Origin
White : 1: English: from Middle English white wit (Old English hwīt ‘white’) hence a nickname for someone with white hair or a pale complexion. In some cases it is perhaps from a Middle English survival of the Old English personal name Hwīta a short form of names in Hwīt- (from hwīt ‘white’). The name may also be topographic referring to someone who lived by a bend or curve in a river or road (from Old English wiht ‘bend’) the source of the placename of Great Whyte in Ramsey Huntingdonshire (compare Wight). This name is also a variant of Wight. The surname White is also very common among African Americans.2: Irish and Scottish: adopted for any of several Irish and Scottish Gaelic names based on bán ‘white fair’ (see Bain 1 McElwain) or fionn ‘fair’ (see Finn 1). The English surname has been Gaelicized in Ireland as de Faoite.3: Americanized form (translation into English) of various European surnames meaning ‘white’ for example German Weiss French Blanc Polish Białas (see Bialas) Slovenian Belec or any other synonymous Slavic surname beginning with Bel- Bev- Biel- or Bil-.4: Native American: translation into English and shortening of a personal name composed of a word meaning ‘white’ such as Lakota Sioux Waŋbli Ska ‘White Eagle’ (see Whiteeagle) or Tataŋka Ska ‘White Bull’ (see Whitebull). In many cases however this surname was probably chosen because it is a very common English surname in North America.
Albino : Portuguese Spanish and southern Italian:: 1: from the personal name Albino (see Albin).2: descriptive nickname for an albino (a person with pale complexion and white hair due to a congenital absence of pigmentation).
Angwin : Cornish: nickname for someone with white hair or a pale complexion from the definite article an ‘the’ + gwynn ‘white (pale gray or blond)’.
Bala : 1: Indian (Gujarat and Mumbai): Parsi name probably from Persian bālā ‘high exalted’.2: Indian (southern states): variant of Balan among speakers of Tamil and Malayalam who have migrated away from their home state. — Note: Since South Indians traditionally do not have hereditary surnames this name was in most cases registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to US.3: Polish: from a shortened form of the personal name Baltazar.4: Hungarian: from a pet form of the personal name Balázs a vernacular form of Blasius.5: Albanian: from the personal name Balë (definite form Bala) which could be ultimately derived from a South Slavic name beginning with Bal- (see Balic 2) or from Albanian balë ‘whitish having a white spot on the face or muzzle’ (compare 6).6: Albanian: nickname from balë (definite form bala) a term denoting a ‘(domestic animal with a) white spot on forehead or body’ or a ‘badger’.
Balkus : Lithuanian: nickname for a person with white hair or a pale complexion from the Lithuanian verb bálkti ‘become white’ or the Polish adjective biały ‘white’.
Barre : 1: French: topographic name for someone who lived by a gateway or barrier or in a house encircled by a fence from Old French barre ‘bar obstruction’ (of obscure origin possibly akin to the Celtic element barr ‘height’); or a habitational name from any of various places called with this word e.g. Barre-en-Ouche in Eure or Barre-de-Semilly in Manche. Compare Labarre.2: French: probably also a habitational name from Barre in Lozère named with the Celtic element barr ‘height’.3: French (Barré): from Old French barré ‘striped’ referring to a habitual wearer of striped clothing or probably of a piece of striped cloth worn around the helmet for identification in battle. In the Middle Ages the term was also applied to the Carmelite Friars who wore habits striped in black yellow and white and it may have been used as a nickname for someone thought to resemble a Carmelite in some way. This surname is also found in Germany attested as a Huguenot name for example in Magdeburg in 1703. Compare Barry 7 and Bora 4.4: French (Barré): possibly also a habitational name from (Le) Barré the name of several places mainly in the northern part of France.5: English: variant of Barr.6: Somali: from the personal name Barre meaning ‘teacher’. — Note: Since Somalis traditionally do not have hereditary surnames this name was in most cases registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.
Belak : Slovak (Belák rarely Beľák) Czech (Bělák Belák) Slovenian and Croatian: nickname for a fair-haired or pale-skinned man derived from (a dialect form of) Slovak biely Czech bílý Slovenian bel Croatian bijel ‘white light fair’. It is (or was) also used of animals e.g. in Slovak for a white horse. The Sorbian cognate Bělak is apparently found in Germanized and Americanized forms only (see Bellach Bellack and Bellock).
Belan : 1: Croatian and Serbian; Slovak (also Belán Beláň Belaň) and Czech (Bělán): nickname for someone with white or very fair hair or a pale complexion derived from (a dialect form of) Croatian bijel Serbian beo Slovak biely and Czech bílý ‘white light fair’. The surname may also be derived from the old personal names such as Belimir (see Belic). In North America this surname may also be an altered form of the Croatian variant Bjelan. The Sorbian cognate Bělan is apparently found in a Germanized form only (see Bellan).2: French (Bélan): altered form of Béland (see Beland).
