Browse Submitted Surnames

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 Occupation.
usage
source
Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
Medcalf English (British)
Variant spelling of Metcalfe.
Meeboer Dutch (Rare)
Possibly an occupational name for someone who brewed or sold mead, from Dutch mede (also mee) "mead" and boer "farmer, peasant; merchant, producer (of a product)".
Meer German (Swiss), Romansh
Derived from Late Latin maior domus "mayor of a palace" (compare Meyer 1).
Meersman Flemish
An occupational name for a travelling salesman, from Middle Dutch merseman "itinerant merchant, peddler".
Meester Dutch, 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-).
Meister German, Swiss
Means "Master" in German.
Melzer German
Means "malter"
Mendler German
Occupational name for a maker of coats from an agent derivative of Middle High German mantel, mandel, mendel "coat".
Mergler German
Means "marl" from German mergel. It either denoted someone who lived by a marl pit or someone who sold marl.
Mesmer German
Occupational name for a maker of knives from Middle High German messer meaning "knife". A famous bearer was Franz Mesmer (1734-1815), a German doctor known for his theory of "animal magnetism", which was eventually incorporated into the field of hypnosis.
Messenger English
Occupational name for someone who brings messages, from Middle English messangere, a compound of message "communication" with an agent suffix. A famous bearer of the name was Australian footballer Dally Messenger, real name Herbert Henry Messenger (1883-1959), known as Australasia's first professional rugby footballer.
Messerschmidt German
Name given to a knife smith. From German "messer" meaning knife, and "schmidt" meaning smith.
Messing German, Jewish
Derived from Middle High German messinc meaning "brass", referring to a person who makes or repairs brass objects. A famous bearer is American actress Debra Messing (1968-).
Metcalfe English
An occupational name from Northern England, from Old English mete, 'food' and calf, 'calf', i.e calfs being fattened for consumption in late summer. Thus, making this surname an occupational name for either a slaughterer or herdsman... [more]
Metselaar Dutch
Means "bricklayer, mason" in Dutch.
Meulen Dutch, Belgian
Variant spelling of Molen, meaning "mill".
Mick German, Dutch
Occupational name from Middle Low German and Middle Dutch micke "(wheat or rye) bread". Alternatively, a Germanized form of Mik.
Mier Spanish, English (American)
As a Spanish name relates to late summer and means "harvest" or "ripened".... [more]
Milhous English
Variant spelling of English Millhouse.
Milk English
Probably from Middle English milk ‘milk’, applied as a metonymic occupational name for a producer or seller of milk.In some instances, probably a translation of German Milch, a variant of Slavic Milich or of Dutch Mielke (a pet form of Miele), or a shortening of Slavic Milkovich.
Millar English
Variant of Miller.
Millay English
This surname is thought to be a respelling of Millais, which may come from the French surname Millet, a metonymic occupational name for a grower or seller of millet or panic grass (derived from a diminutive form of Old French mil which is then derived from Latin milium meaning "millet").... [more]
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.
Milman English
From the old English word mylen meaning "mill" and mann meaning "man", which in this sense means a worker
Milward English
Variant of Millard and Millward, derived from mille "mill" and weard "guard" meaning "guardian of the mill"
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’).
Minor English, German, French
English: variant spelling of Miner.... [more]
Minter English
Occupational name for someone involved in the production or distribution of coins, such as a moneyer or a clerk in a mint, derived from Old English mynet "coin".
Mittelkauff German (Archaic)
An extinct occupational name for a broker or middleman from Middle High German mittel meaning "middle" and kauf meaning "purchase".
Modderman Dutch
Derived from Middle Dutch modder "mud", this name used to denote a dustman, a garbage man.
Moes Dutch
Derived from Middle Dutch moes "stew, mush, vegetables, food", either on its own as a nickname for a cook or vegetable farmer, or as a shortened form of a longer name, such as the toponym Moespot "vegetable pot".
