Origin
From : 1: Jewish (Ashkenazic): variant of Fromm.2: Swedish: soldier's name based on Swedish from ‘quiet pious’.3: Danish: adoption of German Fromm 1.4: Altered form of North German Frohm(e) a variant of Fromm. Compare Frahm.
Aaberg : 1: Norwegian and Danish (also Åberg): habitational name from a place so named meaning ‘(on) the hill by the stream’ from å (old spelling aa) ‘stream small river’ + berg ‘mountain hill’. Compare Aberg 2 and Oberg 1.2: Altered form of Swedish Åberg (see Aberg 1) a cognate of 1 above.
Aaby : Norwegian and Danish (also Åby): habitational name from a place called Aaby or Åby from å (old spelling aa) ‘stream small river’ + Old Norse býr ‘farm’. In Norway this is a farm name in five places.
Aadland : Norwegian (also Ådland): habitational name from a place called Ådland from Old Norse Árland a compound of á ‘small river’ (or another first element of uncertain origin) + land ‘(piece of) land farmstead’. Compare Odland.
Aaker : 1: Norwegian (also Åker): topographic name from åker ‘plowed field’. Compare Aker.2: Altered form of Swedish Åker (see Aker) a cognate of 1 above.
Aakre : Norwegian (also Åkre): habitational name from any of several places so named from an inflected form of Old Norse akr ‘plowed field’. Compare Akre.
Aalderink : Dutch: habitational name from any of several farmhouses named Aalderink (originally Alardinck) located in the eastern Netherlands in the villages of Laren Lenthe Zelhem Hertme Breklenkamp and Warken once belonging to a certain Alard and his kin. The personal name Alard is from the ancient Germanic personal name Adelhard composed of the elements adel ‘noble’ and hard ‘hardy’. Compare Alderink.
Aalto : Finnish: ornamental name from aalto ‘wave’ adopted in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in western and southern Finland (compare Laine 4). Compare also Alto.
Aamodt : Norwegian (also Åmodt): topographic name for someone who lived by the confluence of two streams from å (old spelling aa) ‘stream small river’ + mot ‘meeting’ or a habitational name from any of the 40 or more farms so named.
Aanenson : Americanized form of Norwegian Aanensen or Ånensen: patronymic from the personal name Ånund from Old Norse Onundr (based on elements meaning ‘ancestor’ + ‘victor’).
Aardema : West Frisian and Dutch:: 1: patronymic formed with the Frisian suffix -ma ‘(one of the) men of’ from the personal name Aard (a variant of Arend).2: perhaps also a derivative of aarde ‘earth soil’ either as a topographic or habitational name or as an occupational name for a farmer (someone who tills the soil).
Aarhus : Norwegian (also Århus): habitational name from any of 15 or so farms so named from Old Norse á ‘river’ + hús ‘house farmstead’.
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.
Aarons : Jewish: patronymic from Aaron.
Aaronson : Jewish (Ashkenazic): patronymic from the personal name Aaron.
Aas : 1: Norwegian (also Ås): habitational name from any of numerous farmsteads so named from Old Norse áss ‘hill ridge’.2: Swedish (also Ås): topographic name from ås ‘ridge’. Compare Aus Oas Ohs and Oss.
Aase : Norwegian (also Åse) and Swedish (mainly Åse): topographic name from an inflected form of ås ‘ridge’. This is also a common habitational name in Norway from any of about 30 places called with this word.
Aasen : Norwegian and Swedish (also Åsen): topographic name from åsen ‘the ridge’. In Norway this is also a habitational name from any of numerous farms so named all over the country.
Abad : Spanish: from abad ‘abbot priest’ (from Late Latin abbas genitive abbatis from the Aramaic word meaning ‘father’). The application is uncertain: it could be a nickname or an occupational name for the servant of a priest or denote an (illegitimate) son of a priest.
Abadi : 1: Iranian: from a derivative of the Persian suffix -ābād (literally ‘populous prosperous’) forming the second part of names of populated areas (towns villages) and consequentially the second part of compound habitational names such as Mahmoudabadi or Mahmoud Abadi (from Mahmoudabad or Mahmoud Abad the name of a town by the Caspian Sea).2: Iranian: surname denoting descent from or association with someone called Ābād a personal name of the same ultimate Persian origin as 1 above and interpreted as e.g. ‘prosperous’ and ‘happy’.3: Muslim: variant of Abbadi.4: Jewish (from Syria and Egypt): adoption of the Arabic surname (see 3 above) most likely because it sounds close to the Jewish Biblical personal name Obadiah ‘servant of God’.5: Ethiopian: from the personal name Abadi unexplained. — Note: Since Ethiopians do not have hereditary surnames this name was registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.
Abadia : Spanish: topographic name or metonymic occupational name denoting a lay person who lived and/or worked at an abbey or nunnery (abadía from Latin abbatia) or a habitational name from any of several places called Abadía for example in Cáceres.
Abadie : French: topographic name for someone living near an abbey or a family chapel from a southern derivative of Late Latin abbatia ‘priest's house’; or a habitational name from Abadie the name of several places in southwestern France. Compare Labadie.
Abadilla : Spanish: habitational name probably from La Abadilla in Cantabria named with a diminutive of abadía ‘abbey’.
Abajian : Armenian: patronymic from an occupational name for a maker or seller of coarse woolen cloth or garments from Turkish abacı an agent derivative of aba ‘coarse woolen cloth’.
Abalos : Spanish (Ábalos): habitational name from Ábalos in La Rioja province. Compare Avalos.
Abanto : Spanish: habitational name from Abanto in Zaragoza or Abanto y Ciérvana in Biscay Basque Country or any of various other places called Abanto.
Abar : 2: Possibly also Basque: topographic name from abar ‘branch(es) firewood’. This surname is very rare in Spain.1: Altered form of French Hébert (see Hebert).
Abarca : Spanish:: 2: habitational name from the village of Abarca in the province of Palencia.1: nickname from abarca a type of traditional sandal no doubt bestowed on someone who habitually wore such sandals.
Abascal : Spanish: habitational name probably from Abascal de Lemos a village in Cantabria.
Abasta : Hispanic (Philippines): from a derivative of the Spanish verb abastar ‘to supply’ applied as an occupational name for a supplier.
Abate : Italian: from abate ‘priest’ (from Late Latin abbas ‘priest’ genitive abbatis). It could be a nickname perhaps given to someone who behaved in a priest-like manner an occupational name for the servant of a priest or it may denote an (illegitimate) son of a priest. Compare Labate.
Abay : 1: Ethiopian: from the Tigrinya and Amharic personal name Abay which is interpreted as ‘big great’ in the Tigrinya language and is also the Ethiopian (Amharic) name for the Blue Nile. — Note: Since Ethiopians do not have hereditary surnames this name was registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.2: Turkish: from the personal name Abay of Turkish or Turkic origin interpreted as e.g. ‘skill’ or ‘awareness’ also ‘big brother’.
Abayev : Muslim (territory of the former USSR): patronymic from the personal name Abay of Turkish or Turkic origin (see Abay 2) + the Russian possessive suffix -ev.
Abba : 1: variant of Abbey reflecting a common post-medieval northern pronunciation. 2: a Muslim name in Britain although there is no dictionary word of this form in Arabic. 3: from Latin and ultimately Hebrew abbas ‘father’. Compare Abate.
Abbas : 1: Muslim: from the Arabic personal name ʿAbbās literally ‘stern austere’. Al-ʿAbbas ibn ʿAbd al-Muttalib was the name of an uncle of the prophet Muhammad (see Abbasi).2: Dutch: patronymic from the personal name Abbe a pet form of Albert or Albrecht.
Abbasi : Muslim (Indian subcontinent and Iran): surname denoting descent from or association with someone called Abbas in particular association with Al-‘Abbas ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib an uncle (died 652) of the prophet Muhammad the ancestor of the Abbasid dynasty of caliphs who ruled the Islamic world from 750 to 1258.
Abbatiello : Italian (Campania): from a diminutive of Abbate.
Abbe : 1: English: from the Middle English personal name Abbe which is usually a pet form of the female name Aubrey but may sometimes be a pet form of a male name beginning with Ab- namely Abel Abraham or Absalom. This surname is rare in Britain.2: English: occasionally perhaps also a variant of Abbey.3: German: from a pet form of the personal name Albrecht (see Albert).4: French (Abbé): from abbé ‘priest abbot’ presumably a metonymic occupational name for someone employed in the household of a priest or a nickname for someone thought to resemble a priest or an abbot in appearance or behavior. Compare Labbe.
Abberley : from Abberley (Worcs) which is recorded as Edboldelega in 1086 Abbodeley in 1327 and Abburley in 1478. The place-name derives from the Old English personal name Ēadbald + lēah ‘open woodland’ but was occasionally treated as if the first element were abbod ‘abbot’.
Abbey : English:: 1: from Anglo-Norman and Middle English abbeye abbaye ‘abbey’ i.e. a community of monks under an abbot or of nuns under an abbess (Old French abeie Late Latin abbatia ‘priest's house’) applied as a topographic name for someone living in or near an abbey or an occupational name for someone working in one.2: (of Norman origin): nickname from Anglo-Norman French abé abbé ‘priest’. See also French Labbe.
Abbo : 1: Italian (Liguria): from the personal name Abbo a variant of the ancient Germanic name Abo a pet form of Albrecht.2: Dutch: from the personal name Abbo a pet form of Albert.3: Muslim: variant of Abu. Compare Abo.
Abbondanza : Italian (Emilia-Romagna Lazio): from the personal name Abbondanza from Latin abundantia ‘abundance’.
Abbott : English: nickname from Middle English abbod abbot(t) abbat ‘abbot’ (Old English abbod) or Old French abet ‘priest’. Both the Old English and the Old French term are derived from Late Latin abbas (genitive abbatis) ‘priest’ from Greek abbas from Aramaic aba ‘father’. The nickname was presumably a joking reference to a person's behaviour. In the US the English name is also sometimes a translation of a cognate or equivalent European name e.g. Italian Abate Spanish Abad or German Abt.
Abbotts : English:: 1: topographic or occupational name from Middle English (atte) abbotes ‘(at the of the) abbot's (house or quarters)’ a name for someone who lived or worked at such a place presumably a servant.2: variant of Abbott with post-medieval excrescent -s.
Abboud : 1: Arabic: from a French-influenced variant of the nickname ʿAbbūd a hypocoristic -ū extension from ʿabd ‘servant slave (of God)’ used in theophoric ʿAbd- names like ʿAbdullāh (see Abdullah) and ʿAbd al-Raḥmān (see Abdelrahman). This surname is found among both Muslims and Christians.2: Jewish (from the Levant): from the personal name borrowed from Muslims (see 1 above).
Abbuhl : Swiss German (Abbühl): topographic name for someone living ‘at the hill’ from Middle High German bühel ‘hill’.
Abdala : Arabic: from a variant of the personal name Abdallah (see Abdullah). Bearers of this surname which is found mainly in Latin America and Africa are both Muslims and Christians.
Abdalla : Arabic: from a variant of the personal name Abdallah (see Abdullah).
Abdallah : Arabic: from a variant of the personal name Abdullah. Bearers of this surname are both Muslims and Christians.
Abdel : Muslim: from an Arabic personal name based on ʿabd al ‘servant of the […]’ (literally ‘slave of the […]’). In Arabic personal names ʿAbd al (or ʿAbd el ʿAbdel) is normally a component of a compound name referring to an attribute of Allah for example ʿAbd al-Ḥakīm ‘servant of the All-Wise’. See also Abdul.
Abdelaziz : Muslim (also Abd el-Aziz): from the Arabic personal name ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz ‘servant of the All-Mighty’ or ‘servant of the Beloved’ (see Aziz).
Abdelfattah : Muslim (also Abd el-Fattah): from the Arabic personal name ʿAbd al-Fattāḥ ‘servant of the Conqueror’ (see Fattah).
Abdelghani : Muslim (also Abd el-Ghani): from the Arabic personal name ʿAbd al-Ghanī ‘servant of the All-Sufficient’ (see Ghani).
Abdelhadi : Muslim (also Abd el-Hadi): from the Arabic personal name ʿAbd al-Hādī ‘servant of the Guide’ (see Hadi).
Abdelhalim : Muslim (also Abd el-Halim): from the Arabic personal name ʿAbd al-Ḥalīm ‘servant of the All-Clement’ (see Halim).
