AikmanEnglish, Scottish Either a modified form of Akerman or Agemund (see Agmundr), or derived from a coven name composed of Old English ac "oak" and man "person, man".
AiresEnglish It was a name for a person who was well-known as the heir to a title, fortune, or estate.
ArlottEnglish From a medieval nickname for a ne'er-do-well (from Middle English harlot or arlot "vagabond, base fellow"; "prostitute" is a 15th-century development). This surname was borne by Jack Arlott (1914-1991), a British journalist, poet and cricket commentator.
AshmanEnglish, Anglo-Saxon Derived from Anglo-Saxon Æscmann, a byname meaning "pirate, seaman", composed of æsc "(boat or spear made of) ash tree" and man "person, man"... [more]
AventEnglish From a shortened form of the Anglo-Norman personal name or nickname Avenant or Avaunt, derived from Old French avenant meaning "beautiful, agreeable, fitting".
BainEnglish, Scottish Nickname for a hospitable person, derived from northern Middle English bayn meaning "welcoming, friendly" or "straight, direct".
BairnsfatherEnglish From a medieval nickname in Scotland and northern England for the (alleged) father of an illegitimate child (from northern Middle English bairnes "child's" + father). This surname was borne by British cartoonist and author Bruce Bairnsfather (1888-1959).
BantamEnglish (African), South African Possibly a variant of Bentham. In an alternate interpretation, it could also be from the word "bantam" which denotes someone who's small but mighty.
BartleyEnglish, American 1. English: habitational name from Bartley in Hampshire, or from Bartley Green in the West Midlands, both of which are named with Old English be(o)rc ‘birch’ + leah ‘woodland clearing’; compare Barclay... [more]
BassettEnglish From Old French bas meaning "short", low". It was either used as a nickname for a short person or someone of humble origins.
BastardFrench, Catalan, English (Rare) From old French meaning "bastard". Nickname for a person who's born out of wedlock. Possibly a descendant of 'William the Bastard'
BayEnglish, French, Dutch Derived from Middle English and Old French bay, bai and Middle Dutch bay, all meaning "reddish brown". It was originally a nickname for someone with a hair color similar to that.
BaygentsEnglish (American) Possibly derived from Old French bezant, a kind of silver or gold coin minted in Byzantium, ultimately derived from Latin byzantius "of Byzantium"... [more]
BeaberEnglish (American) Americanized spelling of German Bieber or Biber, from Middle High German biber ‘beaver’, hence a nickname for someone thought to resemble the animal in some way, a topographic name for someone who lived in a place frequented by beavers or by a field named with this word, or a habitational name from any of various place names in Hesse containing this element.
BeakleyEnglish The surname Beakley is a nickname for a person with a prominent nose. Looking back further, we find the name Beakley was originally from the Old English word beke or the Old French word bec, each of which referred to the beak of a bird.
BearEnglish From the Middle English nickname Bere meaning "bear" (Old English bera, which is also found as a byname), or possibly from a personal name derived from a short form of the various Germanic compound names with this first element... [more]
BeardEnglish (American) Nickname for a bearded man (Middle English, Old English beard). To be clean-shaven was the norm in non-Jewish communities in northwestern Europe from the 12th to the 16th century, the crucial period for surname formation... [more]
BeatonEnglish As an English surname, it is derived from either the French town of Béthune, or from the medieval diminutive Beaton, short for Bartholomew or Beatrice... [more]
BeaubienFrench (Quebec), English From French beau meaning "beautiful" and bien meaning "well, good". The name referred to someone with physical beauty.
BellockEnglish, Irish Meaning "young bull". It was a nickname for energetic people, or those who owned bulls.
BenedictEnglish Of Latin origin. Due to an early association as a saint's name and a papal name, often said to mean "blessed." Originally the Latin elements are 'bene-' meaning "good" or as an adverb "well" plus '-dict,' meaning "spoken." Thus, the literal meaning is "well spoken." ... [more]
BernellEnglish From the Old French word brunel, a diminutive of brun, describing someone who had brown hair. It was occasionally also used as a descriptive first name during the middle ages in England.
