Family name etymology

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This is a collection of family name etymologies. For German names, see German family name etymology.

Aaronovitch, Aronowitz, etc. son of Aaron. Ashkenazi Jewish surname.
Abbott, Abbot, Abbett,: Commonly believed to have been derived from the Syriac term "abba," or Aramaic "aba," both meaning "father."
Anders(s)on: son of Anders/Andrew. Surname found in England, Scandinavia and Scotland
Baxter (English) "baker", especially a female baker.
Beitel - when German, can be a modification of "Beutel," signifying a bag maker. In Dutch the name means "chisel". The name also has strong German Jewish origins, as it can signify the place name Bethel (Israel), the original spelling having been "Beit El," which literally translates to "House of God" in Hebrew.
Britton, Bretton, le Breton, etc. Means "a Breton". Chiefly English with possible Norman French origins. The name derives from the land masses of Britannia and, by extension, Brittany.
Boyer: when German, can be a modification of "Bauer," farmer. In English is a derivative of "Bowyer", Bow Maker. Boyer is the French derivative of the English Bowyer and Bowyer can be first traced in the UK before 1066 in Buckinghamshire.
Balshemnik, Balshemennik, Bolshemennikov: from Baal Shem Tov: The Holder of a Good Name. A Jewish surname from Belarus.
Blevins: Welsh. Means "little wolf." Related to Blethyn.
Crum - from the German Krumm, meaning Bent. Scottish and northern Irish: reduced form of McCrum. Scottish: reduced form of Macilchrum, an Americanized form of Gaelic Mac Gille Chruim ‘son of the servant of the cripple’. Americanized spelling of German Krumm or of Dutch and Jewish Krom.
Cummins, Comyn or Comines - a village in former Flanders believed to have a Celtic, or Gaulish, origin. Possible origins: the herb [Cumin]; [Comminus], Latin; Hand-to-hand, or close combat. Commius was a historical king of the Belgic nation of the Atrebates in the 1st century BC. There is an ancient Irish personal name, Cuimin which would attest to a Celtic origin.
Dixon or Dickson - son of Richard (Dick is diminutive of Richard) as also Welsh Pritchard from ap Richard - son of Richard.
Duncan From Gaelic donn "brown" and cath "warrior". Sources: Clan Donnachaidh Society. Behind the Name.
Drohan, Draughn, Druhan: from druach: Irish: reduced, Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Druacháin, descendant of Druachán, a byname representing a diminutive of druach or ‘wise man’. Source: Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4
Ferguson: Scottish. "son of Fergus"
Hans(s)on, Hans(s)en: son of Hans. Scandinavian surname.
Holmberg: "Holm" comes from "holme", which means islet. "Berg" means hill or mountain. Scandinavian surname.
Howell: Many believe from Hywel Dda, "King Howell The Good" who ruled much of Wales in the early 900's. Many of his subjects adopted the name in his honor.
Huber: the German name is derived from Huober, a farmer holding a fief. It has also been explained as an abbreviation of Hubert or as a derivation of Heber, the Hebrew Patriarch. It may occur in the following variations: Hiver, Hivar, Hubbar, Hupper, Huper, Hobar, Hibber, Kuber, Kubri, Kivri, Heber, Eber, Hever, Ever.
Johans(s)on, Johns(s)on, Jons(s)on: son of Johan/John. Scandinavian and English surnames.
Karls(s)on, Carls(s)on, Karlsen, Carlsen: son of Karl. Scandinavian surname.
Kolikov: son of Kolek. Russian surname.
Lars(s)on, Larsen: Son of Lars (Lawrence). Scandinavian surname.
Lindberg: "Lind" means lime/linden and "berg" means hill or mountain. Scandinavian surname.
MacInnes: Gaelic MacAonghais, "sons of Angus".
MacLachlan: Gaelic, "son of Lochlann". Lochlann, meaning 'Land of Lochs'. Variously spelled.
MacThomas: anglicized form of Gaelic, MacThomaidh ("son of Tommy"). Other variants due to phonetic renderings include: MacOmish, McOmie, MacComie, McComas, McComb, etc.
Malone: servant of Saint John.
Manton: "man of the town" as a spoksman or head of a district or a leader or people ie. representative.
Marković: son of Mark.
McDonald, MacDonald: son of Donald.
Moreau: From dark or black horse. [1] has the etymology as "French,

derived from the nickname for the dark-skinned man, perhaps a Moor."

Mulder: Windmill Keeper or Miller (Dutch origins)
O'Donald: grandson of Donald (O' is an anglicisation of "ua", meaning grandson).
Ol(e)sen, Olson: Son of Ole/Ola. Scandinavian surname.
Pérez (Perez), is a Spanish-language surname. "son of Peter" (Pedro or Pero in Old Castilian), its English equivalent being Peterson.
Pers(s)on, Petters(s)on: son of Per/Petter (Peter). Scandinavian surname.
Plotkin: from Plotki. Jewish surname from Belarus.
Rabinowitz, Rabinovitch, Rabinowich: Son of a rabbi. Jewish surname. (This surname has the owitz ending, meaning "son of"). Poland, Russian Empire, other Eastern European countries.
Rambo. "Raven's nest". Swedish-American surname from New Sweden taken by a settler from Ramberget (Raven's Hill) near Gothenburg.
Reynolds: a a Anglo/Scots/Irish of the Norman/ French post Norman conquest of 1066
Shah: India, originally from Persian meaning "King."
Spector: From the Russian Spectorski, meaning inspector. Jews who registered as inspectors with the Russian or Ukraine governments received a favored status with respect to travel, although those who collected taxes were generally resented in the shtetls (Jewish ghettos).
Trip: An aristocratic name originating from the Netherlands a name going back approximately 400-500 years. Not many descendants are still known to be alive. The Trip families are located mainly in the Netherlands and one branch of the family is known to be residing in South Africa. A family name of high regard and also a well respected family name within the wealthy families of Europe. It is also a known fact that the Trip family name has links with the Dutch Royal Family whereby they were ousted by the present Royal Family because of legal technicalities. A House built by two Trip bothers who were immensely rich Cannon Builders is a well known monument in Amsterdam, known as "The Trip House, Trippenhuis."
Thweatt: Anglicized from thwait (meadow, clearing), from Danish immigrants (Vikings) in the British Isles between 800-1066 AD.
Vujinović: son of Vujin.
Walker: English (especially Yorkshire) and Scottish: occupational name for a fuller, Middle English walkere, Old English wealcere, an agent derivative of wealcan ‘to walk, tread’. This was the regular term for the occupation of a fuller during the Middle Ages in western and northern England.
Wolfgang: A wolves' cave (gang), a German family name.