Family names from the Irish, Anglo-Saxon, Anglo-Norman and Scotch

CONTENTS.

From the Irish.

HISTORY—THE CELTS.

Careful study and research have enabled philologists to establish a system of linguistic classification. They have given us such families as the Chinese, the Polynesian, the Scythian, the Semitic, and others; and above them all the great Indo-European Family, which comprehends ten members—three Asiatic and seven European.

Seven of these ten families have long been recognized, namely: Iranian, or Ancient and Modern Persian; Indian, or Sanskrit, used in Hindostan; Hellenic—Ancient and Modern Greek; Italic, that is, the Latin and its descendants—Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Provençal, Rheto-Romanic, and Wallachian; Slavonic, preëminently the Russian; Celtic, or Keltic, made up of the Cymric and the Gaelic; Teutonic, subdivided into Gothic, Scandinavian, High German, and Low German. Into the Low German the English falls. Recent scholars have added to these seven the Lithuanian, Armenian, and Albanian, making ten in all.

So unlike are these languages now, that it was not suspected until this century that they were once the same speech spoken by a people dwelling together long enough to build up a respectable vocabulary and a common language. The home of this mother-tribe is involved in obscurity. Conjecture, at one time, placed it upon the high table-land of Eastern Persia. Recent surmise, principally German, locates it in Germany, in Scandinavia, in Russia just north of the Caucasus mountains. When, and in what order, the migrations took place is also conjectural. That great migrations did occur, and that each migrating horde carried along with it the parent speech, is no longer questioned. Strong authorities make it credible that the Celtic tribes were the first to abandon the old homestead and seek their fortunes in new and strange lands.

Of this people, the Celts, when first they appear upon the historical horizon, some prefatory remarks are needed. They occupied the Spanish Peninsula, Gaul when conquered by Cæsar, and Britain, when visited by him in 55 and 54 B. C. In Britain, they were divided into many tribes, and were seldom known to unite in a common cause. They lived in houses hollowed out of the hills, built with low stone walls, thatched with reeds and straw, and lighted only by the door. Their dress consisted of the tunic and short trousers. Fruits, milk, flesh, and grain bruised and baked, constituted their food. They manufactured earthenware, war chariots, arrows, the sword, the spear, the battle-axe, and the shield, burned or buried their dead, tattooed their bodies, and were largely controlled by their priests. The latter—the druids—monopolized the learning, took to themselves supreme authority, settled all disputes, civil and criminal, and were exempt from taxation and all public duties.

No determined resistance was offered by the Celts to Roman occupancy of Britain, for, under Agricola, the Romans had by 84 A. D., conquered as far north as the Firth of Forth, which they joined to the river Clyde by the wall of Antoninus. Subsequently, they built as additional protection against the Picts, the noted wall of Severus, sometimes called Hadrian’s wall, which united the Solway and the Tyne. No attempt of a thorough conquest of the island was made by the Romans, but with their headquarters at Eboracum, now York, they held it by a chain of fortified posts, whose site is now mainly indicated by towns with names terminating in chester, cester or caster—modifications of the Latin castra, a camp. These posts the Romans connected by broad and straight military roads over which their legions could readily march.

Roman aggrandizement was of primary importance. Taxes were levied on arable land, on pasture land, and on fruits, and duties were exacted at the ports. Agriculture was fostered, and large quantities of grain exported to Rome. But the imperial city whose empire was so wide, and whose armies were mostly composed of conscripts from subjugated people, and led by generals of their own blood, was threatened by invading hordes, and was compelled to withdraw her legions for home defense. By 420 the soldiers had all been withdrawn, and the Celts were themselves once more. But their freedom and rejoicing were of short continuance. A more formidable invasion than that of the Roman followed, and by the middle of the fifth century they were the slaves of the Angles, the Saxons, and the Jutes.

Upon the withdrawal of the Roman legions from Britain, the unsubdued Picts and Scots of the north attacked the Celts of the south, who had been subjects of Roman oppression. Whether the assailed Britons detached the Gothic tribes from an alliance with the Picts and Scots, and turned them against their former allies; whether, without having been in league with them, the strangers came from their home beyond the North Sea to help beat back the Picts and Scots; or whether, tempted by the fertile soil, they came on their own account, we may never know; but one thing is certain, that they came, and that they came never to go away. Their coming is of weighty significance, for they became the basis of the English nation, and their speech the parent of the English language.

The unconquered Celts of the west and north spoke their own tongue—the Celtic—while that of the conquered portion was overwhelmingly the language of the conquerors, and was called the Anglo-Saxon. It was not, however, entirely pure, for some few Celtic words had unavoidably entered it. The names for the rivers, lakes, hills and mountains, given by the Celts, clung pertinaciously to these objects, and are found with the English of the present day. Throughout the whole of England there is hardly a river-name that is not Celtic. Avon, Celtic for water, occurs as the name of fourteen English rivers upon our maps. Esk, of like meaning, designates more than twenty, and has also entered into the names of towns, as in Axminster, Exeter, Oxford, and Uxbridge. Cam, Humber, Ouse, Thames, and Wye, and many other river-names, are Celtic. Pen, or Ben, Celtic for mountain, is seen in the name for the range called Pennine, in that of the hills called Pentland, and in Ben-Nevis and Ben-Lomond. Dun, a hill-fortress, is found in Dumbarton, Dundee, Dunkeld. Hundreds of other Celtic words can be observed on almost any map of England, and, indeed, on the maps of Spain, France, Italy, Switzerland, and Germany. The names of the rivers Rhine, Rhone, Garonne, and Seine are Celtic. Italy is Celtic for “beautiful region,” and German for “rough man.” Besides the numerous geographical names of Europe that are traceable to this language, such common names as camel, clock, comma, fodder, gun, snake, and whiskey, owe to it their origin, not to mention scores of well-known family names of every-day occurrence.

The remains of the Celtic language are still to be found in the Welsh, the Gaelic of the Scottish Highlands, the Erse or Irish, and the Manx of the Isle of Man.

LESSONS IN IRISH. — Irish Letters—Their Sounds. — Sounds of the Consonants. — Sounds of the Vowels. — Union of Vowels, and their Sounds. — Sounds of the Six Long Diphthongs. — Sounds of the Seven Short Diphthongs. — Triphthongs, and their Sounds. — Aspirated Consonants. — Derivative Nouns. — Sounds of Certain Terminations.

There are seventeen letters in the Irish Alphabet, of which five are vowels, the remaining twelve being consonants. Their correspondents in English are a, b, c, d, e, f, g, i, l, m, n, o, p, r, s, t, and u.

The designation of the letters by their Irish names, Ailm, Beith, etc., which is only a convenient contrivance for distinguishing them from those of other languages, has been purposely omitted, partly because they are, at present, seldom or never called by their appellations, and partly because there is often danger in mistaking the names for the sounds of the letters.

Regarding the pronunciation of Irish letters, and of the Gaelic language generally, the fullest and most open enunciation is required. The vowels must be sounded as in Italian or French; the consonants, as in German or Spanish. This open, full sounding of the letters enables foreigners to learn to speak Irish more correctly and more readily than English-speaking people; for, of all spoken languages, the pronunciation of the English is the most opposite to that of Irish.

The letters b, f, m, n, p, and r, except when aspirated, are sounded like their English analogues. C is never at all pronounced like s or ch soft, but always hard like k; d, like dh; g hard, as in get; and l, generally, like the first l in William.

More variable, however, is s. Before or after the vowels e or i, it is most generally sounded like sh, there being but a single exception to the rule, and this occurs in the word is—the third person singular present indicative of the assertive form of the verb to be, which is pronounced is, and not ish. Before or after a, o, u, it takes simply the sound of s in soon, the demonstrative pronoun so, this, being in Connaught, where it is pronounced sho, the only exception.

A long, as in wâll, has the broad sound as in English; a short, that of a in băt. There is a third sound, very common in the South and West of Ireland, corresponding to the sound of a in whät.

E long is sounded as in whêre, e short, as in whĕn; i long, as ee in pîque, i short, as in pĭck; o long, as in tōld, o short as in gŏt; u long, as in rūle, u short, as in fûll.

Vowels are divided into broad and slender. The broad are a, o, u; the slender are e, i.

Two vowels coming together constitute a diphthong; three, a triphthong. In Irish there are thirteen diphthongs and five triphthongs. Of the former, six are always long, or naturally so, and the remainder naturally short, but becoming long when accented. The long diphthongs, as they are invariably long, require no accent. The seven short need the presence of this character to show that their sound is, in the case so designated, to be pronounced long.

The long diphthongs are:—ae, ao, eo, eu, ia, and ua.

Ae is sounded like ae in the Latin word Musæ; ao, usually like ee in queer, except in Munster where it has the sound of the first e in there; eo, like eo in the proper noun Keon; eu, long, like ai in wail; ia, like ee in teem; ua, like ooe in wooer.

Ai, accented, is equivalent to the sound of awi in the English word sawing, being nothing more than the combined sounds â and ĭ; ai, not accented, has the sound of ai in the French taille, cut, and is hard to be learned by an English-speaking student; ea, accented, is sounded like ea in swear, unaccented, like the same letters in heart; ei, accented, like ei in deign, unaccented, like e in den; io, accented, like ee in green, unaccented, like i in grin; iu, accented, like iew in review, unaccented, like oo in blood; oi, accented, like oi in boil, unaccented, like u in shut; ui, like ui in fruit, unaccented, like ui in quiet.

All the triphthongs—aoi, eoi, iai, iui, uai—are pronounced long, and differ but little in their sounds from those of the long diphthongs from which they are formed. They differ mainly in two particulars—first, in a slight prolongation of the diphthongal sound; secondly, in imparting to the immediately succeeding consonant, on account of its nearness to the slender vowel i, a liquid, slender sound, which it would not otherwise receive. Aoi is sounded like uee in Queen; iai, like the diphthong ia (ee), except that the final i gives to the consonant that follows a slender or liquid sound; iui, like eeyu, sounds that cannot be represented in English, as heard in the Irish word ciuin, pronounced keeyuin, in one syllable.

We come now to consider the twelve Irish consonants. Of these consonants—l, n, r—never alter their primitive or radical sounds. The remaining nine do change their radical sounds to those of cognate nature.

This change, arising from a rough breathing after the vowel sound, is properly called aspiration, as it merely modifies, rather than destroys, as is sometimes erroneously supposed, the sound of the consonant. The notation for the aspirate is indicated by an accent (´) or h.

Ṕ (asp.) is equivalent to ph or f. B́, before or after e or i, to v; but before or after a, o, u, to w.

Ḿ, before or after e or i, to v; before or after a, o, u, to w, with a slightly nasal sound.

F́ is usually silent; in some words, however, it has the sound of h.

Ć, like ch in och, or the Greek letter chee. Before a, o, or u it has the former sound, which is that of the German ch; but before e or i, it invariably takes the latter sound.

Ǵ, in the beginning of a word, if before the vowels a, o, u, has the guttural sound gh; but before e or i, it is sounded like y. At the end, or in the middle of words, it has no other power than that of prolonging the sound of the preceding vowel.

D́ has a thick, guttural sound, very analogous to g. In the beginning of a word, before e or i, it has exactly the sound of y; but in the middle, or at the end, it has the force of g, that is, it merely lengthens the sound of the preceding vowel or diphthong.

T́ loses its power as a consonant, and has the force of h.

Ś has the sound of k; s, final, is never aspirated.

Derivative Nouns in Irish are personal or abstract.

Personal Nouns end in ōir, aire, ai, aid́, and are produced from primitive nouns, or past participles.

The terminations ōir, aire, are supposed to be broken forms of the word fear, pronounced fär, a man. If so, then fear must be considered as the root of the Latin ending or, and of the English suffix er.

Abstract Nouns terminate in as or eas, masculine; in aćt, feminine; or in the genitive case singular feminine of adjectives.

Diminutives are formed from nouns and adjectives, and end in an, masculine; in în, masculine or feminine; in ōg, feminine.

Many words that are not diminutives end in an.

Other words terminating in an, from tan, time, or from tain, possessions, are of this class. Iat́, a region, a territory, is, in its fragmentary form ia, the termination of almost all the Latin names of places that have that ending.

From the active signification of the ending ać, and from the meaning of the term neać, an individual, an agent, of which ać is apparently a mere fragment, adjectives with this suffix become personal nouns, and as such are expressive of office, action, or individuality.

In Connaught, final ead́ is pronounced like oo in English; in Munster, like a. As the final syllable of the imperfect tense of verbs, it is pronounced incorrectly in Munster, and in some districts in the southern parts of Connaught, like guttural agh.

Generally, ad́ final, in words of two or more syllables, is pronounced like ead́; in Munster, like unaccented a; and, in Connaught and Ulster, like English oo. But in words of one syllable and their compounds, however, the Munster pronunciation is not only adopted in the South, but also in the West and North of Ireland.

In Kilkenny, Waterford, and Tipperary, the diphthongs ea, io, and sometimes iu, are incorrectly pronounced like ow on coming before l, m, and n.

In the words bean, a woman, bard, a poet, and bord, a table, the initial consonant b, when not preceded by the possessive pronouns singular, is not aspirated. Put, however, these pronouns, excepting the feminine, before the same words, and b immediately assumes the aspirate sound; that is, it is pronounced like v, if e or i follow, and like w, if a, o, or u follow.

NAMES—THEIR DERIVATION. — A. — B. — C. — D. — E. — F. — G. — H. — I. — J. — K. — L. — M. — N. — O. — P. — Q. — R. — S. — T. — V. — W. — Y.

Adaire. A for an, the; dair, oak. The oak; hence, strong, powerful, robust. Adare, from the same.

Aincy. Ain, a circle; neać, corrupted into ey, an individual, an agent.

Aitken. Ait, pleasure, fancifulness; ceann, head. Mental delight.

Alncy. Aluin, beautiful; neać, an individual. A pleasing person.

Arran. Ara, kidney; an for tan, land, riches, possessions in land or stock. Land of the kidney.

Ardry. Ard, chief; riǵ (ree), king. Head king or ruler. Awrdry, of like derivation.

Baine. Baine, milk, from the adjective bân, white. Milk. Bain, contracted from the original name.

Baile. Bâile, a town, a village.

Bailey. Bâile, a town; lać, a broken form of lućt, folk, people. Resident of a town.

Baird. Bârd, genitive baird, a poet. Offspring of a Celtic minstrel.

Ball. Bâll, a member; one of a community, society, or association. Baull has the same root.

Ballantyne. Bâile, a town; an, of the; tan or tain, land, region. The town of the region.

Bannigan. Baine, milk; gan, offspring, descendant. One nourished from infancy upon milk.

Bannon. Bân, white; on for an, a termination indicative of personality. A pale-faced person.

Barmore. Bârr, top, summit, swelling tide, head; muir, the sea, genitive mâra, of the sea. Swelling tide of the sea.

Barney. Bârr, head; neać, an individual. A leader. Perhaps, the equivalent of bairneać, a limpet, because found on tops (bârr) of rocks when the tide has ebbed.

Barr. Bârr, top, summit, head.

Barret. Bârr, head; aid́, a suffix expressive of a personal noun. Manager; superintendent; leader.

Barry. Bârr, top; aid́, indicative of personality; originally, barraid́. One at the summit; a man of eminence.

Baugh. Possibly a corruption of beać, pronounced bäch, a bee.

Beahney. Beat́a, life; neać, an agent. A living being.

Benaugh. Biad́, food; neać, an individual. One who provides food; a victualler.

Benner. Benn, a mountain; er, a contraction for fear, a man. A mountaineer.

Binney. Binn, harmonious; neać, an individual. An agreeable person.

Bourke. Irish for Burke.

Bowan. Possibly from buan, lasting, enduring.

Bower. Bod́ar, pronounced bower, deaf.

Brattan. Brat, a cloak; an, expressing personality. A cloak-wearer; a clergyman.

Breen. Braon, pronounced breen, a drop.

Brennan. Breun, fetid; an, expressive of personality. An offensive person.

Britain. Brith, painted, speckled; tain, country. The country of the painted inhabitants.

Britt. Brith, painted. A painted person.

Brock. Broc, a badger.

Brodie. Brōd́, pride, pleasure; aid́, implying personality. An arrogant person; a voluptuary.

Brogan. Bro, a hand-mill; gan, offspring. Offspring of a hand-mill.

Cabell. Cab, the mouth; aille, the genitive of aill, a cliff. The mouth of the cliff.

Cahal. In Irish Cat́al, from cat́, pronounced cah, battle; al, support. Help in battle.

Caham. Cat́, battle; am, time. Hour of battle.

Cahey. Cat́, battle; ać for neać, a person; possibly, cat́ać, in the original. A warrior.

Cahill. Cat́, battle; aill, a cliff. A battle-cliff.

Callan. Caillin, a girl; or, perhaps, from calla, a hooded cloak; an, a personal suffix. The wearer of a hooded cloak; a nun. Sometimes written Callen.

Camm. Cam, crooked, bent, curved.

Cameron. Cuimir, a valley; on for an, small. A small valley.

Camsuile. Cam, bending; suile, genitive of suil, eye. Bending of eye.

Cangan. Cean, pronounced cahn, fondness; gan, offspring. Child of fondness.

Cann. Cean, fondness, affection, esteem, regard.

Cannon. Cean, affection; on for an, personal suffix. An affectionate person.

Cannavan. Cean, affection; a b́ean, of his woman. Fondness of his woman.

Caird. Cara, a friend, genitive carad, plural cairde, friends. Carde, only another form of the word.

Carey. Car, dear; aid́, a personal suffix. One that is dear, or beloved.

Carlin. Car, dear; lin, a marsh; a swamp. A highly valuable bog.

Carlyle. Car, dear; lile, lily. Beloved lily.

Carmack. Car, dear; mac, son. Dear son.

Carmichael. Car, dear; Michael, a Hebrew word signifying “who is like God.” Dear Michael. In Irish, Michael is written Mićeal, the genitive of which is Mićil.

Carney. Carn, a heap of stones; neać, personal suffix; originally written, doubtless, Car-neać. A quarryman.

Carrell. Car, dear; aill, a cliff. Beloved cliff. Carruill, the primitive form of the name.

Carrick. Car, dear; riǵ, a king. A dear king. Possibly, from carraic, a rock.

Carson. Car, dear; Anglo-Saxon sun, a son. A beloved son.

Carthy. Car, dear; tir, pronounced teer, a country; ać for neać, an individual; originally Cartać. A beloved countryman. Carty, corruption of the original.

Ceiort. Ceirt, a question.

Claney. Clê, left-handed; neać, individual. Left-handed individual.

Cloonan. Cluan, a retreat; an, a person. One who lives in a retreat; a hermit; an anchorite. Clunen, of like derivation.

Cloonas. Cluan, a retreat, a cloister; Anglo-Saxon sun, a son. A monk; one who lives in a monastery.

Clough. Cloć, a stone. Cluff, Anglicised form of the name.

Clune. Cluan, a retreat. A sequestered spot.

Coile. Coill, wood. Coyle, a modified form of the name.

Colahan. Col, kindred; leat́an, wide. Large kindred; wide circle of relations.

Colgan. Col, kin; gan, a descendant. Near relative.

Colman. Colman, a pigeon.

Conley. Conn, of heroes; lać, people. Nation of heroes.

Connell. Conn, of heroes; aill, a cliff. A rampart of brave men; a cliff of heroes.

Connaught. Connaćt, in the original, from conn, of heroes; aćt a termination, like tas in Latin, or tion in French or English. Having the quality of heroes.

Connor. Conn, of heroes; cub́ar, fond of. Fond of heroes.

Corbin. Cor, a knot, a union; binn, harmonious. A happy union; a joyous wedlock.

Corbitt. Cor, a knot; bit́, life. Wedlock.

Corley. Cor, a knot; lać, people. United people.

Connell. Conn, of heroes; aill, a cliff, a wall. A close, compact body of heroes.

Cornell. Corn, horny; uille, an elbow. An elbow inflexible as horn.

Cornwall. Corn, a goblet, a drinking-cup, a tumbler, so called because in ancient times drinking-cups were commonly made of horn (corn); aill, a cliff. The horny cliff.

Cowel. Coćal, a hood, a cowel, a vestment. Or, perhaps, from cuać, hollow; fal, a cover. A hood, or hollow cover.

Cowgill. Coḿ, together; giolla, a servant. Co-laborer.

Craig. Cre, creed; ać, an individual. A churchman; the possessor of a creed.

Cravin. Craob́, a branch; in, denoting small. A branchlet; a twig.

Cree. Cre, creed, earth, the symbol of faith.

Creegan. Cre, creed; gan, offspring. An inheritor of a creed.

Creagh. Cre, creed, earth; ać, an agent. Teacher of a creed; cultivator of the earth.

Creen. Crion, pronounced creen, withered, palsied.

Creenan. Crion, withered; an, personal suffix. A palsied person.

Cromwell. Crom, crooked; aill, a cliff. A crooked cliff.

Cronin. Coroin, a crown; in, implying diminutiveness. A coronet; a small crown.

Crowley. Crod́a, pronounced crowya, brave; lać, people. Magnanimous people.

Crupp. Crup, a wrinkle, a contraction.

Currie. Curam, care (applied in Irish to all over whom one has charge); lać, an agent. A supervisor; a superintendent; a manager. Curry, the commoner form of the name.

Daley. Dall, blind; eać, individual. Blind person.

Dall. Dâll, blind, sightless.

