Patronymica Cornu-Britannica/L

by Richard Stephen Charnock

 

L.

 

LAIT. See Laity.

LAITY. From Laity in Lelant; from lait-ty, the dairy or milk-house. Hence perhaps the names Leuty, Lait, and Late. Laity is found as a French name.

LAMBADARN. From lan-Badarn, the church of St. Badarn, i. e. St. Paternus. There are several places in Wales named Llanbadarn.

LAMBILLION. From lan-velin, the mill place; or lan-vylgan, the place of the seaman. Cf. Trevelyan. But see Lamelin.

LAMBORN. See Lambron.

LAMBREY. A probable corruption of Lambrick, q. v. It may however be from lan-bry, the church hill, or the hill enclosure.

LAMBRICK. From Lambrigan, a corruption of Lambourne-Wigan in Perranzabuloe; from lan-wigan, the little enclosure.

LAMBRON, LAMBORN. From Lambourn, in old deeds Lan Bron, an estate in the parish of Perranzabuloe; from lan-bron, the hill enclosure. There is a place called Lambourne in Ruan Lanihorne.

LAMELIN, LAMELLIN, or LAMELLYN. From Lamellion, an estate in the parish of Lantegloss, near Fowey, anciently the seat of the family; from lan-mellin, the mill place. Pryce gives Lanmellion, Lan Mellin, the mill place.

LAMPECK. See Lampenc.

LAMPEER. From lan-ver, the great enclosure.

LAMPEN. See Lampenc.

LAMPENC. From the manor of Lampenc; fro lan-Pennock, the church of Pennock. Lampen and Lampeck are possibly the same name.

LANER. From Laner and Lanher in St. Allen, which Hals renders "tempter." He says, "At the time of the Norman Conquest this district of St. Allen was taxed under the jurisdiction of Laner or Lanher, i. e. tempter; so called for that long before that time was extant upon that place a chapel or temple dedicated to God in the name of St. Martin of Tours, the memory of which is still preserved in the names of St. Martin's fields and woods, heretofore perhaps the endowments of that chapel or temple, &c. &c." But as Lanher, according to Hals, was formerly a wood, may not the name be derived from lanherch, a forest, a grove? Indeed Pryce writes the name Lannar, and suggests that it may be so derived. There is Lannarth in Gwennap, Lanner in Kea, and Laneer in Lansalloes. Laner Castle occurs in William of Worcester's Itinerary, and D. Gilbert mentions one Lannar (q. v.) who was connected with the Chynoweth family. See D. Gilbert, 111, 125.

LANCE, LAUNCE. From lan, a church; or perhaps rather from nans, a valley. Cf. the local name Lansladron or Lanhadron, for Nansladron.

LANDARY. See Landrey.

LANDEG. Perhaps from Landege, found Landegey, Landegge, Landigge, and Landigay, the former name of Kea; from lan-teage, the fair church.

LANDER. In Cornwall and Devon the man stationed at the mouth of the shaft of a mine to receive the kibble or bucket is called the lander; but this name may be from landour, the church near the water; or lan-dar, the church oak. Lander was the name of the celebrated African travellers, natives of Truro, one of whom discovered the course of the Niger.

LANDEW. From Landew in Lezant; God's enclosure, or the churchyard, the sanctuary (lan-Due, Dew); or from lan-dew, the black enclosure or church.

LANDREY, LANDRY. From lan-dre, the church dwelling; lan-drea, the principal church; or lan-dreath, -draith, the church on the sand or sandy shore. Hence perhaps Landary and Laundry.

LANDSWORTH. From Nansworth; from nans-worth, the high valley. Cf. the local name Lansladron, for Nansladron.

LANDZELLE. From Launcells parish; so called, according to Tonkin, from being a cell to the abbey of Hartland in Devonshire (lan, an enclosure or church).

LANFEAR. Lower refers this name to Lanphear which Arthur derives from Gael. lann-fear, a pikeman. The name is found in Cornwall and may be derived from locality; from lan-veor, the great church.

LANGAN, LANIGAN. Lan-igans would signify twenty churches; but see Langon, Lanyon.

LANGDON. There are families of this name from parishes in Essex, Kent, &c. The Langdons of Cornwall are from Langdon, "long hill," in the parish of Jacobstow, their ancient patrimony.

LANGFORD. The Cornish family of this name derives from Roger de Langford, sheriff of Cornwall in 1255, who took his surname from his estate of Langford, in the parish of Marham Church. (C. S. Gilbert.) The name is probably from lan-vordh, the great enclosure; or lan-ford, the church way. Other families of this name are from parishes in cos. Bedford, Berks, Norfolk, Essex, Somerset, Notts, Wilts, &c.; but their name signifies "long ford."

LANGHAIRNE. See Lanherne.

LANGHERNE. To this family belonged the gigantic Cromwellian soldier, John Langherne, who is said to have been seven feet six inches in height, and proportionately active and strong. (C. S. Gilbert.) The same name as Lanherne, q. v.

LANGON. From lan-gon, the dwelling on the down, or from root of Lanyon, q. v.

LANHADERN, LANHEDRAR. From the manor of Lanhadarn, var. Lanhaddarne, Lanhadden, Lansladarne, in St. Eve, which Hals renders "the thieves or robbers' place (lan-lader). Pryce however says, "Lanhadron, Lansladron, rectè Nansladron, the valley of thieves." These names may however be the same with the Welsh local name Llanedarn, said to have been so called from St. Ederyn.

LANHERCH. See Lenhorgy.

LANHERNE. From the manor of Lanherne, in the parish of St. Mawgan, where a family called Pincerna (Med. Lat. for cup-bearer) settled and adopted the local name as their surname. They became extinct in the elder line temp. Edw. I. The name is from lanhern, the sanctuary; literally the iron church or enclosure (lan-hoarn). Hence the names Langhairne and Langherne.

