What nationality is this name?

Question

I live in Quebec, Canada and my last name is Faulkner. I was always told it was french. But as I've grown I've noticed that you can't pronounce my name in french. Then I was told by someone that it was a very common German name and then an Anglo-phone name by someone else. Please help me, and don't go to a surname site, because I'm not too sure about those. I would like a personal experience if possible.

Answer 1

it sounds German to me. but i am not too sure what exaclty it is.

Answer 2

Most people with English, Irish and even Scottish names in Quebec are either there because their families moved there in the last 100 years, or you've been there for generations.  If your family has been there for 3 or 4 or more generations, chances are pretty good that you were either some of the Irish that came over during the 1850's and about thereof due to the potato famine, OR you could have been there longer and your male ancestor with the name Faulkner could have been a United Empire Loyalist that fought on the British side of the American Revolution.  You could even have had an ancestor that came to live in America, stayed on the British side of the war and moved to Quebec.  

In Quebec, northern Ontario (near the Quebec border) and even the maritimes had camps of Loyalists that eventually became towns.  As far as I know Faulkner is a name consistently found in Old French and Old English and has nothing to do with German.  It is possible that you have a misspelling of the French name.  

The meaning that I have in my surname book (here with me) is Falconer which is a occupation name that would mean you have distant ancestors that trained Falcons.  

Cool name.

Answer 3

Faulkner is an Old English name and there are some thousands in the phone book.

In German it is spelt Falkner

Faulkner    

First name origin & meaning:

English: Falconer, one who trains falcons

First name variations: Falconer, Falconner, Falconnor, Faulconer, Faulconner, Faulconnor, Falkner

Last name origin & meaning:

English: occupational name for someone who kept and trained falcons (a common feudal service). Falconry was a tremendously popular sport among the aristocracy in medieval Europe, and most great houses had their falconers. The surname could also have arisen as metonymic occupational name for someone who operated the siege gun known as a falcon.

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Answer 4

Surname: Faulkner

This interesting surname has two distinct possible sources, the first and most likely being from an Old French occupational name for a keeper or trainer of hawks. The derivation is from the Old French "fau(l)connier", "one who hunts with falcons or follows hawking as a sport", also, "keeper and trainer of hawks". The hawk trainer was held in high esteem in medieval times as it was his responsibility to supply hunting hawks to his overlord or the lord of the manor. Early examples of the surname include: Henry le fauconer (Yorkshire, 1219), and John Fauconner (Somerset, 1327). The name may also be occupational for one who worked a "faucon", that is, a type of medieval crane or windlass. In 1282 the "faukonarii" or "falconarii" at Caernarvon Castle were paid 6d. per day in summer and 5d. in winter for operating this device. One of the earliest namebearer to enter America was Thomas Faulkner, aged 28 yrs., who appears on a "List of The Living in Virginia" on February 16th 1623, having come over on the "Mary Providence" in 1622. A Coat of Arms granted to the Faulkner family of Sloane Street, Chelsea, is a paly of six black and silver, Overall a bend vert, thereon three trefoils in gold. A dragon's head and neck, wings addorsed, couped at the shoulders proper is on the Crest. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Henry Falkenar, which was dated 1194, in the "Curia Regis Rolls of Wiltshire", during the reign of King Richard 1, known as "Richard 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.

Who ever is hitting the thumbs down button you've excelled yourself tonight.

Answer 5

Faulkner is a very common German name.

Answer 6

Faulkner is old English and Scottish for falconer.