BesteFrench, English Nickname from Middle English beste Old French beste "beast animal" (especially those used for food or work) applied either as a metonymic occupational name for someone who looked after beasts such as a herdsman or as a nickname for someone thought to resemble an animal... [more]
BlakestoneEnglish (British) The surname Blakeston was first found in the West Riding of Yorkshire at Blaxton, a township in the parish of Finningley, union and soke of Doncaster.... [more]
BlanchflowerEnglish From a medieval nickname applied probably to an effeminate man (from Old French blanche flour "white flower"). This surname was borne by Northern Irish footballer Danny Blanchflower (1926-1993).
BlankeGerman, English, Dutch Nickname for someone with a fair complexion. From Old High German blanc meaning "white".
BlaylockEnglish The surname of James P. Blaylock (1950-), an early steampunk author. His surname may mean "black lock" from Middle English blakelok, originally referring to a person with dark hair.
BlessedEnglish From a medieval nickname for a fortunate person. This surname is borne by British actor Brian Blessed (1936-).
BlessingGerman, English Either a German patronymic from a variant of the personal name Blasius or a nickname for a bald person from Middle High German blas "bald bare"... [more]
BlewettEnglish From a medieval nickname for a blue-eyed person or one who habitually wore blue clothing (from Middle English bleuet "cornflower" or bluet "blue cloth").
BlissettEnglish A different form of Blessed. A bearer of this surname is Luther Blissett (1958-), a Jamaican-born English footballer ("Luther Blissett" has been used since 1994 as a cover name for activists engaging in anti-cultural establishment polemics and spoofs on the internet and elsewhere).
BlowEnglish From a medieval nickname for someone with a pale complexion (from Middle English blowe "pale"). This surname was borne by English composer John Blow (1649-1708) and British fashion editor Isabella Blow (original name Isabella Delves Broughton; 1958-2007); additionally, "Joe Blow" is a name used colloquially (in US, Canadian and Australian English) as representative of the ordinary uncomplicated unsophisticated man, the average man in the street (of which the equivalent in British English is "Joe Bloggs").
BluntEnglish Nickname for a person with fair hair or a light complexion from Old French blunt meaning "blond". It was also used as a nickname for a stupid person from Middle English blunt or blont meaning "dull".
BoeingEnglish (Anglicized) Anglicized form of German Böing. This was the surname of American industrialist William Boeing (1881-1956) who founded The Boeing Company, a manufacturer of airplanes.
BollingEnglish, German nickname for someone with close-cropped hair or a large head, Middle English bolling 'pollard', or for a heavy drinker, from Middle English bolling 'excessive drinking'. German (Bölling): from a personal name Baldwin
BoolEnglish This surname derives from the Old English pre 7th Century bula, or the Medieval English bulle, bolle, meaning "bull", and was given as a nickname to one with great physical strength.
BowserEnglish Nickname from the Norman term of address beu sire ‘fine sir’, given either to a fine gentleman or to someone who made frequent use of this term of address.
BraggEnglish, Welsh From a nickname for a cheerful or lively person, derived from Middle English bragge meaning "lively, cheerful, active", also "brave, proud, arrogant".
BreakspearEnglish From a medieval nickname for someone who had achieved notable success in jousts or in battle. Nicholas Breakspear (?1100-1159) was the original name of Pope Hadrian IV, the only English pope.
BreedloveEnglish Probably from a medieval nickname for a likable or popular person (from Middle English breden "to produce" + love). This surname is borne by Craig Breedlove (1937-), US land-speed record holder.
BrierEnglish Derived from Old English brer "briar, bramble", a topographic name for someone who lived near a briar patch, or a nickname for a prickly, irritable person.
BrightEnglish From a Middle English nickname or personal name, meaning "bright, fair, pretty", from Old English beorht "bright, shining".
BruneyEnglish First found in Languedoc, France, possibly meaning "brown."
BryerEnglish Variant spelling of Brier, or perhaps sometimes an Americanized form of German Breuer.
BucklerEnglish Occupational name for a maker of buckles, derived from Old French bouclier. Could also be a name for someone who used a buckle, a kind of small shield.
BudgeEnglish Nickname from Norman French buge "mouth" (Late Latin bucca), applied either to someone with a large or misshapen mouth or to someone who made excessive use of his mouth, i.e. a garrulous, indiscreet, or gluttonous person... [more]
BuffettFrench (Anglicized), English Americanised form or a variant of French Buffet, or probably an English variant of Bufford. Famous bearers of this name include the Americans Warren Buffett (1930-), a businessman, investor and philanthropist, and Jimmy Buffett (1946-), a musician.
