The
information behind this article comes primarily from Charles Wareing Bardsley’s
English Surnames: Their Sources and Significations, seventh
edition, published in London in 1901.
This book is available for free download in Acrobat PDF format from
Google Books at
What do I mean when I say, “pet names”? The
technical word is “diminutive”. In other
words, a more intimately familiar, often shortened version of a name, for
example: Billy from William, or Betty
from Elizabeth. The word pet, in reference to pet names, is a
shortened version of the French word petite,
meaning little one. This article does not cover the kind of
nicknames that are often unrelated to their bearer’s actual name, such as a
person whose name is John being called Lefty,
due to his being left-handed.
Interestingly,
many mediæval pet names are preserved even until current times in the
hereditary surnames that fill our telephone directories. Many English surnames started out as patronyms
and metronyms. (A patronym tells who a
person’s father is. A metronym tells who
his or her mother is.) Also, the
patterns by which pet names were formed came from both Anglo-Saxon English and
Norman French.
In
some cases a pet name was formed by literally shortening the name, and often
substituting a different first letter, to make a rhyme. A few examples are:
Christopher
> Kit, Kitt, or Kitte Anne >
Nan
David
> Dawe Cecilia
or Cecily > Cis, Cesse, Sis, Siss, or Sys
Gilbert
> Gib, Gibbe, or Gyb Eleanor,
Elinor, Leonora, or Alianor
Nicholas
> Cole or Col >
Annora, Ellen, Lina, Lyna, or Nel
Richard
> Dick or Hick Etheldreda
> Ethel
Robert
> Dob, Dobbe, Hob, or Isabel
> Ib or Bell
Hobbe Matilda
> Maud
Roger
> Hodge or Dodge Petronilla
> Parnel or Pernel
Walter
> Watte Theophania
> Tiffany
In
many other cases, a pet name was formed by adding a suffix to either the proper
name or very often to a shortened version of it. Often, the resulting pet name was even longer
than the name from which it came. These
suffixes were of four principal varieties:
(1)
Kin
from the Anglo-Saxon.
Adam
> Adkin, Adekin, or Atkin
Anthony
> Tonkin
Baldwin
> Bodkin
Bartholomew
> Badkin or Batkin
Daniel
> Dankin
David
> Dawkin or Dakin
Elias
> Alkin or Allkin
Jane
> Janekyn
John
> Jenkin, Hankin (from the Latin Iohannes)
Henry
> Hawkin or Halkin
Hugh
> Hughkin or Huckin
Geoffrey
> Jeffkin
Lambert
> Labmekyn, Lambekin, or Lambkin
Laurence
or Lawrence > Larkin
Luke
> Luckin
Mark
> Markin
Matilda
> Mawdkin, Meakin, Mekin, Malkin, or Makin
Peter
> Peterkin, Perkin, or Parkin
Radulf
or Ralph > Rapkin or Rawkin
Reginald, Ragenald, Rainald, Reynold, Renaud,
Reinaud, or Renard
> Rankin, Reynkin, or Reynkyn
> Rankin, Reynkin, or Reynkyn
Robert
> Hopkin
Roger
> Hotchkin or Hoskin
Simon
> Simkin, Simpkin, or Symkyn
Theobald,
Thibault, or Thibaud > Tipkin
Thomas
> Tomkin or Thompkin
Walter
> Watekyn or Watkin
William
> Wilekyn or Wilkin
(2)
Cock
also from the Anglo-Saxon.
Adam
> Adcock
Alexander or Alisaundre > Saundercock (via Saunder) or
Sandercock (via Sander)
Sandercock (via Sander)
Baldwin
> Balcock
Barbara
> Babcock
Bartholomew
> Badcock or Batcock
Daniel
> Dancock
Elias
> Elcock, Ellcock, Alcock, or Allcock
Geoffrey
> Jeffcock
John
> Johncock, Hancock, or Handcock (both via Latin Iohannes)
Laurence
or Lawrence > Laycock
Luke
> Locock, Luckock, or Lucock
Mark
> Marcock
Philip
> Philcock
Richard
> Hitchcock
Simon
> Simcock
Timothy
> Timcock
William
> Wilcock or Wilcoc
(3)
Ot or et from the Norman French.
Abel
> Abelot, Ablett, or Ablott
Arnold
> Arnott, Arnet, or Arnyet
Brice
> Briccot
Cecilia
or Cecily > Cissota, Sissot, Syssot, or Syssott
Douce,
Duce, Dulce, or Dulcia > Dowsett, Doucett, or Duckett
Charles
> Charlat, Charlot (fem. >
Charlotte)
Constance
> Cussot
Cuthbert
> Cowbeyt or Cobbet
Daniel
> Danett or Dannett
Dionisius
> Dyott, Dyot, Diot, or Denot (via Dennis)
Drew
or Drogo (not Andrew) > Drewett or Druett
Eleanor, Elinor, Leonora, or Alianor
> Annot, Alinot, Alnot, Anota, Linot, or Linota
> Annot, Alinot, Alnot, Anota, Linot, or Linota
Elias
> Elliot, Eliot, Allot, Alecot, Alyott, or Elicot
Emeric
or Emery > Emelot
Emma
> Emmett or Emmot (both fem.)
