Origin and popularity of the name HIM

Origin

Him : 1: Chinese: Teochew Hokkien or Taiwanese form of the surname 熊 see Xiong 1.2: Chinese: possibly from Cantonese form of the Chinese name 謙 (meaning ‘modest’) a monosyllabic personal name or part of a disyllabic personal name of some early Chinese immigrants in the US.3: Cambodian: written ហ៊ឹម unexplained.

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).

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.

Beato : Spanish Portuguese and southern Italian: from the personal name Beato an omen or well-wishing name from Latin beatus ‘blessed; happy prosperous’ bestowed on a child in the hope of bringing him good fortune.

Boas : 1: Jewish (Ashkenazic): from the Hebrew personal name Boas or Boaz its original sense being ‘in him is strength’. In the Book of Ruth in the Writings of the Hebrew Bible this is the name of Ruth's rich kinsman who later became her husband.2: English (Cornwall): variant of Boyce pronounced as /bɔ:s/or /bɔ:z/ spelled Boase Bose and Boaz also pronounced as /bo:s/ developing to /bu:s/ or /bu:z/ and spelled Boose.3: English: variant of Bowes.

Bonaventura : 1: Italian: from the personal name Bonaventura meaning ‘good fortune’ bestowed as an omen or well-wishing name or in honor of a 13th-century Italian bishop and theologian St. Bonaventure (San Bonaventura in Italian) who was given the nickname Bonaventura by St. Francis of Assisi when he cured him miraculously as a child.2: Catalan: from the Italian personal name Bonaventura the name of a Christian saint (see 1 above).

Cha : 1: Korean (Ch’a): written 자 in Chinese characters 車 meaning ‘cart’ or ‘wagon’. This is the only Chinese character for the surname Ch’a and the Yŏnan Ch’a clan is the only clan. Their founding ancestor was Ch’a Hyojŏn (車; 孝全) the son of a Koryŏ high minister named Yu Ch’a-tal (10th century AD). He served the incoming Koryŏ rulers with exceptional valour and loyalty so the Koryŏ monarch bestowed upon his first son the surname Ch’a (車) and enfeoffed him with Yŏnan County in Hwanghae South Province. Ch’a is a fairly common surname throughout the Korean peninsula but most of the clan's members live in Kyŏngsang province Hwanghae province or P’yŏngan province.2: Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 茶 meaning ‘tea’ in Chinese: (i) possibly borne by the descendants of Lu Yu (733–804 AD) a famous figure during the Tang dynasty (618–907 AD) known as the Sage of Tea who wrote the book Classic of Tea. (ii) from the first element of the placename Chalin (茶陵 located in present-day Hunan province) said to be the place where the legendary Yan Emperor was buried. (iii) adopted in place of the surname Meng (蒙) by some members living in Yunnan in order to avoid persecution or feud. (iv) adopted as a Han Chinese surname by some minority ethnic groups in southwestern China.3: Chinese: Cantonese form and alternative Mandarin form of the surname 查 see Zha.4: Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 謝 see Xie 1.5: Southeast Asian (Hmong): from the name of the Cha or Chang clan of the Hmong people in Laos China and Vietnam; in Chinese characters it is written 張 (see Zhang 1). Compare Chang 14.

Che : 1: Chinese: Mandarin and Cantonese form of the surname 車 meaning ‘carriage’ or ‘cart’ in Chinese: (i) said to be borne by descendants of Che Ou (車區) an astrologist during the reign of the legendary Huang Di the ‘Yellow Emperor’ (c. 27th century BC). (ii) shortened form of the surname Zi Che (子車) a surname of noblemen in the state of Qin. (iii) from Che Cheng Xiang (車丞相) literally ‘Carriage Prime Minister’ the title of Tian Qianqiu a prime minister during the Western Han dynasty (206 BC–25 AD). He earned the title because when he was old and decrepit Emperor Zhao of Han (94–74 BC) took pity on him and allowed him to move into and out of the palace by carriage instead of on foot. (iv) adopted as a surname by the Che Kun (車裩) and Che Fei (車非) families from the Xianbei ethnic group in northern China during the Northern Wei dynasty (386–534 AD).2: Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 謝 see Xie 1.3: Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 齊 see Qi 1.4: Vietnamese (Chế): written 制 in Chinese of unexplained etymology. It is found among the Cham people in southern Vietnam.5: Korean: variant of Chae.6: Amerindian (Guatemala Mexico and Belize; also Ché): Mayan name from che' ‘tree wood’.7: Catalan (Valencia): nickname from xe ‘typical person from Valencia’ (from the interjection xe!).

Cho : 1: Korean: written 조 in Chinese characters 趙 and 曺. There are only these two Chinese characters for the surname Cho. (i) Some records indicate a total of 210 different Cho clans which use the Chinese character 趙 but only fifteen can be documented with confidence. Each of these claims a different founding ancestor. Most of them trace their origins to the beginning of the Koryŏ kingdom (early 10th century). (ii) Only one clan the Ch’angnyŏng Cho uses the Chinese character 曺. The founder of this clan's name was Cho Kye-ryong (曺 繼龍). According to legend there was a certain scholar named Yi Kwang-ok whose daughter very much wanted to marry. A monk visited her and told her to go to Hwawang Mountain to pray at the dragon pond. The maiden did so and upon her return found herself to be pregnant. In a dream a young man with a crown and a jade belt appeared to her. A few months later in the 48th year of the reign of the Shilla King Chinp’yŏng (AD 626) she gave birth to a little boy under whose arm the Chinese character for Cho appeared in red. The king understanding the boy to be special named him Cho Kyeryong and married him to his daughter the princess. So began the Ch’angnyŏng Cho clan. Compare Jo 1 Joe 3 and Joh 1.2: Chinese: Cantonese form of the surname 祖 see Zu 1.3: Chinese: Cantonese form of the surname 左 see Zuo 1.4: Chinese: alternative Mandarin form of the surname 卓 see Zhuo 1.5: Chinese: Cantonese form of the surname 曹 see Cao 1.6: Chinese: Cantonese form of the surname 楚 see Chu 1.7: Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 鄒 see Zou.8: Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 巢 see Chao 1.9: Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 周 see Zhou 1.10: Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 趙 see Zhao 1.

Chon : 1: Korean (Chŏn): written 전 in Chinese characters 全 meaning ‘complete’ or ‘perfect’. There are actually three Chinese characters for the surname Chŏn. (i) Some sources number the clans which use the most common character 全 as high as 178 but only seventeen have been documented. All of these descend from a common ancestor Chŏn Sŏp (全 聶). The founding king of the Koguryŏ kingdom (37 BC–AD 668) had three sons the youngest of whom went south and established what would later become one of Koguryŏ's rival kingdoms Paekche. This son took with him ten servants one of whom was Chŏn Sŏp. (ii) Five clans use the second most common Chinese character for their surname. These clans descended from different ancestors at least two of whom migrated to Korea from China. (iii) The clan which uses the least common character the Mun’gyŏng Chŏn descends from an ancestor named Chŏn Yu-gŏm. Chŏn Yu-gŏm was a minister sent from China to visit the Koryŏ court in the mid 14th century. He decided to stay in Korea and married the elder sister of a famous Koryŏ general Ch’oe Yŏng. When the Koryŏ kingdom fell to the Chosŏn kingdom in 1392 Chŏn abandoned his government post and retired to the countryside to pass the remainder of his years in peaceful obscurity. Compare Cheon Chun 11 Jeon and Jon 1.2: Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 莊 see Zhuang.3: Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 張 see Zhang 1.

Chu : 1: Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 楚 meaning ‘pain’ or ‘clear’ in ancient Chinese: (i) from Chu (楚) the name of a state (covering Hubei Hunan Anhui Jiangsu and Jiangxi provinces) originally granted to Xiong Yi and finally annexed by the state of Qin in 223 BC. (ii) from the personal name Chu (楚) personal name of Lin Chu (林楚) an official in the state of Lu during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). (iii) borne by descendants of Chu Long (楚隆) an official in the state of Jin during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC).2: Chinese: Mandarin and Cantonese form of the surname 褚 meaning ‘padding in garment’: (i) from Chu (褚) the name of a fief (located in Luoyang in Henan province) granted to Duan prince of the state of Song who was revered for his virtue and known as Chu Shi (褚師). (ii) possibly from Chu (褚) the name of a pavilion or a canal (located in Luoyang in Henan province).3: Chinese: Mandarin and Cantonese form of the surname 儲 meaning ‘store’ in Chinese: from the first element of the personal name Chu Zi (儲子) style name of an official in the state of Qi during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC).4: Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 初 meaning ‘initial’ in Chinese: (i) said to be borne by the descendants of Shu Xiong third son of the king Xiong Yan (died 828 BC) in the state of Chu during the Western Zhou dynasty (1046–771 BC). He failed in the competitions for the throne among the princes and later fled to the wild lands. He then adopted the surname Chu (初) a similar-sounding Chinese character to the name of his original state. (ii) said to be traced back to the royal families of the Shang dynasty (1600–1046 BC). (iii) said to be traced back to Xue Hongzuo a general during the Northern Wei dynasty (386–534 AD) who was endowed with the surname Chu (初) by Emperor Taiwu of Northern Wei (408–452 AD). (iv) said to be traced back to Qi Wei (祁暐) an official in the Northern Song dynasty (960 AD –1127 AD) who changed his original surname Qi (祁) to Chu (初) because the then emperor Emperor Zhenzong of Song (968–1022 AD) once called him by the wrong name Chu Wei (初暐).5: Chinese: Cantonese form and alternative Mandarin form of the surnames 朱 and 諸. Also alternative Mandarin form of the surnames 祝 竺 and 竹. See Zhu 1-5.6: Chinese: alternative Mandarin form of the surnames 曲 瞿 屈 鞠 麴 璩 and 渠 see Qu 1-6.7: Chinese: alternative Mandarin form of the surnames 鞠 居 巨 琚 and 劇 see Ju 1-5.8: Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 祖 see Zu 1.9: Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 周 see Zhou 1.10: Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 曹 see Cao 1.11: Chinese: variant Romanization of the surnames 趙 and 招 see Zhao 1 and 2.12: Chinese: variant Romanization of the surnames 邱 and 丘 see Qiu 1 and 2.13: Korean: written 주 in Chinese characters 朱 meaning ‘red’ and 周 meaning ‘round’. There are only these two Chinese characters for the Chu surname in use in Korea. The character 朱 has only one clan associated with it (the Shinan Chu clan) and while some records indicate that the other has as many as 25 only four can be documented; all of these descended from a common ancestor Chu Hwang (周 璜) who was naturalized in 907 after fleeing from civil unrest in Tang China. This family claim to be descended from the ruling family of the Chinese Chu Dynasty. The Shinan Chu clan is descended from a man named Chu Cham (朱 潜) a direct descendant of the Chinese philosopher Chu-tze. Chu Cham migrated from China to Korea some time in the early 13th century. Chu is a fairly common surname and is found throughout the peninsula. Compare Chew 4 Choo 2 Joo 3 Jou 3 Ju 11 and Jue 4.14: Vietnamese: from the Chinese surname 朱 (see Zhu 1).15: Vietnamese (Chử): from the Chinese surname 褚 (see 2 above). Also possibly a variant of Châu (see Chau).

Clays : 1: from The Clays in Spurstow (Cheshire) recorded from the 14th cent. The place-name derives from a plural form of Old English clǣg ‘clay clayey soil’ and evidently alluded to an area of clayey places. 2: variant of Clay with Middle English plural -s or post-medieval excrescent -s. Compare Stephen Clay 1334-5 in Subsidy Rolls (Faversham Kent) with the 1381example of Cleys in Canterbury (8 miles away). Some early bearers might otherwise belong at (3). 3: from the Middle Dutch personal name Klaas Claes a pet form of Niklaas (see Nicholas). It is not known how many of the Dutch immigrants who swore oaths of loyalty to the king or who were taxed by him settled permanently in 15th-century England. Compare Clayson. 4: from Clies in Mawgan in Meneage (Cornwall). The place-name derives from Cornish *cleys ‘trench groove’.

