Family Names A Talk by Tim Nau Lifelong

Family Names A Talk by Tim Nau Lifelong Learning Mississauga October 23, 2018

Outline • I: The Origin of Surnames • II: First Name Surnames • III: Location Surnames • IV: Occupation Surnames • V: Nickname Surnames • VI: Surnames That Became Ordinary Words

I: The Origin of Surnames

“Eke” Names for William • Guillaume, Gill, Gwilym, Will, Wilkin, Wilcock, Willett, Wilkey, Bill, Liam, Willy

“Bynames” (Nicknames That Only Lasted One Generation) • Richard Overthegate • Isabelle Lauendere (Laundress) • John Smalbyhind • John le Lechur

Surnames and Government Imposing surnames was “a crucial step toward making individual citizens legible” “Surnames are a necessary precondition of modern statecraft” James C. Scott, Seeing Like a State, 1998

Why I Might Get Your Name Wrong • Your Family Changed its Name • Many Names Have Multiple Origins • There’s a Spelling Variation

Each Surname Can Have Many Origins, e. g. , Mo(o)r(e)” English: a dweller on a moor (heath) English: someone who works on a moor (dock) Irish: someone proud or stately Scots and Welsh: a large man Manx: collector of manorial rents Latin (and English): swarthy (like a “Moor”)

William Shakespeare Spelled His Name… • Shakp • Shaksper • Shakspe • Shakespere • Shakspeare • But Never Shakespeare

Sir Walter… • Ralegh, Rawley, Raleigh, Ralegh, Rawlegh, Raghley, Raweley, Raligh, Rauleigh or Raleghe?

Smythe (Smith) Taylor (Tailor) Plummer (Plumber) Compare Fanshaw (Featherstonehaugh) Wooster (Worcester) Jones (John’s) Reid (Red) Whittaker (Wheat-Acre)

FLON • First Names • Location Names • Occupation Names • Nicknames

Is John Going to Become Mr Hughes, Mr Wood, Mr Cooper or Mr Strong?

F II: irst Names That Became Last Names

Examples of Patronyms in Our Group • Without Additions: Benoit, Gauthier, James, Morgan • With the addition of -s, or –es: Andrews, Edwards, Hughes, Matthews, Roberts, Rogers, Stephens • With the addition of –son: Farquharson, Ferguson, Hankinson, Hutchinson, Waterson • With other changes: Adamcyk, De Gasperis, Fitzsimmons, Pierce

Some of the Many Patronyms Meaning ‘Son of Richard’ • Richard, Rickard • Richards, Ritchardson, Ritson • Dick, Dickerman, Dicks, Dixon, Dickson, Dickens, Diggonson, Dickman, Digman • Hick, Hicks, Hitch, Ickes, Hitching, Higgon, Higgett, Hitchcock, Hicking, Hickock, Hitchcoe, Hiscott, Hitchens, Hitchings, Hitchcox, Hiscox, Hickman, Higman

Surnames Based on “Robert” • Robert, Robertson • Robinson, Robbins, Robson, Robey • Dobbs, Dobson, Dobie • Hobbs, Hobbes, Hobson, Hopkins • Nobbs

Surnames Derived from Hugh • Hugo, Hughes, Hogon, Ugo, Hauch, Hauke • Hugett, Howling, Hewkin, Hugonet, Gounod, Huot, Ugoletti, Hegel • Hughs, Hewes, Hughson, Hewson, Howson, Huggins, Huygens, Hutchinson, Hutcheson

Celtic Patronymics • Mac, M’ (Irish and Scots for ‘son of’) • O’ (Irish for ‘descendent of’) • Ap (Welsh for ‘son of’)

“Hidden” Ap- Names Bevan (ap. Evan) Bowen (ap. Owen) Parry (ap. Harry) Plewes (ap. Lewis) Powell (ap. Howell) Price (ap-Rhys) Probert (ap. Robert) Pugh (ap-Hugh) Upjohn (ap. John)

Alice: Allison Surnames (Not in Our Group) Based on Women’s First Names Ann: Anson Barbara: Babcock Beatrice: Beatty, Beaton Emma: Emmitt, Empson Isabella: Ibbitson, Libby, Bell Mary or Molly: Marriott, Malleson Mathilda or Maud: Tilson, Madison Margaret: Meggs, Margetson Marjorie: Majoribanks, Marchbanks

L III: ocation Names

Examples of Location Names in Our Group • Places in or near Mickleburnmouth: Borland, Brooks, Churchill, Hayhoe, Kloosterhuis, Langley, Law, Sommerfeldt, Staples, Tendall, Verfuurt, Wood • Places Your Family Previously Lived in? : Busby, Newton, Partington, Seckington • Places Much Further Afield: Hess, Sinclair

Where Did Their Ancestors Come From? Bridges Cullen Dipper Dench Fleming Danvers Hess Luke Gant Room Pettingill Sinclair

IV: Occupation Names

Occupation Names in Our Group • Bailey, Baker, Bowman, Gagner, Galley, Horne, Kohl, Lesiak, Leuschner, Polla, Porter, Sherriff, Smith, Taylor, Weber

Non-English Names That Mean Smith • Schmidt, De Smet, Lefebvre, Ferraro, Ferreira, Ferrer, Mc. Gowan, Goff, Kavalyov, Kovacs, Kowalski, Sideras, Kalviatis, Haddad (and there are lots more!)

Culpepper Doolittle Other Verb. Object Surnames Makepeace Steptoe Shakespeare Telfer, Tulliver Toplady, Tiplady

V: Nicknames

Possible Examples of Nickname-Surnames • Physical Characteristic: Brown, Hare, Hart, Little, Partanen, Strong, Whitelock • Personality: Cadieux, Kluge, Pratt

VI: Surnames That Became Ordinary Words

Good Books (**in Mississauga Library) • C. Dyer, Making a Living in the Middle Ages (New Haven, 2002) • **P. Hanks, A Dictionary of Surnames (Oxford, 1988) • C. M. Matthews, How Surnames Began (Guildford, 1967) • **P. H. Reaney, Dictionary of English Surnames (London, 1995) • S. Wilson, The Means of Naming (London, 1998)