitational name from places in Suffolk and Sussex, named in Old English with pere ‘pear’ + ham ‘homestead’.
PEMBROKEWelsh Habitual surname for someone from Pembroke, a town in Wales.
PENGELLYCornish Habitational name for someone from any of various locations in Cornwall named Pengelly, from Cornish penn meaning "head, top, end" and gelli or gilly meaning "copse, grove".
PENHALIGONCornish Originally meant "person from Penhaligon", Cornwall ("willow-tree hill"). It is borne by Susan Penhaligon (1950-), a British actress.
PENROSECornish, Welsh Originally meant "person from Penrose", Cornwall, Herefordshire and Wales ("highest part of the heath or moorland"). It is borne by the British mathematician Sir Roger Penrose (1931-).... [more]
PERDUEEnglish, Irish, French English and Irish from Old French par Dieu ‘by God’, which was adopted in Middle English in a variety of more or less heavily altered forms. The surname represents a nickname from a favorite oath... [more]
PEREIREBreton (Latinized, Archaic) This surname is the Gallic (Gaulish) origin and it means wild pear tree. There are also similar spellig in the Iberian Peninsula such as Pereiro, Pereyro, Pereiros, Perero and Pereros. These surnames (last names) correspond to families of the Celtiberian culture.
PEREIRICeltic (Latinized, Archaic) Pereiri or Pereiro is a Galician surname in the north of Spain. It's a last name belonging to ancient Celtic tribes.
PEWWelsh From Welsh ap Hew or ap Hugh "son of HUGH" (see PUGH). A fictional bearer is Blind Pew, the blind pirate in Robert Louis Stevenson's 'Treasure Island' (1883).
PIKEEnglish, Irish English: topographic name for someone who lived by a hill with a sharp point, from Old English pic ‘point’, ‘hill’, which was a relatively common place name element.... [more]
POLANDEnglish, German, French (Anglicized), Irish (Anglicized) English and German name is derived from the Middle High German Polan, which means "Poland". The surname originally signified a person with Polish connections.This French surname originated from an occupational name of a poultry breeder, or from a fearful person; it is derived from the Old French poule, which means "chicken".In other cases, particularly in Ireland, the English Poland is a variant of Polin,which is in turn an Anglicised form of the original Gaelic spelling of Mac Póilín, which translated from Irish means "son of little Paul"... [more]
PRIDEAUXCornish Means "person from Prideaux, earlier Pridias", Cornwall (perhaps based on Cornish prȳ "clay"). The modern Frenchified spelling is based on the idea that the name comes from French près d'eaux "near waters" or pré d'eaux "meadow of waters".
PRIORIrish (Anglicized) Anglicized form of Irish Gaelic Mac an Phríora meaning "son of the prior".
PRIVETTFrench, English, Welsh (?) French, from the given name Privat (see PRIVATUS). Also an English habitational name from a place so named in Hampshire, derived from Old English pryfet "privet".
QUAILEnglish, Manx A variant of Quayle, derived from various patronymics meaning "son of Paul". Alternately, an English nickname derived from the bird, perhaps given to a person who was timid, or known for being promiscuous.
QUILLENIrish The surname Quillen is derived from the personal name Hugelin, which is a diminutive of Hugh. The Gaelic form of the name is Mac Uighilin.