posted
I'd like your help in compiling a list of surnames that were originally occupations. Here's some that I ganked from Google. But it seems like there are lots more that aren't here. Can you think of any?
(mods, feel free to delete if you think this is too long)
Accomptant Accountant Abbott Ackerman: plowman Aguilar Alderman Almoner Giver of charity to the needy Amanuensis Secretary or stenographer Ambler Archer Arkwright Armer Armour Arrowsmith Artificer A soldier mechanic who does repairs Ashburner Ashman Aurifaber Ayler Bacchus Bachelor Backer Bacon Bailey Bailie Bailiff Baker Baker Ballester Balmer Banister Bannerman Barber Barber Barker Barker: leather tanner Baron Barrell Barter BAUER, HUBER, BAUMANN, HUEBNER [farmer] Baxter Baxter Baker Baxter: baker Bayliss Beamer Bean BECKER, BECK [baker] Beeman Bellringer Belt Berryman Bessemer Bishop Bisp Blacker Blaker Blaxter Blecher Bloom Bloomer Bluestocking Female writer Boatswain Boatwright Boatwright: made boats Bond Boniface Keeper of an inn Bookbinder Booker Boorman Boot Boote Boothman Botwright Boucher Boulter Bourchier Bowerman Bowler Bowmaker Bowman Bowring Bowyer Boyter Brasher Brasseur Brayer Brazier Brazier One who works with brass Brewer Brewster Brewster Beer manufacturer Brewster: brewer Bridgeman Bridger Bridle Brightsmith Metal Worker Brownsmith Buckler Buckman Bulger Bullinger Bulmer Burgess Burgonmaster Mayor Burl Burle Burman Bushell Buss Butcher Butler Butner Butters Buttery Button Cake Cakebread Calverd Camp Cann Cannel Cannell Canter Caperon Capon Capper Card Carder Carpenter Carter Carter: wagon driver Cartwright Carver Catchpole Cater Caulker One who filled up cracks (in ships or windows) or seems to make them watertight by using tar or oakum-hemp fiber produced by taking old ropes apart Century Chafer Chaffer Chaisemaker Carriage maker Chalker Challender Challenger Challinor Chalmers Chamberlain Chambers Chancellor Chandler Chandler Dealer or trader; one who makes or sells candles; retailer of groceries Chandler: candle maker Chaplin Chapman Chase Chaucer Chauncellor Chaundler Cheator Cheese Cheeseman Cheesewright Chenevix Chiffonnier Wig maker Clarges Clark Clark Clerk Clark: clerk Clarke Cleaver Clerk Clerk Clergyman, cleric Clicker The servant of a salesman who stood at the door to invite customers; one who received the matter in the galley from the compositors and arranged it in due form ready for printing; one who makes eyelet holes in boots using a machine which clicked. Clothier Cloutman Cohen Priest Cohen: priest Coke Collier Collier Coal miner Collier: coal miner Colporteur Peddler of books Colthard Coltman Conner Conner: inspector Constable Cook Cooke Cooper One who makes or repairs vessels made of staves & hoops, such as casks, barrels, tubs, etc. Copestake Coppersmith Corden Cordiner Cordwainer Cordwainer Shoemaker, originally any leather worker using leather from Cordova/Cordoba in Spain Corker Costermonger Peddler of fruits and vegetables Costner Cotter Cotterill Cottier Cotton Couch Coucher Couchman Coulthard Coultman Counter Courtiour Cowper Coxetter Cribb Crocker - Potter Croker Cropper Crowner Coroner Crowther Crozier Cryer Culpepper Currier One who dresses the coat of a horse with a curry comb; one who tanned leather by incorporating oil or grease Currier: curer of hides Cuss Cutter Dance Dancer Day Dayman Daymond Deacon Deathridge Demmer Dempster Dethewright Dexter Digweed Diver Docker Stevedore, dock worker who loads and unloads cargo Dowser One who finds water using a rod or witching stick Draper Draper A dealer in dry goods Drapper Drawer Dray Drayman One who drives a long strong cart without fixed sides for carrying heavy loads Dresser A surgeon's assistant in a hospital Dring Driver Drover One who drives cattle, sheep, etc. to market; a dealer in cattle Duffer Peddler Dyer Dyker: stonemason Earl Earle Ewer Faber: artisan Factor Agent, commission merchant; one who acts or transacts business for another; Scottish