Last names linked to HAVE:
Origin
Abadi : 1: Iranian: from a derivative of the Persian suffix -ābād (literally ‘populous prosperous’) forming the second part of names of populated areas (towns villages) and consequentially the second part of compound habitational names such as Mahmoudabadi or Mahmoud Abadi (from Mahmoudabad or Mahmoud Abad the name of a town by the Caspian Sea).2: Iranian: surname denoting descent from or association with someone called Ābād a personal name of the same ultimate Persian origin as 1 above and interpreted as e.g. ‘prosperous’ and ‘happy’.3: Muslim: variant of Abbadi.4: Jewish (from Syria and Egypt): adoption of the Arabic surname (see 3 above) most likely because it sounds close to the Jewish Biblical personal name Obadiah ‘servant of God’.5: Ethiopian: from the personal name Abadi unexplained. — Note: Since Ethiopians do not have hereditary surnames this name was registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.
Abay : 1: Ethiopian: from the Tigrinya and Amharic personal name Abay which is interpreted as ‘big great’ in the Tigrinya language and is also the Ethiopian (Amharic) name for the Blue Nile. — Note: Since Ethiopians do not have hereditary surnames this name was registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.2: Turkish: from the personal name Abay of Turkish or Turkic origin interpreted as e.g. ‘skill’ or ‘awareness’ also ‘big brother’.
Abdi : 1: Muslim: from the Arabic personal name Abdī a short form of Abdul.2: Muslim (mainly Pakistan): Urdu variant of Abidi (see Abedi).3: Somali: from a Somali Muslim personal name a short form of Abdulle and thus a cognate of 1 above. It is also found in Ethiopia Kenya and Djibouti. — Note: Since Somalis traditionally do not have hereditary surnames this name was in most cases registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.4: Ethiopian: from the Oromo personal name Abdi meaning ‘hope’ in the Oromo language. — Note: Since Ethiopians do not have hereditary surnames this name was registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.
Abdikadir : Somali: from a Somali Muslim personal name from Arabic Abdelqader. It is also found in Kenya and Djibouti. — Note: Since Somalis traditionally do not have hereditary surnames this name was in most cases registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.
Abdirahman : Somali: from a Somali Muslim personal name from Arabic Abdelrahman. It is also found in Ethiopia Kenya and Djibouti. — Note: Since Somalis traditionally do not have hereditary surnames this name was in most cases registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.
Abdulahi : Muslim (mainly Nigeria Somalia and Ethiopia also Ghana): variant of Abdullahi 2. — Note: Since Somalis (also from e.g. Ethiopia) do not have hereditary surnames this name was registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.
Abdullahi : 1: Muslim (mainly Nigeria Somalia Kenya and Ethiopia also Ghana): from the personal name Abdullahi a regional variant of Abdullah. — Note: Since Somalis (also from e.g. Ethiopia) do not have hereditary surnames this name was registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.2: In some cases also Albanian (mainly Kosovo): from the Muslim personal name Abdullah (Albanian definite form Abdullahi).
Abdulle : Somali: from a Somali Muslim personal name from Arabic Abdullah. — Note: Since Somalis traditionally do not have hereditary surnames this name was in most cases registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.
Abebe : Ethiopian: from the personal name Abebe which is interpreted as ‘he blossomed’ in the Amharic language. — Note: Since Ethiopians do not have hereditary surnames this name was registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.
Abera : Ethiopian: from the male personal name Abera which is interpreted as ‘he illuminated’ in the Amharic language. — Note: Since Ethiopians do not have hereditary surnames this name was registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.
Abraha : Ethiopian: from the Tigrinya male personal name Abraha a cognate of Amharic Abreha which is interpreted as ‘he illuminated’ in the Ge’ez or related languages. — Note: Since Ethiopians do not have hereditary surnames this name was registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.
Abraham : 1: English French Spanish German Slovenian Ethiopian and Assyrian/Chaldean; Hungarian (Ábrahám) Slovak (mainly Abrahám also Ábrahám) Czech (also Abrahám): from the Hebrew personal name ʾAbraham (modern spelling Avraham) borne by the Biblical patriarch revered by Jews as the founding father of the Jewish people (Genesis 11–25) and by Muslims as founder of all the Semitic peoples both Hebrew and Arab (compare Ibrahim). The original name of the Biblical patriarch was probably Abram meaning ‘high father’ (from ab father ram ‘exalted’) while its later form is explained in Genesis 17:5 as being derived from Hebrew ab hamon goyim ‘father of a multitude of nations’. It was widely used as a personal name among Christians as well as Jews in the Middle Ages. The name Abraham is also found among Christians in southern India 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. As a surname of Hungarian origin Abraham is also found in Romania. — Note: Since Ethiopians do not have hereditary surnames the Ethiopian name was registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.2: Irish: adoption of the English name (see 1 above) as an equivalent of Gaelic Mac an Bhreitheamhan ‘son of the judge’. See McBroom and compare Breheny.
Abrell : South German: from Middle High German aberëlle ‘April’ hence perhaps a nickname for a moody or temperamental man with reference to the changeable weather typical of that month. Alternatively it may have been applied to someone with a particular connection with the month of April for example as the month in which an annual payment was due.
Abt : 1: German and Dutch: from Middle Low German or Middle Dutch abt ‘abbot’ hence a metonymic occupational name for a servant of an abbot or a nickname for someone thought to resemble an abbot in some way. In some instances it may have been a topographic or habitational name referring to a house named with this word.2: Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic): variant of Abt a habitational name from Opatów in Poland.
