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.
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".
Cress German, Jewish, BelarusianA variant of the German surname Kress. From the Middle High German "kresse" meaning "gudgeon" (a type of fish) or the Old High German "krassig", meaning "greedy". Can also be from an altered form of the names Erasmus or Christian, or the Latin spelling of the Cyrillic "КРЕСС".
Cresta Italian, RomanshDerived from Italian and Romansh
cresta "crest" (ultimately from Latin
crista). This name was perhaps applied as a topographic name for someone who lived by the crest of a mountain or as a nickname with reference to the comb of a rooster.
Crete FrenchFrench (adjectival form
Crété ‘crested’): nickname for an arrogant individual, from Old French
creste ‘crest (of a hill)’ (Late Latin
crista), used with reference to the comb of a rooster... [
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Crisafulli ItalianDerived from a Greek name, perhaps from
χρυσός (
khrysos) "gold" and
φύλλον (
phyllon) "leaf, foliage".
Crivelli ItalianFrom the Italian
crivello, which is derived from the Latin
cribrum, meaning "sieve," (a mesh food strainer); likely an occupational name for a maker or user of sieves.
Crobu ItalianFrom Sardinian
crobu "crow", or a place of the same name.
Croix Frenchtopographical name from old French
croix meaning "cross", ultimately from Latin
crux French cognitive of
Cross.
Crownover German (Anglicized)Americanised spelling of German
Kronauer, denoting someone from
Kronau, a town near Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It could also be an Americanised form of
Kronhöfer (a variant of
Grünhofer), a habitational name for someone from a lost place called
Grünhof, derived from Middle High German
gruene meaning "green" or
kranech meaning "crane" and
hof meaning "farmstead".
Crozier English, FrenchEnglish and French occupational name for one who carried a cross or a bishop’s crook in ecclesiastical processions, from Middle English, Old French
croisier.
Crudup German (Anglicized)Probably an Americanised form of North German
Gratop, a nickname for an old man, derived from Middle Low German
gra meaning "gray" and
top meaning "braid". Famous bearers of this name include the Americans Billy Crudup (1968-), an actor, and Arthur Crudup (1905-1974), a Delta blues singer, songwriter and guitarist.
Cucuzza ItalianFrom Sicilian
cucuzza "marrow, pumpkin", perhaps a nickname for someone who resembled a pumpkin.
Cugnasca ItalianMeaning uncertain, possibly from Italian
cugnata "hatchet" (from Sicilian
cugna "wedge"), or
cugnata "related, similar; sister-in-law" (from Latin
cognata "related by blood"), or
cugino "cousin", combined with
nascere "to be born, to sprout".
Cugno ItalianFrom Sicilian
cugnu "wedge", indicating someone who lived on a hill or other topographical "wedge", someone whose occupation involved using an axe, or a person who was considered to be hard or angular in personality or appearance.
Cuomo ItalianProbably from a shortened form of
Cuosëmo, a Neapolitan variant of the Italian male personal name
Cosimo.
Curcio ItalianThis name derives from Latin “curtĭus”, which in turn derives from the Latin “curtus” meaning “shortened, short, mutilated, broken, incomplete”.
Curcuruto ItalianFrom an Italian nickname derived from
curcurutu meaning "speedy, fleet of foot".
Curie FrenchOccupational name for a farm hand, from Old French
éscuerie "stable".
Custer German (Anglicized)Anglicization of the German surname
Köster or
Küster, literally "sexton". A famous bearer was George Custer (1839-1876), the American cavalry general. General Custer and his army were defeated and killed by Sioux and Cheyenne forces under Sitting Bull in the Battle of Little Bighorn (1876; also known colloquially as Custer's Last Stand).
Cuvelier French, Walloon, FlemishOccupational name for a Cooper derived from an agent in Old French
cuve "vat tun". Also found in the Netherlands.
Cyr FrenchFrom the Latin personal name Quiricus or Cyricus, Greek Kyrikos or Kyriakos, ultimately from Greek kyrios 'lord', 'master'.
D'abbeville FrenchMeans "of Abbeville" Abbeville is a commune in France. Takes its name from Latin Abbatis Villa meaning "Abbot's Village".
D'Abruzzo ItalianVariant of
Abruzzo. It is the real surname of the American actor Alan Alda (1936-), who was born Alphonso Joseph D'Abruzzo.
Dahlke GermanEastern German: from a pet form of the Slavic personal names
Dalibor or
Dalimir, which are both derived from
dal- ‘present’, ‘gift’.
