Beautiful surnames in England. American common surnames

A surname is a family name. It indicates that a person belongs to one genus, which originates from some common ancestor. The generic name is in most foreign languages, of course, the British are no exception. If you try to parse popular English surnames in parts, you can learn a lot of interesting things both about the history and culture of Great Britain, and about the English language itself.

Origin of English surnames

The origin of modern British surnames has deep roots and is closely connected with the culture and history of the country in general and the English language in particular. Since ancient times, foreign, like Russian, generic names, even the most beautiful, came from the nicknames that were given to certain people. It is impossible to establish exactly when the nicknames turned into family names, it is only known that this happened in the first place in the circle of feudal lords. Family names can be divided into several classes:

1. Ottoponymous or derived from foreign place names (names of counties, cities, provinces, villages, hills, etc.)


2. Othroponymic or derived from personal names.


3. Formed from nicknames - epithets (common names). Most often, such nicknames described the appearance, behavior, resemblance of a person to someone / something, or even hinted at the scope of his activity.

List of English surnames in a table

There are a lot of surnames and we will not try to list them all here. Some generic names are heard more often than others, and some are very rare. We have prepared for you a table with sixty generic names, many of which will surely seem familiar to you.

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The most common English surnames

There are common surnames in any country. Just like the Russians Ivanov Smirnov and Kuznetsov, some British family names are more common than others.

Most Common American Surnames

American surnames are rooted in the nicknames that Americans began to invent for each other when calling people by their names (which many had the same) became difficult. The list of the most common American surnames largely duplicates British family names, but there are differences in it. We have prepared for you a list of the 10 most common American surnames.

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Established at the end of the 18th century the American nation combines not only the descendants of immigrants from all parts of the world, but also the indigenous population - the Indians. For a long time, under the influence of the traditions of other countries and peoples, the culture of the American people was formed, which was reflected in the names of the Americans themselves. Many common American names take their origins from Greek, Italian, Latin, Asian, Old Germanic origin.

Rare names are very popular among the American population, which originate not only from the reduction of place names associated with history, but also from the names of famous people, the combination of several names into one, etc.

We conditionally divide American names by origin into the following groups:

• names associated with human character traits (cheerful, smart, brave, brave);
• names associated with the names of animals and plants, natural phenomena; - names meaning various professions;
• names taken from the Bible.

America is a colonial country, so in different states of the country the same names enjoy different popularity. For example, in Spanish villages, the popular male name is Federico (Federico), in the Irish regions - Patrick (Patrick), in Italian - Paulo (Paulo).

The choice of a name for a newborn is also of great importance. When choosing a name for a child, Americans are guided by the following principles: the combination of a first and last name, the origin of the name and its secret meaning. To pay tribute to family traditions and the memory of ancestors, parents give the name of the child, which was borne by the father, grandfather or great-grandfather. If the family already has a person with the same name, then the prefix “senior” or “junior” is added at the beginning of the name.

The desire of Americans to give a "zest" to the name of the child is not limited to choosing just a beautiful and memorable name. The imagination of parents knows no limits - a child can become a “happy” owner of the name of the brand of his parents’ favorite car, a politician whose speeches did not leave his parents indifferent, another celebrity, a city he liked, etc. In this situation, the choice falls on the most unexpected objects. You can meet children named Lexus (Lexus), Madison (Madison), Infinity (Infiniti).

Surely not everyone knows that Sarah Jessica Parker, Mary-Kate Olsen or Sean William Scott are double names. What is the tradition of giving a child a middle name at birth? The tradition of the second (or middle name - middle name) developed in the 19th century. European immigration in the 1830s and 1840s led to an increase in the population of the United States, and as a result, the number of people with the same first and last names increased. As an additional means of identification, a middle name began to be used. Children were given middle names in honor of famous political, religious, public figures and the military (for example, George Washington, the first president of the United States, or John Wesley, one of the founders of Methodism).

Another version is the protection of the child from evil spirits and death. At baptism, the child was given several names in order to confuse death in case of danger that threatened the child during an outbreak of deadly diseases.

