Origin | |
---|---|
Language(s) | Old English |
Meaning | A chamber; a cottage; a shady recess |
Region of origin | England |
The surname Bowers is of Saxon origin, derived from the word 'bur' meaning 'a chamber; a cottage; a shady recess'. [1] Adding 'er' to the end of topographical terms was common in south east England. [2] An alternative origin is "a maker of bows". [2] [3]
Boyle is an Irish, Scottish and English surname of Gaelic or Norman origin. In the northwest of Ireland it is one of the most common family names. Notable people with the surname include:
Gordon is a surname with multiple origins, especially Scottish. The masculine given name Gordon is derived from the surname.
Vaughan and Vaughn are surnames, originally Welsh, though also used as a form of the Irish surname McMahon. Vaughan derives from the Welsh word bychan, meaning "small", and so corresponds to the English name Little and the Breton cognate Bihan. The word mutates to Fychan an identifier for a younger sibling or next of kin. It can also be used as a first name Vaughan.
Bauer is a German surname meaning "peasant" or "farmer".
Cronin is derived from the Irish surname Ó Cróinín which originated in County Cork, and the Old Irish word crón, meaning saffron-colored. The Cronin family have been prominent in politics and the arts in Ireland, the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom since the nineteenth century.
Wills is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
Lewis is a surname in the English language. It has several independent origins.
Henderson is a surname of Scottish origin. The name is derived from patronymic form of the name Henry and Hendry, which is a Scottish form of Henry. It means "Son of Hendry" and "Son of Henry". In Scottish Gaelic it is rendered MacEanraig (masculine), and NicEanraig (feminine).
James is a surname in the French language, and in the English language originating from the given name, itself derived from Old French James, variant form of Jacme, Jame, from Late Latin Jacomus, variant form of Latin Jacobus, itself from Hebrew Yaʿaqōḇ. Notable people with the surname include:
Thornton is a surname found in Ireland and Britain.
Walters is a surname of English origin. It used to denote "Son of Walter", derived from the given name Walter, which was introduced into England and Wales about the time of the Norman Conquest. The name "Walter" originates from the Old German wald ("rule") + heri ("warrior").
Kirby is a surname of Irish and English origin. The Irish surname is an anglicisation of Ó Ciarmhaic, while the English surname is from the Old Norse "kirkja" + "býr" meaning "church" + "settlement". Notable people with the surname include:
Howell is a surname and given name originating from Wales. As a surname, it is not particularly common among those of Welsh ancestry, as it is an anglicized form of the Welsh name Hywel. It originates in a dynasty of kings in Wales and Brittany in the 9th and 10th centuries, most notably king Hywel Dda and three Welsh royal houses of that time onwards. The royal House of Tudor was also descended from them. Today, nearly 200,000 people bear this surname.
Robinson is an English language patronymic surname, originating in England. It means "son of Robin ". There are similar surname spellings such as Robison and Robeson. Robinson is the 15th-most common surname in the United Kingdom. According to the 1990 United States Census, Robinson was the twentieth most frequently encountered surname among those reported, accounting for 0.23% of the population.
Jackson is a common surname of Scottish, Irish and English origin eventually becoming a common American surname also. In 1980, Jackson was the 24th most common surname in England and Wales. In the 1990 United States Census, Jackson was the thirteenth most frequently reported surname, accounting for 0.3% of the population.
Ball is an English surname that has multiple potential origins, as do many short surnames:
Kelly is a surname of Irish origin. The name is a partially anglicised version of older Irish names and has numerous origins, most notably from the Ui Maine. In some cases it is derived from toponyms located in Ireland and Great Britain; in other cases it is derived from patronyms in the Irish language.
Fox is a surname originating in England and Ireland. Variants include Foxe and Foxx.
Sheridan is an Irish surname. It is derived from the Irish Gaelic Ó Sirideáin 'descendant of Sirideáin', a given name meaning 'to seek'. Originating in County Longford, the Sheridans were erenaghs of Granard, but in the County Cavan served the O'Reillys.
Pate is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: