Inuit Last Names

These Inuit last names are real family names from Nunavut, Nunavik, Labrador, Greenland and Alaska, shown with syllabics where they apply. Most were adopted within living memory, so each one belongs to specific families rather than to Inuit as a whole.

127 real surnames with meanings, A to Z.

A

Aariak ᐋᕆᐊᒃ

Nunavut family name from a relative's name, Project Surname 1968-1971
Abelsen

Greenlandic family name; son of Abel
Aglukkaq ᐊᒡᓗᒃᑲᖅ

Kitikmeot family name from a relative's name, Project Surname 1968-1971
Ahmaogak

Iñupiaq family name from Utqiagvik, Alaska
Akeeagok ᐊᑭᐊᒍᖅ

Grise Fiord family name from a relative's name, Project Surname 1968-1971
Akesuk

Kinngait family name from a relative's name, Project Surname 1968-1971
Akpaliapik

Baffin Island family name from a relative's name, Project Surname 1968-1971
Amagoalik

Resolute Bay family name from a relative's name, Project Surname 1968-1971
Anawak

Kivalliq family name from a relative's name, Project Surname 1968-1971
Andersen

Nunatsiavut and Greenlandic family name of Danish origin
Angnakak

Baffin Island family name from a relative's name, Project Surname 1968-1971
Annahatak

Nunavik family name from a forebear's Inuktitut name
Arnaquq ᐊᕐᓇᖁᖅ

Baffin Island family name from a relative's name, Project Surname 1968-1971
Arreak

Baffin Island family name from a relative's name, Project Surname 1968-1971
Arvaluk

Igloolik family name from a relative's name, Project Surname 1968-1971
Ashevak ᐊᓯᕙᒃ

Kinngait family name, known for Inuit artists
Ashoona

Kinngait family name, known for Inuit artists

B

Berthelsen

Greenlandic family name; son of Berthel
Brower

Iñupiaq family of American descent, Utqiagvik

C

Cockney

Inuvialuit family name, possibly of English origin

E

Egede

Greenlandic family name, likely after missionary Hans Egede
Enoksen

Greenlandic family name; son of Enok
Etidlooie

Kinngait family name from a relative's name, Project Surname 1968-1971
Etok

Nunavik family name from a forebear's Inuktitut name
Evaluarjuk

Igloolik family name from a relative's name, Project Surname 1968-1971

F

Flowers

Nunatsiavut family name of English origin
Frederiksen

Greenlandic family name; son of Frederik

G

Gruben

Inuvialuit family name from Tuktoyaktuk

H

Hammeken

Greenlandic family name of Danish origin
Heilmann

Greenlandic family name of German-Danish origin
Hopson

Iñupiaq family of English descent, Utqiagvik

I

Ikkidluak

Kimmirut family name from a relative's name, Project Surname 1968-1971
Ikkusek

Nunatsiavut family name from Labrador
Illauq

Clyde River family name from a relative's name, Project Surname 1968-1971
Innuksuk ᐃᓄᒃᓱᒃ

From inuksuk, stone cairn resembling a person
Inuktalik

Inuvialuit family name from the western Arctic
Ipellie

Iqaluit family name from a relative's name, Project Surname 1968-1971
Iqaluk

From iqaluk, fish
Irniq

From irniq, son
Itta

Iñupiaq family name from Utqiagvik, Alaska

J

Jararuse

Nunatsiavut family name from Labrador
Jeremiassen

Greenlandic family name; son of Jeremias
Joamie

Iqaluit family name, possibly from a baptismal name
Josefsen

Greenlandic family name; son of Josef

K

Kaleak

Iñupiaq family name from Alaska's North Slope
Kalinek

Inuvialuit family name from the western Arctic
Kalleo

Nunatsiavut family name from Labrador
Kalluak

Arviat family name; possibly from kalluk, thunder
Kaludjak

Rankin Inlet family name from a relative's name, Project Surname 1968-1971
Kappianaq

Igloolik family name from a relative's name, Project Surname 1968-1971
Karetak

Arviat family name from a relative's name, Project Surname 1968-1971
Kasudluak

Nunavik family name from a forebear's Inuktitut name
Kavik

From qavvik, wolverine
Kawagley

Yup'ik (not Inuit) family name from southwest Alaska
Keenainak

Pangnirtung family name from a relative's name, Project Surname 1968-1971
Kenuajuak

