This is a list of submitted surnames in which the description contains the keywords ruler or of or water.
Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
ErreyEnglish 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”.
ErringtonEnglish Habitational name from Errington in Saint John Lee (Northumberland), so called from a British river name akin to Welsh arian "silvery, bright" and Old English tun "enclosure, settlement"... [more]
ErripaldaBasque It indicates familial origin within the eponymous hamlet in the Navarrese municipality of Gorza.
ErwinEnglish, German, Irish, Scottish From the given name Erwin. From the Middle English personal name EverwinErwin perhaps from Old English Eoforwine (eofor "boar" and wine "friend") but mostly from an Old French form of the cognate ancient Germanic name Everwin or from a different ancient Germanic name Herewin with loss of initial H- (first element hariheri "army")... [more]
ErzhuChinese (Rare, Archaic) From Chinese 爾朱 (ěrzhū), from a place named Erzhuchuan (尔朱川), now Zhujiachuan in northwestern Shanxi province. This was the residence of the Qihu tribe. After Han assimilation, many changed their names to Zhu.
EscandónSpanish, Spanish (Mexican) Derived from a field named "Escanda" denoting a type of wheat. Perhaps farmers who lived close to the area.
EscatelSpanish Derived from the Latin word “scatellum,” which means “small coin”. It is likely that the surname originally referred to someone who was involved in the production or circulation of small coins, or who had a reputation for being particularly frugal or economical... [more]
EschelsLow German A name common to the native inhabitants of the island of Föhr off the coast of northern Germany.
EschenbachGerman 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]
EschonbachGerman (Japanized, Modern, Rare) A misspelling of the surname Eschenbach from the science-fiction series Mobile Suit Gundam with the characters Icelina Eschonbach and Joseph Eschonbach, which is possibly in reference to the poet knight Wolfram von Eschenbach given the military themes in the series such as German-based armored robotic vehicles.
EscobedoSpanish The surname Escobedo is of Spanish origin, with two main possible meanings: a topographic name referring to the collective form of "escoba" (broom) or a habitational name from one of two minor places called Escobedo in Cantabria, Spain... [more]
EscotoSpanish ethnic name from escoto originally denoting a Gaelic speaker from Ireland or Scotland; later a Scot someone from Scotland. Spanish cognitive of Scott.
EsmondEnglish It was a name for a person who was of "grace" or "favourable protection". The surname Esmond originally derived from the Old English word Eastmund which referred to "grace".
EspaItalian From Sardinian espa "wasp", making this a cognate of Vespa.
EspadaPortuguese, Spanish metonymic occupational name for an armorer or a swordsman from espada "sword" (from Latin spata from Greek spathe originally denoting a broad two-edged sword without a point)... [more]
EspaillatCatalan, Occitan Occupational name from Catalan espallat, in an old spelling, or directly from Occitan espaiat, espalhat, past participle of espallar meaning "to winnow", "to separate the wheat from the chaff".
EspinalSpanish Spanish: from any of numerous fields named Espinal or Espinar, from a collective of espina ‘thorn’.
EspíndolaPortuguese (Latinized, ?) Portuguese of uncertain origin, but possibly a topographic name or a variation of Spinola. It was taken to Portugal by an immigrant family from Genoa, Italy.
EspiñeiraGalician Habitational from any of numerous places called Espiñeira in Galicia, Spain, from Galician espiño meaning "hawthorn".
Espinosa De Los MonterosSpanish Originating in northern Spain in the Espinosa de los Monteros municipality, it has various meanings. One meaning is that it was the surname of hidalgos who lived in Espinosa and helped the nobles get on their horses... [more]
EspírituSpanish From a short form of Spanish del Espíritu Santo meaning "of the Holy Spirit, of the Holy Ghost" (Latin Spiritus Sanctus), which was the second part of religious compound names formed from the bearer's given name and del Espíritu Santo... [more]
EsprontzedaBasque 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".
EssLow German, German (Swiss) North German: topographic name for someone living on or owning land that was waterlogged or partly surrounded by water, from Middle Low German es ‘swamp’, ‘water’. ... [more]
EssenDutch, German From any of several places called Essen, probably derived from asc "ash tree".
EssienWestern African, Akan, Ibibio, Efik Means "sixth born child" in Akan, possibly deriving from the given name Nsia. As a Nigerian name it is derived from a given name (found among the Ibibio and Efik people) denoting the son the family lineage depends on, possibly meaning either "a child who belongs to everyone" or "the child who takes charge of outside matters"... [more]
EstadellaCatalan This indicates familial origin within the vicinity of the eponymous hill in the municipality of Isona i Conca Dellà.
