Late 16C English Given Names: Name Notes`
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Late Sixteenth Century English Given Names

Notes:


Notes on the name Abraham

Abraham: Abraham Mountaigne, a stranger, of St. Botolph without Bishopsgate, London, could perhaps be French.

Notes on the name Cesar

Cesar: Apparently English. His surname is Athelmer, which looks like a reflex of OE Æthelmær; this is a surprisingly archaic form, however, since even as a forename Æthelmær usually appears as Aylmer or the like in the Middle Ages (Seltén, II:30).

Notes on the name Christopher

Christopher: Christopher De Witte alias Le Connte, of London, was probably from the Low Countries: the first surname is Netherlandish, the second, French.

Notes on the name Cornelius

Cornelius: It seems likely that Cornelius Adrianson, of Bristol, was from the Low Countries.

Notes on the name Court

Court: This entry is at first sight questionable: the full name is given as Court Warde. Ridge makes no comment, however, and treats it like any other given name. Moreover, it seems to me unlikely that the name of an actual ward of the court would appear in this context.

Notes on the name Cutlake

Cutlake: From OE Gûðlâc or ON Guðleikr. By this date possibly a transferred surname, however; see DES at Goodlake.

Notes on the name Dionisius

Dionisius: Dionisius Des Masters, of London, may be foreign.

Notes on the name Ebotte

Ebotte: Probably a diminutive of Ebb < Ibb, a pet-name for Isabel; see DES at Ebbetts.

Notes on the name Diricus

Diricus: He is given as "Diricus" Waynam, of St. Botulph without Algate, London; the quotation marks are in PCCA. The name is a Latinized form of Dierik, a Low German form of Dietrich.

Notes on the name Effemia

Effemia: More familiar as Euphemia. She is described as Effemia Kickularis alias Vangisell, formerly wife of John Johnson of Antwerp.

Notes on the name Eli

Eli: Probably from OFr Elie < Elias, not the Heb Eli; see DES at Ely.

Notes on the name Eliza

Eliza: The full name is Eliza ap William Lloyde, of Ruedog, Llanvawer, Merionethshire. This is probably not an instance of ap used with a woman's name, but rather an instance of the man's name derived from early Welsh Elisedd and discussed in MM at Elis. The same name appears in a slightly different spelling in William ap Richard ap Elizey, of Gwythelwerne, Merionethshire.

Notes on the name Ellis

Ellis: Probably late survivals of ME Elis < Elias, but possibly transferred surnames; see DECN at Elijah, DES at Ellis. Halius is apparently a variant; in one case the name is given as Ellis (Halius) Heron; this tends to confirm the identity with Elias.

Notes on the name Ellois

Ellois: Apparently a late survival of Helewis < OFr Heloïs or an early Latinization of the latter; see DES at Elwes, DECN at Helewise. Ely is apparently a pet-form: the name is given as Ely (Ellois) Linton, a widow, of Worth, Sussex.

Notes on the name Ely

Ely (f): Apparently a pet-form of Ellois: the name is given as Ely (Ellois) Linton, a widow, of Worth, Sussex.

Notes on the name Emmett

Emmett: Probably still a fem. diminutive of Emma, but possibly a transferred surname; see DEWS at Emmott.

Notes on the name Francis

Francis: Francis was used for men and women at this time; one instance of Frances is demonstrably fem. Francis Winter, a merchant stranger who died overseas, need not be English.

Notes on the name Gerrard

Gerrard: Now usually Gerard. Gerrard Van Bedber or Bedberd, a stranger, of St. Stephen, Coleman St., London, seems to be German, in which case the forename is from Gerhard; see EWDF and Bahlow at Bedbur for information on the locative.

Notes on the name Gillam

Gillam: A form of William. One instance is apparently foreign: Gillam Vanden Borre, of St. Botolph Aldgate, London, seems to be from the Low Countries.

Notes on the name Goughe

Goughe: The Welsh byname coch `red(-haired)' used as a given name. His full name is given as Goughe ap David Gittinus, of Castle in Kerenion (i.e., Castle Caer Einion), Montgomeryshire. Goughe represents goch, the lenited form of coch (MM, 71-2). Gittinus represents Welsh Gutyn, a diminutive of Gruffudd (ibid., 103).

