Help me with a little research?

[Kristie]

I'm writing a (really short) paper on last names, where they come from, and what that says about that area's values.

For example, if one country has all last names that mean "son of", there would be an emphasis on lineage, versus another country where they're all an occupation, like "Potter" or "Smith."

My hope here is to get data from people from places other than Indiana

So, what I need from you is...
1. Last name
2. What it means
3. Where it's from, or where your earliest ancestor with this name came from. Country is fine, but if you happen to know what part of the country that would be great.

If you don't know what it means or where it's from feel free to share anyway, maybe I or someone else knows.

If you're not comfortable with posting this information, you can email it to me at klericks@purdue.edu.


to all of you that help me out!

 

[Laura M]

1. Smith
2. What it means: An occupation, blacksmith. I stole this from a website because that's all I knew: Derived from the Anglo-Saxon "smitan," to smite or strike, SMITH and its derivations are an occupational name for a man who works with metal (smith or blacksmith), one of the earliest jobs for which specialist skills were required. It is a craft that was practiced in all countries, making the surname and its derivations the most common of all surnames.
3. Belfast, Northern Ireland. (My Great Grandfather)

 

[Ultraviolet Light]

This might be a helpful website if you don't know what your last name means: http://surnames.behindthename.com/


1. Erichsen
2. (I suppose I don't really need to tell you this, do I? ) means Son of Eric (color me surprised!)
Etymology of Eric: From the Old Norse name Eiríkr, derived from ei "ever" and ríkr "ruler". Danish invaders first brought the name to England. A famous bearer was Eiríkr inn Rauda (Eric the Red in English), a 10th-century navigator and explorer who discovered Greenland. This was also the name of kings of Denmark, Sweden and Norway.
3. This spelling is Danish - my patrilineal ancestors were from Tønder, Denmark, which is like 5 miles north of the German border.

 

[JessicaAnn]

1. Koth
2. Cat
3. It's a Polish surname ... in Poland it was spelled, Kot, but the "h" was added when my family came to the States.

 

[verte76]

OK, here's my info:

1. Hefner
2. "maker of earthenware"
3. Germany, I wish I knew which part

 

[JessicaAnn]

OK, here's my info:

1. Hefner
2. "maker of earthenware"
3. Germany, I wish I knew which part

Are you related to Hugh?

 

[BAW]

1. Carlson

2. Carl is a variation of Charles , a French, Welsh and English surname, from the Germanic given name Carl = man. Carlson is a patronymic version denoting the "son of Carl." Karl , the German cognate form, was not in use as a given name during the Middle Ages, and is rare or unknown as a German surname since it was restricted to nobility. English variations of Charles are Karl, Karle, Carle, Carl . French forms are Charle, Charlon, Carle, Chasles, Chasle . Cognate forms are Carlo, Caroli, Carlesi, Carlisi, Carlesso (Italian); Carlos (Spain); Carles (Catalan); Kerl, Kehrl, Keerl (Low German); Karl (Jewish Ashkenazic); Karel, Kares (Czech); Karoly, Karolyi (Hungarian). Patronymic forms include Charleston (t-added); McCarlish (Scottish); De Carlo, De Carli, Di Carlo, De Carolis (Italian); Carlens (Flemish/Dutch); Karlsen, Carlsen (Norwegian); Karlsson, Carlsson (Swedish); Karlowicz, Karolak, Karolczak (Polish).

3. I come from the Swedish version of this name


O/T. My Grandfather's name was Charles Carl Carlson so according to the geneology site I got this info from, his full name means: Charles Charles Son of Charles

 

[MissVelvetDress_75]

my surname is too unique to appear on that site.

 

[verte76]

Are you related to Hugh?

No. I don't know how many times I've been asked that!

 

[U2democrat]

1. Harrison
2. From son of Harry
3. From Scotland/England

 

[burns]

1.....Burns
2.I don't know....(not even the website can tell me )
3.From Scotland I think

 

[maro_chik]

1. McCann

2. Scottish Patronymic name for the 'son of Annadh' whose name means 'storm.'

3. As far as I know, it was either my grandfather or great-grandfather from my father's side that had the earliest name. And apparently they were of Irish origin.

 

[Kristie]

1.....Burns
2.I don't know....(not even the website can tell me )
3.From Scotland I think

I got you covered. The Penguin Dictionary of Surnames (of the British Isles) says:

Burn 'stream' the word is now part only of the northern and Scots vocabulary, but was once common in the south, where it eventually meant an intermittent stream, especially one flowing only in winter. Burn(e)s, Burness an older spelling found in Cumberland, Westmorland, Scotland; 61st commonest surname in Scotland in 1958, 68th in Ireland in 1890.


