15,707 Global HANDY Family Members

HANDY Family History

Recorded as Hand, Hands and Handy, the latter being a diminutive, this unusual surname is English. It is believed to be a nickname derived from the Olde English pre 7th Century "hand" which means what it says, and was used to denote a person with very large hands, or possibly one whose specific job required the continual use of "hands". A sizeable group of early European surname were gradually created from the habitual use of nicknames. The nicknames were given in the first instance with reference to occupation, or to a variety of characteristics, such as physical attributes or peculiarities, mental and moral characteristics, supposed resemblance to an animal's or bird's appearance or disposition, and habits of dress.