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.
Ess Low German, German (Swiss)North German: topographic name for someone living on or owning land that was waterlogged or partly surrounded by water, from Middle Low German es ‘swamp’, ‘water’. ... [
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Ettlinger GermanDeriving from
Ettlingen, a town in Baden-Württemberg, Germany.
Etzdorf GermanOrigin and meaning unknown, possibly a given name. Usually has nobiliary particle "Von".
Eul GermanA nickname from Middle High German
iule meaning "owl".
Euler German, JewishOccupational name for a potter, most common in the Rhineland and Hesse, from Middle High German
ul(n)ære (an agent derivative of the dialect word
ul,
aul "pot", from Latin
olla).
Evola ItalianPerhaps a topographic name from Italian
ebbio, a type of plant known as danewort in English (genus Sambucus), itself derived from Latin
ebullus; alternatively, it may have been a habitational name for a person from a minor place named with this word... [
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Faber German, Dutch, French, DanishAn occupational name for a blacksmith or ironworker, ultimately derived from Latin
faber "artisan, creator, craftsman, smith".
Facente ItalianNickname for an industrious person, from Latin
facere "to make" "to do".
Fadda ItalianPossibly from
fada "fairy, fate", or from Sardinian
fadda "error", itself from Latin
falla "mistake, failure, trick".
Fafard FrenchPossibly derived from the french 'fard' meaning 'made-up' or 'make-up'. This is in a theatrical sense and does not imply lying. Very possibly a derivation form a theatrical occupation
Fahr German, German (Swiss)A topographic name for someone who lived near a crossing point on a river, from Middle High German
vare, meaning
ferry.
Fahrenheit GermanDerived from German
fahren, meaning, "to ride", and
Heit, which is the equivalent to the suffix "-ness". A famous bearer was Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686- 1736), a Polish physicist who invented the Fahrenheit temperature measuring system.
Falaguerra ItalianPossibly means "make war" in Italian, from
fare "to make, to provoke" and
guerra "war". Alternately, from a given name of the same origin. ... [
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Falanga ItalianFrom Sicilian
falanga "plank, temporary bridge; fence".
Falasca ItalianPossibly from a dialectical word
falasca meaning "straw", referring to someone's build or hair, or possibly an occupation of making things out of straw.
Falkenhagen GermanHabitational name from any of several places named from Old High German falke meaning "falcon" + hag meaning "hedge", "fencing". A place so named is documented west of Berlin in the 14th century.
Falone ItalianMeaning uncertain, possibly from a dialectical word for a row of grapes or tomatoes.
Falotico ItalianFrom southern Italian falotico ‘eccentric’, ‘strange’, Greek kephalōtikos, a derivative of Greek kephalē ‘head’.
Falso ItalianNot much history is known for Falso however, it was common surrounding Napoli, Lazio, Latin, and Roma. It means False, phony, fake. Because of this, the surname has spread globally especially to United States of America and Brazil... [
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Fanara ItalianA Sicilian occupational name from Greek
φαναράς (
fanarás) "lampmaker", ultimately from
φανός (
fanós) "torch, lamp".
Fanciulacci ItalianProbably means "bad child", from Italian
fanciullo "child" and the pejorative suffix
-accio.
Fantasia ItalianFrom Italian
fantasia meaning "imagination", possibly a nickname for a person who had a vivid imagination, or from the personal name
Fantasia, the feminine form of
Fantasio. Known bearers include American sociologist Rick Fantasia and Australian footballer Orazio Fantasia (1995-).
Fantauzzi ItalianTuscanized form of a surname named for the eponymous settlement at the coordinates 42°28'9N, 12°52'36E.
Fanti ItalianDerived from the given name
Fante, or another name containing the medieval element
fante "child, boy".
Fantuzzi Emilian-Romagnol, ItalianA surname derived from the medieval name "Fantino", which is a diminutive of "Fante", usually meaning "infant" or "child", but it was also used to refer to a "foot soldier".
Farano Italian, SicilianPossibly deriving from a town
Faranò in province of Messina, Sicily. Possible variant of Surname
faran which comes from Irish surnames
Ó Fearáin,
Ó Faracháin, or
Ó Forannáin.
Farge FrenchReduced or Americanized form of La Farge/Lafarge.
