Surname Waterhouse - Meaning and Origin
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Waterhouse: What does the surname Waterhouse mean?
The surname Waterhouse is of English origin and is derived from the Middle English terms "water" and "hus", which translates to "water" and "house". This name was typically given to a person who lived by, or worked in, a water mill. It was a common practice in medieval England to derive a person's surname from their occupation, location, or physical characteristics. Another interpretation suggests that it could refer to someone who lived by a watercourse or a well. It is important to note that, many early records of the name mention Waterhouses, as small hamlets, found in various locations in the counties of Staffordshire, Durham and West Yorkshire. Some of the earliest records of the surname Waterhouse dates back to the 13th and 14th centuries in England. The name has many variants including Waterhowse, Watterhouse, and Wauterhous. It has grown in prominence through notable bearers such as the 19th-century British painter John William Waterhouse known for his works in the Pre-Raphaelite style.
Order DNA origin analysisWaterhouse: Where does the name Waterhouse come from?
The last name Waterhouse is found throughout Britain and Ireland, as well as in other Commonwealth countries. It is most common in England, where it is often associated with Lancashire, Yorkshire, Shropshire, Warwickshire, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, Somerset, and Northumberland. It is also found in Scotland, Wales, Ireland, and Canada.
The name Waterhouse is thought to have originated as an occupational name, referring to people who lived near a body of water such as a river or lake. It comes from the Old English words "waeter" and "hus", which mean water and house respectively. It may also have descended from the Norman French version of the name, Watson.
The Waterhouse family can trace its ancestry back to the 13th century, when records first began to appear in England. It has been used both as a first and last name over the centuries, but it is now primarily used as a last name.
Today, the last name Waterhouse is still very common in Britain and Ireland, where it is most often found in Yorkshire, Lancashire, and London. It is also commonly found in Scotland and Wales, as well as in the US, Canada, and Australia. In the US, it is most frequent in Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Utah.
Variations of the surname Waterhouse
The surname Waterhouse is a patronymic surname derived from the name "Water" meaning variation of Walter. It has been used in both English and Dutch, stemming from its origins in the Netherlands and England.
Variants of Waterhouse include Watters, Waters, Water, Waterhouse, Watterhouse, Waterhoue, Watterly and Waterly. Alternative spellings include Wateruse, Wattersus, Wattersoose, Watterus, Waterwys, Walewater, and Walerwater.
In Dutch and Belgian origin, the surname Waterhouse is known as Waterhuys, Waterhuijs, Wateruyse, Watrehus, Watrehusen, Wetterhuis, Wetterhouse, and Watterhouse. Variations in the Dutch spelling come from adaptations made when the first of the family arrived in the U.S., such as changes from "Waterhuis" to "Waterhouse" and "Watterhuis" to "Watterhouse".
In the United States, one of the earliest recorded appearances of the surname Waterhouse was on the passenger ship Arabella in 1630. Over the years, it has become a common American surname.
In Britain and Ireland, the earliest recorded appearance of the surname Waterhouse was in 1346, in a record of a Thomas Waterouse in the County of Lancashire.
Surnames of the same origin include Waters, Watters, Wauthier, Wattier, Woller, Wollers, Wollesen, Wolter, and Wurster. These surnames derived from the Dutch personal name "Walter", meaning "ruler" or "legislator" from Germanic roots.
Overall, the variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin for the surname Waterhouse are Watters, Waters, Water, Waterhouse, Watterhouse, Waterhoue, Watterly, Waterly, Waterhuys, Waterhuijs, Wateruyse, Watrehus, Watrehusen, Wetterhuis, Wetterhouse, Watterhouse, Waters, Watters, Wauthier, Wattier, Woller, Wollers, Wollesen, Wolter, and Wurster.
Famous people with the name Waterhouse
- Daisy Waterhouse: an English actress known for appearing in the television series Black Mirror and other films such as Bohemian Rhapsody and Piranha 3DD.
- Ricky Waterhouse: an American MMA fighter and fight trainer.
- Abigail Waterhouse: an English sculptor and illustrator.
- Sarah Waterhouse: an English naturalist, known for her work with butterflies and moths.
- Leonard Waterhouse: a professional tennis player from Zimbabwe.
- Biddy Waterhouse: an American writer and illustrator.
- Lyndon Waterhouse: a British Grammy nominated music producer.
- William Waterhouse: an English painter of the Pre-Raphaelite style.
- Wayne Waterhouse: an American professional canoeist.
- Thomas Waterhouse: a former MLB player from the USA.