55 surnames on this site, with what each one means.
WadePlace · rank 331An English surname associated with a ford or crossing, while personal-name and Irish Mac Uaid routes also occur.
WagnerOccupation · rank 181A German occupational surname for a wagon maker, wagon driver, or cartwright.
WalkerOccupation · rank 32A fuller — someone who cleaned and thickened cloth by trampling it.
WallPlace · rank 635An English topographic surname for someone by a wall or fortification, also from places named Wall.
WallaceNickname · rank 128An ethnic nickname from Anglo-Norman waleis, “Welshman,” also extended to a Brittonic or foreign neighbor.
WallsPlace · rank 869An English and Scottish variant of Wall (dweller by a wall or spring), with post-medieval -s; in Ireland also sometimes a variant of Walsh.
WalshNickname · rank 302An Irish ethnic nickname from a Middle English form of Welsh, originally identifying a Welsh person or speaker.
WalterParent’s name · rank 739A surname from the Germanic personal name Walter, used patronymically in English and European records.
WaltersParent’s name · rank 307A patronymic surname meaning “son of Walter,” from the Germanic personal name traditionally linked with rule and army.
WaltonPlace · rank 451An English habitational surname from places called Walton, built from Old English farmstead elements with several competing first elements.
WangNickname · rank 151Chinese 王, the character meaning "king" / "royal" — a major Chinese (and Korean) clan surname.
WardOccupation · rank 79Usually an Old English occupational surname for a watchman, guard, or keeper; Irish Mac an Bháird is a separate “son of the bard” stream.
WarePlace · rank 695An English surname from places or landscape features called Ware, with weir or guardian-related and regional routes.
WarnerParent’s name · rank 394A surname from the Germanic personal name Warinheri or Werner, with a possible warrener occupational route.
WarrenPlace · rank 186A habitational or topographic surname from Anglo-Norman warren, a managed enclosure for game animals, or from places named Warren/La Varenne.
WashingtonPlace · rank 148An English habitational surname from Washington place-names, with an American honorific/adopted-name route.
WatersParent’s name · rank 504A surname chiefly from Walter, with a patronymic “son of Walter” sense and additional water-related routes.
WatkinsParent’s name · rank 251English patronymic surname meaning “son of Watkin,” a pet form of Walter.
WatsonParent’s name · rank 87English and Scottish patronymic: “son of Wat,” with Wat a short form of Walter.
WattsParent’s name · rank 361A patronymic or genitive form of Watt, a short form of Walter.
WeaverOccupation · rank 195An English occupational surname for someone who wove cloth or worked as a textile weaver.
WebbOccupation · rank 158An English occupational surname from webba, “weaver,” for someone who made cloth.
WeberOccupation · rank 290A German occupational surname for a weaver, from Middle High German wëber or related forms.
WebsterOccupation · rank 464An English and Scottish occupational surname meaning “weaver,” from Middle English webbester.
WeeksPlace · rank 859An English variant of Wicks/Wick, from Old English wīc, “dairy farm” or outlying settlement; also an Americanized form of Scandinavian Vik, “bay.”
WeissNickname · rank 588A German and Ashkenazic Jewish surname from weiß or weiss, “white,” often a byname for fair hair, a white beard, or complexion.
WelchNickname · rank 296An English ethnic nickname for a Welsh person or someone associated with Wales.
WellsPlace · rank 152An English topographic or habitational surname for someone by a spring, well, or place named Wells.
WestPlace · rank 127A directional or topographic surname for someone who lived west of a settlement or came from the west.
WheelerOccupation · rank 254English occupational surname for a wheel maker or wheelwright.
WhitakerPlace · rank 610An English habitational surname from Old English elements meaning “white field” or “white cultivated land.”
WhiteNickname · rank 24A fair- or pale-featured person (English); also used to anglicize some Gaelic names.
WhiteheadNickname · rank 800An English nickname from Middle English whit + hed, white head, for fair or white hair; also occasional Irish or German translation forms.
WigginsParent’s name · rank 688An English surname from Wiggin, a medieval personal name, with a later or excrescent -s.
WilcoxParent’s name · rank 613An English patronymic from Wilcock or Will, a diminutive of William meaning “little Will” or “son of William.”
WileyPlace · rank 716An English habitational surname from places called Wiley or similar names, traditionally interpreted as “willow clearing” or “willow woods.”
WilkersonParent’s name · rank 745An English patronymic surname meaning “son of Wilker,” a diminutive of William.
WilkinsParent’s name · rank 586An English and Welsh patronymic surname meaning “son of Wilkin,” a diminutive of William.
WilkinsonParent’s name · rank 646An English and Scottish patronymic surname meaning “son of Wilkin,” a medieval diminutive of William.
WilliamsParent’s name · rank 3Son of William (in Wales, often from ap Gwilym).
WilliamsonParent’s name · rank 280A patronymic surname meaning “son of William,” from the widespread medieval personal name William.
WillisParent’s name · rank 242English patronymic from William, meaning the family or descendants of William.
WilsonParent’s name · rank 14Son of Will — Will being a short form of William or related wil- names.
WintersParent’s name · rank 776A multi-origin surname: Dutch and German patronymic from Winter; English Winter with an added -s; Irish for Mac Giolla Gheimhridh, “son of the lad of winter.”
WiseNickname · rank 499An English nickname surname for a wise, learned, or prudent person, from the Old English adjective wise.
WolfNickname · rank 467A German and English surname from the animal nickname “wolf,” also from the personal name Wolf or Ulf.
WolfeNickname · rank 388A descriptive surname from the wolf, used as a nickname or personal-name element.
WongNickname · rank 271Cantonese romanization used for several Chinese surnames, especially 王 (king) and 黃 (yellow).
WoodPlace · rank 91Someone who lived in or by a wood.
WoodardParent’s name · rank 775An English surname from the Norman personal name Odard/Udard (Middle English Wodard), also an occupational “wood herd,” or a pronunciation of Woodward.
WoodsPlace · rank 147An English topographic surname for someone living in or by woods, with some Irish patronymic or translated-name routes.
WoodwardOccupation · rank 978An English occupational surname for a forest warden or forester, from Old English wudu “wood” + weard “guardian.”
WrightOccupation · rank 37A craftsman or maker — often a carpenter or mill-wright (Old English wryhta).
WuPlace · rank 318A Chinese surname with several lineages, including traditions linked with the ancient state of Wu.
WyattParent’s name · rank 662An English surname from medieval Wyot or Wyard, related to Old English Wigheard and also to Norman diminutive forms of Guy.