100 Cool European Last Names
European surnames are not mere appellations; rather, they carry significant cultural heritage and interesting tales drawn from various regions of the continent and peoples of Europe.
The ancient Gaelic surnames of Ireland, the patronymic traditions of Scandinavia, or others tell stories of ancestry, geography, occupation, and sometimes even personality traits.
This article will delve into the intriguing histories and meanings behind some of Europe’s most well-known family names, showing how they have changed throughout the centuries and paying homage to the cultures that gave rise to them.
So, if you are trying to trace your family history or are just interested in European linguistic history, join us as we examine time-tested surnames.
European Last names
Anderson (Scandinavian) – Son of Andrew.
Bauer (German) – Farmer.
Bernardi (Italian) – Derived from “Bernardo,” meaning “brave as a bear.”
Bianchi (Italian) – Fair-haired or white.
Dubois (French) – From the woods.
González (Spanish) – Son of Gonzalo, meaning “battle” or “war.”
Kovács (Hungarian) – Blacksmith.
Lund (Swedish) – Grove or small forest.
Martínez (Spanish) – Son of Martín, derived from “Mars,” the Roman god of war.
Müller (German) – Miller.
Nielsen (Danish) – Son of Niels.
O’Connor (Irish) – Descendant of Connor, meaning “lover of hounds.”
Papadopoulos (Greek) – Son of a priest.
Pérez (Spanish) – Son of Pedro (Peter).
Rossi (Italian) – Red-haired or from the red.
Schneider (German) – Tailor.
Smit (Dutch) – Blacksmith.
Taylor (English) – Tailor.
Vargas (Spanish) – From the plains or an old village.
Vasiliev (Russian) – Son of Vasily, meaning “royal.”
Wang (Chinese, common in Europe too) – King or monarch.
Vikingsson (Icelandic) – Son of a Viking.
Volkov (Russian) – Wolf.
Ziegler (German) – Brick maker.
Bertolini (Italian) – Son of Bertoldo, meaning “bright ruler.”
Jensen (Danish) – Son of Jens (John).
López (Spanish) – Son of Lope, meaning “wolf.”
Fischer (German) – Fisherman.
Caruso (Italian) – The name of a famous tenor, also “a young man” in Italian.
Christensen (Danish) – Son of Christen (Christian).
Dahl (Norwegian) – Valley.
Ferri (Italian) – Iron.
Hansen (Scandinavian) – Son of Hans (John).
Jankowski (Polish) – Son of Jan (John).
Kowalski (Polish) – A common surname related to a blacksmith or worker of metal.
Lange (German) – Tall or long.
Morales (Spanish) – From the mulberry tree.
Moretti (Italian) – Dark or swarthy.
Nielsen (Danish) – Son of Niels.
Olsson (Swedish) – Son of Ole.
Pavlov (Russian) – Son of Pavel, meaning “small.”
Ricci (Italian) – Curly-haired.
Roth (German) – Red, often referring to a red-haired person or the color.
Sánchez (Spanish) – Son of Sancho, meaning “saint.”
Simonsen (Danish) – Son of Simon.
Sørensen (Danish) – Son of Søren (Laurence).
Tóth (Hungarian) – A common surname meaning “Slovakian.”
Urbani (Italian) – From the city or urban area.
Varga (Hungarian) – A traditional Hungarian surname meaning “cobbler” or “shoemaker.”
Zanetti (Italian) – From “Zane,” meaning “God is gracious.”
Almeida (Portuguese) – From the oak grove.
Auer (German) – From the river bank.
Baldwin (English) – Bold friend.
Bauer (German) – Farmer or peasant.
Becker (German) – Baker.
Benitez (Spanish) – Blessed or fortunate.
Blanchard (French) – White, fair, or blond.
Bogliolo (Italian) – A type of plant or bush.
Bourbon (French) – Derived from a noble family name, linked to the region of Bourbonnais.
Bruckner (German) – Bridge builder.
Chavez (Spanish) – From the Spanish word for “vault” or “arched building.”
Costa (Italian/Portuguese) – From the coast or hillside.
Dawson (English) – Son of David.
De la Cruz (Spanish) – From the cross.
Delgado (Spanish) – Thin or slender.
Dubois (French) – From the woods.
Escobar (Spanish) – From a place of oak trees.
Fabian (Latin, widespread in Europe) – Derived from the Roman family name Fabius, meaning “bean grower.”
Ferrari (Italian) – Blacksmith.
Fischer (German) – Fisherman.
Fournier (French) – Baker.
Franco (Italian/Spanish) – Free or from France.
Gagliardi (Italian) – Brave, valiant.
García (Spanish) – Son of Garcia, meaning “bear.”
Giordano (Italian) – From Jordan, meaning “down-flowing.”
Goribald (Italian) – Derived from the words “gori” (brave) and “bald” (bold).
Grigori (Russian) – Derived from Gregory, meaning “watchful” or “vigilant.”
Hoffmann (German) – Steward or man of the farm.
Horváth (Hungarian) – A common surname meaning “Croat.”
Iacob (Romanian) – Derived from Jacob, meaning “supplanter.”
Ivanov (Russian) – Son of Ivan (John).
Jablonski (Polish) – Derived from the word “jabłko,” meaning “apple.”
Klein (German) – Small or little.
Kovacs (Hungarian) – Blacksmith.
Laskowski (Polish) – Derived from a place name.
Lefevre (French) – Smith (a metal worker).
López (Spanish) – Son of Lope (wolf).
MacDonald (Scottish) – Son of Donald, meaning “world ruler.”
Maher (Irish) – A descendant of the famous warrior.
Mancini (Italian) – A left-handed person.
Marchand (French) – Merchant.
Martel (French) – Hammer, or a person who uses a hammer (often a blacksmith).
Morozov (Russian) – Derived from the word “moroz,” meaning “frost.”
Nardi (Italian) – From a place name, possibly derived from the word “nardo” (laurel).
Neruda (Slovak/Czech) – Derived from “Nerud,” meaning “the one with the reddish complexion.”
Novak (Slavic) – New or newcomer.
Oliva (Italian/Spanish) – Olive tree or olive branch.
Pasquale (Italian) – From the word for Easter, “Pasqua.”
Radović (Serbian) – Son of Rad, meaning “happy” or “joyful.”
Sánchez (Spanish) – Son of Sancho, meaning “holy” or “saint.”
