Usually European history and civilization is more connected with the Mediaval period (from the 5th to the late 15th century). Medieval surnames had a far more valuable meaning attached to them in Medieval England, so they do now inherit our surname effectively. Medieval names usually have something in it, and below are some of the most common surnames found in Medieval England and their meaning.
Medieval Last Names and Meanings
These are the most popular Medieval family names arranged in alphabetical order. Some of you may interested in nobles, fantasy or royal medival surnames, so that I have covered these categories at the end of this post.
Names Start with A
Abbey – someone that works in an abbey
Arkwright – a person that makes arks
Aimar – A famous or noble individual
Anderson – Son of Andrew
Atkinson/ Atkins – Son of Atkin
B
Baker/ Baxter – A bread maker
Bauer – peasant
Bell – Bell-ringer
Brewster – Someone who works in a brewery
Bigge – A significant and robust individual
Bennett – A blessed individual
Blythe – Happy or joyous
Bonner – kind or courteous
Brown– Someone with dark coloured hair
Bell – An individual that lives near a town bell
Bridge – Someone lives by a bridge
Bryson – Son of Brice
Medieval Last Names Start with C
Chamberlain – One that looked after mansions
Chandler – A candle maker
Chapman – Shopkeeper
Clarke – teacher, a scholar or a priest
Collier – coal miner
Cooper – Someone that made wooden buckets
Chance – A lucky person
Curtis – An elegant person
Cruikshank – One with bent legs
D
Dempster – Judge
Dear– One that is loved
Devine – One that behaved in a divine manner
Daft – Someone with a mild
Dunn – Someone with dark-colored skin
E
Everett – Brave
Erickson – Son of Erick
F
Fish/ Fisher – Fisherman or a fish seller
Fish – Good swimmer
Fox – Crafty person
Fox – An individual with red hair
Forest – Someone lives by a forest
Old English Last Names Start with G
Gardner/ Gardiner – Person that owned a garden
Grant – Someone great
Grey – Someone with grey clothes
H
Harper – Individual who made harps
Hardy – Bold
Hawk – Someone with a fierce temper
Hindman – A courteous person
Hughes – Son of Hugh
Hill – One who lives by a hill
I
Inman – An innkeeper
Medieval Surnames Start with J
Jenner – Engineer
Jameson – Son of John
Johnson – Son of John
K
Kemp – A jouster
Kitchener – Person that works in the kitchen
Knight – knight
Koch – A cook
Kocher – A cook
Keen – Brave
Kennedy – Someone with an ugly face
Knapp – One that lives at the top of a hill
L
Lister – Dyer
Lightfoot – Someone that walks rapidly
Lancaster – One that comes from Lancaster
London – One that comes from London
M
There are many medieval names that can be use for females. And some of them are starting with M.
Miller – Person who works in a mill
Mannering – A manly person
Moody – Brave person
Mundy – A person born on Monday
Morrell – Short person with a dark complexion
Meredith – Descended from Maredudd
Morrison – Son of Morris
N
Norton – One that lives north of a town
P
Here are popular medieval english surnames starting with P. Some of these names are still common in England.
Packard – A person that sells stolen goods
Page – A young servant
Payne – A pagan
Palmer – A pilgrim
Parker – The keeper of the park
Porter – The doorkeeper
Peacock – The nickname for an arrogant person
Power – Poor person
Pratt – The nickname for a trickster
Proude – A person who proud
Pruitt – A brave and fearless individual
Puttock – A greedy person
Park – One who lives by the park
Q
Quick – An agile person
R
Here are the medieval times names starts with letter R. Some of these old surnames are still popular in the world.
Rolfe – A peasant
Ryder – A warrior
Rey – Acts like a king
Rose – A person with a rosy complexion
Russ – a person with red hair
Root – One that is cheerful and happy
Russell – One with red hair
Robertson – Son of Robert
Rose – One who lives in an area where there are many roses
List of Medieval Last Names Start with S
Saylor – An acrobat or a dancer
Scrivens – A writer
Sommer – Farmer that had to pay taxes in the summer
Smith – Metalworker
Spinner – A person that spins wool
Steele – A person that works steel
Stoddard – A horse keeper
Swift – A messenger
Selly – a blessed individual
Sharp – An intelligent
Short – the short person
Sommer – a cheerful person
Sparks – a lively individual
Spear – Thin person
Stern – Someone that has a severe character
Swann/ Swan – People have known for their purity
Sweet – a nickname for a friendly and pleasant person
Sullivan – One with a good eyesight
Simson – Son of Simon
Shaw – One who lives by the woods
Sommer – One that lives in a sunny area
T
Taylor – A tailor
Tinker – Person that mends kitchen utensils
Toller – A person that collected taxes
Tait – someone cheerful, happy
Terrell – a suborn individual
Truman – a trustworthy person
Townsend – One who lives on the outskirts of the town
Tuft – One that lives near many trees and bushes
Tracey – One individual that comes from France
W
Wainwright – A person that made carts
Walter – Water-bearer
Ward – Guardian
Webb – Weaver – Last names that describe character traits
Wallace– a Celt, or a foreigner, stranger
Wild – wild
Ware – An astute person
Whitehead – A person with blonde hair – Surnames that indicate family lineage
Williamson – Son of William
Y
Yohe – One who lives near a stream
York – One that comes from York
Medieval Last Names for Nobles
These are the top nobles last names and some of these names belongs to kings who lived in he Medival age.So, most of these last names also treated as royal last names.
Altard
Arden
Baudry
Beauchamp
Boleyn
Confessor
Clinchamps
Courteney
Dacre
De Braose
Damours
Evelyn
Faucon
Flambard
Gilpin
Guideville
Harold
Henry
Medieval Surnames of Kings and Queens
This is another interesting list you may like to see. Maybe you have a family name that comes form these kings or queens.
Godwinson
Rufus
Beauclerc
Matilda
Plantagenet
Lackland
These are most famous medieval kings surnames and you can check more details from here.
Medieval Arabic Last Names
During the Medival era there was a simialar cultural approach in Arabian countries arround 900–1300 CE. There were popular muslim family names used during that period.
Aban
Auriya
Bazzu
Dhayl
Gamama
Halhal
Jalib
Jasib
Mahua
Narjis
There are many online sources you can refer to find medival arabic last names. You can get more details from the above link, if you are interested.
Premina Parker, is a parenting advisor. She is the author, most recently, parenting blog called Genbabycarrier.com. Her work has helped Time win two National Magazine Awards.
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