Surnames Dna And Family History

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.

Every surname has its own story to tell, and a surname study is a natural complement to family history research. The study of surnames has been revolutionised in the last decade with the increasing availability of online resources, and it is now easier than ever before to explore the history, evolution, distribution and meaning of your family name. The Surnames Handbook provides a comprehensive guide to researching your surname using genealogical methods in conjunction with the latest advances in DNA testing and surname mapping. The book explores the key resources that are used to study a surname and is packed with links to relevant websites giving you everything you need to research your surname in one compact volume.

DNA testing is now being used by thousands of genealogists around the world. DNA and Family History is the first guide to this pioneering subject, designed for family historians and surname study organizers at any stage in their research. In simple language aimed at non-scientists, Chris Pomery examines the background and the issues.

Find out what your surname means and trace your ancestors who share it too. Perhaps your surname is that of a Norman who came to Britain after the Battle of Hastings; or a Celtic clan name. Maybe it is an old English trade. It may be distinctive of a particular location. And just possibly you might be related to everyone who bears the name. Find out! Your surname is part of you -- so use this book to discover what it really means. This comprehensive book will show you how to research your surname and your family tree, both in earliest and in more recent years. It provides practical activities to investigate the meaning of any British surname. You will discover: -- The meaning of your surname -- How old it is -- Where it comes from -- What associations it has today -- How to use your surname to trace ancestors You may also be able to take part in a One Name Study or use DNA profiling to make contact with other people who bear your surname and with whom you share distant ancestors.

This book combines linguistic and historical approaches with the latest techniques of DNA analysis and show the insights these offer for every kind of genealogical research. The book will be welcomed by all those engaged in genealogical research, including everyone seeking to discover the histories of their names and families.

Surnames have always provided key links in historical research. This groundbreaking new work shows that first names can also be highly significant for those tracing genealogies or studying communities. Standard works on first names have always concentrated on etymology. George Redmonds goes much further: he believes that every name has a precise origin and history of expansion, which can be regional or even local; up to c. 1700 it may even have centred on one family. This text fully explores the implications of this belief for local and family history, and challenges many published assumptions on the historical frequency of first names.

From unlikely places like Scotland and the Appalachian Mountains to the Bible and archives of the Spanish Inquisition, this valuable resource published in 2018 is the first to cover the naming practices of Conversos, Marranos and secret Jews along with more familiar Central and Eastern European Jewries. It includes Joseph Jacobs’ classic work on Jewish Names, a chapter on Scottish clans and septs, thousands of Sephardic and Ashkenazic surnames from early colonial records and Rabbi Malcolm Stern’s 445 Early American Jewish Families. Appendix A contains 400 surnames from the Greater London cemetery Adath Yisroel. Appendix B provides a combined name index to the indispensable When Scotland Was Jewish, Jews and Muslims in British Colonial America and The Early Jews and Muslims of England and Wales, all by Elizabeth Caldwell Hirschman and Donald N. Yates. It contains 276 pages and has an extensive index and bibliography. “Up-to-date and valuable research tool for genealogists and those interested in Jewish origins.” —Eran Elhaik, Assistant Professor, The University of Sheffield