Word and name meaning of

Abate Italian
From Italian abate meaning «abbot, priest», derived via Latin and Greek from an Aramaic word meaning «father». This was used either as a nickname or an occupational name for a worker in a priest’s house.

Abbey English
Indicated a person who lived near an abbey or worked in an abbey, from Middle English abbeye.

Allaway Scottish
From a Scottish place name, itself derived from alla «wild» and mhagh «field».

Appleby English
From the name of various English towns, derived from Old English æppel «apple» and Old Norse býr «farm, settlement».

Archer English
Occupational name for one who practiced archery, from Latin arcus «bow» (via Old French).

Armstrong English
Means «strong arm» from Middle English. Tradition holds that the family is descended from Siward, an 11th-century Earl of Northumbria. Famous bearers of this name include the Americans Louis Armstrong (1901-1971), a jazz musician, and Neil Armstrong (1930-2012), an astronaut who was the first person to walk on the moon.

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

Ashworth English
From an English place name meaning «ash enclosure» in Old English.

Atwater English
From Middle English meaning «dweller at the water».

Atwood English
From Middle English meaning «dweller at the wood».

Baker English
Occupational name meaning «baker», derived from Middle English bakere.

Ball English
From Middle English bal, Old English beall meaning «ball». This was either a nickname for a rotund or bald person, or a topographic name for someone who lived near a ball-shaped feature.

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

Banner English
Occupational name for a flag carrier, derived from Old French baniere meaning «banner», ultimately of Germanic origin.

Bannister English
From Norman French banastre meaning «basket». This was originally a name for a maker of baskets.

Barker English
From Middle English bark meaning «to tan». This was an occupational name for a leather tanner.

Battle English
From a nickname for a combative person. In some cases it may come from the name of English places called Battle, so named because they were sites of battles.

Bayer German
Originally denoted a person from Bavaria, from its German name Bayern.

Beck 4 English
From Old English becca meaning «pickaxe», an occupational surname.

Belcher English
From a Middle English version of Old French bel chiere meaning «beautiful face». It later came to refer to a person who had a cheerful and pleasant temperament.

Bell 1 English
From Middle English belle meaning «bell». It originated as a nickname for a person who lived near the town bell, or who had a job as a bell-ringer.

Berry English
Derived from a place name, which was derived from Old English burh «fortification».

Best 1 English
Derived from Middle English beste meaning «beast», an occupational name for a keeper of animals or a nickname for someone who acted like a beast. A famous bearer of this surname was soccer legend George Best (1946-2005).

Bird English
Occupational name for a person who raised or hunted birds.

Bishop English
Means simply «bishop», ultimately from Greek ἐπίσκοπος (episkopos) meaning «overseer». It probably originally referred to a person who served a bishop.

Black English
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.

Blackburn English
From the name of a city in Lancashire, meaning «black stream» in Old English.

Bloodworth English
Originally indicated someone from the town of Blidworth in Nottinghamshire, which was derived from the Old English byname Blīþa (meaning «happy, blithe») combined with worð «enclosure».

Blue English
From a nickname for a person with blue eyes or blue clothing.

Bologna Italian
From the name of the city of Bologna in northern Italy. It may derive from a Celtic word meaning «settlement».

Bond English
Occupational name for a peasant farmer, from Middle English bonde. A famous bearer is the fictional spy James Bond, created by Ian Flemming in 1953.

Bone 1 English
Derived from Old French bon meaning «good».

Booth English
Topographic name derived from Middle English both meaning «hut, stall».

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

Brasher English
Means «brass worker», derived from Old English bræs «brass».

Bray English
From a place name derived from Cornish bre «hill».

Brewer English
Occupational name for a maker of ale or beer.

Brewster English
Variant of Brewer, originally a feminine form of the occupational term.

Bridges English
Originally denoted a person who lived near a bridge, or who worked as a bridgekeeper, derived from Middle English brigge, Old English brycg.

Brook English
Denoted a person who lived near a brook, a word derived from Old English broc.

Brown English
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.

Brownlow English
From Old English brun meaning «brown» and hlaw meaning «mound, small hill». The name was probably given to a family living on a small hill covered with bracken.

Brunet French
From a diminutive of French brun meaning «brown».

Bull English
From a nickname for a person who acted like a bull.

Bunker English
Derived from Old French bon cuer meaning «good heart».

Bureau French
From Old French burel, diminutive of bure, a type of woolen cloth. It may have originated as a nickname for a person who dressed in the material or as an occupational name for someone who worked with it.

