The drinkwater Surname
drinkwater Name Meaning and History
English: nickname from Middle English drink +
water. In the Middle Ages weak ale was the universal beverage
among the poorer classes, and so cheap as to be drunk like water,
whereas water itself was only doubtfully potable. The surname was
perhaps a joking nickname given to a pauper or miser allegedly unable
or unwilling to afford beer, or may have been given in irony to an
innkeeper or a noted tippler. Compare French Boileau, German
Trinkwasser.
Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4
Learn the meaning and history of your first name
Share this page with friends and family
Search for drinkwater records
More resources for your drinkwater family history
Drinkwater message board
Threads: 116 - Messages: 427
Start your FREE family tree. Who will you discover?
A family tree is the easiest way to start discovering your family history. To begin, just enter whatever you know and we'll use that to try and find more information for you.
Begin your family tree with your name:
The drinkwater name in History
A unique volume of fascinating facts, statistics and commentary following the drinkwater family name as far back in history as possible.
Member Connections
- Anonymously contact one of the Ancestry members researching the drinkwater last name.
- Search for Ancestry members researching one of your specific ancestors.
- Create or update your own Ancestry member profile so that other members can anonymously contact you.
More Tools and Resources
- Search Ancestry.com for all of your drinkwater ancestors.
- Create and publish your own family history book using Ancestry Press.
- Learn more about your family history using DNA Ancestry.
- Learn more about family history in the Ancestry Learning Center.
- Visit the Ancestry.com homepage.