English Origin Surnames

Richard English, French, German, Dutch
From the given name Richard.

Richards English
Derived from the given name Richard.

Richardson English
Means "son of Richard".

Rickard English
From the given name Richard.

Rider English
Variant of Ryder.

Ridge English
Denoted a person who lived near a ridge, from Old English hrycg.

Ridley English
Denoted a person who hailed from one of the various places of this name in England. The places are derived from Old English geryd "channel" or hreod "reed" combined with leah "woodland, clearing".

Rigby English
Originally derived from the name of a town in Lancashire, itself from Old Norse hryggr "ridge" and býr "farm, settlement".

Riley 1 English
From the name of the town of Ryley in Lancashire, derived from Old English ryge "rye" and leah "woodland, clearing".

Rimmer English
Occupational name meaning "poet", from Middle English rime meaning "rhyme".

Ripley English
From the name of various English towns, from Old English rippel "grove, thicket" and leah "woodland, clearing". A notable fictional bearer is the character Ellen Ripley from the movie Alien (1979) and its sequels.

Rivers English
Denoted a person who lived near a river, from Middle English, from Old French riviere meaning "river", from Latin riparius meaning "riverbank".

Roach English
From Middle English and Old French roche meaning "rock", from Late Latin rocca, a word that may be of Celtic origin. It indicated a person who lived near a prominent rock, or who came from a town by this name (such as Les Roches in Normandy).

Robbins English
Derived from the given name Robin.

Robert French, English
From the given name Robert.

Roberts English
Means "son of Robert".

Robertson English
Means "son of Robert".

Robinson English
Means "son of Robin".

Robson English
Means "son of Rob".

Roderick English
Derived from the given name Roderick.

Rodgers English
Derived from the given name Rodger.

Rodney English
From a place name meaning "Hroda's island" in Old English (where Hroda is an Old English given name meaning "fame").

Rogers English
Derived from the given name Roger.

Rogerson English
Means "son of Roger".

Rollins English
From a diminutive of the given name Roland.

Rome French, English
English and French form of Romano 2.

Romilly English, French
Originally denoted a person who came from any of the various places in northern France called Romilly or from Romiley in England.

Roscoe English
From the name of a town in Lancashire, derived from Old Norse rá "roebuck" and skógr "wood, forest".

Rose 1 English, French, German, Jewish
Means "rose" from Middle English, Old French and Middle High German rose, all from Latin rosa. All denote a person of a rosy complexion or a person who lived in an area abundant with roses. As a Jewish surname it is ornamental, from Yiddish רויז (roiz).

Rose 2 English
Derived from the feminine given name Rose.

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".

Rounds English
Patronymic derived from Middle English rond meaning "round, plump", ultimately from Latin rotundus.

Rowbottom English
Originally indicated a person who lived in an overgrown valley, from Old English ruh "rough, overgrown" and boðm "valley".

Rowe 1 English
Means "row" in Middle English, indicating a dweller by a row of hedges or houses.

Rowe 2 English
From the medieval name Row, which is either a variant of Roul or short form of Roland.

Rowland English
Derived from the given name Roland.

Rowntree English
Originally given to a person who lived near a rowan tree or mountain ash.

Roy 1 French, English
Variant of Rey 1.

Royce English
Originally derived from the medieval given name Royse, a variant of Rose.

Royceston English
Variant of Royston.

Roydon English
Originally derived from a place name meaning "rye hill", from Old English ryge "rye" and dun "hill".

Royle English
Originally derived from a place name meaning "rye hill" from Old English ryge "rye" and hyll "hill".

Royston English
Originally taken from an Old English place name meaning "Royse's town". The given name Royse was a medieval variant of Rose.

Ruff German, English
From the given name Rolf.

Ruggles English
From a medieval diminutive of the given name Roger.

Rush English
Indicated a person who lived near rushes, the grasslike plant that grows in a marsh, from Old English rysc.

Ruskin 2 English
From a diminutive of the feminine given name Rose.

Russel English
Variant of Russell.

Russell English
From a Norman French nickname that meant "little red one", perhaps originally describing a person with red hair.

Ryder English
Occupational name for a mounted warrior, from Old English ridere meaning "rider".

