Washington - His Name Predicted His Fame

Hard to believe, but the name of the first American president foretold the outcome of the revolution nearly a thousand years ago.

In medieval times, a popular name for a mother to name her baby was Wassa. It sounds crazy, but Wassa was sort of the Mike, Joe, or John of his day. There are plenty of names that fell out of favor over time, like Archibald, Poindexter, and Lemuel. There were several Breton settlements known for the man named Wassa who was the head honcho. In Old English, the term tun meant settlement. We know the word as “town.” Wassing was the word that described “people associated with Wassa.” Wassingatun meant “settlement of the people associated with Wassa,” mostly his family.

Towns back then were different than they are today. They were so small that a man named John might be one of the only ones in the area. Later, as settlements grew, other words were added to describe people. John the elder, John the baker, or John the son of John – John’s son. It was the beginning of last names, words that described a man based on his job, his father’s name, a nickname, or the place where he lived. Washington is an example of a place name – a last name that originally was a settlement name for somebody’s first name.

In that time when last names were just beginning, among the John the bakers, and John the Younger, was also John of Wassingatun. If you ever tried to read Beowulf, you know that few Old English words made it to current times without change. Over the centuries, Wassingatun, became Washington, and the ancestor of the first American president was deeded the manor of Washington in England in the year 1185.

When towns were laid out in early America, many were named for the first president of the United States. In addition to Washington DC, there are namesakes in Louisiana, Connecticut, and of course, Washington state, named for the man whose name predicted the outcome of the American revolution – nearly a thousand years ago. How? It goes back to Wassa, that outdated first name that came from Old English words that meant “hunt” and – “Victory.”

Last names – we all have one, and mine’s McHuston. I may have your story next time on - One Famous Name.

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