1. The surname of the native country, William Waleys—“the Welshman”; Walter Noreys—“the Norwegian”; John Frauncis—“the Frenchman.”
2. The surname of the native town—Riley found nearly every town and village of England represented in the London names.
3. The surname taken from the position of the man’s residence, as Hugh de Stone Crouche—Hugh near the Stone Cross of Cheapside; John atte Strond—in the Strand; Ralph de Honeylane.
4. From the sign of a house. Hence the class of names such as Gander, Buck, Hind, etc.
5. From the trade of the man or that of his father or his ancestor. All such names as Brewer, Baker, Smith, etc., belong to this class. The name of Chaucer (shoemaker) came to the poet from his grandfather presumably, as his father was not a shoemaker.
6. From a nickname, descriptive or sobriquet. Among these Riley enumerates Bon Valet, Godgrom (good groom), Cache marke (Hide halfpenny), Piggesfleshe, Brokedishei, Black in the Mouth, Weathercock, Spillwyne, Gollylolly.
The learned editor of the Memorials very justly argues that at that time most men had no need of a surname. If a man were poor he would never have to sign any document at all during the whole of his life. If he were a servant or a craftsman, a Christian name would be quite enough for him; as, at the present day, we may have servants in the house without knowing their surnames at all; and among the better sort a Christian name with something to distinguish the holder from others with the same Christian name would be quite enough.
By the fourteenth century the old names of the ancient City families have quite died out. These were Algar, Hacon, Thovy, Lotering, Bukerel, Aswy, Basing, Anketill, Blount, Batte, Frowyk, Hervy, Vyel, Harvell, Aleyne, Hardel, and others. Some of these families became extinct; some withdrew into the country; some, perhaps, lost their wealth and sank down into the mass of the people.
As an illustration of these divisions, let us take a string of names consecutively from the Index to the Calendar of Wills, part i. (1288-1358):— Furnell
| Fulbert | Fynchyngfeld | Garscherche |
| Fulham | Fyngrie | Garthorp |
| Fulke | Garton | |
| Fuller | Gaitone | Gatesdene |
| Fulsham | Galeys | Gaugeour |
| Funder | Galocher | Gaunt |
| Furbur | Gamelyn | Gaunter |
| Furmager | Ganter | Gautroun |
| Furnyval | Garchorp | Gedlestone |
| Fusedame | Garderobe | Geffrei |
| Fustor | Gardiner | Gene |
| Fynch | Garlaun | Gentil |
| Fyneham | Garlecmonger | Gentilman |