ACEEnglish, Norman, Medieval French The surname Ace's origin is from a Norman and Old French personal name, Ace, Asse, from Germanic Frankish origin Azzo, Atso, a pet form of personal names containing adal ‘noble’ as a first element.
AGINCOURTMedieval English Surname Agincourt was first found in Lincolnshire where "Walter de Aincourt, who came from Aincourt, a lordship between Mantes and Magny Normandy, where the remains of the ancient family castle still exists... [more]
ALEGHIERIMedieval Italian (Tuscan, Rare, Archaic) It has a hard to trace meaning, but the research shows that the meaning might be "clurgyman's family" or "son of professers." People know this last name for the poet Dante Aligheri who wrote the Dievine Comedy.
ALLAIREMedieval French, French (Quebec), French (Huguenot) Allaire is the name of a village in Northwestern France(Brittany) near Vannes. The name may have Breton origins. At least two separate branches of the family came to the New World in the 17th Century... [more]
BALDRICKMedieval English The name of Blackadder (Rowan Atkinson)'s much-hated slave in the comedy Blackadder.... [more]
BALFAGERAncient Germanic (Gothic), Medieval Portuguese Name of a Visigoth noble family (around the 10th century) from the Iberian Peninsula (current northern Portugal), meaning "bold spear"; they descent from the Balti dynasty.
BARNEWALLAnglo-Norman, Irish A locational surname given to those who lived by a stream in either Cambridgeshire, which derives its name from the Olde English beorna meaning "warrior" and wella meaning "stream", or from one in Northamptonshire, which got its name from the Olde English byrge meaning "burial mound" and well, which also means "stream." a burial mound and 'well(a)'... [more]
BERRYANNMedieval English (Rare) The name is pre 7th century Olde English and later Olde French. It derives from the word burri or berri, translating as a fortress or castle and means 'one who dwelt at the castle'. The suffix 'man' also indicates that it was job descriptive for a guard or keeper of the castle... [more]
BLAKEWOODMedieval English Derived from the Old English words blaec, which means black, and wudu, which means wood, and indicates that the original bearer lived near a dark, wooded area.
BLISSMedieval English, Medieval English (Anglicized) Originally a nickname for a cheerful person, derived from the Old English blisse, meaning "gladness" or "joy." Another origin of the surname is habitional, coming from from the village of Blay in Calvados (modern-day Normandy), spelled as Bleis in 1077, or from the village of Stoke Bliss in Worcestershire, first known as Stoke de Blez, named after the Norman family de Blez.... [more]
BOLASMedieval English English: habitational name from Great Bolas in Shropshire, named in Old English with an unidentified first element (possibly an unattested word bogel meaning ‘bend in a river’) + wæsse ‘land beside a river liable to flood’.
BONDESwedish, Old Swedish, Danish From Old Norse bóndi "farmer". Used as both a last name and a (rare) given name in Sweden (see BONDE for the given name and BONDESSON as an example of a patronymic derived from this name)... [more]
BOUZIGATMedieval Occitan Lengadocian (dialect of Occitan): meaning "fallow land" or "cleared, uncultivated land"
BOWEMedieval English, English, Irish (Anglicized) There are three possible sources of this surname, the first being that it is a metonymic occupational name for a maker or seller of bows, a vital trade in medieval times before the invention of gunpowder, and a derivative of the Old English pre 7th Century 'boga', bow, from 'bugan' to bend... [more]
BURDICKAnglo-Norman This surname is derived from a geographical locality.,'of Burdet.'
BUREOld Swedish, Swedish This was the name of an influential family in 16th century Sweden. The name originated from the village Bure (now known as Bureå) in Skellefteå parish in Northern Sweden. The village got its name from the nearby Bure River (Swedish: Bure älv, Bureälven) whose name was derived from the Swedish dialectal word burra "buzz, rumble".
