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.
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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Colone ItalianFrom an augmentative form meaning “big Nicolas” of the personal name
Cola.
Colonna Italiantopographic name from
colonna "column" (from Latin
columna).
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.
Comperatore Italian (Rare)Derived from the Italian noun
comperatore meaning "buyer, purchaser", which in turn is ultimately derived from the Italian verb
comperare meaning "to buy, to purchase". The former word is archaic, whilst the latter word is still in use but rare... [
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Comte FrenchNickname for someone who worked for a count or for someone acting haughty from Old French
conte cunte "count"... [
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Condé Frenchhabitational name from any of several places in Normandy and Picardy called
Condé a French form of the Gaulish
condate "junction of rivers".
Condom FrenchRegional name for someone who lives in a French province named "Condom".
Confalone Italianfrom
gonfalone "standard banner" from Old French
gonfalon (of ancient Germanic origin) a metonymic occupational name for a standard bearer either in a military context or as the officer of a guild responsible for carrying the banner in religious processions... [
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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.
Copa Italianfrom the Italian word
scopa which means “broom” or “heather”.
Coppenhaver GermanAmericanized spelling, probably originally spelled Kopenhaver or Koppenhaver. Means "owner of a hill".
Coraggio ItalianFrom Italian meaning "courage, bravery". Historically, the surname could have been given to someone who was known for their bravery or courage in the face of conflict, danger, or adversity, or to someone associated with the military or warfare.
Corbie FrenchFrom the name of a town in northern France, possibly derived from a given name originating with the Latin word
corvus meaning "raven, crow". Alternatively, it could be a variant form of
Corbeau.
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.
Cornet French, WalloonEither a topographic name for someone who lived on a street corner, from a derivative of
corne "corner". From
cornet, denoting either a rustic horn or an object made of horn, hence a metonymic occupational name for a hornblower or for a worker in horn... [
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Corongiu ItalianPossibly from Sardinian
corongiu "rocky hill, boulder, large mass", denoting someone who lived near such a landmark, or perhaps a nickname based on the bearer's physical appearance.
Corrias ItalianProbably from Sardinian
corria "leather strap, lace, belt; narrow strip of land".
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).
Cossu ItalianProbably from Sardinian
cossu "tub, trough, basin".
Cotto ItalianFrom Italian meaning "baked, cooked". Perhaps an occupational name for someone who worked as a cook or baker.
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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Coucy FrenchDerived from the name of a town in Northern France called Coucy-le-Château.
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".
Couturier Frenchoccupational name for a tailor Old French cousturier from an agent derivative of cousture "seam". status name from Old French couturier "farmer husbandman" an agent derivative of couture "small plot kitchen garden".
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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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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Crevier FrenchEither a derivative of Old French
creve meaning “crevice” or “fissure” hence a topographic name for someone who lived on arid land or an occupational name for a seller of crawfish from an agent derivative of Old French
crevis meaning “crawfish.”
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.
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.
Crumble GermanProbably an altered form of German Krumpel or Krümpel a nickname from Middle High German krum(p) 'deformed crooked'; skeletal deformities were common in the Middle Ages often as a result of childhood illnesses such as rickets.
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".
Curiale Italian (Rare)In ancient Rome, the curiales (from co + viria, 'gathering of men') were initially the leading members of a gentes (clan) of the city of Rome. Their roles were both civil and sacred. Each gens curialis had a leader, called a curio... [
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Cusimanno Italian, Sicilianfrom the personal name Cusimano which may be a fusion of two Christian saints' names:
Cosma and
Damiano with a loss of the last syllable of one and the first of the other... [
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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.