Browse Submitted Surnames

Aavik Estonian
Aavik is an Estonian surname, a variation of "haavik", meaning "aspen forest".

Aaviksoo Estonian
Aaviksoo is an Estonian surname meaning "aspen forest(ed) swamp".

Aaviste Estonian
Aaviste is an Estonian surname relating to "aspen".

Abebe Amharic, Ethiopian
Means "flower" in Amharic.

Ābele Latvian (Rare)
Means "apple tree" in Latvian.

Abella Catalan, Galician
Means "bee" in Catalan and Galician, used as a nickname for a small, active person or an occupational name for a beekeeper.

Abeysinghe Sinhalese
Derived from Sanskrit अभय (abhaya) meaning "fearless" and सिंह (sinha) meaning "lion".

Abiko Japanese
From 安 (a) "peaceful, cheap, rested, low" or 我 (a) meaning "I, me, myself, selfish, oneself, ego" combined with 孫 (bi) meaning "grandchild", and 子 (ko) meaning "child, sign of the rat"... [more]

Abolin Russian
Russified form of Āboliņš, a Latvian surname meaning "clover".

Āboliņš Latvian (Rare)
Means "clover" in Latvian.

Āboltiņš Latvian
Derived from the word āboliņš meaning "clover".

Acahua Nahuatl
Means "owner of reeds", from Nahuatl acatl "reed, cane" and the possessive suffix -hua.

Acatecatl Nahuatl
From Nahuatl acatl "reed, cane" and tecatl "person; inhabitant of a place".

Acatzihua Nahuatl
Possibly from Nahuatl acatl "reed, cane" and tzihuactli, a kind of thorny plant.

Acevedo Spanish
Derived from Spanish acebedo meaning "holly grove", itself from acebo meaning "holly tree".

Ackerley English
Old English surname which came from a place name which meant "Oak meadow." See Ackley.

Ackley English
From an Old English surname: a place name which meant "Oak meadow". A variation of this is: "dwells at the oak tree meadow". ... [more]

Ackroyd English
Topographic name from northern Middle English ake "oak" and royd "clearing".

Acton English, Northern Irish
"Oak Town" in Old English. Parishes in Cheshire, Suffolk, Middlesex. There is also a place that bears this name in Ulster.

Adair Celtic
Mostly Scottish surname meaning "at the oak ford".

Adney English
Habitational name from Adeney in Shropshire, named in Old English as Eadwynna ey "island of a woman called Eadwynn". English: from a Middle English pet form of Adam... [more]

Aetós Greek
"Eagle" - in Greek, spelled αετός.

Aginaga Basque
Habitational name from a place named Aginaga, from Basque (h)agin meaning "yew tree" combined with -aga, a collective suffix.

Agojo Filipino, Tagalog
From Tagalog aguho meaning "Australian pine tree", a type of she-oak tree (genus Casuarina).

Aguer Dinka
the name was mainly given to boys of the Dinka tribe ,mainly in the Upper Nile state of South Sudan. meaning is unknown but is synonymous with "tree"

Águila Spanish
From águila "eagle" (Latin aquila). This is either a nickname for a haughty man or one with an aquiline nose, or a habitational name from a place in Salamanca province called Águila.

Aguilera Spanish
Habitational name from a location in Soria province, Spain, named Aguilera, derived from Spanish aguilera meaning "eagle's nest". A famous bearer is American singer Christina Aguilera (1980-).

Ahl Swedish
Derived from Swedish al "alder tree".

Ahlborn Swedish (Rare)
Combination of Swedish al "alder" and -born, a Swedish surname suffix derived from German geboren "born".

Ahlin Swedish
Combination of Swedish al "alder" and the common Swedish surname suffix -in (ultimately derived from Latin -inus, -inius "descendant of").

Ahlqvist Swedish
Combination of Swedish al "alder" and quist an old spelling of kvist "twig".

Ahuatl Nahuatl
Means "oak tree" in Nahuatl.

Aiba Japanese
From Japanese 相 (ai) meaning "mutual" or 饗 (ai) meaning "banquet", combined with 馬 (ba) meaning "horse", 場 (ba) meaning "location", 羽 (ba) meaning "feathers", 庭 (ba) meaning "courtyard" or 葉 (ba) meaning "leaf".

Aibana Japanese
From Japanese 藍 (ai) meaning "indigo" combined with 花 (hana, bana, ka) meaning "flower".

Aiki Japanese
From Japanese 相 (ai) meaning "together, mutually" and 木 (ki) meaning "tree, wood".

Ainara Japanese
From Japanese 相 (ai) meaning "mutual, reciprocal, with one another", 奈 (na) meaning "apple tree" and 良 (ra) meaning "good".

Aitiņš Latvian
Derived from the word aita, meaning “sheep”.

Ajala Edo
Means "chief of the horses".

Akaashi Japanese
Comes from the kanji "赤" meaning "red", and "葦" meaning "reed", or alternatively, "足" that means "leg"

Akagi Japanese
Means "red tree" in Japanese. From the Japanese words 赤 (red) and 木 (tree).

Akaki Japanese
Aka means "red, crimson, vermilion" and ki means "tree, wood".

Akçam Turkish
A surname of Turkish origin, ultimate from the words ak meaning "white" and çam meaning "pine tree".

Akerregi Basque
Basque surname meaning "goat's hillside", composed of aker and -egi, meaning "goat" and "hillside" respectively.

Akey English
Possibly an Americanized form of German Eiche "oak".

Akgül Turkish
From Turkish ak meaning "white" and gül meaning "rose".

Akın Turkish
Means "raid, rush, influx, inflow" in Turkish.

Akishino Japanese
秋 (Aki) means "autumn" and 篠 (shino) means "dwarf bamboo".

Akkuş Turkish
Means "white bird" from Turkish ak meaning "white" and kuş meaning "bird".

Álamo Spanish, Portuguese
Either a topographic name from álamo "poplar" or a habitational name from any of several places in Spain and Portugal named with this word.

Alfani Italian
(or Alfano) three possibilities: from the German word halfer ("helper"), from a place called Alfano, which is supposed to be from the Arab al fannan ("wild donkey"), and Alfana is the name of a race (as in type) of Arab horses, so could be someone related to horses.

Alford English, Scottish
Habitation name found in Lincolnshire, Surrey and Somerset, England and Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The name can be derived by combining the Old English female personal name Ealdg- and -ford meaning "water crossing" or can mean "from the alder tree ford".

Alimasag Filipino, Cebuano
Means "flower crab" in Cebuano.

Alksnis Latvian
Means "alder tree" in Latvian.

Allgeier German
The harried officials at Ellis Island began to assign surnames based upon the pronunciation of the name by the immigrant, rather than attempting to ferret out the actual spelling. ... [more]

Alm Swedish
Means "elm" in Swedish.

Almblad Swedish
Combination of Swedish alm "elm" and blad "leaf".

Almgren Swedish
Composed of Swedish alm meaning "elm tree" and gren "branch".

Almlöf Swedish
Combination of Swedish alm "elm" and löv "leaf".

Almog Hebrew
From the given name Almog, means "coral" in Hebrew.

Almqvist Swedish
Combination of Swedish alm "elm" and kvist "twig, branch".

Al-Zahrani Arabic
Means "the Zahrani" in Arabic, referring to the Zahran (زهران) tribe in Saudi Arabia. The name itself is derived from Arabic زهراني (zahran) meaning "flowering, blossoming", ultimately from زَهْرَة (zahra) meaning "flower, blossom" (see Zahrah).

Amaki Japanese
Ama can mean "heaven" and ki means "wood, tree."... [more]

Amarasinghe Sinhalese
From Sanskrit अमर (amara) meaning "immortal, undying" and सिंह (sinha) meaning "lion".

Amayo Nahuatl
Possibly from Nahuatl amaitl "inlet, estuary; an arm or branch of a body of water", or from atl "water" and -mayo "branches of a tree, foliage".

Amito Japanese
Means "doorway with an insect net" in Japanese.

Ammazzalorso Italian
From the profession of bear hunter, meaning literally "slaughter the bear".

Ammer German, English (Rare)
This surname may be derived from Middle High German amer which means "bunting (as in the bird)." As such, it is used as a nickname for someone with a fine voice or someone who is a flamboyant dresser.... [more]

Amsler German (Swiss)
Derived from German Amsel "(European) blackbird", this was an occupational name for a fowler (bird catcher).

Amunategi Basque
It literally means a "place of apple trees", denoting someone who lived and/or worked there.

Anardu Italian
From a dialectical variant of Italian anatra "duck (bird)".

Anay-ool Tuvan
Derived from Tuvan анай (anay) meaning "goat, kid" combined with оол (ool) meaning "son, boy".

Ando Japanese
From the Japanese 安 (an or yasu) "relax," "inexpensive," "low," and 藤 (to or fuji) "wisteria." The second character may indicate historical or familial links to the formerly powerful Fujiwara (藤原) clan.

Angerjas Estonian
Angerjas is an Estonian surname meaning "eel".

Angilloy Cornish
From an-kelli, "the grove"; or an-gilly, "the wood or grove of hazels".

Angioni Italian
From Sardinian angioni "lamb", denoting a shepherd, or perhaps a nickname.

Angius Italian
Meaning uncertain, possibly linked to Sardinian angioni "lamb", Ancient Greek άγγος (àngos) "vessel, jug" or άγχω (ankho) "to strangle; anguish, stress", or from a modification of Latin balneum (see Bagni) "bath", indicating a place with hot springs.

Anni Estonian
Anni is an Estonian surname possibly derived from "anne" meaning "aptitude for" and "talent"; or "hani" meaning "goose".

Anouilh French
From Catalan anull, meaning "slow worm". It is originally a nickname given to a spineless and slow person. The French author Jean Anouilh is a famous bearer of this surname.

Aoi Japanese
From Japanese 葵 "hollyhock, althea" or 碧 "blue". This name is a given name as well as a surname.

Aomatsu Japanese
Ao means "green, blue" and matsu means "pine".

Aoyagi Japanese
From Japanese 青 (ao) meaning "green, blue" and 柳 (yagi) meaning "willow".

Aozaki Japanese (Rare)
Ao means "blue,somewhat green" & zaki means "blossom". So, Nobutaka "Blue Blossom",is an artist who was born in Japan,but now lives in New York as an artist who has been featured in magazines.

