Etymograph

English

Metcalf

Metcalf may come from Old English *metecealf ‘meat calf’.

  1. Old Englishc. 450–1150*metecealf‘meat calf’uncertain
  2. Englishearliest quotation 2025Metcalf

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Old Englishc. 450–1150*metecealf‘meat calf’uncertain
  2. Englishearliest quotation 2025Metcalf

Earliest quotation: 2025, Bobby Burack, GiveSendGo's $300,000 Page For Karmelo Anthony Is Consistent: “The online fundraising site GiveSendGo continues to face criticism…”

The story

Possibly from Old English *metecealf (‘meat calf’), a calf to be fattened up for eating. The use as a surname could have started off as a jocular nickname for an individual thought to be as "fat as a prize-calf"; or else in reference to the occupation involved in fattening up such a calf.

Every English word from Old English *metecealf

Today it means

name A Northern English surname.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Old English *metecealf / Metcalf

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