444 A DISSERTATION ON THE 
The termination then, making this supposition 
not only possible, but highly probable, we have 
to examine such grounds as might either obviate 
or wholly supplant it. ‘ Wilding” is also the 
name of a tree; and as many family names have 
been derived from such local circumstances, may 
not the family name in question have been derived 
thence? Names of trees and plants have fre- 
quently given names to persons. Witness the 
names of ‘Crabtree,’ Cawthorn,” ‘ Birch,” 
“Bracken.” But such names of persons, appa- 
rently so derived, are also names of places. 
Birch is the name of a place, not far from Man- 
chester. Bracken gives its name to Bracken 
Park, in Pennington parish, Lonsdale, north of 
the Sands; to Bracken Hall, in Lambrigg, West- 
moreland, &c. So that either family names have 
been derived from family residences, and the 
residences have obtained their names from local 
peculiarities ; or family residences have obtained 
their names from the names of their first proprie- 
tors—which names of proprietors have been given 
them from local peculiarities, which is absurd. 
Otherwise, we must come to the conclusion, that 
the names of persons have been assigned them 
from the names of trees, as distinctive character- 
istics, which we do not find to be the case. 
