POINTS
The surname Points is of English origin, with its earliest roots in the Anglo‑Saxon period. The name is derived from the Old English word punt, meaning “a point, a peak or a pointed piece of land.” In the Middle Ages, it was common for individuals to be identified by prominent geographical features close to their dwelling; hence a person living near a sharp hill or a pointed tract of ground could have been described by the term Points, which later became a hereditary surname.
Another significant source of the surname is the Old French word pointe, referring to a pointed end or a pointed piece of land. In medieval English society, this came to denote a topographical surname for those situated at a salient or protruding area of land, and the spelling of the name was gradually anglicised throughout the centuries. Variants such as Point, Pointer, Pointing and alternatively Poyntz all share this common origin.
In addition to its topographical meaning, Points also has a medieval occupational dimension. The term described a kind of high‑quality, twisted yarn or leather cord used in the fastening of a doublet and hose. The word appears in Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Part I in the line, “Their points being broken.” The occupation of a pointer – a person who produced or handled such cords – is documented as early as the year 1265. It is this usage that explains the inclusion of the surname among medieval occupational names recorded in the spellings Point, Points, Pointer, Poynter and Poyntz.
Early documentary evidence of the surname includes the name Benedict le Puintur, dated 1206 in the Pipe Rolls of Berkshire, and Hugo Poyntz, whose family held lands in Devon and served in Ireland in 1210 during the reign of King John. These records illustrate the surname’s presence in both landed gentry and administrative contexts during the early 13th century.
Throughout the centuries, the spelling of the name has evolved under the influence of regional dialects, changes in literacy, and the natural linguistic drift characteristic of English surnames. Modern variants such as Pointe, Pointes, Pointon, Poynt, Poynte, Poynton, Pont, Pount and Pointz may reflect phonetic spelling attempts or orthographic reinterpretations of the original root. Despite these variations, the core meaning of a pointed or salient landmark remains intact.
Today, the surname Points is relatively uncommon both in England and in other English‑speaking countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Its distribution is thinly spread, with no single region maintaining a significant concentration. Genealogical research into the surname often requires examination of medieval records, parish registers, and civil documents to trace its evolution from a topographical descriptor to a hereditary family name, given the variety of forms it has adopted over the ages.
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 Points in...
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There are approximately 107 people named Points in the UK. That makes it one of Britain's least common surnames. Only around two in a million people in Britain are named Points.
