Browse Submitted Surnames

This is a list of submitted surnames in which the usage is Danish or Dutch or English or German or Norwegian or Swedish; and the source is Location.
usage
source
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Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
Padley English
A habitational name from a place named Padley, which was probably named with the Old English personal name Padda and lēah meaning ‘glade, woodland clearing’. Alternatively, the first element may have been padde, meaning ‘toad’.
Paish English
From Pasci, a department in Euce, Normandy
Paiton English
Locational surname derived from the village of Peyton in Essex, England; Variant of Peyton
Pakenham English
From the parish of Pakenham in Suffolk, meaning "Pacca's settlement" from Old English ham "estate, settlement".
Palin English
(i) "person from Palling", Norfolk ("settlement of Pælli's people") or "person from Poling", Sussex ("settlement of Pāl's people"); (ii) from the Welsh name ap Heilyn "son of Heilyn", a personal name perhaps meaning "one who serves at table"
Palmberg Dutch (Rare), German (Rare)
Derived from any of the various places in Germany named Palmberg.
Pannekoek Dutch
Means "pancake" in Dutch, possibly a nickname for someone who made or liked to eat pancake. Alternatively, it could derive from a place name, such as an inn or field named for pancakes.
Parelius Norwegian
Latinization of a learned Hellenized translation of either Solvorn, a placename in Luster (Sogn og Fjordane), or of Solnør, a placename in Skodje/Ørskog (Møre og Romsdal), Norway. The surname itself is then derived from Greek para heliou "near (or close by) the sun".
Parkington English
Habitational name from a place in Greater Manchester (formerly in Cheshire) called Partington, from Old English Peartingtun 'settlement (tun) associated with Pearta', a personal name not independently recorded.
Parley English
A place name meaning "pear field" from Old English 'per' with 'lee' or 'lea' meaning a field or clearing, perhaps where land was cleared to cultivate pear trees. Therefore this name denotes someone who lived near or worked at such a location or came from a habitation associated with the name... [more]
Parmley English
Variant of Parley. This form is found more in northern England, specifically Cumberland and Durham, but is of like derivation.
Parnham English
English habitational name from Parnham in Beaminster, Dorset.
Parr English
From a place so named in England. Derived from Old English pearr "enclosure".
Parsley Medieval French, English, Norman, French
Derived from Old French passelewe "cross the water."... [more]
Partenheimer German
Habitational name for someone from Partenheim in Rheinhessen.
Partington English
Habitational name from a place in Greater Manchester (formerly in Cheshire) called Partington, from Old English Peartingtun "Pearta's town".
Pasch German
Topographic name for a field or meadow which was used at Easter as a playground; etymologically two sources seem to be combined: Latin pascuum ‘pasture’ and Middle Low German pāsche(n) ‘Easter’.
Pashley English
From the an Old English personal name Pæcca, and with the Old English word "le-ah," meaning "clearing in the wood.''
Pauw Dutch, Flemish
Means "peacock" in Dutch. Could be a habitational name from a sign depicting a peacock, or a nickname for a proud or flamboyant person. In some cases, it can be a shortened form of the patronymic Pauwels "son of Paul".
Peachy English (Anglicized)
Means “lived near a peach tree, sold peaches, or was associated with the fruit in some other way”. Originally arrived with the in England after the Norman conquest of 1066.
Pearcy English (American)
Variant of Percy, which is a name derived from Perci, a parish and canton near St. Lo, in Normandy
Peartree English
Means "pear tree".
Peary English
Variant of Perry 1.
Peele English
This surname was given topographically to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. A famous bearer of this surname is actor, comedian, writer, producer, and director Jordan Peele.
Pelham English
From the name of a place in Hertfordshire, which meant "Peotla's homestead" in Old English.
Pelt Dutch
Shortened form of Van Pelt.
Pelton English
Habitational name from Pelton, a place in County Durham, named from an unattested Old English personal name Peola + tun 'farmstead', 'settlement'.
Pember English
From Paegna, a given name meaning "pagan", ber meaning "barley", or it's a variant of Pamber.
Pemberley English
From the given name Paegna, ber meaning "barley" and leah meaning "clearing".
Pemberly English
From the given name Paegna, ber meaning "barley" and leah meaning "clearing".
Pendarvis English (American)
The American English spelling of the Cornish surname Pendarves. Ultimately, the surname is traced back to Pendarves Island, Cornwall.
Pendle English
Habitational name from a borough called Pendle in Lancashire, derived from Proto-Brythonic *penn "head, top" and hyll "hill".
Pendlebury English
Habitational name from the town called Pendlebury in Greater Manchester, derived from Pendle Hill (see Pendle) and Old English burg "fortress, fortification, citadel".
Pendleton English
Habitational name from any of the two villages in Lancashire called Pendleton, both derived from Pendle Hill (see Pendle) and Old English tun "enclosure, town".
Peniston English
Denoted someone who came from the town of Penistone in South Yorkshire.
Penketh English (British)
The surname Penketh was first found in Lancashire at Penketh, a township, in the chapelry of Great Sankey, parish of Prescot, union of Warrington, hundred of West Derby.
Penley English
habitational name from Penleigh in Dilton Wiltshire. The place name probably derives from Old English penn "fold enclosure" or perhaps Celtic penn "head" and Old English leah "wood woodland clearing"... [more]
Penning English, Dutch, Low German
From early Middle English penning, Low German penning, and Middle Dutch penninc, all meaning "penny". It was used as a topographic surname from the name of a field, or a nickname referring to tax dues of one penny.
Pennington English
Habitational surname denoting someone originally from any of the various locations in England named Pennington, derived from Old English penning meaning "penny" (used as a byname or from a tribute due on the land) and tun meaning "town".
Pennock Cornish, English
From the Cornish 'pennknegh', meaning "hilltop".
Pennywell English
English habitational name from Pennywell in Tyne and Wear or from a similarly named lost place elsewhere.
Pennyworth English
From Old English pening, penig meaning "penny (the coin)" and worþ meaning "enclosure". A notable fictional bearer is Alfred Pennyworth, a DC Comics character notable for being the butler of the superhero Batman.
Penrose English, Cornish, Welsh
From the names of various towns in Cornwall and Wales, all derived from Cornish penn "head" and ros "moor, heathland".
Penry Welsh, Cornish, English
Derived from Welsh ap Henry meaning "son of Henry". It is also a variant of Pendray, which is derived from a place name in Cornwall meaning "top of the village" in Middle Cornish... [more]
Perceval English, Norman
Derived from either the Old French given name Perceval, or from one of two places called Perceval in the department of Calvados in Normandy, France... [more]
Percival English, Norman
Variant of Perceval, derived from the given name Percival.
Percy English
Either a nickname from Old French percehaie "pierce hedge" (Old French percer "to pierce, penetrate" and haie "hedge, fence"), perhaps with the sense of someone breaking into an enclosure... [more]
Perham English
A variation of the English name Parham, based on the village of Parham (one in county Suffolk, another in county Sussex). From the Old English peru, meaning "pear" (the fruit), and ham, meaning "homestead".
Perley English
Variant of Parley or Burley.
Perri English
Variant of Perry 1.
Pettis English
From the possessive or plural form of Middle English pytte, pitte ‘pit’, ‘hollow’, hence a topographic name for someone who lived by a pit, or a habitational name from a place named with this word, as for example Pett in East Sussex.
Peverley English
Possibly a variant of Beverley.
Pfau German, Jewish
from Middle High German pfā pfāwe "peacock" modern German pfau... [more]
Pfuhl German
a topographic name for someone who lived by a swamp or pond, Middle High German phuol.... [more]
Pheonix English, Scottish
Variant of Fenwick re-spelled after the legendary bird Phoenix. A famous bearer of the name is American actor Joaquín Rafael Phoenix (1974-), although their family renamed themselves after the Phoenix after leaving the religious cult Children of God, symbolizing a new beginning.
Philbrick English (British)
English (southeastern): probably a habitational name from Felbrigg in Norfolk named with Old Norse fjǫl “board plank” + Old English brycg “bridge”.... [more]
Philliskirk English (Rare)
From a 'lost' medieval parish in England or Scotland, named with the Old Norse element kirk meaning 'church' or 'place of worship'.... [more]
Pickersgill English
This famous Yorkshire name is of early medieval English origin, and is a locational surname deriving from the place in West Yorkshire called Pickersgill, or "Robber's Ravine". The placename is derived from the Middle English "pyker", thief, robber, and "gill", gully, ravine, deep glen.
Pickford English
This surnames origins lie with the Anglo-Saxons. It is a product of their having lived in the parish of Pitchford in Shropshire. ... [more]
Pickup English
The name is derived from when the family resided in Pickup or Pickup Bank in Lancashire. This place-name was originally derived from the Old English word Pic-copp which referred to those individuals who "lived on a hill with a sharp peak."
Pierpont English
English (of Norman origin): habitational name from any of various places, for example in Aisne and Calvados, so called from Old French pierre ‘stone’ + pont ‘bridge’.
Piggott English, Irish, Norman
From the Old French and Old English given names Picot and Pigot, or derived from Old English pic meaning "point, hill", hence a topographic name for someone who lived by a hill with a sharp point (see Pike).
Pijnenburg Dutch
From the name of an estate or hamlet called Pijnenburg in the town of Soest in Utrecht, Holland, composed of Middle Dutch pijn meaning "pine tree" and burg meaning "fortress, manor, mansion".
Pike English, Irish
English: topographic name for someone who lived by a hill with a sharp point, from Old English pic ‘point’, ‘hill’, which was a relatively common place name element.... [more]
Pilkey English
Shortened variant of Pilkington
Pilkington English
Habitational name for a person from a minor place named Pilkington in Lancashire, from Old English given name Pileca or Piloc and tun "enclosure, town".
Pillsbury English
Derived from a place in Derbyshire, England, so named from the genitive of the Old English given name Pil and burh meaning "fortified place".
Pinckney English
The surname Pinckney originally denoted someone from Picquigny, France, which derives from a Germanic personal name, Pincino (of obscure derivation) and the Latin locative suffix -acum... [more]
Pines English
Plural form of Pine. Possibly given to someone who lives in a pine forest or a pine grove.
Pinkham English
habitational name from a lost or unidentified place in or bordering on Devon
Pinkney English
Variant spelling of Pinckney.
Pinn English (British)
A topographic or habitational name from a place named with Middle English pinne, meaning "hill" (Old English penn).
Pinner English (Rare)
Parish in Middlesex.
Pinsker German, Prussian
Habitational name from any of several places named near Posen (Polish Poznan) and in West Prussia.
Pitsenbarger German
Probably an altered spelling of Bezzenberger, which is derived from Boizenburg, a municipality in the Ludwigslust-Parchim district in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany.
Pittsenbarger German
Variant spelling of Pitsenbarger.
Place English
Topographic name for someone who lived in or near the main market square.
Plas Dutch
Means "pool, pond, puddle" in Dutch.
Plass German
From Middle Low German plas meaning "place, open square, street". Can also derive from a medieval form of the given name Blasius.
Plasschaert Flemish
Probably derived from Middle Dutch plasch "puddle, pool of water" and the suffix -aert.
Platten English
Diminutive of Platt.
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.
Plumley English
Meaning "plum-tree wood or clearing" from the Old English words plume and leah.
Plumtree English
From any of the locations called Plumtree for anyone who lived near a plum tree derived from Old English plume "plum" and treow "tree".
Plymouth English (Rare)
Derived from the place name Plymouth.
Pol Dutch
From Middle Dutch pol "tussock, grassy hill; area of raised ground in a fen".
Poland English, German, French (Anglicized), Irish (Anglicized)
English and German name is derived from the Middle High German Polan, which means "Poland". The surname originally signified a person with Polish connections.This French surname originated from an occupational name of a poultry breeder, or from a fearful person; it is derived from the Old French poule, which means "chicken".In other cases, particularly in Ireland, the English Poland is a variant of Polin,which is in turn an Anglicised form of the original Gaelic spelling of Mac Póilín, which translated from Irish means "son of little Paul"... [more]
Pole English
Variant of Poole, from Old English pól.
Poley French, German, Jewish
French: variant of Polet, Paulet, pet forms of Paul.... [more]
Politzer Hungarian, German, Jewish
Habitational name derived from any one of several places called Police (known as Pölitz in German) in the Czech Republic. Hugh David Politzer (1949-) is an American theoretical physicist who, along with David Gross and Frank Wilczek, discovered asymptotic freedom.
Pollak English, German
A name for someone who came from the place called Poland.
Polman Dutch
Variant of Pol using the element man "person, man" as a suffix.
Poltimore English (Rare)
Rare English surname derived from a Devon place name of Celtic origin, allegedly meaning “pool by the large house”.
Pompey French, English
Variant of Italian Pompei.
Ponce Spanish, English
The Ponce name was carried into England after the migration from Normandy following the Norman Conquest of 1066.'Ponce' is derived from 'Ponsoby',a place in Cumberland, where the family settled. The Ponce motto is 'Pro rege, lege grege' meaning "For the King, law, and people"
Ponsonby English
From a place name in England.
Pool English
Topographic name for someone who lived near a pool or pond, Middle English pole (Old English pōl), or a habitational name from any of the places named with this word, as for example Poole in Dorset, South Pool in Devon, and Poole Keynes in Gloucestershire.
Pooley English
Habitational name from Pooley Bridge in Cumbria, so named from Old English pol ‘pool’ + Old Norse haugr ‘hill’, ‘mound’. topographic name from Middle English pole ‘pool’ + ey ‘low-lying land’ or hey ‘enclosure’
Poorten Low German (Rare), Dutch (Rare)
From any of several places named Poort, derived from Dutch poort "gate".
Poortman Dutch
Occupational name for a gatekeeper or topographic name for someone who lived near the gates of a fortified town, from Dutch poort "gate" and man "man, person".
Poortvliet Dutch
From the name of the village and former municipality called Poortvliet in the province of Zeeland in the Netherlands, derived from Middle Dutch port meaning "port, harbour, storage yard, city" and vliet meaning "brook, stream, river, creek, inlet"... [more]
Poplar English
Nickname for someone living by a poplar tree.
Port English, German, French
Either from Middle English porte "gateway, entrance" (Old French porte, from Latin porta), hence a topographic name for someone who lived near the gates of a fortified town or city, or for the gatekeeper... [more]
Porte French, German, English
from Old French porte "gateway entrance" (from Latin porta) hence a topographic name for someone who lived near the gates of a fortified town (typically the man in charge of them)... [more]
Portman German (Americanized), Dutch
Americanized form of German Portmann, as well as a Dutch variant of Poortman (and in some cases an Americanized form)... [more]
Portugal Spanish, Portuguese, English, Catalan, French, Jewish
Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, English, French, and Jewish surname meaning ethnic name or regional name for someone from Portugal or who had connections with Portugal. The name of the country derives from Late Latin Portucale, originally denoting the district around Oporto (Portus Cales, named with Latin portus ‘port’, ‘harbor’ + Cales, the ancient name of the city)... [more]
Posner German, Polish, Medieval
Originally denoted a person from Poznań, Poland.
Postgate English
From Postgate in Danby (NR Yorks) which is recorded as Postgate in the 12th century. The place-name derives from Old English post "post pillar" and Old Scandinavian gata ‘way path road" or Old English gæt "gate".
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.
Pot Dutch
From Middle Dutch pot "pot, jar", an occupational name for a potter, or perhaps a toponymic surname referring to a low-lying piece of land.
Poulton English
English surname that means "settlement by a pool".
Powis English
The English of Welsh Surname Powys, which derives from the place "Powys" in Wales.
Pratley English
Originates from a now "lost" medieval village believed to have been in the south east of England.
Prescod English
A cognate of Prescott.
Preshaw English (British, Rare)
This surname is a habitational name from a locality near Upham on the slopes of the South Downs. It is entirely within a private estate and has its own chapel.
