Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
GOBEREnglish, French The surname Gober was first found in Warwickshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. The Norman influence of English history dominated after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The language of the courts was French for the next three centuries and the Norman ambience prevailed.
GOGNONFrench, Occitan Nickname for an aggressive or belligerent man, from Old French Gagnon ‘ mastiff’, ‘guard dog’. Possibly from Occitan ganhon ‘young pig’, applied as an offensive nickname. See also GONYEAU.
GOMBERTFrench, German French and German: from GUNDBERT, a Germanic personal name composed of the elements gund ‘battle’ + berht ‘bright’, ‘famous’... [more]
GONYEAUFrench Respelling of French GAGNON, found predominantly in New England, possibly also of GAGNEAU, from a diminutive of GAGNE.
GONZEFrench My family surname originated in southern French-speaking Belgium. There is a tiny village called Gonzeville in northern France near the Belgian border which you can find on Wikipedia. Many surnames from French speaking Belgium have 5 or 6 letters and end in -ze, such as Gonze and Meeze... [more]
GRANDJEANFrench, French (Swiss) Derived from French grand "tall, large" and the male given name JEAN (1), hence possibly a nickname for a tall or large person.
GRANGEEnglish, French English and French topographic name for someone who lived by a granary, from Middle English, Old French grange (Latin granica ‘granary’, ‘barn’, from granum ‘grain’)... [more]
GREELEYEnglish, Norman English (of Norman origin): nickname for someone with a pock-marked face, from Old Northern French greslé ‘pitted’, ‘scarred’ (from gresle ‘hailstone’, of Germanic origin).
GRENIERFrench Occupational name for a grain merchant (from Latin granarius), or a topographic name for someone who lived by a granary (from Latin granarium) or a metonymic occupational name for someone who supervised or owned one.
GRIFFONFrench From a diminutive of Old French griffe "claw", hence a nickname for a grasping or vicious person, or perhaps for someone with a deformed or otherwise remarkable hand.
GRINDYGerman (Modern), French I have seen elsewhere explanations about this name being German or French in origin. Sorry, I do not have the sources to hand
GROSJEANFrench, French (Belgian) Derived from French gros "large" and the given name JEAN (1). As a nickname, it is sometimes applied to a person who is perceived as stupid.
GROULXFrench French spelling, often found in Canada, of Groult, Grould, possibly reduced forms of Gréoul, a personal name of Germanic origin, composed of the elements gred "hunger" + wolf, wulf "wolf".
GUIDRYFrench (Cajun) From a personal name based on the Germanic root waido ‘hunt’. The name is particularly associated with Cajuns in LA, who seem all to be descended from Claude Guédry dit Grivois, who arrived in Acadia before 1671.... [more]
GULLETTEFrench Comes from Guillemme or William of Normandy. Reference 1066: The Battle of Hastings.
GUYEnglish, French From a French form of the Germanic personal name Wido, which is of uncertain origin. This name was popular among the Normans in the forms Wi, Why as well as in the rest of France in the form Guy.
HÄSSLIGerman (Swiss), French (Rare) Swiss German diminutive form of HAAS. This is a French surname via Alsace-Lorraine. A notable bearer is French footballer (soccer player) Eric Hassli (1981-).
HAYEnglish, Scottish, Irish, Welsh, French, Spanish, German, Dutch, Frisian Scottish and English: topographic name for someone who lived by an enclosure, Middle English hay(e), heye(Old English (ge)hæg, which after the Norman Conquest became confused with the related Old French term haye ‘hedge’, of Germanic origin)... [more]
HAZARDEnglish, French, Dutch Nickname for an inveterate gambler or a brave or foolhardy man prepared to run risks, from Middle English, Old French hasard, Middle Dutch hasaert (derived from Old French) "game of chance", later used metaphorically of other uncertain enterprises... [more]
HERBARTHGerman, Norman References Old Norse Deity "Odin" being one of the "Son's of Odin". Remember that the Geats became the Ostrogoths through the Denmark pass--referenced in Beowulf. Or, it means "Warrior of the Bearded One", perhaps a King... [more]
HILBERTEnglish, French, Dutch, German English, French, Dutch, and German: from a Germanic personal name composed of the elements hild ‘strife’, ‘battle’ + berht ‘bright’, ‘famous’.
