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.
Necker GermanDenoted a person who lives near the Neckar River, a major tributary of the Rhine.
Neff German, German (Swiss)From Middle High German neve 'nephew', hence probably a distinguishing name for a close relation or familiar of a prominent personage.
Negro Italian, Spanish, Galician, Portuguese, JewishNickname or ethnic name from
negro "black" (continuation of Latin
niger), denoting someone with dark hair, dark eyes, a dark complexion, someone who wore dark clothes, someone who worked a job in the night, or was otherwise associated with the night.
Neher GermanAn occupational name for a tailor from a deritive of Middle Low German, 'nehen' which means 'to sew' or 'to embroider'
Neidhardt GermanFrom the Germanic given name
Nithart, which is derived from Germanic
nit meaning "ambition, hatred" and
hard meaning "hardy, brave, strong".
Nein GermanUnexplained. Perhaps from a short form of a Germanic personal name formed with an element cognate with Old High German niuwi meaning "new".
Neisser GermanGerman demonym of the town of Neisse (nowadays Nysa, in Poland), itself from the name of the river Neisse (Nysa) which runs through the city.
Nenninger GermanHabitational name for someone from Nenningen in Württemberg.
Nerz GermanFrom the German word Nerz meaning "Mink".
Nestler GermanDerived from the middle high German word
nesteler meaning "maker of string or thread".
Neubaum Germantopographic name meaning "new tree" or a habitational name from a place so named. Derived from the elements
niuwi "new"
boum "tree".
Neubert GermanDerived from the German word “neu,” meaning “new,” and the word “Bert,” which is a shortened form of the Germanic given name “Berthold,” meaning “bright ruler.” So, it means “new bright ruler”.
Neuburg GermanFrom the name of various places in Germany and Austria.
Neudorf GermanDerived from various places named Neudorf. From German neu meaning "new" and dorf meaning "village". This surname had been used by the Mennonite communities in Mexico.
Neuenfeldt GermanHabitational name for someone from places so named in Brandenburg and Pomerania, or from places in Lower Saxony or Westphalia called Neuenfelde.
Neufeld German, EnglishNeufeld is a surname of German origin, meaning "new field". It is not seldom in Germany and it is common among German speaking Mennonites from Russia.
Neuger German, French (?)Was popularized by the German community. Famous bearers include investors Win Neuger and Dan Neuger, author Christie Cozad Neuger.
Neuhaus German, JewishTopographical name for someone who lived in a new house, Middle High German niuwe hus, modern German neu Haus, or a habitational name for someone from any of several places named Neuhaus ('new house') in various parts of Germany and Austria, also in Bohemia.
Neujahr Germannickname for someone who owed feudal dues at the New Year, or sometimes a name given to someone born on that day
Neumeyer GermanGerman: distinguishing name for a newly appointed steward or tenant farmer, or one who was a newcomer to an area, from Middle High German niuwe ‘new’ + meier ‘steward’, ‘tenant farmer’ ( see
Meyer 1)... [
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Neuser German (Rare)Person who had ancestors that lived in Germany near Dusseldorf in the town called Neuss.
Neustädter GermanHabitational name for someone from any of many places in Germany and Austria called Neustadt.
Neuwirth GermanGerman and Jewish (Ashkenazic): nickname for a new innkeeper, from Middle High German niuwe ‘new’ + wirt and German neu + Wirt ‘master of a house’, ‘innkeeper’.
Neve FrenchDerived from the place name
En Nève, derived from a misdivision of Old French
en nève "in water".
Neve English, Dutch, German, Danish, SwedishUltimately derived from Old Germanic
nefo "nephew, grandson". In Middle English, it also became a term meaning "wastrel, spendthrift".
Never GermanHabitational surname denoting someone from the town of Nevern (Mecklenburg-Vorpommern), Germany.
Neveu FrenchRelationship name from Old French
neveu "nephew" also "grandson" used to distinguish the two bearers of the same personal name.
Nibbe GermanNickname meaning ‘beak’, or from a short form of a Germanic personal name
Nippo, composed of Old High German
nit ‘hostility’, ‘eagerness’ +
boto ‘messenger’.
Nichter German, YiddishPossibly means "negator, negate" from Middle High German
nicht meaning "not", or "sober", from Middle High German
nüchter. Perhaps it originally denoted a person who was a philosopher, judge, or bartender.
Niederhäuser German, SwissHabitational name from any of numerous places named Niederhaus or Niederhausen, denoting the lower of two dwellings or settlements or one in a low-lying position.
Niedermeier German, German (Austrian)Occupational name for a farmer who had a farm lower than the neighboring one(s). This surname and its variant spellings are common to Austria and the state of Bavaria in Germany.
Niedermeyer GermanMeans "lower farmer", a distinguishing name for a farmer who worked further south or in a low-lying location.
Niedfeldt GermanTopographic name for a person who lived by a lower area of open land, derived from Middle Low German
nider meaning "lower" and
feld meaning "open country".
