Submitted Surnames from Nicknames

Pikrammenou Greek
Feminine form of Pikrammenos.

Pilafas Greek

Pīlēns Latvian
Means “duckling”.

Pili Italian
Sardinian form of Italian pelo "hair, hairy".

Pillai Indian, Malayalam, Tamil
Means "child" in Malayalam and Tamil.

Pinch English
Nickname for a chirpy person, from Middle English pinch, pink ‘(chaf)finch’. Compare Finch. possibly a metonymic occupational name from Middle English pinche ‘pleated fabric’, from Middle English pinche(n) ‘to pinch (pastry)’, ‘to pleat (fabric)’, ‘to crimp (hair, etc.)’, also ‘to cavil’, ‘to be niggardly’.

Pinches English (British, Rare)
This is one of the very earliest of surnames. This is an English name. First recorded in the 12th century it was a nickname of endearment for a bright, chirpy, person, thought by his peer group to be active like a finch... [more]

Pinck German

Pincock English
It is believed to be a variant of the surname Pink, which itself can have several origins, including being a nickname for someone with pink cheeks or a rosy complexion, or an occupational name for a dyer or someone who worked with pigment dyes.

Pine English
Originally denoted a person who lived near a pine forest or who sold pine firs for a living.

Pingol Pampangan
From Pampangan pi'ngul meaning "ear lobe (particularly the part pierced for earrings)".

Pink English, 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]

Pinoy Tagalog, Filipino
Relating to the Philippine Islands or the Filipinos.

Pinson French
From Old French pinson "finch" a nickname applied to someone who whistles or sings like a finch or to a bright and cheerful person.

Pipola Italian
Probably a variant of Pipolo.

Pipolo Italian
Possibly derived from a Latin word meaning "nothing, insignificant; a thing without value", perhaps a nickname for an unimportant or disliked person. Alternatively, it could be from a pet form of the given name Pippo, a diminutive of Filippo.

Piri Persian
Derived from Persian پیر (pir) meaning "old, aged".

Piros Hungarian
Means "red" in Hungarian.

Pirro Italian
Pirro is a nickname for Peter.

Pirrone Italian
Augmented form of Pirro, ultimately from the Ancient Greek given name Pyrrhos meaning "flame-coloured, red"... [more]

Pirzada Urdu
Urdu variant of Pirzadeh.

Pirzadeh Persian
Means "born of the pir", from the Persian title پیر (pir) denoting a Sufi spiritual guide (literally meaning "elder, old"). This name was traditionally used by owners or custodians of Sufi mausoleums and shrines.

Piscopo Italian, Neapolitan
Means "bishop" in Neapolitan, ultimately derived from Ancient Greek ἐπίσκοπος (episkopos) "overseer, supervisor, bishop" or "watcher, guardian"... [more]

Pişkin Turkish
Means "brazen, bold-faced" or "mature, hardened" in Turkish.

Pisula Polish, Lithuanian
Informal nickname for a scribe or clerk, from a derivative of Polish pisać ‘to write’.

Pitsch Romansh
Variant of Pitschen.

Pitschen Romansh
Derived from Romansh pitschen "small, little".

Pitz Romansh
Variant of Pitsch.

Pius Estonian
Pius is an Estonian surname meaning "pious".

Pivec Czech
Nickname for a drinker, from pivo meaning ‘beer’.

Pizzuto Italian
Italian surname derived from a nickname meaning ‘malicious’.

Plantagenet Medieval French, French (Archaic), History
From Old French plante genest, from Latin planta genesta "sprig of broom", which was originally a sobriquet from the dynasty's founder, Geoffrey V (1113-1151), who wore a yellow broom blossom in his hat, that Richard of York (1411-1460) adopted as a surname... [more]

Plata Spanish
Means "silver" in Spanish. Plata could be a habitational name from places in Toledo and Cáceres provinces named Plata, or various places named La Plata.

Platte French
From Old French plat, meaning "flat."

Playfair English
From a medieval nickname for an enthusiastic competitor in sports and games (from Middle English pleyfere "companion in play, playmate"), or else a different form of Playford (from a Suffolk place-name meaning "ford where sports are held")... [more]

Pleasants English

Plemmons English, Irish, German
Altered spelling of Fleming.

Plemons English, Irish, German
Variant form of Plemmons. A famous bearer is American actor Jesse Plemons (1988-).

Plescia Italian
From Albanian plesht "flea".

Pletikosa Croatian
Derived from pletiti, meaning "to knit", and kosa, meaning "hair".

Pletikosić Croatian
Derived from pletiti, meaning "to knit", and kosa, meaning "hair".

Plum English, German
From Old Germanic *plūmā "plum", used as a topographic name for someone who lived by a plum tree, a metonymic occupational name for someone who grew or sold plums, or perhaps a nickname referring to a plum-coloured birthmark.

Plum German, Jewish
Variant of Blum.

Pobanz German
Nickname for a braggart or bogeyman, of uncertain Slavic origin.

Pobedonostsev m Russian
Derived from Russian победоносный (pobedonósnyj) meaning "victorious, triumphant". Konstantin Pobedonostsev (1827-1907) was a Russian jurist and statesman who served as an adviser to three Russian emperors.

Pobjoy English
From a medieval nickname for someone thought to resemble a parrot, from Middle English papejai, popinjay "parrot". This probably denoted someone who was talkative or who dressed in bright colours, although it may have described a person who excelled at the medieval sport of pole archery, i.e. shooting at a wooden parrot on a pole.

Poe English
From a medieval nickname for a vain or flamboyantly dressed person (from Old Norse pá "peacock"). American author and poet Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) was a famous bearer.

Pogonatos Greek
Means bearded in medieval Greek.

Poh German
From a dialect word for standard German Pfau ‘peacok’, a nickname for a vain person or for someone with a strutting gait.

Pokrywka Polish
Nickname from pokrywka meaning ‘cover’, ‘lid’.

Poley French, German, Jewish
French: variant of Polet, Paulet, pet forms of Paul.... [more]

Polgar Hungarian
Hungarian word for citizen. Taken on by Jewish Hungarians during World War Two to avoid Nazi attention for having 'Jewish' last names.

Polívka Czech
Means "soup".

Poljak Croatian
Means "Polish". It is a cognate of Polyak.

Poljaković Serbian, Croatian
Cognate of Polyakov.

Polk German
Ethnic name for a Pole.

Polka German, Polish
Variant of German Polk, also a feminine form for the surname Polak, and comes from the given female name Apolonia.

Polke German
Variant of Polk.

Poloskin Russian
Derived from полоска (poloska), a diminutive of полоса (polosa) meaning "stripe, strip, streak". This may have been a nickname for a tall and thin person.

Polovets Ukrainian
From Ukrainian половець (polovets), meaning "a Polovtsian (Cuman, Kipchak)". Polovtsians are an old ethnic group from Central Asia.

Polski Polish, Jewish
Nickname for a Polish person, originating in areas of mixed populations.

Polyakov Russian, Jewish, Belarusian, Ukrainian
Patronymic from the ethnic name Polak meaning "Pole".

Pomeroy English
From an English surname meaning "dweller by the apple orchard".

Poor English
Referred to someone who was poor or impoverished.

Popiel Polish
Means "ash" in Polish.

Porcu Italian
From Sardinian porcu "pig".

Portokali Greek
From Greek meaning "orange".

Portugais French, Jewish
French cognate of Portugues.

Portugues Spanish, Portuguese (Brazilian), Jewish
Means "Portuguese" in Spanish and Portuguese.

Portuguese Filipino
Anglicized form of Portugues.

Portuguez Spanish
Spanish variant of Portugues.

Portyansky Polish
Stanislav

Posthumus Dutch, Low German
From a personal name which was given to a posthumous child, i.e., one born after the death of his father, derived from Latin postumus "last, last-born" (superlative of posterus "coming after, subsequent") via Late Latin posthumus, which was altered by association with Latin humare "to bury", suggesting death (i.e., thought to consist of post "after" and humus "grave", hence "after death"); the one born after the father's death obviously being the last.

Postma West Frisian, Dutch
West Frisian variant of the Dutch and North German surname Posthumus, given to a child born after their father’s death. It could also be a variant of the habitational name Post or an occupational name for a mailman or guard, using the Frisian suffix -ma.

Postmus Dutch
Variant form of Posthumus.

Potcoava Romanian

Potot Filipino, Cebuano
From Cebuano putot meaning "short person", "flower bud" or "young coconut fruit".

Poulos Greek
Denotes kinship. Derived from the Latin pullus, meaning "offspring, chick"

Pour Persian
Means "son, descendant" in Persian, typically used as a suffix in compound surnames.

Poverelli Italian
Means "poor (person)" in Italian, given to foundlings and orphans.

Poyner English, Welsh

Pozharin Russian
Means "man of fire" in Russian.

Poznyak Belarusian (Russified), Belarusian
Variant and Russified form of Paznyak.

Pradhan Indian, Odia, Bengali, Hindi, Marathi, Assamese, Nepali
From a title derived from Sanskrit प्रधान (pradhana) meaning "chief, head".

Pramanick Indian, Bengali
Alternate transcription of Bengali প্রামাণিক (see Pramanik).

Pramanik Indian, Bengali, Odia, Assamese
Derived from Sanskrit प्रामाणिक (pramanika) meaning "genuine, authentic".

Praseuth Lao
Means "excellent, magnificent" in Lao.

Prasinos Greek
From Greek meaning "green".

Prat English
Variant of Pratt.

Pratts English

Pravdić Croatian
Derived from pravda, meaning "justice".

Pravdyuk Ukrainian
Derived from Ukrainian правда (pravda), meaning "truth, justice".

Pravsha Russian
Means "right-handed" in Russian.

Preciado Spanish
Past participle of the infinitive preciar meaning "excellent, precious, of great estimation".

Pregler German
Nickname for a chatterer or grumbler, from an agent derivative of Middle High German breglen ‘to chatter’, ‘complain’, ‘yell’, ‘roar’.

Prentiss English, Scottish
Variant of Prentice.

Preobrazhensky m Russian
Derived from Russian преображение (preobrazenije) meaning "transformation, transfiguration", referring to the Transfiguration of Jesus. A famous bearer of the name was Russian revolutionary Yevgeni Preobrazhensky (1886-1937).

Press English, Jewish
A nickname for a pious individual from the Middle English form of "priest" or possibly someone employed by a priest. In the Jewish sense, one whose occupation was to iron clothes.

Preto Portuguese
comes from the Portuguese word preto meaning "black" or "dark". referring to someone with dark skin and/or hair. possibly a cognate of the spanish surname Prieto

Prewett English
The surname Prewett is derived from the Middle English word prou, meaning "brave," or "valiant," with the addition of either of two common diminutive suffixes: -et or -ot. As such, this name is thought to have originally been a nickname for someone small but brave.

Prewitt English
English surname meaning brave, valor.

Prezioso Italian
Means "precious, valuable" in Italian, derived from a nickname or from a medieval given name (masculine form of Preziosa).

Prieskorn German
Possibly either a derisive nickname for a grain merchant from pries a variant of Middle High German brüsch or Middle Low German bross "brittle crumbly" and korn "grain" or alternatively for a grain seller from prisekorn "(I) determine the price of grain".

Priester Dutch, German
From Middle Dutch priester preester Middle High German priester "priest" from Latin presbyter... [more]

Prieur French
from prieur Old French prior "prior" a monastic official immediately subordinate to an abbot (from Latin prior "superior") hence an occupational name for a servant of a prior or an ironic nickname... [more]

Prigozhin m Russian
From Russian пригожий (prigozhiy), meaning "beautiful, pretty". Prigozhin was the last name of Yevgeniy Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner PMC until 2023 when he died in a plane crash... [more]

Prii Estonian
Prii is an Estonian surname meaning "free".

Prim Basque, Spanish

Prime English, French
From latin primus or from Old French prime, both meaning "first".

Princip Bosnian, Serbian
Probably derived from Latin princeps "leader, initiator, prince", which itself was ultimately derived from primus "first" and capere "to take". The surname may thus have originated as a nickname for someone with a princely appearance, or for someone who was the illegitimate offspring of a prince... [more]

Príncipe Italian, Spanish
From principe "prince, heir" (Latin princeps, genitive principis, from primus "first" and capere "to take"), applied probably as a nickname for someone who gave himself airs and graces or for someone in the service of a prince.

Prinsloo Afrikaans
Prinsloo is an Afrikaans surname. The name is derived from the dutch word Prins (meaning prince), and a loo suffix meaning clearing in the forest. Variant spellings include Prinzloo and Prinslo.

Prints Russian, Estonian
Means "prince" in Russian and Estonian.

Priore Italian
from Italian priore "prior" either a nickname or occupational name which probably most often originated as a metonymic occupational name for a servant of a prior or some important lay dignitary... [more]

Pritulak Ukrainian (Polonized, Rare)
A very rare Polonisation of the Ukrainian surname Prytulyak.

Proietti Italian
From Latin proiecto "abandoned, thrown away", given to foundlings and children abandoned at orphanages. The name may have been taken from la ruota dei proietti, or "foundling wheel", that some orphanages and religious institutes in Italy installed for infants to be anonymously abandoned in.

Pronk Dutch
Means "flamboyance" in Dutch, derived from pronken "to show off, to display" or "to sulk, be sullen, be displeased".