HOLLIEREnglish, French Occupational name for a male brothel keeper, from a dissimilated variant of Old French horier "pimp", which was the agent noun of hore "whore, prostitute". Hollier was probably also used as an abusive nickname in Middle English and Old French.... [more]
HUGOFrench Victor Hugo was a French poet, novelist, and dramatist of the Romantic movement. He was also the writer of 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame' and 'Les Misérables'.
HUMBERTGerman, Dutch, French From a Germanic personal name composed of the elements hun "Hun, giant" or hun "bear cub" and berht "bright, famous". This was particularly popular in the Netherlands and North Germany during the Middle Ages as a result of the fame of a 7th-century St... [more]
HURRELLEnglish, Norman English (of Norman origin) from a derivative of Old French hurer ‘to bristle or ruffle’, ‘to stand on end’ (see Huron).
HUVALFrench (Cajun) The Huval name has historically been labeled German or Acadian (Cajun), however, recently more information has been discovered that shows the Huvals came directly from France.... [more]
ILESEnglish (British), French English (mainly Somerset and Gloucestershire): topographic name from Anglo-Norman French isle ‘island’ (Latin insula) or a habitational name from a place in England or northern France named with this element.
IMBERTFrench From the medieval French personal name Imbert, of Germanic origin and meaning literally "vast-bright".
JAYEnglish, French Nickname from Middle English, Old French jay(e), gai "jay (the bird)", probably referring to an idle chatterer or a showy person, although the jay was also noted for its thieving habits.
JEANPETITFrench Means "little Jean" from Old French petit "small" and the given name Jean, originally a nickname for a small man called Jean (or applied ironically to a large man), or a distinguishing epithet for the younger of two men named Jean.... [more]
JETERFrench (Huguenot), German Jeter is a French and German surname. It is the last name of former New York Yankees baseball player, Derek Jeter. It's also the last name of Carmelita Jeter, an American sprinter who specializes in the 100 meter sprint.
JOBEnglish, French, German, Hungarian English, French, German, and Hungarian from the personal name IYOV or JOB, borne by a Biblical character, the central figure in the Book of Job, who was tormented by God and yet refused to forswear Him... [more]
JOLICOEURFrench (Quebec), Haitian Creole From Old French joli "joyful, cheerful" and cuer "heart". It was originally a nickname for a cheerful person. This was a frequent French Canadian secondary surname (or dit name).
JOLIETFrench From French Jolie "pretty one" and the popular suffix -et "little" meaning "pretty little one."
LABEOUFFrench (Cajun) Meaning unknown. A famous bearer is American actor Shia LaBeouf (1986-present).
LABORDEFrench Occupational or status name for a tenant farmer, from borde "small farm" (from Frankish bord "plank") and the definite article la.
LABOSSIEREFrench Norman habitational name from a common village name La Boissière, meaning 'wooded area', from bois 'wood'. possibly a metronymic, from a feminine derivative of BOSSIER 'cooper', denoting the 'wife of the cooper'.
LABRIEFrench Topographic name from l’abri meaning "the shelter", or a habitational name from a place named with this word.
LACOMBEFrench French (western and southwestern): topographic name for someone living in or near a ravine, from la combe ‘the ravine’ (a word of Gaulish origin, related to English Combe).... [more]
LAFITTEFrench French: topographic name for someone who lived near a boundary mark, Old French fitte (Late Latin fixta petra ‘fixed stone’, from the past participle of figere ‘to fix or fasten’), or habitational name from any of several places in western France named with this word
LAFLÈCHEFrench (Quebec) A French-Canadian secondary surname from "Richer dit Laflèche," used independently since 1746. Laflèche is derived from the French town of La Flèche, in the former province of Anjou.
LAFRAMBOISEFrench, French (Quebec) Means "raspberry" in French. Most carriers of this surname descend from Joseph Frye, an English colonist from Kittery, Maine, United States, who was captured in an Indian raid in 1695 during King William's War and taken to New France by the First Nations and was baptized into the Catholic faith in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
LAGASSEFrench French: nickname from Old French agace, agasse ‘magpie’ + the definite article l’.
LAGRANGEFrench French: topographic name for someone who lived by a granary, a variant of GRANGE, with the definite article la.
LAHAIEFrench Locational name for someone who lived near a hedge or large bush, from old French "La" the and "Haie" hedge.
