Allen or Alan: linking first names to surnames

Many first names and surnames are similar or even identical due to the fact that they come from the same source of names.

During the Middle Ages people generally had only one fixed name – their given name. Any other name that was added was used to designate occupation, estate, place of residence, or some particular thing or event that related to the person. 

Eventually, when both the first name and second name together began recurring and causing mix-ups, it was necessary to add a further name in the middle to identify the individual more clearly.  Usually, this was done by giving the father’s first name as a second name or by giving two names at the time of baptism. For example, John’s son may be given the surname Johnson. Employees were also often named after their employer, for instance the surname Andrews could mean either ‘son of’ or ‘employee of’ Andrew.

Among the aristocracy there was a tradition of giving the mother’s surname as the child’s middle name.  Eventually the middle names were elevated to first names. For instance, some of the Scottish first names that started as surnames are Cameron, Murray and Scott.

Here are some first names that are related to or are the same as surnames…

First Name	Name as Surname
Adam	Adamson, Addison, Atkins, Atkinson
Agnes	Annison, Anson
Alan	Allan, Allen, Allinson
Alexander	Sanders, Saunderson
Amice	Amis, Amison
Andrew	Anderson, Andrews
Augustine	Austen, Austin
Bartholomew	Bartlett, Bateman, Bates
Bailey	Bailey
Beatrice	Beatty, Beeton
Benedict	Benn, Bennett, Benson
Cameron	Cameron
Campbell	Campbell
Carrick	Carrick
Cicely	Sisley, Sisson
Chandler	Chandler
Christopher	Kitson, Kitts
Craig	Craig
Daniel	Daniels, Danson
Daly	Daly
David	Davidson, Davies, Dawes
Denis	Dennison, Dyson, Tennyson
Douglas	Douglas
Duncan	Duncan
Durand	Durrance, Durant
Earl	Earl, Earle
Edith	Eddis, Eddison
Edmund	Edmondson, Edmunds
Elias	Elliot, Ellis, Ellison
Emery	Amery, Emerson
Emma	Emmett, Empson
Evan	Evans, Bevan
Farrell	Farrell
Findlay	Findlay
Fraser	Frazer
Geoffrey	Jeeves, Jeffries, Jefferson
Gerald	Garratt, Jarrett, Jerrold
Gervais	Gervis, Jarvis
Gilbert	Gibbs, Gibbons, Gilbertson
Graham	Graham
Grant	Grant
Gregory	Greer, Gregson, Grierson
Kelly	Kelly
Henry	Harris, Harrison, Henderson
Herman	Armand, Harman
Hugh	Hewes, Hudson, Hutchinson
Isabel	Ibson, Tibbs
James	Gemson, Jamieson
John	Jackson, Jenkins, Johnson, Jones
Juliana	Gill, Gillett, Gilson
Laurence	Law, Lawrence, Lowry
Lee	Lee
Lewis	Llewellyn, Louis, Lowis
Lloyd	Lloyd
Luke	Lucas, Lukin
Mabel	Mappin, Mapson
Margaret	Magson, Margetts
Martin	Martell, Martens, Martinson
Mary	Malleson, Marriott, Mollison
Matilda	Madison, Mawson, Tilley
Matthew	Matheson, Mattin, Maykin
Morgan	Morgan
Murray	Murray
Nicholas	Cole, Collett, Collins, Nicholson
Nigel	Neal, Neilson, Nelson
Nolan	Nolan
Patrick	Paterson, Paton, Pattison
Peter	Pearson, Perkins, Peterson, Pierce
Ralph	Rawkins, Rawlins, Rawlinson
Randal	Randall, Randolph, Rand
Reid	Reid, Reed
Rhys	Rice, Reece, Price
Richard	Dickens, Higgins, Pritchard, Richardson
Robert	Dobbs, Hobson, Hopkins, Robinson, Robson
Ross	Ross
Russell	Russell
Scott	Scott
Stewart	Stewart
Simon	Simmonds, Simpson, Symonds
Stephen	Stenson, Stephenson, Stevens
Thomas	Thompson, Tomlinson, Tompkins
Todd	Todd
Tremaine	Tremaine
Trevor	Trevor
Tyler	Tyler
Vaughan	Vaughan
Walter	Waterson, Watkins, Watson
William	Gilliam, Wilkins, Willkinson, Wilson