If you’ve ever considered the meanings behind the most popular last names that start with R, look no further. From the rustic to the royal, the respectable to the rare, surnames starting with R can be found worldwide, each bearing unique and unusual meanings.
Here, we’ve gathered a selection of the most commonly heard R surnames and shared each of their eye-opening roots. With all their meanings and diverse origins, you’ll be ready to rock any of these R last names in no time.
201 Radiant R Last Names
Learn all about the rich roots behind these familiar last names that start with R.
- Rabin – a Hebrew surname, with the powerful meaning of “Rabbi.”
- Rabiu – an “intelligent” Nigerian last name.
- Radcliffe – means “red cliff” and is an English town name.
- Rademacher – a long German surname for a “wheelmaker.”
- Rademaker – a Dutch variant of Rademacher, meaning “wheel maker.”
- Radić – this common Serbian patronymic means “son of Rade.”
- Radigan – a rhythmic Gaelic name meaning “decree.”
- Rafferty – this unique, 8-letter Irish name means “flood tide” or “prosperity.”
- Raginhard – an Old Germanic name meaning “strong counsel, advice.”
- Ragnall – with Gaelic, Germanic, and Old Norse roots, this name rages with “mighty power.”
- Ragnar – an epic Viking name, meaning “army counsel.”
- Ragno – an Italian surname from a nickname, meaning “spider.”
- Rahman – this Arabic surname has the beautiful meaning of “gracious, merciful, Lord.”
- Raimi – means “compassionate” and “fond” from Arabic roots.
- Rain – a beautifully fresh vocabulary surname.
- Rainart – means “strong judgment,” trustworthy among German last names that start with R.
- Rainer – is an Old German name meaning “deciding warrior, wise army.”
- Raines – perhaps means “queen,” this is a pretty surname for a girl.
- Rainey – as a Celtic surname, this may mean “queen.”
- Rairdon – perhaps meaning “royal poet,” this Celtic name sure sounds wise.
- Raleigh – a U.S. capital and English name meaning “deer meadow.”
- Ramadan – this significant Islamic month name may also be used as a surname.
- Ramírez – meaning “son of Ramiro,” this Hispanic name is fit for a “wise judge.”
- Ramos – this common Spanish place name means “branches” or “bouquets.”
- Ramsay – a pungent pick among Scottish R last names, meaning “from the island of wild garlic.”
- Ramsbottom – a funny U.K. town name, perhaps with the same “garlic” meaning as Ramsay.
- Rana – is a sweet Spanish word name, meaning “frog.”
- Randall – this medieval surname has the tough meaning of “shield wolf.”
- Randolph – a festive-sounding variant of Randall, also meaning “shield wolf.”
- Ranganathan – a strong Indian name, meaning “lord of mirth.”
- Ranger – a great name for an outdoorsy family patrolling in the wilderness.
- Ranta – a Finnish name holding the beauty of a “beach, shore.”
- Rantanen – meaning “small shore,” this Finnish surname has quite the melodic ring.
- Rapp – is a gothic surname meaning “raven.”
- Raptis – a Greek form of Taylor, meaning “tailor.”
- Rasmussen – means “son of Rasmus,” common in Denmark.
- Ratchford – for an Anglo-Saxon family “living near a reedy ford.”
- Ratcliffe – a good variant of Radcliffe, sounding very similar.
- Ratti – is traditionally an Italian nickname meaning “rat.”
- Rattigan – a Disney rat name, meaning “decree.”
- Rattray – a Scottish clan name, meaning “hill fort.”
- Raven – sounds dark and alluring among bird-inspired last names starting with R.
- Ravenclaw – a magical name, inspired by a Hogwarts house from the Harry Potter franchise.
- Ravenshaw – meaning “raven’s wood” from various U.K. places with this name.
- Rawlings – a variant of Rawlinson, meaning “son of Raulin.”
- Rawlinson – means “son of Raulin.”
- Rawsthorne – intriguingly means “dweller by the thorns.”
- Raymond – a gentlemanly surname and given name, meaning “wise protector.”
- Reagan – a presidential name for any “little ruler.”
- Reaper – means “harvester,” yet reminiscent of the deathly Grim Reaper.
- Reardon – is a variant of Rairdon, meaning “royal poet, bard.”
- Rebane – meaning “fox,” this Estonian surname sounds particularly sly.
- Rector – a title name often used for a university or college head.
- Redmond – is perfect for a “wise protector.”
- Redondo – this funny and uncommon surname means “round, plump.”
- Reed – a variant of Reid, meaning “redhead.”
- Rees – a common, 4-letter Welsh surname from the same stem as Rhys.
- Reeve – a handsome name meaning “steward, officer.”
- Reeves – a breezy, 6-letter variant of Reeve.
- Regenbogen – a German surname, sweetly associated with “rainbows.”
- Reid – is an attractive Scottish clan name meaning “red.”
- Reiher – means “heron,” perhaps for a marsh-dwelling, long-legged family.
- Reilly – one of the most common Irish surnames, perhaps meaning “sociable, extroverted.”
- Reis – this Christian Portuguese surname offers a devotion to the Reis Magos or Three Kings.
- Reiss – a Jewish surname traditionally used for people who traded or dealt with rice.
- Reiter – a common German surname meaning “forest clearing” or “horse rider.”
- Remington – an elegant English name meaning “settlement” or “raven.”
- Ren – a charming Chinese name of unknown meaning.
- Renard – is an Old French form of Raginhard, meaning “strong decision, advice.”
- Renault – like the car brand, this French name is able to “rule, advise.”
- René – is a chilling French name meaning “reborn.”
- Rettig – traditionally used for a “radish” grower or seller.
- Revello – earthy and rustic, this Italian surname refers to a “wild olive tree.”
- Rex – great for dino-lovers; this Latin name means “king.”
- Rey – the most regal 3-letter French surname, meaning “king.”
- Reyes – just like Rey, this 5-letter option means “kings.”
- Reynolds – means “son of Reynold” or “son of Reginald.”
- Řezníček – a Czech surname for a “son of the butcher” or “little butcher.”
- Řezník – similarly, this Czech surname means “butcher.”
- Rheon – this unisex given name and surname has the cute meaning of “little king.”
- Rhodes – like the Greek island, with the beautiful meaning of “where roses grow.”
- Rhys – a popular Welsh family name, oozing “passion, enthusiasm.”
- Ribar – a unique, 5-letter European surname meaning “fisherman.”
- Ribic – a Slavic surname for a “fisherman.”
- Ricci – ideal for a family with beautiful ringlets, this Italian surname means “curly.”
- Rice – like the carb, also a surname from the same stem as Rhys and Rees.
- Richard – this regal Old French masculine name means “strong in rule.”
- Richards – a shorter form of Richardson.
- Richardson – a princely name for a “son of Richard.”
- Richelieu – this French town name may be described as a “wealthy place.”
- Richter – meaning “judge,” this German surname takes no prisoners.
- Rico – this trendy 4-letter surname means “rich, wealthy.”
- Riddle – is the most “puzzling” among R surnames from Harry Potter.
- Ridley – a U.K. place name meaning “reedy clearing.”
- Riep – a form of Roper, meaning “rope maker.”
- Riese – a 5-letter German name for tall families, meaning “giant.”
- Rigby – also a U.K. place name, meaning “ridge by the farmstead.”
- Riggins – means “ridge” and is of Old English roots.
- Riley – a popular name meaning “rye clearing” or “brave.”
- Rimmer – a musical surname for a poet or minstrel able to rhyme.
- Rinaldi – an Italian surname from the same stem as Reynolds.
- Ripley – means “strip of land clearing,” inspired by various U.K. and U.S. place names.
- Ritchie – this sweet 7-letter name has the same “strong” roots as Richard.
- Ritter – meaning “knight,” this name is noble and chivalrous.
- Riva – a beautiful Italian place name and surname meaning “river bank.”
- River – a serene surname with a fresh, watery appeal.
- Rivera – a dreamy Italian and Spanish surname meaning “riverbank.”
- Rivers – an even more tranquil, plural form of River.
- Rizzo – a sparky variant of Ricci, also meaning “curly.”
- Roach – this Norman surname has the sturdy meaning of “rock.”
- Robbie – a cute nickname surname from the Robert stem.
- Robert – meaning “bright fame,” this last name is most common in France.
- Roberts – a shorter form of the patronymic last name Robertson.
- Robertson – is a popular surname, meaning “son of Robert.”
- Robin – this bird-inspired name has an adorable wintertime feel to it.
- Robinson – meaning “son of Robin.”
- Robles – an outdoorsy name referring to “oaks, oak grove.”
- Robson – a short, 6-letter variant of Roberts or Robinson.
- Robustelli – an Italian surname for a well-built, “robust” chap.
- Rocha – a punchy Portuguese surname, simply meaning “rock.”
- Rochefort – a classy French surname with the tough meaning of “strong castle.”
- Rock – a strong, secure pick among 4-letter last names starting with R.
- Rockefeller – a famously rich surname meaning “rye field, open country.”
- Rockwell – a punchy surname meaning “rock spring.”
- Roderick – a gothic Germanic name fit for a “famous ruler.”
- Rodgers – a short form of Rodgerson.
- Rodgerson – means “son of Rodger.”
- Rodney – an old man’s name, meaning “island near the clearing.”
- Rodrigo – from the same stem as Roderick, this name means “famous ruler.”
- Rodrigues – a Portuguese spelling variant of Rodríguez.
