Origin
Hunting : English (Suffolk and Norfolk): from the Middle English personal name Hunting a derivative of Old English hunta ‘hunter’ perhaps originally used as a patronymic.
Bi : 1: Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 畢 originally denoting a kind of hand-net used in hunting or meaning ‘to complete’ in ancient Chinese: (i) from the placename Bi (畢) the name of a fief (located in present-day Shaanxi province) which was granted to Bi Gong Gao (畢公高 or Duke of Bi) the 15th son of the virtuous King Wen of Zhou (1152–1056 BC). (ii) adopted as a surname by the Chu Lian (出連) family from the Xianbei ethnic group in northern China during the Northern Wei dynasty (386–534 AD).2: Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 秘 (also pronounced as Bei or Mi in Mandarin in some local regions) meaning ‘secret’ in Chinese: surname traced back to some powerful clans in the Qiang minority ethnic group in ancient western China.3: Chinese: Teochew form of the surname 米 see Mai 1. This pronunciation is found in eastern Guangdong province from where some people migrated to Singapore Malaysia and Thailand.4: Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 費 (also pronounced as Fei in Mandarin pinyin). See Fei 1.5: Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 閉 meaning ‘close’ in Chinese: surname mainly found among the Zhuang ethnic group (located in present-day Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region) said to be adopted by migrants from the present-day Shangdong province.6: Vietnamese (Bì): from the Chinese surname 皮 see Pi 2.7: In some cases also West African (Ghana): Akan name perhaps from a personal name based on Twi (or a related dialect of the Akan language) bi ‘another’.
Bracco : Italian:: 1: from bracco ‘hunting dog bloodhound’ (from Old High German brakko via French brac) probably a nickname for someone thought to resemble a hunting dog.2: in southern Italy most likely a nickname from Calabrian braccu ‘small and chubby’.3: possibly a habitational name from a place called Bracco for example in Liguria province.
Brack : 1: German: metonymic occupational name for a master of hunting dogs or a nickname for someone thought to resemble a hunting dog Middle High German bracke.2: North German: topographic name from Middle Low German brake ‘brushwood’ also ‘breach point in the dyke’ or a habitational name from any of the places called Braack and Brake in northern Germany.3: Swiss German: nickname for a slow or clumsy person.4: English: possibly from a Middle English singular noun brack (found only as a surname) a possible variant of brache (a word of Old French origin normally found only in the plural) denoting one of a pair or pack of hounds that hunt by scent (compare 1 above).5: Irish: from Ó Bric see Brick or from the adjectival epithet breac ‘speckled’.6: Irish: variant of Breakey.
Bucktrout : from Middle English bukke ‘male of the fallow deer’ + a word trout perhaps related to Old French trout (a cry used to urge on hunting dogs) or to the verb troat trout ‘(of the fallow buck) to bellow at rutting-time’. Compare the definition in Cotgrave's Dictionary of French and English Tongues (1611): ‘Réer Rere to bellow as a Stag to trout as a Buck.’ However this is the earliest known use of the verb and there is no evidence for its use as a noun. Bardsley explains it as a compound of Middle English bukke ‘male (of the fallow deer)’ + trout ‘trout’ denoting the male of the fish but this seems a strange coinage and is unconvincing.
Bugle : from Middle English (Anglo-Norman French) bugle ‘wild ox or bull’ an undomesticated animal reputed for its fierceness and for the size of its horns which were prized as drinking vessels and as instruments for blowing in battle or when hunting. The definite article in the medieval examples imply that the name was usually given to men with the physique or temperament of the animal but bugle could also denote the horn of the ox so other interpretations are possible; compare Bugler.
Catana : 1: Romanian (Cătană Catană): occupational name from cătánă ‘soldier’ from Hungarian katona (see Katona).2: Italian (Umbria): nickname for a huntsman from catana a word that denoted a kind of hunting jacket with big pockets or a large bag used by huntsmen.
Catt : 1: English (Sussex and Kent): nickname from Middle English c(h)at ‘cat’ (Old English catt Norman and Picard Old French cat Parisian Old French chat). The word is found in similar forms in most European languages from very early times (e.g. Gaelic cath Old Slavic kotъ). Domestic cats were unknown in Europe in classical times when weasels fulfilled many of their functions for example in hunting rodents. They seem to have come from Egypt where they were regarded as sacred animals.2: English: occasionally perhaps from an unrecorded Middle English female personal name Cat a pet form of Catelin ‘Catherine’. See Catlin. Alternatively perhaps from an unrecorded Middle English personal name Cat(te) or Chat(te) a survival of Old C(e)atta which is well attested in placenames.3: Americanized form of North German Katt.
