Origin
Christian : 1: German and French: from the personal name Christian from Latin Christianus ‘follower of Christ’ (see Christ 1) literally ‘the Christian’. The usual French form is however Chrétien (see Chretien). For the cognate English name see 3 below.2: Manx: from Mac Kristinn ‘son of Kristinn’ a borrowing of the Old Norse form of Latin Christianus ‘the Christian’. Christian is a learned Anglicized form.3: English (of Norman origin): from the interchangeable Middle English personal names Cristian and Cristin used for both men and women. Cristian is from Latin Christianus (see 1 above) and its female equivalent Christiana. Cristin is from Latin Christinus and Christina male and female diminutives of Christus ‘Christ’. They were introduced to England and Scotland by the Normans in their Old French forms male Crestien (or the learned form Cristian) and Cristin female Cristiane and Cristine. Cristin(e) was naturally associated with the Middle English word cristen cristin or criston ‘Christian’ (Old English crīsten) reinforcing the tendency to use Cristin and Cristian as alternative name forms. The male name was never common in medieval England but the female name became increasingly popular in the 14th and 15th centuries.4: Scottish and Manx: either from one or other of the Old French personal names in 1 above or from the Old Norse male personal name Kristinn. Compare Christie and Christison. Alternatively the surname in southwest Scotland may have been brought there by Manxmen (see 2 above).
Aaron : Jewish English Welsh West Indian Guyanese and African (mainly Nigeria): from the Biblical Hebrew personal name Aharon (which was Latinized as Aaron) borne by the first high priest of the Israelites the brother of Moses (Exodus 4:14). Like Moses it is probably of Egyptian origin with a meaning no longer recoverable. In England and Wales the name comes from the occasional adoption of Aaron as a Christian personal name. In south Wales for example where fixed surnames developed much later than in England it was coined independently as a surname in the 17th–19th centuries reflecting the enthusiasm for Old Testament personal names among Nonconformists.
Abel : 1: English German Dutch Danish Norwegian French Spanish and Polish; Slovak (mainly Ábel) and Czech (also Ábel): from the Biblical personal name Abel Slovak Ábel which was used in continental Europe from the sixth century. After the Norman Conquest it was introduced to England and Scotland where it had a brief currency in the 12th and 13th centuries before being revived in England after the Reformation. In the Book of Genesis Abel is a son of Adam murdered by his brother Cain (Genesis 4:1–8). In Christian tradition he is regarded as a representative of suffering innocence. The Hebrew form of the name is Hebel (Latinized as Abel) from a vocabulary word meaning ‘breath’.2: German: from the personal name Abel a pet form of Albrecht.
Achatz : German: from the personal name Achatz a vernacular form of Achatius a Latinate form of both the Biblical name Ahaz (2 Kings 16:1) which means ‘he (i.e. God) has made fast’ and of a Byzantine Christian saint a Roman soldier who according to legend was crucified on Mount Ararat during the reign of Hadrian; his name is probably a derivative of Greek Achates known as the name of Aeneas's faithful Trojan companion in Virgil's Aeneid.
Adem : Muslim (mainly Ethiopia) and Arabic: from the personal name Adem a derivative (in Ethiopia) or a variant (among Arabs e.g. in Algeria) of Arabic Ādam (see Adam 3). This form of the surname is also found among Christian Arabs (e.g. in Lebanon).
Adrian : English French German Polish and Romanian: from a vernacular form of the Latin personal name Adrianus (Hadrianus) originally an ethnic name denoting someone from the coast of the Adriatic (Latin Adria). It was borne by several minor early Christian saints in particular a martyr at Nicomedia (died c. 304) the patron saint of soldiers and butchers. Later the name was adopted by several popes including the only pope of English birth Nicholas Breakspear who reigned as Adrian IV (1154–59).
Advincula : Hispanic (mainly Philippines; Advíncula): from a Christian religious byname referring to a feast day (1 August) named in Latin Sanctus Petrus ad vincula ‘Saint Peter in Chains’.
Agnes : 1: English; French (Agnès); Hungarian (Ágnes): from a female personal name which is from Late Latin Agnes and this one from Greek Hagnē from hagnē ‘pure chaste’. Saint Agnes was a Christian virgin martyr one of those who suffered under the persecutions of Diocletian in 303 AD. Her name was associated by folk etymology with Latin agnus ‘lamb’ and in medieval art she is often depicted with a lamb (the lamb of God). See also English Annis.2: American shortened (and altered) form of rare Greek metronymics Agnidis or Agniadis both derived from the female personal name Hagnē (see 1 above) or of patronymics like Anagnostopoulos (compare Agnew 4).
Albert : French English German Catalan Hungarian Romanian Dutch Slovak Czech Croatian Slovenian West Indian (mainly Haiti) and Mauritian: from the personal name Albert composed of the ancient Germanic elements adal ‘noble’ + berht ‘bright famous’. The standard German form is Albrecht. The name was borne by several Christian saints notably Saint Albert of Prague a Bohemian prince who died a martyr in 997 attempting to convert the Prussians to Christianity and Saint Albert the Great (c. 1193–1280) an Aristotelian theologian and tutor of Thomas Aquinas. In more recent times it has been adopted as a Jewish surname.
Albin : 1: English French and German: from the personal name Albin (from Latin Albinus a derivative of albus ‘white’). In England this is generally a variant of Alban. The usual spelling of the French name is Aubin. The personal name was especially popular in Austria Lombardy and Savoy where it absorbed the ancient Germanic name Albuin (which is composed of the elements alb ‘elf’ + win ‘friend’; compare Alvin). This was the name of the Lombard leader (died 572) who made himself king of northern Italy and also of various Christian saints including a bishop of Brixen (Bressanone) in South Tyrol.2: Galician (Albín): habitational name from any of the four places called Albín in Galicia (Spain) from Latin (villa) Albini.
