Sparrow
A nickname surname from the bird name “sparrow,” likely first used for someone thought small, lively, or ordinary-looking.
The #4,657 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 40,550 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname comes from the Middle English and Old English word for the bird, sparrow, from Old English spearwa. As a surname, it was used as a nickname rather than a sign of occupation: early writers treat it as one of many bird-based bynames. The literal sense is simply “sparrow,” the small songbird.
History
The name is well attested in medieval England and appears in early records in forms such as Sparrowe. Like many animal surnames, it probably began as a personal nickname based on appearance, temperament, or voice. It later became a fixed hereditary surname and has remained established in English-speaking countries.
Origin
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Fun fact
Older surname writers grouped Sparrow with other bird nicknames such as Ruddock, Nightingale, and Hawk—names that often started as colorful medieval bynames.
From the historical record
“'sparrow.' SPARROW I (Epg.) a nickname from the SPARROWE J Sparrow [M.E. spar{e)wisi sparowe, etc., O.E. spearwa — Goth, sparma.\ ' 5parrowhawk 176”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)