Armitage
An English locational surname from Hermitage, meaning a hermit’s dwelling or retreat.
The #8,162 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 75,990 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Armitage is generally understood as a reduced form of Hermitage. The place-name behind it refers to a hermit’s cell or dwelling, ultimately from words for a solitary religious retreat. In older pronunciation and spelling, the initial h was often weakened or dropped, producing forms like Armitage from Hermitage.
History
The surname is well established in England, especially in northern and eastern records, and appears in several spelling forms, including Armytage. Nineteenth-century surname writers commonly treated it as a place-name surname rather than a nickname. It is still best known today in England and among descendants of English emigrants.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Early surname writers explicitly compared Armitage with Hermitage to show how an initial h could disappear in local speech and spelling.
From the historical record
“AEMISTEAD and ARMSTED. (Saxon.) The place of arms. ARMITAGE. Local The same as Hermitage, the cell or habitation of a hermit, formerly a wilderness or solitary place; a convent of hermits or minor friars. ARMOUR. Defensive arms; all instruments of war. The name is probably contracted from Armorer, a maker of armor.…”
— An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names