Behind the Name: Surnames Categorized "actors"

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expand search to ancestral names

the meaning is anything from the name's write-up that is surrounded by "double quotes"
separate search terms with spaces
search for an exact phrase by surrounding it with double quotes
- example: "lord of the rings" will match names from the novel 'The Lord of the Rings'
this field understands simple boolean logic
- force a term to be included by preceding it with a + sign
- force a term to be excluded by preceding it with a - sign
- example: +greek +(legend myth) -zeus will match Greek names of myths or legends not about Zeus
expand search to ancestral names: meanings for names further up the family tree will be included in the search

ignore name meanings

the description is the meaning and history write-up for the name
separate search terms with spaces
search for an exact phrase by surrounding it with double quotes
- example: "lord of the rings" will match names from the novel 'The Lord of the Rings'
this field understands simple boolean logic
- force a term to be included by preceding it with a + sign
- force a term to be excluded by preceding it with a - sign
- example: +greek +(legend myth) -zeus will match Greek names of myths or legends not about Zeus
ignore name meanings: keywords from the name meanings are ignored

syllables can only be counted in names that have been assigned pronunciations
names without pronunciations are excluded from results

the pattern will be compared to the name
* is a wildcard that will match zero or more letters
- example: *oo* will match names which contain oo
_ is a wildcard that will match exactly one letter
- example: __z will match names which have two letters and then a z

case sensitive

see the pronunciation key for a guide on how to write the sounds
sounds can only be searched in names that have been assigned pronunciations
names without pronunciations are excluded from results
* is a wildcard that will match zero or more letters in the pronunciation
- example: *lee will match names which end with the sound lee
(s) will match exactly one syllable in the pronunciation
- example: (s)(s)rah will match names which have two syllables and then the sound rah
(c) will match a consonant
(k) will match a consonant or consonant cluster
(v) will match a vowel
(p) will match a plosive or stop consonant
(p) will match a fricative consonant
(n) will match a nasal consonant
case sensitive: check this if you wish distinguish between unstressed lowercase sounds and stressed uppercase sounds

expand search to ancestral names

the "relationship" is how the name relates to its parent name
- example: searching for diminutive will return Betsy because it is a diminutive of its parent Elizabeth
selecting (all core forms) will exclude peripheral forms such as diminutives, short forms, and combinations
expand search to ancestral names: relationships between names further up the family tree will be included

enter a behindthename.com username to search that user's public personal name lists
to limit your search to a specific list, put the name of the list in brackets after the username

separate multiple categories with a comma
* is a wildcard that will match zero or more letters in the category

BARNES English
Denoted a person who worked or lived in a barn. The word barn is derived from Old English bere "barley" and ærn "dwelling".

BLACK English
Means either "black" (from Old English blæc) or "pale" (from Old English blac). It could refer to a person with a pale or a dark complexion, or a person who worked with black dye.

BROWN English
Originally a nickname for a person who had brown hair or skin. A notable bearer is Charlie Brown from the 'Peanuts' comic strip by Charles Schulz.

CARTER English
Occupational name for a person who operated a cart to transport goods, from Norman French caretier.

CHEVALIER French
From a nickname derived from French chevalier meaning "knight", itself from cheval meaning "horse", ultimately from Latin caballus.

CRAIG Scottish
Derived from Gaelic creag meaning "crag, rocks", originally belonging to a person who lived near a crag.

ELLIOTT English
Derived from a diminutive of the given name ELIAS.

EVERETT English
From the given name EVERARD.

EVERHART German
Variant of EBERHARDT.

FLEMING English
Given to a person who was a Fleming, that is a person who was from FLANDERS in the Netherlands.

FROST English, German
From Old English and Old High German meaning "frost", a nickname for a person who had a cold personality or a white beard.

FRY English
From Old English frig (a variant of freo) meaning "free".

GRAY English
From a nickname for a person who had grey hair or grey clothes.

