350+ European Last Names or Surnames (Origins, Meanings and History)

Ever wondered what story your last name tells? European surnames are like time capsules that reveal fascinating details about our ancestors. Whether it’s where they lived, what they did for a living, or who their parents were – these names carry centuries of history in just a few syllables.

European last names form the backbone of identity for millions of people worldwide. They’re not just labels we inherit – they’re historical documents that connect us to our roots and help piece together our family’s journey through time.

These surnames emerged for practical reasons (mostly to avoid the chaos of having five Johns in one village!), but they’ve evolved into powerful symbols of cultural heritage that cross borders and generations.

Bold anchor text reveals the deep connection between our names and who we are. You might be surprised how much your surname says about your ancestors!

Check out some unique usernames if you’re looking for modern naming inspiration that stands out from the crowd.

Popular European Last Names With Meanings

These widely-recognized surnames appear across multiple European countries, often with slight spelling variations that hint at their movement through different language regions:

• Smith/Schmidt/Ferraro – Occupational name for blacksmith (English/German/Italian)
• Johnson/Hansen/Johansson – “Son of John” in different languages
• Miller/Müller/Molnár – Occupational name for someone who worked in a mill
• Brown/Braun/Bruno – Descriptive name referring to brown hair or complexion
• Williams/Wilhelm/Guillaume – Derived from the given name William
• Jones/Johannessen – Welsh/Scandinavian forms of “John’s son”
• Taylor/Schneider/Sarto – Occupational name for a tailor
• Davies/Davidson – “Son of David”
• Wilson/Wilkinson – “Son of Will”
• Evans/Evanson – Welsh surname meaning “son of Evan”
• Thomas/Thompson – Derived from the given name Thomas
• Roberts/Robertson – “Son of Robert”
• Walker – Occupational name for cloth fuller
• White/Weiss/Bianco – Descriptive name referring to pale complexion or white hair
• Edwards/Eduardo – “Son of Edward”
• Hughes/Hugo – Derived from the Germanic name Hugh
• Green/Grün/Verde – Descriptive name referring to someone who lived near a village green
• Hall/Saal – Topographic name for someone who lived in or worked in a hall
• Lewis/Ludwig – Derived from the Germanic name Ludwig
• Martin/Martínez – Derived from Latin name Martinus
• König/King/Rey – Occupational name for someone who worked for a king
• Bauer/Farmer – Occupational name for a farmer
• Fischer/Fisher – Occupational name for a fisherman
• Weber/Weaver – Occupational name for a weaver
• Wagner – Occupational name for a wagon maker
• Hoffmann – “Man from the farm/courtyard”
• Novak/Novák – “New person” or newcomer to a village
• Murphy – Irish surname meaning “sea warrior”
• Russo/Rossi – Italian surnames meaning “red-haired”
• Kovács – Hungarian occupational name for “smith”

You might want to explore fantasy last names to see how European naming traditions have influenced creative fiction.

Western European Last Names

These surnames originate from countries in Western Europe and reveal the linguistic diversity of the region:

• Dubois (French) – “From the woods”
• Schmitz (German) – Variant of Schmidt, “smith”
• Jensen (Danish) – “Son of Jens”
• Peeters (Belgian) – Variant of Peters, “son of Peter”
• Van der Berg (Dutch) – “From the mountain”
• O’Sullivan (Irish) – “Descendant of the dark-eyed one”
• MacGregor (Scottish) – “Son of Gregor”
• Silva (Portuguese) – “Forest” or “woodland”
• Fernández (Spanish) – “Son of Fernando”
• De Luca (Italian) – “From Lucania” (region in Italy)
• Nielsen (Danish/Norwegian) – “Son of Niels”
• Jansen (Dutch) – “Son of Jan”
• Dupont (French) – “From the bridge”
• Meyer (German) – “Village leader” or “farmer”
• Fischer (German/Swiss) – “Fisherman”
• Andersson (Swedish) – “Son of Anders”
• Rossi (Italian) – “Red-haired”
• García (Spanish) – Possibly of Basque origin, meaning “young”
• Bianchi (Italian) – “White” or “fair”
• Petit (French) – “Small”
• Stewart (Scottish) – “Household guardian”
• Müller (German) – “Miller”
• Pinto (Portuguese/Spanish) – “Painted” or “spotted”
• Doherty (Irish) – “Destructive” or “hurtful”
• Verhoeven (Dutch) – “From the farm”
• Lambert (French) – “Land-bright”
• Huber (German) – “Owner of a plot of land”
• Ryan (Irish) – “Little king”
• Reyes (Spanish) – “Kings”
• Hansen (Norwegian) – “Son of Hans”

