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.
Herner GermanDenoted someone hailing from the city
Herne in Germany.
Herold English, Dutch, GermanFrom the given name
Herold. This was the surname of David Herold, one of the conspirators in the Abraham Lincoln assassination plot.
Herrman GermanHerrman is of ancient German origin. It is derived from a Germanic personal name made up of the elements
heri meaning "army," and
man meaning "man." Herrman was first found in Prussia, where the name emerged in medieval times as one of the notable families of the region.
Herschbach GermanFrom the name of two municipalities in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany. A notable bearer is the American chemist Dudley R. Herschbach (1932-).
Hertig GermanHertig is associated with the popular German personal name
Hartwig, meaning "hard-battle."
Hertzel GermanThe ancestral home of the Hertzel family is in the German province of Bavaria. Hertzel is a German nickname surname. Such names came from eke-names, or added names, that described their initial bearer through reference to a physical characteristic or other attribute... [
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Herzfeld GermanDerived from the same name of a municipality in Bitburg-Prüm, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.
Hess German (?)It is arguably both tribal and residential, originating from the pre 10th century A.D. It is believed to have originally described people who came from the region known as Hesse. The translation of this name is the 'hooded people'
Hessler GermanTopographic surname derived from Middle High German place name Hasel or Hesel (Meaning "Hazel)
Heuer GermanThe name comes from the German word "Heu" meaning "hay."
Heuermann GermanOccupational name for (a freshly hired hand, a day laborer) from Middle High German
huren "to hire" and
man "man".
Heuser GermanDeriving from one of several places named Hausen.
Hexenjäger GermanHexenjäger is a German last name meaning hunter of witches or witch Hunter.
Hick GermanFrom
Hiko, a pet form of any of the Germanic personal names formed with
hild "strife", "battle" as the first element.
Highbaugh GermanThe altered spelling of Heibach. A habitational name from a place so named in the Rhineland, near Lindlar.
Hilbert English, French, Dutch, GermanEnglish, French, Dutch, and German: from a Germanic personal name composed of the elements hild ‘strife’, ‘battle’ + berht ‘bright’, ‘famous’.
Hilfiker German (Swiss)Altered spelling of Hilfinger, patronymic derivative of the personal name Hilfo, Helfo, a short form of a Germanic personal name based on helfe 'helper'.
Hilger German, DutchFrom a Germanic personal name composed of the elements hild 'strife', 'battle' + gar, ger 'spear'.
Hilgersen GermanMeans "son of
Hilger”. From a Germanic personal name composed of the elements hild 'strife', 'battle' + gar, ger 'spear' and sen 'son'. Most common in Northern Germany.
Hillegas GermanGerman: Variant of Hillegass from a variant of the Germanic personal name Hildegaud, composed of hild ‘strife’, ‘battle’ + got, of uncertain meaning (perhaps the same word as Goth).
Himmelreich German, Jewishhumorous topographic name from a place so named as being at a high altitude from Middle High German
himel "heaven" and
riche "empire" meaning "kingdom of heaven, heavenly kingdom".
Himmelstein German, Jewishtopographic name for someone living by a feature so named from Middle High German
himel "heaven, sky" and
stein "rock, stone" meaning "stone in the sky, sky stone"
Himmler German, HistoryDerived from German
Himmel "heaven, sky". This was a topographic name for someone living at a high altitude. ... [
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Hinkebein Dutch, GermanNickname for someone with a limp, from Middle Low German hinken meaning "to limp" + bein meaning "leg".
Hinkel GermanNickname for a timid, fearful person, from dialect hinkel ‘chicken’
Hinkelman GermanElaborated variant of Hinkel, with the addition of Middle High German 'man'.
Hintzell German (Rare)Variant from name Hintz which was popular in Saxony and Hessen. Name later used in German Prussia. The name Hintz originates as a short form of the personal name Heinrich.
Hipp GermanFrom the middle high German word
hippe meaning "waffle". Perhaps an occupational name for someone who cooks waffles.
