Having had to bear the name FLETCHER for several decades now, I had this nagging feeling that maybe I should learn what exactly the name means. I know that my family came from Scotland and all that and some relation of mine reputedly saved the life of Rob Roy from a menacing dragon (gads, Dungeons and dragons), but how did we get our name? Bakers, Smiths, etc. are obvious examples of last names that were derived from occupations but FLETCHERS?

Well, a fletch is the feather on an arrow and the FLETCHER is the person who selects the feathers and designs the fletch placement on the arrow as well as securing the fletchs. In short we FLETCHERS were the original missile guidance specialists! The blacksmiths made the arrowheads and...the arrowsmiths made.....yes you guessed it. the arrowsmiths got the SHAFT! However, I suspect that in the long run, the FLETCHERS finally got the shaft too while the blacksmiths still got the point.

Although I could add much more, I shall leave this topic open for others who wish to add more or detract if they wish.

Happy New Year

Master Fletcher, Missile Guidance Specialist and Grindstone Sales, LTD.

There is not a lot to comment on, since you seem to have a good grasp of your surname and its origin.

I doubt there were many dragons around in Rob Roy's time but there were a lot of "dragoons".

While Fletcher has been associated with Clan Gregor for a long time, as an occupational surname it was likely common in other clans as well. The bow did not go out of fashion as a weapon of war until late in the 17th c. among the Highland clans so most clans probably had someone who was making arrows.

If the Blacksmiths always got the point and the Arrowsmiths always got the shaft.. would that not mean that Fletchers always got the tail?

The tail end of arguments between the Blacksmiths and Arrowsmiths of course, this is why a Fletchers house is much like an arrow, one must always 'nock' first.

Happy new year everyone!

Common understanding, taken from the medieval ordnances, is that Bowyers made the bows, Stringers made the bowstrings and Fletchers made the arrows.

Thus, a fletcher was responsible for selecting, preparing and shaping the arrowshaft, then attaching the feathers. Arrows could be supplied 'with iron heads' (that is, with a bodkin of some - unspecified - type) or without. There is much less reference in the ordnances to arrowsmiths, who we presume were responsible for forging the arrowhead. There is no evidence that a Blacksmith had any involvement in the arrow making process. This could imply that Arrowsmithing was a 'sub-industry' of fletching.

This are the definitions still used today by the Guild of Bowyers and Fletchers. I am very privileged to be friends with several Master Bowyers and Master Arrowsmiths.


Oh, and while you're looking at the etymology of familial names, notice that any names ending '-ster' like Brewster or Sempster, would have been jobs traditionally done by women, rather than men.

Happy New Year!

It seems there are at least 3 major types of last names for people of western European descent:

1) Trade. Name derived from the occupation of an ancestor: Fletcher, Cooper, Goldsmith, Bowyer, ______smith, etc.
2) Ancestral (for lack of a better word). These derive from an ancestor's name: Johnson (son of John), Robertson, MacDonald (son of Donald), etc. Mine apparently falls into this category, though less obviously. Arnau (the original Spanish spelling of my last name) comes from Arnal, the Catalan version of the Spanish first name "Arnoldo." So I guess all those people that misspell my last name as "Arnold" are just trying to be true to the original. :)
3) Locational. having to do with where an ancestor was from: Englander, etc.

I find this stuff fascinating. :)

There's also a fourth group, which I suppose you could characterise as 'Anatomical' - that is, names based on some physical characteristic. So you'll find people named for their height, weight, hair colour etc; including some period names that were downright pornographic!

A related question then. Are the terms fletcher and arrowsmith applied for the makers of crossbow ammunition as well?

Thanks,
Steven

Not everyone gets a nice neat name.

M.

Mr Eversberg is right. Quarantillo. It supposedly means "Small group of 40" in Italian. anyone got any ideas where that comes from?

Probably a mercenary leader or the head of some kind of freelance group.

M.

Mine comes from Rhine, or the Rhine River that flows through Germany and Stadt, city or place. So... City or place on the Rhine is the closest translation my family can come up with (anyone who speaks German feel free to correct me!). Any idea what this might mean? Beyond living somewhere along the Rhine river I've no idea.

Can't say I'm not happy with my last name :)

Actually there are doubts as to whether it was attributed to actual knights or just to the guys that took care of the horses in the stable, but I'm allowed to dream at least :D

I actually think a good part of my interest in all things swordy from an early age came from my name (I don't remember when it started...). Of course as a little boy when you start looking up what a "chevalier" was you find plenty of interesting things...

Regards,