BuggEnglish From the Old Norse nickname Buggi, literally "fat man", or from a medieval nickname for an eccentric or strangely behaved person (from Middle English bugge "bogeyman, scarecrow").
BullivantEnglish From a medieval nickname for a "good chap" or amiable companion (from Old French bon enfant, literally "good child").
BumpusEnglish (i) from a medieval nickname for a vigorous walker (from Old French bon "good" + pas "pace"); (ii) perhaps "person who lives by a place through which travel is easy" (from Old French bon "good" + pas "passage")
BunchEnglish English: nickname for a hunchback, from Middle English bunche ‘hump’, ‘swelling’ (of unknown origin).
BuntingEnglish Nickname derived from the name of the bird bunting (Emberiza).
BurnellEnglish Derived from an Anglo-Norman personal name composed of a diminutive form of brun "brown", likely originating as a nickname for someone with a brown complexion or brown hair... [more]
BurneyEnglish, Irish Form of the French place name of 'Bernay' or adapted from the personal name Bjorn, ultimately meaning "bear".
BurrEnglish, Scottish, German Nickname for a person who is difficult to shake off, derived from Middle English burr meaning "bur" (a seedhead that sticks to clothing). It could also be a derivation from Old English bur meaning "small dwelling, building", or a German topographic name derived from burre meaning "mound, hill"... [more]
ButterEnglish, German 1. English: nickname for someone with some fancied resemblance to a bittern, perhaps in the booming quality of the voice, from Middle English, Old French butor ‘bittern’ (a word of obscure etymology)... [more]
CabellCatalan, English, German As a Catalan name, a nickname for "bald" from the Spanish word cabello. The English name, found primarily in Norfolk and Devon, is occupational for a "maker or seller of nautical rope" that comes from a Norman French word... [more]
CaesarAncient Roman, English An Ancient Roman political title that indicated a military leader. A famous bearer was Julius Caesar, Roman general, dictator, and politician. In modern times, the surname is used to refer to an individual with a tyrannical attitude, which references the connotative meaning of the word "caesar", meaning "a dictator".
CaineFrench, English Originally from a French derogatory nickname for someone with a bad temper.
CakebreadEnglish From Middle English cakebrede, bread made in flattened cakes, or of the finer and more dainty quality of cake.
CamoysEnglish From a medieval nickname for someone with a snub nose (from Old French camus "snub nose").
CaneEnglish From the English word meaning "cane, reed", a nickname for someone tall and thin, or perhaps an occupational name for someone who gathered reeds.
CarbonellEnglish From a medieval nickname for a dark-haired or swarthy person, from Anglo-Norman carbonel, literally "little charcoal".
CardenEnglish Derived from Middle English cardoon "wild thistle, artichoke thistle". Could be a nickname for someone who carded wool (which was originally done with thistles), for a person who lived near a thistle patch, or for a prickly and unapproachable person... [more]
CattEnglish Nickname from the animal, Middle English catte "cat". The word is found in similar forms in most European languages from very early times (e.g. Gaelic cath, Slavic kotu). Domestic cats were unknown in Europe in classical times, when weasels fulfilled many of their functions, for example in hunting rodents... [more]
CaveNorman, French, English A name of various possible origins. As a Norman French name Cave can mean "bald" from cauf or it can mean "worker in a wine cellar" or "one who dwelt in or near a cave". As an English name Cave refers to a Yorkshire river whose fast current inspired the name meaning "swift".
CavellEnglish Nickname for a bald man, from a diminutive of Anglo-Norman French cauf.
ChaffinEnglish A diminutive that originated from the Old French word chauf, which itself is derived from Latin calvus, both meaning "bald". Originally used as an Anglo-Norman nickname for a bald man.
ChallengerEnglish Probably from a medieval nickname for a touchy or quarrelsome person (from a derivative of Middle English chalangen "to challenge"). A fictional bearer is Professor George Challenger, irascible scientist and explorer, leader of the expedition to Amazonia in Arthur Conan Doyle's 'The Lost World' (1912).
ChampionEnglish, French Derived from the Middle English and Old French words campion, champiun and champion all meaning "athlete" such as a wrestler or boxer; also "warrior hired to do battle in single combat on behalf of others" (from Late Latin campio genitive campionis a derivative of campus "plain field of battle")... [more]
ChanEnglish (Modern, Rare) Shortened form of Chandler used by lolcow Christian Weston Chandler (1982-), who goes by the nickname Chris-Chan, most likely influenced by the Japanese diminutive suffix ちゃん (chan) commonly used in anime and manga fandom.
CharmingEnglish (Archaic) An extinct surname. From English meaning "pleasing, attractive". In an alternative representation, it could be derived from the given name Charles.
CleverlyEnglish From a nickname for an intelligent or quick-witted person.
ClottsEnglish Found in the United States, most likely either an English spelling of Klutz, meaning "awkward, clumsy," or as a plural form of the English surname Clot, meaning "cloth ."
ClutterbuckEnglish English surname of unknown origin, possibly a corrupted form of a Dutch surname derived from Dutch klateren "to clatter" and beek "brook", or from klateren and bok "buck, billy goat", or from an older form of kladboek meaning "account book, minute book".
CockeEnglish nickname from Middle English cok ‘cock’, ‘male bird or fowl’ (Old English cocc), given for a variety of possible reasons. Applied to a young lad who strutted proudly like a cock, it soon became a generic term for a youth and was attached with hypocoristic force to the short forms of many medieval personal names (e.g. Alcock, Hancock, Hiscock, Mycock)... [more]
CockerEnglish, German (Anglicized) Originally a nickname for a bellicose person, from Middle English cock "to fight". Also an anglicized form of Köcher.
CoeEnglish English (Essex and Suffolk): nickname from the jackdaw, Middle English co, Old English ca (see Kay). The jackdaw is noted for its sleek black color, raucous voice, and thievish nature, and any of these attributes could readily have given rise to the nickname.
CokayneEnglish Medieval English nickname which meant "idle dreamer" from Cockaigne, the name of an imaginary land of luxury and idleness in medieval myth. The place may derive its name from Old French (pays de) cocaigne "(land of) plenty", ultimately from the Low German word kokenje, a diminutive of koke "cake" (since the houses in Cockaigne are made of cake).
ColeyEnglish With variant Colley can mean "dark" or "blackbird" or it can be a nickname for Nicholas.
ColfaxEnglish From a medieval nickname for someone with dark or black hair, from Old English cola "charcoal" and feax "hair".
ColleyEnglish With variant Coley, can mean "dark" or "blackbird" or it can be a nickname for Nicholas. Colley was used as a surname for generations of students from the same family taught by a teacher over many years in James Hilton's sentimental novel "Goodbye, Mr... [more]
ComleyEnglish Either a nickname from Middle English cumly, which means “fair,” “beautiful,” and “pleasing,” or a habitational name from Comley in Shropshire named with Old English cumb meaning “valley” + lēah meaning “woodland clearing.”
CommanderEnglish From Middle English comander "commander, leader, director", derived from Old French comandeor "military commander". This may have been either an occupational name or a nickname.
ConquestEnglish Probably from a medieval nickname, perhaps applied to a domineering person. This surname is borne by the British poet, historian and critic Robert Conquest (1917-).
ConverseEnglish Originally a nickname for a Jew converted to Christianity or an occupational name for someone converted to the religious way of life, a lay member of a convent, from Middle English and Old French convers "convert".
CootEnglish “an early member was a person who seemed to exhibit some of the characteristics of birds.”
CopeEnglish From Middle English cope "cape, cloak", an occupational name for a maker of cloaks, or a nickname for someone known for wearing one.
CoppEnglish Derived from Old English copp "top, summit; crown (of the head)", a topographic name for someone who lived at the top of a hill, or perhaps a nickname for someone with an oddly-shaped head.
CorbettEnglish, Scottish, Welsh Nickname from Norman French corbet meaning 'little crow, raven'. This surname is thought to have originated in Shropshire. The surname was taken by bearers to Scotland in the 12th Century, and to Northern Ireland in the 17th Century.... [more]
CorbinEnglish, French Derived from French corbeau meaning "raven," originally denoting a person who had dark hair.
CorbynEnglish Variant of Corbin, notably borne by current Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn (1949-).
CordrayEnglish From a medieval nickname for a proud man (from Old French cuer de roi "heart of a king").
CorlissEnglish Derived from Old English carleas "free from anxiety; unconcerned", cognate to Old Norse kærulauss. This was a nickname given to a carefree person.
