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.
MannerheimFinland Swedish (Rare) Swedification of the German surname Marhein. A famous bearer was Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim (1867-1951), a Finnish military leader, statesman and the 6th President of Finland... [more]
ManocchioItalian Meaning uncertain, possibly from Italian mano "hand" and occhio "eye", an elaboration of the surname Mano, or an altered form of malocchio meaning "evil eye".
ManousosGreek Surname associated with the name Manouel in Crete. Another possible origin is a Hellenized version of the Venetian surname Manuzio.
MañozkaBasque It indicates familial origin within the eponymous palace in the municipality of Etxebarria.
ManresaCatalan This indicates familial origin within either of 2 eponymous localities: the municipality or the neighborhood in the municipality of Badalona.
MansellEnglish (Canadian), Norman Of Norman origin, a habitational or regional name from Old French mansel ‘inhabitant of Le Mans or the surrounding area of Maine’. The place was originally named in Latin (ad) Ceromannos, from the name of the Gaulish tribe living there, the Ceromanni... [more]
MansellAnglo-Norman, French A status name for a particular type of feudal tenant, Anglo-Norman French mansel, one who occupied a manse (Late Latin mansa ‘dwelling’), a measure of land sufficient to support one family... [more]
MantelEnglish, German, French, Dutch nickname for someone who wore a cloak in a particularly conspicuous way or with a striking design, from Middle English, Middle High German, Old French, and Middle Dutch mantel "cloak, coat" (from Late Latin mantellus)... [more]
ManteuffelGerman The Manteuffel family is the name of an old and influential German Pomeranian noble family. Manteuffel family was first mentioned in 1256, but the family history officially begins with Henricus Manduvel who is first mentioned on 14... [more]
MantillaSpanish Spanish: from mantilla ‘mantilla’, ‘scarf worn over the head and shoulders’, presumably an occupational name for a maker of mantillas or a descriptive name for someone who habitually wore such a garment.
MantonIrish (Anglicized) Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Manntáin "descendant of Manntán", a personal name derived from a diminutive of manntach "toothless"... [more]
ManusNorwegian (Hispanicized) Hispanicized variant of Magnussen. This was the surname of Norwegian World War II resistance fighter Max Manus, whose father spent much of his life living in Hispanophone countries.
ManvilleFrench A locational surname deriving from any of the various places in France called "Manneville or Magneville", named, from the Old Germanic personal name "Manno" or the Old French adjective "magne", great, with the word "ville", meaning a town or settlement.
ManzanaresSpanish Habitational Name From The City Of Manzanares In Ciudad Real Province
ManzanoSpanish Means "apple tree" in Spanish, denoting a habitational name from the various minor places so called or a topographic name for someone who lives near an apple tree or orchard. A famous bearer of the name is Filipino actor Luis Manzano (1981-).
ManzoniItalian Of uncertain origin: could be derived from a nickname given to those who raised and took care of bullock, or from the medieval terms manso or mansueto, denoting a gentle person.... [more]
MaoChinese From Chinese 毛 (máo) referring to the ancient region of Mao, which existed during the Zhou dynasty in what is now the Henan province. A notable bearer of this surname was Chinese communist revolutionary Mao Zedong (1893-1976).
MaouloudWestern African Derived from Arabic مولود (mawlud) meaning "born, newborn", used to refer to the مولد (Mawlid) observance of the birth of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad (chiefly Mauritanian).
MapesEnglish, Welsh variant of Mabe, which itself is a variant of Mabb, characterized by a genitival or post-medieval excrescent -s and the devoicing of b to p. All derived from the given name Mable... [more]
MaplesEnglish Variant of Maple, probably a name for plural Maple, a famous bearer of this name is Marla Maples (1963-).
MapletonEnglish The surname Mapleton was first found in Kent where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor.
MappEnglish From a variant of the medieval female personal name Mabbe, a shortened form of Amabel. A fictional bearer is Elizabeth Mapp, busybodyish spinster in the 'Mapp and Lucia' novels of E.F. Benson.
MaquedaSpanish This indicates familial origin within either of 2 eponymous localities: the Manchego municipality or the neighborhood of the Andalusian municipality of Málaga.
