MOST USED ENGLISH SURNAMES AND THEIR MEANINGS

SMITH Surname Meaning & Origin: Derived from the Anglo-Saxon "smitan," to smite or strike, SMITH and its derivations are an occupational name for a man who works with metal (smith or blacksmith), one of the earliest jobs for which specialist skills were required. It is a craft that was practiced in all countries, making the surname and its derivations the most common of all surnames. Smith still tops the list of most popular surnames in England and America, and is also a very common last name in Germany, Ireland, Scotland, Canada and Australia.

JONES Surname Meaning & Origin: A patronymic name meaning "son of John," the given name John deriving from the Hebrew Yochanan meaning "Jehovah has favoured." Jones is a popular surname among European Christians, as the name John was bestowed in honor of St. John the Baptist and many other saints by the name John. JOHNSON is a common English version of this surname. Jones is the most common surname in Wales, where "son of" is denoted by the "s" ending.

WILLIAMS Surname Meaning & Origin: 1) Son or descendant of Guillemin, a pet form of Guillaume, the French form of William. 2) From the Belgic "guild-helm," harnessed with a gilded helmet or "welhelm," the shield or defense of many. 3) Derived from the given name "William," an Old French given name with Germanic elements: wil = desire, will; and helm = helmet, protection. In Wales, adding an "s" to the end of a surname denotes "son of," pointing to Wales as the origin of many people with the Williams surname. The Williams surname is also popular in countries such as England, Scotland and Germany. Williams is the third most popular surname in the United States and Great Britain.

TAYLOR Surname Meaning & Origin: An English occupational name for a tailor, from Old French "tailleur" for "tailor" which comes from the Latin "taliare," meaning "to cut." Taylor is among the most commonly found surnames, due to its popularity as a medieval occupation.

BROWN Surname Meaning & Origin: Brown is generally a descriptive surname (nickname) referring to the color of the individual's complexion, color of hair, or garments, from the Middle English br(o)un, from Old English or Old French brun, meaning "brown." As a Scottish or Irish name, Brown may also be a translation of the Gaelic donn for "brown."

Brown is the 6th most popular surname in the United States and the 5th most common in England. The variant surname, Browne, is also common in England and Ireland.

DAVIS Surname Meaning & Origin: Son of David (beloved).

EVANS Surname Meaning & Origin: Evans is a patronymic surname meaning "son of Evan." The given name Evan derives from the Welsh name Ifan, a cognate of John, meaning "gracious gift of Jehovah." Within the United Kingdom, Evans is the 8th most common surname, being most common in the city of Swansea, Wales. It is ranked as the 48th most common surname in the United States.

WILSON Surname Meaning & Origin: Son of Will, a nickname for William.

THOMAS Surname Meaning & Origin: Derived from a popular medieval first name, THOMAS comes from the Aramaic term toma, for "twin." The Thomas surname is of patronymic origin, based on the first name of the father, meaning "son of Thomas," much like Thomason. Thomas is the 14th most popular surname in the United States and the 9th most common in England.

JOHNSON Surname Meaning & Origin: English patronymic name meaning "son of John (gift of God)." The name John derives from the Latin Johannes, which is derived from the Hebrew Yohanan meaning "Jehovah has favoured." The suffix meaning "son," creates several different variations of the JOHNSON surname. Examples: English son, Norwegian sen, German sohn, and Swedish sson. JONES is the common Welsh version of this surname. The JOHNSON surname may also be an Anglicisation of the Gaelic surname MacSeain or MacShane.

ROBERTS Surname Meaning & Origin:

A patronymic surname meaning "son of Robert," from the Welsh given name Robert, meaning "bright fame." Derived from the Germanic elements "hrod" meaning fame and "beraht" meaning bright. Roberts is the 45th most popular surname in the United States and the 6th most common surname in Wales.

ROBINSON Surname Meaning & Origin: The most likely origin of this surname is "son of Robin," although it may also derive from the Polish word "rabin," meaning rabbi. Robinson is the 27th most popular surname in the United States according to data from the 2000 census.

THOMPSON Surname Meaning & Origin: Thompson is a patronymic surname meaning "son of the man known as Thom, Thomp, Thompkin, or other diminutive form of Thomas (twin)." Without the "p", the Thomson surname is often of Scottish origin.

WRIGHT Surname Meaning & Origin: Wright is an occupational surname meaning "craftsman, builder," from the Old English wryhta meaning "worker." Wright is the 34th most popular surname in the United States and the 14th most common surname in England.

WALKER Surname Meaning & Origin: Walker is an occupational surname for a fuller, or one who "walked" on raw, damp cloth in order to thicken it. Derived from the Middle English walkcere, meaning "a fuller of cloth," and the Old English wealcan, "to walk or tread." Walker is the 28th most popular surname in the United States and the 15th most common in England.

WHITE Surname Meaning & Origin: A descriptive or nickname given to a person with very light hair or complexion, from the Middle English "whit," meaning "white." The name may be also local, derived from the Isle of Wight, on the coast of Hampshire. In addition, some Whites originally were Wights, from the Anglo-Saxon "wiht" meaning valiant.

EDWARDS Surname Meaning & Origin: Edwards is a patronymic surname meaning "son of Edward." The early medieval English given name Edward means "prosperous guardian," from the Old English "Eadward," composed of the elements ead (prosperity or fortune) and w(e)ard (guard). Edwards is the 53rd most popular surname in the United States and the 17th most common surname in England.

HUGHES Surname Meaning & Origin: 1) A patronymic surname meaning "son of Hugh." The given name Hugh is a Germanic name meaning "heart/mind," often after Saint Hugh. 2) Possibly a modern form of the ancient Irish name "O'HAY." Hughes is the 83rd most popular surname in the United States. Hughes is even more popular in England, coming in as the 18th most common surname.

GREEN Surname Meaning & Origin: The Green surname can have one of many possible derivations. It was commonly used to describe someone who dwelled at, or near, the village green, or other grassy ground. Other possible origins include someone who favored the color green (from the Old English grene), or someone who was immature or inexperienced. Green may also have been used as the surname of someone who had played the part of the "Green Man" in May Day celebrations. Green is the 37th most popular surname in the United States and the 19th most common surname in England.

HALL Surname Meaning & Origin: The Hall surname has several possible derivations: 1) A place name derived from various words for "large house," usually used to signify someone who lived in or worked in a hall or manor house.

2) From the Norse hale and Anglo-Saxon haele, meaning "hero." 3) Possibly an old Norse word for "boulder, slope," thus meaning someone who lived on a slope. 4) Possibly from the Norwegian hallr, meaning "flint."

LEWIS Surname Meaning & Origin: The Lewis surname is generally derived from the Germanic given name Lewis (Lowis, Lodovicus), meaning "reknowned, famous battle," from the Germanic elements hlod fame + wig war. In Wales, the Lewis surname may have derived from an Anglicized form of the personal name Llywelyn. As an Irish or Scottish surname, Lewis can be an Anglicized form of the Gaelic Mac Lughaidh, meaning "son of Lughaidh," derived from Lugh 'brightness.' Lewis is also a common Americanization of several similar sounding Jewish surnames, such as Levy and Lewin.

HARRIS Surname Meaning & Origin: Harris is generally considered to mean "son of Harry." The given name Harry is a derivation of Henry, meaning "home ruler." Like many patronymic surnames, the surnames HARRIS and HARRISON are often found used interchangably in early records - sometimes with the same family.

CLARK Surname Meaning & Origin: Cleric, clerk, or scholar - one who can read and write. Also from the Gaelic "Mac a' Chlerich/Cleireach"; son of the cleric or, sometimes, clerk. During the Middle Ages, the common pronunciation of -er was -ar, so the man who sold items was the marchant, and the man who kept the books was the clark. At the time, the primary members of the literate class were the clergy, which in minor orders were allow to marry and have families. The term clerk (clark) eventually came to designate any literate man. The Cleary / O'Clery surname, one of the oldest surnames in Ireland, is often anglicized to Clarke or Clark.

JACKSON Surname Meaning & Origin: This patronymic surname means "son of Jack." The given name Jack may be a diminutive of John or James, or a derivation of the Old French given name Jacque, the French form of Jacob.

