PikeEnglish, Irish English: topographic name for someone who lived by a hill with a sharp point, from Old English pic ‘point’, ‘hill’, which was a relatively common place name element.... [more]
PikkEstonian Pikk is an Estonian surname meaning "long" and "tall".
PinkEnglish, German Nickname, possibly for a small person, from Middle English pink penkg ‘minnow’ (Old English pinc).English (southeastern): variant of Pinch .Variant spelling of German Pinck, an indirect occupational name for a blacksmith, an onomatopoeic word imitating the sound of hammering which was perceived as pink(e)pank... [more]
PinkEstonian Pink is an Estonian surname meaning "bench" and "garden seat".
PinnEnglish, German Derived from Middle English pin and Middle Low German pinne, both meaning "peg" or "pin". This was an occupational name from a maker of these things. The German name can in some cases be an occupational name for a shoemaker.
PinnEnglish (British) A topographic or habitational name from a place named with Middle English pinne, meaning "hill" (Old English penn).
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]
PiriPersian Derived from Persian پیر (pir) meaning "old, aged".
PirnEstonian Pirn is an Estonian surname meaning "pear".
PisaItalian Habitational name from the city of Pisa in Tuscany. The city was probably founded by Greek colonists, but before coming under Roman control it was in the hands of the Etruscans, who probably gave it its name... [more]
PitaSpanish Spanish and Portuguese: from Spanish, Portuguese pita ‘chicken’ or in some cases possibly from the plant pita ‘pita’, ‘American aloe’, presumably a topographic name.
PlumEnglish, German, Jewish English and North German: from Middle English plum(b)e, Middle Low German plum(e) ‘plum’, hence a topographic name for someone who lived by a plum tree, or a metonymic occupational name for a fruit grower... [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.
PoolEstonian Pool is an Estonian surname meaning "at", "to", "towards", as well as "half". Derived from the location in which one lived.
PrueEnglish, French English: nickname for a redoubtable warrior, from Middle English prou(s) ‘brave’, ‘valiant’ (Old French proux, preux).... [more]
PrysWelsh From the Welsh personal name Rhys, which also took the forms Rice and Rees. This name was originally derived from the Old Welsh forename Ris, which means ardour.
PürgEstonian Pürg is an Estonian surname derived from "pürg" meaning both "avidity (eagerness or enthusiasm") and a colloquial name for the European bison ("Bison bonasus").
PuriEstonian Puri is an Estonian surname meaning "sail".
PurkEstonian Purk is an Estonian surname meaning "pot".
PüttGerman Habitational name from any of several places so named in Rhineland, Westphalia, and Pomerania, but in most cases a topographic name from Middle Low German putte ‘pit’, ‘well’, ‘puddle’, ‘pond’.
PüttEstonian Pütt is an Estonian surname meaning "tub" and "cask".
PutzGerman German for "plaster". Likely used to denote someone who manufactured plaster
PuurEstonian Puur is an Estonian surname meaning "hutch" or "coop".
PüviEstonian Püvi is an Estonian surname possibly derived from "puuvili" meaning "fruit".
PyakKorean (Russified) Russified form of Baek used by ethnic Koreans living in former Soviet territories.
PykeEnglish Most likely originates from the words pike (the weapon or the fish), having to do with fishermen or soldiers, or pick, having to do with miners or somebody who tills the ground.
PyleEnglish From the Middle English word pile, meaning "stake" or "post", which is derived via Old English from Latin pilum, meaning "spike" or "javelin". This was a topographic name for someone who lived near a stake or post serving as a landmark, a metonymic occupational name for a stake maker, or a nickname for a tall, strong man.
PyleDutch Metonymic occupational name for a marksman or an arrowsmith, from pijl meaning "arrow".
PyneEnglish Means "pine" from the Old French pin. This was originally given as a topographical name for someone who lived by a conspicuous pine tree or in a pine forest.
PyntDanish Danish ornamental name, meaning "decoration, ornament". It is mostly extinct in modern Denmark, though alternative form Pyndt is still seen, though rare.
QianChinese From Chinese 錢 (qián) meaning "money".
QiaoChinese Named after a Chinese mountain, Qiao Shan, where Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi was supposedly buried. This is the 96th most common surname in China.
QiaoChinese From Chinese 喬 (qiáo) meaning "tall, lofty". It may also refer Qiao Shan, a mountain in present-day Shaanxi province where the legendary king Huang Di was supposedly buried.
QingChinese From Chinese 青 (qīng) meaning "blue, green, young".
QuanChinese From Chinese 权 (quán) referring to the ancient state of Quan, which existed during the Shang and Zhou dynasties in what is now Hubei province.
RaiaItalian, Sicilian Either a topographic name from Sicilian raia ‘smilax’ (a climbing shrub), or else derived from Sicilian raja meaning ‘ray’, or ‘skate’ (the fish), presumably a nickname for someone thought to resemble the fish or a metonymic occupational name for a fisherman or fish seller.
RaiaArabic Derived from Arabic رياح (rayah) meaning ‘flag’.
RaidEstonian Raid is an Estonian surname derived from "raidur"; meaning "hewer".
