Origin
Born : 1: English: variant of Bourne.2: English (of Norman origin): nickname from Old French borgne ‘one-eyed squint-eyed’.3: North German Danish and Dutch: from Middle Low German born ‘well spring’ a topographic name for someone who lived beside a well or spring or a habitational name from a place called with this word.
Abdullah : Arabic: from the personal name ʿAbdullāh ‘servant of God/Allah’. This was the name of the father of the prophet Muhammad who died before Muhammad was born. In the Koran (19:30) Jesus calls himself ʿAbdullāh: ‘He (Jesus) said: I am the servant of God’. Bearers of this surname are both Muslims and Christians. Compare Abdallah.
Abiodun : West African (Nigeria): from the Yoruba personal name Abíọ́dún from a-bí (s')ọdún ‘(child) born during a festival period’.
Abiola : West African (Nigeria): from the Yoruba personal name Abíọlá from a-bí ọlá ‘(child) born into wealth or nobility’.
Ackrill : apparently a variant of Arkell with -r- metathesized. The head of the Birmingham (Warwicks) family in Census 1851 was born in Brattleby (Lincs) 12 miles from South Kelsey and 10 miles from Middle Rasen.
Addae : West African (Ghana): from an Akan personal name denoting a child born on adae ‘festival day calendar point recurring every 43 days’. Compare Addai.
Addleton : possibly like the surname Adlington from one of the places called Adlington. Sarah Ann Addleton birth recorded 1882 in Dudley (Staffs) appears to be the same as Annie Smith formerly Haddleton born Cradley Heath (Census 1901) and Sarah Ann Smith formerly Addlington child's birth recorded 1904.
Afolabi : West African (Nigeria): from the Yoruba personal name Afo̩lábí from a f'o̩lá bí ‘one who is born to honor or nobility’.
Agosto : 1: Italian and Hispanic (mainly Puerto Rico): nickname from Italian and Spanish agosto ‘August’ denoting someone born in the month of August.2: Italian: also from the personal name Agosto Latin Augustus (see Augustus).
Ahlborn : 1: North German: topographic name from Middle Low German āl ‘dirt’ + born ‘well’ for someone who lived near a soiled well.2: Swedish: ornamental name composed of the elements ahl an ornamental spelling of al ‘alder’ + born ‘well’ the latter borrowed from Low German (see 1 above).
Aina : 1: West African (Nigeria): from the Yoruba personal name Àìná a circumstance name traditionally given to a child born with the umbilical cord round the neck though originally to a female only.2: Italian (Piedmont): from the personal name Aìna probably of ancient Germanic origin (from agina ‘blade’).
Ajayi : West African (Nigeria): from the Yoruba personal name Àjàyí a circumstance name traditionally given to a child born with the face turned downward.
Alter : 1: German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): distinguishing epithet for the older of two bearers of the same personal name.2: Jewish (Ashkenazic): from the Yiddish personal name Alter an inflected form of alt ‘old’. This was in part an omen or well-wishing name expressing the parents’ hope that the child would live a long life; in part a protective name given to a child born after the death of a sibling but also said to have sometimes been assumed by someone who was seriously ill. The purpose is supposed to have been to confuse the Angel of Death into thinking that the person was old and so not worth claiming as a victim.3: German: from a short form of an ancient Germanic personal name formed with alt ‘old’.
Amborn : German: topographic name for someone who lived am Born ‘by the spring or well’.
Amori : from the medieval personal name Amore literally ‘love’ sometimes bestowed on a foundling or ‘love-child’ born out of wedlock.
Anselm : English and German: from the ancient Germanic personal name Anshelm composed of the elements ans- ‘god’ + helm ‘protection helmet’. The personal name was taken to France and England by St. Anselm (c. 1033–1109) known as the Father of Scholasticism. He was born in Aosta Italy joined the Benedictine order at Bec in Normandy France and in 1093 became archbishop of Canterbury England.
Aparicio : Spanish; Portuguese (Aparício): from the personal name Aparicio (Portuguese Aparício) bestowed especially on children born on or around the Christian feast of the Epiphany (6th January).
April : 1: Americanized form (translation into English) of any of several European surnames meaning ‘April’ (Latin aprilis) for example Italian Aprile German Abrell and Aprill (see 2 below) Polish Kwiecień (see Kwiecien). There were several possible connections between the month and the surname; for example it may have been applied to someone who rendered homage or paid rent to an overlord in April or as a personal name bestowed on a child born in April.2: German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): from Middle High German abrille German April ‘April’ (see 1 above). This surname is also found in France (Alsace and Lorraine). As a Jewish name it is artificial.3: English: from Middle English April the name of the month. Compare Averill. There is no evidence for the use of April as a personal name before the 19th century. April is found in England as a surname from the 13th and 14th centuries onward but it is unknown if the medieval surname survived into modern times.
Aquino : 1: Italian Spanish and Portuguese: from a Christian personal name bestowed in honor of Saint Thomas Aquinas (1225–74; Tommaso d'Aquino in Italian Tomás de Aquino in Spanish) an Italian Dominican friar and Doctor of the Church. This surname is also common in the Philippines. See also 2 below compare De Aquino.2: Italian: habitational name from a place called Aquino (see D'Aquino) the place where the theologian (see 1 above) was born.
Ayyad : Muslim: from Arabic ʿayyād epithet for someone born on the Eid Arabic ʿīd ‘feast-day’ in particular the ʿīd al-fiṭr marking the end of Ramadan.
Babatunde : West African (Nigeria): from the Yoruba personal name Babátúndé from baba tún dé ‘father has returned’ applied to a child born after the death of his father or grandfather.
Balsamo : Italian (Naples): from the medieval personal name Balsamo meaning ‘balsam balm comfort’ bestowed upon a child who is (or is expected to be) a comfort to his parents typically one born following the death of an older child.
Bamping : probably a variant of Pamplin with voicing of initial /p/ to /b/ reduction of /mpl/ to /mp/ and substitution of -ing for -in. For the loss of /l / compare Geo. Henry Pampin born in Hedingham (Essex) in Census 1851 (Welton and Melton ER Yorks) with Thomas Pamplin 1741 in IGI (Hedingham Sible Essex). For the voicing see Bambling which is another variant of Pamplin and compare Thomas Pamplin 1816 in IGI (Radcliffe Lancs) Irene Bamben 1819 in IGI (Wigan Lancs) and John Bambling 1862 in IGI (Royton Lancs). The surname has apparently migrated from SE England where Pamplin is recorded in earlier centuries.
Bangert : German:: 1: shortened form of Baumgarten.2: in southern Germany also in Alsace occupational name from Banwart ‘field and forest ranger’.3: in some cases a nickname from a variant of Bankert ‘child born out of wedlock’ for a child fathered on a bench (Middle High German banc).
Bastard : from Middle English Old French bastard ‘child born out of wedlock’.
Bauckham : variant of Balcombe a Sussex and Kent surname. The Lincs Bauckhams appear to be descended from Robert Bauckham of Lincs shipwright born in Gravesend (Kent) about 1833 (Census 1881).
Bediako : West African (Ghana): from an Akan male personal name a circumstance name denoting a child born during war time.
Beri : Indian (Punjab and Uttar Pradesh): Khatri (warrior class) name from Hindi and Punjabi beri ‘jujube tree’ (Ziziphus jujuba). According to popular belief an ancestor of bearers of this surname was born under such a tree.
Bertram : German English (mainly in southeastern Scotland of Norman origin) French and Danish: from the ancient Germanic personal name Bertram composed of the elements berht ‘bright famous’ + hramn ‘raven’. The raven was the bird of Odin king of the gods in ancient Germanic mythology. The personal name was common in France throughout the Middle Ages (especially in the form Bertrand) where its popularity was increased by the fame of the troubadour Bertrand de Born (c. 1140–1214). The name was taken to England by the Normans in the forms Bertran(d) Bertram and Bartram.
Bifano : Italian (southern): from the personal name Epifanio typically given to children born on or around the Christian feast of the Epiphany (6th January).
