FurmanPolish, Czech, Slovak, Jewish, Slovene, English, German (Anglicized) Polish, Czech, Slovak, Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic), and Slovenian: occupational name for a carter or drayman, the driver of a horse-drawn delivery vehicle, from Polish, Yiddish, and Slovenian furman, a loanword from German (see Fuhrmann)... [more]
FurrerGerman (Swiss) Topographic name from the regional term furre ‘cleft in the ground’.
GalishoffUpper German, German (Austrian) Derived from the ancient Roman name Gallus, meaning "rooster" in Latin. Hoff meaning house combines the growing or tending to poultry on a farm house, hence the name Galishoff which has been modified over the millennia... [more]
GannGerman Topographic name for someone who lived near an expanse of scree, Middle High German gant.
GansGerman, Dutch Means "goose" in German and Dutch, either an occupational name for someone who worked with geese, a habitational name for someone who lived by a sign depicting a goose, or a nickname for someone walked oddly or was considered silly or foolish... [more]
GansGerman, Dutch From Old High German ganz "whole, intact, healthy", a nickname for a particularly strong or healthy person.
GanserGerman From the Middle High German word ganser meaning "gander", occupational name for a geese shepherd.
GartenGerman, Jewish metonymic occupational name for a gardener or overseer of a garden or enclosure. Originally the term denoted the keeper of an enclosure for deer later of a vineyard or smallholding from Middle High German garte "garden enclosure"... [more]
GartmannGerman (Swiss) Derived from Middle High German garte "garden; yard" and German Mann "man", this was occupational name for a gardener. In some cases it may have been a status name referring to the owner of a small (enclosed or fenced) farm or an occupational name for a worker at a deer preserve.
GassawayGerman From the word gasse meaning "alley, street".
GasserGerman (Swiss) Occupational name for a goat herd from Middle High German geiz meaning "Goat" and (n)er an agent suffix.
GassmannGerman, Jewish From German Gasse or Yiddish גאַס (gas), both from Middle High German gazze, meaning "street", denoting someone who lived in a street of a city, town or village.... [more]
GatlinGerman Possibly an altered spelling of German Göttling, from a Germanic personal name formed with god ‘god’ or god ‘good’ + -ling suffix of affiliation, or, like Gättling (of which this may also be an altered form), a nickname from Middle High German getlinc ‘companion’, ‘kinsman’.
GeidlGerman Derived from a Middle High German nickname giudel meaning “braggart” or “squanderer.”
GeigleGerman Meaning "violinist" in Swabian German.
GeipelhorstGerman This rather rare surname is appears to be the combination of "Geipel", which is a variant of "Geibel" originating from a personal name or topographic name formed with Old High German gawi ‘fertile region’, ‘countryside’ (as opposed to a town), and "Horst" which came from of Old High German, meaning "man from the forest", "bosk" or "brushwood"... [more]
GeisbergerGerman Regional name for someone who lives in Geisburg, Geisa or near any mountain called Geisberg.
GeiselhartGerman (Silesian, Rare), Lombardic (Rare), Old High German (Rare) Possibly after the Geisel, a river in Saxony-Anhalt, which likely received its name from either the Lombardic patronym Giso, meaning "noble, precious promise" or from the Old High German gewi, from the Gothic gavi, or gaujis, a which is a medieval term for a "region within a country", often a former or actual province combined with the suffix Hart, which means "stag", and comes from the Middle English hert and the Old English heort.... [more]
GeiserGerman, German (Swiss) Occupational name for a goatherd, from a derivative of Middle High German geiz 'goat'.
GeisingerGerman Denoted a person from the town of Geising in Germany, which in turn got it's name from the Geisingberg mountain. The Geisingberg most likely got it's name from the Germanic geut or the Early New High German geußen, both meaning "to pour", and the German word Berg meaning "mountain"... [more]
GeistGerman Habitational name for someone who lived in a house marked by the sign of the Holy Spirit (normally depicted as a dove), from Middle High German geist 'spirit'.
