1803. ] 
To the Editor of th: Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
HE origin of language is a fubjegét 
which has engaged the attention of 
many diftinguifhed men. To thofe who 
are fond of traniporting the imagination to 
the ficft rude periods of fociety, and de- 
light in tracing the gradual rife and pre- 
grefs of this wonderful art, the writings 
of’ Monboddo, Haris, Adam Smith, and 
Horne Tooke, mutt be familiar. Nothing 
can be more interefting than the conjec- 
tural fpeculations, or theoretical hiftories 
as they have been called, of the two laft- 
mentioned of thefe celebrated writers. 
I do not recollest to have read any hiftory 
of the origin and forimation of furnames, 
and it is with a view of exciting fome at- 
tention to this fubje&, that I am induced 
to fubmit the foliowing remarks to you. 
Except Dean Swift’s ironical Difcourfe 
eoncerning the Antiquity of.the Englith 
tongue, to ridicule Dr. Bentley and the 
other quibbling commentators of that -pe- 
riod, 1 know of no effay on the origin 
of the names of perfons. If any fuch do 
exift, I fhall be glad to have it pointed 
out. 
Many of the obfervations in Mr. Smith’s 
ingenious Eflay on the Origin of Lan- 
guage (publifned at the end of his Theory 
cf Moral Sentiments) may be applied to 
the origin of furnames. The aflignation 
of particulars words to denote particular 
irades probably was the firft ftep in giving 
names to the different members of a civil- 
ized “cOmmunity. Accordingly we find 
nouns fubftantive, and the names of trades 
and occupations to be the moit common 
and moit univerfal. The next nro& ob- 
vious fource of furnames is from the mott 
familiar furrounding obje&ts, as animals, 
birds, fith, and vegetables. Another 
clafs and affortment of names feems to 
have been formed from the peculiar qua- 
lity of any object, and the relation in which 
it ftands to other things—hence the com- 
mon names of the different colours, metals, 
points of the compais, &c. Thofe things 
which are vifible objects, appear to fur- 
nifh another clafs of furnames—-and the 
various compounds of thefe have afforded 
no inconfiderable addition tothe lift. The 
invention of a numerous clafs of furnames, 
from the Chriftian name and the term /on 
being joined together, was probably of 
recent date when compared with the other 
ditin@tions. Six grand divifions may 
thus be made, and the names of perfons 
may be derived. 1. From the ordinary 
employments of men. 2. From the ani- 
mal and vegetable kingdoms. 3. Fronr 
Origin and Clafes of Surnames; lem 
the peculiar quality of fome objecs. 
4. From the titles of fome things in com- 
mon ule. 5. From the obvious of whim. 
fical combinations of tamsliar words em- 
ployed in ordinary difcourfe ; and laftly, 
from the addition of the woid foz to the 
termination of the Chriftian names, ! 
As far as T can judge trom a flight ex- 
amination of this arrangement, molt of 
the common names of perfons in this eaft- 
ern part of Engiand may be farisfadtorily 
claffed. AA more accurate and extenfive 
Inquiry may prove if to be incapable of 
géneral application—the divifions may be 
too few, or too many. Ido not pretend 
to give it as the refult of any profound 
meditation; it is local in its origin, and 
may be equally confined in its’ nature. 
The fubjest is curious and entertaining, 
and might be rendered more fo, by col-- 
le&ting the moft familiar farnames in the 
different counties of England, and-by | 
comparing thefe with. the vulgar. names 
of perfons in France, Germany, and other 
countries. Some interefting f{peculation 
might thus be excited, refpecting the em- ' 
ployment of the firft fettlers in different 
pacts of this ifland. The numerous and 
diverfifed names of different people might 
be traced perhaps to a few fimple elements 
as their fouree. Without farther preface 
or apology, I fhall proceed, fir, to give 
you fome examples of the claffification 
which I have made, only premifing that 
the names are, for the moft part, taken 
promifcuoufly from a few towns in Suffolk 
and in Norfolk :— 
1. Trades and Occupations. 
Barber Miller 
Botcher Merchant 
Baker Potter 
Brewer Porter 
Cook Planter : 
Cooper Ploughmart 
Chandler Smith 
Carpenter Sawyer 
Carter Shepherd 
Fowler Seaman 
Fifher Stamper 
Fuller Taylor 
Farmer Terner 
Glover Thatcher 
Gilder Woodman 
Hunter Wright 
Harper Weaver 
Maton &c, 
2. Animals. 
Ball Beaver 
Bullock Doe 
Buck Hart 
Beaver 
— 
