Origin and popularity of the name SEE

Origin

See : 1: English and German: topographic name for someone who lived by the sea-shore or beside a lake from Middle English se ‘sea lake’ (Old English sǣ) Middle High German sē.2: Altered form of French (of Flemish origin) Sy.3: Chinese: variant of Si or Xi.4: Chinese: variant Romanization of the surnames 謝 (see Xie 1) 池 (see Chi 1) 薛 (see Xue) 徐 and 許 (see Xu 1 and 2).5: Chinese: from the personal name 泗 (composed of a semantic radical 氵 indicating something related to water and a phonetic radical 四 meaning ‘four’) recorded as a surname after immigration of its bearer to the US.6: Southeast Asian (Lahu): name found among the Lahu people from Laos of unexplained etymology; it may be of Chinese origin (see above). See also Saesee.

Abbess : probably a variant of Abbs the spelling of which has been altered by folk etymology to coincide with the vocabulary word abbess. See also Abbe.

Abbey : English:: 1: from Anglo-Norman and Middle English abbeye abbaye ‘abbey’ i.e. a community of monks under an abbot or of nuns under an abbess (Old French abeie Late Latin abbatia ‘priest's house’) applied as a topographic name for someone living in or near an abbey or an occupational name for someone working in one.2: (of Norman origin): nickname from Anglo-Norman French abé abbé ‘priest’. See also French Labbe.

Abbishaw : variant of Habbershaw see Habergham.

Abdel : Muslim: from an Arabic personal name based on ʿabd al ‘servant of the […]’ (literally ‘slave of the […]’). In Arabic personal names ʿAbd al (or ʿAbd el ʿAbdel) is normally a component of a compound name referring to an attribute of Allah for example ʿAbd al-Ḥakīm ‘servant of the All-Wise’. See also Abdul.

Abedin : Muslim (mainly Bangladesh and India): from a personal name based on Arabic ʿābidīn ‘worshipers’ (plural of ʿābid; see Abed) which is also found in compound names such as Zain ul-ʿĀbidīn ‘ornament of the worshipers’ an attribute of Ali ibn Husayn (c. 659–713) the fourth imam of the Shiites. Compare Abdin.

Abee : 1: Americanized form of Swiss German Äbi (see Eby).2: Probably also a shortened form of Irish McAbee.3: Possibly also an Americanized form of French Abbé see Abbe.4: In some cases possibly also Dutch: from the personal name Abe a shortened form of Albert or Albrecht. It may also be from the initials A. B. as in the case of at least one surname in Groningen.

Abershaw : variant of Habbershaw see Habergham.

Abid : Muslim:: 1: from the Arabic personal name ʿĀbid from ʿābid ‘worshiper devotee’. See also Abed.2: from the Arabic personal name ʿAbīd from the plural of ʿabd ‘servant’. It is related to 1 above.

Abraham : 1: English French Spanish German Slovenian Ethiopian and Assyrian/Chaldean; Hungarian (Ábrahám) Slovak (mainly Abrahám also Ábrahám) Czech (also Abrahám): from the Hebrew personal name ʾAbraham (modern spelling Avraham) borne by the Biblical patriarch revered by Jews as the founding father of the Jewish people (Genesis 11–25) and by Muslims as founder of all the Semitic peoples both Hebrew and Arab (compare Ibrahim). The original name of the Biblical patriarch was probably Abram meaning ‘high father’ (from ab father ram ‘exalted’) while its later form is explained in Genesis 17:5 as being derived from Hebrew ab hamon goyim ‘father of a multitude of nations’. It was widely used as a personal name among Christians as well as Jews in the Middle Ages. The name Abraham is also found among Christians in southern India but since South Indians traditionally do not have hereditary surnames the southern Indian name was in most cases registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US. As a surname of Hungarian origin Abraham is also found in Romania. — Note: Since Ethiopians do not have hereditary surnames the Ethiopian name was registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.2: Irish: adoption of the English name (see 1 above) as an equivalent of Gaelic Mac an Bhreitheamhan ‘son of the judge’. See McBroom and compare Breheny.

