MSW's Personal Name List

English cognate of Abate.

habitational name from a place in the West Midlands called Aldridge; it is recorded in Domesday Book as Alrewic, from Old English alor ‘alder’ + wīc ‘dwelling’, ‘farmstead’.

From Alemannia, the Latin name for Germany.

From a nickname meaning "eagle" in Italian.

From Latin arbor meaning "tree".

Occupational name for one who practiced archery, from Latin arcus "bow" (via Old French).

Means "son of Ermanno".

From Old English æsc meaning "ash tree", indicating a person who lived near ash trees.

From Middle English meaning "dweller at the wood".

Derived from a Norman French form of the given names Alberich or Alfred.

Originally indicated someone who lived near a hillside or a bank of land.

Derived from the given name Bartolomeo.

From French place names derived from beau "beautiful" and mont "mountain".

From a place name derived from Old English beonet "bent grass" and leah "woodland, clearing". Various towns in England bear this name.

Means either "black" (from Old English blæc) or "pale" (from Old English blac). It could refer to a person with a pale or a dark complexion, or a person who worked with black dye.

From an English place name meaning "black wood".

From any one of several places of this name in Scotland, which derive from Gaelic blàr meaning "plain, field, battlefield".

Occupational name for an archer, derived from Middle English bowe, Old English boga meaning "bow".

Variant of Brook.

Originally a nickname for a person who had brown hair or skin. A notable bearer is Charlie Brown from the Peanuts comic strip by Charles Schulz.

Derived from Old English burna "stream, spring". A famous bearer was the Scottish poet Robert Burns (1759-1796).

From various English place names derived from Old English ceald "cold" and wille "spring, stream, well".

Variant of Colquhoun.

From the ecclesiastical usage of canon, referring to a church official or servant who worked in a clergy house.

Occupational name for one who looked after the inner rooms of a mansion, from Norman French chambrelain.

From the given name Cino, a short form of names ending in cino.

Means simply "clay", originally referring to a person who lived near or worked with of clay.

From a medieval English byname meaning "lump".

From a medieval short form of Nicholas or from the byname Cola.

Occupational name for a keeper of horses, derived from Middle English colt.

From a place name derived from Old English crawe "crow" and ford "river crossing". A notable bearer was the American actress Joan Crawford (1904-1977), born Lucille Fay LeSueur.

Locative name meaning "cross", ultimately from Latin crux. It denoted one who lived near a cross symbol or near a crossroads.

Nickname for a courteous person, derived from Old French curteis meaning "refined, courtly".

From Old English dæl meaning "valley", originally indicating a person who lived there.

From the given name David.

Means "son of Daw".

Means "of the cross" in French. It denoted one who lived near a cross symbol or near a crossroads. A notable bearer was the French painter Eugène Delacroix (1798-1863).

From the name of a town in Lanarkshire, itself named after a tributary of the River Clyde called the Douglas Water, derived from Gaelic dubh "dark" and glais "water, river" (an archaic word related to glas "grey, green"). This was a Scottish Lowland clan, the leaders of which were powerful earls in the medieval period.

From the Irish Ó Dubhghaill, which means "descendant of Dubhghall". A famous bearer was Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930), the author of the Sherlock Holmes mystery stories.

Derived from the Old Norse byname Draki or the Old English byname Draca both meaning "dragon", both via Latin from Greek δράκων (drakon) meaning "dragon, serpent".

From the aristocratic title, which derives from Old English eorl meaning "nobleman, warrior". It was either a nickname for one who acted like an earl, or an occupational name for a person employed by an earl.

From Japanese 遠 (en) meaning "distant, far" and 藤 (dō) meaning "wisteria".

Means "son of Evan".

From the given name Everard.

Means "iron", ultimately from Latin ferrum. This was an occupational name for one who worked with iron.

Anglicized form of MacFhionnlaigh.

Derived from the given name Fiore.

Cognate of Fischer.

Means "son of Gerald" in Anglo-Norman French. It was brought to Ireland with William the Conqueror. A famous bearer was Ella Fitzgerald (1917-1996), an American jazz singer.

Occupational name for a fletcher, someone who attached feathers to the shaft of an arrow. It is derived from Old French fleche meaning "arrow".

From the name of the animal. It was originally a nickname for a person with red hair or a crafty person.

