American names and surnames in English. English surnames and their meanings

When the British Bureau of National Statistics released its annual report for 2014, an interesting fact attracted the attention of specialists: more and more parents are choosing a name for their newborns under the influence of pop culture, and above all - modern TV series.

The growing popularity of the epic "Game of Thrones" gave rise to a whole galaxy of new names - in the real, not invented world. The character of Emilia Clarke gave birth to two names at once: 53 newborn British women were named Khaleesi (Khaleesi from the film - royal title), and 9 more were given the name Daenerys (Daenerys). Even more popular was the name Arya Stark: the name Arya was chosen for their daughters by 244 families, but only 6 girls were named after Sansa.

British boys were not spared by the new fashion either: 2014 was a fruitful year for Tyrions (17) and Theons (18) - for comparison, in 2013 there were 6 and 11, respectively.

But Game of Thrones isn't the only show to inspire Britain's new parents. "Downton Abbey" has revived a dozen names popular at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. Since the launch of the movie saga in 2010, the names Rose, Cora, Violet and Edith have grown significantly in popularity. And Hollywood is not far behind: Disney's "Frozen" has sparked interest in the old-fashioned but adorable name Elsa.

Sherlock fans are also contributing to the name stat. And although no one was named Sherlock in 2014, 132 little Britons were named Benedict.

Meanwhile, Oliver (Oliver) and Amelia (Amelia) top the list of the most popular names in England and Wales - however, as in previous years.

10 most British male names

Alastair, Alistair, Alister - Alastair, Alistair

Meaning: The Protector

The Scottish equivalent of the Greek name Alexander.

Fergus - Fergus

Meaning: The strong

A Scottish-Irish name, quite old-fashioned but colorful.

Crispin - Crispin

Meaning: curly (lat.)

Saint Crispin, the patron saint of shoemakers, is mentioned by Shakespeare in the play "Henry V". A beautiful English name, and most importantly - a rare one.

• When it comes to Henry V, we warmly recommend watching the 1989 English film Henry V: The Battle of Agincourt starring Kenneth Branagh. An amazingly dramatic film, which is useful to watch in the original.

Ellis - Ellis

Meaning: The benevolent

No, this is not a female name: Ellis is the Welsh version of the male Greek name Elias.

• Fun fact: Emilia Brontë wrote her “Wuthering Heights” under the pseudonym Ellis Bell.

Piers - Pierce

Meaning: The stone

Pierce is the first variant of the Greek name Peter to reach the English-speaking world during the Norman invasion. Notable Piers include Brosnan, Pierce Brosnan, who starred in four Bond films.

Conall - Conall

Meaning: The strong wolf

The Scottish name Conall is a variant of the name Connor. Wolves hunt in packs - when choosing this name, parents must hope that their offspring will always be surrounded by friends.

Kenzie - Kenzie

Meaning: The fair skinned

And although the meaning of this name refers to skin color, Kenzi boys are often endowed with a special inner light that sets them apart from their peers.

Euan, Ewan - Yuen

Meaning: born of a yew tree; youth

The Scottish version of the name John. Judging by Ewan McGregor, the owners of this name are very talented, but at the same time humble.

Lachlan - Lacklen, Lachlan

Meaning: The Warrior From The Scottish Lands

The most Scottish name imaginable. Do not be surprised if this child prefers a Scottish kilt to trousers from childhood.

10 most British female names

Amelia - Amelia

Meaning: The work

The most popular British name of the previous year, in fact, is not a name at all. This word is a hybrid of Latin Emilia (Emilia) and German Amalia (Amalia), and the letter e in the middle of the word symbolizes good old England (England) :)

Gladys - Gladys

Meaning: country; people

Welsh name, equivalent to Claudia.

Myrtle - Myrtle, Myrtle

Meaning: The bush

Someone somewhere in the mists of time decided to name their newborn daughter in honor of a flowering bush - anything can happen. Surprisingly, the name stuck and became quite popular in Britain.

Frideswide - Fridesvida

Meaning: The peaceful, calm

The name comes from the Old English Friðuswiþ, which combines the words frið (peace) and swiþ (strong). Therefore, small Fridesvids (no matter how unusual this name may seem) show an enviable firmness of character with outward calmness. Just like Saint Frideswida (by the way, a princess) who lived in the 8th century and founded the Church of Christ in Oxford.

Note: To be honest, this name is, of course, quite rare these days. But at the time of Queen Elizabeth, it was among the top 50 most popular female names.

Agatha - Agatha

Meaning: The good, the venerable

Agathos means "good" in Greek, so Agathas are good girls (literally). The name migrated to England in the 11th century with the Normans who venerated Saint Agatha, who lived in the 3rd century and was probably a very good girl. And then there is Agatha Christie - a very, very good girl.

Olivia - Olivia

Meaning: The olive

The feminine version of the male name Oliver (Oliver), meaning olive seller or simply olive, olive. Some names do not need to look for connotations.

Boadicea (Boudicca) - Boadicea (Boudicca)

Meaning: Victory

Militant Boudicca is the queen of the Brittish tribe of the Icenes, who revolted against the Romans (the events are mentioned in the Annals of Tacitus). And although the uprising was suppressed, the name of the warrior has survived through the centuries.

Edith - Edith

Meaning: The riches gained in battle

The Old English word ead means wealth or blessing, and gyth means struggle. The girl named by this name will excel in the martial arts. Interesting fact: the wife of William the Conqueror was also named Edith. Edith the Conqueror :)

Nora - Nora

Meaning: honesty, nobility

Most likely, this name comes from the Latin honora, from which the English word honor (honesty, nobility, honor, recognition) was also formed.

Ada - Ada

Meaning: Of noble birth

Perhaps a variant of the name Ida (Ida), which has Old Germanic roots and means "hardworking." This name was also brought to Britain by the Normans and gained popularity in the 19th century thanks to the poet Alfred Tennyson, who gave the name to the heroine of his poem "Princess". Among the famous Hell is the daughter of another poet (namely, Byron), who is considered the world's first programmer. And one of the first programming languages ​​is called "Ada" - exactly in her honor.

Common features of American surnames.

History of American surnames as rich as the population of the United States, the state of immigrants, is heterogeneous. As such, an American surname can reveal its "affinity" with any nation. And yet, the core of the American nation is the native speakers of the English language (Scots, Irish, British, Welsh), who mixed with other peoples, which largely determined the characteristics of American surnames. A common feature of American surnames is that they do not differ in genus and are essentially masculine. As for the spelling and pronunciation of American surnames in Russian, they obey the laws of Russian spelling. That is, declension of American surnames corresponds to the rules for declension of Russian surnames.

The dominant role of English-speaking surnames.

Interpretation of American surnames the most diverse. According to meaning, American surnames can be divided into five main groups. One includes surnames that originated from the father's names (Peterson, Williams). Others are based on the name of the profession in which the first bearer of the surname was engaged (Smith, "blacksmith"). A large group of American surnames are associated with geographical names (England, Lancaster). Some surnames reflect the peculiarities of the area (Pool, "pond, pool"). Quite a few American surnames were born from common nouns - Bush ("bush"), Fish ("fish"). The surnames of non-English-speaking Americans are forced to constantly adjust to the familiar sound in the country in order to match the lighter spelling and easy pronunciation. Some surnames are simply abbreviated (Pappadakis-Pappas, Vinareski-Vinar). Others are translated into English (Köning King). Still others are being reworked in the English way (Cartier-Carter, White-Bellows). However, some surnames have retained their national meaning and did not succumb to the influence American surnames... So, for example, Spanish surnames, if they have changed, are insignificant.

Surnames of Indians and immigrants from Africa.

The surnames of the Native Americans of the Indians have historically been formed on the basis of personal names and nicknames. But if you look dictionary of american surnames, then you can notice that there are very few of them. Most Indians now have common American surnames. The same goes for African American surnames. In the course of history, they gradually lost their unique names and subsequently began to take the usual American surnames. True, recently the descendants of immigrants from Africa have been trying to give their surnames a national flavor.

The alphabetical list of American surnames shows that a certain part of Americans come up with fictitious, sonorous surnames that are remembered for their originality and help their speakers stand out.

List of common American surnames will help you find out which surnames are the most popular in America (USA).

The most popular American surnames and their meanings

We present to your attention a list of the most popular American surnames.
Smith- Smith
Johnson- Johnson
Williams- Williams
Jones- Jones
Brown- Brown
Davis- Davis
Miller- Miller
Wilson- Wilson
Moore- Moore
Taylor- Taylor
Anderson- Anderson
Thomas- Thomas
Jackson- Jackson
White- White
Harris- Harris
Martin- Martin
Thompson- Thompson
Garcia- Garcia
Martinez- Martinez
Robinson- Robinson
Clark–Clarke
Rodriguez- Rodriguez
Lewis- Lewis
Lee- Lee
Walker- Walker
Hall- Hall
Allen- Allen
Young- Young
Hernandez- Hernandez
King- King
Wright- Wright
Lopez- Lopez
Hill- Hill
Scott- Scott
Green- Green
Adams- Adams
Baker- Baker
Gonzalez- Gonzalez
Nelson- Nelson
Carter- Carter
Mitchell- Mitchell
Perez- Perez
Roberts- Roberts
Turner- Turner
Phillips- Phillips
Campbell- Campbell
Parker- Parker
Evans- Evans
Edwards- Edwards
Collins- Collins

No one will be left indifferent by the variety of English female names and surnames. They fascinate with their national flavor and arouse genuine interest with a long list.

Let's try to figure out how they sound correctly, what the construction is based on and what is put into the semantic context at the birth of a child.

English names for girls

The girl's English name given at birth consists of three semantic parts:

• Celebrity or famous ancestor.
• Family name or family name of a celebrity.
• Carrying a specific value or pointing to a parent.

To understand how the English name was created, let's plunge into history.

Before the conquest of England by the Normans, it was customary to name girls in honor of the biblical characters of the same name, altered in the English manner.

For example:

• Mary - comes from Mary (serenity).
• Anna is the mother of Samuel, the famous biblical prophet (grace-filled).
• Marianne - connects the two previous names together.
• Sarah - this was the name of Abraham's wife (mistress) and others.

But with the arrival of the Normans, a corresponding component appeared in English names, which subsequently supplanted the original roots.

In the modern world, it carries a semantic meaning not the same as before: the child is called not in someone's honor, but a word designed to determine the future life.

The middle name is most often given in honor of jewelry, favorite colors, and simply liked items:

• Esmerelda - emerald (translated from Spanish).
• Essie - denotes one of the celestial bodies (stars).
• Ellen - given in honor of the moon.
• Angie means an angel.
• Elin is a bird.
• Floretta is a tiny flower.
• Elanor is the light of the stars.
• April - April.
• Sky is the sky.

Beautiful female surnames in English

If you pay attention to the meaning of the English surname, you can understand that it is given from someone else's name or belonging to a profession.

Here are some examples:

• Smith translates as - blacksmith.
• Jones - on behalf of John (John's daughter).
• Williams is William's daughter.
• Brown is brown.
• Taylor is a tailor.

Initially, until about the eleventh century, the English did not have surnames.

A person had only a name, to which a nickname was added, which determined the type of activity or individual characteristics of the owner.

During this period, the first census of the population in England was carried out, during which nicknames acquired official status, passing into surnames.

They were divided according to four criteria:

• Otanthroponymic - changing the name by means of a suffix.
• Place of residence.
• Occupation.
• Descriptive.

In modern Great Britain, the following aristocratic surnames are especially popular:

• Stewart.
• York.
• Tudor.
• Lancaster.
• Hamilton.
• Norfolk.
• Marlborough.
• Manchester.
• Jackson and others.

Note! The full name of the Englishwoman (including the surname) carries a huge semantic load.

It is capable, to one degree or another, of predetermining the future fate of its owner.

The tendency to assign surnames to girls in this way has spread to the American continent. Residents of the United States are often given English names, since most of the immigrants came to this country from England.

However, there is much greater diversity here, since America is a multinational state, and the names of other peoples were added to the English, in turn adding an element of national flavor.

Rare English surnames

Every nation, the British are no exception, there are rare, not popular, surnames.

They can be very short, abusive, or vice versa - impossibly long, completely unpronounceable. Many try to get rid of them as quickly as possible.

The longest surnames include up to one hundred and twenty letters. They contain from seven to ten or more names that are often repeated.

Here are some examples:

• Tollmash-Tollmash de Orellana-Plantagenet-Tollmash-Tollmash.
• Francisca Santa Lucia Mantegu Stewart Mackenzie Wortley Smith.
• Carolina Louise Maria Jemima Temple Chandos Nugent Bringes Grenville.

Such surnames cannot be pronounced in full, therefore, most often only part of it is called - the first or the last.

The one-part surname Featherstanehaugh is pronounced differently, sometimes shortened to a short Fanshaw.

Owners of such complex surnames have a hard time: everyone tries to refer to her in their own way, often distorting the correct pronunciation.

In the current age of universal acceleration, it is completely reduced to one syllable.

English names and surnames are now popular in Russia, but you should definitely think about their meaning.

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A person's name is an integral part of his personality, so many parents are very responsible when choosing a name for their child. Each name has a unique sound and its own meaning, and English names are no exception. Names, like the language itself, can change over time and adapt to the norms of the language into which they move or into which they are translated. English female names are beautiful in their own way. In this article you can get acquainted with the meanings of some of them.

