lastnamegenerators

Old English Last Names

These old English last names come from medieval England, where surnames grew out of jobs, places, nicknames and fathers' names. Each one in the list above is shown with its original meaning.

220 real surnames with meanings, A to Z.

A

  • Alcott

    Old English eald, old, and cot, cottage

  • Alden

    Old English Ealdwine, old friend

  • Aldred

    Old English Ealdræd, old counsel

  • Aldridge

    Old English alor, alder, and wic, dwelling

  • Alfred

    Old English Ælfræd, elf counsel

  • Alger

    Old English Ælfgar, elf spear

  • Alston

    Old English Ælfstan, elf stone, or his settlement

  • Ashby

    Old English æsc, ash tree, with Norse by, farm

  • Ashcroft

    Old English æsc, ash tree, and croft, small field

  • Ashford

    Old English æsc, ash tree, and ford

  • Ashley

    Old English æsc, ash tree, and leah, clearing

  • Ashton

    Old English æsc, ash tree, and tun, settlement

  • Attwater

    Old English æt wætere, at the water

  • Atwood

    Old English æt wudu, at the wood

  • Audley

    Old English Ealdgyð, a woman's name, and leah, clearing

  • Aylmer

    Old English Æþelmær, noble and famous

  • Aylward

    Old English Æþelweard, noble guardian

B

  • Barton

    Old English bere, barley, and tun, farm

  • Baxter

    Old English bæcestre, baker, originally a feminine form

  • Beckham

    Old English personal name Becca and ham

  • Bentley

    Old English beonet, bent grass, and leah, clearing

  • Beverley

    Old English beofor, beaver, and licc, stream

  • Blackwell

    Old English blæc, dark, and wella, spring

  • Blackwood

    Old English blæc, dark, and wudu, wood

  • Bradford

    Old English brad, broad, and ford

  • Bradley

    Old English brad, broad, and leah, clearing

  • Bradshaw

    Old English brad, broad, and sceaga, thicket

  • Brandon

    Old English brom, broom, and dun, hill

  • Brewster

    Old English breowan, to brew, with feminine -estre

  • Brigham

    Old English brycg, bridge, and ham, homestead

  • Bromley

    Old English brom, broom, and leah, clearing

  • Brook

    Old English broc, brook or stream

  • Buckley

    Old English bucc, buck, and leah, clearing

  • Burton

    Old English burh, fort, and tun, settlement

C

  • Caldwell

    Old English cald, cold, and wella, spring

  • Carlton

    Old English ceorl, free peasant, and tun, settlement

  • Chadwick

    Old English Ceadda, a personal name, and wic, dwelling

  • Chapman

    Old English ceapmann, merchant or trader

  • Chesterton

    Old English ceaster, Roman fort, and tun

  • Chilton

    Old English cild, young noble, and tun

  • Clayton

    Old English clæg, clay, and tun, settlement

  • Clifford

    Old English clif, cliff or slope, and ford

  • Clifton

    Old English clif, cliff, and tun, settlement

  • Cotton

    Old English cot, cottage, plural cotum

  • Cromwell

    Old English crumb, crooked, and wella, stream

  • Cuthbert

    Old English cuþ, famous, and beorht, bright

D

  • Dalton

    Old English dæl, valley, and tun, settlement

  • Dearborn

    Old English deor, wild animal, and burna, stream

  • Doolittle

    Middle English nickname, do little, for an idle person

  • Dudley

    Old English Dudda, a personal name, and leah

  • Dunham

    Old English dun, hill, and ham, homestead

  • Dunstan

    Old English Dunstan, dun, dark, and stan, stone

  • Durward

    Old English duruweard, doorkeeper

E

  • Eastwood

    Old English east and wudu, eastern wood

  • Eaton

    Old English ea, river, and tun, settlement

  • Edgar

    Old English Eadgar, from ead, wealth, and gar, spear

  • Edmunds

    Old English Eadmund, wealth and protection

  • Edwards

    Old English Eadweard, wealth guardian

  • Edwin

    Old English Eadwine, rich friend

  • Eldridge

    Old English Ealdric, old ruler, or Æþelric

  • Ellsworth

    Old English personal name Elli and worð, enclosure

  • Elmore

    Old English elm and ora, bank or shore

  • Elwood

    Old English ellern, elder tree, and wudu, wood

  • Everett

    Old English Eoforheard, boar hardy

F

  • Fairfax

    Old English fæger, fair, and feax, hair

  • Fairweather

    Old English fæger, fair, and weder, weather

  • Farley

    Old English fearn, fern, and leah, clearing

  • Fenton

    Old English fenn, marsh, and tun, settlement

  • Fenwick

    Old English fenn, marsh, and wic, farm

  • Fielding

    Old English feld, open country, with -ing

  • Fisher

    Old English fiscere, fisherman

  • Ford

    Old English ford, river crossing

  • Fowler

    Old English fugelere, bird catcher

  • Frost

    Old English forst, frost, nickname for a cold person

  • Fuller

    Old English fullere, one who thickened cloth

  • Fulton

    Old English fugol, bird, and tun, enclosure

G

  • Garfield

    Old English gara, triangle of land, and feld

  • Gladwin

    Old English Glædwine, glad friend

  • Goddard

    Old English Godheard, God hardy

  • Godric

    Old English Godric, God and ric, ruler

  • Godwin

    Old English god and wine, friend of God

  • Goldwin

    Old English Goldwine, gold friend

  • Goodrich

    Old English Godric, God and ric, ruler

  • Goodwin

    Old English Godwine, good friend

  • Greenwood

    Old English grene, green, and wudu, wood

  • Gresham

    Old English gærs, grass, and ham, homestead

H

  • Hadley

    Old English hæð, heath, and leah, clearing

  • Hale

    Old English healh, nook or hollow

  • Halford

    Old English healh, nook, and ford

  • Hampton

    Old English ham, homestead, and tun, settlement

  • Harding

    Old English Hearding, from heard, hardy or brave

  • Harford

    Old English heorot, hart, or here, army, and ford

  • Harley

    Old English hara, hare, and leah, clearing

  • Hartley

    Old English heorot, stag, and leah, clearing

  • Hartwell

    Old English heorot, stag, and wella, spring

  • Harwood

    Old English har, grey, and wudu, wood

  • Hathaway

    Old English hæð, heath, and weg, path

  • Hawley

    Old English haga, hedged enclosure, and leah

  • Hawthorne

    Old English hagaþorn, hawthorn hedge

  • Hayden

    Old English heg, hay, and denu, valley

  • Hayes

    Old English hæg, hedged enclosure

  • Hayward

    Old English hæg, hedge, and weard, guardian

  • Hazelwood

    Old English hæsel, hazel, and wudu, wood

  • Hedley

    Old English hæð, heather, and leah, clearing

  • Heywood

    Old English heah, high, or hæg, enclosure, and wudu

  • Hilton

    Old English hyll, hill, and tun, settlement

  • Holbrook

    Old English hol, hollow, and broc, brook

  • Holcomb

    Old English hol, deep, and cumb, valley

  • Holden

    Old English hol, hollow, and denu, valley

  • Hollingsworth

    Old English holegn, holly, and worð, enclosure

  • Hollis

    Old English holegn, holly

  • Holloman

    Old English hol, hollow, and mann, dweller

  • Holloway

    Old English hol, sunken, and weg, road

  • Holt

    Old English holt, small wood

  • Hurst

    Old English hyrst, wooded hill

K

  • Kemp

    Old English cempa, warrior or champion

  • Kendrick

    Old English Cyneric, royal ruler

  • Kenrick

    Old English Cynric, royal ruler

  • Kenward

    Old English Cenweard, bold guardian

  • Kimball

    Old English Cynebeald, royal and bold

  • Kimberley

    Old English Cyneburg, a woman's name, and leah

  • Kingsley

    Old English cyning, king, and leah, clearing

  • Knight

    Old English cniht, youth or servant

L

  • Lambton

    Old English lamb and tun, lamb farm

  • Langley

    Old English lang, long, and leah, clearing

  • Leighton

    Old English leac, leek, and tun, garden

  • Lindley

    Old English lind, linden tree, and leah, clearing

  • Lister

    Dyer, from Middle English litster

  • Lockwood

    Old English loc, enclosure, and wudu, wood

M

  • Marlow

    Old English mere, pool, and laf, remnant

  • Middleton

    Old English middel, middle, and tun, settlement

  • Midgley

    Old English mycg, midge, and leah, clearing

  • Milford

    Old English mylen, mill, and ford

  • Milward

    Old English mylen, mill, and weard, keeper

  • Moreland

    Old English mor, moor, and land

  • Morley

    Old English mor, moor, and leah, clearing

  • Morton

    Old English mor, moor, and tun, settlement

N

  • Newton

    Old English niwe, new, and tun, settlement

  • Norton

    Old English norð, north, and tun, settlement

  • Norwood

    Old English norð, north, and wudu, wood

O

  • Oakes

    Old English ac, oak tree

  • Oakley

    Old English ac, oak, and leah, clearing

  • Ogden

    Old English ac, oak, and denu, valley

  • Osborne

    Old English Osbeorn, god and warrior

  • Oswald

    Old English os, god, and weald, power

P

  • Paxton

    Old English personal name Pæcc and tun

  • Pelham

    Old English personal name Peotla and ham, homestead

  • Penfold

    Old English pundfald, pound for stray animals

  • Proudfoot

