Large
A nickname surname for a big or stout person, originally contrasting with the surname Small.
The #5,105 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 45,013 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname comes from Middle English large, meaning “stout” or “big,” used as a descriptive nickname for a person of noticeable size. It is related to Old French large, and the idea behind the name is simply “the large one,” in contrast to surnames like Small. In some cases, later family traditions may have attached the name to other meanings, but the surname origin is straightforwardly descriptive.
History
Lower explicitly defines Large as a descriptive surname meaning “stout, big.” As with many nickname surnames, it likely arose independently in more than one place among English speakers. The name is now relatively uncommon but well established in English-speaking countries.
Origin
Regions
Fun fact
Lower notes the surname as the natural opposite of Small, showing how often medieval nicknames turned into hereditary family names.
From the historical record
“deposited. LARGE. Stout, big ; the antithesis of Small. LARKB. The bird ; perhaps, however, a nickname of Lawrence, whence Larkin and Lark ins. LARKIN. LARKIXG. LARKIXS. See Lawrence. LARMOUTII. See Learmouth.”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom