This is a list of submitted surnames in which the usage is Danish or Dutch or English or German or Norwegian or Swedish; and the source is Nickname.
Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
KennerGerman, Jewish Means "expert, connoisseur" in German, from kennen "to know", a nickname for someone considered to be intelligent or knowledgeable.
KernGerman, Dutch, Jewish Means "kernel, grain, core" in Dutch, German, and Yiddish (as קערן), an occupational name for a farmer or a nickname for a physically small person. As a Jewish name, it is ornamental.
KettsEnglish (British) The proud Norman name of Ketts was developed in England soon after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. It was a name for a person who has a fancied resemblance to a cat. The name stems from the Old Northern French cat, of the same meaning, which occurs in many languages in the same form from a very early period.
KielDutch From Middle Dutch kidel, kedel "smock", hence a metonymic occupational name for someone who make such garments or perhaps a nickname for someone who habitually wore one. Also a Dutch habitational name from a place so named in Antwerp or from the German city Kiel in Schleswig-Holstein.
KienerGerman Named after profession from Middle High German kien ‘pine chip, torch’ for someone who chips pine wood (wood from pine or spruce) and sells it (e.g. to smelters), a lumberjack or charcoal burner.... [more]
KiesGerman Either from Middle High German kis "gravel, shingle", denoting someone who lives in a gravelly place, or kiesen "to choose". Johann Kies (1713–1781) was a German astronomer and mathematician.
KiffEnglish Possibly a variant of Kift, itself from an Old English nickname meaning "clumsy, awkward".
KinDutch, Flemish Means "chin", a nickname for someone with a pointed or jutting chin. Alternatively, from kinne "relative, family".
KindGerman, Jewish, Dutch From Middle High German kint, German Kind "child", hence a nickname for someone with a childish or naive disposition, or an epithet used to distinguish between a father and his son. In some cases it may be a short form of any of various names ending in -kind, a patronymic ending of Jewish surnames.
KindEnglish Nickname from Middle English kynde meaning "kind, type, nature" or "disposition", possibly used in the sense of "legitimate".
KippsEnglish 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'.
KirschGerman Means 'cherry' in German, short form of Kirschstein or other surnames starting with Kirsch.
KlemmGerman Either from Middle High German klem "narrow, tight", a nickname for miserly person, or from the related klemme "constriction; narrows", a habitational name for someone who lived in a narrow area... [more]
KlepperGerman Derived from Middle High German kleppern "to clatter, chatter; to gossip", a nickname for a talkative or gossipy person.
KlierGerman, Czech, Jewish artificial name (for Jews) and nickname (for Germans and Czechs) derived from German dialect klier "castrated cock".
KlijnDutch Could be a variant of Klein "small, little", or could be derived from Old Dutch kluin (also klyn or kloen) "peat".
KlockGerman, Dutch As a German name this is formed from German glocke "bell", ultimately possibly borrowed from the Irish clocc "bell". It may be an occupational name for a crier or bell ringer, or an habitational name for someone who lived closer to a bell or the sign of a bell... [more]
KloekDutch From Middle Dutch cloec meaning "deft, clever, skilful", derived from Old Germanic *klōkaz "strong, quick, smart".
KlokDutch From Middle Dutch clocke "bell", an occupational name for someone who made or rang bells, or perhaps for a clockmaker. Compare Van Der Klok and Kloek.
KlompDutch, Low German Means both "lump, block, compact heap" and "clog, wooden shoe" in Dutch, often an occupational name for someone who made such shoes. It could also be a nickname for a stocky or clumsy person, or a habitational name for someone who lived by a sign depicting a clog.
KluitDutch Means "lump, clod (of earth)" in Dutch.
KluivertDutch, Dutch (Surinamese) Nickname perhaps related to Dutch kluiven meaning "to gnaw, to bite, to nibble". A notable bearer is Dutch former soccer player Patrick Kluivert (1976-).
KlutzGerman The ancient and distinguished German surname Klutz is derived from the old Germanic term "Klotz," meaning "awkward, clumsy." The name was most likely initially bestowed as a nickname, either on someone who was clumsy or in an ironic way on someone who was exceptionally graceful.
