Surnames, or family names, are more than just identifiers; they are windows into our past, carrying stories of ancestry and heritage. Many last names have meanings that reflect the values, occupations, or characteristics of our forebears. Among these, last names that mean treasure are particularly intriguing, as they suggest a connection to something valuable or cherished.
These names can originate from words meaning “treasure” in various languages or be derived from terms related to wealth, jewels, or other precious items. Found across different cultures, each of these surnames has its own unique story and significance.
In this comprehensive guide, we will explore a curated list of last names that mean treasure, delving into their etymologies, cultural contexts, and the possible reasons why such names were chosen. By understanding these names, we not only learn about linguistic diversity but also gain a deeper appreciation for how language and culture intersect to shape our identities.
100 Last Names That Mean Treasure
- Aare (Estonian: “treasure”)
- Aarelaid (Estonian: “treasure islet”)
- Abeygunaratne (Sinhalese: from Sanskrit “fearless” + “jewel, treasure”)
- Abeyrathna (Sinhalese: from Sanskrit “fearless” + “jewel, treasure”)
- Amararathna (Sinhalese: from Sanskrit “immortal” + “jewel, treasure”)
- Ariyaratne (Sinhalese: from Sanskrit “noble” + “jewel, treasure”)
- Bahandi (Cebuano: “wealth, riches, treasure”)
- Chandrarathna (Sinhalese: from Sanskrit “moon” + “jewel, treasure”)
- Dayaratne (Sinhalese: from Sanskrit “compassion” + “jewel, treasure”)
- Dharmaratne (Sinhalese: from Sanskrit “duty, virtue” + “jewel, treasure”)
- Erdene (Mongolian: “jewel, treasure”)
- Gunaratne (Sinhalese: from Sanskrit “quality, merit” + “jewel, treasure”)
- Jayaratne (Sinhalese: from Sanskrit “victory” + “jewel诺treasure”)
- Kanedakara (Japanese: from Kanji “gold” + “treasure”)
- Karunaratne (Sinhalese: from Sanskrit “compassion, kindness” + “jewel, treasure”)
- Kimpō (Japanese: from “gold” + “treasure”)
- Kularatne (Sinhalese: from Sanskrit “family” + “jewel, treasure”)
- Nawaratne (Sinhalese: from Sanskrit “nine” + “jewel, treasure”)
- Premaratne (Sinhalese: from Sanskrit “love, affection” + “jewel, treasure”)
- Quimpo (Filipino: from Hokkien “gold shop” or “golden treasure”)
- Takahara (Italian: “treasure”)
- Tesauro (Italian: from “treasure, treasury”)
- Tesoro (Spanish, Italian: from “treasure”)
- Thilakaratne (Sinhalese: from Sanskrit “mark, ornament” + “jewel, treasure”)
- Weeraratne (Sinhalese: from Sanskrit “hero, brave” + “jewel, treasure”)
- Treasure (English: from Old French “tresor,” meaning “treasure, hoard”)
- Schatz (German: “treasure”)
- Schatzer (German: derived from “treasure”)
- Thesoro (Italian: variant of “tesoro,” meaning “treasure”)
- Tresor (French: “treasure”)
- Skarbek (Polish: from “skarb,” meaning “treasure”)
- Skarbowski (Polish: derived from “skarb,” meaning “treasure”)
- Kincses (Hungarian: from “kincs,” meaning “treasure”)
- Kincso (Hungarian: variant of “kincs,” meaning “treasure”)
- Bao (Chinese: from 宝, meaning “treasure, jewel”)
- Baoyu (Chinese: from 宝 “treasure” + 玉 “jade”)
- Jinbao (Chinese: from 金 “gold” + 宝 “treasure”)
- Ratnayake (Sinhalese: from “ratna,” meaning “jewel, treasure”)
- Ratnavel (Tamil: from “ratna,” meaning “jewel, treasure”)
- Ratnasamy (Tamil: from “ratna,” meaning “jewel, treasure”)
- Nidhi (Indian: from Sanskrit “treasure, wealth”)
- Sreenidhi (Indian: from “sri” + “nidhi,” meaning “treasure of prosperity”)
- Kalanidhi (Indian: from “kala” + “nidhi,” meaning “treasure of art”)
- Jaladhi (Indian: “treasure of water”)
- Thesauri (Italian: plural form of “thesaurus,” meaning “treasury”)
- Goldschmidt (German: from “gold” + “smith,” implying precious metal work)
- Goldstein (German: from “gold” + “stone,” akin to treasure)
- Goldmann (German: “gold” + “man,” associated with wealth)
- Silber (German: “silver,” a precious metal)
- Silberman (German: “silver” + “man,” implying wealth)
- Argent (French: “silver,” symbolizing value)
- Argento (Italian: “silver,” akin to treasure)
- Plata (Spanish: “silver,” a valuable material)
- Aurum (Latin: “gold,” symbolizing wealth)
- Auric (French: derived from “aurum,” meaning “gold”)
- Or (French: “gold,” a precious metal)
- Oro (Spanish: “gold,” associated with treasure)
- Kim (Korean: from 金, meaning “gold”)
- Gim (Korean: variant of “Kim,” meaning “gold”)
- Kin (Japanese: from 金, meaning “gold”)
- Kaneko (Japanese: from “kane” meaning “metal, gold”)
- Kaneshiro (Japanese: from “kane” + “shiro,” meaning “gold castle”)
- Kinoshita (Japanese: from “kino” + “shita,” sometimes linked to precious materials)
- Hazine (Turkish: “treasure”)
- Hazinedar (Turkish: “treasurer,” one who guards treasure)
- Ganj (Persian: “treasure”)
- Ganjavi (Persian: derived from “ganj,” meaning “treasure”)
- Khazina (Arabic: “treasure, treasury”)
- Kanz (Arabic: “treasure”)
- Kanzler (German: from “kanz,” meaning “treasure,” or “chancellor” of wealth)
- Maanika (Indian: from “manik,” meaning “gem, jewel”)
- Manickam (Tamil: “gem, jewel”)
- Perlman (Yiddish: from “perl,” meaning “pearl”)
- Perle (Yiddish: “pearl,” a precious gem)
- Margolis (Yiddish: from “margalit,” meaning “pearl”)
- Diamant (French: “diamond,” a precious stone)
- Corallo (Italian: “coral,” a valued material)
- Rubino (Italian: “ruby”)
- Saphir (French: “sapphire”)
- Esmeralda (Spanish: “emerald”)
- Zaffiro (Italian: “sapphire”)
- Giada (Italian: “jade”)
- Jade (French: “jade”)
- Nefret (Turkish: “jade”)
- Perla (Spanish: “pearl”)
- Perlov (Russian: from “perl,” meaning “pearl”)
- Margarit (Russian: from “margarita,” meaning “pearl”)
- Moti (Indian: “pearl”)
- Mukta (Indian: “pearl”)
- Lu’lu (Arabic: “pearl”)
- Duru (Turkish: “clear, pure,” often linked to precious gems)
- Gohar (Persian: “jewel”)
- Jawhar (Arabic: “jewel”)
- Jawhari (Arabic: derived from “jawhar,” meaning “jewel”)
- Gemmell (English: from “gem,” meaning “jewel”)
- Gemelli (Italian: plural of “gem,” meaning “jewels”)
- Jewel (English: “jewel, precious stone”)
- Jewell (English: variant of “jewel”)
- Precious (English: “precious, valuable”)
- Cherish (English: “to treasure, hold dear”)
- Thesauris (Latin: derived from “thesaurus,” meaning “treasury”)
- Skarb (Polish: “treasure”)
- Skarbnik (Polish: “treasurer”)
- Thesorer (Old French: “treasurer”)
- Trezoro (Esperanto: “treasure”)
- Schat (Dutch: “treasure”)
- Schatte (Dutch: variant of “schat,” meaning “treasure”)
- Tesorero (Spanish: “treasurer”)
- Tesoriere (Italian: “treasurer”)
- Khazanov (Russian: from “khazna,” meaning “treasury”)
- Ganz (German: “whole, complete,” sometimes linked to “treasure”)
- Ganzel (German: derived from “ganz,” with treasure connotations)
- Riqueza (Spanish: “wealth, riches”)
- Riches (English: “wealth, riches”)
- Reichtum (German: “wealth”)
- Wealth (English: “wealth, riches”)
- Aishwarya (Indian: from Sanskrit “prosperity, wealth”)
- Alodia (Spanish: “riches, wealth”)
- Efemena (African: “here is my wealth”)
- Eniola (Yoruba: “person of wealth”)
- Inyene (African: “wealth”)
- Lucretia (Latin: “profit, wealth”)
- Zengin (Turkish: “rich, wealthy”)
- Reich (German: “rich, realm”)
- Reicher (German: “richer, wealthy”)
- Ricco (Italian: “rich”)
- Rico (Spanish: “rich”)
- Divit (Indian: “wealth, divine”)
- Dhanraj (Indian: from “dhan,” meaning “wealth”)
