255 Surnames Starting With H and What They Mean

Surnames starting with H reach right across the map. English and German families carry the biggest share, but the letter also opens family names in Finland, Japan, Armenia, Korea, and India.

The 255 names below sit in three groups: the ones you meet most often, the European branches, and the rarer finds. Each entry gives the language it came from and what it first described, whether that was a job, a hill, or somebody’s father.

A good number of them have crossed over into first-name territory, so we have added the latest U.S. Social Security Administration figures wherever the federal data has them.

85 Popular Last Names That Start With H

These are the H surnames you meet most often, in the phone book and on the class register.

1. Hack: Taken from the German first name Hacco. It is based on “hag,” meaning “hedge” or “enclosure.”
2. Haddock: An occupational name from the Middle English “hadduc,” the fish itself. It marked out the man who caught or sold them.
3. Haig: There’s a clear story hidden inside this name. A Norman-Gaelic name tied to places in northern France, drawn from the Norse “hagi,” meaning “enclosure.”
4. Haight: From the Middle English “hait,” meaning “merry,” and given to a family living at the top of a hill.
5. Hailey: A variation of the Gaelic O’Ealaighthe, built on “ealadhach” (ingenious). Per the SSA, Hailey ranked #104 for girls in 2025, well off its peak of #19 back in 2010.
6. Hale: From the Old English “h(e)alh,” meaning “nook.” It described the family living in a sheltered corner of land.
7. Hall: The roots behind it are worth spelling out. From the Old English “heall.” It pointed at a spacious hall or great house, and at the household attached to it.
8. Halloran: A shortened form of the Gaelic Ó’Allmhuráin, built on “allmhurach,” meaning “foreigner.”
9. Hamilton: An English place name for a crooked or humped hill. It comes from the Old English “hamel” (crooked or blunt) combined with “dun” (hill).
10. Hammond: Means “home protector,” and it turns up in English, Irish, and German family lines alike.
11. Hampton: An English place name behind Southampton and Northampton. According to SSA data, Hampton ranked #1444 as a boys’ first name in 2025.
12. Hancock: A 13th-century pet form of John. It was aimed at a man who struts.
13. Hanson: This one tracks lineage through a father’s first name. Means “son of Hans,” about as plain a patronymic as surnames get.
14. Harden: A Scottish place name, taken from a spot in Roxburghshire.
15. Harding: This surname carries real meaning once you break it down. Built from the Old English “hara,” meaning “hare,” and “denu,” meaning “valley.”
16. Hardy: From the Old French “hardi,” meaning “bold” or “courageous.” It began as a nickname for a man who lived up to it.
17. Harford: There’s a clear story hidden inside this name. Means “from the hare’s ford.” It is a common English surname.
18. Hargrave: An English name. It was first given to a “steward” or “disposer of an army.”
19. Harlow: Made of the Old English “hearg,” meaning “temple,” and “hlaw,” meaning “hill.” SSA data reports Harlow at #309 for girls in 2025, up roughly 197 percent on the previous decade.
20. Harmon: The roots behind it are worth spelling out. An American form of Hermann, meaning “army man” in German.
21. Harper: An English, Irish, and Dutch occupational name for a harp player. Per the SSA’s 2025 figures, Harper ranked #16 for girls, off its 2018 high of #9.
22. Harrelson: An American respelling of the Norwegian Haraldsen, meaning “son of Harold.”
23. Harrington: This surname carries real meaning once you break it down. An Anglo form of the Gaelic Ó’Arrachtáin, from “arrachtach,” meaning “mighty” or “powerful.”
24. Harris: A very common English surname built on the given name Harry. As a first name it is far rarer, ranking #1300 in 2025 according to SSA data.
25. Harrison: Means “son of Harry,” the medieval nickname for Henry, itself “home-ruler.” Per the SSA, Harrison ranked #116 for boys in 2025.
26. Hart: There’s a clear story hidden inside this name. An English spelling of the Gaelic Ó’Airt, connected to words for “bear” and “hero.”
