Submitted Surnames with "river" in Description

Aa Norwegian
Derived from aa, an obsolete spelling of Norwegian å "small river, stream".

Aaby Norwegian, Danish
From a place called Aaby or Åby, from Old Norse á "small river, stream" and býr "farm".

Aadland Norwegian
Derived from a place called Ådland, from Old Norse Árland "land by the river".

Aamodt Norwegian
Combination of aa, an obsolete spelling of Norwegian å "small river, stream" and møte "meeting".

Aarhus Norwegian
Derived from any of the farms so named, from Old Norse á "river" and hús "house, farmstead".

Abercrombie Scottish
Derived from a surname. It is the name of a parish in Fife, Scotland, on the northern shore of the Frith of Forth, whence the possessor took his surname; from Aber, marshy ground, a place where two or more streams meet; and cruime or crombie, a bend or crook... [more]

Aberdeen Scottish, English
Habitational name denoting someone from the Scottish city Aberdeen, derived from Scottish Gaelic aber "river mouth" and the name of the river Don.

Aberline English (Australian, Rare, ?)
Possibly from a place name derived from Gaelic aber meaning "(river) mouth" and an uncertain second element.

Abernathy Scottish
A different form of Abernethy, which originally meant "person from Abernethy", Perth and Kinross ("confluence of the (river) Nethy"). This was one of the surnames of the Scots who settled in northern Ireland during the ‘plantation’ in the 17th century, and it was brought to the U.S. as the name of a Southern plantation owner.

Abukawa Japanese
From Japanese 虻 (abu) meaning "horsefly" and 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream".

Abukumagawa Japanese (Rare)
From Japanese 阿武隈川 (Abukumagawa) meaning "Abukuma River", a river that flows through the prefectures of Fukushima and Miyagi in Japan.

Ådahl Swedish, Finland Swedish
Combination of Swedish å meaning "river, stream, creek" (Old Norse á) and dal meaning "dale, valley" (Old Norse dalr).

Agawa Japanese
阿 (A) means "nook, flatter, corner" and 川 (kawa) meaning "stream, river".... [more]

Akagawa Japanese
From Japanese 赤 (aka) meaning "red" and 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream".

Akawa Japanese
A means "second, Asia" and kawa means "river, stream".

Akutagawa Japanese
Akuta (芥) means "mustard", kawa (川) means "river", kawa changes to gawa due to rendaku. Notable bearers of this surname are Ryuunosuke Akutagawa (芥川龍之介), a Japanese writer and Ryuunosuke Akutagawa from Bungou Stray dogs who shares the same name.

Alblas Dutch
From the name of a river in the Netherlands, or a nearby town.

Alford English, Scottish
Habitational name from any of several places in England, derived from Old English ford "ford, river crossing" and an uncertain first element, possibly eald "old", or the given name Ealdgyð.

Alfvén Swedish (Rare)
Perhaps derived from Swedish älv "river".

Alton English
From a place name meaning "town at the source of the river" in Old English.

Amagawa Japanese
From the Japanese 天 (ama or ten) "heaven," 塰 (ama) the title of a Noh play or 余 (ama) "complimentary" and 川 or 河 (gawa or kawa) "river."

Åman Swedish
Combination of Swedish å "creek, river, big stream" and man "man".

Amber English
This surname may be derived from the River Amber, located in Derbyshire in England.... [more]

Ammer German, English (Rare)
This surname may be derived from Middle High German amer which means "bunting (as in the bird)." As such, it is used as a nickname for someone with a fine voice or someone who is a flamboyant dresser.... [more]

Amursky Russian
Habitational name from Amur river in Russia.

Ångström Swedish
Combination of Swedish ånga "steam" and ström "river, current, stream". A notable bearer was Swedish physicist Anders Ångström (1814-1874), one of the founders of the science of spectroscopy... [more]

Annan Scottish
'The earliest reference of Annan used as a surname is found in the 13th century Ragman Rolls during which Scots pledged homage to nobles. It is likely that the inhabitants of Annan, Dumfries and Galloway, Annandale, River Annan, Annanhead Hill, and Annan Castle adopted Annan as their surname.' (wikipedia)

Aragón Spanish
Habitational name from Aragon Spain which was an independent kingdom from 1035 to 1479. It took its name from the river Aragón which arises in its northwestern corner... [more]

Arakawa Japanese
From 荒 (ara) meaning "rough, wild, violent" or 新 (ara) meaning "new" combined with 川/河 (kawa) meaning "river, stream."

Arantzibia Basque (Rare)
Derived from Basque arantza "thorn, buckthorn" and ibi "ford, river crossing"

Asakawa Japanese
From Japanese 浅 (asa) meaning "shallow" and 川 or 河 (kawa) meaning "river".

Ausley English (Modern)
Rare surname which was from an English place name in which the second element is Old English leah "wood, clearing". The first element may be hors "horse" (in which case the name likely referred to a place where horses were put out to pasture) or the river name Ouse (ultimately from the ancient British root ud- "water").

Aven Norwegian
From the name of a farm, itself derived from Norwegian ave "mud, pool, dam; ebb, eddy in a river".

Avon English
From the toponym Avon, meaning "river". Alternatively, from the given name Avine, a pet form of Avis.

Ayukawa Japanese
From 鮎 (ayu) meaning "trout" and 川 (kawa) meaning "river."

Azusagawa Japanese (Rare)
Azusa (梓) means "catalpa", gawa/kawa (川) means "river", kawa changes to gawa due to rendaku. Sakuta Azusagawa (梓川 咲太) and his sister Kaede (梓川 花楓) from Seishun Buta Yarou wa Bunny Girl Senpai are notable fictional characters who bear this surname.

