The origin of your surname?

[T-Bone24]

I just looked up my surname, and found somehting interesting. My surname is thought to be one of the oldest in Scotland, and I may be related to MacBeth. My family motto is "Virtue under Strength". Anywho, turns out my last name has something to do with MacBeth pretending to be a tree in an attack. (Camoflage (sp?), not just for a game or something)

Anything you can find out about your surname that surprised you? Or a fact about your ancestry you'd like to share?

EDIT: My last name is Aikman, I'm Scottish, thought I should mention those things.

Spoiler: My Coat of Arms

 

[EMFCRACKSHOT]

My last name is Macdonald. I ave no idea where it comes from (Aside from scotland XD) or what it means. if someone would care to enlighten me i would be greatful

 

[T-Bone24]

My last name is Macdonald. I ave no idea where it comes from (Aside from scotland XD) or what it means. if someone would care to enlighten me i would be greatful

Just do a quick Google Search, that's what I did

 

[ActionDan]

I am Seers. I'm guessing something to do with tellers of the future.

 

[No one knows]

Unfortunately, I have an extremely boring surname which is Roman in origin and means "son of Rob"... See if you can guess what it is...

 

[EMFCRACKSHOT]

My last name is Macdonald. I ave no idea where it comes from (Aside from scotland XD) or what it means. if someone would care to enlighten me i would be greatful

Just do a quick Google Search, that's what I did

I know, but i'm far too lazy. it would be much easier for someone else to do it for me XD

And your image doesnt work

 

[AboveUp]

All I know and could find about my last name is that it the name comes from the word "windows" which was already obvious to me and everyone else that speaks Dutch anyway.

It's Van Ruiten by the way. Yes, I'm Dutch.
Rémy Cornelius van Ruiten.

And before anyone asks, no I'm not part of a rich or royal family.

 

[More Fun To Compute]

I have a biblical name. It's a pretty common name with no coat of arms or links to royalty.

 

[Joshimodo]

The exact origins of mine (Rousen) is unknown, however the furthest we've traced it back to was 8 generations ago in Russia. The bloke escaped some kind of persecution, wandered through to the Netherlands, hid on a boat and ended up in England.

 

[Time Travelling Toaster]

McPherson Surname Origin
The son of Pherson. Pherson is the son of Pfarrer, German, a parson, and that from Pfarre, a parish, a benefit, or living. Pfarre is derived from the Gaelic Faire, a watcher, to watch, an overseer, Episcopus. I have no idea were in Scotland my name comes from, that was just the first thing I found
Edit: Thanks for correcting it halfeclipse Touch not the cat without a glove.

 

[Timotei]

Schulz. Supposedly my father's, great grandfather's family had a rich military history.

 

[Wadders]

Waddington.
It's the name of several villages dotted around England. I'm guessing my dad's father's side of the family were from one such village in Yorkshire, them moved down to the Manchester area over time.

moar info: http://www.surnamedb.com/surname.aspx?name=Waddington

 

[Hazy]

My last name is Barker, which was derived from English, French, and German.

 

[Dr.Poisonfreak]

patronymic name meaning "son of John," the given name John deriving from the Hebrew Yochanan meaning "Jehovah has favoured." Jones is a popular surname among European Christians, as the name John was bestowed in honor of St. John the Baptist and many other saints by the name John. JOHNSON is a common English version of this surname.

thats what i got

i have a stereotypical welsh name

Martyn Rhys Jones

 

[Cocamaster]

Try mine, I dare you.

Seriously, if you do find it's origins and meaning, I'll email you a cookie.

Knörl

That's with an "o" with two dots on top.

 

[Froobyx]

Mines just a stupid sub meaning from Jean :/ from what I found, there weren't a lot of Jeanes in the UK in the 1800's. My dad mentioned once that it was east anglian, but am technically not a Jeanes if we're taking about genetics. If so then I have no idea where my original second name came from

 

[Irridium]

huh, mine is "Clark", and it is apparently of English/Irish origins.

And an interesting sentence I read from the description:
The term clerk (clark) eventually came to designate any literate man.

anyway, if anyone cares, here is the full description, copy and pasted:

Spoiler

CLARK Surname Meaning & Origin:
Cleric, clerk, or scholar - one who can read and write. Also from the Gaelic "Mac a' Chlerich/Cleireach"; son of the cleric or, sometimes, clerk. During the Middle Ages, the common pronunciation of -er was -ar, so the man who sold items was the marchant, and the man who kept the books was the clark. At the time, the primary members of the literate class were the clergy, which in minor orders were allow to marry and have families. The term clerk (clark) eventually came to designate any literate man.
The Cleary / O'Clery surname, one of the oldest surnames in Ireland, is often anglicized to Clarke or Clark.

Clark is the 25th most popular surname in the United States and the 34th most common in England. Clarke, with an "e," is actually more common in England - coming in as the 23rd most popular surname. It is also a very common name in Scotland (14th) and Ireland.

Surname Origin:
English, Irish
Alternate Surname Spellings:
CLARKE, CLERK, CLERKE
Famous People with the Surname CLARK:

William Clark - one half of the legendary Lewis & Clark expedition to the Pacific Ocean, along with Meriwether Lewis.

Guy Clark - American singer/songwriter

Arthur C. Clarke - British science fiction writer, best known for 2001: A Space Odyssey

 

[The Maddest March Hare]

Ima German baker..apparently

 

[historybuff]

Ridenour

Which is apparently either Welsh or Germanic.

Ancestry.com says:

1. Americanized spelling of German Rittenauer or Rettenauer, a topographic name for someone living by a swampy water meadow (from Retten ?swamp? + Au ?water meadow? + -er suffix denoting an inhabitant), or a habitational name from a place named with these elements.
2. Americanized spelling of South German Rütt(e)nauer, perhaps a topographic name from Middle High German riute ?clearing? + ouwe ?wet field?, ?water meadow?.
3. variant of Ridenhour.