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".
RATHGEBERGerman From Middle High German ratgebe or Middle Low German ratgever "giver of advice, counselor", an occupational name for an adviser or wise man.
RATIGANIrish (Anglicized, Rare) Anglicized form of Ó Reachtagán, meaning "descendant of Reachtagán", a personal name from a diminutive of "reachtaire" ("steward", "administrator") or "reacht" ("law"). Was used in the Disney film Basil The Great Mouse Detective as the name of the villain, Professor Ratigan.
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).
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.
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.
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’.
REDNERGerman German: possibly a variant of REDMER, or an occupational name for a spokesman, Middle High German rednære.
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".
REGUEIROGalician, Portuguese The name originated in Ourense (Galicia) in the 14th Century. It´s literal meaning in Portuguese is river. It is a surname referring to a person who lived near a river or water source.
REHAEstonian Reha is an Estonian surname meaning "rake".
REHDERGerman Occupational name, which was derived from the kind of work done by the original bearer. It is a name for a wheelmaker or wheelwright.
REHEMAAEstonian Rehemaa is an Estonian surname meaning "threshing land".
REHIEstonian Rehi is an Estonian surname meaning "threshing barn".
REIEstonian Rei is an Estonian surname possibly derived from "reis", meaning "travel" and "journey" and "reid" meaning "road".
REIALEstonian Reial is an Estonian surname derived from "treial" meaning "lathe turner".
REICHGerman, Jewish Nickname for a wealthy or powerful man, from Middle High German rīch "of noble descent, powerful, rich", German reich "rich".
REICHGerman From a short form of a personal name containing the Old High German element rīhhi "power, might".
REICHENBERGGerman, Jewish Habitational name from various places named Reichenberg in several different areas of Germany. As an ornamental name, it is composed of German reich(en) meaning "rich" and berg meaning "mountain, hill".
REICHSTEINGerman Habitational name from places named Reichstein (in Saxony) or Reichenstein (in Rhineland, Schleswig-Holstein, and Württemberg).
REIDHEADEnglish The origins of the Reidhead surname are uncertain. In some instances, it was no doubt derived from the Old English word "read," meaning "red," and was a nickname that came to be a surname. Either way, we may conclude that it meant "red-haired" or "ruddy complexioned."
REIMANNGerman From a pet form of a Germanic personal name formed with a first element from ragin 'advice', 'counsel' or ric 'power(ful)', 'rich'.
REIMERGerman From a Germanic personal name, a reduced form of Reinmar, composed of the elements ragin "counsel" + mari, meri "fame".
REIMETSEstonian Reimets is an Estonian surname possibly derived from "raie" ("cutting" and "felling trees") and "mets", meaning forest. Possibly a corruption of "reid" ("road" and "roadstead") and ""mets" ("forest").
REISEGerman, Jewish German (Westphalia) topographic name, from Middle Low German ris, res ‘swamp’. ... [more]
REISERGerman, Upper German Habitational name for someone from Reis or Reissen in Bavaria (see REIS). An occupational name from Middle High German reisære ‘warrior’, ‘traveler’... [more]
REISNERJewish Jewish (Ashkenazic) nickname for a traveler, from an agent derivative of German reisen ‘to travel’ (see REISE). Also a variant of REIS.
REISNERGerman A habitational name for someone from a place called Reisen (for example in Bavaria), Reissen in Thuringia, or Reussen on the Saale river. A variant of REISER Also from an agent derivative of Middle High German, Middle Low German rise ‘veil’; perhaps an occupational name for someone who made veils.
REKDALNorwegian The name of people from the small town Rekdal in West-Norway. Former footballer Kjetil Rekdal (1968- ) is the most known person from there.
RENFREWScottish Anglicized form of the Gaelic Rinn Friù, meaning "cradle of the Royal Stewards." It is derived from either the historical county of Renfrewshire in the west central lowlands of Scotland, or the town of Renfrew within both the historical and present-day boundaries of the county.
RENGELGerman (Swiss) From a pet form of a Germanic personal name formed with rang "curved", "bending"; "slender".
RENGELSpanish Habitational name from a place called Rengel in Málaga province.
RENGELMedieval Croatian Used by several houses of Croatia few centuries ago, now, those of this name are but a shadows of once proud and prestigious house
RENLEYJewish (Rare), English (Rare) Possibly derived from the Old English rinc "man, warrior" or rim 'edge, circular edge' or possibly wraenna 'wren', and leah "field, clearing".