: » ‘ pe ‘ ~ e 1 : ‘ 4 FS 4 * ~y a. , $e A y é , iu be ‘ \ \ ' a * 5 - . % : . ‘ , a a English Surnanres. / aye” English Surnames, AN ESSAY ON FAMILY NOMENCLATURE, HISTORICAL, ETYMOLOGICAL, AND HUMOROUS ; WITH SEVERAL ILLUSTRATIVE APPENDICES. BY MARK ANTONY LOWER, M.A., F.S.A,, OF NORMANDY, AMERICA, AND NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE, AND LATE OF LONDON ; MEMBER OF THE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF CAEN, &C., &C. Hourth Edition, Enlarged. IN TWO VOLUMES.—V OL. I. LONDON : 9 JOHN RUSSELL SMITH. 36, SOHO SQUARE. BILLING AND SONS, PRINTERS, CONTENTS OF VOL. I. PREFACE CHAPTER I. Of Proper Names of Persons in general ¢ CHAPTER II. ‘Of Surnames . Cuapter ITI. History of English Surnames—Anglo-Saxon Period CHAPTER IV History of English Surnames since the Norman Conquest. CHAPTER V. Of Local Surnames . Note to Chapter V. CHapter VI. Of surnames derived from Occupations and Pursuits Note to Chapter VI. Cuapter VII. Of Surnames derived from Dignities and Offices 13 21 v1 CONTENTS. PAGE Cuapter VIII. Of Surnames derived from Personal and Moral Qualities . 148 CHAPTER IX. : Of Surnames derived from Baptismal Names : . 158 CHAPTER X. Of Surnames derived from Natural Objects . . 186 Cuapres XI. Of Surnames derived from Heraldric Charges and from Traders’ Signs. : . : : . 203 Craprer XII. Of Surnames derived from the Social Relations, Periods of Time, Age, d&c. de. ; ; ; . 224 CHapTerR XIII. Of Surnames indicative of Contempt and Ridicule. . 232 CHAPTER XIY. Of Surnames derived from the Virtues, &e. . . 240 CHAPTER XV. Of Surnames derived from Oaths and Exclamations . 249 CHAPTER XVI. Of Surnames originally Sobriquets . : : « 252 CHAPTER XVII. Surnominal Puns - 256 Areface, Pipe ee acy ay a F aie. * Homo sum; humani nihil a me alienum puto,” _which drew down thunders of ap- plause from the auditories of ancient Rome, be equally deserving of respect in our own days; and if the assertion of Puteanus be true, that, ‘ Sine Nomine, Homo non est,’*—that the name is essential to the man,—few apologies will be necessary for the publication of the’ following Prolusions, whose design is to illustrate the per- sonal and generic nomenclature of an important and influential section of the human race. The utilitarian, it is true, may regard my labours as of little value, and put in a ‘Cui bono? but my reply to him shall be a brief one.—‘‘ Whatever serves to gratify a laudable or even a merely harmless curiosity is useful, and therefore not. to be despised.” | | * Diatr. De Erycio. iii PREFACE, - That a curiosity as to the origin of proper names, and particularly of surnames, has pre- vailed to some extent is certain, from the num- ber of literary men in England who have written (however. slightly and unsatisfactorily) upon the subject, within the last three centuries ; and that it stvll prevails is shown by the fact that since I undertook, a few years ago, more fully to illus- trate the history and signification of our Family Names, scarcely a single week has passed with- out my receiving communications on the subject, both from literary friends, and from total strangers, unconnected with. literature. Hun- dreds of letters from all parts of this country, from Scotland, Wales, Ireland, France, Belgium, and America, convince me, at least, that the in- quiry is not devoid of interest, while at the same time they afford a flattering testimony that my investigations have been well received and appreciated. . | The history of proper names not only affords a very curious chapter for the etymologist, but also illustrates the progress of society, and throws much light upon the customs and pur- suits of departed ages. With regard to English Surnames, there are two circumstances which demand remark in this Preface : namely, their great variety, and their extraordinary number. PREFACE. 1x That they should exhibit the former feature is not surprising, since, in the words of an eminent antiquary,* ‘‘we have borrowed names from everything both good and bad.” As this,variety will fully develope itselfin the respective chapters of the present Essay, I shall merely insert here, by way of proof, two or three lists of the’ sur- names occurring among many others, in some of our public bodies. The first is from the humor- ous ‘ Heraldic Anomalies’ of Dr. Nares : _ “T have seen what was called an ‘Inventory of the Stock Exchange Articles, to be seen there every day (Sundays and holidays excepted) from ten till four o’clock. “A Raven, a Nightingale, two Daws, and a Swift. A Flight and a Fall! Two Foxes, a Wolf, and two Shepherds. A Taylor, a Collier, a Mason, and a Tanner. Three Turners, four Smiths, three Wheelers. Two Barbers, a Paynter, a Cook, a Potter, and five Coopers. Two Greens, four Browns, and two Greys. A Pilgrim, a King, a Chapel, a Chaplain, a Parson, three Clerks, and a Pope. Three Baileys, two Dunns, a ———, and a Hussey ! A Hill, a Dale, and two Fields. A Ross, two Budds, a Cherry, a Flower, two Vines, a Birch, a Fearn, and two Peppercorns. A Steel, two Bells, a Pulley, and two Bannisters. “Of towns: Sheffield, Dover, Lancaster, Wakefield, and Ross. Of things: Barnes, Wood, Coles, Staples, Mills, Pickles, and, in fine, a Medley ! “Our House of Commons has at different and no very dis- tant times numbered amongst its members— * Camden. PREFACE. A Rooke, A Fox, A Hare, Two Drakes, A Finch, Two Martins, Three Cocks, A Hart, Two Herons, Two Lambs, A Leach, A. Swan, Two Bakers, Two Taylors, A. Turner, A Plummer, A Miller, A Farmer, A: Cooper, An Abbot, A. Falconer, Nine Smiths!!! | A Porter, Three Pitts, Two Hills, Two Woods, An Orchard, and a Barne, Two Lemons with One Peel ! ’ Two Roses, One Ford, Two Brookes, - One Flood and yet but one Fish ! A Forester, an Ambler, a Hunter, and only One Ryder. “ But what is the most surprising and melancholy thing of \ all, it has never had more than one Christian belonging to it,. and at present is without any !” From many other pieces of humour of the same kind I select the two following. The first is an impromptu occasioned by the proposed elevation of Alderman Wood to the office of Lord Mayor, some years since: “In choice of Mayors ’twill be confest, Our citizens are prone to jest : Of late a gentle Flower they tried, November came, and check’d its pride. A Hunter next on palfrey grey Proudly pranced his year away. They next, good order’s foes to scare, Placed Birch upon the civic chair. - Alas! this year, tis understood, They mean to make a Mayor of Wood” The next is from a Methodist Almanack pub- e PREFACE. ; XI lished a good many years since, and is entitled ‘Wesleyan Worthies, or Ministerial Misnomers.’ “Tf ‘union is strength,’ or if aught’s in a name, The Wesleyan Connexion importance may claim ; For where is another—or Church, or communion— That equals the following pastoral union : A Dean and a Deakin, a Noble, a Squire, An Officer, Constable, Sargeant, and Cryer, A Collier, a Carter, a Turner, a Tayler, A Barber, a Baker, a Miller, a Naylor, A Walker, a Wheeler, a Waller, a Ridler, A Fisher, a Slater, a Harpur, a Fidler, A Pinder, a Palmer, a Shepherd, and Crook, A Smith, and a Mason, a Carver, and Cook ; An Abbott, an Usher, a Batcheler Gay, A Marshall, a Steward, a Knight, and a Day, A Meyer, an Alde-mann, Burgess, and Ward, A Wiseman, a Trueman, a Freeman, a Guard, A Bowman, a Cheeseman, a Colman, with Slack, A Britten, a Savage, a White, and a Black, French, English, and Scots—North, Southerne, and West, Meek, Moody, and Meysey, Wilde, Giddy, and Best, Brown, Hardy, and Ironsides, Manly, and Strong, Lowe, Little, and Talboys, Frank, Pretty, and Young, With Garretts, and Chambers, Halls, Temple, and Flowers, Groves, Brooks, Banks, and Levells, Parkes, Orchards, and Bowers, Woods, Warrens, and Burrows, Cloughs, Marshes, and Moss, A. Vine, and a Garner, a Crozier, and Cross ; - Furze, Hedges, and Hollis, a Broomfield, and Moor, Drake, Partridge, and Woodcock—a Beach, and a Shoar, Ash, Crabtree, and Hawthorn, Peach, Lemmon, and Box, ' A Lyon, a Badger, a Wolfe, and a Fox, Fish, Hare, Kidd, and Roebuck, a Steer, and a Ray, Cox, Ca’ts, and a Talbot, Strawe, Cattle, and Hay, Xu PREFACE. Dawes, Nightingales, Buntings, and Martins, a Rowe, With Bustard, and Robin, Dove, Swallow, and Crowe, Ham, Bacon, and Butters, Salt, Pickles, and Rice, A Draper, and Chapman, Booths, Byers, and Price, Sharp, Sheers, Cutting, Smallwood, a Cubitt, and Rule, Stones, Gravel, and Cannell, Clay, Potts, and a Poole, ’ A Page, and a Beard, with Coates and a Button, A Webb, and a Cap—Lindsay, Woolsey, and Cotton, A Cloake, and a Satchell, a Snowball, and Raine, A Leech, and a Bolus, a Smart, and a Payne, A Stamp, and a Jewel, a Hill, and a Hole, A. Peck, and a Possnet, a Slug,-and a Mole, A‘ Horn, and a Hunt, with a Bond, and a Barr, A. Hussey, and Wedlock, a Driver, and Carr, A Cooper, and Adshead, a Bird, and a Fowler, A Key, and a Castle, a Bell, and a Towler, A Tarr, and a Shipman, with Quickfoot, and Toase, A Leek, and a Lilly, a Green, Budd, and Bowes, A Creed, and a Sunday, a Cousen, a Lord, A Dunn, and a Bailey, a Squarebridge, and Ford, A No-all, and Doolittle—Hopewell, and Sleep, And Kirks, Clarkes, and Parsons, a Grose, and a Heap, With many such worthies, and others sublimer, Including a Homer, a Pope, and A RHY MER.” If English Surnames are remarkable for their variety, they are no less so for their number. How great the latter may be, it would be a hopeless task to attempt to ascertain : it is suffi- cient to say with the Rev. Mark Noble, that “it is almost beyond belief.” A friend of that gen- tleman “amused himself with collecting all such as began with the letter A: they amounted to more than one thousand five hundred. It is well known that some letters of the -alphabet PREFACE. Xl are initials to more surnames than A : allowing for others which have not so many, the whole number will be between thirty and forty thou- sand * The Rev. E. Duke, in his valuable ia ex- tremely curious ‘alle of Fobn alle,’ starts the question, ‘“‘ whether the English nomencla- ture is or is not on the increase 2” and he decides that, notwithstanding many of the older sur- names become extinct every century,t it is still _ * Hist. Coll. Arms, Prelim. Dissertation. My late learned and highly esteemed correspondent, EH. J. Vernon, Esq., B.A., in some strictures on the second edition of this work, published in the Literary Gazette, expresses a doubt.as to this estimate. He says the surnames derived ‘from Christian and Anglo-Saxon names and their modifica- tions, amount to about 700; names from trades and offices, &c., to be- tween 300 and 400; and 500 may be allowed for the other smaller classes ; making in all 1500 or 1600. If now we keep to the random, but we think most ample, guess, of as many thousand Jocal surnames, the total, which may be called between 15,000 and 20,000, will, we think, be much nearer the mark than Mr, Noble’s estimate of ‘ between 80,000 and 40,000.’ ” I must beg, however, to state my conviction of the correctness of this estimate, or rather assert its falling short of the truth. There are thousands of names borrowed from places which are almost limited to the localities which gave them birth, and which would consequently elude the notice of the name-hunter, unless he penetrated into every nook and corner of the kingdom. ‘There are more than 10,000 parishes in England; and topographical antiquaries will bear me out in the assertion, that a single parish often comprises six, ten, or even more manors, hamlets, and other subdivisions, each of which has sur- named its family. Besides, Mr. Noble’s calculation is formed upon a basis which would rather fall short of, than exceed, the truth. + I am disposed to doubt the utter extinction of any name, when it has once become widely spread. Families, it is true, may fail in the ‘ XiV PREFACE, ‘ / on the increase, and he accounts for this smgular fact by the following arguments: “Some [names | originated from the influx of foreigners caused by royal marriages—by refuge from per- secutions—by expatriations arising from revolu- tions—by the settlement of alien manufacturers ; and the names of many of these have often been altered and anglicised, and their posterity have in the bearing’ thereof become as genuine En- glishmen. At other times fictitious names have — started up and been perpetuated within our own country, from their adoption, in the removal from one part of the kingdom to another, by the criminal and by the insolvent. Another incre- ment of names arises perhaps from the occasional settlement here of Americans and West Indians ; for it is a certain and curious fact that although America was originally peopled from this country, elder or wealthier line, and female heirs convey property into other names ; but in an overwhelming majority of cases there are descend- ants of other lines of the family left, and these often ramify and spread extensively in a more plebeian grade. Hundreds of our old patrician names have survived the wreck of that greatness with which they were once invested. Why, the illustrious names inscribed on the famous. Battel-Abbey Roll nearly all exist at this day, after a lapse of eight centuries, if not in the peerage, at least in the cottages of the poor, and often disguised in an orthography which almost defies identifica- tion. I have at this time a next-door neighbour named Glanville, and a servant rejoicing in the name of Melville, while a baker not very far distant is a Neville—all distinguished Norman surnames. The reader: will find this subject more fully discussed hereafter. PREFACE. xv yet it varies very essentially in its nomenclature from that of England.”* - Our great antiquary, the illustrious CampEn, was among the first who paid any considerable: attention to the subject of English Surnames. He has an amusing and learned chapter on the subject in his ‘ Remaines,’ occupying, in an early edition, about forty-eight pages of that work.. This forms the basis of all that can be said on English family names. After Camden comes. Verstegan, who, though less accurate in his knowledge of the subject, gives many useful hints which serve greatly for the purpose of amplification. Among more recent writers, four clergymen, the Rev. Dr. Pegge, the Rev. Mark Noble, the Rev. E. Duke, and the Rev. G. Oliver, have each added something new in illustration of the subject. It seems that various. other antiquaries, whose productions have never: seen the light, have been labourers in the same field. In Collet’s ‘Relics of Literature,’ 1828, it is stated that, “ Mr. Cole, the antiquary, was very industrious in collecting: names, and in one of his volumes of MSS. he says, he had the. intention, some time or other, of making a list of such as were more particularly striking and odd, in order to form the founda- tion of an Essay upon the subject. A friend: of the present writer has gone much farther, and has collected several thou- sand rare names, which he has partly classified.” * Vol. I., Notes, p. 404. One reason, among others, that might be assigned for this dissimilarity, is the large intermixture of Dutch, Ger- man, and French families with those of Fnglish extraction. XVI1 PREFACE, The late Mr. Haslewood also appears to have done something of the same kind. He had a most extensive collection, which was disposed of at the sale of his library, but which I have not been able to trace to its final destination. There are two manuscripts on Surnames in the Harleian collection. The first, No. 4056, ‘Origin of Surnames,’ 1s loosely written upon ~ , Mi seven pages. It isa mere abstract from Camden, with scarcely anything additional, except a paragraph in which the writer differs from that author (as it will be seen that I also do), with respect to the precise date of the introduction of Surnames into England. The second MS., No. 4630, ‘The original or beginning of Sur- names, is likewise from Camden, and has only a single original paragraph: of this I have availed myself at the proper place. Both MSS. form only portions of the volumes in which they occur. Some years since, the Rev. George Oliver, of Grimsby, announced that he was preparing for the press a work on Surnames. This intention has not, I believe, been carried into effect. Judging from his able communication on the subject to the ‘Gentleman’s Magazine, * we cannot but regret the abandonment of his design. — From that communication I shall take the liberty * For 1830, i. 298. PREFACE. XV1E of making an extract, which, while it expresses. precisely my own views, will also serve as an apology for any incorrect conclusions that I may arrived at in the course of these volumes. ~ “To account for, and accurately to class, the- whole circle of Surnames which at present abound in the world, would probably exceed the capacity of the most talented individual, unless his whole and undivided attention were devoted to its study and development; and it is to be feared that the effect might appear greatly dis- proportionate to the means employed. In this respect the theory of surnares bears an affinity to the doctrine of fluxions, without the advan- tage of equal utility; for as a knowledge of algebra, geometry, logarithms, and infinite series, is equally and indispensably necessary to a right understanding of fluxions ; so, to enter fully into: the theory of Surnames, an intimate acquaintance with history and antiquities,—dead and living languages,—the state of society and manners in all ages and nations,—localities and peculiarities,. —national and family connexions,—the passions. and prejudices of human nature,—the cant words and technical phrases of every description of men,—is absolutely essential ; else the anxious theorist will be at a loss to comprehend the origin of many uncouth names, or the relation they bear to each other, diversified as they are Xviil PREFACE. by a succession of shades and tints which are almost imperceptible ; and he will find it difh- cult to determine with undeviating accuracy whether many of the names he investigates be primitive, derivative, or contingent ; or to trace them through all the devious and uncertain etymologies in which hah are imbedded and. entwined.” Having thus mentioned what my predecessors — have done, it may be expected that I should give some account of my own humble labours. But as they are before the reader, I shall con- tent myself with borrowing the words of Ver- stegan: “ Because men are naturally desirous to know as much as they may, and are much pleased to understand of their own offspring {descent | which by their Surnames may well be discerned, if they be Surnames of continuance, L have, herein, as near as I can, endeavoured myself to give the courteous reader satisfaction.” And, as I have been actuated by this desire, I deem it but justice to myself to state, that if - I have assigned to any name a meaning that is little complimentary to the persons who happen to bear it, it has been the farthest from my in- tention to insult their feelings. So little has this been my wish or my endeavour, that I have, on the contrary, made it one of my chief objects to investigate the etymology of many names ‘ PREFACE, eee ‘which have generally been considered to imply something low or disgraceful, and have proved, satisfactorily I trust, that they mean nothing that their possessors have the slightest reason to be ashamed of.