200+ Top Last Names That Start With T: With Meanings

Digging into your genealogy or hunting for the perfect character name? You have come to the right place. The letter T offers a massive variety of surnames, from global heavy hitters to rare gems.

We have compiled the ultimate list of last names that start with T. Whether you need a common English occupational name or an exotic moniker with deep roots, we have you covered. Grab a drink and settle in; let’s explore the history and meanings behind these titles.

66 Exotic Last Names That Start With T

Looking for something distinctive? These international surnames bring a touch of global flair.

1. Ta – A short Chinese surname that can mean “thank,” “to grate,” or “to appreciate.”
2. Tabor – An English occupational name given to drummers or makers of drums.
3. Tacka – A rare moniker of English origin associated with meanings like “honorable.”
4. Tadashi – A Japanese name referring to someone with loyal, correct, or righteous traits.
5. Taddai – A variation of Thaddai, meaning “beloved” or “courageous heart” in Hebrew.
6. Tafoya – A topographic surname derived from the Spanish word “tafoja,” meaning a swamp or muddy place.
7. Taggart – This Scottish surname means “son of the priest” and is often a shortened form of McTaggart.
8. Taito – A name found in the Pacific Islands and Japan with various meanings, including “peaceful” or “skill.”
9. Takai – A Japanese topographical surname meaning “high well” or referring to families living near rice fields.
10. Takamoto – A Japanese surname meaning “one who lives near the tall tree” or “high origin.”
11. Talavera – A habitational Spanish surname for families hailing from the city of Talavera.
12. Tam – A common Cantonese romanization of the Chinese surname Tan, meaning “conversation” or “talk.”
13. Tamasi – A Hungarian patronymic surname meaning “of Thomas.”
14. Tamayo – A Spanish habitational name for families from Tamayo in the Burgos province.
15. Tan – A major Chinese surname meaning “to spread” or “to talk.” In English, it can refer to a leather maker.
16. Tanaka – One of Japan’s most common surnames, meaning “dweller in the center of the rice paddy.”
17. Tancredi – An Italian and German option derived from roots meaning “thoughtful counsel.”
18. Tang – A Chinese surname representing a dynasty, meaning “boastful” or “dash.”
19. Tanguay – A French surname derived from Breton roots, meaning “fire dog” or “warrior.”
20. Tapia – A Spanish topographic name for someone who lived near a mud wall or enclosure.
21. Tarbox – An English name derived from “Tarbock,” meaning “thornbrook.”
22. Tatar – A Czech and Polish name often given to someone with a wild or restless personality.
23. Teal – An English nickname for a person resembling a teal duck, or someone who dresses in blue-green.
24. Teixeira – A prominent Portuguese topographic name meaning “place of the yew trees.”
25. Tejada – A Spanish habitational name meaning “tiled roof” or “place of lime trees.”
26. Tejeda – A variation of Tejada, referring to families from areas abundant in yew trees.
27. Telemaque – A French name of Greek origin, meaning “fighting from afar,” inspired by the mythical Telemachus.
28. Tellez – A Spanish patronymic name meaning “son of Tello.”
