Surnames

The following is the beginnings of a surname list, if anyone has any similar origins please let me know at the web editors email address. Also, if you have a surname and would like it researched please email me. Thanks to Maria in Germany for providing some of the definitions, and others who have provided more definitions. If I have been asked about a surname and cannot provide details of its origin that entry is highlighted in blue. I appreciate any help from someone who might have answers.

Email the web master Mick Pearson: .

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Surname	Definition
A
ABERCROMBIE	It is Scots Gaelic which also gives us ABERCROMBIE - `mouth of the crooked stream', the first element being the prefix of many a Welsh coastal town, the meaning exactly the same.
ALLBONES	This surname conjures up a picture of a skeletal person. However, it is a classic example of how a name over many hundreds of years by inconsistent spelling and poor dictation. ALLBONE is infact, a corruption of ALBAN the first British martyr, and a forename which had its origins in Alba, Roman cities in Italy and Gaul, the meaning of which was 'white'. Today we see many churches in the uK bearing the name of St Alban. Whilst most people believe that the saint met his death in the Hertfordshire town of that name, recent research points to a possibility that it might well have happened in Caerleon, Wales.
ATKINS	Originally ADAM, Hebrew for "red" (the colour of skin, not the hair) it was shortened to AD before the addition of the Flemish suffix giving us ADKIN. His son would have been ADKINS, later corrupted to ATKINS.
B
BADMAN	This is another name which excites the imagination. But again, innocence emerges when learning that BADMAN is a dimunitive of BARTHOLOMEW, a hebrew forename which means "son of Talmai".
BARBER	Is exactly as today but here was a man who, in medieval times, also practised surgery and dentistry. It is now difficult to imagine a customer plonking himself into a chair and asking for a short back and sides, to be followed by the removal of his tonsils!
BARNES	Is a person who lived near Barns, the word originally meaning "buildings where barley was stored" and is Old English.
BARTHOLOMEW	English surname from a medeival given name from the Aramaic "bar-Talmay" (son of Talmay - having many furrows i.e. rich in land). Popular because of the apostle St. Bartholomew patron saint of tanners, vintners and butlers. A midlands varient is Bartlam.
BARRY	Is a popular forename of today, the surname is Old French for "suburb under a rampart" and is therefore a locality name.
BATHER	Suggests that here was a man that took a bath twice annually and was therefore thought as over doing it. Not so, for the forename is a corruption of ap Arthur, the Welsh for "son of Arthur", which was later turned into a surname.
BEAMER	This surname gives the impression that here was a person who smiled a lot. He was, in fact, a trumpeter, another name of the same meaning being HORNBLOWER, the fictional character created by C.S. Forrester. Among the duties of this dignitary was the summoning and dismissal of workmen, and was therefore the forerunner of today's factory- hooter.
BEEBEE	The nearest variants I can find are BEEBY (habitation name from Leicestershire), and BIBBY (from medieval female given name Bibbe, this version most common in Lancs). A variant of Bibby is Bibb, said to be chiefly a West Midlands surname. A visitor to our site has recently (05/04/2013) sent this information: and a reference to Beebee. As far as I can tell Bibb was on occasions misspelt but it was not a derivative of Beebee. Bibb existed as a surname way back into medieval times. I can trace the name back to 1689 with a will. [Richard Bibb] and he must have had parents. I have discovered two sources of the name, one seems to be English/Welsh and one French. During the Huguenots persecution protestants with the name Bibbeau left France and journeyed to the colonies [America] or Wales to escape persecution. Once settled they altered their name to Bibb to, presumably, hide their identity. Eventually some of these people crossed the border and settled in the West Midlands. The other Bibb name seems to have been in the Midlands as far back as I can find but before 1600 I am lost as to where to look next although I have discovered an old churchyard in Stourport that contains many Bibb names. The church was already very old and was destroyed in the war but the gravestones are still there.
BELLHANGER	This name could suggest the occupation of one who hangs bells. Not so, the occupation of bellhanger never did exist. It is a corruption of BERINGER. A Germanic forename meaning "bear" (the animal) spear.
