200+ Beautiful Last Names That Start With B

The letter B is a heavyweight in the world of surnames. From the ubiquitous Brown to occupational staples like Baker and Butler, this letter covers a vast amount of genealogical ground. Whether you are digging into family history or hunting for a character name, you have come to the right place.

We gathered popular, unique, and foreign surnames starting with B to help you find exactly what you need. Below, you will discover origins, meanings, and a few fascinating history tidbits to help piece together your ancestry puzzle.

70 Foreign Last Names That Start With B

Expand your horizons with these global surnames starting with B.

1. Babcock – An English name meaning “son of Bab,” which is a medieval nickname for Barbara or Bartholomew.
2. Baca – A popular name in the Balkans, often given to the oldest brother or the son of the oldest brother.
3. Baccaros – An Italian occupational surname referring to cowherders or ranch hands.
4. Badillo – A Spanish topographical name meaning “small ford,” used for families living near shallow river crossings.
5. Baez – A Hispanic patronymic surname meaning “son of Pelayo,” derived from the Greek word for “sea.”
6. Balderas – A Spanish habitational name for someone from Valderas in the Leon province.
7. Balderrama – A variation of Valderrama, referring to someone from the valley of the Rama river in Spain.
8. Baltazar – Derived from Balthazar, one of the Three Wise Men in biblical lore, meaning “Baal protects the King.”
9. Banuelos – A Spanish habitational name derived from “banos,” meaning “baths,” likely referring to a place with thermal waters.
10. Barahona – Designates families originally from Barahona, a district in Segovia, Spain.
11. Barajas – A Spanish surname potentially meaning “watering hole” or “fenced place.”
12. Barboza – A spelling variant of Barbosa, a Portuguese name denoting someone who lived near an area rich in vegetation.
13. Barcia – A Galician topographical name meaning “cultivated land close to a river.”
14. Barrera – Spanish for “barrier,” traditionally given to families living near village gates or fences.
15. Barrientos – A habitational name from Spain, derived from “barro,” meaning clay or mud.
16. Barrios – Used for someone living in an outlying suburb or a specific district of a town.
17. Barros – A Portuguese and Spanish name meaning “clay” or “loam,” referring to soil types.
18. Batista – A Spanish and Portuguese surname derived from John the Baptist.
19. Battaglia – Italian for “battle,” likely a nickname for a combatant or a hot-headed person.
20. Bautista – The Spanish equivalent of Baptist, honoring the biblical figure.
21. Bazan – A Spanish name derived from the word for “pheasant,” or a habitational name from the Baztan valley.
22. Beau – A French surname meaning “handsome” or “fair.”
23. Beauchamp – French for “beautiful field,” a habitational name for someone living near lovely meadows.
24. Beebe – An English habitational name meaning “bee settlement” or “bee farm.”
25. Beil – A German occupational name for a maker of axes or an executioner.
26. Bello – Found in Italy and Spain, this descriptive name means “handsome” or “beautiful.”
27. Beltran – The Spanish form of Bertram, comprised of elements meaning “bright” and “raven.”
28. Benitez – A Spanish patronymic surname meaning “son of Benito” (Benedict).
29. Benoit – A common French surname meaning “blessed.”
30. Bermudez – Meaning “son of Bermudo,” a Visigothic personal name involving the element for “bear.”
31. Bernardo – A Portuguese and Spanish name meaning “brave as a bear.”
32. Betz – A German short form of names like Bernhard or Berthold.
33. Bey – A title of respect in Turkish, or a North German variant of Beye.
34. Bianchi – An Italian descriptive name for someone with white hair or a pale complexion.
35. Biano – Likely derived from Fabiano, a Latin surname associated with bean growers.
36. Bischoff – German for “bishop,” used as a nickname or for someone in a bishop’s employ.
37. Blanchett – A French derivative of distinctively pale or fair-haired individuals.
38. Blanco – Spanish for “white,” often a nickname for a blonde or pale person.
39. Bledsoe – An English name possibly meaning “Blida’s hill” or referring to a specific mound.
40. Bocanegra – A Spanish surname meaning “black mouth,” possibly a nickname for someone with a foul vocabulary.
41. Boehm – A German name for someone from Bohemia.
42. Bolanos – A Spanish habitational name referring to places named with “bola” (stone ball).
43. Bolduc – A shortened French form of Bois-le-Duc, a town in the Netherlands.
44. Boles – A variant of Bowles, an Irish surname or English occupational name.
45. Bonilla – A Spanish habitational name for someone from Bonilla in Cuenca or Albacete.
46. Bono – Italian for “good,” derived from the Latin “Bonus.”
47. Borja – A famous Spanish surname referring to a town in Zaragoza; the family of Pope Alexander VI.
48. Borrego – Spanish and Portuguese for “lamb,” used as a nickname for a gentle person.
49. Bostick – An English habitational name from Bostock in Cheshire.
50. Boucher – A French occupational name for a butcher.
51. Boudreaux – A common Cajun name derived from the Germanic name Baldher.
52. Bourgeois – French for a freeman of a fortified town, later denoting the middle class.
53. Bracco – Italian for “hound,” possibly a nickname or occupational name for a hunter.
54. Bravo – A Spanish and Italian surname meaning “brave,” “wild,” or “fierce.”
55. Brito – A Portuguese name indicating someone from Brito in Guimaraes.
56. Brittain – A regional name for someone from Brittany, France.
57. Bronson – An English patronymic meaning “son of Brown.”
58. Broome – A topographical name for someone who lived near broom shrubs.
59. Broussard – French for “brush maker” or a nickname for a brushy-haired man.
60. Bruno – Derived from the Germanic element “brun,” meaning brown or polished.
61. Buchanan – A Scottish clan name meaning “house of the canon.”
62. Buell – A habitational name from Buhl in Germany, meaning “hill.”
63. Bueno – Spanish for “good,” used for a distinctively good or kind person.
64. Buenrostro – A Spanish nickname meaning “good face,” likely for someone handsome or cheerful.
65. Bui – A Chinese surname (often Vietnamese) meaning “plum.”
66. Burdette – A French diminutive of names usually associated with “shield” or “protection.”
67. Burgos – A habitational name for someone from the city of Burgos, Spain.
68. Bushee – An Anglicized form of the French Boucher or similar sounding names.
69. Bustamante – A habitational name from Bustamante in the Cantabria region of Spain.
70. Bustos – Spanish for “pastures” or “grazing grounds.”

70 Popular Last Names Starting With B

You likely know a friend, neighbor, or celebrity with one of these common surnames.

1. Bailey – An occupational name for a bailiff or steward.
2. Baker – An English occupational classic for a baker of bread or bricks.
3. Ballou – Likely of French origin, possibly a nickname meaning “distraught.”
4. Banks – Topographical for someone living on the slope of a hill or riverbank.
5. Bard – An occupational name for a singer, poet, or minstrel.
6. Barnes – Topographical for someone living near a barn, or a habitational name from Barnes.
7. Barney – A diminutive of Barnaby or Bernard used as a surname.
8. Baron – A status name for a baron or a nickname for someone acting like one.
9. Bateman – An occupational name for a boatman or a servant of Bartholomew.
10. Bates – A patronymic surname meaning “son of Bate” (a diminutive of Bartholomew).
11. Bauer – A German name meaning “peasant” or “farmer.”
12. Baum – German for “tree,” often used by families living near a prominent tree.
13. Bay – A nickname for a reddish-brown haired person or a topographical name.
14. Beck – Topographical name for someone living near a stream (beck).
15. Becker – A German occupational name for a baker.
16. Beer – Topographical for someone living near a grove or wood (from Old English “bearu”).
17. Bell – Occupational for a bell ringer or a dweller by the town bell.
18. Bellamy – From the French “bel ami,” meaning “fair friend.”
19. Bennett – The medieval English form of Benedict, meaning “blessed.”
20. Bentley – Habitational name meaning “bent grass clearing.”
21. Bentz – A German short form of Berthold or Benedict.
22. Bernier – French for “bear army,” referring to a warrior.
23. Bevins – A Welsh surname meaning “son of Evan.”
24. Bingham – Habitational name from places in Nottinghamshire meaning “homestead.”
25. Bixler – An occupational name for a pickaxe maker.
26. Black – A descriptive name for someone with dark hair or a swarthy complexion.
27. Blackwell – Habitational name for someone living near a dark stream or pool.
28. Blake – Paradoxically means both “dark” and “pale” in Old English.
29. Blanchard – Derived from the Germanic “blank,” meaning white or shining.
30. Blanke – A variation of Blank, referring to a fair-skinned person.
31. Blankenship – A habitational name from Blenkinsopp in Northumberland.
32. Bloom – An occupational name for an iron worker (from “bloom” of iron) or Jewish ornamental name.
33. Blunt – Descriptive name for someone with blonde hair or a “blunt” manner.
34. Bode – German and Dutch for “messenger.”
35. Bohannon – An Anglicized Irish name meaning “victorious.”
36. Bolte – A German name for a bold or short, stout person.
37. Booker – Occupational name for a binder of books or a scribe.
38. Boss – From a nickname based on the Middle English “boce,” meaning a hump or swelling.
39. Boswell – A Norman habitational name from Beuzeville in France.
40. Bourne – Topographical for someone living near a brook or spring.
41. Bowers – For someone who lived in a small cottage or “bower.”
42. Boyd – Scottish name derived from the Gaelic “buidhe,” meaning yellow or blond.
43. Bradford – Habitational name meaning “broad ford.”
44. Bradley – Meaning “broad wood” or “broad clearing.”
45. Brady – Irish surname meaning “spirited” or “broad.”
46. Braggs – A nickname for a cheerful or lively person.
47. Brandon – Habitational name meaning “hill covered with broom.”
48. Brennan – Irish name derived from “braon,” meaning drop (as in sorrow), or “bran,” meaning raven.
49. Brenner – Occupational name for a burner (of lime, charcoal, or bricks).
50. Bridges – Topographical for someone living near or in charge of a bridge.
51. Briggs – A Northern English variant of Bridge.
52. Bright – Descriptive name for someone with a cheerful or bright personality.
53. Bristowe – Habitational name from Bristol.
54. Brooks – Very common name for someone living near a brook.
55. Brothers – Often referred to a member of a guild or a lay brother in a monastery.
56. Brown – One of the most common English surnames, referring to hair or skin color.
57. Browne – A spelling variant of Brown.
58. Bruce – A famous Scottish name of Norman origin, possibly from Brix, France.
59. Bryan – From the Breton personal name Brian, meaning “hill” or “high.”
60. Bryant – A variation of Bryan with an excrescent “t.”
61. Buffington – A habitational name possibly meaning “settlement of the people of Buffa.”
62. Burd – A variant of Bird, or from the Old English for “young lady.”
63. Burns – Topographical for someone living near a stream or “burn.”
64. Burris – A variant of Burroughs, for someone living near a hill or fort.
65. Busch – German for “bush” or “thicket.”
66. Butler – Occupational name for the head servant in charge of the wine cellar.
67. Butterfield – Topographical for someone living near a rich pasture.
68. Buxton – Habitational name from Buxton in Derbyshire.
69. Byers – Topographical for someone living near cattle sheds.
70. Bynum – A variant of Binham, a habitational name.

70 Unique Surnames Starting With B

If you want something that stands out from the crowd, check out these distinctive B surnames.