Abukar : Somali: from a Somali Muslim personal name a shortened and altered form of Arabic Abū-Bakr (see Abubakr). — Note: Since Somalis traditionally do not have hereditary surnames this name was in most cases registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.
Ackermann : 1: German: from Middle High German ackerman ‘plowman peasant’. The German term did not have the same denotation of status in the feudal system as its English counterpart Ackerman. Compare Acreman.2: Jewish (Ashkenazic): variant of Acker.
Acquisto : Italian: either from the personal name Acquisto from acquisto ‘acquisition purchase’ or from a short form of the personal name Bonacquisto literally ‘good buy good acquisition’ both names that would have been bestowed on a much wanted child.
Adan : 1: Spanish (Adán): from the personal name Adán an equivalent of Adam.2: Hungarian (Ádán): variant of Ádám (see Adam).3: Somali: from a Somali Muslim personal name an equivalent of Biblical Adam. Compare Aden 3. — Note: Since Somalis traditionally do not have hereditary surnames this name was in most cases registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.
Adedeji : West African (Nigeria): from the Yoruba personal name Adédèjí from adé di èjí ‘the crown has become two we have a second crown’ with ‘crown’ understood as a metaphor for ‘child’.
Aden : 1: East Frisian: patronymic from the personal name Ade.2: Scottish: habitational name from the old lands and barony of Auden or Aden in Old Deer Aberdeenshire.3: Somali: from a Somali Muslim personal name a variant of Adan 3 ‘Adam’. It is also found in Ethiopia Kenya and Djibouti. — Note: Since Somalis traditionally do not have hereditary surnames this name was in most cases registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.
Adonis : 1: Haitian Guyanese South African and Hispanic (Philippines): from the personal name Adonis borne in Greek mythology by a beautiful youth who was the lover of both the goddesses Aphrodite (in summer) and Persephone (in winter). The surname might have been applied as a nickname but in most cases it probably originates from the personal name Adonis which is today common especially in the Philippines. This surname is also found in France where it is very rare.2: American shortened and altered form of the Greek patronymic Antoniadis or of some other derivative of the personal name Antōni(o)s (see Anthony) reflecting a variant pronunciation of this name.
Agarwal : Indian (northern states): Bania and Jain habitational name from the placenames Agroha or Agar + the Hindi or Punjabi adjectival suffix -wāl (equivalent to -er in English) i.e. ‘person from Agroha’. Agroha (in Hissar district formerly in the Punjab now in Haryana) is said to have been named as the capital city of Agar Sen a legendary Vaishya king whom the Agarwals claim as their ancestor. Alternatively the placename in question may be Agar a city forty miles northeast of Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh. The Agarwals are one of the most prominent mercantile communities of northern India.
Agass : 1: from the Middle English and Old French female personal name Agace a vernacular form of the Greek female personal name Latinized as Agatha based on the adjective agathós ‘good’. Some of the following post-medieval bearers may alternatively belong with (2).perhaps in rare instances from Old French agace ‘magpie’ (a transferred use of the personal name) but it is not recorded in Middle English before the 15th century and did not enter regular English usage. The primary source of the English surname is certainly the name in (i) but the French Huguenot surname could possibly have been from either. 2: see Haggis.
Ahlin : 1: Swedish: ornamental topographic or habitational name from an ornamental spelling of al ‘alder’ (also from placenames containing this word or from a placename such as Altuna of uncertain etymology) + the adjectival suffix -in a derivative of Latin -in(i)us ‘relating to’. In a topographic sense it could have been adopted on account of a prominent alder tree at the home farm.2: Slovenian: nickname derived from ahle ‘hackle teasel’.
Ahlman : 1: Americanized form of German Ahlmann: topographic name literally meaning ‘swamp man’.2: Swedish: ornamental or topographic name from an ornamental spelling of al ‘alder’ + man ‘man’ or a habitational name for someone from a place called with the element al. In a topographic sense it could have been adopted on account of a prominent alder tree at the home farm. Compare Allman and Alman.
Ahmad : Muslim: from the Arabic personal name Aḥmad ‘the most praised’ elative adjective from ḥamid (see Hamid). This is an epithet of the prophet Muhammad. In the Koran (6:16) Jesus foretells the arrival of Aḥmad (the prophet Muhammad) in the words: ‘I have brought good news about a messenger who will come after me whose name will be Aḥmad’. Compare Ahmed.
Ahonen : Finnish: cognate of Aho with the addition of the surname suffix -nen. An ornamental surname adopted mainly in the 19th century in western Finland (compare Virtanen). A small number of the Ahonen families however have old eastern Finnish roots their name being on record since the 16th century.
Ainscough : apparently from a lost or unidentified place called Ainscough or similar probably in Lancs. If so the place-name would have Old Scandinavian skógr ‘wood’ as its second element. Compare Inscoe; the names may well share an origin.alternatively a variant of Askew (compare Ayscough) with intrusive -n-.
Airstone : probably from Ayresome in Middlesbrough (NR Yorks) which is recorded as Arusum Aresum in the 12th century and Arsum in 1222-40. The place-name derives from Old Scandinavian ár the genitive singular form of á ‘river stream’ + húsum the dative plural form of hús ‘house’ with the sense ‘at the houses near the river’. The form Airston(e) with intrusive -t- is a late development and may have been partly influenced by the WR Yorks surname Ayrton.