* Thus, while I have “ filched” no one of his “ good name,” I have, I hope, been so happy as to make many a person upon better terms with his own appellative—which he may hitherto have considered (etymologically) any- thing but a-good one—than he has ever been before. _ After all, “ Whai’s in a NAME?” “ for neither the good names do grace the bad, neither doe. evill names disgrace the good. If names are to be accounted good or bad, in all countries both good and bad haue bin of the same Surnames which as they participate one with the other in glory, so sometimes in shame. Therefore for ancestors, parentage, and names, as Seneca said, let every man say, Vix ea nostra voco. Time hath intermingled and confused all, and wee are come all to this present by successive variable descents from high and low; or as hee saith more plainely, the low are descended from the high, and, contrariwise, the high from the low.” t ~ * T have some knowledge of a family who call themselves Row- botham, with the ¢hefa pronunciation. They consider Rowbottom vulgar; but I explained to one of them that Roe-bottom, ‘ a valley fre- quented by roes,’ was one of the most picturesque of surnames. + Camden. xX PREFACE. The present Edition of this werk contains. almost three times as much matter as the first, and about double that of the second. The general arrangement is nearly that of the former editions, but every chapter has been materially enlarged, and several new chapters have been added. These additions, coupled with the rejection of whatever hypotheses formerly ad- vanced I have found untenable, almost consti- tute the present edition a new work. Proceeding upon the principle—“ facile est inventis addere,” my ‘lyttel boke’ has become a somewhat large one—the largest, I think I may say, that has yet appeared upon the subject of proper names. It is also the only one of any considerable extent. exclusively devoted to family nomenclature. This extension will explain itself to those readers who have honoured my former editions. with a perusal. I have not forgotten the venerable adage, that ‘a great book is a great. evil;) but the continual occurrence of names. heretofore unknown or unnoticed, and the ex- tensive correspondence before alluded to, have almost inevitably conduced to this result. That my additional lucubrations may meet with the same indulgent reception as the former ones have done, is all that I can reasonably expect or desire. I cannot but anticipate disappointment, on PREFACE, 3 XX -~ the part of numerous readers, at the non-appear- ance of their names in these volumes. The immense scope of the subject must be my only apology. A vast multitude of names must necessarily have escaped my notice, and a large number have bafiled all attempts on my part to give a reasonable account of their origin. Although it is quite true that ‘‘ he teaches well who teaches all,” yet is the sentiment of the Greek philosopher®™ no less so: “ As it is the commendation of a good huntsman to find game in a wide wood, so zt is no umputation if he hath not caught all.” In conclusion, I should be guilty of great in- gratitude were I to omit to offer my sincerest thanks to those gentlemen who have rendered - me valuable assistance in the production of these volumes, And first, my special acknowledg- ments are due to my intelligent and worthy publisher, Mr. John Russell Smith, who has spared no pains in placing within my reach many valuable works, to which I could not otherwise have had convenient access. ‘To Charles Clark, Esq., of Great-Totham Hall, I am indebted for a list of upwards of 1500 of the most singular surnames in existence, which were collected by that gentleman, and with many of which this publication is enriched. The reference * Plato. ; VOL. I. b XxXi1l PREFACE. to the two manuscripts in the British Museum T owe to the Rev. George C. Tomlinson, rector of Staughton, in Huntingdonshire, whose polite and unsolicited kindness entitles him to my warmest acknowledgements. Thus much as regards the original edition, which, on its publication in 1842, immediately attracted the attention of those directors of the public taste, the Reviewers, whose notices of my humble performance were, upon the whole, most _ flattering. My thanks were especially due to the conductors of the then existing * Literary Gazette’ for the handsome manner in which they threw open the columns of their valuable Journal, in ten or twelve of its numbers, to the discussion of the subject of this volume. The letters bearing the signature of ‘B.A. Oxon.’ were of a peculiarly interesting character, and I was fortunately enabled to open a correspond- ence with the author, E. J. Vernon, Esq., a gentleman of extensive erudition and etymolo- gical skill. To him, as a trifling expression of my sense of the value of hig communications, I had the pleasure of dedicating the second edi- tion. With him I took much ‘ sweet counsel’ upon the subject of our common researches ; but alas! that remorseless Tyrant, who regards neither youth, nor virtue, nor talents, proved both the falsity and the truth of his own am- PREFACE, XX1il1 biguous motto—‘ VER-non semper viret’—and laid him low ere yet he had reached the summer of his days. He died in July, 1847, after a brief illness ; and in him society lost a member of unspeakable worth, and the world of letters a most promising labourer.* To the Reverend STEPHEN hee M.A., I was greatly indebted, both for numerous anec- dotes and suggestions, and for copious lists of surnames of remarkable character. _ I have likewise received considerable aid from the Reverend F. O. Morris, M.A., vicar of Nafferton, who has furnished me with several lists of names. GrorRGE MonkLanp, Esq., of Bath, forwarded me a highly curious classified list of surnames made, like the others, with the most scrupulous attention to their authenticity. Of all these I have largely availed myself. Further names and illustrations have also been obligingly contributed by J. O. Halliwell, Esq., F.BR.S., F.S.A.; R. Almack, Esq., F.S.A., of Melford; E. Pretty, Esq., of Northampton ; W. H. Blaauw, Esq., M.A., &.; Jabez Allies, Esq., F.S.A.; Clement Ferguson, Esq., of * His only published work is ‘A Guide to the Anglo-Saxon Tongue’ (London, 1846), one of the best treatises of the kind extant; but I can state that he was engaged for the last two or three years of his life in collecting materials for one or more volumes of a philological character. b—2 XXIV PREFACE. : . Dublin; North Ludlow Beamish, Esq., F.R.S.,. &c., of Cork; Miss Twynam ; John Sykes, Esq., of Doncaster; J. H. Fennell, Esq., &c., &c., &e. The Hon. and Rev. C. W. Bradley, M.A., of Connecticut, U.S., most politely transmitted me a copy of his privately-printed brochure | mentioned below. | ee ee ee The following works have been consulted : Camden’s “ REMAINES concerning Britaine, but especially Eng- land, and the Inhabitants thereof. The third Impression.” . Printed in 1623. Verstegan’s “ Restitution of decayed Intelligence in Antiqui- ties concerning Our Nation.” 1605. The ArcHoLoGtIA of ‘the Society of Antiquaries, vol. xviii.” pp. 105-111, “ Remarks on the Antiquity and Introduction of Surnames into England. By James H. Markland, Hsq., F.S.A.” 1813. . “ PROLUSIONES Historica, or the Halle of John Halle; by the Rev. Edward Duke, M.A., F.S.A., &.”\ Vol. L, Essay 1. | “ A History or tHE CoLLecE or ARMS ; with a Preliminary Dissertation relative to the different Orders in England since the Norman Conquest. By the Rev. Mark Noble,. F.A.S. of L. and E., Rector of Barming, in Kent, é&c.” 1804. “The GENTLEMAN’s Macazinz,” 1772. Several Essays, by Dr. Pegge, under the signature of T. Row (The Rector of Whittington) ; and many subsequent volumes of the same periodical. PREFACE, XXV “A DISSERTATION ON THE Names oF Persons. By J. H. Brady.” 12mo., London, 1822. With numerous manu- script additions by an unknown hand. *“CurIALIA MISCELLANEA, or Anecdotes of Old Times. By Samuel Pegge, Esq., F.S.A.” 1818. “The STRANGER IN AMERICA. By F. H. Lieber.” “ An EnetisH Dictionary. ... By N. Bailey, ¢rodoyoe.” Oth Edit. 1740. _ JAmiEson’s “ScorrisH DicTIoNARyY.” “ BUCHANAN ON ANTIENT SCOTTISH SURNAMES [or CLANS].’” —Reprint. 1820. “ Biount’s LAw DIcrTIoNaRy.” TatBotT’s “ ENGLISH ETyMoOLOGIES.” 1847. 8vo. “ PATRONOMATOLOGY, an Essay on the Philosophy of Surnames. By C. W. Bradley, M.A., Rector of Christchurch, Con- necticut.” Baltimore, 1842. Pp. 16, 8vo. “The Irish Penny JouRNAL.” Dublin, 1841. A series of six articles on the ‘Origin and Meanings of Irish Family Names.’ By Mr. John O’Donovan. P. 326 et seq. * BoswortH’s ANGLO-Saxon Dictionary.” New Edition. “EssaAI HistoriqQuUE ET PHILOSOPHIQUE sUR LES Noms D’ HomMEs, DE*PEUPLES, ET DE Lieux, &c. Par Eusébe Salverte.” Two vols. 8vo. Paris, 1824. “TRAITE DE L’ORIGINE DES NoMs ET DES SuRNoMs. Par G. A. de la Roque.” Paris, 1681. “On THE NAMES, SURNAMES, AND NICKNAMES OF THE ANGLO- Saxons. By J. M. Kemble, Esq.” 8vo., pp. 22. 1846. “A Dictionary or ARCHAIC AND PrRovincrAL Worps, &c. By J. O. Halliwell, Esq., F.R.S.” Two vols. 8vo. . 1847. “THREE LETTERS ON NoRMAN Proper Names. By M. de Gerville.” In ‘Mémoires de la Soc. des Antiquaires de: - Normandie,’ vol. xiii., p. 265 et seq. “The Fotks of SHIELDS.” By William Brockie. 1857. “The NoRMAN PEOPLE.” 1874. XXV1 PREFACE, Since the appearance of the first edition of this work, numerous publications on the same subject, either in the shape of small books or in periodicals, have seen the light ; but there have . been two distinct volumes of considerable size, and much research, given to the public, each bearing the same title as my own, viz., ENGLISH SurnAMES! The first, published in 1858, is entitled “English Surnames, and their place in the Teutonic Family, by Robert Ferguson.” The second, a more erudite and researchful book, was published in 1873: “Our English Sur- names,’ the author being Charles Wareing ‘Bardsley, M.A. I find no fault with either of those gentlemen, since they frankly acknowledge their obligations to me; but, to avoid confusion — of reference, they might both have chosen more distinctive titles. Another work bearing on the subject has also appeared within the present year, entitled, “The Norman People.” It is anonymous, but evidently the production of a scholar. It is divided into two parts. The former contains several learned. chapters on the relation of the Normans, Norwegians, Swedes, and Danes with the English. The reasoning is generally good, _ though, I must confess, not always to me con- clusive. The second, and larger part of the volume, is entitled an “ Alphabetical Series of “ PREFACE. XXVI1E Names and Families from the London Post- Office Directory.” The author’s fault, as it ap- pears to me, lies in Normamzig whatever he can, and in-attributing to ‘ our brethren over the water’ names and histories which do not belong to them, but which are certainly of indi- genous origin, whether Celtic, Anglo-Saxon, or what not. He appears to me to put into his. book more than his book ought to hold. He is, however, very frank, gives his reasons for every- thing, and is especially just in quoting his authorities. I, for one of them, feel duly thankful for his courtesy, for he quotes me many scores of times, with due acknowledgment. His work is sure to be popular; and I hope. that, in future editions, he will see the necessity of retrenchment rather than of addition. AN ESSAY ‘ON ENGLISH SURNAMES. CHAPTER I. OF PROPER NAMES OF PERSONS IN GENERAL. “Notre nom propre c’est nous-mémes.”’ elegant Salverte) is ourself—in our thoughts, and in the thoughts of those who know us ; and nothing can separate it from our ex- istence. A name, however apparently insignificant, instantly recalls to our remembrance the man, his personal ap- pearance, his moral attributes, or some remarkable event with which he is identified. The few syllables constituting it suffice to reopen the fountain of a be- reaved mother’s tears—to cover with blushes the fore- head of the maiden who believes her secret about to be VoL. I, 1 2 ENGLISH SURNAMES. revealed—to agitate the heart of the lover—to light. up in the eyes of an enemy the fire of rage—and to awaken in the breast of one separated by distance from his friend the liveliest emotions of hope or of regret.* “This energetic power,” remarks the same writer, “distinguishes the Proper Noun from the common substantive.” It suggests no vague idea, but enforces. one that is positive and distinct. “ Our proper name is ourself ;”’—without it we have not more than half an existence. Hence in the earliest * and the rudest states of social life every human being received a name. IJ am aware that Herodotus and Pliny, and one or two modern writers, mention some barbarous races who bear no distinctive appellations ; but a little reflection before making the statement would have convinced them of the impossibility of the existence of language without proper names; for in the most degraded condition of human existence, the occa- sional necessity of speaking of absent persons would involve the use of some epithet, and that epithet would be to all intents and purposes a Proper Name. The father of a family would impose a peculiar appel- lation upon each of his children, and they in return would give him a name by which to distinguish him from other men. In like manner, a name would be affixed to the superior power which was the object of their adoration or their superstitious dread; and all names so imposed must of necessity have been sig- nificant. As a principle so immediately connected with the design of this Essay, I repeat—that ALL NAMES WERE - ORIGINALLY SIGNIFICANT; although in the course of * Salverte. PROPER NAMES. 3 ages the meaning of most of them may have lapsed from the memory of mankind. It is most unphiloso- phical to arrive at the opposite conclusion. Invention without motives and without principles is as difficult in relation to this subject as to any other. If the names of common objects were not dictated by mere caprice, how can we imagine that those of persons and of places had so vague a beginning? Let any one call to remembrance the names of his nearest friends and neighbours, and he will immediately recog- nize in them an identity with the names of the most: familiar objects, as Wood, Church, Hall, Tree ; while others are epithets, as Wise, Good, Long, Little; and a third class represent localities, as York, Chichester, Forest, Heath. He will then scarcely bring his mind to doubt that these, in their primitive application to persons, had some connexion with those objects, epi- thets, and localities respectively ; and if he thinks wisely, he will hardly reject as destitute of sense or meaning the still larger number of personal appella- tives which convey no distinct idea to his mind. It is matter to me of no little surprise, that among civilized nations the generality even of educated persons should be so incurious as they are on this subject. They seem indeed in this respect behind many of the barbarous tribes of both continents, who evince a desire with respect to a stranger coming amongst them, either to ascertain the meaning of his name in his own lan- guage, and to translate it, or to apply to him a signifi- cant appellation borrowed from their own dialect. From numerous anecdotes which might be adduced to prove this remark I will select one or two. The Sultan of Muscat taking for his physician an 1—2 4 ENGLISH SURNAMES, Italian gentlernan, demanded by what name he was called. “ Vincenzo,’ was the reply. “I don’t under- stand you,” said the monarch; “ tell me the meaning of the word in Arabic.’ The Italian translated it by ‘Mansour,’ victorious ; and the prince, charmed with the happy prestige attached to this designation, uni- formly styled him Chevk Mansour. A chief of the Delaware tribe once asked the mean- ing of the name of Colonel Sprout, a gentleman of — extraordinary stature. He was told that it signified a bud or sprig. “No,” replied the Indian, “he cannot be a sprig—he is the tree itself !* If any further arguments are necessary to prove that Proper Names were originally significant, let us refer to the uniform practice of nautical discoverers with respect to names of places. Do they ever give to a rock, an island, a promontory, or a river an appellation without a meaning? It requires but a moderate share of ety- mological knowledge to ascertain the origin of the greater part of the names of localities in any given country with whose ancient and modern dialects the inquirer is acquainted. A learned German, M. Frederick Schlegel, has thus found in nearly all the proper names of the Hindoos significant epithets ; and any one tolerably skilled in Anglo-Saxon, old French, and the English of the Middle Ages, might in like manner explain probably two-thirds of our own proper appellatives both of places and persons. All the names of the Hebrews, as Salverte remarks, had a sense so marked that their influence is strongly felt in the lite- _ rature of that people. The same observation will apply with considerable force to the Arabs, the Greeks, and * Salrerte. PROPER NAMES. 5 the Teutonic nations. Among uncivilized tribes the same significant force attaches to their personal nomen- clature ; and the American Indians, the Koriacs, the - Marquesans, and the Kamtschatdales may be referred to as never imposing a name with the meaning of which they are unacquainted. It is an inquiry not devoid of some interest, “ What would the annals of mankind and the records of bio- graphy be if people had never borne proper names 2” A mere chaos of undefined incidents, an unintelligible mass of facts, without symmetry or beauty, and without any interest for after ages: “sine nomine homo non est.” Indeed, without names, mankind would have wanted what is perhaps the greatest stimulus of which the mind is susceptible, namely, the love of fame; and, consequently, many of the mightiest achievements in every department of human endeavour would have been lost to the world. In the first ages of the world a single name was sufficient for each individual—“ nomen olim apud omnes feré gentes simplex ;” and that name was generally unvented for the person, in allusion to the circumstances attending his birth, or to some personal quality he possessed, or which his parents fondly hoped he might in future possess. The writings of Moses and some other books of the Old Testament furnish many proofs of this remark. This rule seems to have uniformly prevailed in all the nations of antiquity concerning which we have any records, in the earliest periods of their history. In Egypt we find persons of distinction using only one name, as Pharaoh, Potiphar ; in Canaan, Abraham, Isaac; in Greece, Diomedes, Ulysses; in Rome, Romulus, Remus; in Britain, Bran, Caradoc, &e. 6 ENGLISH SURNAMES. Among most nations the imposition of names has been connected with religious rites. Among the Jews circumcision was the rite, as baptism 1s in the Christian church. The Greeks commonly named their infants on the tenth day after birth, on which occasion a hos- pitable entertainment was given by the parents to their friends, and sacrifices were offered to the gods. Thus in the ‘ Birds’ of Aristophanes we read : ——— Obw ry dexarny rabrne tyw, Kai robvow oreo TawWiw viv O& Séunv. 5 fags “On the tenth day I offered sacrifice, And as a child’s, her name imposed.” The Romans gave names to their male children on the ninth day, and to girls on the eighth. The ninth day was called dies lustricus, or the day of purification, when religious ceremonies were practised. When the Persians name a child a religious service is performed, and five names are written by the father upon as many slips of paper, and laid upon a copy of the Koran. The first chapter of that sacred book is then read, and the slip bearing the future name of the child is drawn at a venture. The sources of Proper Names are exceedingly nu- - merous as well as various. In very remote times per- sonal appellations marked some wish or prediction on the part of parents. To select fortunate names—the ‘bona nomina’ of Cicero, and the ‘fausta nomina’ of Tacitus—was ever a matter of solicitude, since it be- came a popular maxim, ‘ Bonum nomen, bonum omen.’ “Plautus thought it quite enough to damn a man that he bore the name of Lyco, which is said to signify a PROPER NAMES. Fe greedy wolf, and Livy calls the name Atrius Umber ‘abominandi ominis nomen, —a name of horrible portent.”* “Ex bono nomine oritur bona presumptio”—from a good name arises a good anticipation, says Panormitan; and Plato in the same spirit advises all people to select happy names,—a recommendation which our novelists and dramatists are ever ready to follow with respect to their heroes. Victor, Probus, Faustus, Felix, and all similar appellatives, must in the first instances have been employed to mark the wishes of affectionate pa- rents, though the subsequent lives of the objects of those wishes often gave the lie to their names. We can hardly suppose that had the parents of Alexander been gifted with prescience they would have honoured that ‘murderer of millions’ with a name signifying ‘the Helper of Mankind.’ Many of the earlier Hebrew names were composed of the first words uttered by the mother, the father, or some other person present at the instant of the birth. The dying Rachel called her infant ‘Benoni, the Son of my Sorrow, but Jacob gave him the name of ‘Benjamin, the Son of my Strength. Incidents con- nected with the birth or early infancy of children also furnished many names, as the earlier books of the Old Testament sufficiently prove. Complexion and other personal qualities often gave rise to names, as Pyrrhus, ruddy ; Macros, tall ; Niger, black; Paulus, little. The order of birth originated others, as Quintus, the fifth, Septimus, the seventh ; while some had reference to the t¢me of nativity, as Martius, Maius. * Nares, Heraldic Anomalies. 