Eve
> Evett or Evitt (both fem.)
Gerald
or Gerard > Garret, Jarret, Jarratt
Gilbert
> Gibbett
Giles
> Gillet or Gillot
Guy
> Guyot, Gyot, Wyot, Wyott, or Wyatt
Hamon
> Hamnet, Hammet, or Hamonet
Henry
> Hallet, Halket, Henriot, Heriot, or Haryott (fem. Harriet or Harriot)
Hugh
> Huet, Hewet, Hewett, or Howett
Isaac
> Higgott or Higgett
Isabel > Bellet or Bellot (via Bell); Ibbot, Ibbit, Ibbet, Isotte,
Ebot, Ezota, Isot, Izott, Ibote, or Ibotta (via Ib)
Ivar,
Iver, Ive, or Ives > Ivett
John
> Jackett (via French Jacques; fem. > Jacquetta)
Juliana
> Gilot, Gillot, Juet, Juetta, Jewit, Jewitt, Jowet, Jowett, or Juliet
Laurence
or Lawrence > Larrett
Luke
> Luckett or Lockett
Margaret
> Margot, Marget, Merget, Margett, Maggot, Magot
Mary
> Marriot or Mariot
Matilda
> Tillot or Tyllott
Miles
or Milo > Millot, Millet, or Mylett
Nicholas
> Colet, Colett, or Collett (fem.
Collette; via Col)
Pagan,
Payne, Paye, Paine, or Pain > Paynett or Paynot
Paul
> Paulett, Poulett, Powlett, or Pollitt
Peter
> Perot, Perret, Perrett, Parrot, or Parret
Phillip > Phillot, Phillipot, Philpott, Philpot,
Fillpot, Fylpot, Phillot, Philipot, or Phylypotte
Robert
> Robynet (via Robin)
Roland
> Rowlett, Rowlet
Simon
> Simonet, Simnet, or Symonet
Stephen
> Stevenet, Stevenot, Stennet, or Stennett
Theobald,
Thibault, or Thibaud > Tibbot, Tebbott, Tibbat, Tibbet, or Tebbutt
William > Guillemot, Gwillot,
Gillot, Gillott, Gillett, Williamot, Willmot, Wilmot, Willot, Willet, Willert,
or Willimote
Sometimes
the -ot/-et form was rendered instead as -elot or -elet.
Bartholomew
> Bartelot, Bartlett, Bertelot, or Burlet
Cecilia
or Cecily > Cesselot
Christian
> Crestolot or Crestelot
Hamon
> Hamlet or Hamelot
Hugh
> Hughelot, Huelot, Hulot, Hullet, Hullett, Howlett, or Hewlett
Richard
> Richelot or Rickelot
Robert
> Hobelot (via Hob)
Theobald,
Thibault, or Thibaud > Tebbelot
(4)
On
or en
also from the Norman-French.
Alice
or Alys > Alison
Beatrice
or Beatrix > Beton, Betten, Betin, Betyn, Betan, or Beaton
Catherine
> Catlin, Cattlin, Catlyn, or Katlyn
Gilbert
> Gilpin, Gibbin, or Gibbon
Guy
> Guyon
Hamon
> Hamlyn or Hamelyn
Hugh
> Huon, Hugon, Huguon, Hugyn, or Huggin
Isaac
> Higgin
John
> Jacklin (via French Jacques; fem. Jacqueline)
Mary
> Marion
Nicholas
> Colin (via Col), Collin, or
Nixon
Peter
> Perrin
Radulf
or Ralph > Rawlin or Rollin
Richard
> Diccon, Dicken, or Diggon (via Dick)
or Hitchin
Robert
> Robin, Dobbin, or Hobin
Thomas
> Tomlin
William
> Wicken
©2014
Do we know what the significance of the suffixes were? Did something like '-kin' have meaning or - like certain articles for German nouns - did they just 'sound right'?
ReplyDeleteThat is an interesting question. I would guess that they originally had meaning, but what that might be, Bardsley doesn’t tell us. On pages 15-16 of the book I referenced (pages 49-50 in the PDF of the book), he merely states:
ReplyDelete1. Kin.—This saxon term, corresponding with the German ‘chen,’ and the French ‘on’ or ‘en,’ ... we still preserve in such words as ‘manikin,’ ‘pipkin,’ ‘lambkin,’ or ‘doitkin.’ ...
2. Cock.—Our nursery literature still secures in its ‘cock-robins,’ ‘cock-boats,’ and ‘cock-horses,’ the immortality of this second termination....
3. Ot or et.—These terminations were introduced by the Normans, and certainly have made an impregnable position for themselves in our English nomenclature. In our dictionaries they are found in such diminutives as ‘pocket’ (little poke), ‘ballot,’ ‘chariot,’ ‘target,’ ‘latchet,’ ‘lancet;’...
4. On or en.—These terminations became very popular with the French, and their directories teem with the evidences they display of former favour. They are all but unknown to our English dictionary, but many traces of their presence may be found in our nomenclature....
Sorry, but this is about as much help as I can offer.