Connecting surnames to trades
Published Tuesday September 9th, 2008
Roots to the Past
As a writer, I am always on the lookout for the perfect character name for my fiction. First names seem to be easy to choose, but surnames are sometimes challenging. As a genealogist I feel a character should reflect some connection to the origin of the surname.
For example, a character with the surname McDonald should exhibit some Scottish or Irish traits or reveal some connection to that culture. It could be as simple as having a matching Scottish or Irish first name or having a kilt hanging in the closet.
Many sources are available to find surname origins. Books, magazines and the Internet can provide clues to your surname, but beware. Some surnames have more than one origin. For example Mosher (Moser) may be German or English. Some sources might state that the Mosher spelling is English while Moser is German, but often these spellings are interchangeable. One brother might have spelled it one way while another in the same community spelled it the other.
When surnames became common, families often chose or were given one that indicated the trade of the head of the household, but not always. Some surnames may have indicated a person's appearance (Short, Little) or their location (Underwood, Churchill) or that he was the son of so-and-so (Davidson, O'Donnell, M'Ewin.)
Obvious surnames connected to trades include Taylor, Baker and Miller. Less obvious surname occupations include Marshall (horse servant, or groom), Lorimer (bridlemaker) and Travers (toll bridge collector). Sometimes surnames were translated from one language to another and the meanings remained the same. Other times, the meanings changed.
Often when I write, I try to give the character another layer with their name without being too obvious. For example, if the character works in a coal mine, I might give him the surname Collier. Or maybe the character has a pet goat. I might give her the last name Gatward (goatkeeper).
An excellent website to search for the meaning and origin of a particular surname is "Behind the Surname the etymology and history of surnames" (http://surnames.behindthename.com/.) Visitors can use the search engine to find a particular name or browse by surname origin, including English, Scottish, Irish, Welsh, Dutch, German, French, Jewish, Spanish, Italian, Scandinavian and many others world wide.
For example, the website states the surname Powell is a contraction of the Welsh Ap Howell meaning ‘son of Howell.' The French name Desjardins means ‘from the gardens' derived from the French jardin ‘garden.'
If a surname can't be found, try other spellings found during your genealogy research. If it still can't be found, surf through the origin you believe your surname belongs and see if it appears with a spelling you haven't yet seen.
An informative website containing surname history is the Origins and Meanings of Names (www.mayrand.org/meaning-e.htm.) It includes information on the origins of surnames from around the world.
Studying the history of surnames is fascinating. As a writer and a genealogist, they provide clues to the past and help us better understand the characters who wore them.
Researcher's file
Seeking researchers (or descendants) of Leonie Leblanc (Lena, 1910 1998) and Harry Murray (1916 1972) of Moncton (Parkton). Together, they had one son, James Paul (Jimmie, 1947 August 20, 1969, construction accident, Moncton.) Contact: Richard Murray, 108 West Mary Street, Picton, ON, K0K 2T0; e-mail: richardmurray@persona.ca
Diana Lynn Tibert is a freelance writer living in Milford, NS. Submit a query. It's free!: RR#1 Milford, Hants County, NS, B0N 1Y0; e-mail: tibert@ns.sympatico.ca
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