steward or bailiff of an estate Falconar Falconer Falder Falkner Farman Farmer - actually a tax collector rather than an agricultural worker Farrar Farrier - A blacksmith, one who shoes horses Faulkner Faulkner Falconer Fearon Feather Feaver Fell monger One who removes hair or wool from hides in preparation for leather making Femister Fender Fennell Ferrier Ferrier: blacksmith Fewster Fewtrell Fiddler Fielder Filer Finesilver FISCHER [fisher] Fisher Fisk Fiske Fitter Flann Flanner Flaxman Flesher Fletcher One who made bows and arrows Flinter Floater Flower FOERSTER [forest ranger] Footman Foreman Forest Forester Forestier Forster Fournier Fowler: bird hunter Franklin Frankling Franklyn Frater Freebody Freeland Freeman Frere Freshwater Frobisher Fuller One who fulls cloth;one who shrinks and thickens woolen cloth by moistening, heating, and pressing; one who cleans and finishes cloth Furber Furminger Galley Galpin Gaoler A keeper of the goal, a jailer Gard Gardiner Gardner Garland Garlic Garlicke Garnet Garnett Gaylor Gilder Gilroy Ginger Girdler Glaisher Glass Glazier Window glassman Glover Goatman Goldsmith Gossard Grainger Granger: farmer Grave Gravenor Greensmith Grieve Groom Groser Grosvenor Grunsell Guild Hacker - Maker of hoes; woodcutter Hansard Harper Harper: minstrel Hatcheler One who combed out or carded flax Hawker Haymonger Dealer in hay Hayward - Keeper or inspector of fences Hensman Herd Hewer Higgler Itinerant peddler Hillier Roof tiler Hind A farm laborer Hine HOFFMANN, HOFMANN [farmer and administrator of manors] Hollier Hollister Holster A groom who took care of horses, often at an inn Hooker Reaper Hooper: maker of barrel hoops HOPPE [hop farmer and hop trader] Hopper Horder Hornblower Horner Hotter Hucker Huckster Sells small wares Hunt Hunter Husband Husbandman A farmer who cultivated the land Hussey Inman Iremonger JAEGER [hunter] Jagger Jagger Fish peddler Jenner Joiner Journeyman One who had served his apprenticeship and mastered his craft, not bound to serve a master, but hired by the day Joyner / Joiner A skilled carpenter Judge Kaufman: merchant Keech Keeler: bargeman KELLER ["cellar", administrator for supplies in castles and manors] Kellogg Kember Kemp Kempe Kempster Kempster - Wool comber Kew Kilner Kiss Kisser Knight KOCH [cook] KOEHLER [charcoal burner] KRAEMER, KRAMER [small shopkeeper, grocer] KRUEGER [a man producing jugs and mugs] Labbett Ladel Ladell Lander Langcake Larbalestier Lardner Keeper of the cupboard Larner Latimer Latter Lavender Washer woman Lawman Le Mare Le Patourel Le Sueur Leach Leadbeater Leadbetter Leadbitter Leaker Leaper Leather Lecomber Ledbetter Lederer Leather maker Lederer: leather maker Leech - Physician Legate LEHMANN [tenant] Limer Lister Loader Lockhart Locksmith Lockyear Lodder Longshoreman Stevedore Lorimer Lormer Maker of horse gear Lusher Luther Lymburner Machin Maidman Malender Farmer Malter Maltster Brewer Manciple A steward Mangall Mangold Marbler Marchant Mariner Marker Marler Marner Marshall: horse doctor Mason Bricklayer Massinger Masters Mather Mayer Mercer: cloth merchant Merchant Messenger Mew MEYER, MEIER, MAIER, MAYER [administrator of manors and farmers] Meystre Miller Millman Mills Milner Minter Mintmaster One who issued local currency Molyneaux Monger - Seller of goods (ale, fish) Monk Mower Moyne MUELLER, MOELLER [miller] Muleskinner Teamster Mulliner Mustard Mutter NAGEL ["nail", a blacksmith producing nails and similar things but not weapons or horseshoes] Naismith Napier Napper Naylor Neate Neatherder Herds cows Needler Nunn Nurse Offer Officer Ordinary Keeper Innkeeper with fixed prices Osler Ostler Ostridge Otter Oxnard Oyler Packer Page Paget Paige Painter Pakeman Pallister Palmer Paniers Panter Panther Pape Pardner Pargeter Parker Parkman Parmenter Paroissien Parson Parsons Partner Patten Pattern Pattern Maker A maker of a clog shod with an iron ring. A clog was a wooden pole with a pattern cut into the end Pearl Pearman