Surname Origins, Their Source and Significations (1875)

(3) Nicknames from Oaths, Exclamations, Street-cries, and Mottoes.

(a) Oaths.--A remarkable, though not a very large, batch of surnames is to be referred to perhaps the most peculiar characteristic of all — that of the useof profane, or at least idle oaths. The prevalence of imprecations in mediaeval times was simply extraordinary.' If the writings of that period bear but the faintest comparison to the talk of men, their conversation must have been strangely seasoned. For in-stance, in the 'Canterbury Tales' we find introduced without the slightest ceremony such oaths as 'for Cristes passion,' 'by Goddes saule,' 'for Cristes saule,' 'by Goddes dignitee,' 'Goddes banes,'2 'Cristes pein,' 'Goddes love,' 'Goddes hate,' 'Cristes foot,' 'God me save,' and the more simple 'By-God,'or 'Parde' or 'Pardieu: That they are mostly meaningless is their chief characteristic. 'John Pardieu' in the Rolls of Parliament will represent our many 'Pardews, 'Pardows,' 'Pardoes,' and 'Pardies; ' and although I have given a different origin in my second chapter,3I may mention 'Alina le Bigod' (J.), or 'John le Bygot' (M.). 'Barbara Godselve' 4 (F.F.), 'Richard Godes-

1 'Jean Gottam,' the Frenchman's title for 'John Bull,' is old. A witness in the trial of Joan of Arc used the term 'Godon,'and explained it to be a sobriquet of the English from their use of the oath 'God damn.'

2 A clever article in the Edinburgh Review, April 1855, suggests 'Blood' and 'Death' from 'S'Blood' and 'S'Death,' the abbreviated 'God's blood' and 'God's death.'

2 Vide page 160. Camden says the Normans were so called because ' at every other word they would swear by God.'

4 'Henry Godsalve' entered C.C. Coll. Cam. in 1614 (Masters'Hist., C.C. Coll.)

'NICKNAMES.'

name'(X.), 'Richard Godbeare' (Z.), (now 'Godbeer,' 'Godbehere,' and 'Goodbeer'), 'Roger Godblod' (E.)(God's blood), 'Alicia Godbodi' (A.) (God's body), seem all to be representative of familiar imprecations.

Mottoes. — In many cases we can scarcely doubt that ensigncy has had something to do with the origin of our surnames. Edward III. at a tournament had his trappings embroidered with the couplet

Hay, hay, the white swan,

By God's soule I am thy man.

'Godsol ' and 'Godsoule ' formerly existed, and may have so risen. Among other names of this class may be mentioned 'Janett God-send-us '1 (W. 13), 'Roger Deus-salvet-dominas,'2 'John God-me-fetch,' 'John Dieu-te-ayde,' 'John Flourdieu,' 'Henry Grace-dieu,'3 'Henry Warde-dieu,' 'John Depart-dieu,' and 'John Angel-dieu.' 4 From the escutcheons of their wearers these would easily pass on to the men themselves who first bore them as surnames.

Exclamations. — ' Peter Damegod' (M.) and John Domegode' (O.), meaning literally 'Lord God,' represent a once favourite expletive.5We are here

1 'Item, to Jannett God-send-us, I give a caldron, and a pare of tonges.' (Extract of will of William Hardinge, Vicar of Heightington, 1584. W. 3.) The editor suggests she was a foundling.

2 The Saturday Review, in a criticism of my book, mentions a Rogerus Deus-salvet-dominas in the Essex Domesday.

3 'Mr. Gracedieu, Incumbent of St. James's, Duke's Place.' (Strype, London.)

4 A curious heraldic name is found in the 17th cent. John Poyndexter, fellow of Exeter Coll., Oxford, was dispossessed. (Walker, Sufferings of the Clergy.)

5 Our 'Olyfadres' will similarly be the expletive 'Holy-father,' unless, like 'Thomas Worthship' (Z.), the name be but a title of respect to some ecclesiastic functionary.