Surname Origins, Their Source and Significations (1875)

to judge by our directories — and they are a pleasant memorial of a term which was once in familiar use as expressive of some of the most picturesque portions ofEnglish scenery. Such a name as 'De la Dene' or 'Atte Den,' of frequent occurrence formerly, and as Dean' or 'Den' equally familiar now, is worthy of particularity. A den was a sunken and wooded vale, where cattle might find alike covert and pasture. Thus it is that we are accustomed to speak of a den in connexion with animal life, in such phrases as a ' den of lions ' or a 'den of thieves.' See how early this notion sprang. We have a remembrance of the brock in 'Brogden,' the wolf in ' Wolfenden,'the fox in 'Foxden,' the ram in 'Ramsden,' the hare in 'Harden,' and the deer in 'Dearden,' '' Buckden' or 'Bug-den,' 'Rayden' and 'Roden,' or 'Rowden.'The more domesticated animals abide with us in ' Horsden,' 'Oxenden,' and 'Cowden,' 'Lambden,' or 'Lamden,' 'Borden,' and 'Sugden,' or 'Sowden;' ' Swinden,' 'Eversden,' and 'Ogden,' at first written ' de Hogdene.' With regard especially to this latter class it is that our 'Court of Dens' arose, which till late years settled all disputes relative to forest pannage. The

1 Our 'Deardens,' however, may be in some cases but a corruption of the old 'Derneden' — that is, the secret or secluded den. The Hundred Rolls give us, for instance, a 'Ralph de Derneden.'This word ' dern' was then in the most familiar use. Thus, in 'Cursor Mundi,' mention is made of ' a mountain dern.'Chaucer speaks of 'derne love,' and Piers Plowman of ' derne usurie.' Our 'Durnfords' but represent such an early entry as 'Robert de Derneford;'and of names now obsolete, we might instance 'Dernehus,'found also in the same roll as the above. Our 'Dernes'simple probably originated in the reticent and cautious disposition of their first ancestor. We may take this opportunity of noticing that 'Dibdin' is but 'Deepden.' One of our older rolls has a ' Randolph de Depeden.'

LOCAL SURNAMES.

dweller therein, engaged probably in the tendance of such cattle as I have mentioned last, was the 'Denyer' or 'Denman,' both surnames still living in our midst. While the den was given up mainly to swine, the ley' afforded shelter to all manner of domestic livestock, not to mention, however, some few of the wilder quarry. The equine species has given to us 'Hors-ley; the bovine, 'Cowley,' 'Kinley,' and 'Oxlee' or 'Oxley; ' the deer, 'Hartley,' 'Rowley,' 'Buckley,' and 'Hindley; ' the fox, 'Foxley; ' 2 the hare, 'Harley,' and even the sheep, though generally driven to the scantier pastures of the rocks and steeps, has left us in 'Shipley ' a trace of its footprint in the deeper and more sheltered glades. Characteristic of the trees which enclosed it, we get 'Ashley,' 'Elmsley,' 'Oakley,' 'Lindley,' or 'Berkeley.' Of the name simple we have endless forms; those of 'Lee,' 'Legh,' 'Lea,' 'Lees,' 'Laye,' and 'Leigh' 3 being the most familiar. In the old rolls their ancestors figure in an equal variety of dresses, for we may at once light upon such names as 'Emma de la Leye,' or 'Richard de la Legh,' or 'Robert de la Lee,' or 'William de la Lea,' or 'Petronilla de la Le.' Our ' Atlays' and Atlees,' as I have already said, are but the more Saxon 'Atte Lee.'

In some of these surnames we can trace the early cuttings amongst the thickly wooded districts where the larger wealds were situated. Our 'Royds,' or 'Rodds,' or 'Rodes,' all hail from some spot ridded

By ' ley' I include both 'lee,' a shelter, and ' lea,' a pasture, for it is impossible to distinguish the two.

'John de Foxlee' is mentioned. (Fines, Ric. I.)

More personal forms are found in 'Henry Legeman' (H.R.) and 'Elias Layman' (H.R.).