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.
Giguère French, French (Quebec)Unclear, possibly from Middle French
giguer ("to dance, to frolick") but could also refer to the
gigue, a medieval three-string vielle, which would suggest a musical profession.
Gilgen German, 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".
Gilio ItalianTuscany. One variation of the surname Giglio meaning ""lily"". ... [
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Gilli ItalianPatronymic form of the personal name
Gillio, a vernacular derivative of
Aegilius, which itself is a later form of the given name
Aegidius.
Gilliard French, SwissFrench and Swiss French from a derivative of
Gillier, from the Germanic personal name
Giselher, composed of
gisil ‘hostage’, ‘pledge’, ‘noble offspring’ (see
Giesel) +
heri ‘army’.
Gindlesperger GermanPossibly a topographic name for someone who lived on a mountain near the town of
Gindels in Bavaria, Germany.
Gingrich German (Americanized)Potentially from German “junge” and “reich,” meaning “rich at a young age.” Anglicized by immigrants as either Gingrich or Guengerich.
Ginsburg German, JewishHabitational 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".
Gioi ItalianPossibly from Sardinian
angioi "lamb", a nickname for a shepherd, or from
gioi "Thursday".
Giorno ItalianFrom a short form of the name Bongiorno and means "day" in Italian.
Giove ItalianFrom
Giove ("Jupiter") the name of the chief Roman deity perhaps a nickname for someone who habitually swore per Giove "by Jove". From Sicilian ggiòve iòvi "Thursday" applied as a personal name for someone born or baptized on that day of the week... [
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Giovinazzi ItalianGiovinazzi is an Italian surname derived from "giovane", meaning "young," possibly referring to a youthful person.
Gips German, DutchPatronymic derived from a short form of names containing the Old Germanic element
gebō "gift", or a Dutch cognate of
Gibbs.
Gironda ItalianPossibly from a variant of Italian ghironda ‘barrel-organ’.
Giscard FrenchVariant spelling of
Guiscard. A famous bearer was the French president Valéry Giscard d'Estaing (1926-2020).
Gish GermanFrom 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.
Giudice ItalianOccupational name for an officer of justice, Italian
giudice " judge" (Latin
iudex, from
ius "law" +
dicere "to say"). In some cases it may have been applied as a nickname for a solemn and authoritative person thought to behave like a judge.
Giugno ItalianDerived from Italian
giugno meaning "June", perhaps indicating a person who was baptized in that month.
Glandt GermanNickname from Middle High Geman glander meaning "gleam", "sparkle", "shine", for someone with such a temperament.
Gleichenhaus GermanFrom Proto-Germanic
galīkaz meaning "alike" combined with the word
haus meaning "house"
Glock GermanMeant "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.
Gloff GermanGerman 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.
Gmelin GermanGerman nickname for an unhurried person from Middle High German
gmēle, based on the adjective
gemach meaning "comfortable calm".
Gober English, FrenchThe surname Gober was first found in Warwickshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. The Norman influence of English history dominated after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The language of the courts was French for the next three centuries and the Norman ambience prevailed.
Gödel GermanFrom 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’.
Godet FrenchFrom Old French
godet, meaning "glass, tumbler", used as a nickname for a maker or seller.
Goebbels German, HistoryOriginally 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.
Goeman GermanPatronym from a Germanic name: good or god + man.
Goethe GermanFrom a short form of the personal name Godo, formed with the Germanic element god, got 'god', or from Middle High German göte 'godfather'.
Goettems German, BrazilianBrazilian 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.
Goetzinger GermanOriginally denoted a person who came from an place called
Götzing,
Götzingen or
Goetzingen.... [
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Goglia ItalianNickname or a metonymic occupational name for a person who used leaves from a kind of plant to bind grafts, derived from the Italian dialectal
goglia.
Gognon French, OccitanNickname for an aggressive or belligerent man, from Old French
Gagnon ‘ mastiff’, ‘guard dog’. Possibly from Occitan ganhon ‘young pig’, applied as an offensive nickname. See also
Gonyeau.
Gohrband German (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"... [
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Gola ItalianTopographic name from
gola "mountain hollow, cavity".
Goldmann German, Jewishoccupational 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)... [
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Goldwater German (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.
Gombert French, GermanFrench and German: from
Gundbert, a Germanic personal name composed of the elements gund ‘battle’ + berht ‘bright’, ‘famous’... [
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Gonella ItalianMeans "short skirt," in Italian, as in a piece of armor.
Gonze FrenchMy family surname originated in southern French-speaking Belgium. There is a tiny village called Gonzeville in northern France near the Belgian border which you can find on Wikipedia. Many surnames from French speaking Belgium have 5 or 6 letters and end in -ze, such as Gonze and Meeze... [
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Goos German, Flemish, DutchEither 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").
Gorga ItalianTopographic name from Sicilian gorga, Catalan gorg(a) ‘place where water collects’, ‘mill pond’, ‘gorge’.
Görlitz GermanThe name of a small town in Saxony. Derived from old Sorbian word "Zgorelc" meaning "settlement on a burned-out forest."
Gottstein GermanTopographic name from a field name meaning literally "God's rock" derived from the elements
got "god" and
stein "stone"... [
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Götz GermanOriginally 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.
Goudier GermanGermanic patronym from "godhari" meaning "army of God".
Goulet French (Quebec), FrenchOf uncertain origin and meaning. Theories include a derivation from Old French
goule "mouth" (combined with a diminutive suffix), in which case this name would have been a nickname for a glutton.
