Family name affixes are a clue for surname etymology and can sometimes determine the ethnic origin of a person. This is a partial list of affixes.

Prefixes

Arabic

  • Abu – (Arabic) "father of";
  • Al – (Arabic) "Family of" or "House of" (in conjunction with name of ancestor)
  • Bet – (Arabic from "Beyt") "house of"
  • Bint – (Arabic) "daughter of"; Binti, Binte (Malaysian version)
  • El – (Arabic see Al)
  • Ibn – (Arabic) "son of"

Armenian

  • Ter – (Eastern Armenian) "son/daughter of a Priest"
  • Der – (Western Armenian) "son/daughter of a priest"; (German) "the" (masculine nominative), "of the" (feminine genitive)

Berber

  • Ayt/At/Ag/Id u- – (Berber) "of"
  • At/n Ath – (Berber) "(son[s]) of"
  • U - (Berber) "son of"/"descendent of"
  • Ult - (Berber) "daughter of"

Dutch

  • de – (Dutch) "the"
  • 's – (Dutch) "of the"; contraction of des, genitive case of the definite article de. Example: 's Gravesande.
  • 't – (Dutch) "the"; contraction of the neuter definite article het.
  • ter – (Dutch) "at the"
  • van – (Dutch) "of", "from"
  • van de, van den, van der, van 't – (Dutch) "of the", "from the"

French

"of", "of the", "from"; often a sign of nobility or old bourgeois family, but also just a geographical term of the name originated of a location :

  • d'
  • de
  • de La
  • des
  • du

German

  • von – (German) "of", "from"; often a sign of nobility, but also just a geographical term if the name originated from a location.
  • zu - (German) "at"; a sign of nobility, sometimes in the combination von und zu, meaning the noble family still owns the place of naming

Hebrew

  • Bath, bat – (Hebrew) "daughter of"
  • Ben, bin, ibn – (Arabic and Hebrew) "son of" Both Mac and Mc are sometimes written M<sup>ac</sup> and M<sup>c</sup> (with superscript ac or c). Mc is pronounced Mac in some names.
  • Ni, Nic – (Irish) "daughter of", from Irish "iníon" meaning "daughter"
  • O', Ó, Ua – (Irish) "son of", "grandson of", "descendant of"
  • Uí – genitive case of Ua (Irish) "daughter of", "granddaughter of", "(female) descendant of"

Italian

  • Del – (Italian, Spanish) "of the", preceding a masculine singular noun
  • Degli – (Italian) "of the", preceding a masculine plural noun starting with either sp, sc, ps, z, gn, or st.
  • Della – (Italian) "of the", preceding a feminine singular noun
  • Di, De – (Italian) "of"

Romanian

  • A – (Romanian) "son of"

Welsh

  • Ab – (Welsh, Cornish, Breton) "son of"
  • Ap – (Welsh) "son of"
  • Verch, Erch – (Welsh) "daughter of"