Boerner : North German (Börner):: 1: topographic name for someone who lived beside a well from Middle Low German born ‘well’ + the suffix -er denoting an inhabitant or a habitational name for someone from any of numerous places so named all over Germany.2: occupational name from Middle High German bornen burnen later börnen ‘to burn’ for a charcoal burner pitch maker distiller etc. or someone who clears land by burning. Compare Borner.
Bohrer : 1: German (also Böhrer) and Swiss German: occupational name from Middle High German born ‘to bore or drill’.2: German (also Böhrer): topographic name from Slavic bor ‘pine forest conifer’. Compare Bearer Borah and Borror.
Boniface : 1: English (Sussex) and French: from the personal name Boniface (from Latin Bonifatius a compound of bonum ‘good’ + fatum ‘fate destiny’; see also Bonifacio). Bonifatius was the name of the Roman military governor of North Africa in 422–32 who was a friend of Saint Augustine. It was also borne by various early Christian saints and was adopted by nine popes. One of the noted early Christian saints of this name (c. 675–754) was born in Devon and martyred in Friesland after evangelical work among ancient Germanic tribes; he is one of the Ice Saints (see Pankratz). In Latin the name was given chiefly to ecclesiastics rarely to men of the lower orders and Boniface was never very popular in England. In the Isle of Wight its use was possibly encouraged by a cult of Saint Boniface at Bonchurch.2: English: perhaps sometimes also a nickname from Anglo-Norman French bon enfas ‘good child’ with enfas as occasional nominative case for enfant understood by clerks as if the Christian saint's name Boniface (see 1 above). Compare Goodchild.
Bonura : Italian (Sicily): from the personal name Bonora an omen or well-wishing name meaning ‘(it was a) good hour (when you were born)’ bestowed as an expression of gratitude or perhaps signifying a child that was born in the early morning or one that had been long awaited from buonora in the sense ‘finally at last’.
Borne : 1: French: variant of Borgne a nickname for a cross-eyed or one-eyed man from Old French borgne ‘one-eyed’.2: French (southern): topographic name for someone who lived by a spring or stream from Occitan borna ‘spring’ a word of Celtic origin originally denoting a natural cavity.3: Shortened form of French Leborne or Breton Le Borne variants of 1 above formed with the French masculine definite article le (compare Leborgne).4: English: variant of Bourne.5: In some cases perhaps also an American shortened form of Dutch Van den Borne: habitational name for someone from Born in the province of Limburg (Netherlands) or from a place associated with the watercourse of the Borre river in French Flanders.
Bornemann : North German: topographic name denoting someone who lived by a well or spring from Middle Low German born ‘spring well’ + man ‘man’.
Borntrager : German (Bornträger): from Middle High German burne (Middle Low German born) ‘spring well’ + an agent derivative of tragen ‘to carry’ hence an occupational name originally for a water carrier and then for a transporter of liquids (wine beer etc.). Compare Bontrager and Borntreger.
Bozic : 1: Croatian and Serbian (Božić) Slovenian (Božič): patronymic from a short form of the personal name Božidar meaning ‘gift from God’ (from bož(j)i ‘of God’ and dar ‘gift’).2: Slovenian (Božič) and Croatian (Božić): nickname for someone born between Christmas Day and Epiphany or for someone who had some particular connection with the Christmas season from božič ‘Christmas’. Compare Bozich Bozick.
Braun : 1: German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): nickname from German braun ‘brown’ (Middle High German brūn) referring to the color of the hair complexion or clothing.2: German: from the personal name Bruno which was borne by the Dukes of Saxony among others from the 10th century or before. It was also the name of several medieval German and Italian saints including Saint Bruno the founder of the Carthusian order (1030–1101) who was born in Cologne. See also Brun.
Buonanno : Italian: from the personal name Buonanno composed of the elements b(u)ono ‘good’ + anno ‘year’ a name expressing satisfaction at the child's birth (‘it was a good year when you were born’) possibly bestowed on a child born at the beginning of the year.
