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.
Brunke GermanNickname for an ostentatious dresser, from Middle High German
brunke "splendor".
Bruns FrenchBruns was first found in Poitou where this noble family held a family seat since ancient times. The Bruns surname derives from the French word "brun," meaning "brown"; possibly a nickname for someone who habitually dressed in the color brown.
Brusse FrenchTopographic name for someone living in a scrubby area of country, from Old French
broce meaning "brushwood, scrub". It is also occupational name for a brush maker, from Old French
brusse meaning "brush".
Buch GermanTopographic name for someone who lived by a beech tree or beech wood, from Middle High German
buoche, or a habitational name from any of the numerous places so named with this word, notably in Bavaria and Württemberg... [
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Buche GermanMeaning "beech" and denoting someone who lived near beech trees.
Bucher GermanUpper German surname denoting someone who lived by a beech tree or beech wood, derived from Middle High German
buoche "beech tree".
Büchler GermanHabitional name for someone from Büchle or Büchel, or who lived near beech trees, ultimately from
Büche "beech (tree)". Alternatively, could be an occupational name for someone who pressed oil from beechnuts.
Budrioli ItalianPossibly derived from the Greek
bòthros or Latin
butrium, both of which mean “moat”.... [
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Buechler GermanFrom the common field name Büchle 'beech stand', the -er suffix denoting an inhabitant. from buchel 'beech nut', hence a metonymic occupation name for someone who owned or worked in an oil mill producing oil from beech nuts.
Buelter German, EnglishMiddle European variant of Butler, also meaning "a vat or large trough used to contain wine." The name originated in southern Germany in the mid-seventeenth century.
Buermeister GermanNorth German: status name for the mayor or chief magistrate of a town, from Middle Low German
bur ‘inhabitant, dweller’, ‘neighbor’, ‘peasant’, ‘citizen’ +
mester ‘master’.
Buffet FrenchOccupational name for a maker of furniture, derived from Old French
buffet meaning "table, cupboard". It could also be a nickname for an angry and violent man, from Old French
buffet meaning "slap in the face"... [
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Buffett French (Anglicized), EnglishAmericanised form or a variant of French
Buffet, or probably an English variant of
Bufford. Famous bearers of this name include the Americans Warren Buffett (1930-), a businessman, investor and philanthropist, and Jimmy Buffett (1946-), a musician.
Buffo ItalianCharacter in an Opera Buffa; clown, jester, comedian, buffoon.
Bugiardini ItalianMeans "little liar" in Italian, from
bugiardo "lying, false, deceitful; liar" and the diminutive suffix
-ino.
Buisson French, Haitian Creole (Rare)Topographic name for someone who lived in an area of scrub land or by a prominent clump of bushes from (Old) French
buisson "bush scrub" (a diminutive of
bois "wood"); or a habitational name from (Le) Buisson the name of several places in various parts of France named with this word.
Bulgaria Italian, SpanishOriginally an ethnic name or regional name for someone from Bulgaria or a nickname for someone who had visited or traded with Bulgaria, which is named after the Turkic tribe of the Bulgars, itself possibly from a Turkic root meaning "mixed".
Bünting GermanDerived from an unknown given name or from Middle High German
binden "to bind".
Buonamico Italian (Anglicized)Di Martino Buffalmacco was a widely renouned painter in Italy cities in Florence, Bologna, Pisa although his work was not known to survived the Great Fire of Italy back in the late 1300 hundreds he was widlely known for asummed work as The Three Dead- Three Living, The Triump of Death, The Last Judgement, The Hell and the Thebasis.... [
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Buonocore ItalianNickname for a reliable or good-hearted person, derived from Italian
buono meaning "good" and
core meaning "heart" (ultimately from Latin cor).
Buonopane ItalianNickname for a person who is "as good as bread", or possibly a metonymic occupational name for a baker, derived from
buono meaning "good" and
pane meaning "bread".
Burel Frenchmetonymic occupational name for a worker in the wool trade or perhaps a nickname for someone who habitually dressed in brown from Old French
burel borel a diminutive of
boure "frieze" a type of coarse reddish brown woolen cloth with long hairs (from Late Latin
burra "coarse untreated wool").
Burger English, German, DutchStatus name for a freeman of a borough. From Middle English
burg, Middle High German
burc and Middle Dutch
burch "fortified town". Also a German habitational name for someone from a place called
Burg.
Burgio ItalianDenoting someone from a town of the same name, ultimately from a Proto-Indo-European word meaning "high, lofty", possibly by way of Arabic
بُرْج (
burj) "tower", German
burg "castle, fortification; settlement", French
bourg "burg, market town", or Latin
burgus "watchtower, fortified town".
Burgmeier GermanOccupational name for the tenant farmer of an estate belonging to a castle or fortified town, from Middle High German
burc "(fortified) town, castle" and
meier "tenant farmer" (see
Meyer 1).
Burkhalter GermanTopographic name composed of the Middle High German elements
burc "castle" "protection" and
halter from
halde "slope".
Burkhardt GermanBurk is German for "Strong", and hardt is the "heart of a castle".
Burmeister GermanNorth German: status name for the mayor or chief magistrate of a town, from Middle Low German
bur ‘inhabitant, dweller’, ‘neighbor’, ‘peasant’, ‘citizen’ +
mester ‘master’.
Burnette FrenchDescriptive nickname from Old French
burnete ‘brown’ (see
Burnett). Possibly also a reduced form of
Buronet, from a diminutive of Old French
buron ‘hut’, ‘shack’.
Burr English, Scottish, GermanNickname for a person who is difficult to shake off, derived from Middle English
burr meaning "bur" (a seedhead that sticks to clothing). It could also be a derivation from Old English
bur meaning "small dwelling, building", or a German topographic name derived from
burre meaning "mound, hill"... [
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Busalacchi ItalianMeans "father of Zallaq", from Arabic
أَبُو (
abu) "father of" and
الزلاق (
zallaq) of unknown meaning, possibly related to the given name
Salah 1 meaning "righteousness".
Buschiazzo ItalianIt's a surname in northern Italy (Piedmont). It emerges from the German spelling Bosch or Busch and this means "forest" or "wooded area".
Butta ItalianItalian: from a short form of a compound name formed with butta- ‘throw’, as for example Buttacavoli.Italian: from an old German feminine personal name Butta.Italian: variant of Botta.
Butter English, German1. English: nickname for someone with some fancied resemblance to a bittern, perhaps in the booming quality of the voice, from Middle English, Old French butor ‘bittern’ (a word of obscure etymology)... [
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Büttner GermanOccupational name for a cooper or barrel-maker, an agent derivative of Middle High German
büte(n) "cask", "wine barrel". This name occurs chiefly in eastern German-speaking regions.
Buxtehude German, Low GermanFrom the name of the town of
Buxtehude in Lower Saxony, Germany. A famous bearer of this surname was the German-Danish Baroque composer and organist Dieterich Buxtehude (c. 1637-1707).
Caan Scottish, German, JewishAltered spelling of Jewish
Cohen, or probably denoted a person from the city of Aberdeen in Scotland. Famous bearers of this surname include American actor James Caan (1940-2022), as well as his son Scott Caan (1976-), also a noted actor.
Cabalzar RomanshDerived from Romansh
casa "house" and, by extension, "household, family" and the given name
Balzer.
Cabaniss FrenchVariant spelling of
Cabanis, a habitational name from any of various places in Gard named Cabanis, from Late Latin capannis ‘at the huts’, ablative plural of capanna 'hut'... [
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Cabboi ItalianProbably from Sardinian
caboi "capon", a gelded cockerel, perhaps a nickname for a cowardly person.
Cabell Catalan, English, GermanAs a Catalan name, a nickname for "bald" from the Spanish word
cabello. The English name, found primarily in Norfolk and Devon, is occupational for a "maker or seller of nautical rope" that comes from a Norman French word... [
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Cabernard RomanshDerived from Romansh
casa "house" and, by extension, "household, family" and the given name
Bernard.
Cacciatore ItalianDerived from Italian
cacciatore meaning "hunter, huntsman", ultimately derived from
cacciare meaning "to hunt".
Cacioppo Italian, SicilianDerived from Sicilian
cacioppu meaning "dried tree trunk", presumably applied as a nickname for someone with wizened skin, or from
caciopu meaning "short-sighted" (derived from Greek
kakiopes, literally meaning "having bad eyes").
Cadalbert RomanshDerived from Romansh
casa "house" and, by extension, "household, family" and the German given name
Adalbert.
Cadeddu ItalianFrom Sardinian
cadeddu "puppy, whelp", ultimately from Latin
catellus.
Caderas RomanshDerived from Romansh
casa "house" and
dera "free area".
Caderousse French, LiteratureA character in the classic novel The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. In the novel, Caderousse is a tailor and inkeeper who aids in the arrest of Dantès.
Cadetg RomanshDerived from Romansh
casa "house" and, by extension, "household, family" and the given name
Benedetg.
Cadieli RomanshDerived from Romansh
casa "house" and, by extension, "household, family" and the given name
Gieli.