Cyril : West Indian Indian and African (mainly Nigeria): from the personal name Cyril an English form of Greek Kyrillos a pet form of Kyrios a Christian adjective meaning ‘of the Lord’ derived from the Greek noun kyrios ‘lord’. This was the name of a number of early Christian saints notably the theologians Cyril of Alexandria and Cyril of Jerusalem and of the saint and missionary (826–869) who together with his brother Methodios brought Christianity to the Slavs; the Cyrillic alphabet which is still used today for writing Russian Ukrainian Belorussian Bulgarian Serbian Macedonian Rusyn and certain other languages is named for him. Saint Cyril is therefore especially venerated as a saint among the Slavs; some of the principal forms of this name in Slavic languages are Russian Kiril Ukrainian and Rusyn Kyryl(o) Polish Cyryl Slovak Cyril and Slovenian Ciril; see also Curylo Kurilla and Kurylo. The name is also established in southern Italy (see Cirillo) and in Spain (see Cirilo).

Esau : English: from the Biblical personal name Esau deriving from a word meaning ‘hairy’ in Hebrew. This was adopted as a personal name among Nonconformists in the 17th century hence the surname especially in south Wales. Esau was the elder twin brother of Jacob who supplanted him (Genesis 25:25) and became the ancestral patriarch of the Israelites.

Fitzgibbon : Irish: from Anglo-Norman French fi(t)z ‘son’ (see Fitz) + the personal name Gibbon a Norman French pet form of Gilbert; ‘son of Gibbon’. This name has long been a widespread and important surname in Ireland and Gaelicized as Mac Giobúin. Sir Gilbert (Gibbon) FitzJohn illegitimate son of John FitzGerald 1st Baron Desmond (died 1261) was the ancestor of a line of Anglo-Norman aristocracy in Ireland who acquired the surname Fitzgibbon with reference to him. Gilbert and his Fitzgibbon descendants were known as ‘the White Knights’ on account of their fair complexion.

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.

Ge : 1: Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 葛 referring to a ‘type of herbal plant’: (i) said to be from Ge-Tian (葛天) the name of an ancient tribe in China living prior to the Xia dynasty (2070–1600 BC). (ii) from Ge (葛) the name of an ancient state (located in Henan province) during the Xia dynasty (2070–1600 BC). (iii) borne by descendants of Hong Ge Lu (洪葛盧) also known as Hong Pu Lu who offered support to Emperor Guangwu of Han (5 BC–57 AD) and made great contributions to the establishment of the Eastern Han dynasty (25–220 AD). He later transferred the title that had been conferred on him by the emperor to his brother and migrated to Gou Rong (in present-day Jiangsu province). Some of his descendants inherited Ge (葛) part of his personal name as their surname. (iv) adopted as a surname by the He Ge (賀葛) family members of the Xianbei ethnic group in northern China during the Northern Wei dynasty (386–534 AD).2: Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 戈 referring to a ‘kind of weapon’ in ancient China: from Ge (戈) the name of an ancient state (located in Henan province) during the Xia dynasty (2070–1600 BC).3: Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 倪 see Ni.4: Chinese: alternative Mandarin form of the surname 蓋 see Gai 1.5: In some cases possibly also French (Gé): variant of Gée (see Gee).

Glissman : Americanized form of German Glissmann:: 1: nickname for someone with something shining about him or his appearance from Middle High German gliz ‘sheen sparkle’.2: habitational name for someone from either of two places called Glissen in Lower Saxony west of the Weser river.

Handlos : German:: 1: from handlos literally ‘handless’ hence presumably a nickname for someone who had lost one or both of his hands.2: status name for a feudal tenant who paid the so-called hant-loese ‘hand fee’ for a non-inheritable fief given to him for life; from Middle High German hant ‘hand’ + lœse ‘redemption in cash’.

Idris : Muslim: from an Arabic personal name Idrīs. Idrīs is mentioned in the Koran as a prophet and many legends are related of him in Arabic folklore and literature. Linguistically his name corresponds to Hebrew Ezra Greek Esdras but the Muslim figure is not the same person as the Biblical prophet of this name. Some legends about him correspond more nearly to those about the Biblical Enoch. Compare Idrees.

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.

Job : 1: German French Polish Czech Slovak Croatian and Slovenian; Hungarian (Jób): from the personal name (Hebrew Iyyob) borne by a Biblical character the central figure in the Book of Job who was tormented by God and yet refused to forswear Him. The name has been variously interpreted as ‘Where is the (divine) father?’ and ‘Persecuted one’. The surname may also be a nickname for a wretched person or one tormented with boils (which was one of Job's afflictions). Compare Yob; see also 5 below.2: English: from the Middle English personal name Jop(e) Joppe or Job(be) (perhaps also Jubbe). The name may have more than one source but it was certainly a pet form of Geoffrey (see Jeffrey). Joppe was originally a pet form of Joffrey an Old French side-form of Geoffrey. The change of final /f/ to /p/ is the same as that in Jeff(e) to Jepp(e) (see Jepson).3: English: perhaps from a Middle English pet form of Old French Jobert; compare Jobin.4: English: nickname from Middle English joppe (medieval Latin joppus) ‘fool’ perhaps related to 16th-century French jobe ‘simpleton’. Compare Middle English jobard and jobet ‘blockhead fool’.5: English: perhaps also from the Biblical personal name Job (see 1 above) which does not seem to have been used as a personal name in Britain in the Middle Ages and the commonly held beliefs (for example in Bardsley Weekley and Reaney and Wilson) that Job was a (frequent) character in the medieval mystery plays and that this gave rise to a popular Middle English personal name have no foundation.

Lava : 1: Italian (northern): habitational name from any of the many places called Lava named with lava ‘landslide’.2: Spanish: unexplained. This surname is also found in the Philippines.3: Indian (Rajasthan): Rajput name referring to Lav son of Rama from a Sanskrit word meaning ‘piece’ referring to the piece of grass used by the sage Valmiki to bless him at birth.

Lubin : 1: French and Haitian: from the French personal name Lubin which is from the ancient Germanic name Leobin a pet form of any of the compound names formed with leub liup liob ‘dear beloved’ as the first element. Saint Leobin was a bishop of Chartres in the 6th century (whence the name's popularity in the Middle Ages) and several places were named Saint-Lubin after him as for example in Eure Eure-et-Loir and Loir-et-Cher.2: Jewish (from Belarus): habitational name from Lyubin and Lyubny now in Belarus.3: Jewish (from Belarus): metronymic from the Yiddish personal name Lube from lyubov an East Slavic word for ‘love’. It is formed with the Slavic possessive suffix -in.

Marie : 1: French and English (Jersey; also Surrey and Middlesex): from the female personal name Marie Latin Maria. In England it is in part of Huguenot origin. Compare Mary.2: French (Marié): from marié ‘married’ the past participle of marier ‘to marry’ a nickname for a man newly married or perhaps for a son-in-law or a status name for a married individual used to distinguish him from an unmarried namesake. Compare Lemarie and Marier.

Matamoros : Spanish: from Matamoros meaning ‘killer of Moors’ a title given to Spain's patron saint Saint James in the Middle Ages (from matar ‘to kill’ + moros ‘Moors’). According to legend the saint appeared to a 9th-century Spanish king during a battle and enabled him to massacre 60 000 Saracens.

Mill : 1: Scottish and English: topographic name for someone who lived near a mill from Middle English mille melle mulle ‘mill’ (assimilated forms of Old English mylen). It was usually in effect an occupational name for a worker at a mill or for the miller himself. The mill whether powered by water wind or (occasionally) animals was an important center in every medieval settlement; it was normally operated by an agent of the local landowner and individual peasants were compelled to come to him to have their grain ground into flour a proportion of the ground grain being kept by the miller by way of payment.2: English: from the Middle English female personal name Mill a short form of Millicent (compare Millett) or perhaps from a variant of the Middle English male personal name Mile (see Miles).4: Dutch (Van Mill): habitational name from Mill in North Brabant.3: German: habitational name from Millen (North Rhine-Westphalia).

Min : 1: Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 閔 meaning ‘bad luck pity or sorrow’ in ancient Chinese: from Min (閔) the posthumous title of the Duke Min of Lu the 17th ruler of the state of Lu (located in present-day Shandong province). After only two years on the throne (661–660 BC) he was murdered. His successor gave him the posthumous title 閔 (Min) which became established as a surname for his descendants.2: Chinese: variant Romanization of the Chinese surname 文 see Wen 2.3: Korean: there is only one Chinese character used for the Min surname. There is a legend that the Min clan's founding ancestor Ch’ing-do was a descendant of Ch’a kŏn one of the ten disciples of Confucius. Ch’ing-do an emissary from China to the Koryŏ kingdom decided to stay and settled in the Yŏhŭng area. The surname Min can be found throughout Korea but it is particularly concentrated in Chŏlla and Kyŏngsang provinces.4: Burmese: from a personal name usually forming part of a compound name from min ‘king ruler’ a term also denoting a high government official. Compare Minn 3. — Note: Since Burmese do not have hereditary surnames this name was registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.5: Dutch and Flemish (also De Min): nickname from Middle Dutch minne ‘beloved sweetheart’.6: Dutch: from a shortened form of the personal name Dominicus (see Dominick).

