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.
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.
Wedmore English (British)
Habitational name from Wedmore in Somerset, recorded in the 9th century as Wethmor, possibly meaning ‘marsh (Old English mor) used for hunting (w?the)’.
Wedon English
Variant of Weedon
Weedon English
From places called Weedon
Weekley English
Originally meant "person from Weekley", Northamptonshire ("wood or clearing by a Romano-British settlement"). British philologist Ernest Weekley (1865-1954) bore this surname.
Weir Scottish, English
Topographic name for someone who lived by a dam or weir on a river.
Welborn English
Habitational name from Welborne in Norfolk, Welbourn in Lincolnshire, or Welburn in North Yorkshire, all named with Old English wella ‘spring’ + burna ‘stream’.
Welburn English
English surname meaning "From the Spring brook"
Welby English (British, Rare)
Lincolnshire family name
Weld English
Meant "one who lives in or near a forest (or in a deforested upland area)", from Middle English wold "forest" or "cleared upland". A famous bearer is American actress Tuesday Weld (1943-).
Weldin English
Variant of Weldon.
Weldon English
Weldon is one of the many names that the Normans brought with them when they conquered England in 1066. The Weldon family lived in Northamptonshire, at Weldon.... [more]
Welford English
English surname meaning "Lives by the spring by the ford"
Well English
Topographic name for someone who lived near a spring or stream, Middle English well(e) (Old English well(a)).
Welland English (British, Rare)
From the name of the place, derived from Old English wig - war and landa - territory, land.
Wellborn English
Related to Wellburn
Wellborne English
Related to Wellborn
Weller English, German
Either from the Olde English term for a person who extracted salt from seawater, or from the English and German "well(e)," meaning "someone who lived by a spring or stream."... [more]
Welles English
Variant of Wells.
Wellington English
Habitational name from any of the three places named Wellington, in Herefordshire, Shropshire, and Somerset. All are most probably named with an unattested Old English personal name Weola + -ing- (implying association with) + tun ‘settlement’.
Wellman English
From German Welle meaning "wave" and man, meaning "man", referring to someone who lived by a stream.
Welsh Scottish, English
Ethnic name for someone from Wales or a speaker of the Welsh language. Compare Walsh and Wallace.
Welton English
Habitational name from any of various places named Welton, for example in Cumbria, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, and East Yorkshire, from Old English well(a) ‘spring’, ‘stream’ + tun ‘enclosure’, ‘settlement’.
Wendover English
From a town in England, from Brittonic “winn”, meaning ‘white’, and “dwfr”, meaning ‘gate’.
Wenn English
Surname from Norfolk, England
Wensley English
Habitational name from Wensleydale in North Yorkshire.
Wentworth English
Habitational name from places in Cambridgeshire and South Yorkshire called Wentworth, probably from the Old English byname Wintra meaning ‘winter’ + Old English worð ‘enclosure’... [more]
Wesson English
Variant of Weston.
Westbay English (Rare)
It means "west bay".
Westbury English
English British surname originating as a place name. There are several Westbury villages, parishes and even Manors across England that have given the name Westbury to people who take up residence in or come from those places... [more]
Westdyke English
Name given to someone who lived on the west side of a dyke.
Westen English, Scottish
Habitational name from any of numerous places named Weston, from Old English west 'west' + tun 'enclosure', 'settlement'. English: variant of Whetstone.
Westerly English
The name is originated from a term meaning 'winds from the West'. The name could be given to someone who is born in the west.
Westerman English
Topographical surname for someone who lived west of a settlement or someone who had moved to the west, from Old English westerne meaning "western" and mann meaning "man, person".
Westgate English
Topographic name for someone who lived near a west gate in a city, or a habitual surname for someone from Westgate. It is derived from Middle English west meaning "west" and gate "gate" (or "street" in northern and eastern areas; from Old Norse gata).
Westhouse Dutch (Anglicized, ?), English
Possibly an Anglicized form of Westhuis. Alternatively, from a place named Westhouse.
Westlake English (Canadian)
Combined of West and Lake.
Westland English
Meaning "west land".
Westmeir English
Not avaliable.
Westrop English (British)
Viking name local to Somerset and several counties in the North East of England. Approximate meaning "place to the west of the village with the church".
Westwood English, Scottish
Habitational name from any of numerous places named Westwood, from Old English west "west" and wudu "wood".
Wetherell English
Habitational name from Wetheral (Cumberland)
Weton English
Variant of Weeton
Wey English
Variant of Way.
Whaley English
From the name of the village of Whaley and the town of Whaley Bridge in Derbyshire, or the village of Whalley in Lancashire, England. It is derived from Old English wælla meaning "spring, stream" and leah meaning "woodland clearing".
Whalley English
Variant form of Whaley. A famous bearer is the English actress Joanne Whalley (1961-).
Wharton English
Derived from an Olde English pre 7th Century river name Woefer.
Whately English
Old English location or occupational surname meaning "from the wheat meadow".
Whatley English
From any of the various places in England named with Old English hwæte "wheat" and leah "woodland clearing".
Wheeldon English
Habitational name from a place in Derbyshire named Wheeldon, from Old English hweol ‘wheel’ (referring perhaps to a rounded shape) + dun ‘hill’, or from Whielden in Buckinghamshire, which is named with hweol + denu ‘valley’.
Wheelwright English
Occupational name for someone who made or fitted wheels and wheeled vehicles, from Old English hwēol and wyrhta. Also compare Wheeler.
Whent English
Topographical for someone who lived by a cross road, or perhaps a very sharp bend in the road. The derivation being from the Olde English pre 7th century word "wendan," meaning to wander.
Whineray English
Means "person from Whinneray", Cumbria, or "person who lives in a nook of land growing with gorse" (in either case from Old Norse hvin "whin, gorse" + vrá "nook of land"). It was borne by New Zealand rugby player Sir Wilson Whineray (1935-2012).
Whippet English
Possibly used as a nickname from the early 17th century English word whippet, meaning "to move briskly". A type of sighthound bears this name.
Whipple English
English surname of uncertain meaning. It might be a shortened form of “whippletree”; an early name for the dogwood. It may also be a variation of Whipp – an early surname for someone who carried out judicial punishments.
Whisman English
Variation of Wisman or Wiseman.
Whistler English
An English occupational surname, meaning "one who whistles."
Whitacre English (American)
Variant of Whitaker. A notable bearer is Eric Whitacre (1970-), an American composer.
Whitby English
English surname which was from either of two place names, that of a port in North Yorkshire (which comes from the Old Norse elements hvítr "white" (or Hvíti, a byname derived from it) combined with býr "farm") or a place in Cheshire (from Old English hwit "white" (i.e., "stone-built") and burh "fortress").
Whitcomb English (British)
means wide valley
Whitehouse English
the origin of this surname started in England where people were called Whitehouse when they painted their houses white.
Whitelock English
It is believed to be a habitational surname derived from Whitlock in Shropshire, England.
Whiteman English
From a nickname (see White).
Whiteson English
Patronymic form of White.
Whitfield English
It is locational from any or all of the places called Whitfield in the counties of Derbyshire, Kent, Northamptonshire and Northumberland, or from the villages called Whitefield in Lancashire, the Isle of Wight and Gloucestershire.
Whitgift English
Means "person from Whitgift", Yorkshire ("Hvítr's dowry"). This surname was borne by Anglican churchman John Whitgift (?1530-1604), archbishop of Canterbury 1583-1604 (in addition, Whitgift School is an independent day school for boys in South Croydon, founded in 1595 by John Whitgift; and Whitgift Centre is a complex of shops and offices in the middle of Croydon, Greater London, on a site previously occupied by Whitgift School).
Whiting English
Derived from a patronymic surname, created from the Old English personal name Hwit, meaning "the white one."
Whitlam English
From a medieval nickname for a mild-mannered person (from Middle English whit "white" + lam "lamb"). This surname is borne by Australian Labour politician Gough Whitlam (1916-), prime minister 1972-75.
Whitley English
This surname is derived from a place name composed of Old English elements hwit meaning "white" and leah meaning "clearing, grove."
Whitlock English
Nickname for someone with white or fair hair, from Middle English whit ‘white’ + lock ‘tress’, ‘curl’. Compare Sherlock. ... [more]
Whitlow English
white hill” place name from east side of country in lower Northumbria perhaps? Or perhaps next lower shire.
Whitman English
From Middle English whit ‘white’ + man ‘man’, either a nickname with the same sense as White, or else an occupational name for a servant of a bearer of the nickname White.... [more]
Whitmarsh English
English habitational name from Whitemarsh, a place in the parish of Sedgehill, Wiltshire, named from Old English hwit ‘white’ (i.e. ‘phosphorescent’) + mersc ‘marsh’. Compare Whitmore.
Whitside English (Rare, ?)
Possibly a variant of Whiteside.
Whittington English
From a place name, meaning "Hwita’s settlement".
Whittlesey English
A habitational surname for someone from Whittlesey, an ancient market town in the Fenland district of Cambridgeshire in England. The town's name is derived from an unattested Old English personal name Wittel (or Witil), an occupational name given to a moneyer, and the Old English eg, meaning "island", also used to describe a piece of firm land in a fen... [more]
Whybrow English
From the medieval female personal name Wyburgh, literally "war-fortress". (Cf. Germanic cognate Wigburg.)
Wiatt English (American)
Americanized variant of Wyatt.
Wicherek Polish, English
Means "a light, gentle breeze", or figuratively, "an unruly strand of hair". It is a diminutive of the Polish word wicher, "strong wind".
Wichorek Polish (Anglicized), English (American)
Americanized form of Wieczorek. Alternatively, it may be a variant of Wicherek.
Wick English, German
English: topographic name for someone who lived in an outlying settlement dependent on a larger village, Old English wic (Latin vicus), or a habitational name from a place named with this word, of which there are examples in Berkshire, Gloucestershire, Somerset, and Worcestershire... [more]
Wickersham English
A habitational surname that originates from a lost medieval site or village of Norse origins.... [more]
Wicksey English
Two separate surnames, joined together to form Wicksey, when the Vikings invaded England. The name means "Dairy Farmer on the Marsh".
