Category Archives: Surname Saturday

I write about one of the surnames in either mine or my wife’s tree. It is fun to learn the meanings of the names, where they came to America, and what the known descendants of that ancestor are today.

Evans – Surname Saturday

Posted on May 6, 2017 by Don Taylor

Origin of Name Sometimes you just don’t know what you don’t know. If I were to guess, I would have guessed that “Evans” was a patronymic name.  That is to say, it was derived from a personal name such as … Continue reading →

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Collins – Surname Saturday

Posted on March 11, 2017 by Don Taylor

I don’t really know much about my Collins ancestors, but they are among my earliest ancestors, 8th 9th and 10th great grandparents. They were part of the “Great Migration” of the early 1600s arriving in Massachusetts then locating to Connecticut. … Continue reading →

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Surname Saturday – Cochran

Posted on February 11, 2017 by Don Taylor

Montran, Barber, Blackhurst, Cochran Line By Don Taylor Sometimes it is necessary to just put the brakes on.  So, is the case with Surname Saturday for Cochran. My fourth great-grandmother, Lydia Ellen Cochran, supposedly, is the wife of Stephen Blackhurst … Continue reading →

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Surname Saturday – Chamberlin

Posted on December 31, 2016 by Don Taylor

  The Chamberlin surname derives from an official title, “the chamberlain,” literally one who takes care of a chamber. The chamberlain often had charge of his lord’s receipts and payments.[i] Chamberlin is an English variant of Chamberlain. My one known ancestor … Continue reading →

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Last Hopfe on Earth?

Posted on December 3, 2016 by Don Taylor

I was recently asked, “Are there any people left on Earth with the surname Hopfe?” As far as the asker knew, her Hopfe line had daughtered out with her. Certainly, surnames go extinct. I’ve read how Hugh Bonneville’s (famous for … Continue reading →

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