MaqueronFrench Of debated origin and meaning. Theories include a derivation from Picard maqueron "chin" (in which case this would have been a pejorative nickname for someone with a protruding chin) and a diminutive of Macquart.
MaquetFrench From a derivative of bac ‘tub’, also ‘ferry’, used as a metonymic occupational name for a maker or for a boatman.... [more]
MaquibarBasque (Hispanicized) Castilianized form of Makibar, possibly derived from Basque mako "arch, hook; curved, crooked" or "club, cane, staff" and ibar "valley, riverbank"... [more]
MaquilingFilipino, Tagalog (Hispanicized) Derived from Tagalog makiling meaning "uneven, crooked, bent." This name was given in honor of Maria Makiling. She is said to be the protector of Mount Makiling, a volcano in the Philippines.
MaraghIndian Means "king" in Hindu. Due to the vast amount of Indian emigrates in Jamaica, this is a common name there and also refers to a teacher of Rastafarianism.
MarajIndian, Trinidadian Creole Shortened form of Maharaj. A notable bearer is singer Onika Maraj-Petty (1982-), professionally known as Nicki Minaj.
MaranoItalian Habitational name from any of various places named Marano, derived from the Latin given name Marius combined with the suffix -ano... [more]
MarcantonioItalian Ancient family, called Marcantonio or Di Marcantonio, of clear and ancestral virtue, flourished in Abruzzo.
MarcetCatalan Marcet is a name that roughly translates to "Seven Seas" or "The Sea and the Sky" in the Catalan language. The name is unusual in the United States but very common in areas of Spain such as Barcelona, and in neighboring France.
MarchantFrench, English, Spanish Variant of Marchand, from French marchand meaning "merchant, mercantile". Though it is of French origin, it was transferred into the Spanish-speaking world, especially Chile, by French invasion of the Iberian Peninsula.
MarchenaSpanish This indicates familial origin within either of 4 Andalusian localities or 1 Murcian locality.
MarcheseItalian From the title of rank marchése "marquis" (in Italy the rank immediately below that of duke), probably applied as a nickname for someone who behaved like a marquis, or an occupational name for a servant in the household of a marquis... [more]
MarchesiniItalian Derived from the Latin word “marchese,” which means “marquis.” It is a title of nobility that was used in medieval Italy and referred to the leader of a march or border region. It likely refers to someone who was descended from or associated with a marquis or who held a similar position of authority in a border region.
MarengoItalian Habitational name from Marengo in Alessandria Province or Marengo-Talloria in Cuneo. From Maréngo, Marénco, meaning Of The Sea, Maritime (Medieval Latin Marincus from Mare ‘Sea’), which were often used as personal names or nicknames in the Middle Ages.
MargulisHebrew Margulis is a surname that is derived from the Ashkenazi Hebrew pronunciation of the Hebrew word מרגלית (Israeli Hebrew /maʁɡaˈlit/), meaning 'pearl,'
MargvelashviliGeorgian A bearer is Giorgi Margvelashvili, the current president of Georgia.
MariJapanese (Rare) From Japanese 鞠 (mari) meaning a type of ancient football used by courtiers.
MarigoItalian Either from Venetian marigo "mayor of a rural village", or from the given name Amerigo.
MarínGalician This indicates familial origin within either of 4 eponymous localities: the municipality in the Comarca of O Morrazo, the neighborhood of the parish of Xubial, the neighborhood of the parish of Camos in the municipality of Nigrán, or the neighborhood of the parish of Fiestras in the municipality of Silleda.
MarinerEnglish, Catalan Occupational name from Middle English mariner "sailor seaman boatman" (Anglo-Norman French mariner Old French mariniermarniermerinier) Catalan mariner (from Late Latin marinarius a derivative of marinus "marine").
MarinettiItalian Variant of Marino. A famous bearer of this surname is Italian poet Filippo Tommaso Marinetti (1876-1944), considered to be the founder of Futurism.
MariñoGalician It indicates familial origin within either of 4 neighborhoods: Mariño in the parish of Marei in the municipality of Corgo, Mariño in the parish of Santaia de Rairiz in the municipality of Santiso, O Mariño in the parish of Taboexa in the municipality of As Neves, or O Mariño in the parish of Goiáns in the municipality of Porto do Son.
