AARDEN DutchFrom Dutch
aarden meaning
"clay, stone, earth". It probably denoted a person who worked with those materials.
ABADJIEV BulgarianPatronymic name derived from the Turkish word
aba "coat". It may have originally denoted the children of a tailor.
ABARCA SpanishFrom the name of a type of leather-soled shoe or sandal made on the Balearic Islands. It originally indicated a person who made or sold this item.
ABBEY EnglishIndicated a person who lived near an abbey or worked in an abbey, from Middle English
abbeye.
ACKERMAN EnglishMeans
"ploughman", derived from Middle English
aker "field" and
man.
ALMÁSSY HungarianDerived from Hungarian
alma meaning
"apple", perhaps originally referring to a person who harvested or sold apples.
ARCHER EnglishOccupational name for one who practiced archery, from Latin
arcus "bow" (via Old French).
ARMBRUSTER GermanMeans
"crossbow maker" from German
armbrust "crossbow". The word
armbrust was originally from Latin
arcuballista meaning "bow ballista", but was modified under the influence of German
arm "arm" and
brust "breast".
ARZT DutchMeans
"doctor, physician" in German, ultimately from Latin
archiater.
AZZARÀ ItalianSicilian name, derived from Greek dialects of southern Italy. It is from Greek
ψαράς (psaras) meaning
"fisherman".
BACKUS EnglishMeans
"bakery", an occupational name for a baker, from Old English
bæchus literally "bake house".
BAGNI ItalianFrom Latin
balnea "bath", referring to a person who worked as a bath house attendant.
BAILEY EnglishFrom Middle English
baili meaning
"bailiff", which comes via Old French from Latin
baiulus "porter".
BAKER EnglishOccupational name meaning
"baker", derived from Middle English
bakere.
BANNER EnglishOccupational name for a flag carrier, derived from Old French
baniere meaning
"banner", ultimately of Germanic origin.
BANNISTER EnglishFrom Norman French
banastre meaning
"basket". This was originally a name for a maker of baskets.
BARKER EnglishFrom Middle English
bark meaning
"to tan". This was an occupational name for a leather tanner.
BARNES EnglishDenoted a person who worked or lived in a barn. The word
barn is derived from Old English
bere "barley" and
ærn "dwelling".
BARONE ItalianFrom the title
barone "baron", derived via Latin from Germanic
baro "man, warrior, servant".
BARROS Portuguese, SpanishFrom the Portuguese and Spanish word
barro meaning
"clay, mud". This could either be an occupational name for a person who worked with clay or mud such as a builder or artisan, or a topographic name for someone living near clay or mud.
BARSOTTI ItalianMeaning uncertain, possibly derived from the Germanic word
baro "man, warrior, servant".
BAUER GermanFrom Old High German
bur meaning
"peasant, farmer".
BECK (4) EnglishFrom Old English
becca meaning
"pickaxe", an occupational surname.
BECKER GermanDerived from Middle High German
becker meaning
"baker".
BELL (1) EnglishFrom Middle English
belle meaning
"bell". It originated as a nickname for a person who lived near the town bell, or who had a job as a bell-ringer.
BELTZ GermanOccupational name for a tanner of hides, derived from Middle High German
belz meaning
"fur".
BEUTEL GermanFrom Middle High German
biutel meaning
"bag", originally belonging to a person who made or sold bags.
BICCHIERI ItalianMeans
"drinking glasses" in Italian, referring originally to a person who made or sold them.
BIERMANN GermanDerived from German
bier "beer" and
mann "man". The name may have referred to a brewer or a tavern owner.
BİNİCİ TurkishFrom the Turkish word
binici meaning
"rider, horseman".
BLECHER GermanOccupational name for someone who worked with tin or sheet metal, from German
blech "tin".
BLEIER GermanOccupational name for a worker of lead, derived from German
blei "lead".
BOEREFIJN DutchPossibly an adaptation of French
beurre fin meaning
"good butter".
BOND EnglishOccupational name for a peasant farmer, from Middle English
bonde.
BOROS HungarianDerived from Hungarian
bor "wine". Originally it could have indicated someone who made or sold wine.
BOWMAN EnglishOccupational name for an archer, derived from Middle English
bowe, Old English
boga meaning "bow".
BRASHER EnglishMeans
"brass worker", derived from Old English
bræs "brass".