Diana : Italian: from the female personal name Diana the name borne in Roman mythology by the goddess of the moon and of hunting.
Fang : 1: Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 方 meaning ‘square’ in Chinese: (i) from Fang (方) the name of a hill which according to legend was a fief (thought to be in present-day Yuzhou or Songshan in Henan province) granted to Lei (known as Fang Lei Shi 方雷氏) son of the legendary king Yu Wang (traditional dates: 4561–4494 BC). (ii) from the first element of the personal name Fang Shu (方叔) style name of an official during the Western Zhou dynasty (1046–771 BC).2: Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 房 meaning ‘house’ in Chinese: (i) from the placename Fang (房) the name of a fief (located in present-day Suiping in Henan province) granted to Danzhu son of the legendary Emperor Yao (c. 24th century BC). (ii) adopted as a surname by the Wu Yin (屋引) family from the Xianbei ethnic group in northern China during the Northern Wei Dynasty (386–534 AD).3: Southeast Asian (Hmong): from the name of the Fang clan of the Hmong people in Laos China and Vietnam; in Chinese characters it is written 黃 (see Huang).4: German: from Middle High German vanc ‘catch enclosure’ hence a topographic name for someone who lived by an enclosed plot of land a hunting ground a place where traps were set (for game or fish) or a pit; or a byname meaning ‘the catch’ for a foreigner who had been forced into bondage.
Fankhauser : South German and Swiss German: topographic name for someone living by a Fanghaus literally ‘capture house’ a building or enclosure in which live animals captured by hunting or trapping were kept.
Federspiel : South German and Swiss German: metonymic occupational name for a falconer from Middle High German vederspil ‘bird of prey (trained for hunting)’.
Firth : 1: English: topographic name from Middle English firthe frithe frethe ‘frith wood woodland’ also ‘hunting ground’ (whether or not wooded). These are forms of Old English firhthe (ge)fyrhthe ferhthe in which the awkward consonant cluster -rhth- was simplified by dropping medial -h- and sometimes metathesizing the -r-. In medieval Sowerbyshire Yorkshire and Derbyshire the friths were areas reserved for hunting so the surname there may have belonged to forest officials.2: Scottish: habitational name from Firth in Orkney.
Forrest : 1: English: topographic name for someone who lived in or near a royal forest or a metonymic occupational name for a keeper or worker in one. Middle English forest was not as today a near-synonym of wood but referred specifically to a large area of woodland reserved by law for the purposes of hunting by the king and his nobles. The same applied to the European cognates both ancient Germanic and Romance. The English word is from Middle English forest ‘forest’ Old French forest Late Latin forestis (silva). This is generally taken to be a derivative of foris ‘outside’; the reference was probably to woods lying outside a settlement. On the other hand Middle High German for(e)st has been held to be a derivative of Old High German foraha ‘fir’ (see Forster) with the addition of a collective suffix.2: Irish: this name is also frequently attested in Ireland where it may be a variant of Forrestal.
Forrester : English: occupational name from Middle English forester ‘officer in charge of a forest or lord's hunting ground’ (Old French forestier Anglo-Norman forester). See Forrest.
Ganfield : English: habitational name from Gainfield Farm in Buckland (Berkshire) which derives from Old English gamen ‘game sport’ (i.e. hunting) + feld ‘open country’.
Goodfield : 1: English: topographic name from Middle English god(e) ‘good’ + feld ‘open country’ presumably denoting someone who lived by an area of land that was good for some purpose such as hunting or growing crops. Compare Goodacre.2: English: habitational name from an unidentified place called with the Middle English personal name Gode (Old English Gōda; see Goode) + feld ‘open country; field’.3: English: topographic name perhaps from Middle English God ‘God’ + feld ‘flat open country; field’ for someone who lived at a place known as ‘God's field'.4: Americanized form (translation into English) of Jewish Gutfeld.
Habig : German: from Middle High German habech ‘hawk’ hence a nickname for a sharp sighted person or for someone who was thought to resemble the bird in some other way or a metonymic occupational name for someone who trained hawks for hunting (see Hawk).
Habiger : German: occupational name for someone who trained hawks for hunting from Middle High German habich ‘hawk’ + the agent suffix -er.
