100 Unique Old Last Names
Most of these last names aren’t just an identifier to distinguish one family from another.
They tell stories, represent cultures, and they’ve witnessed eons of history from great to small.
Passed down countless centuries, these surnames offer fascinating insights into the lives, occupations, and cultures our ancestors belonged to.
Here, we’ll take a look at the origin of some of these timeless surnames, their meanings, and the legacy they carry forward even today.
If you’re interested in your own family history or are just curious about the past, here we go into the fun world of old last names.
Old Last Names
Bennett – Derived from the Latin Benedictus, meaning “blessed.”
Chambers – Referred to someone who worked in a chamber or large room.
Fletcher – A maker of arrows.
Goodwin – Meaning “good friend.”
Hawthorne – Named after a person who lived near a hawthorn tree.
Lancaster – From the English city, meaning “Roman fort on the Lune River.”
Middleton – Someone from a middle town or settlement.
Parker – An occupational name for a gamekeeper or park keeper.
Redwood – Possibly referring to someone who lived near redwood trees.
Whitmore – From Old English, meaning “white moor” or “wide marshland.”
Archer – A surname for a bowman or archer.
Bailey – A bailiff or steward.
Carlisle – From the city in England, meaning “fort at Luguvalium.”
Drake – Derived from Old English, meaning “dragon” or “male duck.”
Ellis – Derived from Elijah, meaning “my God is Yahweh.”
Grayson – Meaning “son of the steward or bailiff.”
Hartwell – Meaning “stag’s spring or well.”
Ingram – Of Norse origin, meaning “raven of Ing” (a god).
Kingston – Meaning “king’s town.”
Lockwood – Meaning “enclosed forest or wood.”
Milton – From “mill town” or “middle town.”
Northcote – Meaning “northern cottage.”
Osborne – Derived from Old Norse, meaning “bear god.”
Pembroke – Meaning “land’s end” in Welsh origins.
Quincy – From a French place name, meaning “estate of the fifth son.”
Rutherford – Meaning “cattle crossing.”
Sinclair – Derived from the Norman Saint-Clair.
Thornton – Meaning “thorn bush settlement.”
Underhill – Meaning “lived under a hill.”
Vaughn – Welsh origin, meaning “small” or “junior.”
Westwood – Meaning “from the western woods.”
Yardley – Meaning “enclosed meadow.”
Ainsworth – Meaning “one’s homestead.”
Barclay – Meaning “birch meadow.”
Clifton – Meaning “cliff town.”
Davenport – Meaning “market town on the river Dane.”
Eldridge – Meaning “old wise ruler.”
Fairfax – Meaning “fair-haired.”
Gainsborough – Meaning “Gegn’s fortified place.”
Hadley – Meaning “heather field.”
Irving – Meaning “green water” or “fresh water.”
Jasper – Persian origin, meaning “treasurer.”
Kensington – From a district in London, meaning “Cēna’s people’s town.”
Leland – Meaning “meadow land.”
Montgomery – Meaning “man power” or “mountain belonging to Gomeric.”
Norwood – Meaning “northern wood.”
Overton – Meaning “upper farmstead or settlement.”
Prescott – Meaning “priest’s cottage.”
Radcliffe – Meaning “red cliff.”
Stratford – Meaning “river ford on a Roman road.”
Abbot – Occupational name for the head of a monastery.
Ashford – Meaning “ford near the ash trees.”
Blackwell – Meaning “black spring or stream.”
Bradshaw – Meaning “broad woodland.”
Chesterfield – Meaning “open field near a Roman fort.”
Darlington – Meaning “settlement of Deorlaf’s people.”
Eastwood – Meaning “eastern forest.”
Fitzgerald – Meaning “son of Gerald” in Norman origin.
Greenwood – Meaning “green forest.”
Hollingsworth – Meaning “wooded enclosure with holly trees.”
Ivybridge – Named after an old bridge covered in ivy.
Jefferson – Meaning “son of Jeffrey.”
Kingsley – Meaning “king’s meadow or clearing.”
Langley – Meaning “long meadow.”
Mansfield – Meaning “field by the river Maun.”
Nethercott – Meaning “lower cottage or dwelling.”
Ormsby – Norse origin, meaning “Ormr’s farm or settlement.”
Pemberton – Meaning “town on a hill.”
Quarles – Meaning “dweller at the quarries.”
Ravensdale – Meaning “valley of the ravens.”
Stanhope – Meaning “stony valley.”
Thackeray – Meaning “place with a thatched roof.”
Upton – Meaning “upper town or settlement.”
Villard – French origin, meaning “village or small town.”
Winthrop – Meaning “friend’s village.”
Yorke – Derived from the city of York, meaning “yew tree estate.”
Aldrich – Meaning “old ruler.”
Barrington – Meaning “barley farm settlement.”
Carver – Occupational surname for a sculptor or woodworker.
Drummond – Scottish origin, meaning “ridge.”
Eversley – Meaning “wild boar meadow.”
Fairchild – Meaning “beautiful child.”
Godfrey – Meaning “God’s peace.”
Harrington – Meaning “estate of Hæfer’s people.”
Inglewood – Meaning “woodland of the Angles.”
Jocelyn – Norman origin, meaning “Gaut’s kin.”
Kirkland – Meaning “church land.”
Lovelace – Meaning “wolf’s companion.”
Merriweather – Meaning “happy or pleasant weather.”
Northrop – Meaning “northern farmstead.”
Oldham – Meaning “old village or dwelling.”
Pendleton – Meaning “hill settlement.”
Quinton – Meaning “queen’s town or estate.”
Roswell – Meaning “horse spring.”
Sterling – Meaning “little star” or “of high quality.”
Trentham – Meaning “homestead by the River Trent.”
Underwood – Meaning “lived beneath the trees or woodland.”
Vaux – French origin, meaning “valley.”
Wakefield – Meaning “watchman’s field.”
Yelverton – Meaning “settlement where yellow flowers grow.”
