Bishop Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Bishop last name means, where the surname began and where it was first recorded.
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Meaning and origin of the Bishop last name
Meaning of the Bishop last name: bishop, a nickname or servant name. Bishop comes from Old English biscop, "bishop". Since medieval bishops were celibate clergy, the surname rarely means descent from one. It was often a nickname for a solemn or pompous man, a name for a servant in a bishop's household, or a name for someone who played the boy bishop in the December festivities of the church. The name is common in southern and western England, and in New England from the 17th century. The boy bishop custom, in which a choirboy was elected to act as bishop around the feast of Saint Nicholas on 6 December and the feast of the Holy Innocents on 28 December, was popular in medieval English cathedrals and churches. The surname is recorded from the 12th century. It is also found in Ireland. Bishop families settled in Massachusetts and Connecticut in the 1630s.
Our historical archives hold much more on the Bishop name: dates, names and records of early bearers.
This overview covers the Bishop name in England. We also hold records of the name in other countries, such as the United States, Canada and Australia; your full pack is researched for your family's country of origin.
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Bishop name FAQ
What does the Bishop name mean?
Bishop, a nickname or servant name. Common variants include Bisshop, Bischoff, Busby.
Where does the Bishop surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Canada and Australia.
Is there a Bishop coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals, not whole surnames, so there is no single Bishop crest. Herald Lab paints a personalized Bishop coat of arms based on historic heraldry.
Researched by Herald Lab Research Studio, since 1993. Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford); US Census Bureau 2010.