Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1891-04-23
CAMEINA NATURAL WAY.
FAMILY NAMES ARE THE RE-
suit OF EVOLUTION.
In Nine Times Of Ten Mans Surroundings
Furnished Him With tho CoRno-
men by Which His on
spring IL Now Known.

man conquest. 1t is true that surnames
are given in Doomesday Book. but
these were for the most part official
and professional and were not trans
mitted as family names. As early as
the twelfth century it was thought es-
sential 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 Ed
ward II, in the fourteenth century, was
the use enforced by an act Of parlia-
ment. Consequently the tracing of
pedigrees beyond the thirteenth or
fourteenth century is difficult, if not
impossible.
The origin of family names is widely
different. and yet upon examination
the difference is not so great as appears
on the surface. Perhaps the most CON-
mon origin is that of son affixed to a
christian name-the significance of
which is ut once obvious, showing that
when the name was first used as fam
| lily name the father was John, Thomas
or William. as the case might be. We
| find this same custom among the other
| nations. The Russia terminal witch,
the Saxon prefix ing the Jewish ben.
| the Welsh ap, the Irish mac, the Pole
| ski. all signify son, while the Irish o
signifies grandson.
The trades furnish many surnames-
Smith taking the lead-although the
the old English rhyme rung:
But whence comes Smith, all be he knight
| or squire,
But from the Smith that FORCES at the fire.
1t is not quite true, for the word
originally applied to any one who
smote, and included carpentry, masons,
and others. Names derived from &C.
cupation usually end in er,-Potter,
Painter, Lorimer-a maker of bits for
brides and spurs. Salter-the man
who looks after the salt. Spiller-a
maker of spindles or lathes. The ter
mination ster usually denotes wo-
mans occupation. Webster is the
feminine of Weber; Brewster of Brew
err. Dexter was woman who worked
by the day.
Many English surnames were formed
from words compounded of two or
more AnglO-Saxon words. The termi-
nation ham signifies home or place;
Burnham is the place of burn or
brook; Buckingham is place suitable
for brooches, or place for soaking
cloth in lye from the ashes of the
beech. Ton was at first an Enclosure.
later it was Il village or town. Leigh
ton is level town; Hilton, hill town;
Clayton and Newton are obvious; Nor
ton is the north town, us Sutton the
south; Milton is the village where the
mill is situated; KemptOn the camp
town or soldiers village. Ly indicates
a field; Stanley or Stony, a strong field;
Ashley a field favorable for ash trees;
Oakly for oaks; Cowley field for cows.
BY or bi is Danish, and implies habi-
tation; Byford is home at the ford;
Byfield a home in the meadow. Knapp
is the top of hill, while Knowles is
derived from Knoll. HOlme is a
meadow surrounded with water; the
natural tendency to pluralize names
gives the familiar Holmes. In SINH
lar way we have Halves from haugh. a
green plot in u valley. Gore is word
used in the old records to describe a
narrow slip of ground. Shaw is some.
times the terminal in a compound
word. as Henshaw, Grimshaw. II
signifies small wood or copse. The
word is not uncommon in old English
poetry.
In somer when the shawes be sheyne,
And leves be large and long,
Hit is fulle merry in feyre forest
To hear the fbule's song.
| Sc Gods nDooo Co1v,;v
and Goodwin, friend of God. Halli
we'll 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 ;
noun signifying virtue. The termina
ton ward means keeper. Hayward ii
the keeper OF cattle, Woodward a pro
tector of the forest, Milward keeper o
the mill.
Cross was not derived from a mans
disposition. 1t indicates one wht
, lived near a market cross or eros
roads. Stone was originally given tt
, some one who resided near druidica
or other remarkable stone. Pete
likewise means stone. being derive,
from Greek. Allied to Peter or Peters
which Is the usual form of the surname
t are Pierce, Pierson and other name
) whose meaning at once becomes oh
viOus. Roche is rock. coming iron
Latin through French. Har mean
:, army; Harbert, famous army; Hartman
Il man Of the army; Harvey, an army 70
1 war. Woolly comes from the Anglo
d Saxon Wulfheh. and literally means
wolf on Il high or elevated place
Willard is from old German, will an
!. hard. will having the sense OF resc
= luton and hard meaning courageou
8 or strong. Wiley, Williams and viii
;. mot are of kindred origin.
The church has furnished grea
J variety OF surnames, Pope, Parsons
/ Vicar. Bishop Dean, Deacon, Clarl
d Priest. With the prefix Mac come Ma
d Mickey, Mac PhersOn, while Prize
A. leads to Priestley and others. III
:, names of saints have been popular ,
surnames. St. Clair is sometime
70 changed To Sinclair. Augustine