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.

Blackwell – Surname Saturday

Origin of the Blackwell Surname Blackwell is a habitational name, that is to say a place where people lived.[i] Durham, Cumbria, Derbyshire, and Worcestershire in England are examples of places where there is a Blackwell, England.[ii]  Wikipedia lists about 100 … Continue reading

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McAllister – Surname Saturday

McAllister Name Origin McAllister is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic name, Mac Alasdair, meaning “son of Alasdair.” Alasdair is the Gaelic form of Alexander. There are dozens of forms for this surname. My wife’s family line has records both … Continue reading

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Vincent-Vinson – Surname Saturday

By Don Taylor Name Origin It seems that the surname “Vinson” has two separate origins. First is that it comes from the “son of Vin or Vincent.” The second is that it is a corruption or variant of “Vincent.” It … Continue reading

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Brashears – Surname Saturday

Roberts – Brashears Brashears Name Origin or Meaning None of the sources I have provide a meaning for the surname Brashears. Ancestry indicates that it is an Americanized form of French (Huguenot) Brasseur[i]. Forebears indicates that virtually all of the … Continue reading

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Surname Saturday – Beardsley

Darling Line By Don Taylor Name Origin According to Forebears, the surname “Beardsley” is a derivation of “Bardsley,” which was derived from being from a place, ‘of Bardsley.’ Bardsley is a parish between Ashton and Oldham, near Manchester. The American … Continue reading

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