MarjoribanksScottish Reputedly from the name of a Scottish estate (Ratho-Marjoribankis) bestowed on Robert the Bruce's daughter Marjorie on her marriage in 1316... [more]
MarkEnglish, German, Dutch Topographic name for someone who lived on a boundary between two districts, from Old High German marka "border, boundary, march". The German term also denotes an area of fenced-off land (see Marker) and, like the English word, is embodied in various place names which have given rise to habitational names.
MarkhamEnglish English name from a place in Nottinghamshire, named in Old English as 'homestead at a (district) boundary', from mearc 'boundary' + ham 'homestead'. English surname used as an equivalent of Gaelic Ó Marcacháin 'descendant of Marcachán', a diminutive of Marcach (see Markey).
MarklandEnglish From Old English mearc meaning "boundary" and lanu meaning "lane", it is a habitational name from a place in the town of Wigan in Greater Manchester, England. It can also be a topographic name for someone who lived by a stretch of border or boundary land, or a status name for someone who held land with an annual value of one mark.
MarlboroughEnglish From the name of the market town and civil parish of Marlborough in Wiltshire, England, derived from the Old English given name Mǣrla and beorg meaning "hill, mound".
MarlerEnglish (British) The name Marler might be loosely tied to marl, the type of crumbly clay made up of sand, silt, or clay. The name Marler likely means to mine marl, so they were called Marlers.
MarlockGerman (Archaic) Derived from Middle High German and Middle Low German mar(e), denoting an evil elf, a creature that sits on one's chest at night, and Middle High German loc "a lock of hair; hair; mane"... [more]
MarmionEnglish, French, Irish 1. English (of Norman origin) and French: nickname from old French marmion “monkey”, “brat”. ... [more]
MarnerEnglish, German Occupational name for a sailor from Anglo-Norman French mariner Middle, High German marnære "seaman". English variant of Mariner.
MaroniItalian Can be a nickname derived from Italian maroni "balls, bollocks", from the Latin given name Maronius, or from a diminutive of the Germanic-origin name Ademaro... [more]
MarquisEnglish, French From the title of nobility, which originally denoted an officer whose duty was to guard the marches or frontiers of the kingdom. A march was originally denoted as a border region at a frontier. The word marquis was derived from Late Latin marchensis, from Frankish *marku "boundary, border"... [more]
MarschallGerman, English occupational name for a man in the service of a member of the nobility originally one who looked after the horses derived from Middle High German marschalc from Latin mariscalcus, ultimately from Old High German marah "horse" and scalc "servant"... [more]
MarselliCatalan Catalan family that appears in the feudal list of 1355 with a Francis, lord of Chia.
MarshamAnglo-Saxon This name originated from the Norfolk location of Marsham. The first family to use this name adopted it by living in that area.
MarslandEnglish Probably derived from some place named as being a boggy place, from Old English mersc meaning "marsh" and land meaning "land". Alternatively, it may be a variant of Markland.
MarsmanDutch Derived from Middle Dutch marsch, mersch (Southern Dutch meers), meaning "marsh". In some cases, however, it can also be a variant of Meersman.
MarstellerGerman Occupational name for a stable boy in or for the supervisor of the stables on a noble estate, from Middle High German mar(c) 'noble horse' stall 'stable' + the agent suffix -er.
MartaOld Celtic (Latinized, Archaic) It is a small animal from the variety of mammals living in Spain and is prized for its skin has great finesse. Also known like Beech Marten (Stone Marten or White Breasted Marten).
MártirSpanish from mártir "martyr" probably a nickname for someone devoted to the religious cult of a Christian martyr or perhaps one who had played the part of a Christian martyr in a religious play.
MartiranoItalian Likely a habitational surname from a place in Catanzaro province in the Calabria region of Italy.
MartireItalian from martire "martyr" probably a nickname for someone who had played the part of a Christian martyr in a religious play. However there was a Saint Martire and so the surname may be derived from a personal name.
MartonEnglish habitational name from any of several places so called Marton principally in Lincolnshire, Warwickshire, and North Yorkshire named in Old English as "settlement by a lake" (from mere or mær "pool, lake" and tun "settlement") or as "settlement by a boundary" (from gemære "boundary" and tun "settlement").