Albini : Italian:: 1: patronymic or plural form of Albino.2: habitational name for someone from Albino a place in Bergamo province. This is a typical Lombardic surname; there surnames derived from placenames usually have a pluralized form.
Albion : variant of Alban or Albin influenced by the place-name Albion an archaic name for Britain. The latter is an ancient Greek and Latin representation found in Ptolemy Pliny and elsewhere of the ancient Brittonic name of this island. Metathesis of forms such as Alibone itself a variant of Alban may have resulted in the form Albion.
Aldam : from either of two places called Aldham (Essex Suffolk) which may be from Old English eald ald ‘old’ or a given name Ealda Alda deriving from this word + hām ‘major farm estate’. It may sometimes have been confused with Oldham: George Aldham or George Oldham 1798 in TNA (Admiralty records).
Alderley : 1: from Alderley (Cheshire) which is recorded as Aldredelie in 1086 Aldridelegh in 1290. The place-name is from the Old English female given name Althryth which may have a range of origins + lēah ‘clearing glade wood’. 2: occasionally perhaps a variant of Aldersley but the relationship may be the other way round.
Alderwick : apparently from an unidentified place named with Old English alor ‘alder’ + Old English wīc ‘specialized or outlying farm’. However no medieval bearers have been found to support this and it is more likely that Alderwick is an altered form of another Wilts name probably Aldericke. Compare John Aldericke 1670 John Alderwick 1679 John Aldric 1712 in IGI (Broughton Gifford Wilts) where the spelling -wick appears to be a hypercorrection mistakenly assuming -ick to be a vulgar pronunciation of -wick. Ald(e)ric(k) (see Aldrick) is a variant of Aldridge.
Aldsworth : a variant of Aldworth probably influenced by the place-name Aldsworth in adjacent Gloucs (which seems not to have given rise to a surname) though it is possible that the -s- reflects a variant noted occasionally among the early forms of Aldworth (Berks) such as Aldesworth in 1281.
Alem : 1: Ethiopian: from the personal name Alem meaning ‘world’ in the Amharic language. — Note: Since Ethiopians do not have hereditary surnames this name was registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.2: Muslim (mainly Algeria): variant of Alam.
Alemayehu : Ethiopian: from the personal name Alemayehu which is interpreted as ‘I have seen the world’ in the Amharic language. — Note: Since Ethiopians do not have hereditary surnames this name was registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.
Alemu : Ethiopian: from the personal name Alemu which is interpreted as ‘his world’ in the Amharic language. — Note: Since Ethiopians do not have hereditary surnames this name was registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.
Alexis : 1: French and West Indian (mainly Haiti): from the personal name Alexis of Greek origin ultimately from Greek alexios ‘helping defending’. The personal name owed its popularity in the Middle Ages to Saint Alexi(u)s. The historical Saint Alexis is said to have lived in the 4th–5th centuries in Edessa (an early center of Christianity in Syria). His cult was also popular in the Eastern Church which accounts for the frequency of the Russian personal name Aleksey.2: American shortened form of any of various Greek derivatives of the personal name Alexis (see 1 above) e.g. Alexiadis a patronymic formed with the suffix -adis a variant of the classical -ades and Alexopoulos.3: Americanized form of cognates of 1 above and their derivatives from other languages e.g. Italian Alessio and Serbian and Croatian Aleksić (see Aleksic).
Alflatt : from the Middle English female personal name Alfled which represents two Old English names that have fallen together: Ælfflǣd from ælf ‘elf sprite’ + flǣd ‘beauty’ and Æðelflǣd from æðel ‘noble’ + flǣd. The latter is also found as Ædelflete in Domesday Book which is certainly the source of the medieval surname Ailflet.
Alfrey : English: from any of the Middle English personal names Alfrith Alfrey Alfray and Aufrey derived from either the Old English male name Æthelfrith the Old English female name Æthelfrīth (‘noble peace’) or the ancient Germanic male name Adalfrith. They almost certainly include some cases of Alfred which may also have developed to Alfrey on the analogy of names in -frith.
Aliff : English: variant of Ayliff which is from a Middle English personal name. In most cases this is from Old Norse Eilífr ‘eternal life’ but it could also have absorbed the female name Ayleve (Old English Æthelgifu ‘noble gift’).
Allensworth : English: probably an altered form of either Ellingsworth or Hollingsworth (also found in the US in the rare spelling Hollensworth). The surname Allensworth seems to have disappeared from British records.
Allfrey : from the Middle English personal name Alfrith Alfrey Alfray possibly in some instances representing the Old English female name *Æðelfrīð composed of elements meaning ‘noble’ and ‘beautiful’ but more usually either the Old English male name Æðelfrið or its Continental Germanic cognate Adalfrith composed of elements meaning ‘noble’ and ‘peace’. Aufrey and latinized Aufridus show the influence of Anglo-Norman vocalization of /l/ before a consonant.from Middle English Alfred Old English Ælfrǣd which may also have developed to Alfrey on the analogy of names in -frið. Compare Alfred Avery.
Allgood : English: from the Middle English personal name Algot Algod. This may represent Old Danish Old Swedish Algot Algut but the name is not otherwise recorded in those parts of England settled by Danes and Swedes before the Norman Conquest. Alternatively it represents ancient Germanic Adalgot Algot Middle Dutch Aelgoet which may have been used by Flemings in post-Conquest England. Compare Algood.
