Origin and popularity of the name WELL

Origin

Well : 1: English (London): topographic name for someone who lived near a spring or stream from Middle English well(e) ‘spring stream well’ (Old English well(a)).2: German: from a short form of the personal names Wallo Walilo.3: German: nickname from Middle High German wël ‘round’.

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.

Affinito : Italian: from the personal name Affinito an omen or well-wishing name meaning ‘perfected completed well done’.

Ahlborn : 1: North German: topographic name from Middle Low German āl ‘dirt’ + born ‘well’ for someone who lived near a soiled well.2: Swedish: ornamental name composed of the elements ahl an ornamental spelling of al ‘alder’ + born ‘well’ the latter borrowed from Low German (see 1 above).

Ainscough : apparently from a lost or unidentified place called Ainscough or similar probably in Lancs. If so the place-name would have Old Scandinavian skógr ‘wood’ as its second element. Compare Inscoe; the names may well share an origin.alternatively a variant of Askew (compare Ayscough) with intrusive -n-.

Ajax : Welsh (Glamorgan Cardigans and Carmarthens) Swedish French and West Indian (Martinique Guadeloupe and Haiti): from the Latin personal name Ajax from Greek Aias the name of two Greek heroes who fought in the Trojan war. The name is traditionally interpreted as coming from Old Greek aietos ‘eagle’. The choice of a classically inspired forename was an occasional practice among well educated European families from the Renaissance onwards. In Wales where many families did not adopt a hereditary surname until the 18th century or later it led to the formation of new patronymics such as this one. By the 1740s it had become the fixed surname of a family in Carmarthens which later ramified in Glamorgan and Cardigans. This surname is very rare in France.

Aoyagi : Japanese: written 青柳 ‘green willows’. It is found mostly in eastern Japan. Various families descend from the Kanmu Heike as well as the Seiwa Genji and the Fujiwara.

Applegarth : English (northern) and Scottish: topographic name from northern Middle English applegarth ‘apple orchard’ (Old Norse apaldr ‘apple tree’ + garthr ‘enclosure’) or a habitational name from a place so named of which there are examples in Cumbria and North and East Yorkshire as well as in the county of Dumfries.

Ardrey : Scottish and northern Irish: habitational name from Airdrie the name of several farms and minor places in Nairn Fife and Kirkcudbrightshire as well as Airdrie near Glasgow. The origins of the placenames are uncertain; in some cases it is said to represent Gaelic árd ruigh ‘high reach’ or ‘high slope’.

Arliss : from Newton Arlosh in Holme East Waver (Cumb) which is recorded as Arlosk in 1185 and Arlossh in 1379. In Cumb a shortened form of the surname with loss of the first syllable developed as Losh and supplanted the full form. However the full form survived farther afield being well recorded in the 16th century in Yorks and Lincs. The place-name probably contains Brittonic *losko- ‘(place of) burning’ qualified by either the preposition *ar ‘on upon’ or the prefix *are- ‘before opposite beside’. The addition of a Middle English name Newton i.e. ‘new town’ is first noted in 1345 (Neutonarlosk').

Armour : Scottish English and northern Irish: of Norman origin from Anglo-Norman French armurer Old French armurier hence an occupational name for a maker of arms and armor. The collective noun armure denoted offensive weapons as well as the more recently specialized sense of protective gear.

Ashbury : 1: see Astbury. 2: from Ashborough in Bromsgrove (Worcs) which is recorded as Asseberga in 1086 Esberuwe in about 1200 and Assebarewe in 1262. The place-name derives from Old English æsc ‘ash-tree’ + beorg ‘hill’. 3: from Ashbury (Devon) which is recorded as Esseberie in 1086 Assebure in 1238 Aysshebyry in 1276 and Ashbiry in 1291. The place-name means ‘fort by the ash-tree(s)’ deriving from Old English æsc ‘ash-tree’ + burg ‘fortified place’ (dative byrig). 4: possibly from Ashbury (Berks) which is recorded as Eissesberie in 1086 Æsseberia in 1187 Essebury Assebiri in the 13th century and Asschebury in 1309. The place-name probably means ‘fort by the ash-tree(s)’ deriving from Old English æsc ‘ash-tree’ + burg ‘fortified place’ (dative byrig). Evidence for the surname in and around Berks is extremely thin however and post-medieval examples may well belong to (1) -2 or (3).

Astridge : probably from one or more minor place-names called Ashridge (Middle English ashe + rigge or rugge ‘ash-tree ridge’). The Berks Wilts and Hants surname is perhaps either from Ashridge(wood) in Wokingham (Berks) formerly the name of an administrative hundred (Assherugge 1299) or from a now lost locality in Ramsbury (Wilts) called Asshrigge in 1332. Astridge is a post-medieval dialect pronunciation with /str/ for /ʃr/. The motivation for the late 18th-century change to Ostridge also spelled Austridge is unknown but it appears to be a well attested family tradition.

Audrey : English:: 1: (of Norman origin): habitational name from Audrieu in Calvados France recorded as Aldreium in 1108.2: from the Middle English female personal name Aldrith which sometimes became Audrey by a 15th-century pronunciation change of /ald/ to /aud/. It derives from one of three Old English female personal names Æthelthrȳth ‘noble strength’ Ælfthrȳth ‘elf strength’ and Ealhthrȳth ‘temple strength’. The most popular was Æthelthrȳth commonly Latinized as Etheldreda and appearing in various Middle English forms such as Atheldrith(e) Aildrith Aldreth Etheldred and Eldrid(e). It was borne by a Christian saint Saint Etheldred (later known also as Saint Audrey) Queen of Northumbria daughter of Anna king of East Anglia. She was the founder and first abbess of the monastery at Ely in about 672 and her continuing cult after the Norman Conquest was probably responsible for the survival of the personal name well into the 14th century.

