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Hunter Recorded as Huntar, Hunter, and the female Huntress and Huntriss, this ancient surname is of Anglo-Scottish origins. The derivation is from the Olde English pre 7th Century word "hunta", from "huntian", meaning to hunt, with the agent suffix "-er", meaning one who does or works with. The term was used not only of hunters on horseback of game such as stags and wild boars, a pursuit in Middle Ages restricted to the ranks of the nobility, but also as a nickname for both bird catchers and poachers. The surname is first recorded in Scotland in the early 12th century (see below), whilst the first English recording may be that of Simon Huntere in the Curia Regis Rolls for the county of Bedfordshire in the year 1220, whilst half a century later we have the recording of Agnes Huntris also recorded in the Latin form of Venatrix, in the Hundred Rolls of (appropriately) the former county of Huntingdon in 1273 . A Scottish family called Hunter gave their name to the port of Hunterston in the former county of Ayrshire, now part of Strathclyde region, an estate being granted to Norman Huntar in 1271. Later examples of surname recordings taken from surviving church registers in the diocese of Greater London include the christening of Awdrey, the daughter of John Hunter, on October 1st 1540, at St. Leonard's Eastcheap; and the marriage of Allen Hunter and Helen Bolton on June 26th 1558 at St. Lawrence Jewry, Milk Street. One of the earliest settlers in the New World was Francis Hunter, aged nineteen, who sailed from the port of London aboard the ship "Thomas and John" bound for Virginia, in June 1635. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of William Huntar. This was dated 1116, in the registers of Scotland known as the Inquisition of Earl David. This was during the reign of King Alexander 1st of Scotland, 1107 - 1124
Rudd Recorded as Rudd, Ruddy, Ruddiman, Rudman and Rood, this is a very English surname. Dating from pre 8th century Anglo-Saxon times, it is either a topographical name for a person who lived by a "rood" or cross, or was a nickname applied to a person with red hair or with a ruddy complexion. The derivation is from the Old English pre 7th century word "rudig", meaning red, or ruddy. Early examples of the surname recordings showing the development over the centuries include: Richard atte Reode of Somerset in 1273, George Roode also spellt as Rudde, a student at Oxford University in 1554, and John Rood who married Susanna Sturton at St Georges Chapel, Hanover Square, Westminster, in 1790. Thomas Rudd (1584 - 1656) was a noted military engineer, he superintended the defence and harbour works at Portsmouth and Dover and was chief engineer to the royalists during the English Civil War (1641 - 1649). The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Gerard Rudde. This was dated 1189, in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire, during the reign of King Richard 1st of engalnd and known as "The Lionheart", 1189 - 1199. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.
Feast This unusual surname of Germanic origin, is an interesting example of that sizeable group of early European surnames that were gradually created from the habitual use of nicknames. These nicknames were given with reference to a variety of personal characteristics, such as physical attributes or peculiarities, mental and moral haracteristics, or to habits of dress and occupation. The derivation, in this case, is from the Middle High German "veizet", corpulent, from the Old High German "feizit", stout, originally denoting a stocky, well built person. The cognate German name "Fett" derives from the Middle Low German "vett", plump, an element related to the Old Frisian "fett, fatt" and the Olde English "faet(t)", fat. In the modern idiom the surname has a number of variant spellings ranging from Faist, Faisst and Faistle (Swabia) to Feist, Fest, Geest and Feast. On January 19th 1583, Joes Faisst, an infant, was christened in Rheinhessen, Hessen, Germany, and on December 22nd 1609, Johannes Henricus, son of Hans Feisst, was christened in Ettenheim, Freiburg, Baden. The marriage of Richard Feast to Margery Might took place at St. Dunstan's, Stepney, London, on September 21st 1612. Walburga Feist, aged 42 yrs., of Schuttersthal, Germany, sailed from Bremen aboard the ship "Hermann" bound for New York, arriving at that port on June 4th 1866. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of George Fest, which was dated October 30th 1570, witness at a christening at St. Dunstan's, Stepney, London, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth 1, known as "Good Queen Bess", 1558 - 1603. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.