Origin
Case : 1: English: from Middle English cass case ‘box chest casket case’ (from Latin capsa) hence a metonymic occupational name for a maker of boxes or chests.2: English: alternatively a variant of Cass or Cash.3: Americanized form of French Caisse.4: Americanized form of German Norwegian or Danish Kaas or of some other similar (like-sounding) surname (see also below).5: Americanized form of German Käse a metonymic occupational name for a maker or seller of cheese (see Kase 1) or of Kase 2 3.
Abee : 1: Americanized form of Swiss German Äbi (see Eby).2: Probably also a shortened form of Irish McAbee.3: Possibly also an Americanized form of French Abbé see Abbe.4: In some cases possibly also Dutch: from the personal name Abe a shortened form of Albert or Albrecht. It may also be from the initials A. B. as in the case of at least one surname in Groningen.
Abu : 1: Muslim: abstracted as a surname from Arabic abū ‘father’ a common component of traditional Muslim names. It is used to form the kunya (a type of name meaning ‘father of’ such as Abū-Bakr literally ‘father of the Young Camel’; see Abubakr) in combination with the name of a man's child usually his firstborn son (or hoped-for firstborn). In traditional Muslim society a man is generally known and addressed by his kunya rather than by his ism (his personal name) the use of which can seem unduly familiar. A kunya may also be used to form a nickname as in the case of Abū-Turāb ʿAlī ‘ʿAlī father of dust’ the kunya of caliph Ali conferred on him by the prophet Muhammad. — Note: It is possible that in some cases this is counted as an independent surname only in the population figure published by the US Census Bureau.2: Muslim and Jewish (Sephardic from the Maghreb): from the Arabic male personal name ʿAbbū a pet form of any of the many names beginning with ʿAbd ‘servant’.3: West African (Sierra Leone Ghana and Nigeria): probably of Arabic origin (see 1 and 2 above).
Achilleos : from the genitive case of the Greek personal name Akhilleus latinized and anglicized as Achilles. This is probably of pre-Greek origin though conventionally understood as Greek ákhos ‘grief’ + laós ‘people’.
Adamou : from an old genitive case of the Greek personal name Adamos Greek form of Adam.
Adsley : from Edgeley a lost place in Egerton near Headcorn (Kent) recorded as Edesle 1258 1313 Eadesleg' 1270 all in surnames. The place-name is probably from the Old English given name *Ēad in the genitive case with -es + lēah ‘open woodland’.
Agathangelou : from an old genitive case of the Greek personal name Agathangelos composed of the words agathós ‘good’ + ángelos ‘messenger angel’.
Aldwinckle : from Aldwincle (Northants) whose name may be from the Old English personal name Ealda Alda deriving from eald ald ‘old’ + wincel ‘bend’ referring to the prominent bend in the river Nene at Aldwincle. A case might be made that it is ‘the old bend’ in view of the complex and changing pattern of the watercourses at this place which is suggested by the line of the southern parish boundary.
Alexandrou : Greek: patronymic from the genitive case of the personal name Alexandros (see Alexander).
Alexiou : Greek: patronymic from the genitive case of the personal name Alexios (see Alexis).
Allerston : from Allerston (NR Yorks) whose name is probably from the Old English given name Ælfhere in the genitive case with -es + stān ‘stone’.
Alsford : from Alresford (Hants) which is recorded as Alresford in 1167 Allesford in 1408. The place-name is from Old English alor ‘alder’ in the genitive case with -es + ford ‘ford’.
Alston : English and Scottish:: 1: from the Middle English personal name Alstan which is a coalescence of several different Old English personal names: Æthelstān ‘noble stone’ Ælfstān ‘elf stone’ Ealdstān ‘old stone’ or Ealhstān ‘temple stone’.2: habitational name from any of various places called Alston (in Cumbria Lancashire Devon and Somerset) or Alstone (in Gloucestershire and Staffordshire). With the exception of Alston in Cumbria which is formed with the Old Norse personal name Halfdan these placenames all consist of an Old English personal name + Old English tūn ‘settlement’ for example Ælfsige in the case of Alstone in Gloucestershire.
Amano : Japanese: written 天野 ‘heavenly plain’. It is found mostly along the southeastern seaboard of Japan and in the Ryūkyū Islands. In the former case it is probably a habitational name from Amano in Izu (now part of Shizuoka prefecture).
