Rush

Rush is familiar as an English word for moving quickly, and it also names a group of waterside plants. The surname has several histories, including connections with rush-growing ground and with work using rushes. This gives a family choosing Rush more than one possible starting point: a word, a landscape, a craft, or an inherited surname.

The name has appeared in American first-name records for many generations. Its one-syllable form is complete without an expansion, and the final sh gives it a different sound from other brief surname choices. A particular family history can clarify which older surname route is relevant. When chosen directly as a word name, its familiar everyday meanings remain part of the association.