Belka : 1: Polish: nickname for a tall upright man from belka ‘beam timber’.2: Czech (Bělka) and Slovak: from a pet form of the female personal name Czech Běla Slovak Biela meaning ‘white’ or possibly a nickname from Czech bělka Slovak belka ‘animal with white or whitish hair’.3: Sorbian (Bělka B'elka): from a pet form of the Biblical personal name Abel or a nickname derived from běły ‘white bright fair’. Compare Belke Bielke Boehlke and Boelke.4: Jewish (Ashkenazic): from a pet form of the Yiddish female personal name Beyle meaning ‘beautiful’ (related to French belle).
Belkin : 1: Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic): metronymic from Beylke a pet form of the Yiddish female personal name Beyle (see Belin) formed with the Slavic possessive suffix -in.2: Russian: patronymic from the nickname Belka meaning ‘squirrel’ a derivative of bely ‘white’ referring to the animal's white stomach.
Bialek : Polish (Białek): nickname for someone with very fair or white hair from biały ‘white’.
Bianco : Italian: from bianco ‘white’ (of ancient Germanic origin; compare Old High German blanc ‘bright shining white beautiful’) originally applied as a nickname for a man with white or fair hair or a pale complexion or for someone who habitually wore white especially in jousting or other competitions and later used as a personal name. Compare Lo Bianco.
Bielec : Polish: nickname for a man with white hair or a blond beard from biały ‘white’.
Bielen : Polish (Bieleń): nickname for a person with white or fair hair or a pale complexion from a derivative of biały ‘white’. Compare Biel.
Bilas : 1: Ukrainian Rusyn and Polish: nickname for a person with white or fair hair or a pale complexion from a derivative of Ukrainian and Rusyn bilyy Polish biały ‘white’. Compare Bily and Biel.2: Croatian: from a dialect hypocoristic derivative of bijel ‘white light fair’ or from a pet form of any of various old compound personal names based on Old Slavic bělъ with the same meaning.
Bilyk : Ukrainian and Rusyn (in Poland spelled Biłyk): from a derivative of bilyy ‘white’ hence a nickname for someone with white or fair hair or a pale complexion. Compare Bilik and Billick.
Blaisdell : English (Cumbria and Lancashire): habitational name from a place in the Lake District named Blaisdell from the Old Norse byname Blesi (from blesi ‘blaze white spot’) or from the same word used in the sense of a white spot on a hillside + Old Norse dalr ‘valley’.
Blake : 1: English and Scottish (England and central Scotland): variant of Black 1 meaning ‘swarthy’ or ‘dark-haired’ from a byform of the Old English adjective blæc blac ‘black’ with change of vowel length.2: English: nickname from Middle English blak(e) (Old English blāc) ‘wan pale white fair’. In Middle English the two words blac and blāc with opposite meanings fell together as Middle English blake. In the absence of independent evidence as to whether the person referred to was dark or fair it is now impossible to tell which sense was originally meant.3: English (Norfolk): nickname from Middle English bleik blaik> blek(e) (Old Norse bleikr) ‘pale or sallow’ (in complexion).4: Irish: Anglicized form of Ó Bláthmhaic ‘descendant of Bláthmhac’ a personal name from bláth ‘flower blossom’ (also meaning ‘fame or prosperity’) + mac ‘son’. In some instances however the Irish name is derived from Old English blæc ‘dark swarthy’ as in 1 above. Many bearers are descended from Richard Caddell nicknamed le blac sheriff of Connacht in the early 14th century. The English surname has been Gaelicized as de Bláca.
Blanchett : 1: Variant of Blanchette 1 a surname of French origin.2: English (of Norman origin): usually a variant of Blanchard. Perhaps occasionally an occupational name for a maker or seller of a white or undyed woollen cloth from Middle English blankett blanchet (Old French blankete) or perhaps for a person with white hair from Old French blanc ‘white’ + Middle English hed ‘head’ (Old English hēafod).
Blanchflower : from Old French and Middle English blanche ‘white’ + Old French flur flour Middle English flour flower denoting both ‘flower’ and ‘flour white powder’. The 1300 example cited below seems to imply a comparison with a white flower as a symbol of beauty but so was white flour which was a traditional epithet in medieval romances for someone whose skin was perfectly smooth and white. Alternatively Blancheflour might have been given to a flour miller or to a baker of white bread (Old French and Middle English blanc pain) either of whom will have had their hair and body covered in flour dust.
Blanck : 1: German: nickname for a man with white or fair hair or a pale complexion from Middle High German blanc ‘bright shining white beautiful’.2: French (Alsace and Lorraine): variant of Blanc of German origin (see above).
Blanco : 1: Spanish: nickname for a man with white or fair hair or a pale complexion from blanco ‘white’.2: Italian (Sicily): variant of Bianco perhaps influenced by French blanc or Spanish blanco (see 1 above).
Blank : 1: German and Dutch: nickname for a man with white or fair hair or a pale complexion from Middle Low German and Middle High German blanc ‘bright shining white beautiful’ Middle Dutch blank ‘fair white’.3: Jewish (Ashkenazic): artificial name from German blank ‘bright shiny’ (compare 1 above).2: English (Devon): nickname for someone with fair hair or a pale complexion from Middle English blaunk ‘white fair’ (Old French blanc).
Bleiweiss : German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): metonymic occupational name for a producer of white lead (used as a pigment) from Middle High German blīwīss German Bleiweiss ‘white lead’.
Blenker : German (Lower Rhine): topographic name for someone living in a treeless area (very unusual in the Middle Ages) from Middle Low German blank ‘shining white empty’ here meaning ‘treeless’ + -er denoting an inhabitant.
Bok : 1: Dutch: from an ancient Germanic personal name Bocco or Bucco possibly developed from Burkhard see Burkhart.2: Dutch: from bok in the sense ‘he-goat’ a nickname for a goatherd or for someone associated with the character or appearence of a he-goat. Alternatively it may be a topographic or habitational name referring to a house with the word bok in its name e.g. In de Witte Bok (‘At the White He-Goat’). Compare Bock.3: Czech: from the Old Czech personal name Bok a short form of names such as Bohuslav and Bohumil (see Bocek).4: Swedish: ornamental name from bok ‘beech’.5: Slovenian and Croatian: nickname from German Bock ‘he-goat’ (see Bock) or a nickname or a topographic name from bok ‘side (of the human body)’ also ‘hillside’.6: Jewish: variant of Bock.7: Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 莫 possibly based on its Hokkien pronunciation see Mo 1.8: Chinese: Cantonese form of the surname 卜 see Bu 2.
Branco : 1: Portuguese: nickname for a man with white or fair hair or a pale complexion from branco ‘white’.2: Italian: habitational name from any of the places called Branco; or in some cases a male form of Branca.
Bull : 1: English: nickname for a strong aggressive bull-like man from Middle English bule bole. Occasionally the name may denote a keeper of a bull (compare Bulman) or possibly someone who lived at a building distinguished by the sign of a bull.2: German (mainly northern): from Middle Low German bulle ‘bull’ used as a nickname for a cattle breeder keeper or dealer. Compare South German Ochs.3: South German: nickname for a short fat man a variant of Bolle or a nickname for a man with the physical characteristics of a bull.4: North German (Büll): see Buell.5: Native American: translation into English (and shortening) of a personal name based on a word such as Lakota and Dakota Sioux tataŋka and Cheyenne hotoa'e meaning ‘bull’ or ‘buffalo’. The importance of the buffalos to Plains Indians is reflected in their traditional personal names many of which were adopted as surnames (translated into English) e.g. Two Bulls (see Twobulls) and White Bull (see Whitebull). See also Buffalo 2.
Bunt : 1: English: from an unrecorded Middle English bunt ‘something swollen’ related to modern English bunt ‘swelling bag-like end of a net or sail’ and to Middle English bunting ‘small bird corn bunting’. The name could have been a nickname given to a plump person. Derivation from Middle English bonte bunte ‘sieve’ is formally also possible but less likely.2: English: alternatively from an unrecorded Middle English personal name Bunt(e) Old English Bunt(a) perhaps derived from the same sense as in 1 above.3: Dutch (mainly Van de Bunt): habitational name for someone who lived at a place called after its vegetation which consisted of bunt grass i.e. a meadow with tufts of a tough kind of grass.4: In some cases also German: from Middle High German bunt a term which originally described black and white coloration specifically of a fur. Later by extension it came to denote the fur itself. It was probably applied as a nickname but in which sense is no longer clear and the matter is further complicated by the fact that in some areas bunt meant ‘multicolored’ (its modern meaning is ‘colorful’). This surname is very rare in Germany.
Buzo : 1: Portuguese (Brazil) and Spanish (southwestern): probably a cognate of Portuguese Búzio a nickname from búzio ‘whelk cowry’. As a surname of presumably Spanish origin it is found mainly in Mexico.2: Albanian: nickname from buzo a term denoting a man with ugly thick lips or a male animal with a black or white splotch on the muzzle derived from buzë ‘lip muzzle’.
Cacchione : Italian: nickname from the dialectal word cacchione meaning ‘fly eggs’ or ‘small white worm’ but also ‘silly’ in the area around Rome.
Calver : English:: 1: habitational name from Calver in Derbyshire named in Old English with calf ‘calf’ + ofer ‘slope ridge’.2: possibly from Middle English calver ‘flecky-fleshed (of salmon)’ perhaps a nickname for someone with white flecks in their hair or mottled skin.
