Surnames as a Science Part 26

STARK, STARKIE, STARR, STARCH, STURGE, STURGIN, STURGEON, STERICKER.

From the A.S. _stearc_, _sterc_, O.H.G. _starah_, _starh_, stiff, strong, I take the above. This form _starc_ seems formed by metathesis from the above _strac_,--indeed, all the three forms, _strang_, _strack_, and _stark_, are etymologically very closely allied. This stem enters distinctly into the Teutonic system, but besides the simple form Stark, corresponding with O.G. Starco and Staracho, we have only Stericker, corresponding with an O.G. Starcher (_her_, warrior).

EAVESTAFF, LANGSTAFF, WAGSTAFF, HACKSTAFF, SHAKESTAFF, COSTIFF.

These names ending in _staff_ might naturally be taken to have been sobriquets, to be cla.s.sed along with Shakespear, Breakspear, and other names of the same kind. But as regards two of them at least, Hackstaff and Shakestaff, there may be something more to be said. There is an ending _staf_ in Teutonic names, for which Grimm, referring to Gustaf, thinks of O.H.G. _stab_, A.S. _staf_, staff,--in the sense, as I should suppose, of baton, or staff of office. There are only discovered as yet two Old German names with this ending, Chustaff and Sigestab. The former, which seems to be from _cunst_ or _cust_, science, learning, may be the original of the Swedish Gustaf, and possibly of Costiff, one of the curious names gathered by Mr. Lower. Corresponding with the O.G.

Sigestab, we find an A.S. Sigistef, a moneyer of Coenwulf. And there is also a Hehstaf, witness to a charter (_Thorpe_, p. 69). Shakestaff, then, might be a not very difficult corruption of Sigestef (which in the form of Sicestaf would approach still nearer). And Hackstaff might represent the A.S. Hehstaf, in which the second _h_ was no doubt strongly aspirated, and might be more like a hard _c_. I, however, only bring this forward as a possible explanation; there is quite as much to be said for the other view, unless other ancient names turn up.

NAGLE, NAIL, HARTNOLL, DARNELL, TUFFNELL, HORSENAIL, HOOFNAIL, ISNELL, BRAZNELL, COPPERNOLL.

There is in my view no more curious or puzzling set of names than those which, as above, are derived from _nagel_ or nail, clavis. It appears to me, though the line is difficult to draw, that they may be divided into two groups, one of which is the representative of ancient baptismal names, and the other of surnames of a later, perhaps a mediaeval, date.

Connected with the former we have Nagle and Nail, corresponding with an O.G. Nagal, ninth century, and an A.S. Negle and Naele, found in place-names, p. 101. Then there are two Old German compounds, Hartnagal (hard nail) and Swarnagal (heavy nail), respectively of the eighth and ninth centuries. The former of these two names we have as Hartnoll, and the Germans have it as Hartnagel. Then I find two more examples among the Anglo-Saxons, Spernaegle in a charter of manumission at Exeter, and Dearnagle in a place-name, p. 98. Spernaegle is "spear-nail," and Dearnagle is probably the same, from O.N. _dorr_, spear. The latter of these two names we seem to have as Darnell, and the Germans as Thurnagel. Then we have Tuffnell, which, as Mr. Lower mentions, was in the seventeenth century spelt Tufnaile, and might be taken to mean "tough-nail," but for this we find no corresponding ancient name. There is a Celtic Dufnal, to which, as being a name adopted from them by the Northmen, and so having an increased chance of being represented, it might perhaps be placed. But if this be the case (which I rather doubt), it would have nothing to do with the present group. The sense in these ancient names may be taken to be a warlike one, as in the case of other names having the meaning of point or edge, acies. We find Naegling as the name given by an Anglo-Saxon to his sword, in accordance with the ancient custom, prevalent both among the Celts and the Saxons, of giving names to weapons, and this a.s.sists to point the meaning as that of edge, acies. And it seems to me hardly necessary to a.s.sume, with Mone (_Heldensage_), any connection with the mythological smith, Weland.

Then there is another set of names of which we have a considerable number, and the Germans still more, which appear to have been given at a later period, and to be perhaps, at least in some cases, derived from trade. Such are Horsnail, and the corresponding German Rosnagel; Hoofnail, and the German Hufnagel; while there are others, such as Isnell (iron nail), Coppernoll (and Germ. Kupfernagel), about which I hardly know what to think.

HONE, HEAN, HEANEY, ONKEN, ENNOR, HONNER, HENFREY, ENRIGHT, ONWHYN, ENOUGH.

A very common stem in A.S. names is _ean_, the meaning of which remains yet unexplained. We seem to have received it both in the Low German form _ean_ and the High German form _aun_ or _on_. The Honingas (Oningas) among the early settlers must, I think, be placed to it. It is very apt to intermix with another stem _an_, to which I formerly placed a few names which I think should come in here.

Stem _ean_, _en_, _aun_, _on_.

A.S. Eana, Enna (found in Ennanbeorh), Hean (found in Heanspol, &c).

Also Onna (found in Onnandun). Hona, found in Honingas. Ona, _Lib. Vit._ O.G. Ono, Oni. Eng. Hean, Heaney, Hone. Fries. Onno.

_Diminutive._

A.S. Honekyn (found in Honekyntun, now Hankerton). Eng. Onken.

_Compounds._

(_Frid_, peace), A.S. Eanfrith--O.G. Aunefrit, Onfred--Eng. Henfrey.[55]

(_Hari_, warrior), O.G. Onheri--O.N. Onar--Eng. Honnor, Ennor. (_Rad_, _Red_, counsel), A.S. Eanred--O.G. Onrada--Eng. Enright (=Enrat?).

(_Wine_, friend), A.S. Eanwini, Inwine (found in Inwines burg)--Eng.

Onwhyn. (_Wulf_, wolf), A.S. Eanulf--O.G. Aunulf brother of Odoaker, fifth century--Eng. Enough. (_Ward_ guardian), Eng. Onword.

IMPEY, EMPEY, HEMP, HAMP, HAMPER, HEMPER.

Mr. Kemble finds Impingas in Impington, in Cambridgeshire, though it would seem incorrectly, as far as the tribe or family is concerned, the name being only that of a man, Impin. The name Impa is found also in Ympanleage, in Worcestershire. A sufficient meaning may perhaps be found in A.S. _impan_, to plant, engraft. To this stem I place Impey, Hemp, and probably Hamp, while Hamper and Hemper may be compounds (_hari_, warrior). There is a stem _umb_ in Old German names, which may perhaps claim relationship.

CAUNCE, CHANCE, CHANCEY, CHANCELL, CANSICK, KENSAL, KENSETT.

The Cenesingas, found by Kemble in Kensington, would, if the Anglo-Saxons had possessed the requisite letters, have been better represented by Kenzingas, being, as I take it, from a stem _ganz_, _genz_, _kenz_, referred by Foerstemann to _ganz_, integer. I am inclined to take our names Chance, Chancey, &c., to represent the form _kanz_ in a softened form, come to us through the Normans. The forms of the name in the _Roll of Battle Abbey_, Kancey, Cauncy, and Chauncy, and the present French names, Cance, Chanceau, and Chanzy, seem to be in conformity with this view. The French seem to have some other names from the same stem, as Cancalon (O.G. Gansalin) and Gantzere (O.G. Gentsar).

The forms Cansick, Kensal (both diminutives, and the latter answering to Chancel), and Kensett, may be taken to represent the native form of the stem as found in Kenzingas.

SNOAD, SNODIN, SNOWDEN (?), SNODGRa.s.s.

Of the Snotingas, who gave the name to Snotingaham, now Nottingham, we have not many traces, either in Anglo-Saxon times or at present. There are three Anglo-Saxon names, Snode, Snodd, and Snoding, derived from place-names, p. 102. In Old German names it only occurs as the ending of two or three names of women. The meaning is to be found in A.S. _snot_, prudent, sagacious. The name Snodgra.s.s may be a compound from this stem as a corruption of Snodgast, though no ancient correspondent has turned up,--compare Prendergra.s.s, p. 114.

THRALE.

This is a very uncommon name; I never knew of an instance other than that of the brewer who is handed down to posterity as the friend of Johnson. So also in ancient times there is only one name on record, Thralo, for which Foerstemann proposes Old Friesic, _thrall_, swift, nimble.

EARWAKER, EDDIKER.

The curious-looking name Earwaker is no doubt the same as an Eueruacer (Everwacer), in _Domesday_, from _evor_, boar, and _wacar_, watchful, and it is of interest as supplying a missing link in the study of Old German names. For the Old German name corresponding to this appears as Eburacer, and while some other German writers have taken the ending to be _acer_ (Eng. _acre_), Foerstemann has, rightly as it is proved, suggested that it is a contraction of _wacer_. Similarly the ancient name Odoacer, of the king of the Heruli, is proved by corresponding Anglo-Saxon names, Edwaker in a charter of manumission at Exeter, and Edwacer on coins minted at Norwich (A.S. _ed_ = O.H.G. _od_), to be properly Odwacer. From this A.S. Edwaker may be our name Eddiker; and some others of our names, as _Goodacre_ and _Hardacre_, may represent ancient names not yet turned up.[56] The second part of the compound, _wacer_ (whence our _Waker_), is itself a very ancient stem, being found on the one hand in the Wacer(ingas), among the early Saxon settlers, and on the other in the name Vacir, probably Frankish, on Roman pottery.

SHAWKEY, CHALKEY, CHALK, CAULK, KELK, CHALKLEN, CALKING, CHALKER, CHAUCER.

We may take it that our name Shawkey (Shalkey) is the same as an A.S.

Scealc, p. 101, and as an O.G. Scalco, from _scalc_, servant. And the question is, whether our names Caulk, Chalk, and Chalkey, corresponding with an A.S. Cealca (found apparently in Cealcan gemero), and our name Kelk, corresponding with an A.S. Celc, p. 98, may not be forms of the same name without the initial _s_. Or whether they may be, as I before suggested, from the tribe-name of the Chauci or Cauci, one of the peoples included in the Frankish confederation. Of such a stem, however, there is not any trace in the _Altdeutsches Namenbuch_, which one might rather expect to be the case, seeing how fully Old Frankish names are therein represented. However, I am not able to come to any definite conclusion respecting this stem, which the forms above cited show to be an ancient one. The French names Chaussy, Chaussee, Cauche, Cauchy, seem to be in correspondence, as also Chaussier, comparing with Chaucer, which, as a softened form, I think may have come through the Normans.

FOOTNOTES:

[54] Kemble explains Cnebba as "he that hath a beak," which would seem to make it a sobriquet. But it certainly seems more reasonable to bring it into an established stem.

[55] This name might also be deduced from another stem.

[56] Unless, as seems possible, Goodacre may represent the Old German name Gundachar.

CHAPTER X

NAMES WHICH ARE NOT WHAT THEY SEEM.

It follows inevitably that, among the mult.i.tude of names such as are included within the scope of this work, there must be many which, though being of ancient origin, accidentally coincide with other words of modern meaning. And thus there are several which might be taken to be from names of women, such as the following:--

ANNE, NANNY, BETTY, SALL, MOLL, PEGG, BABB, MAGG, MEGGY, MAY, MAYO, NELLY, LUCY, KITTY, HANNAH, MAUDE.

These are all English surnames, and have sometimes been accounted for on the supposition of illegitimacy. Now, I am very much inclined to doubt the existence, at least in England, of any names derived from women, inasmuch as in the whole range of our surnames I do not know of one that is _unmistakably_ so derived. There is certainly a case, referred to at p. 57, of a surname ending in _trud_, a specially female ending, but, as I have there remarked, it does not necessarily follow that the word is the same as that used in women's names. There is, moreover, another name which a little puzzles me, _Goodeve_, which looks as if it were from the A.S. G.o.dgefa, later G.o.diva. This is from a special female ending, and I know of no corresponding masculine. But this might be an exceptional case, for I doubt not that many a child in England, and possibly even boys, with an unwonted masculine ending, might be called after the n.o.ble woman who freed her people from the tax--