Occupational Surnames

image by Jeff Cottenden

It most likely hasn't escaped your notice that several well known surnames are currently enjoying much popularity as first names. The use of surnames as firstnames is nothing new -- they have been borne by both boys and girls for centuries, and were usually directly taken from family surnames. But they have never enjoyed quite such popularity beyond a familial connection.

A large proportion of these surname-firstnames are taken directly from occupational names. And, with a punchy rhythm and down-to-earth heritage, it's not hard to see why.

Below is a selection of occupational English surnames; some are currently used as first names, others have some historical use. 

Abbey Abbott Ackerman Archer Avner Bailey Baker Barker  Baxter Bayliff Bayliss Booker Bower Bowman Bowyer Burman Bridger  Butler

Carder Carter Cartwright Carver Castellan Catcher Chancellor Chandler Chapman Chaucer Clark Claver Coleman Collier Colter Corden Corder Cook

Cooper  Cutler Dean Dexter  Draker Draper Drover Faber Falconer Farrier Faulkner Fisher Fletcher Forester Forster Foster Fowler Gardner

Garner Glover Grainger Gunner Harbisher Harper Hayward Hunter Jagger Keeler Lister Marshall Mason Mercer Miller Palmer Parker Piper

Porter Potter Ranger Reeve Roper Ryder Sadler Sailor Sawyer Sexton Shearer Shepherd Slater Smith  Spencer Stewart Sumner Tanner

Taylor  Thane Thatcher Tiller Tillyer Tilley Tucker Turner Tyler  Walker Warden Weaver Webb Webber Webster Wheeler Willer Wright