Kitabı oku: «Surnames as a Science», sayfa 9

Names apparently from Trees

Names from trees have been generally taken to be derived from a local origin, as marking the site of a man's habitation. There are, however, a number of names which I take in some, or in all cases, to be from a different origin.

ASH, ASKE, ASKEY, BEECH, BIRCH, ALDER, OAKE, OAKEY, IVY, LINDEN, THORNE, HASELL, WILLOW, SYCAMORE, CHESNUT, ROWANTREE

Aske or Ashe represents an ancient stem in Teutonic names, perhaps derived from a mythological origin, man being feigned to have been created out of an ash-tree, perhaps from being the wood out of which spears were made (Cf. Asquith, p. 148). The Ascingas were among the early settlers, and Æsc was the name of the son of Hengest. Hence I take our names, Ash, Aske, and Askey, with several compounds. The Bircingas were also among the early settlers; the stem seems to be birg, supposed to mean protection, and entering into a number of names throughout the Teutonic system. Alder, which corresponds with an A.S. Aldher, and an O.G. Althar, is a compound of ald, old, and hari, warrior. The oak, as the symbol of strength, would seem suitable for men's names, but upon the whole it seems more probable that Oake and Oakey, Aikin (A.S. Acen, p. 96) and Aikman (A.S. Æcemann, p. 96), are from ac, ec, perhaps "edge," acies. Ivy is the same as Ive with a vowel-ending, and compares with an O.G. Ivo, and an A.S. Iffa, perhaps from O.N. [^y]fa, to rage. Linden is from lind, p. 175, with the ending in en, p. 27. Hasel and Thorn are both found in the list of early settlers, the former I take to be properly Asel, corresponding with an O.G. Asilo, from as or os, semideus; the latter, which does not seem to occur in the Teutonic system generally, I rather suppose to be a contraction of O.N. thoran, boldness. Willow, along with Will and Willey, is also found in the list of early settlers, and corresponds with an O.G. Willo, perhaps from will in the sense of resolution. Sycamore is from an O.G. Sicumar, p. 162, and Chestnut is referred to at p. 155. Rowantree is no doubt from the tree, and may perhaps have reference to its supposed magical powers. Rointru is also a French name, perhaps a relic of the many Scotchmen who have at different times taken refuge in that country, though possibly of older origin.

There are a few other names which may be included here.

STUBBE, STUBBING, GROVE (GRUBB), TWIGG, SPRIGG (TWINE, TWINING, TWISS, SPRAGUE, SPRACK, SPARK, SPRACKLIN, SPRECKLY)

Stubbe might be taken to be of local origin, for nothing would be more appropriate to mark a locality than a stub. But the patronymic Stubbing points to an origin of a different kind, and moreover we find Stubingas among the early settlers. And there was also a Stuf, nephew of Cerdic, and a Northman called Stufr in the Laxdæla-saga. The origin is to be found in O.N. stufr, stubbr, A.S. styb, branch, shoot, probably in the honorific sense of race or lineage. I take Grove, along with which I put Grubb, to be from Germ. grob, Dan. grov, coarse, clumsy; but no doubt in an older sense more suitable for men's names, and probably cognate with Eng. "gruff," the idea being that of great size and strength. We find Grobb as an Anglo-Saxon name, p. 99, and Griubinc (son of Griub) as an Old German name, of which, however, Foerstemann does not offer any explanation. Grobe and Grove are present German names (the latter Low German), and Grub and Grubi are found in France. Here also I may take Twigg, corresponding with an A.S. Twicga, moneyer of St. Edmund, also with a Tuica found in Tuicanham, now Twickenham. I take it to be from the same root as "twig," viz. A.S. tweg, two, and to have perhaps the meaning of "twin." (Names of a similar kind may be Twine, with its patronymic Twining, and also Twiss, corresponding with an O.G. Zuiso, A.S. twis, twin.) Sprigg I class along with Sprague, Sprack, and Spark, corresponding with a Spraga in the Lib. Vit., as from O.N. sprackr, Prov. Eng. spragg, sprack, smart, active. We have also, as a diminutive, Spracklin, corresponding with a Spraclingus in the Lib. Vit., and we have Spreckley, probably the same name as that of Sprakaleg, brother of Sweyn, king of Denmark, from O.N. spræklegr, sprightly.