Nowadays, there are few original English names left: many names were borrowed from Celtic, Norman, Hebrew, Ancient Greek and other cultures. Names praising the power of the gods, the forces of nature, the individual qualities of a person's character were common in the past. As a result, the meaning of ancient names may be unusual for a modern person.

After the arrival of Christianity in Europe, the names of biblical characters became common: Sarah, Agnes, Mary. A certain kind of human activity is also reflected in the names: Abella is a shepherdess, Bailey is a sheriff's assistant.

Sometimes the abbreviated version of the name becomes an independent name, for example, Victoria - Vicki; Rebecca - Becky; Angelina - Angie.

Popular English female names

Fashion is a passing and recurring phenomenon. The fashion for names is no exception. According to the UK National Statistics Service, the most popular female names are Olivia, Emma and Sophie.

The top 10 English female names are presented below:

1. Olivia
2. Emma.
3. Sofia
4. Isabel
5. Charlotte
6. Emily
7. Harper
8. Abigail

The entertainment industry, specifically cinema, also has an impact on the popularity of names. Thanks to the TV series "Game of Thrones" the following names have become popular among the British: Arya (24th place in the ranking of the most popular female names in the UK in 2014), Sansa, Brienne, Caithelyn and Dynerys.

A new life to the name Isabella was given by the heroine of the saga "Twilight" - Bella Swan.

At first glance, the name Hermione seems outdated, but thanks to the adaptation of the series of books about Gary Potter, this name seems to have found a "second life."

The status of the bearer of a name also affects the prestige of the name itself. According to the results of a survey conducted in the UK, among the inhabitants of foggy Albion, the most and least "successful" female names were identified.

The most successful female names

1. Elizabeth
2. Caroline
3. Olivia
4. Amanda

Less successful female names

1. Julia
2. Emily

As you can see from the above results, the full forms of the name sound more aristocratic and sublime, which gives weight to their carriers, while simpler names are associated with girls “in a simpler way”. Despite the fact that Lisa is an abbreviated form of Elizabeth's name, nevertheless, the full form of the name took the leading position in the ranking, while the abbreviated form is not popular.

Rare English female names

The names given below are not even temporarily popular in the ratings. Named outsiders include:

It is likely that the unusual sounding of the name, its meaning and dissonance are the reasons for the rare use of the name, but the combination of euphony and meaning in no way guarantees the popularity of the name in the modern world. For example, the original English name Mildred, in different sources means "noble" or "gentle force", despite the euphony and meaning is not popular today.

Beautiful English female names

A woman's beauty can be compared with a flower, and her name with its scent. Therefore, the euphony and beauty of a name for a woman is very important. Despite the fact that everyone has different tastes, there are still names that sound beautiful to most people:

• Agatha
• Agnes
• Adelaide
• Alice
• Amanda
• Amelia
• Anastasia
• Angelina
• Ariel
• Barbara
• Beatrice
• Bridget
• Britney
• Gloria
• Diana
• Deborah
• Dorothy
• Caroline
• Cassandra
• Constance
• Kristina
• Catherine
• Olivia
• Cecilia
• Charlotte
• Cheryl
• Evelina
• Eleanor
• Elizabeth
• Emily
• Esther

Unusual Celebrity Child Names

Unusual names among ordinary people are quite rare, because when choosing a child's name, parents try to choose an attractive, in their opinion, name, without risking the unborn child.

To draw attention to their person, celebrities act the other way around, because a child's name is another way to stand out. But can the exclusivity of a name compensate for its meaninglessness?

These inventors include:

1. Bruce Willis. Name your younger daughters after horses? No problem, the horses won the races! This is exactly what Bruce Willis did, naming his youngest daughters after the favorite horses that won the races - Scout Larue and Tallupa Bell.

2. Gwyneth Paltrow named her daughter Apple (Russian - "apple"). Favorite fruit of the actress? It is not that simple! The girl's name is associated with the biblical legend of the forbidden fruit of paradise.

3. 50 Cent. To "grant" a title to a child by the means of the name? Why not ... yes! Rapper 50 Cent named his child Marquis. But the Marquis is a boy. Not a bad way of fostering self-esteem, indifference to other people's opinions and strength of mind in a child.

4. Singer David Bowie picked up the baton and named his son Zoe (female name). Just because he found the Zoe Bowie combination funny.

5. Beyoncé and Jay-Z. Blue Ivy, or Blue Ivy, is the daughter of Beyoncé and Jay-Z. The star couple reasoned their choice of name with excerpts from the novel by Rebecca Solnit, where the blue color (Blue) gives "beauty to the whole world." And the word Ivy is similar to the Roman numeral IV, which is associated with many events in the singer's life.