Burns 1 English, Scottish
Derived from Old English burna «stream, spring». A famous bearer was the Scottish poet Robert Burns (1759-1796).

Bush English
Originally a name for a person who lived near a prominent bush or thicket.

Butcher English
Occupational name for a butcher, derived from Old French bouchier.

Butler English, Irish
Occupational name derived from Norman French butiller «wine steward», ultimately from Late Latin butticula «bottle». A famous bearer of this surname is the fictional character Rhett Butler, created by Margaret Mitchell for her novel Gone with the Wind (1936).

Butts English
From a nickname meaning «thick, stumpy», from Middle English butt.

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

Carpenter English
From the occupation, derived from Middle English carpentier (ultimately from Latin carpentarius meaning «carriage maker»).

Carter English
Occupational name for a person who operated a cart to transport goods, from Norman French caretier. A famous bearer is the former American president Jimmy Carter (1924-).

Carver English
Occupational surname for a carver, from Middle English kerve «cut».

Case English
From Norman French casse meaning «box, case», ultimately from Latin capsa. This was an occupational name for a box maker.

Castle English
From Middle English castel meaning «castle», from Late Latin castellum, originally indicating a person who lived near a castle.

Causer English
Occupational name for one who made leggings, derived from Old French chausse «leggings».

Chambers English
From Old French chambre meaning «chamber, room», an occupational name for a person who worked in the inner rooms of a mansion.

Chance English
From a nickname for a lucky person or a gambler.

Chase English
Occupational name for a hunter, from Middle English chase «hunt».

Chevalier French
From a nickname derived from French chevalier meaning «knight», from Late Latin caballarius «horseman», Latin caballus «horse».

Church English
From the English word, derived from Old English cirice, ultimately from Greek κυριακόν (kyriakon) meaning «(house) of the lord». It probably referred to a person who lived close to a church.

Clay English
Means simply «clay», originally referring to a person who lived near or worked with of clay.

Close English
From Middle English clos meaning «enclosure», a topographic name for someone who lived near a courtyard or farmyard.

Cock English
Derived from the medieval nickname cok meaning «rooster, cock». The nickname was commonly added to given names to create diminutives such as Hancock or Alcock.

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

Constable English
From Old French conestable, ultimately from Latin comes stabuli meaning «officer of the stable».

Cook English
Derived from Old English coc meaning «cook», ultimately from Latin coquus. It was an occupational name for a cook, a man who sold cooked meats, or a keeper of an eating house.

Couch Cornish
From Cornish cough «red», indicating the original bearer had red hair.

Coy English
Means «quiet, shy, coy» from Middle English coi.

Cropper English
Occupational name derived from Middle English croppe «crop», referring to a fruit picker or a crop reaper.

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

Dale English
From Old English dæl meaning «valley», originally indicating a person who lived there.

Dam Dutch, Danish
Means «dike, dam» in Dutch and Danish. In modern Danish it also means «pond».

Dean 2 English
Occupational surname meaning «dean», referring to a person who either was a dean or worked for one. It is from Middle English deen (ultimately from Latin decanus meaning «chief of ten»).

Denman English
From Middle English dene «valley» combined with man.

Doctor English
Originally denoted someone who was a doctor, ultimately from Latin doctor meaning «teacher».

Downer English
Name for someone who lived on or near a down, which is an English word meaning «hill».

Drake English
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».

Draper English
Occupational name for a maker or seller of woolen cloth, from Anglo-Norman French draper (Old French drapier, an agent derivative of drap «cloth»).

Duke English
From the noble title, which was originally from Latin dux «leader». It was a nickname for a person who behaved like a duke, or who worked in a duke’s household.

Dyer English
Occupational name meaning «cloth dyer», from Old English deah «dye».

Earl English
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.

Egger German
South German occupational name meaning «plowman» or «farmer», derived from German eggen «to harrow, to plow».

Elder English
Derived from Old English ealdra meaning «older», used to distinguish two people who had the same name.

English English
Denoted a person who was of English heritage. It was used to distinguish people who lived in border areas (for example, near Wales or Scotland). It was also used to distinguish an Anglo-Saxon from a Norman.

Espina Spanish
Means «thorn» in Spanish, a name for someone who lived near a thorn bush.

Espinosa Spanish
From Spanish espinoso meaning «thorny», ultimately from Latin spinosus, a derivative of spina meaning «thorn, spine».

Fairburn English
From a place name meaning «fern stream», from Old English fearn «fern» and burna «stream».