27. Hartel: First recorded as the German Härtel, on the root “hard,” meaning “hardy.”
28. Hartley: An Anglo variant of the Gaelic Ó’Artghaile, first given to a hero. SSA data reports Hartley at #1453 for girls in 2025, its best rank yet.
29. Hartman: It’s a family marker built on a father’s given name. Means “brave man” in German, and it works as a patronymic across German-speaking families.
30. Harvey: From the Gaelic Ó’Airmheadhaigh, on a personal name meaning “esteemed.” Per the SSA, Harvey sat at #251 for boys in 2025, a long climb back from its low around 2001 after peaking at #85 in 1919.
31. Hathway: The roots behind it are worth spelling out. From the Old English Heathuwīg, joining words for “war” and “battle.”
32. Hawkins: Means “son of Henry,” by way of Harry, though it can also point at Hawkinge in Kent, England.
33. Hawthorne: This surname started as a way to say where a family lived. A topographical English name for the family living beside a hawthorn hedge.
34. Hayes: From the Gaelic O’Aodha, “descendant of Aodh,” the god of fire. According to SSA data, Hayes reached #162 for boys in 2025 after rising about 454 percent on the previous decade.
35. Hayley: Tied to the Gaelic “ealadhach,” meaning “ingenious,” and to “eilidhe,” meaning “claimant.” Per the SSA, Hayley has fallen furthest of the H names here, down 47 percent to #1251 in 2025.
36. Haynes: It marks geography rather than ancestry. An English place name from the Old English “hagen,” meaning “enclosure.”
37. Hayward: From the Old English “hēgweard,” the occupational name for a keeper of hedges and enclosures.
38. Haywood: This surname carries real meaning once you break it down. Means “hedged forest.” It also named the men who looked after the cattle inside one.
39. Heath: Given to a family living on the heath or moor, and used as a place name in its own right. SSA data reports Heath at #932 for boys in 2025.
40. Hedley: The name of several places in England, meaning a heather woodland clearing.
41. Henderson: The surname ties a child’s identity to the father before him. A patronymic for the son of Henry, usually by way of the Scottish form Hendry.
42. Henry: An English form of the German Haimirich, meaning “powerful ruler.” Per the SSA, Henry was the highest ranked name on this list in 2025, at #5 for boys with 12,020 births.
43. Herbertson: It marks descent from a specific man, not a place or trade. A patronymic surname given to a “son of Herbert.” Herbert means “illustrious warrior” in German.
44. Hershey: First recorded as the Swiss-German Hersch, meaning “deer,” or a place full of them.
45. Hewitt: There’s a clear story hidden inside this name. Given to a descendant of Hugh or Hew, names carrying the sense of “soul,” “mind,” or “intellect.”
46. Hicks: A variation of Hick, used mainly in southwest England and Wales.
47. Higgins: The roots behind it are worth spelling out. An Anglo form of the Gaelic Ó’Uiginn, once given to a Viking sea-rover.
48. Hill: Means a person living on a hill, and it remains one of England’s most popular surnames.
49. Hillam: The name began as a location marker, not a personal one. An uncommon English place name from the Old English “hyllum,” meaning “hills.”
50. Hobson: Means “son of Hob,” Hob being an antiquated nickname for Robert.
51. Hodges: A variation of Hodge and a masculine first name. It means “son of Roger.”
52. Hodgson: This one tracks lineage through a father’s first name. Another way of saying “son of Roger,” on record in England by the 14th century.
53. Hoffman: A medieval German surname. It referred to a “steward” or someone who “manages property.”
54. Hogan: Means “youth” or “young warrior” in Irish, and it is carried by descendants of King Brian Boru.
55. Hogarth: This surname is built from two older words fused together. Joins the Dutch “hoog,” meaning “high,” with “aard,” meaning “nature.”
56. Hoggard: A Middle English occupational name for a swineherd.
57. Holden: This surname carries real meaning once you break it down. Its roots trace back to Old Norse. The name of several Norwegian farms, from the Old Norse “hǫll,” meaning “slope” or “hillside.” Per the SSA, Holden ranked #297 for boys in 2025.
58. Holland: The name of eight English villages, from the Old English “hōh,” meaning “ridge,” plus “land.” According to SSA data, Holland reached its best rank yet for girls in 2025, at #550.
59. Hollins: There’s a clear story hidden inside this name. You can trace it straight back to Middle English. A geographically based surname linked to the Middle English “holin,” meaning “holly.”
60. Holmes: From the Old English “holme,” a flat island or a holly tree.
61. Holt: Describes a forested upland, and it covers a small wood or grove too. SSA data reports Holt at #1924 for boys in 2025.
62. Hood: This surname began as a description of a person. Its roots trace back to Middle English. A version of the Middle English nickname “hodde,” for a man known by the hood he wore.
63. Hooper: An occupational name for the craftsman who made the hoops that held barrels together.
64. Hoover: The roots behind it are worth spelling out. You can trace it straight back to German. A variation of the German and Dutch Huber, given to a wealthy farmer or landowner.
65. Hope: From the Old English “hop,” for a family living in a remote enclosed place. Per the SSA, Hope held #352 for girls in 2025.
66. Hopper: From the Middle English “hoper,” used for someone living beside an enclosed marsh.
67. Horn: This surname carries real meaning once you break it down. Its roots trace back to Swedish. A Swedish name that means “spur of land.”
68. Horsfall: This surname pairs the Old English “hors” (horse) with “(ge)fall” (clearing), describing a stretch of ground once used for horses.
69. Horton: There’s a clear story hidden inside this name. You can trace it straight back to Old English. Combines the Old English “horu,” meaning “dirt,” with “tūn,” meaning “settlement.”
70. Hoult: From the English “holt,” a forest or piece of woodland.
71. Howard: The roots behind it are worth spelling out. Its roots trace back to German. First appeared as the Old German Hugihard, meaning “heart-brave” or “chief guardian.” Per the SSA, Howard has slid from #24 in 1919 to #1004 in 2025.
72. Howe: From the Old Norse “haugr,” describing a hill, knoll, or mound.
73. Howell: This surname carries real meaning once you break it down. You can trace it straight back to Old Welsh. From the Old Welsh Hywel, meaning “eminent” or “remarkable,” and used for kings in Wales.
74. Howland: A relative of Holland and Hoyland. All three mean land near a ridge.
75. Huddleston: Grew from the English first name Hūdel and the farmstead or estate he held.
76. Hudson: Means “son of Hudd,” a nickname for Hugh or Richard. According to SSA data, Hudson hit its best rank on record in 2025, at #17 for boys with 8,583 births.
77. Huff: There’s a clear story hidden inside this name. Its roots trace back to German. From the Old German Hufo, a form of Hugo, carrying the sense of “heart,” “mind,” or “spirit.”
78. Hughes: Means “son of Hugh,” also spelled Hew or Hu, and a relative of Hugo.
79. Hull: The roots behind it are worth spelling out. You can trace it straight back to Old English. From the Old English “hyll,” for a dweller near a hill, and interchangeable with Hill.
80. Hunnisett: A Walloon-Belgian surname that reached England after 1066.
81. Hunt: This surname grew out of a trade, not a bloodline. Spelling has drifted over the centuries, but the core meaning held. An occupational name for a hunter, on record in England by the 14th century.
82. Hunter: Also spelled Huntar, from the Old English “hunta,” meaning “hunter.” Per the SSA, Hunter has cooled from #35 in 2000 to #130 in 2025.
83. Hurst: This surname carries real meaning once you break it down. Its roots trace back to German. Means woodland or thicket, and it names a particular place in Westphalia, Germany.
84. Hutchinson: From the Old French given name Huchon, the French form of Hugh.
85. Huxley: Also a boy’s name meaning “Hugh’s meadow,” after Huxley in Cheshire, England. Per the SSA, Huxley is the fastest riser on this list, up about 531 percent to #736 in 2025.

85 European Last Names That Start With H

These mostly Slavic and Nordic surnames originated in continental European traditions.

1. Haak: It’s a family marker built on a father’s given name. You can trace it straight back to Dutch. A Dutch patronymic meaning “hook.”
2. Haakonsson: Means “high kin,” from the Old Norse “há,” meaning “chosen,” and “konr,” meaning “descendant.”
3. Haan: It started life as a nickname before it became a family name. Its roots trace back to Middle Dutch. From the Middle Dutch “hane,” meaning “rooster,” and used as a nickname for someone with rooster-like qualities.
4. Haanraats: An alternative to the Dutch Haanraads. It was first used by someone “from Haanrade.”
5. Haase: A mostly Dutch take on the Germanic Hass, meaning “hare” or “rabbit.”
6. Haber: It started as a job description before it settled into a family name. You can trace it straight back to German. A German occupational name for the family that grew or sold oats.
7. Haberkorn: This surname joins the Middle German “haber(e)” (oats) with “korn” (grain), a nod to a family that grew or sold both.
8. Habich: Means “from Habich” or “from Habiches” in German. It is based on “hab,” meaning “dwelling.”
9. Habicht: There’s a clear story hidden inside this name. Families carrying it today are scattered well beyond where it started. Refers to a hawk or falcon, and it belonged to the medieval man who handled them.
10. Hadjiev: From the Bulgarian “hajji,” a title for someone who completed the Hajj to Mecca.
11. Hadzhiev: The roots behind it are worth spelling out. Its roots trace back to Bulgarian. Another spelling of the Bulgarian Hadjiev, marking out a pilgrim.
12. Hadžić: A mostly Bosnian last name. It is based on “hadži,” used to describe “pilgrims to Mecca.”
13. Haenraets: An alternative spelling of the Dutch Haanraats. It is a geographical name based on Haanrade.
14. Hájek: A Slavic name for a “woodsman.” It also means “thicket” or “grove.”
15. Hajós: This surname carries real meaning once you break it down. You can trace it straight back to Hungarian. From the Hungarian “hajó,” meaning a boat or ship.
16. Håkansson: An alternative form of the Swedish Håkansson. It means “son of Håkan (or Haagen).”
17. Hallman: An occupational name for a servant at a hall, from the Middle English “hale.”
18. Halmi: There’s a clear story hidden inside this name. Its roots trace back to Hungarian. From the Hungarian “halom,” meaning “mound” or “small hill.”
19. Halvorsen: Means “son of Halvor,” from the Old Norse Hallvarthr, meaning “stone guardian.”
20. Hämäläinen: Means “from Tavastia” in Finnish. It is Finland’s sixth most popular surname.
21. Haraldsen: The surname ties a child’s identity to the father before him. You can trace it straight back to Swedish. Means “son of Harald.” It is Finnish but also appears in Swedish as Haraldsson.
22. Harshberger: Also appears as Hirschberger and Herschberger in Germany. It means “deer” or “hart.”
23. Hase: A German nickname for a “fast runner.” It is based on the Middle German “hase,” meaning “hare.”
24. Haugen: The roots behind it are worth spelling out. Its roots trace back to Old Norse. From the Old Norse “haugr,” a small hill, grassy knoll, or mound.
25. Haupt: From the Middle German “houbet,” meaning “head,” and likely aimed at a man with a large one.
26. Häusler: This surname carries real meaning once you break it down. You can trace it straight back to Middle German. From the Middle German “hūs,” meaning “house.” It includes the suffix “-er.”
27. Havelka: From the Czech “havl,” meaning “pole or hedge.” The suffix “-er” means “small.”
28. Havener: An occupational name for a cattle farmer. It relates to the Old French “avener,” meaning “grazier.”
29. Hébert: A French patronymic form of Herbert. It means “son or descendent of Herbert.”
30. Hedberg: This Swedish surname joins “hed” (heath) and “berg” (mountain). Together the two halves paint a picture of a rugged home place. It’s a landscape name, not a personal one.
31. Hedlund: A Swedish surname. It derives from “hed,” meaning “heath moor,” and “lund,” meaning “grove.”
32. Hegedűs: A Hungarian occupational name for the man who played the fiddle.
33. Heijmans: A plural diminutive of the Dutch given name Hendrik. Hendrik is a form of Henry.
34. Heikkilä: There’s a clear story hidden inside this name. Its roots trace back to Finnish. From the Finnish Heikki, a form of Henry, with the suffix “-lä” marking the farm.
35. Heimisson: Means “son of Heimer” in Swedish. Heimer is a Germanic male name meaning “illustrious home.”
36. Heinrich: Built from the Germanic “heim,” meaning “home,” and “rīc,” meaning “power.”
37. Heintz: A German variation of Heinz. It is a Hebrew form of Hans, meaning “home ruler.”
38. Hellström: This Swedish surname pairs “häll” (flat rock) with “ström” (river). It likely named a family living where a river ran over open rock. Names built this way are common across Scandinavia.
39. Hendrix: A Dutch surname for the son of Hendrik. Per the SSA, Hendrix ranked #354 for boys in 2025, up about 361 percent on the decade before.
40. Henriques: Means “son of Henrique” in Portuguese, the equivalent of the Spanish Enriquez.
41. Hepburn: The roots behind it are worth spelling out. You can trace it straight back to Old English. From the Old English “hēah,” meaning “high,” and “byrgen,” meaning “burial place.”
42. Heppenheimer: Comes from the Old German “hepa,” meaning “hedge,” and “heim,” meaning “home.”
43. Herbertson: A mostly Scottish variation of the Swedish Herbertsson. It means “son of Herbert.”
44. Herceg: This surname carries real meaning once you break it down. Its roots trace back to Croatian. A Croatian surname that began as the title for a duke, and it is common in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
45. Hermann: Joins the Germanic “heri,” meaning “army,” with “man,” meaning “man.”
46. Hermansen: Based on the Germanic first name Hermen. It combines “heri” (army) and “man.”
47. Hernandez: There’s a clear story hidden inside this name. It’s a small example of how surnames encode everyday history. Means “brave in peace” and “bold voyager.” It dates back to 15th-century Spain.
48. Hernando: A patronymic Portuguese form of the Spanish Ferdinand. It means “journey ready.”
49. Herrada: A Spanish occupational name. It was used for a maker of wood barrels with iron hoops.
50. Herrema: A Dutch-Frisian variation of Heerema. It is based on the German Heimrich, meaning “home rule.”
51. Herrman: Composed of the German “heri,” meaning “army,” and “man,” meaning “man.”
52. Herschel: Means “deer” in Yiddish. It relates to the Old German Hirsh from the 13th century.
53. Hertz: Means “heart” in German and Yiddish. It is an Anglo form of Herz.
54. Hiedler: The roots behind it are worth spelling out. You can trace it straight back to German. Refers to “one residing by a Hiedl.” In German dialects, a Hiedl is a below-ground fountain or river.
55. Hierro: Means “iron” in Spanish, an occupational name for a smith, from the Latin “ferrum.”
56. Hildebrand: This surname carries real meaning once you break it down. Its roots trace back to German. Also written Hiltibrant in German, meaning “battle sword.”
57. Hines: An Anglo variation of the Gaelic Ó’Eidhin. It means “descendant of Eidhin.”
58. Hirsch: From the Middle German “hir(t)z,” meaning “deer,” and given to the men who kept them.
59. Hjort: Also appears as Hiort and Hiorth in Norway and Denmark. It means “heart.”
60. Hoch: The name stuck to a personal trait long before it named a family. You can trace it straight back to German. A German last name used as a nickname for a tall man.
61. Hoedemakers: A distinct Dutch occupational name. It was given to a shoemaker.
62. Hoekstra: A Dutch-Frisian geographical surname meaning “from the corner” or “river bend.”
63. Hofer: The name marked a line of work rather than a lineage. Its roots trace back to German. A German and Jewish occupational name for the farmsteader who ran a farm.
64. Hofwegen: Means “from Hofwegen” in South Holland. It also refers to a “courtyard road.”
65. Holgersson: Based on the Scandinavian first name Holger. It means “islet spear.”
66. Holguin: A Spanish derivative of “holgar.” It means “to enjoy oneself.”
67. Holm: There’s a clear story hidden inside this name. You can trace it straight back to Old Norse. From the Old Norse “holmr,” given to a family living on an island.
