The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1906-04-10
WHENCE NAMES COME
THE SURPRISING CHANGES THAT
TIME HAS WROUGHT.

That the Name Thomas Whitehorse
Originally Indicated "Thomas At
the sign Of the White Horsef"
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 1t was Pc
ter. at the Seven OaksT' Though
Thomas Whitehorse" suggests the
American Indian custom In names,
originally 1t was Thomas at the White
Horse" or Thomas at the Sign of the
White Horse" "a TAVERN. Sidney Is a
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 a 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 q
stock of names accumulated re ,eti-
lions became common, and as the pop
ulation of the world increased distinc-
tive names became 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 We're 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
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 10000 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
lions and laws, customs and religions,
geographical terms, weather and sea
sons. months and days, measures and
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
exhausttble source. Even oaths be-
came embodied. as In Pardoe from par
Dieu.
In most countries 1t is customary
for the wife to take her husbands |
name. but In some European countries |
It fs not unusual for the husband to |
append the wife's name, particularly |
when 1t Is more honorable than his |
own. Hyphenated names and the |
wife's retention of her maiden name |
for middle name are customs grow
Ing in 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
(Eyerard). Warm (Guerin, now War
ren). Two. Hamon 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 double nickname in H and
D; hence Hodge and Dodge, Hobbs
md Dobbs, Hicks and Dicks, with the
rougher forms of the last-Higgs and
Dtggs, and even Hitch, giving rise to
Dickens. Hitchcock and Higginson.
Dimlnutive and other affixes served
IN important part In the origin of sur
names from personal names. The An
ylo-Saxon kin" and cock" and ling"
ire represented In Jenkins, ''llttle
Iohn;" Hitchcock, little Richard"
md Browning, little Brown" the
Norman "ot" and let" In Eliot, 'little
elias" and Emmett. ''little Emma"
sometimes 'lot" and "let;;" Hamlet
little Harmony: the French Ion" and
EN-" In Marion and Dickens.
Many pretixes were used The Celtic
Mac" or M" of the Scotch; Me of
he Irish; MAP" "Ap." or "P" of the
Welsh. and the Norman "Fitz" Qatin
ils). signify "son" or "son Of" and the
IRISH 20" grandson of"
A fair knowledge of English nomen-
lature, declares Miss Payne. gives a
air knowledge of English history, so
loosely are the two interviewer.
Called the Blur.
Mrs. X.-Yes. tried TO make my
usband economic in smoking. so l
bid him II he ever smoked would new