Surname Origins, Their Source and Significations (1875)

yet, I believe, extinct. Thus the prophet at Carmel and the forerunner at the Jordan have made their mark upon our English nomenclature.

Peter claims our attention next. When we consider how important has been the position claimed for him it is remarkable that in an age when, so far as England was concerned, this respect was more fully exacted than any other, his name should be so rarely found, rarely when we reflect what an influence the ecclesiastics of the day themselves must have had in the choice of the baptismal name, and what an interest they had in making it popular. It is to them, doubtless, we must refer the fact of its having made any mark at all, for ' Peter' was odious to English ears. It reminded them of a tax which was the one of all least liked, as they saw none of its fruits. It is to country records we must look for the 'Peters' of the time. The freer towns would none of it. Among the rude peasantry ecclesiastic control was wellnigh absolute; in the boroughs it was proportionately less. I have already quoted an instance of 133 London names where Peter is discovered but once to 35 Johns.In the Norwich Guild already mentioned, the proportion, or rather disproportion, is the same. To 128 Johns, 47 Williams, 41 Thomases, 33 Roberts, and 21 Richards, there are but 4 Peters. On the other hand, in Wiltshire, out of 588 names, we find i6 Peters to 92 Johns. This wide difference of ratio I find to be fully borne out in all other groups of early names. Thanks then to the ecclesiastics it did exist, and its relics at any rate are numerous enough. It is hence we get the shorter 'Parr,' 'Piers,' 'Pierce,' 'Pears,' ' Pearse,' and 'Peers,' It is hence with the patronymic

PATRONYMIC SURNAMES.

added we get our 'Parsons,' 'Pearsons,' 'Piersons,'and the fuller 'Peterson.' It is hence once more with the pet desinences attached we get our 'Perrins' and

Perrens,' our 'Perrets,' 'Perretts,' 'Parrots,'and Parrets,' our 'Peterkins,' 'Perkins,' 'Parkins,' and Parkinsons,' besides our 'Perk's' and 'Perkes ' innumerable.

'Simon,' or 'Simeon,' is represented by at least sixteen different personages in the Scriptures, so we may well expect to find that it has also impressed itself upon our own registers. The usual forms of the name in mediaeval rolls is 'Sim,' 'Simkin,' and 'Simonet.' Thus we find such entries as 'Simon fil. Sim,' 'Simkin Cock,' 'Symkyn Edward,' 'Simonettus Mercator,' or 'Symonet Vaillain.' The French diminutive does not seem to have been so popular as that which the Flemings made so common, for I find no 'Simnets' in our directories, while a whole column has to be set aside for our 'Simpkins ' and 'Simpkinsons.' 'Simcock' must have existed also, as our 'Simcocks' and 'Simcoxes' can testify. Other forms are found in 'Sims,' 'Simms,' 'Simpson,'

Simmons,' 'Simonds,' 'Symonds,' 'Simmonds; and Symondsons.' This latter is met with in the Rolls of Parliament in the guise of 'Symondesson.' 'Philip,'as another of the Apostles of Jesus, was also popular.

'Perrin was formed from 'Pierre,' as 'Huggin' from Hugh or 'Colin' from Nicol. 'The wife of Peryn' is mentioned in 'Manor of Ashton-under-Lyne' (Ch. Soc.), p. 97. Perrot, or Parrot, represents also the French diminutive. 'Alan Fitz-Perot was a benefactor to St. Alban's Monastery.' (See Clutterbuck's Hertford, Appendix, vol. i.) Prince Edward used to call the favourite, Piers Gaveston, by the familiar title of 'Perot.' (See Notes and Queries, vii. 280, and Lower on 'Perrot,')