Nunavik family name from a forebear's Inuktitut name
Kielsen

Greenlandic family name of Danish origin
Kikoak

Inuvialuit family name from the western Arctic
Kilabuk

Pangnirtung family name from a relative's name, Project Surname 1968-1971
Kleist

Greenlandic family name of German-Danish origin
Klengenberg

Inuvialuit family of Danish descent
Kreutzmann

Greenlandic family name of German origin
Kristiansen

Greenlandic family name; son of Kristian
Kudlak

Inuvialuit family name from the western Arctic
Kuitse

Greenlandic Inuit family name from East Greenland
Kunuk ᑯᓄᒃ

Igloolik family name from a relative's name, Project Surname 1968-1971
Kuptana

Inuvialuit family name from the western Arctic
Kusugak ᑯᓱᒐᖅ

Kivalliq family name from a relative's name, Project Surname 1968-1971

L

Lennert

Greenlandic family name of Danish origin
Lynge

Greenlandic family name of Danish origin

M

Motzfeldt

Greenlandic family name of Norwegian-Danish origin

N

Nageak

Iñupiaq family name from Alaska's North Slope
Nappaaluk

Nunavik family name from a forebear's Inuktitut name
Nashalik

Pangnirtung family name from a relative's name, Project Surname 1968-1971
Nasogaluak

Inuvialuit family name from the western Arctic
Nathanielsen

Greenlandic family name; son of Nathaniel
Netser

Nunavut family name from a relative's name, Project Surname 1968-1971
Nirlungayuk

Kivalliq family name from a relative's name, Project Surname 1968-1971
Nochasak

Nunatsiavut family name from Labrador
Novalinga

Nunavik family name from a forebear's Inuktitut name
Nutarak

Possibly from nutaraq, child

O

Obed

Nunatsiavut family name from a Moravian baptismal name
Okakok

Iñupiaq family name from Alaska's North Slope
Okalik ᐅᑲᓕᖅ

From ukaliq, Arctic hare
Olsen

Greenlandic family name of Danish origin; son of Ole
Oomittuk

Iñupiaq family name from Point Hope, Alaska
Oonark

Qamani'tuaq family name from a relative's name, Project Surname 1968-1971
Ootoova

Pond Inlet family name from a relative's name, Project Surname 1968-1971
Oquilluk

Iñupiaq family name from Alaska's Seward Peninsula
Ottokie

Kinngait family name from a relative's name, Project Surname 1968-1971

P

Pamak

Nunatsiavut family name from Labrador
Petersen

Greenlandic family name; son of Peter
Pitseolak ᐱᑦᓯᐅᓛᖅ

From pitsiulaaq, the black guillemot (sea pigeon)
Pokiak

Inuvialuit family name from the western Arctic
Pootoogook

Kinngait family name, known for Inuit artists
Poulsen

Greenlandic family name; son of Poul
Pudlat

Kinngait family name from a relative's name, Project Surname 1968-1971

Q

Qaqqaq

From qaqqaq, mountain or hill
Qinnuayuak

Kinngait family name from a relative's name, Project Surname 1968-1971
Qitsualik ᕿᑦᓱᐊᓕᒃ

Nunavut family name from a relative's name, Project Surname 1968-1971
Quassa

Igloolik family name from a relative's name, Project Surname 1968-1971
Qujaukitsoq

Greenlandic Inuit family name from Avanersuaq
Qumaq

Nunavik family name from a forebear's Inuktitut name

R

Rosing

Greenlandic family name of Danish origin

S

Saila

Kinngait family name from a relative's name, Project Surname 1968-1971
Sammurtok

Kivalliq family name from a relative's name, Project Surname 1968-1971
Sandgreen

Greenlandic family name of Danish origin
Savikataaq ᓴᕕᑲᑖᖅ

Arviat family name; possibly from savik, knife or metal
Shaa

Kinngait family name from a relative's name, Project Surname 1968-1971
Sivuarapik

Nunavik family name from Puvirnituq, known for Inuit carvers

T

Tagalik

Nunavut family name from a relative's name, Project Surname 1968-1971
Tagarook

Iñupiaq family name from Wainwright, Alaska
Taptuna

Kitikmeot family name from a relative's name, Project Surname 1968-1971
Tatty

Rankin Inlet family name from a relative's name, Project Surname 1968-1971
Tiktak

Rankin Inlet family name from a relative's name, Project Surname 1968-1971
Tookoome

Qamani'tuaq family name from a relative's name, Project Surname 1968-1971
Toonoo

Kinngait family name from a relative's name, Project Surname 1968-1971
Tootoo

Rankin Inlet family name from a relative's name, Project Surname 1968-1971
Tuglavina

