Banner
Usually a surname taken from a banner or standard, likely for someone who made, carried, or was identified with a banner.
The #5,990 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 53,798 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Banner is most likely a surname from the common noun meaning a flag or military standard. In medieval naming, such words often became bynames for someone who made, carried, or served under a banner. Some sources also point to Old French forms related to a standard-bearer, so the surname may reflect either the object itself or the office associated with it.
History
The name appears in English surname collections alongside other banner- and standard-related names, which suggests an occupational or status-based origin. It is not among the most common surnames, but it has persisted in Britain and later in North America. Because the sources here are indirect and some are only incidental mentions, the precise pathway of formation is not fully certain.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Banner is one of several surnames that echo medieval military life, alongside names like Bannerman and Bannister.
From the historical record
“Among the spoil taken by the Saxons was the famous banner of the Raven, said to have been woven in one day by the sisters of Inguar and Ubba, and to have possessed the property of appearing be- fore every battle flying Uke a living bird if the Danes were to be victorious; while”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)