Strange surnames in your family tree

[Peyrol]

Do you have ''strange'' or ''exotic'' surnames in your family tree?

Here the mine (goin' back for centuries).

- Bauer
- Kocijan
- Caratossidis
- Favre
- Vuillermoz
- Arnaud
- Giraud

[alfieb]

Lima.

[Peyrol]

Lima.

Iberian?

[justme]

lithuanians, turks and greeks have funny names....

in Albanian we have a funny name which can also be confused with pubic hair... Leshi or Lleshi... and in kosovo there is a village called Muqibaba.. which translates as "dad to fuck" and another village called Makrevsh which can mean "stroke it for me" or "brush it for me"

[RandoBloom]

Tojaga (a stone age club)
Mrcina (beast of a man)
Džemić (little marmelade)

[bladieblah]

Yeah, my father's surname is very rare, the first part of it 'Ait' means 'son of' in berber. I'm not sure what the rest of it means, though it's something berber. The rest of the surnames in my family are quite common, like my grandmothers Swedish surname 'Bergstrom'.

[alfieb]

Iberian?
One would have to presume. It's a very typical Portuguese surname.

But it's on my mother's side, and she's from the Madonie, so it would have to be very old admixture, if it were.

I get 2% Iberian on 23andMe, but that's from my Northern Italian side.

[Armand_Duval]

Actually my surname is exotic itself, it means "Lettuce". :rolleyes:

[Oneeye]

My surname is very rare as well. Rare enough that anyone sharing it is a relative of mine. Even the older spelling of it is rare back in Germany, with most living in North Rhine-Westphalia.

[Armand_Duval]

Others surnames in my family tree.

Goddard.

Leonardo.

[riverman]

Others surnames in my family tree.

Goddard.

Leonardo.

Those are both pretty cool surnames.

[riverman]

My name is rare here however I don't think it's very strange.

[Manuel]

Do you have ''strange'' or ''exotic'' surnames in your family tree?

Here the mine (goin' back for centuries).

- Bauer
- Kocijan
- Caratossidis
- Favre
- Vuillermoz
- Arnaud
- Giraud

Do you have any clue where from? sounds Greek to me.

[Peyrol]

Do you have any clue where from? sounds Greek to me.

Karpathos according to the old venetic municipal registers, even if ti think isn't native of Dodecanese...maybe pontic?

[Virtuous]

Nwoko

Kyenge

Mandela

[Peyrol]

Nwoko

Kyenge

Mandela


:lol:

Questa l'han capita in pochi, amico

[Amun]

My cousin's mother has weird surname for Egyptians Agha, i have no idea where that come from?

[CrystalMaiden]

My cousin's mother has weird surname for Egyptians Agha, i have no idea where that come from?

Probably from Albanian administrators.

[CrystalMaiden]

My mother's maiden surname is Tvrtković :p

[Amun]

Probably from Albanian administrators.

I guess so, it might be Turkish or Chrkess also.

[1stLightHorse]

Kroenen, Wallace, Carter, Stanbury, Norman

[Roy]

Bulbiak - just because this is very rare surname, supposedly only 11 people in Poland have it. All of them are from my city.

[Virtuous]

Kroenen, Wallace, Carter, Stanbury, Norman

Nice.

[riverman]

Kroenen, Wallace, Carter, Stanbury, Norman


Those are strange?

[1stLightHorse]

Those are strange?

Kroenen and Stanbury aren't common, for here...

Wallace, Norman and Carter are pretty common, but i was on a roll so i figured i'd throw them all in. :lol:

[Manuel]

Karpathos according to the old venetic municipal registers, even if ti think isn't native of Dodecanese...maybe pontic?

Maybe. Many Pontic Greek surnames end in -idis.

[Roy]

I forgot that my Grandmother's surname is Kięcka - she's the only person in Poland with it but this is just because they made a literal error in her birth certificate (her real one would be Kęcka).

[Aunt Hilda]

Dotz, Augunas, Kurlink, Meckas, Dylert, Bruzgulis, meschkutavic, Birbal

[Durbedico]

Lima.

Hello. Lima comes from rio(river) Lima in North of Portugal. It was on that river that Alot of people died fighting against the romans. Even woman fought and prefered to suicide then to be turned in to slaves. Or maybe Ponte de Lima, a small city where the river passes.


A strange surname that i dont what it means is Sousa on my mother side

[Empecinado]

Maybe the most strange one is Golf.

[Peyrol]

Maybe. Many Pontic Greek surnames end in -idis.

Apparently, ''Cara'' is a doric word for shaved head...but mean also ''black'' in turkish.

[Durbedico]

Apparently, ''Cara'' is a doric word for shaved head...but mean also ''black'' in turkish.
Cara in portuguese means "face", or expensive.

[Peyrol]

Cara in portuguese means "face", or expensive.

Same here.

[quaquaraqua]

Yes of course. My exotic surname is Gabinsky changed to Gabinsha. She was from Austria, but her surname seems differently originated. Someone can tell me about the origin? I think he could be a Jew surname.

[Mazik]

Some rare surnames of my ancestors.

Sibeth von Baxter, Pommerenck/Pommerenning, Sorsén, Karbin, Bucherus.

[Not a Cop]

Yes of course. My exotic surname is Gabinsky changed to Gabinsha. She was from Austria, but her surname seems differently originated. Someone can tell me about the origin? I think he could be a Jew surname.

It can be both west slavic and jewish surname, you should ask polish members, they should know

[clochard]

A strange surname that i dont what it means is Sousa on my mother side

Sounds like a sefardic jewish surname. Could have North-African origin as well, or North-African sefardic jewish. Reminds me to the name Suasso, a famous Dutch sefardic jewish banker from the past.

Edit: I was right, look for lists with sefardic apellidos, you will find yours as well:

http://bethaderech.com/sefardic-genealogy-genealogia/apellidos-sefarditas-letras-s-t-u-v-w-x-y-z/

[noricum]

Pansi
Any ideas about the origin?

[Peyrol]

Pansi
Any ideas about the origin?

Brescian, so Eastern Lombard:


Pansi, assolutamente rarissimo, sembrerebbe del bresciano, dovrebbero derivare dal cognomen latino Pansa, ricordiamo Gaio Vibio Pansa Caetroniano tribuno della Plebe e sostenitore di Cesare, che divenne Console di Roma nell'anno successivo alla morte di Cesare, Svetonio ne parla nel suo De Vita Caesarum - Divus Augustus: "..iussusque comparato exercituii pro praetore praeesse et cum Hirtio ac Pansa, qui consulatum susceperant, D. Bruto opem ferre, demandatum bellum tertio mense confecit duobus proeliis...".

[Clawgauth]

Zulian was Zulijan

[Arianiti]

Here the mine (goin' back for centuries).

- Bauer
- Kocijan
- Caratossidis
- Favre
- Vuillermoz
- Arnaud
- Giraud

What does this Arnaud mean?

[Peyrol]

What does this Arnaud mean?

It was a proper name in Provence and Piemont during middle ages.
The name as personal name still survive in some occitan and calatan zones with few variations (Arnau, Arnaut).

[Arianiti]

It was a proper name in Provence and Piemont during middle ages.
The name still survive in some occitan and calatan zones with few variations (Arnau, Arnaut).

Arnaut means Albanian in Turkish. I don't know the meaning in Italy.

[Peyrol]

Arnaut means Albanian in Turkish.

Yes i'm aware of this, but there isn't any connection.

[Roy]

It was a proper name in Provence and Piemont during middle ages.
The name still survive in some occitan and calatan zones with few variations (Arnau, Arnaut).

2 People with Arnaut surname in Poland, 3 with ''Arnaud''. So I am pretty sure it is not one of just foreign sounding Polish surnames.

[Roy]

Cara in portuguese means "face", or expensive.


Apparently, ''Cara'' is a doric word for shaved head...but mean also ''black'' in turkish.

Kary/Kara also means ''black'' in Polish but only it used to describe a horse's colour. Probably imported from Turkish.

