The Beginning
Cornish surnames
began to emerge in the early Middle Ages, although Celtic and Norman
landowners or nobility had surnames dating back much earlier.
It wasn’t until the later Middle Ages that it became essential
for the common man to own a surname, and these were fully established
throughout Cornwall by the end of the 15th Century.
Patronymics
The most common type of surname in Cornwall are patronymics,
which come in many forms. The father’s name taken without alteration,
eg. John (son of) Richard, is the
most basic.
An ‘s’ added, eg. John (of) Richards
(children), is more common; the Cornish version being to add an ‘o’.
eg. Bennetto (Benedict’s children); or a ‘y’.
eg. Pawley (Paul’s children).
The prefix ‘map’ (son of) was also used to change, for example,
Richard to Pritchard. Another aspect of patronymics
used was a diminutive or corruption of the father’s name, eg.
Jenkin (from John).
It is a misconception that a Williams family is less
Cornish than say, Trevithick just because it doesn’t
sound as Cornish.
Cornish
Language
The more celebrated traditional Cornish surnames (Tre,
Pol and Pen) were taken from place
names and used prefixes to describe them.
For example Tre was the word used to describe a homestead, hence Trenoweth
(new homestead); Pol translated to pool, so from pol-glas (green or
blue pool) emerged Polglase; Pen (head or end) gave
rise to such names as Pengelly (pen-(k)gelly, end of
copse).
Descriptive
Names
Names were also used to describe the occupation of the
head of the family (and usually ensuing generations).
Smith is used universally, but in Cornwall the mother
tongue was also used. eg. Angove (an gof, the smith);
Dyer (tyor, thatcher); Helyer (helghyer,
hunter).
Surnames were derived, too, from animals which the bearer made a living
hunting, eg. Bligh (blyth, wolf); or from those he
kept, eg. Coon (cun, dog).
Another category of surnames were derived from personal characteristics
or nicknames. eg. Coad (coth, old); Couch
(cough, red); Tallack (talek, big browed).
Spelling
Variations
Over the centuries the spelling of surnames have changed
considerably; mainly phonetically.
The main reason for this is that as recent as the late 19th Century
many people could neither read nor write, and at such church services
as baptisms, weddings and burials their names were recorded by the parson
who wrote it down as he heard it.
This is responsible for one man who lived in 19th Century St Teath to
be baptised as Thomas Crart, married as Thomas Crahart,
and be buried as Thomas Carhart!
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