If you’re interested in the history behind these names, check out these German last names for more details about Central European naming traditions.

Eastern European Surnames

Eastern European surnames often reveal a fascinating blend of Slavic, Baltic, and other linguistic influences:

• Nowak/Novák (Polish/Czech) – “New person”
• Ivanov (Russian/Bulgarian) – “Son of Ivan”
• Kowalski (Polish) – “Son of the blacksmith”
• Popović (Serbian) – “Son of a priest”
• Kovács (Hungarian) – “Smith”
• Dimitrov (Bulgarian) – “Son of Dimitar”
• Jankowski (Polish) – “Son of Janek”
• Petrović (Serbian/Croatian) – “Son of Petar”
• Nagy (Hungarian) – “Big” or “tall”
• Smirnov (Russian) – “Quiet” or “peaceful”
• Novikov (Russian) – “Son of the newcomer”
• Baran (Polish/Ukrainian) – “Ram”
• Horvat (Croatian) – “Croatian”
• Zaytsev (Russian) – “Son of the hare”
• Kozlov (Russian) – “Son of the goat”
• Sokolov (Russian) – “Son of the falcon”
• Melnyk (Ukrainian) – “Miller”
• Kovalenko (Ukrainian) – “Son of the blacksmith”
• Ionescu (Romanian) – “Son of Ion”
• Lukić (Serbian) – “Son of Luka”
• Jovanović (Serbian) – “Son of Jovan”
• Zajac (Polish/Slovak) – “Hare”
• Pavlov (Russian/Bulgarian) – “Son of Pavel”
• Nikolov (Bulgarian) – “Son of Nikola”
• Balázs (Hungarian) – From the Latin name “Blasius”
• Adamczyk (Polish) – “Son of Adam”
• Dušek (Czech) – “Soul”
• Vasiliev (Russian) – “Son of Vasily”
• Bogdanov (Russian/Bulgarian) – “Son of Bogdan” (God-given)
• Petrov (Russian/Bulgarian) – “Son of Petr”

Want to explore more? Check out these Slavic last names for deeper insights into Eastern European naming traditions.

Royal European Family Names

Royal surnames often have complex histories tied to dynasties, territories, and noble lineages:

• Windsor (British) – Adopted during WWI to replace the German Saxe-Coburg-Gotha
• Bourbon (French/Spanish) – Named after the Bourbon region in France
• Habsburg/Hapsburg (Austrian) – Named after Habsburg Castle in Switzerland
• Romanov (Russian) – Derived from Roman Yuryevich, founder of the dynasty
• Hohenzollern (German) – Named after Hohenzollern Castle
• Bernadotte (Swedish) – From Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte, a marshal under Napoleon
• Grimaldi (Monegasque) – Ancient Genoese family name
• Nassau-Orange (Dutch) – Combined name from the House of Nassau and Orange
• Glücksburg (Danish) – Named after Glücksburg Castle
• Liechtenstein (Liechtensteiner) – Named after the principality
• Savoy (Italian) – Named after the Savoy region
• Wittelsbach (Bavarian) – Named after Wittelsbach Castle
• Tudor (English) – From Welsh name “Tewdwr”
• Stuart/Stewart (Scottish/English) – Originally “steward,” an official position
• Plantagenet (English) – From the Latin “planta genista” (broom plant)
• Medici (Italian) – Possibly meaning “doctors” or “medical men”
• Braganza (Portuguese) – From the city of Bragança
• Oldenburg (Danish/Russian) – Named after Oldenburg in Germany
• Jagiellon (Polish/Lithuanian) – From Jagiełło, baptismal name of King Władysław II
• Valois (French) – Named after Valois region
• Saxe-Coburg (Belgian/Bulgarian) – Named after Saxe-Coburg region
• Bonaparte (French) – Italian origin meaning “good part”
• Karađorđević (Serbian) – “Son of Black George”
• Petrović-Njegoš (Montenegrin) – Combination of patronymic and place name
• Wettin (German) – Named after Wettin Castle
• Obrenović (Serbian) – “Son of Obren”
• Zahringen (German) – Named after Zähringen Castle
• Capetian (French) – From Hugh Capet, first king of the dynasty
• Bagrationi (Georgian) – Claimed descent from King David of Israel
• Schleswig-Holstein (German) – Named after regions of Schleswig and Holstein

