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.
Kandt GermanProbably from Middle High German kant meaning "jug" (from Latin olla cannata meaning "pot with one spout") and hence an occupational name for a maker or seller of jugs.
Kaplan German, Czech, JewishMeans "chaplain, curate" in German and Czech, ultimately from Latin
cappellanus. It is also sometimes used as a Jewish name, from a translation of Hebrew כֹּהֵן
(kohen) meaning "priest" (see
Cohen).
Karlsberg GermanMeans "Carl's Mountain" in German language, it is also used in other Germanic languages
Kartmann GermanDerived from German
karte meaning "card". Possibly an occupational name for someone who makes, sells or trades cards. In an alternative representation, it could be a nickname for someone who gambles.
Käsemann GermanOccupational name for someone who makes or sells cheese.
Käser German, German (Swiss)occupational name for a cheesemaker or a cheese merchant (see
Kaeser ). topographic name for someone who lived by a summer dairy in the Alps from a Tyrolean dialect word derived from Ladin
casura... [
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Kassel Germanhabitational name mainly from a place of this name in northeastern Hesse so named from Frankish
castella cassela "fortification" a military term from Late Latin
castellum "fortified position fort" or a topographic name from the same word.
Kasselmann GermanCombination of the German place name
Kassel (or
Cassel) and German
Mann "man".
Kastl GermanFrom a pet form of the saint's name Castulus, itself a diminutive of the Latin adjective castus 'chaste'.
Kau GermanFrom Middle High German
gehau "(mountain) clearing" hence a topographic name for a mountain dweller or possibly an occupational name for a logger.
Kau GermanTopographic name for someone who lived by a mineshaft, from Middle High German
kouw(e) "mining hut".
Kauk Germanprobably a variant of
Kauke from Middle Low German
koke "cake" (dialect
kauke) hence a metonymic occupational name for a baker or confectioner or a nickname for a cake lover.
Kauke GermanVariant of
Kauk from Middle high German
kauke "cake" hence a metonymic occupational name for a baker or confectioner or a nickname for a cake lover.
Kaus GermanFrom a regional (Hessian) variant of the habitational name Kues, from a place on the Mosel river, probably so named from Late Latin
covis "field barn", "rack" and earlier recorded as Couese, Cobesa.
Kausch GermanPet name derived from the Old High German personal name Gozwin, of uncertain origin.
Kaut GermanNetonymic occupational name for a flax grower or dealer, from Middle High German
kute, from
Kaut(e) "male dove", hence a metonymic occupational name for the owner or keeper of a dovecote.
Kaut GermanTopographic name from the Franconian dialect word
Kaut(e) "hollow", "pit", "den".
Kautz GermanNickname for a shy or strange person, from Middle High German
kuz "screech owl".
Kegler GermanNickname for a skilled or enthusiastic skittles player, from an agent derivative of Middle High German kegel meaning "skittle", "pin".
Kehler GermanHabitational name from various places called
Kehl, notably the town across the Rhine from Strasbourg. In some cases it may be a variant of
Köhler.
Keicher Germanfrom the East Prussian dialect word
keicher "small cake, pastry" hence a metonymic occupational name for a pastry chef or cook.
Keiner GermanReduced form of the personal name Kagenher, from Old High German gagan 'against' + heri 'army'.
Keiper GermanSimilar to the origins of Kuiper (Dutch) and Cooper (English), Keiper was an occupation which means "cooper" or "barrelmaker".
Kelch Germannickname from Middle High German kelch "double chin", "goiter". from another meaning of Middle High German kelch "glass", "chalice", hence a metonymic occupational name for a chalice maker or a habitational name for someone living at a house distinguished by the sign of a chalice.
Kellen GermanFrom the name of a place in Rhineland, which is derived from Middle Low German
kel (a field name denoting swampy land) or from the dialect word
kelle meaning "steep path, ravine".
Kellner German, Dutch, Jewish, Czech, Slovak, Polish, Hungarian, FrenchMeans "waiter, cellarman" in German, ultimately derived from Latin
cellarium "pantry, cellar, storeroom". This was an occupational name for a steward, a castle overseer, or a server of wine.
Kelm GermanGermanized form of Polish
Chelm ‘peak’, ‘hill’, a topographic name for someone who lived by a hill with a pointed summit, or habitational name from a city in eastern Poland or any of various other places named with this word.
Kemerer GermanFrom the Old German word "kämmerer," which means "chamberlain." A chamberlain was the person in charge of the noble household; to him would fall the duty of ensuring that the castle and court of the noble ran smoothly.
Kemmer GermanKemmer is a surname. The surname Kemmer is an occupational surname. Further research revealed that the name is derived from the Old German word "kämmerer," which means "chamberlain." A chamberlain was the person in charge of the noble household; to him would fall the duty of ensuring that the castle and court of the noble ran smoothly... [
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Kemper German, DutchFrom
Kamp "field, piece of land", an occupational name denoting a peasant farmer. It could also indicate someone from a place named using the element. Alternatively, a variant of
Kempf meaning "fighter".
Kempes German, DutchGerman and Dutch variant of
Kemp or
Kamp. It could also be a habitational name for a person from any of the various places named
Kempen on the border between Germany and the Netherlands (for example the town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, close to the Dutch border), a status name for a peasant farmer or serf, or an occupational name for an official calibrator who marked the correct weight and measures for verification, derived from Middle Low German
kempen... [
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Kenner German, JewishMeans "expert, connoisseur" in German, from
kennen "to know", a nickname for someone considered to be intelligent or knowledgeable.
Kepler GermanFrom Middle High German
kappe meaning "hooded cloak". This was an occupational name for someone who made these kind of garments. A notable bearer was German astronomer and mathematician
Johannes Kepler (1571–1630).
Kerbel English, German, Russian (Rare)Means "chervil" in German, a parsley-related herb. The surname probably came into England via Germanic relations between the two languages, hence it being most common in German & English countries.
Kerbow FrenchPossibly derived from the French word 'corbeau', meaning "raven".
Kern German, Dutch, Jewishfrom Middle High German
kerne "kernel, seed pip"; Middle Dutch
kern(e) keerne; German
Kern or Yiddish
kern "grain" hence a metonymic occupational name for a farmer or a nickname for a physically small person... [
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Kessel GermanOccupational name for a maker of cooking vessels from Middle High German
kezzel meaning "kettle, cauldron, boiler".
Kesselberg GermanHabitational name for someone from any of various places in Rhineland, Bavaria and Baden called Kesselberg.
Kessler German, JewishMeans "kettle-maker, tinker", denoting a maker of copper or tin cooking vessels, derived from Middle High German
kezzel meaning "kettle, cauldron". In some instances, it could have referred to the shape of a landform.
Keurlis GermanUnknown origin. This surname is no longer found in Germany.
Kiebler GermanComes from the Middle High German word "kübel" meaning a "vat," or "barrel." As such it was an occupational name for a cooper, or barrel maker.
Kiel GermanGerman surname of several possible origins and meanings.... [
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Kiener GermanNamed after profession from Middle High German kien ‘pine chip, torch’ for someone who chips pine wood (wood from pine or spruce) and sells it (e.g. to smelters), a lumberjack or charcoal burner.... [
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Kies GermanEither from Middle High German
kis "gravel, shingle", denoting someone who lives in a gravelly place, or
kiesen "to choose". Johann Kies (1713–1781) was a German astronomer and mathematician.
Kiesler GermanTopographic name for someone who lived on a patch of gravelly land, derived from Middle High German
kisel or Old High German
kisil meaning "pebble, gravel".
Kiff GermanTopographic name from a Westphalian dialect
Kiff "outhouse, tied cottage, shack".
Kilburg German, Luxembourgish"Kyll castle," from German
burg (castle) near the Kyll river in Germany. Also "wedge mountain" in Swedish:
kil (wedge) and
berg (mountain).
Kilmer GermanVariant of
Gilmer, from the medieval personal name
Gildemir or
Gilmar, composed from the German
gīsil, meaning "pledge", "hostage", or "noble offspring" and the Old German
mâri meaning “famous”... [
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Kilmester GermanKilmester is attested as a surname near Rostock in the 13th century.
Kimmel German, JewishDerived from Middle High German
kumin and German
kümmel meaning "caraway" (related to Latin
cuminum, a word of Oriental origin, like the plant itself), hence a metonymic occupational name for a spicer, literally a supplier of caraway seeds... [
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Kimmich GermanThe surname hence a metonymic occupational name for a spicer.
Kind German, Jewish, DutchFrom Middle High German
kint, German
Kind "child", hence a nickname for someone with a childish or naive disposition, or an epithet used to distinguish between a father and his son. In some cases it may be a short form of any of various names ending in
-kind, a patronymic ending of Jewish surnames.
Kinderknecht GermanOccupational name for a servant in charge of the children at a manor, derived from
kinder (plural of
kind) meaning "child" and
knecht meaning "servant".
Kinkle GermanDerived from the Middle High German word "kunkel," which meant "spindle." It is thus supposed that the first bearers of this surname were spindle makers in occupation.
Kipping GermanGerman: habitational name from a place named with Middle High German
kip ‘point’, ‘peak’ or from Kippingen in the Rhineland.
Kipps GermanTopographical name for someone living on a hill, from Kippe 'edge', 'brink'.
Kircher Germanfrom Middle High German
kirchner "minister, sexton patron" hence an occupational name for a priest or a church assistant.
Kirchhoff GermanAn old Norse origin surname. Combination of Norse word Kirkr and Hoff means 'garden'.
Kirchmann GermanFrom Middle High German
kirihha "church" and
man "man" hence an occupational name for someone working in the service of the church or possibly a topographic name for someone living near a church... [
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Kirchofer GermanGerman topographic name for someone living near a churchyard, or habitational name for the proprietor or tenant of a farm named as "Church Farm", from Middle High German
kirche "church" +
hof "farmstead", "manor farm".
Kirschenmann Germanfrom Middle High German
kirsche "cherry" and
man "man" an occupational name for a grower or seller of cherries or a topographic name.
Kirtz GermanPatronymic form of
Gero or
Gier, pet forms of names containing the Old High German elements
ger "spear" or
giri "desire, greed".
Kissel GermanFrom a pet form of the Germanic personal name Gisulf.
Kissinger GermanHouseofNames.com: The Kissinger surname derives from the Old High German word "kisil," meaning "pebble," or "gravel." The name may have been a topographic name for someone who lived in an area of pebbles or gravel; or it may have evolved from any of several places named with this word.
Klapp GermanNickname for a gossip or a slanderer, derived from Middle High German
klapf,
klaff meaning "prattle, malicious gossip".
Klass GermanThe name is patronymic and it comes from the German first name "Clausen" which is a variant of the name "Nicholas".
Kleber German, English (American)Derived from German
kleben "to bind, to stick", hence an occupational name for someone who applied clay daub or whitewash on buildings.
Kleffner GermanTopographic name from Middle Low German
clef,
cleff "cliff", "precipice".
Kleffner GermanNickname for a prattler or gossip, from Middle High German, Middle Low German
kleffer(er).
Kleiber GermanDerived from an agent Middle High German
kleben "to stick or bind" an occupational name for a builder working with clay or in Swabia for someone who applied whitewash. in Bavaria and Austria an occupational name for a shingle maker from Middle High German
klieben "to split (wood or stone)".
Kleindienst GermanOriginally an occupational name for a farmhand or laborer, who was second in line to a more highly paid class of servant. Derived from German
klein meaning "small, little" and
dienst meaning "service, duty".
Kleinknecht GermanA combining of the German word
klein "small" and
knecht "servant", originally an occupational name for a secondary hired hand. A famous historic figure who bore this surname was Jakob Friedrich Kleinknecht (8 April 1722 in Ulm - 11 August 1794 in Ansbach), a German composer of many works of chamber music and symphonies, flutist and Kapellmeister (chapel master).
