Hunter Is One of the Most Common English Surnames
A hunter pursues game. Like many trades, hunting gave its name to families and then to thousands of people.
A hunter is a person or animal that pursues prey. The word became a surname when English families began taking hereditary names in the medieval period, and occupational names were among the most common sources. Smith, Taylor, Wright, Baker and Hunter all record a trade an ancestor practised, sometimes eight hundred years ago.
- One who hunts. *A skilled hunter.*
- A hunting horse. *A grey hunter.*
- A pocket watch with a cover. *A gold hunter.*
- Hunter-gatherer — a way of life. *Hunter-gatherer societies.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | hunter | A big game hunter. |
| Plural | hunters | Two hunters. |
| Verb | hunt | Hunt for clues. |
| Noun | hunt | A fox hunt. |
| Female | huntress | A skilled huntress. |
How it is used in a sentence
- Hunter-gatherer societies preceded farming.Anthropology.
- He is house hunting.Searching.
- Orion the Hunter is a constellation.One of the most recognisable.
Occupational surnames
- Smith — a metalworker, the commonest English surname
- Taylor — a tailor
- Wright — a maker or builder
- Cooper — a barrel maker
- Fletcher, Chandler, Thatcher — arrow maker, candle maker, roofer
From *hunt*, Old English *huntian*, of uncertain earlier origin, plus the agent suffix *-er*.
Why are so many surnames trades?
Because when hereditary surnames spread in medieval England, a man's occupation was one of the most obvious ways to identify him.
What is a hunter watch?
A pocket watch with a hinged metal cover over the face, designed to protect it while riding.