Name Meaning

Have you ever wondered about the meaning or origin of your name?

Surnames first started to appear in England around 1,000 years ago (at the start of the 11th century) although initially it is thought that only the rich and powerful used them, today everyone has their own surname but most people don’t know anything about it’s meaning or origin.

History of surnames

The complete history and meaning of your surname can be researched and like the one being presented to Karen Gillan (Amy Pond from Doctor Who) by our researcher, the results can be produced on a parchment scroll with an authentic image of the coat of arms associated with it.

Karen Gillan receiving a parchment scroll of her surname meaning and coat of arms

Surname Meanings - Types of Surnames

There are several different types of surnames that have been given to people; here are a few of the popular ones:

Patronymic

Patronymic surnames are usually given to a father’s son so that they’ll always remember their father. One such example is Johnson.

Locational

As the name suggests, these surnames were used for people that lived in a certain location. For example: Woods.

Nicknames

These names were mainly just short descriptive names such as Young.

Occupational

The most popular type of surnames are those relating to jobs. The most common surname currently in the United Kingdom is one such name; Smith.

For more information on first name and surname meaning gifts.

Surname Meaning

A stunning Surname History Chart without the coat of arms is also available for UNDER £10 and makes a superb gift. All we need to know is the surname you wish us to research and print onto the chart for you.

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First Name Meaning

This will give you the meaning of a first name and where it came from together with an optional personal message at the bottom. Available unframed or framed (additional charge for framed).

Choose from a choice of several backgrounds.

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visit our name meaning store for our range of unique personalised name meaning gifts which make an ideal present for any occassion.