English Submitted Surnames

English names are used in English-speaking countries. See also about English names.
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Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
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.
PARKINSON English
From the name Perkin, which is a medieval diminutive of Peter.
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
Means "enclosure".
PARSLEY Medieval French, English, Norman, French
Derived from Old French passelewe "cross the water."... [more]
PARSON English
Surname given to the parson (priest).
PARTINGTON English
Habitational name from a place in Greater Manchester (formerly in Cheshire) called Partington, from Old English Peartingtun "PEARTA's town".
PARTON English
Habitational name from any of various places called Parton; most are named with Old English peretun ‘pear orchard’. A famous bearer of the surname is Dolly Parton.
PASH English (American)
Americanized spelling of German Pasch.
PASSMORE English
Either (i) from a medieval nickname for someone who crossed marshy moorland (e.g. who lived on the opposite side of a moor, or who knew the safe paths across it); or (ii) perhaps from an alteration of Passemer, literally "cross-sea", an Anglo-Norman nickname for a seafarer... [more]
PATE English
Derives from the given name Pat(t), a short form of the personal name Patrick from the Latin Patricius meaning "son of a noble father".
PATRICKS English
Patronymic form of Patrick.
PATTERS English
History not available.
PAULEY English, German
English: from a medieval pet form of Paul.... [more]
PAVEY English
Either (i) from the medieval female personal name Pavia, perhaps from Old French pavie "peach"; or (ii) "person from Pavia", Italy.
PAXSON English
This surname means "son of Pack." Pack may be a survival of the Old English personal name Pacca or it may have been a Middle English personal name derived from Paschalis (meaning "relating to Easter"), the Latin form of Pascal.
PEABODY English
Probably from a nickname for a showy dresser, from Middle English pe "peacock" (see Peacock) and body "body, person". Alternatively it may be from the name of a Celtic tribe meaning "mountain men" from Brythonic pea "large hill, mountain" combined with Boadie, the tribe's earlier name, which meant "great man" (or simply "man") among the Briton and Cambri peoples... [more]
PEACH English (Rare)
Derived from the name of the fruit, which itself derived its name from Late Latin persica, which came from older Latin malum persicum meaning "Persian fruit."
PEARKS English
Sir Stuart Edmond Pearks (1875–1931) served as the Chief Commissioner of the North-West Frontier Province of British India from 1930 until 1931. Sourced from Wikipedia.... [more]
PEARL English
Metonymic occupational name for a trader in pearls, which in the Middle Ages were fashionable among the rich for the ornamentation of clothes, from Middle English, Old French perle (Late Latin perla).
PEARSALL English
a British surname of French origin derived from the pre-9th-century word "pourcel", which described a breeder of animals or a farmer
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.
PEEVEY Norman, English
Means "a place with a fine view". Composed of the Old French roots beu, which means "fair" and "lovely", and voir, which means "to see".
PEGG English, Welsh
Son of "Margaret", in Old English.
PELHAM English
From the name of a place in Hertfordshire, which meant "Peotla's homestead" in Old English.
PENDARVIS English (American)
The American English spelling of the Cornish surname Pendarves. Ultimately, the surname is traced back to Pendarves Island, Cornwall.
PENDLEBURY English
Likely originated from the area Pendlebury, in the Borough of Swindon and Pendlebury in Greater Manchester. Formed from the Celtic pen meaning "hill" and burh meaning "settlement".... [more]
PENDLETON English
An Old English name meaning "overhanging settlement".
PENDRAGON English
From 'Pen Dragon' meaning head dragon or dragons head. This was the name of the king Uther Pendragon who was King Arthurs father
PENNEY English
Variant of PENNY.
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 or a nickname referring to tax dues of a penny.
PENNINGTON English
Habitual surname for someone from Pennington, Lancashire; Pennington, Cumbria; or Pennington, Hampshire.
PENNYFIELD English (Rare, ?)
Probably derives from the two English words, 'Penny' and 'Field'.
