Weaver
An occupational surname meaning “weaver,” originally given to someone who made cloth.
The #192 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 2,146 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Weaver comes from the Middle English word wever(e), meaning a person who weaves cloth. That word goes back to Old English wefan, “to weave.” In surname use, it was a straightforward occupational name for someone who worked at a loom, much like Webb, Webber, and Webster.
History
The name appears early in English records and remained common because weaving was one of the core medieval trades. Some historical writers also noted occasional local or topographic use, but the occupational sense is the main source of the surname. It later spread widely in Britain and then overseas, especially to North America.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because weaving was such a widespread household and craft occupation, surnames like Weaver often developed independently in more than one place.
From the historical record
“WEATHERSTONE, v. Wetherstone. WEAVER (Eng.) i Cloth-Weaver [M.E. wever{e ; f. M.E. weveit, O.E. wefan, to weave] Cp. Webb(e, Webber, and Webster. 2 Dweller by the R. Weaver (Chesh.) [v. under Waverton] William Weyver, booker (Chesh.). — Siar-Chmhr. Proc, c, A.D. 1520 (Bostock”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)