Amesbury : English: habitational name from a place in Wiltshire recorded c. 880 as Ambresbyrig from an unattested Old English personal name Ambre + Old English byrig dative case of burh ‘fortified place’.
Aminu : from a nativized form (especially Yoruba and Hausa sometimes also Akan in which case it may be spelt Ameenu) of Amin.
Ammon : 1: German: dialect variant of Ammann. Compare Amon.2: English: from either of two Middle English personal names of Scandinavian origin Agemund (from Ǫgmundr Aghmund composed of the elements aʒa- of uncertain meaning + mund- ‘hand’ ‘bride-price’) and Amund (from either Amundr or Ámundi where in each case the first element is the prefix ana ‘against’).3: English: variant of either Almond or Hammond names that were much confused. Alternatively in some cases Almond and Hammon(d) may have been modified forms of Ammon from the name in (2).4: French: variant of Hamon.
Anagnostou : Greek: patronymic from the genitive case of the status name anagnōstēs ‘reader’ (see Anagnos).
Anastasiou : Greek: patronymic from the genitive case of the personal name Anastasios (see Anastasio).
Andreou : from an old genitive case of the Greek personal name Andreas; compare Andrew.
Anglesey : Welsh: habitational name from the island of Anglesey (Welsh name: Ynys Môn) which is recorded as Anglesege in 1098 Ongulsey in the 13th century and Angliseye in 1304–5. The placename means ‘Ongull's island’ from the Old Norse personal name Ǫngull in the possessive case + ey ‘island’.
Angood : from the Norman French personal name An(s)got a form of Old Scandinavian Ásgautr Asgot influenced by the Continental Germanic cognate Ansgod; both are derived from Germanic roots *ans- ‘(pagan) god’ + *Gaut- a tribal name influenced in the latter case by god. The -s- is lost through simplification of the consonant cluster.
Antonellis : Italian: patronymic from the personal name Antonello. It is formed with the Latin ablative plural suffix -is imparting the sense ‘belonging to of’ in this case ‘member of the Antonelli family’ (compare Antonelli).
Antoniou : Greek: patronymic from the genitive case of the personal name Antōni(o)s (see Anthony).
Apostolou : Greek: patronymic from the genitive case of the personal name Apostolos (see Apostolos).
Ardizzone : Italian (mainly Sicily): from Ardizon the oblique case of the medieval personal name Ardizo a pet form of any of various names beginning with the element ard of ancient Germanic origin (from hard ‘brave strong’).
Argyrou : from an old genitive case of the Greek personal name Argyros from a word meaning ‘silver’.
Armfield : English (Cheshire): habitational name from Arnfield in Tintwistle Cheshire now Derbyshire. This is an unusual case because the 14th-century placename itself contains an earlier Middle English surname Arneway (from the Old English personal name Earnwīg) + feld ‘open land used for pasture or cultivation’. Compare Arnfield.
Ashen : from one or more of the places named in Middle English as (atten) asshen ‘(at the) ash-trees’ such as Ashen (Essex) which is recorded as Asce in 1086 and Asshen in 1344 and Ashton near Roade (Northants) recorded as Asce in 1086 and Asshene in 1324. A name of this type might lose the plural ending -en and become identical with Ash. There is in any case a great deal of variation between singular and plural forms in the medieval record of both the Essex and Northants place-names.
Ashington : 1: from Ashington (Lincs Northumb Sussex). The Northumb place-name is from Old English æscen ‘ash-grown’ + denu ‘valley’. The Sussex name is from the Old English given name Æsc + -inga- indicating a connection between the family or followers of the person named and the place + tūn ‘farm village’ so ‘farm of those connected with Æsc’. The name in Lincs has not yet been explained. 2: perhaps sometimes from Ashingdon (Essex) but there is no clear evidence for continuity from the Middle Ages. The place-name recorded as Assandun in 1016 is from Old English assa ‘ass’ or a given name of the same form in the genitive case with -n + dūn hill. 3: possibly a variant of Ashenden in Kent contexts.
Ashmore : English (North and West Midlands): habitational name from any of several minor places generally named from Old English æsc ‘ash’ + mōr ‘moor high tract of barren ground marsh’. In the case of Ashmore in Dorset however the early forms show that the second element is Old English mere ‘lake’. This surname is also common in Ireland.
