...to wonder why some colours are really common surnames (white/black/brown/green) and others not?

[Justbackfromnewwine]

Okay maybe I know a Pink but no reds/yellows/blues/oranges/purples.

Why is that I wonder?

Jason Orange’s surname is real, my uncle taught the Oranges at school.

Disquieted- is it octarine?

I know a family of Oranges

It has no name and I wasn't sure what to call it, but Philodox has a good ring to it.

I know an Orange and a Blue. I think with Orange they're some sort of descendent of William of Orange aren't they? I'm sure Jason Orange is.

What colour surnames are common in other languages? Are Sra Verde and Mme Verte as common/unremarkable sounding as Mrs Green?

In french the only color names I know of are M. theblack (Lenoir) and Thewhite (Leblanc).

Redman is fairly common and I also know a Pinkman.

Why Calf and Lamb, but not Cow and Sheep? Why Duck and Chicken but not Turkey and Pheasant?

Wait... what? In what country are duck and chicken surnames?

In church we occasionally sing hymns written by a Ruth Duck.

The only person I know with the surname Rose learned that it was anglicised at some point from Rosenberg in response to anti-Semitism.

Sumptuary laws might even come into it. It would probably be considered presumptuous to adopt a colour as a name if you wouldn't be allowed to wear that colour...

So when did surnames become a thing? And why/how?

It always frustrates me that people assume that there are very set rules about surnames but really they're just made up and vary considerably between different cultures.

I'm also pretty anti the use of any titles and think that we should just be known as firstname lastname, or just firstname to our friends.

Sra Verdi sounds a bit posh (thinking of Giuseppe Verdi!) But yes is a surname

Bianchi is more common

Rossi is commonest...like my nonna was, her name was often in adverts like the Itailan version of Jane Smith

Colomba (dove) is an Italian surname

“Blue” possibly comes from the Old French “blo”, meaning pale.

Nyman my surname derives from feeble in old French.

I've heard Rabbi Lionel Blue talking about this. Lots of Jewish immigrants took surnames that were colours because they saw it as commonplace here.

Nothing to add but what a fascinating thread! Thanks all, have a

I know a Susan Chicken, so yes, it can be a surname (thinking about it, we also know some Doves, Sparrows, Eagles and Sparrowhawks - better not have a joint dinner party).

But Rose is quite a common surname, and I think that will be the colour.

Surely it will be the flower? What even is the colour ‘rose’.

so you have brown, black, grey, white, green, reid, gold as a prefix where is any blue?
blumental (Jewish)

wiki tells me blumental comes from Latvia and means flowered valley

oh yes Redman

Why Calf and Lamb, but not Cow and Sheep? Why Duck and Chicken but not Turkey and Pheasant?

192.com suggests there is a couple of people in London with the surname Cow, and one with the surname Turkey.