Tag: Knight

Even nicknames start somewhere

If you're attempting to use past distributions of surnames to pinpoint their origin, names from places (for example Trevithick or Penrose) clearly hold out the best chance of success. Nevertheless, sometimes the early pattern of nicknames or even surnames from first names can provide clues as to where that surname may have first arisen in … Continue reading Even nicknames start somewhere →

Do surnames mean what they say?

If your surname is Mason, Carpenter or Angove (Cornish for smith) you can be fairly sure that, at some point in the distant past, one of your ancestors was a mason, carpenter or a smith. But can the same be said about names such as King, Bishop, Knight, Squire, Chancellor and similar? Many of these … Continue reading Do surnames mean what they say? →