English (surname) explained

English is an English surname meaning English.

History and meaning

The name is attested from the 12th century. From parts of Great Britain near the borders of England with Scotland and Wales, it may have been applied to people who spoke English, or to distinguish people of English ancestry from Celts, while from the interior of England it may have referred to people who were English rather than Norman French in ancestry. In other parts of Europe it may have been given to travellers from England. In Ireland the name is of Norman origin and had been brought to the country in the twelfth century.[1]

People

Notable people with the surname include:

Fictional characters

See also

Notes and References

  1. Book: The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland. Patrick. Hanks. Richard. Coates. Peter. McClure. Oxford University Press. 2016. 9780192527479. English. https://books.google.com/books?id=0AyDDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA843. 843.