Alexander : 1: Scottish English German and Dutch: from the personal name Alexander classical Greek Alexandros which probably originally meant ‘repulser of men (i.e. of the enemy)’ from alexein ‘to repel’ + andros genitive of anēr ‘man’. Its popularity in the Middle Ages was due mainly to the Macedonian conqueror Alexander the Great (356–323 BC) - or rather to the hero of the mythical versions of his exploits that gained currency in the so-called Alexander Romances. The name was also borne by various early Christian saints including a patriarch of Alexandria (c. 250–326 AD) whose main achievement was condemning the Arian heresy. The Gaelic form of the personal name is Alasdair which has given rise to a number of Scottish and Irish patronymics for example McAllister. Alexander is a common personal name in Scotland often representing an Anglicized form of the Gaelic name. In North America the English form of the surname has absorbed cognates from other languages e.g. Spanish Alejandro Italian Alessandro Arabic or Assyrian/Chaldean Iskandar and Iskander and their derivatives e.g. Greek patronymic Alexandropoulos.2: Jewish: from the adopted personal name Alexander (see 1 above) or shortened from the eastern Ashkenazic (originally Slavic) patronymics Aleksandrovich or Alexandrowicz.
Alipio : Portuguese and Spanish (Alípio): from the personal name Alípio from Latin Alypius which is of Greek origin from alypos ‘free of pain and grief’. This was the name of an early Christian saint (354–430) a friend of St. Augustine who in 394 was appointed bishop of Tagaste in North Africa. This surname is rare in Portugal and Spain; it is found mainly in the Philippines.
Aloi : Italian (mainly southern): from the personal name Aloi from French Eloy from Latin Eligius a Christian saint's name of which the Italian form is Eligio.
Amabile : Italian (mainly Naples): from the personal name Amabile meaning ‘lovable’ or (as a Christian name) ‘worthy of God's love’.
Amador : Spanish Portuguese and Catalan: from a medieval personal name Latin Amator ‘lover (i.e. of God)’ from amare ‘to love’. As a personal name it was particularly popular in the 16th century having been borne by various Christian saints.
Amand : French and Walloon and in some cases possibly also English (of Norman origin) Dutch or Flemish: from the Old French personal name Amand Amant Latin amandus ‘suitable to be loved’ the name of a 5th-century bishop of Bordeaux and several other Christian saints. In England it was also used as a female personal name.
Amarante : 1: Italian (Campania): from an early Christian female personal name Greek Amaranthē ‘unfading’ bestowed with reference to the adjective amarantos (conflated with anthos ‘flower’ to give the -anth ending) as used in I Peter 5:4: ‘And when the chief shepherd shall appear ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away’.2: Portuguese and Galician: habitational name from any of the places so called in northern Portugal and Galicia from Latin (villa) Amaranti from the Latin personal name Amarant(h)us (‘amaranth’).
Anastasia : Italian:: 1: from the personal name Anastasia feminine form of Anastasio. Anastasia was a popular personal name in medieval southern Europe because of the cult of a 4th-century Christian saint who was martyred at Sirmium in Pannonia. She was widely venerated especially in the Eastern Church.2: in some instances perhaps a habitational name from the placename Santa Anastasìa in Naples province.
Angel : 1: Spanish (Ángel) and Slovenian: from local equivalents of the Latin personal name Angelus from angelus Greek angelos ‘messenger angel’. In early Christian folk belief angels were so named because they were considered to be messengers sent from God. Compare Spanish Del Angel.2: English (of Norman origin): from Middle English angel ‘angel’ from Old French angele from Latin angelus (see above) perhaps applied as a nickname to someone of angelic temperament or appearance or for someone who played the part of an angel in a pageant. In North America this surname may also be an altered form of any of several cognate European surnames for example Italian Angelo Romanian Anghel Czech Anděl or Hungarian Angyal.3: American shortened form of Greek Angelis or of any other derivative of the personal name Angelos (see Angelos). Compare Angell and Angelus.4: German: nickname from Old High German ango ‘spine prick’ (also denoting the sharp awn or ‘beard’ of grain) denoting an angry or aggressive person. The German surname is concentrated in the farming area of southern Württemberg.5: German: metonymic occupational name for a fisherman from Middle High German angel ‘fishing rod’.6: South German: perhaps a topographic name from angel ‘meadow grass field’.7: Americanized form of Croatian Anđel a cognate of 1 above. Compare Angell.
Antolin : 1: Spanish (Antolín): from a personal name from Latin Antoninus a name borne by several Christian saints.2: Slovenian: augmentative derivative of the old personal name Antol.
Antonino : 1: Italian and Spanish: from the personal name Antonino which is from Latin Antoninus an early Christian saint's name a derivative of Antonius (see Anthony).2: Italian: from a pet form of the personal name Antonio ‘Anthony’.
Aparicio : Spanish; Portuguese (Aparício): from the personal name Aparicio (Portuguese Aparício) bestowed especially on children born on or around the Christian feast of the Epiphany (6th January).
Apolinar : Spanish and Portuguese: from a variant of the medieval personal name Apolinario via Latin from Greek Apollinaris which means ‘belonging to the god Apollo’. It was borne by various early Christian saints including the first bishop of Ravenna who was martyred in about 260.
