Onion One-Name Study

Onion
One-Name Study

Topics

About the Onion One-Name Study
Variants
Origin of the surname
Historical occurrences
Frequency of the name
Distribution of the name
Data
Contact Details

About the Onion One-Name Study

I have been researching the surname Onion for many years. Over this period I have amassed a large amount of information and am happy to pass on any relevant material to other researchers. I welcome any additional information from other researchers with an interest in the surname. To obtain a copy of the current Onion One-Name Study Newsletter please contact me.

Variants

Onion / Onions / O'nion / Onnion / Onyon / Einion / Wenyon

Origin of the surname

Originally I thought that the origins were solely in Wales but over the years I am inclined to think that there were two distinct groups of people bearing this surname.

(1) Welsh. From the personal name EINION. Probably ultimately derived from the Latin personal name Annianus which enjoyed popularity as a result of association with Welsh - EINION (anvil) or UNIAWN (upright, just).

(2) French/English. Occupational name from an onion grower or seller. French OIGNON (onion)

Research over the years seems to throw up two distinct area in which the surname predominates. Staffordshire/Shropshire/Wales/Northern England and Essex/Kent/Hampshire/Suffolk.

An early North-South divide?

Historical occurrences

Many and varied. Ranging from King/St. Einion ap Lleyn, born c. 492, and Iorwerth ap Einion named as one of those involved in the 1327 seige of Caerphilly Castle. There are at least three Welsh legends with a character named Einion mentioned. Some were early settlers of America and have a tenuous link with the Washington family and others sailed to New Zealand and you can toast their endeavours with a glass of wine from vineyards planted on land originally farmed by them. Some went as misionaries to China. There were also plenty of stay-at-homes whose familes resided within one parish for many generations. Onion men are found in many fields of conflict. One sailor surname Onion was wounded at Trafalgar, others gave their lives in both World War Wars, winning many gallantry awards including a Victoria Cross, and another was involved in the Wanhsien Incident in China. One became a successful author.

Frequency of the name

See distribution below

Distribution of the name

The 1881 Census of England, Wales and Scotland shows 2412 incidents of the name. 603 of these were in Staffordshire, 293 in Shropshire and 235 in Warwickshire.

Data

Information from parish registers, census, probate records, civil registration, newspapers, maps & photographs.

Contact details

For further information, contact:

Miss Catherine Onion
106 Tettenhall Rd,
Wolverhampton,
West Midlands
WV6 0BW
UNITED KINGDOM
E-mail:

This page last updated 2 March 2008.