Funny Last Names: Humorous Surnames From A to Z

Surnames usually trace back to noble ancestors, specific locations, or respectable trades. Sometimes, however, history hands you a moniker that makes people giggle. You might wonder where these weird last names come from and what they actually mean.

We collected 253 of the funniest surnames from around the globe. Some date back centuries, while others are happy accidents of language evolution. Whether they are occupational titles or ancient pet names, these are the most unique and humorous names you will ever see.

85 Common Funny Surnames

You might recognize a few of these names. While they sound humorous to modern ears, they often have serious historical roots.

1. Aguilar: It sounds majestic, but it derives from the Latin “aquilare.” That translates to a “haunt of eagles.”
2. Akerregi: A Basque name meaning “goat’s hillside.” It utilizes the root “aker,” which means “goat.”
3. Auberon: A German name meaning “noble.” It also translates to “royal bear,” which is arguably cooler.
4. Ayala: This refers to a “deer” or “gazelle” in Hebrew. In Basque, it describes a “hillside” or “pasture.”
5. Baal: Derived from the Old French “baud,” meaning “joyful.” It also references an ancient pagan fertility god.
6. Bader: An occupational German surname. It referred to someone who worked at a bathhouse.
7. Bautista: The Spanish form of Baptiste. It means “one who washes” in Greek.
8. Beaver: A name honoring the industrious animal. Surprisingly, it can also mean “lovely to look at.”
9. Berger: It sounds like “burger,” but it comes from the Old French “bergier.” It means “shepherd.”
10. Bonefat: This sounds stranger than its original French form, Bonenfant. It means “good child.”
11. Bonner: Originally a Middle English nickname “bonere.” It describes someone “gentle” or “handsome.”
12. Broad: A vintage euphemism for a lady. It comes from the Old English “brode,” meaning a “stout person.”
13. Broadhurst: This sounds like a strange hospital name. It actually means “broad wooded hill” in Old English.
14. Burro: The word for a “donkey” in Spanish. It was often a nickname for someone “stubborn.”
15. Butts: Derived from the French “but,” meaning “target.” It remains one of the classic funny surnames.
16. Caddel: Comes from the Welsh “cad,” meaning “battle.” It was inspired by Cadell ab Urien, a 7th-century saint.
17. Chew: While it sounds like eating, this is a common Chinese and Southeast Asian surname.
18. Connor: A popular Irish-Gaelic surname. It translates to a “lover of wolves.”
19. Crooks: A pluralized nickname for a “thief” or “criminal.”
20. Daniels: Not usually a weird last name, unless the first name is Jack. It means “God has judged.”
21. Delgado: A Spanish nickname for a “thin person.” It comes from the Latin “delicatus,” meaning “dainty.”
22. Draven: From the Old English “drāfend.” It sounds gothic, but it means “hunter.”
23. Duck: A name associated with the bird. It is also linked to the German name Duyck.
24. Fang: It sounds sharp and scary. However, it means “square” or “four-sided” in China.
25. Fanny: A cheeky euphemism for a backside. Historically, it described someone living near a “marsh.”
26. Fedorov: A Russian name meaning “of Fyodor” (Theodore). It denotes someone belonging to Theodore.
27. Feo: A Spanish last name. It is the literal word for someone who is “ugly.”
28. Gaywood: An Old English place name. It identified people who lived in the town of Gaywood.
29. Gentile: Means “of the same stock” in Italian. It typically describes a non-Jewish person.
30. Gorey: Sounds like a horror movie. It is based on the Gaelic MacGafraidh, meaning “son of Gafradh.”
31. Greedy: A terrible trait to have. It implies “selfish,” though it can also mean “horseman” if derived from Grady.
32. Grimm: Famous for the fairy tales. It refers to a “dour” or “severe” person in Old High German.
33. Hemlock: The name of a poisonous plant. It is often called “devil’s plant” or “poison parsley.”
34. Hickinbottom: A silly English surname. It denoted people living in “Hugg’s land” in East Cheshire.
35. Hogg: An appropriate nickname for a “swineherd,” or a keeper of hogs.
36. Komarov: A common Russian surname. It derives from “komar,” meaning “mosquito.”
37. Ladrón: An unfortunate Spanish occupational surname. It literally means “thief.”
38. Large: Derived from Old English and French. It refers to a “generous” person, or someone big in stature.
39. Lawless: A straightforward English surname. It described someone “unruly” or “without law.”
40. Lestrange: Originally the Gaelic Mac Conchoigchríche. It means “hound of the borderland.”
41. Looney: A slang word for crazy. However, it means “warrior” in Irish.
42. Mahboobeh: A funny Arabic surname to English speakers. It actually means “beloved.”
43. Maldonado: Given to someone in Spain thought to be “ill-favored,” or unlucky.
44. Medina: Named after the “city of the Prophet.” It is also a nickname for Brooklyn.
45. Mejia: A bold name from the Hebrew “mashiaḥ.” It means “messiah.”
46. Or: A very short name. It is a phonetic translation from Chinese meaning “light.”
47. Padilla: A Spanish place name. It describes a “small frying pan” or “small oven.”
48. Panda: Used by priests in Odisha, India. In the West, it is just a cuddly bear.
49. Paniagua: An unusual Spanish surname. It translates literally to “bread and water.”
50. Pentti: An odd Finnish spelling of Benedict. It means “blessed.”
51. Pigg: From the Middle English “pigge.” It meant “young hog” or described a swineherd.
52. Player: Slang for a ladies’ man. It comes from the Middle English “pleyen,” meaning “to play.”
53. Poop: In Taiwan, this is a common name. It relates to a Chinese word for “flower.”
54. Postlethwaite: A nightmare for bad spellers. It refers to a location in Cumbria, England.
55. Pound: Taken from the Middle English “pund.” It meant an “enclosure for animals” or a type of currency.
56. Recker: Sounds like “wrecker.” It is actually a German and Dutch form of Richard or Rijker.
57. Register: An Old English and Old French occupational surname. It described a “scribe.”
58. Rhammar: A unique Moroccan surname. It is based on the Arabic root “rahm,” meaning “lofty.”
59. Rojas: A Spanish nickname. It described someone “red” due to hair color or a ruddy complexion.
60. Ruff: The sound a dog makes. It was given to someone living near “rough uncultivated land.”
61. Saap: Taken from the German “sabbe,” meaning “spruce tree.” In English slang, a sap is a fool.
62. Salem: Means “peaceful” in Arabic. In the US, it is synonymous with witch trials.
63. Salinas: Means “saltworks” in Spanish. It derives from the Latin “salinae,” meaning “sea salt.”
64. Schmuck: A German term for “jewelry.” In American slang, it is a common insult for a fool.
65. Segismundo: A Spanish form of the German Siegmund. It means “protection through victory.”
66. Sidorov: Based on the Russian name Sidor. It is a form of Isidor, meaning “gift of Isis.”
67. Slaughter: A graphic name for a “butcher.” It comes from the Middle English “slaught.”
68. Smalley: From the Old English “smæl” (narrow) and “leah” (wood). It describes a narrow clearing.
69. Smirnoff: Famous for vodka. As a name, Smirnov means “quiet” and “gentle.”
70. Snipe: Derived from the Old English “snaep.” It meant “dweller by the pasture.”
71. Soto: A Spanish surname meaning “grove” or “small wood.” It identified people living there.
72. Soyla: In Spanish, “soy la” means “I am the.” As a name, it feels like an unfinished sentence.
73. Sporn: Sounds dirty or fungal. It comes from the Middle German “sporn,” meaning “to spur.”
74. Stroker: From the Middle English “stroken.” It meant “to make smooth” or “sharpen.”
75. Suparman: Not a typo for the superhero. It is an Arabic name found in Indonesia.
76. Swett: An Old English alternative. It relates to the Scandinavian “svet,” meaning “world.”
77. Tingle: A goofy occupational name. It referred to someone who made nails or pins.
78. Valencia: Often associated with oranges. The name means “brave” and “strong” in Latin.
79. Valenzuela: Similar to Venezuela. It is a diminutive of Valencia, meaning “little Valencia.”
80. Villalobos: A Spanish title for a strange location. It translates to “wolf town.”
81. Volkov: A fearsome surname. It is based on the Russian “volk,” meaning “wolf.”
82. Wicker: An occupational surname. It described someone working in an outlying settlement.
83. Woolfson: A Jewish-American form of the German Wolfsen. It means “son of the wolf.”
84. Zamora: Also a girl’s name and locale in Spain. It means “praised.”
85. Zoro: A less embarrassing form of Zorro. It also means “sky” in Japanese.

85 Funny Surnames Based on Personal Traits

History is full of nicknames that stuck. These weird last names were originally given to people based on their personality or physical appearance.

1. Badman: A literal name for a “boatman.” Sadly, it sounds like a villain today.
2. Bane: Taken from the Middle English “ban.” It implies “slayer” or “murderer.”
3. Barrat: A unique Norman variation of Barrett. It means “warlike” or “troublesome.”
4. Baud: An Old French nickname. It was given to someone “cheerful” and “sprightly.”
5. Begg: Based on the Gaelic Beag. It means “little,” “young,” or “small of stature.”
6. Bellagamba: A marvelous Italian last name. It literally means “beautiful leg.”
7. Berg: A German and Dutch surname. It describes someone living “by a mountain.”
8. Bierhals: One of the funniest German last names. It translates to “beer-throat.”
9. Black: From the Old English “blæc.” It was a nickname for a “dark-haired man.”
10. Blacklocke: A Northern English last name. It describes a person with “dark hair.”
11. Blound: Originated in Old French. It was a name given to a “blond” person.
12. Body: From the Old English “bodig,” meaning “trunk.” It was a nickname for a large person.
13. Borgnino: A very specific Italian last name. It describes someone “blind in one eye.”
14. Brown: An English and Gaelic nickname. It comes from “brūn,” meaning “brown.”
15. Bunyan: Famous for the giant lumberjack. It comes from the Old French “bugne,” meaning “swelling.”
16. Carr: Taken from the Gaelic “gearr.” It is a pet name meaning “short of height.”
17. Cienfuegos: A dramatic Spanish last name. It refers to “a hundred fires.”
18. Cogbill: Originally Cockbill. It mixes “cocc” (rooster) and “bill” (beak).
19. Colon: Relates to the Spanish Columbus. It is associated with Colomba, meaning “dove.”
20. Crumpe: An English nickname for a “hunchback.” It comes from the Middle English “croumpe” (bent).
21. Daft: Based on the Middle English “daffle.” It originally meant “mild” or “meek.”
22. Doolittle: Given to a “lazy” person. It literally means “do little” in Middle English.
23. Drinkwater: A Middle English pet name. It likely mocked a pauper who could only afford water.
24. Duff: A variation of the Gaelic “dubh.” It means “dark black” or “dark-haired.”
25. Fairfax: Given to someone with “beautiful long hair.” It means “beautiful tresses.”
26. Fairhaire: Also appears as Fairhair. It describes someone “with fair or blond hair.”
27. Fane: Means “glad” and “well disposed.” It comes from the Old English “fægen.”
28. Fiest: A German and Jewish nickname. It describes someone “stout” or “well fed.”
29. Flatman: Describes someone living on a flat piece of land or plain.
30. Fleet: A term for a “quick runner.” It can also describe someone living near an estuary.
31. Gam: A Chinese surname. In Welsh, it is a nickname for someone who “squints.”
32. Goff: A Welsh surname. It describes someone with “red hair,” popular in East Anglia.
33. Gopnik: An unattractive Russian last name. It is slang for a “drunken hooligan.”
34. Gough: Taken from the Welsh “coch.” It was given to someone with a “red” complexion.
35. Greathead: From the Old English “grēat hēafod.” It refers to someone with a large head.
36. Greig: A Gaelic diminutive form of Gregory. It means “someone watchful.”
37. Grissel: Based on the French “grisel.” It was a nickname for someone with “gray hair.”
38. Gwynne: Means “blessed” in Welsh. Inspired by Gwyn ap Nudd, ruler of the Otherworld.
39. Hale: Given to someone “living in a nook.” It also means “hero.”
40. Halfpenny: An Old English surname. It described a tenant who paid rent in cash or kind.
41. Holder: Refers to the “sign of an elder tree” in German. It identified people living nearby.