Other

  • Af – (Danish, Swedish), Av (Norwegian) "of"
  • Ālam/Olam – Persian — "world"
  • Bar – (Aramaic) "son of"
  • Chaudhary - (Punjabi) A title of honour from the Punjab used by several Punjabi tribes, often represented by the prefix "Ch".
  • Da – (Italian) "from", "of"; (Portuguese) "from the" (before a feminine singular noun)
  • Das – (Portuguese) "from the", "of the", preceding a feminine plural noun
  • De – (Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Filipino) "of"; indicates region of origin, often a sign of nobility; in Spanish-speaking countries a married woman will sometimes append her name with "de XXXX" where "XXXX" is her husband's last name; (Dutch) "the"
  • Dele – Southern French, Filipino, and Occitan, equivalent of Du
  • Dos – (Portuguese) "from the, of the", preceding a masculine plural noun
  • Du – (French) "of the", preceding a masculine singular noun
  • E – (Portuguese) "and", between surnames (Maria Eduarda de Canto e Mello)
  • Fitz – (Irish, from Norman French) "son of", from Latin "" meaning "son" (mistakenly thought to mean illegitimate son, because of its use for certain illegitimate sons of English kings)
  • i – (Catalan) "and", always in lowercase, used to identify both surnames (e.g. Antoni Gaudí i Cornet)
  • ka – (Zulu) "(son/daughter) of", always in lower case and preceding the name of the father.
  • Kil, Gil, Mal, Mul – (English, Irish, Scottish) "son of", "servant of", "devotee of", originating from the Irish "Mac Giolla", typically followed by a Saint's name (e.g. Mac Giolla Bhríde).
  • La – (Italian, French, Spanish) "the", feminine singular
  • Le – (Northern French) "the", masculine singular
  • M'/Mac/Mc/Mck/Mhic/Mic – (Irish, Scottish, and Manx Gaelic) "son". Both Mac and Mc are sometimes written M<sup>ac</sup> and M<sup>c</sup> (with superscript ac or c). In some names, Mc is pronounced Mac.
  • Mala – (Kurdish) "House of"
  • Na – ณ (Thai) "at"
  • Ngā – (Te Reo Māori) "the (plural)"
  • Nic, Ní – (Irish, Scottish) "daughter of", from Irish "iníon" meaning "daughter"
  • Nin – (Serbian)
  • O/Ó/Ua/Uí – (Irish, Scottish, and Manx Gaelic) "son of", "grandson of", "descendant of"
  • Öz – (Turkish) "pure"
  • Pour – (Persian) "son of"
  • Te – (Te Reo Māori) "the (singular)"
  • Tre – (Cornish) "settlement/ homestead farm of"

Suffixes

  • -a, -ya Kurdish means "of" (female) (by two surnames)
  • -à (Catalan) feminine -ana "of or from [a locality or place]" (Català -Catalan); and also the name of a job (Manyà -ironsmith), from Latin -ānus, -āna
  • -ac (Croatian, Serbian, Slovene, Southern French)
  • -ach (Ukrainian, Belarusian /Belarusian Latin: -ač/)
  • -acz (Polish)
  • -aei (Persian) (See -i) for words that end in the long vowel A
  • -aitis (Lithuanian) "son of"
  • -aitė (Lithuanian) signifies an unmarried female
  • -aty Americanized form
  • -aj (Albanian) (pronounced AY; meaning “of the") It denotes the name of the family, which mostly comes from the male founder of the family, but also from a place, as in, Lash-aj (from the village Lashaj of Kastrat, MM, Shkodër). It is likely that its ancient form, still found in MM, was an [i] in front of the last name, as in ‘Déda i Lékajve’ (Déd of Lekës). For ease of use, the [i] in front of the last name, and the ending _ve, were dropped. If the last name ends in [a], then removing the [j] would give the name of the patriarch or the place, as in, Grudaj - j = Gruda (place in MM). Otherwise, removing the whole ending [aj] yields the name of founder or place of origin, as in Lekaj - aj = Lek(ë). Since the names are found most commonly in Malsi e Madhe (North) and Labëri (South), it is likely that this linguistic feature is very old. It must have been lost as a result of foreign influences brought into Albania by the invaders.
  • -ak (Polish, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Croatian, Slovene, Slovak, Montenegrin, Sorbian) See -ák for its Slovak meaning.
  • -ák (Czech, Slovak) In Slovak, -ák means "pertaining to" or merely creates a noun, and its two other versions are -iak and -ak.
  • -ano (Italian) feminine -ana "of or from [a locality]"; from Latin -ānus, -āna
  • -ant (English; Norman)
  • -ant (French; Old French)
  • -ant (Hindi; Sanskrit)
  • -anu (Romanian)
  • -appa (Kodava) patronymic, meaning "father"
  • -ár (Slovak)
  • -ář (Czech)
  • -arz (Polish)
  • -as (French) Duras, Porras, Dumas
  • -au (-aw) (Belarusian) / -aŭ (Belarusian Latin).
  • -ava (Belarusian) feminine equivalent of -au
  • -au (German) in a toponymic surname, "of or from a lower place near water"
  • -auskas/-iauskas (Lithuanian) equivalent to Polish -owski, -ewski, Belarusian -ouski, -euski / Belarusian Latin -oŭski, -eŭski
  • -awan (Urdu)
  • -ba (Abkhazian) "male"
  • -chi, -çı, -çi, cı, -ci (Azeri, Persian, چی-, Turkish) attributed to a geographic location or performing a certain job
  • -chian (Persian, چیان-) attributed to or performing a certain job
  • -chek, -chik, -chyk, -chuk (Ukrainian, Belarusian /Belarusian Latin: -ček, -čyk, -čuk/) diminutive
  • -czek, -czyk, -czuk, -czak (Polish)
  • -ček, -čík (Czech, Slovak, Slovene)
  • -ćek, -cek (Croatian)
  • -ckas (Lithuanian) Lithuanianized version of the Polish and Belarusian -cki
  • -cki (Polish, Belarusian, Croatian, Serbian, Sorbian) variant of -ski
  • -cka (Polish, Belarusian, Ukrainian, Sorbian) Feminine equivalent of -cki
  • -ckis (Latvian) Latvianized version of the Polish and Belarusian -cki
  • -cký (Czech, Slovak)
  • -cká (Czech, Slovak) Feminine equivalent of -cký
  • -čki (Serbian, Croatian, Bulgarian)
  • -cock, -cox (English) "little"
  • -dan, -den, -don, -dön (Kyrghyz) "from (whom)", when the ancestor 's name ends in a soft consonant also vowel (e.g. Asanbaydan, Marlenden, Ormondon, Bayköldön)
  • -datter (Danish, Norwegian) "daughter (of)"
  • -din (Swedish)
  • -dokht (Persian) "daughter (of)"
  • -dotter (Norwegian, Swedish) "daughter (of)"
  • -dóttir (Icelandic) "daughter (of)" (patronymic suffix (sometimes matronymic) (by law) of not a family name but part of the Icelandic last name where (usually) the father's name is always slightly modified and then dóttir added)
  • -dze (Georgian) "son of"
  • -dzki (Polish) variant of -ski, -cki
  • -é (Catalan)
  • -ê, -yê (Kurdish) means "of" (male) (by two surnames)
  • -eanu (Romanian)
  • -eau, -eault (French) diminutive suffix (Latin -ellu-)
  • -ec (Czech, Slovak, Croatian, Slovene, Polish, Sorbian, Ukrainian, Belarusian), (French spelling for Breton -e.g.)
  • -avec (Belarusian)
  • -ech (French)
  • -ee (See -i)
  • -eff (Russian, Bulgarian) obsolete, copied from German transliteration of -ev
  • -eiro (Portuguese, Galician)
  • -eix (French), diminutive
  • -ek (Czech, Polish, Slovak, Slovene, Croatian) diminutive
  • -ell (English spelling for French -el, diminutive)
  • -el (Northern French and Occitan, French -eau)
  • -ema (Suffix of Frisian origin, given by Napoleon Bonaparte who used suffixes like these to keep a record of people's origins within the Netherlands)
