Surnames as a Science Part 27

"And made herself an everlasting name."

However, whether this might be so or not, the case seems scarcely sufficient of itself to establish the principle. And with regard to names such as those of which I am now treating, the resemblance is only apparent, and, as I shall proceed to show, these are all in reality ancient names of men. Anna, for instance, was a king of the East Angles, and Moll the name of a king of Northumbria. Anna, Betti, Salla, Moll, Pega, are early men's names in the _Liber Vitae_, and all of the above are to be found in some kindred form in the _Altdeutsches Namenbuch_.

And some of these names still bear their ancient meaning on their front, thus Pegg is the "pegger," and Moll (or Maule, the more proper form) is the "mauler," the stem being referred to Goth. _mauljan_, to maul.

To take, then, these names in order, Anne, which corresponds with many ancient names besides that of the king of the East Angles, among others with that of an Anna, Archbishop of Cologne in the eleventh century, may be referred to O.H.G. _ano_, ancestor. And Hannah (more properly Hanna) is, with the ending in _a_, p. 24, the same as Hanney and Hann, probably from the same stem, the _h_ being falsely a.s.sumed. Nanny corresponds with an O.G. Nanno, referred to Goth. _nanthian_, audere. Betty, along with which we must take Batty, is to be referred to A.S. _beado_, O.H.G.

_bado_, war, found in many ancient names. Sall, along with Sala, is from a stem, p. 62, supposed by Foerstemann to mean dark. Kitty, along with Kitt and Kitto, and also Kidd, corresponding with an A.S. Cydd, p. 98, and a Cyda, in the _Liber Vitae_, is from a stem _gid_, _kit_, referred to A.S. _giddian_, to sing. Babb, corresponding with an A.S. Babba, the name of a moneyer, and other ancient names, is from a stem which Foerstemann thinks must have been originally derived from "children's speech." Magg and Meggy, corresponding with an A.S. Maeg and Mecga, and an O.G. Megi, are from a stem referred to Goth. _magan_, posse, valere; and May, along with Mayo, corresponding with an O.G. Maio, and perhaps with a Maio on Roman pottery, is a softened form of the same. Lucy corresponds with an O.G. Liuzi, a High German form from _liud_, people, and I think must have come to us through the Normans. Nelly, along with Knell, is referred to at p. 161, as probably from O.N. _hnalla_, to beat. Maude stands on a somewhat different footing from the rest, the surname being really in this case from the same origin as the woman's name. But the woman's name, as I shall endeavour to show in the next chapter, owes its origin to an ancient mistake, and is properly a man's name.

_Names apparently from Animals._

Many of the names apparently from animals are also to be otherwise explained. A few of the n.o.bler animals, as the bear, the wolf, and the boar, are to be found in the names of men throughout the Teutonic system. The lion also and the horse occur, though by no means so commonly. The _urus_, or wild ox, appears to have contributed a few names, of which our _Ure_ may be one. I have met with the fox in one single instance, that of a Northman, f.u.ks, on a runic inscription quoted by Stevens, though it is rather probable that Foxes beorh, "Fox's barrow" (Kemble, _Cod. Dip._), may also be from the name of a man. Among birds, the eagle, the raven, and the swan were common throughout the Teutonic system, the last, among the Germans, more especially in the names of women. To account for this, Weinhold observes that along with the beauty of the swan was contained a warlike sense derived from the swan plumage of the maids of Odin. But among the Danes and the Saxon sea-rovers Swan seems to have been common as a man's name, and in this case the idea was more probably that of the way in which the swan rides the waters as the ideal of a rover's life. The eagle, the raven, the swan, the hawk, and the finch seem to be found in the Earningas, the Raefningas, the Suaningas, the Haucingas, and the Fincingas, among our early settlers, though the two last do not seem to occur in the Teutonic system generally. I doubt all names that appear to be from fishes, and, with one notable exception, all names that appear to be from reptiles or insects. That exception is the snake, which was in special favour for the names of men among the Danes and Northmen, there being no fewer than twenty-four men called Ormr (worm or snake) in the _Landnamabok_ of Iceland. Hence the name _Orme_, rather common among us, and the Saxon form _Worm_, not by any means common. Among the Germans the snake was, according to Weinhold, who looks upon it as the type of fascination and insinuation, in especial favour for the names of women. The two princ.i.p.al words in use among them were _lind_ (O.H.G. _lint_, snake) and _ling_ (O.N. _lingvi_, serpent). Hence may be our _Lind_ and _Lindo_, corresponding with an O.G. Linto; and _Ling_ and _Lingo_, corresponding with an O.G. Lingo, and an O.N. Lingi. But both of these derivations are somewhat uncertain, and especially the former, for I venture to think that _lind_, gentle, is at least as appropriate for women as _lind_, snake. To come then to the names which I take to be otherwise explained.

