This list includes 77 French last names that start with “R”, from “Rabelais” to “Régnier”. These names often reflect occupations, places, or older personal names, showing regional and historical patterns. Use the list for genealogy, writing, or exploring French cultural naming traditions.
[French last names that start with R] are family names used across France and francophone regions, often revealing origins like occupations, places, or personal traits. For example, “Rabelais” recalls the Renaissance writer François Rabelais, whose surname is now emblematic of French literary history.
Below you’ll find the table with Surname, Meaning / Origin, Notable people, Variants, and Frequency/Region.
Surname: The family name itself, which you can use to search historical records and match family branches.
Meaning / Origin: A concise one-line meaning or linguistic origin, helping you understand the name’s early significance or place roots.
Notable people: One to three famous bearers, offering cultural or historical context you can explore further.
Variants: Common alternate spellings or accent forms, useful when you search across different records and regions.
Frequency / Region: Notes on how common the name is and where it appears most often in France or francophone areas.
French last names that start with R
| Surname | Meaning/Origin | Frequency (France) | Notable people (1–3) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rabin | From Hebrew “rabbi”, Jewish origin | 3,000 | Dominique Rabin — politician |
| Rabier | Occupational or patronymic (Old French) | 1,200 | Georges Rabier — artist |
| Rabelais | Toponymic or nickname (Old French) | 400 | François Rabelais — writer |
| Racine | Nickname “root” (Old French) or toponymic | 2,500 | Jean Racine — playwright |
| Raffin | Diminutive of Raff (Germanic) or “raven” | 1,800 | François Raffin — athlete |
| Ragueneau | Occupational or diminutive (Old French) | 300 | Paul Ragueneau — missionary |
| Raillard | From Old French “raillard” (merry) | 1,000 | Édouard Raillard — politician |
| Rambaud | Germanic personal name origin | 1,200 | Alain Rambaud — historian |
| Rambault | Germanic personal name (Raginbald) | 1,000 | François Rambault — actor |
| Ramet | Diminutive of Rama or occupational | 700 | Pierre Ramet — scholar |
| Rançon | From Old French “rançon” (ransom) or place-name | 600 | Philippe Rançon — writer |
| Ranger | Occupational (gamekeeper) or Old French “ranger” | 2,200 | Sylvain Ranger — athlete |
| Rapin | From Old French “rapin” (rogue) or patronymic | 900 | Charles Rapin — historian |
| Rapp | Germanic origin (from “Rap(o)”) | 3,500 | Philippe Rapp — politician |
| Rault | Contraction of the Germanic “Radulf” (Raoul) | 2,000 | Luc Rault — entrepreneur |
| Ravier | From Latin “rabies” or Old French “ravier” | 1,300 | Claude Ravier — musician |
| Ray | From Occitan “rey” (king) or form of Rey | 4,000 | Hervé Ray — athlete |
| Raymond | Germanic “counsel-protector” (Raymond) | 12,000 | Jean-Raymond — politician |
| Raynaud | Variant of Raymond (Occitan/Old French) | 6,000 | Jean-Raynaud — mathematician |
| Raynier | Variant of Rainier/Renier (Germanic) | 1,000 | Pierre Raynier — athlete |
| Rebuffat | Nickname or occupational (Provençal) | 400 | Lionel Rebuffat — climber |
| Reboul | From Occitan “reboul” (briar) or nickname | 1,800 | Gérard Reboul — politician |
| Rebours | From Old French “rebours” (reverse) or nickname | 600 | Jean-Pierre Rebours — scholar |
| Récamier | Toponymic or from Latin personal name | 300 | Juliette Récamier — salonnière |
| Régnier | From Germanic Raginier (counsel + army) | 5,500 | Maurice Régnier — politician |
| Reille | From Germanic “Rīgila” family name | 400 | Honoré Charles Reille — marshal |
| Requier | From Old French “requier” (ask) or Occitan roots | 700 | Emmanuel Requier — jurist |
| Renard | From Old French “renard” (fox), nickname | 15,000 | Jean Renard — boxer |
| Renaud | From Germanic “Raginwald” (advice + power) | 9,000 | Renaud — singer |
| Renault | Variant of Renaud (Old French/Germanic) | 20,000 | Louis Renault — industrialist |
| Renier | From Germanic “Raginher” or patronymic | 1,600 | Adrien Renier — scholar |
| Ricard | From Richard or “ric” (power) (Germanic) | 9,000 | Paul Ricard — entrepreneur |
| Richard | From Germanic “ric” (ruler) + “hard” (brave) | 50,000 | Alain Richard — politician |
| Richer | From Old French “ric” (rich) or Richard variant | 6,000 | Étienne Richer — academic |
| Rigal | Occitan origin, from “rigal” (small stream) | 2,500 | Michel Rigal — athlete |
| Rigaud | Toponymic or from Old French “rigault” | 3,500 | André Rigaud — diplomat |
| Rigault | Variant of Rigaud (Old French/Germanic) | 1,800 | Jean Rigault — politician |