    Nickname from Old English prud, proud, and fot, foot, for a haughty walk

R

  • Radcliffe

    Old English read, red, and clif, cliff

  • Radford

    Old English read, red, and ford

  • Ramsden

    Old English hramsa, wild garlic, and denu, valley

  • Ramsey

    Old English hramsa, wild garlic, and eg, island

  • Redford

    Old English hreod, reed, and ford

  • Reeve

    Old English gerefa, steward or bailiff

  • Ridley

    Old English hreod, reed, or geryd, cleared, plus leah

  • Rowe

    Old English raw, row of houses

  • Rowley

    Old English ruh, rough, and leah, clearing

  • Rutherford

    Old English hryðer, cattle, and ford

S

  • Sanford

    Old English sand and ford, sandy crossing

  • Saxton

    Old English Seaxe, Saxons, and tun, settlement

  • Selwyn

    Possibly Old English sele, hall, or sæl, joy, and wine

  • Seward

    Old English Sæweard, sea guardian

  • Sheldon

    Old English scylf, shelf, and dun, hill

  • Shelley

    Old English scylf, shelf or ledge, and leah

  • Shelton

    Old English scylf, shelf, and tun, settlement

  • Shepard

    Old English sceaphierde, shepherd

  • Sherwood

    Old English scir, shire, and wudu, wood

  • Shipley

    Old English sceap, sheep, and leah, pasture

  • Stafford

    Old English stæð, landing place, and ford

  • Stanford

    Old English stan, stone, and ford

  • Stanley

    Old English stan, stone, and leah, clearing

  • Stanton

    Old English stan, stone, and tun, settlement

  • Stockton

    Old English stocc, tree stump, and tun

  • Stoddard

    Old English stod, horse, and hierde, herdsman

  • Stokes

    Old English stoc, outlying farmstead or place

  • Stowe

    Old English stow, holy or meeting place

  • Stroud

    Old English strod, marshy land with brushwood

  • Sutton

    Old English suð, south, and tun, settlement

  • Swinford

    Old English swin, pig, and ford

T

  • Tatum

    Old English personal name Tata and ham, homestead

  • Thornton

    Old English þorn, thorn bush, and tun

  • Thorpe

    Old English þorp, outlying farm or hamlet

  • Townsend

    Old English tun, village, and ende, end

  • Trowbridge

    Old English treow, tree, and brycg, bridge

  • Tucker

    Old English tucian, to torment, later to full cloth

U

  • Upton

    Old English upp, higher, and tun, settlement

W

  • Wadsworth

    Old English personal name Wæddi and worð, enclosure

  • Wainwright

    Old English wægn, wagon, and wyrhta, maker

  • Wakefield

    Old English wacu, wake or festival, and feld

  • Walcott

    Old English wealh, Briton, and cot, cottage

  • Walton

    Old English wealh, Briton, or weald, forest, plus tun

  • Warburton

    Old English Wærburh, a woman's name, and tun

  • Wardell

    Old English weard, watch, and hyll, hill

  • Warwick

    Old English wær, weir, and wic, dwelling

  • Wayland

    Old English Weland, the legendary smith

  • Webster

    Old English webbestre, weaver

  • Wells

    Old English wella, spring or well

  • Wentworth

    Old English winter and worð, winter enclosure

  • Westbrook

    Old English west and broc, western brook

  • Wheeler

    Old English hweol, wheel, a wheelwright

  • Whitaker

    Old English hwit, white, or hwæte, wheat, and æcer

  • Whitfield

    Old English hwit, white, and feld, open land

  • Whiting

    Old English hwit, white, with -ing, son of

  • Whitley

    Old English hwit, white, and leah, clearing

  • Whitmore

    Old English hwit, white, and mor, moor

  • Wilford

    Old English welig, willow, and ford

  • Winslow

    Old English personal name Wine and hlaw, mound

  • Winston

    Old English Wynstan, joy stone, and tun

  • Winter

    Old English winter, nickname for a cold person

  • Winthrop

    Old English personal name Wina and þorp, farm

  • Wolcott

    Possibly Old English wulf or wald plus cot, cottage

  • Wolfe

    Old English wulf, wolf, a fierce person

  • Woodley

    Old English wudu, wood, and leah, clearing

  • Woodward

    Old English wudu, wood, and weard, guardian

  • Woolsey

    Old English Wulfsige, wolf victory

  • Worthington

    Old English worð, enclosure, with -ingtun, settlement

  • Wright

    Old English wyrhta, craftsman or builder

  • Wyman

    Old English wig, war, and mann, man

Y

  • Yardley

    Old English gyrd, spar or rod, and leah, wood

Generate random old english surnames

Filter by first letter, length and rarity, add a first name to preview the full name, then copy or save your favorites.

