Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
RamplingEnglish Originally indicated a person who lived in a thickly wooded area, derived from Latin ramus meaning "branch" (see Ramos). Famous bearers include English actress Charlotte Rampling (1946-) and her father, athlete and British Army officer Godfrey Rampling (1909-2009).
RamsbottomEnglish Habitational name from a market town called Ramsbottom in Greater Manchester, England (historically in Lancashire), derived from Old English hramsa meaning "wild garlic" or ramm "ram", and bothm meaning "bottom, bottom valley".
RamserGerman (Swiss), German (Austrian) someone from any of several places in the Palatinate and in Switzerland called Ramsen or from places in Austria and upper Bavaria called Ramsau. In the Bavarian dialect Rams means "scree".... [more]
RamseyerSwiss Note: the 'Ramseyer Song' in Switzerland
RandaluEstonian Randalu is an Estonian surname derived from "rand" ("beach") and "salu" ("sandy heath" or "heathy woodland").
RandazzoItalian Habitational name from a place in Catania called Randazzo. Possibly from a derivative of the personal name Rando.
RandelFrench, German French: from a pet form of the Germanic personal name Rando, a short form of various compound names formed with rand ‘(shield) rim’ as the first element... [more]
RandolphEnglish, German Classicized spelling of Randolf, a Germanic personal name composed of the elements rand "rim (of a shield), shield" and wolf "wolf". This was introduced into England by Scandinavian settlers in the Old Norse form Rannúlfr, and was reinforced after the Norman Conquest by the Norman form Randolf.
RandpaluEstonian Randpalu is an Estonian surname meaning "beach/seashore sandy heath".
RandpereEstonian Randpere is an Estonian surname meaning "beach/seashore folk".
RandpõldEstonian Randpõld is an Estonian surname meaning "beach/shore field".
RangerEnglish, German, French English: occupational name for a gamekeeper or warden, from Middle English ranger, an agent derivative of range(n) ‘to arrange or dispose’.... [more]
RangihauMaori Rangihau means "windy weather" in Maori
RangkutiBatak From a rapid pronunciation of the nickname Orang Yang Ditakuti meaning "The Feared One".
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).
RapaceSwedish (Modern, Rare) From French and Italian rapace meaning "predatory, bird of prey, raptor". A notable bearer is Swedish actress Noomi Rapace.
RapinoItalian From the name of two municipalities in Abruzzo, Italy. It could also be a nickname for a barber, derived from Italian rapare meaning "to crop, to shave, to scalp".
RappaItalian, Sicilian from Sicilian rappa meaning ‘bunch, cluster’ or Italian rappa meaning ‘lock, quiff’, which was presumably applied as a nickname with reference to someone’s hair.
RapuRapa Nui People with this surname have a connection to the Rapa Nui Ngaure clan. Rapu is the surname of Rapanui insurrection leader and mayor of Rapa Nui aka Easter Island Alfonso Rapu (1942) who led a revolt against the Chilean government in 1965... [more]
RarungIndonesian Meaning unknown. This surname is mainly found on the tribe of Minahasa in North Sulawesi, Indonesia.
RasbandAmerican (Americanized, Rare) This name is not a very common family name found in the United States. The first Rasband (Thomas) coming to the U.S. arrived in New Orleans on the ship North Atlantic on 1 November 1850 and arrived in Salt Lake City, Utah on 13 August 1856... [more]
RasberryEnglish Possibly a habitational name from Ratsbury in Lynton, Devon.
RashleighEnglish From a location in Devon, derived from Old English rá "roe buck" + léah "clearing".
RasilaFinnish A variant of the finnish word (rasi) for a forest that has been cleared for slash and burn but has not yet been burnt for agricultural means. The suffix "-la" is usually added to the stem of the word to indicate a location... [more]
RaskEstonian Rask is an Estonian surname meaning "puttee (a cloth or leather legging)".
RaskolnikovLiterature The surname of Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov, protagonist of Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky. It derives from the Russian word raskolnik, meaning "schismatic" or a member of the Old Believer sect.
RatasEstonian Ratas is an Estonian surname meaning "wheel".
