The Aberdeen Democrat. (Aberdeen, South Dakota) 1???-1909, 1903-08-07
WHAT YOUR NAME MAY MEAN.
Not Until Eleventh Century or Later
Did Become Really
Fixed and Stationary.

Not Until Eleventh Century OF Later
Did Decome Really
Fixed and Stationary.
IN primitive times we know men and
women boasted of but n cognomen, as
witness the biblical records. 1t was not
until the eleventh, twelfth, thirteenth or
even fourteenth century that surnames
became really stationary, says the Con-
necticut Magazine. ~
The word was formerly written sir
name.
Williamson and Stevenson would ma
turally be sir or sire names. equivalent
to son Of William or of Steven.
In the same way the people of Russia
afix the termination of WITT, as Pietro-
WITT, son of Peter, the Poles employing
sky in the same way, Paderewsky.
Among the Saxons we find the ending
ling" denotes descent; to this origin are
due such names as Browning, Willing,
Dering, ETC.; the patronymic syllable
Mac was used in similar manner; andin
Ireland the o signifed grandson, as
O'Sullivan.
The Welsh often put the fathers name
in the possessive case, as George Will
liam's, or, as it is now written, Williams.
To this origin may be traced many
names ending in s.
The Greeks bore a single name. given
the tenth day after birth, and usually
expressing some admirable feature, as
Sophron, the wise.
The Romans were much less dignif1ed
than the Greeks; names were derived
from ordinary employments, as Porcius,
swineherd; Of from some personal Pc
culiarity, as Naso. long-nosed.
History tells US that the early DWELL
ers upon earth erected their shelters
upon shores of lakes, along the banks
of rivers or close by the sea, from which
source SO much Of their food was drawn.
And SO to-day, the connection being OBJ
vious, we have such names as Fisher.
Hook, Bate, Sholes, Dolphin, Eels, Con-
ger, Salmon, Bass, Goldman, Pike, Roach,
Herring and Crabb, all of them good
English names.
Trades and occupations have given
names to more inhabitants OF the earth
than any other cause, as, for example,
the innumerable family of Smith, de-
rived from the Anglo-Saxon smiten, to
smite, originally including Wheel
/, wrights, carpenters, masons, etc.
, Some years ago a philologist under
, took to enlighten the public as to the
extraordinary extension of this name;
! after 80 columns he threw down his
, pen in despair.
Trade also first gave names to the
: Taylors, Carpenters, Bakers, Masons
Brewers, Skaters, Sawyers, Chambers
and Golfers.
! It is said a Sussex family by the
. trade of weaving since the thirteenth
= century.
: Spencer is from d%ispensator or stew.
ard, Grosvenor from gros veneur
I grand huntsman.
J With these we might mention names
: from signs Of inns, as Will at the Bull
: and George at the Whitehorse, which
were afterward simpliied into Will
Bull and George Whitehorse.
From Wood is derived Atwood, BY
wood, Underwood, Motherhood. etc
Jenner is an old form of joiner, Milne
= of Miller, Bannister is the keeper of
% bath. We find the name Pitcher mean
: "a maker of pitches, a warm kind o
upper garment, the great coat of tn
= fourteenth century,"
NJ Croker al a maker Of pottery
from the word "crock," which in pro
: vincial dialect signifies a large jal
r. e Ward indicates a keeper, as DurwarG
d~oorkeeper; Hayward or Herewart
= keeper of the town cattle; Woodward
forest keeper: Millward, keeper of
y mill; Kenward, dog keeper.
- Formerly, if n dwelt upon a hill
: he would style himself Attehill or Al
s. hill; if near a moor, Attmore. w
lind color and complexion have give
,k rise to many surnames, Is Blacl
lie Blackman, Brown and Redman.
n The color of the hair must also hay
re- been considered, as we find innumel
ad able Blackheads, Greys, Redheads an
of Whiteheads. The form of the hea
I'M added a few Longheads, Broadhead
n etc.
Nv Not from the head alone have nam,
been taken. Longfellow, Tallma
Prettyman, Freeman, Pullman ar
in Pennyman conjure up for us lengt
height and pennies. The terminate
o. kin is a diminutive, Timpkin meanir
little Tim.
TOads Found In Rocks.
Amazing" said a scientist, sis Ct
w popularity Of the belief that toads Ii