Severance
An English surname most likely from a nickname or descriptive word linked to severity or determination, though the exact origin is not fully certain.
The #9,407 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 89,336 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The name is probably connected with the Middle English and Old French word for “severe” or “serious,” ultimately from Latin severus, meaning “strict,” “stern,” or “grave.” In surname use, it may have begun as a nickname for a stern, disciplined, or exacting person. Because the form is uncommon and the historical evidence is thin, the ending may also reflect later spelling development rather than a direct derivation from a single source word.
History
Severance is a relatively rare surname in English-speaking countries. 19th-century surname writers grouped it with names of descriptive type, but they did not always agree on the exact formation. In the United States it is best known today through a small number of bearers, while variant spellings such as Sevrence also appear in older records.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The surname is often discussed alongside other English names that look like ordinary words turned into family names, which is why it caught the attention of early onomastic writers.
From the historical record
“WILL is more than a match for Messrs. Bicker, Haight, Hayt, Hatter, Huff, Blamey, Leaver, Sevrence, and Severance. Mr. Leave, Mr. Lurch, and Mr. Hait, live in New York. In England we find Huffy. Messrs. Eager, Unruh (i.e., " restless "), Wakeman, Hasty, Brisk, Spry, Wild, Wilde, Wild- man, and Wilder have rivals in…”
— Suffolk Surnames (3rd ed.)