Mohler German (Swiss)
Derived from the Low German word möhl, meaning "mill." Variant of Müller.
Mohrenschildt German
From the surname Mohren and scilt "shield"
Mol Dutch
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.
Mole English
Mole is (in some but not all cases) the English form of the German Möhl meaning mill.
Molenaar Dutch
Derived from Dutch molenaar "miller".
Molly Dutch (Surinamese)
Possibly derived from an occupational name for a millwright, from Middle Dutch molen "mill".
Molnar Dutch
Variant of Molenaar.
Money English
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).
Moneymaker English (American)
Translated form of German Geldmacher or Geldschläger, occupational names for a coiner.
Monger English
Occupational name for a retail trader or a stallholder in a market, derived Old English mangere "trader, merchant, dealer".
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".
Monkman English
Occupational name for a servant in a monastery, from Middle English monk "monk" and man "man", effectively a variant of Monk with an added suffix.
Most German
Metonymic occupational name for a producer or seller of must, i.e. unfermented grape juice, from Middle High German most, ultimately derived from Latin mustum vinum meaning "young (i.e. fresh) wine"... [more]
Moulder English
Derived from the Middle English word molder which means "to shape or mold something." It could refer to a person who shaped or molded dough or other ingredients into loaves of bread or other baked goods... [more]
Mower English
Occupational name for someone who cut hay or grass.
Mower German (Americanized)
Americanized form of Maurer and Mauer.
Müllerleile German
Derived from Middle High German mülnære, müller meaning "miller" (see Müller), and the German given names Lawlin, Lauwelin and Lawelin, medieval diminutives of Nikolaus.
Munch Danish, French, Norwegian (Rare)
Either a variant of Münch or Munk, both meaning "monk". A notable bearer was Norwegian painter Edvard Munch (1863-1944), whose best known work is 'The Scream'.
Munger English
Variant of Monger.
Munich German
From the lower German word for monk, most likely first used as a surname for a former member of a monastery.
Munk German, 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]
Muskat German, Jewish
Occupational name for a spice merchant from Middle High German muscāt meaning "nutmeg mace". As a Jewish name however it is mainly ornamental.
Mutter German
(also Mütter): occupational name for an official employed to measure grain, from Middle High German mutte, mütte 'bushel', 'grain measure' (Latin modius) + the agent suffix -er.
Mye English
1 English: (i) occupational name from Middle English (Hypothetical) *mie, Old French mie ‘physician’, synonymous with Mee, Mayer 3 or Mayer 4, and Myer... [more]
Nacht German, Jewish
From middle German naht meaning "night".
Nachtmann German, Jewish
Derived from German nacht "night" and mann, referring to a night watchman. As a Jewish name it is ornamental.
Nadel German, Jewish
Metonymic occupational name for a maker of needles, or in some cases for a tailor, from Middle High German nadel(e), German Nadel "needle".
Naegele German
Variant of Nagel.
Nagelschmidt German
Means "nail smith" in German
Nagler German
Form Middle High German nagel "nail".
Nasmith Scottish, English
This surname is derived from an occupation, "nail-smith", but may also mean "knife-smith".
Nast German
Topographic name for someone who lived in a thickly wooded area, or a metonymic occupational name for a woodcutter, from Middle High German nast meaning "branch", a regional variant of ast, resulting from the misdivision of forms such as ein ast meaning "a branch".
Nater German (Swiss)
Derived from Middle High German nâtaere "tailor; furrier".
Nau German
A variant of Neu; meaning "ship" or "boat."
Nauta Dutch
Humanistic Latinization of Schipper, from nauta "sailor, seaman, mariner".
Naylor English
Occupational name for someone who made nails, from Middle English nayler "nail maker".
Negley German (Swiss)
Altered spelling of Swiss German Nägele, Naegeli, or Nägeli, variants of Nagel.
