200+ Old English Last Names 2026
Old English last names carry a powerful sense of identity, history, and legacy. The names come from early Anglo-Saxon culture/language and often reflect an individual’s occupation (i.e., smith or baker), the location of where they lived, or their ancestry.
So each last name has its own specific story associated with the name’s creation and gives us insight into who we are.
Through researching Old English last names, we can not only gain insight into who our ancestors were but also how they will continue to represent us in today’s world through time. It is an exciting experience!
Old English Last Names
Ainsworth – “It refers to a farmstead or enclosure located near a natural spring.”
Aldridge – “It describes someone who lived by an old ridge or ancient hill.”
Arkwright – “This name was given to a craftsman who made chests or storage boxes.”
Ashford – “It indicates a river crossing near ash trees.”
Atwood – “It was used for someone who lived near or within a forest.”
Baker – “It refers to a person whose occupation was baking bread.”
Bancroft – “It describes someone who lived near a bean field or enclosed farmland.”
Barlow – “It refers to a person living on a bare or open hillside.”
Beckett – “It indicates someone from a small cottage near a beehive or stream.”
Bennett – “It was used to describe a person considered blessed or fortunate.”
Blackwell – “It refers to someone living near a dark-colored spring or stream.”
Blythe – “It describes a cheerful and light-hearted person.”
Bradford – “It indicates a wide river crossing used by travelers.”
Bradley – “It refers to a broad meadow or wide open clearing.”
Bramley – “It describes a clearing filled with thorny bushes or broom plants.”
Brewster – “It was used for a person, often a woman, who brewed ale.”
Brighton – “It refers to a settlement belonging to a person named Brighta.”
Brook – “It indicates someone who lived near a small stream.”
Brown – “It describes a person with brown hair or a darker complexion.”
Buckley – “It refers to a meadow where deer were commonly found.”
Burton – “It indicates a fortified town or enclosed settlement.”
Butler – “It was used for a person who served as a wine steward.”
Carter – “It refers to someone who transported goods using a cart.”
Chandler – “It indicates a person who made or sold candles.”
Chapman – “It describes a traveling merchant or trader.”
Clark – “It refers to a literate person who worked as a scribe or clerk.”
Clayton – “It indicates a settlement built on clay-rich land.”
Coleman – “It refers to someone who worked with charcoal or coal.”
Collier – “It describes a person whose job was producing or selling coal.”
Cook – “It refers to someone whose occupation was preparing food.”
Cooper – “It indicates a person who made or repaired barrels.”
Crawford – “It describes a river crossing where crows were often seen.”
Dawson – “It means the son of a person named Daw.”
Denton – “It refers to a settlement located in a valley.”
Derby – “It indicates a village associated with deer or animal hunting.”
Dixon – “It means the son of a person named Dick.”
Draper – “It refers to a person who sold cloth or fabrics.”
Dudley – “It describes a clearing associated with a person named Dudda.”
Dunham – “It indicates a homestead on a hill.”
Easton – “It refers to a settlement located to the east.”
Ellis – “It describes someone descended from a person named Elias.”
Farley – “It indicates a meadow where ferns grew abundantly.”
Fisher – “It refers to someone who caught fish for a living.”
Fletcher – “It describes a person who made arrows.”
Ford – “It indicates someone who lived near a river crossing.”
Foster – “It refers to a person who cared for or raised children.”
Fox – “It describes someone thought to be clever or sly like a fox.”
Freeman – “It indicates a person who was not a serf and had freedom.”
Fuller – “It refers to someone who cleaned and thickened cloth.”
Gardner – “It describes a person who worked as a gardener.”
Garland – “It refers to someone who made decorative wreaths or garlands.”
Glover – “It indicates a person who made or sold gloves.”
Goodwin – “It describes a kind and trustworthy friend.”
Green – “It refers to someone who lived near a village green.”
Greenwood – “It indicates a person living near a lush forest.”
Griffin – “It describes someone associated with strength or mythic symbolism.”
