, 1873-06-15
WHAT'S IN A NAME :?
Derivatioua or Surnames.

hallowed by the yeneration OF nges, or linked
with the light OF genius, or charmed with the
spell OF beauty.
Our Christian names are mostly Jewish or
heathen names; but this ia not to be quarreled
with, since it puts in the regular succession OF
kings and priests, heroes and ssges, and gives
to the children Of to-day the pedigree and pres
tige Of centuries.
The point mostly to be deprecated is the Civ
ing Of more than one personal name to n child.
Imagine Christopher Columbus, George WASH
ington, Charles Dickens, or Horace Greeley with
an intermediates name. OF all the flfty-s1x pa
triots who signed the Declaration Of 1ndepend-
ence, only three had middle names aud this pro-
portion, believe; would be q very fair one In
arms, art science, theology, aud literature. Ap-
parently Fame counts her Byl1ables aud is mig
ga1dly Of space go.
The imposition Of the personal nano has al
ways been attended with religious ceremonies.
The Jews used circumcision, the Greeks and
Romans offerings and sacrifices. The Ma
hometan, after many prayers, solemnly
chooses the name by lottery on the Koran !;
the Christian sanctifes the rite by baptism. It's
Importance thereafter ASSERTS itself in al the
most tender and solemn acts OF Ife--ln religious
consecration-in loves most perfect contract,
every mortal thing but the name We shall catry
into the grave and peradyenture beyond it,
surnames, though neither go oimportant nor uni
versal as the personal name, have undoubtedly
very high antiquity. The first form was most
likely the pstronymic, as Joshua the son Of Nun,
David the son Of Jesse. It's fitness has also
given it per1nanence, for We use the same form
At the present dsy-that Is with the patronymic
afhxed-as Williamson, Jackson, Robertson, &c.
William the Conqueror is GENERALLY supposed
$oh hnvn int irfN England hut
Doomsday Book affords sufficient evidence that
they were far from.uncommon among the Ba1-
ons. In that record "Cane and "Elfech are
the names attached to the manors Of Ripe and
El{ech ID common surname in that country,
while family called "Cane" still live on tho
lands Of Ripe, as they have dono for Perhaps
thousand years.
Locality, afterpatronymic denomination, prob
ably suggested su1names. These are sometimes
OF county, as "France," "scott;" Of towns, as
| "Yo1k, :" Durham; or Of natural features, Is
Hill, Forest, Da1e Wood, DC.
The particle de or d. was dropped from sur
namea in the reign Of Henry VI, and the title OF
and ''gentlemen" to younger sons; thus John
do Achorue became John Achorue Of Achorue,
ESQ.,; and bis younger son William Al
chorue Of Alchorue, "gent-" This Practice OF
taking the name from the estate was common in
England until the tenth century, and is even Jet
source OF pride in Scotland. Americans have
exactly reversed this order, they build cities and
can them after their own names.
After locality occupations e augmented s3s Engsh
ter" etc, are OF this class, but pre-eminent
among them ia '' Smith" This is easily account
ed fo1-Smith comes from the Saxon "smitan
to suite; and the name IVES applied to black
smiths, whee1rights, carpenters, and "smiters"
Of All kinds even soldie1s were not unfrequant-
II called :" war-smiths."
This assumption OF a trade ns family name
had then decided propriety. for certain occup8-
tions were often hereditary for centuries. Thus
the oxleJB, Of Sussex, wefe tron-founders 4 foE
same county, exercise to this day the industry
which gave them their name in the thirteenth
century. A still more remarkable instance Was
afforded by the Hampshire family, OF Purkess:
When William Rufus Was killed, one OF this
family, who was charcoal-burner, loaned his
cart to carry the dead body OF the King to VIM
chester. In return he received an acre or two
OF land in the New Forest, and there his descend
ants lived and burnt charcoal until the last Of
them died about twenty years ago.
Bishop" fAbbott." Parsons" Monk, :"
:" Priest, DC, suggest ecclesiastical origin !;
but, as most Of them existed before the Refor-
nation, some difhcultie lties:euggess themselves be-
Other names from Offices will, however, bear a
closer scrutiny, a. Spencer" from Le Despen-
Ger, a steward "Grosvannr,'' frnu la f4roa
venur, the great hnnteman Or Sumner, ss9 1n', =
~AAe NA"~A NAAAAA
quents to ecclesiastical courts.
With the decline OF feudAlian1, and the recog-
nition Of mans right to his own personality,
names Of natural qualities arose GomRle1ion G5 =
r. aRedman, 5Ffsirchild," ::brown." "Wbite,"
Gray" etc. Size gave others, as Longfel.
low" Small, j" 's Strong "High," Lowe"
Little" etc Menta qualities :sRP snRRPe:dN Nats stin
l:sSse XeoaV 11mes5 Traeaa hfes %s9sy
man" aGoodenough,'" "Toogood," " Dolittle,"
are examples OF this class.
The word Cock" so profnsely used in Eng
liah sulnames, is one Of the three favorite Saxon
@Wilco1," " willkeTa," and ssWillmot" all sig
Nifty s'Little Will" In the north OF England =
little fussy person is still called 3 J" cocmaran
or cock-o-my- thumb :" and . petty landowner
in Scotland is tcocklaird-" This explanation
yindicates the wisdom Of the famous nursery
rhyme:
Ride cock-horss
To Banbury Cross.
The names Of animals have always been favor
ito cognomens Of men. We have living examples
Of this fact in tho Indian tribes within our own
preferred of this class, and under it's German
form Of Guelph it ia the surname Of the royal
family Of England. But birds, fsh, insecte,
vegetables, and flowers have numerous human
representatives.
Respectable for their derivation, if not for
which !" Brotherson," - Cousfns, !" * Bachelor -
81 Neighbors,'' !" Childs," de-, may be taken
as examples and equally suggestive are
the names for which Time has stood sponsor,
such as {" Spring." '' Winter, !" Day," "Double-
day." " Weeks, -" Easter" Paschal, " j" Hoi-
day." etc:
/ small but interesting order Of English names
are derived from historical events; thus, the
Fortescues (from Lie Forte the Btrong) won their
name in the battle Of Hastings, where the
founder Of the family, by his enormous strength,
saved the life Of William. The Plantag gencts,
from the Genesta or Broome, which the first OF
Of them wore in his bonnet as token
Of humility for his enormous crimes.
The Lockharts assumed their name
and arms-n paddock inclosing heart-
because one Of their family Was entrusted With
the sacred charge Of conveying the heart OF
Robert Bruce to the Holy Land, etc. These are
the most natural and fitting Of names, and our
civilization has only quickened the facility with
which We re-christen the people brought p1oml-
l. kx-1--