60 Old English & Medieval Surnames (And Their Meanings)

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Discover Old English & Anglo-Saxon names that are still popular today

Co-authored by Elaine Heredia, BA

Last Updated: August 16, 2026 Fact Checked

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Old English Surnames

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Middle English Surnames

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More Ancient Names

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In the Middle Ages, Old English last names worked a bit differently than modern English surnames do today. While you inherited yours from your family, ancient English people took on or were given last names based on their occupation, location, or characteristics. This article will introduce you to some common Old English surnames from the Early Middle Ages, plus more popular last names from the medieval period, or High Middle Ages. See how many you can recognize!

Ancient English Family Names

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An aesthetic illustration with Old English names and their meanings in the foreground.

People in the Middle Ages used surnames that described their occupation, where they lived, or special qualities. Here are some common Old English last names:

Ackerman: "Ploughman"
Baines: "Bones"
Caldwell: "Cold spring, stream, or well"
Dexter: Refers to someone who dyes or a "dyer"
Fulton: "Bird hill"
Radcliff: "Red cliff"

Section 1 of 3:

Common Old English Surnames

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Old English names like Ackerman and Barnett were used in the Early Middle Ages. The Anglo-Saxon period, or Early Middle Ages, spans the arrival of the Anglo-Saxons in England in the 5th century until the Norman Conquest in 1066 CE. This was the era right before the medieval period, AKA the High Middle Ages. The Anglo-Saxons, who were originally from Denmark and Germany, spoke and wrote in what scholars now refer to as Old English until around 1150 AD.^{[1]
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Research source} Back then, as in medieval times, a person's last name usually described the job they worked, the geographic location where they lived, or a characteristic they possessed. Below is a list of Old English surnames with their meanings:
- Ackerman: "Ploughman"
- Alfredson: "Son of Alfred"
- Alvey: From the given name Ælfwig
- Appleton: "Orchard"
- Audley: "Ealdgyð's clearing"
- Ayreton: "Town on the River Aire"
- Baines: "Bones"
- Barnett: "Place cleared by burning"
- Beech: Refers to someone who lives near a beech tree
- Black: "Black" or "pale"
- Blythe: "Happy" or "joyous"
- Bourne: "Stream" or "spring"
- Braddock: "Broad oak"
- Brandon: "Hill covered with broom"
- Brewer: Refers to someone who brews beer or ale
- Bridges: Refers to someone who lives near or works with bridges
- Brownlow: "Brown" and "mound, small hill"
- Caldwell: "Cold spring, stream, or well"
- Chadwick: "Settlement belonging to Chad"
- Clayton: "Clay settlement"
- Dalton: "Valley town"
- Denman: "Valley man"
- Dexter: Refers to someone who dyes or a "dyer"
- Dunn: "Dark"
- Fulton: "Bird hill"
- Glazier: Refers to a glass worker or a "glazier"
- Grantham: "Gravelly homestead"
- Hale: "Nook," "recess," or "hollow"
- Hepburn: "High burial mound"
- Milburn: "Mill stream"
- Moore: "Open land, bog"; refers to someone who lives near or on a moor
- Murgatroyd: "Margaret's clearing"
- Ogden: "Oak valley"
- Prescott: "Priest's cottage"
- Radcliff: "Red cliff"
- Sangster: "To sing" or "to chant"; refers to someone who sings for a living
- Seward: "Swineherd"
- Smith: "To smite" or "to hit"; also, "metalworker" or "blacksmith"
- Stanley: "Stone clearing"
- Stark: "Strong, rigid"
- Stoddard: Refers to a horse keeper
- Stroud: "Marshy ground overgrown with brushwood"
- Thatcher: Refers to someone who thatches roofs
- Toller: "Tax gatherer"
- Walsh: "Foreigner, stranger, Celt"
- Create your own ancient-sounding surname with wikiHow's Old English Name Generator!

Section 2 of 3:

Popular Middle English Surnames

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Middle English surnames like Barrett or Miller were common in the medieval period. After the Early Middle Ages (or Dark Ages) came the High Middle Ages, AKA the medieval period. This lasted from approximately 1150-1500 AD, and during this time, the people who lived in England primarily spoke Middle English.^{[2]
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Research source} Their surnames were based on their occupation or qualities, rather than passed down through generations. Here's a list of Middle English surnames you might have heard if you lived in that era of ancient history:
- Atteberry: "Dweller at the fortified town"
- Arkwright: "Chest maker"
- Baker: Refers to someone who bakes for a living
- Barrett: "Trouble, deception"
- Cartwright: Refers to someone who makes carts
- Coupe: Refers to someone who makes barrels
- Darling: "Darling, beloved one"
- Dean: "Valley"
- Fairchild: "Beautiful child"
- Joiner: Refers to a carpenter, who "joins" wood together
- Miller: Refers to someone who works in a mill
- Parker: "Keeper of the park"
- Spencer: "Larder, pantry"; also refers to someone who dispenses food to people who work at a manor
- Todd: "Fox"
- Truman: "Trusty man"

Section 3 of 3:

More Ancient Names

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Explore more medieval European surnames, as well as old names from Greece and Rome. If you're writing a story, planning an RPG or LARP character, or just brushing up on your history, we've got the ancient names you're looking for! Here are more wikiHow guides to names from across ages and continents: