Chris

I am trying to study the old Manx surnames in the light of the landscape in which people lived.

It must be said that A.W. Moore swallowed the Old Irish legends of name origins as did J.J. Kneen, and iti is very doubtful if they are more than legends.

Gradually proof is emerging for a few of the unusual names, and they indicate that Manx names had their own origins here, and this is why there are so many individual names.

So far, Stowell seems to be a Norse word that either means a sheep fold or a cattle-milking place. THe surname experts say that the surname comes from Somerset, and the family came with the Montague Lords of Man. However in the 1490s to 1500's rent rolls, the family had Mac in front of their name, and were living in traditional farms and crofts in the Lonan and Maughold area. There were other places with the element as a place-name element.

Another one I am fairly sure is a place-name is Scarffe; it seems to derive from a word meaning a division of land, in an oblique case indicating thay were "of the division". THese are very rare names.

As I mentioned on the board, I am looking at the so-called Norse names with the element Thor - they possibly relate to a type of field system called a Thoar or Toar, not to the God Thor.

With Keig, it was a fairly uncommon name in 1511 to 13 and is possible it could have arisen from various origins. I would tackle the problem by looking at any early ocurrences of the name in the rolls of the 15th c., then at the actual holdings that the family held in 1511 or 1490, also looking at all 25 places that are allegedly named for them. THen the Irish, Scottish and English surname books,
t his may suggest something.

It is good that you have a lively interest in this, maybe something will arise.

Nigel