Origin
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.
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’.
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.
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.
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).
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.
Abebe : Ethiopian: from the personal name Abebe which is interpreted as ‘he blossomed’ in the Amharic language. — Note: Since Ethiopians do not have hereditary surnames this name was registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.
Abendroth : German: apparently from the vocabulary word Abendrot(h) Middle High German ābentrōt ‘sunset’ (compare Abend) but in many if not all cases actually a folk-etymological alteration of Appenrodt or of its cognate Appenroth.
Abera : Ethiopian: from the male personal name Abera which is interpreted as ‘he illuminated’ in the Amharic language. — Note: Since Ethiopians do not have hereditary surnames this name was registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.
Abraha : Ethiopian: from the Tigrinya male personal name Abraha a cognate of Amharic Abreha which is interpreted as ‘he illuminated’ in the Ge’ez or related languages. — Note: Since Ethiopians do not have hereditary surnames this name was registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.
Abraham : 1: English French Spanish German Slovenian Ethiopian and Assyrian/Chaldean; Hungarian (Ábrahám) Slovak (mainly Abrahám also Ábrahám) Czech (also Abrahám): from the Hebrew personal name ʾAbraham (modern spelling Avraham) borne by the Biblical patriarch revered by Jews as the founding father of the Jewish people (Genesis 11–25) and by Muslims as founder of all the Semitic peoples both Hebrew and Arab (compare Ibrahim). The original name of the Biblical patriarch was probably Abram meaning ‘high father’ (from ab father ram ‘exalted’) while its later form is explained in Genesis 17:5 as being derived from Hebrew ab hamon goyim ‘father of a multitude of nations’. It was widely used as a personal name among Christians as well as Jews in the Middle Ages. The name Abraham is also found among Christians in southern India 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. As a surname of Hungarian origin Abraham is also found in Romania. — Note: Since Ethiopians do not have hereditary surnames the Ethiopian name was registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.2: Irish: adoption of the English name (see 1 above) as an equivalent of Gaelic Mac an Bhreitheamhan ‘son of the judge’. See McBroom and compare Breheny.
Abshire : 1: Probably an altered form of English Upsher.2: Possibly also an Americanized form of German Ibscher: from Middle High German überscher ‘surplus’ applied as a nickname for someone who lived on surplus land that had not been allotted during the establishment of a settlement. The surname Abshire is found mainly in LA and TX. Compare Abshear Absher and Abshier.
Abukar : Somali: from a Somali Muslim personal name a shortened and altered form of Arabic Abū-Bakr (see Abubakr). — 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.
Ackermann : 1: German: from Middle High German ackerman ‘plowman peasant’. The German term did not have the same denotation of status in the feudal system as its English counterpart Ackerman. Compare Acreman.2: Jewish (Ashkenazic): variant of Acker.
Adam : 1: English Scottish German French Walloon Breton Dutch Flemish Romanian Polish Czech Slovak Slovenian Croatian and Assyrian/Chaldean; Hungarian (Ádám): from the Biblical personal name Adam which was borne according to Genesis by the first man. It is the generic Hebrew term for ‘man’ which is probably a derivative of Hebrew adama ‘earth’ (compare the classical Greek legend that Zeus fashioned the first human beings from earth). Adam was very popular as a personal name among non-Jews throughout Europe in the Middle Ages. Jews however did not use this personal name except in recent times under Polish and English influence.2: Spanish: variant of Adán ‘Adam’ (see Adan).3: Muslim: from the personal name Ādam Arabic variant of Adam. Compare Adem.4: American shortened form of Scottish and Irish McAdam and also of cognates from other languages (see examples 5 below and at Adams).5: American shortened (and altered) form of Armenian Atamian or Adamian.
Adan : 1: Spanish (Adán): from the personal name Adán an equivalent of Adam.2: Hungarian (Ádán): variant of Ádám (see Adam).3: Somali: from a Somali Muslim personal name an equivalent of Biblical Adam. Compare Aden 3. — 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.
Aden : 1: East Frisian: patronymic from the personal name Ade.2: Scottish: habitational name from the old lands and barony of Auden or Aden in Old Deer Aberdeenshire.3: Somali: from a Somali Muslim personal name a variant of Adan 3 ‘Adam’. 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.
Adeniran : West African (Nigeria): from the Yoruba personal name Adéníran from adé ní ìran meaning ‘the crown has a pedigree’ i.e. the pedigree runs in certain lineages but not others.
