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.
Mick German, DutchOccupational name from Middle Low German and Middle Dutch
micke "(wheat or rye) bread". Alternatively, a Germanized form of
Mik.
Mickley FrenchIt originated when an immigrant family named Michelet came to New York from Northern France. Because they had a foreign surname, they made up the names Mickley and Michelin. The originator was Jean Jacques Michelet (John Jacob Mickley), a private in the Revolutionary War... [
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Miedinger GermanHabitational name for someone from Meitingen in Württemberg.
Mielke GermanDerived from a diminutive of the given name
Milogost and other Slavic given names beginning with the element
mil-.
Mignano ItalianPossibly taken from the Mignano Monte Lungo commune in the Province of Caserta in the Italian region Campania.
Mignogna ItalianIn part a Southern Italian a habitational name from Mignogna, a minor place in Foggia province.
Milanesi ItalianIt comes from the Italian city of Milan, in Lombardia (northern Italy), where it is most used
Milingiana ItalianProbably from
milinciana "eggplant, aubergine", likely given to foundlings.
Millet French, Catalanmetonymic occupational name for a grower or seller of millet or panic grass or a topographic name for someone who lived by a field of millet from French and Catalan
millet (from Latin
milietum a derivative of
milium in Old French
mil "millet").
Minde GermanHabitational name denoting someone from the city of Minden.
Minden German, EnglishHabitational name from any of various places so named, for example in Westphalia (German) or Shropshire (English).
Minelli ItalianPatronymic or plural form of
Minello, a pet form of the personal name
Mino, which is a short form of a personal name formed with the hypocoristic suffix
-mino, such as
Adimino,
Giacomino,
Guglielmino, etc.
Minervino Italiana habitational name from either of two places, Minervino di Lecce or Minervino Murge, in the provinces of Lecce and Bari, which take their names from ancient temples dedicated to the Roman goddess Minerva.
Minion FrenchFrench form of
Miner, an occupational name for a someone working in a mine.
Mirabella Italian, SicilianItalian (Campania and Sicily): habitational name from Mirabella Eclano in Avellino or Mirabella Imbaccari in Catania, or from various places with the name Mirabello, all named from medieval Latin
mira, "viewpoint", and
bella, "beautiful"... [
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Miraglia ItalianFrom the Old Sicilian military title
miraglia di mari meaning "admiral".
Mittag GermanMeans "midday, noon" in German, with an archaic meaning of "south". Habitational name given to someone who lived south of a main settlement.
Mittel GermanLiterally "middle", probably a topographic name from a farm occupying a middle position in a settlement. Compare
Mitter.
Mittelkauff German (Archaic)An extinct occupational name for a broker or middleman from Middle High German
mittel meaning "middle" and
kauf meaning "purchase".
Mittelmann GermanFrom a byname from Middle High German
mittelman "mediator, arbitrator".
Mitter GermanTopographic name for someone who lived on or owned a property that was in the middle between two or more others, especially if the others were both held by men with the same personal name (for example,
Mitter Hans), from the strong form of Middle High German
mitte "mid, middle".
Möbius GermanPatronymic surname derived from the given name Bartholomäus, the German form of Bartholomew.
Modigliani ItalianUsed by Sepharditic Jews, this surname comes from the Italian town of
Modigliana, in Romagna. Famous bearers of this surname include painter Amedeo Modigliani (1884–1920) and Nobel Prize in Economics recipient Franco Modigliani (1918–2003).
Molinaro ItalianOccupational name for a miller, derived from Italian
mulino meaning "mill".
Molinarolo ItalianProbably from a person's occupation, with
molino/
mulino meaning "mill" in Italian. The second part may come from
rullo, meaning "a roller" or "I roll."
Mollet FrenchTopographic name for someone who lived in a muddy or boggy place from a diminutive of mol "marsh, bog".
Mollica ItalianMeans "crumb, breadcrumb; soft inner part of bread" in Italian, a nickname for a physically small or unintelligent person, or perhaps someone considered kind and soft-hearted.
Molyneux FrenchPossibly a habitational name from Moulineux, meaning "mill of the waters", or derives from the Old French name De Molines or De Moulins, meaning "mill". The surname has been linked to a large French family that settled in Lancashire from France.
Monaco ItalianMeans "monk" in Italian, ultimately derived from Ancient Greek μοναχός
(monakhós) "single, solitary" via Latin
monachus. Could be a nickname for someone of monkish habits or appearance, a topographic name for someone living close to a monastery, or an occupational name for a servant employed at a monastery.
Mönch GermanDerived from German
Mönch "monk" (ultimately via Middle High German
münch and Old High German
munih from Latin
monicus. Compare
Monk).
Mond GermanEither from a short form of an ancient Germanic personal name formed with
munt "protection guardianship" making it a cognate of
Monday 1 or probably also a topographic or habitational name referring to a house with the sign of a moon from Middle High German
mane mone "moon".
