Pirate Last Names

These pirate last names are real surnames carried by historical pirates, buccaneers and privateers, plus old nautical family names, each shown with its meaning, origin and the seafarer who made it famous where relevant.

232 real surnames with meanings, A to Z.

A

Anstis

From Anastasia, a woman's name; pirate Thomas Anstis

English
Archer

Bowman; pirate John Rose Archer

English
Ashplant

Rare English name, ash sapling; Valentine Ashplant of Roberts' crew

English
Auger

Germanic Adalgar, noble spear; pirate-turned-hunter John Augur

English
Aury

French family name; privateer Louis-Michel Aury of the Gulf

French
Avery

From the name Alfred or Aubrey; pirate Henry Avery

English

B

Baldridge

Bald ridge; pirate trader Adam Baldridge of Madagascar

English
Bannister

Basket maker, or a keeper of baths; pirate Joseph Bannister

English
Barbaros

Turkish form of Barbarossa, after the famed corsair admiral

Turkish
Barbarossa

Italian for red beard; corsair admiral Hayreddin Barbarossa

Italian
Barney

Possibly from Barnby, or Irish; privateer Joshua Barney

English
Barrow

Dweller by a hill or grove; Nassau pirate Thomas Barrow

English
Bart

Pet form of Bartholomew; French privateer Jean Bart

French
Barton

Barley farm; Scottish privateer Andrew Barton

Scottish
Beach

Dweller by a stream or beech tree

English
Bellamy

Old French bel ami, fine friend; Black Sam Bellamy

English
Beluche

French family name; privateer Renato Beluche, Lafitte's ally

French
Bishop

Pageant bishop or bishop's servant; Barbary pirate Richard Bishop

English
Blauvelt

Dutch for blue field; privateer Abraham Blauvelt, namesake of Bluefields

Dutch
Boatman

Worker on a boat or ferry

English
Boatwright

Builder of boats

English
Bonnet

Maker of bonnets or caps; Stede Bonnet, the gentleman pirate

English
Bonny

Scots for pretty or fine; Anne Bonny, famous woman pirate

Scottish
Booth

Herdsman's hut; pirate George Booth

English
Bouchard

French for mouth or talker; privateer Hipólito Bouchard

French
Bowen

Welsh ab Owen; pirate John Bowen of Madagascar

Welsh
Boyle

Irish Ó Baoighill; Baltimore privateer Thomas Boyle

Irish
Bradish

Of uncertain English origin; pirate Joseph Bradish

English
Brown

Brown-haired; pirate Nicholas Brown

English
Bull

Nickname for a strong man; Dixey Bull, New England's first pirate

English
Burgess

Freeman of a borough; pirate Samuel Burgess of Madagascar

English

C

Cable

Maker of rope and cables

English
Callice

Of uncertain origin; Welsh pirate John Callice of the 1570s

Welsh
Carpenter

Woodworker, every ship carried one

English
Cassard

French family name; corsair Jacques Cassard of Nantes

French
Cavendish

Suffolk place; privateer Thomas Cavendish sailed around the world

English
Cheung

Cantonese Zhang, bowmaker; pirate Cheung Po Tsai

Chinese
Chidley

English place name; privateer John Chidley

English
Chivers

From Old French chevre, goat; Dutch pirate Dirk Chivers

English
Clifford

Ford by a cliff; privateering Earl George Clifford

English
Cocklyn

Diminutive of cock, a jaunty person; pirate Thomas Cocklyn

English
Cockram

Devon name of uncertain origin; Nassau pirate John Cockram

English
Cofresí

Puerto Rican family name; the pirate Roberto Cofresí

Spanish
Collier

Charcoal burner; Edward Collier, Henry Morgan's vice-admiral

English
Compaen

Dutch for companion; pirate Claes Compaen

Dutch
Condent

Of uncertain origin; pirate Christopher Condent of Madagascar

English
Cook

Cook or seller of cooked meat; buccaneer John Cook

English
Cooper

Barrel maker, vital aboard any ship

English
Corsaro

Italian for corsair, perhaps from a seafaring nickname

Italian
Cowley

Cow pasture clearing; buccaneer navigator Ambrose Cowley

English
Coxon

Son of Cock, a pet name; buccaneer John Coxon

English
Crowninshield

German origin; the Salem family of privateers and shipowners

German
Culliford

Probably an English place name; pirate Robert Culliford

English
Cusack

Norman-Irish place name; Irish pirate George Cusack

Irish
Cutler

Maker of knives and blades

English

D

Dampier

From Dampierre in France; buccaneer and explorer William Dampier

English
Danser

Dutch for dancer; corsair Simon Danser

Dutch
Davis

Son of David; Welsh pirate Howell Davis

Welsh
Delmar

Spanish del mar, of the sea

Spanish
Dover

From the port of Dover, Kent

English
Drake

From Old English draca, dragon; privateer Sir Francis Drake

English
Dudley

Dudda's clearing; Robert Dudley led a privateering voyage in 1594

English

E

Easton

East farm; Peter Easton, pirate admiral of Newfoundland

English
Eaton

River farm; buccaneer John Eaton of the Pacific raids

English
England

Someone who came from England; pirate captain Edward England

English
Evans

Son of Evan, John; Welsh pirate John Evans

Welsh
Every

Variant of Avery; Long Ben Henry Every seized the Ganj-i-Sawai

English
Exquemelin

Of uncertain Dutch or French origin; chronicler of the buccaneers

Dutch

F

Fenner

Fen dweller; Elizabethan privateer Thomas Fenner

English
Ferriman

Ferryman who carried passengers across water

English
Fillmore

Old English famous and great; John Fillmore overthrew his pirate captors

English
Flagg

Dweller by flagstones or a reed bed

English
Fleet

Dweller by a creek or estuary, Old English fleot

English
Fly

Nickname for a quick person; pirate William Fly, hanged 1726

English
Frobisher

Furbisher of armour; privateer and explorer Martin Frobisher

English
Funakoshi

Japanese, crossing by boat

Japanese

G

Gale

Nickname for a jovial person, or a jail keeper

English
Gambi

Italian family name; pirate Vincent Gambi of Barataria

Italian
Gibbs

Son of Gib, pet form of Gilbert; pirate Charles Gibbs

English
Gilbert

Germanic bright pledge; pirate Pedro Gilbert of the Panda

English
Glover

Maker of gloves; pirate Robert Glover

English
Gow

Gaelic gobha, smith; Orkney pirate John Gow

Scottish
De Graaf

Dutch for the count; buccaneer Laurens de Graaf

Dutch
Grammont

French for great mountain; buccaneer Michel de Grammont

French
Grenville

From Grainville in Normandy; privateer Sir Richard Grenville

English
Gunner

From Old Norse Gunnar, battle warrior

English

H

Halsey

Possibly from Halsway in Somerset; Boston privateer John Halsey

English
Hamlin

Diminutive of Hamo; French pirate Jean Hamlin

French
Hands

Son of Hand, or a craftsman; Israel Hands, Blackbeard's sailing master

English
Haraden

Of uncertain origin; Massachusetts privateer Jonathan Haraden

English
Harris

Son of Harry; pirate Charles Harris, who sailed with Low

English
Haven

Dweller by a harbour

English
Hawkins

Son of little Hal; Elizabethan privateer John Hawkins

English
Hein

Pet form of Heinrich; Dutch privateer Piet Hein seized a treasure fleet

Dutch
Helm

Dweller by a cattle shelter, or a helmet maker

English
Henriques

Son of Henrique; Moses Cohen Henriques, Jewish pirate

Jewish
Herriot

Scottish place name; David Herriot, Stede Bonnet's sailing master

Scottish
Van Hoorn

From Hoorn in Holland; buccaneer Nikolaas van Hoorn

Dutch
Hornigold

Rare English name of uncertain origin; Nassau pirate Benjamin Hornigold

English
Hull

Dweller on a hill, though it sounds like a ship's hull

English

I

Ireland

Someone from Ireland; pirate John Ireland

English
Isles

Dweller on an island

English

J

Jackman

Servant of Jack; buccaneer Captain Jackman, who raided with Morgan

English
Janszoon

Dutch son of Jan; Jan Janszoon, corsair Murat Reis

Dutch
Jennings

Son of little John; privateer turned pirate Henry Jennings

English
Jol

Dutch family name; privateer Cornelis Jol, called Pegleg

Dutch
Jones

Son of John; John Paul Jones, branded a pirate by Britain

Welsh

K

Kapetanakis

Greek for son of the captain

Greek
Keel

Possibly from Keele in Staffordshire, cow hill

English
Kennedy

Irish Ó Cinnéide, helmeted head; pirate Walter Kennedy

Irish
Kidd

Nickname from a young goat; Captain William Kidd, hanged in 1701

Scottish
Killigrew

Cornish place, grove of eagles; a family of Falmouth pirates

English
Kurushima

Japanese island name; a pirate clan of the Seto Inland Sea

Japanese

L

Lafitte

Gascon la fita, a boundary stone; Gulf pirate Jean Lafitte

French
Lancaster

Roman fort on the Lune; privateer James Lancaster

English
Levasseur

French le vasseur, the vassal; pirate Olivier Levasseur, La Buse

French
Lewis

From Louis, famous warrior; pirate William Lewis

Welsh
Lin

Chinese for forest; Lin Feng, pirate who attacked Manila

Chinese
Low

Dweller by a burial mound; the ruthless pirate Edward Low

English
Lowther

Cumbrian place and river, foamy water; pirate George Lowther

English
Lyne

Dweller by a lime tree or a torrent; pirate Philip Lyne

English

M

Mace

Maker of maces, or Matthew; pirate William Mace

English
Mainwaring

Norman estate name; Henry Mainwaring, pirate turned admiral

English
Mansvelt

Dutch place name, man's field; buccaneer Edward Mansvelt

Dutch
Marin

From Latin marinus, of the sea

Spanish
Mariner

Seaman, from Anglo-Norman mariner

English
Marino

Italian from Latin marinus, of the sea

Italian
Marriner

Sailor or seaman, from Old French marinier

English
Martel

Old French for hammer; pirate John Martel of the Caribbean

French
Masters

Son of the master, or a ship's master

English
May

Young man or kinsman; pirate William May

English
Maynard

Germanic strong and hardy; Robert Maynard, who defeated Blackbeard

English
Michels

Son of Michael; Gödeke Michels, leader of the Victual Brothers

German
Minato

Japanese for harbour

Japanese
Montbars

French place name; buccaneer Daniel Montbars, the Exterminator

French
Moody

Old English modig, brave; pirate Christopher Moody

English
Morgan

Welsh Morcant, possibly sea-bright; buccaneer Sir Henry Morgan

Welsh
Murakami

Village above; the Murakami sea-lord clan of the Inland Sea

Japanese
Myngs

Of uncertain English origin; Christopher Myngs led buccaneer raids

English

N

Newport

New market town; privateer Christopher Newport

English
North

Dweller to the north; pirate Nathaniel North

English
Nutt

Nut seller; Devon pirate John Nutt

English

O

O'Flaherty

Irish Ó Flaithbheartaigh, bright ruler; sea-raiding clan of Connacht

Irish
O'Malley

Irish Ó Máille; Grace O'Malley, the pirate queen of Connacht

Irish
Oxenham

Devon place, oxen farm; John Oxenham, Drake's privateer comrade

English

P

Pallache

Sephardic family name; Samuel Pallache, Jewish privateer and diplomat

Jewish
Parrott

Pet form of Peter, perfect for a pirate's shoulder

English
Phillips

Son of Philip, lover of horses; pirate John Phillips

Welsh
Pining

Of uncertain German origin; privateer Didrik Pining of the North Atlantic

German
Plantain

Of uncertain origin; John Plantain, pirate king of Ranter Bay

English
Pointis

French place name; Baron de Pointis raided Cartagena in 1697

French
Pothorst

Low German place name; privateer Hans Pothorst

German
Pound

Keeper of the village pound; pirate Thomas Pound

English
Preston

Priest's farm; privateer Amyas Preston

English
Purser

Maker of purses, later a ship's paymaster

English

Q

Quelch

Possibly from Old English walh, a Welshman; pirate John Quelch

English

R

Rackham

From Rackham in Sussex; Calico Jack Rackham, pirate captain

English
Raleigh

Roe deer clearing; Sir Walter Raleigh, privateer

English
Read

Nickname for red hair; Mary Read, who sailed with Rackham

English
Reis

Turkish for captain, the title of Ottoman corsairs

Turkish
Rhett

Dweller by a stream; William Rhett captured Stede Bonnet

English
Rigg

Dweller on a ridge, Old Norse hryggr

English
Ringrose

Nickname or house-sign name; buccaneer journalist Basil Ringrose

English
Roberts

Son of Robert; Bartholomew Roberts, by ships taken the most successful pirate of the Golden Age

