This is a list of submitted surnames in which the language is West Germanic.
Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
RonnenbergGerman (Germanized, Rare) Ronnenberg is a German town in the region of Hannover in Niedersachsen. It consists of 7 areas: Benthe, Empelde, Ihme-Roloven, Linderte, Ronnenberg, Vörie and Weetzen. The town is known for the Church named Michaelis from the 12th century.... [more]
RöntgenGerman Meaning uncertain. This was the name of German physicist Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen (1845-1923) who discovered and studied x-rays. Röntgen called the radiation "X" because it was an unknown type of radiation.
RoodEnglish Designating someone who lived near a cross, rood in Middle English
RoosEstonian, Swedish, Danish, Dutch, German (Swiss), Low German Means "rose" in Estonian and Dutch. Swedish and Danish variant of Ros, also meaning "rose". This could be a locational name for someone living near roses, an occupational name for someone who grew roses, or a nickname for someone with reddish skin.
RootEnglish From Middle English and Old French rote, an early medieval stringed instrument similar to a guitar that was played by turning wheels like a hurdy-gurdy.
RootDutch From Dutch root, a derivative of roten "to ret", a topographic name for someone who lived by a retting place, a place where flax is soaked in tubs of water until the stems rot to release the linen fibers.
RootEnglish A nickname for a cheerful person, from Middle English rote "glad, cheerful".
RosDutch Could be an occupational name for a horse breeder or trader derived from Middle Dutch ros "horse, steed" (see hros), or a nickname for someone with red hair or ruddy skin derived from Dutch ros "reddish; red-haired, ginger".
RoselandEnglish Americanized form of Norwegian Røys(e)land; a habitational name from about 30 farmsteads, many in Agder, named from Old Norse reysi ‘heap of stones’ + land ‘land’, ‘farmstead’.
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.
RosemontEnglish From rose "rose" + mont "mount". Also the name of a town in central California, near Sacramento. In 1880, there were 6 Rosemont families in Indiana.
RosenbaumGerman, Czech Habitational name for someone who lived at a house distinguished by the sign of a rosebush, Middle High German rōsenboum.
RosenboomDutch From Dutch rozeboom meaning "rose tree", a habitational name for someone who lived near such a tree or a sign depicting one, or who come from the neighbourhood Rozenboom.
RoserGerman German: topographic name for "someone who lived at a place where wild roses grew" (see Rose 1), with the suffix -er denoting an inhabitant.German (Röser): habitational name from places called Rös, Roes, or Rösa in Bavaria, Rhineland, and Saxony, or a variant of Rosser.Swiss German (Röser): from a short form of a Germanic personal name based on hrod "renown".English: "unexplained".
RosevearCornish, English From the name of a Cornish village near St Mawgan which derives from Celtic ros "moor, heath" and vur "big".
RosmarinGerman According to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosemary and Latin dictonaries the name Rosmarin derives from the Latin words 'ros' ('dew' or 'tear') and 'marin' ('sea')... [more]
RostGerman From a nickname for a red-haired person, from Middle High German rost meaning ‘rust’.
RostGerman A metonymic occupational name for a limeburner or blacksmith, from Middle High German, Middle Low German rōst meaning ‘grate, grill’ or Middle High German rōst(e) meaning ‘fire, embers, pyre, grate’ (typically one for burning lime).
RoszhartGerman The original spelling of the name is Roßhart. Roß means "horse" and hart means "hard" in German. The name was changed when the family immigrated to the United States in the 1850's. Some took on the name "Rosshart", and some "Roszhart" as the ß has the "sss" sound.
RothackerGerman Either a topographic name based on a field name derived from Middle High German riutenroten "to clear land (for cultivation)" and acker "field"... [more]
RothfusGerman Middle High German rot "red" + vuoz "foot", a nickname for someone who followed the fashion for shoes made from a type of fine reddish leather. Or a variant of Rotfuchs, from the Middle Low German form fos "fox", a nickname for a clever person.
RothfussGerman Variant spelling of Rothfus. A notable bearer is Patrick Rothfuss (1973-), an American author of epic fantasy.
RothmanGerman, Jewish German (Rothmann) and Jewish (Ashkenazic): nickname for a person with red hair, from an elaborated form of Roth 1. ... [more]
RottGerman As far as I've researched the name dates back to a man by the name of Count Palatine Kuno von Rott (~1083). After he got land from the Pfalzfrafs which seem to be a nobile family line.... [more]
RotterGerman Variant spelling of Rother, an occupational name for the foreman or leader of a group or association of men, or a work gang, from an agent derivative of Middle High German rotte ‘team’, ‘gang’... [more]
RotterdamDutch Denoting someone from a place named Rotterdam "place of the muddy water".
RottscheitGerman Modernization of Rotscheidt, also a city in Germany (Rottscheidt) bearing another modern alternate spelling. When broken down it ultimately means "red" and "piece of wood", implying that the families of today descends from woodwrokers.
RouseEnglish From a nickname for a person with red hair or a ruddy complexion, derived from Old French rous "red", from Latin russus "red, reddish-brown".
RouthEnglish From the village and civil parish of Routh in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England (recorded in the Domesday book as Rutha). The place name may derive from Old Norse hrúedhr meaning "rough shaly ground"... [more]
RouvoetDutch From a nickname that meant "rough foot", derived from Middle Dutch ru meaning "rough, wild" and voet meaning "foot". This name is borne by the retired Dutch politician André Rouvoet (1962-).
RöverGerman This surname was originally used as a derogative nickname for an unscrupulous individual, from Middle Low German rover meaning "pirate, robber."
RoverEnglish, German (Anglicized) This surname is derived from Middle English roof (from Old English hrof) combined with the agent suffix (i)er, which denotes someone who does/works with something. Thus, the surname was originally used for a constructor or repairer of roofs.... [more]
RowettEnglish English from a medieval personal name composed of the Germanic elements hrod ‘renown’ + wald ‘rule’, which was introduced into England by Scandinavian settlers in the form Róaldr, and again later by the Normans in the form Rohald or Roald... [more]
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.
RowsonEnglish (British, Anglicized) The ancestors of the Rowson family first reached the shores of England in the wave of migration after the Norman Conquest of 1066. Their name is derived from the Norman given name Ralph. This name, which also occurs as Ralf, Rolf, and Raoul, is adapted from the Old French given name Raol.... [more]
RubinFrench, German, Slovene, Croatian, Czech, Slovak Metonymic occupational name for a jeweler, from Middle High German rubn Old French rubi Slovenian and Croatian rubin Czech and Slovak rubín "ruby"... [more]
RubinsteinGerman, Jewish, Polish Means "ruby stone", from rubin and stein. Rubin means "ruby" in German and stein means "stone" in German.
RuchGerman (Swiss) It was originally a nickname for a greedy person, from Middle High German ruoch ‘eager,’ ‘intent.’... [more]
RuckerGerman Middle High German: nickname rucken "to move or draw". North German: nickname from Middle Low German rucker "thief", "greedy or acquisitive person". German: from a reduced form of the Germanic personal name Rudiger... [more]
RudatisGerman (East Prussian) Derived from Old Prussian ruds and Lithuanian rudas "(of hair) red" or Lithuanian rudis "redhead".
RuddEnglish From a nickname for someone with a ruddy complexion, ultimately derived from Old English rudu "redness, ruddy complexion". A famous bearer of the name is British-American actor Paul Rudd (1969-).
RudeNorwegian, German German: From a pet form of a personal name formed with Old High German hrōd "fame", for example Rudolf or Rüdiger... [more]
RudolfGerman From a personal name composed of Old High German hrōd "renown" and wolf "wolf", equivalent to English Ralph. This name is also found in Slovenia.
RudyardEnglish From the location Rudyard (Staffs) which is recorded as Rudegeard in 100 The place-name probably derives from Old English rude "rue" and geard "enclosure yard".
RuegerGerman The name was likely first bestowed on someone thought to have the characteristics of a heron as a nickname, eventually becoming a hereditary surname.
RuettenGerman (Rütten): from a field name, here showing an inflected form from a full name like aus den Rütten ‘from the clearing(s)’ (see Rutten and Reuter 1
RuffinEnglish From the medieval French male personal name Ruffin, from Latin Rufinus, a derivative of Rufus (literally "red-haired one")... [more]
RugbyEnglish From Rugby, Warwickshire. Originally named *Rocheberie, from Old English *Hrocaburg, 'Hroca's fort', the name was altered due to influence fort Danish settlers, with the second element being replaced with Old Norse byr, 'farm'.... [more]
RugeGerman Nickname from Middle High German ruowe, ruge ‘quiet’, ‘calm’ or Low German rug ‘rough’, ‘crude’.... [more]
RugeleyEnglish From the name of a town in Staffordshire, England, derived from Old English hrycg "ridge" and leah "woodland clearing".
RuggEnglish Nickname for a person associated with the color red, whether through hair color, clothing, or complexion. Accordingly, the name is derived from the Old French word ruge, meaning red.
RughGerman A variant of the Alsacian German (and probably Swiss before that) Ruch. Also a variant of the Danish Rügh (not related as far as is known)
RuhGerman Derived from German ruhig meaning "quiet".
RuheGerman Variant of Ruge. (Rühe) is also a nickname from Rüde ‘hound.’ Habitational name from places named Rühen, Rüden, Rhüden in northern Germany.
RuleScottish, English Scottish name from the lands of Rule in the parish of Hobkirk, Roxburghshire. The derivation is from the River Rule which flows through the area, and is so called from the ancient Welsh word "rhull" meaning "hasty or rushing".... [more]
RumfeltGerman, Dutch Altered spelling of German Romfeld, derived from Middle Low German rüm- meaning "to clear (land)" and feld meaning "open country, field", hence a topographic name or possibly a metonymic occupational name for a person engaged in clearing woodland, or in some cases a habitational name for someone from Romfelt in the Ardennes... [more]
RumfordEnglish From the parish of Romford in Essex, England. The name means "the wide ford" from Old English rúm "wide".