Prestwich English, Irish
habitational name from a place in Lancashire (now Greater Manchester) so called Prestwick from Old English preost "priest" and wic "outlying settlement" or from other places with the same derivation.
Prestwood English
habitational name from any of several places called from Middle English prest priest "priest" and wode "wood" (Old English preost wudu) meaning "dweller by the priest's wood"
Preüs German
Variant spelling of Preüss.
Preuss German, Jewish
From the German word preussen meaning "Prussia". Indicating someone from Prussia.
Priestland English
From Middle English prest priest "priest" and land "landed property land" (Old English preost land) meaning "land that belonged to priests"... [more]
Prins Dutch, Jewish
Means "prince" in Dutch, a doublet of Prince. Often a habitational name for someone who lived or worked near a location named Prins, such as an inn or windmill, or sign depicting the Prince of Orange... [more]
Privett French, English, Welsh (?)
French, from the given name Privat (see Privatus). Also an English habitational name from a place so named in Hampshire, derived from Old English pryfet "privet".
Protzman German
A habitational name for someone from any of various places in Lower Saxony, Brandenburg, and Luxembourg called Protz.
Providence English
From the name of the capital city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island, derived from Middle English providence meaning "divine guidance, care", ultimately from Latin providentia.
Prusseit German (East Prussian)
East Prussian German (and thus heavily Lithuanian influenced) name meaning "a Prussian".
Pudwill German
Of Slavic origin, habitational name from Podewils in Pomerania.
Puett English (American)
Americinized form of Pütt.
Pulitzer Hungarian, German, Jewish
Variant form of Politzer. A famous bearer was the Hungarian-American businessman, newspaper publisher and politician Joseph Pulitzer (1847-1911). His family came from Hungary, but they were of Czech origin.
Pulow German
Pulow is the name of a small village in the northeast of Germany. There is also a lake with the same name.
Purinton English
One who came from Puriton, England.
Pursley English
Habitational name from Pursley Farm in Shenley, Hertfordshire, England.
Pusch German
Name for someone who lived near bushes or a thicket. The distinguished name Pusch is derived from the Old German word busc, which means thicket or brush.
Pusey English
Habitational name from Pusey in Oxfordshire (formerly in Berkshire), so called from Old English peose, piosu ‘pea(s)’ + ēg ‘island’, ‘low-lying land’, or from Pewsey in Wiltshire, recorded in Domesday Book as Pevesie, apparently from the genitive case of an Old English personal name Pefe, not independently attested + Old English ēg ‘island’.
Putney English
habitational name from Putney in Surrey (now Greater London) named in Old English from the personal name Putta (genitive Puttan) and hyth "landing place quay".
Pütt German
Habitational name from any of several places so named in Rhineland, Westphalia, and Pomerania, but in most cases a topographic name from Middle Low German putte ‘pit’, ‘well’, ‘puddle’, ‘pond’.
Puttick English (British)
A variant spelling of the Sussex surname Puttock from the Village of Puttock, which itself derives from the Old English "Puttocke" a bird of prey, the kite. ... [more]
Pützstück German (Rare)
Habitational name from a place so named near Königswinter, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
Pyburn English (?)
Apparently from some lost or minor place so named. 1881 British census has 109; KH.
Pyle English
From the Middle English word pile, meaning "stake" or "post", which is derived via Old English from Latin pilum, meaning "spike" or "javelin". This was a topographic name for someone who lived near a stake or post serving as a landmark, a metonymic occupational name for a stake maker, or a nickname for a tall, strong man.
Pyne English
Means "pine" from the Old French pin. This was originally given as a topographical name for someone who lived by a conspicuous pine tree or in a pine forest.
Quackenbosch Dutch
Topographic name meaning "night heron woodlands" in Dutch, from Dutch kwak "night heron" and bosch "woodland wilderness". This surname is now extinct in the Netherlands.
Quackenbush Dutch (Americanized)
Americanized spelling of Dutch Quackenbosch.