Badillo Spanish
One who came from Badillo (small ford), in Spain. This looks like the diminutive form of "badil" meaning a fire shovel. "Badillo" comes from "vado" meaning a place to cross the river. Other Spanish names from this name source are Vado, Bado and Vadillo.

Baigorri Basque
From the name of a commune in Bayonne, France, derived from Basque ibai "river" and gorri "red" or "bare, naked".

Bainbridge English
from Bainbridge in North Yorkshire, named for the Bain river on which it stands (which is named with Old Norse beinn ‘straight’) + bridge.

Bainebridge English, Irish
Bridge over the Bain, An English town named for its place on the river Bain, now used as a surname. Lives near the bridge over the white water... [more]

Balīhû Babylonian
Means "man from Balīh" (a tributary of the Euphrates river).

Barchard English
The name is derived from when the family resided in Cheshire, where they held a family seat near Birkenhead at the estuary of the River Birket. It is from the name of the river that their name is derived.

Beauford English
Variation of Buford. It is derived from the French word "beau", meaning "beautiful", and "ford", an Old English word meaning "river crossing".

Belrio Spanish
From the Spanish word meaning "beautiful river".

Berlin German, English
Habitational name from the city in Germany, the name of which is of uncertain meaning. It is possibly derived from an Old Slavic stem berl- meaning swamp or from a West Slavic word meaning "river lake".

Bessel German
Of uncertain origin; possibly from the name of a place or river.

Bian Chinese
Romanization of a Chinese surname, which in Pinyin may be respectively Biàn, Biān or Biǎn. The former, written with the character 卞 means "to be impatient", "to be in a hurry" or "excitable" and is by far the most common... [more]

Blackford English
Derived from the words blæc "black" or blac "pale, shining, white" and ford "river crossing".

Blaney Irish
Topographic name from Welsh blaenau, plural of blaen "point, tip, end", i.e. uplands, or remote region, or upper reaches of a river.

Bolas Medieval English
English: habitational name from Great Bolas in Shropshire, named in Old English with an unidentified first element (possibly an unattested word bogel meaning ‘bend in a river’) + wæsse ‘land beside a river liable to flood’.

Boonstra West Frisian, Dutch
Denoted someone who cam from the town of Oldeboorn, named for the nearby De Boarn river, related to Middle Dutch borne "well, spring, source".

Borne Dutch
Shortened form of the Dutch surname van den Borne, derived from Middle Dutch borne "well, spring, source". A habitational name for someone from Born in the province of Limburg (Netherlands) or from a place associated with the watercourse of the Borre river in French Flanders.

Boström Swedish
Combination of Swedish bo "dwelling, home" and ström "stream, river".

Bowland English
From any variety of places in England with this name. These places are likely from with Old English boga ‘bow’ (in the sense of a bend in a river) and land ‘land’.

Boyne English, Irish, Scottish
English: variant of Boon.... [more]

Brager Norwegian (Rare)
From the name of any of the various farmsteads in eastern Norway, which may have derived their name from a river name meaning "roaring", "thundering".

Braham English
From the name of a town called Braham, probably derived from Old English brom meaning "broom (a type of plant)" and ham meaning "home, settlement" or hamm meaning "river meadow".

Brailey English
Habitational name for a person from Brayley Barton in Devon, which is derived from the name of the Bray river (a back formation from High Bray which is from Celtic bre meaning "hill" or Old English brǣg "brow") combined with Old English leah "woodland, clearing".

Brandybuck Literature
Brandybuck is the surname of Meriadoc, a young Hobbit in J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings." Possibly derived from the Brandywine River, which in turn is derived from Sindarin Baranduin, "Brown River"... [more]

Brewton English
Variant spelling of the habitational name Bruton, from a place in Somerset, so named with a Celtic river name meaning 'brisk' + Old English tun 'farmstead'.

Bride Irish (Anglicized), Scottish (Anglicized), English
Shortened form of MacBride, ultimately from the given name Brighid. It could also be a habitational name derived from any of several places called St Brides, or from the River Bride in Ireland, both also derived from Brighid.

Brito Portuguese
The Brito family has its original roots in the village of Brito, around 1033 of the Christian era, where Dom Hero de Brito, lord of many estates in Oliveira, Carrazelo and Subilhães, all located between the Ave River and Portela dos Leitões, a very rich region and where the Solar dos Brito was located.

Bugenhagen Pomeranian
Haven on the Bugen river. Hagen coming from the German word haven, and there was once a river or small body of water in Pomerania near the border of modern day Poland and Germany called Bugen. The word Bugen, in German, means to bend or to yield... [more]

Bure Old Swedish, Swedish
This was the name of an influential family in 16th century Sweden. The name originated from the village Bure (now known as Bureå) in Skellefteå parish in Northern Sweden. The village got its name from the nearby Bure River (Swedish: Bure älv, Bureälven) whose name was derived from the Swedish dialectal word burra "buzz, rumble".

Burnley English
English (Lancashire and Yorkshire): habitational name from Burnley in Lancashire, so named with the Old English river name Brun (from brun ‘brown’ or burna ‘stream’) + leah ‘woodland clearing’... [more]

Cale Welsh
Possibly derived from the River Cale. A famous barer of this name is Welsh musician John Cale (1942- ).

Cambon Old Celtic (Latinized, Archaic)
It means zigzagging river or warped (bent) river. It have a second meaning that is leg.

Camm English
English (of Norman origin): habitational name for someone from Caen in Normandy, France.English: habitational name from Cam in Gloucestershire, named for the Cam river, a Celtic river name meaning ‘crooked’, ‘winding’.Scottish and Welsh: possibly a nickname from Gaelic and Welsh cam ‘bent’, ‘crooked’, ‘cross-eyed’.Americanized spelling of German Kamm.

