Family Name Etymology

This is a collection of family name etymologies. For German names, see German family name etymology.
  • Aaronovitch, Aronowitz, etc. son of Aaron. Jewish surname.
  • Anders(s)on: son of Anders/Andrew. Scandinavian and English surname.
  • Boyer: when German, can be a modification of "Bauer," farmer.
  • Balshemnik, Balshemennik, Bolshemennikov: from Baal Shem: Wizard. A Jewish surname from Belarus.
  • Dixon or Dickson - son of Richard (Dick is diminutive of Richard.) as also Welsh Pritchard from ap Richard - son of Richard.
  • Holmberg: "Holm" comes from "holme", which means islet. "Berg" means hill or mountain. Scandinavian surname.
  • Huber: the German name is derived from Huober, a farmer holding a fief. It has also been explained as an abbreviation of Hubert or as a derivation of Heber, the Hebrew Patriarch. It may occur in the following variations: Hiver, Hivar, Hubbar, Hupper, Huper, Hobar, Hibber, Kuber, Cooper, Kubri, Kivri, Heber, Eber, Hever, Ever.
  • Johans(s)on, Johns(s)on, Jons(s)on: son of Johan/John. Scandinavian and English surnames.
  • Karls(s)on, Carls(s)on, Karlsen, Carlsen: son of Karl. Scaninavian surname.
  • Kolikov: son of Kolek. Russian surname.
  • Lars(s)on, Larsen: Son of Lars (Lawrence). Scandinavian surname.
  • Lindberg: "Lind" means lime/linden and "berg" means hill or mountain. Scandinavian surname.
  • MacLachlan: Gaelic, "son of Norway." Variously spelled.
  • Malone: servant of Saint John
  • McDonald, MacDonald: son of Donald.
  • O'Donald: grandson of Donald (O' is an anglicisation of "ua", meaning grandson).
  • Moreau: From dark or black horse. http://www.vitalog.net has the etymology as "French, derived from the nickname for the dark-skinned man, perhaps a Moor."
  • Pers(s)on, Petters(s)on: son of Per/Petter (Peter). Scaninavian surname.
  • Plotkin: from Plotki. Jewish surname from Belarus.
  • Rabinowitz, Rabinovitch, Rabinowich: Son of a rabbi. Jewish surname. (This surname has the owitz ending, meaning "son of"). Poland, Russian Empire, other Eastern European countries.
  • Rambo. "Raven's nest". Swedish-American surname from New Sweden taken by a settler from Ramberget (Raven's Hill) near Gothenburg.
  • Spector: From the Russian Spectorski, meaning inspector. Jews who registered as inspectors with the Russian or Ukraine governments received a favored status with respect to travel, although those who collected taxes were generally resented in the shtetls (Jewish ghettos).
  • Walker: One who walks on grapes to get the juices for wine-making
  • Wolfgang: A wolves' cave (gang), a German family name

 

<< PreviousWord BrowserNext >>
less
scribe
declaration of geneva
sceva
samaritan pentateuch
victoria island
amadeus viii of savoy
sabbatical year
justin timberlake
rosh
united arab emirates
rizpah
java (island)
high force
rimmon
emergency telephone number
riblah
soprano
resurrection of the dead
rephidim
zwijndrecht
drechtsteden
religious festival
eurovision song contest 1968
ijsselmonde
placename etymology
redemption of first born
ovos moles
given name etymology
herm
rechabites
luzon
ranges
ramoth gilead
burgh island
rahab
groote eylandt
rabshakeh
rabbah
quotations from the old testament in the new testament
calf of man
reconciliation
quarries
delta works