42. Ker: A version of the Irish Ciaran. It was used for someone with “dark or brown hair.”
43. Kieksyte: A strange-looking Dutch family name. It means “compassionate.”
44. Lizar: A Basque nickname. It described someone “living near an ash tree.”
45. Long: A literal term for a “tall and lanky” person from the Old English “lang.”
46. Loser: Associated with the German Lazar. It comes from “lōsære,” meaning “hypocrite.”
47. Lovelace: A 16th-century nickname. It described someone obsessed with lace or love.
48. Mewet: Means “lip” or “seagull.” It has French and Flemish origins.
49. Michel: A French variation of Michael used as a surname. It means “Who is like God?”
50. Moel: Means “bare hill” in Welsh. It also sounds like Mohel, the person who performs circumcisions.
51. Morphew: A word for someone with a “club foot.” It is a form of Moorfoot.
52. Muckle: An endearing pet name for a “big man.” It comes from the Old English “mycel.”
53. Normous: Sounds huge. It actually means “trustworthy” and “loyal” in Swedish.
54. Pappalardo: An Italian nickname for a “glutton.” It literally means “eats lard.”
55. Payne: From the Old English “paien.” It refers to a “rustic” person or a “countryman.”
56. Pigot: Taken from the Old English “pic.” It describes a “pointed hill” or a person living near one.
57. Poore: From the Old English “pawr.” It means “poor” and relates to a “pauper.”
58. Popplestone: A fun word to say. It mixes “popel” (pebble) and “tun” (farm).
59. Read: Not about books. It is another nickname for a “redhead,” commonly spelled Reed.
60. Seisdedos: A Spanish surname for a unique physical trait. It means “six fingers.”
61. Shire: A self-reflexive name. It was given to someone “living near the meeting place of a shire.”
62. Short: From the Old English “sceort.” It was used for a “small person.”
63. Silly: Sounds ridiculous now. In Old English, “saelig” meant a “cheerful and happy person.”
64. Silverlocke: Composed of “silver” and “lok.” It describes someone with gray hair.
65. Slowrnans: Uses the Old English root “slaw.” It describes a “sluggish person.”
66. Smelly: A surprising surname from Scotland. It was actually given to someone with a “nice smile.”
67. Snell: Based on the Old Norse “snjallr.” It means a “quick” or “lively” person.
68. Snowball: A very particular pet name. It described someone with a “snow‐white patch of hair.”
69. Starkie: A cutesy surname. It is linked to an unidentified English town in Lancashire.
70. Stern: Means “star” in Yiddish. It is also a nickname for someone “strict.”
71. Stout: From the Middle English “stout” (daring) and Old French “estolt” (stubborn).
72. Strong: Means “powerful.” Based on the Old English “strang.”
73. Stunt: Not a movie term. It comes from the Middle English “stunt,” meaning “foolish.”
74. Swift: A literal Old English nickname. It refers to a “rapid runner.”
75. Trueman: Made up of the Old English “trēow.” It describes a loyal or trustworthy person.
76. Turnbull: A Scottish surname. It refers to someone who herds bulls or is “bullish.”
77. Vadas: From the Hungarian “vad,” meaning “wild.” It was a pet name for an “unsophisticated person.”
78. Vaughan: Based on the Welsh “bychan.” It is a diminutive of “bach,” meaning “little.”
79. Viejobueno: The sweetest of weird last names. It translates to “nice old man.”
80. Voss: A North German nickname from “vōs” (fox). It describes a clever person.
81. Wagstaff: An action-oriented term. It described a “beadle” who wagged a staff.
82. Weed: From the Middle English “wed(e).” It meant “mad crazy” for someone easily angered.
83. Whitelocke: Refers to a person with a “white lock” of hair.
84. Whithair: An English variation of Whittier. It describes someone with “white hair.”
85. Young: From the Middle English “yonge.” It distinguished a son from a father.

83 Rare Funny Surnames

You probably won’t find many of these in the phone book. These rare surnames are as unique as they are amusing.

1. Accusato: An awkward Italian name. It refers to “the accused” in a court of law.
2. Albero: A form of Albert. It was given to a person living near a “tree.”
3. Allaway: A Scottish place name. It combines “alla” (wild) and “mhagh” (field).
4. Bacon: An occupational name. It described a “seller of pork.”
5. Bagley: A form of the Old English name Bacga combined with “lēah” (woodland clearing).
6. Bär: A German pet name. It described someone thought to resemble a “bear.”
7. Bich: A Vietnamese last name. It means “blue-green” or “jade.”
8. Bidelspach: Describes a “herald.” This person made announcements in German using a large stick.
9. Blunderbuss: Based on the Dutch “donderbus.” It refers to an antiquated firearm.
10. Bodycomb: From “Bodiam county” in West Sussex. It relates to places called Bodicam.
11. Bracegirdle: Means “trouser belt.” It combines “brec” (breech) and “girdle” (belt).
12. Brain: Short for “brainwod.” In Middle English, it meant “furious” or “mad in the mind.”
13. Bumgardner: An occupational German surname. It refers to a “tree gardener” (Baumgartner).
14. Butterworth: Composed of “butere” (butter) and “worth” (enclosure).
15. Caporaso: An Italian nickname. It describes someone with a “shaven (or bald) head.”
16. Chaparala: A sing-songy Telugu-Indian name. It means “mother tongue.”
17. Cheese: An English occupational name. It referred to a cheesemonger or cheesemaker.
18. Clevenger: Relates to Clavinger. It was given to a “keeper of the keys.”
19. Clutterbuck: Derived from the Dutch “kloterboeck.” It referred to a “merchant’s rough account book.”
20. Contestabile: An extra-long surname. It means “questionable” or “disputable” in Italian.
21. Cornfoot: Given to those residing in Cornford, an English town in Durham.
22. Cretillion: An Anglo form of the Gaelic Mac Raghnaill. It means “son of Raghnall.”
23. Crumpet: Refers to the delicious English griddle bread.
24. Crumplehorn: Sounds like a fantasy creature. It means “Maelhoern’s farm” in Cornwall.
25. Dankworth: An Anglo variant of the German Tancred. It means “a farmstead.”
26. Denaro: Uses the Italian root “nero” (black). It was a nickname for dark hair.
27. Dierksheide: A complex name. It includes the German boy’s name, Dierk.
28. Dork: A term for a “nerd.” It is based on the German Tederich, meaning “powerful people.”
29. Dragon: A form of the French Daragon. It was a nickname for a “fiery person.”
30. Egorov: A Russian version of Gregory. It is based on Egor, meaning “farmer.”
31. Faartz: An offbeat German last name. It is actually based on the Latin Boniface.
32. Falaguerra: An aggressive Italian name. It literally means “make war.”
33. Fokker: Sounds like a curse word. It simply means “breeder” in Dutch.
34. Fumagalli: Means “smoked poultry” in Italian. It refers to thieves who used smoke to rob hen houses.
35. Futz: May have German origins. In American slang, it means “idling time.”
36. Glydenbollocks: One of the funniest long surnames. It literally means “golden balls” in German.
37. Gobble: An Anglo form of the German Goebel. It means both “bright” and “famous.”
38. Gotobed: An English last name. It described lucky medieval people who owned a bed.
39. Grasso: An Italian pet name for a “stout man.” It comes from the Latin “crassus” (fat).
40. Kasprak: Sounds harsh. It is a Polish form of Kasper, meaning “treasurer.”
41. Kimchi: A famous Korean dish. As a name, it may relate to the Hebrew Kimhi.
42. Light: From the Old English “lioht.” It means “agile,” “energetic,” or “joyful.”
43. Longbottom: A topographical surname. It described someone living in a “long valley.”
44. Luckinbill: Originally the German Luginbuhl. It means “to watch” or “lie in wait.”
45. Malinconico: A specific Italian name. It refers to a “painter of haunting melancholy canvases.”
46. Mezzasalma: A creepy Italian surname. It means “half-cadaver,” a nickname for a dullard.
