The 10 Oldest English Surnames Still in Use Today (Origin and Meaning Included)

Do you belong to the oldest surname in England? Well, these are the ten oldest English surnames still in use today, defined as the earliest appearance in the English historical record of the root of the surname. Now I should quickly note that modern hereditary surnames that we recognise today only really became common in England after the Norman conquest of 1066, and this was a process over a couple hundred years that lasted and was complete by around 1400. But before the Norman conquest in the 11th century, England did have forms of surnames that were basically by-names or old nicknames that were used as forms of surnames to separate people with the same personal name, often by their trade, appearance, status, age or other factors. And many of these names then developed into proper surnames many of you still carry today. Now I should also note that old personal names in Anglo-Saxon England often later developed into surnames, such as Godwin or Edward. But I have excluded these from this list as I previously made another video going through Anglo-Saxon surnames and they often weren't used as by-names in medieval times. I have also excluded religious names like Cuthbert and Oswald, to focus more on normal names that weren't tied to saints. Now number 10 on the list is Long, which comes from this old English word that means tall or long. Now, the Normans actually also brought in their own version of the name with a similar meaning, yet the name existed in England before the Normans. It was a straightforward physical description for someone noticeably taller or longer-limbed than the people around him. Hence why it's not a surprise it developed a parallel version developed in France. Now one of the earliest recorded bearers appears in a Peterborough document traditionally dated by many surname dictionaries to 972, but now dated more securely to between 983 and 985. It names Etheric the Long as one of the men who guaranteed a land agreement involving Peterbury Abbey. Now a form identical to the modern surname appears a little later, with Berard Long in Suffolk between 1121 and 1148. Other early examples include Godfrey Lunge and Adam U Lang in Yorkshire in 1279. So despite a little debate about the precise date of the name, the earliest recorded date, Long is one of the oldest surnames in England, with a similar nickname found across the channel in France. Now number nine on the list is the opposite I suppose, Little, which comes from this old English word meaning small, little or young. Now although it was often applied to someone of short stature, it could also distinguish the younger or less senior of two people with the same name. And its earliest recorded bearer appears in the same Peterborough document as Etheric the Long. The text names Aedric Little, translated as Aedric the Small, is one of the guarantors connected with a land transaction. Around 100 years later, we find Lefstan Little listed in Suffolk in 1095. And other early forms appear later in the 13th century, including William Lou Little and John Lou Little in 1273. And the name survived because Little was an obvious nickname capable of arising independently in many unrelated communities. Now next up on the list is one of the most common names in the English-speaking world, Smith. It comes from this old English word, likely connected to smitten meaning to strike or hammer, an appropriate connection for someone who repeatedly hammered heated metal. And in Anglo-Saxon England, a smith was not just an ordinary tradesman. He was essential to every settlement, from making domestic goods to forging weapons such as swords. And one of the earliest bearers in recorded history is a man called Eckard Smith, found in the annals of Durham in 975 AD. It actually records a woman freeing her slaves, with Eckard among them. Yet at this point it was a by-name, meaning Eckard the Smith. After the Norman conquest however, we find more surname bearers in a more traditionally modern form, such as Philip Lou Smith in Huntingdonshire and William Lou Smith in Oxfordshire, both in 1273. Smith later became an independent surname in hundreds of families, because nearly every district required metal workers. Explaining why it became so common, transforming from a by-name, an old by-name into a modern surname, passed down through the generations. Now number 7 on the list is Child, which derives from the Old English word child. Its early meaning was broader than simply a very young person however. It could indicate youth, a young attendant, or a man who simply had not yet reached full adult or social status. It was also used as a term of status for a young man of noble birth, although the exact meaning is not quite clear. And in the 13th and 14th centuries, it was actually a technical term used for a young noble awaiting elevation to knighthood. Now its earliest bearer is found in 955. This was when Edred, King of the English, granted land at Chesterfield to Edred Child, described in the Latin Charter as an attendant or follower. Child was therefore attached to Edred as a distinguishing second name, possibly reflecting his age, rank or position within the royal household. The recognisable form, a Luric Child, appears in the Domesday Book in 1086, followed by Goad Child in 1095 and Roger Luchild in 1204. The name survived because age and status remain useful ways of Now number 6 is cook, which is derived from this Old English word and early borrowing ultimately related to similar Latin words. It identifies someone recognised by the community as a professional preparer of food. In a wealthy Anglo-Saxon household however, the cook did not just prepare small domestic meals. They controlled ovens, hearths and and could be responsible for feeding a large household of relatives, retainers, servants and visitors. Now the first reference to the name in the historical record comes from the will of Winflet, a wealthy Anglo-Saxon noblewoman and major Wessex landowner, who left an unusually detailed will. In the will names The document is traditionally placed in the 10th century, often around 950, but his exact date is disputed. A later surname-style form appears as Galter Cook in the Domesday Book in 1086, while the unmistakable Ralph le Cook was recorded in 1296. Cook survived therefore because the occupation continually generated the same name in unrelated households across the country. Now next up is write, which comes from this Old English word which originally meant something like a worker or maker, which over time came to mean a shaper or maker of wood. Where the smith worked metal, the write worked timber. And in a world where houses, ships and ploughs were all built of wood, he was indispensable. Like Smith, it began as an occupational by-name, before becoming a surname, and an early reference to the name is again found in Wilflet's will. She orders the freeing of a man identified as simply the write. Damage to the manuscript has removed his personal name however, but the occupational identifier survives. Later medieval bearers include Patir le Wreath in Sussex in 1214 and Robert le Reach in Essex in 1255. Like Smith and Cook, write survived because an essential occupation independently created the surname in many different communities. Now we're into the top four, and is your surname going to be on the list? Please let me know in the comments below what your surname is. Now number four on the list is Stubbs, which comes from this old English word, which meant a stump, post or the remains of a felled tree. It was probably topographical, identifying someone who lived in a house near a noticeable stump or a land recently cleared of woodland. It could also have been used as a nickname for a short, solidly built person as well. Now the earliest bearer is Elfie Stubbs. He appears in legislation connected with King Æthelstan and an assembly at Thunderfield, placing him in the king's reign in probably during the 930s. Later bearers of the name include Richard Stubbs in Yorkshire in 1185, who is actually recorded as being a Knights Templar. Geoffrey du Stubbs is also found a little later in 1199. And now we're into the top three. Now third is White, which comes from this old English word, which meant white, pale or bright. As a by-name, it probably describes someone with notable fair or white hair, a pale complexion or possibly really light-coloured clothing. In some cases, it is perhaps from the Middle English survival of this old English personal name. The name may also be topographic, referring to someone who lived by a bend or curve in a river or road. From an old English word that meant bend. Now the earliest secure English forum belongs to Wulf North the White, a witness to a manumission associated with King Æthelstan around 925. Now this is stronger evidence than the famous 7th century story of White Hewelt by the monk Bede, because Bede recorded Hewelt's description in Latin as Albus, rather than using the English nameform ancestral to White. By the 12th century, the recognisable forum Berwaldus le White appears, followed by medieval variations. Thus, White survived because pale hair or colouring could produce the same nickname repeatedly in families across England. Now second on the list is Black, which comes from this old English word meaning black or dark, and it was chiefly used as a nickname given to a swarthy or dark-haired man. Now the earliest surviving example appears in the Font Hill Letter, which names Wulf Hun the Black of Somerton. The dispute involving Wulf Hun took place during Alfred the Great's reign, but the surviving letter was written between 899 and 924, and probably nearer 920. It is therefore safest to say that the name was written down around 920, rather than date it to the earlier event. After the Norman Conquest, forms include Godehart le Black in 1130, and Nicholas Black in 1158, showing that the name had moved towards an established medieval surname from being a byname. As with White, Black was an instantly understandable description that could arise independently in so many places. And now we have arrived at number one. Please let me know what you thought number one was in the comments below and what your surname is. Now number one is Young, which is quite ironic for an oldest list. And it comes from this Old English word, which had a few variations. It meant young or younger, and was often used as a byname to distinguish a younger man from an older man bearing the same personal name, typically father and son. It was also used to distinguish someone from a better-known person. Under the year 744, the Anglo-Saxon records the death of Wilfrid the Younger, Bishop of York. He was known as Wilfrid the Younger to distinguish him from the more famous Saint Wilfrid, the earlier 7th-century Bishop of York. Now although the event belongs to around 744, the earliest surviving chronicle manuscript was copied much later, probably around 890-900, which still makes it the oldest. Now as far as a more recognisable hereditary surname, this appears later in records, such as Hugh Lou Young in Oxfordshire in 1273. And Young survived because the Younger was one of the most universally useful distinctions in family and community life, as every generation could contain two men with the same personal name, allowing the byname and eventually the surname to be created over and over again. Now I should note that several famous candidates miss the list. Hatt is often declared the oldest English surname in Google results, but that claim ultimately comes from a Victorian argument based on an undated record that's hard to prove. Priest, Goldsmith, Reed, Old, Sheriff and Colt are among other close contenders. But what are seven English surnames of Anglo-Saxon origin? Well to find out, please click here. Thanks for watching, please subscribe and hit the bell, and let me know your thoughts in the comments below, and I'll see you next time.