Bywater is an uncommon surname of Old English origin. It is a topographical surname given to those who were situated near a body of water.[1] The name derives from the merger of the Old English words bi (Middle English: by) and waeter (Middle English: water) to form biwaeter.
Topographical surnames are among the earliest created, because natural and artificial features in the landscape provided easily identifiable and distinguishing names among small communities in medieval England.[1]
History
The surname was first recorded by Thomas Bithewater, a witness to a wedding which dates to 1219, in the Yorkshire Assize Rolls.[1]
This page lists people with the surnameBywater. If an internal link intending to refer to a specific person led you to this page, you may wish to change that link by adding the person's given name(s) to the link.