Last names linked to WHOM

Origin

Agarwal : Indian (northern states): Bania and Jain habitational name from the placenames Agroha or Agar + the Hindi or Punjabi adjectival suffix -wāl (equivalent to -er in English) i.e. ‘person from Agroha’. Agroha (in Hissar district formerly in the Punjab now in Haryana) is said to have been named as the capital city of Agar Sen a legendary Vaishya king whom the Agarwals claim as their ancestor. Alternatively the placename in question may be Agar a city forty miles northeast of Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh. The Agarwals are one of the most prominent mercantile communities of northern India.

Allen : 1: English and Scottish: from the Middle English Old French personal name Alain Alein (Old Breton Alan) from a Celtic personal name of great antiquity and obscurity. In England the personal name is now usually spelled Alan the surname Allen; in Scotland the surname is more often Allan. From 1139 it was common in Scotland where the surname also derives from Gaelic Ailéne Ailín from ail ‘rock’. The present-day frequency of the surname Allen in England and Ireland is partly accounted for by the popularity of the personal name among Breton followers of William the Conqueror by whom it was imported first to Britain and then to Ireland. Saint Alan(us) was a 5th-century bishop of Quimper who was a cult figure in medieval Brittany. Another Saint Al(l)an was a Cornish or Breton saint of the 6th century to whom a church in Cornwall is dedicated.2: English: occasionally perhaps from the rare Middle English femaje personal name Aline (Old French Adaline Aaline) a pet form of ancient Germanic names in Adal- especially Adalheidis (see Allis).3: French: variant of Allain a cognate of 1 above and in North America (also) an altered form of this.

Assaf : 1: Jewish (Israeli): from the Biblical name Asaph ‘he collected/gathered’ borne by a counselor of King David and King Solomon to whom authorship of twelve of the Psalms is attributed (1 Chronicles 16:4–5; Psalms 50 73–83).2: Arabic (mainly Egypt and the Levant): from the personal name Āṣaf of Hebrew origin (see 1 above). As the name of Suleiman's (i.e. Solomon's) grand wazir it came to be used proverbially as a name for any wise counselor. This surname is found among both Muslims and Christians.

Augustus : Dutch German English Welsh West Indian (mainly Trinidad and Tobago) and African (mainly Nigeria): from the Latin personal name Augustus (from the adjective augustus ‘consecrated majestic venerable’) or a Latinized (humanistic) form of German and English August. It was the Emperor Augustus (63 BC–AD 14) after whom it became conventional for Roman emperors to adopt Augustus as a title on their accession and in whose honor the month of August was named. The personal name became popular among early Christians who read into it the implication that the bearer had become greater by being baptized. The surname Augustus is virtually non-existing in Germany.

Baltazar : 1: Spanish Portuguese Catalan and German; Hungarian and Slovak (Baltazár): from the Biblical personal names Balthazar and Belshazzar which were originally distinct but by medieval times had come to be regarded as variants of a single name. The first is from Aramaic Balshatzar Babylonian Baal tas-assar ‘may Baal preserve his life’ the second from Babylonian Baal shar-uzzur ‘may Baal protect the king’. The latter was borne by the Chaldean king for whom the Hebrew prophet Daniel interpreted the writing on the wall (Daniel 5). The main reason for the popularity of Balthazar as a personal name in medieval Europe was that according to legend it was the name of one of the three Magi from the East who attended Christ's birth. His supposed relics were venerated at first in Milan but after 1164 in Cologne. This surname is most common in Mexico.2: Altered form of Italian Baldassarre or one of its variants or cognates.

Beveridge : Scottish: from Middle English beuerage beuerich Old French bevrage ‘drink liquor’ in particular ‘drink that seals a bargain’ also denoting the bargain itself. The consonant -v- was often lost between vowels in Middle and early modern English hence variants such as Berridge. The custom of sealing a bargain with a drink was widespread in medieval society. The surname may have denoted someone to whom such a payment was customarily made. Modern Beveridge is chiefly found in Scotland (mainly in Kinross and Fife) where Black says it is pronounced ‘Berridge’ or ‘Berritch’. The main English form is Berridge.

Blain : 1: Scottish: shortened form of MacBlain a shortened form of Mac Gille Blathain ‘son of Gille Blááin’ a personal name meaning ‘servant of Saint Bláán’. Bláán after whom Dunblane in Perthshire was named appears in placenames in both Ireland and Scotland.2: English: from Middle English bleyne ‘inflamed swelling on the surface of the body’ possibly a nickname for a person suffering from boils or some form of inflamation of the skin.3: English: habitational name from Blean in Kent named with Old English blēa (blēan oblique case) ‘course rough ground’.4: Altered form of French Abelin: from the personal name Abelin a pet form of Abel. The surname Abelin is rare in France found mainly in Charente-Maritime.5: French: altered form of Blin a shortened form of Belin and hence in part a cognate of 4 above.6: French: habitational name from Blain a place in Loire-Atlantique of Gaulish origin derived from the personal name Belenius or Blannius. This surname (in any of the three possible French senses; see also above) is also found in Haiti where it is however at least in part of English origin (see 2 and 3 above).