Abrahart : most likely an adaptation of German Eberhar(d)t for which see Ebert with the dominant form influenced by the Biblical Abraham.

Abril : Spanish and Portuguese: from an old personal name Abril based on the name of the month (from Latin Aprilis ‘April’). See also April.

Abu : 1: Muslim: abstracted as a surname from Arabic abū ‘father’ a common component of traditional Muslim names. It is used to form the kunya (a type of name meaning ‘father of’ such as Abū-Bakr literally ‘father of the Young Camel’; see Abubakr) in combination with the name of a man's child usually his firstborn son (or hoped-for firstborn). In traditional Muslim society a man is generally known and addressed by his kunya rather than by his ism (his personal name) the use of which can seem unduly familiar. A kunya may also be used to form a nickname as in the case of Abū-Turāb ʿAlī ‘ʿAlī father of dust’ the kunya of caliph Ali conferred on him by the prophet Muhammad. — Note: It is possible that in some cases this is counted as an independent surname only in the population figure published by the US Census Bureau.2: Muslim and Jewish (Sephardic from the Maghreb): from the Arabic male personal name ʿAbbū a pet form of any of the many names beginning with ʿAbd ‘servant’.3: West African (Sierra Leone Ghana and Nigeria): probably of Arabic origin (see 1 and 2 above).

Abubakr : Muslim: from the Arabic personal name Abū-Bakr ‘father of Bakr’ literally ‘father of the Young Camel’ borne by the father-in-law staunch supporter of Muhammad and principal military leader during the early years of Islam who became the first of the ‘rightly guided’ caliphs (lived 573–634; ruled 632–634). See also Abu and Bakr compare Abubakar and Abubaker.

Ace : English (of Norman origin): from Old French Ace Asse or Asce all from the ancient Germanic male personal name Az(z)o Atso Adso or possibly the female personal name Aza. These were pet forms of ancient Germanic compound names formed with adal- ‘noble’ such as Adalbert (later Albert) and Adalheidis (later Alice; see Allis).

Achuff : 1: Probably a variant of Acuff.2: Probably an Americanized form of North German Eckhoff or its variant Eichhoff see Eickhoff.

Ackerson : 1: Americanized form of the Swedish patronymic Åkesson or Åkeson (son of Åke; see Akeson compare Akerson 1) or of the rare ornamental name Åkerson (see Akerson 2).2: Altered form of American Dutch Eckerson.

Acourt : from Middle English atte courte ‘at the large house’ denoting someone who lived or worked in a manor house or castle a courtly retainer. See Court (1).

Adderson : 1: see Addison. 2: see Alderson. 3: see Etherson.

Addlestone : 1: from the Middle English personal name Athelstan itself from Old English Æðelstān composed of the elements æðel ‘noble’ + stān ‘stone'. Compare Alston Aston Eddleston. 2: see Eddleston.

Addyman : 1: from the Middle English personal name Adiman or Ademan which could be a pet form of Adam (see Addy) + the hypocoristic suffix -man but is more likely a variant of Middle English Edeman Ediman; see Edman. 2: from the Middle English personal name Adam + man probably signifying ‘servant of a man named Adam’. The name has probably been absorbed by (1) or by Adman.

Admire : Americanized form of an unidentified German surname possibly South German or Austrian Ettmayer or Edmaier which is a topographic name for a farmer living near or on previously uncultivated land from the noun Ed ‘uncultivated land’ + mayer meyer ‘farmer’; see Meyer. Alternatively it may be an Americanized form of North German Erdmeier literally ‘earth farmer’.

Adolfo : Italian Spanish and Portuguese: from the personal name Adolfo see Adolf.

Agass : 1: from the Middle English and Old French female personal name Agace a vernacular form of the Greek female personal name Latinized as Agatha based on the adjective agathós ‘good’. Some of the following post-medieval bearers may alternatively belong with (2).perhaps in rare instances from Old French agace ‘magpie’ (a transferred use of the personal name) but it is not recorded in Middle English before the 15th century and did not enter regular English usage. The primary source of the English surname is certainly the name in (i) but the French Huguenot surname could possibly have been from either. 2: see Haggis.

Agg : 1: perhaps from the Middle English personal name Agg(e) Hagg(e) (Old Scandinavian Aggi of uncertain origin) although this is more usually found in N and E England in counties settled by Vikings; see Hagg. Some of the bearers cited here may belong to (2). 2: of uncertain origin. Middle English hagg (Old Scandinavian hǫgg) ‘woodland set aside for cutting’ seems unlikely in SW England for the term is recorded only in northern counties (see Hagg). Old English haga ‘hedge enclosure’ normally becomes Middle English haw not hag and Old English *hagga ‘haw fruit of the hawthorn’ is unlikely to form a simplex place-name or locative surname though it might lie behind Hag Hill in Great Hinton (Wilts) recorded as Hagg Hill 1625 in Place-Names of Wilts p. 142. The loss of initial H- in Agg for Hagg is commonplace in SW dialects.

Aggett : variant of Haggett see Hackett.

Agnes : 1: English; French (Agnès); Hungarian (Ágnes): from a female personal name which is from Late Latin Agnes and this one from Greek Hagnē from hagnē ‘pure chaste’. Saint Agnes was a Christian virgin martyr one of those who suffered under the persecutions of Diocletian in 303 AD. Her name was associated by folk etymology with Latin agnus ‘lamb’ and in medieval art she is often depicted with a lamb (the lamb of God). See also English Annis.2: American shortened (and altered) form of rare Greek metronymics Agnidis or Agniadis both derived from the female personal name Hagnē (see 1 above) or of patronymics like Anagnostopoulos (compare Agnew 4).

Ahearne : from Ó hEachthighearna see Ahern.

Ahmann : German: topographic name for someone living near running water from Middle High German ahe ‘water stream’ + man ‘man’. See Ach.

Ainsley : English: habitational name from Annesley Nottinghamshire or Ansley Warwickshire the former of which is probably derived from the personal name An + Old English lēah ‘woodland clearing’. The latter is probably from Old English ānsetl ‘hermitage’ + lēah. See Ansley and compare Scottish Ainslie.

Airoldi : Italian: patronymic or plural form of the old personal name Airoldo a variant of Aroldo from ancient Germanic Hariwald composed of the elements hari ‘army’ + wald ‘power authority’; see Harold. This surname is also found in France but to French Canada it was nevertheless brought from Italy.

Albano : Italian:: 1: from the personal name Albano (from Latin Albanus; see Alban).2: habitational name from any of the places called Albano for example near Rome Potenza and Bergamo or for someone from a place called Alba (from an adjectival form of the placename) of which there are various examples.

Alborough : 1: from Aldborough (Norfolk) which is recorded as Aldeburgh in 1086. The place-name derives from Old English ald ‘old’ + burg ‘fortress’. Compare Albury. 2: perhaps occasionally from Aldborough (WR Yorks) which is recorded as Aldeburg(h) from 1145 to 1532. The place-name has the same etymology as Aldborough in Norfolk; see sense (1).

Alder : 1: English: topographic name for someone living by an alder tree or by a group of alders from Middle English al(d)re alder.2: German: variant of Alter.3: German: status name for a senior from Middle High German althērre ‘(respected) older gentleman’.4: Americanized form (translation into English) of Swedish Ahl.5: Americanized form (translation into English) of Finnish Leppä or Leppänen see Leppanen.

Aldersey : from Aldersey (Cheshire) named in Old English with the personal name Ealdhere + (ge)hæg ‘fence enclosure’. There has been come confusion with Aldersley; see Samuell Aldersey or Aldersley 1633 in PROB 11 (London).

Aleman : 1: Spanish (Alemán): from alemán an ethnic name for a German also used as a nickname for a Spanish person having some connection with Germany. Compare Alleman 4 and Allemand 2.2: English and Dutch: ethnic name from Old French aleman(d) ‘German’ (compare 1 above see also French Allemand and English Allman).3: Swiss German and German: rare variant of Allemann.

Alessandra : Italian (Sicily): from the feminine form of the personal name Alessandro; see Alexander.

Alford : English:: 1: habitational name from any of various places called Alford for example in Somerset Cheshire and Lincolnshire. The first is named with the Old English female personal name Ealdgȳth + ford ‘ford’. See also Alvord.2: variant of Halford (or vice versa).

Algar : English: from the Middle English personal name Algar representing the falling together of two Old English names Ælfgār and Æthelgār composed of the elements respectively ælf ‘elf’ or æthel ‘noble’ + gār ‘spear’. It could also be from the much rarer Old English personal name Ealdgār composed of elements meaning ‘old’ + ‘spear’. In East Anglia it is more probably a variant of Alger (Old Norse Álfgeirr). See also Agar Elgar.

Alger : 1: English: from the Middle English personal name Alger. Pronounced with a soft g it is from Old French Alg(i)er Aug(i)er (ancient Germanic Adalgari composed of the elements adal ‘noble’ + gāri ‘spear’); see Auger. Pronounced with a hard g it is a variant of Algar.2: Scottish and English: in Scotland Alger may be a variant of Algeo.3: German: from a shortened form of the ancient Germanic personal name Adalgar (see 1 above).

Alie : 1: French: variant of Alix. See also Allie and Ally.2: Muslim (Indonesia): variant of Ali.

Alioto : Italian (Sicily): habitational name for someone from Alì in Messina province. See also Aleo.

Alix : French: from the Old French female personal name Alix or Alis a short form of the ancient Germanic personal name Adalhaidis (see Allis). See also Alie.

Alkema : 1: West Frisian: patronymic formed with the suffix -ma ‘(one of the) men of’ from the personal name Alke a diminutive of Al(e) a short form of an ancient Germanic name based on the element adal ‘noble’. See Alma.2: Dutch: habitational name from Alkemade a former manor in the province of South Holland.

Allain : 1: Breton and French: from the Old Breton personal name Alan (Old French Alain); see Allen. In France the personal name is spelled Alain and this is also a less common variant of the surname (see Alain).2: English: variant of Allen a cognate of 1 above.

Allan : Scottish and northern English: variant of Allen. This is the more common form of the name in Scotland and northern England. See also McAllen.

Allatt : 1: see Allott. 2: see Allard.

Allchin : English (Kent): habitational name from a lost place called Alchhorn in Buxted (Sussex) recorded as Alsihorne in 1086 Alchehorne in 1412 and Alchin in 1592. See also Alcorn. The placename is of uncertain origin but contains Old English horn ‘horn’ in some topographic sense.

Alle : perhaps from an unrecorded Middle English personal name *Alle which may be a variant of Middle English Ale and Ally; see Ale Alley.alternatively post-medieval examples may be a variant of Hall Halle with loss of initial H-.

Alleman : 1: Flemish and Dutch: ethnic name from Old French aleman(d) ‘German’ (see also French Allemand compare Dutch Aleman). This surname is also found in France (Nord) and Wallonia; see also 2 below.2: French (mainly Nord Pas-de-Calais and southern France): variant of Allemand. See also 1 above.3: Dutch: from the personal name Alleman a diminutive of Alle see Alles 1.4: Altered form under the French influence in LA of Spanish Alemán ‘German’ (see Aleman). Compare Allemand 2.5: Americanized form of Swiss German Allemann.

Allemand : 1: French: from Old French aleman(d) ‘German’ (from Late Latin Alemannus from an ancient Germanic tribal name; see Allemann) hence an ethnic name for a German-speaker in a predominantly French-speaking area. Compare Lallemand.2: Altered form under the French influence in LA of Spanish Alemán ‘German’ (see Aleman compare Alleman 4).

Allett : 1: see Allott. 2: see Aylett. 3: see Allard.

Allison : 1: English and Scottish: patronymic from the Middle English female personal name Alice Alis (see Allis) + -son meaning ‘Alice's son’.2: English and Scottish: from the Middle English female personal name Alison a common pet form of Alice Alis. See Allis and compare Ellison.3: Scottish: in some cases a late variant of Allanson (see also Allinson).4: Scottish: variant of Callison a shortened form of McAlison a Gaelic patronymic based on the personal name Alison (see 2 above).

Allman : 1: English: ethnic name from Old French aleman(d) ‘German’ or alemayne meaning ‘from Germany’ which was called Almeyne in the 14th century (from Late Latin Alemannia from an ancient Germanic tribal name that probably originally meant ‘all the men’; see Allemann). In some cases the surname may be from the region of Normandy known as Allemagne (south of Caen) probably named as an ancient Germanic-speaking enclave in a Celtic area in Roman times.2: English: variant of Oldman.3: Americanized form of German Allmann or Ahlmann (see Ahlman 1) Swedish Ahlman 2 and Dutch Flemish or French Alleman. Compare Allmon.

Allmand : English: from Old French alemaund ‘German’. See also Allman with which it may sometimes have merged.

Allom : 1: see Allam. 2: see Alam.

Allon : variant of Allan see Allen.

Allott : from the Middle English female personal name Alot (Old French Aalot) a pet form of Alice see Allis.

Allward : from the Middle English personal name Alward Elward a reduced form of several Old English male given names such as Ælfweard (Middle English Alfward) Ealdweard and (especially in Devon) Æðelweard which survives as Middle English Aylward Alward and probably Elward. By the 12th century these names from ælf ‘elf sprite’ and æðel ‘noble’ + weard ‘ward guardian’ were often confused. Ailwardus grossus and Ælward judex occur also as Alfward and Ailward respectively (about 1116 in Ekwall ELPN). See also Avard.

Allworthy : variant of Elworthy; see Thomas Alworthy alias Elworthy 1723 in PROB 11.

Allwright : from the Middle English personal name Ailrich Al(d)rich common forms of Old English Æðelrīc. See Aldridge. The pronunciation of final -rich has been assimilated to the Middle English word riht richt right ‘right’ and sometimes re-interpreted from the late 17th century onwards as -wright. Compare Alldritt.

Alner : 1: meaning ‘one who checks measurements of cloth’ from Middle English alner alnard derivative of Old French aune ‘ell’ from a derivative of French aune ‘ell’. 2: see Allnatt.

Aloisio : Italian: from the personal name Aloisio (from Late Latin Aloysius) a derivative of the ancient Germanic personal name Hlodwig ‘fame (in) battle’. See also Lewis.

Alpin : from Mac Ailpein see McAlpine.

Alpine : reduced from Scottish Gaelic Mac Ailpein or Irish Mac Ailpín see McAlpine.

Alred : English: variant of Allred. See Aldred 1.

Alt : 1: German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): from alt ‘old’ typically applied as a distinguishing epithet to the older of two bearers of the same personal name. It is also found in some central European countries for example in Czechia and Slovenia often as a translation into German of corresponding Slavic surnames.2: English (East Midlands): variant of Allt possibly a shortened form of Allott from the Middle English female personal name Alot (Old French Aalot) a pet form of Alice see Allis.

Altizer : Americanized form of German Althauser: habitational name for someone who lived in a building known as ‘the old house’ or in a place called Althaus(en); see Althaus.

Alty : see Auty. With the following early bearers compare Henry Oatye 1633 in IGI (Rufford Lancs) and see Oatey.

Alum : 1: see Allam. 2: see Alam.

Alwin : 1: English: from the Middle English personal name Alwin or Elwin a falling together of various Old English personal names: Ælfwine ‘elf friend’ Æthelwine ‘noble friend’ Ealdwine ‘old friend’ and others.2: German: from a younger form of the personal name Adalwin (‘noble friend’) see above.

Amans : 1: variant of Aman with post-medieval excrescent -s. 2: See Amand.

Amberger : German: habitational name for someone from Amberg see Amberg. Compare Amburgey.

Ambrey : variant of Amery and Embery; see Ambery for early bearers.

Ambury : variant of Amery and Embery; see Ambery for early bearers.

Amer : 1: Muslim: variant of Amir.2: Muslim: from a variant of ʿAmr an early Arabic personal name related to Amir 2 and Omar 1.3: English: variant of Aymer from the Middle English personal name Aimar found in Domesday Book as one of the forms of the Old English name Æthelmǣr. Aimar may also derive from an ancient Germanic personal name either Agimar or (H)adamar transmitted via Old French. See Amar.4: Catalan: habitational name from a place called Amer in Girona province Catalonia (Spain). The name is frequently found in the Balearic Islands.

Americanhorse : Native American (also American Horse): translation into English of a personal name such as Cheyenne Ve'ho'evo'ha which corresponds to the vocabulary term ve'ho'evo'ha ‘top-quality horse’ derived from the preverb ve'hoe- ‘whiteman’ by extension ‘top-quality American; i.e. something non-Indian’. See also Horse 1.

Amers : 1: see Aimers. 2: either identical with (1) above or a variant of Amoore + post-medieval excrescent -s.

Amias : 1: from Amiens (Somme in Picardy) the centre of the medieval trade in woad which made a blue dye used by dyers of wool cloth in English towns. In classical sources the place-name is recorded as Samarobriva Ambianorum a Celtic name meaning ‘the bridge over the river Somme’ plus the affix Ambianorum ‘of the Ambiani’ an ethnic name from Celtic ambi(o)- ‘around’ perhaps meaning ‘those on both sides (of the Somme)’ or possibly ‘the people of the world’. The affix in its ablative form Ambiānis has replaced the place-name which it once qualified and is the source of the current name Amiens. In England the name generally appears as Amias as in ‘merchants of Amias’ 1326 in London Letter Books E. 2: from the Middle English personal name Amias a variant of Amis see Ames. Thomas Amyas (1521) of Wethersfield in Essex was no doubt of the same family as Robert Amys Amyse Amyce Ameys (1462–78 in The Essex Review 61). Some of the surname examples listed under (1) with no preposition could also belong here. The two surnames were easily confused.

Amir : 1: Arabic: from a personal name based on ʿamīr ‘prince commander master’. Amīr-ul-Muʿminīn ‘commander of the faithful’ was a title of Muslim caliphs and other rulers. This surname is found among both Muslims and Christians. Compare Ameer and Amer 1.2: Arabic: from a personal name based on ʿāmir ‘prosperous full of life large substantial’. See also Omar 1 compare Amer 1.3: Jewish (Sephardic): adoption of the Arabic name (see above).

Amor : 1: Spanish and Portuguese: nickname from amor ‘love’ used to denote an illegitimate child and also a philanderer.2: Spanish Portuguese and French: from the medieval personal name Amor (from Latin amor ‘love’) which was popular in Spain Italy and France. See also Amour 2.3: English: variant of Amour.4: Muslim (Maghreb) and Jewish (from Maghreb): variant of Amour 4.

Amoros : Catalan (Amorós): nickname from amorós ‘lovely’; see Amoroso.

Amrhein : German and Alsatian: topographic name for someone living by the Rhine river (German Rhein). In some cases a re-interpretation of Amrain see Amrein 1.

An : 1: Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 安 meaning ‘peace safe’ or ‘calm’ in Chinese: (i) borne by descendants of immigrants from an ancient state called An Xi (安息) also known as the Parthian Empire (located in present-day northeastern Iran). Traditional accounts record that the legendary emperor Huang Di the ‘Yellow Emperor’ (c. 27th century BC) had a grandson named An who moved to the far west to establish An Xi losing contact with the Middle Kingdom. In 147 AD An Shigao (安世高) prince of the Parthian Empire (An Xi) came to China to preach Buddhism. Later some immigrants from the Parthian Empire (An Xi) adopted their tribal name An as their surname. (ii) adopted as a surname by the An Chi (安遲) family from the Xianbei ethnic group in northern China during the Northern Wei dynasty (386–534 AD). (iii) from one of the ‘Nine Sogdian Surnames’ also known as ‘Nine Surnames of Zhaowu’ because their ancestors came from Zhaowu an ancient city in present-day Gansu province in northwestern China. During the Sui and Tang dynasties (581–987 AD) there were nine Sogdian states in Central Asia one of which was called An (安) in Chinese. Between 649 and 655 AD these states submitted to Emperor Gaozong of Tang (628–83 AD). (iv) possibly from An (安) the name of an ancient fief (located in Shanxi province).2: Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 晏 see Yan 5.3: Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 洪 see Hong 1.4: Korean: written 안 in Chinese characters 安 meaning ‘peace’. This is the only Chinese character for the surname An. Some sources indicate that there are 109 An clans but only six can be documented. All had one common founding ancestor named Yi Wŏn (李 瑗) who migrated from Tang China to the Shilla Kingdom in 807 AD. Yi had three sons who helped the Shilla king Kyŏngmun (861–75) to repel Japanese invaders. As a token of royal appreciation these three sons were enfeoffed with land and granted the surname An (安). It is now quite a common Korean surname and can be found throughout the peninsula. Compare Ahn 1.5: Vietnamese: from the Chinese surname 安 (see 1 above).6: Vietnamese (Ân): from the Chinese surname 殷 (see Yin 1).

Anastas : 1: American shortened form of Greek patronymics such as Anastasakis Anastasakos Anastasatos Anastasiadis Anastasiou or Anastasopoulos derived from the personal name Anastasios (see Anastasio).2: American shortened form of Macedonian Serbian or Bulgarian patronymics from the personal name Anastas or Anastasije (from Greek Anastasios; see Anastasio) such as Macedonian and Bulgarian Anastasov and Serbian Anastasijević. Compare Anast and Anastos.

Andra : 1: German (Andrä): see Andrae.2: Indian (Andhra Pradesh): Brahmin name of unexplained etymology.

Andreas : 1: German and English: from the New Testament Greek name Andreas which gave rise to Andrew in English and vernacular derivatives in almost every other European language. Etymologically it is from Greek andreios ‘manly’ an adjective derivative of anēr (genitive andros) ‘man male’. This is a Greek translation of an unknown Aramaic original; it was the name of the first of Christ's disciples the patron saint of both Scotland and Russia. The Scottish surname Anderson is far more common than its Russian equivalent Andreev. The personal name was popular throughout Europe in various vernacular forms (including Italian Andrea French André Spanish Andrés Scottish North German and Scandinavian Anders Dutch Andries Hungarian András Czech Ondřej Polish Andrzej and Jędrzej and Russian Andrey).2: Americanized or Germanized form of Slovenian Andrejaš: from an old vernacular form of the personal name Andraž (from Latin Andreas) which is a variant of Andrej; see Andrew.

Andrews : 1: English: variant of Andrew with genitival or post-medieval excrescent -s. This is the usual southern English patronymic form also found in Wales; the Scottish and northern English form is Anderson. In North America this surname has absorbed various cognates from other languages e.g. Polish Andrzejewski Slovenian Andrejčič Serbian and Croatian Andrić (see Andric) and Czech Ondráček (see Ondracek).2: Irish and Scottish: Anglicized form of Scottish Gaelic Mac Aindreis or Irish Mac Aindriú see McAndrew.