Buric : 1: Czech (Buřič) and Slovak (Burič): nickname from Czech buřič Slovak burič ‘rebel’.2: Serbian and Croatian (Burić): patronymic from Buro which may be a short form of the old personal name Burislav (composed of the elements bur from buriti se ‘to stir up’ + slav from slava ‘glory’) or a nickname for a big-bellied man derived from the root of burav ‘bellied’.3: Croatian (Burić): nickname derived from bura ‘north wind’ (see Bura 2) and given to a child born when this wind was blowing. Compare Burich and Burick.
Cambio : Italian (Sicily): from a short form of the personal name Buoncambio a compound of buono ‘good’ + cambio ‘change’ (from Latin cambiare); this was an omen or well-wishing name often bestowed on a child born soon after the death of a sibling.
Candelora : Italian: from the personal name Candelora originally bestowed on someone who was born on the Christian feast day of Candlemas (February 2) from Late Latin candelorum ‘of the candles’.
Cang : 1: Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 蒼 which means ‘dark green’. In some traditions this surname is traced back to Cang Lin (蒼林) son of the legendary Huang Di the ‘Yellow Emperor’ (c. 27th century BC) and to Cang Shu (蒼舒) one of the eight academic talents during the reign of the legendary Emperor Shun (c. 23rd century BC).2: Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 倉 meaning ‘barn' in Chinese: (i) said to be traced back to Cang Jie (倉頡) who was said to be the inventor of the Chinese characters and an official historiographer during the reign of legendary Huang Di the ‘Yellow Emperor’ (c. 27th century BC). (ii)said to be born by descendants of officials in charge of open-air granaries.
Capodanno : Italian (Naples): from the personal name Capodanno traditionally bestowed on male children born on the day of Capodanno January 1st (‘head of the year’).
Carnevale : Italian: from carnevale ‘festival’ (from carnelevare ‘fast’ literally ‘removal of meat’; it was the normal practice to have a riotous carnival before a period of solemn fast such as Lent and this gradually acquired a greater significance than the fast itself and usurped the meaning of the word). This was sometimes used as a personal name (Italian Varnevale also Carlevario; Latin Carnelevarius) probably bestowed on someone born at the time of a carnival or a nickname for someone with a particularly festive spirit.
Christmas : 1: English (southeastern): nickname from Middle English Criste(s)masse -messe ‘Christmas Day’ also ‘the Christmas season’ perhaps for someone who was born at Christmas or one who played the part of the King of Christmas in Yuletide games. The name was also established in County Waterford Ireland in 1622.2: Americanized form (translation into English) of French Noël (see Noel).
Coffie : 1: Irish: variant of Coffey.2: West African (Ghana): from an Anglicized form of the Akan male personal name Kofi denoting a boy born on Friday (see Koffi). This surname is also found in the West Indies but it is rare there. Compare Cuffee and Cuffy.
Craciun : Romanian (Crăciun): from the old personal name Crăciun ‘Christmas’ denoting someone who was born at Christmas.
Cricket : 1: variant of Crickard itself a reduced form of McCrickard. Compare Thomas McCrickerd coal miner born in Ireland in Census 1881 (Workington Cumb) with the 1802 bearer. 2: see Crickett.
Cuaresma : Spanish: from cuaresma ‘Lent’ probably applied as a nickname for someone born during this period.
Cudjoe : West African (Ghana) and West Indian (mainly Trinidad and Tobago): from an Anglicized form of the Akan (Fante) male personal name Kojo denoting a boy born on Monday.
Cuffee : 1: African American: from an Anglicized form of the Akan male personal name Kofi denoting a boy born on Friday (see Koffi). It is also found in Liberia but it is rare there. Compare Coffie Cuff Cuffe and Cuffy.2: Irish: variant of Cuffe.
D'Ascenzo : Italian: patronymic from the personal name Ascenzo a name popularly given to babies born on Ascension Day.
Danzig : Jewish (Ashkenazic): habitational name from Danzig German name of Gdańsk the main port of Poland on the Baltic Sea. The wide distribution of the name from an early date suggests that in many cases it may have been acquired by merchants who traded with the city as well as those who were actually born there.
Daoust : French:: 1: nickname with fused preposition d(e) ‘of’ from Old French aoust ‘August’ by extension also ‘harvest’ (from Latin (mensis) Augustus from the name of the first Roman emperor; see Augustus) for someone who was born in the month of August or who owed a feudal obligation to help with the harvest in that month or for a seasonal worker who hired himself out for the harvest.2: possibly also a patronymic with fused preposition d(e) ‘of’ from the personal name Aoust a regional form of Auguste. Compare Dault Doe and Dow.
De los Santos : Spanish: from de los Santos literally ‘of the saints’ a common element of personal names originally denoting a child born or baptized on All Saints' Day (see Santos 1).
Death : apparently from Middle English deeth deth Old English dēaþ ‘death’ perhaps for someone who played the part of Death in a local pageant.The figure of Death occurs for example in the Chester mystery cycle. The traditional pronunciation of this surname in modern times is /di:θ/ (Deeth) which would be a normal development of Old English dēaþ besides the usual modern pronunciation of the word as /dɛθ/. In Middle English Kent dialect the word is also found as diath. The spellings with an apostrophe de'Ath de Ath D'Eath De Aeth etc. are modern introduced perhaps to dissociate the name from the negative connotations of the word and to give it an appearance of gentry status. Sir Thomas D'eath 1723 in TNA was MP for Canterbury and Sandwich and 1st Baronet D'Aeth of Knowlton (Kent). He is perhaps descended from the Death family that is recorded in the Farnborough and Dartford area since the 16th century. Such re-spellings became more popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Sampson Death aged 30 miller in Census 1841 (Roydon Essex) appears as Sampson De'Ath aged 71 born in Roydon (Essex) in Census 1881 (Bishop Stortford Herts). Martha Ann Death born in Great Waldingfield Suffolk in Census 1841 (Alpheton Suffolk) appears as Martha A. De'ath in Census 1881 (Buckingham Bucks).
Delahooke : variant of Hook (1) with French preposition and definite article added in modern times. Compare the 1839 bearer listed below with Ann Hooke 1747 James Hook father of James Hook 1794 in IGI (Wembury Devon). The 1911 bearer is probably to be identified with Edmund Arthur Hook born in Canterbury in Census 1881 (Canterbury Kent) who also changed the sequence of his forenames.
Dominick : 1: English and German: from a vernacular form of the Late Latin personal name Dominicus from Latin dominicus ‘of the Lord’ an adjectival derivative of dominus ‘lord master’. This was borne by a Spanish saint (1170–1221) who founded the Dominican order of friars and whose fame added greatly to the popularity of the name (Domingo in Spanish) already established because of its symbolic value. In medieval England it may have been used as a personal name for a child born on a Sunday though as an English surname it is comparatively rare. In North America the English form of the surname has absorbed cognates from other languages especially Italian Domenico (see also 2 below). See also Domingo compare Dominic.2: Americanized form of German Polish Czech Slovak Slovenian and Croatian Dominik and of Croatian Dominić (see Dominic).
Dos Reis : Portuguese and Galician: from dos Reis ‘(of) the (Three) Kings’ as a personal name popularly bestowed on someone born on or around the Christian feast of the Epiphany (see Epifanio). Compare Reis.
Dos Santos : Portuguese and Galician: from dos Santos a common element of personal names originally denoting a child born or baptized on All Saints' Day (see Santos 1).
Dryden : English (Northumberland and Durham) and Scottish: habitational name from either from Dryden in Roxburghshire or Dryden near Roslin in Midlothian perhaps named from Old English dr̄ge ‘dry’ + denu ‘valley’. The poet John Dryden (1631–1700) was born in Northamptonshire after his ancestors had migrated there from Cumbria in the 16th century.
Easter : 1: English: from Middle English estre ‘sheepfold’ (Old English ēowestre). The surname may be topographic denoting someone who lived by or worked at a sheepfold or habitational from Good or High Easter (Essex) named from this word.2: English: from the Middle English word ester ‘easter’ (Old English Ēastre) used as a personal name for someone who had some connection with the festival of Easter such as being born or baptized at that time. Compare Pascall.3: Americanized form (translation into English) of German Oster.
Easterlin : Americanized form of German Oesterlin:: 1: from the personal name Oesterlin composed of the elements oster ‘Easter’ + the hypocoristic suffix -lin thus denoting a child born on Easter Day.2: nickname for someone living to the east of a settlement or coming from a place in the east from late Middle High German ost ‘east’.
