Moonfleetonline

Ackroyd

Old English - ac, 'oak', and rod 'clearing' so someone who lives in a clearing in the oaks

Adler

From the German word for 'eagle'. It probably was used as a nickname fro someone who was likened to the bird

Archer

A bowman

Armitage

Staffordshire place name - it is derived from 'hermitage'

Armstrong

Nickname - someone with a strong arm, common on the Scottish borders.

Arundel

Place name, or may be from the Old French arondel meaning 'a swallow'

Bachelor

From the old French bachelor 'a young knight' or 'novice at arms'

Bannister

From the Old French bannistre, 'a basket', hence a basket maker

Baxter

The feminine form of Baker, but was also used for men

Bennett

A corruption of the Latin benedictus, meaning 'good' or 'blessed' and once a common Christian name

Bentley

From the place name which means 'clearing of bent grass'

Berkeley

From the place name in Gloucestershire

Best

Originally is referred to someone who was bestial. It may also have been used for someone who kept beasts. Later is could refer to someone given to boasting

Black

Description of hair or complexion

Callandar

From the cloth trade - cloth was calendered by being passed through rollers to smooth it

Champion

Champions were hired to wage battle on another's behalf to settle a legal dispute

Chapman

From the Old English ceapmann a merchant

Charman

Combination of old French, cart, car or char, and Anglo Saxon man, hence an occupational name, a carter or driver of a cart.

Clark

Originally it referred to someone in holy orders but gradually came to refer to someone who was literate

Clough

From the Old English cloh 'a ravine' hence someone who lived by one

Cohen

An ancient Jewish name meaning priest

Collins

Col is a shortened form of Nicholas, Collin is a further diminutive

Constable

Originally from the Latin comes stabuli 'count of the stables'. The term was applied to the chief officer of a household, the governor of a royal fortress and a parish official/

Clough

From the Old English cloh 'a ravine' hence someone who lived by one

Cohen

An ancient Jewish name meaning priest

Collins

Col is a shortened form of Nicholas, Collin is a further diminutive

Constable

Originally from the Latin comes stabuli 'count of the stables'. The term was applied to the chief officer of a household, the governor of a royal fortress and a parish official/

Delafield

Of the fields - the French form de al, of or from, has been incorporated into the name

Dickson

Son of Richard. Dick being a common diminutive or Richard

Donovan

From the Gaelic donndubhan meaning 'the dark brown one', used as a description of hair or complexion

Dormer

'A sleeper' or 'sluggard' from the Frech dormeur

Douglas

Scottish place name, from the Gaelic dubh glas 'black water'

Draper

From the trade

Enfield

Place name (Middlesex)

Ewer

Trade name - a servant who carried water to the table for ritual hand washing

Faber

From the latin meaning 'a smith'. It is a trade name.

Fairfax

From the Old English faeger and feax 'fairheaded'

Falconer

Someone who keeps or hunts with hawks. It can also derive from someone who operates a crane or windlass from the French faucon 'crane'

Farmer

Trade name but can also come from the Anglo French fermer, someone who pays a fixed sum for the right to collect taxes and revenue from an estate or manor, hence a bailiff or steward. Can also come from the Norse word for 'a sailor'.

Farrer

From the Old French ferreor 'a smith'.

Field

Some who lives in or by fields. It probably originally had the prefix atte, othe or de la meaning 'of' or 'from'.

Fitzgerald

Fitz is an Anglo French prefix meaning 'son of'. Gerald is a Norman name meaning 'someone who rules by the spear'.

Fleming

One who comes from Flanders

Gardener

From the trade

Gaunt

It can be a nickname for some tall and angular. It can also be a tradename for someone who makes gloves or gauntlets. Or it can refer to someone from Ghent in Flanders.

Gilbert

An ancient forename.

Glover

A maker or seller of gloves

Graham

This name is believed to derive from the Lincolnshire town of Grantham.

Grieve

Scottish and Northern English name for a governor, bailiff or steward.

Haggard

Nickname - from the Old French hagard, meaning 'wild' or 'untamed'

Haigh

From the Old English haga 'an enclosure', hence someone who lives by an enclosure. Also a common place name in Northern England.

Hall

Someone who lives or works at a hall.

Halliday

Someone born on a holy or religious day.

Hicks

A diminutive of Richard.

Hogg

Old English for 'pig', hence either one who kept pigs or a nickname for someone likened to a pig.

Hopkins

A diminutive of Hob, itself a pet form of Robert.

Hudson

A diminutive of Hud, itself a pet form of Hugh

Hussey

Either form the Old French hosed 'someone who wore boots' or fromt he Old English huswyf 'mistress of the housefold'.

Hyde

Either a place name or someone who farmed a hide of land (100 acres). May also be derived from the name Ida.

Jenkins

Jen is a variation of John, hence a relation of John.

Jarvis

From the Yorkshire place name Jervaulx, pronounced 'Jarvis'.

Jordan

From the river in the Holy Land. Returning crusaders brought back its water to baptise their children.

Kavanagh

From the Irish St Caoman

Kemp

From Old English cempa 'a warrior' or 'athlete'.

Kendall

From the English placename.

Kerr

From the Old Norse kjarr 'wet ground', and means someone who lived by the marsh.

Kirk

Someone who lived near the church.

Lane

Someone who lives in a lane.

Langley

Place name, itslef derived from Old English land leah 'long wood' or 'long clearing' .

Latimer

From the French Latinier, 'an intepreter' or someone who spoke Latin.

Laurie

Contraction of the saint's name Laurence, Scottish.

Lister

From the Middle English, listere 'a dyer of cloth'.

Long

Nickname for a tall man.

Mainwaring

Place name - Mesnilwarin, the manor of Warin.

Mason

Tradename

Maurice

From the Latin Mauritius meaning 'Moor', hence someone dark in appearance.

Messenger

Trade name

Miller

Trade name