Fletcher (surname)

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Fletcher
Gelsenkirchen Horst - Schloss - Gaudium 53 ies.jpg
Arrows
Language(s)Middle English
Origin
MeaningRegional and occupational name for an arrowsmith or seller of arrows
Region of originFrench (La Flèche), England, Scotland, Ireland

Fletcher is a surname of French, English, Scottish, and Irish origin. The name is a regional (La Flèche) and an occupational name for an arrowsmith a maker and or seller of arrows, derived from the Middle English, Old English "Fulcher" or Old French flech(i)er (in turn from Old French fleche "arrow").[1][2] The English word was borrowed into the Goidelic languages[citation needed], leading to the development of the Scottish name "Mac an Fhleisteir" (also spelt "Mac an Fhleisdeir"),[3][4] "the arrowsmith's son".

Fletcher was not necessarily the surname of a Fletcher/Arrowsmith, for example, John Little the Blacksmith, "Smith" not been his actual surname. The earliest record of the name is Jean de la Flèche (c.1030 – c.1097), a Norman noble from La Flèche, where he became its first Seigneur (lord) and held its original castle (the current one, on the same site is from the 15th century). He was father of Elias I, Count of Maine and a great grandfather of King Henry II. Jean de la Flèche was given land in England for services by William the Conqueror and some of his decedents and family settled in Yorkshire, England following the Norman Conquest. There is a record of a Robert le Flecher in 1203 (in the "Assize Court Rolls of Staffordshire", during the reign of King John), William Flecher’ also in 1203, and Peter le flechier in 1227. The name is often confused with Flesher,[1] due to the phonetic similarity.

People[]

Fictional characters[]

  • Christian Fletcher, Fletcher Christian was master's mate on board HMS Bounty during Lieutenant William Bligh's voyage to Tahiti during 1787–1789

Also, one of the names of the main antagonist in the Tamil movie Dasavathaaram, starring Kamal Haasan

  • Irwin Maurice "Fletch" Fletcher, the main character in the novel Fletch and subsequent novels by Gregory McDonald
  • Jamie "Fletch" Fletcher, in the British soap opera Hollyoaks
  • Jerry Fletcher, the protagonist of Conspiracy Theory (film), portrayed by Mel Gibson
  • Fletch, one of the thugs working for the villain "Ellis DeWald" in the movie Beverly Hills Cop III, portrayed by Michael Bowen
  • Jessica Fletcher, the main character of the television series Murder, She Wrote
  • Karl Fletcher, a central character of the British television series Dream Team
  • Morris Fletcher, a recurring character in The X-Files and The Lone Gunmen
  • Mundungus Fletcher, a Harry Potter character
  • Norman Stanley Fletcher, the lead character in the British sitcom Porridge
  • SJ Fletcher and Sid Fletcher from the British soap opera EastEnders
  • Will Fletcher, a character in the ITV television drama series The Bill
  • Ferb, Lil Fletcher, D-Fletcher, and Lawrence Fletcher, from the Disney Channel series Phineas and Ferb
  • The Fletcher family in the movie Raise Your Voice
  • Brigadier General Fletcher, a character in the video game Supreme Commander: Forged Alliance
  • James Emerson (Jaimy) Fletcher, a major supporting character in L. A. Meyer's Bloody Jack series
  • Fletcher Reede, the protagonist of the movie Liar Liar
  • Terence Fletcher, in the 2014 movie Whiplash

See also[]

  • Fletcher (disambiguation)
  • Justice Fletcher (disambiguation)
  • Fletching

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b Reaney, Percy Hilde; Wilson, Richard Middlewood (2006). A Dictionary of English Surnames (3rd ed.). London: Routledge. pp. 1183–1184. ISBN 0-203-99355-1.
  2. ^ "Fletcher Name Meaning and History". Ancestry.com. Retrieved 22 December 2008.
  3. ^ http://www2.smo.uhi.ac.uk/gaidhlig/faclair/sbg/lorg.php?faclair=sbg&seorsa=Beurla&facal=Fletcher&eis_saor=on&tairg=Lorg
  4. ^ http://www.faclair.com/ViewEntry.aspx?ID=F5FDE99F93D774C87B280A0240CF402A
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