Sometimes the middle name is associated with some locality or the names of ancestors, as well as the surnames of other people.

This tradition still "lives" in modern American families.

Most Popular Modern American Names

• Alex(Alex) - from Greek, "protector". James (James) - from English, "invader".
• Anthony(Anthony) - from English, "invaluable", "competing".
• Brandon(Brandon) - from German, "prince".
• Christopher(Christopher) - from English, "follower of Christ."
• David(David) - Hebrew, "beloved", "beloved".
• Dillon(Dillon) - Welsh origin, "big sea". Philip (Philip) - from Greek, "lover of horses."
• Ethan(Ethan) - from English, "durable."
• Fred(Fred) - from English, "peaceful ruler."
• Josh(Josh) - Hebrew, "god, salvation."
• Justin(Justin) - from English, "fair". Matthew (Matthew) - from English, "gift of God", "God's man."
• Kevin(Kevin) - from Irish, "beautiful", "cute."
• Ryan(Rayan) - from Arabic, "little king." Nicholas (Nicholas) - from the French, "winner of the peoples."
• Thomas(Thomas) - Polish, "twin".
• Tyler(Tyler) - from English, "stylish." Caleb (Caleb) - from Hebrew, "devoted, brave."
• William(William) - from English, "desired."

List of common American surnames

Modern American surnames have changed over the years.

Immigration of representatives of different peoples to America, their gradual mixing with local residents, and as a result, the change and reduction (reduction) of surnames in the American way.

List of the most famous surnames in America

Bearers of the surnames Jones (Jones), Smith (Smith), Williams (Williams), Wilson (Wilson) according to statistics, more than a million. The following surnames are no less popular:

• Allen (Allen)
• Anderson (Anderson)
• Brown (Brown)
• Clark (Clark)
• Davis (Davis)
• Garcia (Garcia)
• Hall (Hall)
• Harris (Harris)
• Hernandez (Hernandez)
• Jackson (Jackson)
• Johnson (Johnson)
• King (King)
• Lee (Lee)
• Lewis (Lewis)
• Martin (Martin)
• Martinez (Martinez)
• Miller (Miller)
• Moore
• Robinson (Robinson)
• Rodrigues (Rodrigues)
• Taylor (Taylor)
• Thomas (Thomas)
• Thompson (Thompson)
• Walker (Walker)
• White (White)
• Wilson (Wilson)
• Young (Young)

The melodiousness, the beauty of the sound of the surname is another reason for the pride of their carriers. A person's desire for change in life could not but be reflected in the desire to change his last name or first name to the name of a famous person in the entertainment industry or politics. Sources for inspiration can be found in the names of natural phenomena, representatives of flora and fauna, names of geographical objects. In search of a more beautiful name or surname, improvisation is not a hindrance.

Some of the most beautiful and common American surnames are:

• Beverly (Beverly)
• Collins (Collins)
• Daniels (Daniels)
• Evans (Evans)
• Ford (Ford)
• Gilmore (Gilmore)
• Harris (Harris)
• Holmes (Holmes)
• Labert (Labert)
• Moore
• Newman (Newman)
• Riley (Riley)
• Stephenson (Stephenson)
• Wallace (Wallace)
• Washington (Washington)

The respectful attitude of a person to his name as the heritage of his ancestors is a kind of valuable relic, which its bearers pass on from generation to generation, keeping their history and family traditions in the name of the family.

English female names

How many people, so many opinions. For this reason, it is impossible to say exactly which are ugly and which are beautiful foreign surnames. All of them contain certain information; when translated into our language, they can mean some kind of craft, the name of plants, animals or birds, belong to a geographical area. Each country has its own euphonious surnames, so you need to choose the best of them for each region separately.

What surnames can be called beautiful?

Most people are proud of the name of their kind, although there are those who are not averse to changing it to a more harmonious one. Each country has its own surnames, but their origin is almost the same. The family received a personal name on behalf of its founder, his nickname, occupation, availability of land, belonging to some kind of status. Animals and plants are also often found. Nevertheless, we choose the most beautiful foreign surnames according to their euphony, and not according to the meaning of the content, which is not always known to us. In some cases, the name of the genus begins to be liked if its bearer is the idol of millions, a historical figure who has done something good and useful for mankind.

Aristocratic surnames

Noble families always sounded solemn, proud and high-flown. Rich people were proud of their origin and noble blood. Beautiful foreign surnames are mainly found among the descendants of noble families, and people who left a significant mark on history should also be included here: writers, artists, designers, composers, scientists, etc. The names of their genera are harmonious, often heard, so people are imbued with sympathy for them.

In England, the names of earls and wealthy nobles can be attributed to the beautiful: Bedford, Lincoln, Buckingham, Cornwall, Oxford, Wiltshire, Clifford, Mortimer. In Germany: Munchausen, Fritsch, Salm, Moltke, Rosen, Siemens, Isenburg, Stauffenberg. In Sweden: Fleming, Yllenborg, Kreutz, Gorn, Delagardie. In Italy: Barberini, Visconti, Borgia, Pepoli, Spoleto, Medici.

Surnames derived from the names of birds, animals, plants

From the world of flora and fauna, many euphonious surnames have come that cause tenderness. Their owners were mainly people who liked certain animals, birds, plants, or they were similar in appearance or character. There are a huge number of such examples in Rus': Zaitsev, Orlov, Vinogradov, Lebedev, there are also in other countries. For example, in England: Bush (bush), Bull (bull), Swan (swan).

Beautiful foreign surnames are often formed on behalf of the ancestor: Cecil, Anthony, Henry, Thomas, etc. A lot of names are associated with a specific area with which the founders were associated: Ingleman, Germain, Pickard, Portwine, Kent, Cornwall, Westley. Of course, a huge group of family names are those associated with professions and titles. Some surnames arose spontaneously. If they evoke positive associations in people, then they can be attributed to beautiful, harmonious and successful, because they are greeted by clothes, so a good generic name helps many people to win over when they meet.

Spanish euphonious surnames

In Spaniards, family names are mostly double, they are connected by particles "y", "de", a hyphen or written with a space. The father's surname is written first, and the mother's surname is written second. It should be noted that the particle "de" indicates the aristocratic origin of the founder. Spanish law provides for no more than two given names and no more than two surnames. When getting married, women usually leave their family names.

Beautiful male foreign surnames are not uncommon for Spaniards. Fernandez is considered one of the most common, Rodriguez, Gonzalez, Sanchez, Martinez, Perez are not inferior in attractiveness to her - they all came from names. The harmonious Spanish surnames also include Castillo, Alvarez, Garcia, Flores, Romero, Pascual, Torres.

french beautiful surnames

Among the French names of childbirth, there are often beautiful surnames for girls. Foreign states acquired permanent names at about the same time as Rus'. In 1539, a royal decree was issued obliging every Frenchman to acquire a personal name and pass it on to his descendants. The first surnames appeared among the aristocrats, they were passed from father to son even before the issuance of the aforementioned decree.

Today, double family names are allowed in France, and parents can also choose which surname the child will have - mother's or father's. The most beautiful and common French genus names are: Robert, Perez, Blanc, Richard, Morel, Duval, Fabre, Garnier, Julien.

German common surnames

Beautiful foreign surnames are also found in Germany. In this country, they began to form back in those days, people had nicknames, consisting of the place of birth of a person and his origin. Such surnames provided comprehensive information about their carriers. Often nicknames indicated the type of activity of a person, his physical shortcomings or virtues, moral qualities. Here are the most popular surnames in Germany: Schmidt (blacksmith), Weber (weaver), Mueller (miller), Hoffmann (yard owner), Richter (judge), Koenig (king), Kaiser (emperor), Herrmann (warrior), Vogel (bird ).

