December 14, 2006

Your surname - its origins. Its distribution in the UK , or US.
posted by Plegmund 17 years ago
  • Oh - earlier names thread.
  • "Surname: Dog. This unusual and interesting surname is of medieval Scottish origin, and is a variant form of Doig, itself an Anglicized form of the Old Gaelic "MacGille Doig", "son of the devotee of Dog", a foreshortened form of the saint's name Cadog. St. Cadog was a 6th Century abbot, and one of the most outstanding of the Welsh saints." So. I think someone owes me a sandwich.
  • Doesn't list Exidor.
  • Sorry the surname Knickerbocker does not currently exist in our database. and nobody's sure where Mr. Knickerbocker's at. Clap hands.
  • Okay, I am really not making this up, and I'm really, really not trying to derail, and I'm really, really, really not trying to Fark up the thread, but this is simply too good. Punch in the surname of our friend the Captain. Go on, try it. Recorded in over forty several spelling forms including Reynard, Renard, Reynault, Renardin, Regenhardin, and Reintjes, this interesting surname is of Germanic origins, but is now widely recorded in England, Germany and France in its different forms, as well as other countries. It derives from "Raginhard"
  • Also Name voyager from a interesting earlier thread too. Okay, well an earlier thread then.
  • RTD: BWAHAhahaAHAhahaa!! PS, you're bananninated.
  • OK, I'll play. For "kid", as in "the quidnunc": This interesting Anglo-Scottish surname has three possible origins. The first is from a medieval nickname for a lively, frisky person, and derives from the Middle English "kid(e)", meaning a young goat! The second possible origin is from the Middle English word "kidde" meaning a faggot of wood, and is an occupational surname for a seller of firewood and kindling. This explains so very much.
  • Sorry the surname kissinger does not currently exist in our database.
  • More goaty goodness! Surname: Tick. Recorded in several spellings as shown below, this is an English surname. It has two possible origins. The first being an occupational name for a goatherd. This is a derivation from the Olde English pre 7th Century word "ticcen" meaning a "kid goat". The second and most likely is that it derives from Thiess or Thais, short forms of the famous biblical personal name Mathiess or Matthias, from the Hebrew word meaning "a gift of God".
  • There is no Hope, I'm afraid.
  • Looked at the UK one for my family names. Why the phoque doesn't it at least name the counties?
  • Sorry the surname Holmes does not exist in our database.
  • Gawwwww! There was an ancestry.com link to a similar historical surname mapper a few days ago on this site or some other site. But I can't find it. I could not find it on ancestry.com either. A little help? Anyone?
  • Unable to find TURDBLOSSOM in Database
  • Boggis: This is an ancient and honourable English surname found in the spellings of Bog, Bogg, Boggers, Boggas, Boggis, Boggs, of which the later is the usual spelling, and the rare Bogeys and Bogies... originally a given name or possibly a nickname for 'bold' person. The meaning of 'bold' in 13th century terms was certainly not the same as the 20th century. It implied somebody who was 'a character or likely lad', and was clearly complimentary. Apart from the 'Bogeys,' not bad.
  • Possum -- there was a surname mapper by English counties on Pleggy's blog a while back. Search 'names', and it'll bring you right there. Surprised he didn't link it in his FPP. Good stuff.
  • What the fuck? No WATSON? That's so common though!!
  • Everybody knows WATSON was made up by Arthur Conan Doyle! QED!
  • Best: This most interesting English surname, is recorded in the spellings of Best, Beste, Bester, and Bestar. It is usually job descriptive and derives from the pre-7th century 'beste' - meaning a 'beast', and hence refers to a cow-herd or cattle dealer. Sometimes, in the robust fashion of the Middle Ages, it was a nickname for a 'brutal person', and as such probably applied to Wilkin le Best, in the 1260 Assize Rolls of Cheshire.
  • Mooo!
  • Owen: Recorded as Owan, Owen, Owens, Owin, Howen, and according to the International Genealogical Index - Oen, Oene, Onn, this famous name is most strongly associated with Wales. It is said to derive from the pre 7th century Celtic personal name Ouein, which itself was either from the word 'oen' meaning a lamb, or the Roman (Latin) 'eugerius, meaning well-born. There you have it. I am a well-born lamb. Owen has been probably the most popular of all Welsh personal names and is probably second to Jones in the list of surname popularities within the country. Damn you kitfisto!!