Origin
Ballin : 1: German and Danish: habitational name from a place so named near Neubrandenburg Germany.2: Jewish (western Ashkenazic): most likely metronymic from the hypocoristic form (using the suffix -lin) of the Yiddish female personal name Be(y)le (see Balin 1). Earliest bearers of the name spelling Bal(l)in or Bellin appear in available sources of Switzerland at the turn of the 14th–15th centuries.3: Hispanic: altered form of Asturian-Leonese Vallín (see Vallin).4: French: metonymic occupational name for a maker of straw mattresses Old French ballin.5: French: variant of Balin a derivative of Bal.6: English (of Norman origin): variant of Balaam (see Ballam).
Behar : 1: Spanish (Béhar): variant of Bejar.2: Jewish (from the Ottoman Empire): acronymic surname from the first letters of the Hebrew expression ben kvod rabbi ‘son of a honored rabbi’ in which the last word does not necessarily mean a spiritual leader of a Jewish community; it represents a title of respect for a man close to English Mister. In the Ottoman Empire Jews who had no fixed surname were traditionally named in Hebrew documents according to the pattern X bekhar Y where X and Y are male personal names. For example Abraham bekhar Moshe means ‘Abraham the son of Mister Moshe’. At the turn of the 20th century for numerous Ottoman Jews having no surname Be(k)har was recorded as their surname. Compare Bachar 1 and Bahar 4.
Bogdanov : 1: Russian Bulgarian and Macedonian; Belorussian (standard transliteration/spelling Bahdanaŭ): patronymic from the personal name Bogdan (Belorussian Bahdan) ‘God given’. Compare Bogdanoff.2: Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic): habitational name from the village of Bogdanovo or Bogdany in Belarus derived in turn from the personal name Bogdan.
Bora : 1: Polish: from a pet form of the personal names Borzysław or Bolebor composed with Old Slavic element bor ‘to fight’ (from boriti se).2: Hungarian: variant of Bara.3: Romanian: from a pet form of the personal name Boris and of (other) Old Slavic personal names composed with the element bor ‘to fight’ (compare Polish name above).4: Altered form of French Barré (see Barre 3 and 4).5: Indian (Gujarat): from the name of a Muslim community; it is a variant of Borah which is in turn a variant of Vohra.6: Turkish: ornamental name or nickname from bora ‘tempest squall’.7: Japanese: alternate reading of Hora.
Breward : 1: from Brewood (Staffs) itself from Brittonic *bre ‘hill’ + Old English wudu widu ‘wood’. Forms with -ward turn up from the early 17th century onwards alternating in Midlands records with forms with -wood which eventually die out. 2: from Saint Breward (Cornwall).
Bura : 1: Polish: probably a nickname from bura ‘wrangle rumpus row’. Alternatively it may be a derivative of the old personal name Bur Bury (from bury ‘dun grayish-brown’ or burzyć ‘to thunder to boom to rage’).2: Croatian: nickname from bura the name of a changeable northern wind in the Adriatic Sea. See also Buric 3.3: Romanian: nickname from bură ‘drizzle’ archaically also ‘storm’ (compare 2 above).4: Indian (Gujarat): from the name of a Muslim community; it is a variant of Borah which is in turn a variant of Vohra.
Cassaro : Italian:: 1: (Càssaro): habitational name from Càssaro a place in Sicily named from Sicilian càssaru ‘main street street leading to the citadel’ from Arabic qaṣr ‘citadel castle’ which in turn is derived from Latin castrum ‘Roman walled city’.2: (Cassàro): occupational name for a maker or seller of crates or boxes.
Chantry : 1: English (Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire): from Old French chanterie a term which originally meant the singing or chanting of a mass but later came to denote in turn the endowment of a priest to sing mass daily on behalf of the souls of the dead the priest so endowed and eventually the chapel where he officiated. The surname therefore may have arisen from a metonymic occupational name for the servant of a chantry priest or possibly for the priest himself or alternatively from a topographic name for someone who lived by a chantry chapel.2: French (northern) and Walloon: nickname for a cantor from Old French chanterie (see 1 above).
Charville : 1: from Cherville (Marne). 2: apparently from Middle English charen ‘to turn to divert’ + fughel foghel foul ‘fowl bird’ (Old English cærran + fugol) perhaps given to a bird-scarer or bird-catcher. However the following examples may be altered forms of the name in (1) by folk etymology.