CAMEL, LEOPARD, BUCK, PIGG, RABBIT, CAT, RAT, MOUSE, SQUIRRELL. GOOSE, GOSLING, GANDER, DUCK, DUCKLING, OSTRICH, LARK, WREN. FISH, SHARK, DOLPHIN, SALMON, TROUT, WHITING, SMELT, HADDOCK, HERRING, TUNNY, SPRATT, MINNOW, LAMPREY. MOTH, MOTE, FLY, FLEA, EARWIG, EMMETT.

Of the above, Camel is another form of Gamol, signifying old; there is a Northman called Kamol in a runic inscription in Stevens. Leopard (see p.

151) is a corruption of Liubhard. Buck is found among the early Saxon settlers, also as an O.G. Bucco, and a Buccus, rather probably German, on Roman pottery, and may be taken to be another form of Bugg, p. 3.

Pigg, corresponding with an O.G. Pigo, must be referred to the same stem as Pegg, viz. _bichen_, to slash. Rabbit is no doubt the same as a Rabbod, a "Duke of the Frisians" mentioned by Roger of Wendover, a contraction of Radbod, p. 119. Catt, along with Cattey, is another form of Gatty, corresponding with an O.G. Gatto (_gatten_, to unite). Ratt, corresponding with a French Ratte, may be referred to an O.G. Rato (_rad_ or _rat_, counsel). Along with Mouse I take Moss, also a present German Muss, and a French Mousse, all of which may be referred to an O.G. Muoza, a High German form of _mod_, _mot_, courage; this name having rather probably come to us through the Normans. Squirrell I have referred to at p. 160. Goose and Gosling I also take to have probably come to us through the Normans, as representing a High German form of the stem _gaud_ (supposed to mean Goth). There are to compare French names Gousse, Gosselin, Josselin, corresponding with Old German names Gauso and Gauzelin, the latter a diminutive. Hence also, as a Christian name, Jocelyn, of Old Frankish origin, come to us through the Normans.

Gander is from an A.S. Gandar, referred to in its place as a compound of _gand_, probably signifying wolf. Duck, corresponding with a Duce (hard _c_) in the _Liber Vitae_, is another form of Tuck, as in the Tucingas, early settlers in Kemble's list, from the stem _dug_, A.S. _dugan_, to be "doughty." And Duckling, corresponding with an A.S. Duceling, p. 98, and an O.G. Dugelin, is a diminutive (like Gosling) from the same stem.

Ostrich represents an O.G. Austoric, and an A.S. Estrich (_Auster_ or _Easter_ orientalis). Wren, along with Rennie and Renno, is from a stem referred to _ran_, rapine; though it may also be the same name as Rain, from _ragin_, counsel. Lark and Laverock are perhaps a little uncertain; we find Anglo-Saxon names Lauerc, Lauroca, and Laferca, which might be from the A.S. _laferc_, O.E. _laverock_, lark. On the whole, however, I am rather more disposed to take them to be from Lafer among the early settlers (not I think a compound) with the diminutive ending _ec_, and similarly I would take Leverett to be formed from the same word, _lafer_ or _lefer_, with the (perhaps also diminutive) ending _et_.

