BRITISH FAMILY NAMES.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2674, 2 December 1909, Page 2

BRITISH FAMILY NAMES.

THEIR ORIGINAL MEANING

Baring-Gould has lately written .an interesting volume concerning the origin and meaning of British family names. He finds ancient British names like Hoel, Caradoc, GrufFydd, and Coel persisting as Howell, Craddock, Giriffitihs, and Cole, the Saxon Eadmund became Edmunds, Godwin Goodwin, and Godrich Goodridge. The Danish Jokull has become Jekyll, Halfdan Haldane, Sweyn Swayno. and Olafr, through Norman-French Olliver. Havard has become Howard, Grimm Grimes, Fridestan Foatberst-one, and Thorfin Turpin. The Normans, f of course ,brought many new names. Tlie aristocratic Spencers "were originally the dispensers of meat and bread in the Norman households, and the Marshalls, it is said, wore the stab'e-kcopors and grooms of Norman knights.. Napier was originally tlie functionary in charge of household ’’non. Of trade names there are scores. Bailer was hotteler, Runciman a horse-dealer, Horner n, maker of horn cups, and so b. The Burrells were weavers of coarse cloths, the Webstors 'were weavers, and the Listers were wool workers, Christian names, handed on to sons, created many surnames. From Alexander come Saunders and Saunderson, McAlister and. Palister. Bartholomew gives Bartlett and Bartley, Bates, Tolley, and Tolson. David, besides the obvious derivations, gives Dawkins, Duff, Dakins, Davitt, Dawson and Dowson. Henry gives Hawkins, Halse, Hawes, Haoket., Hariman, Henderson, Parry and Hall. And so tlie list might be continued indefinitely. The Huguenot persecution gave many French names to Britain, Deval and Duval, Cockrell. Melonie and Pertwee (Pertius) among them. With William of Orange came the Bentwicks, Keppels, Van,sittarts, and Schombergs. The Stuarts were the hereditary stewards of the Crown of Scotland. Tlie Grosvenors were huntsmen. Lord Castlemain’s ancestor was a Handcock, or cook’s assistant.