Origin
ABBOT : So named from his office in the church; the chief ruler of an abbey derived from the Syriac Abba, signifying father.
ABERCROMBIE : (Celtic and Gaelic.) Local. The name of a parish in Fife, Scotland, on the northern shore of the Frith of Forth, whence the possessor took his surname; from Aber, marshy ground, a place where two or more streams meet; and cruvme or crombie, a bend or crook. Aber, in the Celtic and Gaelic, and also in the Cornish British, signifies the confluence of two or more streams, or the mouth of a river, where it flows into the sea; hence it is often applied to marshy ground, generally near the confluence of two rivers. It also signifies, sometimes, a gulf or whirlpool.
ABERDEEN : (Gaelic and Celtic.) Local. The name of a city in Aberdeenshire, whence the surname was taken. It is derived from Aber, the mouth, as above, and Don, the name of a river, at the mouth of which it is situated.
ABERDENE : (Gaelic and Celtic.) Local. The name of a city in Aberdeenshire, whence the surname was taken. It is derived from Aber, the mouth, as above, and Don, the name of a river, at the mouth of which it is situated.
ABERNETHY : (Gaelic and Celtic.) Local. From a town in Strathern, Scotland, on the river Tay; derived from Aber, as given above, and nethy, in the Gaelic, dangerous. Nith or Nithy, is also the name of a river in the south of Scotland, and the name may have been taken from a town at or near its mouth Abernithy.
ABNEY : (Nor. Fr.) Local. A corruption of Aubigny, a town of France, in the department of Berry, whence the surname is derived; so D'Aubigny is corrupted to Dabney.
ACKERS : (Saxon) Camden derives this surname from the Latin Ager, a field. The name, however, is Saxon, and signifies the place of oaks, or oak-man; ac and ake being old terms for oak. The tennination er, in many nouns has the same signification as the Latin vir, a man as Plower, i.e., Plowman; Baker, Bakerman. Like oak, the first Acker might have been firm and unyielding in his disposition, or he might have used or sold acorns.
ACKLAND : (Saxon) Local. The name of a place in North Devonshire, England, whence the surname is derived; so called, because it was situated among groves of oaks from ack, oak, as above, and land.
ACTON : (Saxon) Local. The oak-town or oak-hill the name of a town in Middlesex, England, whence the name is derived.
ADAIR : (Celtic and Gaelic.) Local. From Ath, a ford, and dare, from darach, the place of oaks, The ford of the oaks.'' There is the following tradition of the origin of this surname: Thomas, the sixth Earl of Desmond, while on a hunting excursion was benighted, and lost his way, between Tralee and Newcastle, in the county of Limerick, where he was received and hospitably entertained by one William McCormic, whose daughter he subsequently married. At this alliance, the family and clan took umbrage. Resigning his title and estate to his youngest brother, he fled to France in 1418, and died of grief at Rouen, two years afterward. The King of England attended his funeral. He had issue, Maurice and John; Robert, the son of Maurice, returning to Ireland, with the hope of regaining the estates and title of Thomas, his ancestor, slew Gerald, the White Knight in single combat at Athdare, the ford of the oaks, whence he received the name of Adaire. He embarked for Scotland, where he married Arabella, daughter of John Campbell, Lord of Argyle.
ADAMS : (Hebrew) Man, earthly, or red. The surname of Adam is of great antiquity in Scotland. Duncan Adam, son of Alexander Adam, lived in the reign of King Robert Bruce, and had four sons, from whom all the Adams, Adamsons, and Adies in Scotland are descended.
ADDISON : The same as Adamson, the son of Adam, Adie or Addie being, in the Lowland-Scotch, a familiar corruption of Adam, hence Addie-son.
AFFLECK : (Gaelic and Celtic.) Local. Said to be a corruption of the name Auchinleck, which was assumed by the proprietors of the lands and barony of Auchinleck, near Dundee, in Angusshire, Scotland. The name is pronounced Affleck by the natives. (See Auchinleck.)