EstanislauPortuguese Stanislav Derived from the Slavic elements stani meaning "stand, become" combined with slava meaning "glory".... [more]
EstesWelsh, Spanish, English a popular surname derived from the House of Este. It is also said to derive from Old English and have the meaning "of the East." As a surname, it has been traced to southern England in the region of Kent, as early as the mid-16th century.
EstleEnglish From the name of the town of Astley, Warwickshire, which translates to "east wood".
EstrelaPortuguese The surname Estrela, of Portuguese origin, means "star," symbolizing guidance, hope, and celestial beauty, and is commonly found in Portugal.
EtchellsEnglish (British) This surname was a habitation name derived from the Old English word "ecels" which is roughly translated as the "dweller on a piece of land added to an estate." Alternatively, the name may have derived from the Old English word "ecan" which means "to increase."
EtheGreek Plural form of ethos. Ethos forms the root of ethikos (ἠθικός), meaning "moral, showing moral character". Used as a noun in the neuter plural form ta ethika (τὰ ἠθικά), used for the study of morals, it is the origin of the modern English word ethics.
EtheringtonEnglish (British) An Old English surname from Kent, the village of Etherington, which derives from the Old English "Ethel"red' ing (meaning people of, coming from) and "ton" a town/village.
EtienamNigerian, Ibibio (?), Spanish (Caribbean, ?) This is a name which originates from the Calabar/Akwa Ibom region of southeastern Nigeria. It means "a doer of good, or benevolent". It is also found in Spanish-speaking regions of the Caribbean such as Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, and Cuba (El Oriente) which have populations of people of Ibibio/Efik decent known as "Carabali".
EtoJapanese Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 江藤 (see Etō).
Eto'oCentral African, Ibibio, Efik Means "tree, wood" in Ibibio and Efik. It is found predominantly in Cameroon. The former Cameroonian soccer player Samuel Eto'o (1981-) is a famous bearer of this surname.
EtxagueBasque Habitational name derived from Basque etxe "house, home, building" and an altered form of the suffix -gune "place, area".
EtxaideBasque It indicates familial origin within either of 2 Navarrese neighborhoods: the one in Elizondo or the one in Anue.
EtxalarBasque From the name of a town and municipality in Navarre, Spain, derived from Basque etxe "house, home, building" and larre "pasture, meadow, prairie".
EtxauriBasque From the name of a town in Navarre, Spain, derived from Basque etxe "house, building" and uri "town, city".
EtxegaraiBasque Means "house on top of a hill", derived from Basque etxe "house, home, building" and garai "top, highest part".
EtxekoparBasque It indicates familial origin within the eponymous neighborhood of the commune of Berrogaine-Larüntze in the arrondissement of Auloron e Senta Maria.
EtxezarretaBasque Derived from Basque etxe "house, building" and zahar "old" combined with the toponymic suffix -eta "place of, abundance of".
EulerGerman, Jewish Occupational name for a potter, most common in the Rhineland and Hesse, from Middle High German ul(n)ære (an agent derivative of the dialect word ul, aul "pot", from Latin olla).
EurlingsDutch, Flemish Derived from the Germanic given name Ulrich. A famous bearer of this surname is the Dutch politician and businessman Camiel Eurlings (1973-).
Even-shoshanHebrew Hebrew translation of the last name Rosenstein is derived from אבן (Even) "Stone" and שושן (Shoshan) meaning "Lily", but it is often mistranslated as "Rose", especially in Earlier times in Israel.
EveringhamEnglish Means "homestead of the followers of Eofor". From Old English eofor "boar" inga, meaning "the people of, followers of" and ham meaning "home, estate, settlement".
EvertonEnglish Habitational name from any of various places, in Bedfordshire, Merseyside, and Nottinghamshire, so named from Old English eofor ‘wild boar’ + tun ‘settlement’.
EveshamEnglish Derived from the Old English homme or ham and Eof, the name of a swineherd in the service of Egwin, third bishop of Worcester.
EvloevIngush (Russified) Russified form of an Ingush name, which is derived from Yovloy, the name of an Ingush teip (clan), which is of unknown meaning. It may be from the name of the Alans, a medieval Iranian nomadic group (the word itself derived from Sanskrit आर्य (ā́rya) meaning "noble, honourable") or from Adyghe елъы (ełăə) meaning "to sharpen" combined with елъэ (ełă) meaning "to jump over".
EvolaItalian Perhaps a topographic name from Italian ebbio, a type of plant known as danewort in English (genus Sambucus), itself derived from Latin ebullus; alternatively, it may have been a habitational name for a person from a minor place named with this word... [more]
EwellEnglish 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".
