From Kane To Sterling, Osborne House Flies England Flag Featuring 32,000 English Surnames

Kane, Sterling, Pickford and Phillips; four of more than 32,000 surnames which feature on an England flag flying at Osborne House and other English Heritage’s properties from today (Friday), ahead of Sunday’s Euro 2020 final.

The charity designed the flags to feature the surname of almost everyone living in England today – either in the red or white of the St George Cross – and is flying the flag at its castles and palaces around the country to cheer on the England football team.

English Heritage has also created a digital flag on the charity’s website where people will be able to explore the history and meaning of their surname, and for those whose surname is particularly rare, add to the record by submitting it for inclusion.

Other English Heritage sites flying the flag include Dover Castle, Stonehenge and Carlisle Castle.

As the England players prepare to don shirts emblazoned with their surnames and to make history by appearing in the country’s first Euro finals, English Heritage looks at the meanings behind English surnames.

A surname can reveal a long forgotten family trade, whether Smith, Thatcher, Tailor, Baker or Brewer, or football fans may take hope from Harry Kane whose surname means ‘warrior’ or watch the quick footwork of Kieran Trippier whose surname means ‘to dance’.

Matt Thompson, English Heritage’s Head Collections Curator, said:

“History may be made at Wembley on Sunday and English Heritage is cheering on the team by flying the England flag at our castles and palaces across the country. The surnames on our England flag connect the country’s past, present and future and we hope that our flag will remind people that everyone living here today – including the Kanes and Sterlings – will shape the England of the future. Hopefully, that immediate future will be one in which England have won the Euros!”

Player - No of adults 18+ - Common area of England

Sam Johnstone 9,772 Carlisle

Jordan Pickford 3,023 Stockport

Aaron Ramsdale 1,023 Wigan

Ben Chilwell N/A

Conor Coady 771 Dorchester

Reece James 85,633 Hereford 

Harry Maguire 9,662 Liverpool

Tyrone Mings N/A

Luke Shaw 70,802 Huddersfield 

John Stones 4,578 Wakefield

Kieran Trippier 162 Bolton

Kyle Walker 128,866 Wakefield

Ben White 126,448 Dorchester

Jude Bellingham 1,268 Shrewsbury

Jordan Henderson 29,309 Newcastle

Mason Mount 1,551 Canterbury

Kalvin Phillips 72,121 Hereford

Declan Rice 13,477 Liverpool

Dominic Calvert-Lewin 7,535 – 3,754 Middlesborough and Leicester

Phil Foden 1,214 Crewe

Jack Grealish 190 Lincoln

Harry Kane 8081 Newcastle

Marcus Rashford N/A

Bukayo Saka 210 South East London

Jadon Sancho 106 Croydon

Raheem Sterling 1,972 Durham

MANAGER

Gareth Southgate 2,964 Ipswich

Eleven English Heritage properties – one for each starting player on Sunday – will fly the flag bearing the surnames of England:

1. Carlisle Castle, Cumbria
2. Conisborough Castle, South Yorkshire
3. Dartmouth Castle, Devon
4. Dover Castle, Kent
5. Goodrich Castle, Herefordshire
6. Jewel Tower, London
7. Osborne, Isle of Wight
8. Portchester Castle, Hampshire
9. Scarborough Castle, North Yorkshire
10. Stokesay Castle, Shropshire
11. Stonehenge, Wiltshire

To view the digital flag of England, visit https://namesofengland.english-heritage.org.uk/