This is so awesome... 'cause I like this kind of stuff.

to be fair, here's me
1. Erickson
2. Son of Eric, as Ellen already said so eloquently
3. Swedish. Used to be Ericsson, but my great-grandfather Americanized it when he came over on the boat.

 

[Golightly Grrl]

Here is my info:

KAUFMAN
1) German, Jewish
2) Means "merchant"
3) Germany

 

[U2democrat]

Here is my info:

KAUFMAN
1) German, Jewish
2) Means "merchant"
3) Germany

that makes sense, because in german, "kaufen" means "to buy".

cool connection!

 

[meegannie]

My maiden name is Tuck, which is English, but I have no idea what it means....

My married name (also English) is Ruddock, which is another name for a robin, and was apparently some radio station's word of the day:
http://www.abc.net.au/classic/breakfast/stories/s540640.htm
"The word ruddock goes back to at least the year 1,000 and originally meant ‘red or reddish in colour.’ You can see by looking at ruddock that it’s clearly related to the more familiar word ruddy. Presumably, the clan from which Ruddock is descended was once noted for its red hair, or, perhaps, for its ruddy complexion. Back in the Middle English period almost anything of that colour might be nicknamed a ruddock. Hence, the robin redbreast was known as a ruddock (still, I am told, a dialect name for the bird in parts of England). A variety of cider apple was also called a ruddock, as was a type of toad – known as the ‘red toad or ruddock’ and said to be (quote) ‘very full of poison, and of great use among witches.’"

 

[Kristie]

My maiden name is Tuck, which is English, but I have no idea what it means....

I'd guess it's probably a derivative (or at least related to) Tucker.

Tucker 'fuller' one who was fulled, teased, and burled cloth (from a verb meaning 'maltreat'). A strongly south-wstern surname, especially Devon, commemorating a great medieval cloth industry.

 

[yertle-the-turtle]

I don't know if this will help but...

1. Kawaguchi
2. Mouth of a stream
3. Japanese

Basically most Japanese family names derive themselves from landscape features.

 

[Kristie]

I wish I had more asian names

Not like they're abounding in the Midwest.

 

[karmic_postmark]

Surname is Guterac but my Great grandfather for some mysterious reason changed the family name to Gutierez. He lived in Arizona but was not born in the US. I have no idea of the origin. I can never find anything on Guterac.

 

[pax]

1.) Myers
2.) Don't know what it means
3.) I live in Northeastern Pennsylvania, but I know that the Myers name is German.

 

[Dutch Partygirl]

1. It's Van de Laarschot, but if my ancestors would've done the right thing it would've been Wouters. About 150-200 years ago a guy (my relative) named Wouters got married and he adopted his mother's last name when he got married, which is Van de Laarschot.

2. No clue what it means.

3. My family comes from the province Noord-Brabant in the Netherlands.

 

[Golightly Grrl]

that makes sense, because in german, "kaufen" means "to buy".

cool connection!

Well, I guess I'll have to kaufen the latest U2 CD this Tuesday.

 

[MissVelvetDress_75]

Krisite, if you can find out the meaning of my last name I will be very happy to read about it.

My last name: Sarabia
Origin: persian
My father's family: Mexican

 

[U2democrat]

Well, I guess I'll have to kaufen the latest U2 CD this Tuesday.

I thin, this is right:

Am Dienstag muss ich die neue U2 CD kaufen.

I must buy the new U2 CD on Tuesday.

 

[dandy]

I thin, this is right:

Am Dienstag muss ich die neue U2 CD kaufen.

I must buy the new U2 CD on Tuesday.

sehr gut!

 

[Rinn]

1.Guest
2.don't know the meaning
3.very old Norse, but the name is like Smith in Scotland

And my Mum's maiden name is Bourke
2. Means The Borough or Dweller at the Fortress
3. Has been in Ireland since the Hiberno-Norman times and probably arrived with the Norsemen. 14th most numerous surname in Ireland.
Variants are: Burke, de Burgh, De Burgo, De Burca.
Motto: "One God, One Law, One Faith" UNG DIEU, UNG LOY, UNG FOY.
Hope this helps, Cheers

 

[Blue Room]

1. Blue
2. I believe it was originally Blauw, not sure of the meaning or why my ancestors changed it to Blue.
3. Netherlands, 100% I think it was Rotterdam or near there. Most of my family originates from there.

 

[Kristie]

here you go Iris
from http://www.ancestry.com/search/SurnamePage.aspx?html=b&ln=Sarabia&sourcecode=13304

Last Name: Sarabia
Galician and Asturian-Leonese: habitational name from places in Asturies and Galicia (Pontevedra) called Sarabia, from Asturian and Galician sarabia ‘hail’.


that's a neat website... you all should go there and play with it

 

[MissVelvetDress_75]

oh cool! thanks!