Surname Dewhirst - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'D'
Dewhirst: What does the surname Dewhirst mean?
The last name Dewhirst is of Anglo-Saxon origin. It derives from the Olde English pre 7th Century word deaw, meaning dew, and hyrst, meaning a grove of trees. Thus, the name is a topographical one; a locational name for someone who lived by a place where dew would form, such as the base of a hillside where the base of a tree was damp. It could also be a habitational name, from any of several places in various parts of the country so-named. It was found spelled occasionally as Dewhirst, Dewhurst or Deworth.
The arrival in England of the Norman-French in 1066 with their own romance language caused the wide range of linguistic variations of names of almost all English Surnames. Although the spelling of the Surname would often remain constant, the recorded versions reflected a huge variety of spelling combinations found in the many different documents that recorded the surname.
The Dewhirst name is mainly distributed in Yorkshire, where it is found particularly in York, Leeds, and Hull. This name is also found in predominantly in the North West of England. Early records of the name include: John de Wores, found in the Poll Tax Records of Yorkshire in 1379, and Roger de Dewhurste, recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Lancashire in 1332.
There are many variants of the name Dewhirst. These include: Dewhurst, Dewhirst, Deworth, Dewar and Dewarl.
Overall, the surname Dewhirst symbolizes a topographical nature and is mainly found in Yorkshire, but can be found in several areas in England. The name is derived from Olde English words deaw, meaning dew, and hyrst, meaning a grove of trees.
Order DNA origin analysisDewhirst: Where does the name Dewhirst come from?
The last name Dewhirst is most often found in the United Kingdom and the United States. In the UK, particularly in the North, it is a fairly common name, with many records of bearers in places such as Yorkshire, Lancashire, Durham, and Cumberland as far back as the mid-14th century. In the US, the name is found mostly in the states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Missouri.
In terms of geographical distribution, it appears that the Dewhirst surname was concentrated in the UK during the 1600s. DNA testing of some of the folk who carried the name at that time reveals that the clan originated in a rural area in the Lancashire-Yorkshire border region, which may be why the surname is still so commonly found there.
Today, the name is still quite popular in the UK, with records showing Dewhirsts living in significant numbers in cities across the country, from Liverpool to London. In the US, census records also show that Dewhirsts are widely dispersed across the country, especially in urbanized areas in the Midwest and Northeast.
Overall, the Dewhirst surname is a common one, especially in the two countries from which it originated, the United Kingdom and the United States. It is the perfect surname for a family looking to keep their heritage alive.
Variations of the surname Dewhirst
The surname Dewhirst is derived from an Old Norse personal name, “Deofheort,” and as such, there are various variants of this name. Common variant spellings are Deafhirst, Dafhirst, Dhirst, Dewherst, Deffourth, Daforth, and Daforth.
The following common surnames are considered to have the same origin, albeit with divergent phonetic spellings: D'Affourt, Dufford, Dyford, Douford, Dowford, Doveford, Dovehurst, Doufloor, Duffhirst, Duffhirst, and Deavhers.
At times, multiple spellings of the same origin surname might also exist in documents; one example of this is with alternate spellings of “Deofheort.” These can include Deofhert, Deofhord, Deofhurst, and Deofherte.
The above variants reflect only some of the more common spellings of the Dewhirst surname. Surnames of a similar origin can include Duffort, Dufferd, Duffeart, Dufort, Dufahrt, Duffhorde, Duffherd, and Dufford.
In other cases, surnames are derived from the same place. This is known as a “toponymic” surname, and the Dewhirst surname is no exception. Toponymic surnames derived from the same area as Dewhirst include Dewsbury, Deisedale, Dwesbury, and Deisbourg.
Finally, the surname Dewhirst can also occasionally be found spelled with a hyphen, such as “De-Whirst” or “De-Hirst.”
In conclusion, there is a wide variety of variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin as Dewhirst, demonstrating the remarkable diversity and complexity of surnames throughout history.
Famous people with the name Dewhirst
- Peter Dewhirst: English footballer and sports broadcaster, who played over 500 games in the First Division.
- Richard Dewhirst: professional British golfer.
- Dorothea Dewhirst: author, feminist, and advocate for women’s rights.
- Derry Dewhirst: British actor known for his roles in such films as Star Wars, The Pirates of the Caribbean, and The Bourne Ultimatum.
- John Dewhirst: British sculptor, best known for his public works in the Dublin area.
- Ethel Dewhirst: Australian author and playwright.
- Joe Dewhirst: former British soldier and political activist.
- Chris Dewhirst: retired professional rugby league footballer.
- Hilda Dewhirst: British-born pediatrician and founder of the medical school at McGill University.
- Thomas Dewhirst: British geologist and paleontologist, noted for his work on the Jurassic cement stones and coals of East Yorkshire.
- Barry Dewhirst: former professional basketball player for the Washington Bullets.
- William Dewhirst: British seafarer and explorer who led several expeditions to the Arctic in the 19th century.
- Elizabeth Dewhirst: American entrepreneur and philanthropist, whose career has spanned music, business, and sports.
- Charles Dewhirst: 19th-century lawyer and newspaper editor from Maryland, who served as Secretary of State for Franklin D. Roosevelt.
- Mary Dewhirst: British-born hairdresser, known for creating bouffant styles for the Royal family.