The Toponymy of Maryland
From WikiName
Have you ever wondered which Maryland town name is the most appropriate. I mean, of course, from the standpoint of perfect nameology, although, technically, there is no such thing. Toponymy, however, describes the scientific, or not-so-scientific, applicability of place names, [1] unless the place in question is a body of water, in which case hydronymy would be more applicable. [2]
So, if you were discussing the pertinence of the name Assawoman Bay (previously Assawoman Sound), Maryland, then you would be studying hydronymy. In such explorations, you could even delve into the role of “The Ditch” separating Assawoman Bay, Maryland, from Little Assawoman Bay, Delaware. [3] However, when you throw “The Ditch” into the equation, you essentially combine hydronymy and toponymy, so you might need a pseudonym for such a study.
Of course, if such endeavors became too taxing, or you just wanted a change of pace, you could re-focus your attention on Bishopville – a mere six miles west, which, I assume, must have a more reputable toponymy. However, further examination could lead to doubting such a hypothesis, since the alternate, albeit unofficial, name for Bishopville is Slabtown. [4] Furthermore, the entire county is plagued by misleading names as it resides in Worcester, which is pronounced nothing like it appears – just ask any New Englander.
At least it’s not boring, not to disparage the town named Boring, which is named postmaster David Boring [5] and not the quality of life in the small town. But, I suppose just about any name is better than Crapo, which also resides in the state nicknamed the “Old Line State” or “Free State.” At least Crapo’s unofficial alternate names – Woodland and Woodlandtown [6] – are less, well, crappy.
Certainly, no examination of toponymy within Maryland is complete without checking out Cockeysville. The town in Hunt Valley that is only thirteen miles from Boring is named after the Cockey family, which helped establish the town. Joshua Frederick Cockey built the first commercial structure in the town in 1810. [7] His son, of the same name, built the train station in the 1830’s and Joshua F. Cockey III founded the bank in 1891. It’s hard to imagine that such a family would not be slightly cocky after such accomplishments, but that’s neither her nor there, nor necessarily based in any historical accuracy – indeed, the founders of Cockeysville were not necessarily cocky, in the least.
Speaking of founders and foundings, Accident, Maryland received its’ name from such activities. In 1750, George Deakins was paid by King George II of England in the form of six hundred acres of land. Mutually exclusively, two surveyors explored western Maryland in search of the best six hundred acre tract. Unbeknownst to them, both surveyors chose the same six hundred tract of land beginning with the same oak tree. Subsequently, the method of simultaneous discovery led to the naming of the land as the “The Accident Tract.” [8]
However, interesting names in Maryland – like any other state – are no accident. Rather, location names have origins rooted in toponymy.
[edit] NOTES
- ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toponym
- ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydronym
- ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assawoman_Bay
- ↑ http://maryland.hometownlocator.com/MD/Worcester/Bishopville.cfm
- ↑ http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/genInfo.php?locIndex=2464
- ↑ http://maryland.hometownlocator.com/MD/Dorchester/Crapo.cfm
- ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunt_Valley,_Maryland
- ↑ http://www.mdmunicipal.org/cities/index.cfm?townname=Accident&page=home
Author: Rich Kachold
