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 |