8 ENGLISH SURNAMES. All the foregoing classes of names might have been appropriately bestowed by parents upon their offspring; — but there is a very numerous class with the imposition of which they can have had nothing to do, and which we may suppose parental partiality would fain have prevented, I allude to those names which reflect upon personal blemishes or moral obliquities, and which we should now call nick-names or sobriquets, such as Ipu7rds, eagle-nose ; Sucxwy, gorge-belly; Calvus, bald; Cocles, one-eyed ; Flaccus, flap-eared; Fronto, heavy- browed. These, from their very nature, must have been applied to adults, and by others than their parents or friends. Neither were the complimentary names, Kadnivixos, ‘renowned for victory, PirddeAgos, ‘a lover of his brethren,’ Evepyérys, ‘a benefactor,’ &e. &c., conferred in very early life. Thus much for single names: in process of time the love of imitation led persons to adopt names which had been, and were, borne by others; and in order to obviate the inconvenience resulting from the difficulty of distinguishing contemporaries designated by a com- mon appellative, some second name was necessary. The most obvious mode of distinction would be by the use of the father’s name or patronymic, and this is the earliest approach to the modern system of nomencla- ture. Caleb the son of Jephunneh, Joshua the son of Nun, are early examples; so also Ixapos tov AaSadov, Aadados tov Evradwov—Icarus the son of Deedalus, Deedalus the son of Eupalmus; and it is worthy of observation that this primitive practice has descended to modern times in such designations as William Fitz- Hugh, Stephen Isaacson. Sometimes the adjunct expressed the country or PROPER NAMES. 9 profession, sometimes some excellence or blemish of the bearer, as Herodotus of ‘ Halicarnassus,’ Polycletes ‘the Sculptor, Diogenes ‘the Cynic,’ Dionysius ‘the Tyrant.’ 3 The Romans had a very complete system of nomen- clature. The whole commonwealth was divided into various clans called ‘Gentes, each of which was sub- divided into several families (‘Familiz’). Thus in the Gens Cornelia were included the families of the Scipi- ones, Lentuli, Cethegi, Dolabellse, Cinnze, Sylle, Ge. It is doubtful, however, whether these familie were descended from a common ancestor, though they had religious rites in common. To mark the different | gentes and familiz, and to distinguish the individuals of the same race, they had usually three names, viz. the ‘Preenomen,’ the ‘ Nomen,’ and the ‘Cognomen.’* The Przenomen denoted the individual, the Nomen marked the Gens, and the Cognomen distinguished the Familia. Thus in Publius Cornelius Scipio, Publius corresponded to our John, Thomas, William ; Cornelius pointed out the ‘clan’ or ‘ gens;’ and Scipio conveyed the information that the individual in question belonged to that particular family of the Cornelii which descended from the pious Scipio, who, from his practice of leading about his aged and blind father, thus figuratively be- came his scipio or staff. Persons of the highest eminence, particularly military commanders, sometimes received a fourth naine, or _ ‘Aonomen, often commemorative of conquests, and borrowed from the proper name of the hostile country, as Coriolanus, Africanus, Asiaticus, Germanicus, &c. In general, only two of the names were used—fre- * Adam’s Rom. Antig. 10 ENGLISH SURNAMES. quently but one. In addressing a person, the preeno- men was generally employed, since it was peculiar to citizens, for slaves had no prenomen.* Hence Horace says, “ delicate ears love the preenomen”— woe gaudent prenomine molles Auricule.f Sat. ii. 5, 82. Two brothers sometimes bore the same praenomen. So in England, some centuries since, two brothers oc- casionally had the same Christian name; and Salverte mentions an enthusiastic Scot, a partisan of the fallen house of Stuart, who gave four of his sons the name of Charles-Edward ! 7 The Romans borrowed the form of their names from the older natives of Italy, and particularly from the Etruscans. In all those parts of Italy which the Greeks had not penetrated, the personages quoted in history anteriorly to the conquest of their country by the Romans bore family names, preceded or followed by an individual denomination ; and, among the Etruscans, it is clear from Passeri,t that there existed the nomen, preenomen, and cognomen, as among the Romans, who adopted not only their mode of nomenclature, but also a great number of their names themselves. Passeri found the names of Horatius, Livius, Aulus, Marcus, Publius, Severus, and many of a similar kind in Etrus- * Adam. t In Germany at the present day the lower ranks of society are re- minded of their inferiority, by having the definite article prefixed to their Christian names: e.g. ‘‘ Wo ist mein bedienter der Georg ?” "Where is my valet the George ?—Salverte. In Scotland and Ireland, on the other hand, the same prefix betokens respect, and is applied to the heads of clans, as ‘ the Chisholm,’ ‘ the O'Brien.’ + Saly., i. 189. a . PROPER NAMES. 11 ean inscriptions. Hence the difficulty of finding a satisfactory etymology for many of the Roman appella- _ tives—words of venerable antiquity, of which those who bore them knew as little the meaning as ourselves. It has been customary in nearly all ages to apply to monarchs some distinguishing epithet, usually termed a Surname, although that word may be fairly objected to as tending to confusion, by leading the uninformed to suppose it an actual ‘nomen’ or hereditary designation. Tarquinius Superbus, at Rome, Ptolemy Philadelphos, in Egypt, Henry the Fowler, in Germany, William the Lion, in Scotland, Charles the Bald, in France, and our own Richard Coeur de Lion, may all have merited the appellations bestowed upon them; but they partake more of the character of sobriquets than of surnames, in the modern meaning of the term. In most cases, too, they were posthumously applied. Speaking of this subject, the Rev. Dr. Nares, the humorous author of ‘Heraldic Anomalies, remarks: “There are some significant titles, names, and attri- butes, to which I have no objection, as for instance, Alfred the Great, for great he was; but as to Canute the Great I doubt: his speech to his courtiers on the sea-shore had certainly something sublime in it, and seems to bespeak the union of royalty and wisdom, but Voltaire will not allow that he was great in any other respect than that he performed great acts of cruelty. Edmund Jron-side, I suppose, was-correct enough, if we did but understand the figure properly (for as to his really having an wron side, I conclude no one fancies it to have been so, though there is no answering for vulgar credulity). Harold Harefoot betokened, no doubt, a personal blemish or some extraordinary swift- 12 3 ENGLISH SURNAMES. ness of foot. Among the kings of Norway there was a Bare-foot!* William Rufus was probably quite cor- rect, as indicative of his red head of hair, or rather head of red hair. Henry the First was, I dare say, for those times, a Beaw Clerc, or able scholar. Richard — the First might very properly be called, by a figure of speech, Ceur de Lion, and his brother John quite as properly, though to his shame literally, rather than figuratively, Lack-land. Edward Long-shanks cannot: be disputed, since a sight was obtained of his body not very long ago, but at the least 467 years after his death, and which, from a letter in my possession, written by the President of the Antiquarian Society, who measured the body, appeared to be at that remote period six feet two inches long.”+ The same writer, speaking of the adjunct used by — the Norman William, assigns to it the definition of Spelman, which differs from that in general accepta- tion: “ Conquestor dicitur quia Anglia conquisivit, ie., acquisiwit (acquired) non quod subegit;.... here agreeing,” he humorously adds, “with the good old women who attended William’s birth, and who having quite a struggle with the new-born brat to get out of his clenched fist a parcel of straws he happened to catch hold of (his mother, perhaps, being literally in the straw), made them say in the way of prophecy, that he would be a great acquirer.” * King Harald Barefoot was probably so called from his having gone on some pilgrimage without shoes—a common practice in the éarly middle ages. A tradition, however, asserts that, when he spent much time in Scotland, he adopted the Celtic costume of that country. The absence of the nether garment excited so much surprise on his returm to Norway that he acquired the sobriquet of ‘ Barefoot.’ t Heraldic Anom.. vol. i. p. 107. CHA PPE R IT. OF SURNAMES. ‘Nous affirmerons que l’étude des noms propres n’est point sans intérét pour la morale, l’organisation politique, la législation, et Vhis- toire méme de la civilisation.” —SALVERTE. “=e N the present brief chapter it is my intention | to refer to the usages of several modérn nations in relation to second or family names, usually designated SURNAMES, A remark or two on the definition and etymology of that term may be premised. Our great lexicographer, Dr. Johnson, gives the definition as follows: “ SURNAME: The name of a family ; the name which one has over and above the Christian name.” Until about the middle of the last century it was sometimes written ‘SiRname.’ Whether this variation originated in the lax orthography of other times, or whether it was adopted to express a slight difference of meaning, I will not undertake to decide. Some writers have held the latter opinion, and defined ‘ Sir- name’ as “nomen patris additum proprio,” and ‘ Sur- name’ as “nomen supra nomen additum.” Mac-Allan, 14 ENGLISH SURNAMES. Fitzherbert, Ap Evan,and Stephenson would accordingly be sir or ‘sire’-names, equivalent to the son of Allan, — of Herbert, of Evan, and of Stephen. Of ‘ Sur’-names, Du Cange says, they were at first written “not in a direct line after the Christian name, but above it, between the lines,” and hence they were called in Latin SUPRANOMINA, in Italian SUPRANOME, and in French SuURNOMS,—“ over-names.” Of this I have not met with an instance. Those who contend for the non-identity of the two words, assert that although every Sir-name is a Sur- name, every Sur-name is not a Sir-name—a question which I shall not tarry to discuss.* The causes which led to the adoption of family names in the different countries of Europe are ably stated by Salverte, and I may have occasion to refer to them hereafter. For our present purpose, it will be sufficient to observe that their adoption has generally marked the arrival of a people at a certain point in civilization. We have seen that all names were origi- nally single, and that second names were imposed for the sake of distinguishing from each other the persons who bore a common appellative. After the gradual conversion of the European states to the Christian faith, the old Pagan names were generally laid aside. New names, borrowed from Scripture or from early church history, were imposed at the baptism of the converts. In particular localities, of which some saint was sup- posed to have the peculiar guardianship, great numbers of persons received his or her name; and great incon- venience must have been the result. When, in 1387, * See on this subject the Literary Gazette for Nov., 1842, the corre- spondence of B.A. Oxon, and G., arising out of a notice of the first — edition of this work. SURNAMES. 15 Ladislaus Jagellon, duke of Lithuania, became a Chris- tian, and king of Poland, he persuaded his ancient _ subjects to abjure, after his own example, their national faith. The nobles and the warriors were baptized separately ; but the plebeian candidates for the sacred rite were divided into many companies, and the priests conferred it at one time upon a whole company, and gave the same name to all the individuals composing that company. In the first baptism, all the men were designated Peter, and all the women Catherine; in the second, all became Pauls and Margarets !* In the countries into which Christianity had been introduced many centuries earlier than the event just referred to, that civilization which is ever the conco- mitant or the consequence of it had rendered second names to a great extent necessary. In very early times, accordingly, sobriquets and other marks of distinction were frequently used; and towards the close of the tenth century and the commencement of the eleventh, when the number of persons bore a great disproportion to the number of personal names, it was found neces- sary to add in all public acts a distinctive appellation for the sake of identifying individuals. Such names figure in great numbers in the records of all the king- doms of Christendom up to the fourteenth century. By degrees, this means of remedying the confusion be- came insufficient. Those sobriquets which .described physical and moral qualities, habits, professions, the place of birth, &c., might be imposed upon many who bore the same name of baptism, and thus the inconvenience was rather augmented than diminished: a total change in the system of names became indispensable—and hereditary Surnames in most countries became general. * Salv., 1. 223; 16 ENGLISH SURNAMES. We have seen that the Hebrews, Greeks, and Romans in very early periods used the patronymic or Father- Name as a second designation, either with an appro- priate termination or with some prefix expressive of the filial relation. This has also been the practice of many modern nations. Thus in SPAIN, in the twelfth century, . the son of Gongale, who is regarded as the founder of the principality of Castile, was called Fernand Gongalez, and his son, in turn, received the name of Garcia Fernandez. The HIGHLANDERS of Scotland employed the sire- name with Mac, and hence our Macdonalds and Macartys, meaning respectively the son of Donald and of Arthur. The Irism had the practice (probably de- rived from the patriarchal ages) of prefixing Oy or O’, sionifying grandson,* as O’ Hara, O’ Neale; a form still retained in many Hibernian surnames. Many of the Irish alsouse Mac. According to the following distich, the titles Mac and O’ are not merely what the logicians call accidents, but altogether essential to the very being. and substance of an Irishman :— “Per Mac atque O, tu veros cognoscis Hibernos, His duobus demptis, nullus Hibernus adest.” which has been translated— * By Mac and O, You'll always know True Irishmen they say ; For if they lack Both O and Mac, No Irishmen are they.”+ * It is related in the Encyclopsdia Perthensis that an antiquated Scottish dame used to make it a matter of boasting that she had trod the world’s stage long enough to possess one hundred Oyes! { Notes of a Bookworm. SURNAMES. V7 Among the archives of the corporation of Galway is an order dated 1518, prohibiting any of the Burkes, McWilliams, Kellys, or any other sept, from coming into the town, which at that time was occupied by a race who prided themselves in not being Irishmen, and further declaring that “neither O ne Mac shoulde strutte ne swagger through the streetes of Galway.’* The old NorMans prefixed to their names the word ‘Fitz, a corruption of Friis, and that derived from the Latin Fittus; as £itz-Hamon, Fitz-Gilbert. The pea- santry of Russia, who are some centuries behind the same class in other countries, affix the termination ‘wiTZ’ (which seems to have some affinity to the Norman Fitz) to their names; thus, Peter Pawlowiiz, for Peter the son of Paul. The PoLes employ sky in the same sense, as James Petrowsky, James the son of Peter; and the Biscayans adopt a similar method.t Until a comparatively recent period no surnominal adjunct was used in WALES, beyond AP, or son, as~ David ap Howell, Evan ap Rhys, Griffith ap Roger, John ap Richard, now very naturally corrupted into Powell, Price, Prodger, and Pritchard. Toa like origin may be referred a considerable number of the surnames beginning with P and B now in use in England, amongst which may be mentioned Price, Pumphrey, Parry, Probert, Probyn, Pugh, Penry ; Bevan, Bithell, Barry, Benyon, and Bowers. A more ancient form than AP is HAB. This or VAP constantly occurs in * Hardiman’s Galway, quoted in the Journal of the Brit. Arch. Assoc. vol. i. p. 98. + The most singular deren from the general rule is found among the Arabians, who use their father’s name without a fore-name, as Aven Pace, Aven Rois, the son of Pace, the son of Rois. 2 18 ENGLISH SURNAMES. charters of the time of Henry the Sixth. It was not unusual even but a century back, to hear of such com- binations as Evan-ap-Grifith-ap-David-ap-Jenkin, and so on to the seventh or eighth generation, so that an individual carried his pedigree in his name. The following curious description of a Welshman occurs 15 Hen. VIL: “Morgano Philip alias dicto Morgano vap David vap Philip.” The church of Llangollen in Wales is said to be dedicated to St. Collen-ap-Gwynnawg-ap- Clyndawg-ap-Cowrda-ap-Caradoc-F reichfras-ap-Llynn- Merim-ap-Einion-Yrth-ap-Cunedda-Wledig,* a name that casts that of the Dutchman, Inkvervankodsdor- spanckinkadrachdern, into the shade. To burlesque this ridiculous species of nomenclature, some seventeenth-century wag described cheese as being *“‘ Adam’s own cousin-german by its birth, Ap-Curds-ap-Milk-ap-Cow-ap-Grass-ap-Earth ! ie The following anecdote was related to me by a na- tive of Wales: “An Englishman, riding one dark night among the mountains, heard a cry of distress, proceeding apparently from a man who had fallen into a ravine near the highway, and, on listening more at- tentively, heard the words, ‘Help, master, help!’ in a voice truly Cambrian. ‘Help! what, who are you? inquired the traveller. ‘ Jenkin-ap-Griffith-ap-Robin- ap-William-ap-Rees-ap-Evan, was the response. ‘Lazy fellows that ye be, rejoined the Englishman, setting spurs to his horse, ‘to lie rolling in that hole, half a dozen of ye; why, in the name of common sense, don’t ye help one another out?” This story may have been suggested ie a passage * Recreative Review, vol. ii. p. 189. SURNAMES. 19 occurring in ‘Sir John Oldcastle, a play, printed in 1600, and falsely attributed to Shakspeare : ' Judge. What bail? What sureties ? Davy. Her cozen ap Rice, ap Evan, ap Morice, ap Morgan, ap Lluellyn, ap Madoc, ap Meredith, ap Griffin, ap Davis, ap Owen, ap Shinkin Jones. Judge. Two of the most sufficient are enow. Sherif. And’t please your Lordship, these are all Bur ONE! In England, when the patronymic was used, the word son was usually affixed, as John Adamson; in Wales, on the contrary, although the staple of the national nomenclature was of this kind, no affix was used, but the paternal name was put in the genitive, as Griffith William’s, David John’s or Jones, Rees Harry’s or Harris. Asthe personal names were few in number, when they became hereditary surnames they were common to so many families, that they were almost useless for the purposes of generic distinction, and this still remains to a great extent the case. A friend, who remembers the Monmouth and Brecon militia about ninety years since, informs me that. it had at that time no less than thirty-six John Joneses upon its muster-roll; and 1t was at a somewhat later period a matter of notoriety that a large Welsh village was, with the exception of some two or three indivi- duals, entirely populated with Walliamses. Even the gentry of Wales bore no hereditary sur- names until the time of Henry the Eighth. That monarch, who paid great attention to heraldric matters, strongly recommended the heads of Welsh families to conform to the usage long before adopted by the English, as more consistent with their rank and dignity. Some families accordingly madetheir existing strenames 2—2 20. =. ENGLISH SURNAMES, stationary, while a few adopted the surnames of English families with whom they were allied, as the ancestors of Oliver Cromwell, who thus exchanged Williams for Cromwell, which thenceforward they uniformly used.* Having thus glanced at the usages of various nations. - with respect to second names, let us next trace the — ; history of family names in England. * Vide Noble’s House of Cromwell. Other authentic instances of the adoption of stationary surnames by great families may be found by referring to the following works: (Williams of Abercamlais.) Jones’s Brecon, iii. 696. (Herbert, Lord of Blealevenny.) Mon. Ang., 17, 134 (Herbert of Llanowell.) Coxe’s Monmouth, 421. It may be observed that several Norman families who settled in Wales left their original surnames, and conformed to the mode of the country ; thus the Boleyns took the name of Williams. CHAPTER III HISTORY OF ENGLISH SURNAMES,.