Surnames Categorized "water"

This is a list of surnames in which the categories include water.

Select filters then press SEARCH below

+Usage or language

Usage	clear
Language	clear

+Letters

Initial	clear
Start	clear
End	clear
Substring	clear
Pattern	clear help?
the letters in the pattern are compared to the letters in the name * is a wildcard that matches zero or more letters example: oo matches names which contain oo _ is a wildcard that matches exactly one letter example: __z matches names which have two letters and then z

+Meaning and keywords

Meaning	clear help?
	expand search to include grammatical forms
	expand search to include close synonyms
	expand search to include subclasses
	expand search to related names
separate search terms with spaces search for an exact phrase by surrounding it with double quotes this field understands simple boolean logic force a term to be included by preceding it with a + sign force a term to be excluded by preceding it with a - sign expand search to include grammatical forms: attempt to include grammatical forms of the meanings example: speak includes spoke expand search to include close synonyms: attempt to include synonyms of the meanings example: brave includes courageous expand search to include search narrower synonyms: attempt to include subclasses of the meanings example: reptile includes turtle expand search to related names: allow related names to inherit the meaning of the main form
Description	clear help?
	ignore name meanings
the description is the meaning and history write-up for the name separate search terms with spaces search for an exact phrase by surrounding it with double quotes example: "lord of the rings" matches names from the novel 'The Lord of the Rings' this field understands simple boolean logic force a term to be included by preceding it with a + sign force a term to be excluded by preceding it with a - sign example: +greek +(legend myth) -zeus matches Greek names of myths or legends not about Zeus ignore name meanings: keywords from the name meanings are ignored

+Origin

clear

+Source

Source

clear

+Gender

clear

+Length

clear

+Sound and syllables

Pronunciation	clear help?
	case sensitive
see the pronunciation key for a guide on how to write the sounds sounds can only be searched in names that have been assigned pronunciations * is a wildcard that will match zero or more letters in the pronunciation example: lee matches names which end with the sound lee* _ is a wildcard that will match exactly one letter in the pronunciation example: __z matches names which have two letters and then a z (s) matches exactly one syllable in the pronunciation example: (s)(s)ra matches names which have two syllables and then the sound rah (c) matches a consonant (k) matches a consonant or consonant cluster (v) matches a vowel (p) matches a plosive or stop consonant (f) matches a fricative consonant (n) matches a nasal consonant case sensitive: check this if you wish distinguish between unstressed lowercase sounds and stressed uppercase sounds
Syllables	clear help?
syllables can only be counted in names that have been assigned pronunciations names without pronunciations are excluded from results

+Relations

Related name	clear
Relationship	clear help?
	expand search to ancestral names
the "relationship" is how the name relates to its parent name example: searching for diminutive matches Betsy because it is a diminutive of its parent Elizabeth selecting *(all core forms)* excludes peripheral forms such as diminutives, short forms, and combinations expand search to ancestral names: relationships between names further up the family tree are included

+Popularity

List	clear
Year	clear
Rank	clear

+Famous namesake

Category

clear

-User-assigned category

Category	clear help?
names have been assigned to categories by members of the behindthename.com community (the name's categories are listed at the bottom of the name's page) to search for multiple categories, separate with a comma * is a wildcard that matches zero or more letters in the category

+Options

Sort	clear
Display	clear

Aalto Finnish
From Finnish aalto meaning "wave". A famous bearer was Finnish architect Alvar Aalto (1898-1976).

Aaltonen Finnish
From Finnish aalto meaning "wave".

Abano Italian
Originally denoted a person from the town of Abano, Latin Aponus, which was derived from the old Celtic root ab meaning "water".

Åberg Swedish
From Swedish å meaning "river, stream" and berg meaning "mountain".

Abspoel Dutch
From Abtspoel, the name of an estate near Oegstgeest in South Holland, meaning "abbot's pool".

Acqua Italian
Means "water" in Italian, indicating one who dwelt by or transported water.

Acquafredda Italian
Denoted a person who came from one of the various places in Italy with this name, derived from Italian meaning "cold water".

Acquarone Italian
Meaning uncertain, possibly from a place name or an occupation derived from Italian acqua "water".

Acquati Italian
From the name of a village, part of the city of Lecco in Lombardy. Its name is presumably derived from Italian acqua "water".

Adriatico Italian
Originally denoted a person who lived near the Adriatic sea.

Agua Spanish
Means "water" in Spanish, indicating a person who lived near water or worked with water.

Aguado Spanish
Derived from Spanish agua "water", indicating a person who lived near water or worked with water.

Ahlström Swedish
Ornamental name derived from Swedish al (Old Norse ǫlr) meaning "alder" and ström (Old Norse straumr) meaning "stream".

Aikawa Japanese
From Japanese 相 (ai) meaning "mutually, together", 愛 (ai) meaning "love, affection" or 哀 (ai) meaning "grief, sorrow" combined with 川 (kawa) or 河 (kawa) both meaning "river, stream".

Alagona Italian
From the name of the Spanish region of Aragon, which was a medieval kingdom. The region was named for a river, which was itself derived from an Indo-European root meaning "water".

Anaya Spanish
From the names of a few Spanish towns, possibly of Arabic origin meaning "stagnant water" or "path".

Anker Dutch, Danish, Norwegian
Metonymic surname for a sailor, meaning "anchor" in Dutch, Danish and Norwegian.

Aquino Italian, Spanish
From the name of an Italian town near Rome, derived from Latin aqua meaning "water", the home town of the 13th-century saint Thomas Aquinas. In Italy the surname is derived directly from the town's name. As a Spanish-language surname, it was sometimes bestowed by missionaries in honour of the saint as they evangelized in Spanish colonies.

Arroyo Spanish
Means "stream, brook" in Spanish.

Årud Norwegian
From Norwegian å meaning "river, stream" and the archaic word rud meaning "cleared land".

Asanuma Japanese
From Japanese 浅 (asa) meaning "shallow" and 沼 (numa) meaning "swamp, marsh".

Åström Swedish
From Swedish å meaning "river, stream" and ström (Old Norse straumr) meaning "stream, current, flow".

Asturias Spanish
From the name of a region in Spain, formerly a medieval kingdom. It is possibly derived from Basque asta "rock" and ur "water".

Attwater English
Variant of Atwater.

Atwater English
From Middle English meaning "dweller at the water".

Aue German
From German meaning "meadow by a river, wetland". There are many places with this name in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Auer German
From German Aue, Old High German ouwa, meaning "meadow by a river, wetland".

Ayers 3 English
Indicated a person from the town of Ayr in Scotland. The town was named for the river that flows through it, itself derived from an Indo-European root meaning "water".

Ayton English
From the name of towns in Berwickshire and North Yorkshire. They are derived from Old English ea "river" or ieg "island" combined with tun "enclosure, yard, town".

Bach 1 German
Topographic name for someone who lived by a stream, from Middle High German bach meaning "stream". This name was borne by members of the Bach musical family, notably the composer Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750).

Bachmann German
Denoted a person who lived near a stream, from Middle High German bach "stream" and man "man".

Bachmeier German
Originally referred to a farmer whose farm was beside a stream, from Middle High German bach "stream" and meier "steward, tenant farmer".

Bader German
Derived from Old High German bad "bath", most likely referring to a bath attendant.

Bagni Italian
From Italian bagno "bath", derived from Latin balneum, referring to a person who worked as a bath house attendant.

Baumbach German
From a place name meaning "tree stream" in German.

Beck 1 English, German, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian
From Middle English bekke (from Old Norse), Low German beke or Old Norse bekkr all meaning "stream".

Beckenbauer German
Means "farmer living by a stream" in German.

Bergström Swedish
Derived from Swedish berg meaning "mountain" and ström (Old Norse straumr) meaning "stream".

Beverley English
From the name of an English city, derived from Old English beofor "beaver" and (possibly) licc "stream".

Beverly English
Variant of Beverley.

