A new book about the UK's most bizarre surnames has shown that there are Britons going by the name of Crakpot, Halfenaked, Swetinbedde, Crapper and Scrapetrough.
Is your name Crakpot, Halfenaked or Swetinbedde? New book reveals the UK’s most bizarre surnames
25 August 2013
Daily Mail
While you might think being called Taylor or Jones isn't much to write home about, spare a thought for those saddled with Swetinbedde.
And it could be worse because you could be going through life as Mr Crakpot, Mrs Drunkard or even Miss Gyldenbollokes.
Now the story of those names - and many others - has been brought to life by author David McKie in his new book, What's In A Surname? A Journey From Abercrombie To Zwicker.
Geography: Many of the UK's surnames, including Bolton and Bradford, derive from place names
While the unfortunately named Crappers, Chaceporcs and Scrapetroughs are the most eye-catching, McKie also offers an insight into better-known names that have made it into the modern period.
British names, he explains, fall roughly into four categories: those derived from occupation (Butcher), those handed down by fathers (Watson), those that come from place names (Bolton) and nicknames such as Short or Brown.
'Occupational names are full of hazards,' writes McKie in the Guardian. 'Farmer? That sounds easy enough. A man who owns or runs a farm. But farmer used also to mean tax collector.
'Rymer? A peripatetic poet, possibly; but also a man who made rims for wheels. Reader is not just someone who reads (when many couldn't); it may well mean thatcher.
Roots: Names that end with -s (Styles) originate in Wales (the author of the article also has that name) but those that end in -thwaite come from the East Midlands. Names and placenames ending in - thwaite in Britain are of Viking origin, coming from Old Norse thveit ("meadow" or "clearing").
'Walker wasn't a name for someone who walked. Everyone walked. A Walker carried out the same work – treading or crushing cloth – as a Fuller elsewhere.'
Interestingly, McKie also discovered that many names also have geographical origins, with those that end in -son indicating northern roots (English names ending in -son are of Scandinavian origin and derive from the time that Northern England was a Danish kingdom), while names that end with -s - Styles for instance - have Welsh origins.
Those whose names end in -by, -thwaite, -wick and -dale (of Viking origin) tend to originate in the East Midlands, while names that are prefixed by Tre-, Pol- and Pen- (which are Celtic in origin) come from Cornwall.
The UK's most common name Smith, although often thought to be English, actually originates in Scotland, while surnames beginning with P - Parry, Price, Pratt - are overwhelmingly Welsh in origin.
What's in a Surname?: A Journey from Abercrombie to Zwicker by David McKie, £14.99, is published by Random House
SMITH OR JONES? THE UK'S MOST COMMON SURNAMES REVEALED
1. Smith
2. Jones
3. Williams
4. Taylor
5. Brown
6. Davies
7. Evans
8. Wilson
9. Thomas
10. Johnson
*Source: NHS Central Register
Read more: New book reveals the UK's most bizarre surnames | Mail Online
Is your name Crakpot, Halfenaked or Swetinbedde? New book reveals the UK’s most bizarre surnames
- Other amusing examples include Gyldenbollokes and Drunkard
- Included in new book What's In A Surname? by David McKie
- Most common modern British names are Smith and Jones
25 August 2013
Daily Mail
While you might think being called Taylor or Jones isn't much to write home about, spare a thought for those saddled with Swetinbedde.
And it could be worse because you could be going through life as Mr Crakpot, Mrs Drunkard or even Miss Gyldenbollokes.
Now the story of those names - and many others - has been brought to life by author David McKie in his new book, What's In A Surname? A Journey From Abercrombie To Zwicker.
Geography: Many of the UK's surnames, including Bolton and Bradford, derive from place names
While the unfortunately named Crappers, Chaceporcs and Scrapetroughs are the most eye-catching, McKie also offers an insight into better-known names that have made it into the modern period.
British names, he explains, fall roughly into four categories: those derived from occupation (Butcher), those handed down by fathers (Watson), those that come from place names (Bolton) and nicknames such as Short or Brown.
'Occupational names are full of hazards,' writes McKie in the Guardian. 'Farmer? That sounds easy enough. A man who owns or runs a farm. But farmer used also to mean tax collector.
'Rymer? A peripatetic poet, possibly; but also a man who made rims for wheels. Reader is not just someone who reads (when many couldn't); it may well mean thatcher.
Roots: Names that end with -s (Styles) originate in Wales (the author of the article also has that name) but those that end in -thwaite come from the East Midlands. Names and placenames ending in - thwaite in Britain are of Viking origin, coming from Old Norse thveit ("meadow" or "clearing").
'Walker wasn't a name for someone who walked. Everyone walked. A Walker carried out the same work – treading or crushing cloth – as a Fuller elsewhere.'
Interestingly, McKie also discovered that many names also have geographical origins, with those that end in -son indicating northern roots (English names ending in -son are of Scandinavian origin and derive from the time that Northern England was a Danish kingdom), while names that end with -s - Styles for instance - have Welsh origins.
Those whose names end in -by, -thwaite, -wick and -dale (of Viking origin) tend to originate in the East Midlands, while names that are prefixed by Tre-, Pol- and Pen- (which are Celtic in origin) come from Cornwall.
The UK's most common name Smith, although often thought to be English, actually originates in Scotland, while surnames beginning with P - Parry, Price, Pratt - are overwhelmingly Welsh in origin.
What's in a Surname?: A Journey from Abercrombie to Zwicker by David McKie, £14.99, is published by Random House
SMITH OR JONES? THE UK'S MOST COMMON SURNAMES REVEALED
1. Smith
2. Jones
3. Williams
4. Taylor
5. Brown
6. Davies
7. Evans
8. Wilson
9. Thomas
10. Johnson
*Source: NHS Central Register
Read more: New book reveals the UK's most bizarre surnames | Mail Online
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