EyreEnglish Derived from Middle English eyer, eir "heir", originally denoting a man who was designated to inherit or had already inherited the main property in a particular locality. The surname was borne by the heroine of Charlotte Brontë's 'Jane Eyre' (1847).
EyreEnglish Truelove the "Eyr" or "Heyr" was granted land in Derby as a reward for his services at the 1066 Battle of Hastings, together with a coat of arms featuring "a human leg in armour couped at the thigh quarterly argent and sable spurred", in reference to the sacrifice of his limb... [more]
EzellAmerican Of uncertain origin. The name is found primarily in the southeastern United States, possibly as a variation of Israel or a form of Ezekiel.
EzpeletaBasque It indicates familial origin within the eponymous commune in the French arrondissement of Baiona.
EzzoMedieval Italian Derived from a Germanic name Azzo, based on the element z , which originates debated; between the various hypotheses are: ... [more]
FàbregasCatalan Deriving from any of the places in Barcelona province named Fàbregues, from the plural of Fàbrega. Famous bearer of this surname is Spanish/Catalan footballer Francesc "Cesc" Fàbregas Soler.
FacchettiItalian Derived from a diminutive of Italian facchino meaning "porter" (see Facchini). A notable bearer was the Italian soccer star Giacinto Facchetti (1942-2006).
FacchiniItalian Occupational name for a porter (a carrier of objects), derived from Italian facchino meaning "porter, carrier of goods". The word facchino was originally from Sicilian facchinu meaning "jurist, scribe, clerk, theologian" (ultimately from Arabic فَقِيه (faqīh) meaning "jurisconsult, expert on law"), but was later modified to mean "porter".
FadenArabic Originally denoted someone from the city of Padang in Indonesia.
FaganIrish 'The name Fagan in Ireland is usually of Norman origin, especially in Counties Dublin and Meath. In the County Louth area the name is derived from the native Gaelic O'Faodhagain Sept of which there are a number of variants including Feighan, Fegan and Feehan.' (from irishsurnames.com)
FaginJewish Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic): variant spelling of Feigin.
FaheyIrish Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Fathaidh or Ó Fathaigh meaning "descendant of Fathadh", a given name derived from the Gaelic word fothadh "base, foundation".... [more]
FairEnglish, Irish English: nickname meaning ‘handsome’, ‘beautiful’, ‘fair’, from Middle English fair, fayr, Old English fæger. The word was also occasionally used as a personal name in Middle English, applied to both men and women.... [more]
FairbrotherEnglish From a medieval nickname probably meaning either "better-looking of two brothers" or "brother of a good-looking person", or perhaps in some cases "father's brother".
FaireyEnglish Either (i) meant "person from Fairy Farm or Fairyhall", both in Essex (Fairy perhaps "pigsty"); or (ii) from a medieval nickname meaning "beautiful eye". This was borne by Fairey Aviation, a British aircraft company, producer of the biplane fighter-bomber Fairey Swordfish... [more]
FairweatherEnglish, Scottish From Middle English fayr "fair, beautiful, pleasant" and weder "weather", a nickname for a person with a sunny temperament, or who only worked in good weather. ... [more]
FaïsMedieval Occitan, Occitan (Rare) Derived from Old French and Occitan fagot, meaning "bundle" (of sticks/twigs), denoting someone who collects bundles.
FajardoGalician Topographic name for someone who lived by a beech tree or in a beech wood, from Late Latin fagea (arbor) meaning "beech (tree)", a derivative of classical Latin fagus meaning "beech".
FalaguerraItalian Possibly means "make war" in Italian, from fare "to make, to provoke" and guerra "war". Alternately, from a given name of the same origin. ... [more]
FalascaItalian Possibly from a dialectical word falasca meaning "straw", referring to someone's build or hair, or possibly an occupation of making things out of straw.
FalcesSpanish (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]
FalcónSpanish, South American Originally a nickname from falcón, an archaic variant of Spanish halcón "falcon" (from Latin falco). It is a cognate of Falco.
FaliszekPolish A notable bearer of this name is Chet Faliszek, an American videogame writer who has worked for companies like Valve and Bossa Studios, having been involved in the story writing for series such as Half-Life, Portal, and Left 4 Dead.
FalkenhagenGerman Habitational name from any of several places named from Old High German falke meaning "falcon" + hag meaning "hedge", "fencing". A place so named is documented west of Berlin in the 14th century.
FallEnglish, German English topographic name Middle English falle "fall descent" (from Old English gefeall or gefall "felling of trees" Old Norse fall "forest clearing") denoting a waterfall steep slope or (in northern England) a forest clearing... [more]
FallonIrish Anglicized form of the surname Ó Fallamhain meaning "descendant of Fallamhan", the name being a byname meaning "leader" (derived from follamhnas meaning "supremacy").
