Names have always been needed to identify persons. One name sufficed in the early days when populations were not large, but eventually a second name was needed as the populations increased. An identifying name, usually descriptive, was then added to the first, or given, name.
The identifying name might refer to ones’ height (John the Tall, High, or Small), weight (Large, Gross), hair color (Black, Blond, Red, White, etc.), disposition (Smiley, Dour), looking like an animal (Fox, Hare, Bear, etc.), or relating to the person’s occupation.
One of the most convenient ways of identifying a man is by reference to his father’s name, especially when combined with a patronymic suffix or affix. Early surnames of this type using the father’s given name might be seen in Leif, son of Eric, who became Leif Erickson, or John, son of William, known as John Williamson. The use of a father’s name to form his son’s name is known as patronymic naming and was used in many lands.
The most popular English and Lowland Scottish method was adding the word son to the father’s given name, as in MORRISON, the son of Morris (meaning “Moorish or dark”) and in GARRISON, son of Garry (pet form of Garrath, meaning “knightly”). Also LEVINSON, the son of Leofwin (“dear friend”), and BRAMSON, shortened form of Abraham (“father of multitudes”).
However, GOODSON doesn’t usually mean “the good son” but refers to Goda, or Gode, or to God, all short forms of such names as Godric and Godwine. Both the English and the Welsh sometimes merely added an “s” to the father’s name, as in Edwards, Evans, and Edmonds, to indicate filial relationship.
The Anglo-Saxon patronymic suffix is -ing, as in GUNNING, the son of Gunn (war), BROWNING, son of Brun (brown), CUTTING, son of Cutha (famous), and DENNING, son of Dene (the Dane). In many names the -ing is a corruption of Early English wine (meaning friend), as in GOODING from Godwin (God’s friend), and HARDING form Hardwin (firm, friend). The German SCHILLING is from Scildwin (shield, friend).
The Welsh “ap” also means “son of.” This patronymic sometimes blended with the name to from surnames such as PRICE, “son of Rhys”, and POWELL, “son of Howell.” Welsh usage in sounds might change a P to B, forming BUNYAN, ap Einion,“son of Einion,” and BEVAN or BEVANS “son of Evan.” Try to say “ap Owen” without getting it to sound like Bowen.
The Irish Mac, meaning “son of,” and “O” from ua , meaning grandson or “descendant of” gives us McCARTHY, son of Carthach ,and McCALL, “son of Cathal.” Mac can also come at the end of a name, as in CORMAC “Corb’s son.” Some names beginning with O’ (the apostrophe is a relic of the Irish accent) are O’BRIEN “grandson of Bryan”, O’ROURKE “grandson of Ruarc, and O’LEARY “grandson of Laoghaire.” A few surnames are often found in all three ways, as DONNELL, MacDONNELL, and O’DONNELL, and CONNOR, MacCONNOR, and O’CONNOR. Others seldom or never lost the prefix, as O’HARE, O’TOOLE, McNAMARA, and McINERNEY.