Agass : 1: from the Middle English and Old French female personal name Agace a vernacular form of the Greek female personal name Latinized as Agatha based on the adjective agathós ‘good’. Some of the following post-medieval bearers may alternatively belong with (2).perhaps in rare instances from Old French agace ‘magpie’ (a transferred use of the personal name) but it is not recorded in Middle English before the 15th century and did not enter regular English usage. The primary source of the English surname is certainly the name in (i) but the French Huguenot surname could possibly have been from either. 2: see Haggis.
Agg : 1: perhaps from the Middle English personal name Agg(e) Hagg(e) (Old Scandinavian Aggi of uncertain origin) although this is more usually found in N and E England in counties settled by Vikings; see Hagg. Some of the bearers cited here may belong to (2). 2: of uncertain origin. Middle English hagg (Old Scandinavian hǫgg) ‘woodland set aside for cutting’ seems unlikely in SW England for the term is recorded only in northern counties (see Hagg). Old English haga ‘hedge enclosure’ normally becomes Middle English haw not hag and Old English *hagga ‘haw fruit of the hawthorn’ is unlikely to form a simplex place-name or locative surname though it might lie behind Hag Hill in Great Hinton (Wilts) recorded as Hagg Hill 1625 in Place-Names of Wilts p. 142. The loss of initial H- in Agg for Hagg is commonplace in SW dialects.
Agutter : from Middle English goter ‘small channel or watercourse’ (Old French goutiere). Agutter preserves a reduced and fused form of the prepositional phrase atte ‘at the’ where Gutter does not.
Aida : 1: Italian: probably a variant of Aita 1 (the modern personal name Aida was introduced in 1871 by Giuseppe Verdi's opera only).2: Japanese: phonetically written 会田 or 相田; both names come from the northern Fujiwara and could mean a rice paddy where people come together for a meeting. The name is not common in Japan but is found mostly in the northeast.
Ailstock : 1: Possibly an altered form of an unidentified English surname. The name Ailstock has the appearance of an English habitational name ending in -stock but it does not correspond to any known British surname and there is no evidence for a surname from the only feasible candidate placename (Halstock in Devon).2: Alternatively perhaps from an altered form of the Native American (Shawnee) personal name Hokoleskwa or Hokolesqua borne by a Shawnee chief although this was loosely translated into English as Cornstalk. The surname Ailstock is found mainly in VA.
Ajaib : from a male given name used by Sikhs but not exclusively.
Ajax : Welsh (Glamorgan Cardigans and Carmarthens) Swedish French and West Indian (Martinique Guadeloupe and Haiti): from the Latin personal name Ajax from Greek Aias the name of two Greek heroes who fought in the Trojan war. The name is traditionally interpreted as coming from Old Greek aietos ‘eagle’. The choice of a classically inspired forename was an occasional practice among well educated European families from the Renaissance onwards. In Wales where many families did not adopt a hereditary surname until the 18th century or later it led to the formation of new patronymics such as this one. By the 1740s it had become the fixed surname of a family in Carmarthens which later ramified in Glamorgan and Cardigans. This surname is very rare in France.
Akella : Indian (mainly Andhra Pradesh): from a Telugu word meaning ‘leaf’ especially the kind of leaf used to build huts. It is not clear whether this word was used to signify a totem. Telugu surnames are mostly locative; as a result this surname is found across several castes.
Akerson : 1: Americanized form of Swedish Åkesson or Åkeson (see Akeson).2: Swedish (Åkerson): ornamental name composed of the elements åker ‘field’ + son ‘son’. This is one of a small group of Swedish names ending in -son that are not patronymics; it is very rare in Sweden. Compare Ackerson 1 and Okerson.
Aldersley : 1: possibly in the form Alderleys from a lost medieval settlement in Allerton near Bradford (WR Yorks) later recorded as Aldersley with a transitional form seen in 1545 and perhaps first found in the compound name Aldeleysike in 1292. It is not always distinguishable from Alderley in (2). The uncertainties involved leave the meaning of the original place-name undecidable. 2: occasionally perhaps a variant of Alderley but the relationship may be the other way round.
Aldsworth : a variant of Aldworth probably influenced by the place-name Aldsworth in adjacent Gloucs (which seems not to have given rise to a surname) though it is possible that the -s- reflects a variant noted occasionally among the early forms of Aldworth (Berks) such as Aldesworth in 1281.
