Frequency: (345)
(number of times this surname appears in a sample database of 88.7 million names, representing one third of the 1997 US population)
Scottish and northern English: from the Anglo-Scandinavian personal name Wælþēof (Old Norse Valþiófr), composed of the elements val ‘battle’ + þiofr ‘thief’, i.e. one who snatched victory out of battle. This spelling is found mainly in Scotland.
See the Key to the Dictionary or consult the General Introduction for further explanation.