BURNELLAnglo-Saxon, Medieval English A name for a person with a brown complexion or dark brown hair. From the Old English burnel via the French brunel a diminutive of the French brun, which means "brown". The suffix el-- a short form of "little" was added to brun to make Brunel... [more]
CHENERYMedieval French, English (British, Anglicized, Modern) Derived from the Old French "chesne" for oak tree, or "chesnai" for oak grove, from the medieval Latin "casnetum". As a topographical name, Cheyne denoted residence near a conspicuous oak tree, or in an oak forest.
CHERROMedieval Spanish (Latinized) Meaning villager or farmer of Salamanca, especially of the region which includes Alba, Vitigudino, Ciudad Rodrigo And Ledesma. Concerning the villager from Salamanca called Charro and its equivalent demonym or gentilic is salmantino, salmanticense, salamanqués, salamanquino.
COITMedieval Welsh, French, English The surname Coit was first found in Carnarvonshire, a former country in Northwest Wales, anciently part of the Kingdom of Gwynedd, and currently is divided between the unitary authorities of Gwynedd and Conwy, where they held a family seat... [more]
COURTIERFrench, Medieval French, Medieval English French: habitational name from places called Courtier (Seine-et-Marne, Aples-de-Haute-Provence), Courtié (Tarn), or Courtière (Loir-et-Cher). ... [more]
CRAWFORDJOHNMedieval Scottish One who came from Crawfordjohn in Lanarkshire; not to be confused with nearby Crawford, also in Lanarkshire.
DE DRUMONMedieval Scottish This name appears carved on the tomb of "Jonnes de Drumon". This is said to be the earliest known written example of the Scottish surname Drummond. We believe that de Drumon could have been costal French or Belgium... [more]
DE METZMedieval Jewish, Medieval French A medieval Ashkenazic French habitational name originally meaning "of Metz", from the city of Metz (now known as Mettis) in Lorraine, which was originally known as Mediomatrica, after the Gaulish tribe of the Mediomatrici... [more]
DE ROMAMedieval Spanish (Rare) A Spanish locational surname meaning “Of Rome”, perhaps for a Spaniard who lived in Rome or an Italian expat who immigrated to Spain
DINGFELDERMedieval German (Rare, Archaic) When surnames were finally adopted, family heads who originated from Thungfeld in the Steigerwald area of Mittelfranken, took the name of their traditional home area.
DUGMOREMedieval English This habitational name is chiefly found in the West Midlands region of England. The origin is certainly Old English pre 7th Century and may be Ancient British i.e. pre Roman 55 A.D. The origins are lost but are believed to develop from "Dubh" meaning "black" and "mor" a morass or swamp... [more]
ELFORDMedieval English From the Old English personal name Ella, from the word oelf meaning "elf" or from the Old English alor/elre, meaning "alder tree." The name in full would mean "alder tree by a ford" or "Ella who lives by a ford".... [more]
ELLMedieval This name derives from the Medieval given name Elis first recorded in the 1220 Pipe Rolls of Middlesex "Elis de Adham". The ultimate origin of the name is the Hebrew, Elisha or Elijah (meaning "Jehovah is God")... [more]
EZZOMedieval Italian EZZO: " Derived from a Germanic name Azzo, based on the element z , which originates debated; between the various hypotheses are: ... [more]
FAÏSMedieval Occitan, Occitan (Rare) Derived from Old French and Occitan fagot, meaning "bundle" (of sticks/twigs), denoting someone who collects bundles.
FFROSTMedieval Welsh Devired from the old Welsh word "Ymffrostgar", meaning a brag or boastful person. Originally spelt as "Ffrost", later changed to "Frost".
FISHMedieval English, Jewish From Middle English fische, fish ‘fish’, a metonymic occupational name for a fisherman or fish seller, or a nickname for someone thought to resemble a fish.... [more]
FITZEMPRESSHistory, Anglo-Norman Means "son of the empress" in Anglo-Norman French. The three sons of Empress Matilda were known as Henry FitzEmpress (King Henry II of England), Geoffrey FitzEmpress, Count of Nantes, and William FitzEmpress, Count of Poitou.
FRATINIMedieval Italian (Tuscan, Modern) My understanding is that the Fratini surname originated in the Arno River Valley somewhere between Arezzo and Florence.