WOOD Surname Meaning & Origin: 1) Originally used to describe a person who lived in or worked in a wood or forest. Derived from Middle English wode, meaning "wood." 2) Possibly derived from the Old English wad, meaning crazed or crazy, the name was sometimes used to describe someone considered mad or violent. 3) An ancient Scottish surname, first called De Bosco, because the family bore trees in their coat of arms.

TURNER: An English occupational name, meaning "one who works with a lathe." Originally from Old French.

MARTIN Surname Meaning & Origin: Martin is a patronymic surname taken from the ancient Latin given name Martinus, derived from Mars, the Roman god of fertility and war. Fun Facts About the Martin Surname: One of the early notable English MARTIN families was a strong seafaring family residing primarily in Leicester, England. Representatives include Admiral Sir Thomas Martin, Captain Matthew Martin and John Martin who sailed around the world with Sir Francis Drake.

COOPER Surname Meaning & Origin: Cooper is an English occupational name for one who made and sold casks, buckets and tubs.

HILL Surname Meaning & Origin: 1) The most common origin of the surname Hill is as a topographic or place name for one who lives on or near a hill, derived from the Old English hyll. 2) A corruption of the German hild, meaning "battle." 3) From the medieval given name Hill, a short form of the personal name Hilary, from the Latin hilaris, meaning cheerful or glad.

WARD Surname Meaning & Origin: 1) An occupational name for a guard or watchman, from the Old English weard, meaning "guard." 2) A geographical name for a person who lived near a guardhouse or fortress.

MOORE Surname Meaning & Origin: Moore is a common surname with several possible origins: 1. One who lived at or near a moor or marshy bog 2. From the Old French, meaning son of Moor, a dark-complexioned man 3. From "Mor," great, chief, mighty, proud 4. Derived from the given name "Maurus," meaning "dark skinned."

LEE Surname Meaning & Origin: Lee is a surname with many possible meanings and origins: 1) The surname LEA, including the common alternate spelling LEE,was originally given to a person who lived in or near a laye, from the Middle English meaning "clearing in the woods." 2) Possibly a modern form of the ancient Irish name "O'Liathain." 3) LEE means "plum tree" in Chinese. Lee was the royal surname during the Tang dynasty. 4) A "place" surname taken from any of the various towns or villages named Lee or Leigh.

KING Surname Meaning & Origin: King generally comes from the Old English cyning, originally meaning "tribal leader." This nickname was commonly bestowed on a man who carried himself like royalty, or who played the part of the king in a medieval pageant. Occasionally, the King surname was used by a man who served in a royal household.

BAKER Surname Meaning & Origin: Baker is an occupational surname which originated in medieval times from the name of the trade, baker. From the Middle English bakere and Old English bcere, a derivation of bacan, meaning "to dry by heat." The bearer of this name may not only have been a baker of bread. The name was also

used for other involved with baking in some way, including the owner of a communal oven in humbler communities. Baker may also be an Americanized version of similar sounding surnames from other countries, including the German Bcker and Becker; Dutch Bakker and Bakmann; and the French Boulanger.

HARRISON Surname Meaning & Origin: Harrison is generally considered to mean "son of Harry." The given name Harry is a derivation of Henry, meaning "home ruler." Like many patronymic surnames, the surnames HARRISON and HARRIS are often found used interchangably in early records - sometimes within the same family.

ALLEN Surname Meaning & Origin: The Allen and Allan surname derives from "aluinn," meaning fair or handsome. The Allan surname spelled with an "a" is generally considered to be associated with Scottish clans, including Clan Donald, Clan Grant, Clan MacFarlane and Clan MacKay. Spelled with an "e," however, the Allen surname is generally considered to be English in origin. However, a variety of names from a variety of regions might be anglicised as either Allen or Allan, so the name spelling may not point to your family's origin.

JAMES Surname Meaning & Origin: James is a patronymic name derived from "Jacob" and usually meaning "son of Jacob." In English, Jacob and James are distinctly separate names, but throughout the rest of the world, the two are often used interchangeably.

SCOTT Surname Meaning & Origin: Scott is an ethnic or geographical name signifying a native from Scotland or a person who spoke Gaelic, derived from the Old English scotti, originally a generic name given by the Romans to Gaelic raiders from Ireland.

PHILLIPS Surname Meaning & Origin: Phillips is a patronymic surname meaning "son of Phillip." The given name Phillip comes from the Greek name Philippos which means "friend of horses," composed of the elements philos "friend" and hippos "horse."

WATSON Surname Meaning & Origin: Watson is a patronymic surname meaning "son of Watt." The popular Middle English given names Wat or Watt were pet forms of the name Walter, meaning "ruler of the army." From the elements wald, meaning rule, and heri, meaning army.

DAVIS Surname Meaning & Origin: Son of David (beloved).

PARKER Surname Meaning & Origin: Old French for "keeper of the park," Parker is an English surname used for a man who was gamekeeper at a medieval park.

PRICE Surname Meaning & Origin: Price is a patronymic name derived from the Welsh ap Rhys, meaning "son of Rhys." The given name Rhys means "enthusiasm" in Welsh.

BENNETT Surname Meaning & Origin: From the medieval given name Benedict, originating from the Latin benedictus meaning "blessed."

YOUNG Surname Meaning & Origin: Derived from the Old English word geong, meaning "young," the Young surname was used as a descriptive name to distinguish father from son or to the younger of two relatives with the same first name (similar to the usage of Junior).

GRIFFITH Surname Meaning & Origin: The descriptive surname Griffith comes from the Old Welsh name Grippiud, which later became the Middle Welsh Gruffudd and Gruffydd, where udd means "chief or lord." The name with the added "s" ending may have the same meaning, or may have derived from "son of Griffith." GRIFFITHS is also a possible variation of GRIFFIN, a descriptive surname given to a man whose qualities or disposition resembled that of a griffin.

MITCHELL Surname Meaning & Origin: The Mitchell surname is a common form or corruption of the given name Michael, meaning "big" or "one who is like God."

KELLY Surname Meaning & Origin: The Kelly surname, along with common variants Kelley and Kellie, has a number of possible origins. Most commonly it loosely means "descendant of war," from the ancient Irish name "O'Ceallaigh." The Gaelic prefix "O" indicates "male descendant of", plus the personal byname "Ceallach" meaning "strife" or "contention". The name may also mean "bright headed."

COOK Surname Meaning & Origin: An English occupational name for a cook, a man who sold cooked meats, or the keeper of an eating house. Derived from Old English coc meaning "cook."

CARTER Surname Meaning & Origin: Carter is an English occupational name for the transporter of goods by cart or wagon. From the Anglo-Norman French "caretier," a derivative of Old French "caret" which originally meant "carrier." Another possible derivation comes from "cairtear," a Gaelic term for tourist or sojourner.

RICHARDSON Surname Meaning & Origin: Richardson is a patronymic name meaning "son of Richard." The given name Richard is Germanic in origin, composed of the elements ric = power and hard = hardy, brave, and means "powerful and brave." Example: Richard the Lion Hearted

BAILEY Surname Meaning & Origin: A crown official or officer of the king in county or town. Keeper of a royal building or house. A person of high rank. From the Old French for "bailiff" and/or the Scottish term "bailie," a municipal officer corresponding to an English alderman.

COLLINS Surname Meaning & Origin: 1) A double diminutive of Nicholas (in England).

2) From cuilein, "darling," a term of endearment applied to young animals. 3) In the Welsh, Collen signifies hazel--a hazel-grove 4) The Gaelic version of the name COLLINS name is O' Coilein, which means a young dog.

BELL Surname Meaning & Origin: The name may derive from the French "bel," meaning fair , beautiful, or handsome. Since the derivation is descriptive, common ancestry cannot be assumed for all those bearing the surname. The name was sometimes taken from the sign of an inn or shop. The sign of a bell was frequently used - "John at the Bell" became "John Bell." There is no particular country or province of origin, though the name was fairly prevalent in medieval Scotland and England.

MURPHY Surname Meaning & Origin: A modern form of the ancient Irish name "O'Murchadha," which means "descendant of sea warrior," or "strong, superior" in Gaelic.

