Ekenames

Ekenames
When communities were small everybody knew everybody so they used nicknames a lot. Such medieval labels became surnames over generations e. g. Biggs, Little, Short, Long, le Blanc, Finn, White, Boyd, Brown, Schwartz, Black. Once lived Cameron of crooked nose, Campbell with wry mouth; Legg had good ones, Cruikshank’s were bowed. Nauss, Naas and Nason had notable noses. Blythe and Bliss were happy, Fralic joyful, Keen was wise, Kelly combative. Pratt meant buttocks by Elizabethan times or someone either clever or sly and devious. Old beliefs hung on in the boonies so a Payne or Pagan was regarded an unchristian hick. Purdy was wont to say Par Dieu; Goodspeed forever was urging God’s speed on people. One had to be Sharp and Hardy in those days! See also Names Can Influence You.