Meanings of Family Names Trivia Quiz

Answer: Ott

The family name Ott, stemming from Germanic roots meaning 'wealthy' and 'prosperity', has connections to the forenames Otto and Odo. As such it falls into the group based on forenames, though a case could be made for it being an occupational description.

Baseball Hall of Famer, Mel Ott (1909-1958) played for the New York Giants from 1926-1947, and managed the team from 1942-1948.

Answer: Baldwin

Deriving from Germanic roots, through Old French, Baldwin was originally a forename meaning 'brave, bold or steadfast friend'. It reached England at the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066 and thereafter spread to other parts of the world.

Famous people bearing the name are the acting Baldwin brothers (Alec, Stephen, Daniel and William) and the author James Baldwin.

Answer: Fernandez

Fernandez is a Spanish patronymic, meaning 'son of Fernando', so we must look at the meaning of the forename. Fernando is the Spanish form of the Germanic Ferdinand, meaning 'brave traveler' or, as translated from my Spanish name book 'intelligent, bold, daring'.

Famous bearers of the name include World War II Filipino guerilla leader Nieves Fernandez, and former Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Tony Fernandez.

Answer: Delany

Delany, and its variant Delaney, have two possible origins, and thus two possible meanings. 'Dark challenger' derives from an Irish Gaelic personal name. The other meaning is 'from the alder grove', and derives from Old French, arriving in the British Isles with the Normans. The first belongs to the group of surnames derived from forenames, whilst the latter is from the group based on locations where the bearer lived or from which he hailed.

Famous people with the name include American actress Dana Delany and Danish footballer Thomas Delaney.

Answer: Adams

The family name Adams stems from the Biblical forename, Adam, meaning 'man created from red earth', with Adams, Addams, MacAdam and Adamson being patronymics denoting 'son of (Adam) man created from red earth'. Adam is most likely derived from Hebrew words meaning 'red' and 'earth'.

One of the four broad categories of family names is the one consisting of surnames derived from personal names, to which this name belongs.

Examples of people named Adams include two US presidents (John and John Quincy), a comedic television actor (Don, of "Get Smart") and a Canadian rock star (Bryan).

Answer: Young

Although in some cases Young might refer to a younger son, originally it was used in the same way Junior is used, to differentiate father and son who both bear the same forename. It derives from Old English, meaning 'young'. It belongs to that group of family names derived from nicknames, describing some attribute of the person to whom it was given.

Notable people to have the name Young include Latter Day Saints leader Brigham Young; Canadian singer-songwriter Neil Young; and actress Loretta Young.

Answer: Hoffman

The family name Hoffman has come to mean the owner of a farm, though in its earliest usage it could as easily have meant the steward who ran the farm for the owner. It is a German name deriving from the words 'hof', meaning farm and 'mann' (man). It is an example of a surname based on the occupation of the bearer, one of the four major groups of surnames.

Famous Hoffmans include actors Dustin and Philip Seymour; Yippie founder Abbie; and Canadian female Olympic athlete Abby.

Answer: Mäki

The Finnish surname Mäki, from the same word meaning 'hill', became a hereditary surname in that country in the late nineteenth century, often replacing Swedish names with 'berg' or 'back' (hill, hillside) as components.

There is also a Japanese name, pronounced Maki, from a word meaning 'pasture', but it is less common. Both versions fit in the group of family names that derive from a location.

Olli Mäki, a Finnish boxer, competed as a featherweight and had a chance to win the world title in 1962. Fumihiko Maki, a Japanese architect, won the Pritzker Prize in 1993.

Answer: Urbanski

Urbanski is a Polish family name, with links to the forename Urban. Both ultimately derive from Latin 'urbs' meaning 'town' or 'city' and can be considered as belonging to either the forename-derived group of surnames, or the location-derived group.

American Ashley Urbanski is a professional wrestler who uses the name Shotzi Blackheart when performing. Douglas Urbanski has produced films including "Darkest Hour" (2017) and "Mank" (2020).

Answer: Perkins

Perkins is the patronymic form of Perkin, which is a diminutive of the forename Piers, which is the Old French form of Peter, which is derived from the Greek for 'rock' or 'stone'. That's the long-winded way of saying that it's derived from a personal name, meaning 'rock'.

Anthony Perkins, the actor, is remembered for playing Norman Bates in "Psycho" (1960). Singer-songwriter Carl Perkins has been called "The King of Rockabilly".