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.
Cetrulo ItalianPossibly from Italian
citrullo "fool, simpleton", or alternately from Latin
citrullus "watermelon".
Chabot FrenchFrom chabot ‘bull-head’, a species of fish with a large head, hence a nickname for someone with a big head and a small body.
Chaisson French, EnglishVariant of the French surname
Chiasson originally denoting someone from the the municipality of Chiasso in Ticino, Switzerland, located along the Swiss/Italian border.... [
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Chalamet FrenchNickname for someone who played the reed or an occupational name for seller of torches, from a regional form of Old French
chalemel meaning "reed" or "blowtorch". A notable bearer is American actor Timothée Chalamet (1995-).
Challoner French, WelshDerived from a town in France of the same name. This family derive their origin from Macloy Crum, of the line of chiefs in Wales, who resided several years in Challoner.
Champion English, FrenchDerived from the Middle English and Old French words
campion,
champiun and
champion all meaning "athlete" such as a wrestler or boxer; also "warrior hired to do battle in single combat on behalf of others" (from Late Latin
campio genitive
campionis a derivative of campus "plain field of battle")... [
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Champlain FrenchName given to those who live in or around fields. Known barrer of the name is Samuel de Champlain who founded Quebec, Canada and after whom the lake is named.
Chapdelaine FrenchCompound name derived from Old French
chape meaning "hooded cloak, cape, hat" and
de laine meaning "of wool", probably applied as a metonymic occupational name for a maker of such apparel, or as a nickname for someone who wore a distinctive cloak or hat.
Chapel FrenchOccupational name for a maker of cloaks or a nickname for a person who wore a distinctive cloak, from a diminutive of Old French
chape meaning "cape, cloak".
Chapelle FrenchTopographic name for someone who lived near a chapel from French
chapelle "chapel" or from several places in France and Belgium called (La) Chapelle and variant of
Lachapelle,
Capelle, and
Chappelle.
Chapin French, SpanishFrom a reduced form of French
eschapin or Spanish
chapín, a term for a light (woman's) shoe; perhaps a nickname for someone who habitually wore this type of footwear or possibly a metonymic occupational name for a shoemaker.
Char FrenchName for someone who works as a carter, from French
char "cart, carriage".
Chariot FrenchMeans "cart" in French. Perhaps an occupational name for a cartwright or a carter.
Charisse FrenchOf unknown meaning. It was used as a given name in honour of American actress and dancer Cyd Charisse (1921-2008).
Charlier French, WalloonOccupational name for a cartwright wheelwright from Old French
charrelier a derivative of
charrel "cart" a diminutive of
char "cart carriage".
Charrette FrenchDerived from Old French
char(r)ete "small cart", itself a diminutive of
char "cart carriage".
Chartier FrenchAn occupational name for a carter from an agent derivative of Old French charette "cart".
Chase FrenchTopographic name for someone who lived in or by a house, probably the occupier of the most distinguished house in the village, from a southern derivative of Latin
casa "hut, cottage, cabin".
Chastang FrenchDerived from Olde French
castanh meaning "chestnut". Possibly a location or occupation name.
Chaumont FrenchHabitational name from any of numerous places called
Chaumont "bald mountain" from the elements
chals caux "bald" and
mont "mountain" (ultimately from Latin
calvus mons) for example in Cher Orne Jura Haute-Savoie.
Chauray FrenchHabitational name from Chauray a place in Deux-Sèvres, France.
Chell FrenchProbably a respelling of the French habitational name
Challe, from any of the various places so named from Late Latin cala ‘rock shelter’.
Chene FrenchMeans "oak" in French. Perhaps it's named for someone who lived by an oak tree.
Chénier FrenchFrench surname which indicated one who lived in an oak wood or near a conspicuous oak tree, derived from Old French
chesne "oak" (Late Latin
caxinus). In some cases it may be from a Louisiana dialectical term referring to "an area of shrub oak growing in sandy soil" (i.e., "beach ridge, usually composed of sand-sized material resting on clay or mud... [
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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.
Chessa ItalianProbably from Sardinian
chersa "lentisk", a kind of tree.
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.
Chiarenza ItalianFrom Clarence, a medieval Frankish town in Greece, called Chiarenza or Clarenza in Italian, rendered Γλαρέντζα (Glarentza) in contemporary Greek documents.
Chiasson French, EnglishFrench surname originally denoting someone from the the municipality of Chiasso in Ticino, Switzerland, located along the Swiss/Italian border.... [
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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.
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).
Ciminera Italianfrom a dialect variant of
ciminiera "chimney" hence a metonymic occupational name for someone who built chimneys or worked a furnace oven or kiln with a chimney or a nickname for a tall thin person.
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.
Citro ItalianFrom Italian meaning "citrus fruit". Possibly an occupational name for someone who sells or raise any citrus fruit.
Citron French, VenetianUltimately from Latin
citrum meaning "lemon, citrus fruit". Possibly an occupational name for someone who sells or raise lemons or any citrus fruit.
Citrone English, ItalianUltimately from Latin
citrum meaning "lemon, citrus fruit". Possibly an occupational name for someone who sells or raise lemons or any citrus fruit.
Claassen GermanThe name Claassen means "son of Klaus." It's primarily German, but it's also Dutch and Danish.
Claremont FrenchMeans "clear hill" in French, from the Latin
clarus "clear" and French
mont "mountain", A cognate of
Clairmont.
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 French, CatalanThe 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".
Clef ItalianAt the end of the 10th century, Gregorian musical scribes increased the precision of early notation by introducing a horizontal line to indicate a base pitch. The pitch of this line was indicated by a letter at its start... [
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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
klerikos a derivative of
kleros "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.
Closs GermanThe surname Closs is of Germanic origin, likely derived from the Low German word
kloss or
kloß, meaning “dumpling” or “ball”, possibly used as a nickname for someone with a round shape or associated with food preparation... [
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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.
Codispoti ItalianA Calabrian surname from Greek
οικοδεσπότης (
oikodespótis) "host, master of the house".
Cois ItalianPossibly from the name of a lost town, Coni. Alternately, may be from dialectical words meaning "to cook" or "finch", referring to an occupation or nickname.
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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Collodi Italian, HistoryFrom a part of the municipality of Pescia in the Tuscany region of central Italy, of unknown etymology. This was the surname of the pen name of the Italian author Carlo Lorenzini (1826-1890) who wrote the fairy tale novel The Adventures of Pinocchio.
Collu ItalianFrom a dialectical form of Italian
collo, meaning "neck" or "parcel, package".
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.
Colomb Frenchfrom Old French
colomb "pigeon" (from Latin
columbus) applied as a metonymic occupational name for a keeper of pigeons or doves... [
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Colonna Italiantopographic name from
colonna "column" (from Latin
columna).