Dana. Dana, strong, powerful, mighty; bold, daring.

Darr. Daor, pronounced deer, dear, condemned.

Darra. Daor, dear; a, contraction of neać, an individual. A person of wealth.

Darragh. Same derivation as Darra. In certain parts of Ireland, ać is pronounced agh, or ach. Darrach is an apt illustration of the latter sound.

Dearr. Daor, dear. Perhaps in Darr, Darrach, etc., the e, in the course of time, has been dropped for the sake of brevity, or to satisfy the whims of the possessors of those names.

Deaver. Originally Duib́ir, from dub́, black; ir, man. A dark-complexioned man.

Deegan. De, of God; gan, an offspring. Son of God. Degan has the same signification.

Deor. Daor, dear.

Dermod. Originally Diarmoid, from Dia, God; armoid, of arms. God of arms.

Dermott. See Dermod for derivation. So intimately related are the dentals t and d, that it is not at all unreasonable that they should be interchangeable.

Derr. Dair, an oak.

Devlin. Dub́, black; linn, a marsh, a swamp.

Dill. Dill, fond, affectionate.

Dinnan. Dion, protection; an, implying a person. A protegé.

Donahugh. Dona, unhappy, bad, evil; Hugh, the Dutch for spirit. An evil spirit; an unhappy disposition.

Donegan. Dona, unhappy; gan, offspring. An unhappy child.

Donnell. Doḿnać, Sunday, aille, of beauty. The Sunday of beauty. Perhaps, Irish for Daniel.

Dooner. Dun, a fort, a stronghold; er for fear, a man. The defender of a fort.

Dooley. Duil, expectation; eać, an individual. A sanguine person.

Dornan. Dorn, a clenched fist; an, denoting personality. A pugilist.

Duff. Dub́, pronounced dubh or duv, black.

Duffy. Dub́, black; eać, an individual. A black person.

Dunbarton. Dun, a stronghold; barton, a corruption of Britain. A stronghold of the Britain.

Dunaghan. Dun, a stronghold; a for an, of the; gean, affection. A stronghold of the affection.

Duncan. Dun, a fort; cean, a head. The head of a fort; a chieftain.

Dungan. Contraction of Dungannon, which, in Irish, is Dungeanain. From dun, a stronghold; gein, affection; ain, a land. A stronghold of the land of affection.

Dunkin. Dun, stronghold; cinn, genitive of ceann, head. The stronghold of the head.

Dundore. Dun, stronghold, de, of; oir, gold. Stronghold of gold.

Dunmore. Dun, the fort; an, of the; oir, gold; originally, Dun-an-oir. The fort of the gold.

Dunmoulin. Dun, the fort; muillin, a mill. The fort of the mill.

Dunn. Dun, a fort, a stronghold, a castle, a hill, a mound.

Dunpatrick. Dun, stronghold; Padruic, Patrick. The stronghold of Patrick.

Eagen. See Egan. Gen is probably a corruption of gan.

Eagin. See Egan. Ginn is the equivalent of gan.

Egan. Aod́, pronounced eey, Hugh; gan, offspring. Descendant of Hugh. Aod́gan, the original form. Eoghan, a corrupted phase of the word.

Eill. Eile, aile, oile, another.

Eire. Eire, Ireland. Eyre, a slightly altered form of the name.

Eirey. Eire, Ireland; ać, an individual. An Irishman; a native of Ireland.

Ennis. Inis, an island.

Erionnach. Originally, Eireannac, equivalent to Eire, Ireland; an of; nać, an individual. Native of Ireland; an Irishman.

Ey. Ad́, pronounced ey, luck, fortune, chance.

Fadden. Corruption of Padruic, Patrick. Patrician; nobleman.

Fagan. Fat́, cause, reason; gan, offspring. Result; effect; consequence.

Fahan. Fat́, a plain, a field; an, indicative of a person. A farmer; a cultivator of the earth.

Fahy. Fat́, reason; ać, an individual. A reasoner; a logician.

Farnell. Fearn, a shield; aille, beautiful. A beautiful shield.

Farnan. Fearn, a helmet; an, person. One who carries a helmet; a warrior. Sometimes written Farnon.

Farne. Fearn, a shield, genitive fearne. Belonging to a shield.

Farney. Fearn, a helmet; eać, an individual. A knight; a warrior.

Fearn. Fearn, a shield, a helmet.

Farr. Fear, pronounced far, a man.

Feenan. Fion, pronounced feen, wine; an, a person. Wine-merchant.

Feeney. Fion, wine; eać, an agent. Wine-dealer.

Fei. Feit́, pronounced fāh, a sinew.

Feighan. Feit́, a sinew; an, expressive of diminutiveness. A small sinew.

Fenton. Fiontan, perhaps, in the original, a vineyard; from fion, wine; tan, a land.

Fergus. Originally, Feargus; from fear, a man; gus, a suffix denoting towards. One tending towards manhood; a youth.

Fernley. Fearn, a helmet; lać, people. A warlike people. Fernly, a slightly abbreviated form of the same.

Filmore. File, a poet; Muire, Mary. A poet devoted to Mary; one that writes or sings of Mary.

Finbar. Fionn, pronounced fin, fair, white; barr, summit, head. A white summit.

Finnley. Fionn, fair; lać, people. Fair people.

Finne. Fionn, fair, white.

Flinn. Fionn, white; linn, a marsh, a swamp. In allusion, doubtless, to a summer array of white flowers. Flynn, the same word, in slightly altered garb.

Fow. Foǵ, reward, booty, spoil.

Fowne. Fionn, fair. In Tipperary, Waterford, and Kilkenny, fionn is pronounced fown and not fin as is the case generally in Ireland.

Fulmer. Feolmar, jealous, envious of another’s fame, reputation, or glory.

Gahn. Gean, pronounced gahn, affection, esteem.

Gall. Gall, a foreigner, an Englishman, a stranger.

Galligan. Gall, genitive gaill, stranger; gan, offspring. Descendant of the stranger.

Gallagher. Geall, promise; geallać, genitive geallaiǵ, promise; er, person. A person of promise.

Gallen. Geallan, a linnet.

Galloway. Doubtless, same as Galway. In the original Gailliḿ, the town of the strangers.

Garrett. Gearroid́, from gearr, short; aod́, compounded of aoi, a being, and De, of God. An humble servant of God.

Garrity. Gearroid́, Garrett; eać, an agent. A representative of Garrett.

Garvin. Garb́, pronounced garv, rough, rude; in, indicative of personality. A rough, rude, or unlettered person.

Gaw. Gab́, pronounced gaw, to conceive.

Gear. Gearr, short, not tall.

Gee. Aod́, pronounced eey, Hugh.

Geir. Gair, gladness, merriment, rejoicing.

Geogh. Ge, a goose; ać, an agent. One that acts like a goose; a silly person. Geough, Gough, of kindred origin.

Geugan. Geug, a branch; an, a diminutive. A branchlet. Geugen, doubtless, earliest change from the ancient form.

Gilchrist. Giolla, a servant, one devoted to another; Criosd, Christ. A servant of Christ; one devoted to Christianity.

Gill. Giolla, a servant, one devoted to another’s interests; a menial.

Gilmartin. Giolla, a servant; martin, Martin.

Gilmore. Originally, giolla—Muire; giolla, a servant; Muire, Mary. One devoted to Mary.

Ginn. Ginn, an offspring, a descendant.

Ginnelly. Ginn, offspring; aille, of a cliff, the genitive of aill. The fruit of a cliff.

Glass. Glas, green.

Glassy. Glas, green; eać an individual. An inexperienced person.

Gleason. Gle, pure; gleas, purity; on, implying a person. A chaste person.

Glennessy. Glinn, clear; eas, denoting quality, equivalent to ness; y for neać, an individual. A clear-sighted person.

Glenny. Glean, a valley; eać, an individual. A dweller in a valley.

Glinn. Glinn, the bright heavens. Home of the Blessed. Glynn, of like significance.

Gorman. Gorm, blue; an, expressive of person. A blue-eyed person.

Grane. Graine, grain.

Greany. Grian, pronounced green, sun; neać, an agent. Sun-god.

Grogan. Gruag, hairy; an, denoting a person. A hairy person. Grugan, derivable from the same roots.

Guill. Giolla, a servant, a menial.

Guinan. Guin, wound, hurt, sting, from ga, an arrow, and an, a circle, an opening; an, a personal suffix. A sufferer; a wounded man.

Guinn. Guin, an opening, a wound.

Guiness. Irish for Æneas, a corruption of Mac Anǵuis, which latter being the genitive of Aonǵus, pronounced eny-as, the equivalent of Angus.

Guire. Contraction of Maguire, which is traceable to maǵ, plain; uire, a contraction of Muire, Mary. Plain of Mary.

Gunn. Guin, a wound, by dropping i, and doubling its final consonant, becomes the word under consideration.

Gwin. Anglicised form of Guin. Gwinn, Gwynn, and Gynn are referable to the same word.

Hallahan. At́, a ford; leat́an, wide. In Irish, pure and simple, the vowels are never aspirated, but in certain parts of Ireland, as before stated, the English habit prevails, as is attested to by the word under notice.

Heany. Anglo-Saxon hean, humble; neać, an individual. An humble person.

Hinch. Leat́-inse, from leat́, pronounced leh, half, and inse, pronounced insh, island, the final consonant of the first half of the word being carried over to the remaining portion: hence, Le Hinch, or the half-island.

Hugh. Aod́, pronounced eey, is its Irish equivalent: in the Dutch, its parental language, it signifies mind, spirit.

Innis. Inis, an island. Innis is only another phase of the same word.

Ireland. Eire, west, and land. West-land.

Jarlath. Jarflait́, from iar, inferior; flait́, a prince, a chief, one in rank next to a chieftain or prince. A feudatory prince.

Jarley. Iar, inferior; lać, people. Perhaps, derivable from jarla, an earl.

Jennings. Corruption of Mac Eonin, which is compounded of mac, son; Eonin, young Owen, or John. Son of John.

Kahn. Cean, pronounced kahn, fondness, regard. Kahne, referable to the same root.

Kame. Ceim, pronounced kame, step, grade, dignity.

Kane. Cain, reproach, chaste, undefiled.

Kean. Ciuin, pronounced keeyuin, calm, gentle.

Kearney. Carn, pronounced karn, a heap of stones; cać, an agent. So also Karney.

Keefe. Caoiḿ, pronounced kueev, gentle.

Keegan. Kee, contraction of Mac Aoid́, son of Hugh; gan, offspring. Descendant of the son of Hugh.

Keenys. Ciuin, gentle; eas, a termination expressive of quality. Gentleness.

Kelley. Cailleać, a woman in a hood. The calla was generally worn by the old, and hence the term cailleac came to signify an old woman, a hag.

Kenallay. Cineal, pronounced knawl, a race, clan; ać, an individual. A clansman; one who belongs to a clan.

Kennard. Ceann, pronounced ken, head; ard, top, summit. Top of the head.

Kenna. Ceanna, genitive of ceann, belonging to the head.

Kent. Ceantir, compounded of ceann, head; tir, country. Head of the country.

Kehoe. Ceo, pronounced keogh, darkness. Keogh, similarly derived.

Keohne. Ceo, darkness; ain, a circle, genitive aine, of a circle. Darkness of the circle.

Keonen. Mac Eonin, from Mac, son, and Eonin, young Owen. Son of young Owen.

Kevin. Caoiḿǵein, from caoiḿ, gentle, and gein, an offspring. A gentle child.

Kiernan. Ciaran, from ciar, black; an, expressing personality, and indicative of a noun derived from an adjective. A black person.

Kilgore. Cill, church; gâir rejoicing, merriment.

Kilbritain. Cill, church; Brith, painted; tain, country. The church of the country of the painted inhabitants.

Kineal. Cin, of the head, source; al, offspring. Clan; class; race; progeny.

Kincaid. Cionn, affection, regard; cead, first. First love; earliest affection.

Kinkora. Cionn, love; cora, genitive of coir, justice. Love of justice.

Kinnear. Cionn, affection; fear, a man. An affectionate man.

Kinney. Cionn, pronounced kin, esteem, regard; neać, an individual. A person of esteem. Kinnie, of like derivation.

Kirin. Ciaran, from ciar, black; an, implying person. A black person.

Kirwin. Ciard́ub́an, a swarthy, black-haired person.

Krean. Crion, pronounced kreen, withered, palsied.

Kueney. Ciuin, gentle, mild; neać, an individual. A mild person.

Kynett. Cionn, pronounced in certain parts kynn, affection; aid́, sign of a personal noun. An affectionate person.

Langdon. Loing, of ships; dion, a harbor. A harbor of ships.

Leahy. Leat́an, pronounced leahan, wide; an, denoting personality. A large person.

Lillagan. Lile, genitive of lil, lily; gan, offspring. Descendant of a lily.

Limerick. Luimneać, from luime, or loime, bareness; neać, for na eać, of the horses. Bareness of the horses. The original possessor of this name was, doubtless, a native of the town of the same name, which was built on a peninsula made bare by the many horses sent thither to graze.

Linn. Linn, a marsh, a swamp.

Linnehan. Linn, a marsh; leat́an, wide. A broad marsh. Linahan and Linehan are from the same roots.

Linch. Leat́-inse, leat́, half; inse, island. Half-island. Lynch has like derivation.

Linton. Linn, a marsh; ton, from tun, Anglo-Saxon for town. A town built on a marsh.

Loch. Loć, pronounced loch, lokh, logh, a lake.

Long. Long, a ship. Not to be mistaken for the Anglo-Saxon long, or lang, having length. The typical Longs were of Celtic origin.

Loughlin. Loć, lake; linn, a marsh. A lake within a marsh.

Loughry. Loć, lake; riǵ, pronounced reegh, or reey, king. The lake of the king. Lowry, an abbreviation of the name.

Lunn. Luan, the moon.

McAdam. Mac, son; Hebrew word Adam, a red, or dark-brown man.

McAdoo. Mac, son; Ad́aḿ, pronounced either Adk-oo or Awoo, Adam. Son of Adam.

MacAlister. Mac, son; Alister, Alexander. Son of Alexander. MacAllister, of the same parentage.

Mac Aller. Mac, son; alla, a cliff; er, a man. Son of a cliff-dweller.

McAlonan. Mac, son; aluin, beautiful; an, sign of personal noun. Son of a beautiful person.

McAlvin. Mac, son; Alvin, corruption of Alban, genitive case of Alba, Scotland. Son of Scotland.

McAnally. Mac, son; anail, genitive of anal, breath; ać, an individual. Son of the breath of a person. McNally, only an abbreviated form of the same.

McAndrew. Mac, son; Andrew, a Greek word meaning strong, manly. Son of the strong. MacAndrias is the Irish form, from which are obtainable Anderson and Andrews.

McArdle. Mac, son; ard, high; le, contraction of aille, genitive of aill, a cliff. Son of a high cliff.

McAran. Mac, son; arain, genitive of aran, bread. Son of bread.

McArty. Mac, son; art, pronounced awrt, a place; eać, an individual. Son of a man of the place.

McAteer. Mac, son; an, of the; tir, pronounced teer, country. Son of the country; a countryman.

McAva. Mac, son; Eb́a, pronounced Awa, which is corrupted into Ava. Son of Eve.

McAuley. Mac, son; caille, genitive of caille, fame; eać, an individual. Son of a famous person.

McBeth. Mac, son; beith, genitive of beth, a house. Son of the house. Macbeth is another form of the same name.

McBreen. Mac, son; braone, pronounced breen, genitive of braon, a drop. Son of a drop.

McBrian. Mac, son; Brian, corruption of Britain. Son of the country of the Brith, or painted people.

McBronn. Mac, son; bronn, genitive of bruinn, a womb. Son of a womb.

McBryde. Mac, son; Anglo-Saxon bryd; Irish genitive bryde, of bride. Son of a bride.

McBurney. Mac, son; bur, an inner chamber; neać, an individual. Son of the inner chamber of a person.

MacCabe. Mac, son; cabe, genitive of cab, a mouth. Son of a mouth.

MacCalla. Mac, son; alla, a cliff, the final c of mac being carried over to alla. Son of a cliff.

McCallan. Mac, son; calla, a hood, genitive same; an, indicative of personality. Son of the wearer of a hood; son of a nun.

McCambridge. Mac, son; cam, treacherous; Scottish brig, a bridge. Son of the keeper of a treacherous bridge.

McCammon. Mac, son; camm or cam, deceitful; on for an, denoting a person. Son of a deceitful person.

McCamy. Mac, son; cam, deceitful; eać, an individual. Son of a deceitful person.

McCardle. Mac, son; ard, high; aille, genitive of aill, a cliff. Son of a high cliff.

McCarne. Mac, son; carn, a heap of stones; neać, an individual. Son of a heap of stones.

McCarroll. Mac, son; carruill, from car, dear, beloved; uille, genitive of uill or aill, a cliff. Son of the beloved cliff.

McCaughan. Mac, son; caiǵ, genitive of cat́, a warrior; an, a diminutive. Son of a short warrior.

McCaull. Mac, son; caille, genitive of caill, fame. Son of fame. McCaulley, from the same.

McCaw. Mac, son; cat́, pronounced cah, corrupted, doubtless, into caw, battle. Son of battle.

McCeever. Mac, son; caoiḿ, gentle; fear, a man. Son of a gentle man.

MacClean. Mac, son; lean, pronounced lane, a marsh. Son of a marsh. MacClaon and MacClane, of similar origin.

McCleary. Mac, son; cleireać, pronounced clêary, a superannuated clergyman. Son of a superannuated clergyman.

McCleil. Mac, son; lile, genitive lil, a lily. Son of a lily.

McClow. Mac, son; cloiće, pronounced clokh, genitive of cloć, a stone. Son of a stone.

McClune. Mac, son; cluain, genitive of cluan, a retreat. Son of a retreat. McCloon, corruption of same.

McColey. Mac, son; col, kindred; eać, an individual. Son of a relative.

McConkle. Mac, son; conn, of heroes; caille, genitive of caill, fame. Son of heroes of fame.

McConn. Mac, son; conn, of heroes. Son of heroes.

McConnolly. Mac, son; conn, of heroes; aille, genitive of aill, a cliff. Son of the heroes of a cliff.

McCool. Mac, son; cuile, pronounced kool, the genitive of cul, the hinder part. Son of the hinder part.

McCorkle. Mac, son; Corcaiǵ, Cork; aille, genitive of aill, a hill. Son of a hill of Cork.

McCosh. Mac, son; coise, pronounced coshe, genitive of cos, a foot. Son of a foot.

McCotis. Mac, son; cotis, genitive case of the Latin cos, a grindstone. Son of a grindstone.

McCrea. Mac, son; cre, pronounced cra, of creed. Son of a creed. From the same roots is derived McCray.

McCreary. Mac, son; cre, of earth; riǵe, of king. Son of the King of the earth.

McCritt. Mac, son; cruite, genitive of cruit, a hump. Son of a hump.

McCrossin. Mac, son; croise, genitive of cros, a cross; in, diminutive. Son of a small cross.

McCrum. Mac, son; croime, crookedness, a noun derived from the adjective crom. Son of waywardness.

McCrunn. Mac, son; Scotch croon, a groan. Son of a groan.

McCrystal. Mac, son; criostail, genitive of criostal, a crystal. Son of a crystal.

McCully. Mac, son; cuile, genitive of cul, the hinder part; eać, an individual. Son of a person’s hinder part.

McCullough. Mac, son; cuile, genitive of cul, the hinder part; loiće, genitive of loć, a lake. Son of the lake of the hinder part.

McCummisky. Mac, son; cuimin, of valley; uisge, genitive of uisge, water. Son of the valley of water.

McCurdy. Mac, son; coire, pronounced kŭrh, genitive of coir, crime, sin; d, of; eać, individual. Son of the original sin of man; son of Adam’s fall.

McDavit. Mac, son; Daib́id́, pronounced occasionally Daivit, but more commonly Dâvee, of David. Son of David. McDevitt, from same.

McDermott. Mac, son; Diarmuid, from Dia, God, armuid, of arms. Son of the God of arms.

McDiarmuid. Mac, son; Diarmuid, God of arms. Son of the God of arms.

McDill. Mac, son; dille, genitive of dill, fondness. Son of fondness.

Mac Donnell. Mac Doḿnaill, in the original, from mac, son; Doḿnaill, genitive of Doḿnall, Donnell. Son of Donnell; Son of the Sunday of Beauty; Son of the Resurrection; Son of God. See Donnell.

McDonough. Mac, son; donaiǵ, genitive of donać, an unhappy person. Son of an unhappy person.

Mac Dowell. Mac, son; doḿan, the world, genitive doḿain, of the world; aille, of beauty. Son of the World of Beauty; Son of Heaven.

Mac Egan. Mac, son; Aod́gan, pronounced Eeygan, of Egan, the Irish equivalent of Hugh. The son of Hugh.

McElway. Mac, son; Elway, a corruption of Gailliḿ, Galway. Son of Galway, the town of the strangers.

McEnnery. Mac, son; Henri, genitive of Henri, Henry. Son of Henry.

McFadden. Mac, son; Fadden is the same as Padden, which is a corruption of Padruic, Patrick, a Latin word for patrician. Son of Patrick. Fitzpatrick, so common in the Celtic, has the same signification.

McFarlan. Mac, son; fara, genitive of fear, a man; lain, of a castle, the nominative singular being lan. Son of the man of the castle.

