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 A Surnames Family History Resources

Surnames, their origin and their meaning

Many surnames are associated with the place/locality of where the family lived and in those cases the location is noted as the meaning.
Many surnames are associated with the occupation of the person given the name.

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Surname		Origin	Meaning
Aaron		Hebrew	Signifies a mountaineer, or mount of strength
Aarons		Hebrew	Aarons Son
Aaronson		Hebrew	Aaron's Son
Abb		Hebrew	Abraham
Abbee		French	abbey
Abberle		English	Abberley Worcester
Abbiss			Abby's son
Abbot			chief ruler of an abbey
Abdallah		Turkish	The servant of God
Abel		Hebrew	Vanity, breath
Abendroth		German	abend, evening, and roth, red
Abercrombie		Celtic-Gaelic	parish in Fife, Scotland
Aberdeen		Celtic-Gaelic	city in Aberdeenshire
Aberdene		Celtic-Gaelic	city in Aberdeenshire
Abernethy		Celtic-Gaelic	a town in Strathern, Scotland, on the river Tay
Abijah		Hebrew	The will of the Lord
Abner		Hebrew	Father or Light
Abney		Norman-French	Aubigny, a town of France, in the department of Berry
Abraham		Hebrew	The father of a great multitude
Absolom		Hebrew	Father of Peace
Acheson		Cornish-British	An inscription or memorial
Ackart		Saxon	Ack, oak, and ard, nature, disposition
Ackerley		English	aker, a division of land + ley, a lea or field
Ackerman		Saxon	Acker, oaken, made of oak, and man
Ackers		Saxon	place of oaks, or oak-man
Ackland		Saxon	a place in North Devonshire, England,
Ackman		Saxon	ack, or ake, oak, and man
Ackworth		Celtic	Oak Tree Estate or Ford
Acreman		English	acer, a field + man
Acres		English	acer - a field
Acroyd		Scandinavian	Oak-Ridding clearing
Acton		Saxon	oak-town
Ada		Saxon	Eade
Adair		Celtic-Gaelic	Ath, a ford, and dare, from darach, the place of oaks
Adams		Hebrew	Man, earthly, or red
Adcock			little Ad or Adam
Addenbrooke		English	Dweller at the brook
Adderley		English	the common-field land
Addison			son of Adam, Adie or Addie
Adee			Adam
Adie			Adam
Adkins			son of Adam
Adlam		Saxon	adel, fine, noble, and ham, a village or castle
Adlar		Dutch	Adelaar, an eagle
Adlington		English	adling, prince; tun, manor
Adnett		French	son of Adam
Adolphus		Saxon	Ead, happiness, and ulph, help
Adrian		Latin	the city of Hadria
Adshead		English	Headland
Affleck		Celtic-Gaelic	the lands and barony of Auchinleck, near Dundee, in Angusshire, Scotland
Agan		Gaelic	Eigin, force, violence
Agar		Celtic-Gaelic	Aighear signifies gladness, joy, gayety
Agate		English	at the Gate
Aglionby		Norman-French	Aglion, an eaglet, and by, a residence or habitation
Agnew		Norman-French	the town of Agneau in Normandy
Aguiler		French-Latin	Needle Maker
Ahern		Celtic	Ech Tighern = Horse-Lord
Aiken		Saxon	Oaken
Aikman		Saxon	ack, oak, and man
Ainsworth		Welsh-British	ains, a spring, a river, and gwerth, a place, possession, or court
Aird		Celtic	Tall, exalted, noble
Aiston		Celtic	East Farmstead or village
Aitkin			son of Arthur
Aiton		Norman-French	ea or eau, water, and ton, a town
Akam		English	Oak Tree Enclosure or Dwelling
Aked		English	Oak-Head land
Akehurst		English	OakWood
Akeman		Saxon	Oakman
Aken		Saxon	Oaken
Akers		Saxon	ac and ake being old terms for oak
Akin		Saxon	Oaken
Alan			hound
Alanson			son as Alan
Albany		French	Albi(g)ny, now Aubigny, France
Albert		German	beort or bert, signifies famous, fair, and clear, bright
Albin		French-Latin	White, Fair
Albrecht		Saxon	All-bright
Albright		Teutonic	Noble, bright, glorious
Albury		English	old Borough
Alcock			little Hal or Al
Alcott		English	Old Cottage
Aldcroft		English	Old Croft, a small field
Alden		Saxon	ald, old, and den or dun, a hill or town
Alderman		English	Duke, magistrate, chief
Aldersey		Saxon	The isle of alders
Alderslade		English	alder tree valley
Aldersmith		English	older smith
Alderton		English	aldertree farm
Aldham		English	old enclosure or dwelling
Aldis		Saxon	old house
Aldjoy		Saxon	all-joy
Aldred		Saxon	All-fear
Aldridge		Saxon	All-fear
Aldwin		English	Old friend
Aldworth		English	old estate or farm
Alexander		Greek	aider or benefactor of men
Alford		Saxon	old ford
Alfort		Locality	A village in France, two leagues from Paris
Alfred		Saxon	all, and fred or friede, peace
Algar		Gaelic	Noble
Alger		English	Old Spear
Alice		Saxon	Adeliz, noble
Allan		Scottish	Aland, a wolf-dog, a hound
Allchin		Anglo-Saxon	Allwine
Allcorn		English-Sussex	The temple corner or corner of land
Allen		Scottish	Aland, a wolf-dog, a hound
Allenby		Celtic	Allen's dwelling or farm
Allendorf			A town in Hesse, Germany
Alley			passage or walk
Allgood		Saxon	All-good
Alliman		French-Teutonic	All-Men
Allingham		English	Aille or Aella family ham = home, extate
Allington		Anglo-Saxon	Ellendun = Elder-Tree Hill
Allinson			Allen's Son
Allison			Alice's son
Allman		French-Teutonic	All-Men
Alloway		Celtic	Wild Field
Allwood		English	old wood
Allworthy		English	old estate or farm
Allwright			Old Wright
Almey		Scandinavian	Elm Island
Almgill		Scandinavian	elm ravine
Almond		English	Temple-protection
Alp		English	bullfinch
Alpin		Scottish	A pet name, with -in diminutive ending
Alsford		English	Alder-Tree Ford
Alsop		Locality	Alsop, Co. Derby, England
Althorp		English	old village
Alton		English	Old Farm, Manor, or Village
Alvarez		Spanish	son of Alvaro
Alverston		Cornish-British	al, high, ver, green, and don or ton, a hill
Alverton		Cornish-British	al, high, ver, green, and don or ton, a hill
Alvin		Saxon	All-winning or victorious
Alvord		Saxon	old ford
Alwin		Saxon	All-winning or victorious
Amaker		Locality	Amager, a small Danish island to the east of Copenhagen
Ambler		French	Ambleur, an officer of the king's stables
Ambrose		Greek	divine, immortal
Amery		German	Emerich or Immer-reich, always rich
Ames		French	Amie, a friend, beloved
Amherst		Saxon	ham, a town or village, and hurst or herst, a wood
Ammadon		Gaelic	Amadan, a numskull, a simpleton
Amoore		English	at the moor
Ampte		Dutch	Ampt, an official situation
Amy		French-Latin	Friend
Anastasia		Greek	Christ's resurrection
Andarton		British	an, the; dar, an oak, and ton, a hill
Anderson		Scottish	son of Andrew
Andrew		Greek	A brave man
Angel		Greek	messenger
Angell		French	Angel, Messenger
Anger		German	angar, a pasture, meadow
Angevine			Anjou, in France
Angle		Greek	messenger
Angood		French-Teutonic	Ancestral God
Angus		Locality	A county of Scotland, sometimes called Forfarshire
Anker		Latin-Greek	Anchorite, hermit, monk
Annan		Locality	A river and borough of Scotland
Annandale		Celtic-English	The Dale of the River Annan
Annesley		Locality	a town in Nottinghamshire, England
Anscombe		English	Anne's hollow or valley
Ansell			Anselm
Anselm		Teutonic	Hamstzhelm, a defender of his companions
Anson			son of Ann
Anstruther		Gaelic	Anstruth, an ancient order of historians or bards among the Celts
Anthon			Anthony
Anthony		Latin	Antius, a son of Hercules
Anton		Greek	A flower; flourishing, beautiful, graceful
Anwell		Celtic	Beloved, dear
Appleby		Scandinavian	Orchard or the apple-tree farm
Applegarth		Locality	The orchard, apple-garden
Applegate		English	Apple Tree gate
Applethwaite		Scandinavian	Apple Tree clearing
Appleton		Locality	The town abounding in apples
Apps		English	the aspen tree or the fir tree
Apsey		English	Aspen Island
Arblaster			Balistarius, a cross-bowman
