Glossary of Last Name Meanings and Origins

Related Resources • How to Trace the Origin of Your Last Name • Last Name Changes & Variations • Surname Search Tips • Top Ten Surname Databases • Naming Patterns

From Other Guides • German Last Name Meanings • Spanish Last Name Meanings • How Places Got Their Names

| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

Have you ever wondered about the meaning of your last name or where your family came from? What your ancestors did, how they looked or where they lived? Surnames -- our last names -- tell a story about our family, one handed down for hundreds of years. By tracing the possible origin of your last name, you can learn more about the medieval ancestors who first bore the last name and, ultimately, handed it down to you.

To learn more about your last name meaning and ethnic origin, just browse to the appropriate letter in the Last Name Meanings and Origins Glossary for your last name. The glossary includes last name meanings and origins, plus research links, common last name spelling variations, and surname search tips for last names of English, Irish, German, French, Italian, Spanish, and Jewish origin, including the 100 most popular U.S. surnames.

Can't find your last name in the Last Name Meanings Glossary? Submit your surname to Ask a Genealogist and I'll try to research its meaning and add it to the Last Name Meanings Glossary. Last name site submissions are also welcome for sites primarily devoted to one of the included surnames.