68. Holmquist: Joins the Swedish “holm,” meaning “island,” with “quist,” meaning “twig.”
69. Holmström: An earthy Swedish surname. It means “island river.”
70. Holub: The roots behind it are worth spelling out. Its roots trace back to Czech. Means “pigeon” or “dove,” and it appears in Czech, Slovak, Ukrainian, and Belarusian.
71. Holzknecht: A German occupational name for a forester, combining “holz” (wood) and “knecht” (apprentice).
72. Horáček: Based on the Czech nickname Horák. It comes from “hora,” meaning “mountain.”
73. Hornik: It began as a way to label a trade, then stuck to the family. You can trace it straight back to Czech. A Czech and Slovak occupational name carried by miners.
74. Horowitz: Given to families from Hořovice in Bohemia, and also linked to the male name Hořimir.
75. Horst: This surname carries real meaning once you break it down. Its roots trace back to Middle German. From the Middle German “hurst.” It means “woodland” and “thicket.”
76. Horvatinčić: A Croatian patronymic form of Horvat. It means “hunter” from the Lepoglava region.
77. Houk: An American spelling of the Dutch Hoek. It means “corner” and “nook.”
78. Hrabě: From the Czech “hrabě,” meaning “count,” and first given to a count’s servant.
79. Hristova: A feminine form of the Bulgarian Hristov. It is a short form of Christopher.
80. Hruška: This surname grew out of a trade, not a bloodline. You can trace it straight back to Czech. A Czech and Slovak occupational surname for the grower or seller of pears.
81. Hubbard: From the Old German first name Hugibert, meaning “heart famous.”
82. Huber: There’s a clear story hidden inside this name. Its roots trace back to German. From the German “hube,” meaning “hide,” a set unit of farmland.
83. Huerta: Named for the various places called Huerta, and it also means “vegetable garden.”
84. Hummel: This surname began as a description of a person. You can trace it straight back to German. A pet form of Humbert or Humbold, used in German as a nickname for a busy, restless person.
85. Hurtado: A Spanish nickname from “hurtar,” meaning “to rob,” on the Latin “furtum.”

85 Unique Last Names That Start With H

This group originated from far and wide and has lesser-known meanings.

1. Habibi: The roots behind it are worth spelling out. Its roots trace back to Arabic. An Arabic given name and surname meaning “loved one” or “my love.”
2. Hackshall: Means “from Hakensal” in England, another form of Ashwell, a town in Essex.
3. Had: A short variation of the German Heid. It means “heath,” “moor,” or “uncultivated land.”
4. Haddah: It started as a job description before it settled into a family name. You can trace it straight back to Arabic. A North African occupational name for a blacksmith, from the Arabic “ḥaddād.”
5. Haddix: Possibly linked to those living in the English town of Haydock, Lancashire.
6. Hagenow: This surname carries real meaning once you break it down. Its roots trace back to German. The name of several locations in Pomerania and Mecklenburg, Germany.
7. Haghighi: A Persian version of the Arabic “ḥaqīqī,” meaning “genuine” and “authentic.”
8. Hagop: It started life as a nickname before it became a family name. You can trace it straight back to Armenian. An Armenian nickname for Jacob, carrying the sense of “supplanter” as a surname.
9. Hagopian: A patronymic built on the Armenian Hagop, itself a form of Jacob.
10. Hai: Used in Chinese and Hebrew cultures. It comes from the Arabic “hayy,” meaning “alive” or “vital.”
11. Haim: There’s a clear story hidden inside this name. Its roots trace back to French. Carries several senses at once, including “homestead,” “hamlet,” and “settlement” in French.
12. Hajduk: A Croatian surname with Hungarian origins, used for a rebel or a highwayman bandit.
13. Hajec: A Polish occupational name for a woodsman. It is based on the Czech “hájek,” meaning “thicket.”
14. Hakala: One of many Finnish last names that start with H. It derives from “haka,” meaning “pasture.”
15. Hakim: The roots behind it are worth spelling out. You can trace it straight back to Arabic. Means both “wise” and “knowledgeable” in Arabic, and it is well used across Islamic cultures.
16. Hakobyan: Means “son of Hakob,” the Armenian form of the biblical Jacob, meaning “supplanter.”
17. Hakuta: Has multiple meanings in Japanese. These include “count,” “earl,” and “uncle.”
18. Halabi: This surname carries real meaning once you break it down. The meaning survived even as pronunciation shifted over time. Points at Aleppo, Syria, known as the city of Halab, and marks its residents.
19. Hallal: Tied to the Arabic “ḥalāl,” meaning “permitted” in connection with Islamic practice.
20. Hallam: It named a place first and a family only later. Its roots trace back to Old English. An English place name from the Old English “halum,” meaning “at the corners of land.”
21. Hamady: An alternate spelling of Hamadi, meaning “from the praise” or “praised” in Arabic.
22. Hamaguchi: There’s a clear story hidden inside this name. You can trace it straight back to Japanese. From the Japanese “hama,” meaning “seashore,” with an ending from “kuchi,” meaning “entrance.”
23. Hamanaka: Has various meanings in Japanese. These include “seacoast,” “beach,” and “seashore.”
24. Hamasaki: Also written Hamazaki in Japanese, meaning “beach peninsula.”
25. Hamed: Turkish families spell it Hamit. In Arabic it means “lauder” or “one who praises.”
26. Hamoud: The roots behind it are worth spelling out. Its roots trace back to Arabic. Also a personal name taken from the Arabic “ḥammūd.” It means “much praising (to God).”
27. Hampannavar: Originated in the Indian state of Karnataka. Its specific meaning is unknown.
28. Hamra: A created Jewish surname from the Arabic “chamra,” meaning “wine.”
29. Hamy: A French surname with Arabic origins, and in Kyrgyzstan it also means “pig” or “meat.” According to SSA data, Hamy is the rarest name here as a first name, entering the U.S. list for the first time in 2025 at #15736.
30. Han: This surname carries real meaning once you break it down. You can trace it straight back to Korean. The oldest surname in Korea, meaning “king” or “country” and standing for the Korean people.
31. Hao: Means “artemisia” in Chinese Mandarin, and it named an ancient fief in Qi.
32. Haque: Also an Arabic boy’s name. It means “truth,” “real,” and “right.”
33. Haralampiev: It marks descent from a specific man, not a place or trade. Its roots trace back to Bulgarian. Means “son of Haralampi.” This is the Bulgarian variation of Charalampos, an early Christian priest.
34. Harary: A Jewish surname. It means “mountainous” or “mountain dweller” and also appears as Harari.
35. Hardcastle: From the Middle English “hard,” meaning “tough.” It combines with “castel,” meaning “fortress.”
36. Harijan: A Hindi term meaning “man of God.” It was also used for Mahatma Gandhi.
37. Harness: From the Old French “harneis,” meaning “harness.” It refers to “body armor.”
38. Harouni: A Jewish last name starting with H. It derives from Moses’ brother, Aharon.
39. Harutyunyan: A patronymic form of the Armenian Harutyun. It comes from “yarutʿiwn,” meaning “resurrection of Christ.”
40. Hasanov: Means “goodness” in Arabic. It is based on the Turkish male name Hasan.
41. Hasegawa: Used in eastern Japan and the Ryūkyū Islands, meaning “long valley river.”
42. Hasenclever: From the Middle German “hase,” meaning “hare.” It combines with “clever,” meaning “helmet.”
43. Hashem: A Jewish given name and surname. It means “the name” and refers to God.
44. Hashimoto: Given to a family who lived near the bridge, and sometimes carried by samurai.
45. Hassan: Grows from the Arabic root “h-s-n,” meaning “good,” “handsome,” “excellent,” or “benefactor.”
46. Hassel: Composed of the German “has,” meaning “marsh.” The suffix “lo” means “wooded lowland.”
47. Hatami: Given to someone descended from Ḥātam. This is a Persian version of the Arabic Ḥātim, meaning “ruler.”
48. Havrylyuk: A Polish surname. It is based on Hawryło, a unique form of Gabriel.
49. Hayami: Also a Japanese girl’s name meaning “rare beauty.” As a surname, it means “sudden,” “abrupt,” and “immediate.”
