Was your ancestor a red-headed boy servant, or a blacksmith? (Picture: Shutterstock)

Researchers have looked into the origin of more than 45,000 surnames in Britain – with some surprising results.

Out of the 45,600 they examined, thousands of the names they looked at reflected the pattern of regular immigration into the country from the 16th century until now.

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For example, while around 40,000 names were native to Britain and Ireland, all of the rest were of French Huguenot, Dutch, Jewish, Indian, Arabic, Korean, Japanese, Chinese or African descent.

The team from the University of the West of England in Bristol studied the linguistic origins, history and geographical distribution of the most frequent family names found in Britain and Ireland today.




Led by professors Patrick Hanks and Richard Coates, they searched through records from published and unpublished sources dated from the 11th to the 19th centuries.

This was your ancestor if you have the surname Smith or Farah – unless you’re of Muslim origin, in which case your name means ‘happiness’ (Picture: Shutterstock)

These included previously untapped medieval and modern resources such as tax records, church registers and census returns.

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‘There is widespread interest in family names and their history,’ Prof Coates said. ‘Our research uses the most up-to-date evidence and techniques in order to create a more detailed and accurate resource than those currently available.

‘We have paid particular attention, wherever possible, to linking family names to locations.’

The findings have been published in the Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland, which is available from today.

What does your name mean? Smith, Baker, Beadle, Rutter and Baxter : These surnames are occupational. Smith and Baker are pretty self-evident, but less obvious are Beadle (a medieval court official), Rutter (someone who plays the rote, a medieval instrument), and Baxter (from the Middle English word for a baker, ‘bakstere’).

: These surnames are occupational. Smith and Baker are pretty self-evident, but less obvious are Beadle (a medieval court official), Rutter (someone who plays the rote, a medieval instrument), and Baxter (from the Middle English word for a baker, ‘bakstere’). Hill and Green : These names are linked to a place, such as the village green.

: These names are linked to a place, such as the village green. Jackson and Jenkinson : These are patronymic surnames, in which the father’s name was originally enshrined.

: These are patronymic surnames, in which the father’s name was originally enshrined. Brown, Short and Thin : These described your ancestor, the original bearer of the name – although Prof Coates says ‘Short may in fact be an ironic “nickname” surname for a tall person’.

: These described your ancestor, the original bearer of the name – although Prof Coates says ‘Short may in fact be an ironic “nickname” surname for a tall person’. Farah : This has both English and Arabic origins. It is a rare English name, with five recorded bearers in the 1881 census – all from Middlesex and northern England. It is derived from the northern pronunciation of the much more common Farrer, an occupational name from Middle English – in which ‘ferrour’ means an ironworker or blacksmith. The name is now far more common in Muslim families, and is derived from the Arabic ‘farah’ – meaning joy, happiness and delight.

: This has both English and Arabic origins. It is a rare English name, with five recorded bearers in the 1881 census – all from Middlesex and northern England. It is derived from the northern pronunciation of the much more common Farrer, an occupational name from Middle English – in which ‘ferrour’ means an ironworker or blacksmith. The name is now far more common in Muslim families, and is derived from the Arabic ‘farah’ – meaning joy, happiness and delight. Li or Lee : Li, which is often written Lee, is one of the most common Chinese-origin surnames in Britain. More than 9,000 were recorded as having the name Li in 2011, and that doesn’t even include those who spell it Lee. It has at least six different origins in a range of Chinese dialects, including ‘plum’, ‘chestnut’, ‘black’, ‘fortunate’ and ‘strict’.

: Li, which is often written Lee, is one of the most common Chinese-origin surnames in Britain. More than 9,000 were recorded as having the name Li in 2011, and that doesn’t even include those who spell it Lee. It has at least six different origins in a range of Chinese dialects, including ‘plum’, ‘chestnut’, ‘black’, ‘fortunate’ and ‘strict’. Chakrabarti : An Indian surname, and a variant of the more frequent Chakraborty. It comes from the Sanskrit word ‘cakravarti’, which literlaly means ‘wheels rolling’ but is used metaphorically to refer to a ruler whose chariot wheels roll without obstruction.

: An Indian surname, and a variant of the more frequent Chakraborty. It comes from the Sanskrit word ‘cakravarti’, which literlaly means ‘wheels rolling’ but is used metaphorically to refer to a ruler whose chariot wheels roll without obstruction. Dawkins : A form of the surname Dawkin with the addition of the post-medieval excrescent -s. It’s a Middle English personal name from the first name ‘Daw’, plus ‘kin’ – as in, the kin of Daw.

: A form of the surname Dawkin with the addition of the post-medieval excrescent -s. It’s a Middle English personal name from the first name ‘Daw’, plus ‘kin’ – as in, the kin of Daw. Vardy : This is a nickname from the Middle English ‘faire dai’ (or ‘have a fair day’) for someone with a cheerful disposition.

: This is a nickname from the Middle English ‘faire dai’ (or ‘have a fair day’) for someone with a cheerful disposition. Palin : A late Middle English development of the surname Paulin, which is a diminutive form of Paul.

: A late Middle English development of the surname Paulin, which is a diminutive form of Paul. Patel : A status name with Hindu and Parsi origin, meaning a village headman. One of the most common Indian surnames in Britain, with more than 100,000 bearers in 2011.

: A status name with Hindu and Parsi origin, meaning a village headman. One of the most common Indian surnames in Britain, with more than 100,000 bearers in 2011. Redknap : Most likely a nickname from Middle English ‘red’ and ‘knappe’ (boy or servant), for a boy or servant with red hair or a ruddy complexion.

: Most likely a nickname from Middle English ‘red’ and ‘knappe’ (boy or servant), for a boy or servant with red hair or a ruddy complexion. Hislop : A locative surname of Scottish origin, that has previously been incorrectly explained as originating from an unidentified place in northern England.

: A locative surname of Scottish origin, that has previously been incorrectly explained as originating from an unidentified place in northern England. Toynbee : A locative name from Tumby in Lincolnshire, the earliest forms of which had ‘n’ rather than ‘m’.

: A locative name from Tumby in Lincolnshire, the earliest forms of which had ‘n’ rather than ‘m’. Twelvetrees: A rare name that has become more well known through Billy Twelvetrees, the England rugby union international. It is a variant of Twelftree, with an excrescent -s. Tweftree is likely an altered form of ‘Weldrick’, a locative surname from Wheldrake in the East Riding of Yorkshire. A gentry family with a surname from this palce is recorded in Bedfordshire in the 14th century.

Alas, we can’t replicated the full list here but the dictionary is available to buy for £400 or, if you don’t happen to have £400 to spend, it will be available in libraries that have purchased the resource.

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