English Submitted Surnames

English names are used in English-speaking countries. See also about English names.
usage
Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
Twine English
Metonymic occupational name for a maker of string or thread, and derived from Old English twin meaning "thread, string".
Twiner English
Occupational name for a maker of thread or twine; an agent derivative of Old English twinen meaning "to twine".
Twining English
From the name of the village of Twyning in Gloucestershire, derived from Old English betweonan meaning "between" and eam meaning "river".
Twocock English
Twocock literally translates to "twin cocks" and was likely given to someone who was perceived to have a fierce or aggressive personality, like a rooster.
Twyford English
English habitational name from any of the numerous places named Twyford, for example in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Derbyshire, Hampshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Middlesex, and Norfolk, from Old English twi- ‘double’ + ford ‘ford’.
Tylor English
Variant of Tyler.
Tylson English, German (Anglicized)
English: variant of Dyson (see surname Dye). ... [more]
Tyree Scottish, English
A name that evolved among the descendants of the people of the kingdom of Dalriada in ancient Scotland.
Tysoe English
Denoted the bearer was from the parish of Tysoe, Warwickshire, England. The name of the parish is derived from Old English Tīges hōh, meaning "spur of land belonging to the god Tiw." (Tiw was the Old English name for the Roman deity Mars, and also inspired the name of Tuesday.)
Udom English
English: nickname for someone who had done well for himself by marrying the daughter of a prominent figure in the local community, from Middle English odam ‘son-in-law’ (Old English āðum).
Umble English
Variant of Humble.
Umpleby English
Originally given to people from the village of Anlaby in East Yorkshire, UK. Written as Umlouebi in the Domesday Book, the place name is from Old Norse given name Óláfr + býr, "farmstead" or "village".
Underbrook English
Meaning "under the brook".
Union English, Irish
A notable bearer is Gabrielle Union, an actress.
Unthank English
From a place name meaning "squatter's holding" from Old English unthanc (literally "without consent").
Unwin English
From the Old English male personal name Hūnwine, literally "bearcub-friend" (later confused with Old English unwine "enemy"). Bearers include British publisher Sir Stanley Unwin (1885-1968) and "Professor" Stanley Unwin (1911-2002), South African-born British purveyor of comical nonsense language.
Upchurch English
habitational name from a place called as "the high church" or possibly the higher of two churches from Middle English up "up high higher" and chirche "church" (Old English upp and cirice)... [more]
Upham English
"enclosure surrounded by water"
Upshaw English
Probably a habitational name from a lost or unidentified place named with Old English upp meaning "up(per)" and sc(e)aga meaning "copse", or a topographic name with the same meaning.
Upsher English
This Anglo-Saxon surname means “of Upshire” and refers to someone from the hamlet Upshire in County Essex.
Upshur English
Most probably an altered spelling of English Upshire, a habitational name from Upshire in Essex, named with Old English upp "up" and scir "district". Alternatively, it may be a variant of Upshaw.
Uptain English
Derived from Upton, but meaning "always prepared"
Upwood English
Derived from a place name meaning "upper forest" in Old English.
Urie Scottish, English, Irish
From the Scottish Fetteresso parish, Kincardineshire. May mean someone who is brave and loud.
Uselton English
Perhaps a variant of Osselton, a habitational name from a lost or unidentified place, probably in northeastern England, where this name is most common.
Usher English
Occupational name from Middle English usher, meaning "usher, doorkeeper".
Usry English
Variant of Ussery. It comes from a nickname given to a bear-like person.
Utley English
Derived from the Old English elements ote, or "oats" and leah, meaning "a clearing."
Uxbridge English
Place in England. Like Enfield.
Uzel English (?)
Can be traced back to Britain and Ireland.
Vaden English
Meaning unknown.
Vale English
Topographic name for someone who lived in a valley, Middle English vale (Old French val, from Latin vallis). The surname is now also common in Ireland, where it has been Gaelicized as de Bhál.