Looking for royal inspiration? Check out these powerful last names that carry the weight of authority.

Rare European Surnames for Unique Characters

These uncommon surnames make great choices for creative projects or understanding lesser-known naming traditions:

• Thalassinos (Greek) – “Of the sea”
• Zegna (Italian) – Origin uncertain, possibly from a place name
• Eisenstein (German) – “Iron stone”
• Montmorency (French) – From a place name meaning “Mount Morency”
• Caradoc (Welsh) – From a personal name meaning “beloved”
• Oisín (Irish) – “Little deer”
• Kamiński (Polish) – “Stone” or “of stone”
• Vulchev (Bulgarian) – “Son of the wolf”
• Caragiale (Romanian) – Turkish origin, possibly “black fortress”
• Alcántara (Spanish) – From Arabic “al-qantara” meaning “the bridge”
• Fittipaldi (Italian) – “Son of Thibaut” (from Germanic)
• Zelenka (Czech) – “Small green one”
• Quenell (English) – From Old French “quesnel,” meaning “little oak”
• Bjornsson (Icelandic) – “Son of the bear”
• Archambault (French) – From Germanic “Ercanwald,” meaning “genuine ruler”
• Kallithea (Greek) – “Beautiful view”
• Montague (English/French) – “Pointed mountain”
• Visconti (Italian) – “Vice count”
• Pállfy (Hungarian) – “Son of Paul”
• Zabinski (Polish) – “Beyond the forest”
• Cantacuzino (Romanian) – Byzantine noble family name
• Dragović (Serbian) – “Son of the dear one”
• d’Artagnan (French) – From a place name in Gascony
• Zarnescu (Romanian) – “Son of the miller”
• Caravaggio (Italian) – From a place name near Milan
• Egilsson (Icelandic) – “Son of Egil”
• Fieramosca (Italian) – “Proud fly”
• Golitsyn (Russian) – From “golitza” meaning “glove”
• Radcliffe (English) – “Red cliff”
• Villeneuve (French) – “New town”

If you’re interested in fantasy settings, these medieval last names might provide additional inspiration for your creative work.

History of Surnames in Europe

The story of European surnames is like watching a slow-motion revolution that took nearly a thousand years to complete!

In ancient Rome, citizens had a three-part naming system (praenomen, nomen, and cognomen), but this practice disappeared as the Empire fell. For centuries afterward, most Europeans simply used a single name—imagine a village where everyone was just John, Mary, or Peter!

As populations grew, this system became unworkable. You can’t have twelve Thomases in one village without confusion! The adoption of surnames happened at different times across Europe:

• 11th-12th centuries: Surnames began appearing among nobility in Southern Europe (Italy, France, Spain)
• 13th-14th centuries: Spread to England and wider Western Europe
• 15th-16th centuries: Eastern and Northern Europe adopted surname systems
• 17th-19th centuries: Final standardization in rural areas and among peasant populations

What’s fascinating is the regional differences:

• Italy had some of the earliest hereditary surnames, with Venice showing family names as early as the 10th century
• England saw Norman influence accelerate surname adoption after 1066
• Scandinavia held onto patronymic naming systems the longest, with Iceland still using them today
• Eastern Europe often added suffixes to indicate “son of” or family origin (-ski, -ov, -ich)

For more on the evolution of naming traditions, you might enjoy these Latin last names that show the ancient roots of many modern European surnames.

Types of Surnames

European surnames generally fall into five main categories, each telling us something different about our ancestors:

1. Patronymic Surnames

These surnames derive from the father’s first name, essentially meaning “son of” or “daughter of”:

• Johnson (English) – Son of John
• Petersen (Danish) – Son of Peter
• Fernández (Spanish) – Son of Fernando
• Ivanović (Serbian) – Son of Ivan
• MacGregor (Scottish) – Son of Gregor
• O’Brien (Irish) – Descendant of Brian
• Ap Rhys (Welsh) – Son of Rhys (later became Price)

2. Toponymic Surnames

These surnames derive from places or geographical features, indicating where a person was from or lived:

• Hill – Someone who lived on or near a hill
• Wood/Woods – Someone who lived near or in a forest
• Brooks – Someone who lived near a stream
• York – Someone from the city of York
• Westbrook – Someone from the western brook
• Milano (Italian) – Someone from Milan
• Warszawski (Polish) – Someone from Warsaw

3. Occupational Surnames

These surnames derive from the person’s job or trade:

• Smith – Blacksmith
• Baker – Someone who baked bread
• Miller – Someone who operated a mill
• Fletcher – Arrow maker
• Cooper – Barrel maker
• Tailor/Taylor – Clothes maker
• Shepherd – Someone who herded sheep

4. Descriptive Surnames

These surnames describe a physical or character trait:

• Brown – Brown hair or complexion
• Short – A short person
• Young – A young person or someone with a youthful appearance
• Armstrong – Someone with strong arms
• Velikiy (Russian) – Great or large
• Široký (Czech) – Wide or broad
• Russo (Italian) – Red-haired

5. Ornamental Surnames

These were sometimes adopted without direct connection to ancestral traits, particularly in Central Europe:

• Goldstein (German) – Gold stone
• Rosenberg (German) – Rose mountain
• Montblanc (French) – White mountain
• Lindberg (Swedish) – Linden tree mountain

These naming categories appear across Europe but in different proportions—Scandinavian countries have more patronymics, while England has more occupational names. Germany and Eastern Europe tend to have more toponymic names.

Check out more about specific naming traditions in French last names to see the unique patterns that developed in different regions.

Most Common Surnames by Country

Each European country has its own distinctive set of common surnames that reflect its linguistic and cultural heritage:

Country	Most Common Surname	Meaning/Origin
England	Smith	Blacksmith (occupation)
Scotland	Smith	Blacksmith (occupation)
Wales	Jones	Son of John (patronymic)
Ireland	Murphy	Sea warrior (descriptive)
France	Martin	From Latin Martinus, “of Mars”
Germany	Müller	Miller (occupation)
Italy	Rossi	Red-haired (descriptive)
Spain	García	Young (Basque origin)
Portugal	Silva	Forest (toponymic)
Netherlands	De Jong	The young one (descriptive)
Belgium	Peeters	Son of Peter (patronymic)
Switzerland	Müller	Miller (occupation)
Austria	Gruber	From a pit or depression (toponymic)
Sweden	Johansson	Son of Johan (patronymic)
Norway	Hansen	Son of Hans (patronymic)
Denmark	Nielsen	Son of Niels (patronymic)
Finland	Korhonen	Deaf person (descriptive)
Iceland	Jónsson	Son of Jón (patronymic)
Poland	Nowak	Newcomer (descriptive)
Czech Republic	Novák	Newcomer (descriptive)
Slovakia	Horváth	Croatian (ethnonym)
Hungary	Nagy	Big (descriptive)
Romania	Popa	Priest (occupational)
Bulgaria	Ivanov	Son of Ivan (patronymic)
Greece	Papadopoulos	Son of a priest (occupational/patronymic)
Russia	Smirnov	Quiet one (descriptive)
Ukraine	Melnyk	Miller (occupational)
Belarus	Ivanov	Son of Ivan (patronymic)
Croatia	Horvat	Croatian (ethnonym)
Serbia	Jovanović	Son of Jovan (patronymic)

For more information about surname patterns in Eastern Europe, check out these Russian last names that showcase some distinctive patronymic patterns.

