Singerline
Genealogy/Family History:
The Surnames


This is a simple list of the surnames (in all their variations) that I have found in researching my family history. Go here for the same names but arranged by location. And go here for some general background information (from various sources) on these names.



  • Abbatangelo (Ariano Irpino, Avellino, "Italy")
  • Bense (Natzungen & Dalhausen, Höxter, Westfalen, "Germany")
  • Bongo (Ariano Irpino, Avellino, "Italy")
  • Breden (Wormeln?, Höxter, Westfalen, "Germany")
  • Cameron (Kirkcudbrightshire, "Scotland")
  • Carson (Gatehouse of Fleet, Kirkcudbrightshire, "Scotland")
  • Chrismair(in) & Chrismer(in) (See, Landeck, Tirol, "Austria")
  • Ciccone (Ariano Irpino, Avellino, "Italy")
  • Comanzo (Ariano Irpino, Avellino, "Italy," & New York/New Jersey, USA)
  • Corsano (Ariano Irpino, Avellino, "Italy")
  • De Angelis? (Roccamonfina?, Caserta, "Italy")
  • Deppen (Natzungen?, Höxter, Westfalen, "Germany")
  • Dillen (Gehrden?, Höxter, Westfalen, "Germany")
  • Familiano (Campagna, Salerno, "Italy")
  • Floren (Wormeln, Höxter, Westfalen, "Germany")
  • Fodarella (Ariano Irpino, Avellino, "Italy")
  • Gahagan? (Gatehouse of Fleet, Kirkcudbrightshire, "Scotland")
  • Gargan, Garrigan, Gerrigen, & Girgan (Gatehouse of Fleet, Kirkcudbrightshire, "Scotland"; Paisley, Renfrewshire, "Scotland"; & Newark, New Jersey, USA)
  • Graham (Paisley, Renfrewshire, "Scotland")
  • Grasso (Ariano Irpino, Avellino, "Italy")
  • Heerdes & Herdes (Wormeln, Höxter, Westfalen, "Germany")
  • Hoppe, Hoppen, & Hope (Wormeln, Höxter, Westfalen, "Germany," & Newark, New Jersey, USA)
  • Krismair(in) & Krismer(in) SEE Chrismair(in)
  • Letteriello (Campagna, Salerno, "Italy," & New York, New York, USA)
  • McDonald (Newark, New Jersey, USA)
  • McGarrel, McGirel, McGerrell, & McKerrell (Paisley, Renfrewshire, "Scotland")
  • McGary (Paisley, Renfrewshire, "Scotland")
  • Miele (Roccamonfina?, Caserta, "Italy," & New York, New York, USA)
  • Nessler(in) (Nauders? & Ischgl, Landeck, Tirol, "Austria")
  • Pielsticker & Pilsticker (Wormeln, Höxter, Westfalen, "Germany")
  • Piepers & Pipers (Gehrden?, Höxter, Westfalen, "Germany")
  • Pöppen (Gehrden & Peckelsheim?, Höxter, Westfalen, Germany)
  • Rempe & Rempen (Natzungen, Höxter, Westfalen, "Germany")
  • Rosen (Wormeln, Höxter, Westfalen, "Germany")
  • Schäfers & Scheiffers (Natzungen, Höxter, Westfalen, "Germany")
  • Sheeran (Ireland & Newark, New Jersey, USA)
  • Shennan (Kirkcudbrightshire, "Scotland")
  • Singerline, Singerling, Sengerling, Zängerl, Zängerli, Zengerl, Zengerle, Zengerling, Zengerly, & Zengerlyng (See, Kappl, & Ischgl, Landeck, Tirol, "Austria"; Gehrden & Natzungen, Höxter, Westfalen, "Germany"; & Newark, New Jersey, USA)
  • Smith (Ireland)
  • Tebben & Teppen (Natzungen?, Höxter, Westfalen, "Germany")
  • Temme & Temmen (Wormeln, Höxter, Westfalen, "Germany")
  • Trilling (Wormeln, Höxter, Westfalen, "Germany")
  • Weber or Wewer (Gehrden & Siddessen?, Höxter, Westfalen, "Germany")
  • Woods (Ireland & Newark, New Jersey, USA)
  • Wülrich (Wormeln & Germete, Höxter, Westfalen, "Germany")
  • Zängerl, Zängerli, Zengerl, Zengerle, Zengerling, Zengerly, & Zengerlyng SEE Singerline


Surnames by Location
"Austria": Tirol, Landeck:
  • See/Kappl/Ischgl:
    • Chrismair(in), Krismair(in)
    • Nessler(in)
    • Zangerl(in), Zängerl(in), Zengerly
"Germany:" (Nordrhein-)Westfalen, Detmold, Höxter:
  • Gehrden (Brakel):
    • Dillen
    • Pöppen (originally from Peckelsheim?)
    • Sengerling
    • Weber or Wewer (originally from Siddessen?)
    • Zengerling, Zengerly (originally from See/Kappl, Tirol)
  • Natzungen (Borgentreich):
    • Bense (originally from Dalhausen)
    • Deppen
    • Rempe/Rempen
    • Schäfers
    • Scheiffers
    • Tebben or Teppen
    • Zengerling
  • Wormeln (Warburg):
    • Biggen
    • Floren
    • Heerdes/Herdes
    • Hoppe
    • Pielsticker/Pilsticker
    • Rosen
    • Temme/Temmen
    • Wülrich (originally from Germete)
Ireland: location(s) unknown:
  • Gargan
  • Graham
  • Hunter
  • McDonald
  • Smith
  • Woods
"Italy": Campania:
  • Avellino:
    • Ariano Irpino:
      • Abbatangelo
      • Bongo
      • Ciccone
      • Comanzo
      • Corsano
      • Fodarella
      • Grasso
  • Caserta:
    • Roccamonfina?:
      • Miele
      • De Angelis?
  • Salerno:
    • Campagna:
      • Familiano
      • Letteriello
"Scotland":
  • Renfrewshire:
    • Paisley:
      • Gargan/Girgin
      • Graham
      • Hunter
      • McGarrel/McGirel/McGerrell/McKerrell
      • McGary
  • Stewartry of Kirkcudbright:
    • Gatehouse of Fleet/Girthon:
      • Cameron
      • Carson
      • Gahagan
      • Gargan/Gerrigen/Girgan/Girgin
United States: New Jersey:
  • Newark:
    • Gargan/Garrigan
    • McDonald
    • Singerline/Singerling
    • Woods
    • Zengerling