MILLER Surname Meaning & Origin: 1. Miller is usually an occupational surname referring to a person who owned or worked in a grain mill. 2. The Miller surname also possibly be derived in some instances from the Gaelic words "meillear," having large lips; "malair," merchant; or "maillor," a man wearing armor or a soldier. 3. In ancient times the Miller surname originated from the Molindinar (mo-lynn-dine-are), a Scottish burn (rivulet) that still flows under the streets of modern Glasgow.

COX Surname Meaning & Origin: 1) Form of COCK (little), -a term of endearment (i.e. WILLCOX, little Will), often used to denote a leader or chief man. 2) Possibly originated from the Welsh word coch, meaning "red." 3) Cox could also be a locality descriptive surname for heap, haycock, or hillcock.

MARSHALL Definition: Mare (horse) servant - possibly meaning a wide variety of related occupations including farrier, groom, and horse doctor.

ANDERSON Surname Meaning & Origin: Patronymic surname meaning "son of Andrew." Andrew (man, manly) was the first of Jesus' disciples, and was a revered name in medieval times due to its church connections. St. Andrew is the patron saint of both Scotland and Russia.

SIMPSON Definition: A patronymic name meaning "son of Sim," with Sim being a medieval short form of Simon. The first name Simon is a Greek form of the Hebrew name Shim'on, meaning "hearkening" or "listening."

ELLIS Definition: One of several popular names in medeival England derived from the Hebrew personal name "Elijah," or the Greek "Elias," meaning 'Jehova is God.'

ADAMS Surname Meaning & Origin: From the Hebrew personal name Adam which was borne, according to Genesis, by the first man. Uncertain entymology. Possibly from the Hebrew word adama meaning "earth", connecting to the Greek legend that Zeus fashioned the first human beings from earth. The "s" ending generally indicates a patronymic surname, meaning "son of Adam."

WILKINSON Meaning & Origin: "Son of Wilkin," from Wilkin, a diminutive for William from the Germanic name Wilhelm from the elements wil, "will or desire," and helm, "helmet or protection." Wilkinson is just one of many surnames derived from William, or "son of William."

FOSTER Surname Meaning & Origin: 1) The Foster surname was often used by one who served as a foster parent, or who was a foster child.

2) A forester. 3) Shearer or scissors maker, from the Old French "forceter."

CHAPMAN Meaning & Origin: An occupational name for a business man, trader or merchant. From the Old High German choufman or koufman, which became the Old English capmann a compound of ceap "to barter, bargain, or deal plus mann, "man."

WEBB Surname Meaning & Origin: A name given to a weaver of fabric, from the Old English word "webbe," meaning a woven cloth.

ROGERS Surname Meaning & Origin: Rogers is a patronymic surname derived from the given name Roger, and meaning "son of Roger." The given name Roger means "famous spear," derived from the Germanic elements hrod "fame" and ger "spear." Rogers is also possibly a modern form of the ancient Irish name "O'Ruadhraigh."

GRAY Surname Meaning & Origin: 1) Nickname for a man with gray hair, or a gray beard, from the Old English groeg, meaning "grey." 2) A place name, for one who originated in Graye in Calvados, from Latin gratus, or "welcome."

MASSON Definition: From the Old French "masson" meaning mason or stoneworker, this surname originally developed from the Germanic element "macion," to make.

ALI Meaning & Origin: High and exalted; protected by God.

HUNT Meaning & Origin: As it sounds, the Hunt surname is generally considered to be an occupational name for a hunter, from the Old English hunta, meaning "to hunt." It's also possible that the Hunt surname is an mistranslation of the Irish surname Fiaich (due to confusion with fiach, the modern spelling of fiadhach, meaning "to hunt") or an Anglicized spelling of the German surname Hundt.

CAMPBELL Surname Meaning & Origin: "Crooked or wry mouth," often used to describe a man whose mouth inclined a little on one side. From the Scots Gaelic "Caimbeul" from the Gaelic cam meaning "crooked or distorted" and beul for "mouth." Gillespie O Duibhne was the first to have borne the name, and founded clan Campbell at the beginning of the 13th century. Another possible derivation of the Campbell surname comes from Mac Cathmhaoil, meaning "son of the battle chieftain."

MATTHEWS Meaning & Origin: Matthews is a patronymic surname meaning basically "son of Matthew." The given name Matthew, from which it is derived, means "gift of Yahweh" or "gift of God," from the Hebrew personal name Matityahu. Mathis is the German version of the surname. Matthews with a double "t" was more popular in Wales.

OWEN Meaning & Origin: Derived from the Welsh first name Owain, probably from the Latin Eugenius and Greek Eugenious meaning "well born" or "noble" - similar to the first name, Eugene. The plural OWENS may be a patronymic form of OWEN (meaning "son of Owen"), or just a variant spelling.

PALMER Meaning & Origin: From the Middle English and Old French palmer or paumer, taken from palme meaning "palm tree." Palmer or Parmer was often a nickname for someone who had been on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land and brought back a palm branch as proof that they had actually made the journey. Palmer can also be a geographical German surname for someone living among the pussy willows or palms, from the Middle High German palme, balme, meaning "pussy willow" or "palm tree."

HOLMES Meaning & Origin: A geographical surname from the northern Middle English holm, meaning "island" for an individual who lived on an island, or a piece of low-lying meadow lands near or surrounded by water. Also, a geographic surname for someone who lived near where holly trees grew, from the Middle English holm. Sometimes an Anglicized version of the Irish, Mac an Thomis.

MILLS Meaning & Origin: A name originally given to one or worked in a mill (occupational) or lived near a mill (descriptive). Possibly from the Gaelic Milidh, meaning soldier.

BARNES Definition: Of the barn (barley house), this British surname is often derived from a significant barn in the local region. A possibly alternative origin can be suggeste by the parish of Barnes in Aberdeenshire, Scotland which derives its name from the Gaelic word "bearn," meaning "gap."

KNIGHT Meaning & Origin: A status name from the Middle English knyghte, meaning "knight." While it may refer to one who was actually a knight, it was a name often taken by servants in a royal or knightly household, or even to one who won a title in a contest of skill. The Knight surname may also derive from the Old English criht, meaning "boy" or "serving lad," as an occupational name for a domestic servant.

LLOYD Meaning & Origin: A descriptive name or nickname from the Welsh llwyd, meaning "grey" or "gray-brown." The LLOYD surname may have been used to describe an individual with grey or mouse-colored hair.

BUTLER Definition: 1) An occupational surname derived from the Old French "bouteillier," meaning servant in charge of the wine cellar.

2) In Normandy, descendants of Theobald Walter (who died in 1206) took the surname of De Boteler or Butler, to mark his service as chief Butler of Ireland, an office conferred upon him by Henry II for his services to the kingdom.

RUSSELL Surname Meaning & Origin: Russell is a common patronymic surname derived from the given name "Rousel," old French for someone with red hair or a red face.

BARKER Definition: 1) A tanner of leather, derived from Middle English "bark," meaning to tan 2) From the Old French "berquier, berchier, bercher, berkier, berker," meaning shepherd. 3) A variant of the German surname Berger, used to describe a man who lived on or by a hill or mountain, from the Old High German "berg," meaning mountain.

FISHER Surname Meaning & Origin: Fisher is an occupational surname from the Old English fiscare, meaning "fisherman." FISCHER is a common German spelling.

STEVENS Definition: A variant of Stephens, derived from the given name Stephen, meaning "crown, wreath, or garland." A patronymic name for "son of Stephen."

JENKINS Surname Meaning & Origin: Jenkins is a double diminuitive of John, literally meaning "little John." It derives from the medieval given name Jenkin, which itself is a diminuitive of the given name John, meaning "God has graced me with a son." The Jenkins surname most commonly originated in Cornwall, England, but became quickly popular in Wales.

MURRAY Definition: 1- A name given to a man from the region in Scotland, called Moray, which means "by the sea." 2- Possibly a modern form of the ancient Irish name "O'Muireadhaigh."

HARVEY Meaning & Origin: From the Breton first name Haerviu or Aeruiu, derived from the elements haer meaning "battle or carnage" and viu, meaning "worthy." In general it was used to refer to a soldier or someone who was "battle worthy." It's also possible that the Harvey surname derives from the Old German personal name Herewig, from the elements hari "army" and wig "war."