The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1889-05-04
Where Our Nss.os Come From,

1t is surprising to many to find
how large portion of English sur
names have aplain, every day mean
ing, and stand for n thing rs well as
for a family, says writer in All the
Year Round. But, though a name
may sound base or ridiculous on first
hearing it, there is so little in a
name that. even with mere acquaint-
ances, it scarcely seems homogeneous
that a man over six feet high should
be called Little, and a V. c., Co.
| ward.
Most English surnames are taken
from counties or towns, from pro,
LESSONS or trades, from some person,
al popularity, from the fathers
name, with son, Fitz, Mac, APP or o.
fixed or affixed; or, lastly, from the
crest borne by the founder of the
family in middle ages.
We have Cornwalls, Cumberlands,
Yorkes and Somersets, from coun.
ties; and Wiltons. Barnets, Chichest-
ers and Henleys from towns. Al
most every profession and trade is
included in the list of names; the
town gives us Butcher, Baker, Ma
son, Sadlera and Draper; the country,
Farmer, Shepherd, Fisher, Hunter
and Fowler; and the household, Cook
and Butler. To trades, too, must be
assigned such names as Potts, Buckle
and Tucker. Personal peculiarities
or qualities account for almost as
many; there are Long and Short,
Rich and Poor, Bigg and Little.
Large and Small; while of names
taken from colors there is Il whole
chromatic scale-Black, White,
Gray, Brown, Pink. Scarlett and
many more.
Then, again, men whose fathers
boosted no surname, and who had
no striking personality or peculiar
ity to mark them out from their fell
lows, were content to be known as
So-and-So's son, and thus founded
the families of Richardson, Johnson,
Robertson and Williamson. Not
only did this principle obtain among
the English peasantry, in feudal
times, but even among the Norman
families; and so we have Fitzpatrick
and Fitzwilliams; while in Scotland
there are all the Macs; in Wales, all
the APPS, and in Ireland all the O's.
Sometimes the neighbors did not
even take the trouble to add son;
they simply pluralized the name,
and called the family Clements,
Stephens and Adams. In Wales this
is a very favorite plan, though very
often they do not even add the
plural, and the stranger to the
mountains gets sadly confused be-
tween Evan Morgan and Morgan
Evans. and between " illiam Thomas
and Thomas Williams, and all other
combinations and organizations
which can he twisted out of half Il
dozen names.
To medieval heraldy-though, per
haps, in some few cases to personal
peculiarities-must be assigned such
names as Wolfe, Hawke, Fox, Crane,
Swan and the like, the owners being
called after the cognizapces emblaz-
oned on their shields. One of the
most luminous instances of the
| schoolmaster being all abroad was
the derivation laid down by the
English and writing master at pub
lie school. of the name Dove. The
origin of the name was actually as.
cribed to an ancestor having kept
doves in his back yard at some time
or another!
Royalty and nobility have also
given surnames to humber folks.
King, prince, duke, marquis earle
and baron are all names that may
be met with every day, while the less
, er nobility and the territorial gentry
have furnished such names rs lord,
knight and squire. From the church,
too. comepope, bishop, abbott dean,
/ priest pilgrim, parson and clerk, al.
! most every grade in the hierarchy
being represented in one form or ant
other.
There is story told of the an
Gent Wiltshire family of the dukes
of Lake house which illustrates this
peculiar form of surname and also
the plide of the untitled nobility in
the superiority of an ancient name
over II modern peerage. At the be-
ginning of the century, brand-new
peer cannoned against the master oil
Lake house ON the hunting, field,
and. turning round, cried:
do you know whom your riding
over sir? I'm lord So and-sor'
"And |, my lord, replied the old
gentleman. with quiet dignity, "aLl
duke OF Lake"
There was astory current at Cam
bridge not long ago, to the effect
that the proctor one night discover
ed an undergraduate on Magdalen
bridge, endeavoring, as he thought,
to get in bed. The outraged Don
demanded the inebriate's name and
college, and the latter replied:
"Nutt of Magdalen.
The proctor repeated his question,
and received the same answer.
81 don't want to know what COZ
lege YOU are not OF, he cried. angri
ly, "but what college you do belong
to-"
"My good man, replied the under.
graduate, with intense solemnity
II have no other name to give you
Go away. I'm trying to find my
bed"