FAULKNER
Faulkner is a surname of English origin, belonging to the class of occupational names. Its etymology can be traced to the Middle English word faucon, meaning falcon, combined with the suffix -er, which denotes a person engaged in a specific activity or profession. Thus, the name originally signified a person who trained and cared for falcons, a heraldic title held in high esteem during medieval times.
Historical records indicate that the earliest known spelling of the name appears as Henry Falkenar, dated 1194, in the Curia Regis Rolls of Wiltshire. This document falls within the reign of King Richard the Lionheart, who ruled from 1189 to 1199. The name is also documented in other early instances such as Henry le fauconer of Yorkshire in 1219 and John Fauconner of Somerset in 1327.
The occupational reference in the surname extends beyond falconry to the operation of a medieval crane or windlass, sometimes referred to as a “faucon.” In 1282, individuals described as faukonarii or falconarii were recorded as working at Caernarvon Castle, receiving a daily wage of six pence in summer and five pence in winter for the use of this device.
The surname is associated with a distinct heraldic tradition. A coat of arms was granted to a branch of the family on Sloane Street, Chelsea; it features a paly of six black and silver stripes, an overall green bend on which are set three gold trefoils. The crest is a dragon’s head and neck, wings addorsed, couped at the shoulders in natural colour. This heraldic description confirms the surname’s documented presence within the landed and ceremonial fabric of England.
In the early twentieth century, one of the first bearers of the surname to arrive in the New World was Thomas Faulkner, aged twenty‑eight, who appears on a list of the living inhabitants of Virginia dated 16 February 1623. He had departed on the vessel Mary Providence in 1622. His inclusion in this register marks the earliest definitive evidence of the surname’s presence in America.
Throughout its history, the Faulkner surname has remained firmly within the English linguistic and cultural sphere, retaining its identification with the specialised profession of hawk training. The name is a clear example of how occupational titles were adopted as hereditary surnames in medieval Britain, preserving the memory of a trade that was both practical and socially significant.
Typical given names associated with the Faulkner surname
Male
- Andrew
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Richard
- Robert
Female
- Claire
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Helen
- Jane
- Julie
- Margaret
- Mary
- Patricia
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
- Falkner
- Falconer
- Falknor
- Fauckner
- Falconar
- Falconner
- Falkener
- Falconieri
- Falkiner
- Falkoner
- Faukner
- Faulconer
- Faulkan
- Faulken
- Faulkener
- Faulker
- Faulkiner
- Faulknall
- Faulknar
- Faulkney
- Faulknor
- Faulkoner
- Faulner
- Fauner
- Fawckner
- Fawknee
- Fawkner
- Fawlkner
- Felkner
- Fleckner
- Flecknor
- Folkner
- Forkner
- Foulkner
- Fulkner
- Volkner
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Faulkner in...
Braille
⠋⠁⠥⠇⠅⠝⠑⠗
Morse
..-..-..-.-..-.--...-.
Semaphore
There are approximately 18,163 people named Faulkner in the UK. That makes it the 480th most common surname in Britain. Around 279 in a million people in Britain are named Faulkner.
Surname type: Occupational name
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Faulkner
- Lisa Faulkner - Actress and television presenter
- James Faulkner - Actor
- Eric Faulkner - Guitarist, Singer/Songwriter
- William Faulkner - American writer (1897 to 1962)
- Brian Faulkner - Politician (1921 to 1977)
- Newton Faulkner - Singer-songwriter
- Richie Faulkner - Guitarist
- Richard Faulkner, Baron Faulkner of Worcester - Baron
- Max Faulkner - Golfer (1916 to 2005)
- Graham Faulkner - Actor
- Wilmot Selwyn Faulkner - Britiish DJ, presenter, radio personality and entrepreneur from London and has been in the music bus
- Raymond O. Faulkner - Egyptologist (1894 to 1982)
- Keith Faulkner - Actor
- David Faulkner - Civil servant
- Ken Faulkner - Football player (1923 to 1)
- David Faulkner - Field hockey player
- John Faulkner - Football player (1948 to 2017)
- John Faulkner - Australian actor (1872 to 1934)
- Ray Faulkner - Football player
- Roy Faulkner - Canadian soccer player
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.