Recorded as Andover and the dialectal Handover, this is an English lcoational surname. It originates from either town of Andover in Hampshire first recorded as Andreferas in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles of the year 955 a.d., and later in the famous Domesday Book of 1086 as Andovere, or from Andoversford in Gloucestershire. It is said that the name originates from the pre 7th century word ann meaning a river, and the suffix dubro, which has a similar meaning to give "river - river." This is not unusual many names have been doubled or even trebled as the language has changed, with all the elements having the same meaning. Locational surnames were usually"from" names. That is toi say surnames that were given to people after they left their original villages to move somewhere else. Spelling being at the best indifferent and dialects very thick often lead to the creation of "sounds like" spelllings. Andover is recorded in the registers of the city of London in 1707, with that of James Andover. He married Marie Hanne at Lincolns Inn Chapel, on February 19th 1707, whilst Handover is recorded at the famous church of St Mary-le-Bone when Isiah Handover married Mary Bradbrook on June 1st 1846.

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