Surname Poynting - Meaning and Origin

Poynting: What does the surname Poynting mean?

The surname Poynting is of English origin, likely derived from geographic or occupational terms, as was common in England. However, the specific meaning of "Poynting" is unclear as it doesn't directly translate from Old English. It is often associated with the Poynting family from Birmingham, England. The most notable person with this surname is John Henry Poynting, an English physicist who identified the Poynting vector in electromagnetic theory. As surnames are often linked to professions or locations, Poynting could potentially be connected to a point or pointed objects, which could be tools, locations, or other significant elements in society. Given its obscurity, the precise meaning of the surname Poynting is hard to pinpoint and may have been known only to those who originally bore this surname.

Poynting: Where does the name Poynting come from?

The surname Poynting is most commonly found in the United Kingdom, particularly England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales. It is also found in Australia, Canada, and the United States.

The name may have derived from the town of Poynting in the English county of Gloucestershire. The place name in turn is a derivation of Old English, meaning “a spring or stream where the young Birds perched”. In keeping with this, heraldic evidence suggests the family was associated with the Borders area of Scotland, where poaching hunting was an important past time.

The name Poynting among the many variations of the name: Pointing, Pointin, and Poiniting can be traced to the old English pre-7th Century word "point". In more recent times, the Poynting variation has died out in England and Scotland to a large degree, although it appears it has found a resurgence in Canada.

Poynting is a relatively rare name in the United States. In the year 2020, the Poynting surname was ranked at number 24,063, with only around 307 individuals holding the surname. The majority of Poyntings in the United States are concentrated in Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.

In Australia, the surname Poynting is most commonly found in Victoria and South Australia. Recent census data indicates there were around 171 individuals with the Poynting surname.

The last name Poynting is considered a rare to uncommon name in each of the countries listed.

Variations of the surname Poynting

The surname Poynting is derived from the Old English personal name “Punta” which is a diminutive of “Point”. Its variants, spellings associated with the surname Poynting are Pointing, Pointon, Pointant, Pointen, and Pountney.

Variant spellings of the surname Poynting have been found in records from as early as the 12th century in England. In some cases, the spelling of the name was adapted to match local dialect. For instance, in Kent, the surname was often spelled as “Pointyne” or “Pointing”, while in the area of Dorset it was often spelled “Ponting”. In Wales, the surname is sometimes spelled “Poyntyn” or “Pontin”.

The surnames Pointon and Pountney were originally derived from the surname Poynting. Pointon is likely a patronymic form of Point, while Pountney is a Norman version of Pointing.

Though variations in the spelling of the surname Poynting exist, the surname is still fairly rare in comparison to other English surnames. As such, very few people today share this family name.

Famous people with the name Poynting

• John Henry Poynting (1852-1914): British physicist who studied electromagnetic radiation and developed the formula for the total energy flux of a wave.
• Robert Victor Poynting (1875-1959): British-Australian physicist and physicist who studied antennas and planetary magnetism.
• William Henry Poynting (1852-1982): British physicist and engineer who developed the Poynting vector, a vector field used to represent the transmission of momentum.
• Mary Poynting (1914-2006): British-Australian composer who composed works for the stage, orchestra and solo instruments.
• Alan Poynting (1906-1987): British-Australian politician and attorney who served in the Legislative Assembly of Queensland for Oxley from 1950 to 1960.
• Thomas Lawrence Poynting (1880-1909): British recipient of the Victoria Cross for his service during the Boer War in South Africa.
• William H. Poynting (1884-1954): British-Australian electrical engineer and broadcaster who designed early radio systems and was a part of the first independent radio station in Australia.
• John Poynting (1745-1822): English geologist and physician who aided in the development of geology as a science.
• Jeff Poynting (1958-): English cricketer who played for Lancashire County Cricket Club.
• Rob Poynting (1949-): English rugby union player who captained the British and Irish Lions tour of South Africa in 1980.

Other surnames

PoyntinPoyntinge