Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-08-01
FAMILY NAMES.
Their Derivation Shown by n Reference
to the Early History of England.

10 the karlv history OF England.
From the st. Louis Globe-Democrat.
One of the most common methods of bestow-
Ing surnames was from the place of residence.
The name of a street, town, a particular dis
trct of country, with the syllable at or after or
by as an introduction. gave such names as At
wood, Byford and Byatt. Another class Of
names arose from the practice of appending to
the name termination indicative of the place
of residence. Thus the rustic often became
known among his acquaintance as Robert
the Field, or Fielder, Filder; if he lived in a
forest, he was Woodyer, or Wood, or Wood
man; If by the church, he was Churchman,
or, in Scotland, kirkman; if by a monastery,
the cross, to be found in every village. he was
Cross, or Crossman, or Croucher, or Crouchman;
II by the bridge he became, Bridger or Bridge.
Brooks, Brookman. Wells, Weller, Wellman,
Beecher, Beechman, Hollywood, Oker and
many others. The word hurst or hirst is often
found as part OF a proper name. 1t originally
meant wood, and the compounds formed with
it are numerous. If hazels about, it is Hazel
hurst; ii lindens, it is Lyndhurst; if hawks are
often found, it is Hawkhurst. and BrockeIhurst
Is often seen for badgerwOods, Deerhurst for q
deer Forest the proper names Of men following
The holt was a less extensive forest than the
hurst, aud from it we have Aldershot Oak
shot and Bagshot. shaw small woody
covert, common shelter for game, and it re-
mains in our language as Hindshaw, Cockshaw,
Henshaw, or Hernshaw, and Earnshaw, an alb
6reviation of Heronshaw. In old English a
den was sunken cover or shelter Tor animals,
usually OF the more ferocious kinds, and SO We
have Wolfenden, Harden, or Hareden, Buckden,
Ramden and ROwden or ROeden. The names
Of the domestic animals are found in Horsden,
Oxenden, Cowden, Borden, SOwden and Ogden
or Hogden. While the den gave shelter the lea
afforded pasturage for both wild and tame, and
we thus have Horseley, Cowley and Kinley,
Sheepley, from Sheeplea, Buckley and Hindley.
IinNIQv q nd
Some OF the Surnames OF men indicate the
clearings that were made in the forests. Thus,
whence we have Acroyds, where the acorn
trees have been taken away, Lindrood, Holy.
rood and others of this kind. greave was a
forest, the idea Of cutting being still preserved
In our grave. Thus we find Hargrave, where
the hares were numerous Congreave, where
the same was true OF the comics, and Bargreave,
indicating the former prOfusOn of bears. A
slade was small strip of open land in a forest
lande was rich piece of grassy but uncultured
ground surrounded by trees, and hence the
Launders, the Landes, the Lowndes and the
Laundes. knowl was a small, skull-shaped
hill, whence our Knowles, knowlers and
knowlngs. The holme was a meadowland
lying about the windings of a stream, and from
1t are derived the HOlmers and the Holmans.
The clough was formerly narrow assure be-
tween the hills. and the proper name was
Nethercites, Topciiftes, Redclitfes, the Rad
elites, the Stonecliftes ROckciffes, and Hard
clitfes are all from the same source. dune
was billy slope, and the Duns came from such
q locality while combe was the cup-shaped
depression Of the hillside, whence we have
Cumberland, Newcombe and SlOcOmbe, with
one hundred others. Any prominence of earth
or rock was a cop, or cope: Hence come the
stakes Cob was but another form of the the same
word, whence come the Cobbs, the Cobhams,
the Cobwelis. the Cobdens and Cobleys
Some of the trees have given family names
TO quite number of distinguished families
The Washes once lived near ash trees the Maid.
ers close to alders while the origin of the Nokes
the Beeches, the Linds and LindenwoOds the
Lindhurst, and the Birches Is equally plain But
other rural objects also contributed their share
sight is the park gate, which is often conspicu-
Gus from affair, and the Lindgates, the Folod-
gates the Par ates and the Rirkates still testi-
~ to the original occupations Of the founders
of the families bearing those Names Aherne
was any nook or corner OF land. so those who
lived there became known as the Hearnes,
tains and gave name to those living near it,
49,, croft was an inclosed pasture, and has given
Haycrofts. hay was bridge whence comes
the Hayes the Woodhayes the Haynes, the
Hewes, the Roundhayes, the Heywoods, and
whence the Akermans the Oldacres, the Good.
acres, the Longacres and the Whittakers or
The barnes is not tut the
boughs, as also were the BOOthmans, the Bow
ers and the Bowermans. Town formerly meant
ldI III, Us CuuC uScu IL VIII lulS SlS01fcAtiOn
in his translation of the scriptures, and the
Towns, the TONNES, the TOwners and the Town
send, or the Townsenders, still remain to per
many parts of England is still the bury: the
Burys, the Bourrows, the Burroughs, the
BrOughs and the Bugges still recall it, Another
form OF the same word was bere, and the Ber-
rvs, the Berrimans and the Beers and the Bear
ers commemorate the old significance of the
word.
Names OF occupations are perhaps still more
common than names Of residences. No doubt
to some worker In metals we owe the Ham
and Kettles, to a halter our HATS, while the
origin Of Basket, Last, Cheeses, Flows, Tubbs.
YiOus. ~