survey says

The prefix sur comes to us from French, and means "upon" or "on top of" or "over". For some reason, I used to think this meant "under" or "beneath", but that's quite the opposite, and more like the Latin sub. The French prefix sur actually comes from the Latin super. Since French came to English more recently than Latin did, the use of the prefix is pretty regular, without having had time for word meanings to get modified by history.

• surbase: a molding just above the base of a wall.
• surcease: Latin "supersedere", French "surseoir", then French "sursis", Anglo-French "surseser", meaning to cease from action.
• surcharge: an additional charge, added "on top of" the usual price.
• surcingle: Latin "supercingula", French "surcengle", an "over girdle" or "girth" for a horse.
• surcoat: French "surcote", an overcoat.
• surface: Latin "superficies", French "surface", "above the face";
• surficial: Latin "superficies", superficial;
• surfactant: English "surface" + "active".
• surfeit: Latin "super facere", "over do", Old French "sorfet", an overabundance.
• surjection: "onto throw", a mathematical term meaning describing a mapping that is "onto".
• surmise: Latin "super mittare", "to in-addition send", Old French "surmettre", to suppose, to place on, to accuse.
• surmount: French "sur monter", "to upon rise".
• surname: Latin "supernomen", old French "surnoun", a last name, "added" to your given name.
• surpass: to "over pass";
• surplice: Latin "super pellicia", "over fur", Latin "superpellicium", French "sour pelis", a robe used in religious ceremonies.
• surplus: that which is "over added";
• surprint: to print over something
• surprise: Latin "superprehendare", French "surprendre", meaning to "over take" or take over.
• surreal: beyond or above reality;
• surrender: to give over
• surrogate: Latin "super rogare", "above ask", became Latin "surrogare", meaning to ask for a substitute.
• surroyal: on the antlers of a stag or large deer, a tine above the royal tine.
• surround: oddly enough, the Latin root is "superunderare", to overflow; in French, this became "soronder"; hence the word doesn't really come from "round", although it may have acquired the similar spelling because of the similar sound and sense.
• surtax: an additional tax, added "on top of" the usual tax.
• surtitle: a title printed above a picture or image.
• surtout: literally French for "over everything", so the word is like our "overalls", and means a long outer covering or coat.
• surveil: Latin "supervigilare" or "overwatch"; French "surveiller", meaning to watch over.
• survey: to look over. The Latin root is "supervidere", and the old French is "surveier".
• survive: Latin "supervivere", over-live, French "sourvivre".

Words that don't actually come from French "sur":

• surcle: Latin "surculus" for "twig",
• surculose: Latin "surculus" for "twig", of a plant that generates many twigs near a branch.
• surgeon: Greek root "kheirourgia" or "hand worker"; Latin "chiurgia", French "serurgien"
• suricate: an African meerkat, whose name is derived from an African language.
• surmullet: a fish whose name comes from the French "sor mulet" for "red mullet".
• surreptitious: Latin "sub rapere", "secretely sieze", then Latin "surripere", characterized by deceit or secrecy.