388 Last Names That Start With H: With Historic Meanings

Last names that start with H carry a rich history. The letter traces its roots to the ancient Hebrew character “heth” and a Greek symbol representing a fence. Interestingly, the shape of the letter still reflects this original meaning.

Let us explore surnames starting with H from around the globe. We will look at popular names from Greek, German, English, Hebrew, and many other diverse origins to help you find the perfect inspiration.

388 Incredible Last Names That Start With H

From Harris to Hernandez, surnames starting with H offer a wide variety of meanings and origins.

Haag: Kicking off the last names that start with H, this name means “enclosed area” in German.
Haas: Of German, Dutch, and Jewish origin, this name means “hare.”
Habeeb: This six-letter Arabic name means “loved one, beloved,” and “sweetheart.”
Haberman: A typical German and Jewish name meaning “grower or seller of oats.”
Habgood: This Old English variation of Habgod means “may he have good.”
Hackenberg: Derived from the German “hacke” (hoe) and “berg” (mountain).
Hacker: A derivative of the Middle English “hacken,” meaning “to hack” or “woodcutter.”
Hackett: Of Old French and German origin, meaning “little cutter of wood.”
Hackney: First recorded in 1198 AD, this name means “Hacan’s marsh or island.”
Hadaway: Derived from the English name Heatuwig, meaning “war-warrior.”
Haddock: From the Middle English “hadduc,” meaning “fisherman, fish seller,” or “resembles a fish.”
Hades: A unique five-letter Greek name meaning “god of the underworld” and “unseen.”
Hadfield: An Old English name describing a “heathland of heather” and “open pasture.”
Hadley: A gender-neutral English name meaning “heather meadow.”
Hafeman: Of North German origin, acting as a status name for a steward on an estate.
Hafemeister: Another Germanic name describing a “steward on an estate” and “a court supervisor.”
Hafford: An Anglo-Saxon name describing several different places in England.
Hafoka: Our first Polynesian entry translates to “to appear to be big.”
Hagen: A mixture of Irish and German, meaning “youthful one” and “enclosure.”
Hager: A topographical German name for a resident of a “fenced or hedged enclosure.”
Hagerman: A Westphalian variant of Hagar, meaning “small forest” and “enclosure.”
Haggard: A nickname of English and Old French origin, meaning “wild” and “untamed.”
Haggerty: This Gaelic nickname means “unjust.”
Hagglund: A Swedish and German name meaning “enclosure” and “grove.”
Hagler: A Middle German habitational name describing a “dweller by a hedge or enclosure.”
Hagood: A Gaelic name meaning “son of the priest.”
Hagstrom: A Swedish name consisting of “hag” (enclosure) and “strom” (river).
Hague: Derived from the Old English “haga,” meaning “dweller by the haw” (fruit of the hawthorn tree).
Hahn: From the High German “hane,” meaning “rooster.”
Haimes: An Old English variant of Hamms, meaning “land in a river bend.”
Hainsworth: This habitational Old English name means “Hagana’s enclosure.”
Hakeem: The perfect Arabic name for a “wise and learned” person.
Hale: A variation of the Old English “halh,” meaning “hero” and “from the hall.”
Halen: This Scandinavian variant of Hale also means “from the hay land.”
Haley: Combining the Old English “heg” and “leah,” meaning “hay meadow or clearing.”
Halford: Of Old English origin, meaning “Hal’s ford” or “valley ford.”
Halfpenny: A feudal name for someone whose rent was paid in a halfpenny.
Hall: A name with Scottish, English, German, Norwegian, and Irish roots meaning “a spacious residence.”
Halladay: From the Old English term “haligdæg,” meaning “holy day” or “religious festival.”
Hallenbeck: A German surname meaning “stream, brook,” and “creek.”
Hallman: An occupational Middle English name meaning “servant at the hall.”
Hallmark: From the Middle English “halfmark,” meaning “half a mark.”
Hallstrom: A Swedish name meaning “flat rock” and “river.”
Halpin: An Irish and Gaelic name meaning “descendant of Alpin.”
Halsel: A habitational Old English name derived from “hæle,” meaning “nook of land.”
Halstead: Of Old English origin, meaning “place of refuge” and “the manor grounds.”
Halteman: A habitational German name describing a “man from Haltern.”