McFaul. Mac, son; fâile, genitive of fâil, fate. Son of fate.

Mcfee. Mac, son; faoi, genitive of faoi, faith. Son of faith.

MacFeeley. Mac, son; fialaiǵ, genitive of fialać, a generous person. Son of a generous person.

McFetridge. Mac, son; Fetter-rice, from Anglo-Saxon fetor, a chain for the feet, and rice, dominion. Son of a dominion in chains, or that is in bondage.

Mac Gahan. Mac, son; geain, genitive of gean, affection. Son of affection. McGahn, McGhan, are equivalents.

McGail. Mac, son; gaille, genitive of gail, steam. Son of steam.

McGarry. Mac, son; gearraiǵ, genitive of gearrać, a short person. Son of a short person. McGarey, McGary, McGeary, are of similar origin.

McGarvey. Mac, son; garb́eaiǵ, pronounced garvey, genitive of garb́eać, a rough person. Son of a rough person.

McGaver. Mac, son; gab́air, of a goat. Son of a goat.

McGee. Mac, son; Aod́, pronounced eey, Hugh. Son of Hugh.

McGill. Mac, son; giolla, genitive of giolla, a servant. Son of a servant.

McGlinn. Mac, son; glinne, genitive of glinn, the bright heavens. Son of the bright heavens. Sometimes spelt McGlynn.

McGloon. Mac, son; gluin, pronounced gloon, genitive of glun, the knee. Son of the knee. McGlone, McGlune, from the same.

McGlory. Mac, son; gloireaiǵ, pronounced gloireay, genitive of gloireać, a glorified person, or saint. Son of a glorified person.

McGowan. Mac, son; gob́an, pronounced gowan, genitive of gob́a, a smith. Son of a smith.

McGrane. Mac, son; grain, genitive of grân, a grain. Son of a grain. McGran, McGrann, equivalents.

MacGrath. Mac, son; graid́e, genitive of grad́, love. Son of love.

MacGraw. Mac, son; graid́e, pronounced grath or graw, love. Son of love.

McGrenery. Mac, son; greine, genitive of grian, sun; riǵ, pronounced ry or ree, king. Son of the sun-king.

McGuinn. Mac, son; guine, genitive of guin, a wound, an opening, a circle. Son of an opening.

McGuinness. Corruption of MacAnguis, the son of Anguis, Irish for Æneas.

McGuire. Mac, son; Maǵ-Muire, from maǵ, plain, Muire, of Mary. Son of the plain of Mary.

McGurk. Mac, son; gurke, German for cucumber. Son of a cucumber.

McHallahan. Mac, son; T́alla, genitive, of hall; leat́an, wide. Son of a wide hall.

MacHugh. Mac, son; Aod́, Hugh. Son of Hugh. From this name have sprung M’Coy, M’Gee, M’Kay, M’Coy, and Magee. Ua Aoid́, descendant of Hugh, has given us Hughson and Hughes.

MacHulay. Mac, son; Aoid́, of Hugh; lać, people. Son of Hugh’s people.

McInnis. Mac, son; inis, an island. Son of an island.

McInteer. Mac, son; in for an, of the; tir, pronounced teer, country. Son of the country. McIntyre, the usual spelling, is from the same roots.

McKaig. Mac, son; coige, genitive of coig, war. Son of war.

McKane. Mac, son; caine, genitive of cain, the undefiled. Son of the undefiled.

McKeefy. Mac, son; caoiḿeaiǵ, genitive of caoiḿeać, a gentle person. Son of a gentle person.

McKeene. Mac, son; ciuine, of silence. Son of silence.

MacKeever. Mac, son; caoiḿ, gentle; er for fear, a man. Son of a gentle man.

MacKiernan. Mac, son; ciarain, genitive of ciaran, a dusky person. Son of a dusky person.

McKieman. Mac, son; caoiḿ, gentle; an, implying person. Son of a gentle person.

McKim. Mac, son; caoiḿ, gentle. Perhaps, a contraction of McKieman.

McKinney. Mac, son; Kinney, from cionn, pronounced kin, affection, esteem; eać, an individual. Son of Kinney.

McKnight. Mac, son; cnioćta, genitive of cnioćt, a knight. Son of a knight.

MacKeon. Mac, son; Eoin, genitive of Eon, Owen or Eugene. Son of Owen or Eugene. MacKoun, Keon, Coyne, Owens, and Owenson, are all from the same roots.

McLain. Mac, son; leune, pronounced laine, genitive of leun, misfortune, misery. Son of misfortune.

McLuth. Mac, son; luait́, genitive of luat́, swiftness. Son of swiftness.

McMain. Mac, son; miain, genitive of mian, desire. Son of desire.

McMam. Mac, son; maim, genitive of mam, a mother. Son of a mother.

McMillin. Mac, son; muillin, of a mill. Son of a mill. McMullin, from the same.

McMinn. Mac, son; min, genitive of min, pronounced mĭn, meal. Son of meal.

McMurrich. Mac, son; murraiǵ, genitive of murrać, a man of the sea. Son of a seafaring man.

McNarr. Mac, son; nairr, Irish genitive of the German narr, a fool. Son of a fool.

McNamara. Mac, son; na, of the; mara, genitive of muir, the sea. Son of the sea.

McNamee. Mac, son; anaim, genitive of anam, a soul; ee for eać, an individual. Son of a person of soul; a generous person.

McPadruic. Mac, son; Padruic, Patrick. Son of Patrick. Fitzpatrick has the same significance, fitz being the Scotch for son.

McPayne. Mac, son; payne, from old English payne, pain. Son of pain.

McPhail. Mac, son; fâile, genitive of fâil, fate. Son of fate.

McQuade. Mac, son; Dutch kwade, genitive kwaide, evil. Son of evil.

MacQueen. Mac, son; Anglo-Saxon quean, a woman, allied to Irish gein, an offspring. Son of the Queen.

McQuigan. Mac, son; caoi, pronounced kwee, wailing; gan, offspring. Son of lamentation.

McQuillan. Mac, son; cuilleain, genitive of cuillean, a cur. Son of a cur. Quillen, Quillan and Quilkin, of like derivation.

McRae. Mac, son; rae, pronounced like ray, genitive of rae, the moon. Son of the moon; one influenced by the moon; a lunatic.

McShain. Mac, son; Seaǵâin, pronounced Shawn, genitive of Seaǵan, John. Son of John. McShane, McShawn, McShaughn, of like significance.

McShimon. Mac, son; Shimoin, Simon. Son of Simon. Fitzsimon, a kindred form.

McSorley. Mac, son; Soḿairle, of Sorley, or Charles. Son of Charles.

McSwain. Mac, son; Scotch swayn, genitive swayne, a lover. Son of a lover.

McSweegan. Mac, son; saoi, pronounced swee, a sage, a philosopher; gan, offspring. Son of the descendant of a philosopher.

McTague. Mac, son; Tad́g, pronounced Taig, genitive Taid́g, of Thaig. Son of Thaig.

McTamanney. Mac, son; tam, still, sluggish, placid; neac, an individual; originally, doubtless, tamnać, genitive tamnaiǵ. Son of a quiet person. Tamany, Tamney, slightly modified forms of the same.

McTaney. Mac, son; Taney, from teann, pronounced tāne, stiff, straight, independent, stubborn, hopeful, strong, reliant; ey for eać, an individual. Son of Taney; son of an independent person.

McTask. Mac, son; taisg, genitive of tasg, task, labor. Son of labor.

McTeer. Mac, son; tir, pronounced teer, country. Son of the country. Corruption of McIntire.

McThomas. Mac, son; Tomais, genitive of Tomas, Thomas. Son of Thomas. Thompson, from the same, is an analogous, but inverted, form.

McTighe. Mac, son; tiǵe, pronounced tighe, genitive of teać, a house. Son of a house.

McTurk. Mac, son; tuirc, genitive of torc, a boar, a hog. Son of a boar.

McVan. Mac-a-b́ean, from mac, son; a, of his; b́ean, pronounced van, woman. Son of his woman.

Mackin. Mac, son; cionn, of fondness. Son of fondness.

Macoun. Mac Eoin, from mac, son; Eoin, of Owen. Son of Owen. Mackuen, of similar origin.

Magagal. Maǵ-a-geall, from maǵ, plain; a, of the; gall, stranger. The plain of the stranger.

Magher. Maǵ, pronounced mâgh, a plain, genitive maiǵ, of plain; er, a man. A man of the plain.

Maguire. Maǵ, a plain; uire, contraction of Muire, of Mary. The plain of Mary.

Main. Mein, mind.

Malone. Maǵ, plain; luain, genitive of luan, pronounced loon, the moon. The plain, or face of the moon.

Maloney. Maǵ, plain; luain, of the moon; neać, individual. The man in the face of the moon.

Martin. Martan, from mart, an ox; an, denoting diminutiveness. A young ox.

Marvin. Marb́, pronounced marv, dead; in, implying personality. A dead person.

Maury. Mâiri, of the Mauri; riǵ, king. The king of the Mauri.

Moyall. Maǵ, pronounced, occasionally, moy, a plain, a level country; aille, of the cliff. The plain of the cliff. Sometimes written Moyal.

Meehan. Mian, pronounced mee-an, desire, the h being ornamental rather than useful.

Meenan. Mion, pronounced meen, small; an, suffix expressive of littleness. A small person.

Menough. Maon, pronounced meen, wealth; eać, an individual. A person of wealth.

Milnamow. Muillin-na-maǵ, from muillin, a mill; na, of the; maǵ, pronounced mow, plain. The mill of the plain.

Mishney. Misneac, pronounced mish-neay, or mishneach, courage.

Miskey. Meisge, pronounced misge, or miske, drunkenness.

Moll. Mol, active verb imperative, signifying “praise thou,”

Molloy. Mol-ad́, pronounced moloo, “let him praise.”

Morgan. Muir, the sea, genitive mara, of the sea; gan, offspring. A descendant of the sea; a mariner.

Mowbray. Maǵ, pronounced mow, a plain, a level country; braiǵ, pronounced bragh, or bray, genitive of brać, malt. The level country of the malt.

Mowrey. Maǵ, plain; riǵ, of king. The plain of the king. Mowry, the same.

Moy. Maǵ, sometimes pronounced moy, a level country.

Moyer. Maǵ, the level country; er for fear, a man. A man of the level country.

Muir. Muir, the sea. Other forms, Muire, Muhr, Moor, Moore, Murr.

Muirhead. Muir, the sea; Anglo-Saxon head. Head of the sea.

Muirney. Muir, the sea; neać, an individual. One that follows the sea; a mariner. Murney, from the same roots.

Mulcahey. Originally Mulcat́aiǵ, genitive of Mulcat́eać, from mul, mound, cat́aiǵ, of warrior. Mound of a warrior. Mulcahy, another form of spelling.

Mulcrone. Mul, axle; cruine, pronounced croon, of the world. The axle of the world.

Muldoon. Mul, a mound, a knoll; dun, stronghold, castle. The mound on which the castle stands.

Mullin. Muillin, a mill. Mullen betrays like origin.

Mullock. Muillin, a mill; loiće, genitive of loć, lake. The mill of the lake.

Murdock. Muir, the sea; Gothic dok, an inlet, a gulf. Sea-harbor.

Murlin. Muir, the sea; linn, a marsh. A marsh by the sea.

Murray. Murrać, Murragh, from muir, the sea, and ać, an individual. A navigator; a sailor.

Murtagh. Muir, the sea; teać, sometimes incorrectly pronounced teagh, a house. A house by the sea; a light-house. Murtagh, Murtaugh, indicate their kinship.

Neachtan. Neać, a man; tain, of the country. A man of the country; a countryman; a farmer. Naughten, corrupted form of the name.

Nee. Ni, or niǵ, pronounced nee, neegh, neey, a daughter.

Neeley. Niall, Neill, genitive Neill, of Neill; y for neać, an individual. Child of Neill. Sometimes written Neely.

Neilan. Neill, of Neill; an, denoting personality. One of the family of Neill. Neelan and Neelen are the same. Neelans, the son of Neelan, the final s being a contraction of sun, Anglo-Saxon of son.

Neill. Niall, from ni, a daughter; aille, genitive of aill, a cliff. Daughter of the cliff. Neill, Neille, Niell, Nille, Neal, Neel, Newill, Nihill, a few of the many forms of the name.

Neilson. Neill, of Neill; Anglo-Saxon sun, son. The son of Neill. Nelson, of like derivation and import.

Nesbit. Nees, son of Nee; bit́, life. Life of Nees; life of the son of Nee; life of the son of a daughter. Sometimes written Nesbitt.

Ney. Neać, pronounced neay, a man. More probably from niǵ, a daughter.

Nicoll. Neać, occasionally pronounced neach, a man; aille, genitive of all, a cliff. The man of the cliff. Nicol is similarly derived.

Noell. Neul, pronounced na-il, a cloud. Noel, Nowel, Newell, cognate forms.

Nolan. Noell, from neul, a cloud, and an, implying person. Son of Noell; son of the cloud. Nolen, a less common form of the name.

Noon. Noin, pronounced like oi in toil, noon. Noone, Nune, are forms of the same.

Noonan. Noinean, a daisy, from noin, day, noon. Like the Saxon term daisy—day’s eye—derived from day.

O’Beirne. O, for ua, a grandson, a descendant; beirne, genitive of beirn, a child. Grandson of a child.

O’Brien. O, descendant; Brien, corruption of Britain. Grandson of a Briton. O’Bryan, of similar signification.

O’Connell. Ua Connaill, from ua, grandson; Connaill from conn, of heroes, and aille, of a cliff. Descendant of Connell; grandson of heroes of the cliff.

O’Connor. O, descendant; Connor, from conn, of heroes, cub́ar, fond of. Grandson of Connor; descendant of those fond of heroes. O’Conner, slightly modified form.

O’Daley. O, grandson; dalaiǵ, genitive of dalać, a blind fellow. Descendant of a blind man.

O’Dare. O, descendant; dara, genitive of dair, the oak. Grandson of Dare.

O’Dea. O, descendant; Dea, of God. Descendant of God. O’Day, an obscure form of the name.

O’Donovan. O’Don-a-b́ean, from o, grandson; dona, unfortunate; a, of; b́ean, woman. Descendant of an unfortunate woman. O’Donovan, of like significance.

O’Donnell. Ua Doḿnaill, from ua, descendant; Doḿnaill, of Donnell. Grandson of Donnell; a descendant of Christ. O’Donal, an abbreviated form of the name. See McDonnell.

O’Farra. O, descendant; fara, genitive of fear, a man. Grandson of man.

O’Farrell. O, grandson; fara, of man; aille, of cliff. A descendant of the man of the cliff.

O’Gara. O, descendant; gara, genitive of gearr, a noun derived from an adjective of the same name, meaning shortness. Grandson of a short person.

O’Gorman. O, grandson; Gorman, a blue-eyed person. Descendant of a blue-eyed person.

O’Grady. O, descendant; graid́e, genitive of grad́, affection; y for eać, an individual. Grandson of Grady; descendant of an affectionate person.

O’Hara. O, grandson; hara, Irish genitive of the Anglo-Saxon noun hara, a hare. Descendant of a hare.

O’Kee. O, descendant; Kee, corruption of Mac Aoid́, pronounced Mac Eey, son of Hugh. Grandson of the son of Hugh.

O’Keef. O, offspring; caoiḿ, gentle. Descendant of the gentle. O’Keef, O’Keeffe, analogous words.

O’Kelley. O, descendant; Kelley, from caillaiǵ, genitive of cailleać, an old woman, a hag. Grandson of an old woman.

O’Leary. O, grandson; Anglo-Saxon lǽr, learning; Irish y for eać, an individual. Descendant of an educated person.

O’Lone. O, descendant; luain, genitive of luan, a warrior. Grandson of a warrior.

O’Lochlin. O, grandson; loiće, genitive of loć, pronounced loch, a lake; linn, a swamp. Descendant of Lochlin. O’Loughlin, O’Laughlin, cognate terms.

O’Malachlyn. O’McLochlin, from o, descendant; McLochlin, son of Lochlin. Descendant of McLochlin.

O’Mara. O, descendant; mara, genitive of muir, the sea. Offspring of the sea. O’Meara, most generally in use.

O’Millin. O, offspring; muillin, of the mill. Descendant of the mill. O’Mullen, O’Mullane, derivable from the same roots.

O’Neill. Ua Neill, from ua, grandson; Neill, genitive of Niall, Neill. Descendant of Neill. O’Neil, O’Neal, quite commonly occur, and are similarly derived.

Oram. Or, gold; am, time. Time is gold; precious opportunity.

Ord. Ord, order, arrangement.

O’Regan. O, descendant; Regan, from riǵ, a king; an for tan, place, region. Descendant of Regan.

O’Reilly. Ua Raǵallać, from ua, grandson, riaǵail, a rule; ać, an individual. Descendant of a ruler; grandson of a king.

O’Rourk. Ua Ruarcać, from ua, descendant; rad́arc, pronounced in Connaught rooarc, sight, and ać, an individual. Grandson of Rourk; descendant of a man of judgment. O’Rourke, O’Rorke, kindred names.

Orr. Or, gold, wealth, riches. In a secondary sense, precious, valuable.

O’Shaughnessy. O, descendant; Seaǵan, pronounced Shaughn, or Shawn, genitive Seaǵain, John; nees, ni, daughter, and Anglo-Saxon s for sun, son; y for eać, an individual. Grandson of a person belonging to the son of the daughter of John. O’Shannessy, of like derivation.

O’Shanter. O, descendant; Seaǵain, John’s; ter, from tir, country. A descendant of John’s country.

Ossian. Osna, a sigh; n for an, denoting a personal noun. One who sighs; a mourner.

O’Sullivan. O, descendant; suile, pronounced soo-il, genitive of suil, the eye; i for a, his; b́ean, woman.

O’Toole. O, descendant; genitive tuile, pronounced too-il, of flood. Descendant of a flood.

Owen. Eon, perhaps from uan, pronounced oo-an, a lamb. From Mac Eoin, son of Owen, have arisen MacKeon, Keon, Coyne, Owens, and Owenson.

Owenson. Owen, and sun, the Anglo-Saxon of son. Son of Owen. Owens is the same name curtailed of the last two letters.

O’Weir. O, descendant; Anglo-Saxon wér, a man, Irish genitive weir. Descendant of man.

Padden, corruption of Padruic, Irish for Patrick. A patrician; a nobleman. Paddin is another spelling of the name.

Pearson. Pearsan, genitive of pearsa. A person.

Pollard. Poll, a hole, a pit; ard, high, chief, supreme. A high hole; a deep pit.

Quillin. Cuillean, a cur. Quillen, a slightly changed, and Quill, a largely abbreviated form of the same word.

Quin. Caoin, pronounced kween, weeping, wailing. Quinn, of like derivation.

Quinlivan. Caoin, weeping; luib́, pronounced liv, genitive luib́e, grass, weed; an for tan, garden. A garden of weeping grass.

Quinney. Caoin, weeping; ney from neać, an individual. A mourner.

Rainear. Rainn, genitive of rann, song, poem, stanza; ear for fear, a man. A singer; a minstrel; a poet. Rainier, a name farthest removed from the primitive form, but the one that is most generally used.

Rainey. Rainn, genitive of rann, song, poem; eać, an individual. A writer of songs; a poet. Raney, Reaney, cognate names.

Redfearn. Anglo-Saxon read, red; Irish fearn, pronounced fārn, alder-tree. The red alder-tree.

Regan. Riǵ, king; an for tan, possessions, country. A kingdom. Reagan, Ragan, and, perhaps, Rogan, of like import.

Reilly. Raǵallać, from riaǵail, a rule; ać, an agent. A ruler; a king. Reilley, Reily, Rielly, Riley, cognate forms.

Richardson. Mac Risdeard, son of Richard. Richards, Dicson, Dixon, have the same signification, Richard, in Old German, meaning rich-hearted, powerful.

Rock. Roć, pronounced rokh, rock, a large stone.

Rourk. Ruarcać, from rad́arc, pronounced rooarc, sight, and ać, an individual. An observant person; a man of judgment. Rourke, Rorke, Rork, Riark, referable to the same roots.

Rox. Rocks, from roć, a rock, and Anglo-Saxon sun, son. Son of Rock.

Ruan. Run, pronounced roon, secret, dear, beloved. Ruane, Ruene, analogous words.

Runey. Run, secret, beloved; ney for neać, an individual, an agent. One that is beloved. Rooney, Roney, common spellings of the name.

Ryan. Riǵin, pronounced ry-an, slow.

Searle. Soḿairle, pronounced Sowarley, Sorley, or Charles. Shorley is from the same root, only the initial consonant has its characteristic force before the slender vowel e.

Sewell. Suil, pronounced soo-ill, the eye. Sewall, a slightly modified form of the name.

Shane. Sean, pronounced shane, old. Shan, Shean, Sheain, Sheahan, Sheehan, of similar derivation.

Shannon. Sean, old; aḿan, pronounced awan, river. An ancient river.

Shaughney. Seaǵain, pronounced Shawn, genitive of Seaǵan, John; neać, an individual, an agent. The helpmeet of John.

Sheely. Sile, pronounced Shee-le, Celia.

Shinn. Sinn, pronounced shinn, we, us. Sinn, the same, only the s has not taken its accustomed sound of sh before the slender vowel i.

Sinnott. Sinn, we, us; aid́, or aoid́, a person. One who uses the pronoun we; an editor; a reviewer; a governor. Sinett, Synott, Shenett, Sennett, equivalent names.

Smiggins. Smiggin, from smigin, the chin; s, contraction of sun, Anglo-Saxon for son. Son of Smiggin; son of the chin.

Stephenson. Mac Steṕain, from mac, son, and Steṕain, genitive of Steṕan, Stephen. Son of Stephen. Fitzstephen has the same signification.

Sullivan. Sul-a-b́ean, from sul, the eye; a, of; b́ean, woman. The eye of woman.

Sully. Sul, the eye; genitive suile, pronounced soo-il-le, belonging to the eye.

Sweegan. Saoi, pronounced swee, a philosopher, a man of letters; gan, descendant. The offspring of a philosopher.

Sweeney. Saoi, a gentleman, a hero; neać, an individual, an agent. A valet; an aid-de-camp.

Taine. Teine, pronounced tain, fire. Toyne, greatly modified form of the original.

Tammaney. Tam, still, sluggish, placid; neać, an individual, an agent. A cool, calm, deliberate person.

Taney. Teine, fire; neać, an agent, an individual. An ardent, zealous man.

Tenney. Teann, pronounced tane, straight, independent, stubborn, hopeful, strong, reliant; eać for neać, an individual. A strong, hopeful, reliant person. Tenny, Teeney, Teeny, of similar import.

Terrell. Tir, pronounced teer, a country; ell for aill, a cliff. The cliff-country. Tirrill, Tyrell, familiar forms of the same name.

Terry. Tir, country; riǵ, the king. The king’s country.

Thoreau. Torad́, pronounced thoroo, produce, fruit, fruitfulness.

Tierney. Tir, country; neać, an individual. A countryman; a farmer.

Tighe. Tiǵe, pronounced tighe, genitive of teać, a house. Belonging to a house.

Toole. Tuile, pronounced too-il-e, a flood. Tool, Tull, Tully, cognate names.

Torrey. Torać, pronounced torach, thunder.

Trall. Traill, pronounced trawll, a slave, a bastard.

Trombar. Trom, heavy; barr, top, summit. Top-heavy. Trumbar, similarly derived.

Van Barr. Van, Dutch for son, doubtless from Irish bean, woman; barr, summit, top. Son of Barr; son of a man of eminence.

Vannaman. Van-na-mann, from van, son; na, of the; mann, man. Son of the man. Names commencing with van are considered by writers of philology as Dutch, but in many such terms the student readily perceives an Irish origin. Van, without doubt, is nothing but bean, the Irish for woman, with its initial consonant aspirated.

Williamson. Mac Uilleam, from mac, son; Uilleam, genitive of Uilliam, William. Son of William. Fitzwilliam, Williams and MacWilliam are forms of the word, the last being the Irish name assumed by the Bourkes of Connaught on the death of their chief, William De Bourg, third earl of Ulster.

Yarnall. Eireann, genitive of Eire, Ireland; aill, a cliff. A cliff of Ireland.

Yarrick. Eire, Ireland; eać for neać, an individual. An Irishman.

Yarrow. Iar, western; ać, fragmentary form of neać, pronounced ach, or agh, an individual. A western man; a native of Ireland.

From the Anglo-Saxon.

HISTORY—JUTES, SAXONS, ANGLES.

Every Englishman—and we apply the term in a comprehensive sense—who would clearly understand the force of his mother-tongue, should study Anglo-Saxon, as it is the direct and copious source of his own beloved language. Out of the many thousand words in use in English, more than five-eighths are of Anglo-Saxon origin. These, not only in number, but in their peculiar character and significance, as well as in their influence on grammatical forms, give to our language, it is universally admitted, its chief vigor. In short, they constitute its bone and sinew. Volumes may be written in words of Anglo-Saxon parentage alone, but it would be impossible to express the simplest thought in language of Latin derivation. Words expressive of the dearest relations, the strongest and most powerful feelings of nature, the language of every-day life, as of duty, business, pleasure, etc., find in the Anglo-Saxon their deepest, sincerest, and most energetic portrayals. Every speaker or writer, if he would convince the understanding and reach the heart, must shun Latinized expressions, and use the Anglo-Saxon, for the one awakens vivid, soul-stirring thoughts, and the other thoughts that are cool and unimpassioned.

With this view of Anglo-Saxon’s importance to every Englishman, a brief account of the origin of the present inhabitants of England will show that we owe to the Gothic tribes—the Jutes, the Saxons and the Angles—our physical vigor, yea, our very existence, as well as our highly expressive language. Like all the Teutonic tribes, the Saxons were of Oriental origin. They derived, most probably, their appellation from the Sacæ, who doubtless gave the name of Sakasina to a part of Armenia. In Ptolemy’s time, A. D. 90, they were as far westward as the Elbe, and, consequently, were among the first of the Teutonic tribes that visited Europe. Their location, between the Elbe and the Eyder in the south of Denmark, strengthens the belief that they were the vanguard of Germanic emigration. The Jutes, the Saxons and the Angles, which were the only tribes that successively made settlements in Britain, are therefore deemed of sufficient interest to claim especial attention.

The first to obtain possession were the Jutes. Two brothers, Hengist and Horsa, from Jutland, in Denmark, arrived in three small ships at Ebbs-fleet, in the Isle of Thanet, in 449. This island was assigned to them by the Britons for their assistance against the Picts and Scots. Subsequently, they became possessors of Kent, the Isle of Wight, and part of Hampshire.

Forty-two years later, 491, the Saxons entered Britain. Their first kingdom was established by Ella, under the name of South-Saxons, including what is now known as Sussex, together with a part of Surrey. In 494 another powerful colony, under Cerdic, arrived. Being west of the other, it took the name West-Saxons. They occupied Hants, Berks, Wilts, Dorset, Somerset, Devon, and part of Cornwall. A third Saxon kingdom, in 527, was planted in Essex, Middlesex and the south of Hertfordshire, under the name of East-Saxons (East-Seaxe).

The Angles (Engle), from Anglen, the country between Flensburg and the Schley in the southeast of Sleswick in Denmark, settled about 527 in East Anglia, and exercised control over what now embraces Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridge, and part of Bedfordshire. Ida, in 547, began to establish himself in Bernicia, comprehending Northumberland and the south of Scotland, between the Tweed and Firth of Forth. About 559 Ella conquered Deira, a tract of country between the Humber and the Tweed, embracing the counties of York, Durham, Northumberland, Cumberland, Westmoreland, and Lancashire. Mercia, bounded by the Thames, Humber and Severn, and comprehending the counties of Chester, Derby, Huntingdon, Lincoln, Northampton, Nottingham, Rutland, the north of Beds, Bucks, Hertford, Warwick, Oxon, Worcester, Hereford, Gloucester, Stafford and Salop, was formed by Crida, about 586, into an independent state.

From the foregoing remarks it appears that one Jute, three Saxon, and four Angle, altogether eight kingdoms, were established in Britain by the year 586, and that the Angles and Saxons were the leading spirits in the expeditions. They, therefore, when settled in this country, were collectively called Anglo-Saxons. From the Angles (Engle), who were the most numerous and predominant, the land was named Engla land, the Engle’s or Angle’s land—an appellation which was afterwards contracted into England.

Anglo-Saxon, that is, Angle-, Engle-, or English-Saxon, is the language of the Platt, Low, Flat, or North part of Germany, introduced into England by the Jutes, the Angles, and the Saxons, and modified, spoken, and written by Englishmen. The less daring and enterprising of these peoples who remained in their continental home bore the name of Old-Saxons, and their language Old-Saxon, but their brethren who settled in Britain were fitly designated Anglo-Saxons, and their language, perfected in England, was denominated Anglo-Saxon. To King Alfred, and the many writings of Alfric, we are indebted for the finest specimens of Anglo-Saxon spoken and written in England in their days.

Persons who are desirous of tracing the origin of Anglo-Saxon, or of comparing it with kindred dialects, must first go to the Old-Saxon, the Low-German spoken by those who remained in the old home of the Jutes, the Angles, and the Saxons. No written specimen of the language spoken by these Old-Saxons is extant, but there is, in a collateral dialect, a very fine poem, written in the ninth century, which is entitled Heliand, Healer or Saviour. While some of the Low-German race migrated to England, others passed to the lower Rhine and settled there. This poem being written in the dialect of these Rhenish Old-Saxons, and the latter being akin to the Anglo-Saxon, there can be no question as to its vast importance in the study of the language which is the foundation of our own. Recourse may then be had to other works in Low-German. High-German, Icelandic, Danish, Norwegian and Swedish may then be consulted, and carried back to their Oriental source. None of the German or Scandinavian dialects have writings antedating those of the Anglo-Saxons, except the Germanic in the Moeso-Gothic Gospels of Ulphilas, published in 370, and some Icelandic. A zealous attempt, tracing the origin of the English, Germanic, and Scandinavian languages and nations, with a sketch of their early literature, and short chronological specimens of Anglo-Saxon, Friesic, Flemish, Dutch, German, from the Moeso-Goths to the present time, Icelandic, Norwegian and Swedish, and tracing the progress of these languages and their connection with the modern English, was made by Rev. Joseph Bosworth, in 1848. All interested in such knowledge will find themselves abundantly repaid by an examination of this learned scholar’s investigations, as shown in the work to which reference has just been made.

LESSONS IN ANGLO-SAXON. — Anglo-Saxon Letters—Their Names. — Sounds of Vowels. — Sounds of Consonants. — Accent—Its Use. — Euphonic Changes. — Nouns—Their Declension. — Adjectives.—Their Degrees. — Verbs.—Their Attributes.

The Anglo-Saxon alphabet has twenty-four letters, namely, a, æ, b, d, dh, e, f, g, h, i, l, m, n, o, p, r, s, t, th, u, w (vv), x and y. All but three, dh, th, w, are Roman characters, the variations from the common form being cacographic fancies.

No difficulty is experienced by German-speaking students in calling the letters by their proper appellations as their resemblance to the German names, excepting in three instances, is very intimate and striking. Ah, ă, bay, cay, day, edh, ay, ef, gay, hah, ee, el, em, en, o, pay, er, es, tay, thorn, oo, wên, ex, ypsilon, express very accurately their syllabic representation.

An accent is found in Anglo-Saxon manuscripts, but in none so regularly used as to become an objective feature of Anglo-Saxon text. It is found oftenest over a long vowel; sometimes over a vowel of peculiar sound, not long; seldom, except over syllables requiring a stress of voice. There are times, it seems, when nothing but stress is indicated. English editors represent it mostly by an acute accent, but the Germans generally print Anglo-Saxon with a circumflex over all single long sounds in the root of words, and an acute over the diphthongs; as brôder, freónd. In this book, an acute accent is used over all long vowels and diphthongs.

A short or unaccented is sounded like a in man. It is often found in the final syllables of inflections, and generally appears in the radix before a doubled consonant, or two different consonants.

The radical short a can only stand before a single consonant, and st, sc, when this single consonant and these double letters are followed in the inflections by a, o, u in nouns; a, o, u, e in adjectives; and a, o, u, and ia in verbs.

Specially important are the remarks contained in the last paragraph in the declension of words, for, monosyllables, ending in a single consonant, in st, or sc, reject the e from the short æ, and leave the short a alone, whenever, in declining, the consonant or consonants happen to be followed by a, o, u in nouns, and a, o, u, e in adjectives.

It must be remembered, then, that a short a cannot stand in a word. 1. When it ends in a single consonant, that is, when no inflection of a, o, u in nouns follow, as in stæf. 2. When in nouns a single consonant is followed by e, as in wæter. 3. When the word has any other double consonants than st, sc, even though followed by a, o, u, as in cræft. 4. In contracted words, when æ is not in the last syllable, as in æcer.

When the á is accented it is then long, and words containing this long or accented á are now represented by English terms with the vowel sounded like o in no and in bone. Hám home, bán, bone, án, one, stán, stone, have either the same or an analogous meaning in English and Anglo-Saxon. Sometimes the accented or long á is represented in English by oa, as ác, an oak, gád, a goad, lám, lome. Occasionally, á becomes oe in English, as dá, a doe, fá, a foe, rá, a roe, but the ae in these words has the sound of o in no. The same may be said of oa in boar. Hence, it appears that the Anglo-Saxon á is represented by the modern English o, oa, and oe, which have the sound of o in no, or bone. The long á is often changed into æ, as lár, lore, lǽran, to teach.

-A, added to words, denotes a person, an agent, an actor, hence,—All names ending in a are masculine, and make the genitive in an, as from cum, come (thou), cuma, a person who comes, or a guest, is derived. Some words, denoting inanimate things, terminate in a, and these words, having the same declension as those which signify persons or actors, are also masculine. A- is an inseparable prefix, denoting negation, determination or opposition, as from, out, away. A- does not always appear to alter the signification, but generally, however, it adds some little force or intensity to the original meaning of the word to which it is joined.

Anglo-Saxon words, containing the short or unaccented vowel e, are often represented by modern English words of the same meaning, having the sound of e in fed, as nett, bedd, webb. Before a double consonant, two different consonants, or one or two consonants when followed by a long or final vowel, the short e is most generally used.

Words containing the long or accented é are very frequently represented by English terms of the same meaning, and have the sound of e in meet. Long é is used, as in thé, at the end of words, and before the consonants l, m, n, r, s, t, d, dh, c, g and f.

-E, in the ending of nouns, denotes a person, as hyrde, a shepherd, from hyrdan, to guard. It is also used to form nouns denoting inanimate objects, as cyle, cold, but these are mostly derived from verbs, and hence are masculine; but, when they come from adjectives, they are feminine. Final e is the termination of derivative adjectives, and is also the usual letter by which adjectives ending in a consonant become adverbs.

Unaccented i has the sound of i in fin, as is evidenced by the following Anglo-Saxon words which have the same meaning in English as in Saxon:—tin, dim, scip, wit, ribb, milc, etc.

I long has the sound of i in fine, as in the cognate words, tíne, wín, díc, hwíl.

The verbal termination ian, or with a consonant before the i—cian, gian, nian, sian—is the most simple and universal. It is joined to various parts of speech, but especially to nouns and pronouns. These verbs almost always make the perfect tense in ode, and the perfect participle in od. Verbs thus formed from adjectives are generally neuter, but they become active by prefixing ge, as lytl, little, lytlian, to become little, gelytlian, to diminish.

I and ie are often used for g, ge, y, and e.

Short o, in Anglo-Saxon, has probably the sound of o in for, as corn, horn, loc.

O, accented, was sounded in Saxon as oo in cook, as proved by the cognate words cóc, bóc, gód, cól, fót, etc.

Final o is chiefly used to form the names of qualities from adjectives, as menigeo, the many, multitude. Nouns ending in o are feminine and indeclinable, but they often end in u, and in that case have a regular feminine declension.

A few nouns in final o are neuter, and make the genitive in ewes, as ealo, ale, genitive ealewes.

The unaccented u in Anglo-Saxon had most probably the sound of u in fun, as testified to by butt, dun, munc, up, etc., which have the same meaning in English as in Saxon.

Long ú had the sound of ou, or ow, in about, foul, house, town, as fúl, hú, mús, nú, úre, Saxon words which have the same signification, as their English representatives most plainly show.

Eo are sometimes used for u, as sweord, swurd, and y for ú, as swytol, swútol. In later times, u was employed for f and v, as luue, lufe, Dauid, David.

Some few names ending in u are masculine or neuter, but they are mostly feminine, and form the names of qualities from adjectives.

Short u or accented Anglo-Saxon y had the y sounded as in mystery, duty, as tynder, hyp, syn, mynster, which are represented by modern English words of like signification.

The long or accented y had the sound of y in type, sky, as will be evident from the following cognate words: lýs, fýr, hýd, brýd, and lýf.

Unaccented i is often used for y, and long i for y; as lístan, litel, minster for lystan, lytel, mynster, and fír, bríd, líf, for fýr, brýd, lýf.

The consonants have their common English sounds: c, like k, always; ch, like kh, in work-house; cw, like qu; dh, like English th in a similar word, as ódher, other, dódh, doth; g, like g in go, always; h, very distinct; hw, like wh in New England; i (= j), before a vowel, like y; s, like s in so; t, like t in to; th, like th in thin; w, like w; wl, wr, and final w nearly close the lips; x, like ks.

The primary accent is on the first syllable of every word: as, bródʹ-her, brother; unʹ-cúdh, uncouth.

Proper prefixes in verbs and participles take no primary accent; such are á, an, and, æt, be, bi, ed, far, ful, ge, geord, in, mis, ódh, of, ofer, on, or, tó, thurh, un, under, widh, widher, ymb, ymbe: an-ginʹ-nan, begin; on-geánʹ, again. The syllable after the prefix assumes the accent.

Derivatives from nouns, pronouns, or adjectives, retain their accent. Such are all verbs in and-, ed-, or-, found in Anglo-Saxon poetry, and many adverbs in un-, etc.

Compounds, formed of adverbs and verbs, retain their accent. Such are these with æfter, bí, bíg, efen, eft, fore, ford, from, fram, hider, mid, midher, gegn, geán, gén, tó, up, út, wel.

The inseparable prefixes á-, be- (bi-), for-, ge-, are unaccented; as, á-lýsʹ-ing, redemption.

A secondary accent may fall in the tone syllable of the lighter part of a compound or on a suffix; as, ó-fer-cumʹ-an, overcome.

Gemination is the doubling of a letter. When final, or next to a consonant, it is simplified, mm changing to mb, nn to nd, ss to st, ii to ig, un to up: as, timbr for timmr, timber; spindl for spinnl, spindle; lufast for lufass, lovest; lufige for lufie, love; bearupes for bearuues, grove. Double g is written cg, and double f, bb.

Umlaut is the assimilation of a vowel by the vowel of the succeeding syllable: a-umlaut changes i to e (eo), u to o; i-umlaut, a to e, u to y, ea to y, eo to y, á to ǽ, ó to é, ú to ý, eá to y, eó to ý; u-umlaut, a to ea (o), i to eo. The i which produces i-umlaut is often changed to e or dropped: as, man, plural men, from meni; fót, plural fét, feet, from féti.

Breaking is the change of one vowel to two by a consonant. G, c, and ac may break a following a to ea, o to eo, i to ie, á to eá, ó to eó; l, r and h may break a preceding a to ea, i to eo (io), ie: as, geaf, gave; sceó, shoe; sealm, psalm; hleator, laughter; meolc, milk.

Shifting is the weakening of a letter not produced by other letters: a to æ, ǽ to é, eá and eó to é, etc.; dæg, from dag, day.

There are two classes of declensions of Anglo-Saxon nouns:—Strong, those which have sprung from vowel stems, and weak, that which has sprung from stems in an. Of the four declensions, the first, second and third are distinguished by the genitive singular ending in es, e, and a, respectively, and the fourth by its termination in an.

Strong nouns have all masculines of the first or third declension; all feminines of the second or third, and all neuters of the first.

Abstract nouns have their gender controlled by the terminations. In derivatives, the feminine gender prevails, while compound nouns follow the gender of the last part.

Names of males, of the moon, and of many weeds, flowers, winds, are masculine. Nouns representing names of females, of the sun, and of many trees, rivers, and soft and low musical instruments, are feminine. Neuter nouns are names of wife, child, as well as diminutives, many general names, and words made an object of thought.

Epicene nouns have one grammatical gender, but are used for both sexes. Names of mammalia, except a few little timid ones, are masculine. Large and fierce birds are masculine; others, especially singing-birds, are feminine; large fishes are masculine, small, feminine; insects are feminine.

While in English there are but three cases, in Anglo-Saxon there are six. The nominative and vocative are always alike; the nominative, accusative, and vocative are alike in all plurals, and in the singular of all neuters and strong masculines. The genitive plural ends always in á or ená, and the dative and instrumental always in um (on).

Names of women in u or a consonant are strong, those in e or a are weak; while those of men in u, e or a consonant are strong, and those in a are weak.

Adjectives, in Anglo-Saxon, have one set of strong and one set of weak endings for each gender. The latter are used when the adjective is preceded by the definite article or some word analogous thereto. Hence, there are two declensions: the definite and the indefinite.

Degrees of quantity or quality in adjectives are shown by comparison. They are regularly compared by suffixing to the theme of the primitive ir, er or or for the theme of the comparative, and ist, est or ost for that of the superlative.

Verbs have two voices. The active represents the subject as acting, the passive as affected by the action. The active has inflective endings for many forms, the passive only for a participle. Other passive forms help this participle with the auxiliary verbs eom (am), beón, wesan, weordhan. There is, however, a middle voice, which represents the subject as affected by its own action; but, as this is expressed in Anglo-Saxon by adding pronouns, no paradigms are necessary.

There are six moods. The indicative states or asks about a fact; the subjunctive a possibility; the imperative commands or entreats; the infinitives (and gerunds) are substantives, and the participles adjectives. Certain forms of possibility are expressed by auxiliary modal verbs with the infinitive, and these are conveniently called a potential mode.

Five tenses, present, imperfect, future, perfect and pluperfect, are found in the language. The present and imperfect have tense stems; the future is expressed by the present, or by the aid of seal (shall) or wille (will); the perfect by help of the present of habban (have) or, with some intransitives, beón (be), wesan or weordhan (be); the pluperfect by the aid of the imperfect of habban, beón, wesan, or weordhan.