Andris : 1: American shortened form of any of various Greek patronymics derived from the personal name Andreas or from any other name beginning with Andr- (from andros genitive of anēr ‘man male’; see also Andros 2).2: South German: variant of Andries.3: Slovak: from a derivative of the personal name Andrej an equivalent of Greek Andreas.4: Altered form of Polish Andrys: from the personal name Andrys vernacular equivalent of Greek Andreas.

Anes : Portuguese and Galician: patronymic from a shortened form of the Latin personal name Johannes (Portuguese João Galician Xoán; see John).

Anforth : probably a variant of Hanford; see Handford and compare Peter Handforth 1723 William Anforth 1781 in IGI (Rothwell WR Yorks). .

Ang : Chinese:: 1: Teochew Hokkien or Taiwanese form of the surname 洪 see Hong 1 meaning ‘flood deluge’. This pronunciation is found in eastern Guangdong Fujian and Taiwan from where many people migrated to the Philippines Singapore Malaysia Thailand and other parts of Southeast Asia.2: variant Romanization of the surname 翁 see Weng 1.3: variant Romanization of the surnames 王 and 汪 see Wang 1 and 2 possibly based on their Hokkien or Taiwanese pronunciation.4: variant Romanization of the surnames 吳 and 伍 see Wu 1 and 2.5: variant Romanization of the surname 鄧 see Deng based on its pronunciation of the Siyi Cantonese subdialect (also known as Sze Yup or Four Districts dialect including Taishanese) spoken in southern Guangdong.

Angeles : Spanish (Ángeles):: 1: from a short form of the Marian name María de los Ángeles ‘Mary of the Angels’ from the plural form of ángel ‘angel’. The surname may also be a reference to a local church dedicated to the Virgin Mary bearing this title.2: habitational name from a place called Ángeles (in A Coruña province) or Los Ángeles (for example in the provinces of Córdoba and Cádiz); see 1 above.

Angelle : Altered form under the French influence in LA of Spanish Ángel; see Angel.

Anguish : Scottish and English: from an English mishearing of the Scottish Gaelic personal name Aonghus see Angus and McAninch.

Ankin : 1: see Hankin. 2: see Annakin.

Annal : 1: probably in many cases a reduced form of Arnald; see Arnold and for the assimilation of -r- to the following -n- and loss of final [d] see Ennals. With the examples cited below compare Bessie Arnald 1571 in IGI (Dunfermline Fife); Isabell Arnell 1681 in IGI (Saint Andrews and Saint Leonards Fife); Thomas Arnold 1626 in IGI (Birmingham Warwicks); Thomas Arnold 1763 in IGI (Well NR Yorks); John Arnold 1585 in IGI (Chichester Sussex); Tho. Arnold 1709 in IGI (Deal Kent). However some of the bearers listed below may belong with (2). 2: alternatively in Warwicks and Kent the name could be a reduced form of Hanwell from Hanwell (Oxon) or Hanwell (Middx). A surname from the Oxon place-name is on record in Oxon and Warwicks since medieval times. Compare John Hanwell 1607 William Anwell 1761 in IGI (Birmingham Warwicks); Robert Hanwell 1573 in IGI (Borden Kent); Sten Handwell 1582 in IGI (Willesborough Kent); Xpo Handwell 1584 in IGI (Staplehurst Kent); Mary Handwell 1600 in IGI (Sandwich Kent); Will'm. Anwell 1629 in IGI (Ashford Kent). However Anwell and Han(d)well may be hypercorrect expansions of Annall from Arnold in (1).

Annan : 1: Scottish: habitational name from a place in Dumfriesshire on the banks of the river Annan from which its name derives. See also Annand.2: West African (Ghana): from an Akan personal name denoting a fourth-born child.

Annat : 1: see Annett. 2: given the Scottish distribution in 1881 possibly in some cases from Annat in Kiltarlity (Inverness) from Annat in Kilmadock (Perths) or from one of several other places so named in most cases from Gaelic annaid ‘church mother-church’ or ‘old ruined disused church(-site)’ though pre-1881 early bearers from Scotland are rare.

Anschuetz : North German (Anschütz): see Anschutz.

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