Surname Origins, Their Source and Significations (1875)

sona, and' Dancock,',' Dankin,' 'Danett,'and 'Dannett.' With regard to 'Dans,' 'Dance,' 'Danse,'and 'Danson,' there is a little difficulty. We have to remember that 'Dan,' like 'Dame,' 'figured prominently in early daysas a simple title of respect. They were but the 'Don' and 'Donna' which, in one form or another, still existin Italy, France, and Spain. 'Dame,' from domina, meant ' mistress.' 'Don,' from dominus, meant ' master.' To rank and age the two terms were equally applied. A ' dame's school ': still preserves this connexion of ideas. 'As with the mistress so with the maid,' is in early Bibles 'As with the dame so with themaid.' Thus there seems to be little doubt that our 'Dames' and 'Damsons' are so sprung. Why then should not 'Dans' and ' Danse' and 'Danson' be the masculine form ? Chaucer, in his Canterbury Tales, represents the host as asking the Monk —

But, by my trothe, I cannot tell your name:

Whether shall I call you my lord Dan

John, Or Dan Thomas, or elles Dan Albon?

Thus he speaks also of 'Dan Constantine,' and jestingly of the ass as 'Dan Burnell.' Thus, Lord Surrey in one of his poems speaks of 'Dan Homer Spenser of 'Dan Geoffrey;' Thomson of 'Dan Abraham.' The best way will be, as in many another case,

1 'Damsel' is, of course, the diminutive of this. As a surname, it is found in the cases of 'Simon Damesell'(II. R.) and 'Lawrence Damysell' (W. 2). Other diminutives are met with in 'Damietta Porcell' (Hist. and Ant. Survey, index), 'Damietta Avenell' (F. F.), 'Dametta fil. Morell' (D. D.); hence as surnames our 'Damets,' 'Dametts,' 'Damiots,' and 'Domitts.'Entries like 'Alice Damyett' (Z), 'Hugh Damiot ' (A), ' Henry Damett' (R), and 'Henry Domet' (A) are common.

PATRONYMIC SURNAMES.

to divide the honours between the two; and leaving itthus undecided, I pass on.

Nor is the New Testament without its instances. Let us look at the Apostles first. We have already spoken at some length about 'John,' but we purposelykept for the present opportunity the explanation of its popularity in England. There can be little doubt that it owes much to its religious aspect. It was the name not merely of the beloved disciple, but of the Baptist. New and close associations with the latter were just coming into being. We must remember this was the time of the Crusades. It was the custom of all pilgrims who visited the Holy Land to bring back a bottle of water from the Jordan for baptismal purposes. A leathern bottle was an inseparable adjunct to the palmer's dress. We all remember Walter Scott's description

His sandals were with travel tore,

Staff, budget, bottle, scrip he wore:

The faded palm-branch in his hand

Showed pilgrim from the Holy Land.

Early scenes with regard to the river in which the Baptist specially figured would thus be vividly broughtto their notice, and in the ceremony of baptism at home nothing could be more natural than to give to the infant the name of the baptizer of the Holy Child Jesus. This is strongly confirmed by the fact of the name taking precedence at this very period. It was thus 'Jordan ' itself as a surname has arisen. I need not remind students of early records how common is Jordan' as a Christian name, such cognomens as Jordan de Abingdon' or 'Jordan le Clerc' being of the most familiar occurrence. The baptismal soon became