80 Weird Last Names You Won’t Believe Are Real

Have you ever come across someone with a last name that made you look twice? The world has no shortage of surnames that sound like jokes or seem to come straight out of a fantasy book.

These names range from the oddly funny to the downright strange. Some have innocent beginnings lost in time, while others just happen to sound unfortunate today.

Whether you’re here to laugh, learn some name facts, or just wonder what people are called, you’re in for a treat.

Let’s explore some of the strangest, most unusual last names ever recorded — and the often surprising stories behind them.

Weird Last Names

Shufflebottom (English) – It means “valley bottom where sheep graze,” unusual and giggle-worthy.

Clutterbuck (English) – Originates from Gloucestershire; may refer to a noisy or cluttered brook.

Cockburn (Scottish) – It means “stream where roosters are found” and is pronounced “Coburn.”

Woolfenden (English) – Meaning “valley of wolves,” an old locational name.

Gotobed (English) – Originally a nickname for someone who went to bed early or was lazy.

Peevey (English) – Of uncertain origin; possibly a variation of Peavey, a tool-related name.

Mucklewrath (Scottish) – It means “great wrath”; it sounds like a fantasy villain.

Pickleman (Germanic) – Occupational name for someone who pickled goods.

Funk (German) – It means “spark” or “radio,” which now sounds amusing in English.

Titty (English) – Possibly a diminutive of Letitia; now a source of awkwardness.

Fetherstonhaugh (English) – Meaning “feather stone hill”; pronounced “Fanshaw.”

Snodgrass (Scottish) – Derived from a place called Snodgrasse; possibly means “smooth pasture.”

Bumgardner (German) – Variation of Baumgartner, meaning “tree gardener.”

Kissinger (German) – From Bad Kissingen, a spa town in Germany.

Smellie (Scottish) – From the old Scots word “smalle,” meaning small or slender.

Sidebottom (English) – It means “valley side”; it sounds very odd today.

Mushrush (English) – Possibly from “marsh rushes”; sounds like a video game move.

Schnakenberg (German) – Means “gnat hill”; from a landscape with insects.

Nutter (English) – Occupational name for a scribe or notary; now slang for “crazy person.”

Boggess (English) – From “bog,” a wetland; refers to someone who lived near one.

Higginbotham (English) – Meaning “homestead of Higgin”; sounds exaggerated.

Booger (Americanized) – Possibly a variant of Buecker; now an unfortunate word in slang.

Pussett (English) – Diminutive of Puss; originally affectionate, now odd-sounding.

Crumpacker (German) – Derived from Krumbacher, a place name in Bavaria.

Bottomley (English) – From a village in Yorkshire; means “bottom of a hill.”

Slingluff (German) – Possibly derived from “Schlengluff,” a distorted locational name.

Zzyzx (American) – Invented for uniqueness; now a real surname based on a Nevada location.

Goggin (Irish) – From “Mac Cogadháin,” meaning “son of war”; strange to non-Irish ears.

Hogsflesh (English) – Likely occupational; butcher or pig farmer.

Crabtree (English) – Locational name for someone near wild apple trees.

Doolittle (English) – Nickname for a lazy person; made famous by Dr. Dolittle.

Fitzwater (Norman-English) – Means “son of Water”; old noble surname.

Wigglesworth (English) – From a village name meaning “Wicga’s enclosure”; now sounds amusing.

Swindle (English) – Possibly from “Swindale,” meaning valley of the pig-herder.

Bork (Scandinavian) – Short for names like Borkvard; now meme-worthy.

Hardmeat (English) – Likely occupational or a butcher’s name; sounds unfortunate today.

Pappalardo (Italian) – Means “fat lard”; now a rare Sicilian surname.

Hoare (English) – From Old English “har,” meaning gray or hoary; sounds offensive now.

Mould (English) – From someone who lived near soft earth or mossy places.

Skidmore (English) – Originally “Scudamore,” it means “fast horse rider.”

Bugg (English) – Derived from a medieval nickname meaning “ghost” or “scare”; spooky and odd.

Halfacre (English) – Originally referred to someone who owned a small plot of land.

Toogood (English) – A nickname for someone exceptionally virtuous or, sarcastically, the opposite.

Crump (English) – From Middle English crump, meaning bent or crooked; possibly for a hunched person.

Dorkins (English) – Diminutive of “Dork,” which was a medieval nickname; now sounds geeky.

Pigg (English) – Originally a nickname or occupational surname for a pig farmer.

Blewitt (English) – Possibly from “blew” (blue), referring to clothing or complexion.

Death (English) – From “De’Ath,” a Norman surname; often misread or mispronounced.

Bonefat (English) – Extremely rare; possibly descriptive or occupational.

Crapo (French) – From crapaud, meaning “toad”; pronounced “crap-oh.”

Chinn (English) – Referred to someone with a prominent chin.

Fudge (English) – Possibly a nickname from Middle English for deceit or a maker of fudge.

Waddle (English) – Originally a nickname for someone with a waddling gait.

Scarbrough (English) – Locational, from the coastal town Scarborough; odd when pronounced differently.

Spittle (English) – Shortened from “hospital” or from someone living near a leper house.

Nipple (English) – Possibly a diminutive or variant of “Nepal” or “Knibbs”; rare and awkward today.

Tinkle (English) – Possibly from a bell-ringer or nickname; now sounds juvenile.

Cockshott (English) – Means “clearing where woodcocks are shot”; found in Yorkshire.

Beaver (English) – Could refer to the animal or a hardworking person; now sounds suggestive.

Shuff (Germanic) – Likely derived from “Schuff,” a diminutive or occupational name.

Looney (Irish) – From “Ó Luanaigh,” meaning warrior or champion; unfortunate English connotation.

Bickerdike (English) – From a location or stream name; sounds made-up but is real.

Drinkwater (English) – Originally a humorous or literal occupational name.

Wigfall (English) – From a place name; may refer to a waterfall near willow trees.

Rott (German) – Means “clearing” or “red”; unfortunate similarity to decay.

Horney (English) – Possibly from “horn blower” or “horned place”; now unintentionally funny.

Kneebone (Cornish) – Likely from a location in Cornwall; old and rare.

Shafter (German) – Occupational name for a maker of shafts (arrows or tools).

Beers (Dutch) – From a town in the Netherlands; sounds like the drink.

Dingle (English) – From a deep wooded valley; humorous now due to slang.

Clapsaddle (German) – Occupational name; possibly related to a saddle maker or rider.

Wack (German) – From “Wach,” meaning watchman; now sounds like slang for bad.

Hazelbast (Germanic) – Rare; “bast” refers to bark, and hazel is the tree.

Wanklyn (English) – Diminutive of “Wankel,” meaning weak or unsteady; rare and awkward now.

Trollope (English) – Possibly from a place name; also became a derogatory term.

Fartlek (Swedish) – Athletic training term meaning “speed play”; also a real surname.

Feather (English) – From someone who worked with feathers or a light person.

Whalebelly (English) – Possibly from a sailor or humorous nickname; extremely rare.

Silly (English) – From “Seely,” meaning blessed or happy; changed meaning over time.

Manspeaker (English) – Possibly occupational; literally means “one who speaks for a man.”

Closing Remarks

Every name tells a story; it can be funny, strange, and sometimes a rich cultural history. It’s important to remember that every name has a meaningful beginning.

This post is just to share information only, but not to mock someone’s identity, and if you find your last name in this list, consider it as a pride for its uniqueness.