Harrier : 1: English: nickname or occupational name from Middle English and Old French erier hairer ‘small hunting dog harrier’ a breed of small foxhounds (similar to beagles) used in hunting hares of which the earliest surviving record is in the 15th century. The word may also have been used for a man who hunted hares.2: Scottish: apparently from Older Scots herrier heriar ‘one who harries ravages or lays waste a plunderer (such as a reiver)’ but this may be folk etymology. The name has not been found before the 19th century and is probably a re-interpretation of Harrower.
Hay : 1: Scottish and English (northern; of Norman origin): habitational name from any of several places in Normandy called La Haie or La Haye (Old French haie ‘hedge enclosure’ ‘forest for hunting deer and other animals’ a borrowing of the ancient Germanic word haga). Robert de Haia or de la Haye is known to have come from La Haye-du-Puits in Manche; he was the founder of Boxgrove Priory in Sussex (1123) and holder of the Honor of Halnaker (Sussex) and (by marriage) the barony of Kolswein (Lincolnshire). The Norman name was also taken to Ireland where it has since flourished in the county of Wexford as Hay and Hayes. Elsewhere in Ireland the name usually has a native Irish origin see below.2: English: topographic name from Middle English hay(e) heye heghe ‘enclosure’ (Old English (ge)hæg) or ‘forest fenced off for hunting’ (Old French haie); or else a habitational name from a place so called such as Hay (in Herefordshire and Westmorland) or Hey in Scammonden (Yorkshire). It was no doubt sometimes synonymous with Hayward.3: English: nickname for a tall man from Middle English heigh hey high ‘high tall’ (Old English hēah).4: English: from the Middle English personal name Hai(e) either an Anglo-Norman French or a native English name. Old French Hai is recorded in the Latin form Haius in 11th/12th-century Paris and is a pet form of ancient Germanic male names like Hagabert (Old French Haiebert) and Hagabern) which have an element hag- ‘right-handed useful’ as the first element. Alternatively these early surnames may be pet forms of a native Middle English male name like Heymund (Old English Hēahmund) or a female name like Hehild (Old English Hēahhild) which have hēah ‘high’ as the first element. In the late 13th and 14th centuries however it is possible that Hay was a variant of Haw which like Daw and Day was used as a rhyming pet form of Ralph. Compare Dawkins and Dakin and see Haycock.5: Irish: variant of Hayes.6: Spanish: topographic name from haya ‘beech tree’ (ultimately derived from Latin fagus).7: German: occupational name from Middle High German heie ‘guardian custodian’ (see Hayer).8: Dutch: variant of Haye 1. This surname is rare in the Netherlands.9: French: topographic name from the masculine form of Old French haye ‘hedge’ or a habitational name from Les Hays (Jura) or Le Hay (Seine-Maritime).10: Jewish (from the Middle East): from Hebrew ḥay ‘living’ either from a personal name based on this word or a Hebraicized form of some original Ashkenazic surname. Compare Chay and Hai.11: Muslim: from a personal name based on Arabic hayy ‘alive’ (see Hai 1).12: Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 夏 possibly based on its Teochew or Hokkien pronunciation see Xia.
Haywood : 1: English: habitational name from any of several places called Haywood (Nottinghamshire Staffordshire Shropshire Herefordshire) or Heywood (Lancashire Wiltshire) or any of many other minor places so named from Old English (ge)hæg ‘fence enclosure’ + wudu ‘wood’. It was a common practice in the Middle Ages for areas of woodland to be fenced off as hunting grounds for the nobility. This name may have been confused in some cases with Hayward.2: Altered form of English Hogwood and of its altered forms Hagood and Haygood.
Horner : 1: English (North Yorkshire) and German: from Horn 1 with the agent suffix -er; used either as an occupational name for someone who made or sold small articles made of horn (Middle English hornere) a metonymic occupational name for someone who played a musical instrument made from the horn of an animal or a topographic name for someone who lived at a ‘horn’ of land. In the Middle Ages whole horns were used for many purposes: as drinking vessels as containers as wind instruments for sounding an alarm and for signalling to others (e.g. when hunting). Pieces of horn were used to make spoons buttons combs handles decorative tips for rods and other things. The horner's craft could include making musical horns as well as sheets of translucent horn for windows and for covering books. For example Thomas Hornar of Petergate in York was paid for ‘hornyng et naillyng’ the superscribed covers of books in York Minster library in 1421.2: German (also Hörner): from any of various places called Horn referring to their location at a spur of land at a horn shaped piece of land.3: Jewish (Ashkenazic): variant of Horn 5.
Hundt : German: from Middle High German hund ‘dog’ applied as a metonymic occupational name for a keeper of dogs for hunting or other purposes or as a nickname for someone thought to resemble a dog in any of many possible physical or abstract ways.
