Swiss Submitted Surnames

Swiss names are used in the country of Switzerland in central Europe.
usage
Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
Poley French, German, Jewish
French: variant of Polet, Paulet, pet forms of Paul.... [more]
Poli Italian
From the given name Polo, medieval variant of Paolo.
Polidore Italian (Americanized), French
Americanized form of Polidoro and French variant of Polydore from the given name Polydore.
Polidori Italian
Means "son of Polidoro". Famous bearers include John William Polidori (1795-1821), a physician to Lord Byron and author of 'The Vampyre' (1819), and his sister Frances Polidori (1800-1886), the mother of painter and poet Dante Gabriel Rossetti, poet Christina Rossetti, critic William Michael Rossetti, and author Maria Francesca Rossetti.
Polito Italian
Reduced form of Ippolito. Compare French Hypolite, Greek Politis... [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.
Polk German
Ethnic name for a Pole.
Polka German, Polish
Variant of German Polk, also a feminine form for the surname Polak, and comes from the given female name Apolonia.
Polke German
Variant of Polk.
Pollak English, German
A name for someone who came from the place called Poland.
Polnareff French
Most known by famous French singer Michel Polnareff, and fictional Jojo's Bizarre Adventure character Jean-Pierre Polnareff (who is named after the singer).
Polombo Italian
Derived from Palombo literally meaning "Ring Dove" or Palombella meaning "Wood Pigeon" in the dialects of Southern Italy.
Polydore French
From the given name Polydore.
Pomante Italian
An occupational name for someone who farms or sells fruit, from Italian pomo "apple", descended from Latin pomum "fruit, fruit tree".
Pomerantz German
Occupational name for an importer or seller of bitter (Seville) oranges, Middle High German pomeranz (medieval Latin pomarancia, composed of the elements arancia, the name imported with the fruit.
Pompei Italian
Habitational name from a place called Pompei in Naples province. Or a patronymic or plural form of Pompeo.
Pompeo Italian
From the Italian given name Pompeo.
Pompey French, English
Variant of Italian Pompei.
Pompilio Italian
From the given name Pompilio
Pons Catalan, French, Occitan, Dutch
From the given name Pons.
Pontiff French
Means "bridge builder". Comes from the French word pont, which means bridge. ... [more]
Ponzi Italian
the surname of an early perpetrator of a Ponzi Scheme... [more]
Pool Romansh
Derived from the given name Pol.
Popp German
Derived from the given name Poppo (or possibly Boppo) which is of uncertain origin and meaning... [more]
Poppe German, Dutch, English
German and Dutch variant of Popp 1 and English variant of Popp 2.
Pöppel Upper German, German
Comes from a pet form of the personal name Popp.
Popuchet French
Wise and classy
Porcari Italian, English
From Italian porci "pigs", denoting someone who worked as a pig herder.
Porcaro Italian
From Italian porcaro "swineherd".
Porcelli Italian
From Italian porcello, meaning "piglet". Used to denote someone who worked as a swineherd, or perhaps a nickname for someone who resembled a piglet in some way.
Porcu Italian
From Sardinian porcu "pig".
Porfirio Spanish, Italian
From the given name Porfirio
Porrin Italian
Americanized form of Perino.
Porta Romansh
Derived from Romansh porta "door".
Portanova Italian, Portuguese, Galician
Habitational name from a place or locality called Portanova "new gate" from the elements neos "new" and porta "door".
Porte French
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).
Portera Italian
Occupational name for a female servant, from Spanish portera.
Portman English (Anglicized), German (Anglicized), Dutch
Either an elaborated form of English Port, an Americanised form of German Portmann or a Dutch name for a gatekeeper or someone who lived near the gates of a fortified town, derived from Dutch poort meaning "gate" and man meaning "man"... [more]
Portmann German
Occupational name for a gatekeeper, derived from Middle Low German port(e) meaning "gate" and man, or a topographic name for someone who lived near the gates of a fortified town.
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]
Porzio Italian
From the given name Porzio.
Posada Italian
Spanish: habitational name from any of the numerous places named Posada, from posada ‘halt’, ‘resting place’. ... [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.
Posner German, Polish, Medieval
Originally denoted a person from Poznań, Poland.