FUCKEBEGGERMedieval English (Rare) In 1286/1287 there is an individual with the surname Fuckebegger, recorded as one of King Edward I’s servants who managed his horses. It’s not clear from this name what the “fucke” part was referring to, with the leading hypothesis being a “striker” of some sort.
FUSSMedieval Low German German from Middle High German fus ‘foot’, hence most probably a nickname for someone with some peculiarity or deformity of the foot, but perhaps also a topographic name for someone who lived at the foot of a hill.
GIELMedieval English From a medieval personal name of which the original form was Latin Aegidius, from Greek aigidion ‘kid’, ‘young goat’. Compare English GILES.... [more]
HARMSMedieval Low German Of ancient German origin, Harms is derived from a Germanic personal name made up of the elements "heri," meaning "army," and "man," meaning "man." Surname Harms was first found in Prussia, in medieval times as one of the notable families of the region.
JOURDEMAYNEMedieval English Likely from Old French jor de main meaning "day labourer". This was borne by Margery Jourdemayne, an English woman known as the "Witch of Eye" who was burned at the stake in 1441 for conspiring to kill the king with witchcraft... [more]
KIEHLMedieval Low German From Middle Low German kil ‘wedge’, applied as a metonymic occupational name or as a pejorative nickname for a ruffian. Possibly a habitational name from Kiel in Schleswig-Holstein, from Dutch and Frisian kil ‘stagnant water’ (see KIEL)... [more]
KOHLSTEDTMedieval German (Modern) Likely derived from the German word KOHL, meaning “Cabbage,” and a Variation of the word Stadt, meaning “City, town, and/or place.”
KOMISINCuman Originally Comyshyn .. The prefix denotes its Cuman ancestry, and the afix -shyn means Ukraine. Hence, Cuman of Ukraine.
KOTROMANIĆMedieval Serbian The Kotromanić were a late medieval Bosnian and Serbian noble family. The name is thought to have originated from a knight named Cotromano.
LADULÅSOld Swedish Most likely from Swedish ladulås "barnlock", but it could also be derived from the Slavic name LADISLAUS. Magnus Ladulås, sometimes known as Magnus Birgersson or Magnus III in English, was the king of Sweden between 1275 and 1290.
LAPSLEYScottish, English, Medieval English Combination of Old English læppa ”end of a parish” and leah ”woodland clearing”. Another meaning could be possible.
LEUSINKMedieval Dutch Descendants from farmers from the Overijssel Province in the Netherlands. History can be traced to the middle ages, perhaps to a farm called Lossyng in the village of Neede.
L'HERNAULTMedieval French Originating in Northern France, Rouen River Valley, Normandie, L'Hernault is an Old French word for a "heralder", one who would act as an announcer, diplomat or town crier.... [more]
LIMBMedieval English Rare name of medieval English origin. A dialectal variant of the locational name 'Lumb', from places so called in Lancashire and West Yorkshire, and derives from the Old English pre-7th Century 'lum(m)'... [more]
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]
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]
NATT OCH DAGOld Swedish, Swedish (Rare) Means "night and day" in Swedish. This is the name of one of the oldest noble families in Sweden. The earliest known ancestor is Nils Sigridsson who lived in the 13th century. The name Natt and Dag was not mentioned until the 16th century, though, and the family members themselves didn't start using it until the 18th century... [more]
NOEMedieval English, Korean A patronymic form of the biblical male given name Noah from the Hebrew word "noach" meaning long-lived. Possible origins could be ... [more]
NOSTRADAMUSMedieval Dutch (?) This surname was beared by the famous writer MICHAEL de Nostradamus, also famous for predicting the apocalypse and the danger from the arab world.
OBALDIAMedieval Basque (Latinized, Archaic) Obaldia comes from the Proto-Euskera or Proto-Basque (ancient Basque languaje) that is Dovaltia (also known as Dobaldia). Its meaning is pear tree or european wild pear.