Alem : 1: Ethiopian: from the personal name Alem meaning ‘world’ in the Amharic language. — Note: Since Ethiopians do not have hereditary surnames this name was registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.2: Muslim (mainly Algeria): variant of Alam.
Alemayehu : Ethiopian: from the personal name Alemayehu which is interpreted as ‘I have seen the world’ in the Amharic language. — Note: Since Ethiopians do not have hereditary surnames this name was registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.
Alemu : Ethiopian: from the personal name Alemu which is interpreted as ‘his world’ in the Amharic language. — Note: Since Ethiopians do not have hereditary surnames this name was registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.
Alexandra : English: variant of Alexander apparently from the feminine form of the personal name. — Note: It is possible that in the population figure published by the US Census Bureau (which dropped from 644 in the year 2000 to 440 in the year 2010) the female personal name Alexandra of some American bearers is also counted as a surname. Some of these bearers may be from countries such as Indonesia where (hereditary) surnames are not in general use.
Aljahmi : Muslim (Saudi Arabia; also Al-Jahmi): from Arabic jahmī originally designating a following of the 8th-century religious figure Jahm ibn Safwan originally of Uzbekistan (the name Jahm is not Arabic but possibly of Old Persian origin).
Allgood : English: from the Middle English personal name Algot Algod. This may represent Old Danish Old Swedish Algot Algut but the name is not otherwise recorded in those parts of England settled by Danes and Swedes before the Norman Conquest. Alternatively it represents ancient Germanic Adalgot Algot Middle Dutch Aelgoet which may have been used by Flemings in post-Conquest England. Compare Algood.
Allinder : 1: Swedish: ornamental name from the root Al- of the placename Alseda (a village and parish in Småland named from al ‘alder’) + the suffix -inder (probably adapted from Greek andros genitive of anēr ‘man’). This surname was adopted in NE by a Swedish family from Alseda; in this form it is not found in Sweden where surnames with the same or similar background are spelled Alinder and Ahlinder.2: English and Scottish: variant of Allender. This surname is not found in Britain.
Allnutt : English: from the Middle English personal name Alnot (mainly if not solely derived from the Old English name Æthelnōth formed from æthel- ‘noble’ + nōth ‘daring bold’).
Alter : 1: German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): distinguishing epithet for the older of two bearers of the same personal name.2: Jewish (Ashkenazic): from the Yiddish personal name Alter an inflected form of alt ‘old’. This was in part an omen or well-wishing name expressing the parents’ hope that the child would live a long life; in part a protective name given to a child born after the death of a sibling but also said to have sometimes been assumed by someone who was seriously ill. The purpose is supposed to have been to confuse the Angel of Death into thinking that the person was old and so not worth claiming as a victim.3: German: from a short form of an ancient Germanic personal name formed with alt ‘old’.
Alvaro : Spanish and Portuguese (Álvaro); Italian: from the personal name Álvaro Alvaro which is of ancient Germanic (Visigothic) origin but the exact etymology is not clear.
Aman : 1: Altered form of South German and Swiss German Amann or Ammann ‘official’ and also of German Hamann the latter partly under the French influence in QC Canada.2: English (of Norman origin): variant of Amand.3: Hungarian (Ámán and Áman): derivative of Old High German amma ‘mother’. The surname Aman presumably of Hungarian origin is also found in Croatia.4: Slovenian: variant of Amon ‘official’ a cognate of 1 above.5: Muslim (mainly Pakistan and Bangladesh): from the Arabic personal name Amān ‘trust safety protection tranquility’. Amān is often used in compound names for example Amānullāh ‘trust of God’ (see Amanullah).6: Ethiopian and Eritrean: from the Amharic and Tigrinya personal name Aman which is interpreted as ‘peace’ (compare with the Arabic name above). — Note: Since Ethiopians and Eritreans do not have hereditary surnames this name was registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.
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’).
Amare : Ethiopian: from the personal name Amare which is interpreted as e.g. ‘he is handsome’ in the Amharic language. — Note: Since Ethiopians do not have hereditary surnames this name was registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.
Amaro : 1: Italian: in part it is probably derived from a shortened form of the personal name Adimaro from ancient Germanic Aud(o)mar from aud- ‘riches’ + mari- ‘famous’. In Sicily it is from the Arabic personal name ‘Ammār (see Ammar) or a nickname from the Italian adjective amaro ‘bitter disappointed’.2: Spanish and Portuguese: from the personal name Amaro of disputed probably not ancient Germanic origin (compare above). Saint Amaro is a patron saint of Galician immigrants to Portugal.
