Family History Resources R Surnames Origins & Meanings

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Many surnames are associated with the place/locality of where the family lived and in those cases the location is noted as the meaning.
Many surnames are associated with the occupation of the person given the name.

Surname Origin Meaning Radcliff Locality A place in Lancashire, England Radford Cornish-British The fern way Radland Cornish-British The fern land Radnor Cornish-British The enclosure of ferns Raffles From Raefel, long-lubber, lath-back, inactive, sluggish Rainsford Locality Ravensford Raleigh Rhawlaw, in the Welsh, signifies a lieutenant, a vicar Ralph Saxon From Rad, counsel, and ulph, help Ralston Ralphstown in Renfrewshire Ramage Branches of trees Ramirez Spanish patronymic from the personal name Ramiro Ramos Spanish someone who lived in a thickly wooded area Ramsden Saxon Locality The winding valley, or the extremity of the valley Ramsey Locality Ram's Isle, a place in Huntingdonshire, England Ran Saxon Pure, clear. Randal Saxon Fair-help, from Ran, fair, and ulph, help Rander Gaelic-Welsh A tract of land on a point or promontory Randolph Saxon Fair-help, from Ran, fair, and ulph, help Randulph Saxon Fair-help, from Ran, fair, and ulph, help Rankin Danish Rank, right, upright, erect Ranney Locality Renaix, Reinow, or Renais, a town of Switzerland Ransom The price paid for redemption from captivity or punishment Ransome The price paid for redemption from captivity or punishment Rapp Rap, in Danish, is swift, nimble Rawdon Locality Royden, near Leeds, in Yorkshire, England Rawley Welsh Rhawlaw, a vicar Rawlings Ralphs son Rawlinson son of Rawlings Rawson Ravenson Ray Dutch Roemur, one who extols, praises, boasts Raymer Dutch Roemur, one who extols, praises, boasts Raymond Teutonic From Rein, pure, and mund, mouth; pure mouth, one who abstains from wanton discourses Rayner Danish Raner, a leader of the Danes Read Rede, advice, counsel, help, or from the fenny plant, a reed Record Rikerd, or Richard Redden Cornish-British A place of ferns Reddenhurst Locality Reddon, Cornish British, fern, and hurst, Saxon, a wood or grove Reed Saxon From Rede, advice, counsel, help, or from the fenny plant, a reed Reese Cornish-British Pushing, violent; a strong or powerful man Reeves From Reeve, a bailiff, provost, or steward Reid Scottish person with red hair or a ruddy complexion Reilly Irish descendant of Raghailleach Reinard Teutonic-Saxon From Rein, pure, and ard, nature, disposition Reinhart Dutch A pure heart Renard French A fox, cunning Retz Locality A town in Moravia Reyes French king from Latin rex Reynard Teutonic-Saxon From Rein, pure, and ard, nature, disposition Reynolds Saxon Sincere or pure love from, Rhein, pure, and hold, the old English for love Reynoldson Saxon son of Reynolds Rheese Cornish-British Pushing, violent; a strong or powerful man Rhefeldt Dutch deer-field Rhodes Locality island of Rhodes, in the Mediterranean Sea Rian Gaelic manner, order, arrangement, sobriety, good disposition Ricard Of a powerful, rich, or generous disposition Rice Welsh Rys Rich Wealthy, opulent; anciently, great, noble, powerful Richard Of a powerful, rich, or generous disposition Richardson son of Richard Richmond Saxon rich-mouth; figuratively, eloquent Ricketts Ricards Riddell Locality From lands in the county of Yorkshire, formerly called the Ryedales Ridder Ruyter Riggs Danish wealthy, rich Ring Dutch A Canton; a district of an ecclesiastical congregation Ringe Danish Mean, low, small, little Ringgold Welsh Rhingol, a cleft, cliff, or steep bank Rios Spanish habitational name from any of the places called Ríos, predominantly in Galicia Ripley Locality A market-town in west Yorkshire, England Ritchie Scottish Richard Ritter Ruyter, a knight, a chevalier Rivera Spanish any of the places named Rivera Roberts Saxon From Rod, counsel, and bert or bericht, bright or famous Robertson Scottish son of Robert Robinson Son of Robbin Roby Danish From Ro, rest, repose, and by, a town--the peaceful town Rochester Locality city in Kent, England Rochfort Locality town of France Rodden Cornish-British A place of ferns Rodland Saxon Counsel for the land Rodriguez Spanish son of Rodrigo Roe Gaelic Red-haired Roemer Dutch From Roem, glory, renown; a praiser, a boaster Roger Teutonic Rhu, rest, quiet, peace, and gard, a keeper Roland Saxon Counsel for the land Rollin Saxon Counsel for the land Romaine Roman Romanno Locality lands in the county of Peebles, Scotland Romero Spanish pilgrim to Rome Roof Reeve Roorback Dutch A town in Bavaria, Germany Root Locality A place lying low Roschild a town in Denmark Rose Scottish a place with wild roses Rosencrans Danish Rosenkrands, a garland of roses Roseveldt Dutch field of roses Ross Scottish A shire of Scotland Roswell Rosveldt, the rose-field Roth German Red color Rothschild a town in Denmark Rouse French red-haired Rousseau French reddish hair Roux French someone with red hair Rowe Locality A river that overflows its banks Rowel Locality the river Rouel, in the Netherlands Rowen Locality a tree, the mountain-ash Rowle Cornish-British Rule, order, law Rowley Saxon From Row, sweet or pleasant, and ley, a field Rowntree mountain-ash Roy Gaelic red-haired Rue Locality Reaux, in Hainault, Netherlands Rufus French Red Ruggles Locality A town of France Ruiz Spanish son of Ruy Rundell Arundle Runnion Gaelic A small hill Runon Gaelic A small hill. Rusbridge Locality town of Rousbrugge, in Germany Russ Russian Russell Scottish Red-haired Russey Locality A town in Doubs, France Rutgers Dutch one desirous of rest, a keeper of rest Rutherford Locality the lands of Rutherford on the river Tweed, in the parish of Maxton, Roxburgshire, Scotland Ruthven the lands and barony of Ruthven, in Perthshire, Scotland Ruyter A knight or chevalier Ryan Irish Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Riagháin Ryder A forest officer, being mounted Rye French From Rive, a coast, a shore, a bank, border Rynders Locality A town in North Jutland

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