Surnames

by Ernest Weekley

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1916 Excerpt: ..."win lass" (see p. 263). The examples dealt with above mostly illustrate the fact that in names of this type we must always look out for imitative corruption, but in most of them the alternative literal meaning is not excluded. When a name is at all common it usually has more than one origin. For instance, Winch, which ... Read More

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1916 Excerpt: ..."win lass" (see p. 263). The examples dealt with above mostly illustrate the fact that in names of this type we must always look out for imitative corruption, but in most of them the alternative literal meaning is not excluded. When a name is at all common it usually has more than one origin. For instance, Winch, which might have been put with the above, is derived from Winch (Norf.), from the "winch" of a well or floodgate Richard Attewynche, Pat. R., and also from ME. wenche, a young woman, which dropped out of the surname list as the word degenerated in VESSELS AND VEHICLES 171 meaning Philip le Wenche, Fine R., William le Wenche, Pat. R.. CI. Maid, Maiden. A small group of surnames connected with seafaring and the waterside belong rather to occupative names. Such are Barge, Bark, Boat, Catch or Ketch, Galley, Hoy, Shipp, Wherry. These are all genuine, though Shipp is also for " sheep "; and several of them are found among the Freemen of York much earlier than the corresponding entries in the NED. Catch is the earlier form of Ketch Henry de la Keche, City 2s."). Cf. such names as Cart and Wain. It is quite possible that Carratt, Carrett, Carritt, Carrott, all found in Lincolnshire, represent AF. carete Nicholas de la Carete, Pat. R. for Fr. charrette, charotte. At the risk of wearisome repetition, one must keep emphasizing the fact that the creation of surnames is due to unchanging human nature, and that their investigation requires common sense. There is nothing more natural than that a man should be nicknamed from the object most closely associated with his daily activity. Just as Gager, Gaiger is from the office of " gauger" William le Gaugeour, gauger of wines in England, Ireland and Wales, Fine R., so Gag... Read Less