*—ANGLO-SAXON PERIOD. fram UTHOUGH our ancestors the Anglo- 44, Saxons had no regular system of family nomenclature resembling that of the Romans, or that which we now possess, there was occasionally among them something like an attempt to show derivation and family relation- ships by the use of similar personal names. “In one family,” observes Mr. Kemble (to whose able paper IT am much indebted,)+ “we shall find in succession or simultaneously, Wigmund, Wighelm, Wiglaf, Wih- stan; or Beornric, Beornméd, Beornheah, Beornhelm.” Among several other instances of this practice cited by Mr. Kemble are the following: “Of the seven sons of Aithelfrith, king of Northumberland, five bore names compounded with Os (semideus), thus Oslaf, Oslac, Oswald, Oswin, and Oswidu. In the succession of the same royal family we find the male names, Osfrith, Oswine, Osric, Osraed, Oswulf, Osbald, and Osbeorht, * The word surname is here employed in a somewhat loose sense, implying in general nothing more than the name borne by an individ- ual, to distinguish him from other persons of the same forename or name of baptism. + On the Names, Surnames, and Nicknames of the Anglo-Saxons. By J. M. Kemble, Esq. 8vo. pp. 22, 1846, a ENGLISH SURNAMES. and the female name, Osthryth; and some of these are repeated several times. — ? The subjoined genealogical table shows how strongly — this practice was adhered to by the illustrious progeny of Alfred the Great. AELFRED. | a a | Eaédweard the Elder=Eadgyfu. | | | | Eadwine. EHadmund I. Eadred (king). Eadburh. | : Eadwig (king). Eadgar (king). paral | | | Eadweard. Eadgyth. Eadmund. Ailthelred. A | A . | , | Hadmund. EHadwig. Eadgyth. Eadweard. £5 | | Eadmund. Eadweard= Eadgar-Aitheling (the Unfortunate). The second names treated of by Mr. Kemble may be reduced to five general heads. I. Those Lonel from the father’s name. “Inthe year 804, we find, among several Hadberhts in the same court, that one is pointed out as Eadg4ring, or the son of Eddgd4r; among several Athelhedhs, one is HISTORY. 23 Esning, or the son of Esne.” In a certain grant we read this description of one— ** qui Leofwine nomine et Boudan sunu appellatur cognomine,” “whose name is Leofwine, and his surname Boudanson.’ In a genealogy of the West-Saxon kings, among the Cotton MSS., we find—“EHadgar Eadmunding, Kadmund Eadwarding, Eadweard Atlfreding, Alfred Awolfing,’ &c. upwards, through Woden to “ Bedwig Sceafing,” ‘which Scef was Noah’s son,’ and thence to Adam.* Re Ing, inge, or inger, we may remark, is found in the sense of ‘progeny’ or ‘offspring,’ in most of the Teu- tonic languages. Jng, in modern German, is a young man, but in a more extended sense signifies a de- scendant. Wachter derives it from the British engi, to produce, bring forth.-+ Such names as Dering, Browning, Whiting, may owe their origin to this ex- pression, and so mean respectively dear, tawny, and javr offspring. Il. Those indicative of title or office, as Princeps, Dux, Minister, or Pedissequus, in Latin records, and Pren (priest), Biscop (bishop) in the vernacular. Ill. Those from personal and other characteristics, Bede, speaking of the two missionary apostles of the old Saxons, says — “And as they were both of one devotion, so they both had one name, for each of them was called Hewald, yet with this distinction, taken from the colour of their hair, that one was styled Black Hewald, and the other White Hewald.”” White, Black, Red, Bald, &c., were common as second or descriptive names, as were also Good, Cunning, Proud, &c. * Reliquie Antique, ii. 172. + Vide Bosworth, A.S. Dict. 24 ENGLISH SURNAMES. In the Life of Hereward the Saxon, one of the last of his race who withstood the Norman despots, we png ; several such names as— Martin witH THE Licut Foor, from his agility * SIWARD THE RED, from his complexion. LEOFRIC THE Mower, from his having overcome twenty men with a scythe. : LEOFRIC PRAT, or the cunning. “WULRIC THE BLACK, so named because on one oc- easion he had blackened his face with charcoal, and in that disguise penetrated unobserved among his enemies, ten of whom he killed with a spear before making his retreat.t Some of the names of this class were’ somewhat poetical, as Harald Haranfot (Harefoot), EAdgyfu Swanhals (Edith the Swan-Necked), Eadmund Tren- sida (Ironside). IV. Nicknames “not used WITH, but IN PLACE OF baptismal names.” Several of these denote endear- ment and affection, and are equivalent to the modern English expressions ‘ Darling,’ ‘ Duck, &c. The mean- ing of others is so very obscure, as even to conquer the acumen of Mr. Kemble. Simeon of Durham, under the year 799, says— | “Kodem anno Lrorda Merciorum princeps, qui et Hildegils vocatur, defunctus est.” Now Hildegils, it appears, was the baptismal name of the magnate, and Brorpa only an alias or nickname, which had usurped its place, in consequence of the military prowess of the bearer, Brorda meaning ‘One * Lightfoot still exists as a surname. + Wright’s Essays on the Literature, &c,, of the Middle ab te! Hi. 101, &e. HISTORY. vas that hath the Sword ’—a name belonging to the same category as the Longespée and Strongbow of more recent times. Another eminent Anglo-Saxon, distin- guished alike for greatness of stature and elevated qualities of mind, bore the sobriquet of Mucel or *Great,’ which he employed in a legal way, as “ Ego Mucel, dux, consensi, &c.” His baptismal name was Aithelred, and had he lived some ages later, he would probably have been known as Hthelred Michel, in the same way that the Norman Gilbert de Aquila, after the Conquest of 1066, was designated by this very epithet in conjunction with his baptismal name. V. Those taken from the place of residence, with the particle et or AT, as ‘ Hadmeer eet Burhham,’ The precise period at which such second names as those above enumerated first became stationary, or, in other words, began to descend hereditarily, it would at this distance of time be impossible to show. It is probable, however, that some of them passed through several generations, according to the practice of our own times, at a date considerably earlier than our antiquaries are disposed to admit. This remark would peculiarly apply to those of the fifth or local class, since the son, then as now, often became proprietor of ° the same estate as that from which his father borrowed his second name; and it would, I think, be unreason- able to decide that surnames of the first or patrony- mical kind, such as Herdingson, Swainson,* Cerdicson, * This name is probably Danish. In the Confessor’s time it was written Sweynsen, but under the Normans it became Fitz-Swain, and, ultimately, in more English times, Swainson. ‘Swain Fitz-Swain’ occurs in Norman times as the grantor, to Sallay Abbey in Ribblesdale, of lands at ‘Swainside.’ ‘? 26 ENGLISH SURNAMES. did not pass occasionally from father to son, as well as our more recent Thompson and Williamson. Camden and others concur in the opinion that hereditary sur- names were not known in England before the Norman Conquest ; yet I hope I shall not be deemed guilty of presumption if, by-and-by, I offer a few suggestions in support of the opinion that they were not altogether unknown before that epoch. Camden says, “About the year of our Lord 1000 (that we may not minute out the time) surnames be- came to be taken up in France; and in England about the tume of the Conquest, or else a very little before, vnder King Edward the Confessor, who was all Frenchi- edie yes. Wea This will seem strange to some English- men and Scottishmen, whiche, like the Arcadians, thinke their surnames as antient as the moone, or at the least to reach many an age beyond the Conquest.* But they which thinke it mest strange (I speake vnder correction), I doubt they will hardly finde any swrname which descended to posterity before that time: neither haue they seene (I feare) any deede or donation BEFORE THE CONQUEST, but subsigned with crosses and SINGLE names WITHOUT surnames in this manner: > Ego Kadredus confirmaui. »} Ego Edmundus corroboraui. >i Ego Sigarius conclusi. > Ego Olfstanus consoli- daui, &c.” Our great antiquary declares that both he and divers of his friends had “pored and pusled vpon many an old record and evidence” for the purpose of finding * Buchanan asserts that the family of Douglas have borne that name from the reign of Solvathius, king of Scotland, the year 770; and that one Sir William Douglas of Scotland entered into the service of Charlemagne. He settled in Tuscany, and was the great ancestor of the Douglasii of that country. HISTORY. OE hereditary surnames before the Conquest, without suc- cess; what then would he have said to a document like the following, containing the substance of a grant. _ from Thorold of Buckenhale, sheriff of Lincolnshire, of the manor of Spalding, to Wulgate, abbot of Croyland, dated 1051, the 10th year of Edward the Confessor, and fifteen years before the Conquest ? “T have given to God and St. Guthlac of Croyland, &e. all my manor situate near the parochial church of the same town, with all the lands and tenements, rents and services, &c. which I hold in the same manor, &c. with all the appendants ; viz. Colgrin, my reeve, (pree- positum meum,) and his whole sequell, with all the goods and chattels which he hath in the same town, _ fields, and marshes. Also Harding, the smith, (fabrum), and his whole sequell. Also Lefstan, the carpenter, (carpentarium,) and his whole sequell, &c. Also Ryngulf the first, (primum,) and his whole sequell, &c. Also Elstan the fisherman, (piscatorem,) and his whole sequell, &c. Also GUNTER LINIET, and his whole sequell, &c. Also ONTY GRIMKELSON, Sc. Also TurstaNn DupseE, &c. Also Algar, the black, (nigrum) &c. Also Edric, the son of Siward, (filium Siwardi,) &c. Also Osmund, the miller, (molendina- rium,) &c. Also Best Tux, &c. Also ELMER DE Pinceseck, &c. Also GousE GAMELSON, &c.”—with the same clauses to each as before.* Now while the terms reeve, smith, carpenter, the first, fisher, the black, miller, &c., applied respectively to Colgrin, Harding, Lefstan, &c., are merely personal descriptions ; LINIET, DUBBE, TUK, and DE PINCEBECK, * See the entire deed in Gough’s History of Croyland Abbey. (App. p. 29). 98 ENGLISH SURNAMES. have the appearance of settled surnames. The same dis- tinction is observable between ‘Zdric,thesonof Siward, and GRIMKELSON and GAMELSON. Indeed some of these surnames are yet remaining amongst us, as Dubbe, Tuk, Liniet, and Pincebeck—now spelt Dubb, _ Tuck, Linney, and Pinchbeck, a fact which I think goes far to prove that they were hereditary at the time when the deed of gift above recited was made. This document is also opposed to another opinion prevalent among antiquaries, namely, that surnames were assumed by the nobles long before the commonalty took them. Here we see that the bondmen or churls of the Lincolnshire sheriff used them at a period when many of the landed proprietors had no other designa- tion than a Christian name. A great many surnames occur in Domesday book (Camden says, they jist occur there). Some of these are LOCAL, as De Grey, de Vernon, d’ Oily ; some PA- TRONYMICAL, as Richardus filius Gisleberti ; and others OFFICIAL or PROFESSIONAL, as Gulielmus Camerarius, (the chamberlain,) Radulphus Venator, (the hunter,) Gislebertus Cocus, (the cook,) &c, &. “But very many,” as Camden remarks, “ (occur) with their Christian names only, as Olaff, Nigellus, Eustachius, Baldiicus.” It is to be observed, that those with single names are “noted last in every shire, as men of least account,” and as sub-tenants. Here a query arises. Are we to conclude that because many names are given in the single form, that the individuals to whom they belonged had only one? I think not; and notwithstanding all that Camden and others assert on the subject, Lam strongly of opinion that hereditary surnames were sometimes used before the Conquest. HISTORY. 29 Camden’s remark, that these single-named persons come “ last in every shire,” strengthens my supposition. It is probable that their inferiority of rank was the cause of the non-insertion of the second,.or sur-name. We must not forget that many of these “men of least account,’ were of the conquered Saxon race, who would be treated with as little ceremony in their names asin anything else. Do not modern usages with respect to the nomenclature of inferiors support this idea? We rarely speak of our superiors without the double or triple designation : Lord So-and-So, Sir John Such-a-one, or Mr. This-or-That, while the single names Smith, Brown, Jones, and Robinson, suffice for persons of lower grade. I will venture to say that one half of the masters and mistresses of houses in large towns do not even know more than one of the two names borne by their servants, some accustoming them- selves to command them exclusively by their Christian names, others as exclusively using their Surnames. I know that many of my readers will regard all this as inconclusive gossip, but having hazarded an opinion, I am‘unwilling to leave anything unsaid that could be said in support of it. The manors of Ripe and Newtimber, in Sussex, are mentioned in Domesday as having been, before the Conquest, the estates, respectively, of Cane and dilfech. Now these names are still found in the county as swr- names ; the former under its ancient orthography, and the latter under that of Hiphick ; but were these ever used as Christian names? Atlfech may be the same with Alphage, a Saxon fore-name; but Cane was cer- tainly never so used. By-the-way, it is an extraordi- nary fact that the name of Cane was lately borne by 30 ENGLISH SURNAMES, two respectable farmers at Ripe, in which neighbour- hood, I have scarcely a doubt, their ancestors, all — bearing the same monosyllabic designation, have dwelt — from the days of the Confessor: an honour which few of the mighty and noble of this land can boast! Mr. Grimaldi, in his ‘ Origines Genealogice,’ speak- ing of the Winton DomEsDAY, a survey of the lands belonging to Edward the Confessor, made on the oath of eighty-six burgesses of Winchester, in the reign of Henry I., says: “The most remarkable circumstance — in this book is the quantity of Surnames among the tenants of Edward, as Alwinus Idessone, Edwinus Godeswale, Brumanus de la Forda, Leuret de Essewem, which occur in the first page.” It would however be preposterous to assert that sur- names universally prevailed so early as the eleventh century: we have overwhelming evidence that they did not ; and must admit that although the Norman Con- quest did much to introduce the practice of using them, it was long before they became very common, All I am anxious to establish is, that the occasional use of family names in England dates beyond the ingress of the Normans. | CHAPTER IV. HISTORY OF ENGLISH SURNAMES, SINCE THE NORMAN CONQUEST. am UATEVER may be advanced in favour of ual an earlier adoption of family designations or Surnames in particular cases, it is certain that the practice of making the second name of an individual stationary, and transmitting it to descendants, came gradually into common use during the eleventh and three following centuries. By the middle of the twelfth it began, in the estimation of some, to be essential that persons of rank should bear some designation in addition to the baptismal name. We have an instance of this in the wealthy heiress of the powerful Baron Fitz-Hamon’s making the want of a surname in Robert, natural son of King Henry the - First, an objection to his marriage with her. The lady is represented as saying: Et were to me great shame, Go habe a lord withonuten his twa name |* when the monarch, to remedy the defect, gave him the surname of Fitz-Roy; a designation which has been * Robert of Gloucester. This will remind the reader of Juvenal— “‘____tangquam habeas tria nomina.”—y. 127. 32, ENGLISH SURNAMES. given at several subsequent periods to the pean progeny of our kings. The unsettled state of surnames in those early times | renders it a difficult matter to trace the pedigree of any family beyond the thirteenth century. In Cheshire, a county remarkable for the number of its resident fami- lies of great antiquity, it was very usual for younger branches of a family, laying aside the name of their father, to take their name from the place of their resi- dence, and thus in three descents as many surnames are found in the same family. This remark may be forcibly illustrated by reference to the early pedigree of the family of Fitz-Hugh, which name did not settle down as a fixed appellative until the time of Edward IIT. Thus we read in succession— Bardolph, Akaris Fitz-Bardolph, Hervey Fitz-Akaris, Henry Fitz-Hervey, Randolph Fitz-Henry, Henry Fitz-Randolph, Randolph Fitz-Henry, Hugh Fitz-Randolph, Henry Fitz-Hugh, which last was created a baron, assuming that name as. his title, and giving it permanence as a family appella- tive.* When there were several sons in one family, instances are found where each brother assumed a different surname. It has been asserted that an act of parliament was passed in the reign of Edward the Second for enforcing the practice of using family names; but it seems more * Halle of John Halle, i, 10. HISTORY. 30 BD Fistatic that necessity led the common | people to adopt — : - them. Before the Conquest there was much greater variety in the baptismal names than at present, though, as we have seen, the Anglo-Saxons were egtcnily driven to the adoption of second names for the identi- fication of individuals. The ingress of the Normans introduced the use of Scripture names, and the Saxon names for the most part became obsolete after a cen- tury or two, while the Johns, Jameses, Thomases, and Peters became so numerous, that Surnames were indis- pensable. In the thirteenth century it is probable that most persons of ignoble rank bore a sobriquet vnstead, of the Christian name, For example, in the Household . Expenses of Eleanor, Countess of Montfort, 1265, all the menials in her service bear designations such as were never conferred at the font: eg. Hand was her baker, Hicque her tailor, and Dobbe her shepherd. Her carriers or messengers were Diquon, Gobithest; Y; Treubodi, and Sling gawar I* Two or three generations later, the commonalty were generally distinguished by names like the following, taken principally from the Inquisitiones Nonarum, 1340 (13 Edw. IIT.). Johés over the Water William at Byshope Gate Johés o’ the Shephouse Johés q’dam s’viens Rog. Leneydeyman Johés vicarii eccl. Ste Nich. Agnes, the Pr’sts sistert Johés at the Castle Gate Johés-in the Lane Thom in Thelane * Blaauw’s Barons’ War. + Gent. Mag., Juve, 1821. VOL, I. 3 a4 ENGLISH SURNAMES. Johés at See Rog’ atte Wodegatehouse Thom’ le Fytheler Joh’ ate Mouse Johés le Taillour Johés up the Pende Petr’ atte the Bell Johes of the Gutter Thomas in the Willows Steph’ de Portico William of London-bridge. About this time (to speak generally) the surnames of the middle and lower ranks began to descend from father to son; but even at the commencement of the fifteenth century there was much confusion in family — _ names. Sometimes, indeed, the same person bore dif- — ferent surnames at different periods. ‘Thus, a person who in 1406 describes himself as William, the son of Adam Emmotson, calls himself, in 1416, William | Emmotson. Another person who is designated John, the son of William, the son of John de Hunshelf, ap- pears soon after as John Wilson. . Other names, such as Willelmus-Johnson- Wilkinson, Willelmus-Adamson, Magotson, and Thomas-Henson-Magot, prevail about this period.* In the Battel Abbey Deeds the names John Hervy, John Fitz-Hervie de Sudwerk, and John de London are given to one and the same person. The following names from the same source occur in this and the preceding centuries, and it may be ob- served, en passant, that they were borne, not by the * Penny Cyclopedia. HISTORY. 3D | q lowest of the vulgar, but by persons who either gave — possessions to the Abbey, or faanesced the deeds by — _ which such gifts were made. Henry le Assedrumere (Ass-drummer t). Edelina Husewyf, late wife of Thomas Pet. Walter le Beeuf (the bullock). 4 | Peter. le Cuckou. 4 John God-me-fetch ! .. Reginald de la Chambre or De Camera. William at Bachuse (at the bakehouse). Richard Havedman (qu. headsman ?). Bartholomew le Swan. Coke Crul. Crul is an archaism for ‘curled’ or * crooked,’ and, presuming that the personal name and. the sur-name have been transposed, this designation may mean ‘the deformed cook ! -Vitellius Curtius. This may be a Latinization of |. Vital Curteis. : Ralph Yvegod. . Giles Smith, son of Luke de Swineham. Thomas Gadregod (Gathergood). Roger le Bunch. Margery Domesday. Richard Grym, called Frend. John Couper, son of William atte Water. The following address to the populace, at the begin- ning of one of the Coventry Mysteries, serves to illus- trate the state in which the family nomenclature of the humbler classes stood in the fifteenth century : “@ A voydsers! And lete me lord the bischop come And syt in the court, the laws for to doo ; And I schal gon in this place, them for to somowne ; The that ben in my book, the court ye must come to. ov—2 36 ENGLISH SURNAMES. { I warne you her’, all abowte, That I somown you, all the rowte, Loke ye fayl, for no dowte, At the court to “ per” (appear). Both John Jurpow’ and Geffrey GYLE Malkyn MyLKEDOKE and FAYRE Mabyle, Stevyn Srurpy, and Jack-AT-THE STYLE, And Sawdyr SADELER. { Thom TynxeERr and Betrys BELLE Peyrs PotvER, and Whatt-aT-THE-WELLE, Symme Smau-FEYTH, and Kate KELLE, And Bertylmew the Bocusr (butcher). Kytt CakELER, and Colett Cranz, Gylle Feryssz and FAYR Jane Powle Powter’, and P/ar]nel Prawns, And Phelypp the good FLEccHER. § Cok Crane, and Davy Dry-pust Luce Lyerr, and Letyce Lytyz-Trost, : Miles the Mitupr, and Colle CRAKE-cRUST Both Bette the Baker, and Robyn REDE. And LOKE YE RYNGE WELE IN YOWR PURS For ellys yowr cawse may spede the wurs, Thow that ye slynge goddys curs, Evy[n] at my hede. 4 Both Bonryne the Browsrer, and Sybyly Stynex, Megge Mrry-wepyr, and Sabyn SpRYNGE Tyffany TWYNKELER ffayle for no thynge, Ffast co’ a way The courte shall be this day.” In Cocke Lorelle’s Wote, a satirical poem im- printed by Wynkyn de Worde, there is a similar rigmarole of names: “‘The pardoner sayd I will rede my roll, And ye shall here the names poll by poll. *% * * % HISTORY. 3 ee Pers Potter of brydge water, SaunpDer SELY the mustard maker, With Jrenyan JANGELER. ; Here is JENKYNE BERWARDE of Barwycke, - And Tom TomsBter of warwyke, With Puyztyrr Frercuer of ffernam (Farnham), Here is Wyn Wyty the my! pecker, And PatrycKr PrvyssHE heerbeter, With lusty Hary Hanae man. é Also Marnewe ToruE DRAWER of London, a _ And Syspy Sox mylke wyfe of Islyngton, With Davy DraweacuE of rockyngame. % * % * Also Hycxr Croxenec the rope maker, And STevEN Mrsy1i-mMourHeE muskyll taker With Jacke Basket-seier of alwelay, : Here is GzorGE of Podyng lane CARPENTER, And Patrycke PEvyssHE a conynge dyrte-dauber, Worshypfull wardayn of Sloven’s In; There is Martyn PEKE small fremason, And Pers Peuterer that knocketh a basyn, (ae * With Goaiz-zyEp Tomson shepster of lyn” (Lynne). &e. &e. &e. That many persons in the fifteenth century carried on the trades from which either themselves or their ancestors had borrowed their family names, is proved by reference to various contemporary documents... The following entries were found by Mr. Thomas Wright among the municipal records of Southampton : “Item, payd to Davy Berebrewere for a pyp of bere that was dronke at the Barrgate, when the ffurst affray was of the ffrenshemen, vi. viij.”’ “ SOP a) c » a 7 : f he might go with hym. The byrder was content, and — dressed him with bows, and set hym by his oule, and bade him say nothynge. When he saw the byrdes. alyght a pace, he sayde: There be many byrdes. alyghted, drawe thy nettes, where-with the byrdes tewe awaye. The byrder was very angry, and blamed him greatly for his speakyng. Than he promysed to: hold his peace. When the byrder was in again, and many byrdes were alyghted, mayster Doctour said in Latyn, AVES PERMULTE ADSUNT: wherwith the byrdes flewe away. The byrder came out ryghte angrye and sore displeased, and sayde, that by his bablynge he had twyse loste his pray. ‘Why, thinkest thou, foole,’ quoth the doctour, ‘that the byrdes do understand Latin ? + ee ‘Low’ is the Scottish for fire, and ‘low-bellers’ are, according to Blount,t men “ who go with a light anda bell, by the sight whereof birds, sitting on the ground, become somewhat stupified, and so are covered with a net and taken.” Hence LowER is perhaps a bird- catcher. The Teutonic ‘loer’ is one who lays snares ; and Lowrie in the Scottish dialect signifies a crafty person, in allusion probably to the same occupation. In the records of the Middle Ages, the surnames of individuals are generally Latinized, and the Latin ex- pressions seem occasionally to have superseded the ori- ginal English ones. Hence Mercator, Tonsor, Faber,. in this class are still found as family names. * Probably a peculiar kind of net. Halliwell does not give the word in this sense. ' tT Tales and Quicke Answers, very mery, &e. {~ Law Dictionary. OCCUPATIONS AND PURSUITS. 129 Although the opinion of Verstegan, cited in the motto of the present chapter, is supported by the strongest possible evidence as to the vast majority of Instances, it is equally certain that in a few cases names of trades have been given as cognomens to persons above plebeian rank. [or example, Willelmus Faber, a Norman monk who enjoyed the favour -of William the Conqueror, and assisted him in the foun- dation of Battel Abbey on the site of the conflict which had given him the crown, acquired his surname from the following circumstance. As he was engaged one day with his brethren in the not very ascetic pursuit of hunting, the party had* exhausted their arrows, and were fain to apply to a neighbouring blacksmith for a new stock of these missiles; but the mechanic being unskilled in this kind of work, Wil- : liam seized his tools and presently produced an arrow of excellent workmanship. Hence his companions jocularly called him Faber, or the smith, a name which he was unable afterwards to lay aside.* The following somewhat analogous instance may well excite the reader’s astonishment: the surname Butcher was gwen as a title of honour. “LE BOUCHER,” says Saintfoix, “was anciently a noble surname given to a general after a victory,in commemoration of hishaving slaughtered some thirty or forty thousand men !’} | * Quod cum sodalibus venatum aliquando profectus, sagittis forte deficientibus, cum quendam fabrum hujuscemodi operis ignarum adissent, ipse malleis arreptis mox sagittam artificio ingenio compegit. Hine-Fabri nomen obtinuit.—Chronicon Monasterii de Bello. + Le Boucher étoit anciennement un surnom glorieux qu’on donnoit & un général, aprés une victoire—en reconnotssance du carnage qu'il avoit fait de trente ou quarante mille hommes.—Sainffoix, Historical Essays. mol. I. 9 130 ENGLISH SURNAMES. Horvribile dictu !—henceforward let all lovers of peace exclaim— ‘ One murder makes a villain ; millions a BUTCHER!” NOTE TO CHAPTER VI. With respect to the application of the surnames treated of in the foregoing chapter, we may observe that there was much greater propriety in making the names of occupations stationary family names than appears at first sight; for the same trade was often pursued for many generations by the descendants of the individual who in the first instance used it. Some- times a particular trade is retained by most of the male branches of a family even for centuries. Thus the family of Oxley, in Sussex, were nearly all smiths or ironfounders during the long period of 280 years. Most of the Ades of the same county have been farmers for a still longer period. The trade of weav- ing has been carried on by another Sussex family named Webb (weaver) as far back as the traditions of the family extend, and it is net improbable that this business has been exercised by them ever since the first assumption of the term as a surname, by some fabricator of cloth in the thirteenth or fourteenth cen- tury. But the most remarkable instance of the long retention of a particular avocation by one man’s pos- terity isin the family of Purkess, of the New Forest in Hampshire. The constant tradition of the neighbour- hood states, that when William Rufus met his un- timely end in that forest, there lived near the fatal OCCUPATIONS AND PURSUITS. 131 oak a poor “coleman,” or maker of charcoal, who lent his cart for the purpose of conveying the royal corse to Winchester, and was rewarded with an acre or two. of land round his hut. His immediate descendants of the same name live there still, and yet carry on the same trade, without one being richer than another for it. This family is deemed the most ancient in the county. (Gough’s Camden.) According to a recent newspaper paragraph, the last representative of this. ancient plebeian line is lately deceased, though the: name still exists elsewhere. CHAPTER VII. OF SURNAMES DERIVED FROM CIVIL AND ECCLESIASTI- CAL DIGNITIES, AND FROM OFFICES. ae a|LOSELY allied to the Surnames discussed in S| the preceding chapter are those which were originally borrowed from dignities and offices. The following lists of names of this class are arranged according to the rules of precedence. CIVIL DIGNITIES. EMPEROR, LORD, KING, KNIGHT, PRINCE, CHEVALIER, DUKE, SQUIRE, MARQUIS, GENTLEMAN, MARLE, YEOMAN; _ BARRON (sic), to which may,be added the corrupt Latinizations, Prinsep (princeps), and Arminger (armiger). (2S a - OFFICIAL. 133 = ECCLESIASTICAL DIGNITIES. Pops, PRIEST, CARDINAL, DEACON, DEAKIN, &c., BisHop, ByssHorp, &c., CLERK, CLARKE, &c.,* ABBOTT, CHAPLIN (CAPLIN 2), Prior, Pryor, Friar, FRYER, FREERE, DEAN (qu. local 2), F'RERE (Chaucer, passim), ARCHDEACON, Monk, RECTOR, Nunn! Parsons, SAXTON ; Vicar, VICKERS, VICARY, and the Latinized form, Pontifex; to which may be added, Benet (now Bennett), one of the orders of the Catholic church, the ‘exorcista, conjuror, or caster out of evil spirits, and Colet, an acolyte, the fourth of the minor orders of priests. “Boniface V.,” says Becon, “decreed that such as were but benet and colet should not touch the reliques of saints, but they only which are subdeacons, deacons, and priests.” Moviss (novice) is likewise a surname, and Lister is in all probability the Anglo-Saxon ‘listre,’ a person who read some part of the church service; (but see a subsequent chapter). The following offices have lent their designations as. surnames: Alderman, Bailey, Beadle, Botiler or Butler, Burgess, Chancellor, Chamberlayne, Constable, Castellan, Champion (and Campion), Councilman, Catchpole, * Adam the clerk, son of Philip the scribe, occurs as the designation of a person mentioned in an ancient record at Newcastle. Clerk, clericus, a man of some learning, however small, has always broadened into Clarke. Nowadays, some young men in lawyers’ and merchants’ offices style themselves clurks / + Way’s Prompt. Parv. in voc. ‘ Benett.’ 134 ENGLISH SURNAMES. Forester, Falconer (often written Falconar, and still | oftener Fawkner and Faulkner), Groome, Henchman, Legatt (i.e., legate), Mayor (with its French form Le- maire,and the O. Eng. Meyer), Marshall, Provost (with its corruption Provis), Page, Proctor, Porter, Portman, Ranger, Reeve (pluralized to Reeves), Steward (and Stewart or Stuart, by crasis Sturt?), Sizar, Sheriff (with Shireff’), Serjeant (corruptly Sargent), Tvupstaff, Ussher, Warden and Woodreeve, with its various forms of Woda iff, Woodroafe, Woodruff, Woodrough, and (probably) Woodrow. The names of many offices, obsolete either as to themselves or as to their ancient designations, are re- tained as family names, as—- Chalmers (Scot.) == Camerarius, chamberlain. Le Despenser, corruptly Spencer, a steward. Horden has the same meaning. The.ancestor of the family of Spencer, Duke of Marlborough, was ‘ dispensator’ or steward to the household of William the Conqueror. Grosvenor, anciently held the office of le Gros Venewr, or great huntsman to the Dukes of Normandy. Bannerman, in Scotland, was a name of office borne by the king’s standard-bearer. It was an hereditary post, and existed temp. Malcolm IV., and William the - Lion.* ‘Seneschal, a steward, is now vilely corrupted to Snashall ! | Staller, according to Camden, is a standard-bearer. Foster, a nourisher—one who had the care of the children of great men. We have also Nurse, as a sur- name. Foster, however, is sometimes a corruption of * forester.’ * Nisbet, Syst. of Heraldry, vol. i. p. 405. OFFICIAL. 135 _ Kenvpe, a soldier, especially one who engaged in single combat. In this sense it has been revived in the works of Sir Walter Scott. Kempes and kemperye-men for warriors or fighting-men occur in the ballad of King Estmere in Percy’s Reliques: “They thad not ridden scant a myle, A myle forthe of the towne, But in did come the kynge of Spayne, With kempés many a one. Up then rose the kemperye-men And loud they gan to crye Ah! traytors, you have slayne our kynge, And therefore you shall dye.” A kenvper is still used in Norfolk in the sense of a stout, hearty, old man—a veteran. The A.-S. cempa has also supplied us with the surnames Camp, Champ, and Camper. Canvpion and Champion have come to us through the French, from the same root. The Swedish Kempenfelt and the Spanish Campeador belong to this family. Kimber is also synonymous; “kimber, enim, homo bellicosus, pugil robustus, miles, &c., significat.”* ‘Bate’ is conflict, contention; and hence Bateman is a member of the same belligerent tribe. Segar and Seagar (A.-S. sigere), a vanquisher. So says Verstegan; but a northern correspondent informs me that this is a provincialism for ‘sawyer.’ . Wardroper, a keeper of the royal wardrobe: the oflicer bore this designation temp. Hen. VIII. Latimer. This name was first given to Wrenoc ap Merrick, a learned Welshman, who held certain lands by the service of being latvmer or interpreter between th2 Welsh and the English; and the name of his office * Sheringham. 136 | ENGLISH SURNAMES. descended to his posterity, who were afterwards ennobled as English peers.* The older and more correct form 1s latiner, one who understands Latin. Maundevile directs travellers to take with them “ Latyneres to go with hem into tyme (until) they conne the langage.” : Valvasour (now more generally written Vavasour), an office or dignity taking rank below a baron and above a knight. Bracton says, “there are for the eivil government of mankind, emperors, kings, and princes, magnates, or valvasours, and knights.” In the Norman reigns there was a king’s valvasour, whose duty pro- bably consisted in keeping ward ad valvas Regnt, at the entrances and borders of the realm; whence the name. , Gilmour, Anglicized to Gilmore, was the designa- tion of the henchman or principal follower of a chief in Scotland. It appears to be derived from the Celtic “ gillie-mohr,” great servant. Arblaster, a corruption of Balistarius, one who directed the great engines of. war used before the invention of cannon, a crossbow-man. “Tn the kernils (battlements) here and there, Of Arblastirs grete plentie were ; None armour might ther stroke withstonde, It were foly to prese to honde.”’—Rom. of the Rose. From another form of the word—‘ Alblastere,—comes the apparently absurd name Alabaster. | Spigurnell, a sealer of writs. Avery. Camden places this among Christian names, but query, is it not the name of an office—Aviarius, a keeper of the birds? The Charter of Forests (section 14) enacts that “every freeman may have in his wocds. * Burke’s Ext. Peerage. OFFICIAL. 137 avyries of sparhawks, falcons, eagles, and herons.” But there is another distinct derivation of this name, for avery, according to Bailey, signifies “a place where the oats (avene) or provender are kept for the king’s horses.” A Franklin, a dignity next to the esquires and gentle- men of olden times, the ancient representative of the class of superior frecholders, known in later times as country ‘squires. Fortescue (De Legibus Anglia, c. 29) describes a franklein as “ pater-familias—magnis di- tatus possessionibus.” “Moreover, the same country (namely England) is;so filled and replenished with landed menne, that therein so small a thorpe cannot be found wherein dwelleth not a knight or an esquire, or such a householder as is there commonly called a franklewm, enriched with great. possessions,. and also other freeholders and many yeomen, able for their live- lyhood to make a jury in form aforementioned.”* Chaucer’s description of a Franklin is everything that could be wished :— “A FRANKELEIN was in this compagnie ; White was his berd,.as is the dayesie. Of his complexion he was sanguin. Wel loved he by the morwe a sop in win[e] To liven in delit was ever his wone, For he was Epicuré’s owen sone, That held opinidén that plein delit Was veraily felicite parfite. An householder, and that a grete was he ; Seint Julian,} he was in his contree ; His brede, his ale, was always after on ; A better envyned { man was no wher non, * Old Translation of Fortescue de L. L. Ang. + St. Julian was the patron of hospitality. t Envyned, that is, stored with wine. 138 ENGLISH SURNAMES, Withouten bake-mete never was his hous, Of fish and flesh, and that so plenteous, It snewéd in his hous of mete and drinke, Of alle daintees that men coud of thinke, After the sondry sesons of the yere, So changed he his mete and his soupere. Ful many a fat partrich hadde he in mewe, And many a breme, and many a luce in stewe. Wo was his coke, but if his saucé were Poinant and sharpe, and ready all his gere. His table dormant in his halle alway Stode redy covered alle the longé day. At sessions ther was he iord and sire, Ful often time he was knight of the shire ; An anelace, and a gipciere all-of silk Heng at his girdel, white as morwe milk. A shereve hadde he ben, and a countour. Was no wher swiche a worthy vavasour.’””* Heriot, a2 provider of furniture for an army. Ver- steg. Cohen, a common name amonst the Jews, signifies priest. Somner, one whosé duty consisted in citing delin- quents to the ecclesiastical courts; an apparitor. The office existed in Chaucer’s time under the orthography of sompnoure, literally summoner—sompne being then the mode of spelling the verb. In the Coventry Mys- teries we have the following :— “ Sim SOMNOR, in hast wend thou thi way, Byd Joseph, and his wyff be name, Af the coorte to apper this day, Hem to pourge of her defame.” Chaucer’s portrait of the Sompnour is one of the best in his inimitable gallery. He * Canterbury Tales, Prologue. Vol. i. p. 44. Edit. 1825. OFFICIAL. 139 *. . . . hadde a fire-red cherubinnés face * *% % * With scalléd browes blake and pilléd berd, Of his visage children were sore aférd. [He loved] to drinke strong win as rede as blood. -Then wolde he speke, and crie as he were wood [mad]. And whan that he wel dronken had the win, Than wolde he speken no word but Latin. A fewé termes coude* he, two or three That he had lerned out of som decree ; No wonder is, he herd it all the day; And eke ye knowen wel, how that a jay Can clepen watte, as wel as can the pope. But who so wolde in other thing him grope,t Than hadde he spent all his philosophie, Ay, Questio quid juris, wolde he crie,’’ &c., &e. t To this list of official names I may add Judge ; but how the word Jury became the name of a single per- son, I do not pretend to guess. [On reconsideration, ‘Jury, appears to be a corrupt spelling of Jewry, and is therefore a local name. That part of a city or town inhabited by Jews was formerly styled ‘the Jewrie,” as the Old Jewry in London. Chaucer, in his Prioress’s Tale (14,899), says: “There was in Acy (Asia) in a great citee, Amonges Cristen folk a Jewerye, Susteyned by a lord of that contré, For foul usure, and lucre of felonye, Hateful to Crist and to his compaigne: And thurgh the strete men might ride and wende, For it was free and open at everich ende.”’ | Foreman was probably adopted by some one who had served on a jury in that capacity. Association of ideas reminds me of another important functionary, * He knew. + Examine. t+ Cant. Tales, Prologue. 140 ENGLISH SURNAMES. Dempster, the common hangman, unless indeed it signifies a judge of the Isle of Man, as the judges of that little kingdom formerly bore this designation. Lockman is a Scottish word for the public execu- tioner. ; Several names end in grave, meaning a steward or disposer; as Waldegrave, a steward of the forest; Margrave, a steward or warden of the marches or frontiers; Hargrave, the provider of an army. I think, however, that these names were not indigenous to England, but brought from Germany, where Graf is Synonymous with count, and ‘ Pfalzcraf, whence our Palgrave, is a count-palatine. Grave, in Lancashire, especially in the disafforested districts, means a con- stable, and constables’ rates are called ‘ grave-leys.” A ‘ dikereeve’ or ‘ dikegrave,’ in Lincolnshire, means one who has the care of dikes and drains. Dykeman and Dickman probably signify the same official. Pilgrim and Palmer are neither offices nor dignities, yet they may find a place here. The Palmer differed from. a common pilerim in making a profession of wan- dering. The pilgrim laid aside his weed and cockle when his pilgrimage was done, and returned to the world; but the palmer wandered about incessantly; his pilgrimage was only laid aside at death. He de- rived his name from the palm-branch he constantly carried as a pledge of his having been in the Holy Land. In the church of Snodland, in the diocese of Rochester, was formerly an inscription to the memory OLS tata ain PALMER, of Otford, Esq., containing several puns or allusions to this name and profession. ¢*Malmers all olor Faders were, {La Palmer ltuyd here, OFFICIAL. 