Valen English, Scottish
English and Scottish: from a medieval personal name, Latin Valentinus, a derivative of Valens (see also Valente), which was never common in England, but is occasionally found from the end of the 12th century, probably as the result of French influence... [more]
Valent English
Means showing great bravery.
Valentins English, Portuguese
Derived from the given name Valentin.
Valiant English, Scottish, Irish
Derived from Old French vaillant meaning "heroic, courageous".
Vallance English
Means "person from Valence", southeastern France (probably "place of the brave").
Vallet French, English
French topographic name from a diminutive of Old French val "valley" (see Val ) or a habitational name from (Le) Vallet the name of several places mainly in the northern part of France and French and English occupational name for a manservant from Old French and Middle English vallet "manservant groom".
Valley English
Topographic name for someone who lived in a valley, Middle English valeye.
Valmont English, French
Means "Hill of the vale"
Vampyr English (American)
A gothic surname.
Vandal English (Rare)
A English word meaning "someone who willfully destroys or defaces property",and a member of ancient Germanic tribes.
Van Der Woodsen English (American)
The last name of Serena van der Woodsen, from Gossip Girl. She is played by Blake Lively.
Vane English
Possible variant of Fane.
Van Edwards Dutch, English
Not known, Possibly A Dutch variant of Edwards.
Vanlow English (Rare)
Possibly an Anglicized form of Van Look.
Vardy English
Variant of Verity. A name given to actors who played the part in the medieval travelling theatres.
Varnell English
Variant of Farnell. This form originated in southwestern England, where the change from F to V arose from the voicing of F that was characteristic of this area in Middle English.
Varney English
From the French place name Vernay, derived from Gaulish verno- "alder" and the locative suffix -acum. A fictional bearer is the vampire Sir Francis Varney, the title character of the mid-19th-century gothic horror story Varney the Vampire; or, the Feast of Blood.
Vasey English
Derived from the Norman french word enveisie "playful, merry"
Vass English
Status name denoting a serf, Middle English, Old French vass(e), from Late Latin vassus, of Celtic origin. Compare Welsh gwas "boy", Gaelic foss "servant".
Vassar French, English
Name indicating the status of "a vassal or serf" in feudal society.
Vassie French, English
Meaning "playful or merry" for a cheerful person.
Vavasour English (Rare)
From the word for a feudal rank, possibly derived (via Old French) from Latin vassus vassorum meaning "vassal of vassals".
Veary English (British)
Veary is an English spelling of Scottish Gaelic Faries (meaning: fair, beautiful, or handsome).
Veevers English
Means "dealer in foodstuffs" (from Old French vivres "victuals").
Venables English
Derives from Latin venabulum "long hunting spear".
Ventris English
Probably from a medieval nickname for a bold or slightly reckless person (from a reduced form of Middle English aventurous "venturesome"). It was borne by British architect and scholar Michael Ventris (1922-1956), decipherer of the Mycenaean Greek Linear B script.
Veral English
Meaning:stubborn,aggressive,mathamatician smart
Verdier French, Norman, English
Occupational name for a forester. Derived from Old French verdier (from Late Latin viridarius, a derivative of viridis "green"). Also an occupational name for someone working in a garden or orchard, or a topographic name for someone living near one... [more]
Verdun French, English (British, Rare), Spanish, Catalan
From the various locations in France called Verdun with the Gaulish elements ver vern "alder" and dun "hill fortress" and Verdú in Catalonia, English variant of Verdon
Vermillion English
Differential spelling of Vermilion. Meaning of the name is a red pigment derived from Mercury Sulfide (cinnabar). The name originally was developed because of the dyes similar color to the natural dye developed with the insect Kermes Vermilio.
Verne French, English
As a French surname refers to someone who lived where alder trees grew. While the English version can mean someone who lived where ferns grew, Verne can also mean a seller of ferns which in medieval times were used in bedding, as floor coverings and as animal feed.
Verney English, French
The surname Verney was first found in Buckinghamshire, England, when they arrived from Vernai, a parish in the arrondissement of Bayeux in Normandy.