Falco Italian
Derived from Italian falco «falcon». The name was used to denote a falconer or a person who resembled a falcon in some way.

Farmer English
Occupational name for a tax collector, from Middle English ferme «rent, revenue, provision», from medieval Latin firma, ultimately from Old English feorm. This word did not acquire its modern meaning until the 17th century.

Fear English
Derived from Middle English feare meaning «friend, comrade».

Fields English
Name for a person who lived on or near a field or pasture, from Old English feld.

Finch English, Literature
From the name of the bird, from Old English finc. It was used by Harper Lee for the surname of lawyer Atticus Finch and his children in her novel To Kill a Mockingbird (1960).

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

Flintstone Popular Culture
From the English words flint and stone, created by Hanna-Barbera Productions for the caveman family (Fred, Wilma and Pebbles) in their animated television show The Flintstones, which ran from 1960 to 1966.

Ford English
Name given to someone who lived by a ford, possibly the official who maintained it. A famous bearer was the American industrialist Henry Ford (1863-1947).

Forest English, French
Originally belonged to a person who lived near or in a forest. It was probably originally derived, via Old French forest, from Latin forestam (silva) meaning «outer (wood)».

Forester English
Denoted a keeper or one in charge of a forest, or one who has charge of growing timber in a forest (see Forest).

Fortune English
From Middle English, ultimately from Latin fortuna meaning «fortune, luck, chance». This was possibly a nickname for a gambler.

Foster 4 English
Nickname given to a person who was a foster child or foster parent.

Fowler English
Occupational name for a fowler or birdcatcher, ultimately derived from Old English fugol meaning «bird».

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

Freeman English
Referred to a person who was born free, or in other words was not a serf.

Frisk Swedish
From Swedish frisk «healthy», which was derived from the Middle Low German word vrisch «fresh, young, frisky».

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

Fry English
From Old English frig (a variant of freo) meaning «free».

Fuller English
Occupational name for a fuller, a person who thickened and cleaned coarse cloth by pounding it. It is derived via Middle English from Latin fullo.

Gang Korean
Alternate transcription of Korean Hangul 강 (see Kang).

Gardener English
Occupational surname for one who was a gardener, from Old French jardin meaning «garden» (of Frankish origin).

Garland English
Means «triangle land» from Old English gara and land. It originally belonged to a person who owned a triangle-shaped piece of land.

Garner 1 English
From Old French gernier meaning «granary», a derivative of Latin granum meaning «grain». This name could refer to a person who worked at a granary or lived near one.

Gates English
Originally denoted a person who lived near the town gates.

Gentile Italian
From a nickname meaning «gentle, kind» in Italian.

Gill English
Originally indicated someone who lived near a ravine, from Middle English gil (of Old Norse origin).

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

Glazier English
Means «glass worker, glazier», from Old English glæs meaning «glass».

Glover English
Occupational name for a person who made or sold gloves, from Middle English glovere.

Gold English, German, Jewish
From Old English and Old High German gold meaning «gold», an occupational name for someone who worked with gold or a nickname for someone with yellow hair. As a Jewish name it is ornamental.

Good English
From a nickname meaning «good», referring to a kindly person.

Gore English
From the Old English word gara meaning «triangular plot of land».

Grant English, Scottish
Derived from Norman French meaning «grand, tall, large, great».

Graves English
Occupational name for a steward, derived from Middle English greyve, related to the German title Graf.

Gray English
From a nickname for a person who had grey hair or grey clothes.

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

Greenspan Jewish
Anglicized form of German Grünspan meaning «verdigris». Verdigris is the green-blue substance that forms on copper.

Greenwood English
Topographic name for someone who lived in or near a lush forest, from Old English grene «green» and wudu «wood».

Grieve Scottish
Occupational name meaning «steward, farm manager» in Middle English, related to the German title Graf.

Groves English
From Old English graf meaning «grove». This originally indicated a person who lived near a grove (a group of trees).

Gully English
Nickname for a big person, from Middle English golias meaning «giant» (ultimately from Goliath, the Philistine warrior who was slain by David in the Old Testament).

Haggard English
From a nickname meaning «wild, untamed, worn», from Old French, ultimately from a Germanic root.

Hale English
Derived from Old English halh meaning «nook, recess, hollow».

Harden English
From a place name meaning «hare valley» in Old English.

Harding English
Derived from the given name Heard. A famous bearer was American president Warren G. Harding (1865-1923).

Hardwick English
From Old English heord «herd» and wic «village, town».

Hardy English, French
From Old French and Middle English hardi meaning «bold, daring, hardy», from the Germanic root *harduz.

Harper English
Originally belonged to a person who played the harp or who made harps.

Hart English
Means «male deer». It was originally acquired by a person who lived in a place frequented by harts, or bore some resemblance to a hart.

Hawk English
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».

Hawking English
From a diminutive of Hawk. A famous bearer was the British physicist Stephen Hawking (1942-2018).

Haywood English
From various place names meaning «fenced wood» in Old English.

Head English
From Middle English hed meaning «head», from Old English heafod. It may have referred to a person who had a peculiar head, who lived near the head of a river or valley, or who served as the village headman.

Heath English
Originally belonged to a person who was a dweller on the heath or open land.

Hertz German
Derived from Middle High German herze meaning «heart», a nickname for a big-hearted person.

Hickey Irish
Anglicized form of Irish Ó hÍcidhe meaning «descendant of the healer».

Hill English
Originally given to a person who lived on or near a hill, derived from Old English hyll.

Homewood English
From various place names derived from Old English ham meaning «home» and wudu meaning «wood».

Hooker English
Originally applied to one who lived near a river bend or corner of some natural feature, from Old English hoc «angle, hook».

Hooper English
Occupational name for someone who put the metal hoops around wooden barrels.

Hope English
Derived from Middle English hop meaning «small valley».

Hopper English
Occupational name for an acrobat or a nickname for someone who was nervous or restless. A famous bearer was the American actor Dennis Hopper (1936-2010).

Horn English, German, Norwegian, Danish
From the Old English, Old High German and Old Norse word horn meaning «horn». This was an occupational name for one who carved objects out of horn or who played a horn, or a person who lived near a horn-shaped geographical feature, such as a mountain or a bend in a river.

House English
Referred to a person who lived or worked in a house, as opposed to a smaller hut.

Huff English
Means «spur of a hill», from Old English hoh.

Hunter English, Scottish
Occupational name that referred to someone who hunted for a living, from Old English hunta.

Joiner English
Occupational name for a carpenter (that is, a person who joins wood together to make furniture).

Keen English
From Old English cene meaning «bold, brave».

King English
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).

Kitchen English
Occupational name for a person who worked in a kitchen (of a monastery for example), derived from Old English cycene, ultimately from Latin coquina.

Knight English
From Old English cniht meaning «knight», a tenant serving as a mounted soldier.

Lamb English
From the name of the animal, perhaps a nickname for a shy person.

Lane 1 English
Originally designated one who lived by a lane, a narrow way between fences or hedges, later used of any narrow pathway, including one between houses in a town.

Law English
Derived from Old English hlaw «hill».

Leach English
Originally indicated a person who was a physician, from the medieval practice of using leeches to bleed people of ills.

Lee 1 English
Originally given to a person who lived on or near a leah, Old English meaning «woodland, clearing».

Lister Scottish
Anglicized form of the Gaelic Mac an Fleisdeir meaning «son of the arrow maker».

Little English
Meaning simply «little», it was originally a nickname given to a short person.

Lockwood English
From an English place name meaning «enclosed wood».

Long English
Originally a nickname for a person who had long limbs or who was tall.

Longstaff English
Occupational name for an official who was equipped with a ceremonial staff, or a nickname for a tall person.

Love English
From the Old English given name Lufu meaning «love».

Lynch Irish
From Irish Ó Loingsigh meaning «descendant of Loingseach», a given name meaning «mariner».

Ma Chinese
From Chinese 马 (mǎ) meaning «horse».

Marsh English
Originally denoted one who lived near a marsh or bog, derived from Old English mersc «marsh».

Marshall English
Derived from Middle English mareschal «marshal», from Latin mariscalcus, ultimately from Germanic roots akin to Old High German marah «horse» and scalc «servant». It originally referred to someone who took care of horses.

Mason English
Occupational name for a stoneworker or layer of bricks, from Old French masson, of Frankish origin (akin to Old English macian «to make»).

Meadows English
Referred to one who lived in a meadow, from Old English mædwe.

Messer German
Occupational name for a person who made knives, from Middle High German messer «knife».

Miller English
Occupational surname referring to a person who owned or worked in a grain mill, from Middle English mille «mill».

Millhouse English
Name for someone whose house was in a mill or who worked in a mill.

Mills English
Originally given to one who lived near a mill or who worked in a mill, from Middle English mille.

Moles Catalan
From Catalan mola meaning «millstone».

Monday 2 English
Denoted a person for whom this was a significant day, often the day they would pay their feudal fees.

