Women's Names in the First Half of
16th Century Wales

Origins Of Women's Surnames

by Tangwystyl verch Morgant Glasvryn
(Heather Rose Jones, contact@heatherrosejones.com)
copyright c 1998, all rights reserved

• Introduction
• About the Data
• Given Names
• Name Patterns
• Elements Appearing in Women's Surnames
• Origins Of Women's Surnames
• Conclusions

Origins Of Women's Surnames

Women Listed With Husbands

In 31 cases, both bear a patronym of some type and the two are not identical. In only two of these cases does the woman's byname include ap rather than verch.

Gwen verch Ieuan	Meredith ap David ap Tuder
Lowrye verch Res	Hoell ap Morgan
Lowry vergh Ranold	Kydwaller Robert Approthydie
Guenllean vergh Rice	John Meddock Floyd
Eleanor ap (sic) James	Res ap John
Katherine verch William	Ieuan ap Ieuan ap Jankyn
Annes verch Lewis	David Robert
Gwen verch Eden	Fulk [Salesbury]
Katherine Vaughan alias Verch Edward	Llewelyn ap Tuder
Eva verch Morgan	David ap Madoc ap Dicus
Margaret verch Jenet	Fowke ap Thomas
Katherine verch Hugh	Morgan ap John ap Jollyn Gogh
Katherine verch Rees ap Gruffith ap Pella	William ap John
Margaret verch David	John Llewelyn
Matilde verch Rosser	Richard Peyten
Margaret verch Thomas ap rosser	John Geffrey
Gwenllian verch Rise	Henry ap Ieuan ap Guillim
Alice verch Bedo	David ap David
Joan verch John	Ieuan Thomas ap Grono
Wenllean verch John	William ap Richard, Robert Corser
Annete verch Ieuan Lloyde	Jenkyn ap Ieuan
Joan vergh David	Gwillim Ieuan Vaughan
Alice ap (sic) Thomas James	David ap Richard Philpott
Jenett Vergh Lewys	David Apprice
Jenet vergh Meredith	John Ward
Elizabeth verch Thomas	Jenkin ap William
Margaret verch John	Llewelyn ap David
Gwervyl verch Meredith	Roger Meredith William
Mevanwy verch David	Thomas ap Ieuan ap Maddoc

Two examples in this group are worth a special look, for they give two versions of the wife's name -- one that ties in with the husband's and one that does not.

Alice verch Philip	Walter (Watkyn) ap Gwyllym
also found as:
Alice Watkyne	Walter ap Gwillim
Elizabeth ap William	Howell ap William
alias
Elizabeth verch ellys ap Tona

In 8 cases, the wife has an explicit patronym that matches the husband's patronym, whether explicit or not. It should be noted that coincidence cannot be ruled out in these cases. In the case of Dyle ap verge David (written by a confused clerk who has made her both son and daughter), her husband's patronym is ap David, but her father's name is also David. Three of these eight use (or include) ap in the woman's name. What is interesting is tha six do not. If this were simply a matter of using the husband's surname, one would expect it to be completely identical. If, indeed, these are examples of transfer of the husband's name, non-Welsh speakers may be interpreting verch as simply a feminine prefix added to any surname, or perhaps understanding it as "the feminine equivalent of ap" but not taking the actual meaning of those elements into account.

Gwenllian verch Lewis	John Lewis
Dyle ap verge (sic) David	Edward ap David
Anne ap Ryce	Robert [ap Ryce] ("concubine")
Gwen verch Ieuan	John ap Ieuan
Katherine ap John	William (ap) John ap Howell
Anne verch Richard	John ap Richard
Margery verch Hoell	John Hoell
Christian Johns alias Crislye ver. John	Le(onard?) Johns

In 20 cases, the wife has some form of surname, other than an explicit patronym, that in no way matches any element of her husband's name. (The extreme example being Joan Meryke alias Coyll, neither of whose names match any element in any of her three husbands' names!) Six of the women have a surname derived originally from a given name, one has a descriptive byname of Welsh origin, the others are all of non-Welsh origin. This last is hardly surprising. Welsh-origin surnames other than those derived from patronyms are extremely rare in the data.

