Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-01-18

name and no surname, and after Christi
anity refined and civilized the nations of
Europe and the necessity for family dis
tinctions arose, different expedients were
adopted. Among the Saxons, many of
the first names were very beautiful. Thus
Alfred meant all peace; Bede the pray
ing one, etc. The accession of surnames
marked the period of transition in the
history of the Germanic stock. The
great feudal barons had no need for them
any more than king in modern times.
The need would exist only among the
people. As soon as they acquired the
right of holding property, it would be
necessary to have some mode of distin-
gushing between several men of thesame
name. Hence, the surname period
marks the gradual emancipation of the
masses from state Of serfdom and their
recognition as persons in the eye of the
law. Had this emancipation been sudden
and general, some system of surnames
would have been adopted as in Rome.
The speaker gave examples of a good
many Irish, Welsh, Scotch, and old Nor
man names, and then related several in
teresting anecdotes by way of variety,
among others an Englishman who got
into difficulty one night owing to an &C.
cident on the road, and was approached
by man with very long name. Before
he could answer what his name was the
Englishman told him to come to his as
sistance and not stand there forever re-
peating his interminable name.
The system of surnames began to be
introduced into Europe about Ammo
Domini 1000, and their existence coin
cides exactly, as in other cases, with the
riseof civilization and the Introduction of
legal forms and rights to large number
of people and the mode of their intro
duction is irregular and various.
The speaker then went on to classify
the existing surnames; first patronymics,
names derived from the first name of the
parent. Sometimes son was added to the
fathers name as Adamson, the son of
Adam; Williamson, the son of William,
etc. Another mode of designation was
from localities. A man would be known
from his residence, sometimes from some
natural object; hence of Banks, Bridges,
Brooks, etc. The next class would COM
prise names taken from occupations, as
Smiths, Taylors, Bakers, Coopers, etc.
Another class of surnames would be
taken from personal qualities or PECULIAR
ties as color, shown in Black, Brown,
White, etc.-from the form of the head
or body, as Longhead Broadhead, Long
man, Longfellow, etc. Other names
would be taken from mental qualities,
from natural objects, from the names of
birds, fishes, insects, vegetables, minerals,
of each of which class the Doctor gave
examples. Others were taken from
social relations, from names of
Office, etc. The speaker gave
some instances of curious corruptions.
Thus, a Spanish boy whose Christian
name was Benito, and who became a
sailor, was called by bis comrades Ben.
Eaton. The name was afterwards writ
ten out at full length and became Benja-
min Eaton. Among the Puritans several
peculiar names were found, taken from
the Bible, as Stand-fast- on-high Stringer;
Ffght-the-good-fght-of-faith Roberts; If
Christ-had- not-died- for -thee-thou hadst-
been damned Dobson, etc.
The fact that the speaker desired to
illustrate in regard to the surnames of
modern times was the great variety and
confusion of their origin, showing that
they originated in state of society that
had no peculiar marked characteristic in
it, and therefore gave rise TO very curl
Gus juxtaposition. Thus an old bachelor
of eighty, named Benjamin Bird, married
Miss Julia Chaff, proving, contrary to the
proverb, that it was possible to catch an
old bird with chsff. A Mr.. Good was
married to a Miss Evil, illustrating the
union of good and evil often found in this
world, and showing how good may be
produced from evil. Two Messrs. Lamb,
of London, married two Misses Wolf,
which it is a wonder that some interpre-
tiers of prophecy have not mentioned as
an indication of the approach Of the mil
lenium.
Again, MIR. Gagger was q lawyer in
Maryland; and dancing master in Phila-
delphia was unhappily named Mr.. Whale.
In other cases names are more appropri-
ate, as DR.. Physic and DR.. Hartshorn
were eminent physicians. Messrs. Law
and Lex were lawyers; Henry Moist was
q waterman; Mr.. Thunder and Mr.. Lord
were orgsnists in Northern city. Mr..
Boring was q Methodist preacher whose
sermons were very likely TO be pene-
trating.
Southey's Doctor exclaims, 'What a
name is Lamb for a soldier, joy for an
undertaken, Rich for q pauper, Big for
q lean or little person, Small for one
who is broad in the rear and abdominous
in the van, Short for a fellow six feet
high without his shoes on, Long for him
whose high heels will hardly elevate him
to the hight of five."
Horace Smith asserted that surnames
went by contrsries, and gave his expert
ence in the following lines:
Mr.. OldeGStle dwels in modern-built hut;
Miss Sage is of msdcsps the archest;
OF all the queer bachelors Cupid e'er cut,
Old Mr.. Young husbands the stsrchest
Mr.. Sac!f hobbies onward, no mortal knows how;
He moves IS though cords had entwined him.
Mr.. Metedlf ran of upon meeting COW,
With pale 7ivnbttH behind him.
Mr.. BdrkeT's as mute as fish in the sea;
Mr.. Miles never moves on journey;
Mr.. GO-tO-bed sits up till after three;
Mr.. MIkepedcs was bred attorney.
Mr.. Gardner can't tell a flower from q root;
Mr. Fild with timidity draws back,
Mr.. Rider performs all bis travels on foot,
Mr. Foot all his journeys on horseback
The speaker presented another class of
curious facts in regard to the transforma-
ton of names:
Pantheon, meaning "wholly a ion,"
the name of Christian physician and
martyr who was the patron saint in
France and Italy, from the custom of
naming children from saint became a
common name and passed into comedy.
The name has been extended in signifca-
ton, until now the brave old Christian
Doctors memory is perpetuated in the
words pants and pGntdLette8. In the
same way, precisely, the noble name
Theodore, which became afterwards by
reversal Dorothea, is now perpetuated in
the word doll-baby. The Emperor Mar
Gus Aurelius gave his name to the city of
Aureliana or Orleans, which is now per-
petusted in the city near the mouth of
the Mississippi river. Again, our word
money comes from Juno Moneta, BE-
cause the Romans coined their money in
her temple; and her name is perpetuated
in this word money. So we have the
ancient name of the Roman Goddess of
War, DueLJeraa, which is perpetuated in
our word duel. The Lombards were
brokers, bankers, etc., and their