Cave Norman, French, English
A name of various possible origins. As a Norman French name Cave can mean "bald" from cauf or it can mean "worker in a wine cellar" or "one who dwelt in or near a cave". As an English name Cave refers to a Yorkshire river whose fast current inspired the name meaning "swift".

Çay Turkish
Means "river, brook, creek" in Turkish.

Cazacu Romanian
From the name of the Cazacu River which flows through Romania.

Cherrington English
Habitational name from any of several places in England called Cherington or Cherrington... [more]

Chew English
Habitational name from a place in Somerset named Chew Magna, which is named for the river on which it stands, a Celtic name, perhaps cognate with Welsh cyw ‘young animal or bird’, ‘chicken’.

Clwyd Welsh
This indicates familial origin near the River Clwyd.

Clyde Scottish
A river in the south-west of Scotland, running through Inverclyde, Ayrshire, Dunbartonshire, Lanarkshire, and the city of Glasgow. The second longest in Scotland; and the eighth longest in the United Kingdom... [more]

Clydesdale English, Scottish
From the name of a location in Lanarkshire, Scotland, meaning "Clyde’s valley", derived from the name of the river Clyde.

Coulibaly Western African, Manding
Francization of Bambara kulu bari meaning "without a canoe", referring to someone who crossed a river or another body of water without the use of a canoe.

Coverdale English (British)
From the valley (Dale) of the river Cover.... [more]

Cricks American
"living near a river." Comes from a similar origin of Rios

Cronje Afrikaans
Altered form of the French surname Cronier, derived from Old French crones, a term denoting a sheltered area by a river bank where fish retreat to. This could be used as an occupational name for someone who fished in such an area, or derived from a place named with the element, such as the French village Crosne.

Cummer English
The surname Cummer has origins in both English and Scottish cultures. In English, it's thought to be a topographic name for someone who lived by a bend in a river, derived from the Middle English word "cummer," meaning "bend" or "meander." In Scottish, it could also be a variant of the surname Comer, derived from the Gaelic word "comar," meaning "confluence" or "meeting of waters."

Darton English
Derived from the location name of Darton, a village on the River Dearne near Barnsley in South Yorkshire, UK.

Davenport English
Habitational name from a town in Cheshire named Davenport, from the Dane river (apparently named with a Celtic cognate of Middle Welsh dafnu "drop, trickle") and Old English port "port, haven, harbour town".

Dees Irish
The surname Dees refers to the grandson of Deaghadh (good luck); dweller near the Dee River; one with a dark or swarthy complexion. Also considered of Welsh origin.

De Geer Dutch, Swedish
Derived from the town of Geer near Liège, Belgium. The town lies along the course of the river Jeker, which is called Geer in French. Alternatively, it could derive from Dutch geer "wedge-shaped piece of land".

De Lima Spanish
"de Lima" is the surname given to the people who lived near the Limia River (Lima in portuguese) on the Province of Ourense, an autonomous community of Galicia, located at the northwest of Spain. The root of the name is Don Juan Fernandez de Lima, maternal grandson to the King Alfonso VI de León (1040-1109).

Demegawa Japanese
From Japanese 出 (de) "out", 目 (me) "eye" and 川 (kawa) "river".

Deriu Italian
Means "of the river" in Sardinian.

Derwent English
Originating from Derwent River in England.

De Souza Portuguese
Means "of Sousa" in Portuguese, referring to the River Sousa flowing through northern Portugal. The word Sousa itself is derived from the Latin saxa, saxum meaning "stone, rock". The surname is more commonly used in Brazil and Portuguese-speaking African countries today.

Doncaster m English
Doncaster's name originates from the Roman fort called Danum, established around 71 AD. The term "caster" derives from the Latin castra, meaning military camp, while "Don" comes from the Old English word Dunne, referring to the nearby River Don... [more]

Donchenko Ukrainian
Means "from Donyetsk" or "from the River Don".

Donets Ukrainian
From the river Donets (Донець).

Donskikh Russian
Derived from the name of the Don river, derived from an Aryan root meaning "river".

Dowdell English
Habitational name from a lost Ovedale or Uvedale which gave rise to the 14th-century surname de Uvedale alias de Ovedale connected with the manor of D'Ovesdale in Litlington, Cambridgeshire, first recorded as “manor of Overdale, otherwise Dowdale” in 1408... [more]

Drag Norwegian (Rare)
Habitational name from any of several farms named Drag. The place name is related to Old Norse draga "to pull" (compare modern Norwegian dra with the same meaning) and originally denoted a place where boats were pulled along a river or across an isthmus.

Dunayevsky Russian
Derived from the Danube, the second-longest river in Europe. Two famous bearers are Soviet film composer and conductor Isaak Dunayevsky (1900-1955), and his son, Russian film composer Maksim Dunayevsky (1945-).

Dunford English
Derived either from Dunford Bridge in Yorkshire (named after the River Don and the English word “Ford”), or from Dunford House in Yorkshire (named after “Dunn’s Ford”). One known bearer is US General Joseph Dunford, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Durieux French
Derived from Old French riu meaning "river, stream", originally used to indicate someone who lived by a stream.

Eden English
From Middle English given name Edun, derived from Old English Ēadhūn, with the elements ēad "prosperity, wealth" and hūn "bear cub".... [more]

Edo Japanese
E means "river, inlet" and to means "wisteria".

Ejiri Japanese
江 (E) means "inlet, river" and 尻 (jiri) means "behind, rear".

Elbe German
habitational name from any of various places called Elbe, Elben or from the river name.

