ABSTRACT
Surnames derived from nicknames are a varied batch. A few have long been common, mostly those from obvious physical characteristics, but many surnames in the category have always been rare, and many surnames and by-names which existed before 1500 are now extinct. Among the minority of nickname-type surnames to be all common at present are some derived from physical characteristics. Two smaller but interesting groups of surnames from nicknames are those from seasons of the year or from festivals, and those from oaths or ejaculations. In most cases the literal significance of surnames from nicknames is clear, but the real reasons why such surnames developed often remain obscure, and it is very unusual for any evidence to be available about how such surnames arose. The problems of understanding the true significance of surnames from English phrases are just as great as in understanding surnames from the French language.