Names apparently from Complexion or Colour of Hair

Such names as Black, White, Brown, have been no doubt in many, probably in most cases, original surnames. Nevertheless they are also ancient baptismal names, and it is not by any means certain that these are from the same origin as the surnames.

BLACK, BLACKER, BLAKE, BLANK, BLANCHARD, WHITE, BROWN, DUNN, GRAY, GREGG, CRAIG, MURCH, MURCHIE, SMIRKE

The Blacingas were among the early settlers. Blecca was the name of a governor of Lincoln, A.D. 627; Blaca is an early name in the Liber Vitæ, and Blac is a name in Domesday. I am inclined to take Black, along with Blake, to be (of course as an ancient name) the same word as blic, found in some Old German names, and to find the sense concerned in A.S. blican, to shine (which indeed is the root of black), hence to give it, like Bright, the sense of "illustrious." Hence I take our Blacker and the French Blacher to be the same as an O.G. Blicker (hari, warrior) – the ancient family of Blacker, I believe, trace their origin to Nancy. I further take Blank and Blanchard (hard, fortis) to be a nasalised form of the above, and to have the same meaning. The stem will be found in more detail p. 46.

I take White, so far as it may be of ancient origin, not to be from colour; in some cases it may be from wid, wood, and perhaps in others from wit, wisdom. In Anglo-Saxon names it is spelt wiht, as if from wiht, man – Cf. O.G. Witgar, A.S. Wihtgar, O.G. Witleg, A.S. Wihtlæg, O.G. Widrad, A.S. Wihtræd, though, as I take it, it is the same word common to the Teutonic system.

The Brownings (Brûningas) were also among the early settlers, and Brûn frequently occurs in after Anglo-Saxon times; among others there is a Brûn bydel, "Brown the beadle," in a charter of manumission. Bruno also occurs as an Old German name, and Brûni was not an uncommon name among the Northmen. I am rather disposed to question the derivation from brown, fuscus, and as in the case of Black, to take the sense contained in the root, which seems to be that of burning or brightness. One of the Northmen, called Brûni, was surnamed "the white," so that in his case, at any rate, the name was not derived from complexion. Dunn is another name that is found among the early settlers, and also in after Anglo-Saxon times. It seems to me to be at least as probably from O.N. duna, thunder, as from dun, fuscus.

The Grægingas (A.S. græeg, grey) are also found in the list of early settlers, though the name does not seem to figure much in after Anglo-Saxon times. There are Old German names Grao and Grawo, and various compounds. The root-meaning seems to contain the sense of "horror," which may be that which is present in names, the idea being of course that of one who is a terror to others. As well as Gray, we have Gregg, and perhaps as another form Craig,⁴⁵ and the Germans have Grau. The Myrcingas among the early settlers may perhaps be represented in our Murch and Murchie (whence Murchison), possibly also in S(mirke). Whether the name is from A.S. mirc, dark, mirk, may be uncertain; Professor Skeat thinks of marc, limes, for the Myrcingas, who are probably the same as the Myrgingas of the "Traveller's Song."

Names apparently from Scriptural Personages

While names taken from the eminent characters of Scripture have, ever since the advent of Christianity, been in favour for the names of men, there are among our surnames some names which we must reasonably suppose are to be otherwise explained.

PHAROAH, HEROD, ESAU, CAIN, JAEL, POTIPHAR PUDDIFER (ABLARD)

Of the above, Pharaoh is only a misleading spelling of an O.G. name Faro, perhaps come to us through the Normans. And Esau is a similar perversion of another O.G. name Eso, probably from as or os, semi-deus. Cain is, along with Gain, from the name Gagin, Cagen, p. 10, probably signifying victory. Herod is, no doubt, the same as an A.S. Herrid in a charter of Wihtræd, from, as supposed, A.S. herad, principatus, found also in some Old German names. Jael I take to be most probably a softened form of Gale, from a stem referred to A.S. galan, to sing. Potiphar, along with Puddifer, a French Potefer, and perhaps a Low German Bötefur,⁴⁶ I take to represent an ancient name not turned up, from bod, bud, or pot, envoy or messenger, and faran, to travel, found as an ending in some Old German names. Abel is a name which, as frequently used for a Christian name, might also be found in surnames. But there is a Teutonic word abal, signifying strength, which may be more probably that which is found in the French Abeillard, with which we have a name Ablard to correspond.