GellerYiddish, German, Russian The name may derive from the German word "gellen" (to yell) and mean "one who yells." It may derive from the Yiddish word "gel" (yellow) and mean the "yellow man" or from the Yiddish word "geler," an expression for a redheaded man... [more]
GerlingGerman German patronymic from a short form of a Germanic personal name beginning with the element gar, ger ‘spear’, ‘lance’.
GermanEnglish, Norman, German, Jewish, Greek From Old French germain meaning "German". This sometimes denoted an actual immigrant from Germany, but was also used to refer to a person who had trade or other connections with German-speaking lands... [more]
GertschGerman (Swiss) From a short form of any of the Germanic personal names formed with gēr meaning ‘spear’, ‘lance’.
GertzGerman Patronymic from a Germanic personal name meaning "hardy", "brave", "strong."
GerwigGerman, French Derived from the Germanic given name Gerwig, ultimately from the elements gēr meaning "spear" and wīg meaning "battle, fight". This surname is also found in France (mainly in the region of Alsace)... [more]
GfellerGerman Topographical name for someone who lived by a gorge, Middle High German gevelle, or a habitational name for someone from any of various places in Bavaria and Austria named from this word.
GiesingerGerman Denoted a person from the town of Giesing in Germany. Or perhaps a variant spelling of Geisinger. A famous bearer of this surname is the German singer-songwriter Max Giesinger.
GilgenGerman, German (Swiss) Derived from Middle High German gilge "lily", this was a habitational name from the inflected form of a house name meaning "at the lily".
GingrichGerman (Americanized) Potentially from German “junge” and “reich,” meaning “rich at a young age.” Anglicized by immigrants as either Gingrich or Guengerich.
GinsburgGerman, Jewish Habitational name for someone who came from Gunzberg in Bavaria, Günsburg in Swabia, or Gintsshprik (Königsburg) in East Prussia. Its origin is from the name of the river Günz, written in early Latin documents as Guntia, which was probably of Celtic origin, and Old High German burg meaning "Fortress, walled town".
GishGerman From a shortened form of the Germanic personal name Gisulf, literally "hostage wolf". It was borne by American actress Lillian Gish (?1893-1993), original name Lillian de Guiche.
GlockGerman Meant "person who lives by a church bell-tower or in a house with the sign of a bell", "bell-ringer" or "town crier" (German Glocke "bell"). It was borne by Sir William Glock (1908-2000), a British music administrator.
GloffGerman German and Swiss German: from the Germanic personal name Egilolf, composed of the elements agi(l) ‘edge’, ‘point’ (of a sword) + wolf ‘wolf’, cognate with Old English Ecgwulf. This was the name of several Lombard kings (ancestors of the Bavarian ducal line of the Agilolfinger), who introduced the name to Italy.
GödelGerman From an Old German personal name, Godilo, Godila.German (Gödel): from a pet form of a compound personal name beginning with the element god ‘good’ or god, got ‘god’.Variant of Godl or Gödl, South German variants of Gote, from Middle High German got(t)e, gö(t)te ‘godfather’.
GoebbelsGerman, History Originally an occupational name for a brewer. Paul Joseph Goebbels was a German politician and Reich Minister of Propaganda in Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945.
GoetheGerman From a short form of the personal name Godo, formed with the Germanic element god, got 'god', or from Middle High German göte 'godfather'.
GoettelGerman From a pet form of Gottfried, or any of the other personal names formed with Got(t)-.
GoettemsGerman, Brazilian Brazilian adaptation of the German surname Goedems; altered for easier comprehension by the Portuguese-speaking population of Brazil. All members of the Goettems family in Brazil are descendants of Johann Goedems, born in Oberlöstern, Saarland, on September 17, 1798.
GoetzGerman Originally a hypocorism of the given name Gottfried. Variants include the surnames Getz, Götz and the given name Götz.
GoetzingerGerman Originally denoted a person who came from an place called Götzing, Götzingen or Goetzingen.... [more]
GohrbandGerman (Rare) Contained in a Latin land deed granted to a German for a castle-keep dated February 21, 1308. It is believed to be the first written record and original spelling of the name, generally understood to mean in German, "he who lives by the marsh"... [more]
GoldmannGerman, Jewish occupational name for someone who worked with gold denoting anything from a gold-miner to a maker of gold jewelry or a gilder (someone skilled in decorating surfaces with a very thin layer of gold leaf)... [more]
GoldwaterGerman (Anglicized), Jewish (Anglicized) This name is an Anglicized form of the German or Ashkenazic ornamental surname 'Goldwasser', or 'Goldvasser'. The name derives from the German or Yiddish gold', gold, with 'wasser', water, and is one of the very many such compound ornamental names formed with 'gold', such as 'Goldbaum', golden tree, 'Goldbert', golden hill, 'Goldkind', golden child, 'Goldrosen', golden roses, and 'Goldstern', golden star.
GombertFrench, German French and German: from Gundbert, a Germanic personal name composed of the elements gund ‘battle’ + berht ‘bright’, ‘famous’... [more]
GoodbarGerman (Anglicized), English Possibly an altered spelling of English Godber, derived from the medieval given name Godebert, or an occupational name for a beer brewer and a nickname for a toper... [more]
GoosGerman, Flemish, Dutch Either a metonymic occupational name for a breeder or keeper of geese, from Middle Low German gōs and Middle Dutch goes "goose", or a short form of an Old German personal name containing Gote "Goth" or got "god", particularly Goswin or Gozewijn (a compound name with the second element wini "friend").
GottsteinGerman Topographic name from a field name meaning literally "God's rock" derived from the elements got "god" and stein "stone"... [more]
GötzGerman Originally a hypocorism of Gottfried, which is derived from an Old High German given name. Variants include the surnames Getz and Goetz, as well as the given name Götz.
GoudierGerman Germanic patronym from "godhari" meaning "army of God".
GrabeGerman Topographic name for someone who lived by a dike or ditch, or habitational name from either of two places in Thuringia named with this word: Grabe and Graba.
GrabensteinGerman Habitational name from Grafenstein near Wohlau, Silesia.
GrableGerman Means "digger of ditches or graves" (from a derivative of Middle High German graben "ditch"). A famous bearer was US actress, dancer and singer Betty Grable (1916-1973).
GrammerGerman, English Variant of Krämer or a habitational name for someone possibly from German places called Gram or Grammen. It can also be an English occupational name for a scholar or an astrologer, derived from Old French gramaire meaning "grammarian, scholar, astrologer"... [more]
GrassEnglish, German Topographic name for someone who owned or lived by a meadow, or a metonymic occupational name for someone who made or sold hay, from Middle English gras, Middle High German gras "grass, pasture, grazing".
GratzGerman From a short form of a Germanic personal name reflected by Old High German gratag 'greedy'
GrauGerman, Jewish Nickname for someone with gray hair or a gray beard, from German grau "gray".
GraueGerman Habitational name from a place so named near Hannover.
GraupmanGerman Occupational name for someone who produced or dealt with grits and legumes, from early modern German graupe "pot barley" (bohemian krupa) and man "man".
GraveGerman Either from the northern form of Graf, but more commonly a topographic name from Middle Low German grave "ditch", "moat", "channel", or a habitational name from any of several places in northern Germany named with this word.
GravesEnglish, French, German Derives from someone who had an occupation as a grave digger or a caretaker for a graveyard.
GrawertLow German, German (East Prussian) As a Low German name, Grawert is derived from Middle High German grā and Old High German grāo "gray" (originally "shimmery, gleaming"). As a surname, it was a nickname given to someone with gray hair.... [more]
GrebensteinGerman Means "stone from the cliff or ridge" from German greben, (cliff or ridge) and stein (stone).... [more]
GreenbergerGerman, Jewish Anglicized form of the German surname Grünberger, which is formed from the words grün "green", Berg "mountain", and the habitational suffix -er. This name indicated a person who lived on or near a forest-covered mountain.
GreinerUpper German, German (Swiss) Nickname for a quarrelsome or cantankerous person, derived from Middle High German grīner meaning "squabbler, quarreler" (ultimately an agent derivative of grīn meaning "loud, cry, screaming, shouting")... [more]
GrellGerman Nickname for an irritable or irascible person, from Middle High German, Middle Low German grellen "to be angry".
GrellGerman Habitational name from a place named Grelle.
GriebeGerman Occupational name for a butcher or fat dealer from Middle High German griebegriube "rendered bacon pieces crackling".
GrieserUpper German topographic name for someone living on a sandy site, from Middle High German griez ‘sand’ + -er suffix denoting an inhabitant.
GriezmannGerman (Rare) This is the surname of French professional footballer Antoine Griezmann.
GrillGerman From a nickname for a cheerful person, from Middle High German grille "cricket" (Old High German grillo, from Late Latin grillus, Greek gryllos). The insect is widely supposed to be of a cheerful disposition, no doubt because of its habit of infesting hearths and warm places... [more]
GrimkéGerman (Americanized) Americanised form of the German surname Grimk or Grimke with French inspiration. This was the name of a prominent American family of abolitionists.
GrindstaffGerman (Anglicized) Americanized form of German Frenzhof or Grenzhof, a place near Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg or Granzow, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in Germany.
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
GrinerGerman (Anglicized), Jewish Americanised form of German Greiner. It could also denote a person who came from various German places called Grüna or Grünau. In Jewish, it is a topographic name for someone who lived in a green of leafy area, derived from Yiddish grin meaning "green" or Middle High German gruene meaning "greenery".
GrobGerman A nickname for a strong, heavy man, or for a lout, from Middle High German g(e)rop "coarse".
GroschGerman Either a metonymic occupational name for a moneyer or possibly a nickname for an avaricious person from Middle High German Middle Low German grosche "groschen" a medieval thick silver coin its name ultimately derived from medieval Latin denariusgrossus literally "thick coin".
GroßkreutzGerman From German "groß" meaning big and "kreutz" meaning cross.
GroveGerman Name from any of several places named Grove or Groven, which derive their name from Middle Low Germany grove ‘ditch’, ‘channel’. In some cases the name is a Dutch or Low German form of Grube.
GrumbachGerman (Swiss), Alsatian From the name of various places in Switzerland and Germany, for example the municipality of Grumbach in Rhineland-Palatinate.
GrünGerman, Jewish from Middle High German gruoni "green fresh raw" hence a nickname for someone who habitually dressed in green a topographic name for someone who lived in a green and leafy place or a habitational name for someone from a place called with this word such as GrunaGrunau in Silesia... [more]
GrünbaumGerman, Jewish from Middle High German gruoni "green" and boum "tree" probably a topographic or habitational name referring to a house distinguished by the sign of a tree in leaf... [more]
GrünfeldGerman, Jewish Habitational name from any of several places in northern and central Germany named Grünfeld named with elements meaning "green open country" derived from the elements gruoni "green" and feld "field"... [more]
GrunwaldGerman, German (Swiss), Jewish German and Swiss German (Grünwald): habitational name from any of various places named Grün(e)wald, from Middle High German gruene ‘green’ + walt ‘wood’, ‘forest’. ... [more]
GuengerichGerman (Americanized) Potentially from German “junge” and “reich,” meaning “rich at a young age.” Anglicized by immigrants as either Guengerich or Gingrich.
GuentherGerman German: from a Germanic personal name composed of gund ‘battle’ + hari, heri ‘army’.
GüldenGerman Variant of Gulden, a metonymic occupational name for a craftsman who gilded objects, or a habitational name referring to a house name such as In den silvren Gulden ("In the Silver Guilder"), De Gulden Hoeve ("The Gilded Farmhouse") or De Gulden Zwaan ("The Gilded Swan").
GuldenDutch, German Means "golden, gilded" or "guilder, florin (coin)", possibly an occupational name for a goldsmith, or a habitational name derived from a house.
GunzenhauserGerman, Jewish Habitational name for someone from either of two places named Gunzenhausen, one in Württemberg and the other in Bavaria.
GustGerman German: from a short form of the personal name Jodocus, which is either a Latinized form of a Breton name, Iodoc, borne by a 7th-century Breton saint (compare Jost and Joyce) or from a reduced form of the personal name Augustus.... [more]
GutfreundGerman From the words gut freund, which means "good friend."
GutherzGerman, Jewish Nickname for a kindly or righteous person. Derived from Middle High German guot meaning "good" and herz meaning "heart".
GutjahrGerman, German (Swiss) nickname for someone born on New Year's Day from a New Year's greeting meaning "Good year".