Apfelbaum German, Jewish
Means "apple tree" in German.

Applegarth English, Scottish
Topographic name from northern Middle English applegarth meaning "apple orchard" (Old Norse apaldr meaning "apple tree" + gar{dh}r meaning "enclosure"), or a habitational name from a place so named, of which there are examples in Cumbria and North and East Yorkshire, as well as in the county of Dumfries.

Apse Latvian
Derived from Latvian apse "aspen tree" (ultimately from Proto-Baltic *apse).

Apsītis Latvian
Derived from Latvian apse meaning "aspen tree".

Aquilina Maltese
Nickname for a person with eagle-like features or a person who owned an eagle, derived from Latin aquila meaning "eagle".

Aragaki Japanese
From Japanese 新 (ara) meaning "new" or 荒 (ara) meaning "rough, wild" and 垣 (kaki) meaning "hedge, fence".

Araki Japanese
From Japanese 荒 (ara) meaning "rough, sparse, wild" and 木 (ki) meaning "tree, wood".

Aran Japanese
From 亜 (a), a phonetic character, and 蘭 (ran) meaning "orchid."

Arboleda Spanish
From arboleda meaning "grove of trees". This is the name of a prominent Colombian family, in which case it is derived from their region of origin in Arboleya, Spain.

Archuleta Spanish, English
Castilianized form of Basque Aretxuloeta, a topographic name meaning "oak hollow".

Ardern English
Means "eagle valley" or "gravel valley". From Old English ear "gravel" or eran "eagle" and denu "valley". Also a variant of Arden.

Arencibia Spanish
Castilianized combination of the basque words of aranz meaning "thorn"; "hawthorn" + ibi meaning "ford" + a (basque article suffix); meaning someone living by a thorny ford. A "ford" is a body of water shallow enough to walk through; In this context topographically referring to a some places in Spain

Arı Turkish
Means "bee" or "clean, pure" in Turkish.

Arimao Filipino, Maranao
From Maranao arimaw meaning "lion".

Ariyasinghe Sinhalese
Derived from Sanskrit आर्य (arya) meaning "noble" and सिंह (sinha) meaning "lion".

Arlianionak Belarusian
Double diminutive of Belarusian арол (arol) meaning "eagle".

Armijo Spanish
Derived from the Spanish adjetive "armigero", meaning "one who bears arms". First found in the Northern Region of Spain in Cantabria. Alternate spellings include: Armijos, Armigo, and Armija.

Arnett English
Derived from Arnold, a pet name perhaps. Also could be from /arn/ "eagle" and /ett/, a diminutive.

Arol Belarusian
Means "eagle" in Belarusian.

Arukask Estonian
Arukask is an Estonian surname meaning "silver birch" (Betula pendula).

Arukuusk Estonian
Arukuusk is an Estonian surname meaning "fir/spruce meadow".

Arundel English
English surname which comes from two distinct sources. Either it was derived from a place name meaning "horehound valley" in Old English (from harhune "horehound (a plant)" and dell "valley"), or it was from Old French arondel, diminutive of arond "swallow", which was originally a Norman nickname given to someone resembling a swallow.

Arzamendia Basque
"mountain bear"

Asada Japanese
From Japanese 浅 (asa) meaning "shallow" or 麻 (asa) meaning "hemp, flax" and 田 (ta) meaning "field".

Asahara Japanese
From Japanese 朝 (asa) meaning "morning", 浅 (asai) meaning "shallow", or 麻 (asa) meaning "hemp" combined with 原 (hara) meaning "field, plain".

Asaki Japanese
From Japanese 杏 (anzu, a) meaning "apricot" or 亜 (a) meaning "second, Asia" combined with 咲 (saki) meaning "blossom".

Asakura Japanese
From Japanese 朝 (asa) meaning "morning", 浅 (asa) meaning "shallow", or 麻 (asa) meaning "hemp" and 倉 (kura) meaning "warehouse, storehouse".

Asao Japanese
Asa can mean "morning", "shallow" or "hemp" and o means "tail".

Asbury English
English location name with the elements as- meaning "east" or "ash tree" and -bury meaning "fortified settlement."

Aschan Swedish
Shortened form of Aschanius (now obsolete) taken from the name of a village whose name was derived from Swedish ask "ash tree".

Ascher German
Derived from German asche meaning "ash" (tanners worked with ash)

Asensio Basque
It signifies "dweller at the place where the blackberry bushes grew."

Asher English
Name for someone who dwelled by an ash tree, from Middle English asche or asshe meaning "ash tree".

Ashfield English
Meaning "ash tree field".

Ashford English
Derived from Ashford, which is the name of several places in England. All but one of these derive the second element of their name from Old English ford meaning "ford" - for the one in North Devon, it is derived from Old English worō or worth meaning "enclosure".... [more]

Ashida Japanese
Combination of the kanji 芦 (ashi, "reed") and 田 (ta, "field").

Ashido Japanese
From Japanese 芦 (ashi) meaning "reed" and 戸 (do) meaning "door"

Ashikaga Japanese
Ashikaga is a surname that originated with samurai families. Kaga means "Flower Bud,Reed" and Ashi means "Place",but it is most commonly, ( if not always ) written with characters meaning ,"foot" and "advantage".

Ashland English
This surname is derived from Old English æsc & land and it means "ash tree land."

Ashman English, Anglo-Saxon
From Middle English Asheman, a byname meaning "pirate, seaman". It can also be made up of English ash referring to the "ash tree", and man. In that case, it could refer to someone who lived by ash trees... [more]

Ashmore English
English locational name, from either "Aisemare", (from Old English pre 7th Century "aesc" meaning ash plus "mere" a lake; hence "lake where ash-trees grow), or from any of several minor places composed of the Old English elements "aesc" ash plus "mor" a marsh or fen.

Ashuba Abkhaz
Possibly from Abkhaz ашә (āš°) meaning "cheese" or "beech" or ашәа (āš°ā) meaning "song".

Ashwood English
Habitational name from a place in Staffordshire named Ashwood, from Old English æsc "ash" and wudu "wood".

Ask Swedish
From Swedish ask "ash tree".

Askeladd Folklore
The main character in Asbjornsen and Moe's Norwegian Folktales, Askeladd is usually the youngest and smallest of three brothers who is left to sit by the fire in the ashes, hence his name (similar to Cinderella)... [more]

Aslanyan Armenian
Derived from Turkic arslan meaning "lion".

Asnicar Italian
From Cimbrian haazo "hare" and ékke "hill, rise".

Asō Japanese
Combination of the kanji 麻 (asa, "hemp plant") and 生 (fu, "place where vegetation grows"), thus "place where hemp plants grow". A famous bearer of this surname is Japanese Prime Minister Tarō Asō (麻生 太郎; b. 1940).

Asp Swedish
Means "aspen tree" in Swedish.

Aspinall English
A locational name of Anglo-Saxon origin, it means “aspen well”.

Asplund Swedish, Norwegian (Rare)
Combination of Swedish asp "aspen" and lund "grove".

Assaratanakul Thai
From Thai อัสสะ (atsa) meaning "horse", รัตนะ (ratana) meaning "precious gem; precious jewel", and กุล, a transcription of Pali kula meaning "clan".

Astore Italian
Derived from Italian astore meaning "goshawk", which is a bird of prey that was used for hunting in the Middle Ages. The surname had first started out as a nickname: either for a falconer, or for a person who had aquiline features or who was cunning by nature.

Asui Japanese (Rare)
From Japanese 蛙 (a) meaning "frog" and 吹 (sui) meaning "puff"

Aten Frisian, Dutch
The Frisian name Aten means "Noble Wolf". The name was probably given to lesser lords. As noble would mean nobility. As wolf was always a symbol of a warrior, or hunter. Usually Nobles who were also warriors, were lesser lords... [more]

Atmaca Turkish
Means "hawk" in Turkish, referring specifically to the sparrow hawk (genus Accipiter).

Atsugi Japanese (Rare)
Atsugi (厚木) means "thick tree", notable bearer of this surname is Nanami Atsugi (厚木 那奈美), a Japanese Voice actress. It is also a city name in Kanagawa perfecture.

Atzori Italian
Possibly from Spanish azor "goshawk", otherwise a variant of Atzeri.

Audet French
Southern French nickname from Gascon dialect audet "bird", variant of standard Occitan ausèl (modern French oiseau).

Aul Estonian
Aul is an Estonian surname meaning "long-tailed duck" (Clangula hyemalis).

Auman Filipino, Cebuano
Derived from Cebuano awom meaning "mole".

Ausley English (Modern)
Rare surname which was from an English place name in which the second element is Old English leah "wood, clearing". The first element may be hors "horse" (in which case the name likely referred to a place where horses were put out to pasture) or the river name Ouse (ultimately from the ancient British root ud- "water").

Aviles Catalan
From Catalan avile "bird".

Axford English
Derived from Axford, which is the name of two villages in England (one is located in the county of Hampshire, the other in Wiltshire). Both villages derive their name from Old English æsc(e) "ash tree(s)" and Old English ford "ford", which gives their name the meaning of "ford by the ash trees" or "a ford with ash trees"... [more]

Axton English
From Old English æsc(e) meaning "ash tree(s)" and Old English ton meaning "town".

Ayohua Nahuatl
Meaning uncertain, possibly from ayotli "squash, pumpkin" or ayotl "turtle" combined with the possessive suffix -hua, or from ayohua "to fill with water".

Azcatl Nahuatl
Means "ant" in Nahuatl.

Azinheira Portuguese
Originates from the Portuguese word "azinheira," which refers to the evergreen oak tree known as the "holm oak"

Babraitis Lithuanian
From babras, a variant of bebras meaning "beaver".

Babrauskas Lithuanian
Ultimately from the Balto-Slavic element *bébrus meaning "beaver". It is possibly an adaptation of Polish Bobrowski, or a related Slavic surname.

Baca Spanish
From Spanish vaca meaning "cow".

Bacigalupo Italian
From Ligurian bacigare "to beat with a stick" and lupo "wolf", or from Genoese basigâ "to swing, to tease" and lupo "wolf". Possibly a nickname for someone considered courageous or cowardly, or an occupational name for a hunter.

Baer German
Derived from Old High German bero "bear".

Bagaoisan Filipino, Tagalog
From Tagalog bagwisan meaning "to grow wings" or "to pull out the wing feathers (of a bird)".

Bagatsing Filipino
Filipinized form of Bhagat Singh, a combination of Sanskrit भगत (bhagat) meaning "devotee, follower" combined with सिंह (siṃhá) meaning "lion". A notable bearer was Ramon Bagatsing (1916-2006), the 19th Mayor of Manila who was of Indian descent.

Bagge Swedish
From Swedish bagge "ram (male sheep)".

Baio Italian
From a nickname for someone with light brown or reddish-brown hair or beard, from baio meaning "bay horse", ultimately derived from Late Latin badius meaning "red-brown".

Bajwa Punjabi
Derived from Persian باز والا (bâz vâlâ) meaning "great hawk, great falcon".

Balili Filipino, Cebuano
Means "grass, turf" in Cebuano.

Banogon Filipino, Cebuano
Means "hawklike" in Cebuano, ultimately from banog meaning "hawk".

Bansal Indian, Hindi, Punjabi
Most likely derived from Sanskrit वंश (vansha) meaning "lineage, clan, race" or "bamboo".

Baranchuk Ukrainian, Belarusian, Russian
From Баран (baran) meaning "ram".

Baranko Ukrainian
From Ukrainian Баран (baran) meaning "ram".

Baranov Russian
From Russian баран (baran) meaning "ram, sheep".

Baranski Polish
Means "son of Baran (ram)" in Polish.

Bark Swedish
Perhaps derived from a place name containing either Old Swedish *barke "throat", Old Swedish biork "birch tree" or Swedish bark "bark (covering of the trunk of a tree)"

Bar Yonah Hebrew
Means "son of Jonah" or "son of the dove" from Hebrew yonah "dove".

Baskerville English
Means "bush town", from Anglo-Norman French boschet (a little bush) and ville (town).

Bassford English
Habitational name from any of several places called Basford, especially the one in Nottinghamshire. There are others in Staffordshire and Cheshire. Either that or it's from Old English berc "birch tree" + Old English ford "ford".

Bauzon Filipino
Possibly from Hokkien 茅 (bâu) meaning "thatch, reeds" and 孫 (sun) meaning "grandchild".

Bazzaty Ossetian
Derived from Georgian ბაზი (bazi) meaning "falcon" or from a given name derived from Tatar базу (bazu) meaning "to dare" (given in hopes that a son would become a warrior).

Beacher English
Means "near the beech trees".

Bear English
From the Middle English nickname Bere meaning "bear" (Old English bera, which is also found as a byname), or possibly from a personal name derived from a short form of the various Germanic compound names with this first element... [more]

Beaufay French (Rare)
In most cases, this surname is a locational surname that most likely took its name from the village of Beaufay, which is nowadays located in the Sarthe department of France. The village was called Bello Faeto, Bellofaido and Belfaidus during the Early Middle Ages, ultimately deriving its name from Latin bellus fagus (or bellum fagetum) meaning "beautiful beech tree(s)" or "beautiful beech woodland"... [more]

Beccaria Italian
From beccaro "butcher", ultimately from becco "goat".

Becerra Spanish, Galician
Nickname probably for a high-spirited person from becerra "young cow, heifer". It may also have been a metonymic occupational name for a cowherd.

Beckwith English (African)
Habitational name from a place in West Yorkshire named Beckwith, from Old English bece "beech" + Old Norse viðr "wood" (replacing the cognate Old English wudu).

Bee English
From Middle English be meaning "bee", Old English beo, hence a nickname for an energetic or active person or a metonymic occupational name for a beekeeper.

Belfiore Italian
Means "beautiful (as a) flower", derived from Italian bel "beautiful" combined with Italian fiore "flower". Two Italian sources claim that this surname was derived from the medieval masculine given name Belfiore (which has of course the same meaning), but I can find no evidence that this was an actual given name in medieval Italy... [more]

Belkin Russian
Patronymic from the nickname Belka meaning "squirrel" (a derivative of bely "white", referring to the animal's white stomach).

Bellock English, Irish
Meaning "young bull". It was a nickname for energetic people, or those who owned bulls.

Belovuk Serbian
Means "white wolf" in Serbian.

Belyakov Russian
Derived from the Russian word belyak meaning "white rabbit".... [more]

Belyakova Russian
Derived from the Russian word belyak meaning "white rabbit".... [more]

Benfield English
habitational name from one or more of the numerous places in England called Benfield or Binfield which are named from Middle English bent "bent-grass" and feld "open country" or "land converted to arable use" (Old English beonet and feld).

Ben-Gurion Hebrew
Means "son of the lion cub", from Hebrew גוּר (gur) meaning "lion cub, young lion". A notable bearer was the Polish-born David Ben-Gurion (1886-1973; real name David Grün), the founding father of Israel who also served as the country's first prime minister.

Bennouna Arabic (Maghrebi)
Most likely from Arabic بن (bin) meaning "son" and the given name Nouna, which may have been derived from an Arabic word meaning "whale, big fish" or "sabre, sword". Alternately, it may be from an Arabic name for a variety of melon... [more]

Ben Shushan Hebrew
Means "son of the lily" in Hebrew.

Benthall English
From Old English beonet meaning "bent-grass" and halh meaning nook.