OBUCHMedieval Polish (Rare) Obuch is a surname found in Poland and specifically areas that were part of the Polish-Lithuanian Kingdom. It was the name of a long handled battle hammer and may have denoted someone handy with the weapon or who produced the weapon... [more]
ODDYMedieval English Was first found in Yorkshire where they held a family seat as the lords of the manor of Storkhouse, Gisbern and Withernsea in that shire. Believed to be descended from Count Odo.
ODSONMedieval French Means 'son of Odo', Odo meaning 'possessor of wealth' many French Dukes and Counts had the name Odo. ' From the nickname 'Oddy' or 'Hoddy'.
ORANGEMedieval English, Medieval French, English Derived from the medieval female name, or directly from the French place name. First used with the modern spelling in the 17th century, apparently due to William, Prince of Orange, who later became William III... [more]
ORRELSMedieval English Means "Ore hill", likely for iron ore miners. From the Old English ora, meaning "ore" and hyll, meaning hill.... [more]
PAINTEREnglish, Medieval French, German English: from Middle English, Old French peinto(u)r, oblique case of peintre ‘painter’, hence an occupational name for a painter (normally of colored glass). In the Middle Ages the walls of both great and minor churches were covered with painted decorations, and Reaney and Wilson note that in 1308 Hugh le Peyntour and Peter the Pavier were employed ‘making and painting the pavement’ at St... [more]
PASSELEWEMedieval English The medieval name is from Old French passe(r) ‘to pass or cross’ + l’ewe ‘the water’, hence a nickname, probably for a ferryman or a merchant who was in the habit of traveling overseas, or else someone who had been on a pilgrimage or crusade.
PEREIRUMedieval Portuguese (Latinized, Rare, Archaic) This is a Military Order (Knights Templar or the Order of Solomon's Temple) and it was founded by the Henrique de Borgonha, conde de Portucale (Henry, Count of Portugal) in the year 1090. It was then confirmed by Pope Alexandre III in the year 1177... [more]
PINSKERGerman, Prussian Habitational name from any of several places named near Posen (Polish Poznan) and in West Prussia.
PLANTAGENETMedieval English, Medieval French Borne by the House of Plantagenet, a royal house which originated from the lands of Anjou in France. It also originated as a nickname for Geoffrey V, Count of Anjou (1113-1151), father of King Henry II of England (1133-1189), who ascended the English throne in 1154... [more]
PROWZEAnglo-Norman An Anglo-Norman occupational surname used for soldiers or a nickname for someone bold that is derived from the pre-10th-century Old French proz or prouz, meaning "proud" or "brave". It could also be a variant of the surname PRUE... [more]
PRUDHOMMEFrench, English, Norman, Medieval French French (Prud’homme) and English (of Norman origin): nickname from Old French prud’homme ‘wise’, ‘sensible man’, a cliché term of approbation from the chivalric romances. It is a compound of Old French proz, prod ‘good’, with the vowel influenced by crossing with prudent ‘wise’ + homme ‘man’... [more]
REEDERMedieval English This surname was given to people in Medieval England who thatched houses using reed
RENGELMedieval Croatian Used by several houses of Croatia few centuries ago, now, those of this name are but a shadows of once proud and prestigious house
SANCTUSMedieval Italian Sanctus is a very old graphic form in Italy and it means santo (saint).
SANTISMedieval Italian (Latinized, Archaic) It means holliness, hallowed, saintly, sainted, sanctity. It is a surname that corresponds with Italian Celts families (Italo-Celtic family groups), more precisely in Piemonte or Piedmont (north of Italy).
SCOGINGSEnglish, Old Danish A surname of Scandinavian origin from the old Norse and old Danish by-name "Skeggi" or "skoggi", meaning 'the bearded one'. Common in areas invaded and settled by Scandinavians in the 8th and 9th Centuries.
SCUDAMOREAnglo-Norman A locational surname that was first recorded in England in 1264. Derived from one of the ancient villages of Fifield Scudamore or Upton Scudamore, with SCUDAMORE coming from the Old English scitemor, which means "one who lived at the moor."
