# Origin of surnames **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 14, 2007, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-surnames/387921 "2007-01-14T09:21:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2007, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-surnames/387921/21 "2007-01-14T19:36:23Z")
[QUOTE=GorillaMan] Were fishermen and fishmongers distinct and separate occupations? [/QUOTE] And mightn’t both of them inspired the simpler “Fisher” as a surname? Yes, Dr. Doctor is a doctor. Yes, I tease him about it. ---
**Author:** ![A.R.Cane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@A.R.Cane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A.R.Cane)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2007, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-surnames/387921/22 "2007-01-14T19:41:35Z")
The most common use of “chandler” refers to a retailer of ships supplies, sails, ropes, ship related hardware. I’ve always heard the the term “hooker” for prostitutes came from Gen. Joe Hooker. He is reputed to have been fond of the ladies of the night, in New Oleans. So they started calling them Hooker’s girls, soon shortened to “Hookers”. I think you’ll have a hard time finding some craft title that wasn’t turned into a surname, in one form or another. ---
**Author:** ![BJMoose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5fc32e/32.png) [@BJMoose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BJMoose)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2007, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-surnames/387921/23 "2007-01-14T19:47:38Z")
I always thought a fishmonger was a seller of fish (_Webster’s Collegiate_ agrees). I also did a Google search that turned up something about the German name Fischer refering to either a fisherman or a fishmonger, but I didn’t follow it up. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2007, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-surnames/387921/24 "2007-01-14T19:55:36Z")
I’ve never met anyone with the surname Pimp. ---
**Author:** ![BJMoose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5fc32e/32.png) [@BJMoose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BJMoose)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2007, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-surnames/387921/25 "2007-01-14T19:56:20Z")
And in response to the OP: I just ran “Cobbler” through the genealogical databases aforementioned and got lots o’ hits. ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2007, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-surnames/387921/26 "2007-01-14T20:02:33Z")
[QUOTE=jjimm] I’ve never met anyone with the surname Pimp. [/QUOTE] According to the (yes, I know, very dubious site genealogicaly) [House of Names](http://www.houseofnames.com/xq/asp.fc/qx/pimp-family-crest.htm), “Pimp” even has a crest. Seems to exist, though, whatever one thinks of the site. ---
**Author:** ![BJMoose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5fc32e/32.png) [@BJMoose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BJMoose)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2007, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-surnames/387921/27 "2007-01-14T20:02:35Z")
Sorry, **jjimm**. While it’s rare, there have been some Pimps (mostly in Lincolnshire - make of that what you will). ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2007, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-surnames/387921/28 "2007-01-14T21:04:19Z")
Slight hijack - what would be the origin of a last name such as King or Queen? My guess that it wouldn’t be so much royalty but more like a shortened form of “Something To The King” ---
**Author:** ![ltfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@ltfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ltfire)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2007, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-surnames/387921/29 "2007-01-14T23:48:09Z")
I’ve dealt with a financial advisor whose surname is FIREMAN. His Dad and two brothers are cops. ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2007, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-surnames/387921/30 "2007-01-15T00:21:58Z")
[QUOTE=ZipperJJ] Slight hijack - what would be the origin of a last name such as King or Queen? My guess that it wouldn’t be so much royalty but more like a shortened form of “Something To The King” [/QUOTE] Kiing - from [“cyning”](http://genealogy.about.com/library/surnames/k/bl_name-KING.htm) which was > [@](#): > > commonly bestowed on a man who carried himself like royalty, or who played the part of the king in a medieval pageant or > [@](#): > > Occasionally, the name was given to a man who served in a royal household. So, looks like you’re probably right, **ZipperJJ**. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2007, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-surnames/387921/31 "2007-01-15T03:13:27Z")
What about Queen then? Same deal you think? (I happen to have a friend with the surname Queen) ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2007, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-surnames/387921/32 "2007-01-15T03:44:26Z")
[QUOTE=Sonia Montdore] 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? [/QUOTE] Perhaps even more surprising is the quite common surname Pope … ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2007, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-surnames/387921/33 "2007-01-15T04:54:31Z")
[QUOTE=Askance] Perhaps even more surprising is the quite common surname Pope … [/QUOTE] Hey, lots of popes had kids, although not very many of them lived in England, so perhaps that’s a moot point. There are people named Bishop. Are Archbishop and Cardinal surnames? ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2007, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-surnames/387921/34 "2007-01-15T04:58:17Z")
[QUOTE=ZipperJJ] What about Queen then? Same deal you think? (I happen to have a friend with the surname Queen) [/QUOTE] I tried hunting for this a few hours ago, but came up duck’s egg on it, sorry. However, a cache on Google of the good ol’ [House of Names](http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:WNbqwbG1CMUJ:www.houseofnames.com/xq/asp.fc/qx/queen-family-crest.htm+%22Queen+genealogy%22&hl=en&gl=nz&ct=clnk&cd=17) comes up with the following: > [@](#): > > Queen is one of the names derived from the families of the ancient Dalriadan clans of Scotland. It is derived from Suibhne, an old Gaelic forename which probably means good-going or well-going. The Gaelic form of the surname is Mac Shuibhne. > > Spelling variations of this family name include: MacQueen, MacQueon, MacSween, MacSwene, MacSweyne, MacSwan, MacCunn and many more. Interesting, if that’s correct. Two royal-sounding names have different paths of origin, there. ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2007, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-surnames/387921/35 "2007-01-15T05:05:18Z")
[QUOTE=Askance] Perhaps even more surprising is the quite common surname Pope … [/QUOTE] Apparently, Pope is [just a nickname.](http://www.houseofnames.com/xq/asp.fc/qx/pope-family-crest.htm) > [@](#): > > The clans of the Pictish people in ancient Scotland were the first to use the name Pope. It was a name for a confident or haughty person. Pope is a nickname surname, which belongs to the category of hereditary surnames. Nicknames form a broad and miscellaneous class of surnames, and can refer directly or indirectly to one’s personality, physical attributes, mannerisms, or even their habits of dress. The surname Pope comes from the Old English word pope, which referred to the Bishop of Rome, and the head of the Roman Catholic Church. Although this is also a title of office, as a surname, it was most often applied as a nickname. > > Spelling variations of this family name include: Pope, Paip, Pape, Paipe, Popp and others. ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2007, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-surnames/387921/36 "2007-01-15T05:18:41Z")
[QUOTE=dtilque] There are people named Bishop. Are Archbishop and Cardinal surnames? [/QUOTE] Rootsweb has Cardinal on their surname mailing lists, but not Archbishop. You may be onto a winner, there. ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2007, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-surnames/387921/37 "2007-01-15T06:41:12Z")
[QUOTE=WhyNot] 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). [/QUOTE] Well, there are numerous variations on healer such as Hickey, Hinkley and Healan and Helland that are fairly common surnames. Aside from that the person who served as the healer for most of the peasantry was the local wise man or wise woman, and they dispensed midwifery and other services as well as healing. Names such as Wiseman, Vize and so forth are fairly common and probably represent the majority of healers and midwifes. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2007, 9:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-surnames/387921/38 "2007-01-15T09:36:20Z")
[QUOTE=Ice Wolf] According to the (yes, I know, very dubious site genealogicaly) [House of Names](http://www.houseofnames.com/xq/asp.fc/qx/pimp-family-crest.htm), “Pimp” even has a crest. Seems to exist, though, whatever one thinks of the site. [/QUOTE] I once knew a man named Pimper. I also knew a psychologist named Dr. Pastor ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2007, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-surnames/387921/39 "2007-01-15T11:40:16Z")
A guy I went to school with had the last name Raper. Wow, what a horrible name. Marc ---
**Author:** ![essell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/34f0e0/32.png) [@essell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/essell)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2007, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-surnames/387921/40 "2007-01-15T12:11:01Z")
I’ve spent 10 years asking people their surnames around here (It’s my job, not a weird hobby). My favourites are Goatman and Honeyman. So keep in mind people may have been named for their jobs without being named after their jobs. Especially as the names of the jobs may have changed, as many have already pointed out. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-surnames/387921.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-surnames/387921.md?page=3)