Names apparently Descriptive of Moral Characteristics

There are a number of names which, if they had been found as Christian names, might have been supposed to be of Puritan origin, but which as surnames must be otherwise accounted for.

GOODHEART, STONEHEART, GODWARD, LOVEGOD, LOVEGOOD, LOVEMAN, MANLOVE, GOODLIFFE, FULLALOVE, GODLIMAN, GOODENOUGH, THOROUGHGOOD, HUMBLE, SAINT, BADMAN, PAGAN, BIGOT, GODDAM, SWEARS, SWEARING, SCAMP

Of the above, Goodheart and Stoneheart are compounds of hart, hard, pp. 53, 63. So also Godward Lovegod, Lovegood, Loveman, Manlove, Goodliffe, and Fullalove will be found in their places as ancient compounds in Chap. III. Godliman I take to be a corruption of an O.G. Godalmand (the l being introduced in accordance with a principle referred to at p. 114) Goodenough is referred to at p. 119, and Thoroughgood at p. 120. Humble I take to be the same name as the German Humboldt, from an O.G. Hunbald, the ending bald often in our names becoming ble. Saint I take to be the same as Sant, sand or sant, verus, the stem on which is formed Sander in the list of early settlers.

Of the names apparently of an opposite character, Badman, corresponding with a Badumon in the Liber Vitæ, is a compound of bad, war. Goddam stands for Godhelm as William for Willihelm. Swears and Swearing are explained, p. 160. Scamp corresponds with an O.G. Scemphio, derived by Foerstemann from O.H.G. scimph, jocus. This may possibly be the older sense of the word, and Scamp may have been nothing worse than a wag. Pagan, with its contracted form Paine, I have referred to p. 118. Bigot, along with Pigot, Pickett, and probably Beckett, and a Pigota and Picotus in the Liber Vitæ, may be the same as an A.S. Picced, p. 101, which I take to represent the form Pichad or Bighad, from the stem big, with had, war. There is, however, another explanation suggested by our name Bidgood. This name, for which the ancient equivalent has not turned up, seems to be from bad, war, and might have been Bidgod (for god and good constantly interchange), which would readily contract into Bigod or Bigot.

Names apparently from Nationalities

While we have a number of names derived from nations or races in accordance with the Teutonic system, there are some others which might seem more obviously than most others to be from such an origin, and yet which must I think be referred to some other source. Three of these, England, Scotland, and Ireland, I have already referred to at p. 9.

ENGLISH, INGLIS, ROMAN, NORMAN, GENESE, TURK, SPAIN

English I take to be a phonetic corruption of Inglis, which seems to be the same as an Ingliseus in the Pol. Irm., and which I rather suppose to be a transposition of an Anglo-Saxon Ingils, for Ingisil, from the stem ing, p. 56. Roman, I doubt not, is contracted from Rodman, p. 61, as Robert is from Rodbert, and Roland from Rodland. I introduce Norman here as not being, in my view, from "Norman" as we generally understand the term, but as representing more probably the word in its original sense of "Northman." Nordman was a Scandinavian name, and hence it is I think that we have the name, which seems to occur more especially in Scotland and the Danish districts of England. Genese I take to be most probably from the old Frankish name Genesius, perhaps from a stem gan, p. 52, with the ending in es, p. 33. Turk corresponds with an A.S. Turca, p. 111, which again is probably the same as a Gothic Turicus of the fifth century, a diminutive from the stem dur or tur found among the early settlers, and of uncertain meaning. Spain I take to be from the A.S. spanan, allicere, found in some ancient names, and from which I take to be our name Spenlove, (leof, dear) with the corruption, Spendlove. The name Spegen, corresponding with our Spain, occurs in the Liber Vitæ more than once – Is its aspirated form due to the Northumbrian dialect?