Ebo : 1: West African (Ghana): from an Akan (Fante) male personal name denoting a boy born on Tuesday.2: West African (Nigeria): unexplained.3: Filipino: nickname or metonymic occupational name based on the Ilokano word ibo ‘awn of rice’.
Eid : 1: Arabic: from a personal name based on ʿeid ‘festivity’. The two principal religious festivals observed by Muslims are ʿEid al-Fitr and ʿEid al-Aḍḥā. ʿEid al-Fitr is observed after completion of fasting in Ramadan ʿEid al-Aḍḥā is observed as a day of sacrifice commemorating the example of the prophet Ibrahim (which corresponds to the Biblical Abraham; see Ibrahim) or after completion of the Hajj. Eid is sometimes used as part of the name of a child born on one of these two feast days. Bearers of this surname are both Muslims and Christians.2: Norwegian: habitational name from any of several farmsteads so named from Old Norse eith ‘isthmus’ (see Eide).3: German: variant of Eidt. This surname is also found in France (Alsace and Lorraine).
Epifanio : Italian and Spanish; Portuguese (Epifânio): from a personal name (Italian and Spanish Epifanio Portuguese Epifânio) bestowed in honor of the Christian feast of the Epiphany (January 6th) from Greek Epiphanios (derived from epiphaneia ‘showing manifestation’ itself a derivative of epiphainesthai ‘to appear’). This was given in particular to children born on or around the feast of the Epiphany commemorating the manifestation of the infant Christ to the three Magi.
Espiritu : Spanish (Espíritu): from a short form of a Christian religious compound name formed with a personal name + ‘del Espíritu Santo’ (from Latin Spiritus Sanctus ‘Holy Spirit’) bestowed especially on children born on the religious festival of Pentecost the day when the Holy Spirit descended on Christ's apostles.
Esterline : Americanized form of German Österlein or of its variant Esterlein: topographic name for someone whose home was to the east of a settlement from Middle High German ōster- ‘easterly’ + the hypocoristic suffix līn or a nickname for someone born at Easter from Middle High German ōster- ‘Easter’.
Fasching : South German: from Middle High German vaschanc ‘Shrovetide carnival’ possibly a nickname for an exuberant high-spirited person or for someone born between the end of Christmas and the start of Lent.
Fasnacht : South German and Swiss German: from Fastnacht ‘Shrovetide carnival Shrove Tuesday’ (literally ‘fast eve’); probably like Fasching a nickname for a lively exuberant person or someone born between Christmas and Lent in particular on Shrove Tuesday.
Faur : Romanian:: 1: occupational name for a (black)smith Romanian faur from Latin faber.2: in some cases also from a popular Romanian name for the February applied as a nickname to a person born in this month.
Feaviour : from Anglo-Norman French fevereir feveriere a variant of Old French fevere ‘smith’; see Feaver. Feverel now extinct may be a diminutive form.apparently from Anglo-Norman French and Middle English feveryer feverel ‘February’ perhaps given to someone born in that month or to an old man. In John Trevisa's translation of Polychronicon (1387) ‘February is paynted as an olde man sittynge by the fyre’. However some or all examples may be mis-interpretations of the name in (i).
Feuerborn : German:: 1: probably a topographic name for someone living near a spring or a well used for fighting fires from Middle High German viur ‘fire’ + born ‘spring’.2: alternatively an altered form of Feuerbaum which is either a Rhenish nickname for a tall man or a topographic name for someone who lived by a juniper Middle High German viurboum.
Fevrier : from Old French fever(i)er perhaps given to someone born in that month. Compare Feaviour.
Freeborn : English and Scottish: from the Middle English personal name Frebern (Old English Frēobeorn). Or possibly also from Middle English fre-boren freborn ‘free-born’ (Old English frēo + boren) for ‘one born free inheriting liberty descended from freemen’ though the bulk of the evidence strongly suggests that the personal name is the usual source of the surname. Compare Freedman.