Verrall English
An uncommon Anglo-Saxon surname.
Verrill English
This is an uncommon Anglo-Saxon surname.
Vial English, French
from a personal name derived from Latin Vitalis (see Vitale). The name became common in England after the Norman Conquest both in its learned form Vitalis and in the northern French form Viel.
Vicary English (British)
There are a number of theories as to the origins of the name, Spanish sailors shipwrecked after the Armada and French Huguenots fleeing the Revolution are two of the more romantic ones. It is more likely to have come as someone associated with the church - the vicar, who carried out the pastoral duties on behalf of the absentee holder of a benefice... [more]
Vice English
May come from "devise", an Old French word that means "dweller at the boundary". It may also derive a number of place names in England, or be a variant of Vise.
Vickers English
Means "son of the vicar". It could also be the name of someone working as a servant of a vicar.
Victorson English
Means “son of Victor”.
Vidler English
Either (i) from a medieval nickname based on Anglo-Norman vis de leu, literally "wolf-face"; or (ii) "violinist, fiddle player" (cf. Fiedler).
Vieira English (Anglicized)
A surname of British origin mainly from Ireland and Scotland but Anglicised into and english name when many Vieira's immigrated to England.
Vince English
From a short form of the personal name Vincent.
Vincente English, Italian
English variant of Vincent 1, otherwise from the given name Vincente
Viner English
Occupational name for a vine-grower.
Vinette English
Derived from French vignette "sprig".
Vinhal English
Basically a character of a fictional story of my own creation before it ever gets published as I believe Vinhal should be pronounced as Vine-hall unlike what the idotic google translate says.
Vining English (British)
Habitational name for someone from a place called Fyning in Rogate in Sussex.
Vinson English
This surname means "son of Vincent."
Vint English, Scottish
Either an English habitational name from places so named, or a Scottish variant of Wint.
Violet English
Derived from the given name Violet
Violet English, French
Derived from the given name Violet (English) or a variant of Violette (French).
Virtue English
Used as a name for someone who had played the part of Virtue in a medieval mystery play, or as a nickname for someone noted for their virtuousness or (sarcastically) for someone who parades their supposed moral superiority.
Virtuoso English (American), Spanish, Italian
This Italian surname could possibly be connected to those whose ancestors were involved in playing a musical instrument or somehow connected to the musical instrument industry.
Vise English
Topographic name for someone who lived by a boundary, Old French devise.
Visitor English
Likely from someone who was a stranger in a place.
Viveash English
English surname of uncertain origin. May be Anglo-Norman from French vivace meaning "lively, vigorous", however its pronunciation has led to its connection to various places in southern England called Five Ash Trees.
Vivian English
Derived from the given name Vivian.
Vivis English (Rare)
Found in the 1891, 1901 & 1911 British census, other Ancestry.co.uk records & FreeBMD. Could derive from Vivas from Spanish Catalan
Voisin French, English
From Old French voisin "neighbor" (Anglo-Norman French veisin) . The application is uncertain; it may either be a nickname for a "good neighbor", or for someone who used this word as a frequent term of address, or it might be a topographic name for someone who lived on a neighboring property... [more]
Voky English
Variant of Vokey.
Von Asheburg English
The last name of Bridget Von Asheburg.
Vox English
Variant of Fox
Vyner English
Variant of Viner.
Vyvyan English
From the name Vyvyan.
Wackerman English (American), German
From the Americanized spelling of German Wackermann, a variant of Wacker, with the addition of Middle High German man, meaning ‘man’.
Waddington English
Habitational name from any of various places called Waddington. One near Clitheroe in Lancashire and another in Lincolnshire (Wadintune in Domesday Book) were originally named in Old English as the "settlement" (Old English tūn) associated with Wada.
Wadley English
From a place in England named with Old English wad "woad" or the given name Wada combined with Old English leah "woodland clearing".
Wadlow English
Habitational name from a lost place, Wadlow in Toddington.
