MEANING OF THE FOLLOWING NAMES: Randolph, Maud, Cropper, Roland, Wulff, Sterne and Christabel.

Randolph

It is of Old German origin, and the meaning of Randolph is "wolf shield". From the same root as Randall. English politician Lord Randolph Churchill.

Maud

It is an Old German feminine given name meaning "powerful battler". It's a variant of the given name Matilda, and it's uncommon as a surname. The name's popularity in 19th century England is associated with Alfred Lord Tennyson's poem Maud.

Blackadder

This is a famous 'Border Country' surname, and claimed by Scotland although with some English origins. The surname derives from the lands of Blackadder on the banks of the river Adder, in the county of Berwickshire. The origination lies in the Old English words 'blaec' meaning 'black', but possibly in this context 'deep', plus 'adar'- 'winding' - a deep, winding, river. The surname is first recorded in the 15th century as shown below, and was apparently popular in Lanarkshire at one time.

Perhaps the earliest member of the clan to achieve international fame was Robert Blackader (also known as Blacader), Archbishop of Scotland, who died on pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 1508.

Cropper

occupational name for a picker of fruit or vegetables or a reaper of cereal crops, from an agent derivative of Middle English cropt(en) ‘to pick'. The word was used also to denote the polling of cattle and the name may therefore have been given to someone who did this.

Roland

It is of Old German origin, and the meaning of Roland is "renowned land". Roland is celebrated in French and Italian poetic and romantic sagas as a hero in the service of Charlemagne. Orlando is more common in several European languages, and Rowland was the preferred version in English in the past.

Wulff

It is a German family name.

There are several possible explanations as to the origin of the surname.

The first explanation for German origin of this name: It may be patronymic in origin being derived from the first name of a father. In this case, Wulf is associated with the very popular German first name Wolfgang and simply means "son of Wolfgang". In fact, here Wulf has derived from the "kurzform" of the first name. In this case, the kurzform of Wolfgang is "Wolf" so the surname in fact means "son of Wolf".

The second theory - applying both to German and English origins - is that Wulf is of the nickname origin this time being derived from the physical or personal characteristics of the original bearer. Today, the exact meaning of the nickname "Wolf" is unclear but in Medieval times it was common practice to assign the names of birds, animals or fish to people in order to identify them. No doubt the initial bearer of the name was noted for his qualities of strength and power. Variants of this surname are Wolf, Wolff, Wülf(f), and Wulff with the latter and Wulf representing the oldest forms of the name.

Sterne

It is a family name which can be of English, German or Jewish origin.

The English version of the surname is derived from Old English "styrne" and Middle English "sterne". The surname was used as a nickname for someone who was strict, austere, harsh or stern in character. The English translation of the German word is star. In the past, it also had a locational and residential meaning. Jewish usage of the name is related to the strong symbolism of a star in Judaism.

Christabel

It is of Latin and French origin, and the meaning of Christabel is "beautiful Christian" . Use has been primarily literary, as in Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem of the same name, in which the heroine is an example of innocent purity. The name was borne by the pioneer suffragette Christabel Pankhurst (20th century).