Rye English
Topographic name. It could be a misdivision of the Middle English phrases atter ye meaning "at the island" or atter eye meaning "at the river". In some cases it merely indicated a person who lived where rye was grown or worked with rye (from Old English ryge).

Ryland English
From various English place names, derived from Old English ryge "rye" and land "land".

Ryley English
Variant of Riley 1.

Sackville English
From the name of the Norman French town of Saqueneville.

Sadler English
Occupational name for a maker of saddles, from Old English sadol "saddle".

Salmon English, French
Derived from the given name Solomon.

Salvage English
Variant of Savage.

Sampson English
Derived from a medieval form of the given name Samson.

Sams English
Derived from the given name Samuel.

Samson English, French
Derived from the given name Samson.

Samuel English, Welsh, French, Jewish
Derived from the given name Samuel.

Samuels English
Derived from the given name Samuel.

Samuelson English
Means "son of Samuel".

Sanders English
Patronymic of the given name Sander, a medieval form of Alexander.

Sanderson English
Means "son of Alexander".

Sandford English
Indicated a person from Sandford, England, which means simply "sand ford".

Sands English
From Old English, indicated the original nearer lived on sandy ground.

Sanford English
Variant of Sandford.

Sangster English, Scottish
Occupational name or nickname for a singer, from Old English singan "to sing, to chant".

Sappington English
Possibly from the city of Sapperton, England, derived from Old English sapere meaning "soap maker" and tun meaning "enclosure, yard, town".

Sargent English
Variant of Sergeant.

Saunders English, Scottish
Variant of Sanders.

Savage English
English nickname meaning "wild, uncouth", derived from Old French salvage or sauvage meaning "untamed", ultimately from Latin silvaticus meaning "wild, from the woods".

Savege English (Rare)
Variant of Savage.

Savidge English
Variant of Savage.

Sawyer English
Occupational name meaning "sawer of wood, woodcutter" in Middle English, ultimately from Old English sagu meaning "saw". Mark Twain used it for the main character in his novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876).

Saylor English
Occupational name meaning "acrobat, dancer", derived from Old French sailleor, from Latin sallitor.

Scarlett English
Denoted a person who sold or made clothes made of scarlet, a kind of cloth, possibly derived from Persian سقرلاط (saqrelāṭ).

Schofield English
From various northern English place names, which were derived from Old Norse skáli "hut" and Old English feld "field".

Scott English, Scottish
Originally given to a person from Scotland or a person who spoke Scottish Gaelic.

Scriven English
Occupational name meaning "writer, clerk, scribe" in Old French, derived from Latin scriba.

Scrivener English
Variant of Scriven.

Scrivenor English
Variant of Scriven.

Scrivens English
Variant of Scriven.

Seabrook English
Denoted a person from a town by this name in Buckinghamshire, England. It is derived from that of a river combined with Old English broc "stream".

Seabrooke English
Variant of Seabrook.

Seaver English
From the unattested Old English given name Sæfaru, derived from the Old English elements sæ "sea, ocean" and faru "journey".

Selby English
From the name of a village that meant "willow farm" in Old English.

Sempers English
From the name of various towns named Saint Pierre in Normandy, all of which commemorate Saint Peter.

Senior English
Originally a name for the elder of two brothers.

Sergeant English, French
Occupational name derived from Old French sergent meaning "servant", ultimately from Latin servire "to serve".

Sessions English
From the name of the city of Soissons in northern France, itself derived from the name of the Celtic tribe of the Suessiones.

Seward 1 English
Derived from the given name Sigeweard.

Seward 2 English
Means "swineherd" from Old English su "sow, female pig" and hierde "herdsman, guardian".

Sexton English
Occupational name for a sexton (Middle English sexteyn), a caretaker for a church or graveyard.

Seymour 1 English
From Saint Maur, a French place name, which commemorates Saint Maurus.

Seymour 2 English
From an English place name, derived from Old English sæ "sea" and mere "lake".

Shakespeare English
From a nickname for a warlike person, from Old English scacan "to shake" and spere "spear". A famous bearer was the English dramatist and poet William Shakespeare (1564-1616).

Sharman English
Variant of Sherman 1.

Sharp English
Nickname for a keen person, from Old English scearp "sharp".

Sharpe English
Variant of Sharp.

Sharrow English
Originally a name for someone from Sharrow, England, derived from Old English scearu "boundary" and hoh "point of land, heel".

Shaw 1 English
Originally given to a person who lived near a prominent thicket, from Old English sceaga meaning "thicket, copse".

Shearer English
English cognate of Scherer.

Shelby English
Variant of Selby.

Shelton English
From the name of various English towns, meaning "shelf town" in Old English.

Shepard English
Variant of Shepherd.

Shepherd English
Occupational name meaning "shepherd, sheep herder", from Old English sceaphyrde.

Sheppard English
Variant of Shepherd.

Sherburn English
Denoted a person hailing from any of the various places called Sherborne or Sherburn in England, derived from Old English scir "bright" and burna "spring, fountain, stream".

Sherburne English
Variant of Sherburn.

Sherman 1 English
Means "shear man", referring to someone who used shears in his line of work, such as a sheep-shearer.

Shine 1 English
Means "beautiful, attractive" from Old English sciene.

Shirley English
From an English place name, derived from Old English scir "bright" and leah "woodland, clearing".

Short English
From a nickname for a short person, from Middle English schort.

Siddall English
From the name of various English towns, derived from Old English sid "wide" and halh "nook, recess".

Sidney English
Originally derived from various place names in England meaning "wide island", from Old English sid "wide" and eg "island". Another theory holds that it comes from the name of a town in Normandy called "Saint Denis", though evidence for this is lacking.

Sigourney English
From the name of the commune of Sigournais in western France, called Segurniacum in medieval Latin, itself of unknown meaning.

Silver English
From a nickname for a person with grey hair, from Old English seolfor "silver".

Simen English (Rare)
From the given name Simon 1.

Simmons English
Derived from the given name Simon 1.

Simms English
Derived from the medieval given name Sim, a short form of Simon 1.

Simon English, French, German, Dutch, Hungarian, Jewish
Derived from the given name Simon 1.

Simons English, German
Derived from the given name Simon 1.

Simonson English
Means "son of Simon 1".

Simpkin English
From a diminutive of the given name Simon 1.

Simpson English
Means "son of Sim", Sim being a medieval short form of Simon 1. This is the name of a fictional American family on the animated television series The Simpsons, starting 1989.

Sims English
Variant of Simms.

Sinclair English
Derived from a Norman French town called "Saint Clair".

Skeates English
From the Old Norse nickname or byname skjótr meaning "swift".

Skinner English
Occupational name for a person who skinned animals, from Old Norse skinn.

Slade English
Derived from Old English slæd meaning "valley".

Slater English
Occupational name indicating that an early member worked covering roofs with slate, from Old French esclat "shard", of Germanic origin.

Small English
From a nickname for a small person, from Middle English smal.

Smalls English
Variant of Small.

Smedley English
From an unidentified place name probably meaning "smooth clearing" in Old English.

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).

Smythe English
Variant of Smith.

Snell English
From Old English snel meaning "fast, quick, nimble".

Snelling English
Variant of Snell.

Snider English
Variant of Snyder.

Sniders English
Variant of Snyder.

Snyder English
Means "tailor", derived from Middle English snithen "to cut", an occupational name for a person who stitched coats and clothing.

Snyders English
Variant of Snyder.

Solomon English, Romanian, Jewish
Derived from the given name Solomon.

Sommer 1 German, English
Means "summer", from Old High German sumar or Old English sumor. This was a nickname for a cheerful person, someone who lived in a sunny spot, or a farmer who had to pay taxes in the summer.

Southgate English
Name for a person who lived near the southern gate of a town or in a town named Southgate, from Old English suþ and gæt.

Sowards English, Irish
Possibly a variant of Seward 1 or Seward 3.

Spalding English
From the name of the town of Spalding in Lincolnshire, derived from the Anglo-Saxon tribe of the Spaldingas.

Sparks English
From an Old Norse nickname or byname derived from sparkr meaning "sprightly".

Spear English
From Old English spere "spear", an occupational name for a hunter or a maker of spears, or a nickname for a thin person.

Spearing English
Patronymic form of Spear.

Spears English
Patronymic form of Spear.

Speight English
English form of Specht, probably a loanword from German or Dutch.

Spence English
Variant of Spencer.

Spencer English
Occupational name for a person who dispensed provisions to those who worked at a manor, derived from Middle English spense "larder, pantry".