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.
PENWELL English
English probably a variant of Pennywell.
PEPYS English
From the medieval personal name Pepis, a form of Old French Pepin, brought into England by the Normans. It may have been based on an earlier nickname meaning "awesome". It is standardly pronounced "peeps"... [more]
PERCHER English
In textile mills, woven fabric coming off the mill / loom would pass over a frame, or rod, called a 'perch'. It was the job of the 'Percher' to examine the cloth for defects, and repair them when they were found... [more]
PERDUE English, Irish, French
English and Irish from Old French par Dieu ‘by God’, which was adopted in Middle English in a variety of more or less heavily altered forms. The surname represents a nickname from a favorite oath... [more]
PEREGRINE English, Popular Culture
Derived from the given name Peregrine. A fictional bearer is Alma LeFay Peregrine, a character from the novel "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" (2011) by Ransom Riggs.
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".
PERKIN English, Welsh
"Variant of Surname Perkins "
PERLEY English
Variant of Parley or Burley.
PERPICH English (American)
Americanized spelling of Croatian and Serbian Prpić. Prporuše was a term denoting young girls who, in the dry season, would visit houses in the village and pray for rain.
PERSON English
Americanised version of Persson.
PETRIE English
Patronymic surname that was derived from the first name Peter.
PETTINGER English
English version of Pottinger.
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.
PETTY English, Scottish
Derived from Norman French petit, 'small', thus a nickname for a small or insignificant individual.... [more]
PHEONIX English
A rare nickname given for someone's appearance of blonde and red hair just as a phoenix has colorful plumage and a tail of gold and scarlet.
PHILBERT English
From the medieval French male personal name Filibert, of Germanic origin and meaning literally "very bright, very famous".
PHILIPSON English
Means Son Of Philip
PHILLIP English
Derived from the given name Philip
PHILLIPSON English
Means "son of Phillip"
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]
PHILPOT English
English (chiefly southeastern): from the Middle English personal name Philipot/Philpot, a pet form of Philip.
PHILSON English
Patronymic from Phil, a short form of the personal name Philip.
PHOENIX English
From the name of a beautiful immortal bird which appears in Egyptian and Greek mythology. After living for several centuries in the Arabian Desert, it would be consumed by fire and rise from its own ashes, with this cycle repeating every 500 years... [more]
PICKETT English
of Norman origin, from the personal name "Pic", here with the diminutive suffixes "et" or "ot", and recorded as "Picot, Pigot" and Piket". The name is ultimately of Germanic derivation, from "pic", meaning "sharp", or "pointed", which was a common element in names meaning for instance, residence near a "pointed hill", use of a particular sharp or pointed tool or weapon, or a nickname for a tall, thin person.
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]
PICOT English
Norman-French
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’.
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]
PILCH English
From Middle English pilch, a metonymic occupational name for a maker or seller of pilches or a nickname for a habitual wearer of these. A pilch (from Late Latin pellicia, a derivative of pellis "skin, hide") was a kind of coarse leather garment with the hair or fur still on it.
PILCHER English
Occupational name for a maker or seller of pilches, from an agent derivative of Pilch. In early 17th-century English, pilcher was a popular term of abuse, being confused or punningly associated with the unrelated verb pilch "to steal" and with the unrelated noun pilchard, a kind of fish.
PILKINGTON English (British), Irish
Habitational name from a place in Lancashire, England.
PILOT English
Means a person who operates the flying controls of an aircraft.
PIN English
Variant spelling of Pinn.
PINAL English, Spanish (Rare)
The name is derived from when the family resided near a place where vennel grew. Vennel was a herb used for cooking. Other sources list the name as a local name derived from the term at the vennel.
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]
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]
PINEBERRY German (East Prussian), English
From the name of the fruit; which is a white strawberry cultivar with a pineapple-like flavor, white coloring, and red seeds (Scientific name: Fragaria x ananassa 'Pineberry') or a combination of Pine and Berry.