50. Hazen: Means a “cantor” or “one who cries out the truth.” It uses a Hebrew spelling.
51. He: From the Ji clan of the Chinese Zhou Dynasty. It is one of the “nine Sogdian surnames.”
52. Heaps: Derives from the Old English “heap.” It describes a “pile or mound of earth.”
53. Hermosillo: A Spanish nickname for a “dandy.” It is taken from “hermoso,” meaning “handsome.”
54. Hesenov: A lesser-known Azerbaijani, Uzbek, and Tajik surname. It is based on the Arabic Hassan.
55. Heydari: From the Arabic “haydar.” It means “lion” in Persian and Arabic.
56. Heydarov: Used in Russia and Azerbaijan. It is based on Huseyn, meaning “good” or “handsome” in Arabic.
57. Higashi: A well-known place name in Japan. It also means “east.”
58. Hightower: Joins the Old English “heah,” meaning “high,” with “torr,” meaning “tower.”
59. Himura: Composed of the Japanese “hi,” meaning “dark red.” It combines with “mura,” meaning “village.”
60. Hino: Means “sun field” in Japanese. Named after a noble family, it occurs mostly in eastern Japan.
61. Hinojosa: Named for several places in Spain, from “hinojo,” meaning “fennel.”
62. Hiramatsu: Composed of the Japanese “hira,” meaning “level/even.” It combines with “matsu,” meaning “pine tree.”
63. Hoàng: Means “yellow” and “to fall through” in Chinese. It is Vietnam’s 5th most common surname.
64. Hobgood: An alternate spelling of the English Hopgood. It uses Hob, a nickname for Robert, and “good.”
65. Hoffpauir: Uses the German words “hof,” meaning “courtyard,” and “bauer,” meaning “farmer.”
66. Hog: From the pre-7th-century English “hogg.” It was a nickname for someone who tended sheep.
67. Hom: A geographical surname from the Middle English “holm,” meaning “islet.” It can also come from “holin,” meaning “holly tree.”
68. Honda: Means “root ricefield” or “origin ricefield” in Japanese, though the car company is better known.
69. Hori: The Japanese word for a moat, found mostly in central Japan and the Ryūkyū Islands.
70. Horiuchi: Means “(one who lives) within the moat” in Japanese. It sometimes appears as Horinouchi.
71. Hoshino: Means “star field” in Japanese, first used by Shintō priests in Owari, Japan.
72. Hossain: A form of the Arabic Husayn, meaning “small warrior.” It is popular among Shia Muslims.
73. Householder: Derived from the Old English “hus,” meaning “house.” It likely referred to someone working at a convent.
74. Hovnanian: One of several Armenian surnames starting with H. It means “son of Hovnan.”
75. Hovsepian: An Armenian patronymic surname. It is based on Hovsep, the Armenian form of Joseph.
76. Hoxha: The most popular Albanian surname, from the Persian title “khawaja,” meaning “master.”
77. Huang: The Mandarin form of Hoàng, meaning “yellow,” and the original name of present-day Huangchuan.
78. Hudspeth: An English place name in Northumberland. It is also based on the Old English personal name Hod.
79. Huggins: From the Middle English given name Hugin. Hugin is a French medieval form of Hugh.
80. Husain: From the Arabic Husayn and “hasuna,” meaning “to be good” or “to be handsome.”
81. Huseynov: A Russian surname meaning “descendant of Hussein.” It also appears as Guseinov.
82. Hüseynov: A Russian diminutive alternative to Hassan. It means “good,” “handsome,” and “beautiful” in Arabic.
83. Huseynzade: A Persian surname based on the Arabic Husayn. It uses the suffix “zada,” meaning “born of.”
84. Huỳnh: Common among the Chinese community in Vietnam. It means “yellow” and “to fall through.”
85. Hwang: The Taiwanese variation of Huang and Hoang, meaning “yellow” and “to fall through.”

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