Neher German
An occupational name for a tailor from a deritive of Middle Low German, 'nehen' which means 'to sew' or 'to embroider'
Nesmith English, Scottish
Occupational name for a nail or knife maker, derived from Middle English nayl "nail" or knyf "knife" and smyth "craftsman, smith" (from Old English smiþ).
Nestle German
Variant of Nestler.
Nestler German
Derived from the middle high German word nesteler meaning "maker of string or thread".
Neubecker German
From German neu meaning "new" and becker meaning "baker".
Neuber German
Contracted form of Neubauer.
Neuwirth German
German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): nickname for a new innkeeper, from Middle High German niuwe ‘new’ + wirt and German neu + Wirt ‘master of a house’, ‘innkeeper’.
Nichter German, Yiddish
Possibly means "negator, negate" from Middle High German nicht meaning "not", or "sober", from Middle High German nüchter. Perhaps it originally denoted a person who was a philosopher, judge, or bartender.
Niedermeier German, German (Austrian)
Occupational name for a farmer who had a farm lower than the neighboring one(s). This surname and its variant spellings are common to Austria and the state of Bavaria in Germany.
Niedermeyer German
Means "lower farmer", a distinguishing name for a farmer who worked further south or in a low-lying location.
Nijboer Dutch
Means "new farmer".
Nonnenmacher German
Occupational name for a gelder of hogs, from Middle High German nunne, nonne meaning "nun", and by transfer "castrated hog" + an agent derivative of machen meaning "to make".
Noppe Flemish
Possibly related to Middle Dutch noppe "tuft of wool, tassel", a metonymic name for someone who worked with cloth, or a nickname for someone with a slight stature. Alternatively, from a childish form of the given name Norbert.
Nourse English
Variant of Norris 2, from norice "nurse".
Nunn English
Means someone who is a nun
Nurse English
Variant of Norris 2, from Old French norice "nurse".
Nutter English
Means either (i) "scribe, clerk" (from Middle English notere, ultimately from Latin notārius); or (ii) "person who keeps or tends oxen" (from a derivative of Middle English nowt "ox")... [more]
Obst German, Jewish
Means "fruit" in German, denoting someone who grows or sells fruit. As a Jewish name, it is ornamental.
Ochs German, Jewish
Means "ox" in German, derived from Middle High German ohse, possibly denoting a strong person or someone who worked with oxen. As a Jewish name it is ornamental.
Ochsner German (Swiss)
Means "oxen herder" in Swiss, from Middle High German ohse "ox".
Oechslin German (Swiss)
South German (also Öchslein): from Middle High German ohse ‘ox’ + the diminutive suffix -lin. An occupational name for someone who tended cattle, or for a cattle dealer; or a nickname for a farmer who used oxen for plowing, or for someone perceived to resemble an ox.
Office English (Modern)
Occupational name for a person who works in an office.
Officer English (Canadian), English (American, Rare)
Occupational name for the holder of any office, from Anglo-Norman French officer (an agent derivative of Old French office ‘duty’, ‘service’, Latin officium ‘service’, ‘task’).
Oldshield English
Probably came from the occupation of being a shielder
Orchard English
Derived from Middle English orchard, from Old English ortgeard. It denoted somebody who lived by or worked in an orchard or lived in a place named Orchard.
Organ English
Metonymic occupational name for a player of a musical instrument (any musical instrument, not necessarily what is now known as an organ), from Middle English organ (Old French organe, Late Latin organum ‘device’, ‘(musical) instrument’, Greek organon ‘tool’, from ergein ‘to work or do’).
Orowitz Jewish, German
The name comes from a famous Rabbinical dynasty.... [more]
Orpin English
Means "herbalist" (from Middle English orpin "yellow stonecrop", a plant prescribed by medieval herbalists for healing wounds). A variant spelling was borne by British painter Sir William Orpen (1878-1931).
Osler English
Possibly derived from Ostler (from the the Norman 'Hostelier') meaning clerk or bookkeeper. First used in England after the Norman invasion of 1066. Surname of a 19th cent... [more]
Pach German
Pach is an occupational hereditary surname for a baker in Old German. Pach is also a German local name for someone who lived by a stream, which was originally derived from the German word "bach" which means stream... [more]
Packard English, Norman, Medieval English, German (Anglicized)
English from Middle English pa(c)k ‘pack’, ‘bundle’ + the Anglo-Norman French pejorative suffix -ard, hence a derogatory occupational name for a peddler. ... [more]
Packman English
Variant of Pack.
Page German
Metonymic occupational name for a horse dealer, from Middle Low German page "horse".
Painter English
Occupational name for a painter, derived from Middle English paynter.
Paler Jewish, Yiddish (Ukrainianized), English (Rare)
Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic): occupational name for a distiller, a Yiddishized form of Ukrainian palyar 'distiller'. English: variant of Paylor.
Palfrey English
Occupational surname for a man who works with saddle-horses, from Middle English palfrey, a kind of small saddle horse used in the Middle Ages.
Palfreyman English
Variant of Palfrey combined with the suffix man.
Palliser English
Means "maker of palings and fences" (from a derivative of Old French palis "palisade"). In fiction, the Palliser novels are a series of six political novels by Anthony Trollope, beginning with 'Can You Forgive Her?' (1864) and ending with 'The Duke's Children' (1880), in which the Palliser family plays a central role.
Pannebakker Dutch
From Middle Dutch panne "pan, roof tile" and backer "baker", an occupational name for someone who made roof tiles.
Pannekoek Dutch
Means "pancake" in Dutch, possibly a nickname for someone who made or liked to eat pancake. Alternatively, it could derive from a place name, such as an inn or field named for pancakes.
Panzer German
Metonymic occupational name for an armorer from Middle High German panzier "mailcoat" (Old French pancier "armor for the stomach, body armor" from Late Latin).
Papier French, German, Jewish
Means "paper" in French and German, denoting a paper maker or merchant, both derived from Old French papier.
Parduhn German
Variant Of Pardon From Middle English Pardun, Pardon "Pardon" A Metonymic occupational name for a pardoner, a person licensed to sell papal pardons or indulgences. German: either a cognate of 1 (also for a sexton), from Old French pardon ‘pardon’, or perhaps a nickname from Middle Low German bardun, Middle High German purdune ‘pipe’ (instrument), ‘tenor’ (voice).
Parkzer English (American, Modern, Rare)
Variant of "Parker". Adam Parkzer, better known mononymously as Parkzer, formally known as Adam Park, renamed it to Parkzer because of 'how generic his surname was'
Parr German
Variant of Pfarr.
Parsley Medieval French, English, Norman, French
Derived from Old French passelewe "cross the water."... [more]
Parson English
Means "priest, cleric, minister" in English, either an occupational name for someone who worked for a parson, a nickname for someone considered particularly pious, or perhaps given to illegitimate children of a priest.
Parton English
Habitational name from any of various places called Parton; most are named with Old English peretun ‘pear orchard’. A famous bearer of the surname is Dolly Parton.
Pastorius German (Latinized)
Derived from Latin pastor "shepherd", a Latinized form of German surname Schäfer. This surname is no longer found in Germany. Jaco Pastorius (1951-1987), full name John Francis Anthony Pastorius III, was the most influential American jazz bassist, composer, and producer... [more]
Pateman English
The name Pateman is rooted in the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. It is a name for someone who worked as a boatman. The surname Pateman is derived from the Anglo-Saxon word bat, which means a boat.
Pater Dutch, German, English, Polish
From Latin pater "father", used as a religious title for a priest in Roman Catholicism. Possibly used semi-literally for a man who worked in the church, or figuratively for a solemn or pompous man.
Pearl English
Metonymic occupational name for a trader in pearls, which in the Middle Ages were fashionable among the rich for the ornamentation of clothes, from Middle English, Old French perle (Late Latin perla).
