Ridge EnglishDenoted a person who lived near a ridge, from Old English
hrycg.
Ridley EnglishDenoted a person who hailed from one of the various places of this name in England. The places are derived from Old English
geryd "channel" or
hreod "reed" combined with
leah "woodland, clearing".
Rigby EnglishOriginally derived from the name of a town in Lancashire, itself from Old Norse
hryggr "ridge" and
býr "farm, settlement".
Riley 1 EnglishFrom the name of the town of Ryley in Lancashire, derived from Old English
ryge "rye" and
leah "woodland, clearing".
Rimmer EnglishOccupational name meaning
"poet", from Middle English
rime meaning "rhyme".
Ripley EnglishFrom the name of various English towns, from Old English
rippel "grove, thicket" and
leah "woodland, clearing". A notable fictional bearer is the character Ellen Ripley from the movie
Alien (1979) and its sequels.
Rivers EnglishDenoted a person who lived near a river, from Middle English, from Old French
riviere meaning
"river", from Latin
riparius meaning "riverbank".
Roach EnglishFrom Middle English and Old French
roche meaning
"rock", from Late Latin
rocca, a word that may be of Celtic origin. It indicated a person who lived near a prominent rock, or who came from a town by this name (such as Les Roches in Normandy).
Rodney EnglishFrom a place name meaning
"Hroda's island" in Old English (where
Hroda is an Old English given name meaning "fame").
Roscoe EnglishFrom the name of a town in Lancashire, derived from Old Norse
rá "roebuck" and
skógr "wood, forest".
Rose 1 English, French, German, JewishMeans
"rose" from Middle English, Old French and Middle High German
rose, all from Latin
rosa. All denote a person of a rosy complexion or a person who lived in an area abundant with roses. As a Jewish surname it is ornamental, from Yiddish
רויז (roiz).
Ross English, ScottishFrom various place names (such as the region of Ross in northern Scotland), which are derived from Scottish Gaelic
ros meaning "promontory, headland".
Rounds EnglishPatronymic derived from Middle English
rond meaning
"round, plump", ultimately from Latin
rotundus.
Rowbottom EnglishOriginally indicated a person who lived in an overgrown valley, from Old English
ruh "rough, overgrown" and
boðm "valley".
Rowe 1 EnglishMeans
"row" in Middle English, indicating a dweller by a row of hedges or houses.
Rowntree EnglishOriginally given to a person who lived near a rowan tree or mountain ash.
Royce EnglishOriginally derived from the medieval given name
Royse, a variant of
Rose.
Roydon EnglishOriginally derived from a place name meaning
"rye hill", from Old English
ryge "rye" and
dun "hill".
Royle EnglishOriginally derived from a place name meaning
"rye hill" from Old English
ryge "rye" and
hyll "hill".
Royston EnglishOriginally taken from an Old English place name meaning "Royse's town". The given name
Royse was a medieval variant of
Rose.
Rush EnglishIndicated a person who lived near rushes, the grasslike plant that grows in a marsh, from Old English
rysc.
Russell EnglishFrom a Norman French nickname that meant
"little red one", perhaps originally describing a person with red hair.
Ryder EnglishOccupational name for a mounted warrior, from Old English
ridere meaning
"rider".
Rye EnglishTopographic 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).
Sadler EnglishOccupational name for a maker of saddles, from Old English
sadol "saddle".
Sandford EnglishIndicated a person from Sandford, England, which means simply "sand ford".
Sands EnglishFrom Old English, indicated the original nearer lived on sandy ground.
Sappington EnglishPossibly from the city of Sapperton, England, derived from Old English
sapere meaning "soap maker" and
tun meaning "enclosure, yard, town".
Savage EnglishEnglish nickname meaning
"wild, uncouth", derived from Old French
salvage or
sauvage meaning "untamed", ultimately from Latin
silvaticus meaning "wild, from the woods".
Sawyer EnglishOccupational name meaning
"sawer of wood, woodcutter" in Middle English, ultimately from Old English
sagu meaning "saw". Mark Twain used it for the main character in his novel
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876).