KnatchbullEnglish A nickname from Old English knatch "to strike" + bull "bull", indicating strength.
KnauerGerman (Silesian) Nickname for a gnarled person, from Middle High German knur(e) 'knot', 'gnarl'. habitational name for someone from either of two places in Thuringia called Knau.
KnausGerman Comes from Middle High German knuz ‘proud’, ‘arrogant’, ‘daring’, hence a nickname for a haughty person. In Württemberg knaus (and in Switzerland knus) also meant ‘gnarl’, hence a nickname for a short, fat, gnarled person; topographic name for someone living on a hillock, from knaus ‘hillock’ in the Swabian and Alemannic dialects of German
KnittGermanic (?), English (?) Possibly derived from the Middle High German word knüt or knüttel, meaning "club" or "knot". Could also derive from English word knit which indicates a knitter. Could be an anglicized or simplified form of Knittel, Knett, or even Knudt.
KnobelGerman, German (Swiss), Yiddish Derived from the Middle High German knübel probably a nickname for a fat person or in the sense "ankle". However the term also denotes a rounded elevation and may therefore also be a topographic name for someone who lived by a knoll... [more]
KnolDutch Derived from Middle Dutch knolle "tuber, turnip, lump of earth", a nickname for a fat or clumsy person, or an occupational name for a farmer.
KnollEnglish, 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]
KnorrGerman From a nickname for a gnarly person, derived from Middle High/Low German knorre "knot, protruberance".
KnucklesEnglish Possibly a nickname for someone with prominent knuckles.
KoberGerman, Jewish (Ashkenazi) From Middle High German kober "basket". This was used as either an occupational name for a basket maker or a nickname for someone who carried a basket on his back.
KoldenGerman, Norwegian From Middle Low German kolt, kolde ‘cold’, a nickname for an unfriendly person; alternatively, it may be a habitational name, a shortened form of Koldenhof ‘cold farm’ in Mecklenburg (standardized form: Kaltenhof, a frequent place name in northern Germany, East Prussia, Bavaria, and Württemberg).Norwegian: habitational name from a farm called Kolden, from Old Norse kollr ‘rounded mountain top’.
KöppelGerman (Silesian) Derived from Silesian German Köppel "head" (ulitmately derived from Low German Kopp), this name was a nickname for someone with a visible deformity or peculiarity of the head.
KorbeeDutch From the French surname Corbé, which might derive from courbet "bent, bowed", a nickname based on a crooked posture or manner of walking, or from corbeau "crow, raven".
KortDutch Means "short" in Dutch, a nickname for a short person.
KraanDutch Means "crane" in Dutch, referring to both the bird and the machine. Usually a nickname for a tall or long-legged person, but can also be an occupational name for someone who worked a mechanical crane, or a habitational name from a place containing the element kraan.
KrabbeGerman, Dutch, Danish Means "crab, shrimp", either a metonymic occupational name for someone who caught or sold shellfish, or a nickname based on someone’s way of walking.
KräftGerman, Jewish Nickname for a strong man, from Old High German kraft, German Kraft ‘strength’, ‘power’.
KragDanish, Norwegian, German (Rare) An occupational name for someone making collars, or a nickname for someone wearing one. Ultimately from Middle Low German krage "collar".
KrahGerman Nickname from Middle High German kra "crow" given to someone who resembles a crow.
KrahnGerman Nickname for a slim or long-legged person, from Middle Low German krane "crane". Compare Kranich.
KrayGerman Variant of Krah nickname for someone who resembled a crow from Middle High German kra "crow".
KreiselGerman, Jewish Jewish family name and originally a nickname for an active or disorganized person, derived from German kreisel meaning "spinning top, top", ultimately from kreis "circle". Alternatively, it could've be used as a nickname for a person with curly hair in the context of "spiral" or "curl".
KressGerman From Old High German krassig, gratag "greedy".
