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Fletcher (surname)

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Fletcher
Arrows
Language(s)Middle English and French
Origin
MeaningRegional and occupational name for an arrowsmith or seller of arrows
Region of originFrench (La Flèche), England, Scotland, Ireland

Fletcher is an Anglo-Norman surname of French, English, Scottish and Irish origin. The name is a regional (La Flèche) and an occupational name for an arrowsmith (a maker and or seller of arrows), derived from the Old French flecher (in turn from Old French fleche "arrow").[1][2] The English word was borrowed into the Goidelic languages[citation needed], leading to the development of the Scottish name "Mac an Fhleisteir" (also spelt "Mac an Fhleisdeir"),[3][4] "the arrowsmith's son."

While Fletcher was the occupational name, it was more often not the surname of a fletcher or arrowsmith professional. The progenitor of the family was Jean de la Flèche, a Norman noble from La Flèche, where he later succeeded his father to became its second seigneur (lord) and held its original castle. He was the youngest son of Seigneur Lancelin I de Beaugency (the first lord of Beaugency) and he married Paula of Maine, daughter of the Count of Maine. They were the parents of Elias I, Count of Maine and great grandparents of King Henry II. Jean de la Flèche was granted land in England for services by William the Conqueror and some of his decedents and family settled in Yorkshire, England following the Norman Conquest.

There is a record of a Robert le Flecher in 1203 (in the "Assize Court Rolls of Staffordshire", during the reign of King John), William Flecher’ also in 1203 and Peter le Flechier in 1227. The name is often confused with Flesher[1] because of the phonetic similarity.

Not all of the family emigrated to England following the Conquest, as the Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae lists one Robert Flechier in Normandy in the year 1198. A branch of the family, de La Fléchère (also known as La Fléchère de Beauregard) settled in the county of Savoy in the thirteenth century and later became Counts of Alex and Veyrier-Châtillon. They resided at castle of Beauregard until 2004. In the 18th century Jean Guillaume de La Fléchère (1729–1785), Anglican priest, theologian and Methodist saint immigrated to Britain and anglicized his name to John William Fletcher.

Today, the Fletcher surname along with various spelling variations can be found in many countries including the United Kingdom, Ireland, France and many other countries formally associated with the British Empire due to immigration, colonisation or slavery, particularly in America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Africa.

In some cases people may have adopted the last name, either for assimilation purposes if they felt their last name sounded too foreign. The original progenitor, Jean de la Flech changed his name from de Beaugency to reflect he was lord of la Flech. This practise was often done, particularly with the Normans after the Conquest of England. The German grandparents of the American singer known as 'Fletcher' immigrated to the United States, where their last name 'Fleischhauer' (Butcher) was incorrectly anglicized to 'Fletcher'. Former slaves may also have taken the last name of their former enslavers, possibly for reunion/reference/identification reasons.


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References

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  1. ^ a b Reaney, Percy Hilde; Wilson, Richard Middlewood (2006). A Dictionary of English Surnames (3rd ed.). London: Routledge. pp. 1183–1184. ISBN 0-203-99355-1.
  2. ^ "Fletcher Name Meaning and History". Ancestry.com. Retrieved 22 December 2008.
  3. ^ "Rannsaich an Stòr-dàta Briathrachais Gàidhlig".
  4. ^ "Mac an Fhleisteir".
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