Prontzos Greek
Originally cattle breeders located in the Parnon mountains, the name derives from its original form, Prountzos, which means red faced ancestor, or bronzed face. It eventually got its current form as the centuries went by.

Prontzou f Greek
Female version of Prontzos

Prophet English, Scottish, French, German
Scottish, English, French, and German: nickname from Middle English and Old French prophete, Middle High German prophet ‘prophet’, ‘seer’, ultimately from Greek prophetes ‘predictor’, from pro ‘before’ + a derivative of phemi ‘to speak’... [more]

Prophète French, Haitian Creole
Originally a nickname (possibly ironic) from French prophète "prophet", making it a cognate of Profeta.

Prosalentis Greek

Proud English
From a nickname for a vain or haughty person, derived from Middle English proud "haughty, arrogant".

Proust French
From a nickname derived from French preux meaning "valiant, brave". A famous bearer was Marcel Proust (1871-1922), a French writer.

Prowse English
Nickname for a person who was proud, haughty, brave or valiant, derived from Old French prous, prou, preux, proz and prouz meaning "proud, brave, valiant". A famous bearer was David Prowse (1935-2020), an English bodybuilder, weightlifter and character actor who portrayed the villain Darth Vader in the Star Wars movies.

Prudhomme French, English
From Old French preudomme "noble man, valiant man, hero", denoting a brave person or an occupational name for a magistrate.

Prue English, French
English: nickname for a redoubtable warrior, from Middle English prou(s) ‘brave’, ‘valiant’ (Old French proux, preux).... [more]

Pruett English
Derived from the Middle English word "prou," meaning "brave," or "valiant," with the addition of either of two common diminutive suffixes: "-et" or "-ot." As such, this name is thought to have originally been a nickname for someone small, but brave.

Pruitt English, French
French and English: nickname from a pet form of Old French proux ‘valiant’, ‘brave’, or ‘wise’ (see Proulx, Prue).

Pruun Estonian
Pruun is an Estonian surname meaning "brown".

Prykhodko Ukrainian
From Ukrainian приходить (prykhodit'), meaning "comes, walks to".

Prymak Belarusian
Derived from Belarusian прымак (prymak) meaning "live-in son-in-law (man who marries and lives with his wife's family)".

Pryshlyak Ukrainian, Rusyn (?)
Means "one who walks", from Ukrainian прийшли (pryyshly), meaning "walked".

Prytulyak Ukrainian
From Ukrainian притуляк (prytulyak), meaning "refugee" in Ukrainian, literally "shelter person, person who seeks shelter". It is not the common term for a refugee (біженець, bizhenets').

Przybylska f Polish
Feminine form of Przybylski.

Przybylski Polish
A derivative of 'Przybyla', ‘new arrival’, ‘foundling’, with the addition of the surname suffix -ski.

Przysługak Polish
Comes from "przysługa" meaning "favor"

Psarakis Greek

Psellos Greek

Psychogios Greek
From the Greek words for soul (ψυχή) and son (γιός), usually means godson.

Ptacek Czech
A name given to a small, birdlike individual, meaning literally "little bird".

Pu Chinese
From Chinese 蒲 (pú) meaning "calamus, cattail".

Puddephat English
Variant of Puddephatt.

Puddephatt English
Probably from the unattested Old English *pudi "fat, swollen; round in the belly" combined with fæt "vat, cask, barrel", a nickname for someone with a large paunch, or perhaps who was known for drinking.

Pugachev Russian
From the nickname Pugach which is probably derived from Ukrainian пугач (pugach) meaning "owl". Following this etymology, the nickname was most likely given to someone who was wise or sensible (attributing to the owl as a symbol of wisdom).

Pugacheva Russian
Feminine transcription of Russian Пугачёв (see Pugachev).

Pugina Italian
Possibly derived from Venetian Pùgia, referring to the region of Puglia (see Pugliese), or pugia meaning "abundance, plenty" as well as referring to the cuccagna pole festivities... [more]

Pugno Italian
The Italian family name Pugno is considered by scholars to be of nickname origin. While the majority of surnames that are derived from a sobriquet or nickname reveal to us some aspect of the physical appearance of the initial bearer of the name or may allude to a characteristic of this person, other nickname family names make reference to a particular piece of clothing or favorite article or indeed a favorite color of the bearer of the name... [more]

Pukhov m Russian
From Russian пух (pukh), meaning "fluff".

Pulcini Italian
Could derive from Italian pulcino "young chicken, chick", a nickname for a poultry farmer or someone thought to resemble a chicken, or from a diminutive of pulce "flea".