Halverson: With definite Norwegian and Danish flavor, this means “defender of the flat rock.”
Hamblin: A charming seven-letter German name meaning “little home-lover.”
Hambrick: Derived from the Old English “han brygg,” meaning “stone bridge.”
Hamer: Of Dutch and German origin, meaning “hammer.”
Hamil: This Scottish and English name means “flat-topped hill, carrier,” and “bearer.”
Hamilton: Of British origin, describing a “settlement on a flat-topped hill.”
Hamlet: Introduced after the Norman conquests, meaning “house” or “home.”
Hamlin: Of German and French origin, meaning “little home-lover.”
Hammer: Derived from the High German “hamer,” meaning “a maker or user of hammers.”
Hammerman: An occupational German family name describing a “man working with hammers.”
Hammerstein: A habitational German name from Westphalia meaning “rock” or “stone.”
Hammock: Of Spanish origin, meaning “stretch of cloth.”
Hammond: This German, English, and Irish name means “home protector.”
Hampton: An Old English name meaning “home settlement.”
Hamrick: Derived from the Old Germanic “amalric,” meaning “work-rule.”
Hamrock: With a long Gaelic and Irish history, this name means “descendant of the sea-bound rock.”
Hamson: A classic English surname meaning “son of Hamon.”
Han: A stylish Scandinavian name meaning “God is gracious.”
Hanbury: This Old English family name means “at the high fortress.”
Hancock: Possibly of Dutch origin, meaning “seller of shellfish” or “son of John.”
Handel: A six-letter German name meaning “trade” and “commerce.”
Handley: Of Anglo-Saxon origin, meaning “high meadow” and “champion.”
Hands: This Anglo-Saxon nickname was given to people with a “deformity of the hand.”
Hanford: A strong English name meaning “from the high ford.”
Hankel: A German occupational name referencing “a skein” (thread storage).
Hankerson: A variant of Hankinson, meaning “child of Hanna.”
Hankins: This Old Norse variant of Hankinson means “son of John.”
Hanks: A Flemish pet name for John, meaning “son of Hank.”
Hanley: Derived from the Old English “haer lea,” meaning “high meadow.”
Hanna: A feminine Hebrew name meaning “grace” and “God has favored me.”
Hannaway: A Gaelic and Irish name meaning “descendant of the noble offering.”
Hannibal: An ancient Carthaginian (Tunisian) name meaning “grace of the god Baal.”
Hanning: Of Dutch and German origin, describing a “farm belonging to Han and his kin.”
Hannon: An Anglicized version of an Irish name meaning “descendant of Annán.”
Hanrahan: A typical Irish name meaning “hero, warrior,” and “champion.”
Hanratty: Sticking with the Irish theme, this name means “marauder” and “attacker.”
Hansberry: An intense Gaelic and Irish name meaning “very wild” and “war-like.”
Hansbrough: An Anglo-Saxon surname meaning “high or chief fortification.”
Hanscome: This Old English family name means “stone camp” and “enclosed land.”
Hansen: A popular Norwegian name meaning “son of Han.”
Hanway: A striking name meaning “descendant of the stormy one.”
Hanzlik: Of Czech and Slovak origin, derived from the Hebrew Yochanan, meaning “God is gracious.”
Haralson: A Norwegian and Swedish name meaning “son of Haral or Harald.”
Harbin: Derived from the Old French and German Haribert, meaning “brilliant and illustrious warrior.”
Harbold: From the Old French Harebald, meaning “bold and brave” and “army.”
Harcourt: A classic French family name meaning “farmyard” and “fortified farm.”
Hardacre: Derived from the Middle English “hard/firm” and “arable field.”
Hardcastle: A descriptive English name describing a “hard or tough castle or fortress.”
Harden: Of British origin, meaning “valley of the hares.”
Hardenbrook: From the Dutch Hardenbroek, meaning “firm ground” and “low-lying swamp land.”
Hardesty: Derived from the Old English Heardwulf, meaning “brave wolf” and “narrow path.”
Harding: An Old English surname derived from Hearding, meaning “the hard one.”
Hardman: Translates to “strong and brave” in German and “herdsman” in Old English.
Hardy: Of Old German, French, and Scottish origin, meaning “bold” or “brave.”
Hardwick: From the Old English “heordewic,” meaning “herd farm.”
Hare: An Old English nickname for someone bearing characteristics or features of a hare.
Harelson: Of Swedish and Norwegian descent, meaning “son of Harold.”
Harewood: A nature-inspired English name meaning “wood of hares.”
Hargett: A French variant of Hargate, meaning “hard path or road.”
Hargreaves: Of Old English origin, meaning “grove of the hares.”
Hargrove: A habitational Old English name describing someone “from Hartgrove or Hargave.”
Harkness: With Scottish roots, this Old English name means “army, headland,” and “cape.”
Harless: An English nickname originally used for a deaf person, literally meaning “earless.”
Harley: Derived from the Old English “hara,” meaning “hare’s meadow.”
Harlow: Of English origin, meaning “rock hill” and “army hill.”
Harmeyer: Derived from the Dutch Harmeijer, meaning “overgrown sandy hill.”
Harmon: This Old German, French, and Middle English name means “army man” and “soldier.”
Harold: Derived from the Scandinavian and Old English “hereweald,” meaning “army ruler.”
Harp: A brief occupational English name for a “harpist.”
Harper: An occupational Scottish, Irish, and English name meaning “someone who plays the harp.”
Harrell: This Hebrew-inspired family name means “God’s mount.”
Harrigan: Of Irish origin, meaning “descendant of Ánradhán.”
Harrington: An English and Irish name meaning “town on stony ground” and “settlement on the heath.”
Harris: A patronymic English name meaning “son of Harry.”
Harrison: A longer form of Harris that also works perfectly as a given name.
Harry: A common five-letter Germanic name meaning “home-ruler.”
Harshberger: Of German origin, meaning “deer” and “hart.”
Harston: A habitational Old English name meaning “gray, boundary,” and “stone.”
Hart: A distinct English name meaning “bear, hero,” and “stag.”
Hartley: This nature-inspired English name means “deer meadow.”
Hartman: Of German descent, meaning “strong or hard man.”
Hartnett: An Irish patronymic name meaning “descendant of Airtnéad.”
Hartung: This German name translates to “hard” and “strong.”
Hartwell: A unique Old English name meaning “well of stags.”
Hartwig: Of German origin, meaning “courageous in battle.”
Harvey: Derived from the Breton “haerviu,” meaning “battle-worthy” and “blazing iron.”
Harwell: This English name means “spring by the gray hill.”
Harwood: One of many nature-inspired surnames beginning with H, meaning “hare’s wood.”
Haskell: A mixture of Norman and ancient Norse, meaning “God’s helmet” and “God strengthens.”
Haskins: Of Irish origin, meaning “cold vigor.”
Hassan: The perfect Arabic name for a “good-looking and handsome benefactor.”
Hastings: A Gaelic and Irish name meaning “descendant of Oistin” and “son of the austere man.”
Hatch: Derived from the English “hœcce,” meaning “gate.”
Hatcher: This Old English name describes a “dweller by the gate.”
Hatfield: Of Anglo-Saxon origin, meaning “heath-covered open land.”
Hathaway: A Middle English name describing a “dweller near a road across a heath.”
Hatherly: First recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, meaning “hawthorn wood.”
Hatter: Another Middle English surname meaning “maker or seller of hats.”
Hatton: Means “battle” in French/German and “heather settlement” in Old English.
Hauck: Of German origin, meaning “bright in mind and spirit” and “intelligence.”
Hauser: This German and Jewish name means “one who gives shelter” or “administrator of a large house.”
Havas: The first Old Hungarian entry on our list, meaning “sleepwalker.”
Hawes: A topographical Old English name meaning “hedged area.”
Hawkins: Of Scottish and Irish origin, meaning “hawk, horseman,” and “lord.”
Hawley: Derived from the Old English “haugr,” meaning “hill” and “hedged meadow.”
Haworth: Of Old English origin, meaning “hedge enclosure.”
Hawthorne: A topographical name describing a “place where hawthorns grow.”
Hay: Of Old English and Scottish origin, meaning “dweller by an enclosure.”
Hayden: A handsome six-letter English name meaning “hedged valley.”
Hayes: Translates to “hedged area” in English and “fire” in Gaelic.
Haynes: This Old English name means “hawthorn enclosure or hedge.”
Hayward: From the Old English “hēgweard,” meaning “keeper of the hedges and enclosures.”
Haywood: Sticking with the Old English “enclosure” names, this also means “hedged forest.”
