Names are like little parcels of history—wrapped up in language, tied with ribbons of tradition, and sometimes sprinkled with seasonal magic. And when it comes to surnames, a few carry Christmas in their very DNA. Let’s take a wander through some of the most festive family names.
We’ve all heard of Father Christmas, but in fact the first recorded instance of the surname Christmas was a man named Alan de Roger Cristemesse, a high status individual, who appears in the Rotuli Dominabus Rolls of Essex of 1135.
And the surname Yule or Youle, which is more common in Scotland and northern England comes from the Old English Geōl and Old Norse Jól which is the pre-Christian name for the midwinter festival. A rare surname Midwinter also exists.
And from Europe, we also have surnames Bozic, Noel and Nadal, which are respectively Slavic (Serbian), French and Catalan for Christmas!
Our next webinar will be the Surname Society Christmas Quiz on 20th December, hope you can join us. Bring your own mulled wine!