6. Actress Milla Jovovich named her daughter Ever Gabo. The second part of the name consists of the first syllables of Mila's parents - Galina and Bogdan. Perhaps the combination of parts of the name of relatives guarantees happiness to the child?

7. Frank Zappa. American rock musician Frank Zappa named his daughter Moon Unit. (Lunar Satellite). Isn't the desire of the musician the main reason for choosing the name of the child?

8. Christina Aguilera. Summer rain music ... Let it sound in the name of your daughter! Singer Christina Aguilera, not wanting to give her daughter a banal name, called her simply "Summer Rain" (Summer Rain).

In modern cinema, you can really find masterpieces that you want to immortalize in names. Why limit yourself to a flight of fantasy that does not go beyond the names of your favorite characters? Let's expand the boundaries by using ordinary words that are not proper names. Khaleesi, a new female name, a tribute to "Game of Thrones": (Khaleesi is the title of one of the heroines of the series, a synonym for a queen or queen). Today in the real world there are already 53 girls with that name.

There are no limits to human imagination, so it will not bypass names either. Over time, we will definitely find out which of the new names will take root and become loved, and which will soon be forgotten.

Kirill Sobolev

If the hands are golden, then it does not matter from what place they grow.

The emergence of most generic names in England is associated with the events of the formation of the country's history and dates back to the period after the 12th century. When a name could not individualize a person, a unique nickname was added to it. Almost all British surnames are derived from nicknames.

English names and surnames

For several centuries, the English got along only with names, and in the XII century the first English names and surnames began to appear. As a rule, their owners were persons of noble birth. The modern version of the full name of the British includes:

• first name (name # 1);
• middle name (name # 2);
• last name (last name).

English surnames reflect the history of the state, so they can be divided into the following groups:

• by territorial affiliation;
• by craft;
• by titles;
• by external description.

Otantroponymic origin is the use of names for each as generic names, for example: Anthony, Dennis, Thomas. The particle son meant that the person is someone's son and received a name from his father. The largest group is territorially formed, for example: Brook, Hill, Fields. About 20% are descended from the human profession. Descriptive beautiful surnames in English conveyed certain personality traits, for example: Small, Bigg, Little, Joyce, Younger, Wise, Gay.

Mens

As a rule, people are proud of their origins. In each state, the name of the genus always comes from the founder, his nickname, title and other characteristics. The types of plants, birds, animals from which the English names and surnames of men are formed are not common. Among the euphonious beautiful names of the genera, the following options can be distinguished: Bedford, Buckingham, Cornwall, Mortimer. As a rule, they belonged to wealthy and noble families.

It is difficult to list all the names in England. They are not subdivided into male and female. You can often find the following options:

• Adams;
• Brown;
• Ellis;
• Hughes;
• Ford;
• Jackson;
• George;
• Smith;
• Johnson;
• Miller.

Womens

If you wish, today you can change the last parameter in the name to any one you like, while it should be borne in mind that it must be combined with a middle name and directly with the name. Beautiful names of British origin are a great option for European women. Most words sound and spelled the same, regardless of whether they are in a feminine or masculine name.

Famous English surnames for girls are presented below:

• Rogers;
• Harris;
• Lewis;
• Simmons;
• Molligan;
• Wilson;
• Howard;
• Scott;
• Collins;
• Nelson;
• Butler;
• Salomon;
• Harrisoln;
• Sheldon;
• Young and others.

Popular English surnames

Every year the list of the most famous genus names in England changes. Some options are disappearing, while others, on the contrary, are becoming more common. Many take on new popular English surnames because of their euphony, without thinking about their meaning. For example, Smith - comes from the name of the profession and means blacksmith in translation. Another common name of the genus - Taylor, translated into Russian means a tailor.

The most popular options for men:

• Brown;
• Taylor;
• Jones;
• Wilson;
• Smith;
• Thomas;
• Williams.

Rare English surnames

Over the past century, many old genus names have disappeared completely, others are very rare. For example, Cock, Daft, Death, Gotobed ​​are rare English surnames that, when translated, have a negative or strange meaning, therefore, they are practically not found in England. Another option - Bottom (the name of the genus has a territorial origin and spoke of the family living in the lowland), is also very rare.

Russian surnames in English

Modern people often travel abroad, so they must know the rules of transcription and translation of Russian names into the language of Great Britain. Correctly write your data may be required when filling out an application for a passport or visa, in order to receive a bank card. The spelling should convey the pronunciation of a word in another language, but translators often make mistakes when translating surnames from Russian into English. Below is a table with letters that will help everyone figure out how to write their data in another language.