Hunt : 1: English (southwestern): occupational name for a hunter from Middle English hunte ‘hunter huntsman’ (Old English hunta). The term was used not only of the hunting on horseback of game such as stags and wild boars which in the Middle Ages was a pursuit restricted to the ranks of the nobility but also to much humbler forms of pursuit such as bird catching and poaching for food. The word seems also to have been used as an Old English personal name and to have survived into the Middle Ages as an occasional personal name. Compare Huntington and Huntley.2: Irish: adopted for various Irish surnames containing or thought to contain the Gaelic element fiadhach ‘hunt’; for example Ó Fiaich (see Fee) and Ó Fiachna (see Fenton).3: Possibly an Americanized form of German Hundt.
Huntington : English (northern): habitational name from any of various places called Huntington most of which are named with Old English huntena the genitive plural form of hunta ‘hunter huntsman’ + dūn ‘hill’ or tūn ‘farmstead estate’. Some however may have Old English hunting ‘hunting’ as the initial element while others may derive from the Old English personal name Hunta (genitive Huntan) perhaps with Old English connective -ing- + tūn. The surname may also arise from Huntingdon (Huntingdonshire) which derives from the Old English personal name Hunta (genitive Huntan) or Old English hunta (genitive huntan) + dūn.
Infanger : Swiss German: topographic name for someone who lived in or owned an enclosed piece of land which also provided hunting or fishing from the regional term Fang Fank ‘enclosure weir trap’ (from fangen ‘to catch’).
Ken : 1: English: habitational name from either of two places called Kenn in Devon and Avon (Somerset) both of which take their name from the streams on which they stand.2: English (of Norman origin): from Anglo-Norman French ken chen Old French chien ‘dog’ (from Latin canis) possibly applied as a nickname or as a metonymic occupational name for someone who kept hunting dogs.4: In some cases possibly also an Americanized form of German Kenn.3: Scottish: possibly a shortened form of Kenna.
Korte : 1: Dutch (mainly De Korte) and North German: nickname for a short person from Middle Dutch Middle Low German kort ‘short’.2: German (Körte): from a Westphalian variant of the personal name Kurt.3: East German: from a Germanized form of Upper Sorbian khort ‘greyhound’ hence possibly a nickname for someone resembling the animal in some way or for someone who kept hunting dogs.4: Hungarian (Körte): from körte ‘pear’ a metonymic occupational name for a grower or seller of the fruit.
Laud : unexplained. Perhaps from the legal term lawed passive participle of a verb meaning ‘to mutilate the toes (of a hunting dog to prevent its being used for poaching)’ therefore perhaps ‘lame’ (OED law verb 3 recorded from 1534); or perhaps from Middle English laude ‘praise’.
Parker : 1: English: occupational name from Middle English parker ‘park-keeper’ (Old French parquier parchier) an officer employed to look after deer and other game in a hunting park (see Park 1). This surname is also very common among African Americans. It has also been recorded since medieval times in Ireland.2: Americanized form of French Paquet 2 or 3.3: Americanized form of one or more similar (like-sounding) Jewish names.
Parkman : English:: 1: occupational name from Middle English park ‘enclosure game preserve park’ (Old French parc) + man sometimes for one living at or near such a place but probably more often denoting someone employed to look after after deer and other game in a hunting park; compare Parker.2: occupational name denoting the servant (Middle English man) of someone called Park (see Park 2).
Pu : 1: Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 蒲 meaning ‘bulrush reedmace’ in Chinese: (i) borne by descendants of the chief of the Western Qiang ethnic groups in northwestern China. It is said that giant bulrushes grew in a pond belonging to this family which earned them the surname Pu (蒲). (ii) from the first element of Pu Ban(蒲坂) the name of an ancient fief (located in Shanxi province) said to be granted to a descendant of Emperor Shun (c. 23rd century BC).2: Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 浦: said to be borne by some descendants of Jiang Tai Gong or Jiang Ziya (c. 11th century BC) who made great contributions to the establishment of the Western Zhou dynasty (1046–771 BC).3: Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 濮: (i) from the placename Pu (濮) the name of a fief (located in Henan province) that was originally granted to an official in the state of Wey during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). (ii) from Bai Pu (百濮) the name of an ancient ethnic group in present-day Hubei province during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC).4: Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 普 a surname of the Xianbei ethnic group in ancient China and also a Han Chinese surname adopted by other minority ethnic groups in China.5: Chinese: alternative Mandarin form of the surnames 卜 步 布 and 補 see Bu 2-5.6: Korean: there is only one Chinese character and one clan for the surname Pu. There is no historical information on the founder of this clan but there is a legend which tells of three men who appeared from a cave on the north side of Cheju Island's Halla Mountain. These three men were the founders of the Yang Ko and Pu clans. The mythological founder of the Pu clan was Pu Ŭl-la. Shortly after the three men emerged from the cave a box washed up on the shore of the island. Inside the box were three beautiful women horses cows and agricultural seed. From these beginnings the three established Cheju Island's T’amnaguk kingdom and ruled peacefully for centuries. Unlike the descendants of Yang and Ko however the descendants of Pu were for the most part content to remain on Cheju Island. A 1930 census revealed that 80% of bearers of the Pu surname were still located on Cheju Island. Pu is considered a rare surname in Korea today. Compare Boo 3.7: Amerindian (Guatemala): Mayan name from pu' ‘blowpipe’ a device used for bird hunting.