CottEnglish From the Old English personal name Cotta. Possibly an altered spelling of French Cotte, a metonymic occupational name for a maker of chain mail, from Old French cot(t)e ‘coat of mail’, ‘surcoat’... [more]
CoullsonScottish Gaelic (Anglicized, Rare), English All origins of the name are patronymic. Meanings include an Anglicized version of the Gaelic Mac Cumhaill, meaning "son of Cumhall", which means "champion" and "stranger" and an Anglicized patronymic of the Gaelic MacDhubhghaill, meaning "son of Dubhgall." The personal name comes from the Gaelic words dubh, meaning "black" and gall, meaning "stranger."... [more]
CountrymanEnglish Translation of German Landmann, Landsmann or Dutch Landman, Landsman, which means ‘countryman’ or ‘fellow countryman’.
CourtEnglish, French, Irish A topographic name from Middle English, Old French court(e) and curt, meaning ‘court’. This word was used primarily with reference to the residence of the lord of a manor, and the surname is usually an occupational name for someone employed at a manorial court.... [more]
CousinEnglish, French Nickname derived from Middle English cousin and Old French cosin, cusin meaning "cousin".
CrabbEnglish, Scottish From Old English crabba "crab (crustacean)", a nickname for someone with a peculiar gait. Could also be from the sense of "crabapple (tree)", from Middle English crabbe "crabapple, wild apple", hence a topographic name for someone who lived by a crabapple tree, or a nickname for a cantankerous person, with reference to the sourness of the fruit.
CraneEnglish From Middle English crane "crane (bird)", a nickname for a tall, thin man with long legs. The term included the heron until the introduction of a separate word for the latter in the 14th century... [more]
CrawEnglish, Scottish, Northern Irish One who had characteristics of a crow; sometimes used as an element of a place name e.g. Crawford, and Crawfordjohn in Lanarkshire, Crawshawbooth in Lancashire, and Crawley in Sussex
CreeseEnglish From Middle English crease "fine, elegant".
CristEnglish From Old English Crīst meaning "Christ, the Messiah" (see Christos 1). May have been a nickname for someone who played the part of Christ in a pageant, or a short form of a given name containing it as an element, such as Christian or Christopher.
CrockettEnglish, Scottish Nickname for someone who affected a particular hairstyle, from Middle English croket ''large curl'' (Old Norman French croquet, a diminutive of croque "curl", "hook").
CroomEnglish Based on a nickname for a crippled person or a hunchback, derived from Middle English crom(p) and Old English crumb, meaning "bent", "crooked", or "stopping". (See Crump.)
CrumbleyEnglish Derived from the Old English word crump meaning "bent, crooked." Perhaps a name for a person with an abnormal spine. One notable person with this surname is evil doer Ethan Crumbley, who was a school shooter in Oxford High School in Michigan.
CrumpEnglish Originally a nickname for a crippled or deformed person, from Middle English cromp, crump meaning "bent, crooked, stooping" (from Old English crumb).
CruseEnglish (British) Possible nickname from Middle English crus, cruse "bold, fierce".
CulbertEnglish, Scottish, Irish Meaning and origin are uncertain. Possibly derived from an unattested given name composed of beorht "bright" and an uncertain first element, or an altered form of Cuthbert... [more]
CumberbatchEnglish Name for someone from Comberbach in North Cheshire. May come from etymological elements meaning "stream in a valley."
CurrerEnglish It was a name given to someone who was a messenger or person who "dresses tanned leather". In the former case, the surname Currer is derived from the Old French words corëor or courreour, which means "courier".
CurtinEnglish Derived from a diminutive of Old French curt "short".
CzechPolish, English From the ethnonym meaning "Czech", or from the short form of a personal name such as Czesław. The English surname is borrowed from the Polish surname, or from Czech or Slovak Čech.
DaceyEnglish, Irish (Anglicized) Anglicized form of Déiseach meaning "of the Déisi", the name of an archaic Irish social class derived from Old Irish déis "vassal, tenant, subject".
DaintithEnglish From a medieval nickname (roughly equivalent to "precious") applied to a dearly loved person (from Middle English deinteth "pleasure, titbit", from Old French deintiet).
DaintyEnglish From a medieval nickname meaning "handsome, pleasant" (from Middle English deinte, from Old French deint(i)é). This was borne by Billy Dainty (1927-1986), a British comedian.
DareEnglish This interesting surname has two possible derivations. Firstly, it may derive from the Olde English pre-7th Century personal name "Deora", Middle English "Dere", which is in part a short form of various compound names with the first element "deor", dear, and in part a byname meaning "Beloved"... [more]
DarkEnglish Nickname for someone with dark hair or a dark complexion, from Middle English darke, Old English deorc "dark". In England, the surname is most frequent in the West Country.
DearbornEnglish The surname Dearborn was first found in Surrey where the family trace their lineage back to Abernon listed in the Domesday Book having sprung from the fief of that name in Normandy. ... [more]
DearthEnglish From a medieval nickname apparently based on Middle English derth "famine".
DearyEnglish Nickname for a noisy or troublesome person, from Anglo-French de(s)rei ‘noise’, ‘trouble’, ‘turbulence’ (from Old French desroi). topographic for someone who lived by a deer enclosure, from Old English deor ‘deer’ + (ge)hæg ‘enclosure’.
De AthEnglish Probably a deliberate respelling of Death (i), intended to distance the name from its original signification.
DebeauFrench, English (British), History Some characteristic forenames: French Armand, Normand, Andre, Pierre, Fernand, Gaston, Solange, Adelard, Baptiste, Cecile, Chantel, Donat.... [more]
DebleEnglish This surname is of French derivation and was introduced to Britain by the Normans. It has two possible derivations, the first from the Roman (Latin) 'debil-is', which means literally "poorly" or "weak", and may have been a metonymic for a doctor or healer, whilst the second possible origin is a nickname derivation from the old French 'Theodore' to Tibald and Tibble or Dibble, Deble.
DerryIrish, English English variant of Deary, or alternatively a nickname for a merchant or tradesman, from Anglo-French darree ‘pennyworth’, from Old French denree... [more]
DevilleEnglish From Old English "devil, slanderer, enemy".
DevoyEnglish Anglicized form of Gaelic surname Ó Dubhuidhe ‘descendant of Dubhuidhe’, a name probably derived from dubh "dark, black" and buidhe "sallow".
DickermanEnglish, German, Jewish Possibly derived from Middle High German dic(ke) "strong, thick" and Mann "man, male, husband".
DiffeyEnglish Possibly from Anglo-Norman defieu meaning "faithless, disloyal", perhaps denoting an unpious person.
DillEnglish Nickname from Middle English dell, dill, dull "dull, foolish".
DixieEnglish From the given name Dick 1 or from the Latin word dixi "I have spoken".
DockEnglish, Scottish Possibly a variant of Duke or Duck. Alternatively, could be derived from a place name such as Doxey.
DodgeEnglish Possibly a nickname from Middle English dogge "dog" (Old English docga, dogga).
DoeEnglish An English nickname for a gentle person from the word for a female deer. Originally a female first name transferred to use as a surname. Well known in American law as a hypothetical surname for a person unnamed in legal proceedings, as in Jane Doe or John Doe.
DoggEnglish From the word dog this is the stage surname of American rapper Snoop Dogg born Calvin Broadus Jr. (b. 1971)
DoleEnglish, Irish (Anglicized) English: from Middle English dole ‘portion of land’ (Old English dal ‘share’, ‘portion’). The term could denote land within the common field, a boundary mark, or a unit of area; so the name may be of topographic origin or a status name... [more]
DollingEnglish (British) From an unrecorded Middle English word dolling, douling, or dulling meaning “dull person.” Compare Doll. Post-medieval examples of the name may also have arisen from a late assimilation of rl to ll in Dorling, a variant of Darling: Samuel Dorling, 1770 is identical with Samuel Dolling, 1782 in Parish Registers (West Stow Suffolk)... [more]
DollinsEnglish (British) Variant of Dollin, with post-medieval excrescent -s, itself a variant of Dolling, a nickname from an unrecorded Middle English word dolling douling dulling meaning “dull or stupid one” (compare Doll)... [more]
DoolingEnglish Variant of Dolling, a nickname from an unrecorded Middle English word, dolling, douling, dulling meaning “dull or stupid one.”
DoolittleEnglish From a medieval nickname applied to a lazy man (from Middle English do "do" + little "little"). It was borne by the American poet Hilda Doolittle (1886-1961). A fictional bearer is Eliza Doolittle, the flower seller in Bernard Shaw's 'Pygmalion' (1913); and a variant spelling was borne by Dr Dolittle, the physician who had the ability to talk to animals, in the series of books written by Hugh Lofting from 1920.
DorlandEnglish A variant of Darling. It was a name for a person who was greatly loved by his friends and family. The surname was originally derived from the word deorling, which meant "darling".
DoubledayEnglish Possibly from the nickname or byname do(u)bel meaning "the twin", or a combination of the given name Dobbel (a pet form of Robert) and Middle English day(e) meaning "servant".
DragonFrench, English Nickname or occupational name for someone who carried a standard in battle or else in a pageant or procession, from Middle English, Old French dragon "snake, monster" (Latin draco, genitive draconis, from Greek drakōn, ultimately from derkesthai "to flash")... [more]
DrayEnglish From Middle English dregh, probably as a nickname from any of its several senses: "lasting", "patient", "slow", "tedious", "doughty". Alternatively, in some cases, the name may derive from Old English drýge "dry, withered", also applied as a nickname.
DreamerEnglish The word dreamer (or surname) comes from the word dream with an added -er at the end indicating someone is dreaming. The word dream comes from the Dutch phrase droom and the German phrase Traum.
DruryEnglish, French, Irish Originally a Norman French nickname, derived from druerie "love, friendship" (itself a derivative of dru "lover, favourite, friend" - originally an adjective, apparently from a Gaulish word meaning "strong, vigourous, lively", but influenced by the sense of the Old High German element trut, drut "dear, beloved").... [more]
DullardEnglish From old English dull meaning "dumb, stupid".
EdenEnglish From Middle English given name Edun, derived from Old English Ēadhūn, with the elements ēad "prosperity, wealth" and hūn "bear cub".... [more]
EdmeadesEnglish Meant "son of Edmede", from a medieval nickname for a self-effacing person (literally "humble", from Old English ēadmēde "easy mind").
EmberleyEnglish From the old English word amalric, referring to a person of great power.
EsmondEnglish It was a name for a person who was of "grace" or "favourable protection". The surname Esmond originally derived from the Old English word Eastmund which referred to "grace".
EyreEnglish Derived from Middle English eyer, eir "heir", originally denoting a man who was designated to inherit or had already inherited the main property in a particular locality. The surname was borne by the heroine of Charlotte Brontë's 'Jane Eyre' (1847).
FairEnglish, Irish English: nickname meaning ‘handsome’, ‘beautiful’, ‘fair’, from Middle English fair, fayr, Old English fæger. The word was also occasionally used as a personal name in Middle English, applied to both men and women.... [more]
FairbrotherEnglish From a medieval nickname probably meaning either "better-looking of two brothers" or "brother of a good-looking person", or perhaps in some cases "father's brother".
FairfaxEnglish From a medieval nickname for someone with beautiful hair, from Old English fæger "fair" and feax "hair". It was borne by the English general Thomas Fairfax, 3rd Baron Fairfax of Cameron (1612-1671), commander of the Parliamentary army during the Civil War... [more]
FairweatherEnglish, Scottish From Middle English fayr "fair, beautiful, pleasant" and weder "weather", a nickname for a person with a sunny temperament, or who only worked in good weather. ... [more]
FaneEnglish From a medieval nickname for a well-disposed person (from Old English fægen "glad, willing"), or from a medieval Welsh nickname for a slim person (Welsh fain). This is the family name of the earls of Westmorland.
FarmanEnglish (i) from an Old Norse personal name denoting literally a seafarer or travelling trader, brought into English via French; (ii) "itinerant trader, pedlar", from Middle English fareman "traveller"
FauntleroyEnglish Little Lord Fauntleroy is the first children's novel written by English playwright and author Frances Hodgson Burnett. Fauntleroy is also Donald Duck's middle name.
FayneEnglish The surname Fayne is derived from the Middle English words "fein," "fayn," or " fane," which all mean "glad." The name was a nickname for a happy or good-natured person.
FenimoreEnglish From a medieval nickname meaning literally "fine love" (from Old French fin amour).
FettEnglish Nickname from Old French fait, Middle English fet meaning "suitable", "comely".
FeverelEnglish From a Middle English form of February, probably used as a nickname either for someone born in that month or for someone with a suitably frosty demeanor. In fiction, this surname was borne by the central character of George Meredith's novel 'The Ordeal of Richard Feverel' (1859).