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.
Garde Frenchfrom Old French
garde "watch", "protection"; an occupational name for someone who kept watch or guard, or a topographic name for someone who lived near a vantage point or watchtower.
Garneau FrenchFrom a pet form of the Germanic given name
Warinwald, composed of the elements
war(in) meaning "guard" and
waldan meaning "to govern".
Garten German, Jewishmetonymic occupational name for a gardener or overseer of a garden or enclosure. Originally the term denoted the keeper of an enclosure for deer later of a vineyard or smallholding from Middle High German
garte "garden enclosure"... [
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Gartmann German (Swiss)Derived from Middle High German
garte "garden; yard" and German
Mann "man", this was occupational name for a gardener. In some cases it may have been a status name referring to the owner of a small (enclosed or fenced) farm or an occupational name for a worker at a deer preserve.
Garufi ItalianMeaning uncertain, possibly related to the Germanic given name
Garulf, or to Arabic
qaruf "hard, cruel".
Gasnier FrenchFrom Old French
gaaigner meaning "to win, to earn" or "to till, to cultivate", possibly used as an occupational name for a farmer.
Gasser German (Swiss)Occupational name for a goat herd from Middle High German geiz meaning "Goat" and (n)er an agent suffix.
Gassmann German, JewishFrom German
Gasse or Yiddish גאַס (
gas), both from Middle High German
gazze, meaning "street", denoting someone who lived in a street of a city, town or village.... [
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Gatlin GermanPossibly an altered spelling of German
Göttling, from a Germanic personal name formed with
god ‘god’ or
god ‘good’ +
-ling suffix of affiliation, or, like
Gättling (of which this may also be an altered form), a nickname from Middle High German
getlinc ‘companion’, ‘kinsman’.
Gatto ItalianDerived from Old Italian
gatto meaning "cat", ultimately from Late Latin
cattus. This was a nickname for a person who resembled a cat in some way.
Gattuso Italian, SicilianSicilian and Calabrian variant of
Gatto, notably borne by the Italian former soccer player Gennaro Gattuso (1978-).
Gatz GermanHabitational name from a place so named in Pomerania.
Gau GermanHabitational name from any of various places named with Middle High German gau, göu ‘area of fertile agricultural land’.
Gaudin FrenchFrom the Old French personal name
Gaudin Norman French Waldin Waudin a pet form of ancient Germanic names based on the element
wald "rule power".
Gauger GermanMiddle High German gougern 'to wander around or stagger', presumably a nickname for someone with a peculiar gait.
Gauvin French, Historyome characteristic forenames: French Emile, Jacques, Normand, Pierre, Armand, Gisele, Laurent, Lucien, Raynald, Yves, Adrien, Aime.... [
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Gay English, FrenchNickname for a lighthearted or cheerful person, from Middle English and Old French
gai "happy, cheerful, joyous".
Gayer GermanDerived from Slavic
gaj "grove", this name denoted a forest warden.
Gazelle English, French, ArabicUnadapted borrowing from Middle French
gazelle, from Old French
gazel, from Arabic
غَزَال (
ḡazāl). This is the surname of famous deuteragonist Gigi Gazelle who is the teacher of Peppa Pig.
Gebbia ItalianFrom Sicilian
gebbia "irrigation cistern", itself from Arabic
جُبّ (
jubb) "cistern, well".
Gebhardt GermanFrom a Germanic given name composed of the elements
geb "gift" and
hard "hardy", "brave", "strong".
Geidl GermanDerived from a Middle High German nickname
giudel meaning “braggart” or “squanderer.”
Geipelhorst GermanThis rather rare surname is appears to be the combination of "Geipel", which is a variant of "Geibel" originating from a personal name or topographic name formed with Old High German gawi ‘fertile region’, ‘countryside’ (as opposed to a town), and "Horst" which came from of Old High German, meaning "man from the forest", "bosk" or "brushwood"... [
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Geisberger GermanRegional name for someone who lives in
Geisburg,
Geisa or near any mountain called
Geisberg.
Geisinger GermanDenoted a person from the town of Geising in Germany, which in turn got it's name from the Geisingberg mountain. The Geisingberg most likely got it's name from the Germanic
geut or the Early New High German
geußen, both meaning "to pour", and the German word
Berg meaning "mountain"... [
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Geist GermanHabitational name for someone who lived in a house marked by the sign of the Holy Spirit (normally depicted as a dove), from Middle High German geist 'spirit'.
Gelin FrenchMost often an alternate form of
Ghislain. Could also be the Old French
gelin (dim. of Latin
gallus), "chicken", which would then refers to a cowardly person or a poultry farmer.