SEELYMedieval English Means "Blessed", "Happy", and/or "Lucky." By adding an Un- to Seely makes it "Unblessed", "Unhappy", and/or "Unholy." Used primarily in Northern England and Southern Scotland during the Middle English period but is derived from the Old English sǣl and gesǣlig... [more]
SENDULLAMedieval French the name was originally from a town in the champagne valley that does not exist any more because of World War I the town's name is forgotten and all we have about it is the name sendulla a young girl whom live there as a child
SHACKLEFORDEnglish, Medieval English Locational surname deriving from the place called Shackleford in Surrey, near the town of Farnham. The origin of "shackle" is uncertain. It could be derived from Old English sceacan "to shake"... [more]
STEINAUERMedieval German Dweller at or near a stone or rock, often a boundary mark; one who came from Stein, in Germany and Switzerland; descendant of Staino or STEIN ("stone").... [more]
STOCKMedieval English English: A topographic name for someone who lived near the trunk or stump of a large tree, Middle English STOCKE (Old English Stocc)... [more]
STUREOld Swedish, Swedish (Rare) Derived from Old Norse stura "to be contrary". This was the surname of two important families in the 15th and 16th century Sweden. Members of these families served as regents of Sweden during this time... [more]
TEGGINMedieval Welsh derived from tha ancient area of now Flintshire which was named Tegeingl
THRESTONMedieval English (Rare) The surname of Threston is English in origin, and, means "to twist"** and, can be traced as far back as the 11th century where the name is found in the "Domesday Book." The name Threston is a variation of the name of the town of Threxton, Norfolk, UK, and, there are several variations of the name Threxton including:... [more]
TRIMBOLIMedieval Italian Trimboli: Means: "prince of three valleys." Land or (spoils) were given to worthy soldiers for there efforts after conquest. Three valleys in Calabria were given to a soldier who will become known as Francesco Guytano Trimboli, the new perprieitor in an area near Plati, Italy, Calabria.
TROLLESwedish, Old Swedish Swedish noble family. According to legend, an early ancestor killed a troll and that's how the family got its name. The family's coat of arms depicts a headless troll. The earliest known ancestor is Birger Knutsson Trulle (died approx... [more]
VASAOld Swedish, Swedish (Archaic) Swedish noble and former royal family. Possibly from vase meaning "bundle" or "withy". The name is believed to be a reference to the family's coat of arms. The most notable member of the family was Gustav Eriksson Vasa (1496-1560), later known as Gustav I of Sweden (in modern times known exclusively as Gustav Vasa)... [more]
VERYARDMedieval Spanish (Rare) Rumour has it that the surname De-Veryard represented a Spanish occupation, but unclear what that might be - have never been able to establish the origin.
WALDRONMedieval 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]
WALLINGAnglo-Norman From the Anglo-Norman personal name Walweyn, the Old German forename Waldwin, or the Old English personal name Wealdwine, which means "power-friend".
WILDMedieval English, English, German, Jewish English: from Middle English wild ‘wild’, ‘uncontrolled’ (Old English wilde), hence a nickname for a man of violent and undisciplined character, or a topographic name for someone who lived on a patch of overgrown uncultivated land.... [more]
WYLIEMedieval English It is of locational origin, and derives from the places called Willey in the counties of Cheshire, Herefordshire, Shropshire, Warwickshire, Devonshire and Surrey.
YMFFROSTGARMedieval Welsh A historic Welsh surname, meaning a brag or boastful person, later shortened to Ffrost and again to Frost.
YOHEMedieval English The Yohe surname comes from the Old English word "ea," or "yo," in Somerset and Devon dialects, which meant "river" or "stream." It was likely originally a topographic name for someone who lived near a stream.
YULEMedieval English Nickname for someone who was born on Christmas Day or had some other connection with this time of year, from Middle English yule ‘Christmastide’ (Old English geol, reinforced by the cognate Old Norse term jól).
ZUFALLMedieval German A German name from the Middle High German "zuoval," meaning "benefit," "coincidence" or "windfall." It was a nickname for a lucky person, most likely a person to whom a plot of land had been given. It could also be an occupational name for a tax collector.