Hillbilly Last Names

These hillbilly last names are real surnames long common in Appalachia and the Ozarks, with Scots-Irish, English, Welsh and German roots, listed with their meanings and a respectful look at the history behind them.

194 real surnames with meanings, A to Z.

A

Adkins

Son of little Adam; a leading name in West Virginia hollows

English
Amburgey

Americanised German Amberger, from Amberg; Knott County name

German

B

Baker

One who baked bread; common in Appalachian mountain families

English
Bays

Nickname for bay-coloured hair; West Virginia family

English
Bentley

Clearing with bent grass; common in Appalachian families

English
Blankenship

From Blenkinsop in Northumberland; a classic Appalachian mountain name

English
Bledsoe

From Bledisloe in Gloucestershire; Tennessee frontier family

English
Blevins

Welsh ab Blethin, son of Bleddyn, wolf cub

Welsh
Bolling

Dweller in a hollow, or a Yorkshire place; old Virginia family

English
Boone

From Old French bon, good; Daniel Boone's pioneer family

English
Bowling

Dweller in a hollow, or from Bolling; common in Kentucky hills

English
Branham

Farm with broom shrubs; common in eastern Kentucky

English
Brashear

French brasseur, brewer; an old Kentucky pioneer family

French
Buchanan

Scottish place, house of the canon; common in Appalachia

Scottish
Burchett

Dweller by a birch grove; Floyd County family

English
Burchfield

Field by birch trees; Cades Cove family name

English
Burleson

Son of Burrell, a coarse-cloth worker; Blue Ridge family

English

C

Campbell

Gaelic caimbeul, crooked mouth; very common in Appalachia

Scottish
Canter

Singer or chanter in a church; southwest Virginia family

English
Cantrell

Possibly from Cantrill, a Norman place; Tennessee hills

English
Carrico

Possibly Portuguese Carriço; southwest Virginia family

Portuguese
Caudill

Possibly from Caldwell, cold spring; a Letcher County mainstay

English
Chafin

From Old French chauf, bald; Logan County family

English
Childers

Dweller by a children's house or orphanage; Appalachian family

English
Clabo

Probably Americanised German Klebaum; Smoky Mountain family

German
Clay

Dweller on clay soil; common in mountain families

English
Cline

Americanised German Klein, small; common across Appalachia

German
Collins

Son of Colin, or Irish Ó Coileáin; widespread in Appalachia

Irish
Combs

Dweller in a small valley, common in eastern Kentucky

English
Conley

Irish Ó Conghaile, hound-valour; eastern Kentucky family

Irish
Cope

Maker of capes or cloaks; common in mountain families

English
Cornett

Diminutive of Old French corne, horn; Perry County family

English
Couch

Cornish nickname for red hair, found across the Cumberland Plateau

English
Counts

Americanised German Kuntz, pet form of Konrad; Dickenson County

German
Crabtree

Dweller by a crab apple tree; common in Appalachia

English
Craft

Dweller by a small field, a croft; Letcher County family

English
Crockett

Possibly Old French crochet, hook; Davy Crockett's family

Scottish

D

Damron

Possibly from Damerham, Hampshire; Pike County family

English
Deskins

Origin uncertain, perhaps Welsh; Buchanan County family

Welsh
Dingess

Possibly from German Dingis; a Logan County, West Virginia family

German
Dingus

Possibly Americanised German Dinges; southwest Virginia family

German
Dotson

Son of Dodd; common in Appalachian mountain families

English
Duff

Gaelic dubh, dark; eastern Kentucky family

Scottish

E

Elswick

Lancashire place, Aethelsige's dairy farm; Pike County family

English
Estep

Of uncertain German or English origin; Kentucky and Virginia hills

German

F

Ferrell

Irish Ó Fearghail, man of valour; common in mountain families

Irish
Fields

Dweller by open fields; common in Letcher County

English
Fraley

Americanised German Fröhlich, cheerful; eastern Kentucky family

German
Frazier

Scottish Fraser, of uncertain Norman origin; Kentucky hills

Scottish
Fugate

Possibly of French Huguenot origin; known on Kentucky's Troublesome Creek

French

G

Gayheart

Americanised German Gebhardt, gift and hardy; Knott County family

German
Gentry

Nickname for a well-bred person; Appalachian ballad family

English
Gibson

Son of Gilbert; common in Appalachian mountain families

Scottish
Gilliam

Norman form of William; common in Appalachian families

English
Goins

Possibly from Gowen, smith; an old Melungeon family name

English
Greer

Scottish form of Gregor, watchful; common in Watauga County

Scottish
Gross

German for big or tall; Appalachian family

German

H

Hackney

Hackney in London, Haca's island; Appalachian family

English
Hager

German dweller by an enclosure; Kentucky mountain family

German
Hall

Worker at a manor hall; very common in eastern Kentucky

English
Hamby

Possibly Norse farm name; common in Appalachian families

English
Hamilton

Scottish lordship from an English place, bare hill

Scottish
Hamlin

Diminutive of Hamo, home; Kentucky and Virginia family

English
Handshoe

Americanised German Handschuh, glove maker; Knott County family

German
Harless

Possibly an Americanised German name; southwest Virginia family

German
Harmon

From the Germanic Herman, army man; Watauga County family

German
Hatfield

Heathland field; the famous Tug Valley feuding family

English
Hensel

German pet form of Hans, John; Appalachian family

German
Hensley

Hengest's woodland clearing; common in Appalachian mountain families

English
Hicks

Son of Hick, pet form of Richard; Beech Mountain storytellers

English
Holbrook

Dweller by a brook in a hollow; common in mountain families

English
Hollifield

Dweller by a holy or holly field; Blue Ridge family

English
Hollon

Possibly a variant of Holland; eastern Kentucky family

English
Honaker

Americanised Swiss Honegger, from Honegg; southwest Virginia family

German
Hooper

Maker of barrel hoops; common in Appalachian families

English
Hunley

Possibly a place, hound clearing; Appalachian family

English
Hurley

Irish Ó hUrthuile; common in eastern Kentucky

Irish
Huskey

Possibly Irish Ó hUisce or German Huske; Sevier County family

Irish
Hyatt

Dweller at the high gate; western North Carolina family

English

I

Isaacs

Son of Isaac; a Jackson County, Kentucky family

English
Ison

Son of Isabel, or a variant of Eason; Letcher County name

English

J

Jarrell

Pet form of Gerald or Gerard; West Virginia coalfield family

English
Jent

From Old French gent, noble or graceful; Kentucky mountain name

English
Justice

Officer of the law; a well-known Pike County family

English

K

Keene

Nickname for a bold, keen person; Appalachian family

English
Keesee

Possibly a French Huguenot name; southwest Virginia family

French
Kidd

Nickname from a young goat; Appalachian family

English
Kinder

German for children, or a Derbyshire place; Appalachian family

German
Kiser

Americanised German Kaiser, emperor; southwest Virginia family

German

L

Lambert

Germanic land and bright; common in mountain families

English
Lawson

Son of Law, a pet form of Lawrence

Scottish
Layne

Dweller by a lane; Floyd County family

English
Ledford

English place name with a ford, first part uncertain; Blue Ridge family

English
Lequire

From French Lequier or Le Cuyer, squire; Cades Cove family

French
Looney

Irish Ó Luanaigh, warrior; an old Tennessee pioneer family

Irish
Lykins

Diminutive of Luke; common in Morgan and Magoffin counties

English

M

Maggard

Possibly from German Meckert; a Letcher County family name

German
Maples

Dweller by maple trees; Sevier County family

English
Maynard

From Germanic Meginhard, strong and hardy; Kentucky hills

English
Mayo

Irish county, plain of the yew trees; Floyd County family

Irish
McCarter

Son of Artair, Arthur; common in Tennessee mountain families

Scottish
McCoy

Son of Aodh, fire; the Hatfields' Kentucky rivals

Scottish
McIntosh

Son of the chieftain; eastern Kentucky family

Scottish
Messer

German for knife maker; common in Smoky Mountain families

German
Minor

Miner, or from a personal name; an old Appalachian family name

English
Miracle

Possibly a pageant name or from German Mirakel; Bell County family

English
Moore

Dweller on a moor; very common in Appalachia

English
Mosley

Clearing infested with mice, or a mossy clearing

English
Mounts

Dweller by a hill; Tug Valley family in the feud era

English
Mullenix

Probably from Molyneux, a Norman mill name; Appalachian family

English
Mullins

Miller, from Old French moulin; very common in Appalachian families

English

N

Napier

Keeper of table linen; an old Harlan County name

Scottish
Newsome

New house, a Yorkshire place; common in Pike County

English
Nichols

Son of Nicholas; common in Appalachian families

English
Noble

Nickname for a dignified person; common in Breathitt County

English

O

Ogle

Northumberland place, Ocga's hill; Gatlinburg's founding family

English
Oliver

From the Old French name Olivier; Cades Cove pioneers

English
Oney

Possibly from Irish Ó hUaithne; Kentucky hills family

Irish
Osborne

Old Norse Asbjorn, god bear; eastern Kentucky family

English
Owens

Welsh son of Owain; common in Appalachian families

Welsh
Ownby

Probably from an English place ending in -by; Smoky Mountain family

English

P

Pack

From Pask, Easter, or a pedlar; West Virginia mountain family

English
Parsons

Son or servant of the parson; common in mountain families

English
Parton

From Parton in Cumbria, pear-tree farm; Sevier County family

English
Pauley

Pet form of Paul; common in West Virginia families

English
Pennington

Farm that paid a penny rent; common in Appalachian families

English
Perry

Dweller by a pear tree; Kentucky mountain family

English
Phipps

Son of Philip; common in Appalachian families