Of the names which are truly derived from nationality I will here only refer to one as an illustration of successive forms built one upon the other in accordance with the principle referred to in treating of the ending en, p. 27.

BOY, BYE, PYE, BOYER, BYARD, BOYMAN, PYMAN, BEYERMAN, BYRON

There are three forms, the first representing the form boi, as found in the name of the Boii, who gave the name to Boioaria or Bavaria, the second representing the extended form found in German Baviar, the third the further extended form as found in Bavarian.

SIMPLE FORM BOI

O.G. Boio, Beio, Peio, ninth century. A.S. Boia (in a charter of Cnut). Eng. Boy, Bye, Pye. Germ. Boye French, Boy, Boye, Poy, Poyé.

Compounds

(Hard, fortis), Eng. Byard – French Boyard, Poyart – Italian Boiardo. (Man, vir), Eng. Boyman, Pyman.

EXTENDED FORM BOYER

O.G. Baior, Peior, ninth century. English, Boyer, Byer. French, Boyer, Boyreau, Poyer.

Compound

(Man, vir), English Beyerman.

FURTHER EXTENDED FORM – BAVARIAN

O.G. Beiarin, eighth century. English Byron. French Boiron, Boyron.

Names apparently from abbreviated Christian names of men

As I began this chapter with names apparently from women, such as Moll, Betty, Pegge, so now I propose to conclude it with names of a similar kind derived apparently from men.

BILL, BILLY, BILLOW, WILL, WILLY, WILLOEE, WILKE, WILKIE, WILKIN, WILLIS, WILLING, DICK, DICKLE, TICKLE, DICKEN, BENN, BENNEY, BENNOCH, BENNELL, TOM, TOMB, TOOMEY, TOMEY, DUME, DUMMELOW, DUMBELL, TOMMELL, TOMLIN, DUMLIN, DUMPLIN, HARRY, JACK, JAGO, JACKLIN, BOBY, BOFFEY, BUBB, BOBBIN

No one would take our name Billing to be other than from the Anglo-Saxon Billing, of which so many traces are to be found in English place names. And no one, I venture to say, who looks into the subject, would dispute the ancient compounds formed on the stem, p. 45. Why then should any one doubt Bill himself, the father of them all, or Billy, ending in i, p. 24, and Billow, ending in o and corresponding with an O.G. Bilo? Moreover the name is common to all the races who share with us in a Teutonic ancestry; the Germans have Bille, the Danes have Bille, and the French have Bille and Billey. The same remarks apply to Will, Willey, and Willoe, with the diminutives Wilke, Wilkie, Wilkin, Willis, patronymic Willing, and compounds, p. 66. Dick I take to be the same word as found in Ticcingas, and suggest for it the meaning of power or vigour which seems to lie at the root. Hence Dickle and Tickle are the same as the Diccel found in Diccelingas, and Dicken is the same as an A.S. Ticcen, p. 102, while Dixie (Dicksie) may be from the ending in es, p. 33. Benn and Benny represent the stem on which are formed the compounds, p. 45. We have also as diminutives Bennoch, corresponding with an O.G. Bennico, an A.S. Benoc (in the genealogy of Ida, king of Bernicia), and a name Bennic (Bennici manû), on Roman pottery; and Bennell, corresponding with a Gothic Βενἡλος, in Procopius, besides other names in correspondence with ancient forms. Tom has its vowel shortened, but I take it to be the same as Tomb, Toomey, Tomey, and Dume, probably from A.S. dôm, O.H.G. tuom, judgment, "doom," ancient names in correspondence being Toma, p. 111, Tumma Lib. Vit., and Tomy Roll. Batt. Abb. With regard to the last, I may observe that the French still have corresponding names, as Thomé, Tombe, Thom, Dome, &c. Then, as diminutives, we have Dummelow, Dumbell, and Tommell, corresponding with O.G. Duomelo, Tomila, Tumila; and we have Tomlin, Dumlin (whence Dumplin), corresponding with O.G. Domlin, names in accordance with both of the above being also found in Germany and France. Harry, along with Harrow, and Harre, I take to represent the stem from which we have so many compounds, p. 55. Jack, along with Jago, and corresponding with an O.G. Jacco, I take to be from O.H.G. jagon, to hunt. Hence as a diminutive, we have Jacklin, corresponding with Jagelinus and Jachelinus (Domesday), and with present German Jacklin, and French Jacquelin. The stem seems to be somewhat better represented in French names than in English; among others they have Jacquard (ward, guardian), who gave his name to the Jacquard loom. Boby, Boffey, and Bubb I take to be the same as Boba, in a charter of Egbert, and Bofa, dux, in a charter of Ceolwulf of Mercia, also as Old German names, Bobo, Bovo, Boffo, and Bubo, the word concerned being probably to be found in German bube, Dutch boef, boy. Kemble has both Bobbingas and Bovingas, different forms, I take it, of the same name, in his list of early settlers. Our name Bobbin, which corresponds with an O.G. Bobin, may be taken as an example of the ending in en, p. 27.

I trust that I have succeeded in making it clear, from the definite place which the foregoing are shown to occupy in the Teutonic system, that they are not, as they have been generally supposed to be, familiar contractions of Christian names.

CHAPTER XI.
CHRISTIAN NAMES OF WOMEN.⁴⁷

The names of women, so far as they are of German origin, enter into the Teutonic system precisely as do the names of men, and there is, as far as I know, no instance of a stem used exclusively for the names of women. But in regard to the second part of the compound, which is that which governs the name, there are certain words which are only used for women. Some of these are such as from their meaning would not be suitable for anything else, such as trud, from which we have Gertrude and Ermentrude, both of which seem to be of Frankish origin, and to have come to us through the Normans. The Anglo-Saxon form appears to be dryth or thryth, as in Mildthryth, from which comes our Mildred, the only name, as far as I know, in that form. Another feminine ending among the Anglo-Saxons was gith, which, as elsewhere noted, I have supposed to mean woman or goddess. The only name we have with this ending is Edith, unless, as seems not impossible, an Anglo-Saxon Godgith (Godith, Lib. Vit.) has got mixed up with Judith. Another specially female ending was fled, in H.G. flat, the meaning of which seems to be beauty. As a prefix this word enters into the names of men, and we may have some names from it, as Flatt, Flattery, Flatman, &c. As an ending there may have been some word corresponding with O.N. fliôd, a beautiful woman, which has caused its special application. Then there are certain words, such as hild, war, and burg, in which the meaning (condere, servare) may perhaps imply in such case modesty or chastity; which, as endings, are used almost exclusively for names of women. But as a general rule the same range of words forms indifferently names of men and women, the latter being distinguished only by having the ending in a.

My object in this chapter is only to deal with a few names, in regard to which I desire to correct some wrong impressions, or to throw some new light upon the subject. And in the first place I have to refer to the connection between Isabel and Elizabeth, and to the manner in which I suppose the former name to have originated.