Apollo : Italian Filipino and East African (Uganda Kenya): from the Latin personal name Apollo. There are several saints Apollo in the Christian Church including an Egyptian hermit and monastic leader who died in 395 AD. The personal name derives from the name in Greek and Roman mythology of the sun god Apollo an ancient Indo-European name found for example in Hittite as Apulana ‘god of the gate’ (from pula ‘gate’ cognate with Greek pylē) therefore ‘protector patron’.
Apolonio : 1: Portuguese and Spanish: from the personal name Apolonio (Portuguese Apolónio) from Latin Apollonius Greek Apollōnios meaning ‘consecrated to Apollo’ (see Apollo). This was the name of a Christian saint (Saint Apollonius the Apologist) who was martyred in Rome in 185 under the Emperor Commodus. He was noted for his calmly argued defence of Christianity under interrogation which led to his condemnation and martyrdom. This surname is most common in Mexico and the Philippines.2: In some cases also an altered form of Italian Apollonio.
Apostolos : Greek: shortened form of patronymics such as Apostolakis Apostolides and Apostolopoulos derived from the personal name Apostolos from apostolos ‘apostle’. The term apostolos was adopted by early Christians in honor of Christ's twelve apostles and as a symbol of their own commitment to spreading the Christian message. The original meaning of the Greek word apostolos is ‘messenger one sent with a message’ from apostellein ‘to send’. The word was used in the Septuagint as a translation of Hebrew saleh ‘messenger apostle’. Compare Apostle and Apostol.
Aquino : 1: Italian Spanish and Portuguese: from a Christian personal name bestowed in honor of Saint Thomas Aquinas (1225–74; Tommaso d'Aquino in Italian Tomás de Aquino in Spanish) an Italian Dominican friar and Doctor of the Church. This surname is also common in the Philippines. See also 2 below compare De Aquino.2: Italian: habitational name from a place called Aquino (see D'Aquino) the place where the theologian (see 1 above) was born.
Arcuri : Italian (southern): variant of Arcudi a derivative of the Greek personal name Arkadios conflated by folk etymology with modern Greek arkouda ‘bear’. The name Arkadios originally denoted someone from the region of Arcadia in the Peloponnese. It was borne by a Christian saint from Mauritania martyred c. 302.
Aries : 1: English: variant of Aris.2: Spanish: possibly a variant of Arias.3: French (Ariès): from a medieval personal name a derivative of Latin Aredius which was borne by a 5th-century Christian saint an abbot of Limoges.
Armel : 1: Americanized form of German Ermel.2: Breton: from the Old Breton personal name Arthmael composed of the elements arth ‘bear’ (in a transferred sense ‘soldier’) + mael ‘prince’ Latinized as Armagilus. This was the name of a Christian saint (5th century) who was the subject of a local cult in Brittany.3: Jewish (from Ukraine): artificial name from Yiddish dialect (h)arml ‘hermine’.
Artim : Rusyn (from Slovakia) and Ukrainian (standard transliteration Artym): from the personal name Artim (Rusyn) Artym (Ukrainian) from Greek Artemios ‘consecrated to the Artemis’ the classical goddess of the hunt. Saint Artemius (died 362) was an early Christian saint venerated especially in Slavic Orthodoxy.
Ascencio : Hispanic (mainly Mexico and El Salvador): from a Spanish Christian personal name referring to the Ascension of Jesus (see Ascencion). Compare Asencio.
Ascencion : Spanish (Las Palmas; Ascención): variant of Ascensión from a Christian personal name referring to the Ascension of Jesus (Spanish Ascensión del Señor Latin Ascensio Iesu from ascensio ‘ascent’) i.e. the ascent of Jesus Christ to heaven on the fortieth day after His resurrection. The surname may also be a reference to a local church dedicated to the Ascension. This surname is very rare in Spain; it is found mainly in Mexico. Compare Ascencio and Asencio.
Asencio : Spanish: from a Christian personal name referring to the Ascension of Jesus (see Ascencion). Compare Ascencio and Asensio.
Asis : Spanish (Asís): from a shortened form of San Francisco de Asís a personal name bestowed in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi (c. 1181–1226) a Christian saint from Assisi in Italy. This surname is most common in the Philippines. Compare De Asis.
Assis : Portuguese: from a personal name bestowed in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi (c. 1181–1226) a Christian saint from Assisi in Italy.
Attanasio : Italian: from a medieval personal name from Greek Athanasios meaning ‘immortal’. The name was borne by Saint Athanasius (c. 297–373) bishop of Alexandria who was one of the most influential of the fathers of the Christian Church. Compare Atanasio.
Aubin : 1: French: from the personal name Aubin (from Latin Albinus a derivative of albus ‘white’). This was the name of several minor early Christian saints including a famous bishop of Angers (died c. 554). At an early date this name became confused with the ancient Germanic personal name Albuin (see Albin). Compare Obey and Obin.2: English: variant of Albin.
Audrey : English:: 1: (of Norman origin): habitational name from Audrieu in Calvados France recorded as Aldreium in 1108.2: from the Middle English female personal name Aldrith which sometimes became Audrey by a 15th-century pronunciation change of /ald/ to /aud/. It derives from one of three Old English female personal names Æthelthrȳth ‘noble strength’ Ælfthrȳth ‘elf strength’ and Ealhthrȳth ‘temple strength’. The most popular was Æthelthrȳth commonly Latinized as Etheldreda and appearing in various Middle English forms such as Atheldrith(e) Aildrith Aldreth Etheldred and Eldrid(e). It was borne by a Christian saint Saint Etheldred (later known also as Saint Audrey) Queen of Northumbria daughter of Anna king of East Anglia. She was the founder and first abbess of the monastery at Ely in about 672 and her continuing cult after the Norman Conquest was probably responsible for the survival of the personal name well into the 14th century.
