Surname Southmead - Meaning and Origin
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Southmead: What does the surname Southmead mean?
The last name Southmead has Anglo-Saxon origins and is believed to have two possible interpretations. The first suggests that it is derived from the Old English sūþ, meaning ‘south’ and mǣd, meaning ‘meadow’. This would imply that those with the Southmead surname may have had an ancestor who moved southward, or lived near a southern meadow.
Alternatively, the name could have been created by combining mǣdsūþ, meaning “meadow to the south”. This could have indicated that those with the Southmead surname had relatives who lived near a meadow to the south. These possibilities could point to the family having resided near a significant meadow that had a Leonard-type topography; a large meadow that would have been vulnerable to flooding.
The Southmead family is believed to be Saxon in origin, originating in Essex and Norfolk, though the surname is now prevalent in all parts of England. In the modern day, the Southmead name is still common, usually abbreviated to the simpler form of South or even Southey.
Order DNA origin analysisSouthmead: Where does the name Southmead come from?
The last name Southmead is most commonly found in the United Kingdom, typically in the English counties of Somerset and Wiltshire. Records show that Southmead has been a hereditary family surname in these areas since medieval times.
Today, Southmead is increasingly found in other parts of England such as London and East Anglia, and in locations around the world where British people have settled. Southmead is a particularly common surname in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
Research shows that the Southmead name originated in the Wiltshire area. In the 1600s, a family by that name moved from Somerset to the nearby parish of Southmead, near Corsham, Wiltshire. Over time this became their family name.
The spelling of the Southmead surname is also found as Southmeade, Southmarde, and Southmarke. All of these spellings have the same origin.
Today, scattered families of the Southmead name exist around the world. Through online genealogy sites, the family has been able to reconnect with distant relatives. In some instances, cousins separated several generations ago have come together again through the Internet.
The Southmead family is proud of its heritage, and it looks forward to the growing connections among its members from various countries.
Variations of the surname Southmead
Southmead is a very common surname. There are many variants, spellings, and surnames of origin for the Southmead name. These include Southmayd, Suthmead, Sutmied, Sutmeed, Stewmayd, Sutmeade, Soutmead, Sowthmeade, Sudmead, Southmade, Southmeid, Suthmeid, Souethmeed, and Soueth Mead. Some variants of the name have been established over centuries, while others are more modern.
One of the earliest variants of the Southmead surname, which was used in the 1700s, was Southmayd or Suthmead. This version of the name was commonly seen in the South of England, and was probably used to differentiate the family from others with a similar name. Sutmied and Sutmeed were also used during this period, and is derived from the Old English words “suth” and “mead”.
In the late 1700s to early 1800s, some variants of the name include Stewmayd, Soutmead, Sowthmeade, and Sudmead. These variations typically applied to families that lived in regions of London and the Midlands. Southmade, Southmeid, and Suthmeid were popular variants of the Southmead surname during the mid to late 1800s, in both the South and North of England.
In more modern times, spellings such as Souethmeed and Soueth Mead have been used. This variant is more likely to have referred to families that originated in the South East of England, and would sometimes be written as one word “Souethmead”.
Famous people with the name Southmead
- Joe Southmead: a musician who specializes in playing the mandolin and producing albums.
- Ernest Southmead: an English artist known for his surrealist paintings.
- John Southmead: a British barrister who became a Queen's Counsel in 1972.
- Sir Benjamin Southmead: a British politician who served as a Member of Parliament for North Wiltshire from 1919-1924.
- Charles Southmead: a noted English engineer who gained fame for his construction of a survey network in India.
- Edmund Southmead: a 19th century English author and antiquarian who wrote extensively on the history of English architecture.
- Anna Southmead: a 20th century American actor and theater director best known for her performances with the Group Theater in New York.
- Kenneth Southmead: a WWII Royal Air Force pilot and RAF instructor who participated in the Battle of Britain.
- Laura Southmead: an Australian artist renowned for her large-scale sculptures and installations situated around the world.
- Steve Southmead: an award-winning American documentary filmmaker whose works have screened at the Sundance Film Festival.