Lack of kin
Parrish, Bastard, Fitzroy
Proximity
Neighbour
Family relationship
Indirect relationship
By marriage
-maugh/-mough/-mot(t), -muff,-muff, -mouth, -more
These Middle English terms relate to a relation in general, or a brother-in-law in particular e.g. Hickmott
Occupational + Maugh etc: Portermaugh
Son-in-law
Od(h)am(s), Ginder(s) =”a surname of relationship which became a family name when son-on-law inherited the land of a father-in-law” (Reaney, OES, p81)
Brother-in-law
Fairbrother, possibly from the French Beau Frère (brother-in-law).
Direct relationship
Bynames of this form (-neve, -brother, -daughter, -wif) persisted into the late 14th century. They are heavily associated with ‘the north.’
Feminine
Suffixes indicating feminine relationships were dwarfed by names ending in -son. They tended to be recorded in Latin, compared to the lower register of Middle English (ME) used for men.
“the expanse of these ME formations for other relations other than –son clearly evokes a non-Scandinavian effect”
(Postles, The north through its names 2008, p60)
Mother(s)
There are thirteen occurrences of the surname Mother(s) in the 1881 Census.
Wife, Wyf
Associated with widows, e.g. Wife (38 in 1881), Mogwife (9).
Widow
Widdowes, Widders < Wedue, le Wydu
Sister
–
Daughter, dochter
Associated with unmarried women.
Unstable, and no suffixed forms have survived to today (though ‘Daughter’ and ‘Daughters’ were recorded in 1881) though the simplex form Dafter still exists, as does Dauter.
It may have been applied as a nickname for a sole heiress due to inherit her father’s land. (Reaney OES p81)
In 14th century, Yorkshire and Lancashire, it was fairly common as a byname.
Exceptions: Daughtery, Dawtrey derive from ‘de Hauterive.’
Masculine
Father
Fathers, Father, Fadder, Bairnsfather
“Fadder and Fathers, Mothers and Brothers may all derive from a well-established personal name, Old Danish Fathir, Mothir, and Brothir.” (Reaney OES p80)
However all also occur with the qualifier le, e.g. William le Brother, and so can be relationship names.
Son (and Soane)
“It is impossible to be dogmatic about the chronological appearance of –son names in relationship to other suffixes of relationship. It might be argued that vernacular –son names appeared first, though a combination of Scandinavian Middle English language use and that –wif/-wyf, -doghter and other suffixes of relationship developed secondarily in the wake of –son formations.”
“One of the enduring, if marginal, features of patronyms and metronyms with –son was their tendency to exhibit instability into the late middle ages, long after other forms of surnames had generally stabilised.”
(Postles The north through its names 2008, p60)
Brother(s)
–
Uncle
Eames, Neam(e), Uncle, Ungles
However the Sussex Uncles (and East Anglia) < Old Norse personal name Ulfketell
(Dunkling, DoS p259; Reaney, OES, p82)
Nephew
Neve, Neave, Neff, but also used as a nickname for a parasitic, thriftless person.
Note that in Scotland it usually derives from the place-name Nevay in Angus.
Cousin
Possible interaction with placename ‘Coutances’ or with ‘Cusson’ = son of Cuthbert/Constance (?)
Heir
Ayer, Ayr, Ayres, Eyre, Hair, Hayer, Heyer.
Alternatives: from placename ‘Ayr’, or anglicised forms of the Irish surnames O’Hare and Hair.
Relative age (under nicknames?)
Old/Older
Senior, Sayner, Sinyard, Henn (Welsh=Old)
Young/ Younger
Gamble, Child (though can also be a term for a young nobleman); Ogg (Gaelic= young)
Problem
If Personal name is the main element, then class there (1.1)