Many surnames come from the person’s occupation when surnames were derived. Thus we have many people called Smith,Cooper,Tanner,Draper.
Are there some occupations that no surname was derived ? I am thinking cobbler.
Another term for a cobbler is “shoemaker”. Last I knew, that was a surname too.
I thought they were different. I thought a cobbler only mended shoes
Yeah, sorry. You’re right. “Cobbler” got tangled up with the “shoemaker” references I found.
I do see some references to “Sandler”, though, referring to being both cobblers and shoemakers. Might’ve been where I got that. Here.
Speaking of occupational names, it’s always surprised me that “Priest,” “Nunn” and “Monk” are surnames. Surnames are passed down in families, and weren’t those folks celibate?
There is a John Cobbler in THE FAMOUS VICTORIES OF HENRY THE FIFTH which is often posited as being written by Shakespear.
I did a quick search on http://www.theultimates.com/white/ for Cobbler and found several in the US.
Well, there is the oldest profession. . .while ‘Hooker’ is common enough, I don’t think that’s where it came from.
Cobblers.
You’re right – it’s to do with “makers of hooks”.
Celibacy wasn’t always a requisite in the clergy. And in any case, such surnames could be descriptive of a person’s character (‘priest-like’) rather than their vocation. Similar to surnames such as Small, Gray, etc.
(Afterthough/WAG: Priest could be of the same origin as Price, deriving from the Welsh ‘ap Rhys’.)
Seems like a stretch.
The surname Price is said to be common in Ireland. And I know from genealogical research that the German Preisch and variants were anglicized in America to Price.
(For those not familiar with Welsh naming practices, “ap Rhys” means “son of Rhys” [the Welsh retained the no-surname custom longer than most folks].)
I’m not having much luck with the OP’s question. All I can think of is “aerospace worker”, which is of too recent origin to be a valid answer.
Candlestick maker?? Nah, that’s probably what a Chandler is. [looks at watch to see how quickly this statement is shot down. . . .]
No, you’re right: “1. A maker or seller of candles.” What is the definition of Chandler? | Dictionary.net
I don’t think I’ve ever run across “Healer” or “Midwife” as a surname, though I do know a Dr. Doctor and Nurse is not unheard of (although it probably referred to a child’s nanny, not a medical professional).
Priestly celibacy has only been mandatory for (a) those priests in celibate religious orders, and (b) since 1139 (2nd Lateran Council) on the Roman (main) rite of the Catholic Church. Orthodox, Anglican, and Eastern rite Catholic priests have happily married and begotten offspring.
Dr. Doctor? Reminds me of Heller’s Major Major Major Major.
Wait, I think I have one: Fishmonger!
Which is a type of monger (one of my ancestors was a cheesemonger). “Monger”, itself, is a surname.
Were fishermen and fishmongers distinct and separate occupations?
Well, I may have chortled too soon. While a search for the surname Fishmonger at RootsWeb.com turned up nothing, Ancestry.com has two references to a Paul Fishmonger in Wisconsin a century and a half back (but that could be a misreading of the original, a common problem with Ancestry’s census databases; were it an actual surname, it should show up more).
Aha - creative googling turns up a few Poissonniers, mostly French Canadian.