Wideman English (American)
Americanized from of German Widemann or Weidmann.
Widger English
From the Old English male personal name Wihtgār, literally "elf-spear".
Wiflin English (Rare)
Possibly derived from the elements wefa and land.
Wigger English
Derived from the word wicga "bug"
Wiggin English
Either (i) from the Germanic male personal name Wīgant, literally "warrior", introduced into England by the Normans; or (ii) from the Breton male personal name Wiucon, literally "worthy-noble", introduced into England by the Normans.
Wiggins English
Patronymic from the personal name Wiggin.
Wiggs English (British)
The surname Wiggs was first found in Leicestershire where they held a family seat from very ancient times, at Lennerlyde. This interesting name has two possible origins. The first being a metonymic occupational name for a maker of wedge-shaped bread, from the Medieval English "Wigge" meaning "wedge-shaped"... [more]
Wight Scottish, English
Nickname from Middle English wiht, wight "nimble, strong".
Wightman English
"Wight" in Anglo-saxon could refer to a "soul," a "being," or to "courage." It is similar to the different meanings of the words "spirit" and "spirited." ... [more]
Wigley English
Derived from the words wicga "bug" and leah "woodland, clearing"
Wigmore English
habitational name from Wigmore in Herefordshire so named from Old English wicga in the sense "something moving quaking unstable ground" and mor "marsh".
Wilberforce English
Means "person from Wilberfoss", Yorkshire ("Wilburh's ditch"). This is borne by Wilberforce University, a university in Xenia, Ohio, USA, founded in 1856 and named in honour of the British philanthropist and anti-slavery campaigner William Wilberforce (1759-1833)... [more]
Wilbers English (American)
from the given name Wilbur
Wilbert English, German
From the given name Wilbert.
Wilbraham English
Denoted a person hailing from Wilbraham in Cambridgeshire, England. The place name itself means "Wilburg's homestead or estate" in Old English, Wilburg or Wilburga allegedly referring to a 7th-century Anglo-Saxon princess who was given the lands later called Wilbraham by her father, King Penda of Mercia.
Wilburn English
A habitation name of uncertain origin found in the East Midlands. Speculation includes the possibility of the meaning "well" and "burn, borne" therefore meaning one who lived near a well or spring by a waterway crossing.
Wilcoxson English
Patronymic form of Wilcox which is derived from a diminutive of the given name William
Wildblood English
From a medieval nickname for a rakish or hot-headed person.
Wilders English, Dutch
Variant of Wilder. Dutch politician Geert Wilders (1963-) bears this name.
Wildin English
The former placename is composed of the Olde English pre 7th Century words "wilg", willow, and "denu", a valley; while the latter place in Worcestershire is derived from the Olde English personal name "Winela", plus the Olde English "dun", a hill or mountain.
Wildrick English
From German Wildreich, a medieval personal name, from Old High German wildi "wild".
Wildsmith English
Probably means "maker of wheels, wheelwright".
Wiles English
Occupational name for a trapper or hunter, from Middle English wile "trap, snare". It could also be a nickname for a devious person.
Wilkes English, Frisian
English: patronymic from Wilk.... [more]
Wilkings English
It means Will to the king
Wilks English
Variant of Wilkes.
Will Scottish, English, German
Scottish and northern English from the medieval personal name Will, a short form of William, or from some other medieval personal names with this first element, for example Wilbert or Willard... [more]
Willets English
Occasionally a Habitational name from Willet in Elworthy. Probably a compound of Old English wiell will 'spring' + an unrecorded gīete 'stream'.(Ancestory.com) Or is a varation of the given name William.
Willett English
From a pet form of Will, or an Americanized form of French Ouellette.
Willing English
Patronymic from the Old English personal name Willa.
Willingham English
Habitational name from a place named Willingham, notably one in Cambridgeshire and one in Suffolk. The first is recorded in Domesday Book as Wivelingham "homestead (Old English hām) of the people of a man called Wifel".
Willman English
Occupational name for someone who was the servant of a man called Will.
Willock English
From the medieval male personal name Willoc, a pet-form based on the first syllable of any of a range of Old English compound names beginning with willa "will, desire".
Willow English
topographic name from Middle English wilwe wilghe willowe "willow" (Old English wilig welig) for a person who lived at or near a willow tree or in an area where willow trees grew... [more]
Willows English (British)
This is an English residential or perhaps occupational surname. It may originate from one of the various places in England called 'The Willows', or even a place such as Newton le Willows in Lancashire, or it may describe a supplier of willow.
Wills English
Patronymic from Will.
Wiltshire English
Habitational name from the county of Wiltshire in England.
Wimp English
The surname has at least two origins. The first is occupational and describes a maker of 'wimplels', an Old English veil later much associated with nuns. Second, it may also be locational from the village of Whimple in Devonshire, or Wimpole in Cambridge.
Wimpey English
Perhaps a deliberate alteration of Impey. It is borne by George Wimpey, a British construction company, founded in Hammersmith, London in 1880 by George Wimpey (1855-1913)... [more]