Derived from the given name Friedrich.

From Old English and Old High German meaning "frost", a nickname for a person who had a cold personality or a white beard.

Means "son of Gib".

From Old English glæs or Old High German glas meaning "glass". This was an occupational name for a glass blower or glazier.

Means "golden stag" in Yiddish.

From the name of a place in Berwickshire, Scotland, derived from Brythonic words meaning "spacious fort".

From the Old English word gara meaning "triangular plot of land".

Means "farm bailiff" from Old French grangier, ultimately from Latin granum meaning "grain". It is borne in the Harry Potter novels by Harry's friend Hermione Granger.

Descriptive name for someone who often wore the colour green or someone who lived near the village green.

Variant of Gray.

From a diminutive of the medieval byname Hake, which was of Old Norse origin and meant "hook".

Ornamental name adopted from a biblical place name meaning "altar, mountain of God" in Hebrew.

Means "son of Harry".

Name for someone who lived in a house with no land, derived rom Old High German word hus meaning "house".

Originally a nickname for a person who had a hawk-like appearance or who acted in a fierce manner, derived from Old English hafoc "hawk".

From a diminutive of Hawk.

Derived from the given name Henry.

Diminutive form of Hirsch 1 or Hirsch 2. A famous bearer was the British-German astronomer William Herschel (1738-1822), as well as his sister Caroline Herschel (1750-1848) and son John Herschel (1792-1871), also noted scientists.

Possibly a variant of Hayter.

Variant of Hunter.

English (of Norman origin): habitational name from Airaines in Somme, so named from Latin harenas (accusative case) ‘sands’. The form of the name has been altered as a result of folk etymology, an association of the name with the metal.

Famous bearers include Jeremy Irons, his son Max Irons, and Jack Irons, the drummer of Red Hot Chili Peppers and formerly with Pearl Jam before that.

Derived from the Old English given name Eoforwine.

Means "servant of Jack".

Means "cellar" in German, an occupational name for one in charge of the food and drink.

From an English place name meaning derived from Old English cærse "watercress" and ieg "island".

From a title meaning "king, ruler", probably of Mongolian origin but used in many languages.

From Old English cyning "king", originally a nickname for someone who either acted in a kingly manner or who worked for or was otherwise associated with a king. A famous bearer was the American civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968).

From Old English cniht meaning "knight", a tenant serving as a mounted soldier.

German cognate of Long.

From the given name Laurent.

Means "the white" in French, from blanc "white". The name referred to a person who was pale or whose hair was blond.

Means "teacher" in German (Yiddish לערער (lerer)).

Variant of Lee 1.

From an unknown place name.

Originally a nickname from the Welsh word llwyd meaning "grey".

Originally denoted a person from the city of Lyon in central France, originally Latin Lugdunum, of Gaulish origin meaning "hill fort of Lugus". It could also denote a person from the small town of Lyons-la-Forêt in Normandy.

Derived from the given name Martin. This is the most common surname in France.

Derived from the given name Matthew.

Derived from the given name Mendel.

Means "son of Mendel".

Means "blackbird", ultimately from Latin merula. The blackbird is a symbol of a naive person.

From the given name Miles.

From Japanese 宮 (miya) meaning "temple, shrine, palace" and 崎 (saki) meaning "cape, peninsula".

From a place name in Calvados, France meaning "Gumarich's mountain". A notable bearer was Bernard Montgomery (1887-1976), a British army commander during World War II.

Originally indicated a person who lived on a moor, from Middle English mor meaning "open land, bog".

Derived from a diminutive of the given name Maurus.

From Japanese 森 (mori) meaning "forest".

Locative name derived from Italian places such as Morra De Sanctis, Campania, or Morra del Villar, Piedmont.

Variant of Morriss.

From Japanese 中 (naka) meaning "middle" and 村 (mura) meaning "town, village".

From the name of one of many English towns meaning "new town". A famous bearer was the English physicist Isaac Newton (1643-1727).

Name for a person who lived to the north.

From a place name meaning "oak clearing" in Old English. It was borne by American sharpshooter Annie Oakley (1860-1926).

Means "son of Peter".

Means "son of Philip".

Denoted a person who hailed from one of the various places of this name in England. The places are derived from Old English hreod "reed" or ryddan "to strip, to clear" combined with leah "woodland, clearing".

