What does my surname mean?

Question

My names Emma Relf and i've heard that both names are German. Do you think i could have German ansestors?

Answer 1

Could be German, Swiss German or Jewish. I had a Aunt Emma, my granddad was German

Answer 2

First or Christian name Emma :

ETYMOLOGY: The English name Emma is from Germanic origin. The name is thought to be derived from "Erma" an abbreviated form of Erm(en) or Irm(en). The name Emma means "whole" or "universal".

ORIGIN AND HISTORY:

The first German to be associated with Emma was that of the 11th century saint Emma of Lesum (Bremen) or Emma of Stieple. The saint was born around 980 to a Saxon noble family. Emma is thought to have been the first woman to live in Bremen. Emma built a church and dedicated it to the Virgin Mary. After the death of her husband at an early age Emma dedicated the remainder of her life to helping the poor. Emma donated a lot of her fortune to the Bremen cathedral where she was later buried. Emma's feast day is celebrated on the 3rd of December.

Last or surname: Relph

This interesting and unusual name is of Medieval English origin, derived from the Old French pre 7th Century personal name 'Riulf', itself composed of the Germanic elements 'ric', meaning power, with 'wulf', wolf. Relph was first introduced into Britain in 1066 with the Norman Conquest and was fairly popular as a given name until the late 13th Century, (see below), for example Richolf de Gameltun (1210, Curia Rolls of Yorkshire), Riculfus (1212 ibid), Ricolfus filius Ailmini (1219 Curia Rolls of Sussex). The following example illustrates the name development after the below date, John Relf (1327 Subsidy Rolls Sussex) and the modern variants are Relf(e) and Realff. Amongst the sample recordings in London is the marriage between Ann Relph and William Goodrick on December 30th 1689, at St. Giles, Cripplegate. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Robert Reolf, which was dated 1296, Subsidy Rolls, Sussex, during the reign of King Edward 1, 'The Hammer of the Scots', 1272 - 1307.

Answer 3

Relf Name Meaning and History

Southern English (of Norman origin): from the Old French personal name Riulf, composed of the Germanic elements ric ‘power’ + wulf ‘wolf’.

Emma

English: of Germanic origin, introduced to Britain by the Normans. It was the name of the mother of Edward the Confessor. It originated as a short form of the medieval versions of compound names such as Ermintrude and Irmgard, containing the element erm(en), irm(en) entire (cf. Irma). It is now sometimes used as a pet form of Emily, but this is etymologically unjustified.

Answer 4

Many of the Relfs on Ancestry.com are English.  Your ancestry consists of all your ancestors.  You could be of German ancestry and very likely also English.

You won't know until you do the research.