Kleinschmidt GermanOccupational surname which means "small smith", that is, a maker of small forged items and metal hand tools.
Kleis Upper German, RomanshDerived from the given name
Kleis, a South German variant of
Klaus. The Kleis settled in Romansh-speaking areas after the Napoleonic Wars.
Klemm GermanEither from Middle High German
klem "narrow, tight", a nickname for miserly person, or from the related
klemme "constriction; narrows", a habitational name for someone who lived in a narrow area... [
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Klempner German, JewishMeans "plumber, tinsmith" in German, derived from Middle Low German
klampe "clamp".
Klepper GermanDerived from Middle High German
kleppern "to clatter, chatter; to gossip", a nickname for a talkative or gossipy person.
Klepper GermanA metonymic name for someone who bred or kept horses, from Middle High German
klepper "knight’s horse", possibly derived from
kleppen "to strike rapidly, to ring sharply" in reference to bells on their harness... [
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Kliebert GermanOccupational name for a woodsman or woodworker, from an agent derivative of Middle High German klieben meaning "to cleave or split".
Klier German, Czech, Jewishartificial name (for Jews) and nickname (for Germans and Czechs) derived from German dialect
klier "castrated cock".
Klingbeil GermanFrom Middle High German
klingen "to ring or sound" and
bīl "axe", literally "sound the axe", an occupational nickname for a journeyman, carpenter, shipwright (or any occupation involving the use of an axe)... [
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Klingemann GermanOccupational surname for a knife maker, literally meaning "knife maker, weapons smith". It is derived from German
klinge meaning "blade".
Klinger GermanKlinger is a German surname meaning ravine or gorge in Old German. The English variant of Klinger is
Clinger.
Klopfer German, Jewish (Ashkenazi)Derived from Middle High German
klopfen "to knock, pound, hammer", an occupational name for a clothmaker, metalworker, miner, or hunter. As a Jewish name, it can refer to a
shulklopfer, someone who knocks to call people to synagogue.
Klose German, SilesianFrom a Silesian short form of the given name
Nikolaus. A notable bearer is the German former soccer player Miroslav Klose (1978-).
Klostermann GermanCombination of "kloster" meaning "monastery," and common German suffix Mann.
Klutz GermanThe ancient and distinguished German surname Klutz is derived from the old Germanic term "Klotz," meaning "awkward, clumsy." The name was most likely initially bestowed as a nickname, either on someone who was clumsy or in an ironic way on someone who was exceptionally graceful.
Kluver GermanFrom the word
kluven meaning "split wooden block". It used to refer to bailiffs.
Knabe GermanGerman status name for a young man or a page, from Middle High German
knabe (English
knave). In aristocratic circles this term denoted a page or squire (a youth destined to become a knight), while among artisans it referred to a journeyman’s assistant or (as a short form of Lehrknabe) ‘apprentice’... [
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Knapke GermanA relative of mine has said this surname means “over the hill” and that it is of German origin.... [
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Knapp GermanOccupational name from the German word
Knapp or
Knappe, a variant of
Knabe "young unmarried man". In the 15th century this spelling acquired the separate, specialized meanings "servant", "apprentice", or "miner"... [
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Knaus GermanComes from Middle High German knuz ‘proud’, ‘arrogant’, ‘daring’, hence a nickname for a haughty person. In Württemberg knaus (and in Switzerland knus) also meant ‘gnarl’, hence a nickname for a short, fat, gnarled person; topographic name for someone living on a hillock, from knaus ‘hillock’ in the Swabian and Alemannic dialects of German
Knecht German, German (Swiss), DutchMeans "servant, assistant" in German and Dutch, an occupational name for a journeyman or male servant derived from Old Germanic
kneht meaning "servant, knight" or "youth, boy"... [
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Knick GermanGerman: from
Knick “hedge”, “boundary”, hence a topographic name for someone living near a hedge or hedged enclosure or a metonymic occupational name for someone who lays hedges. Hedging is a characteristic feature of the pastureland of Holstein, Mecklenburg, Westphalia, and Lower Saxony.
Knie SwissA famous bearer is the Knie family, a Swiss circus dynasty that founded it in 1803. Today the circus is an enterprise with about 200 employees, operated by Frédy and Franco Knie and it is famous worldwide.
Knobel German, German (Swiss), YiddishDerived from the Middle High German
knübel probably a nickname for a fat person or in the sense "ankle". However the term also denotes a rounded elevation and may therefore also be a topographic name for someone who lived by a knoll... [
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Knodel Germandweller near a hilltop; descendant of Knut (hill, or white-haired); a lumpish, thickset person.
Knoedler GermanOccupational name, probably for someone who made dumplings, from an agent derivative of Middle High German knödel.
Knoll English, German, JewishEnglish and German topographic name for someone living near a hilltop or mountain peak, from Middle English
knolle ‘hilltop’, ‘hillock’ (Old English
cnoll), Middle High German
knol ‘peak’... [
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Knopfler English, GermanDerived from
Knopf (German for "button"), this surname was originally given to button makers or button sellers. A famous bearer of this surname is English musician Mark Knopfler (1949-).
Knorr GermanFrom a nickname for a gnarly person, derived from Middle High/Low German
knorre "knot, protruberance".
Koboldt German (Rare)Derived from German
Kobold (Middle High German
kobolt) "kobold; hobgoblin; puck; imp".
Kochendorfer GermanHabitational name for someone from any of several places called Kochendorf, in Württemberg, Schleswig-Holstein, and Bohemia.
Koehnline GermanAnglicized form of the German name
Köhnlein used by people who moved to the US from Germany during the 19th Century.
Koelsch GermanGerman from the adjective
kölsch, denoting someone from Cologne (German
Köln).
Koelzer GermanFrom a noun derived from
kolzen "ankle boots" (from Latin
calceus "half-boot walking shoe") hence an occupational name for a boot maker or a cobbler. Or a habitational name for someone from Kölzen near Merseburg.
Koerner GermanKoerner is an occupational name for a grain merchant or possibly an administrator of a granary. ... [
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Koger GermanSouth German: occupational name for a knacker, from an agent derivative of koge ‘carrion’.
Kohlhaas GermanApparently a nickname from Middle Low German kōlhase, literally "cabbage rabbit".
Kohlman GermanThis surname comes from the Middle High German word kol which translates into English as coal. However, German Kohl, kol or Kohle also translate into English as cabbage. Middle High German man and German Mann translate into English as man... [
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Kohr German1. occupational name for a guard or watchman on a tower, Middle Low German kure.... [
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Kolber GermanFrom an agent derived from Middle High German
kolbe "club, cudgel" an occupational name for someone who made wooden clubs later for an armorer, or a habitational name for someone from Kolben in Württemberg or Cölbe in Hesse.
Kolden German, NorwegianFrom Middle Low German kolt, kolde ‘cold’, a nickname for an unfriendly person; alternatively, it may be a habitational name, a shortened form of Koldenhof ‘cold farm’ in Mecklenburg (standardized form: Kaltenhof, a frequent place name in northern Germany, East Prussia, Bavaria, and Württemberg).Norwegian: habitational name from a farm called Kolden, from Old Norse kollr ‘rounded mountain top’.
Kolkmann GermanKolk is an old German word that means '' man who lives by the river'' and Mann is German for 'man'. The name Kolkmann comes from a man who lived by the North Rhine.
Koll GermanFrom the given name
Colo or
Koloman. Alternatively derived from Middle Low German
kolle "head".
Koller GermanThe name is derived from the Alemmanic word "Kohler," meaning "charcoal burner," and was most likely originally borne by a practitioner of this occupation.
Kölsch GermanFrom German
kölsch, denoting someone from Cologne (Köln in German).
Konitzer GermanA German habitational name for someone who lives in various places called Konitz in places like Thuringia, Pomerania, Moravia, or West Prussia.