Who Do You Think You Are? Encyclopedia of Genealogy (80 page)

64     
 
WILKINSON – Son of Wilkin (Wilkin a diminutive of William with the Flemish suffix -kin)

65     
 
RICHARDS – Son of Richard, Richard being Germanic for ‘powerful brave', the name being brought by the Normans

66     
 
BAILEY – Old French for bailiff, an official of the crown

67     
 
COX – Many possibilities: a diminutive of Cook, or from the Cornish coch (meaning ‘red'), a nickname for young apprentices or servants (from the strutting barnyard animal) and therefore attached to Christian names such as Wilcock, Hancock

68     
 
ELLIS – A version of the Middle English name Elias, a diminutive of the Hebrew Elijah, meaning ‘Yahweh is God'

69     
 
GRAY – Old English for grey-haired or possibly pale-faced

70     
 
ADAMS – Hebrew for the colour ‘red'

71     
 
THOMSON – Son of Thomas (Aramaic for twin, the apostle)

72     
 
COLLINS – Diminutive for Col-in whereby Col is a nickname for Nicholas. The name in Ireland is derived from the Irish O Cullane meaning ‘descendant of Whelp'

73     
 
CHAPMAN – Old English for ‘merchant' or ‘trader'

74     
 
FOSTER – Possibly from the Middle English foster for foster-parent or nurse, may also be diminutive of forester (forster)

75     
 
MASON – Occupational surname for stonemason, from Norman Machen

76     
 
WEBB – From Old English webbe or webba, meaning ‘weaver'

77     
 
BARKER – Originally Old French bercher, meaning ‘shepherd', later Middle English for tanner (stripping the bark from wood to use in the tanning process)

78     
 
HUNT – From the occupation of a hunter

79     
 
MURRAY – From the county of Moray in Scotland, a ‘seaboard settlement'

80     
 
ROGERS – Son of Roger (Roger Germanic for ‘fame spear')

81     
 
MILLS – Either a diminutive of the surname Miles (ambiguous origins, possibly from Latin for ‘soldier' or Germanic milo, meaning ‘merciful'), or residing near a mill, or son of Mill

82     
 
POWELL – From Welsh apHowell (son of Howell)

83     
 
RUSSELL – From Old French rous-el, being a diminutive of rous (‘red')

84     
 
GIBSON – Son of Gibb, a shortened form of Gilbert (Old German for ‘pledge' or ‘hostage bright')

85     
 
HOLMES – From Old Norse holmr, living near a flatland by a fen or land with streams around it

86     
 
KNIGHT – Old English for a soldier or feudal tenant required to be a mounted soldier

87     
 
OWEN – Connected to Ewan (Ewan is derived from the Greek Eugene or Eugenics, meaning ‘well born')

88     
 
JENKINS – Diminutive of John, the kin part indicating son

89     
 
BARNES – From residing or working near a barn, or the geographical location of Barnes in South West London

90     
 
GRAHAM – Old English for ‘gravelly homestead' or ‘homestead of Granta'

91     
 
LLOYD – From the Welsh Llwyd, meaning ‘grey'

92     
 
PEARSON – Son of Piers (an Old French version of Peter, Peter being a Greek name meaning ‘stone' or ‘rock')

93     
 
FISHER – From the occupation of a fisherman

94     
 
FLETCHER – From the occupation of a fletcher (an arrow-maker)

95     
 
HENDERSON – Son of Henry (from the Old German Haimric, Henric meaning ‘home rule')

96     
 
PALMER – From the Old French palmer, paumer meaning ‘pilgrim' (one who returned from the Holy Land with a palm branch)

97     
 
ROSS – A diminutive of Rose, having various meanings: Scots Gaelic for ‘cape', Irish Gaelic for ‘wood', Cornish and Welsh for ‘moor', Germanic origin meaning ‘fame kind'

98     
 
KELLY – Anglicized version of Irish surname Ceallaigh, meaning ‘descendant of Ceallach (war)'

99     
 
DAWSON – Son of Daw, a diminutive of David (a Hebrew name originally meaning ‘darling' and later ‘friend')

100  DIXON – A diminutive of Dick which is in turn a diminutive of Richard (Richard being Germanic for ‘powerful brave', the name being brought by the Normans)

1       
 
SMITH – Old English for a ‘metal worker' or ‘blacksmith'

2       
 
JONES – Son of John from the Welsh version of John, Ioan

3       
 
WILLIAMS – Son of William (William Germanic for ‘will' or ‘resolve helmet')

4       
 
BROWN – Old English for brown-haired or skinned

5       
 
TAYLOR – Old French for tailor, tailleor

6       
 
DAVIES – Son of Davys or David

7       
 
WILSON – Son of Will / William

8       
 
EVANS – A Welsh version of the name John

9       
 
THOMAS – Aramaic for twin, an apostle

10     
 
JOHNSON – Son of John (John being Hebrew for ‘Jehovah has favoured')

11     
 
ROBERTS – Germanic for ‘fame bright'

12     
 
WALKER – Old English for the occupation of fuller (someone who would step on cloth during the ‘fulling' process)

13     
 
WRIGHT – Old English for ‘carpenter' or ‘joiner'

14     
 
ROBINSON – Son of Robin, a diminutive for Robert (see Roberts)

15     
 
THOMPSON – Son of Thomas

16     
 
WHITE – Meaning white or fair hair or complexion

17     
 
HUGHES – Germanic for ‘heart or mind'

18     
 
EDWARDS – Old English for ‘prosperity' or ‘happiness guard'

19     
 
GREEN – Old English for residing near the village green

20     
 
HALL – Old English for someone residing or working in a hall or manor house

21     
 
WOOD – Meaning someone living near a wood

22     
 
HARRIS – Harry, Harry being the usual Middle English pronunciation of Henry

23     
 
LEWIS – Germanic for ‘loud battle', used as the translation for the Welsh name Llewelyn

24     
 
MARTIN – A diminutive of Martius or Mars, the Roman God of war

25     
 
JACKSON – Son of Jack, a diminutive of John

26     
 
CLARKE – Originally referring to ‘a man in religious order, cleric', during the Middle Ages became ‘cleric or secretary' as writing was mostly done by clergy members

27     
 
CLARK – Originally referring to ‘a man in religious order, cleric', during the Middle Ages became ‘cleric or secretary' as writing was mostly done by clergy members

28     
 
TURNER – From the occupation turner, someone who makes items from wood, bone or metal by using a lathe

29     
 
HILL – One living on or near a hill

30     
 
SCOTT – One coming from Scotland

31     
 
COOPER – Middle English term referring to makers of buckets, casks or tubs

32     
 
MORRIS – From the Latin Mauritius, meaning ‘dark' or ‘Moorish'

33     
 
WARD – Old English weard, meaning ‘watching' or ‘guarding'

34     
 
MOORE – Old French Maur, meaning ‘the Moor', also for one living by the moor

35     
 
KING – Working in the Royal Household, or performing as a King in a pageant, from the Old English Cyng

36     
 
WATSON – Son of Wat(t), a diminutive of Walter (Germanic for ‘mighty army')

37     
 
BAKER – Literally a baker

38     
 
HARRISON – (Son) of Harry, Harry being the usual Middle English pronunciation of Henry

39     
 
MORGAN – Old Welsh for ‘circling sea' or ‘brightness'

40     
 
PATEL – An Indian name originating mainly in the province of Gujarat. A caste title meaning ‘chief' or ‘landlord'

41     
 
YOUNG – Used to differentiate the younger of two men, possibly father and son

42     
 
ALLEN – The name of a Welsh and Breton saint, became popular with the Bretons who arrived after the Norman conquest

43     
 
MITCHELL – A popular version of the name Michael, also Old English for ‘big'

44     
 
JAMES – A form of the name Jacob

45     
 
ANDERSON – Son of Andrew (Andrew meaning ‘manly' in Greek, the first disciple)

46     
 
PHILLIPS – Greek for one who is ‘fond of horses', an apostle

47     
 
LEE – From the locality of a lea

48     
 
BELL – Shortened version of Isabel, shortened version of Latin Bellus or Old French Bel, meaning ‘beautiful', or being a bell-ringer

49     
 
PARKER – Old French for parquier, meaning an individual who is responsible for a park

50     
 
DAVIS – Son of Davys or David

51     
 
BENNETT – A diminutive of Benedict (Latin Benedictus meaning ‘blessed one')

52     
 
MILLER – An occupational surname for miller

53     
 
COOK – An occupational surname for cook, or seller of cooked meats

54     
 
PRICE – From Welsh ‘ap' (son of) ‘Rhys', may also be a metonym for the occupation of price fitting

55     
 
CAMPBELL – Scottish Gaelic for caimbeul, meaning ‘wry or crooked mouth'

56     
 
SHAW – Old English for ‘thicket' or ‘small wood' indicating someone who lived in or near such a place

57     
 
GRIFFITHS – From the Old Welsh Griph-iud, where ‘iud' indicates lord or chief

58     
 
KELLY – Anglicized version of Irish surname Ceallaigh, meaning ‘descendant of Ceallach (war)'

59     
 
RICHARDSON – Son of Richard, Richard being Germanic for ‘powerful brave', the name being brought by the Normans

60     
 
SIMPSON – Son of diminutive of Simon, Simon originating from the Hebrew Shimeon

61     
 
CARTER – From Middle English cart(e), meaning someone who originated from Scandinavia

62     
 
COLLINS – Diminutive for Colin whereby Col is a nickname for Nicholas. The name in Ireland is derived from the Irish O Cullane, meaning ‘descendant of Whelp'

63     
 
MARSHALL – From the Old French mareschal, meaning ‘tender of horses (mares)' especially caring for their medical needs

64     
 
BAILEY – Old French for bailiff, an official of the crown

65     
 
GRAY – Old English for grey-haired or possibly pale-faced

66     
 
STEWART – Occupational surname for steward, an official responsible for being the keeper of the household

67     
 
COX – Many possibilities: a diminutive of Cook, or from the Cornish coch (meaning ‘red'), a nickname for young apprentices or servants (from the strutting barnyard animal) and therefore attached to Christian names such as Wilcock, Hancock

68     
 
MURPHY – From the Irish O Murchadha, meaning ‘descendant of Murchadh', a sea-warrior

69     
 
ADAMS – Hebrew for the colour ‘red'

70     
 
MURRAY – From the county of Moray in Scotland, a ‘seaboard settlement'

71     
 
RICHARDS – Son of Richard, Richard being Germanic for ‘powerful brave', the name being brought by the Normans

72     
 
ELLIS – A version of the Middle English name Elias, a diminutive of the Hebrew Elijah, meaning ‘Yahweh is God'

73     
 
ROBERTSON – Son of Robert, Robert Germanic for ‘fame bright'

74     
 
WILKINSON – Son of Wilkin (Wilkin a diminutive of William with the Flemish suffix -kin)

75     
 
FOSTER – Possibly from the Middle English foster for foster-parent or nurse; may also be diminutive of forester (forster)