Coming to names apparently from fishes, I question very much whether Fiske and Fish are from A.S. _fisc_, pisces, though Foerstemann, in default of a better, gives that meaning in an ancient name, Fisculf. I think it is one of the cases in which a meaning is to be got from the Celtic, and take it that the Welsh _ffysg_, impetuous, supplies the sense that is required, of which also some slight traces are to be found in Teutonic dialects. Shark and Sharkey I take to be the same name as Sere in the _Liber Vitae_, from A.S. _serc_, Sco. "sark," shirt, in the sense of a shirt of mail. It is formed, according to Diefenbach, upon a stem _sar_ or _ser_, signifying armatura, p. 62; whence an O.G. Saracho, corresponding with the above. The Sercings are a tribe or family mentioned in the "Traveller's Song," and in connection with the Serings:

"With the Sercings I was, and with the Serings."

The connection between the two, however, is here probably only for the sake of the alliteration. Dolphin is the Danish name Dolgfinnr, p. 48.

There was a Dolfin, presumably of Scandinavian origin, governor of Carlisle in the time of Rufus. Herring and Whiting are both from the Anglo-Saxon patronymic, p. 28, and Haddock, with the M.G. Had.i.c.ke, is a diminutive from the stem _had_, war, p. 54. Tunny, along with Tunn and Tunno (Tunna, _Lib. Vit._), is another form of Dunn, a common Anglo-Saxon name. Spratt I cla.s.s along with Sprout and Sprott, comparing them with an O.G. Sprutho, as from Goth, _sprauto_, nimble, active. And Minnow, along with Minn and Minney, corresponding with an O.G. Minna, may be taken to be from A.S. _myn_, love, affection. Salmon is the same as an O.G. Salaman, from, as supposed, _salo_, dark; and Trout may be the same as an O.G. Truto, probably signifying beloved. Smelt may be taken to be from A.S. _smelt_, gentle; it occurs once as the name of an Anglo-Saxon, but does not seem to be a word entering into the Teutonic system, and may have been originally a sobriquet. Lamprey I have already referred to, p. 115, as a probable corruption of Landfred.

Of names apparently from insects, Moth and Mote (Mote, _Hund. Rolls_) are probably the same as an O.G. Moata, from _mod_, _mot_, courage, German _muth_. Fly and Flea are included in a stem, p. 159; and Emmet may be taken to be from A.S. _emita_, quies, found in several ancient names. Earwig I have taken, p. 49, to be a contraction of Evorwig, as Earheart of Everhard, and Earwaker of Evorwacer.[57] Many other names of the same sort might be adduced, but those I have given will I think be sufficient for the purpose.

_Names apparently from Office or Occupation_:

LORD, EARL, ABBOTT, NUNN, BISHOP, PRIEST, ALDERMAN, PRENTICE, PRINCE, HAYWARD, HOWARD, ANGLER, ARCHER, AUTHER, FARRIER, HURLER, PLAYER, MARINER, WARNER, WALKER, PLOWMAN, ARKWRIGHT, HARTWRIGHT, SIEVEWRIGHT, GOODWRIGHT.

Lord, as noted at p. 158, can hardly be from A.S. _hlaford_, Eng. lord.

Earl, however, along with Early, seems to be the same word as Eng.

"earl," though as a name entering into the Teutonic system it is only a word of general honorific meaning, and may not represent any man who ever bore the t.i.tle. Abbott I take to be the same as an A.S. Abbod, p.

96, the stem being, as supposed, from Goth. _aba_, man. Nunn, along with Nunney and Noon, compares with Nun, the name of a kinsman of Ina, king of Wess.e.x, and with O.G. Nunno and Nunni, the meaning of which seems somewhat obscure. Bishop, at least in its origin, can hardly have been from the office, for there is a Biscop in the genealogy of the kings of the Lindisfari, who must of course have been a heathen. The name in this case may be a compound of _bis_ (closely allied to _bas_, p. 5) and A.S.

_cof_, strenuous, which we find as the ending of some other A.S. names.

But after the advent of Christianity, a man, though inheriting the old name, would no doubt wear it with a difference. Priest must, I think, be what it seems, there is a witness to a charter (_Thorpe_, p. 69) whose name is Preost, and whose description is "presbyter"; his original name, whatever it was, must have been so completely superseded by that of his office that at last he accepted it himself, and signed accordingly.

