Surname Origins, Their Source and Significations (1875)

last, because of its important position as an early name. It was crowded with holy associations. There was a 'St. Hugh,' Abbot of Cluny, in 1109. There was a 'St. Hugh,' Bishop of Grenoble, in 1132. There was 'St. Hugh,' Bishop of Lincoln, in 1200, and above all there was the celebrated infant martyr, 'St. Hugh,' of Lincoln, said to have been crucified by the Jews of that city in 1250. This event happened just at the best time for affecting our surnames. Their hereditary tendency was becoming marked. Thus it is that 'Hugh,' or ' Hew,' 'as it was generally spelt, has made such an indenture upon our nomenclature. The pet forms are all Norman French, the most popular being 'Huet,' 'Hugon,' and 'Huelot , ' the last formed like 'Hamelot,' and 'Hobelot.'The second of these was further corrupted by the English into 'Hutchin' and 'Huggin.' 2 Hence our rolls teem with such registrations as 'Hewe Hare,' 'Huet de Badone,' 'William fil. Hugonis,' 'Houlot de Manchester,' 'Walter Hughelot,' 'John Hewisson,' 'SimonHowissone,' 'Roger fil. Hulot,' or 'Alan Huchyns.'Among the surnames still common in our directories may be numbered 'Huggins,' 'Hutchins,' ' Hutchinson,' 'Hugginson,' 'Howlett,' 'Hullett,' 'Hewlett,'

Huet,' 'Hewet,' 'Hewetson,' 'Howett,' 'Howson, 'Hughes,' and 'Hewson.' All these various forms bespeak a familiarity which is now of course utterly

1 'Item, payde to Hew Watson, for a bawdrike to the first belle, xd.' (1546.) (Churchwardens' Accounts at Ludlow, Camden Soc.) 'Item, for markynge of Hew Davis' pew, xiid.' (1552.) (do.)

2 'Hugyn held of the same Earl an oxgang of land.' (De Lacy Inquisit., Cheth. Soc., p. 6.) 'Huckin' seems to be a corruption of 'Hughkin.' 'Hughkin Byston' occurs in 'Wills and Inventories.'(Cheth. Soc., i. 142.)

PATRONYMIC SURNAMES.

wanting, so far as our Christian nomenclature is concerned. Indeed, after all I have said, I still feel that it is impossible to give the reader an adequate conception of the popularity of this name four hundred years ago. It is one more conspicuous instance marking the change which the Reformation and an English Bible effected upon our nomenclature,

IV. — Names chosen from Festivals and Holydays.

We may here refer to a group of appellatives which are derived from the names of certain days and seasons. I dare not say that all I shall mention are absolutely sprung from one and the same custom. Some, I doubt not, were bestowed upon their owners from various accidental circumstances of homely and individual interest. Neighbours would readily affix a nickname of this class upon one who had by some creditable or mean action made a particular season remarkable in his personal history. But these, I presume, will be exceptional, for there is no manner of doubt that it was a practice, and by no means a rare one, to baptize a child by the name of the day on which it was born, especially if it were a holiday. We know now how often it happens that the Church Calendar furnishes names for those born upon the Saints' days — how many 'Johns' and 'Jameses' and 'Matthews ' owe their appellations to the fact that they came into the world upon the day marked, ecclesiastically, for the commemoration of those particular Apostles. This is still a custom among more rigid Churchmen. In early days, however, it was