BRISBOIS FrenchReferred to a person who cleared land, from Old French
briser "to cut" and
bois "forest".
BRODBECK GermanMeans
"bread baker" from Middle High German
brot "bread" and
becke "baker".
BUCKLEY (2) IrishFrom Irish
Ó Buachalla meaning
"descendant of Buachaill", a nickname meaning "cowherd, servant".
BUTCHER EnglishOccupational name for a butcher, derived from Old French
bouchier.
BUTLER English, IrishOccupational name derived from Norman French
butiller "wine steward", ultimately from Late Latin
butticula "bottle". A famous bearer of this surname is the fictional character Rhett Butler, created by Margaret Mitchell for her novel
Gone with the Wind (1936).
CAITO ItalianOccupational name from Sicilian
càjitu meaning
"official, leader", ultimately from Arabic
قاضي (qadi) meaning "judge".
CAMPANA Italian, SpanishOccupational name from Late Latin
campana meaning
"bell", ultimately derived from the Italian region of Campania, where bells were produced.
CANNON EnglishFrom the ecclesiastical usage of
canon, referring to a church official or servant who worked in a clergy house.
CAPELLO (1) ItalianFrom Late Latin
cappa meaning
"cloak, cape, hood". This was a name for one who made or wore cloaks.
CAPITANI ItalianOccupational name meaning
"captain" in Italian, ultimately from Latin
caput "head".
CARPENTER EnglishFrom the occupation, derived from Middle English
carpentier (ultimately from Latin
carpentarius meaning "carriage maker").
CARTER EnglishOccupational name for a person who operated a cart to transport goods, from Norman French
caretier. A famous bearer is the former American president Jimmy Carter (1924-).
CARVER EnglishOccupational surname for a carver, from Middle English
kerve "cut".
CAUSER EnglishOccupational name for one who made leggings, derived from Old French
chausse "leggings".
CAVALLO ItalianMeans
"horse" in Italian, an occupational name for a horseman.
CHANCELLOR EnglishOccupational name for an administrator, a chancellor, from Norman French
chancelier.
CHAPUT FrenchFrom a diminutive of the Old French word
chape meaning
"cloak, hood". The name referred to a person who made, sold or often wore cloaks.
CHARMCHI PersianMeans
"leather worker" in Persian, from
چرم (charm) meaning "leather" combined with
چی (chi), denoting an occupation.
CHASE EnglishOccupational name for a hunter, from Middle English
chase "hunt".
CHEVROLET FrenchFrom a diminutive of
chèvre meaning
"goat", indicating a person who cultivated goats.
CHMELA CzechDerived from Czech
chmel "hops", referring to a person who grew hops, a plant used in brewing beer.
CLAY EnglishMeans simply
"clay", originally referring to a person who lived near or worked with of clay.
CLOUTIER FrenchDerived from French
clou meaning
"nail", referring to someone who made or sold nails.
COELHO PortugueseFrom the Portuguese word for
"rabbit", either a nickname or an occupational name referring to a hunter or seller of rabbits.
COIRO ItalianFrom Italian
cuoio meaning
"leather", ultimately from Latin
corium. This was an occupational surname for a leather worker or tanner.
COJOCARU RomanianFrom Romanian
cojoc meaning
"sheepskin coat". This was an occupational name for a maker of these coats.
COLOMBO ItalianEither from Italian
colomba "dove" indicating a dove keeper, or from the given name
COLOMBO, which is derived from the same word. This was the Italian surname of the 15th-century explorer Christopher Columbus.
COLT EnglishOccupational name for a keeper of horses, derived from Middle English
colt.
CONSTABLE EnglishFrom Old French
conestable, ultimately from Latin
comes stabuli meaning "officer of the stable".
COOK EnglishDerived from Old English
coc meaning
"cook", ultimately from Latin
coquus. It was an occupational name for a cook, a man who sold cooked meats, or a keeper of an eating house.
CORNETT EnglishDerived from Old French
cornet meaning
"horn", referring to one who worked as a horn blower.
COTTERILL EnglishDerived from Middle English
cotter meaning
"cottager", referring to a small tenant farmer.
COUPE EnglishFrom Middle English
coupe meaning
"barrel", a name for a barrel maker or cooper.
CROPPER EnglishOccupational name derived from Middle English
croppe "crop", referring to a fruit picker or a crop reaper.
