| Surnames of Objects | | | | Berry |
| In still other examples of surname adoption, surnames | | | | Forest, Forester or Foster, Forster |
| were taken from inanimate objects thought or believed | | | | Winyter, Winter or Winters |
| to have unique properties or super-natural | | | | Summer, Summers or Sumner also Summerville |
| characteristics. Science, being what it was during the | | | | Brook or Brooks |
| sixteenth century, still had a long way to go in | | | | Ford, Forde or Foord(e) |
| explaining the properties of most elements. Thus | | | | Wood, Woode or Woods |
| superstitions and pagan beliefs sometimes played a | | | | Sharpe |
| key role in the selection and adoption of a person or | | | | Wicke |
| family's surname. Some surnames were taken from | | | | Well, Welles or Wells |
| foodstuffs or plants. Others were assumed from | | | | In previous articles, we've seen how English language |
| nature or natural objects. Many if not most of these | | | | surnames were developed from occupations, animals, |
| surnames are still in widespread use today. Note the | | | | nature, and colors. This should help to give our English |
| varieties in spelling as English spelling was not | | | | as a Foreign Language learners an interesting and |
| "standardized" during that era. | | | | unique glimpse into the nature and intricacies of the |
| Rice, Rhys, or Rhize | | | | English language. |
| Bean or Beane or even Beene | | | | It was none other than "the Bard", William |
| Corne or Cornell | | | | Shakespeare who wrote, "A rose by any other name |
| Stone or Stowne - later shortened to Stowe | | | | would smell as sweet." Indeed, and we've only taken a |
| Cage | | | | brief look at some of the more common English |
| Bush or from old English Byssche | | | | language surnames. There are still hundreds, if not |
| Glass or Glaz | | | | thousands more we haven't even considered in this |
| Pine or Pyne | | | | series of articles. |
| Banner | | | | These examples of surnames created or adopted |
| North or Northe also Nord or Norde | | | | from a variety of sources illustrate the beginnings of |
| West | | | | the development and use of the family surname or |
| Steel or Steele believed to be derived from Steale | | | | last name, as we know it today. Similar examples of |
| Cotton | | | | surnames can be found in a number of other foreign |
| Thorn or Thorne | | | | language families. Why not ask your English language |
| Peck or Pecke also Beck or Becke - related to | | | | learners about unique or historic surnames (or first |
| Becker | | | | names) in the country where you are living and |
| Day, Daye or Daley | | | | working now. It could prove to be a very unique and |
| Street or Streete also Streeter | | | | interesting history. |
| Bend or Bender | | | | After all, who really knows, "What's in a name? |
| Bell or Belle | | | | |