Hirschberg German, JewishDerived from many places named
Hirschberg in the states of Thuringia and North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany, or the historic city of
Jelenia Góra in southwestern Poland. It is composed of Middle High German
hirz meaning "deer, stag" and
berg meaning "hill, mountain"... [
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Hirschfeld German, Jewish, YiddishOrnamental name composed of German
hirsch or Yiddish
hirsh meaning "deer" and
feld meaning "field". It is also a topographic name for someone who lived in an area of land frequented by deer or where millets grew.
Hochstein Germantopographic name for someone who lived by a high rock or a castle of that name from Middle High German
hoh "high" and
stein "rock stone castle".
Hock GermanTopographic name for someone living by a hedge, from a dialect variant of
Heck.
Hockton GermanIn relation to Hock a wine producing region and probably being adopted into Britain via Anglo Saxon settlers.
Hodapp German1 South German: probably a nickname for a clumsy person, from Middle High German hōh ‘high’, ‘tall’ + the dialect word dapp ‘fool’.... [
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Hoen German, DutchNickname from hoen 'chicken', 'hen', perhaps denoting a silly person.
Hoffa GermanAltered form of
Hofer. This surname was borne by American labor union leader Jimmy Hoffa (1913-1975?).
Hoffer GermanThe name Hoffer is derived from the Old German and German word hof, which means settlement, farm or court.
Hoheisel GermanTopographic from the German elements
hoh "high" and a diminutive of
hus "house".
Hohensee GermanHabitational name from any of several places so named in Pomerania and East Prussia, or perhaps from Hohenseeden near Magdeburg.
Hohn GermanDerived from Middle High German
hon "chicken". As a surname, it was given to someone who either bred or traded in chickens.... [
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Holbrook English, German (Anglicized)English: habitational name from any of various places, for example in Derbyshire, Dorset, and Suffolk, so called from Old English
hol ‘hollow’, ‘sunken’ +
broc ‘stream’. ... [
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Holder German, Jewish, English1. German: topographic name for someone who lived by an elder tree. Middle High German
holder, or from a house named for its sign of an elder tree. In same areas, for example Alsace, the elder tree was believed to be the protector of a house... [
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Hollier English, FrenchOccupational name for a male brothel keeper, from a dissimilated variant of Old French
horier "pimp", which was the agent noun of
hore "whore, prostitute".
Hollier was probably also used as an abusive nickname in Middle English and Old French.... [
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Holstein Germanhabitational name from the province of
Holstein long disputed between Germany and Denmark. This gets its name from
holsten the dative plural originally used after a preposition of
holst from Middle Low German holt-sate "dweller in the woods" (from Middle Low German
holt "wood" and
sate sete "tenant")... [
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Holter English, German, NorwegianDerived from English
holt meaning "small wood". A topographic name for someone who lived near a small wooden area, as well as a habitational name from a place named with that element.
Holtey GermanOld German name meaning "Wood Island". Holt means wood and ey means island. Family can be traced back to around 650 A.D. and is located in the Ruhr and Essen area of Germany.
Holthaus GermanNorth German: topographic name for someone who lived by a copse (a small group of trees), from Middle Low German holt ‘small wood’ + haus ‘house’.
Holtzclaw German (Anglicized, Modern)Americanized spelling of German
Holzklau, which translates into modern German as "wood thief", but is probably a nickname for someone who gathered wood, from Middle High German holz "wood" + a derivative of kluben "to pick up", "gather", "steal".
Holtzmann Upper German, GermanDerived from the Upper German word "holz," which means "forest." Thus many of the names that evolved from this root work have to do with living in the woods
Holzberg GermanHabitational name from any of various places called Holzberg for example in Hesse and Silesia.
Hölzel GermanThe surname of Austrian singer Johann "Hans" Hölzel (1957-1998), better known by his stage name Falco.
Holzhauer GermanOccupational name for a "lumberjack, woodsman" with the element
holz "forest".
Holzheim GermanThe meaning of Holzheim is " wood home". Holz=wood and heim=home. ... [
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Holzinger German, JewishHabitational name for someone from any of various places called Holzing or Holzingen.
