Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1891-12-09
The ORIGIN OF NAMES.
Some Interesting Information 0oncsrnin
the Derivation of Surnames.

The ORIGIN OF NAMES.
Some Interesting Information Oonc0rning
the Derivation of Surnames.
Like everything else in this world.
names grew. In the beginning one
name was amply sufficient, as it is now
among barbAric and semi-civilized peo-
pies. With few exceptions, the char
acters in the Bible have but single
name, and 20 In all ancient history
in some cases where q surname is used,
its derivation is readily discernible-as
Scipio AfricAnus, % called from his con-
quest Of Atrica-but they were not in
general use.
in England before the time of the
Norman conquest It il true that
surnames are given in "Domesday
Book" but these were for the most
part official and professional, and were
not transmitted as family names. As
early as the twelfth century 1t was
thought essential for persons of rank
to bear a surname, and gradually the
use extended through all the lower
classes. Not, however, until the reign
OF Edward II, in the fourteenth CEN
fury, was the use enforced by an act of
parliament.
The origin of the family names is
widely different, and yet upon exami-
nation the difference is not so great as
appears on the surface. Perhaps the
most common origin Is that of son af
fixed to . Christian name, the signif-
canoe of which il at once obvious,
showing that when the name was first
used as . family name the father
was John, Thomas or William, a.
the case might be. We find this
same custom among other nations.
The Russian terminal witch, the
Saxon prefix ing, the Jewish ben. the
Welsh ap, the Irish mac, the Polish ski
all tsignify son, while the Irish o
signifies grandson. The trades furnish
many surnames-Smith taking the lead
although the old English rhyme rung:
But whence comes Smith, all be he knight or
squire,
But from the smith that forgeth at the fire.
It is not quite true, for the word
originally applied to anyone who smote,
and included carpentry, masons and
others. Names derived from occupa-
ton usually end in er-Potter, Painter,
Lorimer "a maker of bits for brides
and spurs), Salter (the man who looked
after the salt), Spiller Ia maker of
spindles or lathes). The termination
ster usually denotes a woman's occupa-
ton. Webster is the feminine of Web
Der; Brewster of Brewer. Dexter was
a woman who worked by the day.
Many English surnames were formed
from words compounded of two or more
4,.Ie
ham signifies home or place; Burnham
is the place of a burn or brook; Buch-
ingham is place suitable for beeches,
or place for soaking cloth in lye from
the ashes of the beech. Ton was first
an Enclosure, later 1t was village or
town; Leighton is level town; Hilton
hill town; Clayton and Newton are
obvious; Norton is the north town, SUIT
ton the south; Milton is the village
where the mill Is situated; Kempton the
camp town, or soldiers village Ly
indicates a field; Stanley or Ston-
~, strong field; Ashley a
field favorable for ash trees; Oak
~ for oaks; Cowly a field for
cows. By or bi is Danish, and implies
habitation; Byford is q home at the
ford; Byfeld is home in the meadow.
Knapp is the top of a hill, while Knowles
is derived from knoll. HoIme il
meadow surrounded with water; the
natural tendency to pluralize names
gives the familiar Holmes.
In a similar way we have HAYES from
haugh, a green plot in a valley. Gore is
word used in the old records to de-
scribe narrow slip of ground. Shaw
is sometimes used alone as a surname,
and is sometimes the terminal in COM
pound word, as Henshaw, Grimshaw. It
signifies small wood or copse. Godfrey
Is Gods peace. Goodwin and Goodwin,
friend of God. Halliwell is holy well,
as halliday is holy day, and holyoke
holy oak. Doggett is probably the
same as the Anglo-Saxon dogod, which
is derived from a noun signifying vir-
tue. The termination ward means
keeper. Hayward is the keeper of cat
tie, Durward doorkeeper, Woodward
a protector of the forest, Milward,
keeper of the mill.
Cross was not derived from a mans
disposition. 1t indicates one who lived
near . market cross or crossroads
Stone was originally given to some one
remarkable stone. Peter likewise
means stone. being derived from Greek.
Allied to Peter or Peters, which
| is the usual form of the sur
name. are Pierce, Pierson and
other names whose meaning at
once becomes obvious. Roche is rock,
coming from Latin through French
Har means army; Harbert, famous
army; Hartman, man OF the army: Har-
vsy, an army from war Woolley
comes from the Anglo-Saxon Wulfheh,
and literally means a wolf on high or
elevated place Willard is from old
German, will and hard, will having the
sense OF resolution, and hard meaning
courageous or strong. Wiley, Williams
and Wilmot are of kindred origin.
The church has furnished great va
riety OF surnames-Pope, Parsons, vi
oar, Bishop, Dean, Deacon, Clark and
Priest. With the prefix Mac came Mao
Mickey, MACPHERSON. while Priest leads
to PriSStly and others. The names Of
saints have been popular as surnames
Sc. Clair u sometimes changed to Sim
clair, Augustine Is contracted to Aus
tin, Benedict to Bennett, St Mature be-
comes Seymour. The Crusades opened
the way for Palmer, the pilgrim who
visited the Holy Land and bore a
branch of palm as q token thereof,
Payne, it Is claimed, was the name
given to some paynim or Mussulman
who embraced the Christian faith dur
ing the Crusades-Golden Days.