WHAT'S YOUR SURNAME? - If you've wondered where it came from
Discussion
Butcher, Baker or Candlestick Maker?
When surnames first came into popular use in 14th-century Europe, many people came to be identified by what they did for a living...
Last Name: BARKER
Occupation: Shephard
Barker comes from the Norman word barches, meaning “shepherd,” the person who watches over a flock of sheep.
Last Name: BLACK
Occupation: Dyer
Men named Black were cloth dyers who specialized in black dyes. In medieval times, all cloth was originally white, and had to be dyed to create colorful cloth.
Last Name: CARTER
Occupation: Delivery man
A person who drove a cart pulled by oxen, carrying goods from town to town, was named Carter.
Last Name: CHANDLER
Occupation: Candlemaker
From the French word 'chandelier,' this name referred to a person who made candles.
Last Name: COOPER
Occupation: Barrelmaker
A cooper was someone who made wooden barrels, vats, or casks.
Last Name: FISHER
Occupation: Fisherman
This occupational name derives from the Old English word 'fiscere,' meaning fisherman.
Last Name: KEMP
Occupation: Wrestler
A strong man who was a champion at jousting or wrestling. Derived from the Middle English word 'kempe,' which came from Old English 'cempa,' meaning 'warrior' or 'champion.'
Last Name: MILLER
Occupation: Miller
A man who made his living grinding flour from grain.
Last Name: SMITH
Occupation: Metalworker
Anyone who worked with metal was called a smith. A Blacksmith worked with iron, a Whitesmith worked with tin, and a Goldsmith worked with gold. This was one of the most common occupations in Medieval times, so it is little wonder that SMITH is now among the most common surnames worldwide.
Last Name: WALL
Occupation: Mason
The name given to a special kind of mason, a wall was one who specialized in building wall structures.
Does your family name come from the work your ancestors did long ago?
PS- an also, the above inspired me to realise that the main characters in Tv's Lost [as on CH4], are useful for something, as with the skills they have, an unlike certain other modern day professions.
for its funny how the people featured on the island aren't lawyers, hairstylists, estate agents, crystal healers, etc etc...
you know like, the people whose jobs are really worthless when it comes down to it
When surnames first came into popular use in 14th-century Europe, many people came to be identified by what they did for a living...
Last Name: BARKER
Occupation: Shephard
Barker comes from the Norman word barches, meaning “shepherd,” the person who watches over a flock of sheep.
Last Name: BLACK
Occupation: Dyer
Men named Black were cloth dyers who specialized in black dyes. In medieval times, all cloth was originally white, and had to be dyed to create colorful cloth.
Last Name: CARTER
Occupation: Delivery man
A person who drove a cart pulled by oxen, carrying goods from town to town, was named Carter.
Last Name: CHANDLER
Occupation: Candlemaker
From the French word 'chandelier,' this name referred to a person who made candles.
Last Name: COOPER
Occupation: Barrelmaker
A cooper was someone who made wooden barrels, vats, or casks.
Last Name: FISHER
Occupation: Fisherman
This occupational name derives from the Old English word 'fiscere,' meaning fisherman.
Last Name: KEMP
Occupation: Wrestler
A strong man who was a champion at jousting or wrestling. Derived from the Middle English word 'kempe,' which came from Old English 'cempa,' meaning 'warrior' or 'champion.'
Last Name: MILLER
Occupation: Miller
A man who made his living grinding flour from grain.
Last Name: SMITH
Occupation: Metalworker
Anyone who worked with metal was called a smith. A Blacksmith worked with iron, a Whitesmith worked with tin, and a Goldsmith worked with gold. This was one of the most common occupations in Medieval times, so it is little wonder that SMITH is now among the most common surnames worldwide.
Last Name: WALL
Occupation: Mason
The name given to a special kind of mason, a wall was one who specialized in building wall structures.
Does your family name come from the work your ancestors did long ago?
PS- an also, the above inspired me to realise that the main characters in Tv's Lost [as on CH4], are useful for something, as with the skills they have, an unlike certain other modern day professions.
for its funny how the people featured on the island aren't lawyers, hairstylists, estate agents, crystal healers, etc etc...
you know like, the people whose jobs are really worthless when it comes down to it
Have traced my surname back to a tiny village in Italy called Cloz, south Tyrol where it was Italianised in 1525.
Originally in German it means 'cut' so could have come from all manner of professions, in Italian it doesn't mean anything.
Originally in German it means 'cut' so could have come from all manner of professions, in Italian it doesn't mean anything.
Edited by sleep envy on Tuesday 19th September 01:21
Believe it or not Mon Chum, ....I once was in contact with a radio ham called....(wait for it)......Dick Balls!
I SWEAR Mon chum it is true.....just WHAT was his parents thinking of?......
