This is a list of submitted surnames in which the usage is Swiss; and the pattern is *r.
Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
L'HuillierFrench Denoted a person who produces or sells oil, from French huile "oil" with fused definite article l'. Anne Geneviève L'Huillier (1958-) is a French physicist who beat the world record for the shortest laser pulse, of 170 attoseconds.
LichterGerman, Jewish Occupational name for someone who made candles or possibly for someone who tended a light, from an agent derivative of from Middle High German lieht, Yiddish likht "candle, light".
LindenmeyerGerman Habitational name for the tenant of a farm identified by a lime tree, derived from Middle High German linde meaning "lime tree" and meier meaning "tenant farmer".
LinderGerman Derived from the German word linde, which means lime tree.
LinzmeyerGerman, Portuguese (Brazilian) Means "bailiff of Linz, Austria" in German, derived from Proto-Celtic *lentos (“bend”) and Middle High German meier meaning "bailiff, administrator", derived from Latin maior meaning "greater".... [more]
LoescherGerman German variant of Löscher, an occupational name for a fireman, from Middle High German leschen ‘to extinguish’. Als a variant of Loesch and Lescher or a derivative of Loesche.
MarSwiss The surname Mar has roots from Switzerland, Austria, Hungary, France, Germany, Portugal and Spain. MAR: topographic name for someone living by the sea, from mar ‘sea’ (Latin mare). German: nickname from Middle High German mar(w) ‘tender’, ‘delicate’.
MarkerGerman Status name for someone who lived on an area of land that was marked off from the village land or woodland, Middle High German merkære.
MarnerEnglish, German Occupational name for a sailor from Anglo-Norman French mariner Middle, High German marnære "seaman". English variant of Mariner.
MarstellerGerman Occupational name for a stable boy in or for the supervisor of the stables on a noble estate, from Middle High German mar(c) 'noble horse' stall 'stable' + the agent suffix -er.
MeesterDutch, Flemish, German Occupational name for a teacher, lecturer or a master craftsman, or a nickname for someone who had a bossy demeanor, derived from Dutch meester meaning "master". A famous bearer of this surname is the American actress, singer and model Leighton Meester (1986-).
MeilerRomansh Derived from the place name Meils (present-day Mels in the canton of St. Gallen, Switzerland).
MellerGerman Denoting someone hailing from Melle in Germany.
MeltzerGerman German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): occupational name for a maltster, a brewer who used malt, from German Meltzer (an agent derivative of Middle High German malt ‘malt’, ‘germinated barley’), Yiddish meltser ‘maltster’... [more]
MendlerGerman Occupational name for a maker of coats from an agent derivative of Middle High German mantel, mandel, mendel "coat".
MentzerGerman Habitational name with the agent suffix -er, either from Mainz, earlier Mentz, derived from the medieval Latin name Mogontia (Latin Mogontiacum, probably from the Celtic personal name Mogontios), or from Menz in Brandenburg and Saxony.
MerglerGerman Means "marl" from German mergel. It either denoted someone who lived by a marl pit or someone who sold marl.
MertesackerGerman Means "Merten's field" in German, derived from the given name Merten and Middle High German acker meaning "field". A famous bearer is the retired German soccer player Per Mertesacker (1984-).
MesmerGerman Occupational name for a maker of knives from Middle High German messer meaning "knife". A famous bearer was Franz Mesmer (1734-1815), a German doctor known for his theory of "animal magnetism", which was eventually incorporated into the field of hypnosis.
MesserGerman Occupational name for an official in charge of measuring the dues paid in kind by tenants, from an agent derivative of Middle High German mezzen "to measure".
MessierFrench Occupational name for someone who kept watch over harvested crops, Old French messier 'harvest master' (Late Latin messicarius, agent derivative of messis 'harvest').
MesslerGerman Habitational name for someone from Messel near Darmstadt.
MishlerGerman Americanized spelling of Swiss German Mischler .
MitterGerman Topographic name for someone who lived on or owned a property that was in the middle between two or more others, especially if the others were both held by men with the same personal name (for example, Mitter Hans), from the strong form of Middle High German mitte "mid, middle".
MonierFrench, English, French (Huguenot) French variant of Monnier and occupational name for a moneyer from Middle English monier "moneyer" (Old French monier) or for a miller from Old French monier "miller".
MontpelierEnglish, French English and French variant of Montpellier. This is the name of several places in the United States, for example the capital city of the state of Vermont, which was named after the French city of Montpellier.
MontpellierFrench Means "woad mountain", derived from French mont (itself from Latin mōns) meaning "mountain" and pastel (Latin pastellus, pestellus) meaning "woad, dye", referring to someone who lived near a mountain that was covered with woad (a plant that produces a blue dye)... [more]
MosbruckerGerman Topographic name for someone who lived by a bridge over a swamp, from Middle High German mos meaning "bog", "swamp" + brucke meaning "bridge".
MouldenhauerGerman Has a Northern German origin, and means “bowl maker” or “carver of bowls”.
MöwerGerman (Rare) Possibly derived from Middle High German moven "to torment, trouble, burden".
MünsterGerman, Dutch habitational name from any of the places called Münster (in Germany) or Munster derived from Latin monasterium "monastery" or a topographic name for someone living near a monastery.
MutterGerman (also Mütter): occupational name for an official employed to measure grain, from Middle High German mutte, mütte 'bushel', 'grain measure' (Latin modius) + the agent suffix -er.
NaglerGerman Form Middle High German nagel "nail".
NarrGerman Nickname for a foolish or silly person, from Middle High German narr ‘fool’, ‘jester’.
NasserGerman Someone from any of the places called Nassen, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Hesse, and Bavaria.
NaterGerman (Swiss) Derived from Middle High German nâtaere "tailor; furrier".
NeisserGerman German demonym of the town of Neisse (nowadays Nysa, in Poland), itself from the name of the river Neisse (Nysa) which runs through the city.
NenningerGerman Habitational name for someone from Nenningen in Württemberg.
NestlerGerman Derived from the middle high German word nesteler meaning "maker of string or thread".
NeugerGerman, French (?) Was popularized by the German community. Famous bearers include investors Win Neuger and Dan Neuger, author Christie Cozad Neuger.
NeujahrGerman nickname for someone who owed feudal dues at the New Year, or sometimes a name given to someone born on that day
NeumeyerGerman German: distinguishing name for a newly appointed steward or tenant farmer, or one who was a newcomer to an area, from Middle High German niuwe ‘new’ + meier ‘steward’, ‘tenant farmer’ ( see Meyer 1)... [more]
NeuserGerman (Rare) Person who had ancestors that lived in Germany near Dusseldorf in the town called Neuss.
NeustädterGerman Habitational name for someone from any of many places in Germany and Austria called Neustadt.
NeverGerman Habitational surname denoting someone from the town of Nevern (Mecklenburg-Vorpommern), Germany.
NichterGerman, Yiddish Possibly means "negator, negate" from Middle High German nicht meaning "not", or "sober", from Middle High German nüchter. Perhaps it originally denoted a person who was a philosopher, judge, or bartender.
NiederhäuserGerman, Swiss Habitational name from any of numerous places named Niederhaus or Niederhausen, denoting the lower of two dwellings or settlements or one in a low-lying position.
NiedermeierGerman, German (Austrian) Occupational name for a farmer who had a farm lower than the neighboring one(s). This surname and its variant spellings are common to Austria and the state of Bavaria in Germany.
NiedermeyerGerman Means "lower farmer", a distinguishing name for a farmer who worked further south or in a low-lying location.
NoirFrench Means "black" in French, denoting a person with a dark complexion, or someone who habitually wears dark clothing, or a night worker.
NonnenmacherGerman Occupational name for a gelder of hogs, from Middle High German nunne, nonne meaning "nun", and by transfer "castrated hog" + an agent derivative of machen meaning "to make".
NungesserGerman Apparently a variant spelling of German Nonnengasse, derived from a street name meaning "nuns, lane". It could also be a variant of Gnugesser, a nickname for a big eater, derived from g(e)nug meaning "enough" and esser meaning "eater" (which derived from essen meaning "to eat")... [more]
OsterreicherGerman I was told that this surname in native Austria originates as follows. Oster means East, reich means kingdom, with er meaning native of. In old Austria there were six kingdoms, with the East one being the largest with the seat of government there... [more]
OverholserGerman (Swiss) The Oberholtzer family originated in the Swiss village of Oberholtz, south of Zurich, before the 15th century. However, in 1661, one family left Switzerland for the Palatinate in Germany.
PanierRomansh Derived from the place name Panix (present-day Pigniu) in the district of Surselva in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland.
PanzerGerman Metonymic occupational name for an armorer from Middle High German panzier "mailcoat" (Old French pancier "armor for the stomach, body armor" from Late Latin).
PapierFrench, German, Jewish Means "paper" in French and German, denoting a paper maker or merchant, both derived from Old French papier.
ParquierFrench From an Old French word meaning "Keeper of the Park". Made from the element "Parc", meaning park, and the suffix "-ier", which indicates a profession. The surname Parker is a descendant.
PartenheimerGerman Habitational name for someone from Partenheim in Rheinhessen.
PasquierFrench Meaning uncertain. Possibly "keeper of the oven."
PasteurFrench French for "shepherd" or "preacher, pastor". Famous bearer Louis Pasteur (1822-1895), French chemist who created the first rabies vaccine, gave his name to the process of 'pasteurization'.
PaterDutch, German, English, Polish From Latin pater "father", used as a religious title for a priest in Roman Catholicism. Possibly used semi-literally for a man who worked in the church, or figuratively for a solemn or pompous man.
PelissierFrench From Old French "Pelicier", (Meaning "Furrier", from an agent derivative of pelice, meaning "Fur cloak", from Late Latin "pellicia", from "pellis", meaning "skin fur". An occupational name of someone likely in the fur and hide trade.
PeltierFrench Variant of Pelletier (from Old French pellet, a diminutive of pel "skin, hide").
PelzerGerman Occupational name for a furrier, from an agent derivative Middle High German bellez "fur".
PernierItalian A famous bearer is the Italian archaeologist Luigi Pernier (1874 - 1937), who discovered the mysterious Phaistos disc on the Greek island of Crete.
PfefferGerman, Jewish Occupational name for a spicer, or a nickname for a person with a fiery temper, for a small man, or for a dark-haired person. Derived from German Pfeffer "pepper".
PfotenhauerGerman High German, carpenter's and woodworker's main occupation. Actual old German translation is "paw slapper" or "large paw" as in an animal (bear).
PitcherEnglish, 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... [more]
PitsenbargerGerman Probably an altered spelling of Bezzenberger, which is derived from Boizenburg, a municipality in the Ludwigslust-Parchim district in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany.
PittlerFrench A surname which originally belonged to a person who lived by a pit or hollow. Meaning "King of the Pit" or "King of the Hollow".
PlumerGerman, 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]
PlumierFrench, Belgian Possibly an occupational name for a dealer in feathers and quills, from an agent derivative of Old French plume "feather, plume" (compare English and Dutch Plumer)... [more]
PoehlerGerman German (Westphalian): topographic name for someone who lived by a muddy pool, from an agent noun derived from Middle Low pol ‘(muddy) pool’.
PoitierFrench Evidently an altered spelling of Pothier. A famous bearer of this surname was the Bahamian-American actor Sidney Poitier (1927-2022).
PolitzerHungarian, 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.
PortierFrench occupational name for the gatekeeper of a walled town or city, or the doorkeeper of a great house, Old French portier (from Late Latin portarius)... [more]
PotierFrench An occupational name for a maker of drinking and storage vessels, from potier "potter", an agent derivative of Old French pot "drinking vessel"... [more]
PottierFrench A variant of the french word for potter, potier.... [more]
PrieurFrench 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]
ProvencherFrench From the French word for the flower periwinkle. (pervenche) Brought to Canada from France in 1660 by Sebastien Provencher.