Alderman I have taken, p. 116, to be, even in Anglo-Saxon times, a corruption. Such a name, as derived from office, could hardly be borne by an Anglo-Saxon, unless, indeed, as a sobriquet, superseding his original name. So also Prentice, from an A.S. Prentsa, I take to be due to a corruption in Anglo-Saxon times. I am not sure that Prince may not be from the same name, Prentsa, dropping the vowel-ending and becoming Prents. A name which has been mistakenly supposed to be from some office of agricultural oversight is Hayward; it is however an ancient name, more properly Agward or Egward. Howard, which has been sometimes confounded with it, is an entirely different name, the O.N. Havardr (_ha_, high), introduced I think by the Danes or Northmen.

Some names formed with _wright_, as Arkwright, Hartwright, Sievewright, and Goodwright, will be found in their places in Chapter III. as, according to my view, ancient compounds. I might perhaps add Boatwright, from an O.G. Buotrit, and also Cheesewright, for which we have the stem, p. 155, though no ancient form to represent this particular compound.

The Wrihtingas, in Kemble's list of early settlers, I take to be properly Ritingas, from a stem _rit_, supposed to be the same as Eng.

"ride," though perhaps in an older and more general sense of rapid motion. Many names ending in _er_, as Ambler, Angler, Archer, Auther, &c., are in reality from an ancient ending in _har_, signifying warrior.

Ambler represents an O.G. Amalher, p. 42, Angler an O.G. Angilher, p.

42, Archer an O.G. Erchear, p. 42, and Auther an O.G. Authar, p. 42.

Farrier, along with Ferrier, may represent an O.G. Feriher, p. 49, and Hurler an O.G. Erlehar, from the stem _erl_ already referred to. Gambler represents an O.G. Gamalher, and Player is the same as an A.S. Plegher, from _pleg_, play, probably the play of battle. Then we have Mariner and Marner, which, with French Marinier and Marnier, may be referred to an O.G. Marnehar (_mar_, famous), and in a similar manner Warrener and Warner may be taken to be from an O.G. Warnehar (Warin = Wern). Among names of this cla.s.s we may also include Walker, of which there is abundant instance as an ancient name. Kemble has Wealceringas among the early settlers, as well as also Wealcingas representing the stem on which it is formed, probably A.S. _wealh_, stranger. There was in after Anglo-Saxon times a Walchere, bishop of Lindisfarne, and Ualcar is found in a runic inscription in Stevens; while, as O.G. names, we have Walachar and Walchar, and as a present German name we have Walcher.

However, in view of the commonness of this name, it is perhaps only reasonable to suppose an admixture from A.S. _wealcere_, a fuller.

I may here observe that this same ending, _har_, so common in ancient names, give us many names which have the appearance of a comparative, such as _Harder_, _Paler_, _Richer_, &c., and in its other form, _hari_, many names such as _Armory_, _b.u.t.tery_, _Gunnery_, _Flattery_, which we have also in the other form as _Armor_, _b.u.t.ter_, _Gunner_, and _Flatter_ (_flat_, formosus).

_Names apparently from Times and Seasons._

The names of this sort have generally been supposed to be derived from a person having been born at some particular time. That there are names of this sort, such as Christmas, Noel, and Midwinter, we cannot for a moment doubt, but, judging by the early records of our names, they are of very rare occurrence, and I conceive that in the majority of cases names of such appearance are to be otherwise accounted for.

SUNDAY, MONDAY, FRIDAY, HOLIDAY, LOVEDAY, HOCKADAY, PENTECOST, LAMMAS, LAMAISON, SUMMER, WINTER, JANUARY.

Sunday may be Sunda, comparing with an O.G. Sundo, and an A.S. Sunta, perhaps from _sund_, sea. Similarly Munday may be Munda, to be referred, along with Mundy, to _mund_, protection, and comparing with an O.G.

Mundo. The other four names ending in _day_ seem to represent ancient compounds, and in what sense these were given it is difficult to say.