Meanings and Origins

The etymology of European surnames reveals fascinating insights into language evolution and cultural values:

Smith (English) derives from Old English “smithe,” meaning one who works with metal. This occupation was so vital in medieval society that variations appear across Europe: Schmidt (German), Ferreira (Portuguese), Ferrari (Italian), Kovács (Hungarian), and Kowalski (Polish).

Novak/Nowak (Slavic) comes from “novy” meaning “new,” suggesting a newcomer to a village or town. This surname appears frequently in Czech, Slovak, and Polish records.

Müller/Miller (German/English) comes from the Latin “molere” (to grind), referring to someone who operated a grain mill. The umlaut in the German version shows how the same name evolved differently across language boundaries.

Rossi (Italian) means “red” and likely referred to someone with red hair or a ruddy complexion – physical features that stood out in Mediterranean populations.

Johnson/Johansson/Hansen all derive from “John” (Hebrew “Yochanan” meaning “God is gracious”), showing how biblical names became popular across Christian Europe but evolved differently in each language region.

García (Spanish) possibly comes from Basque “gaztea” meaning “young,” though this etymology is debated. It’s a pre-Roman name that survived through centuries of different ruling powers.

Brown/Braun refers to hair or clothing color, showcasing how simple physical descriptions became permanent family identifiers.

Peeters/Pieters/Peters all derive from the Greek “Petros” meaning “rock,” popularized by Saint Peter. The different spellings show how the same original name developed distinct forms in neighboring language areas.

For more about the origins of these enduring family names, explore Italian last names to see how Mediterranean naming patterns evolved.

Surname Distribution

The spread of surnames across Europe tells stories of migration, conquest, and cultural exchange:

Smith and its variants (Schmidt, Schmitz, Kovács, Ferrari) show how occupational names arose independently in different language regions for the same essential job. The concentration of “Smith” in England versus “Schmidt” in Germany maps perfectly to language boundaries.

Johnson and its variants appear wherever Christianity spread, but with distinctive regional forms: Johansson (Sweden), Janssen (Netherlands), Ivanov (Russia), showing how the same biblical name was adapted in different languages.

Spanish surnames like García, Rodríguez, and Fernández spread to Latin America through colonization, making them common across the Spanish-speaking world while remaining concentrated in Spain within Europe.

Jewish surnames like Goldstein, Rosenberg, and Cohen show distinct patterns tied to Jewish migration routes across Europe, with concentrations in areas where Jewish communities historically settled.

Norman surnames (introduced to England after 1066) like Beaumont, Seymour, and Montgomery spread from Northern France to England, showing the linguistic influence of conquest.

Habsburg imperial surnames spread throughout the Austrian Empire, creating pockets of German-origin names in regions of modern Hungary, Czech Republic, and Romania.

Migration patterns are visible in surname distributions:

• Italian surnames appearing in concentrated clusters in America, Argentina, and Australia
• Irish surnames spreading to North America, Australia, and Britain after the potato famine
• Polish surnames appearing in Chicago, New York, and other industrial centers after mass migration
• German surnames spreading eastward during medieval expansion into Slavic territories

For more insights into the movement of families across Europe, explore these Greek last names that spread throughout the Mediterranean during periods of Greek influence.

Naming Laws and Customs

European naming practices vary dramatically by region, revealing fascinating cultural differences:

Iceland maintains the most distinctive naming system in Europe, using patronymics rather than family surnames. Children take their father’s (or sometimes mother’s) first name plus “son” or “dóttir.” For example, Magnus Olafsson is Magnus, son of Olaf, while his sister might be Anna Olafsdóttir. This system preserves an ancient Norse tradition.

Spain and Portugal typically use double surnames, combining the father’s first surname and the mother’s first surname. In Spain, traditionally the father’s surname comes first, followed by the mother’s, though this order can now be chosen by parents. This creates a continuous line of family names passed down through generations.

