emembered that
the people did not possess the Bible in the vernacular. The teaching
of the parish priests made them familiar with selected episodes, from
which they naturally took the names which appeared to contain the
greatest element of holiness or of warlike renown. It is probable
that the mystery plays were not without influence; for the personal
name was not always a fixed quantity, and many of the names mentioned
in the preceding paragraph may have been acquired rather on the
medieval stage than at the font.

This would apply with still more force to names taken from the legends
of saints and martyrs on which the miracle plays were based. We even
find the names Saint, Martyr and Postill, the regular aphetic form of
apostle (Chapter III), just as we find King and Pope. Camden,
speaking of the freedom with which English names are formed, quotes a
Dutchman, who--

"When he heard of English men called God and Devil, said, that the
English borrowed names from all things whatsoever, good or bad."

The medieval name Godde may of course be for Good, Anglo-Sax. Goda,
but Ledieu is common enough in France. The name seems to be obsolete,
unless it is disguised as Goad. The occurrence in medieval rolls of
Diabolus and le Diable shows that Deville need not always be for de
Eyville. There was probably much competition for this important part,
and the name would not be always felt as uncomplimentary. Among
German surnames we find not only Teufel, but also the compounds
Manteufel and Teufelskind.

NEW TESTAMENT NAMES

Coming to the New Testament, we find the four Evangelists strongly
represented, especially the first and last. Matthew appears not only
in an easily recognizable form, e.g. in Matheson, but also as Mayhew
and Mayo, Old Fr. Mahieu. From the latter form we have the shortened
May and Mee, whence Mayes, Makins, Meakin, Meeson, [Footnote: One
family of Meeson claims descent from Malvoisin.] and sometimes Mason.
Mark is one of the sources of March (p, 90), as Luke is of Luck,
whence Lucock, Luckett, etc, though we more often find the learned
form Lucas.

Of John there is no need to speak. Of the apostles the great
favourites, Simon, or Peter, John, and Bartholomew have already been
mentioned. Almost equally popular was Philip, whence Philp, Phipps,
Phelps, and the dim. Philpot, whence the aphetic Pott, Potts. Andrew
flourished naturally in Scotland, its commonest derivative being
Anderson, whil