Origin
Long : 1: English and French: nickname for a tall person from Old English lang long Old French long ‘long tall’ (equivalent to Latin longus). Compare Dulong and Lelong.2: Irish (Ulster and Munster): shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Longáin (see Langan).3: German: variant of Lang ‘long’ and in North America also an altered form (translation into English) of this.4: Native American (Navajo): translation into English and shortening of a personal name based on (or just composed of) the word nééz ‘tall long’ (see Nez 1). Compare Tallman.5: Chinese: Mandarin or Cantonese form of the surname 龍 meaning ‘dragon’ in Chinese: (i) from Long (龍) the name of an official during the reign of the legendary Emperor Shun (c. 23rd century BC) in charge of communications between the ordinary people and the emperor. (ii) from the surname Huan Long (豢龍 meaning ‘feeding dragons’). Dong Fu is said to have been endowed with this surname by the legendary Emperor Shun (c. 23rd century BC). Liu Lei who is said to have learned to feed dragons from one of Dong's descendants was endowed with the surname Yu Long (御龍 meaning ‘driving dragons’) by one of the kings of the Xia dynasty (2070–1600 BC). (iii) the surname is borne by some families from the Zang Ge ethnic group in ancient China who lived in present-day Yunan and Guizhou provinces. (iv) the surname is also borne by members of the royal families of the ancient states of Qiemi and Yanqi (Karasahr) located in present-day Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.6: Chinese: Mandarin or Cantonese form of the surname 隆 meaning ‘prosperous thriving’ or ‘grand magnificent’ in Chinese: (i) from the placename Long (隆) the name of a fief (located in present-day Shandong province) in the state of Lu during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). (ii) the surname is borne by some families from the Huns during the early Western Han dynasty (202 BC - 25 AD).7: Chinese: Cantonese form of the surname 郎 see Lang 3.8: Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 農 see Nong.9: Cambodian: written ឡុង of Chinese origin meaning ‘dragon’ (see 5 above).10: Vietnamese: from the Chinese surname 龍 see 5 above.
Adesina : West African (Nigeria): from the Yoruba personal name Adés̩ínà from adé s̩í ò̩nà ‘the crown opens the way’ often given to a child awaited for a long time and understood to mean ‘(the child) opens the mother's womb for more children’.
Altena : Dutch and North German: habitational name from any of several places and houses so named. For a long time the placename has been explained as al te na ‘too close’ referring to its location nearby another object. Possibly this associative explanation has been applied for some Altena places indeed but in North Brabant the toponym Land of Altena with the castle of the noblemen of Altena seems to be adopted from an old river name Huolthena (996) which probably means olten a ‘old a’ a being a general noun for ‘waterway’.
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’.
Anderson : 1: Scottish and northern English: patronymic from the personal name Ander(s) a northern Middle English form of Andrew + son ‘son’. The frequency of the surname in Scotland is attributable at least in part to the fact that Saint Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland so the personal name has long enjoyed great popularity there. Legend has it that the saint's relics were taken to Scotland in the 4th century by a certain Saint Regulus. In North America this surname has absorbed many cognate or like-sounding surnames in other languages notably Scandinavian (see 3 and 4 below) but also Ukrainian Andreychenko etc.2: German: patronymic from the personal name Anders hence a cognate of 1 above.3: Americanized form (and a less common Swedish variant) of Swedish Andersson a cognate of 1 above.4: Americanized form of Norwegian Danish and North German Andersen or Anderssen cognates of 1 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.
Ashbolt : variant of Archibald via some intermediate step such as Archbolt Ashbole or Ashbold. However the first of these is not recorded (though its existence can be presupposed by Archbutt) whilst the second and third are recorded only long after the medieval period.
Babe : 1: Jewish (Ashkenazic): from the personal name Baba (from Czech baba ‘grandmother old woman’). This name was sometimes given as an omen or well-wishing name to a tenderly guarded or seriously sick child in the hope of prophesying a long life.2: Germanized form of Sorbian Baba or Babo or of some other Slavic nickname derived from baba ‘(old) woman’ (compare 1 above).3: German: probably a variant of Baab a name derived from baby talk.4: Possibly also an Americanized form of Swiss German Baebi or Bäbi: from a pet form of the ancient Germanic name Babo.
Ballow : 1: Variant or Americanized form of Ballou a surname of probable French origin. Compare Ballew 1 and Ballowe.2: English (of Norman origin): habitational name from Bailleul-Neuville (Seine-Maritime) or Bailleul-en-Gouffern (Orne). This surname had a long history in Highworth (Wiltshire) from at least the late 13th century to the 18th century. Today it is very rare in Britain.3: English Irish and Scottish: variant of Bellew 1.
Beed : English (Pembrokeshire): from the Middle English personal Bede (Old English personal name Bēda possibly derived from the stem of bēodan ‘to command’) of which the most famous bearer was the Venerable Bede the 8th century theologian and historian. Use of the personal name though rare continued long enough into the medieval period to give rise to the surname.
Beharrell : apparently from French bihoreau ‘night heron’ (from earlier buhoreau) and given to someone with long legs. The surname Beharel is recorded in small numbers in the French départements of Nord and Pas-de-Calais around 1900. In England the name was sometimes assimilated to Barrel(l). Redmonds Dictionary of Yorks Surnames notes Francis Beharell Francis Barrel in the 1811 parish register of Drypool (ER Yorks).
