Stringer
An occupational surname for someone who made strings or cords, especially bowstrings.
The #2,091 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 17,847 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Stringer comes from Middle English stringer, meaning a maker of string or cord. The root is the Old English streng, influenced by Old Norse strengr, both meaning "string" or "rope," with the agent suffix -er/-ere. In surname use, it most often referred to someone who made bowstrings or similar cordage.
History
Historical records place the name in England by the 14th century, especially in Yorkshire, and the surname remains strongly English in origin. It belongs to the same occupational family as names like Corder, Roper, and Twyner. The form appears with spelling variants such as Strenger and Strynger in medieval records.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Early surname writers specifically connected Stringer with archery, since bowstrings were an important specialized product in medieval England.
From the historical record
“Chesh. Chmbrlns.' Accts., A.D. 1357-8. STRINGER (Eng.) String- or Cord-Maker (esp. a maker of bow-strings) [O.E. streng (= O.N. streng-r), string, rope -|- the agent, suff. -ere] Both Strenger and Strynger occur in Yorkshire in the 14th cent.”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)