The origin of your surname?

DarkRyter

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Dec 15, 2008
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My name is common as hell, but can any of you say you have a dynasty?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nguy%E1%BB%85n_Dynasty
 

Antidamacus

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Feb 18, 2009
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Donnelly is O'Donnghaile in Irish, from Donnghaile. The prefix "O" denotes one who is the ancestor of Donnghaile. The word Donnghaile translates to "Brown Valor" or "Brown-haired Warrior." This name was given to someone who was dark and brave.

The Donnellys originally were a division of the clan Cineál Eoghain who derive their descent from Donnghal the fourth in descent from Domhnall, King of Aileach -- brother of Niall Glundubn and ancestor of the O'Neills, the chief family of ancient Ireland.

An original ancestor was Donnghaile O'Neill, who died in 876, was himself a descendant of Eoghain and ancestor of the royal house O'Neill. Donnghaile O'Neill was seventeenth in descent from Niall of the Nine Hostages, the fifth-century king who supposedly kidnapped St. Patrick to Ireland.

Their territory lay first in Co. Donegal and later further eastwards, centered around the place called Ballydonnelly, Co. Tyrone, which is west of Dungannon. Ballydonnelly was named from them. Ballydonnelly was recaptured later on and the settlement was renamed to Castlecaulfield, which it goes by to this day. This area is still the part of Ireland in which they are most numerous.

Many of the family were hereditary bards, but their main historical fame is as soldiers, especially in the wars of the seventeenth century.

Donnellys were hereditary marshals of the O'Neill military forces. One of the most famous was Donnell O'Donnelly who was "captain of one hundred men," fought bravely until he and all his men were slain at the battle of Kinsale (1603). In 1641 Patrick O'Donnelly took the castle of Lord Caulfield near Dungannon and renamed it to Ballydonnelly. It was recaptured later on (as stated above) and the settlement was renamed to Castlecaulfield, which it goes by to this day.
 

Gaderael

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Apr 14, 2009
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Cocamaster said:
Gaderael said:
I found this under Scottish Etymology:

[KNORLE, KNARLE, s. A knot, protu-
berance, lumps, Banffs. ; knarle, Clydes.]

Keep in mind that many ancient cultures may have shared a common Indo-European language [Indo-European languages], so while the spelling may be slightly different, they could mean the same thing.
Awesome!

That's the closest I have ever been to an actual definition, like, ever.

Virtual cookie for you!
C is for Cookie, is good enough for me!
 

KSarty

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Aug 5, 2008
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Father's name [http://www.houseofnames.com/fc.asp?sId=45A1B9EB-1A61-40A4-A864-9AFC156F93B3&s=Carpenter]
Mother's name [http://www.houseofnames.com/xq/asp.fc/qx/laviolette-family-crest.htm]

Can't find much for Sarty, which is my stepfather's name, other than that it has records in both Scotland and Ireland.
 

a stranger

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Mar 4, 2009
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Wadders said:
Waddington.
It's the name of several villages dotted around England. I'm guessing my dad's father's side of the family were from one such village in Yorkshire, them moved down to the Manchester area over time.

moar info: http://www.surnamedb.com/surname.aspx?name=Waddington
my name doesn't show up there so sad
ps:my name is lambour
 

blaze96

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Apr 9, 2008
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My name is Jameson Miller, and before you ask my mother's last name is Jameson. So yes my name is made up of two last names. I'm also Scotts, Irish, English, German, Dane in family origin, so basically I come from most everywhere the name exists. Jameson means son of James (in a weird coincidence my father's name is James), and Miller could be anything from an Anglo version of another name from the above countries, or just a job based name.

On my grandmother's side (Bowes) I am distantly related to Queen Elizabeth II and an Earl. My father's side is related to German and Danish royalty, so I guess I'm lucky I'm not a hemophiliac.
 
Nov 28, 2007
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My surname is McHenry, which as far as I can tell, is Irish/Scottish (I get conflicting accounts) and means "of the clan of Henry".

Edit: That's on my father's side. My mother's maiden name iss Bridgeman, which literally means someone who lived near a bridge or a bridge keeper, most likely one who collected tolls.
 

