Surname Meaning and Origin

One of the most common first questions when making a family tree is "What is the origin and meaning of my surname?"  After answering this question many times, I wanted to share some of the basic answers.

First, the only sure way to find out the origin of your surname is to trace your family tree back one generation at a time.  A surname can often "originate" in different areas and as a result, one resource may say one place when your family comes from another.  But, if you're looking for a shortcut when making a family tree to get a general idea, here are a few suggestions:
 

1. Ancestry.com has a resource where you can enter in your surname and find out the origin, the meaning, and some other interesting facts like life expectancy, name distribution in the US and UK, etc., which you can find here.
 

2. Surname message boards can be a good place to ask this question.  Many other researchers who have researched your surname may have good answers as to the origin and meaning of the surname.  These can be found at http://genforum.genealogy.com and http://boards.ancestry.com.

3. A real rough way to find the origin of a surname is go to http://www.familysearch.org and do a search for your surname.  You will likely see many results--if they are clustered from one area or country, that might be a good indicator of the origin.

4. Finally, here is a list of surname dictionaries to consider using.
If your surname is common, these shortcut methods will likely provide you with some good answers as to the origin and meaning of your surname.  If your surname is relatively uncommon, the answers may only come when making a family tree!