Blanchflower : from Old French and Middle English blanche ‘white’ + Old French flur flour Middle English flour flower denoting both ‘flower’ and ‘flour white powder’. The 1300 example cited below seems to imply a comparison with a white flower as a symbol of beauty but so was white flour which was a traditional epithet in medieval romances for someone whose skin was perfectly smooth and white. Alternatively Blancheflour might have been given to a flour miller or to a baker of white bread (Old French and Middle English blanc pain) either of whom will have had their hair and body covered in flour dust.

Bourgoin : French:: 1: variant of Bourgouin (and in North America an altered form of this) a habitational name for someone from Burgundy (Old French Bourgogne) a region of eastern France having Dijon as its center. The area was invaded by the Burgundii an ancient Germanic tribe from whom it takes its name in about AD 480. The duchy of Burgundy created in 877 by Charles II King of the Western Franks was extremely powerful in the later Middle Ages especially under Philip the Bold (1342–1404; duke from 1363). Compare Bourgoyne and Bourguignon.2: variant of Bourguin from the ancient Germanic personal name Burgwin composed of the elements burg ‘protection’ and win ‘friend’.

Burgoyne : English (of Norman origin): habitational name for someone from Burgundy (Middle English Burgoin Old French Bourgogne Latin Burgundia) a region of eastern France having Dijon as its center. The area was invaded by the Burgundii an ancient Germanic tribe from whom it takes its name in about AD 480. The duchy of Burgundy created in 877 by Charles II King of the West Franks was extremely powerful in the later Middle Ages especially under Philip the Bold (1342–1404 duke from 1363).

Cabading : Filipino: nickname derived from Ilokano badeng ‘love song’ + a Hispanicized form of the prefix ka- which can be both associative and reciprocal hence referring either to a singer or to a person to whom he sing (as in a duet).

Calixto : Spanish and Portuguese: from the Latin personal name Calixtus from Greek Kallistos from kallistos ‘most beautiful’ the Latin spelling apparently influenced by Latin calix ‘cup’ (with specific reference to the cup containing the wine of the Christian sacrament). The name Calixtus was borne by several early popes of whom the first (217–222) was canonized.

Callahan : Irish (Munster): shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Ceallacháin ‘descendant of Ceallachán’ a diminutive of the personal name Ceallach probably meaning ‘bright-headed’ from cen ‘head’ + lach ‘light’. This name was borne by a 10th-century king of Munster from whom many present-day bearers of the surname claim descent.

Capulong : Filipino: nickname or status name from Tagalog and Kapampangan pulong ‘to hold a meeting’ + a Hispanicized form of the associative prefix ka- referrring to someone with whom one meets or to a member of a council who regularly meets.

Chon : 1: Korean (Chŏn): written 전 in Chinese characters 全 meaning ‘complete’ or ‘perfect’. There are actually three Chinese characters for the surname Chŏn. (i) Some sources number the clans which use the most common character 全 as high as 178 but only seventeen have been documented. All of these descend from a common ancestor Chŏn Sŏp (全 聶). The founding king of the Koguryŏ kingdom (37 BC–AD 668) had three sons the youngest of whom went south and established what would later become one of Koguryŏ's rival kingdoms Paekche. This son took with him ten servants one of whom was Chŏn Sŏp. (ii) Five clans use the second most common Chinese character for their surname. These clans descended from different ancestors at least two of whom migrated to Korea from China. (iii) The clan which uses the least common character the Mun’gyŏng Chŏn descends from an ancestor named Chŏn Yu-gŏm. Chŏn Yu-gŏm was a minister sent from China to visit the Koryŏ court in the mid 14th century. He decided to stay in Korea and married the elder sister of a famous Koryŏ general Ch’oe Yŏng. When the Koryŏ kingdom fell to the Chosŏn kingdom in 1392 Chŏn abandoned his government post and retired to the countryside to pass the remainder of his years in peaceful obscurity. Compare Cheon Chun 11 Jeon and Jon 1.2: Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 莊 see Zhuang.3: Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 張 see Zhang 1.

Cinnamond : as Redmonds Dictionary of Yorks Surnames shows this is an altered form of Seliman (see Selman) through l/n substitution and false association with the word cinnamon. Redmonds draws his evidence from the parish registers of Beverley (ER Yorks): John Synamon alias Silliman 1622; and from the parish registers of Leeds (WR Yorks): Bryan Selyman (1539) John Siliman (1615) and Francis Silleman (1684) the last of whom is also named Sinemond on his tombstone and Cinamon when his will was registered in 1684. Redmonds also notes that in the parish registers of Mirfield (WR Yorks) it was confused with Simonet (see Simmonite): Joshua Synamond Simonet or Simolet (1649–82).

Cornelius : Dutch German Danish and southern English: from the Latin personal name Cornelius (originally an old Roman surname probably derived from cornu ‘horn’) borne by a 3rd-century pope and Christian saint. In England this name is rarely found before the 16th century when the name was brought to England from the Low Countries by Protestants among whom it was also a popular name in the vernacular form Cornelis. In North America this surname may also be an altered form of the German or Dutch variant Kornelius.

Didier : 1: French: from the personal name Didier from Latin Desiderius a derivative of desiderium ‘desire longing’ given either to a longed-for child as an expression of the Christian's spiritual longing for God. The name was borne by a 3rd-century bishop of Langres and a 6th-century bishop of Vienne in the Dauphiné both of whom are venerated as saints in the Catholic Church.2: American shortened form of French Didierlaurent a surname composed of the personal names Didier (see 1 above) and Laurent. Compare Dedear.

Donat : 1: French German Polish and English; Czech and Slovak (Donát): from a medieval personal name (from Latin Donatus past participle of donare frequentative of dare ‘to give’). As a personal name this was favored by early Christians either because the birth of a child was seen as a gift from God or else because the child was in turn regarded as being dedicated to God. The name was borne by various early Christian saints among them a 6th-century hermit of Sisteron and a 7th-century bishop of Besançon all of whom contributed to the popularity of the baptismal name in the Middle Ages which was not checked by the heresy of a 4th-century Carthaginian bishop who also bore it.2: Scottish: variant of Dunnett.

Emmett : English:: 1: from the Middle English female personal name Emmot an interchangeable pet form of Emma first introduced into England from France by the Normans among whom it was extremely popular. Compare Emm.2: habitational name from either Emmot near Colne (Lancashire) or Emmett in Bishop's Tawton (Devon). The former is from Old English ēa-gemōt ‘junction of the streams’. The latter is from Old English emnet ‘plain level ground’ referring to the flat land here.

Ezekiel : English Welsh Jewish African American and African (mainly Nigeria and Tanzania): from the Biblical personal name Ezekiel from Hebrew Yeḥezqel meaning ‘God will strengthen’. It was borne by a prophet for whom the Book of Ezekiel is named. In the British Isles this is found not only as a Jewish surname but also as a comparatively late surname among Nonconformists especially in Wales and Devon. The name Ezekiel 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.

Ferdinand : German French English and West Indian (mainly Haiti): from an ancient Visigothic personal name composed of the elements farthu ‘journey expedition’ (or a metathesized form of frithu ‘peace’) + nanths ‘daring brave’. As a surname this is of comparatively recent origin in German-speaking countries and in France for the personal name was not introduced from Spain (see Fernando) until the late 15th century. It was brought to Austria by the Habsburg dynasty among whom it was a hereditary name and from Austria it spread to France. Iberian cognates are of more ancient origin and more frequently found today since the name was much favored in the royal house of Castile. It owes its popularity in large part to King Ferdinand III of Castile and León (1198–1252) who recaptured large areas of Spain from the Moors and was later canonized by the Roman Catholic Church.

Fernando : Spanish and Portuguese: from the personal name Fernando a younger form of Ferdinando (see Ferdinand). This surname is also found in southern Italy mainly in Naples and Palermo since the period of Spanish dominance there and as a result of the expulsion of the Jews from Spain and Portugal at the end of the 15th century many of whom moved to Italy. It is also common in western India and especially in Sri Lanka where it was taken by Portuguese colonists in the 16th century.

Filimon : Romanian: from the personal name Filimon Greek Philēmon which means ‘affectionate loving’. Philemon was an early Christian at Colossae to whom one of Saint Paul's surviving letters is addressed.

Gwinnell : unexplained. The distribution suggests that it might be for the Welsh male personal name Gwynlliw best known as that of the saint to whom the ancient church now cathedral of Newport (Monmouths) is dedicated (Saint Woolos in English) but any connection is unproven.

Honore : French (Honoré): from the Latin personal name Honoratus derived from honor ‘honor tribute’. The name was borne by a 5th-century bishop of Arles and a 6th-century bishop of Amiens both of whom became popular Christian saints and contributed to the frequency of the name in the Middle Ages. This surname is also found in Denmark where it was brought by French Huguenots in the 17th century.

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.

Isaiah : African (mainly Nigeria) and probably also African American: from the Biblical personal name Isaiah an English form of Hebrew Yeshayahu meaning ‘God is salvation’. It was borne by a prophet for whom the Book of Isaiah is named.

Kaushik : Indian (Uttar Pradesh): Brahmin name from Kusha which was the name of an ancestor of the Vedic sage Vishwamitra to whom this caste trace lineage. The word kusha in Sanskrit denotes a type of sacred grass.

Kayal : 1: Indian (West Bengal) and Bangladeshi: from a Bengali word denoting a type of fish. The word kayal means ‘fish’ in Tamil and ‘lake’ in Malayalam but these words in South Indian languages are not directly connected with the Indian surname. This surname is borne by members of the Nabasakha caste from whom Brahmins are permitted to accept water.2: Arabic (mainly Syria and Lebanon): occupational name from kayyāl ‘measurer of grain’. This surname is found among both Muslims and Christians.

Kinnison : Scottish:: 1: variant of Cunieson a patronymic from the personal name Conan which was borne by an illegitimate son of Henry Duke of Atholl from whom many bearers are descended.2: patronymic from an Anglicized form of the Gaelic personal name Coinneach (see Kenneth).

Kosman : 1: Polish and Czech: from an altered form of the Greek personal name Kosmas or a derivative of kosmaty Czech kosmatý ‘shaggy hairy’.2: Dutch: probably a nickname for a flatterer or coaxer from Dutch kozen ‘to speak with friendly words’.3: Jewish (Ashkenazic): from the Jewish personal name Kosman borrowed during the Middle Ages from German Christians for whom Cos(s)mann in turn was derived from Kosmas of Greek origin.4: Jewish (Ashkenazic): occupational name for someone who made glasses or cups from Hebrew kos ‘drinking glass’ or Yiddish kos ‘goblet cup’ + man ‘man’. See also Kos.