AGAN : (Gaelic.) From Eigin, force, violence; hence, strong-handed, active. The name may be local, and named from Agen, a town in Guienne, France; also Agen, Welsh, local, a cleft.
EGAN : (Gaelic.) From Eigin, force, violence; hence, strong-handed, active. The name may be local, and named from Agen, a town in Guienne, France; also Agen, Welsh, local, a cleft.
AGNEW : (Nor. Fr.) Local. From the town of Agneau in Normandy, whence the family originated. They went from England into Ireland with Strongbow. Agneau, in Nor. Fr. signifies a lamb.
AINSWORTH : (British and Welsh.) Local. From ains, a spring, a river, and gwerth, a place, possession, or court. In the British and Gaelic, Aun, Ain, Au, Hain, Aon, and Avon, signify a river; the place or possession on the river.
AKERS : (Saxon) Camden derives this surname from the Latin Ager, a field. The name, however, is Saxon, and signifies the place of oaks, or oak-man; ac and ake being old terms for oak. The tennination er, in many nouns has the same signification as the Latin vir, a man as Plower, i.e., Plowman; Baker, Bakerman. Like oak, the first Acker might have been firm and unyielding in his disposition, or he might have used or sold acorns.
ALAN : Derived, according to Julius Scaliger, from the Sclavonic Aland, a wolf-dog, a hound, and Chaucer uses Aland in the same sense. Bailey derives it as the same from the British. Camden thinks it a corruption of AElianus which signifies sun-bright. From the same we have Allen, Allin, Alleyne. In the Gaelic, Aluinn signifies exceedingly fair, handsome, elegant, lovely; Irish, Alun, fair, beautiful.
ALLAN : Derived, according to Julius Scaliger, from the Sclavonic Aland, a wolf-dog, a hound, and Chaucer uses Aland in the same sense. Bailey derives it as the same from the British. Camden thinks it a corruption of AElianus which signifies sun-bright. From the same we have Allen, Allin, Alleyne. In the Gaelic, Aluinn signifies exceedingly fair, handsome, elegant, lovely; Irish, Alun, fair, beautiful.
ALBERT : (German.) All bright or famous; beort or bert, signifies famous, fair, and clear, bright; so Sebert and Ethelbert were sometimes written Se bright and Ethel bright. All, Eal and AEl, in old English and Saxon compound names, have the same signification as the English All, as Al-dred, Al-win, etc.
ALFORD : (Saxon) Local. From Alford, a town in Lincolnshire, England, signifying the old ford or way, from ald, old, and ford, a ford, way, or pass.
ALVORD : (Saxon) Local. From Alford, a town in Lincolnshire, England, signifying the old ford or way, from ald, old, and ford, a ford, way, or pass.
ALFORT : (LocaL) A village in France, two leagues from Paris.
ALLEN : Derived, according to Julius Scaliger, from the Sclavonic Aland, a wolf-dog, a hound, and Chaucer uses Aland in the same sense. Bailey derives it as the same from the British. Camden thinks it a corruption of AElianus which signifies sun-bright. From the same we have Allen, Allin, Alleyne. In the Gaelic, Aluinn signifies exceedingly fair, handsome, elegant, lovely; Irish, Alun, fair, beautiful.
ALLENDORF : Local. A town in Hesse, Germany, signifying the old town; dorf a town or village, the same as Oldendorf.
ALVORD : (Saxon) Local. From Alford, a town in Lincolnshire, England, signifying the old ford or way, from ald, old, and ford, a ford, way, or pass.
AMES : (French.) From Amie, a friend, beloved; or if from the Hebrew Amos, a burden. Some think it is a contraction of Ambrose (which see). Amesbury in England was originally Ambrosebury.
AMHERST : (Saxon) Local. From ham, a town or village, and hurst or herst, a wood, the town in the wood, the H by custom, being dropped or silent. It may have been derived from Hamo, who was sheriff in the county of Kent, in the time of William the Conqueror; a descendant of his was called Hamo de Herst, and the Norman de, and the aspirate h being dropped Amherst. Amhurst, the connected grove, or conjoined woods; am, in the British, as a prefix, has the sense of Amb, amphi, circum, i.e., about, surrounding, encompassing; hence, the surrounding grove, or Amhurst.