KreulGerman From Middle Low German krouwel "hook, claw; three-pronged fork, trident, meat hook", a metonymic name for someone who made such tools, or a nickname for someone who used them.
KreyGerman Nickname from Middle Low German krege "crow".
KriebelGerman Nickname from Middle High German kribeln "to tickle, tingle, itch". Can also be a variant form of Kreul.
KröllGerman From Middle High German krellen "to claw", a nickname for a snappish or cruel person. Compare Kreul.
KrollGerman, Dutch Nickname for someone with curly hair, from Middle High German krol "curly", Middle Low German krulle "ringlet, curl", Middle Dutch croel, crul.
KrummGerman From a nickname, which in turn is from the Middle High German word krum, meaning "crooked" or "deformed".
KuesDutch (Rare) From Middle Dutch cuse "club, cudgel, knobstick".
KühlGerman, Low German The spelling Kühl results from a folk-etymological association with High German kühl ‘cool’ (Middle High German küel(e), a nickname from Middle High German küel ‘cool’, ‘calm’... [more]
KuhlmanGerman Nickname from Middle High German küel ‘cool’, ‘calm.’
KurzbergGerman, Yiddish, Jewish From a location name meaning "short mountain" in German, from Middle High German kurz meaning "short" and berg meaning "mountain". As a Jewish surname it is ornamental.
LanghorneEnglish From Middle English lang "long" and horn "horn". Can be a habitational name from a place named with the elements, with horn used in the sense of a promontory or extending piece of land... [more]
LargeFrench, English Originally a nickname derived from Middle English and Old French large "generous".
LarkEnglish From the name of the bird, a nickname for a singer or a cheerful person, or perhaps someone who caught and sold larks. Alternatively, could be a shortened form of the personal name Larkin.
LarterEnglish Uncertain etymology. Possibly a variant of the French Habitational surname Latour. Other theories connect it to Old Teutonic lahtro "place where animals bear young", or to Old English lyrt "liar, deceiver; crooked", though the latter is unlikely.
LauGerman nickname for a physically strong person from Middle High German louwelauwe "lion". In some cases the surname may have been a topographic or habitational name referring to a house or inn distinguished by the sign of a lion... [more]
LäuferGerman, Jewish Habitational name for someone from a place called Lauf, also an occupational name for a messenger or a nickname for a fast runner, from an agent derivative of Middle High German loufen, German laufen ‘to run’.
LaverickEnglish Derived from Old English lāferce meaning "lark", making it a cognate of Lark.
LawlessEnglish, Scottish, Irish From a nickname for someone who was undisciplined or an outlaw, derived from Middle English laweles "not following the law or discipline".
LeafEnglish Derived from Old English lēof "dear, beloved".
LealEnglish Derived from Old French leial "loyal, faithful (to obligations)", this name was occasionally used as a nickname for a trustworthy person.
LeamonEnglish From an Old English word leof related to love and in this case meaning "beloved" plus the word man.
LearnedEnglish Means "educated" from Middle English lerned (Old English ġelǣred) meaning "educated".
LeiterGerman From Leiter ‘leader’, status name for a foreman or for the leader of a military expedition, from Middle High German leiten ‘lead’.German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): variant of Leitner.
LentEnglish, German, Dutch Nickname from either Old English lencten meaning "spring season, springtime" or from Germanic langa-tinez meaning "long days" which refers to the increasing daylight of spring. Likely a nickname for someone who was born or baptized during springtime.
LeppGerman Unflattering nickname from Middle High German lappe "coxcomb", "puppy" (modern German Laffe).... [more]
LeverFrench, English Nickname for a fleet-footed or timid person, from Old French levre "hare" (Latin lepus, genitive leporis). It may also have been a metonymic occupational name for a hunter of hares.
LeverichEnglish The surname Leverich was first found in West Yorkshire at Liversedge, a township that dates back to the Domesday Book where it was listed as Livresec, a manor belonging to Radulf, a vassal of Ilbert de Lacy... [more]
LichtGerman, Dutch, Yiddish Means "light" or "candle". Could be an occupational name for a chandler, a topographic name for someone who lived in a clearing (see Lichte), or a nickname for someone who had light hair, or who was agile and slender.
