Terhune

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An American writer of early twentieth-century animal stories, best known for novels about loyal collie dogs such as Lad, a Dog
2. A early twentieth-century American author who wrote popular books celebrating faithful collies and their families on a New Jersey estate
3. The name of an American novelist famous for sentimental stories of devoted collies, including the bestselling tale Lad, a Dog

Etymology: Albert Payson Terhune, the American writer, is the reason most people now meet this name. He bred collies at his estate, Sunnybank, in Pompton Lakes, New Jersey, and wrote dog stories so popular that they helped make the breed famous, including "Lassie Come-Home." He inherited the surname rather than inventing it, and it belonged to a Bergen County family of Dutch descent. Dutch surnames of this type often grew out of place names, with "ter" meaning "at" or "by" followed by the name of a farm, hamlet, or landmark. The exact place behind this surname is uncertain, so any specific origin would be a guess.