Monk English
Nickname or occupational name for a person who worked for monks. This word is derived from Latin monachus, from Greek μοναχός (monachos) meaning «alone».

Moon 2 English
Originally indicated a person from the town of Moyon in Normandy.

Moss 1 English
From Middle English mos meaning «bog, moss».

Mutton English
Referred to a shepherd or else someone who in some way resembled a sheep, derived from Norman French mouton «sheep».

Newport English
Given to one who came from the town of Newport (which means simply «new port»), which was the name of several English towns.

North English
Name for a person who lived to the north.

Offermans Dutch
From Dutch offer meaning «offering, donation», referring to a person who collected money in a church.

Outlaw English
Means simply «outlaw» from Middle English outlawe.

Pace Italian
Derived from the Italian given name Pace meaning «peace».

Padmore English
Originally indicated a person from Padmore in England, derived from Old English padde «toad» and mor «moor, marsh».

Page English, French
Occupational name meaning «servant, page». It is ultimately derived (via Old French and Italian) from Greek παιδίον (paidion) meaning «little boy».

Palmer English
Means «pilgrim», ultimately from Latin palma «palm tree», since pilgrims to the Holy Land often brought back palm fronds as proof of their journey.

Pan 1 Provençal
Means «baker», from Latin panis meaning «bread».

Parent English, French
Derived from Old French parent meaning either «notable» (from Latin pārēre meaning «to be apparent») or «parent» (from Latin parere meaning «to produce, to give birth»).

Park 2 English
From Middle English park, from Latin parricus, of Frankish origin. This was a name for someone who worked in or lived in a park.

Peacock English
From Middle English pecok meaning «peacock». It was originally a nickname for a proud or haughty person.

Peak English
Originally indicated a dweller by a pointed hill, from Old English peac «peak». It could also denote a person from the Peak District in Derbyshire, England.

Peck 2 English
Occupational name for a maker of pecks (vessels used as peck measures), derived from Middle English pekke.

Peel English
Nickname for a thin person, derived from Old French pel, Latin palus meaning «stake, post» (related to English pole).

Name meanings might be bold or hidden, easy to understand or difficult to pinpoint. We’ve gathered lists of names with meanings, including girl names, boy names, and unisex names.

The most popular name meanings include names that mean hope, names meaning love, and names that mean strength or power. Traditional name meanings often relate to physical characteristics, like hair color, or dwelling places.

Modern name meanings are often obvious, since many of today’s unique baby names are created from words or nature or spiritual qualities. Baby names such as True and Ivy and Bear mean as names exactly what they mean as words.

The meanings of names, whether obvious or hidden, have become more rather than less popular in recent years. Many parents search for name meanings that symbolize a quality that’s important to them — names that mean new beginnings, for instance, or names that mean life — and work backwards to find a name that fits.

Not all name meanings are positive, of course. Some otherwise-appealing names have negative meanings like lame or rival (sorry, Emily). This may matter to you or it may not, but you definitely should be aware of a name’s meaning before you settle on it.

Search these lists of name meanings to find the type of baby name and style of meaning that works best for you.

Lists of Names by Meaning

Name Meanings Explained

“From the casually curious to etymology junkies (or anyone who’s ever halted a conversation to search the internet for the origin of a word) this book will have something for everyone.” ––William C. Fox of the YouTube channel «Exploring History»

#1 Best Seller in Popular Culture, Puzzles & Games, Curiosities & Wonders, Fun Facts, Questions & Answers, Trivia, and Slang & Word Lists

From Patrick Foote and his popular YouTube channel «Name Explain», comes a book for trivia fans that explains the name meanings of a multitude of things. From toys and animals to countries and cities to planets in our solar system, learn the etymology of words in a fun and entertaining way.  

Explore the world of names. What is something that literally everything in existence has in common? It all has a name! With The Origin of Names, Words and Everything in Between, you can learn the origins of a multitude of names.

Learn new things. Why is New York called New York? The Origin of Names, Words and Everything in Between has the answer for you. While author Patrick Foote doesn’t claim to know everything, he has garnered a lot of knowledge about language over the years and he’s excited to get to share it with you in The Origin of Names, Words and Everything in Between.

Get a copy and:

• Know random facts, like why Russia is called Russia
• Be able to entertain yourself and your friends with interesting fun facts
• Discover the word origins and name meanings of planets, animals, countries, and much more

If you enjoyed books such as The Etymologicon, Timeless Trivia, or The Great Book of American Idioms, you’ll want to own The Origin of Names, Words and Everything in Between.