No : 1: Korean: there are three Chinese characters for the No surname one of which is very rare. Between the three characters there are a total of sixteen clans. All of the clans are descended from founding ancestors from China. One of the founding ancestors No Su migrated from China in 755 and brought with him his nine sons. Each of his sons went on to found another clan. No is a very common surname in Korea and is found throughout the peninsula. Compare Noh 1 and Ro.2: Japanese (Nō): written 能 ‘ability’. It is found in the Ryūkyūan island of Amami.

Patron : 1: Spanish (Patrón): from Spanish patrón ‘master’ (from Latin patronus a derivative of pater ‘father’). The term had various senses in the Middle Ages; it was applied for example to the master of a ship and also to the former owner of a freed serf who still enjoyed certain rights over him.2: Italian: variant of Patrone.

Patrone : Italian: nickname or status name from patrone ‘master’ (from Latin patronus a derivative of pater ‘father’). The term had various senses in the Middle Ages: it was applied for example to a householder the master of a ship and also to the former owner of a freed serf who still enjoyed certain rights over him.

Pluckrose : from Middle English plukken‘to pull’ + rose ‘rose’. Compare John Pullerose 1296 in Subsidy Rolls (Sussex) and William Pullerose 1301 in Subsidy Rolls (Yorks). According to Patronymica Britannica the medieval practice of holding lands by the annual rent of a rose survived into the 19th century: ‘A friend of mine holds a landed property on the borders of Ashdown Forest Sussex part of the Duchy of Lancaster by one red rose. On the front of a farm-house belonging to him is a large rose tree to which the reeve of the manor periodically comes and either plucking or pulling a flower sticks it into his button-hole and walks off.’

Pong : 1: Chinese: Cantonese form of the surnames 龐 and 逄 see Pang 1 and 2.2: Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 彭 see Peng 1.3: Chinese: possibly from Cantonese form of the Chinese name 邦 (meaning ‘state’) a monosyllabic personal name or part of a disyllabic personal names of some early Chinese immigrants in the US.4: Korean: there are two Chinese characters for the surname Pong but only one is common enough to warrant treatment here. Some records indicate that there are nineteen Pong clans but only the clans of Kanghwa and Haŭm can be documented as legitimate clans. The majority of the Pong clan lives in either Hwanghae Province or Kyŏnggi Province. According to legends an old woman walking along the beach in Haŭm district of Kwanghwa found a stone box floating on the water. Inside was an extraordinary baby boy whom she presented to Koryŏ king Injong in 1107. The king named the baby Pong-u and raised him within the precincts of his court. Pong-u's descendants continued to live in the Haŭm area and the clan came to be known as the Haŭm Pong clan. The founding ancestor of the Kanghwa Pong clan is unknown and there is speculation that perhaps the Kanghwa Pong clan is in fact descended from the Haŭm Pong clan.

Rasnick : 1: Americanized form of German (Bavaria) Rührschneck: of Austrian origin a humorous nickname for a slowpoke a slow person urging him to move from Middle High German rüeren ‘to move’ + snecke ‘snail’ (see Schneck). Compare Rasnake and Rasnic.2: Americanized form of Jewish Reznik or Resnik ‘butcher ritual slaughterer’. Compare Resnick and Rasnic.3: In some cases perhaps also an Americanized form of Slovenian Resnik. Compare Resnick.

Saint George : directly or indirectly from Saint Georges i.e. Saint George the national saint wildly popular in medieval England; most likely a topographical name from one of several places in France commemorating him mainly in the south.

Saul : 1: English French German Italian and Jewish: from the personal name Saul (Hebrew Shaul ‘asked-for’) the name of the king of Israel whose story is recounted in the first book of Samuel. In spite of his success in uniting Israel and his military prowess Saul had a troubled reign not least because of his long conflict with the young David who eventually succeeded him. Perhaps for this reason the personal name was not particularly common in medieval times. A further disincentive to its popularity as a Christian name was the fact that it was the original name of Saint Paul borne by him while he was persecuting Christians and rejected by him after his conversion to Christianity. It may in part have arisen as a nickname for someone who had played the part of the Biblical king in a religious play.2: English: variant of Sall.3: English and Irish: variant of Sale 2.

Schwitzer : 1: German: variant of Schweitzer.2: German: habitational name for someone from Schwitz in Bohemia.3: Jewish (Ashkenazic): nickname from Yiddish shvitser ‘one who perspires’ or ‘dandy’ (one who dressed in fine clothes even if they made him perspire).

Shin : 1: Korean: written 신 in Chinese characters 申. There are actually three Chinese characters for the Shin surname but two are rather rare and are not treated here. The Shin (申) family is divided into two clans. The Pyŏngsan Shin family is descended from Sam Nŭng-san (삼 능산) who assisted the founding king of the Koryŏ Kingdom in the early tenth century. To honour him the king bestowed a new name on him: Shin Sung-kyŏm (申 崇謙). According to legend one day while he was out hunting with the king three wild geese flew out of some bushes in front of them. The king challenged his companions to shoot one of them; Shin Sung-kyŏm said he would hit the third goose on the left wing. He successfully did this and in recognition of his marksmanship the king bestowed upon him a tract of land in Pyŏngsan County of Hwanghae Province. Shin Sung-kyŏm was later killed in battle while protecting the king. The other clan the Koryŏng Shin clan is descended from Shin Sŏng-yong (申 成用) a Koryŏ official whose descendants claimed Koryŏng County in Kyŏngsang North Province as their clan seat. Compare Sheen 5 and Sin 9.2: Chinese: Hokkien or Taiwanese Romanization of the surname 辛 see Xin 1.3: Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 沈. Also Hokkien or Taiwanese Romanization of the surname 申 see Shen 1 and 2.4: Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 邢 see Xing 1.5: In some cases possibly also English (Norfolk and Suffolk): variant of Shinn.

Tammaro : Italian (Campania): from the personal name Tammaro (ecclesiastical Latin Tammarus) of obscure origin. This name was brought in Italy by one of twelve African priests who persecuted by the Vandals came to Campania to preach Christianity. San Tammaro in Caserta province is named after him.

Torabi : Muslim (Iran): surname denoting descent from or association with someone called Torāb a Persian form of the Arabic personal name Turāb ‘soil earth dust’ in particular from/with the first Shiite imam Ali called Abū Turāb ‘Father of Soil/Dust’ (a title given to Ali by the prophet Muhammad who found him sleeping while covered with dust).

Virgil : 1: English West Indian (Trinidad and Tobago Bermuda Turks and Caicos) and Spanish: from the personal name Virgil from Latin Virgilius originally Vergilius perhaps connected in some way with the name Vergiliae ‘the Pleiades’. The name is famous in particular as that of the Latin poet Publius Vergilius Maro (70–19 BC) author of the Aeneid. Virgil was much admired in medieval Europe; there were attempts to make him into an honorary Christian (even though he actually lived before the time of Christ) and Dante made him his guide through the Inferno and Purgatorio a model of classical moderation and reason. This was also the name of an early Christian saint a 6th-century bishop of Arles. This surname is very rare in Britain.2: French: rare variant and an Americanized form of Virgile a cognate of 1 above.

Vito : Italian: from the personal name Vito Latin Vitus ‘lively energetic’ from vita ‘life’ (compare Vita). The name was popular in the Middle Ages as the result of the cult of an early Christian martyr in southern Italy about whom very little is known. He was regarded as a patron against epilepsy and the nervous tremor named after him ‘St. Vitus's dance’. His cult spread into Germany and thence through Eastern Europe where the name was reinforced by native Slavic names such as Vitoslav and Vitomir with the first element most likely derived from Old Slavic vitъ ‘loot wealth’ (see also Wit). It may also derive in part from the Langobardic name Wido or Frankish Wit(t)o (see Guido).

