Surname "suffix"

[billgam]

I have be told that it was not unheard of for a suffix to be added to a surname to denote that a sibling was of the family name.
e.g. "ling" meaning child of or sibling of.
Has anyone else heard of this or am I having my very long leg pulled.
I will go on to say that the person that told me this was at one time the director of the Chelsea Pensioners Home.

Bill

[trish251]

Hi Bill

Have you tried a Google search for "surname suffix". many hits. I didn't find the one you mentioned but lots of interesting ones, so it seems to me likely to be true. The best I saw was the use of the word "son"

William Smith would create the surname William"son" for his child. So you would have e.g. James Williamson, child of William Smith. - Could be tricky tracing these ancestors.

[Clincher]

Re: "ling". I am no expert but I would have thought it entirely possible especially in names of Germanic origin. For example in German "liebe" =love, d[e]arling and liebling would = "little darling. So "ling" is probably an appendage used to emphase "smaller" or "younger"

[Chris in 1066Land]

Hi there

According to my 'Oracle'

The most common suffixes are -ot, -et, -un, -in, -el

The Suffixes -c o c k and -kin (had to put spaces in to get past censor)

These two suffixes are used to form diminutives of the more common names and are frequently used as personal names, sometimes to distinguish son and father, sometimes as pet names.
John and Jankin, William and Wilkin, are both used as names of the same man. Compounds of -c o c k are less common and later than those of -kin which are found in the 12th century

Chris in 1066Land

[Boongie Pam]

I have certainly seen an etymology somewhere of -ling meaning "young of" in Old Saxon naming tradition.  I'm trying like mad to remember and find where I saw it.

Pam
 

[Berlin-Bob]

Pam,
here's your definition, at: http://www.bartleby.com/61/49/L0184900.html

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition.  2000.
 
–ling¹
 
SUFFIX: 1. One connected with: worldling. 2. One having a specified quality: underling. 3. One that is young, small, or inferior: duckling. 
ETYMOLOGY: Middle English, from Old English. 

–ling²
 
SUFFIX: In a specified direction, manner, or condition: darkling. 
ETYMOLOGY: Middle English, from Old English. 
 

But Clincher is also right, with the possible german origin, meaning diminutive.

[billgam]

Thanks All
Especially Pam - Young, Small and Inferior and I always wondered why my mum called me DUCKS.

Bill

[Glory]

Very interesting topic seeing I have a "Duckling" branch of the family in Norfolk / Co. Durham.

Lee

Melbourne Oz