Swiss
names are used in the country of Switzerland in central Europe.
Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
Crite Low German, Upper German (Americanized)Probably an Americanized form of South German
Kreit or
Kreith which are topographic names derived from Middle High German
geriute meaning “land cleared for farming” or of North German
Kreite which is a nickname for a quarrelsome person derived from Middle Low German
kreit meaning “strife.”
Crivelli ItalianFrom the Italian
crivello, which is derived from the Latin
cribrum, meaning "sieve," (a mesh food strainer); likely an occupational name for a maker or user of sieves.
Crobu ItalianFrom Sardinian
crobu "crow", or a place of the same name.
Crownover German (Anglicized)Americanised spelling of German
Kronauer, denoting someone from
Kronau, a town near Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It could also be an Americanised form of
Kronhöfer (a variant of
Grünhofer), a habitational name for someone from a lost place called
Grünhof, derived from Middle High German
gruene meaning "green" or
kranech meaning "crane" and
hof meaning "farmstead".
Crozier English, FrenchEnglish and French occupational name for one who carried a cross or a bishop’s crook in ecclesiastical processions, from Middle English, Old French
croisier.
Crudup German (Anglicized)Probably an Americanised form of North German
Gratop, a nickname for an old man, derived from Middle Low German
gra meaning "gray" and
top meaning "braid". Famous bearers of this name include the Americans Billy Crudup (1968-), an actor, and Arthur Crudup (1905-1974), a Delta blues singer, songwriter and guitarist.
Crumble GermanProbably an altered form of German Krumpel or Krümpel a nickname from Middle High German krum(p) 'deformed crooked'; skeletal deformities were common in the Middle Ages often as a result of childhood illnesses such as rickets.
Cucuzza ItalianFrom Sicilian
cucuzza "marrow, pumpkin", perhaps a nickname for someone who resembled a pumpkin.
Cugino ItalianMeans "cousin" in Italian, with the archaic meaning "relative, kinsman". It may have been a nickname for a prominent or well-connected individual, or for someone who often used the term as a form of address to others.
Cugnasca ItalianMeaning uncertain, possibly from Italian
cugnata "hatchet" (from Sicilian
cugna "wedge"), or
cugnata "related, similar; sister-in-law" (from Latin
cognata "related by blood"), or
cugino "cousin", combined with
nascere "to be born, to sprout".
Cugno ItalianFrom Sicilian
cugnu "wedge", indicating someone who lived on a hill or other topographical "wedge", someone whose occupation involved using an axe, or a person who was considered to be hard or angular in personality or appearance.
Cuomo ItalianDerived from a shortened form of
Cuosëmo (or
Cuosimo), a Neapolitan variant of the Italian given name
Cosimo.
Curcio ItalianCould be derived from the Ancient Roman gens
Curtius, or directly from a regional descendant of Latin
curtus meaning "shortened, short" or "mutilated, broken, incomplete"... [
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Curcuruto ItalianFrom an Italian nickname derived from
curcurutu meaning "speedy, fleet of foot".
Cure FrenchFrom
cure meaning “vicarage” or “presbytery,” possibly applied as a nickname to an employee or from a homonymous word meaning “healing” or “cure” possibly used as a metonymic occupational name for a healer.
Cure FrenchFrom
curé which means “(parish) priest” used as a metonymic occupational name for a servant in the household of a priest or applied as an ironic nickname.
Curiale Italian (Rare)In ancient Rome, the curiales (from co + viria, 'gathering of men') were initially the leading members of a gentes (clan) of the city of Rome. Their roles were both civil and sacred. Each gens curialis had a leader, called a curio... [
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Cusimanno Italian, Sicilianfrom the personal name Cusimano which may be a fusion of two Christian saints' names:
Cosma and
Damiano with a loss of the last syllable of one and the first of the other... [
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Custer German (Anglicized)Anglicization of the German surname
Köster or
Küster, literally "sexton". A famous bearer was George Custer (1839-1876), the American cavalry general. General Custer and his army were defeated and killed by Sioux and Cheyenne forces under Sitting Bull in the Battle of Little Bighorn (1876; also known colloquially as Custer's Last Stand).
Cuvelier French, Walloon, FlemishOccupational name for a Cooper derived from an agent in Old French
cuve "vat tun". Also found in the Netherlands.
Cyr FrenchFrom the Latin personal name Quiricus or Cyricus, Greek Kyrikos or Kyriakos, ultimately from Greek kyrios 'lord', 'master'.
D'abbeville FrenchMeans "of Abbeville" Abbeville is a commune in France. Takes its name from Latin Abbatis Villa meaning "Abbot's Village".
D'Abruzzo ItalianVariant of
Abruzzo. It is the real surname of the American actor Alan Alda (1936-), who was born Alphonso Joseph D'Abruzzo.