Beniston : variant of Bennison with an intrusive -t-. Redmonds Dictionary of Yorks Surnames notes that Francis Bennystone 1574 in York Registry Wills (Loftus NR Yorks) appears in the parish next to Liverton where Benson and Benneson have a long history.
Bennington : English: habitational name from either of two places called Benington in Hertfordshire and Lincolnshire or from Long Bennington in Lincolnshire. The first is recorded in Domesday Book as Benintone ‘farmstead or settlement (Old English tūn) by the Beane river’; both Lincolnshire names are derived from the Old English personal name Beonna + -ing- a connective particle denoting association + tūn.
Benstead : English (East Anglia and London): habitational name sometimes from Bensted (Kent) or perhaps Bedlested (in Chelsham Surrey) but mostly from the manor of Bensted Green (a place now lost that was in Sandon Essex). The placenames are probably all from Old English byden stede ‘place in a deep valley or hollow’ although the first element of the Kent name may alternatively be Old English bēonet ‘bent (a kind of long coarse grass)’. Alternatively some instances may be from Binsted (Hampshire Sussex) Binstead (Isle of Wight) or Banstead (Surrey) all meaning ‘place where beans grow’ (Old English bēan + stede).
Besler : German:: 1: from Middle Low German beseler a kind of long dagger hence a metonymic occupational name for a maker of such weapons.2: variant of Basler.
Bobe : 1: Catalan (Bobé): variant of Bover ‘oxherd cowherd’.2: Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic): from the Yiddish female personal name Bobe Babe from the Slavic word baba meaning ‘old woman’ or ‘grandmother’. This was bestowed on girls in the hope that they would live a long life and grow old.
Bone : 1: English (of Norman origin): nickname meaning ‘good’ from Middle English bon(e) boun Old French bon ‘good’.2: English: possibly a nickname from Middle English bone ‘bone leg’ (Old English bān; compare Bain 3) used of someone with a bad leg or long legs.3: English: variant of Boone 1.4: Slovenian: from a short form of the personal name Bonifac(ij) (from Latin Bonifatius; see Boniface) or from a pet form of the personal name Bon 7.5: Hungarian (Bóné): from bóné denoting a particular kind of fishing net hence a metonymic occupational name for a fisherman or perhaps for a maker of such nets.
Bonura : Italian (Sicily): from the personal name Bonora an omen or well-wishing name meaning ‘(it was a) good hour (when you were born)’ bestowed as an expression of gratitude or perhaps signifying a child that was born in the early morning or one that had been long awaited from buonora in the sense ‘finally at last’.
Botting : English: from the Middle English (Old English) personal name Botting a pet form of Old English Botta (see Bott 1). The name has an unusually long history in Nuthurst (Sussex).
Bouras : 1: Greek: from Albanian burrë ‘man husband’. Compare Booras and Buras.2: French: from b(o)ure ‘frieze’ a type of coarse reddish brown woolen cloth with long hairs (from Late Latin burra ‘coarse untreated wool’) + augmentative suffix -as applied as a metonymic occupational name for a worker in the wool trade or perhaps as a nickname for someone who habitually dressed in brown. Compare Bourassa.3: Muslim (Maghreb): unexplained; likely non-Arabic.
Brainard : English (Essex): variant of Brainwood a nickname from Middle English brainwod ‘mad in the mind furious’ for someone who easily lost his temper. The surname has a long history in villages near Chelmsford Essex and its 17th-century variants including Branward Branard Braynard and Braynerd occur within 5 or 6 miles of Writtle where the name originated in the early 14th century.
Bramante : Italian: from a derivative of bramare ‘to desire to long for’ presumably applied as a nickname.
Breslau : Jewish (Ashkenazic): habitational name from Breslau German name of the Polish city of Wrocław which for a long time was part of Germany.
Bressler : German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): habitational name for someone from Breslau German name of the Polish city of Wrocław which for a long time was part of Germany. Compare Breslauer Bresler and Pressler.
Buccellato : Italian (Sicily): from buccellato ‘ring-shaped loaf long-keeping bread’ (from Latin buccellatum ‘biscuit’) applied as metonymic occupational name for a baker or as a nickname for someone who was well preserved or long lived.
Buckbee : Altered form of English Buckby: habitational name from a place in Northamptonshire named Long Buckby from the Old Norse personal name Bukki + Old Norse býr ‘farmstead settlement’. Compare Bugbee and Bugby.
Buckby : from Long Buckby (Northants); the place-name is from an anglicized form of the Old Scandinavian male given name Bukki + bȳ ‘farm village’. Compare Buckberry.
Bullen : English (of Norman origin): habitational name from the French Channel port of Boulogne recorded in Latin sources both as Gessoriacum and as Bononia. The latter name is clearly the source of the modern placename. It is ostensibly a derivative of Latin bonus ‘good’ (compare Bolognese) but may in fact come from a Gaulish element bona ‘foundation’. Boulogne has long been a major trading port between England and France.
Burel : French: metonymic occupational name for a worker in the wool trade or perhaps a nickname for someone who habitually dressed in brown from Old French burel borel a diminutive of b(o)ure ‘frieze’ a type of coarse reddish brown woolen cloth with long hairs (from Late Latin burra ‘coarse untreated wool’).
