Armbruster GermanMeans
"crossbow maker" from German
armbrust "crossbow". The word
armbrust was originally from Latin
arcuballista meaning "bow ballista", but was modified under the influence of German
arm "arm" and
brust "breast".
Brouwer DutchOccupational name for a brewer of beer or ale, Middle Dutch
brouwer.
Dexter EnglishOccupational name meaning
"dyer" in Old English (originally this was a feminine word, but it was later applied to men as well).
Dreher GermanMeans
"turner" from Middle High German
drehen "to turn". A turner was a person who used a lathe to create small objects from wood or bone.
Dreschner GermanDerived from Middle High German
dreschen "to thresh". A thresher was a person who separated the grains from a cereal plant by beating it.
Dressler GermanMeans
"turner" from Middle High German
dreseler, an agent derivative of
drehen "to turn". A turner was a person who used a lathe to create small objects from wood or bone.
Dyer EnglishOccupational name meaning
"cloth dyer", from Old English
deah "dye".
Esser GermanMeans
"cartwright", related to Old High German
ahsa "axle".
Färber GermanOccupational name meaning
"dyer", derived from German
Farbe "colour".
Gardener EnglishOccupational surname for one who was a gardener, from Old French
jardin meaning "garden" (of Frankish origin).
Geissler GermanOccupational name for a goat herder, from southern German
Geiss meaning "goat" and the suffix
ler signifying an occupation.
Glazier EnglishMeans
"glass worker, glazier", from Old English
glæs meaning "glass".
Granger English, FrenchMeans
"farm bailiff" from Old French
grangier, ultimately from Latin
granum meaning "grain". It is borne in the Harry Potter novels by Harry's friend Hermione Granger.
Guerrero SpanishMeans
"warrior" in Spanish, an occupational name for a soldier. It is derived from Late Latin
werra "war", of Germanic origin.
Hauer GermanDerived from Middle High German
houwen "to chop", referring to a butcher or woodchopper.
Hofer GermanOccupational name for a farmer, from German
Hof "farm", from Old High German
hof "yard, court".
Hunter English, ScottishOccupational name that referred to someone who hunted for a living, from Old English
hunta.
Joiner EnglishOccupational name for a carpenter (that is, a person who joins wood together to make furniture).
Kästner GermanMeans
"cabinet maker", derived from Middle High German
kaste "box".
Kiefer 2 GermanOccupational name for a barrel maker, derived from Old High German
kuofa meaning
"barrel".
Kistler GermanOccupational name meaning
"chest maker, cabinetmaker" from Middle High German
kiste.
Kohler GermanFrom Middle High German
koler meaning
"charcoal burner" or
"charcoal seller".
Kolář m CzechMeans
"wheelwright", a derivative of Czech
kolo "wheel".
Krämer GermanMeans
"shopkeeper, merchant" in German, derived from Old High German
kram meaning "tent, trading post".
Melnyk UkrainianMeans
"miller" in Ukrainian. This is the most common Ukrainian surname.
Miller EnglishOccupational surname meaning
"miller", referring to a person who owned or worked in a grain mill, derived from Middle English
mille "mill".
Montero SpanishMeans
"hunter" in Spanish, an agent derivative of
monte meaning "mountain, wilderness".
Müller GermanGerman equivalent of
Miller, derived from Middle High German
mülnære or
müller.
Parker EnglishMeans
"keeper of the park" in Middle English. It is an occupational name for a person who was a gamekeeper at a medieval park.
Penders DutchFrom Middle Dutch
paender meaning
"brewer", derived from
panne meaning "pan, pot", ultimately from Latin
patina.
Pfeiffer GermanOccupational name meaning
"pipe player" in German, from Middle High German
pfifen "to whistle".
Piper EnglishOriginally given to a person who played on a pipe (a flute).
Porcher English, FrenchMeans
"swineherd" from Old French and Middle English
porchier, from Latin
porcus "pig".
Rybár m SlovakMeans
"fisher" in Slovak, from
ryba meaning "fish".
Savatier FrenchFrom Old French
savatier "shoemaker", derived from
savate "shoe", of uncertain ultimate origin.
Sawyer EnglishOccupational name meaning
"sawer of wood, woodcutter" in Middle English, ultimately from Old English
sagu meaning "saw". Mark Twain used it for the main character in his novel
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876).
Schenk German, DutchFrom Middle High German, Middle Dutch
schenke meaning
"wine server" (from Old High German
scenken "to pour out").
Scherer GermanOccupational name for a cutter of cloth or a sheep-shearer, from Old High German
skeran "to cut".
Schirmer GermanMeans
"fencer, fencing master", from Old High German
skirmen meaning "to defend".
Schlosser GermanOccupational name for a locksmith, derived from Old High German
sloz meaning "lock".
Schreier German, JewishOccupational name for a town crier, from Old High German
scrian meaning "to shout, to yell".
Smolak PolishOccupational name for a distiller of pitch, derived from the Old Slavic word
smola meaning
"pitch, resin".
Snyder EnglishMeans
"tailor", derived from Middle English
snithen "to cut", an occupational name for a person who stitched coats and clothing.
Spencer EnglishOccupational name for a person who dispensed provisions to those who worked at a manor, derived from Middle English
spense "larder, pantry".
Tesař m CzechMeans
"carpenter" in Czech, ultimately from the Old Slavic word
tesla meaning "adze".
Toller EnglishOccupational name meaning
"tax gatherer", derived from Old English
toln "toll, fee, tax".
Turner EnglishOccupational name for one who worked with a lathe, derived from Old English
turnian "to turn", of Latin origin. A famous bearer is the American musician Tina Turner (1939-2023), born Anna Mae Bullock.
Visser DutchOccupational name meaning
"fisherman" in Dutch.
Weaver 1 EnglishOccupational name for a weaver, derived from Old English
wefan "to weave".
Webb EnglishOccupational name meaning
"weaver", from Old English
webba, a derivative of
wefan "to weave".
Webster EnglishOccupational name meaning
"weaver", from Old English
webba, a derivative of
wefan "to weave".