BLACKMAN	It is difficult to sometimes understand the reasoning behind medieval some forenames which were later turned into surnames. This is one such name. It is hard to see why a baby boy could be thus named. In some instances it was shortened to BLACK and the French suffix added, giving us BLACKETT. This was later corrupted to PLACKETT.
BLAKEY	While in most instances, the meaning is "pale face" (the word having the same root as "bleak"), there is a possibility, because of inconsistency of spelling over the years, that it is also a corruption of BLACKIE- two contradictary meanings! The latter, incidentally, would refer to the hair and not complexion.
BLANCHFLOWER	We are on firmer ground when we look at BLANCHFLOWER, it's meaning "white flower" The heroine of a Medieval romance, the name took on a mocking nature when applied to sissies or males with certain feminine tendencies.
BOOTH	Northern English, topographic name for someone who lived in a small hut or bothy, e.g. a cowman or shepherd. Word is Scandinavian in origin and denoted various kinds of temporary shelter. Still a more common name in the north of England, and also in Scotland.
BOWERS	Is a "chambers" or "women's rooms" where the ancestors would have worked. This is yet again an example of how an occupational name could be expressed in more than one language in Medieval England. BOWERS is Old English while CHAMBERS, an equally common surname, was from old French. Both tongues were used for a while until they later fused into what is now modern English.
BRETT	Of English and French descent, it is an ethnic name for a Breton. The English surname is most likely found in East Anglia, where many Bretons settled after the Norman Conquest. Variants include Brittain and Brettle (and variants).
BRITTAIN	An English national or ethnic name for a Briton or breton. It was also adopted by immigrants wishing to show their patriotism.
BROCK	It is said that in medieval times most people took a bath just once a year whether they needed it or not! Without the benefit of deodorants it is hardly surprising to find the surname BROCK, it's meaning "badger" a nickname to a person who stank like one. But again it poses the question: if personnel hygiene in those times was such a low priority, wouldn't one have had to keep most people at least an arms length away? It therefore suggests that the original owner of this surname must have ponged to high heaven and whilst he was at home his wife might have kept a pig in the house as an air freshener! .
BROCKBANK	This requires little imagination to discover that it is a river or hillside that is inhabited by badgers. It is here that the original bearer of this surname would have worked or lived, probably the latter.
BROCKLESS	It's meaning "having no breeches" But if that was the case, how did he dare step outside the house without losing dignity? Many sarcastically applied meanings suggest themselves, of course, of which at least one is rather rude! This was certainly one example of the true meaning being lost in the swirling mists of time.
BROTHWOOD	If anyone has any clue about this surname please email me, I have no information in my sources to indicate the origin.
C
CARPENTER	1066 saw the arrival of the Normans and modern English can be said to be roughly a mixture of Anglo Saxon and French. The latter gave us hundreds of surnames including the occupational CARPENTER, its meaning as of today.
CHEEVER	It's meaning "nanny goat" Did the original owner of this surname possess one? Or was he nimble footed? Hardly. The male goat, surely, would have been more appropriate. Again we are left to guess as to why this surname first came into being.
CHICKEN	The name CHICKEN is to be found in the London area. Today the word is applied to a person who has little or no courage. Whilst there is no evidence to suggest that this was the case in Medieval times, it could well turn out to be the answer. There doesn't seem to be another explanation.
COBBA	Was an Anglo-Saxon name meaning "big man". If he owned a field it might have been known as Cobba's lee, which later would have been corrupted to COBLEY.
COE	A common East Anglian surname is COE, it's meaning "jackdaw." But why? The bird has no obvious characteristics other then it is a pilferer of certain garden produce. Could this then be the answer? Was it applied to a thief? We will never know.
CROWTHER	A violin virtuoso in olden days might have been named CROWTHER, the first element taken from the Welsh "crwth" - a fiddle.
