Origin
ADKINS : Little Adam, or the son of Adam, from Ad and kins, a diminutive, signifying child, from the German kind, so Wilkins, Tompkins, etc.
AMERY : (German.) Always rich, able, and powerful, from the old German Emerich or Immer-reich, always rich.
ASTOR : Local. Oster, a town in North Jutland. From the Greek, a star. Austeuer, German, a dowry, a portion. Ooster, the east part
ATKINS : Camden derives it from At, a familiar abbreviation of Arthur, and kins, a diminutive, signifying a child, having the same meaning as the German kind, a child, an infant, i. e., the son of Arthur, so Wilkins, Simpkins, etc.
AUBREY : A corruption of the German Alberic, a name given in hope of power or wealth, He signifying rich or powerful; always rich.
BOORMAN : (Sax. and German) A countryman or farmer.
BUXTON : Local. From the Saxon boc, a beech, German, buche, and ton the beech-town. A village in Derbyshire, England.
DUDLEY : Local. A town in Worcestershire, England, so called from the old English Dode-ley, the place of the dead, a burying-ground. Dodelig, in the Danish, signifies pale, death-like, mortal; so also the Dutch Doodelijk, and German Todlich, Duv-da-lethe, in the Gaelic and Celtic, which has been corrupted to Dudley, has the same signification.
DUTCHER : (Dutch.) Local. From Duitscher, a German.
ERRICK : There is a tradition, says Dean Swift, that the ancient family of the Ericks or Herricks derive their lineage from Erick the Forrester, a great commander who raised an army to oppose the invasion of William the Conqueror. Erick is derived from Ehr, German, honor, and rick, rich rich in honor.
FARRAR : A corruption of Farrier, a name of trade. Pfarrer, in German, a minister.
GARFIELD : Local. Sax., Garwian, to prepare; German and Dutch, gar, dressed, done, ready prepared, and field, a place where every thing is furnished necessary for an army.
GUELPH : A wolf; the surname of the present Royal Family of England. We have the following amusing tradition of the origin of the royal house of Guelph: It is told in the chronicles that as far back as the days of Charlemagne, one Count Isenbrand, who resided near the Lake of Constance, met an old woman who had given birth to three children at once, a circumstance which appeared to him so portentous and unnatural that he assailed her with a torrent of abuse. Stung to fury by his insults, she cursed the Count, and wished that his wife, then enciente, might bring at a birth as many children as there are months in the year. The imprecation was fulfilled, and the countess became the mother of a dozen babes at once. Dreading the vengeance of her severe lord, she bade her maid go drown eleven of the twelve. But whom should the girl meet while on this horrible errand but the Count himself, who, suspecting that all was not right, demanded to know the contents of the basket. 'Welfen,' was the intrepid reply (i e., the old German term for puppies or young wolves). Dissatisfied with this explanation, the Count lifted up the cloth, and found under it eleven bonny infants nestled together. Their unblemished forms reconciled the sorupulous knight, and he resolved to recognize them as his lawful progeny. Thenceforward, their children and their descendants went by the name of Guelph or Welf
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.
HAM : Local. A house, borough, or village, the termination of many names of places in England; German, heim, a home; France.
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.
HIGGINBOTTOM : A corruption of the German name, Ich-embaum, that is, oak-tree.
HOLM AN : A corruption of Allemand, a German, that is, a mixture of all men, Alle-mann.
HOLSAPPLE : Local. From Hols, German, a wood, an apple, or apfel, an orchard; apple-trees in or near a wood.
HUNN : A native of Hungary, or from the German Hune, a giant; a Scythian.
JEFFERS : Corrupted from Geoffrey or Godfrey, German, from God and fried, God's peace, or from Gau and fried, joyful peace. This name was borne by the chief of the royal house of Plantagenet.
JEFFREY : Corrupted from Geoffrey or Godfrey, German, from God and fried, God's peace, or from Gau and fried, joyful peace. This name was borne by the chief of the royal house of Plantagenet.