Elizabth Karver	Ieuan ap Gwillym Goughe
Sybell Garway	Ryce Tucker
Joan Meryke alias Coyll	Thomas Blake
"	Jermyn Gryffyth
"	Nicholas Bowys
Beton Peucoke	Harry Row
"	Dave Willyam
Jenet Rogers	John Walter
Ellen Lloid	Rise ap Kenwrike ap John
Mary Salisbury	William Parre
Rose Hanmar	David Lloyd
Anne Powes	Randall Hauworth [note: her father was a duke]
Anne Broughton	John ap John ap Richard Trevour
Tanglust Lewes	Ivan ap Wakyn
Jenett Elton	Clement ap Howell
Gwenllian Howell	Rice ap Griffith
Dame Katherine Gordon	Sir Mathew Cradock
Agnes Hewar	Henry Evann
Catherine Stevyn	Thomas [Morrys]
Elizabeth (nee Barbar)	Roger Codogan
Eleanor, formerly Eleanor Mutton	Thomas Heyward
Jenett Meredyth	David ap Evan
"	David Aprice
Elizabeth Markham	William Webbe

In three cases, the wife is listed with an alias and one of the names matches her husband's surname, while the other is unrelated.

Margaret Sanders, alias Bruer	John Bruer
Margaret Pykton alias Philpe	Thomas Philpe
[...] Morgan, alias Flemmyng	Reynold Morgan

In 8 cases, the wife bears a surname that matches her husband's surname. In only one case is the name of Welsh origin.

Katherine Blees	Makyn Blees
Dame Mary Owen	James Owen, knight
Margaret Chambre	William Chambre
Margaret Billington	Thomas [Billington]
Maude Hanmer	Sir Thomas [Hanmer]
Anne Schoreley	Hugh [Schoreley, presumably]
Anne Harper	Henry Harper
Johan Kayns	Robert [Kayns, presumably]

In six cases, the wife has a surname that matches the husband's given name. As before, coincidence cannot entirely be ruled out, particularly in the case of Joan verch John, given that John was the most popular name during this period.

Alice Griffeth	Griffith Lloit
Angharrett Howell	Howell ap Jenkyn
Gwen James	James Baker
Elizabeth Hoell	Hoell ap Matthew
Joan verch John	John ap Thomas ap Richard

One of these we have seen before:

Alice verch Philip	Walter (Watkyn) ap Gwyllym
also found as
Alice Watkyne	Walter ap Gwillim

Here is a summary of the data:

• 31 f. & m. both have explicit patronym, no match, 2 ap
• 8 f. explicit patronym matches m. patronym, 3 ap
• 20 f. other surname, no match, mostly non-Welsh
• 8 f. other surname, matches m. surname, mostly non-Welsh
• 3 entries with both the preceding present
• 6 f. non-explicit patronym, matches m. given name

• 51 no connection shown between wife's surname and husband's name
• 25 repeated elements between wife's surname and husband's name

Women Listed With Parents (Or Other Ancestors)

Woman	(Grand)mother
Loure verch Moryce	Katherine verch Hoell
Katherine verch William	Gwenllian verch William (grandmother)
Margaret verch Gruffith ap Gwyn	Cristyan [verch Ieuan]
Margaret verch David ap Res ap Tona	Eva verch David

In 12 cases, the woman bears a patronym (8 explicit, 4 not) that matches her father's given name. Matches in this case is extended to cover Evan/Ieuan as there is no reason to suppose that this spelling difference is significant. In the last of this group, two sisters are mentioned, one of whom bears their father's name as an unmarked patronym, the other of whom bears an unrelated patronym using ap. The reasonable assumption in this case is that it is a married name.