CRUSH	The only person I know of with this surname is pianist Bobby Crush, and I am not sure if this is a stage name. I was asked for information on CRUSH and can find no references to the derivation of this name. If anyone does know, please email me, I can then pass the information to Gary Crush and update the entry on the website. Mick Pearson
D
DANGERFIELD	The origin of the name is Norman de Angerville. I have written an article outlining the history of the name which can be found at click on link {dead link 9 Jan 2012} Interestingly we have recently determined that many Midlands Dangerfields are probably related to a family of Dashfields who changed their name from Dashfield to Dangerfield in the mid 18th century. This family may have originally been Dangerfield's in the 1600's but we are unable to make this connection at this time. Howard Mathieson Winnipeg Canada Guild of One Name Studies Member # 4328 Web Site: www.members.shaw.ca/sdangerfield
DENBY	Following the departure of the Romans, Britain, now undefended, was unable to stem the flow of invaders, among them the Vikings, who left their mark on many off the surnames today, one of them being DENBY - `Danes' place or farm'. If you look at a map of Denmark you will see many places which end in `by', its meaning unchanged.
DOUGLAS	Scots Gaelic also gives us many place names, one of which is DOUGLAS - `dark stream', which was later taken up as a surname. Its popularity as a forename is fairly recent.
E
EDDINGTON	Again Old English, this is a locality name, its meaning "wasteland hill".
EDWARDS	Although a very English forename, its meaning "prosperity happiness", it is now a popular Welsh surname.
EVAN	Welsh - from given name IFAN, Scottish - a variant of EWAN (from given name EOGANN) and also a variant of HEAVEN
F
FIDDLER	Has the same meaning as today (the musical instrument and not the manipulator of expenses). A violin virtuoso in those days might also have been named CROWTHER, the first element taken from the Welsh "crwth" - a fiddle.
FISHER	Has exactly the same meaning as today and is found all over the UK, suggesting that it was given to fishermen of both sea and rivers.
FLAVELL	A common name around the Black Country, appears to derive from the Anglo-Norman name de FLAMVILLE. It is the name of a town in Normandy, and the de Flamvilles came over about the time of the Norman conquest. They held lands in Yorkshire and Bedfordshire as well as in the Midlands. I have written an in-depth article, which you can read at flavroots.html. Thanks to Satima Flavell Neist for the information.
FRANCIS	Was a Frenchman. Its popularity as a forename was influenced by St Francis of Assisi, but the meaning remains the same. It is taken from Old French.
FULLARD	Ian Hunt from Canada is trying to trace the origin of this surname. His mother's family are from Wolverhampton (and environs), her maiden name is Fullard. It appears to be a local derivitive of Fuller - cloth worker. It may also be a variant of the local name FULLWOOD. Further information from Ian (dated 29/01/2010): Notes on the origins of the surname: Over the years I had heard (from members of the family and others) that Fullard was a derivation of the French 'Foulard' or scarf. My research however could find nothing to substantiate this 'French Connection.' Evidence from other sources indicates that the name has Irish origins and comes from the name O'Fualairg and dates from the year 1465 when Edward IV banned the use of the Gaelic language and had a law enacted whereby every Irishman within the "Pale" would forfeit his possessions if he didn't take an English name hence O'Fualairg = Fullard. Further research (as of September 2008) has indicated that the highest concentration of the 'Fullard' surname occurs in the Irish County of Roscommon and in England. The name occurs most frequently in the north east of England and the midlands. Therefore it's likely that the name originated in central Ireland and spread by immigration to the north east of England (through Liverpool) and to the midlands. Bob Fullard from Toronto emailed this information - My mother was from England, her name was Fullard , my grand parents are Carnegies. I was told in Toronto Canada that the name originated in France as Fouliard not sure of the spelling, they came to England during the Crusades later changing it to Fullard. I have my mothers maiden name which was Fullard. And that is the name I have alway gone by. Shabra Dowson added the following: My father’s mother was Mary Fullard, born in Wolverhampton in 1878. She had a sister Eliza (1876) and a brother William (1883). Their parents were Daniel and Sarah Ann nee Almond. Sarah came from Wolverhampton and Daniel from Dudley and they lived in both towns at different times. Does this tie up at all with the Fullard that Ian Hunt from Canada is looking for? Best wishes, Shabra Dowson
FULLER	Name for a dresser of cloth. Surname found mostly in SE England and E Anglia. Other names with similar origin are TUCKER (same job, different name) and WALKER (ditto)
FULLBROOK	Is "muddy brook" and there are places of that name in Buckinghamshire, Warwickshire and Oxfordshire. As in locality surnames, this is where the ancestor would have lived.