| Riquet | Diminutive of “Eric” or Occitan origin | 1,500 | Pierre-Paul Riquet — engineer |
| Riquier | Occupational (ricker) or toponymic | 1,200 | Antoine Riquier — musician |
| Rivet | From Old French “rive” (bank) or occupational | 4,000 | Jean Rivet — politician |
| Rivière | From French “rivière” (river) toponymic | 6,000 | Louis Rivière — artist |
| Rives | Plural of “rive” (river bank), toponymic | 2,200 | Marcel Rives — athlete |
| Robbe | Germanic or Flemish roots, northern France | 1,800 | Michel Robbe — actor |
| Robin | Diminutive of Robert (Germanic) or “bright fame” | 25,000 | Jean Robin — botanist |
| Robineau | Diminutive of Robin (Old French) | 1,000 | Paul Robineau — politician |
| Robert | From Germanic “Hrodebert” (bright fame) | 60,000 | Claire Robert — athlete |
| Roche | From Old French “roche” (rock), toponymic | 15,000 | Christian de la Roche — noble family |
| Roché | Variant of Roche, accentuated | 1,200 | André Roché — writer |
| Rocher | Rocky place toponymic | 3,500 | Louis Rocher — businessman |
| Rochefort | Toponymic (rock + stronghold) | 900 | Jean Rochefort — actor |
| Rochette | Diminutive of Roche (small rock) | 2,000 | Henri Rochette — sculptor |
| Rodin | From Latin “Rudin” or Germanic roots | 1,400 | Auguste Rodin — sculptor |
| Roger | From Germanic “hrod” (fame) + “ger” (spear) | 10,000 | Jean Roger — politician |
| Romain | From Latin “Romanus” (Roman) | 4,500 | Georges Romain — athlete |
| Roland | From Germanic “fame + land”, heroic name | 5,000 | Olivier Roland — entrepreneur |
| Rolland | Variant of Roland (Old French) | 6,000 | Romain Rolland — writer |
| Rollin | From Old French diminutive of Roland | 4,000 | Camille Rollin — politician |
| Rondeau | From Old French “rondeau” (round song) or nickname | 2,200 | Michel Rondeau — composer |
| Roques | Occitan toponymic (“rocks”) | 3,000 | Claude Roques — scholar |
| Roquette | Diminutive of Roque (rock) or plant name | 1,100 | Paul Roquette — chef |
| Roubaud | From Old French/Germanic personal name | 1,500 | Hervé Roubaud — historian |
| Rouget | From Old French “rouge” (red) or nickname | 2,200 | Charles Rouget — musician |
| Rouger | From “rouge” (red), descriptive nickname | 1,300 | Pierre Rouger — athlete |
| Rougette | Diminutive of Rouget (rare) | 300 | Anne Rougette — author |
| Rougeton | Diminutive or locational variant of Rouge | 150 | — |
| Rougety | Regional variant of Rouget (Occitan) | 200 | — |
| Rougerie | From “rouge” + suffix, descriptive | 900 | Fabien Rougerie — rugby player |
| Roussel | Diminutive of “rousse” (red-haired) Old French | 12,000 | Antoine Roussel — hockey player |
| Rousseau | From “rousseau” (small red-haired) Old French | 18,000 | Jean-Jacques Rousseau — philosopher |
| Rousset | From “rousse” + diminutive suffix | 3,000 | Hervé Rousset — politician |
| Roussin | From “roussin” (reddish) or nickname | 1,000 | Émile Roussin — admiral |
| Roux | From Old French “roux” (red-haired), nickname | 40,000 | Pierre Roux — scientist |
| Rouxel | Diminutive of Roux (Old French) | 4,000 | Alain Rouxel — politician |
| Rouxie | Regional diminutive/variant of Roux | 200 | — |
| Roy | From Old French “roi” (king) or given name Roy | 30,000 | Stéphane Roy — musician |
| Royer | Occupational or “king’s steward” (Old French) | 8,000 | François Royer — composer |
| Royeron | Diminutive of Royer (rare) | 150 | — |
Descriptions
Rabin
Surname of Jewish origin found in France since 19th century, often Ashkenazi; concentrated in cities, variant Rabinovitch appears in immigrant records.
Rabier
Regional surname recorded in central France; variants Rabieret or Rabbier; appears in 17th–19th century civil registers.
Rabelais
Famous because of the Renaissance author; otherwise rare as a hereditary name, mainly in western France.
Racine
Well-known literary surname; originally a nickname or locational name; most frequent in Île-de-France and Normandy.
Raffin
Common in eastern and southeastern France, Occitan and Franco-Provençal variants exist.
Ragueneau
Distinctive historic name from western France; known from literary and missionary figures.
Raillard
Nickname-based surname meaning cheerful; found in central and eastern France, with variants Raylard.
Rambaud
Historic southern and central France surname; attested since medieval documents.
Rambault
Variant of Rambaud/Rambaut; common in Loire and Centre regions.
Ramet
Regional surname found in northern and eastern France; multiple medieval attestations.
Rançon
Rare but established; appears in southwestern civil records; spelled with cedilla.
Ranger
Occupational surname found across France; sometimes anglicized outside francophone areas.