Quarry English
From Middle English quarey "quarry", a topographic name for someone who lived near a stone quarry, or a metonymic occupational name for someone who worked in one. ... [more]
Quast German
habitational name from any of several places so named in northern Germany. metonymic occupational name for a barber or nickname for someone who wore a conspicuous tassel or feather, from Middle Low German, Middle High German quast(e) "tuft", "tassel", "brush", also "fool".
Quenby English
English: of uncertain origin; perhaps a variant of Quarmby, a habitational name from a place so called in West Yorkshire.
Quested English (British)
English surname of uncertain origin, possibly derived from the lost village of Questers.
Quetz German
German family name originating from the town of Quetz (today Quetzdölsdorf).... [more]
Quimby English
Perhaps a variant of Quenby.
Quinton English
From a place name meaning "queen's town" in Old English.
Quisling Norwegian
A treacherous person who sides with opposing forces, this meaning comes from Vidkun Quisling of Norway. He helped the Germans during the German rule of Norway in the 1940's. Original meaning "One from" (-ling) "Quislemark", (quis) A romanization of the place name of Kvislemark.
Rabenstein German
Habitational name from any of numerous places called Rabenstein.
Rachel English, German
From the English female given name Rachel or derived from German rau "rough".
Rackham English
Means "person from Rackham", Sussex ("homestead or enclosure with ricks"). This surname was borne by British watercolourist and book illustrator Arthur Rackham (1867-1939).
Radford English
Habitational name from any of the various places so named, for example in Devon, Nottinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, and Hereford and Worcester. Most are named from Old English read "red" + ford "ford", but it is possible that in some cases the first element may be a derivative of Old English ridan "to ride", with the meaning "ford that can be crossed on horseback".
Radley English
From rēadlēah meaning "red clearing". Radley is a village and civil parish in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, England.
Raeven Dutch
Variant spelling of Raven.
Raffensperger German
Altered spelling of Ravensburger or Ravensberger, a habitational name for someone from Ravensburg in Württemberg, but there are a number of similar surnames, for example Raffenberg, a farm name near Hamm, and Raffsberger.
Rafford Scottish, English
From a village called Rafford in Moray, Scotland. The surname itself is derived from Gaelic rath meaning "fort, dwelling", and ford reffering to a river crossing.
Ragatz German (Swiss)
Habitational name from Ragaz in Grison canton.
Ragsdale English
Apparently an English habitational name from Ragdale in Leicestershire, which is probably named from Old English hraca "gully", "narrow pass" + dæl "valley", "dale".
Raider English
Taken from a village called "Rait".
Rainwater English (American)
Americanized form of the German family name Reinwasser, possibly a topographic name for someone who lived by a source of fresh water, from Middle High German reine ‘pure’ + wazzer ‘water’.
Raisbeck English
Raisbeck is a hamlet in the civil parish of Orton, in the Eden district, in the county of Cumbria, England. The surname Raisbeck originates from the hamlet. The name of the hamlet derives from Hrridarr, a personal name and beck, a stream or river.
Raisch German, German (Swiss)
From Middle High German rīsch, rūsch ‘reed’, ‘rush’, hence a topographic name for someone who lived near a reed bed, or perhaps a metonymic occupational name for someone who used or harvested reeds... [more]
Raish English (American)
Americanized spelling of German Raisch.
Raisor English (American), German (Americanized)
Possibly a variant of Rasor, or an Americanized form of German Röser or Reiser.
Raleigh English
English habitation name in Devon meaning "red woodland clearing".
Rampling English
Originally indicated a person who lived in a thickly wooded area, derived from Latin ramus meaning "branch" (see Ramos). Famous bearers include English actress Charlotte Rampling (1946-) and her father, athlete and British Army officer Godfrey Rampling (1909-2009).
Ramsbottom English
Habitational name from a market town called Ramsbottom in Greater Manchester, England (historically in Lancashire), derived from Old English hramsa meaning "wild garlic" or ramm "ram", and bothm meaning "bottom, bottom valley".
Ramser German, German (Austrian)
Habitational name derived from either any of several places called Ramsen in Germany and Switzerland, or from places in Austria and upper Bavaria called Ramsau... [more]
Rang German
Variant of Range.... [more]
Ranger English, 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]
Rasberry English
Possibly a habitational name from Ratsbury in Lynton, Devon.
