Surname Honychurch - Meaning and Origin
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Honychurch: What does the surname Honychurch mean?
The last name Honychurch is thought to be of English origin and is believed to have originated from a place name. Early records of the surname date back to the fifteenth century in London, where it appeared in various documents recorded in the city of London in 1208.
The most likely origin of the surname ‘Honychurch’ is that it was derived from a place name. This place name may refer to ‘Honychurch’ located in Dorset, England. The area was held by Humphrey de Pleville in 1208, suggesting individuals with this name may have originated from the area.
The name ‘Honychurch’ may also be derived from the Old English word ‘hone’, meaning honey, and ‘cyril’, meaning church, thus literally translating to ‘the church of honey’. This is in reference to a church in the area of Dorset which dedicated beehives to the Virgin Mary. This may provide an alternate possible origin of the surname.
The surname ‘Honychurch’ is still in limited use today, but may be more common amongst individuals with ancestral ties to Dorset, England.
Order DNA origin analysisHonychurch: Where does the name Honychurch come from?
The last name Honychurch is primarily found today in the United Kingdom. Place names related to this surname have been found in Suffolk and Norfolk in England. In 1891 census records, the majority of Honychurch families lived in the counties of Suffolk and Norfolk.
In the same 1891 census, the surname was most common in Suffolk, where it made up almost half of the population of the county. This is then followed by Kent, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, and Norfolk.
Other places in the UK where the Honychurch surname is common include London, Bristol, and Glasgow. And although the distribution of the surname is predominantly in the UK, there are still instances of the surname found in the United States. It seems that mainly through immigration, the surname has expanded to North America.
It is thought that the origin of the surname Honychurch is derived from the Old English words hoennan (to honey) and church (church). It was most likely used as an occupational name for someone who worked at a honey production center, which was often located at a local church or monastery.
Honychurch is still a relatively common surname in the United Kingdom, and there are still many families with this name living in the same areas as they used to in the 19th century.
Variations of the surname Honychurch
The surname Honychurch is an uncommon English surnames. It is derived from a place name, originally spelled as Honeychurch, located in Devon. During the 16th century, some spelling variations of the surnames included Honeychurch, Honychurch, Hunychurch, Hunichurch, Hunijchurhche, Hunychurch, Hunycherche, Hunychurche, and Hunychurchey.
Other surnames of the same root that are related to Honychurch include Huni, Honich, Hunneychurch, Huneychurch, Hunyechurch, Huey, Huniechurch, Hunnychurch, and Hunnechurch.
During the course of time, the surname Honychurch has spread to other countries due to migration. In the United States, the variants and surnames of the same origin started to take root around the 19th century. The surnames in the United States are Honeychurch, Honeycut, Honeycutt, Hunicutt, and Hunt.
The surname Honeychurch has also taken form in other countries such as Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and Australia. In these countries variations of the name include Hunicurch, Honeycut, Honeycutt, Hunychurch, Huneychurch, Hunnychurch and Hunnechurch.
In Scotland variations and related surnames include Clunie, Honnie, Honor, Honyman, Honeysett, Hunney, Hunnie, and Hunny.
Although the surname Honychurch is quite rare, it has withstood the test of time as it has been present and varied in form in multiple countries for centuries.
Famous people with the name Honychurch
- Errol Honychurch: Barbadian politician, a member of the Democratic Labour Party. Currently serving as Minister of Education, Culture, Youth Affairs and Sports.
- Leila Honychurch: English novelist, historian and former newspaper journalist. She received the CBE in 2004 for her services to the heritage sector.
- Gabriel Honychurch: New Zealand cricket player. He is currently playing for Auckland in domestic cricket.
- Lyall Honychurch: One of the foremost historians of the Caribbean region. He has written widely on the history of Barbados and the wider Caribbean.
- Ian Honychurch: Former Royal Air Force flight lieutenant and businessman. He was awarded an MBE in 1989 for outstanding services to British industry and commerce.
- Dean Honychurch: American soccer player. He currently plays in the Major League Soccer as a midfielder for the Los Angeles Galaxy.
- Robert Honychurch: British painter, best known for his portraits and landscapes of the English countryside. He was elected a Royal Academician in 1875.
- Nadine Honychurch: Award-winning Trinidad-born architect and designer. She was the recipient of the 2018 Caribbean Designism Award for her work in sustainable architecture and design.
- Rosey Honychurch: British poet, short story writer and small press publisher. Rosey has been shortlisted for The Poetry Society’s National Poetry Competition and shortlisted for the Bridport Prize.
- Dante Honychurch: Barbados-based entrepreneur, investor and philanthropist. He was honoured with the Sir Garfield Sobers Award for merit in entrepreneurship.