100+ Last Names That Start With A, With Origins and Meanings

A surname records something about a family long gone: where it lived, what it did for a living, who its father was, or what the neighbours called it. Last names that start with A cover all four, from Archer and Arkwright to Ashby and Anderson.

Below are surnames that start with A, sorted by the language they come from, each with a short note on its origin and meaning. Use them for characters, games, pen names or plain curiosity about a family tree.

English Last Names That Start With A

Most English surnames come from a job, a place or a father's name. Many of these name a tree or a farm the first bearer lived beside.

• Abbott – English, from "abbot", the head of an abbey; often a nickname or a name for an abbot's servant.
• Ackroyd – English (Yorkshire), "oak clearing".
• Adams – English, "son of Adam".
• Addison – English, "son of Addy", a pet form of Adam.
• Akers – English, from Old English "æcer", a field.
• Alderman – English, for an alderman, a town elder or civic official.
• Ambler – English, from Old French "ambler", to walk at an easy pace; a nickname for an unhurried walker.
• Appleby – English, "apple farm", from Old Norse.
• Appleton – English, "farm where apples grow".
• Archer – English, a bowman.
• Arkwright – English, a maker of chests, from "ark" (chest) and "wright" (maker).
• Armitage – English, from Old French "hermitage"; for someone living near one.
• Armstrong – English and Scottish Border, a nickname for a man with strong arms.
• Ashby – English, "ash-tree farm", from Old Norse.
• Ashcroft – English, "ash-tree croft", a small enclosed field by ash trees.
• Ashford – English, "ford by the ash trees".
• Ashley – English, "ash-tree clearing".
• Ashton – English, "ash-tree settlement".
• Ashworth – English, "enclosure by the ash trees".
• Atkins – English, "son of Atkin", a pet form of Adam.
• Atkinson – English, "son of Atkin", a pet form of Adam.
• Atwater – English, "at the water"; for someone living by a stream or lake.
• Atwood – English, "at the wood"; for someone living by a wood.
• Austin – English, from Augustine, Latin "great, venerable".
• Avery – English, from a Norman French form of Alfred, "elf counsel".
• Aylward – English, from the Old English name Æthelweard, "noble guardian".

Scottish and Irish Last Names That Start With A

Gaelic surnames often name an ancestor; Scottish ones also name the land a family held.

• Abernethy – Scottish, from Abernethy in Perthshire, "mouth of the Nethy", a river.
• Agnew – Scottish and Ulster, from Agneaux in Normandy.
• Ahern – Irish, Ó hEachthighearna, "descendant of Eachthighearna", meaning "lord of horses".
• Aird – Scottish, Gaelic "àird", a height or promontory.
• Aitchison – Scottish, "son of Aitchie", a pet form of Adam.
• Aitken – Scottish, a pet form of Adam.
• Allison – Scottish and English, "son of Alan" or "son of Alice".
• Anderson – Scottish and English, "son of Andrew"; Andrew is Greek for "manly".

German and Dutch Last Names That Start With A

German surnames often describe a trade, a bird or the lie of the land.

• Aalders – Dutch, patronymic from Aldert, "noble and hardy".
• Abt – German, "abbot".
• Achterberg – Dutch, "behind the hill".
• Ackermann – German, "field man", a ploughman or farmer.
• Adler – German and Jewish, "eagle".
• Ahrens – North German, "son of Arend", a form of Arnold, "eagle power".
• Albrecht – German, from a Germanic name meaning "noble and bright".
• Altmann – German, "old man"; a nickname or a name for an elder.
• Ammann – Swiss German, a local official or bailiff.
• Amsel – German, "blackbird".
• Arendt – German and Dutch, from Arend, "eagle".
• Auer – German, from "Aue", a river meadow.

Spanish and Portuguese Last Names That Start With A

Iberian surnames carry a heavy Arabic layer from centuries of Moorish rule, alongside place names and patronymics ending in -ez.

• Acosta – Spanish and Portuguese, "the coast".
• Aguilar – Spanish, "place of eagles".
• Aguirre – Basque, "prominent place".
• Alba – Spanish, from Latin "albus", white, via several places named Alba.
• Alcalá – Spanish, from Arabic "al-qal'a", the castle.
• Alcántara – Spanish, from Arabic "al-qanṭara", the bridge.
• Almeida – Portuguese, from Arabic "al-ma'ida", the table, for a flat plateau.
• Alonso – Spanish, from Alonso, a form of Alfonso, Germanic "noble and ready".
• Alvarez – Spanish, "son of Álvaro".
• Amador – Spanish, "lover", from Latin "amator".
• Arenas – Spanish, "sands"; for someone living on sandy ground.
• Arroyo – Spanish, "stream".
• Ávila – Spanish, from the city of Ávila in Castile.

Italian Last Names That Start With A

Italian surnames often end in -i, the plural that once meant "of the family of".

• Abate – Italian, "abbot".
• Abruzzese – Italian, "from Abruzzo".
• Agostini – Italian, from Agostino (Augustine), "venerable".
• Aiello – Italian, from places named Aiello, from Latin "agellus", a small field.
• Albanese – Italian, "Albanian", often for families from Albanian settlements in the south.
• Alberti – Italian, from Alberto, "noble and bright".
• Alessi – Italian, from Alessio, Greek "defender".
• Amalfitano – Italian, "from Amalfi".
• Amato – Italian, "beloved".
• Amore – Italian, "love".
• Angeli – Italian, "angels", from Greek "angelos", messenger.
• Antonelli – Italian, a diminutive of Antonio.
• Arena – Italian, "sand"; for someone living on sandy ground.
• Avellino – Italian, from Avellino in Campania.

French Last Names That Start With A

Many French surnames are Old French forms of Germanic personal names brought by the Franks.

• Allard – French, from the Germanic name Adalhard, "noble and hardy".
• André – French, from Andrew, Greek "manly".
• Arnaud – French, from Arnold, "eagle power".
• Aubert – French, the Old French form of Albert, "noble and bright".
• Aubin – French, from Latin Albinus, "white".
• Aubry – French, from the Germanic name Alberic, "elf ruler".
• Auger – French, from the Germanic name Adalgar, "noble spear".

Scandinavian Last Names That Start With A

Scandinavian surnames are either patronymics ending in -sen or -son, or nature names families chose in the 1800s.

• Aasen – Norwegian, "the ridge".
• Ahlberg – Swedish, "alder mountain".
• Ahlgren – Swedish, "alder branch".
• Almqvist – Swedish, "elm twig".
• Andersen – Danish and Norwegian, "son of Anders" (Andrew).
• Andersson – Swedish, "son of Anders" (Andrew).
• Arnesen – Norwegian and Danish, "son of Arne", meaning "eagle".
• Asplund – Swedish, "aspen grove".
• Axelsson – Swedish, "son of Axel", the Scandinavian form of Absalom, Hebrew "father of peace".
• Åberg – Swedish, "river mountain".

Hebrew, Arabic and African Last Names That Start With A

Names from scripture, from Arabic words for virtues and trades, and from Yoruba and Akan naming traditions.

• Abboud – Arabic, "worshipper".
• Abdullah – Arabic, "servant of God".
• Abiodun – Yoruba, "born during a festival".
• Abramovich – Slavic and Jewish, "son of Abram".
• Abrams – English and Jewish, "son of Abram"; Abraham is Hebrew for "father of many".
• Adebayo – Yoruba, "the crown meets joy".
• Adeyemi – Yoruba, "the crown suits me".
• Afolabi – Yoruba, "born into wealth".
• Ahmed – Arabic, "most praised".
• Ali – Arabic, "high, exalted".
• Amin – Arabic, "trustworthy".
• Ansari – Arabic, "helper", after the Ansar of Medina.
• Aronson – Jewish, "son of Aaron".
• Asante – Akan (Ghana), "thank you".
• Asher – Jewish, from the Hebrew name Asher, "happy, blessed".
• Ashkenazi – Jewish, Hebrew "German"; for Jews of German descent.
• Attar – Arabic, "perfumer".
• Aziz – Arabic, "mighty, dear".

How to Choose a Last Name That Starts With A

Picking a surname for a character, a pen name or a game profile? Five rules help.

1. Match the setting

A Yorkshire farmer reads as Ackroyd, a Lisbon merchant as Almeida. The origin tells the reader where the person comes from before you say it.

2. Say it with the first name

Read the full name aloud. Two names that both end in a vowel, or both start with A, can run together.

3. Use the meaning lightly

Archer for a sharpshooter works once. If every name in a story hints at the plot, readers notice.

4. Check the rhythm

A short first name pairs well with a longer surname (Kate Ashworth), and a long first name with a short one (Penelope Abt).

5. Search it before you commit

A pen name or username should not belong to someone well known in your field.

FAQs

What is the most common last name that starts with A?

In the English-speaking world, Anderson, Allen and Adams sit near the top of most census lists. In Spanish-speaking countries, Alvarez is one of the most common.

Why do so many surnames start with "Ash"?

Ash trees grew across England and marked fields, fords and farms. Places named for them gave rise to Ashby, Ashford, Ashley, Ashton and Ashworth.

What does the -son or -sen ending mean?

It means "son of". Andersen and Andersson both mean "son of Anders", so the name once changed each generation.

Conclusion: Last Names That Start With A

Every surname above began as a fact about one family: a trade, a farm, a father. Pick the one whose story fits yours. For first names to go with it, see these middle names that start with A, or browse last names that start with M.

Tags: Last Names, Surnames, Name Meanings, Letter A