Origin
HAINES : Camden derives the name from Ainulph, and that from Ana, alone, and ulph, Sax., help, that is one who needs not the assistance of others. Haine, a river in Belgium. Haine, Fr., signifies malicious, full of hatred. Hain, German, a wood, forest, thicket, grove.
HAYNES : Camden derives the name from Ainulph, and that from Ana, alone, and ulph, Sax., help, that is one who needs not the assistance of others. Haine, a river in Belgium. Haine, Fr., signifies malicious, full of hatred. Hain, German, a wood, forest, thicket, grove.
HAINSWORTH : (Anglo-Saxon) Local. The farm or place in the forest or grove, from home, German and Saxon, a wood, and worth, a place inclosed, cultivated. British and Welsh, the estate on the river.
HAYNSWORTH : (Anglo-Saxon) Local. The farm or place in the forest or grove, from home, German and Saxon, a wood, and worth, a place inclosed, cultivated. British and Welsh, the estate on the river.
HASWELL : (Dutch or Germ.) Hasveldt, from Hase, a river in Westphalia, and veldt, a field, corrupted into well; or from Wald, German, a wood or forest, the forest on the Hase. The name may also signify the misty place, or the Wild or field of hares, from Haas, Dutch, a hare.
PERCY : Local. The renowned family of Percy, of Northumberland, England, derived their name from Percy Forest, in the Province of Maen, Normandy, whence they came, which signifies a stony place, from pierre. It may signify a hunting place, from pirsen, Teutonic, to hunt; percer, French, to penetrate, to force one's way.
PIERCY : Local. The renowned family of Percy, of Northumberland, England, derived their name from Percy Forest, in the Province of Maen, Normandy, whence they came, which signifies a stony place, from pierre. It may signify a hunting place, from pirsen, Teutonic, to hunt; percer, French, to penetrate, to force one's way.
PERCEY : Local. The renowned family of Percy, of Northumberland, England, derived their name from Percy Forest, in the Province of Maen, Normandy, whence they came, which signifies a stony place, from pierre. It may signify a hunting place, from pirsen, Teutonic, to hunt; percer, French, to penetrate, to force one's way.
RYDER : A forest officer, being mounted, and having the supervision of a large district In the ballad of William of Cloudesly, the king, rewarding the dexterity of the archer who shot the apple from his child's head, says: I give thee eightene pence a day, And my bowe thou shalt here; And over all the north countre I make thee chyfe rydere.
SKENE : Some derive their names, as well as their arms, from some considerable action, and thus, it is said, a second son of one Struan Robertson, for killing a wolf in Stocket Forest, Athol, Scotland, with a dirk, in the king's presence, got the name of Skene, which signifies a dirk, Gaelic, Sgian, and three dirk-points in pale for his arms. Skians, Cor. Brit, implies witty, skillful, knowing.
VAN VORST : Local. From the town of Vorst, in Holland. Vorst, in Dutch, signifies a prince; Forst, German, a forest.
VAN VOORST : Local. From the town of Vorst, in Holland. Vorst, in Dutch, signifies a prince; Forst, German, a forest.
WALKER : In the north of England and south of Scotland a fulling-mill is still called a walk-mill. This name may signify either a fuller or an officer whose duty consisted in walking or inspecting a certain space of forest ground.
WHITE : A name given from the color of the hair, or complexion. The name may be also local, derived from the Isle of Wight, on the coast of Hampshire, so called from the Welsh, Guydd, wood, from its primitive forest.
WILDER : A traveler, foreigner, or pilgrim, the same as Waller, from the Saxon wealh, a traveler, or one who inhabits the forest or grounds uncultivated.
WILTSHIRE : Local. A county in England; Welsh, guyld, a wild, forest, a desert, and shire, a division, a county.
WORCESTER : Local. A county and city of England, which Bailey derives from Sax. Were, a forest, and Cester, a camp or city. I prefer deriving it from Worcester, the city or castle of strife, from the Saxon Woer, war, strife, with which the ancient British name agrees, called Caerwrangon, the castle or fort of strife and contention. It was a boundary for many years between the Britons and Saxons. (See Chester.)
YORK : Local. A city in England next in esteem to London. Verstegan derives its name from Eure-ric or Eouer-ric, of Euere, a wild boar, and ryc, a refuge; a retreat from the wild boars which were in the forest of Gautries. The Romans called the city Eboracum; it is memorable for the death of two emperors, Severus and Constantius Chlorus, and for the nativity of Constantine the Great.
YULE : (Sax.) Christmas, borrowed from this festival, or the time of nativity. From the Greek, a wood, a forest.
Origin of name provided by Jean Tosti
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