Bishop
Originally a nickname or occupational surname for someone who worked for, acted like, or was connected with a bishop.
The #262 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 2,647 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname comes from the Middle English and Old English word for a bishop, ultimately from Latin episcopus through Old French. In many cases it began as a nickname for someone thought to resemble a bishop in dignity or manner, or as an occupational name for a bishop’s servant or retainer. It may also have been used for someone employed in a church household or living under an ecclesiastical connection.
History
Bishop is an old English surname and remains especially common in England, Scotland, and the United States. Early surname collections usually treat it as an ecclesiastical or descriptive name rather than as a direct sign of clerical office, since bishops themselves would not normally have left hereditary surnames in that way. The name spread widely in English-speaking countries and is now one of the more familiar English surnames.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same root behind Bishop also gave English the more learned form episcopal.
From the historical record
“BISII. See Byshe. BISHOP. See Ecclesiastical Surnames. BISIIOPRICK. The co. of Durham is BLA 29 frequently called, in old writinf^s, ^wr”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United KingdomNotable people named Bishop
- Jamie Foxx (b. 1967)
- Elizabeth Bishop (1911–1979)
- J. Michael Bishop (1936–2026)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.