Surnames Categorized "American founding fathers"

This is a list of surnames in which the categories include American founding fathers.
usage
Adams English, Jewish
Derived from the given name Adam.
Baldwin English
Derived from the given name Baldwin.
Blair Scottish
From any one of several places of this name in Scotland, which derive from Gaelic blàr meaning "plain, field, battlefield".
Braxton English
From an English place name place name meaning "Bracca's town" in Old English.
Butler English, Irish
Occupational name derived from Norman French butiller "wine steward", ultimately from Late Latin butticula "bottle". A famous bearer of this surname is the fictional character Rhett Butler, created by Margaret Mitchell for her novel Gone with the Wind (1936).
Carroll Irish
From the given name Cearbhall. A famous bearer was Lewis Carroll (1832-1898), whose real name was Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, the author of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
Chase English
Occupational name for a hunter, from Middle English chase "hunt".
Clark English
Means "cleric" or "scribe", from Old English clerec meaning "priest", ultimately from Latin clericus. A famous bearer was William Clark (1770-1838), an explorer of the west of North America.
Collins 2 English
Means "son of Colin 2".
Dickinson English
Means "son of Dicun", Dicun being a medieval diminutive of Dick 1. American poet Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) was a famous bearer.
Dobbs English
Derived from the medieval given name Dobbe, a diminutive of Robert.
Duane Irish
Anglicized form of Irish Ó Dubháin meaning "descendant of Dubhán".
Ellery English
From the medieval masculine name Hilary.
Floyd Welsh
Variant of Lloyd.
Franklin English
Derived from Middle English frankelin meaning "freeman". It denoted a landowner of free but not noble birth, from Old French franc meaning "free". Famous bearers include American statesman Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) and American singer Aretha Franklin (1942-2018).
Hall English, German, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish
Means simply "hall", given to one who either lived in or worked in a hall (the house of a medieval noble).
Hamilton English, Scottish
From an English place name, derived from Old English hamel "crooked, mutilated" and dun "hill". This was the name of a town in Leicestershire, England (which no longer exists).
Hancock English
From a diminutive of the medieval name Hann.
Hanson English
Means "son of Hann".
Harrison English
Means "son of Harry".
Hart English
Means "male deer". It was originally acquired by a person who lived in a place frequented by harts, or bore some resemblance to a hart.
Henry English
Derived from the given name Henry.
Hooper English
Occupational name for someone who put the metal hoops around wooden barrels.
Hopkins English
Patronymic formed from a diminutive of Hob.
Hutson English
Variant of Hudson.
Jackson English
Means "son of Jack". Famous bearers of this name include the American president Andrew Jackson (1767-1845) and the singer Michael Jackson (1958-2009).
Jefferson English
Means "son of Jeffrey". A famous bearer was American president Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826). Since his surname was sometimes adopted by freed slaves, it is now more common among the African-American population.
Johnson English
Means "son of John". Famous bearers include American presidents Andrew Johnson (1808-1875) and Lyndon B. Johnson (1908-1973).
King English
From Old English cyning "king", originally a nickname for someone who either acted in a kingly manner or who worked for or was otherwise associated with a king. A famous bearer was the American civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968).
Langdon English
Derived from the name of various places, of Old English origin meaning "long hill" (effectively "ridge").
Laurens Dutch
From the given name Laurens.
Lee 1 English
Originally given to a person who lived on or near a leah, Old English meaning "woodland, clearing".
Lewis 1 English
Derived from the given name Lewis. The author C. S. Lewis (1898-1963) was a bearer of this surname.
Lovell English
Variant of Lowell.
Lynch Irish
From Irish Ó Loingsigh meaning "descendant of Loingseach", a given name meaning "mariner".
Madison English
Means "son of Maud". A famous bearer of this surname was the fourth American president James Madison (1751-1836).
Mathews English
Derived from the given name Matthew.
Morris English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh
Derived from the given name Maurice.
Morton English
Derived from a place name meaning "moor town" in Old English.
Nelson 1 English
Means "son of Neil". This name was borne by the British admiral Horatio Nelson (1758-1805).
Penn 1 English
Derived from various place names that were named using the Brythonic word penn meaning "hilltop, head".
Read 1 English
Means "red" from Middle English read, probably denoting a person with red hair or complexion.
Reed English
Variant of Read 1.
Rodney English
From a place name meaning "Hroda's island" in Old English (where Hroda is an Old English given name meaning "fame").
Ross English, Scottish
From various place names (such as the region of Ross in northern Scotland), which are derived from Scottish Gaelic ros meaning "promontory, headland".
Rush English
Indicated a person who lived near rushes, the grasslike plant that grows in a marsh, from Old English rysc.
Sherman 1 English
Means "shear man", referring to someone who used shears in his line of work, such as a sheep-shearer.
Smith English
Means "metalworker, blacksmith" from Old English smiþ, related to smitan "to smite, to hit". It is the most common surname in most of the English-speaking world. A famous bearer was the Scottish economist Adam Smith (1723-1790).
Stone English
Name for a person who lived near a prominent stone or worked with stone, derived from Old English stan.
Taylor English
Derived from Old French tailleur meaning "tailor", ultimately from Latin taliare "to cut".
Thornton English
From any of the various places in England by this name, meaning "thorn town" in Old English.
Walton English
From the name of any of several villages in England, derived from Old English wealh "foreigner, Celt", weald "forest", weall "wall", or wille "well, spring, water hole" combined with tun "enclosure, yard, town".
Washington English
From a place name meaning "settlement belonging to Wassa's people", from the given name Wassa and Old English tun meaning "enclosure, yard, town". A famous bearer was George Washington (1732-1799), the first president of the United States. This surname was sometimes adopted by freed slaves, resulting in a high proportion of African-American bearers.
Williams English
Means "son of William".
Williamson English
Means "son of William".
Wilson English
Means "son of Will". A famous bearer was the American president Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924).
Witherspoon English
Originally given to a person who dwelt near a sheep enclosure, from Middle English wether "sheep" and spong "strip of land".