Dagot FrenchDerived from the Old French word "fagot", meaning "bundle of firewood". This was likely given as an occupational surname to a gatherer or seller of firewood.
Dahler GermanFrom a short form of an ancient Germanic personal name, possibly a cognate with Anglo-Saxon
deal, the first part of which means “proud” or “famous.”
Dahlke GermanEastern German: from a pet form of the Slavic personal names
Dalibor or
Dalimir, which are both derived from
dal- ‘present’, ‘gift’.
Dahmer German, DanishA northern German or Danish habitual name for someone from one of the many places named Dahme in Brandenburg, Holstein, Mecklenburg, or Silesia. A famous bearer of this name was Jeffrey Dahmer, serial killer (1960 - 1993).
Daiber GermanDerived from either Middle High German
tiuber "pigeon breeder, pigeon fancier" or from Middle High German
touber "wind musician, musician who plays a wind instrument".
Daigle FrenchReferred as a habitual name (someone from L’Aigle) in Orne.
Daleiden GermanHabitational name from a place in the Rhineland called Daleiden.
Dalmas FrenchSurname Dalmas was first found in Limousin. Literally means "of the sea."
Damas FrenchFrench form of
Damascus. Famous bearer Léon-Gontran Damas (1912-1978) was a French poet and politican from French Guiana, cofounder of the Négritude Mouvement and author of the collection "Black Label".
d'Amboise FrenchDenoted a person from
Amboise, a commune located in the Indre-et-Loire department in central France.
Dame French, EnglishFrom the old French
dame, "lady" ultimately from Latin
domina, "mistress".
Dameron FrenchNickname for a foppish or effeminate young man, Old French
dameron, a derivative of Latin
dominus "lord", "master" plus two diminutive endings suggestive of weakness or childishness.
Damian French, Spanish, Italian, Czech, Slovak, PolishFrom the medieval personal name
Damian, Greek
Damianos (from
damazein "to subdue"). St. Damian was an early Christian saint martyred in Cilicia in ad 303 under the emperor Domitian, together with his brother Cosmas... [
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Damm GermanFrom a short form of a personal name containing the Old High German element
thank "thanks", "reward".
D'Amour FrenchPatronymic from
Amour, this name was a nickname for an amorous man or a love child.
Danese ItalianEthnic name for a Dane, or from the personal name Danese, which was introduced to and popularized in medieval Italy through French Carolingian literature, notably the epics Chanson de Roland and Ogier de Denemarche.
Dangers GermanPatronymic from the personal name
Anger. Habitational name for someone from the city of Angers.
Daniele Italianmy mother Eugenia Daniele born Oct 29 1899 lived in casamarciano till 1921, before emigrating to Long Island City in New York .he died at 103 in 2004
D'annunzio ItalianPatronymical form of
Annunzio, Italian form of the Latin given name
Annuntius. A famous bearer of this surname is Italian poet Gabriele D'Annunzio (1863-1938).
Danz GermanDerived from a given name, a short form of the name
Tandulf, the origins of which are uncertain. (In some cases, however, this surname may have originated as a nickname denoting a person who liked to dance, from the Middle High German word
tanz,
danz "dance".)
Danza ItalianProbably a habitational name from a place in Salerno, Italy. In the case of American actor Tony Danza, it’s a shortened form of
Iadanza, used as a stage name.
Danza ItalianMeans "dance" in Italian, a nickname for a dancer. Alternatively, it could derive from an Italian form of the given name
Abundantius.
Dänzer GermanOccupational name for a professional acrobat or entertainer; variant of
Tanzer.
Danzig GermanDenoted a person who was from the city of Gdańsk, Poland (called
Danzig in German).
D'aoust FrenchD'Aoust, denotes someone from Aoust(e) in France. Aouste is situated in the Ardennes department (Champagne-Ardenne region) in the north-east of France at 29 km from Charleville-Mézières, the department capital... [
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Da Palestrina Italian, HistoryMeans "of Palestrina" in Italian, an Italian commune near Rome, derived from an Italian form of Latin
Praenesteus or
Praeneste, both of uncertain meaning. a famous bearer of the surname was the Italian late Renaissance composer
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525-1594).
Da Pra ItalianA topographic name for someone from a meadow, from the northern variant of "prato" (meadow).
D'Aquila ItalianMeans "from L'Aquila", a city in Abruzzo, Italy (known locally as Aquila).
D'artagnan French, LiteratureSurname given to a person from Artagnan, France. It is also used by Charles de Batz-Castelmore d'Artagnan, the captain of the Musketeers from the novel, "The Three Musketeers".
Daum German, JewishNickname for a short person, from Middle High German
doum "tap", "plug", or
dume, German
Daumen "thumb".
D'aurevalle French (Archaic)This medieval surname literally means "from Aurevalle". Aurevalle can refer to any of the three French communes that are nowadays known by the more modern spelling Orival. All of them ultimately derive their name from Latin
aurea vallis meaning "golden vale" or "golden valley".
D'aureville FrenchThis surname literally means "from Aureville". Aureville is a commune in southwestern France, which was established in late medieval times. It derives its name from Latin
aurea villa or
villa aurea which literally means "golden country-house, golden farm" but of course later came to mean "golden village".
Daus GermanFrom Middle Low German
dūs denoting the "two on a die or , the ace in cards" hence a nickname for a passionate card or dice player.
Dauterive FrenchOriginally denoted a person hailing from any of the various places in France called
Hauterive. This surname is no longer found in France. A famous fictional bearer is the character Bill Dauterive from the American animated series
King of the Hill, starting 1997.
Debeau French, English (British), HistorySome characteristic forenames: French Armand, Normand, Andre, Pierre, Fernand, Gaston, Solange, Adelard, Baptiste, Cecile, Chantel, Donat.... [
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Deberry FrenchHabitational name for someone from Berry-au-Bac in Aisne, France.
DeBevoise FrenchDenoted someone from
Beauvais, a city and commune in the Hauts-de-France region in northern France.
Deblois FrenchFrench surname meaning "From Blois", a town in Mid-Western France. The origins of the surname started back in the 1600s when a man named Grégoire Guérard traveled to Flanders (Now Belgium) and immigrated to New France (Now Canada) in 1658... [
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De Brazza ItalianDenoted someone who lived in Brač, an island off the coast in Dalmatia, from Italian
Brazza "Brač". The famous bearer of this surname was an Italian-French explorer Pierre Paul François Camille Savorgnan de Brazza (1852-1905).
De Bruyne Dutch, French, FlemishDerived from Middle Dutch
bruun meaning "brown", referring to hair colour or complexion. A famous bearer is Belgian soccer player Kevin De Bruyne (1991-).
Debs FrenchFrom the given name
Debus, a variant of
Thebs or
Thebus, which was an altered short form of
Mattheus. This was borne by American union leader Eugene V. Debs (1855-1926).
Decazes FrenchThe surname Decazes was first found in Gascony (French: Gascogne), an area of southwest France bordering Spain, that was part of the "Province of Guyenne and Gascony" prior to the French Revolution, where the family held a family seat in ancient times.... [
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De Clermont FrenchMeans "of the bright hill" from the French
de meaning "of" and
clair,
cler 'bright', 'clear' +
mont 'hill'
Decurtins RomanshDerived from the preposition
de "of" and Romansh
curtin "garden".
De Curtis ItalianOriginally denoting someone who was short, or came from a family of short people. A famous bearer of this surname is Italian actor Antonio "Totò" De Curtis (1898–1967).
Dedeaux FrenchMeaning uncertain. Probably a habitual surname for someone from Deaux in Gare.
Deetz German (Americanized), GermanEither an Americanized form of German
Dietz or a North German surname which is ultimately derived from the same source (from an old personal name formed with Old High German
diota "people, nation")... [
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Defeo ItalianThis surname is well known in popular culture as the surname of Ronald Defeo who murdered his family in the 1970s while they lived in Amittyville, NY. The surname may mean “Of Ugly”.
Defilippo ItalianThe Italian surname
De Filippo is a patronymic name created from the first name of a male ancestor. As a first name, it is derived from the Latin "Philippus,". This name is composed of the element "philos" which means "friend," and "hippos," meaning "horse.
Deford FrenchVariant of
Dufort meaning "son of the strong" from French
de-, "of" and
fort, "strong". Notable namesake is author Frank Deford.
Deforge FrenchThis is a surname of French origins. Introduced into England after the famous Invasion and Conquest of 1066, it is residential, but also possibly occupational. It is a surname which in its different forms is widely recorded heraldically, and particularly in the French regions of Brittany and Normandy... [
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Defraia ItalianFrom an archaic Sardinian term, possibly meaning "factory", or from an alteration of
frai "brother". Alternately, may mean "from Fraia", a settlement in Italy.
Degen German, SwissMeans "rapier, small sword, dagger" in German, an occupational name for someone who made rapiers. Alternately, it could be derived from a given name containing Old High German
degan "soldier, warrior", such as
Degenhard or
Herdegen.
Dehn Germanthe Germanic ethnic name for someone from Denmark
Deiana ItalianFrom Sardinian
de "of, from" and
jana "fairy, spirit of the woods, sorceress" (from Latin
Diana).
Dejean FrenchPatronymic with fused preposition
de, meaning “of”, from the personal name
Jean. This surname is also found in Haiti.
De La Boulaye FrenchThis indicates familial origin within the Bourgignon commune of La Boulaye.
De La Chaumette FrenchName for someone from one of several places in central France named La Chaumette; or someone who lived on a
chaumette, a high, arid plateau with little vegetation. The term is a diminutive of
chaume "bare land", from a specialized sense of Latin
calmus "calm, unruffled".