Purser
An occupational surname for a keeper of the purse, money officer, or treasurer.
The #9,199 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 87,093 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Purser comes from Middle English words for a purse or wallet, ultimately from Old English purs, borrowed from Latin bursa, meaning “purse” or “bag.” The surname originally described someone who carried the purse, handled money, or served as a treasurer or paymaster. In medieval records it can overlap with related office-names such as bursar.
History
The name appears in medieval English records as an occupational byname, and later became a hereditary surname. Historical dictionaries note the same basic sense of an official who bore the purse and paid expenses. It remains a relatively uncommon surname in modern English-speaking countries.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The name is closely related to bursar, a word still used today for a college financial officer.
From the historical record
“. pursaill; '""'•cell, qv. , PURSER (A.-Lat.) i Cashier, Paymaster. 2 Purse-Maker. [M.E. pwser(e ; O.E. purs (Lat. bursa), a purse -t- the agent, suft. -ere] PURSEY for Percy, q.v. PURSHOUSE (Eng.) The first element of this Midland local surname (i6th cent. Persehouse) is prob. the French pers. name Pers or Piers…”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)