The history of Britiss Surnames

THE HISTORY OF BRITISH SURNAMES 

Sometimes, people took their names from occupations. See if you recognize anyone's name from this list! Listed by name first, and job description second.

Archer - archer

Bacchus - worked in a bake house

Bailey - bailiff

Barber - cut hair; surgeon

Barker - worked with bark for the leather trade, shepherd

Baxter - female baker

Bekker - made wooden vessels

Bender - made casks and barrels

Berger - shepherd

Boatwright - made boats

Bowman - archer

Brewer - brewed ale

Brewster - female brewer

Butler - wine steward

Campion - pro fighter; champion

Cantrell - cinger in a chatry

Carpenter - carpenter

Carrin - made carts

Carter - made or sold carts, transported goods

Cartwright - made carts

Carver - sculptor

Cater - supplied goods to a large household

Century - belt maker

Chafer - lime kiln worker

Chaffer - merchant

Chalker - white washer

Challender - sold blankets

Chamberlain - in charge of private chambers.

Chambers - in charge of private chambers.

Chandler - candle maker

Chaplin - chaplain

Chapman - merchant/peddler

Cheeseman - made and sold cheese

Cheesewright - made and sold cheese

Cherrier - worked in a cherry orchard

Chessman - made and sold cheese

Clark - clerk

Cleaver - either worked in a butcher shop or split wood

Coldren - made large cooking pots

Coleman - gathered charcoal

Collier - sold charcoal

Conner - inspected for weights and measures

Cook - cook

Cooper - made barrels

Cotter - tenant farmer

Crowther - played the "crowd," a medieval stringed instrument

Day - worker in a dairy

Dexter - female dyer

Drage - confectioner

Draper - maker/seller of woolen cloth

Dyer - dyed cloth

Dyster - female dyer

Falconer - kept and trained falcons

Farrar - smith, ferrier

Faulkner - kept and trained falcons

Fearson - ironmonger/smith

Fisher - fisherman

Fiske - sold fish

Flax - sold or grew flax

Fletcher - made arrows

Foal - fool; jester

Forester - guardian of lord's forest

Foster - guardian of lord's forest

Fowler - keeper/catcher of birds

Frobisher - polished swords and armor

Fuller - thickened cloth by trampling

Gage - inspected for weights and measures

Gardner, Gardiner - tended gardens

Glover - made gloves

Graves - steward

Hammer - made stone hammers

Harper - played or made harps

Hayward - guarded fences or enclosures

Heard - shepherd or cow herd

Hinman - keeper of deer on an estate

Hogg - swine herd

Hooper - fitted metal hoops to barrels and casks

Hunter - hunter

Inman - Innkeeper

Kantor - singer in a chantry

Kellogg - slaughterer

Key - made keys

Killer - lime kiln worker

King - servant to a king

Kisser - armor maker

Knight - knight; any military servant; young servant to a knight

Lander - laundry worker

Leadbetter - lead worker

Lister - cloth dyer

Lorimer - made spurs

Lush - usher

Machin - mason; stoneworker

Marshall - in charge of horses

Mason - mason; stoneworker

Mercer - merchant, esp. of fine cloths (silk, velvet etc.)

Miller, - Milner miller

Mulliner, - Mills miller

Nader - tailor

Naylor - made and sold nails

Page, Paige, Paget - minor male servant

Palmer - a pilgrim

Parker - game keeper

Parson parson; - rector

Piper - played or made pipes

Plummer plumber; - lead worker

Potter - potter

Proctor - tax collector; solicitor; steward

Provost - supervisor on a lord's manor

Purcell - swine herd

Redman - roof thatcher

Rock - spun wool; made distaffs

Rocker - spun wool; made distaffs

Ryder - delivered messages on horseback

Sadler - made saddles

Salter - salt worker or salt seller

Sargent - military servant

Sawyer - sawed wood

Schneider - tailor (German)

Schreiber - clerk

Scully - town crier

Seal/Seales - maker of seals or saddles

Sexton - maintained churches; dug graves

Shepherd - shepard

Shields - armorer

Singer - singer

Skinner - tanned hides

Skipper - ship master

Smith, Smythe smith - smithy

Smoker - made smocks

Snyder - tailor (Dutch)

Soppner - roofing shingle maker

Spencer - dispensed lord's provisions

Spicer - sold spices

Spittle - hospital worker

Stanier, Stonier - stone cutter

Steele - steel worker

Stewart - steward

Stringer - made strings for bows

Tabor - played the tabor (small drum)

Tanner - tanned hides

Tasker - did piece work

Taverner - tavern keeper

Taylor - tailor

Thatcher - thatched roofs

Tiller - farmer

Tillman - farmer or tile maker

Todd - fox hunter

Toller - toll collector

Trainer - trapper

Tranter - waggoner

Trapp - trapper

Travers - tollbridge keeper

Trinder - wheel maker

Trotter - messenger

Tucker - cloth worker

Turner - made small objects by turning them on a lathe

Tyler - made tiles

Tyrer - wardrobe master

Voss - servant

Walker - shrunk woolen cloth

Waller - built walls

Ward - watchman; guard

Warf - dock worker

Warner, Warrer - in charge of wildlife at a park

Wayne - wheel maker

Webb - weaver

Webster - female weaver

Woodward - forester

Wright (i.e. wheelwright made wheels for carts)

So now you are a bit smarter than before you read this!