Surname Northorpe - Meaning and Origin
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Northorpe: What does the surname Northorpe mean?
The surname Northorpe is of English origin and is considered a habitational name. It is derived from Old Norse words "norð" and "þorp", which mean "north" and "village" respectively. Thus, Northorpe can be understood to mean "north village". The name likely originated from a place called Northorpe or referred to a person who hailed from a northern village. There are places named Northorpe in Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire regions in England. As with many surnames derived from geographical locations, it's plausible that the original bearers of the Northorpe surname were linked to these regions in some way. However, the specifics can be challenging to determine as such names were often assigned to distinguish individuals who migrated from one place to another.
Order DNA origin analysisNorthorpe: Where does the name Northorpe come from?
The last name Northorpe is most commonly found in England. It is most commonly located around the East Riding of Yorkshire, Huddersfield and Leeds. It is thought that the surname is derived from the Old English byname Norþorp, which means north village or homestead, referring to a person who likely came from a place north of its central settlement.
Today, the surname of Northorpe is still fairly common. In 2015, it was the 2,378th most common surname in England, with 1,473 people in the country having the last name. In Scotland, the surname Northorpe is considerably less popular, coming 5,353rd in the list of most frequent surnames, with the number of people having the last name being just 108. Regionally, the surname Northorpe is most popular in South East England, as 15.6 people out of every million have the surname.
Overall, the surname Northorpe does not rank high in any list of common surnames, either in England or outside of the country. However, it is still a fairly common last name in England, with most of its bearers living in the East Riding of Yorkshire and close by areas. In Scotland, the surname appears much less frequently, suggesting that most Northorpes trace their ancestry back to England.
Variations of the surname Northorpe
The variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin for the surname Northorpe includes Northrup, Northropp, Northup, Northup, Northrup, Northrop, and Northolt.
Northorpe is an Anglo-Saxon surname derived from the Old English phrase ‘norþ-torp’. It translates to ‘north of the farm’ and refers to those who lived to the north of a household or farm. It is also understood to refer to those who lived in the northern part of a settlement or village.
The first Northorpes on record were Norðtorp, recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, and Hugh de Northorpe, recorded in 1208 in County Yorkshire.
Northrup and Northropp are the two earliest spellings of the Northorpe surname, but the spelling eventually evolved to become Northup or Northrup. The variant spelling Northrop was also used in some occasions.
Since the 19th century, the variant spelling Northolt has become common, as this was associated with the town of Olthome in County Durham through the marriage of William de Northorpe to Ella de Olthome in 1294.
The surname Northorpe is found primarily in England, but it is also found in other countries, such as the United States, Canada and Australia. It is also seen in other forms in countries such as Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Germany.
Famous people with the name Northorpe
- John Northrop (1895-1981), American aircraft engineer and aircraft industrialist.
- H.B. Northrop (1887-1937), American comedian and photographer.
- Thomas Northrop (1846-1915), English sculptor and photographer.
- Adam Northrop (born 1986), British academic and entrepreneur.
- James Northrop (born 1950), American biochemist.
- William Northrop (1876-1938), American architect and civic leader.
- Dorothy Northrop (1890-1971), American basketball, tennis, and women's golf champion.
- Charles Northrop (1803-?) American politician and businessman.
- Jane Northrop (born 1952), American journalist and documentary maker.
- David Northrop (born 1973), British actor.