240 Zesty Last Names That Start With Z: With Meanings

At some point, we all wish we had one of the many cool last names that start with Z! Whether German, Arabic, or Slavic, many Z surnames have a tale to tell. How can you best wrangle this vibrant selection of last names to understand them better?

We’ve done the wrangling for you to produce a name list filled with over 200 last names starting with Z. You’ll learn important aspects of each name, from meaning to usage. End up an expert in all things Z regarding these fascinating surnames.

80 Popular Last Names That Start With Z

Dig into the meanings behind these well-known last names, starting with Z.

1. Zaal – means “light” in Arabic; a 4-letter name of an Iranian warrior king.
2. Zaborski – for those from Zaborze in Poland; composed of “za,” meaning “beyond,” and “bór,” meaning “forest.”
3. Zachary – originated with the Hebrew Zechariah, which means “God remembers” in the Bible.
4. Zahariev – among patronymic Russian last names that start with Z, which means “son of Zahari.”
5. Zahn – a nickname for someone with an oversized tooth, from the German “zan(t),” meaning “tooth.”
6. Zajac – means “hare” as a Slavic nickname for a fast runner; also appears as Zajec and Zajić.
7. Zak – means “schoolboy” in Polish, Czech, and Slovak; a 3-letter nickname for a studious person.
8. Zakrzewski – for those from Zakrzewo or Zakrzów in Poland or anyone who lived “beyond the bush.”
9. Zaleski – among 7-letter Polish Z last names, meaning “other side of the forest.”
10. Zamarripa – made up of the Basque “zama,” meaning “gorge” and “erripa,” meaning “slope.”
11. Zambrano – a Spanish nickname based on the Arabic “zambra,” referring to a “gypsy festivity (with dancing).”
12. Zammit – a Maltese and Sicilian nickname from the Arabic “zamīt,” meaning “of a serious disposition.”
13. Zamora – one of many last names starting with Z named after a town, in northwestern Spain.
14. Zamudio – made up of the Spanish “zame,” meaning “ravine,” and “dio,” meaning “terrain with water.”
15. Zane – an alternate spelling of the German Zahn; also associated with the Arabic Zain, meaning “handsome.”
16. Zanetti – a plural Italian form of Zanetto based on the first name Zane or Zani.
17. Zangari – a plural variation of the Italian “zangaro,” an occupational name for a bootmaker.
18. Zapata – an occupational name for a cobbler or shoemaker, from the Spanish “zapato,” meaning “half boot.”
19. Zapatero – a unique form of the Spanish Zapato, an occupational name given to a shoemaker.
20. Zappa – an Italian occupational name given to a “farmer,” or means “hoe” in Italian.
21. Zaragoza – refers to Zaragoza in northeast Spain and also appears as Saragosa.
22. Zarate – a Basque place name in Spain taken from the Spanish “zara,” meaning “thicket.”
23. Zaremba – derived from the Polish “zajebać,” meaning “to chop,” as an occupational name for a woodcutter.
24. Zavala – means “fortress” in Basque Spanish and also appears as Zabala.
25. Zawacki – among Polish surnames beginning with Z, based on the first name Zawad, meaning “gift.”
26. Zawisza – a Polish given name taken from “zawist,” meaning “jealousy” and “envy.”
27. Zayas – comes from the Basque “zai,” an occupational name for a “watchman” or “guard.”
28. Zdunowski – given to someone from Zduny in Poland; also an occupational name for a potter.
29. Zeelan – a Dutch variation of Van Zeeland for those from Zeeland, a Kurdish surname meaning “sky.”
30. Zegarowski – has an unknown meaning, but also appears as Zygarwoski or Zegarski in Polish.
31. Zegers – consists of the German “sigi,” meaning “victory,” and “her,” meaning “lord.”
32. Zeh – is a German nickname for someone with unusual toes based on “zehe,” meaning “toe” or “claw.”
33. Zehntner – given to someone from Zehetmair in German Bavaria; also means “mayor.”
34. Zeigler – another spelling of the German Ziegler, an occupational name for a “tiler” or “brickmaker.”
35. Zelaya – based on Zelaia, the name of a Basque town in Spain; from “zelai,” meaning “field.”
36. Zelenka – a Slavic derivative of “zelený,” meaning “green,” for an inexperienced person.
37. Zelensky – a Ukrainian and Belorussian surname meaning “green,” which also appears as Zelenski.
38. Zeller – for those from Zelle in Germany; from “zelle,” meaning “cell” or “small room.”
39. Zellers – originated in German Bavaria and refers to a town called Zelle.
40. Zellmer – for a “dweller in a small house” and a short form of the German Zellmeier.
41. Zellweger – for someone from Appenzell in Switzerland, from the Latin “abbatis cella,” meaning “abbot’s estate.”
42. Zeman – a Czech-Slovak occupational name for a farmer or small landowner, from “zem,” meaning “land.”
43. Zendejas – a beautiful 8-letter Hispanic version of the Spanish Cendejas, based on a place name.
44. Zeng – means “high” or “add” in Chinese and is currently ranked 32nd among mainland China surnames.
45. Zepeda – taken from the Spanish “cabecero,” meaning “grass head” to describe a place.
46. Zezza – an Italian spelling variation of Zizza, from “zizu,” meaning “elegant youth.”
47. Zhang – means “to draw a bow” in Chinese and ranked 3rd among Chinese and Taiwanese surnames.
48. Zhao – a Mandarin surname variant meaning “beckon,” “gesture,” or “attract (bad things)” in Chinese.
49. Zheng – a Mandarin last name meaning “upright” or just” in Chinese.
50. Zhong – means “middle,” “loyalty,” or “center” in Chinese and also appears as Chóng.
51. Zhou – means “surrounding” in Chinese; originally the name of an ancient fief (land estate) in the Shaanxi Province.
52. Zhu – means “wizard prayers” in Chinese; an occupational name for someone who chanted prayers during worship.
53. Ziegler – the most common spelling of a German and Jewish occupational name for a tiler.
54. Zigler – an Americanized spelling of the German and Jewish Ziegler, meaning “tiler” or “brickmaker.”
55. Zielinski – a unique spelling of the Polish Zelinski derived from “zieleń,” meaning “green” or “youthful.”
56. Zimmer – means “room” or “chamber” in German as part of the occupational name for a carpenter.
57. Zimmerman – originally appeared as the German Zimmermann, as given to a “carpenter.”
58. Zingle – means “slim” or “slender” in German; also appears as Zinkle and Zingale.
59. Zini – an Italian plural form of Zino, a patronymic surname for a “son of Zino.”
60. Zink – from the Middle German “zinke,” meaning “peak,” denoting someone living near a crag of land.
61. Zinn – a German and Jewish occupational name for a “pewter worker,” from the Middle German “zin.”
62. Zino – an Italian name based on the Greek Zenobios, meaning “gift of Zeus.”
63. Zipp – a variation of the German Zipf, from Sippo, a form of Siegfried, meaning “victorious peace.”
64. Zivaljevic – or Zivaljevich, among Serbo-Croatian surnames starting with Z, which has an unclear meaning.
65. Živković – taken from the Serbo-Croatian first name Živko, from “živ,” meaning “alive.”
66. Zlatkov – a Bulgarian patronymic surname meaning “son of Zlatko,” meaning “gold.”
67. Zobel – a German occupational name for a fur trader; also means “to tease or fight.”
68. Zoeller – taken from the Old German “zeller,” a form of “zell,” meaning “cell.”
69. Zola – means “lump or mound of earth” in Italian and “calm” or “peaceful” in Zulu.
70. Zoltánfi – means “son of Zoltan” in Hungarian, from “zoltan,” meaning “sultan,” “authority,” and “power.”
71. Zook – an American spelling of the German Zug, also appearing as Sook.
72. Zorić – a 5-letter Serbo-Croatian surname from “zora,” meaning “dawn.”
73. Zornes – a plural form of the German Zorn, meaning “wrath,” common in Bavaria and Thüringen.
74. Zou – ranked 67th among Chinese surnames; refers to the ancient state of Zou.
75. Zubizarreta – is made up of the Spanish-Basque “zubia,” meaning “bridge” and “zahar,” meaning “old.”
76. Zuiderduin – means “southern dune” in Dutch and also appears as Zuiderduyn.
77. Zundel – a diminutive of Zunder, meaning “tinder” as an occupational name for a kindling wood seller.
78. Zuñiga – a Basque place name composed of “zuin,” meaning “cultivated field” and “iga,” meaning “incline.”
79. Zupan – based on the Croatian and Slovenian “župan,” meaning “village headman,” from “župa,” meaning “district.”
80. Zvirbulis – is a Latvian surname meaning “sparrow” that also appears as Swirbulis.

80 Unique Last Names Starting With Z

You might be surprised how the meanings for these surnames starting with Z first originated.

1. Zabala – named after towns in Basque Country; taken from “zabal,” meaning “large” and “broad.”
2. Zabel – a North German variant of Zobel based on “zabel,” meaning “board game.”
3. Zaborowski – “from Zaborów” in Poland, for someone living “on the other side of the forest.”
4. Zacarias – means “God remembers” as a Spanish and Portuguese version of the biblical Zachariah.
5. Zacher – dates back to the 13th-century German Rhineland, a male variation of the Hebrew Zacharias.
6. Zafar – also a male name meaning “victory” among Arabic last names that start with Z.
7. Zager – for those from Zager, in Germany; an American spelling of the Croatian-Slovenian Žagar, meaning “sawyer.”
8. Zagorski – is composed of the Polish “za,” meaning “beyond the other side of,” and “góra,” meaning “hill.”
9. Zaidi – describes someone associated with Zaid, named after Zain ul-ʿĀbidīn of the Shite Muslim imams.
10. Zaki – means “pure,” “chaste,” and “sinless” in Arabic; also appears as Zaky.
11. Zalewski – from the Polish “zale,” meaning “baton,” as given to a “descendant of Zal.”
12. Zaman – means “time” and “age” in Arabic as in “nūr uz-zamān,” meaning “light of the era.”
13. Zamarron – a Spanish place name in Granada and a nickname taken from “zamarra,” meaning fur jacket.”
14. Zambrana – a Spanish nickname based on the Arabic ”zambra,” given to a specific gypsy festivity.
15. Zamorano – a surname used for someone “from Zamora,” in northwestern Spain.
16. Zander – a German occupational name for a barber-surgeon taken from “zan(t),” meaning “tooth.”
17. Zanders – a German variation of Sander or Zander, meaning “pike-perch” in German.
18. Zapien – a Mexican form of the Basque Zapiain, located in the Gipuzkoa province of Spain.
19. Zarco – a Spanish and Portuguese nickname given to someone with “light blue eyes.”
20. Zartman – an American spelling of the German Zartmann, composed of “zart,” meaning “darling” and “man.”
21. Zastrow – a Slavic-German place name located in western Pomerania, Germany.
22. Zatarain – means “over the vantage point” or “place where elder trees grew” in Basque Spanish.
23. Zavaleta – also appears as Zabaleta, from the Spanish “zabal,” denoting a “small, square courtyard.”
24. Zawadski – for those from Zawada or Zawady in Poland; based on “zawada,” meaning “obstacle” in Polish.
25. Zazueta – a Hispanic variation of a Basque surname describing a “group of” people from a region.
26. Zea – a Galician-Spanish form of Cea, based on various places throughout Spain.
27. Zebrowski – among geographical Polish last names starting with Z, meaning “from Żebro” in Poland.
28. Zech – from the Middle German “zech(e),” describing an “activity carried out in a certain order.”
29. Zehner – a German occupational name for a collector of tithes for the lord of the manor.
30. Zeitler – for someone who works as a clockmaker or watchmaker, from the German “zeit,” meaning “time.”
31. Zeledon – an alternate spelling of the Spanish Celedón, from the Greek Chelidonios,” meaning “like a swallow.”
32. Zelinski – comes from the Polish “zieleń,” meaning “green” and “youthful.”
33. Zell – a simplified variation of the Middle German “zelle,” meaning “small room” or “cell.”
34. Zellner – a German and Jewish occupational name for a tax collector that also appears as Zolner.
35. Zemke – a short form of the Germanic-Slavic Zemislav, from “zemlja,” meaning “earth” and “land.”
36. Zeno – dates back to Greece, meaning “gift of Zeus,” and also appears as Zenon.
37. Zenon – a derivative of Zeus, the Greek god of the sky symbolized by a lightning bolt.
38. Zepp – a variation of the German Zapp, from the Yiddish Zippel or the German Sifrid.
39. Zerbe – for those from German place names like Zerbau or Zerben; appears as Zerby in Poland.
40. Zeringue – an unusual French nickname, associated with the German Zehringer, for those from Gehring.
41. Zermeno – a Spanish spelling variation for Cermeño, a nickname meaning “fool,” “lout,” and “slob.”
42. Zertuche – thought to be a Basue name originating in Vizcaya, Spain with an unknown meaning.
43. Zetina – a Mexican version of the Spanish Cetina, for those from Cetina in Aragon.
44. Zetterberg – made up of the Swedish “zetter,” meaning “outlying meadow,” and “berg,” meaning “mountain.”
45. Zevallos – another form of the Spanish Ceballos, from “ceballo,” meaning “horse.”
46. Zhen – means “precious,” “rare,” or “treasure” in Chinese and is also a girl’s name.
47. Zick – an American spelling of the German Zich, meaning “touch,” “light push,” or “pressure.”
48. Ziebell – a German occupational name for a grower of onions taken from the Latin “cepulla.”
49. Zielke – based on the German first name Selko and used with the suffix “-ke.”
50. Ziemba – means “builder” in Polish as an occupational name for a craftsman.
51. Ziemer – a North German variant of Siemer, which comes from Siegmar, meaning “famous victory.”
52. Zima – means “winter” and “cold” in various Slavic cultures, as a nickname for a cold person.
53. Zion – is one of the 70 names for Jerusalem in Hebrew and appears as Sion and Tsiyyon.
54. Zirkle – means “circle” in German as an occupational name for a watchman or maker of compasses.
55. Zito – from the Italian “zitu,” which denotes a “bachelor” and was first a medieval given name.
56. Zohller – relates to Zoeller and dates back to the 14th-century; describes a “cell master.”
57. Zoll – a German occupational name for a “customs officer,” means “toll” or “duty” in German.
58. Zollinger – given to those from Zollingen, Germany; also means “customs post.”
59. Zona – a feminine Italian nickname which refers to a “zone” or “area.”
60. Zorn – means “wrath” and “anger” in German as a nickname for a short-tempered person.
61. Zorns – one of many variations of Zorn, a German pet name for someone angry or wrathful.
62. Zorrilla – a Spanish diminutive for “zorra,” meaning “vixen,” or “zorro,” meaning “fox.”
63. Zuber – a German occupational name given to a cooper or tubmaker.
64. Zucker – a German and Jewish surname meaning “sugar,” also used for a thief.
65. Zuckerman – based on the German and Yiddish “zucker,” meaning “sugar man.”
66. Zuercher – a version of the Swiss-German Zürcher; a name given to someone from Zurich.
67. Zuk – means “bee,” a Slavic occupational name for a beekeeper.
68. Zukowski – for those from Żuki, Żukowo, or Żuków in Poland; from “żuk,” meaning “beetle.”
69. Zullo – a short form of longer Italian personal names like Marzullo or Vincenzullo.
70. Zuluaga – made up of the Spanish-Basque “zul,” meaning “black,” and “uga,” meaning “hill.”
71. Zumwalt – another form of the Swiss-German Zumwald, used for someone who lived “by the forest.”
72. Zupancic – means “village headman,” a Slovenian and Croatian surname for those “from Zupan.”
73. Zurawski – given to those hailing from Żuraw, Żurawka or Żurawice in Poland; from “żuraw,” meaning “crane.”
74. Zurek – a Slavic surname meaning “sour soup,” a nickname for someone who liked eating sour soup.
75. Zurita – a Spanish nickname meaning “dove,” derived from the Basque “zuri,” meaning “white.”
76. Zwart – a Dutch nickname for someone with black hair; also appears as De Zwart.
77. Zweifel – a German nickname for an indecisive person, from the Middle German “zwīvel,” meaning “equivocation.”
78. Zwick – composed of the German “zwic,” meaning “nail,” as an occupational name for a shoemaker.
79. Zych – a Polish nickname for Zygmunt and a form of Sigmund, meaning “conjuring protection.”
80. Zylstra – an Americanized spelling of the Dutch Zijlstra, meaning “inhabitant of a sluice (sliding gate).”

