Our Surname
Whilst the purpose of this website and its research is to find out more about our ancestors, one cannot ignore
the Keep surname. This is an important factor in the project, and is an indispensable precursor in tracing the Keep lineage.
The
Origin of Surnames
Surname is the name prefixed by “sur,” an old French word for on, which is a derivative from of the Latin
“super," meaning over or above; therefore, it means additional name. As early as the 14th century it was spelled as “sirname” or “sirename,"
which according to folk etymology suggests that it meant man's name or father's name.
Surnames, which are also known as family
names or last names, provide an indication as to which family a person belongs. In Western Societies children inherit their father’s
surname. There is also a patriarchal tradition for a woman to change her surname upon marriage to that of her husband.
Today
we take surnames for granted and assume that they have always existed. In reality they have evolved from a need to identify individuals
other than by the vagaries of a given name and other identifiable factors. This is perfectly demonstrated by the legend of Robin
Hood, Earl of Loxley, and his Merry Men; Little John, Much the Miller's Son, Will Scarlet, Arthur a Bland, David of Doncaster, Will
Stutely, Friar Tuck, and Alan-a-Dale. These would have been actual names, and not nicknames substituting for the proper name, i.e.
Buffalo Bill the American Old West hero, whose real name was William Cody.
The Evolution of Surnames
There is some uncertainty
as to when surnames were first used, but it is believed their usage coincided with the development of large concentrated populations
and the need to identify individuals, i.e. for taxation purposes. The Chinese, during the reign of Emperor Fu Xi in 2852 BC, are said
to have introduced surnames to facilitate their population census. In
Occupations: Smith, Archer, Baker, Milner, Cooper, Warner
Personal characteristics: Short,
Long, Brown, Whitehead
Geographical features: Hill, Lee,
Wood, Fields
Place names:
Patronymics: Richardson,
Williams, Johnson
Matronymics: Tillotson a from a diminutive for Matilda
Clan names:
MacDonald, MacNeish, Campbell, Wallace
Religion:
Church, Chapel, Parish Bishop, Priest, Abbot.
Residential: Castle, Croft, Barnes, House
The History of the Keep Surname
The name Keep is of early medieval English origin and has been recorded as:
ate Kepe: Thomas ate Kepe 1327
atte Kep: William atte Kep 1290
de Keepe: Robert de Keepe 1332
Keepe: Henry Keepe 1611 Northamptonshire
Kep: Walter Kep 1230 Buckinghamshire
Kepe: John Kepe 1290 Buckinghamshire
Keppe:
William Keppe 1583 Bermodsey.
That the spelling of surnames has varied over time is due to very low literacy rates and the reliance
on phonetic recording, or a deliberate choice of the family.
Keep may be residential, describing a person who lived at a castle,
as in the Keep; or possibly occupational, describing a gaoler from the Middle English word "keep," from the verb "keepen," meaning
to hold or possibly defend. There is a school of thought that suggests that the name Keep comes from de Kyper. If so, the prospects
present an exciting new dimension to the DNA project, especially when you consider all the potential spelling variations in respect
of de Kyper.
Additional information on this subject can be obtained from John L. Keep, whose email link is found on the TO PARTICIPATE
page.