Elfving Swedish
Possibly a combination of an obsolete spelling of Swedish älv "river" and the suffix -ing (ultimately from Proto-Germanic -ingaz) meaning "coming from, belonging to, descending from"... [more]

Elmore English
An English habitational name from Elmore in Gloucestershire, named from Old English elm ‘elm’ + ofer ‘river bank’ or ofer ‘ridge’.

Elwy Welsh
From the river Elwy in Wales, whose name likely derives from the Welsh elw "gain", "profit". Also sometimes used as a male first name in Wales.

Emajõe Estonian
Emajõe is an Estonian surname meaning "mother river" (a genitive form of "ema jõgi"). The Emajõgi is a 100km river flowing through Estonia.

Eno Japanese
E means "river, inlet" and no means "field, plain, wilderness "

Epshteyn German, Jewish
This surname may be derived from a German town known as Eppstein in Hesse. Epp probably came from Gaulish apa which means water or river and stein translates into English as stone.

Errey English
This uncommon and intriguing name is of Old Norse origin, and is found chiefly in the north western counties of England, reflecting the dense settlement of Scandinavian peoples in those areas. The surname is locational, from places such as Aira Beck or Aira Force near Ullswater in Cumberland, or some other minor or unrecorded place also named with the Old Norse term "eyrara", meaning "gravel-bank stream river”.

Esaka Japanese
E means "river, inlet" and saka means "slope, hill".

Esaki Japanese
E means "river, inlet" and saki means "cape, peninsula".

Esawa Japanese
E means "river, inlet" and sawa means "swamp, marsh".

Eschenbach German
Eschenbach, from the root words Esch and Bach, is a surname that has origins in Germany and/or Switzerland. Esch is German for ash tree, and bach is German for brook, a small stream. Popular use of the surname includes the poet knight Wolfram von Eschenbach, and the name is used for multiple locations in Germany and Switzerland, or even more locations if you include spelling variations such as Eschbach, as this surname has undergone multiple mutations throughout history... [more]

Esgueva Spanish
It indicates familial origin near the eponymous river.

Esprontzeda Basque
From the name of a town and municipality in Navarre, Spain, possibly derived from Basque (h)aitz "rock, stone", bera "place below, river bank", on "good" and etxe "house, building".

Esumi Japanese
E means "river, inlet" and sumi mean "residence, dwelling, abide" or "nook, corner".

Eto Japanese
江 (E) means "River, Inlet" and 藤 (To) means "Wisteria".

Ewell English
Habitation name from the town of Ewell in Surrey or from Temple Ewell or Ewell Manor, both in Kent or Ewell Minnis near Dover. Originally from Old English Aewill meaning "river source" or "spring".

Fahr German, German (Swiss)
A topographic name for someone who lived near a crossing point on a river, from Middle High German vare, meaning ferry.

Falces Spanish (Philippines)
Falces is a town and municipality located in the province and autonomous community of Navarre, northern Spain. In Basque the town is called Faltzes. It has a population of around 2500 inhabitants. It is well known for the famous "encierro del pilon", which is a running of the bulls made even more dangerous due to it being run down a narrow road of a steep hill... [more]

Fawcett English
Habitational name from Fawcett, Westmorland, or Facit, Lancashire, both derived from Old English fāh "multicoloured, variegated, colourful" and sīde "side, hill slope"... [more]

Featherston English (British)
The name probably means feudal stone where the locals paid the lord of the manor their taxes. It probably starts spelled in the 1500's as Fetherston which is mainly when parish records began and moves though the century's to Fetherstone and then to Featherston then Featherstone, In the Doomsday book the lord of the manor of Featherstone in West Yorkshire but in both cases it was of course Fetherston was Ralph de Fetherston... [more]

Figarella Corsican
It indicates familial origin near the eponymous river.

Fiume Italian
From Italian meaning "river".

Fjellström Swedish
Combination of Swedish fjäll "mountain, fell" and ström "stream, river".

Flodgaard Danish
Danish name element gård "farmstead, yard" combined with prefix flod meaning "river".

Flodqvist Swedish
Combination of Swedish flod "river" and kvist "twig, branch".

Frampton English
English: habitational name from any of various places so called, of which there are several in Gloucestershire and one in Dorset. Most take the name from the Frome river (which is probably from a British word meaning ‘fair’, ‘brisk’) + Old English tun ‘enclosure’, ‘settlement’... [more]

Fratini Medieval Italian (Tuscan, Modern)
My understanding is that the Fratini surname originated in the Arno River Valley somewhere between Arezzo and Florence.

Fujikawa Japanese
From Japanese 藤 (fuji) meaning "wisteria" and 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream".

Fukae Japanese
Fuka means "deep" and e means "inlet, river".

Fukawa Japanese
From Japanese 府 (fu) meaning "prefecture" and 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream".

Fumetsugawa Japanese (Rare)
From japanese kanji 不滅 (fumetsu) meaning "immortal, indestructible, undying" and 河 or 川 (gawa/kawa) both meaning "river".

Furness English (British)
It originated from the river in England.

Gangopadhyay Bengali
From the name of the Ganges River combined with Sanskrit उपाध्याय (upadhyaya) meaning "teacher, instructor, priest".

Garibai Basque
From the name of a neighborhood in the municipality of Oñati, Spain, probably derived from Basque gari "wheat" and ibai "river". Alternatively, the first element could be garo "fern" or garai "high, tall, prominent".

