The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1892-09-17
E1yMoLoeY MADE INTERESTING.

ETyMOLOGY MADE INTERESTING.
The Origin and Curious Evolution Of
Some English Surnsmes.
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
Shocks was once known as Sevenoakes.
Some persons are not aware hat Eliza
beth is to be accounted m uncouth form
of Isabel, which was formed from Isa-
beau on a false supposition that Isabeau
vas masculine. Eliza, it is stated. is
not a shortened form OF Elizabeth. bnr
is the equivalent of Alice. Marion, we
know, is in line with Marie. Mary and
Maria.
P~atronymics have been much multi,
piled through pet m The Saxons
formed pet names by adding to the
original name-often abbreviated-kin
and cock. and the Normans introduced
ct and OF, en- and on. From William We
have the pet names Will, Wilcox, Will
kin. Willett, Wiley, Willemot, Willen,
Bill and Gull Latin). From these we
get. in order, Williams, Ma William,
Williamson, Wills, Wilson, Wilcox, Wi,
kins, Wilkison, Wilkinson, Willet, Viii
letson, WI--lot, Willing, Bilson, Gill
ellison, Gilkins, Gilkison, Gillon and
elliott. Robert-through Robin, Dobb.
Hob, Rob and Hobkin-gives us Rob
erts. Robertson, Robins, Robinson, Rob
IGOR, Dro1,y,, n,1hc n,1-a, u.l1,.
Hobson, Robbs, Robson, Hopkins and
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 in turn we have
Richards, Richardson, Richards, Pritch
ard, Rixon, Richie, Richison, Dick.
Dixie, Dixon, Dickens, Dickinson, Hitch:
ins, 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 got
his name from malthouse and the com.
mon family name of Bacchus would be
more correctly spelled bakehouse. Mac
pherson neal parsons son. Vickers
was the wears son. Wallace means a
Welshman, and Bruce is a Norman
name. Sinclair, Montgomery, Hay and
Vance are, like Bruce, James derived
from lands in Normandy. Many English
surnames end in ford, ham (house1, 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 mean
Wines hill. From Lea we get Lee,
Leigh and Leigh. The Welsh Ap, son
with Robert, has become Probert. Ap
Rhys has become Price, Ap 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, to
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 to
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 our Bigg. On the other hand, Beggs
is good Celtic for Little or Small. Oil
plant (elephant) is a name derived FROM
u shop sign. The reader will perceive
that many of our Christian names and
surnames have had curious HISTORIES
Baltimore Sun.