It’s been six months since I posted one of these lists… well, better late than never! The summer was very busy, and I moved, and only now have I recovered where I put these papers.
Onto the names! As before, these come from a list published in 1822 by the governing authorities in Latvia, encouraging the choice of Latvian surnames, as opposed to German or Polish or Russian ones. These follow earlier posts of Government Approved, Part 1, Government Approved, Part 2 and Government Approved, Part 3.
This week’s category: Names from Objects and Things. As before, if you don’t see your exact name here, don’t panic – the authorities did not recommend diminutive forms, but most often people disregarded that and went with them anyway. So if your surname looks like a name on this list, but ends in -iņš or -Ä«tis instead, it will have that same origin. Also as before, modern renditions in brackets. If I am not familiar with a name, I’ve made my best guess as to how it would be rendered in modern spelling. If there is no change, I have not put a name in brackets.
| Ahkis (Āķis) | Airis | Ambults | Arkls |
| Atbalsts | Atspaids | Auglis | Auseklis |
| Austriņsch (Austriņš) | Awots (Avots) | Baļķis | Balsens |
| Bars | Behniņsch (Bēniņš) | Besmers (Bezmērs) | Birkaws (Birkavs) |
| Blohdis (Bļodis) | Bluķķis (Bluķis) | Bohmis (Bomis) | Bunduls |
| Dahlers (DÄlers) | Dahrs (DÄrzs) | Dakschis (DakÅ¡is) | Dakstiņsch (Dakstiņš) |
| Dambis | Deglis | Dibbens (Dibens) | Dihglis (DÄ«glis) |
| Dohbens (Dobens) | Draudeklis | Dsellons (Dzelonis) | Dselskalns (Dzelzkalns) |
| Dsirkstels (Dzirkstele) | Durwis (Durvis) | Eemaukts (Iemaukts) | Ehwels (Ä’vels) |
| Elkons (Elkonis) | Enkurs | Gabbans (Gabans) | Galds |
| Gals | Garrohsis (Garozs) | Gehrbs (Ģērbs) | Gredsens (Gredzens) |
| Grihsts (Griests) | Ihlens (Īlens) | Iskapts (Izkapts) | Jummis (Jumis) |
| Kabats | Kahts (KÄts) | Kakls | Kalts |
| Kammans (Kamanas) | Kammesis (Kamiesis) | Kammolsch (Kamols) | Karrohgs (Karogs) |
| Karrohte (Karote) | Kaschoks (Kažoks) | Katls | Kauls |
| Kausis | Keegels (Ķieģelis) | Klehpis (Klēpis) | Klehts (Klēts) |
| Knohpis (Knopis) | Kohklis (Koklis) | Kohks (Koks) | Krahsnis (KrÄsns) |
| Krampis | Krasts | Krehsls (Krēsls) | Krettuls (Kretuls) |
| KrohÄ·is (KroÄ·is) | Kuhkuls (Kukuls) | Kummoss (Kumoss) | Kurwis (Kurvis) |
| Kuschķis (Kušķis) | Laidars | Lauks | Lauschnis (Laušnis) |
| Leddus (Ledus) | Leeschkers (Liešķeris) | Lemmesis (Lemesis) | Lezeklis (Leceklis) |
| Lihgotnis (LÄ«gotnis) | Lohgs (Logs) | Lohks (Loks) | Lohzeklis (Loceklis) |
| Luhks (LÅ«ks) | Lukturs | Maiss | Maks |
| Makschkeris (Makšķeris) | Meeseris (Mieseris) | Meets (Miets) | Mehrs (Mērs) |