Athanasiou : Greek: patronymic from the genitive case of the personal name Athanasios meaning ‘immortal’ (see Attanasio). Compare Athanas.
Atherstone : from Atherstone (Warwicks) named with the Old English given name Æðelrēd in the genitive case with -es + tūn ‘farm village’.
Athersuch : from Hathersage (Derbys) recorded in the 14th cent. as Athersegge Athersygg. The place-name has developed irregularly from Old English hæfer ‘he-goat’ (or a personal name of the same form) in the genitive case with -es + ecg ‘edge ridge’.
Atteberry : English:: 1: habitational name from Atterbury in Milton Keynes (Buckinghamshire).2: topographic name from Middle English atte(r) buri (Old English æt thǣre byrig). This generally denoted a servant living or working ‘at the manor house’ but the Middle English word bery also meant ‘castle’ or ‘stronghold’. In form it is from Old English byrig dative singular of burh ‘fortress’ or ‘fortified town’. (The nominative case gave rise to the Middle English word burgh ‘borough town’; compare Burroughs and Bury.)
Bacon : 1: English (of Norman origin) and French: from the Norman French personal name Bacun derived from the ancient Germanic name Bac(c)o Bahho based on the element bag ‘(to) fight (to) dispute’. The name was relatively common among the Normans in the form Bacus of which the oblique case was Bacon.2: English and French: from Middle English Old French bacun bacon ‘bacon’ (a word of ancient Germanic origin akin to Back 3) probably a metonymic occupational name for a preparer and seller of cured pork.
Badbury : from Badbury in Chisledon (Wilts) Badbury Rings in Shapwick (Dorset) or Badbury Hill in Great Coxwell (Berks). Badbury is a repeated place-name which may contain the Old English personal name Badda or the Old English ancestor of the word bad + burg ‘fortress earthwork’ in the dative case byrig.
Bahamonde : Galician: habitational name from one of the Galician places called Baamonde (earlier written Bahamonde) in the province of Lugo most probably Santiago de Baamonde (Begonte). This is a characteristic example of the numerous (over a thousand) medieval places which were named after their owners in this case Badamundus of Visigothic origin.
Bailes : 1: English (Durham): variant of Bales or Bayliss.2: English: variant of Bale 1 from the genitive case of Middle English bail(e) ‘bailey outer wall of a castle’ hence a topographic name for someone who lived beside a castle. Compare Bail and Bailey.3: Spanish: plural form of Baile.
Bailey : 1: English: status name for a steward or official from Middle English bailli ‘manager administrator’ (Old French baillis from Late Latin baiulivus an adjectival derivative of baiulus ‘attendant carrier porter’).2: English: habitational name from Bailey in Little Mitton Lancashire named with Old English beg ‘berry’ + lēah ‘woodland clearing’.3: English: occasionally a topographic name for someone who lived by the outer wall of a castle from Middle English (Old French) bailli ‘outer courtyard of a castle’ (Old French bail(le) ‘enclosure’ a derivative of bailer ‘to enclose’). This term became a placename in its own right denoting a district beside a fortification or wall as in the case of the Old Bailey in London which formed part of the early medieval outer wall of the city.4: Altered form of French Bailly.
Bainton : English: habitational name from any of several places called Bainton (in East Yorkshire Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire) or from Baynton in Wiltshire. In most cases the placename is from the genitive case of an Old English personal name (Bǣga or Bada) + tūn ‘farm village’.
Bakko : Norwegian: habitational name from the dative plural case of Bakke.
Bakkum : 1: Dutch: habitational name from the village so named near Castricum in North Holland province. Bakkum may be ‘the homestead of someone with the personal name Bak’ (see Bak) or refer to the location on a back a hillside.2: Norwegian: habitational name from the dative plural case of Bakke.