Niehaus GermanNorth German: topographic name from Middle Low German nie ‘new’ + hus ‘house’; or a habitational name from a common North German and Westphalian farm name with the same meaning.
Nies GermanGerman: from a reduced form of the personal name
Dionys (see
Dennis), which was stressed on the last syllable; this was a popular personal name as a result of the influence of the French Saint
Denis... [
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Nievo ItalianFrom
nievo "grandchild, grandson; nephew", probably used to differentiate between relatives of the same name.
Nimitz GermanDerived from Russian немчин (
nemchin) meaning "German", of Slavic origin. This surname was borne by Chester W. Nimitz (1885-1966), a fleet admiral of the United States Navy during World War II.
Nix GermanDerived from Middle High German
nickes "water sprite, elf, demon".
Noce ItalianTopographic name for someone who lived where nut trees grew, from
noce "nut" (Latin
nux, genitive
nucis).
Nocito Italianfrom Latin
nucetum (Italian
noceto) "walnut orchard" applied as either a topographic name for someone who lived by such a place or as a metonymic occupational name for someone who worked in one.
Noelle FrenchNoelle is a French And Latin Name That Means Chirstmas its Also a film About A Girl Named Noelle
Noir FrenchMeans "black" in French, originally used in Northern France as an ethnic nickname for someone from Southern France, Spain, Italy or North Africa. It also may have been used for someone who wore dark clothing or for someone who had an occupation during the night or was associated with the night.
Noll GermanFrom a short form of any of various medieval personal names derived from Germanic personal names ending in -n + wald 'rule', for example Arnold and Reinwald.
Nolte GermanFrom a short form of various medieval given names derived from Germanic given names ending with
-n and
wald meaning "rule", for example
Arnold and
Reinwald... [
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Nonnenmacher GermanOccupational name for a gelder of hogs, from Middle High German nunne, nonne meaning "nun", and by transfer "castrated hog" + an agent derivative of machen meaning "to make".
Nordio ItalianProbably derived from a given name containing the element
nord "north", of Frankish or Germanic origin.
Norrell English, German (?)A locational surname from the Germanic (Old English/Old Norse) term for the north. It either refers to someone who lived in a location called Northwell, lived north of a well, spring or stream (Old English
weall)... [
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Nostradamus History, French (Latinized)Latinized form of
de Nostredame. This surname was borne by the French physician and writer Michel de Nostredame (1503-1566), famous for his collection of prophecies
Les Prophéties (1555) allegedly predicting the apocalypse and danger from the Arab world.
Notte ItalianFrom Italian
notte "night", perhaps a shortened form of
Mezzanotte "midnight" or
Bonanotte "good night".
Nouveau FrenchDenoting someone who was new to a village or country. From French meaning "newcomer".
Novello ItalianFrom the nickname and personal name Novello, from Italian meaning 'new, young'. A famous bearer of this name is Welsh actor and musician Ivor Novello (1893-1951).
Novi ItalianDerived from Italian
novello and ultimately derived from Latin
novellus meaning "new". "Novi" also means "new" in several Slavic languages.
Nugent English, Irish, FrenchAn English, Irish (of Norman origin) and French habitational surname derived from any of several places in northern France (such as Nogent-sur-Oise), From Latin
novientum and apparently an altered form of a Gaulish name meaning "new settlement".
Nungesser GermanApparently a variant spelling of German
Nonnengasse, derived from a street name meaning "nuns, lane". It could also be a variant of
Gnugesser, a nickname for a big eater, derived from
g(e)nug meaning "enough" and
esser meaning "eater" (which derived from
essen meaning "to eat")... [
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Nurchis ItalianDenoting someone from Nure or Nurra in Sardinia, which were possibly derived from the pre-Roman root words
nur meaning "fire" or "stones, heap" and the suffix
-ke meaning "earth" or "dwelling".
Nuss Germanfrom Middle High German nuz ‘nut’, hence a metonymic occupational name for a gatherer and seller of nuts, or a nickname for a man thought to resemble a nut in some way
Obenauf GermanSurname used to refer to someone who lived 'up there' (on a mountain, hill, etc.).
Occhi ItalianFrom Italian
occhio "eye", a nickname for someone with good eyesight, or with distinctive eyes.
Occhibelli ItalianProbably from Italian
occhio "eye" and
bello "beautiful, good", as a nickname for someone with keen eyesight or attractive eyes. May also originate from a place of the same name.
Occhibove ItalianProbably means "ox eyes, cow eyes", from Italian
occhio "eye" and
bove "ox", perhaps a nickname for someone with large, dark eyes.
Occhiochiuso ItalianProbably from Italian
occhio "eye" and
chiuso "closed, shut", perhaps a nickname for someone who was blind, or known for being lazy.
Occhiovivo ItalianProbably from Italian
occhio "eye" and
vivo "vivid, intense; alive", likely given to foundlings.
Ochs German, JewishMeans "ox" in German, derived from Middle High German
ohse, possibly denoting a strong person or someone who worked with oxen. As a Jewish name it is ornamental.
