Birds

Birds
This name, with variant spellings Byrd, Birds,Byrde and Bride, derives from the Old English pre 7th Century "bridde" (Medieval English "brid" or "bird") meaning a bird, and was originally given as a nickname to one thought to bear a fancied resemblance to a bird i.e. bright eyed, active etc., or perhaps to one with a beautiful singing voice. The surname was first recorded towards the end of the 12th Century, (see below). Ralph le Brid(d), witness appears in the 1235 "Fine Court Rolls of Essex" and a Richard Bird in the 1260 "Assize Court Rolls of Cambridgeshire". The variant spelling Bride, most closely resembling the original Old English "bridde", was first recorded as a surname in 1332 - John Bride, (The Subsidy Rolls of Cumberland). Later in the Century, a Johannes Bridde was recorded in the "Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire", (1379). Occasionally Bird (and its variants) may have been given as a metonymic occupational name to a bird catcher, and as such was a shortened form of the name Birdclever, recorded in the 1427 "Calverley Charters of Yorkshire". The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Earnald Brid, which was dated 1193 - "The Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire", during the reign of King Richard 1st, known as "Richard the Lionheart", 1189 - 1199. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

Surnames reference. 2013.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Birds — Birds, IL U.S. village in Illinois Population (2000): 51 Housing Units (2000): 22 Land area (2000): 0.216434 sq. miles (0.560562 sq. km) Water area (2000): 0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km) Total area (2000): 0.216434 sq. miles (0.560562 sq.… …   StarDict's U.S. Gazetteer Places

  • Birds, IL — U.S. village in Illinois Population (2000): 51 Housing Units (2000): 22 Land area (2000): 0.216434 sq. miles (0.560562 sq. km) Water area (2000): 0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km) Total area (2000): 0.216434 sq. miles (0.560562 sq. km) FIPS… …   StarDict's U.S. Gazetteer Places

  • birds — birds; birds·ville; …   English syllables

  • birds — Turtle doves and young pigeons were allowed for sacrifices (Lev. 1:14; Luke 2:24). Wild birds were hunted (Amos 3:5; Ps. 91:3). The migratory habits of birds were well known (Jer. 8:7), and quails migrating from Africa to Europe fed the… …   Dictionary of the Bible

  • birds —    It is widely said to be an *omen, or even a cause, of death if a wild bird enters, or is brought into, a house, or beats against a window (Opie and Tatem, 1989: 25 6); this does not apply to farmyard fowls or caged birds. Some people even… …   A Dictionary of English folklore

  • Birds Do It — Infobox Film name = Birds Do It caption = writer = Art Arthur, Arnie Kogen, Leonard Kaufman (Story) starring = Soupy Sales, Tab Hunter, Arthur O Connell, Edward Andrews, Doris Dowling, Beverly Adams director = Andrew Marton producer = Stanley… …   Wikipedia

  • birds — (New American Roget s College Thesaurus) Flying animals Nouns 1. fowl; songbird, warbler; bird of prey; cock, hen; nestling, fledgling. See animal. 2. (land birds) I. (passerine) a. songbird, oscine, warbler, oriole, swallow, blackbird, blackcap …   English dictionary for students

  • birds — bɜːd v. watch and study birds in their natural environment n. fowl, plumed or feathered animal; fellow, guy; girl, lass (Slang); helicopter, airplane, aircraft (Military Slang) …   English contemporary dictionary

  • birds — paukščiai statusas T sritis zoologija | vardynas atitikmenys: lot. Aves angl. birds vok. Vogel rus. птицы pranc. oiseaux ryšiai: platesnis terminas – stuburiniai siauresnis terminas – šiuolaikiniai paukščiai …   Paukščių pavadinimų žodynas

  • birds — paukščiai statusas T sritis ekologija ir aplinkotyra apibrėžtis Chordinių tipo stuburinių gyvūnų klasė (Aves) – šiltakraujai (kūno temperatūra apie 42 °C) dvikojai gyvūnai, kurių kūnas apaugęs plunksnomis, priekinės galūnės virtusios sparnais.… …   Ekologijos terminų aiškinamasis žodynas

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”