Submitted Surnames Starting with R

usage
Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
Riquier French
From the given name Riquier and a variant of Richer.
Rīs Sinhalese
Variant of Reyes or Reis (see user-submitted name) used in Sri Lanka.
Ris French (Huguenot)
Surname of unknown meaning.
Risch Romansh
Truncated form of Durisch.
Riseborough English
Denoted a person hailing from any of the various places called Risborough, Riseborough or Risbury in England, derived from Old English hrīs meaning "brushwood" and beorg meaning "hill, mound", or from hrīs and burh meaning "fortification"... [more]
Risley English
It means "brushwood clearing".
Rispoli Italian
A patronymic from a derivative of the given name Rispo, which is probably of Germanic origin. Alternatively, it could be a variant of Ruspoli, which is of unknown origin.
Rist Estonian
Rist is an Estonian surname meaning "cross".
Risteski Macedonian
Son of Riste
Ristevski Macedonian
Means "son of Risto".
Ristikivi Estonian
Ristikivi is an Estonian surname meaning "abeam" or "athwart stone".
Ristoja Estonian
Ristoja is an Estonian surname meaning "across (abeam) creek".
Ristsoo Estonian
Ristsoo is an Estonian surname meaning "across (perpendicular/transverse) swamp".
Rita Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Catalan
From the female personal name Rita, a reduced form of MargharitaMargaret’, chosen in particular in honor of a 15th-century Italian saint who bore the name in this form.
Ritacco Italian
Probably a derivative of Rito, a masculinized form of the female personal name Rita.
Ritch English, German, German (Swiss)
1. English: variant spelling of Rich. ... [more]
Ritchard English
Variant spelling of Richard that was altered by the diminutive Ritchie. Or possibly from a surname derived from Richard... [more]
Ritchings French, German, English
This surname has at least three distinct separate origins. ... [more]
Ritschel German, History
Derived from Old High German hruod "fame". This was the maiden name of Magda Goebbels who was the wife of Paul Joseph Goebbels. Her husband was Nazi Germany's propaganda minister between the years 1933 and 1945... [more]
Ritsos Greek
The Greek version of the Italian surname Rizzo.
Ritterman German
From Middle High German riter meaning "rider, knight" and man literally meaning "man".
Rittinghaus German
Name for someone who lives in a farmhouse.
Rittman German, English
From Middle High German "riet" and "mann", riet meaning reed.
Ritz German
From a short form of the personal name Rizo, itself derived in part from Richard and in part from Heinrich (see Henry).
Rivadeneira Spanish
habitational name from a parish named Riba de Neira in Lugo province meaning 'bank of the river Neira' Neira being a tributary of the Miño.
Rivareua Ligurian
It indicates familial origin within the eponymous frazione of the commune of Carasco.
Rives French, Jewish
Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic): from the Yiddish female personal name Rive a back-formation from Rivke (see Rifkin).... [more]
Rivet French, English
French: from a diminutive of Old French rive ‘(river) bank’, ‘shore’ (see Rives).... [more]
Rivett English, French
English (East Anglia): metonymic occupational name for a metalworker, from Middle English, Old French rivet ‘small nail or bolt’ (from Old French river ‘to fix or secure’, of unknown origin).... [more]
Riviere French, French (Quebec), French (Acadian)
Possibly from the French word meaning "river"
Rix German
given to a person who resided near a hill, stream, church, or tree
Riyad Arabic, Bengali
From the given name Riad.
Riza Arabic
From the given name Ridha.
Rizal Filipino, Tagalog, Cebuano
From Spanish ricial meaning "green field" or "rice field". A notable bearer was José Rizal (1861-1896), a Filipino nationalist and national hero.
Rizvanović Bosnian
Means "son of Rizvan".
Rizvi Urdu, Bengali
From the given name Ridha.
Rizwan Urdu, Arabic
From the given name Ridwan.
Rizza Italian
Variant of Rizzo.
Rizzi Italian
Variant of Ricci.
Rizzotti Italian
Variant of 'Rizzo', which means 'curly haired'
Rizzuto Italian
From Sicilian rizzutu "curly-haired".
