USHER
Usher is a surname of both English and Scottish provenance. The name is rooted in an occupational designation, having originally described the person who supervised access to a noble or royal household.
The earliest linguistic ancestor of the surname is the Middle English word usher, itself derived from the Old French ussier. According to contemporary scholarship, the word was already in use before the Norman conquest of 1066, and the surname was brought into England several times prior to that event. A subsequent wave of settlers introduced the name into Ireland following the invasion of that country in 1170.
Within a royal or noble setting the usher was an influential station. The position was ranked above the marshal and was the second highest in a household hierarchy after the steward. The usher’s chief responsibility was to decide who could be admitted to the presence of the sovereign or lord, a duty that conferred considerable authority and, at times, the possibility of abuse.
Historical records indicate that the surname has been documented in a number of spellings, including Ausher, Usher, Ussher, Ussier, Husher, Le Usher and Lusher. One of the earliest attestations appears in the rolls of the monastery of Colchester, Essex, for the year 1216 during the reign of King Henry III; the entry lists Richard Ussier. Further examples are found in 1243 with William le Ussier of Somerset and in 1332 with Adam Husser of Cumberland.
In the early seventeenth century, the surname was among the earliest recorded in the New World. John Usher, aged twenty‑six, is listed as an emigrant to the Virginia Colony in January 1634.
Today the Usher surname remains relatively uncommon and is principally found in English‑speaking countries. Although not widespread, it continues to be recognised for its historical significance in the context of royal household administration and its long-standing presence in the annals of British and Irish genealogical records.
Typical given names associated with the Usher surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Robert
- Stephen
- Thomas
Female
- Elizabeth
- Helen
- Jacqueline
- Jean
- Jennifer
- Julie
- Karen
- 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 Usher in...
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Morse
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There are approximately 7,088 people named Usher in the UK. That makes it roughly the 1,330th most common surname in Britain. Around 109 in a million people in Britain are named Usher.
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 Usher
- David Usher - Canadian musician
- Paul Usher - Actor
- Ian Usher - Author and speaker
- Elaine Usher - Actor (1932 to 2014)
- Frank Usher - Guitarist, guitar maker
- Brian Usher - Football player
- Charles Usher - Scottish ophthalmologist (1865 to 1942)
- Benjamin Usher - Cricketer
- Andrew Usher - Scottish whisky distiller and blender (1826 to 1898)
- John Usher - Indian writer (1945 to 2008)
- Charlie Usher - Scottish rugby union player (1891 to 1981)
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.