Never knew this

[Octavius]

7 types of English Surnames

Occupational

Occupational names identified people based on their job or position in society. Calling a man “Thomas Carpenter” indicated that he worked with wood for a living, while someone named Knight bore a sword. Other occupational names include Archer, Baker, Brewer, Butcher, Carter, Clark, Cooper, Cook, Dyer, Farmer, Faulkner, Fisher, Fuller, Gardener, Glover, Head, Hunt or Hunter, Judge, Mason, Page, Parker, Potter, Sawyer, Slater, Smith, Taylor, Thatcher, Turner, Weaver, Woodman, and Wright (or variations such as Cartwright and Wainwright) — and there are many more.

This kind of name also gave a clue about whom a servant worked for. Someone named Vickers might have been a servant to Mr. Vicker, and someone named Williams might either have served a William or been adopted by him.

From the obscure fact department: In medieval England, before the time of professional theater, craft guilds put on “mystery plays” (“mystery” meaning “miracle”), which told Bible stories and had a call-and-response style of singing. A participant’s surname — such as King, Lord, Virgin, or Death — may have reflected his or her role, which some people played for life and passed down to their eldest son.

Describing a personal characteristic

Some names, often adjectives, were based on nicknames that described a person. They may have described a person’s size (Short, Long, Little), coloring (Black, White, Green, or Red, which could have evolved into “Reed”), or another character trait (Stern, Strong, Swift). Someone named Peacock might have been considered vain.

From an English place name

A last name may have pointed to where a person was born, lived, worked, or owned land. It might be from the name of a house, farm, hamlet, town, or county. Some examples: Bedford, Burton, Hamilton, Hampshire, Sutton. Writer Jack London’s ancestor may have hailed from London.

From the name of an estate

Those descended from landowners may have taken as their surname the name of their holdings, castle, manor, or estate, such as Ernle or Staunton. Windsor is a famous example — it was the surname George V adopted for the British royal family.

From a geographical feature of the landscape

Some examples are Bridge, Brooks, Bush, Camp, Fields, Forest, Greenwood, Grove, Hill, Knolles, Lake, Moore, Perry, Stone, Wold, Wood, and Woodruff. Author Margaret Atwood is probably descended from someone who lived “at the wood.”

Patronymic, matronymic, or ancestral

Patronymic surnames (those that come from a male given name) include Benson (“the son of Ben”), Davis, Dawson, Evans, Harris, Harrison, Jackson, Jones (Welsh for John), Nicholson, Richardson, Robinson, Rogers, Simpson, Stephenson, Thompson, Watson, and Wilson.

Matronymic ones, surnames derived from a female given name, include Molson (from Moll, for Mary), Madison (from Maud), Emmott (from Emma), and Marriott (from Mary).

Scottish clan names make up one set of ancestral surnames. These include Armstrong, Cameron, Campbell, Crawford, Douglas, Forbes, Grant, Henderson, Hunter, MacDonald, and Stewart.

Signifying patronage

Some surnames honored a patron. Hickman was Hick’s man (Hick being a nickname for Richard). Kilpatrick was a follower of Patrick.

[kambuli]

Thanks Good to know.

[Shirib]

Very interesting. Also very similar to German names, which makes sense, since English is a Germanic language.

[Lamagoodle]

It is the same in Scandnavia.

Also somali names have reasons;
Guleed, Mahad, Ayaan, Deeqa , Warsan, Warsame etc ; something to celebrate

Fiidow; born in the evening.

Raage; late born

Guhaad/ Colaad/ Coloow; probably born during a war/famine

Meygaag/ Qurac; in praise of a tree

Geele; camel

Etc etc

[kambuli]

Jaale Marxow,

Meygaag inkastoo uu geed yahay, dadka madow ayaa loo bixin jirey Meygaag..(Madowgii Somaalidu sheegi Jirtey ayaan sheegayaa)...

[Lamagoodle]

Jaale Marxow,

Meygaag inkastoo uu geed yahay, dadka madow ayaa loo bixin jirey Meygaag..(Madowgii Somaalidu sheegi Jirtey ayaan sheegayaa)...

Ma saas baa? Waa sida Tuke, Calas. Kolleey Quracna waa la mid.

P.s. lol @ Marxow; marka hore waxaan u qaatay Maraxoow; Ileen hubsimo hal baa la siistaa. mar labaad ayaan eegay; waa Marx-ow;