RakPolish, Czech, Slovak, Slovene, Hungarian, Jewish Polish, Czech, Slovak, Slovenian, Hungarian (Rák), and Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic): from Slavic rak ‘crab’, ‘lobster’, or ‘crayfish’. This was applied as an occupational name for someone who caught and sold crayfish, crabs, or lobsters, or as a nickname to someone thought to resemble such a creature... [more]
RakhmaninovRussian From a nickname derived from Russian рахманный (rakhmannyy) meaning "lazy". A notable bearer was Russian composer, pianist and conductor Sergei Rakhmaninov (1873-1943).
RallisGreek A surname held by the descendants of a Frankish-Byzantine noble named Raoul. The Rallis family (also spelled Ralli, Ralles or Rallet in Romanian) is the name of an old Greek Phanariote family, whose members played important political role in the history of modern Greece, Danubian Principalities and later in the United Kingdom... [more]
RalphEnglish From a Middle English personal name composed of Germanic rad "counsel, advice" and wolf "wolf". This was first introduced into England by Scandinavian settlers in the Old Norse form Ráðulfr, and was reinforced after the Conquest by the Norman form Ra(d)ulf... [more]
RamageFrench, Scottish From a medieval Scottish nickname for a hot-tempered or unpredictable person (from Old French ramage "wild, uncontrollable" (applied to birds of prey)).
RamagiAncient Roman In Caesar's Gallic Wars, the Ramagi built catapults and other mechanical weapons.... [more]
RamalhoPortuguese Means "cut branch, brushwood" in Portuguese, used as a habitational name from any of various places called Ramalho.
RamamurthyIndian, Tamil Derived from Sanskrit राम (rāma) meaning "pleasing, pleasant, charming" or "dark, black" (see Rama) combined with मूर्ति (mūrti) meaning "idol, icon".
RamasamyTamil From the name of the Hindu god Rama 1 combined with Tamil சாமி (sami) meaning "chief, master, lord" (ultimately from Sanskrit स्वामिन् (svamin)).
RambeauFrench (Rare), Frankish Altered spelling of the southern French family name Rambaut, from an Old French personal name, Rainbaut, composed of the Germanic elements ragin "counsel" + bald "bold", "brave", or alternatively from the Germanic personal name Hrambehrt or Hrambald, composed of the elements hramn "crow" & berht "bright" or bald "bold", "brave".
RambertEnglish From the Old French male personal name Rainbert (see Rainbird). It was borne by Dame Marie Rambert (original name Cyvia Rabbam, later Miriam Rambach; 1888-1982), a Polish-born British ballet dancer and choreographer.
RamboSwedish (Rare), Norwegian (Rare) Combination of Norwegian and (dialectal) Swedish ramn "raven" and bo meaning either "dweller, inhabitant" or "home, nest". Peter Gunnarsson Rambo (1611-1698) was one of the first Swedish immigrants to the United States in the 17th century and considered to be the father of the settlement New Sweden in Pennsylvania... [more]
RammEstonian Ramm is an Estonian surname meaning both "beetle" and "(to) ram".
RammoEstonian Rammo is an Estonian surname possibly derived from "rammus", meaning "fat" and "fertile"; or from "ramm", meaning both "beetle" and "strength".
RammusEstonian Rammus is an Estonian surname meaning "fat", "nourishing" and "fertile".
RampGerman (Swiss) German and Swiss German: variant of Rampf, from Middle High German ramft, ranft ‘edge’, ‘wall’, ‘crust (of bread)’; applied as a topographic name for someone who lived at the limit or outer edge of some feature, for example a field, or possibly, in the sense ‘crust’, a nickname for a poor person.
RampersadIndian, Trinidadian Creole, Mauritian Creole From Sanskrit राम (rāma) meaning "pleasing, pleasant, charming" combined with प्रसाद (prasāda) meaning "clearness, brightness, purity". It is primarily used by the Indian community in Trinidad and Tobago as well as Mauritius.
RamplingEnglish Originally indicated a person who lived in a thickly wooded area, derived from Latin ramus meaning "branch" (see Ramos). Famous bearers include English actress Charlotte Rampling (1946-) and her father, athlete and British Army officer Godfrey Rampling (1909-2009).
RamsbottomEnglish Habitational name from a market town called Ramsbottom in Greater Manchester, England (historically in Lancashire), derived from Old English hramsa meaning "wild garlic" or ramm "ram", and bothm meaning "bottom, bottom valley".
RamserGerman (Swiss), German (Austrian) someone from any of several places in the Palatinate and in Switzerland called Ramsen or from places in Austria and upper Bavaria called Ramsau. In the Bavarian dialect Rams means "scree".... [more]
RamseyerSwiss Note: the 'Ramseyer Song' in Switzerland
RandaluEstonian Randalu is an Estonian surname derived from "rand" ("beach") and "salu" ("sandy heath" or "heathy woodland").
RandazzoItalian Habitational name from a place in Catania called Randazzo. Possibly from a derivative of the personal name Rando.
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]
RandolphEnglish, German Classicized spelling of Randolf, a Germanic personal name composed of the elements rand "rim (of a shield), shield" and wolf "wolf". This was introduced into England by Scandinavian settlers in the Old Norse form Rannúlfr, and was reinforced after the Norman Conquest by the Norman form Randolf.
RandpaluEstonian Randpalu is an Estonian surname meaning "beach/seashore sandy heath".
RandpereEstonian Randpere is an Estonian surname meaning "beach/seashore folk".
RandpõldEstonian Randpõld is an Estonian surname meaning "beach/shore field".
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]
RangihauMaori Rangihau means "windy weather" in Maori
RangkutiBatak From a rapid pronunciation of the nickname Orang Yang Ditakuti meaning "The Feared One".
RantzauGerman, Theatre This is the surname used in 'I Rantzau' (The Rantzau Family), an opera in four acts by Pietro Mascagni (1892), based on a libretto by Guido Menasci and Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti, based on the play Les Rantzau (1873) by French writers Erckmann and Chatrian, after their novel (1882) Les Deux Frères (The Two Brothers).
RapaceSwedish (Modern, Rare) From French and Italian rapace meaning "predatory, bird of prey, raptor". A notable bearer is Swedish actress Noomi Rapace.
RapinoItalian From the name of two municipalities in Abruzzo, Italy. It could also be a nickname for a barber, derived from Italian rapare meaning "to crop, to shave, to scalp".
RappaItalian, Sicilian from Sicilian rappa meaning ‘bunch, cluster’ or Italian rappa meaning ‘lock, quiff’, which was presumably applied as a nickname with reference to someone’s hair.
RapuRapanui People with this surname have a connection to the Rapa Nui Ngaure clan. Rapu is the surname of Rapanui insurrection leader and mayor of Rapa Nui aka Easter Island Alfonso Rapu (1942) who led a revolt against the Chilean government in 1965... [more]
RarungIndonesian Meaning unknown. This surname is mainly found on the tribe of Minahasa in North Sulawesi, Indonesia.
RasbandAmerican (Americanized, Rare) This name is not a very common family name found in the United States. The first Rasband (Thomas) coming to the U.S. arrived in New Orleans on the ship North Atlantic on 1 November 1850 and arrived in Salt Lake City, Utah on 13 August 1856... [more]
RasberryEnglish Possibly a habitational name from Ratsbury in Lynton, Devon.
RashleighEnglish From a location in Devon, derived from Old English rá "roe buck" + léah "clearing".
RasilaFinnish A variant of the finnish word (rasi) for a forest that has been cleared for slash and burn but has not yet been burnt for agricultural means. The suffix "-la" is usually added to the stem of the word to indicate a location... [more]
RaskEstonian Rask is an Estonian surname meaning "puttee (a cloth or leather legging)".
RaskolnikovLiterature The surname of Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov, protagonist of Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky. It derives from the Russian word raskolnik, meaning "schismatic" or a member of the Old Believer sect.
RatasEstonian Ratas is an Estonian surname meaning "wheel".
RatasseppEstonian Ratassepp is an Estonian surname meaning "wheel smith".
RatchfordEnglish habitational name from Rochford (Worcestershire) from Old English ræcc ‘hunting dog’ (genitive ræcces) and ford "ford"... [more]
RatcliffEnglish Habitational name from any of the places, in various parts of England, called Ratcliff(e), Radcliffe, Redcliff, or Radclive, all of which derive their names from Old English rēad meaning "red" + clif meaning "cliff", "slope", "riverbank".
RathGerman 1 German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): descriptive epithet for a wise person or counselor, from Middle High German rāt ‘counsel’, ‘advice’, German Rat ‘counsel’, ‘advice’, also ‘stock’, ‘supply’.... [more]
RathgeberGerman From Middle High German ratgebe or Middle Low German ratgever "giver of advice, counselor", an occupational name for an adviser or wise man.