Surname Meanings and Origins

What's in a name? When it comes to surnames, often a lot of meaning and history. Find out the origins of your last name, search for the surnames in your family tree, or learn how surnames have developed and changed over time.

  • baby with bow
    Evans Surname Meaning and Family History
  • Dalmatian
    Why Did My Ancestor Change His Name?
  • Interior of a French bakery
    French Surname Meanings and Origins
  • A group of adult Poles in traditional polish costume in Krakow, Poland.
    Polish Surname Meanings and Origins
  • Close up of a fig tree with fruit on a sunny day.
    Figueroa Surname Meaning and Origin
  • Two Jewish people celebrate Hanukkah by lighting the menorah
    Is My Surname Jewish?
  • The Buchanan's originated in the lands around Loch Lomond, Scotland
    BUCHANAN Last Name Origin and Meaning
  • Flag of Australia
    20 Common Australian Surnames and Their Meanings
  • SIMMONS Surname Meaning and Family History
  • Flores is a Spanish surname that means flower.
    FLORES Surname Meaning and Origin
  • The Rivera surname comes from the Spanish word for riverbank.
    Rivera Surname Meaning and Origin
  • A closeup of a form that requests a person's last name
    What Does My Last Name Mean?
  • Does he know he's being followed
    Vasquez: Surname Meaning and Origin
  • USA, New York City, Time Square, people walking
    100 Common United States Surnames and Their Meanings
  • a man leading sheep
    Surnames Derived From Occupations
  • Black smith working on anvil next to smelter
    The Meaning and Origin of the Name Smith
  • Father kissing baby's forehead.
    English Surnames Meanings and Origins
  • Low angle view of businessmen shaking hands
    CORTEZ Surname Meaning and Origin
  • Spanish Surnames - Meanings of Common Hispanic Last Names
    The Meanings and Origins of Spanish Surnames
  • Lion Sitting Against Sky During Sunset
    SINGH - Surname Meaning and Origin
  • One origin for the Cunningham surname comes from Gaelic words meaning "rabbit home"
    Cunningham: Surname, Meaning, and Origin
  • Searching for people online
    Where Did the Name Sanders Originate?
  • Three people on bikes in a desert landscape under a bright blue sky.
    Hernandez Surname Meaning and Origin
  • The last name Begum did not originally develop as a surname, but as a Muslim honorific title for a respectable lady.
    Begum Surname Meaning and Family History
  • "Peters" Surname Meaning and Origin
  • A gargoyle on a cornice
    MALDONADO Surname Meaning and Origin
  • gondola floating under bridge in Venice
    Italian Surname Meanings and Origins
  • A beautiful day for this amazing view across the Pyrenees Mountain Ranges
    VEGA Surname Meaning and Origin
  • Prophetic Mosque
    Medina Surname Origin and Meaning
  • Chart of the common Irish surnames.
    The 50 Most Common Irish Last Names
  • Schulz last name origin and meaning
    SCHULZ Last Name Origin and Meaning
  • Ferrari is the Italian equivalent of the English surname Smith, meaning one who worked as a blacksmith
    FERRARI - Surname Meaning and Family History
  • Travelers to the Holy Land
    Romero Surname Meaning and Origin
  • Young male hipster twins looking out from city footbridge
    The Meaning and Origin of the Last Name 'Thomas'
  • little boy cooking
    Meaning and Origin for the Surname "Cook"
  • The MILLS surname most typically originated as a name given during medieval times to someone who lived near a mill. Sometimes also used for someone who worked in a mill.
    MILLS Surname Meaning and Family History
  • The Watt surname derives from a personal name meaning "ruler of the army."
    Watt Surname Meaning and Origin
  • The Garza surname most commonly originated with the Spanish word for heron.
    Garza Surname Meaning and Origin
  • Young Man Holding Warrior Sword
    Richardson Surname Meaning and Family History
  • Madrid, Spain Cityscape
    MADRID Surname Meaning and Family History
  • Dramatic comic book lettering says "I Love Jackson"
    JACKSON Surname Meaning and Origin
  • The Adams surname may derive from an ancient term for earth.
    ADAMS Surname Meaning and Family History
  • The Mendoza surname means cold mountain.
    MENDOZA Surname Meaning and Origin
  • Morin Surname Meaning and Family History
  • The Kennedy surname is commonly thought to mean either "helmet head" or "ugly head."
    Kennedy Surname Meaning and Origin
  • Small spotted puppy sitting on wood
    Collins Surname Meaning and Origin
  • One common origin for the Myers surname is "son of the mayor," or "magistrate."
    MYERS Surname Meaning and Origin
  • The Law surname often derived from an old word for "burial mound," such as this barrow cemetery in Wilsford, England.
    LAW Surname Meaning and Origin
  • The most common origin of the Turner surname is one who worked with a lathe.
    TURNER Surname Meaning and Origin
  • Young was a surname often given to the younger of two men with the same name, similar to the suffix Junior today.
    YOUNG Surname Meaning and Origin
  • island with trees
    HOLMES Surname Meaning and Origin
  • GUERRERO Surname Meaning and Origin
  • A tailor.
    Schneider Surname Origin and Family History
  • The Lang or Lange surname was often bestowed on a man who was especially tall and lanky.
    LANG Surname Meaning and Family History
  • A house along a riverbank
    ACOSTA Surname Meaning and Origin
  • The German origin of the Meyer surname was a name for someone in charge of overseeing a large farm, such as this dairy farm in Fussen, Bavaria, Germany.
    MEYER Surname Origin and Family History
  • The Hayes surname sometimes originated with someone who lived near a hunting enclosure.
    HAYES Last Name Meaning and Origin
  • German crowd cheering and waving flags
    What Does Your German Last Name Mean?
  • Boulby Cliffs, the highest cliffs on England's east coast exemplify the hilly terrain of Boulby, Redcar & Cleveland, England
    CLEVELAND Surname Meaning and Origin
  • Compass on the Sea Sand at the Beach
    The Meaning and Origin of the WEST Surname
  • The Wall surname was sometimes bestowed on a mason who specialized in building walls.
    WALL Surname Meaning and Origin
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