Pearsall English
a British surname of French origin derived from the pre-9th-century word "pourcel", which described a breeder of animals or a farmer
Pechman German
"Pechman" means "man with bad luck" in many European languages (Polish, German, and Dutch predominantly), though in German, it originally referred to one who prepared, sold, or used pitch.
Pechtold German, Dutch, Jewish
From the Old German given name Pechtholt, which is composed of the elements pecht "rotation" and holdt "hero". As a Dutch-language surname, it is derived from the Middle Dutch given name Pechte combined with Old High German walt "power, authority"... [more]
Peikert German
Probably an occupational name for a drummer.
Peiper German (Austrian)
Occupational name for a piper, from Middle High German piper. In some cases it may be derived from Sorbian pipar "pepper", thus being an occupational name for a spicer or a nickname for one with a fiery temper.
Pelle German
From Middle Low German pelle "precious purple silk cloth", presumably an occupational name for a maker or seller of such cloth or for a maker of official and church vestments.
Pelsmaker Dutch
Occupational name for a pelt maker, from Dutch pels "pelt, fur" and maker "maker"
Pelter English
Derived from Middle English pellet "skin (of an animal, sheep)", an occupational name for someone who tanned or sold hides and pelts for a living. Compare French Pelletier.
Peltz German, Jewish
Occupational name for a furrier, from Middle High German bellez, (modern German pelz) "fur", "animal skin".
Pelz German, Jewish
Variant of Peltz.
Pelzer German
Occupational name for a furrier, from an agent derivative Middle High German bellez "fur".
Peppard English, Irish
Occupational name from Old French pipart meaning "piper".
Pepper English
Occupational name for a spicer.
Percher English
In textile mills, woven fabric coming off the mill / loom would pass over a frame, or rod, called a 'perch'. It was the job of the 'Percher' to examine the cloth for defects, and repair them when they were found... [more]
Perlman German
Occupational name for a person who makes or sells pearls.
Person English
Variant form of Parson.
Persoon Dutch, Flemish
Dutch cognate of Parsons.
Pettinger English
English version of Pottinger.
Pfannebecker German
Occupational name for a maker of roof tiles, cognate of Dutch Pannebakker.
Pfarr German
From Middle High German pfarr 'district' 'parish' or pfarre(r) 'parish priest', hence an occupational name for a parson.
Pfarrer German
Means "Pastor" in German.
Pfeffer German, Jewish
Occupational name for a spicer, or a nickname for a person with a fiery temper, for a small man, or for a dark-haired person. Derived from German Pfeffer "pepper".
Pfefferle German
South German diminutive of Pfeffer, and a nickname for a person who sells spices.
Pflaum German, Jewish
metonymic occupational name or possibly a nickname from Middle High German pflūme, German pflaume "plum", as a Jewish name it is artificial... [more]
Pflug German
Means "plough, plow" in German, an occupational name for a plowman or plowwright.
Pflüger German
Occupational name for a Ploughman, literally meaning "Ploughman/Plowman" in German.
Pfund German
metonymic occupational name for a sealer of weights, or for a wholesale merchant, from Middle High German pfunt ‘pound’ (as a measure of weight and a unit of currency).
Pickler English
Derived from the occupation of "pickler," which referred to someone who worked in the pickling industry, preserving foods such as vegetables or meats in brine or vinegar.
Pieper German, Dutch
Occupational name for a piper.
Pijl Dutch
Means "arrow, projectile" in Dutch, an occupational name for an archer or fletcher.
Pijpers Dutch
Dutch cognate of Piper.
Pilch English
From Middle English pilch, a metonymic occupational name for a maker or seller of pilches or a nickname for a habitual wearer of these. A pilch (from Late Latin pellicia, a derivative of pellis "skin, hide") was a kind of coarse leather garment with the hair or fur still on it.
Pilcher English
Occupational name for a maker or seller of pilches, from an agent derivative of Pilch. In early 17th-century English, pilcher was a popular term of abuse, being confused or punningly associated with the unrelated verb pilch "to steal" and with the unrelated noun pilchard, a kind of fish.
Pin Dutch
From Middle Dutch pinne meaning "peg, pin", probably an occupational name for a craftsman who used them in his work.
Pincock English
It is believed to be a variant of the surname Pink, which itself can have several origins, including being a nickname for someone with pink cheeks or a rosy complexion, or an occupational name for a dyer or someone who worked with pigment dyes.
Pinn English, German
Derived from Middle English pin and Middle Low German pinne, both meaning "peg" or "pin". This was an occupational name from a maker of these things. The German name can in some cases be an occupational name for a shoemaker.
Pistario English (American, Rare)
Uncertain etymology, possibly an altered spelling of an Italian or Spanish surname derived from Latin pisto "to pound, to beat", perhaps as an occupational name for a baker.
Pitcher English, German
From an agent derivative of Middle English pich ‘pitch’, hence an occupational name for a caulker, one who sealed the seams of ships or barrels with pitch. English variant of Pickard... [more]
Plants English (Rare)
Patronymic form of Plant.
Plate German, Dutch
metonymic occupational name for a maker of plate armor from Middle High German blate plate Middle Dutch plate "plate armor plating".
Plato German, Dutch, Polish, English
From the Given name Plato the Latinized form of Platon. English variant of Plater.
Plum English
From Old French plomb "lead (metal)", a metonymic occupational name for a plumber, or someone who dealt in lead.
Plum English, German
From Old Germanic *plūmā "plum", used as a topographic name for someone who lived by a plum tree, a metonymic occupational name for someone who grew or sold plums, or perhaps a nickname referring to a plum-coloured birthmark.
Plumer German, English, Dutch
North German (Plümer) and English: variant of Plum, the suffix -er denoting habitation or occupation. Altered form of South German Pflümer, an occupational name for a grower or seller of plums, from an agent derivative of Middle High German pflume ‘plum’... [more]
Plummer English
1. Occupational name for a worker in lead, especially a maker of lead pipes and conduits, from Anglo-Norman French plom(m)er, plum(m)er ‘plumber’, from plom(b), plum(b) ‘lead’ (Latin plumbum)... [more]
Pöge German
German cognate of Page.
Poland English, 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]
Poling English, Welsh
Altered form of Bolling, possibly also of Bollinger or Pollinger.
Pontz English
The name Pontz likely came from Germanic origin, probably originating from the German Pflanzen.
Poortman Dutch
Occupational name for a gatekeeper or topographic name for someone who lived near the gates of a fortified town, from Dutch poort "gate" and man "man, person".
Porcari Italian, English
From Italian porci "pigs", denoting someone who worked as a pig herder.
Port English, German, French
Either from Middle English porte "gateway, entrance" (Old French porte, from Latin porta), hence a topographic name for someone who lived near the gates of a fortified town or city, or for the gatekeeper... [more]
Portman German (Americanized), Dutch
Americanized form of German Portmann, as well as a Dutch variant of Poortman (and in some cases an Americanized form)... [more]
Portmann German
Occupational name for a gatekeeper, derived from Middle Low German port(e) meaning "gate" and man, or a topographic name for someone who lived near the gates of a fortified town.
Postma West Frisian, Dutch
West Frisian variant of the Dutch and North German surname Posthumus, given to a child born after their father’s death. It could also be a variant of the habitational name Post or an occupational name for a mailman or guard, using the Frisian suffix -ma.
Pot Dutch
From Middle Dutch pot "pot, jar", an occupational name for a potter, or perhaps a toponymic surname referring to a low-lying piece of land.
Præst Danish
From Danish præst meaning "priest".
Prato English
From Latin praetor, meaning "reeve".