Holzklau GermanFrom Middle High German holz ‘wood’ + a derivative of klūben ‘to pick up, gather, steal’. It means "wood thief" but it was probably more likely used as nickname for someone who gathered wood
Honegger SwissArthur Honegger (10 March 1892 – 27 November 1955) was a Swiss composer, and a member of Les Six, a group of composers associated with Jean Cocteau and Erik Satie. His most famous work is "Pacific 231".
Honig German, JewishMetonymic name for a gatherer or seller of honey, from Middle High German
honec,
honic "honey", German
Honig.
Hoot Dutch, GermanThe Dutch form is a habitation name for someone who lived in the
hout or "woods" while the German form
hoth is from an occupational name for a maker of hats.
Hörmann GermanThe distinguished surname Hormann is of very ancient German origin. It is derived from a Germanic personal name made up of the elements "heri," meaning "army," and "man," meaning "man."
Hornecker GermanHabitational name denoting someone from any of various places called Horneck.
Horney German (Anglicized)German: Eastphalian or Americanized form of a personal name composed of the Germanic elements hard ‘hardy’, ‘brave’, ‘strong’ + nit ‘battle fury’, ‘eagerness to fight’, or a habitational name from a place so called in Brandenburg or in the Rhineland... [
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Hörschelmann GermanThis denotes familial origin in the former village of Hörschel (annexed to Eisenach in 1994).
Horschwald GermanSurname probably of German origin. Most people with this surname live in Poland today.
Hosner GermanOccupational name for a knitter of hose (garments for the legs), from the plural form of Middle High German hose + the agent suffix -er (see Hose 3).
Hostetler GermanThe name itself comes from the word Hostet or Hochstatt meaning "high place". Thus Hostetler is someone living in a high place or on high ground.
Hotz German (Swiss), GermanOf debated origin and meaning; theories include a habitional name for someone from the
Hotzenwald, a derivation from any given name containing the Germanic name element
hadu "battle, combat" and a derivation from the verb
hotzen "to swing, to sway, to tremble".
Houck GermanNickname from Middle Dutch houck, a marine fish, or from Middle Dutch hoec, houck ‘buck’. variant of Hoek.
Howald GermanFrom any several places named, from the elements
hoh "high" and
wald "forest".
Howdyshell American, GermanAmericanized (i.e., Anglicized) form of the Swiss German
Haudenschild, which originated as a nickname for a ferocious soldier, literally meaning "hack the shield" from Middle High German
houwen "to chop or hack" (imperative
houw) combined with
den (accusative form of the definite article) and
schilt "shield".
Huben GermanThe roots of the distinguished German surname Huben lie in the kingdom of Bavaria. The name is derived from the Middle High German word "huober," meaning "owner of a patch of farmland." The term "Hube" was used to denote a 40-acre hide of farmland... [
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Hübsch GermanNickname from Middle High German hübesch 'courtly', 'polite', 'refined', 'agreeable', German hübsch.
Huff GermanFrom the Germanic personal name
Hufo, a short form of a compound name formed with
hug "heart, mind, spirit" as the first element.
Hufnagel GermanMetonymic occupational name for a farrier from Middle High German
hufnagel "horseshoe nail" (literally "hoof nail"). Derived from
huof "hoof" and
nagal "nail".
Hugo FrenchVictor Hugo was a French poet, novelist, and dramatist of the Romantic movement. He was also the writer of 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame' and 'Les Misérables'.
Humbert German, Dutch, FrenchFrom a Germanic personal name composed of the elements
hun "Hun, giant" or
hun "bear cub" and
berht "bright, famous". This was particularly popular in the Netherlands and North Germany during the Middle Ages as a result of the fame of a 7th-century St... [
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Humboldt German (?)Derived from the Germanic given name
Hunibald. Notable bearers of this surname were Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859), a Prussian naturalist, geographer, explorer and polymath, and his brother Wilhelm von Humboldt (1767-1835), a linguist, philosopher and diplomat.
Hummer German, EnglishHummer is the German word for 'Lobster' in English. It is also the name of a vehicle- the 'Hummer'!
Humperdinck German (?), LiteratureFrom the German surname Humperdinck. As a surname it was born by the composer Engelbert Humperdinck. As a first name it was used for the villain Prince Humperdinck in William Goldman's novel The Princess Bride.