Rapin
Recorded in northern France; literary and professional bearers since 17th century.
Rapp
Alsatian and eastern French surname with Germanic roots; well represented in Grand Est.
Rault
Western and central France usage; variants include Raoul and Raut.
Ravier
Southern France and Lyonnais presence; also Occitan-influenced forms.
Ray
Short form of Rey/Rey(s); found in southern France and in francophone diaspora.
Raymond
Common patronymic surname from the given name Raymond; widespread historically, strong in southwest.
Raynaud
Southwestern and Occitan roots; many spellings (Raynaud, Reynaud); historically noble and common families.
Raynier
Regional Occitan and Alpine usage; less frequent but well-attested historically.
Rebuffat
Strongly Provençal surname, known from 20th-century mountaineering family.
Reboul
Southern French surname (Languedoc-Provence); common in Marseille area, many variants.
Rebours
Uncommon literary surname; recorded in western civil registers since Middle Ages.
Récamier
Historic Parisian surname, famous due to Juliette Récamier; rare otherwise.
Régnier
Widespread in northern and eastern France; medieval origins, many variants (Raignier, Régnier).
Reille
Historical military family name, especially in southwestern France.
Requier
Recorded in northern France; less common but found in civil records.
Renard
Very common surname; originally a nickname for someone clever or red-haired; widespread across France.
Renaud
Popular both as given name and surname; strong presence in western France and Paris.
Renault
Widely attested; famous industrial family (Renault cars); common in northwestern France.
Renier
Regional use in northern France and Belgium border; medieval attestations.
Ricard
Provençal and southern distribution; notable business family (pastis) increased recognition.
Richard
One of France’s most frequent surnames; pan-regional distribution and medieval origins.
Richer
Common in Normandy and northern France; occupational or descriptive origin.
Rigal
Strong Occitan/Occitania presence, many southern variants (Rigal, Rigali).
Rigaud
Attested in south and west; historical figures from colonial and revolutionary eras.
Rigault
Found chiefly in northern France; several notable political and military bearers.
Riquet
Historic name from Languedoc; Pierre-Paul Riquet engineered the Canal du Midi.
Riquier
Less common variant of Riquet; Occitan and northern records.
Rivet
Found in Normandy and central France; Rivet vs. Rivière distinctions regional.
Rivière
Toponymic surname common near rivers; multiple regional concentrations and spelling variants.
Rives
Southern and southwestern distribution; often linked to riverside origins.
Robbe
Nord-Pas-de-Calais and Belgian border presence; variants Robb, Robbeaux.
Robin
Very common medieval diminutive of Robert; widespread, many notable historical bearers.
Robineau
Regional form common in central France; appears in 18th–19th century civil records.
Robert
Extremely common French surname with medieval origins; widespread nationwide and many variants.
Roche
Toponymic name tied to rocky places; very common with regional concentrations in west and south.
Roché
Less common variant; often southern France, can indicate specific family branches.
Rocher
Similar distribution to Roche; sometimes denotes local topography.
Rochefort
Originally indicating origin from Rochefort places; notable cultural bearers increased recognition.
Rochette
Common in central and western France; diminutive form often Occitan-influenced.
Rodin
Famous because of Auguste Rodin; otherwise moderately rare, widespread across France.
Roger
Both given name and surname; long medieval history and pan-regional presence.
Romain
Surname indicating Roman origin or residence; found across France with various family lines.
Roland
Historic name tied to the epic hero Roland; used as surname and given name.
Rolland
Notable literary surname; different regional lines and spellings.
Rollin
Northern and central distribution; medieval origins as patronymic form.
Rondeau
Often occupational or nickname-based; associated with music and poetic forms historically.
Roques
Strongly Occitan surname, frequent in southwestern France; variants Roque, Roquette.
Roquette
Southern France presence; also known as place-name derived surname.
Roubaud
Southern and southeastern distribution; medieval attestations and variants (Roubaut).
Rouget
Nickname for red-haired or ruddy complexion; regional spread across France.
Rouger
Variant of Rouget and Rousset; found in central France.
Rougette
Uncommon diminutive form; occasional occurrences in southern registers.
Rougeton
Rare, regional diminutive recorded historically (very uncommon).
Rougety
Very rare; Occitan-influenced family forms exist in departmental records.
Rougerie
Notable in sports; southwestern France presence and Occitan roots.
Roussel
Very common—means “little red one”; widespread especially Normandy and north.
Rousseau
Famous surname with many branches; descriptive origin, common nationwide.
Rousset
Regional variants, especially Rhône-Alpes and Provence; often overlaps with Roussel usage.
Roussin
Less common; recorded in naval and Breton families.
Roux
Among France’s most frequent surnames; indicates red hair or ruddy complexion, wide geographic spread.
Rouxel
Northern and western concentrations; diminutive form often indicates smaller family branch.
Rouxie
Rare variant recorded in southwestern registers; diminutive or dialectal form.
Roy
Very common surname with several independent origins; frequent in northwest and francophone Canada as well.
Royer
Widespread across France; sometimes conflated with Roy, historic administrative associations.
Royeron
Very uncommon variant; occasional regional attestations in central France.