Blackburn English
From the name of a city in Lancashire, meaning "black stream" in Old English.

Bourne English
Derived from Old English burna "stream, spring".

Braband German
Derived from the name of the region of Brabant in the Netherlands and Belgium. It possibly means "ploughed region" or "marshy region" in Old High German.

Bradford English
Derived from the name of the city of Bradford in West Yorkshire, which meant "broad ford" in Old English. This is also the name of other smaller towns in England.

Breen Irish
Anglicized form of Irish Ó Braoin meaning "descendant of Braon", a byname meaning "rain, moisture, drop".

Breisacher German
Originally denoted one who came from the town of Breisach, in Germany. The town's name is possibly from a Celtic word meaning "breakwater".

Brennan Irish
From Irish Ó Braonáin meaning "descendant of Braonán", a byname meaning "rain, moisture, drop" (with a diminutive suffix).

Brodie Scottish
Originally derived from a place in Moray, Scotland. It is probably from Gaelic broth meaning "ditch, mire".

Brook English
Denoted a person who lived near a brook, a word derived from Old English broc.

Burnham English
From the name of various towns in England, typically derived from Old English burna "stream, spring" and ham "home, settlement".

Burns 1 English, Scottish
Derived from Old English burna "stream, spring". A famous bearer was the Scottish poet Robert Burns (1759-1796).

Byström Swedish
From Swedish by (Old Norse býr) meaning "village" and ström (Old Norse straumr) meaning "stream".

Caldwell English
From various English place names derived from Old English ceald "cold" and wille "spring, stream, well".

Clifford English
Derived from various place names that meant "ford by a cliff" in Old English.

Cockburn Scottish, English
Originally indicated someone who came from Cockburn, a place in Berwickshire. The place name is derived from Old English cocc "rooster" and burna "stream".

Costa Portuguese, Italian, Catalan
Means "riverbank, slope, coast" in Portuguese, Italian and Catalan, ultimately from Latin meaning "side, edge".

Crawford English
From a place name derived from Old English crawe "crow" and ford "river crossing". A notable bearer was the American actress Joan Crawford (1904-1977), born Lucille Fay LeSueur.

Crewe English
Originally denoted someone from Crewe in Cheshire, which is from Welsh criu "weir, dam, fish trap".

Dam Dutch, Danish
Means "dike, dam" in Dutch and Danish. In modern Danish it also means "pond".

Debenham English
Originally denoted a person from the town of Debenham in Suffolk, derived from the name of the River Deben (meaning "deep" in Old English) combined with ham meaning "home, settlement".

De La Fontaine French
French cognate of De la Fuente.

De la Fuente Spanish
Means "of the fountain" in Spanish.

Del Río Spanish
Means "of the river" in Spanish.

Diefenbach German
From a German place name meaning "deep creek".

Douglas Scottish
From the name of a town in Lanarkshire, itself named after a tributary of the River Clyde called the Douglas Water, derived from Gaelic dubh "dark" and glais "water, river" (an archaic word related to glas "grey, green"). This was a Scottish Lowland clan, the leaders of which were powerful earls in the medieval period.

Dunst German
Derived from Middle High German dunst "haze".

Dupuis French
Means "from the well", from Old French puts, Latin puteus "well".

Eaton English
From any of the various English towns with this name, derived from Old English ea "river" and tun "enclosure, yard, town".

Egawa Japanese
From Japanese 江 (e) meaning "bay, inlet" and 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream".

Ekström Swedish
From Swedish ek (Old Norse eik) meaning "oak" and ström (Old Norse straumr) meaning "stream".

Engström Swedish
Ornamental name derived from Swedish äng (Old Norse eng) meaning "meadow" and ström (Old Norse straumr) meaning "stream".

Ewart 2 English
From the name of an English town, derived from Old English ea "river" and worþ "enclosure".

Fairburn English
From a place name meaning "fern stream", from Old English fearn "fern" and burna "stream".

Fenn English
From a name for someone who dwelt near a marsh, from Old English fenn meaning "fen, swamp, bog".