LANHIDROCK. From the parish of Lanhidrock in Pider hundred; from lan-Hidrock, the church of St. Hidrock. There is a place named Llanhidrock in Wales.

LANIGAN. See Langan.

LANINE. See Lanyon.

LANNAR. See Lenhorgy.

LANNERGY. From root of Lenhorgy, q. v.

LANNING. See Lanyon.

LANTEGLES, LANTEGLOS. From Lanteglos-by-Fowey; or Lantegles, Lanteglos in Camelford parish; from lan-egles, the church enclosure. Pryce renders Lant-eglos, the true church (lante, truth).

LANTHOIS. From lan-thous, the downward church, or lan-thew, the black church.

LANWORDABY. From lan-Wordaby, the place or dwelling of Wordaby; lan-wortha-va, the place by the high stream.

LANXON. Probably from Lansen, the name under which, according to Hals, St. Stephen's near Launceston, at the time of the Norman Conquest, was taxed; from lan-san, the holy church.

LANYON (lan-nine). From Lanyon in Gwinear; from lan-eithin, the furzy enclosure or croft; or lan-yein, the cold enclosure. There is also Lanyon in Madron, and some mention a place named Lanyon in Normandy or Bretagne. Linyon, Lunyon, Lanine, Lanning, and Lanyon may be the same surname. But see also Langon.

LATE. See Laity.

LATHAN. See Leathan.

LAUELIS. See Levelis.

LAUNCE. See Lance.

LAUNDRY. See Landrey.

LEATHAN. This name may have been originally Tyleathan or Boleathan; from ty-lait-an, or bo-lait-an, both of which would translate the milk-house or dairy; but Leathan may also be from le-tan, the under place.

LE GASSICK. See Tregaskass.

LELAND. From the parish of Lelant, in the hundred of Penwith. Tonkin translates the name church place (le-lan); but Leland writes it Lannant, a church in a valley (lan-nant).

LELEAN. Another orthography of Leland, q. v.; or from le-lhean, the place for pilchards.

LENDERYON. This name may be a mistake for Lenderyow. Both names are found in the Cornwall Directory. From lan-deru, the enclosure of oaks.

LENDRICK. From lan-dour-ick, the place by the water; lan-Derrick, the place of Derrick, i. e. Theodoric; or lan-derrick, the place of the sexton. The name would also corrupt from Lanhidrock, q. v.

LENORGY. From the old local name Lanerchy, Lanergh; from lanherch or lannar, a forest or grove, a lawn, a bare place in a wood; hence Lanherch, also the place called Lannar in St. Allen, and the surname Lannar.

LEONARDAN. From lyn-ard-an, the high pond or pool.

LESBIREL. From les-Birel, the court or hall of Birel.

LESTWITHIEL. See Lostwithiel.

LEUTY. See Laity.

LEVEDDON. From leven-don, the bare or smooth hill; or leh-vidn, the place or dwelling in the meadow. Cf. the local name Treveddon.

LEVELIS, LAUELIS. From le-eglis, the church place; or lêu-lis, lion court.

LEWARN, LEWARNE, LE WARNE, LOUARN. Pryce renders Lewarn, Louarn, the fox place; but does not give the etymology. It is probably from lê, lu-warnen, the place of the elder-tree.

LEZARD. From Lizard or Lizart district; from lis-ard, the high court, hall, or palace.

LEZEREA. From lis-rea, the wonderful court or hall (?).

LIDGEY. There is a place called Canalidgey in St. Issey. Le-gy would signify the place by the river or brook. Laig is a layman; lug, a tower; lagan, a pond, pool, lake; lued, luth, mire, filth.

LILLATHEW. This name may mean the holy goat or the black goat. Thew has the various significations of black, holy, side, and God; lill is a goat. (Tew, thew, a side.)

LIMBRICK. Same as Lambrick, q. v.

LINKINHORNE. From Linkinhorne in East hundred; properly Lankinhorne, or rather Langanhoarn; from lan-gan-hoarn, the iron church or enclosure.

LINYON. See Lanyon.

LISSANT. From Lezant in East hundred, for Lansant; from lan-sant, the holy church, or the saints' church (All Hallows).

LOE. From loe, lo, loo, a lake or pool. There are East and West Looe.

LOSTWITHIEL, or LESTWITHIEL. From Lostwithiel, formerly cap. of Cornwall. Carew translates Lostwithiel "lion's tail"! I derive it from les-uthiel, -uhal, the lofty palace.

LOUARN. See Lewarn.

LUDDRA. From led, ledra, a cliff or steep hill. Mr. Robert Luddra built the tower of the church in Mullion in Kerrier, and according to D. Gilbert was probably an inhabitant of the parish in 1500. Lyddra may be the same name.

LUDGVAN. From Ludgvan near Penzance; from ludg-van, lud-van, the high-placed town. [I do not find this surname, but I have been favoured with it.]

LUGGAN. From the manor of Luggyen Lese, anc. Ludduham, in St. Ives; or from Lugvan, vulgò Luduan; from lug-van, the high or high-placed tower (lug, a tower). Pryce derives the local name Illogan from lug-gan, the white tower; or lug-gûn, the tower on the downs; or lug-dûn, the tower hill.

LUNYON. See Lanyon.

LUTAY. From lu-têg, the pleasant place; or luth-ty, the miry or filthy dwelling. [Utrum horum mavis accipe.]

LYDDRA. See Luddra.

LYNAM, LYNOM. "There are places called Lyneham in cos. Oxford and Wilts. The family occur in Cornwall as Lynham at an early period, and the Irish branch are said to have sprung from that county." (Lower.) Lan-an in Cornish would mean the enclosure or church; lyn-an, the water.