Allington : English (southern): habitational name from any of at least nine different places called Allington two in Kent three in Wiltshire and one each in Dorset Devon Hampshire and Lincolnshire. These have different origins: those in Devon Wiltshire near Chippenham and Kent near Maidstone are from the Old English personal name Ælla + -ingtūn meaning ‘Ælla's farm’; those in Dorset Wiltshire near Devizes and Lincolnshire are named with Old English ætheling ‘prince' + tūn meaning ‘settlement of the prince’; those in Hampshire and Wiltshire near Amesbury are from the Old English personal name Ealda + tūn; and the one in Kent near Lenham is from the Old English personal name Æthelnōth + -ingtūn meaning ‘Æthelnōth's farm’.
Allmand : English: from Old French alemaund ‘German’. See also Allman with which it may sometimes have merged.
Almond : English:: 1: from the Middle English personal name Almund in which Old English Æthelmund ‘noble protector’ and Ealhmund ‘temple protector’ have coalesced.2: variant of Allman and Allmand both meaning ‘German’ assimilated by folk etymology to the vocabulary word denoting the tree.
Altadonna : Italian (Sicily): from a medieval female personal name Altadonna ‘lady of high rank’ (literally ‘high lady’). It may also sometimes have been applied as an ironical nickname.
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’.
Alton : English:: 1: habitational name from any of the many places called Alton in Derbyshire Dorset Hampshire Leicestershire Staffordshire Wiltshire Worcestershire and elsewhere. The origin of the placename is various: Alton in Derbyshire and Alton Grange in Leicestershire probably have as their first element Old English (e)ald ‘old’. Those in Hampshire Dorset and Wiltshire are at the sources of rivers and are named in Old English as ‘settlement (tūn) at the river source (ǣwiell)’. Others derive from various Old English personal names; for example the one in Staffordshire is formed with an unattested personal name Ælfa and one in Worcestershire Eanulfintun in 1023 is ‘settlement associated with (-ing) Ēanwulf’. The surname may also be from Auton Stile in Durham Saint Oswalds (Durham) which is recorded as Altone c. 1200.2: variant of Olton. Compare Allton.
Alveston : 1: from Alveston (Warwicks) which is recorded as Eanulfestun in 966 Alvestone in 1086 Eluestone in 1221 and Auston alias Alveston in 1615. The place-name means ‘Ēanwulf's farmstead’ from the Old English personal name Ēanwulf (genitive Ēanwulfes) + tūn ‘farmstead estate’. 2: from Alvaston (Cheshire) which is recorded as Alfualdst' Alwaldiston Alvaldiston in the 13th century and Alvaston in 1380 or from Alvaston (Derbys) which is recorded as Alewaldestune in about 1002 Alewoldestune in 1086 and Alewaston in the 13th century. The Cheshire place-name means ‘Ælfwald's farmstead’ from the Old English personal name Ælfwald (genitive Ælfwaldes) + tūn ‘farmstead estate’. The Derbys place-name may have the same etymology or its first element may be the Old English personal name Æðelwald (genitive Æðelwaldes). 3: possibly also from Alveston (Gloucs) which is recorded as Alwestan in 1086 Alueston' in 1248 and Alveston in 1322. The place-name means ‘Ælfwīg's stone’ from the Old English personal name Ælfwīg (genitive Ælfwīges) + stān ‘stone’. However no relevant surname evidence has yet come to light in Gloucs.
Aman : 1: Altered form of South German and Swiss German Amann or Ammann ‘official’ and also of German Hamann the latter partly under the French influence in QC Canada.2: English (of Norman origin): variant of Amand.3: Hungarian (Ámán and Áman): derivative of Old High German amma ‘mother’. The surname Aman presumably of Hungarian origin is also found in Croatia.4: Slovenian: variant of Amon ‘official’ a cognate of 1 above.5: Muslim (mainly Pakistan and Bangladesh): from the Arabic personal name Amān ‘trust safety protection tranquility’. Amān is often used in compound names for example Amānullāh ‘trust of God’ (see Amanullah).6: Ethiopian and Eritrean: from the Amharic and Tigrinya personal name Aman which is interpreted as ‘peace’ (compare with the Arabic name above). — Note: Since Ethiopians and Eritreans do not have hereditary surnames this name was registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.
Amare : Ethiopian: from the personal name Amare which is interpreted as e.g. ‘he is handsome’ in the Amharic language. — Note: Since Ethiopians do not have hereditary surnames this name was registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.
Ambler : English (Yorkshire):: 1: (of Norman origin): occupational name from Middle English amayler amelour (Old French esmailleur) ‘enameller’ with intrusive b to give a(u)mbelour.3: perhaps an occupational name from a shortened form of an unrecorded Middle English amblerer ‘dealer in amblers or saddle horses’.2: nickname perhaps derived from Middle English ambler ‘walker steady-paced horse or mule’ (ultimately from Latin ambulare ‘to walk’) probably applied to someone with a steady easy-going temperament possibly even a facetious nickname for a walker or fuller. The Middle English verb is also recorded from the 14th century onward in the sense ‘to ride an ambling horse’ so the surname might have denoted someone who rode such a horse though because of its gentle pace it was generally preferred by women.