Family Names and their Background

There are reference sources that offer insight into family names: what they might mean, their original source, the location where they are found, and so on. I'll provide citations for the information that follows.

  1. Bense: "Als Kurzform von Berchtold bezeugt (Nied, Südwestdeutsche Familiennamen), doch sicher auch zu anderen Stämmen, besonders Bär, auch zu Band und Benedictus." [Attested as a short form of Berchtold (a lower, southwest German family name), but certainly also of other lines, especially Bär, and also Band and Benedictus.] DN, p.109.

  2. Carson, Corsan, Corson: "An ancient family in Galloway which ended in the direct line in the reign of James IV. Corsans were provosts of Dumfries for several generations and were also prominent in local affairs of Kirkcudbrightshire. No value need be attached to the tradition of descent from an Italian named Corsini reputed to have been brought to Scotland by Dervorgilla to superintend the building of Sweetheart Abbey. Everything points to native origin." SOS, p.139.

  3. (Mac) Gargan, Garrigan: "Mac Geargáin, sometimes Ó Geargáin (gearg, the old word for grouse figuratively used for a warrior). A Breffny name found in Co[unty] Cavan and also in Meath and Louth [in Ireland]." SOI, p.97.

  4. Graham, Grahame, Graeme: "The name of an illustrious family of Anglo-Norman origin, which settled in Scotland early in the twelfth century. The name is derived from O[ld] E[nglish] grægham, "grey home," from the manor of that name." SOS, p.323.

  5. MacDonald: "The name of a Scottish clan. Sometimes a synonym of the Irish MacDonnell." SOI, p.74.

    MacDonnell: "Mac Domhnaill. Of three distinct origins: (a) a gallowglass family of the Glens of Antrim; (b) a native Irish sept of Thomond; and (c) a minor west Ulster sept." SOI, p.74.

    MacDonald: "Mac Dhòmhnuill (pron. Maak oonil), "son of Donald." Properly speaking there is no such surname as Macdonald. MacDhomhnuill means "son of (a particular) Donald": all others of the name are simply Domhnullach, "one of the Donalds." The chiefs of the clan in the direct line are descended from Donald, eldest son of Reginald, second son of Somerled, Regulus of the Isles. Collectively the clan is known as Clann Dòmhnuill, and, due to the absorption of many small septs and "broken men," it is therefore the most numerous and widespread of all the clans..." SOS, p.486.

  6. MacGarrell: "Mag Fhearghail. Also anglicized MacGarrell, MacGorl; now mainly Leitrim and Cavan. When the G is not aspirated (Mac Fheargail) as in Donegal, the name becomes MacCarrigle whence Cargill and Carkill." SOI, p.102 [reference under MacGirl]

    "Variants of MacGirl are MacGarrell, MacGorl and MacGurl: all these are anglicized forms of Mac Fhearghail... Mac Fheargaill is written Meg Fergail in the Annals of Loch Cé -- one of the name was among the notable men slain by the O'Doghertys in 1196. This would suggest that the sept is of the Cenél Conaill, not a branch of the O'Farrells of Annaly but this may be the modern MacGarrigle. The aspiration of the G gives the sound resulting in MacGarrell and the other forms given above. Unaspirated the same name becomes MacGarrigal, or MacGarrigle, hence the variants MacErrigle and even Cargill and Carkill. These latter are mainly associated with Co[unty] Donegal: in 1659 MacGargill was listed in Petty's "census" as a principal Irish name in the barony of Tirhugh. MacGirl, however, belongs in modern times to Leitrim and Cavan. None of these names is numerous." SIF, p.78 [reference under MacGirl]

  7. Smith: "When not the name of an English settler family, Smith is usually a synonym of MacGowan, nearly always so in Co[unty] Cavan." SOI, p.200.

    MacGowan: "Mac an Ghabhann, Mac Gabhann. In Co[unty] Cavan, the homeland of this sept, the name has been widely changed by translation to Smith (though Smithson would be a truer translation); but in outlying areas of Breffny MacGowan is retained." SOI, p.107.

  8. Zengerling: [entry under Zanger, Zänger] "südd. 'scharf, bissig, lebhaft.' Althochdeutsch Zangr|o, ulf, 'bissiger Wolf.'" ["South German 'sharp, vicious, lively.' Old High German Zangr|o, ulf 'vicious Wolf.'] DN, p.541.



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Hugh Singerline

Webpage last updated: Saturday, 28 Oct 2000
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