English
Potter

Maker of pots; common in Appalachian families

English
Prater

Dweller by a meadow, Old French praiere; Magoffin County name

English
Presley

Dweller by a priest's clearing; common across the upland South

English
Presnell

Possibly from a Norman place; Watauga County family

English
Proffitt

Prophet, a pageant role or nickname; Tennessee mountain family

English

Q

Queen

Nickname for a pageant queen or a lordly person; North Carolina hills

English

R

Rakes

Dweller by a pass or gully, Old English hraca

English
Ramey

From French Rémy, or a Norman place; Pike County family

French
Rash

Dweller by an ash tree, atten ash; Appalachian family

English
Rasnake

Possibly Americanised German Rasnick; Russell County, Virginia family

German
Rathbone

Probably from Radbourne, reed stream; North Carolina mountain family

Welsh
Ratliff

Dweller by a red cliff; common in Pike and Floyd counties

English
Reagan

Irish Ó Riagáin, little king; common in Tennessee mountains

Irish
Riddle

Scottish Riddell, rye hill; common in mountain families

Scottish
Rife

Americanised German Reif, ripe or mature; Pike County family

German
Ritchie

Scottish pet form of Richard; the Kentucky ballad-singing family

Scottish
Roark

Irish Ó Ruairc, from Norse Hrœrekr, famous ruler; common in mountain families

Irish
Robinette

French diminutive of Robin; southwest Virginia family

French
Rose

Dweller where wild roses grew; Kentucky hills family

English
Rutherford

Scottish place, cattle ford; common in Appalachia

Scottish

S

Salyer

Possibly German Seiler, ropemaker; common in eastern Kentucky

German
Sammons

Son of Salomon, Solomon; Appalachian family

English
Sevier

French Xavier, new house; John Sevier's frontier family

French
Sexton

Church officer who kept the graveyard; common in mountain families

English
Shepherd

Keeper of sheep; common in Appalachian families

English
Shook

Americanised German Schuch, shoemaker; western North Carolina family

German
Short

Nickname for a short person; common in Appalachian families

English
Shults

Americanised German Schulz, village mayor; Smoky Mountain name

German
Sizemore

English name of uncertain origin; widespread in eastern Kentucky

English
Skaggs

Possibly from Old Norse skeggi, bearded; an Appalachian music family

English
Slone

Variant of Sloan, Irish Ó Sluaghain, raider; Knott County name

Irish
Slusher

Americanised German Schlosser, locksmith; Bell County family

German
Sparkman

Probably a servant of a man named Spark; Kentucky family

English
Sparks

Nickname for a lively person, Old Norse sparkr

English
Spears

Spearman, or a nickname; common in Kentucky hills

English
Stacy

Pet form of Eustace; an old eastern Kentucky family

English
Stallard

Possibly a stall keeper or valiant man; Wise County family

English
Stamper

One who stamped or crushed, or a place name; Kentucky family

English
Stapleton

Farm by a post or pillar; common in Johnson County

English
Staton

Variant of Staunton, stony farm; a Tug Valley family

English
Stepp

Dweller by a steep slope, or German Stepp; Kentucky family

German
Stidham

Swedish colonial name from Stiddem, later spread through Kentucky hills

Nordic
Stollings

Possibly from German Stalling; Logan County family

German
Sturgill

Possibly from a Yorkshire place; southwest Virginia family

English
Sutherland

Scottish county, the southern land of the Norse

Scottish

T

Tackett

Probably a diminutive of an old personal name; Pike County family

English
Terry

From the Norman name Thierry; Appalachian family

English
Thacker

Roofer who laid thatch; common in Appalachian families

English
Tiller

Tiller of the soil or a maker of crossbows; Virginia hills

English
Tipton

Staffordshire place, Tippa's farm; Cades Cove family

English
Toler

Toll collector; common in West Virginia mountain families

English
Tolliver

Anglicised Taliaferro, Italian iron cutter; common in Virginia hills

Italian
Trent

Dweller by the River Trent; Kentucky and Virginia family

English
Triplett

Possibly from a Norman nickname; common in mountain families

English

V

Vanhoose

Dutch van Huis, of the house; eastern Kentucky family

Dutch
Vanover

Dutch van Oever, from the riverbank; eastern Kentucky name

Dutch
Varney

From Vernay in Normandy, alder grove; Tug Valley family

English

W

Ward

Watchman or guard; the Beech Mountain ballad and tale family

English
Whaley

Lancashire place, clearing by a road; Smoky Mountain family

English
Whitaker

Dweller by a white or wheat field

English
Whitt

Variant of White, fair-haired; southwest Virginia family

English
Williamson

Son of William; Tug Valley family in the feud era

English
Wireman

Americanised German Weiermann, pond keeper; Magoffin County name

German
Wolford

Americanised German Wohlfahrt, welfare; Kentucky hills family

German
Wooton