Ames : 1: English (of Norman origin): from the Old French personal name Amis or from the feminine form Amice. The Old French word amis is from Latin amicus ‘friend’ which was used in Late Latin as a term for a man of the lower classes in particular a slave. There were also derivatives of this as personal names in particular masculine Amicius and feminine Amicia. Both were in use as personal names in England and may have contributed to the surname.2: German: perhaps a nickname for an active person from an ancient Germanic word related to Old High German amazzig ‘busy’.3: Dutch: possibly a patronymic from Ame a common personal name in Holland and Friesland an abbreviated form of an ancient Germanic personal name perhaps beginning with amel ‘strong’.
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.
Amos : 1: English and Scottish: variant of Amis assimilated in spelling to the Biblical name (see 2 below). It occurs chiefly in southeastern England.2: Jewish German English Scottish and Welsh: from the Hebrew personal name Amos of uncertain origin in some traditions connected with the Hebrew verb amos ‘to carry’ and assigned the meaning ‘borne by God’. This was the name of a Biblical prophet of the 8th century BC whose oracles are recorded in the Book of Amos. This was one of the Biblical names taken up by Puritans and Nonconformists in the 16th–17th centuries too late to have had much influence on surname formationm in Britain except in Wales.
Anand : 1: Indian (Punjab southern states): from a male personal name based on Sanskrit ananda ‘joy’. — Note: 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.2: Indian (Punjab): Khatri and Sikh name probably derived from the name of the founder of the clan.3: English: variant of Annand.
Angelico : Italian and Spanish: from the adjective angelico ‘angelic’ (from medieval Latin angelicus) which was used as a personal name (a masculine equivalent of the much-favored female personal name Angelica) but in some cases may have been applied possibly ironically as a nickname.
Anno : Japanese: written 安野 ‘peaceful plain’. This surname is rare in Japan proper and may have originated in the Ryūkyū Islands where it is pronounced Ano.
Anstis : from a French-mediated form of the female personal name Anastasia. The masculine form Anastasius also existed and may have given rise to a patronymic. Both personal names are from adjectival forms of Greek anastasis ‘resurrection’.
Anthony : 1: English and West Indian (mainly Antigua and Barbuda Saint Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago also Dutch Caribbean): from the personal name Anthony Latin Antonius which with its variants and cognates is one of the commonest personal names in Europe. Spellings with -h- which first appear in English in the 16th century and in French (as Anthoine) at about the same time are due to the erroneous belief that the name derives from Greek anthos ‘flower’. The popularity of the personal name in Christendom is largely due to the cult of the Egyptian hermit Saint Anthony (AD 251–356) who in his old age gathered a community of hermits around him and for that reason is regarded by some as the founder of monasticism. It was further increased by the fame of Saint Anthony of Padua (1195–1231) who long enjoyed a great popular cult and who is believed to help people find lost things. In North America the English form of the surname has absorbed cognates and derivatives (patronymics) from other languages for example Greek patronymic Antoniades Italian Antoni Polish Antoniewicz Croatian and Serbian Antonović (see Antonovich) and Antunović; see also below. The name Anthony is also found among Christians in southern India 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. Compare Antony.2: German Flemish and French (mainly Alsace): Latinized (humanistic) patronymic from local equivalents of the Latin personal name Antonius from its genitive form Antoni(i). In North America this surname is also an altered form of the German Dutch French and Slovak cognates Antoni 1 and Antony 2.
Aoki : Japanese: written 青木 ‘green tree’. It is mainly found in central Japan and the Ryūkyū Islands. One family descended from the Takeda branch of the Minamoto clan takes its name from Aoki-mura in Kai (now Yamanashi prefecture). Others have Fujiwara connections.
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.
Arathoon : from Armenian haratun ‘resurrection’ used as a male given name. This is not found as a surname in Armenia. It seems to have been an early migrant family in India
Arato : 1: Italian: probably from arato ‘cultivated soil’ applied as a topographic name.2: Hungarian (Arató): occupational name meaning ‘reaper or harvester’ from the Finno-Ugric verb arat ‘reap harvest’ probably ultimately derived from Turkic. The name may initially have been given to the best harvester in a community but subsequently it became a status name for a seasonal laborer.
Araya : 1: Basque and Catalan: Castilianized form of a habitational name from any of numerous places called Araia for example in Araba/Álava and Castellón provinces (Spain).2: Ethiopian: from the personal name Araya meaning ‘example’ in the Amharic language. — Note: Since Ethiopians do not have hereditary surnames this name was registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.3: Japanese: written 荒谷 ‘wild valley’ or 新谷 ‘new valley’. It is found in eastern Japan; pronounced Aratani or Shintani in western Japan. Neither version is particularly common.
Archer : 1: English and French: from Middle English archere Anglo-Norman French archer Old French archier ‘bowman’ hence an occupational name for an archer. This Norman French word partially replaced the native English word bowman in the 14th century. In North America this surname may have absorbed some cases of European cognates such as French Archier. Compare Larcher.2: German: from an agent derivative of Old High German archa ‘mill-race’ (from Latin arca ‘chest box’). This surname is rare in Germany.3: Germanized form of Slovenian Arhar: German-influenced patronymic from the personal name Arh (see Arch 3) an old vernacular equivalent of Henry. Alternatively perhaps a topographic name derived from Old High German archa ‘mill-race’ (see 2 above) hence a cognate of Slovenian Rakar (see Raker 4).