Rude : 1: German (also Rüde): from a pet form of a personal name formed with Old High German hrōd ‘fame renown’ for example Rudolf or Rüdiger (see Rudiger).2: German: from Middle High German rude rüde ‘hound’ probably applied as a nickname or as a metonymic occupational name for a keeper of hunting dogs.3: Norwegian: variant of Ruud.4: English (Devon): variant of Rudd.
Sain : 1: Americanized form of German Zirn which is a variant of Zürn (see Zurn). Compare Saine Sane and Sayne.2: Croatian and Serbian (Šain): metonymic occupational name for a hawker or a nickname from ša(h)in ‘falcon hawk (trained for hunting)’ a word of Turkish and ultimately Persian origin (see Sahin). Compare Shain and Shine.3: Americanized form of Slovenian and Croatian Šajn: nickname from šajn an obsolete loanword from German meaning ‘shine’ or a Slavicized form of German Schein. As a Croatian surname it may also be a variant of Šain (see 2 above). Compare Shain and Shine.4: Spanish: nickname from saín ‘fat’.5: Portuguese and Galician: habitational name from Saim in Portugal or Zaín in Galicia.6: French (Saïn): metonymic occupational name for a pork butcher from Old French sain ‘lard’.7: Indian: variant of Shahin and Sahin.
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.
Speer : 1: German and Dutch: from Middle High German Middle Dutch sper ‘spear’ hence a nickname for a tall thin person or else for a skilled user of the hunting spear. In part it may also have been a metonymic occupational name for a maker of spears.2: German: nickname for someone thought to resemble a sparrow Middle High German spar(e) ‘sparrow’.3: Jewish (Ashkenazic): variant of Speyer.4: Irish (northern): variant of Speir.5: English (London): variant of Spear.
Stalker : Scottish and English (Cumberland and Lancashire): occupational name for a stalker of game or a nickname for someone who walks stealthily or sneaks about from an agent derivative of Middle English stalk(en) ‘to stalk or approach stealthily for example in hunting deer’. Compare Stoliker.
Tapio : Finnish: habitational name from farms so named from Finnish tapio ‘wood; old pine’ originally probably ‘hunting ground’. In Finnish mythology Tapio is the god of the forest and of hunting. Established as a hereditary surname since the 19th century chiefly in northern Finland. It was also adopted as an ornamental name in the early 20th century name-changing campaigns.
Tarrier : from Old French terrier tierier ‘landowner freeholder’ Middle English terrer ‘bursar for the landholdings of a monastery estate manager’.from Middle English terrere terriere taryer ‘terrier hunting dog that burrows in pursuit of its prey’.
Weide : 1: German: topographic name for someone who lived by a conspicuous willow or by a group of willow trees from Middle High German wīde ‘willow’.2: German: topographic name for someone who lived by a pasture or a hunting ground Middle High German weide.3: Jewish (Ashkenazic): artificial name from German Weide ‘willow tree’.
Worfolk : English (Yorkshire of Norman origin): nickname recorded as Wirefalch in the 12th century possibly from Middle English wirien ‘to slay kill brutally injure strangle’ (Old English wirigan + Anglo-Norman French falch fauc ‘falcon’). Alternatively it might be from a word akin in form and sense to Anglo-Norman French girfauc ‘gyrfalcon’ (a species of large falcon used for hunting herons) in which case the name may have been given to a family of hereditary falconers specialising in breeding and training the bird. The substitution of W- for (soft) G- is difficult to explain however. Compare Woolfolk.
More
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
Subject to the Terms and Conditions of Ancestry
