Names. Origins. Stories.

The surname
directory.

Explore family names, one letter at a time. Discover meanings, origins, spelling variations, and the sources that can lead you to your next research step.

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137surname profiles
4origin collections

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Search published surname names. Apostrophes, spaces, hyphens, and accents are ignored when matching.

Showing 121–132 of 137 profiles

  • Surname profile

    Thatcher

    The surname Thatcher is an English occupational name meaning "thatcher", a worker who lays thatch on roofs. It first appears in medieval records in England, with the earliest…

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  • Surname profile

    Thompson

    Thompson is a patronymic surname meaning 'son of Thom', with Thom a short form of the personal name Thomas. It is recorded as a surname of English, Irish…

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  • Surname profile

    Turner

    The surname Turner is an occupational name meaning ‘one who works a lathe’. It originated in England after the Norman Conquest, deriving from Middle English and Old French…

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  • Surname profile

    Underwood

    Underwood is an English topographic surname meaning ‘under or below a wood’, first recorded in the late 12th century. It derives from Old English ‘unter’ + ‘wuda’. Early…

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  • Surname profile

    Van Dijk

    Van Dijk is a Dutch toponymic surname meaning 'from the dike'. It is formed from the Dutch word dijk, a man‑made embankment protecting lowland from water. The spelling has…

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  • Surname profile

    Wagner

    The surname Wagner is an occupational name of German origin meaning ‘wagon‑maker’ or ‘wagon‑driver’. It first appears in Saxony and spread through German‑speaking regions and among German emigrants,…

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  • Surname profile

    Walsh

    The Walsh surname is an Irish family name that originally signified a Welsh speaker; it is derived from the Middle English word "Welsh" and has a rich history…

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  • Surname profile

    Weber

    The Weber surname is an occupational name meaning "weaver," derived from German. Its earliest records date to the mid‑13th century, but the name’s exact geographic origins lie outside…

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  • Surname profile

    White

    The surname White is a common English, Scottish, and Irish name that historically began as a descriptive nickname for a pale person or as an anglicised form of…

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This directory includes published profiles. Editorial review status appears on each card. A surname can have more than one origin or formation type.

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