110 Popular Swiss Last Names or Surnames

Switzerland is a beautiful and culturally diverse country. It has a multi-ethnic population, with its people speaking many languages. This diversity of languages is seen in Swiss surnames, too. Swiss surnames have roots in many languages such as Swiss German, Old German, and Middle High German. Though last names in Switzerland are from many languages, most surnames are either related to the occupation of the family, or are toponymic i.e. referring to the geographical origin of the family. The surnames are a denotation of the social status of the person’s ancestral family. Some Swiss surnames are diminutive forms of personal names, too. Meaningful Swiss surnames are a good way to know about a person’s origin and roots.

110 Swiss Surnames or Family Names with Meanings

Here is a list of popular Swiss surnames with their meanings:

1. Ammann

This Swiss surname is of Swiss-German origin, indicating people who worked as administrators, and means “retinue” or “retainer”.

2. Andros

Andros is a common Swiss last name that is a derivative of “Andreas”, meaning masculine or manly.

3. Bachmann

This Swiss toponymic surname is a combination of two Middle High German words, “bach” meaning stream and “mann” meaning man.

4. Baumann

Baumann is an early medieval German origin surname, meaning a “farmer”.

5. Baumgartner

This Swiss surname is derived from “Boumgarte”, meaning orchard.

6. Berge

Berge is a toponymic Swiss family name, derived from “berg”, referring to a person living on a mountain or hill.

7. Bieri

This Swiss name is derived from “Pierre”, a French name for “Peter”, which in turn comes from “Petros”, a Greek word meaning “stone”.

8. Blaser

The Swiss surname is derived from a Middle High German word “blasarre”, referring to a musician who plays a wind instrument.

9. Brucker

Brucker, meaning “bridge”, is derived from “Brucke” that is a German word and refers to a person living near a bridge.

10. Brunner

Brunner is derived from “Brunnen”, a German word meaning “fountain” or “spring”, and refers to people living near a fountain or spring.

11. Bucher

This surname derived from Middle High German word “bouche” which means “beech tree”.

12. Buhler (Buehler)

The name is derived from “buehel”, an Old German word meaning “hill”.

13. Burri

This surname, derived from “Burkhart”, was originally used as a nickname. The name is composed of “burg” meaning fort, and “hart” meaning brave.

14. Caflisch

Caflisch, a Swiss German name meaning “calf meat”, is a shortened version of “Kalbefleisch”.

15. Camenzind

This Swiss surname is an occupational name referring to a builder of chimneys and fireplaces.

16. Christen

This Swiss surname is derived from “Christianus”, a Latin-origin name meaning “a Christian”.

17. Derrer

The name is derived from “darren”, a German origin word for “to soak flax/hemp”.

18. Egger

Egger is derived from “eggen”, a German word meaning “harrow” or “plough”, and refers to a peasant or farmer.

19. Elmer

This toponymic surname refers to a resident of Elmer, a village in the Glarus region of Switzerland.

20. Fankhauser

This Swiss surname is derived from “fang haus”, a German phrase meaning “a capture house”.

21. Favre

Favre is derived from “faber”, a Latin-origin word meaning a “smith” or “craftsman”, and  refers to a person coming from the family of craftsmen or blacksmith.

22. Fischer

Fischer is the German name for a fisherman or fisher.

23. Fluckiger

This occupational surname is derived from “vlicken”, a German word meaning “to patch”, and refers to a person involved in patching shoes or fabric.

24. Frei

Frei meaning “free” or “liberal” is a German-origin surname.

25. Fricker

This toponymic surname is derived from “Fricktal”, referring to a person coming from the Frick valley in Switzerland.

26. Fuchs

This Swiss surname derived from “fuhs”, an old High German word meaning “fox”.

27. Furrer

This Swiss surname is derived from “furrer”, meaning “cleft in the ground”.

28. Gasser

This Swiss surname is derived from the German word “gasse” meaning street or alley, referring to a person living in a street or alley.

29. Gerber

Gerber, derived from “tanner”, is a German word referring to a person working in tanning leather.

30. Girtman

This Swiss surname, derived from the German word “gurten” meaning “to grid”, refers to a person making belts or straps.

31. Gisler

Gisler is a variation of “Geissler”, derived from “geiz” meaning goat. This occupational surname refers to a goatherd.

32. Graf

This Swiss surname is of German origin, and means “Earl” or “Count”.

33. Haller

Haller, a variation of “Halter”, is derived from “Halte”, a Middle High German word meaning “pasture”, and refers to a person living near or in a grass pasture.

34. Hartmann

Hartmann is made from “hart” meaning “brave” and “mann” meaning “man”, and refers to a warrior or brave man.

35. Hauser

Hauser, derived from a Middle High German word “hus” meaning house, refers to a person who provides protection or shelter to others.

36. Hedinger

This toponymic Swiss surname refers to a person belonging to Hedingen, a place in Zurich, Switzerland.

37. Hess

Hess is a toponymic surname referring to people belonging to Hesse, a region in Germany.

38. Hofer

This Swiss surname, derived from “hof” meaning manor farm or farmstead, refers to a person who lived in a farm or worked as a farmstead.

39. Hofmann/Hoffman

This occupational surname is derived from “hofman”, a Middle High German word referring to a person who manages a farm or property of another person.

40. Hug

This Swiss surname is derived from “hug”, an Old German word meaning “spirit”, and refers to a person of a strong heart and mind.

41. Hunziker

This toponymic surname refers to a person from Hunzikon and Huntziken, Switzerland.

42. Imhof/Imhoff

Imhof, meaning “at the manor farm”, is from Middle Low German, and refers to a person working in a manor farm or farmstead.

43. Jaggi

This surname, derived from a German word “jagen” meaning to hunt, refers to a hunter or huntsman.

44. Kaufmann

This Swiss occupational surname is a German-origin word for a merchant or trader.

45. Keller

Keller is a German word for “Cellar”, and is an occupational name for a person taking care of a food cellar or prisoner’s cellar.

46. Kensinger

This Swiss toponymic surname refers to a person belonging to Kenzingen, a German town.

47. Klauser

This is the diminutive version of “Nicholas”, derived from the Greek word “Nikolaos” meaning victorious people.

48. Klausner

This Swiss surname is derived from “klosenaere”, a Middle High German word meaning “hermit”.

49. Koch

This Swiss surname is the German word for “cook”, therefore is an occupational origin surname for a cook.

50. Kohler

This Swiss surname has its origin in “kol” meaning charcoal, a Middle High German word referring to a person who sells or burns charcoal.

51. Krieger

This name meaning “common soldier” is from “krieger”, a Middle High German word.

52. Kuhn

Kuhn is a German origin word meaning “bold” or “daring”.

53. Kuntz

Kuntz is derived from “konrad”, an Old High German word meaning “bold advisor”.

54. Langel

This German origin surname is from the word “land”, meaning “long” or “tall”.

55. Lehmann

This status surname is derived from “lehenman”, referring to a feudal tenant who received land for fee or royalty from the landlord.

56. Leuenberger

This toponymic Swiss surname refers to a person belonging to Lowenberg in Germany.

57. Liechti

This surname is derived from “liechti”, a German word meaning “clearing”, referring to a person residing in a clearing.

58. Luthi

This Swiss surname is derived from German words “leute” or “luti”, meaning “people”.

59. Marti

This surname is the diminutive form of Martin, derived from “Martinus”, a Roman name for a follower of the Roman God Mars.

60. Maurer

Maurer is a German-origin occupational surname meaning “mason” or “wall-builder”.

61. Meier

This Swiss surname comes from “meier”, a Middle High German word meaning “mayor” or “administrator”.

62. Meyer

This Middle High German-origin occupational surname refers to a person who has worked as an administrator or mayor.

63. Michel

This surname is a variant of Hebrew origin “Micheal”, meaning “one who is like God”.

64. Moser

This Swiss surname originates from the Middle High German word “mos” meaning a peat bog.

65. Muller

Muller is a Swiss surname meaning “miller”, referring to people working as millers.

66. Mylin

This toponymic surname refers to people belonging to Meilin, a region in Zurich, Switzerland.

67. Noser

The surname is derived from “Noss”, a Middle High German word meaning “cattle”.

68. Oberle

This Swiss surname, derived from “ober” meaning upper one, refers to people residing in the upper end of a settlement.

69. Peter

Peter is a Greek origin surname, meaning “rock” or “stone”.

70. Pfister

This occupational Swiss surname means “baker”.

71. Reif

Reif meaning “hoop” is a Middle High German-origin surname referring to a ribbon-maker.

72. Roth

Roth originates from a Middle High German word “rot” meaning red.

73. Saxer

This toponymic surname refers to a person who belonged to Saxony, a region in Germany.

74. Schaffhauser

This toponymic Swiss German surname refers to a person who belongs to Schaffhausen, a town in Switzerland.

75. Scheidecker

Scheidecker is a Swiss German surname referring to residents of Scheideck, the name of many places in Germany and Switzerland.

76. Schmid

Schmid is a cognate of “Smith”, an occupational surname for a blacksmith.

77. Schmidt

This common Swiss surname is derived from “smit”, a Middle High German word meaning a blacksmith or metal worker.

78. Schneider

This Swiss surname is derived from the German word “schneiden”, meaning “to cut”, and refers to a tailor.

79. Schuler

Schuler is a German-origin word meaning “student”.

80. Schwarz

This German-origin surname means “black”, and refers to a person of dark complexion.

81. Schweizer

This Swiss surname means a “Swiss person” or a “person from Switzerland”.

82. Seiler

Seiler is derived from a German-origin word “seil”, meaning rope.

83. Seiter

This surname is derived from “suter”, meaning shoemaker, and refers to a person involved in shoemaking or a cobbler.

84. Senn

Senn, originating from “senne” meaning farmhand, refers to a person involved in farming or dairy.

85. Siegenthaler

This toponymic surname refers to a person belonging to Siegen, a valley in Switzerland.

86. Sommer

Sommer is a German origin surname meaning “summer”.

87. Staheli

This surname is the variation of “Stahl”, meaning steel or armour.

88. Stalder

This Swiss surname derived from “stalde”, meaning a “steep slope”, refers to a person living on a steep slope.

89. Steiner

This surname is derived from “stein”, a German-origin word meaning “rock” or “stone”.

90. Studer

This surname is derived from “staude”, a German-origin name meaning a “shrub” or “plant”.

91. Sutter

This surname, derived from “suter” meaning “to sew”, refers to a person working as a tailor or shoemaker.

92. Tanner

Tanner is a Swiss occupational surname referring to a person involved in tanning.

93. Theiler

This surname is derived from “teilen”, a German word meaning “division” or “divide”.

94. Vogel

Vogel is a German-origin surname meaning “bird”.

95. Vogt

This surname is derived from “voget”, meaning a lawyer or bailiff.

96. Wagner

Wagner is an occupational surname referring to a wagon maker.

97. Weber

This surname of Middle High German origin means “to weave”.

98. Wenger

This toponymic surname refers to a person belonging to Wengen or Weng in Switzerland.

99. Wuethrich

The surname, derived from “wuetrich” meaning tyrant, is of German origin.

100. Zaugg

This surname originated from an Old High German name “Zougo”, meaning “to pull”.

101. Zehren

This surname is from “ze herren”, referring to a person in service of the Lord.

102. Zimmerle

This German-origin surname is derived from “zimmer” meaning wood, and refers to a carpenter.

103. Zimmermann

This surname composed from “zimber” meaning “timber” and “mann” meaning “man”, refers to a carpenter.

104. Zobrist

Zobrist is a topographic surname referring to a person living at a high point of settlement.

105. Zuber

This German-origin metonymic occupational surname is for a person making copper items, or a tube maker.

106. Zug

This surname refers to a person who belongs to Zug, a city in Switzerland.

107. Zurcher

This surname refers to a person who belongs to Zurich in Switzerland.

108. Zutter

Zutter is a variant of a Swiss-German word “shutter”, and is used for a shoemaker.

109. Zwahlen

Zwahlen is a Swiss-German surname referring to a person who lives near water channels.

110. Zwiefelhofer

This habitation surname is of Bavarian origin and a variant of “Zwiebelhofer”, referring to a resident of an onion farm.

Swiss surnames are unique, and have numerous roots and origins, mostly signifying the occupation or social status of a person’s family. Understanding the meaning of a Swiss surname is the easiest way to know about the ancestors or family of a person.