Christmas (surname)

Christmas is a relatively rare surname, which is sometimes said to have been a byname given to a person born at Christmas. However, others dispute this interpretation. The byname was spelled "Cristemass" in 1185 and 1191, and "Cristesmesse" in 1308.Reaney, P. H., & R. M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames (London: Routledge, 1991; Oxford University Press, 1995), s.n. Christmas. The name is principally found in Essex and Sussex counties in England.
==Notable persons with the surname Christmas==
* Cecil Christmas (1886-1916), English footballer
* Dionte Christmas (1986-), American NBA player
* Eric Christmas (1916-2000), British actor
* Ernst William Christmas (1863-1918), Australian painter
* Johnny Christmas (1982-), lacrosse player for Philadelphia Wings
* Stephen Christmas (1947-1993), for whom the blood clotting protein Factor IX was named
==Fictional characters with the name Christmas==
* Joe Christmas, a character in William Faulkner's novel Light in August
* Lloyd Christmas, played by Jim Carrey in the movie Dumb and Dumber
==References==
Category:Christmas