141 And traunl’d still, till toorne tovth age, } endyd this world’s pylgramage, @u the blyst Assention-day, Yu the cherful month of Alay, A thousand tuvth folure hundryd, seuew, And tock mp tornepy hence ta Heuen.’’, _ Sir Walter Scott has given us a sketch of a palmer in “ Marmion :’ “* Here is a holy Palmer come’ From Salem first, and last from Rome, One that hath kissed the blessed tomb, And visited each holy shrine In Araby and Palestine ; On hills of Armenie hath been, Where Noah’s ark may yet be seen ; By that Red Sea too hath he trod Which parted at the Prophet’s rod; In Sinai’s wilderness he saw , The Mount where Israel heard the law, *Mid thunder-dint and flashing levin,* And shadowy mists and darkness given. He shows St. James’s cockle shell ; Of fair Montserrat too can tell ; * Levin, lightning. I have a cordial hatred of the hypercritical spirit which delights in preferring the charge of plagiarism against any poet who happens to express a sentiment in words resembling those of some previous author; it is not therefore out of any such feeling that I beg to call the attention of the reader to the striking resemblance between Scott’s line— ‘Mid thunder-dint and flashing levin,”’ and Chaucer’s (v. 5858, Wright,) ‘¢ With wilde thunder dynt and fuyry levene ”’— which is probably purely accidental. 142 ENGLISH SURNAMES. And of that Grot where olives nod, Where, darling of each heart and eye, From all the youth of Sicily Saint Rosalie retired to God. % % * % His sable cowl o’erhung his face ; In his black mantle was he clad ; With Peter’s keys in cloth of red On his broad shoulders wrought ; The scallop-shell his cap did deck ; The crucifix around his neck Was from Loretto brought His sandals were with travel tore, Staff, budget, bottle, scrip he wore ; The faded palm-branch in his hand Shewed pilgrim from the Holy Land.” The origin of the name of Gear is curious. In the olden tyme great men employed an officer to super- intend the provision of their entertainments and the equipment of their armed retainers ; and, as all sorts of wearing apparel, arms,* utensils, and chattels in general, were called gere or gear, this person would very naturally acquire the name of John-of-the-Gear, John-o-Gear, and, at length, John Gear. ‘ The termination ward indicates some office, and is equivalent to keeper or custos—thus Milward is the keeper of a mill (probably some manorial or monastic mill), and Milman the same; Kenward, the dog- keeper, or more probably, Kimeward, the cow-keeper ; Aylward, the ale-keeper; Durward, the porter or door-keeper ; Hayward, the keeper of a common herd * Thus in the old poem of Flodden Field: “Then did he send Sir William Bulmer, And bad hym on the borders lye, With ordinance and other gear, Each fencéd house to fortify.” OFFICIAL. 143 of cattle belonging to some town; and Woodward, a forest-keeper, “an officer that walks with a forest-bill, and takes cognizance of all offences committed, at the next swain-mote or court of attachments.’* Howard may belong to this family of names, but antiquaries are not agreed as to the meaning of the first syllable. Houard is still a surname in Normandy. Camden makes it the high-warden ; Spelman, the hall-keeper ; Verstegan, the keeper of a strong-hold ; and Skinner, a keeper of hospitality. What such great names cannot agree upon, I shall not attempt to decide. Ward also stands as a surname, as do Warden and Guard, which have the same meaning. Costomer, a collector of customs. Granger, the superintendent of a grange—a great farm pertaining to some abbey or priory. Portman, an officer, now called a portreeve, with duties similar to those of a mayor. The sessions of some of the older corporations were formerly called portmannimotes, or portman’s courts. Landseer, probably a land-steward or bailiff. Palliser, a person who had the care of the palings of a park or forest. Poynder, a bailiff, one who distrains. The singular name of Twentyman appears to be a translation of Vintenarius, a wilitary officer who had the charge of twenty soldiers, as the Centenarius, his superior, had of a hundred. Both these terms occur in a muster-roll of temp. Edw. III., before me. Having given this long list of names derived from titles and offices, I shall next attempt to account for % Bailey’s Dict. 144 ENGLISH SURNAMES. their having been adopted as the designations of families. That the first of the name of King, Prince, or Duke, held either of those dignities is too preposterous for belief. Nor is it more likely that the inferior titles of Knight and Squire were so derived, for that would have been a mean kind of nomenclature. If a person . were véally a knight or an esquire, he would prefer ~ styling himself Sir Roger de Such-a-place, or John So- and-So, Esquire, to taking the simple designation of his rank as a surname. Again, in ecclesiastical digni- ties, such names if adopted could not have been perpe- tuated, seeing that all churchmen, from his holiness of Rome down to the meanest mass-priest, led a life of celibacy, and consequently had no recognized posterity. It has been conjectured, however, that these names indicate bastardy, and that the persons bearing them are thus bond fide of royal, papal, knightly, squirely, or priestly descent—a plausible surmise, but the proofs are wanting. Most of these names, particularly those of the secular description, were probably borrowed from the first users of them having acted or personated such characters in mysteries or dramatic representations; or from their having been chosen, as Camden supposes, leaders’ of the popular sports of the times, as Kings of the Bean, Christmas Lords, &c. The same high authority re- minds us that the classical ancients had such names as “ Basilius, Archias, Archelaus, Flaminius, Czesarius, Augustulus, &c., who, notwithstanding, were neither Kings, Priests, Dukes, nor Czsars;” though Sigonius thinks the Flaminii and the Pontificii descendants of persons who held the sacerdotal office. ‘_. -. DIGNITIES, — 145 There are those who think the clerical names ori- ginated from widowers, who had gone into the church and gained particular offices in it, having given the designations of such offices as surnames to their chil- dren. The Rev. Mark Noble thinks that such as took these names held lands under those who really bore them. This may be true of some of them, both lay and clerical, but it does not account for the higher dignities, as Pope and Emperor, which have never existed in this country. Of all these conjectures, Camden’s, although the most humiliating, seems the most probable. The French name of Archevesque (Archbishop) is ’ thus accounted for. Hugh de Lusignan, an archbishop, becoming unexpectedly entitled to the seignories of Parthenay, Soubize, &ec., obtained the pope’s dispensa- tion to marry, on the condition that his posterity should take the name of Archbishop, and bear, tor ever, a mitre over their arms. Mr. Kemble mentions an instance of an Anglo- Saxon, A.D. 653, who, according to Florence of Wor- eester, bore the name of Benedictus Biscop (bishop), but who certainly never enjoyed episcopal honours. And Eadberht, the last trueborn king of Kent, was surnamed ‘Pren, or the priest: this personage, how- ever, had received ordination to the clerical office prior to his advancement to the regal dignity. None of the objections just adduced apply to sur- names borrowed from offices of the inferior kind, as Steward, Reeve, Parker, &c.; and we have evidence that family names were borrowed from the offices held by the founders of houses. According to Carew, the Porters of Cornwall derived their name from the office you. 1. 10 146 ENGLISH SURNAMES. of porter of Trematon Castle, anciently hereditary in the family under the Dukes of Cornwall. We have already seen that the name of Spencer originated in a similar manner; bus there is a more illustrious instance. The name of Stuart, borne for centuries by the regal family of Scotland and England, descended to them from Walter, grandson of Banquo, who in the eleventh century was steward of Scotland. In conclusion, I may remark that these high-sound- ing surnames are a very numerous class. Almost every village has its King or Prince, or at least its Knight or Squire. Bishops are, I think, rather more numerous than parish churches ; and as for Popes, it is no unusual circumstance to find evght or ten dwelling together in perfect amity, a thing never heard of at Rome, where only two have been known to set Christendom in a blaze! The following humorous morceau will form an appropriate tail-piece to my present Chapter. “ Crue Copp of a jury taken before Judge Dod- dridge, at the assizes holden at Huntingdon, a.p. 1619.” [It is necessary to remark that “the judge had, in the preceding circuit, censured the sheriff for empanneling men not qualified by rank for serving on the grand jury and the sheriff, being a humourist, resolved to fit the judge with sounds at least. On calling over the fol- lowing names, and pausing emphatically at the end of the Christian, instead of the surname, his lordship began to think he had indeed a jury of quality]: “ Maximilian Kine of Toseland, Henry Prince of Godmanchester, George DUKE of Somersham, - DIGNITIES, 147 William Marquis of Stukeley, Edmund Earu of Hartford, Richard Baron of Bythorn, Stephen Pore of Newton, Stephen CARDINAL of Kimbolton, Humphrey BisHop of Buckden, Robert LorpD of Waresley, Robert Kniaur of Winwick, William Axssortt of Stukeley. Robert Baron of St. Neots, William. DEAN of Old Weston, John ARCHDEACON of Paxton, Peter Esquire of Easton, Hdward FRYER of Ellington, Henry Monk of Stukeley, George GENTLEMAN of Spaldwick, George Parisst of Graffham, Richard DEaAcon of Catworth. “The judge, it is said, was highly pleased with this: practical joke, and commended the sheriff for his in-. genuity. The descendants of some of these illustrious. jurors still reside in the county, and bear the same: némes; in particular, a Maximilian King, we are in- formed, still presides over Toseland.”* * History of Huntingdon, 12mo., 1824. 10—2 CHAPTER VIII. OF SURNAMES DEDUCED FROM PERSONAL AND MORAL QUALITIES ATTRIBUTED TO THEIR ORIGINAL BEARERS. fF all the modes of distinguishing an indi- #| vidual (observes Salverte), “the most natural, and the one which best unites the identity and the name of the person, is that of giving a designation which relates to his most conspicuous qualities,—and a truly prolific source of nomenclature it has been. In almost all countries, and in nearly every stage of civilization, individuals have been denominated from some physical quality or external peculiarity. The Greeks had their Pyrrhus, Chlorus, Strabo, Chryses; thé Romans their Candidus, Rutilus, Longus, Paulus ; the French their Blond, Petit, Front-de-Boeuf; and the Anglo-Saxons their Micel, Swanhals, Irensida. So also of moral and mental peculiarities: the Greeks imposed such names as Agathias, Andragathius, Sophocles; the Romans, such as Pius, Prudentius, Constans ; the Anglo-Saxons, such as Prat, Alfred, Godard; and the French, such as Le Sage, Le Bon, Genereux, Prudent. These were all in their primary application strictly —_ = _ es ; “ Ba we i] QUALITIES. — 149 personal, though in the course of time they became, like the other classes already discussed, generic and hereditary designations among modern nations. CoLouR AND COMPLEXION have given rise to such surnames as Black, Blackman, Blaunkfrownt (1.e., white face), Browne, Dark, Darkman, Fair, Fairbairn (Scot.), Fairchild, Fagg (A.-S. faeg), discoloured, pale, Lily- white, Motley, Pink, Rufus,, Rous, Russell (and the French Rousseau—these four mean ‘red’), Redman, Ruddiman, Silversides, Scarlett, White, Whiteman, and Whitesides. Purple, which occurs in America, may have been originally applied to a devotee of Bacchus! As no person ever had a green face (how- ever green in other respects) we must refer the very common surname representing that colour to a local origin—‘ John atte Greene, ‘Roger a’ Green, &., being among the most familiar designations of that class. ) THE CoLouR oF THE Harr led to a numerous: train of these hereditary sobriquets, for such they cer- tainly must be considered; hence Blackhead, Black- lock, Fairhaire, Grey, Gray, Grissel, Hoare and Hore, Redhead, Silverlock, Whitelock, Whithair sometimes corrupted to Whitear, Whitehead, and Yalowhaire. THE Form OF THE HEAD has added a few; to wit, Longhead, Broadhead, Greathead, Halfhead. Gros- teste (great-head), a famous name in English eccle- siastical history, also belongs to this category. Even the beard originated some, as Langbeard, Fairbeard, Hevyberd (1296), Blackbeard. But it was not from the head alone that names of this description were taken, for we have in respect of other personal qualities our Longs and our Shorts ; our 150 ENGLISH SURNAMES. Langmans, Longmans, and Longfellows; our Tall- mans and our Prettymans ; our Biggs and our Broads ; our Greats and our Smalls; our Strongs and our ~ Weakleys; our Petits and Smallmans ; our Strong- mans, Strong’ th’-arms, and Armstrongs ; our Plaines and our Hansoms; our Groses, our Littles, our Thynnes, our Thicks, and our Lowes. These names are of a pretty positive character, but we have a few comparatives; our Littlers and Shorters, to wit, our Plawmers, our Strongers, and our Lowers ! To avoid criticism on one hand, and misapprehen- sion on the other, it is right to state that some of the names in the last paragraph are derived with greater probability from other sources. Two or three at least are of the local kind, such as Plain, and probably also Plainer; Littler is known to be a corruption of Little- over, co. Derby,—a manor whose lords originally wrote themselves De Littleover, but who afterwards became Lniteler and Intiler, until eventually they were quite extinct! Neither must we take the Thynnesas living witnesses of the meagreness of their original ancestor, who was no other than one John de Botteville. This gentleman, who flourished so recently as the reign of Edward IV., resided at one of the Inns of Court, and was thence named John of the Inn, John o’th’ynne, or John Thynne. We have, moreover, our Prettys and our Lovelys,* our Larges and our Pettys, our Fatts and our Stouts, together with our Swifts, our Quicks, our Speeds, and Lightfoots, and Quwicklys, well balanced by our less mercurial Slows and Slowmans, and our more deliberate Heavisides, * ¢ Editha la Lovelich.’? MS. Harl. 1708, fol. 217. QUALITIES. 151 There are other surnames no less characteristic; though less intelligible to ordinary observers. Among these may be noted Starkie, strong-bodied; Fiest, _broad-footed; Cruwmpe, crooked; Mewet, one who speaks inwardly ; Liza, a leprous person; Morphew, a scrofulous one; Michel (A.-S.), great, whence also Michell and Mitchell ; Hale, healthful; Holder, thin (Camd.); and Fleet, swift. Bel, with LE prefixed, is from the French, fair; and Pigot, with its varieties Piggott and Pickett (picoté), in the same language means pitted with the smallpox. Car and Ker are Synonymous, signifying stout. _Wychals (A.-S.), now Wiggles, means ‘bad neck” Jit and Lite are old English forms of ‘little.’ Snell is from the Anglo-Saxon, and signifies agile or hardy. “€admund cing Ipenyid pey xzeclypod rop hip Snell-ycrpe : King Eadmund was called Iron-side for his hardihood, agility,” says the Saxon Chronicle. Before the Conquest this epithet had become a proper name, as had also its compound, Snelson. Basset (Fr.) signifies low of stature. To dade, in some dialects, signifies to wall with short steps, whence the diminutive ‘daddle,’ applied to the pace of infants. Dadd or Dade was probably given in the first instance to some person who had shorter legs than his neighbours. ‘The very common surname Read, Reid, or Reed (sometimes pluralized to Reeds), is an old spelling of RED, and was primarily applied in reference to com- plexion. Chaucer speaks of ‘ Floures both white and rede ;” and Sir John Maundevile, describing the Red Sea, says : “That see is not more reed than another see; but in 152 ENGLISH SURNAMES. some places thereof is the eraven reede ; and therefore men clepen it the Rede Sea.” Fairfax, from the Anglo-Saxon, and Blownd, oe the French, denote a light bair and complexion. The latter name has declined into Blount and Blunt. Camoys is an Old English word signifying turned upwards; and is generally applied to the nose in a sense identical with the French expression ‘nez re- troussé” Chaucer employs it in his quaint description of the daughter of the Miller of Trumpington : “This wenche thikke and well i-growen was, With camoys nose and eyghen gray as glas.”’ Wright's Chaucer, 3971. It is sometimes written ‘camuse, and our surname Kenyss may mean the same thing. Among the names indicative of mental or moral qualities, we have our Hardys and our Cowards ; our Meeks and our Moodys ; our Bolds and our Slyes ; our Livelys and our Sullens ; our Hagers and our Dulmans ; our Giffords or liberal ones, and our Curteises. CuR- TEIS appears to be an ancient spelling of the adjective courteous. Chaucer says of his “ yong squier”— “ Curteis he was, gentil and affable.” So in Percy’s Reliques : “And as the lyoune, which is of bestis kinge, Unto thy subjectis be kurteis and benygne.” Nor must we overlook our Wilds and our Sangwines ; our Merrys and our Sobers; our Nobles and our Willeys, or favourable ones; our Blythes and our Cleeres ; our Sternes and our Bonnys ; our Godmans and our Godlimans ; our Wakes or watchfuls; our Terrys or QUALITIES. 153 tearful ones ;* our Forwards and our Wises; our Wooralls or worth-alls,- our Aylwins, or beloved of all; our Proudes and our Humbles ; our Sharpes and our Blunts ; our Sweets and our Sweetmans, not forgetting our Bitters ; our Illmans and our Freemans ;t our Wisemans and our Booklesses; our Stables and our Hasties ; our Gentles and our Lawlesses ; our Giddys and our Carelesses ; our Perts, our Recklesses, and our Peaceables ; our Stiffs and our Stills ; our Roughs and our Toughs ; our Sadds and our Merrymans ; our In- nocents and our Peerlesses ; our Luckies and our Faith- fuls ; our Tidys and our Tidymans ; our Gaudys and our Decents ; our Gallants and our Trustys ; our Dear- loves and our Trueloves; our Truemans and our Thankfuls ; our Brisks and our Doolitiles ; our Dears and our Darlings ; our Closes and our Allfrees ; our Brightmans and our Flatmans ; and, to close this long catalogue, our Goods,§ Goodmans, Goodchilds,|| Good- fellows, our Thoroughgoods, Allgoods, Bests, Perfects, and Goodenoughs, our Conquergoods, and what is very extraordinary indeed, our Toogoods ! Idle, for the honour of the family bearing it, I would rather deduce from the river so designated, than in- situate that the founder of that name and lineage was deficient in industry. * Verstegan; a more probable derivation is from the Fr. Thierry, Theodoric. T So Verstegan, Restit. ; but more probably from Wirral in Cheshire. } The name Fry is a modernized spelling of Frie, free. Fr yman, ive., Freeman, is also found. § Goad, a corrupt spelling of the O. E. gode, good. | The French likewise have Goodman and Goodson—Bonhomme and Bonfils. The surname of Pope Gregory XIII. was Buoncompagno, good companion, and that of his secretary of the treasury Buonfigluolo, good son. 154 ENGLISH SURNAMES. Some names of this class, also, convey no meaning to the uninitiated observer, and others may even give rise to an erroneous impression ; for instance Gaylord (gaillard, Fr.; Gaylard, O. E.) has no reference to aris- tocratical ¢ Laisa) but means simply jovial or jolly: * A prentys dwelled whilom in oure citee, And of a craft of vitaillers was he : Gaylard he was as goldfynch in the schawe, Brown as a bery, and a proper felawe.” Wright’s Chaucer, 4364. Ramage (A.-Norman) is wild, haggard, or homely. Mr. aleve says it was very often applied to an untaught hawk. “So ramage as she would be re- claimed with no leave.” (Gwydonius, 1593.) Lelhome is probably true or leal man; and Follet, which is also French, signifies foolish. Leeny, according to Grose, is active, alert; hence Leaney and Leney. Stunt (A.-S.) means stupid, foolish ; taken substan- tively it means a fool, by no means an enviable desig- ~ nation, but far from applicable to all who bear it. In a Saxon translation of the book of Job, that patriarch calls his wife “stunt wif,” ie. a foolish woman. Widmer (‘wyd’ wide, and ‘mear’ fame, A.-S.), widely renowned ; Hubbard (‘hughbert, A.-S.), disposed to joy and gladness; Joyce (Fr.), the same; Hogarth (Dutch), high-natured, generous; Shire (A.-8.), clear; Baud, pleasant; Rush, subtle; Barrat, cunning ; Bowne, ready; Bonner, Bonar (Fr. bonaire, O. E. boner), kind, gracious. Lldridge is defined by Percy as wild, hideous, ghostly. See a description of an “ Eldridge knight,” in the ballad of Sir Cauline. Joliffe is the O. E. ‘jolif,’ jolly. QUALITIES. 155 “Up ryst this jolyf lover Absolon.”