Denoted a person who lived near a river, from Middle English, from Old French riviere meaning "river", from Latin riparius meaning "riverbank".

From Middle English and Old French roche meaning "rock", from Late Latin rocca, a word that may be of Celtic origin. It indicated a person who lived near a prominent rock, or who came from a town by this name (such as Les Roches in Normandy).

Diminutive form of Rossi. A famous bearer was the Italian composer Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868).

Diminutive of Roux. A famous bearer was the philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) whose ideas influenced the French Revolution.

Nickname for a person with red hair, from Latin rubeus "red".

A nickname to someone with reddish hair or a ruddy complexion.

Topographic name. It could be a misdivision of the Middle English phrases atter ye meaning "at the island" or atter eye meaning "at the river". In some cases it merely indicated a person who lived where rye was grown or worked with rye (from Old English ryge).

Variant of Sergeant.

From Japanese 佐 (sa) meaning "help, aid" and 藤 (tō) meaning "wisteria". The final character might indicate a connection to the Fujiwara clan. This is the most common surname in Japan.

English nickname meaning "wild, uncouth", derived from Old French salvage or sauvage meaning "untamed", ultimately from Latin silvaticus meaning "wild, from the woods".

Means "serf, slave", from Old Sicilian scavu.

Denoted a person from a town by this name in Buckinghamshire, England. It is derived from that of a river combined with Old English broc "stream".

Means "pretty, lovely" in Hebrew, from Aramaic.

Occupational name meaning "shepherd, sheep herder", from Old English sceaphyrde.

Variant of Zilberstein.

Variant of Ziskind.

From Old English snel meaning "fast, quick, nimble".

Nickname denoting someone with very white hair or an exceptionally pale complexion, from Old English snaw "snow".
Americanized and shortened form of any of the Jewish ornamental names composed with German Schnee, Schnei, Schneu ‘snow’ as the first element.

Occupational name for a steelworker, from Old English stele meaning "steel".

From the place name Swinglehurst in the Forest of Bowland in central Lancashire, derived from Old English swin "swine, pig", hyll "hill" and hyrst "wood, grove".

Referred to a person who thatched roofs by attaching straw to them, derived from Old English þæc meaning "thatch, roof". A famous bearer was the British prime minister Margaret Thatcher (1925-2013).

Originally applied to a person who lived in or near a thorn bush.

From the given name Tobias.

From a diminutive of the given name Tobias.

Means "fox", derived from Middle English todde.

Indicated a person who lived at the town's edge, from Old English tun "enclosure, yard, town" and ende "end, limit".

From an English and French place name that described a person who lived near a bridge or ford, or occasionally as an occupational name for the collector of tolls at such a location. The place name is derived from Old French traverser (which comes from Late Latin transversare), which means "to cross".

Occupational name for one who worked with a lathe, derived from Old English turnian "to turn", of Latin origin. A famous bearer is the American musician Tina Turner (1939-2023), born Anna Mae Bullock.

Means "from Wieren". This is the name of towns in Frisia and other parts of the Netherlands, which mean "seaweed".

Derived from the given name Velasco. A famous bearer was the Spanish painter Diego Velázquez (1599-1660).

Means "vicar" in Spanish and Italian, an ecclesiastic title used to denote a representative of a bishop. It is derived from Latin vicarius meaning "substitute, deputy".

From the name of any of several villages in England, derived from Old English wealh "foreigner, Celt", weald "forest", weall "wall", or wille "well, spring, water hole" combined with tun "enclosure, yard, town".

From the name of the River Weaver, derived from Old English wefer meaning "winding stream".

Occupational name meaning "weaver", from Old English webba, a derivative of wefan "to weave".

Occupational name meaning "weaver", from Old English webba, a derivative of wefan "to weave".

From any of the various places in England with this name, meaning "wheat clearing" in Old English.

Originally a nickname for a person who had white hair or a pale complexion, from Old English hwit "white".

From any of various towns by this name in England, notably in Hampshire. They are derived from Old English wic "village, town" (of Latin origin) and ham "home, settlement".

From any of the English towns named Wilton.

From Middle High German or Middle English wolf meaning "wolf", or else from an Old German given name beginning with this element.

Variant of Wolf.

Originally denoted one who lived in or worked in a forest, derived from Old English wudu "wood".