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I assume...
it's from the surname Latchman.
My favourite book on surnames :) doesn't list Latchman - but it lists Latch, Latchford and Latchmore - in all of these the latch- is from an OE word meaning stream. -man in surnames tends to mean either 'servant' or just 'man'. So best guess for Latchman - 'servant/man who lived by a stream'.
it's from the surname Latchman.
My favourite book on surnames :) doesn't list Latchman - but it lists Latch, Latchford and Latchmore - in all of these the latch- is from an OE word meaning stream. -man in surnames tends to mean either 'servant' or just 'man'. So best guess for Latchman - 'servant/man who lived by a stream'.
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In addition to the etymology given by Merriment, "Latchman" and "Lachman" are also Jewish names (both first names as well as surnames), and are supposedly a literal translation of "Isaac" (meaning, "he laughs"). Although, as noted, the actual meaning of the British surname "Latchman" has nothing to do with laughter.
Although I couldn't find you any online sources stating that Latchman is a secular name used by Jews for "Isaac", I did find you a couple of sources for the surname:
http://www.gaminggeeks.org/Resources/KateMonk/Middle-East/Jewish/Surnames.htm
http://www.shtetlinks.jewishgen.org/Kolomea/nameorigin.htm
-- Nanaea
Although I couldn't find you any online sources stating that Latchman is a secular name used by Jews for "Isaac", I did find you a couple of sources for the surname:
http://www.gaminggeeks.org/Resources/KateMonk/Middle-East/Jewish/Surnames.htm
http://www.shtetlinks.jewishgen.org/Kolomea/nameorigin.htm
-- Nanaea
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