Rector
A surname that usually began as a nickname or occupational name for someone connected with a rector or parish priest.
The #2,661 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 22,771 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Rector comes from the Latin word rector, meaning “ruler” or “director,” and in ecclesiastical English it came to mean the clergyman in charge of a parish. As a surname, it could be used for someone who served a rector, lived at a rectory, or was otherwise associated with church administration. In some cases it may also have been an applied nickname, especially where medieval surnames were drawn from church titles.
History
Nineteenth-century surname writers grouped Rector with other church-related names such as Bishop, Vicar, and Parsons. Lower specifically notes that it has “ecclesiastical” origins but also “secular applications,” suggesting more than one path into surname use. The name is most familiar in English-speaking countries and survives in modest numbers in the United States.
Origin
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Fun fact
Lower remarked that the medieval form Fitz-Rector hinted at a “broken vows” story, showing how surnames of church office could attract colorful folk interpretations.
From the historical record
“Rickword. RECTOR. See Ecclesiastical Sur- JTAJIES. The Fitz-Rector of H.R. induces a suspicion of broken vows. Rector has, however, other aud secular aiDplications. REDDEN. REDDIN. 1. Corruptions of Reading, the Berkshire town. 2. A hamlet in Roxburghshire. REDDING. L From Reading, co. Berks, so pronounced. 2. From…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom