Middletown transcript., 1868-10-17
Entertaining 4lnowlrd9e.
Origin of Family Names.

A surname is an additional name added
to proper or given name for the sake of
distinction and so called because originally
written orer the other name instead of af-
ter it, from the French ,Surnmm or the
Latin Supernomen, signifying above the
name.
Surnames have originated in various
ways. Some are derived from the names
Of places; from personal pecuiiarities;
from the Christian or proper name of the
father; from the performance of certain
actions; from objects in the animal, min
cral and vegetable world and from acci-
dental circumstances of every varied char
actcr .-
According to Camden, surnames began
to be taken up in England at the time of
the Conquest, 1066-just about eight hun
'lred years ago.
Local names are from the largest class
Of our surnames. First among these arc
those which are natural, expressing the
Country whence the person first bearing
the name came as English, Scott,
French, Ireland, Britain, Fleming (from
Flaunders) Gaskin (from Gascony) &c
Names were taken from almost every
,unty, town and hamlet, 10 Cheshire,
Chester, Hull, Ross, Kent, Hastings.
For instance person whose native place
was Chester might remove to another place,
the inhabitants of which would, to distin-
guish him give him the surname of Ches-
ter, originally prefXing it with "of,
shortened frequently to o" or d" A" sig
nifying fom or at as John OChcster,
W;HiaM 4. KrLy; these prefxes were
after time dropped and the names de-
scended to children as simply Chester and
Kirby.
Besides these, we have a great number
of local surnames which are general and
descriptive of the nature or situation of the
residence of the persons upon whom they
we're b slowed, as Hill, Wood, Dale, Park,
&c. The prefix At or Ate was generally
used before these names as John At Hill,
meaning John at the Hill, james At Well
John At Wood, now Atwcll and Atwood
BIZ and under were also used as prefxes
as James By Field, Tom Under-hiU, In
this way men took names from rivers and
:, trees, from residing at or near them, as
Beck, Gil, Grant, Beach, Bush, Ash
Thorn.
! Surpamcs derived from Christian or bap
tismal names are probably the next il
e number to the local surnames; some o
: these are probably the most ancient of al
l. surnames, many of them varied by prefixe
or affixes. OF this class we have first tn,
= names terminating in son, which was add
IS ed to the name of the father; John til,
son of William, was called John William
son. johnson, Johns son; Thompson
!, Thomas son !; Simpson, Simeon's son
j wilson, Wills son, &c.
1t The Welsh merely appended "S'' in
stead of son as Edoards, son of Edward
d Davis, son Of David Joues, son of John
y Hughes, son of Hugh, &c.
Then we have surnames formed fror
Is alb r,viated names, pet names and nick
i. names, as Watson, the son of Wat or Wal
: ter; Watts, signifyng the same Dobso'
son of Dob or Robert, &c. ...
A great many are formed of abbreviate
81 and nurse names with the addition of tn
diminutive Examinations ette, kin, cock, Q
coo, all of which signify ''little" or "child.
ne From the terminotion cite we have sue
names as WiNet, which means little vii
MS or the son of Will; Hallett, little Hal G
N Henry. From kin or kin's we have Wi
II kins. Simpkins, Atkins, Higgins, Hav
kins, Dobbins. From cock or coo we hay
hs Wilcox, Simcox. etc.
Some surnames have the prefix FL
Use which is of Norman origin signifying so'
as Ftz Clarence, Fitzgerald, son of Clar
epes, son of Gerald, Fitz was applied
- SONS both legitimate and illegitmate.
The Welsh in like manner prefxed A
os to denote son as Dnrid Ap Hooell, D;
NJ yid son of Howell EUan Ap Rhys, Eva
les son of Rhys or Rees; Richard Ap Era'
&c. Richard son of Evan John APP Hugi
Ss John son of Hugh; these names are no
abbreviated INTO PepfH. Price, Bero'
el. aAd Pugh.