Last name meanings??

Question

I want to know what the last name Musclow is from and Freeman, Ray and Whitehead??? Thanks a ton if you answer!

Answer 1

I couldn't find anything in connection with the surname *Musclow* , I did find this information regarding the other three names though.

Surname: Freeman

The Anglo-Saxon society was divided into various classes, of which "The Freeman" could be described as "Middle Class" in 20th Century terms, although direct comparisons are not possible. Certainly to be a "Free born person" denoted considerable and jealously guarded status. Since most people were effectively slaves. The surname derivation is from the pre 7th Century "freo" meaning "free born" and "man" a servant or worker. The 1188 Pipe Rolls for Essex record one Freman Sceil, and this shows the use of the compound as a rare personal name. Other recordings include Reginald Le Freman, of Worcester in 1221, and Osbert Friman of Bedford in 1240. Edward Freeman (1823 - 1892), wrote "The History of the Norman Conquest" in 1867, whilst James Freeman of Nottingham, who died on June 20th 1968, was the last known survivor of the famous charge of the 21st Lancers at Omdurman, Sudan, in 1898. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of William Freeman, which was dated 1196, in the "County Pipe Rolls of Norfolk", during the reign of King Richard 1, known as "The Lionheart", 1189 - 1199. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

Surname: Ray

This is a surname with one of the most ancient origins. It derives from an Olde British word 'ea' pronounced 'ay' and describes someone who lived by a stream. More pragmatically it probably referred to somebody who lived on dry land by a stream, since before the days of land drainage to find 'dry land' was vital. It is true that some nameholders particularly those who originate in the Sussex - Kent region of England, may derive from the town of Rye, which means what it says - 'the place where corn was grown'. In Early English the descriptive phrase was 'aet paere ea' (at the island) which by the Middle ages had become 'at ther ee', and thence was further shortened to 'atte rie' and hence the modern surname which can be found as Ray, Rea, Reay, Wrey, Raye, and even Nye, formerly 'atten ea'! Examples of early recordings include William atte Rea in the 1327 Subsidy Rolls of Sussex, William bith Ree in the 1293 rolls of Worcester, and John atte Reye in the Essex Rolls of 1327. The Coat of Arms granted in Northumberland has the blazon of a blue field, a plate between three silver crescents. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Ralph de la Reye, which was dated 1279, in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, during the reign of King Edward 1, known as 'The hammer of the Scots', 1272 - 1307. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

Surname: Whitehead

Recorded in a number of spellings including Whithead, Whitehed, Whithed, and Whitsed, this surname is of English origins. It usually derives from the Olde English pre 7th Century word "hwit" meaning white, plus "heafod", a head, combined to form a descriptive nickname for someone with white hair. Many early surnames originate from medieval nicknames, and this is one of them. With men generally dying at about age forty, and women even younger, people with white hair were quite rare. Early recordings of the surname include Roger Witheved, who appeared in the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire, dated 1273, and Adam Whytehevde of Hoton, who was a juror on an inquisition before the sheriff of Berwick in 1300. In 1338 Robert Whitede was recorded in the Manorial Records of Sheffield, Yorkshire. Occasionally, the name may derive from "Hwithod", meaning white hood, and an occupational name for one who made white hoods for use in monasteries. An early example is that of Agnes Wythod recorded in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, for 1279. Finally, but more rarely, the name may be locational from residence on a chalky headland, as in Henry de Whiteheved, of Cornwall, in 1297. Recordings from surviving early London registers include: the marriage of John Whitehead and Margret Malwins on August 13th 1564, Srah Whithed, christened at St Giles Cripplegate, on October 13th 1643, and Richard Whitshead, who married Alice Rye at St James Paddington, on October 4th 1783. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of John Whithaved. This was dated 1219, in the "Pipe Rolls" of Leicestershire, during the reign of King Henry 111rd, 1216 - 1272. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

http://www.surnamedb.com/

Hope this helps.

Answer 2

Musclow is from Germany via Hastings Ontario..

Freeman is from any country where some men weren't free and some were. Those who became freed took the name "Freeman". It could have been Germany, the Caribbean or Blacks from the southern US who made their way to freedom in the North or in Canada.

Ray comes from more than 20 countries. There's no way of giving it an ethnic designation out of context.

Whitehead is English and comes from an ancestor who literally had a white head...a serious blonde.

I'm making a big guess, but do you or did your parents' families come from Canada?