Verbs are classified for conjugation by the stems of the imperfect tense. Strong verbs express tense by varying the root vowel; weak verbs by composition. Strong verbs in the imperfect indicative singular first person have the root vowel unchanged, or changed by accent, which is called progression, or by contraction with old reduplication. There are six conjugations. No change is manifest in the root vowel in the first conjugation; the second, third and fourth are varied by accent or progression; the fifth by contraction, and the sixth by composition.

Since all the names derivable from verbs, with which we have to deal in the present work, are concerned with the present infinitive, present indicative of the first person, and perfect participle, it is unnecessary to enter into any elaboration of the verbal inflections. What is needful to be said will appear in its proper place in the derivations.

NAMES—THEIR DERIVATION. — A. — B. — C. — D. — E. — F. — G. — H. — I. — J. — K. — L. — M. — N. — O. — P. — Q. — R. — S. — T. — U. — W. — Y.

Abbott. Abbud, an abbot, chief governor, father, or superior of an abbey, convent, or monastery.

Adkin. Eard, earth; cyn, kin, kind. Earth-relative. Akin, contraction of the name.

Albert. Eal, all; beorht, bright. All bright; illustrious.

Alder. Aldor, life.

Alice. Ætheling, corrupted into Adeline, thence into Alice. A princess.

Alison. Alice, a princess; sun, a son. Son of Alice; son of a princess.

All. Eal, all, every, whole.

Allingham. Alling-hám, from All; ing, descendant; hám, home. Home of Alling; home of the offspring of All.

Apgar. Abgar, Irish ab, a father; gár, a spear, a dart. Defender of the father.

Appleton. Æppel-tún, from æppel, an apple; tún, town. An apple garden; an orchard.

Askin. Æscwine, from æsc, an ash-tree, ash, ash-spear, a ship, a man; wine, a friend. Boats were made of ash, hence a small ship, a skiff. Among the northern nations it was supposed that the first man was made out of ash: hence the word came to signify a man, the chief of men, a leader. Æsc, the name of Hengist’s son, was a leader.

Ashton. Æsc, Æsc; tún, town. The town of Æsc.

Asquith. Æsc, Æsc; cýth, home. The home of Æsc; the home of the ash.

Bancroft. Bán, pronounced bawn, bone; croft, a level tract of country, an enclosed field. A graveyard.

Bald. Báld, bold, courageous, honorable.

Baldwin. Báld, pronounced bawld, bold; win, a contest, battle. Bold in battle. Baldewin, Boldwin, less ancient forms of the name.

Banham. Bán, bone; hám, home. The bone-home; the grave.

Barton. Bere, corn; tún, town. A corn-farm; a corn-village; a grange.

Beal. Beal, evil. Beale, identical in derivation.

Beda. Beada, counsellor, persuader, exhorter.

Bedell. Bædel, a beadle. A messenger belonging to a court, or public body; a petty officer in a church.

Beck. Béc, or bóc, a book. Beck, Bock, Bok, analogous names.

Beckingham. Beck, Beck; ing, a son; hám, home. The home of the son of Beck.

Bishop. Bisceop, a bishop, a high-priest, a prelate.

Blake. Blæc, black. Black, of like parentage.

Boardman. Bórd, a shield; man, a man. A warrior; a knight.

Brice. Brice, fragment, rupture, violation, use, service. Bryce, only another spelling of the same.

Brock. Bróc, a brook, a rivulet. Brook, Brooke, from the same root.

Brooks. Brook, Brook; s for sun, son. Son of Brook.

Bronson. Brown, from brún, brown, and sun, son. Son of Brown.

Bront. Bront, raging, streaming. Brunt, doubtless, from the same source. Some, perhaps, would consider it a corruption of burnt, made brown.

Browning. Brown, Brown; ing, a descendant. Descendant of Brown.

Burn. Byrne, burning, a coat of mail, a corselet.

Burr. Búr, a chamber, a bower. Perhaps, from beorg, or beorh, a hill.

Burwick. Búr, a chamber; wic, a dwelling, village, camp. The guest-chamber.

Caster. Ceaster (Latin castra, a camp), a city. Chester, from the same derivation.

Caton. Anglo-Saxon for Cato, the Greek for downwards.

Chapman. Cépman, a merchant, a trader. Ceapman, in Chaucer’s day.

Chichester. Originally, Cicester, the equivalent of cyren-ceaster, or cyrn-ceaster; from cyren, new wine; ceaster, a city, fort, castle, town. Castle of new wine.

Clark. Clerc, Latin clericus, a clerk. Clarke, similarly derived.

Cliffe. Clif, a crag, an overhanging rock. Cliff, another form of the name.

Clifford. Cliffe, Cliffe; ford, a stream, a current. Cliffe’s ford.

Codman. Codd, scrip, satchel, small bag; man, a man. A cashier; a banker.

Coke. Cóc, a cook. Cook, Cooke, analogous forms.

Compton. Comp for comb, a valley; tún, town. A valley-town.

Cope. Cop, a cap, hood, or cloak.

Copp. Copp, the head, top, apex, a cup.

Coulter. Colter, a colter, a knife, a dagger. Colter, the commoner form of the name.

Cox. Cokes, from cóc, cook; sun, son. The son of Coke, or Cooke. Coxe, of kindred significance.

Cumberland. Combra, of valleys; land, land, ground, earth, field, region, country. A region of valleys.

Cunningham. Cunning, experience; hám, home. A home of art and letters.

Cunnington. Cunning, experience; tún, town. A cunning town; an enterprising town.

Cuthbert. Cúth, known, certain, familiar, domestic; beorht, brightness, a glistening, light, sight, glance. Known brightness; familiar glance.

Dade. Dǽd, deed, exploit, achievement.

Dadaker. Deád, dead; æcer, acre. An acre set apart for the dead. Dedaker, of analogous derivation.

Dager. Dagor, day.

Dalton. Dál, a dale, a small valley; tún, a town. A valley-town.

Dalrymple. Dál, a vale; hrympelle, a wrinkle, a ripple, a fold. An undulating vale.

Davies. Davie, diminutive for David; sun, son. Son of Davie. Davis, abbreviation of the same.

Dodd. Deád, dead.

Dunham. Dunholm, from dún, mountain; holm, an island. A mountainous island.

Durham. Deór, beast; hám, home, dwelling. A park; a dwelling for wild animals. Dereham, an earlier form of the name.

Dyer. Dýre, dear, costly, precious.

Earl. Earl, noble, earl, man. Earle, of similar significance.

Edgar. Eard, earth; gár, dart, spear. Earth-dart; defender of the earth.

Edmund. Eard, earth; mund, hand. Earth-hand; tiller of the soil.

Edmunds. Edmund, Edmund; s for sun, son. Son of Edmund. Edmundson, Edmondson, lengthened forms of the same name.

Edson. Eard, earth; sun, son. Son of earth. Edison, the same word, but of more euphonious pronunciation.

Edward. Eard, earth; weard, guardian, watchman. An earth-protector.

Edwards. Edward, Edward; sun, son. Son of Edward.

Egbert. Ecg, edge; beorht, glance. Side-glance.

Eldrick. Eal, all; rice, rich, powerful. All-powerful. Eldridge, doubtless, from the same roots.

Elmer. Ethelmer, from éthel, a home; mǽre, illustrious. An illustrious home.

Ely. Élig, from él, eel; ig, an island. Eel-island.

Emery. Earm, arm; rice, powerful. Mighty in battle. Emmery, Emory, cognate forms.

Emerson. Emery, Emery; sun, son. Son of Emmery.

Engle. Engel, an angel. Ingle, a slightly modified phase of the name.

Englebert. Engel, an angel; beorht, brightness. An angel of brightness.

Erwin. Eard, earth; wine, friend. Earth-friend. Ervin, Ervine, names of similar import.

Eton. Eten, a giant. Eaton, the accepted spelling.

Fager. Fæger, beauty, fair, beautiful.

Farnham. Fearn, a fern; hám, habitation. Habitation of the fern.

Farr. Farr, a wild boar.

Farrington. Farringdún, from fearn, a fern; g, for the sake of euphony; dún, a hill. A hill of fern.

Fell. Fell, gall, anger, death, a skin, cruel, severe.

Field. Feald, a field, a fold.

Fielding. Field, Field; ing, descendant. Descendant of Field.

Finch. Finc, a small bird. Fink, Finck, Fenke, kindred forms.

Firman. Fir, the living, chief of living beings, man; man, man. The living man.

Fisk. Fisc, a fish. Fiske, the more common name.

Fleming. Fleming, a runaway, a banished man. Flemming, another spelling.

Fletcher. Flett, house, chamber, bed, hall, palace; cher for er, a personal suffix. A companion; a bed-fellow; a prince.

Fogg. Fog, agreement, compact.

Foote. Fót, a foot.

Forsyth. Forthsíth, death. Forsythe, another spelling of the name.

Fotheringham. Fother, a load, a burden; ing, son; hám, dwelling. The home of the son of burden.

Foulk. Folc, folk, people. Foulke, an equivalent.

Frederick. Freá, a lord; rice, rich, powerful. A mighty lord.

Frick. Possibly a corruption of Frig, pronounced Freeg, the goddess of love, the Saxon Venus, and wife of Odin.

Galt. Irish gaill, genitive of gall, stranger; tún, town. Town of the stranger. Gault, of similar derivation.

Galvin. Irish gaill, of the stranger; vin for wine, friend. Friend of the Gall, the stranger.

Gate. Geát, a gate.

Gates. Gate, Gate; s for sun, son. Son of Gate.

Giddings. Gidding, from gidd, song, divination; ing, descendant; s for sun, son. Son of a descendant of song.

Gilbert. Irish giolla, a servant; beorht, bright. A witty servant.

Gilling. Gill, Gill; ing, son. Son of Gill; son of a servant.

Gillingham. Gilling, Gilling; hám, home. The home of Gilling; the home of the son of Gill.

Gipson. Gilp, glory; sun, son. The son of glory. Gibson, of like derivation.

Gladwin. Glæd, pleased; wine, a friend. A happy friend.

Glenning. Glen, a valley; ing, descendant. Son of Glenn; son of a valley.

Godfrey. Gód, good; freá, lord. A beneficent master.

Goodacre. Gód, God; æcer, acre. God’s acre.

Goodwin. Gód, good; wine, a friend, a benefactor. Godwin, of similar signification.

Gould. Gold, a precious metal.

Graff. Græf, a grave. A ditch; a moat; a fosse. Groff, of like derivation.

Graham. Grǽg, gray; hám, home. A weather-beaten home. Gramm, most probably a corruption of the same.

Grave. Græf, a grave.

Graves. Grave, Grave; sun, son. Son of Grave. Greaves, Greves, Grieves, modifications of the name.

Gregg. Grǽg, gray. Grigg, corruption of the name.

Gregson. Grǽg, gray; sun, son. Son of Gregg. Grayson, the same in another form.

Grindler. Grindel, a clog; er for Irish fear, a man. The wearer of a wooden shoe.

Grindrod. Grund, ground; rod, a rod. Divining-rod.

Grund. Grund, ground.

Grunder. Grund, ground; er for fear, man. A farmer.

Guilford. Gild, tribute; ford, a stream. Stream-tribute; ferry-toll.

Gummery. Guma, man; ríce, kingdom. Kingdom of man.

Guthrie. Gúth, fight, war; ríce, kingdom. Kingdom of sin.

Haeseler. Hæsel, a hat; er, a personal suffix. A hatter.

Hamill. Hám, home; il, a hedgehog. Home of the hedgehog.

Hamilton. Hamill, Hamill; tún, farm. Farm of Hamill.

Hamlet. Hám, home; let, implying diminutiveness. An humble home.

Hammond. Hám, house; mund, hand. A house-hand; a servant.

Hampshire. Hâm, or hamp, home; scíre, shire, district, county, stewardship, charge, business. Home-district. Hampsher, corruption of the name.

Hampton. Hám, or hamp, home; tún, town. Home-town.

Hampstead. Hám-stede, from hám, home, and stede, place. Homestead.

Hamric. Hám, home; rice, rule, kingdom. Home-rule. Hamrick, from the same roots.

Hancock. Hean, poor, needy, humble, worthless, despised; cóc, a cook. A needy cook.

Hard. Heard, hard, stubborn, unsubmissive.

Harding. Hard, Hard; ing, son. Descendant of Hard.

Harold. Hár, hoar, gray with age; eald, old. A veteran chief.

Harper. Hearpere, a harper.

Hart. Heort, a hart, a stag.

Hartford. Heort, a hart; ford, a ford, a stream, a current. The hart’s ford, or the place of its crossing the stream.

Hatfield. Heat-feld, from heat, heat; feld, a field, a plain. An open, sun-scorched plain.

Hebel. Hebel, thread of the shuttle.

Heber. Heber, a goat.

Hebener. Heben, heaven; er, indicative of a personal suffix. An inhabitant of heaven.

Helmbold. Helm, helmet, cover, protector; báld, bold, stout. A stout protector.

Herbert. Here, a host; beorht, bright, shining. An illustrious host.

Hild. Hild, battle.

Hildebrand. Hild, battle: brand, a brand, a torch. A battle-torch.

Hildeburn. Hild, battle; bryne, a burning, scorching, heat, fire. Battle-heat.

Hoar. Hár, hoar, white, or gray with age.

Holdcraft. Hold, kind, devoted, faithful, friendly; cræft, craft, contrivance, skill, employment, strength, power, talent, ability, excellence, virtue. Faithful employment; friendly power.

Holme. Holm, a sea, a billow.

Holmes. Holme, Holme: s for sun, son. Son of Holme

Holt. Holt, a grove, a forest.

Hope. Hopa, hope.

Hopkin. Hopa, hope; cyn, kind, kin. A relative of Hope.

Hopkinson. Hopkin, Hopkin; sun, son. Son of Hopkin. Hopkins, an abbreviation of the name.

Humphrey. Hám, home; freá, lord, protector. Defender of home.

Humphreys. Humphrey, Humphrey; s for sun, son. Son of Humphrey. Humphries, Humphriss, Humphrys, kindred names.

Huntting. Hunt, Hunt; ing, a descendant. Son of Hunt.

Hurlock. Hár, hoary; loc, lock of hair. A hoary lock of hair. Harlock, a less common name, but one more closely related to the parent words.

Husband. Hús, house; bond, bound, tied. House-bound; house-tied: hence, one that is bound to the house.

Hustin. Hústing, a place of council.

Huston. Hús, house; tún, a farm. House-farm; kitchen-garden.

Huxley. Huxlic, from hucs, hucx, or husc, irony, slight, contempt, reproach, and lic, like. Ironical-like; disgraceful; contemptuous; vile.

Idell. Ídel, idle, vain, empty, useless.

Inskip. In, an inn, a dwelling; scipe, denoting form, condition, state, office, dignity. An innkeeper; a landlord. Inskeep, a kindred name.

Irwin. Eard, earth; wine, friend. Earth-friend. Irvin, Irvine, from the same roots.

Irving. Irvin, Irvin; ing, a descendant. Son of Irvin.

Isdell. I’s, ice; dǽl, a dale, a small valley. Ice-dale.

Isenberg. I’sen, iron; beorg, mountain. Iron-mountain.

Isenberry. I’sen, iron; berry, corruption of beorg, or beorh, mountain. Iron-mountain.

Isham. I’s, ice; hám, house, dwelling. Ice-house.

Jackson. Jack, nickname for John; sun, son. Son of Jack. Jacques, French for James, is the most probable derivation of Jack.

Jameson. Jame, James; sun, son. Son of James.

Jamieson. Jamie, James; sun, son. Son of Jamie; son of James. Jamison, Jemison, Jimison, kindred terms, founded upon nicknames common to James in parts of Scotland and Ireland.

Jenkin. Jen, abbreviation for Jennie, Jane, John; cyn, kin, kind. Related to Jennie, Jane, John.

Jenkinson. Jenkin, Jenkin; sun, son. Son of Jenkin. Jenkins, abbreviated form of same.

Jenks. Jen, Jennie; k for cyn, kin; s for sun, son. Son of a relative of Jennie.

Johnson. John, Hebrew word signifying “gracious gift of God;” Anglo-Saxon sun, son. Son of John.

Jonson. Jon, contraction of John, John; sun, son. Son of John.

Jones. Jon, John; s for sun, son. Son of John.

Keith. Cíth, pronounced keeth, a germ, sprig, blade.

Kemp. Cempa, a young soldier, a warrior, champion, novice.

Kendall. Cyn, kin, kindred, race, tribe, nation, kind; dǽl, dale, valley. Valley-kindred. Kindell, derivable from the same roots.

Kenworthy. Cyn, kindred; weorthe, worthy, honorable. Worthy kindred.

Kenyon. Cyn, nation, people; yeong, young. Young nation.

Kertell. Kertl, a woman’s garment, a vest, mantle, kirtle.

Keyser. Káser, an emperor. Keiser, of similar origin.

Kim. Cim, feet, or bases of a pillar.

Kimball. Cimbal, cymbal. Kemble, Kimble, Kimple, analogous names.

Kissel. Cystel, a chestnut.

Kisterbock. Cist, choice; bóc, a volume, a book. A choice volume.

Kitt. Kitte, a vessel, a bottle.

Kitson. Kitt, Kitt; sun, son. Son of Kitt. Kitts, abbreviation of the same.

Lambeth. Lamb-hýth, from lamb, lamb, and hýth, measure, gain, profit. Lamb’s measure.

Lambert. Lamb, Lamb; beorht, brightness. The Lamb of Glory.

Lancaster. Land, ground, earth, field; ceaster, a camp, a castle, city, fort. An earth-fort.

Landreth. Land, field; ríthe, a well, a fountain, a river. A field-well; a spring.

Lever. Leófra, lever, comparatives of leóf, leef, dear, agreeable. More agreeable; more pleasing.

Levering. Lever, Lever; ing, offspring. Son of Lever.

Lea. Liga, a flame.

Lester. Lædheceaster, from lædhe, hateful, unpleasant, loathsome, and ceaster, a city. A loathsome city. Leister, of like derivation.

Limbert. Lim, limb, member; beorht, brightness. Limb-brightness.

Liming. Lim-ing, from lim, limb; ing, implying action, originating from. Limning; painting.

Lind. Lind, linden, or lime-tree; also, what was made of lime-wood—shield, buckler, banner.

Linden. Linden, made of lime-tree.

Lindsey. Lindes-íg, from lindes, genitive of lind, lime-tree, and íg, an island. The island of the lime-tree. Lindsay, another form of spelling.

Lipp. Lippe, lip.

Lipkiss. Lippe, lip; cyss, kiss. Lip-kiss.

Lippincott. Lippe, lip, genitive lippan, of lip; coth, disease, malady. Lip disease.

Lipson. Lippe, Lipp; sun, son. Son of Lipp.

Lipton. Lipp, Lipp; tún, home. Home of Lipp.

Litchfield. Liced-feld, from licced, licked, lapped, and feld, a field, a plain. A licked plain; a pasture-field.

Lonsdale. Londes-dǽl, from londes, genitive of lond, land; dǽl, dale, valley. Land’s-dale.

Loth. Loth, a band.

Lothrop. Loth, band; thorpe, a village.

Lyster. Lyster, a favorer. Lister, of like origin.

Lytle. Lytle, little, small, slender.

Manchester. Manig-ceaster, from manig, many, much; ceaster, city, fort, castle, town. Many castles.

Manning. Mann, Mann; ing, offspring. Son of Mann.

Marx. Marcs, from marc, a mark; s for sun, a son. Son of Marc.

Mase. Mase, a whirlpool, a gulf.

Maslin. Mæslen, or maslin, brass.

Max. Max, noose, mesh, net, snare.

Maxfield. Max, Max; feld, a field. Max’s field.

Maxwell. Max, Max; wæl, a well. Max’s well.

Meadowcroft. Mǽdewe, a meadow; croft, a small enclosed field. A meadow-field.

Mearns. Mearn, mourned; s for sun, son. A mourned son.

Mear. Mere, lake, pool, sea.

Mears. Mear, Mear; s for sun, son. Son of Mear.

Medlar. Méd, meed, merit, reward, recompense; lǽr, doctrine. Reward of doctrine.

Medway. Mǽd, meed, meadow, trunk of a tree; wǽg, a wave. Meadow-wave; a river.

Meredith. Mere, lake, sea; diht, ordering, direction, predicting, foretelling. Sea-predicting.

Merscher. Mersc-ware, from mersc, marsh, fen, and ware, used only as a termination, denoting inhabitants, dwellers. Marshmen; fenmen.

Merton. Meretún, from mere, lake, sea; tún, town. Sea-port; lake-port.

Metsinger. Metssunge, from mettsung, messing, food, meat; ere, indicating a person. A victualler; a provider. Messinger, another form of the name.

Michener. Perhaps Micg-ærn, from micg-an, to water; ærn, a place, a secret place, a closet, a habitation, a house. An urinary; a drain.

Midding. Midding, a dunghill.

Middlesex. Middel, middle; Sexe, Saxons. The Middle Saxons.

Middleton. Middel, middle; tún, town. The middle town.

Mitchell. Mycg, a midge, a gnat; el, a termination denoting a person. A dwarf; a pigmy.

Monteith. Mon, man; téth, teeth. Human teeth.

Montgomery. Munt-guman-ríc, from munt, mountain; guman, of man, genitive of guma; ríc, pronounced ree, a postfix denoting dominion, power. Mountain of man’s power; acme of human greatness.

Muckle. Mucxle, a muscle, a shell-fish.

Mumford. Mund-ford, from mund, a contraction of munden, remembered, and ford, ford. A remembered ford.

