English and French

The family names English and French are not uncommon. At a first glance, they are quite obvious. A person named French simply has ancestors coming from France. However, the Hank and Hodges A Dictionary of Surnames remarks that it in some cases, it might have originated as a nickname for person just behaving like a Frenchman. It also points out that Irish bearers of this name “are said” – hedging their bets there – to descend from the Norman Baron Theophilus de Frensche. If “de Frensche” is the same word as French or has another origin is not made completely clear. If it refers to the nation, it has a bit of a royal air. This might be something to return to in the future.
The English then. Having considered the name one more time, it seems odd that English is an English family name. The whole idea behind family names is to distinguish and English does not seem that distinguishing in England. Turning to Hank and Hodges again, they are not really sure although they offer possible explanations. The name could during the early Middle Ages have been used for English persons in areas where Englishness was not the rule. Examples are the parts where Danes were strong, in Scotland or in parts of Wales. After 1066 it could have been used for English people where the Normans had settled intensively. Thinking about it, Hank’s and Hodges’s explanations make a lot of sense and seem to settle the matter.

PS The City Hall in Calais was the best I could find at Shutterpoint to illustrate this post...