[Peyrol]

2 People with Arnaut surname in Poland, 3 with ''Arnaud''. So I am pretty sure it is not one of just foreign sounding Polish surnames.

It's mostly an occitan (southern french) surname with a medium diffusion also here in Piemont and in Switzerland.

http://worldnames.publicprofiler.org/Default.aspx

[WOOHP]

Ekeroth and Blanchard.

[Roy]

It's mostly an occitan (southern french) surname with a medium diffusion also here in Piemont and in Switzerland.

http://worldnames.publicprofiler.org/Default.aspx

I don't know what is the ancestry of these Poles.
There's at least one person with ''Książę'' surname in Poland b the way. It means ''Prince'' ;)

[Smaug]

My surname is a miswriting of a surname that is rare in Wales but typical for England. There's a very known British celebrity who shares my surname.

[WOOHP]

Oh wait nvm

[Roy]

My surname is a miswriting of a surname that is rare in Wales but typical for England. There's a very know British celebrity who shares my surname.


You made it sound mysterious. :rolleyes:
I have rather boring surname.

[bella1407]

not strange...but famous- Gorbachev :D

[Aunt Hilda]

I could basically list all the names on my Lithuanian side xD

[Smaug]

You made it sound mysterious. :rolleyes:
I have rather boring surname.

Don't worry, you certainly have already seen my surname on television, mainly on the news when it comes to British politics.

[Jonik]

From paternal line:

Jonan (is it mostly looks like Lithuanian name?)
http://goo.gl/maps/SHihk (Latgalia - Polish Livonia in the past)

Szkut (is it mostly looks like Polish (north Poland) name?)
http://goo.gl/maps/jGoX7 (Latgalia - Polish Livonia in the past)

Kleker (is it mostly looks like German name?)
http://goo.gl/maps/DThIU (Latgalia - Polish Livonia in the past)

Volejna (is it mostly looks like ???, please help) (was region in South Poland - example from Internet search: "Rovno, Wolejna, Poland" / Now - West Ukraine)
http://goo.gl/maps/vLCRS (Latgalia - Polish Livonia in the past)
Find something in Internet: "10. Zastupitelstvo městyse Česká Bělá schvaluje vypracování projektu na změnu části využití rybníku Volejna. " "Rybník „Volejna“ – změna části využití" What is it?

Villages after about 200 years are still there with the same names around.
Other names not presented as a villages names, just looks like regular name (probably Polish original)-Pawlowski, Poplawski, Krawcewicz.

[Empecinado]

Medina, means city in Arab and was a surname usually picked by Christian captains when they conquered a Muslim city. That's why there are many lines of this surname and are unrelated (not originate from a common ancestor).

[Gaston]

Not strange but ugly: Baude

Special: Le Du, breton name, Du meaning 'black' in Breton (black-haired), equivalent to the French names Lenoir or Le Brun.

[Proctor]

Not sure if these would be considered strange but: Harris, Macdonald, Tizzi, Crocker

[Rudel]

Do you have ''strange'' or ''exotic'' surnames in your family tree?

Here the mine (goin' back for centuries).

- Bauer
- Kocijan
- Caratossidis
- Favre
- Vuillermoz
- Arnaud
- Giraud

Germanic, Armenian (?), Greek.

The rest are just very common French name, Vuillermoz being specifically from Savoie. Hardly surprising if you're indeed a pure-blooded Piémontéis.
I guess Favre would be Fabbro in Italian, Arnaud Arnaldo and Giraud Giraldo.


It was a proper name in Provence and Piemont during middle ages.
Still is in all France. Quite common too.


Ekeroth and Blanchard.
Blanchard's most likely the Frenchiest name possible.

My grand-mother's name is Godde. I thought it was Germanic for a long time, and couldn't pinpoint its geographical origin through genealogy.
It appeared it really is just French, rather typical in Champagne (where she's from). It just stands out for the sake of it.

Oh, and a lot of really weird ones on her mother's side, who is from Brittany (second only in fucked up name to the Basque country).

[Atlantic Islander]

I don't know, I'll have to look through the tree my cousin put together.

[Longbowman]

My surname is very rare as well. Rare enough that anyone sharing it is a relative of mine. Even the older spelling of it is rare back in Germany, with most living in North Rhine-Westphalia.

Mine too - it's also from Westphalia. I note you and I have [similar] Y-DNA haplogroups, too. Could we be related? ;)

[Artek]

-Heerewege
-De Jong
-De Vries
-Wendt
-Voss
-Detmer

[Hevo]

-Heerewege
-De Jong
-De Vries
-Wendt
-Voss
-Detmer

De Jong and De Vries are quite common in The Netherlands.

[Artek]

De Jong and De Vries are quite common in The Netherlands.
Dutch surnames and two German(Wendt and Voss) are from maternal side ;D.
Detmer(German?) was a surname of paternal great-grandmother.

[noman.rasheed]

33 generations are KHAN, so that looks so strange :p

[Also]

Rego (the funniest), Camello, Barroso, d'Ulquezes, de Gandarei, Penella/Penela and the most recent is my grandmother's Cauduro.

[Gaita]

Rego (the funniest), Camello, Barroso, d'Ulquezes, de Gandarei, Penella/Penela and the most recent is my grandmother's Cauduro.

Rego, is a Galician surname btw.

I wouldn't say I have strange surnames but ones that are unique, and probably rare outside of Galicia.

Camba, Pouso, Laranga, Sampedro, are a few.

[LightHouse89]

Do you have ''strange'' or ''exotic'' surnames in your family tree?

Here the mine (goin' back for centuries).

- Bauer
- Kocijan
- Caratossidis
- Favre
- Vuillermoz
- Arnaud
- Giraud

Here:

Amer/Eamer

and Vilhelmsson -English Wilson.

[leviathan_cl]

chodiman and pichuleo

[CordedWhelp]

Nothing particularly strange for their national origin, but a couple that Might suggest emigration from elsewhere. Two a bit down my line:

Roemisch/Romisch (Means "Roman" in German. Could very well imply someone was Roman Catholic...or made pilgrimages to Rome...but who knows...)

Orlenkowicz (Might suggest descent from Orleans, France)

[PowerControls]

Orlenkowicz (Might suggest descent from Orleans, France)

:) It's definitely Slavic - Ukrainian most likely.

[Graham]

Fail. Probably comes from MacPhail.

[Swearengen]

:) It's definitely Slavic - Ukrainian most likely.

More likely Belarusian.

[CordedWhelp]

More likely Belarusian.

My ancestor with the "Orlenkowicz" maiden name was from...as I saw on a record..."Filipki, Poland". Wonder where this exactly corresponds with today.

Her husband was, incidentally, part of what is now Belarus...what was at that time the Vilno vovoidship (hence when it was seen as "Polish"...)

[Swearengen]

My ancestor with the "Orlenkowicz" maiden name was from...as I saw on a record..."Filipki, Poland". Wonder where this exactly corresponds with today.

Her husband was, incidentally, part of what is now Belarus...what was at that time the Vilno vovoidship (hence when it was seen as "Polish"...)

There appears to be a Filipki Duze (as well as a Filipki Male) in northeastern Poland. I've noticed that many names back then appear truncated compared to their modern form.

Since the two towns are close, the former 'Filipki' could've been divided into these two villages. Or it could just be a name for the general area.

[dude]

Ayes.

[Davidson]

Fail. Probably comes from MacPhail.
That is correct.

[Davidson]

Elwinyard ... ???

[SardiniaAtlantis]

Arzola, Argiolas

[Tacitus]

Benacquista (maternal grandmother): only found in Ciociaria, an area of Lazio SE of Rome.

Grillari (paternal great-great grandmother): again, only found in two small villages in southern Calabria.

[Tropico]

Burman. WTF is a BURMAN doing in m family tree. I assume possible Irish ancestry or maybe White American since I am Puerto Rican.

[Albannach]

Not sure they are that strange but they stand out in comparison to the rest of the names in my family tree.

Boag, Kine, Freeland, Clonan, Scarlett

[paksaltopam]

Seredyns'kyj

[Stimpy]

A really rare and ugly surname I noticed in my family tree was Brunkrona. It means 'brown crown' which sounds like slang for asshole or something.
It was only held by one woman who married into my family in the 1800s though. Pretty much all my other relatives and ancestors have patronymic surnames from their fathers like Svensson and others.

[Nehellenia]

Eloi, Hartas, Rhea, Wemyss, Vaus, Nienaber, Bezuidenhout, Le Bleu, De Quebriac, Kermeschou, Malenoe, Poenes, LeJeune, Usbinghs, Blessebois, Ganzevanger.... too many :D

[Longbowman]

Obervager. Means 'chief sweeper.' Grim. My great-great-grandmother refused to take it and pass it on to her kids.

Mocatta, de Marchena, de Lumbrozo, Montefiore, Fajka (that last one means 'pipe' in Polish).

[Peyrol]

Obervager. Means 'chief sweeper.' Grim. My great-great-grandmother refused to take it and pass it on to her kids.

Mocatta, de Marchena, de Lumbrozo, Montefiore, Fajka (that last one means 'pipe' in Polish).


I have a ''bad'' new for you


http://www.gens.info/lib/cog/maps/cognomi-prov/M/MONTEFIORE.gif

[Longbowman]

I have a ''bad'' new for you


http://www.gens.info/lib/cog/maps/cognomi-prov/M/MONTEFIORE.gif

Merda...

[dude]

Ayes. I have not yet figured out its 'real' origin.

[Smaug]

McNaught.

[Graham]

McNaught.

That isn't too strange, maybe rarer being shorter than the MacNaughtons. I know a couple of McNaughton's. MacNaughtons also in my family tree.

[Mazik]

The surname Sursill, has the same meaning as Surströmming got in English => Fermented herring.

[Smaug]

That isn't too strange, maybe rarer being shorter than the MacNaughtons. I know a couple of McNaughton's. MacNaughtons also in my family tree.

Perhaps it's not strange, but is certainly funny, Mr McNaughty McLoud mouth.

[SaraNM]

Nogueira, Figueira, Murphy, Turiel, Ares, Pedernera, Trey, Maguire, O'roark, Dowling, Iguinez, etc

[Seraph of the End]

Strange? Maybe Solomun, Serdar and Žabić (only because they're rare here where I live)

[Fernando Romero]

Chinarro, Pernudo , De Versignoli (Portuguese?), Arrifano, Borgia (Maternal) and d'Alonses, Denis (Paternal)

[Petry]

Faiguer, Olimpio

[Dictator]

All of them. Honorable mention to Caminha.

[gültekin]

Strange? Maybe Solomun, Serdar and Žabić (only because they're rare here where I live)
serdar is turkish, i nice noble male name. means "war lord"

[Itarildë]

Wolfendon on my dads side.

[LightHouse89]

Nogueira, Figueira, Murphy, Turiel, Ares, Pedernera, Trey, Maguire, O'roark, Dowling, Iguinez, etc

Murphy is a common Irish surname. Maguire is too, and O' Roark. Dowling I have never heard it sounds English or if Irish it is a Anglo-Norman surname.

[LightHouse89]

I do not know where Eamer/Amer comes from.

[jlusk99]

Gudylouch, Spiva, Olivo, Prosseaux, Bonaventure, Bosseron, Marionneaux, L'Age, Pourciau, LeBedel

[jlusk99]

Literally, a 4th great grandmother had the surname Strange, she married a Jagers (probably originally Jagger or Jaggers--is Mick a cousin?)

Cebery, Kingswood, Fish, Froreich, Beyes

[jlusk99]

Several of my surnames supposedly stretch back to the Plantagenets (a couple of the lines I'm fairly confident of the connection) and there are some strange names in that time period---deBohun, DeHoo, Knollys, De La Warr, Cantilupe, De Mowbray

[vibrant_]

Bourdier, Luna, Liriano

[Peyrol]

Bourdier, Luna, Liriano

Maybe haitian?

Luna (''moon'') is quite common in Italy, but i think that can be spanish too.

[CordedWhelp]

It isn't rare among the English or really strange, but "Sherwood" has some mystery to it...I've spoken with other Sherwoods (well, my own surname inherited from my deep paternal line isn't Sherwood, but it is one ancestral surname in my family) and some folks claim it was originally Scottish. It also does seem legitimately that it wasn't just a generic titling for someone from historical Sherwood (Nottingham plus what is now Yorkshire, or much of it) but there were at least some Sherwoods hailing from a common clan-like ancestry around Durham and Northumberland and who are known to have frequently inter-married with the House of Neville.

I'm leaning to the notion that northern English Sherwoods are not Scottish per se, but the name is something of a remnant of border people's who lived originally as pre-conquest nobles in Northumbria.

[Steve-O]

Bourdier, Luna, Liriano

I have Liriano in my family too. Outside of Spain its only found in DR :)

[Äijä]

The surname Sursill, has the same meaning as Surströmming got in English => Fermented herring.

Big clan in the Finnish side too, I have relatives also.

[Äijä]

Grip.

Griffin in english.

[Dictator]

Nogueira, Figueira, Murphy, Turiel, Ares, Pedernera, Trey, Maguire, O'roark, Dowling, Iguinez, etc
They aren't strange.

[Linebacker]

Durvenov.

Thank gods I dont carry that.BG members will understand why.

[Stefan_Dusan]

Durvenov.

Thank gods I dont carry that.BG members will understand why.

I don't get it, sounds similar to how Serbians say wood, trees (durvo)

[Linebacker]

I don't get it, sounds similar to how Serbians say wood, trees (durvo)

Boner.

Enough said.

[Prince Of Macrobia]

They are many, but this sample one: Al-Jabarti

[Dictator]

They are many, but this sample one: Al-Jabarti

I think that all of your surnames are going to be considered strange by the majority of this forum.

[Oneeye]

My surname is very rare as well. Rare enough that anyone sharing it is a relative of mine. Even the older spelling of it is rare back in Germany, with most living in North Rhine-Westphalia.


Update to my odd surname: It was genetically revealed that it was the English name Hammersley, and descending from Sir Huge Hamersley. Apparently, it was "Deutsch-ified" by a marriage at a German-American Lutheran church to Hammerschlag... then shortly after re-Anglocized to its current spelling.

[Itarildë]

Wolfendon on my dads side.

Wolfenden, sorry.
Apparently it's a regional Olde English surname that comes from Lancashire... I live 20 minutes away. We have not traveled far haha.

[Vasconcelos]

Every single one of my family tree surnames (that I found, at least) is very typical. That's what you get from having ancestry from rural areas, no people with funny origins.

[Tacitus]

These aren't surnames, but my maternal grandmother had two brothers named Raimondo and Orlando, very rare as first names, but not uncommon as last names though.

[LightHouse89]

Wolfenden, sorry.
Apparently it's a regional Olde English surname that comes from Lancashire... I live 20 minutes away. We have not traveled far haha.

Some website I ventured to said Eamer is an old saxon surname that means war horse.....but the family records date back to Wurttemberg Germany, Stuttgart. Which is odd. My ancestors were mercenaries for the British crown on my grandmother's side and they Anglicized their surnames before coming to America. What I find odd is my aunt originally put on the family records that the surname was Amer and this person was from Netherlands.....my research has indicated that this is false.

[LightHouse89]

Big clan in the Finnish side too, I have relatives also.

Is Wilhelmsson common there or Vilhelmsson?

[Äijä]

Is Wilhelmsson common there or Vilhelmsson?

Yes if talking about time before surnames became common, late 19th century, early 20th century, before that it must have been a common patronym.

Today I dont think it is very common even with swedish speakers.

[Pendragon]

Every single one of my family tree surnames (that I found, at least) is very typical. That's what you get from having ancestry from rural areas, no people with funny origins.

Me too, all my ancestors came from the same region, but some names mean funny things, such as:
Brisebarre: Breaks bar
Courapied: Run on foot
Tropchargé: overloaded

French surnames are very diverse, many have disappeared over the centuries...

