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Our Surnames A
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A
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to By C D
E F
G H
IJK L
M N
OPQ R
Sa to Si Sk
to Sy TUV WXYZ
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ACHESON,
AITCHIESON, AITCHISON, ATKINS, ATKINSON. These names are all derived from
“Adam’s son”, the first three via a predominantly Scottish diminutive,
ATTY, the rest via ADKIN.
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ADAMS,
ADAM. Derived from the Old Testament name for the first man. The Hebrew
translates “earth” but is widely used in early texts as a generic term for
“man”. This parallels creation stories in many cultures where God creates
the first man from earth. As a given name in Britain it goes back at least to
the Domesday Book.
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ADDISON.
Son of Addy or Adam. The ADDISONs of our area are believed to have originated in
Cumbria where they were 'statesmen', i.e. they owned their own land. Our
researcher’s branch lived in Teesdale, near Barnard Castle in the 1700's.
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AINSLIE, AINSLEY, ANNESLEY, ANSLEY, AYNSLEY Many spellings, many histories! The
origin is usually considered to be Annesley in Notts. (Ansley in Warwicks does
not seem to figure). This seems odd, when the earliest records of the names are
Scottish! The answer might lie with Ralph de Annesley who, tradition has it, was
dispatched to Scotland by William I. In a comparatively short time, the name
stabilized as AINSLIE and two distinct clans had established themselves: those
of Lasswade and Dolphinstoun, the latter intermarrying with the KERs around
1500. The names have a long, eventful and, for the most part, respectable
history on both sides of the Border, evolving into AINSLEY and AYNSLEY along the
way. Typically, AYNSLEYs are mostly north of the Tyne while the AINSLEYs are to
be found in Durham and the North Riding, with the occasional excursion into and
across the Pennines - probably in pursuit of lead and other minerals. A fair
number of ANNESLEYs cluster in Nottinghamshire and (following their Norman
forebears, perhaps?) have produced distinguished leaders from Irish Peers to
Indian Army Officers. The ANSLEYs, finally, have spread widest and thinnest. In
England, they went to Kent, the Forest of Dean and the West Country where coal
and minerals were to be found. In the New World, many ANSLEYs are known to have
descended from AYNSLEY immigrants, while the popularity of Aynsley (various
spellings) as a given name in the West Indies might indicate a colonial past.
The families have contained the usual mix of saints and sinners of whom perhaps
the least controversially famous is the "Grand Old Man of Longton" who
ran the Aynsley pottery. With acknowledgement to Hugh Ainsley of AINSLEY One
Name Study ainsley@one-name.org
(GOONS #3926) who can be contacted for further information.
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AKEROYD, ACKROYD, etc. One who dwelt by an Oak tree.
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ALDERSON. This name looks like son-of-Alder or son-of-Aldus. There are 12th
and 13th century references to “filius Aldus(e)” in Yorks. and
Lincs. ALDER is less likely as the sons of, say, John-at-the-Alder would
probably have become John’s-sons. ALDUS is an ancient given name but, sadly,
of uncertain origin.
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ALDRICH. This name goes back pre-conquest to Aelfric (Elf-ruler. Don’t be
surprised, we have several faerie names!) or Aethelric, (noble ruler).
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ALLAN, ALLEN, ALLEYN. A Celtic saint’s name, popular with Breton followers of
the Conqueror (Alan Fergant was a prominent example). It means “rock”. The
name has also been around in Scotland for at least as long. Or in a North
Pennine context, could be named for the river. The river name(s) (Allen, Alwin
and Aln are probably synonymous) might mean “the white river” – or the
rocky one.
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ALLEMBY, ALLENBY. From Allonby, on the Cumbrian coast. (Grid Ref. NY081434). The
village is ALLEYN’s by, which makes the derivation somewhat circular!
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ALLESON, ALLINSON, ALLISON. Son of Alice. A good example of a matronymic (see
note) rather than a patronymic name! John Allison appears in the Subsidy Rolls
for Cumberland in 1332.
NOTE: This word
is also spelled “metronymic” in various worthy volumes. I prefer the “a”
(older) spelling to avoid (my own) confusion with “metonymic” also used in
name research, and meaning a transferred name, such as an occupational name,
like BUTCHER.
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ALSTON.
In a North Pennine context, the name probably comes from the town itself. Alston
is Aldhun’s tun although the earliest record has it as Aldeneby.
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AMOS. A variant of Ames, meaning a “friend”, euphemism for a slave! Could be
pre-conquest. The name was typically changed in the 17th Century when
the Old Testament was in fashion!
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ANDERSON. Son of Andrew, from the Greek “Manly”. Being the name of the
Patron Saint, ANDREW is popular in Scotland as a given name and the usage has
passed into surnames.
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ANGASS, ANGAS.
Probably variants of ANGUS. George Fife ANGAS, who was born at Newcastle on Tyne
on 1 May 1789, and died in the Barossa district of South Australia, 15 May 1879,
is regarded by many as the founder of South Australia. See:
www.southaustralianhistory.com.au/angas.htm
The
town of Angaston lies NE of Adelaide, at E 138º60’, S34º23’.
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ANGUS. From the Scottish district of that name or from the ancient Pictish given
name recorded back to the 8th C. William ANGUS, a lead-smelter, moved
his family from Stanhope to Nenthead in around 1830, attracted, no doubt, by the
offer of desirable accommodation in the newly built Hillersdon Terrace, an early
example of “enlightened” planning of workers’ housing.
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APPLEBY. From the Royal Borough of that name. (Grid
Ref: NY715195)
Being a Royal Borough gave the town the mixed blessing of owing allegiance
directly to the Crown and not the local Lords (the CLIFFORDs, q.v.). The
town’s name shows another divided loyalty, for “Apple” is Old English and
“-by” is Danish! There is an
APPLEBY website at: www.geocities.com/Heartland/Woods/2434
from which the following notable APPLEBYs have
been extracted: Henry de Apelby, rector of Bolton-Juxta-Bowland 1367;
John de Appleby, vicar of Tilney, Norfolk 1372; Sir Edmund de Appleby who died
in 1375. He fought at the Battle of Crecy in France with King Edward III;
William Ivers Appleby 1811-1870 Journalist and pioneer on a Mormon Wagon Train
in Utah; James Appleby 1824-1835 who died aged 11 along with 75 boys in the
Wallsend Colliery disaster; Thomas A Appleby 1843-1925 Veteran of the American
Civil War; Stuart Appleby. The Australian World Class International golfer.
(ONS)
– Appleby@one-name.org
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APPLEGARTH
A “garth” is an enclosed area and an apple is an apple, so it’s someone
who lived at or owned an orchard.
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ARCHBOLD. Same as
ARCHIBALD. This was a Norman name, common in mediaeval Yorkshire. It is also
popular to this day as a Scottish given name. See “Reivers”.
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ARCHER.
Self-explanatory! I wonder how the choice was made to call someone ARCHER or
BOWMAN (q.v.)? The equivalent alternative exists between ARROWSMITH and
FLETCHER.
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ARGILL.
While there is some evidence that this is a Derbyshire name, there is a
place-name reference on Stainmore, near Brough (Grid Ref. NY844139) where Argill
Beck runs through Argill Woods. Coal has been mined there by adits on the north
bank of Argill Beck, where it is said to have been nearly four feet thick. It is
possible that the place name could have come from the miners who worked it.
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ARKLESS.
This name is a derivative from Hercules.
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ARMITAGE. From Hermitage. Which hermitage is anyone’s guess.
There is a suitable candidate in the parish of
St. John Lee (Landranger Sheet 87 Grid Ref. NY936651) and, of course the famous
Castle in Liddesdale. (Landranger Sheet 79 Grid Ref. NY497960)
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ARMSTRONG. Perhaps the archetypal personal-characteristic name, and very
much a Borders speciality, including a tribe of Reivers! (See Reiver’s Names).
The legend is that one FAIRBAIRN who lifted a fallen King of Scotland to his
horse during a battle using only one strong arm and was granted lands in
Liddesdale in return.
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Famous ARMSTRONGs – Lord ARMSTRONG, the entrepreneur and weapons manufacturer,
whose Wagnerian (says Pevsner!) home at Cragside (NU 071027), designed by
Norman Shaw, is one of the wonders of Northumberland.
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Kinmont Willie ARMSTRONG was the great grandson of Thomas Armstrong, the 5th
Laird of Mangerton and lived in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. He was captured
by Salkeld, Deputy English Marshall of the Western Marches on a Day of Truce and
imprisoned in Carlisle Castle. A force led by the Duke of Buccleuch (the
Scottish Warden) stormed the Castle and released him. The Ballad of Kinmont
Willie celebrates the event in over 40 verses!
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ARROWSMITH – see FLETCHER
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ASHWORTH. A place in Lancashire, absorbed into Greater Manchester, (Grid
Ref:SD831152) whose name simply means the village with the ash-trees.
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ASKEW. From Aiskew, next to Bedale in the North Riding of Yorkshire (Landranger
Sheet 99, Grid Ref.SE273886). The village name is of Scandinavian origin, eikiskogr,
meaning an oak-wood and appears in the Domesday Book as Echescol.
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ASTLES. Could be “East Hill”, as is the village, Astle in Cheshire.
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ATKINS, ATKINSON. From Adkin, a diminutive of Adam, and his servant or son. (See
also ACHESON).
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AYNSLEY. See AINSLEY
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AYRE, AYRES. There are lots of alternative spellings and variants. Including
Eyre and Heyer. It derives either from an ancient personal name, Ealhhere, or
from the Scottish Royal Burgh of Ayr.
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AYTON . Most probably derived from a place-name. This could either be from the
Aytons (Great and Little) in North Yorkshire (Grid Ref:NZ557109) or, equally
from Berwickshire. (Grid Ref: NT924609) See also HAYTON.
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