AMPTE : (Dutch.) Ampt, an official situation; the house in which an officer transacts his business; a lordship of the Netherlands.
ANGEVINE : So named because coming originally from Anjou, in France. The natives of Anjou were called Angevines.
ANGLE : (Greek;.) From the Greek messenger; also the name of a town in France where the family may have originated.
ANGEL : (Greek;.) From the Greek messenger; also the name of a town in France where the family may have originated.
ANNAN : Local. A river and borough of Scotland. From the Gaelic aon, aon, one, one, or the river that divides the dale in two shares. Amhan, Avon, or An-oun, in Gaelic, may signify the slow running water; a gentle river.
ANNESLEY : Local. From a town in Nottinghamshire, England, and named, perhaps, from Anclo, a city in Norway, by the free-booters or conquerors of Briton. Annansley, the lea, lying on the Annon.
ANSON : The son of Ann, or the same as Hanson, the son of Hans or John the H being dropped in pronunciation.
ANSTRUTHER : (Gaelic.) From Anstruth, an ancient order of historians or bards among the Celts, next in rank to the Allamh, or chief doctor of the seven degrees in all the sciences. His reward was twenty kine. He was to be attended by twelve students in his own science, to be entertained for fifteen days, and to be protected from all accusations during that time; and he and his attendants supplied with all manner of necessaries. Anstruth is derived from Aon, that is, good, great; sruth, knowing, discerning, and er put for fear, a man.
APPLEBY : Local. A town in Westmoreland, England, called Aballaba by the Romans, from which the name is derived. By signifies a town, the apple-town.
APPLETON : Local. The town abounding in apples.
ARBLASTER : A corruption of Bamistarius, a cross-bowman, one who directed the great engines of war used before the invention of cannon. In the kernils (battlements) here and there, Of Arblastirs great plenty were. Rom. of the Rose.
ARBUTHNOT : Local. First assumed by the proprietors of the land and barony of Arbuthnot in the Mearns, Scotland. The name is said to have been anciently written Aberbuthnoth, which signifies the dwelling near the confluence of the river with the sea, from Aber, the mouth of a river, both, a dwelling, and neth, a stream that descends, or is lower than some other relative object.
ARCHIBALD : (German.) The same as Erchenbald, a powerful, bold, and speedy learner or observer. In the Gaelic this name is called Gillespie a favorite name with the Scotch.
ARLINGTON : Local. From a village in Sussex, England.
ARLON : A local name, and derived from Arlon, a town in the Netherlands, thirteen miles east from Luxemburg.
ARMSTRONG : A name given for strength in battle. Historians relate the following tradition: This family was anciently settled on the Scottish border; their original name was Fairbairn, which was changed to Armstrong on the following occasion: An ancient king of Scotland having had his horse killed under him in battle, was immediately re-mounted by Fairbairn, his armor-bearer, on his own horse. For this timely assistance he amply rewarded him with lands on the borders, and to perpetuate the memory of so important a service, as well as the manner in which it was performed (for Fairbairn took the king by the thigh, and set him on the saddle), his royal master gave him the appellation of Armstrong. The chief seat of Johnnie Armstrong was Gilnockie, in Eskdale, a place of exquisite beauty. Johnnie was executed by order of James V., in 1529, as a Border Freebooter. Andrew Armstrong sold his patrimony to one of his kinsmen, and emigrated to the north of Ireland in the commencement of the seventeenth century. The Armstrongs were always noted for their courage and daring. In the Lay of the Last Minstrel, when the chief was about to assemble his clans, he says to his heralds: Ye need not go to Liddisdale, For whon they see the blazing bale, Elliots and Armstrongs never fail
ARTHUR : (British.) A strong man; from Ar (Lat. vir), a man, and thor, strong. In the Gaelic, Air is the same as Fear, a man; and the ancient Scythians called a man Aior. Thor was the Jupiter of the Teutonic races, their god of thunder. In Welsh, Arth is a bear, an emblem of strength and courage, and ur a noun termination, a man. Arthur, a bear-man, a hero, a man of strength; the name of a British prince.
