The Durham daily globe. (Durham, N.C.) 1889-1894, 1892-09-14
ETYMoLoGY MADE INTERESTING.
The Origin and Curious Evolution OF
Some English SurnaInes.


Some English S~urnaTnes.
A magazine article by Sir Herbert
Maxwell presents in a very readable
form the derivation of a number of
common names. 1t will be news, for
example. To many of our readers that
SnoOks was once known as Sevenoakes.
Some persoSg are not aware that Eliza
beth is 20 he accounted an uncOuth form
If Isabel, which was formed from Isa.
bean ON a false supposition that IsabeaU
was masculine. Eliza, it is stated. il
not p shortened form of Elizabeth. but
Is tie equivalent of Alice. Marion, We
know. is in line with Marie, Mary and
Maria.
PatrOnymics have been much multi.
piled through pet names. The SaxOns
formed pet names by adding to the
original uanle-often abbreviated-kin
and cock, and the Normans introduced
ct and OF. en- and on From William we
have the pet names VIII, Wilcock, vii
kin. Willett. Wiley, Wiilemot, Willen
Bill and GULL Uatin). From these we
get. in order. Williams, MacWilliam
Williamson, Wills, Wilson, Wilcox, vii
kins, WilkisOn. Wilkinson. Willet, vii
letson, Wilmot, Willing, Bilson, Gill
Gibson, Gilkins, Gilkison, GillOn anG
elliott. Robert-through Robin, Dobb
Hob, Rob and Hobkin-gives us Rob
erts, Robertson, Robins, Robinson, Rob
ison, Probyn, Dobbs, DobsOn, Hobbs
Hobson, Robbs, Robson, Hopkins anG
Hopkinson.
Philip gives Us Phipps, Philpot and
Philpots. Richard has been distorted
by affection into the pet names Rich
Richie, Dick, Diccon, Hitchin and Hitch.
cock. From these III turn we have
Richards, Richardson, Richards, Pritch.
ard, Rixon, Richie, Richison, Dick
Dixie, Dixon, Dickens, Dickinson, Hitch.
ms, Hitchison, Hitchcock and Hitchcock
David has given as Davidson, Dodson.
Dodds, Davy, Dawson, Daw, Dawson
Dawkins and O.Dowd. We have from
Henry the ~derivations Hal, Hallet
Harry, Harriet and Hawkins.
From John we get Jack and Jenkins
from Simeon. Simkins. Thackeray's
ancestor was a thatcher. Nautilus go1
his name from malthOuse and the com
mon family name Of Bacchus would be
more correctly spelled bakehouse. Mac
phersOn means parsons son. Vickers
was the wears son.. Wallace means E
Welshman, and Bruce is a Norman
name. Sinclair, Montgomery, Hay anG
Vance are. like Bruce, names derived
from lands i'll Normandy. Many English
surnames end in ford, ham (house}, lea
ton farm) and by dwelling, from the
old practice Of naming persons after
their native place. Aylesford, Grim
stOn, Habersham and Ormsby are ex
amples.
Winslow is from words that NEAR
Wines hill. From Lea we get Lee
Leigh and Leigh. The. Welsh APP, son
with Robert, has become Probert. AZ
Rhys has become Price, APP Owen has
become Bowen, and Ap Hugh has be-
come Pugh. A prosperous Dublin snuff
dealer named Halfpenny has had his ap-
pellation shortened, it is narrated, tc
Halpen, and then enlarged to an impos.
ing McAlpin. 1t is interesting in this
connection to know that Finn and Find.
lay are Celtic surnames equivalent tc
our White. Duff, Macduff and Dow are
for Black. Glass is for Gray. Roy,
Cochran and Cochrane all mean red.
Our Mr.. Brown is in Celtic Mr.. Dunn OF
Mr.. Donnan. Moore and Moran answer
to II Bigg. On the other hand, Beggs
is good Celtic for Little or Small. Oil.
plant (elephant) is a name derived from
a shop sign. The reader will perceive
that many of our Christian names and
surnalnes have had curious histories.-
Baltimore Sun.