RaieEstonian Raie is an Estonian surname meaning "cutting", "hewing" and "(tree) lumbering".
RaigEstonian Raig is an Estonian surname meaning "slough" (a swamplike area)".
RammEstonian Ramm is an Estonian surname meaning both "beetle" and "(to) ram".
RampGerman (Swiss) German and Swiss German: variant of Rampf, from Middle High German ramft, ranft ‘edge’, ‘wall’, ‘crust (of bread)’; applied as a topographic name for someone who lived at the limit or outer edge of some feature, for example a field, or possibly, in the sense ‘crust’, a nickname for a poor person.
RapuRapanui 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]
RaskEstonian Rask is an Estonian surname meaning "puttee (a cloth or leather legging)".
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]
RaudEstonian Raud is an Estonian surname meaning "iron".
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.
RaylGerman Variant of Rehl, which it's meaning is probably a habitational name from Rehl in Rhineland or Rehlen in East Prussia.
RéalFrench This can derive from several different sources: southern French réal "royal", a word which was applied to someone either as a nickname (presumably given to people perceived as being regal) or as an occupational name (given to a person in the service of the king); or the French place name Réal, in which case this is a habitational name taken from any of various places which were named for having been part of a royal domain (also compare Reau, Reaux).
RealSpanish, Portuguese, Catalan, Galician Either a habitational name from any of numerous places called Real; those in Galicia (Spain) and Portugal being named from real "royal" or as variant of Rial while those in southern Spain and Catalonia are named in part from real meaning "encampment rural property" (Arabic raḥāl "farmhouse cabin")... [more]
ReckGerman Nickname from Middle High German recke ‘outlaw’ or ‘fighter’. North German and Westphalian: from Middle Low German recke ‘marsh’, ‘waterlogged ground’, hence a topographic name, or a habitational name from a place named with this term.
RennEnglish (British) The surname Renn was first found in Durham where they held a family seat from early times, and were originally descended from Ralph de Raines who was granted lands by William, Duke of Albany in that shire... [more]
RetaSpanish Castilianized variant of Basque Erreta, a habitational name from a town called Erreta in Navarre, Basque Country
ReusDutch, German, Catalan Dutch: nickname for a big man, from Middle Dutch reuse(n) 'giant'. German: topographic name from Middle High German riuse 'fish trap' (Middle Low German ruse) or from a regional term reuse 'small stream', 'channel'... [more]
RhysWelsh In addition to being used as a given name, it occurs as a surname both alone and in combination with other surnames. Related patronymic forms of the surname are Price, Prys, Pris and Preece. A notable bearer is John Rhys-Davies.
RianIrish (Anglicized, Rare, ?) An alternate spelling and pronunciation of Ó Riain, due to French influences after the progenitors of the family moved to France from Ireland.
RichEnglish From a nickname of a wealthy person, ultimately derived from Germanic ric "powerful". A notable fictional bearer is Richie Rich who first appeared as a comic book character in 1953.
RichEnglish Derived from the name of a (former) village in Lincolnshire, England named with the Old English element ric "stream, drainage channel".
RiisScandinavian Nickname from ris 'twigs', 'scrub', or a habitational name from any of several places so named in Denmark. Norwegian: habitational name from any of five farmsteads named Ris, from Old Norse hrís 'brushwood'.
RittGerman Either a topographic name from Old High German ritta meaning "reeds" or a habitational name from a place near Kassel, Germany. Alternately it may also be a variant of Ried.
RitzGerman From a short form of the personal name Rizo, itself derived in part from Richard and in part from Heinrich (see Henry).
RobyEnglish From a medieval diminutive form of the given name Robert.
RocaCatalan Habitational name from any of the numerous places so named, from Catalan roca "rock". This name is also Occitan.
RockEnglish Topographic name for someone who lived near a notable crag or outcrop, from Middle English rokke "rock" (see Roach), or a habitational name from a place named with this word, as for example Rock in Northumberland.
RoddEnglish Locational name for someone "at the rod" of land, from Middle English rodde. Also could come from the given name Rod, or the parish of Rodd in Herefordshire, England.
RoheLow German The surname ROHE is from a short form of a Germanic formed with Middle High German Rouen 'to roar' or old High German ruin 'Care' , 'intent' (See roch).
RohiEstonian Rohi is an Estonian surname meaning "grass" or "pasturage".
RohrGerman, Jewish Topographic name for someone who lived in an area thickly grown with reeds, from Middle High German ror. Also a habitational name from one of the several places named with this word.
RohtEstonian Roht is an Estonian surname meaning "veld".
RollUpper German, German, English German: from Middle High German rolle, rulle ‘roll’, ‘list’, possibly applied as a metonymic occupational name for a scribe.... [more]
RongChinese From Chinese 荣 (róng) referring to the ancient fief of Rong, which existed during the Zhou dynasty in what is now Henan province.
RongChinese From Chinese 容 (róng) referring to a Zhou dynasty title used by officials who were in charge of managing rituals, music, and ceremonies. Alternately it may be derived from the name of the ancient state of Rong (location and time period unknown).
RonkEstonian Ronk is an Estonian surname meaning "raven".