lastnamegenerators

Swiss Last Names

These Swiss last names come from German, French, Italian and Romansh speaking regions, each shown with its origin and meaning, so you can search a name, jump to a letter or pull a few at random from the list.

300 real surnames with meanings, A to Z.

A

  • Achermann

    Swiss German; one living by a field

  • Aebersold

    Swiss German; possibly from Ebersold, a place name

  • Aebi

    Swiss German; pet form of Albrecht

  • Aebischer

    Swiss German (Fribourg); from Ebisch, a farm name

  • Aeschlimann

    Swiss German; possibly one from an ash grove (Äschli)

  • Ammann

    Swiss German; bailiff or local magistrate

  • Amstutz

    Swiss German; at the steep slope (Stutz)

  • Arnold

    Swiss German; from Arnold, eagle power

  • Arpagaus

    Romansh; meaning uncertain

  • Arquint

    Romansh (Engadine); meaning uncertain

  • Aubert

    Romandy French; from Albert, noble and bright

B

  • Bachmann

    Swiss German; one living by a brook

  • Balestra

    Ticino Italian; crossbow, a crossbowman

  • Barmettler

    Swiss German (Nidwalden); from Barmetten, a farm name

  • Barras

    Romandy French (Valais); possibly from barre, barrier

  • Bärtschi

    Swiss German; pet form of Bartholomäus

  • Bassi

    Ticino Italian; short in stature

  • Baumann

    Swiss German; farmer, peasant

  • Baumgartner

    Swiss German; orchard keeper

  • Berclaz

    Romandy French (Valais); meaning uncertain

  • Beretta

    Ticino Italian; cap maker

  • Berger

    Swiss German; one living on a mountain

  • Bernasconi

    Ticino Italian; possibly from a pet form of Bernardo

  • Bersier

    Romandy French; archer or hunter (berser)

  • Berther

    Romansh; from Berthold

  • Betschart

    Swiss German (Schwyz); meaning uncertain

  • Bezzola

    Romansh (Engadine); meaning uncertain

  • Bianchi

    Ticino Italian; white, fair-haired

  • Bieri

    Swiss German; of uncertain origin, possibly from Birne, pear

  • Biert

    Romansh (Engadine); meaning uncertain

  • Blanc

    Romandy French; white, fair-haired

  • Blaser

    Swiss German; horn blower, trumpeter

  • Blum

    Swiss German; flower

  • Blumer

    Swiss German (Glarus); from a flowered meadow

  • Bonvin

    Romandy French; good wine, a wine grower

  • Borel

    Romandy French; possibly from coarse cloth, bure

  • Bosshard

    Swiss German; from a Germanic personal name, meaning uncertain

  • Bourquin

    Romandy French; possibly from bourg, town dweller

  • Bovet

    Romandy French; little ox, a cowherd

  • Brändli

    Swiss German; possibly little burnt clearing

  • Bruchez

    Romandy French (Valais); possibly heather (bruyère)

  • Brun

    Swiss German; brown-haired

  • Brunner

    Swiss German; one living by a well or spring

  • Bucher

    Swiss German; one living by beech trees

  • Bugnon

    Romandy French; possibly a fritter, or a tree stump

  • Bühler

    Swiss German; one living on a hill (Bühl)

  • Bühlmann

    Swiss German; man from the hill

  • Bundi

    Romansh; meaning uncertain

  • Bürki

    Swiss German; pet form of Burkhard

  • Burri

    Swiss German; pet form of Burkhard

C

  • Cabalzar

    Romansh; meaning uncertain

  • Cadonau

    Romansh; meaning uncertain, Ca- house prefix

  • Cadruvi

    Romansh; house (Ca-) of a family, meaning uncertain

  • Caduff

    Romansh; meaning uncertain, Ca- house prefix

  • Camenisch

    Romansh; possibly from a place or house name

  • Caminada

    Romansh; possibly hearth room or chimney house

  • Candinas

    Romansh; meaning uncertain

  • Candrian

    Romansh; house of Andrea

  • Cantieni

    Romansh; meaning uncertain

  • Capaul

    Romansh; house of Paul

  • Capt

    Romandy French (Vaud); possibly head, chief

  • Carrupt

    Romandy French (Valais); meaning uncertain

  • Casanova

    Romansh; new house

  • Cassis

    Ticino Italian; meaning uncertain

  • Casutt

    Romansh; possibly lower house

  • Cathomen

    Romansh; house of Thomas

  • Cattaneo

    Ticino Italian; captain, a feudal title

  • Cavadini

    Ticino Italian; meaning uncertain

  • Cavegn

    Romansh; meaning uncertain

  • Cavelty

    Romansh; meaning uncertain, Ca- house prefix

  • Celio

    Ticino Italian; from Latin Caelius

  • Cereghetti

    Ticino Italian; possibly little cleric (cherico)

