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.
Chery FrenchThe name Chery is derived from the Anglo Norman French word, cherise, which means cherry, and was probably used to indicate a landmark, such as a cherry tree, which distinguished the location bearing the name.
Chevrier FrenchOccupational name for a goatherd from an agent derivative of
chèvre "goat" (from Latin
capra "nanny goat").
Chiapello ItalianPossibly connected to
chiappare "to catch, to trap", a nickname for a hunter. Alternately, may be an elaborate form of
Chiappa.
Chiappa ItalianPossibly
chiappa "stone", indicating someone who lived in a stony area.
Chiappetta ItalianA nickname derived from
chiappa, meaning "buttock, butt cheek". Alternately, may be a diminutive of
Chiappa.
Chiaramonte Italiancomes from the italian word
chiara meaning "clear" and the the word
monte meaning "mountain", possibly denoting someone who lived by clear mountians, hills, etc.
Chiere French (Rare)Possibly derived from the Old French
chiere, from
chier, meaning "dear, dearest".
Chiesa ItalianMeans "church" in Italian, originally a topographic name for someone who lived near a church, a habitational name from any of various places named Chiesa or perhaps an occupational name for someone who worked in a church.
Chiodi ItalianFrom Italian
chiodo "nail", probably given to someone who made or sold nails.
Chirico ItalianSurname of Italian surrealist artist, Giorgio de Chirico
Chopin FrenchFrench and English: nickname for a heavy drinker, from Old French chopine, a large liquid measure (from Middle Low German schopen "ladle"). The derived Old French verb chopiner has the sense 'to tipple’, ‘to drink to excess’... [
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Choquette FrenchAltered spelling of French Choquet, a Picard form of Old French soquet, which was the term for a tax on wines and foodstuffs, hence a metonymic occupational name for a collector of such taxes.
Christ GermanFrom the Latin personal name
Christus "Christ" (see
Christian). The name
Christ (Latin
Christus) is from Greek
Khristos, a derivative of
khriein "to anoint", a calque of Hebrew
mashiach "Messiah", which likewise means literally "the anointed".
Chrysanthe FrenchFrom the Greek
Χρύσανθος (
Chrysanthos), meaning "golden flower". This surname was first given to children found on October 25, the feast day of Saint
Chrysanthos.
Chrysler German, JewishFrom a German name referring to spinning or related to a Yiddish word,
krayzl meaning "spinning top." The name can refer to a potter who spun a wheel to make utensils or to a person with curly hair or someone known for being continually active... [
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Ciambra ItalianA habitational name from a place containing the Sicilian element
ciambra "room, chamber".
Cianci ItalianThe surname Cianci is a name for a person of small financial means. The surname Cianfari is derived from the Italian words cianfrone and cianferone, which referred to a type of medieval coin.
Ciaramitaro ItalianFrom Sicilian
ciaramidaru "roof tile maker, potter", ultimately from Ancient Greek
κέραμος (
keramos) "potter's clay, pottery, tile".
Ciavarella ItalianFrom Sicilian
ciavaredda "goat kid", an occupational name for a goatherd, or perhaps a nickname based on the bearer's appearance or behaviour.
Ciavatta ItalianFrom
ciabatta "slippers", a nickname for a cobbler, or someone known for dressing casually.
Cicero ItalianFrom the Italian
cicero "pea," "chickpea," or "lentil."
Ciechi ItalianMeans "blind (people)" in Italian, from Latin
caecus "devoid of light, blind; invisible; aimless".
Cifrino ItalianUncommon name originating in Italy. Legend says that it was used for the offspring of a king and one of his maids. Meaning is most likely something like "little nothing".
Cimarosa Italianfrom "Cima" Top, and "Rosa" A rose or the Color Pink. A famous Bearer of this surname is the Italian composer Domenico Cimarosa(1749-1801).
Cimino ItalianOccupational name for a spice dealer, from
cimino "cumin", Sicilian
ciminu.
Cipolla ItalianMeans "onion" in Italian, given to someone who farmed onions, or perhaps a nickname for someone who resembled an onion in some way.
Claassen GermanThe name Claassen means "son of Klaus." It's primarily German, but it's also Dutch and Danish.
Clavel FrenchMetonymic occupational name for a nail maker, ultimately from Latin
clavellus "nail", but in some cases possibly from the same word in the sense "smallpox, rash". A fictional bearer is Miss Clavel, a nun and teacher in Ludwig Bemelmans's 'Madeline' series of children's books (introduced in 1939).
Clavell FrenchThe first documented records of the surname Clavell appear in Catalunya between 1291 and 1327. The word clavell traces back to the Indo-European words "kleu", later "klawo" meaning a metal tool. In Latin "clavus", it eventually became a surname "Clavell".