Faria Portuguese, ItalianFaria is a Portuguese surname. A habitational name from either of two places called Faria, in Braga and Aveiro. ... [
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Fariza ItalianOriginal from Rome, Roman conquerors went to Iberia in about 140 B.C. and named a town in Iberia
Fariza which was a tree. This town still exists today, and was also mentioned in the book 'El Cid'... [
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Farragut Breton, French, Catalan, AmericanA Breton-French surname of unknown origin. A notable bearer was American naval flag officer David Farragut (1801-1870), who is known for serving during the American Civil War. His father was of Catalan ancestry... [
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Fasano ItalianProbably from Italian
fasani "pheasant", a nickname for someone who resembled the bird in appearance or (lack of) intelligence, who hunted them, or who lived in an area populated by them. ... [
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Fass GermanFrom Middle High German faz, German Fass 'cask', 'keg', hence a metonymic occupational name for a maker or seller of casks and kegs, or a nickname for someone as rotund as a barrel. German: variant of Fasse, Faas.
Fassbinder GermanVariant of
Kiefer 2, from German
Fass "barrel, keg, cask" and
binder "girder, tie". Rainer Werner Fassbinder (1945-1982) was a German filmmaker, dramatist and actor, considered as one of the major figures and catalysts of the New German Cinema movement.
Fast German, SwedishEither a short form of a name starting with the element
fast meaning "steadfast, firm", or a nickname for a reliable steadfast person.
Fatica ItalianFrom Italian
fatica "hard work, effort, labour; fatigue".
Fattig German (Americanized)Coming from the name “attig” meaning German royalty or nobles. It is also thought to come from Sweden meaning “poor”.
Favier FrenchOccupational name for a grower of beans or a bean merchant derived from Latin
faba "bean".
Fayard FrenchOriginally French topographic name for someone who lived by a beech tree or beech-wood.
Faye French, EnglishRefers to one who came from Fay or Faye (meaning "beech tree") in France.
Febbraio ItalianDerived from Italian
febbraio meaning "February", perhaps indicating a person who was baptized in that month.
Fechter GermanOccupational name derived from Middle High German
vehten "to fence", denoting a fencer. Notable bearers include German bricklayer Peter Fechter (1944–1962), and American engineer and inventor Aaron Fechter (1953-), creator of the band
Rock-afire Explosion.
Fechtmeister GermanMeans "fencing master" in German, this is a nickname for a show fighter or organizer who are a begging and thieving journeyman at fairs in 17th century Germany, from German
fechten "to fence" and
meister "master".
Feck German, FrisianFrom a short form of the Frisian personal name Feddeke, a pet form of Fre(de)rik (see Friederich).
Feder German, Jewishmetonymic occupational name for a trader in feathers or in quill pens from Middle High German
vedere German
feder "feather quill pen"... [
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Federspiel German (Swiss)Derived from Middle High German
vederspil "bird of prey (trained for hunting)", this was an occupational name for a falconer.
Fegatilli ItalianFrom Italian
fegato "liver", figuratively used to denote courage. May be occupational, for someone who cooked liver, or a nickname for someone considered to be courageous.
Feiler GermanOccupational name for a filemaker, from Feil + the agent suffix -er.
Feinman German, JewishNickname for a fine person, derived from either Middle High German
fīn meaning "fine, elegant, cultivated" or German
fein and Yiddish
fayn meaning "fine, excellent", combined with
man.
Feistel GermanPossibly originates from a German word meaning "fist"
Feit German, JewishVariant of
Veit. Also, nickname from Middle High German feit ‘adorned’, ‘pretty’ (the same word as French fait, Latin factus).
Felber GermanMiddle High German residential name "velwer" meaning Willow Tree.
Feldstein German, JewishOrnamental name meaning "field stone" in German. A famous bearer is American actor and filmmaker Jonah Hill (1983-), born Jonah Hill Feldstein. Another famous bearer is Hill's sister, actress Beanie Feldstein (1993-).
Fell English, German, JewishMetonymic occupational name for a furrier, from Middle English
fell, Middle High German
vel, or German
Fell or Yiddish
fel, all of which mean "skin, hide, pelt". Yiddish
fel refers to untanned hide, in contrast to
pelts "tanned hide" (see
Pilcher).
Feller English, German, JewishOccupational name for a furrier, from an agent derivative of Middle English
fell, Middle Low German, Middle High German
vel, or German
Fell or Yiddish
fel "hide, pelt". See also
Fell.
Feller GermanHabitational name for someone from a place called Feld(e) or Feld(a) in Hesse.
Felli ItalianPossibly derived from a nickname based on
fello "criminal; evil, wretched; angry; sad, gloomy".
Feltscher RomanshDerived from Romansh
feltscher "scythe-maker", ultimately from Latin
falcarius "scythe-maker; sickle-maker".