  • Chappuis

    Romandy French; carpenter (chapuis)

  • Charrière

    Romandy French; cart track

  • Chassot

    Romandy French (Fribourg); possibly from chasse, hunt

  • Chevalley

    Romandy French; possibly from cheval, horse

  • Christen

    Swiss German; from Christian

  • Clément

    Romandy French; from Clement, merciful

  • Clerc

    Romandy French; clerk or scholar

  • Cloetta

    Romansh (Engadine); meaning uncertain

  • Collenberg

    Romansh; from Collenberg, a castle name

  • Colombo

    Ticino Italian; dove

  • Cornu

    Romandy French; horned, a nickname

  • Cotti

    Ticino Italian; meaning uncertain

  • Crettenand

    Romandy French (Valais); possibly from crête, ridge

  • Crivelli

    Ticino Italian; sieves, a sieve maker

  • Cuendet

    Romandy French (Vaud); possibly from Conrad

  • Cuénod

    Romandy French (Vaud); possibly from Conrad

D

  • Dafflon

    Romandy French (Fribourg); meaning uncertain

  • Degonda

    Romansh; meaning uncertain

  • Délèze

    Romandy French (Valais); meaning uncertain

  • Deplazes

    Romansh; from the square (plaz)

  • Derungs

    Romansh; from a clearing (runc)

  • Dosch

    Romansh; meaning uncertain

  • Duc

    Romandy French; duke, or eagle owl

  • Durrer

    Swiss German (Nidwalden); possibly from dürr, dry land

  • Duvoisin

    Romandy French; of the neighbour

E

  • Egger

    Swiss German; one living on a ridge or corner (Egg)

  • Egli

    Swiss German; possibly from perch fish, or Egilolf

  • Egloff

    Swiss German; from Egilolf, edge and wolf

  • Epiney

    Romandy French (Valais); from a thorny place (épine)

F

  • Fankhauser

    Swiss German; from Fankhaus in the Emmental

  • Fässler

    Swiss German; cooper

  • Favre

    Romandy French; smith

  • Felder

    Swiss German; one living by the fields

  • Fellay

    Romandy French (Valais); meaning uncertain

  • Ferrari

    Ticino Italian; smith

  • Fischer

    Swiss German; fisherman

  • Flepp

    Romansh; from Philipp

  • Flückiger

    Swiss German; from Flückigen in Bern

  • Fontana

    Ticino Italian; spring or fountain

  • Fournier

    Romandy French; baker, oven keeper

  • Franscini

    Ticino Italian; possibly from Francesco

  • Frei

    Swiss German; free man

  • Frey

    Swiss German; free man

  • Fuchs

    Swiss German; fox, a sly or red-haired person

  • Fumagalli

    Ticino Italian; possibly smoke the rooster, a nickname

G

  • Galli

    Ticino Italian; rooster, or from Gallus

  • Ganzoni

    Romansh (Engadine); meaning uncertain

  • Gasser

    Swiss German; one living on a lane (Gasse)

  • Gay

    Romandy French; cheerful

  • Genoud

    Romandy French (Fribourg); possibly from a Germanic name

  • Gerber

    Swiss German; tanner

  • Gfeller

    Swiss German; from a steep slope (Gfell)

  • Ghiringhelli

    Ticino Italian; possibly from a Germanic personal name

  • Gianella

    Ticino Italian; pet form of Gianni

  • Girard

    Romandy French; from Gérard, brave spear

  • Gisler

    Swiss German (Uri); from Giselher

  • Glauser

    Swiss German; possibly from Nikolaus

  • Golay

    Romandy French (Vaud); meaning uncertain

  • Graf

    Swiss German; count, or a count's official

  • Grandjean

    Romandy French; big Jean

  • Grossenbacher

    Swiss German; from Grossenbach, big brook

  • Guignard

    Romandy French; possibly one who winks, squints

  • Guscetti

    Ticino Italian; meaning uncertain

  • Gysin

    Swiss German (Basel); possibly from Giselher

H

  • Haller

    Swiss German; from Hall, or a salt worker

  • Hauser

    Swiss German; one from a house or hamlet

  • Hefti

    Swiss German (Glarus); possibly from Haft, clasp

  • Hess

    Swiss German; from Hesse

  • Hofer

    Swiss German; farmer of a large farm (Hof)

  • Hofmann

    Swiss German; farm steward or courtier

  • Hostettler

    Swiss German; from Hostetten, a farm name

  • Huber

    Swiss German; holder of a hide of farmland (Hube)

  • Hug

    Swiss German; from Hugo, mind

  • Huguenin

    Romandy French; little Hugues

  • Hunziker

    Swiss German; from a place called Hunzikon

I

  • Imboden

    Swiss German; at the valley floor

  • Imhof

    Swiss German; at the farm or court

  • Inderbitzin

    Swiss German (Schwyz); in the enclosed field (Bitze)

  • Iseli

    Swiss German; possibly little iron, or from Isenbart

J

  • Jaccard

    Romandy French; from Jacques

  • Janett

    Romansh; from Jan (John)

  • Jaquet

    Romandy French; little Jacques

  • Jeanneret

    Romandy French (Neuchâtel); little Jean

  • Jenni

    Swiss German; pet form of Johannes

  • Jomini

    Romandy French (Vaud); meaning uncertain

  • Jost

    Swiss German; from Jodocus (Joost)

  • Juon

    Romansh; from Jon (John)

K

  • Kälin

    Swiss German (Schwyz); possibly from Kalo, bald

  • Käser

    Swiss German; cheesemaker

  • Kaufmann

    Swiss German; merchant

  • Keller

    Swiss German; cellar master or steward

  • Kessler

    Swiss German; coppersmith, kettle maker

  • Koch

    Swiss German; cook

  • Kohler

    Swiss German; charcoal burner

  • Krebs

    Swiss German; crab, possibly a house sign

  • Kuhn

    Swiss German; short for Konrad

  • Kunz

    Swiss German; short for Konrad

L

  • Landolt

    Swiss German; from Landolt, land ruler

  • Lanz

    Swiss German; short for Lanzo or Lambert

  • Lecoultre

    Romandy French (Vaud); possibly from coultre, ploughshare

  • Lehmann

    Swiss German; feudal tenant (Lehen)

  • Lepori

    Ticino Italian; hares

  • Leuenberger

    Swiss German; from a place called Leuenberg

  • Liechti

    Swiss German; possibly from Licht, clearing

  • Lombris

    Romansh; meaning uncertain

  • Lurati

    Ticino Italian; meaning uncertain

  • Lüscher

    Swiss German; possibly from Lüscherz, a village

  • Lüthi

    Swiss German; short for Lütold or similar name

  • Luzi

    Romansh; from Lucius

M

  • Maggi

    Ticino Italian; May, or from Maggio

  • Magnin

    Romandy French; tinker, travelling metal worker

  • Maissen

    Romansh; meaning uncertain

  • Maret

    Romandy French; possibly from marais, marsh

  • Marti

    Swiss German; from Martin

  • Matthey

    Romandy French; from Matthew

  • Maurer

    Swiss German; mason

  • Mayor

    Romandy French; mayor or steward

  • Meier

    Swiss German; steward or tenant farmer of an estate

  • Mercier

    Romandy French; merchant of cloth

  • Meyer

    Swiss German; steward or tenant farmer

  • Meylan

    Romandy French; possibly from Milan

  • Michaud

    Romandy French; pet form of Michel

  • Michellod

    Romandy French (Valais); from Michel

  • Minder

    Swiss German; possibly lesser, younger

  • Molinari

    Ticino Italian; miller

  • Monnier

    Romandy French; miller

  • Morard

    Romandy French (Fribourg); possibly dark-haired

  • Morel

    Romandy French; dark-haired

  • Moretti

    Ticino Italian; little dark-haired one

  • Moser

    Swiss German; one living by a moor or bog

  • Motta

    Ticino Italian; mound or hillock

  • Mottier

    Romandy French; possibly from motte, mound

  • Muff

    Swiss German; possibly grumpy person

  • Müller

    Swiss German; miller

N

  • Nicole

    Romandy French; from Nicolas

  • Nussbaumer

    Swiss German; one living by a walnut tree

O

  • Oberholzer

    Swiss German; from the upper wood

  • Ochsner

    Swiss German; ox herder

  • Odermatt

    Swiss German; from the upper meadow (Matt)

  • Overney

    Romandy French (Fribourg); meaning uncertain

P

  • Padrun

    Romansh; master, owner (patrun)

  • Pasche

    Romandy French; Easter, born at Easter

  • Pedrazzini

    Ticino Italian; pet form from Pietro (Peter)

  • Pedrini

    Ticino Italian; little Pietro

  • Perret

    Romandy French; little Pierre

  • Perrin

    Romandy French; pet form of Pierre

  • Piguet

    Romandy French; possibly from pic, pick or woodpecker

  • Pilloud

    Romandy French (Fribourg); meaning uncertain

  • Pioda

    Ticino Italian; possibly slab of stone (piode)

  • Pittet

    Romandy French; possibly a pet form of petit, small

  • Planta

    Romansh; sole of the foot, or plant; noble family

  • Porchet

    Romandy French; possibly swineherd (porc)

  • Portmann

    Swiss German; gatekeeper

  • Pozzi

    Ticino Italian; wells

  • Pralong

    Romandy French (Valais); long meadow

  • Probst

    Swiss German; provost

  • Pult

    Romansh (Engadine); meaning uncertain

R

  • Reber

    Swiss German; vine grower (Rebe)

  • Reichmuth

    Swiss German (Schwyz); rich in courage

  • Respini

    Ticino Italian; meaning uncertain

  • Rey

    Romandy French; king, a nickname

  • Reymond

    Romandy French; from Raymond, wise protector

  • Rezzonico

    Ticino Italian; from Rezzonico on Lake Como

  • Rochat

    Romandy French; possibly from roche, rock

  • Rohrer

    Swiss German; one living by reeds (Rohr)

  • Rossi

    Ticino Italian; red-haired

  • Rossier

    Romandy French; possibly from rosier, rose bush

  • Roth

    Swiss German; red-haired

  • Rouiller

    Romandy French; possibly from rouille, rust-coloured

  • Ruckstuhl

    Swiss German; possibly from a place name

  • Rüegg

    Swiss German; possibly from Rüdiger

  • Rüegsegger

    Swiss German; from Rüegsegg in the Emmental

  • Rüfenacht

    Swiss German; from Rüfenacht in Bern

  • Ruffieux

    Romandy French (Fribourg); possibly red-haired

  • Rusca

    Ticino Italian; bark, possibly a tanner

  • Rusconi

    Ticino Italian; possibly from a place name

  • Rüttimann

    Swiss German; man from a clearing (Rüti)

  • Ryser

    Swiss German; one living by brushwood (Ris)

S

  • Salamin

    Romandy French (Valais); meaning uncertain

  • Salzmann

    Swiss German; salt trader

  • Sandoz

    Romandy French (Neuchâtel); meaning uncertain

  • Savary

    Romandy French; from Germanic Savaric

  • Schär

    Swiss German; possibly a shearer

  • Scheidegger

    Swiss German; from Scheidegg, a mountain pass

  • Schenk

    Swiss German; cupbearer or innkeeper

  • Schmid

    Swiss German; smith

  • Schneider

    Swiss German; tailor

  • Schnyder

    Swiss German; tailor

  • Schüpbach

    Swiss German; from Schüpbach in the Emmental

  • Schürch

    Swiss German; possibly from Schür, barn

  • Schwarz

    Swiss German; black-haired

  • Semadeni

    Italian (Poschiavo, Grisons); meaning uncertain

  • Sialm

    Romansh; meaning uncertain

  • Soldati

    Ticino Italian; soldiers

  • Sommer

    Swiss German; summer, a nickname

  • Stauffer

    Swiss German; from a steep rocky hill (Stauf)

  • Steiner

    Swiss German; one living by stones or rocks

  • Stöckli

    Swiss German; little tree stump

  • Streit

    Swiss German; quarrel, a quarrelsome person

  • Studer

    Swiss German; one living by bushes (Stude)

  • Suter

    Swiss German; shoemaker (Latin sutor)

  • Sutter

    Swiss German; shoemaker

T

  • Tanner

    Swiss German; one living by a fir forest (Tann)

  • Thommen

    Swiss German; from Thomas

  • Tissot

    Romandy French; weaver (tisserand)

  • Tschopp

    Swiss German; possibly a jacket (Tschoope)

  • Tschudi

    Swiss German (Glarus); meaning uncertain

  • Tuor

    Romansh; tower

V

  • Vogel

    Swiss German; bird, or a bird catcher

  • Vogt

    Swiss German; bailiff or reeve

  • Vuilleumier

    Romandy French (Jura); from Guillaume

W

  • Walser

    Swiss German; a Walser, a settler from Valais

  • Weber

    Swiss German; weaver

  • Wenger

    Swiss German; one living on a meadow slope (Wang)

  • Wicki

    Swiss German; possibly from Wigand, fighter

  • Widmer

    Swiss German; tenant of church land (Widem)

  • Wolf

    Swiss German; wolf

  • Wüthrich

    Swiss German; from Wüterich, a Germanic name

  • Wyss

    Swiss German; white, fair-haired

Z

  • Zaugg

    Swiss German (Bern); meaning uncertain

  • Ziegler

    Swiss German; brick or tile maker

  • Zimmermann

    Swiss German; carpenter

  • Zingg

    Swiss German; possibly a pointed hill

  • Zufferey

    Romandy French (Valais); meaning uncertain

  • Zumstein

    Swiss German; at the stone

  • Zurbriggen

    Swiss German (Valais); at the bridge

  • Zürcher

    Swiss German; from Zürich

  • Zwicky

    Swiss German (Glarus); possibly a narrow place

Generate random swiss 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)

  • Fässler

    Swiss German; cooper

  • Jost

    Swiss German; from Jodocus (Joost)

  • Capt

    Romandy French (Vaud); possibly head, chief

  • Schüpbach

    Swiss German; from Schüpbach in the Emmental

  • Caminada

    Romansh; possibly hearth room or chimney house

  • Rey

    Romandy French; king, a nickname

Saved names

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

    Open the full generator

    Swiss last names shaped by mountains and valleys

    Many German Swiss names describe where a family once lived. Small words such as im, am, zum and zur mean in the, at the or by the, and they fused onto the landscape word that followed. Imboden means on the valley floor, Zumstein means at the stone, Zurbriggen means at the bridge and Amstutz means at the steep slope. Names like these are especially typical of Valais, the Bernese Oberland and central Switzerland.

    Other landscape names are shorter. Bühler lived by a hill, Brunner by a spring, Moser near a bog, Egger on a ridge or corner of land and Steiner by rocky ground. French speaking areas have their own versions, such as Rochat from roche, rock, while in Ticino Fontana points to a fountain or spring. Many families also took the name of a farm or hamlet, as with Fankhauser, from a place in the Emmental.

    Old trades and nicknames in family names

    Trade names are among the most familiar in Switzerland. Müller was a miller, Schmid a smith, Weber a weaver, Gerber a tanner and Suter a shoemaker. Meier managed an estate for a lord or monastery, Huber held a unit of farmland called a Hube, Keller looked after a cellar and Käser made cheese. The same jobs appear in other languages, so the smith is Favre in French Switzerland and Ferrari in Ticino.

    Nicknames add colour. Fuchs means fox, Vogel bird, Wolf wolf and Krebs crab, and they may have described a trait, a house sign or a family joke long forgotten. Frei and Frey marked a free man rather than a serf, while Hess pointed to someone from Hesse in Germany. French speaking cantons contribute names such as Mercier, a merchant, and Fournier, a baker, and Italian speaking Ticino adds Molinari, another miller.

    Spelling and pairing names from Switzerland

    Umlauts often change in English documents and databases. Müller becomes Mueller, Lüthi becomes Luethi and Schär becomes Schaer, since the e after the vowel is the standard way to replace the two dots. Swiss German spelling also avoids the letter ß, so a name like Grossenbacher is written with a double s. French Swiss names keep their accents, as in Délèze and Cuénod, although forms outside Switzerland sometimes drop them.

    For first names, match the language region of the surname. Urs Meier, Reto Gasser or Corinne Brunner feel German Swiss, while Luc Favre or Nathalie Rochat suggest Geneva or Vaud, and Luca Bernasconi or Chiara Fontana suggest Ticino. Romansh families in Graubünden might be Cavelty or Caduff. These pairings help writers, game designers and family historians give a character a believable home in the right part of the country.

    Frequently asked questions

    What are some typical Swiss last names?

    Müller, Meier, Schmid, Keller, Weber and Huber are very familiar in German speaking Switzerland. French speaking cantons have names such as Favre, Rochat and Perrin, Ticino has Bernasconi, Fontana and Rossi, and Romansh areas have Caduff and Cavelty. The list above covers all four language regions.

    What do the prefixes Im, Zum and Zur mean?

    They are old German forms meaning in the, at the or by the, fused with a landscape word. Imboden means on the valley floor, Zumstein at the stone and Zurbriggen at the bridge. They are common in Valais and central Switzerland, where families were named after the spot where they lived.

    Why is Müller sometimes written Mueller?

    When a keyboard, passport machine line or foreign database cannot show the umlaut, German spelling replaces ü with ue, ö with oe and ä with ae. So Müller becomes Mueller. Both refer to the same name, and families abroad often kept the ue form permanently.

    Why do Swiss names use ss instead of ß?

    Switzerland gradually stopped using the letter ß during the twentieth century, and standard Swiss German spelling now writes ss in its place. That is why a Swiss name like Grossenbacher uses a double s, while a similar name from Germany might be spelled with ß.

    More last name lists