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E |
| Eager | From Old English Eadgar meaning prosperity-spear. |
| Ebsworth | variant of Ebsworthy, which is of Anglo-Saxon origin, and is locational from a place in Devonshire. (surnamedb) |
| Edwards William in the Dorling family; Hazel Harbott; or Lizzie Whiskin. |
From the Middle English first name meaning happiness-guardian. |
| Ellis Thomas (Dorling family); or Ambrose (Whiskin family) |
From the first name Elias. |
| Eude | Euden is a place-name in Northumberland & Durham |
| Ewins | No Penguin dictionary entry: but Oxford Dictionary of English Surnames (1997) gives derivation as for Ewan - well-born. |
F |
| Fairway | No entry in dictionary. |
| Farley | Place-name in several counties from Old English `clearing with ferns`. |
| Farmer | Occupational term from Old French for tax-collector or steward. Not our present meaning. |
| Farr | A sturdy man from Old English for bull. |
| Farrell | Irish surname, with variant spellings meaning descendants of the man of valour. (surnamedb). |
| Farrow | Occupational term for a smith or iron-worker. |
| Faulkner | Occupational term for a falconer. |
| Fawdon | Place-name in Northumberland; OE "varicoloured hill" |
| Fay | A dweller by a beech tree; or with supernatural powers; or trustworthy. |
| Felus | Dictionary meaning not discovered |
| Fereday | See a further page of Notes. |
| Fiddian | Variant of Vivian, a medieval first-name, from a 5th century martyr. |
| Finck | Connected with the finch bird; St.Benet Fink church and Finch Lane in London named after a medieval Finck family. |
| Finnis Ernest k/a Fred (Osborn family); and Philip (West family). |
No entry in dictionary. |
| Firmin | No Penguin dictionary entry: but Oxford Dictionary of English Surnames (1997) gives derivation as strong. |
| Fitches | No exact dictionary entry found: but Fitch was an occupational name for a work-man who used an "iron pointed implement". |
| Fletcher: Robert (Leaford family); or Victoria Osborn |
Occupational term for a maker or seller of arrows. |
| Ford | Dweller by a ford |
| Fordham | From Old English homestead by a ford |
| Foreman | Occupational term for a swineherd; or from Old English front man |
| Forrest | Variant of Forest (behindthename.com) |
| Foster | Nickname for a foster child or foster-parent; or a variant of Forester. |
| Foull | No information has been found. |
| Fountain | A topographical name for someone who lived near a spring or well. |
| Fowler | Occupational term for a bird-catcher. |
| Freeman | Surname Database provides the information shown below: |
| Friend | Nickname for friend or relation; strongest in Devon and Kent. |
| Fulcher | From a Germanic first-name people-army; chiefly in East Anglia. |
| Fuller | Occupational term for a dresser of cloth. |
| Futcher | No Penguin dictionary entry: but Oxford Dictionary of English Surnames (1997) gives the same derivation as Fulcher above. |
G |
| Gale | See a further page of Notes |
| Gambrell | Gambell and Gambrill are rare Kent surnames |
| Garland | Either a topographical name from residence by a triangular-shaped piece of land; alternatively, an occupational name for a maker of garlands of chaplets. |
| Garner Gerald (Leaford family) ; or Marjorie Patten |
A worker at a granary; or a variant of Gardner = a gardener. |
| Garnon | A scarce surname - Glamorgan and Pembrokeshire - for a moustache wearer - an oddity among clean-shaven Normans. |
| Garratt | From Germanic first-names Gerald or Gerard to do with spears. |
| Gathercole | Surname Database provides the information shown below: |
| Gaylard | A high-sprited person. |
| Gidley | No entry in dictionary. |
| Gilbert | Derived from Germanic "pledge/hostage-bright"; brought by Normans and made popular by St. Gilbet of Sempringham. |
| Giles Alexander and
Lilian both in the Leaford fanily. |
Associated with beggars or cripples. |
| Gillespie | Anglicized forms of Gaelic - `son of the servant of a bishop`. |
| Gipp | Variant of Gilbert/Gibb - St. Gilbert (1085-1189)was the founder of the only English monastic order. |
| Gleed | Fromthe bird of prey, the kite; Most common in Kent & Middlesex. |
| Gooding | A good person. |
| Gurford | No information has been found. |
| Green Winifred Harwood; or Elisabeth Hulbert; or Ann or Robert (Leaford family); or Samuel (Smith family); or John (Tourell family); or William Lewis (Whiskin family) |
A person who lived near a village green; or who played the part of the Green Man in aMay Day pageant; or who wore green clothes. |
| Gregory | ancestry.co.uk provides the following information: From a personal name that was popular throughout Christendom in the Middle Ages. More below. |
| Grimwood | Surname Database provides the information shown on a further page of Notes |
| Grose | Cornish: topographic name for someone who lived near a stone cross set up by the roadside or in a marketplace. |
| Groves | Deriving from the Olde German word 'graf', the surname is topographical or occupational for a dweller or worker by a grove or wood. |
| Gunn | From Old Norse for battle; or a person who operated a cannon; or Middle English a forceful person. |
| Gurrimell | No derivation found. |
H |
| Hagley | Place-name; OE "haw wood clearing". |
| Hammond | From a Norman or Old Norse first-name |
