Origin
BAB A : German, Bube, a boy; Greek, an inarticulate sound, as of an infant crying out; hence, a little child; to say Baba, that is, father or Papa. The word is nearly the same in all languages; it signifies a young child of either sex.
BEGG : From the Gaelic Beag, little, young, small of stature.
BRICK : A corruption of Breck (which see). We cut the following, on this name, from a newspaper: A certain college-professor, who had assembled his class at the commencement of the term, was reading over the list of names to see that all were present. It chanced that one of the number was unknown to the professor, having just entered the class. What is your name, sir? asked the professor, looking through his spectacles. You are a brick, was the startling reply. Sir, said the professor, half starting out of his chair at the supposed impertinence, but not quite sure that he understood him correctly, sir, I did not exactly understand your answer. You are a brick, was again the composed reply. This is intolerable, said the professor, his face reddening; beware, young man, how you attempt to insult me. Insult you ! said the student, in turn astonished. How have I done it? Did you not say I was a brick? returned the professor, with stifled indignation. No, sir; you asked me my name, and I answered your question. My name is U. R. A. Brick Uriah Reynolds Anderson Brick. Ah, indeed, murmured the professor, sinking back into his seat in confusion it was a misconception on my part. Will you commence the lesson, Mr. Brick ?
BURDETT : A little bird, ett signifying young, small, tender.
COLLINS : (Gaelic.) From Cuilen, darling, a term of endearment applied to young animals, as Catulus, in Latin. In the Welsh, Collen signifies hazel a hazel-grove.
FAGAN : (Gaelic.) A beech-tree. The Fagans were descended from Patrick O'Hagan, living a.d. 1180. O'Hagan, the posterity of Agan. Ogan, Ogyn, or Hogyn signifies, in the Welsh, young, a youth. Gaelic, Og, a young man.
GODWIN : Same as Goodwin or Gooden, derived from God or good, Sax., and win, conqueror, that is, a conqueror in God, converted or victorious in God. In one of those battles fought between Edmund the Anglo-Saxon, and Canute the Dane, the Danish army being routed and forced to fly, one of their principal captains named Ulf lost his way in the woods. After wandering all night, he met at daybreak a young peasant driving a herd of oxen whom he saluted, and asked hia name. '1 am Godwin, the son of Ulfhoth,' said the young peasant, 'and thou art a Dane.'
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
HOGAN : In the Cornish, mortal, in the Gaelic, a young man, from Og, young. Hogyn, Welsh, a stripling.
KID : A young goat; also, Kid, from the Saxon Cythan, to show, discover, or make known.
KNIGHT : A term originally applied to a young man after he was admitted to the privilege of bearing arms, by a certain ceremony of great importance called knighting, which waa generally conferred by the king.
LAMB : The name was probably taken from the sign of a lamb at an inn, the young of the sheep kind; Welsh, Llamer, to skip; Gaelic, Leum. The primitive Celtic or Gaelic Lam signified armor, as a dart, a blade, or sword; hence, to lam signified to disable, injure, maim, from which we have lame and limp.
McILROY : (Gaelic.) From Mac, gille, and ruadh, red-haired; the son of the red-haired young man.
OCHIERN : (Gaelic.) A term applied to the heir apparent to a lordship, from Oig, young, and tierna, a lord.
OIGTHIERNA : (Gaelic.) A term applied to the heir apparent to a lordship, from Oig, young, and tierna, a lord.
OGDEN : Local. (Sax.) From ock, oak-tree, and den, a valley ; the oak vale, or shady valley. Ogduine, in the Gaelic signifies a young man, from Og, young, and duine, a man; Ogdyn, in the Welsh, has the same signification.
RAMSEY : Local. From Ea, Saxon, water, or an isle, and Ram, Ram's Isle, a place in Huntingdonshire, England; where the family originated, and afterward settled in Scotland. Ramus, Latin, branches, young trees the isle of underbrush, branches, or young trees; a place where cattle browse. Reomasey, Saxon, from Reoma, the rim, edge, extremity, a border, and ey, an island.
Origin of name provided by Jean Tosti
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