PINES English (American)
Surname of the characters, Dipper, Mabel and Stan from Gravity Falls.
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]
PINKHAM English
habitational name from a lost or unidentified place in or bordering on Devon
PINKNEY English
Variant spelling of Pinckney.
PINN English, German
A metonymic occupational name for a maker of pins or pegs, which is from Middle English pin and Middle Low German pinne meaning ‘pin’ or ‘peg’. In some cases, the German name was an metonymic occupational name for a shoemaker.
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.
PISTOLET English (Americanized, Modern)
Mishgan Pistolet is the first waiter of the surname.
PITCHER English, German
From an agent derivative of Middle English pich ‘pitch’, hence an occupational name for a caulker, one who sealed the seams of ships or barrels with pitch. English variant of Pickard. Possibly from German Pitscher, from the short form of a personal name formed with Old High German bitan ‘to endure’, or bittan ‘to wish or ask for’.
PITCOCK English
Old English pytta
PITT English
English from Middle English pytte, pitte ‘pit’, ‘hollow’, hence a topographic name for someone who lived by a pit or hollow, or a habitational name from a place named with this word, as for example Pitt in Hampshire.
PITTMAN English
Described someone who lived in a hollow or pitt (see Pitt).
PLANT English
An occupational surname for a gardener.
PLATTEN English
Diminutive of Platt.
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]
PLAZA English
From the english word "plaza". A mostly famous bearer is actress Aubrey Plaza (1984-)
PLEASANCE English
Either (i) from the medieval female personal name Plaisance, literally "pleasantness"; or (ii) "person from Piacenza", Italy (from Latin Placentia, literally "pleasing things").
PLUM English, German, Jewish
English and North German: from Middle English plum(b)e, Middle Low German plum(e) ‘plum’, hence a topographic name for someone who lived by a plum tree, or a metonymic occupational name for a fruit grower... [more]
PLUMER German, English, Dutch
North German (Plümer) and English: variant of Plum, the suffix -er denoting habitation or occupation. Altered form of South German Pflümer, an occupational name for a grower or seller of plums, from an agent derivative of Middle High German pflume ‘plum’... [more]
PLUMMER English
1. Occupational name for a worker in lead, especially a maker of lead pipes and conduits, from Anglo-Norman French plom(m)er, plum(m)er ‘plumber’, from plom(b), plum(b) ‘lead’ (Latin plumbum)... [more]
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.
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]
POLING English, Welsh
Altered form of Bolling, possibly also of Bollinger or Pollinger.
POLITE English
Derived from the English word polite. This name was most likely given to a person who was considered to be polite.
POLTIMORE English (Rare)
Rare English surname derived from a Devon place name of Celtic origin, allegedly meaning “pool by the large house”.
POMEROY English
From an English surname meaning "dweller by the apple orchard".
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"
POOK English
Pooke was the original version... [more]
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.
POOP English
Its smelly and it is usually brown
POPP German, English
From a Germanic personal name Poppo, Boppo, of uncertain origin and meaning, perhaps originally a nursery word or a short form of for example Bodobert, a Germanic personal name meaning ‘famous leader’... [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]
POSEY English, French
Derived from the Greek word "desposyni." The Desposyni is a term referring to a group of people that are allegedly direct blood relatives to Jesus. They are mentioned in Mark 3:21 and Mark 3:31. American actress Parker Posey is a famous bearer.
POSY English
Variant of Posey
POTEET English, French
From the French name Pottet, which is derived from pot meaning "pot", originally a name for a potter.
POTHIER English
One of the Many spellings of Pottier
POULTON English
English surname that means "settlement by a pool".
POWALSKI English (American)
Surname of Leon Powalski from the Star Fox 64 series.
POWIS English
The English of Welsh Surname Powys, which derives from the place "Powys" in Wales.
POWYES English
Unknown source. Surname of many early American pilgrims.
PRAT English
Variant of Pratt.
