ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 1562 http://www.s-gabriel.org/1562 ************************************ From: "Richard Threlkeld" 27 Mar 1999 Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel! You asked if is a name that could have been used by someone living in Ireland at some time in history. It is entirely possible, though we have no evidence that the surname was used in Ireland. is an English surname, probably derived from a place name in Hampden, Berkshire. The place-name has nothing to do with honor; it comes from the Old English words 'a hone, a stone' and 'riverbank; edge of a hill or slope', in this case referring to a nearby sandstone quarry [1, 2]. It is recorded as and in 1332, in 1547. Spellings with seem to be more common than those with a single . is an English name, common in various spellings since the Norman Conquest, and this particular spelling has been common since the 13th century [3,4]. This evidence establishes that is a fine English name for the 14th century or later. Many English names were introduced to Ireland by English settlers. We don't have any evidence that was ever carried to Ireland, but it is plausible. Therefore, we feel it is entirely possible that an Englishman named could have emigrated to Ireland or been born to Anglo-Irish parents any time from the 14th century onward. We should stress that this is an English name, and could have been used only among the English-speaking population of Ireland. If you are interested in a Gaelic name, then you'll want to choose something quite different. If you're interested in Gaelic names, please read the articles on Gaelic names that you can find on our websites and write us again. Start at http://www.panix.com/~mittle/names/qceltic.html. We hope that this letter has been useful to you, and that you will not hesitate to write again if any part was unclear or if you have further questions. Research and commentary on this letter was provided by Talan Gwynek, Aryanhwy Prytydes merch Catmael Caermyrdin, Arval d'Espas Nord, AElfwyn aet Gyrwum, and Angus Scrymgeoure. For the Academy, Caelin on Andrede March 26, 1999 --------------------------------------- References: [1] Smith, A.H. English Place-Name Elements (Cambridge: At the University Press, 1956); s.vv. , . [2] Reaney, P. H., & R. M. Wilson, _A Dictionary of English Surnames_ (London: Routledge, 1991; Oxford University Press, 1995) s.n. Honnor, Honner, Honour. [3] Withycombe, E.G., _The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names_, 3rd ed. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988). [4] Talan Gwynek, "Given Names from Early 13th Century England" (WWW: J. Mittleman, 1997) [URL:http://www.panix.com/~mittle/names/talan/eng13/].