Poteet English, French
From the French name Pottet, which is derived from pot meaning "pot", originally a name for a potter.
Pottier French
A variant of the french word for potter, potier.... [more]
Poverelli Italian
Means "poor (person)" in Italian, given to foundlings and orphans.
Precht German
Variant of Brecht.
Preci Italian
Italian origin. Native spelling is Preçi.
Preda Italian
Derived from the first name Prato, meaning "field, meadow".
Pregler German
Nickname for a chatterer or grumbler, from an agent derivative of Middle High German breglen ‘to chatter’, ‘complain’, ‘yell’, ‘roar’.
Preüs German
Variant spelling of Preüss.
Preuss German, Jewish
From the German word preussen meaning "Prussia". Indicating someone from Prussia.
Preve Italian
Derives from the Latin "presbyter" with the meaning of "Older". Abundant in the Piedmont region.
Preve Italian
From Greek "πρεσβύτερος" (presbyteros), via Latin "presbyter" with the meaning of "The Old One".... [more]
Prévost French
From Old French prevost meaning "provost", a status name for officials in a position of responsibility.
Prevot French
A prevot was a govenment position during the Ancient Régime
Prieur French
from prieur Old French prior "prior" a monastic official immediately subordinate to an abbot (from Latin prior "superior") hence an occupational name for a servant of a prior or an ironic nickname... [more]
Primavera Italian, Portuguese, Spanish
Means "spring (the season)" in Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish.
Primeau French
First found in Burgundy France.
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.
Príncipe Italian, Spanish
From principe "prince, heir" (Latin princeps, genitive principis, from primus "first" and capere "to take"), applied probably as a nickname for someone who gave himself airs and graces or for someone in the service of a prince.
Priore Italian
from Italian priore "prior" either a nickname or occupational name which probably most often originated as a metonymic occupational name for a servant of a prior or some important lay dignitary... [more]
Prisco Italian
From the given name Prisco
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".
Procida Italian
Habitational name from Procida, one of the Flegrean Islands off the coast of Naples in southern Italy.
Procopio Italian
Italian (Calabria) and Greek (Prokopios): from the personal name Procopio, Greek Prokopios, from pro ‘before’, ‘in front’ + kopē ‘cut’, actually an omen name meaning ‘success’, ‘prosperity’ but as a Church name taken to mean ‘pioneer’ as it was the name of the first victim of Diocletian's persecutions in Palestine in AD 303... [more]
Proia Italian
From the name of a place in Italy. The meaning is uncertain, but it might be derived from Greek πρωία (proía) "morning".
Proietti Italian
From Latin proiecto "abandoned, thrown away", given to foundlings and children abandoned at orphanages. The name may have been taken from la ruota dei proietti, or "foundling wheel", that some orphanages and religious institutes in Italy installed for infants to be anonymously abandoned in.
Prophet English, Scottish, French, German
Scottish, English, French, and German: nickname from Middle English and Old French prophete, Middle High German prophet ‘prophet’, ‘seer’, ultimately from Greek prophetes ‘predictor’, from pro ‘before’ + a derivative of phemi ‘to speak’... [more]
Prophète French, Haitian Creole
Nickname possibly ironic from prophète "prophet". French cognitive of Profeta.
Prose German
From a short form of the personal name Ambrose.
Pross German
Variant of "Prosser"
Protzman German
A habitational name for someone from any of various places in Lower Saxony, Brandenburg, and Luxembourg called Protz.
Proust French
From a nickname derived from French preux meaning "valiant, brave". A famous bearer was Marcel Proust (1871-1922), a French writer.
Provencher French
From the French word for the flower periwinkle. (pervenche) Brought to Canada from France in 1660 by Sebastien Provencher.
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]
Pruitt English, French
French and English: nickname from a pet form of Old French proux ‘valiant’, ‘brave’, or ‘wise’ (see Proulx, Prue).
Pucci Italian
Patronymic derived from the medieval given name Puccio.
Puddu Italian
From Sardinian puddu "chicken" (compare Podda).
Pudwill German
Of Slavic origin, habitational name from Podewils in Pomerania.
Puetz German
Variant of Putz.
Pugina Italian
Most likely derived from the feminine form of the Italian word pugno which means "fist".