Italian surnames

The first Italian surnames appeared in the 14th century and were common among noble people. The need for them arose when there were many people with the same names, and yet it was necessary to somehow distinguish them. The nickname contained information about the place of birth or residence of a person. For example, the ancestor of the famous artist Leonardo da Vinci lived in the city of Vinci. Most Italian surnames were formed due to the transformation of descriptive nicknames, and they end in. There is an opinion that the most beautiful foreign names and surnames are in Italy, and it’s hard to disagree with this: Ramazzotti, Rodari, Albinoni, Celentano, Fellini, Dolce, Versace, Stradivari.

English beautiful surnames

All English family names can be divided into four groups: nominal, descriptive, professional and official, and place of residence. The first surnames in England appeared in the 12th century and were the privilege of the nobility, in the 17th century absolutely everyone already had them. The most widespread group is made up of genealogical names of genera derived from personal names, or combinations of the names of both parents. Examples include: Allen, Henry, Thomas, Ritchie. In many surnames there is a prefix "son", meaning "son". For example, Abbotson or Abbot "s, that is, Abbot's son. In Scotland, "son" denoted the prefix Mac-: MacCarthy, MacDonald.

Beautiful foreign female surnames are often found among English family names derived from the place where the founder of the family was born or lived. For example, Surrey, Sudley, Westley, Wallace, Lane, Brook. Many euphonious surnames indicate the occupation, profession or title of the founder: Spencer, Corner, Butler, Tailor, Walker. Family names of a descriptive type reflect the physical or moral qualities of a person: Moody, Bragg, Black, Strong, Longman, Crump, White.

All genus names are unique and attractive in their own way. It should be remembered that it is not the surname that paints the person, but the person the surname. Studying the history of the emergence of certain family names is a very interesting and exciting activity, during which many secrets of individual families are revealed. There are beautiful and harmonious surnames in any country, but for each person they are different. Basically, I like those generic names that are consonant with the name.

Among all foreign surnames, English ones are the most famous. This is due to the prevalence of English, which is the language of international communication. In addition, it is native and state not only in the United Kingdom, but also in many countries - in the USA, Australia, New Zealand. The sphere of show business also contributes to the considerable popularity of English surnames.

Origin story

It began in the 12th century, when the growth of medieval cities led to the need to identify a person's identity. One name was not enough for this, and gradually a surname, or a generic name, began to join it.

The sources of ancient generic names did not fundamentally differ from those of other peoples. These could be:

1. the name of the ancestor;
2. nickname of an ancestor;
3. place of origin;
4. title, profession, position - in a word, occupation.

Some generic names originally had a slightly different sound, but over time they adapted to the language. This happened in view of the long period of diglossia, when the common people used their English, and the nobility used French, or its Norman dialect. This period lasted about three hundred years, as a result of which the Anglo-Norman language died out (its relics were preserved on the islands of Guernsey, Jersey and Sark), and English absorbed a whole array of Gallicisms. This was also reflected in the generic names.

Interestingly, the ancient British layer of vocabulary (pre-Germanic), which is almost not included in the dictionary of modern English, exists in toponymic surnames.

Types of English surnames

The morphological analysis of the English word, including the name, is quite simple. English is an analytical language, and the thought in it is expressed by a certain order of words, and not by inflection and word formation, as in Russian. Because of this, the same word can belong to different parts of speech, and the number of morphemes used is not very large. But in surnames they are, and all these suffixes partly reflect the origin of the generic name.

Surnames starting with -son, -s

They are patrons. -son at the end means "son", that is, the ancestor of a person received his surname from his father's name. Similar endings exist in other Germanic languages, and they have the same meaning. In Iceland, where there are no generic names, this is how men's patronymics end.

Most often, the root of the word is a male name, usually Christian, but a nickname can be used instead of a name.

By the prevalence of certain roots, one can judge the prevalence of a particular name in the old days. So, of the patronymics, the most common the root is John-; Archival documents also testify to the popularity of this name. In the Middle Ages, up to a quarter of men bore the name John, as in Russia the name Ivan.