Freitag : German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): nickname from (respectively) Middle High German vrītac and German Freitag ‘Friday’ (Old High German frīatag frījetag a translation of Late Latin Veneris dies: Freya was the ancient Germanic goddess of love sometimes considered as equivalent to the Roman Venus). The German name may have denoted someone born on a Friday or who performed some feudal service then. However Friday was considered unlucky throughout Christendom in the Middle Ages (because it was the day on which Christ was crucified) and it seems more likely that the name was given to a person considered ill-omened. It is found as a byname in this sense in Old High German. This is by far the commonest of the surnames drawn from the days of the week followed by Sonntag ‘Sunday’ traditionally a day of good omen. Among Jews it seems to have been one of the names that were distributed at random by government officials. Compare Friday.
Friday : 1: Americanized form (translation into English) of German or Jewish (Ashkenazic) Freitag.2: English: nickname from Middle English fridai ‘Friday’ perhaps for one born on a Friday or who paid rent or performed some regular service on a Friday. Compare Mondy. If the 17th-century phrases Friday face ‘gloomy expression’ and Friday food Friday feast ‘fast-day meal’ go back to the Middle Ages this might be a nickname for a solemn or gloomy person.
Frueh : German and Swiss German (Früh): from Middle High German vruo ‘early’ applied as a nickname for an early riser or more likely used ironically for a sloth and sometimes for a child born before or very early in the marriage.
Gaetano : Italian: from the personal name Gaetano medieval Latin Caietanus originally a Latin ethnic name denoting someone from Caieta in Latium (now Gaeta). According to legend the place was named after the elderly nurse of Aeneas who died there after fleeing with him from the ruins of Troy. The name persisted among early Christians and was popular in the Middle Ages. The religious reformer Saint Gaetano (1480–1547) was born in Vicenza a member of a Venetian noble family. He is not to be confused with his contemporary Cardinal Gaetano an active opponent of Martin Luther.
Gener : Catalan: from the medieval personal name Gener (compare Italian Gennaro) or a nickname meaning ‘January’ for someone born or baptized in that month in both cases ultimately from Latin Januarius (see Janvier).
Gent : 1: English (northern) and French: nickname from Old French gent Middle English gent(e) ‘high born noble’ hence ‘noble of character or conduct courteous’ also ‘nice friendly’.2: English: habitational name from Ghent (Gent in Dutch) a city in Flanders Belgium. Compare Ghent.3: German: from a short form of an ancient Germanic personal name formed with gand ‘spell’ such as Gandolf.4: Dutch (Van Gent): habitational name for someone from the place Gent nowadays formally spelled Gendt near Nijmegen in the province of Gelderland or from Gent in Flanders Belgium.
Gentes : 1: French (Gentès): probably a nickname derived from Old French gent ‘high born noble’ also ‘nice friendly’.2: German: patronymic from the personal name Gent.
Gentil : 2: Altered form of Italian Gentile.1: French and Portuguese: nickname from Old French and Portuguese gentil (in Old French a derivative of gent; see Gent) ‘high born noble’ hence ‘noble of character or conduct courteous’.
Gentle : English (southern): nickname from Middle English Old French gentil ‘high born noble’ (from Latin gentilis from gens ‘family tribe’ itself from the root gen- ‘to be born’).
Giove : Italian:: 1: from Giòve (‘Jupiter’) the name of the chief Roman deity perhaps a nickname for someone who habitually swore per Giove ‘by Jove’.2: from Sicilian ggiòve iòvi ‘Thursday’ applied as a personal name for someone born or baptized on that day of the week.3: habitational name from Giove in Terni province Umbria.4: possibly from a variant of the personal name Giobbe (see Job).
Giugno : Italian: from giugno the name of the month of June probably applied as a nickname (or personal name) for someone born or baptized in that month or for a foundling discovered in June. Compare Juno 1.
Gruden : Slovenian: nickname from gruden ‘December’ most likely bestowed on someone born in December or having been baptized then.
Gutjahr : German and Swiss German: nickname for someone born on New Year's Day from a New Year's greeting meaning ‘Good year’. Compare Goodyear.
