Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-10-15
ARTHUR on FAMILY NAMES.


Inc Slgmncd1ce Gfven Them BY the Father OF
the President
A WORK IN WHICH THE PRESIDENT AsSIsTED-
THE PROPHETIC NAME OF 0ARFTELD-NEAN-
ING OF CONKLING, GRANT, BLAINE, LOGAN
AND CANERON-sURxAMEs OF THE SENATORS,
DC.
From the New York Sun.
The derivation and importance Of family
names was favorite study with the late Rev.
VIM. Arthur, the father Of the President. For
some years he was engaged in the compilation
OF list Of names and their significance, which
he completed in 1856, while living at Newton
vile. Albany county, in this state. His work
was published in this city in 1857. The title is:
An chronological Dictionary Of Family and
vation and Import, by william Arthur, A.
M. The book was published by Sheldon,
Brakeman & Co.. of New York. 1t is scarce
now, and is rarely to be found On the
book stands. 1t contains from 1850 to
2;sOO surnames. with their meaning, and
about 500 Christian OF baptismal names.
In the introduction the author treats of the GUS
toms that prevailed among various races and
nations in naming their young. He says that
the ancient Hebrews retained the greatest SIM
plicity in the use OF names, and that generally
single name distinguished the individual. The
Jews named their children the eighth day after
the nativity; the Greeks on the tenth day, when
an entertainment was given by the parents to
their friends and sacrifices were offered to the
gods The Romans gave names to their female
children on the eighth day, and to their males
on the ninth. which thev called the day Of puri-
fcatiOn, when they sOlemnized q feast called
NOminalia- majority of the names in the
book appear to be Of Gaelic or Celtic and Saxon
origin. The NOrmans prefixed Fitz, the Welsh
APP, and the ancient Irish Mac to surnames to
denote son. as MacHugh, the son of Hugh IAN
names" says the author in conclusion, "must
have been originally significant
PRESIDENT Arthur says that he assisted his
father in the compilation of the names.
One OF the names is that Of Garfield. The
meaning attached to it becomes unusually sig
nificaat from what has recently happened. It
is as follows:
Garheld1 IL Saxon. Caravan. to prepare Ger
assS
Many names that are now prominent before
the country appear in the book. The patro-
nymic Grant is treated thus
GrantzOf this name Playfair remarks that it may be
in Il osd ssns
Ssss5
s. Mons ass%phins tie ars%pan ' Hh Was called
this Saxon word the a surname naa NE
GIande signifies dark, swarthy. Grant and Char sig
e the ssed n s
ran it is the same as Clan Grant. Thus the
and though il ts Grant Became " az COMMON snd
name, Chiaran and are called Clan Charan. e ''-'''
are inclined sf e
name GFart is taken from grand which in The Irish is
The word is changed into and thus Grand Grant
Gnsn Sss IN le
as T Ba he x 6ssS S
torons of that time, writing in Latin cali him Richard
aafH 3:
Ii put before the surname Grant.
The name Conkling Is said to be derived from
"COn, bold, wise, knowing, and KLEIN little, or
son, e., the son Of Con. Konkelen in Dutch,
Signifies to plot, intrigue, conspire: Cleang-
leann, Gaelic, the head Of the valley"
James G.. Blaine will no doubt be pleased to
know that his surname comes from the town of
Blain, in Bretague, France. Mr.. Arthur says:
Baen IN the Welsh sgnifes the summit on top; the
a glen; a leader or chief. -
Senator Don Cameron will probably dispute
the meaning OF his name-"crOoked. or crooked
nose"-from the Gaelic: Cam, crooked, and
erOn, nose"
Senator John Sherman's name comes from "a
shearman, one who used to shear cloth
Villain, tiny father was plasterer, and myself
Jones is said to be from the Hebrew and to
signify gracious
The name of the chairman of the national re-
publican committee who conducted the Garfield
and Arthur campaign has this meaning:
Jewell-Joy, mirth, precious; a Jewel, precious
stone name expressive OF fondness.
Malone in Celtic or Gaelic is a bear
Logan (Gaelic) is can enclosed plain or low
lying place. If the residence of Britain was
on a plain it was called Laun, from Lagen or
Logon; If on an eminence it was termed dun"
Lincoln is from Lincoln in England The
name is derived from Lin in the Gaelic, Welsh.
and Cornish British, which signifies a pool.
pond, or lake, and coin, the ridge or neck of a
hill, so called from its situation. as it occupies
Witham.. which here divides into three
streams"
French Originally coming from or belong
ing to France"
Acton is from the Saxon. ''The oak town or
oak hil-the name Of town in Middlesex,
England, whence the name is derived
StOughtOn.-''This family derives it's name
from StOche or Stoke, place in Surrey, Eng
LAND, and tun word signifying an enclosure"
AlVord.-"FrOm Afford, u town in Lincoln
shire. England, signifying the old ford or way,
from aid, old and ford, a ford, way or pass"
Bliss.-"In English avery happy name. imposed
by others on the individual. Blys, in the Welsh.
signifies deriving longing"
butler.-1niS Iamiiy derive their origin from
the old Counts Of BriOny, or Biony, in Norman
dy, descendant of whom, Hervius Fitz Walter,
accompanied the COnquerOr into England His
son, TheobOld, went with Henry H. into Ireland,
where, having assisted in the reduction of the
kingdom, he was rewarded with large posses
siOns there, and made it the place of his res
dence: The King afterward conferred on him
the office Of Chief Butler of Ireland, whence his
descendants, the Earls of Ormond and others,
took the surname Of De Boteler, or Butler'
Chandler.-"A name of trade; a maker and
seller of various wares, originally of candles"
The Christian and surnames Of the President
are thus spoken of:
Arthur (British).-A strong man; from Ar
Lat. vir), man, and thor, strong In the
Gaelic, Air is the same as Fear, a man and the
Ancient Scythians called man AiOr Thor was
the Jupiter Of the TeutOnic races, their god of
thunder. In Welsh, Arth is a bear, an emblem
of strength and courage, and ur noun termi-
nation, a man. Arthur, bear-man, hero, a
man Of strength, the name Of British Prince"
"Chester.-LOcal-From the city of Chester,
the capital Of Cheshire, England, founded by
the Romans. The name is derived from the
Latin Castrum; Saxon, coaster, a fortified place,
city, castle, or camp, it being Roman sta
ton where the Twentieth Legion was quartered.
The Ro man stations in England were generally