Puglia Italian
habitational name from Apulia (Italian Puglia) in southeastern Italy. Variant of Pugliese.
Pugno Italian
The Italian family name Pugno is considered by scholars to be of nickname origin. While the majority of surnames that are derived from a sobriquet or nickname reveal to us some aspect of the physical appearance of the initial bearer of the name or may allude to a characteristic of this person, other nickname family names make reference to a particular piece of clothing or favorite article or indeed a favorite color of the bearer of the name... [more]
Pujol Catalan, French
Catalan and French variant of Puig. Spanish tennis player Marcel Granollers (1986-) bears this name.
Pulcifer Italian (Anglicized, Rare)
Possibly a variant of the surname Pulsipher.
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.
Pullman German
Variant of Puhlmann, itself a variant of Puhl.... [more]
Pulow German
Pulow is the name of a small village in the northeast of Germany. There is also a lake with the same name.
Pulsipher Italian (Anglicized)
from the nickname meaning "handsome man" of a member of the Italian Pulci family who settled in England around the time of the Norman conquest
Pulsoni Italian
Probably from Latin pulso "to beat, to strike".
Pult Romansh
Derived from the given name Hippolytos.
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.
Punke German
Unexplained; possibly an altered form of Bunke, from a Middle Low German personal name.
Pupillo Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
From the given name Pupillo.
Purpura Italian
A nickname for someone associated with the color purple.
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 French
Habitational name form Pusey in Haute-Saône, so named from a Gallo-Roman personal name, Pusius, + the locative suffix -acum.
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’.
Putz German
German for "plaster". Likely used to denote someone who manufactured plaster
Pützstück German (Rare)
Habitational name from a place so named near Königswinter, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
Quaas German
Nickname for a big eater, from Middle Low German quās meaning "guzzling", "feasting".
Quade Irish, German
As an Irish surname, it is a variant of Quaid.... [more]
Quaderer German
Nickname for someone stocky, from Middle High German quader meaning "building stone".
Quandt German, History
From Middle Low German quant "prankster, joker". ... [more]
Quaresima Italian
Means "lent" in Italian.
Quartz German
The name refers to the common mineral "quartz"
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".
Quattrociocchi Italian
From quattro ciocchi, "four logs of wood" in Italian.
Quercia Italian (Rare)
From the Latin quercus "oak".
Quetz German
German family name originating from the town of Quetz (today Quetzdölsdorf).... [more]
Quinter Romansh
Derived from the place name Quinto in the Swiss canton Ticino.
Quinto Aragonese, Spanish, Catalan, Italian
Habitational surname for a person from a place called Quinto, for example in Zaragoza province. However, the high concentration of the surname in Alacant province suggests that, in some cases at least, it may derive from the personal name Quinto (from Latin Quintus denoting the fifth-born child or Catalan quinto "young soldier").... [more]
Quirin German
From the given name Quirin
Raab German
Derived from German rabe "raven". As a surname, it was given to a person with black hair.
Raabe German
Cognate of Rabe.
Raasch German
Variant of Rasch.
Rabe German
German surname meaning "raven, crow".
Rabenschlag German
Means "wing beat of a raven" in German, from German Rabe meaning "raven" and Schlag meaning "flap" or "wing beat" in this context.
Rabenstein German
Habitational name from any of numerous places called Rabenstein.
Rabiot French
Occupational name for a radish merchant.
Rabtoy French
Unknown history, most likely originated in the Americas in Quebec. A large percentage of Rabtoy families are from Vermont.
Rachel English, German
From the English female given name Rachel or derived from German rau "rough".
Racine French
Means "(tree) root" in French, used as an occupational name for a grower or seller of root vegetables or as a nickname for a stubborn person.
Racioppi Italian, Sicilian
Derived from Sicilian racioppu meaning "cluster of grapes", hence presumably a metonymic occupational name for someone who sold or produced grapes.
Rackers German
German (Räckers): in the Lower Rhine-Westphalia area, from a reduced form of Rädeker, itself a reduced form of Rademaker.
Rader German
Variation of Rademacher, meaning "maker of wheels" in German ("rat" meaning wheel), later shortened to Rader and other variations such as Redder, Raeder, Redler, etc.
Radler German
Occupational name, which was derived from the kind of work done by the original bearer. It is a name for a wheelmaker or wheelwright. The name stems from the German noun rat, meaning wheel. The origin is more clear in the variant Rademacher
Rafaniello Italian
Probably from Italian ravanello "radish", probably given to someone who grew or sold radishes, or perhaps resembled one in some way.
Raffaele Italian
From the given name Raffaele.
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.
Ragatz German (Swiss)
Habitational name from Ragaz in Grison canton.
Ragettli Romansh
Derived from a truncated form of Anrig in combination with the diminutive suffix -ett and the diminutive suffix -li.
Ragonesi Italian
Meaning: People Of Aragon
Ragosta Italian
from aragosta "lobster" used for a shell-fisherman or otherwise as a nickname for someone thought to resemble a lobster in some way.
Ragusa Italian
Habitational name from Ragusa in Sicily, or from the ancient city of Dubrovnik on the Dalmatian coast of Croatia (Italian name Ragusa).
Rahe German
Nickname for a rough individual, from a North German variant of Rauh.
Raia Italian, Sicilian
Either a topographic name from Sicilian raia ‘smilax’ (a climbing shrub), or else derived from Sicilian raja meaning ‘ray’, or ‘skate’ (the fish), presumably a nickname for someone thought to resemble the fish or a metonymic occupational name for a fisherman or fish seller.
Raimond Estonian, Dutch, French, Croatian
From the given name Raimond.
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]
Raison English, Scottish, French
From a medieval nickname for an intelligent person (from Old French raison "reason, intelligence").
Raiter German
Occupational name for a taxman or accountant, from an agent derivative of Middle High German reiten ‘to reckon’, ‘to calculate’.
Ramage French, Scottish
From a medieval Scottish nickname for a hot-tempered or unpredictable person (from Old French ramage "wild, uncontrollable" (applied to birds of prey)).
Rambeau French (Rare), Frankish
Altered spelling of the southern French family name Rambaut, from an Old French personal name, Rainbaut, composed of the Germanic elements ragin "counsel" + bald "bold", "brave", or alternatively from the Germanic personal name Hrambehrt or Hrambald, composed of the elements hramn "crow" & berht "bright" or bald "bold", "brave".
Ramp German (Swiss)
German and Swiss German: variant of Rampf, from Middle High German ramft, ranft ‘edge’, ‘wall’, ‘crust (of bread)’; applied as a topographic name for someone who lived at the limit or outer edge of some feature, for example a field, or possibly, in the sense ‘crust’, a nickname for a poor person.
Ramseyer Swiss
Note: the 'Ramseyer Song' in Switzerland
Randazzo Italian
Habitational name from a place in Catania called Randazzo. Possibly from a derivative of the personal name Rando.
Randel French, German
French: from a pet form of the Germanic personal name Rando, a short form of various compound names formed with rand ‘(shield) rim’ as the first element... [more]
Randleman German
Diminutive of the personal name Rand, a short form of various German names with the first element rand meaning shield or wolf.
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.
Rang German
Variant of Range.... [more]
Range German, French
German: nickname for a ragamuffin, from Middle High German range ‘naughty boy’, ‘urchin’.... [more]
Rangel German, Spanish, Portuguese
A variant of Rengel. This name is also found in Portugal.
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]
Raniero Italian
From the given name Raniero
Rantzau German, Theatre
This is the surname used in 'I Rantzau' (The Rantzau Family), an opera in four acts by Pietro Mascagni (1892), based on a libretto by Guido Menasci and Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti, based on the play Les Rantzau (1873) by French writers Erckmann and Chatrian, after their novel (1882) Les Deux Frères (The Two Brothers).
Raoul French, Breton
From the given name Raoul.
Raphael English, German
From the given name Raphael
Raphan German
Unknown
Rappa Italian, Sicilian
from Sicilian rappa meaning ‘bunch, cluster’ or Italian rappa meaning ‘lock, quiff’, which was presumably applied as a nickname with reference to someone’s hair.
Rappold German
From a personal name composed of the Germanic elements rad "counsel", "advice" + bald "bold", "brave".
Rassi Italian
Comes from the Italian rosso, meaning "red".