Cano : 1: Spanish: nickname for an old man or someone with prematurely white hair from cano ‘white or gray haired old worthy’ (from Latin canus).2: Portuguese or Spanish (Caño): topographic name from any of numerous brooks and paths in Portugal (Cano) and Spain (Caño) named with a derivative of Latin canna ‘reed’ also as ‘sewer drain’.
Canuto : Italian: from the Italian word canuto ‘white-haired’ no doubt a nickname for someone with white hair.
Capobianco : Italian: nickname for someone with white hair from capo ‘head’ + bianco ‘white’.
Coote : English: from Middle English co(o)te ‘coot’ applied as a nickname for a bald or foolish man. The bird was regarded as bald because of the large white patch an extension of the bill on its head.
De Witt : 1: Dutch and Flemish: nickname for someone with white or very fair hair or an exceptionally pale complexion from Middle Dutch witte ‘white’ + the definite article de. In the Netherlands and Belgium the surname is more commonly spelled De Wit.2: English (Dewitt): variant of Devitt a name well evidenced in Nether Whitacre and Nuneaton (Warwickshire) and in Bedford (Bedfordshire). Compare Duett.
Del Bianco : Italian: literally ‘of or belonging to the white one’ (see Bianco) hence a name denoting the son apprentice associate or servant of a man bearing this nickname.
Diaper : from Ypres in Flanders (western Belgium) with fused Anglo-Norman French preposition d' and loss of the French nominative singular -s whence de Ipra Dipre Dyper(e) in English medieval records. Warin Dipre e.g. is identical with Warin Dipres late 13th cent.(?) in London Met Archives (Hatfield Broad Oak Essex) for which see Deeprose. The vowel generally remained long /i:/ in Middle English becoming /ai/ in Modern English spelled Dyper or more commonly as Diaper through folk etymological association with the word diaper a type of white cloth sewn with geometric patterns. For variants with a short vowel see Dipper (1). Some early bearers listed below may alternatively belong at Dipper (2).
Eagle : 1: English: nickname from Middle English egle ‘eagle’ (Old French aigle from Latin aquila).2: English (of Norman origin): habitational name from Laigle in Orne France the name of which ostensibly means ‘the eagle’ although it is possible that the recorded forms result from the operation of early folk etymology on some unknown original. Matilda de Aquila is recorded in 1129 as the widow of Robert Mowbray Earl of Northumberland.3: Americanized form (translation into English) of various European surnames meaning ‘eagle’ for example German and Jewish Adler Polish and Jewish Orzeł (see Orzel) Slovenian Orel.4: Native American: translation into English (and shortening) of a personal name based on a word such as Lakota Sioux waŋbli meaning ‘eagle’. The great cultural significance of the eagle to Native Americans is reflected in their traditional personal names many of which were adopted as surnames (translated into English) e.g. Eagle Man (see Eagleman 1) Red Eagle (see Redeagle) and White Eagle (see Whiteeagle).
Epps : 1: English: from Middle English (h)apse (h)aspe ‘aspen tree white poplar’ (Old English æpse æspe). Generally this was a topographic name for someone who lived by an aspen tree or a habitational name from a place called with this word for example Apps in Surrey Apse Manor on the Isle of Wight or The Asps in Warwickshire.2: English: perhaps from the Middle English personal name Eppe a possible survival of Old English Eoppa or its female counterpart Eoppe (Latinized in post-Conquest records as Eppa) probably from a stem eorp- ‘red’. Alternatively Eppe may derive from Old Norse Øpi perhaps from the stem øp- found in the verb øpa ‘to cry out shriek’.3: American shortened form of Van Epps a surname of Dutch origin.
Feather : 1: English: from Middle English fether fed(d)er ‘feather’ or perhaps a shortened form of Middle English fetherer applied as a metonymic occupational name for a trader in feathers and down a maker of quilts or possibly a maker of pens. Feathermongers are recorded from the 13th century onward.2: English: perhaps also a variant of Father from Middle English fader father feder fether (Old English fæder) ‘father’ often used to denote someone who exercised protecting care like that of a father.3: Native American: translation into English and shortening of a personal name based on a word such as Chippewa miigwan or Lakota Sioux wiyaka meaning ‘feather’. The great cultural significance of the eagle feathers to many Native American tribes is reflected in their traditional personal names many of which were adopted as surnames (translated into English) e.g. Red Feather (see Redfeather) and White Feather (see Whitefeather).4: Americanized form of German Feder.
Feher : 1: Hungarian (Fehér): nickname for someone with a pale complexion or fair or white hair from fehér ‘white’. This surname is also found in Slovenia.2: Jewish (from Hungary; Fehér): adoption of the name in 1 above either as a Hungarian calque of the formerly used German-based surname or because the Hungarian surname (or word) has some sounds in common with the original surname.3: Probably also an altered form German Fehr.