[turkojew]

Elbeyioğlu

which means "a foreigner bey's son" (bey means something like lord).

[Germanic King]

Warnizerin

Also Maixnerin

[Isleño]

Actually my surname is exotic itself, it means "Lettuce". :rolleyes:Lechuga?

[Isleño]

Blaltaza
Dumpierrez

[Empecinado]

Blaltaza
Dumpierrez

Really strange ones, first I time I heard of them. Seems Dumpierrez comes from Robin d'Umpierre, a Norman governor of Fuerteventura.

[Merida]

I have one. It's from Switzerland: Madöry

[Sikeliot]

Paxhia.

It is on the side from Messina, and I know it is common in Enna, but it's clearly of Albanian origin and that is not an area where many Arbereshe live.

You never would see "xh" in a Sicilian surname, or even an X by itself. That is common in Albanian surnames though.

[Germanic King]

Paxhia.

It is on the side from Messina, and I know it is common in Enna, but it's clearly of Albanian origin and that is not an area where many Arbereshe live.

You never would see "xh" in a Sicilian surname, or even an X by itself. That is common in Albanian surnames though.

Kind of makes me thing of 'Hoxha'.

[Sikeliot]

Kind of makes me thing of 'Hoxha'.

Yes, exactly. Even though it is not common in an Arbereshe area, there is no way that it's not of Albanian origin.

[Panormus]

My grandmother's surname is Casales....infact during the Spanish rule in Sicily , they forced her ancestors to change it from Casale to Casales

[Isleño]

Really strange ones, first I time I heard of them. Seems Dumpierrez comes from Robin d'Umpierre, a Norman governor of Fuerteventura.

Yes, that's what I found on it. Most of the names in my family are common Iberian names it seems, except for those two.

[Isleño]

Really strange ones, first I time I heard of them. Seems Dumpierrez comes from Robin d'Umpierre, a Norman governor of Fuerteventura.
Do you have any strange ones?

[armenianbodyhair]

Meller.

[Fear Fiain]

Meller.

sounds like a variation of Müller.
ü -> ue -> e spelling changed occured in my lastname.
common among pre-ww1 german immigrants.

[Isleño]

Meller.

Yeah, I was gonna say it looks possibly German. Maybe a variation of Muller or Miller.

[Ctwentysevenj]

Mine is Cervini.

[Empecinado]

Do you have any strange ones?

Golf and some surnames exclusives from Galicia like Naveira.

[Tacitus]

Paxhia.

It is on the side from Messina, and I know it is common in Enna, but it's clearly of Albanian origin and that is not an area where many Arbereshe live.

You never would see "xh" in a Sicilian surname, or even an X by itself. That is common in Albanian surnames though.

Could be a holdover from when Sicilian still used the letter 'x,' like in the name Benedetto Craxi (his father came from San Fratello, Messina).

[LightHouse89]

Amer/Eamer.....supposedly it is Wurttemburger German or possibly Dutch. My records say dutch but other records say German....very confusing.

[uuiiioo]

My own surname, Carne, is pretty rare I suppose and should count as strange? It's of Welsh/Cornish origin, meaning cairn or 'pile of rocks'.

I also have:

- Cowmeadow (an ancestor of mine was named Fanny Cowmeadow)
- Eedy (not so much strange, but uncommon)
- Slaughter (not related to me, but my step father, and that person's name was Fanny Slaughter)

[JoeyGee8688]

My maternal grandmother's maiden name was "Granato", I believe. I'm sure about the exact spelling. Does that have to do with pomegranates?

[Rædwald]

Batstone, couple generations back, I know it's of English origin. Somewhere around Somerset/Devon but beyond that I can't find anything.

[Tacitus]

My maternal grandmother's maiden name was "Granato", I believe. I'm sure about the exact spelling. Does that have to do with pomegranates?

Also means 'ruby.' Could be a nickname given to someone with a reddish complexion.

[JoeyGee8688]

Also means 'ruby.' Could be a nickname given to someone with a reddish complexion.

Hrm, interesting. Or a jeweler, perhaps?

[uuiiioo]

My maternal grandmother's maiden name was "Granato", I believe. I'm sure about the exact spelling. Does that have to do with pomegranates?

All I found was the following:

"Spelling variations of this family name include: Granada, Grenados, Granatos, Granata, Grenato and many more. First found in Granada, in southern Spain."

Guessing it's just a geographical surname and her father's ancestors came from Granada, Spain!

[Tacitus]

Hrm, interesting. Or a jeweler, perhaps?

Doubt it. The word for jeweler is gioielliere.


All I found was the following:

"Spelling variations of this family name include: Granada, Grenados, Granatos, Granata, Grenato and many more. First found in Granada, in southern Spain."

Guessing it's just a geographical surname and her father's ancestors came from Granada, Spain!

If that's the case then it's possible his family were crypto-Jews or Sephardis who fled Spain for southern Italy.

[Sikeliot]

Konstantopoulos, but it got changed to Costanzo in the 1800s.

[Peyrol]

My maternal grandmother's maiden name was "Granato", I believe. I'm sure about the exact spelling. Does that have to do with pomegranates?


All I found was the following:

"Spelling variations of this family name include: Granada, Grenados, Granatos, Granata, Grenato and many more. First found in Granada, in southern Spain."
Guessing it's just a geographical surname and her father's ancestors came from Granada, Spain!

That's a false information, i don't know why american genealogic sites always mistook italian and spanish surnames.

Granato with the ''t'' (and not with the ''d'') is obviously an italian surname...southern italian actually, neapolitan to be precise:

http://www.gens.info/lib/cog/maps/cognomi/G/GRANATO.gif


It can mean many things...simply ''redhead'', ''pomegranate'' but also ''ruby'' the gemstone. The first and the last hyporesis are the most likely.

[Arbërori]

Kocijan is actually a Slovenian Istrian surname, my brother's ex girlfriend was part of this family. It's either Kocijan or Kocijančič, so you might have some heritage from here. Honestly speaking, I believe it's a Slovenian variation of an older Italian surname, which doesnt' come to mind at the moment.

[Peyrol]

Could be a holdover from when Sicilian still used the letter 'x,' like in the name Benedetto Craxi (his father came from San Fratello, Messina).

Craxi (may he burn in Hell for the Eternity) was arbereshe.

[Peyrol]

Kocijan is actually a Slovenian Istrian surname, my brother's ex girlfriend was part of this family. It's either Kocijan or Kocijančič, so you might have some heritage from here. Honestly speaking, I believe it's a Slovenian variation of an older Italian surname, which doesnt' come to mind at the moment.

So, it's basically an istriot surname?

I saw this surname in my family tree from the venetian side of the family...if you look at the old venetian territories, this isn't surprising at all.

[Arbërori]

So, it's basically an istriot surname?

I saw this surname in my family tree from the venetian side of the family...if you look at the old venetian territories, this isn't surprising at all.

Yes, it's quite common here. I don't know if it's ethnically common to one ethnicity here, but when you see a Kocijan or Kocijančič, you automatically assume he's a ''domačin/ištrijan'', which means he's an Istrian local or of such heritage.

True, Venetians have left quite a mark here, which I personally love. I love the architecture, the people's mentality, everything... Also the surnames show this, we have them ranging from Ferrari to Apollonio, Fabbro & etc. :)

The weirdest surnames in my family:
Sefullahi
Rusi
Kuqi
Kastrati
Ara

and my surname itself originates from the Albanian word for grape ''Rrush''.

[Plavuša]

Well, not in my family, but a serbian friend of mine has "Cihaber" in her family. Doesn't sound very slavic to me. Also in Croatia, I found this name. The suffix "er" reminds me of German or Austrian surnames, where the suffix "er" is pretty common. Would be interesting, where this name comes from.

[Peyrol]

Yes, it's quite common here. I don't know if it's ethnically common to one ethnicity here, but when you see a Kocijan or Kocijančič, you automatically assume he's a ''domačin/ištrijan'', which means he's an Istrian local or of such heritage.

