Surname Origins, Their Source and Significations (1875)

correctly 'Dulcia.'Hence we find such entries as 'John filius Dousae,' 'Douce de Moster,'and 'John Dowsson.' Diminutives are found in 'Richard Dow-kin ' (F), and in 'Dowsett,' 'Doucett,' and 'Duckett.'The Norman was the more familiar form, all the more so perhaps because in the baronial kitchen a course of sweets was called dowcetts. An instance will be found in the Rutland papers, p. 97 (Carp. Soc.). This is but another form of our 'dulcet.' That the more literal form was not lost, such names as 'Dulcia le Draper' or 'Dulcia fil. William ' will show, not to mention our still existing patronymic 'Dulson.'The later 'Dulcibella' underwent the same change and became 'Dowsabell.' This also attained the rank of a surname, for beside such entries as ' Dowzable Mill'(Z) and 'Dussabel Caplyn' (Z) we light upon a 'Thomas Duszabell' (M). Thus familiar was ' Dulcia' in former days. 'Dionisia del Lee' or 'Dionisius Garston ' are common entries, both masculine and feminine forms being popular. 'Dennis,' 'Denot,'and 'Dyot ' were the pet forms. Piers Plowman styles one of his characters 'Denot.' Hereditary forms are found in 'Dennis,' 'Dennison,' 'Dyott,' 'Diotson,'1 and 'Dyson.' I cannot but think that 'Tenison' or 'Tennyson' is but a corruption of 'Dennison,' as also 'Tyson' of 'Dyson.' That they are patronymics of Antony (Tony) is the only alternative, and this I fear is unsatisfactory. Mabel, although now somewhat out of fashion, was very popular four hundred years ago as 'Amabilla,' hence such entries as 'Amabella la

1 In the Corpus Christi Guild, York, 1433 (Sur. Soc.), Dyot is feminine. There is set down, Robert Hayne et Dyot uxor.' The patronymic 'Diotson' is found in the same register.

PATRONYMIC SURNAMES.

Blund,' or 'Amabil fil. Emme.' The surnames descended from it are sufficiently numerous to testify tothis. Besides 'Mabell ' simple, we have 'Mabson,' Mabbs,' 'Mabbes,' 'Mabbott,' and perhaps 'Maple-son.' 'Catharine, always called 'Catlin' in the North, reminding us of the Irish 'Kathleen,' is the source of several surnames. Entries like 'Eleonore Catlynson' (W. 12) or 'Thomas Katlynson' (W. I I) are common, and the shorter 'Cattlin ' is found in every Yorkshire roll.

There is a certain quaint prettiness about 'Hilary,' 'Lettice,' and 'Joyce,' three acceptable cognomens inmediaeval times. The Normans liked their women to be, however modest, none the less lighthearted, gay, and spirited, and in the synonyms of 'mirth,' 'gladness,' and 'sportiveness,'they would delight in affixingon their newly-born children that which they hoped would be in the future but the index of the real character. 'Hillary ' when not local is therefore but the fuller 'Hilaria.' 'Joyce,' sometimes the result of the mere nickname, is nothing more than 'Jocosa,' and 'Lettice,' 'Letts,' and 'Letson' are sufficiently numerous to preserve the memory of 'Letitia.' Thus, in one of the Coventry Mysteries already alluded to, mention is made of

Col Crane and Davy Dry-dust,

Lucy Lyer and Letyce Lytyl-trust, Miles the

Miller and Colle Crake-crust.

Letson' is met in the fourteenth century as 'Fitz-Lettice.' 'Theophania' was anything but unpopular, but its length made it unavoidable but that it should

'I say perhaps' because it may be but a corruption of the local Mapleston.