National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-10-15
FAMILY NAMES.
THE PRESIDENTS FATHERS STUDY.
A Work In Which, the President Asslsted-Thc Pro-
photic Name Of Notwithstanding Of Conk'
ling, Grant, Blaine. Logan, and Cam.
erou-Surnames Of Senators.

lily names was n fayorte study with the late Rev
William Arthur, the father Of the President. For
tomo years he was engaged in the compilation OF
q list Of names and their significance, which ne
completed In 1856, while living at Ncwtonville,
Albany County New York. His work was pub
lished in New York city in 1857. The title is: AN
genealogical Dictionary Of Family and Christian
Names, with an Essay on Their Derivation and I'm
port, by William Arthur, A. NJ" The book was pub.
lished by Sheldon, Brakeman & Co., OF New York.
II is now, and Is rarely IN be found on the
book stands. II contains from $500 TO $500 sur
names, with their meaning, and about FIVE hun
cred Christian or baptsmal names In the intro
Nuction the author treats OF the customs that pre-
JAILED among various races and nations in naming
heir young. He says that the ancient Hebrews re-
hined the greatest simplicityin the use OF names,
and that generally single name distinguished
the individual. The Jews named their children
the eighth day amer the nativity; the Greeks on
the tenth day, when an entertainment was given
by the parents to their friends and sacrifices were
offered 10 the gods The Romans gave names
TO their female children on the eighth day aud to
their males on the ninth, which they called the
day OF publication when they sOlemnizcd feast
called Nominala. A majority OF the names In the
book appear TO be OF Gaelic or Celtic and Saxon
origin The Normans predxed Fitz, the Welsh Ap,
and the ancient Irish Mac to suruames TO denote
son, as McHugh, the son of Hugh. IAN Names
Gays 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 mean.
ing attached to It becomes unusually significant
from what has recently happened. ltisas follows:
Garfeld-Locai, Saxon, GnrwIn TO prepare; Ger
man aud Dutch, oar. dressed, done, ready prepared
and detd place where everything is finished neccs-
sary for an army,
Many names that are now prominent before the
l.sNlV tFNNta
Grant is treated thus:
Grant OF this name Piayfajr remarks that II may
be derived from the Saxon Irish. or French In the
tsaxon Grant signines crookyd OF bowed Thus Sen,
signifies n crooked bridge, or rather lrdge upon
saxons called this town Grant Bridge. Cam in the
British and Grant In The Saxon being OF the same
50 Mons Gramphius, the arnmpiau I'M, was called
by the sax9ns Gram Hen or the crooked NIL but we
should be borrowed,
Gralrde signihs dark, swarthy. Grant and Char
signify much the same thing or are synouymous
Clan Charan II is the same as Clan Grant. Thus the
surname might have been taken from progeniior
Eraybearded mau--and though IN time Grant became
ways retained the oh n%%c GhSraH and are Called
Elan Charan.
In the French grand signifies great brave va,orous
and from thence many ate Inclined to think that the
surname Grant Is taken from grand, which in the
the end of the word Is changed into IT." and thus
Grand into Grant. The surname VI seems was thus
understood in England about i've hundred years ago
for Richard Grant was made Archbishop OF Caner
logical tables as we'll as by OILERS expressly called
Richard Grant But the English historians of that
which plainly shows thai they took Grant to be IL,
w e ns ad fa fS"a dc emo old e s me sS
"then Is put before the surname Grant.
The name Conlilng is said to be derived from
Soon, bold, wise, knowing and klein, little, son
i.e,, the son Of Con. Konkelen, in Dutch, sgni
fes TO plot, intrigue, conspire. Cleangleann
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, il
Bretagne, France Mr.. Arthur says:
Blaen. IN the Welsh, signifies the summit top
She same pen. brig. and bar the highest part OF
tremity II glen lea Ter or chief
Senator Don Cameron will probably dispute tn,
meaning ofhis name-" crooked'or crooked nose -
from the Gaelic Cam, crooked, and eron, nose"
Senator John Shermans name comes from 81
Bhearman, one who used TO shear cloth. Villain
thy father was a plasterer and thyself ashearman'
Jones is said to be from the Hebrew and to sig
nifty gracious.
The name of the chairman of the National Re
publican Committee, who conducted the CARTEL
and Arthur campaign, has this meaning:
JeweI-Joy, mirh precious; a Jewel, a preciou
stone; name expressive of fondness
Malone in Celtic or Gaelic is a bear.
Logan (Gaclic) Is " an enclosed plain or low ly
ing place. If the residence of Britain was on
plain It was called Laun, from Lagen or Logon;
on an emineuce it was termed dun"
Lincoln is from Lincoln, in England. The nam
IS derived is from Lin in the Gaelic, Welsh, an
Cornish British, which signifies pool, pond, {
lake, aud coin, the ridge neck Of hill. Gale
from It's situation, as IL occupies the top and sid
of n steep hill OH the River Wtham which her
divides into three streams"
"french-0riglnally coming from or belongin
10 France"
Acton is from the Saxon "The oak town or on
hill-the name of town in MiddieseK, Englnn
whence the name is derived"
Stoughton-"This family derives its name froi
Stoche or Stoke, place In Surrey, England an
tun, a word signilyinG an enclosure"
Chandler name of trade: maker and sellC
of various wares originally OF candles"
The Christian and surnamcs OF the President a
thus spoken Of:
Arthur (Brltish)-"A strong man: from Ar qA
yir), man, ana thor, strong. In the Gaelic air
the same rs fear, man. aud the ancient6cythiar
called man Aor. Thor was the Jupiter Of II
Teutonic races, their god OF thunder. In Wells
Arth is n bear, an emblem Of strength aud cou
age, aud ur n noun termination, a man. Arthur,
bear-mRn, n hero, q man Of strength, the name
British prince"
Alvord-" From Afford, town in I.incolnshii
England, signifying the old ford or way; from nj
old, and ford ford, way, or pass"
Bliss" In English II very happy name. in
posed by others Oh the individuals. Blys, in II
Welsh, signifies deriving, longing"
Butler" This mmily derive their origin fro
he old Counts of Briony or Biony, In Normand
descendant of whom, Hervus Fitz Walter, a
?ompanied the conqueror into England. His So
rheobold went with ilenryii into Ireland, whc
having assisted in the reduction of the kingdo
he was rewarded with large possessions there. II
made It the place OF his residence. The king att
ward conferred on bim the Office OF Chief Butler
Ireland, whence his descendants. the EArs OF {
mond and others, took the surname Of DC Botel
or Butler"
"Chester.-Local-From the city OF Chester, I
capital OF Cheshire, England, founded by {
Romans. The name Is derived from the Lat
Castrum; Saxon, Coaster, q fortified place, a city
castle camp, II being n Roman station VIII,
the Twentieth Legion WAS quartered. The Rom
stations in England were generally so called, /
lug sometimes varied In dialect to Chester, Chas
or Caster, The termination OF many English tow
Us Colchester. the camp on the River Coin Do
caster, on Dom Lancaster, on tho Lon or Lunt
&c.
ALAN or Allan. derived. according to JUL
scaliger, from the slavonic alRnd. n wolr.dos
hound; and Chaucer uses Aland In the same sen
bailey derives II as the same from the Britt
Camden thinks 1t a corruption Of Eliauus, viii
iignihes sun-bright. From the same We Ia
Allan. Allin Alleyno. In the Gaelic, Aluinn 81
niles exceedingly fair, handsome, elegant, love
Irish, Alum, fair. beautiful"
OF the members OF the present United Sta
Benate whose family names appear IN the co
pilation OF the Rev. Nj. Arthur aud his son Pre-
lent Arthur with the deryalous VI the names
list Is as follows:
Senator Authony's Is from the Greek word $