Saylor EnglishOccupational name meaning
"acrobat, dancer", derived from Old French
sailleor, from Latin
sallitor.
Scarlett EnglishDenoted a person who sold or made clothes made of scarlet, a kind of cloth, possibly derived from Persian
سقرلاط (saqrelāṭ).
Schofield EnglishFrom various northern English place names, which were derived from Old Norse
skáli "hut" and Old English
feld "field".
Scott English, ScottishOriginally given to a person from Scotland or a person who spoke Scottish Gaelic.
Scriven EnglishOccupational name meaning
"writer, clerk, scribe" in Old French, derived from Latin
scriba.
Seabrook EnglishDenoted 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 EnglishFrom the unattested Old English given name
Sæfaru, derived from the Old English elements
sæ "sea, ocean" and
faru "journey".
Selby EnglishFrom the name of a village that meant "willow farm" in Old English.
Sempers EnglishFrom the name of various towns named
Saint Pierre in Normandy, all of which commemorate Saint
Peter.
Sergeant English, FrenchOccupational name derived from Old French
sergent meaning
"servant", ultimately from Latin
servire "to serve".
Sessions EnglishFrom the name of the city of Soissons in northern France, itself derived from the name of the Celtic tribe of the Suessiones.
Seward 2 EnglishMeans
"swineherd" from Old English
su "sow, female pig" and
hierde "herdsman, guardian".
Sexton EnglishOccupational name for a sexton (Middle English
sexteyn), a caretaker for a church or graveyard.
Seymour 2 EnglishFrom an English place name, derived from Old English
sæ "sea" and
mere "lake".
Shakespeare EnglishFrom a nickname for a warlike person, from Old English
scacan "to shake" and
spere "spear". A famous bearer was the English dramatist and poet William Shakespeare (1564-1616).
Sharp EnglishNickname for a keen person, from Old English
scearp "sharp".
Sharrow EnglishOriginally a name for someone from Sharrow, England, derived from Old English
scearu "boundary" and
hoh "point of land, heel".
Shaw 1 EnglishOriginally given to a person who lived near a prominent thicket, from Old English
sceaga meaning
"thicket, copse".
Shelton EnglishFrom the name of various English towns, meaning "shelf town" in Old English.
Shepherd EnglishOccupational name meaning
"shepherd, sheep herder", from Old English
sceaphyrde.
Sherburn EnglishDenoted 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".
Sherman 1 EnglishMeans
"shear man", referring to someone who used shears in his line of work, such as a sheep-shearer.
Shirley EnglishFrom an English place name, derived from Old English
scir "bright" and
leah "woodland, clearing".
Short EnglishFrom a nickname for a short person, from Middle English
schort.
Siddall EnglishFrom the name of various English towns, derived from Old English
sid "wide" and
halh "nook, recess".
Sidney EnglishOriginally derived from various place names in England meaning "wide island", from Old English
sid "wide" and
eg "island". Another theory holds that it comes from the name of a town in Normandy called "Saint
Denis", though evidence for this is lacking.
Sigourney EnglishFrom the name of the commune of Sigournais in western France, called
Segurniacum in medieval Latin, itself of unknown meaning.
Silver EnglishFrom a nickname for a person with grey hair, from Old English
seolfor "silver".
Simpson EnglishMeans
"son of Sim",
Sim being a medieval short form of
Simon 1. This is the name of a fictional American family on the animated television series
The Simpsons, starting 1989.
Skeates EnglishFrom the Old Norse nickname or byname
skjótr meaning
"swift".
Skinner EnglishOccupational name for a person who skinned animals, from Old Norse
skinn.
Slade EnglishDerived from Old English
slæd meaning
"valley".
Slater EnglishOccupational name indicating that an early member worked covering roofs with slate, from Old French
esclat "shard", of Germanic origin.
Small EnglishFrom a nickname for a small person, from Middle English
smal.
Smedley EnglishFrom an unidentified place name probably meaning "smooth clearing" in Old English.