Yon : 1: French: from the old personal name Yon from Latin Ionis popularized by a 3rd-century Christian saint from Athens who evangelized Châtres (present-day Arpajon) where he was martyred. Compare Yaun.2: Altered form of Yohn a surname of German origin.3: Altered form of French Guyon reflecting the specific former French Canadian pronunciation of the initial G- followed by a vowel. Compare Yeon 2 and Young 4.4: Cambodian: written យុន of Chinese origin from 尹 see Yin 2.5: Korean (Yŏn): written 연 in Chinese characters 延 meaning ‘delay’. There are three Chinese characters for the surname Yŏn but only one of which occurs frequently enough to be treated here. Some sources indicate that there are thirty Yŏn clans but they all seem to be descended from the Hapsan Yŏn clan whose founding ancestor Yŏn Su-ch’ang migrated to the Koryŏ kingdom after escorting a princess to the Koryŏ court. The king (probably King Ch’ungyŏl 1274–1308) gave him some land in the Hapsan area and so began the Hapsan Yŏn clan. The surname can be found throughout the peninsula but it is most common in Ch’ungch’ŏng North province. Compare Yeon 1.6: Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 楊 see Yang 1.7: Chinese: variant Romanization of the surnames 容 and 榮 see Rong 2 and 4.

Yun : 1: Korean: written 윤 in Chinese characters 尹 meaning ‘govern’. Although some records indicate the existence of 149 clans only ten can be documented. Each descends from a different ancestor. The largest that of P’ap’yŏng descends from a man named Shin Tal. According to legend an old woman named Yun On who lived in P’ap’yŏng saw a rainbow over a lotus pond in the mountains. When she went to investigate she found a boy in a box. The boy had scales under his arm and seven dark birth marks on his body. She raised him as her own and gave him her name Yun. The oldest Yun clan that of Tamwŏn descends from a man named Shi-yŏng who lived during the reign of the Shilla King Muyŏl (654–661). Compare Yoon 1 and Youn.2: Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 雲 from a word meaning ‘cloud’ in Chinese: (i) from Yun (鄖) the name of an ancient state (located in present-day Hubei province) which was annexed by the state of Chu during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). The name of the state was adopted as a surname but a different character pronounced the same was chosen as the written form. (ii) from the Die Yun (牒雲) Xi Yun (悉雲) Shi Yun (是雲) and You Lian (宥連) families of the Xianbei ethnic group in northern China who acquired this surname during the Northern Wei dynasty (386–534 AD). (iii) shortened form of Jin Yun (縉雲) said to be the name of an official post during the reign of the legendary Huang Di the ‘Yellow Emperor’ (c. 27th century BC). (iv) adopted as a Han Chinese surname by some minority ethnic groups (such as Mongolians).3: Chinese: Mandarin form of the surnames 員 or 貟 (another written form of 員): (i) from Yun (鄖) the name of an ancient state which was annexed by the state of Chu (see 2 (i) above). (ii) from the personal name Yun (員) personal name of Wu Zixu (559–484 BC) a famous general in the state of Wu during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). (iii) adopted as a surname by Liu Ning an official during the Song period (420 AD – 479 AD) in the Southern dynasties who changed his original surname Liu (劉) to Yun (員) in memory of his idol Wu Zixu (559–484 BC) a famous general in the state of Wu during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC).4: Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 惲: (i) adopted in place of another Chinese surname Yun (鄆) which was traced back to name of a fief in the state of Lu during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). (ii) from the second element of the personal name Xiong Yun (熊惲) style name of King Cheng of Chu (ruler of the state of Chu died 626 BC). (iii) from the personal name Yun (惲) personal name of Yang Yun (楊惲 died 54 BC) known as Marquis of Pingtong during the Western Han dynasty (206 BC–25 AD) who was killed by Emperor Xuan of Han (91–49 AD). After his death his descendants adopted his personal name Yun (惲) as the new surname in order to escape from the feud.5: Chinese: variant Romanization of the surnames 殷 尹 and 印 see Yin 1-3.6: Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 溫 see Wen 1.7: Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 嚴 see Yan 1.8: Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 阮 see Ruan 3.9: Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 楊 see Yang 1.10: Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 甄 see Zhen.11: Probably also an Americanized form of Czech Jun ‘youthful agile’.

More

Subject to the Terms and Conditions of Ancestry

Last name frequency

Geographic distribution of the 3,797 individuals with the name HIM on Geneanet.

This last name in the family trees

See below the Geneanet members' family trees which contain the last name HIM