Kate Monk's Onomastikon (Dictionary of Names)

Medieval English Surnames

The Norman invasion of 1066 introduced a large stock of continental Germanic and French names. Although the Normans, or Norsemen, had only been settled in northern France for about two generations, they retained little of their original language and the naming pattern was altered. French influence had reached Britain already through Edward the Confessor who was brought up by his mother Emma's relatives in Brittany, although this was limited almost exclusively to court circles. (Canute the Dane had defeated Edward's father, Ethelred, and married Emma.)

The Normans brought both servants and ordinary fighting men whose sphere was far outside that of the nobles and the linguistic structure that was to become English began to be formed. Literacy became more widespread and a classical influence became apparent, especially in girls' names. Some Saxon and Norse names were retained along with their Norman counterparts but they gradually became less common. Anglo-Saxon and Norman French names can be similar due to the common Germanic roots of the Angles, Saxons and Vikings.

Formation of Surnames

The Anglo-Saxons used only personal names, sometimes with nicknames and patronymics, so it was not until after the Norman Conquest that inherited surnames were adopted. Originally these were only borne by nobles and were likely to be restricted to the place of origin, preceded by 'de' as in modern French, or the father's name preceded by 'Fitz' (from French fils 'son').

Later, sources included:

Norman French family names and nicknames brought by the Normans (see below) Old English/Saxon family names taken from personal names, usually male Linknames common first names and patronymics Nicknames descriptions of appearance or character (Short, Brown, Redhead) Trade names indicated what trade a person or his ancestors followed Localities where in the village/town one lived (Hill, Green, Church, Field, Townsend) Placenames place of origin (North, York, Southey, Lancaster)

