Women's Names in the First Half of 16th Century Wales
Elements Appearing in Women's Surnames
by Tangwystyl verch Morgant Glasvryn
(Heather Rose Jones, contact@heatherrosejones.com)
copyright c 1998, all rights reserved
- Introduction
- About the Data
- Given Names
- Name Patterns
- Elements Appearing in Women's Surnames
- Origins Of Women's Surnames
- Conclusions
Elements Appearing in Women's Surnames
I have not spent a great deal of time tracing down standard forms and origins of the non-Welsh surnames. While I give statistics for how often each element appears in my data, these should be taken as only a rough sketch of overall naming practices for the period, particularly as regards the masculine given names appearing in patronyms.
Masculine Given Names Appearing in Patronyms
| Name | In explicit patronyms | In unmarked patronyms | In s/p patronyms |
| Belyn | Pella | ||
| Clement | Clemettes | ||
| Conws | Conuz | ||
| Dafydd | David (13) | David, Davy | |
| Ednyfed | Eden | ||
| Edward | Edward (3) | ||
| Ellis | ellys (2), Elyce | ||
| Einion | Enyon | ||
| Giles | Gyle | ||
| Gruffudd | Griffeth, Griffith (3), Gruffith (2), Ryffythe | Griffeth, Gryffyth (2) | |
| Gwyn | Gwyn | ||
| Harvey | Harvey | ||
| Henry | Henry | Harreys, Hawkyns | |
| Hywel | Hoell (4), Howell (7) | Hoell, Howell (3) | Powell |
| Hugh | Hugh | Hewes | |
| Iorwerth | Yollen | Yorath | |
| Ithel | Ethell, Ythel | ||
| John | Ieuan (13), Yevan (2), John (9) | Evan, Ieuan (2), Jenkyn, John (2) | Johans, Johnez, Johns (2) |
| James | James (2) | James | |
| Lewis | Lewis (3), Lewys | Lewes, Lewis, Lewys | |
| Llywelyn | Llewellyn, Llewelyn (2), Lewelyn | Fleuellen | |
| Madog | Madocke | ||
| Maredudd | Bedo, meredethe, Meredith (3) | Meredith, Meredyth | |
| Matthew | Vathew | Mathew (2) | |
| Meurig | Meroke, Mores, Moryce, Morys | Meryke (2) | |
| Morgan | Morgan (3) | Morgan | |
| Owein | Owen | Owen | |
| Philip | Philip | Philpe | |
| Ranold | Ranold | ||
| Rhys | Rees (3), Res (4), Rice, Rise, Ryce | Rese, Rice (2) | |
| Richard | Richard (5) | ||
| Robert | Robert | Robertes | |
| Roger | Rosser (3) | Rogers | |
| Stephen | Stevyn | ||
| Tudur | Tedder | ||
| Thomas | Thomas (7) | ||
| Twna | Tona (3) | ||
| Walter | Walter | Walter (2), Watkyne | Watkynes, Watkyns (2) |
| William | William (4) | William, Wyllyam | |
| Unknown | Varragh, Ydeyde, Ywollyn |
Note several examples in which the name has lenited following ferch as grammar would expect (Ryffythe, Vathew, Varragh), although there are many more examples where the expected lenition does not occur.
Occupational Bynames
| Barber | Barbar |
| Brewer | Bruer |
| Butler | Butler (2) |
| Carver | Karver |
| Catchmaid? | Catchmayde |
| Dyer | Dyer |
| Flemming | Flemmyng |
| Harper | Harper |
| Meddyg | Vethike (in patronym) |
| Prioress | prioress of Uske |
| Spencer | Spencer |
| Tyler | Tyler (in patronym) |
| Walker | Walker |
Only one of the occupational bynames is in Welsh, and that one appears in a patronym (and lenites, as expected).
Descriptive Bynames
| Bach | pagh (in patronym) |
| Brown | Browne |
| Bychan | Igham, Vaughan |
| Coch | Coz (in patronym), Gough (in patronym) |
| Llwyd | Lloid (2), Lloyd (2), Lloyde (in patronym) |
| Lleiaf | Lyea (2) |
| Peacock | Peucoke |
By contrast, the majority of the descriptive bynames are of Welsh origin.
Locatives
| Brereton | B(r)ereton |
| Billington | Billington, Bylington |
| Broughton | Broughton |
| Conwy | Conway |
| Elton | Elton |
| Kynaston | Kynaston |
| Markham | Markham |
| Plumton | Plumton |
| Poole | Poole |
| Powys | Powes |
| Pykton | Pykton |
| Salisbury | Salisbury, Salysbury |
| Schorley | Schoreley |
I have not attempted to trace these down. Only two of the names are Welsh linguistically (Conwy, Powys), although others may be located in Wales.
Non-Welsh Surnames
As with the locatives, I have not attempted to find further information on these.
| Almer |
| Bayley |
| Blake |
| Blees |
| Braye |
| Carne (2) |
| Chambre |
| Cornell |
| Coyll |
| Crookes |
| Daubeney (countess of Bridgwater) |
| Dawn, Don |
| Dunne |
| Erwe |
| Garway |
| Gordon |
| Hanmer (2), Hanmar |
| Hewar |
| Hoper |
| How |
| Hyde |
| Kayns |
| Mutton |
| Payne |
| Peak |
| Sanders |
| Sutton |
| Talturn |
| Tarlecun |
| Wrenche |
Patronymic Markers
A number of women's surnames contain ap (son), for reasons discussed below. Far more common are those with some form of ferch (daughter). The spellings found in this data are:
| vaurgh |
| ver. |
| verch (83) |
| Verch |
| verge |
| vergh (10) |
| Vergh |
| Ver- (prefixed to given name) |