Horner Family History

English (North Yorkshire) and German: from Horn 1 with the agent suffix -er; used either as an occupational name for someone who made or sold small articles made of horn (Middle English hornere) a metonymic occupational name for someone who played a musical instrument made from the horn of an animal or a topographic name for someone who lived at a ‘horn’ of land. In the Middle Ages whole horns were used for many purposes: as drinking vessels, as containers, as wind instruments for sounding an alarm and for signalling to others (e.g. when hunting).

Pieces of horn were used to make spoons, buttons, combs, handles, decorative tips for rods, and other things. The horner's craft could include making musical horns as well as sheets of translucent horn for windows and for covering books. For example, Thomas Hornar of Petergate in York was paid for ‘hornyng et naillyng’ the superscribed covers of books in York Minster library in 142.

German (also Hörner): from any of various places called Horn, referring to their location at a spur of land, at a horn-shaped piece of land.

Jewish (Ashkenazic): variant of Horn 5.