Balchin : perhaps an altered form of Bolsham from Bilsham in Yapton (Sussex) recorded as Bul(e)sham from the 12th century whose name is from an Old English given name or nickname Bȳli (bȳl(e) ‘a boil’) in the genitive case with -es + hamm ‘watermeadow; enclosed place’ or hām ‘large estate farm’. Woolbeding where the earliest example of Balchin occurs is next to Midhurst (Sussex) where James Bolsham is recorded in 1606. The will of a Peter Bolsham of Kirdford (Sussex) was proved in 1614 and a Walter Bulshyne (a scribal mangling of Bulsham?) is recorded in that neighbourhood in 1307. This might explain the naming of Bulchin's Farm in Kirdford as suggested in Place-Names of Sussex. The family name Bulchin in Guildford Surrey and in Kirdford Sussex seems to be an alternative 18th- and 19th-century pronunciation of Balchin. However the Guildford connection also suits the alternative explanation for Balchin given in (ii).perhaps an altered form of Balchild a name that is first recorded in East Worldham (Hants) in 1327 about 16 miles from Guildford (Surrey) where it appears from the 1380s onwards. It is in Guildford and nearby villages where both Balchin and Balchild are found from the late 17th century onwards an overlap which is much better evidenced than Balchin with Bolsham which only occurs in Kirdford. The origin of Balchild is uncertain. It appears to be either a nickname containing Middle English child (Old English cild) ‘child young man knight attendant apprentice’ (see Child) or perhaps a topographical name containing Middle English childe (Old English *cielde) spring but the identity of Bal- is difficult to determine. In relation to the nickname Middle English balgh ‘tubby round-bellied’ is a possibility; compare Fairchild Goodchild and Littlechild.
Balderston : 1: English: habitational name from either of two places in Lancashire called Balderston(e) deriving their names from the genitive case of the Old English personal name Baldhere (composed of the elements bald ‘bold brave’ + here ‘army’) + Old English tūn ‘enclosure settlement’.2: Scottish: habitational name from Balderston in West Lothian which has the same etymology as 1 above.
Balfour : Scottish: habitational name from any of several places in eastern Scotland named with Gaelic bail(e) ‘village farm house’ + pùir genitive case of pór ‘pasture grass’ (lenited to phùir in certain contexts). The second element is akin to Welsh pawr ‘pasture’. The principal British family bearing this name derives it from the barony of Balfour in the parish of Markinch Fife. According to the traditional pronunciation the accent falls on the second syllable but these days it is found more commonly on the first.
Balsdon : English:: 1: habitational name from Balstone in Buckland Monachorum or Bulstone in Branscombe (both in Devon) or Great Boulsdon in Newent (Gloucestershire). These placenames are of uncertain origin.2: possibly a habitational name from Bowsden in Lowick (Northumberland) which is recorded as Bollisdon in 1250. This placename is most probably from the personal name Boll in the genitive case with -es + denu ‘(long narrow) valley’ later replaced by dūn ‘hill’.
Bance : 1: apparently from Baons-le-Comte (Seine-Maritime). In the case of the early bearer William le Bans 1334 cited below either le is an error for de or a different explanation is required. 2: variant of Bant with post-medieval excrescent -s. 3: see Bunce.
Bannatyne : from a place called Bennachtain according to Black whose site and etymology are uncertain. The second element appears to be a Gaelic genitive case form of the Pictish personal name Nechtan.
Banu : 1: Muslim (Indian subcontinent): from Persian bānū ‘lady mistress’. This is a respectful term of address normally used with a Muslim woman's personal name. Compare Bano 1. — Note: Originally this is not a surname although a woman without another surname might use it as her last name. In any case it was registered as a surname after immigration of its bearers to the US.2: Romanian: from the medieval title ban (see Ban 1) denoting a chief of the territorial unit called banat + the definite article -u(l).
Barberis : 1: Italian (Piedmont): variant of Barberi. The patronymic is formed with the Latin ablative plural suffix -is imparting the sense ‘belonging to of’ in this case ‘member of the barber's (or surgeon's) family’. This surname is also established in southern France and in Argentina.2: Greek: occupational name from barberis ‘barber’ from Italian barbiere (see 1 above) or a shortened form of a patronymic derived from this such as Barberopoulos.
Bardney : from Bardney (Lincs) itself from the Old English given name Bearda in the genitive case with -n + ēg ‘island dry ground in marsh’.
Bardsley : English:: 1: habitational name from Bardsley in Ashton under Lyne Lancashire so named from the genitive case of the Old English personal name Beornrēd (composed of the elements beorn ‘young warrior’ + rǣd ‘counsel advice’) + Old English lēah ‘woodland clearing’.2: perhaps also a variant of Barnsley a habitational name from Barnsley in Gloucestershire since the early records of the placename show variation between spellings in Barnes- Barndes- and Bardes-.