Smith EnglishMeans
"metalworker, blacksmith" from Old English
smiþ, related to
smitan "to smite, to hit". It is the most common surname in most of the English-speaking world. A famous bearer was the Scottish economist Adam Smith (1723-1790).
Snell EnglishFrom Old English
snel meaning
"fast, quick, nimble".
Snyder EnglishMeans
"tailor", derived from Middle English
snithen "to cut", an occupational name for a person who stitched coats and clothing.
Sommer 1 German, EnglishMeans
"summer", from Old High German
sumar or Old English
sumor. This was a nickname for a cheerful person, someone who lived in a sunny spot, or a farmer who had to pay taxes in the summer.
Southgate EnglishName for a person who lived near the southern gate of a town or in a town named Southgate, from Old English
suþ and
gæt.
Spalding EnglishFrom the name of the town of Spalding in Lincolnshire, derived from the Anglo-Saxon tribe of the Spaldingas.
Sparks EnglishFrom an Old Norse nickname or byname derived from
sparkr meaning
"sprightly".
Spear EnglishFrom Old English
spere "spear", an occupational name for a hunter or a maker of spears, or a nickname for a thin person.
Spencer EnglishOccupational name for a person who dispensed provisions to those who worked at a manor, derived from Middle English
spense "larder, pantry".
Spooner EnglishOccupational name for a maker of spoons or a maker of shingles, derived from Middle English
spone meaning "chip of wood, spoon".
Spurling EnglishFrom Middle English
sparewe "sparrow" and the diminutive suffix
-ling.
Stack EnglishFrom a nickname for a big person, derived from Middle English
stack "haystack", of Old Norse origin.
Stafford EnglishFrom the name of the English city of Stafford, Staffordshire, derived from Old English
stæð meaning "wharf, landing place" and
ford meaning "ford, river crossing".
Stainthorpe EnglishOriginally indicated a person from Staindrop, County Durham, England, derived from Old English
stæner meaning "stony ground" and
hop meaning "valley".
Stamp EnglishOriginally denoted a person from Étampes near Paris. It was called
Stampae in Latin, but the ultimate origin is uncertain.
Stanford EnglishDerived from various English place names meaning
"stone ford" in Old English.
Stanley EnglishFrom various place names meaning
"stone clearing" in Old English. A notable bearer was the British-American explorer and journalist Henry Morton Stanley (1841-1904).
Stanton EnglishFrom one of the many places named Stanton or Staunton in England, derived from Old English
stan meaning "stone" and
tun meaning "enclosure, town".
Stark English, GermanFrom a nickname meaning
"strong, rigid", from Old English
stearc or Old High German
stark.
Starr EnglishFrom Middle English
sterre meaning
"star". This was usually a nickname, but it could also occasionally be a sign name from the name of an inn called the Star.
Statham EnglishFrom the name of a village in the English county of Cheshire, derived from Old English
stæð meaning "wharf, landing place" and
ham "home, settlement".
Steed EnglishOccupational name for one who tended horses, derived from Middle English
steed, in turn derived from Old English
steda meaning "stallion".
Steele EnglishOccupational name for a steelworker, from Old English
stele meaning
"steel".
Stern 1 EnglishFrom Old English
styrne meaning
"stern, severe". This was used as a nickname for someone who was stern, harsh, or severe in manner or character.
Stetson EnglishPossibly from the name of the village of Stidston in Devon, meaning
"Stithweard's town".
Stoddard EnglishOccupational name for a horse keeper, from Old English
stod "stallion, stud" and
hierde "herder".
Stoke EnglishFrom the name of numerous places in England, derived from Old English
stoc meaning
"place, dwelling".
Stone EnglishName for a person who lived near a prominent stone or worked with stone, derived from Old English
stan.
Strange EnglishDerived from Middle English
strange meaning
"foreign", ultimately from Latin
extraneus.
Street EnglishHabitational name for a person who lived in a place called Street, for example in Somerset. It is derived from Old English
stræt meaning
"Roman road", from Latin
strata.