Aurelio : Italian and Spanish: from the personal name Aurelio from Latin Aurelius a name of pre-Roman origin borne by a plebeian family at ancient Rome and by Saint Aurelius of Carthage a fifth-century Christian saint. As a surname of Spanish origin it is most common in the Philippines and Mexico whereas as a surname of Italian origin it is also found in southern France.
Avelino : Spanish and Portuguese: from a Christian personal name bestowed in honor of Saint Andrew Avellino (1521–1608; Andrea Avellino in Italian; see Avellino) an Italian priest venerated as patron saint of Naples and Sicily.
Avetisyan : Armenian: patronymic from the eastern Armenian personal name Avetis derived from the Christian term awetik ‘good news’ (i.e. ‘the Gospel’) a calque on the Greek word euangelos and the name Euangelos (see Evangelista). Compare Avedisian and Avetisian.
Babel : 1: Jewish (Ashkenazic): artificial name from German or Polish Babel ‘Babylon’ (which was named with the Assyrian elements bāb ‘gate’ + ilu ‘god’). The Jewish people were held in captivity in Babylon from 597 to about 538 BC and the name was sometimes adopted with reference to being an oppressed minority in a foreign culture.2: German: from a variant of the personal name Babo a name developed from baby talk also a pet form of Paul.3: French: from a pet form of the female personal name Isabel.4: French: from Babel a medieval personal name bestowed in honor of St. Babylas a 3rd-century Christian patriarch of Antioch whose name is of uncertain origin.
Bahri : 1: Muslim (mainly Maghreb Iran and Indonesia) and Arabic: from the Arabic adjective baḥrī (or the Indonesian loanword bahri) ‘marine maritime’ a derivative of baḥr ‘sea’. This surname is also found among Christian Arabs especially in Lebanon.2: Indian (Punjab): Khatri and Sikh name from Punjabi bā’rā ‘twelve’. The Bahris are one of the major subdivisions of the Khatri community and comprise twelve clans: Chopra Dhawan Kapoor Khanna Maindharu Malhotra Sehgal Seth Talwar Tannan Vohra and Wadhaun.
Bakos : 1: Hungarian; Slovak Czech and Croatian (Bakoš): derivative of the old personal name or nickname Bak.2: Assyrian/Chaldean: from a Syriac equivalent of the Latin personal name Bacchus of ultimately Greek origin borne by a Christian martyr from the 4th century. See also Bacchus 3.
Baldwin : 1: English and North German: from a personal name composed of the ancient Germanic elements bald ‘bold brave’ + wine ‘friend’ which was extremely popular among the Normans and in Flanders in the early Middle Ages. It was the personal name of the Crusader who in 1100 became the first Christian king of Jerusalem and of four more Crusader kings of Jerusalem. It was also borne by Baldwin Count of Flanders (1172–1205) leader of the Fourth Crusade who became first Latin Emperor of Constantinople (1204). In North America this surname has absorbed Dutch forms such as Boudewijn.2: Irish: surname adopted in Donegal by bearers of the Gaelic surname Ó Maolagáin (see Milligan) due to association of Gaelic maol ‘bald hairless’ with English bald.
Barbara : 1: Italian English and West Indian (Dutch Caribbean); Spanish and Portuguese (Bárbara): from the female personal name Barbara which was borne by a popular Christian saint who according to legend was imprisoned in a tower and later put to death by her own father for refusing to recant her Christian beliefs. The name comes from the feminine form of Latin barbarus Greek barbaros ‘foreign(er)’ (originally an onomatopoeic word formed in imitation of the unintelligible babbling of non-Greeks). As a West Indian surname it reflects the partially mother-oriented name culture of the formerly enslaved people of the West Indies (compare Martina).2: Catalan (Barbarà): variant of Barberà (see Barbera).
Barcia : 1: Galician: habitational name from any of numerous places so named in Galicia and in Galician-speaking western Asturias meaning ‘cultivated land close to a river’.2: Italian (Sicily): of Albanian origin (see Barci). This surname is found in the ancient Albanian-speaking community of Piana degli Albanesi Sicily where the Albanian Christian refugees from the Turkish occupation of the Balkans settled in the 15th century.
Bartholomew : 1: English: from the Middle English personal name Bertilmew Bertelmy a borrowing of the Old French form of the Biblical personal name Bartholomew (from Latin Bartholomaeus; Hebrew ‘son of Talmai’ said to mean ‘having many furrows’ i.e. rich in land). This was an extremely popular personal name in Christian Europe with many vernacular derivatives. It derived its popularity from the apostle Saint Bartholomew (Matthew 10:3) who was among other things the patron saint of tanners vintners and butlers.2: As an Irish name it has been used as an Anglicized form of Mac Pharthaláin (see McFarlane).
Basil : 1: English (Hertfordshire): from the Middle English personal name Basil itself from Old French Basil(e) Latin Basilius ultimately from Greek Basileios ‘royal’. The name was borne by a 4th-century bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia regarded as one of the four Fathers of the Eastern Church; he wrote important theological works and established a rule for religious orders of monks. Various other Christian saints are also known under these and cognate names. The popularity of Vasily as a Russian personal name is largely due to the fact that this was the ecclesiastical name of Saint Vladimir (956–1015) Prince of Kiev who was chiefly responsible for the introduction of Christianity to Russia. In North America the English form of the surname has absorbed Italian cognate Basile 1 and some Greek and Slavic derivatives of the classical Greek personal name Basileios (see Vasil).2: Americanized form of French Basile 2 a cognate of 1 above.
Baten : 1: Dutch and Flemish: metronymic from the female personal name Bate from Latin Beatrix ‘bringer of luck’ an early Christian saint's name.2: Hispanic or Amerindian (Guatemala): unexplained.3: Muslim (Bangladesh and India): from a variant of the Arabic personal name Bāṭin literally ‘inward within’. Al-Bāṭin ‘the Inner One’ is an attribute of Allah.
Battiato : Italian (Sicily): nickname from the Sicilian dialect word bbattiatu ‘baptized’ by extension ‘Christian’. The name was probably added routinely to the personal name or names of a new Christian convert.
Beatrice : Italian and English: from a female personal name borne in honor of a 4th-century Christian saint martyred together with her brothers Simplicius and Faustinus. Her name was originally Viātrix meaning ‘traveler’ (a feminine form of viātor from via ‘way’) a name adopted by early Christians in reference to the journey through life and Christ's description of himself as ‘the way the life and the truth’; it was later altered as a result of folk etymological association with Latin beatus ‘blessed’.
Beguin : French (also Béguin):: 1: from a diminutive of the ancient Germanic personal name Bego a short form of compound names based on the element beg from Latin beccus ‘beak bill’.2: nickname from beguin the name for a member of a medieval Christian male religious community (ultimately named after a priest called Lambert le Begue; see Begue) that followed a monastic rule without making perpetual vows and was quickly considered heretic; by extension the term came to mean ‘sanctimonious person’.
Behnam : Assyrian/Chaldean and Iranian: from the Persian personal name Behnām which means literally ‘good reputation’ (from beh ‘good’ and nām ‘name reputation’) and is interpreted as ‘reputable honorable’. This is the name of a Christian saint from the 4th century venerated in the Oriental Orthodox Church.
Belarmino : Hispanic (Philippines) and Portuguese: from a Christian personal name bestowed in honor of Saint Robert Bellarmine (1542–1621; Roberto Bellarmino in Italian Roberto Belarmino in Spanish and Portuguese) an Italian Jesuit and Doctor of the Church. The name could be a compound of Italian bello ‘beautiful’ and the personal name Armino (see Armin) or eventually a variant of the personal name Beniamino (see Benjamin).
Beni : 1: Italian: patronymic or plural form of Bene.2: French: from beni ‘blessed’ the past participle of bénir ‘to bless’ (from Latin benedicere) presumably applied as a nickname possibly with Christian overtones.
Benjamin : Jewish (Sephardic and Ashkenazic) English French West Indian (mainly Haiti) and African (mainly Nigeria and Tanzania); Hungarian (Benjámin): from the Hebrew male personal name Binyāmīn ‘Son of the South’. In the Book of Genesis it is treated as meaning ‘Son of the Right Hand’. The two senses are connected since in Hebrew the south is thought of as the right-hand side of a person who is facing east. Benjamin was the youngest and favorite son of Jacob and supposed progenitor of one of the twelve tribes of Israel (Genesis 35:16-18; 42:4). The personal name was not common among Gentiles in the Middle Ages but its use was sanctioned by virtue of having been borne by a Christian saint martyred in Persia in about AD 424. In some cases in medieval Europe it was also applied as a byname or nickname to the youngest (and beloved) son of a large family; this is the sense of modern French benjamin. In North America this surname has absorbed cognates from other languages e.g. Assyrian/Chaldean Benyamin and Italian Beniamino.
Bernard : English Scottish French Walloon Breton Dutch German Polish Czech Slovenian West Indian (mainly Haiti) and African (mainly Tanzania): from the personal name Bernard from an ancient Germanic name composed of the elements ber(n) ‘bear’ + hard ‘brave hardy strong’ (see Bernhard). It was borne by several Christian saints including Saint Bernard of Menthon (923–1008) founder of Alpine hospices and patron saint of mountaineers whose cult accounts for the frequency of the name in Alpine regions. The popularity of the personal name was also greatly increased by virtue of its having been borne by Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (c. 1090–1153) founder and abbot of the Cistercian monastery at Clairvaux. In North America the English form of the surname has absorbed cognates from other languages e.g. Italian Bernardo. Bernard is the second most frequent surname in France. Compare Barnard Benore and Burnor.
Besecker : North German: from the personal name Bäsecke from Latin Basilius (see Basil) a Christian saint's name. In some cases it may also be a derivative of the personal name Bernhard.
Bifano : Italian (southern): from the personal name Epifanio typically given to children born on or around the Christian feast of the Epiphany (6th January).
Birr : German:: 1: from a short form of the personal name Pirmin the name of an 8th-century Christian saint a bishop who founded several monasteries in southern Germany or perhaps from an altered form of the French personal name Pierre (see Peter).2: nickname or metonymic occupational name from Middle High German bir ‘pear’.
Bishop : English: from Middle English bissop biscop Old English bisc(e)op ‘bishop’ which comes via Latin from Greek episkopos ‘overseer’. The Greek word was adopted early in the Christian era as a title for an overseer of a local community of Christians and has yielded cognates in every European language: French évêque Italian vescovo Spanish obispo Russian yepiskop German Bischof etc. The word came to be applied as a surname for a variety of reasons among them a supposed resemblance in bearing or appearance to a bishop and selection as the ‘boy bishop’ on Saint Nicholas's Feast Day. In some instances the surname is from the rare Middle English (Old English) personal name Biscop ‘bishop’. As an Irish surname it is adopted for Mac Giolla Easpaig meaning ‘servant of the bishop’ (see Gillespie). In North America this surname has absorbed by assimilation and translation at least some of continental European cognates e.g. German Bischoff Polish Rusyn Czech and Slovak Biskup Slovenian Škof (see Skoff).
