The popejoy Surname
popejoy Name Meaning and History
English: nickname from Middle English popinjay,
papejai ‘parrot’ (via Old French papageai from Arabic
bab(b)agha). The ending of the English word was altered by
folk etymological association with the bird name jay. The
nickname was probably acquired by a talkative person or by someone who
habitually dressed in bright colors, but occasionally it may have
denoted someone who was connected with or who excelled at the medieval
sport of tilting or shooting at a wooden parrot (popinjay) on a pole.
Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4
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