29. Terronez – A variant of Terrones, a Spanish name meaning “clods of earth” or “small estate.”
30. Thai – A surname of Chinese and Vietnamese origin meaning “great” or “excessive.”
31. Thao – A Vietnamese surname meaning “courteous” or “respectful.”
32. Thibodeaux – A Cajun and French name derived from Theobald, meaning “bold people.”
33. Tiberius – A Latin name meaning “of the Tiber,” referring to the famous river in Rome.
34. Tieul – A rare spelling variant related to names meaning “lime tree” or “linden.”
35. Tijerina – A Spanish occupational name for a maker or user of scissors, often a tailor.
36. Tinoco – A Portuguese and Spanish nickname for someone considered sensible or diminutive.
37. Tirado – A Spanish nickname meaning “stretched” or “long,” often given to a tall, lanky person.
38. To – A Chinese and Vietnamese surname. In Chinese, it can mean “earth,” while in Vietnamese, it implies “nest.”
39. Tokuhara – A Japanese surname meaning “virtuous plain” or “field of benevolence.”
40. Toleafoa – A Samoan chief title used as a surname, though some trace vague roots to Spain.
41. Toledo – A classic Spanish habitational name for families from the city of Toledo.
42. Tolefree – An English name meaning “toll-free,” for someone exempt from paying certain taxes.
43. Tolentino – An Italian surname indicating origin from the town of Tolentino.
44. Tong – A Chinese surname meaning “together” or “to supervise.”
45. Toro – An Italian and Spanish name meaning “bull,” given to a strong man or a bullfighter.
46. Torres – A popular Spanish and Portuguese name meaning “towers,” often for someone living near a fortress.
47. Torrez – A common spelling variation of Torres, referring to dwellers near towers.
48. Toscono – An Italian regional name for someone from Tuscany.
49. Toth – A very common Hungarian surname meaning “Slovak” or “Slav.”
50. Toussaint – A French name given to children born on All Saints’ Day.
51. Tovar – A Spanish habitational name describing a place with soft, sandy stone.
52. Trahan – A French occupational name for a silk worker or one who draws out wire.
53. Tram – A Vietnamese surname related to the color blue or indigo.
54. Tran – A very common Vietnamese surname meaning “old,” “ancient,” or “to exhibit.”
55. Trejo – A Spanish habitational name for someone from a place called Trexo.
56. Trevino – A Spanish name for someone who lived near a boundary or meeting point of three roads.
57. Trinh – A Vietnamese surname derived from the Chinese surname Zheng, meaning “solemn.”
58. Trinidad – A Spanish name meaning “Trinity,” often referencing the Holy Trinity.
59. Trujillo – A habitational name for families from Trujillo, a town in Spain.
60. Truong – A Vietnamese surname meaning “long,” “chief,” or “head.”
61. Tsai – A Mandarin Chinese surname referring to brushwood or firewood.
62. Tshiteng – A rare African surname, specifically from the Congo region.
63. Tu – A Chinese surname meaning “slaughter” or “map,” depending on the character.
64. Tunick – An occupational name for a maker of tunics, or a habitational name from Belarus.
65. Turcios – A Spanish surname possibly related to the thrush bird.
66. Tyrell – An English surname derived from a nickname for a stubborn person, meaning “to pull.”