80 Rare Surnames Starting With Z

Explore the rarest last names that start with Z with uncommon and unusual definitions.

1. Zabriskie – an Anglo form of the Polish Zabrzyski, given to someone living “beyond the birch trees.”
2. Zachow – means “from Zachow,” located in Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-West Pomerania, Germany.
3. Zahid – used as a boy’s name meaning “altruistic,” “self-disciplined,” and “pious.”
4. Zähler – an occupational name for a clerk; derived from the German “zahlen,” meaning “to count.”
5. Zajicek – refers to a “hare” or “rabbit” in Czech as a diminutive for Zajíc.
6. Zaldivar – originally appeared as the Basque Zaldibar and means “valley of horses.”
7. Zales – a Polish variation of Zalas, derived from the Slavic “zalew,” meaning “bay” or “flooded area.”
8. Zalkin – first appeared as the Yiddish given name Zalkind, a form of Solomon, meaning “peace.”
9. Zall – based on the German “zagel,” meaning “tail,” used to describe a “narrow piece of land.”
10. Zambito – related to the Italian Zammito, a nickname from the Arabic “zamīt,” meaning “of serious disposition.”
11. Zandstra – among Dutch surnames starting with Z as given to someone living in sandy soil.
12. Zang – means “good” and “right” in Mandarin Chinese, the name of an 8th-century B.C.E. fief (land estate).
13. Zanghi – an Italian nickname from the Greek “tsangos,” meaning “rancid,” an occupational name for a bootmaker.
14. Zangrilli – an Italian plural form of Zangrillo, whose meaning is unclear.
15. Zapf – from the Middle German “zapfe,” meaning “bung” or “stopper,” an occupational name for a taverner.
16. Zappia – an Italian occupational name for a laborer, from “zappa,” meaning “mattock” and “hoe.”
17. Zarazua – consists of the Spanish-Basque “sarats,” meaning “willow” and the suffix “-tsu.”
18. Zaretsky – among Ukrainian geographical last names that start with Z, which means “beyond the river.”
19. Zarzecki – a Polish surname for someone who lived “on the other side of the river.”
20. Zaske – a German variation of Zaschke, given to those “from Zatzschke” in Saxony.
21. Zaugg – based on the German first name Zougo, yet also related to “ziehen,” meaning “to pull.”
22. Zbinden – a Swiss-German form of the phrase, “ze bünden,” meaning “at the enclosure.”
23. Zeeb – an occupational name for a birdkeeper, meaning “bird” in German.
24. Zeidan – an Arabic variant of the male first name Zaidan, meaning “growth” and “increase.”
25. Zeitz – the name of two locations in Germany; relates to the Slovenian Zajec, meaning “hare.”
26. Zembower – an Anglo spelling of the German Zehentbauer, an occupational name for a farmer.
27. Zenner – a German nickname for a surly person, from the Middle German “zannen,” meaning “to growl.”
28. Zenteno – a Hispanic variation of the Spanish Centeno, meaning “rye.”
29. Zentz – another version of the German Zent, which refers to both a “center” and “point.”
30. Zeppieri – a form of the Italian Sampieri, a place name found in San Piero, Italy.
31. Zero – an Italian surname based on the Greek Xeros, meaning “dry” and “bare.”
32. Zerr – an Italian form of the Greek Xeros, meaning “dry” and “bare.”
33. Zevenbergen – means “seven hills” in Dutch and refers to locations in the Netherlands and Belgium.
34. Zibanejad – made up of the Persian “ziba,” meaning “beauty,” and “nejad,” meaning “rescue” or “lineage.”
35. Zickefoose – a variation of the 15th-century German Ziegenfuss, meaning “goat foot.”
36. Ziebarth – a German occupational surname for a carriage driver, from “zichen,” meaning “to pull.”
37. Ziegenhorn – a German surname for someone living on land where goats graze.
38. Ziemann – a spelling variation of the German Siemann, a form of Simon, meaning “he has heard.”
39. Zigmont – the Jewish equivalent of the German Siegmund, meaning “victorious hand.”
40. Zilberschlag – among German occupational last names starting with Z and used for a silversmith.
41. Zilberstein – means “silver stone” in Yiddish and often appears as Silverstein.
42. Žilinskas – means “of red color” or “daredevil” in Lithuanian; its feminine equivalent is Žilinskienė.
43. Zingg – a Swiss-German nickname for a “boisterous,” “lively,” or “cheerful” person.
44. Zinke – means “spike” or “pointed tool” in German and also appears as Zink.
45. Zinnel – a 6-letter German occupational name for someone working with pewter; also appears as Zinn.
46. Ziolkowski – for those “from Ziółkowo” in Poland; also relates to the first name Ziółko, meaning “herb.”
47. Zipperer – a German and Jewish short form of the biblical female name Zipporah, meaning ‘bird.”
48. Zirbel – among rare German surnames starting with Z; a nickname for Zervas, meaning “slender.”
49. Zirkelbach – taken from the German Zirkenbach, originating from the 12th-century Cirkumbach.
50. Zitzmann – a German variation of Zizo, a nickname for Siegfried, meaning “victory and peace.”
51. Zmijewski – given to those from Żmijewo, Poland, and associated with “żmija,” meaning “viper.”
52. Zmuda – a Polish nickname for a hard-working person, based on “zmudny,” meaning “toilsome.”
53. Zodrow – its meaning is unknown, but Zodrow is thought to refer to an East German location.
54. Zogg – a Swiss German nickname for a crude person, from the Middle German “zoche,” meaning “cudgel.”
55. Zohn – a Jewish variant of Sohn, taken from the Yiddish “tson,” meaning “tooth.”
56. Zollicoffer – an American spelling of the Swiss-German Zollikofer, for those from Zollikofen, in Bern.
57. Zollner – an unusual spelling of the German Zoller, an occupational name for a customs officer.
58. Zorger – a Jewish-Yiddish variation of the Middle German “sorge,” meaning “care,” “concern,” or “worry.”
59. Zorzi – an Italian patronymic surname denoting a “son of Zorzo,” a form of Giorgio or George.
60. Zubia – a place name in the Spanish Granada province, which also means “rich in water.”
61. Zubiate – a Basque location in Biscay, Spain; composed of “zubi,” meaning “bridge” and “ate,” meaning “gorge.”
62. Zucca – an Italian occupational name for a grower of squashes, from “zucca,” meaning “gourd.”
63. Zuccaro – means “sugar” in Italian; a nickname for a “sweet” person or someone who sells sugar.
64. Zuck – a form of the German Zuch and Zug, both occupational names for a hog farmer.
65. Zuehlke – relates to the Slavic first name Sulislav or Sulimir, from “sul,” meaning “good” and “better.”
66. Zuercher – a Swiss-German surname for someone who comes from Zurich, Switzerland.
67. Zufelt – made up of the German “zu,” meaning “at” and “fel(d)t,” meaning “open country.”
68. Zuidema – a lesser-known Dutch patronymic surname for a “descendent of Sudhari.”
69. Zukauskas – a Lithuanian variation of the Polish Żukowski, based on “zhuk,” meaning “bug.”
70. Zumstein – a German topographical surname for someone living “at the rock” or “at the castle.”
71. Zuno – a Hispanic form of an unknown Spanish surname whose meaning is unclear.
72. Zurfluh – originally made up of the Swiss-German “vluo,” meaning “cliff,” and “zur,” meaning “at the.”
73. Zussman – a Jewish variant of the German Sussman, meaning “sweet man.”
74. Zwald – a Swiss-German form of Zumwalt, meaning “by the woods or forest.”
75. Zwiefelhofer – a German Bavarian version of Zwiebelhofer, originally the name for an “onion farm.”
76. Zwiener – a German surname given to someone from Schweine in Pomerania or Schwiena in Brandenburg.
77. Zwilling – a German and Jewish surname referring to a “twin,” from the Middle German “zwillinc.”
78. Zychowski – for someone from Zychy, Poland; linked to the first name Zych, a nickname for Zigmund.
79. Zygmont – a Polish form of the German Zygmunt, from Ziegmund, meaning “conquering protection.”
80. Zywicki – a Polish nickname taken from “żywy,” meaning “alive” and “vivid,” or “żywica,” meaning “resin.”