Welsh
Rogers

Son of Roger; Woodes Rogers, privateer and pirate hunter

English
Rumbelow

From a sailors' rowing refrain, heave and rumbelow

English

S

Salkeld

Cumbrian place, willow slope; Thomas Salkeld, self-styled king of Lundy

English
Sawkins

Diminutive of a pet name; buccaneer Richard Sawkins

English
Saylor

Sounds nautical but from Old French sailleor, dancer

English
Schiffer

German for boatman or skipper

German
Schiffmann

German for boatman or bargeman

German
Scudamore

Norman name of uncertain meaning; Peter Scudamore, pirate surgeon

English
Seaborn

From Old English Saebeorn, sea warrior

English
Seabright

From Old English Saebeorht, sea-bright

English
Seago

Norfolk name, probably from a Norse personal name

English
Seaman

Sailor, or from Old English Saemann

English
Searle

From the Norman name Serlo; buccaneer Robert Searle

English
Seaton

Farm by the sea

English
Seaver

From Old English Saefaru, sea journey

English
Seaward

From Old English Saeweard, sea guardian

English
Seemann

German for seaman or sailor

German
Sharkey

Irish Ó Searcaigh, beloved

Irish
Sharp

Nickname for a keen, quick person; buccaneer Bartholomew Sharp

English
Shipman

Sailor or ship's master

English
Shipton

Sheep farm, not a ship; pirate Captain Shipton sailed with Low

English
Shipwright

Builder of ships

English
Shirley

Bright clearing; privateer Sir Anthony Sherley

English
Shore

Dweller by a shore or steep slope

English
Sjöberg

Swedish ornamental name, sea mountain

Nordic
Sjöström

Swedish ornamental name, sea stream

Nordic
Skyrme

Welsh name, fighter or fencer; pirate James Skyrme

Welsh
Soto

Spanish for grove; pirate Benito de Soto

Spanish
Spriggs

Nickname for a slender person, a sprig; pirate Francis Spriggs

English
Storm

Nickname for a stormy-tempered person

English
Störtebeker

Low German, empty the beaker; pirate Klaus Störtebeker

German
Stuurman

Dutch for helmsman or mate

Dutch
Surcouf

Breton family name; French corsair Robert Surcouf

French
Swan

Keeper of swans; buccaneer Charles Swan, Dampier's captain

English

T

Talbot

Norman name; privateer Silas Talbot

English
Taylor

Cutter of cloth; pirate John Taylor of the Indian Ocean

English
Teach

Recorded surname of Edward Teach, the pirate Blackbeard

English
Tempest

Nickname for a turbulent person

English
Tew

From Tew in Oxfordshire, a ridge; Rhode Island pirate Thomas Tew

English
Thalassinos

Greek for of the sea

Greek
Thatch

Roof thatcher; another spelling of Blackbeard's surname

English
Thurot

French family name; privateer François Thurot

French
Townley

Lancashire place, town clearing; buccaneer Captain Townley

English
Treasure

Treasurer, keeper of a lord's treasure

English

U

Umino

Japanese, of the sea field

Japanese

V

Vane

Variant of Fane, glad, or a weathervane; pirate Charles Vane

English
Veal

From Old French viel, old; legendary pirate Thomas Veal of Lynn

English
Verney

From Vernay in Normandy, alder grove; corsair Sir Francis Verney

English
Visser

Dutch for fisherman

Dutch

W

Wafer

Maker of wafers; buccaneer surgeon Lionel Wafer

English
Wake

Nickname for an alert person; pirate Thomas Wake

English
Wall

Dweller by a wall; Rachel Wall, America's first woman pirate

English
Wang

Chinese for king; Wang Zhi, sixteenth-century pirate lord

Chinese
Want

Nickname from want, a mole; pirate Richard Want

English
Ward

Watchman or guard; Barbary corsair Jack Ward

English
Waterman

Boatman or ferryman, or a water carrier

English
Waters

Son of Walter, or a dweller by water

English
Watling

From Watling Street, or Wacol's people; buccaneer John Watling

English
Watts

Son of Wat, Walter; privateering magnate John Watts

English
Whetstone

Dweller by a sharpening stone; buccaneer Sir Thomas Whetstone

English
White

Fair-haired; pirate Thomas White of Madagascar

English
Williams

Son of William; pirate Paulsgrave Williams, Bellamy's partner

Welsh
Winter

Born in winter; pirate Christopher Winter

English
Worley

Clearing by a weir; pirate Richard Worley of 1718

English
Wynne

Welsh gwyn, white or fair; pirate Emanuel Wynne

Welsh

X

Xu

Chinese state name, slow; pirate leader Xu Hai

Chinese

Z

Zeeman

Dutch for seaman

Dutch
Zheng

Chinese state name; Zheng Yi Sao led a vast pirate fleet

Chinese

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Hein

Pet form of Heinrich; Dutch privateer Piet Hein seized a treasure fleet

Dutch
Bouchard

French for mouth or talker; privateer Hipólito Bouchard

French
