PettisEnglish From the possessive or plural form of Middle English pytte, pitte ‘pit’, ‘hollow’, hence a topographic name for someone who lived by a pit, or a habitational name from a place named with this word, as for example Pett in East Sussex.
PikeEnglish, Irish English: topographic name for someone who lived by a hill with a sharp point, from Old English pic ‘point’, ‘hill’, which was a relatively common place name element.... [more]
PinckneyEnglish The surname Pinckney originally denoted someone from Picquigny, France, which derives from a Germanic personal name, Pincino (of obscure derivation) and the Latin locative suffix -acum... [more]
PitcherEnglish, German From an agent derivative of Middle English pich ‘pitch’, hence an occupational name for a caulker, one who sealed the seams of ships or barrels with pitch. English variant of Pickard... [more]
PoehlerGerman German (Westphalian): topographic name for someone who lived by a muddy pool, from an agent noun derived from Middle Low pol ‘(muddy) pool’.
PoppGerman Derived from the given name Poppo (or possibly Boppo) which is of uncertain origin and meaning... [more]
PowyesEnglish Unknown source. Surname of many early American pilgrims.
ProphetEnglish, Scottish, French, German Scottish, English, French, and German: nickname from Middle English and Old French prophete, Middle High German prophet ‘prophet’, ‘seer’, ultimately from Greek prophetes ‘predictor’, from pro ‘before’ + a derivative of phemi ‘to speak’... [more]
QuackenbushDutch (Anglicized) Americanized spelling of Dutch Quackenbosch, a topographic name from Dutch quaak ‘swamp’ (cognate with the English word quagmire) + bosch ‘woodland’, ‘wilderness’.
RandelFrench, German French: from a pet form of the Germanic personal name Rando, a short form of various compound names formed with rand ‘(shield) rim’ as the first element... [more]
RangerEnglish, German, French English: occupational name for a gamekeeper or warden, from Middle English ranger, an agent derivative of range(n) ‘to arrange or dispose’.... [more]
RäuberGerman, German (Swiss) German, Swiss German: derogatory nickname, from Middle High German roubære ‘robber’, ‘bandit’, ‘highwayman’ (from roub, roup ‘booty’, ‘spoils’).
RauchGerman Perhaps an occupational nickname for a blacksmith or charcoal burner, from Middle High German rouch, German Rauch ‘smoke’, or, in the case of the German name, a status name or nickname relating to a hearth tax (i.e. a tax that was calculated according to the number of fireplaces in each individual home).
RavenelEnglish, French Habitational name from Ravenel in Oise or a metonymic occupational name for a grower or seller of horseradish, from a diminutive of Old French ravene ‘horseradish’ (Latin raphanus)... [more]
ReadingEnglish Habitational name from the county seat of Berkshire, which gets its name from Old English Readingas ‘people of Read(a)’, a byname meaning ‘red’. Topographic name for someone who lived in a clearing, an unattested Old English ryding.
RechtGerman, Jewish Nickname for an upright person, from Middle High German reht, German recht "straight". As a Jewish name it is mainly of ornamental origin.
ReddingEnglish, German, Dutch English variant spelling of Reading. In 1841 Redding was the most commonly used surname in all of Buckinghamshire. A famous bearer is Otis Redding.... [more]
RedpathScottish, English Habitational name from a place in Berwickshire, probably so called from Old English read ‘red’ + pæð ‘path’. This name is also common in northeastern England.
ReeseLow German, Dutch, German Nickname for a very big man, from Middle Low German, Middle Dutch rese ‘giant’.... [more]
ReeverGerman Possibly an altered form of German Riefer, a patronymic from the personal name Rüef, a reduced form of Rudolf.
ReinboldGerman From a Germanic personal name composed of the elements ragin "counsel" + bald "bold", "brave."
ReiseGerman, Jewish German (Westphalia) topographic name, from Middle Low German ris, res ‘swamp’. ... [more]
ReiserGerman, Upper German Habitational name for someone from Reis or Reissen in Bavaria (see Reis). An occupational name from Middle High German reisære ‘warrior’, ‘traveler’... [more]
ReisnerJewish Jewish (Ashkenazic) nickname for a traveler, from an agent derivative of German reisen ‘to travel’ (see Reise). Also a variant of Reis.
ReisnerGerman A habitational name for someone from a place called Reisen (for example in Bavaria), Reissen in Thuringia, or Reussen on the Saale river. A variant of Reiser Also from an agent derivative of Middle High German, Middle Low German rise ‘veil’; perhaps an occupational name for someone who made veils.
ReissGerman, Jewish, French (Huguenot) German: variant of Reis or from any of several Germanic personal names composed with ric ‘power(ful)’. Also from the French Huguenot forename Ris, rendered as Reis and Reiss.... [more]
ReisserUpper German An occupational name for a woodcutter, Middle High German risser.
RengelGerman (Swiss) From a pet form of a Germanic personal name formed with rang "curved", "bending"; "slender".
RengelSpanish Habitational name from a place called Rengel in Málaga province.
RenteríaSpanish Spanish Castilianized variant of Basque Errenteria, habitational name from either of the two Basque towns called Errenteria in Gipuzkoa and Biscay provinces, Basque Country.
RequaGerman Variant of Ricward, from a Germanic personal name composed of the elements ric ‘power(ful)’ + ward ‘guardian’.
ReusserSwiss, German, Upper German In Switzerland, an occupational name for a fisherman or maker of fish traps, from an agent derivative of Middle High German riuse ‘fish trap’, ‘weir basket’. A nickname from an agent noun based on Middle High German riusen ‘to moan or complain’... [more]
ReveilleFrench Derived from Old French reveille "lively, vivid; alert".
RevereEnglish, French, Judeo-Italian French: variant of Rivière, Rivoire, or Rivier, topographic name for someone living on the banks of a river, French rivier ‘bank’, or habitational name from any of the many places in France named with this word.... [more]
ReznorGerman May be a variant of the German surname Reisner, a habitational name for someone from a place called Reisen (for example in Bavaria), Reissen in Thuringia, or Reussen on the Saale river.
RichersEnglish, German From a Germanic personal name composed of the elements ric ‘power(ful)’ + hari, heri ‘army’. The name was introduced into England by the Normans in the form Richier, but was largely absorbed by the much more common Richard... [more]
RivetFrench, English French: from a diminutive of Old French rive ‘(river) bank’, ‘shore’ (see Rives).... [more]
RivettEnglish, French English (East Anglia): metonymic occupational name for a metalworker, from Middle English, Old French rivet ‘small nail or bolt’ (from Old French river ‘to fix or secure’, of unknown origin).... [more]
RoeEnglish Nickname for a timid person, derived from the Middle English ro meaning "roe"; also a midland and southern form of Ray.
RoeberLow German Habitational name from a place named Roben, for example in Thuringia or Schleswig. From a Germanic personal name based on hrod ‘renown’, ‘victory’. Low German variant of Räuber and Rauber.
RoganIrish Irish: reduced Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Ruadhagáin ‘son of Ruadhagán’, a personal name from a diminutive of ruadh ‘red’.
RohmeGerman From the Germanic personal name Ruom (Old High German hruom ‘fame’), a short form of Ruombald and similar personal names containing this element.
RolandFrench, German, Scottish French, German, English, and Scottish: from a Germanic personal name composed hrod ‘renown’ + -nand ‘bold’, assimilated to -lant ‘land’. (Compare Rowland).... [more]
RollUpper German, German, English German: from Middle High German rolle, rulle ‘roll’, ‘list’, possibly applied as a metonymic occupational name for a scribe.... [more]
RolloScottish From a Latinized form, common in early medieval documents, of the personal name Rou(l), the usual Norman form of Rolf.
RolstonEnglish English habitational name from any of various places, such as Rowlston in Lincolnshire, Rolleston in Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, and Staffordshire, or Rowlstone in Herefordshire, near the Welsh border... [more]
RommelUpper German, Dutch Nickname for an obstreperous person, from Middle Low German, Middle Dutch rummeln, rumpeln to make a noise, create a disturbance (of imitative origin). Variant of Rummel.
RomneyEnglish English: habitational name from a place in Kent, so called from an obscure first element, rumen, + Old English ea ‘river’ (see Rye).
RosamelFrench A French surname turned Spanish masculine given name, Rosamel likely derives from the combination of rose + Greek mel “honey”. As a surname, it was borne by a 19th century French naval officer with the wonderful name of Claude Charles Marie du Campe de Rosamel.
RowettEnglish English from a medieval personal name composed of the Germanic elements hrod ‘renown’ + wald ‘rule’, which was introduced into England by Scandinavian settlers in the form Róaldr, and again later by the Normans in the form Rohald or Roald... [more]
RoyintanPersian Royintan means "invulnerable". It is a Persian origin surname, which is written as رویین تن in Persian. It consists of royen meaning "strong" and tan meaning "body, person".... [more]
RyneGerman (Swiss) Respelling of Swiss German Rhyn, a topographic name for someone living on the Rhine river, Middle High German Rin.
