Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
Rens DutchFrom the personal name
Rens, a reduced form of
Laurens. Could also derive from a given name containing the element
regin "advice, counsel", such as
Reinoud.
Renshaw English, ScottishA habitational surname from any of the so-called or like-sounding places in the United Kingdom. These include Renishaw in Derbyshire, Ramshaw in Durham, the lost Renshaw in Cheshire and Radshaw in Yorkshire... [
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Rentería SpanishCastilianized variant of Basque
Errenteria, the name of two towns in Gipuzkoa and Biscay provinces, Basque Country. Means "customs" in Spanish.
Renwick Scottish (Rare)A habitational name from a place in Cumbria, so called from the Old English byname
Hræfn meaning "raven" + wic "outlying settlement".
Repass German (Swiss)An Americanization of the Swiss
Rippas. The first recorded person with this surname was from Ziefen, Switzerland.
Requa GermanVariant of
Ricward, from a Germanic personal name composed of the elements
ric ‘power(ful)’ +
ward ‘guardian’.
Requena Spanish, Catalanhabitational name from Requena in Valencia or Requena de Campos in Palencia apparently so called from a short form of the various Visigothic compound personal names with the first element
rīc "powerful" with the addition of the locative suffix -ena.
Requesens CatalanThis indicates familial origin within the eponymous neighborhood of the municipality of La Jonquera.
Requião PortugueseDerived from the name of a village in Vila Nova de Famalicão, Portugal, ultimately from the name of
Rechila, a 5th-century Suevic king of Gallaecia.
Requiroso FilipinoDenoted a person from one of the various places of this name in Spain. Quirós, the place name, may derive from Galician
queiroa meaning "heather".
Reschke GermanDerived from the Middle High German word "rasch" meaning "quick," or "hot-headed". As such, it may have originated as a nickname for a quick or rash person.
Reshetnikov RussianOccupational name for a maker of sieves or gratings, derived from Russian решетник
(reshetnik) meaning "sheathing, grate, sieve".
Restivo ItalianDerived from Sicilian
restivu meaning "uncommunicative, reserved, shy; wayward, contrary" or "stammering, stuttering", as well as "difficult, obstinate" in reference to farm animals.
Reston EnglishLocation name from northern England meaning "brush wood settlement" or place where brush wood, also known as
rispe, grew.
Restorick CornishMeans "person from Restowrack", farm in Cornwall ("watery hill-spur").
Reta SpanishCastilianized variant of Basque Erreta, a habitational name from a town called Erreta in Navarre, Basque Country
Rétif FrenchDerived from French
rétif "restive; rebellious".
Reubens Jewish, EnglishDerived from the given name
Reuben. This surname was borne by American comedian and actor Paul Reubens (1952-2023; birth name Paul Rubenfeld), who created and played the comic fictional character Pee-wee Herman.
Reus DutchMeans "giant" in Dutch, a nickname for a big man.
Reus GermanTopographic name from Middle High German
riuse "fish trap", or from a regional term
reuse meaning "small stream, channel".
Reus CatalanFrom the name of a city in Catalonia, Spain.
Reuss GermanOccupational name for a cobbler, from Middle High German
riuze.
Reusser Swiss, German, Upper GermanIn 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"... [
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Reveille FrenchDerived from Old French
reveille "lively, vivid; alert".
Revell EnglishFrom a medieval nickname for someone who is full of noisy enthusiasm and energy (from Middle English
revel "festivity, tumult").
Revelle FrenchVariant of
Revell, derived from the Old French word
revel meaning pride, rebellion, etc.
Revels Americanfrom the surname Revel, a variant of
Revell, a Middle English and Old French name referring to festivity
Revord French (Quebec)Comes from the French surname of
Rivard, a geographical name for someone who lived on a river bank. The -ard ending is changed to -ord in Canadian and American French.
Rexford AmericanAmerican form of German 'Rexforth' thought to mean "kings crossing".
Rexley EnglishSupposedly meaning "king's clearing" from Latin
rex and Old English
leah.
Rey Welsh, Scottish, IrishEither a variant of
McRae, or else directly derived from Irish
rí, Scottish
Rìgh, or Welsh
ri,
rhi, or
rhiau, all meaning "king"... [
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Reytblat YiddishMeans "red leaf" in Yiddish. This is somewhat rare, chiefly used by Jews from Russia and Ukraine.
Rezgui Arabic (Maghrebi)Derived from Arabic رِزْق
(rizq) meaning "livelihood, subsistence, daily bread" (chiefly Tunisian).
Reznikov Russian, JewishOccupational name for a Jewish ritual slaughterer, from Yiddish
reznik meaning "butcher".
Reznor GermanMay 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.
Rheims FrenchFrom the city of Reims in France, also known as Rheims in English.
Rhein GermanFrom the German name for the River Rhine, denoting somebody whom lived within close proximity to the river. The river name itself comes from a Celtic word meaning 'to flow' (Welsh
redan, 'run, flow').
Rhett DutchAnglicized form of Dutch
de Raedt, derived from
raet "advice, counsel". Compare
Raad.
Rhine German, French, English, IrishA habitational name for an individual whom lived within close proximity of the River Rhine (see
Rhein). The river name is derived from a Celtic word meaning 'to flow' (Welsh
redan, 'flow').... [
more]
Rhoton German, FrenchRhoton is a German and French surname from the 1800s. Some people believe that it is derived from the French word for red, but the origin is overall unknown. The name represents strength and power.
Rhys WelshIn addition to being used as a given name, it occurs as a surname both alone and in combination with other surnames. Related patronymic forms of the surname are Price, Prys, Pris and Preece. A notable bearer is John Rhys-Davies.
Riba De Neira GalicianThis indicates familial origin within the eponymous parish of the municipality of Baralla, Comarca of Os Ancares.
Ribchester EnglishThis name originates from the small village in Lancashire that shares the same name. Interestingly, most people with the name 'Ribchester' are in Lancashire, but a lot are also found in Newcastle Upon Tyne.
Ribera Catalan, SpanishHabitational name from any of various locations in Spain named Ribera, derived from Catalan and Spanish
ribera meaning "bank, shore".
Ribéry FrenchIndicated a person from La Ribeyre, a town in the Auvergne region of France, which translates to "the riverbank". The former French soccer player Franck Ribéry (1983-) is a famous bearer of this name.
Ricario SpanishSpanish and Jewish (Sephardic): from the personal name Ricardo ( see Richard ).
Riccio ItalianFrom Italian
riccio meaning "curly". This was originally a nickname for someone with curly hair.
Rich EnglishFrom a nickname of a wealthy person, in some cases given ironically for a pauper, ultimately derived from Germanic
ric "powerful". A notable fictional bearer is Richie Rich who first appeared as a comic book character in 1953.
Rich EnglishDerived from the name of a (former) village in Lincolnshire, England named with the Old English element
ric "stream, drainage channel".
Richers English, GermanFrom 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... [
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Richmond EnglishHabitational name from any of the numerous places so named, in northern France as well as in England. These are named with the Old French elements
riche "rich, splendid" and
mont "hill"... [
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Richoux FrenchFrench: from the ancient Germanic personal name Ricwulf a compound of rīc ‘power(ful)’ + wulf ‘wolf’. Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press
Rickardsson SwedishMeans "son of
Rickard". A notable bearer of the surname is the Swedish cross country skier, Daniel Rickardsson.
Rickels GermanPatronymic form of Rickel or possibly Richel. May have been derived from any of a number of Old German personal names including Richild (or the feminine form Richeldis) or Richold.
Ricken GermanFrom a short form of any of the Germanic personal names composed with
rīc "power(ful)".
Ricketson EnglishIt was brought to England in the great wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. It comes from the Old German name
Ricard, meaning "powerful" and "brave."
Rickman EnglishMeans "son of
Rick". A famous bearer was American Alan Rickman (1946-2016).
Ridala EstonianRidala is an Estonia surname meaning "set, line, or range" "area".
Ridalaan EstonianRidalaan is an Estonian surname derived from "rida" meaning "range" and "lään" meaning "fief".
Riddick ScottishA different form of
Reddick ("person from Rerwick or Rerrick", Dumfries and Galloway (perhaps "robbers' outlying settlement")). A fictional bearer of the surname is Richard B. Riddick, (anti)hero of the 'Chronicles of Riddick' movies.
Rideout EnglishMeans "outrider (a municipal or monastic official in the Middle Ages whose job was to ride around the country collecting dues and supervising manors)".
Ridgeway EnglishComes from Middle English
'riggewey', hence a topographic name for someone who lived by such a route or a habitational name from any of various places so named, for example in Cheshire, Derbyshire, Dorset, and Staffordshire.
Ridinger GermanA habitational name for someone from a place named Riding or Rieding. It is also possibly an altered spelling of
Reitinger, a topographic name from
Reit(e), which means ‘clearing’ (Old High German
riuti).
Riedel GermanDerived from a given name containing the Middle Low German name element
riden "to ride".
Riedel GermanDerived from Middle High German
riet "damp, mossy area".
Riedemann GermanEither a habitational name derived from places named Ried or Riede, or a topographic name derived from Low German
Riede "rivulet".
Riegel GermanFrom Middle High German
rigel "bar, crossbeam, mountain incline", hence a topographic name or a habitational name from any of numerous places named with this word in Baden, Brandenburg, and Silesia; in some instances it may have been a metonymic occupational name for a maker of crossbars, locks, etc.
Riel FrenchFrench variant of
Riehl. Most notable bearer is Canadian Métis political leader Louis Riel, best known for his Red River Rebellion.