The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1906-04-26
WHENCE NAMES COME
THE SURPRISING CHANGES THAT.
TIME HAS WROUGHT.

WIN 4a20ks FOE 41BS1nCOe
That the Name Thomas Whitehorss
Originally Indicated "Thomas at
the Sign Of the White He1ses"
Considering the surprising changes
that many names have undergone, says
Miss Laura Alton Payne in the Inde-
pendent, the almost universal lack Of
knowledge concerning their origin is5
not to be wondered at. What is ther3
in "Peter Snooks' to suggest to the
uninitiated that originally 1t was "Pe-
ter at the SeYen OaksY Though
Thomas Whitehorse" suggests the
American Indian custom IN names,
originally it was Thomas at the White
Horse" or Thomas ut the Sign Of the
White Horse" "a tavern). Sidney Is
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 2 eorrup
ton Of borough" often written
"hury" and "bery." 5
In the beginning a single personal
name suff1ced. For awhile no two per-,
sons bore the same name, but as q
stock of names accumulated reped-
tons 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 Barjonast"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 res
quired two or three centuries to estabes
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. M
Surnames are now general IN AIlI
civilized countries. I believe. except
Turkey. In England alone there are
from 10000 to $4,000 existing sur
names.
Surnames have been drawn from ey~
ery available source-personal names
location, occupation, deeds Of prowess
mental, moral and physical attributes,
terms Of relationship, the human body.s
farm and household articles, buildings
foods and drinks, modes Of travel mas
tions 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 1n.;
exhaustible source. Even oatlls be-
came embodied, as In Pardoe, 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
wife's retention Of her maiden name;
for O 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 Cern"-eaglel,
Albred (now known as Albert and ALI
bright, Almeric, Ingelram, Ebrardus
(Everard), Warm (Guerin, now War
ren), Ivo, Hamon Hammond), ana
Payn Originally Pagan. After their
adoption as surnames the most Of theee
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 20
mention here. Roger, Robert and Rich
ard took double nickname in a and
D; hence Hodge and Dodge. Hobbs
and Dobbs, Hicks and Dicks, with the
rougher forms Of the last-Higgs and
Diggs, and even Hitch, giving rise to
Dickens, Hitchcock and Higginson.
Diminutive and other afixes served
an important part in the origin OF sur
names from personal names. The An
glo-Saxon "kin" and "eock" 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 Emmet, ''little Emma"
(sometimes "lot" and "let;;" Hamlet
"little Hamon'); the French ION" ana
zen" in Marion and Dickens.
Many prefxes were used. The Celtic
"Mac" or M" Of the Scotch; INC" OF