What is the meaning of the surname collier?
According to the House of Names the surname Collier is an occupational surname of Anglo-Saxon origin. Occupational surnames were used to represent the occupation of a person in ancient times when surnames were not yet hereditary.MeaningThe surname Collier is thought to be derived from the old English word Col, meaning coal. The Coat of Arms Store reports a collier to be a person who burns charcoal or a person who gathers and sells coal.GeographyThe House of Names describes the origins of the name Collier to lie in the county of Lancashire in the north of England where the word Collier is still used in the area around the town of Furness for coal merchants. The House of Names explains that the Collier family are thought to have held a family seat in Lancashire.HistoryThe Collier family seat in Lancashire is thought to date back to before the Norman Invasion of 1066. The House of Names reports the name is thought to have been in common use before the Doomsday book census taken by Norman
