Origin
Jan : 1: North German Danish Polish Sorbian and Croatian; Czech (also Ján); Slovak (Ján): from the personal name Jan (Slovak Ján) a shortened vernacular form of Latin Johannes (see John). The Sorbian surname is found mainly in Germanized forms Jahn and Jähn. See also Yan.2: Slovenian: from the personal name Jan a variant or a short form of Janez an equivalent of John.3: Breton (rarely Le Jan): from a Frenchified form of the personal name Ian (modern spelling Yann) a Breton equivalent of John.4: French: from a regional variant of the personal name Jean ‘John’.5: Muslim (mainly Pakistan and India): from a personal name based on the Persian word ḡān ‘soul life’.6: Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 冉 see Ran.7: Chinese: alternative Mandarin form of the surnames 詹 占 湛 展 戰 and 粘 see Zhan 1-6.8: Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 甄 see Zhen.9: Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 鄭 see Zheng 1.
Barkman : 1: Americanized form of German Barkmann: northern form of the topographic name Bergmann.2: Americanized form of German Bergmann.3: Swedish: ornamental compound probably influenced by German formations of bark ‘bark’ + man ‘man’.4: Dutch: perhaps a topographic or habitational name referring to a house named De Barck distinguished by the image of a ‘bark’ i.e. ship (as for example a Jan Barckman who lived in such a house in Amsterdam in 1601); otherwise perhaps a variant of Berkman a topographic name with a birch as the locative object.
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.
Hanko : 1: Slovak; Polish (also Hańko): from a pet form of the personal name Ján (Slovak) or Jan (Polish) from Latin Johannes (see John).2: Albanian: from hanko a term used during the Ottoman Turkish rule over Albania by a Moslem man to address his wife applied as a nickname (status name) referring to a woman as a representative of the family or tribe.
Jacek : 1: Polish: from the personal name Jacek a pet form of Jacenty (from Latin Hyacinthus Greek Hyakinthos; compare Spanish Jacinto Italian Giacinto). The personal name was popularized in Poland through the cult of Saint Jacek a 13th-century apostle and missionary who was sent to Kraków where he established a Dominican friary.2: Slovak: from the personal name Jacek a pet form of Ján (see Jan).3: Czech and Slovak (Jaček): from a pet form of any of the personal names beginning with Ja- for example Jakub.
Jach : Polish and Czech: from the personal name Jach a pet form of various names beginning with Ja- principally Jan (see John) Jakub (see Jacob) and in Polish Jacenty (see Jacek).
Jack : 1: English and Scottish: from the Middle English and Older Scots personal name Jak Jakke Jagge Jake Jeke Jegge a Picard-Flemish denasalized form of Old Picard and Middle Dutch Janke a pet form of Jan (see John). It was introduced by Flemings and Picards into Norman and Anglo-Norman usage whence it became a common English and Scottish pet form of John. Although the surname is mainly Scottish in distribution it also occurs in England though the more common form there is Jackson.2: English: occasionally perhaps from a Middle English borrowing of the Old French personal name Jacque(s) (James). However it is uncertain whether English Jack was ever used as an alternative to James.3: Native American (e.g. Navajo): adoption of the English personal name Jack (see 1 above) as a surname.4: German (also Jäck): from a short form of the personal name Jacob.5: Americanized form of French Jacques 1.6: Americanized form of one or more similar (like-sounding) Jewish surnames.
Jahn : 1: German (also Jähn): from a shortened form of the personal name Johann(es) (see John).2: Germanized form of Sorbian and Polish Jan Czech and Slovak Ján ‘John’. The Sorbian surname is also found in the Germanized form Jähn.
Jana : 1: Indian (West Bengal): Aguri Kshatriya name of unexplained etymology.2: Czech (Jána) and Slovak (Jáňa); Polish: derivative of the personal name Jan (Slovak Ján) ‘John’.
Janacek : Czech and Slovak (Janáček): from a pet form of the personal name Janák (see Janak) itself a derivative of Jan (Slovak Ján) ‘John’. Compare Yanacek.
Janak : Czech and Slovak (Janák; Slovak also Jaňák): from a pet form of the personal name Jan (Slovak Ján) ‘John’. See also Yanak.
