Thousands of quirky medieval English surnames recorded in the Domesday Book are extinct or dying out, the Sunday People can reveal. And we are left with a core of about 100 common family names ...

Although "Colleoni" doesn't directly translate to "balls" in English, an Italian homophone ... captain in the 15th century. Although his surname does not translate to "balls," an alternative ...

The medieval era gave rise to fascinating surnames, each with a story to tell. From knights and nobles to blacksmiths and merchants, most medieval last names reflected a person’s trade ...

Like Baker, Fisher or Glover, Smith began as an occupational surname for those who worked with metal, its roots tracing back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon and medieval English periods. According to ...

a medieval Italian whose surname allegedly translates to "balls" in English and whose coat of arms boasted three pairs of testicles. A viral post from @WeirdMedieval had, as of this writing ...

But others might be from places which no longer exist, such as Arrington, from an English ... a medieval craftsman who made tubs or barrels and a Parker was a park keeper. These are surnames ...

But many surnames make no sense at all, at least not to the average Joe without a degree in Old English or Celtic genealogy ... They also combed medieval and modern census documents, church ...

From the Old English words wudu, wood, and weard, guardian, a woodward was a forester. Just think: if we took our surnames from present-day occupations, you might run across people like Max Coder ...

Medieval Italian man Bartelomeo Colleoni's ... Bartelomeo Colleoni was a military captain in the 15th century. Although his surname does not translate to "balls," an alternative spelling ...