North Surname Meaning & Origin
What the North last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the North last name
Meaning of the North last name: one from the north. North is an English surname for someone who lived to the north of a village or who came from the north, from Old English norþ. The last name was spread widely across England. Frederick North, Lord North, was Prime Minister during the American Revolution, and Oliver North made it famous in the 1980s.
Arms associated with the North name
Coats of arms associated with the North surname follow English heraldry, each set out in a short blazon.
Get your full North family history
This is only a glimpse of the North story. The full North 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 North coat of arms. Get the full North report.
North name FAQ
What does the North name mean?
one from the north. Common variants include Northe, Norths.
Where does the North surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Canada and Australia.
Is there a North coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized North coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).