NAMES—THEIR DERIVATION.
A.
Avis. Avis, advice, opinion. Avise, from the same radix.
Auter. Auter, an altar.
Ayler. Ayel, a grandfather; ere, an agent. An active grandfather.
Ayles. Ayeles, genitive of ayel, a grandfather. Belonging to a grandfather.
B.
Batchelor. Bachelor, an unmarried man, a knight, one who has taken his first degree in a college.
Bayard. Bayard, a bay horse, a blood-horse; so called in Chaucer, and in old romances. Byard, abbreviation of the term.
Beauford. Beau, beautiful; ford, a ford. A beautiful ford.
Belfield. Bel, beautiful; feld, a field. A beautiful field.
Belford. Bel, beautiful, good; ford, a ford. A good ford.
Bellamy. Bel amy, from bel, good, and amy, a friend. A good friend.
Bellenere. Belle, beautiful; nere, a refuge. A beautiful refuge.
Bokel. Bokel, a buckle.
Borell. Borel, coarse cloth of a brown color, made of plain, coarse stuff. Borel folk, borel men, were laymen.
Bortel. Bordel, a brothel.
Bos. Bos, a protuberance.
Bosek. Bos, a protuberance; ig, an adjective termination. Bossy. Bose, Bosee, from the same roots.
Boser. Bos, a protuberance; ere, an agent. One who, or that which, has a protuberance.
Boshart. Bos, a protuberance; heort, a hart. A humped hart.
Bossard. Bosard, a buzzard, a species of hawk unfit for sporting. Bossart, Bossert, identical in derivation and meaning.
Boswell. Latin bos, an ox; well, a well, a fountain. An ox-well; a well where oxen are watered.
Bosworth. Bos, an ox; weordh, value, price. Ox-value.
Botler. Botel, or botelle, a bottle; ere, an agent. A bottler. Butler, from the same radix.
Bottle. Botel, or botelle, a bottle.
Brear. Brere, a briar, a bramble.
Brearey. Brere, a bramble; ig, an adjective termination. Briery; brambly; full of briars; rough.
Brearley. Brere, a bramble; líc, like. Bramble-like; briery.
Brinton. Brin, a sprig, a slip; tún, a house, an enclosure. A hot-bed; a green-house; a nursery.
Buffett. Buffette, a blow.
Burdon. Burdoun, a humming noise, the base in music.
C.
Cappell. Capel, a horse.
Caron. Caroigne, carrion, dead, or putrefied flesh.
Carrick. Carrik, a large ship.
Case. Cas, chance, condition, circumstance.
Casler. Cas, chance; lár, doctrine. Doctrine of chance.
Casely. Cas, chance; líc, like. Chance-like; accidental. Casley, from the same root.
Casey. Cas, chance, condition; ig, an adjective termination. Accidental; conditional.
Cattell. Catel, goods, chattel.
Cellerier. Celerer, the officer in a monastery who had the care of the provisions.
Chambers. Chamberes, genitive of chamber, a chamber, a room, an apartment. Belonging to a chamber.
Chambley. Chamb, for chamber, a chamber; ley, for líc, like. Chamber-like.
Chesser. Ches, chess; ere, an agent. A chess-player.
Chessman. Ches, chess; man, man. A chessman; a piece used in chess.
Chesson. Ches, chess; sun, son. A son fond of chess.
Chestney. Chesteyn, a chestnut. Chestin, perhaps, from the same root.
Clary. Clarré, wine mixed with honey and spices, and afterwards strained till it is clear. Clarey, of like relationship.
Clerke. Clerk, one who has received school-learning.
Clink. Clinke, a ring, to tinkle.
Clinker. Clinke, to tinkle; ere, an agent. That which tinkles.
Coate. Cote, a coat.
Compayre. Compère, a gossip, a near friend.
Coates. Coate, Coate; s for sun, son. Son of Coate.
Cope. Cope, a cloak.
Couch. Couche, to lay, place; past participle couched, laid. Couched with pearls means laid or trimmed with pearls. Couch, also, a bed.
Colpe. Coulpe, a fault.
Crowne. Crown, crown of the head, top of the head. Crown, from the same radix.
Curtis. Curteys, or curteis, courteous, polite.
D.
Dresser. Dresse, to address, to apply; ere, an agent. One who addresses, or applies himself to any task.
Drury. Druerie, courtship, gallantry, love, a mistress.
F.
