King, Earl, Bishop & Pope

Field is another source of many present day surnames. These include Brownfield, Whitfield, Greenfield, Beauchamp and Fairfield. The Fielder usually had several fields under his care. A hollow in the hills was called a Combe; Comb, Duneombe, or Whitcomb. Living on a Hill, or Downs, were people who took such names as Hiller, Hillman, Hills, Hille, Hull, Hult, Hillyer, Miller; and Dunn, Dunne, Downes, Downs and Langdon. A large hill offered Beaumont, Radcliff, Mounts, and so on. A man living at the top might be called a Peaker, Peck, Peach, or Pick. Other names of this kind include Clough, Uale ' Dell, Dales, Vail, Glenn, and Glynn. In addition there is the oak with Oaks, Oakley, and other trees have given us surnames. We may include Ogden, Pine, Nash, Ashton, Ashley, Ash, Ashford, Ashworth, and Ashlock.

The tree has become Buck or Buckley, Beach and Beechner. There is also Maple, Mapes, Elms, Deselms. The tree has given us Stump and has varied to Stocks, or Stamp. One time Holly was called Hollin. This became Holm, and then Holmes, Holms, Holling, Hollingshead, and Hollis. Holm sometimes means a river island. Chisholm is a pebble beach. Hawley means hedge lee. Barnes may be what it seems but more often it probably comes from the Scotch bairn, meaning child. A well has given us Wells, Weller, Wellman, Caldwell, and Colwell. Dyke gives Updike, or Foss; sometimes Waugh. The various shops and taverns of a few centuries ago were not numbered as they are today. Instead, they had signs. Common shop signs included those of the Peak cock. Swan, Swallow; or Bell.

Bell may also come from residence near the church or town hall; it may mean beautiful. Chase was used for a park. Streets have become Streeter, LaRue, Via, Way, Lane, and Longstreet. Lynch is a boundary. A Bridger had something to do with a Bridge. Fords and Fordes were frequent. Today we find Bradford, Whitford, Langford, and other combinations. There are Banks and Rivers as well as the Lake, Shore, and Beaurivage. Pond, a doublet of Pound, means a piece of water; it was usually enclosed by a dam. We also have such names as Pool and Spring. Such names as King, Earl. Bishop, Pope and Kaiser were often conferred on performers in religious plays, or were acquired in connection with popular festivals and processions.

Names were derived from civil honours, dignities, and rank, as well as from King, Duke, Prince, Lord, Baron, Knight, and such. From Griffin, that fabulous animal supposed to be part lion and part eagle, comes Griffis, Griffith, and Griffitts. Drake may mean dragon, instead of the bird. We also have Teal, Teale, and Teel. Other popular animal names include Best for beast; Fisk for fish; Katt, Lamb, and Wolfe. We may also include Hart, Harte, and also Beaver. Ray is usually from roe; the Peacock was once the Poe, and Pay is another form of the word. Coe is an old name for jackdaw.

By: davidbunch

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