We have compiled a list of the 40 most popular surnames across Derbyshire, so you can see how many other people bearing your family name are spread across the county.
As well as this, we have provided details of the hidden meanings behind each surname – with some of these historical names descending from the Normans, Hebrews and Germanic tribes, among others.
All data relating to the popularity of surnames across Derbyshire was taken from Forebears, and information on the meaning of each surname was taken from Ancestry and FindMyPast.
5. Jones
There are 6,067 people called Jones in Derbyshire - making it the fourth most common surname across the county. Jones is derived from the Middle English personal name Jon(e), which comes from the Hebrew personal name Yoḥanan ‘Jehovah has favored (me with a son)’ or ‘may Jehovah favor (this child)’. This personal name was adopted into Latin (via Greek) as Johannes. Pictured here at the Rail Ale Beer Festival are Michael Jones and Nigel Mack. Photo: Brian Eyre
6. Walker
Walker is Derbyshire’s fifth most common surnamed, held by 4,875 people across the county. Walker is an occupational name for a fuller from the Middle English ‘walker’ and Old English ‘wealcere’ - ‘one who trampled cloth in a bath of lye or kneaded it in order to strengthen it’. This was the regular term for the occupation during the Middle Ages in western and northern England. Pictured here are Richard Stephen and Julie Walker, East Midlands in Bloom judges. Photo: Brian Eyre
7. Wright
There are 4,587 Wright’s across Derbyshire, making it the county’s sixth most popular surname. Wright is an occupational name for a craftsman or maker of machinery, mostly in wood of any kind. Pictured here are Nikki Perrins, Selena Richardson, Simon Davidson and Alicia Wright, from R.P.Davidson Cheese Factor, Chesterfield. Photo: Brian Eyre
8. Johnson
Johnson is the seventh most common surname across the county, held by 4,583 Derbyshire residents. The history of this surname is similar to that of Jones - and it is also the second most frequent surname in the US. Pictured here at Bolsover Beer Festival Fun Day are Pete Johnson, Josh Ludlam, Keith Sayer, Andy Poulton and Jeff Machin. Photo: jason chadwick