MarttinenFinnish Derived from the given name Martti and the name suffix -nen, which is sometimes patronymic. John Morton (1725-1777), Pennsylvania/American politician and signer of the Declaration of Independence, was descended from a Marttinen family whose name had been anglicized as Morton.
MaruggRomansh Derived from the given name Maurus, combined with the diminutive suffix -ugg. Another theory, however, derives this name from Late Latin maior domus "mayor of a palace" (compare Meyer 1).
MarvelEnglish Either (i) from a medieval nickname (often ironic) for someone regarded as a prodigy; or (ii) "person from Merville", the name of two places in northern France ("smaller settlement" and "settlement belonging to a man with a Germanic name beginning with Meri-, literally 'famous'")... [more]
MarwoodEnglish From the name of two places named Marwood in England, or a nickname for a person who "casts an evil eye", derived from Norman French malreward meaning "evil eye, glance".
MaryFrench Habitational name from places in Saône-et-Loire, Seine-et-Marne, and Nièvre, named in Latin as Mariacum meaning "estate of Marius".
MarzonSpanish Is a portmanteau of the words mar, meaning sea, and corazon, meaning heart.
MarzoukiArabic (Maghrebi) From the given name Marzouq (chiefly Tunisian and Moroccan). A notable bearer is Moncef Marzouki (1945-), who was the fourth President of Tunisia from 2011 to 2014.
MasakiJapanese Surname of Japanese origin meaning "true blossoms" which comes from combing 真 (ma) meaning "true, genuine" with 咲 (saki) meaning "blossom".
MasalisGreek (Cypriot) Cypriot surname, often used in rural parts of Cyprus. Died out in Greece, there are no more living people with it anymore.
MasamizuJapanese From Japanese 正 (masa) meaning "right, proper" combined with 水 (mizu) meaning "water".
MasatoJapanese From Japanese 正 (masa) meaning "right, proper", 雅 (masa) meaning "elegant, graceful" or 真 (masa) meaning "real, genuine, true" combined with 人 (to) meaning "person". Other combinations of kanji that have the same pronunciation can also form this name... [more]
MascarenhasPortuguese Possibly from the place Mascarenhas in the city Mirandela. Originated by Estêvão Rodrigues, Lord of Mascarenhas.
MaschPolish Possibly a rough translation of marsh, given to people who lived near marshes.
MascheranoItalian Occupational name for maker of masks, derived from Italian mascherare meaning "to mask". The Argentine former soccer player Javier Mascherano (1984-) is a famous bearer of this name.
MaseyEnglish, Scottish, French, Norman English and Scottish (of Norman origin) and French: habitational name from any of various places in northern France which get their names from the Gallo-Roman personal name Maccius + the locative suffix -acum.... [more]
MashhadiPersian Indicated a person from the city of Mashhad in Iran, itself derived from Arabic مشهد (mashhad) meaning "place of martyrdom".
MashinRussian Matronymic surname derived from a diminutive Masha of the Russian given name Mariya.
MasihuddinArab The name Masih Uddin combines Masih, meaning “Messiah” (a title for Jesus Christ in Christian and Islamic traditions), and Uddin, meaning “of the faith” or “of the religion.” The name can be understood as “Messiah of the Faith”.
MaslinEnglish Derived from the Middle English and Old French given names Mazelin and Mazelin, double diminutives of names containing the Germanic element mahal "meeting, assembly; speech, court"... [more]
MasnickUkrainian I believe it is Ukranian. I have been told it was spelled a little different and could be of Russian Jewish origin
MassaItalian A habitational name from any of the various places named Massa (for example, Massa Lubrense or Massa di Somma, both in the Metropolitan City of Naples, or Massa d’Albe in the Province of L'Aquila), which were all named from the medieval Latin word massa, meaning ‘holding’ or ‘estate’.
MassaraItalian, Greek Either a feminine form of Massaro or from the equivalent occupational or status name in medieval Greek, (massaras meaning ‘peasant’ or ‘share cropper’) which is from the word massaria meaning ‘small farm’.
