Unnumbered source etymology
Original entry ↗An English topographic surname from Middle English for someone living near a well or a spring. · A male given name transferred from the surname. · A small cathedral city and civil parish with a city council in Somerset, England, previously in Mendip district (OS grid ref ST5445). · A small town in Norfolk, England; in full, Wells-next-the-Sea.
From Old English wella, genitive plural of well (“spring”), in reference to a residence near a group of springs. The original use of the genitive case here would've indicated origin. The -s ending of the modern form would be added later on upon reanalysis after the breakdown of the case system (outside of pronouns) that occurred in the development of English.
Relationships mentioned by the source
These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.
- Inherited-form mentionwellaang
This page abbreviates 14 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.
Inspect preserved source fields
Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.
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"An English topographic surname from Middle English for someone living near a well or a spring.",
"A male given name transferred from the surname.",
"A small cathedral city and civil parish with a city council in Somerset, England, previously in Mendip district (OS grid ref ST5445).",
"A small town in Norfolk, England; in full, Wells-next-the-Sea."
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