Nightingale
An English surname originally bestowed as a nickname for someone with a sweet, birdlike singing voice.
The #7,255 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 67,177 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname comes from the nightingale, the well-known songbird. The word is Middle English nyhtegale, from Old English nihtegale, literally meaning “night singer” or “night songstress.” As a surname, it was probably first used as a nickname for a person noted for a pleasing voice or musical ability.
History
Medieval records show the surname in England quite early, and it continued as a recognizable English family name through the centuries. The name is a classic example of a bird-based nickname surname, like Lark or Finch, applied for a personal characteristic rather than a place or occupation. It is best known today through Florence Nightingale, whose family name helped make the surname widely familiar.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The surname appears in medieval English records in forms such as Thomas Nichtegale, showing how closely it tracked the spelling of the common noun.
From the historical record
“Neil, q.v. NIGHTINGALE \ (Eng.) a nickname from the NIGHTINGALL/bird [M.E. nyhtegale, etc., O.E. nihtegale] NINDfor Nend, q.v. NISBET \ (Eng.) Bel. to Nisbet (Berwick, NISBETT ( Roxburgh, Haddington, &c.), a form of Nesbit, q.v. The Roxburgh Nisbet was Nesebita in the 1 2th cent., Nesebit in the 13th.”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)