  • -ems (Dutch)
  • -ėnas (Lithuanian) "son of"
  • -enko (Ukrainian), -enka/-anka (Belarusian) "son of"
  • -chenko (Ukrainian), -chenka/-chanka (Belarusian /Belarusian Latin: -čenka, -čanka/)
  • -ens (Dutch)
  • -ent (French)
  • -enya (Belarusian /Belarusian Latin: -enia/) (e.g. Gerasimenya)
  • -er (Dutch, English, French, German, Turkish "male")
  • -ero (Spanish)
  • -ers (Dutch)
  • -es (Greek, Portuguese) "son of" in Portuguese
  • -ese (Italian) plural -esi "of or from [a locality]"; from Latin -ēnsis
  • -escu (Romanian) "son of"
  • -ești (Romanian) possessive plural, also used in place names
  • -et (French) (diminutive suffix Latin -ettu- or former -el)
  • -ets (Ukrainian, Belarusian)
  • -eu (-ew) (Belarusian /Belarusian Latin: -eŭ/) equivalent to Russian -ev
  • -ev (Russian (all Eastern Slavic languages), Bulgarian, Macedonian) possessive
  • -eva (Russian (all Eastern Slavic languages), Bulgarian, Macedonian) Feminine equivalent of -ev
  • -evski (Macedonian, Bulgarian) possessive
  • -evska (Macedonian, Bulgarian) Feminine equivalent of -evski
  • -ez (Spanish, North Picard) including Spanish-speaking countries "son of"; in Picard, old spelling for -et
  • -ëz (Albanian) for feminine; a word refer to something smaller, either literally or figuratively as in a form of endearment
  • -fia, -fi, -fy, -ffy (Hungarian) "descendant of" (literally "son of")
  • -fleth, -felth, -fleet (Northern German) current, body of water
  • -gaard, -gård (Danish, Norwegian, Swedish) farm
  • -gil, (Turkish, "family") (e.g. Korkmazgil)
  • -i (Hungarian) "of", "from" indicates region of origin, sign of nobility (e.g. "Szentiványi", "Rákóczi"). Like German Von.
  • -i (Arabic, Persian, Hebrew) "descendant of", "attributed to" (e.g. "Baghdadi", "Abbasi") or, (Iranian) "from" (e.g. "Barzani" from Barzan, or Tabrizi from Tabriz.)
  • -ík (Slovak) It merely creates a noun and can also be endearment, diminutive, have other meanings; its other Slovak version is -ik.
  • -ge (Sinhalese) "From the house of"
  • -ing, ink (Anglo-Saxon, Dutch, German) "descendant"
  • -ino (a common suffix for male Latino and Italian names)
  • -ipa (Abkhazian) "son of"
  • -ipha (Abkhazian) "girl of"
  • -is (Greek, /male/ Lithuanian)
  • -ienė (Lithuanian) female version
  • -ytė (Lithuanian) unmarried female version
  • -ishin, -yshyn (Ukrainian) possessive (e.g. Romanishin = son of wife of Roman)
  • -ishina, -yshyna (female equivalent of -ishin, -yshyn)
  • -iu (Romanian)
  • -ius (Lithuanian) "son of"
  • -iv (Ukrainian) possessive.
  • -iz (Spanish) including Spanish-speaking countries "son of", very unfrequent compared to -ez (Muñiz < Muño)
  • -j (Adygean)"old"
  • -ja (Sindhi, Punjabi) "from, of", often denoting ancestral hometowns and villages. Mostly with the combinations -ija, -uja and -eja (eg. Makhija, Ahuja, Taneja)
  • -jerhin/-jerin (Kyrghyz) "place (of origin)" Usually, this form of the surname is assigned to kairylmans who do not have a surname. This form is added to the place of residence, origin. Those who do not know their origin can also be used. It is possible at will. (e.g. Pamirjerhin/Pamirjerin, Tongjerhin/Tongjerin). In The Kyrghyz latine alphabet will be -zerin
  • -ka (Belarusian, Polish, Czech, Slovak) diminutive
  • -kan, -ken (Turkish) (e.g. Vuruşkan)
  • -kar (Marathi) (e.g. Tendulkar)"originating from",
  • -ke (German) "small"
  • -ke (Italian, Russian) In surnames of Slavic origin. Like Ukrainian -ko
  • -kin, -kins, -ken (English) "little"
  • -kin (Dutch) "little"
  • -ko (Ukrainian, Polish, Slovak, Czech) diminutive
  • -ko (Polish, Czech, Slovak, Bulgarian, Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Serbian, Slovene)- diminutive, “child,” “descendant of.” It is used in affectionate forms of first names, and is also a common suffix in many surnames.
  • -ko (Adygean) "son" ĸъо
  • -kus (Lithuanian)
  • -kvist, -qvist (Swedish) "twig"
  • -kyzy (Kazakh) "daughter of"
  • -kyzy (Kyrghyz) "daughter of" (but usually used for patronymic)
  • -la, -lä (Finnish)
  • -le, -lein (German) "small"
  • -li, -lı, -lu, -lü (Turkish, Azeri) "from" (e.g. İzmirli, Ankaralı, İstanbullu, Bakülü)
  • -li (Italian)
  • -lin (French, Irish, Swedish) in Germanic names "small"
  • -litz (German)
  • -loo, -lou (Persian) "from" (e.g. Ghassemlou, Aghdashloo)
  • -man(n) (Dutch, German, English)
  • -mand (Persian, مند-) owning or showing
  • -ysz (Polish)
  • -za (Kurdish) "born of"
  • -zada (Dari (Eastern Persian) and Pashto)
  • -zadeh (Turkish, Azeri, Persian زاده)
  • -zai (Pashto) "son of", "descendant of"