Fendrich GermanFrom German
Fähndrich (older form
Fähndrich) meaning "ensign, flag-bearer".
Fenrich De Gjurgjenovac GermanFenrich is a German family name, derived from a military title 'fenrich'/'fähn(d)rich' meaning "ensign" or "standard bearer" (
bannerman), from early New High German
fenrich. The term was formed and came into use around 1500, replacing Middle High German form
vener, an agent derivative of Alemannic substantive
van (flag).... [
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Fenster German, JewishOccupational name for a window maker from Middle High German
venster German
fenster "window".
Fenu ItalianFrom Sardinian
fenu "hay, marsh grass". A relation to Latin
faenus "interest, profit" has been suggested, but seems unlikely.
Fera ItalianProbably related to modern Italian
fiero "fierce, savage, raging; bold, daring; proud", by way of Latin
ferus "wild, fierce; untamed" or
fera "wild beast".
Ferla ItalianDenoting someone from a town of the same name, from Latin
ferula "stick, cane".
Fernel FrenchDerived from French
ferronel, a diminutive of (obsolete)
ferron "maker or seller of iron".
Fernow GermanHabitational name from a place called Fernau or Fernow.
Ferrand French, EnglishThis French surname can be derived from a given name (thus making it a patronymic surname) as well as from a nickname (thus making it a descriptive surname). In the case of a patronymic surname, the surname is derived from the medieval French masculine given name
Ferrand, which was a variant form of the name
Fernand, itself a contraction of
Ferdinand.... [
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Ferrandin French (Rare)This French surname can be derived from a given name (thus making it a patronymic surname) as well as from the name of a profession (thus making it an occupational surname). In the case of a patronymic surname, the surname is derived from the masculine given name
Ferrandin, which was a diminutive of the medieval French given name
Ferrand... [
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Ferrandino ItalianDerived from the masculine given name
Ferrandino, which is a diminutive of the medieval Italian given name
Ferrando. For more information about this, please see the entry for the patronymic surname of
Ferrando.... [
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Ferrando Italian, SpanishThis surname can be derived from a given name (thus making it a patronymic surname) as well as from a nickname (thus making it a descriptive surname). In the case of a patronymic surname, the surname is derived from the medieval masculine given name
Ferrando, which was in use in both Italy and Spain during the Middle Ages... [
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Ferrante ItalianThis surname can be derived from a given name (thus making it a patronymic surname) as well as from a nickname (thus making it a descriptive surname). In the case of a patronymic surname, the surname is derived from the medieval masculine given name
Ferrante... [
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Ferranti ItalianDerived from the Latin word ferrum, which means "iron". Originally an occupational name for a blacksmith or a worker in iron.
Ferrantino ItalianDerived from the masculine given name
Ferrantino, which is a diminutive of the medieval Italian given name
Ferrante. For more information about this, please see the entry for the patronymic surname of
Ferrante.
Ferrigno ItalianDerived from the Italian adjective
ferrigno meaning "made of or resembling iron" (a derivative of Latin
ferrum meaning "iron"), applied as a nickname to someone who was very strong or thought to resemble the metal in some other way... [
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Fett GermanNickname for a fat man, from Middle Low German vett meaning "fat".
Feuchtwanger GermanDenoted a person from the town of Feuchtwangen in Germany. The name of the town is probably from German
feucht "wet, humid, dank" and possibly
wangen "cheek".
Feuer GermanMetonymic occupational name for a stoker in a smithy or public baths, or nickname for someone with red hair or a fiery temper, from Middle High German
viur "fire".
Feuerbacher GermanHabitational name for someone from any of the places called Feuerbach.
Feuerhahn GermanFeuerhahn comes from the Old High German words (fivr) meaning "fire" & (hano) meaning "cock".
Feuerschütte German (Modern)comes from the combination of the words "Feuer" and "Schütte", which form the word "flamethrower". Surname of a Brazilian Celebrity with German Origin "Lucas Feuerschütte"
Feuerstein GermanThis name comes from the German feuer meaning fire, and stein meaning stone. This was a name commonly given to a blacksmith.
Feuille FrenchThis is actually a standard word in French, correctly pronounce like "furry" without the r's. It means "leaf", or "sheet" (i.e. feuille de papier).
Feulner GermanFranconian dialect form of
Feilner (see
Feiler), or derived from
Feuln, a town near the district of Kulmbach, Bavaria, Germany. A notable bearer is the American academic Edwin Feulner (1941-).
Fibonacci ItalianA notable bearer is the mathematician Leonardo Fibonacci (1170-1240), the creator of the Fibonacci sequence.
Fichera ItalianFrom Sicilian
fichera "fig tree", a nickname for someone who grew or sold figs, or perhaps lived near them.
Fichter GermanTopographic name for someone who lived near pine trees (originally bei den Fichten, Feichten, or Feuchten), from Old High German
fiohta. The vowel of the first syllable underwent a variety of changes in different dialects.
Fichtner GermanThe Fichtner family name first began to be used in the German state of Bavaria. After the 12th century, hereditary surnames were adopted according to fairly general rules, and names that were derived from locations became particularly common
Fico Italianfrom
fico "fig" (from Latin
ficus) applied as a metonymic occupational name for someone who grew or sold figs a topographic name for someone who lived in an area where figs grew or a habitational name from a place called with this word such as the district so named in Valderice Trapani province Sicily.
Fiene German, Low GermanA nickname for an elegant person, from Middle Low German
fin, meaning ‘fine’. Can also be a locational name from several fields and places named Fiene.
Fieri ItalianA notable bearer is American restaurateur and television host Guy Fieri (1968-).
Fiermonte ItalianMeaning uncertain. It possibly consists of the medieval Italian given name
Fiero and the Italian word
monte meaning "mountain", which would give this surname the meaning of "Fiero's mountain".
Figuier French (Rare)From French
figuier meaning "fig tree" (ultimately from Latin
ficus; a cognate of
Figueroa), possibly indicating a person who lived near a fig tree or one who owned a plantation of fig trees.
Fillion French, French (Quebec)Probably a diminutive of
fils or
fille, respectively "son" and "daughter". May have alluded to the bearer being the youngest amongst siblings.
Filosa ItalianSouthern Italian: Probably an occupational nickname for a fisherman, from Sicilian filuòsa ‘fishing net’. Also from the subphylum: Filosa. These are known as euglyphids, filose (which means stringy or thread-like), amoebae with shells of siliceous scales or plates, which are commonly found in soils, nutrient-rich waters, and on aquatic plants.
Fils FrenchFrom
fils "son", used to identify the younger of two bearers of the same personal name in a family.
Finel German (Swiss)In colloquial language the word “Finel” describes a shelter, protecting animal and man from wind and weather.
Finger English, German, JewishProbably applied as a nickname for a man who had some peculiarity of the fingers, such as possessing a supernumerary one or having lost one or more of them through injury, or for someone who was small in stature or considered insignificant... [
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Fink German, Slovene, English, JewishNickname for a lively or cheerful person, Jewish ornamental name derived from the Germanic word for "finch", and German translation of Slovene
Šinkovec which is from
šcinkovec or
šcinkavec meaning "finch".
Finocchio ItalianFrom Italian
finocchio "fennel", a nickname for someone who grew or sold the plant. In modern Italian, the word is a derogatory slang term for a gay man. The meaning "fine eye, keen eyesight" has also been suggested.
Finster German, JewishNickname from German
finster "dark, gloomy" or Yiddish
fintster (Middle High German
vinster). The name may have referred to a person's habitual character or it may have been acquired as a result of some now irrecoverable anecdote... [
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Fiordelise Italian (Rare)Derived from Italian
fiordaliso "cornflower". In heraldry, however,
fiordaliso is the Italian term for Fleur-de-lys, the symbol for the King of France (until the French Revolution). This surname either could have been ornamental, or could have referred to Italians loyal to the French Kingdom / Empire, even those among the king's guard.
Fiorelli ItalianThe surname Fiorelli was first found in Bolgna (Latin: Bononia), the largest city and the capital of Emilia-Romagna Region. The famous University of Bolgna was founded in the 11th century, by the 13th century the student body was nearly 10,000... [
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Fischbach GermanFrom a place called Fischbach, or a topographic name from German meaning
fisch 'fish' +
bach 'stream'.
Fischi ItalianRare central Italian surname. Means “whistler” in Italian.
Fischioni Italian (Rare)Possibly deriving from fischiare, meaning to whistle, or from fischioni, the Italian word for widgeons.
Fiscus GermanFrom Latin
fiscus "basket", a humanistic Latinization of the German surname
Korb. This is a metonymic occupational name for a basketmaker or a peddler, or a habitational name for someone who lived at a house distinguished by the sign of a basket.
Flamel FrenchMeaning unknown. Proposals include french flamme meaning "flame" or a description of origin, such as "Flemish", or the French term for the same word, Flamand.... [
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