Bentham English
Habitational name from any of various places named Bentham, from Old English beonet "bent grass" + ham "homestead" or hamm "enclosure hemmed in by water".

Bereza Ukrainian
Means "birch tree" in Ukrainian.

Bergholtz Swedish, German (Rare)
Possibly a variant of German Bergholz which is either a derivative of Berchtold or from a topographic name meaning "birch wood"... [more]

Berglind Swedish
Combination of Swedish berg "mountain, hill" and lind "linden tree".

Berkeley English
From any of the locations called Berkeley derived the elements beorc "birch" and leah "clearing, wood" meaning "birch clearing"... [more]

Berlin Swedish
Of uncertain origin. The name could be a shortened form of Berglin. It could also be a habitational name from the city in Germany or from a place in Sweden named with ber or berg "mountain"... [more]

Bermejo Spanish
Originally a nickname for a man with red hair or a ruddy complexion, from Spanish bermejo "reddish, ruddy" (itself from Latin vermiculus "little worm", from vermis "worm", since a crimson dye was obtained from the bodies of worms).

Bernheim Jewish
From the Germanic elements bern meaning "bear" and heim meaning "home".

Bernier French
From the personal name Bernier composed of the ancient Germanic elements bern "bear" and hari "army". Compare Barney and Barnier.

Bernthal Jewish
Ornamental name derived from the Yiddish given name Ber meaning "bear" and German thal meaning "valley". A famous bearer is American actor Jon Bernthal (1976-).

Berongoy Filipino, Cebuano
From Cebuano barungoy meaning "black-finned flying fish" (genus Cypselurus).

Berri German (Swiss), Romansh
Derived from Old High German bero "bear".

Bertarelli Italian
Probably from a given name containing the Germanic root behrat "bright" or Celtic berta "to carry, to bear".

Berwald German, Swedish (Rare), Danish (Rare)
Originally derived from the given name Bernwald, composed of Old High German bern, bero "bear" and wald "ruler"... [more]

Bessho Japanese
From 別 (be, betsu) meaning "separate, another different" and 所 (sho) meaning "place, plant, institute, station".

Beste French, English
Nickname from Middle English beste Old French beste "beast animal" (especially those used for food or work) applied either as a metonymic occupational name for someone who looked after beasts such as a herdsman or as a nickname for someone thought to resemble an animal... [more]

Bethany English
Possibly a topographic name derived from the Old English plant name betonice meaning "betony". The form of the name has been altered by folk association with the New Testament place name.

Bezerra Portuguese
Means "young cow, heifer" in Portuguese.

Bhaer German
Likely a variant of German Baer, meaning "bear". A notable bearer is character Friedrich Bhaer, Jo's husband in Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.

Biesheuvel Dutch
From Biesheuvel, the name of a small village in the north of the province of Noord-Brabant in the Netherlands. It is derived from Dutch bies meaning "bulrush, club rush" (a grasslike plant that grows in wetlands and damp locations) and heuvel meaning "hill"... [more]

Birch English, German, Danish, Swedish (Rare)
From Middle High German birche, Old English birce, Old Danish birk, all meaning "birch". This was likely a topographic name for someone living by a birch tree or a birch forest... [more]

Birchall English
Probably a habitational name from Birchill in Derbyshire or Birchills in Staffordshire, both named in Old English with birce "birch" + hyll "hill".

Birke Low German, Swedish (Rare)
Variant of Birk. Perhaps a shortened form of any of various Danish and Norwegian surnames beginning with Birke-, for example Birkeland and Birkelund ("birch grove").

Birkeland Norwegian
Derived from Old Norse birki "birch" and land "farm, land". This was the name of several farms in Norway.

Birnbaum German
Topographic name for someone who lived by a pear tree, from Middle High German bir "pear" and boum "tree".

Birnenbaum Jewish
Means "pear tree" in German.

Bisbee English
Named after the city of Bisbee which is in Arizona.... [more]

Bisby Medieval Scottish, Medieval English, English (British), Scottish, English (Australian), Anglo-Norman
Either originating from the village Busby in historic county East Renfrewshire in Scotland, or Great Busby in Yorkshire. The place name is likely derived from the Norman buki, "shrub". See also Busby.

Bissonnette French (Quebec)
North American spelling of French Bissonet, a topographic name from a diminutive of Old French buisson meaning "bush, scrub".

Bivol Romanian, Moldovan
Meaning "buffalo".

Bjørklund Norwegian
From any of several farms named with Norwegian bjørk "birch" and lund "grove".

Björkqvist Swedish
Combination of Swedish björk "birch tree" and qvist, an obsolete spelling of kvist, "twig".

Björn Swedish
Means "bear" in Swedish. Either taken directly from the given name (see Björn) or from a nickname for a big, hairy person. It may also be derived from a place named with the element björn.

Björnberg Swedish
Ornamental name derived from Swedish björn meaning "bear" and berg meaning "mountain".

Blancaflor Spanish (Philippines)
Means "white flower," from the Spanish words blanca meaning "white" and flor meaning "flower."

Blanchflower English
From a medieval nickname applied probably to an effeminate man (from Old French blanche flour "white flower"). This surname was borne by Northern Irish footballer Danny Blanchflower (1926-1993).