Bushey : 1: English: habitational name from Bushey in Hertfordshire so named with an Old English bysce or byxe ‘box’ + hæg ‘enclosure’.2: English: alternatively a nickname from Middle English busshi ‘bushy shrub-like overgrown’ probably in the sense ‘having long thick hair’ (well recorded in 17th-century usage). These English surnames are now rare in Britain.3: Americanized form of French Boucher. Compare Boushey Busha 1 Bushee and Bushy.4: Americanized form of French Boissy.5: Americanized form of German Büsche (see Busche) or Swiss German Büschi a variant of Busch.
Caleb : 1: English (Yorkshire) and Welsh (Monmouthshire): from the Biblical personal name Caleb which is derived from ancient Hebrew kaleb ‘dog’. It was the name of one of the only two men who set out with Moses from Egypt to live long enough to enter the promised land (Numbers 26:65). This name was popular among the Puritans in the 17th century and was brought by them as a personal name to America.2: Possibly also an Americanized form of Croatian Kaleb: nickname from an old spelling of galeb ‘seagull’.
Camba : 1: Galician: habitational name from any of several places so called in Galicia (Spain).2: French (southern): nickname for someone with long legs from Occitan camba ‘leg’. This surname is rare in France.3: Filipino: unexplained.
Camel : 1: English (of Norman origin) and French: nickname from Norman French came(i)l ‘camel’ (from Latin camelus classical Greek kamēlos) possibly denoting a clumsy person or someone with long legs. It may also be a topographic or habitational name referring to a house with a sign depicting a camel (although surnames derived from house and inn signs are rare in English); compare 5 below.2: English: possibly a habitational name from Queen Camel and West Camel in Somerset early recorded as Camel(le) possibly a Celtic name from canto- ‘border district’ and mēl ‘bare hill’.3: English: variant of Campbell from an assimilated pronunciation.4: Americanized form of German Keimel.5: Americanized form of German Camehl Kamehl or Kämmel cognates of 1 above applied as a habitational name referring to a house distinguished by the sign of a camel a common house sign in central Europe in the later Middle Ages.
Catterall : English (Lancashire): habitational name from Catterall in Lancashire possibly named from Old Norse kattar-hali ‘cat's tail’ referring to a long thin piece of land.
Chalmers : 1: Scottish: from Older Scots chalmer ‘chamberlain’; compare Chambers. The mb was assimilated to mm; the l was purely graphic indicating that the preceding a was long.2: English: possibly a localized form of Challinor (see Challender) with dissimilation of ln to lm in Chalner.
Chalwin : from a Middle English personal name *Cholwin either male from Old English Cēolwine or female from Old English Cēolwynn. The names are compounds of Old English cēol- ‘ship’ + wine ‘friend’ or wynn ‘joy’. The unrounding of the vowel to give Chalwin is a feature of early Modern English pronunciation. The surname has a long history in W Sussex villages close to Climping.
Chaplin : 1: English and French: occupational name for a chantry priest from Middle English c(h)apelein Old French chapelain (ultimately from Late Latin capellanus) a priest endowed to sing mass daily on behalf of the souls of the dead.2: Ukrainian and Belorussian: patronymic from the nickname Chaplya from the dialect word chaplya ‘heron stork’ referring to a man with long thin legs or perhaps one who was shy and easily frightened.
Charlish : from Middle English cherlish ‘servile boorish simple-minded’ influenced by its Scandinavian-derived counterpart carlish; but the long gap in the evidence is a problem.perhaps a variant of Charles which originated in Suffolk or at least sometimes confused with this.
Chronis : Greek: from a short form of the personal name Polychronis Polychronios an omen or well-wishing name meaning ‘(may he be) long lived’ (from poly ‘much many’ + chronos ‘time year’).
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).
Claxton : English: habitational name from any of various places called Claxton for example in County Durham Norfolk and Yorkshire or from Long Clawson (Leicestershire). All are derived from an English genitive form of the Old Norse personal name Klakkr (see Clack) + Old English tūn ‘settlement’.
Clermont : 1: French and English (Middlesex of Norman and French Huguenot origin): habitational name from any of various places in France called (Le) Clermont from Old French clair cler ‘bright clear’ + mont ‘hill’ i.e. a hill that could be seen a long way off. Compare Clairmont.2: English (Middlesex of Norman and possibly also Huguenot origin): variant of Claremont from the Old French female personal name Claremonde supposedly from ancient Germanic Claremunda a hybrid compound of Latin clarus ‘famous’ + ancient Germanic mund ‘protection’.
Cloughley : of uncertain origin: possibly a reduced form of an unidentified Irish surname in Mac-. Woulfe gives Mac Claochlaoich as a variant or corruption of Mac Caochlaoich or Mac Caochfhile (anglicized as Kehelly and Coakley in West Cork) which is phonetically suitable for Cloughley but a long way from County Down.