Awdry : 1: from Audrieu (Calvados) which is recorded as Aldreium in 1108. The first known bearer of this name in England William de Aldrie was executed for treason in 1095 and there appears to be no other medieval evidence for the surname in Wilts where William's lands were. Nevertheless the post-medieval evidence for Awdry in Wilts and for Audrey in adjacent counties has been tentatively assigned to this etymology partly because the same surname (and perhaps the same family as William) occurs continuously elsewhere (in Durham from the 12th to the 14th centuries) and partly because a Robert Audrey is recorded in Oxon in 1279. Alternatively the Wilts Berks Oxon and Gloucs surnames derive from the relationship name identified in (2). Odry is an occasional post-medieval variant which as Odery survived sporadically in England until the 1881 census but has now become extinct. 2: from the Middle English female personal name Aldrith which sometimes became Audrey by a 15th-century pronunciation change of /ald/ to /aud/. It derives from one of three Old English female personal names Æðelþrȳð Ælfþrȳð and Ealhþrȳð. The first element in these is æðel ‘noble’ ælf ‘elf sprite’ or ealh ‘shrine temple’ and the second element is þrȳð ‘strength force’. The most popular was Æðelþrȳð commonly latinized as Etheldreda and appearing in various Middle English forms such as Atheldrith(e) Aildrith Aldreth Etheldred and Eldrid(e). It was borne by Saint Etheldred (later known also as Saint Audrey) Queen of Northumbria daughter of Anna king of East Anglia. She was the founder and first abbess of the monastery at Ely in about 672 and her continuing cult after the Norman Conquest was probably responsible for the survival of the personal name well into the 14th century especially in E Anglia. Common Middle English forms like Aldreth and Eldrid probably contributed to Aldred whose main location is E Anglia Eldred which is common in E England and possibly Eldrett. It may be the source of Audrey and Awdry in SW England see (1). 3: from French Auduroy ‘(son) of (someone surnamed) Duroy or Durey’ which itself signified ‘(son) of (someone nicknamed) the king’ (Old French le roi or le rei). Auduroy perhaps through its variant Audurey may have become shortened to Audry and confused with a different surname French Audri from the Old French male personal name Audri Continental Germanic Aldric.

Ayer : 1: English and Scottish: from Middle English eir eyr ‘heir’ (Anglo-Norman French heyr Old French (h)eir Latin heres). Forms such as Richard le Heyer were frequent in Middle English denoting a man who was well known to be the heir to the main property in a particular locality either one who had already inherited or one with great expectations.2: English: from the Anglo-Norman French and Middle English personal name Aier (ancient Germanic Agihari).3: English: variant of Hair.

Badnall : from Baden Hall in Eccleshall (Staffs) itself from an Old English given name such as Badda + halh ‘nook corner; watermeadow’. There may well have been some confusion with Bagnall.

Baillie : Scottish:: 1: from Older Scots baillie baili. In Scotland a baillie was a status name for any of various officials including the chief magistrate in a barony and (later) the chief magistrate or administrative officer of a barony or district. Etymologically this is the same word as English Bailey but the functions as well as the spelling of the two officials were different in England and Scotland.2: topographic name from Older Scots bailli ‘outer court of a castle’; see Bailey 3 and Bale 1.

Ballentine : Scottish: habitational name probably from the lands of Bellenden now Bellendean on Ale Water west of Roberton in Roxburghshire. John Ballantyne archdeacon of Moray 1533–38 was also recorded as John Ballentyne or Bellenden. It has been suggested that the placename is from Gaelic baile an deadhain ‘the dean's farm’ which leaves open the possibility of more than one geographical origin (there is also a place called Bellenden in Selkirk); the surname is persistently associated with Falkirk and Edinburgh as well as Roxburghshire. The origin of the variation between -d- and -t- if genuine is unknown.

Barmore : English (Warwickshire): habitational name from a place called Barmore or Barmoor numerous examples of which are found in Derbyshire North Yorkshire and Northumberland as well as the Scottish regions of Angus Galloway and Strathclyde. The modern distribution in Britain however suggests possible derivation from Barnmoor Green in Claverdon Warwickshire or from the lost Barre-Moor in Colton Staffordshire. In Britain the surname is now rare.

Barrese : Italian (Sicily): habitational name for someone from a place called Barra from barra ‘barrier bar obstacle’; there is a large district of Naples so named as well as many minor places in southern Italy.

Bas : 1: Catalan: habitational name from a place so named in the district of La Garrotxa Catalonia.2: Basque: topographic name for someone who lived by a wood from baso ‘wood forest’.3: Polish Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic) and Ukrainian: metonymic occupational name for a musician from Polish Yiddish and Ukrainian (respectively) bas ‘bass viol violoncello’. For Jews the surname can come from any of the three languages in question as well as from German Baß.4: French: from Old French bas(se) ‘short of low stature’ (from Latin bassus ‘thickset’ i.e. wide as opposed to tall) a descriptive nickname for a short person. Compare Lebas.5: Dutch: from a short form of the personal name Sebastiaan (see Sebastian).6: Slovenian (Baš): from an old short form of the personal name Sebastjan (see Sebastian). Compare Bash.7: Turkish (Baş): ornamental name nickname or status name from baş ‘head’ also ‘chief’.8: Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic) and Ukrainian: nickname for someone with a deep voice from Ukrainian bas ‘deep voice’. For Jews the surname can also come from the Yiddish word with the identical meaning.

Basta : 1: Italian (southern): perhaps from the personal name Basta from basta ‘that's enough!’ (i.e. enough children in the family). Since the surname is found among the Albanian speakers of Calabria and Sicily it may alternatively be of Albanian origin probably related to 4 below.2: Polish: from a pet form of the personal name Bastian (short form of Sebastian).3: Czech and Slovak (Bašta): from a pet form of the personal name Bartoloměj (Czech) Bartolomej (Slovak) (see Bartholomew) or perhaps a nickname from bašta ‘bastion’.4: Serbian and Croatian: occupational name from bastah ‘porter’ from medieval Greek vastazos from classical Greek bastazōn ‘carrying’.5: Coptic (Egypt): probably from a placename Basta where according to the Coptic tradition the Holy Family drank from a spring of water which Jesus caused to well up from the ground.6: Muslim (Egypt and Maghreb): from basṭā probably of the same Greek origin as 4 above used as a surname.

Bedford : English: habitational name from the county seat of Bedfordshire or a smaller place of the same name in Lancashire or from Bedforth in Thornhill Yorkshire. Both of the former are named with the Old English personal name Bēda + Old English ford ‘ford’. The name is now very common in Yorkshire as well as Bedfordshire.

Bellofatto : Italian (southern): from the personal name Bellofatto an omen or well-wishing name meaning ‘happy event well done’.

Berringer : 1: English (of Norman origin): from the Anglo-Norman French personal name Berenger an Old French form of ancient Germanic Beringar Barengar composed of the elements ber(n) ‘bear’ + gair ‘spear’. The surname has several variants including Beringer Barringer and Banger as well as the dissimilated forms Bellanger Bellinger Ballanger and Ballinger where /l/ has been substituted for /r/. The personal name Berenger was well known in England in the 12th and 13th centuries having been borne by one of the paladins in the widely popular Charlemagne romances.2: German: variant of Beringer.3: Americanized form of German Boehringer.

Bewell : Probably a variant of Bywell. MED gives the form be as well as bi and by for ‘by near close to’.

Biffen : perhaps a variant of Bevin which has sometimes been confused with Welsh Bevan. The devoicing of /v/ to /f/ between vowels is unexpected however especially in SW England where intervocalic /v/ was normal dialectal usage. Bevin is well attested in Somerset from medieval times.possibly for someone who lived by a fen (Middle English bi + fen) but the earliest forms are too late to be confident about this explanation. See Fenn.

Blackmore : English:: 1: habitational name from any of various places so named with Old English blæc ‘black dark’ + mōr ‘moor marsh’ or mere ‘lake’. Mōr is the second element of places called Blackmore in Essex Wiltshire and Worcestershire as well as Blackmoor in Dorset; mere on the other hand is the second element of Blackmore in Hertfordshire and Blackmoor in Hampshire the early forms of which are Blachemere Blakemere.2: from Middle English blak blakke ‘black’ + Mor ‘Moor’ signifying someone with a dark complexion.

Blackwell : English: habitational name from any of various places called Blackwell for example in Cumbria Derbyshire County Durham Warwickshire Somerset Devon Sussex and Worcestershire named in Old English frp blæc ‘black dark’ + wæll(a) well(a) ‘spring stream’. Alternatively it may be a topographic name for someone who lived by the ‘dark well or stream’ Middle English blak + wel(le).

Blaxter : 1: from Middle English blakestere blekkestere ‘one who makes things black’ or ‘perhaps one who makes black pigment or ink’ a derivative of Middle English blaken and blekken ‘to make (something) black’. It is from the Old English female form of Blacker but like many names with the feminine suffix -stere in Middle English it came to be used for men as well as women. Middle English blekken was also an occasional variant of blechen ‘to bleach (cloth)’ so there may have been some confusion with the name in (2). 2: from Middle English bleikestere ‘one who bleaches (cloth)’ (from Old Scandinavian bleikja ‘to whiten bleach’). It is possible that some examples of Middle English blekestere in (1) belong here.

Boerner : North German (Börner):: 1: topographic name for someone who lived beside a well from Middle Low German born ‘well’ + the suffix -er denoting an inhabitant or a habitational name for someone from any of numerous places so named all over Germany.2: occupational name from Middle High German bornen burnen later börnen ‘to burn’ for a charcoal burner pitch maker distiller etc. or someone who clears land by burning. Compare Borner.

Borman : 1: Americanized form of North German Bormann a topographic name denoting someone who lived by a well or spring.2: Dutch: cognate of 1 above.3: English (Lincolnshire): variant of Bowerman.

Born : 1: English: variant of Bourne.2: English (of Norman origin): nickname from Old French borgne ‘one-eyed squint-eyed’.3: North German Danish and Dutch: from Middle Low German born ‘well spring’ a topographic name for someone who lived beside a well or spring or a habitational name from a place called with this word.

Bornemann : North German: topographic name denoting someone who lived by a well or spring from Middle Low German born ‘spring well’ + man ‘man’.

Bouverie : for someone who lived ‘(at the place) where oxen are reared’ (Old French bouverie) a term well used in Middle English minor place-names but apparently not becoming a word of the language.

Bowery : English (Durham): probably a variant of Bouverie a topographic name of Norman origin for someone who lived ‘(at the place) where oxen are reared’ (Old French bouverie) a term well used in Middle English minor placenames but apparently not becoming a word of the language.

Bowler : 1: English (mainly East Midlands): occupational name from an unrecorded Middle English word boler ‘worker at a bole or lead-mining site’ (Middle English bole ‘bowl’) here denoting a round cavity on top of a high hill where lead was smelted.2: English: occupational name from Middle English bollere boler bolour bulour ‘maker or seller of bowls dishes or cups’ (from Old English bolla ‘bowl drinking vessel’ + the agent suffix -er and Old French bole bule ‘bowl’). Medieval bowls were made of wood as well as of earthenware.

Brett : 1: English: ethnic name for a Breton from Old French bret nominative of breton ‘Breton’. The Bretons were Celtic-speakers driven from southwestern England to northwestern France in the 6th century AD by Anglo-Saxon invaders; some of them reinvaded England in the 11th century as part of the army of William the Conqueror. In France and among Normans Bretons had a reputation for stupidity and in some cases this name and its variants and cognate may have originated as derogatory nicknames. The English surname is most common in East Anglia where many Bretons settled after the Conquest. In Scotland it may also have denoted a member of one of the Celtic-speaking peoples of Strathclyde who were known as Bryttas or Brettas well into the 13th century.2: German: metonymic occupational name from Middle Low German bret ‘board’ for a sawyer or carpenter or from a shortened compound like Brettschneider Bretthauer.3: French: very rare variant and probably an Americanized form of Bret a cognate of 1 above.

Bridwell : English (Wiltshire): habitational name from Bridwell in Uffculme (Devon) or Bridewell in Westbury (Wiltshire) both of which are probably named after a well or spring dedicated to Saint Bride or a stream frequented by birds (Old English bridd + wella ‘well spring stream’). Compare Bridewell.

Brinded : apparently from Bintree (Norfolk) which is recorded as Binnetre in 1086 and Binetre in 1180. If so the surname shows voicing of -t- to -d- in the cluster -ntr- and the development of an excrescent final -d (thus Byndred in the 16th-century examples below) as well as a kind of metathesis at a distance in which the -r- has shifted from the second syllable to the first (perhaps influenced by the contemporary term brinded ‘brindled streaked spotted’ as if a nickname). It is noteworthy that alternation between forms with final -d and final -y persists until the 19th century. However evidence from the late 15th and early 16th centuries which might help to confirm a connection between the medieval and post-medieval bearers is wanting. The place-name derives from the Old English personal name Bynna + trēow ‘tree’.

Brockton : from one or more of the numerous places with names derived from Old English brōc + tūn ‘brook settlement’ such as Brocton in Baswich Brockton in Eccleshall and Brockton Grange in Sheriffhales (all Staffs) Brockton in Longford Brockton in Shipton Brockton in Sutton Maddock and Bratton in Wrockwardine (all Shrops) and Brotton (NR Yorks) as well as many examples of Broughton. Compare Broughton Brotton.

Broner : Jewish (Ashkenazic):: 1: topographic name for someone who lived by a well (see Brunner).2: variant of Brauner.

Brookbank : English (Yorkshire): topographic name from Middle English brok(e) ‘stream brook’ + bank(e) ‘ridge slope bank’ for someone who lived by the bank of a brook. The name may be habitational as well and early forms suggests that the source may be a lost place in the vicinity of Warley (Yorkshire). It may also have been confused with Brocklebank.

Brunner : 1: German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): topographic name for someone who lived beside a spring or well Middle High German brun(ne) German Brunnen or a habitational name for someone from a place so named with this word for example the city of Brno in Moravia.2: English (Warwickshire): variant of Burner itself a variant of Berner 2.

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.

Buch : 1: German: topographic name for someone who lived by a beech tree or in a beech wood from Middle High German buoche or a habitational name from any of numerous places called with this word notably in Bavaria and Württemberg as well as in Austria and Switzerland.2: Danish: from German (see 1 above) or a nickname from Danish buk ‘he-goat’.3: Czech Slovak and Polish: from the personal name Buch a short form of Budislav (Polish Budzisław) or some other Slavic name composed with the element bud ‘to inspire’ (from Old Slavic buditi). In some cases it may also be of German origin (see 1 above).4: Germanized form of Slovenian Buh: nickname from dialect Buh ‘God’ or from buh ‘strong sudden blow of air’.5: Jewish (Ashkenazic): metonymic occupational name or nickname from German Buch or Yiddish bukh ‘book’.6: Jewish (Ashkenazic): artificial name from German Buche ‘beech tree’ (compare 1 above).7: Indian (Gujarat and Mumbai): Brahmin and Parsi name of unexplained etymology.8: Indian (Punjab): Sikh name based on the name of a Jat clan of unexplained etymology.

Buchele : South German and Swiss German:: 1: (Büchele): see Buechele 1.2: (mostly Büchele): diminutive of Buch 1 as a topographic as well as a habitational name (from the placename Büchel). Compare Beeghly.

Buechele : South German and Swiss German (Büchele):: 1: topographic name for someone who lived on a hill from Middle High German bühel ‘hill mound’ a variant of Buechel and Buehl.2: diminutive of Buch 1 as a topographic as well as a habitational name (from the placename Büchel). Compare Buchele 2 and Beeghly.

Buggin : perhaps an altered pronunciation of Burgin or Burgoyne though neither name is well recorded in Gloucs.perhaps from an unrecorded Middle English *buggin *boggin a diminutive of bugge ‘hobgoblin bogey scarecrow’ and on record in post-medieval N England and Scotland. Compare the synonymous boggart which was also common in post-medieval N England but had a wider distribution possibly as far south as Devon. See English Dialect Dictionary.

Bugler : 1: from Middle English *bugler ‘one who blows a wild ox horn’ an unrecorded derivative of Middle English (Old French) bugle ‘wild ox’ also ‘horn of the wild ox’ used as a drinking vessel or for blowing in battle or in a hunt. Compare Bugle which also appears early in Dorset.alternatively a variant of Buckler with voicing of /k/ to /g/. MED records that Pluscularii ‘buckle-makers’ is rendered in English as bogelers in a 15th-century Latin-English glossary. Bugler and Buckler appear in the same Dorset parishes and are presumably variants of the same family name but Buckler could equally well be a variant of Bugler in (i) with unvoicing of /g/. 2: in Ireland this is probably a metathesized variant of Bulger; see Bolger.

Burr : 1: English: nickname from Middle English burre ‘bur’ (a seed-case or flower-head with clinging prickles) used by Shakespeare to denote someone who sticks like a bur a person difficult to ‘shake off’ a sense which may well be older.2: German: topographic name from Burr(e) ‘mound hill’ or in the south a variant of Burrer.

Burwash : from Burwash (Sussex) recorded as Burgersa in the 12th century. The place-name is from Old English burg ‘earthwork fortification’ + ersc ‘ploughland’. Burrish (1590) represents a well recorded post-medieval pronunciation of the place-name.

Butler : 1: English: from a word that originally denoted a wine steward usually the chief servant of a medieval household from Norman French butuiller (Old French bouteillier Latin buticularius from buticula ‘bottle’). In the large households of royalty and the most powerful nobility the title came to denote an officer of high rank and responsibility only nominally concerned with the supply of wine if at all. As well as being widespread in England this is also the surname of an important Irish family descended from Theobald FitzWalter who was appointed Chief Butler of Ireland by King Henry II in 1177. It is Gaelicized as de Buitléir.2: English: occasionally perhaps an occupational name from Middle English boteler ‘maker of bottles (usually of leather)’ a derivative of Middle English botel Old French bo(u)teille ‘bottle’ and synonymous with Botelmaker.3: Americanized form of French Bouthillier (see Bouteiller).4: Americanized form of German Buttler 2 a cognate of 1 above or of Buttlar (see Buttler 3).5: Jewish (from Poland and Ukraine): occupational name for a bottle maker from Yiddish butl ‘bottle’ + the agent suffix -er.

Butz : 1: South German (mainly Switzerland): from a derivative of Butzo a pet form of the personal name Burkhard (see Burkhart).2: South German (mainly Switzerland; Bütz): topographic name for someone who lived near a well from Middle High German bütze ‘well puddle’ (from Latin puteus).3: South German: nickname from Middle High German butze denoting something small (an apple core a small piece of something left over a small person a poltergeist). Compare Putz.4: North German: topographic name from dialect butz(e) ‘small room alcove in the wall for sleeping’.

Camis : 1: English (Surrey and Hampshire; of Norman origin): habitational name possibly from either of two places in northern France called Campeaux one in Calvados the other in Oise as well as Champeaux (Manche Seine-et-Marne).2: English: perhaps a nickname from Middle English camus camois ‘pug-nosed’ (from Old French camus). Compare Camus.

Cantore : Italian: from cantore ‘singer’ (from Latin cantor ‘singer poet’) hence an occupational name for a singer or cantor or a nickname for someone who sang well.

Capey : 1: altered form of Capel of which Capewell was also a variant. Tooth 2 p. 102 cites Margaret Capel (1641) David Capewell (1662) alias Caper (1662) alias Capie (1664) from the parish registers of Norton in the Moors (Staffs). With the 1632 bearer below from Whichford (Warwicks) compare Francis Capill 1667 in IGI (Brailes Warwicks); Brailes is the adjacent parish. 2: perhaps from Cappy (Somme) in Picardy. The lack of medieval spellings with a preposition leaves room for some doubt but the surname is well attested in Picardy for example by Jehane de Capi 1289 in the Arras Nécrologie.

Cardle : 1: see Caldwell and Cardall (1). 2: explained by Black as a reduced form of McArdle but in the absence of any supporting evidence it could as well be a variant of Caldwell from the lands so called in Renfrews.

Carreira : Portuguese and Galician: habitational name from any of various places so named in Portugal (and Galicia) from carreira ‘road thoroughfare’ originally a road passable by vehicles as well as pedestrians (from Late Latin carraria (via) a derivative of carrum ‘cart’).

Carrera : 2: Italian: of multiple origin: in part a topographic name from carrera ‘thoroughfare’ or a habitational name from any of various places called with this word. In northern Italian it may also be from carrera ‘barrel’ no doubt as a metonymic occupational name.1: Spanish and Italian (Sicily): topographic name for someone living by a main road carrera ‘thoroughfare’ originally denoting a road passable by vehicles as well as pedestrians (from Late Latin carraria (via) a derivative of carrum ‘cart’) or a habitational name from any of various places called with this word.

Carriere : 1: French (Carrière): topographic name for someone who lived on a fairly major thoroughfare originally a road passable by carriages as well as pedestrians derived from Late Latin carraria itself a derivative of carrum ‘cart carriage’; or a habitational name from (La) Carrière the name of several places in various parts of France of the same origin. Compare Courier 1 and Currier 2.2: Italian (Apulia): occupational name for a carter or cartwright (see Carriero).

Cass : 1: English: from the Middle English female personal name Casse a pet form of Cassandra. This was the name of an ill-fated Trojan prophetess of classical legend condemned to foretell the future but never be believed; her story was well known and widely popular in medieval England. The name is of uncertain possibly non-Greek origin.2: Irish (Kilkenny and Laois): from Ó Cais ‘descendant of the curly-haired one’.

Catt : 1: English (Sussex and Kent): nickname from Middle English c(h)at ‘cat’ (Old English catt Norman and Picard Old French cat Parisian Old French chat). The word is found in similar forms in most European languages from very early times (e.g. Gaelic cath Old Slavic kotъ). Domestic cats were unknown in Europe in classical times when weasels fulfilled many of their functions for example in hunting rodents. They seem to have come from Egypt where they were regarded as sacred animals.2: English: occasionally perhaps from an unrecorded Middle English female personal name Cat a pet form of Catelin ‘Catherine’. See Catlin. Alternatively perhaps from an unrecorded Middle English personal name Cat(te) or Chat(te) a survival of Old C(e)atta which is well attested in placenames.3: Americanized form of North German Katt.

Chance : 1: English (West Midlands): from Middle English chea(u)nce ‘fortune luck; accident mischance’ (Old French cheance a derivative of cheoir ‘to fall (out)’ Latin cadere) perhaps used to denote a gambler or as a nickname for someone considered fortunate or well favored or perhaps for someone who had survived an accident by a remarkable piece of luck.2: Americanized form of German Tschantz or Schantz.

Chauhan : Indian (northern states): Rajput and Sikh name of great and ancient prestige but unexplained origin. According to legend the ancestor of the Rajput clan bearing this name emerged from a sacrificial fire with four arms and so the name was associated with the Sanskrit word chatur- meaning ‘four’ but this is no more than folk etymology. A clan of the Porwal Banias have also adopted this name and it has been adopted in many other communities as well.

Childerstone : from a lost or unidentified place possibly in Suffolk. The place-name could be a compound of Old English cildra + Old English stān ‘stone’ with reference perhaps to a free standing boulder. In the surname the first element alternates between Childre- and Childe- apparently representing Old English cildra and cilda two different genitive plurals of Old English cild ‘child young (noble)man boy monk’ probably also ‘male heir’ (of any rank). Alternatively the second element is Old English tūn ‘estate’. Old English cild is sometimes compounded with tūn as is clear in early spellings of Chillaton (Devon) Chilton (Berks Somerset) and Chilton Street (Suffolk) as well as Chilson (Oxon) Chilston (Kent) and Chilstone (Herefs) which retain a singular genitival -s. If the original forms of Childerstone were *Cildratūn and *Cildatūn they could have alluded to joint ownership by several male heirs perhaps sokemen or free tenants as recorded for Childerley (Cambs). See Childerley. In that case the medial -s- is not original to the name but a later tautologous genitive added to Middle English childe and childre or childer. Chilton Street in Suffolk (Childton' in the late 12th cent.) is about 13 miles from Kettlebaston and Thorpe Morieux where the surname is first recorded but relevant early spellings with Childe(s)- or Childre(s)- have not been found.

Chope : perhaps for a violent man from Middle English chop ‘blow’ or a reduced form of the synonymous Chopin (recorded in Devon see Chopping); or perhaps for a wheeler and dealer from an unrecorded derivative of Middle English choppen ‘to strike a bargain’.alternatively a variant of Jope (see Job) with devoicing of the initial consonant. Middle English Job(be) Joppe Joop is evidenced as a surname in Cornwall and Devon but definite evidence for the variation in the initial consonant is late (see the 1604 and 1667 bearers below) and appears to be voicing of earlier Chope.alternatively perhaps a variant of Chubb a well attested Wilts and Devon name.

Christi : 1: Altered form of English and Scottish Christie 1.2: Indian and Indonesian: apparently adopted as a name designating a Christian from Christi ‘of Christ’ genitive case of Christus the Latin name of Jesus Christ. Compare Christo 4 and Christy 3. Alternatively in some cases from the English female personal name Christi a pet form of Christine (which is derived from the name Christus as well). — Note: As a name from India or Indonesia or any other country where hereditary surnames are not in general use this name was registered as a surname only after immigration of its bearers to the US.

Clapcott : from Clapcott in Wallingford (Berks) which was recorded as Clopecote 1086 in Domesday Book Clappecot' 1241 in Assize Rolls). The place-name is from Old English *clop(pe) ‘hill’ + cot(e) ‘cottage’. The Wallingford place had a 'mansion' and its lands were well documented in the Middle Ages whilst the similarly named place in Grittleton (Wilts) was one of 'cottages'.

Clark : 1: English: from Middle English clerk clark ‘clerk cleric writer’ (Old French clerc; see Clerc). The original sense was ‘man in a religious order cleric clergyman’. As all writing and secretarial work in medieval Christian Europe was normally done by members of the clergy the term clerk came to mean ‘scholar secretary recorder or penman’ as well as ‘cleric’. As a surname it was particularly common for one who had taken only minor holy orders. In medieval Christian Europe clergy in minor orders were permitted to marry and so found families; thus the surname could become established.2: Irish (Westmeath Mayo): in Ireland the English surname was frequently adopted partly by translation for Ó Cléirigh; see Cleary.3: Americanized form of Dutch De Klerk or Flemish De Clerck or of variants of these names and possibly also of French Clerc. Compare Clerk 2 and De Clark.4: Americanized form of Italian Calarco.

Cobbledick : from a lost or unidentified place perhaps in Lincs where the surname was once common. However it was well established in Cornwall and Devon by the 17th century.

Contrino : Italian: from a diminutive of Contro a short form of the omen or well-wishing name Bonincontrus meaning ‘good encounter well met’.

Cowley : 1: English: habitational name from any of various places called Cowley. One in Gloucestershire is named with Old English cū ‘cow’ + lēah ‘woodland clearing’; two in Derbyshire have Old English col ‘(char)coal’ as the first element; and one near London is from Old English cofa ‘shelter bay’ (see Cove) or the personal name Cofa. The largest group however with examples in Buckinghamshire Devon Oxfordshire and Staffordshire were apparently named as ‘the wood or clearing of Cufa’; however in view of the number of places called with this element it is possible that it conceals a topographic term as well as a personal name.2: Irish: shortened form of Macaulay (see McCauley).3: Manx: shortened form of Gaelic Mac Amhlaoibh ‘son of Amhlaoibh’ (a Gaelicized form of Old Norse Óláfr). For an alternative Manx form of the same patronymic see Callow.

Credit : 1: Altered form of Welsh or English Cradick. Compare Cradit.2: French (Crédit): from crédit ‘credit loan’ perhaps a metonymic occupational name for a banker or a nickname for someone perhaps a shopkeeper who was well known for using this arrangement. It is very rare in France.3: Americanized form of Dutch Krediet or Crediet: from krediet ‘credit loan’ with the same possible explanation as 2.

Cresdee : of uncertain origin; possibly from the medieval female given name Criseyde (modern Cressida) with a pet-form suffix but this name is rare indeed in the Middle Ages presumably because of the faithlessness of the character in Greek myth whose story was well known.

Cristan : 1: Italian (Trentino; Cristàn): from German Christan (see Christian) or from its variant Kristan.2: Hispanic: cognate of 1 above itself possibly of Italian origin as well.3: Americanized form of Slovenian and possibly also of German Kristan.

Cross : 1: English: topographic name for someone who lived near a cross such as one set up by the roadside or in a marketplace from Middle English cros (Old English cros and Old Norse kross ultimately from Latin crux crucem). It is commonly Latinized in medieval records as ad crucem and de Cruce but examples of this can just as well belong to the synonymous but less common name Crouch. In a few cases the surname may have been given originally to someone who lived by a crossroads but this sense of the word seems to have been a comparatively late development. In other cases the surname (and its European cognates; see 3 below) may have denoted someone who carried the cross in processions of the Christian Church but in English at least the usual word for this sense was Crozier.2: Irish: shortened form of McCrossen.3: Americanized form (translation into English) of various European surnames meaning ‘cross’ or ‘the cross’ such as French Lacroix German Kreutz and Slovenian and Croatian Križ (see Kriz).4: Americanized form of German Kross.

Crundwell : variant of Crundell with hypercorrect insertion of /w/. Compare Robert Crundell 1628 in IGI (Penshurst Kent) Thomas Crundall 1654 in IGI (Brenchley Kent) and numerous similar names in the same county as well as Edward Crundell 1791 in IGI (Frant Sussex).

Cruver : 1: Possibly an Americanized form of German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) Gruber.2: Americanized form of Dutch Kruijver or Kruiver as well as De Kruijf and Cruijff from Middel Dutch cruve ‘curl tuft’ a nickname for someone with curly hair or a prominent tuft.