Rashleigh English
From a location in Devon, derived from Old English rá "roe buck" + léah "clearing".
Raspberry English
Variant spelling of Rasberry.
Raspberry English
Variant of Rasberry influenced by the name of the fruit but has no connection to it.
Ratchford English
habitational name from Rochford (Worcestershire) from Old English ræcc ‘hunting dog’ (genitive ræcces) and ford "ford"... [more]
Ratcliff English
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".
Rathbone English
Of unknown origin, but might denote a person with short legs. From Olde English rhath, meaning "short, and bon, "legs".
Rather German, Jewish
1. Occupational name for a counsellor or nickname for a wise person, from Middle High German rater ‘adviser’. ... [more]
Ratzinger German
Ratzinger means that someone has origins in the town of Ratzing. There are several German towns with this name. RATZ means ‘Serb’. Serbs were indigenous people in Germany, and many German cities originally had Serbian names (Berlin, Dresden, Leipzig, Brandenburg)... [more]
Rausing Swedish (Rare)
Combination of Raus, the name of a parish in southern Sweden, and the common surname suffix -ing "belonging to, coming from".
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.
Ravencroft English (Rare)
Probably a variant of Ravenscroft.
Ravenel English, 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]
Ravenscar English (British)
From a coastal village with the same name, located in the Scarborough district of North Yorkshire, England.
Ravenscroft English, English (British)
Habitational name from a minor place in Cheshire, England. The place name means "Hræfn's croft", from an Old English personal name Hræfn (itself from Old English hræfn meaning "raven", possibly a byname) and Old English croft meaning "enclosed field".
Ravenswaaij Dutch
From the name of a village in Gelderland, Netherlands, meaning "Raven’s ford", derived from the personal name Raven combined with Old Dutch wade "ford, shallows", later reinterpreted as Middle Dutch way "pool, kolk lake".
Rayl German
Variant of Rehl, which it's meaning is probably a habitational name from Rehl in Rhineland or Rehlen in East Prussia.
Reach Scottish, English
Scottish: Nickname For Someone With Streaks Of Gray Or White Hair From Gaelic Riabhach ‘Brindled Grayish’. English And Scottish: Habitational Name From Either Of Two Places Called Reach In Bedfordshire And Cambridgeshire Recorded As Reche In Medieval Documents From Old English Rǣc ‘Raised Strip Of Land Or Other Linear Feature’ (In The Case Of The Cambridgeshire Name Specifically Referring To Devil's Dyke A Post-Roman Earthwork)... [more]
Reading English
Habitational name from the county seat of Berkshire, which gets its name from Old English Readingas "people of Read(a)", a byname meaning "red".
Reaser German (Anglicized)
Americanized form of Rieser. A famous bearer is American actress Elizabeth Reaser (1975-).
Recht German
Probably a habitational name from a place so named in the Rhineland.
Reck German
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.
Recktenwald German
habitational name from Recktenwald, near Saarbrücken.
Redden English
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.'
Reddick English
Habitational name from Redwick in Gloucestershire, named in Old English with hrēod "reeds" and wīc "outlying settlement".
Redding English
Variant spelling of Reading.
Reddington English
From a place name derived from an uncertain first element (perhaps the Old English given name Rēada) combined with the suffix ing meaning "belonging to" and tun meaning "enclosure, yard, town".
Reddish English
This surname is derived from a geographical locality. 'of Reddish,' a village near Stockport, Cheshire.
Redenbach German
Toponymic name possibly derived from Middle High German reden "to speak, to talk" and bach "stream". It could also be a variant of Wittenbach.
Redenbacher German (Americanized)
Habitational name for someone from any of several places in Bavaria and Austria called Rettenbach, derived from German bach "stream" and an uncertain first element; possibly Old Germanic retten "swamp, moor", reudan "to clear (land), clearing", or roden "to redden, become red".
Redford English
Variant of Radford. A famous bearer is American actor Robert Redford (1936-).