Cock : 1: from Middle English cok ‘cook’ a possible variant of Cook if shortening of the vowel of Old English cōc ‘cook’ occurred before it developed to Middle English coke couk cook. In examples of Coc and Cok below the vowel may be short or long so they could alternatively be cited under Cook.from Middle English cok (Old English and Old French coc) ‘male bird cock’ (especially the male of the domestic fowl) perhaps used humorously of a leader or chief man in a social group though this sense is not recorded before the 16th century in OED. Some of the following early bearers may alternatively belong under other senses below. 2: occasionally from the Old French and Middle English personal name Cok of uncertain etymology but possibly derived from the word in (1 ii). Compare the diminutive form Cocklin of French origin. There seems to have been an Old English personal name *Cocc(a) which may also have contributed to the Middle English name; compare Cocking. For potential early bearers of the surname see examples without the definite article in (1) above. 3: from Middle English cok (Old English cocc) ‘hillock’ denoting someone who lived by a hillock or mound.from Middle English cok cok(k)e ‘ship's boat’ and so perhaps used for a boatman. Compare Barge.for someone who lived or worked at a house or inn known as ‘The Cock’ from a sign depicting a haycock or mound a boat or a cock bird (see the senses above).
Coda : Italian (Piedmont): topographic name for someone who lived on a long narrow piece of land from coda ‘tail’ (from Latin cauda).
Colverson : apparently ‘son of someone surnamed Culver’. This type of formation is found in NW England is but rare or absent elsewhere. Culverson and Culver both occur in the 17th-century parish registers of Faversham (Kent) so it is possible that Culverson a late development of Culver which is a surname with a long history in Kent. Compare perhaps the common use of excrescent -s.
Connolly : Irish and Manx: Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Conghaile ‘descendant of Conghal’ a name meaning ‘hound valiant’ or of Ó Conghalaigh ‘descendant of Conghalach’ a derivative of Conghal; the two surnames have long been confused. Anglicized Irish forms Conneely Connealy Cunneely have arisen where loss of gh has caused lengthening of the second syllable of Conghal: they often also (Connacht) represent shortened forms of McNeilly from Mac Conghaile. Another possible origin is the West Cork name Mac Coingheallaigh (or Ó Coingheallaigh) ‘son (or descendant) of Coingheallach’ a personal name meaning ‘faithful to pledges’. See McNeilly.
Corning : English:: 1: in northern England and the northern Midlands perhaps a patronymic or nickname from an unrecorded Old English personal name or nickname Corna + the filial hypocoristic or noun-forming suffix -ing. The root of the name could be Old English corna ‘crane heron’ (applied to someone with long legs).2: alternatively perhaps a habitational name from Cooling in Folkestone (Kent) recorded as a surname de Corninge in 1257 de Cornyngg' in 1334 and perhaps as Corlyng' in 1379 but the surname seems not to have survived into the modern period. The meaning of the placename is uncertain.
Crane : 1: English: nickname most likely for a tall thin man with long legs from Middle English cran ‘crane’ (the bird) Old English cran cron. The term included the heron until the introduction of a separate word for the latter in the 14th century.2: Manx: see Craine.3: Dutch: variant of Krane ‘crane’.4: Americanized form (translation into English) of German Krahn or Kranich.
Critchell : from Long Crichel or Moor Crichel (Dorset) or Critchill in Frome (Somerset).
Crone : 1: Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Cróin ‘descendant of Crón’ a name from crón ‘swarthy’. Compare Cronin.2: English: nickname from Middle English cron(e) ‘crane’ Old English cran cron probably denoting someone with long legs. Compare Crane.3: Scottish: shortened form McCrone.4: German and Dutch: variant of Krone and in North America (also) an altered form of this. This surname is also found in France (Lorraine) where it is mainly spelled Crône.
Crunden : most probably a variant of Cruttenden. Less likely from Long Crendon (Bucks) recorded as Crundon in the 13th and 14th centuries or Crondon Hall in Stock (Essex) recorded as Crunden Crundon in the 13th century.
Cuff : 1: English: from the Middle English personal name Cuffe (Old English Cuffa a pet form perhaps of Cūthfrith).2: English: possibly from Middle English cuffe coffe ‘mitten’ either as a metonymic occupational name for a maker and seller of gloves or a nickname for a wearer of particularly fine gloves.3: English: variant of Cove with the original long vowel shortened and the final consonant unvoiced to /f/.4: Irish (Mayo and Roscommon): variant of Cuffe.5: African American: variant of Cuffee.
Cutford : 1: see Cudworth. 2: from Cutford in Saint Wenn (Cornwall). This is attested in the Cornish documents but whether it survived into the modern era is uncertain as the 1625 and 1733 examples might be altered or mistaken forms of Catford a name which has a long history in Dulverton (Somerset) and in nearby towns in Devon.
Czapla : Polish: from czapla ‘heron’ hence a nickname for a man with long thin legs.
Daggy : Americanized form of German Däge which is probably from a short form of any of the ancient Germanic personal names based on tac ‘day’ or of North German Dagge which is from Middle Low German dagge ‘dagger long knife’ hence a metonymic occupational name for a maker of those.
Darrin : English (of French origin): altered form of northern French Dairain a habitational name with fused preposition d(e) ‘from’ denoting someone from Airaines (Somme). In some instances the name may be Norman in origin with the same derivation however this name may not have survived long enough to contribute to the modern surname. This form of the surname is now rare in Britain.
De Groff : Altered form of Dutch De Graaf. The vowel change is a common feature of New York Dutch i.e. the lowering of long a -aa- becoming -aw-.
Delong : 1: French: habitational name with fused preposition de ‘from’ denoting someone from a place called Long of which there are examples in Cher Dordogne and Somme.2: Americanized form of Dutch and Flemish De Lange 1 and of its Flemish cognate De Langhe which is also found in France (Nord and Pas-de-Calais).