Hockaday : English (Devon and Cornwall): nickname from Middle English Hocedei Hokedey ‘Hockday’ the second Tuesday after Easter Sunday. Hockday was an important term day when rents and dues were paid etc. and from the 14th century it was also a popular festival. The name may denote someone born at this time of year. Compare Pentecost and Christmas.
Hoerig : 1: German (Hörig): variant of Hering.2: German (Hörig): nickname from Middle High German hœrec ‘obedient in bondage’ Middle Low German horich ‘obedient belonging to’. In some cases from Middle Low German horink ‘child born out of wedlock’.3: Germanized form (Hörig) of Sorbian Horik: from an Upper Sorbian pet form of the personal name Horisław from an Old Slavic name based on gorěti ‘to burn’.
Holliday : English: nickname from Middle English halidai holidai ‘holy day religious festival’ (Old English hāligdæg). As a personal name it may have been given to one born on such a day including Sunday. Compare Christmas.
Horning : 1: North German: nickname for a person born out of wedlock Middle Low German hornink with reference to parentage by a cuckold traditionally symbolized by horns.2: German: topographic name referring to the location or shape of a farming property (see Horn).3: German: variant of Hornung.
Hornung : German:: 1: nickname from Hornung ‘February’ with reference to a tax obligation or some other association with that month for example being born in February.2: from a personal name Hornunc.
Hugh : 1: English Welsh and Scottish (of Norman origin): from the Old French personal name Hue from ancient Germanic Hugo (ultimately derived from hugi- ‘mind spirit’). This was a very popular name in England after the Norman Conquest partly due to the reputation of Saint Hugh of Lincoln (1140–1200) who was born in Burgundy and who established the first Carthusian monastery in England.2: Scottish and Irish: adopted as an Anglicized form of the Gaelic personal name Aodh a derivative of a Gaelic word meaning ‘fire’. See Hughes.3: Chinese: variant Romanization of the surnames 邱 and 丘 based on their Hakka pronunciation; see Qiu 1 and 2.
Idowu : West African (Nigeria): from the Yoruba personal name Ìdòwú a circumstance name traditionally given to any child male or female next born after a pair of twins.
Ige : 1: Japanese (pronounced as two syllables): variously written possible meanings are 井下 ‘(one who lives) below the well’ or 位下 ‘lowest rank’. The name could also be a mispronunciation of 池 Ike ‘lake’. It is not common in Japan.2: English: probably a habitational name from Eyke in Suffolk. The placename is pronounced /aik/ and derives from Old Norse eik ‘oak tree’.3: West African (Nigeria): from the Yoruba personal name Ìgè with no known Yoruba etymology a circumstance name traditionally given to any baby born feet first.
Jacob : Jewish English Welsh German Portuguese French (mainly Alsace and Lorraine) Walloon Breton Dutch Flemish Swedish Danish and Norwegian: derivative via Latin Jacob(us) from the Hebrew personal name Ya‘aqob (Yaakov). In the Bible this is the name of the crafty younger twin brother of Esau (Genesis 25:26) who took advantage of the latter's hunger and impetuousness to persuade him to part with his birthright ‘for a mess of potage’. The name is traditionally interpreted as coming from Hebrew akev ‘heel’: Jacob is said to have been born holding on to Esau's heel. In English usage the name Jacob is regarded as distinct from the name James but they are of identical origin. In North America the English form of the surname has absorbed cognates from other languages for example Assyrian/Chaldean or Arabic Yaqub Yakub Yacoub or Yacob Slovenian Jakob and Jakop Czech and Slovak Jakub and also their patronymics and other derivatives (see examples at Jacobs and Jacobson). The name Jacob is also found among Christians in southern India (compare Chacko) but since South Indians traditionally do not have hereditary surnames the southern Indian name was in most cases registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.
Jadav : Hindu from Sanskrit Yādava ‘descendant of Yadu’. It is a title of the god Krishna who was born in the Yadava community.
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Source : DAFN2 : Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, ©2022 by Patrick Hanks and Oxford University Press
FANBI : The Oxford Dictionary if Family Names in Britain and Ireland, ©2016, University of the West of England
FANBI : The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain, ©2021, University of the West of England
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