Hundertmark GermanA nickname for a wealthy man, from Middle High German hundert meaning "hundred" + mark, a denomination of coin.
Hunsberger GermanHabitational name for someone from a place called Hunsberg or Huntsberg.
Huntzinger GermanHabitational name for someone from Hintschingen, earlier Huntzingen.
Hurban English, French, Dutch, German, Sorbian, Czech, Slovak, Polish, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Hungarian, Romanian, JewishVariant of
Urban.
Hurst GermanTopographic name from Middle High German
hurst "woodland, thicket".
Husemann GermanEpithet for a servant or an administrator who worked at a great house, from Middle Low German hus ‘house’ (see House 1, Huse) + man ‘man’.
Husted GermanThe name was originally spelled "Hustedt" and means "homestead." The family name originated in northern Germany. One branch of the family migrated to England, and a branch of that family to the United States.
Hütter GermanGerman and Jewish (Ashkenazic): occupational name for a hatter from an agent derivative of Middle High German huot ‘hat’; Yiddish hut, German Hut ‘hat’. German (Hütter): topographic name from Middle High German hütte ‘hut’... [
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Hux GermanProbably from a topographic name Huck or Hucks, of uncertain origin. It occurs in many place and field names.
Iannitello ItalianCould mean “Land of Gracious God”, from
Ianni, stemming from
Ioannes meaning “Yahweh is Gracious” and
Tello, meaning “Land”.
Iannucci ItalianFrom a pet form of the given name
Ianni. A famous bearer of the name is the Scottish filmmaker and satirist Armando Iannucci (1963-).
Iavarone ItalianPossibly from a shortened form of the personal name Ianni + varone, a variant of barone ‘baron’; literally ‘baron John’.
Ibba ItalianMeaning uncertain, possibly from Sardinian
v-ibba "settlement" (compare
Deidda), or from Latin
ibi "that place, there".
Ienca Italian (Rare)Allegedly derived from Italian
giovenca "heifer". A heifer is a young cow that has not yet had a calf. Mount Jenca and Jenca Valley are located near Gran Sasso d'Italia in the Abruzzo region in Italy.
Iles English (British), FrenchEnglish (mainly Somerset and Gloucestershire): topographic name from Anglo-Norman French isle ‘island’ (Latin insula) or a habitational name from a place in England or northern France named with this element.
Imberi German (Swiss)It comes from Stuttgart Germany from the late 1800s. Then the name moved to a small village outside of Odessa Ukraine, in my family at least.
Imbert FrenchFrom the medieval French personal name
Imbert, of Germanic origin and meaning literally "vast-bright".
Immer German, Anglo-SaxonGerman: habitational name for someone from a place named Immer near Oldenburg in Lower Saxony. ... [
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Immermann GermanHabitational name for someone from a place named Immer near Oldenburg in Lower Saxony.
Imperato ItalianFrom the personal name Imperato from the past participle of
imperare "to rule to command".
Imperiale ItalianDerived from Latin
imperialis meaning "imperial", either denoting someone of aristocratic lineage or a nickname for a haughty person.
Infante ItalianNickname for someone with a childlike disposition, from
infante "child" (Latin
infans, literally "one who cannot speak").
Ingoglia ItalianMeans "belonging to the family of Goglia" in Italian, derived from the prefix
in- meaning "belonging to the family of" combined with the name
Goglia... [
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Inquieti Italian (Rare)would like to know if any one out there has heard of this name and what part of italy it comes from gt grand father corneluse inquiete/i came to england from parma italy in 1872/4 age 37/8 married in 1875... [
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Insalaco ItalianA surname in Sicily. Believed to come from the word Salaco an occupational name for a tanner in Arabic.
Invernizzi ItalianProbably denoted someone from Inverno e Monteleone, a municipality in Lombardy. Inverno itself is Italian for "winter".
Inzaghi ItalianProbably from the town of
Inzago, near Milan. This surname is most famously borne by brothers Filippo (1973–) and Simone Inzaghi (1976–).
Ippolito ItalianItalian: from the personal name Ippolito (classical Greek Hippolytos, composed of the elements hippos ‘horse’ + lyein ‘loose’, ‘release’). This was the name of various minor early Christian saints... [
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