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.
Bonamici ItalianMeans "good friend", originating as a nickname or from a given name of the same meaning.
Bonanno ItalianFrom the medieval personal name
Bonanno, an omen name meaning "good year". Mainly found throughout southern Italy.
Bonatti ItalianComes from the pesonal name '
Bona' which is derived from Latin '
bonus', which means
'great'.
Bonera ItalianBresciano surname (i.e., concentrated in Brescia, Lombardy, Italy), derived from the medieval Italian given name
Bonora or
Buonora which in turn meant "(it was a) good hour (when you were born)" from Latin
bonus "good" and
hora "time, hour".
Bonfiglio ItalianFrom the given name
Bonfiglio an omen or well-wishing name meaning "good son" from
bono "good" and
figlio "child, son"... [
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Bongiorno ItalianItalian from the medieval personal name
Bongiorno (composed of
bono ‘good’ +
giorno ‘day’), bestowed on a child as an expression of the parents’ satisfaction at the birth (‘it was a good day when you were born’).
Bongiovanni ItalianComes from the personal name
Giovanni composed of the elements
bon ‘good’ +
Giovanni, Italian equivalent of John
Bonnefoy FrenchThe name is derived from the French words
bonne, meaning good, and
foi meaning faith.
Bonnemaison FrenchLiterally means "good house", derived from French
bonne "good" and French
maison "house". As such, this surname is most likely a locational surname, in that it originally either referred to someone who lived in a good house (probably more like a mansion) or to someone who was born in (or lived in) the place Bonnemaison, which is nowadays located in the Calvados department of France... [
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Bonnin FrenchDerived from a diminutive of
Bon, it is also found in the island of Mallorca and Turin, Italy.
Bonsor FrenchBonsor is from French origin mean good day
Bon soir Bontemps FrenchDerived from Old French
bon temps meaning "good time". One popular bearer of the name is the American poet and novelist Arna Wendell Bontemps (1902-1973).
Bontrager GermanComing from the Old German, Bonträger or Bornträger, meaning 'water carrier'.
Boot German, DutchMetonymic occupational name for a boat builder, sailor, or a ship’s carpenter, from Dutch
boot "boat, ship".
Boot Dutch, GermanPatronymic form of
Bode, derived from either Old High German
boto "messenger, envoy" or the related
bot "command, order".
Bordner GermanA variant spelling of Bartner, a job name for a battle axe maker.
Boren GermanOf unclear origin, most likely a variant of the German surname
Born.
Borgo ItalianBorgo is an Italian surname, which means 'village' or 'borough'.
Bormann GermanThis surname is presumed to be a variant of
Bornemann, which is made up of Middle Low German
born meaning "spring" and
man meaning "man," denoting someone who lived by a spring or a well.
Born German, EnglishA topographical name indicating someone who lived near a stream, from the Old English "burna, burne". Alternatively, it could be contemporarily derived from the modern English word "born". Possible variants include
Bourne,
Burns 1 and
Boren.
Borne FrenchFrom Old French
borgne "one-eyed, blind", a nickname for someone with only one eye, or who had other problems with their vision, such as a squint or cross-eyes.
Borrelli ItalianThere are three possible origins of this surname. It could derive from some place names located in Catania and Campania -two Italian southern regions. Another hypothesis is that it derives from the Celtic word
borro, meaning "proud" or maybe "ditch"... [
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Borzani ItalianFamily of ancient and noble tradition, originally from Romagna. The commendator GB of Crollalanza reports the blazon of this family in the volumes of his historical blazon dictionary of the noble and notable Italian families... [
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Boscolo ItalianHabitational name for someone who lived by a forest, derived from Italian
bosco meaning "woods, forest".
Boso ItalianFrom the medieval personal name Boso, from a Germanic personal name derived from a pejorative nickname meaning ‘leader’, ‘nobleman’, or ‘arrogant person’. Compare Dutch Boos.
Bossier FrenchOccupational name for a cooper, from an agent derivative of Old French
bosse 'barrel'.
