1805.] 
Englifh throse about 975. ° From a pal- 
fage in Fillet (Recueil des Rois de France), 
quoted by Camden, furnames may be’ fup- 
pofed to have originated with the European 
expeditions tothe Holy Land. ) 
An examination of the celebrated Sur- 
vey of this country finifhed- by the Con- 
queror in 1086, will fatisfy the moft cu- 
rious inquirer on the prefent fubje&, in’ 
regard to their introduction into England. 
William and his companions partitioned 
the whole country as fpoil. The greater 
lords, pleafed with their new poileifions, 
and defirous to perpetuate'the memory of 
their fhare in the conquett of the country, 
ufually added to their bapti{mal name 
that of the caftle or eftate they had left at 
home, as Gecflrey de Mandeville, Robert 
de Oilgi, Robert de Ivery, ard others ; 
while foldiers of inferior confideration, 
and the raggamuftins of the army, whom 
William found it neceffary to reward for 
their fervices, ufually aflumed the name of 
the village, town, ot diftriét, that had 
given them birth. It is more than pro- 
bable that William, in diftributing-pro- 
perty to his confederates, might demand 
thefe additions, that he might be perfectly 
affured of the identity of thofe perfons 
whofe fervices he was rewarding. Indeed 
there is bardly a village in Normandy that 
exifts at this day, which did not give 
name to fome family in England. 
allumed the title of offices whica they held 
about the Englith Court, fome of which 
have delcended to us unimpaired even at 
the prefent hour. - OF thele -were, Eudo 
Dopijer, Waleran Venator, Nicholaus Ba- , 
lifarius, Nigelus Medicus,, Durandus 
ZLonforator, and William Arcuarius. 
As the fafhion prevailed, it will be ea- 
fily fuppofed that they who enjoyed neither 
hereditary preperiy from their anceftors, 
or dignity from any public office, would 
readily aflume the names of trades or em- 
ployments, which had beew to them fources 
both of property and reputa'ion. Such were 
Bowyer, Viner, Fowler, Baker, Goldfmith, 
Fruiterer ; and that they were aflumed in 
imitation of the Normans by the old inha- 
bitants, feems fill more likely, as the er 
with which many of them finifh, is nothing 
more than an abbreviation of the Saxon 
qwer,a man, as Boryer,a Bow-man. So 
monger, with which, maay other of our 
names are ended, is » othing more than the 
Saxon mangere, a trader ; as Fifh-mouger, 
_ Fleth monger, Cottar-monger. The Nor- 
Mans frem to have taken entire poffeffion 
ef the landed property, but left trade and 
manufacture to the Saxons; Chap-maz,. 
* Origin of Surnames. 
Others» 
315 
Full-zaz, and, others, {peak for theme. 
Cd AS RARER ; 
The prevalence of furnames foon after 
this pericd, is curiovfly illuftrated by 
Camden. It feemed: a difgrace (fays he) 
for a gentleman to have but one fingle 
name, as the meaner fortand baftards had; 
for the daughter and heir of Robert Fitz 
Hamon, a great lord (as Robert of Glo- 
cefter, in the library of the illuftrious an- 
-tiquary, Mafter Joha Stow,» writeth), 
when King Henry the Firft would_have 
married ber to his bafe fon Robert, the, | 
firtt refufing, anfwered, 
* It were to mea great fhame 
‘ To have a lorden withouten his twa name 3° 
whereupon the king his father gave him 
the nameof Fitz Roy, who after was Earl 
of Gloucefter, and the only worthy of his: 
age in: England,”’ | 
But among the common people, fur. 
names were at that time not quite fo nuq 
merous as we may at firlt {uppofe. A 
deed in the regifter. of Spalding priory, 
of the age of Richard I. affords a curious - 
illuftration of the point. Among the 
witneiles are two Simons (‘* Huis teffibus, 
&c. Sie. Blundo, alio Simon”), one dif- 
tinguifhed by his complexion, and called 
Simo Blundus, ov the fair; and, the other, 
having no name as yet ‘o diftinguifh him, 
was called anotaer Simon. 
Strangers who came over here in the 
time of Henry III. were frequently named 
from the countries they had I-ft; as Flem-. 
ming, Loring, Burgoin, Le Picard, and an 
hundred others: And a few from the 
trade or commerce they imported. / 
Your Correfpondent’s | claffification, 
however, is not complete. He feems to 
have forgotten not only places, but quali- 
ties, and habitudes of body, rank, offices, 
manufacture, fituation, alliance, amufe- 
ments, misfortune, and a variety of other 
fources, from ali which our furoames 
have been derived. Indeed there feems 
no good reafon why Meflrs. Che/hire, Vir- 
tie, Mouth, Mucklewhite, Earle, Butler, 
Twit, Northcote, Frere, Playfull, Nut- 
ting, or Boffu (i.e. crook-back), fhould 
be refufed admittance into any one of his 
lids; though it mignt poffibly puzzle bim 
into what clafs he ought in propriety to 
put fuch people as Meflr;. Wild, Wild- 
man, end Savage. 
The milcejlaneous remarks to which 
the fubje&t of itfelf leads, are too nume- 
rous to be mentioned here. A great many 
may be found in Camden; anda thouland - 
others will readily fuggelt themfelves to 
every reader, This I am certainly con- , 
Sf2 yinced 
So FO a ee TET 
apres 