LALONDEFrench French (Normandy): habitational name from any of various places in Normandy, so named from Old Norse lundr ‘grove’, with the definite article la.
LAMBILLOTTEFrench (Modern) Currently, a common name in Wallonia, Belgium with some descendants in USA. Believed to be derived from three terms..."lamb" "ill" "otte". The first term has remained unchanged from early Germanic term; the second is latin for "of the" and the third a dimiuative or feminine form suffix... [more]
LAMONTScottish (Modern), Northern Irish, French Scottish and northern Irish: from the medieval personal name Lagman, which is from Old Norse Logmaðr, composed of log, plural of lag ‘law’ (from leggja ‘to lay down’) + maðr, ‘man’ (genitive manns).... [more]
LAMOUREAUXFrench Means "the lover" in French. It would be the nickname of an amorous person.
LANDEFrench, Norwegian, Jewish French: topographic name for someone living on a heath, lande (from Gaulish landa ‘space’, ‘land’), or a habitational name from any of numerous minor places named La Lande from this word.... [more]
LANDRYFrench, English From the Germanic personal name Landric, a compound of land "land" and ric "powerful, ruler".
LANGEVINFrench From French l'Angevin meaning "the Angevin", denoting a person from the French province of Anjou.
LAPORTEFrench Topographic name for someone who lived near the gates of a fortified town (and often was in charge of them; thus in part a metonymic occupational name), from Old French porte "gateway", "entrance" (from Latin porta, "door", "entrance"), with the definite article la... [more]
LARGEFrench, English Originally a nickname derived from Middle English and Old French large "generous".
LARIVIÈREFrench (Modern) From the region of Bourgoigne, in France, meaning 'the river'. The name is likely a topographic reference to the physical location, likely a river in this case.
LASALLEFrench 1. French: local name or occupational name for someone who lived or worked at a manor house, from Old French sal(e) ‘hall’ (modern French salle; see also SALE), with the definite article la... [more]
LASCELLESFrench French location name from Lacelle in Orne, northern France and referring to "small rooms or cells inhabited by monks".
LAVERDIÈREFrench Habitational name from various places named La Verdière in France, or a variant of the name Leverdier (see VERDIER).
LAVERDIEREFrench (Quebec) Said to be a locational or occupational name related to land and greenery. Related to the Cauchons, descended from Quebec. A noble Paris woman was sent to Quebec for marriage in the 17th century.
LAVERDUREFrench From the French place name La Verdure meaning "greenness, greenery".
LAVIOLETTEFrench, French (Quebec), French (Acadian) A secondary surname, associated with some forty family names in Canada and also used independently since 1698, a nickname from the flower violette ‘violet’, with the definite article la. In feudal France it was a name given to soldiers and domestic servants.
LEDGEREnglish, Norman, French, Dutch English: from a Norman personal name, Leodegar, Old French Legier, of Germanic origin, composed of the elements liut ‘people’, ‘tribe’ + gar, ger ‘spear’... [more]
LEDOUXFrench Means "the amiable" from French doux meaning "sweet, soft, gentle".
LEFRANÇOISFrench From the given name FRANÇOIS. It may also mean "the Frenchman", probably used to denote someone who came from the region of Île de France in France.
LEGAULTNorman (Francized) From the French "le Gaul," meaning simply "the Gaul." Gaul refers to the northern part of modern-day France.
LEMAÎTREFrench Means "the master" in French, either used as a nickname for someone who behaved in a masterful manner or an occupational name for someone who was a master of their craft.
LEMERCIERFrench French surname designating a vendor of sewing materials, from the word mercier.
LENOIRFrench French surname which was originally a nickname for a person with dark hair or skin, derived from noir "black" combined with the definite article le. A famous bearer is Étienne Lenoir (1822 - 1900), the inventor of the internal combustion engine.
LÉOTARDFrench From the given name Leopold. Jules Léotard was an acrobat who popularized the leotard, a gymnastics garment. The garment is named after him.
LE ROUXFrench Nickname for a person with red hair, from Old French rous "red." Variant spelling of LEROUX.
LESSARDFrench Name for someone who lived in a clearing, derived from French l'essart meaning "the assart" (a term for cleared forest land used for agriculture). It is also a habitational name for someone from any of various locations named Lessard or Lessart, of the same origin and meaning.
