These names ending in _staff_ might naturally be taken to have been sobriquets, to be classed along with Shakespear, Breakspear, and other names of the same kind. But as regards two of them at least, Hackstaff and Shakestaff, there may be something more to be said. There is an ending _staf_ in Teutonic names, for which Grimm, referring to Gustaf, thinks of O.H.G. _stab_, A.S. _staf_, staff,--in the sense, as I should suppose, of baton, or staff of office. There are only discovered as yet two Old German names with this ending, Chustaff and Sigestab. The former, which seems to be from _cunst_ or _cust_, science, learning, may be the original of the Swedish Gustaf, and possibly of Costiff, one of the curious names gathered by Mr. Lower. Corresponding with the O.G. Sigestab, we find an A.S. Sigistef, a moneyer of Coenwulf. And there is also a Hehstaf, witness to a charter (_Thorpe_, p. 69). Shakestaff, then, might be a not very difficult corruption of Sigestef (which in the form of Sicestaf would approach still nearer). And Hackstaff might represent the A.S. Hehstaf, in which the second _h_ was no doubt strongly aspirated, and might be more like a hard _c_. I, however, only bring this forward as a possible explanation; there is quite as much to be said for the other view, unless other ancient names turn up. NAGLE, NAIL, HARTNOLL, DARNELL, TUFFNELL, HORSENAIL, HOOFNAIL, ISNELL, BRAZNELL, COPPERNOLL. There is in my view no more curious or puzzling set of names than those which, as above, are derived from _nagel_ or nail, clavis. It appears to me, though the line is difficult to draw, that they may be divided into two groups, one of which is the representative of ancient baptismal names, and the other of surnames of a later, perhaps a mediæval, date.