Fitzgibbon : Irish: from Anglo-Norman French fi(t)z ‘son’ (see Fitz) + the personal name Gibbon a Norman French pet form of Gilbert; ‘son of Gibbon’. This name has long been a widespread and important surname in Ireland and Gaelicized as Mac Giobúin. Sir Gilbert (Gibbon) FitzJohn illegitimate son of John FitzGerald 1st Baron Desmond (died 1261) was the ancestor of a line of Anglo-Norman aristocracy in Ireland who acquired the surname Fitzgibbon with reference to him. Gilbert and his Fitzgibbon descendants were known as ‘the White Knights’ on account of their fair complexion.
Frost : English German Danish and Swedish: nickname for someone who suffers from being cold or perhaps used in the sense ‘frosty cold as frost without warmth of feeling’ or perhaps ‘having the appearance of being covered with frost’ for one with white hair or a white beard. From Old English Old High German Old Norse frost ‘frost’.
Gann : 1: Irish: shortened form of McGann from Mag Gana.2: German: from the personal name Gano or in Austria a short form of Candidus a personal name from Latin candidus ‘bright white clear beautiful’ (see Kann).3: German: topographic name for someone who lived near an expanse of scree Middle High German gant.
Gowenlock : from the ancestor of Scots gowan a word for various kinds of yellow and white flowers including the daisy + Old Scots lok ‘locks hair’ 'Goldilocks'.
Haba : 1: Czech: from a shortened form of any of various Old Czech traditional personal names formed with habat ‘to take’ or from a pet form of Havel.2: Polish: perhaps a variant of Chaba from a dialect word meaning ‘rib’ or ‘dry branch’.3: Jewish (from Poland): metonymic occupational name from Polish chaba a kind of coarse white woolen cloth.
Havas : Hungarian: most probably a nickname from Old Hungarian havas ‘sleepwalker’ one of several Hungarian surnames deriving from terms denoting illnesses. Less likely but nevertheless possible is derivation from a nickname for someone with prematurely white hair from the Hungarian vocabulary word havas ‘snowy’ ‘snow-covered’.
Horse : 1: Native American: translation into English (and shortening) of a personal name based on a word meaning ‘horse’ such as Lakota Sioux šuŋk. The importance of the horse to Native Americans is reflected in their traditional personal names many of which were adopted as surnames (translated into English) e.g. American Horse (see Americanhorse) Fast Horse (see Fasthorse) Roan Horse (see Roanhorse) White Horse (see Whitehorse) and Yellow Horse (see Yellowhorse).2: English: nickname from Middle English Old English hors perhaps for someone thought to resemble a horse in some way or for someone who kept or worked with horses or owned a noteworthy horse.
Hortop : from Middle English hor(e) ‘grey white’ + top ‘top tuft of hair head’ for someone with grey or white hair. Compare Blacktop.
Kalk : 1: German and Dutch: metonymic occupational name for a lime burner from Middle High German kalc ‘lime’ (a loanword from Latin calx) Middle Dutch calk. Lime is a white calcium oxide obtained by heating limestone (see Kalkbrenner).2: German (of Slavic origin): unexplained.
Kim : 1: Korean: written 김 in Chinese characters 金 meaning ‘gold’. This is the only Chinese character for the surname Kim which is the most common Korean surname comprising about 20 percent of the Korean population. According to some sources there are over 600 different Kim clans but only c. 100 have been documented. Kims can be found in virtually every part of Korea. The two largest Kim clans the Kim family of Kimhae and the Kim family of Kyŏngju are descended from semi-mythological characters who lived two thousand years ago. According to legend the Kimhae Kim family founder Kim Suro came in answer to a prayer offered by the nine elders of the ancient Karak Kingdom. In 42 AD these elders met together to pray for a king. In answer to their prayer they were sent a golden box containing six golden eggs. From the first egg emerged King Su-ro Karak's first king. The other five eggs became the five kings of Karak's neighboring kingdom Kaya. The founder of the Kim family of Kyŏngju Kim Al-ji had similar origins. In 65 AD the king of Shilla T’alhae heard a strange sound from a forest near the Shilla capital Kyŏngju. On investigation he found a crowing white rooster standing next to a golden egg. From this egg emerged Al-ji founder of the Kyŏngju Kim family and subsequent king of the Shilla Kingdom. Because Al-ji emerged from a golden egg King T’alhae bestowed upon the child the surname Kim which means ‘gold’. It is estimated that about half of the one hundred or so Kim clans of modern Korea are descended from the Kyŏngju Kim clan.2: Chinese: Teochew Hokkien and Taiwanese form of the surname 金 meaning ‘gold’ see Jin 1. This surname is found mainly in other parts of Southeast Asia to which Chinese people migrated from Taiwan Fujian province and eastern Guangdong province.3: Chinese: possibly from Romanization of Chinese names such as 金 (meaning ‘gold’) or 锦 (meaning ‘bright and beautiful’) which were monosyllabic personal names or part of disyllabic personal names of some early Chinese immigrants in the US.4: Vietnamese: from the Chinese surname 金 see Jin 1.5: Swiss German: unexplained.
Kinninmonth : from either of two places in Fife called Kinninmonth named with Gaelic ceann + fionn + monadh ‘head of the white muir upland hill’. The name is stressed on the second syllable.
La Bianca : Italian: nickname from la bianca literally ‘the white (female) one’ or possibly a metronymic from the personal name Bianca.
La Neve : Italian (also Laneve): nickname literally meaning ‘the snow’ probably applied to someone with snowy white hair.
Laukaitis : Lithuanian:: 1: derivative of a nickname based on laukas ‘bald’ or ‘having a white forehead’.2: possibly a topographic name derived from laũkas ‘field’.
Lillicrap : from Middle English lilie-crop ‘the top or head of a lily’ presumably denoting someone with a distinctive white head of hair. Compare Moscrop.
Lirio : Spanish and Portuguese: from lirio ‘lily’ applied as a nickname or as a Christian religious byname (because white lilies symbolize purity particularly the Virgin Mary's purity). This surname is most common in the Philippines.
Littlefield : English: habitational name from Littlefield Green in White Waltham Berkshire. The placename derives from Old English lȳtel ‘little’ + feld ‘open country’.
Lupe : 1: Hispanic: from an old Spanish derivative of Latin lupus ‘wolf’. This surname is most common among Native Americans namely White Mountain Apaches in AR.2: Romanian: nickname derived from lup ‘wolf’.
McAlinden : Irish and Scottish: from Gaelic Mac Ghiolla Fhionntain ‘son of the servant (i.e. devotee) of (Saint) Fionntan’ whose name has been explained as ‘the white ancient’.
McClinton : Irish (northern) and Scottish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Gille Fhionntain (Scottish) Mac Giolla Fhionntáin (Irish) ‘son of the servant (i.e. devotee) of (Saint) Fionntan’ whose name has been explained as ‘the white ancient’.
Minifie : from the dialect word minifer ‘stoat’ although in recent years this word has been restricted to E Anglia. Minifie may be a diminutive form. This word was formerly more widely known in the form miniver as a term for fur of various kinds including the white or greyish winter fur of the red squirrel (French menu vair ‘little grey (fur)’).
Motschenbacher : German: variant of Mutschenbäcker or Mutzenbäcker an occupational name for a baker from Middle High German mutze mutsche(l) ‘bread roll loaf of white bread’ + bäcker (agent noun from backen ‘to bake’).
Mutschler : German: occupational name for a baker who specialized in making white bread Middle High German mutsche mutschel mutze + the agent suffix -er.
Obier : Probably French: variant of Aubier (and in North America perhaps an altered form of this) which can be from a personal name composed of the ancient Germanic elements alb ‘elf’ + heri hari ‘army’ or a topographic name for someone who lived where white poplars grew ultimately derived from Latin albus ‘white’. The surname Obier is very rare in France.
Olan : Hispanic (mainly Mexico; Olán): from a variant of Spanish holán ‘furbelow’ a kind of delicate white fabric frill (originally from Holland whence the name) used to adorn women's skirts; possibly therefore a metonymic occupational name for someone who made or sold such frills.
Picazo : Spanish: nickname from picazo ‘magpie’ applied perhaps to a talkative or thievish person or someone who had a streak of white among black hair. The word is probably derived from Latin pica ‘magpie’ although the suffix is obscure.
Polyblank : perhaps for someone with white hair from Old French poil ‘hair’ + blanc ‘white’ with a linking vowel -e- characteristically appearing in Devon speech as /ɪ/ spelled -i- or -y-.alternatively Coates argues that Polyblaunk might be a reduced form of Old French pulain blanc ‘white foal’ with dissimilatory loss of -n- though the reason for such a nickname is less obvious.
Pye : 1: English (north-West Midlands Lancashire Yorkshire and Norfolk): nickname from Middle English (Old French) pie ‘magpie’ which could be given to someone who wore black and white clothing had grey-streaked dark hair or had a loud chattering voice and impertinent behaviour or was cunning or sly. The uncomplimentary senses derive from the bird's behavior and are recorded uses of the word in Middle English and early Modern English.2: English: occasionally perhaps a topographic or habitational name referring to a house or inn named Pie ‘magpie’. There were two London taverns so named but whether these gave rise to a hereditary surname is not known. Surnames derived from house and inn signs are rare in English.3: English (of Norman origin): nickname from Anglo-Norman French and Middle English pie ‘merciful compassionate kind’ a variant of Old French Anglo-Norman French piu peu; see Pew (2).4: Welsh English (Herefordshire): apparently an Anglicized a shortened form of Welsh ap Hugh ap Hew ap Huw ‘son of Hugh’. The Welsh patronymic was normally shortened to Pugh and Pew 1 but in this case it seems that the diphthong in /piu/ has been simplified to /pi:/ spelled Pye and Pie becoming pronounced in early Modern English as /pai/. The change might have been made on the analogy of Pye the Anglo-Norman French name in 3 above as a variant of Pew 2. Alternatively since this gentry family seems to be English or Anglo-Norman in origin perhaps their name was the name in 3 above but it was mistakenly re-interpreted as a variant of Welsh Pugh a relatively frequent surname in Herefordshire through Welsh immigration.
Quibell : English (north-west Nottinghamshire and south Yorkshire): nickname probably from Middle English whit(e) ‘white’ + belt ‘belt girdle sash’ presumably for someone who was distinguished by his wearing of a white sash. The change of Whitbelt to Quibell (perhaps in the 15th or 16th century) would be through northern dialectal over-aspiration of Wh- i.e. /hw/ as Qu- i.e. /kw/ and loss of /t/ in the consonant clusters /bt/ and /lt/.
Rapps : 3: Americanized form of some similar (like-sounding) Jewish (Ashkenazic) surname for example Rappaport.1: English (Somerset): habitational name from Rapps in Ashill (Somerset) from the Old English tree-name æpse ‘aspen white poplar’. The initial R- is the result of misdivision of the Middle English phrase atter apse ‘at the aspen’. Compare Epps.2: English: variant of Rapp with post-medieval excrescent -s.
Reach : 1: Scottish: nickname for someone with streaks of gray or white hair from Gaelic riabhach ‘brindled grayish’.2: English and Scottish: habitational name from either of two places called Reach in Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire recorded as Reche in medieval documents from Old English rǣc ‘raised strip of land or other linear feature’ (in the case of the Cambridgeshire name specifically referring to Devil's Dyke a post-Roman earthwork). In some instances the name may be topographic denoting residence by such a feature from Middle English reche.
Roessel : 1: German (Rössel): nickname or perhaps an occupational name for a horse dealer from Middle High German rossel a diminutive of ros ‘charger draft horse’; otherwise a topographic or habitational name referring to a house named with this word for example Zum weissen Rössl (‘At the Little White Horse’). Compare Rossel.2: German (Rössel): habitational name from Rössel in East Prussia. Compare Rossel.3: Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic; Rössel): from a diminutive of German Ross ‘horse’ one of surnames assigned at random by Austrian clerks.
Rosado : Spanish: nickname for someone with a notably pink and white complexion from Spanish rosado ‘pink’ Late Latin rosatus a derivative of rosa (see Rose).
Salako : from the Yoruba àmútò̩runwá or circumstance name Sàlàkó̩ from so àlà kó̩ literally ‘(he) who suspends the white cloth’ traditionally bestowed on a child born with the umbilical cord over one shoulder and down along the waistline.
Schimmel : 1: German and Dutch: nickname for a man with gray or white hair from Middle High German Middle Dutch schimel a term used to denote both mildew and a white or dapple gray horse. Old High German forms are not found and the semantic development is not entirely clear.2: Jewish (Ashkenazic): from German Schimmel ‘mildew’ imposed by a non-Jewish government official.3: Jewish (Ashkenazic): from a pet form of the personal name Shimon (see Simon).
Schimming : North German: nickname for a person with gray or white hair from Middle Low German schimmink ‘gray or white horse’.
Schnee : 1: German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): from German Schnee ‘snow’ Middle High German snē snēw a nickname for someone with white hair or an exceptionally pale complexion. This surname is also found in France (Alsace and Lorraine). The Jewish name is mainly artificial.2: German: habitational name from any of several places in Lower Saxony and Westphalia named Schnee.
Scudder : English (Kent): occupational name from Middle English scoudere ‘one who dresses skins into leather of a white or light color’. Compare Whittier.
Semler : German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): occupational name for a baker of white rolls from an agent derivative of Middle High German semel German Semmel Yiddish zeml ‘white bread roll’ (from Middle High German semel(e) simel ‘fine wheat flour’). Such rolls were in contrast to the coarse rye bread that was and is the norm in many households.
Semmel : German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): metonymic occupational name for a baker of white bread rolls (see Semler). The German surname may also be a metonymic occupational name for a dealer in fine wheat flour.
Shahin : Iranian Bangladeshi Indian Muslim Arabic (mainly Egypt and the Levant) and Assyrian/Chaldean: from the Persian personal name Shāhīn meaning ‘falcon’ specifically the royal white falcon (Falco peregrinator). Its Arabic bearers are both Muslims and Christians. Compare Shaheen Chahine and Sahin.