Nunatsiavut family name from Labrador
Tukalak

Nunavik family name from a forebear's Inuktitut name
Tulugak

From tulugaq, raven
Tungilik

Naujaat family name from a relative's name, Project Surname 1968-1971
Tunnillie

Kinngait family name from a relative's name, Project Surname 1968-1971

U

Ungalaq

Igloolik family name from a relative's name, Project Surname 1968-1971
Uyarasuk

Possibly from ujarak, stone

V

Veevee

Pangnirtung family name from a relative's name, Project Surname 1968-1971

W

Weetaluktuk

Nunavik family name from a forebear's Inuktitut name

Generate random inuit surnames

Filter by first letter, length and rarity, add a first name to preview the full name, then copy or save your favorites.

Results (6)

Tiktak

Rankin Inlet family name from a relative's name, Project Surname 1968-1971
Netser

Nunavut family name from a relative's name, Project Surname 1968-1971
Hammeken

Greenlandic family name of Danish origin
Tookoome

Qamani'tuaq family name from a relative's name, Project Surname 1968-1971
Tootoo

Rankin Inlet family name from a relative's name, Project Surname 1968-1971
Pamak

Nunatsiavut family name from Labrador

Saved names

Names you save will appear here. They stay in this browser only.

Open the full generator

How Inuit last names came to be

Inuit did not traditionally use inherited surnames. A person received one or more names, often those of a relative who had recently died, and the name carried a bond with that person. Names were not tied to gender, and a child might be called by a kinship term that matched the relative they were named for. Because names moved between generations in this way, there was no need for a fixed family name shared by parents, children and grandchildren.

In Canada, officials found this system hard to fit into their records. From the early 1940s, the federal government issued numbered discs to Inuit, and people were identified by these numbers in many dealings with the state. Between 1968 and 1971, Project Surname, led by Abraham Okpik, travelled to communities and asked each family to choose a surname. Many chose the name of a father or grandfather, which is how names like Kusugak, Qitsualik, Amagoalik and Pootoogook became family names.

Spellings, syllabics and regional histories

In Nunavut and Nunavik, Inuktitut is usually written in syllabics, and the list shows the syllabic form beside the Roman spelling where it is known. Roman spellings were often written down by officials who did not speak the language, so one name may appear as Pitseolak, Pitsiulak or Pitsiulaaq. Families today sometimes update the spelling to match modern Inuktitut orthography, while others keep the version that was on their first documents.

Other regions followed different paths. In Labrador, earlier contact with missionaries and traders means many Inuit families carry European surnames. In Greenland, Danish colonial rule and the church left names such as Kleist, Lynge, Egede, Motzfeldt and Berthelsen alongside Greenlandic ones. In Alaska, many Iñupiat and Yupik families received English surnames from teachers, missionaries and officials, though some use Indigenous names. The list includes examples from each region so you can see the difference.

Researching a family behind a name

Because most Inuit surnames were chosen by individual families in the twentieth century, a name usually points to a small, specific group of relatives. Even so, two families in different communities may have picked the same name independently, and a surname alone does not prove ancestry or membership in any Inuit community. Belonging rests on real family connections and on recognition by the community, not on a name found in a list.

If you are researching a particular family, start with living relatives and community elders, who often know how and why a name was chosen. Regional Inuit organisations, community archives and national archives in Canada and Denmark hold records from the disc and surname era. If you are a writer, treat these as names belonging to real people. Avoid giving a well known family's name to a stereotyped character, and consider consulting Inuit readers.

Frequently asked questions

Are Inuit last names very old?

Most are not. In Canada, the majority of Inuit surnames date from Project Surname between 1968 and 1971, when families chose a name, often a father's or grandfather's. The personal names they are built from can be much older, since names were passed down over many generations.

What were disc numbers?

From the early 1940s, the Canadian government issued Inuit with numbered identification discs, often worn or carried, because officials struggled with Inuit naming. People were recorded by these numbers in health, police and census records until surnames were registered through Project Surname.

Does sharing a name mean two families are related?

Not necessarily. Families in different communities sometimes chose the same name on their own, and spellings vary widely. A shared surname can be a useful starting point for research, but only records and family knowledge can confirm a real connection.

Can I use Inuit last names for a fictional character?

You can, but remember that these names belong to real, often small, families. Choose a name that fits the region of your story, avoid tying it to harmful stereotypes, and if Inuit characters are central to your work, ask Inuit readers to review how they are portrayed.