Carlisle Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Carlisle last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Carlisle last name
Meaning of the Carlisle last name: from Carlisle, 'fort of Luguvalos'. Carlisle is an English surname from the city of Carlisle in Cumbria, from Brittonic caer, "fort", and Luguvalium, its Roman name. As a last name it marked someone from the city. It spread to Scotland and to Ulster, and later to the United States, where it is now most common.
Arms associated with the Carlisle name
In English heraldry, each coat of arms associated with Carlisle has its own blazon.
Get your full Carlisle family history
This is only a glimpse of the Carlisle story. The full Carlisle history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Carlisle coat of arms. Get the full Carlisle report.
Carlisle name FAQ
What does the Carlisle name mean?
from Carlisle, 'fort of Luguvalos'. Common variants include Carlyle, Carlile, Carlysle.
Where does the Carlisle surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Canada, Australia and Northern Ireland.
Is there a Carlisle coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Carlisle coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford); George F. Black, The Surnames of Scotland (New York Public Library, 1946).