San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-06-06
NAMES FROM TRADES.
HOW MANY coeNoMENs ORIGINATED
IN YEARS GONE BY.

| ENGLAND before the time of the Norman
! CONQUEST. II is true that surnames are
| piyen in Domesday Book. but these were
fCrthp most part official and professional,
and were not transmitted as family names.
As eprlv as the Twelfth century it was
thought essential for persons of rank to
bear a surname, and gradually the use ex-
tended through all the lower classes. Not
however, until the reign of Edward III, in
the Fourteenth century, was the use en-
forced by an act of parliament Conse-
quently the tracing of pedigrees beyond
the Thirteenth or Fourteenth century is
difficult, if not impossible.
The origin of family names is widely diff
ferent, and yet upon examination the diff
ference is not so great as appears on the
surface Perhaps the most common origin
is that of son affixed to Christian name
the significance of which is at once OBJ
vious, showing that when the name was
first used as family name the father was
John, Thomas or William, as the case
might be. We find this same custom
among other nations. The Russian term
inal witch. the Saxon prefix ing the Jewish
ben. the Welsh ap, the Irish mac, the Pole
ski, all signify son, while the Irish o signi-
fies grandson.
The trades furnish many surnames-
Smith taking the lead-although the old
English rhyme rung
Bat whence comes Smith, all be he knight or
squire,
But from the smith that forgeth at the fire.
ORGANIZATIONS.
Il is not quite true, for the word origi-
nally applied to any one who smote, and
included carpentry, masons and others.
Names derived from occupation usually
end in er-Potter, Painter, Lorimer-a
maker of bits for brides and spurs. Salter
the man who looked after the salt. Spill.
ler-a maker of spindles or lathes. The
termination ster usually denotes woman's
occupation. Webster is the feminine OF
Webber: Brewster of Brewer. Dexter was
woman who worked by the day.
Many English surnameS were formed
from words compounded of two or more
AnglO-SaXon words The termination ham
signifies home or place; Burnham is the
Hlace of burn or brook; Buckingham is
place suitable for beeches, or a place for
soaking cloth in I've from the ashes of the
beech. Ton was at first an Enclosure, later
it was village or a town; Leighton is a
level town; Hilton, a hill town; Clayton
and Newton are obvious; Norton is the
north town, as Sutton the south; Milton
is the village where the mill is situated;
KemptOn, the camp town, or soldiers vii
lagc. Ly indicates field; Stanley or
Stony, a strong field; Ashley, a field ia
vOrable for ash trees; Oakly, for oaks;
C0wly, field for cows.
COMBINATIONS.
By or hi is Danish, and implies habta-
tiDH; ByfOre is a home at the ford; Byfield
i, a home in the meadow. Knapp is the
,uu of II Hill, while Knowles is derived from
knoll. HOlme is meadow surrounded
with water: the natural tendency to plur-
UiI2e names gives the familiar Holmes.
In Il similar way we have Halves from
h&u:;h, green plot in valley. Gore is
vert used in the old records to describe
mar. ~ slip of ground. Shaw is sometimes
used alone rs a surname. and is sometimes
the terminal in compound word, as Hen
shaw, Grimshaw. 1t signifies a small wood
or copse. The word is not uncommon in
Old English poetry.
In somcr when the shawes be sheyne,
And leves be large and long,
Hit is fUllc merry in feyre forest
To hear the tOule's song.
Godfrey is Gods peace. Goodwin and
Goodwin, friend of God Halliwel ia holy
well, as Halliday is holy day, and HolyOke
| holy Cak, Doggett is probably the same as
the AnglO-SaXon dogod, which is derived
from noun signifying virtue. The ter
mination ward means keeper. Hayward is
the keeper of cattle, Durward door keeper,
| woodward protector of the forest, Mil
] ward keeper of the mill.
C"0~S WAS not derived from a mans dis
| position. 1t indicates one who lived neara
| market cross or cross roads. Stone was
| originally given To some one who resided
| Ee.r q druidical or other remarkable stone.
| Peter likewise means stone being derived
| rrcm Greek
| NAMES FROM TIE CHURCH
| Allied TO Peter or Peters, which is the
| usual fern of tie surname, are Pierce,
| ficGSOn and other names whose meanir q
| IT "nce becomes obvious. Roche is rock,
| c"u!,rl from i.?tin through French Har
mrgrS army: Iiarbert, famous army; Har-
maH, man Cf the army: Harvey, an army
| from war. WpOlley comes from the Anglo
Saxon \ .iiEch, and literally means a
Wotf Uu Il iii or elevated place. Willard
i from old German, will and hard, will
h.'ing the sense of resolution and hard
"-yluIng courageous or strong. Wiley,
| = IlliamS and -WillmOt are of kindred
lin.
'iEc church has furnished great variety
oL Surnames, Pope, Parsons, Vicar, Bishop
tran, Deacon. Clark, Priest. With the pre-
/, ia Mac come Mac VIckey, Mac Pherson
lille Priest leads TO Priestly and others
Wne names Of saints have been popular as
s.rEmes, st. Clair is sometimes changed
to S.Aclair.g Augustine is contracted &c
Austin, Beuedict to Bennet, St. Maure be
| comes seymour. The crus;sdes opened tn,
way for Palmer, the pilgrim who visited
the holy land and bore branch of palm a
q token thereof. Payne, it is claimed, wa
the tame given to some paynim or Mussul
muu who embraced the Christian faith dur