Janas : Polish; Czech and Slovak (mainly Janás Czech also Janáš): from a derivative of the personal name Jan Slovak Ján ‘John’.
Janda : Czech Polish and Slovak: from a derivative (a pet form) of the personal name Jan (Slovak Ján) ‘John’.
Janecek : Czech and Slovak (Janeček): from a pet form of the personal name Janek itself a pet form of Jan (Slovak Ján) ‘John’.
Janecka : 1: Czech and Slovak (Janečka): from a pet form of the personal name Janek itself a pet form of Jan (Slovak Ján) ‘John’.2: Czech (Janecká): feminine form (denoting ‘the daughter or wife of’) of Janecký itself derived from the personal name Janek (see above).
Janek : Polish Czech and Slovak: from a pet form of the personal name Jan (Slovak Ján) ‘John’.
Janet : English: from the Middle English male personal names Janot and Jenet Old French pet forms of Jan or Jen (Old French Jehan) common forms of John. The Old French diminutive suffixes -ot and -et were commonly interchanged.
Janicek : Czech and Slovak (Janíček): from a pet form of the personal name Janík (see Janik) itself a pet form of Jan (Slovak Ján) ‘John’.
Janich : 1: Americanized form of Serbian and Croatian Janić Slovenian and Slovak Janič: patronymic from the personal name Jan (Slovak Ján) ‘John’. Compare Janick 2.2: Polish and Sorbian: from a pet form of the personal name Jan ‘John’.3: Germanized form (also Jänich) of Sorbian Janik.
Janiga : Polish Slovak and Czech: from a derivative of the personal name Jan (Slovak Ján) an equivalent of John.
Janik : Polish Sorbian and Hungarian; Czech and Slovak (Janík): from a pet form of the personal name Jan (Slovak Ján) an equivalent of John. Compare Janich 2 Janick 1 and Yanik.
Janin : from the Middle English personal name Janin a diminutive of Jan Jon or Jen (see John). Compare John or Janyn Nichol(e) 1413–17 in London Letter Books I. See also Jenning.
Janis : 1: English: variant of Janes.2: French: from a pet form of the personal name Jean ‘John’.3: Czech and Slovak (mainly Janiš); Polish (also Janiś): from a derivative of the personal name Jan ‘John’ (Slovak Ján). In North America this surname may also be an altered form of the Polish variant Janisz. The homonymous Sorbian cognate Janiš is found in Germanized and other Americanized forms only (see Janisch and Janish).
Janko : 1: Polish Czech Slovak Slovenian Croatian Albanian and Sorbian; Hungarian (Jankó): from a pet form of the personal names Polish Czech Croatian and Sorbian Jan Slovak Ján Slovenian Janez Albanian Jani and Hungarian János equivalents of Latin Johannes (see John). In North America this surname may also be a shortened form of Slavic patronymics like Janković and Jankovič (see Jankovic). The Sorbian surname is found mainly in Germanized forms such as Janke. Compare Yanko and Jank.2: Jewish (Ashkenazic): from a pet form of the personal name Yakov (see Jacob).
Janman : from Middle English Jan(e)man *Jen(e)man ‘servant of Jan or Jen’ common pronunciations of Johan and Jehan Old French forms of Latin Johannes (John). Compare Jan Jenkin. The variant -mon is a W Midlands dialect pronunciation.from a pet form of Middle English Jan or Jen + the hypocoristic suffix -man or -mon. Compare Hickman.
Janmohamed : from a personal name based on Persian jān ‘life’ and Muhammad meaning ‘life of Muhammad’.
Jano : 1: Slovak and Czech: from a pet form of the personal name Jan (Slovak Ján) ‘John’.2: Spanish: habitational name from a hill so named in León.3: Assyrian/Chaldean: from a personal name based on Persian ḡān ‘soul life’.4: Albanian: from a pet form of the personal name Jani ‘John’.
Janos : 1: Hungarian (János): from the personal name János from Latin Johannes (see John).2: Slovak (Jánoš also Janoš) Czech (Janoš also Jánoš) and Polish: derivative of the personal name Jan (Slovak Ján) ‘John’ or in some cases from a Slavicized form of the Hungarian cognate János (see above). In North America this surname may also be an altered form of the Polish variant Janosz.