Hazel: A nature-inspired British name meaning “the hazel tree.”
Hazelwood: Of Old English origin, meaning “wood of hazel trees.”
Hazen: This Arabic name translates to “smooth, beautiful,” and “handsome.”
Head: An Old English name describing someone “dwelling near the head of a stream or valley.”
Headley: Of British descent, meaning “heathered meadow.”
Healy: Comprised of the Old English “heah” and “leah,” meaning “high clearing or wood.”
Heard: An occupational Middle English name meaning “herdsman.”
Hearn: A Celtic family name meaning “horse-lord.”
Heath: A trendy English name meaning “untended land where shrubs grow.”
Heathcliffe: This descriptive English name means “cliff near a heath.”
Heaton: A habitational Old English name meaning “the high enclosure or settlement.”
Hebard: Of German origin, meaning “army, bright,” and “famous.”
Hebert: Following the Germanic theme, this name means “army” and “illustrious.”
Hecht: Means “house shield” in Old German and “pike” in modern German.
Heck: A topographical English name describing a “dweller near a gate.”
Heckert: An occupational German name derived from “hecken,” meaning “planter” or “gardener.”
Heckman: This Dutch habitational name means “dweller near a fence or gate.”
Hedges: A Middle English name describing a person “living near a hedge or enclosure.”
Hedrick: Of Germanic origin, meaning “combatant ruler” and “ruler of the heathland.”
Hedstrom: This Swedish name combines “heath and moor” with “river.”
Heffernan: Derived from the Gaelic “ifreann,” meaning “hell” and “demon.”
Hefner: This well-known German name translates to “potter.”
Heilman: Derived from the German Heinrich, this occupational name means “one who castrates animals.”
Heim: From the Old Norse “heimr,” meaning “home, farmstead,” and “settlement.”
Hein: Of Old German origin, meaning “home leader.”
Heineman: This Dutch and Jewish name translates to “man” and “person.”
Heinrich: A variation of Heineman, this regal name was highly popular with German kings.
Heinz: Sticking with German “home-ruler” names, this powerful option also signifies “power.”
Helgason: An authentic Icelandic name that simply means “son of Helgi.”
Heller: Of German origin, meaning “bright, brilliant,” and “dweller on the hill.”
Helms: Featuring strong Old Norse roots, this means “son of Helm.”
Helton: An Old English moniker meaning “farmstead, slope,” and “estate.”
Hemingway: A gender-neutral Danish name meaning “path” and “way.”
Hempfling: This Middle German nickname means “linnet” and historically describes a “birdcatcher.”
Hemphill: From the Old English “henep hyll,” meaning “hemp hill.”
Hendershot: An Americanized version of Hinneschiedt, acting as a “place name in the Rhine.”
Henderson: Hugely popular in Scotland, this name means “son of Henry.”
Hendricks: An edgy German and Dutch name meaning “home-ruler.”
Hendrickson: Of Swedish origin, meaning “son of Henrik.”
Henke: Derived from the German name Heim, meaning “home.”
Henley: Also a posh Thameside town, this means “high meadow” in Anglo-Saxon.
Hennessy: This Gaelic name means “descendant of Angus.”
Henning: One of many Germanic names that translates to “home-ruler.”
Henriquez: Popular in Portugal and Brazil, this translates to “son of Henrique (Henry).”
Henry: A classic German and English name meaning “home-ruler.”
Henshaw: From the Old English “hen” and “sceaga,” meaning “small wood” or “corner of the land.”
Hensley: A habitational name describing a “woodland clearing.”
Henson: This Anglo-Saxon and Irish name means “son of Henry.”
Herbert: A classic German name meaning “bright, shining” and “army warrior.”
Herdman: Of English and Scottish descent, meaning “a tender of animals.”
Heredia: This Basque name derives from the Latin “heredium,” meaning “hereditary estate.”
Herman: An 8th-century German name meaning “army man.”
Hermida: A habitational Spanish name meaning “hermitage shrine.”
Hernandez: A widely used Spanish name meaning “adventurer” and “explorer.”
Herndon: A habitational English name meaning “heron valley” and “dweller in a nook.”
Herr: A name with German and Jewish roots, meaning “master” and “lord.”
Herrera: A popular Spanish name meaning “iron smithy” and “blacksmith’s forge.”
Herrick: Of English and Dutch origin, meaning “ever ruler” and “home-ruler.”
Herrin: Possibly derived from the “herring fish,” or meaning “son of Haring” in French.
Herring: An occupational German name describing a “fisherman” or “seller of herring.”
Herrington: A habitational name for a town in Kent, England.
Herron: This Old English name means “at the gray stones.”
Herzog: A Middle and High German name meaning “duke, commander,” and “to lead.”
Hess: A German name describing “someone from the region of Hesse.”
Hester: Translates to “evening star” in Greek and “beech tree” in Middle German.
Hetrick: Derived from the German Haduric, meaning “combatant ruler.”
Heun: Of Dutch and German origin, meaning “giant.”
Hewitt: This French and Irish name means “descendant of Hugh” and “dweller near a wood clearing.”
Hibbard: A derivative of the German Hildebert, meaning “battle, strife” and “bright, famous.”
Hickey: A memorable Irish name describing a “doctor” or “healer.”
Hickman: An occupational German name meaning a “servant of Hike or Hiche.”
Hicks: With Hick being a nickname for Richard, this Irish name translates to “son of Richard.”
Hidalgo: A Spanish name meaning “nobleman.”
Higdon: Derived from the Old English “hēah dūn,” meaning “high hill.”
Higginbotham: A highly recognizable habitational Old English name meaning “oaken valley.”
Higgs: An English variant of the medieval name Richard.
High: Derived from the Middle English “heigh,” meaning “high” or “tall.”
Hightower: This Old English name describes “a settlement with a high tower.”
Hildebrand: This mighty German name translates to “battle” and “sword.”
Hildreth: Another strong German name that means “battle counselor.”
Hill: Of Scottish and English origin, meaning “dweller on a hill.”
Hillary: This Latin name provides the perfect choice for “happy” and “cheerful” kids.
Hiller: A mixture of German and English, meaning “battle guard” or “yard on a hill.”
Hilliard: Of Old English and German origin, meaning “battle stronghold.”
Hillman: A topographical English name describing “a dweller on a hill, slope, or hilly country.”
Hilton: This Anglo-Saxon name refers to a “hill town.”
Himes: One of many Old English names on our list, this means “enclosed dwelling.”
Hines: Of German, Irish, and English origin, meaning “home of the king” and “deer keeper.”
Hinkle: Derived from the Old English “hynca” and “leah,” meaning “forest clearing.”
Hinojosa: Derived from the Spanish term “hinojo,” meaning “fennel.”
Hinson: This Middle English name means “son of the hind (servant or laborer).”
Hinton: An Old English name describing “a religious community” and “farmstead/estate.”
Hintz: Possibly a derivative of Heinrich, meaning “home ruler.”
Hipp: A South German occupational name for a “baker of waffles.”
Hirsch: This Yiddish nature-inspired name translates to “deer.”
Hirschman: A Germanic variant of Hirsch, meaning “deer or stag man.”
Hitchcock: A famous Old English name meaning “son of Richard.”
Hitt: An occupational German name meaning “a goat dealer.”
Hittner: A German habitational name for a “dweller in a swamp.”
Ho: The first Chinese entry on our list, meaning “together” and “harmonious.”
Hoagland: Of Dutch, Swedish, and Norwegian origin, meaning “man from the highlands.”
Hoang: A popular Vietnamese and Chinese name meaning “yellow” and “to fall through.”
Hobbs: Of German, British, and Old Norse descent, meaning “bright fame.”
Hobson: Sharing the same roots as Hobbs, this means “son of Robert.”
Hodges: This German, British, and Irish name means “son of Roger.”
Hodgkin: An ancient Anglo-Saxon name meaning “son of Hodge.”
Hofer: With German and Jewish roots, this means “worker or manager of a farm.”
Hoffman: This German occupational name means “courtier, farmer,” or “steward.”
Hogan: A classic Irish name meaning “youth” and “young warrior.”
Hogg: Of Scottish and English origin, meaning “swineherd” or “shepherd.”
Hogue: Derived from the Old Norse “haugr,” meaning “hill” or “mound.”
Hoke: An occupational German name meaning “small trader.”
Holbrook: This unique Old English name means “stream near the hollow.”
Holcombe: This stereotypical English name means “deep hollow” and “valley.”
Holden: A classic English name meaning “hollow valley.”
Holder: Derived from the Middle English “holdere,” meaning “tenant, servant,” and “laborer.”
Holguin: A Spanish derivative of “holgar,” meaning “to enjoy oneself.”
Holland: A stylish Dutch name meaning “woodland.”
Holle: A German name meaning “hidden” or “beloved.”
Holley: Of British origin, meaning “holly tree.”
Holliday: Derived from the Old English “haligdaeg,” meaning “holy day” or “religious festival.”
Hollingshed: This Old English name means “dwelling, stable,” and “fold.”
Hollingsworth: An English habitational name describing a “holly enclosure.”
Hollins: Another English habitational name meaning “holly.”
Hollis: Keeping with the “holly” theme, this name means “holly tree” in English.
Hollister: An Old English moniker meaning “dweller by the holly tree” and “elf warrior.”
Holloman: This religious Old English name directly translates to “holy man.”
Holloway: A cool topographical English name for someone “living by a sunken road.”
Holman: Of Old English origin, meaning “holy man, dweller in a hollow,” and “dweller by holly.”
Holmberg: This highly popular Swedish name means “island” and “mountain or hill.”
Holme: Derived from the Old Norse “holmr,” meaning “flat island” and “holly tree.”
Holmes: A variation of Holme, meaning “islands in the river.”
Holt: This German and English name means “woods” and “forest.”
Holter: Translates to “small wood” in Norwegian and “hunter” in French.
Holton: Of Old English origin, meaning “nook, corner of land,” and “farmstead/estate.”
Homan: A 17th-century Dutch name meaning “head man, leader,” and “advisor.”
Honaker: Of French and German origin, meaning “high field.”
Honeycutt: This beautiful Old English name means “honey cottage.”
Hong: A Mandarin Chinese name meaning “enlarge, rainbow,” and “great.”
Hood: This Middle English nickname derives from “hodde,” meaning “a wearer of or maker of hoods.”
Hooker: A Southeastern English name for a “hookmaker.”
Hooks: A habitational Old English name for a “dweller near a bend in a river or track.”
Hooper: Another Old English occupational name meaning “maker of hoops.”
Hoover: Derived from the Dutch and German Huber, meaning “a large measure of land.”
Hope: A positive English name meaning “expectation” or “belief.”
Hopkins: An English, Welsh, and Irish patronymic name meaning “son of Hob.”
Hopper: Derived from the Old English “hoppian,” acting as a nickname for a “dancer.”
Hopson: A Scandinavian patronymic name meaning “son of Robert.”
Horan: Originating in Ireland, this Count Galway name means “warlike.”
Horn: A Scottish and English name for “makers of small items like combs and spoons” from a horn.
Horner: Following the “horn” theme, this name means “horn-worker, horn-maker,” and “horn-blower.”
Hornsby: Derived from the Old Norse Ormr, meaning “serpent” and “farmstead or village.”
Horowitz: A habitational Jewish name describing “the town of Hořovice.”
Horrocks: Derived from the Old English “hurrock,” meaning “piled up heap of stones.”
Horst: Of Old High German origin, meaning “man from the forest” and “brushwood.”
Horton: An Anglo-Saxon surname meaning “farm on muddy soil.”
Horvath: A Hungarian nickname for a “Croatian.”
Hoskins: An occupational Cornish name meaning “sedgeman” and “thatcher of sedge (grass).”
Hostetler: A topographic and habitational German name for a “dweller on a mountainside.”
Hotchkiss: A patronymic Norman and French name meaning “son of little Hodge.”
Hough: This Old English name describes a person living on “a heel spur of a headland.”
Houghton: Similar to Hough, this name means “settlement on a headland.”
Houle: Derived from the Old French, meaning “hole” or “hollow.”
House: An occupational English name for “someone employed at the house.”
Houser: From the Middle English “housere,” meaning “builder.”
Houston: Of Scottish, Irish, and English descent, meaning “from Hugh’s town.”
Howard: Means “heart, brave” in Old German and “high guardian” in Old Norse.
Howe: Of German, English, and Norse origin, meaning “hill” and “lofty one.”
Howell: This Welsh name means “eminent” and “remarkable.”
Howland: A topographical English name describing “land on or by a ridge.”
Hoy: This short three-letter Old English nickname means “sailor.”
Hoyle: This Old English name means “dweller in or by a hollow.”
Hoyt: With Norse and Middle English roots, meaning “long stick” and “dweller on a high hill.”
Hsu: This Chinese family name means “to praise, permit,” and “to promise.”
Hu: Keeping the Chinese theme strong, this name translates to “tiger.”
Huang: A Mandarin Chinese surname meaning “yellow.”
Hubbard: A variant of the German Hubert, meaning “heart, mind,” and “bright.”
Hubbell: From the Germanic “hugu,” meaning “mind, spirit,” and “thought.”
Huber: Derived from the German “hube,” meaning “a unit of land” and “free tenant.”
Hubert: Of Old German origin, meaning “bright” or “shining intellect.”
Huckaby: An Old English topographical name describing a “crooked river bend.”
Hudak: This Slavic and Czech name means “fiddler” and describes a “musician.”
Huddleston: From the Old English Hūdel and “tūn, meaning “Hūdel’s farmstead.”
Hudson: This well-known Old English patronymic name means “son of Hudd.”
Hudspeth: Derived from the Old English name Hodde, meaning “Hodde’s path or track.”
Huerta: Of Spanish and Jewish descent, meaning “irrigated land” and “vegetable garden.”
Huey: A simple German name meaning “soul, mind,” and “intellect.”
Huff: Derived from the German name Hufo, this translates to “heart, mind,” and “spirit.”
Huffman: A derivative of Hoffman, meaning “farmer, courtier,” and “steward” in German.
Huggins: A French patronymic surname meaning “son of Hugh” and “little Hugh.”
Hughes: Used widely in Ireland and Wales, this translates to “son of Hugh or Huw.”
Hugo: Of German, Spanish, and Portuguese origin, meaning “mind” and “intellect.”
Huizar: This Spanish habitational name means “one who hails from Huici.”
Hull: Derived from the Old English “hyll,” meaning “dweller on or by a hill.”
Hulsey: From the Old English “holh,” meaning “hollow” or “depression.”
Hummel: A German and Dutch pet form of Humbert, meaning “busy or bustling person.”
Humphries: A charming German surname meaning “high” and “peace.”
Hundley: An English place name that means “dweller at the hound pasture.”
Hung: Of Vietnamese origin, meaning “courageous” and “heroic.”
Hunt: Many H last names have Old English roots, with this one meaning “pursuer” or “one who hunts.”
Hunter: An occupational English name describing “one who hunts” and “a pursuer.”
Huntington: From the Old English “hunta” and “tun,” meaning “hunter’s settlement.”
Huntley: This Old English name means “meadow of the hunter.”
Hurd: Derived from the Old English “herde,” meaning “herdsman.”
Hurlbert: An old-fashioned English surname meaning “shining battle.”
Hurley: This Irish family name means “sea tide” and “sea valor.”
Hurst: Of Old English origin, meaning “thicket of trees.”
Hurt: Means “hart” in Old English and “hurdle” or “woven fence” in German.
Hurtado: Derived from the Latin “furtum,” meaning “to rob or conceal” in Spanish.
Hussain: A pretty Arabic name meaning “good” or “small handsome one.”
Hussey: This nickname derives from the Middle English “husewyf,” meaning “mistress of a family.”
Hutchings: This patronymic English name translates to “son of Hugh.”
Hutchins: A popular Viking eight-letter name meaning “son of Hugh” and “from Huchon.”
Hutchinson: Derived from the Old French personal name Huchon, meaning “son of Huchon.”
Hutson: Many names beginning with H are patronymic, with this meaning “son of Hud (Hugh)” in Old English.
Hutto: Derived from the Norse place name “haulot,” meaning “hill.”
Hutton: A gender-neutral habitational name meaning “settlement on the bluff.”
Huxley: An unusual Old English surname meaning “Hugh’s meadow.”
Huxton: This Old English name derives from Hucc and “tūn,” meaning “Hucces farmstead or settlement.”
Huynh: Of Vietnamese origin, meaning “older brother.”
Hwang: Translates to “written” in Korean and “yellow” in Chinese.
Hyatt: Of Old English origin, meaning “high gate” or “lofty gate.”
Hyde: With Middle English roots, meaning “dweller near a hill or stream.”
Hyfte: A habitational name for a person “from Hijfte in East Flanders.”
Hyland: Derived from the Old Norse elements “terrace, ledge,” and “land or farmstead.”
Hylton: This Old English habitational name means “hill enclosure or settlement.”
Hyman: A common name of Yiddish origin, meaning “life.”
Hynes: Many surnames starting with H are English, with this one meaning “deer keeper.”

Last Names That Start With H FAQs

Which Last Names That Start With H Are Irish?

Many Irish last names start with H, including Haggerty, Hines, Hughes, Hewitt, and Hagood. Names like Hogan, Hicks, and Hanratty are great examples of Irish monikers.

Which Surnames Starting With H Are Unique?

Many surnames starting with H are unique, including Hyfte, Huizar, Hoyt, Helgason, Heredia, and Holguin. Other top H surnames like Hsu, Hu, and Huang are rare in the U.S. but popular among the Vietnamese and Chinese communities.

What Are the Most Common Last Names That Start With H?

Some of the most popular H surnames in the United States include Harris, Hernandez, Hall, Hill, and Howard. These names represent a mix of English, Spanish, and geographic origins.

Which H Last Names Have Occupational Meanings?

Many historical surnames described a person’s job. Harper refers to a harp player, Hunter denotes someone who tracks game, and Hooper describes a maker of hoops for barrels.

Are There Any Famous Scottish Last Names Starting With H?

Yes, Scotland offers several well-known H surnames. Hamilton, Henderson, and Hunter all have deep roots in Scottish history and remain widely used today.

Do Any H Surnames Mean Warrior or Fighter?

Several H names carry a strong military meaning. Herman translates to “army man,” Harvey means “battle-worthy,” and Harding refers to “the hard one” or a brave fighter.