The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1894-09-19
The Origin OF Family Names.

ed to the StranGest names Dy long
familiarity with them as to lose all
sense of their singularity, but when
we hear very peculiar name for the
first time We are likely to wonder how
man came to possess so queer
patronymic, and frequently fail to dis
cover any possible origin for it. So
many names now thoroughly anglicized
have been derived from foreign coun-
tries that it takes rather extensive
knowledge of foreign languages to
enable one to trace them back to their
primitive meaning, for it cannot be
doubted that names formerly had a
meaning and were bestowed upon in
dividuals just as the Indian names
which translate 80 oddly into English
are given because of some familiar in
cident in the life of their owners.
The custom Of giving those names
which we now distinguish as "Chris-
tian whether their bestowalis mark
ed by that rite which the word signi-
6es, or by as little ceremony as one
| would observe in naming dog IS as
old as the creation. God called the
first man Adam, to signify his origin,
but left to him the naming of the first
woman and of all living creatures.
And it is only with regard to Isaac
and at the appearance Of the Messiah
and His forerunner, John, that we
hear of divinely bestowed names, each
of those three being strikingly signif-
can't in their meaning. A great num-
Der of the early Hebrew names were as
significant as the Indian names Of to-
day, so that one is led to infer that it
is a general custom with primitive
people to name their children by the
Indian rule, but no one can read some
of the chapters in Numbers and
Chronicles without wondering at the
fertility of the imagination which sug-
gested the wonderful array of polysyl-
labic names they contain.
The introduction of surnames was,
however, of comparatively recent date,
although one might naturally think
that the need of them would have soon
made itself felt in the multiplicity of
persons of the same name. 1t is gen.
orally believed that the illustrious
family of the Maccabees were the first
to set an example which their coun-
trymen were not slow to adopt, the
tribal divisions furnishing them with
a fine choice of names as start.
It was among the Romans that fam
lily names were not only customary, but
obligatory if one wished to be regarded
as a patrician. We are so accustomed
| to think of Roman writers and histori-
cal characters by one name that we
forget they all had their tribal and
family names as we'll, without which
they would hardly have been reoog-
nized in their own day. The Romans
do not, however, seem to have wished
the conquered Britons to follow this
example, since it was not for some
centuries after they had evacuated
Great Britain that the inhabitants
began to assume family names, and
then it was from the impulse given in
that direction by the victorious Ro-
mans. =, ,se, :,
To our modern ideas it seems absurd
| that an English dynasty should have
been indebted for its name to the
trivial incident that it's founder had
worn sprig of broom upon his he'll
met; but in those times it might be
said literally that man "made a
name for himself" since SO few men
found themselves possessed Of name
at their birth. The custom Of sur
names once introduced spread rapidly,
and soon even remote villagers took it
up and began to, initiate the great
folks in London. Many Of them were
content with adding 'son'' to their
fathers names, and in this way the
Richardson's, Thompsons, William
sons, Johnsons and scores of other
familiar surnames with that termina-
tion had their origin. In Ireland the
30" before name had the same sig
ni6cance, as had also the prefix
"Fitz;;" )" though the former was con-
sidered more aristocratic as denoting
descent from one of the many chiefs
or "kings." The Scotch made use Of
| the prefix ''Mac," and from them we
| derive host of very pretty names be-
ginning with that syllable.
Country people looked around them
to find some designation besides the
simple Christian names that had serv-
Cd their fathers and generally adopted
something local. In this way the
Woods, Fields, Waters, Hills, Oaks,
Wells, Rivers, Ashes, Thorns, Brooks
and hundred like names originated,
with thousands Of compound names,
all relating to these natural objects,
as Wellsman, Bridgeman, Townsend,
Cleveland, Waterman, ETC., etc. Even
the seasons, months and changes of
weather furnished these unambitious
folks with names when other ideas
failed, and so one can not hear the
"Benedicite" chanted without think
ing that good part Of the congrega-
tion is being called upon personally to
render their tribute of praise. Springs,
Summers, Winters and Falls, SHOWS,
Halls, Frosts and Rains, Floods, Wells
and Hills all belong in this category:
The descendants of tradesmen and
| dwellers in towns and villagers are
easily distinguished by the names
which owe their origin to the various
employments followed by the founders
Of the family. Carpenters, Millers,
Smiths, Taylors, Diapers, Dyers,
Cooks, Goldsmiths, Sawyers, Fullers,
Weavers, Tilers, Masons and a host of
other names came in this way, and
from them compound names were de-
rived, as. Thatcher, which has given
rise to Thackers and Thackeray, and
Smiths furnishes either the first or
last syllable for numerous cognomens.
Another set Of names can be traced
TO some popularity Of personal appear
ance or of character, and not a few to
some accidental deformity. Of these
we have Fairbairn, White, Black,
Brown, Whitehead, Redhead, Gray,
Baldwin, Hotspur, Coleman, Proudly,
Bloodgood, Goodman, Wiseman, with
the less enviable Crookshanks, Long,
Small, Short, Little, Lightfoot, ETC.,
etc. The church had also her share
in bestowing surnames upon our fore