Storms
A patronymic surname meaning “son of Storm,” or sometimes a nickname based on stormy weather or temperament.
The #6,147 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 55,380 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The name is generally understood as a patronymic from the personal name Storm, with the final -s meaning “son of.” The byname Storm itself comes from the common word for a storm or tempest, ultimately from Old English and related Germanic forms. Some 19th-century writers also linked it with Old Norse Storr, meaning “big” or “great,” but that looks like a separate Scandinavian name-form rather than the main English explanation for Storms.
History
The surname is recorded in English sources as early as the late medieval period, and it appears especially in northern records. Later genealogical writers noted multiple Storm and Storms families in English-speaking countries, including the United States. In the U.S., Storms has remained much less common than Storm, but both forms are well established.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
A 19th-century surname collector grouped Storm and Storms with other weather-inspired names such as Breeze, Gale, Hail, Flood, and Tempest.
From the historical record
“words] STORMS, Storm's (Son) : v. Storm. STORR (Scand.) Big, Grkat fO.N. stdr-r (mod. Scand. storl Roger Storre. — Yorks Pott-Tax, A.D. 1379. Cp. Store.”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)