FallowEnglish, Jewish English: topographic name for someone who lived by a patch of fallow land, Middle English falwe (Old English f(e)alg). This word was used to denote both land left uncultivated for a time to recover its fertility and land recently brought into cultivation.... [more]
FalsoItalian Not much history is known for Falso however, it was common surrounding Napoli, Lazio, Latin, and Roma. It means False, phony, fake. Because of this, the surname has spread globally especially to United States of America and Brazil... [more]
FältskogSwedish Combination of Swedish fält "field" and skog "forest". Agnetha Fältskog (b. 1950) is a Swedish singer and former member of ABBA.
FancourtEnglish Derived from the English surname Fancourt, which originated in the county of Bedfordshire in England.
FaneEnglish From a medieval nickname for a well-disposed person (from Old English fægen "glad, willing"), or from a medieval Welsh nickname for a slim person (Welsh fain). This is the family name of the earls of Westmorland.
FangChinese From Chinese 方 (fāng) referring to Fang Shu, a minister and adviser to King Xuan of the Western Zhou dynasty. Alternately it may have come from a place called Fang Shan (方山), which existed in what is now Henan province.
FangChinese From Chinese 房 (fáng) referring to the ancient state of Fang, which existed in what is now Henan province.
FanielHebrew It's believe to be an Hebrew origin that was carved from ochaniel, it consist of Fam meaning face and el God... [more]
FanjoyCeltic Such As Dales, Danes Of Ireland, From A House And Line Of What Would Be Called, Mythical.... [more]
FanningIrish The roots of the name are unclear. It seems the name is Native Irish Gaelic. It is thought to be derived from the Gaelic name Ó Fionnáin which means "fair".
FanshaweEnglish Meant "person from Featherstonehaugh", Northumberland (now known simply as "Featherstone") ("nook of land by the four-stones", four-stones referring to a prehistoric stone structure known technically as a "tetralith")... [more]
FantasiaItalian From Italian fantasia meaning "imagination", possibly a nickname for a person who had a vivid imagination, or from the personal name Fantasia, the feminine form of Fantasio. Known bearers include American sociologist Rick Fantasia and Australian footballer Orazio Fantasia (1995-).
FantauzziItalian Tuscanized form of a surname named for the eponymous settlement at the coordinates 42°28'9N, 12°52'36E.
FantinItalian, Venetian, Emilian-Romagnol Likely Derived from a northern, Emilian-Romagnol variant of fantino, meaning 'baby, boy', ‘foot soldier’, or 'young (unmarried) man'.
FantuzziEmilian-Romagnol, Italian A surname derived from the medieval name "Fantino", which is a diminutive of "Fante", usually meaning "infant" or "child", but it was also used to refer to a "foot soldier".
FaradayIrish From Irish Gaelic Ó Fearadaigh "descendant of Fearadach", a personal name probably based on fear "man", perhaps meaning literally "man of the wood". A famous bearer was British chemist and physicist Michael Faraday (1791-1867).
FarahaniPersian Indicated a person from the county of Farahan in Markazi province, Iran, of unknown meaning.
FaranHebrew The name of a desert mentioned in the Bible where Ishmael settled after his wanderings with his mother Hagar. The Israelites also came to this desert on their journey from the Sinai desert.
FaranoItalian, Sicilian Possibly deriving from a town Faranò in province of Messina, Sicily. Possible variant of Surname faran which comes from Irish surnames Ó Fearáin, Ó Faracháin, or Ó Forannáin.
FariaPortuguese, Italian Faria is a Portuguese surname. A habitational name from either of two places called Faria, in Braga and Aveiro. ... [more]
FariasPortuguese Habitational name from any of various places in Portugal called Faria.
FariesScottish Gaelic Scottish Gaelic Faries (meaning: fair, beautiful, or handsome) is derived from ancient Scottish Dalriadan MacFergus clans of the mountainous west coast of Scotland... [more]
FarionUkrainian (Rare), Polish (Rare), Rusyn (Rare, ?) Possibly from a Hutsul (Rusyn) dialectal word meaning "intriguer". Alternatively, it could be from the Greek headdress, of which's name derives from φάριο (phário), meaning "lantern, beacon"... [more]
FarishScottish "Farish" derives from "Fari" meaning "Farrier".This unravells to many decades ago when people forged shoes for horses,people who were extremly skilled blacksmiths and named "farrier".This group of "farriers" named "Farish" lived in the highlands of the cool misty moors of scotland-the mighty country,who unleashed highly educated citizens who dispersed all over britain.