Dahmer German, DanishA northern German or Danish habitual name for someone from one of the many places named Dahme in Brandenburg, Holstein, Mecklenburg, or Silesia. A famous bearer of this name was Jeffrey Dahmer, serial killer (1960 - 1993).
Daiber GermanDerived from either Middle High German
tiuber "pigeon breeder, pigeon fancier" or from Middle High German
touber "wind musician, musician who plays a wind instrument".
Dalmas FrenchSurname Dalmas was first found in Limousin. Literally means "of the sea."
Damas FrenchFrench form of
DAMASCUS. Famous bearer Léon-Gontran Damas (1912-1978) was a French poet and politican from French Guiana, cofounder of the Négritude Mouvement and author of the collection "Black Label".
d'Amboise FrenchDenoted a person from
Amboise, a commune located in the Indre-et-Loire department in central France.
Dame French, EnglishFrom the old French
dame, "lady" ultimately from Latin
domina, "mistress".
Dameron FrenchNickname for a foppish or effeminate young man, Old French
dameron, a derivative of Latin
dominus "lord", "master" plus two diminutive endings suggestive of weakness or childishness.
Damian French, Spanish, Italian, Czech, Slovak, PolishFrom the medieval personal name
Damian, Greek
Damianos (from
damazein "to subdue"). St. Damian was an early Christian saint martyred in Cilicia in ad 303 under the emperor Domitian, together with his brother Cosmas... [
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Damm GermanFrom a short form of a personal name containing the Old High German element
thank "thanks", "reward".
D'Amour FrenchPatronymic from
Amour, this name was a nickname for an amorous man or a love child.
Danese ItalianEthnic name for a Dane, or from the personal name Danese, which was introduced to and popularized in medieval Italy through French Carolingian literature, notably the epics Chanson de Roland and Ogier de Denemarche.
Dangers GermanPatronymic from the personal name
Anger. Habitational name for someone from the city of Angers.
Daniele Italianmy mother Eugenia Daniele born Oct 29 1899 lived in casamarciano till 1921, before emigrating to Long Island City in New York .he died at 103 in 2004
D'annunzio ItalianPatronymical form of
Annunzio, Italian form of the Latin given name
Annuntius. A famous bearer of this surname is Italian poet Gabriele D'Annunzio (1863-1938).
Danz GermanDerived from a given name, a short form of the name
Tandulf, the origins of which are uncertain. (In some cases, however, this surname may have originated as a nickname denoting a person who liked to dance, from the Middle High German word
tanz,
danz "dance".)
Dänzer GermanOccupational name for a professional acrobat or entertainer; variant of
Tanzer.
Danzig GermanDenoted a person who was from the city of Gdańsk, Poland (called
Danzig in German).
D'aoust FrenchD'Aoust, denotes someone from Aoust(e) in France. Aouste is situated in the Ardennes department (Champagne-Ardenne region) in the north-east of France at 29 km from Charleville-Mézières, the department capital... [
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Da Pra ItalianA topographic name for someone from a meadow, from the northern variant of "prato" (meadow).
D'aries ItalianComes from Italian word "aria" (plural arie) meaning "air"; also a form of opera
D'artagnan French, LiteratureSurname given to a person from Artagnan, France. It is also used by Charles de Batz-Castelmore d'Artagnan, the captain of the Musketeers from the novel, "The Three Musketeers".
Daum German, JewishNickname for a short person, from Middle High German
doum "tap", "plug", or
dume, German
Daumen "thumb".
D'aurevalle French (Archaic)This medieval surname literally means "from Aurevalle". Aurevalle can refer to any of the three French communes that are nowadays known by the more modern spelling Orival. All of them ultimately derive their name from Latin
aurea vallis meaning "golden vale" or "golden valley".
D'aureville FrenchThis surname literally means "from Aureville". Aureville is a commune in southwestern France, which was established in late medieval times. It derives its name from Latin
aurea villa or
villa aurea which literally means "golden country-house, golden farm" but of course later came to mean "golden village".
Daus GermanFrom Middle Low German
dūs denoting the "two on a die or , the ace in cards" hence a nickname for a passionate card or dice player.
Dauterive FrenchOriginally denoted a person hailing from any of the various places in France called
Hauterive. This surname is no longer found in France. A famous fictional bearer is the character Bill Dauterive from the American animated series
King of the Hill, starting 1997.
Da Vinci ItalianMeans, "son of
Vinci 1". A famous bearer was Italian inventor and artist Leonardo Da Vinci (1452-1519).
Deberry FrenchHabitational name for someone from Berry-au-Bac in Aisne, France.
DeBevoise FrenchDenoted someone from
Beauvais, a city and commune in the Hauts-de-France region in northern France.
Deblois FrenchFrench surname meaning "From Blois", a town in Mid-Western France. The origins of the surname started back in the 1600s when a man named Grégoire Guérard traveled to Flanders (Now Belgium) and immigrated to New France (Now Canada) in 1658... [
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De Bruyne Dutch, French, FlemishDerived from Middle Dutch
bruun meaning "brown", referring to hair colour or complexion. A famous bearer is Belgian soccer player Kevin De Bruyne (1991-).
Debs FrenchFrom the given name
Debus, a variant of
Thebs or
Thebus, which was an altered short form of
Mattheus. This was borne by American union leader Eugene V. Debs (1855-1926).
Debussy FrenchThis surname dates back to the Middle Ages. Unknown meaning.
Decazes FrenchThe surname Decazes was first found in Gascony (French: Gascogne), an area of southwest France bordering Spain, that was part of the "Province of Guyenne and Gascony" prior to the French Revolution, where the family held a family seat in ancient times.... [
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De Clermont FrenchMeans "of the bright hill" from the French
de meaning "of" and
clair,
cler 'bright', 'clear' +
mont 'hill'
Decurtins RomanshDerived from the preposition
de "of" and Romansh
curtin "garden".
De Curtis ItalianOriginally denoting someone who was short, or came from a family of short people. A famous bearer of this surname is Italian actor Antonio "Totò" De Curtis (1898–1967).
Dedeaux FrenchMeaning uncertain. Probably a habitual surname for someone from Deaux in Gare.
Defeo ItalianThis surname is well known in popular culture as the surname of Ronald Defeo who murdered his family in the 1970s while they lived in Amittyville, NY. The surname may mean “Of Ugly”.
Defilippo ItalianThe Italian surname
De Filippo is a patronymic name created from the first name of a male ancestor. As a first name, it is derived from the Latin "Philippus,". This name is composed of the element "philos" which means "friend," and "hippos," meaning "horse.
Deford FrenchVariant of
Dufort meaning "son of the strong" from French
de-, "of" and
fort, "strong". Notable namesake is author
Frank Deford.
Deforge FrenchThis is a surname of French origins. Introduced into England after the famous Invasion and Conquest of 1066, it is residential, but also possibly occupational. It is a surname which in its different forms is widely recorded heraldically, and particularly in the French regions of Brittany and Normandy... [
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Defraia ItalianFrom an archaic Sardinian term, possibly meaning "factory", or from an alteration of
frai "brother". Alternately, may mean "from Fraia", a settlement in Italy.
Dehn Germanthe Germanic ethnic name for someone from Denmark
Deiana ItalianFrom Sardinian
de "of, from" and
jana "fairy, spirit of the woods, sorceress" (from Latin
Diana).
De La Boulaye FrenchThis indicates familial origin within the Bourgignon commune of La Boulaye.
Delacour FrenchProbably based off the term "de la cœur", meaning "on the court".
Delafoy FrenchFrom Old French
de la foy meaning "of the faith". This is probably a name given to a cleric or a very pious person among the French Catholics.
Delagardelle FrenchHabitational name for someone from Lagardelle, a place in Haute Garonne.
Delage FrenchFrom the dialect word
age "hedge" for someone who lived by a hedge or from the various places in France called L'Age.
Delalande FrenchFrench surname, pronounced /dølalɑ̃də/, which means "from the moor", "from the heath". Famous bearer Michel-Richard Delalande (1657-1726), French baroque composer and organist nicknamed "the Latin Lully", changed its spelling in "de Lalande" in order to give it aristocratic looks.
De Laura ItalianMetronymic from the female personal name
Laura (a derivative of Latin
laurus "laurel").
Deledda Italian, SardinianVariant of
Ledda. A famous bearer of this surname is Nobel Prize for Literature recipient Grazia Deledda (1871–1936).
Delevingne French, EnglishMeans "of the vine" in French. It is the surname of Poppy Delevingne and Cara Delevingne, both English actresses and models; it is also the surname of French-born photojournalist Lionel Delevingne
De Lévis FrenchThis indicates familial origin within the Orléanais commune of Lévis-Saint-Nom.
Delfino Italian, SpanishFrom the personal name
Delfino, from Latin
Delphinus, from
delphis "dolphin", regarded in medieval times as a symbol of goodness and friendliness.