McBride - Bumpus Genealogy

     Anatomy  of  the  " C " Surnames

Origin - Meanings of Surnames beginning with " C "

                                                     C A M P B E L L
 
(Origin Celtic na Gaelic) Wry-mouth, the man whose mouth inclined a little on one side; from cam, crooked, distorted, and beul, the mouth.  This ancient family may be traced as fa back as the beginning

of the fifth century, and is said to have been possessed of Lochore, in Argyleshire, as early as the time

of Fergus II.  Sir Colin More, or Colin the Freat.  His decendants were called by the Irish McCallen, that

is, the decendants of Colin.            

                                                                     C A R M O N

​English: variant spelling of Carman. Altered spelling of Germann or Kormann.

KORMANN - German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): variant of Kornmann, an occupational name for the overseer of a granary, a grain dealer, or a farmer.

                                                       C A R R I E R
 
English and southern French: Old French car(r)ier (Late Latin carrarius, a derivative of carrum 'cart', 'wagon', of Gaulish origin); in English an occupational name for someone who transported goods, in French for a cartwright,
French: occupational name for a stonemason or quarryman, carrier.

                                                        C A R T E R
 
A name of trade, one who drives a cart.  Cairtear, Gaelic, a tourist, a sojorner.

                                                        C A R U S O
 
Italian: nickname from caruso 'close-cropped' (Latin cariosus 'decayed', also 'smooth', 'bald').

                                                            C A S E
 
(Origin French) case.  A Hut, a hovel; Gaelic, cass caise. steep; quick, hasty, passionate.

                                                     C A S T I L L O
 
Spanish: from castillo 'castle', 'fortified building' (Latin castellum), a habitational name from any of numerous places so named or named of this word.

                                                C A W T H O R N E
 
English: habitational name Cawthorn in North Yorkshire or Cawthorne in South Yorkshire; both are probably named with Old English cald 'cold' (i.e. 'exposed') + norn "thorn bush'.

                                                         C H A S E
 
English: huntsman, skilled huntsman, (Old French chasse, from chasser 'to hunt', Latin capture).
Southern French: topographic name of someone living in or by a house, probably the occupier of the most distinguished house in the village, from southern derivative of Latin casa 'hut', 'cottage', 'cabin'.

                                                               C A U L K I N S

​

                Irish: variant of Culkin, with English patronymic -s added. Compare Calkins.

                                                                              C U L K I N

                              ​Irish: reduced Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Uilcín ‘son of

                              Uilcín’, a diminutive of Ulick, itself a diminutive of William.

​

                                                      C H R I S T Y
 
Scottish and northern Irish: variant of Christie.
Scottish: from the personal name Christie, a pet form of Christian.
English, German and French: a vernacular form of Latin Christianus 'follower of Christ' (see Christ).  name introduced into England following the Noeman conquest, especially by Breton settlers. also used in same form as a female name.

                                                                 C L A G H O R N

                                                            Scottish: variant of Cleghorn.

                                                                       CLEGHORN

​       Scottish: habitational name from a place in Lanarkshire called Cleghorn. See also Claghorn.

​

                                                          C L A R K
 
Clerk, a clergyman, a scholar, one who can read and write.

                                                               C L E V E L A N D

​English: regional name from the district around Middlesbrough named Cleveland ‘the land of the cliffs’, from the genitive plural (clifa) of Old English clif ‘bank’, ‘slope’ + land ‘land’. See also Cleaveland. Americanized spelling of Norwegian Kleiveland or Kleveland, habitational names from any of five farmsteads in Agder and Vestlandet named with Old Norse kleif ‘rocky ascent’ or klefi ‘closet’ (an allusion to a hollow land formation) + land ‘land’.

                                                            C O B B
 
Locality.  A harbor; as the Cobb of Lyme-Regis, County Dorset, England.

                                                            C O O K
 
One whose occupation is to prepare victuals for the table.

                                                        C O O P E R
 
A name of occupation or trade.  The name is also local, from Cupar, a town in Fifeshire, Scotland, which is derived from Cu-pyre, the enclosed fire, of Co, high, a beacon fire, or signal on the coast for ships; Danish, pyr and fyr, a lantern; Greek, a fire, a fire; the whole landing-place in time was called the pier.

                                                   C O R N E L I U S
 
From the Latin cornu, a horn (Greek); and the--the horn of the sun.

                                                         C O T T O N
 
This name affords several derivations.  Local, Welsh, Coedton, the woody hill; Coiton, Cuiton, Cornish, British; Cwtton, Welsh, the cottage hill.  Cotden, Saxon, the cot in the valley; Cwthen, Welsh, the ancient cottage or dwelling.

                                                        C O U L T E R
 
Scottish and northern Irish: habitational name from Coulter in Lanarkshire or Culter, Aberdeenshire.

                                                      C O U R T N E Y
 
English (of Norman origin): from Courtenay near Sens in northern France, from the name of a Romano-Gallic landlord.
English: someone with a snub nose, Old French c(o)urt 'short' + nes 'nose' (Latin nasus).
Irish: adopted by bearers of Gaelic 'O Curnain 'decendant of Curnan', Old Irish name from a diminutive of corn 'horn'.

​                                                                   C R O M W E L L

​            English: habitational name from places in Nottinghamshire and West Yorkshire named

                  Cromwell, from Old English crumb ‘bent’, ‘crooked’ + well(a) ‘spring’, ‘stream’.

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                                                  C U N N I N G H A M
 
Local.  A district in Ayrshire, Scotland.  The name signifies the dwelling of the chief or king, from the Saxon, cyning, Dutch, Koning, a leader or cgief, and ham, a house or town.