Mondschein German, Jewishtopographic or habitational name referring to a house name meaning "moonshine" or a nickname for someone who was bald from the same word Middle High German
māno "moon" and
schinen "shine"... [
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Moneta ItalianPossibly originating from a nickname given to those who lived near a temple dedicated to
Juno Moneta. A famous bearer of this surname is Nobel Prize for Peace recipient Ernesto Teodoro Moneta (1833–1918).
Moneta Italianfrom
moneta "money" probably applied as either a nickname for a rich man or as a metonymic occupational name for a moneyer or money lender.
Monfils FrenchMonfils is a surname of French origin, meaning "my son."
Monopoli ItalianItalian: habitational name from a place called Monopoli in Bari province from Greek monē polis ‘single town’.
Montalbano ItalianHabitational name from any of several places called
Montalbano, including Montalbano di Elicona in northeastern Sicily (earlier simply Montalbano), Montalbano Jonico (Matera province), or the district of Montalbano in Fasano, Brindisi.
Montale ItalianFrom Latin
mons ("mountain"), this surname was originally given as a nickname to people who lived on hills and mountains. A famous bearer of this surname is Italian poet and writer Eugenio Montale (1896-1981), winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1975.
Montalto Italian, PortugueseHabitational name from any of various places called Montalto or Montaldo especially Montalto Uffugo in Cosenza province in Italy or from a place in Portugal called Montalto from
monte "hill" and
alto "high" (from Latin
altus).
Montalvo Portuguese, Spanish, ItalianMontalvo is a habitational Portuguese and Spanish surname that originated in the medieval period. It comes from the Spanish words monte, meaning "
mount", and albo, meaning "
white". The name was often given to families who lived near or on a white mountain or hill, and can be interpreted as "
white mountain".
Montaperto ItalianFrom the name of a town in Agrigento, Sicily, perhaps meaning "open mountain" from
monte "mountain" and
aperto "open, unlocked".
Montecalvo ItalianHabitational name from any of various places called Montecalvo ("bald mountain") especially Montecalvo Irpino in Avellino province, from the elements
monte "mountain" and
calvo "bald".
Montefiore Italian, JewishDerived from
Montefiore, which is the name of several places in Italy. For example, there is Castle Montefiore in the town of Recanati (province of Macerata), the municipality of Montefiore Conca (province of Rimini) and the municipality of Montefiore dell'Aso (province of Ascoli Piceno)... [
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Monteleone ItalianFrom various place names, meaning "mountain lion", or "mountain of the lion".
Montesano ItalianFrom Italian
monte meaning "mountain" and
sano meaning "healthy".
Montesquieu FrenchFrom French
montagne, meaning "mountain" and possibly also from
queue, meaning "line". Charles Montesquieu was a 17th-century French aristocrat, philosopher and politician.
Monteverde ItalianHabitational name from any of various places called Monteverde, for example in Avellino province, from monte meaning "mountain" + verde meaning "green".
Monteverdi ItalianDerived from Italian
monte meaning "mountain" and
verdi meaning "green"; literally means "green mountain".
Montigny Frenchhabitational name from (Le) Montigny the name of several places in various parts of France (from a Gallo-Roman estate name Montiniacum formed either from a personal name or from a derivative of
mons "mountain" and the locative suffix
acum)... [
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Montisci ItalianOriginated in Sardinia, Italy in the 17th century given to fishermen
Montone Italiannickname from
montone "ram" (from Medieval Latin
multo genitive
multonis). Or a habitational name from any of numerous places called Montone ("big mountain").
Montoro Spanish, ItalianA Spanish habitational name from any of the places called Montoro in particular those in Córdoba or Teruel provinces. Italian habitational name from any of the places called Montoro in particular Montoro Inferiore and Montoro Superiore in Avellino province.
Montpelier English, FrenchEnglish and French variant of
Montpellier. This is the name of several places in the United States, for example the capital city of the state of Vermont, which was named after the French city of
Montpellier.
Montpellier FrenchMeans "woad mountain", derived from French
mont (itself from Latin
mōns) meaning "mountain" and
pastel (Latin
pastellus,
pestellus) meaning "woad, dye", referring to someone who lived near a mountain that was covered with woad (a plant that produces a blue dye)... [
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Monty French, EnglishTopographic name for a mountain dweller, from Old French mont 'mountain' (Latin mons, montis).
Monvoisin FrenchMarried surname of a infamous 17th century fortune teller and poisoner, Catherine Monvoisin nee Deshayes, known as La Voisin. Executed for witchcraft in 1680 in the affair of the poisons. Her clients included the elite of Paris including a mistress of Louis XIV.
Monzo ItalianPossibly a variant of Monsu, which may be an occupational name for a cook, Calabrian munsu, or a nickname or title from Milanese monsu ‘sir’, ‘lord’, ‘gentleman’.
Mook GermanThis surname means 'flying insect' from a German word that is mauke. (I think it is mauke, I am SO not sure.)
Morabito ItalianUltimately from Arabic
مُرَابِط (
murabit) "holy man, one who preaches in the street; soldier stationed in an outpost", from which comes Sicilian
murabitu "moderate, sober" and
murabbiu "teetotal".
Moralee English, FrenchFirst found in Norfolk where they were seated from very early times and were granted lands by Duke William of Normandy, their liege Lord, for their distinguished assistance at the Battle of Hastings.