Goupil Frenchnickname for someone with red hair or for a cunning person from Old French
goupil "fox" Late Latin
vulpiculus a diminutive of classical Latin
vulpes a distant cognate of
Wolf . This was replaced as a vocabulary word during the Middle Ages by
Renard originally a personal name.
Gourmaud FrenchA famous bearer is a journalist well known from the educational TV,
Jamy Gourmaud
Gousset FrenchIt is derived from the Old French word
gousset, which means "purse" or "wallet". It is likely that this surname was originally given to someone who was a purse maker or a merchant who dealt in small items.
Grabe GermanTopographic 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.
Grable GermanMeans "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).
Graceffa ItalianMeaning uncertain, possibly from a southern Italian place name in the comune of Aragona in the province of Agrigento, Sicily, Italy.
Grämlich GermanNickname for an irascible person, derived from Middle High German
gramelich,
gremlich meaning "angry".
Grammer German, EnglishVariant 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"... [
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Granata ItalianGranata is an Italian word for a shade of red (maroon), and the Latin name of the city of Granada.
Granato ItalianOccupational name for a jeweler or lapidary, from
granato "garnet".
Grand French, RomanshDerived from Old French
grand, grant and Romansh
grand "tall; large".
Grange English, FrenchTopographic name for someone who lived by a granary, from Middle English, Old French
grange (Latin
granica "granary, barn", from
granum "grain"). In some cases, the surname has arisen from places named with this word, for example in Dorset and West Yorkshire in England, and in Ardèche and Jura in France... [
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Granier FrenchFrench for a grain merchant (from Latin
granarius), a topographic name for someone who lived by a granary (from Latin
granarium) or a metonymic role name for someone who monitors or owned one.
Grano Italian, Spanishfrom
grano "grain" (from Latin
granum) probably applied as a metonymic occupational name for a farmer or grain merchant.
Grass English, GermanTopographic 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".
Grässli RomanshDerived from Romansh
grass "fat" in combination with the diminutive suffix
-li.
Gratz GermanFrom a short form of a Germanic personal name reflected by Old High German gratag 'greedy'
Grau German, JewishNickname for someone with gray hair or a gray beard, from German
grau "gray".
Graue GermanHabitational name from a place so named near Hannover.
Graupman GermanOccupational name for someone who produced or dealt with grits and legumes, from early modern German
graupe "pot barley" (bohemian krupa) and
man "man".
Grave FrenchTopographic name for someone who lived on a patch of gravelly soil, from Old French
grave "gravel" (of Celtic origin).
Grave GermanEither 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.
Gravelotte FrenchDerived from a commune (town) in the Moselle department in Grand Est in north-eastern France, near Metz.
Grebenstein GermanMeans "stone from the cliff or ridge" from German
greben, (cliff or ridge) and
stein (stone).... [
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Greenberger German, JewishAnglicized 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.
Greenburgh German, JewishThe surname Greenburgh is anglicized for the German Jewish surname Greenberg which translates into English as green mountain.
Greif GermanMeans "Griffin" in German. From the mythological creature.
Greiner Upper 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")... [
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Grell GermanNickname for an irritable or irascible person, from Middle High German, Middle Low German
grellen "to be angry".
Grell GermanHabitational name from a place named Grelle.
Grenier FrenchOccupational name for a grain merchant (from Latin granarius), or a topographic name for someone who lived by a granary (from Latin granarium) or a metonymic occupational name for someone who supervised or owned one.
Gretzinger GermanHabitational name for someone from any of three places named Grötzingen (Old High German Grezzingun) in Baden-Württemberg.
Griebe GermanOccupational name for a butcher or fat dealer from Middle High German
griebe griube "rendered bacon pieces crackling".
Grieser Upper Germantopographic name for someone living on a sandy site, from Middle High German griez ‘sand’ + -er suffix denoting an inhabitant.
Griffo ItalianFrom
grifo "gryphon" (Latin
gryphus, Greek
gryps, of Assyrian origin), hence a nickname for someone thought to resemble the mythical beast.
Griffon FrenchFrom a diminutive of Old French
griffe "claw", hence a nickname for a grasping or vicious person, or perhaps for someone with a deformed or otherwise remarkable hand.
Grignon FrenchFrom French 'grignard' meaning "angry" and "contemptuous", and Old French (of Germanic origin) 'grignier' "to grit the teeth" or "curl the lips".
Grill GermanFrom 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... [
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Grindstaff German (Anglicized)Americanized form of German
Frenzhof or
Grenzhof, a place near Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg or
Granzow, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in Germany.
Grindy German (Modern), FrenchI have seen elsewhere explanations about this name being German or French in origin. Sorry, I do not have the sources to hand
Griner German (Anglicized), JewishAmericanised 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".
Grisel French, French (Swiss)Derived from the Old French adjective
grisel, a variant of
gris meaning "grey". It was a nickname for a person with grey hair a grey complexion or who habitually wore grey.
Grob GermanA nickname for a strong, heavy man, or for a lout, from Middle High German
g(e)rop "coarse".
Groll GermanDerived from
grollen, 'to be angry', often used as a nickname for an angry or sulky individual.
Grosch GermanEither 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
denarius grossus literally "thick coin".
Groulx FrenchFrench spelling, often found in Canada, of Groult, Grould, possibly reduced forms of
Gréoul, a personal name of Germanic origin, composed of the elements
gred "hunger" +
wolf,
wulf "wolf".
Grove GermanName 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.
Grube GermanName for someone who lived in a depression or hollow, from Middle High German
gruobe "pit", "hollow". See also
Gruber.
Grullon Dominican, Mexican, FrenchPossibly from a derivative of Spanish
grulla "crane (bird)" presumably applied as a nickname for tall thin person; in Mexico however
grulla denotes a crafty person