OrrisEnglish (Canadian) This unusual and interesting name is of Italian, Latin origin, and derives from one of the earliest Roman names, "Horatius". The name is thought to mean something connected with "hora", the Latin for "hour", but the original meaning has been lost... [more]
PantazisGreek Derived from the Greek wish: πάντα να ζει! (panta na zei!) or πάντα ζεις! (panta zeis!) meaning "live forever!", from the Greek πάντα (panta) meaning "always" and ζεις (zeis) meaning "live"... [more]
PaveseItalian Means "one from Pavia". Pavia is an Italian town located in Lombardy, northern Italy. It can also derive from pavese, a kind of big, Medieval shield.... [more]
PinoSpanish, Galician, Italian Spanish and Galician habitational name from any of the places in Galicia (Spain) named Pino from pino "pine" or a topographic name for someone who lived by a remarkable pine tree. Italian habitational name from Pino d'Asti in Asti province Pino Torinese in Torino or Pino Solitario in Taranto all named with pino "pine’... [more]
PoItalian Derived from Po the longest river in Italy (651,8 km). It flows eastward across northern Italy starting from the Cottian Alps across the regions: Piemonte, Lombardia, Emilia-Romagna and Veneto... [more]
PoolEnglish Topographic name for someone who lived near a pool or pond, Middle English pole (Old English pōl), or a habitational name from any of the places named with this word, as for example Poole in Dorset, South Pool in Devon, and Poole Keynes in Gloucestershire.
RakhmaninovRussian From a nickname derived from Russian рахманный (rakhmannyy) meaning "lazy". A notable bearer was Russian composer, pianist and conductor Sergei Rakhmaninov (1873-1943).
RallisGreek A surname held by the descendants of a Frankish-Byzantine noble named Raoul. The Rallis family (also spelled Ralli, Ralles or Rallet in Romanian) is the name of an old Greek Phanariote family, whose members played important political role in the history of modern Greece, Danubian Principalities and later in the United Kingdom... [more]
RantzauGerman, Theatre This is the surname used in 'I Rantzau' (The Rantzau Family), an opera in four acts by Pietro Mascagni (1892), based on a libretto by Guido Menasci and Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti, based on the play Les Rantzau (1873) by French writers Erckmann and Chatrian, after their novel (1882) Les Deux Frères (The Two Brothers).
RauGerman Nickname for a ruffian, earlier for a hairy person, from Middle High German ruch, ruhe, rouch "hairy", "shaggy", "rough".
RavenswaaijDutch From the name of a village in Gelderland, Netherlands, meaning "Raven’s ford", derived from the personal name Raven combined with Old Dutch wade "ford, shallows", later reinterpreted as Middle Dutch way "pool, kolk lake".
RivabellaItalian Derived from the Italian word riva meaning "bank (shore, riverbank, lakebank)" (from Latin ripa) and bella meaning "beautiful"... [more]
RosemeyerGerman Derived from the Middle High German rose meaning "rose" and meier meaning "(tenant) farmer steward". This is a German nickname and distinguishing name for a farmer who grew or liked roses.
RosenbaumGerman, Czech Habitational name for someone who lived at a house distinguished by the sign of a rosebush, Middle High German rōsenboum.
RosierFrench French for "rose tree" or "rose bush". A common surname in Francophone areas. It is also the name of a fallen angel who was considered the patron demon of tainted love and seduction.
RowleyEnglish Anglo Saxon Name- locational, comes from several places in England such as in Devonshire, Yorkshire, County Durham and Staffordshire. It means ' rough wood or clearing', from the Old English 'run' meaning rough and 'leah', meaning clearing in a wood.
RungeGerman From the old word "runga", meaning stick or whip
RüsterGerman Means "elm (tree)" in German. Could alternatively derive from rüsten to "to equip, to arm", an occupational name for someone who provided weapons to an army.
SarakatsanisGreek Derived from the Greek Σαρακατσάνοι (Sarakatsanoi) referred to an ethnic Greek population subgroup who were traditionally transhumant shepherds, native to Greece, with a smaller presence in neighbouring Bulgaria, southern Albania, and North Macedonia... [more]
SchlatterUpper German Topographic name from Middle High German slâte "reedy place", or a habitational name from any of several places named Schlatt, from the same word.
SchmalGerman Derived from the Middle High German and Middle Low German word smal meaning "small, slight, thin". It was originally used as a nickname.
SeligmanGerman, Jewish Derived from the given name Selig with the German suffix -man meaning "man" and it's originally a patronymic. The surname Seligman is originated in the Rhineland.
SlackEnglish, Dutch Nickname for an idle person, from Middle Dutch slac "slow, loose", Middle English slak "lazy, careless". Alternatively, the Dutch form could derive from Middle Dutch slecke "snail, slug", with a similar implication of idleness.
SmuldersDutch Occupational name derived from Dutch des mulders meaning "son of the miller". A famous bearer is Canadian-American actress Cobie Smulders (1982-).
StaafSwedish Derived from various place names beginning with stav- or staf-, often meaning "boundary marker" when used in place names. Other meanings are possible. Also found occasionally as a soldier's name pre-20th century... [more]
StrachanScottish, Caribbean Scottish habitational name from a place in the parish of Banchory, Kincardineshire, which is first recorded in 1153 in the form Strateyhan, and is perhaps named from Gaelic srath ‘valley’ + eachain, genitive case of eachan ‘foal’.
SubercaseauxFrench, Spanish (Latin American) The Subercaseaux family is a Chilean family of French descent. They became well known during the 19th century due to their wealth amassed in Norte Chico. They have played a very significant role in Chilean mining, winemaking, politics and arts.
SzokolyiHungarian Derived from Szokolya, a village in Pest county, Hungary. It is located in the largest basin of the Börzsöny Hills. The Morgó Brook runs across the village.
TewksburyEnglish Derived from Tewkesbury, a market town and civil parish in Gloucestershire, England. It is named with the Old English given name Teodec and burg meaning "fortification".
TheumaMaltese Most likely derived from Arabic ثُوم (ṯūm) meaning "garlic", used in reference to someone who grew garlic or owned a garlic field. Alternatively, it may also be from تَوْأَم (tawʾam) meaning "twin, double".