Surname Origins, Their Source and Significations (1875)

be mutilated, or at least put in an abbreviated or nick-name form, and thus it is has arisen our 'Tiffany,'whence of course the surname of to-day. Thus, in the Coventry Mysteries, it is demanded that

Both Bonting the Brewster and Sybyl Slynge,

Megge Mery-wedyr, and Sabyn 1   Sprynge

Tiffany Twynkeler fayle for no thynge.

Thierry in his history of the 'Conquest of England ' quotes an old writer, who has preserved the following lines of a decidedly doggrel character

William de Cognisby

Came out of Brittany

With his wife Tiffany, And his maid Manfras,

And his dogge Hardigras.

We must not forget to mention Eleanor,'or Alianora,' as it is more frequently registered, a name of suffering royalty, and therefore to a portion of the English people, at least, a popular name. Its forms are too many for enumeration, but 'Alianor,' 'Annora,' 'Annot,' 'Alinot,' 'Leonora,' 'Eleanor,' 'Elinor,' 'Ellen,' ' Lina,' 'Linot,' and 'Nel ' were the most common. All of these were either surnames themselves, or became the roots of surnames. Thus wefind among other entries such registrations as 'Alicia Alianor,' 'Alianor Busche,' 'Annora Widow,' 'Annora de Aencurt,' 'Anota Canun,' 'John Annotson,' 'William Annotyson,' ' Hugh fil. Elyenore,' 'William Alinot,' 'Alnot Red,' 'Lyna le Archer,' 'Linota ate Field,'or

'Sabyn or Sabina is frequently met with in the Hundred Rolls, as also Sybyl, referred to in the line before. A church at Rome was dedicated to a St. Sabina. Sybyl has bequeathed us 'Sibson.'In Cocke Lorelles Bote, one of the personages introduced is 'Sybby Sole, mylke wyfe of Islynton.'

PATRONYMIC SURNAMES.

'Linota Vidua.' This list will suffice to prove the place occupied by 'Eleanor.' I have not mentioned such entries as 'John fil. Nei' or 'Elisha Annyson,' or 'Richard Anyson,' for though in these particular instances we see the origin of some of our 'Ansons' and 'Nelsons,' both are more generally referable to a different source. 'Neal' or 'Neile ' was very common in this day, and 'Neilson' would easily be corrupted into ' Nelson.'

Julian,' the abbreviated form ofJuliana,' as a Nor-man introduced name became very popular, and its after history was a very curious one. Such appellations as 'Gillian Cook,' or 'Gilian of the Mill,' found in the Hundred Rolls, or that of the well-known 'Dame Julyan Berners,' whose work on household management I shall have occasion to quote by-and-by, only represent in fuller forms the 'Gill' or 'Jill' who is so renowned in our nursery literature as havingmet with such a dire disaster in the dutiful endeavour ' to fetch a pail of water' from the hill-side. I have already mentioned 'Cocke Lorell's Bote,' where allusion is made to

Jelyan Joly at signe of the Bokeler.

The shorter and curter form is given us in Heywood's Epigrams, where the following marital dialogue occurs:

I am care full to see thee carelesse, Jylle:

I am wofull to see thee wytlesse, Wyll:

I am anguisht to see thee an ape, Jyll:

I am angry to see thee an asse, Wyll:

I am dumpyshe to see thee play the drabbe, Jyll:

I am knappyshe to see thee plaie the knave, Wyll.

But 'Gill' at some time or other got into evil odour,