A History of Surnames

Queen is an English surname with a variety of meanings depending on the origin: a short form of McQueen , the anglicized form of Gaelic  Mac Shuibhne meaning "son of Suibhne", a personal name meaning "well-going" or "pleasant"; it could also be derived from Old English cwen meaning "woman", likely originating as a nickname for a man who played the part of a queen in a play since back than women weren't allowed to be on the stage; another possible meaning I've seen attributed to the surname is that it may come from Old French word chene meaning "oak, oak tree" derived from  Gaulish word  cassanos  meaning "oak" from * cass- (twist); or it may have come about as an occupational name for a keeper of hounds, from Old French  chien from Latin canis meaning "dog"; it derives from the Proto-Indo-European word   *ḱwṓ- (dog).   Origin: Gaelic, Old English, Gaulish, Proto-Indo-European Pinterest V...

Adair comes from a Scottish surname, the Scottish form of personal given name Edgar meaning "wealthy spear" from Old English elements ead (wealth, fortune) and gar (spear). Adair has also been used as a given name. Origin: Old English Pinterest Variants : Adaire 

Marwood is an English surname derived from the name of a settlement, possibly meaning "boundary wood" from Old English mere/ mǣre (boundary, limit)   and wood (wood). Another possible origin for Marwood is that it may have originated as a nickname for someone believed to have the power of casting the evil eye, coming from an Old French word meaning "evil look. Origin: Old English, Old French Pinterest Variants : Morwood  Marward  Merewood Merwood Marewood

Wickfield is an English surname made up of Middle English wik, wich meaning "village, hamlet, town" from Latin vicus (village, hamlet) via Proto-Indo-European root word  *weyḱ (to settle; settlement);  and field, a topographical name   referring to an open or cultivated land or pasture; so Wickfield originally referred to someone who lived in a hamlet or village near a field.  Origin: Proto-Indo-European Pinterest

Turner is an English occupational surname with a few possible origins: it may refer to someone who was a turner, someone who turns and shapes wood, metal, or bone on a lathe derived from Latin tornus from the Proto-Indo-European word  *terh₁ (to rub turn); it may also have developed as a nickname for someone who was a fast runner from Middle English turnen (to turn) which comes from the same Proto-Indo-European word  *terh₁ plus hare , referring to the animal, likely in reference to its speed; Turner may also be a German surname for someone who was a gymnast; it may also have derived as an occupational name for an official who was in charge of a tournament, from Old French tournoi "tournament"; another possible meaning is that it may have originated from French Le  étourneau meaning "starling", over time becoming L e Turner and than Turner. Turner can also be used as a male given name. Origin: Proto-Indo-European, German, Old French Pinterest ...

Timberlake is an English surname that derived from a habitational name meaning "timber lake" or "wood lake" from Old English elements timber (timber, wood) and lacu (lake, stream). Origin: Old English Pinterest Variants : Tymberlake 

Pinterest Holmes is an English surname with several possible origins: it be be derived from Old English holegn meaning "holly", referring to someone who lived near  some holly trees, though it may also likely refer to the holly oak; it may also come from Middle English holm meaning "island", derived from Old Norse holmr (island); I've also seen it listed as possibly being derived form haugum, derived from Old Norse haugr meaning "high hill, mound"; it may also be an anglicized form of Gaelic surname  Mac Thomáis, meaning "son of Thom" Origin: Old English, Old Norse, Gaelic  Variants : Holme  Hulme  Holms 

Pinterest Whitaker is an English surname deriving from a place name made of up of Old English elements hwit (white) and   æcer (cultivated land, field), meaning "white field" though spelled  Whiteacre it means "wheat field", the first part derived from Old English  hwǣte (wheat). Origin: Old English Variants : Whittaker  Whitacre  Whittakers  Whiteacre  Witacre 

Pinterest Origin: Middle English Meaning: Witherspoon is a Scottish surname derived from a place name now long lost, perhaps from Old English wether (ram, sheep) and spong referring to a narrow strip of land, so the surname essentially means "a narrow strip of land where sheep dwell". Variants : Witherspoons  Wetherspoon Wotherspoon  Wetherspong 

Pinterest Origin: Latin Meaning: Austen is a vernacular form of Augustine which comes from Augustus,   originally an Ancient Roman title used by Roman emperors after the first and, by some accounts, greatest emperor of Rome, Gaius Octavius, who was the adopted son and heir of Julius Caesar. It means “majestic”, “venerable”, “great” from Latin  augere  (to increase). Austen is also used as a male given name. Variants : Austin  Auston Austins 

Pinterest Origin: English Meaning: Rothwell is an English surname derived from a place name meaning "stream in a clearing", originally used to refer to someone who lived in a clearing by a stream, the clearing beind made by ridding it of trees. Variants : De Rottweil

Pinterest Origin: English Meaning: Kenda is not a surname I could find much meaning on, though it could be from English meaning "water baby" although I'm not sure of the accuracy of that. Kenda has also been used as a female given name, used as a feminine form of Kendrick or Kendall.

Pinterest Origin: Ancient Greek Meaning: Christie is a Scottish surname, originally a patronymic surname derived from Christian or Christopher, both deriving from Greek christos meaning "anointed". Variants : Chrysty (Medieval English) Criste (Medieval English)

Pinterest Origin: Hebrew Meaning: Mayhew comes from Norman French derived from given name Mahieu , a Norman form of Matthew meaning "gift of Yahweh". It could also be an anglicized form of Mailloux , a French surname meaning "big mallet". Variants : Mayhews Mayhou  Mayou  Mayhow  Mayo 

Pinterest Origin: Old English Meaning: Yates is an English surname, the plural form of Yate which comes from Old English geat meaning "gate", a topographical name for someone who lived near the gates of a walled city or an occupationl name for someone who was a gatekeeper. It could also have been used as a locational surname referring to someone who came from a town called Yate/Yates .

Pinterest Origin: Old English, Norman French Meaning: Lovecraft is an English surname combined with two English elements; the first part of the name is made up of either Old English personal name Lufu or Lufa meaning "love", or from the Norman French louve meaning "female wolf"; while the second part of the name could be derived from Old English craeft meaning "craft, skill".

Pinterest Origin: English Meaning: Birmingham is the name of a city in England, coming from   Beornmundingaham  meaning "homestead of the people of Beornmund", Beornmund being a given name meaning "young man, warrior + protection". Variants : Bermingham 

Pinterest Origin: Old French Meaning: Bunyan is an English surname which seems to have come about as a nickname for someone who had a lump or a hump, originating from Old French bugne meaning "swelling, protuberance". It could also have been an occupational surname for someone who made small pastries or fruit tarts, also from Old French bugnon . Variants : Bunyon Bunyen  Benyon  Bonyon Buniun  Banyan  Banion 

Pinterest Origin: Anglo-Norman Carter comes from an English surname, an occupational name which comes from Anglo-Norman  careter  meaning “cart-driver”, referring to someone who transported goods on a cart.

Pinterest Origin: Germanic Meaning: Huggins is a patrynomic surname coming from given name Hugh, a male given name meaning "heart, mind, spirit" from Germanic element hug . Variants : Huggin