Results (6)

  • Bromley

    Old English brom, broom, and leah, clearing

    English

  • Shelton

    Old English scylf, shelf, and tun, settlement

    English

  • Hampton

    Old English ham, homestead, and tun, settlement

    English

  • Kenward

    Old English Cenweard, bold guardian

    English

  • Bradley

    Old English brad, broad, and leah, clearing

    English

  • Edwin

    Old English Eadwine, rich friend

    English

Saved names

    Names you save will appear here. They stay in this browser only.

    Open the full generator

    Where old English last names came from

    Before the Norman Conquest of 1066, most people in England used a single name, such as Aelfric or Godwin, sometimes with a byname to tell neighbours apart. Surnames became fixed and hereditary slowly between about 1200 and 1400, first among landholders and then among ordinary families, partly because tax collectors and manor courts needed a way to tell one John from another. The poll tax rolls of 1377 to 1381 already show many of the names on this page passing from father to son.

    Most of these surnames fall into four groups. Occupational names record a trade: Wright, Fisher, Webster (weaver), Fowler (bird catcher) and Chapman (merchant). Locational names point to a place or feature, such as Brook, Thorpe, Ashby or Hurst (wooded hill). Patronymics come from a father's name, as in Edwards or Edmunds. Nicknames describe a person: Frost for a cold manner, Wolfe for fierceness, Fairweather for a sunny nature. The meaning beside each name in the list tells you which group it belongs to.

    Words hidden inside medieval family names

    Many names preserve words that have dropped out of everyday English. A Webster was a weaver, often a woman, and a Baxter was a baker, both using the old feminine -ster ending. A Reeve managed a manor for its lord, a Hayward guarded fences and hedges, and a Wainwright built wagons. A Lister dyed cloth, a Fuller or Tucker thickened it, and a Kemp was a champion or fighter. Reading these names is a small lesson in how a medieval village actually worked.

    Spelling was never fixed either. Clerks wrote what they heard, so the same family might appear as Smyth, Smythe and Smith within a few generations. The final e and the y in place of i are often later additions rather than genuine old forms, sometimes adopted to make a name look older or grander. Place names also shifted over the centuries, which is why a surname like Thorpe or Worth can match several different villages across England.

    Using old English last names in writing and naming

    For historical fiction, match the name to the social position of the character. Occupational names suit villagers and townspeople, while names taken from estates, such as Stanley or Neville, belong to landholding families. A Norman flavour, with names like Mortimer or Beaumont, points to the aristocracy after 1066. The letter filter above helps you narrow the list when you want a particular sound, and the small generator is handy when you just need a quick name for a minor character.

    For a baby or a pen name, many of these surnames already work as first names, including Everett, Hayden, Kingsley and Brandon. Check the meaning before you choose, since a few nickname surnames were not flattering: Doolittle described an idle person and Proudfoot someone with a haughty walk. Say the full name out loud with any first name you are considering, and look at how the initials read together before you settle on it.

    Frequently asked questions

    What are old English last names?

    The term usually means surnames that formed in England during the Middle Ages, roughly from the eleventh to the fifteenth century. Strictly, Old English is the language spoken before 1066, and only some names, such as Godwin, Aldred and Brook, go back to it directly. Most surnames on this page took shape in Middle English but draw on older words.

    When did people in England start using fixed family names?

    Hereditary surnames spread gradually after the Norman Conquest. Norman barons had them first, often taken from their estates in France. Ordinary people began using fixed surnames in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, and by around 1400 most families in England had one they passed to their children. Wales and the far north took longer.

    Why do so many medieval family names come from jobs?

    In a village, the easiest way to tell two men named Walter apart was by what they did. Walter the smith became Walter Smith, and the name stayed with his children even if they took up other work. That is why Smith, Taylor, Clark (clerk) and Wright remain among the most common names in England today.

    Are old English last names good for fantasy characters?

    Yes. They work well for fantasy and historical settings because they sound familiar yet slightly distant. Names like Blackwood, Hawthorne, Greenwood and Fairfax carry clear images. If you want something less recognisable, pick a name built on a forgotten office, such as Durward (doorkeeper) or Milward (keeper of a mill).

    More last name lists