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.
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".
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 name
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... [
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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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Flammia ItalianFrom Latin
flammeus "flaming, fiery; flame-coloured", probably referring to the bearer's red hair.
Flatow GermanDerived from the name of a district that existed in Prussia from 1818 to 1945. Today the territory of the Flatow district lies in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship and the Greater Poland Voivodeship in Poland.
Flaugher German (Anglicized)Americanized spelling of German
Flacher, itself a variant of
Flach, or of
Flaucher, a nickname derived from an agent derivative of Middle High German
vluochen meaning "to swear".
Flavigny FrenchFrench form of
Flavinius. The Flavigny Abbey, in the French region of Burgundy, became famous because of the candies made by its Benedictine monks, called the anise of Flavigny... [
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Fleig GermanNickname for a restless or insignificant person from Middle Low German vleige ‘fly’.
Fleisch GermanMetonymic occupational name for a butcher. Derived from Middle High German
fleisch or
vleisch "flesh meat".
Fleischhacker German, JewishOccupational name for a butcher from German
fleisch "flesh meat", and an agent derivative of
hacken "to chop or cut".
Fleischhauer GermanOccupational name for a butcher from Middle High German
fleisch or
vleisch "flesh meat" and an agent derivative of Middle High German
houwen "to cut". Variant of
Fleischauer.
Flerchinger GermanFlerchinger is a name with origins from the city of Flörschingen or Flörange in the Saarland region on the French and German border.
Fleury French, EnglishEither a habitational name from Fleury the name of several places in various parts of France which get their names from the Gallo-Roman personal name
Florus (from Latin
florus "blooming flowering") and the locative suffix -
acum or from the given name
Fleury.
Flint English, GermanTopographic name for someone who lived near a significant outcrop of flint, Old English, Low German
flint, or a nickname for a hard-hearted or physically tough individual.
Floerke GermanFloerke Name Meaning German (Flörke): from a pet form of the personal names Florian or Florentinus, from Latin Florus (from florere ‘to bloom’).Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4... [
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Floris ItalianCognate to
Flores, or a toponym from Sardinian
floris "flowers". Possibly from the Latin cognomen
Florens meaning "prosperous, flourishing".
Fogu ItalianFrom Sardinian
fogu "fire", perhaps referring to the hearth of a home, or to the bearer's personality or hair colour.
Fois ItalianFrom a Sardinian nickname, related to Latin
bos "bull, ox".
Folger GermanFrom nickname
volger, meaning "companion, supporter"
Foltz GermanIt is from Germany and it is based on the personal name Volz, which was popular in former times. It means son or descendant of a Volz or Folz
Font Catalan, Occitan, Spanish, Frenchtopographic name for someone living near a spring or well Catalan and Occitan
font "spring well" (from Latin
fons genitive
fontis).
Fontecchio ItalianHabitational name from Fontecchio in Aquila province or a topographic name from a diminutive of fonte meaning "spring".
Foret French, French CreoleFrom Old French
forest ‘forest’, a topographic name for someone who lived in or near a royal forest, or an occupational name for a keeper or worker in one. See also
Forrest... [
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Formica ItalianMeans "ant" in Italian. It used to indicate a humble or short and thin person but hardworker.
Fornari ItalianFrom Italian
fornaio "baker", ultimately from Latin
furnus "oven".
Fortescue FrenchMeans 'strong shield' from French elements
fort meaning "strong" and
escu meaning "shield#
Foschi ItalianFrom Italian
fosco "dark, murky (colour); gloomy", a nickname referring to the bearer's hair colour or mood. May also stem from the given name
Fuscus, of the same meaning.
Foust GermanFoust is a name for a person who was strong and pugnacious and was derived from the Old German word "fust," which meant "fist."
Fout German[Foust} maybe german. The Fout name can be traced back to Denmark.
Foy FrenchFrom a medieval nickname based on Old French
foi "faith", applied either to a notably pious person or to one who frequently used the word as an oath; also, from the medieval French female personal name
Foy, from Old French
foi "faith".
Fragola Italianapparently from
fragola "strawberry" probably applied as either a topographic name for someone who lived by a patch of wild strawberries a metonymic occupational name for a grower or seller of soft fruits or a nickname for someone with a conspicuous strawberry mark.
Frain FrenchTopographic name for someone who lived near a prominent ash tree from Old French
fraisne fresne "ash" from Latin
fraxinus "ash".
France FrenchEthnic name for an inhabitant of France, a country in Europe.
Francescone ItalianAncient family of Navelli, which recognizes as its progenitor that Francis, called "Francescone", who, between 1227 and 1230, was awarded the title of Baron by Emperor Frederick II, for having juggled leveraging troops with success and honor in the Sixth Crusade.