GREEN English
Descriptive name for someone who often wore the colour green or someone who lived near the village green.

HILL English
Originally given to a person who lived on or near a hill, derived from Old English hyll.

KEEN English
From Old English cene "bold, brave".

LOWELL English
Derived from a Norman French nickname, from lou "wolf" and a diminutive suffix.

MORRIS English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh
Derived from the given name MAURICE.

NELSON English
Means "son of NEIL". This name was borne by the British admiral Horatio Nelson (1758-1805).

PARKER English
Means "keeper of the park" in Middle English. It is an occupational name for a man who was the gamekeeper at the medieval park.

PARSONS English
Originally denoted a person who served as a parson.

PATTERSON English, Scottish
Means "son of PATRICK".

ROGERS English
Derived from the given name ROGER.

SADLER English
Means "saddle-maker" from Old English sadol.

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

SHEPHERD English
Variant of SHEPARD.

STACY English
Derived from Stace, a medieval form of EUSTACE.

SUTTON English
Means "south town". Several towns in England bear this name.

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

THOMAS English, French
Derived from the given name THOMAS.

WATSON English, Scottish
Patronymic derived from the Middle English given name Wat or Watt, a diminutive of the name WALTER.

WILSON English
Means "son of WILL".

ZEGERS Dutch
Means "son of SIEGER".

	Usage
	Initial letter
	Source
	Meaning	expand search to ancestral names the meaning is anything from the name's write-up that is surrounded by "double quotes" separate search terms with spaces search for an exact phrase by surrounding it with double quotes example: "lord of the rings" will match names from the novel 'The Lord of the Rings' this field understands simple boolean logic force a term to be included by preceding it with a + sign force a term to be excluded by preceding it with a - sign example: +greek +(legend myth) -zeus will match Greek names of myths or legends not about Zeus expand search to ancestral names: meanings for names further up the family tree will be included in the search
	Description	ignore name meanings the description is the meaning and history write-up for the name separate search terms with spaces search for an exact phrase by surrounding it with double quotes example: "lord of the rings" will match names from the novel 'The Lord of the Rings' this field understands simple boolean logic force a term to be included by preceding it with a + sign force a term to be excluded by preceding it with a - sign example: +greek +(legend myth) -zeus will match Greek names of myths or legends not about Zeus ignore name meanings: keywords from the name meanings are ignored
	Origin
	Length
	Syllables	syllables can only be counted in names that have been assigned pronunciations names without pronunciations are excluded from results
	Pattern	the pattern will be compared to the name * is a wildcard that will match zero or more letters example: oo will match names which contain oo _ is a wildcard that will match exactly one letter example: __z will match names which have two letters and then a z
	Sound	case sensitive see the pronunciation key for a guide on how to write the sounds sounds can only be searched in names that have been assigned pronunciations names without pronunciations are excluded from results * is a wildcard that will match zero or more letters in the pronunciation example: lee will match names which end with the sound lee* (s) will match exactly one syllable in the pronunciation example: (s)(s)rah will match names which have two syllables and then the sound rah (c) will match a consonant (k) will match a consonant or consonant cluster (v) will match a vowel (p) will match a plosive or stop consonant (p) will match a fricative consonant (n) will match a nasal consonant case sensitive: check this if you wish distinguish between unstressed lowercase sounds and stressed uppercase sounds
	Related name
	Relationship	expand search to ancestral names the "relationship" is how the name relates to its parent name example: searching for diminutive will return Betsy because it is a diminutive of its parent Elizabeth selecting *(all core forms)* will exclude peripheral forms such as diminutives, short forms, and combinations expand search to ancestral names: relationships between names further up the family tree will be included
	Popularity
	Namesake
	User list	enter a behindthename.com username to search that user's public personal name lists to limit your search to a specific list, put the name of the list in brackets after the username
	Category	separate multiple categories with a comma * is a wildcard that will match zero or more letters in the category
	Options