Ciccolella : Italian: from the feminine form of Ciccolello a diminutive of Ciccolo which is in turn a diminutive of the personal name Cicco.
Crotwell : Possibly an Americanized form of South German Grotewohl a late medieval nickname for a journeyman from es gerate wohl ‘may it (your work) turn out well’. Compare Gradwohl Gradwell.
Deveny : 1: Irish: variant of Deveney and Devenny which are in turn variants of Devaney.2: In some cases perhaps also an American shortened form of Hungarian Dévényi: habitational name for someone from any of the places called Dévény (now Devín and Divín in Slovakia) or perhaps from a place called Devény (now Dövény in Borsod County in Hungary).
Donat : 1: French German Polish and English; Czech and Slovak (Donát): from a medieval personal name (from Latin Donatus past participle of donare frequentative of dare ‘to give’). As a personal name this was favored by early Christians either because the birth of a child was seen as a gift from God or else because the child was in turn regarded as being dedicated to God. The name was borne by various early Christian saints among them a 6th-century hermit of Sisteron and a 7th-century bishop of Besançon all of whom contributed to the popularity of the baptismal name in the Middle Ages which was not checked by the heresy of a 4th-century Carthaginian bishop who also bore it.2: Scottish: variant of Dunnett.
Dormer : 1: English (of Norman origin): nickname for a lazy man or a sleepyhead from Old French dormeur ‘sleeper sluggard’ (from Latin dormitor from dormire ‘to sleep’).2: Irish (Kilkenny): when not of the same origin as 1 above this is a shortened Anglicized form of the Donegal name Ó Díorma a shortened form of Ó Duibhdhíormaigh ‘descendant of Duibhdhíormach’ a personal name composed of Gaelic dubh ‘black’ + díormach ‘trooper’.3: German (Dörmer): occupational name for a watchman on a tower (of a castle or town) from an agent derivative of Middle Low German torn or Middle High German turn ‘tower’. Compare Dermer and Dorner.
Fabish : 1: Americanized form of Polish Fabiś or Slovak Fabiš (see Fabis) or of German Fabisch itself a Germanized form of a Slavic (most likely Polish) name.2: Jewish (Ashkenazic): from a male personal name a variant of Fayvish that in turn is ultimately derived from Latin Vivus meaning ‘living’.
Fringer : 1: German: habitational name for someone from Efringen Baden.2: Possibly an Americanized form of German Wringer: occupational name for the operator of a cider or oil press or a nickname for an oppressor from an agent derivative of Middle Low German wringen ‘to twist or turn to torture’.
Gisler : 1: Swiss German: occupational name for an official who collected fines; presumably the word is related to German Geisel ‘hostage’ which in turn may be a loanword from Celtic with the meaning ‘pawn’.2: Altered form of German Geisler.
Gorgone : Italian: apparently a humanistic nickname from Greek Gorgōn ‘gorgon’. In classical mythology the Gorgons were three sisters who had the power to turn to stone anyone who looked at them.
Grathwohl : South German: from a shortening of the phrase es gerate wohl! (‘may it turn out well’) an expression which originated among the medieval craft guilds and subsequently came to denote a journeyman.
Grossinger : Jewish (Ashkenazic): artificial name composed of German gross ‘large’ + inger an element commonly found in German surnames derived from toponyms that in turn end in ing(en).
Hotz : 1: South German and Swiss German: from thieves' cant for a peasant or farmer which in turn derives from an ancient Germanic personal name Hugizo or Huzo pet forms of a compound name formed with hug- as the first element (see for example Hubert Hugh).2: South German: possibly a nickname from Middle High German hotzen ‘to run swiftly’.
Jenner : 1: English: occupational name for a designer or engineer from Middle English enginour ‘engineer maker or designer of military machines’ Old French engigneor enginior (a derivative of engaigne ‘cunning ingenuity stratagem device’). Engineers in the Middle Ages were primarily designers and builders of military machines although in peacetime they might turn their hands to architecture and other more pacific functions. In the 12th century ingeniator was used to denote someone who combined the duties of master mason and architect. Ailnoth ingeniator a military architect was surveyor of the king's buildings at Westminster and the Tower in 1157 and was in charge of building operations at Windsor 1166–73. He repaired Westminster Abbey after a fire and superintended the destruction of the castles of Framlingham and Walton.2: German: from the Latin personal name Januarius (see Janvier). Jänner is a South German word for ‘January’ and so it is possible that this is one of the surnames acquired from words denoting months of the year for example by converts who had been baptized in that month people who were born or baptized in that month or people whose taxes were due in January.
Kahre : German: topographic name either from the South German dialect word kar ‘bowl-shaped valley’ (from Middle High German kar ‘bowl basket vessel’) or from dialectally kār from Middle High German Middle Low German ker(e) ‘(sharp) turn or bend in the road’.
Karhoff : German: topographic name from Middle High German kar ‘bowl hollow’ + hof ‘farm manor’ for a farm or house on low-lying ground or from kār ‘turn switchback’ for someone living on a bend or turn in a road.
Kosman : 1: Polish and Czech: from an altered form of the Greek personal name Kosmas or a derivative of kosmaty Czech kosmatý ‘shaggy hairy’.2: Dutch: probably a nickname for a flatterer or coaxer from Dutch kozen ‘to speak with friendly words’.3: Jewish (Ashkenazic): from the Jewish personal name Kosman borrowed during the Middle Ages from German Christians for whom Cos(s)mann in turn was derived from Kosmas of Greek origin.4: Jewish (Ashkenazic): occupational name for someone who made glasses or cups from Hebrew kos ‘drinking glass’ or Yiddish kos ‘goblet cup’ + man ‘man’. See also Kos.
Lorraine : 1: French and English: habitational name from Lorraine a region in the northeastern part of France. Its name derives from the name of the medieval kingdom of Lotharingia which in turn was named for its sovereign Lothar (a personal name composed of the elements hlūd ‘famous renowned’ + hari heri ‘army’).2: Altered form of French Lorrain a variant of 1 above.
Marciano : Italian (southern):: 1: habitational name from any of various places called Marciano.2: from the personal name from Latin Marcianus a derivative of Marcius derived in turn from Marcus (see Mark) or with the stress on the last syllable (Marcianò) from the Greek form of this name Markianos.
Morgret : 1: German (Lower Saxony): variant of Margret a habitational name from any of the places called Margareth(en) which in turn are named with the female saint's name Margaretha see Margaret.2: Americanized form of German Marquardt. Compare Morgart.
Mozingo : African: from an altered form under Portuguese influence of a variant of the personal name Nzinga which is known in Congo and Angola. The name is said to be derived from the Kimbundu verb kujinga ‘to twist to turn to wrap’ referring to the umbilical cord being wrapped around a newborn's neck. The surname Mozingo is found chiefly in NC and several other southern states. Compare Monzingo. — Note: In the data published in 2010 by the US Census Bureau almost all bearers of the surname Mozingo are reported as “White”.
Nesheiwat : Arabic (Jordan): from Nushaywāt a clan name derived from the name of the progenitor Abu-Nushaywah of which Nushaywāt is a plural. Nushaywah in turn is a diminutive of Arabic nashwah ‘happiness elation’. Bearers of this surname are mostly Christians.
Ottey : English (Leicestershire): variant of Otty arising from a pronunciation with shortened vowel of Auty in turn derived from the Middle English personal name Auty Outi Oti (Old Norse Auti) of uncertain origin.
Racer : Altered form of Rasor or Razor which are in turn altered forms of German Rauser. Compare Raser.
Rasar : Altered form of Rasor or Razor which are in turn altered forms of German Rauser. Compare Raser.
Raser : 1: German: probably a nickname for a wild or volatile person from an agent derivative of Middle High German rāsen ‘to rage’ or an altered form of Rasser which is from Middle High German raʒʒen ‘to rage rattle’.2: German: altered form of Röser (see Roesser).3: Altered form of Rasor or Razor which are in turn altered forms of German Rauser. Compare Racer and Rasar.
Reichel : 1: German: from a pet form of any of several ancient Germanic personal names formed with the ancient Germanic element rīc ‘power’.2: Jewish (Ashkenazic): from the Yiddish female personal name Raykhl a pet form of Raykhe which in turn is derived from Yiddish raykh ‘rich’.
Reichlin : 1: Swiss German and German: from a pet form of the medieval personal name Richelin.2: Jewish (from Belarus; Raykhlin): from the Yiddish female personal name Raykhle a pet form of Raykhe which in turn is derived from Yiddish raykh ‘rich’ + the Slavic possessive suffix -in.
Riberdy : Altered form of French Reberdy itself a variant or an altered form of Reverdy: from reverdi a past participle of the verb reverdir ‘to turn green again’ applied as a topographic name or perhaps as a nickname (in the sense ‘to look or feel younger’). The surname Reberdy is no longer found in France.
Rill : German: from a pet form of Rudilo which in turn is a short form of personal names formed with hruod for instance Rudolf.
Schake : North German: probably a variant of Schaake which in turn is a variant of Schaak (see Schaack).
Schwenger : 1: South German: habitational name shortened from a place called Schweningen in Baden or from an ancient Germanic personal name Swaniger composed with swana ‘swan’ as the first element.2: North German: nickname from Middle Low German swengen ‘to swing turn about’ probably referring to a person's gait.
Sinai : 1: Jewish: name bestowed with reference to Mount Sinai where Moses received the Ten Commandments from God (Exodus 20). It can be either artificial name or derived from the identical male personal name which in turn is derived from the name of the Mount.2: Muslim: from the name of Mount Sinai mentioned in the Koran as saynā’.
Sisco : 1: American shortened and altered form of the surname Francisco (which is in part of German and presumably also of French origin) and thus a variant of Cisco and Sesco.2: Americanized form of Italian (Calabria) Sisca: nickname from dialect sisca ‘wooden bucket’.3: Americanized form of Croatian and Slovenian Šiško (see Sisko) and also an Americanized form of German Schischka which is in turn a Germanized form of Slavic (Czech or Slovenian) Šiška or perhaps of Hungarian Siska.4: Hispanic (mainly Venezuela): from a short form of the personal name Francisco Latin Franciscus (see Francis).
Staubach : German: possibly a Swiss German topographic name from Middle High German stouwen ‘to dam’ + bach ‘creek’ or from Bavarian Staub dust' for a ‘waterfall or stream that seems to turn to dust when falling from a high crag’.
Suzuki : Japanese: variously written usually 鈴木 ‘bell tree’. An alternate pronunciation is Susuki. The name is probably taken from Japan's lovely pampas grass susuki. This is one of the two most common surnames in Japan the other being Sato. Legend says that one Suzuki family descended from a priestly surnamed Hozumi of Kumano (now Mie prefecture). The Hozumi in turn are listed in the Shinsen shōjiroku and claim descent from the Mononobe clan.
Thurman : 1: English (Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire): from the Middle English personal name T(h)urmund Old Norse Thórmundr composed of the elements Thórr the name of the Norse god of thunder (see Thor) + mundr ‘protection’. This personal name in was rare and Thurman may also have derived from the commoner Middle English personal name T(h)urmod T(h)urmot by assimilation of the second theme -mod -mot to the element -mund which is found in several other compound personal names.2: Americanized form of German Thurmann: habitational name for someone from a place called Thur (see Thur).3: Americanized form of German Thurmann: occupational name for a watchman from Middle Low German torn(e)man (torn(e) ‘tower’) or Middle High German turn turm ‘tower’ + man ‘man’. Compare Turman.4: Jewish (from Ukraine): variant of Turman.
Thurn : 1: German: topographic name for someone who lived near a watchtower or a metonymic occupational name for someone responsible for manning one from Middle High German turn turm ‘tower’. In some cases it may be a habitational name from any of the many places called with this word in the Rhineland Bavaria Austria and Bohemia.2: English (Warwickshire): variant of Thorne. This form of the surname is very rare in Britain and Ireland.
Toder : Jewish: from the male personal name Toder a pet form of Todres which in turn is related to Greek Theodōros; see Theodore.
Tostado : Spanish: nickname for a very dark-skinned man from the past participle of tostar ‘to tan to turn brown’.
Trimpe : 1: Dutch and North German: possibly a metonymic occupational name from Middle Dutch Middle Low German trippe ‘patten wooden over-shoe’ with epenthetic -m-.2: North German (Westphalia): nickname probably for a slender man from Low German drimmeln ‘to turn to twist’ Trimpe also denoting a slender flute made of willow bark.
Trinder : English (Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire): occupational name from a derivative of Middle English trenden ‘to turn roll twist’ (Old English trendan) denoting someone who turned something such as wood or fibres. Compare Turner Spinner.
Turner : 1: English: occupational name from Middle English t(o)urnour turner ‘turner’ (Old French to(u)rn(e)our) mainly denoting someone who fashioned small objects of wood metal or bone on a lathe but also a variety of other occupations including turnspit and translator or interpreter. This surname may have become confused with Toner. In North America it is also very common among African Americans.2: English: occasionally perhaps a nickname from Middle English turn-hare a compound of Middle English tournen ‘to turn direct steer’ + hare ‘hare’ a name for someone in charge of the greyhounds in hare coursing or an exaggerated compliment for someone who could run fast. See also Turnbull.3: English: perhaps also from Middle English t(o)urn(e)our ‘jouster one who takes part in a tournament’ (Old French tornoieor tournoieur).4: South German (rarely Türner): occupational name for a guard in a tower or a topographic name from an agent derivative of Middle High German turn ‘tower’. Compare Thurner.5: South German (rarely Türner): habitational name for someone from any of various places called Thurn for example in Austria. Compare Thurner.6: Slovenian and Croatian: regional occupational or topographic name from tur(e)n a loanword from German (see 4 above).7: Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic): habitational name from a place called Turno or Turna in Poland and Belarus or from the city of Tarnów (Yiddish Turne) in Poland.8: Americanized form (translation into English) of any of various like-sounding Jewish surnames or names with similar meaning.
Turnham : English (Buckinghamshire and Middlesex): habitational name primarily from Turnham Green in Chiswick (Greater London) but occasionally also from Turnham Hall in Cliffe (Yorkshire). The placenames probably derive from Old English trun turn ‘circular round’ possibly also ‘bend (in a river)’ + hām ‘village homestead’ or hamm ‘enclosure water meadow’.
Turnpenny : from Middle English turn(en) ‘(to) turn’ + peni ‘penny’ from the phrase ‘to turn a penny’ denoting a person intent on making a profit. There may have been some confusion with Timpany and its variants.
Visitacion : Spanish: from a short form of the Marian name María de la Visitación referring to the visit of Virgin Mary pregnant with Jesus to her cousin Elizabeth pregnant in turn by John the Baptist. This surname is most common in the Philippines.
Volkov : 1: Russian: patronymic from the old personal name or nickname Volk from volk ‘wolf’.2: Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic): habitational name from any of the places called Volkovo or Volki now in Belarus which in turn are derived from Russian volk ‘wolf’.3: Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic): patronymic from the Yiddish personal name Volke a hypocoristic form of Wolf 2. It is formed with the Russian possessive suffix -ov.
Wank : 3: German (of Slavic origin): from a variant of the personal name Wanke 1.1: German: topographic name from a field named with Middle High German wanc ‘bend or turn (in the course of a path or river)’.2: German: habitational name from a place called Wank in Bavaria.5: Jewish (Ashkenazic): variant of Wang.4: Sorbian: from a pet form of the personal name Iwan ‘John’ (see Ivan).
Wendel : 1: German Swedish Danish and Dutch: from the German personal name Wendel a pet form of a short form Wando of a compound ancient Germanic name beginning with wand ‘to go to migrate’.2: German: metonymic occupational name for a turner from Middle High German wendel ‘to turn’ or Middle Low German wendelen ‘to turn twist’.
Wolton : from Woolton Farm (Kent) which is recorded as Woltun' in 1197 or Woolton (Lancs) which is recorded as Wlvinton in 1188. The Lancs place-name derives from the Old English personal name Wulfa (genitive Wulfan) + Old English tūn ‘farmstead estate’. The origin of the Kent place-name is uncertain but it may mean ‘farmstead where the ground was rooted up or cleared’ from an Old English word related to Old High German wuolen ‘to root to turn up the group’ + Old English tūn.
Zumbo : Italian: nickname for a squat fat or stubborn person from Calabrian zumbu ‘lump’ itself presumably from Calabrian Greek dzomba tsoumba and this one from medieval Greek gombos itself in turn from Venetian gobo ‘hunchbacked’.
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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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