— Chaucer, 3688. To this list of names from personal and mental qualities, I may appropriately adjoin such as had their origin in some feat of personal strength or courage, as Armstrong (already mentioned), All-fraye, Langstaff; Wagstaff, Hackstaff, Hurlbat,* Winspear, Shakeshaft, Shakestaff, and Shakespeare, or, as Mr. C. Knight has it, Shakspere. Also Box-all, Tirebuck, Turnbull, and Breakspear, which last was the original name of our countryman, Pope Hadrian the Fourth. “ Harman,’ observes Verstegan, “should rightly be Heartman, to wit, a man of heart or courage.” It also signifies a soldier or constable, in both which vocations ‘heart, or courage,’ is necessary. Holman may be ‘ Wholeman,’ a man of undeniable valour— aman, every inch of him.} , Analogous to this etymology is that of the patrial noun Alman or German, which, according to Verstegan, “is as much to say as ALL or WHOLLY MAN,” attributed to that, nation “in regard to their great manliness and valour.” In some of our provincial dialects a Dummerel or Dumbrell is a silent person, and Duwnch means deaf or dull. The not very dissimilar name of Dench means, in the north of England, squeamish or dainty. Smelt, though the name of a fish, is more probably the A.-S. adjective signifying gentle, placid, mild. ‘To coll,’ in the North, is to saunter, to idle; hence a Coller is an idler. | Surnames of the descriptive class assume a very * Bat is an O. E. word still used in Sussex and elsewhere for any thick stick or bludgeon, whence cricket-bat. ~ Holmen occurs in Denmark as a family name. 156 ENGLISH SURNAMES, ludicrous appearance when ranged in a list and fol- lowed by the baptismal name; for example: Black Barnabas, Proud Fanny, Brown Benjamin, Pretty Jane, Blunt Timothy, Peerless Peter, Bonny Simon, Savage Solomon, Careless Eliza, Sterne Nicholas, Godly Obadiah, Smart Isabella, Long Sarah, Sharp Walter, — Perfect Lucy, Wild Caleb. Nor is the effect much less odd with such names as the following : Bachelor Mary, Farmer Laura, Champion Anna, , King Caroline, Duke Dorothy, Pope Susannah, Friend Jonathan, Squire Marmaduke, Fisher Anne, Wheeler Emma. But to return: Wight is strong, and Doughty for- midable (A.S. dohtig). “ Lordynges, lysten,”and you shal here, You shall well heare of a knight, That was in warre full wyght, And doughtye of his dede.’’—Dowsabell. Many names of Welsh or Gaelic origin, common in England, have similar meanings: thus, More, great ; Begg, little; Roy, red; Duff, Dove, Dow, Dee, black; Bane (whence belike Baynes), white or fair; Vaughan, little; Moel, or Mole, bald; Gam, crooked; Fane, slender; Grimm, strong; Gough, red ; Gwynne, white ; Greig and Gregg, hoarse; Gleg, quick ; Balloch, spotted in the face. QUALITIES. 157 There are certain surnames which I have the greatest difficulty in assigning to any particular class. Gladman may have been the appropriate name originally applied to some jocund individual ; though an esteemed cor- respondent suggests two other origins for it; namely, 1, that it is a corruption of (clad-man) clothman ; and 2, that as ‘gley’d’ or ‘gleed,’ in Scotland, means squinting as applied personally, or crooked as applied to things inanimate, a gledeman might be either a squinting man or a crooked man. What shall be said of Deadman, which must be acknowledged to be the most absurd name ever bestowed upon living creature ? The somewhat similar name of Dudman occurs in that celebrated burlesque poem, “The Tournament of Tottenham,” and Bailey defines it as “a malkin or scare-crow, a hobgoblin or spright !” CHAPTER IX. OF SURNAMES DERIVED FROM BAPTISMAL NAMES. “Mais de ces denominations individuelles et fugitives, comment se sont formés des noms de famille permanents ?””—SALVERTE. od wa,VERY one must have remarked the great a number of names of this kind. Who is there among my readers who does not = immediately call to mind some score or two of Edwardses, Johnsons, Stevenses, and Harrisons, in the circle of his acquaintance? Yet such names are far more common than at first sight they appear to be, as I shall prove before I arrive at the end of this Chapter; for in addition to all or nearly all the personal, Christian, or baptismal names anciently in use, a number truly surprising of modifications of such appellations have become part and parcel of our here- ditary nomenclature. This feature is by no means peculiar to us. It obtains among the French, Germans, and other continental nations, and is nowhere more observable than in the nomenclature of ancient Rome. Salverte has remarked that there was scarcely one family name (nomen) which did not arise from either a preenomen or a cognomen, by simply changing the termination into ws, as Marcus, Marcius, Quintus, FROM BAPTISMAL NAMES. 159 Quintius. Heeven goes so far as to say that all Roman names (nomina) terminated in dws originally: such names as Peducaeus, Annaeus, having been in their primitive form Peducaius, Annaius, &c. That this aus signifies ‘son’ must be admitted by all, but whether it is derived from the Greek vvos, as maintained by one or two writers, I leave to abler etymologists to determine. Among the English surnames which have been de- rived from baptismal names are the following: Abel, | Boniface, Gideon, Madoe, Abraham, Cecil, Giles, Malachy, Absolom, Charles, Gilbert, Martin, Adam, Christopher,| Goddard, Matthew, Adelard, Clement, Godfrey, Maurice, Adolphus, Cuthbert, Godwin, Meredith, Adrian, Daniel, Gregory, Meyrick, Aldred, Dawid, Griffith, Miles, Alexander, | Dennis, Guy, Morgan, Allen, Derick, Henry, Moses, Ambrose, Donald, Herbert, Nathan, Amos, Dunstan, Hilary, Neale, Andrew, Edgar, Howell, Nicholas, Atinony, Lillis, Hubert, Noel, Arnold, Evan, Humphry, | Oliver, Arthur, Everard, Isaac, Osbern, Aubrey, Eustace, James, Osmond, Bardolf, Fabian, Jeffrey, Owen, Baldwin, Francis, Lambert, Poul, Barnard, Frederick, | Lawrence, | Philip, Bartholomew, George, Launcelot, | Ralph, Basil, Gerard, Leonard, Randal, Benjamin, | Gervaise, Lewis, Raymond, 160 ENGLISH SURNAMES. Reynard, Sampson, | Sylvester, Vyvian, Reynold, Saull, Theobald, | Walter, Bice ° Silvanus, Thomas, &e. Richard, Sumeon, Titus, Roger, Solomon, Valentine, Roland, Swithin, Vincent, Great numbers of these have been assumed in the genitive case, as John Reynolds, for John the son of Reynold, James Phillips, for James the son of Philip ; others have been corrupted in various ways; thus, Bennet from Benedict, Cutbeard from Cuthbert, Bryant from Brian, mary (whence Emmerson) from Almeric, Errey from Eric, &. Others seem to be French cor- ruptions of Latin names, as Stace from Statius, Awrel from Aurelius, Gell from Gellius. Those who are conversant with documents belonging to the middle ages, are well aware of the disposition that then existed to make the father’s Christian name the surname of the child. Even at a much more recent date, the svre-name was frequently preferred to the sta- tionary surname of the family. In Dr. Fiddes’s ‘Life of Cardinal Wolsey,’ Edmund Bonner, bishop of London, is called Dr. HKdmunds, and Stephen Gardiner, bishop of Winchester, Dr. Stephens. These prelates, indeed, had no children ; but such instances may serve to show, nevertheless, with what facility Christian names would pass into surnames in cases where there were children.* Camden has a list of surnames, formed of such fore- names as are now obsolete, and only occur in Domesday Book and other records of ancient date. From this list, and from another by Dr. Pegge in the Gentleman’s * Notes of a Bookworm. * FROM BAPTISMAL NAMES. 161 Magazine for 1772, p. 318, I select such as I have myself met with, omitting from the Doctor’s catalogue those names which are still common as Christian names,. and adding others.* . ANSTIS (Anastasius). AYSCOUGH, ASKEW, aon non Huskisson =: Askew’s son ? ‘ AUCHER. ANSELL (Anselm). AUSTIN (Augustine). BAYNARD. BRAND (Saw. Chron.). BENNET (St. Benedict). BRANDON. BALDRIC. BARDOLPH. BARCHARD (Belchard). BARRINGER (Berengerius). BERNEBRS. BryYANT (Brient). “COLEMAN (Bede). CADMAN (Ceedman). CHRISTIAN. CALFE. DEGORY. * From this enumeration I also omit many of the names called by- Camden ‘‘ Christian names in use about the time of the Conquest,’’ such. as Hasting, Howard, Talbot, Pipard, Poyntz. What, I ask, are these- but surnames? Does not the fact of such names occurring singly in. Domesday Book, add weight to the opinion I have already expressed. VOL. I. 11 ENGLISH SURNAMES. DuRRANT (Durandus). Drew (Drogo). Dopp, whence Dodson. EDoLpH (Eadulph, Sax. Chron). ELLs (Elias).* ELMER (Ailmer). EVEREST, Every, EVERETT, and VERRY (Hverard). EACHARD (Achard, Domesday). _ Erty (Hddy). EDLIN (Atheling). EADE, EADES (Eudo). FULKE (Fulco). FARAND, FARRANT (Ferdinand). FOLKARD, FoLKER (Fulcher). FREEMAN (Fremund). GIRTH. GODWIN, GOODWIN. GooDRICH. GoopLuck (Domesday). GRIMES (Grime). GUNTER (Ingulphus). GAMBLE (Gamel, Saz.). GRIMBELL (Grimbald). HASSELL (Asceline). HESKETH (Hascuith). HARMAN (Saw. Chron.). Hope, Hoap, Hoop (Odo). HAKE (Haco). HAMLIN (Hammeline). * The Ellises of Yorkshire consider themselves to be surnamed from Eliseux in Normandy. + FULCHER is evidently the origin of Fullagar. ae P < je . nae a —_—— —e ss, ee ee te FROM BAPTISMAL NAMES. 163 ~Harpine (Ingulph). HAMMOND. (Hamon). HARVEY (Herve). HEWARD. HERWARD. HUBERT. INGRAM (Ingelram). IVE. JARVIS (Gervaise). JERNEGAN. J OLLANDE. KETTLE,and probably CATELL (Chetell, Domesday). KUILLICcK (Calixtus). Lucy (Lucius). MALuet (Sax. Chron.). MAYNARD. Massey (Macey, Domesday). MERVYN (Merfin). Orso (Urso), whence Fitz-Urse. Ony (Odo). ORME.* OTHER. RELFE (Ralph). REYNER (Reinardus). RAYMOND. RoTHERY (Rodericus). ROLLE (Raoul). ! Stiaains (Stigandus or Stigand), whence Stiggson. * Orme in Danish signifies worm or serpent. 11—2 164 ENGLISH SURNAMES. SAER, now SAYERS. SEARLE (Serlo). SEMAR. SEWELL (Sewallus). _ SEAWARD (Siwardus).* SWAIN (Sweyn). SEABRIGHT (Sigebert). SELWYN. SAVERY (Savaricus). SANKEY (Sancho). SEMPLE, SAMPOL (St. Paul). SAMPIERE (St. Peter). STYDOLPH (St. Edolph). SAMAND (St. Amado). SIMBERB (St. Barbe). TANKARD (Tancred). TIPPLE (Theobald). TIPPET (the same). Toy (St. Olave). TeRRY (Theodoric). Tovy. TURROLD, TYRREL, or TURREL (Thorold). Tupor, Welsh (Theodore). ULMER. VIVIAN. WISHART (Wiscard). * This was also a name of office: the Anglo-Saxon Saeweard was a high admiral, who kept the sea against pirates. The surname is like- wise found in the forms of Saward and Seward. FROM BAPTISMAL NAMES. 165 WADE. WARNER. . WIMBLE, WIMBOLL (Winebald, Domesday).* In the remarkable discovery of Anglo-Saxon coins of the eleventh century some years ago made near Alfris- ton, Sussex, among the names of the moneyers occurring on the reverses, are several which are still extant as family names in this part of the country ; e.g.— BrivD (of Hastings). A family of Breeds is still resident in that town. ‘Brid’ is the A.-S. form of Bird. WULGAR, now written Woolgar and Woollgar. Boge, hodie Bogue. WULMER, now Woolmer. SWETMAN, now Sweatman and Sweetman. ELARD, hodie Ellard. _ DunnineG has preserved its original orthography for upwards of eight centuries.} We have a few surnames from Welsh names, as Cradock (from Caradoc), Chowne (from Chun), Merricks and Meyrick (from Meirric), Meredith, and Madox, corrupted to Maddicks, ‘whereby hangs a tale. “Are you acquainted with mathematics?’ asked a young pedant of a country acquaintance. “No,” was the reply; “I know Tom Maddicks and Will Maddicks, but as to Matthy, I never heard tell on him before.” Next in order come the names terminating with son, as Adamson, Johnson, Henryson, Clementson, * Wimbledon, in Surrey, is probably the ¢un or enclosure of one Winebald, a Saxon. + It should be observed, however, that several of these names occur -on coins not struck in this part of England. 166 ENGLISH SURNAMES. fichardson, Philvpson, &c., whose derivation is clear, together with Heardson,* Crowson, Quilson, Wigson, &c., from corrupted names, or from names no longer in use. Many of these were doubtless assumed before the Conquest, as we find Grvmkelson, Gamelson, &e., in the time of Edward the Confessor, if not earlier. The Norman FITZ, a corruption of FILS, was used in the same way, and among the conquered Saxons was. sometimes adopted instead; thus Sweynsonne and Hardingsonne became Fitz-Swain and Fitz-Harding ;+ generally however the Fitz denotes a Norman ex- traction, Sometimes, but rarely, SON was appended to a profession, trade, as or condition, as Dukeson, Clarkson, Cookson, Wrightson, Smuthson, Masterson, Stewardson, Hindson, and Widowson. | In Scotland there are several names analogous to these, as McMaster, Mckvight, McPriest, McQueen. McBride seems to perpetuate a scandal; but what shall be said of McCambridge and McQuaker! It — may well be supposed that some of these are cor- ruptions. McIntosh or Mackintosh is the son of the Leader ; McNabb, the son of the Abbot; and ta ag son fick son of the Parson. The FITZ or SON conjoined to a female name is thought to denote illegitimacy, as Fite-Parnell, Fitz- Linma ; Anson, Eveson, Emson, and Nelson, from Ann, Eve, Emma, and Nel or Hleanor So also * Heard may be from herd, a keeper of cattle or sheep. + “The use of the prefix rirz has, with propriety, been revived in modern times. The eldest son of Harris, Earl of Malmesbury, is, by title of courtesy, Viscount Fitzharris.”’ + Some of these apparently female names are possibly corruptions of masculine ones; thus Anson may be Hanson—Nelson, Neilson, &e. Speaking of Neilson or Neilsen, I was informed at Copenhagen, where: ee ee a ee ee ee eT, [_—_., -—- = = Rated i. ee ee Sa a FROM BAPTISMAL NAMES. 167 Susans, Maudlins (Magdalene), Anne, Avis (Hawisa), Grace, Hannah, Pegge, that is Margery, Betty, Sall, Nance, Mary, Rachel, Jane, and the like. But it should be remembered, that the Romans occasionally used their mother’s name, when born in wedlock, and. that our Henry the Second called himself Fitz- Empress. Other names are formed of, and upon, the cant or abbreviated Christian names; (“pardon me,” saith Master Camden, “if I offend any, for it is but my convecture,’) as Nat for Nathaniel, Bill for William, Wat for Walter, and many such like, which you may learn of nurses! Whether these odd monosyllables were originally applied to children* as terms of en- dearment, and thus acquired the appellation of nwrse- the latter spelling is adopted, that the Danes admitted Lord Nelson to be one of their countrymen, notwithstanding his rough visit in 1802, See my ‘“‘ Wayside Notes in Scandinavia.” * How came such names as the following to be appropriated to birds, quadrupeds, and fishes ? Jack- Daw. Bob ; Robin, the redbreast. Mag- Pt (Margaret). Jack-Hern, the heron. Chick-a-Biddy (Bridget). Will, the sea-gull. Hedge-Mike (Michael), the hedge- Reynard, the fox. sparrow. Jenny-Wren. Jack-Ass. Tom-Tit, the titmouse. Poll-Parrot. Jack, the pike. Dicky Bird. me Dobbin, a horse (Robert). Neddy- Ass. Billy- and Nanny Goat. Tib, a cat (Theobald). Phipp (Philip), a sparrow. (Skelton.) Tom-Cat. Jack-Avil, a species of crab. Gib, a cat (Shakspeare, Henry IV. Tabby-Cat (Tabitha). —Gilbert). . Even inanimate things, as machines, bear similar appellations; wit- ness Roasting-Jack and Spinning-Jenny ! 168 ' ENGLISH SURNAMES, names, I cannot say. Camden favours this opinion They “seem,” says he, “to proceede from nurses to their nurslings ; or from fathers and maisters to their boyes and seruants: for as according to the old pro- verbe Omnis herus seruo monosyllabus, in respect to their short commands ; so Omnis serwus hero monosyl- labus, in respect to the curtolling their names.” The Anglo-Saxons sometimes shortened proper names in this manner: e.g., Saba for Saeborht; Totta for Torhthelm, Sicgga for Sigefrith or for Sigibed, Eda for EAdwine, Aille for Alfwine, &c. “ We are led to believe,” observes Mr. Kemble, “in the gradual recep- tion by bodies of men of such misnomers as delight us in our nurseries, and to accept the ways of society in very early periods, not indeed as child-like but as childish.” In the fifteenth century these misnomers were so commonly applied that they were even introduced into legal documents. Personages of some distinction are called indifferently Roger and Hodgkyn, Walter and Watkyn, in the course of the same deed. Monarchs themselves deemed it no slight to be thus miscalled; thus our later Henries were frequently designated Harry. The poet Gower has the following verses on the occasion of Wat Tyler’s insurrection, which are curious as containing several of these abbre- viated names in a Latin dress: “ WAaTTE vocat, cui THOMA venit, neque SymMz retardat, Batque, GIBBE simul, HyKKE venire subent : CoLLE furit, quem BossE juvat, nocumenta parantes Cum quibus ad damnum WILLE coire volat, GRIGGE rapit, dum Daviz strepit, comes est quibus Hozsr, LakKIN et in medio non minor esse putat ; Huvpbr ferit, quem Juppx terit, dum Trszz juvatur, ACKE domosque viros vellit, en ense necat,” &c. ; — + ong FROM BAPTISMAL NAMES. 169 Andrews has rendered these lines in the following humorous manner : “ War cries, Tom flies, nor SyMKIN stays aside ; And Barr and Gizss and Hyxz, they summon loud ; Contin and Bos combustibles provide, While Witt the mischief forwards in the crowd; GREG hawls, Hos bawls, and Davy joins the cry, With Larxrn not the least among the throng ; Hopp drubs, Jupp scrubs, while Trp stands grinning by, And Jack with sword and fire-brand madly strides along 19 e The names of the class of which I am now treating are exceedingly numerous, as EIGHT, TEN, or even FIF- TEEN surnames are sometimes formed upon a single Christian name. The name of William, indeed, is the basis of no less than TWENTY-NINE such names, as will be seen by referring to the list I am about to place before the reader. Besides the syllable son, annexed to the cant names Sim, WILL, Hopas, &c., we have three principal terminations; KIN, OT, and COCK, as Simkin, Wilmot, Hedgecock. Of the first two it is only necessary to state that they are diminutives; -kim being derived from the Flemish,* and -ot from the French. Thus Zimpkin stands for “little Tim” or Timothy, and Adcot for “little Ade,” or Adam. But the termination Cock is not so easily disposed of. Camden appears to derive it from the male of birds: hence among his names deduced from the “ winged nation,” he places Alcocke, Wilcocke, and Handcocke ; * It may be remarked that names with this or a similar termination are still very numerous in Holland. There is a great similarity be- tween the family nomenclature of that country and our own, especially in those names which have Christian names as their basis. Thus Symonds is Simmonds; Huygens, Higgins; Pieters, Peters, &c. The termination -son is found in most of the languages of Gothic origin. 170 ENGLISH SURNAMES. but, so far as I am acquainted with our provincial dia- — lects, these are not names locally assigned to any par- ticular species of birds, as some others (shrillcock, stormeock, &¢.) are well known to be. We must therefore look elsewhere for the origin of the termina- tion. Considerable discussion on this subject took place in the pages of the Gentleman’s Magazine some years since, the substance of which is given below. A correspondent, J.A.C.K., in an article published in that periodical in May, 1837, speaking of the great number of sur- names of which Cock is a component syllable, observes, that “many of them are evidently borrowed from the animal creation, as PEACOCK, employed to designate a vain, showy fellow; Woopcock, applied to a silly coxcomb ; and SHILCOCK, that is shrillcock, a Derby- shire provincialism for the throstle. Bocock or Baw- COCK, is, of course, nothing more nor less than the French Beaucoq, fine fellow.’ Atcock, Bapcock, Drawcock, Grocock, SLocock, this sapient scribbler casts aside as “indelicate ;’ “ Luccock or LUCKCOCK,” he continues, “probably denotes some lucky indi- vidual (!). With respect to HITCHCOoOK, it appears to have been synonymous with woodcock, and employed to signify.a silly fellow ..... GLASSCOCK, ADCOCK, Mutcock, bid defiance to all etymology, unless the termination be a corruption of cot. Thus Glasscock becomes Glas-cote, Adcock, At-cote, &c....... It seems highly probable that ATcock and ALCOCK, Hio- - cock and WILCOCK, are but varieties of Atcot and Alket, Hickot and Wilkot, the familiar terms At and Hal, Hick and Will, for Arthur, Henry, Isaac, and William. As far as relates to the latter name, Wil- : a | " q : ' ee ee ee ee ee SS! ae —a r = FROM BAPTISMAL NAMES. 17k cock, I am decidedly of opinion that such has been its original form, corroborated as it is by the surnames of Wolcockes and Wilcoxon, still existing amongst us.” This communication led to a second (Gent. Mag. Sept. 1837), in which the writer observes, that orly six out of the ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY names contain- ing this mysterious syllable can be assigned to the animal creation; while he is inclined to think many of the names local, being derived from cock, a hillock: Cockburn, the burn by the hillock; Cockham, the ham- let by the hillock: so also Cockfield, Cocksedge, Cock- wood, &c. The reader will remark that in this article the examples are chosen from such names as have Cock for their initial, and not for their final syllable, and therefore do not aid our inquiry; although the deriva- tion of Cockburn, &c., is probably correct. My friend the late Mr. John Gough Nichols, F.S.A., in a third article on the same topic (Gent. Mag. May, 1838), remarks that the word “often occurs in the re- cords of this country under the various forms of Coc, Koc, le Cok, le Coq, &c., answering, in fact, to the - Latin Coqwus, more usually, during the middle ages, written Cocus, and while the greater number of those ancient professors of the culinary art have moditied their orthography to Coke, or Cooke, or Cook, others have evidently retained the final c, and thus assimi- lated their names to the victims instead of the lords of the kitchen. Hence we proceed to Cock, Cocks, and Cox.” He then quotes the Great Rolls of the Ex- chequer for 25 Hen. III, 1241, in which one Adam Coe or Cok is commissioned by the king to superintend certain repairs at Clarendon palace, “and to instruct the workmen, so that the kitchen and stables might be 172 ENGLISH SURNAMES. enclosed within the outer wall.” Having hit upon this clue, he thinks it leads to an “ explanation of some of the names ending in Cock, as Meacock, the MEAT- cook (!) Salcock, the SALT-MEAT-cook (! !) Slocock, the sLow-cook (!!!) and Badcock, the IMPERFECT-cook eect reer Grococke is the GROSS or wholesale cook ... or, perhaps, le gros coc, or fat cook (!) and those compounded with Christian names are thus readily accounted for. Wilcox will be William the Cook ; Hancock, Johan the Cook; SANDERCOCK,’ Alexander the Cook; JErFrFcock, Jeffry the Cook, &c* The ALLCOCKS may be descended from Hal the Cook, unless their great ancestor was Aule cocus, the Hall-Cook.” Some others, he thinks, have originated from names of places, as LAYCoCK from Lacock, in Wiltshire, &c., &e. ; others from the bird, from their being persons of noisy or pugnacious dispositions, or perhaps from their prac- tice of early rising (!). COCKERELL, he justly says, is derived “ from cockerel, a young or dwarf bird of that species.” “ Ariel. Which of he, or Adrian, for a good wager, first begins to crow ? Seb. The old cock. Ant. The cockrel. Seb. Done: the wager ?”’ Tempest, Act ii., Scene i. . That Peacock, Woodcock, and a few others are derived from birds, is unquestionable, seeing that we have the congenerous names Raven, Finch, Sparrow, &e. from that source; and that others are corruptions of cot, cannot, I think, be denied; but that Cock, as a termination, has aught to do with cocus, coq, or cook, * If Christian names were ever so compounded with vocations, how is it that we have no such names as Han-SMITH as well as Hancock ; Will-MILLER as well as Wilcock ; Sander-Tai1LOR as well as Sandercock | | FROM BAPTISMAL NAMES, 173. is a supposition perfectly ridiculous. As to J. G. N.’s record in the Exchequer Rolls, it is a most amusing piece of nonsense to imagine that the said Adam Coc was the royal cook. Who indeed ever heard of a cook’s possessing any architectural skill beyond what is re- ' quired in the constructon of the walls of a gooseberry tart or a venison pasty? Besides, what had a cook to do with walling in the royal stables? We have just ‘as much right to assume that he was the king’s farrier. But even admitting this same Adam’s surname to have been originally derived from that necessary office of the kitchen, does it at all explain Meacock, Salcock, &e.? I do not consider the question deserving of a serious reply.* What then 7s the meaning of cock? Why, it is simply a diminutive, the same as OT or KIN. This opinion I had formed long before I saw the correspond- ence just noticed, and it is supported by numerous proofs. I do not profess to assign a satisfactory mean- ing to all the names with this termination; yet I think I have been successful in affixing that of five-sixths of all such names as I have ever met with. And I doubt not that the remainder might be explained with equal facility were not the Christian names of which they are the diminutives extinct. Badcock and Salcock in J. G. N.’s list are evidently “Little Bat,’ that is, Bartholomew ; and “ Little Saul,’ which, however unenviable a name, was sometimes used by our ances-— tors. In like manner we may account for Wilcocke or Wilcox, “Little William,’ Allcock, “little Hal or * Let me not be understood as entertaining the slightest disrespect for J. G. N., who occupied a deservedly exalted station in English archeological literature. Homer himself sometimes sleeps. of England are still accustomed to address small | / x 174 ENGLISH SURNAMES. Harry,” Luckock, “little Luke,” and the rest* My old friend, N.. Bailey, ®:Aoroyos, whom I have found very useful in these matters, has not the word cock in | this sense, but he has the low Latin terms Coca, a (ttle boat, and Cocula, a small drinking cup, which I think _ help me a “ little.” The term, in its simple form, was. probably never used except in a familiar colloquial manner, and in this way the lower orders in the south boys with, “ Well, my little Cock,” a piece of tautology of which they are not at all aware. In Lincolnshire a little fussy person is called a Cockmarall, and in other districts any diminutive per- son is designated Cock-o-my-Thumb, The true meaning of the much-debated expression Cockney seems to be a spoilt or effeminate boy. “ Puer in deliciis matris nutritus—Anglice a hakenap.’T In Scotland, a cock-laird is a landowner who culti- vates the whole of his estate—a little or minor laird. Nor must we forget the use of this mysterious syllable an the ancient nursery-rhyme of Ride a cock-horse To Banbury Cross, &c. where little horse is evidently intended. I was long puzzled with the surname Coxe, which I have now no hesitation in calling a synonym of Little. Mr. CoxHEAD is probably Mr. LITTLE-HEAD, in contradistinction, I presume, to Mr. GREATHEAD. What a pity it is the * A correspondent reminds me that “ oox is still a common diminu- tive in Scotland, as Willock, Lassock, Nannock.’? This suggestion enables us to account for Pollock, Mattock, and Baldock, which may be modifications of Paul, Matthew, and Baldwin. . + MS. in Bibl. Reg. quoted by Halliwell. ee a ae, hs “ 4 fs FROM BAPTISMAL NAMES. 175 syllables of that gentleman’s name were not trans- posed, for he might then stand a fair chance of ob- taining the preferment of Hrap-Cook in J. G. N’s kitchen !* But lest I should be accused of making “much ado about nothing,” I proceed to set down my list of son- names, nurse-names, and diminutives, which may furnish some amusement to the reader :— From ADAM are derived ADAMS, Adames, Adamson, Ade,t Adye, Adey, Addis, Addy, Addison, * I thought I had settled the true etymology of this termination— cock ; but from the correspondence of several literary friends I find that it still remains a moot point. It would be no difficult matter to gossip over an additional half-dozen of pages in a similar style to the preceding ; but as the tendency of such discussions is rather to darken than to elucidate the subject in hand, I deem it most prudent to leave the matter to the decision of the reader. I cannot however resist the temptation to quote a few observations with which I have been favoured by the secretary of the Gaélic Society of London. “ Coch, the Welsh for red,” says that gentleman, “makes in English, Cov and Cocks.’ .... “They””—namely, the surnames in Cock—“ are merely Gaélic, Cornish, and Welsh terms (! !), expressive of personal qualities slightly modified into English, as “ Gaelic. Algoch, great, Alcock, Stangoch, pettish, Stancock, Magoch, clumsy or large-fisted, Macock and Meacock, Bacoch, lame, Bacock, Leacoch, high-cheeked, Laycock, Lucoch, bow-legged, Lucock, Peacoch, gay, handsome, Peacock. “* Gelsh. Bochog, blob-cheeked, Pocock, Bachog, crooked, Bacock, &e., &c.”’ + Adam is usually abbreviated to dde in the Nonarum Rolls, and other ancient records. 176 ENGLISH SURNAMES. Adcock, Addiscot, Addiscock, Adkins, and Addecott. ABRAHAM, Abrahams, Abramson, Mabb, Mabbs, and Mabbot. : ArtTHuR, Atts, Atty, Atkins, Atkinson, and Atcock ; perhaps also Aitkin and Aikin. ANDREW, Andrews, Anderson, Henderson. ALDRED, Alderson. ALEXANDER, Sanders, Sanderson, Sandercock, Sanson, Allix, Alken, Alley. AINULPH, Haynes, Hainson. ALAN, Allanson, Hallet, Elkins, Elkinson. ANTHONY, Tony, Tonson, Tonkin. BENJAMIN, Benn, Benson, Bancock, and Ben- hacock. BALDWIN, Ball, Bawcock, Baldey, Baldock, Balderson, Bawson. BARTHOLOMEW, Batts, Bates, Batson, Bartlett, Batcock, Badcock, Batty, Batkin. BERNARD, Bernards, Bernardson, Barnard, BARNET,* Berners, Barnes.t CHRISTOPHER, Christopherson, Kister, Kitts, Kitson. CUTHBERT, Cuthbertson, Cutts. CLAPPA, an obs. Saxon name, Clapp, Clapps, Clapson.t} CRISPIN, Crispe, Cripps. CLEMENT, Clements, Climpson. * Often so corrupted. + Dame Juliana Berners, the authoress of the “ Boke of St. Alban’s,” though a known descendant of the Lords Berners, was often called Barnes, and that even by herself. { Clapham, in Surrey, is the ham or dwelling of “ Olappa,” a Saxon, who held the manor in the time of the Confessor. FROM BAPTISMAL NAMES. 177 From CHARLES, Charley, Kell, Kelson, Kelley. Digory, Digg, Digges, Diggins, Digginson, Tege ? Drogo, Drew, Dray, Drayson, Drocock. Dopa, an obsolete Saxon name, Dodd, Dodson. DonaLD, Donaldson, Donkin. DENNIS, Denison, Tennison. DANtEL, Dann,* Daniels, Zancock. Dunstan, Dunn (if not from the colour). Davip, Davey, Daffy, Davison, Davis, Dawes,t- Dawkins, Dawkinson, Dawson, Davidge (Le., David's), &c. EDWARD, Edwards, Ethards, -Edes, Edkins, Edwardson, Tedd. Extas, Ellis, Ellison, Elliot, Elliotson, Elson, Elley, Ellet, Lelliot. EPMUND, Edmunds, Edmundson, Munn, Mon- son. EUSTACE, Stace, Stacekyn. FRANCIS, Frank, Frankes. FERGUS, Ferguson. GIDEON, Gyde, Giddy, Giddings, Giddies, Geddes. * Unlessit be from Dan, an ancient title of respect, from the Lat. Dominus. + A correspondent protests against the derivation of Dawes from David, and quotes the ‘ Glossaire’ of Roquefort : “ Awe; eau, riviere, fontaine, etang, AQuA ;”’ adding that the name was spelt with an apos- trophe, D’Awes, so lately as 1724, by Sir William D’Awes, Archbishop of Canterbury. I still think, however, that in msny instances Dawes is a simple ‘nurse-name :’ without it I do not see how we can get our Dawson, Dawkins, Dawkinson, &c., any more than we can get Hawkins and Hawkinson from Henry without the intermediate Hawes. VOL. IL 12 178 ENGLISH SURNAMES, : From GILBERT, Gill, Gillot, Gilpin, Gibb, -Gibbs, Gibbon, Gibbons, Gibson, Gubbins, Gibbings,. Gipp,-Gipps. GILES, Gillies, Gilkes,* Gilkin, Gilkinson. Grecory, Gregg, Gregson, Grocock, cnc” Griggs. GODARD or GoDFREY, Godkin, Goddin, Goad. Grorrry, Jefferson, Jeffson, Jepson, Jeffcock, Jeffries, Jifkins. q Henry, Henrison, Harry, Harris, Herries, Harrison, Hal, Halket, Hawes, Halse, Haw- kins, Hawkinson, Halkins, Allkins, Haskins, Alcock, Hall (sometimes). Hucu, Hewson, Huggett, Huggins, Hugenonl Hewet. JosEPH, Joskyn, Juggins, Jupp. JOHN, Johnes, Jones, Johnson, Johncock, J anson, Jennings, Jenks, Jenkins, Jenkinson, Jack, Jackson, Juxon, (Hans is from Johannes), Hanson, Hancock, Hanks, Hankinson, Jockins.,. JUDE, Judd, Judkin, Judson. JOB, Jubb, Jobson. JACOB, Jacobs, Jacobson, Jeakes. J AMES, Jamieson. JEREMY, Jerrison, Gerison, Jerkin. Isaac, Isaacs, Isaacson, Hyke, Hicks, Hixon, Higson, Hickot, Hiscock (q. d. Isaack-ock), ( Hickox. } LAWRENCE, Larry, Larkins, Law, Lawes, Law- ; son, lanes . * ‘When the initial G is soft, those names above assigned to Gilbert probably belong to Giles. FROM BAPTISMAL NAMES. 179 From Luxe, Luckins, Luckock, Lucock, Locock, Lukin, Luckin, Luckings, Luckett. MATTHEW, Mathews, Matheson, Matson, Madison, Mathey, Matty, Maddy. Maurice, Morrison, Mockett, Moxon. Mark, Markcock, Marks. NicuHo.as, Nichol, Nicholls, Nichalson, Nickson, Nixon, Cole, Colet, Colson, Collins,* Colca: Glascock, Glasson. NEAL or Nicest, Neale, Neilson, Nelkins. NATHANIEL, Natkins. OLIVER, Olliver, Oliverson, Olley, Nolls, Nolley, Nollekins.+- Peter, Peterson, Pierce, Pierson, Perkin, Per- kins, Purkiss, Perk, Parkins, Parkinson, Peters, Parr, Porson, Parson (sometimes). PuIuiP, Phillips, Philps, Phelp, Phipson, Phipp, Phipps, Phippen, Philpot, Phillot, Philcon,t Philippo, Phillopson, Philipson. PAUL, Paulett, Pallett, Pawson, Porson, Pocock, Palcock, Pall, Pollock, Polk.$ *-*Oolline,’ Fr., a hill, may be the origin of this name. + Oliver Cromwell was known among the royalists as “ Old Noll.” I have heard my late father say that in his youth, on ‘* Restoration-day,”’ the boys used to sing a song, the refrain of which was :— * We'll hang a stone round Nolly’s neck ; And throw him in the river.” t “ Pillycock, Pillycock, sate on a hill, If he’s not gone, he sits there still.” From the “Nursery Rhymes of England,” by Mr. Halliwell, who observes that this word also occurs in (MS. Harl. 918) a manuscript of the fourteenth century. It is probably an older form of Philcox. § Mr. Polk, once President of the United States, is the third in descent from a Mr. Pollock. Powxrtt, generally regarded as a contraction of 12 180 ENGLISH SURNAMES. From PAtTRIcK, Patrickson, Paterson, Patson, Pattison: RALPH, Rawes, Rawson, Rawlins, Rawlinson, Rason, Roaf.* RANDOLPH, Randalls, Rankin, Ranecock. Ruys (Welsh), Ap Rhys, Price, Apreece, Preece, Brice. 7 RICHARD, Richards, Richardson, Ritchie, Rick- ards, Hitchins, Hitchinson, Hitchcock, Dick, Dickson, Dixon, Dickens, Dickinson, Dicker- son. ROBERT, Robins, Robinson, Roberts, Robertson, Robison, Robson, Roby, Dobbs, Dobbie, Dob- son, Dobbing, Dobinson, Hoby, Hobbs, Hobson, Hobkins, Hopkins. Rocer, Rogers, Rogerson, Hodges, Hodgson, Hodgkin, Hodgkinson, Hoskin (?), Hodd, Hodson (if not from Odo), Hudson. REYNOLD, Renolds, Reynoldson, Raincock. SAMUEL, Samson, Samkin, Samwell. SWEYNE, Swaine, Swainson, Swinson. Simon, Symons, Simmonds, Simpson, Simmes, Symes, Sims, Svmcock, Simcoe, Simpkin, Simpkinson. STEPHEN, Stephens, Stephenson, Stercock (?), Steen, Steenson, Stimson, Stinson, Stiff (?). Stebbing, Stubbs, Tiffany. SILAS or SILVESTER, Silcock. the Welsh Ap-Howell, may with equal probability be deduced from Paul. Indeed, Powel is a common orthography of the latter name: “* After the text of Crist, and Powel and Ion.” Wright’s Chaucer, 7229. * See Paston Letters. ee ee ee ae ee ee a FROM BAPTISMAL NAMES. 181 From Tiworny, Tim, Timbs, Timms, Timmings, Timp- son, Timpkins. THomAS, Thom, Tom, Thoms,Thompson, Thomlin, Thomlinson, Tompkins, Tampkins (a north- ern pronunciation), Thompkisson, Thompsett, Tampsett (northern). Tosit, Toby, Towes, Towson, Tobin, Tubbe, Tubbes. TURCHETIL, Turke. THEOBALD, Tibbald, Tipple (a murderous cor- ruption),* Tipkins, Tibbs, Tippet, Tibbats. WALTER, Walters, Watt, Watts, Watson, Wat- kins, Watkinson, Watcock. WILLIAM, Williams, Williamson, Wills, Wilks, Wilkins, Wilkinson, Wickens, Wickeson, Bill, Bilson, Wilson, Woolcock, Woolcot, Wilcocke, and. Wilcox, Wilcockson, Wilcoxon, Willet, Willmott, Willy, Willé, Willis, Wylie, Willott, Till, Tillot, Tilson, Tillotson, Tilly, Guilliam,t Guillim. APPARENTLY DERIVED FROM FEMALE NAMES. From AGaTHA, Agg. ALicr, Alce and Alison. AGNES, Annis, Anson. BARBARA, Babb. CATHERINE, Kates. * At Heathfield, in Sussex, is a place called Tipple’s Green: in old writings it is spelled Theobald’s. + The baptismal name is so spelled by Leland. ‘“ By the wich churche evhabited of old tyme a gentilman, Johannes de St. Winnoco, After, the lordes Hastinges wer owners of it, and they sold to Guilliam Lowre’s gret grandfather now lyving.”—Jéin. Cornwall. 182 ENGLISH SURNAMES. From MARGARET, Marjory, Margerison, Mareetts, Mar- getson, Margison, Mises Magson. Mary, Moll, Malkin, Making, Matancea Molee Maycock (%). Nip and Is are French nurse-names for Isabel, whence Nibbs, Niblett, Ibson, Ibbotson. _ Such names as these are supposed to denote the illegitimacy of the original bearers. Natural children among the Romans took their mothers’ names, and our own laws sanction the same practice. In the Swiss canton of Appenzel, a law prevails compelling illegitimates to bear the name and bourgeoisie of their mother, and they accordingly use such designations as “Pagan, fils de Marie,” or, more simply, “ Pierre, fils de sa mére,”—a name implying, according to Ducange, that the father’s name was unknown. On the other hand, and for the benefit of such as bear these names, but who object to this insinuation of the bend sinister into their pedigree, 1 would observe that the rule above alluded to does not always hold good. The Romans often gave their sons and daughters names representing those of their mothers: “In many Roman inscriptions,” as Salverte remarks, “it is seen that a son with equal respect and tenderness towards both the authors of his being, employed after his own name the maternal designation as well as the pater- nal,”* In the town of Montdoubleau, in France (dep. * Since the ¢ria nomina are becoming nearly as indispensable among us as they were in old Rome, I would suggest to parents the desirable- ness of making the mcther’s maiden surname the second appellative, as ‘John Russell Smith.’ Were such a practice general, how much assist- ance would be rendered to future genealogists! And as I wish to promote by humble.example what [recommend in words, I have given all my own children the maternal surname in this manner, = de Loire-et-Cher), immemorial usage has given to a younger, or to the youngest child, the surname of the mother; and other instances might easily be adduced. The Beslocous practice of henens the armorial ensigns of the mother when she was an ioe or “Cone to a higher rank than the father, is familiar to the student of our medieval heraldry. : We have already seen that the Romans frequently formed one name from another by elongation, as ‘Constans, Constantius, Constantinus, a series of names exactly parallel to our Wilks, Wilkins, Wilkinson ; and a still further analogy is observable in the names which end in por, which is said to be a contraction of puer: hence Publipor, Marcipor, Lucipor; and our own Johnson, Wilson, and Richardson, originated in the same principle. There is no reason to suppose that the abbreviated _ or nurse-names implied any disrespect to the persons to whom they were given, or that the Dicks and Dicksons were less respectable than the Richards and Richardsons of olden times. The Lincolnshire inn- keeper mentioned by Camden laboured, therefore, under a mistake ;—but let Mr. Clarencieux tell his own story -— “Daintie was the deuice of my host of Grantham, which would wisely make a difference of degrees in persons, by the termination of names in this word Son, as between Robertson, Robinson, Robson, Hobson ; Richardson, Dickson, and Dickinson; Wilson, William- son, and Wilkinson; Jackson, Johnson, Jenkinson, as though the one were more worshipfull than the other by his degrees of comparison.” Some Christian names have been oddly compounded. FROM BAPTISMAL NAMES. 183 ‘s 184 ENGLISH SURNAMES. with other words to form surnames, as Goodhugh, Matthewman, Marklove, Fulljames (perhaps Foljambe),. Harryman, Cobbledick (on J. G. N.’s theory, ‘Dick the Cobbler !’), Jackaman, and Dulhumphrey! The name of John has at least seven of these strange prefixes, viz.: Littlesoun, MicklesoHn, Upsoun, Prette- JOHN, AppleJoHN, ProperJoHN, and BrownJoHNn!!! I i cannot consider these last corruptions of other names, as the prefixes seem to be all significant and deservp- f tive. Indeed so common is the forename JOHN, that. before the invention of regular surnames, these sobri- quets might have been given with great propriety, for the sake of distinction, to as many inhabitants of any little village. Thus the least John of the seven would be the Little John of the locality ; while Mickle (that is great) John, would be a very appropriate designa- tion for the most bulky of the number; John at the wpper end of the street might be called Up-John; Pretty John was, I suppose, the beaw of the village ;. while the goodman who had the best orchard was styled Apple-John;* Proper-John, no doubt, answered to his name, and was a model of propriety to all the youth of the parish;f while, to complete the list, Brown-John possessed a complexion which would not have disgraced a mulatto. All this may be rejected * I may remark, in support of this etymology, that I once knew a. person who was famous for growing an excellent kind of potatoes, on. which account he was often spoken of by his rustic neighbours as. Tater-John!