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,[59] 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.