liquor he loved I trow;
For he had before long seven years
Been of the towne the ale-conner.
Alexander, Alshioner, Callister, Callistron, Elesender, Elshender, Elshenar, Elshener, MacAlaster, MacAlester, MacAlister, MacAllaster, MacAllister, MacCalister, Sandars, Sandeman, Sander, Sanderman, Sanders, Sandeson, Sandieson, Sandison, Saunder, Saunders, Saunderson (Eng, Scot) Descendant of Alexander, or someone known by a diminutive of that name. The Scottish Mac- forms are from the Gaelic MACALASDAIR. Elesender, Elshender etc., represent regional Scottish pronunciations. Callister and Callistron are Manx forms. Alexander is the Latin form of Greek Alexandros ‘he who protects men.’ It occurs in the New Testament, but was mainly associated in medieval times with Alexander the Great, the 4th century king of Macedon.
Alfild, Alfilda, Alfyld (Eng) Descendant of Alfille, an Old English personal name composed of the elements ‘elf-war.’
Allan, Allanson see ALLEN.
Allart see ALED.
Allblaster see ALABASTER.
Allbond, Allbones see ALBAN.
Allbred, Allbright see ALBERT.
Allebone see ALBAN.
Allen, Alan, Allan, Allanson, Allenson, Alleyne, Allin, Alline, Allinson, Allis, Allison, FitzAlan, Halison (Eng, Scot) Descendant of Alan, a Celtic personal name of obscure origin, though usually linked to Gaelic ailin, from ail ‘rock.’ However, French first-name dictionaries often explain Alain as belonging to the Alans, a nomadic tribe originating in Scythia. They were conquered successively by the Roman emperor Justinian and by the Visigoths. A Breton saint of this name made the name popular amongst many of the followers of William the Conqueror. It was then taken up in great numbers in Britain.
The Irish comedian who began life as David Tynan O’Mahoney changed his name to Dave Allen simply because he wanted a name that would appear high on any list of available entertainers. Various studies, in fact, have purported to show that children whose surnames begin with a letter which is near the beginning of the alphabet do better than those who have an initial letter near the end. The theory is that names which are always amongst the first to be called out attract the attention of the teachers. The phenomenon, if it is one, was dubbed ‘alphabetic neurosis’ by the Chicago Tribune July 13, 1967: ‘If your last name begins with the letters between S and Z you are twice as likely to get ulcers as other people. The rates on heart attacks are three times as high and these people are supposed to be more morose and introspective. One doctor claims that the ulcers result from the strain of waiting for your name to be called. Aplhabetic neurosis can shorten your life by as much as twelve years.’ Monica Dickens makes a character in Mariana comment: ‘Mary wished her name did not begin with S. It was so much worse to have to wait one’s turn, with one’s confidence ebbing away every minute.’
Allerton (Eng) Someone who came from one of the several places so-named because it was a ‘settlement near alder trees’ or ‘settlement of Aelfweard’s people.’
Allet, Allett see ALED.
Alleyne see ALLEN.
Allfield see OLDFIELD.
Alliban, Allibon, Allibone see ALBAN.
Allin, Alline, Allinson, Allis, Allison see ALLEN.
Allott see ALED.
Allright see ARKWRIGHT.
Allweather see FOULWEATHER.
Allwright see ARKWRIGHT.
Allyblaster see ALABASTAR.
Almack (Eng) This is a name which would certainly puzzle surname scholars, but Arthur Bush explains, in his Portrait of London: ‘About the middle of the 18th century a Scotsman named William Macall married the Duchess of Hamilton’s lady’s maid. Being a man of ambition he came to London to make his fortune, but, finding that political reasons made Scotsmen unpopular in the capital at that time, he disguised his ancestry by inverting his name; and so Macall became Almack. He opened his rooms, known as Almack’s, in 1765 in King Street.’ MACALL itself also occurs as MACCALL, MACCAULL, MACKALL. The name means ‘son of Cathal,’ a Gaelic personal name meaning ‘war-wielder.’
Dr Johnson mentions another Scotsman who disguised his nationality by becoming David Mallet. His real name was Malloch, a nickname for a man with bushy eyebrows.
Alshioner see ALEXANDER.
Altham (Eng) Descendant of someone who originally came from the Lancashire place of this name, so-called because of its ‘water-meadow with swans.’
Ambler (Eng) Occupational name for an enameller. In rare instances there may be a reference to someone who ambled about.
Amery, Amory, Embery, Embrey, Embry, Emburey, Emerick, Emerson, Emery, Emory, Hemery, Imbery, Imbrey (Eng) Descendant of someone who bore a Germanic personal name, variously spelt Amalric, Emaurri, Haimeri etc., composed of elements meaning ‘bravery’ and ‘power.’
Amore see MOORE.
Amory see AMERY.
Anable see ANNABLE.
Ancel, Anceler, Ancelle (Fre) Occupational name of a serving-maid.
Anchor, Anchorita, Anchorite see ANGHARAD.
Anchorsmith see SMITH.
Ancoret, Ancret, Ancrete, Ancrite, Ancritt see ANGHARAD.
Andrew, Anders, Anderson, Andras, Andress, Andriss, Andrewes, Andrewson, Andro, Andrews, Aunderson, Bandra, Bandrew, Bandrey, Bandro, Dand, Dandie, Dandison, Dando, Dandy, Danson, Drew, Enderson, Gillanders, Kendrew, MacAndrew, Tancock, Tandy (Eng, Welsh, Scot, Irish) All forms derive ultimately from Andrew, a Greek name meaning ‘manly, warrior-like,’ or one of its pet forms. GILLANDERS refers specifically to a devotee of St Andrew. Forms such as BANDRA are from Welsh ab Andrew, ‘son of Andrew’.
Pamela Andrews was one of the most famous young women of the 18th century, thanks to Samuel Richardson’s novel Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded. In the book (which is unintentionally hilarious) Pamela protects her virginity at all costs from her would-be seducer, who is also her employer. Virtue is rewarded when he eventually proposes marriage. The underlying message of the novel as Henry Fielding saw it, (roughly speaking, ‘don’t sell your virginity too cheaply,’) prompted him to write Shamela, followed by a novel called Joseph Andrews in which Joseph, supposedly Pamela’s brother, has to defend himself against the advances of his female employer.
Angharad,