PRATLEY English
Originates from a now "lost" medieval village believed to have been in the south east of England.
PREECE Welsh (Anglicized), English
Variant of PRICE. From Welsh ap Rhys meaning "son of RHYS". ... [more]
PRENTICE English
Derived from apprentice.
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.
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.
PREVOST French, English
Derived from Old French prevost meaning "provost" (ultimately from Latin praepositus, the past participle of praeponere meaning "to place in charge") which is a status name for any of the various officials in a position of responsibility.
PREWITT English
English surname meaning brave, valor.
PRIDMORE English
unexplained; perhaps a habitational name from a lost or unidentified place. Pridmore has long been a Leicestershire name.
PRIEST English
Derived from the occupation priest, which is a minister of a church. It could also be a nickname for a person who is / was a priest.
PRINCE English, French
Nickname from Middle English, Old French prince (Latin princeps), presumably denoting someone who behaved in a regal manner or who had won the title in some contest of skill.
PRIOR English, Scottish, Dutch, German
Derived from Latin prior meaning "superior". It was used as an occupational surname for a prior, which is a head of a religious house, below an abbot.
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".
PROCTOR English
Occupational name from Middle English prok(e)tour "steward" (reduced from Old French procurateour, Latin procurator "agent", from procurare "to manage"). The term was used most commonly of an attorney in a spiritual court, but also of other officials such as collectors of taxes and agents licensed to collect alms on behalf of lepers and enclosed orders of monks.
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]
PROVOST English, French
Derived from the Middle English provost; referring to the person who heads a religious chapter in a cathedral or educational establishment. It was also used as a nickname for a self-important person and is a French variant of Prevost.
PRUDHOMME French, English, Norman, Medieval French
French (Prud’homme) and English (of Norman origin): nickname from Old French prud’homme ‘wise’, ‘sensible man’, a cliché term of approbation from the chivalric romances. It is a compound of Old French proz, prod ‘good’, with the vowel influenced by crossing with prudent ‘wise’ + homme ‘man’... [more]
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).
PRUTTON English (British)
it's a cool name
PRYNNE English
Derived from an Anglo-Norman form of the Late Latin name Primus. A fictional bearer is Hester Prynne, the protagonist of Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel 'The Scarlet Letter' (1850).
PUCHOL English, English (American)
Puchol is name prominently used in the English culture. "Puchol" means "Little Bitch" and is generally associated with weakness. Studies show that the name and those who have it give cancer to others... [more]
PUCKETT English
Of uncertain origin; perhaps a variant of Pocket(t), from a diminutive of Anglo-Norman French poque "small pouch", hence a metonymic occupational name for a maker of purses and pouches or a nickname... [more]
PUDDEPHAT English
From a medieval nickname for someone with a roly-poly physique (from Middle English puddy fat "round-bellied vat").
PUETT English (American)
Americinized form of Pütt.
PULSIFER English
Probably a variant of Percival.
PULVER Low German, French, English
I comes from the Latin verb meaning "to make powder." This name was given to either an alchemist or one who made gunpowder.
PURDEY English
Variant of Purdie (see Purdie on the given name site)
PURDIE English
The first name Purdie is transferred usage of this surname, which means "by God" in Norman French.
PURDOM English
English: metathesized variants of Prudhomme; the -ru- reversal is a fairly common occurrence in words where -r- is preceded or followed by a vowel.
PURDUM English
Variant spelling of English Purdom.
PURPLE English
Nickname for someone wore purple clothing or has a purple complexion
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’.
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]
PYBURN English (?)
Apparently from some lost or minor place so named. 1881 British census has 109; KH.
PYGALL English (Hellenized, Rare)
From ancient Greek for rump, associations with prostitution across Europe, commonly given to illegitimate children of prostitutes, found especially in North East England and Nottinghamshire.
PYKE English
Most likely originates from the words pike (the weapon or the fish), having to do with fishermen or soldiers, or pick, having to do with miners or somebody who tills the ground.
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.
PYM English
Recorded in several forms including Pim, Pimm, Pimme, Pym, and Pymm, this is a surname which at various times has been prominent in the history of England. The name itself is of medieval English (Anglo-Saxon) origin... [more]
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.
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.
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").
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]
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).
QUENBY English
English: of uncertain origin; perhaps a variant of Quarmby, a habitational name from a place so called in West Yorkshire.
QUENNELL English
From the medieval female personal name Quenilla, from Old English Cwēnhild, literally "woman-battle". This was borne by Peter Quennell (1905-1993), a British poet, critic and historian.
QUESTED English (British)
English surname of uncertain origin, possibly derived from the lost village of Questers.
QUIN English
Variant of Quinn.
QUINLEY English, Scottish, Irish, Scottish Gaelic
Apparently an altered form of Scottish McKinley or a reduced form of Irish McQuinnelly, Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Coingheallaigh or Ó Coingheallaigh ‘son (or descendant) of Coingheallach’, a personal name meaning ‘faithful to pledges’.
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".
RAGAN English
A variant of Reagan.
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".
RAINBIRD English
From the Old French male personal name Rainbert, of Germanic origin and meaning literally "counsel-bright" (cf. Raginbert). The modern form of the name has been influenced by English rainbird "plover".
RAINBOW English
From the Old French male personal name Rainbaut, of Germanic origin and meaning literally "counsel-brave" (cf. Raginbald). The modern form of the name has been influenced by English rainbow.
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.
RAISH English (American)
Americanized spelling of German Raisch.
RAISON English, Scottish, French
From a medieval nickname for an intelligent person (from Old French raison "reason, intelligence").
RALEIGH English
English habitation name in Devon meaning "red woodland clearing".
RALLISON English
Rallison came from the Norman given name Radulphus.
RALLS English (Anglicized, Rare)
From old English or Saxon. Originally Rallf ( Raulf) which meant Wolf Council
RALPH English
From a Middle English personal name composed of Germanic rad "counsel, advice" and wolf "wolf". This was first introduced into England by Scandinavian settlers in the Old Norse form Ráðulfr, and was reinforced after the Conquest by the Norman form Ra(d)ulf... [more]
RAMBERT English
From the Old French male personal name Rainbert (see Rainbird). It was borne by Dame Marie Rambert (original name Cyvia Rabbam, later Miriam Rambach; 1888-1982), a Polish-born British ballet dancer and choreographer.
RAMSBOTTOM English (British)
Denoted a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. It is also a habitational name from a market town with the same name, located in Greater Manchester, England.
RANDLE English
English: variant spelling of Randall or Americanized spelling of Randel.
RANDOLPH English, German
Classicized spelling of Randolf, a Germanic personal name composed of the elements rand "rim (of a shield), shield" and wolf "wolf". This was introduced into England by Scandinavian settlers in the Old Norse form Rannúlfr, and was reinforced after the Norman Conquest by the Norman form Randolf.
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]
RANNELLS English
Patronymic from the Middle English personal name Rannulf, Ranel, of continental Germanic origin.
RAPSON English
Means "son of Rab" or "son of Rap". Both Rab and Rap are diminutives of Robert.
RASBERRY English
Possibly a habitational name from Ratsbury in Lynton, Devon.
RASMUSON English (Rare)
Anglicized form of Rasmussen.
RASPBERRY English
Variant spelling of Rasberry.
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".
RAU English
From a medieval personal name, a variant of RALPH.
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]
RAVENHILL English
From Rauenilde or Ravenild, medieval English forms of the Old Norse given name Hrafnhildr.
RAVENSCAR English (British)
From the name of a coastal village with the same name, located in the Scarborough district of North Yorkshire, England.
RAVENSWOOD English (American)
Ravenswood is a gothic surname.
RAWLS English
From the Olde German and Anglo-Saxon personal name Rolf. Originally derived from the Norse-Viking pre 7th Century 'Hrolfr' meaning "Fame-Wolf".