Blasquez Spanish
From the medieval diminutive Velasco, from the Basque word 'bela' meaning "crow", and the diminutive suffix 'sko'.

Bledig Welsh
"like a wolf"

Bleibaum German
"Lead tree" possibly changed at Ellis Island from Blumenbaum meaning "flowering tree"

Bloem Dutch
Means "flower" in Dutch.

Blomstrand Swedish
From Swedish blomma (Old Norse blóm) meaning "flower" and strand (Old Norse strǫnd) meaning "beach, sea shore".

Bluemel German
Diminutive of the Middle High German bluome meaning "flower." The name is believed to be an occupational name.

Blumbarg Yiddish
It literally means "bloom barrow".

Blumenberg Jewish
Ornamental name composed of German Blume "flower" and Berg "mountain, hill".

Blumenkrantz German, Jewish
Means "flower-wreath" in German.

Blumenschein German
from Middle High German bluomenschin "flower splendor" from the elements bluomo "bloom" and sconi "beautiful" probably a topographic or habitational name referring to a house distinguished by a sign depicting a bunch of flowers or decorated with flower designs or noted for its flower garden.

Blumreisinger German (Anglicized)
Meaning "flower raiser". See also Blum.

Bobeck Swedish, German, Jewish, Slavic
A respelling of the Swedish Bobäck, an ornamental name composed of the elements bo meaning "farm" and bäck meaning "stream".... [more]

Bobrov Russian
Patronymic surname derived from Russian бобр (bobr) or бобёр (bobyor) both meaning "beaver".

Bobrownik Polish
From bobrownik, meaning "beaver hunter" or "beaver breeder."

Bocboc Filipino, Cebuano
From Cebuano bukbok meaning "clobber, maul" or "woodboring insect, weevil".

Boccalupo Italian
Possibly from an Italian saying, in bocca al lupo, literally "in the mouth of the wolf", a way of wishing good luck.

Bodily Anglo-Saxon
A habitational name from the parish of Budleigh, near Exeter in Devon or Baddeley Green in Staffordshire. From the Old English budda, meaning "beetle" and leah, meaning "wood" or "clearing", also known as a glade... [more]

Boğa Turkish
Means "bull" in Turkish.

Bolzonaro Italian
Occupational name for a person who operated a battering ram, derived from Italian bolzone literally meaning "battering ram".

Bonhoc Filipino, Cebuano
From Cebuano bunhok meaning "bird louse" (a type of small biting insect).

Booke American
American variant of the German name Buche meaning "beech" in reference to the beech tree. Notable bearer is the actor Sorrell Booke (1930-1994).

Bool English
This surname derives from the Old English pre 7th Century bula, or the Medieval English bulle, bolle, meaning "bull", and was given as a nickname to one with great physical strength.

Boomhouwer German, Dutch
Boomhouwer, means "Cutter of Trees", or "The one who hews trees", having Boom translating into "tree", houw meaning to "hew" or to "cut", and er meaning "the one who".... [more]

Borák Czech
Habitational name for someone from one of many places named with bor meaning "pine forest"; alternatively from a short form of the personal names Dalibor or Bořivoj, containing the element -bor meaning "battle".

Borecki English
Habitational name for someone from a place called Borek or Borki, from bór "pine forest".

Borjigin Mongolian
This is the name of a Mongol sub-clan, of which Genghis Khan was part of. A suggested origin is a Turkic-language term borčïqïn meaning "man with dark blue eyes", though this is somewhat dubious... [more]

Borkowski Polish
Habitational name for someone from any of various locations called Borki, Borkowice or Borek, all derived from Polish bór meaning "conifer forest, pine forest".

Borsok Russian, Jewish, German (Austrian)
Pronouced "Boar-sook"... [more]

Bosch American
The surname Bosch originates from the Old Norse word "buski," meaning "bush," or "woods” thus it is classed at a toponymic surname and was most likely used by a man who lived near a prominent bush... [more]

Bosso Italian
Derived from Italian bosso "box tree", probably applied as a topographic name but possibly also as a metonymic occupational name for a wood carver or turner.

Boupha Lao
Means "flower" in Lao, ultimately from Sanskrit पुष्प (pushpa).

Božikov Croatian
From božikovina, meaning "holly".

Bozkurt Turkish
Means "grey wolf" from Turkish boz meaning "grey" and kurt meaning "wolf".

Bracco Italian
Either a nickname derived from Calabrian braccu meaning "small, chubby", or probably for someone thought to resemble a hunting dog, from Italian bracco literally meaning "hunting dog, bloodhound"... [more]

Braham English
From the name of a town called Braham, probably derived from Old English brom meaning "broom (a type of plant)" and ham meaning "home, settlement" or hamm meaning "river meadow".

Bramble English
This surname is taken from the word which refers to a common blackberry (British) or any of several closely related thorny plants in the Rubus genus (US). It also refers to any thorny shrub. The word is derived from Old English bræmbel with a euphonic -b- inserted from the earlier bræmel or brémel, which is then derived from Proto-Germanic *bræmaz meaning "thorny bush."