Wadsworth English
Location name from Yorkshire meaning "Wæddi's enclosure or settlement" with Wæddi being an old English personal name of unknown meaning plus the location element -worth. Notable bearer is Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) for whom the middle name was his mother's maiden name.
Wainscott English
Meaning unknown. From Middle English Waynescot. The surname presumably arose from a nickname for someone who imported or used oak timber.
Wainwright English
Occupational name for a maker or repairer of wagons.
Wait English
Variant spelling of Waite.
Waite English
Occupational name for a watchman, Anglo-Norman French waite (cf. Wachter).
Waitman English
Possibly from Middle English hwæt, "active, bold, brave" and mann "man"
Waits English
Patronymic form of Waite.
Waitt English
Variant spelling of Waite.
Wake English, Scottish
From the Old Norse byname Vakr meaning "wakeful", "vigilant" (from vaka meaning "to remain awake"), or perhaps from a cognate Old English Waca (attested in place names such as Wakeford, Wakeham, and Wakeley).
Wakeham English, Cornish
A locational surname for someone who lived in one of three places called Wakeham in various parts of England, including Cornwall and/or Devon.
Wakeley English
Habitational name from Wakeley in Hertfordshire, named from the Old English byname Waca, meaning ‘watchful’ (see Wake) + Old English leah ‘woodland clearing’.
Wakelin English
From the Anglo-Norman male personal name Walquelin, literally "little Walho", a Germanic nickname meaning literally "foreigner".
Wakely English
Damp meadow
Walbridge English
English (Dorset): habitational name, probably from Wool Bridge in East Stoke, Dorset.
Walcott English
habitational name from any of several places called Walcott Walcot or Walcote for example in Lincolnshire Leicestershire Norfolk Oxfordshire and Wiltshire all named in Old English wealh "foreigner Briton serf" (genitive plural wala) and cot "cottage hut shelter" (plural cotu) meaning "the cottage where the (Welsh-speaking) Britons lived".
Wald German, English
Topographic name for someone who lived in or near a forest (Old High German wald, northern Middle English wald).
Waldrip English, Scottish
The name is derived from the Old Norman warderobe, a name given to an official of the wardrobe, and was most likely first borne by someone who held this distinguished
Waldron Medieval German, Old Norman, Scottish Gaelic, English (British)
Derived from the German compound wala-hran, literally "wall raven", but originally meaning "strong bird". Also derived from the Gaelic wealdærn, meaning "forest dwelling", thought to be derived from the Sussex village of Waldron... [more]
Wales English (Modern), Scottish
English and Scottish patronymic from Wale.
Walin English (American)
Americanized form of the Swedish surname Wallin.
Walkington English
Habitational name from a place in East Yorkshire named Walkington, from an unattested Old English personal name Walca + -ing- denoting association with + tūn.
Wallas English
A variant of Wallace.
Wallen English
Originated from the Old English words "waellan" or "weallan," which mean "to boil" or "to bubble." It is thought that the name may have been used to describe someone who lived near a boiling spring or a bubbling brook.
Walliams English
Very rare form of Williams.... [more]
Wallwork English (British)
Anglo-Saxon name originating from Lancashire, first recorded in Worsley in 1278. May originate from the Old Warke area in Worsley, shown as "Le Wallwerke" in old documents. The surname Walworth may be related.
Walmer English
Habitational name from Walmer in Kent, so named from Old English wala (plural of walh "Briton") + mere "pool", or from Walmore Common in Gloucestershire.
Walpole English
Originally indicated a person from either of two places by this name in Norfolk and Suffolk (see Walpole). Famous bearers of the surname include Robert Walpole (1676-1745), the first Prime Minister of Great Britain, and his youngest son, the writer Horace Walpole (1717-1797)... [more]
Walshingham English
From the Anglo-Saxon words ham, meaning "house".
Walworth English
Habitational name from Walworth in Heighington (Durham) and Walworth in Newington (Surrey) both named with Old English wealh "foreigner Briton serf" (genitive plural wala) and worþ "enclosure".
Walwyn English
Either (i) from the Old English personal name Wealdwine, literally "power-friend"; or (ii) perhaps from the medieval personal name Walwain, the Anglo-Norman form of Old French Gauvain (cf... [more]
Wanderlust English (American)
Wanderlust derived from Artemis G.J. Wanderlust (birth name: Joseph E Yoder) in the year 2021, as an ornamental surname representing both:... [more]
Wanless English
From a medieval nickname for an ineffectual person (from Middle English wanles "hopeless, luckless").
Wannell English
English surname which was derived from a medieval nickname, from Middle English wann "wan, pale" (see Wann) and a diminutive suffix.... [more]
Wanton English, Scottish
From Middle English wanton, meaning "unruly", "thoughtless" or "promiscuous".
Warburton English
From the village and civil parish of Warburton in Greater Manchester (formerly in Cheshire), England, derived from the Old English feminine given name Werburg (itself derived from wǣr meaning "pledge" and burh "fortress") and Old English tun meaning "enclosure, yard, town".
Warden English
Occupational name for a watchman or guard, from Old French wardein meaning "protector, guard". It was also used as a habbitational name for someone from any of the various locations in England named Warden... [more]
Warder English
Weard ora. Place name in Wilshire. Became Wardour ( see castle & village). Became Warder.
Wardlow English, Scottish
Habitational name from Wardlow in Derbyshire from Old English weard "watch" and hlaw "hill".
Warrington English
habitational name from Warrington in Lancashire. The placename probably derives from Old English wering, wæring "dam" (a derivative of wer, wær "weir") and tun "farmstead, estate"... [more]
Warrior English
From the given name “warrior” from Old Frenchwerreieor, werrieur ‘warrior’.
Warron English
Variant of Warren.
Warton English
"From the poplar-tree farm"
Washburn English
Northern English topographic name for someone living on the banks of the Washburn river in West Yorkshire, so named from the Old English personal name Walc + Old English burna ‘stream’... [more]
Wastie English
Derived from “gehaeg” meaning “hedge” in Old English which was later changed to Weysthagh then Wastie
Waterfield English
Derived from a town named Vatierville.
Waterford English (Rare)
From a place name derived from the Old Norse words veðra, 'ram' (Swedish vädur, 'ram', See Wetherby) and fjord, 'fjord'.
Waterson English
It is a patronymic of the male given name Water or Walter.
Watney English
Probably means "person from Watney", an unidentified place in England (the second syllable means "island, area of dry land in a marsh"; cf. Rodney, Whitney)... [more]
Waud English
From Old English weald meaning "forest".
Waverly English
Meaning, "from Waverley (Surrey)" or "from the brushwood meadow." From either waever meaning "brushwood" or waefre meaning "flickering, unstable, restless, wandering" combined with leah meaning "meadow, clearing."
Wax German, Jewish, English
German and Jewish variant and English cognitive of Wachs, from Middle English wax "wax" (from Old English weax).
Waxman English, German (Americanized), Jewish (Americanized)
Occupational name for a seller or gatherer of beeswax from wax "wax" plus Middle English man "man". According to the Oxford English Dictionary wax-man is an obsolete term for an officer of a trade guild who collected contributions from members for wax candles to be used in processions... [more]
Waycaster English
The surname Waycaster is German in origin. It means "roll-eater," and was likely derived from a derisive nickname on a baker.
Wayman English
Variant of Wyman and Waitman. Could also be the Americanized version of Wehmann or Weidmann
Waynewright English
Variant spelling of Wainwright.
Waywood English
Name for someone who lives in Wetwood (near Eccleshall) or Wetwood (near Meerbrook). ... [more]
Weakly English
Variant spelling of Weekley.
Weaponsworth English
Means maker of weapons
Weare English (British)
Derived from the Old English wer, meaning a "weir, dam, fishing-trap". This was used as an occupational surname for fishermen. Originated in Devon, England.... [more]
Weatherford English
Topographic name or a habitational name from a lost or unidentified place.
Webbe English (Rare)
Variant of "Webb", meaning weaver.