Crowninshield

German origin; the Salem family of privateers and shipowners

German
Levasseur

French le vasseur, the vassal; pirate Olivier Levasseur, La Buse

French
Read

Nickname for red hair; Mary Read, who sailed with Rackham

English
Janszoon

Dutch son of Jan; Jan Janszoon, corsair Murat Reis

Dutch

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Pirate last names from the golden age

The so-called golden age of piracy, roughly the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, produced most of the famous names in this list. Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard, sometimes appears in records as Thatch or Thache, a reminder of how loosely names were spelled. William Kidd carried a Scottish name meaning young goat, probably a nickname for a lively person. Bartholomew Roberts, a Welshman, captured more ships than almost any pirate of his era.

Women pirates left their names too. Anne Bonny took her married name, a Scots and northern English word meaning handsome or fine, and Mary Read carried an English name that usually described someone with red hair or a ruddy face. Both sailed with John Rackham, known as Calico Jack, whose surname comes from Rackham in Sussex. Samuel Bellamy, from Devon, had a name from the Old French bel ami, fine friend, which suits a captain remembered for treating captives fairly.

Privateers, buccaneers and legal raiders

Not every sea raider was an outlaw. Privateers carried letters of marque from a government that allowed them to attack enemy shipping, and they became national heroes at home and villains abroad. Francis Drake and John Hawkins sailed under English commissions against Spain, Henry Morgan led buccaneers against Spanish colonies with backing from Jamaica, and Jean Lafitte operated around New Orleans before helping American forces in the Battle of New Orleans.

The surnames behind these men are ordinary British and French names. Drake comes from Old English draca, dragon, or from a word for a male duck. Hawkins means little Hal, a pet form of Henry. Morgan is an old Welsh name often linked with the sea, and Lafitte is a Gascon name for someone living near a boundary stone. The list notes the historical figure beside each name so you can see who made it famous.

Nautical family names for sailors and stories

The list also includes surnames that came from the sea itself rather than from famous raiders. Seaman, Shipman and Marriner described men who earned their living on the water, while Waterman often meant a boatman on a river. Boatwright built boats, and Fisher needs no explanation. These names grew up in port towns and coastal villages, and they give a character a working maritime background without any fictional baggage attached.

For a story, game or costume, a real pirate surname adds instant history. Pair a plain first name with a name like Kidd, Rackham or Vane, and readers who know the period will catch the reference. If you would rather avoid a direct link to a real person, choose one of the nautical trade names instead. Use the search box to check spellings and the generator below the list to pull a few random options together.

Frequently asked questions

What are some real pirate last names?

Famous examples include Teach, Kidd, Roberts, Bonny, Read, Rackham, Vane, Bellamy, Every and Low. These were the actual surnames of pirates active in the Atlantic and Caribbean around the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, and each is still an ordinary family name today.

What was Blackbeard's real name?

Blackbeard was usually recorded as Edward Teach, though contemporary documents also spell it Thatch, Thache and in other ways. Little is certain about his early life, and some historians think Teach may not have been his birth name. He was killed off the coast of North Carolina in 1718.

What is the difference between a pirate and a privateer?

A privateer held a government commission, called a letter of marque, allowing attacks on enemy ships during wartime. A pirate had no such permission and attacked anyone. The line was thin, and several men on this list, including Henry Morgan and William Kidd, moved between the two roles.

Are any names on this list from pirate films or books?

No. Every name comes from a real historical figure or is a genuine surname with a seafaring feel, so there are no characters borrowed from fiction. That makes the list useful for historical writing and for anyone who wants a pirate name with a real story behind it.