Arbuthnot		Locality	the land and barony of Arbuthnot in the Mearns, Scotland
Arceneau		French	gunmaker
Archibald		German	Erchenbald, a powerful, bold, and speedy learner or observer
Ardal		Celtic	ar, upon, and dol or dal, a vale, on the vale
Arderne		English	Cheshire place-name
Ardgall		Celtic	ar, upon, and dol or dal, a vale, on the vale
Ardley		English	Arda's Lea or home
Argent		French-Latin	Argentus' Estate
Argyle		Gaelic	Earra Ghaidheal, that is, the country of the western Gael
Arkle		Scandinavian	Arkcoll, Arkell, Arkill, & Arkle - Eagle-Kettle, sacrificial cauldron
Arkwright		English	Chest-Maker
Arlon		Locality	Arlon, a town in the Netherlands, thirteen miles east from Luxemburg
Armes		English	Poor, wretched
Armfield		English	Poor Field
Armistead		Saxon	The place of arms
Armitage		Locality	Hermitage, the cell or habitation of a hermit, formerly a wilderness or solitary place
Armitstead		English	Hermit's Place
Armour			Armorer, a maker of armor
Armsted		Saxon	The place of arms
Armstrong			strength in battle
Arnold		German	are or ehre, honor, and hold, faithful or devoted to
Arrowsmith		English	Arrow maker
Arthur		British	Ar (Latin vir), a man, and thor, strong
Artois		Locality	the province of Artois in the Netherlands
Arundale		English	Eagle-dale
Arundel		Locality	the dale on the Arun
Arzt		German	doctor
Ascall		Gaelic	a sheltered place, a bosom, a covert
Asgall		Gaelic	a sheltered place, a bosom, a covert
Ashburner		English	Charcoal maker
Ashburton		Locality	the town on the hill covered or surrounded with ash trees
Ashbury		English	ashtree hill
Ashby		Saxon	the village on a place abounding in ash-trees
Ashcroft		English	East Croft a small field
Asher		English	ashtree spear
Ashford		Saxon	ford over the Ash river
Ashley		Saxon	The lea, field, or pasture abounding in ash-trees
Ashton		Saxon	The ash-hill or town
Ashwin		English	Spear friend
Askew		Saxon	Acksheugh, hilly lands covered with oaks
Askwith		Scandinavian	ash wood
Aslett		French-Latin	Lancelet
Aspinwall		Saxon	aspen-vale
Astley		Saxon	Estley or Eastley, the east meadow or field
Aston		Saxon	Eston or Easton, the east town
Astor		Locality	Oster, a town in North Jutland
Atherton		Saxon	Atherstone, a town in Warwickshire, England
Athill		Locality	At the hill
Athol		Celtic-Gaelic	ath, a ford, and al, an old word for a rock, a stone
Athow		Locality	At the hill
Atkins			son of Arthur
Attree		Locality	At the tree
Atwater		Locality	At the water
Atwell		Locality	At the well
Atwood		Locality	At the wood
Aubrey		German	Alberic, a name given in hope of power or wealth
Auchinleck		Locality	Ach, an elevation, a mound, or round hill, generally level at the top; and leac, a flat stone, a tombstone
Auchmuty		Gaelic	Ach, an elevation, a mound, and mod, a court, an assembly, a meeting
Aucoin		French	Alcuin, of German origin, meaning friend of the temple
Audley		Saxon	ald or aud, old, and ley, a field or pasture
Augustine		Latin	Augustinus, imperial, royal, great, or renowned
Auld		Scottish	Old
Ault		Scottish	Old
Aurelia		Latin	Feminine of Aurelius, golden
Aurora			Aurea hora, the golden hour
Austin		Latin	Augustinus, imperial, royal, great, renowned
Avelin		Latin	hazelnut
Averill		Locality	Haverill is a town in Suffolk, England
Avery		Gaelic	Aimhrea contention or disagreement
Avis		Latin	Avus grandfather
Axton		English	Stone, monument, or castle
Ayleward			ale-keeper
Aylmer		Welsh	Allmor a valley or dale
Aylsworth		Cornish-British	Ayles, low meadow, flat lands, washed by a river, sea, or lake, and gwerth, a worth, farm, house, village
Ayres		Locality	a river, town, and district of the same name in Scotland
Ayton		English	The River Farm or Village

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