- Dhanesh (Indian: “lord of wealth”)
- Dhanrajani (Indian: derived from “dhan,” meaning “wealth”)
- Vasu (Indian: “wealth, treasure”)
- Vasudeva (Indian: from “vasu,” meaning “wealth”)
- Samriddhi (Indian: “prosperity, wealth”)
- Riddhi (Indian: “wealth, prosperity”)
- Shree (Indian: “wealth, auspicious”)
- Lakshmi (Indian: “goddess of wealth”)
- Laxmi (Indian: variant of “Lakshmi”)
- Srimani (Indian: from “sri” + “mani,” meaning “jewel of prosperity”)
- Manibalan (Tamil: from “mani,” meaning “jewel”)
- Manivannan (Tamil: “jewel-like”)
- Ratnasinghe (Sinhalese: from “ratna,” meaning “jewel”)
- Ratnapala (Sinhalese: “protector of jewels”)
- Ratnayaka (Sinhalese: variant of “ratnayake”)
- Erdenechimeg (Mongolian: “jewel ornament”)
- Erdenebold (Mongolian: “jewel + strong”)
- Baatar (Mongolian: often paired with “erdene,” meaning “hero”)
- Chuluunbaatar (Mongolian: “stone + hero,” linked to treasure)
- Batzorig (Mongolian: “strong jewel”)
- Takarada (Japanese: from “takara,” meaning “treasure”)
- Takarabe (Japanese: from “takara,” meaning “treasure”)
- Hoshino (Japanese: “star field,” sometimes linked to precious stars)
- Seema (Indian: “precious thing”)
- Nkechi (African: “precious treasure from God”)
FAQs
- Why do some last names mean treasure?
Last names that mean treasure often reflect the values or aspirations of the families who first adopted them. In many cultures, associating a family name with something precious was a way to signify status, wealth, or to invoke good fortune. - How can I find out if my last name means treasure?
To determine if your last name means treasure, you can research its etymology using surname databases, genealogical websites, or linguistic tools. Consulting historians or etymologists specializing in onomastics can also provide valuable insights. - Are there last names that mean treasure in every culture?
While not every culture may have last names directly translating to “treasure,” many cultures have surnames conveying similar concepts like wealth or preciousness. For example, Sanskrit-based languages use “ratna” (jewel), and Japanese uses “takara” (treasure). - Can last names that mean treasure indicate anything about a family’s history?
Yes, such surnames can provide clues about a family’s history. They might suggest that ancestors were involved in trade, were wealthy, or held positions of power. However, specific genealogical research is needed for accurate details. - How have last names that mean treasure evolved?
Like all surnames, those meaning treasure have evolved through linguistic changes, cultural shifts, and migrations. Spellings may have been altered, meanings adapted, or names translated as families moved or languages evolved.
Conclusion
Concluding our journey through last names that mean treasure, we see that these surnames are more than mere labels; they are repositories of history, culture, and aspiration. Each name carries with it a story of value and preciousness, whether literal or metaphorical.
From ancient times to the present day, the concept of treasure has been a powerful symbol, representing not only material wealth but also intangible qualities like love, wisdom, and legacy. By understanding the meanings behind these names, we gain a deeper appreciation for the linguistic and cultural diversity that enriches our world.
Even for those whose names do not directly translate to “treasure,” exploring the meanings of surnames can be an enlightening experience, revealing hidden aspects of family history and identity. In essence, last names that mean treasure remind us that our names are not just identifiers but are integral parts of our personal and collective stories.