| Mehtels (Mētels) | Mesch (Mežs) | Muhris (Mūris) | Nams |
| Nasis | Niedris | Pagalms | Pagrabs |
| Pahlis (PÄlis) | Pakuls (Pakulas) | Pamats | Pameslis (Pamesls) |
| Papihrs (PapÄ«rs) | Paspahrnis (PaspÄrnis) | Pawehnis (PavÄ“nis) | Pellus (PÄ“lis) |
| Pihlars (PÄ«lÄrs) | Pihtnis (PÄ«tnis) | Pils | Plauksts |
| Plazzis (PlÄcis) | Plezzis (Plecs) | Pohds (Pods) | Prahmis (PrÄmis) |
| Puhrs (PÅ«rs) | Pulks | Pulkstens | Pumpurs |
| Rags | Raksts | Rats | Rausis |
| Reschģis (Režģis) | Rihks (Rīks) | Rihtenis (Ritenis) | Rinķis (Riņķis) |
| Rittens (Ritenis) | Rohbs (Robs) | Rohzis (Rocis) | Rullis |
| Sahbaks (ZÄbaks) | Sakne | Sakts | Salms |
| Sars | SchÄ·eets (Å Ä·iets) | Schkede (Å Ä·Ä“de) | Schkeps (Å Ä·eps) |
| Schkirsts (Šķirsts) | Schkuhnis (Šķūnis) | Schnoris (Šņoris) | Schohgs (Žogs) |
| Seddels (SÄ“dels) | Seeds (Zieds) | Seegelis (ZÄ“Ä£elis) | Seeks (SÄ«ks) |
| Seemels (Ziemelis) | Seens (Siens) | Seets (Siets) | Sehdeklis (SÄ“deklis) |
| Sehgelis (ZÄ“Ä£elis) | Sils | Sislis | Skabbargs (Skabarga) |
| Skaischķis (Skaišķis) | Skaitlis | Skurstins (Skurstens) | Sneegs (Sniegs) |
| Sohbins (Zobens) | Sohbs (Zobs) | Spahrns (SpÄrns) | Spals |
| Speegelis (Spīģelis) | Spihdeklis (Spīdeklis) | Spihkeris (Spīķeris) | Spilwens (Spilvens) |
| Spohsts (Spožs) | Stahds (StÄds) | Stenders | Stohbrs (Stobrs) |
| Stohps (Stops) | Striķķis (Striķis) | Stuhris (Stūris) | Sturmis |
| Susseklis (Suseklis) | Swahrguls (ZvÄrgulis) | Swahrpsts (SvÄrpsts) | Swammis (Svamis) |
| Swans (Zvans) | Swars (Svars) | Teegels (TÄ«Ä£elis) | Telts |
| Tihkls (TÄ«kls) | Tilts | Tinneklis (Tineklis) | Tirgus |
| Trauks | Trummetis (Trumetis) | Tscheekurs (Čiekurs) | Tschuhplis (Čūplis) |
| Urbeklis | Wadmals (Vadmala) | Wahrds (VÄrds) | Waigs (Vaigs) |
| Wainaks (Vainags) | Wakts (Vakts) | Walgs (Valgs) | Walnis (Valnis) |
| Wasks (Vasks) | Weesulis (Viesulis) | Wehjsch (Vējš) | Wehsts (Vēsts) |
| Wellens (Velēna) | Widdus (Vidus) | Wihns (Vīns) | Wilnis (Vilnis) |
| Zaurums (Caurums) | Zeems (Ciems) | Zeļsch (Ceļš) | Zehrtnis (Cērtnis) |
| Zeplis (Ceplis) | Zeppets (Cepetis) | Zimds (Cimds) | Zirwis (Cirvis) |
| Zukkurs (Cukurs) |
Pingback: Latvian Surnames: Overview | A Latvian Canadian Story
I wold like to compliment you on the fine work you are doing — I also have a question. My grandfather was from the city of Riga, his name was Adolph Siman. Is Siman a proper Latvian surname?
My father was born in Latvia. Sadly he died some years ago and I have been trying to research our family tree but cannot find any Glome (Now spelt Glomé). My grandparents were Line Mikela and Petris Hermana GLOME. We believe they lived in Bauska/Riga?