47. Mikhailov: A Russian patronymic surname. It means “belonging to Mikhail.”
48. Moorehead: Given to someone living in Lanark, England. Also associated with Muirhead.
49. Moxie: An American term. It describes someone with “energy” and “pep.”
50. Noodle: Appears as the German Nudel. It means “dumpling” or “small knot.”
51. Nutter: From the Old English “notere” (clerk) or “nothard” (oxen breeder).
52. Onions: A literal occupational name. It described someone who sold onions in the 13th century.
53. Peccati: An obscure Italian surname. It refers to “sins.”
54. Peed: Also appears as Peat. An Old English nickname for a “pampered child.”
55. Pelagatti: A disturbing Italian family name. It describes someone who “skins cats.”
56. Perv: An Americanized surname. It has unknown origins and does not mean “lustful.”
57. Pickle: Originally Pykedlee. It meant “pointed clearing” in Old English.
58. Popov: A patronymic Slavic term. It comes from “pappas” (father or priest).
59. Quibble: Also appears as Quibel. It described someone working with a “vat or cask.”
60. Quirk: An Anglo form of the Gaelic Ó Cuirc. It means “heart” or “tuft of hair.”
61. Rasputin: From the Russian “rasputye” (crossroads). Infamously tied to Grigoriy Rasputin.
62. Rollo-Koster: A funny Dutch compound surname. It mixes “famous wolf” with “sexton.”
63. Rowbottom: Also appears as “roe, bottom.” It describes a ground depression inhabited by deer.
64. Rump: An Estonian surname meaning “dugout.” Also a German nickname for a round person.
65. Salo: A Finnish word. It refers to a “forested wilderness.”
66. Saltaformaggio: A humorous Italian last name. It means “to jump the cheese.”
67. Semenov: Relates to the Russian male name Semyon. It means “belonging to Semyon.”
68. Shufflebottom: First appeared in Lancashire. It described those who owned “lands in a valley.”
69. Snickersnee: A Scottish surname meaning “large knife.” It comes from the Old Norse “snikkr.”
70. Snodgrass: Means “smooth grass” in Middle English.
71. Supersad: An Americanized last name. Hopefully, the owners are happier than they sound.
72. Tagliabue: An obscure Italian word. It describes “an act in which someone maneuvers.”
73. Tanaka: A common Japanese surname. It points to the “center of the rice paddy.”
74. Tickle: A whimsical English surname. It was used for residents of Tickhill in South Yorkshire.
75. Uranus: An extremely rare last name. It honors the Greek god of the sky.
76. Wacko: From the Old German “wachar.” It means “awake,” “watchful,” or “vigilant.”
77. Wanket: An American surname. It is unfortunately close to a British insult.
78. Wienke: A short form of the German Wīgnand. It uses the root “wini,” meaning “friend.”
79. Wiwi: A Norse variation of Vivi. It is associated with being “lively.”
80. Yazzie: A Native American surname. It comes from “yázhí,” meaning “little.”
81. You: An English spelling of the Chinese Yu. It means “section of a river.”
82. Zanyap: Similar to Zanyab. An Arabic surname meaning “fragrant tree.”
83. Ziggurat: Refers to an ancient Mesopotamian structure built to house the gods.

FAQs

What Is The Funniest Last Name In The World?

Humor is subjective, but names like “Butts,” “Bottom,” and “Shufflebottom” consistently top the charts in English-speaking countries. In other cultures, names that accidentally sound like swear words in English, such as “Fokker,” often get the most laughs.

Can I Legally Change A Funny Surname?

Yes, in most countries you can legally change your surname via deed poll or a court order if it causes you embarrassment or ridicule. However, many people choose to keep these unique names as a badge of honor and a connection to their ancestry.

Why Do Some Surnames Sound Rude?

Language evolves over centuries. A name like “Cockburn” originally referred to a rooster (cock) and a stream (burn) in Old English. Modern slang has changed the meaning of certain words, turning innocent geographical or occupational descriptions into double entendres.