Aesir23

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My surname is Hope and it basically got its origin from the type of land where my ancestors made their home in England.

"Derived from Middle English hop "small valley"."

Whether it has any importance behind it I'm not sure because we've been unable to obtain accurate records of my paternal grandfather's family. Though it is rumored that we're descended from an illegitimate son of King Charles II

Edit: My family's motto apparently is: Yet my hope is unbroken.
 

The Black Adder

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T-Bone24 said:
I just looked up my surname, and found somehting interesting. My surname is thought to be one of the oldest in Scotland, and I may be related to MacBeth. My family motto is "Virtue under Strength". Anywho, turns out my last name has something to do with MacBeth pretending to be a tree in an attack. (Camoflage (sp?), not just for a game or something)

Anything you can find out about your surname that surprised you? Or a fact about your ancestry you'd like to share?

EDIT: My last name is Aikman, I'm Scottish, thought I should mention those things.

I'm Scottish too. My last name is MacMillan. It means 'son who bears the tonsure'. My ancestors where priests who would shave the front part of their head instead of the middle like the stereotypical monk. But I guess the updated meaning would be son of a bald man. Edit: My clan motto is: I learn to help those that are in need.
 
Dec 29, 2007
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Gaderael said:
Zeddicus Zhul Zorander said:
well, mine is Jessing, but I can't find any references to it. I know it's Norwegian/Scandinavian in origin and I think it might be a variation of Jessen (son of Jess). If someone could find out more about it, I'd be very grateful.
EDIT again!

Okay dude, this is the best I can find for you:

JESS
Noun

1. A short strap of leather or silk secured round the leg of a hawk, to which the leash or line, wrapped round the falconer's hand, was attached when used. See Illust. of Falcon.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)


"JESS" is a name that signifies or is derived from: "a gift".

Date "JESS" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1906. (references)

Etymology: Jess \Jess\, noun; plural Jesses. [Old French expression gies, giez, proper plural of giet, get, jet, French jet, throwing, jess. See Jet shooting forth.].

Thanks a lot, buddy. That puts a few questions to rest. I is a gift!! haha.
 

Doomdiver

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Mar 30, 2009
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My surname is Petterson. It's origins are either Scottish or Sweedish I think. There is also a chance that it was a miss-spelling of Peterson that my ancestors just went with!
 

Skeleon

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Nov 2, 2007
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Hmm, my surname is similar to the word for lumber in my native language.
So... maybe some of my ancestors were lumberjacks or carpenters or something?
I dunno.
And I don't really care, either.
What's in a name?
 

Tattaglia

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Aug 12, 2008
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carnkhan4 said:
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.)
 

Sark

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Jun 21, 2009
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Mine means "Son of Little Summer". He was a warlord so somesuch in the British isles some time ago. More generally it means Prince of Isles, I think.
 

Woem

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May 28, 2009
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Skeleon said:
Hmm, my surname is similar to the word for lumber in my native language.
So... maybe some of my ancestors were lumberjacks or carpenters or something?
I dunno.
And I don't really care, either.
What's in a name?
My surname is an old derivation of the French word for "woodcutter".

 

Lord George

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Aug 25, 2008
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It means son of Robin, too common a name, cool motto though "Foist est tout", Faith is everything. I think I'm gonna change my last name legally to something cool or at least a surname which is not so widespread, also I get to break away from my crappy family even more that way.
 

eatenbyagrue

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Dec 25, 2008
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I got a Spanish surname which means "of the King". During Spanish colonization (Philippines), that last name was given to people who were bastard children of soldiers or colonial officials.
 

Zykon TheLich

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Jun 6, 2008
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My surname is the same name as a few places 'oop north'. It was originally a Saxon place name for something along the lines of a mossy field, pasture or wood or "mouse wood" or Mul/Mol's Island (Island belonging to someone called Mul or Mol)...something along those lines anyway. There's a road in Manchester with my surname, I lived on it when I went to uni there and it was named ofter my great great (might be another couple of greats here) grandfather because he built a school on the road.