HenryBolle. | Bull. | ||
In this case evidently anickname (Chapter I). | |||
RogerGyle. | Gill. | ||
For names in Gil- seeChapter VI. The form in the roll may, however, represent anuncomplimentary nickname, "guile." | |||
WalterMolendarius. | Miller,Mellen, Milner. | ||
In Milne, Milner,we have the oldest form, representing Vulgar Lat. molina,mill cf. Kilner, from kiln, Lat. culina, kitchen.Millard (Chapter XIX) is perhaps sometimes the same namewith excrescent -d. | |||
ThomasBerker. | Barker. | ||
A man who stripped bark, also atanner. But as a surname reinforced by the Norman form of Fr.berger, a shepherd (Chapter XV). | |||
HundredRolls | ModernForm | ||
MatthewHedde. | Head. | ||
Sometimes local, at the head,but here a nickname; cf. Tate, Tail, sometimes fromFr. tête (Chapter XIII). | |||
RichardJoyet. | Jowett,Jewett. | ||
A diminutive either of Joy orof Julian, Juliana. But it is possible that Joy itself is not theabstract noun, but a shortened form of Julian. | |||
AdamKyg. | Ketch,Beach | ||
An obsolete adjective meaninglively (Chapter XXII). | |||
Simon filiusJohannis Nigelli. | Johnson,Jones, Jennings, etc. | ||
The derivatives of John arenumerous and not to be distinguished from those of Joan, Jane(Chapter X). | |||
The above lists illustrate all the simpler ways in which surnames could be formed. At the time of compilation they were not hereditary. Thus the last man on the list is Simon Johnson, but his father was John Neilson, or Nelson (Chapter X), and his son would be — Simpson, Sims, etc. This would go on until, at a period varying with the locality, the wealth and importance of the individual, one name in the line would become accidentally petrified and persist to the present day. The chain could, of course, be broken at any time by the assumption of a name from one of the other three classes (Chapter I).