Bareford : English (Cambridgeshire): variant of Barford a habitational name from any of various places so named. In this case the most likely source is the place in Norfolk.
Bargewell : from Bawdeswell (Norfolk) recorded as Baldereswella 1086 in Domesday Book from the Old English given name Bealdhere in the genitive case with -es + wella welle ‘spring stream’.
Barnsby : from Barsby (Leics) recorded as Barnesbi in 1086. The place-name is from an Old Scandinavian given name or nickname Barn originally ‘child’ and perhaps used here in that sense in the genitive case with -s + bȳ ‘farm village’.
Barnshaw : from Goostrey cum Barnshaw (Cheshire) recorded as Gosre et Berneshalgh' in 1430. The place-name is from the Old English given name Beorn or a descendant in the genitive case wth -es + halh ‘nook of land watermeadow’.
Barnsley : English (West Midlands): habitational name from any of several places so called such as Barnsley (Yorkshire) Barnsley (Gloucestershire) and Barnsleyhall in Bromsgrove (Worcestershire). The places are named from Old English lēah ‘wood glade clearing’ preceded by one of several personal names in the genitive case with -es. In Yorkshire the personal name is Beorn; in Gloucestershire and possibly Worcestershire it is Beornmōd. Compare Bardsley 2.
Barsham : from North East or West Barsham (Norfolk) or from Barsham (Suffolk). The place-names are from the Old English given name Bār ‘boar’ in the genitive case with -es + hām ‘major farming estate’.
Barzey : 1: from Bardsea (Lancs) or Bardsey (WR Yorks) with assimilation of /d/ before the sibilant as in Barsley for Bardsley. The Lancs name is recorded as Berretseige in 1086 and Berdeseia in 1155; Yorks name is recorded in 1086 as Berdesei. Both are probably composed of the Old English personal name Beornrǣd in the genitive singular (-es) reduced to Berdes- + Old English ēg ‘island island-like hill’. 2: reduced form of Bardsley (1) or its variant Beardsley. Compare George Beardsley 1567 in IGI (Lichfield Staffs) and Daniel Bardsley 1788 in IGI (Ashton under Lyne Lancs) with the 1581 and 1788 examples below. 3: in SW England a variant of Bardsley (2). 4: possibly from Barsey Farm (Shudy Camps Cambs) recorded as terram Willelmi de Berardeshey 1307–27 in Place-Names of Cambs. The place-name is from the Old English given name Beornheard in the genitive case with -es + (ge)hæg ‘enclosure’.alternatively from Barsey Walk Farm (near Horncastle Lincs) though early forms of this place-name are unavailable. Mumby and Hogsthorpe where the 1591 and 1621 examples are located are not far from Horncastle.
Basham : English (Norfolk Suffolk and Essex): variant of Barsham a habitational name from any of the places in Norfolk and Suffolk called Barsham from the genitive case of the Old English byname Bār ‘wild boar’ + Old English hām ‘homestead’.
Batsford : English: habitational name from Batsford (Gloucestershire) or Battisford (Suffolk). The Gloucestershire placename is derived from the Old English personal name Bæcci + genitive -es + ōra ‘slope shoulder-shaped hill’ (altered in Early Modern English as if from the word ford). The first element of the Suffolk name is the unattested personal name Bætti in the genitive case + ford.
Battersby : English: habitational name from a place called Battersby in North Yorkshire (probably the former name of Dunnow in Slaidburn rather than Battersby in Ingleby Greenhow). The placename comes from the genitive case of the Old Norse personal name Bǫthvarr (composed of the elements bathwa ‘battle’ + harjaz ‘warrior’) + Old Norse bȳ ‘settlement’.
Battershill : from Battishill in Bridestow (Devon). The place-name is from Old English hyll ‘hill’ possibly preceded by an unrecorded male given name Bætti in the genitive case with -es.
Battiscombe : from Bettiscombe in Dorset. The place-name is from the Old English male given name Betti in the genitive case with -es + cumb ‘(short rounded) valley’.