Notes on the name Griffin

Griffin: A common English form of Gruffudd; it persisted in the English courts, often at the expense of Griffith (MM, 104). The data in PCCA include the instance Griffith or Griffin Geathen, of Llanward Waterdenye, Shropshire. Geathen represents the Welsh byname cethin `ruddy, dark, swarthy; fierce, ugly, hideous', lenited to gethin; see MM at Cethin. Of the 14 entries for the surname Griffith, 10 are from Wales; but of the four instance of Griffin as a surname, two are from Kent and Surrey in the southeast. The other two are from Gloucestershire and Somerset, near but not in Wales. See DES at Griffin.

Notes on the name Griffith

Griffith: Griffin is a common English form of Gruffudd; it persisted in the English courts, often at the expense of Griffith (MM, 104). The data in PCCA include the instance Griffith or Griffin Geathen, of Llanward Waterdenye, Shropshire. Geathen represents the Welsh byname cethin `ruddy, dark, swarthy; fierce, ugly, hideous', lenited to gethin; see MM at Cethin. Of the 14 entries for the surname Griffith, 10 are from Wales; but of the four instance of Griffin as a surname, two are from Kent and Surrey in the southeast. The other two are from Gloucestershire and Somerset, near but not in Wales. See DES at Griffin.

Notes on the name Hansse

Hansse: Probably for German Hans. He is described as Hansse Bovell, of Le Stilliard (i.e., The Steelyard), a merchant, and he died overseas. The Steelyard was where the Merchants of the Hanse (Hanseatic League) had their London trading establishment.

Notes on the name Harman

Harman: If English this is < OFr Herman(t) (DES at Harman), but at least one instance is probably from the Low Countries. Considering his surname, Harman Van Oldensted, of the city of London, is likely to have been from the Low Countries. Bahlow at Harm(s) cites a Friesian Harmen Cater = Herman Cater 1363 and indicates that the er/ar switch is common in Low German. Harman Holman, merchant stranger, St. Catherine Coleman, London, has a name that could be either English or North Germanic.

Notes on the name Harry

Harry: Not a pet form, but the English vernacular form of OFr Henri; rarely found in documents, however. See DES at Harry, Henry.

Notes on the name Helegor

Helegor: His full name is given as Helegor Slaman, of St. Botolph without Algate, London. He may have been a merchant from Northern Germany or the Low Countries, in which case Helegor may represent Hilliger, Hilger, Slaman being perhaps for Low German Sloman; see Bahlow at Hilger, Sloman. If the name is English, Helegor may be from ODa Hildiger, found in East Anglia, but a derivation from OE Ælfgâr seems likelier; see DES at Hilger, Algar and Seltén at Ælf- or Æþelgâr. In this case Slaman should be compared with Sleeman and Slomann in DES.

Notes on the name Heneage

Heneage: I cannot identify the location, but see DEWS at Heneage.

Notes on the name Henry

Henry: Henry de Schote, of St. Olave Southwark, Surrey, has a surname that appears to be Netherlandish for `the Scot'.

Notes on the name Holland

Holland: His full name is given as Holland Holland, of St. Nicholas Olave, Bread St., London. Conceivably the given name was omitted and the surname inadvertently doubled.

Notes on the name Janikin

Janikin: A diminutive of Jone. The name is given as Jone alias Janikin Mellinge, a widow, of Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk.

Notes on the name Jocosa

Jocosa: Though it looks like Lat jocosa `full of jesting or joking' used as a given name, this is apparently a feminine form of Breton Iodoc, Judoc, Joceus; see DES at Joyce.

Notes on the name Joyce

Joyce: Probably fem. in most cases; at least four definitely are. Joyce ap Richard is apparently a man's name, but by this time it is quite possible to find ap used with women's names; there seems to be no way to decide whether this person was a man or a woman.

Notes on the name Lewis

Lewis: Two instances of Lewis, one of Ludwig, and the one of Lodowick are Welsh. Lewis was commonly and early used as an equivalent of Llywelyn; see (MM, 149). The slightly surprising entries are Ludwig Vaughan, of St. Nicholas, Gloucestershire, and Lodowick ap David ap Meredith, of Dunchurch, Warwickshire, both apparently Welsh.

Notes on the name Magdalen

Magdalen: Magdalen Hemerick, of Antwerp, seems likely to be Netherlandish.

Notes on the name Margaret

Margaret: Two of the three non-standard spellings are Welsh: Margarete verch Daind, of Llangattuge, Crichhowell, Brecon, and Margareta Williams, of Llandineo, Montgomeryshire.