Farm by a wood; eastern Kentucky family

English
Workman

Labourer or craftsman; common in West Virginia hills

English

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Results (6)

Gross

German for big or tall; Appalachian family

German
Amburgey

Americanised German Amberger, from Amberg; Knott County name

German
Bolling

Dweller in a hollow, or a Yorkshire place; old Virginia family

English
Stollings

Possibly from German Stalling; Logan County family

German
Nichols

Son of Nicholas; common in Appalachian families

English
Whitaker

Dweller by a white or wheat field

English

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Where the word hillbilly came from

The word hillbilly appeared in American print around 1900, describing white farmers who lived in the southern mountains. Some writers link the billy part to Ulster Scots settlers who supported King William of Orange, but that idea is disputed. For much of the twentieth century it was a put-down used by outsiders, although record companies in the 1920s used it to sell early country music, and some mountain people have since adopted it with humor or pride.

This page uses the term only because it is how many people search for these names. The surnames themselves are simply the family names of Appalachia, carried by coal miners, farmers, teachers, soldiers, musicians and everyone else who has lived in the mountains. Nothing about them is comic or backward. They record a history of migration from Ulster, Scotland, England, Wales and the German lands into the hollows and ridges of Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, Virginia and North Carolina.

Hillbilly last names and their origins

Ulster Scots settlers, often called Scots-Irish in America, brought many of the most familiar names. Campbell comes from the Gaelic caimbeul, crooked mouth, a nickname that became one of the great Highland clan names. McCoy comes from Mac Aodha, son of Aodh, an old Irish and Scottish personal name linked with fire. Gibson means son of Gib, a pet form of Gilbert. These names crossed the Atlantic in the eighteenth century and spread along the Great Wagon Road.

Welsh, English and German families added their own layers. Blevins comes from the Welsh ab Bleddyn, son of Bleddyn, a name meaning wolf. Combs is usually an English topographic name for someone who lived in a small valley, from Old English cumb. German settlers from Pennsylvania brought names that were often respelled over time, so a Kuntz might become Coons. Together these names form a distinctive regional mix that genealogists can often trace back to particular counties.

Researching an Appalachian family name

If your family has roots in the mountains, a surname from this list can be a starting point for genealogy rather than the end of it. Appalachian records can be patchy because courthouses burned, spellings varied and many births went unregistered for decades. Census returns, church books, land grants, military pension files and family Bibles often fill the gaps. Local historical societies and county libraries in the region hold collections that never made it online.

It also helps to know that the same family might appear under several spellings, such as Mullins and Mullens, or Combs and Coombs, depending on who wrote the record. Use the search box to try variations, and read the origin line to see where the name came from before it reached America. For writers creating mountain characters, choosing a real regional name and treating it with care is the best way to avoid stereotype.

Frequently asked questions

What are common hillbilly last names?

Names long common in Appalachia include Campbell, McCoy, Gibson, Blevins, Combs, Mullins, Collins and Baker. They reflect Scots-Irish, English, Welsh and German settlement in the mountains. They are ordinary family names, carried today by people from every background and walk of life.

Is hillbilly an offensive word?

It can be. Hillbilly has often been used by outsiders to mock rural mountain people, and many Appalachians dislike it. Others use it among themselves with humor or pride. This page uses it only as a search term for regional surnames, not as a description of anyone.

Why are so many Appalachian names Scots-Irish?

Large numbers of Presbyterian settlers from Ulster arrived in the eighteenth century, landed in Pennsylvania and moved south along the Great Wagon Road into the backcountry. They settled the mountain frontier alongside English, Welsh and German families, and their surnames remain widespread in the region today.

What does the surname Blevins mean?

Blevins is Welsh. It comes from ab Bleddyn, meaning son of Bleddyn, and Bleddyn is an old Welsh personal name meaning wolf or wolf cub. Welsh settlers brought it to America, and it is well known today in the mountains of Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee.