The Ellensburg dawn. [volume] (Ellensburg, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1906-11-27
WHENCE NAMES COME
The SURPRISING CHANGES THAT
TIME HAS WROUGHT.

WHO Would Think, For Instances,
That the Name Thomas Whitehorsc
Originally Indicated "Thomas Il.
the Sign of the White Horsc!"
Considering the surprising changes
that many names have undergone, says
Miss Laura Alton Payne in the indie
pendent the almost universal lack of
knowledge concerning their origin Is
not to be wondered at. What is there
in Peter Shocks to suggest to the
uninitiated that originally it was ''Pe-
ter at the Seven Oaks?' Though
"Thomas Whitehorse' suggests the
American Indian custom in names.
originally it was "Thonas 1T the White
Horse" or "l'homaS ut the Sign of the
White Horse ca taVcrn. Sidney is q
corruption of st. Denys, Sinclair of ST.
Clair Seymour of st. Maur, JaneW2y
of Genoa, Curtis of courteous" Armi-
tagc of "hermitage,' Spark of Sparrow
hawk. Emerson and America had the
same origin-Almcric, an old Norman
name, Amerigo being the Italiani2eQ
form.
Names, like things, are not always
what they seem. Beers and Berry are
not beers" and BERRY but Il corrup-
ton Of borough" often written
bury" and "bery."
In the beginning a single personal
bame sufliccd. For awhile no two per
sons bore the same name, but as
stock of names accumulated rcpeu-
tons became common, and as the pop
ulation of the world increased diStinc-
tive names Dccamc necessary; hence
we read of John the Baptist and John
the Disciple, Darius EIyStaspis and Al
eXandcr the Great, Joshua, son of Nun,
and Simon Simon, son OF
Jonas"
Surnames were first used in France,
becoming general there during the lar
ter part of the tenth or the fore part OF
the eleventh century. They were used
hcreditarly 10 some extent, however,
prior to that time. They were intro
duced into England at the Norman
conquest in the year 1866, but it re-
quircd two or three centuries to cstar-
fish the body of our nomenclature on
a fixed basis. During that time sur
names became general throughout the
British isles except in Wales, in some
parts of which they are unknown to
this day.
Surnames arc now general in all
civilized countries. I believe, except
Turkey. In England alone there are
from 10000 to $4,000 existing sur
names.
Surnames have been drawn from ev-
cry available source-personal names.
location, occupation, deeds of prowess,
mental, moral and physical attributes.
terms of relationship, the human body.
farm and household articles, buildings.
foods and drinks, modes of travel, ma
tons and laws. customs and religions.
geographical terms, weather and sea-
sons, months and days. measures and
values, the joys and ills of life, tho
animal, mineral and vegetable king
dom and even from the kingdom Of
heaven. The use Of nicknameS and
compound terms gave an almost In
came embodied, as in parlOc, from par
Dieu.
In most countries it is customary
for the wife to take her husbands
name, but in some European countries
it is not unusual for the husband to
append the wife's name, particularly
when it is more honorable than his
own. Hyphenated names and the
wifes retention of her maiden name
for middle name are customs grow
ing in favor in the United States ano
Great Britain.
Among the earliest nalues introduced
by the conquest were found S2rl, Drew.
Bryce Harvey. Arnold Germ -eaglel,
ALFRED WoW known as Albert and All
BRIGHT. Almcric, Ingelram, Ebrardus
(Everard), WARM (Gucrin. now War
rem. Ivo. IIamOn QIammOnd, and
Payn Originally Pagan. After their
adoption as surnames the most of these
became obsolete as personal names.
The most popular personal names
since the Domesday Book recorded
them have been John and William, but
their derivatives are too numerous TO
mention here. Roger Robert and Rich
ard took a double nickname in II and
d; hence Hodge and Dodge, Hobbs
and Dobbs, Hicks and Dicks, with the
rougher forms of the iast-IIiggs and
Dirrs. and even Hitch, giving rise to
Dickens, Hitchcock and IIigginson.
Diminutive and other alliXes served
an important part il the origin Of sur