Arches : 1: from Arques-la-Bataille in Offranville (Seine-Maritime) which is recorded as (de) Archis in 1024 or possibly in some cases from Pont-de-l'Arche (Eure) recorded as Archas in the 11th century. These place-names derive from Latin arca ‘arch bridge’ (Old French arche northern Norman and Picard Old French arque). Arques in Pas-de-Calais has also been suggested as a possible source of some of the Norman family names but there is no evidence of it being pronounced as Arches the regular form of the surname in England. It is recorded as Arkae in the 7th century and Ariaco in the 9th century and may derive from Celtic *Ariācon ‘territory of a man called Arios’. Arches was sometimes reduced to Arch and the variant form Darches with fused preposition as in Simon Darches alias de Arches 1316-17 in TNA (Bucks) may have been reduced to Darch. 2: possibly a variant of Arch with post-medieval excrescent -s but Arch itself may b a reduced form of the name in (1).
Arkley : of uncertain origin. In Northumb and Durham (for example in Earsdon Bywell Newcastle Gateshead) Arkley coincides with Arkle. The two names may have been confused or perhaps one is an altered form of the other.
Arledge : English: variant of Aldrich or Aldridge. A few bearers of the name are recorded in southern England in the 17th–19th centuries but the name appears to have died out in Britain.
Arnett : 1: English: from the personal name Arnet a Middle English form of the Old English male personal name Earngēat ‘eagle Geat (a tribal name)’ or the Old English female name Earngȳth ‘eagle battle’. There may also have been some confusion with variants of Arnold.2: French (mainly Lorraine): variant of Arnet. Compare Arnette.
Arnsdorff : German and Austrian German: habitational name from a place called Arnsdorf one near Bautzen Saxony another near Salzburg Austria. This surname is very rare in Germany and is apparently no longer found in Austria where it may have been originally spelled Arnsdorf.
Arumugam : Indian: from a Tamil personal name composed of Tamil āru ‘six’ + mugam ‘face’ (Sanskrit mukha) hence meaning ‘having six faces’. Arumugam is an epithet of the Tamil god Kartikeya who is identical with Shanmuga (see Shanmugam). — Note: Since South Indians traditionally do not have hereditary surnames this name was in most cases registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.
Arunachalam : Indian (mainly Tamil Nadu): from a personal name common in the Deccan Plateau ultimately derived from a Sanskrit word meaning ‘hill of intense fire’ referring to the hill of Tiruvannamalai (revered by devotees of Shiva) in Tamil Nadu. Hindu mythology has it that the hill is a physical manifestation of the god Shiva who appeared as a linga (pillar) of fire to intervene in a battle for supremacy between Lords Brahma and Vishnu. — Note: Since South Indians traditionally do not have hereditary surnames this name was in most cases registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.
Asato : Japanese: variously written. The version listed in the Shinsen shōjiroku is written phonetically 朝戸 ‘morning’ and ‘door’. Another version written 安里 ‘safe village’ is found in the Ryūkyū Islands where it is sometimes pronounced Yasuzato. One family of this name originated in Asatsu-mura in Satsuma province (now Kagoshima prefecture) and any of the four places called Asato in the Ryūkyū Islands could also have given rise to the surname.
Asfaw : Ethiopian: from the personal name Asfaw which is interpreted as e.g. ‘widen him’ in the Amharic language. — Note: Since Ethiopians do not have hereditary surnames this name was registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.
Ashplant : probably a variant (by folk etymology) of Absalom via Aspland. It may have migrated to Devon from another county in the 17th century. Aspland is particularly common in Cambs where the palatalized pronunciation Ash- is evident in the name of Johnies [sic] Ashplonde or Ashpilon 1492 in PROB 11 (Whittlesey Saint Mary Cambs). Compare also Francis Ashbland 1619 in IGI (Stepney Middx).
Ashton : English: habitational name from any of numerous places so called especially Ashton-under-Lyne near Manchester. Most are named from Old English æsc ‘ash tree’ + tūn ‘settlement’; the one in Northamptonshire is (æt thǣm) æscum ‘(at the) ash trees’. Others have been assimilated to this from different sources. The one in Devon is ‘the settlement (tūn) of Æschere’ while the one in Hertfordshire is ‘the settlement of Ælli’.
Assefa : Ethiopian: from the personal name Assefa which is interpreted as e.g. ‘he widened’ in the Amharic language. — Note: Since Ethiopians do not have hereditary surnames this name was registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.
Astle : 1: English: habitational name from a place in Cheshire called Astle from Old English ēast ‘east’ + hyll ‘hill’. There may also have been some confusion with Asthall and Astley. Or occasionally this may be a topographic name denoting residence on an ‘east hill’ (from Middle English ast + hill or hull) i.e. a hill to the east of a settlement.2: English: perhaps also a habitational name from Astwell Northamptonshire from Old English ēast ‘east’ + wielle ‘spring’.3: English: habitational name from Asthall Oxfordshire from Old English ēast ‘east’ + halh ‘nook’.4: English: variant of Astill from the Middle English personal name Astill a shortened form of Norman French Ansketill (Old Norse Ásketill); see Astin.5: English: possibly also from the Middle English personal name Astwulf (Old English Ēastwulf composed of the elements ēast ‘east’ + wulf ‘wolf’).6: In some cases also an Americanized form of South German Astl or Astel: probably a nickname for a crude person from Middle High German ast ‘branch bough knot’.
Atkiss : variant of Atkins. Compare Hodgkiss as a variant of Hodgkins. It appears to have been sometimes confused with Etkiss a reduced form of Edkins or a development of of Edcus (see Edgoose).