Geiselhart German (Silesian, Rare), Lombardic (Rare), Old High German (Rare)
Possibly after the Geisel, a river in Saxony-Anhalt, which likely received its name from either the Lombardic patronym Giso, meaning "noble, precious promise" or from the Old High German gewi, from the Gothic gavi, or gaujis, a which is a medieval term for a "region within a country", often a former or actual province combined with the suffix Hart, which means "stag", and comes from the Middle English hert and the Old English heort.... [more]

Gilpin English, Irish, Northern Irish
English: in the northeast, from the Gilpin river in Cumbria; in southern counties, probably a variant of Galpin. ... [more]

Ginsburg German, Jewish
Habitational name for someone who came from Gunzberg in Bavaria, Günsburg in Swabia, or Gintsshprik (Königsburg) in East Prussia. Its origin is from the name of the river Günz, written in early Latin documents as Guntia, which was probably of Celtic origin, and Old High German burg meaning "Fortress, walled town".

Guadalajara Spanish
habitational name from Guadalajara in Castile named with Arabic wādī-al-ḥijāra (واد الحجرة o وادي الحجرة) "river of the stones".

Ha Korean
From Sino-Korean 河 (ha) meaning "river, stream".

Haack German
One who lived at the bend or hook in the river. (See Hooker)

Habsburg German
This surname may have been used by someone whose descendants originated from the House of Habsburg, which was one of the most important royal houses in Europe. It is assumed that the surname is derived from High German Habichtsburg meaning "hawk castle," but some historians and linguists believe that it may actually be derived from Middle High German hab/hap meaning "ford", as there is a river with a ford nearby.

Häggström Swedish
Combination of Swedish hägg "bird cherry" and ström "stream, small river".

Hagström Swedish
Combination of Swedish hage "enclosure, garden" and ström "stream, small river".

Hailes Scottish, English
Scottish habitational name from Hailes in Lothian, originally in East Lothian, named from the Middle English genitive or plural form of hall ‘hall’. ... [more]

Hallström Swedish
Combination of Swedish hall "hall, stone, rock" and ström "stream, small river".

Hamakawa Japanese
From the Japanese 浜 or 濱 (hama) "beach" and 川 or 河 (kawa) "river."

Hamburg German, Jewish
German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) habitational name from the great city and port at the mouth of the river Elbe, named with the Germanic elements ham ‘water meadow’ + burg ‘fortress’, ‘fortified town’.

Hamel German, Jewish
Habitational name from the town of Hamelin, which sits on the Hamel river.

Hanakawa Japanese
From 花 (hana) meaning "flower" and 川 (kawa) meaning "stream, river".

Hanekawa Japanese
羽 meaning feathers, counter for birds, rabbits.川 meaning stream, river, river or three-stroke river radical

Hanford English
Habitational name from any of several places called Hanford, Handforth, or Hannaford, derived from either Old Welsh hen "old" and ford "road, way", or from Old English ford "ford, river crossing" combined with the given name Hanna.

Harju Finnish
Means "esker", a long ridge formed by a river flowing underneath a glacier.

Harukawa Japanese
harukawa means "spring river". the kanji used are 春(haru) meaning "spring (the season)" and 河 (kawa) meaning "river" . you could also use 川 (kawa) as the second kanji, but using 河 looks better.

Hasslacher German
hass=hate; lacher=laughter... [more]

Hatzi Greek
A Greek rendering of حاج‎ (ḥājj), denoting one who has successfully completed a pilgrimage. In a Christian context, the title designates a person who has visited Jerusalem and the Holy Land and was baptised in the Jordan River... [more]

Hayakawa Japanese
From Japanese 早 (haya) meaning "early, fast" and 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream".

Hedström Swedish
Combination of Swedish hed "heath, moor" and ström "stream, river".

Hee Danish, Norwegian, Dutch
A Danish habitational name from any of several places named from a word meaning ‘shining’ or ‘clear’, referencing a river.... [more]

Helstrom Scandinavian
From a place called Helstrom, meaning a house (or shelter) by a river, from the pre 7th century Olde Norse "hiamlr- straumr".

Henares Spanish
Derived from the Celtic form of "brave". Also is the name of many towns (Alcala de Henares, Espinosa de Henares, Tortola de Henares...) and a river

Hendaia Basque (Rare)
From the name of a commune (Hendaye in French) in southwestern France, of uncertain etymology. Possibly from Basque handi "big, large, great" and ibi "ford" or ibai "river", though this structure would not be grammatically correct... [more]

Hikawa Japanese (Rare)
From Japanese 氷 (hi) meaning "ice" and 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream".

Hirakawa Japanese
From Japanese 平 (hira 2) meaning "level, even, peaceful" and 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream".

Hirokawa Japanese
From Japanese 広 or 廣 (hiro) meaning "broad, wide, spacious" and 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream".

Hirukawa Japanese
From Japanese 蛭 (hiru) meaning "leech" and 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream".

Hishikawa Japanese
From 菱 (hishi, ryou) meaning "diamond (shape), rhombus, water chestnut, caltrop" and 川 (kawa) meaning "river".

Hoorn German (Austrian)
From 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.

Horie Japanese
From Japanese 堀 (hori) meaning "ditch, moat, canal" and 江 (e) meaning "bay, river, inlet".

Horikawa Japanese
From Japanese 堀 (hori) meaning "ditch, moat, canal" and 川 (kawa) or 河 (kawa) both meaning "river, stream".

Hoshikawa Japanese
From Japanese 星 (hoshi) meaning "star" and 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream".

Hosokawa Japanese
From Japanese 細 (hoso) meaning "thin, fine, slender" and 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream".

Huckabee English
This surname originated as a habitational name, derived from Huccaby in Devon, England; this place name is derived from two Old English elements: the first, woh, meaning "crooked"; the second, byge, meaning "river bend".... [more]

Huckaby English
Means "person from Huccaby", Devon (perhaps "crooked river-bend"), or "person from Uckerby", Yorkshire ("Úkyrri's or Útkári's farmstead").

