Pontiff
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Frequency: (215)
(number of times this surname appears in a sample database of 88.7 million names, representing one third of the 1997 US population)
English and French: from Old French pontife ‘pontiff’, hence a nickname for someone who had played the role of the pope or a high priest in a medieval religious play, or for a vain or pompous person.
GIVEN NAMES: Irish 6%; French 4%. Donovan (2), Murphy; Evest, Octave.
See the Key to the Dictionary or consult the General Introduction for further explanation.
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Copyrights:
Oxford Dictionary of Family Names
Dictionary of American Family Names. Copyright © 2006 Patrick Hanks. All rights reserved.
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