Spooner English
Occupational name for a maker of spoons or a maker of shingles, derived from Middle English spone meaning "chip of wood, spoon".

Spurling English
From Middle English sparewe "sparrow" and the diminutive suffix -ling.

Stacey English
Variant of Stacy.

Stack English
From a nickname for a big person, derived from Middle English stack "haystack", of Old Norse origin.

Stacks English
Variant of Stack.

Stacy English
Derived from Stace, a medieval form of Eustace.

Stafford English
From the name of the English city of Stafford, Staffordshire, derived from Old English stæð meaning "wharf, landing place" and ford meaning "ford, river crossing".

Stainthorpe English
Originally indicated a person from Staindrop, County Durham, England, derived from Old English stæner meaning "stony ground" and hop meaning "valley".

Stamp English
Originally denoted a person from Étampes near Paris. It was called Stampae in Latin, but the ultimate origin is uncertain.

Stanford English
Derived from various English place names meaning "stone ford" in Old English.

Stanley English
From various place names meaning "stone clearing" in Old English. A notable bearer was the British-American explorer and journalist Henry Morton Stanley (1841-1904).

Stanton English
From one of the many places named Stanton or Staunton in England, derived from Old English stan meaning "stone" and tun meaning "enclosure, town".

Stark English, German
From a nickname meaning "strong, rigid", from Old English stearc or Old High German stark.

Starr English
From Middle English sterre meaning "star". This was usually a nickname, but it could also occasionally be a sign name from the name of an inn called the Star.

Statham English
From the name of a village in the English county of Cheshire, derived from Old English stæð meaning "wharf, landing place" and ham "home, settlement".

Steed English
Occupational name for one who tended horses, derived from Middle English steed, in turn derived from Old English steda meaning "stallion".

Steele English
Occupational name for a steelworker, from Old English stele meaning "steel".

Steffen Low German, English
Derived from the given name Stephen.

Stephens English
Derived from the given name Stephen.

Stephenson English
Means "son of Stephen".

Sterling Scottish
Derived from city of Stirling, which is itself of unknown meaning.

Stern 1 English
From Old English styrne meaning "stern, severe". This was used as a nickname for someone who was stern, harsh, or severe in manner or character.

Stetson English
Possibly from the name of the village of Stidston in Devon, meaning "Stithweard's town".

Stevens English
Variant of Stephens.

Stevenson English
Variant of Stephenson.

Stidolph English
From the Old English given name Stithulf.

Stirling Scottish
Variant of Sterling.

St John English
From a place named for Saint John.

Stoddard English
Occupational name for a horse keeper, from Old English stod "stallion, stud" and hierde "herder".

Stoke English
From the name of numerous places in England, derived from Old English stoc meaning "place, dwelling".

Stokes English
Variant of Stoke.

Stone English
Name for a person who lived near a prominent stone or worked with stone, derived from Old English stan.

Strange English
Derived from Middle English strange meaning "foreign", ultimately from Latin extraneus.

Street English
Habitational name for a person who lived in a place called Street, for example in Somerset. It is derived from Old English stræt meaning "Roman road", from Latin strata.

Strickland English
From the name of a town in Cumbria, derived from Old English stirc "calf, young bullock" and land "cultivated land".

Stringer English
Occupational name for a maker of string or bow strings, from Old English streng "string".

Strong English
Nickname derived from Middle English strong or strang meaning "strong".

Stroud English
From Old English strod meaning "marshy ground overgrown with brushwood".

Strudwick English
From an English place name derived from Old English strod meaning "marshy ground overgrown with brushwood" and wic meaning "village, town".

Styles English
Locational name for one who lived near a steep hill, from Old English stigol "stile, set of steps".

Sudworth English
From an English place name composed of Old English suþ "south" and worþ "enclosure".

Suggitt English
Variant of Southgate.

Summerfield English
Originally indicated the bearer was from a town of this name, derived from Old English sumor "summer" and feld "field".

Summers 1 English
Variant of Sumner.

Summers 2 English
Variant of Sommer 1.

Sumner English
Occupational name for a summoner, an official who was responsible for ensuring the appearance of witnesses in court, from Middle English sumner, ultimately from Latin submonere "to advise".

Sutton English
From various English place names meaning "south town".

Swallow English
From the name of the bird, from Old English swealwe, a nickname for someone who resembled or acted like a swallow.

Swanson English
Patronymic form of Middle English swein meaning "servant" (of Old Norse origin). This word was also used as a byname, and this surname could be a patronymic form of that.

Sweet English
From a nickname meaning "sweet, pleasant", from Old English swete.

Swift English
Nickname for a quick person, from Old English swift.

Swindlehurst English
From the place name Swinglehurst in the Forest of Bowland in central Lancashire, derived from Old English swin "swine, pig", hyll "hill" and hyrst "wood, grove".

Sydney English
Variant of Sidney.

Symonds English
Derived from the given name Simon 1.

Symons English
Derived from the given name Simon 1.

Taft English
Variant of Toft.

Tailor English
Variant of Taylor.

Talbot English
Of Norman origin, possibly derived from an unattested Germanic given name composed of the elements dala "to destroy" and bod "message".

Tanner English
Occupational name for a person who tanned animal hides, from Old English tannian "to tan", itself from Late Latin and possibly ultimately of Celtic origin.

Tash English
From Middle English at asche meaning "at the ash tree".

Tasker English
From Middle English taske meaning "task, assignment". A tasker was a person who had a fixed job to do, particularly a person who threshed grain with a flail.

Tate English
Derived from the Old English given name Tata.

Tatham English
From the name of the town of Tatham in Lancashire, itself from the Old English given name Tata combined with ham meaning "home, settlement".

Tatton English
Originally indicated a person from a town by this name, derived from the Old English given name Tata combined with tun meaning "enclosure, yard, town".

Tatum English
Variant of Tatham.

Taylor English
Derived from Old French tailleur meaning "tailor", ultimately from Latin taliare "to cut".

Teel English
From Middle English tele meaning "teal, duck".

Tenley English
Possibly from the name of an English town derived from Old English tind "point" and leah "woodland, clearing".

Tennison English
Means "son of Denis".

Tennyson English
Means "son of Denis".

Terrell English
Probably derived from the Norman French nickname tirel meaning "to pull", referring to a stubborn person.

Terry English
Derived from the medieval name Thierry, a Norman French form of Theodoric.

Thacker English
Northern Middle English variant of Thatcher.

Thatcher English
Referred to a person who thatched roofs by attaching straw to them, derived from Old English þæc meaning "thatch, roof". A famous bearer was the British prime minister Margaret Thatcher (1925-2013).

Thomas English, Welsh, French, German
Derived from the given name Thomas.

Thompkins English
From a diminutive of the given name Thomas.

Thompsett English
From a diminutive of the given name Thomas.

Thompson English
Means "son of Thomas".

Thomson English
Variant of Thompson.

Thorburn English, Scottish
Derived from the Old Norse given name Þórbjǫrn.

Thorley English
From any of the various places in England called Thornley or Thorley, meaning "thorn clearing" in Old English.

Thorn English, Danish
Originally applied to a person who lived in or near a thorn bush.

Thorne English
Variant of Thorn.

Thornton English
From any of the various places in England by this name, meaning "thorn town" in Old English.

Thorpe English
From Old Norse þorp meaning "village".

Thrussell English
From Old English þrostle meaning "song thrush", referring to a cheerful person.

Thurstan English
Derived from the Old Norse name Þórsteinn.

Thwaite English
Indicated a dweller in a forest clearing or pasture, from Old Norse þveit "clearing, pasture".

Tifft English
Variant of Toft.

Timberlake English
From an English place name, derived from Old English timber "timber, wood" and lacu "lake, pool, stream".

Tindall English
From Tindale, the name of a town in Cumbria, derived from the name of the river Tyne combined with Old English dæl "dale, valley".

Tinker English
Occupational name for a mender of kettles, pots and pans. The name could derive from the tinking sound made by light hammering on metal. It is possible that the word comes from the word tin, the material with which the tinker worked.

Tipton English
Originally given to one who came from the town of Tipton, derived from the Old English given name Tippa combined with tun "enclosure, yard, town".

Tirrell English
Variant of Terrell.

Tittensor English
Indicated a person from Tittensor, England, which means "Titten's ridge".

Tobias English, German, Jewish
From the given name Tobias.

Tobin English
From a diminutive of the given name Tobias.

Tod English
Variant of Todd.

Todd English
Means "fox", derived from Middle English todde.

Toft English
Denoted a person hailing from one of the many places in Britain of that name, derived from Old Norse topt meaning "homestead".

Tolbert English
Possibly from a Germanic given name of unknown meaning. The second element of the name is derived from beraht meaning "bright, famous".

Tollemache English
Means "knapsack" in Old French.

Toller English
Occupational name meaning "tax gatherer", derived from Old English toln "toll, fee, tax".

Towner English
Variant of Toller.

Townsend English
Indicated a person who lived at the town's edge, from Old English tun "enclosure, yard, town" and ende "end, limit".

Tracey 1 English
From the village of Tracy-sur-mer on the Normandy coast in France. It was brought to England with William the Conqueror.

Tracy English, Irish
Variant of Tracey 1 or Tracey 2.

Trask English
Originally indicated a person from Thirsk, North Yorkshire, derived from Old Norse þresk meaning "fen, marsh".

Travers English, French
From an English and French place name that described a person who lived near a bridge or ford, or occasionally as an occupational name for the collector of tolls at such a location. The place name is derived from Old French traverser (which comes from Late Latin transversare), which means "to cross".

Traves English
English variant of Travers.

Travis English
English variant of Travers.

Traviss English
English variant of Travers.

Traylor English
Meaning unknown.

Treloar English
Originally denoted a person from a place of this name in Cornwall, England.

Trengove English
Originally indicated a person from Trengove in Cornwall, England.

Trent English
Denoted one who lived near the River Trent in England.

Trevis English
English variant of Travers.

Triggs English
From a byname derived from Old Norse tryggr meaning "true, loyal".

Tripp English
From Middle English trippen meaning "to dance", an occupational name for a dancer.

Troy English
Originally denoted a person from the city of Troyes in France.

Trueman English
Variant of Truman.

Truman English
Means "trusty man" in Middle English. A famous bearer of the surname was American president Harry S. Truman (1884-1972).

Tucker English
Occupational name for a fuller of cloth, derived from Old English tucian meaning "offend, torment". A fuller was a person who cleaned and thickened raw cloth by pounding it.

Tuff English
Variant of Tuft.

Tuft English
Denoted one who lived near a clump of trees or bushes, from Middle English tufte "tuft, clump", from Old French.

Tupper English
Occupational name for a herdsman, derived from Middle English toupe "ram".

Turnbull English, Scottish
Nickname for someone thought to be strong enough to turn around a bull.

Turner English
Occupational name for one who worked with a lathe, derived from Old English turnian "to turn", of Latin origin. A famous bearer is the American musician Tina Turner (1939-2023), born Anna Mae Bullock.

Twist English, Literature
Probably from the name of towns in England and Wales called Twist or Twiss. This surname was used by Charles Dickens for the hero of his novel Oliver Twist (1838), about an orphan surviving the streets of London. Dickens probably had the vocabulary word twist in mind when naming the character.

Tyler English
Occupational name for a tiler of roofs, derived from Old English tigele "tile". A famous bearer of this name was American president John Tyler (1790-1862).

Tyrell English
Variant of Terrell.

Tyrrell English
Variant of Terrell.

Tyson 1 English
Derived from a nickname for a quarrelsome person, from Old French tison meaning "firebrand".

Tyson 2 English
Variant of Dyson.

Underhill English
Means "dweller at the foot of a hill", from Old English under and hyll.

Underwood English
Means "dweller at the edge of the woods", from Old English under and wudu.

Upton English
Denoted a person hailing from one of the many towns in England bearing this name. The place name itself is derived from Old English upp "up" and tun "enclosure, yard, town".

Valentine English
From the given name Valentine 1.

Vance English
Indicated a dweller by a fen, from Old English fenn meaning "fen, marsh".

Vann English
From Old English fenn meaning "fen, swamp", indicating a person who lived near such a place.

Varley English
Originally denoted a person from Verly, France, itself derived from the Roman name Virilius.

Varnham English
Variant of Farnham.

Verity English
From a nickname meaning "truth", perhaps given originally to a truthful person.

Vernon English
Locational name in the Eure region of Normandy, from the Gaulish element vern "alder (tree)" with the genitive case maker onis.