Cadillac FrenchFrom the name of a city in France, of origin I am not sure of (anyone who knows the name's etymology edit this). This is most notably the name of the car company of the same name, named after Detroit, Michigan founder Antoine de la Mothe, Sieur de Cadillac.
Cadisch RomanshDerived from Romansh
casa "house" and, by extension, "household, family", in combination with
Disch.
Cadonau RomanshDerived from Romansh
casa "house" and, by extension, "household, family" and the given name
Donatus.
Caduff RomanshDerived from Romansh
casa "house" and, by extension, "household, family" and the given name
Duff, itself a diminutive of
Rudolf.
Cadusch RomanshDerived from Romansh
casa "house" and, by extension, "household, family" and the given name
Dusch.
Caflisch RomanshDerived from Romansh
casa "house" and, by extension, "household, family", in combination with
Flisch.
Cagianut RomanshDerived from Romansh
casa "house" and, by extension, "household, family" and a diminutive of the given name
Gian.
Cagienard RomanshDerived from Romansh
casa "house" and, by extension, "household, family" and the given name
Gienard.
Cahannes RomanshDerived from Romansh
casa "house" and, by extension, "household, family" and the German given name
Hannes.
Cahans RomanshDerived from Romansh
casa "house" and, by extension, "household, family" and the given name
Hans.
Cahenzli RomanshDerived from Romansh
casa "house" and, by extension, "household, family" and the German given name
Hänsli.
Caillou FrenchMeans "pebble" in French. Perhaps a nickname for a bald person.
Cain FrenchFrom the biblical name
Cain, probably a nickname for someone considered to be treacherous.
Caine French, EnglishOriginally from a French derogatory nickname for someone with a bad temper.
Cajacob RomanshDerived from Romansh
casa "house" and, by extension, "household, family" and the given name
Jacob.
Cajochen RomanshDerived from Romansh
casa "house" and, by extension, "household, family" and the German given name
Jochen.
Cajöri RomanshDerived from Romansh
casa "house" and, by extension, "household, family" and the given name
Jöri.
Calafiore Italian, Sicilianaltered form of Calaciura from the Greek name
Kalokiourēs a variant of
Kalokyrēs Kalokyrios meaning "good man".
Calamari ItalianFrom Latin
calamarius "relating to a writing reed, ink pen", a name for a scribe, or perhaps a fisherman from the Italian descendant
calamaro "squid, calamari".
Calandra Italianfrom
calandra "skylark" (from Latin
calandra) probably a nickname for someone with a fine singing voice.
Calasso ItalianPossibly from the given name
Galasso, or from the dialectical word
cala "cove, inlet, creek".
Calcaterra ItalianNickname from calcare meaning "to tread", "to stamp" + terra meaning "land", "earth", "ground", probably denoting a short person, someone who walked close to the ground, or an energetic walker.
Calderone ItalianFrom the Latin word
Caldaria "cauldron". Given to someone who worked as a tinker or tinsmith. Italian cognitive of
Calderón.
Calice ItalianPossibly directly from the Italian word
calice "chalice, goblet", which derives from Latin
calix.
Caliesch RomanshDerived from Romansh
casa "house" and, by extension, "household, family" and the given name
Aliesch.
Caliezi RomanshDerived from Romansh
casa "house" and, by extension, "household, family" and the given name
Gliezi.
Caligiuri ItalianComes from the Greek words "kalos" meaning "beautiful" and "gheros" meaning "elderly," and was often given to children in the hopes that they would retain their beauty in their old age.
Calliari Italian (Latinized, Archaic)This is an Italian surname, in the north of Italy. Calliari is the result of the deformation of the graphically
Calligari, where you can clearly see excision of the letter or character D, which is located in the middle of the surname... [
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Calonder RomanshEither derived from Romansh
casa "house" and, by extension, "household, family" and the given name
Leonhard or from the name of the mountain
Calanda.
Caluori RomanshDerived from Romansh
casa "house" and, by extension, "household, family" and a contraction of the given names
Gallus and
Uori.
Caluzi RomanshDerived from Romansh
casa "house" and, by extension, "household, family" and the given name
Luzi.
Camartin RomanshDerived from Romansh
casa "house" and, by extension, "household, family" and the given name
Martin.
Camathias RomanshDerived from Romansh
casa "house" and, by extension, "household, family" and the given name
Mathias.
Cambria ItalianDenoted to someone from Cambria, Sicily, possibly of Arabic origin.
Camen RomanshDerived from Romansh
casa "house" and, by extension, "household, family" and the given name
Men.
Camenisch RomanshDerived from Romansh
casa "house" and, by extension, "household, family" and
Menisch, itself derived from the given name
Dumeni.