Lakhani : Indian and Pakistani: from the root of the ancestral personal name such as Lakhman which is from Sanskrit lakṣmaṇa ‘one who has auspicious marks’ (see Lakshmanan) + the suffix -ani ‘descendant of’ (see Ani). This name is found amongst people from Sindh Pakistan many of whom migrated to India.

Lambert : English French Walloon Dutch German Polish Czech and Slovak: from a personal name composed of the ancient Germanic elements land ‘land territory’ + berht ‘bright famous’. In England the native Old English form Landbeorht was replaced by Lambert the Continental form of the name that was taken to England by the Normans from France. The name gained wider currency in Britain in the Middle Ages with the immigration of weavers from Flanders among whom Saint Lambert or Lamprecht bishop of Maastricht in around 700 was a popular cult figure. In Italy the name was popularized in the Middle Ages as a result of the fame of Lambert I and II Dukes of Spoleto and Holy Roman Emperors. Lambert is the second most frequent surname in Wallonia. In North America the English form of the surname has absorbed cognates from other languages for example Slovenian Lampret and Lampreht (see also Lampert).

Lance : 1: English: from the ancient Germanic personal name Lanzo originally a short form of various compound names with the first element land ‘land territory’ (for example Lambert) but later used as an independent name. It was introduced to England by the Normans for whom it was a popular name among the ruling classes perhaps partly because of association with Old French lance ‘lance spear’ (see 2 below).2: French: metonymic occupational name for a soldier who carried a lance or a nickname for a skilled fighter from Old French lance ‘lance spear’.3: Americanized form of German Lanz and Lenz.

Lawless : Scottish Irish and English: nickname from Middle English laweles laghles ‘lawless uncontrolled by the law’ applied either to someone who was undisciplined or to an outlaw (i.e. one from whom the protection of the law had been withdrawn).

Lawrence : English: from the Middle English and Old French personal name Lorens Laurence from Latin Laurentius ‘man from Laurentum’ a place in Italy probably named from its laurels or bay trees. The name was borne by a Christian saint who was martyred at Rome in the 3rd century AD; he enjoyed a considerable cult throughout Europe with consequent popularity of the personal name (French Laurent Italian Spanish Lorenzo Catalan Llorenç Portuguese Lourenço German Laurenz Polish Wawrzyniec etc.). In Britain this is a common name from the 12th century with pet forms such as Law Low Lawrie Laurie Larry Larkin all of which are represented in surnames. There was also a feminine form Laurencia which may have given rise to the English surname. The surname is also borne by Jews among whom it is presumably an Americanized form of one or more similar (like-sounding) Ashkenazic surnames. In North America the English form of the surname has absorbed many cognates from other languages e.g. German Lorenz and also their patronymics and other derivatives e.g. Slovenian Lavrenčič and Lovrenčič (patronymics from Lavrencij and Lovrenc equivalents of Lawrence) Polish Wawrzyniak. Compare Larrance Laurence Lawerence Lieurance and Lowrance.

Ledgeway : apparently an altered form of Leadsway of uncertain origin. Neil Mackay (personal communication) notes from the Knaresborough Parish Registers (N Yorks Record Office) that John Ledgway born on 9th October 1785 was the son of Mark and Ann Ledgway who are identical with Mark Leadsway (born about 1760) and Ann Thompson whom he married in Knaresborough (WR Yorks) on February 7th 1785.

Leonard : 1: English; French (Léonard); Walloon (mainly Léonard): from a personal name composed of the ancient Germanic elements leo ‘lion’ (a late addition to the vocabulary of ancient Germanic name elements taken from Latin) + hard ‘hardy brave strong’ which was taken to England by the Normans. A Christian saint of this name who is supposed to have lived in the 6th century but about whom nothing is known except for a largely fictional life dating from half a millennium later was popular throughout Europe in the early Middle Ages and was regarded as the patron of peasants and horses. In North America the English form of the surname has absorbed cognates from other languages e.g. Italian Leonardo Polish Slovenian etc. Lenart or Lenard and probably also their derivatives. Compare Larned Learned and Yenor.2: Irish (Fermanagh): adopted as an English equivalent of Gaelic Mac Giolla Fhionáin or of Langan.3: German: variant of Leonhard cognate with 1 above.

Lucia : 1: Italian (southern); Spanish (Lucía): from the female personal name Lucia Lucía feminine variant of Latin Lucius. It was borne by a young Sicilian maiden and an aged Roman widow both of whom were martyred under Diocletian and are venerated as saints.2: English: from a Latinized form of Luce or occasionally from Loose.3: Americanized form of French Lussier. Compare Lucian 3.

Malt : 1: from the Middle English female personal name Mald or Maud an Anglo-Norman French form of Continental Germanic Mahthild(is) (from *maht- ‘power might’ + *hild- ‘battle’). The Germanic name developed two distinct forms in Old French Matild and Mahild. The first was the basis for its usual Latin forms Matildis and Matilda. It appears in Middle English as Matild and Matill giving rise to the surnames Mattle and Mattleson both of which are now extinct. Matill had several pet forms which survive in the surnames Till Tillson Tillet Tillotson Tilcock and perhaps Tilly. The alternative Old French form Mahild developed to Mahald Mahalt Mahaud and Mahold. These were the most common versions of the name in Anglo-Norman England appearing in Middle English in the reduced forms Maald Mald and Malt (from Mahald) Maud (from Mahaud) and Mold (from Mahold) hence the surnames Malt Malde Maude and Mould. From the mid-13th to the early 15th century the personal name was popular with all classes of English families among whom the name was commonly pronounced and written as Mall or Moll">Moll. Pet forms with the diminutive suffixes -et -ot -in -y and -kin gave rise to Malin Malkin Mallet Mallot Mally and Mollet">Mollet. In N England the typical surname forms are Maudson Maulson Moulson and Malkinson. 2: occasionally perhaps a reduced form of Mallett.

Marcelino : Portuguese and Spanish: from the personal name Marcelino Latin Marcellinus a derivative of Marcellus (see Marcello) borne by several early Christian saints including the friend of Saint Augustine to whom De Civitate Dei was dedicated.

Maroun : Arabic (Lebanon): from the Arabic personal name Mārūn Latin Maron borne by a 4th-century Syriac Christian hermit monk after whom the Maronites a Christian group in Lebanon were named. Compare Maroon.

McAlpine : Scottish and Irish (Mayo and Tyrone): Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Ailpein (Scottish) or Mac Ailpín (Irish) ‘son of Ailpean’ a personal name derived from alp ‘lump’. The personal name was borne by Pictish kings one of whom Kenneth son of Ailpín or Ailpean became the ruler of the united Picts and Scots.

McBlain : reduced form of Mac Gille Blathain ‘son of Gille Blááin’ a personal name meaning ‘servant of Saint Bláán’. Bláán after whom Dunblane (Perths) was named appears in place-names in both Ireland and Scotland.

Montague : 1: English (of Norman origin): habitational name from either Montaigu-le-bois (Manche) or Montaigu (Manche Aisne) named with Old French mont ‘hill’ + agu ‘pointed’ (from Latin acutus). Drogo de Montagud was a companion of William the Conqueror and founder of the Montagu(e) family among whom the personal name Drogo was revived in the 19th century. Another family of the name Monatgu have held the titles of Duke of Montagu Earl of Sandwich Earl and Duke of Manchester Earl of Halifax and Earl of Beaulieu and.2: Irish: adopted as equivalent of Gaelic Mac Taidhg (see McTigue).

Mungo : Scottish (Lanarkshire): from the personal name Mungo which is of Brittonic origin but unknown meaning. In Scotland and northern England Mungo was used amongst devotees of the cult of 6th-century Saint Kentigern patron of Glasgow for whom it was a pet name. This surname is rare in Britain.

Muter : 1: English (Northumberland): nickname or occupational name from Middle English motere ‘public speaker spokesman’ (Old English mōtere).2: Scottish (Lanarkshire): occupational name from Middle English (mainly Scots) multerer ‘mill proprietor one to whom the toll of multure is payable’.

Nabor : Hispanic (Mexico and the Philippines): from the Spanish and Catalan personal name Nabor which was borne by a Christian saint believed to have been martyred in Milan in the 4th century about whom nothing else is known. The personal name is probably a derivative of Hebrew barar ‘to choose to purify’ which evolved into nabar ‘honest ernest clean’.

Naito : Japanese (Naitō): written 内藤 ‘inner wisteria’. It is a name taken by two branches of the northern Fujiwara clan. One is descended from the famous warrior Hidesato (10th century) the other from Michinaga (966–1027) the statesman who took his family to its greatest heights of power and on whom the main character of the classic novel Genji monogatari (‘The tale of Genji’) is based.

Nicholas : English (southwestern England and south Wales) and Dutch: from the personal name Nicholas (from Latin Nicolaus from Greek Nikolaos from nikān ‘to conquer’ + laos ‘people’). Forms with -ch- are due to hypercorrection (compare Anthony). The name in various vernacular forms was popular among Christians throughout Europe in the Middle Ages largely as a result of the fame of a 4th-century Lycian bishop about whom a large number of legends grew up and who was venerated in the Orthodox Church as well as the Catholic. In North America the English form of the surname has absorbed cognates from other languages and also their patronymics and other derivatives e.g. Croatian and Serbian Nikolić (see Nikolic) Greek Papanikolaou ‘(son of) Nicholas the priest’ and Nikolopoulos. Compare Nickolas.

Parson : 1: English: status name or nickname from Middle English persone persoun ‘priest parson’ (Old French persone). The status of medieval bearers of the surname is uncertain. Priests were generally known by a habitational name rather than by a surname denoting their role in the church. They were not allowed to marry but doubtless many had illegitimate children some of whom may have been given Parson as a surname. Some of the original bearers may have been given it as a nickname (compare Priest Bishop Monk) or it may have been an occupational name for someone who worked for the parson (a shortened form of Personesservaunt perhaps).2: English: in northern England and the North Midlands especially it is often a variant of Pearson. For the change in vowel compare Parr.3: Americanized form of Swedish Pärsson Pehrsson (see Pehrson) or Persson patronymics from vernacular shortened forms of the personal name Peter.4: Americanized form of one or more similar (like-sounding) Jewish names.

Plato : 1: German Dutch and Polish: from a Latinized form of the Greek personal name Platōn which was the name of two early Christian martyrs. However it is much better known as the name of the Greek philosopher Plato (c. 429–c. 347 BC) with reference to whom it was occasionally adopted as a humanistic name in northwest Europe during the Reformation.2: English: variant of Plater perhaps sometimes altered under the influence of the name of the Greek philosopher (see 1 above).

Pong : 1: Chinese: Cantonese form of the surnames 龐 and 逄 see Pang 1 and 2.2: Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 彭 see Peng 1.3: Chinese: possibly from Cantonese form of the Chinese name 邦 (meaning ‘state’) a monosyllabic personal name or part of a disyllabic personal names of some early Chinese immigrants in the US.4: Korean: there are two Chinese characters for the surname Pong but only one is common enough to warrant treatment here. Some records indicate that there are nineteen Pong clans but only the clans of Kanghwa and Haŭm can be documented as legitimate clans. The majority of the Pong clan lives in either Hwanghae Province or Kyŏnggi Province. According to legends an old woman walking along the beach in Haŭm district of Kwanghwa found a stone box floating on the water. Inside was an extraordinary baby boy whom she presented to Koryŏ king Injong in 1107. The king named the baby Pong-u and raised him within the precincts of his court. Pong-u's descendants continued to live in the Haŭm area and the clan came to be known as the Haŭm Pong clan. The founding ancestor of the Kanghwa Pong clan is unknown and there is speculation that perhaps the Kanghwa Pong clan is in fact descended from the Haŭm Pong clan.

Quinn : Irish:: 1: shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Coinn earlier spelled Ó Cuinn ‘descendant of Conn’ a personal name meaning ‘wisdom’ or ‘chief’ (see O'Quinn). This is the name of several families in Ulster and counties Clare Longford and Mayo.2: shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Coinne ‘descendant of Coinne’ a personal name which may be a variant of Coinneach (see also McKenzie). This is an Ulster surname a sept deriving from Eoghan son of Niall Naoighiallach from whom Tyrone is named. In most cases the Anglicized forms cannot be distinguished from sense 1 above although final -e may have been intended as syllabic.

Saka : 1: Turkish: occupational name from saka ‘water-carrier’ or an ornamental name or nickname from a homonym meaning ‘goldfinch’.2: West African (Nigeria): Yoruba name of unexplained etymology.3: Japanese: written 坂 or 阪 ‘(one who lives on the) slope’. Found throughout Japan it can also be written phonetically as 佐加 ‘help’ and ‘add’. Some occurrences in America could be the result of shortening longer names beginning with Saka-.4: Indian: Jat name perhaps referring to the Scythians who came to India and to whom they trace their ancestry.

Senescall : from Middle English Old French senes(c)hal a household official of a sovereign or great noble to whom the administration of justice and the entire control of domestic arrangements were entrusted; in a wider use a steward or major-domo. Senescal and Senecal were Norman forms (Moisy). Compare Marshall and Maskall.

Sereda : 1: Ukrainian: nickname from sereda ‘Wednesday’. It is also used by Belorussians for whom it is either of Ukrainian origin or represents a Russified form of the Belorussian cognate word serada (influenced by the Russian cognate word sreda). This surname is also found in Poland (mainly in the southeastern part of country near to the border with Ukraine).2: Czech (Šereda): unflattering nickname from šereda ‘nasty person’.3: Possibly also an Americanized form of Hungarian Szereda: nickname from szerda ‘Wednesday’ a loanword from Slavic (see above).

Spicknell : from Anglo-Norman French *(e)spigurnel *sprigonel ‘sealer of writs’ (in the royal chancery). It is a word of obscure origin and is only certainly recorded in its Medieval Latin forms (e)spigurnellus and sprigonellus (which are attested in English documents from 1193 onwards) and in the related Latin terms for the office itself: espicurnaucia (1279) espicornelia (about 1283) and spigurnalcia (1286). Members of the Spigurnel family in the late 12th and 13th centuries may have taken their name from having held the office (which was perhaps a hereditary one) though there is no independent confirmation of this.possibly from Middle English Old French and Anglo-Norman French spigurnel(le) Modern English spignel the name of a herb particularly the umbellifer Meum athamanticum. Its aromatic root was formerly dried ground up and used in medicine as a carminative or stimulant or as a spice in cookery. It might have been given as a nickname for a herbalist or physician. However the earliest bearers of the surname were members of a high-ranking family in royal service one of whom was Edmund le Espycurnel' (1285) where the use of the definite article points strongly to the sense suggested in (i).

Steber : German: occupational name for an official before whom oaths were taken from Middle High German stebaere (see Stabler 2).

Stebner : 1: North German: occupational name from Middle Low German stevener stavener ‘person before whom an oath is taken’.2: South German: habitational name for someone from Steben near Hof in Bavaria.

Strother : English: habitational name from a place somewhere in northeastern England formerly called (The) Strother named with Middle English strother struther stroder ‘wooded marshland marsh covered in brushwood’ (Old English strōther). This topographic term was current in Durham Northumberland and southern Scotland but the place which gave rise to the surname has not been certainly identified. A locality called le strother is recorded near the city of Durham c. 1299 while another recorded as le estrother in 1153–95 may have named Strother House in Boldon (Durham) unless the house was named from the surname. William de Strother was a tenant in nearby Offerton in 1473 and he was probably a member of the Newcastle merchant-cum-gentry family from whom all or most modern bearers inherit their surname. In Northumberland possibilities include Cold Strother in Kirkheaton and Haughton Strother although there is no evidence for either place being known simply as The Strother. Alternatively The Strother may have been a lost district name for either the marshy area around Cold Strother (north of the North Tyne) or that around Haughton Strother (on the south bank of the North Tyne) but again evidence is lacking. The (del) Strother family owned estates near (but not in) both places from at least the late 14th century. In southern Scotland Struther in Lanarkshire and Struthers in Ayrshire and Fife (from the Older Scots equivalent of Middle English strother) might be considered but for lack of supporting evidence it has been suggested that Scottish Strother is probably the attested Northumberland surname whose bearers were major landholders on the Scottish border.