Depies : Altered form of Walloon Depiesse: probably a topographic name derived either from French pièce ‘piece (of land)’ or Walloon pièce ‘pole long and thick stick’. The surname Depiesse which is most common in the Belgian province of Luxembourg is also found in France (mainly in Lorraine).
Deslongchamps : French: from Old French long ‘long’ + the plural form of champ ‘field open land’ (see Champ) with fused preposition and definite article des ‘from the’ a topographic name for someone who lived by oblong fields or a habitational name from Les Longchamps the name of several places in the northwestern part of France. The surname Deslongchamps is very rare in France. Compare Delongchamp.
Diaper : from Ypres in Flanders (western Belgium) with fused Anglo-Norman French preposition d' and loss of the French nominative singular -s whence de Ipra Dipre Dyper(e) in English medieval records. Warin Dipre e.g. is identical with Warin Dipres late 13th cent.(?) in London Met Archives (Hatfield Broad Oak Essex) for which see Deeprose. The vowel generally remained long /i:/ in Middle English becoming /ai/ in Modern English spelled Dyper or more commonly as Diaper through folk etymological association with the word diaper a type of white cloth sewn with geometric patterns. For variants with a short vowel see Dipper (1). Some early bearers listed below may alternatively belong at Dipper (2).
Ditton : English (Kent): habitational name from any of numerous places called Ditton for example Ditton in Kent Buckinghamshire and Lancashire; Fen Ditton or Wood Ditton in Cambridgeshire; or Thames Ditton or Long Ditton in Surrey all from Old English dīc ‘ditch dike’ + tūn ‘enclosure settlement farmstead’.
Dohrn : North German: topographic name for someone who lived by a ‘prickly thicket’ from Middle Low German dorn ‘thorn’ (the -h- reflects the long vowel).
Dou : 1: Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 竇 meaning ‘hole’ in ancient Chinese: (i) adopted as a surname by Yue Zhu and Yue Long two sons of Shao Kang the sixth king of the Xia dynasty (2070–1600 BC). Yue Zhu and Yue Long are said to have adopted Dou (竇) (meaning ‘hole’) as a surname because their pregnant grandmother had escaped from a rebellion through a hole in the wall before giving birth to their father Shao Kang who later recaptured the throne. (ii) traced back to the Dou (竇) family from the Di ethnic group and some other families from the Xianbei ethnic group in ancient China.2: Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 豆 denoting an ancient stemmed cup of bowl: (i) traced back to some inhabitants in the state of Chu during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). (ii) adopted as the surname by the Chi Xiao Dou (赤小豆) and Dou Lu (豆盧) family from the Xianbei ethnic group in northern China during the Northern Wei dynasty (386–534 AD).3: Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 鈄 referring to a type of ancient vessel for drinking wine: said to be borne by the descendants of the Duke Kang of Qi (died 379 BC) who was ousted from his throne in the state of Qi and sent into exile. It was said that he was forced to use the vessel Dou (鈄) to cook food during his exile and some of his descendants inherited Dou as the surname to memorize this period.4: Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 杜 possibly based on its Cantonese pronunciation see Du 1.5: French (southern): unexplained.
Drane : 1: English (Essex Norfolk and Suffolk): nickname for a lazy man from Middle English dran dron ‘drone’ (Old English drān) ‘drone male honey bee’ long taken as a symbol of idleness.2: English: variant of Drain 3.
Dray : English (Kent and Sussex): nickname from Middle English dri(e) drei (Old Norse drjúgr) ‘large tall’ also ‘doughty’ ‘patient long suffering’. Alternatively the nickname may occasonially derive from Middle English drie drei (Old English drȳge) ‘dry withered lacking in warmth of feeling’.
Dulong : French:: 2: habitational name with fused preposition and definite article du ‘from the’ for someone from Le Long the name of several places in various parts of France.1: patronymic with fused preposition and definite article du ‘of the’ from the nickname (Le) Long ‘(the) long (the) tall’ (see Long and Lelong).
Edden : English (Midlands and northern England): from the Middle English personal name Ed (a pet form of Edgar Edward or Edwin all beginning with the Old English element ēad ‘prosperity’ with the characteristically West Midland genitival suffix -en). This surname has a long association with Brailes in Warwickshire.
Eyton : from Eyton (Shrops Denbighs) Eaton (Cheshire Leics Staffs) Eaton Bray (Beds) Cold Eaton (Derbys) or Long Eaton (Derbys).
Fairfax : English: nickname for someone with beautiful long hair from Middle English fair fax ‘beautiful tresses’. This was a common descriptive phrase in Middle English: the alliterative poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight refers to ‘fair fanning fax’ encircling the shoulders of the doughty warrior.
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.
Flitter : English: perhaps an occupational name derived from Middle English flitten ‘to convey transport remove (something)’. Reaney and Wilson's suggested derivation from Middle English fliter (Old English flītere) ‘wrangler scold’ seems doubtful. This would give flighter in modern English (i.e. with a long vowel compare Flight) whereas the -tt- in the surname forms implies a short vowel.
Fogg : English (northern): possibly a variant of Fowke (see Foulk). It may derive from Middle English fogge ‘aftermath’ (i.e. grass left to grow after the hay has been cut also applied to long grass in a water meadow) especially in northern England where the term occurs as a specifying element in minor placenames but as it is not found on its own as a simplex name the derivation is doubtful without some supporting evidence. The word fogge which is probably of Old Norse origin is still in use as a dialect term in Craven Yorkshire and in eastern Lancashire. modern English fog ‘thick mist’ is first attested in the 16th century and is unlikely to be the source of the surname.
Fullbrook : 1: from one or more of the numerous places so named such as Fulbrook (Oxon) which is recorded as Fvlebroc in 1086 Fulbrook in Hogshaw (Bucks) recorded as Fulebroc in 1199 Fulbrook in Sherbourne (Warwicks) recorded as Fulebroc in 1086 Fullbrook in Long Compton (also Warwicks) recorded as Fulbrooke in 1637 Fulbrocks Farm in Charlwood (Surrey) for which the 1241 bearer cited below constitutes the earliest evidence and a lost Fulbrook in Gloucester (Gloucs) recorded as Fulebroc in the 12th century and Fulbroke in 1537. The place-names all derive from Old English fūl ‘foul muddy dirty’ + brōc ‘brook stream’. 2: perhaps also from Fullbrook Farm in Elstead (Surrey) which is recorded as Fowelesbrok in 1257 and Fulbrook in 1603–25. The place-name derives from Middle English fughel fowel ‘fowl bird’ (Old English fugol) or the Middle English personal name Foghel Fughel (see Fowle) + brok ‘brook stream’ (Old English fugol + brōc).
Gao : Chinese:: 1: Mandarin form of the surname 高 meaning ‘high’ in Chinese: (i) said to be borne by descendants of Gao Yuan (高元) an official during the reign of the legendary Huang Di the ‘Yellow Emperor’ (c. 27th century BC). (ii) from Gao (高) the name of a fief (located in Yuxian in Henan province) granted to Prince Gao son of the Duke Wen of Qi (the 10th recorded ruler of the state of Qi died 804 BC). (iii) from the second element of the personal name Zi Gao (子高) style name of Prince Qi son of the Duke Hui of Qi (ruler of the state of Qi died 599 BC). (iv) borne by descendants of Yuan Jingan and Yuan Wenyao who were endowed with the surname Gao (高) by Emperor Wenxuan of Northern Qi (526–559 AD). (v) adopted in place of the surname 徐 by Gao Long (高隆) who inherited his foster father's surname during the Northern Qi dynasty (550–577 AD). (vi) adopted as a surname by the Emperor Mu-Rong Yun (died 409 AD) in the Later Yan dynasty (384–407 AD). (vii) adopted as a surname by some families in the Xianbei and Gaoli (Korean) ethnic groups in northern China.2: Mandarin form of the surname 郜: from Gao (郜) the name of a state (located in Chengwu in Shandong province) granted to the 11th son of the virtuous King Wen of Zhou (1152–1056 BC). After it was annexed by the state of Song during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC) the name of the state was adopted as a surname.3: Mandarin form of the surname 皋 meaning ‘marsh’ in Chinese: (i) said to be traced back to Gao Yao (皋陶) the official in charge of penalty during the reign of the legendary Emperor Shun (c. 23rd century BC); (ii) from the first element of the personal name Gao Ru (皋如) an official in the state of Yue during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). (iii) from Gao (皋) the name of an ancient tribe or a small state (possibly located in northern China) later annexed by the state of Jin during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC).
Garza : Spanish: from garza ‘heron’ probably applied as a nickname for someone with long legs. Compare De la Garza.
Gatcombe : from Gatcombe in Long Ashton (Somerset).
Glapion : French: unexplained. This name which has died out in France long ago is found mainly in LA.
Globe : see Glubb. The development of the surname form Globe apparently with a long vowel is probably due to influence from the word globe ‘globe sphere’.
Gnat : 1: Polish: nickname for someone with long limbs from gnat ‘long bone especially shinbone’.2: South German: rare variant of Gnadt.
Grzywacz : Polish and Jewish (from Poland): nickname from grzywacz ‘ring-necked dove’ or from grzywa ‘mane’ with reference to a man with long hair. As a Jewish name it is mainly artificial.
Guan : Chinese:: 1: Mandarin form of the surname 關 meaning ‘forts’ in ancient Chinese: (i) borne by descendants of Guan Long Feng (關龍逢) an official who lived during the reign of Xia Jie the last king of the Xia dynasty (2070–1600 BC). (ii) from the first element of the post name Guan Ling Yin (關令尹) or Guan Yin (關尹) said to have been held by a man called Xi who was in charge of garrisoning forts during the Western Zhou dynasty (1046–771 BC).2: Mandarin form of the surname 管 meaning ‘manage administer’ in Chinese: (i) from Guan (管) the name of a state (located in Zhengzhou in Henan province) which was granted to Guan Shu Xian (管叔鮮) the third son of the virtuous King Wen of Zhou (1152–1056 BC). Guan Shu Xian was later killed because he participated in a rebellion against the king. The name of state was subsequently adopted as a surname. (ii) borne by descendants of Guan Zhong (管仲) also called Guan Yiwu (管夷吾) a famous politician in the state of Qi during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC).3: Mandarin form of the surname 官 meaning ‘official’ in Chinese: (i) from the first element of the post name Guan Shi (官師) head of officials hosted by Duke Ding of Liu an official during the Western Zhou dynasty (1046–771 BC). (ii) borne by the Guan Zu (官族) i.e. descendants of those officials who had made such great contributions to the state that their granted fiefs and titles would be kept forever.4: Mandarin form of the surname 灌 meaning 'irrigate' in Chinese: from the second element of Chen Guan (斟灌) the name of an ancient state (located in present-day Shangdong province) during the Xia dynasty (2070–1600 BC).5: variant Romanization of the surname 阮 see Ruan 3.6: Teochew or Hokkien form of the surname 顏 see Yan 4.7: variant Romanization of the surname 袁 see Yuan 1.