Amelia : 1: Italian (mainly Lazio Campania) West Indian (Dutch Caribbean) and Indonesian: from the personal name Amelia a feminine form of Latin Amelius and Italian Amelio. As a West Indian surname it reflects the partially mother-oriented name culture of the formerly enslaved people in the West Indies (compare Martina). — Note: As a name from 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.2: Italian (mainly Lazio Campania): possibly also a habitational name from a place called Amelia in Umbria.
Ana : 1: Hawaiian: unexplained.3: Italian (Sardinia): perhaps from a female personal name Ana of Spanish origin or a nickname from dialect (v)ana ‘vain’.2: Spanish and Indonesian: from the female personal name Ana (see Anna). — Note: As a name from 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.
Anand : 1: Indian (Punjab southern states): from a male personal name based on Sanskrit ananda ‘joy’. — Note: 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: Indian (Punjab): Khatri and Sikh name probably derived from the name of the founder of the clan.3: English: variant of Annand.
Animashaun : West African (Nigeria): from the Yoruba personal name Anímáṣahun a pet name based on the phrase a ní má ṣe ahun ‘having riches but not miserly’.
Anita : Hispanic Indonesian and West Indian (Dutch Caribbean): from the female personal name Anita Spanish pet form of Ana. As a West Indian surname it reflects the partially mother-oriented name culture of the formerly enslaved people in the West Indies (compare Martina). — Note: As a name from 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.
Ann : English:: 1: habitational name from Abbots Ann in Hampshire named for the stream that runs through it which is most probably named with an ancient Celtic word meaning ‘water’.2: possibly from the Middle English female personal name Ann(e) which is normally a pet form of Agnes (Middle English Annes) since the Biblical homonym was not common before the 15th century.
Anthony : 1: English and West Indian (mainly Antigua and Barbuda Saint Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago also Dutch Caribbean): from the personal name Anthony Latin Antonius which with its variants and cognates is one of the commonest personal names in Europe. Spellings with -h- which first appear in English in the 16th century and in French (as Anthoine) at about the same time are due to the erroneous belief that the name derives from Greek anthos ‘flower’. The popularity of the personal name in Christendom is largely due to the cult of the Egyptian hermit Saint Anthony (AD 251–356) who in his old age gathered a community of hermits around him and for that reason is regarded by some as the founder of monasticism. It was further increased by the fame of Saint Anthony of Padua (1195–1231) who long enjoyed a great popular cult and who is believed to help people find lost things. In North America the English form of the surname has absorbed cognates and derivatives (patronymics) from other languages for example Greek patronymic Antoniades Italian Antoni Polish Antoniewicz Croatian and Serbian Antonović (see Antonovich) and Antunović; see also below. The name Anthony is also found among Christians in southern India 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. Compare Antony.2: German Flemish and French (mainly Alsace): Latinized (humanistic) patronymic from local equivalents of the Latin personal name Antonius from its genitive form Antoni(i). In North America this surname is also an altered form of the German Dutch French and Slovak cognates Antoni 1 and Antony 2.
Arab : Arabic: ethnic name for an Arab from ʿarab a collective meaning literally ‘Arabdom Arabs’. The surname is most frequent in countries such as Iran and Algeria that were not populated by ethnic Arabs in the first millennum; its bearers are both Muslims and Christians.
Arathoon : from Armenian haratun ‘resurrection’ used as a male given name. This is not found as a surname in Armenia. It seems to have been an early migrant family in India
Araya : 1: Basque and Catalan: Castilianized form of a habitational name from any of numerous places called Araia for example in Araba/Álava and Castellón provinces (Spain).2: Ethiopian: from the personal name Araya meaning ‘example’ in the Amharic language. — Note: Since Ethiopians do not have hereditary surnames this name was registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.3: Japanese: written 荒谷 ‘wild valley’ or 新谷 ‘new valley’. It is found in eastern Japan; pronounced Aratani or Shintani in western Japan. Neither version is particularly common.
Arbery : from one or more of the numerous places with names derived from Old English eorð-burg ‘earthwork’ such as Arbury in Chilvers Coton (Warwicks) which is recorded as Erthbyre in 1259 Harborough Banks in Lapworth (also Warwicks) recorded as Erdbyr' in 1220 Arbury Camp in Chesterton (Cambs) recorded as Erthburg' in 1302–38 Arbury in Winwick (Lancs) recorded as Erthbury in 1246 and Arbury Banks in Ashwell (Herts) recorded as Erbourwe in 1313. Probable examples for which medieval evidence has not come to light include Arbury Hill Camp in Badby and Arbury Banks in Chipping Warden (both Northants). Compare Yarborough which has the same ultimate origin.
Archuleta : Basque: Castilianized form of a topographic name meaning ‘oak hollow’ from aretx Biscayan variant of (h)artiz ‘oak’ + zulo ‘hole hollow’ + the collective suffix -eta ‘place or group of’. This surname is apparently not found in Spain.
Arlott : 1: from Old French herlot harlot arlot ‘rascal scoundrel vagrant’ hence Middle English harlot harlet herlot ‘vagabond beggar idle rogue’. It was used by Chaucer both as a term of derision (‘ye false harlot’) and also ironically for a good fellow (‘he was a gentil harlot and a kynde’). In the 14th century it came to denote also an itinerant jester buffoon or juggler also a male servant attendant or menial. The sense ‘female prostitute’ is not recorded before the 15th century so Muriel Arlot and Matilda le Harlot probably bear their husbands' surnames.possibly from the Old French personal name Arlot a pet form of Arlaud a French version of the Continental Germanic personal name Arlwald (of which the second element is *wald- ‘rule’). However there is no certain evidence that this personal name was ever used in medieval England. 2: see Arlett.
Armington : English: habitational name probably from Ermington in Devon which is probably from an Old English personal name Earma + the connective particle -ing- + tūn ‘settlement estate’. It is not found in the British Isles.
Arnal : 1: Spanish: from the personal name Arnal a short form of Arnaldo; see Arnold.2: French (southern): variant of Arnaud a cognate of 1 above.3: English: variant of Arnall a cognate of the above. This surname is not found in Britain.
Arnup : from Middle English *ern-yop perhaps with a variant -yep a term for a not definitely identified bird of prey itself from Old English earn-gēap found in glosses for Latin vultur ‘vulture’ harpe literally ‘sickle-shaped sword’ therefore possibly a falcon (Latin falco compare falx ‘sickle’).
Artiaga : Basque: variant of Arteaga. This surname is not found in the Basque Country; in Spain it is most common in Zaragoza and Alicante provinces.
Arumugam : Indian: from a Tamil personal name composed of Tamil āru ‘six’ + mugam ‘face’ (Sanskrit mukha) hence meaning ‘having six faces’. Arumugam is an epithet of the Tamil god Kartikeya who is identical with Shanmuga (see Shanmugam). — 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 the US.
Arunachalam : Indian (mainly Tamil Nadu): from a personal name common in the Deccan Plateau ultimately derived from a Sanskrit word meaning ‘hill of intense fire’ referring to the hill of Tiruvannamalai (revered by devotees of Shiva) in Tamil Nadu. Hindu mythology has it that the hill is a physical manifestation of the god Shiva who appeared as a linga (pillar) of fire to intervene in a battle for supremacy between Lords Brahma and Vishnu. — 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 the US.
Asfaw : Ethiopian: from the personal name Asfaw which is interpreted as e.g. ‘widen him’ in the Amharic language. — Note: Since Ethiopians do not have hereditary surnames this name was registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.
Ashberry : see Astbury. The medieval bearers cited below are probably not the source of the modern surname: Redmonds notes that there is no evidence for the survival of the Middle English surname in 15th-century Sheffield or nearby places and since the post-medieval name there shares its spellings with variants of Astbury this is the more likely source.
Ashbolt : variant of Archibald via some intermediate step such as Archbolt Ashbole or Ashbold. However the first of these is not recorded (though its existence can be presupposed by Archbutt) whilst the second and third are recorded only long after the medieval period.
Ashikaga : Japanese: meaning ‘place of reeds’ but usually written phonetically 足利 meaning ‘foot’ and ‘advantage’. It is a habitational name from a place in Shimotsuke (now Tochigi prefecture). Although not a common surname now it is one of the great names in Japanese history the family being descended from the Minamoto clan. Another Ashikaga family is descended from the Fujiwara clan.
Ashington : 1: from Ashington (Lincs Northumb Sussex). The Northumb place-name is from Old English æscen ‘ash-grown’ + denu ‘valley’. The Sussex name is from the Old English given name Æsc + -inga- indicating a connection between the family or followers of the person named and the place + tūn ‘farm village’ so ‘farm of those connected with Æsc’. The name in Lincs has not yet been explained. 2: perhaps sometimes from Ashingdon (Essex) but there is no clear evidence for continuity from the Middle Ages. The place-name recorded as Assandun in 1016 is from Old English assa ‘ass’ or a given name of the same form in the genitive case with -n + dūn hill. 3: possibly a variant of Ashenden in Kent contexts.
Ashkenazi : Jewish: nickname applied by Jews in Slavic countries for a Jew from Germany; it was also used to denote a Yiddish-speaking Jew who had settled in an area where non-Ashkenazic Jews were in the majority. Ashkenaz is a Biblical placename (Genesis 10:3 Jeremiah 527) etymologically related to Greek Skythia ‘Scythia’. However since the 9th century AD if not earlier it has been applied to Germany.
Askell : 1: from the Middle English personal name Askell Old Scandinavian Áskell a shortened form of Ásketill (see Ashkettle and Axtell). The personal name was also popular among the Normans as Asketill and Anskell (with Continental Germanic Ans- substituted for As-) which explains why the names occur in post-Conquest England in counties not settled by Vikings. Its appearance as a surname is often disguised by altered pronunciations. Metathesis of /sk/ to /ks/ spelled -x- has given rise to Axcell and Axtell while the addition of a prosthetic H- has produced Haskell and Haxell. The Normans frequently used the name in Frankish forms; see Anketell Askin Haskin Antin Hastie Astin and Astill. For the name in the Isle of Man see Castell. 2: reduced form of McAskill which is based on the same Scandinavian personal name as in (1).
Askelson : Americanized form of Norwegian Askelsen: patronymic which is not found in Norway anymore from Askel a shortened form of the Old Norse personal name Ásketill composed of the elements áss ‘god’ + ketill ‘sacrificial cauldron helmet’.
Assefa : Ethiopian: from the personal name Assefa which is interpreted as e.g. ‘he widened’ in the Amharic language. — Note: Since Ethiopians do not have hereditary surnames this name was registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.
Assinder : perhaps an anglicized from Portuguese azeiteiro ‘olive-oil producer or vendor’. This is not inconsistent with its earliest appearance in the London area (though it subsequently flourishes in Kent). The form Assinder has epenthesis of -n- in a medial unstressed syllable as in nightingale and messenger.
Atencio : Hispanic: apparently from Spanish atención ‘attention’ but the reason for its adoption as a surname is not known. This surname is also found among Native Americans (Pueblos) in NM.
Attaway : English:: 1: variant of Ottaway with unrounding of the initial vowel.2: topographic name from Middle English atte weye ‘by the road’ or a habitational name for someone from Atway or Way both in Devon. The word way (Old English weg) was the usual term for a road in Old and Middle English as opposed to a stræt ‘paved road’ (usually a Roman road). The term rād or road originally meaning ‘act of riding outing on horseback’ did not come to mean ‘highway’ until Shakespeare's time.
Auld : Scottish: from Older Scots ald ‘old’ used not always to imply old age but also to distinguish the older of two bearers of the same personal name. Compare English Old.
Aung : 1: Burmese: from a personal name usually forming part of a compound name from aung ‘to succeed to be victorious’. — Note: Since Burmese do not have hereditary surnames this name was registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.2: Chinese: variant Romanization form of the Chinese surname 洪 possibly based on its Teochew or Hokkien pronunciation see Hong 1.
Aveley : 1: perhaps a variant of Averley or vice versa. Compare Martha Averley 1787 Martha Aveley 1788 William Aveley 1833 in IGI (Soham Cambs). 2: from Aveley (Essex) a few miles east of the old City of London. The place-name is recorded as Aluithelea in 1086 Alviueleia in 1157 Alvyleye in 1272–1307 and Alveley Aveley in 1535. It derives from the Old English female personal name Ælfgȳð + Old English lēah ‘open woodland’.perhaps an occasional pronunciation of Avery with [l] for [r] or vice versa. Compare John Averey 1621 in IGI (Saint Bride Fleet Street London). 3: perhaps from Avely Hall in Assington (Suffolk) a few miles south-east of Sudbury although the surname evidence is slight and may belong with (1) or (2) or have a different but unknown origin. The place-name is recorded as Aluenelega in 1086 Alwyneleye in 1298 Alvyngley alias Alweley in 1518–29 and Alveley alias Alvingley in 1569. It derives from the Old English female personal name Ælfwynn + Old English lēah ‘open woodland’. It is not certain that the 1340 example below belongs here.
Averley : variant of Haverley (see Habberley) with loss of initial H-. This is explicit in Mary Averley or Aberley 1625 Edward Aberley 1708 in IGI (Rugeley Staffs) and in Edwd Habberley 1702 Edward Haverley 1708 Charles Aberly 1732 Eleanor Joyce Averley 1815 in IGI (Saint Giles Cripplegate London).perhaps from Aversley Wood in Sawtrey (Hunts now Cambs) with loss of medial -s-. The place-name is recorded as Ailbrittesle in 1209 Aylbritesle in 1245 and Albrichelee in 1290 and derives from the Old English personal name Æðelbeorht (genitive Æðelbeorhtes) + lēah ‘open woodland’. A(i)lbrit(s)ley will have been simplified to something like Aber(s)ley and Aver(s)ley but it is not known when. If the spelling of his surname is reliable it is conceivable that John de Averle 1279 in Hundred Rolls (Hunts) provides early evidence for it and it could account for the surname in 17th-century Cambs but the absence of any medieval spellings of the place-name with Aber- or Aver- makes it difficult to assess its plausibility.perhaps a variant of Aveley with -er- as an inverted spelling of medial unstressed -e-. Compare Martha Averley 1787 Martha Aveley 1788 William Aveley 1833 in IGI (Soham Cambs) but spellings with -er- occur much earlier for the Soham family name for which Aveley is more likely to be a late spelling of Averley.
Axup : perhaps from Ashop Farm in Hope Woodlands (Derbys) which is recorded as Asshop Aschope Esshop in the 13th century. The place-name derives from Old English æsc ‘ash-tree’ + hop ‘valley’. For the possible development to Ax- with metathesis of -sc- to -cs- compare the place-name Axford (Wilts) in which Old English æsc in the genitive plural form æsca appears to be the first element (see Axford). However forms of the place-name Ashop with -x- have not been found and there may be no connection between the medieval and post-medieval bearers cited below.
Ayalew : Ethiopian: from the personal name Ayalew a cognate of Ayale which means ‘many’ in the Amharic language. — Note: Since Ethiopians do not have hereditary surnames this name was registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.
Aye : 1: North German (Schleswig-Holstein): from a short form of an ancient Germanic (Frisian) personal name with agi ‘point edge (of a sword)’ as its first element.2: Scottish: from a shortened form of the Gaelic personal name Adhamh ‘Adam’.3: Burmese: from a personal name usually forming part of a compound name from e ‘cool; calm and quiet’. — Note: Since Burmese do not have hereditary surnames this name was registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.
Ayele : Ethiopian: from the personal name Ayele which is interpreted as e.g. ‘he is powerful’ in the Amharic language. — Note: Since Ethiopians do not have hereditary surnames this name was registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.
Babcock : English (Lancashire): although the first element of this name would suggest it is derived from the Middle English personal name Babb (see Babb) apparently it is a post-medieval form of Badcock from the Middle English personal name Badecok a pet form of Bade (see Bade) + the diminutive suffix -cok. There is no reason why a Middle English Babbecok a pet form of Babb (itself a pet form of Barbara) should not have existed but evidence has yet to be found.
Babu : 1: Indian (Gujarat Maharashtra and southern states): from Hindi bābū ‘father’ a derivative of Prakrit bappā used as a respectful term of address for a man also as a term of endearment for a male child. In Gujarat and Maharashtra the surname comes from the respectful term of address while among South Indians the term of endearment evolved into a male personal name. — Note: 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: Assyrian/Chaldean: from the personal name or nickname Bābū (compare 1 above) given to one who bears the same personal name as his grandfather.
Bachan : 1: Altered form of French Bachand.2: Czech Slovak and Polish: derivative of the personal name Bach 5.3: Americanized form of Croatian Bačan and Baćan: occupational name for a senior shepherd from an augmentative of bač(a) (see Baca 2) or a nickname or a relationship name from baćan a pet name meaning ‘(little) brother’.4: Indian: variant of Bachchan from Hindi bachcha ‘child’ Sanskrit bačča. This is not a traditional Indian surname but rather a pseudonym adopted as a surname by members of castes ranked lower in the varna system. It is also common in Trinidad and Tobago.
