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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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

155 replies

Justbackfromnewwine · 31/08/2018 22:21

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

Why is that I wonder?

OP posts:
BikeRunSki · 03/09/2018 07:31

treaclesoda
The dc’s school secretary is Mrs France, and now I think of it I had a primary school teach called Mme Ireland (she was French, hence Mme).

I’ve met a German, a Holland and a Dutch.
Had a secondary school teacher called Mrs Durham, and of course York is quite a common surname. It always makes me chuckle that the former (?) leader of Leeds City Council was (is?) called Wakefield (Wakefield is the next borough south of Leeds).

I have met people with surnames of Sheffield, Wiltshire, Hampshire, Devon, Cornish, Warrington, Bolton, Blackburn, Penistone too, but the origin of these more local place names is probs my fairly obvious.

DM’s maiden name means “shopkeeper” in the language of her immigrants forefathers.
Mine means “heron” in the language of my ancestors, because apparently the men were all very tall and thin. They still are!!

AvoidingDM · 03/09/2018 20:15

Thanks for the Whitesmith & Greensmith explanations. Every day is a school day as they say☺

Itsear · 03/09/2018 21:05

Hannah England is a British 800m runner. I also went to school with some ‘Brazils’, they were gypsy/travellers so it may just be a name common amoungst travellers.

TitsalinaBumSquash · 03/09/2018 21:11

I had a teacher called Mr Beige.

Scarlett is a surname I've known too.
I have a friend who has legally had the surnames, Black, Green, White and now Brown.

zwellers · 03/09/2018 21:22

Mark English the Irish runner confused me for a while. Plenty of trade surnames around, Cooper, fletcher, the various wrights.

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