Fisker Danish
Means "fisherman" in Danish.

Fonseca Spanish, Portuguese
Originally belonged to a person who lived near a dry spring, from Latin fons "well, spring" and siccus "dry".

Fontaine French
Derived from Old French fontane meaning "well, fountain", a derivative of Latin fons.

Fontana Italian, Spanish
Italian and Spanish cognate of Fontaine.

Ford English
Name given to someone who lived by a ford, possibly the official who maintained it. A famous bearer was the American industrialist Henry Ford (1863-1947).

Forsberg Swedish
Derived from Swedish fors meaning "waterfall" and berg meaning "mountain".

Fuentes Spanish
Means "spring, well" in Spanish, derived from Latin fons.

Fujisawa Japanese
From Japanese 藤 (fuji) meaning "wisteria" and 沢 or 澤 (sawa) meaning "marsh".

Furukawa Japanese
From Japanese 古 (furu) meaning "old" and 川 (kawa) or 河 (kawa) both meaning "river, stream".

Halloran Irish
From Irish Ó hAllmhuráin meaning "descendant of Allmhurán". The given name Allmhurán means "stranger from across the sea".

Hamm English
Means "river meadow" in Old English.

Hampton English
From the name of multiple towns in England, derived from Old English ham "home" or ham "water meadow, enclosure" and tun "enclosure, yard, town".

Harmaajärvi Finnish
Means "grey lake" in Finnish.

Hasegawa Japanese
From the Japanese place name 長谷 (Hase, not a standard reading) combined with 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream".

Hellström Swedish
From Swedish häll (Old Norse hallr), a type of flat rock, combined with ström (Old Norse straumr) meaning "stream".

Hiedler German
From southern German Hiedl meaning "underground stream".

Hisakawa Japanese
From Japanese 久 (hisa) meaning "long time ago" and 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream".

Holmström Swedish
From Swedish holme (Old Norse holmr) meaning "small island" and ström (Old Norse straumr) meaning "stream".

Horton English
From the names of various places in England, which are derived from Old English horh "dirt, mud" and tun "enclosure, yard, town".

Ikeda Japanese
From Japanese 池 (ike) meaning "pool, pond" and 田 (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".

Iordanou Greek
From the name of the Jordan river, which is from Hebrew יָרַד (yaraḏ) meaning "descend" or "flow down".

Irvine 1 Scottish
Originally derived from the name of a Scottish (North Ayrshire) town, which was named for the River Irvine, derived from Brythonic elements meaning "green water".

Irving Scottish, English
Variant of Irvine 1 or Irwin.

Ishikawa Japanese
From Japanese 石 (ishi) meaning "stone" and 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream".

Iturburua Basque
Means "by the fountain" in Basque, from iturri "fountain, spring".

Izumi Japanese
From Japanese 泉 (izumi) meaning "spring, fountain".

Järvi Finnish
Means "lake" in Finnish.

Järvinen Finnish
Derived from Finnish järvi meaning "lake". It is one of the most common surnames in Finland.

Jiang 1 Chinese
From Chinese 江 (jiāng) meaning "river, Yangtze".

Jokela Finnish
Derived from Finnish joki "river".

Jokinen Finnish
Derived from Finnish joki "river".

Jöllenbeck German
From the name of a village in western Germany, itself derived from the name of the Jölle, a small river, combined with Low German beck "stream".

Jordan 2 Jewish
Derived from the name of the Jordan river, which is from Hebrew יָרַד (yaraḏ) meaning "descend" or "flow down".

Kałuża Polish
Means "puddle" in Polish.

Kawaguchi Japanese
Means "mouth of the river", from Japanese 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream" and 口 (kuchi) meaning "mouth, entrance".

Kawakami Japanese
From Japanese 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream" and 上 (kami) meaning "above, top, upper".

Kawasaki Japanese
From Japanese 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream" and 崎 (saki) meaning "cape, peninsula".

Kay 2 English
Derived from Old French kay meaning "wharf, quay", indicating one who lived near or worked on a wharf.

Keaton English
From any of three English place names: Ketton in Rutland, Ketton in Durham or Keaton in Devon. The first is probably derived from an old river name or tribal name combined with Old English ea "river", with the spelling later influenced by tun "enclosure, yard, town". The second is from the Old English given name Catta or the Old Norse given name Káti combined with Old English tun. The third is possibly from Cornish kee "hedge, bank" combined with Old English tun.

Kerr Scottish, English
From Scots and northern Middle English kerr meaning "thicket, marsh", ultimately from Old Norse kjarr.

Kikkert Dutch
Derived from Dutch kikker meaning "frog".

Killough Irish
Indicated a person who was from Killough (County Down, Northern Ireland) or Killough (Wicklow, Ireland). The place name Killough means "church on the lake", derived from the Irish cill "church" and loch "lake".

Kitagawa Japanese
From Japanese 北 (kita) meaning "north" and 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream". A famous bearer was the artist and printmaker Kitagawa Utamaro (1753-1806).

Kjær Danish
Topographic name for someone living near a wetland, from Danish kær "marsh", from Old Norse kjarr "thicket".

Koizumi Japanese
From Japanese 小 (ko) meaning "small" and 泉 (izumi) meaning "spring, fountain". A notable bearer of this name is Junichiro Koizumi (1942-), who was Prime Minister of Japan.

Koskinen Finnish
Derived from Finnish koski meaning "rapids".

Krastiņš m Latvian
Derived from Latvian krasts meaning "shore, coast".

Krebs German
Means "crab" in German, perhaps a nickname for a person with a crab-like walk.

Kumięga Polish
Possibly from Polish kum "godfather, friend" or komięga "raft, barge".

Kurosawa Japanese
From Japanese 黒 (kuro) meaning "black" and 沢 or 澤 (sawa) meaning "marsh". A notable bearer was Akira Kurosawa (1910-1998), a Japanese film director.

Kyle Scottish
Derived from Scottish Gaelic caol meaning "narrows, channel, strait", originally given to a person who lived by a strait.

Lagunov m Russian
Derived from Russian лагун (lagun) meaning "water barrel". It was used to denote the descendants of a person who made water barrels.

Lahti Finnish
Means "bay, cove" in Finnish.

Laine Finnish, Estonian
Means "wave" in Finnish and Estonian.

Lamar French, English
Originally from a place name in Normandy, derived from Old French la mare meaning "the pool".

Langford English
From any of various places in England with this name, derived from Old English lang "long" and ford "ford, river crossing".

Ledford English
From the name of English places called Lydford, derived from hlud meaning "loud, noisy" and ford meaning "ford, river crossing".

Lincoln English
Originally indicated that the bearer was from the English city of Lincoln, called Lindum Colonia by the Romans, derived from Brythonic lindo "lake, pool" and Latin colonia "colony". A famous bearer was Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), president of the United States during the American Civil War.

Lindbeck Swedish
From Swedish lind meaning "linden tree" and bäck (Old Norse bekkr) meaning "stream".

Lindström Swedish
Derived from Swedish lind meaning "linden tree" and ström (Old Norse straumr) meaning "stream".

Lithgow Scottish
Habitation name meaning derived from Brythonic roots meaning "pool hollow". A famous bearer of this name is actor John Lithgow (1945-).

Ljungstrand Swedish
From Swedish ljung (Old Norse lyng) meaning "heather" and strand (Old Norse strǫnd) meaning "beach".

Lum English
From the name of towns in England called Lumb, probably from Old English lum "pool".

Lundström Swedish
From Swedish lund (Old Norse lundr) meaning "grove" and ström (Old Norse straumr) meaning "stream".

Lynch Irish
From Irish Ó Loingsigh meaning "descendant of Loingseach", a given name meaning "mariner".

Lynn English
From the name of a town in Norfolk (King's Lynn), derived from Welsh llyn meaning "lake".

Maekawa Japanese
From Japanese 前 (mae) meaning "front, forward" and 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream".