MassaroItalian Regional or archaic form of Italian massaio meaning "tenant farmer, share cropper".
MasseDutch Derived from Middle Dutch masse "clog; cudgel", this name might have been a metonymic occupational name for someone who wielded a club. In some cases, however, it may also have been a patronymic of Maas.
MasseterEnglish Perhaps means "brewery worker" (from Middle English mash "fermentable mixture of hot water and grain" + rudder "rudder-shaped stirrer").
MassinghamEnglish From the name of either of two villages in Norfolk, England, meaning "Mæssa’s village", composed of the personal name Mæssa and possessive suffix ing combined with ham "home, settlement".
MastGerman, Dutch Derived from Middle High German and Middle Dutch mast "mast (fodder made of acorns and beechnuts); the process of fattening livestock", an occupational name for a pig farmer or a swineherd. In some cases, however, the German name may also have been derived from Middle High German mast, mastic "fat, stout".
MastenEnglish This surname came from when a family lived in the settlements named Marsden in Lancashire and the West Riding of Yorkshire.
MastenbroekDutch Originally indicated a person from the polder area of Mastenbroek in the Dutch province of Overijssel, as well as a small village built around a church in the middle of that polder area. The place names derive from Middle Dutch mast meaning "pole, mast" or "pig feed, fodder" combined with broek meaning "marsh, wetland".
MastermanEnglish occupational name meaning "servant of the master" from Middle English maister "master" (Latin magister "teacher, master, leader") and mann "man".
MastertonScottish (Rare) From English Masterton, an area in the city of Dunfermline in the council area of Fife in Scotland.
MastinFrench, Flemish, Walloon occupational name for a household servant or guard from Old French mastin "watchdog, manservant" (from Latin mansuetudinus "domestic"). The Old French word had the further sense of a bad-tempered dog and was used as an adjective in the sense of "bad cruel".
MasukoJapanese From 益 (masu) meaning "profit, benefit" and 子 (ko) meaning "child, sign of the rat".
MasumizuJapanese From 升 (masu) meaning "measuring box, ascend, rise" or 増 (masu) meaning "increase" combined with 水 (mizu) meaning "water".
MasvidalSpanish surname formed by the union of the word, mas, meaning a house from rural zones that is appart from the village and is surrounded by farming land and forests; and another word relating to the owner of the mas.
MatamalaCatalan Town of the Capcir district, in the Northern Catalonia, now part of the Pyrénées-Orientales department in France.
MatamorosSpanish Means "Moor slayer" in Spanish, from Spanish matar "to kill, to slay" and moro "Moor". This is the name associated with the apostle James, who is said to have helped the Christians during the legendary Battle of Clavijo... [more]
MataplanaCatalan It indicates familial origin within the eponymous farmhouse in the municipality of La Coma i la Pedra.
MatareseItalian habitational name for someone from Matera (see Matera ) from materräisë a local adjectival form of the placename (in standard Italian materano).
MatarranzSpanish Originated in northern Spain, probably from mat- which means to kill and the surname Arranz. It is currently a very rare surname and is found mainly in the province of Segovia.
MatassaItalian Means "hank, skein, coil" in Italian and Sicilian, derived from Ancient Greek μέταξα (metaxa) via Latin mataxa "raw silk; thick string, thread", an occupational name for a silk merchant (compare Metaxas)... [more]
MatcottAustralian Australian/UK variant of Marcotte, a surname of French origin, which means ‘vineshoot forming a layer’ or vine-grower in Old French. This surname is most commonly found in Australia and England.
MatéHungarian Hungarian (Máté): from the ecclesiastical personal name Máté, Hungarian form of Matthew.
MateerNorthern Irish (Anglicized) A variant of Mcateer used chiefly by Northern Irish Protestants. The change in spelling of the element Mac or Mc, meaning "son" in Irish, removed its bearers' connections to Irish-speaking Catholics during a time when it would have been socially beneficial to be seen as Protestant Unionists.
MatharuIndian (Sikh, Modern) Matharus were fierce warriors especially during, the time when the Matharu tribe, had converted to Sikhism; they fought numbers of wars for Guru Gobind Singh, Banda Singh Bahadur and Jassa Singh Ramgarhia.... [more]