Where did my last name come from ? Barnett?

Question

Where did my last name come from ? Barnett?

Answer 1

UK answer.

Surname: Barnett

Although this famous surname is of early Anglo-Saxon pre 7th Century origins, its longevity in Ireland is such, and its spread through the country so embracing, that it may also be regarded as Irish in its own right. Found in the spellings of Barnet, Barnett, Barnatt, Burnet, and Burnett, the name is either topographical for one who lived on "land cleared by burning" (Baernet) or is a derivative form of the personal name "Bernhard" meaning "brave-bear". The earliest recordings are those of Brictnod de la Bernet in Sussex, circa 1200, and John Barnet, Bishop of Worcester and Treasurer of All England, who died in 1373. The early recordings in Ireland include Steven Barnatt of Templemore, Derry, christened on May 20th 1660, whilst other recordings include: John Barnett of Macroom, on May 4th 1773; Denis Barnett of Rosscarbery, on November 6th 1864; and Cornelius Barnett, and his wife the former Ellen Hurly, who were witnesses at the christening of their son, John, at Skibbereen, County Cork, on May 2nd 1866. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Jane Barnett, which was dated January 29th 1656, marriage to James Davison, in County Derry, Ulster, Ireland, during the reign of Commonwealth, 1649 - 1659. 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.

Answer 2

Barnett  

First name origin & meaning: Old English: Noble man.(German) Mighty as a bear

First name variations: Barret, Barrett, Barr, Barnet, Barnete, Barnette, Baronette

Last name origins & meanings:

English: habitational name from various places, for example Chipping (High) Barnet, East Barnet, and Friern Barnet in Greater London, named with Old English bærnet ‘place cleared by burning’ (a derivative of bærnan ‘to burn’, ‘to set light to’).

English: from a medieval personal name, a variant of Bernard.

Bernard  

First name origin & meaning: German: Bold as a bear

First name variations: Barnard, Barney, Barnie, Barny, Bernd, Berndt, Bern, Berne, Bernardo, Bernhard, Bernhardt, Bernie, Bjorn, Barend, Barnum, Barn, Barnardine, Berend

Last name origins & meanings:

English, French, Dutch, Polish, Czech, and Slovenian: from a Germanic personal name (see Bernhard). The popularity of the personal name was greatly increased by virtue of its having been borne by St. Bernard of Clairvaux (c.1090–1153), founder and abbot of the Cistercian monastery at Clairvaux.

Americanized form of German Bernhard or any of the other cognates in European languages; for forms see Hanks and Hodges 1988.

The first bearer of the name in Canada was from the Lorraine region of France. He is documented in Quebec city in 1666 as Jean Bernard. He and some of his descendants bore the secondary surnames Anse and Hanse, because his original forename must have been Hans (the German equivalent of French Jean, English John). Another bearer, from La Rochelle, is documented in Quebec city in 1676; and a third, from the Poitou region of France, was also documented in Quebec city, in 1713, with the secondary surname Léveillé. Other documented secondary names are Jolicoeur, Larivière, and Lajoie