Aung : 1: Burmese: from a personal name usually forming part of a compound name from aung ‘to succeed to be victorious’. — Note: Since Burmese do not have hereditary surnames this name was registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.2: Chinese: variant Romanization form of the Chinese surname 洪 possibly based on its Teochew or Hokkien pronunciation see Hong 1.
Aveley : 1: perhaps a variant of Averley or vice versa. Compare Martha Averley 1787 Martha Aveley 1788 William Aveley 1833 in IGI (Soham Cambs). 2: from Aveley (Essex) a few miles east of the old City of London. The place-name is recorded as Aluithelea in 1086 Alviueleia in 1157 Alvyleye in 1272–1307 and Alveley Aveley in 1535. It derives from the Old English female personal name Ælfgȳð + Old English lēah ‘open woodland’.perhaps an occasional pronunciation of Avery with [l] for [r] or vice versa. Compare John Averey 1621 in IGI (Saint Bride Fleet Street London). 3: perhaps from Avely Hall in Assington (Suffolk) a few miles south-east of Sudbury although the surname evidence is slight and may belong with (1) or (2) or have a different but unknown origin. The place-name is recorded as Aluenelega in 1086 Alwyneleye in 1298 Alvyngley alias Alweley in 1518–29 and Alveley alias Alvingley in 1569. It derives from the Old English female personal name Ælfwynn + Old English lēah ‘open woodland’. It is not certain that the 1340 example below belongs here.
Averley : variant of Haverley (see Habberley) with loss of initial H-. This is explicit in Mary Averley or Aberley 1625 Edward Aberley 1708 in IGI (Rugeley Staffs) and in Edwd Habberley 1702 Edward Haverley 1708 Charles Aberly 1732 Eleanor Joyce Averley 1815 in IGI (Saint Giles Cripplegate London).perhaps from Aversley Wood in Sawtrey (Hunts now Cambs) with loss of medial -s-. The place-name is recorded as Ailbrittesle in 1209 Aylbritesle in 1245 and Albrichelee in 1290 and derives from the Old English personal name Æðelbeorht (genitive Æðelbeorhtes) + lēah ‘open woodland’. A(i)lbrit(s)ley will have been simplified to something like Aber(s)ley and Aver(s)ley but it is not known when. If the spelling of his surname is reliable it is conceivable that John de Averle 1279 in Hundred Rolls (Hunts) provides early evidence for it and it could account for the surname in 17th-century Cambs but the absence of any medieval spellings of the place-name with Aber- or Aver- makes it difficult to assess its plausibility.perhaps a variant of Aveley with -er- as an inverted spelling of medial unstressed -e-. Compare Martha Averley 1787 Martha Aveley 1788 William Aveley 1833 in IGI (Soham Cambs) but spellings with -er- occur much earlier for the Soham family name for which Aveley is more likely to be a late spelling of Averley.
Awdry : 1: from Audrieu (Calvados) which is recorded as Aldreium in 1108. The first known bearer of this name in England William de Aldrie was executed for treason in 1095 and there appears to be no other medieval evidence for the surname in Wilts where William's lands were. Nevertheless the post-medieval evidence for Awdry in Wilts and for Audrey in adjacent counties has been tentatively assigned to this etymology partly because the same surname (and perhaps the same family as William) occurs continuously elsewhere (in Durham from the 12th to the 14th centuries) and partly because a Robert Audrey is recorded in Oxon in 1279. Alternatively the Wilts Berks Oxon and Gloucs surnames derive from the relationship name identified in (2). Odry is an occasional post-medieval variant which as Odery survived sporadically in England until the 1881 census but has now become extinct. 2: from the Middle English female personal name Aldrith which sometimes became Audrey by a 15th-century pronunciation change of /ald/ to /aud/. It derives from one of three Old English female personal names Æðelþrȳð Ælfþrȳð and Ealhþrȳð. The first element in these is æðel ‘noble’ ælf ‘elf sprite’ or ealh ‘shrine temple’ and the second element is þrȳð ‘strength force’. The most popular was Æðelþrȳð commonly latinized as Etheldreda and appearing in various Middle English forms such as Atheldrith(e) Aildrith Aldreth Etheldred and Eldrid(e). It was borne by Saint Etheldred (later known also as Saint Audrey) Queen of Northumbria daughter of Anna king of East Anglia. She was the founder and first abbess of the monastery at Ely in about 672 and her continuing cult after the Norman Conquest was probably responsible for the survival of the personal name well into the 14th century especially in E Anglia. Common Middle English forms like Aldreth and Eldrid probably contributed to Aldred whose main location is E Anglia Eldred which is common in E England and possibly Eldrett. It may be the source of Audrey and Awdry in SW England see (1). 3: from French Auduroy ‘(son) of (someone surnamed) Duroy or Durey’ which itself signified ‘(son) of (someone nicknamed) the king’ (Old French le roi or le rei). Auduroy perhaps through its variant Audurey may have become shortened to Audry and confused with a different surname French Audri from the Old French male personal name Audri Continental Germanic Aldric.
Axup : perhaps from Ashop Farm in Hope Woodlands (Derbys) which is recorded as Asshop Aschope Esshop in the 13th century. The place-name derives from Old English æsc ‘ash-tree’ + hop ‘valley’. For the possible development to Ax- with metathesis of -sc- to -cs- compare the place-name Axford (Wilts) in which Old English æsc in the genitive plural form æsca appears to be the first element (see Axford). However forms of the place-name Ashop with -x- have not been found and there may be no connection between the medieval and post-medieval bearers cited below.
Ayalew : Ethiopian: from the personal name Ayalew a cognate of Ayale which means ‘many’ in the Amharic language. — Note: Since Ethiopians do not have hereditary surnames this name was registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.
Aydon : from one or more of four places in Northumb with similar runs of medieval spellings: Aydon in Corbridge which is recorded as Ayden in 1225 and Haydon in 1346 Aydon in Alnwick recorded as Haydene in 1325 and Ayden in 1346 Haydon in Warden recorded as Heiden in 1255 and a lost Hayden in Ellington recorded thus in 1265. The place-names all derive from Old English denu ‘valley’ with uncertain first elements perhaps Old English hēg ‘hay’ or ēg ‘island’. There may have been some confusion with Haydon.
Aye : 1: North German (Schleswig-Holstein): from a short form of an ancient Germanic (Frisian) personal name with agi ‘point edge (of a sword)’ as its first element.2: Scottish: from a shortened form of the Gaelic personal name Adhamh ‘Adam’.3: Burmese: from a personal name usually forming part of a compound name from e ‘cool; calm and quiet’. — Note: Since Burmese do not have hereditary surnames this name was registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.
Ayele : Ethiopian: from the personal name Ayele which is interpreted as e.g. ‘he is powerful’ in the Amharic language. — Note: Since Ethiopians do not have hereditary surnames this name was registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.
Aylett : English (Essex and London): from the Middle English personal names Aillet Aliett or Eliet the main source of which is the common Old English female name Æthelgȳth composed of the elements æthel ‘noble’ + gȳth ‘war’ but the much rarer Old English male name Æthelgēat containing the tribal name Gēat may also have contributed. See also Elliott and Ellett with which this name may have been confused.
Aylor : 1: Americanized form of German Ehler or Öhler (see Ohler) and possibly also of some other similar (like-sounding) surname (compare Ayler and Eyler).2: English: variant of Ayler. This surname appears to have died out in Britain.
Babcock : English (Lancashire): although the first element of this name would suggest it is derived from the Middle English personal name Babb (see Babb) apparently it is a post-medieval form of Badcock from the Middle English personal name Badecok a pet form of Bade (see Bade) + the diminutive suffix -cok. There is no reason why a Middle English Babbecok a pet form of Babb (itself a pet form of Barbara) should not have existed but evidence has yet to be found.
Babot : 1: from the unrecorded Old French and Middle English personal names *Babet and *Babot. In England they were probably mainly rhyming pet forms of Abbe; see Babb (1). In France they were probably pet forms of Barbara (see Barbary) and may have been interchangeable with Barbet and Barbot. 2: variant of Bobbett with unrounding of the vowel.
Babu : 1: Indian (Gujarat Maharashtra and southern states): from Hindi bābū ‘father’ a derivative of Prakrit bappā used as a respectful term of address for a man also as a term of endearment for a male child. In Gujarat and Maharashtra the surname comes from the respectful term of address while among South Indians the term of endearment evolved into a male personal name. — Note: 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.2: Assyrian/Chaldean: from the personal name or nickname Bābū (compare 1 above) given to one who bears the same personal name as his grandfather.
Back : 1: English (Devon Kent Sussex and Norfolk): from the Middle English personal name Bakke (Old English Bacca). It is of uncertain origin but may have been a byname in the same sense as 3.2: English: nickname from Middle English bakke ‘bat’ of uncertain application perhaps a nickname for a person with poor eyesight from the expression ‘blind as a bat’.3: English: from Middle English bakke ‘back’ (Old English bæc) hence a nickname for someone with a hunched back or some other noticeable peculiarity of the back or spine or a topographic name for someone who lived on a hill or ridge or at the rear of a settlement.4: Americanized form of German Bach 1 2 or 6.5: German (Bäck): variant of Beck.6: North German and Dutch: from Middle Low German or Middle Dutch back ‘trough tub bin’ hence a metonymic occupational name for someone who made or used such artefacts.7: Dutch and North German: perhaps also a derivative of baa(c)k ‘pig; bacon ham’ hence a nickname for a butcher or a pig farmer.8: Dutch: topographic name for someone who lived at the back of somewhere such as a village a main street or a manor house from a phrase such as van de back or from Bak- ‘back’ as a bound form.9: Dutch: from the medieval personal name Ba(c)k(e) which could be a short form of several ancient Germanic personal names beginning with Bald- ‘bold’ Bade- ‘envoy’ or Bag- ‘up in arms’.10: Dutch: in some cases also a derivative of Backer ‘baker and perhaps also a nickname for someone with a hunched back as in the English name in 3 above.11: Swedish (Bäck): topographic or ornamental name from bäck ‘small stream or brook’ or a habitational name from a place called Bäck or from a placename containing the word bäck. Compare Beck.12: Swedish: variant of Backe.13: Americanized form of Norwegian Bakk (see Bakke).
Badcock : from the Middle English personal name Badecok a pet form of Bade + the diminutive suffix -cok.from the Middle English personal name Batecok a pet form of Bate. Through voicing of the -t- this name may have been much confused with Badecok in (i).
Badia : Spanish Catalan and Italian: habitational name from any of numerous places called Badia or Abbadia or a topographic name for someone living near an abbey Spanish abadía Catalan abadia and Italian badia (from Latin abbatia). In some cases the surname may have arisen as a metonymic occupational name for someone who worked in an abbey or who looked after one.
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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