Symington : Scottish: habitational name from Symington (Lanarkshire) or Symington (Ayrshire). The placenames derive from the personal name Simon + northern Middle English toun ‘town village settlement’. Both places were held in the late 12th century by a certain Simon Loccard or Lockhart from whom they presumably derive their name.

Takle : probably from an Anglo-Norman French given name Takel or Tachel in origin a Continental Germanic name Dacil(us) *Tacil(us). This was a pet form of names in Dag- Tag- ‘day’ such as Dagobert 1086 in Domesday Book (Gloucs). The double diminutive form Dachelin is recorded in 1086 in Domesday Book (Dorset) and as the surname of Alicia Dacolyn 1346 in Feudal Aids (Beds). The earliest known bearer of the surname is a Lincs knight with the forename Samson a particular favourite among Bretons many of whom were given estates in Lincs after the Conquest. This tells against Reaney's suggestion that the source of the name is an unrecorded Old English given name *Tæcela though it remains a theoretical possibility.

Tidman : English:: 1: (of German origin): from the Old Low German personal name Tideman (ancient Germanic Theudman composed of the elements theod ‘people race’ + man ‘man’). This was a common personal name among medieval German merchants many of whom are recorded in early records of seaports on the east coast of England.2: nickname from Middle English tidi ‘brave virtuous; healthy handsome’ + -man. Compare Tidey.3: status name from Middle English titheman a shortened form of Middle English tithing(e)man ‘tithingman’ a man responsible for collecting rent from a ‘tithing’ originally a group of ten households.

Tostevin : Channel Islands (Guernsey): from the French phrase tost de vin ‘toast with wine’ reflecting the medieval and later practice of dunking spiced toast in wine to improve the wine's flavour. The phrase was applied figuratively to a person to whom a company was requested to drink. Compare Toadvine.

Uren : 1: English (of Norman origin mostly in Cornwall): from the Old French personal name Ev(e)rin Eurin either a pet form of ancient Germanic names in Ever- (from the Germanic word for ‘boar’) such as Everard and Everwin (see Erwin) or an alternative pronunciation of Everwin as /ju:rin/. In Cornwall this name would easily have been confused with the Breton personal name and surname in 2 below.2: Cornish (of Breton origin) and Welsh: from the Breton and Welsh personal name Ur(i)en (ultimately from British Celtic ōrbo- perhaps ‘orphan heir’ + gen- ‘born’). There is evidence for use of the Breton personal name in at least one Anglo-Norman family in Cheshire but in Cornwall it belonged initially at least to 16th-century Breton migrants some of whom also bore it as a surname.3: Norwegian: habitational name from any of numerous farmsteads so named from the definite singular form of ur from Old Norse urth ‘scree rock-strewn slope’.

Uzelac : Serbian and Croatian: nickname or status name from a derivative of uzeti ‘to take (away)’ denoting a man whom his wife had taken by marriage into her household.

Vito : Italian: from the personal name Vito Latin Vitus ‘lively energetic’ from vita ‘life’ (compare Vita). The name was popular in the Middle Ages as the result of the cult of an early Christian martyr in southern Italy about whom very little is known. He was regarded as a patron against epilepsy and the nervous tremor named after him ‘St. Vitus's dance’. His cult spread into Germany and thence through Eastern Europe where the name was reinforced by native Slavic names such as Vitoslav and Vitomir with the first element most likely derived from Old Slavic vitъ ‘loot wealth’ (see also Wit). It may also derive in part from the Langobardic name Wido or Frankish Wit(t)o (see Guido).

Wallenstein : 1: German: habitational name from Wallenstein (originally Waldenstein ‘forest rock’ Czech Valdštejn) in Bohemia. This is the name of a dynasty of Czech counts the most famous of whom Albrecht Wenzel Eusebius von Wallenstein (1583–1634) was the leader of the Habsburg forces that defeated the Protestants in Bohemia during the Thirty Years War. See also Waldstein.2: Subsequently Wallenstein was also adopted as a Jewish surname.

Wallis : Scottish and English: from Anglo-Norman French Waleis Walais ‘Welshman’ also sometimes ‘Breton’ (from Old English wēalas walas plural of walh wealh originally meaning a ‘Roman citizen’ and referring to the native British population but in Old English this term later came to mean ‘serf unfree person foreigner’ or ‘Welshman’). In western and central England the medieval reference is clearly to Welshmen. In Norfolk and Lincolnshire the reference was probably to Bretons many of whom settled in the eastern counties after the Conquest. Compare Welsh Walsh. The idea that the Scottish surname refers to the Welsh-speaking Britons of Strathclyde is erroneous.

Xi : Chinese:: 1: Mandarin form of the surname 奚 meaning ‘slave’ in ancient Chinese: (i) from the first element of Xi Zhong (奚仲) style name of an official on whom the title Che Zheng (車正) ‘carriage officer’ was bestowed by Xia Yu the first king of the Xia dynasty (2070–1600 BC) because of his contribution to making carriages. (ii) adopted as a surname by the Tuo Ba (拓跋) Bo Xi (薄奚) and Da Xi (達奚) families from the Xianbei ethnic group in northern China during the Northern Wei dynasty (386–534 AD).2: Mandarin form of the surname 席 meaning ‘mat’ in Chinese: (i) said to be from the name of a person who lived during the reign of the legendary Emperor Yao (c. 24th century BC). (ii) adopted in place of the Chinese surname Ji (籍) because it happened to coincide with the personal name of Xiang Yu (232 BC–202 BC) also known as “Hegemon King of Western Chu”. It was taboo in ancient China to bear a surname that coincided with the name of a member of a royal family.3: Mandarin form of the surname 習 meaning ‘habit’ in Chinese: (i) from Xi (習) the name of an ancient state (unknown location and time). (i) from the second element of the placename Shao Xi (少習) (located in present-day Shaanxi province).4: Mandarin form of the surnames 郤 and 郄: from Xi (郤) or (郄) the name of a fief (located in present-day Henan province) granted to an official in the state of Jin during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC).5: Mandarin form of the surname 郗: (i) from Xi (郗 pronounced as Chi in the ancient times) the name of a fief (located in present-day Henan province) in the state of Su granted to a son of Su Fensheng an official during the early Western Zhou dynasty (1046–771 BC). (ii) probably a mistakenly written form of another Chinese surname Xi (郄).6: Mandarin form of the surname 西 meaning ‘west’ in Chinese: (i) from Xi (西) the name of an ancient state prior to the Xia dynasty (2070–1600 BC). (ii) adopted as the shortened form of the compound surname Xi-Men (西門 literally meaning ‘west gate’) by descendants of Xi-Men Bao (西门豹) an official in the state of Wei during Warring States Period (475–221 BC).

Younan : 1: Arabic (Egypt Lebanon Iraq) and Assyrian/Chaldean: from a variant of the Arabic personal name Yūnān and Syriac Yōnān which among the Christians corresponds to the Biblical name Jonah (see Jonas and Muslim Yunus compare Yonan).2: Arabic: variant of the ethnic name Yūnān ‘Greek’ of Persian origin ultimately derived from Greek Iōn ‘Ionian’ the tribe of Greeks with whom the Persians had first contact.

Zaidi : Muslim (mainly Pakistan and Maghreb): surname denoting descent from or association with someone called Zaid in particular from/with Zaid ibn ʿAlī son of the fourth imam of the Shiite Muslims Zain ul-ʿĀbidīn after whom one of the Shia sects the Zaidis found mainly in Yemen is also named.

Zhou : Chinese:: 1: Mandarin form of the surname 周 meaning ‘surrounding’ or ‘whole’ in Chinese: (i) from Zhou (周) originally the name of a fief (located in present-day Qishan in Shaanxi Province) where Zhou Wen Wang (1152–1056 BC; ‘King Wen of Zhou’) resided. Zhou was famous for his virtue and good nature. He had eighteen sons almost all of whom received fiefdoms. He is regarded as the founder of the Western Zhou dynasty although it was in fact his son King Wu of Zhou (c. 1087–1043 BC) who overthrew the Shang dynasty. The Zhou dynasty lasted until 256 BC when it was annexed by the state of Qin. At that time Zhou was acquired as a surname. (ii) borne by descendants of Zhou Lie (周烈) son of King Ping of Zhou (died 720 BC) who was granted the fief Ru Nan (located in present-day Henan province). (iii) said to be borne by descendants of Zhou Chang (周昌) a general during the reign of the legendary Huang Di the ‘Yellow Emperor’ (c. 27th century BC). (iv) said to be borne by descendants of Zhou Ren (周任) an official during the Shang dynasty (1600–1046 BC). (v) adopted in place of the Chinese surname Ji (姬) during the reign of the emperor Li Long Ji also known as Emperor Ming of Tang or Emperor Xuanzong of Tang (685－762 AD) because the surname Ji (姬) happened to have the same pronunciation as part of the personal name of the emperor which was taboo in ancient China. (vi) adopted as a surname by the Pu (普) and He Lu (賀魯) families from the Xianbei ethnic group in northern China during the Northern Wei dynasty (386–534 AD). (vii) adopted as a surname by Pu Nai Yao (also called Zhou Yao 周摇 519 - 602 AD) a general during the Northern Zhou dynasty (557–581 AD). (viii) borne by descendants of Cheng Na who was endowed with the surname Zhou (周) during the Later Liang Dynasty (907–923 AD). (ix) borne by descendants of an official called Ji Zuo who was endowed with the surname Zhou (周) by Emperor Suzong of Tang (reigned 756–762 AD). (x) adopted as a Han Chinese surname by other ethnic groups in ancient China.2: variant Romanization of the surname 鄒 see Zou.

Zufall : German:: 1: from Middle High German zuoval ‘benefit windfall’ hence a nickname for a lucky person or a status name for someone to whom a particular plot of communal land had been alloted.2: occupational name for a tax collector from an administrative term denoting a kind of tax.

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Geographic distribution of the 15 individuals with the name WHOM on Geneanet.

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