Marlow English
Originally a name for a person from Marlow in Buckinghamshire, England. The place name means "remnants of a lake" from Old English mere "lake" and lafe "remnants, remains". A notable bearer was the English playwright and poet Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593).

Marsh English
Originally denoted one who lived near a marsh or bog, derived from Old English mersc "marsh".

Marston English
From a place name derived from Old English mersc "marsh" and tun "enclosure".

Mataracı Turkish
Occupational name for a person who made water bottles or flasks, from Turkish matara "flask".

Maxwell Scottish
From a place name meaning "Mack's stream", from the name Mack, a short form of the Scandinavian name Magnus, combined with Old English wille "well, stream". A famous bearer was James Maxwell (1831-1879), a Scottish physicist who studied gases and electromagnetism.

McNamara Irish
From Irish Mac Conmara meaning "son of Conmara". The given name Conmara is composed of cú "hound" and muir "sea".

Melsbach German
From the name of a German town, possibly meaning "mill stream".

Milburn English
Derived from various place names meaning "mill stream" in Old English.

Milford English
Originally derived from various place names all meaning "ford by a mill" in Old English.

Miura Japanese
From Japanese 三 (mi) meaning "three" and 浦 (ura) meaning "bay, inlet".

Miyagawa Japanese
From Japanese 宮 (miya) meaning "temple, shrine, palace" and 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream".

Mizuno Japanese
From Japanese 水 (mizu) meaning "water" and 野 (no) meaning "field, wilderness".

Mizushima Japanese
From Japanese 水 (mizu) meaning "water" and 島 (shima) meaning "island".

Mizutani Japanese
From Japanese 水 (mizu) meaning "water" and 谷 (tani) meaning "valley".

Mlakar Slovene, Croatian
Referred to someone who lived near a pool, derived from South Slavic mlaka meaning "pool, puddle".

Monroe Scottish
Anglicized (typically American) form of Munro. It was borne by the American actress Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962).

Moore 1 English
Originally indicated a person who lived on a moor, from Middle English mor meaning "open land, bog".

Morgan Welsh
Derived from the given name Morgan 1.

Morikawa Japanese
From Japanese 森 (mori) meaning "forest" and 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream".

Mortimer English
From the name of a town in Normandy meaning "dead water, still water" in Old French.

Moser German
Name for someone who lived near a peat bog, from Middle High German mos.

Murdock Irish
Derived from the given name Murchadh.

Murray 1 Scottish
Derived from the region in Scotland called Moray (Gaelic Moireabh), possibly of Pictish origin, meaning "seashore, coast". A notable bearer of this surname was General James Murray (1721-1794), who was the first British Governor-General of Canada.

Nakagawa Japanese
From Japanese 中 (naka) meaning "middle" and 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream".

Nicchi Italian
From the Italian word nicchio meaning "shell", possibly a nickname for people related to the sea.

Nishikawa Japanese
From Japanese 西 (nishi) meaning "west" and 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream".

Nordström Swedish
From Swedish nord (Old Norse norðr) meaning "north" and ström (Old Norse straumr) meaning "stream".

Nye English
Originally indicated a person who lived near a river, from Middle English atten eye meaning "at the river".

Nyström Swedish
Ornamental name derived from Swedish ny (Old Norse nýr) meaning "new" and ström (Old Norse straumr) meaning "stream".

Ogawa Japanese
From Japanese 小 (o) meaning "small" and 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream".

Oja Estonian
Means "brook, creek" in Estonian.

Ojala Finnish, Estonian
From Finnish and Estonian oja meaning "ditch, channel, brook" with the suffix -la indicating a place.

Ostrowski m Polish
From Polish ostrów meaning "river island".

Pan 2 Chinese
From Chinese 潘 (pān) meaning "water in which rice has been rinsed", and also referring to a river that flows into the Han River.

Pataki Hungarian
Derived from Hungarian patak meaning "creek, brook" (a word of Slavic origin). It was given to people who lived near a creek.

Peláez Spanish
Means "son of Pelayo".

