by Sharon Hall | Apr 19, 2014 | Surname Saturday
Blood This surname was possibly derived from the Welsh name Lloyd. The original form of the surname was “Ab-Lloyd” with the prefix “ab” meaning “son of”. From “Ab-Lloyd” the name eventually evolved to “Blud” and then “Blood”. Some sources suggest two additional...
by Sharon Hall | Apr 12, 2014 | Surname Saturday
According to Bardsley’s A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, the Gildersleeve surname is a nickname meaning “with sleeves braided with gold”. One source refers to it as an English nickname for an ostentatious dresser. Originally, the name was derived from the...
by Sharon Hall | Apr 4, 2014 | Surname Saturday
Coffin This family can trace its roots back to Sir Richard Coffin, a knight who was with William the Conqueror when he went to England in 1066. Many historians agree that the surname is derived from the French word “cofin” or “coffin”, which was derived from the...
by Sharon Hall | Mar 29, 2014 | Surname Saturday
Doe The Doe surname is believed to have been of ancient Norman origins, presumably arriving in England as a result of the Norman Conquest of 1066. One family historian hypothesized that the surname was perhaps of Danish origin since the Danes frequently made...
by Sharon Hall | Mar 22, 2014 | Surname Saturday
The surname Starbuck is believed to have Scandinavian origins. Norsemen (Vikings) came down to Scotland and Ireland between 800 and 1100 A.D. to plunder and terrorize. After a time these Vikings intermarried with women of the villages and later plundered along the...
by Sharon Hall | Mar 15, 2014 | Surname Saturday
Some of the earliest records of this surname (pronounced EYE-sham) occurred in eleventh century England. There are two Isham families that settled in the Colonies, one in Massachusetts and one in Virginia. The families migrated from Northamptonshire in England,...