FarizaSpanish From the name of a municipality in Zamora, Spain, probably of Arabic origin.
FarkashHebrew Hebrew transcription of Farkas, famous bearer is Israeli singer and actress Amit Farkash (or Farkas)
FarnumEnglish English and Irish. The origins of the Farnum name lie with England's ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. It comes from when the family lived at Farnham, in several different counties including Buckinghamshire, Dorset, Essex, Suffolk, and the West Riding of Yorkshire... [more]
FarnworthEnglish Farnworth is a combination of two words: old-English fearn meaning "fern" and worth, making the full meaning of Farnworth "settlers from a place where ferns are abundant." The oldest known record of the surname was in Farnworth with Kearsley (modern-day Farnworth), Lancashire in 1185... [more]
FarooqiMuslim Muslim: Arabic family name (Fārūqī), denoting someone descended from or associated with someone called Farooq , in particular a descendant of the khalif ῾Umar.
FarquaadPopular Culture Meaning unknown, as a surname it is born by Lord Maximus Farquaad, main antagonist of the 2001 animated fantasy comedy film Shrek.
FarragutBreton, French, Catalan, American A Breton-French surname of unknown origin. A notable bearer was American naval flag officer David Farragut (1801-1870), who is known for serving during the American Civil War. His father was of Catalan ancestry... [more]
FarrarEnglish (British) Northern English: occupational name for a smith or worker in iron, from Middle English and Old French farrour, ferour, from medieval Latin ferrator, an agent derivative of ferrare ‘to shoe horses’, from ferrum ‘iron’, in medieval Latin ‘horseshoe’... [more]
FarrimondEnglish Either from the Norman given name Faramund, or else a variant of the occupational surname Ferriman ('with post-medieval excrescent -d').
FarrowEnglish Northern English: hyper-corrected form of Farrar, occupational name for a smith or worker in iron. The original -ar or -er ending of this name came to be regarded as an error, and was changed to -ow.
FarthingEnglish (i) "someone who lives on a 'farthing' of land" (i.e. a quarter of a larger area); (ii) from a medieval nickname based on farthing "1/4 penny", perhaps applied to someone who paid a farthing in rent; (iii) from the Old Norse male personal name Farthegn, literally "voyaging warrior"
FasanoItalian Probably from Italian fasani "pheasant", a nickname for someone who resembled the bird in appearance or (lack of) intelligence, who hunted them, or who lived in an area populated by them. ... [more]
FassGerman From Middle High German faz, German Fass 'cask', 'keg', hence a metonymic occupational name for a maker or seller of casks and kegs, or a nickname for someone as rotund as a barrel. German: variant of Fasse, Faas.
FassbinderGerman Occupational name for a cooper, derived from German Fass "barrel, keg, cask" and Binder "girder, tie". Rainer Werner Fassbinder (1945-1982) was a German filmmaker considered as one of the major figures and catalysts of the New German Cinema movement.
FastGerman, Swedish Either a short form of a name starting with the element fast meaning "steadfast, firm", or a nickname for a reliable steadfast person.
FataItalian Means "fairy" in Italian, ultimately derived from Latin fatum "fate, destiny", possibly a nickname for a healer, or someone believed to use magic. In some cases, it could instead be a variant of Fato, a short form of given names such as Bonifatius meaning "good fate".
FaucettEnglish Locational surname from various British places: Fawcett in Cumberland, Facit in Lancashire, Forcett in North Yorkshire, or Fa’side Castle in East Lothian, Scotland. The linguistic origins of the name arise variously from, in Cumberland and Lancashire, "multi-coloured hillside" in 7th century Old English fag or fah, "brightly coloured, variegated, flowery" with side, "slope"; in North Yorkshire from Old English ford, "ford", and sete, "house, settlement"; or, reputedly, in East Lothian, "fox on a hillside"... [more]
FavierFrench Occupational name for a grower of beans or a bean merchant derived from Latin faba "bean".
FawcettEnglish Habitational name from Fawcett, Westmorland, or Facit, Lancashire, both derived from Old English fāh "multicoloured, variegated, colourful" and sīde "side, hill slope"... [more]
FawkesEnglish From the Norman personal name Faulques or Fauques, which was derived from a Germanic nickname meaning literally "falcon". A famous bearer of the surname was Guy Fawkes (1570-1606), the English Catholic conspirator... [more]
FawleyEnglish This is a name for someone who worked as a person who worked as the fowler or the bird-catcher having derived from the Old English word "fugelere" which literally means "hunter of wild birds, fowler"... [more]