Note 82 — Chapter I · PATRONYMIC SURNAMES. (continued 2)

We cannot but believe, however, that in many instances these two are but the offspring of ‘Alice,’ at this period one of the most popular of female names. Nor must we forget that Alison was itself a personal name, this being the Norman-French pet form of Alice, after the fashion of Marion, Louison, Beaton, etc. We are all acquainted with the ‘Alison’ of the ‘Canterbury Tales’—

‘This Alison answered: Who is there

That knocketh so? I warrant him a thefe.’

We meet with it again in an old Yorkshire will: ‘Item, to Symkyn, and Watkyn and Alison Meek, servandes of John of Bolton, to ilk on of yaim (them) 26s. 8d.’ (Test. Ebor., vol. iii p. 21. Surtees. Soc.) This name is found in our more formal registers in such an entry as ‘Alison Gelyot.’ (Parl. Rolls.) With regard to ‘Alis’ and ‘Elis,’ and ‘Alison’ and ‘Elison,’ recorded in the text, I may remind the reader that A and E were all but convertible letters with the Normans. One of their favourite female names, that of ‘Aveline,’ is found equally often as ‘Eveline,’ and in the form of ‘Evelyn’ it came down to the distinguished writer of the seventeenth century. ‘Arnold’ and ‘Ernold,’ ‘Americ’ and ‘Emeric,’ ‘Amelia’ and ‘Emilia,’ ‘Anota,’ and ‘Enota,’ and ‘Amelot’ and ‘Emelot’ are but other instances in point.