Surnames

Achard Addinell Adeney Aguilon Albelin Alevi Alis Altard Ansgot Anzeray Arundel Aschuill Asselin Auber Aubert Auffrye Aungier Auvray Azor Bachiler Baignard Bailleul Bainard Baliol Ballard Barkentin Basnage Basset Baudry Baujot Bauldry Bauquemare Bavent Beaumanoir Beaumarchais Beaumont Beauvallet Becdelièvre Bele Belet Bellecote Belmis Benoist Beringar Berners Bernières Bertran Bigot Blancbaston Blangi Blosbeville Blouet Bohon Boisivon Boislevesque Boissel Boivin Bolam Bolbec Bondeville Bonel Bonenffant Boneth Bonvalet Bordel Bosanquet Bosc Bosiet Bossard Bostel Boteler Boterel Botin Bouchard Bourchier Bourdekin Bourdet Bourneville Bradwardine Brai Braund Brebeuf Brereton Bretel Breteuil Bretteville Brèvedent Brimou Brinon Briouse Briqueville Brix Buci Budi Bulli Burci Burguet Buron Bursigni Busnois Busquent Caen Cailli Caillot Cairon Calmette Cambrai Campion Canaigres Canouville Caradas Carbonnel Cardon Cardonell Carnet Carteret Castillon Caunter Cavelier Ceauce Cely Challenge Chandos Chartres Chauncy Cheney Cherbourg Cioches Claville Clerinell Clinchamps Coliar Colleville Colombelles Colombieres Comyn Conteville Corbet Corbière Corbon Cormeilles Corneilles Corviser Cosin Couci Couer Courcelle Courcelles Courci Courcon Courcy Courseume Craon Crevecoeur Croc Cruel Cugey Cul de Louf Culai Cumin Curteys d'Ouilli d'Adreci d'Aguillon d'Albert d'Alencon Dalyngridge d'Amboise d'Ambray Damours d'Andeli d'Andre d'Angers d'Angerville d'Angleville Danneville d'Ansleville Danvers Darcy Darell d'Argentan D'Argouges d'Argues d'Armentieres d'Arques d'Athenous d'Aubernon d'Auberville d'Audrieu d'Aufai d'Aumale Daunger d'Aunon D'Auvay D'Auvrecher d'Avranches d'Avre de Bailleul de Balon de Bans de Bapaumes de Barbes de Beauchamp de Beaufou de Beaumais de Beaumont de Beauvais de Bellehache de Bellemare de Bellièvre de Belmeis De Berchelai de Bercheres de Bernai de Bernieres de Berranger de Berville de Bethencourt de Bienfaite de Biville de Blays de Blundville de Bouilon de Bourgueville de Breos de Cahaihnes de Calmesnil de Caulmont de Caux de Challon de Chefderue de Civille de Corbeil de Cormeilles de Coucy de Courseilles de Croismare de Faicterau De Felius De Fry de Genville de Gosbeck de Grieu de Hanivel de Hattes de Herle de Ireby de La Champagne de La Hay de La Mare de La Noue de La Place de La Porte de La Reue de La Roche de Lampérière de Lombelon de Lorraine de Malhortye de Maromme de Massard de Mesniel de Mesnildo de Monchy de Monluc de Montchrestien de Montfault de Montgomery de Moustiers de Moy de Munchesney de Pardieu de Perronet de Pinchemont de Recusson de Rely de Reymes de Roncherolles de Salynges de Saussay de Savage de Seguzzo de Servian de Seyssel de Tanie de Tocni de Toeni de Valles de Vandes de Vaux de Vesci de Villy de Viuepont de Vymont d'Ecouis d'Engagne d'Eresby des Moutiers des Vaux d'Escalles Deschamps Desmares d'Espagne Destain d'Eu d'Evreux d'Helion d'Hericy d'Houdetot Digby d'Incourt Ditton Dive Beugelin d'Ivri Dol Hugue d'Olgeanc d'Orbec d'Orglande d'Ornontville Douai Dreux Droullin Druel du Bec du Bois-Hebert du Bosc-Roard du Breuil Du Buisson Du Gouey du Merle Du Moucel du Perche Du Perron du Quesnai du Saussai du Theil du Tilleul Dubosc Dufay Dufour Duhamel Dumont d'Unepac Dupasquier Duquesne Durandal Durerie Durjardin Durville Duval Dyel Ecouland Elers Emory Engerrand Erquemboure Espec Esteney Evelyn Eveque Faceby Faintree Falaise Fantosme Faucon Fecamp Fergant Ferrieres Feu Fitzalan Fitzherbert Fitzhugh Fitzroy Flambard Folet Foliot Fonnereau Fontemai Fossard Fougeres Fourneaux Framan Fresle Fribois Froissart Fromentin Furnival Gael Gand Garin Gaveston Gibard Giffard Gillain Gilpin Giscard Glanville Godart Godefroy Gomboult Gouel Goulaffre Gournai Grai Grancourt Grentemesnil Grenteville Greslet Griffin Grimoult Grouchet Groulart Guéribout Guernon Gueron Guideville Guiffart Guildersleeve Guinand Gurney Guyot Hachet Halacre Hallé Hamage Harcourt Haute Hauville Hédiart Hendry Herbard Heriet Heuzé Hewse Hodenc Holland Hotot Hue Hugonin Hynde Ide Jolland Jubert la Berviere la Bruiere la Cleve la Foret la Guierche la Mare la Pommeraie la Riviere La Vache La Verrier Labbé Laci l'Adoube l'Aigle Lallement l'Ane Lanquetot l'Appeville l'Archer l'Aune Le Barge le Berruier Le Blanc le Blond le Bouguignon le Breton Le Chandelier Le Clerc Le Conte Le Cordier Le Cornu le Despensier Le Doulcet le Flamand le Gaucher Le Goix Le Grant Le Gras Le Jumel Le Lieur Le Maistre Le Marchant le Marechal Le Marinier Le Masson Le Paulmier Le Pelletier Le Pesant le Poitevin Le Prévost le Roux Le Roux Le Seigneur le Senechal Le Sueur Le Tellier le Vicomte Lefebre l'Estourmi Letre Levasseur Lhuillier Libourg Ligonier L'ile Linesi Lisieux Loges Lorz Loucelles Louet Louvet Lovet Lucy Ludel Lynom Machault Machel Maci Maignart Malet Mallebisse Malleville Mallilie Mallory Malvallet Malveisin Maminot Mandeville Manneilli Mansel Mantel Marchés Marchmain Marci Marescot Margas Mariage Marillac Marisco Martel Mathan Maubenc Maudit Mauduit Maunsell Maurouard Mautravers Maynet Medley Mercier Meri Merteberge Mesnage Meulan Meules Meverel Middleton Mobec Moion Monceaux Montacute Montaigu Montbrai Mont-Canisi Montfiquet Montfort Montgomery Montgommeri Moron Morphew Mortagne Mortain Mortemer Mortmain Moyaux Mucedent Munneville Murdac Musard Musart Mussegros Mustel Nelond Neot Nesdin Neufmarche Neuville Noyers Omand Orlebar Ormond Osmond Osmont Ouistreham Painel Paixdecouer Pancevolt Pantoul Papelion Papon Paris Parry Parthenai Paschal Pasquier Pastforeire Patris Paumera Peccoth Peche Peis Pennant Perci Péricard Perroy Petremol Peveril Pevrel Picard Picot Picvini Pierrepont Pinel Pipin Pippery Piquiri Pistres Pithou Plucknet Poer Poignant Poillei Pointel Pont Pont de l'Arche Pontchardon Port Postel Poussin Prestcote Puchot Quesnel Quièvremont Quincarnon Raimbeaucourt Rainecourt Raleigh Rames Raoullin Rassent Ravenot Rennes Renold Restault Reviers Riebou Rivière Roard Rocque Roger Romé Romenel Ros Rosai Rou Roussel Runeville Sacquerville Saint-Clair Sainte-d'Aignaux Saint-Germain Saint-Helene Saint-Leger Saint-Ouen Saint-Quentin Saint-Sanson Saint-Valeri Saint-Waleri Saisset Sauvigni Scolland Séguier Senarpont Senlis Sept-Meules Simnel Sollers Somneri Sourdeval Strivelyn Stukely Tabraham Taillebois Taillepied Talvace Tessel Thaon Theroulde Thibault Thiboust Thorel Tibon Tilly Tinel Tirel Toclive Torteval Touchet Tourlaville Tourmente Tournai Tournebulle Tournebut Tourneville Toustain Tranchant Trelli Tulles Urry Valance Valognes Vastel Vatteville Vaubadon Vauville Vaux Vavassour Veci Venois Ventris Ver Verdun Vernold Vernon Verrall Vesci Vesli Veteripont Vieuxpont Villehardain Villon Vipont Vis-de-Louf Vis-de-Loup Vitalis Vivers Viville Voisin Wadard Warci Watteau Werables Willoughby Wissant Ygou

Noble Families

These surnames all occurred amongst the nobility during medieval times. Some titled families still bear them today. Historically, a duke or earl often tended to be known by his title (Warwick, Northumberland, Suffolk, Norfolk, Gloucester, York, Lancaster, March, Leicester) but would have a family name as well. Sometimes, the heir to an estate would change his name to that of the original family if he was not in the direct line.

Beauchamp Bigod Bohun Boleyn Cecil Courteney Dacre de Braose de Burgh de Clare de la Pole de Lacy de Montfort Devereux Dudley Fairfax Ferrers Fiennes Fitton Herbert Howard Lovell Montague Mortimer Mowbray Neville Percy Quincey Russell Sidney Stafford Stanley Talbot Umfraville Vane Vaughan Woodville

This collection of names was compiled by Kate Monk and is ©1997, Kate Monk.

Copies may be made for personal use only.

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