LichtenGerman, Jewish From German licht meaning "light". Nickname for someone with a light complexion.
LiebGerman, Jewish Nickname for a pleasant or agreeable person, from Middle High German liep "dear, beloved"; Yiddish lib or German lieb. This word was also used as a personal name, both alone (German) and in compounds (German and Jewish).
LiebermannGerman, Jewish Derived from German lieb or Yiddish lib meaning "dear, beloved". Many Liebermann families originally spelled the name in Hebrew or Cyrillic characters, so variations in the spelling occurred during transliteration to the Latin alphabet.
LieblingGerman, Yiddish, Jewish Derived from German lieb meaning "dear, beloved" or German liebling meaning "darling".
LightEnglish Nickname for a happy, cheerful person, from Middle English lyght, Old English lēoht "light (not dark), bright, cheerful".
LightfootEnglish From a nickname for a messenger or a swift runner, derived from Middle English light "having little weight" and fot "foot".
LillicrapEnglish From a medieval nickname for someone with very fair hair (literally "lily-head").
LillyEnglish Derived from Lilly, a pet name for Elizabeth. It was also used as a nickname for someone with fair skin or hair, and is derived from Old English lilie meaning "lily (the flower)"... [more]
LillywhiteEnglish From a medieval nickname for someone with very fair hair or complexion. It was borne by English cricketers James Lillywhite (1842-1929), first captain of England, and William Lillywhite (1792-1854), pioneer of overarm bowling, uncle of James... [more]
LilyEnglish Derived from Lily, a pet name for Elizabeth. It was also used as a nickname for someone with fair skin or hair, and is derived from Old English lilie meaning "lily (the flower)"... [more]
LindemannGerman Means "soft man" in German, from the elements lind meaning "soft, flexible", and man meaning "man".
LindtGerman, Dutch Derived from given names containing the elements lind "tender, mild, gentle hearted" or lind "linden tree, shield"... [more]
LinnGerman (Silesian), Jewish (Ashkenazi) Derived from the Slavic word lin "tench (fish)", a nickname for a fisherman, or for a person who somehow resembled a tench.
LissSwedish Dialectal name from Dalarna, Sweden meaning "small, little".
LivelyEnglish From a nickname for a lively person, from Middle English lifly.
LöbeGerman Variant of Löwe from Middle High German lēwelöuwe "lion" hence a nickname for a brave or regal person. In some cases the surname may have been a topographic or habitational name referring to a house or inn distinguished by the sign of a lion.
LockeEnglish, German From Old English or Old High German loc meaning "lock of hair, curl".
LongfellowEnglish From a nickname for a tall person, derived from Middle English lang "long, tall" and felawe "fellow, companion, colleague". A famous bearer of the name was American poet and educator Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882)
LoosDutch, Frisian From an obsolete term meaning "artful, clever, insightful".
LottEnglish Nickname for someone who owned an allotted share of land, derived from Middle English lot "portion, plot of land".
LoudEnglish from the English word "loud", given to a loud or, in jest, quiet person
LoveEnglish, Scottish From Anglo-Norman French lo(u)ve meaning "female wolf."
LovedayEnglish Means either (i) "person particularly associated with a 'loveday'" (a day when, by custom, old differences were settled and reconciliations were made); or (ii) from the medieval female personal name Loveday, a descendant of Old English Leofdæg, literally "beloved day"... [more]
LovejoyEnglish Combination of Middle English love(n), luve(n) "to love" and joie "joy".
LovelockEnglish From a medieval nickname for a dandy or a man conceited about his appearance (from lovelock, a term for an elaborately curled lock of hair). This surname is borne by British scientist James Lovelock (1919-), formulator of the "Gaia" concept.
LovettEnglish, French From Ango-Norman French "louvet" meaning "young wolf".
LowehartEnglish Variation of Lowheart, used to denote people who seem to show a lack of consideration through expression
LuchsGerman Means "lynx" in German, a nickname possibly given to someone with good eyesight. Alternatively, a variant form of Lux.
LustigSwedish, German, Jewish, Dutch A nickname for a cheerful person, derived from Swedish and German lustig "humorous, funny, enjoyable" or Middle High German lustig "merry, carefree". Usually ornamental as a Jewish surname.
LuterEnglish From Middle English leuter "lute player", or else from Old French lutre "otter", either a nickname or a metonymic name for someone who hunted otters.
MaiGerman Derived from German der Mai meaning "May", perhaps indicating a person who was baptized in that month.
MainEnglish, Scottish A nickname for a strong or very large man, derived from Old French magne "great, strong, large".
MainsEnglish Nickname of Norman origin, derived from Old French mains "with the hands".
MakepeaceEnglish From a nickname for a professional arbitrator or someone known for fixing hostilities. It may have also been used ironically. A famous bearer of the name was English novelist and illustrator William Makepeace Thackeray (1811-1863).
MakinEnglish Nickname derived from Middle English maide "girl, young woman" and the diminutive suffix -kin.
MaleEnglish Nickname for a virile man, from Middle English male meaning "masculine".
MalfeytDutch, Flemish Generally a Dutch form (or "dutchization", if you will) of Malfait, with the spelling reflecting the surname's origin from older times (as -eyt is an exclusively archaic spelling that has not survived into modern times like its counterparts -eit and -ijt did)... [more]
MallardEnglish Nickname for a person who is likened to a mallard, derived from Old French mallart "male wild duck".
MalloryEnglish, Anglo-Norman The more common variant of the surname Malory. Originally an Anglo-Norman byname for an unfortunate or unhappy person, from the Old French word "maleuré" meaning "unfortunate", "wretched" "wicked"... [more]
MaloryAnglo-Norman, English The older variant of the surname Mallory. Originally an Anglo-Norman byname for an unfortunate or unhappy person, from the Old French word "maleuré" meaning "unfortunate", "wretched" "wicked"... [more]
MantelEnglish, German, French, Dutch nickname for someone who wore a cloak in a particularly conspicuous way or with a striking design, from Middle English, Middle High German, Old French, and Middle Dutch mantel "cloak, coat" (from Late Latin mantellus)... [more]
MarmionEnglish, French, Irish 1. English (of Norman origin) and French: nickname from old French marmion “monkey”, “brat”. ... [more]
MarquisEnglish, French From the title of nobility, which originally denoted an officer whose duty was to guard the marches or frontiers of the kingdom. A march was originally denoted as a border region at a frontier. The word marquis was derived from Late Latin marchensis, from Frankish *marku "boundary, border"... [more]
MarvelEnglish Either (i) from a medieval nickname (often ironic) for someone regarded as a prodigy; or (ii) "person from Merville", the name of two places in northern France ("smaller settlement" and "settlement belonging to a man with a Germanic name beginning with Meri-, literally 'famous'")... [more]
MassingberdEnglish Perhaps from a medieval nickname for someone with an auburn or reddish beard (from Middle English massing "brass" + berd "beard").
MastGerman, Dutch Derived from Middle High German and Middle Dutch mast "mast (fodder made of acorns and beechnuts); the process of fattening livestock", an occupational name for a pig farmer or a swineherd. In some cases, however, the German name may also have been derived from Middle High German mast, mastic "fat, stout".
MastDutch Derived from Middle Dutch mast "(ship's) mast; pole", a nickname for a tall, lanky man. Alternatively, it can derive from the homonym mast "pig fodder, animal fodder".
MautzGerman Meaning "to gripe", or "to complain" in Swabian German.
MayorEnglish, Spanish, Catalan English variant of Mayer 3 and Catalan variant of Major. Either a nickname for an older man or a distinguishing epithet for the elder of two bearers of the same personal name, from mayor "older", from Latin maior (natus), literally "greater (by birth)"... [more]
MeesterDutch, Flemish, German Occupational name for a teacher, lecturer or a master craftsman, or a nickname for someone who had a bossy demeanor, derived from Dutch meester meaning "master". A famous bearer of this surname is the American actress, singer and model Leighton Meester (1986-).
MelmothEnglish From middle english milde, meaning "mild, gentle, friendly" and mouth. The development of the surname may have been influenced by association with Middle English mele-mouth, meaning "mealy-mouthed, reticent, ingratiating, hypocritical".
MidlerEnglish Nickname for a person who causes trouble or meddles in the affairs of others, derived from Middle English medeler meaning "meddler, troublemaker, one who interferes". This name is borne by the American singer, actress and comedienne Bette Midler (1945-).
MierDutch Derived from Dutch mier "ant", perhaps denoting an industrious person.
MildmayEnglish From a nickname for a young woman, from Old English milde "mild, gentle" and mægden "girl, virgin".
MolDutch Means "mole (animal)" in Dutch. Could be a nickname for someone with poor eyesight or who was known for digging, an occupational name for a mole catcher, or a habitational name for someone from Mol in the Antwerp province, Belgium.
MonarchEnglish Origin unidentified. Perhaps a translation of French Monarque, Monarc, a nickname for a high-handed or haughty person, from Old French monarque 'monarch'.
MondscheinGerman, Jewish topographic or habitational name referring to a house name meaning "moonshine" or a nickname for someone who was bald from the same word Middle High German māno "moon" and schinen "shine"... [more]
MoneyEnglish Occupational name for someone who makes money or a nickname for a rich person, from Old French monoie. A famous bearer of the name was New Zealand-American psychologist John Money (1921-2006).
MoneypennyEnglish 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.
MoodyEnglish, Irish Either from Middle English modie "angry, haughty, impetuous", or Old English modig "brave, proud".
MooijDutch From Dutch mooi "beautiful, handsome, neat, fine".
MoorcockEnglish 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-).
MortEnglish Perhaps from a Norman nickname based on Old French mort "dead", possibly referring to someone with a deathly pallor or otherwise sepulchral appearance.
MothEnglish 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-).
MotleyEnglish 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").
MuisDutch From Dutch muis meaning "mouse". Could be a nickname denoting someone with mouse-like tendencies, or who caught mice, or a short form of the given name Bartholomeus.
MultatuliDutch From the Latin phrase multa tulī meaning "I have suffered much" or "I have borne much". This was the pen name of the Dutch writer Eduard Douwes Dekker (1820-1887), who wrote Max Havelaar, which denounced the abuses of colonialism in the Dutch East Indies, now called Indonesia... [more]
MunkGerman, Scandinavian, Dutch, English From Middle High German münich Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish munk Middle Dutch munc "monk" a nickname for someone thought to resemble a monk or a metonymic occupational name for someone in the service of a monastery... [more]
MunnScottish, 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).
MuschDutch, German From Middle Dutch mussche "house sparrow", a nickname for a quick person, or perhaps someone who was small and weak.
MussertDutch Dutch cognate of Mussett. This name was borne by the infamous Nazi politician Anton Mussert (1894-1946), the leader of the National Socialist Movement in the Netherlands (NSB) during World War II.
MussettEnglish Nickname for a foolish or dreamy person, derived from Middle English musard meaning "absent-minded, stupid", ultimately from Old French musart, musarde meaning "confused".
MusseyEnglish Nickname from Middle English mūs ‘mouse’ + ēage ‘eye’.
NachtigallGerman, Jewish Nickname from Middle High German nachtegal "nightingale" from Old High German galan "to sing". Cognate to Nightingale.
NachtriebGerman It possibly comes from the German name of a nachtrab, which is a "night bird like the owl". Another possible meaning is "night tribe".
NantzGerman From a pet form of a Germanic compound name formed with Nant- (for example, Nantwig, Nantger); its meaning is reflected in Middle High German nenden 'to dare'.
NarrGerman Nickname for a foolish or silly person, from Middle High German narr ‘fool’, ‘jester’.
NeadEnglish 1. English: possibly a metonymic nickname for a needy person, from Middle English ne(e)d ‘need’. ... [more]
NearsEnglish 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.