RummelGerman Derived from a short form of names containing the element hruom "fame, glory". Alternatively, could be a nickname for a noisemaker, from Middle High German rummeln "to make noise, to move impetuously"... [more]
RummeniggeGerman Meaning uncertain. It could possibly be an occupational name for a viticulturist who grew grapes to make wine, a seller or producer of Romanian wine, or a nickname for a person who preferred to drink Romanian wine... [more]
RumpleGerman It is derived from Rumbald, an Old German personal name.
RumpoleEnglish A different form of Rumbold (from the Norman personal name Rumbald, of Germanic origin and probably meaning literally "fame-bold"). A fictional bearer of the surname is Horace Rumpole, the eccentric QC created by John Mortimer (originally for a 1975 television play).
RumschlagGerman This name is possibly a derivative of the German word for "envelope" which is spelled 'Umschlag'.
RumsfeldGerman Variant spelling of Rumfelt. A notable bearer was the American politician, businessman and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld (1932-2021).
RuncieEnglish, Scottish Derived from Latin runcinus, and related to the Old French "roncin", for a horse of little value. Middle English, Rouncy, as in Chaucer's Cantebury Tales.... [more]
RundellEnglish Nickname derived from a diminutive of Middle English and Old French rond, rund meaning "fat, round" (see Rounds), or derived from Rundale, a local place in the village and civil parish of Shoreham in Kent, England, named with Old English rum(ig) meaning "roomy, spacious" and dæl meaning "valley".
RundsGermanic (Rare) The Runds surname most likely originated near the Rhine river. It comes from the Proto-Celtic word, rūnā, meaning mystery/mystic. The coat of arms dates back to the middle ages and consists of a black shield with three gold crescent moons... [more]
RungeGerman From the old word "runga", meaning stick or whip
RunnerEnglish (American) Probably an altered spelling of German Ronner, annoccupational name for a runner or messenger, a lightly armed mounted soldier. Compare Renner. UK The surname Runner was first found in Lancashire. One of the first records of the family was found in the year 1246 when Alan de Runacres held estates in that shire... [more]
RusbyScottish, English Alternative spelling of Busby, a parish in Renfrewshire. A name well represented in the Penistone, and Cawthorne districts of the West Riding of Yorkshire.
RuschLow German Derived from Middle Low German rusch "quick, rash, hasty; unkempt", this was a nickname for a quick or unkempt, unrefined person.
RushenEnglish Originally denoted a person who lived near a marsh, noted for its rushes (see Rush). A famous bearer of this surname is the American singer Patrice Rushen (b. 1954).
RusherGerman (Americanized) Americanized version of the German surname Rüscher or Roshcer. Either a topographic name for someone who lived among rushes or an occupational name for someone who created things out of rushes.
RustEnglish, Scottish A nickname to someone with reddish hair or a ruddy complexion.
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.
RuthEnglish, German (Swiss) English: from Middle English reuthe ‘pity’ (a derivative of rewen to pity, Old English hreowan) nickname for a charitable person or for a pitiable one. Not related to the given name in this case.... [more]
RuthvenEnglish, Scottish From the name of a barony in Perthshire, Scotland, which comes from Scottish Gaelic Ruadhainn "Dun uplands".
RutteDutch Derived from the given name Rutger. This surname is borne by the former Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte (1967-).
RutterEnglish Either (i) "player of the rote (a medieval stringed instrument played by plucking)"; or (ii) from a medieval nickname for a dishonest or untrustworthy person (from Old French routier "robber, mugger")... [more]
SachtlebenGerman Nickname for someone perceived to lead a carefree, easy life, from Middle Low German sacht(e) meaning "soft" + leben meaning "life".
SackhoffGerman Occupational name for a farmer who cultivated land to grow plants, particularly crops, derived from Middle High German sack meaning "sack, end of a valley, area of cultivation" and hof meaning "farmstead, manor, farm"... [more]
SackmannGerman Occupational name from Middle High German sacman meaning "baggage servant", one who was in charge of transporting and looking after a knight’s baggage and supplies on campaign.
SadatGerman (Rare) The last name Sadat means "master" and "gentleman," and is originally a religious last name which was popular in the west, more precisely in Germany.
SadileEnglish 1 English (mostly Lancashire): probably a variant of Sale .... [more]
SaengerGerman, Jewish Occupational name for a chorister or a nickname for someone who liked singing, from Middle High German senger, German Sänger meaning "singer".
SainsburyEnglish Habitational name from the village of Saintbury in Gloucestershire, from the Old English given name Sæwine and burg "fortress, fortification, citadel".
SaintEnglish, French From a nickname for a very pious or religious person, ultimately derived from Latin sanctus "holy, saintly". In some cases, it may be from the Medieval given name Saint, of the same origin.
SaipeEnglish English: perhaps a habitational name from a minor place in Wiltshire named Stype.
SaleEnglish, French English: from Middle English sale ‘hall’, a topographic name for someone living at a hall or manor house, or a metonymic occupational name for someone employed at a hall or manor house. ... [more]