Rkhi Korean (Russified)
Russified form of Rhee used by ethnic Koreans living in parts of the former Soviet Union.
Ro English
Possibly a variant of Rowe.
Roa Spanish
Habitational name from the town of Roa (de Duero) in Burgos province, Spain.
Roan Irish
variant of Roane
Roane Irish
Variant spelling of Rowan or possibly a variant of Ruane.
Roascio Italian (Rare)
Derived from Roascio, the name of a municipality in the province of Cuneo in the Piedmont region of Italy. The meaning of the municipality's name is uncertain, but since it is located in Piedmont and known as Roass in the Piedmontese language, the etymological origin of the name is most likely Piedmontese... [more]
Roasio Italian
This surname originates from the Piedmont region of Italy. It is most likely derived from Roasio, which is the name of a municipality in that same region. The meaning of the municipality's name is uncertain, but since it is located in Piedmont and known as Roaso in the Piedmontese language, the etymological origin of the name is most likely Piedmontese... [more]
Rob Slovene
It probrably originates from the surname Robb, but we don't know for sure.
Robards English
Altered form of Roberts. A famous bearer was American actor Jason Robards (1922-2000), as well as his father Jason Robards Sr. (1892-1963) and son Sam Robards (1961-), also noted actors.
Robben French, Dutch
It is a French surname that was originally derived from the Germanic name Robert, which is composed of the elements hrod, meaning famous, and berht, meaning bright.
Robbs English
This possibly means "Son of Rob(ert)".
Rober German
Variant of Röber (see Roeber).
Róbert Hungarian, Slovak
From the given name Róbert.
Robertin French (Rare)
Derived from the medieval French masculine given name Robertin, which was a diminutive of the given name Robert.
Róbertsdóttir Icelandic
Means "daughter of Róbert" in Icelandic.
Robertssen English
English variant of Robertsson.
Robeson English
This is possibly a variant of Robson.
Robey English
From a medieval diminutive form of the given name Robert.
Robichaux French
An altered spelling of Robichon or Roubichou, pet forms of Robert.
Robicheau French (Acadian)
Patronymic name derives from Robert or Robin. Origin, Poitou province of France. Emigrated to Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Canada.
Robideaux French
From the medieval given name Robardeau, a pet form of Robert.
Robineau French
derived from the Old French word "robine", which was the word that was used for the communication channel of a salted fountain or barrel pond... [more]
Robinet French
Derived from the medieval French masculine given name Robinet, which was a diminutive (as the -et suffix indicates) of the given name Robin.... [more]
Robins English
Southern English patronymic from the personal name Robin.
Robinsen Norwegian, Danish
Means "son of Robin".
Robitaille French
Of uncertain meaning.
Robleda Spanish
From Spanish meaning "oak grove".
Roblès French
French form of Robles.
Robotnik Slovak
The masculine form of "labourer" or "worker". Most famously used for Dr. Ivo Robotnik, the antagonist of the Sonic the Hedgehog series.
Robuchon French
Robuchon is derived from the Old French personal name Robert.
Roby English
From a medieval diminutive form of the given name Robert.
Roca Catalan
Habitational name from any of the numerous places so named, from Catalan roca "rock". This name is also Occitan.
Rochally Hungarian
from hungarian de Rozsalyi
Rochallyi Hungarian
Probably from Italian Roccalli.
Rochefort French
From various places called Rochefort meaning strong castle.
Rocher French
From French roche, meaning "rock'. It indicates a person who worked at a quarry.
Rochester English
Means "person from Rochester", Kent (probably "Roman town or fort called Rovi"). A fictional bearer of the surname is Mr Rochester, the Byronic hero of Charlotte Brontë's 'Jane Eyre' (1847).
Rochman Jewish
Metronymic from the Yiddish given name Ruchel + suffix man "man".
Rock English
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.
Rockefeller German
Means "from Rockenfeld." Some famous bearers include founder of the Standard Oil Company and philanthropist John Davison Rockefeller (1839-1937), and 41st Vice President of the U.S.A. Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller (1908-1979).
Rockett French
From the French "la roche," or "of the rock." Some family histories trace this back to French Hugenots (sp) who immigrated to England in the 1500's from the Normandy region of France.
