Christmas is a relatively rare surname,[1] which was originally a byname given to a person born at Christmas. The byname was spelled "Cristemass" in 1185 and 1191, and "Cristesmesse" in 1308.[2] The name is principally found in Essex and Sussex counties in England.
Notable persons with the surname Christmas
- Ernst William Christmas (1863-1918), Australian painter
- Christmas Humphreys (1901-1983), British barrister, controversial judge, Shakespeare scholar, and Buddhist convert
- Eric Christmas (1916-2000), British actor
- Johnny Christmas (born 1982), American lacrosse player for Philadelphia Wings
- Cecil Christmas (1886-1916), English footballer
Fictional characters with the name Christmas
- Christmas Jones, scientist played by Denise Richards in the James Bond movie The World Is Not Enough
- Lloyd Christmas, played by Jim Carrey in the movie Dumb and Dumber
References
- ^ "DNA search for 'father' Christmas", BBC News, 2005-11-23. Retrieved on 2007-12-25.
- ^ Reaney, P. H., & R. M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames (London: Routledge, 1991; Oxford University Press, 1995), s.n. Christmas.
