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[Surname] Re: The meaning of Ainsworth
in reply to a message by Anne
It's a variant of Ainsworth. A 'worth' is a small enclosure, such as a fenced-in farm or estate. The origin of the -ains prefix seems lost in obscurity, though it is probably a male first name, perhaps a Saxon name such as Einulf or Einsilf; Einsilf's farm = Einsilfworth = Ainsworth. This is a toponym. See http://www.metanoia.org/ainsworth/ainsw04.htm
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