Rockford English
An altered spelling of English Rochford; alternatively it may be an Americanized form of French Rochefort or Italian Roccaforte.
Rockhold Anglo-Saxon
Came from when the family lived in the village of Rock found in the various locations that existed in Worcestershire, Devon and also in Northumberland.The surname also has topographic origins in that it describes the area where the original bearers lived.
Rockman German
Possibly a habitational name for someone from Rockau in Thuringia.
Rockman German, Jewish
Possibly an altered spelling of Rochman.
Rockmann German
From German Rock (skirt) + mann (man)
Rockwell English
Means "person from Rockwell", Buckinghamshire and Somerset (respectively "wood frequented by rooks" and "well frequented by rooks"). Famous bearers include American illustrator Norman Rockwell (1894-1978) and Utah pioneer Porter Rockwell (1813-1878).
Rođak Croatian
Derived from rođak, meaning "family relative".
Rodd English
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.
Roddy Irish, Welsh
Derived from the Gaelic name Ó Rodaigh and linked to the given name Roddy meaning spirited or fierce
Rodé Ancient Greek
A man said it was a location.
Rodela Galician
Possibly habitational name from a place called Rodel (in A Coruña province, Galicia), derived from a diminutive of roda "wheel".
Roderick Welsh (Anglicized)
Anglicized form of the personal name Rhydderch, originally a byname meaning "reddish brown".
Rodericks English
From the given name Roderick.
Rodger English
From the given name Rodger.
Rodham English
From Roddam in Northumberland. The name is thought to have derived from Germanic *rodum, meaning 'forest clearing'.
Rodia Italian
Habitational name from Rodia, a locality in Messina, Sicily.
Rodić Serbian, Croatian
Possibly derived from roda (рода), meaning "stork".
Rodino Italian
Possibly from the medieval Latin name Rodinus, or Germanic Hrodhari, from hroþi "fame, glory" and hari "battle".
Rodionov Russian
Means "son of Rodion".
Rodionova Russian
Feminine form of Rodionov.
Rodman English
The surname Rodman is an ancient English surname, derived from a trade name, "men who were by the tenure or customs of their lands to ride with or for the lord of the manor about his business". The most famous bearer of this name is the basketball player Dennis Rodman.
Rodrick English
Derived from the given name Roderick.
Rodrigue French
From the given name Rodrigue.
Rodriksen Norwegian (Rare)
Means 'Son of Rodrik'. Rodrik is the Swedish and Norwegian form of Roderick.
Rodwell English
Rodwell, a name of Anglo-Saxon origin, is a locational surname deriving from any one of various places in Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, and Kent, England. In English, the meaning of the name Rodwell is "Lives by the spring near the road".
Roe English
Nickname for a timid person, derived from the Middle English ro meaning "roe"; also a midland and southern form of Ray.
Roe Norwegian
Habitational surname for any of the several farmsteads named Roe or Røe, derived from the Old Norse ruð meaning "clearing".
Roeber Low German
Habitational name from a place named Roben, for example in Thuringia or Schleswig. From a Germanic personal name based on hrod ‘renown’, ‘victory’. Low German variant of Räuber and Rauber.
Roel English, Spanish, Dutch, German
From the name Roeland, meaning "famous country".
Roelfs Dutch
Means "son of Roelf".
Roelofs Dutch
Variant of Roelfs, meaning "son of Roelof".
Roelofsema Frisian
Possibly meaning "son of Roelof". Variant of Roelofsma.
Roelofsma Frisian
Possibly means "son of Roelof".
Roemer German
Refers to a pilgrim or merchant visiting Rome.
Roeschlaub German (Rare, Archaic)
Comes from the Bavarian meaning 'Rustling Leaves'
Roffey English
There are two small villages named "Roffey". One in England, near Horsham, and one in France, Burgundy. The name is of Norman orgin. First mentioned in (surviving English documents) in 1307 when a George Roffey buys a house... [more]
Rogan Irish
Irish: reduced Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Ruadhagáin ‘son of Ruadhagán’, a personal name from a diminutive of ruadh ‘red’.
Rogelio Spanish
From the given name Rogelio.
Rogin Jewish
Habitational name from any of various villages named Rogi or from Rogin, all in Belarus.
Rogiński Polish
Habitational name for someone from any of various places called Rogi, named with meaning róg "horn".
Rogstad Norwegian
Norwegian Last Name
Roh Korean
Alternate transcription of No.
Rohe Low 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).
Rohemaa Estonian
Rohemaa is an Estonian surname meaning "green land".
Rohi Estonian
Rohi is an Estonian surname meaning "grass" or "pasturage".
Rohme German
From the Germanic personal name Ruom (Old High German hruom ‘fame’), a short form of Ruombald and similar personal names containing this element.
Rohr German, 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.
Rohrbach German, German (Swiss)
German and Swiss German: habitational name from any of numerous places called Rohrbach (‘reed brook’ or ‘channel brook’) in many parts of Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. It is a common surname in Pennsylvania.
Rohrlach German (Rare), American
Form a place name, e.g., Rohrlach (Kreis Hirschberg) in Silesia (now Trzcińsko, Poland)
Rohrsen German
Unknown source.
Roht Estonian
Roht is an Estonian surname meaning "veld".
Rohtla Estonian
Rohtla is an Estonian surname meaning "veld", "prairie" and "steppe".
Rohulaid Estonian
Estonian surname meaning "grassland islet".
Rohumaa Estonian
Rohumaa is an Estonian surname meaning "grassland" and "meadow".
Rõigas Estonian
Rõigas is an Estonian surname menaing "radish".
Roisum Norwegian
Habitational name from the farmstead in Sogn named Røysum, from the dative plural of Old Norse reysi ‘heap of stones’.
Roith Old Irish
Roith, Ruith = "Wheel" / Mug Ruith/Mogh Roith = "Servant of the wheel"... [more]
Rõivas Estonian
Rõivas is an Estonian surname meaning "garment".
Rojan Spanish
Variant of Rojas.
Roka Japanese
Japanese name meaning "White crest of the wave".
Roland French, German, Scottish
French, German, English, and Scottish: from a Germanic personal name composed hrod ‘renown’ + -nand ‘bold’, assimilated to -lant ‘land’. (Compare Rowland).... [more]
Rólandsdóttir Icelandic
Means "daughter of Róland" in Icelandic.
Rólandsson Icelandic
Means "son of Róland" in Icelandic.
Rolf German
English: Composed of the Germanic elements hrod ‘renown’ + wulf ‘wolf’. This name was especially popular among Nordic peoples in the contracted form Hrólfr and seems to have reached England by two separate channels; partly through its use among pre-Conquest Scandinavian settlers, partly through its popularity among the Normans, who, however, generally used the form Rou (see Rollo).... [more]
Rolf English
From the Middle English personal name Rolf, composed of the Germanic elements hrōd "renown" and wulf "wolf". This name was especially popular among Nordic peoples in the contracted form Hrólfr, and seems to have reached England by two separate channels; partly through its use among pre-Conquest Scandinavian settlers, partly through its popularity among the Normans, who, however, generally used the form Rou(l) (see Rollo).
Rolfe English
Variant of Rolf.
Rolfs German
This surname means "son of Rolf," a patronymic surname from northern Germany.
Rolfsen Norwegian
Means "son of Rolf".
Roll Upper German, German, English
German: from Middle High German rolle, rulle ‘roll’, ‘list’, possibly applied as a metonymic occupational name for a scribe.... [more]
Rolle English
Variant of Roll.
Rollin English, German
English: variant of Rolling.... [more]
Rollo Scottish
From a Latinized form, common in early medieval documents, of the personal name Rou(l), the usual Norman form of Rolf.
Rolloos Dutch
Possibly derived from the given name Rollo.
Rolls English
Possibly derived from the Latin word rotus, meaning "wheel". It would indicate one who built wheels as a living. A famous bearer was American inventor and entrepreneur Charles Rolls (1877-1910), founder of the Rolls-Royce Ltd along with Henry Royce (1863-1933).
Rolston English
English habitational name from any of various places, such as Rowlston in Lincolnshire, Rolleston in Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, and Staffordshire, or Rowlstone in Herefordshire, near the Welsh border... [more]