Russia and many Slavic countries add gender-specific endings to surnames. A man named Ivanov would have a wife and daughter with the surname Ivanova. Middle names are often patronymics, like Ivanovich (“son of Ivan”) or Ivanovna (“daughter of Ivan”).

Hungary places the family name before the given name (e.g., Nagy János rather than János Nagy), reflecting a linguistic pattern that differs from most European languages.

France has some of Europe’s strictest naming laws, established during Napoleon’s era. Until recently, parents could only choose names from a limited approved list, though these restrictions have relaxed somewhat since the 1990s.

Germany historically had restrictions preventing names that might subject children to ridicule or couldn’t clearly indicate gender. While these rules have relaxed, civil registrars still have some authority to reject problematic names.

The Netherlands traditionally used patronymic systems similar to Scandinavia, but Napoleon’s occupation in the early 19th century forced the Dutch to adopt fixed family names, creating a fascinating snapshot of naming patterns at that specific point in history.

Greece requires that children receive a name that indicates their gender and complies with Greek Orthodox traditions, though enforcement has relaxed in recent decades.

For more about regional naming patterns, check out Polish last names to see how Slavic naming conventions developed.

Notable Surnames

Some European surnames have become famous worldwide through the achievements of remarkable families:

Bach – This German surname, meaning “brook,” gained eternal fame through composer Johann Sebastian Bach and his musical family. The Bach family produced over 50 musicians across several generations, creating one of music’s greatest dynasties.

Curie – Forever linked to scientific breakthroughs, the Polish-French Curie family boasts Marie and Pierre Curie, who discovered radium and polonium, plus daughter Irène Joliot-Curie, also a Nobel Prize winner. Few surnames are so closely associated with scientific excellence.

Rothschild – This German-Jewish surname (meaning “red sign”) belongs to one of Europe’s most influential banking families, whose financial acumen shaped European history from the late 18th century onward.

Bonaparte – From humble Corsican origins, this Italian surname (meaning “good part”) reached imperial heights through Napoleon Bonaparte, who conquered much of Europe in the early 19th century.

Mozart – This Austrian surname gained immortality through Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, one of classical music’s greatest composers, though the family included several other musicians.

Shakespeare – Originally an occupational name for a spear-wielder, this English surname became synonymous with literary genius through William Shakespeare, the world’s most celebrated playwright.

Medici – This Italian surname belonged to the powerful banking family that dominated Renaissance Florence, producing popes, queens of France, and legendary patrons of the arts.

Churchill – Originally a toponymic English surname indicating someone from Churchill in Somerset, it gained worldwide recognition through Sir Winston Churchill, Britain’s inspirational wartime Prime Minister.

Einstein – This German-Jewish surname, meaning “one stone,” became universally recognized through physicist Albert Einstein, whose theories revolutionized our understanding of the universe.

Picasso – This Spanish surname achieved artistic immortality through Pablo Picasso, a founding father of modern art whose work transformed 20th-century aesthetics.

Learn more about historical family names in these Scottish last names that include many clans with significant historical impact.

Final Thoughts

European surnames open fascinating windows into our collective past. Beyond being simple identifiers, they preserve ancient occupations, forgotten places, and family connections across generations. From the patronymics of Iceland to the compound names of Spain, these naming traditions showcase Europe’s rich cultural tapestry.

The study of surnames connects us to our ancestors in surprisingly intimate ways. That “Baker” in your family tree really did bake bread for a living. That “Hill” truly lived on a hillside. These names weren’t random—they were practical descriptors that gradually became permanent identifiers passed down through generations.

If you’re curious about your own surname’s origins, consider digging deeper into genealogical research. Your last name might reveal migration patterns, occupational traditions, or connections to specific European regions you never knew existed. It’s like having a coded message from your ancestors waiting to be deciphered!

Ultimately, European surnames remind us that identity is both personal and collective—we carry not just our own stories but fragments of Europe’s broader historical narrative in the names we answer to every day.

Curious about other naming traditions? Check out these creative usernames to see how modern digital identities compare to traditional naming patterns.