True, Venetians have left quite a mark here, which I personally love. I love the architecture, the people's mentality, everything... Also the surnames show this, we have them ranging from Ferrari to Apollonio, Fabbro & etc. :)

The weirdest surnames in my family:
Sefullahi
Rusi
Kuqi
Kastrati
Ara

and my surname itself originates from the Albanian word for grape ''Rrush''.

Well, if you assume that in many istrian zones they still were the majority of population up to 1947...but this is another matter :lol:

[Arbërori]

Well, if you assume that in many istrian zones they still were the majority of population up to 1947...but this is another matter :lol:

Ofcourse, my partner has Italian heritage & a super Italian sounding surname... But unfortunately, Istrians are like this; they either speak Italian all the time or don't speak Italian at all, it depends on which family you encounter. I have a funny case, I know this guy who's half Italian half Slovene, he can't speak a word of Italian while his grandmother only speaks Italian. :lol:

[Mr.Majestic]

Johansson, Svensson, Andersson, Karlsson, Olsson, Nilsson, Eriksson, Larsson, Gustafsson

So weird...

[StormBringer]

Walter is the funkiest I can think of.

[Aunt Hilda]

Johansson, Svensson, Andersson, Karlsson, Olsson, Nilsson, Eriksson, Larsson, Gustafsson

So weird...
get off yr wee laptop and get back at protecting those precious Icelandic Borders.

[Patches]

Seafross and Bowsher (Boucher is what it's supposed to be I believe)

[Peyrol]

Ofcourse, my partner has Italian heritage & a super Italian sounding surname... But unfortunately, Istrians are like this; they either speak Italian all the time or don't speak Italian at all, it depends on which family you encounter. I have a funny case, I know this guy who's half Italian half Slovene, he can't speak a word of Italian while his grandmother only speaks Italian. :lol:

Have you ever heard spoken istriot? It's almost dead as language...

[Arbërori]

Have you ever heard spoken istriot? It's almost dead as language...

To be honest, I'm not completely sure what Istriot language is... I've heard his grandmother speak an Italian like language, it might be that?

I know we use a lot of Italian terms such as ''kdaj mi daš pago?'' (when will you pay me?) ''o buona šera šinjore'' (good evening, signore), ''kome?'' (what's up, how are you?) & etc.

[Volscian]

My own surname, Carne, is pretty rare I suppose and should count as strange?

Carne in italian means meat, flesh...:)

[Peyrol]

To be honest, I'm not completely sure what Istriot language is... I've heard his grandmother speak an Italian like language, it might be that?

I know we use a lot of Italian terms such as ''kdaj mi daš pago?'' (when will you pay me?) ''o buona šera šinjore'' (good evening, signore), ''kome?'' (what's up, how are you?) & etc.

There were/are two istro-romance languages...the one that you've heard and that was once spoken in all Istria (included some big cities and islands as Fiume/Rijeka, Rovigno/Rovinj, Pola, Pirano, Veglia/Krk, etc etc...was simply istrian dialect of the venetian language, a colonial venetian language derived from the venetian settlers of the Republican times and by the venetization of the slavic populations of the litoral.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venetian_language

Proper istriot is an independent romance language spoken in some zones of the peninsula, but was already declining during fascism, so probabily nowadays it's almost gone.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Istriot_language

[kurtbitter]

I'm always curious about my maternal side surnames Ančić, Hančič and Malkočević

[TheGoldenSon]

I have an aunt called Ljubica Milošević which could be translated to Lovable Gentlefucker. So, yeah. I won this shit.

[Seraph of the End]

I have an aunt called Ljubica Milošević which could be translated to Lovable Gentlefucker. So, yeah. I won this shit.

Never thought about it that way :lol:

[TheGoldenSon]

Never thought about it that way :lol:

Considering that I live in a city called Sarah-is-a-bull it's not that much of a surprise.

[Plavuša]

I have an aunt called Ljubica Milošević which could be translated to Lovable Gentlefucker. So, yeah. I won this shit.


Considering that I live in a city called Sarah-is-a-bull it's not that much of a surprise.

:bounce:

[Tacitus]

Konstantopoulos, but it got changed to Costanzo in the 1800s.

How are you sure it was Konstantopoulos so recently? Greek hadn't been used in Sicily for centuries up to that point.

[LightHouse89]

Seafross and Bowsher (Boucher is what it's supposed to be I believe)

Have you ever heard of the surname Eamer or Amer by any chance?

[LightHouse89]

Meller.

kraut!

[Sikeliot]

How are you sure it was Konstantopoulos so recently? Greek hadn't been used in Sicily for centuries up to that point.

Ottoman refugee.

Actually Greek was spoken in Messina and nearby until the 1500s, but this great grandmother was from Palermo and it was one of her great grandparents or such that was a Greek refugee.

[Patches]

Have you ever heard of the surname Eamer or Amer by any chance?

I have not, why?

[Arianiti]

I have an aunt called Ljubica Milošević which could be translated to Lovable Gentlefucker. So, yeah. I won this shit.

:laugh:

Milo-sevo

[Augustus27]

Busha, Uzille, Larrowa, Waudby, Crequi. Just a few of them. I wouldn't call them all "super" exotic, but some are head scratchers. Especially with the whole changing the name when coming to America, tends to create a whole headache trying to decipher them.

[Foxy]

Actually my surname is exotic itself, it means "Lettuce". :rolleyes:

Mine means "thistle". Welcome to the "Apricity vegetables" group.

[barbatus]

My surname is one of the most common among Afrikaners. I don't know of any that would shocking for an Afrikaner. It's mostly Dutch names and French and German names.

[Reith]

Misegaes.... From Oldenburg, not a typical German name, but traced back through immigration records and even met some distant relatives on facebook, they still live in the Bremen and Oldenburg areas..

Landwehr.... means like land protector I believe....

Lange... well means a long or tall person... fits my family

Reith.... usually a shortened version of Reither ( as in horse Rider) or a clearing of the woods.. ... many immigrated to USA

Wilke.... was popular in Prussia and northern Germany... short name for Wilhelm or think means wolf... Yay, I'm a beserker :thumb001:

[Ouistreham]

Busha, Uzille, Larrowa, Waudby, Crequi. Just a few of them. I wouldn't call them all "super" exotic, but some are head scratchers. Especially with the whole changing the name when coming to America, tends to create a whole headache trying to decipher them.

Busha: a phonetic transcription of German Büscher

Uzille: French, known here as Ozille. From Western Normandy. Very uncommon but I had a classmate with that name.
http://www.genealogie.com/nom-de-famille/Ozille.html

Crequi: more often spelled Créquy. Definitely Northern France:
http://www.genealogie.com/nom-de-famille/Crequy.html

Larrowa: sounds like LeRoy in French... Some approximate transcription perhaps.

Waudby: a rendition of Woodby by some dyslexic registrar?....

[Longbowman]

Immerwahr (always true/honest).

[Ades]

Saueressig - means "sauer vinegar" in German.

[La Misse]

Allajbeu

[Velislav Uhrobij]

- Kocijan



This sounds like Kocjan - quite polish but found in Slovakia as well

[Trogdor]

Someone in my family has a strange surname (Lananna). I can't find any information on that one.

[firemonkey]

Fairly rare family surname- Gatty

Other rare surname- Levenie/Leveny (ancestors from Banffshire, Scotland)

[Daco Celtic]

Distant surnames

Catchpole
Catchpole is a rare surname, being a type of tax collector in medieval England. The name is a combination of Old English (cace-, catch) and medieval Latin (pullus, a chick). It derives from the image that people who owed tax were as difficult to catch as farmyard hens.

Maplesden
The surname Maplesden was first found in Kent where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor.

[Celestia]

Vezina- of Occitan origin
Kubitza- possible Sorbian origin.

[Hamilcar]

cardillo - I've looked for more info and it seems to be of italian origin but I really don't see how it could ended up on my paternal side since people who bear this name were riffian peasants

[Tongio]

"Bringel" is the weirdest.Cant find anything about its origin.It is maybe french or dutch but no one knows really.

