Wright

Last updated
Wright
Origin
MeaningWorker, maker
Region of originEngland
Frequency comparisons [1]

Wright is an occupational surname originating in England and Scotland. [1] The term 'Wright' comes from the circa 700 AD Old English word wryhta or wyrhta, meaning "worker or shaper of wood". Later, the word referred to any occupational worker [2] [3] and came to be used as a surname.

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The word's use as an occupational title continued until the mid-19th century, often combined with other words such as in shipwright, wheelwright, [4] wainwright and playwright. [5] The word carpentier, now carpenter, was introduced into England in the years after the Norman conquest in 1066 and slowly replaced the traditional meaning of wright in most of England. 'Wright' is still used in Scottish English in its original meaning of 'skilled woodworker'. The Incorporation of Wrights of the Trades House of Glasgow, [6] and the Incorporation of Wrights and Masons of Edinburgh Trades [7] retain the word in its original meaning in their role of promoting the woodworking trade.

In 2014, Wright was the eleventh most common surname in England. [1] Wright is also an anglicised version of the Scots Gaelic clan name "MacIntyre" or "Mac an t-Saoir", meaning "son of the wright" (son of the carpenter). [8] [9] [10]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Wright Surname at Forebears
  2. ↑ Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary . G. & C. Merriam Company. 1976. ISBN   0-87779-338-7.
  3. ↑ Harrison, Henry (1969). Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary. Vol. 2. Genealogical Publishing Company. p. 311.
  4. ↑ Worshipful Company of Wheelwrights
  5. ↑ Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd Edition, Version 4.0 (Windows & Mac). ISBN   0199563837.
  6. ↑ Incorporation of Wrights of the Trades House of Glasgow
  7. ↑ Incorporation of Wrights and Masons of Edinburgh Trades
  8. ↑ MacIntyre at Scotweb Clan
  9. ↑ MacIntyre Clan myth
  10. ↑ Clan MacIntyre Association
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