STURGEON
The surname Sturgeon has roots in both England and Scotland. It is derived from the Middle‑English word sturgeon, a term that refers to a large river fish belonging to the family Acipenseridae. As such the name was originally metonymic, applied either as a nickname to a person with a long nose or protruding chin, or as an occupational designation for a fishmonger or trader of sturgeon.
Early documentary evidence of the name dates back to the late thirteenth century. A record from 1281 in the Calendar of Inquisitiones post mortem in Cumberland lists a William Sturjon. The name appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Essex in 1327 and in the “Calendar of letter Books” of London in 1380. Parish registers of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries contain entries such as the marriage of Jone Sturgen to Roger Clarson at St. Margaret’s, Westminster, on 13 June 1540, and the union of John Sturgeon with Elizabeth Olyver at St. Michael Bassishaw on 25 February 1565.
Among the most prominent bearers of the surname was William Sturgeon (1783‑1850). After serving in the army from 1802 to 1820, he invented the soft‑iron electro‑magnet in 1823, a precursor to the dynamo and the magneto‑electrical machine. His work laid the foundations for the development of electric power transmission.
In contemporary times the surname remains common in Britain, particularly in England and Scotland, where about four thousand people carry the name. In the United States the name is held by more than nineteen thousand individuals, with a concentration in the southern and mid‑western states such as Tennessee, Kansas, and Indiana. Variants of the surname include Sturgis, Sturges, Sturge, Sturgin and Sturges, among others, reflecting historical spelling differences and regional pronunciations.
Typical given names associated with the Sturgeon surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Jon
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Robert
- William
Female
- Claire
- Elizabeth
- Helen
- Jacqueline
- Jane
- Joanne
- Joyce
- Julie
- Karen
- Margaret
- Mary
- Nicola
- 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 Sturgeon in...
Braille
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Morse
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Did you know?
According to a survey carried out by Democracy Club, politicians and candidates with the surname Sturgeon are most likely to say that their favourite biscuit is a Tunnock's Caramel Wafer.
There are approximately 2,382 people named Sturgeon in the UK. That makes it roughly the 3,644th most common surname in Britain. Around 37 in a million people in Britain are named Sturgeon.
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Sturgeon
- Nicola Sturgeon - First Minister of Scotland and leader of the Scottish National Party
- William Sturgeon - Inventor (1783 to 1850)
- Michael Sturgeon - Cricketer
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.