Blasius : German and French (Lorraine and Alsace): from the Latin personal name Blasius from Greek Blasios which is of uncertain origin. It is believed that this was originally a byname for someone with some defect of speech or gait from Latin blaesus ‘stammering or lame’ Greek blaisos ‘bow-legged’. The name was borne by a Christian saint martyred in Armenia in 316 whose cult achieved wide popularity in particular as the patron saint of cripples and carders the latter by virtue of the fact that he was ‘carded’ to death i.e. his flesh was scraped off in small pieces with metal combs. In North America the Latin/German form of the name has absorbed cognates from some other languages and their patronymics and other derivatives e.g. Slovenian and Croatian Blaž (see Blaz) and its patronymics like Blažič and Blažić. Compare Blasier.
Boda : 1: Hungarian: from a derivative of Bod a personal name believed by some to be derived from a Turkic word meaning ‘twig’ but the etymology is uncertain. In Hungary such one-element personal names of pagan origin were given to servants usually before the 14th and 15th centuries when Christian names became dominant.2: Hungarian: possibly also from Bóda a pet form of the personal name Boldizsár Hungarian form of Baltazar (compare 3 below and Bodi).3: Slovak (mainly Boďa): from a pet form of the personal name Baltazár Slovak form of Baltazar.4: Spanish: nickname from boda ‘wedding’ (from Latin vota ‘(marriage) vows’ plural of votum from vovere ‘to vow’). This surname is very rare in Spain.5: Altered form of French Canadian Beaudin 2. Compare Bodah.
Bonaventura : 1: Italian: from the personal name Bonaventura meaning ‘good fortune’ bestowed as an omen or well-wishing name or in honor of a 13th-century Italian bishop and theologian St. Bonaventure (San Bonaventura in Italian) who was given the nickname Bonaventura by St. Francis of Assisi when he cured him miraculously as a child.2: Catalan: from the Italian personal name Bonaventura the name of a Christian saint (see 1 above).
Boniface : 1: English (Sussex) and French: from the personal name Boniface (from Latin Bonifatius a compound of bonum ‘good’ + fatum ‘fate destiny’; see also Bonifacio). Bonifatius was the name of the Roman military governor of North Africa in 422–32 who was a friend of Saint Augustine. It was also borne by various early Christian saints and was adopted by nine popes. One of the noted early Christian saints of this name (c. 675–754) was born in Devon and martyred in Friesland after evangelical work among ancient Germanic tribes; he is one of the Ice Saints (see Pankratz). In Latin the name was given chiefly to ecclesiastics rarely to men of the lower orders and Boniface was never very popular in England. In the Isle of Wight its use was possibly encouraged by a cult of Saint Boniface at Bonchurch.2: English: perhaps sometimes also a nickname from Anglo-Norman French bon enfas ‘good child’ with enfas as occasional nominative case for enfant understood by clerks as if the Christian saint's name Boniface (see 1 above). Compare Goodchild.
Bono : 1: Italian: from the personal name Bono meaning ‘good’ from the Latin name Bonus which was borne by a minor 3rd-century Christian saint martyred at Rome with eleven companions under the Emperor Vespasian. It was adopted as a personal name partly in his honor and partly because of the transparently well-omened meaning.2: Italian: nickname from bono ‘good’ (from Latin bonus).3: Catalan and Spanish: probably of Italian origin (see above).4: Hungarian (Bonó): from a pet form of the personal name Bonifác (see Boniface).5: French (southeastern): of Italian origin (see above).6: Breton (also Le Bono): habitational name from Le Bono a place in Morbihan Brittany (France).7: Altered form of French Bonneau.
Boon : 1: English: variant of Boone.2: Dutch: from a shortened form of the personal name Boudijn itself shortened from Boudewijn (see Baldwin) or from Latin Bonifatius (see Boniface) a Christian saint's name.3: Dutch: from boon ‘bean’ hence a metonymic occupational name for a bean grower or perhaps a nickname for a tall thin man (with reference to the stringbean).4: Chinese: Teochew or Hokkien or Hainanese Romanization of the surname 文 see Wen 2.
Boscia : Italian (southern of Albanian origin): variant of Borsci from Albanian Borshi a habitational name from a place in southern Albania named Borsh (definite form Borshi). The surname is borne by descendants of the Albanian Christian refugees from the Turkish occupation of the Balkans who in the 15th century took refuge in the southern Italy. Compare Bosh.
Bosnjak : Croatian Serbian Slovenian and Bosniak (Bošnjak): from Bošnjak an ethnic name for someone from Bosnia. In the past this term particularly denoted a Croat from Bosnia or a Christian refugee from the Turkish occupation of this country in the 15th and 16th centuries. Compare Bosnyak.
Bracken : 1: Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Breacáin ‘descendant of Breacán’ a personal name from a diminutive of breac ‘speckled spotted’ which was borne by a 6th-century Christian saint who lived at Ballyconnel County Cavan and was famous as a healer; Saint Bricin's Military Hospital Dublin is named in his honor.2: Irish: from Ó Bragáin see Bragan.3: English: topographic name from Middle English braken ‘bracken’ (from Old English bræcen or Old Norse brakni) or a habitational name from a place called with this word such as Bracken in East Yorkshire Bracken Fold in Westmorland or Bracon Ash in Norfolk.4: German: especially in the north probably a topographic name from Middle Low German brake ‘brushwood fallow land copse’ an element of many field and placenames.