Preece Welsh (Anglicized), English
Variant of Price. From Welsh ap Rhys meaning "son of Rhys". ... [more]
Prentice English
Derived from apprentice.
Press English, Jewish
A nickname for a pious individual from the Middle English form of "priest" or possibly someone employed by a priest. In the Jewish sense, one whose occupation was to iron clothes.
Prieskorn German
Possibly either a derisive nickname for a grain merchant from pries a variant of Middle High German brüsch or Middle Low German bross "brittle crumbly" and korn "grain" or alternatively for a grain seller from prisekorn "(I) determine the price of grain".
Priest English
Derived from the occupation priest, which is a minister of a church. It could also be a nickname for a person who is / was a priest.
Prins Dutch, Jewish
Means "prince" in Dutch, a doublet of Prince. Often a habitational name for someone who lived or worked near a location named Prins, such as an inn or windmill, or sign depicting the Prince of Orange... [more]
Prior English
Occupational surname for a prior (a high-ranking official in a monastery), ultimately from Latin prior meaning "superior, first".
Proctor English
Occupational name for a legal practitioner in an ecclesiastical court or a person appointed to collect alms for those who could not go out to beg for themselves (i.e., lepers and the bedridden), from Middle English proctour "steward", ultimately a contracted form derived from Latin procurator "agent, manager"... [more]
Proost Dutch, Belgian
Means "provost" in Dutch, a leadership position.
Prost Dutch
Variant or Americanized form of Proost.
Provost English, French
Derived from the Middle English provost; referring to the person who heads a religious chapter in a cathedral or educational establishment. It was also used as a nickname for a self-important person and is a French variant of Prevost.
Prudhomme French, English
From Old French preudomme "noble man, valiant man, hero", denoting a brave person or an occupational name for a magistrate.
Puckett English
Of uncertain origin; perhaps a variant of Pocket(t), from a diminutive of Anglo-Norman French poque "small pouch", hence a metonymic occupational name for a maker of purses and pouches or a nickname... [more]
Pulver Low German, French, English
I comes from the Latin verb meaning "to make powder." This name was given to either an alchemist or one who made gunpowder.
Putz German
German for "plaster". Likely used to denote someone who manufactured plaster
Pygall English (Hellenized, Rare)
From ancient Greek for rump, associations with prostitution across Europe, commonly given to illegitimate children of prostitutes, found especially in North East England and Nottinghamshire.
Pyke English
Most likely originates from the words pike (the weapon or the fish), having to do with fishermen or soldiers, or pick, having to do with miners or somebody who tills the ground.
Pyle Dutch (Americanized)
Americanized form of Dutch Pijl, a metonymic occupational name for a marksman or an arrowsmith, derived from pijl meaning "arrow".
Pyper Scottish, Irish, English, Dutch (Americanized, Archaic)
Scottish, Irish and English: variant of Piper. This form of the surname is found mainly in Scotland and Ireland.... [more]
Quaker English, Scottish
This surname was used to indicate someone who worked as a son of a vicar, who was a priest in charge of a parish in which most or all of the tithes were paid to another recipient, while the vicar received a stipend.
Raad Dutch
Metonymic occupational name for an adviser, counselor, or member of a town council, from raad "advice, counsel", or derived from a given name containing the element (see rēdaz).
Raat Dutch
From Middle Dutch raet "advice, counsel". Could be an occupational name for a member of a council, or a short form of names containing rēdaz, such as Radulf... [more]
Rader German
Variation of Rademacher, meaning "maker of wheels" in German ("rat" meaning wheel), later shortened to Rader and other variations such as Redder, Raeder, Redler, etc.
Radler German
Occupational name, which was derived from the kind of work done by the original bearer. It is a name for a wheelmaker or wheelwright. The name stems from the German noun rat, meaning wheel. The origin is more clear in the variant Rademacher
Raisor English (American), German (Americanized)
Possibly a variant of Rasor, or an Americanized form of German Röser or Reiser.
