English Family Names and Their Origins

Common English Surnames

Here are some of the most frequent English surnames:

• Smith (origin: occupational)
• Johnson (origin: patronymic)
• Williams (origin: patronymic)
• Brown (origin: descriptive)
• Davis (origin: occupational)

Geographic Distribution

Historical Notes

Surnames became widespread in England after the Norman Conquest (1066). Many derive from: occupational roles, geographic features, or patronymic prefixes (-son, -sen, -er). For example:

• Robertson (son of Robert)
• Williamson (son of William)
• Thomasson (son of Thomas)

Modern Trends

According to Smith (2020), 35% of English surnames contain the prefix "_-son_-". Notable exceptions include:

• French-derived names: Richardson
• German-derived names: Schmidt
• Scandinavian-derived names: Nielsen