Definition of "occupative" [occupative]

• In law, held by that form of tenure which is based on the occupation or seizing and holding in actual possession of that which was without owner when occupied: as, an occupative field.

The Century Dictionary (Public Domain)

• "The spelling of occupative surnames often differs from that now associated with the trade itself."
• "We have a few traces of this oldest group of occupative names, e.g. Webb, Mid."
• "Another exceptional group is that of names formed by adding - son to the occupative names, the commonest being perhaps Clarkson, Cookson,"