What's in a Name?: Name That Job: Occupational Last Names

Here's a roundup of some common last names that originated in professions, trades, and other jobs — along with some notable people who bear them. If you have one of these last names, it's possible that one of your ancestors did this kind of work for a living.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. abbot
    the superior of a community of monks
    Father Jernej, abbot at the monastery, said he expected media interest would bring more visitors.
    Photographer Berenice Abbott; magician David Abbott, author and friend of Houdini; renowned dentist Frank Abbott; Scott Abbott, co-creator of the board game Trivial Pursuit
  2. archer
    a person who is expert in the use of a bow and arrow
    On the periphery, archers armed with crossbows shot arrows with foam tips at the enemy, and some fighters threw axes with padded blades.
    Physician Edward Archer, English doctor associated with inoculation against smallpox; actress Anne Archer; British writer Geoffrey Archer
  3. baker
    someone who prepares bread or cake
    “Different flavoring, different temperatures, different ingredients yield different types of cake, and the president as the master baker is testing recipes and deciding what type of cake he wants.”
    Actor Simon Baker; dancer and member of the French Resistance Josephine Baker; father/son NASCAR drivers Buck and Buddy Baker; founder of Christian Science Mary Baker Eddy
  4. barber
    a hairdresser who cuts hair and shaves beards as a trade
    At dozens of barbershops and laundromats across the United States, the sound of children reading aloud mingles with the buzz and snip from barbers’ tools or the din of washers.
    Football star Tiki Barber; pioneering amateur scientist Mary Elizabeth Barber
  5. butcher
    a person who slaughters or dresses meat for market
    Turning her back on the scene, Mom stared into the street as the butcher plunged his hand into a cage toward one very upset white chicken.
    My Bloody Valentine vocalist and guitarist Bilinda Butcher; photographer Clyde Butcher
  6. carpenter
    a woodworker who makes or repairs wooden objects
    He often works with wood, bending and forming it, cutting and joining it, with the meticulous craftsmanship of a fine carpenter and the visionary powers of distillation.
    Singer Karen Carpenter; horror movie director John Carpenter; abolitionist and Chicago's first pharmacist Philo Carpenter
  7. chancellor
    the person who is head of state (in several countries)
    She is heading to a meeting of world leaders, including the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, in the Egyptian resort of Sharm-el-Sheikh at the weekend in a last-minute effort to break the deadlock.
    Journalist John Chancellor; English explorer and navigator Richard Chancellor; British top model Cecilia Chancellor
  8. farmer
    a person who works growing crops or raising animals
    Recently, grower surveys indicate that farmers rank soil health as a top priority.
    Actress Frances Farmer; teacher and cookbook author Fannie Farmer; YA author Nancy Farmer
  9. hunter
    someone who tracks and kills game
    In Southeast Asia, where both species spend their winters, hunters often kill the birds to sell for food.
    Actress Holly Hunter; fictional DC superhero Rip Hunter; baseball player Catfish Hunter; journalist Hunter S. Thompson
  10. porter
    a person employed to carry luggage and supplies
    He chatted while a porter carried her things.
    Songwriter Cole Porter, writer and journalist Katherine Anne Porter, Union general Horace Porter
  11. shepherd
    someone who keeps sheep together in a flock
    Tarquinia's vivid tomb paintings meanwhile still attract tourists and lovers who linger late on dark staircases, gazing at timeless meadows where shepherds trail their flocks.
    Actress Cybil Shepherd; hot-air balloon trapeze artist Dolly Shepherd; note alternate spellings: actor Dax Shepard, news host Sheppard Smith; actor and playwright Sam Shepard
  12. smith
    someone who works metal
    From his artist’s fingers sprang objects of such wonderful beauty—cups, bowls, boxes, necklaces, daggers, great golden collars, bracelets, exquisite amulets—that Pharaoh himself would be served by no other smith.
    Economist Adam Smith, actor Will Smith and his family Jada Pinkett, Jaden, and Willow; actress Maggie Smith; 1984 protagonist Winston Smith; football player Emmitt Smith; author Alexander McCall Smith
  13. mason
    a craftsman who works with stone or brick
    Laborers carried the mortar down the ladders to the masons who would lay the stones on top of each other, troweling a layer of mortar between each stone and each layer of stones.
    Fictional lawyer Perry Mason; comedian Jackie Mason; Mason-Dixon line surveyor Charles Mason
  14. potter
    a craftsperson who makes ceramic objects
    On the first level is Common People, which features streetwear and homegoods such as sets of sleek, cylindrical mezcal cups made by a master potter.
    Fictional wizard Harry Potter and his family; children's book author-illustrator Beatrix Potter
  15. weaver
    an artisan who makes cloth by interlacing threads or yarn
    The founder, Aldo Kahane, works with textile designers and weavers from around the world to create shirts that showcase a range of intricate patterns and textures, like this plaid shirt made from variegated weaves.
    Actress Sigourney Weaver; ice dancer Kaitlyn Weaver
Created on Tue Nov 19 14:25:50 EST 2019 (updated Sun Dec 15 10:46:28 EST 2019)

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