Abdelhamid : Muslim (also Abd el-Hamid): from the Arabic personal name ʿAbd al-Ḥamīd ‘servant of the All-Laudable’ (see Hamid).
Abdelhaq : Muslim (also Abd el-Haq): from the Arabic personal name ʿAbd al-Ḥaqq ‘servant of the Truth’ (see Haq).
Abdeljabbar : Muslim (also Abd el-Jabbar): from the Arabic personal name ʿAbd al-Jabbār ‘servant of the All-Compelling’ (see Jabbar).
Abdelkarim : Muslim (also Abd el-Karim): from the Arabic personal name ʿAbd al-Karīm ‘servant of the Most Generous’ (see Karim).
Abdella : Muslim (mainly Ethiopia Sudan and Egypt): from a variant of the Arabic personal name Abdallah (see Abdullah).
Abdellatif : Muslim (also Abd el-Latif): from the Arabic personal name ʿAbd al-Laṭīf ‘servant of the Kind’ (see Latif).
Abdelmajid : Muslim (also Abd el-Majid): from the Arabic personal name ʿAbd al-Majīd ‘servant of the All-Glorious’ (see Majid).
Abdelmalek : Muslim (also Abd el-Malek): from the Arabic personal name ʿAbd al-Malik ‘servant of the King’ (see Malik 1).
Abdelnour : Arabic (also Abd el-Nour): from the personal name ʿAbd al-Nūr ‘servant of the Light’ (see Nur). Bearers of this surname are both Muslims and Christians.
Abdelqader : Muslim (also Abd el-Qader): from the Arabic personal name ʿAbd al-Qādir ‘servant of the All-Powerful’ (see Qadir). Compare Abdelkader.
Abdelrahim : Muslim (also Abd el-Rahim): from the Arabic personal name ʿAbd al-Raḥīm ‘servant of the Merciful’ (see Rahim).
Abdelrahman : Muslim (also Abd el-Rahman): from the Arabic personal name ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ‘servant of the Most Gracious’ (see Rahman 1).
Abdelsalam : Muslim (also Abd el-Salam): from the Arabic personal name ʿAbd al-Salām ‘servant of the Peaceable’ (see Salam).
Abdelsayed : Muslim (also Abd el-Sayed): from the Arabic personal name ʿAbd al-Sayyid ‘servant of the Lord’ (see Said 1).
Abdelwahab : Muslim (also Abd el-Wahab): from the Arabic personal name ʿAbd al-Wahhāb ‘servant of the All-Giver’ (see Wahab).
Abdi : 1: Muslim: from the Arabic personal name Abdī a short form of Abdul.2: Muslim (mainly Pakistan): Urdu variant of Abidi (see Abedi).3: Somali: from a Somali Muslim personal name a short form of Abdulle and thus a cognate of 1 above. It is also found in Ethiopia Kenya and Djibouti. — 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.4: Ethiopian: from the Oromo personal name Abdi meaning ‘hope’ in the Oromo language. — Note: Since Ethiopians do not have hereditary surnames this name was registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.
Abdikadir : Somali: from a Somali Muslim personal name from Arabic Abdelqader. It is also found in Kenya and Djibouti. — 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.
Abdirahman : Somali: from a Somali Muslim personal name from Arabic Abdelrahman. It is also found in Ethiopia Kenya and Djibouti. — 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.
Abdo : 1: Muslim: variant of Abdu.2: Assyrian/Chaldean: from a variant of the Syriac personal name ʿAbdā ‘servant slave’.
Abdon : English: habitational name from Abdon in Shropshire (named in Old English with the personal name Abba + tūn ‘settlement’).
Abdu : Muslim: from Arabic ʿabduh ‘his servant’ i.e. ‘God's servant’. ʿAbduh is one of the epithets of the prophet Muhammad. Compare Abdo Abdoo and Abdou.
Abdul : Muslim: from an Arabic personal name based on ʿabd ul ‘servant of the […]’ (literally ‘slave of the […]’) a variant of ʿabd al (see Abdel). In Arabic personal names ʿAbdul is normally a component of a compound name referring to an attribute of Allah for example ʿAbdul-Ḥakīm ‘servant of the All-Wise’. Traditionally these attribute names are 99 in number and are known as the ‘most beautiful names’. Compare Abdool.
