Lancashire surnames?

[telstarbox]

This is probably nothing, but I have several friends and work contacts in the North West, and lots of them happen to have surnames which are also placenames in (traditional) Lancashire. Examples are Pennington, Warrington, Hindley, Adlington, Bryn, Farnworth etc. Is this a 'thing' around there or just coincidence?

 

[Ianno87]

Trying to think of people I've met who have surnames as places...

Bolton
Cambridge
Coventry
Rotherham
Kent
Lancashire
Lancaster
Pennington
Blackburn
Preston
Atherton
Battersby
Middleton


Definitely a north western 'bias' in them.

 

[Bletchleyite]

This is probably nothing, but I have several friends and work contacts in the North West, and lots of them happen to have surnames which are also placenames in (traditional) Lancashire. Examples are Pennington, Warrington, Hindley, Adlington, Bryn, Farnworth etc. Is this a 'thing' around there or just coincidence?

Surnames in the UK generally derive from one of 3 things - where you lived, what you did or whose son you were.

e.g.
1. Name of place
2. Baker, Butcher etc
3. William's Son -> Williamson ( -> Williams), or John's Son -> Johnson ( -> Jones)

So this isn't at all unusual.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

3. William's Son -> Williamson ( -> Williams), or John's Son -> Johnson ( -> Jones)

Yes wife was born in Preston and this was her maiden name.

 

[S&CLER]

Bamber is a typically Lancashire surname, very strongly represented in the Preston area - e.g. Bamber Bridge. In that case the place takes its name from the family and not the other way round, I think.

 

[Peter C]

Trying to think of people I've met who have surnames as places...

Bolton
Cambridge
Coventry
Rotherham
Kent
Lancashire
Lancaster
Pennington
Blackburn
Preston
Atherton
Battersby
Middleton


Definitely a north western 'bias' in them.

And Ripon is there as well, although Angela Rippon's surname, which reminded me of this, has two 'p's.

-Peter

 

[Crossover]

Pemberton and Pickering are two that come to mind off the top of my head

 

[LSWR Cavalier]

People were named for their appearance too, Mr Little and Mr Large (stage names) started their career in 'North-West England'

 

[chorleyjeff]

Surnames in the UK generally derive from one of 3 things - where you lived, what you did or whose son you were.

e.g.
1. Name of place
2. Baker, Butcher etc
3. William's Son -> Williamson ( -> Williams), or John's Son -> Johnson ( -> Jones)

So this isn't at all unusual.

A fourth. Named after the feudal family you were bound to.

 

[Bald Rick]

Eric Morecambe ?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Catherine Tyldesley ?

 

[prod_pep]

Halsall, Hindley, Lathom and Leyland are four more off the top of my head.

 

[SiggysigAah]

Alnwick, Altham, Anderton, Brindle, Bolton, Bowland, Bleasdale, Charnock, Clayton, Clitheroe, Eccles, Farnworth, Fishwick, Galgate, Hoghton, Holcombe, Ince, Kirkham, Lancashire, Prescott, Ramsbottom, Scarisbrick, Thornton.

 

[52290]

When I was a boy there was a Mr Leyland who lived in Leyland Lane, Leyland.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Alnwick, Altham, Anderton, Brindle, Bolton, Bowland, Bleasdale, Charnock, Clayton, Clitheroe, Eccles, Farnworth, Fishwick, Galgate, Hoghton, Holcombe, Ince, Kirkham, Lancashire, Prescott, Ramsbottom, Scarisbrick, Thornton.

The place name, however, is spelt Prescot.

 

[507021]

Liverpool is a surname, although not very common.

 

[reb0118]

When I was a boy there was a Mr Leyland who lived in Leyland Lane, Leyland.

We have a driver by the name of David Main of Main Street, Davidson's Mains.

 

[Hardcastle]

Hattersley is another one that springs to mind.

 

[Busaholic]

Halsall, Hindley, Lathom and Leyland are four more off the top of my head.

Hmmm..... Maurice Leyland was a Yorkshire cricketer in an era when only true-born Yorkshiremen could play for the county.

 

[eMeS]

Eric Morecambe ?

Wasn't that his stage name?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Wasn't that his stage name?

Yes, his real name was John Eric Bartholomew.

 

[Springs Branch]

There's the actor (actress in old money) Sarah Lancashire.
Born in Oldham and apparently her actual surname, not a stage name.

[edit] Oops, I see Lancashire was already mentioned in post #2.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Bamber is a typically Lancashire surname, very strongly represented in the Preston area - e.g. Bamber Bridge. In that case the place takes its name from the family and not the other way round, I think.

A certain Mr Gascoigne who was presenter of University Challenge had Bamber as his first name.

 

[S&CLER]

A certain Mr Gascoigne who was presenter of University Challenge had Bamber as his first name.

And one of his ancestors of the same name was mayor of Liverpool in the 18th century. In some families it was common to use your mother's maiden name as your given name, usually your middle name. It was common among the Anglo-Irish gentry, that's how the male novelist Joyce Cary got his first name: his mother had been a Miss Joyce. In some countries names of common or doubtful sex such as Evelyn or Hilary are illegal, e.g. in Portugal.

 

[route101]

I think of Lancashire name i think of Greenhalghs , the halghs bit ive seen in surnames.

And one of his ancestors of the same name was mayor of Liverpool in the 18th century. In some families it was common to use your mother's maiden name as your given name, usually your middle name. It was common among the Anglo-Irish gentry, that's how the male novelist Joyce Cary got his first name: his mother had been a Miss Joyce. In some countries names of common or doubtful sex such as Evelyn or Hilary are illegal, e.g. in Portugal.

Yes, im my first name is my mothers maiden name.

 

[lyndhurst25]

Fazakerley is a suburb in Liverpool, but the surname is usually spelt Fazackerley.

 

[C J Snarzell]

Other less obvious places that have surnames linked with Lancashire not too far from my home town of Wigan -

Crawford (Lancs village near Skelmersdale)
Orrell
(Up) Holland
Roby (Mill)
Martland (Mill)
Heskin
Eccleston (two of these - one in St Helens & one near Chorley)
Winstanley
Worthington
Ashton (in-Makerfield)
Newton (le-Willows)
Lowton
Haydock
Platt (Bridge)
Scholes
Pennington (small area just outside of Leigh).
Even Leigh is a surname.

Alot of places now come under Wigan Borough which is part of Greater Manchester, but most people still regard the place as Lancashire. A bit like Southport - never remind the locals they are in Merseyside!

CJ

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Heywood is another surname that often appears.

 

[The North Briton]

Quite a few famous Egertons (village near Bolton), including Sir Philip de Malpas Grey Egerton, after whom the Egerton Dock in Birkenhead was named.

 

[Ianno87]

Heywood is another surname that often appears.

Miss Heywood was the name of my Reception Class teaching assistant!