Fr. d'Aubigny. One of the many cases in which the French preposition has been incorporated in the name. Cf. Danvers, for d'Anvers, Antwerp, and see Chapter XI.
Hundred Rolls
Modern Form
Richard Knotte
Knott
From Scandinavian Cnut, Canute. This name is also local, from knot, a hillock, and has of course become confused (Variant Spellings, Chapter III) with the nickname Nott, with cropped hair (Chapter XXII)—
"Thou nott-pated fool."
(1 Henry IV, ii. 4.)
Walter le Wyte.
White
The large number of Whitesis partly to be accounted for by their having absorbed the name Wight (Chapter XXII) from Mid. Eng. wiht, valiant.
Adam le Sutel.
Suttle.
Both Eng. subtle and Fr. subtil are restored spellings, which do not appear in nomenclature (Chapter III).
Fulk de Sancto Edmundo.
Tedman.
The older form would be Tednam. Bury St. Edmund's is sometimes referred to as Tednambury. For the mutilation of the word saint in place-names, see Chapter III.
William le Boteler.
Butler.
More probably a bottle-maker than what we understand by a butler, the origin being of course the same.
Gilbert Lupus
Wolf.
Wolf, and the Scandinavian Ulf, are both common as personal names before the Conquest, but a good many Modern bearers of the name are German Jews (Chapter IV). Old Fr. lou(loup) is one source of Low.
Hundred Rolls
Modern Form
Stephen Juvenis.
Young
Senex is rarely found. The natural tendency was to distinguish the younger man from his father. Senior is generally to be explained differently (Chapter XV).
William Braciator.
Brewer.
The French form brasseuralso survives as Bracher and Brasher, the latter being also confused with Brazier, the worker in brass.
John de Cruce.
Cross, Crouch.
A man who lived near some outdoor cross. The form crouch survives in "Crutched Friars." Hence also the name Croucher.
Matthew le Candeler.
Candler, Chandler.
Initial c- for ch- shows Norman or Picard origin (Chapter III).
Henry Bernard.
Barnard, Barnett.
The change from -er- to -ar- is regular; cf. Clark, and see Chapter III. The endings -ard, -ald, are generally changed to -ett; cf. Everett for Everard, Barrett for Berald, Garrett for Gerard, Garrard, whence the imitative Garrison for Garretson.
William de Bosco.
Bush, Busk, Buss.
"For there is neither bush nor hay (Chapter XIII) In May that it nyl shrouded bene."
(RomauntoftheRose, 54.)
The name might also be translated as Wood. The corresponding name of French origin is Boyce or Boyes, Fr. bois (Chapter XIV).
Hundred Rolls
Modern Form
Henry de Sancta Ositha.
Toosey.
Cf. Fulk de Sancto Edmundo (supra), and cf. Tooley St.
for St. Olave St. (Chapter III).
Walter ate Stede.
Stead.
In this case the preposition has not coalesced, as in Adeane, at the dean, i.e. hollow, Agate, at gate, etc. (Chapter XII).
William le Fevere.
Wright, Smith.
The French name survives as Feaver and Fevyer. Cf. also the Lat. Faber, which is not always a modern German importation
(Chapter XII).
Thomas de Cumbe.
Combe, Coombes.
A West-country name for a hollow in a hillside (Chapter XII).
John State.
State, Stacey.
Generally for Eustace, but sometimes perhaps for Anastasia, as we find Stacey used as a female name (Chapter III).
Richard le Teynturier.
Dyer, Dexter.
Dexter represents Mid. Eng. dighester, with the feminine agential suffix (Chapter XV).
Henry le Waleys.
Wallis, Walsh, Welch.
Literally the foreigner, but especially applied by the English to the Western Celts. Quelch represents the: Welsh pronunciation. With Wallis cf. Cornwallis, Mid. Eng. lecornwaleis (Chapter X).
John le Bret.
Brett, Britton.
An inhabitant of Brittany, perhaps resident in that Breton colony in London called Little Britain. Bret The Old French nominative of Breton (Chapter VIII).
Hundred Rolls
Modern Form
Thomas le Clerc.
Clark.
One of our commonest names. We now spell the common noun clerk by etymological reaction, but educated people pronounce the word as it was generally written