Abdulahad : Arabic (also Abdul-Ahad): from the personal name ʿAbdul-Aḥad ‘servant of the One’ a reference to God/Allah (see Ahad).
Abdulahi : Muslim (mainly Nigeria Somalia and Ethiopia also Ghana): variant of Abdullahi 2. — Note: Since Somalis (also from e.g. Ethiopia) do not have hereditary surnames this name was registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.
Abdulali : Muslim (also Abdul-Ali): from the Arabic personal name ʿAbdul-ʿAlī ‘servant of the All-High’ (see Ali).
Abdulaziz : Muslim (also Abdul-Aziz): from the Arabic personal name ʿAbdul-ʿAzīz ‘servant of the All-Mighty’ or ‘servant of the Beloved’ (see Aziz).
Abdulghani : Muslim (also Abdul-Ghani): from the Arabic personal name ʿAbdul-Ghanī ‘servant of the All-Sufficient’ (see Ghani).
Abdulhadi : Muslim (also Abdul-Hadi): from the Arabic personal name ʿAbdul-Hādī ‘servant of the Guide’ (see Hadi).
Abdulhamid : Muslim (also Abdul-Hamid): from the Arabic personal name ʿAbdul-Ḥamīd ‘servant of the All-Laudable’ (see Hamid).
Abdulhaqq : Muslim (also Abdul-Haqq): from the Arabic personal name ʿAbdul-Ḥaqq ‘servant of the Truth’ (see Haq).
Abduljabbar : Muslim (also Abdul-Jabbar): from the Arabic personal name ʿAbdul-Jabbār ‘servant of the All-Compelling’ (see Jabbar). In North America this surname is also found among African Americans.
Abduljalil : Muslim (also Abdul-Jalil): from the Arabic personal name ʿAbdul-Jalīl ‘servant of the Exalted’ (see Jalil).
Abdulkadir : Muslim (also Abdul-Kadir): from the Arabic personal name ʿAbdul-Qādir ‘servant of the All-Powerful’ (see Qadir).
Abdulkarim : Muslim (also Abdul-Karim): from the Arabic personal name ʿAbdul-Karīm ‘servant of the Most Generous’ (see Karim).
Abdulla : Arabic: from a variant of the personal name Abdullah.
Abdullah : Arabic: from the personal name ʿAbdullāh ‘servant of God/Allah’. This was the name of the father of the prophet Muhammad who died before Muhammad was born. In the Koran (19:30) Jesus calls himself ʿAbdullāh: ‘He (Jesus) said: I am the servant of God’. Bearers of this surname are both Muslims and Christians. Compare Abdallah.
Abdullahi : 1: Muslim (mainly Nigeria Somalia Kenya and Ethiopia also Ghana): from the personal name Abdullahi a regional variant of Abdullah. — Note: Since Somalis (also from e.g. Ethiopia) do not have hereditary surnames this name was registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.2: In some cases also Albanian (mainly Kosovo): from the Muslim personal name Abdullah (Albanian definite form Abdullahi).
Abdullatif : Muslim (also Abdul-Latif): from the Arabic personal name ʿAbdul-Laṭīf ‘servant of the Kind’ (see Latif).
Abdulle : Somali: from a Somali Muslim personal name from Arabic Abdullah. — 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.
Abdulmajid : Muslim (also Abdul-Majid): from the Arabic personal name ʿAbdul-Majīd ‘servant of the All-Glorious’ (see Majid).
Abdulmalik : Muslim (also Abdul-Malik): from the Arabic personal name ʿAbdul-Malik ‘servant of the King’ (see Malik 1).
Abdulrahim : Muslim (also Abdul-Rahim): from the Arabic personal name ʿAbdul-Raḥīm ‘servant of the Merciful’ (see Rahim).
Abdulrahman : Muslim (also Abdul-Rahman): from the Arabic personal name ʿAbdul-Raḥmān ‘servant of the Most Gracious’ (see Rahman 1).
Abdulsalam : Muslim (also Abdul-Salam): from the Arabic personal name ʿAbdul-Salām ‘servant of the Peaceable’ (see Salam).
Abdulwahab : Muslim (also Abdul-Wahab): from the Arabic personal name ʿAbdul-Wahhāb ‘servant of the All-Giver’ (see Wahab).
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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
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