KAY : Local. In Cor. Br., signifies a hedge, inclosure, a place of security, a fortified place. Kai, German, is a quay, a wharf.
KIPP : Kippe, in the German, denotes a situation on or near a precipice. Kip, Dutch, a hen, a chicken.
KNICKERBACKER : (Dutch and German) Cracker-baker, from knacker, a cracker, and backer; a baker.
LAUD : From the same root as loud, widely celebrated, Latin, laus. laudis, praise; Welsh, clod; Gaelic or Irish, cloth; German, laut.
LEIR : Originally German, and derived from the town of Lear, on the Ems, in Westphalia.
LEAR : Originally German, and derived from the town of Lear, on the Ems, in Westphalia.
LIPPENCOT : Local. Lippe, a German principality and town on the river Lippe. Cote, side or coast. Liban, Saxon, Leben, German, to abide, to dwell, and cot, a cottage.
LUTHER : The widely famed or celebrated, derived from the German loth or laut, loud, famed, fortunate, and er, honor fortune and honor . Lauter, Ger., bright, clear, pure.
McPHERSON : The son of Pherson. Pherson is the son of Pfarrer, German, a parson, and tbat from Pfarre, a parish, a benefit, or living. Pfarre is derived from the Gaelic Faire, a watcher, to watch, an overseer, Episcopus.
MONSON : Derived, according to antiquarians, from the German word Muntz, but probably the son of Mon or Mun, a nickname for Edmund.
RATHER : (Dutch.) Roemur, one who extols, praises, boasts. Raumer, German, a person employed in clearing or cleaning.
RAYMOND : (Teut) From Rein, pure, and mund, mouth; pure mouth, one who abstains from wanton discourses. Raymund, German, quiet peace.
REESE : (Cor. Br.) Pushing, violent; a strong or powerful man. Riese, in German, signifies a giant Welsh, Rhys, a rushing. Rees, a town of Germany, on the Rhine.
RHEESE : (Cor. Br.) Pushing, violent; a strong or powerful man. Riese, in German, signifies a giant Welsh, Rhys, a rushing. Rees, a town of Germany, on the Rhine.
ROOF : Probably the same as Reeve, an officer or steward. Ruf, German, reputation, famous, renowned.
RUYTER : A knight or chevalier, in the Dutch or German, and sometimes written Ritter, having the same signification as the English Rider.
SALES : Sahl, or saal, in German, signifies a hall or court. French, salle. The name may be local, and derived from the river Sale, in France, or Saal, a river in Bavaria.
SCHAFFER : (Dutch.) He that dishes up or provides victuals. Shaffer, German, a shepherd, a pastor, a swain.
SCHUYLER : (Dutch.) Van Schuyler, from the place of shelter. Schuiler, a hider; Schuil, a shelter, a hiding-place. Schuler, German, a scholar.
SPALDING : Local. From the town of Spalding, in Lincolnshire, England. Spalding, a ravine, from the German spalte, a ravine.
STARK : Anglo Saxon, Stare, German Starck, strong, firm, confirmed to the utmost degree.
STEIN : Local. A town in the isle of Sky, Scotland Stein, German and Danish, a stone.
TILLINGHAST : Local. A place where auctions are held; buying, selling, dividing, paying over. German, theilen; Dutch, deelen, to separate, divide, pay over. A dealing house.
TING : Local. Among the ancient Gaels or Celts the place where courts were held, and justice administered, was called Ting, i. e., to surround; the circle, the temple, or round hill. The Tings at first were only judicial, but, in process of time they became legislative. The most remarkable object of this kind is the Tynwald, in the Isle of Man. Thing, Saxon, a cause, meeting, a council; German, ding, a court. Dutch, Dinger, a pleader.
TEESDALE : Local. The dale on the Tees, a river of England, that separates the counties of Durham and York, and enters the German ocean below Stockton.
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.
WINSHIP : Probably the same as Wineshop. Saxon, Win, German Wein, and Sceapian, Saxon, to make, furnish; a maker or vender of wine.
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