indicate the level to which a name has been verified.
Meaning & History
As an English surname, it comes from two distinct sources. It is either of Norman origin, derived from Houssaye, the name of an area in Seine-Maritime which ultimately derives from Old French hous "holly"; or it is from a Middle English nickname given to a woman who was the mistress of a household, from an alteration of husewif "housewife". (Note: The word hussy did not acquire the pejorative slang meaning until the 17th century.)As an Irish surname, it is an anglicized form of Gaelic Ó hEodhusa meaning "descendant of Eodhus". It belonged to an Irish family who served as bards to the Maguires of Fermanagh.