Surname Quartermaine - Meaning and Origin
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Quartermaine: What does the surname Quartermaine mean?
The origin of the last name Quartermaine is French. It is believed to have originated from the Old French word "quartier" meaning "quarter." The name was likely first used to identify people who lived in a specific quarter – or area – of a town or city. Over time, it became a last name.
The word 'quartermaine' also has roots in medieval feudalism. It refers to the four divisions of a baron's tenantry – a group of people who paid rent to a baron or landowner. The tenants were thus said to be in the fourth department or quarter of a baron’s estate.
Today, Quartermaine is a surname of various origins. It can be found as an anglicised form of the French ‘Quartier’, or as an English cognate of the Norman French 'Meign' – derived from the Middle Latin 'magnus'. It can also be found as a variant of Quartermain, an Old English occupational name for someone who managed one of the four quarters of an estate.
The name Quartermaine is associated with several notable figures, including Alexander Harvey Quartermaine – the eminent late 19th century English philosopher of religion, and Alan Quartermaine – the fictional doctor from the long-running ABC soap opera, ‘General Hospital’.
Order DNA origin analysisQuartermaine: Where does the name Quartermaine come from?
The last name Quartermaine is most common today in the United Kingdom, particularly its south and south-west areas. The surname is more often spelled Quartemaine or Quartremaine. In England, places with the highest concentration of the surname are Wiltshire, Orpington and Eastbourne. In Northern Ireland, the name is typically found in Belfast and the surrounding area.
The name Quartermaine first appears in medieval documents from the 1200s. It originates from the Old French "Quartermaigne", which first appeared in the mid-10th century. It derives from two sources: "quatre", which means four, and "maigne", which translates to region. Therefore, the literal translation is "region made of four". It was originally given to people who lived in areas split into four and is usually associated with French-Norman occupants of the 11th century.
The name Quartermaine is now water-downed into several spellings and has spread throughout Europe. It is now common in Seattle, US, and Australia too. In Scotland, the spelling Quartremaine is most commonly found and is spread across South Lanarkshire, Perth and Kinross, Glasgow and Aberdeenshire.
It is thought that the name is far less common in the United States due to the many variations of the surname that exist. However, there are still some people of the surname found throughout the country, primarily in the South and Southwest, as well as New York, Ohio and Michigan.
Variations of the surname Quartermaine
Quartermaine is an uncommon surname that originally indicated a person that lived in a quarter of a town (from the French ‘quar’ meaning four and ‘main’ meaning hand). Variants of the name include Quarmaine, Quarmayne, Quartemaine, Quartemayne, Quirtemayne, Quartmain, Quartman.
Quartermaine is an Anglo-Saxon surname. Throughout the years, most spellings of the name have been recorded, but some have dropped out of use. The spelling variation that is still used today includes Qsortemayne, Quartmain, Quarmayne, Quartonmain, Quartemayne, in addition to the original spelling.
Variants can be found in a variety of countries, including the United States, England, Canada, and Australia. Surnames with similar meaning and origin, such as Quartermain, Quartmain, Quortman, Quirtman, and Quirman, are also found in some countries.
It is possible that Quartermaine is related to the Old-English surname Qardemain, which means the four-handed man and is a common occupational surname in England. Other similar Anglo-Saxon surnames with the scent of four, such as Quartermass and Quarmby, can also be traced back to this meaning.
The surname Quartermaine can also offer insight into a family's long-term connection to their place of origin. For example, a family with the surname Quartemaine may have lived in a specific quarter of a town for many years.
Today, those with the surname Quartermaine can trace their family back to the roots of Anglo-Saxon England, while also knowing the meaning of their surname.
Famous people with the name Quartermaine
- Constance Quartermaine: an American actress known for her starring role in the 1982 movie Eight Is Enough.
- Mary Lee Ryan Quartermaine: an American author of romance novels and historical fiction.
- Edward Quartermaine: a major character from the American soap opera General Hospital, played by David Lewis.
- Alan Quartermaine Jr.: a fictional character from General Hospital, played by actor Stuart Damon.
- Dr. Monica Quartermaine: a fictional character from General Hospital, played by Leslie Charleson.
- Emily Quartermaine: a fictional character from General Hospital, played by actress Natalia Livingston.
- Emily Quartermaine-Baldwin: a fictional character from General Hospital, played by actress Amber Tamblyn.
- Edward Quartermaine (Versions 3 and 4): a fictional characters from General Hospital, played by actors John Ingle and David Lewis respectively.
- Tracy Quartermaine: a fictional character from General Hospital, played by actress Jane Elliot.
- Teddy Quartermaine: a character in the British drama series, Hollyoaks, played by actor Aled Haydn-Jones.