The FISHER Surname

 

Mention a surname and the first place to look for sustenance is the Guild of One-Name-Studies, whose Web Site is http://www.one-name.org/profiles/fisher.html.   With that done I can with a clear conscience lift the following thoughts.

UK Distribution

"The UK 2001 Electoral Register records nearly 50,000 Fishers. Not surprisingly most are found in the heavily populated areas of England - London, Yorkshire and Lancashire - but these do not correspond to the areas where the population density of the surname is greatest: principally the counties of Cumberland, Nottinghamshire and Berkshire."

Origin

By the end of the 17th century the familiar modern spelling of FISHER was universally established and there is the continental surname Fischer, distinct and unrelated in all respects other than sharing a common linguistic root.

Another site providing some thoughts on origin is http://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Fisher , that of the Internet Surname Database.

Yet another helpful site is http://www.britishsurnames.co.uk/surnames/FISHER/ where you will find some statistics, the UK distribution of FISHERs in 1881 and a list of the most popular associated first names.

Brickwalls

My FISHER ancestors, back to Pearce FISHER b 1729 in Monks Horton, are found to have lived in Lyminge and Elham as farmers and labourers, travelling as far afield as Hawkinge, Brabourne and Cheriton to find wives.

The depth of knowledge of my ancestors is ably illustrated by Chris Graham-Rowe's work in
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=chrisgrahamrowe&id=P2718740739     leading me to dig deeper into the records of Sarah FRIEND. My motivation is having spent many happy childhood years in the company of this family.

The fruits of a deeper dig can be found in FISHER NOTES with records found for the parents of Thomas FISHER bap 1677.