What’s in a name…

My family tree contains the names Scarfe and Thirkettle, both families are from the south Norfolk / north Suffolk area!

Thirkettle: an ancient name of Old Norse origin, which represents the survival of the Old Norse personal name “Thorketill”, composed of the name “Thorr” after the god of thunder in Scandinavian mythology, with “ketill” (sacrificial) cauldron.

– Surname Database: Thirkettle Last Name Origin

This name came over with the Danish Conquerors in the 9th and 10th centuries, when several Danes thus called settled in this country.  It is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as “Turketel”, “Turkil”, “Turchil”, “Thurketel” in Suffolk circa 1095.

Scarfe: is a fairly unusual name (according to Inter-web!) and is of Old Norse origin, mainly found in North England and Scotland, especially the Orkneys, and has two possible sources.  The first source is location , any of the various places named with the Old Norse topographical term “skarth”, gap or notch.   It could also come from the old Norse word “skarfr” meaning cormorant or the butt-end of a plank!