Hungerford English
From the name of a settlement in Berkshire, England, derived from Old English hungor "hunger, famine" and ford "ford, river crossing".

Ibaiguren Basque (Rare)
Means "river's edge", derived from Basque ibai "river" and guren "edge, bank".

Ichikawa Japanese
From Japanese 市 (ichi) meaning "market" and 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream".

Ichinoe Japanese
From 一 (ichi, kazu) meaning "one", 之 (no) meaning "of", and 江 (e) meaning "river, bay, inlet". This is not spelled the same as the town named Ichinohe.

Idreius Celtic
“Like the ocean; Unpredictable.”... [more]

Igawa Japanese
From Japanese 井 (i) meaning "well, mine shaft, pit" and 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream".

Iikawa Japanese
Ii means "cooked grains" and kawa means "river, stream".

Ikawa Japanese
From Japanese 井 (i) meaning "well, mine shaft, pit" and 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream".

Ikenoue Japanese
Ike means "river", no is a possessive particle and ue means "upper, top".

Imagawa Japanese
From Japanese 今 (ima) meaning "present" and 川 (gawa) meaning "river".

Imakawa Japanese
Ima means "now, present" and kawa means "river, stream".

Inverarity Scottish
Means "person from Inverarity", Angus ("mouth of the Arity", perhaps a Celtic river-name meaning literally "slow").

Ireton English
Habitational name from either of two places in Derbyshire called Ireton, or one in North Yorkshire called Irton. All of these are named from the genitive case of Old Norse Íri ‘Irishmen’ (see Ireland) + tun ‘enclosure’, ‘settlement’.... [more]

Irie Japanese
From Japanese 入 (iri) meaning "entry, input" and 江 (e) meaning "river, inlet". 入江 (irie) means "cove, creek".

Irmak Turkish
Means "river" in Turkish.

Isham English
The name of a village in Northamptonshire, England from the Celtic name of a local river Ise and the Anglo-Saxon term for a small settlement or homestead -ham.

Isogawa Japanese
From Japanese 五十 (iso) meaning "fifty" and 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream".

Itzstein German
Topographic surname that originated from broad regions around the river Itz in Thuringia, Germany. The word "Stein" (German word for stone) historically was also used to describe castles on a hill or at a river, thus a possible meaning of the name is "castle at the river Itz".

Izaba Basque
From the name of a municipality in Navarre, Spain, of uncertain etymology. Proposed origins include Basque iz "water" combined with aba, which could mean "river, mouth, confluence" and/or be a variant of -aga "place of, abundance of".

Izumikawa Japanese
Izumi means "fountain" and means "river".

Jõeleht Estonian
Jõeleht is an Estonian surname meaning "river foliage".

Jõeloo Estonian
Jõeloo is an Estonians surname derived from "jõelooge", meaning a "river meander".

Jõemaa Estonian
Jõemaa is an Estonian surname meaning "river land".

Jõerüüt Estonian
Jõerüüt is an Estonian surname meaning "river plover" (Pluvialis).

Jõesaar Estonian
Jõesaar is an Estonian surname meaning "river island".

Jõesuu Estonian
Jõesuu is an Estonian surname meaning "mouth of the river".

Jõevee Estonian
Jõevee is an Estonian surname meaning "river water".

Jõgi Estonian
Means "river" in Estonian.

Jõgiaas Estonian
Jõgiaas is an Estonian surname meaning "river meadow".

Jõgila Estonian
Jõgila is an Estonian surname meaning "river area".

Jõgioja Estonian
Jõgioja is an Estonian surname meaning "river creek".

Jõgisaar Estonian
Jõgisaar is an Estonian surname meaning "river island".

Jõgisalu Estonian
Jõgisalu is an Estonian surname meaning "river grove".

Jõgisoo Estonian
Jõgisoo is an Estonian surname meaning "river swamp/marsh".

Kadekawa Japanese
From 嘉 (ka) meaning "excellent, auspicious, praise", 手 (te) meaning "hand", and 川 (kawa) meaning "stream, river". Other kanji combinations can be used.

Kadokawa Japanese
From 門 (kado) meaning "gate" and 川 (kawa) meaning "stream, river".

Kagawa Japanese
From Japanese 香 (ka) meaning "fragrance" or 賀 (ka) meaning "congratulate, greet, celebrate" and 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream".

Kalchenko Ukrainian
Possibly from the river Kalchyk (Кальчик), a Ukrainian river in Zaporizhzhya and Donetsk regions.

Kalchytskyy m Ukrainian
Likely meaning "lives nearby River Kalchyk", from Кальчик (Kal'chyk).

Kallas Estonian
Means "shore, bank (of a river), seashore" in Estonian.

Karakawa Japanese
Kara means "larch" and kawa means "river, stream".

Kaus German
From a regional (Hessian) variant of the habitational name Kues, from a place on the Mosel river, probably so named from Late Latin covis "field barn", "rack" and earlier recorded as Couese, Cobesa.

Kawabata Japanese
'Side or bank of the river'; written two ways, with two different characters for kawa ‘river’. One family is descended from the northern Fujiwara through the Saionji family; the other from the Sasaki family... [more]

Kawabata Japanese
From Japanese 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream" and 畑 (hata) meaning "farm, cropfield".

Kawabata Japanese
From Japanese 川 (kawa) or 河 (kawa) both meaning "river, stream" and 端 (hata) meaning "edge, end, tip".

Kawabe Japanese
From Japanese 川 (kawa) or 河 (kawa) both meaning "river, stream" and 辺 (be) meaning "area, place, vicinity".