Strickland EnglishFrom the name of a town in Cumbria, derived from Old English
stirc "calf, young bullock" and
land "cultivated land".
Stringer EnglishOccupational name for a maker of string or bow strings, from Old English
streng "string".
Strong EnglishNickname derived from Middle English
strong or
strang meaning
"strong".
Stroud EnglishFrom Old English
strod meaning
"marshy ground overgrown with brushwood".
Strudwick EnglishFrom an English place name derived from Old English
strod meaning "marshy ground overgrown with brushwood" and
wic meaning "village, town".
Styles EnglishLocational name for one who lived near a steep hill, from Old English
stigol "stile, set of steps".
Summerfield EnglishOriginally indicated the bearer was from a town of this name, derived from Old English
sumor "summer" and
feld "field".
Sumner EnglishOccupational name for a summoner, an official who was responsible for ensuring the appearance of witnesses in court, from Middle English
sumner, ultimately from Latin
submonere "to advise".
Sutton EnglishFrom various English place names meaning
"south town".
Swallow EnglishFrom the name of the bird, from Old English
swealwe, a nickname for someone who resembled or acted like a swallow.
Swanson EnglishPatronymic form of Middle English
swein meaning
"servant" (of Old Norse origin). This word was also used as a byname, and this surname could be a patronymic form of that.
Sweet EnglishFrom a nickname meaning
"sweet, pleasant", from Old English
swete.
Swift EnglishNickname for a quick person, from Old English
swift.
Swindlehurst EnglishFrom the place name
Swinglehurst in the Forest of Bowland in central Lancashire, derived from Old English
swin "swine, pig",
hyll "hill" and
hyrst "wood, grove".
Talbot EnglishOf Norman origin, possibly derived from an unattested Germanic given name composed of the elements
dala "to destroy" and
bod "message".
Tanner EnglishOccupational name for a person who tanned animal hides, from Old English
tannian "to tan", itself from Late Latin and possibly ultimately of Celtic origin.
Tash EnglishFrom Middle English
at asche meaning
"at the ash tree".
Tasker EnglishFrom Middle English
taske meaning
"task, assignment". A tasker was a person who had a fixed job to do, particularly a person who threshed grain with a flail.
Tatham EnglishFrom the name of the town of Tatham in Lancashire, itself from the Old English given name
Tata combined with
ham meaning "home, settlement".
Tatton EnglishOriginally indicated a person from a town by this name, derived from the Old English given name
Tata combined with
tun meaning "enclosure, yard, town".
Taylor EnglishDerived from Old French
tailleur meaning
"tailor", ultimately from Latin
taliare "to cut".
Teel EnglishFrom Middle English
tele meaning
"teal, duck".
Tenley EnglishPossibly from the name of an English town derived from Old English
tind "point" and
leah "woodland, clearing".
Terrell EnglishProbably derived from the Norman French nickname
tirel meaning
"to pull", referring to a stubborn person.
Thatcher EnglishReferred to a person who thatched roofs by attaching straw to them, derived from Old English
þæc meaning "thatch, roof". A famous bearer was the British prime minister Margaret Thatcher (1925-2013).
Thorley EnglishFrom any of the various places in England called
Thornley or
Thorley, meaning "thorn clearing" in Old English.
Thornton EnglishFrom any of the various places in England by this name, meaning "thorn town" in Old English.
Thrussell EnglishFrom Old English
þrostle meaning
"song thrush", referring to a cheerful person.
Thwaite EnglishIndicated a dweller in a forest clearing or pasture, from Old Norse
þveit "clearing, pasture".
Timberlake EnglishFrom an English place name, derived from Old English
timber "timber, wood" and
lacu "lake, pool, stream".
Tindall EnglishFrom
Tindale, the name of a town in Cumbria, derived from the name of the river Tyne combined with Old English
dæl "dale, valley".
Tinker EnglishOccupational name for a mender of kettles, pots and pans. The name could derive from the tinking sound made by light hammering on metal. It is possible that the word comes from the word
tin, the material with which the tinker worked.