Baxby : from Baxby in Husthwaite (NR Yorks). The place-name is from the Old Scandinavian given name or by-name Bak in the genitive case with -s + bȳ ‘farm village’.
Bayston : 1: from Baston (Lincs). This name is from the Old Scandinavian given name Bak in the genitive case with -s + Old English tūn ‘farm village’. If it is truly a source of this surname it must either have been confused with (2) because the Lincs name had and has a short a in the first syllable; or represent a possible spelling-pronunciation. 2: from Bayston (Shrops) which is from the Old English given name Bēage + stān ‘stone’. 3: from an unrecorded Middle English personal name *Baystan Old English Bēagstān from bēag ‘ring’ + stān ‘stone’.
Beadnell : English: habitational name from Beadnell in Northumberland or Bednall in Staffordshire both named with the genitive case of the Old English personal name Bēda + Old English halh ‘nook of land’.
Beadsworth : from Badsworth (WR Yorks). The place-name is from an Old English male given name *Bæddi in the genitive case with -es + worð ‘enclosure’.
Bearne : unexplained; possibly a regional survival of the older pronunciation of barn in which case compare Barne.
Beaugie : 1: from Baugé (Maine et Loire Sarthe) or Baugy (Cher Oise Saône et Loire). The place-names probably do not share an origin and are in any case obscure; the -y may be from the Gaulish place-name forming suffix rendered in Latin as -acum.perhaps from the Old French personal name Bauger Baugé (Germanic Baldagari from elements meaning ‘bold brave’ and ‘spear’). 2: late variant of Bogie.
Beckers : Dutch Flemish and German: variant of Becker + the genitive case -s.
Bednall : from Bednall (Staffs) or Beadnell (Northumb). Both place-names are from the Old English given name Bēda in the genitive case with -n + halh ‘nook corner’.
Bednar : 1: Czech (Bednář); Slovak and Rusyn (from Slovakia) (Bednár); Slovenian: occupational name for a ‘cooper’ from an agent noun based on Czech bedna ‘wooden case or chest’ Slovenian dialect bedenj ‘tub’. Compare Bodnar.2: Americanized form of Polish Bednarz ‘cooper’.
Beechener : from a lost place called Birchenhoe in Syresham (Northants) which is recorded as Bycchenho in about 1220 Bichenho in 1287 Bychenhoow in 1571 (Leics Record Office) and Birchenhoe in 1781. The place-name is probably from an uncertain Old English given name with the genitive case suffix -an + hōh ‘hill-spur’.
Beer : 1: English (West Country): habitational name from any of the forty or so places in southwestern England called Beer(e) or Bear(e). Most of these derive their names from the West Saxon dative case beara of Old English bearu ‘grove wood’ (the standard Old English dative bearwe being preserved in Barrow). In some cases the surname may be topographic in origin from atte beare ‘at the grove’. Some may be from Middle English bere ‘woodland swine-pasture’ (Old English bǣr). Compare Bear 1.2: English: variant of Bear 2 ‘bear’.3: North German and Dutch: from Middle Low German bāre Middle Dutch bēre ‘bear’ applied as a nickname for someone thought to resemble the animal in some way or as a metonymic occupational name for someone who kept a performing bear (compare 2 above). Alternatively it could have been a topographic or habitational name referring to a house distinguished by the sign of a bear or from an ancient Germanic personal name with this as the first element. See also Baer Bahr.4: Germanized form of Sorbian Běr: from a short form of the Old Sorbian personal name Běrisław (based on the Old Slavic imperative beri ‘collect’).5: Americanized form (translation into English) of German or Jewish (Ashkenazic) Bier or possibly of some other similar (like-sounding) surname.
Beetlestone : from Biddlestone in Llangarron (Herefs) of uncertain origin but apparently ‘beadle's farm’ from Middle English bidel ‘beadle’ genitive case -es + tūn ‘farm village’ influenced by folk etymological association with the word beetle.
Begum : Muslim (mainly the Indian subcontinent): honorific title for a respectable lady the feminine equivalent of Beg normally used with a Muslim lady's personal name. — Note: Originally this is not a surname although a woman without another surname might use it as her last name. In any case it was registered as a surname after immigration of its bearers to the US.
Bekkum : 1: Norwegian: from the dative plural case of bekk ‘stream’ hence a topographic name for someone who lived ‘by the streams’. Compare Beckum.2: Dutch: variant of Van Beckum (see Beckum).