Hall – “It refers to someone who lived near or worked in a large hall.”
Harper – “It indicates a person who played the harp.”
Harrison – “It means the son of a person named Harry.”
Hartley – “It describes a meadow where deer were commonly found.”
Hawkins – “It means the son of a person named Hawk.”
Hayes – “It refers to a person living near a hedged enclosure.”
Henderson – “It means the son of a person named Henry.”
Hobbs – “It indicates the son of a person named Hob.”
Holmes – “It refers to someone who lived on an island or dry land in marshes.”
Howard – “It describes a brave or high-spirited person.”
Hudson – “It means the son of a person named Hud.”
Hughes – “It indicates the son of a person named Hugh.”
Hunter – “It refers to someone who hunted animals.”
Jackson – “It means the son of a person named Jack.”
Jenkins – “It indicates the son of a person named Jenkin.”
Johnson – “It means the son of a person named John.”
Jones – “It refers to a descendant of a person named John.”
Kemp – “It describes a strong or athletic person.”
King – “It refers to someone who acted as a leader or held authority.”
Knight – “It indicates a mounted warrior or servant of a lord.”
Lamb – “It describes a gentle or mild-natured person.”
Lawson – “It means the son of a person named Lawrence.”
Lee – “It refers to someone who lived near a meadow or clearing.”
Marshall – “It indicates a person who cared for horses.”
Mason – “It refers to a skilled stone worker.”
Miller – “It describes someone who operated a grain mill.”
Moore – “It refers to a person living near a marshy land.”
Nash – “It indicates someone living near an ash tree.”
Norris – “It refers to a person from the northern region.”
Osborne – “It describes a person associated with divine or noble heritage.”
Page – “It indicates a young servant or attendant.”
Palmer – “It refers to a pilgrim who had traveled to the Holy Land.”
Parker – “It describes a keeper of a park or estate.”
Payne – “It refers to a country dweller or rustic person.”
Porter – “It indicates someone who carried goods or guarded a gate.”
Potter – “It refers to a maker of clay pots.”
Reed – “It describes a person living near reed-filled land.”
Reeve – “It indicates a local official or estate manager.”
Rogers – “It means the son of a person named Roger.”
Sawyer – “It refers to someone who cut wood.”
Shepherd – “It describes a person who tended sheep.”
Smith – “It refers to a worker who forged metal tools.”
Abbott – “It refers to a person who worked for or resembled an abbot in conduct.”
Adams – “It means the son of a person named Adam.”
Ainsley – “It describes a clearing or meadow belonging to a person named An.”
Albright – “It refers to a person known for being noble and bright.”
Alcott – “It indicates someone who lived in a small old cottage.”
Allard – “It describes a person known for strength and courage.”
Allison – “It means the son of a person named Allen.”
Alston – “It refers to a settlement belonging to a person named Aelf.”
Andrews – “It means the descendant of a person named Andrew.”
Anstey – “It describes a place near a narrow path or valley.”
Appleby – “It refers to a farm or settlement where apple trees grew.”
Archer – “It indicates a person skilled in shooting arrows.”
Arnold – “It describes a person with strong or eagle-like power.”
Ashby – “It refers to a settlement surrounded by ash trees.”
Ashley – “It indicates a meadow filled with ash trees.”
Ashton – “It describes a town or settlement near ash trees.”
Astley – “It refers to an eastern woodland clearing.”
Atkins – “It means the son of a person named Atkin.”
Atkinson – “It indicates the son of a person named Atkin.”
Avery – “It describes a person known for wisdom or counsel.”
Ayres – “It refers to someone associated with an heir or noble lineage.”
Baines – “It indicates a person who lived near a bath or stream.”
Baldwin – “It describes a bold and brave friend.”
Ballard – “It refers to a person with a bald head or fair hair.”
Barclay – “It indicates a birch tree clearing or meadow.”
Barnes – “It refers to someone who lived near a barn.”
Barnett – “It describes land cleared for farming.”
Barrett – “It refers to a strong or bear-like person.”
Barton – “It indicates a farmstead or barley enclosure.”
Baxter – “It refers to a female baker or bread maker.”
Beadle – “It describes a minor parish official or messenger.”
Beale – “It refers to a handsome or fair person.”
Beaumont – “It indicates a beautiful hill or settlement.”
Bevan – “It means the son of a person named Evan.”
Beverley – “It refers to a place known for beavers and streams.”
Bishop – “It describes someone who worked in the service of a bishop.”
Blake – “It refers to a person with dark or pale features.”
Blunt – “It describes a person who was straightforward in speech.”
Booth – “It indicates a person living in a small hut or shelter.”
Bowen – “It means the son of a person named Owen.”
Bowman – “It refers to an archer or bow maker.”
Boyce – “It describes someone who lived near woods or forests.”
Boyd – “It refers to a fair or light-haired person.”
Bracey – “It indicates a place near a thicket or brushwood.”
Brent – “It refers to a steep hill or high place.”
Briggs – “It describes someone who lived near a bridge.”
Brock – “It refers to a person associated with a badger.”
Brooks – “It indicates someone living near several streams.”
Browning – “It describes a person with brown hair or complexion.”
Bullock – “It refers to a young bull or someone strong like one.”
Burke – “It describes a person associated with a fortified place.”
Burns – “It refers to someone living near a stream or brook.”
Byers – “It indicates a settlement or group of buildings.”
Byford – “It describes a village near a river crossing.”
Byrne – “It refers to a person living near a stream or water.”
Cade – “It describes a gentle or round person.”
Calder – “It refers to a rocky water or stream.”
Calvert – “It indicates a cowherd or cattle keeper.”
Carlin – “It describes a strong or hardy person.”
Carroll – “It refers to a warrior or champion.”
Carver – “It indicates a person who carved wood or stone.”
Casey – “It describes a watchful or alert person.”
Chadwick – “It refers to a settlement belonging to a person named Chad.”
Channing – “It indicates a young wolf or energetic person.”
Charlton – “It describes a settlement of free peasants.”
Chester – “It refers to a Roman fort or walled town.”
Churchill – “It indicates a hill near a church.”
Clarke – “It refers to a literate person working as a clerk.”
Clay – “It describes someone who lived on clay-rich soil.”
Cobb – “It refers to a rounded hill or lump.”
Coburn – “It indicates a stream or brook in a valley.”
Colby – “It describes a farm or village near coal or dark soil.”
Coles – “It refers to the son of a person named Cole.”
Conway – “It indicates a sacred or holy river.”
Corbett – “It describes a person with raven-like dark features.”
Cornell – “It refers to a person living near a horn-shaped hill.”
Cosby – “It indicates a village near a river bend.”
Crosby – “It describes a settlement near a cross or crossroads.”
Crowley – “It refers to a clearing frequented by crows.”
Culver – “It describes a person associated with doves.”
Curley – “It refers to someone with curly hair.”
Dale – “It indicates a person living in a valley.”
Dalton – “It describes a settlement in a valley.”
Darby – “It refers to a deer village or animal settlement.”
Darwin – “It indicates a dear friend or beloved person.”
Davies – “It means the son of a person named David.”
Davis – “It refers to a descendant of a person named David.”
Dean – “It describes someone living in a valley.”
Deane – “It indicates a person from a wooded valley.”
Dempsey – “It refers to a proud or strong individual.”
Denby – “It describes a village in a valley.”
Dennis – “It refers to a follower of a divine or sacred figure.”
Derry – “It indicates a place of oak trees.”
Devlin – “It describes a fierce or brave person.”
Dobbins – “It means the son of a person named Dob.”
Dobson – “It refers to the son of a person named Dob.”
Donne – “It describes a dark or brown-haired person.”
Downs – “It refers to rolling hills or open grasslands.”
Doyle – “It indicates a dark stranger or outsider.”
Drake – “It refers to a dragon or male duck.”