66 Popular Last Names Starting With T

You probably know a few people with these names. Here are the most common T surnames and the history behind them.

1. Talbot – A German and French name meaning “to destroy a message” or referring to a valley.
2. Tamas – A Hungarian form of Thomas, meaning “twin.”
3. Tanks – A shortened form of Tankard, an occupational name for a maker of drinking vessels.
4. Tanner – A classic occupational surname for someone who tanned animal hides.
5. Tarver – An English name derived from the Old English term for “turf” or a peat gatherer.
6. Tatum – An Old English habitational name meaning “Tata’s homestead.”
7. Tavares – A Portuguese habitational name for someone from Tavares.
8. Tavarez – A variation of Tavares, common in the Dominican Republic.
9. Taylor – One of the most common surnames in the English-speaking world, denoting a tailor.
10. Teagan – An Irish name derived from distinct roots meaning “poet” or “beautiful.”
11. Temple – An English and French name for someone living near a Knights Templar house or religious temple.
12. Tennant – A Scottish occupational name for a farmer who rented land rather than owned it.
13. Teran – A Spanish habitational name possibly derived from a place meaning “earth.”
14. Thames – An English topographic name for someone living near the River Thames.
15. Tharp – A variant of Thorpe, denoting a dweller in a village or hamlet.
16. Thatcher – An occupational surname for one who covers roofs with straw or thatch.
17. Thiel – A German short form of names beginning with “Diet,” meaning “people.”
18. Thomas – A biblical name of Aramaic origin meaning “twin.”
19. Thomason – An English patronymic name meaning “son of Thomas.”
20. Thome – A German and English variant of Thomas.
21. Thompson – A widely popular surname meaning “son of Thom” or “son of Thomas.”
22. Thomson – The Scottish spelling of Thompson, meaning “son of Thom.”
23. Thorne – A topographic name for someone who lived near a thorn bush or hedge.
24. Thurman – An English occupational name for a servant of Thor or a “tower man.”
25. Thurston – A Norse-derived name meaning “Thor’s stone.”
26. Tibbitt – A name derived from Theobald, meaning “people bold.”
27. Tierney – An Irish surname meaning “lord” or “master.”
28. Tillery – A Scottish habitational name or an occupational name for a tiller of the soil.
29. Tilley – An English habitational name or a diminutive of Matilda.
30. Timbers – An occupational name for a carpenter or woodworker.
31. Timm – A German short form of Dietmar, meaning “famous people.”
32. Timmons – An Irish patronymic name meaning “son of Tiomán.”
33. Tipton – An English habitational name for someone from Tipton in the West Midlands.
34. Titus – A Roman family name of uncertain origin, possibly meaning “title of honor.”
35. Tobias – A Hebrew name meaning “God is good.”
36. Todd – A Scottish and English nickname for a clever or fox-like person.
37. Toft – A topographic name for someone living on a homestead or knoll.
38. Tom – A shortened form of Thomas, meaning “twin.”
39. Tomlin – A medieval diminutive of Thomas, meaning “little Tom.”
40. Tomlinson – A patronymic surname meaning “son of Tomlin.”
41. Torrey – A Scottish name derived from the Gaelic word for “little hill” or “tower.”
42. Towns – A topographic name for someone living in a village or settlement.
43. Trace – An English name related to Thrass, or a nickname for someone fierce.
44. Tracey – An Irish and English habitational name from places in France.
45. Tracy – A variant of Tracey, often associated with the phrase “warlike.”
46. Trammell – An English occupational name for a maker of trammel nets used for fishing.
47. Trapp – An occupational name for a trapper of animals.
48. Trapper – An explicit occupational name for someone who trapped game.
49. Travis – An English and French name for a toll collector or bridge keeper.
50. Trello – A Cornish name derived from “tre,” meaning homestead.
51. Tremain – A Cornish habitational name meaning “farm of the stone.”
52. Trent – A topographic name for someone living near the River Trent in England.
53. Triplett – An English nickname for a dancer or perhaps one of three.
54. Trowbridge – A habitational name for someone from Trowbridge in Wiltshire.
55. Troy – An Irish surname meaning “foot soldier,” or a habitational name from Troyes, France.
56. Troyer – A German occupational name for a cattle drover.
57. True – An English nickname for a faithful, loyal, or trustworthy person.
58. Tucker – An occupational name for a cloth softener or “fuller.”
59. Tudor – A Welsh derivative of Tewdwr, meaning “king of the tribe.”
60. Turk – A nickname for someone who visited Turkey or acted in a “Turkish” manner.
61. Turley – An Irish name derived from Toirdhealbhach, meaning “prompted by Thor.”
62. Turner – An occupational name for a lathe worker or maker of wooden objects.
63. Turpin – A name derived from the Old Norse name Thorfinn, meaning “Thor” and “Finn.”
64. Twitty – An English nickname derived from a bird name, likely the nuthatch.
65. Tyler – An occupational surname for a maker or layer of tiles.
66. Tyson – An English nickname for a firebrand or high-spirited person.

70 Unique Surnames Starting With T

Want to stand out from the crowd? These uncommon surnames take the cake.

1. Tabon – A Filipino surname referring to the Tabon bird or a place of excavation.
2. Tackett – An English name for someone who made clasps or buckles.
3. Talbert – A variant of Talbot, meaning “messenger of destruction” or “bright valley.”
4. Talley – A Welsh or Irish name meaning “brow of the hill” or “fruitful.”
5. Tallman – An English nickname for a tall person or a “capable man.”
6. Talon – A French nickname for someone with a claw-like deformity or a fierce nature.
7. Tate – An English and Norse name meaning “cheerful” or “glad.”
8. Taulbee – A rare English name of uncertain origin, likely habitational.
9. Taveras – A Hispanic variant of the Portuguese surname Tavares.
10. Tayloe – A historical Virginia spelling of the surname Taylor.
11. Tea – An English nickname or a Chinese surname meaning “to investigate.”
12. Teacher – An occupational name for an instructor, or a corruption of Thacher.
13. Teague – A Welsh and Irish name meaning “fair”, “beautiful,” or “poet.”
14. Tempest – A nickname for a person with a stormy or violent temperament.
15. Templeton – A Scottish habitational name meaning “temple town.”
16. Tennyson – A patronymic name meaning “son of Dennis” or “son of Tenney.”
17. Tenorio – A Spanish surname famous for the literary character Don Juan Tenorio.
18. Terrazas – A Spanish topographic name for someone living near terraces.
19. Terrell – An English nickname meaning “stubborn,” derived from the word for a male horse.
20. Terry – A medieval form of Theodoric, meaning “power of the tribe.”
21. Testa – An Italian nickname for someone with a large or distinctively shaped head.
22. Tex – A nickname for a man from the state of Texas.
23. Thacker – A northern English variant of Thatcher, a roof coverer.
24. Thayer – A variant of the occupational name Taylor.
25. Thigpen – An English name derived from “thick penny,” likely a nickname for a rich man.
26. Thoreau – A French name derived from a diminutive of Arthur or Mathurin.
27. Thorn – A topographic name for someone living near a prominent thorn bush.
28. Thornton – A habitational name meaning “thorn bush settlement.”
29. Thorpe – A common English topographic name meaning “outlying farm” or “hamlet.”
30. Thrasher – An occupational name for someone who threshed grain.
31. Tice – A Dutch and German nickname derived from Matthias.
32. Tidwell – An English habitational name from Tideswell in Derbyshire.
33. Tilman – An occupational name for a plowman or farmer.
34. Tilson – A patronymic name meaning “son of Till.”
35. Tinsley – An English habitational name from Tinsley near Sheffield.
36. Tisdale – An English name meaning “Tees valley.”
37. Tobar – A Spanish topographic name for a place with tufa stone.
38. Tobin – An Irish surname derived from the Norman name St. Aubin.
39. Tolbert – A variant of the German name Talbert or Talbot.
40. Toler – An occupational name for a toll collector.
41. Tolkien – A name of German origin, likely meaning “son of Tolk” or “interpreter.”
42. Tolley – A diminutive of Bartholomew, or an occupational name for a toll taker.
43. Tolliver – An Americanized form of the Italian name Tagliaferro, meaning “iron cutter.”
44. Tomas – The Spanish and Portuguese form of Thomas.
45. Tompkins – A patronymic name meaning “son of little Tom.”
46. Toney – An Irish or English variant of Tony or a habitational name from Toaney.
47. Toomey – An Irish name meaning “descendant of Tuama” (burial mound).
48. Towner – An occupational name for a dweller in a town or a village official.
49. Townsend – A topographic name for someone living at the “town’s end.”
50. Traylor – A variant of the occupational name Tyler.
51. Traynor – An Irish name meaning “strong man” or “champion.”
52. Trenta – An Italian name meaning “thirty,” possibly for the 30th child or day of the month.
53. Trice – A name of uncertain origin, possibly a short form of Beatrice.
54. Trimble – An English or Irish variant of Turnbull.
55. Tripp – An occupational name for a dancer or one who steps lightly.
56. Trotter – An occupational name for a messenger or runner.
57. Troup – A Scottish habitational name from Troup in Banffshire.
58. Trout – A nickname for someone thought to resemble the fish, or a fisherman.
59. Troutman – A German name meaning “beloved man” or “trusted friend.”
60. Truett – An English topographic name for someone living near a river bend or treeless thicket.
61. Truitt – A spelling variant of Truett.
62. Truman – An English name meaning “trusty man” or “faithful servant.”
63. Trunchbull – A rare, possibly fictional name popularized by Roald Dahl’s Matilda.
64. Tubbs – An occupational name for a cooper or tub maker.
65. Tuck – An English surname derived from the personal name Toke.
66. Tully – An Irish surname meaning “flood” or “peaceful.”
67. Turnbull – A nickname for a strong man, supposedly one who turned a charging bull.
68. Tuttle – A topographic name for someone living near a lookout hill.
69. Twain – An archaic word for “two,” famously used as a pen name by Samuel Clemens.
70. Tyree – A Scottish habitational name from the island of Tiree.

FAQs

What Is The Most Common Last Name Starting With T?

Taylor is widely considered the most common surname starting with T in the United States and other English-speaking countries. It is followed closely by Thomas and Thompson.

Are There Any Royal Last Names Starting With T?

Yes, the surname Tudor is historically significant. It belongs to the House of Tudor, a royal dynasty that ruled England from 1485 to 1603, including famous monarchs like Henry VIII and Elizabeth I.

What Are Some Short T Surnames?

There are several short surnames starting with T, particularly of Asian origin. Examples include Ta, To, Tu, and Te. In English, short options include Tate, Teel, and Todd.