Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Matronymics

Surnames as first names is quite the trend right now, and patronymics are a big part of that--Addison, McKenzie, Jackson, etc. Although I'll never quite get over "son" names becoming so widely popular for daughters, I have to think that part of that owes to the lack of mother/daughter names, which are unheard of in most cultures. I was greatly surprised to find out that at least one fairly common boys' name is actually derived from a feminine name--Emmett! Which, of course, sent me on a quest to find other matronymic surnames.
Hey, it may not be "daughter of ____", but it's a start!

  • Anson (AN-son)--from Agnes
  • Averill (AV-er-il)--from Anglo-Saxon Eoforhild/Everhild
  • Babcock (BAB-kok)--from Barbara
  • Bell (BEL)--from Isabel (can also be an occupational name, "bellringer")
  • Dwight (DWITE)--from medieval Diot, a form of Greek Dionysia [the original form of Denise]
  • Dyson (DYE-son)--another from Dionysia 
  • Eads (EEDZ)--from Edith
  • Eason (EE-son)--another from Edith (can also be from Adam)
  • Edison (ED-ih-son)--yet another from Edith (can also be from Adam)
  • Emmett (EM-met)--from Emma
  • Evelyn (EV-el-in)--from Aveline 
  • Ibbott (IB-bot)--from Isabel
  • Madison (MAD-ih-son)--from Maude (can also be from Matthew)
  • Marion (MEHR-ee-on)--from Mary
  • Merrill (MEHR-ril)--from Muriel
  • Royce (ROIS)--from Rose
  • Ruskin (RUS-kin)--another from Rose 
  • Sinason (SEE-nah-son)--from Scandinavian Sina

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