Friday corresponds with an O.G. Frittag and with an A.S. Frigedaeg, p.

99, Holiday with an O.G. Halegdag, Loveday (Luiedai in Domesday) with an O.G. Liopdag (_liub_, love), and Hockaday, with a present French Hocede, with an O.G. Hodag (_hoh_ or _hoch_, high). From the character of these names, compounded with "high," "holy," "peace," and "love," they might be supposed to have been given in a religious sense, and their date, the ninth century, would be in conformity. The Anglo-Saxon name Frigedaeg, it will be observed, is from the same word as our "Friday," and not the same as the Old German name, which is from _frid_, peace. But it seems to me quite possible that the Anglo-Saxons, having received the name, might mistake its meaning and spell it according to their own views.

This they seem to do in some other cases, as, for instance, the stem _wit_, common to the Teutonic system, and rather probably from _wid_, wood, they seem to take as from _wiht_, man, and spell it accordingly.

Summer and Winter are both ancient names; in the _Cod. Dip. Alamanniae_ there are two brothers called respectively Sumar and Winter, A.D. 858.

Winter was also the name of one of the companions of Hereward the Saxon.

Pentecost I have elsewhere supposed, p. 120, to be a corruption of Pentecast, as an ancient name. I rather doubt Lammas, which is found as Lamma.s.se in the _Hundred Rolls_, and which corresponds with a French Lamas. Lamisso was the name of a Lombard king of the fifth century, and was derived, according to an old chronicler, from _lama_, water, because in his youth the king had been rescued from drowning--a derivation which may perhaps be regarded with some suspicion. Taking Lammas then as the representative of an ancient name, we might get from it our name Lamaison (ending in _en_, p. 27), though if Lammas were from the diminutive ending is, _es_, p. 32, it could not take a German _en_ in addition; in this case the ending must be Romanic, which, from the French form of the name, seems very possible. As to the name January, I am inclined to look upon it as a corruption of another name, Jennery, which, along with Jenner, I take to be the same as the Old German names Genear and Ginheri, from, as supposed, _gan_, magic or fascination.

_Names apparently from Parts of the Body._

HEAD, BODY, ARMS, LEGG, LEGGY, LEGLESS, FINGER, HEART, EARHEART, SIDE, BACK, ELBOW, FOOTE, TONGUE. (LAWLESS, BOOKLESS, FAIRLESS, RECKLESS), FAIRFOOT, TRUEFITT.

With the exception of Foote and Tongue, I do not think that any of the above are what they seem. Head seems to be probably the same as A.S.

Hedda, which, like another name, Hada, seems to be from _had_, war.

Body is clearly from _bodi_, messenger, p. 157, and Arms is from an ancient origin, p. 19. Legg I take to be the same as Law, A.S. _lag_, found in several ancient names. Hence I take Legless to be the same as Lawless, and both to mean "learned in the law," from an ancient ending _leis_, explained by Foerstemann as "learned." This gives something like a meaning to some other names, as Bookless; "book-learned"; Fairless, "travel-learned"; perhaps Reckless (A.S. _reccan_, to reck, understand).

Finger is a Scandinavian name, p. 50, Heart is a false spelling of _hart_, hard, and Earheart is Everard, p. 49. Side is from an A.S. Sida, p. 93, and Back (Bacca and Bacga in the _Lib. Vit._) is another form of Bagge, _bagan_, to contend. Elbow I take to be Elbo, from _alb_ or _alf_, signifying "elf." Foote may be taken to be what it seems, though I think that such a name must have had a vowel-ending, as its meaning must be "footy," _i.e._ nimble, as "handy," from hand. Comparing with our Foote there is a name Fus on Roman pottery, which, see p. 4, it is clear from his little joke, that the owner took to be from _fus_, foot.

It does not follow, as a matter of course, that the old potter knew the meaning of his own name; there is a word _funs_, sometimes _fus_, occurring in O.G. names in the supposed meaning of eager; this word would more appropriately be used without a vowel-ending than would _fus_, foot. Foerstemann has a name, Fussio, which does not, however, throw any light upon it. Another name, however, also found on Roman pottery, Lytafus, corresponding with our Lightfoot, rather seems to favour the meaning of _fus_, foot. Two other names of a similar kind to Lightfoot are Fairfoot (properly Farefoot; _faran_, to go, travel), and Truefitt (properly Truefoot) a name like Treubodi, p. 26. The last name, Tongue, corresponds with an O.G. Tungo, which I take to be from _tung_, lingua, probably in the sense of eloquence. We must presume the name not to be High German.

_Names apparently from Trees._

Names from trees have been generally taken to be derived from a local origin, as marking the site of a man's habitation. There are, however, a number of names which I take in some, or in all cases, to be from a different origin.

ASH, ASKE, ASKEY, BEECH, BIRCH, ALDER, OAKE, OAKEY, IVY, LINDEN, THORNE, HASELL, WILLOW, SYCAMORE, CHESNUT, ROWANTREE.

Aske or Ashe represents an ancient stem in Teutonic names, perhaps derived from a mythological origin, man being feigned to have been created out of an ash-tree, perhaps from being the wood out of which spears were made (Cf. _Asquith_, p. 148). The Ascingas were among the early settlers, and aesc was the name of the son of Hengest. Hence I take our names, Ash, Aske, and Askey, with several compounds. The Bircingas were also among the early settlers; the stem seems to be _birg_, supposed to mean protection, and entering into a number of names throughout the Teutonic system. Alder, which corresponds with an A.S.

Aldher, and an O.G. Althar, is a compound of _ald_, old, and _hari_, warrior. The oak, as the symbol of strength, would seem suitable for men's names, but upon the whole it seems more probable that Oake and Oakey, Aikin (A.S. Acen, p. 96) and Aikman (A.S. aecemann, p. 96), are from _ac_, _ec_, perhaps "edge," acies. Ivy is the same as Ive with a vowel-ending, and compares with an O.G. Ivo, and an A.S. Iffa, perhaps from O.N. _yfa_, to rage. Linden is from _lind_, p. 175, with the ending in _en_, p. 27. Hasel and Thorn are both found in the list of early settlers, the former I take to be properly Asel, corresponding with an O.G. Asilo, from _as_ or _os_, semideus; the latter, which does not seem to occur in the Teutonic system generally, I rather suppose to be a contraction of O.N. _thoran_, boldness. Willow, along with Will and Willey, is also found in the list of early settlers, and corresponds with an O.G. Willo, perhaps from _will_ in the sense of resolution.

Sycamore is from an O.G. Sic.u.mar, p. 162, and Chestnut is referred to at p. 155. Rowantree is no doubt from the tree, and may perhaps have reference to its supposed magical powers. Rointru is also a French name, perhaps a relic of the many Scotchmen who have at different times taken refuge in that country, though possibly of older origin.

There are a few other names which may be included here.

STUBBE, STUBBING, GROVE (GRUBB), TWIGG, SPRIGG (TWINE, TWINING, TWISS, SPRAGUE, SPRACK, SPARK, SPRACKLIN, SPRECKLY).

Stubbe might be taken to be of local origin, for nothing would be more appropriate to mark a locality than a stub. But the patronymic Stubbing points to an origin of a different kind, and moreover we find Stubingas among the early settlers. And there was also a Stuf, nephew of Cerdic, and a Northman called Stufr in the _Laxdaela-saga_. The origin is to be found in O.N. _stufr_, _stubbr_, A.S. _styb_, branch, shoot, probably in the honorific sense of race or lineage. I take Grove, along with which I put Grubb, to be from Germ. _grob_, Dan. _grov_, coa.r.s.e, clumsy; but no doubt in an older sense more suitable for men's names, and probably cognate with Eng. "gruff," the idea being that of great size and strength. We find Grobb as an Anglo-Saxon name, p. 99, and Griubinc (son of Griub) as an Old German name, of which, however, Foerstemann does not offer any explanation. Grobe and Grove are present German names (the latter Low German), and Grub and Grubi are found in France. Here also I may take Twigg, corresponding with an A.S. Twicga, moneyer of St.