Kawachi Japanese
From 川 or 河 (kawa) meaning "river, stream" combined with 内 (dai, nai, uchi, chi) meaning "among, between, home, house, inside, within."

Kawada Japanese
From Japanese 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream" and 田 (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".

Kawaei Japanese
From 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream" and 栄 (ei) meaning "glory, honour, flourish, prosper".... [more]

Kawagoe Japanese
From Japanese 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream" and 越 (koeru) meaning "pass, cross, go through".

Kawahara Japanese
From Japanese 川 or 河 (kawa) meaning "river" and 原 (hara) meaning "field, plain".

Kawahata Japanese
Kawa means "river, stream" and hata means "field".

Kawahigashi Japanese
From 河 or 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream" and 東 (higashi) meaning "east".

Kawai Japanese
From Japanese 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream" and 井 (i) meaning "well, mine shaft, pit".

Kawajiri Japanese
Kawa means "river, stream" and jiri comes from shiri meaning "rear, behind".

Kawakame Japanese (Rare)
Kawa means "river" and kame means "turtoise, turtle".

Kawakatsu Japanese
Kawa means "river, stream" and katsu means "victory".

Kawakita Japanese
川 (Kawa) means "River" and 北 (Kita) means "North".

Kawamata Japanese
From Japanese 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream" and 又 (mata) meaning "again, once more".

Kawamata Japanese
From Japanese 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream" and 俣 (mata) meaning "fork, crotch".

Kawamoto Japanese
From Japanese 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream" and 本 (moto) meaning "base, root, origin".

Kawamura Japanese
From Japanese 川 or 河 (kawa) meaning "river, stream" and 村 (mura) meaning "town, village".

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

Kawanichi Japanese
Kawa means "river, stream" and nichi means "sun, day".

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

Kawano Japanese
From the Japanese 川 or 河 (kawa or gawa) meaning "river, stream" and 野 (no) meaning "field, plain, wilderness."

Kawaragi Japanese
From 河 (ka) meaning "river, stream", 原 (wara) meaning "field, plain", and 木 (gi) meaning "tree, wood".

Kawase Japanese
From Japanese 川 (kawa) or 河 (kawa) both meaning "river, stream" and 瀬 (se) meaning "ripple, rapids, current".

Kawashima Japanese
From Japanese 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream, brook" and 島 (shima) or 嶋 (shima) both meaning "island".

Kawashita Japanese
Kawa means "river, stream" and shita means "under, below".

Kawasugi Japanese
Kawa means "river, stream" and sugi means "cedar".

Kawatani Japanese
Kawa means "river, stream" and tani means "valley".

Kawato Japanese
From 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream" and 戸 (do) meaning "door".

Kawauchi Japanese
From Japanese 河 (kawa) or 川 (kawa) meaning "river" combined with 内 (uchi) meaning "inside".

Kawazu Japanese (Rare)
Kawa (川, 河) means "river", tsu (津) means "port". Tsu changes to zu/dzu because of rendaku

Keeton English
Habitational name from a place called Ketton in Durham or one in Rutland or from Keaton in Ermington, Devon. The first is named from the Old English personal name Catta or the Old Norse personal name Káti and Old English tūn "settlement"; the second is probably from an old river name or tribal name Cētan (possibly a derivative of Celtic cēd "wood") and Old English ēa "river"; and the last possibly from Cornish kee "hedge, bank" and Old English tūn.

Kelso Scottish
Habitational name from Kelso on the river Tweed in Roxburghshire, perhaps so named from Old English cealc "chalk" + hoh "ridge", "spur".

Kenton English
habitational name from any of various places so named Kenton, for example in Devon, Greater London (formerly Middlesex), Northumberland, and Suffolk... [more]

Kenwyn Cornish (Rare)
This surname is derived from the name of a town and river in Cornwall, England (called Keynwynn in Cornish). It is said that the name is derived from Cornish keyn meaning "back, keel, ridge" and gwynn meaning "white, fair, blessed."

Kikawa Japanese
From 木 (ki) meaning "tree, wood" and 川 (kawa) meaning "stream, river".

Kikkawa Japanese
From 吉 (kik) meaning "good luck, fortune" and 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream".

Kilburg German, Luxembourgish
"Kyll castle," from German burg (castle) near the Kyll river in Germany. Also "wedge mountain" in Swedish: kil (wedge) and berg (mountain).

Kinugawa Japanese
From 絹 (kinu) meaning "silk" combined with 川 or 河 (gawa) meaning "stream, river".

Kinukawa Japanese
From 絹 (kinu) meaning "silk" combined with 川 or 河 (kawa) meaning "stream, river".

Kishikawa Japanese
From Japanese 岸 (kishi) meaning "beach, shore, bank" and 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream".

Kitakawa Japanese
Kita means "north" and kawa means "river, stream".

Kitashirakawa Japanese
From Japanese 北 (kita) meaning "north", 白 (shira) meaning "white" and 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream".

Kobayakawa Japanese
From Japanese 小 (ko) meaning "small", 早 (baya) meaning "fast" and 川 (kawa) meaning "river".

Kochiyama Japanese
From 河 (ko) meaning "river, stream", 内 (chi) meaning "inside" and 山 (yama) meaning "mountain".

Kokawa Japanese
Ko means "small" and kawa means "river".

Kolkmann German
Kolk is an old German word that means '' man who lives by the river'' and Mann is German for 'man'. The name Kolkmann comes from a man who lived by the North Rhine.

Konagawa Japanese
The Japanese surname "Konagawa" (小長川) consists of three kanji characters: "小" meaning "small," "長" meaning "long," and "川" meaning "river." So, "Konagawa" could be interpreted as "small long river." However, as with many Japanese surnames, there may be variations in meaning and interpretation depending on the family's history and region.

