Surname Origins, Their Source and Significations (1875)

The Angevine dynasty gave a new impulse to some already popular names, and may be said in reality to have introduced, although not altogether unknown, several new ones. The two which owe the security of their establishment to it are 'Geoffrey' and 'Foulke.' The grandfather, the father, a brother, and a son of Henry II. were 'Geoffrey; ' and still earlier than this, 'Geoffrey Grisegonelle,' 'Geoffrey Martel,' and 'Geoffrey Barbu' had each in turn set their mark upon the same. Apart from these influences, too, the stories brought home by the Crusaders of the prowess of Godfrey, the conqueror of Jerusalem, must have had their wonted effect in a day of such martial renown. Such surnames as 'Jeffs,"Jeffries,' 'Jefferson,' 'Jeffcock'' Jeffkins,'

Jephson; and 'Jepson' still record the share it had obtained in English esteem. 'Fulke,' or 'Fulque,'though there had been six so early as Domesday Book, when it came backed as it was by the fact of having given title to five Angevine rulers, got an inevitable place. Few Christian names were so common as this in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. But it was an ungainly one, difficult to pronounce, and difficult to form into a patronymic. Thus, 'Fax-son' and 'Fawson' are the only longer forms I can find as at present existing, while the variously spelt Fulkes,' 'Foulkes,' 'Fakes,' 'Faux,' 'Fawkes,' 'Faulks,' 'Fowkes,' 'Folkes,' 'Foakes,' and doubtless sometimes 'Fox,' serve to show how hard it was to hand it down in its original integrity. The entries in our mediaeval registers are equally varied. We light upon such people as 'Fowlke Grevill,' 'Fowke Crompton,' 'Fulk Paifrer,' 'Fulke le Taverner,' 'Foke

PATRONYMIC SURNAMES.

Odell,' 'Faukes le Buteller,' 'Nel Faukes,' and 'John Faux.' As an English historic name it has given us two miscreants; the hateful favourite of John, outlawed by Henry III., and the still more sanguinary villain of James I.'s day, in whose dishonour we still pile up the blazing logs in the gloomy nights of November. Henry, again, or more properly speaking Harry, owes much to the Plantagenets, for but three are to be found in Domesday. With its long line of monarchs, albeit it represented a curious mixture of good, bad, and indifferent qualities, that dynasty could not but stamp itself decisively on our registers. Thus, we have still plenty of 'Henrys,' 'Harrises,' 'Harrisons,' 'Hallets,' 'Halkets,' 'Hawkinses,' and Hawkinsons; ' to say nothing of the Welsh 'Parrys' and 'Penrys.' 1 ('Thomas Ap-Harry,' D. 'Hugh Ap-harrye,' Z.) The Norman diminutive was early used, as such folk as 'Alicia Henriot,' 'Robert Henriot,' 'Heriot Heringflet,' 'Thomas Haryette,' or 'William Haryott' could have borne witness. 'Harriot,' or Harriet,' has been revived in recent days as a feminine baptismal name. 'Hawkin,' or 'Halkin,'2 how-ever, was perhaps the most popular form. Lang-land represents Conscience as saying:

Thi beste cote, Haukyn,

Hath manye moles and spottes,

It moste ben y-wasshe.

1 In the Athena Oxoniensis the account of Martin Marprelate begins 'John Penry, or Ap Henry, that is, the son of Henry, better known by the name of Martin Marprelate, or Marpriest, &c.' (Edit. 1813, vol. i. p. 591.)

2 An uncouth spelling of this is met with in the De Lacy Inquisition, where the entry occurs: 'Henry, son of Holekyn, for 17 acres of E2