Camerano ItalianFrom the name of the town of
Camerano near the city of Ancona in Marche, Italy.
Camichel RomanshDerived from Romansh
casa "house" and, by extension, "household, family" and the given name
Michael.
Caminada RomanshDerived from Late Latin
caminata, denoting a room provided with a fireplace.
Camiu RomanshDerived from Romansh
casa "house" and, by extension, "household, family" and a short form of the given name
Barclamiu.
Cammarata ItalianHabitational name from any of various places in Sicily named Cammarata, all derived from Greek καμάρα
(kamara) meaning "vault".
Camoranesi ItalianOriginally indicated a person from
Camerano, a small town near the city of Ancona in central Italy. A famous bearer of this name is the Argentine-born Italian former soccer player Mauro Camoranesi (1976-).
Campagna ItalianName for someone originally from any of various locations named Campagna, all derived from Latin
Campania, itself from
campus meaning "field".
Campion Norman, FrenchEnglish (of Norman origin) and French: status name for a professional champion (see
Champion,
Kemp), from the Norman French form
campion.
Canada French, EnglishIt derives from the Middle English "cane", a development of the Old French "cane", meaning cane, reed.
Cancro ItalianDerived from Italian
cancro "cancer". Probably an occupational name for a person who catches, cooks, sells crabs.
Candela Spanish, Italian, Sicilian, CatalanEither an occupational name for a chandler (a candle maker or candle seller) or a nickname for a tall thin person, derived from
candela meaning "candle" (from Latin
candela).
Candreia RomanshDerived from Romansh
casa "house" and, by extension, "household, family" and the given name
Andreia.
Canella ItalianItalian regional surname denoting someone who lived by a canal. From the Italian
canale 'canal', from the Latin
canalis meaning "canal; conduit; groove; funnel; or ditch". Alternatively, it may come the genus name of wild cinnamon, a diminutive of the Latin
canna "reed, cane".
Cannarsa ItalianPossibly means "dry throat", a joking nickname for someone who drinks too much.
Cannavaro ItalianProbably from a nickname used to refer to rope makers or hemp growers. This surname is most famously borne by brothers Fabio (1973–) and Paolo Cannavaro (1981–), former football players.
Cannella ItalianDerived from the word "Cinnamon" in Italian meaning someone who was a baker and or made cinnamon.
Canova RomanshDerived from Romansh
casa "house" and
nova, the feminine form of the adjective
nov "new".
Cantagallo ItalianFrom the name of a town, or possibly a nickname meaning "singing rooster".
Cantalupi ItalianDenoting a person from Cantalupo, the name of several towns and counties near wooded areas where wolves could be heard. From Italian
canta "singing" and
lupo "wolf". ... [
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Canteloup FrenchName of several places in France. The surname means "Song of the Wolf" from canta and loup as in "place where the wolves howl".
Cantieni RomanshDerived from Romansh
casa "house" and, by extension, "household, family" and the given name
Antieni.
Cantone ItalianHabitational name for someone from any of various locations named Cantone, derived from Italian
cantone meaning "canton, corner".
Cantore ItalianFrom
cantore "cantor, singer", itself from Latin
canto "sing; enchant, call forth by charms".
Capadrutt RomanshDerived from Romansh
casa "house" and, by extension, "household, family" and the given name
Padrutt.
Capaldo ItalianProbably a diminutive of Italian
capo meaning "head", perhaps used as a nickname for a stubborn or hard-headed person.
Capaul RomanshDerived from Romansh
casa "house" and, by extension, "household, family" and the given name
Paul.
Cape French, English (British)French and English: metonymic occupational name for a maker of capes and cloaks, or perhaps a nickname for someone who habitually wore a cloak or cape, from Middle English and Old Norman French cape ‘cape’, ‘cloak’, ‘hooded cloak’ (in French also ‘hood’ or ‘hat’), from Late Latin cappa, capa, probably a derivative of caput ‘head’ (see Capp)... [
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Capecchi ItalianProbably from Old Italian
capecchio, either denoting a type of cheap batting and, by extension, upholsterers, who worked with it, or as a nickname for a person with bristly hair or beard.... [
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Capeder RomanshDerived from Romansh
casa "house" and, by extension, "household, family" and the given name
Peder.
Caplazi RomanshDerived from Romansh
casa "house" and, by extension, "household, family" and the given name
Plazi.
Capol RomanshDerived from Romansh
casa "house" and, by extension, "household, family" and the given name
Pol.
Capone ItalianAugmentative of Italian
capo meaning "head", used as a nickname for a big-headed or arrogant person.