Brancaleone Italian
Derived from the medieval Italian masculine given name Brancaleone, which means either "a lion's paw" or "he who captures the lion". In the case of the former meaning, the name is derived from Italian branca meaning "paw, claw" combined with Italian leone meaning "lion"... [more]

Brandenburg German (East Prussian, Rare)
From a state in eastern Germany, formerly known as Prussia, containing the capital city of Berlin. Ancient. Associated with the Margravate (Dukedom) of Brandenburg, the seat of power in the Holy Roman Empire... [more]

Brau Italian
Meaning uncertain, possibly from the dialectical term brau, meaning "wild, untamed" in Sardinian and "brave, fierce" or "bull" in Catalan, or from blau "blue, turquoise".

Breitzmann German
Eastern German topographic name for someone who lived by a birch wood, ultimately derived from the Slavic stem bres "birch".

Brereton English
From the name of locations in Cheshire and Staffordshire, England. The name is derived from Old English brér "briar" + tún "enclosure, farmstead".

Brick Irish (Anglicized), English, German, Jewish
Irish Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Bruic "descendant of Broc", i.e. "badger" (sometimes so translated) or Ó Bric "descendant of Breac", a personal name meaning "freckled"... [more]

Broccoli Italian, Sicilian
From the Italian plural for “The flowering crest of a cabbage”. Best known as the surname of the (Calabrian-originated) Sicilian American family who made James Bond internationally famous, by making movies (loosely) based on the books where the titular antihero himself appeared.

Brzeziński Polish
Derived from any of the various places named with Polish brzezina "birch forest".

Brzozowski Polish
Habitational name for someone from a place named with brzoza meaning "birch tree", for example Brzozowa, Brzozowice, or Brzozowo.

Buathong Thai
From Thai บัว (bua) meaning "lotus" and ทอง (thong) meaning "gold".

Buaya Filipino, Cebuano
Means "crocodile" in Cebuano.

Buayaem Thai
From Thai บัว (bua) meaning "lotus" and แย้ม (yaem) meaning "bloom, blossom".

Bucad Filipino, Tagalog
From Tagalog bukad meaning "opening, unfolding (of flowers)".

Bucao Filipino, Cebuano
Means "hawk-owl" (genus Ninox) in Cebuano.

Buche German
Meaning "beech" and denoting someone who lived near beech trees.

Bucher German
Upper German surname denoting someone who lived by a beech tree or beech wood, derived from Middle High German buoche "beech tree".

Bucks English
Variant of "Buck"; a deer.

Buczyński Polish
Name for a person from any of various towns named Buczyn or Buczyna, derived from Polish buczyna meaning "beechwood, beech forest".

Budd English
Originated from the Old English personal name Budda, from the word budda, which means "beetle" or "to swell." Specifically of Celtic Welsh origin.

Buenaflor Spanish (Philippines)
Means "good flower" in Spanish.

Buffa Italian
From Sicilian buffa, "toad". May alternately derive from Rebuffo.

Bugalho Portuguese
Portuguese surname Bugalho can be written in two different ways, with a U or with a O after de first letter. This because of different pronunciation from South and North. So with U South and with O North.... [more]

Buglass English
Possibly from the Booklawes region near Melrose, Roxburgshire, originally spelt "Buke-Lawes" (lit. "buck/stag" combined with "low ground"); otherwise from the Gaelic words buidhe - "yellow" and glas - "green".

Bugtai Filipino, Cebuano
Means "Siamese rough bush" (a type of tree in the genus Streblus) in Cebuano.

Buisson French, Haitian Creole (Rare)
Topographic name for someone who lived in an area of scrub land or by a prominent clump of bushes from (Old) French buisson "bush scrub" (a diminutive of bois "wood"); or a habitational name from (Le) Buisson the name of several places in various parts of France named with this word.

Bulac Filipino, Cebuano
From Cebuano bulak meaning "flower, bloom, blossom".

Bülbül Turkish
Means "nightingale" in Turkish.

Bulstrode English
Locational surname referring to the medieval village of Bulstrode in Berkshire. ... [more]

Bunal Filipino, Cebuano
Means "hit, strike (with a bat or club)" in Cebuano.

Burchell English
An English surname derived from the village of Birkehill (also known as Biekel or Birtle). It means "birch hill".

Burkowski Polish
It is composed of buk (Common Slavic for "beech tree") and the Slavic suffixes -ov and -ski. In some cases, the name may originate from a toponym

Burney English, Irish
Form of the French place name of 'Bernay' or adapted from the personal name Bjorn, ultimately meaning "bear".

Busby English
Habitational name from a place in North Yorkshire, recorded in Domesday Book as Buschebi, from Old Norse buskr "bush, shrub" or an Old Norse personal name Buski and býr "homestead, village", or from some other place so called.

Buscemi Sicilian
Name for someone originally from the town of Buscemi in Sicily, derived from the Arabic toponym قلعة أبي شامة‎ (qal'at 'abi shama) meaning "castle of the man with the mole‎" or "castle of (the family of) Abi Shama".

Buschbaum German
Means "bush tree" in German.

Butragueño Spanish
Originally denoted someone who was from either the town of Buitrago del Lozoya in Madrid, or from Buitrago in Soria, Castile and León, Spain, both derived Spanish buitre meaning "vulture" (see Buitrago)... [more]

Buttacavoli Italian
Nickname composed of the elements butta "throw" + cavoli "cabbages".