Geller Yiddish, German, RussianThe name may derive from the German word "gellen" (to yell) and mean "one who yells." It may derive from the Yiddish word "gel" (yellow) and mean the "yellow man" or from the Yiddish word "geler," an expression for a redheaded man... [
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Gelso ItalianMeans "mulberry tree" in Italian, a topographic name, or perhaps an occupational name for someone who cultivated mulberry trees.
Gemito ItalianFrom a misspelling of
genito "to be born", given to sculptor Vincenzo Gemito upon being abandoned at an orphanage as an infant.
Gemünd GermanRegional name for someone who lives in Gemünden.
Genarro ItalianThe surname "Gennaro" has Italian origins and is commonly associated with the given name "Gennaro," which is derived from the Latin name "Ianuarius," meaning "January." The name is often linked to St... [
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Gendron FrenchEither a diminutive of French
gendre meaning "son-in-law" or a habitational name for someone from the town of Gendron in Belgium.
General Germannickname for a mercenary (employed in royal services).
Gennarelli ItalianAncient and illustrious Piedmontese family, originally from Polonghera but residing in Cherasco, which is decorated with the titles of: Counts of Cocconato, Lords of Cocconito and Consignori of Marcorengo.
Genova Italianhabitational name from
Genoa (Italian
Genova) in Liguria which during the Middle Ages was one of the great seaports of the Mediterranean and a flourishing mercantile and financial center... [
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Gensmantel GermanDerived from the German words
gens meaning "people, race, stock" and
mantle meaning "forest, woods".
Gentilis Italian (Latinized)Latinized form of
Gentili. The Italian-born Oxford professor and jurist Alberico Gentili (1552-1608) was known as Albericus Gentilis in Latin.
Gentry FrenchFrom the English word, which is in turn from French
gentrie, referring to that which is "noble," or the "nobility." From earlier
gentillece, which was originally from
gentil, "refinement."
Gerling GermanGerman patronymic from a short form of a Germanic personal name beginning with the element
gar,
ger ‘spear’, ‘lance’.
Germaine FrenchGermaine was first found in Savoy in the Rhône-Alpes region of the French Alps, where the family held a family seat from ancient times.
German English, Norman, German, Jewish, GreekFrom Old French
germain meaning "German". This sometimes denoted an actual immigrant from Germany, but was also used to refer to a person who had trade or other connections with German-speaking lands... [
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Germanotta ItalianPossibly derived from a diminutive form of the feminine given name
Germana. A famous bearer of the surname is singer Lady Gaga (Stefani Germanotta).
Gerner GermanHabitational name for someone from one of five places in Bavaria called Gern.
Gerosa ItalianDenoted someone from the town of Gerosa in Lombardy, or perhaps a nickname from
geros (modern
ghiaioso) "gravelly".
Gertsch German (Swiss)From a short form of any of the Germanic personal names formed with
gēr meaning ‘spear’, ‘lance’.
Gertz GermanPatronymic from a Germanic personal name meaning "hardy", "brave", "strong."
Gerwig German, FrenchDerived from the Germanic given name
Gerwig, ultimately from the elements
gēr meaning "spear" and
wīg meaning "battle, fight". This surname is also found in France (mainly in the region of Alsace)... [
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Gerwulf GermanThis is an old Germanic name meaning "spear wolf" (ger "spear" and wulf "wolf.")
Gessa ItalianPossibly a variant of
Chessa. Alternately, may be from a Sardinian term for "mulberry".
Gfeller GermanTopographical name for someone who lived by a gorge, Middle High German gevelle, or a habitational name for someone from any of various places in Bavaria and Austria named from this word.
Ghezzi ItalianPatronymic or plural form of a nickname from Old Italian ghezzo ‘dark’
Giacchino ItalianMeaning unknown. A famous bearer of this name is an American music composer films known as Michael Giacchino (1967-).
Giacomini m ItalianGiacomini is a diminutive form of the Italian name
Giacomo, equivalent to
James. It suggests 'little Giacomo' or 'son of Giacomo'
Giannone ItalianFrom a diminutive meaning "big Gianni" formed by combining the personal name
Gianni with
-one, a suffix used to form augmentatives.
Gieriet RomanshDerived from the given name
Gieri in combination with the diminutive suffix
-et.
Giesinger GermanDenoted a person from the town of Giesing in Germany. Or perhaps a variant spelling of
Geisinger. A famous bearer of this surname is the German singer-songwriter Max Giesinger.
Giglio ItalianFrom the personal name Giglio, from
giglio "lily" (from Latin
lilium), a plant considered to symbolize the qualities of candor and purity.
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 ItalianDerived from a variant of the given name
Giglio, which can be from an Italian form of Latin
Aegidius, or else taken directly from the Italian word
giglio meaning "lily".
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".
Gioia ItalianMeans "joy, delight" in Italian. Can derive from the given name
Gioia, from a nickname, or from any of several toponyms in southern Italy.
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.