RatasseppEstonian Ratassepp is an Estonian surname meaning "wheel smith".
RatchfordEnglish habitational name from Rochford (Worcestershire) from Old English ræcc ‘hunting dog’ (genitive ræcces) and ford "ford"... [more]
RatcliffEnglish Habitational name from any of the places, in various parts of England, called Ratcliff(e), Radcliffe, Redcliff, or Radclive, all of which derive their names from Old English rēad meaning "red" + clif meaning "cliff", "slope", "riverbank".
RathGerman 1 German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): descriptive epithet for a wise person or counselor, from Middle High German rāt ‘counsel’, ‘advice’, German Rat ‘counsel’, ‘advice’, also ‘stock’, ‘supply’.... [more]
RathgeberGerman From Middle High German ratgebe or Middle Low German ratgever "giver of advice, counselor", an occupational name for an adviser or wise man.
RatnasiriSinhalese, Thai Derived from Sanskrit रत्न (ratna) meaning "jewel, treasure" and श्री (shri) meaning "diffusing light, radiance, splendour, beauty"... [more]
RatzingerGerman Ratzinger means that someone has origins in the town of Ratzing. There are several German towns with this name. RATZ means ‘Serb’. Serbs were indigenous people in Germany, and many German cities originally had Serbian names (Berlin, Dresden, Leipzig, Brandenburg)... [more]
RäuberGerman, German (Swiss) German, Swiss German: derogatory nickname, from Middle High German roubære ‘robber’, ‘bandit’, ‘highwayman’ (from roub, roup ‘booty’, ‘spoils’).
RauchGerman Perhaps an occupational nickname for a blacksmith or charcoal burner, from Middle High German rouch, German Rauch ‘smoke’, or, in the case of the German name, a status name or nickname relating to a hearth tax (i.e. a tax that was calculated according to the number of fireplaces in each individual home).
RaudEstonian Raud is an Estonian surname meaning "iron".
RaudabaughGerman (Americanized) Raudabaugh is a German-Americanized surname of Reidenbach. People include Dan Raudabaugh (American Football coach) and Dave Raudabaugh (Outlaw who was an acquaintance to Billy the kid).
RaudkellEstonian Raudkell is an Estonian surname meaning "iron clock".
RaudseppEstonian Raudsepp is an Estonian name meaning "blacksmith" (the combination of "raud", meaning "iron" and "sepp", meaning "smith").
RavelFrench, French (African) Derived from either a place called Ravel in the district of Drome or Provence, or from the word 'rave' meaning a root vegetable, and hence a grower or seller of such items.
RavelingGerman nickname or patronymic from Middle Low German rave(n) ‘raven’
RavelinoOld Celtic (Latinized, Archaic) It means manufacturing of fine and expensive fabrics. Also means the tailor or weaver. It comes from Asti and Piedmont (noth of Italy).
RavellinoCeltic It means weaver or taylor. In the Gaelic languaje is wehydd or gwehydd.
RavenelEnglish, French Habitational name from Ravenel in Oise or a metonymic occupational name for a grower or seller of horseradish, from a diminutive of Old French ravene ‘horseradish’ (Latin raphanus)... [more]
RavenhillEnglish From Rauenilde or Ravenild, medieval English forms of the Old Norse given name Hrafnhildr.
RavenscroftEnglish, English (British) Habitational name from a minor place in Cheshire, England. The place name means "Hræfn's croft", from an Old English personal name Hræfn (itself from Old English hræfn meaning "raven", possibly a byname) and Old English croft meaning "enclosed field".
RawlsEnglish From the Olde German and Anglo-Saxon personal name Rolf. Originally derived from the Norse-Viking pre 7th Century 'Hrolfr' meaning "Fame-Wolf".
RayaGalician, Spanish Possibly a habitational name from Raya in Galicia or in Albacete and Murcia provinces. Possibly a topographic name from Spanish raya meaning "line", denoting the boundary between two countries or provinces.
RayamajhiNepali Probably a portmanteau of the Nepali words meaning 'Royal Fishmongers'. A member of the Rajput-Chhetri subcaste of Nepali family names.