Northern
A surname for someone who was a northerner or came from the north.
The #8,981 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 84,750 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname comes from Middle English northern, meaning “northerner” or “of the north.” The underlying Old English forms are norþern and norþan, built on north plus the adjectival ending -ern/-an. In plain terms, it identified someone by direction or origin rather than by occupation or family line.
History
The historical evidence points to an English surname that was already understandable as a directional byname in medieval records. It likely began as a nickname or locational label for someone from the north, and later became hereditary like many other medieval surnames. The form is relatively uncommon today, but it survives in English-speaking countries, including the United States.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
A 1912 surname dictionary glosses Northern simply as “Northerner.”
From the historical record
“be for an earlier Noi'thcourt. ^ NORTHERN"! (Eng.) Northerner [M.E. NORTHEN J northern; O.E. nor^em (and nor^an), from tne north] NORTHEY (Eng, and Scand.) Dweller at I the North Island [O.E. «orl'=O.N.«o/-f'-r ' + O.E. i{e)g = O.N. ey, island]”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)