Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1880-07-15
Misftllantous. q
Our Names.
Anglo Saxon Names Norman Names Nick
nance And Pot Names Origin 0! Nance
Modern surnAmes

>es Nork Tlmes
We are all 40 much accustomed to the
names which are common among our k.n,-
folk. friends and acquaintance, that ~e take
them As matter, Of cour,c. a. we DO the sun
light or ram. no, thinking hence they
come. unless something unusual IN regard
10 them oompcls our attention But the
names Of men and women tell TO a certain
eNien; the his;or, Of those Who bear them
We can tell not only mans nA,lnuals,, or
his race by his surname. but generally some
thing Of the rank Of life which h.. fami,
has occupied during pas, generations Nor
j. biz Christian name likely TO be without
significance A. "a the tastes and habits Of his
father and mother
SURNAME or PANTY NAMES
Are, a. some readers must know. II COM
parai!Nciy late adoption, even IN the higher
ranks uf life. They were no; used bN noble
faHIi.c, until ahou; \ ID. 1900 From that
time their use gradually extended but even
so late a. about the wear 1900 men Ia the
lower classes Of Europe we're known only bl
their Christian names. To whlch the names
Of their occupations VAS generally added :
and the latter about that time began 10 h.
retained and transmitted. whence we have oui
swarm OF Arrow smiths. Fletohers. Butcher.
Nebsters. Weavers tthe same a. the next
preced!ngl Carpenters. Millers. skinners
Fishers, 1aslors. Sadlers. Lorimer.. Cart
Srgh,s, etc. A name ending in er or or Is
pretty sure 10 indicate the occupation or po-
siiion Of the person who trs, bore It. The
Hebrews on the continent Of Europe have
used sgrnames only s.noe the time Of the
N...,f.-.. =. 4
hered TO the primitive and prehistoric custom
OF giving a man one name and disting uish-
ing him as the son Of his father. as solomon
ben David Purely personal names, called
IN Europe. since the introduction Of the Gus
tom Of giving these names either al baptism
or confirmation. Christian OF ehris,ened
names, are, therefore, Of course. much older
than surnames, and their history is less
easily traceable when Ne pass certain point
IN antiquity but on the hither sid. Of that
point it is plain enough TO an obsers ant
reader of the records and the literature Of
the past, and is not without interest.
A book jus, published in London, Curl
osiiies Of Puritan Nomenclature. b, Charles
W Bardsley. is full Of information on this
subject. As this book crosses. or might
better say covers, one of my own lines Of
study. and as can bear witness 10 It's gem
eral trust " orthiness. shall use il in a brief
examination Of the origin and history Of
English hristian names.
AT THE TINE or THE NORMAN CONQUEST
Only English names, with few very few
old Celtic names, were known in England.
Ihls may seem TO some readers too obvious
TO need setting forth, until they know that
~, 4. l.
Thomas, James, Stephen, William. Robert
and so forth. IL is not quite true TO say
that John was absolutely unknown, but It
was very rare, and was Of late introduction
Now John and William are commonest
Christian names borne by men Of English
race. Before the Conquest, the names were
truly English-Alfred, Arthur, Ethelbert,
Edgar. Harold, and so forth. After the
; Conquest these rapidly disappeared. The
eonquerors' language Welded TO the strength
and foo,hold of the English speech, but their
! names were difiused all over England, and
within less than century and half had
almost wholly driven the English names out
Of the country. This is remarkable because
although the Normans brought in Bible
names and SAINTS names, as well as their
own proper scandinavian names, their list
was comparatively small, and the conse-
quenee was a great repetition. In every
community of one hundred Englishman. as
Mr.. Bardsley remarks, there would be, dur
ing the four hundred years preceding the
reformation. an average Of twenty Johns and
fifteen Williams, and then, in fewer numbers
| and varying proportions. would come Rich
ard, Robert, Walter, Henry, Guy, Roger,
Thomas, Philip, Simon, Peter, and SO forth.
or women's names during these four CEN
turies. the fayorites were Matilda, Isabella.
Emma, Cecilia, Catherine. Margaret and
I Lillian-all Norman, it will be seen
FACT VERY REMARKABLE,
As to the common repetition Of names. is
| that, in many cases, one name was repeated
| in one family and in the same generation.
A father would name two, or, in some cases.
even three. of his sons, John or William or
James. This strange custom did not pass
away until nearly the beginning Of the sev-
enteenth century.
In consequence Of this very small allow
ance Of Christian names, the confusing ef-
feet Of which was aggravated by the absence
of surnames, our forefathers were sorely
put to it to distinguish themselves one from
the other in their every day talk. Hence
the use Of words expressing mans occups-
ton. his place of residence, his personal ap-
pearance, or his parentage as to-name, and
We have John 1.-THE Wheelwright, John fthe1
Constable, John Atwood. John (of the
Green. John (the] Bigg, John [the] Gray
John Robertson and John William s-son
Singular remnants of this cusfom are the