uence on topographical names,
and hence on surnames. Frean, though usually from the Scandinavian
name Fraena, is sometimes for Fr. frene, ash, Lat. fraxinus, while
Cain and Kaines [Footnote: There is one family of Keynes derived
specifically from Chahaignes (Sarthe).] are Norm. quene (chene),
oak. The modern French for beech is hetre, Du. heester, but Lat.
fagus has given a great many dialect forms which have supplied us with
the surnames Fay, Foy, and the plural dim. Failes. Here also I should
put the name Defoe, assumed by the writer whose father was satisfied
with Foe. With Quatrefages, four beeches, we may compare such English
names as Fiveash, Twelvetrees, and Snooks, for "seven oaks."

In Latin the suffix -etum was used to designate a grove or plantation.
This suffix, or its plural -eta, is very common in France, becoming
successively -ei(e), -oi(e), -ai(e). The name Dobree is a Guernsey
spelling of d'Aubray, Lat. arboretum, which was dissimilated (Chapter
III) into arboretum. Darblay, the name of Fanny Burney's husband, is
a variant. From au(l)ne, alder, we have aunai, whence our Dawnay. So
also frenai has given Freeney, chenai, Chaney, and the Norm. quenai
is one origin of Kenney, while the older chesnai appears in Chesney.
Houssaie, from hoax, holly, gives Hussey; chastenai, chestnut grove,
exists in Nottingham as Chastener; coudrai, hazel copse, gives Cowdrey
and Cowdery; Verney and Varney are from vernai, grove of alders, of
Celtic origin, and Viney corresponds to the French name Vinoy, Lat.
vinetum.

We have also Chinnery, Chenerey from the extended chenerai, and
Pomeroy from pommerai. Here again the name offers no clue as to the
exact place of origin. There are in the French Postal Directory eight
places called Epinay, from epine, thorn, but these do not exhaust the
number of "spinnies" in France. Also connected with tree-names are
Conyers, Old Fr, coigniers, quince-trees, and Pirie, Perry, Anglo-Fr.
perie, a collective from peire (poire).

Among Norman names for a homestead the favourite is mesnil, from
Vulgar Lat. mansionile, which enters into a great number of local
names. It has given our Meynell, and is also the first element of
Mainwaring, Mannering, from mesnil-Warin. The simple mes, a southern
form of which appears in Dumas, has given us Mees and Meese, which are
thus etymological doublets of the word manse. With Beamish (Chapter
XIV) we may compare Bellasis, from bel-assis, fair