[Anglo-Celtic]

I found some unusual variations of common Irish surnames during my genealogical research. For instance, I found "Brannon" instead of Brennan", "Noland" instead of "Nolan", and "O'Donahoe" instead of "O'Donahue". I have this weird quirk where I like to find attractive names in my family tree. For example, I'm more satisfied with "Cynthia O'Connor" than "Edith Hogshead" or "Madge Cock".

[Andullero]

Bueno and Custodio, on the maternal lines of both father and mother. Also, Kelly, from a great-grandma coming from the British Virgin Islands.

[Creoda]

Coward
Hoare
Pratt
Bastard
Ramsbottom
Nutter
Fagg
Mycock
Tubbs
Shufflebottom
Muggins
Crapp

And that's just in the last few generations.

[JamesBond007]

Nope, all British isles except a few German ones :

Pfautsch and Stork or Storck ?

[Daven]

Caba.

[El_Jibaro]

Elesgaray on maternal side, which I believe is a Basque surname although I've got no documented Basque ancestry :confused:

[Rafael Passoni]

Wiffa/Biffi, Monlor, Le Marie, Lapinsky

[Cossack]

Many of my ancestors ' surnames sound like Polish:Gadetsky,Gizhevsky.And one, like Moldovan:Batsa

[Arūnas]

yes, Hungarian, with the ending - enyi

[LorenzoSpitaleri]

Spitaleri
Medina
Mancuso
Cárdenas
Mirabal (should be my 2nd surname but my grandfather wasn't recognized by his father so his only surname is his maternal)

those are all I know of and none are strange.

[Salty Ears]

Russian and German rather standart. But Kashaevsky surname is rare, originally distributing from neighbouring to each other districts of Mordovia and Penza, so it is not strange but geographically specific

[Satem]

The weirdest one for me in not so distant ancestry(to 3 generations back) are Sas and Lecyk

[Erronkari]

Elesgaray on maternal side, which I believe is a Basque surname although I've got no documented Basque ancestry :confused:

But the surname is basque anyway, so you are my paisano in all senses, paisano galician and paisano basque! ;)

[El_Jibaro]

But the surname is basque anyway, so you are my paisano in all senses, paisano galician and paisano basque! ;)

An honor! I always liked the Basque people very much, I even have the ikurrina in my house ;)

https://i.imgur.com/oCF5mW1.jpg

[Sandis]

Probably Tilga could be one of them. It should be some translation from Finno-Ugric.

[zebruh]

Bueno and Custodio, on the maternal lines of both father and mother. Also, Kelly, from a great-grandma coming from the British Virgin Islands.Those aren't weird names. Im related to Bueno family name also. Ive seen custodio a few times. Lots of people with bueno name live in la vega.

[zebruh]

Cotes
Olmos
Garrestigui
Colon de Luyando
Eno /Enoa/ Ynoa / Heno/ Henoa/Genoa

Centeno

[InfamousAngel99]

I have some rare ones, but none that I would consider “strange.”
Only 9 people have one of my ancestral surnames, and I’d gather I’m all related to them. Another ancestral surname only has 27 bearers at the moment.

[Andullero]

Those aren't weird names. Im related to Bueno family name also. Ive seen custodio a few times. Lots of people with bueno name live in la vega.

But they are quite uncommon in the capital and southeast area in general where I live, and that's my point.

[zebruh]

But they are quite uncommon in the capital and southeast area in general where I live, and that's my point.

They arent uncommon really. When I lived in manhattan ive seen someone have that name custodio. From mail. And ive chatted with people that had that name (bueno). my father met some bueno family also that were related to his grandfather.

Bueno name is probably just uncommon in the capital. And eastern areas. But its a common name in la vega and I think in areas like santiago de los caballeros also.

A real strange name Ive seen is Volquez from my fathers friend. Incidently I think I read its a actually a dominican name. Its not even a spanish name. But theres hardly anything on the name. Maybe its a misspelling of a previous surname.

Its possible that bueno was living in the city of santo domingo very early when it arrived. But had to move away because the haitians burned down the city of santo domingo
My direct paternal ancestor fled the city of santo domingo when that happened and lived in la vega after until my grandfather moved to santo domingo.

Another weird name is Vidro but those names ive only seen for puerto rico and mexico (colonial records). Vidro is not a spanish name though.

[Andullero]

They arent uncommon really. When I lived in manhattan ive seen someone have that name custodio. From mail. And ive chatted with people that had that name (bueno). my father met some bueno family also that were related to his grandfather.



Manhattan isn't part of the DR, and I worked on the civil registry here, so trust me when I say that Custodio isn't common in the capi or the Southeast. The one instance I saw in Seybo were people hailing from Azua, when that branch of my family containing it has it, so I suspect they were actually cousins of mine twice removed.

[zebruh]

Manhattan isn't part of the DR, and I worked on the civil registry here, so trust me when I say that Custodio isn't common in the capi or the Southeast. The one instance I saw in Seybo were people hailing from Azua, when that branch of my family containing it has it, so I suspect they were actually cousins of mine twice removed.

Yeah. I never said it was common in the capital or east. I said its in la vega and probably santiago de los caballeros.
Ive seen 1800 and 1700s records with rhe name custodio. So it isnt strange. It doesnt matter if I saw someone in manhattan with the name. They were dominican

[Gallop]

Figueira, Ardila for example

[CordedWhelp]

Furthest maternal line maiden name I can go back to is a “Pawacki”. Seems to be quite a rare name (and it is Polish of course)

[Heimmacht]

Pierl, Šafránek, Jarkovski.

Don't know the meaning of any of them.
Only it's origin.

[Erronkari]

Decristofano (neapolitan/south-italian).
Muzzupappa (calabrian/south-italian).
Rivadeneira (galician/NW spanish).
Perera (asturian/North spanish).
Cazenave (of gascon originfrom Mont de Marsan/Aquitaine/SW french).
Foix (Apparently of gascon origin, from Pau, Nouvelle Aquitaine/South french).

[El_Jibaro]

Decristofano (neapolitan/south-italian).
Muzzupappa (calabrian/south-italian).
Rivadeneira (galician/NW spanish).
Perera (asturian/North spanish).
Cazenave (of gascon originfrom Mont de Marsan/Aquitaine/SW french).
Foix (Apparently of gascon origin, from Pau, Nouvelle Aquitaine/South french).

A typical Uruguasho/Argie mix of surname origins there :thumb001:

[zebruh]

Figueira, Ardila for exampleI knew a guy that was named Ardila from chile once

[Ellethwyn]

Blaylock

[Rafael Passoni]

Klerkx

[someonenotyou]

I wouldn't say unusual, but I don't know the meaning of Zoltai and Simay.

[Sarin]

This might not have been the case had GB not been synthesized either or not been assigned the name 'Sarin' .

[PAGANE]

Пиърл, Шафранек, Ярковски.

Не знам значението на нито един от тях.
Само произходът му.


Šafránek - from the flower of Crocus sativus, known as "saffron crocus". Saffron has long been the most expensive spice in the world by weight A degree of uncertainty surrounds the origin of the English word "saffron". It might stem from the 12th-century Old French term safran, which comes from the Latin word safranum, from the Arabic za'farān, which comes from the Persian word zarparan meaning "gold strung" (implying either the golden stamens of the flower or the golden color it creates when used as flavor)


Jarkovski- Inherited from Proto-Slavic * jarъkъ. Synonyms of
bright, shiny, glamorous, sparkling, dazzling, glowing, radiant

[Smitty]

Interesting thread. There's quite a few in my tree, but among them:

Ventres (English)
Herrnleben (German, Mr. Life?)
im Wolde (German)
Pinnavaria (Italian)
Scatà (Italian, probably from the Greek skata, literally feces, from what I can find)

[Rafael Passoni]

I have Camacho from my Spanish grandmother side and it sounds oddy here. Terúel I only find in my family too, and more strange is Ross among Spanish people, my aunt's thought it was from Scottish origins, but it seens it is not when I come back to early 1800's.

[Alexandro]

Terúel I only find in my family too

Do you have Aragonese ancestors?

[PlattitüdenPaule]

Chevremont which dates back around 150 years ago. Must have been some Belgian who slipped into the whole mess which is my family tree.

[Rafael Passoni]

Do you have Aragonese ancestors?
About my great-grandmother branch: I've checked my family tree and my great-great-great-great-grandfather has got Ros Madrid surname and was born in 1835 in HUERCAL-OVERA (Almeria) and his wife has got Terúel Camacho surname and was born in 1835 in Guazamara (Almeria). They had a children (my great-great-great-grandmother - Ros Terúel) that was born in Guazamara and married my Great-Great-Great-Grandfather that has got Gomez Navarro surname and was born in Guazamara from a father whose surname was Gomez Cervantes (my great-great-great-great-grandfather). Then they had a girl that has got Gomez Ros surname (often written Ross) that was born in Guazamara and married a guy from Guazamara whose surname was Hernández Martinez. They had a child in Guazamara that has got Hernàndez Gomez surname and married a guy (my great-grandfather) from Vicoli (Italy), she was my great-grandmother. My father scores about 70% Aragonese in Gedmatch tools, though. So, nothing Scottish and strong evidence of a French ancestor from my father side.

[Ellethwyn]

Blaylock

Also, Warbler.

[Rafael Passoni]

I have Camacho that is oddy in Portuguese speaking countries.

[Tsuin]

My mother's last name is Botello. A surname of Galician origin. Not strange but definitely an uncommon surname for Mexicans.

[hurtuv]

I have Camacho that is oddy in Portuguese speaking countries.

Lots of Camachos in Madeira, there's also a village called Camacha there.

[Beowulf]

Boil,rocsalt,Ausell,Rastall,Esteve,Salt,Gamito,Gem ar,Baena,Plomer,Adam,Rognvaldson

[Jingle Bell]

Uzeda

a strange surname which sounds spanish or italian, but ngl i like how this sounds

[Jingle Bell]

Boil,rocsalt,Ausell,Rastall,Esteve,Salt,Gamito,Gem ar,Baena,Plomer

Some of these sounds germanic, gamito also sounds portuguese or galician imo

[Beowulf]

Some of these sounds germanic, gamito also sounds portuguese or galician imo

Rastall is the main english surname of my family the others are found in my father side and some are very strange/uncommon like Boil,Niget(i forget to put this one) Ausell or Rocsalt wich i only found it only in my family wich is suposedly a union of the surnames Roc and Salt, Roc is found in France and Salt is found in England and Valencia and catalonia there are more strange surnames like Duart or Siger

[Grace O'Malley]

I don't know if anyone has any information on this surname. My Great Great Great Grandmother was a Caplis. I have seen different origins for it from French, Dutch or English.

Early Origins of the Caplis family
The surname Caplis was first found in Herefordshire where another source claims that name was derived from "the ancestor of Lord Albemarle [who] was Arnord-Joost van Keppel, lord of Voerst, a descendant of one of the most ancient houses in Guerlderland, [Holland] who accompanied King WIlliam III to England in 1688, and was by him advanced to the title still enjoyed by the family. According to 'Folks of Shields,' the name is equivalent to De Capella." [1]

Caplis Spelling Variations
Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Capel, Capell, Caple, Cappel, Keppel and others.

This one is accurate as it is from Tipperary.

This very unusual surname, with variant spellings Caplice, Caples and Capples, is almost peculiar to the Munster county of Tipperary, and is ultimately of Old French origin, introduced into Ireland by French Huguenot refugees fleeing religious persecution in their own country. The great French immigration into England and Ireland occurred following the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes by King Louis X1V on October 22nd 1685, and the new settlers brought with them several crafts and skills including woollen weaving and cloth manufacture, which served to reinforce or expand pre-existing industries. The name Caplis is occupational in origin, and is a dialectal variant of Capliez, a surname almost exclusive to the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France. Also found as "C(h)apez" and "C(h)apey" in that region, the ultimate root of the name is the Old French "chape", a cape or churchman's cope, and the various forms of the surname describe a maker of these garments. On November 17th 1814, Jean Magloire Capliez and Marie Antoinette Fleury were married at Douchy-les-Mines, Nord, France. Recordings from Church Registers of County Tipperary include the birth of Catherine, daughter of David Caplis and Margaret Conners, at Clogheen, on December 13th 1864, and the birth of William, son of Michael Caplis and Ann Eagan at Newport, on February 5th 1867. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Jean Baptiste Capliez, which was dated November 14th 1780, marriage to Marie Angeline Gros, at Wasnes-au-Bac, Nord, France, during the reign of King Louis XV1, of the House of Bourbon, 1774 - 1792. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

Read more: https://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Caplis#ixzz7txVyKA00

[Beowulf]

I don't know if anyone has any information on this surname. My Great Great Great Grandmother was a Caplis. I have seen different origins for it from French, Dutch or English.

Early Origins of the Caplis family
The surname Caplis was first found in Herefordshire where another source claims that name was derived from "the ancestor of Lord Albemarle [who] was Arnord-Joost van Keppel, lord of Voerst, a descendant of one of the most ancient houses in Guerlderland, [Holland] who accompanied King WIlliam III to England in 1688, and was by him advanced to the title still enjoyed by the family. According to 'Folks of Shields,' the name is equivalent to De Capella." [1]

Caplis Spelling Variations
Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Capel, Capell, Caple, Cappel, Keppel and others.

This one is accurate as it is from Tipperary.

This very unusual surname, with variant spellings Caplice, Caples and Capples, is almost peculiar to the Munster county of Tipperary, and is ultimately of Old French origin, introduced into Ireland by French Huguenot refugees fleeing religious persecution in their own country. The great French immigration into England and Ireland occurred following the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes by King Louis X1V on October 22nd 1685, and the new settlers brought with them several crafts and skills including woollen weaving and cloth manufacture, which served to reinforce or expand pre-existing industries. The name Caplis is occupational in origin, and is a dialectal variant of Capliez, a surname almost exclusive to the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France. Also found as "C(h)apez" and "C(h)apey" in that region, the ultimate root of the name is the Old French "chape", a cape or churchman's cope, and the various forms of the surname describe a maker of these garments. On November 17th 1814, Jean Magloire Capliez and Marie Antoinette Fleury were married at Douchy-les-Mines, Nord, France. Recordings from Church Registers of County Tipperary include the birth of Catherine, daughter of David Caplis and Margaret Conners, at Clogheen, on December 13th 1864, and the birth of William, son of Michael Caplis and Ann Eagan at Newport, on February 5th 1867. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Jean Baptiste Capliez, which was dated November 14th 1780, marriage to Marie Angeline Gros, at Wasnes-au-Bac, Nord, France, during the reign of King Louis XV1, of the House of Bourbon, 1774 - 1792. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

Read more: https://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Caplis#ixzz7txVyKA00

i searched it and i would go with the Norman origin i heard that there were also norman surnames in Ireland too brought by the English people right?
Rastall the main english surname in my family supposedly cames also from Old French Rastel and in England became Rastell/Rastall o Rostell also there are other sources that says that it cames from old Anglo-Saxon but i go with the french one that it have more sources.

Btw also in my dad side i have the surname Boil and according to what i saw it cames from Boyle wich is Irish(?) do u know if in Ireland Boil exists as surname.

[Grace O'Malley]

i searched it and i would go with the Norman origin i heard that there were also norman surnames in Ireland too brought by the English people right?
Rastall the main english surname in my family supposedly cames also from Old French Rastel and in England became Rastell/Rastall o Rostell also there are other sources that says that it cames from old Anglo-Saxon but i go with the french one that it have more sources.

Btw also in my dad side i have the surname Boil and according to what i saw it cames from Boyle wich is Irish(?) do u know if in Ireland Boil exists as surname.

Yes Boyle can be Irish. Norman surnames are very common in Ireland. My married surname is Norman and I also have Lynch in my family tree. Caplis is a much more rarer surname and I would love to the real origin of it. Leland is also in my family tree and I don't know if it has a Scottish or English origin.

[Beowulf]

Yes Boyle can be Irish. Norman surnames are very common in Ireland. My married surname is Norman and I also have Lynch in my family tree. Caplis is a much more rarer surname and I would love to the real origin of it. Leland is also in my family tree and I don't know if it has a Scottish or English origin.

Leland seems of English origin: https://www.houseofnames.com/leland-family-crest

Leland seems a uncommon variant of Leyland


Early Origins of the Leland family
The surname Leland was first found in Lancashire where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D. There are actually two parishes in Lancashire bearing the name Layland or Leyland. "The Lancashire Leyland was Leylaund, Leylond, Leyland, Laylond, Lelarid in the 13th century." [3]

The first record of the family was actually found in neighbouring Yorkshire when Johannes Leyland was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. [4]

Leyland Motors Limited, the British vehicle manufacturer of lorries, buses and trolleybuses was based in Leyland, Lancashire. Founded in 1896, the original company is now defunct.

[Grace O'Malley]

Leland seems of English origin: https://www.houseofnames.com/leland-family-crest

Leland seems a uncommon variant of Leyland


Early Origins of the Leland family
The surname Leland was first found in Lancashire where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D. There are actually two parishes in Lancashire bearing the name Layland or Leyland. "The Lancashire Leyland was Leylaund, Leylond, Leyland, Laylond, Lelarid in the 13th century." [3]

The first record of the family was actually found in neighbouring Yorkshire when Johannes Leyland was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. [4]

Leyland Motors Limited, the British vehicle manufacturer of lorries, buses and trolleybuses was based in Leyland, Lancashire. Founded in 1896, the original company is now defunct.

It could quite possibly be Scottish as well i.e. a shortened from of McClellan, McLelland, McClelland and I think that is possible. I do share some dna with McClellands.

This Leland was born in Dublin and was Church of Ireland which is Anglican. I'm not saying he is an ancestor but it is possible that Lelands in my family tree came from Northern Ireland.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Leland

I'll try and do some more research in the future to see if I can trace further back.

[Beowulf]

It could quite possibly be Scottish as well i.e. a shortened from of McClellan, McLelland, McClelland and I think that is possible. I do share some dna with McClellands.

This Leland was born in Dublin and was Church of Ireland which is Anglican. I'm not saying he is an ancestor but it is possible that Lelands in my family tree came from Northern Ireland.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Leland

I'll try and do some more research in the future to see if I can trace further back.

maybe the scottish branch could be of noble English people who moved there and changed the surname with Mc my british great great grandmother had the surname Oliver wich is very common in England but also have presence in Scotland in one Clan wich i don't remember the name.

maybe your Leland branch was first English then Scottish and then Irish

[Victor]

Except for my surname, there are Bukhanov, Spiridonov, Kholodovski, Talmazan, Stavropoulo, Shevchenko up to the great-grandmothers/grandfathers from both sides.

There are also realtives of mine with surnames Didenko, Zaremba, Sholudenko, Ostrovski, Denisov, Sidorov, Dudukin, Jumati.

UPD: a full list of surnames in village of my mother from 1895, there are some weird with unknown background, like Kardivar:

Timchenko, Malin, Sankovski, Marusenko, Ostrovski, Melnichenko, Volianski, Denisyuk, Mushchinski, Didenko, Yanchenko, Khodakovski, Fomin, Voloshchuk, Zaremba, Dudchenko, Vergulyanets, Efremenko, Rusnak, Goncharuk, Tsymbalyuk, Papirovski, Ermak, Kardivar, Dyachenko, Samoylenko, Kovalevski, Vladimirov, Zelenyuk, Savchenko, Kornitski, Demyanyuk, Budulak, Onishchenko.

[Grace O'Malley]

maybe the scottish branch could be of noble English people who moved there and changed the surname with Mc my british great great grandmother had the surname Oliver wich is very common in England but also have presence in Scotland in one Clan wich i don't remember the name.

maybe your Leland branch was first English then Scottish and then Irish

Thanks for your input but I think it would be either one of the other.

I'd say in my case it would more likely be Scottish possibly through Northern Ireland.

https://i.imgur.com/vZ5WD5D.png

https://www.johngrenham.com/findasurname.php?surname=Leland

The surname of LELAND was derived from the gaelic MAC GILL FHAOLAIN - the son of the servant. The family were numerous in Galloway in the latter end of the 14th Century, and they gave their name to Balmaclellan in the Stewarty. Lands were granted to John Maclellan by James III in February 1466, when his name was given to the lands for bestowing a site for a new church. Donald Maklellane appears as a Steward of Kirkcudbright in 1457. Most of the families of the name in Ireland are of Scottish origin, taken by settlers. The old Ui Fiachrach sept of Mac Giolla Fhaolain in County Sligo appears to be almost extinct, though is possibly survives as Gilfillan in Leitrim. When the sparse Irish population began to increase it became necessary to broaden the base of personal identification by moving from single names to a more definite nomenclature. The prefix MAC was given to the father's christian name, or O to that of a grandfather or even earlier ancestor. At first the coat of arms was a practical matter which served a function on the battlefield and in tournaments. With his helmet covering his face and armour encasing the knight from head to foot, the only means of identification for his followers, was the insignia painted on his shield and embroidered on his surcoat, the draped and flowing garment worn over the armour. Ireland was one of the earliest countries to evolve a system of hereditary surnames. They came into being fairly generally in the 11th century, and indeed a few were formed before the year 100O. During the Middle Ages, when people were unable to read or write, signs were needed for all visual identification. For several centuries city streets in were filled with signs of all kinds, public houses, tradesmen and even private householders found them necessary. This was an age when there were no numbered houses, and an address was a descriptive phrase that made use of a convenient landmark. At this time, coats of arms came into being, for the practical reason that men went into battle heavily armed and were difficult to recognise. It became the custom for them to adorn their helmets with distinctive crests, and to paint their shields with animals and the like. Coats of arms accompanied the development of surnames, becoming hereditary in the same way.

https://www.4crests.com/leland-coat-of-arms.html

[Beowulf]

Thanks for your input but I think it would be either one of the other.

I'd say in my case it would more likely be Scottish possibly through Northern Ireland.

https://i.imgur.com/vZ5WD5D.png

https://www.johngrenham.com/findasurname.php?surname=Leland

The surname of LELAND was derived from the gaelic MAC GILL FHAOLAIN - the son of the servant. The family were numerous in Galloway in the latter end of the 14th Century, and they gave their name to Balmaclellan in the Stewarty. Lands were granted to John Maclellan by James III in February 1466, when his name was given to the lands for bestowing a site for a new church. Donald Maklellane appears as a Steward of Kirkcudbright in 1457. Most of the families of the name in Ireland are of Scottish origin, taken by settlers. The old Ui Fiachrach sept of Mac Giolla Fhaolain in County Sligo appears to be almost extinct, though is possibly survives as Gilfillan in Leitrim. When the sparse Irish population began to increase it became necessary to broaden the base of personal identification by moving from single names to a more definite nomenclature. The prefix MAC was given to the father's christian name, or O to that of a grandfather or even earlier ancestor. At first the coat of arms was a practical matter which served a function on the battlefield and in tournaments. With his helmet covering his face and armour encasing the knight from head to foot, the only means of identification for his followers, was the insignia painted on his shield and embroidered on his surcoat, the draped and flowing garment worn over the armour. Ireland was one of the earliest countries to evolve a system of hereditary surnames. They came into being fairly generally in the 11th century, and indeed a few were formed before the year 100O. During the Middle Ages, when people were unable to read or write, signs were needed for all visual identification. For several centuries city streets in were filled with signs of all kinds, public houses, tradesmen and even private householders found them necessary. This was an age when there were no numbered houses, and an address was a descriptive phrase that made use of a convenient landmark. At this time, coats of arms came into being, for the practical reason that men went into battle heavily armed and were difficult to recognise. It became the custom for them to adorn their helmets with distinctive crests, and to paint their shields with animals and the like. Coats of arms accompanied the development of surnames, becoming hereditary in the same way.

https://www.4crests.com/leland-coat-of-arms.html

Seems very possible the Scottish origin