Ochsenkopf GermanHabitational name for a person living in any of the mountains across Germany, Austria, or Liechtenstein, literally meaning "ox's head" in German.
Odelin FrenchNot to be confused with the similarly spelled
Odelín, which is Spanish rather than French, though they could have similar origins in name.
Odenthal GermanFrom the name of a town in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
Oechslin German (Swiss)South German (also Öchslein): from Middle High German ohse ‘ox’ + the diminutive suffix -lin. An occupational name for someone who tended cattle, or for a cattle dealer; or a nickname for a farmer who used oxen for plowing, or for someone perceived to resemble an ox.
Oesten GermanPossibly derived from a watercourse, e.g. the Oste, tributary of the Elbe.
Offenbach German, JewishFrom the name of the city of
Offenbach am Main in Hesse, Germany. A famous bearer was the German-born French composer Jacques Offenbach (1819-1880).
Offutt GermanPossibly a respelling of German
Auffahrt ‘ascension’.
Ogliari ItalianPossibly derived from a place name, or from
oglio "oil", indicating the bearer's occupation, or perhaps appearance.
Ognissanti ItalianMeans "all saints" in Italian, either from the devotional name given to children born on All Saints’ Day, or from any of several locations named as such.
Ohnmacht GermanMeans "powerlessness; helplessness; without power" in German. This was often used to describe someone very weak.
Oliva Italian, SpanishOf uncertain origin: derived either from a nickname to those who picked, worked with or sold olives, or from the given name
Oliva.
Olive FrenchGiven to someone who worked with olives from old french
olive "olive" ultimately latin
oliva "olive".
Olivo Italian, SpanishTopographic name from
olivo "olive tree" or occupational name for someone who sold olives. Or from the given name
Olivo given to someone born on Palm Sunday.
Oms GermanSome characteristic forenames: German Matthias, Otto.... [
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Onstad Norwegian, GermanHabitational name from the name of any of seven farmsteads mainly in the southeast most of them with names formed from any of various Old Norse personal names plus
stathir "farmstead" as for example Augunarstathir from the personal name
Auðun (from
Auth "wealth" plus
un "friend")... [
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Opp GermanGenerally considered a (very) contracted form of given names that contained the Old High German element
od "fortune; wealth" (or a variant thereof) and a second element that began with or contained the letter B, for example Audobald.
Oppedisano ItalianItalian: habitational name for someone from Oppido Mamertino in Reggio Calabria, so named from Latin oppidum ‘fortified place’, ‘stronghold’. The original settlement was destroyed by an earthquake in 1783 ; it was rebuilt on a site further south.
Orfanelli ItalianMeans "little orphans" in Italian, ultimately from Ancient Greek
ὀρφᾰνός "without parents; bereft". Given to children raised in an orphanage.
Orleans FrenchFrom Orléans, a city in France sieged by the English in 1429. Orléans is derived from
Aurelianum, meaning "of
Aurelius" in Latin.
Orru ItalianFrom Sardinian
orrù "bramble", itself from Latin
rubus "bramble, blackberry bush".
Orsi ItalianPatronymic or plural form of
Orso. It may also be an Italianized form of Slovenian Uršic, metronymic from the female personal name Urša, short form of Uršula (Latin Ursula), or a patronymic from the male personal name Urh, Slovenian vernacular form of Ulrik, German Udalrich
Ortman GermanThe surname Ortman was first found in Silesia, where the name emerged after the 14th century, where it was related to the name "Ertmar"; this name is also reflected in the place name Erdmannsdorf, found in both Saxony and Silesia... [
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Ortolano Italian, Spanishoccupational name for a cultivator or seller of fruit and vegetables
ortolano "gardener" from a derivative of
orto "vegetable garden" (from Latin
hortus "garden"). The term was also used in the medieval period to denote both a cleric with a fervant devotion to pastoral work and a rough or uncouth person and in some instances may have been applied as a nickname in either sense... [
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Ossola ItalianLikely a habitational name from an area in the Verbano-Cusio-Ossola province in Northern Italy.
Osterreicher GermanI was told that this surname in native Austria originates as follows. Oster means East, reich means kingdom, with er meaning native of. In old Austria there were six kingdoms, with the East one being the largest with the seat of government there... [
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Ostiguy Basque, FrenchWorn Quebec (Ostéguy variant), the name is visibly Basque and assumes initially a Ostegi form, which could designate a place where the foliage is abundant (osteo = + -egi sheet suffix). Alternatively, place the cold, cold house (Ortz, otz, followed -egi or -tegi).
Ostwald Germanfrom the ancient Germanic personal name Ostold composed of the elements
ōst "east" (see Oest ) and Old High German
walt(an) "to rule". Variant of
Oswald.
Otte GermanOtte was given to someone who lived in Bavaria, where the name came from humble beginnings but gained a significant reputation for its contribution to the emerging medieval society. The name Otte evolved from the Old German personal name Ott, a name of Emperors, made famous by Otto the Great (912-973), Holy Roman emperor.