LÉTOURNEAUFrench Nickname for a chatty, gregarious person or an occupational name for a birdcatcher, derived from French l'étourneau meaning "the starling".
LEVERFrench, English Nickname for a fleet-footed or timid person, from Old French levre ‘hare’ (Latin lepus, genitive leporis). It may also have been a metonymic occupational name for a hunter of hares... [more]
LUPINFrench Lupin is a variant on the Latin word "lupus", meaning "wolf". Two important literary characters, Arsène Lupin, the famous French gentleman-burglar, and Professor Remus Lupin, from the world of Harry Potter, have this name... [more]
LYÉFrench A habitational name from places named Lié located in Deux-Sèvres and Vendée.
MACEEnglish, French English: from a medieval personal name, a survival of Old English MÆSSA, which came to be taken as a pet form of MATTHEW.... [more]
MACONFrench, German French: See MAÇON. An occupational name for a mason, French maçon. Habitational name from places so called in Saône-et-Loire, Allier, Aube, the Côte d’Or, Gers, and Deux-Sères... [more]
MAFFRETFrench beleived to originated in{ NICE, france} in the late 19th century, emmigration from france to london,{stepney}, where the surname was mistakenly added an extra letter "T" resulting in the surname MAFFRETT
MAINEFrench French topographic name from Old French maine ‘dwelling’, ‘residence’, ‘abode’, or a habitational name from any of numerous places so named.
MAJORSNorman Based on the Norman given name Mauger. The name indicates one who is the son of Maugier, an Old French personal name, which is derived from the Old Germanic name Malger, which means council spear.
MALECUITFrench Means "doughy," "soggy," or "undercooked" in French.
MALFAITFrench Derived from French mal fait, which literally means "poorly done, badly done". In the context of the surname, it refers to the first bearer being "malformed" or "deformed" (as it was in the eyes of people from older times), which means that he either was physically disabled or able-bodied but with a physical trait that deviated from the norm.
MALFOYFrench Malfoy is a French name roughly translating to "bad faith"
MALINEnglish, French, Dutch From the given name MALIN (English), and from the given name Madalin composed of the Germanic element madal meaning "council" (French, Dutch).
MALLETAnglo-Norman, Medieval English, French, Catalan Originated in Norman France and spread to England following the Norman conquest of 1066. The surname comes from the given name Malle, an Old English diminutive of MARY or from the given name Malo, a popular form of the name of Saint Maclovius, a 6th-century Welsh monk who the church of Saint Maclou in Rouen is named for.... [more]
MALORETFrench This surname comes from the French and means 'unfortunate' or 'luckless'.
MALPASSEnglish, Scottish, French Habitational name from any of various places named Malpas, because of the difficulty of the terrain, from Old French mal pas "bad passage" (Latin malus passus). It is a common French minor place name, and places in Cheshire, Cornwall, Gwent, and elsewhere in England were given this name by Norman settlers... [more]
MANCIOFrench Mancio derives from the surname Venâncio and Amâncio, being an unusual French variation.
MANSELLEnglish (Canadian), Norman Of Norman origin, a habitational or regional name from Old French mansel ‘inhabitant of Le Mans or the surrounding area of Maine’. The place was originally named in Latin (ad) Ceromannos, from the name of the Gaulish tribe living there, the Ceromanni... [more]
MANSELLAnglo-Norman, French A status name for a particular type of feudal tenant, Anglo-Norman French mansel, one who occupied a manse (Late Latin mansa ‘dwelling’), a measure of land sufficient to support one family... [more]
MARCHANTFrench, English, Spanish Variant of MARCHAND, from French marchand meaning "merchant, mercantile". Though it is of French origin, it was transferred into the Spanish-speaking world, especially Chile, by French invasion of the Iberian Peninsula.
MASEYEnglish, Scottish, French, Norman English and Scottish (of Norman origin) and French: habitational name from any of various places in northern France which get their names from the Gallo-Roman personal name MACCIUS + the locative suffix -acum.... [more]
MATHENYFrench (Anglicized) Of French origin. According to Matheny family tradition, this surname comes from the name of a village in France named Mathenay. This may also have been a French Huguenot surname.
MATURINFrench From the French male personal name Maturin, from Latin Mātūrīnus, a derivative of Mātūrus, literally "timely". It was borne by the Irish "Gothic" novelist Charles Maturin (1782-1824).