vey, no longer usual as a font-name, is Fr.
Herod, which represents the heroic German name Herewig, to the second
syllable of which belongs such an apparently insignificant name as
Wigg.

MEDIEVAL FONT-NAMES

The disappearance of Latin names is not to be regretted, for the Latin
nomenclature was of the most unimaginative description, while the Old
German names are more like those of Greece; e.g. Ger. Ludwig, which
has passed into most of the European languages (Louis, Lewis,
Ludovico, etc), is from Old High Ger. hlut-wig, renowned in fight,
equivalent to the Greek Clytomachus, with one-half of which it is
etymologically cognate.

Some of the names in Gower's list, e.g. Watte (Chapter I), Thomme,
Symme, Geffe (Chapter VI), Wille, Jakke, are easily recognized. Bette
is for Bat, Bartholomew, a name, which has given Batty, Batten, Bates,
Bartle (cf. Bartlemas), Bartlett, Badcock, Batcock. But this group of
names belongs also to the Bert- or -bent, which is so common in
Teutonic names, such as Bertrand, Bertram, Herbert, Hubert, many of
which reached us in an Old French form. For the loss of the _r_, cf.
Matty from Martha. Gibe is for Gilbert. Hick is rimed on Dick:
(Chapter VI). Colle is for Nicolas. Grig is for Gregory, whence
Gregson and Scottish Grier. Dawe, for David, alternated with Day and
Dow, which appear as first element in many surnames, though Day has
another origin (Chapter XIX) and Dowson sometimes belongs to the
female name Douce, sweet. Hobbe is a rimed form from Robert. Lorkyn,
or Larkin, is for Lawrence, for which we also find Law, Lay, and Low,
whence Lawson, Lakin, Lowson, Locock, etc. For Hudde see Chapters I,
VII. Judde, from the very popular Jordan, has given Judson, Judkins,
and the contracted Jukes. Jordan (Fr. Jourdain, Ital. Giordano) seems
to have been adopted as a personal name in honour of John the Baptist.
Tebbe is for Theobald (Chapter I).

THE COMMONEST FONT-NAMES

Many people, in addressing a small boy with whom they are
unacquainted, are in the habit of using Tommy as a name to which any
small boy should naturally answer. In some parts of Polynesia the
natives speak of a white Mary or a black Mary, i.e. woman, just as the
Walloons round Mons speak of Marie bon bec, a shrew, Marie grognon, a
Mrs. Gummidge, Marie quatre langues, a chatterbox, and several other
Maries still less politely described. We have the modern silly Johnny
for the older silly Billy, while