Woman	Father
Gwenlliam verch John	John ap Jankyn
Dyle ap verge (sic) David	David ap Griffith ap Yellen the younger
Annes verch William ap Howell	William ap Howell
Ellen verch Griffeth	Griffith Lloit
Joan Johans	John Richard
Gwladyse ap (sic) Thomas	Thomas ap John
Maude Evan	Ieuan ap John
Gwenllian verch Rise	Rice ap Ieuan
Maude Ieuan	Ieuan ap Griffith
Wenthlyan Johnez	John Christopher Williamz
Alice vergh William	Wylliam ap David
Margaret ap Lewis and Katherine Rice	Rice ap Jenkyn
In six cases the woman has a non-patronymic surname that matches her father's surname. (Note that this includes one woman who is noted as a bastard in the record.)
Alice Blake	William Blake
Margaret and Gwervyl Lyea	Griffith Lyea
Margaret Kynaston (bastard)	Ralph Kynaston
Alice Harvey	William Harvey
Agnes Salysbury	Thomas Salysbury
Nest and Jenett Carne	Richard Carne
Ten cases fall in other categories. The largest group is of four women who bear a non-patronymic surname while their fathers (or grandfather) bear a patronym. (Although in one case, the father is also listed with a different non-patronymic surname.) Two of the women bear surnames that could be personal nicknames of Welsh origin (Igham = bychan "small", Lloyd = llwyd "grey/brown"). Or the women's surnames could be married names. Or they could be family surnames that the father simply isn't using in this case (the weakest argument, especially in the case of Thomas Englisshe).
Lleyke Igham	Meredith ap Thomas
Gwenlliam Payne	John ap Howell
Alice Lloyd	Thomas Englisshe, alias Thomas ap Griffith Tuppa
Ellen Hanmer	Richard ap Evan (grandfather)
One woman bears a patronym going back to her grandfather, while the man she is mentioned in context with is her great-grandfather. Nothing is proven, but there is no reason to suppose this isn't a true patronym.
Isabel verch Ieuan ap Griffith Gough	Howell ap Inon [great-grandfather]
In two entries, all the parties have non-patronymic surnames but none of them match -- including those of the two sisters in the second entry. These are very likely to be married names.
Margaret Erwe	Johan Wogan
Katherine Poole, Margaret Bayley	Humphrey Vernon
In one entry, the daughter appears to bear her father's patronym, complete with ap. This would appear to be a case of the fossilization of the patronym into a hereditary surname (if it isn't simply a misinterpretation of an English scribe who expects a hereditary surname).
Margaret ap (sic) Yevan	Grono app Yevan
In one entry (which we have already noted above) one sister bears an explicit patronym (using ap) unrelated to her father's name, while the other sister appears to bear a true patronym (although unmarked).
Margaret ap Lewis and Katherine Rice	Rice ap Jenkyn
In yet one more case, no surname is given for the father, only his title. (In this case, we also know that the woman's husband bore a different surname.)
Anne Powes	Charles, late Duke of Suffolk

In summary, we have:

• 4 f. patronym, no context for origin
• 12 f. patronym, matches father's given name
• 6 f. non-patronymic surname, matches father's
• 10 other including
• 7 possible married names

Woman And Children/Descendents

• 5 child's patronym = father's given name, f. has unrelated patronym
• 6 child's patronym = mother's patronym
• 11 child's patronym <> mother's, but no info on father
• 1 possible metronym
• 10 child's surname = mother's surname
• 7 child's surname <> mother's surname
• 1 mother has two surnames, one matches child's, one doesn't
• 2 child has surname, mother has unrelated patronym

Women And Miscellaneous Other Relationships

To summarize:

• 6 share patronym with brother (one ap)
• 3 share non-patronym with brother
• 1 bears husband's surname instead
• 1 surname unrelated to brother or husbands

There are 5 other records with relationships mentioned -- either a generic "kinsmen" or cousins. In one case, the two share a non- patronymic surname, but nothing of use can be concluded from those that share no name elements.

Elyn vaurgh Morgan	Lewis and Ieuan ap John (kinsmen and heirs)
Gwenne verch Edward	Edward Mathewe (first cousin)
Katherine Dunne	Peter Dunne (cousin)
Margaret ap Ieuan	Gronno (ap) Jenkyn [ap Ieuan] (cousin)
Maud Cornell	Thomas Dio, alias Davy (cousin)

When Multiple Relatives Are Mentioned

1.                  _________________________________
                   |                                 |
Harry Row =2 Beton Peucoke 1= Dave Willyam        Harry William

Beton's surname does not match that of either of her husbands, nor of her brother. However, her brother's surname is the same as that of her first husband. If she had shared her brother's surname, but we only had access to the names of her husbands, we might have concluded that she had taken her first husband's name. The same is shown in the next item, where the woman's father had the same name as appears in her husband's patronym.

2. David ap Griffith ap Yellen the younger
          |
Dyle ap verge David = Edward ap David

3. Alice Griffeth = Griffith Lloit
                  |
         Ellen verch Griffeth

4.  _____________
   |             |
Thomas Bedo   Syslye verch Meredith
                      |
              Ieuan ap Rees Bedo
                      |
            Thomas Lloyd alias Ieuan

Bedo is a diminutive of Maredudd. If Syslye bears a true patronym, then it's likely that the elder Thomas does too -- but using the diminutive of their father's name. But there is no reason to suppose that the Bedo in Syslye's son's name has anything to do with these, but rather may be from his paternal grandfather.

In several groups, we see the workings of true patronyms, whether marked with an explicit particle or not.

5. Gwenllian verch William
      |
     ???
      |
Katherine verch William = Ieuan ap Ieuan ap Jankyn

Given the popularity of the name William, there is no particular reason to suppose that there is any inheritance of any sort going on. Here we see people with clearly Welsh-style names using what are almost certainly true patronyms.

6.                            Rice ap Ieuan
                                   |
Henry ap Ieuan ap Guillim = Gwenllian verch Rice

7. Gwillim Ieuan Vaughan = Joan vergh David
        _________________|________
       |            |             |
John Gwillim     Philip and John Gwillim

In several cases involving multiple marriages, we see women with surnames completely unrelated to that of any of their husbands, whether the surnames are of patronymic origin or not. The names involved are a mixture of Welsh and English forms.

8. Joan Meryke alias Coyll =1= Nicholas Bowys
                           =2= Jermyn Gryffyth
                           =3= Thomas Blake

9. Wenllean verch John 1) = Robert Corser
                       2) = William ap Richard

10. David Apprice 1) = Jenett vergh Lewys
                  2) = Jenett Meredyth  2) = David ap Evan

In a similar set of cases, we see children (even illegitimate ones) taking the father's surname, while the mother may take that surname or not (or be listed with both). Again, the names involved are of both Welsh and English origin.

11.       ________________
         |                |
John Peake of Conway   Katherin Peak
         |                |
Hugh Peake             Nicholas Mellers
         |                |
Richard Peycke        John Mellers
(bastard)

12.         _____________________________________
           |                                     |
Margery Butler alias Hewes                 William butler
            |
John, Robert, Richard and Edward Hewes

13. John ap John ap Richard Trevour = Anne Broughton
                                    |
                              John Trevour

Finally, we see examples (with the caveats noted above) that appear to show women taking their husbands' surnames, whether of patronymic origin or not.

14.   ______________
     |              |
Elynor Walker   David ap Rosser
     |
John Walker

15. Katherine verch Rees ap Grufith ap Pella = William ap John
                                             |
Elizabeth verch ellys ap Tona                |
alias Elizabeth ap William        = Howell ap William

And in some cases, we have no clue at all to what is going on.

16. Johan Wogan =1 <mother> 2= Hugh Manxell
                |
         Margaret Erwe

There is no clue to where Margaret's surname came from, not from her father or her stepfather. (I'm not even certain what it derives from.)

THE "ALIAS" NAMES

In one case, we have clues to the origin of both versions.

Margery Butler alias Hewes

(brother is surnamed Butler, children are surnamed Hewes)

In others, we only have a clue to one of the elements. In these examples, the identifiable element is shared either with a husband or with children (and presumably a husband).

Christian Johns alias Crislye ver. John

(husband's surname is Johns)

Margaret Pykton alias Philpe

(husband's surname was Philpe)

Elizabeth ap William alias Elizabeth verch ellys ap Tona

(husband bears ap William as true patronym)

Margaret Sanders, alias Bruer

(her husband appears to have been John Bruer)

[...] Morgan, alias Flemmyng

(husband's surname is Morgan)

However, in other cases, we have a son's or husband's name available and no element in it matches either of the woman's surnames.

Katherine Gryffyth, alias Heyre

(neither is son's surname)

Joan Meryke alias Coyll

(neither name matches anything in the names of any of her three husbands)

Katherine Vaughan alias Verch Edward

(husband's name did not include Vaughan)

Katherine Gryffyth, alias Heyre

(neither is element in son's name)

For a few, we have no context for conclusions, although it seems quite reasonable to suppose that one surname in each case may be a true patronym.

Gwenllyen vergh David alias Margaret Harreys

Gwenllian Lewis alias Gwenllian verch Henry

Editted and published by Arval Benicoeur