Pease Peever Pegler Pelter Pepper Peppercorn Peregrinator Itinerant wanderer Perrier Peruker A wig maker Pestell Pester Petcher Pettifogger A shyster lawyer Peutherer PFEIFFER ["piper", a musician any wind instrument] Physick Pigman Crockery dealer Pilcher Pillinger Pinder Pinn Piper Pitman: coal miner Plater Player Pledger Plowman Plowright Plum Plumber One who applied sheet lead for roofing and set lead frames for plain or stained glass windows. Plumer Plummer Porcher Porter Porter Door keeper Pothecary Potter Pottinger Poulter Priest Prince Prior Procter Provost Puddler Wrought iron worker Punter Purser Purves Quaif Quaife Quarrell Quarrier Quarry worker Quarry Quilter Raper Rastel Rastell Ratter Reader Redman Reeve Renner Restler Retter RICHTER [judge, mainly as a honorary office] Rider Ridler Rigger Hoist tackle worker Rimmer Ringer Ripper - Seller of fish RITTER [knight] Roadnight Roller Roope Roper Maker of rope or nets Rover Rower Rozier Runciman Rutter Rymer Sacker Saddler One who makes, repairs or sells saddles or other furnishings for horses Sadler Sailer Salter Sanger Sangster Sapper Sargent Sawbones - Physician Sawyer One who saws; carpenter Sayer SCHAEFER [shepherd] SCHMIDT, SCHMITZ, SCHMITT, SCHMID [smith] SCHNEIDER, SCHROEDER [tailor] SCHREIBER [writer] SCHUBERT, SCHUMACHER, SCHUSTER [shoemaker] SCHULZ, SCHULZE, SCHOLZ, SCHULTE [administrator of manors and village majors] Schumacker Shoemaker Scribler A minor or worthless author Scrimgeor Scrimgeour Scrimshaw Scrivener -Professional or public copyist or writer; notary public Scrutiner - Election judge Scullion Scutt Seaman Secker Sedgman Sellar Sellars Senior Service Sevier Sewer Sexton Seyler Sharman Sheather Shepherd Shepherd Sheriff Shingler Ship Shipman Shipwright Shoesmith Shooter Shopper Shrieve Sheriff Shutler Shuttle Sievewright Sievwright Silk Silver Silversmith Simister Singer Sixsmith Sizer Skinner Slater Slater Roofer Slaymaker Slipper Sloper Slopseller Seller of ready-made clothes in a slop shop Smith Smither Smithers Snider Sniders Snobscat / Snob One who repaired shoes Soper Sorter Tailor Spence Spencer Spender Spice Spicer Spier Spindler Spinster A woman who spins or an unmarried woman Spooner Spurrer Maker of spurs Spurrier Squier Squiers Squire Country gentleman; farm owner; justice of peace Squires Stainer Steadman Stearman Steel Steele Steward Stocker Stockfish Storer Stringer Stuff gown Junior barrister Stuff gownsman Junior barrister Sucksmith Summer Sumner Supercargo Officer on merchant ship who is in charge of cargo and the commercial concerns of the ship Surgeon Sutler Swingler Tabberner Taberer Tanner Tanner One who tans (cures) animal hides into leather Taper Tapley One who puts the tap in an ale cask Tapper Tasker Tasker Reaper Taverner Taylor Taylor Teacher Teamster One who drives a team for hauling Tector Tennant Thatcher Roofer Thaxter Theaker Thew Threader Thresher Thrower Tide waiter Customs inspector Tiller Tillman Timberman Tinker Tinker An itinerant tin pot and pan seller and repairman Tinker: traveling salesman Tinkler Tipstaff Policeman Tisser Tisserand Todhunter Toller Tolman Toner Tozer Tranter Travers Toll bridge collection Travers: collector of bridge tolls Trenchard Trencher Tricker Trinder Tripe Trippe Tripper Trist Trouncer Trumper Tubman Tucker: cleaner of cloth goods Tuckerman Tumman Tunnah Tunnard Tupper Turner Turner A person who turns wood on a lathe into spindles Tyler Ulman Usher Vavasour Vavasseur Veck Veil Vender Venner Verrier Vicar Vicars Vickers Vickery Victualer A tavern keeper, or one who provides an army, navy, or ship with food supplies Vinter VOGT, VOIGT [senior administrator] Voller Vulcan Blacksmith Wafer Wager Waggoner Waghorn Waghorne WAGNER [coach builder: producing any equipments with wheels] Wagoner Teamster not for hire Wagstaff Wagstaffe Wain Waine Wainman Wainwright: wagon maker Wait Waite Waiter Customs officer or tide waiter; one who waited on the tide to collect duty