FURLONG	As has been explained before, nicknames are often difficult to explain as the reason for their bestowal has long vanished over the dead centuries. This is one such example, having the same meaning as today (i.e. an eigth of a mile) it is actually a corruption of "furrow long", but why should a person be thus named? He may have been a winner over that distance in a foot-race, but nothing else seems to suggest itself.
FURNINGER	1066 saw the arrival of the Normans and modern English can be said to be roughly a mixture of Anglo Saxon and French. The latter gave us hundreds of surnames including the occupational FURNINGER - `a cheese-maker and/or seller' (modern French: fromage) and CARPENTER, its meaning as of today.
G
GILL	A common Scottish surname, and, again originates from Scots Gaelic, meaning 'servant'. This word has survived in Scotland, for one often hears of a gillie, its meaning approximately as that of Gill.
GLASGOW	DURING the Roman occupation, most of what is now England, Wales, and the South of Scotland spoke a language which was the forerunner of Welsh, although the predominant tongue of the towns was Latin. Despite this, many towns retained their Celtic names, an example is GLASGOW `Green hollow' and again compares favourably with modern Welsh. As a surname, it is seen more usually as GLASCOE.
GODDARD	Yet another forename. Germanic in its origin, its meaning "god hard". As the god is pagan, it is difficult to understand why the staunch Christians of medieval times should find this acceptable as a forename.
GRAINGER	An ocupational name for a farm bailiff (English and French)
H
HALFPENNY	Nicknames are often difficult to explain, as the reason for their bestowal has long been lost in the passage of time.Such is the case with HALFPENNY, an estate agent in Swansea. There is a chance of course that it came about because this was perhaps the rent for a piece of land. But the possibilities are endless. We could go on speculating all day.
HARVEY	Is the Bretonian word for battle. Originally HERVEY, it was Normanised to HERVE and a vowel change eventually led to HARVEY. The Scottish form is HARVIE.
HAYCOCK	Many boys were christened HIGH (the same meaning as today) and the familiar "cock" would later be added as a form of endearment, giving us HIGHCOCK, a corruption of which is HAYCOCK.
HAZEL(L)	An English topographical name, comes from someone who lives near a hazel tree or grove. A number of variants including Hassell, Hessell, Heazel, Haselar, Heasler. Other variants include the basic variant plus -gren (hazel branch), -blad (hazel leaf) and -qvist (hazel twig). Lots of alternatives.
HEWLETT	An English name, mainly Worcestershire, from Middle English given name Huwelet, Huwelot, Hughelot.
HIRST	A north of England surname, it's meaning is "copse" or "wooded area", and is from west Saxon "HYRST". This name appears in the Midlands as HURST and in the south as HERST.
HODGETTS	Derives from the medieval given name HODGE (pet form of Roger). The surname HODGETTS is one of many derivatives, but is the one found most commonly in the West Midlands.
HOMFRAY	See HUMPHREY
HONEY	Was a collector and/or seller of honey. But could also have been a possible nickname for a sweet natured person. As said before, it is impossible to tell with nicknames as the reason has been long lost over the centuries.
HOPPER	Nicknames are often difficult to explain, as the reason for their bestowal has long been lost in the passage of time. HOPPER: The dancehalls were refered to as a "hop" this word gives ua a clue as to the meaning of HOPPER, a dancer. Again it is a nickname, presumably for an expert in those far-off medieval times.
HORLICKS	This name is a corruption of HARLOCK and the meaning is "grey lock of hair", the first element comparable to "HOAR".
HOWELL	This was a forename made popular by the Bretons. Meaning "eminent" it was the name of a great Welsh king. A double diminutive is HOWLETT, the suffix in this instance being Old French.
HOWLETT	See HEWLETT (Above)
HULL	Is simply a corruption of "hill", with the West Midlands vowel change and has nothing to do with the Humberside city whose correct name is Kingston-upon-Hull, the last element a Celtic word.