Pulkkinen Finnish
Derived from Germanic volk meaning "people".

Pulsoni Italian
Probably from Latin pulso "to beat, to strike".

Pultorak Polish, Jewish, Ukrainian
Variant of Póltorak.

Puna Estonian
Puna is an Estonian surname meaning "red".

Punsalan Filipino, Tagalog, Pampangan
Variant of Punzalan.

Puntar Slovene, Croatian
Derived from a 19th century phrase that denoted someone who supported the unification of the Kingdoms of Croatia and Dalmatia within Austria-Hungary.

Punzalan Filipino, Tagalog, Pampangan
Possibly an occupational name for a maker of fences or a nickname derived from Spanish punzar meaning "to punch, to sting".

Pupu Mamalingua
Old name is good and old name rise pupu

Purdey English
Variant of Purdie (see Purdie on the given name site)

Purdie English
It means "by God" in Norman French.

Purple English
Nickname for someone wore purple clothing or has a purple complexion

Purpura Italian
A nickname for someone associated with the color purple.

Pursley German (Americanized, ?)
Likely an altered form of German Bürschle, a diminutive of Bursch.

Puschat German (East Prussian)
East Prussian German (and thus heavily Lithuanian influenced) surname derived from Lithuanian pušaite "(young) pine tree", which - allegedly - used to be a term of endearment for a young girl.

Pushpakumara Sinhalese
From Sanskrit पुष्प (pushpa) meaning "flower" and कुमार (kumara) meaning "boy, prince".

Putnik Serbian
Derived from putnik (путник), meaning "traveller".

Puyat Tagalog
Means "sleepless" in Tagalog.

Pyak Korean (Russified)
Russified form of Baek used by ethnic Koreans living in former Soviet territories.

Pyanykh Russian
Derived from Russian пьяный (pyany) meaning "drunk". This may have been a nickname for a family of drunks.

Pyatkevich Belarusian, Russian
Derived from Belarusian пятко (pyatko) or пятка (pyatka) meaning "fifth child, fifthborn".

Pyromallis Greek
The redhaired, from the words, πύρ fire/reddish and μαλλί for hair.

Qayyum Urdu
Derived from Arabic قيوم (qayyum) meaning "subsistence, independent, sustainer".

Qing Chinese
From Chinese 青 (qīng) meaning "blue, green, young".

Quaas German
Nickname for a big eater, from Middle Low German quās meaning "guzzling", "feasting".

Quaderer German
Nickname for someone stocky, from Middle High German quader meaning "building stone".

Quah Chinese (Hokkien), Chinese (Teochew)
Hokkien and Teochew romanization of Ke.

Quail English, Manx
A variant of Quayle, derived from various patronymics meaning "son of Paul". Alternately, an English nickname derived from the bird, perhaps given to a person who was timid, or known for being promiscuous.

Quandt German, History
From Middle Low German quant "prankster, joker". ... [more]

Quant Dutch, German
From Middle Dutch quant meaning "companion, comrade" or "trickster, prankster, rogue", ultimately from an older term meaning "journeyman, tradesman, small merchant". Compare Quandt.

Quant English
Nickname for a clever person from Middle English cwointe/queynte meaning "intelligent, skilled" or "cunning, deceptive", as well as "wonderful, strange, unknown". Ultimately derived from Latin cognitus "known, recognised".

Quantrell English
From a medieval nickname for an elegantly or flamboyantly dressed person (from Middle English quointerel "dandy, fop", from quointe "known, knowledgeable, crafty, elegant").

Quartermain English
From a medieval nickname for a very dextrous person, or for someone who habitually wore gloves (from Old French quatremains, literally "four hands"). A fictional bearer of the surname is Allan Quartermain, the hero of 'King Solomon's Mines' (1886) and other adventure novels by H. Rider Haggard... [more]

Quartermaine English
Variant of Quartermain. This surname was borne by British actor Leon Quartermaine (1876-1967).

Quasimodo Italian (Rare)
From the name of the Sunday that follows Easter, called Quasimodo Sunday, which gets its name from the opening words of the Latin chant quasi modo meaning "like the way" (see Quasimodo as a first name), possibly denoted somebody who was born or baptized in the first Sunday after Easter... [more]

Queirozrosa Portuguese (Brazilian, Portuguese-style, Archaic, ?), Medieval Portuguese (Portuguese-style, ?)
(De um arbusto o carquejo e mas rosa)

Quelch English (British)
Mid 16th Century variant of the name Wels(c)he, Welsh or Welch, itself deriving from the Middle English "walsche", Celtic, foreign, (Olde English "woelisc", a derivative of "wealh", foreign), and originally given as a distinguishing nickname to a Celt... [more]

Quercia Italian
Means "oak (tree)" in Italian, or figuratively "strong or resilient person".