1. Bacon – Occupational for a pork butcher or swineherd, or a nickname from the Germanic “bach” (fight).
2. Baldwin – Derived from Germanic elements meaning “bold friend.”
3. Ball – Topographical for someone living near a knoll or rounded hill.
4. Ballard – A nickname for a bald-headed man.
5. Baptiste – Derived from the Greek “baptist,” meaning “to dip” or “baptize.”
6. Barker – Occupational name for a tanner of leather (using oak bark).
7. Barlow – Habitational name meaning “barley hill.”
8. Barn – Topographical for a dweller by a barn.
9. Barrett – A nickname for a quarrelsome person or a trader.
10. Bartlett – A double diminutive of Bartholomew.
11. Barton – Habitational name meaning “barley farm” or “demesne farm.”
12. Bass – A nickname for a short or stout person (from “bas”).
13. Battle – Habitational name from Battle in Sussex, the site of the Battle of Hastings.
14. Baugh – Welsh nickname from “bach,” meaning little.
15. Baxter – The feminine form of Baker, though used generally for bakers.
16. Beach – Topographical for someone living near a stream or beech tree.
17. Bean – Occupational for a grower or seller of beans, or a nickname for a pleasant person.
18. Beard – A nickname for a man with a prominent beard.
19. Beasley – Habitational name meaning “bent grass clearing.”
20. Benedict – Latin for “blessed.”
21. Bernstein – German and Jewish name meaning “amber.”
22. Berry – Topographical for someone living near a fortified manor house (bury).
23. Berryman – Occupational name for a servant at the manor house.
24. Best – Occupational name for a herdsman (beast).
25. Bethel – Habitational name for someone from a place named Bethel (House of God).
26. Biddle – A variant of Beadle, an official of a church or court.
27. Bishop – Occupational or nickname for someone with a bishop’s bearing.
28. Blackmon – A variant of Blackman, meaning “dark man.”
29. Blair – Scottish Gaelic for “plain” or “field.”
30. Bland – Descriptive name for someone with a mild disposition or gray hair.
31. Bliss – A nickname for a cheerful, joyful person.
32. Block – Occupational for a blocker (shoemaker) or woodworker.
33. Blount – A variant of Blunt, meaning blonde or dull.
34. Blue – A nickname for someone who wore blue or had blue eyes.
35. Blum – Jewish ornamental name meaning “flower.”
36. Bobo – A Spanish or Italian nickname possibly meaning “stammerer.”
37. Bolden – A variant of Bolton, meaning “dwelling on a hill.”
38. Bolton – Habitational name meaning “enclosure with a building.”
39. Bond – Status name for a peasant farmer or husbandman.
40. Bonner – A nickname from “debonair,” meaning gentle or courteous.
41. Booth – Topographical for someone living in a small hut or bothy.
42. Boston – Habitational name from the town of Boston in Lincolnshire.
43. Bowie – Scottish Gaelic nickname meaning “yellow” or “fair-haired.”
44. Bowles – Occupational for a maker of wooden bowls.
45. Bowman – Occupational name for an archer.
46. Boyle – Irish surname derived from a pledge.
47. Brand – From the Germanic personal name meaning “sword” or “fire.”
48. Branham – Habitational name meaning “broom homestead.”
49. Breedlove – An unusual name of uncertain origin, possibly a complimentary nickname.
50. Brewer – Occupational name for a brewer of beer.
51. Britt – A short form of Brett, referring to a Breton.
52. Brock – A nickname for a badger, implying tenacity.
53. Brogan – Irish name meaning “little shoe” (a maker of shoes).
54. Browning – A nickname for a person with dark hair or complexion.
55. Brubaker – Topographical for a dweller by a bridge over a brook.
56. Buck – A nickname for a man resembling a male deer (agile or strong).
57. Bull – A nickname for a man of great strength or stubbornness.
58. Bullock – A nickname meaning “young bull.”
59. Burch – A variant of Birch, for someone living near birch trees.
60. Burger – Status name for a freeman or citizen of a borough.
61. Burgess – Status name for a freeman or town official.
62. Burr – A nickname for a person who is difficult to shake off (like a burr).
63. Burrell – A name for someone who wore coarse brown woolen cloth.
64. Burton – Habitational name meaning “fortified farm.”
65. Busby – Habitational name meaning “village in the thicket.”
66. Bush – Topographical for someone living near a bush.
67. Buss – A variant of Bush or a nickname from Old French “busse” (cask).
68. Butcher – Occupational name for a butcher.
69. Bynes – A spelling variant of Bines or Vines.
70. Byrd – A variant of Bird, a nickname for a bird-like person.

Last Names That Start With B FAQs

What Are Rare Last Names Starting With B?

Some rare last names starting with B include obscure topographical or occupational titles like Bixler, Baccaros, and Bushee. Names with complex foreign origins that haven’t been widely Anglicized, such as Balderrama or Barahona, are also less frequently encountered in English-speaking countries compared to heavyweights like Brown.

What Spanish Last Names Start With B?

Common and elegant Spanish last names starting with B include Bautista, Blanco, Benitez, and Bermudez. Many Spanish surnames starting with B are habitational, such as Bustos (pastures) or Barrientos (muddy place), while others like Beltran describe physical characteristics or personal strength.

What Is the Most Common Last Name Starting With B?

Brown is the most common last name starting with B and is one of the most popular surnames in the United States and the United Kingdom. It is a descriptive surname originally given to people with brown hair, skin, or clothing. Other incredibly popular B names include Baker, Brooks, and Bailey.