Notes on the name Maurice

Maurice: Maurice Tymmerman, alderman of the Styllyard (i.e., the Steelyard), London, was probably not English in view of his position and his Low German or Netherlandish surname; the Steelyard was where the Merchants of the Hanse (Hanseatic League) had their London trading establishment.

Notes on the name Melchior

Melchior: A Hanseatic merchant, not English. His full name is given as Melchior Van Moullom, a merchant of the stillyard (i.e., the Steelyard), All Hallows, Thames St., London; the Steelyard was where the Merchants of the Hanse (Hanseatic League) had their London trading establishment.

Notes on the name Paschall

Paschall: Pasco is Cornish; the other 2 forms refer to the same foreigner and show both a `translated' and phonetically spelled form of his name. The entry is for Pasquere alias Paschall Vandermote, of St. Peter Brod [sic] St., London; the name is in record as Paasquier c. 1300 at Kortrijk (Courtrai) (Debrabandere, 140), and Paschall apparently represents the usual English Pascall (DES at Pascall, Pascoe).

Notes on the name Peter

Peter: Peter Jappyns, of Aachen, Germany, who died in Germany, was doubtless German.

Notes on the name Phillip

Phillip: Phillip Gualterottie, of London, was probably an Italian. The surname appears to be an Englishing of Gualtierotti or the like; see Cognomi at Gualtieri. Phillip presumably represents Italian Filippo.

Notes on the name Polidore

Polidore: Probably a consciously Classical name; from Lat Polydorus < Gk Pol dôros (Nomi, 302).

Notes on the name Pompey

Pompey: The entry is for Pompey Bedini, who died in Italy and was probably an Italian.

Notes on the name Prospero

Prospero: The entry is for Prospero Desmo, of Middlesex. I cannot identify the surname, so I do not know whether he was English, but the form is Italian; the French and Latin Prosper would be expected in English (Dauzat at Prosper).

Notes on the name Rawsone

Rawsone: The name is given as Rawsone or Rosanna Parkins, of Bathampton, Wiltshire. Rawson is normally a patronymic surname, `son of Rauf or Rau'; see DES at Rawson; here, however, it seems to be an odd spelling of Rosanna or a clerical error of some kind.

Notes on the name Roman

Roman: There are actually two entries for this name, but they appear to represent the same person. One is for Roman De Barker alias Johnson, a merchant, of St. Olave Southwark, Surrey; the other is for Roman Johnson alias Barker, a merchant, of St. Olave Southwark (Surrey). The other data in the listings are identical. He was probably Italian: Romano is an Italian forename, and (De) Barker could represent any of several Italian surnames.

Notes on the name Rook

Rook: The listing is for Rook Bendishe, of Kent. This seems to be a genuine late instance of Rook as an English given name to go with the Domesday Book entry for Roc (Feilitzen at Hrôc). There is an English surname Bendishe; it is a locative, from a place in Essex, which is just north of Kent, or a place in Hertfordshire, which is just west of Essex (DES at Bendish).

Notes on the name Rosanna

Rosanna: The name is given as Rawsone or Rosanna Parkins, of Bathampton, Wiltshire. Rawson is normally a patronymic surname, `son of Rauf or Rau'; see DES at Rawson; here, however, it seems to be an odd spelling of Rosanna or a clerical error of some kind.

Notes on the name Thadeus

Thadeus: More commonly Thaddeus. The one instance is an entry for Thadeus Mac Cartye, of the city of Westminster. Thaddeus was later a common Englishing of Irish Tadhg, so it is likely that he was an Irishman named Tadhg Mac Cárthaig.

Notes on the name Theodosius

Theodosius: DECN says that Theodosia (f) is first found in England in the 17th C.; there is no mention of the masculine form.

Notes on the name Valentine

Valentine: DECN says that from the 17th C. the name was used by both men and women. I cannot with certainty exclude the possibility that one or more of these 6 was a woman, but there is no evidence to suggest it.

Notes on the name Watkin

Watkin: This diminutive of Walter seems to have persisted longer in Wales than elsewhere. Both entries are Welsh: Watkin Lloide, of Winforton, Herefordshire, and Watkin Morgan Parrye, of Llanddobetherley (?), Monmouthshire.

Notes on the name Wymond

Wymond: A rare late survival of the OE Wîgmund or another similar Germanic name, unless it is an early transferred non-locative surname; see DES at Wyman, Seltén at Wîgmund.

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