The coolest American surnames for a guy. English surnames for men and women

How many people, so many opinions. For this reason, it is impossible to say exactly which are ugly and which are beautiful. foreign surnames. All of them contain certain information; when translated into our language, they can mean some kind of craft, the name of plants, animals or birds, belong to geographical area. Each country has its own euphonious surnames, so you need to choose the best of them for each region separately.

What surnames can be called beautiful?

Most people are proud of their family name, although there are those who are not averse to changing it to a more harmonious one. Each country has its own surnames, but their origin is almost the same. The family received a personal name on behalf of its founder, his nickname, occupation, availability of land, belonging to some kind of status. Animals and plants are also often found. Nevertheless, we choose the most beautiful foreign surnames according to their euphony, and not according to the meaning of the content, which is not always known to us. In some cases, the name of the genus begins to please if its bearer is the idol of millions, a historical figure who has done something good and useful for mankind.

Aristocratic surnames

Noble families always sounded solemn, proud and high-flown. Rich people were proud of their origin and noble blood. Beautiful foreign surnames are mainly found among the descendants of noble families, and people who left a significant mark on history should also be included here: writers, artists, designers, composers, scientists, etc. The names of their genera are harmonious, often heard, so people are imbued with sympathy for them.

In England, the names of earls and wealthy nobles can be attributed to the beautiful: Bedford, Lincoln, Buckingham, Cornwall, Oxford, Wiltshire, Clifford, Mortimer. In Germany: Munchausen, Fritsch, Salm, Moltke, Rosen, Siemens, Isenburg, Stauffenberg. In Sweden: Fleming, Yllenborg, Kreutz, Gorn, Delagardie. In Italy: Barberini, Visconti, Borgia, Pepoli, Spoleto, Medici.

Surnames derived from the names of birds, animals, plants

From the world of flora and fauna, many euphonious surnames have come that cause tenderness. Their owners were mainly people who liked certain animals, birds, plants, or they were similar in appearance or character. There are a huge number of such examples in Rus': Zaitsev, Orlov, Vinogradov, Lebedev, there are also in other countries. For example, in England: Bush (bush), Bull (bull), Swan (swan).

Beautiful foreign surnames are often formed on behalf of the ancestor: Cecil, Anthony, Henry, Thomas, etc. A lot of names are associated with a specific area with which the founders were associated: Ingleman, Germain, Pickard, Portwine, Kent, Cornwall, Westley. Of course, a huge group of family names are those associated with professions and titles. Some surnames arose spontaneously. If they evoke positive associations in people, then they can be attributed to beautiful, harmonious and successful, because they are greeted by clothes, so a good generic name helps many people to win over when they meet.

Spanish euphonious surnames

In Spaniards, family names are mostly double, they are connected by particles "y", "de", a hyphen or written with a space. The father's surname is written first, and the mother's surname is written second. It should be noted that the particle "de" indicates the aristocratic origin of the founder. Spanish law provides for no more than two given names and no more than two surnames. When getting married, women usually leave their family names.

Beautiful male foreign surnames are not uncommon for Spaniards. Fernandez is considered one of the most common, Rodriguez, Gonzalez, Sanchez, Martinez, Perez are not inferior in attractiveness to her - they all came from names. To the euphonious Spanish surnames also worth mentioning are Castillo, Alvarez, Garcia, Flores, Romero, Pascual, Torres.

french beautiful surnames

Among the French names of childbirth, there are often beautiful surnames for girls. Foreign states acquired permanent names at about the same time as Rus'. In 1539, a royal decree was issued obliging every Frenchman to acquire personal name and pass it on to their descendants. The first surnames appeared among the aristocrats, they were passed from father to son even before the issuance of the aforementioned decree.

Today, double family names are allowed in France, and parents can also choose which surname the child will have - mother's or father's. The most beautiful and common French genus names are: Robert, Perez, Blanc, Richard, Morel, Duval, Fabre, Garnier, Julien.

German common surnames

Beautiful foreign surnames are also found in Germany. In this country, they began to form back in those days, people had nicknames, consisting of the place of birth of a person and his origin. Such surnames provided comprehensive information about their carriers. Often nicknames indicated the type of activity of a person, his physical shortcomings or virtues, moral qualities. Here are the most popular surnames in Germany: Schmidt (blacksmith), Weber (weaver), Mueller (miller), Hoffmann (yard owner), Richter (judge), Koenig (king), Kaiser (emperor), Herrmann (warrior), Vogel (bird ).

Italian surnames

The first Italian surnames appeared in the 14th century and were common among noble people. The need for them arose when there were many people with the same names, and yet it was necessary to somehow distinguish them. The nickname contained information about the place of birth or residence of a person. For example, the ancestor of the famous artist Leonardo da Vinci lived in the city of Vinci. Most Italian surnames were formed by the transformation of descriptive nicknames, and they end in. There is an opinion that the most beautiful foreign names and surnames are in Italy, and it’s hard to disagree with this: Ramazzotti, Rodari, Albinoni, Celentano, Fellini, Dolce, Versace, Stradivari.

English beautiful surnames

All English family names can be conditionally divided into four groups: nominal, descriptive, professional and official, by place of residence. The first surnames in England appeared in the 12th century and were the privilege of the nobility, in the 17th century absolutely everyone already had them. The most widespread group is made up of genealogical names of genera derived from personal names, or combinations of the names of both parents. Examples include: Allen, Henry, Thomas, Ritchie. In many surnames there is a prefix "son", meaning "son". For example, Abbotson or Abbot "s, that is, Abbot's son. In Scotland, "son" denoted the prefix Mac-: MacCarthy, MacDonald.

Beautiful foreign female surnames are often found among English family names derived from the place where the founder of the family was born or lived. For example, Surrey, Sudley, Westley, Wallace, Lane, Brook. Many euphonious surnames indicate the occupation, profession or title of the founder: Spencer, Corner, Butler, Tailor, Walker. family names descriptive type reflect the physical or moral qualities of a person: Moody, Bragg, Black, Strong, Longman, Crump, White.

All genus names are unique and attractive in their own way. It should be remembered that it is not the surname that paints the person, but the person the surname. Studying the history of the emergence of certain family names is a very interesting and exciting activity, during which many secrets are revealed. individual families st. There are beautiful and harmonious surnames in any country, but for each person they are different. Basically, I like those generic names that are consonant with the name.