Phan Vietnamese
Vietnamese form of Pan 2, from Sino-Vietnamese 潘 (phan).

Pollock Scottish
From the name of a place in Renfrewshire, Scotland, derived from a diminutive of Gaelic poll meaning "pool, pond, bog". A famous bearer was the American artist Jackson Pollock (1912-1956).

Pond English
Originally referred to one who lived near a pond.

Poole English
From Old English pol meaning "pool", referring to a person who lived by a small body of water.

Popławski m Polish
From Polish poplaw meaning "flowing water, flood".

Potočnik Slovene
From Slovene potok meaning "stream, brook".

Pozzi Italian
From Italian pozzo meaning "well, pit", derived from Latin puteus.

Rafferty Irish
Anglicized form of Irish Ó Rabhartaigh meaning "descendant of Rabhartach". The given name Rabhartach means "flood tide".

Rains English
Variant of Raines.

Rana Italian, Spanish
Means "frog" in Italian and Spanish.

Ranta Finnish
Originally indicated a person who lived near the shore, from Finnish ranta meaning "shore, beach".

Rantanen Finnish
From Finnish ranta meaning "shore, beach".

Ribeiro Portuguese
Means "little river, stream" in Portuguese, ultimately from Latin riparius meaning "riverbank".

Rios Portuguese
Originally denoted a person who lived near a river, from Portuguese rios "river", ultimately from Latin rivus.

Riva Italian
Means "bank, shore" in Italian, from Latin ripa, denoting one who lived by a river or a lake.

Rivera Spanish
From Spanish ribera meaning "bank, shore", from Latin riparius.

Rivers English
Denoted a person who lived near a river, from Middle English, from Old French riviere meaning "river", from Latin riparius meaning "riverbank".

Rivière French
French cognate of Rivers.

Rundström Swedish
Ornamental name derived from Swedish rund (from Latin rotundus) meaning "round" and ström (Old Norse straumr) meaning "stream".

Rutherford Scottish
From the name of places in southern Scotland and northern England, derived from Old English hriðer meaning "cattle, ox" and ford meaning "ford, river crossing".

Rye English
Topographic name. It could be a misdivision of the Middle English phrases atter ye meaning "at the island" or atter eye meaning "at the river". In some cases it merely indicated a person who lived where rye was grown or worked with rye (from Old English ryge).

Saller 1 German
Originally denoted a person from the town of Sallern in Bavaria, possibly from a Celtic element meaning "stream".

Sandström Swedish
From Swedish sand (Old Norse sandr) meaning "sand" and ström (Old Norse straumr) meaning "stream".

Seabrook English
Denoted a person from a town by this name in Buckinghamshire, England. It is derived from that of a river combined with Old English broc "stream".

Seaver English
From the unattested Old English given name Sæfaru, derived from the Old English elements sæ "sea, ocean" and faru "journey".

Seymour 2 English
From an English place name, derived from Old English sæ "sea" and mere "lake".

Sherburn English
Denoted a person hailing from any of the various places called Sherborne or Sherburn in England, derived from Old English scir "bright" and burna "spring, fountain, stream".

Sherburne English
Variant of Sherburn.

Shimizu Japanese
From Japanese 清 (shi) meaning "clear, pure, clean" and 水 (mizu) meaning "water".

Shinkawa Japanese
From Japanese 新 (shin) meaning "fresh, new" and 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream".

Shirakawa Japanese
From Japanese 白 (shira) meaning "white" and 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream".

Sjöberg Swedish
From Swedish sjö (Old Norse sær) meaning "lake, sea" and berg meaning "mountain".

Sjögren Swedish
From Swedish sjö (Old Norse sær) meaning "lake, sea" and gren (Old Norse grein) meaning "branch".

Söderström Swedish
From Swedish söder (Old Norse suðr) meaning "south" and ström (Old Norse straumr) meaning "stream".

Stafford English
From the name of the English city of Stafford, Staffordshire, derived from Old English stæð meaning "wharf, landing place" and ford meaning "ford, river crossing".

