The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-08-05
ROMANCE OF sURNAMEs.
Interesting Study of the Derivation
of Family Names
Gondon Tit-Bits.,

tlIOnUOn
There are probably many people who
speculate about their ancestors and the
origin of their family who are unaware
that an interesting and valuable clew is
and yet 1t is a fact that there is scarcely
a single surname which is not in a way
an index to family history.
II is instructive. for instance to know
that the original bearer OF the name of
Jennings was In all proba bility a joiner:
the first Thwaytes a wood Teller and tine
primeYaI Leech a surgeon The Marshalls
OF today were originally smiths; the Web
sters are described in the paternal line
f-om "A weaver: the FuilerS and Walkers
from cloth fuller, and the Bankers from
a tanner.
In DAYS when surnames were unknown.
and Christian names no longer served TO
distinguish one John or William from
several others In the same town or vii
lage who bore the name nothing could
be more natural than TO label them with
their different trades professions Thus
the neighborl John. the Carter, the Chap
man or the COwper. whose descendants
thus derive their names of TAYLOR, Carter
Chapman and Cooper from the trade Ia bel
which first served to distinguish their
ancestors from his fellow townsmen
Thus in cases where a surname indi-
Gates a trade it furnishes a fairly re-
liable cleW to the occupation of the an
cestor who first bore il. informa ton
which could not probably be obtained
from any other source. 1t must not. how
WAYS TO BE-. interpreted quite literally and
that the ancestors of king or lord
were actually OF royal or noble rank. II
Is more probable that they had filled
these exalted roles in the old world mys-
terry plays or had been lords and
kings at popular sports and festivals.
similarly, a surname Is often a very
useful clew to the country from which
family originally sprang. Thus the
original Gascoignes no doubt came from
GascOny. the Britons and Bretts from
RrfffHnN the SPnffG NJ
the Normans from Normandy. Certain
Surnames. too. which do. not so clea rly
indicate the country of origin are distinct
" traceable TO certain foreign countries
from which the original bearers almost
certainly came Thus the Conauests.
Morleys. St Aubyns and Laseelles are OF
Breton origin; the Harcourts, Percys and
NeviIles are Norman. and so on.
1t is possible. too. to go a step farther
and on fair presumptive grounds infer q
cruSading ancestor from such names as
MOuntioy. the name Of an eminence near
Jerusalem; from D'Acre. famous for its
siege and from Jordan. although it would
not be wise TO rely too much on such an
The precise town or county which NAV
be said TO have been the cradle OF any
particular family can equally be known
from surname The original bearer Of
the name OF York can be traced TO that
city. the Chichesters came from Chi
chester. the Cornwalls from Cornwall.
and so on 10 infinity almost: for there
IS scarcely town. village or manor. a
river. hfll or dale that has not given its
name TO one or more families
The origin OF these names of locality
! is interesting. When a man migrated
from. let US say. Skipton 10 Settle he
would be known in his new GoniciIe as
Johannes de Skipton, or John who came
from S1ipton. thus distinguishing him
from all other native Johns After a time.
the prefix de- would be dropped and his
descendants for all time would bear the
name OF Skfpton- Among the natives
OF Settle to pursue our Illustration. the
INDIGENOUS Johns would be distinguished
IN different ways. as John. the son OF
Thomas. who was quite a different person
from John. the son of jain. or John Tn
der the Hill. or John BY the Beck. The
descendants Of these gentlemen would be