DEAN (2) EnglishOccupational surname meaning
"dean", referring to a person who either was a dean or worked for one. It is from Middle English
deen (ultimately from Latin
decanus meaning "chief of ten").
DEMİR TurkishMeans
"iron" in Turkish, originally referring to an ironworker.
DOBOS HungarianDerived from Hungarian
dob meaning
"drum". Originally the name was given to someone who played drums or made them.
DOCTOR EnglishOriginally denoted someone who was a doctor, ultimately from Latin
doctor meaning "teacher".
DRAPER EnglishOccupational name for a maker or seller of woolen cloth, from Anglo-Norman French
draper (Old French
drapier, an agent derivative of
drap "cloth").
DREHER GermanMeans
"turner" from Middle High German
drehen "to turn". A turner was a person who used a lathe to create small objects from wood or bone.
DRESCHNER GermanDerived from Middle High German
dreschen "to thresh". A thresher was a person who separated the grains from a cereal plant by beating it.
DRESSLER GermanMeans
"turner" from Middle High German
dreseler, an agent derivative of
drehen "to turn". A turner was a person who used a lathe to create small objects from wood or bone.
DUKE EnglishFrom the noble title, which was originally from Latin
dux "leader". It was a nickname for a person who behaved like a duke, or who worked in a duke's household.
DWERRYHOUSE EnglishIndicated a person who worked or lived at a dyehouse, which is a place where dyeing was done.
DYER EnglishOccupational name meaning
"cloth dyer", from Old English
deah "dye".
EGGER GermanSouth German occupational name meaning
"plowman" or
"farmer", derived from German
eggen "to harrow, to plow".
ESSER GermanMeans
"cartwright", related to Old High German
ahsa "axle".
FARMER EnglishOccupational name for a tax collector, from Middle English
ferme "rent, revenue, provision", from Medieval Latin
firma, ultimately from Old English
feorm. This word did not acquire its modern meaning until the 17th century.
FASHINGBAUER GermanFrom
Fasching, a German carnival (
Fastnacht meaning "eve of the beginning of the fast", or the time before Lent) celebrated in Austria and Bavaria, and
bauer meaning "farmer".
FATTORE ItalianMeans
"land agent, bailiff, steward, farmer" in Italian.
FAUCHER FrenchOccupational name meaning
"mower" in French, ultimately from Latin
falx meaning "sickle, scythe".
FERRO Italian, PortugueseMeans
"iron", ultimately from Latin
ferrum. This was an occupational name for one who worked with iron.
FISCELLA ItalianDerived from Italian
fiscella, which was a basket used to conserve cheese. The name was probably used to denote a person who made cheese.
FLETCHER EnglishOccupational name for a fletcher, someone who attached feathers to the shaft of an arrow. It is derived from Old French
fleche meaning "arrow".
FORESTER EnglishDenoted a keeper or one in charge of a forest, or one who has charge of growing timber in a forest (see
FOREST).
FUHRMANN GermanDerived from Middle High German
vuorman meaning
"cartwright".
FULLER EnglishOccupational name for a fuller, a person who thickened and cleaned coarse cloth by pounding it. It is derived via Middle English from Latin
fullo.
GAGNEUX FrenchDerived from Old French
gagnier meaning
"to farm, to cultivate".
GARDENER EnglishOccupational surname for one who was a gardener, from Old French
jardin meaning "garden" (of Frankish origin).
GARNER (1) EnglishFrom Old French
gernier meaning
"granary", a derivative of Latin
granum meaning "grain". This name could refer to a person who worked at a granary or lived near one.
GEIGER GermanMeans
"fiddle player" in German, derived from Old High German
giga "fiddle".
GEISSLER GermanOccupational name for a goat herder, from southern German
Geiss meaning "goat" and the suffix
ler signifying an occupation.
GERBER GermanMeans
"tanner, leather dresser" in German, derived from Old High German
garawen meaning "to prepare".
GEREBEN HungarianMeans
"hackle, hatchel" in Hungarian (a hackle is a tool used to comb out fibers).
GLAZIER EnglishMeans
"glass worker, glazier", from Old English
glæs meaning "glass".
GLÖCKNER GermanDerived from Middle High German
glocke "bell". It may have referred to a person who worked at or lived close to a bell tower.
GLOVER EnglishOccupational name for a person who made or sold gloves, from Middle English
glovere.
GOFFE EnglishDerived from Breton or Cornish
goff meaning
"smith", referring to a metalworker.
GRAVES EnglishOccupational name for a steward, derived from Middle English
greyve, related to the German title
Graf.
GRIEVE ScottishOccupational name meaning
"steward, farm manager" in Middle English, related to the German title
Graf.
GUERRERO SpanishMeans
"warrior" in Spanish, an occupational name for a soldier. It is derived from Late Latin
werra "war", of Germanic origin.
HARPER EnglishOriginally belonged to a person who played the harp or who made harps.
HAUER GermanDerived from Middle High German
houwen "to chop", referring to a butcher or woodchopper.
HAUMANN GermanDerived from Middle High German
houwen "to chop" and
man "man", referring to a butcher or woodchopper.
HAYWARD EnglishOccupational name for a person who protected an enclosed forest, from Old English
hæg "enclosure, fence" and
weard "guard".
HEAD EnglishFrom Middle English
hed meaning
"head", from Old English
heafod. It may have referred to a person who had a peculiar head, who lived near the head of a river or valley, or who served as the village headman.
HEEREN DutchFrom Dutch
heer "lord, master", a nickname for a person who acted like a lord or who worked for a lord.
HERZOG GermanFrom a German title meaning
"duke", a nickname for a person who either acted like a duke or worked in a duke's household.
HIRSCH (1) GermanMeans
"deer, hart" in German. This was a nickname for a person who resembled a deer in some way, or who raised or hunted deer.
HOGGARD EnglishOccupational name meaning
"pig herder", from Old English
hogg "hog" and
hierde "herdsman, guardian".
HOLZMANN GermanDerived from Old High German
holz "wood" and
man "man", a name for someone who lived close to a wood or worked with wood.
HOOPER EnglishOccupational name for someone who put the metal hoops around wooden barrels.
HOPPER EnglishOccupational name for an acrobat or a nickname for someone who was nervous or restless. A famous bearer was the American actor Dennis Hopper (1936-2010).
HORN English, German, Norwegian, DanishFrom the Germanic word
horn meaning
"horn". This was an occupational name for one who carved objects out of horn or who played a horn, or a person who lived near a horn-shaped geographical feature, such as a mountain or a bend in a river.
HOWARD (2) EnglishOccupational name meaning
"ewe herder", from Old English
eowu "ewe" and
hierde "herdsman, guardian".
HRABĚ CzechMeans
"count" in Czech, perhaps used to denote someone who worked for a count or acted like a count.
HRUŠKA CzechMeans
"pear" in Czech, most likely used to denote a person who grew or sold pears.
HUNTER English, ScottishOccupational name that referred to someone who hunted for a living, from Old English
hunta.
JÄGER GermanMeans
"hunter" in German, from Old High German
jagon meaning "to hunt".
JOINER EnglishOccupational name for a carpenter (that is, a person who joins wood together to make furniture).
JONKER DutchFrom the Dutch title
jonkheer meaning
"young lord". It was originally a medieval noble designation (not an actual title) for a young nobleman.
KAMIŃSKI PolishFrom Polish
kamień meaning
"stone", a name for a stonecutter or for one who lived at a place with this name.
KARDOS HungarianFrom Hungarian
kard meaning
"sword". It could have been applied to soldiers, sword makers, or one with a pugnacious nature.
KATIRCI TurkishDerived from Turkish
katır meaning
"mule", a name for a person who made transports by mule.
KAY (2) EnglishDerived from Old French
kay meaning
"wharf, quay", indicating one who lived near or worked on a wharf.
KELLOGG EnglishOccupational name for a pig butcher, from Middle English
killen "to kill" and
hog "pig, swine, hog".
KERNER GermanDerived from Old High German
kerno "seed", an occupational name for one who sold or planted seeds.
KITCHEN EnglishOccupational name for a person who worked in a kitchen (of a monastery for example), derived from Old English
cycene, ultimately from Latin
coquina.
KLADIVO CzechMeans
"hammer" in Czech, a nickname for a blacksmith.
KLEID JewishOccupational name for a tailor, from Old High German
kleid meaning
"garment, clothing".
KNEF GermanOccupational name for a shoemaker, derived from Low German
knif meaning
"shoemaker's knife".
KNIGHT EnglishFrom Old English
cniht meaning
"knight", a tenant serving as a mounted soldier.
KNOCHENMUS GermanFrom German
Knochen "bone" and
Mus "sauce". It probably referred to someone who worked in the butcher trade.
KNOPF GermanMeans
"button" in German, originally belonging to a button maker or button seller.
KOHLER GermanFrom Middle High German
koler meaning
"charcoal burner" or
"charcoal seller".
KOLÁŘ CzechMeans
"wheelwright", a derivative of Czech
kolo "wheel".
KOPITAR SloveneFrom Slovene
kopito meaning
"hoof", an occupational name for a shoer.
KOŠAR CroatianFrom Croatian
koš meaning
"basket", originally indicating a person who made or sold baskets.
KOSZORÚS HungarianDerived from Hungarian
koszorú meaning
"garland, wreath, girdle", a name for someone who made garlands.
KRÄMER GermanMeans
"shopkeeper, merchant" in German, derived from Old High German
kram meaning "tent, trading post".
KRANZ German, JewishDerived from Old High German
kranz meaning
"wreath", an occupational name for a maker of wreaths or an ornamental Jewish name.
KRAVITZ JewishOccupational name derived from Polish
krawiec meaning
"tailor".
KRÓL PolishMeans
"king" in Polish. The name referred to one who acted like a king or was connected in some way with a king's household.
KÜCHLER GermanOccupational surname for a baker who made small cakes or cookies, derived from Middle High German
kuoche "cake, pastry".
KURUCZ HungarianDerived from the Hungarian word
kuruc, referring to rebels who fought against the Habsburgs in the late 17th to early 18th century.
LAGANÀ ItalianOccupational name for a greengrocer, meaning
"vegetables" in southern Italian dialects, ultimately from Greek
λάχανον (lachanon).
LAGUARDIA ItalianOccupational name meaning
"sentry, sentinel" in Italian, also a locative name referring to a person who lived near a watchtower. Fiorello Laguardia (1882-1947) was the first mayor of New York of Italian origin.
LAGUNOV RussianPatronymic name derived from Russian
лагун (lagun) meaning
"water barrel". It was used to denote the descendants of a person who made water barrels.
LANE (2) FrenchDerived from a French word meaning
"wool", designating one who worked in the wool trade.
LÁNÍK CzechDerived from Czech
lán, a measure of land equal to approximately 18 hectares. The name loosely translates as "farmer" and is considered a Moravian equivalent of
Sedlák.
LANTOS HungarianMeans
"minstrel, bard, lutist" in Hungarian, from
lant meaning "lute".
LAPOINTE FrenchMeans
"the point (of a lance)" in French, possibly a nickname for a soldier.
LEACH EnglishOriginally indicated a person who was a physician, from the medieval practice of using leeches to bleed people of ills.
LÉCUYER FrenchFrom French
écuyer meaning
"squire, shield-bearer".
LEHMANN GermanFrom Middle High German
lehenman meaning
"vassal, liege man".
LEMAIRE FrenchMeans
"the mayor" in French. It was a title given to a town official, or else a nickname for someone who was pompous and officious.
LISTER ScottishAnglicized form of the Gaelic
Mac an Fleisdeir meaning
"son of the arrow maker".
MACHADO Portuguese, SpanishDenoted a person who made or used hatchets, derived from Spanish and Portuguese
machado "hatchet", both from Latin
marculus "little hammer".
MARMO ItalianMeans
"marble" in Italian, possibly indicating a person who lived near a quarry or one who worked with marble.
MARSHALL EnglishDerived from Middle English
mareschal "marshal", ultimately from Germanic
marah "horse" and
scalc "servant". It originally referred to someone who took care of horses.
MARTEL (2) French, EnglishNickname for a smith, derived from Old French
martel "hammer", ultimately from Late Latin
martellus.
MÁSELNÍK CzechReferred to one who churned or sold butter or buttermilk, derived from Czech
máslo "butter".
MASON EnglishOccupational name for a stoneworker or layer of bricks, from Old French
masson, ultimately of Germanic origin (akin to Old English
macian "to make").
MATHERS EnglishOccupational name meaning
"mower, cutter of hay" in Old English.
MAZZA ItalianFrom a nickname (perhaps occupational) meaning
"maul, mallet" in Italian.
MCINTYRE ScottishFrom Scottish Gaelic
Mac an tSaoir meaning
"son of the carpenter".
METZ (1) GermanOccupational name for maker of knives, from Middle High German
metze "knife".
MEYER (1) GermanFrom Middle High German
meier meaning
"bailiff, administrator", derived from Latin
maior meaning "greater". Later it also denoted a tenant farmer. The spellings
Meier and
Meyer are more common in northern Germany while
Maier and
Mayer are more common in southern Germany.
MILLER EnglishOccupational surname referring to a person who owned or worked in a grain mill, from Middle English
mille "mill".
MILLHOUSE EnglishName for someone whose house was in a mill or who worked in a mill.
MILLS EnglishOriginally given to one who lived near a mill or who worked in a mill, from Middle English
mille.
MOŹDZIERZ PolishMeans
"mortar" in Polish. It probably referred to someone who worked with or sold mortar.
MUTTON EnglishReferred to a shepherd or else someone who in some way resembled a sheep, derived from Norman French
mouton "sheep".
OFFERMANS DutchFrom Dutch
offer meaning
"offering, donation", referring to a person who collected money in a church.
PAGE English, FrenchOccupational name meaning
"servant, page". It is ultimately derived (via Old French and Italian) from Greek
παιδίον (paidion) meaning "little boy".
PALLADINO ItalianFrom Italian
paladino meaning
"knight, defender", from Late Latin
palatinus meaning "palace officer".
PARK (2) EnglishFrom Middle English
park, from Latin
parricus, of Germanic origin. This was a name for someone who worked in or lived in a park.
PARKER EnglishMeans
"keeper of the park" in Middle English. It is an occupational name for a person who was a gamekeeper at a medieval park.
PARSONS EnglishOriginally denoted a son of a parson, a derivative of Latin
persona "person".
PECK (2) EnglishOccupational name for a maker of pecks (vessels used as peck measures), derived from Middle English
pekke.
PECORA ItalianMeans
"sheep" in Italian, an occupational name for a shepherd.
PENDERS DutchFrom Middle Dutch
paender meaning
"brewer", derived from
panne meaning "pan, pot", ultimately from Latin
patina.
PESCE ItalianMeans
"fish" in Italian, referring either to a fisherman or to a person who resembled a fish in some way.
PIPER EnglishOriginally given to a person who played on a pipe (a flute).
PLANK German, EnglishMeans
"plank", from Old French, itself from Late Latin
planca. This could have referred to a person who lived by a plank bridge over a stream, someone who was thin, or a carpenter.
PODSEDNÍK CzechMeans
"one who sits behind" in Czech, an equivalent to
Zahradník mainly used in the region of Moravia.
PORCHER English, FrenchMeans
"swineherd" from Old French and Middle English
porchier, from Latin
porcus "pig".
PORTER EnglishOccupational name meaning
"doorkeeper", ultimately from Old French
porte "door", from Latin
porta.
POTTER EnglishOccupational name for a potter, one who makes earthen vessels.
POTTINGER EnglishOccupational name, either for an apothecary, from Old French
potecaire, or a seller of stew, from Old French
potagier.
POULIN FrenchDerived from Old French
poule meaning
"chicken". It was most likely used to denote a person who raised or sold poultry.
PROCHÁZKA CzechMeans
"walk, wander, stroll" in Czech. This was an occupational name for a travelling tradesman.
PURCELL EnglishFrom Old French
pourcel "piglet", from Latin
porcellus, a derivative of
porcus "pig". This was a nickname or an occupational name for a swineherd.
PUSKÁS HungarianOccupational name for a gunsmith or cannon maker, from Hungarian
puska meaning
"gun" (from German, itself from Latin
buxis "box").
RAIS ItalianOccupational name for the fisherman in charge of the boat, from Italian
rais "captain", of Arabic origin. It is typical of Sicily and Sardinia.
RETTIG GermanDerived from Middle High German
retich, Middle Low German
redik meaning
"radish", an occupational name for a grower or seller of radishes.
RICHTER GermanMeans
"judge" in German, from Middle High German
rihtære.
RIMMER EnglishOccupational name meaning
"poet", from Middle English
rime meaning "rhyme".
RITTER GermanFrom Middle High German
riter meaning
"rider, knight", a cognate of
RYDER.
ROTHBAUER GermanFrom Old High German
riuten "to clear land" and
bur "peasant, farmer".