RamsbottomEnglish (British) Denoted a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. It is also a habitational name from a market town named Ramsbottom, located in Greater Manchester, England.
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]
RaoChinese From Chinese 饒 (ráo) referring to the ancient region of Rao, which existed during the state of Zhao in what is now Shaanxi province.
RapaceSwedish (Modern, Rare) From French and Italian rapace meaning "predatory, bird of prey, raptor". A notable bearer is Swedish actress Noomi Rapace.
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.
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.
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".
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]
RathboneEnglish Of unknown origin, but might denote a person with short legs. From Olde English rhath, meaning "short, and bon, "legs".
RatherGerman, Jewish 1. Occupational name for a counsellor or nickname for a wise person, from Middle High German rater ‘adviser’. ... [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.
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’
RavelinoAncient 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.
RavenscarEnglish (British) From a coastal village with the same name, located in the Scarborough district of North Yorkshire, England.
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.
ReadingEnglish Habitational name from the county seat of Berkshire, which gets its name from Old English Readingas ‘people of Read(a)’, a byname meaning ‘red’. Topographic name for someone who lived in a clearing, an unattested Old English ryding.
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).
RealeItalian From reale "royal", either an occupational name for someone in the service of a king or a nickname for someone who behaved in a regal manner.
ReamsPolish The last name Reams comes from Normandy, France.
RecchiaItalian Nickname from a reduced form of orecchia "ear".
RecchioItalian Probably a shortened form of orecchio "ear".
RechtGerman Probably a habitational name from a place so named in the Rhineland.
RechtGerman, Jewish Nickname for an upright person, from Middle High German reht, German recht "straight". As a Jewish name it is mainly of ornamental origin.
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.
RecktenwaldGerman habitational name from Recktenwald, near Saarbrücken.
RectorEnglish Status name for the director of an institution, in particular the head of a religious house or a college. Also an anglicized form of Richter.
ReddenEnglish Location name meaning "clearing or cleared woodland." Communities called Redden include one in Roxburghshire, Scotland and another in Somerset, England. A notable bearer is actor Billy Redden who played the dueling banjoist Lonnie in the 1972 film 'Deliverance.'
ReddickScottish, Northern Irish Habitational name from Rerrick or Rerwick in Kirkcudbrightshire, named with an unknown first element and wīc "outlying settlement". It is also possible that the first element was originally Old Norse rauðr "red".
ReddickEnglish Habitational name from Redwick in Gloucestershire, named in Old English with hrēod "reeds" and wīc "outlying settlement".
ReddingEnglish, German, Dutch English variant spelling of Reading. In 1841 Redding was the most commonly used surname in all of Buckinghamshire. A famous bearer is Otis Redding.... [more]
ReddishEnglish This surname is derived from a geographical locality. 'of Reddish,' a village near Stockport, Cheshire.
ReddyIndian, Telugu Derived from Telugu రెడ్డి (reddi) meaning "village headman".
RedmanEnglish, Irish Variant of Raymond. Also a nickname for a person with red hair or a ruddy complexion, from Middle English rudde "red" and man "man".
RedmerFrisian North German: from the Frisian personal name, composed of the Germanic elements rad ‘advice’, ‘counsel’ + mari, meri ‘fame’.
RedpathScottish, English Habitational name from a place in Berwickshire, probably so called from Old English read ‘red’ + pæð ‘path’. This name is also common in northeastern England.
ReederMedieval English This surname was given to people in Medieval England who thatched houses using reed
ReediEstonian Reedi is an Estonian surname, possibly derived from "reeder", meaning "ship owner".
ReedusEnglish, Scottish An English and Scottish name of uncertain origin. Possibly a reduced form of English Redhouse, a habitational name from any of the numerous places named Redhouse, including over ninety farms.
ReekEstonian Reek is an Estonian surname, possibly a corruption of "kreek", meaning "damson".
ReekieScottish Perhaps "person from Reikie", Aberdeenshire, or from a different form of the Scottish male personal name Rikie, literally "little Richard".