Guite : 1: French (Guité): from the ancient Germanic personal name Wido (see Guy 1). This surname is virtually non-existing in France.2: English (Yorkshire): variant of Gyte perhaps a topographic name from the River Goyt (Derbyshire) early recorded as Guyt Guyot and Gouyt. The Goyt valley is not far from Chelmorton in Derbyshire where the modern surname has had a long history since at least the 17th century.
Gyte : perhaps from the R. Goyt (Derbys) recorded as Guyt (1244) Guyot Gouyt (1300) and according to Place-Names of Derbys p. 6 in the surname Goyt 1262 in Feet of Fines (Derbys). The Goyt Valley is not far from Chelmorton where the modern surname has had a long history since at least the 17th century.
Harper : English (Staffordshire) Scottish Irish (Antrim and Down) and Dutch: occupational name for a player on the harp from Middle English harper(e) ‘harper’ (Old English hearpere) and Middle Dutch harper herper. The harper was one of the most important figures of a medieval baronial hall especially in Scotland and northern England and the office of harper was sometimes hereditary. The Scottish surname is probably an Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Chruiteir ‘son of the harper’ (from Gaelic cruit ‘harp’ ‘stringed instrument’). This surname has long been present in Ireland.
Hawkins : 1: English: variant of Hawkin with genitival or post-medieval excrescent -s.2: English: habitational name with excrescent -s from Hawkinge (Kent). The placename derives from the Old English personal name Heafoc or Old English heafoc ‘hawk’ + the placename forming suffix -ing. This name has been assimilated to the patronymic surname in Devon from Sir John Hawkyns (1532–95) victor against the Spanish Armada (1588) who was a member of the Devon family of Hawkins a branch of a Kentish family from the village of Hawkinge. They held land in Plymouth as long ago as 1480.3: Irish: variant of Haughn.
Head : English: from Middle English heved hed ‘head’ (Old English hēafod) applied as a nickname for someone with a peculiarity or disproportion of the head or else used as a topographic name for someone who lived at the top (‘head’) of a promontory or hill or near the source of a stream or river or the head of a valley. This surname has long been established in Ireland.
Heed : see Head. This form preserves the original Middle English long vowel.possibly in principle from Middle English hed ‘care; anxiety’.
Herron : 1: English: habitational name from Harome (North Yorkshire) from Old English (æt thǣm) hārum ‘at the (gray) stones’ dative plural of hār ‘gray stone’.2: English and Scottish: nickname probably for a tall thin man with long legs from Old French hairon ‘heron’ Anglo-Norman French heron Middle English heiroun heyron herne heron. Compare Hearn and Heron.3: English (of Norman origin): habitational name from (Le) Héron in France (Seine-Maritime).4: English: sometimes a variant of Hearn.5: Irish: shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó hEaráin ‘descendant of Earán’ a personal name from a diminutive of earadh ‘fear dread distrust’.6: Spanish (Herrón): probably a nickname from herrón a medieval game that required participants to hit an iron disk with a central hole in a nail driven into the ground.
Hickman : 1: English (Staffordshire): from the Middle English personal names Hikeman Hicheman and (in the West Midlands) Hikemon and Hichemon pet forms of Hike and Hiche with the hypocoristic suffix -man or -mon. See Hick and Hitch. In some instances however Hikeman and Hicheman might be occupational names denoting a ‘servant of Hike or Hiche’. This surname has long been established in Ireland notably in County Clare.2: Americanized form of German Hickmann.
Hillery : English: variant of Hillary. This name has long been established in Ireland (Clare).
Hnat : 1: Czech and Slovak (Hnát): nickname for someone with long limbs from hnát ‘long bone/limb’.2: Ukrainian Rusyn (in Slovakia also Hnát) and Slovak (also Hnát): from the Ukrainian Rusyn and eastern Slovak personal name Hnat a short form of Ihnat ‘Ignatius’.
Holstein : German: habitational name from the province of Holstein long disputed between Germany and Denmark. This gets its name from holsten the dative plural originally used after a preposition of holst from Middle Low German holt-sate ‘dweller in the woods’ (from Middle Low German holt ‘wood’ + sate sete ‘tenant’). The final syllable has been erroneously altered by analogy with North German Steen ‘stone’ which in South German and standard German has the form Stein.
Horsley : English (Northeastern England): habitational name from any of various places called with Old English hors ‘horse’ + lēah ‘woodland clearing’ such as Horsley (Derbyshire Gloucestershire) Long Horsley (Northumberland) and Horseley Hills Farm in Wolverley (Worcestershire) probably referring to a place where horses were put out to pasture.
Hou : Chinese:: 1: Mandarin form of the surname 侯 a title approximately equivalent to ‘marquis’: (i) borne by descendants of Jin Ai Hou (晉哀侯 Marquis Ai of Jin ruler of the state of Jin reigned 717–709 BC) and Jin Min Hou (晉湣侯 Marquis Min of Jin another ruler of the state of Jin died 679 BC) both of whom were killed by Duke Wu of Jin (also known as Duke Wu of Quwo 754–677 BC) who later became a new ruler of the state of Jin. Their descendants fled to other states and adopted the name of the peerage rank as their surname. (ii) from the placename Hou (侯) the name of a fief (located in present-day Shaanxi province) granted to descendants of Xia Yu the first king of the Xia dynasty (2070–1600 BC). (iii) from Hou (侯) the name of an ancient state (located in Henan province) during the Shang dynasty (1600–1046 BC). (iv) borne by descendants of Hou Xuan Duo (侯宣多) and Hou Yu (侯羽) officials in the state of Zheng during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). (v) adopted as a surname by families from minority ethnic groups in northern China during the Northern Wei dynasty (386–534 AD) including the families of Hu Gu Kou Yin (胡古口引) Hou Nu (侯奴) Ke Hou (渴侯) Gu Yin (古引) and Si Fu Hou (俟伏侯).2: Mandarin form of the surname 后 meaning ‘empress queen’ in Chinese: (i) from the first element of the title Hou Tu (后土) borne by Gou Long an official in charge of lands during the reign of the legendary Huang Di the ‘Yellow Emperor’ (c. 27th century BC). (ii) simplified form of the placename Hou (郈 also written as 厚) the name of a fief (located in present-day Shandong province) granted to Gong son of the Duke Xiao of Lu (ruler of the state of Lu died 769 BC). (iii) borne by descendants of Hou Zang (后臧) younger brother of Ye Gong (Duke of Ye c. 550–470 BC) a noble in the state of Chu. (iv) borne by descendants of Yin an official historiographer in the state of Qi during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC) who was endowed with the surname Hou (后 meaning ‘wife of the king’) because Yin's daughter became the wife of King Xiang of Qi (ruler of the state of Qi died in 265 BC).3: Mandarin form of the surname 後 meaning ‘back’ in Chinese: said to be borne by descendants of Hou Zhao (後照) a grandson of the legendary king Tai Hao who lived even before the Xia dynasty (2070–1600 BC).4: Mandarin form of the surname 厚 meaning ‘thick’ in Chinese: from Hou (厚) the name of a fief (located in present-day Jiangsu province) in the state of Lu granted to Hou Ji (厚瘠) also known as Hou Cheng Shu (厚成叔) an official in the state of Lu during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC).5: variant Romanization of the surname 霍 see Huo 1.6: variant Romanization of the surname 緱 see Gou 3.
Huppe : 1: French: nickname from huppe ‘hoopoe’ (the bird) based on this bird's cry or applied to someone with a hair resembling the hoopoe's crest or perhaps with a long curved nose resembling its bill.2: French (Huppé): nickname related to 1 above from the past participle of the Old French verb huper ‘to utter a long cry’.3: German (Hüppe): from a pet form (Hubo) of the personal name Hugebert composed of the elements hug ‘spirit thought’ + berht ‘bright famous’.
Hurlbatt : from Middle English hurlen ‘to hurl throw with force thrust’ + Middle English bat ‘a stout wooden stick staff club cudgel or flail’ also ‘a war mace’. It may have been used of a warrior on horse or on foot who was skilled in using a mace or a military flail (a spiked ball on a chain) but the social rank of the earliest known bearers of the surname is unknown. Alternatively its original bearers may have been players or referees in the sport of hurlebat. A text of about 1450 mentions ‘Pleying ... at þe hurlebatte’ along with ‘Pleying at þe two hande swerd at swerd and bokelere and at two pyked staf’. In common with these other fighting games it was perhaps a two-man combat using cudgels or maces but a later English writer (1565–73) states that the sport was played with aclides (Latin aclides ‘small javelins’) defined as ‘short battes of a cubit long and a halfe with pykes of yron ... [which] were tied to a line that when they were throwne one might plucke them again’ (see OED at hurlbat). The playing of hurlebat in either of these forms in earlier centuries is conjectural but compare Ricardus Hurlesticke (‘hurl stick hurl cudgel’) 1379 in Poll Tax (Bodenham Wilts).
Hurlbut : English: nickname from a medieval game called hurlebatte which took its name from ‘short battes of a cubit long and a halfe with pykes of yron and were tied to a line that when they were throwne one might plucke them again’ (1565–73). Compare ‘Pleying at The two hande swerd at swerd and bokelere and at two pyked staf at The hurlebatte’ (about 1450 in MED).
Husain : Muslim: from the Arabic personal name Ḥusayn a diminutive of Ḥasan ‘good handsome’ (see Hasan). Husain (c. 626–680) and his elder brother Hasan were sons of the caliph ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib (see Ali) and through their mother Fatima grandsons of the prophet Muhammad. The death of Husain in a massacre at Karbala signaled the beginning of a long period of internecine strife in the Muslim world. Shiite Muslims regard Hasan and his brother Husain as the true successors of Muhammad and observe the day of his death as a day of mourning. The name is popular among Sunni Muslims as well as Shiites. Compare Husein Hussein and Hossein.
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
FANBI : The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain, ©2021, University of the West of England
Subject to the Terms and Conditions of Ancestry