Querubín Spanish, Spanish (Philippines)
Either from the personal name Querubín, or a nickname from querubín "cherub".

Questel French, Medieval French (?)
The surname Questel was first found in Normandy. Currently, Questel is the most commonly occurring last name in Saint-Barthélemy, a French island in the Caribbean Sea.... [more]

Quezon Filipino
Meaning uncertain, possibly a variant of Quizon or from Hokkien 郭孫 (keh-sun) derived from 郭 (keh) meaning "outer city" and 孫 (sun) meaning "grandchild"... [more]

Quiambao Filipino
Possibly from Hokkien 欠賺 (khiàm-báu) meaning "owed money, lacking money" or 鹹賺 (kiâm-báu) meaning "stingy with money".

Quibol Filipino, Cebuano
From Cebuano kibol meaning "bobtail".

Quimson Filipino
From Hokkien 金孫 (kim-sun) meaning "golden grandchild".

Quintela Portuguese
Has its roots in Latin, deriving from "quintus," meaning "fifth." It likely originated from describing a person as the fifth child in a family or from the division of land among heirs, where a fifth part was given to one heir.

Quispe Quechua (Hispanicized)
Hispanicized form of Quechua qispi meaning "free".

Quraishi Urdu, Bengali
Alternate transcription of Qureshi.

Qurashi Arabic, Urdu
Alternate transcription of Qureshi.

Qureishi Urdu
Alternate transcription of Urdu قریشی (see Qureshi).

Qureshi Arabic, Urdu
Denotes a member of the Quraysh, a mercantile Arab tribe that the Prophet Muhammad belonged to, itself is derived from Arabic قرش (qarasha) meaning "to gnash, to grind, to chew".

Raab German
Derived from German rabe "raven". As a surname, it was given to a person with black hair.

Raaf Dutch, German
Means "raven" in Dutch.

Raasch German
Variant of Rasch.

Raat Dutch
From Middle Dutch raet "advice, counsel". Could be an occupational name for a member of a council, or a short form of names containing rēdaz, such as Radulf... [more]

Rabbani Urdu, Bengali, Persian
Derived from Arabic رباني (rabbani) meaning "divine", ultimately from رب (rabb) meaning "master, lord".

Rabov Russian
Means "son of a slave".

Rachmaninoff Russian
Surname used as a nickname for someone of swarthy appearance.

Rad Old Persian
Meanings: "Honest", "Bounteous"

Radia Filipino, Maranao
Means "king" in Maranao, ultimately from Sanskrit राज (raja).

Radiamoda Filipino, Maranao
From a title for a crown prince, derived from Maranao radia meaning "king" and moda meaning "young".

Radica Italian
Possibly derived from Italian radica meaning "root vegetable, carrot; briar root (wood)", or figuratively "uncultured person, unintelligent person", ultimately from Latin radix "root".

Radin m Russian
From the old Slavic name element радъ (radŭ), meaning "happy, willing".

Radolović Croatian
Possibly derived from rado lovi, meaning "glad to hunt".

Radulović Serbian
Possibly derived from rado lovi, meaning "glad to hunt".

Radzha Indian, Gujarati, Tamil, Hindi, Urdu, Bengali
Alternate transcription of Raja.

Radzhan Indian, Tamil, Malayalam, Bengali, Malaysian
Alternate transcription of Rajan.

Raeven Dutch
Variant spelling of Raven.

Rafter Irish, Scottish
The original Gaelic form of Rafter was O Raithbheartaigh, which was modified to O Raifeartaigh. The surname is derived from the words rath bheartach meaning prosperity wielder.

Ragasa Tagalog
From Tagalog dagasa meaning "reckless hasty, hurrying carelessly".

Rahal Arabic
From Arabic رحال (rahhal) meaning "voyager, traveller".

Rahe German
Nickname for a rough individual, from a North German variant of Rauh.

Rahumeel Estonian
Rahumeel is an Estonian surname meaning "peaceful minded".

Rai Indian, Bengali, Hindi, Assamese, Punjabi, Marathi, Nepali
Variant of Raj.

Raia Italian, 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.

Raia Arabic
Derived from Arabic رياح (rayah) meaning ‘flag’.

Raile German

Rain English
Variant of Raine.

Rainbow German (Anglicized), Jewish (Anglicized)
Anglicized form of Regenbogen.