Kōno Japanese
From Japanese 河 (kō) meaning "river" and 野 (no) meaning "field, wilderness".

Kowsari Persian
"Kowsar" refers to a river or stream in paradise, which is mentioned in the Quran. Another interpretation is that it means "abundant" or "overflowing."

Kuivjõgi Estonian
Kuivjõgi is an Estonian surname meaning "dry river".

Kujikawa Japanese
From Japanese 久 (ku) meaning "long time ago", 慈 (ji) meaning "mercy", and 川 (kawa) meaning "river".

Kurigawa Japanese
The Surname "Kurigawa/Kurikawa" translates to "Chestnut River"

Kurokawa Japanese
From Japanese 黒 (kuro) meaning "black" combined with 川 (kawa) or 河 (kawa) both meaning "river."

Lancaster English
From the name of a city in northwestern England derived from Middle English Loncastre, itself from Lon referring to an ancient Roman fort on the River Lune combined with Old English ceaster meaning "city, town".

Lapčević Serbian
Serbo-Croatian surname meaning "river" or "white". Likely from the river Elbe in Germany, which is called Labe and Laba in Slavic languages. Lab also having the meaning "white" in archaic Slavic (like the bird labud - swan).

Larivière French (Modern)
From the region of Bourgoigne, in France, meaning 'the river'. The name is likely a topographic reference to the physical location, likely a river in this case.

Lauder Scottish, Northern Irish
From a village in Berwickshire in the Scottish Borders. It derives from the Celtic Lauuedder, probably indicating a rapidly flowing river, cognate with Modern Welsh llifer meaning 'to gush'.

Lawford English
From any of several places in England called Lawford, derived from the personal name Lealla (cognate with Old High German Lallo), and ford "ford, river crossing".

Lazalde Basque
Latz = River/Stream Alde = Near or by.

Lbov Russian
Derived either from Russian лоб (lob) meaning "forehead" or from the name of the Elbe river meaning "river".

Lear English
Means (i) "person from Leire", Leicestershire ("place on the river Leire", a river-name that may also be the ancestor of Leicestershire); or (ii) "person from Lear", any of several variously spelled places in northern France with a name based on Germanic lār "clearing"... [more]

Lechner German
This name finds its origin in the Austrian Lechtal, where the Lech river flows.

Leeds English
From the city of Leeds in Yorkshire. The name was first attested in the form Loidis in AD 731. In the Domesday Book of 1086, it is recorded as 'Ledes'. This name is thought to have ultimately been derived from an earlier Celtic name... [more]

Leeming English
Habitational name from either of two places, in West Yorkshire near Keighley and in North Yorkshire near Northallerton. Both are named with a river name, derived from the Old English word lēoma "gleam, sparkle".

Leith English
From the name of a Scottish town (now a district of Edinburgh), which is derived from Gaelic lìte "wet, damp". It is also the name of the river that flows though Edinburgh.

Lenkeit German (East Prussian)
East Prussian German (and thus heavily Lithuanian influenced) surname.... [more]

Lenton English
Habitational name from any of several places called Lenton, which can be derived from the name of the River Leen (from a Celtic word meaning "lake, pool") in Nottinghamshire, from the Old English given name Lāfa (see Leif) in Lincolnshire, or possibly from Old English lin "flax" in some cases, all combined with tun "town, enclosure, settlement".

Lester English
Habitational name from Leicester which is recorded as Ligeraceastre in the 10th century. The placename derives from an Old English folk name Legore "the dwellers by the river Legor (a lost river name)" and Old English ceaster "city Roman fortification" (from Latin castrum) "camp fortress".

L'hernault Medieval French
Originating in Northern France, Rouen River Valley, Normandie, L'Hernault is an Old French word for a "heralder", one who would act as an announcer, diplomat or town crier.... [more]

Lichte German
Habitational name for someone who lived in a clearing (see Lucht) or topographic name from a town in Germany, situated by the Lichte river. Alternatively, a variant of Licht.

Liddell English
From the Liddel river, which takes its name from Okd English hl̄de “loud” + dæl “valley”.

Lima Portuguese
Topographic name for someone living on the banks of the river of this name (of pre-Roman origin, probably akin to a Celtic element lemos, limos 'elm').

Lima Portuguese
Topographic name for someone who lived on the banks of the Lima River in Portugal, most likely derived from Indo-European *léymō meaning "lake".

Linford English
habitational name from Great and Little Linford in Buckinghamshire or Lynford in Norfolk. The former may have Old English hlyn "maple" as its first element; the latter is more likely to contain lin "flax" or alternatively the first element may relate to the river Lynn... [more]

Lonsdale English
Habitational name from the district of Lonsdale (straddling Lancashire Yorkshire and Westmorland) and also from Lonsdale in Great Ayton (North Yorkshire). The district takes its name from the river Lune (of uncertain origin) annd Old English dæl "valley"... [more]

Lorton English
habitational name from any of the places so named in Cumbria probably so named from an Old English river name Hlóra meaning "the roaring one" and Old English tun "settlement".

Lott French
From the Department (Region/State)in France, "Lot" and "Lot-et-Garrone"; also a river in France (Lot). Brought to the British Isles, Holland (Netherlands) and later the United States, Canada and South Africa, by French Huguenots.

Ludlam English
Derived from the old English word hlud "loud, roaring" (compare germanic hlud), which gave the name to the river Hlude and ham "water meadow"

Ludlow English
Habitational name from a place in Shropshire, so named from the Old English river name Hlude (from hlud 'loud', 'roaring') referring to the Teme river + hlaw 'hill'.