The names of this sort have generally been supposed to be derived from a person having been born at some particular time. That there are names of this sort, such as Christmas, Noel, and Midwinter, we cannot for a moment doubt, but, judging by the early records of our names, they are of very rare occurrence, and I conceive that in the majority of cases names of such appearance are to be otherwise accounted for.
SUNDAY, MONDAY, FRIDAY, HOLIDAY, LOVEDAY, HOCKADAY, PENTECOST, LAMMAS, LAMAISON, SUMMER, WINTER, JANUARY.
Sunday may be Sunda, comparing with an O.G. Sundo, and an A.S. Sunta, perhaps from sund, sea. Similarly Munday may be Munda, to be referred, along with Mundy, to mund, protection, and comparing with an O.G. Mundo. The other four names ending in day seem to represent ancient compounds, and in what sense these were given it is difficult to say. Friday corresponds with an O.G. Frittag and with an A.S. Frigedæg, p. [99], Holiday with an O.G. Halegdag, Loveday (Luiedai in Domesday) with an O.G. Liopdag (liub, love), and Hockaday, with a present French Hocedé, with an O.G. Hodag (hoh or hoch, high). From the character of these names, compounded with "high," "holy," "peace," and "love," they might be supposed to have been given in a religious sense, and their date, the ninth century, would be in conformity. The Anglo-Saxon name Frigedæg, it will be observed, is from the same word as our "Friday," and not the same as the Old German name, which is from frid, peace. But it seems to me quite possible that the Anglo-Saxons, having received the name, might mistake its meaning and spell it according to their own views. This they seem to do in some other cases, as, for instance, the stem wit, common to the Teutonic system, and rather probably from wid, wood, they seem to take as from wiht, man, and spell it accordingly. Summer and Winter are both ancient names; in the Cod. Dip. Alamanniæ there are two brothers called respectively Sumar and Winter, A.D. 858. Winter was also the name of one of the companions of Hereward the Saxon. Pentecost I have elsewhere supposed, p. [120], to be a corruption of Pentecast, as an ancient name. I rather doubt Lammas, which is found as Lammasse in the Hundred Rolls, and which corresponds with a French Lamas. Lamisso was the name of a Lombard king of the fifth century, and was derived, according to an old chronicler, from lama, water, because in his youth the king had been rescued from drowning—a derivation which may perhaps be regarded with some suspicion. Taking Lammas then as the representative of an ancient name, we might get from it our name Lamaison (ending in en, p. [27]), though if Lammas were from the diminutive ending is, es, p. [32], it could not take a German en in addition; in this case the ending must be Romanic, which, from the French form of the name, seems very possible. As to the name January, I am inclined to look upon it as a corruption of another name, Jennery, which, along with Jenner, I take to be the same as the Old German names Genear and Ginheri, from, as supposed, gan, magic or fascination.
Names apparently from Parts of the Body.
HEAD, BODY, ARMS, LEGG, LEGGY, LEGLESS, FINGER, HEART, EARHEART, SIDE, BACK, ELBOW, FOOTE, TONGUE. (LAWLESS, BOOKLESS, FAIRLESS, RECKLESS), FAIRFOOT, TRUEFITT.
With the exception of Foote and Tongue, I do not think that any of the above are what they seem. Head seems to be probably the same as A.S. Hedda, which, like another name, Hada, seems to be from had, war. Body is clearly from bodi, messenger, p. [157], and Arms is from an ancient origin, p. [19]. Legg I take to be the same as Law, A.S. lag, found in several ancient names. Hence I take Legless to be the same as Lawless, and both to mean "learned in the law," from an ancient ending leis, explained by Foerstemann as "learned." This gives something like a meaning to some other names, as Bookless; "book-learned"; Fairless, "travel-learned"; perhaps Reckless (A.S. reccan, to reck, understand). Finger is a Scandinavian name, p. [50], Heart is a false spelling of hart, hard, and Earheart is Everard, p. [49]. Side is from an A.S. Sida, p. [93], and Back (Bacca and Bacga in the Lib. Vit.) is another form of Bagge, bagan, to contend. Elbow I take to be Elbo, from alb or alf, signifying "elf." Foote may be taken to be what it seems, though I think that such a name must have had a vowel-ending, as its meaning must be "footy," i.e. nimble, as "handy," from hand. Comparing with our Foote there is a name Fus on Roman pottery, which, see p. [4], it is clear from his little joke, that the owner took to be from fus, foot. It does not follow, as a matter of course, that the old potter knew the meaning of his own name; there is a word funs, sometimes fus, occurring in O.G. names in the supposed meaning of eager; this word would more appropriately be used without a vowel-ending than would fus, foot. Foerstemann has a name, Fussio, which does not, however, throw any light upon it. Another name, however, also found on Roman pottery, Lytafus, corresponding with our Lightfoot, rather seems to favour the meaning of fus, foot. Two other names of a similar kind to Lightfoot are Fairfoot (properly Farefoot; faran, to go, travel), and Truefitt (properly Truefoot) a name like Treubodi, p. [26]. The last name, Tongue, corresponds with an O.G. Tungo, which I take to be from tung, lingua, probably in the sense of eloquence. We must presume the name not to be High German.
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.