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".
RööpEstonian Rööp is an Estonian surname meaning "parallel" and "beside".
RoopDutch Dutch: from a short form of the Germanic personal name Robrecht.
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, Dutch English: nickname for a cheerful person, from Middle English rote ‘glad’ (Old English rot). ... [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).
RotaItalian Means "wheel" in Italian, from various place names.
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]
RõukEstonian Rõuk is an Estonian surname derived from the word "rõuk", a type of traditional stack made for the collection and drying of hay, cereals, or straw, often made with a wooden frame.
RuddEnglish The surname Rudd is derived from the Old English root "rud-," a component in the words "rudig," which means "ruddy," and "ruddoc," which means "red-breast." The surname was originally a nickname for a ruddy complexioned or red-haired person, or perhaps for someone who habitually wore the color red.
RudeNorwegian, German German: From a pet form of a personal name formed with Old High German hrōd "fame", for example Rudolf or Rüdiger... [more]
RügaEstonian Rüga is an Estonian surname derived from "rügama" meaning to "toil" and "rügaja" meaning "toiler".
RugeGerman Nickname from Middle High German ruowe, ruge ‘quiet’, ‘calm’ or Low German rug ‘rough’, ‘crude’.... [more]
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)
RuheGerman Variant of Ruge. (Rühe) is also a nickname from Rüde ‘hound.’ Habitational name from places named Rühen, Rüden, Rhüden in northern Germany.
RuhrGerman Name given to a person who lived near the Ruhr River in 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]
RushIrish Reduced Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Ruis "descendant of Ros", a personal name perhaps derived from ros "wood". In Connacht it has also been used as a translation of Ó Luachra (see Loughrey).
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]
RutzLow German Derived from Middle Low German rūtze or ruce "cobbler".
RuusEstonian Ruus is an Estonian surname possibly derived from "kruus" meaning "mug", "shingle" and "ballast". Possibly derived from "rüüs" meaning "frilled".
RüütEstonian Rüüt is an Estonian surname meaning "golden plover" (Pluvialis apricaria).
RuutEstonian Ruut is an Estonian surname meaning "square".
SacoItalian There are several possible derivations for the Saco surname: the Saco name evolved from an old Tuscan personal name, Saccus; it came from the word "sacco" meaning "a sack," and was an occupational name for a maker of sacks or bags; it was a habitational name taken on from the place named Sacco in Salerno province.
SadaJapanese From 佐 (sa) meaning "assist" and 田 (ta) meaning "rice paddy, field".
SädeEstonian Säde is an Estonian surname (and feminine given name) meaning "spark".
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]
SaleSardinian Derived from Sardinian sale "salt", this name denoted a producer or seller of salt.
SangEstonian Sang is an Estonian surname meaning "handle" or "bail".
SangChinese From Chinese 桑 (sāng) referring either to the ancient city of Qiong Sang, which existed in what is now Shandong province, or the ancient state of Sang, which existed in what is now Henan province and was annexed by the state of Qin.
SanxSpanish A variation of the surname Sáenz, derived from the popular medieval given name Sancho. This given name was originally derived from the Latin name Sanctius a derivative of the Latin word 'sanctus', meaning 'holy'... [more]
SaraSami Probably derived from Finnish saari "island", though some claim that it is taken from the given name Sara.
SardEnglish, French, Spanish, Italian In the book surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary by Henry Harrison and Gyda (Pulling) Harrison 1912 - Reprinted 1996. The Sard surname (which has been in England, Italy and Europe for a long time) is defined thus on page 136.... [more]
SariEstonian Sari is an Estonian surname meaning "cluster" or "batch".
SariIndonesian Means "essence" in Indonesian. In 2014, this was the most common surname in Indonesia.
SeimUpper German German: metonymic occupational name for a beekeeper, from Middle High German seim ‘honey’.
SelaHebrew Means "rock" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of a city, the capital of Edom. Famous bearer is the Israeli model, actress and television presenter Rotem Sela (born 1983)
SelfEnglish East Anglian surname, from the medieval English masculine name Saulf which was derived from the Old English elements sǣ "sea" and wulf "wolf".
SelgEstonian Selg is an Estonian surname meaning "back", "spine" and "back of".
SellEstonian Sell is an Estonian surname meaning "apprentice".
SelzGerman The Selz is a river in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, and a left hand tributary of the Rhine. It flows through the largest German wine region, Rheinhessen or Rhenish Hesse. Also, Seltz (German: Selz) is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department of the Alsace-Champagne-Ardenne-Lorraine region in north-eastern France.... [more]
SeroJapanese From Japanese 瀬 (se) meaning "rapids" and 呂 (ro) meaning "spine"
SertTurkish Means "hard, stiff, stern" in Turkish.
SetaJapanese From Japanese 瀬 (se) meaning "rapids, current" and 田 (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".
SethScottish, Irish Reduced Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Sithigh or Ó Síthigh (see Sheehy).
SethIndian, Hindi, Odia, Bengali, Marathi, Punjabi Means "merchant, banker" in Hindi, ultimately from Sanskrit श्रेष्ठ (shreshtha) meaning "best, chief, most excellent".
ShanChinese From the place name Shan. Cheng Wang, the second king (1115–1079 bc) of the Zhou dynasty, granted to a son the area of Shan, and the son’s descendants adopted the place name as their surname. It comes from the Chinese word meaning "mountain"... [more]
ShanGujarati, Hindi A Gujarati and Hindi surname with an unknown meaning.
ShanChinese From Chinese 单 (shàn) referring to the ancient state of Shan, which existed during the Zhou dynasty in what is now Henan province.
ShaoChinese From Chinese 邵 (shào) referring to the ancient fief of Zhao, which existed during the Shang dynasty in what is now Shaanxi province. The name of the fief, 召, had the same pronunciation as the character 邵.
ShaoChinese From Chinese 韶 (sháo) possibly referring to the ancient town of Shao that existed during the Sui dynasty in what is now Guangdong province.