Morant English, FrenchFrom the Old French personal name
Morant, perhaps from a nickname meaning "steadfast", or alternatively of Germanic origin and meaning literally "courage-raven". A known bearer was the British-born Australian soldier and poet Breaker Morant, original name Edwin Henry Murrant (?1864-1902).
Moranville FrenchHabitational name from a commune in France named Moranville, derived from French personal name
Morand and
ville "town, city".
More Frenchnickname for a dark-skinned man from Old French
more "Moor" (from Latin
Maurus). French cognitive of
Moore 3.
Morell RomanshDerived from Latin
maurus "Moorish, North African" as well as a derivation from a diminutive of the given name
Maurus.
Moreschi ItalianNickname for a dark-skinned person, derived from the Medieval Latin word
moro, actually from the Latin
Maurus, meaning, "dark-skinned".
Moro Italian, SpanishNickname from
moro "moor" from Latin
maurus "moor, north african" and Italian variant of
Mauro.
Morreale ItalianHabitational name from the town of Monreale in Sicily, derived from Italian
monte regale meaning "royal mountain".
Mosbrucker GermanTopographic name for someone who lived by a bridge over a swamp, from Middle High German mos meaning "bog", "swamp" + brucke meaning "bridge".
Mosca RomanshYounger form of
Muos-cha which was derived from Romansh
muos-cha "fly (animal)".
Moscatelli ItalianThe name Moscatelli has its origins in a type of grape called Moscatel. This grape has its origin in ancient Egypt or Greece, but it was in Italy that it became famous. Here the farmers that planted the grape became known as the Moscatelli.
Moscato ItalianVariant of the personal name Muscato, also Americanized spelling of Greek Moskatos, a metonymic occupational name for a grower of muscat grapes.
Mosel GermanHabitational name from any of several places so named. topographic name from the
Mosel river in western Germany a tributary of the Rhine that rises in the Vosges and flows through
Lorraine and then a deep winding valley from
Trier to
Koblenz.
Mosele ItalianProbably related to German
Moser, derived from
moos "moss, bog". Alternatively, could be related to the toponyms
Mosa or
Mosella, which are of Celtic origin.
Most GermanMetonymic occupational name for a producer or seller of must, i.e. unfermented grape juice, from Middle High German
most, ultimately derived from Latin
mustum vinum meaning "young (i.e. fresh) wine"... [
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Motel FrenchTopographic name from a derivative of Old French motte ‘fortified stronghold’.
Motte French, Walloon, Flemish, Germanfrom old French
motte "motte" a word of Gaulish origin denoting a man-made protective mound or moat surrounding a castle or other fortified strongholds; or a habitational name from any of the various places in France and in Belgium named with this word.... [
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Mouldenhauer GermanHas a Northern German origin, and means “bowl maker” or “carver of bowls”.
Mouton FrenchNickname from Old French
mouton "sheep" used for a docile mild-mannered person for someone easily led or perhaps for a curly-haired man... [
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Möwer German (Rare)Possibly derived from Middle High German
moven "to torment, trouble, burden".
Mozart GermanThe surname was first recorded in the 14th century as
Mozahrt, and later as
Motzhardt in Germany. It is a compound word, the first part of which is Middle High German
mos, also spelt
mosz, and meaning “bog, marsh” in southern dialects (compare modern German
Moos)... [
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Mulè ItalianFrom Arabic
مولى (
mawlan) "guide, chief, lord, master".
Müllerleile GermanDerived from Middle High German
mülnære,
müller meaning "miller" (see
Müller), and the German given names
Lawlin,
Lauwelin and
Lawelin, medieval diminutives of
Nikolaus.
Mullinix FrenchA locational name "of de Moloneaux" probably from the noble family who trace their descent from William the Conqueror, from Molineaux-sur-Seine, near Rouen. The name came to England during the wake of the Norman Conquest... [
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Munich GermanFrom the lower German word for monk, most likely first used as a surname for a former member of a monastery.
Munk German, Scandinavian, Dutch, EnglishFrom Middle High German
münich Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish
munk Middle Dutch
munc "monk" a nickname for someone thought to resemble a monk or a metonymic occupational name for someone in the service of a monastery... [
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Münster German, Dutchhabitational name from any of the places called
Münster (in Germany) or Munster derived from Latin
monasterium "monastery" or a topographic name for someone living near a monastery.
Müsch GermanEither a habitational name from a place named Müsch in Germany, or a topographic name meaning "bog", perhaps given to someone living near a bog.
Musch Dutch, GermanFrom Middle Dutch
mussche "house sparrow", a nickname for a quick person, or perhaps someone who was small and weak.
Muskat German, JewishOccupational name for a spice merchant from Middle High German
muscāt meaning "nutmeg mace". As a Jewish name however it is mainly ornamental.
Musso ItalianNickname for someone with some peculiarity of the mouth.
Mutter German(also Mütter): occupational name for an official employed to measure grain, from Middle High German mutte, mütte 'bushel', 'grain measure' (Latin modius) + the agent suffix -er.