The origin of your surname?

[Catchy Slogan]

I looked this up a couple years ago because I was curious, Found a pretty good website for this kind of thing. http://www.4crests.com

Some stuff from the website --> This surname is universal, originally from the popular medieval given name of biblical origin. The name was originally an Aramaic name meaning 'a twin' borne by one of the disciples of Christ, best known for his scepticism about Christ's resurrection (John 20:24-9). This disciple is stated by Eusebius, on no scriptural authority, to have borne the given name Judah. Before the Norman Conquest of 1066 the name is found only as the name of a priest or a man of the cloth. After this time it became one of the most popular christian names.

But this is only my father's side of the family. Apparently, six generations back, my mother's family came over from Ireland on a travelling gypsy circus.

 

[chaosfenrir]

my surname is ku, in chinese, it means 'ancient' Its one of the more unique and uncommon surnames

Apparently i'm descended from the father-in-law of some random emperor in China

 

[The Enclave 86]

Mines 'Walker' and I think that had something to do people who guide Barges down Canals but I 'm really not sure.

 

[RobCoxxy]

My surname is Cox (like the apples) and apparently it is often used to denote a leader or chief man.

However, my grandfather was Russian, moving to the UK, changing his surname from Kozymar to sound "more British". Unfortunately do not know the meaning of that one...

 

[Lost In The Void]

Ens- German: variant of Enns.
Enns- German: from a reduced form of the Germanic personal name Anselm.
Anselm- English and German: from the Germanic personal name Anselm, composed of the elements ans- ?god? + helma ?protection?, ?helmet?. The personal name was taken to France and England by St Anselm (c.1033?1109), known as the Father of Scholasticism. He was born in Aosta, Italy, joined the Benedictine order at Bec in Normandy, France, and in 1093 became archbishop of Canterbury, England.

Man that was a freaken journey for a meaning of a name. it looks like mine has been pretty corrupted over the years

 

[Dusty Donuts]

'Melville'
Look it up on wikipedia.
THAT'S RIGHT! MY name has it's own wikipedia page!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melville_family

 

[Cardonay]

von der Heyde, I believe it's Dutch. Royalty and all that.
My grandfather has an image of our coat of arms somewhere, but I don't. /:

I think it's german. Dutch would be more like "van de Heyden". The old-style written "Heyde" is spelled today as "Heide" which means "heather" So, your name is XY from the heather.

My name is the german equivalent to hunter. Quite easy.

 

[Beowulf DW]

My surname comes from the Old German. Apparently, it means something along the lines of, "Strength from the forest." We lived in the Black Forest, and I actually still have distant relatives who still live there.

Our family crest consists of a white eagle with bloody feathers, holding a shield and a knight's helmet.

 

[eatenbyagrue]

von der Heyde, I believe it's Dutch. Royalty and all that.
My grandfather has an image of our coat of arms somewhere, but I don't. /:

I think it's german. Dutch would be more like "van de Heyden". The old-style written "Heyde" is spelled today as "Heide" which means "heather" So, your name is XY from the heather.

My name is the german equivalent to hunter. Quite easy.

So Jaeger or something like that?

 

[Cardonay]

My name is the german equivalent to hunter. Quite easy.

So Jaeger or something like that?

Exactly! :3

 

[T-Bone24]

My last name is Macdonald. I ave no idea where it comes from (Aside from scotland XD) or what it means. if someone would care to enlighten me i would be greatful

Just do a quick Google Search, that's what I did

I know, but i'm far too lazy. it would be much easier for someone else to do it for me XD

And your image doesnt work

My image works for me. Hrmmm.

Anyway, looked up your name for you mate, and found this site [http://www.rampantscotland.com/clans/blclanmacdonald.htm]. But if you're too lazy to read that as well here are some highlights .

"The largest of the Highland clans, the Gaelic first name "Domnuill" was anglicised to "Donald". The original Donald was a grandson of the mighty King Somerled who drove out the Vikings in the 12th century."
"Somerled's mother was Norse and his father was descended from the kings of Dalriada, according to clan history."
"The main branches [of the MacDonald/Donald clan] were Clan Donald of Sleat (in Skye), Clanranald (in Moidart, Glengarry, Lochaber and Glencoe)."
"Many MacDonalds emigrated to North America and other parts of the world in the 18th and 19th century. 300 MacDonalds from Clanranald emigrated to Prince Edward Island in 1790 and MacDonnells of Glengarry settled in some numbers in Glengarry County, Ontario. "

 

[Verp]

Sahari. Some say it is partially of Russian origin, but I'm not sure. My father's side changed their name at one point because they used to have a Swedish name (it was fairly common to change your surname into a more Finnish-sounding one). It was something like Sjöberg or something before that, I don't remember. But I hear our family has lived in my town since the 17th century, we must be inbred fucks.

 

[Aardvark Soup]

I just looked it up at some website and the origins of my surname Tervoort turn out to be, as I thought, pretty boring: it comes from the Eastern Netherlands and basically means 'at the ford [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_(crossing)]'. Dutch surnames suck...

 

[TwistedEllipses]

Mine is Brett. It means I'm a Bretton from Brittany in France apparently...

...it also means Americans and New Zealanders get jealous and use it as first name instead of a surname...

Like this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JT5AQIlmM0I
(Watch the first bit.)

Yep, but this clip illustrates it better (i.e. in song form)! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtfQg4KkR88

 

[eatenbyagrue]

My name is the german equivalent to hunter. Quite easy.

So Jaeger or something like that?

Exactly! :3

So do you get a lot of jokes about Jaegermeister, or do people know enough to leave you alone?

 

[Cardonay]

So do you get a lot of jokes about Jaegermeister, or do people know enough to leave you alone?

Only twice. And I'm not living in the states or another english-speaking country, most of the people just dont know this joke. Fortunately.

 

[Red Right Hand]

Definition: Derived from the Gaelic "cru" meaning bloody , and "ford" meaning 'pass or crossing,' the CRAWFORD surname is believed by most to mean a crossing of blood. Believed to be first assumed by the proprietor of the lands and barony of Crawford, in Lanarkshire, Scotland. A possible similar derivation comes from "crawe" meaning 'crow' and "ford" meaning 'pass or crossing.'

Surname Origin: Scottish, Norman

 

[PedroSteckecilo]

Unknown. My familial last name was brought up to Canada by United Empire Loyalists during the American Revolution, nobody knows where they came from before that. It seems like they pretty much just "pop up" in North America.

 

[WrongSprite]

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.

Oh.

 

[Nickolai77]

I'm an O'Dowd- it's a modernised name from the ancient Irish name O'Dubha- it means "dark one"

We have quite a history, starting from the 4th century AD with Niall of 5 hostages, and Daithi, the last pagan King of Ireland who was killed in 455 AD while leading an army over the alps.

The O'Dowds where the main family in control over the Irish counties of Mayo and Siglo, (known as the Kingdom of North Connacht) and defended Northern Connacht against rival clans and built around twenty small castles in order to do so. The O'Dowds where probably at there most powerful in the tenth century. Following the Anglo-Norman invasion and numerous conflicts against the English through the late middle ages, the O'Dowds lost all their power and wealth, before finally collapsing in around the 17th century.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O%27Dowd