Badder : English (Wiltshire):: 1: possibly a variant with an unrounded first vowel of Boder.2: perhaps occasionally a habitational name from Great and Little Baddow in Essex though this is not strongly supported by the modern distribution of the surname in Britain. The placename is an old name of the river Chelmer and its origin is unexplained.
Badger : English:: 1: habitational name from a place in Shropshire named Badger probably from an unattested Old English personal name Bæcg + Old English ofer ‘ridge’.2: occupational name for a maker of bags (see Bagge 1) or from Middle English badger ‘hawker huckster’ though this word is not recorded before 1467–8 and it is of doubtful origin. It is unlikely that the surname has anything to do with the animal (see Brock 2) which was not known by this name until the 16th century.
Baff : perhaps from Old French bafe baffe ‘blow with the back of the hand’ a word which survives as a dialect term in modern Normandy and Picardy. For the sense compare Dunt and Dash.perhaps also a variant of Boff (see Bough) with unrounding of [o] to [a] although this would not account for the medieval evidence in Hants. Compare Baffin and Boffin.
Baggridge : from Baggridge in Wellow (Somerset) or a lost place called Baggeridge in Woodlands (Dorset). The place-names contain Old English *bagga a word for an animal not certainly identified perhas the badger + hrycg ‘ridge’.
Baghurst : from Baughurst (Hants) which is recorded as Baggeherst in 1175 but has been influenced by the minor name Haughurst (Hauekehurst in 1256) in the same parish giving rise to strains of the surname with -au- or -o- on the one hand and -a- on the other. The place-name may include Old English *bagga a word for an animal not certainly identified perhaps the badger or a male given name *Beagga + hyrst ‘wooded hill’.
Bagsby : Probably English: variant of Bagby (or possibly Bigsby). This name is not found in the British Isles.
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’.
Balachandran : Indian (Kerala Tamil Nadu): from a personal name derived from Sanskrit bālacandra ‘crescent moon’ (from bāla ‘child’ + candra ‘moon’) + the Tamil-Malayalam third-person masculine singular suffix -n. — 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 the US.
Balakrishnan : Indian (Kerala and Tamil Nadu): from a personal name derived from Sanskrit bālakrṣṇa ‘child Krishna’ (from bāla ‘child’ + krṣṇa ‘Krishna’ the name of an incarnation of the god Vishnu meaning ‘black’) + the Tamil-Malayalam third-person masculine singular suffix -n. — 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 the US.
Balan : 1: Romanian (Bălan) and Jewish (from Moldova): descriptive nickname from bǎlan ‘blond’ a word of Slavic origin (compare Belan).2: Spanish (Balán): possibly from Balán the Spanish form of Balaam the name of a Biblical prophet (Numbers 22-24).3: French: derivative of baler ‘to dance’ hence probably a nickname for a dancer. This surname is common in Haiti.4: Czech (Balán): from a shortened and altered form of the personal name Baltazar.5: Ukrainian: nickname from balan ‘white ox’. Some other Ukrainian families are of Moldovan origin (see 1 above).6: Jewish (from Lithuania and Latvia): variant of Balon.7: Indian (Kerala Tamil Nadu): from a personal name derived from Sanskrit bāla ‘child’ + the Tamil-Malayalam third-person masculine singular suffix -n. — 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 the US.
Balasubramanian : Indian (Kerala Tamil Nadu): from a personal name derived from Sanskrit bālasubrahmaṇya ‘child Subrahmanya’ (from bāla ‘child’ + subrahmaṇya ‘dear to Brahmins’ an epithet of the god Kartikeya son of Shiva) + the Tamil-Malayalam third-person masculine singular suffix -n. — 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 the US.
Baldeo : Indian: from an altered form of the Hindi personal name Bāldev from Sanskrit bāl ‘adolescent’ + dev ‘lord’ hence ‘young lord’ or Baldev from bal ‘strength’ + dev ‘lord’ hence ‘lord of strength’. This surname is found mainly in Trinidad and Tobago Guyana and South Africa; it is not used in India.
Balding : 1: English (eastern): from the Middle English personal name Balding itself from Old English Bealding a derivative of Beald (compare Bald) a form not recorded before the Norman Conquest. In some cases the name is a variant of Baldwin. See Belding.2: German: patronymic from the ancient Germanic personal name Baldo (see Bald 1).
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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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