Origin
BROME : The Earls of Anjou first took the surname of Brome or Broome after their pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Fulke, Earl of Anjou, having worn a sprig of the broom-plant as the symbol of humility.
BROOME : The Earls of Anjou first took the surname of Brome or Broome after their pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Fulke, Earl of Anjou, having worn a sprig of the broom-plant as the symbol of humility.
HALDEN : Local. A contraction of Haledon, a place in Northumberland, England, from the Saxon halig, holy, and dun, a hill; a place where Oswald got the victory of Cadwallader, the Briton, and from this circumstance was called the Holy Hill, and also the Heavenly Field.
HALES : Local. From a village in Gloucestershire, and also a town in Norfolk, England. In Cor. Br., it signifies low, level lands washed by a river or the sea; a moor. Playfair says, The word Hales is a compound one, being formed of the Saxon Hale or Heile, strong, healthy, and ley, etc. Others derive it from Halig, Saxon, holy.
HALIFAX : (Sax.) Local. From the city of Halifax, in Yorkshire, England, so called from Halig, holy, and faex, hair holy hair; from the sacred hair of a certain virgin whom a clerk beheaded because she would not comply with his desires. She was afterward canonized. From this circumstance, the village was also called Horton, from Hoer, Sax., hair, and ton, a town.
HALSTEAD : Local. A town in Essex, England, from Hals, as given above, and sted, a place. Holsted, a town in North Jutland, that is, the low place; Holy Dutch, hollow, and stead, a place: a house or town in a hollow place.
HOLYWELL : Local. A place of importance in Flintshire, Wales. Geraldus Cambrensis says that there was formerly near this place a rich mine of silver. Wenefride's Well, from which the name of Holy Well was given to this place, springs from a rock at the foot of a steep hill. The well is an oblong square about twelve feet by seven.
LAWRENCE : Flourishing, spreading, from Laurus, the laurel-tree. Sir Robert Lawrence, of Ashton Hall, Lancashire, England, accompanied Richard I. to the Holy Land, 1191.
McNEVIN : (Gaelic.) The son of Nevin. Cnamhin, Naomh, holy, sacred, consecrated; a saint.
MOUNTAIN : A name of place. This name once gave occasion to a pun which would have been excellent, had the allusion been made to any other book than the Holy Scriptures.
NEVlN : (Gaelic.) Naomh, holy, sacred, consecrated. Welsh, Nef, heaven; Nefanedig, heaven-born; Nefddawn, heaven-gifted.
PALMER : A pilgrim, so called from the palm-branch, which he constantly carried as a pledge of his having been in the Holy Land. Here is a holy Palmer come, From Salem first, and last from Rome. Scott's Marmion.
VIBBARD : (Dutch and Danish.) From vi, or wi, holy, sacred, and bard, a poet.
WISHART : Some ancient writers say, that Robert, son of David, Earl of Huntingdon, took on him the cross, and distinguished himself in the Holy Land, where, from his gallant exploits against the Saracens, he received the name of Guishart, that is, Wise-Heart, now Wishart.
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