Raison English, Scottish, French
From a medieval nickname for an intelligent person (from Old French raison "reason, intelligence").

Raj Indian, Punjabi, Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada, Bengali, Odia
Derived from Sanskrit राज (raja) meaning "king".

Raja Indian, Gujarati, Tamil, Hindi, Bengali, Urdu, Punjabi
Variant of Raj.

Rajabian Indian, Hindi
Derived from Hindi राजबियन (raajabiyan), possibly from Arabic رجب (rajab) meaning "respect".

Rajah Indian, Gujarati, Tamil, Hindi, Urdu, Bengali
Alternate transcription of Raja.

Rajakaruna Sinhalese
From Sanskrit राज (raja) meaning "king" and करुणा (karuna) meaning "compassion, kindness, mercy".

Rajal Indian, Hindi, Marathi, Urdu, Punjabi, Gujarati, Bengali, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam
Variant of Raja.

Rajan Indian, Tamil, Malayalam, Bengali, Malaysian
From the title Raja or Raj denoting a South Asian king or prince; mainly used in Southern India.

Rajani Indian, Urdu, Hindi, Marathi, Nepali, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Bengali, Malaysian
Meaning unknown, either from the titles Rajan, Raja, or Raj, or from the given name Rajani.

Rajapaksa Sinhalese
Alternate transcription of Sinhalese රාජපක්ෂ (see Rajapakse).

Rajapakse Sinhalese
From Sanskrit राज (raja) meaning "king" and पक्ष (paksha) meaning "faction, party, army".

Rajapaksha Sinhalese
Alternate transcription of Sinhalese රාජපක්ෂ (see Rajapakse).

Rajasooriya Sinhalese
Alternate transcription of Sinhalese රාජසූරිය (see Rajasuriya).

Rajasuriya Sinhalese
Derived from Sanskrit राज (raja) meaning "king" and सिंह (sinha) meaning "lion".

Rajneesh Indian

Rajneesh Indian, Hindi
From the given name Rajnish. Can also be taken directly from the title रजनीश (rajanish) meaning "lord of the night".

Rajput Indian, Marathi, Hindi, Assamese, Punjabi, Pakistani, Urdu
From Sanskrit राजपुत्र (rajaputra) meaning "prince" (literally "son of the king"), derived from राज (raja) meaning "king" combined with पुत्र (putra) meaning "child, son".

Raju Indian, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil
Variant of Raj chiefly used in Southern India.

Rajul Indian, Arabic, Urdu, Hindi, Marathi, Nepali, Bengali, Punjabi, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Odia
Variant of Raju.

Rakhmaninov Russian
From a nickname derived from Russian рахманный (rakhmannyy) meaning "lazy". A notable bearer was Russian composer, pianist and conductor Sergei Rakhmaninov (1873-1943).

Rakitin Russian
From rakita, meaning "brittle willow".

Rakuami Japanese (Rare)
From Japanese 楽 (raku) meaning "sukha" and 阿弥 (Ami), a dharma name for male followers of Amitabha.

Ramage French, Scottish
From a medieval Scottish nickname for a hot-tempered or unpredictable person (from Old French ramage "wild, uncontrollable" (applied to birds of prey)).

Ramaphosa Southern African, Venda
Means "the one who is born in the evening" in Venda. This name is borne by the South African president Cyril Ramaphosa (1952-).

Ramasamy Tamil
From the name of the Hindu god Rama 1 combined with Tamil சாமி (sami) meaning "chief, master, lord" (ultimately from Sanskrit स्वामिन् (svamin)).

Ramaswami Tamil
Alternate transcription of Tamil ராமசாமி (see Ramasamy).

Ramaswamy Tamil
Alternate transcription of Tamil ராமசாமி (see Ramasamy).

Rana Indian, Bengali, Odia, Gujarati, Hindi, Punjabi, Marathi, Nepali, Urdu
From the Sanskrit title राणा (rana) meaning "king".

Ranasingha Sinhalese
Alternate transcription of Sinhala රණසිංහ (see Ranasinghe).

Ranasinghe Sinhalese
From Sanskrit राणा (rana) meaning "king" or रण (rana) meaning "delight, pleasure, joy" and सिंह (sinha) meaning "lion".

Range German, French
German: nickname for a ragamuffin, from Middle High German range ‘naughty boy’, ‘urchin’.... [more]

Rangkuti Batak
From a rapid pronunciation of the nickname Orang Yang Ditakuti meaning "The Feared One".

Ränk Estonian
Ränk is an Estonian surname meaning "heavy", "burdensome" and "wicked".