Fay. Fay, faith, confidence, trust. Faye, from the same radix.
Fayer. Fay, faith; ere, an agent. One who has faith; a believer.
Fayle. Fay, faith; le, for el, denoting a person. A person of faith; a believer.
Fein. Feyne, to feign, to pretend.
Fey. Fey, faith, trust, confidence.
Feyer. Fey, faith; ere, an agent. One that has faith; a believer.
Feyhl. Fey, faith; hl, for el, denoting a person. A believer.
Floyd. Floyte, a flute.
Forster. Forster, a forester, an officer of the forest. Foster, a kindred term.
Fowl. Fowel, a fowl, a bird.
Fowler. Fowel, a fowl; ere, an agent. One who pursues or traps wild fowl.
Fowles. Fowle, Fowl; s for sun, son. Son of Fowl.
Foyle. Folye, folly, foolish conduct, indiscretion.
Franklin. Frankeleyn, the father of a family. This is the application in Chaucer’s time. Spencer uses the term in the sense of a freeholder, but in Queen Elizabeth’s day it denoted a yeoman, or a man above a vassal, but not a gentleman.
Frearson. Frere, a friar; sun, son. Son of a friar.
G.
Gabb. Gabbe, to jest, to talk idly, to lie.
Gaylord. Gaylard, gay, licentious. Perhaps from galliard, a sprightly kind of dance.
Gentil. Gentil, gentlemanlike, gentlemanly. Gentel, Gentle, of like kinship.
Gentry. Genterye, gentility. Chaucer spelt the word with the additional e’s. Even at the present day it is not unusual to find some writing the name—Gentery.
Gerry. Gery, changeable, inconstant, uncertain.
Geyler. Gylour, a deceiver.
Glose. Glose, a comment, an interpretation.
Grace. Grace, favor, kindness, good-will, benignity.
Gracey. Grace, favor, kindness; ig, an adjective termination. Gracious; kind.
Grange. Graunge, a farm-house.
Granger. Graunge, a farm-house; ere, an agent. One who has a farm-house; a farmer.
Greeley. Gree, pleasure, satisfaction, prize, grade; líc, like. Pleasurable; satisfactory; estimable; gradual.
Greaser. Grees, grease, ointment; ere, an agent. An anointer.
Greasly. Grees, grease; líc, like. Grease-like; unctuous.
Grone. Grone, to groan, to grunt.
Groner. Grone, to groan, to grunt; ere, an agent. A groaner; a grunter.
Groning. Grone, to groan, to grunt; ing, expressive of action. Groaning; grunting.
H.
Hamburg. Hamburgeon, diminutive of hauberg, a coat of mail.
Hamburger. Hamburgeon, a coat of mail; ere, an agent. One who wears a coat of mail; a warrior.
Haire. Haire, hair-cloth.
Hackney. Hakeney, a hackney, an ambling horse, or pad.
Harney. Harneys, armor, furniture.
Hauberger. Hauberg, a coat of mail; ere, an agent. An armor-bearer; a knight; a warrior.
Houpt. Houped, hooped, hollowed, shoaled.
K.
Keep. Keep, care, attention.
L.
Lacey. Laas, or lace, a lace, a net, a snare; ig, an adjective termination. Resembling a lace, or net.
Large. Large, spacious, free, prodigal.
Larger. Larger, comparative of large, spacious, prodigal. More spacious; more prodigal.
Largey. Large, large, prodigal; ig, an adjective termination. Large; prodigal.
Largly. Large, large, free; líc, like. Large-like; largely; freely.
Layard. Liard, a name of a horse, belonging originally to a horse of a gray color. A gray horse.
Lodge. Loge, a lodge, a habitation.
Logerman. Loge, a lodge; ere, an agent; man, a man. A person who lodges, or is lodged; a lodger.
Logue. Loge, a lodge, a habitation.
Loos. Loos, praise, approval.
Luce. Luce, the fish called a pike.
M.
Mallison. Malisoun, a malediction, a curse.
Maner. Manere, carriage, behavior, kind, sort.
Maris. Marreys, a marsh.
Mauger. Maugré, in spite of.
Marvill. Mervaille, marvel, wonder. Marvel, from the same radix.
N.
Nice. Nice, foolish, simple, silly. Nyce, a kindred term.
Noon. Noon, the ninth hour of the natural day, nine o’clock in the morning, the hour of dinner.
Norris. Norice, a nurse.
Nowell. Nowel, Christmas.
O.
Oliphant. Olifaunt, an elephant.
Oliver. Oliver, olive-trees.
Opie. Opye, opium.
P.
Paase. Paas, a foot-pace.
Paramore. Paramour, love, gallantry.
Pardee. Pardé, a common oath, literally, by God. Purdie, of like kinship.
Parvis. Parvis, a portico before a church. Purvis, perhaps, from the same root.
Pass. Passe, to surpass, to excel, to pass sentence.
Peer. Peere, a peer, an equal.
Pergin. Peregrine, wandering.
Perry. Perrye, jewels, precious stones.
Person. Persone, a man, a parson, a rector of a church.
Pierie. Pierrie, jewels, precious stones.
Pile. Pile, pyle, to rob, to plunder. Pyle, from the same radix.
Platt. Platte, or plat, flat, plain.
Pleydell. Plye, to bend; dál, a dell, a valley. An undulating valley.
Poke. Poke, a pocket, a bag.
Pollak. Pollax, a halberd. Pollock, Polock, from the same derivation.
Pomeltree. Pomel, any ball or round thing, as an apple; treow, a tree. An apple-tree.
Poynter. Poynt, the principal business, a point, a stop; ere, an agent. That which acts as a point, or a stop; a pointer.
Poynton. Poynt, a point, a stop; tún, a house. A point-house; a business place.
Prentis. Prentys, an apprentice. Prentiss, a kindred term.
Presley. Prees, a press, a crowd; líc, like. Crowd-like; dense; compact.
Preston. Prest, from prese, to press, to crowd; tún, a house. A crowded house.
Prevear. Preve, to try, to demonstrate by trial; ere, an agent. An experimenter; a demonstrator.
Price. Prys, price, value, praise.
Prime. Prime, the first quarter of the artificial day. Sometimes metaphorically used in Chaucer for the season of action or business. Perhaps, from pryme, daybreak.
Prow. Prow, profit, advantage.
Pye. Pie, a magpie, a prating gossip, a tell-tale.
Pyne. Pyne, pain, grief, sorrow.
Q.
Quint. Queynt, strange, cunning, artful, trim, neat.
Quinton. Queynt, neat, trim; tún, a house. A neat home.
R.
Raffles. Rafles, plays with dice.
Rampe. Rampe, to climb. Rempe, doubtless, from the same root.
Rampson. Ramp, Rampe; sun, son. Son of Rampe.
Ransom. Raunsoun, a ransom.
Rems. Remes, realms, regions.
Revel. Revel, entertainment, sport, festivity.
Ribaut. Ribaude, a low, profligate man.
Roche. Roche, a rock.
Rochester. Roche, a rock; ceaster, a castle. A rock-castle.
Rocholl. Roche, a rock; ol, a termination denoting a personal noun. A rock-dweller; a man of decision.
S.
Scollay. Scolay, to attend school, to study.
Sergeant. Sergeaunt, a squire attendant upon a prince or nobleman.
Spence. Spence, a store-room for wine or victuals. A buttery; a larder; a store-room.
Spencer. Spence, a store-room; ere, an agent. One who has charge of the spence.
Suel. Sue, to follow; el, implying a person. A follower.
T.
Tally. Taille, a tally, an account scored upon a piece of wood.
Talent. Talent, desire, affection.
Targett. Targe, a small shield; et, implying a diminutive. A small shield.
Timbers. Timbres, basins. Timbesterre was a term applied to a woman who played tricks with timbres, or basins of some sort or other, by throwing them up into the air and catching them upon a single finger; a kind of balance-mistress.
Tourison. Tour, a tower, and sun, a son. Son of a tower.
Tresse. Tresse, an artificial lock, or gathering of hair.
Tressley. Tresse, an artificial lock of hair; líc, like. Tress-like; gathered into a tress.
Tressler. Tress, a tress; lár, knowledge. Tress-knowledge.
V.
Verrey. Verray, true, faithful.
Voucher. Vouche, contraction of vouchen sauf, to vouchsafe; ere, an agent. One who vouches a thing safe. In Chaucer, such expressions as voucheth sauf, vouchsafe ye, and the king vouches it save, the king vouchsafes it, were of common occurrence.
W.
Waite. Waite, to watch. Wait, Waitt, Wayte, kindred terms.
Warden. Wardeyn, a guard, a keeper of a gate.