Surname Origins, Their Source and Significations (1875)

gave Lackland a securer hold upon the English throne, if not upon the affections of the country. The sad and gloomy mystery which surrounded the disappearance of this boy-prince seems to have inspired mothers with a superstitious awe of the name, for we do not find, as in the case of 'Edward' or ' Edmund,'its royal restoration having the effect of making it general.' On the contrary, as an effort in its favour, it seems to have signally failed. Of all our early historic names I find fewest relics of this.

The difficulty of subdividing our first chapter is great, but for the sake of convenience we have decided to preserve the following order:

1. Names that preceded and survived the Con-quest.

2. Names introduced or confirmed by the Nor-mans.

3. Names from the Calendar of the Saints.

4. Names from Festivals and Holy-days.

5. Patronymics formed from occupations and officerships.

6. Metronymics.

7. Names from Holy Scripture.

I. — Names that preceded and survived the Conquest.

The peculiar feature of the great majority of such names as were in vogue previous to the Norman

'As a Christian name, however, fashion has again brought it into favour. While the memories that cluster round the name of the Iron Duke live, 'Arthur' can never die. Indeed, there are as many ' Arthur-Wellesleys' now as there were simple ,'Arthurs' before the battle of Waterloo.

PATRONYMIC SURNAMES.

Conquest, and which to a certain extent maintained ahold, is that (saving in two or three instances) they did not attach to themselves either filial or pet desinences. If they have come down to us as sur-names, they are found in their simple unaltered dress.Thus, taking Afred as an example, we see in our directories 'Alfred ' or 'Alured ' or 'Allured ' to be the only patronymics that have been handed down tous. Latinized as Aluredus it figures in Domesday. The Hundred Rolls, later on, register an Alured Ape, and the surname appears in the Parliamentary Writs in the case of William Alured. It is hard to separate our 'Aldreds ' from our 'Allureds.' The usually entered forms are 'Richard Alred,' 'Hugh Aldred,' or 'Aldred fil. Roger.' Besides 'Aldred' there is 'Alderson,' which may be but 'Aldredson.' Aylwin is met by such entries as Richard Alwine, or Thomas Ailwyne: 'Adelard,' as 'Adlard' or 'Alard,' and 'Agilward' as 'Aylward,' are of more frequent occurrence; while Aldrech, once merely a personal name; is now, like many of the above, found only surnominally.

The Teutonic mythology is closely interwoven in several of these names. The primary root 'god' or 'good,'which stood in all Teuton languages as the title of divinity, was familiarised as the chief component in not a few of our still existing surnames. 'Godwin,' the name which the stout old earl of Danish blood has given to our Goodwin Sands, seems to have been well established when the great Survey was made. The French Godin' seems scarcely to have crossed the Channel, but 'Godwin' and 'Goodwin' have well filled up the gap. 'Hugh fil. Godewin,' or 'Godwin de Dovre,'