Page:The Complete Peerage Ed 2 Vol 3.djvu/635

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APPENDIX C 615 numerous as Hobson, Dobson, and Robson in the north, and Robinson in the south, from Robert; Hanson, Watson, Pawson, and Nixon, from Henry, "Walter, Paul,(^) and Nicholas respectively; to which other examples could be added. J. H. Round points out the very early appearance of diminu- tives in the Rotulus Mise of 14 John (printed in Cole's Documents, pp. 231 et sqq.). Among them are Wilekin, Robin, Raulin (Raulinum), and Watekin, these homely names being applied not only to men of humble rank. See also ante, p. 612, where Randekyn, Thomelyn, Janquin, Janekin and Watquin occur among the names of men summoned in 1334. None of these diminutives except Colin and Robin can be said now to be in vogue as Christian names. Among names common to both sexes were Philip, Reynold (Reginalda Epicene names, occurs twice circa 11 50 (Egerton Ch. 428), but was never common as a woman's name), Gilbert (Gilberta, Egerton Ch. 428), Aubrey {lat. Albericus, Albredus, O.E. ^Ifric and Albreda, Fr. Auberee), Peronel or Pernell, Basil, Nicholas, Eustace, Giles, Francis, Edmund, James, Simon C") and Florence, all epicene names in old times, the terminal "a" of Philippa having never been really used in speech, and being on a par with the Johannas, Adelizas, and such. Of these, Nicholas was particularly frequent as a woman's name in Scot- land, and though Edmund and Raymond were never common as such, yet the da. and h. ot John Botiller, who must have been born about 1250, is called in Latin Edmunda, and Reymunda de Bourk was living 2 Ric. II. Pernell only survives in the surname Parnell, or occasionally in its original latinized fem. form of Petronilla. Hoggera, a feminine form of the French Ogcr, is found in co. Lincoln in 1 162 (Harl. Ch. 45 H. 7). Aubrey, Basil, Edmund, James, Eustace and Nicholas are now confined to men, and Florence to women; Francis is the only one which still retains its double use, the substitution of "e" for "i" in the last syllable to indicate the difference of sex being of course quite modern. The employment of Anne as a man's name, in the eighteenth century, as in the case of Lord Anne Hamilton, is always traceable to a complimentary adoption of the name of the queen. Lucy also occurs as a male Christian name in some families, but in this case it is the surname used as a Christian name. Of uncommon and remarkablewomen'snames()thatof Idonieorldoine, Remarkable latinized as Idonea, was borne among others both by a daughter of Robert, women's names. Lord Clifford, and of W' illiam, Lord Leyburne, both Cumberland people. In the will of Henry Lord Percy, husband of the former, dated 1349, his wife is called Imania (Ismania), and though there are not many instances of this name, it is stated to be the origin of the surname Ismay, now well known in (*) In this case the identification is doubtful. C") A grant made by the Prioress and Sisters of Ilchester to a lady named Simon de Lyt led to a curious lawsuit in 1 342, when one of the parties contended, unsuccess- fully, that Simon was not a female name. [Proc. of Somerset Archaol. Soc, vol. xiii, part ii, pp. 51 and 1 15-17; and vol. xxxvii, part ii, pp. 17, 19). (■=) See valuable lists of these, appended by A. Story Maskelyne of the P.R.O., to vols, iv and v of the Calendars of Ancient Deeds.