More often than -son, the possessive suffix -s was used. Because of this, a surname with such an ending answers the question "whose?".

Among the generic names of this kind, one can recall Nicholson, Abramson, Morrison, Jones, Samuels, Philips.

Sometimes the common Germanic -ing was used as a suffix. This is how Harding, Bruning and the like turned out. Instead of -ing, the vernacular -win and the old -ingham could be used.

An interesting fact is that the barons who came with William the Conqueror to the island also had family names, where the word “son” was present. Only the French prefix fils ("son") stood in front. This is where the patronymics starting with Fitz- come from, but they spread more in Ireland, where they became one of the national ones.

In a number of cases, there was no possessive suffix in the patronymic, but the diminutive forms of the names were preserved: Jenin and Jennings, Nabb (from Abel), Noll (from Oliver).

Professional background

The suffix in such surnames is rarely present, but the composition can be used to judge the prevalence and significance of one or another professions in the Middle Ages. Sometimes the -er suffix can serve as a marker, but more often it is dispensed with. Some professions now seem unusual, but in those days there was nothing strange about them.

Such surnames include:

• Woodward - forester;
• Taylor - tailor;
• Smith - blacksmith;
• Hunter - hunter;
• Backer and Baxter - baker and baker;
• Miller - miller.

Tree people often had inherited names ending in -wright. Examples are Cartwright, Boatwright. All the specializations of this work were probably fixed among people who worked with cloth: Packer, Tucker, Sherman, Walker, Fuller, etc.

"Official" surnames can reflect both aristocratic origin and the position of some minor employee. These include:

Churches include:

• Palmer - pilgrim;
• Bishop - Bishop;
• Churchman - priest;
• Chaplin - chaplain, regimental priest.

Features of English nicknames

Nicknames were given to people for various reasons. Most often, the source of nicknames was the features of the appearance or character of a person, but there were other sources. So, the medieval population was not completely literate, especially in rural areas, and an image from a signboard or a drawing scratched by a local hooligan on the wall of the house could “stick” to a person. The society was class-based, the level of internal migration was low, and it turned out that members of the same family were called in this way. It cannot be said that this is something original: in Russian villages, this is still found today.

The list of names derived from nicknames is very extensive:

By the way, surnames like King, Lord, Virgin, Angel do not at all mean the presence of an aristocratic ancestor of the carrier. Such nicknames were given to fair actors according to their roles.

Locality and geography

This is about half of all English hereditary names. They can indicate both a specific place and one of its details, or give some general characteristics of the area. In the latter case, such a surname has a clear translation, and in the former it contains the name of a city, village, province or estate.

These include Stone, Bridge, Greenwood, Forest, Filds, London, Scott, York, Wallace, Staunton, Woodend, Moorhous, Hampton, Baskerville and others.

Sometimes this surname can speak of the nobility of the ancestor, especially if it comes from the name of the estate or title (which could also be given on a geographical basis). In archival documents, nobility was reflected according to the French principle - they wrote de before the generic name.

Meanings of generic names

For the English and English-speaking people, the name and surname do not have the same meaning as in a number of countries of the East or as it was in antiquity. With the spread of Christianity, the composition of names changed dramatically - they meant something in other languages ​​that were incomprehensible to the population. These were Hebrew, Greek and Latin. The church calendar served as the basis for naming the child, and when it lost its relevance, the fashion for names began to play its role.

Sometimes the prevalence of names was due to religious practice. Thus, among the inhabitants of the United States, the proportion of Old Testament names is higher than in Great Britain, which is associated with the Protestant culture. In some cases, the spelling of the name also changes; so, some have an -h added to the end, similar to the Hebrew original. By itself, this letter is not readable, but it can change the reading of the entire name. This tradition is especially widespread among African Americans - hence Ophrah, Mariah, Sarah.

Another trend is the transformation of a surname into a given name. It began back in England, when the name of a famous relative could become the second name of the child, and then this trend migrated to the United States. The British are more conservative in their habits.

The English surnames of men and women do not differ - the language lost its endings back in the 1st millennium AD. e. Christian names differ, but it is sometimes difficult to identify the gender of the carrier by new ones. American parents are guided by different considerations before naming a child, and tradition is not in the first place here. As they say, I'm an American, honey. Our names don't mean shit. (I'm American, honey. Our names mean nothing)

The prevalence of surnames

As in Russia, the most common surnames are simple. For clarity, you can compare the most common in the UK and the US in the table:

As you can see, the profession of a blacksmith was in demand in the old days. In Russia, Kuznetsov is the third most common surname after Smirnov and Ivanov, and in the south it is replaced by Kovalev. In English-speaking countries, Smith remains the most frequently encountered.

Aesthetic appeal

Ideas about the beauty of a word differ between native speakers and foreigners, and this is understandable.

As a rule, people live with the surname that their parents gave, and change it only with a change in civil status, if this is provided for by law. Now you can change it just like that, and in most countries of the world. In the UK this is rarely done. and more often in the US. Especially the question of changing the surname is often asked by foreigners if their name is difficult to pronounce in the language of the country of residence. Naturally, I want to replace it with something beautiful.

Here you may encounter some difficulties. The fact is that we understand the words "beautiful English surname." For girls who have read novels and watched TV shows, everything can seem beautiful, but from the point of view of the authors, these surnames were the most common. Of course, you can try to take a surname that will be easily translated and mean something good. So you will not be a black sheep, although the attitude towards the latter is loyal.

You can take the name of some celebrity, they are always in price. Moreover, you will have to estimate the size of the popularity of this person, so to speak. Especially when it comes to a Hollywood star. In Britain, this is more cool than in the US.

By law, any word can become a child's name, which some parents use with impunity. Having reached the age of majority, the child runs to change the name, and it can be understood. What seemed cool and original to parents does not necessarily have to please the child.

Of all the traditions designed to dilute the old Christian names, only two have taken root - a beautiful speaking name in the native language and the surname of a celebrity as a middle name.

In part, the attractiveness of inherited names can be judged by the statistics of their change, when a person does not like his own, and he decides to replace it with another, while the replacement is not related to marriage. Among the surnames that were popular with men when changing in the United States, the following can be mentioned:

• Robinson;
• Harris;
• Evans;
• love;
• Gilmour;
• Florence;
• stone;
• Ford;
• Lambert;
• Newman.

Women's preferences turned out to be different:

• Bellows;
• Houston;
• Taylor;
• Davies;
• Foster.

Need for change

Despite the complication of relations between us and Western countries, people there are quite loyal to foreign names. In the United States, they are used to them, which is explained by mass migration throughout the history of the country. In the UK, locals may have difficulty with pronunciation, but if a person is educated, he will not distort your last name, and even more so he will not scoff at it. As for people who are not very well educated, they will have enough reasons for incorrect treatment even without your name.

You can think about changing your last name when you emigrate, and in this case you can really use the lists that are always on the net.

Attention, only TODAY!

We often like to imagine how we would be called in English. For example, Elena - Helen, Eugene - Eugene, Mikhail - Michael, etc. English names are very different from ours. Sometimes, it is even difficult to understand a male or female name in front of you.

If we talk about names in the US and UK, then they consist of personal name(personal name, first name, given name) and surnames(surname, last name, family name). The personal name is given at birth, while the family name is inherited as a common name for the family. The child can also be given a middle or middle name (middle name). This is an optional name element. A middle name can be given in honor of a saint, relative, family friend, famous person, etc. In writing, the middle name is usually omitted or abbreviated to the initial.

If the son's name is exactly the same as the father's name, the word "Junior" (younger) can be added to the son's name, and "Senior" (senior) to the father's name, to make it easier to distinguish between them.

Popular English female names

Popular English male names

Popular English surnames

Bearers of the surnames Jones (Jones), Smith (Smith), Williams (Williams), Black (Black), Wilson (Wilson) according to statistics, more than a million. Below is a list of other popular surnames in the UK and US.