PulitzerHungarian, 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.
PulverLow 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.
RaderGerman 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.
RadlerGerman 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
RaffenspergerGerman 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.
RamserGerman, German (Austrian) Habitational name derived from either any of several places called Ramsen in Germany and Switzerland, or from places in Austria and upper Bavaria called Ramsau... [more]
RamseyerSwiss Note: the 'Ramseyer Song' in Switzerland
RangerEnglish, 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]
RatherGerman, Jewish 1. Occupational name for a counsellor or nickname for a wise person, from Middle High German rater ‘adviser’. ... [more]
RathgeberGerman From Middle High German ratgebe or Middle Low German ratgever "giver of advice, counselor", an occupational name for an adviser or wise man.
RatzingerGerman 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]
RäuberGerman, German (Swiss) German, Swiss German: derogatory nickname, from Middle High German roubære ‘robber’, ‘bandit’, ‘highwayman’ (from roub, roup ‘booty’, ‘spoils’).
RechnerGerman Occupational name from Middle High German rechenære "reckoner keeper of accounts".
RedenbacherGerman (Americanized) Habitational name for someone from any of several places in Bavaria and Austria called Rettenbach, derived from German bach "stream" and an uncertain first element; possibly Old Germanic retten "swamp, moor", reudan "to clear (land), clearing", or roden "to redden, become red".
RedlingerGerman, Jewish Habitational name for someone from Redling in Bavaria, Germany.
RednerGerman German: possibly a variant of Redmer, or an occupational name for a spokesman, Middle High German rednære.
ReeverGerman Possibly an altered form of German Riefer, a patronymic from the personal name Rüef, a reduced form of Rudolf.
ReifingerGerman 1 German: perhaps a habitational name for someone from any of several places called Reiting in Bavaria and Austria, or from a Germanic personal name, a variant of Rediger .... [more]
ReimerGerman From a Germanic personal name, a reduced form of Reinmar, composed of the elements ragin "counsel" + mari, meri "fame".
ReisenauerGerman Probably denoted a person from a minor place called Reisenau, or a topographic name for someone living by an overgrown water meadow, derived from Middle High German ris meaning "undergrowth" and owe meaning "water meadow".
ReiserGerman, Upper German Habitational name for someone from Reis or Reissen in Bavaria (see Reis). An occupational name from Middle High German reisære ‘warrior’, ‘traveler’... [more]
ReisnerGerman A habitational name for someone from a place called Reisen (for example in Bavaria), Reissen in Thuringia, or Reussen on the Saale river. A variant of Reiser Also from an agent derivative of Middle High German, Middle Low German rise ‘veil’; perhaps an occupational name for someone who made veils.
ReisserUpper German An occupational name for a woodcutter, Middle High German risser.
RellerGerman (Swiss) Occupational name for a miller, derived from the Swiss German dialect term relle meaning "grist mill".
ReusserSwiss, German, Upper German In Switzerland, an occupational name for a fisherman or maker of fish traps, from an agent derivative of Middle High German riuse "fish trap, weir basket". A nickname from an agent noun based on Middle High German riusen "to moan or complain"... [more]
ReznorGerman May be a variant of the German surname Reisner, a habitational name for someone from a place called Reisen (for example in Bavaria), Reissen in Thuringia, or Reussen on the Saale river.
RidingerGerman A habitational name for someone from a place named Riding or Rieding. It is also possibly an altered spelling of Reitinger, a topographic name from Reit(e), which means ‘clearing’ (Old High German riuti).
RocherFrench From French roche, meaning "rock'. It indicates a person who worked at a quarry.
RockefellerGerman Means "from Rockenfeld." Some famous bearers include founder of the Standard Oil Company and philanthropist John Davison Rockefeller (1839-1937), and 41st Vice President of the U.S.A. Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller (1908-1979).
RohrGerman, Jewish Topographic name for someone who lived in an area thickly grown with reeds, from Middle High German ror. Also a habitational name from one of the several places named with this word.