Bosso ItalianDerived from Italian
bosso "box tree", probably applied as a topographic name but possibly also as a metonymic occupational name for a wood carver or turner.
Boswell French (Anglicized)The name Boswell is an Anglicization of the name of a French village: Boseville (Beuzeville). This was a village of 1400 inhabitants near Yvetot, in Normandy. (from 'A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames', by Charles W. Bardsley, New York, 1901)... [
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Botticelli ItalianEtymology uncertain. It can derive from the Italian word
botte meaning "barrel" and from the occupation
bottaio meaning "cooper". In the case of Sandro Botticelli it has probably another origin... [
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Boudreaux FrenchVariant of
Beaudreau. Originated in ancient area known as Languedoc, where the family was established. Comes from having lived in Languedoc, where the name was found since the early Middle Ages.
Boulier FrenchOccupational name for a maker of balls or the organizer of a game of boules, from French
boule meaning "ball".
Bourbon FrenchThe Bourbons were one of the most important ruling houses of Europe . Its members were descended from Louis I, duc de Bourbon from 1327 to 1342, the grandson of the French king Louis IX (ruled 1226-70)... [
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Bourbon Frenchhabitational name from a village in Allier the site of the (now ruined) castle of Bourbon or from another place called (Le) Bourbon mainly in the southern part of France. The placename is derived from a Celtic and pre-Celtic element borb- denoting a hot spring.
Bourget FrenchPossibly meaning "from the city, town" or given to wealthy families, (from bourgeois)
Bourguignon FrenchOriginally denoted a person from Burgundy (called
Bourgogne in French), a historical region of east-central France.
Boutet Frenchfrom a pet form of the ancient Germanic personal name
Boto a short form of any of various names composed with the element
bod "messenger"... [
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Bovary FrenchIt is the surname of the famous fictional character Emma Bovary protagonist of Gustave Flaubert's novel.
Bracco ItalianEither a nickname derived from Calabrian
braccu meaning "small, chubby", or probably for someone thought to resemble a hunting dog, from Italian
bracco literally meaning "hunting dog, bloodhound"... [
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Bräger GermanHabitational name for someone from Bräg in Bavaria.
Braille FrenchBraille is a writing system used by people with vision impairment. It was named after its inventor
Louis Braille (1809-1852).
Brakhage GermanPossibly from the Old German word 'brak' meaning 'uncultivated field,' or from the Middle German word 'brachen' meaning 'to till the soil.' ... [
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Brancaccia Italian (Rare)Derived from the medieval Italian given name
Brancazia, which is the feminine form of the masculine given name
Brancazio. For more information, please see the entry for the patronymic surname
Brancazio... [
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Brancaccio ItalianVariant form of
Brancazio. There are a few sources that claim that the surname is derived from a place name (which would make it a locational surname), but that claim is incorrect, as all Italian geographical places carrying the name
Brancaccio were either established long after the Middle Ages (by which time virtually all Italians already had a hereditary surname) or were named after a person who had Brancaccio for a surname... [
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Brancaleone ItalianDerived from the medieval Italian masculine given name
Brancaleone, which means either "a lion's paw" or "he who captures the lion". In the case of the former meaning, the name is derived from Italian
branca meaning "paw, claw" combined with Italian
leone meaning "lion"... [
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Brancatella Italian (Rare)Derived from the feminine given name
Brancatella, which is a diminutive of the medieval Italian given name
Brancazia, the feminine form of the masculine given name
Brancazio. For more information about this, please see the entry for the patronymic surname of
Brancazio... [
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Brancatello Italian (Rare)Derived from the masculine given name
Brancatello, which is a diminutive of the medieval Italian given name
Brancazio, itself ultimately derived from the late Latin given name
Brancatius... [
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Brancato ItalianThis surname can be derived from a given name (thus making it a patronymic surname) as well as from a place name (thus making it a locational surname). In the case of a patronymic surname, the surname is derived from the medieval Italian given name
Brancato, which is a variant form of the given name
Brancazio, itself ultimately derived from the late Latin given name
Brancatius... [
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Brancazio Italian (Rare)Derived from the medieval Italian masculine given name
Brancazio, which itself is derived from
Brancatius (also found spelled as
Brancaccius and
Brancatus), a late Latin corruption of the given name
Pancratius... [
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Branche FrenchFrom Old French
branche meaning ‘branch’ (which is from Late Latin
branca meaning ‘foot’, ‘paw’), the application of which as a surname is not clear. Compare
Branch.
Brandhorst German, DutchPossibly derived from
brant "fire, torch, sword" and
horst "thicket, grove, heap, elevated land" or "nest of a bird of prey, eyrie".
Brandis German, Jewish, SwissGerman & Swiss: Habitational name from a former Brandis castle in Emmental near Bern, Switzerland, or from any of the places so named in Saxony, Germany. A famous bearer of the name is
Jonathan Brandis (1976-2003).... [
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Brands Dutch, GermanPatronymic from the given name
Brand, derived from Old Dutch
brand "fire, sword, torch" or a name containing the element.
Bras French, DutchFrom Old French and Middle Dutch
bras "arm". This was probably a descriptive nickname for someone with some peculiarity of the arm, but the word was also used as a measure of length, and may also have denoted a surveyor.
Brassard FrenchDerivative of
bras "arm" most likely applied as a nickname denoting a person with strong arms or perhaps a pugilist.
Brasseur FrenchFrench and English (of both Norman and Huguenot origin): occupational name for a brewer, from Old French
brasser ‘to brew’. See also
Brasher.
Brau ItalianMeaning uncertain, possibly from the dialectical term
brau, meaning "wild, untamed" in Sardinian and "brave, fierce" or "bull" in Catalan, or from
blau "blue, turquoise".
Bräunlich GermanOriginally a nickname for a person who had brown hair or skin, meaning "brownish" in German.
Braunschweig German, JewishDenoted a person from the city of
Braunschweig in Lower Saxony, Germany, which is of Old Saxon origin meaning "
Bruno's settlement".
Brecht GermanFrom a short form of any of various personal names formed with Germanic element
berth " bright" "famous".
Breeding GermanFrom the Low German
brēde "open field". Denotes a person from such a place.
Brehme GermanVariant form of
Bremer. German former soccer player Andreas Brehme (1960-) bears this name.
Breiding GermanFrom the name of a place in the Lippe area in northwestern Germany.
Breit GermanFrom Middle High German
breit meaning "broad". a nickname for a stout or fat person.
Breithaupt GermanNickname for someone with a broad head, from Middle High German
breit "broad" and
houbet or
houpt "head".
Breitkreutz Germanprobably a nickname for a person with a broad butt. Breitkreutz replaced an earlier more transparent form of the surname Breitarsch the use of
kreuz (literally "cross") as a euphemism for "buttocks" first occurring in the 17th century... [
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Breitzmann GermanEastern German topographic name for someone who lived by a birch wood, ultimately derived from the Slavic stem
bres "birch".
Bremer GermanIndicated a person from
Bremen in the State of Bremen, Germany.
Brenner German, German (Austrian), JewishDerived from Middle High German
brennen "to burn". Both as a German and a Jewish name, this was an occupational name for a distiller of spirits. As a German surname, however, it also occasionally referred to a charcoal or lime burner or to someone who cleared forests by burning.
Breton French, EnglishFrench and English: ethnic name for a Breton, from Old French
bret (oblique case
breton) (see
Brett).
Brevard FrenchFrench: nickname from Old French bref ‘small’ + the derogatory suffix -ard.... [
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Briatore ItalianThis surname originates from the province of Cuneo in the Piedmont region of Italy. It is probably derived from Piedmontese
brijador meaning "postilion, coachman", which itself is ultimately derived from Piedmontese
bria meaning "bridles, reins".... [
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Brickner GermanDerived from "brückenbauer," which means "bridge builder" in English. It was originally an occupational name for someone who built bridges. Over time, the name Brickner was likely shortened from Brückenbauer to its current form.
Bridon French (Rare)Patronymic surname derived from French
bride "bridle, harness", this name used to denote a maker or merchant of bridle, harness or horse-gear and more generally a saddler.
Briner German (Swiss)Habitational name for someone from Brin in Grison canton (Graubünden) or from the Brin valley.
Brinker German, DutchDerived from
brink "edge, slope" or "village green", indicating that the bearer of the surname lived near a prominent slope of land or next to the centre of a village.
Brion FrenchRefers to any of several places of the same name. Derived from Gaulish
briga "height, hill" and the suffix
-one.
Brizendine French, English, JewishDerived from a personal name, probably of Celtic origin (Latinized as Britus), which was borne by a 5th century saint, who succeeded St. Martin as bishop of Tours.
Broccoli Italian, SicilianFrom the Italian plural for “The flowering crest of a cabbage”. Best known as the surname of the (Calabrian-originated) Sicilian American family who made James
Bond internationally famous, by making movies (loosely) based on the books where the titular antihero himself appeared.
Brochtrup GermanPossibly indicated someone who was from a farm called
Brochtrup in the town of Lüdinghausen, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. A famous bearer is American actor Bill Brochtrup (1963-).
Brocker GermanNorth German topographic name for someone who lived by a swamp, from Middle Low German brook
bog + the suffix -er denoting an inhabitant.
Brockhaus GermanOccupational hereditary surname for a person who was physically powerful, derived from Old German brock which may refer to persons with a stocky or strong build. Or derived from Old German "Brook" or "Brauk," for people near a marshy landscape, common in northern regions.
Brockman GermanGerman in origin, in heraldry a "brock" is represented by a badger. It could mean wet/water and man. It also has been said to mean broker.
Brogni ItalianPossibly from the dialectical term
brogneau meaning "wild plum", or figuratively "foreigner".
Brook GermanFrom Low German
brook meaning "marsh, swamp".
Bruch GermanTopographic name for someone who lived by a marsh or a stream that frequently flooded, from Middle High German
bruoch "water meadow" or "marsh" (cognate to old English
broc "brook", "stream" cf... [
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Brück GermanTopographic name for someone who lived near a bridge, or an occupational name for a bridge keeper or toll collector on a bridge, from Middle High German
bruck(e) "bridge".
Bruckner GermanTopographic name for someone living by a bridge or an occupational name for a bridge toll collector; a variant of
Bruck with the addition of the suffix -ner.
Brucks GermanA variant of the German based surname 'Bruck', which roughly means 'bridge'.
Bruder GermanFrom a byname meaning "brother", occasionally used for a younger son, i.e. the brother of someone important, or for a guild member.
Brueckner German, German (Silesian)German (Brückner): from Middle Low German brugge, Middle High German brugge, brücke, brügge ‘bridge’ + the agent suffix -ner, hence a topographic name for someone living by a bridge, an occupational name for a bridge toll collector, or in the southeast (Silesia for example) a bridge keeper or repairer... [
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Brueggemann Low German, GermanNorth German (Brüggemann): topographic name for someone who lived near a bridge or a metonymic occupational name for a bridge keeper or street paver, Middle Low German brüggeman (see
Bruckman,
Brueckner).
Bruen GermanThis is my 2nd great uncle's wife's Surname of German ancestry.
Brüggemann GermanName for someone who worked as a street paver or bridge keeper, or someone who lived near a bridge. From Middle Low German
brügge "bridge" or
brüggeman "street paver".
Brugger German, AmericanSouth German variant or Americanized spelling of North German Brügger (see
Bruegger). habitational name for someone from any of various (southern) places called Bruck or Brugg in Bavaria and Austria.
Brühl German, JewishTopographic name for someone who lived by a swampy area, derived from Middle High German
brüel and Middle Low German
brul meaning "swampy land with brushwood". It may also be a habitational name from various places named
Brühl in Germany.
Bruneau FrenchDerived from a diminutive form of French
brun "brown", a nickname for a person with brown hair or skin.