Tipton EnglishOriginally given to one who came from the town of Tipton, derived from the Old English given name
Tippa combined with
tun "enclosure, yard, town".
Tittensor EnglishIndicated a person from Tittensor, England, which means "Titten's ridge".
Todd EnglishMeans
"fox", derived from Middle English
todde.
Toft EnglishDenoted a person hailing from one of the many places in Britain of that name, derived from Old Norse
topt meaning
"homestead".
Tolbert EnglishPossibly from a Germanic given name of unknown meaning. The second element of the name is derived from
beraht meaning "bright, famous".
Toller EnglishOccupational name meaning
"tax gatherer", derived from Old English
toln "toll, fee, tax".
Townsend EnglishIndicated a person who lived at the town's edge, from Old English
tun "enclosure, yard, town" and
ende "end, limit".
Tracey 1 EnglishFrom the village of Tracy-sur-mer on the Normandy coast in France. It was brought to England with William the Conqueror.
Trask EnglishOriginally indicated a person from Thirsk, North Yorkshire, derived from Old Norse
þresk meaning "fen, marsh".
Travers English, FrenchFrom an English and French place name that described a person who lived near a bridge or ford, or occasionally as an occupational name for the collector of tolls at such a location. The place name is derived from Old French
traverser (which comes from Late Latin
transversare), which means
"to cross".
Treloar EnglishOriginally denoted a person from a place of this name in Cornwall, England.
Trengove EnglishOriginally indicated a person from Trengove in Cornwall, England.
Triggs EnglishFrom a byname derived from Old Norse
tryggr meaning
"true, loyal".
Tripp EnglishFrom Middle English
trippen meaning
"to dance", an occupational name for a dancer.
Troy EnglishOriginally denoted a person from the city of Troyes in France.
Truman EnglishMeans
"trusty man" in Middle English. A famous bearer of the surname was American president Harry S. Truman (1884-1972).
Tucker EnglishOccupational name for a fuller of cloth, derived from Old English
tucian meaning "offend, torment". A fuller was a person who cleaned and thickened raw cloth by pounding it.
Tuft EnglishDenoted one who lived near a clump of trees or bushes, from Middle English
tufte "tuft, clump", from Old French.
Tupper EnglishOccupational name for a herdsman, derived from Middle English
toupe "ram".
Turner EnglishOccupational name for one who worked with a lathe, derived from Old English
turnian "to turn", of Latin origin. A famous bearer is the American musician Tina Turner (1939-2023), born Anna Mae Bullock.
Twist English, LiteratureProbably from the name of towns in England and Wales called
Twist or
Twiss. This surname was used by Charles Dickens for the hero of his novel
Oliver Twist (1838), about an orphan surviving the streets of London. Dickens probably had the vocabulary word
twist in mind when naming the character.
Tyler EnglishOccupational name for a tiler of roofs, derived from Old English
tigele "tile". A famous bearer of this name was American president John Tyler (1790-1862).
Tyson 1 EnglishDerived from a nickname for a quarrelsome person, from Old French
tison meaning
"firebrand".
Underhill EnglishMeans
"dweller at the foot of a hill", from Old English
under and
hyll.
Underwood EnglishMeans
"dweller at the edge of the woods", from Old English
under and
wudu.
Upton EnglishDenoted a person hailing from one of the many towns in England bearing this name. The place name itself is derived from Old English
upp "up" and
tun "enclosure, yard, town".
Vance EnglishIndicated a dweller by a fen, from Old English
fenn meaning
"fen, marsh".
Vann EnglishFrom Old English
fenn meaning
"fen, swamp", indicating a person who lived near such a place.
Varley EnglishOriginally denoted a person from Verly, France, itself derived from the Roman name
Virilius.
Verity EnglishFrom a nickname meaning
"truth", perhaps given originally to a truthful person.
Vernon EnglishLocational name in the Eure region of Normandy, from the Gaulish element
vern "alder (tree)" with the genitive case maker
onis.