Statham English
From the name of a village in the English county of Cheshire, derived from Old English stæð meaning "wharf, landing place" and ham "home, settlement".

Stawski m Polish
Derived from Polish staw meaning "pond".

Storstrand Norwegian
Originally denoted someone from Storstrand farm in Norway, derived from stor meaning "big" and strand meaning "beach".

Strand Norwegian, Swedish, Danish
From Old Norse strǫnd meaning "beach, sea shore". It was originally given to someone who lived on or near the sea.

Ström Swedish
Means "stream" in Swedish.

Strøm Norwegian, Danish
Means "stream" in Norwegian and Danish.

Strömberg Swedish
From Swedish ström (Old Norse straumr) meaning "stream" and berg meaning "mountain".

Sulzbach German
Toponymic name from German places named Sulzbach meaning "salty stream", derived from Old High German sulza "salty water" and bah "stream".

Sundberg Swedish
From Swedish sund meaning "strait" and berg meaning "mountain".

Sundström Swedish
From Swedish sund meaning "strait" and ström (Old Norse straumr) meaning "stream".

Timberlake English
From an English place name, derived from Old English timber "timber, wood" and lacu "lake, pool, stream".

Trent English
Denoted one who lived near the River Trent in England.

Urbina Basque
Derived from Basque ur "water" and bi "two", indicating a place where two waterways met.

Van Amstel Dutch
Means "from Amstel", a Dutch river that means "water area".

Van Beek Dutch
Means "from the creek" in Dutch.

Vance English
Indicated a dweller by a fen, from Old English fenn meaning "fen, marsh".

Van Dam Dutch
Means "from the dam" in Dutch.

Van Damme Flemish
Means "from Damme", the name of a town in Belgium, derived from Dutch dam meaning "dam". A famous bearer is the Belgian actor Jean-Claude Van Damme (1960-), who was born with the surname Van Varenberg.

Van den Broek Dutch
Means "from the marsh" in Dutch.

Van der Beek Dutch
Variant of Van Beek.

Van der Meer Dutch
Means "from the lake" in Dutch.

Van der Zee Dutch
Means "from the sea" in Dutch. The original bearer may have been someone who lived on the coast.

Van Dijk Dutch
Means "from the dike" in Dutch.

Van Vliet Dutch
Means "from the stream" in Dutch.

Vela Spanish
Occupational name for a guard, from Spanish vela meaning "watch, vigil".

Vervloet Flemish
Means "from the stream" in Dutch.

Vik Norwegian
Means "cove, inlet" in Norwegian.

Virtanen Finnish
Derived from Finnish virta meaning "stream". This is the second most common surname in Finland.

Waller 3 English
From Old English wille meaning "well, spring, water hole".

Walton English
From the name of any of several villages in England, derived from Old English wealh "foreigner, Celt", weald "forest", weall "wall", or wille "well, spring, water hole" combined with tun "enclosure, yard, town".

Ware 1 English
From Old English wer meaning "dam, weir", indicating someone who lived near such a structure.

Waterman 2 English, Dutch
Occupational name for a boatman or a water carrier. It could also describe a person who lived by water.

Waters 1 English
Originally given to a person who lived near the water.

Weaver 2 English
From the name of the River Weaver, derived from Old English wefer meaning "winding stream".

Wells English
Derived from Middle English wille meaning "well, spring, water hole".

Westbrook English
From the name of places in England, derived from Old English west "west" and broc "brook, stream".

Wilton English
From any of the English towns named Wilton.

Windsor English
From the name of a few English towns, one notably the site of Windsor Castle. Their names mean "riverbank with a windlass" in Old English, a windlass being a lifting apparatus. In 1917 the British royal family adopted this name (after Windsor Castle), replacing their previous name Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

Wyrzykowski m Polish
Possibly from the Polish place name Wyrzyki, of uncertain meaning, maybe "away from the river".

Yamagishi Japanese
From Japanese 山 (yama) meaning "mountain" and 岸 (kishi) meaning "beach, shore, bank".