fortress, city, walled town. The name may, however, sometimes be from the parish of St. Denis in Powdre, so called from St. Denis or Dionysius, to whom its church was dedicated.
DENSILL, DENSELL, DENZIL. From an estate in the parish of Mawgan in Pyder, possessed by the family down to the 16th century. The name is from den-sil, the hill in open view or prospect; or den-syl, the hill of the sun. Hals gives an absurd etymology. See Gilbert
DERRICK. This name is said to be sometimes from Cornish derrick, a sexton, a gravedigger; from terhi, to break; or doer, the earth, as belonging to the earth. It is perhaps more often the nickname for Theodoric, a name of Teutonic origin.
DEVIS. From davas, anc. davat, a sheep. Pryce gives "Devis, Davas, Davat, sheep place.—Nom. fam. Davis, a sheep."
DINHAM. See Tredenham and Cardinham.
DINNIS. See Dennis.
DOGGET, DOGGETT. Mr. Ferguson makes Doggett a diminutive of Icelandic dogge, Eng. dog. Lower seems to think it corrupted from Dowgate, one of the Roman gateways of the city of London. Dogget however may be an abbreviation of Pendoggett, a village in St. Kew; from pen-dower-gate, the head of the gate or opening to the water.
DOLBEN. From dôl-bighan, the little vale; or dôl-ben, the head of the valley, or the head valley.
DOLLMAN, DOLMAN. See Tolman.
DOLPHIN. See Godolphin.
DORMAR, DORMER. From dour-mêr, the great water.
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