Clemenceau FrenchDerived from the French given name
Clément. A notable bearer was the French prime minister Georges Clemenceau (1841-1929), who successfully lead France through the end of World War I.
Clerc FrenchOccupational or status name for a member of a minor religious order or for a scholar Old French
clerc from Late Latin
clericus from Greek
klērikos a derivative of
klēros "inheritance legacy" with reference to the priestly tribe of Levites (see
Levy ) "whose inheritance was the Lord"... [
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Clerico ItalianOccupational or status name for a member of a minor religious order or for a scholar from Late Latin
clericus (see
Clerc ). Italian cognitive of
Clark.
Cloud FrenchFrom the Germanic personal name
Hlodald, composed of the elements
hlod "famous, clear" and
wald "rule", which was borne by a saint and bishop of the 6th century.
Coach FrenchPossibly an altered spelling of French Coache, from the Norman and Picard term for a damson, probably applied as a metonymic occupational name for a grower or seller of plums.
Coccia ItalianMeaning uncertain, possibly from Sicilian
cocciu "grain, berry", denoting a kind of gruel; an occupational name for a farmer from Greek
κόκκος (
kokkos) "grain, seed"; or from Italian
coccia "head, shell", referring to someone with a large head, or who was stubborn.
Coccimiglio ItalianFrom Sicilian
cuccumeli, the name of several fruit-bearing deciduous trees or of the hackberry plant, itself borrowed from an Ancient Greek word; possibly
κοκκύμηλον (
kokkymelon) "plum", literally "cuckoo apple", or from
κόκκος (
kókkos) "grain, seed, kernel" and
μῆλον (
mêlon) "apple, any fruit from a tree".
Cocco ItalianPossibly from Italian
cocco, meaning "darling, favourite" or "hen's egg".
Cochet FrenchEither from
cochet a diminutive of
coq "rooster" used as a nickname for a vain conceited or womanizing individual. Or possibly also a habitational name from (Le) Cochet the name of several places in various parts of France.
Cocuzza ItalianFrom
cocuzza "gourd", "pumpkin", applied either as an occupational name for a grower or seller of gourds or a nickname for a rotund individual.
Codino ItalianMeans "pigtail, plait" in Italian, literally "tail's end". Ultimately from Latin
cauda "tail (of an animal)". Perhaps given to someone who often wore their hair in such a style, possibly given to orphans or foundlings.
Coit Medieval Welsh, French, EnglishThe surname Coit was first found in Carnarvonshire, a former country in Northwest Wales, anciently part of the Kingdom of Gwynedd, and currently is divided between the unitary authorities of Gwynedd and Conwy, where they held a family seat... [
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Colo ItalianFrom the personal name Colo, a short form of Nicolo (see Nicholas). (Colò) nickname from medieval Greek kolos ‘lame’, classical Greek kylos.
Cologne FrenchHabitational name from a place in France called Cologne.
Combe FrenchEither a topographic name for someone living in or near a ravine from
combe "narrow valley ravine" (from Latin
cumba a word of Gaulish origin); or a habitational name from Combe the name of several places in the southern part of France of the same etymology.
Combès FrenchEither a topographic name from
combe "narrow valley ravine" (see
Combe ) or a habitational name from any of various places in southern France for example in Hérault named Combes.
Comito ItalianFrom the medieval Latin
comitus, meaning "count", or the medieval Greek form of this word,
komitos, used as a nickname for someone who put on airs and graces or worked for a count.
Commander Anglo-Saxon, FrenchFrom Middle English
comander,
comandor and
comandour and also from Old French
comandeor, all meaning "commander", "leader" or "ruler". The first recorded use of the name is through a family seat held in Somerset.
Comte FrenchNickname for someone who worked for a count or for someone acting haughty from Old French
conte cunte "count". French cognitive of
Conte and variant of
Lecomte.
Condom FrenchRegional name for someone who lives in a French province named "Condom".
Coniglio ItalianMeans rabbit in Italian from Latin "cuniculus" given to someone who hunted rabbits.
Conte ItalianMeans "count (a title of nobility)" in Italian.
Contestabile ItalianMeans "debatable, questionable" in Italian, perhaps a nickname for an argumentative person, or for someone of dubious respectability.
Conzett RomanshDerived from
Conz, a variant of the given name
Kunz, in combination with the diminutive suffix
-ett.
Coppenhaver GermanAmericanized spelling, probably originally spelled Kopenhaver or Koppenhaver. Means "owner of a hill".
Corbin English, FrenchDerived from French
corbeau meaning "raven," originally denoting a person who had dark hair.