HUMPHREY	From personal name Humfrey, introduced by the Normans, borne by a 9th century saint, Bishop of Therouanne who had a following in England.
HURN	Means "corner" or "bend", sometimes "a curving valley" and is another locality name.
J
JORDAN	This takes us back to the crusaders who were not averse to helping themselves to a bottle of water from that river - its meaning from the Hebrew "flowing down" - and then using it on their return for the baptism of a boy who would thus be named. It was originally a forename, it's use as a surname arriving later.
JOYCE	1066 saw the arrival of the Normans and modern English can be said to be roughly a mixture of Anglo Saxon and French. The BRETONS, then independent of France, were given land following the assistance in the conquest. They were responsible for many British surnames, including JOYCE who was a Breton prince and saint, and was used originally as a male forename. Its use as a female forename is recent.
K
KELLOGG	Since William KELLOGG set up his business in 1906, his cereal products have dominated the breakfast table. An Essesx name, it is a corruption of "Kill hog" in other words a slaughter of pigs.
KINGSTON	Was originally King's tun. A place, usually a farm or manor, owned by the sovereign. The surname would have been given to a person who worked there.
KNELLER	Is "a dweller at the knoll", an Old English word for hilltop.
L
LAWLER	Irish. An anglicised form of Ó Leathlobhair, leath = somewhat / fairly lobar = leprous / sick
LEWINGTON	Was a farm owned by a person named LEWIN, the meaning "dear friend" and is Old English in its origin.
LINCOLN	DURING the Roman occupation, most of what is now England, Wales, and the South of Scotland spoke a language which was the forerunner of Welsh, although the predominant tongue of the towns was Latin. Despite this, many towns retained their Celtic names, an example being LINCOLN `colony at the pool'. The modern Welsh is Llyn colofn, although, the latter element would have been borrowed from the Latin as were at least five hundred other words.
LLOYD	In Medieval times, Cornish was very much a living language, although it was generally classed a dialect of Welsh. It is doubtful if the two- languages were mutually intelligible as both developed separately, but the similarities can clearly be seen in most of the Cornish surnames, nearly all of them taken from place names. LLOYD is an Anglicisation of `Liwyd', its meaning `grey' and was probably bestowed on a person whose hair was of that colour.
M
MARSHALL	This is a Germanic occupational name later Normanised. Its meaning is "horse servant" as is indicated by the first element which is similar to "mare". The duties of a marshall were varied. He might well have been a groom, a shoeing-smith or even a veterinary who specialised in horses. Although found in all parts of the UK, it is a particularly popular surname in Scotland.
MARTIN	Another forename, is a diminutive of Mars, "the god of war" and is Latin. Used in many regions across Europe.
McLAREN	Scottish name, a form of the Gael MacLABRUINN, which in turn is a Gael form of the given name LAWRENCE.
MOON	The Norman dialect for "monk" at first glance seems to present a problem. We assume all monks to be celibate, so could there be the whiff of a scandal associated with this surname? There may well have been, except the lower order in a monastic community were there purely for their manual labour and did not take a vow of celibacy. It may also have been a nickname for an overly pious person.
MOONEY	Many Irish immigrants had their surnames corrupted, especially those of Gaelic origin. This is one of those which originally would have been O'MOONEY, "descendant of Dumb" and would therefore have been a nickname.
MOSLEY	There are two possible explanations here, depending on where the ancestor lived. It could be a corruption of "Mouse - lee", a field with mice or, "Moss - lee", a field where moss grows.
MUTCH	A corruption of MUCH, also means "big" as it does today and is the prefix of many English villages in order to differentiate them from a smaller village of the same name.
N
NORRIS	This is simply a corruption of North - ish and was a nickname given to a newcomer from the North.
O
OUTTERIDGE	Is another example of the strange choice of forenames in those far-off days. It is Old English and is actually a corruption of OUTRIDGE, its meaning "dawn powerful".
P
PANTHER	Is common in the Northants area and has nothing to do with a member of the cat family. The name comes to us from Old French and was the title given to the official in charge of the pantry at a manor house. If of a charitable disposition, he would occasionally throw stale bread crumbs in the direction of the starving serfs of the village, thereby earning (hopefully) for himself the image of a caring and God-fearing person.
PEARCE	An English name from the given name Piers (vernacular form of Peter) - patronyms include PEARSON and PIERSON, varients include PEARS(E), PIERCE, PEAS and PERRIS
PENGELLY	In Medieval times, Cornish was very much a living language, although it was generally classed a dialect of Welsh. It is doubtful if the two- languages were mutually intelligible as both developed separately, but the similarities can clearly be seen in most of the Cornish surnames, nearly all of them taken from place names. PENGELLY (Welsh: Pengelli) is perhaps the most common of all cornish surnames and means `the far end of the grove'.
PENTREATH	In Medieval times, Cornish was very much a living language, although it was generally classed a dialect of Welsh. It is doubtful if the two- languages were mutually intelligible as both developed separately, but the similarities can clearly be seen in most of the Cornish surnames, nearly all of them taken from place names. PENTREATH (Welsh: Pentraeth) means `the far end of the beach'.
PERSHOUSE	This family has lived around the Black Country since the 1200s. In those days they were called 'de Parco' or 'atte Parke'. One branch did very well in the iron trade and built themselves a fancy house, which quite understandably was known as the Parkes' house. Over time, the family that lived there became known as PARKSHOUSE, which devolved into PURSHOUSE, PERSHOUSE, PARSUS and many other variants. Thanks to Satima Flavell Neist for the information.
PROVERBS	My Mother was born and brought up in Wednesbury. Her Mother's maiden name was Muriel Proverbs. Other than The Black Country - the greatest density of distribution for this surname seems to be Barbados! Any ideas on the origins of the name Proverbs? Nick Evans (The Wednesbury clan arrived from Newcastle in the early 1800's, mining family background. Allegedly their was a family bible indicating this family came from the Caribbean ex-slave trade landing in Bristol - no proof what so ever. It would be surprising if a member of this horrid trade ended up down a pit in Newcastle. I appreciate master names were adopted but Proverbs is also a bible chapter. No one todate can prove or find the birth of John Proverbs in Newcastle either. Thanks to Nigel Seamarks for this information) (I can find no information on the origin of this name - I did find some modern-day Proverbs in the USA, but no-where else. If anyone can throw light on this please email me - editor)
R
RAPER	This is a surname which suggests the lowest form of man in today's times. It is simply a corruption of ROPER, "a maker of ropes". RAPER is a north of England surname, its pronunciation actuualy nearer to the original than that of southern ROPER.
RIGLEY	Derived from Wrigley and is a Nottinghamshire varient of that surname.
RUTTER	Occupational - player of the rote (a medieval musical instrument), a nickname for an unscrupulous person (variant REUTER) - robber, highwayman, footpad.
S
SANDERSON	This was originally ALEXANDER, the Greek for "defender of men", but in most instances a diminutive was formed by taking the latter element, giving us SANDER. His son would have been Sander's son or SANDERSON. The English Sanderson's originate from Alexander de Bedick who had estates in Washington, Durham, & Blyth, Nottinghamshire. All of his sons called themselves Sanderson (Alysanders's son's) as a surname in the aerly 1300's. In middle English Alexander was spelt Alysander.
SHEARMAN	Was a person who cut away the superflous nap of woollen cloth, perhaps using the equivalent of today's shears in the medieval cloth industry.
SHERWOOD	Habitation name from Nottinghamshire, variant SHEARWOOD
SHINGLES(R)	This derives from an English occupational name for someone who laid wooden tiles (shingles) on roofs.
SHIPMAN	Is deceptive. Although some bearers would certainly have earned their living at sea, this would hardly explain why this surname is common in inland Leicester and Nottingham. The reason is that here it is a corruption of "SHEEPMAN" in other words, a shepherd.
SIZE	This is an Old French word for "juryman", and has the same root as ASSIZES.
SKEGG	The Viking language, which is now classed as Old Norse, a cousin of Anglo Saxon, also gave us such names as SKEGG - `beard', and SKELLHORN or SKELLON - `a horn (- shaped land) at a sheiling'. Other invaders followed, notably the Angles, Saxons and Jutes. Their languages later fused into what became known as Anglo Saxon. It was the Angles who gave their name to England but many of today's surnames are by courtesy of the Saxons. Sayce is Old Welsh for Saxon (modern Welsh:'Saes') the Scottish equivalent being `Sassenach'. The surname SAXON is fairly common in Lincolnshire.
