Almond
Usually a surname from a place-name, especially one linked to the river Almond in Scotland; in some cases it may also reflect the French/medieval name Amand or Saint Amand.
The #4,902 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 42,953 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The name is most often explained as a locational surname from the river Almond in Scotland, with the place-name likely based on a pre-Gaelic or Gaelic river name. In older scholarship, some bearers were also connected with medieval forms such as de Sancto Almondo or Saint Amand, suggesting a French ecclesiastical or saint-name source in certain lines. The resemblance to the English word for the nut is generally accidental, though it may have encouraged later spelling stability.
History
Medieval records show forms such as de Sancto Almondo and John de Almann, and the surname appears in both English and Scottish records. Because several similar-looking names existed—Almond, Allmond, Alman, and related forms—some families may have different origins despite the same modern spelling. The name is found as a local surname in Britain and later in North America.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Glenalmond in Scotland literally means the glen of the River Almond, which helps explain why a place-based surname like Almond could arise there.
From the historical record
“needless to say ironical), Kirschrot (Cherry-red), Temperaturwechsel (Change-of-temperature), Kanalgeruch (Canal - smell), Kiissemich (Kiss -me), Muttermilch (Mother's-milk), Mandelbliith (Almond- blossom) ; while, in some cases, nonsensical names were bestowed through misunderstandings, as, for example, when a Jew…”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)