Munce. Munc, a monk. Munch, Munk, of similar derivation.

Murberry. Murberie, possibly from múr, a wall, from the resemblance of the fruit in roughness to a wall, and berie, a berry. Mur itself signifies a mulberry.

Murdock. Mere, a sea; docce, a dock. A naval dock.

Nabes. Næbb, a face; s for sun, sun. The sun’s face.

Nachtigall. Næctegale, nightingale, from næcte, night, and gale, a singer. A night-singer.

Nachod. Næcud, naked, uncovered.

Nadely. Nædl, a needle, líc, like. Needle-like.

Nægele. Nægel, a nail, a pin, a nail of the hand. Nagel, Nagele, Naglee, other forms of the name.

Nebeker. Neb, face, countenance, mouth, neb, nib, nose; æcer, field, land, anything sown, sown corn, an acre. Face-pimples.

Nebel. Neb, face, countenance; el, termination denoting a person. Human face.

Nebhut. Neb, face, head, mouth; húth, spoil, booty, prey. Blotched countenance.

Nedel. Nedl, a needle.

Needham. Neád, need, necessity, infirmity; hám, home, house, dwelling, village, farm. An almshouse; an infirmary.

Neef. Nefe, a niece, a granddaughter. Neff, from the same root.

Nesenger. Nesse, a headland; ing, originating from; er, a personal suffix. One raised upon a headland.

Ness. Nesse, a cape. Nesz, another form of the name.

Neswanger. Nesse, or næs, a rock, support, headland, ness, cape, promontory; wang, a plain, field, wong, land; er, a personal suffix. Possessor of a rock-plain.

Neswenger. Nesse, rock; wengere, a pillow, bolster. Rock-pillow.

Nester. Nest, support, food, wages; er, a personal suffix. A supporter; a wage-earner. Nester, a kindred name.

Neth. Neth, wickedness, malice, cunning, hatred, strife, zeal, punishment, slaughter.

Nething. Neth, Neth; ing, offspring, descendant. Son of Neth.

Nette. Nett, a net.

Netterville. Nett, a net; er, a personal suffix; French ville, a villa, a town. A fishing-place.

Nettinger. Nett, a net; ing, expressive of action; er, a personal termination. A seiner; a fisherman.

Nettleton. Netele, a nettle; tún, a farm. A nettle-farm.

Newbold. Newe, new, late, young; báld, bold, courageous, honorable. Lately honorable.

Newcomb. Newe, new; comb, a valley. New valley.

Newcomet. Newe, new; cometa, a comet. A new comet.

Newell. Neowel, prone, prostrate, depressed, profound, deep. Newhall, perhaps, from the same root.

Nipe. Nip, darkness.

Nippes. Nipp, Nipe; s for sun, son. Son of Nipe.

Norman. Nor, contraction of north, north; man, a man. North-man.

Northrop. Nor, north; thorpe, town. North town.

Norwood. Nor, north; wud, wood. Northwood.

Nye. Nye, a nye, a nest.

Nyholm. Nye, a nest; holm, the deep sea, an abyss, the ocean, a river island. Nest-water; nest-island.

Nyman. Nye, a nest; man, man, or woman. Nest-woman.

Nystrom. Nye, a nest; streom, a stream. Nest-stream.

Obdyke. Ob, off; díc, bank, mound. Off the bank. Opdyke, from the same roots.

Oberdick. O’ber, over, above; díc, dyke, ditch, trench, moat. Overflowing ditch.

Oberholt. O’ber, above; holt, a forest. Mountain-forest.

Ofar. O’fer, a margin, brink, bank, shore.

Orcutt. Or, free from; coth, disease. Free from disease.

Ord. O’rd, beginning, origin, author, edge, sword, battle-array.

Ordmann. O’rd, the front of an army; mann, man. A general; a commander.

Orfe. Orfe, cattle. Orf, Orff, of similar derivation.

Orgill. Orgel, pride, arrogance.

Orgs. Org, pride; s for sun, son. Son of pride.

Orme. Or, free from; me, me. Free me from.

Ormerod. Or, free from; me, me; rod, rod. Free me from the rod. Ormrod, of like import.

Ormond. Or, free from; mond, care, protection. Free from care; without protection.

Ormsby. Orm, Orme; s, sign of genitive; bý, a termination denoting habitation, dwelling. Habitation of Orme.

Ormston. Orm, genitive Ormes, Orme; tún, house. Home of Orme.

Orth. O’rth, breathing.

Orthwein. O’rth, breathing; wine, a man. A living man.

Orton. Or, free from; tún, house, farm, village, town. Free from the cares of home, or of the town.

Orwig. Or, free from; wig, warfare, battle, strife. Free from warfare.

Osbeck. O’s, a hero; béc, a book, a volume, a writing. Hero-book; a novel.

Osborne. O’s, a hero; beorn, chief, general, prince, king. Hero-king. Osborn, Osbourn, Osbourne, kindred names.

Osler. O’s, hero; lǽr, lore, learning. Hero-lore.

Osmond. O’s, hero; mond, hand, defence, protection, security. Hero-protection.

Osmun. O’s, hero; mund, a hand. Heroic hand.

Osmus. O’s, hero; mús, mouse, flesh, muscle. Heroic muscle.

Osner. O’s, hero; nere, refuge, safety, preservation. Heroic preservation.

Oswald. O’s, hero; wald, ruler, governor, lord. Heroic ruler.

Ost. Ost, East. Also, a knot, a scale.

Oster. Oster, Easter.

Overholt. Ouer, over; holt, a forest. Hill-forest.

Oxenford. Oxen, from oxan, genitive of oxa, an ox; ford, a ford. The ford of the ox. Oxford, abbreviation of same.

Palen. Pællen, purple.

Pennington. Pening, a penny; tún, dwelling, house. A mint; a bank.

Pepper. Peppor, or peopor, pepper.

Peppercorn. Peppor, pepper; corn, corn. A peppercorn.

Pile. Píl, a pile, dart, pole, stake.

Pilking. Píl, a pile, dart; cyng, a king, ruler, prince. Pile-king; warrior-king.

Pilkington. Pilking, Pilking; tún, house. Home of Pilking.

Pitt. Pitt, a well, a hole.

Pitfield. Pitt, a well; feld, a field, pasture, plain. A plain full of excavations.

Pitkin. Pitt, Pitt; cyn, kindred, posterity, nation. Pitt’s posterity.

Pitts. Pitt, Pitt; s for sun, son. Pitt’s son; son of Pitt.

Pitman. Pitt, a pit, a hole, a well; man, a man. A man who works in a pit; a pitman.

Pittenger. Pitt, Pitt; eng for ing, descendant; er, a personal suffix. Descendant of Pitt.

Plag. Plæga, play, sport, pastime, wager.

Plagman. Plæga, play, pastime, wager; man, a man. Man of pleasure. Plagemann, a cognate form.

Plumly. Plume, a plum; líc, form, shape, substance. Plum-shape.

Porter. Port, port, haven, town, city, gate of a town; er, a personal suffix. A gate-keeper.

Portman. Port, a city; man, a man. A citizen.

Preston. Preost, a priest, presbyter, clergyman; tún, a house. A parsonage.

Prevost. Prafost, prevost, president.

Priestly. Preost, a priest; líc, like. Priest-like.

Pund. Púnd, a pound, a fold.

Punger. Pung, a purse; er, a personal termination. A purser.

Punt. Punt, a boat.

Pusey. Púse, a purse, a bag.

Poole. Púl, pronounced pool, a pool.

Pyle. Pyle, a pillow, a cushion. Pywell, perhaps, from the same root.

Pyne. Pín, a pine.

Pyott. Pytt, a pit, a well. Piatt, a kindred name.

Quain. Queán, a barren cow.

Queen. Quén, a wife. Quen, Quein, of similar derivation.

Quick. Cwic, quick, living, active.

Quicksell. Cwic, active; sel, a companion. An active companion. Quicksall, a slightly modified term.

Raake. Ræce, a rach, a setting dog.

Rackham. Ræce, Raake; hám, house. Home of Raake.

Radcliff. Rád, that on which one rides, a road; clyf, a rock, a steep descent. A road-cliff. Radcliffe, another spelling.

Raddington. Ræding, Reading; tún, town. Town of Reading.

Raddish. Rædic, from rǽd, red, and isc, an adjective termination denoting like. Red-like; a radish. Radisch, Radish, of similar origin.

Rader. Rád, traveling, journeying; er, a personal suffix. A traveler.

Radeker. Rǽd, red; æcer, acre, field, land. A red field.

Radfield. Rǽd, red; feld, a plain. A red plain.

Radford. Rǽd, red; fōrd, a ford, a stream. A red ford.

Radley. Rǽd, red; líc, like. Red-like.

Rae. Rá, a roebuck, a hart.

Raeder. Rá-deór, a roebuck.

Rafferty. Ræfter, a rafter, a perch. Doubtless, a corruption of ræfter, produced by removing t, and placing it at the end of the word.

Rahill. Rá, a roe, a hart; hill, a hill. Roe-hill.

Rahm. Ram, or ramm, a ram. Rahme, of like significance.

Rahn. Rán, a whale.

Rahner. Rán, a whale; er, a personal suffix. A whaler.

Raith. Ræth, quick. Rath, of like import.

Ramm. Ramm, a ram, a male sheep.

Rammage. Ram, a ram; mæg, female. The female of the ram; an ewe.

Ramsey. Rammes-íg, from rammes, genitive of ramin, ram; ig, an island. Isle of Ram. Ramsay, from the same roots.

Ramson. Ram, Ramm; sun, son. Son of Ramm.

Ranck. Ranc, proud, haughty, rebellious, rank, fruitful. Rancke, slightly altered form.

Rand. Rand, a border, rim, edge, a shield, a bosc.

Randall. Ran, a deer; dál, or dǽl, a dale, a valley. Deer-valley. Randell, Randle, of like parentage.

Randolph. Ran, plunder, dǽlf, a delving, a digging. Plunder-delving.

Rankin. Ran, a deer; cyn, kin, race, tribe, kind. Deer-tribe.

Rankins. Rankin, Rankin; s for sun, son. Son of Rankin. Ranken, from the same.

Ranks. Rank, Rank, from rænc, pride, and s for sun, son. Son of Rank; son of pride.

Rapp. Ráp, a rope, a cord.

Rapson. Ráp, Rapp; sun, son. Son of Rapp.

Rasbold. Rǽs, a rush, an onset, an attack; báld, bold, audacious, courageous, honorable. A courageous attack.

Rasch. Rǽs, a rush, an onset, an attack.

Ratcliff. Ræt, a rat; clyf, a nest. Rat-nest.

Rathfon. Rathe, swift, nimble, ready; fon, a fan. A nimble fan.

Rau. Rawe, head of hair.

Rauch. Reác, smoke, reek, vapor.

Raucher. Reác, smoke; er, a personal suffix. A smoker.

Rauchfuss. Reác, smoke; fús, ready. Smoke ready. Ready for smoke.

Rawle. Rǽw, a corpse; el, denoting a person. Human corpse. Rawley, of like derivation.

Rawlings. Rawl, Rawl; ingas, sons of. Sons of Rawl, or Rawle. Rawlins, contraction of the same.

Rea. Rea, a padder, a highwayman, an assailant, a stroller.

Reabey. Rea, a highwayman; bý, a habitation. Dwelling of a highwayman.

Reabon. Rea, an assailant; bon, fatal. A deadly assailant.

Reach. Reác, smoke, reek, vapor.

Read. Read, red. Reade, Reed, from the same root.

Reading. Read, Read; ing, offspring. Son of Read. Redding, of like origin.

Reardon. Reardian, to speak, converse, read.

Reaser. Reás, rushed; er, a personal suffix. A hurried person.

Reath. Réthe, savage, fierce, hard, severe, austere.

Reck. Rec, an interpreter, explainer. Recke, another spelling.

Reckefuss. Rec, an interpreter; fús, ready. A ready interpreter.

Reckless. Recce-leas, from recc, care; leas, free from. Free from care; careless; reckless.

Reddick. Rædic, a radish.

Reddington. Redding, Redding; tún, house. Home of Redding.

Redmond. Rǽd, ready; mond, hand. Ready hand.

Redner. Rǽd, ready; nere, a refuge. A ready refuge.

Reece. Resce, a rush. Rees, Reese, more modernized forms of the name.

Reeh. Reh, a deluge.

Reehm. Hream, a shout.

Reel. Reol, a reel.

Reen. Rén, robbery. Perhaps, from rén, rain.

Reenan. Rínan, pronounced reenan, to rain.

Regelmann. Regel, a rule, a law, a canon; mann, man. A ruler; a lawyer.

Rehfuss. Reh, a deluge; fús, prompt, quick, ready. A ready deluge.

Rehm. Rem, cream.

Rein. Rein, pure, sincere, chaste.

Reinhart. Rein, sincere, pure, clean, chaste; heart, or heort, a heart. A pure heart.

Reining. Rein, Rein; ing, an offspring, a descendant. Son of Rein.

Reinking. Rein, sincere, honest; cyng, a king. An honest king.

Reme. Rem, cream.

Remington. Rem, Reme; ing, offspring; tún, town, dwelling. House of the son of Reme.

Rench. Renc, pride, arrogance.

Rendell. Rene, a water-course; dál, a dale, a valley. A valley stream.

Reneker. Reonig, tired, weary, sad; er, a personal termination. A tired person; a mourner.

Renne. Rene, a course, race, life, a water-course. Sometimes written Renn.

Rennick. Rénig, showery, having watery eyes, blear-eyed.

Resch. Resce, a rush.

Ressler. Resele, a riddle.

Retter. Rét, cheerful; er, denoting personality. A cheerful person.

Rhawn. Hrán, Anglicised form would be rhán, a whale.

Rhea. Rǽh, a doe, a roe.

Rheem. Hream, a shout, clamor, a crying out, wailing, hue and cry.

Rice. Rice, power, dominion, greatness, kingdom, region.

Riceman. Rice, power, greatness; man, a man. A man of power; a person of influence.

Richard. Rice, or riche, rich, powerful, mighty; ard, implying an ensign of office. A mighty ruler.

Richardson. Richard, Richard; sun, son. Son of Richard. Richards, contraction for the same.

Richmond. Riche, mighty, powerful; mond, a hand. A mighty hand.

Ridd. Rídda, a knight, a rider.

Rider. Ríd-ere, from rídan, to ride, sit or rest upon, press; ere, implying person. A rider; a knight. Ryder, from the same roots.

Ridge. Ricg, a stack, a back.

Ridings. Rid, Ridd; ings, descendants of. Sons of Ridd.

Riegel. Rige, rye; el, a termination denoting a person. A rye-man; a cultivator of rye; baker of rye-bread.

Riegg. Rige, rye, by transposing the positions of g and e, becomes Rieg, and this differs from the name under consideration only in the absence of the additional g. Rigg, of similar import.

Riehl. Rihel, doubtless the original, is from rih, hairy, rough, and el, denoting personality. A hairy man; a rough person. Riehle, Rile, Riley, of analogous derivation.

Riff. Rif, a womb. Rife, perhaps, from the same root.

Riffert. Rifter, a sickle, a reaper.

Rigby. Rig, Rigg; bý, habitation. Dwelling of Rigg.

Rigger. Rigg, Rigg; er, implying person. One who is a Rigg.

Riggin. Rigg, Rigg; in, an inn, a dwelling. Rigg’s inn.

Riggins. Riggin, Riggin; s for sun, son. Son of Riggin.

Riggs. Rigg, Rigg; s for sun, son. Son of Rigg.

Righter. Riht-ere, from riht, right, justice, law, true, just; ere, denoting a person. A governor; a ruler.

Rightley. Riht-líce, from riht, right, just; líce, like, ly. Right-like; rightly; justly.

Riling. Ril, Ril, Riehl; ing, offspring. Descendant of Riehl. Rilling, of similar significance.

Rimby. Rím, a number, reckoning, computation, calendar; bý, a habitation. Home of an arithmetician.

Rimer. Rím, number, reckoning, calendar; er, a personal suffix. An arithmetician; a reckoner; an astronomer. Rimmer, derivable from the same roots.

Rind. Rind, the rind, bark; fús, ready. Prepared bark.

Rindge. Hrincg, or ringe, a ring.

Rinear. Rín, course, course of years, life; ear, ocean, sea. Life-sea; sea of life.

Rinehart. Rín, race, course: heort, the heart. Race-heart; rapid heart-action.

Ringe. Ringe, a ring. Ring, an abbreviated form of the name.

Ringeisen. Ringe, a ring; isen, made of iron. An iron ring.

Ringer. Ringe, a ring; er, denoting a person. Ring-maker.

Ringgold. Ringe, a ring; gold, gold. A gold ring. Ring-gold, of like derivation.

Ringle. Ringe, a ring; el, a termination denoting a person. Ring-wearer; betrothed lady.

Ringley. Ringe, a ring; líce, like, ley, ly. Ring-like.

Rink. Rinc, a soldier, warrior, hero, a valiant or honorable man, a man. Rinick, doubtless, a corruption of the same.

Rinker. Rinc, a warrior, a valiant man; ere, an agent. A warrior.

Rínne. Rine, a race, course, life.

Ripley. Ríp, harvest, reaping; ley, a song. A harvest-song.

Ripp. Ríp, harvest, reaping.

Rippel. Ríp, harvest, reaping; el, denoting a person. A reaper; a harvester.

Ripperger. Ríp, harvest; earg, weak, evil, wretched, idle; ere, a person. An idle harvester.

Rishel. Risel, a handle. Rishell, Rissell, other spellings.

Risdon. Rísendan, a jangling fellow.

Risk. Risce, a rush.

Risley. Risel, doubtless, first changed to risle, a handle.

Ristine. Ríst, Rist; ine for in, an inn, a dwelling. Rist’s inn.

Ritner. Rit, ears of corn, a heap of fruit, corn, or grain; nere, support, protect, refuge. Corn-support.

Ritter. Rít, rides; ere, a person. A rider.

Ritterson. Ritter, Ritter; sun, son. Son of Ritter.

Roach. Reohche, a roach, a thornback. Roache, Roche, Roatch, Roesch, Roetsck, cognate forms.

Roat. Rót, cheerful, rejoicing, splendid, adorned.

Roats. Roat, Roat; s for sun, son. Son of Roat. Roetz, possibly, from the same.

Rodbard. Reod, red; beard, beard. Red beard. Robert is, in Anglo-Saxon, Rod-beard, and doubtless comes from the same roots.

Rodd. Reod, red.

Rodden. Reod, red; ian, indicative of a verb. Redden; make red.

Roddy. Reod, red; ig, an adjective termination. Ruddy; florid.

Rode. Reód, a reed.

Rodearmel. Reod, red; earm, arm; el, indicating a person. A red-armed person.

Rodebaugh. Reod, red; bæc, back. Red back. Rodenbaugh, of like derivation.

Rodel. Reod, red; el, a personal suffix. A person of ruddy complexion.

Rodgers. Rodger, from reod, red; ierre, anger, indignation, fury; and s for sun, son. Son of Rodger; son of red-visaged anger. Rodgerson is an unabbreviated form of the name, and Rogers a slight modification thereof.

Rodig. Reod, red; ig, an adjective termination. Ruddy.

Rodiger. Rodig, ruddy; er, a person. A ruddy person.

Rodine. Rod, Rode; inne, an inn. Rode’s inn.

Rodisch. Reod, red; isc, an adjective termination denoting the external quality of a subject. Reddish.

Rodman. Reod, red; mann, man. A ruddy man; a red-complexioned person.

Rodner. Reod, red; nere, support, protection. A zealous support. Perhaps, from rǽdanere, a reader, an interpreter.

Rodney. Rǽdne, law, counsel, control, condition.

Rodrick. Roder, firmament, sky, heavens; ríce, power, dominion, greatness, kingdom. Heavenly power. Roderick, a more closely related form.

Roe. Rá, pronounced rō, a roe, a doe.

Roebuck. Rá, a roe; buc, a buck. A roebuck.

Roeck. Roec, smoke.

Roecker. Roec, smoke; er, a person. A smoker.

Roeckle. Roec, smoke; le for el, denoting a person. A reeking, steaming person.

Roedel. Rá, a roe; dǽl, a dale, a valley. The vale of the roe. Roedell, of like significance.

Roeder. Rá-deór, a roebuck.

Roeger. Rǽge, pronounced ro-ge, a roe, a doe; ere, an agent. A roe-hunter.

Roegler. Rǽge, a roe; lǽr, learning. Roe-knowledge.

Roehl. Hreol, a reel. Roell, of kindred meaning.

Roehler. Hreol, a reel; ere, an agent. A spinster; a dancer. Roeller, from the same roots.

Roehm. Rá, roe; hm for hám, home, dwelling, habitation. Home of the roe.

Roellig. Hreol, a reel; ig, an adjective ending. Reeling; whirling.

Roeper. Reapere, pronounced roepere, a seizer, spoiler, robber.

Roerich. Rá, roe; ríce, a region, a country. The region of the roebuck.

Roese. Rose, a rose.

Roeser. Rose, a rose; ere, an agent. A rose-grower.

Roessing. Roess, Roese; ing, offspring. Son of Roese.

Roessler. Rose, a rose; lǽr, lore, learning. Rose-knowledge.

Roff. Róf, famous, renowned, illustrious, brave.

Roffel. Róf, famous, illustrious; el, denoting a person. A famous person. Roffle, of kindred signification.

Rogge. Rǽge, pronounced rōge, a roe, a doe.

Rohde. Ród, pronounced rohd, genitive rohde, rood, cross. Belonging to the cross.

Rohe. Reoh, rough, fierce, stormy, cruel.

Rohlfing. Hreol, a reel; fing, doubtless, a contraction of finger, a finger. The reel-finger. Perhaps the name is derivable from hreol, a reel, and fiong, hatred. Hatred of the reel.

Rohm. Róm, pronounced Rohm, Rome.

Rohman. Róman, pronounced Rohman, genitive of Róm. Belonging to Rome.

Roland. Row, sweet, quiet; land, land, ground, earth, field, region, country. Sweet land; quiet country. Rolan, Rowland, kindred terms.

Rolen. Row, sweet; leán, reward, price. Sweet reward.

Rolf. Row, quiet, restful; lf for líf, life. A quiet life. Roloff, Rolph, cognate terms.

Rolfing. Rolf, Rolf; ing, offspring, descendant. Son of Rolf.

Romberg. Róm, Rome; beorg, a hill fortification, citadel, defence, refuge. Citadel of Rome.

Romberger. Róm, Rome; beorg-ere, defender of a citadel. Defender of the citadel of Rome.

Rombold. Róm, Rome; báld, bold, courageous. Courageous Rome.

Romel. Róm, Rome; el, denoting a person. Citizen of Rome. Rommel, Rommell, of like origin.

Romig. Reómig, tired, weary.

Rommelman. Rommel, Romel; man, a servant. The servant of Romel.

Romoser. Róm, Rome; O’ster, Easter. Roman Easter.

Ronald. Rún, pronounced rown, a letter, magical character, mystery, council, meditation, conversation; ald, an age. An age of mystery.

Ronaldson. Ronald, Ronald; sun, son. Son of Ronald.

Ronan. Rúnan, pronounced rownan, a whisperer, a sorcerer.

Rone. Rún, a letter, a mystery, a council; e, indicating person. A man of mysteries; a sage. Roney, Rooney, from the same roots.

Rood. Ród, pronounced rood, rood, cross.

Roof. Róf, pronounced roof, top, the highest part of a house or chamber.

Roohr. Rure, pronounced ruher, a noise.

Rook. Róc, pronounced rook, a rook. Rooke, Ruch, Ruck, other spellings.

Rooks. Rook, Rook: s for sun, son. Son of Rook.

Rookstool. Rook, Rook; stól, pronounced stool, seat, chair, throne. Rook’s chair or throne.

Room. Rúm, pronounced rowm, room, space, place, wide, open, spacious, ample, of good cheer or heart, august, fortunate. Roome, of like import.

Roomes. Roome, Room; s for sun, son. Son of Room.

Roop. Roop, rop, a distaff.

Root. Rúte, pronounced originally rowte, rue, a plant.

Roots. Root, Root; s for sun, son. Son of Root.

Roper. Rop, a distaff; er, a person. The woman who twirls the distaff.

Roppel. Rop, a distaff; el, a personal ending. A distaff.

Roray. Rure, pronounced ruhr-e, a noise, the final e taking the French sound of a.

Rorer. Rure, a noise; ere, an agent. One who makes a noise; a babbler; a prattler.

Rose. Rose, pronounced raws, a rose. Ross, Rosse, Roos, analogous forms.

Rosebery. Rose, a rose; berige, a berry. The fruit of the rose.

Roseman. Rose, Rose; man, a servant. A servant of Rose. Rosemann, of like derivation.

Rosen. Rose, Rose; en, resembling. Resembling Rose; rosy; blooming.

Rosenacker. Rosen, Rosen; æcer, acre. Rosen’s acre; ground belonging to Rosen.

Rosenfeld. Rosen, Rosen; feld, field, pasture, plain. Rosen’s field; a blooming pasture. Rosenfelt, from the same roots.

Rosensky. Rosen, rosy, flushed; Danish sky, a cloud. A crimson cloud.

Rosewarne. Rose, a rose; wearn, a hindrance, obstacle, resistance, denial. Rose-obstacle.

Rosewig. Rose, a rose; wig, war, warfare, battle. Rose-warfare.

Roskeep. Rose, a rose; ceáp, a bargain, sale, business, chattel. Rose-sale.

Rosney. Rose, a rose; ney, from the Irish, an individual, an agent. Rose-dealer.

Rost. Rǽst, pronounced rost, rest, repose, a place of rest, a bed.

Rowan. Rówan, pronounced roow-an, to row, to sail. Rowand, Roan, from the same root.

Rowe. Reowe, an Irish mantle or rug, soldier’s cloak, a frieze cassock, a priest’s garment. Row, of like significance.

Rowson. Row, Rowe; sun, son. Son of Rowe.

Rox. Rocks, from Rock, Rock; s for sun. Son of Rock. Rock is from the Irish roc, pronounced rokh, a rock.

Roxberry. Roxbury, from Rox, Rox, and byrig, a town, a city. Town of Rox.

Roxbrough. Roxborough, from Rox, Rox, and burh, a town, a city. Town of Rox.

Rucher. Róc, a rook; er, indicative of a person. One who acts like a rook; a croaker. In the South of Germany ruch, a rook, is the form of the word, and this agrees much better with the name under consideration.

Ruckman. Ruck, Ruck; man, a servant. Ruck’s servant.

Rucks. Ruck, Ruck; s for sun, son. Son of Ruck.

Rudd. Rud, red, ruddy. Later rud, became a noun, and signified redness, blush, ruddle, red ochre, and a river-fish. The last-named, from its red eyes, was called the rudd, or red-eye.

Rudden. Rud, red, ruddy; en, a termination of adjectives and participles. Make red; ruddy.

Rudduck. Rudduc, robin-red-breast. Ruddick, Ruddach, Ruddock, kindred names.

Ruddiman. Rud, ruddy; ig, an adjective ending; man, a man. A ruddy man. Rudman, Rudmann, of like significance.

Ruddy. Rud, ruddy; ig, implying an adjective. Ruddy. Rudy, of same derivation.

Ruder. Rud, ruddy; er, a person. A ruddy person.

Rudge. Rud, red; íge, an island. Red island.

Rudhart. Rud, red, ruddy; heort, a hart. A ruddy stag.

Rudling. Rud, ruddy; ling, denoting state or condition of a person, an image, an example. Healthy condition; picture of health.

Rudloff. Rud, redness, blush; lóf, praise. Blush-praise.

Rudolph. Rud, red ochre, red iron-ore; dǽlf, pronounced dolf, a delving, a digging. Iron-digging.

Ruf. Hróf, or róf, a roof, a raised part. Perhaps, from róf, famous, renowned, illustrious. Rufe, Ruff, Ruoff, of kindred signification.

Ruffell. Hróf, a roof, a raised part; el, denoting a person. A roof-rearer; a ruff-wearer.

Rumbol. Rúm, room, space, place; bol, a sleeping-room.

Rumboltz. Rúm, a room; boltes, genitive of bolt, a house. Room of a dwelling.

Rumel. Rúm, a room; el, indicative of a person. A room-mate. Rummel, Rummell, from the same.

Rumford. Rúm, wide, spacious, ample; ford, a ford. A spacious ford.

Rumig. Rúm, a room; ig, an adjective ending. Roomy; spacious; ample.

Rumsey. Rúm, room, space, place; rumes, genitive of space; íg, an island. A spacious island.

Runner. Rún, pronounced roon, mystery; ere, a person. A dealer in mysteries; a sorcerer.

Runser. Rún-seó-ere, from rún, a secret; seó, I see; ere, a person. A foreteller of secrets.

Runyon. Rún-ian, to whisper, to speak mysteriously, from rún, a mystery, and ian, a verbal ending.

Rusch. Risce, pronounced reesche, a rush. Rush, Rusk, from the same.

Rusher. Rush, Rush; er, a person. One who is a Rush; son of Rush; one who uses the rush.

Rushman. Rush, Rush; man, a servant. A servant of Rush; a rush-collector.

Rushmire. Risce, rush; mere, a mere, lake, pool. A rush-pool.

Rushton. Rush, Rush; tún, town, house. Home of Rush; habitation of the rush.

Rushworth. Rush, Rush; weordh, worth, worthy, honorable. An estimable Rush; value of rushes.

Rust. Rust, rust, rustiness.

Ruth. Rúte, rue, a bitter herb. From the bitter property of the rue, we have ruth, expressive of pity, sorrow, tenderness for the misery of another, mercy. Rutt, more closely related to derivation.

Rutnard. Ruth, rue, pity, sorrow; ard, an ensign of office, such as a pole, staff, etc. A physician; a clergyman; a consoler.

Rutherford. Ruther, Rutter; ford, a ford. Rutter’s ford.

Ruths. Ruth, Ruth; s for sun, son. Son of Ruth.

Rutledge. Rúte, rue; leger, place for laying or lying, as bed, couch, grave, churchyard. Rue-bed; a bed of rue.

Rutter. Rutt, Rutt, or Ruth; ere, a person. A descendant of Rutt.

Ruttley. Rutt, Rutt; ley for líc, having the form of. Resembling Rutt.

Ruttman. Rutt, Rutt; man, a servant. Rutt’s servant.

Rutty. Rúte, rue; ig, an adjective termination. Like rue. Or, Rutt, Rutt; ig, expressing the quality of. Having the character of Rutt.

Rutz. Rutts, from Rutt, Rutt; s for sun, son. Son of Rutt.

Ruwell. Ruw, rough, hairy; el, denoting a person. A rough, or hairy person.

Ruxton. Rucks, Rucks; tún, town, habitation. Home of Rucks.

Ryer. Rye, hairy; ere, a person. A hairy person.

Ryerson. Ryer, Ryer; sun, son. Son of Ryer.

Ryers. Ryer, Ryer; s for sun, son. Son of Ryer.

Ryland. Rye, hairy, rough; land, ground, earth, region, country. A rough country.

Saake. Sæc, pronounced sahke, war, battle.

Saal. Sæl, pronounced sahal, a hall.

Saam. Sǽme, pronounced sā-am, weak, slow, lazy, bad.

Sabin. Sǽ, the sea; bin, a crib, a manger, a bin, a hatch. Sea-crib. Sabine, of like import.

Sabins. Sabin, Sabin; s for sun, son. Son of Sabin.

Sabold. Sǽ, the sea; bóld, a house. A sea-house; a ship.

Sabot. Sǽ, the sea; bát, boat. A sea-boat; a ship.

Sacal. Sacol, from sǽ, the sea; cól, coal. Sea-coal.

Sach. Sæc, pronounced săc, a sack, a bag. Sack, of like derivation.

Sachs. Sach, Sach; s for sun, son. Son of Sach. Saches, Sachse, Sacks, from the same roots.

Sackwright. Sæc, a sack; wyrhta, a workman, artificer, wright, maker. A sack-maker.

Saddington. Sæd, pronounced sad, satisfied, sated; dincg, broken or fallow ground; tún, a farm. A farm of sated, fallow ground.

Sadler. Sadel, a saddle; ere, an agent. A saddle-maker. Sadleir, Saddler, cognate terms.

Sæger. Sǽ, the sea; ger, a year. Sea-year.

Saffer. Sæfn, pronounced safn, a dream; er, an agent. A dreamer.

Saffin. Sæfn, pronounced safin, a dream.

Safford. Sæfn, a dream; órd, author. Dream-author.

Sage. Sage, a sage, a wise man.

Sagee. Sage, a sage; e, denoting a derivative adjective. Wise; philosophical.

Sagehorn. Sage, a sage; horn, a pinnacle, a trumpet. A sage’s trumpet.

Sager. Sage, a sage; ere, a person. A man of wisdom.

Sagers. Sager, Sager; s for sun, son. Son of Sager.

Saget. Sage, a sage; æt, meat, food. The food of a sage.

Sague. Sag, pronounced săg, a sack.

Saiger. Sag, a sack; er, an agent. A sack-maker.

Sainsbury. Sanctes, genitive of sanct, a saint; bury, from beorh, a place of burial. Saint’s burying-place.

Sale. Sæl, pronounced sā-el, a cord, a strap. Saile, from the same root.

Saler. Sæl, a cord; er, an agent. A cord-maker.

Sales. Sale, Sale; s for sun, son. Son of Sale.

Salfinger. Sæl, a cord; finger, a finger. Cord-finger.

Salin. Sale, Sale; in, a habitation. Sale’s dwelling.

Saling. Sale, Sale; ing, offspring. Descendant of Sale.

Salinger. Saling, Saling; er, an agent. A servant of Saling.

Salisbury. Salis, Sale’s; beorh, a burrow, or barrow. Sale’s barrow.

Saalmann. Sæl, pronounced sa-al, a hall; mann, a man. Hall-man.

Salt. Salt, salt.

Salter. Salt, salt; ere, an agent. A manufacturer of salt. Also, from saltere, a psaltery, a dulcimer.

Salters. Salter, Salter; s for sun, son. Son of Salter.

Sanborn. Sand, earth; born, born. Earth-born.

Sand. Sand, sand, earth.

Sandberg. Sand, sand; berg, a hill. A sand-hill.

Sandberger. Sandberg, a sand-hill; er, an agent. A sand-hill dweller.

Sander. Sand, sand, earth; er, an agent, or doer. A sand-digger. Saner, a contraction of the same.

Sanders. Sander, Sander; s for sun, son. Son of Sander. Saunders, of like derivation.

Sanderson. Sander, Sander; sun, son. Son of Sander. Saunderson, similarly derived.

Sandford. Sand, sand; ford, a ford. A sandy ford. Sanford, an abbreviation of the name.

Sandgran. Sand, sand; Latin granum, a grain. A grain of sand.

Sandgren. Sand, sand; grene, green. Green sand.

Sands. Sand, Sand; s for sun, son. Son of Sand.

Sandy. Sand-ig, from sand, sand, and ig, an adjective ending. Sandy.

Sangborne. Sang, song; born, born. Song-born.

Sanger. Sang, a song; ere, an agent. A singer.

Sangers. Sanger, a singer; s for sun, son. Son of Sanger; son of a singer.

Sank. Sanc, a song.

Sapp. Sæpp, pronounced sapp, sap, juice.

Sappel. Sæpp, sap, juice; el, an agent. A sapper.

Sapper. Sæpp, sap; ere, an agent. A sapper.

Sappington. Sæpp, sap; ing, denoting action; tún, town, village. A sapping town.

Sarfert. Sár, wound, sore, pain, grief; ferht, fright, fear. Pain-fear.

Saring. Sár, a wound; ing, expressive of action. Wound-producing.

Sattler. Sætel, pronounced sahtel, a seat; ere, an agent. A settler.

Saul. Sáwl, pronounced sáw-el, a soul. Saull, of like import.

Saulnier. Sául, a soul; nere, refuge, preservation. Soul-refuge.

Saulsberry. Sáules, genitive of sául, a soul; berry, from byrig, a city. Saul’s city; city of the soul.

Saulsburg. Saul’s, genitive of Saul; burg, a city. Saul’s city.

Sawyer. Sáwere, pronounced saw-yere, a sower.

Sawyers. Sawyer, Sawyer; s for sun, son. Son of Sawyer.

Sax. Sachs, from Sach, Sach, and s for sun, son. Son of Sach. Saxe, of kindred meaning.

Saxer. Sax, Sax; ere, an agent. A servant of Sax.

Saxton. Sax, Sax; tún, town, house. Home of Sax.

Saybolt. Sǽ, the sea; bolt, a house, a dwelling. A sea-house; a ship.

Sayer. Sǽ, the sea; ere, an agent. A navigator. Sayre, from the same roots.

Sayers. Sayer, Sayer; s for sun, son. Son of Sayer. Sayres, a cognate form.

Saylor. Sǽ, the sea; lǽr, pronounced lore, doctrine. Sea-knowledge.

Scank. Scanca, the hollow bone of the leg, the shank.

Scanlan. Scand, shame, modesty, disgrace; land, land, earth, region, country. Disgraced region. Scanlin, Scanlon of like significance.

Scannell. Scand, shame, disgrace; el, a personal suffix. A person in disgrace.

Scarborough. Scear, an estate, landed property; burh, a town, a city. The landed property of a town.

Scattergood. Sceat-wer, a shooter; gud, good. A good shooter.

Schaab. Sceabb, or scæb, a scab.

Schaaf. Sceaf, pronounced skaaf, a sheaf, a bundle of corn.

Schaal. Sceale, pronounced skaal, a school. Schall, of like significance.

Schaar. Scear, pronounced skaar, a share, a fortune, an estate.

Schaker. Sceacere, pronounced skaker, a thief.

Schaler. Sceale, a school; ere, an agent. A scholar. Schaller, a kindred name.

Schallinger. Sceale, a school; ing, expressive of action; ere, an agent. One who is acquiring his schooling; a scholar.

Scham. Scame, pronounced skam, shame, disgrace, nakedness.

Schamel. Sceamel, a stool, footstool, bench, form, desk.

Schell. Scell, a shell, a rind, a cavity.

Scobel. Scobl, a shovel.

Scofield. Sceawe, shoe; feld, a field, a plain. A shoe-field.

Scollean. Scól-lean, from scólu, a school, and lean, reward. A school-reward. Scollan, from the same roots.

Scollay. Scól-ley, from scólu, a school, and ley, a song. A school-song.

Scollin. Scól-in, from scólu, a school, and in, a habitation. A school-house.

Scollon. Scól-lond, from scólu, a school, and lond, land. School-land.

Scorr. Score, the shore.

Scotland. Scot, shot, payment; land, land. Payment-land.

Scotney. Scot, shot, payment; ney, from the Irish, implying an agent. A paymaster.

Scott. Scot, shot, payment.

Scouler. Scolere, a scholar.

Scovel. Scofl, a shovel.

Scudder. Sculder, a shoulder.

Seabert. Sǽ, the sea; beorht, bright. Sea-bright.

Seabold. Sǽ, the sea; bóld, a house. A sea-house; a ship.

Seabourne. Sǽ, the sea; burne, a stream. A sea-current.

Seabrook. Sǽ, the sea; bróc, a brook. A sea-brook; a rivulet that empties into the sea.

Seagrove. Sǽ, the sea; græf, a grove. A sea-grove; a grove near the sea.

Seafert. Sǽ, the sea; ferdh, a spirit. A sea-sprite.

Seal. Seal, a willow, a sallow. Seel, an analogous name. Perhaps, from seal, a seal.

Sealey. Seal, a willow; ig, an adjective termination. Willowy; abounding with willows. Sealy, Seely, Seeley, similarly derived.

Seals. Seal, Seal; s for sun, son. Son of Seal.

Seaman. Sǽ-mann, a sea-man. Seeman, Seemann, kindred names.

Seamans. Seaman, Seaman; s for sun, son. Son of Seaman.

Seamen. Sǽ, the sea; men, plural of man. Seamen.

Seamens. Seamen, Seamen; s for sun, son. Son of Seamen.

Seamon. Sǽ, the sea; mon, man. A sea-man.

Seanor. Sǽ, the sea; nor, for north. North Sea.

Search. Serce, a shirt.

Searchfield. Search, Search; feld, a field, a plain. Search’s field.

Sear. Sear, from searian, to sear, to dry up. Dry; withered.

Searing. Sear, Sear; ing, offspring. Son of Sear.

Searle. Sear-el, from sear, sear, and el, denoting a personal noun. A withered person; an aged person. Searl, from the same roots.

Searles. Searle, Searle; s for sun, son. Son of Searle.

Sears. Sear, Sear; s for sun, son. Son of Sear.

Seary. Sear, dry, withered; ig, denoting an adjective. Withered. Seeary, an analogous term.

Seaton. Sǽ, the sea; tún, a town. A sea-town; a sea-port.

Sebald. Sé, pronounced se, the sea; báld, bold, audacious. Sea-daring.

Seckel. Sec, battle; el, indicative of a person. A warrior.

Seckinger. Sec, war, battle; cyng, a king, ruler, prince; ere, an agent. A warrior-king.

Seddinger. Perhaps, from Sedling, an Ethiopian, and ere, an agent. A slave-trader. Sedenger, a corruption of the same.

Sedgwick. Secg, warrior, soldier; wic, a camp, a station. A military camp.

See. Sé, pronounced sē, the sea.

Seebach. Sé, the sea; bæc, pronounced bāc, back. An ebbing sea.

Seeber. Sé, the sea; bere, a bear. A sea-bear.

Seeberger. Sé, the sea; berg, a mountain, a hill; ere, an agent. One that occupies a sea-mountain; a mermaid. Seeburger, of like significance.

Seebeth. Sé, the sea; Irish beth, a house. A sea-house; a bath-house.

Seed. Séd, pronounced sēd, seed.

Seeds. Seed, Seed; s for sun, son. Son of Seed.

Seefelder. Sé, the sea; feld, a field, a plain; ere, an agent. A follower of the sea-plain; a seafaring man.

Seegrist. Sé, the sea; grist, grist, a grinding. Sea-grist; sea-grinding. Segrest, of like import.

Seehofer. Sé, the sea; hofer, a humpback. The sea-humpback.

Seelaus. Sé, the sea; lus, German laus, a louse. A sea-louse.

Seeler. Seal, a seal; ere, an agent. A seal-fisher.

Seehorst. Sé, the sea; horst, watching. Sea-watching.

Seelig. Sé, the sea; lig, a flame. A sea-flame. Selig, an analogous name.

Seelos. Sé, the sea; los, loss, losing, destruction. Sea-loss.