Sheldrick : English (mainly East Anglia): nickname perhaps for a vain or showy person from Middle English scheldrake shelledrake ‘sheldrake’ (the male of the shelduck a mainly white duck with a conspicuous red-brown breastband).
Soroka : Ukrainian Rusyn Belorussian and Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic): nickname from Ukrainian and Rusyn soroka ‘magpie’ Belorussian saroka (Russified soroka) denoting a garrulous or thievish person or someone with a streak of white among black hair. In the case of the Jewish surname it is normally an artificial name one of the many taken from bird names. Rusyn and/or Ukrainian name is also found in Poland and Slovakia. Compare Saroka and Soroko.
Sorokin : Russian and Jewish (from Belarus): patronymic from a nickname based on soroka ‘magpie’ denoting a garrulous or thievish person or someone with a streak of white among black hair. In the case of the Jewish surname it is normally an artificial name one of the many taken from the names of birds. It is formed with the Slavic possessive suffix -in.
Starr : 1: English: from Middle English sterre ‘star’ (Old English steorra) used like the Old Norse Stjarna as a nickname but also occasionally as a personal name. The word was also used in a transferred sense of a patch of white hair on the forehead of a horse and so perhaps the nickname denoted someone with a streak of white hair. This surname has been established in Ireland since the 17th century.2: English: in addition the name may occasionally also have been topographic or habitational referring to a house or inn distinguished by the sign of a star (see 2 above). Surnames derived from house and inn signs are rare in English.3: Jewish (Ashkenazic): variant of Star 1 and 3.4: In some cases also an American shortened and altered form of Slovenian Stare or of some other Slovenian Croatian or Serbian surname beginning with Star- ‘old’ such as Slovenian Starc (see Startz 2) Serbian and Croatian Starčević (see Starcevic).
Stoyle : from Old French estoile Anglo-Norman French (e)stoile ‘star’. The reason for the nickname is unknown but it may have alluded to a star-shaped emblem embroidered on an item of clothing or to a patch of white hair on the head. Compare Starr with which this surname may originally have been interchangeable.
Studebaker : Altered form of German Studebäcker Stutenbecker an occupational name for a baker from Middle Low German stute ‘fine white bread’ + becker ‘baker’.
Tower : 1: English: topographic name for someone who lived near a tower usually a defensive fortification or watchtower from Middle English Old French tūr (from Latin turris).2: English: occupational name for someone who dressed white leather cured with alum rather than tanned with bark from an agent derivative of Middle English taw(en) (Old English tawian ‘to prepare make ready’).3: Americanized form of German Tauer.
Voges : 1: North German: possibly a patronymic from Vogt.2: South German: from Middle High German vogesser a metonymic occupational name from voche(n)ze (from Late Latin focatia ‘kind of cake white bread’) for a pastry cook or confectioner.
Weisbecker : German: occupational name for a baker of white bread from a shortened form of Middle High German wizbrōt ‘white bread’ + an agent derivative of backen ‘to bake’.
Weisbrod : Jewish (Ashkenazic) and German: metonymic occupational name for a baker from Middle High German wizbrōt German Weissbrot ‘white bread’; compare Weisbecker. White bread would have been something of a delicacy in the Middle Ages when coarse brown bread was the norm. In some instances the Jewish surname is artificial.
Weishaar : German: nickname for someone with white hair from Middle High German wīz ‘white’ + hār ‘hair’.
Weishaupt : German: nickname for someone with white hair from Middle High German wīz ‘white’ + houbet ‘head’.
Weiskopf : German: nickname for someone with white or very fair hair from Middle High German wīz ‘white’ + kopf ‘head’.
Weismantel : German: variant of Weissmantel from Middle High German wīz ‘white shining’ + mantel ‘cloak mantle’ applied as a nickname for someone who habitually wore a white cloak.
Weismiller : Americanized form of German Weissmüller from Middle High German wīz ‘white’ + müller ‘miller’ an occupational name for a miller who produced white flour which was produced as early as the 14th century.
Weiss : 1: German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): nickname for someone with white hair or a remarkably pale complexion from Middle High German wīz German weiss ‘white’. This surname is also found in Poland Czechia Slovakia Slovenia and Croatia often as a German translation of a corresponding Slavic surnames e.g. Slovenian Belec and Bele (see Belle). It is also found in France (mainly Alsace and Lorraine) Denmark and the Netherlands.2: German: variant of Weis.3: German: habitational name from any of various places called Weis(s) or Weissen.4: German: from a short form of an ancient Germanic personal name formed with wīg ‘battle’ or wid(u) ‘wood forest’ as the first element.
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Source : DAFN2 : Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, ©2022 by Patrick Hanks and Oxford University Press
FANBI : The Oxford Dictionary if Family Names in Britain and Ireland, ©2016, University of the West of England
FANBI : The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain, ©2021, University of the West of England
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