SàbatCatalan From a nickname or personal name bestowed on someone born on a Saturday, which was considered a good omen (Late Latin sabbatum, Greek sabbaton, from Hebrew shabat "Sabbath").
SabatJewish Jewish (Ashkenazi) ornamental name from German Sabbat "Sabbath".
SabatFrench Nickname for a noisy, rowdy person, from Middle French sab(b)at "noise", "racket".
SalernoItalian Southern Italian habitational name from the city of Salerno in Campania.
SalisburyEnglish Habitational name from the city in Wiltshire, the Roman name of which was Sorviodunum (of British origin). In the Old English period the second element (from Celtic dun ‘fortress’) was dropped and Sorvio- (of unexplained meaning) became Searo- in Old English as the result of folk etymological association with Old English searu ‘armor’; to this an explanatory burh ‘fortress’, ‘manor’, ‘town’ was added... [more]
SametGerman, Jewish, Yiddish German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) metonymic occupational name for a maker or seller of velvet, from Yiddish samet ‘velvet’ (German Samt, ultimately from Greek hexamiton, a compound of hex ‘six’ + mitos ‘thread’).
SarriàCatalan Catalan habitational name from any of the places named Sarrià or Sàrria, in Catalonia.
SarverEnglish, Jewish English and Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic) occupational name from Old French serveur (an agent derivative of server ‘to serve’), Yiddish sarver ‘servant’.
SaxJewish Jewish (Ashkenazic) variant spelling of Sachs.
SchadeGerman, Dutch, Scottish, English German and Dutch: from schade ‘damage’, a derivative of schaden ‘to do damage’, generally a nickname for a thug or clumsy person, or, more particularly, a robber knight, who raided others’ lands.... [more]
SchatzGerman, Jewish German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) metonymic occupational name for a treasurer, from German Schatz ‘treasure’, Middle High German scha(t)z. It may also have been a nickname for a rich man (or ironically for a miser), or else for a well-liked person or a ladies’ favorite, from the use of the vocabulary word as a term of endearment... [more]
SchätzelGerman German diminutive of Schatz, or a nickname for a lover meaning "little sweetheart" (from the same word used as a term of endearment).
SchenkelGerman, Dutch, Jewish German, Dutch, and Jewish (Ashkenazic): nickname for someone with long or otherwise notable legs, from Middle High German schenkel, Middle Dutch schenkel, schinkel ‘thigh’, ‘lower leg’, German Schenkel ‘thigh’.
SchinkUpper German, Dutch Nickname for someone with long or otherwise remarkable legs, from Middle High German schinke ‘thigh’, ‘leg’. Compare Schenkel. ... [more]
SchoenGerman, Jewish, Dutch German (Schön) nickname for a handsome or pleasant man, from Middle High German schoene ‘fine’, ‘beautiful’; ‘refined’, ‘friendly’, ‘nice’. ... [more]
SchönGerman, Swedish Derived from Middle High German schoene "beautiful, friendly".
SchottlanderGerman, Jewish, Dutch From German Schottland, 'Scotland' and, in some cases, denoted an immigrant from Scotland or Ireland. Numerous Irish fled to continental Europe after the Anglo-Norman invasion in the 13th century.... [more]
SeagerEnglish, German (Modern) English: from the Middle English personal name Segar, Old English S?gar, composed of the elements s? ‘sea’ + gar ‘spear’.... [more]
SelfEnglish East Anglian surname, from the medieval English masculine name Saulf which was derived from the Old English elements sǣ "sea" and wulf "wolf".
SelzGerman The Selz is a river in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, and a left hand tributary of the Rhine. It flows through the largest German wine region, Rheinhessen or Rhenish Hesse. Also, Seltz (German: Selz) is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department of the Alsace-Champagne-Ardenne-Lorraine region in north-eastern France.... [more]
SewellEnglish English from the Middle English personal names Siwal(d) and Sewal(d), Old English Sigeweald and Seweald, composed of the elements sige ‘victory’ and se ‘sea’ + weald ‘rule’... [more]
ShadeEnglish, German, Dutch, Scottish Topographic name for someone who lived near a boundary, from Old English scead ‘boundary’.nickname for a very thin man, from Middle English schade ‘shadow’, ‘wraith’.... [more]
ShadowEnglish Origin unidentified. The name Shadue, Schadewe is recorded in England in the 12th and 13th centuries, from Middle English shadwe ‘shadow’, Old English sceadu (see Shade)... [more]
ShipleyEnglish (Rare) English: habitational name from any of the various places, for example in Derbyshire, County Durham, Northumberland, Shropshire, Sussex, and West Yorkshire, so called from Old English sceap, scip ‘sheep’ + leah ‘wood’, ‘clearing’.
ShivazaDungan Derived from Chinese 十娃子 (shí wázǐ) manning "the tenth child". A notable bearer was Iasyr Shivaza (1906-1988), a Soviet Dungan poet.
ShoreEnglish From the Old English word scora meaning "the land along the edge of an ocean, sea, lake, or river; a coast."
SiderisGreek Greek reduced and altered form of the personal name Isidoros (see Isadore), altered by folk etymology as if derived from sidero ‘iron’ (classical Greek sideron), and hence regarded as an omen name: ‘may the child grow up to be as strong as iron’.
SidwellEnglish From an English surname of uncertain origin, possibly originally a habitational name from an unidentified place with a second element from Old English well(a) ‘spring’, ‘stream’, but on the other hand early forms are found without prepositions... [more]
SilberGerman, Jewish From Middle High German silber, German Silber "silver"; a metonymic occupational name for a silversmith, or often, in the case of the Jewish surname, an ornamental name.
SilbersteinGerman, Jewish From Middle High German silber "silver" and stein "stone"; a habitational name from a place so named in Bavaria, or a topographic name.... [more]
SnowEnglish, Jewish (Anglicized) Nickname denoting someone with very white hair or an exceptionally pale complexion, from Old English snaw "snow".... [more]
SoKorean Although there are two Chinese characters for the So surname, one of these is extremely rare and can be discounted (there are only about two hundred people in Korea who use this rare character). Some records indicate that the more common character for So has as many as 165 clans, but only eleven of them can be documented... [more]
SóHungarian Metonymic occupational name for a salt seller or producer, from só ‘salt’.
SoamesEnglish Denoted a person hailing from a village called Soham in Cambridgeshire, England. The place name itself means "homestead by the lake" from Old English sæ "lake" and ham "farm, homestead"... [more]
SöderlundSwedish Combination of Swedish söder "south" and lund "grove".
SparkEnglish, German Northern English: from the Old Norse byname or personal name Sparkr ‘sprightly’, ‘vivacious’.... [more]
SparrowEnglish English: nickname from Middle English sparewe ‘sparrow’, perhaps for a small, chirpy person, or else for someone bearing some fancied physical resemblance to a sparrow.
SpeakmanEnglish English (chiefly Lancashire) nickname or occupational name for someone who acted as a spokesman, from Middle English spekeman ‘advocate’, ‘spokesman’ (from Old English specan to speak + mann ‘man’).
SpicerEnglish, Jewish, Polish English: occupational name for a seller of spices, Middle English spic(i)er (a reduced form of Old French espicier, Late Latin speciarius, an agent derivative of species ‘spice’, ‘groceries’, ‘merchandise’).... [more]
SpínolaPortuguese Portuguese topographic name from a diminutive of espinha ‘thorn’, ‘thorn bush’.
SpinolaItalian Italian (Liguria) diminutive of Spina. Italian topographic name for someone living by Monte Spinola in the province of Pavia.
SpragueEnglish English from northern Middle English Spragge, either a personal name or a byname meaning "lively", a metathesized and voiced form of "spark."
StancilEnglish English habitational name from a place so named in South Yorkshire.
StangGerman, Jewish German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) from Middle High German stang, German Stange ‘pole’, ‘shaft’, hence a nickname for a tall, thin person, a metonymic occupational name for a maker of wooden shafts for spears and the like, or a metonymic occupational name for a soldier.
StanislawPolish, German Polish from the personal name Stanislaw, composed of the Slavic elements stani ‘become’ + slav ‘glory’, ‘fame’, ‘praise’... [more]
StantzGerman Possibly an altered spelling of German Stanz, a habitation name from places called Stans or Stanz in Austria and Switzerland (see also Stentz).
StarGerman, Dutch, Jewish, English German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): nickname from German Star, Middle High German star, ‘starling’, probably denoting a talkative or perhaps a voracious person.... [more]
StaubGerman (Swiss), German, Jewish German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) occupational nickname for a miller, from Middle High German stoup, German Staub ‘dust’. The Jewish surname may also be ornamental.
StehrGerman From Middle High German ster ‘ram’, hence probably a nickname for a lusty person, or possibly a metonymic occupational name for a shepherd.
SteinbachGerman, Jewish German habitational name from any of the many places named Steinbach, named with Middle High German stein ‘stone’ + bach ‘stream’, ‘creek’. ... [more]
StilesEnglish From Old English stigel, stigol ‘steep uphill path’ (a derivative of stigan ‘to climb’).