Bellard : 1: French: dissimilated form of Bérard (see Berard).2: English: apparently a derivative of Old French and Middle English belle + the suffix -ard but the sense of belle is uncertain. It might be the female personal name Belle ‘beautiful’ the adjective belle ‘fine beautiful’ or the noun belle ‘bell’ (see Bell) in which case the surname might be synonymous with beller ‘bell-ringer or bell-maker’ (see Beller).
Bellis : 1: Welsh: Anglicized form of Welsh ap Elisedd ‘son of Elisedd’ (see Ellis).2: English: possibly also a nickname from bellis the regular form of bellows until the 16th century (see Bellows). The form bellis persisted generally until the 16th century and much later in various dialects.3: Italian: patronymic from the personal name Bello. It is formed with the Latin ablative plural suffix -is imparting the broader sense ‘belonging to of’ in this case ‘member of the Belli family’ (compare Belli). Compare also De Bellis.
Berge : 1: Norwegian and Swedish: variant of Berg from the dative form. As a Norwegian surname this is a habitational name from any of numerous farms so named all over the country.2: German: topographic name for a person by or on a hill from an extended form of Berg (formerly with a preposition with dative case e.g. am Berge).3: French: topographic name for someone who lived on a steep river bank from Old French berge ‘river bank’. Compare Laberge.4: French (Bergé): variant of Berger either French meaning ‘shepherd’ or German. Compare Barga.5: French: variant of Barge ‘boat barge’.6: English: variant of Bergh.7: English: metathesized form of Bridge. The -e- represents the southeastern vowel development in Middle English of Old English /y/ in brycg ‘bridge’ (compare Burge). Compare also Birge.
Berrington : English: habitational name from Berrington (Shropshire) or Berrington Green in Tenbury (Worcestershire). The Shropshire placename is from Old English byrig the dative case form of burg ‘earthwork fort stronghold’ + tūn ‘village’. The Worcestershire placename may have the same origin.
Berry : 1: Irish and Manx: Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Béara ‘descendant of Béara’ a personal name of unexplained etymology; or in some cases perhaps an Anglicized form of Irish and Manx Ó Beargha. Compare Barry 1.2: Scottish and northern Irish: variant of Barrie.3: English: habitational name from any of several places called in Devon named with Old English byrig dative case of burh ‘fortified manor house stronghold’ such as Berry Pomeroy and Berrynarbor.4: English: from Middle English (atte) beri ‘(at the) manor house’ denoting someone who lived and worked at such a place from Middle English beri biri buri (from the Old English dative case byrig of Old English burg ‘fort fortified manor house’). See also Atterbury.5: French: habitational name from Berry a former province of central France so named with Latin Biturica the land of the Bituriges a Gaulish tribe.6: Swiss German: from a pet form of an ancient Germanic personal name formed with Old High German bero ‘bear’ (see Baer).7: Altered form of French Baril. Compare Barry 7.8: Altered form (loose translation into English) of French Canadian Laframboise ‘the raspberry’.
Berryman : English (Cornwall): topographic name from Middle English bury biry bery ‘town borough castle manor house’ (ultimately from the dative case byrig of Old English burh ‘stronghold fortified place’) + man ‘man’. The name may also be occupational denoting or servant at one of these.
Besford : from Besford (Worcs) or Besford in Shawbury (Shrops). Both place-names are from the Old English male given name Betti in the genitive case with -es + ford ‘ford’. The Worcs name appears as Bettesford in a pre-Conquest charter.
Bettesworth : from Betchworth (Surrey) recorded as Becheswrth (1210–12) Bettisworth (1448). The place-name is from an Old English male given name Becci in the genitive case with -es + worth ‘enclosure smallholding’.
Bex : 1: English: habitational name from Bax in Tonge Kent which is recorded as Byx in 1341 and Bex in 1782.2: English: variant of Becks.3: Flemish (Belgian Limburg) and Dutch (Dutch Limburg); German (Westphalia): variant of Becks 2 and its Dutch cognate Beks the latter being a variant of Bek 5 with the genitive suffix -s a shortened form of the occupational name Bekkers (from Bekker ‘baker’ + the genitive case -s) a patronymic from the personal name Bekke (from an ancient Germanic name composed with bert; compare Berthold) or a metronymic from a genitive case of a pet form of the personal name Elisabeth (see Elizabeth).4: French (southern): variant of Besse.