| Hand (a wife in the Leaford family) | ancestry.co.uk provides the following information: Nickname for someone with a deformed hand or who had lost one hand. |
| Hansen Hilda Leaford; or Rosetta Harbott. |
See a further page of Notes. |
| Harbott | Harbutt was a variation on Herbert, a Germanic first-name meaning `army-bright`. |
| Harper | Occupational term for a maker or player of harps. |
| Harris Susannah Leaford; or John (Tourell family); and Edith West |
Regular Middle English pronunciation of Henry. |
| Harrison Sarah Hiscock; and Isabella Tourell |
Same derivation as Harris above. |
| Hart | A resemblance to a hart or stag. |
| Hartley | Place-name from Old English `stag-wood/clearing`. |
| Harwood the main family or Florence Whiskin |
Place-name from Old English for `grey/hares - wood`; or a variation of Harrod meaning `army-power`. |
| Hawk | Occupational term for a keeper of hawks; or resembling a hawk. |
| Hawkins | Derivation not discovererd. |
| Hayes | Place-name from Devon/Dorset OE "at the enclosure"; or Kent OE "brushwood". |
| Hayward | Occupational term for official who supervised the Lammas lands enclosed for corn, controlling straying cattle; a bailiff. OE "fence guardian". |
| Head | Dweller at the top of a valley; or nickname for some peculiarity of the head. |
| Heaps | No Penguin dictionary entry: but Oxford Dictionary of English Surnames (1997) gives derivation as place-name from "lands of Hepe (Roxburgh)". |
| Henderson | Surname Database provides the information shown on a further page of Notes |
| Hicks | Pet-form of Richard -`power-strong`. |
| Higgins | Variation of Richard - see Hicks above. |
| Hill the main family; and Daisy Harbott; or Ann Amelia Whiskin |
Dweller at the hill. |
| Hills | Dweller at the hill. |
| Hirst | Dweller by the copse or wooded hill, from Old English hyrst. |
| Hiscock | Variation of Richard - see Hicks above. |
| Hoare | Nickname for old man or one with grey hair; or dweller by shore or slope. |
| Hobbs | From Germanic first-name Robert, "renown-bright/famous", made popular by Normans. |
| Holloway | Dweller near a hollow road. |
| Holmes | Dweller by a holly tree (Old English); or on an island in a fen (Old Norse). |
| Hood Elizabeth Dorling or Richard (Harbott family) |
ancestry.co.uk provides the information shown on a further page of Notes |
| Hopkin | From a pet-form of Germanic Robert, meaning `famous`. |
| Hoskin | (Origin Cornish British) From Heschen or Hoskyn, the place of rushes, the sedgy place. |
| Housley | A locational surname deriving from Housley in West Yorkshire, near Ecclesfield, which has now all but disappeared except in the name of "Housley Hall". |
| Housden | No entry in dictionary. |
| Howe Mary Dorling; and Barbara Harbot. |
Dweller by a hill or burial-mound. |
| Howes | Dweller by a hill or burial-mound. |
| Howlett | probably referring to an owl; but see a further page of Notes |
| Humphrys | but see See a further page of Notes |
| Hulbert | From a Germanic first-name meaning gracious-bright. Most common in Gloucester and Wiltshire. |
| Hulme | English (mainly Lancashire) and Scottish: variant spelling of Holme. (See a further page of Notes) |
| Hunt | Surname Database believes that this surname is of pre 7th century English origins for one who hunted wildlife for a living. |
| Huntley | From Old English `huntsman`s wood-clearing`. |
| Hyman | No entry in dictionary. |
I |
| Ingram | See a further page of Notes |
J |
| Jackson Frank (Harbott family); or Malcolm (Harwood family) |
From the first-names John or James. |
| Jacob/s | Surname Database provides the information shown on a further page of Notes > |
| Jansen | No entry in dictionary; but Janson was a derivation fron first-name John. |
| Jarrett | Derived from Gerald or Gerard. |
| Jarvis | From the Norman first-name Gervase, to do with spears.(Until the late 18th century the spelling er was commonly pronounced ar. |
| Jenkins | Belonging to, or son of John. (britishsurnames.co.uk) |
| Jennings | From Old French, a diminutive of John. |
| Johnson William (Hiscock family) or Graeme (Harbott family) or Herbert or Robert (Dorling family) |
Son of John. |
| Jones Ann | From the Welsh form of the first-name John. |
| Joyce | From the Breton first-name Iodoc. |
| Jude | Surname Database provides the information shown on a further page of Notes |
K |
| Kain | No entry in dictionary, but Cain was a dweller by juniper trees. |
| Keen | Nickname for a brave, astute person. |
| Kelman | No entry discovered. |
| Kemp Joan Harwood; or John (West family).or Henry (Dorling family) |
Particularly old occupational term for a champion (jousts or athletics); strong in Kent & Middlesex. |
| Kenchington | No entry in dictionary. |
| Kerr | Form of Carr, a dweller on a marsh - Old Norse. |
| Kettle | Old Norse first-name for sacrificial cauldron. |
| Kicks | No entry in dictionary. |
| Killey | ancestry.co.uk provides the information shown on a further page of Notes |
| King Sophia Dorling or Sarah Whiskin |
Occupational term for one who worked in a royal household; or nickname for one who played the king in a pageant or was swaggering in his manner. |
| Kolvraa | Derivation not discovererd. |
| Krisky | No entry in dictionary. |
| Krumm | ancestry.co.uk provides the information shown on a further page of Notes |