So much is said about the culture or traditions of England, but it is quite rare to find out about English names. And the topic, by the way, is very entertaining. After all, the naming system is globally different from what we are used to.

If we have a first and last name, then in England it is somewhat different. They have a first name, a middle name, and a surname. In addition, in England it is normal to give diminutive forms name. For example, even in formal conversations, a person may be called Tony, although he full name sounds like Anthony. If desired, the child can be immediately recorded with a diminutive name and the state will not object. Moreover, almost any word or name can be taken as a name - for example, the name Brooklyn. But if we tried to name our son, for example, Novosibirsk, they would hardly give permission for this.

The system of English given names and surnames

Each of us is already accustomed to the fact that he is the bearer of the surname, name and patronymic. But such a scheme is not suitable for the British, their naming system is absolutely unusual and therefore curious. The main difference between our systems is the lack of a patronymic. Instead, they have a surname, a first name, and a middle name. Moreover, as any of these two names, an Englishman can carry the names of some stars or even his ancestors. Although there is no strict requirement that a person have only these three points. Any Englishman can give a child a name from several names or surnames. For example, if you want to name it in honor of the whole football team at once.

Such a tradition - to give a person a surname as a name, has come down to our days from noble families. Although the history of the English name system developed quite actively, borrowings were made from various countries, and names were also mixed from the Angles, Celtic tribes, Franco-Normans. Since the Anglo-Saxons initially had only one name, they tried to attach special importance to it. Therefore, in the composition of ancient names one could meet such words as wealth or health. Old English female names were most often composed using adjectives, the most common variation being Leof (dear, beloved). And after the Norman invasion of England, a surname was gradually added to the name, making it close to the name system that exists today. The old Anglo-Saxon names gradually began to disappear, and due to the influence of the Christian religion, Christian schools that opened everywhere actively stimulated the registration of newborns who received a name at baptism, so the names changed slightly: from Mary to Mary, from Jeanne to John.

Generator of English names and surnames

GENERATOR OF ENGLISH NAMES AND SURNAMES
(including Anglo-Irish and Anglo-Scottish surnames)

Male name Female name

And here are the most common British names. For convenience, they are divided into parts of the country, because in every corner some of the most popular individual names. Some of them are the same, some are different. Names are ranked by popularity.

England

Men's

  1. Harry- Harry (a diminutive of Henry - rich, powerful)
  2. Oliver- Oliver (from ancient German - army)
  3. Jack- Jack (a diminutive of John, from Hebrew - Yahweh is merciful)
  4. Charlie- Charlie (from ancient German - man, husband)
  5. Thomas- Thomas (from ancient Greek - twin)
  6. Jacob– Jacob (simplified version of the name James)
  7. Alfie- Alfie (from Old English - advice)
  8. Riley- Riley (from Irish - courageous)
  9. William- William (from ancient German - desire, will)
  10. James- James (from Hebrew - "holding on to the heel")

Women's

  1. Amelia- Amelia (from ancient German - work, work)
  2. Olivia- Olivia (from Latin - olive tree)
  3. Jessica- Jessica (the exact meaning is unknown, perhaps the name comes from the biblical name Jescha)
  4. Emily– Emily (the female form of the male name Emil is a rival)
  5. Lily- Lily (from English name lily flower)
  6. Ava– Ava (a variant of the medieval English name Evelyn)
  7. Heather- Heather (from English - heather)
  8. Sophie- Sophie (from ancient Greek - wisdom)
  9. Mia– Mia
  10. Isabella- Isabella (Provencal version of the name Elizabeth)

Northern Ireland

Men's

  1. Jack– Jack
  2. James– James
  3. Daniel– Daniel
  4. Harry– Harry
  5. Charlie– Charlie
  6. Ethan– Ethan
  7. Matthew- Matthew (from Hebrew - the gift of Yahweh)
  8. Ryan– Ryan
  9. Riley– Riley
  10. noah– Noah

Women's

  1. Sophie– Sophie
  2. Emily– Emily
  3. grace- Grace (from English - grace, grace)
  4. Amelia– Amelia
  5. Jessica– Jessica
  6. Lucy- Lucy (from the male Roman name Lucius - light)
  7. Sophia– Sofia (variant of the name Sophie)
  8. Katie- Katy (from Greek - pure, thoroughbred)
  9. Eva- Eve (from Hebrew - breathe, live)
  10. Aoife- Ifa (from Irish - beauty)

Wales

Men's

  1. Jacob– Jacob
  2. Oliver– Oliver
  3. Riley– Riley
  4. Jack– Jack
  5. Alfie– Alfie
  6. Harry– Harry
  7. Charlie– Charlie
  8. Dylan- Dylan (according to Welsh mythology, that was the name of the God of the sea)
  9. William– William
  10. mason– Mason (from a similar surname meaning “stone carving”)

Women's

  1. Amelia– Amelia
  2. Ava– Ava
  3. Mia– Mia
  4. Lily– Lily
  5. Olivia– Olivia
  6. ruby- Ruby (from English - ruby)
  7. Seren- Serenus (from Latin - clear)
  8. Evie– Evie (from the English surname Evelyn)
  9. Ella- Ella (from ancient German - all, everything)
  10. Emily– Emily

Modern English names

IN English names pet and diminutive forms are very common as official names. With us, such a form is allowed only with personal, close communication. For example, take at least people familiar to everyone - Bill Clinton or Tony Blair. They are called by such names even at world negotiations, and this is absolutely acceptable. Although in fact, Bill's full name is William, and Tony is Anthony. The British are allowed to register a newborn child, giving him a diminutive first or second name. Although there are no special prohibitions on choosing a name in English-speaking countries as such, it is possible to give a child a name after a city or district. So, for example, the star couple Beckham did, Victoria and David gave their son the name Brooklyn - it was in this area of ​​\u200b\u200bNew York that he was born.