Bras : 1: Dutch: from Middle Dutch bras ‘arm’. This was probably a descriptive nickname for someone with some peculiarity of the arm but the word was also used as a measure of length and may also have denoted a surveyor (compare 3 below).2: Spanish; Portuguese (Brás): from a vernacular form of the personal name Blasius popularized through the cult of the 4th-century Christian martyr. Compare Portuguese Braz.3: French: from Old French bras ‘arm’ a term used as a measure of length hence a metonymic occupational name for a surveyor.4: Breton (mainly Le Bras): nickname for a corpulent man from bras ‘big’.5: Polish (Braś): unexplained.
Brender : 1: German and Danish: probably of the same derivation as Brenner. It may also have denoted the wax-light bearer (ceroferarius) in Christian ceremony.2: Jewish (Ashkenazic): variant of Brander.
Brice : French English and Scottish: from the Old French personal name Brice probably Celtic (Gaulish) in origin but not firmly explained (Latinized as Bri(c)tius Bric(c)ius or Brixius) which was borne by a 5th-century Christian saint who succeeded Saint Martin as bishop of Tours. Consequently it became a popular personal name in France and Germany in the early Middle Ages. It was imported to England and Scotland by the Normans. Compare German Brixius.
Burian : 1: Czech and Slovak (also Burián); Hungarian (Burián); Polish and Romanian: from Burian Burián an old personal name apparently composed of bur ‘peasant’ a word of German origin (see Bauer and Bur) and the name Jan (Slovak Ján) ‘John’. In Czech the name Burian or Bur Jan denotes Saint John a Christian martyr who lived in the 4th century in Rome and is venerated together with Saint Paul. Compare German Burhans and the name below.2: North German: variant of Burhans formed with the personal name Jan ‘John’ in place of its cognate Hans.
Calixto : Spanish and Portuguese: from the Latin personal name Calixtus from Greek Kallistos from kallistos ‘most beautiful’ the Latin spelling apparently influenced by Latin calix ‘cup’ (with specific reference to the cup containing the wine of the Christian sacrament). The name Calixtus was borne by several early popes of whom the first (217–222) was canonized.
Calogero : 1: Italian (southern): from the personal name Calogero (from Greek Kalogeros literally ‘handsome-old’). In Sicily especially this name was popularized by the cult of Saint Calogero a 5th-century Christian martyr from Constantinople who spent part of his life in Sicily.2: Possibly also an American shortened and altered form of any of various Greek surnames based on the personal name Kalogeros (see 1 above) or the cognate occupational name kalogeros ‘monk’ as for example Kalogeropoulos and Kalogerogiannis (combined with the personal name Giannis ‘John’).
Cancienne : Altered form under French influence of Italian Canciani: variant of Canziani a patronymic from the personal name Canziano Latin Cantianus. Saint Cantianus was a Christian martyr under the Roman emperor Diocletian.
Candelora : Italian: from the personal name Candelora originally bestowed on someone who was born on the Christian feast day of Candlemas (February 2) from Late Latin candelorum ‘of the candles’.
Capistrano : 2: Italian (southern): possibly a nickname from capo ‘head’ (from Latin caput) + strano ‘strange’ (from Latin extraneus ) used to denote an eccentric person. Alternatively a habitational name from a place called Capestrano in L'Aquila province. This surname is rare in Italy.1: Hispanic (mainly Philippines): from a shortened form of Spanish San Juan Capistrano a personal name bestowed in honor of Saint John of Capistrano (1386–1456) a Christian saint from Capestrano in Italy.
Caris : 1: English (Yorkshire and Durham): habitational name from any of several places called Carr House or Carrhouse (examples of which are found in northern counties including Cheshire and Yorkshire) from Middle English kerr ‘wet ground’ or ‘brushwood’ (Old Norse kjarr; see Kerr) + h(o)us ‘house’ (Old English hūs).2: Dutch: from a short form of the personal name Macarius from Greek Makarios ‘blessed’ a Christian saint's name.3: Americanized form of German Karis a cognate of 2 above.
Carmen : 1: Spanish: from a short form of the Marian name María del Carmen ‘Mary of Carmel’ a reference to Mount Carmel (meaning ‘garden’ or ‘orchard’) in the Holy Land which is mentioned in the Bible (1 Kings 18:19; see Carmelo) and was populated from early Christian times by hermits. Compare Del Carmen.2: Spanish: habitational name from any of various places in Spain named El Carmen for example in the province of Cuenca.3: English: variant of Carman.
Cassano : Italian: from the personal name Cass(i)ano or Casciano from the Roman name Cassianus which was popularized by the cults of various early Christian martyrs and saints including St. Cassianus of Imola or a habitational name from any of numerous places called (San) Cass(i)ano or (San) Casciano after these figures.
Castor : 1: French German Spanish and West Indian (mainly Haiti): from the Latin personal name Castor borne by one of the Greco-Roman mythological Dioscuri twins (the other being Pollux) and by several early Christian saints (see astor">Kastor 1).2: English (Nottinghamshire): habitational name from any of the places called Caistor in Lincolnshire Caister in Norfolk or Castor in Northamptonshire all named with Old English cæster ‘Roman fort or town’.3: German: humanistic surname a translation into Latin of Biber from castor ‘beaver’.4: Americanized form of German Kaster.
Caterina : Italian: from the female personal name Caterina a popular name in the medieval period which was borne by numerous early Christian saints. See also Catherine.
Catherine : French English and Scottish: from the female personal name Catherine (Old French and Middle English Katerine) from Latin Caterina from Greek Aikaterinē which is of uncertain origin. The usual vernacular form in medieval England was Cateline; see Catlin. The personal name was very popular in the Middle Ages due to Saint Katherine of Alexandria a legendary Christian figure of doubtful historicity who was supposedly martyred under the Emperor Maxentius in 307. The modern spelling and pronunciation of the name with -th- is a 16th-century ‘learned’ introduction by clerics and other educated people who believed that it derived from Greek katharos ‘pure’.
Ceniza : Hispanic (Philippines): from Spanish ceniza ‘ash’ with reference to Miércoles de Ceniza or Ash Wednesday an important Christian religious event.
Charalambous : Greek (typically Cypriot): patronymic from the genitive case of the personal name Charalambos from chara ‘joy’ and lampein ‘to shine’. Charalambos or Charalampos was the name of a Christian martyr of the 2nd century AD in Magnesia Thessaly.
Charity : 1: English (of Norman origin): from Middle English c(h)arite che(a)rite ‘charity’ (Old Norman French caritedh caritet later carité Old French charitet charité Latin caritas) found in various senses including ‘alms giving hospitality Christian love man's love for God’ and probably applied as a nickname for a benevolent devout or hospitable person.2: English (of Norman origin): topographic name for someone who lived by or at a hospice from Old Norman French carité Old French charité ‘hospice refuge’.
Chirico : Italian: from the personal name Chirico derived from the Latin name Quiricus which is a variant of Cyri(a)cus (see Cyriac and Cyr) a Christian saint's name. See also Ciriaco.
Christi : 1: Altered form of English and Scottish Christie 1.2: Indian and Indonesian: apparently adopted as a name designating a Christian from Christi ‘of Christ’ genitive case of Christus the Latin name of Jesus Christ. Compare Christo 4 and Christy 3. Alternatively in some cases from the English female personal name Christi a pet form of Christine (which is derived from the name Christus as well). — Note: As a name from India or Indonesia or any other country where hereditary surnames are not in general use this name was registered as a surname only after immigration of its bearers to the US.
Christison : Scottish (Angus): either a shortened form of Christinson or Christianson (see Christian) or ‘son of Christie’ a pet form of Christin Christian or Christopher.
Christo : 1: American shortened form of any of various Greek derivatives of the personal name Christos. Compare Cristo.2: American shortened and altered form of Bulgarian or Macedonian Hristov. Compare Christoff and Cristo.3: Americanized form of Albanian Kristo and in some cases also of Croatian or Slovak Krišto (see Kristo 2). Compare Cristo.4: Americanized form of Spanish Italian or Portuguese Cristo.5: In some cases also Indian and Indonesian: apparently adopted as a name designating a Christian from a derivative of Christus the Latin name of Jesus Christ. Compare Christi 2.
Christopher : English German West Indian (mainly Trinidad and Tobago Antigua and Barbuda and British Virgin Islands) and African (mainly Nigeria and Tanzania): from the English and German personal name Christopher from Greek Christophoros ‘Christ-bearing’ (see Christ 1). This was borne by a rather obscure 3rd-century Christian martyr. His name was relatively common among early Christians who desired to bear Jesus Christ metaphorically with them in their daily lives. Subsequently the name was explained by a folk etymology according to which the saint carried the infant Christ across a ford and so became the patron saint of travelers. Despite the widespread veneration and depiction of this saint this was not a very common personal name in medieval England and may in some instances have a habitational origin for someone living for example in Saint Christopher parish (Saint Christopher le Stocks London). In North America the English form of the surname has absorbed the German variant Christoffer and cognates from other languages e.g. Hungarian Kristóf and Czech Slovak Slovenian and Croatian Krištof (see Kristof). The usual German form of the name is Christoph.
Chukwu : West African (Nigeria): from the Igbo personal name Chukwu a short form of names such as Nwachukwu based on the name of the supreme being of the traditional Igbo religion and also of the Christian God Chukwu.
Cid : Spanish and Portuguese: from the honorific title Cid (from Arabic sayyid ‘lord’) borne by Christian overlords with Muslim vassals most famously by Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar (1043–99) El Cid. This was early adopted as a personal name. Compare Spanish Del Cid.
Ciriaco : Italian and Spanish: from the personal name Ciriaco from Latin Cyriacus (see Cyriac and Cyr) a Christian saint's name. This surname is also found in the Philippines. See also Italian Chirico.
Clair : 1: French: from the male personal name Clair (from Latin Clarus ‘illustrious’) which was borne by two early Christian saints a 3rd-century bishop of Nantes and the 4th-century St. Clair of Aquitaine.2: French: nickname for a cheerful individual from the adjective clair ‘bright light’. Compare Leclair 1.3: American shortened form of French Leclair 1 a cognate of 2 above.4: Americanized form of German Klare or perhaps Klehr. Compare Klair 1.5: Irish: variant of Clare or a shortened form of McClair itself probably a shortened and altered form of McCleary.
Clark : 1: English: from Middle English clerk clark ‘clerk cleric writer’ (Old French clerc; see Clerc). The original sense was ‘man in a religious order cleric clergyman’. As all writing and secretarial work in medieval Christian Europe was normally done by members of the clergy the term clerk came to mean ‘scholar secretary recorder or penman’ as well as ‘cleric’. As a surname it was particularly common for one who had taken only minor holy orders. In medieval Christian Europe clergy in minor orders were permitted to marry and so found families; thus the surname could become established.2: Irish (Westmeath Mayo): in Ireland the English surname was frequently adopted partly by translation for Ó Cléirigh; see Cleary.3: Americanized form of Dutch De Klerk or Flemish De Clerck or of variants of these names and possibly also of French Clerc. Compare Clerk 2 and De Clark.4: Americanized form of Italian Calarco.
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Source : DAFN2 : Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, ©2022 by Patrick Hanks and Oxford University Press
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