Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-11-19
WHAT is IN A NAME
Origin of Patronymics in the English
Language.
Location of n House, The Kind of
Labor One Performed, Official
Duties Responsible.

names a writer in the New York Adver-
tiser says that a very large class of respect
able names has arisen from The practice of
to the individual name an addi-
tional designation indicating the residence.
When the man came from a town or city
he was John Of Bolton, or Thomas a York.
names easily adopted to family use, but
when he was mere villager and was called
JACK or Tom in common with a score more
OF the same vicinity. II was an easy matter
to individualize him by indicating his local
habitation. with, reference to some we'll
known object or feature of the village. In
the old English rolls instances Of this kind
are extremely numerous. sar
His house by the brook gave Thomas at
crook name his family still bears; the
a.@auers' Bywaters. Waters, Ponds, Wells,
Atwells ard others had a similar origin.
The Woods and Atwoods once lived by the
forest, while the Lees, Leighs and probably
also the Lays. had their home near the
common or village. pasture.
The Boroughs were once only plain VIII
layers, with nothing else to distinguish
them, but the Ridges, Fields. Cliffs, Hills
Gates, Oaks, Noakes, Ashes, Orchards and
SO located that the original possessors of
these names were differentiated from their
neighbors by virtue of residence.
From n Houses Location.
Even the location of a house in a village
was sometimes enough to win a, name for
the occupant; IL It was near the place Of
worship, he became Robert the Churcher,
or Robert Church; II near the pump the
Pumper, or Wellman, or even Weller; If by
the bridge, he was known as Bridger
Brfdgem or Bridges. A house at the end
OF town gave the name Townsend; near the
stile gave Styler or Styles; On a particular
o. fQ re
Laner; by the village cross, gave Cross
Crosser, Crossman F -
Illustrations of this kind are almost in
Vulnerable, however, as any 7one can see
who VIII for himself scan directory and
observe how numerous are the Groves,
Lands, Homes, Knowls. Combes Heaths
Crofts and others, whose names arose from
places of residence
Greas numbers % family names have
their origin in an office held by the -origina,
possessor of the cognomen and transmitted
TO his descendants as of right. 1t IL quite
possible, for instance, that the Dukes,
Counts, Barons, MarQuises and other such
names have been regularly transmitted
from father to son from q time when the
original was really man of rank, but II is
more likely that the Kings, Princes, Popes
ana some others were originally attendants
on these exalted personages and SO were
known as connected with them, thus ac-
curing the names, while in some cases the
names were probably bestowed In ridicule.
the pageants encouraged by the church at
certain seasons. in which the villagers.
played the parts of royal, priestly or noble
characters. To trace some of these official
names is no slight matter, but others offer
an easy solution.
The Judges and Judds of the present day
nave no trouble In ascertaining the original
OF their names. but for the original Corner
we must go back to the crowner or cor
oper, or official who exercised many other
functions besides that of inquiring into the
circumstances attending violent death
The Sergeants Of the present had ancestors
VINO were probably not military men, but
sergeants at the bar and the fathers of the
Bedells and Biddles were the beadles Of the
villages.
Holders of Omce.
The Creers were originally the crfers of
the towns; the Trompours were the trum-
peters; the Meyers, Burgesses Councillors
and Counsellmans were in one way or
another connected with village or municipal
government. The Cleavers were not at first
butchers, but clavigers, or key bearers to
the city government, while the Wears, Par
sons. Priests, Chaplains. Clerks and Ciarks.
Secretans, Sections, Priors, Capons, Monks,
AumonerS and a few others no doubt had n
family beginning in the church, and in the
wandering pilgrims. or pelerins. as TIE
french called them, are found the originals
OF our Pelerins, Palmers and some Others.
Inc labors OF the farm and the various
duties OF country life have materially in
q eased our stock Of family names The
Thatchers, Thackers and Thackerays re-
call the days when a man was EMPLOYED 10
cover the houses with straw, while the
Helers were of the same origin, to hele
meaning simply to cover, and the Hellsrs,
Helliers and Hellmens have no better an
cestry than the Thatchers.
Connected With Building.
The first Tyler undoubtedly covered roofs
with tiles, and the Shinglers performed the
same office with small boards. The LINERS
prepared the lime, and the Dawbers, orig
inally Daubers, laid the bricks or stones
end daubed them with mud CT mortar. The
Cotmans and Cotters were at first peasants;
SO were the Crofts and Crofters.
The Boarders and Boardmans were also
peasants, but SUCH as were compelled to
find the wherewithal &c supply the table OF
the nobleman who owned them The
SWANS at first kept hogs; the Kinds looked
after cattle. The Tillmans were plowmen,
the Mowers cut the grass and the Dickers,
Dickmans and Dykers looked after the
bitches. The Hedges and Hedgers testify
to the antiquity Of the hedge as a defense
against depredating animals. and the
Maries, Marlers, Clays, Clayers and Chalk
ers bear witness to the substances used as
fertilizers.
The GARDENERS do not need to have their
name explained, but the Viners were no
other than cutivators Of the vines, and the
Dressers may have belonged to the same
The Hackers and Hackmans
took their names, not from carriage drivers,
but from woodchoppers, while the Stod-
dards recall the stot or bullock herd, and
the Yea therd or Yeatmans and the Cowerds
are branches Of the same occupation.
The Miilers heed not be told of the pro-
fesslon exercised by their ancestry, but II
will surprise some to know that the Boul-
terS, Riddlers, Sivers, tanners, Shovellers
and Showers all had ancestors who in one
time or another were connected with the
ture of flour