Gradually, fashion began to change and names in English-speaking countries often began to be borrowed from different languages. Since the 19th century, many female names have appeared such as Ruby, Daisy, Beryl, Amber and others. Willingly used names originally from Spain or France - Michel, Angelina, Jacqueline. But the tendency of some people to give their children unusual names has not disappeared anywhere. Bill Simser, Vice President of Microsoft, named his daughter Vista Avalon. The first part of the name is in honor of Windows Vista, and the second part is in honor of the Avalon system code name. But director Kevin Smith decided to name his daughter Harley Quinn at all - that was the name of the girl from the comics about Batman.

By the way, not every owner likes such unusual names. Many children are embarrassed by this and look forward to coming of age to officially change their name. Little Pixie Geldof, who is the daughter of musician Bob Geldof, was very shy about the prefix "little" at the beginning of her name and chose to call herself simply Pixie in her adult life. But what a resident of New Zealand, whose name is Bus No. 16, will do with his name is even hard to imagine. The fantasies of his parents can only be envied.

The history of American names and surnames has evolved over several centuries. They can trace the traditions of many countries and peoples who moved to these places. Due to the large flow of immigrants, for a long time there was a common culture countries and changed names, surnames, acquiring new forms of sound.

Many common American names come from Greek, Italian, Latin, even Old Germanic origins. In the modern world, acute popularity in America is acquiring rare names, which are obtained by reducing historical places, the names of famous people, there are even combinations of several names into one big one.

The origin of American names can be divided into the following groups:

  1. the main popularity was gained by names, the meanings of which are associated with the outlines of a person's character (cheerful, courageous, brave);
  2. names related to the name of animals, flowers, trees, natural phenomena;
  3. names meaning various professions;
  4. names religious nature taken from the Bible.

List of the most popular male American names

America is a colonial country, depending on the state, the general popularity of names differs significantly from each other. In the Spanish villages of Federico (Federico), in the Irish regions - Patrick (Patrick), in Italian - Paulo (Paulo).

When choosing a name for a newborn, Americans give great importance two main principles in their choice:

  • the name should sound beautiful with the surname, as one whole;
  • another main point secret meaning name and origin.

Respect for your ancestors and family traditions Many families name their children after their fathers, grandfathers and great-grandfathers. If several family members share the same name, specific person at the beginning of the name put the prefix "senior", "junior".

Currently, Americans are trying to give a special uniqueness (originality) to the names of their children, choosing their favorite brand of car, favorite political figure, favorite city for the name. In such a situation, the choice falls on the most unexpected objects. You can meet children named Lexus (Lexus), Madison (Madison), Infinity (Infiniti).

Americans have an old tradition associated with names - giving a child a double name. For example: Anna-Maria (Anna-Maria), John-Robert (John-Robert), Matthew - William (Matthew-William). Explaining this by the fact that growing up, the child himself will be able to choose a name for himself.

Most Popular American Names Today

  • Ethan (Ethan) - from English, "durable."
  • Kevin (Kevin) - from Irish., "beautiful", "cute."
  • Justin (Justin) - from English., "Fair".
  • Matthew (Matthew) - from English, "gift of God", "God's man."
  • William (William) - from English, "desired."
  • Christopher (Christopher) - from English, "follower of Christ."
  • Anthony (Anthony) - from English, "invaluable", "competing".
  • Ryan (Ryan) - from Arabic., "little king."
  • Nicholas (Nicholas) - from the French, "winner of the peoples."
  • David (David) - Hebrew, "beloved", "beloved".
  • Alex (Alex) - from Greek, "protector".
  • James (James) - from English, "invader".
  • Josh (Josh) - Hebrew, "god, salvation."
  • Dillon (Dillon) - Welsh origin, "big sea".
  • Brandon (Brandon) - from German, "prince".
  • Philip (Philip) - from Greek, "lover of horses."
  • Fred (Fred) - from English, "peaceful ruler."
  • Tyler (Tyler) - from English., "stylish."
  • Caleb (Caleb) - from Hebrew, "devoted, brave."
  • Thomas (Thomas) - Polish, "twin".

List of common American surnames

It took many years to acquire its modern look. Over time, they have changed significantly. American cities have always had a large influx of refugees and settlers.

To be different from local residents, not to attract special attention to themselves, the settlers deliberately modified and abbreviated their surnames in the local American way. main feature The surnames of the inhabitants of the United States lies in the regular mixing of different nations and peoples.

The list of the most famous surnames in America is opened by Smith (Smith), Williams (Williams), Jones (Jones), Wilson (Wilson). According to the statistics of the owners of such surnames, far more than a million are registered.

Less well-known American surnames, but popular:

  • Johnson (Johnson).
  • Brown (Brown).
  • Walker (Walker).
  • Hall (Hall).
  • White (White).
  • Wilson (Wilson).
  • Thompson (Thompson).
  • Moore (Moore).
  • Taylor (Taylor).
  • Anderson (Anderson).
  • Thomas (Thomas).
  • Jackson (Jackson).
  • Harris (Harris).
  • Martin (Martin).
  • Young (Young).
  • Hernandez (Hernandez).
  • Garcia (Garcia).
  • Davis (Davis).
  • Miller (Miller).
  • Martinez (Martinez).
  • Robinson (Robinson).
  • Clark (Clark).
  • Rodrigues (Rodriguez).
  • Lewis (Lewis).
  • Lee (Lee).
  • Allen (Allen).
  • King (King).

The emergence and development of English surnames is associated with the main periods of the socio-economic development of mankind, which, up to a certain stage of development, did not have surnames. In the 11th-12th centuries. the most common male names were Ralph, William, Robert, Richard. When the name could not individualize a person, they resorted to the help of a nickname sign.

In 1085-1086. as a result of the first English census, many nicknames were documented.

Meanings of English surnames

The analysis of modern English surnames involves the study of the etymology of the nicknames that formed their basis. English surnames and their meanings are divided into four groups:

1. Othroponymic

2. By place of residence.

3. Professional and official.

4. Descriptive.

Othroponymic surnames

This is, first of all, the use of names as surnames, which do not change in any way: Anthony, Baldwin, Dennis, Henry, Neale, Owen, Thomas, Walter. Many surnames have in their composition the formant -son (Thompson), which means "son of such and such." Many originated from their parents' abbreviated names: David was abbreviated to Dawe.

local surnames

This is the largest group, covering about half of all English surnames. They can be divided into subgroups:

  • Surnames derived from nicknames indicating the origin of their carriers from a particular area.
  • Surnames formed from nicknames, which reflected topographically remarkable points of the area: Hill, Cliff, Brook, Dale, Fell, Fields.

