Genealogy Chat

Could you look up the meaning of RATTRAY please? Thank you, Rosalyn

Hi Leigh, I bet you are exhausted now after all that. Many thanks for your time and effort. Linda

Hi, thanks for your offer. Could you please see if Herrick and Luckett are listed?

Good Evening! Linda SALTER (& variations): Philip le Salter 1243….old English ‘sealtere’ ‘maker or seller of salt’ or ‘psalterer’ ‘player on the psaltery’, a stringed instrument like a harp….old French ‘saltere’ ‘psaltery’. William le Sautreour, minstrel to the Lady Margaret, Queen of England, 1304. SCOTT/SCOTTS/SCUTT/SCUTTS: Uchtred filius Scot c.1124 (Selkirk)…Scott is one of the 12 commonest surnames in Scotland. A border name, from old English ‘scott’, originally ‘an Irishman’, later ‘a Gael from Scotland’. In the English border counties where the surname is also common the name means ‘a man from Scotland’, not necessarily a Gael. The surname may also derive from the personal name…..The 12th century Scots of Eastern England may well have been retainers of David I, King of Scotland, who suceeded to the extensive lands of Waltheof, Earl of Huntingdon, on his marriage to Waltheof’s daughter. Many of these must have remained in England and their surnames became hereditary. (Phew!) Lynda PACE/PAICE/PAYS/PAYZE/PEACE: John Pais 1219 (Leicester),….old French/middle English ‘pais’ ‘peace, concord, amity’. As middle English ‘pasches’ appears also as ‘paisch, piece, peace’, and Easter eggs are still called ‘pace’ eggs. Later examples may be a variant of PASH. MAGGS/MADGE: Magge 1246 & c.1248 (Warwickshire)….’Magge’ may be ‘Magg’, a short form of the common ‘magot’…a hypocoristic of ‘Margaret’. Dorothy CARLESS/CARELESS/CARLOSS/CARLOS: Richard Reginald Carles 1141….old English ‘carleas’ ‘free from care’, or more likely ‘unconcerned, careless’. No CHILVERS HATFIELD/HATFEILD/HATFUL,/HATFULL: Tata aet Haeofelda c.1050….From Hatfield, (Essex, Hereford, Herts, Notts, Worcs, ER or NR Yorks), or Heathfield (Som, Sussex). FOSTER: John Foster 1373 (Colchester)….This may be middle English ‘foster’ ‘foster parent, nurse’….it may also be a development of FORESTER or FORSTER ‘forester’. SEATON/SETON: Adam de Seton c. 1194-1214….From Seaton (Cumb, Devon, Durham, Northumb, Rutland, ER/NR Yorks), or ‘dweller by the plantation or the cultivated land’, old English ‘seten’. PRATT/PRETT/PRITT: Wilfric Prat 1179, Suffolk….old English ‘praett’ ‘a trick’ ‘cunning, astute’. Martin Couldn’t find ETHERTON. It does sound British though, a place name I would have thought? See you all again! Leigh

Hi leigh Could you have a look and see is there a<reece/williams/stewart/gribbin/gribban. for me . many thanks. regards bernie.

Hi Leigh, Thanks for the kind offer. I'm interested in the meaning of the surname Faraday/Farraday. My mother says that it means 'wandering farm labourer' but I've found no evidence of this anywhere, and I'm starting to think she may be imagining it! Hannah

Hi Leigh I would be very greatful if you could see if you have any trace of MADELL and YELL. Thanks a lot Barbara

Leigh, Many thanks for your lookup. Could I possibly ask for another one:- JOYCE or JOICE as a surname (and a first name) Many thanks, Kathy

HI THERE MY NSAMES ARE WELLING, PEACOCK, ROBERTS, PUDDIFIN,GREENWOOD, BLAKEY,LOCKHART,CHEALE THANKS

Hi leigh,I wonder whether your books have any reference to the Christian Name,SIMON? I am also wondering whether they will show any significanca,as to the use of SIMON,as a Middle Name? Regards William Russell Jones Cefn Mawr Wrexham.

A few more for this evening…… Patricia Melia No FINNEY, but there is… FINN: In Ireland for ‘O Fin’ ‘descendant of Fionn’ (Fair). Patricia White WHITE (& variations): Wit filius Willelmi 1198 (Norfolk)…nickname from Old English (OE) ‘hwit’ ‘white’, with reference to fair hair or complexion, a well established name before the conquest and very common thereafter….or ‘dweller by a bend or curve’ in a road or river, from OE ‘wiht’…or a development of ‘wait’…’place where one lies in wait’, ‘look out post’…or the place White (Devon). TAYLOR/TAYLER/TAILOUR: Walter Taylor ..1180…old French ‘tailleor, tailleur’ ‘tailor’. Brenda FAITHFULL not listed, but…. FAITH: William Feythe 1389. Probably for ‘faithfull’, now fairly common. No OMAR WILLIS/WYLLYS/WHILLIS: Walter Willys 1327 (Staffordshire)…Forms of WILL retaining the vowel of the genitive ending. Cheers!

Hi Leigh, Could you tell me the origin of my surname.. Etherton Thanks Martin

Hi Leigh My names are: Tucker Crawley Nichols Warner Coombs Ashford Regards Christina

Hi Leigh, If it's not too much trouble could you please look up the following for me please? CARLESS/CARELESS CHILVERS HATFIELD FOSTER SEATON PRATT Thanks, Ann

Hello! ..yes, you are right Angela! Thinking of giving up my job to concentrate on this full time! ....only doesn't pay the bills!!! My little comment and excitment of my new books seems to have turned into a bit of a beast! And please, can someone tell me what 'lol' means? .....a few for tonight.... ----------------------------------- Cherie BINNS/BINN/BINNES: Robert Binn 1275 (Lincolnshire)…old English ‘binn’ ‘manger, bin’, metonymic for BINNER. Also used topographically: William de Bynns 1279. ‘Dweller by the hollows’. BYTHEWAY/BYTHWAY/BYWAY/BIDAWAY: Richard Bithewaye 1243….’dweller by the road’. EMMINGHAM – Not listed. KING/KINGE/KINGS: King 1201 (Cambridgeshire)…old English ‘cyning, cyng’ ‘king’, a nickname from the possession of kingly qualities or appearance. Also a pageant name, one who had acted as king in a play or pageant, or had been King of Misrule, or king of a tournament. HAYNES (& variations): Hagene, Hargana 1066 (Domesday Book) (No meaning given though). HAYNE…..common place names in Devon, particulary in the SE, or ‘dweller on the farm or holding’. HALL/HALLE/HALLS: Warin de Hall 1178 (Essex)…’worker at the hall’, old English ‘heall’. See you later....

Leigh thank you for the look ups you are so kind and it looks as though you will be busy for ever more!! Angie

Thanks very much Leigh, most appreciated. Christine

Hi Leigh, Could you please look for SALTER and SCOTT. Cheers Linda

Leigh Thank you very much for KILPATRICK and SELDON. Didn't think TIVERS or CARSONS would be listed - there's so few of them around! Thanks again Sue

leigh thankyou for that i didnt think you would find manterfield,it seems as though its been invented lol susie