87 Native American Surnames and Their Meanings

Native American last names carry two threads at once: clan and community identities passed down through generations, and surnames that arrived with European settlers. That is why a name like Thundercloud can sit on the same page as Alberty or Bernard, each with its own story.

Traditionally, a name was not fixed for life. It could shift as a person grew, and elders sometimes granted a new one in ceremony to mark an act of courage or a turning point. That fluid, earned quality still gives these names their weight.

Below you will find 87 Native American last names, spanning nature-rooted words, honored family lines, and surnames shaped by centuries of contact. Browse them for meaning, sound, and the history each one holds.

87 Meaningful Native American Family Names

With so many descriptive choices, this list covers a wide variety of ancient family names.

1. Acothley: Means “joyful” in English and “cowboy” in Navajo.
2. Adakai: A Navajo name meaning “gambler” or “gambling hands.”
3. Ahyoka: This Cherokee name means “she brought happiness” and belonged to Sequoyah’s young daughter, the first person to learn his Cherokee syllabary.
4. Akecheta: A classic Lakota or Sioux last name meaning “soldier.”
5. Alberty: Derived from the Italian name Alberti, meaning “noble and bright.”
6. Alexander: This Greek name means “defending men.”
7. Altaha: An Apache name possibly meaning “bird,” often given to stockmen.
8. Angpetu: This pretty Sioux name means “daytime” or “day.”
9. Anoki: A cute Native American name meaning “actor.”
10. Apache: Derived from the generic name for the Apache nation.
11. Arrow: Named after the sharp projectile fired from a bow, making it an ideal warrior name.
12. Awiakta: A poetic Cherokee name meaning “eye of the deer,” carried by the Cherokee and Appalachian writer Marilou Awiakta.
13. Begay: The most common Navajo surname in the country, from the word biye, meaning “his son.” Many families adopted it when record keepers required a fixed last name.
14. Benally: Another Navajo Indian word meaning “his grandchild” or “paternal grandchild.”
15. Bernard: From Old French and German, meaning “strong, brave bear.”
16. Bitsuie: This Navajo name means “his grandchild.”
17. Blackfoot: Taken from the Blackfoot Confederacy, whose own name Siksika means “those with black feet.”
18. Blackrock: A habitational name for a tribe living near the area of Blackrock.
19. Branham: An Old English word possibly meaning “sorrow,” “homestead,” or “river meadow.”
20. Bravebird: Referring to birds of prey, it is a traditional name for courageous warriors.
21. Bylilly: A distinctive Navajo family name linked to the idea of spiritual or magical power.
22. Catawanee: This Cherokee name refers to various clans within the Cherokee nation.
23. Chaska: A Sioux name meaning “first-born son.”
24. Chatto: A great Apache name for a chief, meaning “educated and good understanding.”
25. Chewey: A Cherokee surname that means “compassion.”
26. Chumani: A Sioux name meaning “dewdrops,” evoking fresh morning moisture on the grass.
27. Claw: Named after a sharp animal claw, possibly meaning “wickedly beautiful” or “left-handed.”
28. Cly: A short Navajo name meaning “the left-handed.”
29. Cornfield: A habitational name for someone living in or near a cornfield.
30. Cosay: A surname traditionally recorded among the White Mountain Apache of Arizona.
31. Countryman: A common name given to people living in the countryside.
32. Cubbuck: An Americanized spelling of the German Schubach, meaning “fur.”
33. Deere: Meaning “deer” or “dear,” this Anglo-Saxon name appears across the globe.
34. Denton: Of Old English origin, meaning “green,” “valley town,” or “settlement.”
35. Dosela: A well-known Apache surname among the Southwestern tribes of the United States.
36. Edwards: An Old English surname meaning “son of Edward.”
37. Enepay: Meaning “courageous appearance” in the Sioux nation, related to roaring bravely.
38. Ethelbah: A common name among residents of the Apache White Mountain reservation.
39. Etsitty: An indigenous Navajo name meaning “to pound.”
40. Eubank: An Anglo-Saxon name meaning “yew tree bank.”
41. Filemonsen: Derived from the Greek Philemon, meaning “son of Filemon.”
42. Galihai: This Cherokee name means “attractive” or “pretty.”
43. Gaylord: Derived from the French word gaillard, meaning “high-spirited and boisterous.”
44. Goseyun: Another common name among Apache White Mountain residents.
45. Hatathli: In Navajo, Hatathli means “medicine man.”
46. Hensley: Of English and American origin, meaning “one who is ambitious.”
47. Holt: This Old English name means “son of the unspoiled forest.”
48. Howakahn: In Lakota, it means “sacred voice” and “mysterious voice.”
49. Huaman: A Quechua surname from the Andes meaning “falcon” or “hawk,” a bird the Inca held sacred for its keen sight.
50. Irving: A Scottish habitational last name meaning “fresh, green water.”
51. Ishtasapa: A name from the Lakota language meaning “dark eyes.”
52. Kadoka: A Sioux name meaning “hole in the wall.”
53. Kanoska: A traditional Cherokee surname.
54. Kipp: From Old English, meaning “pointed hill.”
55. Lewis: Derived from Old English and German, meaning “famous warrior.”
56. Lisenbe: A unique Cherokee name known to mean “inspiring.”
57. Macawi: A common name used in Zuni, Hopi, and other tribes, meaning “coyote.”
58. Maize: An occupational or habitational name for someone living and working near corn.
59. Maka: A Lakota surname meaning “soil,” “ground,” or “earth.”
60. Mato: Derived from Portuguese, Mato means “bush” or “scrubland.”
61. Mescal: From the Aztec Nahuatl language, meaning “oven-cooked agave.”
62. Nahimana: Taken from the Dakota language, meaning “secret.”
63. Nakai: This Navajo name means “those who wander,” the same word the Navajo used for the Spanish whose expeditions roamed their land.
64. Nanouk: A variant of the Inuit Nanook, meaning “polar bear,” the master of the bears in Inuit belief and the subject of the 1922 film Nanook of the North.
65. Nelowie: A Cherokee surname meaning “keen,” “inventive,” and “reliable.”
66. Nez: A diminutive form of Nesbit, meaning “nose-shaped bend.”
67. Nozie: An Apache name documented among White Mountain reservation families.
68. Paddock: This Old English habitational name fits someone working with animals in an enclosure.
69. Peshlakai: A Navajo name meaning “silver and shiny.”
70. Pompey: A Latin variant form of Pompei, meaning “five” in Roman.
71. Shanta: Of Old French, American, and Hindi origin, meaning “stone” and “peaceful.”
72. Summerhill: Possibly Old Norse meaning “summer battle” or Old English for “summer grazing.”
73. Swiftwater: A habitational name for someone near a fast-flowing river.
74. Tabaaha: A Navajo name meaning “shore” or “beach.”
75. Tatik: An Alaskan name meaning “love.”
76. Tessay: A surname commonly found on the White Mountain Apache reservation.
77. Thunderhawk: A classic Lakota Sioux name meaning “expert,” “serious,” and “perfect.”
78. Tsinajinnie: This Navajo name means “caretaker,” “courage,” and “investigator.”
79. Tsosie: A common Navajo surname from the suffix ts’osi, meaning “slender” or “slim,” first used as the short form of a longer descriptive name.
80. Uentillie: A traditional Navajo name meaning “great leader,” “problem avoider,” and “good judge.”
81. Uskilith: A Navajo shortening of Guy Uskilith, meaning “white boy.”
82. Vance: An Old English habitational name referring to someone who lives near a marsh.
83. Warcloud: A highly descriptive Native American family name meaning “wise.”
84. Welch: An Anglo-Saxon name meaning “Welsh” or “foreigner.”
85. Yargee: This Cherokee family name translates to “wisdom,” “truly,” and “attractive speaker.”
86. Yazzie: One of the most common Navajo surnames, from yazhi, meaning “little.”
87. Yuka: This Alaskan Inuit name means “bright star.”

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