ARTOIS : (LocaL) From the province of Artois in the Netherlands.
ARUNDEL : Local. From a town in Sussex, England, on the river Arun; a corruption of Arundale the dale on the Arun.
ASHBURTON : Local. From a town of the same name in Devonshire, England. Burton signifies the town on the hill, and Ashburton the town on the hill covered or surrounded with ash trees. Ash may be, in some cases, a corruption of the Gaelic or Celtic uisge, water.
ASHBY : (Sax.) Local. The house by the ash, or the village on a place abounding in ash-trees; by signifying a villa or habitation.
ASHFORD : (Sax.) Local. A town in Kent, England, on the river Ash or Esh the ford over the Ash.
ASHLEY : (Sax.) Local. The lea, field, or pasture abounding in ash-trees. Leegh, ley, or lea, signifying uncultivated grounds or pastures; lands untilled, generally used as commons.
ASKEW : (Sax.) Local. Acksheugh, billy lands covered with oaks. Aschau, local, a town on the bend of a river in Sleswick, Denmark. Askew crooked, from the Danish.
ASTOR : Local. Oster, a town in North Jutland. From the Greek, a star. Austeuer, German, a dowry, a portion. Ooster, the east part
ATHERTON : (Sax.) Local. From Atherstone, a town in Warwickshire, England.
AUBREY : A corruption of the German Alberic, a name given in hope of power or wealth, He signifying rich or powerful; always rich.
AUCHINLECK : Local. A parish in Ayrshire, Scotland. The etymology of the name may be found in the Gaelic Ach, an elevation, a mound, or round hill, generally level at the top; and leac, a flat stone, a tombstone. In several parts of Ayrshire may be traced the remains of cairns, encampments, and Druidical circles. Auchinleck appears to have been one of those places where the ancient Celts and Druids held conventions, celebrated their festivals, and performed acts of worship.
AUCHMUTY : (Gaelic.) Local. The field or mount of law; an eminence in which law-courts were held, moot-hills, as they were called; from Ach, an elevation, a mound, and mod, a court, an assembly, a meeting.
AVERILL : Local. A corruption of Haverhill, the aspirate being dropped. Haverill is a town in Suffolk, England, so named from the Dutch Hyver, Teut, Haber, oats, and hill the hill sown with oats.
AVIS : Avis, in French, is a projector, schemer, busy-body. Avus, Latin, a grandfather, ancestor. Avis, a bird.
AYLMER : This family trace their name and descent from Ailmer or Athelmare, Earl of Cornwall, in the time of King Ethelred. Allmor, in Welsh, signifies a valley or dale.
AYRES : Local. Derived from a river, town, and district of the same name in Scotland. Air, Gaelic. Derivation uncertain. It may come from Iar, west the course in which the river runs; or Air, slaughter, the place of battle. The Celtic Aer, and the Welsh Awyr, signify, radically, to open, expand or flow clearly; to shoot or radiate. In Thorpe's catalogue of the deeds of Battle Abbey, we find the following legendary account of this name: Ayres, formerly Eyre. The first of this family was named Truelove, one of the followers of William the Conqueror. At the battle of Hastings, Duke William was flung from his horse, and his helmet beaten into his face, which Truelove observing, pulled off, and horsed him again. The duke told him 'Thou shalt hereafter from Truelove be called Eyre (or Air), because thou hast given me the air I breathe.' After the battle, the Duke, on inquiry respecting him, found him severely wounded (his leg and thigh having been struck off); he ordered him the utmost care, and on his recovery, gave him lands in Derby, in reward for his services, and the leg and thigh in armor, cut off, for his crest; an honorary badge yet worn by all the Eyres in England.
BAB A : German, Bube, a boy; Greek, an inarticulate sound, as of an infant crying out; hence, a little child; to say Baba, that is, father or Papa. The word is nearly the same in all languages; it signifies a young child of either sex.
BACHELOR : From the Dutch Bock, a book, and leeraar, a doctor of divinity, law, or physic. When applied to persons of a certain military rank, it may be a corruption of Bas chevalier, because lower in dignity than the milites bannereti. Killian adopts the opinion that as the soldier who has once been engaged in battle, is called battalarius, so he who has once been engaged in literary warfare, in public dispute upon any subject. Calepinus thinks that those who took the degree of Bachelor, were so called (Baccalaurei), because a chaplet of laurel berries was placed upon them. The word, however, has probably but one origin, which would account for its various applications.
BACKMAN : German, Bach, a brook, and man. Boekman, bookman. Back, in some places, a ferry; Backman, a ferryman.
BACON : Bacon, from the Anglo-Saxon bacan, to bake, to dry by heat. Some derive this surname from the Saxon baccen or buccen, a beech-tree. Upon the monument of Thomas Bacon, in Brome Church in Suffolk (Eng.), there is a beech-tree engraven in brass, with a man resting under it It appears, also, that the first Lord-keeper, Sir Nicholas Bacon, with his two wives, are represented in a similar manner.
BADGER : A licensed dealer in grain; a hawker, a peddler; also, the name of a small animal.
BADGELY : Bagasly, Local. From a town in Scotland.
BAGOT : (Fr.) A stay or walking staff; a gunstick or drumstick, from Bagnette. It may be a corruption oi Bigot (which see). Bagad, in the Welsh, signifies a great many.
BAILEY : A name of office; a corruption of Bailiff, which is derived from the French bailler, to deliver. A municipal officer in Scotland corresponding to an alderman.
BAIN : (Celtic.) Whiteness, fairness. Bain is also a bath or hot-house. The name may be local, from Bain, a town in France.
BAINE : (Celtic.) Whiteness, fairness. Bain is also a bath or hot-house. The name may be local, from Bain, a town in France.
BAITS : A word used in several languages, and signifies to feed, to rest for refreshment; one who kept a house of entertainment
BALCOMBE : Local. From Bal, Gaelic, a round body, any thing thrown up; a buttding, house, town; and combe, a valley; the round valley; tin-works thrown up in a valley, or a dwelling in such a place.
BALEN : Belen, in the Cor. British, is the same as Melen, a mill. Bellyn, local, a town in Lower Saxony. Balaen, Welsh, steel, denoting strength and durability.
BALFOUR : Local. From the barony and castle of Balfour, near the confluence of the rivers Or and Leven. (Scot.) Ball and Balla, in Gaelic, signifies a casting up, raising, and denotes a wall, fortress, house, a village. Balfour, i. e., the Keep, or castle on the river Or. Balfoir the castle of deliverance or security.
BANNATYNE : Local. The name of a place in Scotland, signifying the hill where fires were kindled.
BANNERMAN : A name of office in Scotland borne by the king's standard-bearer.
BAR : Local. A town of France. Barr, a parish in Ayrshire, Scotland.
BARCLAY : (Sax.) Local. A corruption of Berkeley; a town in Gloucestershire, England, derived from the Saxon beorce, a beech-tree, and leagh or ley, a field, and so called because of the plenty of beech-trees growing there.
BARCULO : (Dutch.) Local. From Borkulo, a town in Holland. The name was originally Van Borkulo.
BARNES : A distinguished family of Sotterly, Co. Suffolk, England. Bearn, local, a city in France. Barnyz, Cor. Br., a judge.
BARNET : Local. A town in Hertfordshire, England.
BARNUM : Local. A corruption of Bearnham, the town in the wood or hill. Bern, in the Swiss language, signifies a bear. This family was originally of Southwick, County Hants, England.
BARR : (Celtic.) Local. The top or summit of any thing, any thing round. Bar, Gaelic, an old word for a bard or learned man. Bar, local, a bank of sand or earth, a shoal; the shore of the sea. It may be derived from Barre, a town in France, or from Barr, a parish and village in Ayrshire, Scotland.
BARRAS : (Saxon) Local. From Baerwas, Saxon, groves, a place among trees; a town in England.
BARRINGER : Local. A corruption of Beranger (Lat Berengarus); from Beringer, a town in France, where a battle was fought between the French and the English.
BARRON : The word Baron is of Celtic extraction, and originally synonymous with man in general It has this meaning in the Salic law, and in the laws of the Lombards; in the English law, the phrase baron and. feme is equivalent to man and wife. It was afterward used to denote a man of respectability, a stout or valiant man; and Barone was also used by the Italians to signify a beggar. From denoting a stout or valiant man, it was employed as a name for a distinguished military leader, who having fought and conquered under some great commander, was afterward rewarded by him with a part of the lands which he had acquired. As a surname, it was originally Le Baron, The Baron. Gaelic, Baran, a baron.
BARON : The word Baron is of Celtic extraction, and originally synonymous with man in general It has this meaning in the Salic law, and in the laws of the Lombards; in the English law, the phrase baron and. feme is equivalent to man and wife. It was afterward used to denote a man of respectability, a stout or valiant man; and Barone was also used by the Italians to signify a beggar. From denoting a stout or valiant man, it was employed as a name for a distinguished military leader, who having fought and conquered under some great commander, was afterward rewarded by him with a part of the lands which he had acquired. As a surname, it was originally Le Baron, The Baron. Gaelic, Baran, a baron.
BARROW : Local. A circular earthen mound, marking the place of interment of some noted person; also a place of defense. The name of a river in Ireland.
BARRY : Local. From the Barry Islands in Glamorganshire, Wales; so called, says Bailey, from Baruch, a devout man who was interred there.
BARSTOW : Local. May have various significations. Barr, the top of a hill, and stow, a place or depository. Bar, in the Gaelic, Welsh, and Cornish-British, means the summit or top of any thing. The Gaelic or Irish aran and barr, signify bread, a crop of grain; Welsh, bar, bread, an ear of corn; Saxon, bar and bere, corn, barley. Barstow, a place where grain is stored.
BARTON : (Sax.) Local. From a town in Lincolnshire, England; a corn town, or barley village, from bere, barley, and ton, an inclosure, a house, a village. Barton, a curtilage. In Devonshire, it is applied to any freehold estate not possessed of manorial privileges.
BARTUL : (Ger.) An abbreviation of Bartulph, which is from Beorht, and ulph; that is, help in counsel, or famous helper. Bartel, an abbreviation of Bartholomew, used in Holland.
BARWICK : Local. A town in Northumberland, Eng., at the mouth of the river Tweed. The name signifies, the town at the mouth of a river, from aber, the mouth, and wick, a town or harbor. Berewick, the corn-town, from bere, barley, corn.
BERWICK : Local. A town in Northumberland, Eng., at the mouth of the river Tweed. The name signifies, the town at the mouth of a river, from aber, the mouth, and wick, a town or harbor. Berewick, the corn-town, from bere, barley, corn.
BATH : (Sax.) Local. A town in the county of Somerset, Eng., famous for its hot baths; so named from the Saxon, bad, Teutonic, bad, a place to bathe or wash in. It was called by the Saxons Acmanceaster, or the sick folks' town; and by the Britons, Caerbaddon, from Caer, a fortified place or city, and baddon, a bathing-place, from badd, a bath.
BATHURST : (Sax.) Local. From Bath, as above, and hurst, a place of fruit-trees, a wood or grove. Boothhurst, the house or lodge in the grove.
BAUM : (Germ.) A tree. It may be derived from a town in France by that name.
BEAL : Local. Bid, a town in Switzerland. The Gaelic word Beul signifies the mouth, and by metonymy, elo-quenti, musical.
Origin of name provided by Jean Tosti
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