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In Europe Surnames, also called family names, date from the 10th century and have many origins. Four commonly found sources are listed below with an explanation of some of the surnames found in the Chapman and the Back family tree. If you can help with further detail please get in touch
Family names sometimes describe a physical characteristic. Names such as Small or Redhead would be examples.
Some surnames originate from the parents given, or first, name. There are countless examples. The name Robertson indicates a son of Robert. Similarly we have Gibson (there's one below), Petersen, Johnson, Thompson, and many others.
Many surnames indicate a location or some local geographic detail. Often these names are associated with the land the family once owned (if they were grand) or worked on (if they were not). Some location names are have a specific reference to a topographic or structural feature; Churchill, Maybank, Stonehouse, and so on.
Trade and occupation names are perhaps the most fun as they are easy to identify and to understand. The ancestors of someone named Brewer probably made a very fine beer. Similarly we have Miller and Millar who ground flour, Baker and Baxter who made bread, Carpenter working with wood, Crocker the pottery worker (see below), Barber the surgeon and hairdresser, Smith the Blacksmith with his son Smithson, the Masons who built cathedrals, Taylor and Tailors cutting fine clothes, a Thatcher making roofs, Fletchers making arrows, Coopers in the cooperage making barrels for the Brewers, and very many more.
Here are the family names in our our family tree... The highlig names are links to members of out family tree, click them to see more.
ARCHBOLD
The Archbold name is said to date from the time of the Norman conquest of Britain in 1066. There are many variants of the name; Archibold, ....bould, Archbutt, Archbell,and so on. As to meaning, the suggestion is that it's associated with power, bravery, and intellect.
Some members of my family like to think of Back as an indicator of being distantly related to the composer Bach. The reality is simpler. While the Back surname is possibly derived from the central Eurpean name Bach, it's just a topographic name for someone who lived near a stream or river. In early English the name (Bakke & Baec) was a nickname for someone with a hunched back and was also a topographic name for someone who lived on a hill.
Boston is an English locational name originating from the east coast town of Boston, Lincolnshire.
The name Chapman is of Saxon (Caepman) and German (Koufman or Kaufman?) origin and meaning a trader or merchant. The Chapmans were men of business, moving from place to place and buying and selling whetever was in demand. The name has had many alternate spellings through time.
CROCKER
In England this was the occupational name associated with pottery makers. The name is said to be of Norman origin and with a different association, that of the plight of working on poor (heart break) farming land in northern France . There are many versions of the name, Croker, Croaker, and so on.
ELLIOT
Elliot is one of those surnames that has a considerable number of alternate spellings and associated names (Eliot, Eliott, Elliott, Aylett, Aylott, Alliott, and so on). The name is of ancient origin, anglo saxon and tribal, with some Cornwall and some Anglo - Scottish border country roots. The Margaret Elliot on this web site was born in Berwick Scotland.
GIBSON
A family name derived from the childs father; son of Gib.. , presumably Gilbert or a similar name. This is known as a patronymic name; a part of a personal name that is based on the persons farher or other ancestor (there are also matronym names).
HALDEN
Halden (Haldon, Haldane and others) has locational roots in Kent, Devon and Dunbartonshire Scotland. Our Margaret Halden married in Edinburgh so, for now, we'll go with the Scotland origin which is said to be a reference to Haldane's Mill in Dumbartonshire. Another interesting possibility for the name is the suggestion that it is derived from Half-Dane (i.e. one of whose parents was Danish).
HUNTLEY
The Huntley family name is location based with both English and Scottish origins. In Scotland the name originates from the (no longer existing) place Huntlie in Berwickshire. In England the location is more general and derived from hunter and lea (a wood or clearing), a reference to a hunters wood.
KELLY
A name that we all associate with Ireland. The origin is said to be from the Gaelic name O'Ceallaigh (O' being son of).
MCGRATH
Another familiar irish name and again it's said to be deived from the Gaelic language with "MacGraith", meaning "the son of Graith".
MCKENNA
A family name wit numerous spellings; Mackena, McKennah, McKeney, McKenney and more. The name can be of Irish or Scots origin and is again an anglicised form of Gaelic with the Mc indicating 'son of'.
MENDHAM
A Norfolk location name I think.
MULLAN
The surname Mullan is of Irish origin and there are numerous alternate spellings including the O'Mullan and MacMullan and related forms. Wikipedia has a detailed history of the name here. Other sources mention that the name is derived from Maolain, a monk. The Galway Mullan clan claim to have descended from Maolan, who in turn was descended from the King of Connacht.
I am struggling with this name. The ancestry site suggests that this name may be of Norman (French) origin and derived from Otoïs or Otewi. The Ot part meaning wealth or prosperity and the rest menaing either 'wide' 'wood' or war'. I've seen other suggestions that the name is locational, 'on the way' and indicates a family living near a well known landmark. There are many alternate spellings of the name; Ottoway, Otway, and so on.
PARSONS
Parsons is a name which clearly has an occupational meaning, that of a parson or priest. Similarly it is associated with those who worked for a parson or who were descendants (son of) of one.
RANSLEY
I have seen suggestions that the Ransley name is location based. One suggestion is that it originates from the Staffordshire village of Rawnsley, others suggest the name has its roots in Yorkshire. The name is quite commonly found in Kent, sometimes associated with smugglers.
SMITH
Smith is the most commonly encountered English surname. Today we think of the Smith (& Smythe) name as being associated with the trade of the Blacksmith and of names such as Smithson as being the descendants of Smiths. To the left is a medieval blacksmith monk at work, 11th century.
THOMPSON
Thompson is a patronymic name, one where part a name is based on the name of one's father or earlier male ancestor. Descendant of Tom or Thomas.
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