English (mainly Yorkshire): nickname for a peasant who gave
himself airs and graces, from Anglo-Norman French segneur
‘lord’ (Latin senior ‘elder’).
English and Dutch:
distinguishing nickname for the elder of two bearers of the same
personal name (for example, a father and son or two brothers), from
Latin senior ‘elder’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4
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