Surname Origins, Their Source and Significations (1875)

the dazzling brilliance of daring deeds. He was an ungrateful son, an unkind brother, a faithless husband;but he was the idol of his time, and to him a large mass of English people of to-day owe their nominal existence. From the name proper we get 'Richards ' and 'Richardson,' 'Ricks' and 'Rix,' 'Rickson' and Rixon,' or 'Ritson,' 'Rickards,' and 'Ricketts.'

From the curter 'Dick' or 'Diccon,' 'we derive 'Dicks' or 'Dix,' 'Dickson ' or 'Dixon,' 'Dickens' or 'Diccons,' and 'Dickenson ' or 'Dicconson.'From 'Hitchin,' once nearly as familiar as 'Dick,' we get

Hitchins,' 'Hitchinson,' 'Hitchcock,' and' Hitchcox.'Like many another name, the number of 'Richards' now is out of all proportion less than these surnames would ascribe to it some centuries ago. The reason of this we shall speak more particularly about by-and-by. Roger, well known in France and Italy, found much favour in England. From it we derive our 'Rogers,' 'Rodgers,' and 'Rogersons.' From Hodge, its nickname, we acquired 'Hodge,' 'Hodges,' 'Hodgkins,' 'Hotchkins,' 'Hoskins,' 'Hodgkinson,' 'Hodgson,' and ' Hodson,' and through the Welsh' Prodger.'The diminutive 'Rogercock' is found once, but it was

1 The diminutive 'Richelot' was by no means unknown in England. 'Rikelot, tenant at Wickham'(Domesday of St. Paul: Cam. Soc.), 'Robert Richelot' (Great Roll of the Pipe), 'Robert Richelot' (Feodarum Prioratus Dunelm. Sur. Soc.). 'Rickett' is probably a corruption of this.

2 The Norman 'Diccon' was corrupted into 'Diggon.' Spencer begins one of his pastorals thus, Welsh-like:-

'Diggon Davie, I bid her "Good-day,"

'Or Diggon her is, or I missay.'

'Diccon' was popular among the English peasantry from the twelfth to the eighteenth century.

PATRONYMIC SURNAMES.

ungainly, and I doubt not met with little favour. Reginald, as Rinaldo, immortalized by the Italian poet, appeared in Domesday as 'Ragenald ' and 'Rainald.' Our 'Reynolds,' represent the surname. 'Renaud ' or ' Renard,' can never be forgotten while there is a single fox left to display its cunning. The story seems to have been founded on the character of some real personage, but his iniquities did not frighten parents from the use of the name. 'Renaud Balistarius' or 'Adam fit. Reinaud ' are common entries, and 'Reynardsons' and 'Rennisons' still exist. Our 'Rankins,' too, would seem to have originated from this sobriquet since ' Gilbert Reynkin ' and 'Richard Reynkyn' are found in two separate rolls.Miles came into England as 'Milo; that being the form found in Domesday. It was already popular with the Normans, and, like all other personal names from the same source, we find it speedily recorded in a diminutive shape, as'Millot 1 and 'Millet.' 'Roger Millot ' occurs in the Hundred Rolls, and 'Thomas Mylett ' in a Yorkshire register of an early date. The patronymics were 'Mills,' 'Miles,' 'Millson,' and 'Mileson,' 'all of which still exist.

The great race for popularity since Domesday re-cord has ever been that between 'William' and 'John.'In the age immediately following the Conquest 'William' decidedly held the supremacy. This is naturally accounted for by its royal associations. There was, indeed, a 'John' in the same line of descent as the Bastard from Richard I. of Normandy, but the name

1 A Richard Myeson entered C.C. Coll., Cam., in 1659 (Masters' Hist. C.C. Coll.). Edward Myleson occurs in the Calendar to Pleadings (Elizabeth).