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.
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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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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Coniglio ItalianFrom
coniglio "rabbit" (from Latin
cuniculus ) applied as a nickname for a timid person or a metonymic occupational name for a dealer in rabbits. Italian cognitive of
Coelho.
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.
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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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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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.
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.
Dagot FrenchDerived from the Old French word "fagot", meaning "bundle of firewood". This was likely given as an occupational surname to a gatherer or seller of firewood.
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".
Daigle FrenchReferred as a habitual name (someone from L’Aigle) in Orne.
Daleiden GermanHabitational name from a place in the Rhineland called Daleiden.
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 Palestrina Italian, HistoryMeans "of Palestrina" in Italian, an Italian commune near Rome, derived from an Italian form of Latin
Praenesteus or
Praeneste, both of uncertain meaning. a famous bearer of the surname was the Italian late Renaissance composer
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525-1594).