Seery. Sé, the sea; ríe, pronounced rē, power, dominion. Sea-power.

Sees. See, See; s for sun, son. Son of See. Seese, Seez, cognate names.

Sefer. Sé, the sea; fer, a journey. A sea-journey.

Sefton. Seft, soft, mild, quiet; tún, a town, a house. A quiet home.

Segall. Sé, the sea; gál, pronounced gaul, lightness, folly. Sea-folly.

Segner. Segne, a net; ere, an agent. A seiner.

Seher. Sé, the sea, here, an army, a host, a legion. A sea-army; a naval expedition.

Sehers. Seher, Seher; s for sun, son. Son of Seher.

Selbert. Sel, a dwelling, a palace, a hall; beorht, brightness. Hall-brightness.

Selby. Sel, a hall, a palace; bý, a habitation. A palatial dwelling.

Selden. Seld, a royal seat, a throne, a palace; en, an adjective ending. Palatial.

Selfridge. Self, same, self-same; ricg, a back, a ridge, a roof. Self-same ridge.

Seligman. Selig, Selig; man, a servant. Selig’s servant.

Sell. Sel, a dwelling, a mansion, a palace, a hall.

Seller. Sel, a palace; ere, an agent. A king; a prince.

Sellers. Seller, Seller; s for sun, son. Son of Seller.

Sellick. Sel, a companion; lic, like. Companion-like.

Sells. Sell, Sell; s for sun, son. Son of Sell.

Selman. Sell, Sell; man, a servant. Servant of Sell; servant of a palace.

Selner. Sel, a palace; nere, refuge, protection. Palace-refuge; protection of the king.

Selover. Sé, the sea; lóf-ere, a lover. A sea-lover.

Selser. Sells-ere, from Sells, son of Sell, and ere, an agent. A servant of Sell’s son. Selser, perhaps, from the same roots.

Semebroth. Sæme, weak; bróth, broth. Weak broth.

Semisch. Sem, a seam, a bag; isc, like. Like a bag.

Semler. Sem, a bag; lǽr, doctrine, knowledge. Bag-knowledge.

Senat. Senat, a senate. Senate, from the same root.

Senatz. Senats, from Senat, Senat, and s for sun, son. Son of Senat.

Senn. Sen, sin.

Senneff. Senn, Senn; nefe, a niece. Niece of Senn.

Senner. Senn, Senn; ere, an agent. Senn’s servant.

Setner. Setnere, a seditious person, a revolter.

Settel. Setel, a settle, a seat, a bench, a stool. Settle, of similar derivation.

Setter. Settere, a thief.

Seubel. Séw, the sea; bel, a bell. A sea-bell.

Seubert. Séw, the sea; beorht, brightness. Sea-glistening.

Sharp. Scearp, sharp. Sharpe, another spelling.

Sharpless. Scearp, sharp; læs, less, comparative of lytel. Less sharp. Sharples, of similar meaning.

Sharpley. Scearp, sharp; líc, like. Sharp-like.

Sharps. Sharp, Sharp; s for sun, son. Son of Sharp.

Sharr. Scear, a ploughshare. Also, scear, a division.

Sharsig. Sceares, genitive of scear, Sharr’s, and ig, an island. Sharr’s island.

Sharswood. Sharr’s, Sharrs; wud, wood. Sharr’s wood. Sharwood, an abbreviated form of the name.

Shaw. Sceawe, a show.

Sheaff. Sceaf, a sheaf, a bundle of corn.

Shealer. Sceale, a scale, a balance; ere, an agent. A weigher.

Shean. Sceán, shone. Sheen, from the same root.

Shear. Scear, sheared. Sheer, of like derivation.

Sheard. Sceard, a sheard, a division, a remnant.

Sheardown. Scear, sheared; dún, a mountain, hill, downs. A sheared mountain; a shaven hill.

Shearer. Sceare-ere, from sceare, shears, scissors, and ere, an agent. One who uses the shears.

Shearf. Scearfan, to carve in pieces; scearfe, a fragment.

Shearman. Sceare, sheers; man, a man. A shearer; a reaper.

Shears. Shear, Shear; s for sun, son. Son of Shear.

Shearwood. Scear, sheared; wud, a wood. A cleared wood. Sherwood, from the same.

Sheble. Sceabb, a scab; el, denoting a person. A shabby fellow.

Sheck. Sceac, slow, sluggish, lazy, benumbed, costive, bound.

Shecklin. Sceac-líne, a line which fastens the bottom of a sail.

Shedaker. Sceáde, genitive of sceádo, shadow; æcer, a field. A field of shadow; a shaded field.

Shedden. Sceáden, shaded, shadowed, overwhelmed, oppressed.

Sheddy. Sceáde, genitive of sceádo, belonging to shade. Shady; shadowy.

Shedinger. Sceádan, to shade, to overwhelm, to oppress; ing, expressive of action; ere, an agent. A person that overshadows another; an oppressor.

Shedwick. Sceáde, genitive of sceádo, a shadow, a shade; wic, a habitation, a village, a convent. A habitation of shade; a shaded village.

Sheedy. Sceáde, of shadow; ig, an island. An island of shadow; a shaded island.

Sheeler. Sceale, a scale, a balance; ere, an agent. A weigher; a balancer.

Sheen. Scén, pronounced skēne, sheen.

Sheering. Scír, shire; ing, offspring, descendant. Son of the shire.

Sheldon. Scel, a shell; dún, a mountain, a hill. A shell-hill.

Shell. Scell, a shell.

Shellenberger. Scellenâ, of shells; berg, a hill, a mountain; ere, an agent. A dweller of a shell-hill. Shelberger, of similar derivation.

Sheller. Scell, a shell; ere, an agent. A dealer in shells.

Shelley. Scell, a shell; ig, an adjective termination. Shelly. Shelly, from the same roots.

Shelling. Scelling, a shilling. Or, Shell, Shell; ing, an offspring. A descendant of Shell.

Shellinger. Shelling, Shelling; ere, an agent. A servant of Shelling.

Shelmerdine. Scel, a shell; mere, a mere, a lake, a sea; dínne, stormy. A tempestuous shell-lake.

Shelton. Shell, Shell; tún, town, house. Home of Shell.

Sheneman. Sheen, Sheen; man, a servant. A servant of Sheen.

Shenton. Scén, beautiful; tún, a house, a habitation. A beautiful house.

Shepherd. Sceáp-hyrde, from sceáp, sheep, and hyrde, a keeper of sheep; a shepherd. Shepard, Shephard, Sheppard, analogous names.

Shepherdson. Shepherd, Shepherd; sun, son. Son of Shepherd. Shepperson, of like significance.

Shepler. Sceáp, sheep; lǽr, doctrine. Sheep-knowledge.

Shepley. Sceáp, sheep; ley, a lay, a song. A sheep-lay.

Sheran. Scéran, to shear, to shave, to cut off, to share, to divide, to grant.

Sherer. Sceare, shears; ere, an agent. A shearer. Sherar, from the same roots.

Sherick. Scer-icge, an actress. Sherk, Shirk, possibly, from the same derivation.

Sheridan. Scérian, to divide, to rive, to part.

Sheriff. Scír-gerefa, from scír, a shire, and gerefa, a steward, a bailiff, a governor. A governor of a shire; a shire-reeve; a sheriff.

Sherlock. Scír, white, bright, glorious; locc, a lock, hair. A lock of white hair. Shirelock, of similar meaning.

Sherlow. Scír, a county, province, district; low, a grave, a barrow, a small hillock, a tract of country gently rising, a low. A district-low. Shirlow, from the same roots.

Sherman. Scír-mann, from scír, a share, shire, county, district; mann, a man. A man who superintends; a shireman; an overseer; a governor, a provost. Shearman, Shireman, of kindred derivation.

Shermer. Scír, a district, province; mere, a mere, a lake, a pool, the sea. A sea-district; a lake-province.

Sherr. Scír, a district, a province. Shire, of kindred significance.

Sherrard. Scír, superintendence, stewardship; ard, an ensign of office. A badge of stewardship. Sherrerd, of like import.

Sherrat. Scír, shire, district, county; áth, an oath. An oath required by a shire from one in power.

Sherrell. Scír, a shire, a district; el, indicative of a person. A resident of a shire.

Sherrer. Scír, care, charge; ere, an agent. A superintendent; an overseer.

Sherrie. Sherr, Sherr; íg, an island. Sherr’s island. Sherry, from the same roots.

Sherwin. Scír, a shire; win, a friend. A friend of the shire; one devoted to the shire.

Sherwood. Scír, glorious; wude, a forest. A glorious forest. Or, from scír, a district; wud, a wood. A district wood.

Shetzline. Scetes, genitive of scete, a sheet, a sail; líne, a line. The lower sail line.

Shew. Sceawe, a show.

Shewell. Sceawe, a show; el, indicative of a person. A showman.

Shiel. Sciell, a scale, a shell.

Shield. Scield, a shield, a refuge.

Shields. Shield, Shield; s for sun, son. Son of Shield.

Shill. Scill, a shilling, a piece of uncoined silver, which, when coined, would make five pennies, each of which was 2½ pence.

Shillady. Shill, Shill; hlǽfdie, a mistress, a lady. Shill’s mistress.

Shilling. Scilling, a shilling. Or, from Shill, Shill, and ing, an offspring. A son of Shill.

Shillingford. Shilling, Shilling; ford, a ford. Shilling’s ford. Shillingsford, from the same roots.

Shillingsburg. Shillinges, Shilling’s; beorg, a hill. Shilling’s hill.

Shimer. Scíma, a brightness, splendor, glittering; ere, an agent. A wit; a humorist; a scholar.

Shinn. Scínne, beauty, splendor.

Shinneberry. Shinn, Shinn; byrie, a burial-place. The burial-place of Shinn.

Shipley. Scip, a ship, a boat; ley, a lay, a song. A boat song.

Shipman. Scip-mann, a ship-man, a sailor.

Shippen. Scyppend, a former, a creator.

Shipper. Scip-ere, a sailor.

Shipps. Scipes, genitive of scip, a ship. Belonging to a ship.

Shirley. Scíre, a shire; líc, like. Resembling a shire.

Shoe. Scoe, or sceó, a shoe.

Shoell. Scoe, a shoe; el, denoting a person. A shoemaker.

Shoemaker. Scoe, a shoe; mace, make; ere, an agent. A maker of shoes.

Shoneman. Scóne, beautiful; mann, a man. A beautiful man.

Shook. Sceóc, shook.

Shoop. Scóp, a farmer, a maker, a poet, a minstrel.

Shore. Score, the shore.

Short. Sceort, short.

Shortell. Sceort, short; el, indicative of a person. A short person.

Shorten. Sceort-ain, from sceort, short; ain, to make. To make short.

Shortley. Short, Short; líc, like. Resembling Short. Or, from sceort-líc, short, momentary.

Shorts. Short, Short; s for sun, son. Son of Short. Shortts, from the same roots.

Shoser. Scós, shoes; ere, an agent. A shoemaker.

Shott. Scot, shot, payment.

Showaker. Sceawe, a show; æcer, a field. A show-field. Showeker, from the same roots.

Showalter. Sceawe, a show; alter, an altar. A show-altar.

Showell. Sceawe, a show; el, indicative of a person. A showman.

Shower. Sceawere, a beholder, spectator, spy, a railer, a scoffer.

Showers. Shower, Shower; s for sun, son. Son of Shower.

Showman. Sceawe, a show; mann, a man. A showman.

Shreeve. Scréf, a den, a cave, a layer. Shreve, of like derivation.

Shreeves. Shreeve, Shreeve; s for sun, son. Son of Shreeve. Shrieves, a kindred name.

Shrigley. Scric, a thrush, a throstle; ley, a song. Thrush song.

Shriner. Scrin, a shrine, casket, chest; ere, an agent. A maker of shrines, caskets.

Shriver. Scrifan, to shrive, to receive confession; ere, an agent. One who receives confessions; a shriver.

Shroder. Scrúd, a garment, clothing, shroud; ere, an agent. A tailor; a shroud-maker.

Shronk. Scruncen, shrunk, withered.

Schropshire. Scrob, a shrub; scír, a shire, county, district. A shrub-shire; a shrubby district.

Shubert. Scúa, a shade, a shadow; beorht, bright, lucid, clear. A lucid shadow.

Shuck. Scucca, Satan, the devil.

Shuff. Scúfan, to shove, to thrust, to cast down; sceáf, cast down, removed; sceaf, that which is cast down, as a sheaf.

Shugard. Scúa, a shade; geard, a hedge, enclosure, garden. A shaded garden. Shugardt, Shugart, of like parentage.

Shuler. Scúl, a scowl; ere, an agent. One who scowls.

Shull. Scúl, a scowl, a frown.

Shumaker. Sceó, a shoe; macian, to make; ere, one who. A shoemaker.

Shuman. Sceó, a shoe; mann, a man. A shoe-man; a dealer in shoes.

Shumate. Sceó, a shoe; Dutch maat, a husband, a wife, a companion. A shoe-companion.

Shumway. Sceome, of shame, genitive of sceamu; wæg, way. The way of shame.

Shupard. Scóp, a poet, minstrel; ard, a badge of office. A minstrel’s staff. Shuperd, slightly altered form of the word.

Shupe. Scóp, a poet, a minstrel. Shupp, an analogous name.

Shur. Scúr, a shower of rain, a storm, tempest, a shower of arrows, battle, fight. Shurr, from the same root.

Shute. Scute, given, expended, transferred, rushed, shot. Shutt, of kindred meaning.

Shuttleworth. Scuttel, a scuttle, platter, charger, moment; weordh, worth, price, value. A moment’s value.

Shutts. Shutt, Shutt; s for sun, son. Son of Shutt. Shutz, similarly derived.

Shyer. Scyan, to suggest, excite, prompt, persuade; ere, an agent. A prompter; a pleader.

Sibbet. Sibbian, to pacify, to compose; past participle sibbod, pacified, composed. Sibbitt, from the same root.

Sibbits. Sibbit, Sibbit; s for sun, son. Son of Sibbit.

Sibel. Sib, peace, adoption, companionship; el, indicative of personality. A companionable person. Sibole of like import.

Siber. Sib, peace, agreement, alliance; ere, an agent. An ally; an abettor.

Sibert. Síb, peace; beorht, famous, illustrious. A famous peace.

Sibley. Sib, concord, agreement; ley, a song. A melody.

Sibson. Sib, peace, adoption; sun, son. Son of adoption. Sibbs, an abbreviated form of the same.

Sick. Síc, sick.

Sickel. Sicel, pronounced sickel, a sickle. Sickle, Sickel, from the same root.

Sickels. Sickel, Sickel; s for sun, son. Son of Sickel. Sickles, a cognate term.

Sicker. Síc, sick; ere, an agent. A sick person.

Sickler. Sicel, a sickle; ere, an agent. One who uses a sickle.

Siddall. Síd, ample, spacious, broad, vast; dál, a valley. A broad valley. Siddell, Sidel, Sidle, alike in derivation.

Siddon. Síd, spacious, vast; dún, a mountain, a hill. A spacious hill.

Siddins. Siddin, Siddon; s for sun, son. Son of Siddon.

Side. Síd, ample, broad, various, diverse. Or, from síde, silk.

Sidebotham. Síd, ample, full, vast; bót, atonement, indemnity, redress, cure; hám, house, dwelling. The home of full atonement.

Sidebottom. Síd, broad; botm, bottom. Broad bottom.

Sidenburg. Síden, silken, made of silk; burg, a fort, a castle, a house. A house made of silk.

Sides. Side, Side; s for sun, son. Son of Side.

Sidleman. Sidle, Sidle; man, a servant. Sidle’s servant.

Sidley. Sidle, Sidle; líc, like. Resembling Sidle.

Sidney. Síden, silken, made of silk.

Siebel. Sie, victory, triumph, crown; bel, a bell. A peal of triumph.

Siebeling. Siebel, Siebel; ing, offspring. Descendant of Siebel.

Sieber. Sie, a crown; bere, barley. A crown of barley.

Siebert. Sie-beorht, triumphantly, or gloriously bright.

Siebott. Sie, victory; bót, atonement. A victorious atonement.

Siebrecht. Sie, crown; brecht, conquered. Crown conquered.

Siebrist. Sie, victory; brist, bearest. Victory bearest.

Siedenback. Síden, silken; bæc, back. A silken back.

Siedler. Síde, silk; lǽr, doctrine. Silk-knowledge.

Siefert. Sie, triumph; fert, spirit. A spirit of triumph.

Siefken. Sielf-cyn, from sielf, a salve, and cyn, kind. A kind of herb salve.

Siegel. Sigel, the sun, a jewel. Siegle, from the same root.

Siegler. Sigel, a jewel; ere, an agent. A jeweller.

Siegman. Sige, victory; man, a man. A victorious man. Siegmann, from the same roots.

Sieler. Sie, the sea; lǽr, doctrine. Sea-knowledge.

Siemers. Sie, the sea; merse, a marsh, a fen. A sea-marsh.

Siemon. Sie, the sea; mon, a man. A seafaring man.

Sier. Sieran, to lie in wait for, to plot, to conspire.

Sifer. Sie, the sea; fer, a journey. A sea journey.

Sigmund. Sige, victory; mund, a hand. A victorious hand.

Silbert. Sigel-beorht, from sigel or sigl, the sun, and beorht, bright. Sun-bright.

Sill. Sigl, a necklace.

Sillady. Sill, Sill; hlǽfdie, a mistress. Sill’s mistress.

Siller. Sigl, a necklace, a brooch, an ornament; ere, an agent. A jeweller.

Silliman. Sill, Sill; man, a servant. Sill’s servant.

Sills. Sill, Sill; s for sun, son. Son of Sill.

Silpath. Sigl, the sun; pæth, a path. The sun-path; sunny path.

Sillsby. Sills, Sill’s; bý, a habitation. Sill’s home.

Silver. Silfer, silver.

Silverberg. Silfer, silver; beorg, a hill, a mountain. A mountain of silver.

Silvers. Silver, Silver; s for sun, son. Son of Silver.

Silverstine. Silferes, genitive of silfer, silver; tine, a tine, a tooth of a harrow. A silver tine.

Silverthorn. Silfer, silver; thorn, a thorn. A silver-thorn. Silverthorne, from the same roots.

Simard. Sima, a judge; ard, an ensign of office. A judge.

Sime. Sima, a bond, a reconciler, a judge. Syme, a kindred term.

Simes. Sime, Sime; s for sun, son. Son of Sime. Simms, Sims, Symes, from the same roots.

Simington. Sima, a reconciler; ing, expressive of action; tún, house. Home of reconciliation. Simmington, Symington, alike in derivation.

Simkin. Sim, Sime; cyn, kin, relation. Sime’s relation. Simpkin, of similar meaning.

Simkins. Simkin, Simkin; s for sun, son. Son of Simkin. Simpkins, from the same roots.

Simkis. Sima, a judge; cys, pure. An upright judge.

Simler. Sima, a judge; lǽr, doctrine. Judicial knowledge.

Simmer. Sima, a bond; ere, an agent. A notary.

Simmers. Simmer, Simmer; s for sun, son. Son of Simmer.

Simmon. Sima, a bond; mon, a man. A bondman.

Simmond. Sima, a bond; mund, a protection. A bond-protection.

Simmonds. Simmond, Simmond; s for sun, son. Son of Simmond. Simonds, Symonds, kindred names.

Simmons. Simmōn, Simmon; s for sun, son. Son of Simmon. Simmins, Symons, doubtless, of like parentage.

Simpson. Simp, Sime; sun, son. Son of Sime. Simson, from the same roots.

Sindall. Sin, sin; dál, a valley. Valley of sin.

Sine. Sín, sight, vision, appearance.

Siner. Sín, a vision; ere, an agent. One who sees visions; a dreamer.

Sines. Sine, Sine; s for sun, son. Son of Sine.

Singer. Singan, to sing, to play upon an instrument, to say, to pronounce; ere, an agent. A singer; a musician; a soothsayer.

Singerly. Singer, Singer; líc, like. Resembling Singer.

Singler. Singan, to sing, to play upon an instrument; lǽr, doctrine. Music-knowledge.

Singley. Sing, Sing; ley, from líc, like. Resembling Sing.

Sings. Sing, Sing; s for sun, son. Son of Sing.

Sink. Sinc, collection, heap, gain, treasure, riches, silver.

Sinn. Sin, or synne, sin.

Sinnamon. Sina, genitive of sina, sinews; mon, a man. A man of sinews; an athlete. Synnamon, Synamon, of similar derivation.

Sinning. Sinn, Sinn; ing, an offspring. Son of Sinn.

Sinns. Sinn, Sinn; s for sun, son. Son of Sinn.

Sithen. Sidhan, times, courses.

Sithens. Sithen, Sithen; s for sun, son. Son of Sithen.

Six. Six, six.

Sixsmith, Six, Six; smidh, an artificer, a smith, a workman. Six’s workman.

Sixte. Sixte, sixth.

Skean. Sceán, shone. Skeehan, Skeen, from the same radix.

Skeffington. Sceafa, a shaving instrument; ing, expressive of action; tún, a house. A place where shaving is done.

Skelly. Scell-ig, from scell, a shell, and ig, an adjective termination. Shelly.

Skerl. Scer, a ploughshare; el, indicative of a person. A plowman.

Skerratt. Scer-geát, from scer, a ploughshare; geát, an opening, a gap. A gap made by a ploughshare; a furrow.