P.S. Yes, I too thought he was taking the p*ss
But NO! His address is in the call book!.......
I SWEAR Mon chum it is true.....just WHAT was his parents thinking of?......
P.S. Yes, I too thought he was taking the p*ss
But NO! His address is in the call book!.......
Edited by 8Pack on Tuesday 19th September 01:58
vlc said:
PS- an also, the above inspired me to realise that the main characters in Tv's Lost [as on CH4], are useful for something, as with the skills they have, an unlike certain other modern day professions.
for its funny how the people featured on the island aren't lawyers, hairstylists, estate agents, crystal healers, etc etc...
you know like, the people whose jobs are really worthless when it comes down to it
for its funny how the people featured on the island aren't lawyers, hairstylists, estate agents, crystal healers, etc etc...
you know like, the people whose jobs are really worthless when it comes down to it
Well they couldn't put them on the island, they'd burn down all the trees to control inflation.
Costanzo- My great grandfather was from the Italian region of Calabria, from a village called Pedivigliano, which is near the cities of Cosenza and Catanzaro, which I guess sound similar. I have seen the Italian name "Costanza" which translates into "Constance" so my surname is the masculine form of that.
vlc said:
Butcher, Baker or Candlestick Maker?
When surnames first came into popular use in 14th-century Europe, many people came to be identified by what they did for a living...
Last Name: CHANDLER
Occupation: Candlemaker
From the French word 'chandelier,' this name referred to a person who made candles.
When surnames first came into popular use in 14th-century Europe, many people came to be identified by what they did for a living...
Last Name: CHANDLER
Occupation: Candlemaker
From the French word 'chandelier,' this name referred to a person who made candles.
I'd always assumed Chandler was derived from some form of water-borne activity, hence chandlry (sp?) being the provision of boating (yachting?) supplies. No doubt someone will be along soon to explain the link..
Not my surname, but I remember the surname Fuller on Tony Robinson's Worst Jobs program.
"The 13th century is boom time for the wool trade. With three sheep to every man, woman and child, wool is our biggest export. But nobody likes stiff and itchy cloth that falls to pieces, so we have several openings for fullers.
As a fuller, you are expected to walk up and down all day in huge vats of stinking stale urine. The ammonia produced by the rotten wee may make your eyes water, but it creates the softest cloth by drawing out the grease (lanolin) from the wool. If you can dance up to your knees in urine for around two hours per length of cloth, you'll succeed in closing the fibres of the wool and interlocking them to produce cloth that is kind to the skin. You will be doing your part, along with the weavers, dyers and merchants, in making it a world-beating export."
Simon Fuller was the manager of the Spice Girls. Quite apt really, dealing in pi$$
"The 13th century is boom time for the wool trade. With three sheep to every man, woman and child, wool is our biggest export. But nobody likes stiff and itchy cloth that falls to pieces, so we have several openings for fullers.
As a fuller, you are expected to walk up and down all day in huge vats of stinking stale urine. The ammonia produced by the rotten wee may make your eyes water, but it creates the softest cloth by drawing out the grease (lanolin) from the wool. If you can dance up to your knees in urine for around two hours per length of cloth, you'll succeed in closing the fibres of the wool and interlocking them to produce cloth that is kind to the skin. You will be doing your part, along with the weavers, dyers and merchants, in making it a world-beating export."
Simon Fuller was the manager of the Spice Girls. Quite apt really, dealing in pi$$
Edited by FourWheelDrift on Tuesday 19th September 09:24
8Pack said:
Believe it or not Mon Chum, ....I once was in contact with a radio ham called....(wait for it)......Dick Balls!
I SWEAR Mon chum it is true.....just WHAT was his parents thinking of?......
P.S. Yes, I too thought he was taking the p*ss
But NO! His address is in the call book!.......
I SWEAR Mon chum it is true.....just WHAT was his parents thinking of?......
P.S. Yes, I too thought he was taking the p*ss
But NO! His address is in the call book!.......
Edited by 8Pack on Tuesday 19th September 01:58
Mange tout Rodney! Mate of mine was at school with a lad called Richard Head. No word of a lie. Now thats bad parents for you
FUBAR said:
Mange tout Rodney! Mate of mine was at school with a lad called Richard Head. No word of a lie. Now thats bad parents for you
...that reminds me of a guy who worked in the polishing shop next door to me when i were a apprentice, his name was malcolm 'peters' ...which was formerly... 'malcolm PRATT'
also a guy married a cousin of mine an wanted to switch surnames with her maiden name instead of her last name becoming his, which was 'wally'!
but, his forname was 'steve' an her surname was 'stevens' - an thus made his new whole name become 'steve stevens' - now don't fukking laugh !
he's family you know.
[until they divorced some years ago]
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