Raiter German
Occupational name for a taxman or accountant, from an agent derivative of Middle High German reiten ‘to reckon’, ‘to calculate’.
Range German, French
German: nickname for a ragamuffin, from Middle High German range ‘naughty boy’, ‘urchin’.... [more]
Ranger English, German, French
English: occupational name for a gamekeeper or warden, from Middle English ranger, an agent derivative of range(n) ‘to arrange or dispose’.... [more]
Rasor English
Probably from Old French rasor, meaning "razor".
Rather German, Jewish
1. Occupational name for a counsellor or nickname for a wise person, from Middle High German rater ‘adviser’. ... [more]
Rathgeber German
From Middle High German ratgebe or Middle Low German ratgever "giver of advice, counselor", an occupational name for an adviser or wise man.
Rauch German
Perhaps an occupational nickname for a blacksmith or charcoal burner, from Middle High German rouch, German Rauch ‘smoke’, or, in the case of the German name, a status name or nickname relating to a hearth tax (i.e. a tax that was calculated according to the number of fireplaces in each individual home).
Ravenel English, French
Habitational name from Ravenel in Oise or a metonymic occupational name for a grower or seller of horseradish, from a diminutive of Old French ravene ‘horseradish’ (Latin raphanus)... [more]
Reader English
Modernized form of Reeder.
Reaves English
Variant of Reeves.
Rechner German
Occupational name from Middle High German rechenære "reckoner keeper of accounts".
Recknagel German
from Middle High German recken "to raise or lift" (here in the imperative) and nagel "nail" hence a metonymic occupational name for a blacksmith or perhaps an obscene nickname (with a transferred sense for nagel i.e. ‘penis’).
Rector English
Status name for the director of an institution, in particular the head of a religious house or a college. Also an anglicized form of Richter.
Redner German
German: possibly a variant of Redmer, or an occupational name for a spokesman, Middle High German rednære.
Regel German
from Middle High German regel "(monastic) rule" (from Latin regula), perhaps a metonymic occupational name for someone who worked in a monastery.
Rehder German
Occupational name, which was derived from the kind of work done by the original bearer. It is a name for a wheelmaker or wheelwright.
Reisser Upper German
An occupational name for a woodcutter, Middle High German risser.
Reller German (Swiss)
Occupational name for a miller, derived from the Swiss German dialect term relle meaning "grist mill".
Relyea German, French (Anglicized)
Altered spelling of southern German and French Rellier, or probably a regional variant of Swiss German Reller, especially in the western provinces of Austria... [more]
Reuss German
Occupational name for a cobbler, from Middle High German riuze.
Reusser Swiss, German, Upper German
In Switzerland, an occupational name for a fisherman or maker of fish traps, from an agent derivative of Middle High German riuse "fish trap, weir basket". A nickname from an agent noun based on Middle High German riusen "to moan or complain"... [more]
Rhett Dutch
Anglicized form of Dutch de Raedt, derived from raet "advice, counsel". Compare Raad.
Ridder German, Dutch
Dutch form and German variant of Ritter.
Rideout English
Means "outrider (a municipal or monastic official in the Middle Ages whose job was to ride around the country collecting dues and supervising manors)".
Riesen German
It is a name for a wood carver.
Right English
Variant spelling of Wright 1.
Rind German
Probably a metonymic occupational name for a cattle dealer or butcher, from Middle High German rint meaning "cow".
Rindfleisch German
Means "beef" in German (lit. cow flesh). Compare Kalbfleisch.
Rindt German
Variant of Rind.
Ripper English
Means "maker, seller or carrier of baskets" (from a derivative of Middle English rip "basket").
Ritterman German
From Middle High German riter meaning "rider, knight" and man literally meaning "man".
Rivet French, English
French: from a diminutive of Old French rive ‘(river) bank’, ‘shore’ (see Rives).... [more]