SOUTHALL	An English surname, chiefly found in the West Midlands. Habitation name from any number of places with that name. Distribution indicates it is likely that the surname came from Warwickshire.
STEVENS	Is "son of Steven" and this is a forename with far more dignity, being Greek for "crown".
T
TALBET	Is again a forename, this time Germanic, of uncertain meaning, although "valley" has been suggested. It would therefore be the equivalent of today's GLEN which is Scottish Gaelic with exactly the same meaning.
THURSTON	From medieval given name "Porsteinn" composed of divine name "Porr" and "Steinn" (stone). Also from a habitation name from Suffolk. Variants include Thurstan, Tustin(g), Dusting, Tutin(g)
TREMAINE	In Medieval times, Cornish was very much a living language, although it was generally classed a dialect of Welsh. It is doubtful if the two- languages were mutually intelligible as both developed separately, but the similarities can clearly be seen in most of the Cornish surnames, nearly all of them taken from place names. TREMAINE (Tremaen) was `a place or farm near a (stone) monolith'. Welsh surnames are rather disappointing as few of them have origins in that language. An exception is TREVOR which is from the Welsh: `tre fawr' meaning `big village'. Again, its use as a forename is fairly recent.
TREVELYAN	In Medieval times, Cornish was very much a living language, although it was generally classed a dialect of Welsh. It is doubtful if the two- languages were mutually intelligible as both developed separately, but the similarities can clearly be seen in most of the Cornish surnames, nearly all of them taken from place names. TREVELYAN (Trefelin) is `mill farm'.
TUCKER	See FULLER
U
UDALL	Udall. derived from de Ovedale. The de Ovedales came to England at the time of William the Conqueror, settling first in the Lake District, then moving to Talconeston Norfolk. (the first de Ovedale I have discovered was John/William de Ovedale, c 1175 from Talconeston, Norfolk.) soon the name being recorded as de Uvedale, Their next move was to Titsey Surrey, later to Wickam Hampshire. Later the "de" was dropped, and due to phonetics, and local dialect, there are many variants, Udall, Udell, Udale, Youdall, Yowdall. (there have been Udalls in the Black Country since, the end of the 1700's), information from Gay udall Follows.
W
WALDRON	1. Germanic from walh = foreigner and hrafn = raven or 2. Old English Sussex from w(e)ald = forest and œrn = house / dwelling
WALKER	Was a fuller who trod on the cloth in the trough, hence the occupational name. He would have spent his day "walking on the cloth".
WARDLE	Its meaning is "look - out hill". The surname could have been given to somebody who had the job of being "look - out" from that point.
WEBB	Occupational name for a weaver.
WESTLEY	Is Old English and its meaning is "a field to the west". This was usually west of a farm.
WHATLEY	Is a corruption of WHEATLEY, its meaning being a field where wheat is grown. Its origin is from the Old English.
WILES	(from Wileman) An English occupational name for trapper / hunter. Or a devious person. From Middle English, wile = trap / snare. Or from Late English, wil = trick
WOODWARD	Occupational name for a forster, employed to look after trees and game. Occasionally may be derived from the personal name "Wuduweard" composed from the same description as above i.e. wood guardian
WORRALL	An English name, from a place in South Yorkshire. The Wirrall peninsula may also be the source of some instances. The surname is common in the Black Country, as well as Lancashire and South Yorkshire.
WRIGLEY	English surname, from Wrigley Head, Failsworth near Manchester. I have recently been contacted by a Mrs Kelly, who kindly updated my information There are still many Wrigleys in the Oldham area, near Failsworth.
WYMARK	1066 saw the arrival of the Normans and modern English can be said to be roughly a mixture of Anglo Saxon and French. The BRETONS, then independent of France, were given land following the assistance in the conquest. They were responsible for many British surnames, including WYMARK and it is from Breton `we o march' (worthy of a horse).