Cordasco ItalianFrom the given name
Corda or
Cordio (a short form of Accord(i)o, literally "agreement") + the suffix -
asco denoting kinship.
Corday FrenchEither from the French word
corde meaning "cord/rope/string", or from the Latin word
cor meaning "heart." This was the surname of Charlotte Corday, the assassin who killed Jacobin leader Jean-Paul Marat during the French revolution.
Cordier FrenchGiven to someone who worked or made with cord and or strings from old French
corde "string".
Cordisco ItalianPossibly from Italian
cordesco "second-born lamb, butchered calf".
Cordonnier FrenchAn occupational surname for a cordwainer or shoemaker, and derived from Old French
cordouanier, literally meaning "cobbler".
Cormier FrenchFrench topographic name for someone who lived near a sorb or service tree, Old French
cormier (from
corme, the name of the fruit for which the tree was cultivated, apparently of Gaulish origin).
Cornacchia ItalianNickname meaning "crow, jackdaw" in Italian, applied to someone who was talkative or thought to resemble a crow or jackdaw in some other way.
Corte Spanish, Catalan, Italian, PortugueseFrom
corte ‘court', applied as an occupational name for someone who worked at a manorial court or a topographic name for someone who lived in or by one.
Cosca ItalianTopographic name from the Calabrian dialect word
c(u)oscu "oak", also "wood".
Cossart English, FrenchFrom French, referring to "a dealer of horses" (related to the English word "courser"). This surname was brought to England in the wake of the Norman Conquest of 1066, and became one of the many Anglo-Norman words that made up Middle English.
Cossiga Italian, SardinianSardinian translation of the place name
Corsica. A famous bearer of the name is Francesco Cossiga (1928-2010), Italian politician who served as Prime Minister (1979-1980) and as President (1985-1992).
Cotton English, FrenchEnglish: habitational name from any of numerous places named from Old English
cotum (dative plural of
cot) ‘at the cottages or huts’ (or sometimes possibly from a Middle English plural,
coten)... [
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Cottrell English, FrenchFirst found in Derbyshire where the family "Cottrell" held a family seat and were granted lands by Duke William of Normandy, their liege lord for their distinguished assistance at the Battle of Hastings, 1066CE... [
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Coulon FrenchFrom Old French
colomb "pigeon" (from Latin
columba) used as a metonymic occupational name for a breeder.
Council English, German1 English: nickname for a wise or thoughtful man, from Anglo-Norman French counseil ‘consultation’, ‘deliberation’, also ‘counsel’, ‘advice’ (Latin consilium, from consulere ‘to consult’)... [
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Courcelles FrenchThe name of several places in France, Belgium and Canada. In Middle French the word courcelle was used to describe a "small court" or a "small garden". The word is derived from the medieval Gallo-Romance and Gallo-Italian word
corticella, which was formed from the Latin word
cohors, meaning "court" or "enclosure", and the diminutive
–icella.... [
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Couric FrenchOriginally a nickname given to a short person, derived from Middle Breton
corr,
korr meaning "dwarf, midget". A well-known bearer of this surname is the American journalist, television host and author Katie Couric (1957-).
Court English, French, IrishA topographic name from Middle English, Old French
court(e) and
curt, meaning ‘court’. This word was used primarily with reference to the residence of the lord of a manor, and the surname is usually an occupational name for someone employed at a manorial court.... [
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Courville FrenchDerived from either of two communes in the departments of Marne and Eure-et-Loir in France. It is named with Latin
curba villa, denoting a settlement in the curve of a road.
Cousin English, FrenchNickname derived from Middle English
cousin and Old French
cosin,
cusin meaning "cousin".
Covert English, FrenchThe surname is probably topographical, for someone who either lived by a sheltered bay, or more likely an area sheltered by trees. The formation is similar to couvert, meaning a wood or covert, and originally from the Latin "cooperio", to cover... [
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Crabb English, Scottish, German, Dutch, DanishEnglish and Scottish, from Middle English crabbe, Old English
crabba ‘crab’ (the crustacean), a nickname for someone with a peculiar gait. English and Scottish from Middle English
crabbe ‘crabapple (tree)’ (probably of Old Norse origin), hence a topographic name for someone who lived by a crabapple tree... [
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Crauwels Flemish, Dutch, GermanDerrives from the Middle Dutch (medieval Dutch) word "crauwel" and Middle High German word "kröuwel" which means "flesh hook", "curved fork" or "trident". The word is no longer used. The first person with this name was most likely a farmer, butcher or a person that runned an inn or a hostel that was named after this tool.
Crepeau FrenchFrom the Latin word,
crispus, meaning "curly hair".