ISABEL another form of ELIZABETH, and how it came to be so

Miss Yonge in her History of Christian Names, is no doubt right in taking Isabel to be another form of Elizabeth, with which it is historically shown to have interchanged. But the etymological process by which this has been brought about has been always somewhat of a puzzle, and it is upon this point that I have to suggest an explanation. Now the key to the puzzle is this: that the early Frankish converts in the time of Charlemagne, introduced the name, not only in its Latin form of Elizabeth, but also, and indeed more frequently, in its Hebrew form of Elischeba – it was Elischeba that was made into Isabel and not Elizabeth. Protected by its strong ending, Elizabeth has retained its form unchanged. Elischeba has been entirely lost to sight under a cloud of transformations. Slightly modified to suit Frankish pronunciation, it was introduced in the first instance as Elisaba, Elisabia, Alisabia, and Elisavia, all names of women in the Polyptique de l'Abbé Irminon and the Polyptique de Saint Remi de Reims. In the fourteenth century (if, indeed, it did not take place earlier) we find this old Frankish form El(isaba) abbreviated into Isabeau, its ending being made to conform to French ideas of spelling. Isabeau was the name of the wife of Charles VI. of France, and the name was still recognised as being the same as Elizabeth. We have got to forge the connecting link between Isabeau and Isabel, but the process is not a violent one. It would not be difficult to suppose that the French idea of the fitness of things in the case of a woman's name would lead them to change this masculine-seeming ending, beau, into what they would conceive to be its appropriate feminine, and so make Isabeau into Isabelle. We need not suppose that this took place all at once, or that because one man changed Isabeau into Isabel, everybody else forthwith proceeded to follow his example. It is more probable that the two names existed side-by-side, together, for some time before the struggle for existence terminated in the survival of (what seemed) the fitter. Throughout all these changes the identity of the name with Elizabeth had always been recognised; but when Isabel had finally succeeded in establishing its claim as the representative, the deposed Isabeau, its origin having been forgotten, might have become a man's name, and so capable of transmitting surnames, which would account for Isabeau as a family name in France at the present day.

But these are not the only changes which have come over this unfortunate name, for we find Elisavia, another of the old Frankish forms before noted, forthwith abbreviated into Lisvia, and further corrupted into Lisavir and Lisabir, all names of women in the two old Frankish chronicles before referred to. And if we can again suppose the name Lisavir (or rather Elisavir), its origin having been forgotten, to have become a man's name (towards which its masculine-looking ending, vir, might have assisted) it might well give the origin of the name Elzevir, of the famous printers at Amsterdam. Not that the name would necessarily be of Frankish origin, for the Hebrew form seems also to have been introduced into Germany, where we find the woman's name, Elisba, in the ninth century; and, it might be also into Holland, while the phonetic principles which regulate such changes are more or less of general application. Again, it seems not improbable that the Spanish woman's name, Elvira, for which no derivation at all satisfactory has been suggested, might be properly Elzvira, and so again another form derived from Elischeba. The question might naturally be asked how it is, seeing the various contractions which Elischeba has undergone, that Elizabeth has not been treated in the same way. In point of fact it seems probable that it has, for we find a solitary name Isabeth in the Liber Vitæ about the thirteenth century. This was before Elizabeth had come into use in England, and the name might probably be an importation. But abbreviate Elizabeth as you will you cannot disguise it, and this is what I meant in referring to it as "protected by its strong ending." And now, having dealt with the diversified forms that have grown up around Elisabeth, I shall have, in a succeeding note, to endeavour to show that Eliza, which might more certainly than any other form be supposed to be derived from it, is, in fact, of entirely different origin, and a name that was in use long before Elizabeth was introduced; though at the same time we cannot doubt that as soon as ever that potent name came in, Eliza would be at once appropriated by it.

ANNABELLA, ARABELLA, CLARIBEL, CRISTABEL, ROSABEL

But in the meantime I may refer to some other names which seem cast in the same form as Isabel; as for instance, Annabella, Arabella, Claribel, Christabel, and Rosabel. With regard to these names, I am disposed to come to the conclusion, that though moulded into the same shape, they are not by any means all of a similar origin. Annabella would be a very natural corruption of Amabilla, a name in the Liber Vitæ of Durham. The same record contains, as names of women, Amabilis, Amabel, and Mabilla, of course from Latin amabilis– whence our Mabel, on this theory the same name as Annabella. Arabella, again, might be a corruption of the old Frankish Heribolda —bold, as an ending often changing into bel, as in our surnames Grimble and Wimble, from Grimbald and Winibald, and Tremble (most infelicitously), from Trumbald (A.S. trum, firm, strong). So, also, Claribel might be from an old Frankish Clarebalda, of which, however, we have only on record the masculine form, Clarebald. This appears to be from Latin clarus, illustrious, and is not the only case in which the old Franks at that period mixed up Latin and German in the same name. It is possible that Christabel might be from a similar origin; for the early Frankish converts at that period freely adopted the name of Christ, and mixed it up with German compounds, such as Cristhildis, a woman's name, from hild, war. But on the whole I am rather disposed to suggest a different origin for Christabel. Finding among the Franks at that period such names as Firmatus, Stabilis, Constabulis,⁴⁸ and the woman's name, Constabilla, in the sense, no doubt, of "established in the faith," it might not be unreasonable to suggest such a compound as Christabila, "established in Christ," as the origin of Christabel.⁴⁹ As to the last named, Rosabel, the ordinarily-received expression of "fair rose" would be a natural and graceful name for women if the French had to form names at a later period. But there is a woman's name, Rosibia, in the Pol. Irminon, which suggests a possible process like that in the case of Isabel – viz., a corruption into Rosibeau, and then a change into Rosibel. However, as in this case the connecting links are wanting, I can only put this forward as a conjecture.

MAUD properly a man's name. Its interchange with MATILDA an ancient mistake

As Isabel interchanged in former times with Elizabeth, so did Maud with Matilda, among other instances being that of the daughter of Henry I., who was called by both names. Yet, etymologically, Maud can no more be derived from Matilda than can Giles from Ægidius, by which it used formerly to be always Latinized. And the interchange is rendered all the more curious by the fact that Maud, when traced up to its origin, seems to be properly a man's name. There has evidently been some ancient mistake or misappropriation, the origin of which I hope to be able to account for. The names Mald, Maald, Mauld (all names of women), found in the Liber Vitæ before the introduction of surnames, and the Christian name Maulde, found in the fifteenth century, show the form from which our Maud is immediately derived. Then we have the older forms, Mahald, Mahalt, and Maholt, all also apparently names of women. And in one case, about the twelfth or thirteenth century, the name stands as "Mahald vel Matilda." Now no one who has given attention to the subject can doubt that Mahald, Mahalt, and the French form, Mahault, are the same as an Old Frankish Magoald, eighth century, from Gothic magan, posse, valere, and wald power. This is distinctly a man's name; indeed, wald, as an ending, is almost exclusively confined to men's names, as the ending hild, as in Matilda, is to those of women. There is but one way that I can see out of the difficulty, and it is this. There is in the Liber Vitæ another name, Mahild, which is no doubt the same as an Old Frankish Mahilda, which Foerstemann (Altdeutsches Namenbuch) takes to be a contraction of Matilda. It would seem, then, that some mistake or confusion has in old times arisen between these two names, and that Mahild, which really represents Matilda, has been set aside in favour of Mahald, an entirely different name. The fact, however, of our having Maude as a surname would rather seem to show that this misappropriation was not universal, for surnames are not – unless it be in some very exceptional cases – taken from the names of women.

ALICE, ALICIA, ELIZA, ADELIZA, ALISON

ALICE properly a man's name, and ELIZA its proper Feminine

I have seen it stated, though I cannot at present recall the authority, that in one of our ancient families Alice is a name given to the sons and not to the daughters. This would at any rate be etymologically correct, for Alice is properly a man's name, and not a woman's. It is, there seems little doubt, derived from the Anglo-Saxon Adelgis, of which the female form was Adelgisa. It is clear that Alice (Aliss) represents Adelgis, and not Adelgisa, and that the proper female form would be Alisa, or, for euphony, Aliza. I venture to suggest that our Eliza, generally and very naturally assumed to be an abbreviation of Elizabeth, is in fact this missing name. Now, for the proofs of Aliza as the representative of Adelgisa, we must refer to the Liber Vitæ of Durham, in which we can trace the changes that have taken place in Adelgisa since the first noble lady of that name laid her gift upon the altar. First we find it contracted into Adeliza, and then, from about the twelfth century into Aaliza and Aliza, the latter name being henceforward rather a common one. The former of these two contracted forms, Adeliza, though not a name in common use, is one still given to the daughters of certain of our noble families; the latter form, Aliza, I take to be the origin of our Eliza. (The initial vowel is of no account, the ancient name beginning indifferently with a or e, and Alice in some families appearing as Ellice). But concurrently with the above forms in the Liber Vitæ, we have also Adaliz, Adliz, and Alis, at an early date, some of them at least being certainly names of women, so that the misappropriation is at any rate an ancient one.