- Rodríguez – means “son of Rodrigo,” particularly common among Mexican Americans.
- Roe – relating to the “roe deer,” but may also mean “red-haired.”
- Rogan – an Irish name for a “red-headed” family.
- Roger – rooting back to the Norman era, this name means “famous spear.”
- Rogge – is a German surname meaning “rye.”
- Rohaan – a popular Indian Muslim name meaning “spiritual.”
- Roig – a Catalan entry among R surnames that means “red.”
- Rojas – is rooted in the Spanish word “rojo,” meaning “red.”
- Roland – a patriotic name, meaning “renowned land.”
- Romano – an Italian surname meaning “Roman,” reminding us of ancient mythology and gladiators.
- Romeo – meaning “from Rome” sounds tragically romantic to any Shakespeare fan.
- Romero – is used to denote a “Roman” or an “Italian.”
- Ronan – a cute Gaelic given name and last name, meaning “little seal.”
- Rooijakkers – a standout Dutch family name, is said to mean “red field.”
- Rook – a type of bird, a chess piece, and a word for a newbie.
- Rookwood – this shady name has a rustic, forest-dwelling aesthetic we love.
- Rooney – meaning “descendant of the champion,” this Irish name is like a compliment to parents.
- Roope – a Finnish form of Robert.
- Roope – otherwise also an English surname traditionally denoting a rope maker or seller.
- Roosa – a “rose” among Dutch last names starting with R.
- Roosevelt – a highly presidential entry, meaning “from the rose field.”
- Roper – an occupational name for a rope maker.
- Rosales – a pretty Mexican surname, meaning “rose bushes.”
- Rosario – beautifully means “rosary” for devout Spanish and Portuguese families.
- Roscoe – a cute Old Norse name with the enchanting meaning of “deer wood.”
- Rose – commonly seen as a feminine given or middle name, also beautiful as a surname.
- Rosenbauer – a stunning, 10-letter German name for a “rose farmer.”
- Rosenfeld – for a German family living in a “field of roses.”
- Ross – this Gaelic name has various meanings, including “horse-keeper,” “headland,” or “redhead.”
- Rosseau – a famous French last name beginning with R, meaning “red.”
- Rossetti – fit for Italian royalty, this sassy name means “red one.”
- Rossi – one of the most common Italian surnames, meaning “red.”
- Rotaru – meaning “wheelwright,” this occupational surname is of Romanian origin.
- Roth – a German entry among surnames starting with R that means “red.”
- Rothbauer – a German name with elements meaning “farmer” and “land clearing.”
- Rothschild – means “to the red shield” and is of German origin.
- Roughead – perhaps for a person with a messy mop of hair.
- Round – is traditionally used as a nickname for a “plump, round” person.
- Rourke – an Irish surname of unknown origin, but very trendy stature.
- Roux – is short and fiery among French R surnames, meaning “red.”
- Rover – this surname is much more frequently heard as a given name for a pet dog.
- Rowan – a type of tree, meaning “little red one.”
- Rowbotham – relating to a valley inhabited by deer.
- Rowland – from the same joyful and patriotic roots as Roland.
- Rowntree – traditionally denoting a person living near a rowan tree.
- Roy – similar to Rey, this Norman-rooted name is fit for a “king.”
- Royal – another regal option for future rulers.
- Royce – a German name meaning “royal, fame.”
- Rubio – a golden Latin name meaning “red.”
- Rudenko – a colorful Ukrainian surname meaning “red.”
- Ruffer – a funny name for your local family of “ruffians.”
- Rufus – another “red” name, great for a red-headed clan.
- Ruiz – means “son of the famous ruler,” from the same stem as Rodrigo.
- Runcorn – is believed to mean “wide cove,” after an English town name.
- Rush – for a person who lives near rushes or perhaps weaves baskets.
- Rushton – means “farmstead” or “town of rushes.”
- Ruskin – is an old occupational surname meaning “tanner.”
- Rusnak – a Polish surname to denote a “Russian.”
- Russell – meaning “red, reddish,” reminding us of autumnal leaves.
- Russett – a colorful name, after an autumnal red-brown shade.
- Russo – similar to Rossi, this means “red.”
- Rusu – a common Romanian surname meaning “Russian.”
- Rutherford – with elements meaning “cattle” and “river crossing,” this Scottish name is confident and rustic.
- Rutledge – means “root ledge” or “red ledge.”
- Ryan – is a common Irish last and given name, meaning “little king.”
- Rybachenko – this Ukrainian name means “son of the fisherman.”
- Rybachuk – a variant of Rybachenko, which has the same meaning.
- Rybak – this Slavic surname means “fisherman.”
- Ryder – a heroic name meaning “horseman, knight.”
- Rylan – a fun alternative to Ryan, meaning “land of rye.”
- Rylance – means “rye lands,” from a U.K. place name.
