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.
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.
POLLOCK Scottish, English
Habitational name from a place in Glasgow, apparently so named from a diminutive of a British cognate of Gaelic poll ‘pool’, ‘pit’. The surname is also common in northeastern Ulster.
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.
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".
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".
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)
A topographic surname, which was given to 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 called Ravenscar, 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".
RAYMOND English, French
From the Norman personal name Raimund, composed of the Germanic elements ragin "advice, counsel" and mund "protection".
RAYNES English (American)
Patronymic version of many Germanic names with the first element starting with "ragin"
READE English
English variant spelling of Read.
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’. Topographic name for someone who lived in a clearing, an unattested Old English ryding.
REASON English
A different form of Raison.
RED English
Variant of Read (1).
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 hreod "reeds" and wic "outlying settlement".
REDDING English, German, Dutch
English variant spelling of Reading. In 1841 Redding was the most commonly used surname in all of Buckinghamshire. A famous bearer is Otis Redding.... [more]
REDDISH English
This surname is derived from a geographical locality. 'of Reddish,' a village near Stockport, Cheshire.
REDHAGE English
This surname originated in Germany
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.
REDWOOD English
Name possibly derived from the colour of the bark of trees or the name of the town Reedworth between Durham and Devon
REEDUS English
Reedus is of unknown English origin.
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."
RELPH English
From the Old French male personal name Riulf, of Germanic origin and meaning literally "power-wolf" (cf. Riculf).
RENDALL Scottish, English
Variant of Randall. Habitational name from Rendall in Orkney. Possibly also an Americanization of Swedish Rendahl.
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.
REVELL English
From a medieval nickname for someone who is full of noisy enthusiasm and energy (from Middle English revel "festivity, tumult").
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]
REYNOLD English
From the given name Reynold
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
This name originates from the small village in Lancashire that shares the same name. Interestingly, most people with the name 'Ribchester' are in Lancashire, but a lot are also found in Newcastle Upon Tyne.
RICHE English, French
English: variant spelling of Rich. ... [more]
RICHERS English, German
From a Germanic personal name composed of the elements ric ‘power(ful)’ + hari, heri ‘army’. The name was introduced into England by the Normans in the form Richier, but was largely absorbed by the much more common Richard... [more]
RICHIE English (Rare), Italian
Diminutive form of Richard. It could also have been a nickname for one who was rich or wealthy, or, in Italy, a variant of Ricci. Famous bearers include American musician Lionel Richie (1949-).
RICHMOND English
Habitational name from any of the numerous places so named, in northern France as well as in England. These are named with the Old French elements riche "rich, splendid" and mont "hill"... [more]
RICKMAN English
Means "son of Rick". A famous bearer was American Alan Rickman (1946-2016).
RIDDELL Scottish, English
From a Norman personal name, Ridel. Reaney explains this as a nickname from Old French ridel ‘small hill’ (a diminutive of ride ‘fold’, of Germanic origin), but a more probable source is a Germanic personal name derived from the element rīd ‘ride’.
RIDEOUT English
Means "outrider (a municipal or monastic official in the Middle Ages whose job was to ride around the country collecting dues and supervising manors)".
RIDGE English
Topographic name for someone who lived on or by a ridge, Middle English rigge, or a habitational name from any of the places named with this word, as for example Ridge in Hertfordshire. The surname is also fairly common in Ireland, in County Galway, having been taken to Connacht in the early 17th century... [more]
RIDGEWAY English
Comes from Middle English 'riggewey', hence a topographic name for someone who lived by such a route or a habitational name from any of various places so named, for example in Cheshire, Derbyshire, Dorset, and Staffordshire.
RIDGWAY English
Variant spelling of Ridgeway.
RIDOUT English
A variant of the other surname Rideout.
RIGHT English
Variant spelling of Wright.
RINGER English
Derived from the occupation of "ringer" as in a bell ringer or a person who makes rings.
RIPPER English
Means "maker, seller or carrier of baskets" (from a derivative of Middle English rip "basket").
RITCH English, German, German (Swiss)
1. English: variant spelling of Rich. ... [more]
RITCHINGS French, German, English
This surname has at least three distinct separate origins. ... [more]
RITTMAN German, English
From Middle High German "riet" and "mann", riet meaning reed.
RIVET French, English
French: from a diminutive of Old French rive ‘(river) bank’, ‘shore’ (see Rives).... [more]
RIVETT English, French
English (East Anglia): metonymic occupational name for a metalworker, from Middle English, Old French rivet ‘small nail or bolt’ (from Old French river ‘to fix or secure’, of unknown origin).... [more]
RO English
Possibly a variant of Rowe.
ROBBS English
This possibly means "Son of Rob(ert)".
ROBERTSSEN English
English variant of Robertsson.
ROBESON English
This is possibly a variant of Robson.
ROBEY English
From a medieval diminutive form of the given name Robert.
ROBIN Scottish, English, French, German
From the personal name Robin, a pet form of Robert, composed of the short form Rob and the hypocoristic suffix -in.
ROBINS English
Southern English patronymic from the personal name Robin.
ROBY English
From a medieval diminutive form of the given name Robert.
ROCHESTER English
Means "person from Rochester", Kent (probably "Roman town or fort called Rovi"). A fictional bearer of the surname is Mr Rochester, the Byronic hero of Charlotte Brontë's 'Jane Eyre' (1847).
ROCK English
Topographic name for someone who lived near a notable crag or outcrop, from Middle English rokke "rock" (see Roach), or a habitational name from a place named with this word, as for example Rock in Northumberland.
ROCKFORD English
An altered spelling of English Rochford; alternatively it may be an Americanized form of French Rochefort or Italian Roccaforte.
ROCKWELL English
Means "person from Rockwell", Buckinghamshire and Somerset (respectively "wood frequented by rooks" and "well frequented by rooks"). Famous bearers include American illustrator Norman Rockwell (1894-1978) and Utah pioneer Porter Rockwell (1813-1878).
RODHAM English
From Roddam in Northumberland. The name is thought to have derived from Germanic *rodum, meaning 'forest clearing'.
RODMAN English
The surname Rodman is an ancient English surname, derived from a trade name, "men who were by the tenure or customs of their lands to ride with or for the lord of the manor about his business". The most famous bearer of this name is the basketball player Dennis Rodman.
RODWELL English
Rodwell, a name of Anglo-Saxon origin, is a locational surname deriving from any one of various places in Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, and Kent, England. In English, the meaning of the name Rodwell is "Lives by the spring near the road".
ROE English
Nickname for a timid person, derived from the Middle English ro meaning "roe"; also a midland and southern form of Ray.
ROEL English, Spanish, Dutch, German
From the name Roeland, meaning "famous country".
ROFFEY English
There are two small villages named "Roffey". One in England, near Horsham, and one in France, Burgundy. The name is of Norman orgin. First mentioned in (surviving English documents) in 1307 when a George Roffey buys a house... [more]
ROGER Scottish, English, North German, French, Catalan
From a Germanic personal name composed of the elements hrōd "renown" and gār, gēr "spear, lance", which was introduced into England by the Normans in the form Rog(i)er... [more]
ROLF English
From the Middle English personal name Rolf, composed of the Germanic elements hrōd "renown" and wulf "wolf". This name was especially popular among Nordic peoples in the contracted form Hrólfr, and seems to have reached England by two separate channels; partly through its use among pre-Conquest Scandinavian settlers, partly through its popularity among the Normans, who, however, generally used the form Rou(l) (see Rollo).
ROLFE English
Variant of Rolf.
ROLL Upper German, German, English
German: from Middle High German rolle, rulle ‘roll’, ‘list’, possibly applied as a metonymic occupational name for a scribe.... [more]
ROLLE English
Variant of Roll.
ROLLIN English, German
English: variant of Rolling.... [more]
ROLLS English
Possibly derived from the Latin word rotus, meaning "wheel". It would indicate one who built wheels as a living. A famous bearer was American inventor and entrepreneur Charles Rolls (1877-1910), founder of the Rolls-Royce Ltd along with Henry Royce (1863-1933).
ROLSTON English
English habitational name from any of various places, such as Rowlston in Lincolnshire, Rolleston in Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, and Staffordshire, or Rowlstone in Herefordshire, near the Welsh border... [more]
ROMAN Catalan, French, Polish, English, German, Hungarian, Romanian, Ukrainian, Belorussian
From the Latin personal name Romanus, which originally meant "Roman". This name was borne by several saints, including a 7th-century bishop of Rouen.
ROMINE English, Dutch
From Rome
ROMNEY English
English: habitational name from a place in Kent, so called from an obscure first element, rumen, + Old English ea ‘river’ (see Rye).
ROMP English, German
Likely a variant of Rump.
RONSON English
Means "son of RON"
ROOK English
From a medieval nickname for someone thought to resemble a rook (e.g. in having black hair or a harsh voice).
ROOME English
Variant of Rome.
ROOT English, Dutch
English: nickname for a cheerful person, from Middle English rote ‘glad’ (Old English rot). ... [more]
ROPER English
English: occupational name for a maker or seller of rope, from an agent derivative of Old English rāp ‘rope’. See also ROOP.
ROSELAND English
Americanized form of Norwegian Røys(e)land; a habitational name from about 30 farmsteads, many in Agder, named from Old Norse reysi ‘heap of stones’ + land ‘land’, ‘farmstead’.
ROSEMAN English
From the Norman feminine name Rosamund.
ROSEVEAR Cornish, English
From the name of a Cornish village near St Mawgan which derives from Celtic ros "moor, heath" and vur "big".
ROSEWOOD English
Denoting someone who came from a rose wood or grove.
ROSSIE English
Possibly a variant of Rossi.
ROTHWELL English
An English surname meaning 'Lives by the red spring"
ROUBICHOU English
Diminutive of Robert.
ROUGH English
A topographic name referring to a dwelling with uncultivated ground, ultimately deriving from Olde English ruh meaning "rough".
ROUSE English
nickname for a person with red hair, from Middle English, Old French rous ‘red(-haired)’
ROVER English, German (Anglicized)
This surname is derived from Middle English roof (from Old English hrof) combined with the agent suffix (i)er, which denotes someone who does/works with something. Thus, the surname was originally used for a constructor or repairer of roofs.... [more]
ROWELL English
From a diminutive of Rowland or Rolf or a location name meaning "rough hill".
ROWETT English
English from a medieval personal name composed of the Germanic elements hrod ‘renown’ + wald ‘rule’, which was introduced into England by Scandinavian settlers in the form Róaldr, and again later by the Normans in the form Rohald or Roald... [more]
ROWLEY English
Anglo Saxon Name- locational, comes from several places in England such as in Devonshire, Yorkshire, County Durham and Staffordshire. It means ' rough wood or clearing', from the Old English 'run' meaning rough and 'leah', meaning clearing in a wood.
ROWLING English
From diminutives for the given names Rollo or Rolf. Famous bearer is the author of the Harry Potter series, J. K. Rowling whose initials stand for Joanne Kathleen.