Redgate English
Habitational name from any of several places called Redgate such as Redgate in Uppingham (Rutland) recorded as le Redegate in 1290... [more]
Redgrave English
From the name of a village and civil parish in Suffolk, England, derived from Old English hrēod meaning "reed" or rēad "red", and græf meaning "pit, ditch" or grāf "grove"... [more]
Redlinger German, Jewish
Habitational name for someone from Redling in Bavaria, Germany.
Redmayne English, Irish
Derived from Redmain, a small hamlet in Cumbria, England. It is named with Old English rēad meaning "red" and Welsh main meaning "rock, stone". The name could also be derived from the given name Réamonn, which is an Irish form of Raymond... [more]
Redpath Scottish, 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.
Redvers English (British)
Variant of Revere originating in Devon.
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.
Reichenberg German, 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".
Reicher German, German (Austrian), Jewish
Derived from various placenames called Reich, Reichau, Reichen.
Reichstein German
Habitational name from places named Reichstein (in Saxony) or Reichenstein (in Rhineland, Schleswig-Holstein, and Württemberg).
Reider German
Variant of Reiter.
Reinstadler German (Austrian)
From German rein meaning "pure" and stadt meaning "city".
Reise German, Jewish
German (Westphalia) topographic name, from Middle Low German ris, res ‘swamp’. ... [more]
Reisenauer German
Probably denoted a person from a minor place called Reisenau, or a topographic name for someone living by an overgrown water meadow, derived from Middle High German ris meaning "undergrowth" and owe meaning "water meadow".
Reiser German, 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]
Reisner German
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.
Rekdal Norwegian
The name of people from the small town Rekdal in West-Norway. Former footballer Kjetil Rekdal (1968- ) is the most known person from there.
Relyea German, French (Anglicized)
Altered spelling of southern German and French Rellier, or probably a regional variant of Swiss German Reller, especially in the western provinces of Austria... [more]
Rendall Scottish, English
Variant of Randall. Habitational name from Rendall in Orkney. Possibly also an Americanization of Swedish Rendahl.
Rendelmann German
A habitational name for someone from Rendel near Frankfurt (Hesse).
Rensenbrink Dutch
Possibly derived from the given name Rens (a short form of Laurens, Emerens, Reinaart, Reinier and other names) combined with Dutch brink meaning "village green, edge, slope"... [more]
Renshaw English, Scottish
A habitational surname from any of the so-called or like-sounding places in the United Kingdom. These include Renishaw in Derbyshire, Ramshaw in Durham, the lost Renshaw in Cheshire and Radshaw in Yorkshire... [more]
Reston English
Location name from northern England meaning "brush wood settlement" or place where brush wood, also known as rispe, grew.
Reus German
Topographic name from Middle High German riuse "fish trap", or from a regional term reuse meaning "small stream, channel".
Revere English, French, Judeo-Italian
French: variant of Rivière, Rivoire, or Rivier, topographic name for someone living on the banks of a river, French rivier ‘bank’, or habitational name from any of the many places in France named with this word.... [more]
Rex English, German (Latinized)
English: variant of Ricks. ... [more]
Rexley English
Supposedly meaning "king's clearing" from Latin rex and Old English leah.
Reznor German
May be a variant of the German surname Reisner, a habitational name for someone from a place called Reisen (for example in Bavaria), Reissen in Thuringia, or Reussen on the Saale river.
Rhein German
From the German name for the River Rhine, denoting somebody whom lived within close proximity to the river. The river name itself comes from a Celtic word meaning 'to flow' (Welsh redan, 'run, flow').
Rhine German, French, English, Irish
A habitational name for an individual whom lived within close proximity of the River Rhine (see Rhein). The river name is derived from a Celtic word meaning 'to flow' (Welsh redan, 'flow').... [more]
Rial English
Variant of Royle.
Ribchester English
From the name of a village in Lancashire, derived from the River Ribble and Old English ceaster "fortress, fort" (derived from Latin castrum).
Rich English
Derived from the name of a (former) village in Lincolnshire, England named with the Old English element ric "stream, drainage channel".
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