Rath German
1 German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): descriptive epithet for a wise person or counselor, from Middle High German rāt ‘counsel’, ‘advice’, German Rat ‘counsel’, ‘advice’, also ‘stock’, ‘supply’.... [more]
Rather German, Jewish
1. Occupational name for a counsellor or nickname for a wise person, from Middle High German rater ‘adviser’. ... [more]
Rathgeber German
From Middle High German ratgebe or Middle Low German ratgever "giver of advice, counselor", an occupational name for an adviser or wise man.
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]
Rau German
Nickname for a ruffian, earlier for a hairy person, from Middle High German ruch, ruhe, rouch "hairy", "shaggy", "rough".
Rau Italian
From a local variant of the personal name Rao, an old form of Ralph.
Räuber German, German (Swiss)
German, Swiss German: derogatory nickname, from Middle High German roubære ‘robber’, ‘bandit’, ‘highwayman’ (from roub, roup ‘booty’, ‘spoils’).
Rauch German
Perhaps an occupational nickname for a blacksmith or charcoal burner, from Middle High German rouch, German Rauch ‘smoke’, or, in the case of the German name, a status name or nickname relating to a hearth tax (i.e. a tax that was calculated according to the number of fireplaces in each individual home).
Raudabaugh German (Americanized)
Raudabaugh is a German-Americanized surname of Reidenbach. People include Dan Raudabaugh (American Football coach) and Dave Raudabaugh (Outlaw who was an acquaintance to Billy the kid).
Raum German
From German meaning "room, space".
Rausch German
Nickname for a noisy person, derived from ruschen, meaning "to make a noise" in Middle High German. ... [more]
Ravel French, French (African)
Derived from either a place called Ravel in the district of Drome or Provence, or from the word 'rave' meaning a root vegetable, and hence a grower or seller of such items.
Raveling German
nickname or patronymic from Middle Low German rave(n) ‘raven’
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]
Rayl German
Variant of Rehl, which it's meaning is probably a habitational name from Rehl in Rhineland or Rehlen in East Prussia.
Raymond English, French
From the Norman personal name Raimund, composed of the Germanic elements ragin "advice, counsel" and mund "protection".
Réal French
This can derive from several different sources: southern French réal "royal", a word which was applied to someone either as a nickname (presumably given to people perceived as being regal) or as an occupational name (given to a person in the service of the king); or the French place name Réal, in which case this is a habitational name taken from any of various places which were named for having been part of a royal domain (also compare Reau, Reaux).
Reale Italian
From reale "royal", either an occupational name for someone in the service of a king or a nickname for someone who behaved in a regal manner.
Reali Italian
Variant of the surname Reale, which stems from reale "royal", either a name for someone in the service of a royal or a nickname for someone who behaved in a regal, aristocratic manner.
Reaser German (Anglicized)
Americanized form of Rieser. A famous bearer is American actress Elizabeth Reaser (1975-).
Rebuffo Italian
Possibly from the medieval given names Rebuffo or Robufus. Alternately, may derive from a nickname based on rabuffo "rebuke, scold".
Recchia Italian
Nickname from a reduced form of orecchia "ear".
Recchio Italian
Probably a shortened form of orecchio "ear".
Rechner German
Occupational name from Middle High German rechenære "reckoner keeper of accounts".
Recht German
Probably a habitational name from a place so named in the Rhineland.
Recht German, Jewish
Nickname for an upright person, from Middle High German reht, German recht "straight". As a Jewish name it is mainly of ornamental origin.
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.
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]
Redig Dutch, Upper German
Dutch and North German variant of Redding.
Redlinger German, Jewish
Habitational name for someone from Redling in Bavaria, Germany.
Redner German
German: possibly a variant of Redmer, or an occupational name for a spokesman, Middle High German rednære.
Reese Low German, Dutch, German
Nickname for a very big man, from Middle Low German, Middle Dutch rese ‘giant’.... [more]
Reever German
Possibly an altered form of German Riefer, a patronymic from the personal name Rüef, a reduced form of Rudolf.
Reginatto Italian
nato means "born" in italian... [more]
Régis French
Occupational name for a local dignitary, from a derivative of Old French régir "to rule or manage".
Rehder German
Occupational name, which was derived from the kind of work done by the original bearer. It is a name for a wheelmaker or wheelwright.
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).