Palestine daily herald. [volume] (Palestine, Tex.) 1902-1949, 1906-03-22
WHENCE NAMES COME
THE SURPRISING CHANGES THAT
TIME HAS WROUGHT.


/ 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 Oaksg' Though
Thomas Whitehorse" suggests the
American Indian custom in names.
originally il was Thomas at the White
Horse" or Thomas at the Sign of the
White Horse" Ia tavern. Sidney is u
corruption of St Denys. Sinclair of ST.
Clair. Seymour of st Maur. Janeway
of Genoa. Curtis of courteous" Armi-
tage of hermitage" Spark of Sparrow
hawk. Emerson and America had the
same origin Almeric, an old Norman
name. Amerigo being the Italianized
form.
Names, like things. are not always
what they seem. Beers and Berry are
not beers" and berry" but corrup-
ton Of borough" often written
"bury" and "bery"
In the beginning a single personal
name sufficed. For awhile no two per-
sons bore the same name, but as
stock of names accumulated repeti-
lions became common. and as the pop
ulation OF the world increased distinc-
tive names Decame necessary; hence
we read OF John the Baptist and John
the Disciple, Darius Hystaspis and AL
exander the Great, Joshua. son of Nun.
and Simon BarjOnas-"SimOn, son OF
Jonas"
Surnames were first used in France.
becoming general there during the lat
ter part of the tenth or the fore part of
the eleventh century. They were used
hereditarily TO some extent, however,
prior TO that time. They were intro
duced into England at the Norman
conquest in the year 1906, but it re
quired two or three centuries TO estab-
lish 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 are now general in all
civilized countries. 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 - ~
geographical terms. weather land -
sons, months and days, measures tnd
values. the joys and ills of life, The
animal, mineral and vegetable king
dom and even from the kingdom of
heaven. The use of nicknames and
compound terms gave an almost in
exhaustible source. Even oaths be-
came embodied. as in PardOe, from par |
Dieu.
In most countries II Is customary |
for the wife to take her husbands /
name, but in some European countries
ii 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
wife's retention of her maiden name
for middle name are customs grow
ing I'm favor IN the United States and
Great Britain.
Among the earliest names introduced
by the conquest were found Serl. Drew.
Bryce, Harvey. Arnold C'ern"-eagle).
ALFRED NOW known as Albert and All
bright, Almeric, Ingelram, Ebrardus
(EverardD, WARM (Guerin, now War
rem, Two, Hamon OHammoudI, aud
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
ID; hence Hodge and Dodge. Hobbs
and DObbs, Hicks and Dicks. with the
rougher forms OF the last Higgs and
Digs, and even Hitch, giving rise to
Dickens. Hitchcock aud HigglnSOn.
Dimlnutiye and other afiiXes served
an important part la the origin Of sur
names from personal names The An
Clio Saxon kin" aud cock" and ing"
are represented IN jenkins. little
john" Hitchcock little Richard"
and Browning. little Brown" the
Norman "Ot" and "et." In Eliot. little
Elias" and Emmett little Emma
sometimes lot" and let" Hamlet.
little HamOn"J; the French con" aud
zen" In Marion and Dickens
Many preiiXes were used The Celtic
Mac" or M" OF the Scotch: Ne" Of
the Irish; "Map." "Ap." or Up" Of tile
Welsh. and the Norman "F'itZ" G.atim
flsl. signify "son" or 'son Of" and the
Irish 60" grandson Of
A fair knowledge OF English nomen-
clature. declares Miss Payne. gives a
fair knowledge of English history, so