Large
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Bigtophat
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Reverted edits by [[Special:Contributions/72.141.46.46|72.141.46.46]] to last version by Canglesea (using [[WP:HG|Huggle]])
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{{Family name
| name =Large
|image=
|imagesize=
|caption=
| pronunciation =
| meaning ="abundant" "ample" "big" "generous" "liberal"
| region =England, see France for parallel surnames
| origin =Latin, Old French , Middle English
| related names=Lardge, Lurge, Larg, le Large, de Large
| footnotes =
}}
'''Large''' is an [[England|English]] [[surname]], with variants including '''Lardge''', '''Lurge''', and '''Larg'''. Its meaning is variable, though it may derive from the [[Norman French]] adjective, ''large'' (meaning "generous" or "big" [as in, "that's big of you", meaning generous, as well as large in size]), as it is found in the surname "le Large" in English records dating back as far as the [[13th century]]. Harrison's work on English surnames gives the following:
"LARGE (adjectival: French, Latin) BIG; GENEROUS [Middle English Old French ''large''; Latin ''larg-us, -a'', [meaning] abundant, liberal]"
He gives an early citation for the name: ''William le Large from the Hundred Rolls,'' a reference dating to 1273.
He also provides a quotation showing the word in its older sense of ''generous'', ''full'', ''liberal'' or ''ample'' in its literary context:
''So '''large''' of yift [gift] and free was she'' (from [[Geoffrey Chaucer|Chaucer]]'s ''Romance of the Rose'' I168)
Another variant surname, "de Large", appears to be [[continental European]] rather than English in origin.
[[Henry Brougham Guppy]]'s survey circa 1881, based on local British directories, places Large as a surname local to [[Wiltshire|North Wiltshire]], and considers it to have particular prevalence among [[yeoman farmer]]s.(Guppy, 1890)
According to the [[International Genealogical Index]], the surname is also found in many other English counties; in [[Ireland]], [[Scotland]], [[Wales]] and other [[English language]] countries; in [[France]] and [[Germany]], and, more rarely, in the [[Scandinavian countries]]. People with the name Large or its variants include:
==People==
{{Wiktionary}}
* Sir [[Andrew Large]] (born 1942), British, Monetary Policy Committee member
* [[Bonnie Large]] (born 1952), American, ''Playboy'' model
* [[Brian Large]] (born 1939), British opera video director
* [[Eddie Large]] (born 1941), British comedian
* [[John Large]] (b. ?), British engineer
* [[Josaphat-Robert Large]] (born 1942), Haitian-American poet
* [[Robert Large]] (died 1441), English, Lord Mayor of London (1439-1440) and apprentice master of [[William Caxton]], England's first printer
* [[Storm Large]] (born 1969), American singer
===Variants===
* [[Robert C. De Large]] (1842 - 1874), American politician
==References==
* Carroll, Linda Largin, ''The Largin Legacy'', 1995, p. 15 (date of reference to William le Large from the Hundred Rolls)
* Guppy, Henry Brougham. ''Homes of Family Names in Great Britain''. London: Harrison, 1890.
* International Genealogical Index, www.familysearch.org
* Harrison, Henry ''Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary'', 1912/1918, reprinted 1969 and 1996, p. 264
* Reidy, John; Kurath, Hans; Lewis, Robert E.; Kuhn, Sherman M., ''Middle English Dictionary'', Language Arts & Disciplines, 1971, p. 663 (for instances of the surname) pp. 657-663 (for the adjectival and adverbial uses of the word)
{{surname|Large|nocat}}
[[Category:Surnames]]
[[Category:English surnames]]
[[Category:British Isles surnames]]
[[yi:גרויס]]