StockMedieval English English: A topographic name for someone who lived near the trunk or stump of a large tree, Middle English Stocke (Old English Stocc)... [more]
StockardScottish Gaelic, Dutch Scottish: occupational name for a trumpeter, Gaelic stocaire, an agent derivative of stoc ‘Gaelic trumpet’. The name is borne by a sept of the McFarlanes.... [more]
StockeEnglish English: A topographic name for someone who lived near the trunk or stump of a large tree, Middle English Stocke (Old English Stocc)... [more]
StockholmDanish (Rare), English (American) Danish variant of Stokholm. English usage could be a habitational name for someone from Stockholm, Sweden (see Stockholm), but this etymology does not apply to Scandinavian usage of the name.
StockleyEnglish Derived from Old english stocc (tree bark) and leah (clearing), indicating that the original bearer of this name lived in a wooded clearing.
StoehrGerman From Middle Low German store ‘sturgeon’, hence a metonymic occupational name for someone who caught or sold sturgeon, or a nickname for someone with some supposed resemblance to the fish... [more]
StrachanScottish, Caribbean Scottish habitational name from a place in the parish of Banchory, Kincardineshire, which is first recorded in 1153 in the form Strateyhan, and is perhaps named from Gaelic srath ‘valley’ + eachain, genitive case of eachan ‘foal’.
StrassbergJewish Ornamental name composed of German Strasse "street" and Berg "mountain, hill".
StrattonEnglish English: habitational name from any of various places, in Bedfordshire, Dorset, Hampshire, Norfolk, Oxfordshire, Somerset, Suffolk, Surrey, and Wiltshire, so named from Old English str?t ‘paved highway’, ‘Roman road’ + tun ‘enclosure’, ‘settlement’... [more]
StreamEnglish English topographic name for someone who lived beside a stream, Middle English streme. Americanized form of Swedish Ström or Danish Strøm (see Strom).
StreeterEnglish English (Sussex) topographic name for someone living by a highway, in particular a Roman road (see Street).
StryckerDutch From Dutch de Strycker, an occupational name for someone responsible for measuring out cloth or grain. See also Stryker.
StrykerDutch From Dutch Strijker, an occupational name for someone whose job was to fill level measures of grain by passing a flat stick over the brim of the measure, thus removing any heaped excess... [more]
SutterGerman, English English and South German occupational name for a shoemaker or cobbler (rarely a tailor), from Middle English suter, souter, Middle High German suter, sutære (from Latin sutor, an agent derivative of suere ‘to sew’).
SwainScottish, Irish, English Northern English occupational name for a servant or attendant, from Middle English swein "young man attendant upon a knight", which was derived from Old Norse sveinn "boy, servant, attendant"... [more]
SzydłoPolish Means "awl" in Polish, used as an occupational name for a cobbler.
TabbertGerman, Frisian From Middle Low German tabbert, Middle Dutch tabbaert ‘tabard’, a sleeveless overgarment worn by men in the Middle Ages, (ultimately from French tabard, from Late Latin tabardum)... [more]
TagliaferroItalian From the Italian tagliare "to cut" and ferro "iron" occupational name for an ironworker or a nickname for a strong or ferocious fighter, one who was adept at cutting through the cuirass of the enemy with his sword (see Telfer).
TalbertEnglish, French From a continental Germanic personal name composed of the elements tal "valley" and berth "bright".
TallantEnglish (British, ?), Norman, Irish English (of Norman origin) occupational name for a tailor or nickname for a good swordsman, from taillant ‘cutting’, present participle of Old French tailler ‘to cut’ (Late Latin taliare, from talea ‘(plant) cutting’)... [more]
TallentEnglish Habitational name from Talland in Cornwall, which is thought to be named as ‘hill-brow church site’, from Cornish tal + lann.
TallónSpanish Either a Spanish variant of Catalan Talló (see Tallo) or a habitational name from any of the places in A Coruña, Ourense, and Pontevedra provinces called Tallón.
TallonEnglish, Irish, Norman, French English and Irish (of Norman origin), and French from a Germanic personal name derived from tal ‘destroy’, either as a short form of a compound name with this first element (compare Talbot) or as an independent byname... [more]
TannenGerman, Jewish German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) habitational name from any of several places in Lower Saxony or Baden named with German Tannen ‘pine’, or from a short form of any of the many compound names formed with this element... [more]
TannenbaumJewish, German German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) topographic name or Jewish ornamental name from German Tannenbaum ‘fir tree’, ‘pine tree’.