Professional and official surnames

In English surnames, the lexical field of the names of various positions and professions is very widely represented. They are part of about 20% of all surnames. Basically, they arose from nicknames denoting the profession, the position of their carriers.

Descriptive English surnames

These are surnames that reflect the biological characteristics of a person. They come from nicknames that characterized their owners by remarkable spiritual or physical qualities: Bigg, Strong, High, Little, Longman, Strongman, Younger, Elder, Small. Also, descriptive surnames can tell about the hair color of the ancestor of the family: Black, White. The characteristics of the mental abilities and moral qualities of a person are reflected in the surnames: Bad, Wise, Good, Gay, Joyce.

Aristocratic surnames

At the moment, among the English surnames of aristocrats, the most aristocratic is Windsor, since the name English queen Elizabeth - Alexandra Mary Windsor, and all her descendants of Windsor.

The name of Queen Victoria is Alexandrina Victoria Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, this is also an aristocratic surname. The royal blood is also Hanover, Stuart, Tudor, Wettin, York, Plantagenet, Lancaster.

Earls Montgomery and Pembroke. Representatives of this family are considered patrons of English literature, they were closely acquainted with the Earl of Oxford and Shakespeare.

Dukes - Argyll, Hamilton, Norfolk, Wellington, Rutland, Marlborough, Leeds, Manchester.

Popular surnames

The list of English surnames is very large, consider the most popular of them.

  • Adams
  • Allen
  • Black
  • Brown
  • Dean
  • Ellis (Ellis)
  • Ford
  • George
  • Green
  • Hughes
  • Jackson (Jackson)
  • James (James)
  • Johnson
  • King
  • Little
  • Miller
  • Scott
  • Smith

Men's English surnames do not differ from English surnames for girls.

The list of English surnames can go on for quite some time. These are very beautiful and interesting names.

Over the course of many centuries, a system of surnames was formed in England, which is based on the history of the country and individual families, the history of the English language and nationality. The first ascribed names can be seen in chronicles dating back to the 9th-12th centuries. The first English surnames are most often found in the Book doomsday”, but they are presented in the form of nicknames. Representatives of the highest nobility, large landowners and representatives of the clergy were the first to receive ascribed names.

In the era of developed feudalism, XI-XV centuries, the socially distinctive function of ascribed nicknames is significantly enhanced. So, often they began to have a mocking or comic meaning, were ironic, or were a collection of epithets. At the same time, unflattering nicknames appear, sometimes even vulgar ones. Some English surnames were endowed with deep meaning. When the nicknames turned into inherited names is unknown. There is evidence that the representatives of the feudal nobility were the first to receive them.

5 centuries of long formation of the family system

The modern dictionary of English surnames contains a variety of them. Male hereditary nicknames began to spread throughout the UK after the Norman Conquest. The eldest son was left the land as an inheritance, then the nickname of the father-landowner began to be passed on. Studies have shown that the most active inheritance of nicknames occurred in the 12th-14th centuries; in the 15th century, nicknames were inherited everywhere, regardless of class.

There are 3 classes of nicknames, which were divided according to semantics. The first group includes surnames formed from toponyms of English, French, German descent. For example, Richard de Cestersir from the name Cheshire. The second group includes surnames based on proper names, for example, Arnold Williamsone (William, Williamson).

The third group includes common English surnames formed from a common noun (nickname-epithet).

The root base often means either the profession of the founder of the clan, or the name of some animal, or another memorable sign of a person, such as a beard. Such beautiful hereditary nicknames as Baron, Barun, Wilde, Black, Bunch and so on stand out here.

Beauty in English

Beautiful male hereditary names are found in all three groups. The most famous in the first group are represented by surnames - Ford, Breadley, Everset. The list of English surnames contains all the most beautiful family nicknames, both for men and girls. They are listed alphabetically. Surnames no less popular in their beauty are of anthroponymic origin. Everyone is hearing these beautiful examples like Robins/Robinson, O'Brion or Adam.

No less beautiful hereditary designations came from nicknames. Here are examples such as Longman, Young, Wolf, Starling, Bulloc and others. It is worth saying that female hereditary nicknames do not differ from male ones. The most popular foreign actresses such as Demi Moore, Sarah Douglas, Saffron Burroughs, Elsa Lanchester and Kelly MacDonald appear to have exactly the same surnames. At first glance, this seems unusual, but the hereditary names of girls are not inclined, as is the case with Russians.

The hereditary name of the girl does not differ from the male

As noted above, the surnames of girls practically do not differ from the surnames of men. The only exception, perhaps, concerns those "nicknames" that have the suffix -son, which means son in translation. Sometimes the mother's surname was also awarded with this suffix. So, according to the father, the surname could end in -son, but for the daughter this ending was reduced to the suffix -s. An example would be the surname Roberts, while it was originally Robertson.

Often, the attributed "nicknames" for women came from proper names without any additions - Constance, Cartwright, Clement, Bruce, and so on.

But toponymic surnames are no exception - Blackwood, Makshera, Kingston and others. The dictionary of English surnames gives a complete list of hereditary names. There may also be family names unusual for Great Britain - Lee, Lo, Lay, Le and Day.

Who was the progenitor of the family?

Male hereditary names can tell not only the history of the family, but also tell who the ancestor was, what appearance he had and what was remembered by the environment. Of course, if the history of the family begins with a major feudal lord, then his last name will most likely indicate this, such as Blackshire, Hoggart, Blomfield, Clifford and others.

Often found among male names and quite unusual - Nash, Neil, Cook, Day, Peacock, Youmanz or Young. It is quite interesting, knowing the meaning of surnames, to correlate them with their owners. Old man with the surname Young may well bring a smile. In the modern world, the most "demanded" surnames are associated with the personalities with which they are endowed. So, today, many English people wished their last name was Sherlock - in honor of the name of a famous fictional detective.

Beautiful male surnames are famous actors Kurt Russell, Jack Nicholson, Eric Roberts. At present, it is difficult to say whether American or English roots have certain names, and the origin of English surnames also does not give an answer to this.

Famous owners of interesting surnames

Many famous English people have rather unusual surnames. So, the British actor Benedict Cumberbatch, who is gaining his popularity, is distinguished by not the simplest generic name. It is difficult for a Russian person to pronounce it, but for a German it will be easier than ever. The 71st Prime Minister of the State, Margaret Thatcher, also had a far from the most common surname. Today, the once-forgotten names Shakespeare and Fox are increasingly heard.

Among the unusual names, the famous family name Mercury stands out, the surnames Dickens, Cromwell, McCartney, Wilde and Faraday are not inferior in interest to him.

Today in the UK you rarely see the owner of such a name as Pankhurst. Wilberforce, More, Attenborough are also almost forgotten. Today, more and more English surnames are influenced by America. The most popular ones often have American roots. For example, there are a lot of Collins, Blakes, Harrisons and Smiths in the country.

Popularity comes with the owner

Surnames become in demand after the glorification of their owners. So, many strive to get a well-known generic name. The most widespread in the UK are about 25 surnames that are not new. The most common of them: Anderson (son of Anders), Clark, Cooper, Brown, Hill and Carter. As you can see, the root stem came from a common name, in other words, an epithet that an ancestor was endowed with.

Also, the dictionary of English surnames includes a number of other common examples. These include the names Patterson, Spencer, Miller, Morgan, Johnson (John's son), Jones, Jackson, Lee, Taylor, Richardson, and Smith. No less common on English soil are Wilsons, Youngs, Parkers, Martins and Harrisons.

  • American
  • English
  • Jewish
  • Italian
  • German
  • Polish
  • Russians
  • French
  • Japanese

The most common surnames in the USA

Below is a list of the 100 most common surnames in the United States, with the number of carriers, sorted by prevalence in 1990.

1. Smith Smith 2 772 200
2. Johnson Johnson 2 232 100
3. Williams Williams 1 926 200
4. Jones Jones 1 711 200
5. Brown Brown 1 711 200
6. Davis Davis 1 322 700
7. Miller Miller 1 168 400
8. wilson Wilson 934 200
9. Moore Moore 859 800
10. Taylor Taylor 857 000
11. Anderson Anderson 857 000
12. Thomas Thomas 857 000
13. Jackson Jackson 854 200
14. White White 768 800
15. Harris Harris 757 800
16. Martin Martin 752 300
17. Thompson Thompson 741 300
18. Garcia Garcia 699 900
19. Martinez Martinez 644 800
20. Robinson Robinson 642 100
21. Clark Clark 636 500
22. Rodriguez Rodriguez 631 000
23. Lewis Lewis 622 800
24. Lee Lee 606 200
25. walker Walker 603 500
26. Hall Hall 551 100
27. Allen Allen 548 400
28. Young Young 531 800
29. Hernandez Hernandez 529 100
30. King king 523 600
31. wright Wright 520 800
32. Lopez Lopez 515 300
33. Hill hill 515 300
34. Scott Scott 509 800
35. Green Green 504 300
36. Adams Adams 479 500
37. Baker baker 471 200
38. Gonzalez Gonzalez 457 400
39. Nelson Nelson 446 400
40. carter Carter 446 400
41. Mitchell Mitchell 440 900
42. Perez Perez 427 100
43. Roberts Roberts 421 600
44. Turner Turner 418 900
45. Phillips Phillips 410 600
46. Campbell Campbell 410 600
47. Parker Parker 402 300
48. Evans Evans 388 500
49. Edwards Edwards 377 500
50. Collins Collins 369 300
No. Original In Russian
51. Stewart Stuart 366 500
52. Sanchez Sanchez 358 200
53. Morris Morris 344 500
54. Rogers Rogers 338 900
55. reed reed 336 200
56. Cook Cook 330 700
57. Morgan Morgan 325 200
58. Bell Bell 322 400
59. Murphy Murphy 322 400
60. Bailey Bailey 316 900
61. Rivera Rivera 311 400
62. Cooper cooper 311 400
63. Richardson Richardson 308 600
64. Cox Coke 303 100
65. Howard Howard 303 100
66. Ward Ward 297 600
67. Torres Torres 297 600
68. Peterson Peterson 294 900
69. Gray Gray 292 100
70. Ramirez Ramirez 289 300
71. James James 289 300
72. Watson watson 283 800
73. Brooks Brooks 283 800
74. Kelly Kelly 281 100
75. Sanders Sanders 275 600
76. price Price 272 800
77. Bennett Bennett 272 800
78. Wood Wood 270 100
79. Barnes Barnes 267 300
80. Ross Ross 264 500
81. Henderson Henderson 261 800
82. Coleman Coleman 261 800
83. Jenkins jenkins 261 800
84. Perry Perry/Perry 259 000
85. Powell Powell 256 300
86. Long Long 253 500
87. Patterson Patterson 253 500
88. Hughes Hughes 253 500
89. Flores Flores 253 500
90. Washington Washington 253 500
91. Butler Butler 250 800
92. Simmons Simmons 250 800
93. Foster Foster 250 800
94. Gonzales Gonzalez 239 700
95. Bryant Bryant 239 700
96. Alexander Alexander 234 200
97. Russell Russell 234 200
98. Griffin Griffin 231 500
99. Diaz Diaz 231 500
100. Hayes hayes 228 700

The most beautiful foreign surnames

How many people, so many opinions. For this reason, it is impossible to say exactly which are ugly and which are beautiful foreign surnames. All of them contain certain information; when translated into our language, they can mean some kind of craft, the name of plants, animals or birds, belong to a geographical area. Each country has its own euphonious surnames, so you need to choose the best of them for each region separately.

What surnames can be called beautiful?

Most people are proud of their family name, although there are those who are not averse to changing it to a more harmonious one. Each country has its own surnames, but their origin is almost the same. The family received a personal name on behalf of its founder, his nickname, occupation, availability of land, belonging to some kind of status. Also, the names of birds, animals, plants are often found. Nevertheless, we choose the most beautiful foreign surnames according to their euphony, and not according to the meaning of the content, which is not always known to us. In some cases, the name of the genus begins to please if its bearer is the idol of millions, a historical figure who has done something good and useful for mankind.

Aristocratic surnames

Noble families always sounded solemn, proud and high-flown. Rich people were proud of their origin and noble blood. Beautiful foreign surnames are mainly found among the descendants of noble families, and people who left a significant mark on history should also be included here: writers, artists, designers, composers, scientists, etc. The names of their genera are harmonious, often heard, so people are imbued with sympathy for them.


In England, the names of earls and wealthy nobles can be attributed to the beautiful: Bedford, Lincoln, Buckingham, Cornwall, Oxford, Wiltshire, Clifford, Mortimer. In Germany: Munchausen, Fritsch, Salm, Moltke, Rosen, Siemens, Isenburg, Stauffenberg. In Sweden: Fleming, Yllenborg, Kreutz, Gorn, Delagardie. In Italy: Barberini, Visconti, Borgia, Pepoli, Spoleto, Medici.

Surnames derived from the names of birds, animals, plants

From the world of flora and fauna, many euphonious surnames have come that cause tenderness. Their owners were mainly people who liked certain animals, birds, plants, or they were similar in appearance or character. There are a huge number of such examples in Rus': Zaitsev, Orlov, Vinogradov, Lebedev, there are also in other countries. For example, in England: Bush (bush), Bull (bull), Swan (swan).

Beautiful foreign surnames are often formed on behalf of the ancestor: Cecil, Anthony, Henry, Thomas, etc. A lot of names are associated with a specific area with which the founders were associated: Ingleman, Germain, Pickard, Portwine, Kent, Cornwall, Westley. Of course, a huge group of family names are those associated with professions and titles. Some surnames arose spontaneously. If they evoke positive associations in people, then they can be attributed to beautiful, harmonious and successful, because they are greeted by clothes, so a good generic name helps many people to win over when they meet.

Spanish euphonious surnames


In Spaniards, family names are mostly double, they are connected by particles "y", "de", a hyphen or written with a space. The father's surname is written first, and the mother's surname is written second. It should be noted that the particle "de" indicates the aristocratic origin of the founder. Spanish law provides for no more than two given names and no more than two surnames. When getting married, women usually leave their family names.

Beautiful male foreign surnames are not uncommon for Spaniards. Fernandez is considered one of the most common, Rodriguez, Gonzalez, Sanchez, Martinez, Perez are not inferior to her in attractiveness - they all came from names. The harmonious Spanish surnames also include Castillo, Alvarez, Garcia, Flores, Romero, Pascual, Torres.

french beautiful surnames

Among the French names of childbirth, there are often beautiful surnames for girls. Foreign states acquired permanent names at about the same time as Rus'. In 1539, a royal decree was issued obliging every Frenchman to acquire a personal name and pass it on to his descendants. The first surnames appeared among the aristocrats, they were passed from father to son even before the issuance of the aforementioned decree.

Today, double family names are allowed in France, and parents can also choose which surname the child will have - mother's or father's. The most beautiful and common French genus names are: Robert, Perez, Blanc, Richard, Morel, Duval, Fabre, Garnier, Julien.

German common surnames

Beautiful foreign surnames are also found in Germany. In this country, they began to form in the Middle Ages. In those days, people had nicknames that consisted of the place of birth of a person and his origin. Such surnames provided comprehensive information about their carriers. Often nicknames indicated the type of activity of a person, his physical shortcomings or virtues, moral qualities. Here are the most popular surnames in Germany: Schmidt (blacksmith), Weber (weaver), Mueller (miller), Hoffmann (yard owner), Richter (judge), Koenig (king), Kaiser (emperor), Herrmann (warrior), Vogel (bird ).

Italian surnames

The first Italian surnames appeared in the 14th century and were common among noble people. The need for them arose when there were many people with the same names, and yet it was necessary to somehow distinguish them. The nickname contained information about the place of birth or residence of a person. For example, the ancestor of the famous artist Leonardo da Vinci lived in the city of Vinci. Most Italian surnames are formed by the transformation of descriptive nicknames, and they end in a vowel sound. There is an opinion that the most beautiful foreign names and surnames are in Italy, and it is difficult to disagree with this: Ramazzotti, Rodari, Albinoni, Celentano, Fellini, Dolce, Versace, Stradivari.

English beautiful surnames

All English family names can be conditionally divided into four groups: nominal, descriptive, professional and official, by place of residence. The first surnames in England appeared in the 12th century and were the privilege of the nobility, in the 17th century absolutely everyone already had them. The most widespread group is made up of genealogical names of genera derived from personal names, or combinations of the names of both parents. Examples include: Allen, Henry, Thomas, Ritchie. In many surnames there is a prefix "son", meaning "son". For example, Abbotson or Abbot "s, that is, Abbot's son. In Scotland, "son" denoted the prefix Mac-: MacCarthy, MacDonald.


Beautiful foreign female surnames are often found among English family names derived from the place where the founder of the family was born or lived. For example, Surrey, Sudley, Westley, Wallace, Lane, Brook. Many euphonious surnames indicate the occupation, profession or title of the founder: Spencer, Corner, Butler, Tailor, Walker. Family names of a descriptive type reflect the physical or moral qualities of a person: Moody, Bragg, Black, Strong, Longman, Crump, White.

All genus names are unique and attractive in their own way. It should be remembered that it is not the surname that paints the person, but the person the surname. Studying the history of the emergence of certain family names is a very interesting and exciting activity, during which many secrets of individual families are revealed. There are beautiful and harmonious surnames in any country, but for each person they are different. Basically, I like those generic names that are consonant with the name.

American Surnames: Origin, Meaning, Popular Male and Female Surnames



When meeting, the very first and most important aspect in the knowledge of the interlocutor is his name and surname. Often people give this not a secondary, but a major significance. Always a beautiful surname draws attention to a person, and in some cases even draws attention to him. Each surname carries the history of more than one century. Consider American surnames.

Surname as "hello" from ancestors

First you need to go back a few centuries and find out where the surnames came from. They didn't always exist. It's hard to believe, but once the dictionary of American surnames did not exist at all, earlier people were called strictly by name. So, in the 7th century, the most polar names in America were: William and Robert, already at the end of the 14th century, 30% of the population of all America was named Robert. After a while, it became difficult to designate a person with only one name, and then nicknames came to the rescue, characterizing the personal qualities of a person, profession, appearance or other differences.

Modern Americans have the nicknames of their ancestors as surnames.

America is a country where immigrants from all over the world are gathered, so it is not strange that American surnames are so colorful, they have their own characteristics that distinguish them from the surnames of other peoples. We can say that modern Americans are 60% of old England, that is, Scots, Irish and English. Over time, they mixed with representatives of the African people, Europeans, and of course, with the indigenous people of America - the Indians.

American surnames were formed in several ways. In the first group, all surnames originated from geographical residence, today this is the largest group, examples of the most obvious surnames associated with the area: Germain, Spain, Norman. There are surnames that come from the names of English counties, for example: Cornish, Cheshire. Some originated from the names of cities and villages: Fife, Westley. The same group includes surnames formed from the type of locality: Moore, Fields.

The second group collected surnames formed from the names of professions and positions. Most of the surnames of this group are associated with agriculture: Hurd Gozzard, Shepherd (from herd - shepherd), etc. The most common American surname, Smith, comes from the blacksmith profession. Here are some more popular examples of the surnames of this group: Brownsmith, Blacksmith, Painter, Fielder, Appleyard.

The third group is no less interesting, she collected surnames based on the nicknames that were given to the owner for some biological feature, for example: Bigg, Strong, High, Gentle, Sweet, Doughty, Black, Red.

The fourth group concentrated surnames derived from the name of the father - Piterson, Jons. And in the fifth group, surnames based on the mapping of the area: Rok, Pus.

Surnames such as: Bush, Fish and others of the kind originated from common nouns.

It was difficult for visitors, whose names were changed in an English way. First of all, surnames with non-English origin were changed to easier ones in pronunciation and spelling. Thus, complex foreign surnames turned into native ones for America. For example: the complex surname Wienersky turned into Vinar, and Belo acquired the popular pronunciation today - Bellows.

Native Americans - Indians, at first did not have a family nickname at all, but when it came time to take it, they took any European ones they liked without remorse, so in most cases, their surnames do not carry any meaning or historical origin. Modern black Americans have completely lost their individual and unique names, and all because of the fact that the ancestors considered American names more beautiful. The matter did not end with the names, the surnames were also borrowed.

Representatives of the Spanish race acted exactly the opposite, they just slightly corrected their surnames in a convenient American way, without fundamentally changing the root of the surname. The Spaniards were almost the only ones who retained their national surnames. To date, people from Africa are also working on this.

Gift from ancestors

What foreign people find beautiful English language may have absolutely beautiful meaning, so for example: Smith - blacksmith, Price - price, Fell - fall, Fats - fat man, they sound interesting, and the translation is not too refined. Here is a list of the really most beautiful American surnames:

  • Appelgold - golden apple;
  • Goldenrose - golden rose;
  • Floretsen - flower;
  • Redpetas - red petal;
  • Kingsman - male king;
  • King - king.

The right to female surnames

Americans have been working for a long time to ensure that female surnames have the right to exist, such surnames include: Williams, Johnson, Davis, Brown, Smith, Miller, Taylor, Moore.

But for the most part, all beautiful female surnames completely and completely coincide in form with male ones, so it is not possible to single out separate “second names” for beautiful ladies.

Surname with a masculine character

In America, surnames are passed only through the male line. This means that the resettled emigrants are able to preserve national distinctions, but after a while, the female branch disappears, washing away the trace of the surname.

American surnames are considered masculine, since many immigrants from former countries did not have a division into female and male.

Today, Americans can form a surname from their first name and a family name, they can also make a surname from two names. Sometimes Americans just use their initials without using full names at all.

Speaking surnames

In America, unlike European countries if a person has a funny or strange last name, he may never in his life hear a single comic statement addressed to him, and all because many people have such surnames and no one pays attention to this. Below are not all common American surnames, you can look at the dictionary of American surnames, which has the entire list.

  • Bunnysman - hare;
  • Bierdes - a bird;
  • Kitten - kitten;
  • Little - small;
  • Peaches - peach;
  • Gosling - gosling;
  • Hitchcock - hitch - limp, cock - rooster;
  • Stone - stone;
  • Blunt - blunt - dull, stupid;
  • Potter - potter - potter;
  • Riddle - riddle - riddle;
  • Miller - miller;
  • Catchpole - a person who collects taxes;
  • Sailor - sailor;
  • Fisher is a fisherman.

In addition, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the most popular American surnames in alphabetical order. Information taken from the Dictionary of American Surnames:

Adams - Adams
Allen - Allen
Alexander - Alexander

Brown - Brown
Baker - Baker
Black - Black
Brooks - Brooks
Bush - Bush

Carroll - Carroll
Charleson - Charleson
Crossman - Crossman

Duncan - Duncan
Davidson - Davidson
Dickinson Dickinson
Day - Day

Enderson - Anderson
Edwards - Edwards
Evans - Evans

Fane - Fane
Forster - Forster

Garrison - Garison
Gilbert - Gilberd
Goldman - Goldman
Goodman - Goodman

Hancock - Hankon

Johnson - Johnson

Kelly - Kelly

L
Lamberts - Lamberts
lawman - broken

Marlow - Melrow
Miller - Miller
Miers - Myers
Mercer - Mercer

Nelson - Nelson
Nicholson - Nicholson
Nyman - Nyman
Nash - Our

Oldman - Oldman
Oliver - Oliver
Owen - Owen
Ogden - ogden

Page - Page
Parson - Parson
Peacock - Peacock
Philips - Philips
Porter - Porter

Ramacey- Ramzin
Richards - Richards
Roger - Roger
Russell - Russell

Salomon - Salamon
Shackley
Simpson - Simpson
Sykes

Taylor
Thomson - Thomson
Tracey - Tracey

Walkman - Walkman
Walter Walter
White

Youmans - Youmans
Young

Types of surnames by origin

  • American
  • English
  • Jewish
  • Italian
  • German
  • Polish
  • Russians
  • French
  • Japanese
© Author: Alexey Krivenky. Photo: depositphotos.com

What are English surnames. Only beautiful, long and rare

†Reekay†


A
Abramson
adamson
Adderiy
Addington
Adrian
Albertson
Aldridge
Allford
Alsopp
Anderson
Andrews
Archibald
Arnold
Arthurs
Atcheson
Attwood
Audley
Austin
Ayrton
B
babcock
backer
Baldwin
Bargeman
Barnes
Barrington
Bawerman
Becker
Benson
Berrington
Birch
Bishop
Black
Blare
Blomfield
Boolman
Bootman
Bosworth
Bradberry
Bradshaw
Brickman
Brooks
Brown
Bush
C
Calhoun
Campbell
Carey
carrington
Carroll
carter
Chandter
Chapman
Charleson
Chesterton
Clapton
Clifford
Coleman
conors
Cook
Cramer
Creighton
Croftoon
Crossman
D
Daniels
Davidson
day
Dean
Derrick
Dickinson
Dodson
Donaldson
Donovan
Douglas
Dowman
dutton
Duncan
Dunce
Durham
Dyson
E
Eddington
Edwards
Ellington
Elmers
Enderson
Erickson
Evans
F
Faber
Fane
farmer
Farrell
Ferguson
finch
Fisher
Fitzgerald
Flannagan
Flatcher
Fleming
Ford
Forman
Forster
Foster
Francis
Fraser
Freeman
Fulton
G
Galbraith
Gardner
Garrison
gate
Gerald
Gibbs
Gilbert
Gill
Gilmore
Gilmore
gimson
Goldman
Goodman
Gustman
H
haig
Hailey
Humphrey
Hancock
Hardman
Harrison
Hawkins
Higgins
Hodges
Hoggarth
holiday
Holmes
Howard
J
Jacobson
James
Jeff
jenkin
Jerome
Johnson
Jones
K
Keat
Kelly
kendal
Kennedy
Kennett
Kingsman
Kirk
L
Laird
Lamberts
Larkins
Lawman
Leapman
Leman
Lewin
Little
Livingston
Longman
M
MacAdam
MacAlister
MacDonald
Macduff
Macey
Mackenzie
Mansfield
Marlow
Marshman
mason
Mathews
Mercer
Michaelson
miers
Miller
Miln
Milton
Molligan
Morrison
Murphy
N
Nash
Nathan
Neal
Nelson
Neville
Nicholson
Nyman
O
Oakman
Ogden
old man
Oldridge
Oliver
Osborne
Oswald
Otis
Owen
P
Page
Palmer
Parkinson
Parson
Pass
Paterson
Peacock
Pearcy
Peterson
Philips
Porter
Q
Quincy
R
Raleigh
Ralphs
Ramacey
Reynolds
Richards
Roberts
Roger
Russel
Ryder
S
Salisburry
Salomon
Samuels
Saunder
Shackley
Sheldon
Sherlock
Shorter
Simon
Simpson
Smith
Stanley
Stephen
Stevenson
Sykes
T
Taft
Taylor
Thomson
Thorndike
Thornton
Timmons
Tracey
Turner
V
Vance
Vaughan
W
Wainwright
Walkman
Wallace
Waller
Walter
Ward
Warren
Watson
Wayne
webster
Wesley
White
wifkinson
Winter
Wood
Y
Youmans
Young

Christina chebunina

Abramson
Adamson
Adderiy
Addington
Adrian
Albertson
Aldridge
Sasha
Alsopp
Anderson
Andrews
Archibald
Arnold
Arturs
Atcheson
Attwood
Audley
Austin
Ayrton
B
Babcock
backer
Baldwin
Burlaka
Barnes
Barrington
Bawerman
becker
Benson
Berrington
Birch
Bishop
Black
Roar
Blomfield
Boolman
Butman
bosworth
bradbury
bradshaw
Brikman
Brooks
Brown
Bush
WITH
Calhoun
Campbell
Carey
carrington
Carroll
Carter
Chandter
Chapman
Produced by industrial
Chesterton
Clapton
Clifford
Coleman
conors
Cook
Kramer
Creighton
Croftoon
Crosman
D
Daniels
Davidson
Day
Dean
Derrick
Dickinson
Dodson
Donaldson
Donovan
Douglas
Dowman
Dutton
Duncan
Dunce
Durham
Dyson
E
Eddington
Edwards
Ellington
Elmerz
Anderson
Erickson
Evans
F
faber
Fane
Farmer
Farrell
Ferguson
Finch
Fisher
Fitzgerald
Flannagan
Flatcher
Fleming
Ford
Foreman
Forster
Foster
Francis
fraser
Freeman
Fulton
G
Galbraith
Gardner
Harrison
Gates
Gerald
Gibbs
Gilbert
Gill
Gilmour
Gilmour
gimson
Goldman
Goodman
Gustman
H
Haig
Hailey
Humphrey
Hancock
Hardman
Harrison
Hawkins
Higgins
Hodges
Hoggart
Holiday
Holmes
Howard
J
Jacobson
James
Jeff
jenkin
Jerome
Johnson
Jones
TO
Whale
Kelly
Kendal
Kennedy
Kennett
Kingsman
Kirk
L
laird
Lamberts
Larkins
Lawyer
Leapman
Lyama
Levin
Few
livingston
Longman
M
rubble
Macalister
MacDonald
Macduff
Macy
Mackenzie
Mansfield
Marlow
Marshman
Mason
Matthews
Mercer
michaelson
Myers
Miller
Milene
milton
Molligan
Morrison
Murphy
H
Nash
Nathan
Nile
Nelson
Neville
Nicholson
Nyman
ABOUT
Ockman
Ogden
Oldman
Oldridge
Oliver
Osborne
Oswald
Otis
Owen
P
Pages
Palmer
parkinson
Parson
Pass the
Paterson
Peacock
Piercy
Peterson
Philips
Porter
Question
Quincy
R
Reilly
Ralphs
Ramacey
Reynolds
Richards
Roberts
Roger
Russell
Rider
WITH
Salisburry
Salomon
Samuels
sounder
Sheckley
Sheldon
sherlock
Briefly speaking
Simon
Simpson
Smith
Stanley
Stephen
Stevenson
Sykes
T
Taft
Taylor
Thomson
Thorndike
Thornton
Timmons
Tracey
Turner
IN
Vance
Vaughan
Tue
Wainwright
Wokman
Wallace
Waller
Walter
Ward
Warren
Watson
Wayne
Webster
Wesley
White
wifkinson
Winter
wood
G
Youmans
Young


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