44 surnames on this site, with what each one means.
LamPlace · rank 555A multi-origin surname including Chinese Lam from Lin or Lan, with Dutch, North German, and Danish routes.
LambNickname · rank 572An English nickname surname from lamb, for a gentle or meek person, with occasional sign-name routes.
LambertParent’s name · rank 342A surname from the Germanic personal name Lambert, traditionally analyzed with elements for land and brightness or fame.
LandryParent’s name · rank 907A French and Norman-English surname from the personal name Landri (Germanic Landric, “land” + “ruler”); also an English wash-house occupational or dwelling name and a French-Canadian place-name shortening.
LanePlace · rank 223English topographic surname for someone living by or near a lane, with occupational and Irish routes also recorded.
LangNickname · rank 551A multi-origin surname chiefly from lang “long” or “tall,” a descriptive nickname, with separate Chinese and Hungarian routes.
LaraPlace · rank 374A Spanish habitational surname from Lara de los Infantes in Burgos.
LarsenParent’s name · rank 593A Danish, Norwegian, and North German patronymic surname meaning “son of Lars.”
LarsonParent’s name · rank 257Scandinavian patronymic surname meaning “son of Lars,” the Scandinavian form of Lawrence.
LawrenceParent’s name · rank 246Surname from the medieval personal name Lawrence, from Latin Laurentius, “from Laurentum.”
LawsonParent’s name · rank 267English and Scottish patronymic surname meaning “son of Lawrence.”
LeNickname · rank 200Vietnamese Lê is a Sino-Vietnamese surname with several Chinese-character histories; the US spelling does not identify one single gloss.
LeachOccupation · rank 797An English occupational surname from Middle English leche, “physician,” linked to the medieval practice of blood-letting with leeches.
LealNickname · rank 955An English, Spanish, and Portuguese nickname for a loyal or trustworthy person, from Old French leial and Iberian leal, “loyal.”
LeBlancNickname · rank 813A French descriptive nickname, le Blanc, for someone with light blond hair or a pale complexion; also used in Haiti and the West Indies.
LeePlace · rank 19Multiple origins: English 'clearing/meadow', and East Asian surnames (e.g. Chinese Li) romanized Lee.
LeonParent’s name · rank 362From the personal name Leon or León, associated with “lion,” with Spanish habitational routes also possible.
LeonardParent’s name · rank 352From the personal name Leonard, built from elements meaning “lion” and “hardy, brave, or strong.”
LesterPlace · rank 789Usually an English habitational surname from Leicester; also Norman Lestre, a Lister/Laster occupational overlap, or shortened McLester.
LevyParent’s name · rank 938A Jewish (Ashkenazic and Sephardic) surname from the Biblical personal name Levi, Hebrew “joining,” marking Levite descent; also Czech Levý for a left-handed person.
LewisParent’s name · rank 30Often from Frankish Hludwig / Louis (“famous battle”); in Wales also an anglicization of Llywelyn; Irish Mac Lughaidh also feeds the spelling.
LiNickname · rank 154A Chinese surname commonly written 李, associated with the plum tree or plum fruit.
LimPlace · rank 839Most often a Chinese (Teochew/Hokkien/Hakka) or Cambodian form of 林, “woods/forest”; also Korean Im, English Lum, and other Chinese romanizations.
LinPlace · rank 259Chinese surname commonly written 林, meaning “forest” or “grove,” with other lineages and characters also romanized Lin.
LindseyPlace · rank 548A habitational surname from Lindsey in Lincolnshire, England, traditionally interpreted as “island of Lind” or Lincoln’s island district.
LittleNickname · rank 306An English descriptive nickname for a small, young, or junior person, sometimes used to distinguish a father and son.
LiuNickname · rank 232Chinese surname with multiple characters and lineages; popular “willow” or “flowing” glosses do not apply to every Liu.
LivingstonPlace · rank 833A Scottish habitational surname from Livingston in West Lothian: “Leving’s toun,” the settlement of a man named Leving (from Old English Lēofing).
LloydNickname · rank 531A Welsh surname from llwyd, “grey,” a descriptive byname for colour or hair.
LoganPlace · rank 507A Scottish and northern Irish surname from places named Logan, with an Irish Ó Leocháin patronymic route as well.
LongNickname · rank 100An English descriptive surname for a tall or long-bodied person, with separate Chinese and other surname streams.
LopezParent’s name · rank 12Son of Lope — Spanish patronymic; Lope from Latin lupus, "wolf."
LoveNickname · rank 371An English descriptive surname from love or beloved, with French wolf and other regional routes.
LowePlace · rank 341An English and Scottish surname, often a topographic name from Old English hlāw, “hill” or “burial mound”; other German and Jewish routes occur.
LoweryParent’s name · rank 832A northern English and Irish variant of Lowry: Irish Ó Labhradha, “descendant of Labhraidh” (spokesman), or Scottish/English pet forms of Lawrence.
LozanoNickname · rank 576A Spanish surname from lozano, “splendid,” “lively,” or “good-looking,” originally a descriptive nickname.
LuParent’s name · rank 717A short Chinese and Vietnamese surname spelling representing several unrelated characters, clans, and historical naming traditions.
LucasParent’s name · rank 299A surname from the personal name Lucas, ultimately connected with the Greek name Loukas and the biblical Luke.
LuceroNickname · rank 885A Spanish nickname from lucero, a derivative of luz, “light,” covering “morning/evening star” and a star or blaze marking on a horse.
LugoPlace · rank 873A Galician and Spanish habitational surname from the city of Lugo in Galicia, Roman Lucus Augusti, “grove of Augustus.”
LunaNickname · rank 289A Spanish and Italian surname from luna, “moon,” used as a nickname, devotional association, or place name.
LynchParent’s name · rank 269Irish patronymic surname from Ó Loingsigh, “descendant of Loingseach,” a personal name associated with a mariner.
LynnParent’s name · rank 932Irish shortened form of Mac Fhloinn / Ó Fhloinn (see Flynn); also Scottish Lyne, English habitational King’s Lynn, and Chinese Lin romanization.
LyonsPlace · rank 383A surname with place-name routes from Lyons and Irish adaptations, alongside lion or personal-name explanations.