Bharmal : apparently or folk-etymologically from Bihari Mal as in the case of the historical figure Raja Bharmal or Bihari Mal ruler of Amber (Jaipur) Rajasthan India (1548 - 1574).
Bharucha : Indian (Gujarat) and Pakistani: from Sanskrit Bhrigukachcha which means ‘Bhrigu's tortoise’ or ‘Bhrigu's wetland’ in either case referring to the abode of the Vedic sage Bhrigu mentioned in the Puranas.
Bibi : 1: Muslim (India and Pakistan): from a term of address or reference for a Muslim woman normally used with a woman's personal name. — Note: Originally this is not a surname although a woman without another surname might use it as her last name. In any case it was registered as a surname after immigration of its bearers to the US.2: Albanian: from the personal name Bib (definite form Bibi) probably an old vernacular short form of Latin Vivianus (see Vivian).3: Jewish (from Syria and Algeria) from the personal name Bibi a pet form of any name having the initial /b/ (for example Benjamin or Baruch).
Bickerdike : English (Yorkshire): perhaps a topographic name from Middle English bi ker dik ‘by the marsh ditch’ or biker dik ‘bee-keeper's ditch’ or ‘dispute ditch’ in the latter case a compound of biker ‘quarrel dispute’ + dik ‘ditch’ denoting someone who lived by a disputed boundary ditch.
Biddiscombe : from Bittescombe in Upton (Somerset). An alternative or additional source may be Biddlecombe (Byttelcomb 1330) in Chudleigh (Devon) but the distribution suits Bittescombe better. The Somerset place-name is from an Old English male personal name *Bit(t)el in the genitive case with -es + cumb ‘valley’; the Devon one is the cumb of Bit(t)ela.
Biddlestone : 1: see Beetlestone. 2: from Biddlestone in Alwinton (Northumb) named with an Old English male given name Bitel or Bidel in the genitive case with -es + tūn ‘farm village’.
Bilsborough : from Bilsborrow (Lancs). The place-name is from the Old English male given name Bill in the genitive case with -es + burg ‘earthwork fortification’. The surname may sometimes have been confused with Bilbrough.
Bilsby : from Bilsby (Lincs). The place-name is from the Old Scandinavian male given name Billi or the Old English Bill in the genitive case with -es + Old Scandinavian bý ‘farm village’.
Bilsdon : usually from Billesdon (Leics) but sometimes perhaps from Bilstone (Leics). Billesdon is from the Old English male given name Bil(l) in the genitive case with -es + dūn ‘hill’; Bilstone is from the Old Scandinavian male given name Bild(r) in the genitive case with -s + Old English tūn ‘farm village’. Some of the following post-medieval bearers may alternatively belong with Bilston (2).
Bilston : 1: see Bilsdon and Billson (1). 2: alternatively a variant of Billson (2) with an intrusive -t-. 3: in SW England perhaps from Bilsdon in Holcombe Burnell (Devon). The place-name is from the Old English male given name Bil(l) in the genitive case with -es + denu ‘valley’.
Birdsall : English (Yorkshire): habitational name from Birdsall near Malton in North Yorkshire so named with the genitive case of Old English bridd ‘bird’ (as either a vocabulary word or a byname) + Old English halh ‘nook recess’.
Birtles : 1: from Birtles (in Prestbury Cheshire) Birchill Farm (in Hassop Derbys) or possibly Birchills (in Walsall Staffs). The place-names are from the plural of Old English *bircel ‘small birch’ with occasional confusion of the final syllable with Middle English hill hull ‘hill’ and hale ‘corner of land’ (etc.). Pronunciation of /ʧ/ in Birch- has been simplified to /t/ before the following /l/ whence modern Birtles but the -th- spellings in the medieval forms are probably misreadings of -ch-; the letters c and t are commonly indistinguishable in medieval court hand.post-medieval variant of Birtle with excrescent -s. 2: perhaps a post-medieval variant of Birchall + excrescent -s and the sound change from /ʧ/ to /t/ noted in (1) above but Birchall itself could be a variant of Birtles in which case the following bearers belong at (1).
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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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