The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1872-07-20
Curious surnames.

pfnnnate snfnaiuns COME lniO nSb ana,
being snlelietious, why are they not us.
cardetl and Others sahstitndet for them z
The last question Is more dllh@alt TO an
swer thuu the first. The half civilized state
OF society in which some OF those names
originated. was satisfied with any namo
which sufficiently designated tho individual,
and custom confirmed It's ase. A large pro-
portion OF surnnmes, rs is well known,
originated IN the occupations, the personal
characteristics, &c, Of men, uad also from
their relations 10 localities and TO other
men. Thus, John, the smith, fhemas, ;ae
miller, William. the Hselisr, or sffowmaker,
became, in the soatse Of time, John Smith,
ghomas NilleFand William Fletcher. Giyia
Vt the Cliff and Hugo dc l,nhibus or Des
Raches. We're changediulo Clement Cough
and Hugh Roche " RoBeh. Names witch
we're derived from peculiar marks- hahts
or characteristics OF the individual, We're
retaiued BY his descendants, although there
vas no trace OF sIreh mark, habit or eharac-
tefisAie 10 be ptsceiyed in them. Ii In way
we iud such names Us Hotobed, Sheep
sharks, TaEibay, Daelitlie, Boanear, sHm.
PER, Hocsifesh, Slaaplsser, Death, Hu1y,
apdoih,as descriptive afindiYi1nal peculiar.
tics Bat ~ wonder q that they ahonsi
have been so tsiined, when i is al easy 10
assuine oiipers. IA il these English IL ahles
are somewhat odd when the peealiarity in
which they originated has ceased to exist,
some German NAMES ARE more so. Thus
klopstdek means whipping - Noxel
son fa.kensieiu, ''bird otghe siicoa rock =
! Euienburg. castle OF owls = Manleafel /,
''man devil = Hnschunbelt, Jump into
bed Z Standardization, .'roasl pork y
Hasolgans, ''hailstricken goose = Saulcli.
rer, "instruciorothogs; Riedesel, "sWamp
jackass;' Schwarzerd, ''blaci eafth;i Fink
| y0a fiHkenste!n, ''fnch OF The inch !
rock y Speohhacher, storrenls OF hoe !
grease Schwarzerd being classical
Scholar changed his German patfouymc
into is Greek equivalent, holanclhon.
Gutenberg, or ''eood mountain" was well
substituted by the inyeeior oil printing ior
bis nriginSs name, Gausctleisch Won Sorpen
Lock, or goose aesh ol the coyering Of
sorrow.
Such names as these riud those of our
western Indians, who reiuice 10 appelat YES
such as Nlau afraid OF. his horses, Powder
face, Buila.o good. L.tle RavcA, Stake ia
the grass, Iigertail, Spotted tail, add the
Ike. Some similar Nomenclature was found
IN the Slave frussian fdl1ily OF Niski Won
| Misk0wski, or "monkey liom the monkey.
| cage who applied to the Predecessor 81
I the present Emperor Of Germany tor lease
| to change it, but the letter would only allow
/ them to contract Il 10 Niskowsd tmonkey
cagel, This was more than he would d.
/ fori'ink yon tinbeusleiu, who also wanted
To change bis NAME, sat was grafily admon.
| ls{led to lie content with il, aud to da rs
much honor to has his ancestors had done.
| The Latin races have heir peculiar sarnane5
| also. The italiGns have the singular habit
l ofpuiting them in yhcplural, as l'iecoiaomini.
"ittlc mons lie liui. handsome little
\ met Aihaciui small Wlito men =
Buoniai, good little men Brunni,
.brown men, The Spaniayls have tacii
AlbcqRcfque, or ''Whiie eak, and Aqlayi
va, ''iiving-waier. > They are, however,
fond ct romantic NAMES, such as Santa
| Cruz &c Monte Colorado, "holy cross Of
the coiored mountain = San Martyr d,
Espartero, "holy martyr OF the broom
corn leon de faldepeuas, "lilI- OF The
valley Of peEaiies. This magulaqueai
nomenclature dates back to the reno.es.
antiquity, when man was called IS his real
Or supposed attributes, OF usler bis uiliee or
enplo! meat. AhsaIom meas ',iord o.
peace, Slrikingly unsuitable name lol
! one who rubellcd against bis own father
Helsliazzar and Nebaehadnclzar are said by
| Cruden, ia his Concordance, to signify ne.
[ speetiyoly, master Of the lIuasaIes ans
"sorruw Of jud mcnl, Which, however
seems 70 10 an errgr. the names anpareutlg
| being compound Of The AsSy rian words
Bet, god, skah, a ruler, anl T.af ii
empeFor, Belshah i1ar, i. G., ''tha dt,iut
I mighty emperor ana Of Ne, no 0Htyd
King nc, but. tzGr, The Emperor Ne
Duhod-ne-i1ar, /. c. 'tliers is no ruler I'D
the Emperor. Readers Of Scripture ar
iaisaiar with this system Of using shur
senteeces o. expressions for tile names d
/ inuisiGaa!s Il presRiis iisUg shJat Tia
sacred writings. 1t seems TO have bee.
| prevalent everywhere. nus. Ia Auslu
| Saxon, Humphrey meant Protector OF Ii,
homei Herbert, glory Of the army 2
alarai.saahei "a mighty noble Theodore
/ .'pa~eltai among the people. ia itncirn
britain, Cail@ailadef meant "a battle
| stranger ; uniiigh 'ha.ius grsa. ialth =
Mefeaidi, '-sois protector = Morgan, ..
dseiieg OF the sea, Wisiired, w.a.pelee:
aaiinc. "beAyiceAt = ARTHUR, .sn3t,ie p
Inc old German uaines are very sigultan
/ Of the made OF lie Of tie people. Thu.
/ sdolph means ''noble wolf, or hero
Araeid, strong as an ea.le;' Hubert
/ 'bfigtt N sglrii; tg5eIss '.lhe swor!l
lnghtaessia EmnerieA. '-pu@.eriil ah,
| rleh; Eyefard, Strong rs 4 Wild boar;
i-ambeFf, ''ilustrious with landed pt.sses
siensi' Ludwig OF Louis, ''buld aallior:
Roger, 'iamods gith the spear Rowland
"tane 81 the aad, and Osmoad, .'pfolec
iiou oi God. he same Faie agplins 10 Is,
names 81 women 10 al. languages, Is wi.
| shown ~ these colaiuus 4 sLGr time inee
though MANY o. tLela IRE nerc var aiions o
iaaseu.ie NAMES, as Cornelius, Coraeiia
Henry, Henrietta; Geoege, Georeiaa; Ba
some 81 Item have very marked ans
nascaiise meaning, Is Gcrgade, "a spear
maiaeni barothea, ''the gfl Of God;
| CasAaudra. SHE WHO inhames with love !
otiselda, 'sshe sioGe heroinei Bea,fiee
'.nlaking happy; Me.ieeEt, eosk strength
! Rasamona, horse protection. The nanil
fnseisla IS not popaar, because IL signiGa
'soHsewhst old. ida aMi Ieaolia are com
! nlimgs4tHFV to ths Spy f.,r iita5 ei.sf. i.