Occupational Surnames

Here are some more of these type names. Some of them (like Spencer and Chandler) are already climbing the charts. Some of these names might be ripe for discovery (for example, Archer and Thatcher seem nice)! However, some names (like Lush and Graves) probably should stay well out of the naming pools!

Name	job description
Archer	archer
Bacchus	worked in a bake house
Bailey	bailiff
Barber	cut hair; surgeon
Barker	worked with bark for the leather trade, shepherd
Baxter	female baker
Bekker	made wooden vessels
Bender	made casks and barrels
Berger	shepherd
Boatwright	made boats
Bowman	archer
Brewer	brewed ale
Brewster	female brewer
Butler	wine steward
Campion	pro fighter; champion
Cantrell	cinger in a chatry
Carpenter	carpenter
Carrin	made carts
Carter	made or sold carts, transported goods
Cartwright	made carts
Carver	sculptor
Cater	supplied goods to a large household
Century	belt maker
Chafer	lime kiln worker
Chaffer	merchant
Chalker	white washer
Challender	sold blankets
Chamberlain	in charge of private chambers.
Chambers	in charge of private chambers.
Chandler	candle maker
Chaplin	chaplain
Chapman	merchant/peddler
Cheeseman	made and sold cheese
Cheesewright	made and sold cheese
Cherrier	worked in a cherry orchard
Chessman	made and sold cheese
Clark	clerk
Cleaver	either worked in a butcher shop or split wood
Coldren	made large cooking pots
Coleman	gathered charcoal
Collier	sold charcoal
Conner	inspected for weights and measures
Cook	cook
Cooper	made barrels
Cotter	tenant farmer
Crowther	played the "crowd," a medieval stringed instrument
Day	worker in a dairy
Dexter	female dyer
Drage	confectioner
Draper	maker/seller of woolen cloth
Dyer	dyed cloth
Dyster	female dyer
Falconer	kept and trained falcons
Farrar	smith, ferrier
Faulkner	kept and trained falcons
Fearson	ironmonger/smith
Fisher	fisherman
Fiske	sold fish
Flax	sold or grew flax
Fletcher	made arrows
Foal	fool; jester
Forester	guardian of lord's forest
Foster	guardian of lord's forest
Fowler	keeper/catcher of birds
Frobisher	polished swords and armor
Fuller	thickened cloth by trampling
Gage	inspected for weights and measures
Gardner, Gardiner	tended gardens
Glover	made gloves
Graves	steward
Hammer	made stone hammers
Harper	played or made harps
Hayward	guarded fences or enclosures
Heard	shepherd or cow herd
Hinman	keeper of deer on an estate
Hogg	swine herd
Hooper	fitted metal hoops to barrels and casks
Hunter	hunter
Inman	Innkeeper
Kantor	singer in a chantry
Kellogg	slaughterer
Key	made keys
Killer	lime kiln worker
King	servant to a king
Kisser	armor maker
Knight	knight; any military servant; young servant to a knight
Lander	laundry worker
Leadbetter	lead worker
Lister	cloth dyer
Lorimer	made spurs
Lush	usher
Machin	mason; stoneworker
Marshall	in charge of horses
Mason	mason; stoneworker
Mercer	merchant, esp. of fine cloths (silk, velvet etc.)
Miller, Milner	miller
Mulliner, Mills	miller
Nader	tailor
Naylor	made and sold nails
Page, Paige, Paget	minor male servant
Palmer	a pilgrim
Parker	game keeper
Parson	parson; rector
Piper	played or made pipes
Plummer	plumber; lead worker
Potter	potter
Proctor	tax collector; solicitor; steward
Provost	supervisor on a lord's manor
Purcell	swine herd
Redman	roof thatcher
Rock	spun wool; made distaffs
Rocker	spun wool; made distaffs
Ryder	delivered messages on horseback
Sadler	made saddles
Salter	salt worker or salt seller
Sargent	military servant
Sawyer	sawed wood
Schneider	tailor (German)
Schreiber	clerk
Scully	town crier
Seal/Seales	maker of seals or saddles
Sexton	maintained churches; dug graves
Shepherd	shepard
Shields	armorer
Singer	singer
Skinner	tanned hides
Skipper	ship master
Smith, Smythe	smith
Smoker	made smocks
Snyder	tailor (Dutch)
Soppner	roofing shingle maker
Spencer	dispensed lord's provisions
Spicer	sold spices
Spittle	hospital worker
Stanier, Stonier	stone cutter
Steele	steel worker
Stewart	steward
Stringer	made strings for bows
Tabor	played the tabor (small drum)
Tanner	tanned hides
Tasker	did piece work
Taverner	tavern keeper
Taylor	tailor
Thatcher	thatched roofs
Tiller	farmer
Tillman	farmer or tile maker
Todd	fox hunter
Toller	toll collector
Trainer	trapper
Tranter	waggoner
Trapp	trapper
Travers	tollbridge keeper
Trinder	wheel maker
Trotter	messenger
Tucker	cloth worker
Turner	made small objects by turning them on a lathe
Tyler	made tiles
Tyrer	wardrobe master
Voss	servant
Walker	shrunk woolen cloth
Waller	built walls
Ward	watchman; guard
Warf	dock worker
Warner, Warrer	in charge of wildlife at a park
Wayne	wheel maker
Webb	weaver
Webster	female weaver
Woodward	forester
Wright	general guy who made stuff