Origins Of English Surnames

Surnames carry the history of people in a very personal way. In England, surnames were mostly established by the end of the fourteenth century - by ordinary people, for ordinary people. Uniquely, surnames describe medieval lives not captured by any other record. They tell us what these people did, where they went, what they noticed and give clues about their culture and memories. This book examines the origins of English surnames, looking at: occupational names; locational names, or names that record places; nicknames and personal names; names from the Continent; and symbolic names. Where genealogists and etymologists focus on single names, this book takes groups of names and explores what these say about the society that created them. In 'The Origins of English Surnames' you will find the English people at a key moment in history, revealing the way they spoke, the jokes they made, and their memories of ancient cultures - all at a time when land-based feudalism was crumbling and people sought better lives.

Reaney surveys the origins and history of English surnames. The book is etymological and explanatory, not genealogical, though this aspect has not been ignored.

Containing entries for more than 45,000 English, Scottish, Welsh, Irish, Cornish, and immigrant surnames, The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland is the ultimate reference work on family names of the UK. The Dictionary includes every surname that currently has more than 100 bearers. Each entry contains lists of variant spellings of the name, an explanation of its origins (including the etymology), lists of early bearers showing evidence for formation and continuity from the date of formation down to the 19th century, geographical distribution, and, where relevant, genealogical and bibliographical notes, making this a fully comprehensive work on family names. This authoritative guide also includes an introductory essay explaining the historical background, formation, and typology of surnames and a guide to surnames research and family history research. Additional material also includes a list of published and unpublished lists of surnames from the Middle Ages to the present day.

Aiming to avoid technical terminology, Richard McKinley provides an introduction to the history of hereditary surnames in Britain from their first appearance to the present day. Devoting a chapter to each of the main categories of name, he enables readers to set the facts they discover about their own ancestry, family history and surnames into the context of general surname development. The author deals with those names that originate in England, Wales and Scotland; and since these tend to have their own distinct histories, he discusses developments in each of the three countries separately, wherever appropriate. The book uses the study of surnames to illuminate social history and draws attention to the complex patterns of population mobility that have always characterized British Society. It also describes regional and class differences in surnames, some features of which survive to our own time.

This classic dictionary explains the origins of over 16,000 names in current English use. It will be a source of fascination to everyone with an interest in names and their history.This classic dictionary answers questions such as these and explains the origins of over 16,000 names in current English use. It will be a source of fascination to everyone with an interest in names and their history.

Aiming to avoid technical terminology, Richard McKinley provides an introduction to the history of hereditary surnames in Britain from their first appearance to the present day. Devoting a chapter to each of the main categories of name, he enables readers to set the facts they discover about their own ancestry, family history and surnames into the context of general surname development. The author deals with those names that originate in England, Wales and Scotland; and since these tend to have their own distinct histories, he discusses developments in each of the three countries separately, wherever appropriate. The book uses the study of surnames to illuminate social history and draws attention to the complex patterns of population mobility that have always characterized British Society. It also describes regional and class differences in surnames, some features of which survive to our own time.

This book combines linguistic and historical approaches with the latest techniques of DNA analysis and shows the insights these offer for every kind of genealogical research. It focuses on British names, tracing their origins to different parts of the British Isles and Europe and revealing how names often remain concentrated in the districts where they first became established centuries ago. In the process the book casts fresh light on the ancient peopling of the British Isles. The authors consider why some names die out while others spread across the globe. They use recent advances in DNA testing to investigate whether particular surnames have single, dual, or multiple origins, and to find out if the various forms of a single name have a common origin. They show how information from DNA can be combined with historical evidence and techniques to distinguish between individuals with the same name and different names with similar spellings, and to identifty the name of the same individual or family spelt in various ways in different times and places. The final chapter of this paperback edition, looking at the use of genetics in historical research, has been updated to include new work on the DNA of Richard III.