Cubby : of uncertain origin. Black suggests that Cubbie was a reduced form of the personal name Cuthbert and cites Cubbison by way of comparison. However in that case Cubbison is derived from the Gaelic personal name Giobún (Gibbon) a pet form of Gilbert (see McGibbon) and it may well be that that name underlies Cubby instead.

Cuthbert : 1: English: from the Middle English personal name Cudbert Old English Cuthbeorht composed of the elements cūth ‘famous well known’ + beorht ‘bright famous’. The name was borne by a 7th-century Christian saint bishop of Hexham and later of Lindisfarne and remained popular because of his cult throughout the Middle Ages especially in northern England and the lowlands of Scotland.2: Scottish: variant of Coubrough an Anglicized and shortened form of McCoubrey from Scottish Gaelic Mac Cuithbreith ‘son of Cuthbert’ (see 1 above).

Dafter : apparently from Middle English doughter dohtor douter (Old English dohtor) ‘daughter’ often pronounced in early Modern English as dafter. For the name to be borne by a man such that it became a hereditary surname is surprising though there are occasional instances of men being named in this way (unless they are clerical errors). Compare Robertus ffelisdoghter 1379 in Poll Tax (Wentworth WR Yorks); Johannes Wendoghter 1379 in Poll Tax (Clotherholme with Bishopton WR Yorks); and Ric' doghter Wryght 1379 in Poll Tax (South Elmsall WR Yorks).alternatively Daughter might be a simplified pronunciation of Dawtrey (also spelled Daughtrey) a surname well evidenced in WR Yorks and Sussex where Doughter and Daughter also occur in which case the change to Dafter will have arisen through misinterpretation. Compare Johna Dautre 1541 in IGI (Calne Wilts) Robert Daughtre 1585 in IGI (Edensor Derbys) and George Doughtre 1647 in IGI (Shrewsbury Shrops) any of which might be examples of either name.

Danzig : Jewish (Ashkenazic): habitational name from Danzig German name of Gdańsk the main port of Poland on the Baltic Sea. The wide distribution of the name from an early date suggests that in many cases it may have been acquired by merchants who traded with the city as well as those who were actually born there.

Darilek : Czech (Dařílek): nickname for a prosperous individual from dařiti (se) (po)dařiti ‘to do well to prosper’.

Darwall : 1: in Kent perhaps from Darwell (earlier Darvell) in Mountfield (Sussex) recorded as la Derefold in 1320 and denoting a deer fold (Old English dēor + fald). However the time gap between the medieval surname and the modern is too great to be confident of a likely genealogical connection. 2: perhaps from Dorhall (Farm) in Chaddesley Corbett (Worcs). The place is recorded in 1505 as Dorewall and probably denoted a spring where deer or wild animals drank (Old English dēor + Old English wælle). However the lack of medieval forms for either the place-name or the surname makes this explanation doubtful.alternatively a reduced form of the lost surname Derwalshawe. It originated in Grappenhall (Cheshire) and according to Place-Names of Cheshire 2 p. 141 it is attested there and in Chester from 1288 to 1360. The final element is Middle English shawe ‘wood’ so presumably the surname derives from a lost place-name ‘wood at the spring used by wild animals’ or ‘Dēorweald's wood’ depending on whether Derwal- has the same etymology as the place-name in (i) or represents the personal name in (iii).perhaps from the Middle English personal name Derwald Old English Dēorweald (the elements of which denoted either ‘wild animal’ or ‘dear’ + ‘power’). As a surname it appears in Suffolk and Norfolk: Simon Derwall' 1211 in Feet of Fines (Suffolk); Herueus Derwald 1327 1332 in Subsidy Rolls (Norfolk); Herveius Derwald 1379 in Poll Tax (Fring Norfolk). However in Worcs Cheshire and Lancs where Darwall and Darwell are well evidenced from the 16th century no medieval evidence for Derwal(d) has yet been found except perhaps in the locative surname in (ii). 3: see Darvill.

Daughters : English (London): variant of Dafter with post-medieval excrescent -s apparently from Middle English doughter dohtor douter (Old English dohtor) ‘daughter’ often pronounced in early modern English as dafter. For the name to be borne by a man such that it became a hereditary surname is surprising though there are occasional instances of men being named in this way (unless they are clerical errors or it was a surname acquired by the retainers of an heiress of an important family). Alternatively alternatively Daughter Daughters might be a simplified pronunciation of Dawtry (see Daughtery) a surname well evidenced in Yorkshire and Sussex where Doughter and Daughter also occur in which case the change to Dafter will have arisen through misinterpretation.

Dawber : English (northern): occupational name from Middle English dauber douber dober ‘whitewasher plasterer’ (Anglo-Norman French daubour). In the Middle Ages walls of wattle and daub were extremely common. Wattling consisted of a row of upright stakes the spaces between filled with interwoven twigs hazel rods osiers reeds etc. Clay or earth usually mixed with cow dung and hair was daubed onto this frame pressed well into the interstices and the surfaces smoothed. Once dry they were usually treated with plaster or at least a coat of whitewash. Closely allied to daubing was pargetting or rough-casting in which mortar or a coarse form of plaster was used instead of clay or loam.

De Witt : 1: Dutch and Flemish: nickname for someone with white or very fair hair or an exceptionally pale complexion from Middle Dutch witte ‘white’ + the definite article de. In the Netherlands and Belgium the surname is more commonly spelled De Wit.2: English (Dewitt): variant of Devitt a name well evidenced in Nether Whitacre and Nuneaton (Warwickshire) and in Bedford (Bedfordshire). Compare Duett.

Delamere : variant of Mear prefixed with Anglo-Norman French de la referring to one of the English places called Mere (Cheshire Lincs Wilts) Meir (in Caverswall Staffs) or Meare (Somerset). It was a gentry surname.doubtfully perhaps from Delamere Forest (Cheshire) recorded as foresta de Mara in 1153-60 Delamere in 1308 Dalamere in 1517 and Dallamore in 1690. The name meant ‘(Forest) of the Pool’ alluding to either Blakemere or Oakmere near Eddisbury but there is no clear evidence of a surname derived from it.from any of the numerous places in Normandy Brittany and Maine named La Mare (‘the pool’) preceded by the French preposition de ‘of’. This surname is well evidenced among the upper classes in late 11th- to 14th-century England but can be difficult to distinguish from the name in (i). The original form of the name is preserved in Delamare or De la Mare common in the Channel Islands and as a Huguenot family name.

Denley : English: habitational name from any of several places probably so named from Old English denu ‘valley’ + lēah ‘woodland clearing’. It may well be an altered form of Delly End in Oxfordshire (recorded as Denleghe in 1316) or from Denly Hill in Kent. Alternatively the name may be derived from Dunley House in Devon from the Old English personal name Dunna or Dūna + lēah.

Dewitt : 1: variant pronunciation of Devitt a name well evidenced in Nether Whitacre and Nuneaton (Warwicks) and in Bedford (Beds). 2: occasionally an anglicization of De Witt ‘the white(-haired) fair or pale-skinned one’ from Middle Dutch witte + the definite article de. The 1820 bearer below might be related to one or more of Ann Deuitt 1699 Jacobi Dewitt 1760 Thomas Henry Devitt 1814 Mary Devett 1821 in IGI (Saint Botolph without Aldgate London) but these bearers have been treated as examples of Irish or English Devitt.

Donato : Spanish Portugal and Italian: from the personal name Donato (from Latin Donatus past participle of donare frequentative of dare ‘to give’). It was the name of a 4th-century Italian bishop martyred in c. 350 under Julian the Apostate as well as various other early Christian saints and a 4th-century grammarian and commentator on Virgil widely respected in the Middle Ages as a figure of great learning. See also Donat.

Dorkin : 1: from the Middle English personal name *Dorkin a pet form of Old English Deōr a variant of Dēor with a shift of stress in the diphthong. It may have been interchangeable with its twin form Derkin also Darkin. 2: alternatively a modern spelling of Dawkin a well attested surname in WR Yorks and Durham and in Essex where Dorkin and Dorking also all occur. The change in pronunciation by which /r/ was lost before a consonant is not generally known before the 19th century so the 1763 example may belong under (1). 3: see Dorking.

Dowell : 1: Irish: shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Dubhghaill (see McDowell).2: English: nickname from Middle English do well do will ‘do well’. Compare Farwell 1 and Gowell.3: English: variant of Doll.

Dugmore : of uncertain origin. There are two places named Dogmore (Well) in Delamere and Kelsall (both Cheshire) Dogmoor in Prees (Shrops) and Dodgemore Well in Hurdsfield (Cheshire) but which if any of these gave rise to the surname is unclear; it may be from a lost or as yet unidentified place of similar name (compare the *Doccanmere ‘dock pool’ thought to underlie Dogmersfield (Hants): see Hampshire Place-Names).

Easton : 1: English and Scottish: habitational name from any of the many places in England called Easton ‘the eastern village estate or manor’ (Berkshire Cumberland East Yorkshire Hampshire Huntingdonshire Leicestershire Lincolnshire Norfolk Suffolk Somerset Wiltshire) as well as from Easton (Peeblesshire) or Easton near Bathgate (West Lothian) in Scotland. The name may also arise from any of the places called Easton which have different etymologies in Devon Essex and Northamptonshire. Easton in Devon gets its first element from the genitive case of the Old English personal name Ælfrīc (Old English ælf ‘elf’ + rīc ‘power’) or Athelrīc (Old English athel ‘noble’ + rīc ‘power’). Easton Neston in Northamptonshire arises from Old English Ēadstānestūn ‘settlement of Ēadstān’ a personal name composed of the elements ēad ‘prosperity riches’ + stān ‘stone’. Great and Little Easton in Essex are from the Old English personal name Æga + stān(as) ‘stone(s)’.2: English and Scottish: topographic name from Middle English (bi) este(n) tune (Old English be ēastan tūne) denoting someone who lived at the east end of a village or from Middle English atte(n) este(n) tune ‘at (the place to) the east of the village’ a type of formation particular to Sussex. Compare Weston Sutton and Outen.3: English: from the Middle English personal name Estan (Old English Ēadstān from ēad ‘prosperity’ + stān ‘stone’).

Edmond : 1: Scottish English French and West Indian (mainly Haiti): from the Middle English and Older Scots personal name Edmond (Old English Ēadmund composed of the elements ēad ‘prosperity fortune’ + mund ‘protection’). It is sometimes found as Admond where the vowel has been shortened. The personal name was still well used in England in the late 14th century especially in East Anglia and was often bestowed in honor of the East Anglian King Saint Edmund the Martyr (died 869) who was killed by pagan Danish invaders.2: English: occasionally a variant of Edman.3: French Canadian: altered form of English Edmunds.

Elton : 1: English: habitational name from any of several places called Elton (Berkshire Cheshire Derbyshire Durham Herefordshire Huntingdonshire Lancashire and Nottinghamshire). The Eltons in Chesire Derbyshire and Durham are from Old English ǣl ‘eel’ + tūn ‘farmstead settlement’. Elton in Berkshire is from the Old English female personal name Æthelflǣd (composed of the elements æthel ‘noble’ + flǣd ‘beauty’). Both Elton in Herefordshire and in Nottinghamshire are from the Old English personal name Ella + tūn. The Berkshire origin for the surname is especially well represented.2: Norwegian: habitational name from a farm name in eastern Norway in Old Norse Elgjartún ‘enclosed sacred place’ (or fenced in for elg ‘moose’?).

Elwell : English: habitational name from Elwell in Dorset from Old English hǣl ‘omen’ or hǣle ‘hale safe’ or hǣllu ‘health healing’ + well(a) ‘spring stream’. The reference is probably to a spring now called the Wishing Well. Compare Halliwell.

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Geographic distribution of the 9,206 individuals with the name WELL on Geneanet.

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