iS£ ' On Proper Names^ 



siderable class of Gaelic and French patronymics, chiefly in 

 Scotland, Ireland, and Wales, as Fitz, O, Mac, and Ap* 

 whence Fitzhenryy the son of Henry ; O* Donnelly the son of 

 Donnell; Mcltiery the son of Iver; ji^p ruiy contracted into 

 Prui ; ^p Howell into Powell. In Wales, since its conquest, 

 and also in some parts of England, the custom has prevailed 

 of simply adopting the father's Christian name for the name of 

 the son, with an s annexed, when the name does not end in «, 

 but not otherwise. Thus we have Roberts, Jones, Hughes^ 

 Williams, Evans, Griffiths, with s subfixed, and Thomas, 

 Morris, &c., without it Sometimes the contracted or dimi- 

 nutive Christian name is taken, with the addition of*, as Jacks, 

 Toms, Harris or Harry* s, Davy's or Davis, Sometimes, also, 

 the female diminutive, or contracted appellative is adopted 

 without addition, as Jenny, Molloy or Molly, Beatty or Betty, 

 Nanney or Nanny. The Jews, it may be remarked, take the 

 prsenomen without the s, as Joseph, Samuel, Solomon, Levi, It 

 sometimes happens, though not very frequently, that the sir- 

 name of the parent, with the snbj unction of son, has been 

 adopted for a new name, as Brownson, Grayson^ Scotson, 

 Wrightson, 



The next, or fourth, of the five principal divisions, above 

 enumerated, consists of names derived from some supposed 

 quality, attribute, or accident. The three classes already con- 

 sidered, comprise such names as were conferred involuntarily, 

 or according to a fixed and positive rule. The class we are 

 now upon, and the next which follows, are much more difficult 

 to reduce to any arrangement, as they appear to have been 

 bestowed capriciously, or at least arbitrarily : such are the 

 names Good, JVise, Strong, Hardy, Bold, Fair, Worthy, and 

 a great many more. Sometimes they seem to have been given 

 from a sentiment of respect, like those above mentioned, and 

 sometimes of derision, as Cruickshanks, Longshanks, White- 

 legs^, &c. Some of them indicate a peculiarity of habit or 

 character, as Gotobed, Younghusband, Wellbeloved. How far 

 these names were affixed accidentally, or imposed by any 

 authority, paternal, magisterial, or official, I have not beep 



* Camden thinks the former were generally self-imposed, and the latter givlitt 

 by others. 