Ranz German
The surname that can have one of two origins. In some cases, it is derived from the ancient German given name, Rando, whose origins lie in the word rand, meaning "rim of shield"... [more]

Raposo Portuguese, Galician
Means "fox".

Rappa Italian, 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.

Rasool Arabic, Urdu
From the given name Rasul.

Rasskazov Russian
From rasskaz, meaning "story".

Rastegar Persian
Means "free, liberated, saved" in Persian.

Rastoder Bosnian
Possibly derived from hrast, meaning "oak", and derati, meaning "tearing, to tear".

Rathnayake Sinhalese
Alternate transcription of Ratnayake.

Ratnayake Sinhalese
From Sanskrit रत्न (ratna) meaning "jewel, treasure" and नायक (nayaka) meaning "hero, leader".

Rau German
Nickname for a ruffian, earlier for a hairy person, from Middle High German ruch, ruhe, rouch "hairy", "shaggy", "rough".

Räuber German, German (Swiss)
German, Swiss German: derogatory nickname, from Middle High German roubære ‘robber’, ‘bandit’, ‘highwayman’ (from roub, roup ‘booty’, ‘spoils’).

Rausch German
Nickname for a noisy person, derived from ruschen, meaning "to make a noise" in Middle High German. ... [more]

Raut Indian, Marathi, Hindi, Odia, Bengali
Derived from Sanskrit राजपुत्र (rajaputra) meaning "prince".

Raval Indian, Gujarati
From Gujarati રાવ (rava) meaning "king", ultimately from Sanskrit राजन् (rajan).

Rave Low German, Dutch
Variant form of Rabe and Raaf, both meaning "raven".

Raveling German
nickname or patronymic from Middle Low German rave(n) ‘raven’

Raven English, Dutch
From a variety of sources all ultimately derived from the name of the bird. Could be a patronymic form of a given name such as Raven, Hraban, or Walraven; from a nickname referring to dark hair or thieving tendencies; or from a toponym derived from a given name.

Ray Indian, Hindi, Bengali, Assamese, Odia
Variant of Raj.

Rayford American
From a Germanic personal name with the elements ric- meaning "powerful" and -frid meaning "peace".

Rayo Spanish, Catalan, Asturian
Spanish: from rayo ‘flash of lightning’, possibly a nickname in the sense ‘lively’.... [more]

Razbornik Slovene
Derived from razborit, meaning "prudent".

Rē Sinhalese
Variant of Rey 1 used in Sri Lanka.

Real Spanish, 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]

Reason English
A different form of Raison.

Rebong Chinese (Filipinized)
Filipinized form of Ong.

Recchia Italian
Reduced or regional form of Italian orecchia "ear", a nickname for someone with notable ears or uncommonly good hearing.

Recchio Italian (Americanized)
Probably a variant of Orecchio or Recchia.

Recht German, Jewish
Nickname for an upright person, from Middle High German reht, German recht "straight". As a Jewish name it is mainly of ornamental origin.

Recknagel German
from Middle High German recken "to raise or lift" (here in the imperative) and nagel "nail" hence a metonymic occupational name for a blacksmith or perhaps an obscene nickname (with a transferred sense for nagel i.e. ‘penis’).

Red English
Variant of Read 1.

Redman English, 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".

Reese Low German, Dutch, German
Variant of Riese or Reus, from risi meaning "giant". Alternatively, could be a patronymic form of the Germanic given name Razo, derived from rēdaz "counsel, advise", or a habitational name from places called Rees or Reese in Rhineland and Lower Saxony.

Regalado Spanish, Spanish (Philippines), American (Hispanic)
Means "gifted", "pleasant", or "capable".

Rei Portuguese, Galician
Cognate of Rey 1

Reidhead English
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."

Reimann German
From a pet form of a Germanic personal name formed with a first element from ragin 'advice', 'counsel' or ric 'power(ful)', 'rich'.

Reinaus Estonian
Reinaus is an Estonian surname derived from the masculine given name "Rein" and "aus" meaning "honest".

Reise German, Jewish
German (Westphalia) topographic name, from Middle Low German ris, res ‘swamp’. ... [more]

Reisner Jewish
Jewish (Ashkenazic) nickname for a traveler, from an agent derivative of German reisen ‘to travel’ (see Reise). Also a variant of Reis.

Reiziger Dutch, Dutch (Surinamese)
Derived from Middle Dutch reisiger meaning "traveller, voyager", ultimately from Middle High German meaning "soldier on horseback". It is notably borne by the Dutch former soccer player Michael Reiziger (1973-).