Janosik : Slovak (Jánošík also Janošík Jánošik) and Czech (Janošík); Polish: from a pet form of the personal names Jánoš Janoš or Janos derivatives of Jan (Slovak Ján) ‘John’.
Janosko : Slovak (Janoško also Jánoško): from a pet form of the personal name Jánoš or Janoš (see Janos) a derivative of Ján (see Jan).
Janota : 1: Polish Czech and Slovak: from the personal name Jan (Slovak Ján) ‘John’ with the augmentative ending -ota.2: Portuguese: nickname from janota ‘chic elegant’.
Janovsky : 1: Czech and Slovak (Janovský): habitational name for someone from any of several places called with the personal name Jan (Slovak Ján) ‘John’ esepecially Janov (several places in Czechia one in Slovakia).2: Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic): variant of Janowski.
Jansen : Dutch Flemish Norwegian Danish and North German: patronymic from the personal name Jan a shortened vernacular form of Johannes (see John). In North America this surname is also an altered form of the variant Janssen. Compare Janson 1 and Johnson.
Jansky : Czech and Slovak (Janský and Jánský; Slovak also Jánsky): surname denoting a member of the family or household of someone called Jan (Slovak Ján) ‘John’.
Jansson : 1: Swedish: patronymic from the personal name Jan a shortened vernacular form of Johannes (see John).2: Americanized form of Dutch North German and Norwegian Janssen a cognate of 1 above. Compare Janson.
Jantzen : North German and Danish: patronymic from the personal name Jan. Compare Johnson.
Janus : 1: Polish (also Januś); Czech and Slovak (also Januš): from the personal name Janus Januś Januš derivatives of Jan Slovak Ján.2: Slovenian (Januš): from a variant of the personal name Janez (see John) derived from the Hungarian equivalent János (see Janos).3: German and Dutch: from a vernacular form of the personal name Johannes or from a Latinized form of Jan.4: German: from the Slavic personal name Janus or Januš (see 1 above).
Jasek : Czech and Slovak (Jašek) and Polish: from a pet form of the personal name Jach or directly from Jan (Slovak Ján) ‘John’ or some other name beginning with Ja-.
Jasko : 1: Polish (Jaśko) and Slovak (Jaško): from a pet form of the personal name Jach or directly from Jan ‘John’ (Slovak Ján) or some other name beginning with Ja-.2: Hungarian (Jaskó): of Slovak origin (see 1 above). Compare Yasko.
Jaskowiak : Polish (Jaśkowiak): patronymic from the personal name Jasiek or Jaśko pet forms of Jan Jaczemir Jaromir or any of various other personal names beginning with Ja-.
Jenkin : English: from the Middle English personal names Jankin Jenkin and Jonkin pet forms of Jan Jen and Jon + the hypocoristic suffix -kin. In Middle English names in -kin were often used to name the younger of two family members with the same personal name.
Jennison : English (Yorkshire): perhaps a patronymic from the Middle English male personal names Janyn or Janin diminutives of Jan Jon or Jen (see John) + -son. The name may also arise from the Middle English male personal name Jen (see Jean) + -son.
Jesko : Slovak and Czech (Ješko); Polish (Jeśko): from a pet form of the personal name Jan ‘John’ (Slovak Ján). In North America this surname may also be an altered form of the Polish variant Jeszko. Compare Yesko and Yasko.
Jicha : Czech (Jícha):: 1: from a pet form of the personal name Jan from Latin Johannes (see John).2: from jícha ‘liquid manure soup gravy’ presumably applied as an unflattering nickname.
John : 1: English and Welsh: ultimately from the Hebrew personal name Yoḥanan ‘Jehovah has favored (me with a son)’ or ‘may Jehovah favor (this child)’. This personal name was adopted into Latin (via Greek) as Johannes and has enjoyed enormous popularity in Europe throughout the Christian era being given in honor of Saint John the Baptist precursor of Christ and of Saint John the Evangelist author of the fourth gospel as well as the nearly one thousand other Christian saints who bore the name. Some of the principal forms of the personal name in other languages are: Welsh Ieuan Evan Siôn and Ioan; Scottish Ia(i)n; Irish Séan; German Johann Johannes; Dutch and Slavic Jan; French Jean; Italian Giovanni; Spanish Juan; Portuguese João; Greek Iōannēs (vernacular Giannis Yannis); Russian Ivan. There were a number of different forms of the name in Middle English including Jan(e) a male name (see Jayne); Jen (see Jenkin); Jon(e) (see Jones); and Han(n) (see Hann). By the beginning of the 14th century John rivalled William in popularity and has always been a favorite name. Johan became Jo(h)n and another Old French form Jehan was shortened to Jan and Jen giving rise to Old French and Middle English diminutives such as Jonin Janin and Jenin. More common in Middle English were Jankin Jonkin and Jenkin which were Middle Dutch pet forms introduced after the Conquest by Flemish and Picard settlers. The most common pet form of John was Jack another borrowing from Flemish and Picard usage. Han may sometimes have been a short form of Johan but was more usually a pet form of Henry. There were also various Middle English feminine versions of this name (e.g. Joan Jehan) some of which were indistinguishable from masculine forms. The distinction on grounds of gender between John and Joan was not firmly established in English until the 17th century. It was even later that Jean and Jane were specialized as specifically female names in English; bearers of these surnames and their derivatives are more likely to derive them from a male ancestor than a female. As a surname in the British Isles John is particularly frequent in Wales where it is a late formation representing Welsh Siôn rather than the older form Ieuan (which gave rise to the surname Evan). In North America the English form of the surname has absorbed many cognates from other languages e.g. Assyrian/Chaldean Youkhana French Jean Hungarian János (see Janos) Slovenian Janež and Janeš (see Janes) Czech Jan Albanian Gjoni and their derivatives (see examples at Johnson). The name John is also found among Christians in southern India (compare Ninan and Yohannan) but since South Indians traditionally do not have hereditary surnames the southern Indian name was in most cases registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.2: German: from a North German and Silesian variant of the personal name Johannes. This surname is also found in France (Alsace and Lorraine). Compare Yohn.
Johner : 1: German: habitational name for someone from Jonen in Switzerland Aargau and canton Sankt Gallen.2: South German: occupational name for a reaper from a noun derivative of Middle High German jān ‘row of mown grass or cereal’.
Nolf : 1: Flemish and German: from a short form of the personal name Arnolf composed of the ancient Germanic elements arn ‘eagle’ + wulf ‘wolf’. This surname is very rare in Germany; see also Nolff.2: Flemish: from a shortened form of the personal name Nodolf derived from the personal name Odolf by transfer of the final -n in a preceding personal name such as Jan Simoen. Odolf is composed of the ancient Germanic elements aud ‘wealth’ + wulf ‘wolf’.
Notte : 1: Italian: from a short form of the personal name Bonanotte from buona ‘good’ + notte ‘night’ bestowed with reference to the time of birth.2: French (also Notté): occupational name for a choral singer from notter ‘to sing’.3: Flemish: from a shortened form of a personal name ending in -n (for example Johann Jan) with the diminutive suffix -otte.4: German (also Nötte): variant of Nott.
Yan : 1: Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 嚴 meaning ‘solemnity’ in Chinese: this surname evolved from another Chinese surname 莊 (Zhuang in Mandarin pinyin see Zhuang). People with the surname 莊 changed it to 嚴 (both Chinese characters mean ‘solemnity’) during the reign of Liu Zhuang (劉莊) also known as Emperor Ming of Han (28–75 AD) because the surname 莊 happened to be the personal name of the emperor which was taboo in ancient China. Later some descendants kept the surname 嚴 whereas others changed back to the original surname 莊.2: Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 閻 meaning ‘hell’ in ancient Chinese: (i) from the placename Yan (閻) the name of a fief (located in Xihua in Henan province) said to have been granted to Zhongyi by King Wu of Zhou (c. 1087–1043 BC). But it is also said that King Kang of Zhou (reigned c. 1020–996 BC) granted the fiefdom of Yan to his youngest son. (ii) from the placename Yan (閻) the name of a fief (located around the town of Yanjing in Shanxi province) granted to Yi the prince of the state of Jin (located in present-day Shanxi province) during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC).3: Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 閆 which probably evolved from the surname 閻 (see 2 above).4: Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 顏 meaning ‘face’ in ancient Chinese: (i) from the personal name of Yan (顏) style name of Duke Wu of Zhu also known as Zhu Yan Gong (Duke Yan of Zhu) or Yan Gong (Duke Yan) the 7th ruler of the state of Zhu (located in present-day Shandong province) during the Western Zhou dynasty (1046–771 BC). (ii) from the placename Yan (顏) the name of a fief (located in Shandong province) granted to Bo Qin son of the first king of the state of Lu (located in present-day Shandong province) during the Western Zhou dynasty (1046–771 BC).5: Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 晏 meaning ‘late’ or ‘feast’ in ancient Chinese: (i) it is said that this surname is traced back to Yan An (晏安) the fifth son of Lu Zhong said to have been a descendant of the legendary king Zhuanxu (traditional dates: 2514–2437 BC). (ii) it is said that this surname can also be traced back to Yan Long (晏龍) an official during the reign of the legendary Emperor Yao (c. 24th century BC). (iii) the surname is also traced back to Yan Ruo (晏弱) a noble in the state of Qi (located mainly in present-day Shandong province) during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC).6: Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 言 meaning ‘words speech’ in Chinese: (i) in some cases the surname is borne by descendants of the royal families of the state of Han (located mainly in present-day Shaanxi and Henan provinces) who were descendants of Huan Shu of Quwo(802–731 BC). (ii) in other families the surname is traced back to Yan Yan (言偃) a student of Confucius (551–479 BC).7: Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 燕 meaning ‘swallow’ in Chinese: (i) from Yan (燕) the name of an ancient state (located in Henan province) dating back to the Shang dynasty (1600–1046 BC) known as the South Yan. (ii) from Yan (燕) the name of a state (located in present-day Hebei and Liaoning provinces) known as ‘North Yan’. This was originally granted to Shao Gong Shi (Duke of Shao) brother of King Wu of Zhou (c. 1087–1043 BC). After the state was annexed by the state of Qin (located originally in present-day W Shaanxi province) in 222 BC people adopted the name of the state 燕 as their surname. (iii) a surname from the Xianbei ethnic group in northern China.8: Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 鄢: (i) from Yan (鄢) the name of a small state (located in Yanling in Henan province) which was annexed by the state of Zheng during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). (ii) from Yan (鄢) the name of another small state (located in Hubei province) during the Warring States period (475–221 BC).9: Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 彦 meaning ‘talented people’ in Chinese said to be borne by the descendants of Jiang Ziya or Jiang Tai Gong (c. 11th century BC) an official during the Western Zhou dynasty (1046–771 BC). It was also said to be borne by the descendants of an official in the state of Qi during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC).10: Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 延 meaning ‘extend’ in Chinese: (i) said to be from the personal name Yan (延) the name of the third son of Feng Feng an official during the reign of the legendary emperor Huang Di the ‘Yellow Emperor’ (c. 27th century BC). (ii) from the placename Yan Ling (延陵) the name of a fief (located in Jiangsu province) granted to Zha prince of the state of Wu during the Spring and Autumn Period (770–476 BC). (iii) adopted as a surname by the Ke Di Yan (可地延) family from the Xianbei ethnic group in northern China during the Northern Wei dynasty (386–534 AD). (iv) a surname from other minority ethnic groups in China.11: Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 岩 meaning ‘rock’in Chinese.12: Chinese: Cantonese form of the surname 甄 see Zhen.13: Chinese: Cantonese form of the surnames 殷 and 印 see Yin 1 and 3.14: Chinese: Cantonese form of the surname 忻 see Xin 3.15: Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 袁 see Yuan 1.16: Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 楊 see Yang 1.17: Burmese: from the male personal name Yan (originally forming part of a compound name) of unexplained etymology. — Note: Since Burmese do not have hereditary surnames this name was registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.18: Cambodian: written យ៉ាន or យ៉ន of Chinese origin from 嚴 meaning ‘solemnity’ (see 1 above).19: Americanized form of North German Sorbian Czech Slovak or Polish (and perhaps also Slovenian or Danish) Jan or Ján ‘John’.20: In some cases possibly also Breton (mainly Finistère): variant of Yann ‘John’.
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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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