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(3) PLACE OR LOCALITY OF RESIDENCE IS PERHAPS THE LARGEST SOURCE OF
FAMILY NAMES. THE NORMAN FRENCH USED THEIR ESTATES AS NAMES, SUCH AS FOUND IN THE
ROLL OF BATTLE ABBEY, (A DOOMSDAY BOOK OF THE SOLDIERS WHO CAME TO ENGLAND WITH
WILLIAM, THE CONQUEROR). "BALDUN DE BRIONNE" IN ENGLAND WAS SHORTENED TO BRYANS OR
BRANT. THERE IS ALSO THE FRENCH DU (BY) PONT (BRIDGE), ENGLISH ATWOOD AND ATWELL,
GERMAN VON (OF) HINDENBURG, AND DUTCH VAN. OTHER PLACE NAMES ARE OBVIOUS, SUCH AS
FIELD, MARSH, MEADOW. JOHNSTON IS MADE UP FROM JOHN AND "TU-N"" MEANING AN EN-
CLOSURE OR STEAD AS USED IN HOMESTEAD. PEOPLE LIVING NEAR THE DIKE WERE CALLED
DICKER. TO THIS PLACE NAME WAS ADDED SON, MAKING DICKERSON. ANOTHER PLACE NAME
OF NORMAN FRENCH ORIGIN COMES FROM THE WORD MASSE, CHANGED TO MASSEY OR MASSIE.
(4) THE OCCUPATION BECAME ONE OF THE LAST SOURCES OF NAMES TO ARISE.
EXAMPLES ARE JOHN THE SMITH AND WILLIAM THE TAILOR, BECOMING JOHN SMITH AND WILLIAM
TAYLOR. THE SON USUALLY FOLLOWED THE TRADE OF THE FATHER AND THE OCCUPATION BE-
CAME THE FAMILY NAME. IN THIS CLASS FALL BARBER, MILLER, WAINWRIGHT, A WAGON BUILD-
ER. IN THE DOOMSDAY BOOK IS LISTED USHERER, A PERSON WHO CLEARED AWAY THE BRUSH
FOR THE HUNTER; HENCE THE FAMILY NAME OF BUSH. BULLARD IS SAID TO BE AN OCCUPATION-
AL NAME DERIVED FROM HERDS OF THE BULLS.
NO DOUBT A GREAT PERCENTAGE OF NAMES FIT INTO THE FOUR NAMED SOURCES OF
ORIGIN. BUT TO CLASSIFY ALL FAMILY NAMES UNDER THE FOUR SOURCES OF ORIGIN UNDULY
SIMPLIFIES THE SUBJECT. ALL OF US CAN READILY CALL TO MIND FAMILY NAMES FROM MANY
OTHER SOURCES. WITNESS NAMES FROM PARTS OF THE BODY, SUCH AS HAND, HEAD, FINGER
AND FOOT.
NAMES FROM FOWLS INCLUDE BIRD AND SWAN. FROM ANIMALS THERE ARE FOX AND
WOLF. FROM SHRUBS THERE ARE ROSE AND THORN. EXAMPLES COULD BE MULTIPLIED.
ALSO, AT FIRST, THE NAME WENT BY THE SOUND ONLY, AND THERE WAS PLENTY OF
ROOM FOR CHANGE. THERE HAS BEEN A TENDENCY TO SHORTEN THE NAME AS FIRST USED. BE-
SIDES A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF LITERACY IS OF RECENT ORIGIN. THE SOUND WAS OFTEN MIS-
TAKEN. HANDWRITINGS HAVE CHANGED EVEN IN THE LAST HUNDRED YEARS. OLD ONES CANNOT
BE DECIPHERED. EVEN NOW HANDWRITINGS MAY BE ILLEGIBLE. PRINTING IS RELATIVELY
NEW. MANY SPELLINGS FOR THE SOUND APPEARED, SUCH AS THE TWENTY-SEVEN FOR WILLIAM
SHAKESPEARE. THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF SPELLINGS OF EACH FAMILY NAME IS SAID TO BE
FROM FOUR TO A DOZEN. IN ROME AND AMERICA IT WAS THE CUSTOM FOR SLAVES TO TAKE
THE SURNAME OF THE MASTER.
BY CUSTOM IN ENGLAND AND THE UNITED STATES THE WIFE ON MARRIAGE ADOPTS
THE SURNAME OF HER HUSBAND BUT IN SCOTLAND SHE RETAINS HER FAMILY NAME AND ADDS
THAT OF HER HUSBAND AT THE END. IN SPAIN AND IN THE LATIN COUNTRIES AMONG THE
WELL-TO-DO, THE CHILD TAKES THE SURNAME OF HIS FATHER FOLLOWED BY THE MAIDEN SUR-
NAME OF HIS MOTHER JOINED BY "Y" MEANING "AND". THE CONJUNCTION "Y" IS OFTEN
OMITTED IN THE SPANISH COLONIES.
THERE HAS BEEN MUCH RESEARCH BUT EXTENDING ONLY FOR THE PAST THREE HUN-
DRED YEARS, THEREFORE MANY OF THE PRINTED MEANINGS ARE BASED ON THEORY. OPINIONS
DIFFER AS TO THE ORIGIN OF SOME NAMES. RESEARCH WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO EXPLAIN THE
ORIGIN AND MEANING OF ALL FAMILY NAMES.
THERE IS NO BRITISH LAW AGAINST TAKING ANY NAME DESIRED. SUCH IS USUALLY
THE LAW IN THE SEVERAL STATES EXCEPT THE ALIAS CANNOT BE TAKEN IN FRAUD OR TO ES-
CAPE DETECTION OF CRIME. IN AMERICA IS FOUND THE GREATEST VARIETY OF GIVEN AND
FAMILY NAMES. THEY ARE PRINCIPALLY NAMES DERIVED FROM ENGLISH, SCOTCH, IRISH,
WELSH, BUT THE SURNAMES OF EVERY RACE AND NATION ARE REPRESENTED. AS ALREADY
STATED A PERSON MAY CHANGE HIS FAMILY NAME IF HE DESIRES; USUALLY AN APPLICATION
FOR CHANGE OF NAME IS MADE TO A DISTRICT COURT BUT THIS IS NOT NECESSARY.
AFTER FAMILY NAMES BECAME GENERALLY ESTABLISHED, THE CUSTOM OF USING
ONLY ONE CHRISTIAN OR GIVEN NAME CONTINUED. SIGNERS OF THE DECLARATION OF
INDEPENDENCE HAD ONLY A SINGLE GIVEN NAME. IT IS SIMPLY GEORGE WASHINGTON, THOMAS
JEFFERSON, JOHN ADAMS. THE SON, JOHN QUINCY ADAMS, BECAME THE FIRST PRESIDENT OF
THE UNITED STATES WITH A MIDDLE NAME. MIDDLE NAMES DID NOT BECOME COMMON UNTIL
ABOUT THE YEAR 18oo. By 1917, IF AN ENLISTEE DID NOT HAVE A MIDDLE NAME, THE ARMY
GAVE HIM ONE. WITH THE MODERN LARGE CITIES AND TELEPHONE DIRECTORIES, THE MIDDLE