HORNBY
Hornby is a surname of English origin, frequently found in the northern parts of England.
The name derives from the Old Norse elements horn, meaning “horn”, and byr, meaning “farm” or “settlement”. These components reflect the Norse influence on the place names of the British Isles, particularly in areas settled by Viking colonisers during the early medieval period.
There are two principal interpretations of the derivation of Hornby. Firstly, it is a locational surname, signifying a person who originated from a place named Hornby. Such place names are recorded in several counties of the British Isles, including Lancashire and Yorkshire where the surname is most prevalent.
The alternative explanation is that the name is topographical, describing an individual who lived near a horn-shaped bend in a river or a hill that resembled a horn. This interpretation accounts for the use of the word horn in an adjectival sense rather than a literal animal horn.
Historically, bearers of the Hornby surname have been part of the Christian community in England, as reflected in parish records and other ecclesiastical documents. The surname reflects both the geographical features of the region and the linguistic heritage of the area.
In contemporary practice, the surname Hornby remains a recognised and fairly common name in the north of England, particularly in Lancashire and Yorkshire, where it can be traced through a variety of civil and church records that document the continuity of families bearing this name over several centuries.
Typical given names associated with the Hornby surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- Ian
- James
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Robert
- Stephen
Female
- Catherine
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Gillian
- Karen
- Lisa
- Margaret
- Mary
- Patricia
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Hornby in...
Braille
⠓⠕⠗⠝⠃⠽
Morse
....---.-.-.-...-.--
Semaphore
Did you know?
According to a survey carried out by Democracy Club, politicians and candidates with the surname Hornby are most likely to say that their favourite biscuit is a Custard Cream.
There are approximately 5,587 people named Hornby in the UK. That makes it roughly the 1,693rd most common surname in Britain. Around 86 in a million people in Britain are named Hornby.
Surname type: Location or geographical feature
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Hornby
- Nick Hornby - Novelist
- Clive Hornby - Actor (1944 to 2008)
- Fraser Hornby - Scottish football player
- Andy Hornby - Businessman
- Frank Hornby - Toy inventor, businessman and politician (1863 to 1936)
- Lewis Hornby - Football player
- Mary Snell-Hornby - -Austrian translator and scholar
- Tyler Hornby-Forbes - Football player
- Richard Hornby - Politician (1922 to 2007)
- Geoffrey Hornby - Admiral (1825 to 1895)
- Sam Hornby - Football player
- Harry Hornby - Politician (1841 to 1928)
- Ron Hornby - Football player (1914 to 1962)
- Eric Hornby - Football player (1923 to 2018)
- Phipps Hornby - Royal Navy officer (1785 to 1867)
- Cecil Hornby - Football player (1907 to 1)
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.