Humphrey
A surname that began as a patronymic from the old personal name Humphrey, meaning “son of Humphrey.”
The #705 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 6,294 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Humphrey comes from the medieval personal name Humphrey, which entered English through Norman French and ultimately goes back to Germanic elements commonly explained as meaning something like “peace” and “bear.” As a surname, it first functioned as a patronymic: people were identified as the son or descendant of a man called Humphrey. Related reduced forms and derivatives include Humphries, Humphreys, Humphries, and shorter forms such as Humphrys.
History
The name Humphrey was once common in medieval England, and surname forms developed naturally from it. Historical surname writers note that shortened or altered forms such as Hunkes and Dumphry also arose from the same personal name tradition. The surname remains most familiar in Britain and English-speaking countries, with Humphrey especially common in English records and Humphreys/Humphries often appearing in Welsh usage.
Origin
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Fun fact
A 19th-century surname dictionary explicitly treated Hunkes as a diminutive of Humphrey, showing how wildly a single medieval given name could change in surname form.
From the historical record
“monarchs of England. HUMPHREY. HUMPHRErS. HUM- PHRIES. The personal name. HUNCHBACK. From the personal de- formity of the first bearer. HUNGER. Perhaps Ongar, co. Essex. HUNKES. A diminutive of Humphrey ; so we derive Wilkes from William, Jenks from John, &c.”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom