Recorded in many forms including Victor (French and English), Vittore, Vittori, Vettore (Italian), Vitor (Portugese), Viktora (Czech), Wiktor and Wiktorski (Polish), plus many diminutives such as Vitorelli (Italian), or Vitorino (Portugese), and patronymics such as De Vettori (Italian), Victorsson (Swedish) and Viktorevich (Belorussian), this is a surname which is ultimately of Roman (latin) origins. It derives from the word 'vincere' meaning to win, and later through the development 'victor', meaning literally 'The Conqueror'. It is claimed that many early Christians bore the name to indicate that the Christ was able to conquer all sin, and it is equally not perhaps surprising that a number of saints also carried the name. These included one of the first popes as early as the second century, and later a 5th century bishop of Cologne in Germany. Although recorded widely in Europe the surname was never popular in the British Isles, although at various times as a first name it has been widely born. Curiously one of the very first recordings anywhere relates to one Michell Victor, who having taken the oath of allegiance to King Charles 1st of England in 1635, was allowed to be "transported to Virginea imbarqued in the (ship) Globe of London, Jeremy Blackman Mr," on August 14th of that year.He was therefore amongst the earliest group of colonists to the shores of New England in the 17th century.

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