on goods brought in Wakeman Walker Waller Want Ward Warde Warden Warman Warner Warrender Warrener Washer Watchman Waterer Waterman Waterman Boatman who plies for hire Wax Waxman Weather Weaver Webb Webbe WEBER [weaver] Webster Webster Operator of looms Webster: weaver Wechsler: moneychanger Wharfinger Owner of a wharf Wheeler Wheelwright One who made or repaired wheels; wheeled carriages, etc. Whistler Whitbread Whitcher Whiter Whitesmith Tinsmith; worker of iron who finishes or polishes the work Whitewing Street sweeper Whitster Bleacher of cloth Whittier Wicker Wildsmith Woodger Woodman Woodward Woodyer Wooler Wooller Woolman Workman Wort Wright Wright Workman, especially a construction worker Wrighte Yeoman Farmer who owns his own land Younghusband ZIEGLER [a person producing bricks] ZIMMERMANN, ZIMMER [carpenter]
Posts: 116 | Registered: Sep 2004
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posted
Camp = Warrior or soldier -- from the Old English word campa. Also Campbell, Campos, Campanella, Kemp, Campi, etc as you move through various languages.
I've also run across "Bore" as being an abbreviated form of Boyer which is actually Bowyer -- a maker of bows.
posted
I'm assuming your capitalized ones are German and the rest are English. This is pretty representative of Americans, but there are lots of other languages out there (Boulangère is French for Baker, etc.)
My mother's maiden name is Fleischer, which is German for "butcher." Here is a list of more German names I found:
Arzt - doctor Bader - barber Bauer - farmer Bauman(n) - builder Becker - baker Brenner - distiller Brauer, Breuer - brewer, brower, brewster Eisenhauer, Eisenhower - iron cutter, miner Farber - painter Fischer - fisher Fleischer - butcher Gebauer - peasant or tiller of the field Gerber - tanner Kellerman - worker or dweller in a wine cellar or tavern Kessler - coppersmith, own who sold or made kettles Kramer - merchant Krieg, Krieger - war, warrior, in Yiddish could mean tavern keeper Kuster (Kuester) - sexton Kunstler - artist or skilled artisan Lederer, Lederman(n) - leather maker, tanner Lehrer - teacher Lesser - custodian of a forest, game keeper Lichtermann - one who lit lamps, lamplighter Lichtman - candle maker Maurer - stone mason Mehler (Mahler) - painter Mehlinger, Mehlman(n), Melman - one who works with flour Metzger - butcher Muller - miller Nachtman(n) - night watchman Pfannnenschmidt - maker of pots and pans Postman(n) - postal worker, (also a person from Postau) Puttkam(m)er - person who cleans rooms Rader - wheelwright, one who makes wheels; or a person from Raden (moor, reedy place), one who thatched with reed Reifsneider, Reifsnyder - one who made barrel hoops Reiter - horseman, also one who cleared land for tilling Richter - judge or magistrate Saltz, Saltzman(n) - one who processed and sold salt Sandler - one who carts sand, repairs shoes, a cobbler Schafer (German with Umlaut) was a sheperd Schenker - one who kept a public house Scherer - one who shaved others, a barber Schlosser - lock smith Schluter (Schlueter, Schluter with Umlaut) - the keeper of supplies Schmidt - smith Schmuker, Schmu(c)kler - one who decorates, ornaments Schneider and Schroeder - tailor Schultz, Schultheis - village mayor Schreiber - secretary or scribe Schreiner - cabinet maker Schubert - one who made or sold shoes Schulman(n) - school or synagogue man Schumacher, Schu(h)man(n), Schuster - shoe maker, cobbler Steinhauer - one who cuts and breaks stone Studebaker - one who prepared or sold pastries Wagner - wagoner, wagon maker Weber - weaver Wechsler - money changer.
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quote:Scrivener -Professional or public copyist or writer; notary public
ooh it's doubly appropriate!!!I'm a professional writer by way of transcription and I'm a notary public. I didn't even know about the second definition when I picked out my forum name. Love it!
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